Cake
Nothing, dessert-wise, says celebration quite like cake does. Here are six yummy cake recipes for any celebration you have, including Red Velvet Cake, Black Forest Layer Cake, and 7Up Cake. (Do I have your attention yet?) Enjoy!
MADE-IN-THE-PAN CHOCOLATE CAKE
This wonderful vegan cake is from Margaux Laskey in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Margaux wrote, "This surprisingly tender vegan chocolate cake is made entirely in an 8-by-8-inch baking pan: Just toss in the ingredients, stir until you don’t see any flour streaks, then bake. For flourish, add a small handful of chocolate chips before baking or sprinkle the finished cake with a little confectioners’ sugar. Adapted from Mollie Katzen’s 'Honest Pretzels: And 64 Other Amazing Recipes for Kids Who Love to Cook,' this recipe was developed for kids, but adults love it, too. It’s an ideal snacking cake, or you could gussy it up with a simple ganache frosting."
Yield: 9 to 12 servings; Time: 45 minutes.
This was featured in "The Best Cookbooks for Kids", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020063-made-in-the-pan-chocolate-cake.
Ingredients
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
2 tablespoons semisweet or vegan chocolate chips (optional)
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting on top (optional)
Preparations
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt to an 8-by-8-inch square glass or metal baking dish. Whisk the mixture together until uniform in color. Use your fingers to break apart any lumps.
Add 1 cup water along with the oil, vanilla extract and vinegar. Stir slowly with a fork or a whisk in small circles to blend. Mash, scrape and stir with a fork and spoon until the mixture becomes a smooth and uniform batter.
Scrape the sides of the baking dish with a rubber spatula and spread the batter in an even layer. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, if using.
Use a damp paper towel to wipe the edges of the baking dish clean. Carefully transfer the dish to the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the batter comes out mostly clean, 28 to 33 minutes. (Instead of looking like you dipped the toothpick in chocolate frosting, it should look like it has some chocolate cake crumbs clinging to it.)
Remove from the oven, let cool, then cut the cake into squares. If you’re feeling fancy, this tastes good (and looks pretty) with some confectioners’ sugar dusted on top.
BLUEBERRY BANANA CAKE
This comes from Carroll Pellegrinelli, who wrote for The Spruce Eats. Carroll wrote, "Whether you overbought at the farm stand or your fruit is ripening quicker than you can eat it, this blueberry banana cake is the perfect way to use up the produce and enjoy something sweet. What is great about this recipe is that there are more bananas and blueberries in the batter than flour and sugar, which makes it not only extra fruity and delicious, but also a healthy breakfast, dessert, or snack.
"This cake was made in a cathedral bundt cake pan, but you can use any bundt, cake, or loaf pan."
Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 50 minutes; Total Time: 70 minutes; Yield: 16 slices (16 servings)
Ingredients
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs (at room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 bananas (very ripe, mashed)
1 cup blueberries (rinsed and dried)
Directions
Gather the ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease and flour the cake pan.
Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl with a wire whisk. Set aside.
Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat until well combined.
Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture. Combine until just mixed.
Fold in the bananas and blueberries.
Carefully pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 50 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Tips
This recipe is somewhat simple, but there are a few tips you should keep in mind to ensure your banana blueberry cake is a success:
First, it is important that the butter and eggs be at room temperature so they both mix into the batter uniformly.
You also want to make sure that the bananas are nice and ripe; the goal is to have them blend into the batter versus remain in chunks. Bananas with almost black skins are ideal.
To achieve the creamiest texture, mash the ripe bananas with a mixer until they are a thick puree. You can use frozen bananas as well, just remember to thaw first.
When it comes to the blueberries, you need completely dry them before adding to the batter. Introducing water to the batter will result in a soggy cake.
This recipe can be baked in a bundt pan, loaf pan, or muffin tins. Just be sure to adjust the cooking times (muffins will take about half the time).
Recipe Variations
Whether you add or sub out ingredients in this cake, there are a few twists on this recipe that are sure to please. If your family is a fan of nuts, adding walnuts to the batter—or sprinkled on top—brings a nice crunch to the cake.
And, chances are, the kids won't object to a few chocolate chips.
You can elevate the cake by layering on a streusel topping before baking, which will create a sweet, crispy outer crust.
BLACK FOREST LAYER CAKE
This yumminess is from Betty Crocker, and begins, "If you’re looking for a baking project or beautiful (and wildly delicious!) layered cake for a special occasion, look no further than this Black Forest Layer Cake. Three layers of a moist chocolate cake are separated by a from-scratch cherry filling (made with dark sweet cherries) that’s both rich and tart in its taste, then frosted with a Swiss buttercream frosting and decorated with shaved chocolate and a pile of maraschino cherries. What makes this cake truly special is the “double dam” frosting border! Frosting is piped twice on the outside edge of the cake layer so there’s a thick layer of buttercream that holds in the cherry filling. The end result is a dramatic black and white look and a touch of extra Swiss buttercream for frosting lovers. This cake is an absolute stunner, and it will reward the baker and the guests alike!"
Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes; Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes; Servings: 12
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Cake
2 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1-1/4 cups water
2/3 cup butter, softened
1-1/3 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
Cherry Filling
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup water
1-1/4 cups frozen dark sweet cherries, thawed, drained, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon butter
Frosting
6 egg whites
1-1/2 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups butter, softened and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons vanilla
Decorations
1/2 cup shaved semisweet chocolate baking bar (about 1 oz)
1/2 cup maraschino cherries with stems, well drained and patted dry
Directions
Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottoms and sides of 3 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray; line with cooking parchment paper.
In small bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another small bowl, beat baking cocoa and 1 1/4 cups water with whisk until well blended. Set both bowls aside.
In bowl of electric stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat 2/3 cup softened butter and 1-1/3 cups sugar on medium speed 2 to 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally, until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; beat in eggs, one at a time, just until smooth. Beat in 2 teaspoons vanilla. On low speed, beat in one-third of the flour mixture, then half of the cocoa mixture, beating well after each addition, just until smooth. Repeat with flour mixture and cocoa mixture, ending with flour mixture. Scrape side of bowl occasionally. Pour 1-2/3 cups batter in each pan; spread evenly. Tap pans on counter 2 to 3 times to eliminate air bubbles from batter.
Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, in 1-quart saucepan, beat 1/2 cup sugar and the cornstarch with whisk. Beat in 1/3 cup water until smooth. Stir in chopped cherries. On medium-high heat, heat cherry mixture to boiling; boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in 1 tablespoon butter. Pour into small bowl. Refrigerate uncovered at least 1 hour.
In medium glass or metal bowl, beat egg whites and 1-1/2 cups sugar with whisk until blended. Set over pan of simmering water, beating occasionally, 16 to 20 minutes or until sugar has dissolved and egg mixture reaches 160°F. Remove from heat; pour into bowl of electric stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat on high speed 2 to 3 minutes or until glossy peaks form and bowl has cooled to feel slightly warm. Still on high speed, slowly add 1-1/2 cups butter, one piece at a time, scraping side of bowl occasionally, until mixture is smooth, thick and shiny, 12 to 14 minutes. Beat in 2 teaspoons vanilla. If mixture separates, beat until smooth.
Fit decorating bag with 1/2-inch round piping tip; fill with frosting. Place one cake layer on serving plate. Pipe a thick frosting border around top edge of cake layer. Pipe a second border just inside the first border. Spread 2/3 cup of the cherry filling over top of cake inside borders. Top with second cake layer; repeat borders and filling. Place third cake layer on top. Frost side and top of cake with remaining frosting. Press shaved chocolate around bottom half of cake. Refrigerate 1 hour.
When ready to serve, mound maraschino cherries in center of cake. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.
Expert Tips
We tested this recipe with an electric stand mixer. An electric hand mixer may also be used, but for the frosting, start on low and gradually increase speed, ensuring the mixer’s motor can handle it; the beating time may take a little longer.
To make shaved chocolate for this recipe, we used a 62% cacao semisweet chocolate baking bar. Use a vegetable peeler to shave chocolate easily.
Soft butter is important in this recipe. To soften butter, cut in small pieces, and leave at room temperature. A faster method is to microwave butter in 5-second increments at 50% (Medium), turning the butter frequently so butter is softened but not melted.
Black Forest cakes typically have brandy in the cherry filling. Stir in 2 tablespoons brandy when adding the butter to the cherry filling, if desired.
If crumbs get in the frosting while frosting the cake, scrape off your icing spatula into a separate bowl so as not to get crumbs on the frosted cake.
A turntable is helpful when decorating a cake. You can build your cake on the flat surface, and it allows you to turn the cake as you frost, which makes it easier to decorate.
To keep your serving plate clean while frosting the cake, place strips of waxed paper around edge of plate. Remove after frosting, and decorating is complete.
There are different types of buttercream: Simple or American (butter and powdered sugar), Decorator's (typically using shortening and powdered sugar), French (egg yolks, sugar syrup and butter), Italian (sugar syrup, egg whites and butter) and Swiss (egg whites and sugar heated, and lots of butter)!
Making Swiss buttercream is a process that takes some patience. Heat egg whites and sugar in a double boiler until it reaches 160°F. Put egg-sugar mixture in a mixer fitted with whisk attachment, and beat until cooled. Slowly add 1 1/2 cups butter piece by piece so butter is nearly emulsified into the mixture. Take your time doing this! It will look like soft white meringue until the butter takes hold and becomes frosting. (It will not have frosting texture until nearly the last piece of butter is added.)
There are two types of cherries—sweet and sour. Sour cherries, also called pie cherries, tart cherries or tart red cherries make wonderful pies. Sweet cherries are great for eating fresh, but not for pies. Maraschino cherries are preserved sweetened cherries and are perfect for this cake. We used frozen dark sweet cherries to avoid the process of pitting.
RED VELVET CAKE
We lived in Connecticut for several years while I was growing up. During this time, a lady called the local radio station and said she’d recently returned from a trip. During a stay in a fancy hotel with her husband, she had this cake in their restaurant. Returning home, she wrote to the hotel and requested a copy of the recipe, saying she’d pay for it. She received a copy of the recipe, along with a bill for $300. (This was during the mid-1960s.) Furious over the bill, she proceeded to read the recipe over the air.
Ingredients
1/2 C butter (note)
1/4 tsp. salt
1-1/2 C sugar
1 C buttermilk
2 eggs, well beaten
1 T vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
2 T cocoa
2-1/4 C flour (sifted)
2 oz. red food coloring
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8" round pans. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs. Make paste of food coloring and cocoa. Add to 1st mix. Add salt and buttermilk alternately with flour. Add vanilla. Dissolve soda in vinegar and add this last. Blend all ingredients, as little as possible. Pour into pans and bake for 30-40 minutes. When cool, split each layer horizontally.
FROSTING FOR RED VELVET CAKE
Ingredients
1 C butter (note)
1 C milk
1 C sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
5 T unbleached flour
Directions
Cream butter with sugar. Cook flour and milk in saucepan until very thick, stirring the whole time. Cool. Combine 2 mixes and add vanilla, using electric mixer. Spread on cake.
NOTE: Butter must be used in the frosting, otherwise the frosting will liquefy & refuse to harden. In the cake itself, though, margarine may be used. Also, if two 9" round pans are used, layers don’t need to be cut in half.
ROCKY ROAD CAKE
This recipe can be found in my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking. I'm currently updating Off the Wall Cooking, adding more recipes, as well as photos.
I was taking a speech class at a local junior college. One week we had to give a demonstration speech; one lady demonstrated how to make this cake, passing out copies of the recipe along with pieces of cake. It’s absolutely delicious. The icing can be used on almost any kind of cake; it would be really good on carrot cake!
Ingredients
1 C chopped nuts
4 eggs
1 C raisins
1 C mayonnaise
1 C mini-marshmallows
1 C water
6 oz. package of chocolate chips
1 package (18.25 oz) Devil’s Food cake mix w/pudding
Directions
Grease and flour 2 9-inch pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix first four ingredients in medium-size bowl. In large bowl at low speed, mix cake mix, eggs, mayo and water until blended. Increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes. Stir in nut mixture. Pour into greased and floured pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes on cooling rack.
Icing (for Rocky Road Cake)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 stick butter
8 oz. cream cheese
1 box confectioners sugar
Place ingredients in bowl and cream together. When cake is cool, ice. ENJOY!
7UP CAKE
This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, “I love a clandestine soda in the preparation of food, a flash of carbonation where the French might use wine, or brandy. It may be transgressive to say so, but I’m hardly alone, for all those who cringe at the thought. Page through church or community cookbooks and you’ll find examples: Coke-spiked Jell-O situations, root beer-glazed fillets of salmon, beans simmered in Moxie. This recipe for a lemon-and-lime soda cake came to me a while back from a Times reader who thought I’d appreciate it (I did!). She said she’d gotten it from a grandmother down south, who stored it on an index card placed in her copy of the cookbook published by the Symphony League of Jackson, Miss., in 1971. The original called for oleo and Crisco oil. I swapped these out for dairy and neutral oil, and a little less soda, and an additional 15 minutes in the oven. This leaves the cake toast-brown and glistening, glossy-crumbed and high-risen, a marvelous moist yellow within. I’m no shill for Big Soda. You could just as easily make it with plain sparkling water and a spritz of lemon or lime. You could make it with sparkling wine!”
Yield: 10 to 12 servings; Time: 1 hour 30 minutes, plus cooling.
This was featured in “The Secret to Poundcake That Really Pops”, and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020510-7up-cake.
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature, plus additional for greasing
1/2 cup vegetable, canola or other neutral oil
3 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup 7Up
3 cups all-purpose flour
Preparation:
Heat oven to 350.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, oil and sugar at medium speed. Add eggs one at a time, blending until incorporated, then blend in the lemon, vanilla and almond extracts. Add half the 7Up, blending until combined, then half the flour; repeat with the remaining 7Up, then the remaining flour until evenly blended.
Grease a 10-inch Bundt pan with butter; add cake batter. Bake until golden on top and firm to the touch, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert onto serving platter, and let cool to room temperature before slicing and serving.
MADE-IN-THE-PAN CHOCOLATE CAKE
This wonderful vegan cake is from Margaux Laskey in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Margaux wrote, "This surprisingly tender vegan chocolate cake is made entirely in an 8-by-8-inch baking pan: Just toss in the ingredients, stir until you don’t see any flour streaks, then bake. For flourish, add a small handful of chocolate chips before baking or sprinkle the finished cake with a little confectioners’ sugar. Adapted from Mollie Katzen’s 'Honest Pretzels: And 64 Other Amazing Recipes for Kids Who Love to Cook,' this recipe was developed for kids, but adults love it, too. It’s an ideal snacking cake, or you could gussy it up with a simple ganache frosting."
Yield: 9 to 12 servings; Time: 45 minutes.
This was featured in "The Best Cookbooks for Kids", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020063-made-in-the-pan-chocolate-cake.
Ingredients
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
2 tablespoons semisweet or vegan chocolate chips (optional)
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting on top (optional)
Preparations
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt to an 8-by-8-inch square glass or metal baking dish. Whisk the mixture together until uniform in color. Use your fingers to break apart any lumps.
Add 1 cup water along with the oil, vanilla extract and vinegar. Stir slowly with a fork or a whisk in small circles to blend. Mash, scrape and stir with a fork and spoon until the mixture becomes a smooth and uniform batter.
Scrape the sides of the baking dish with a rubber spatula and spread the batter in an even layer. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, if using.
Use a damp paper towel to wipe the edges of the baking dish clean. Carefully transfer the dish to the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the batter comes out mostly clean, 28 to 33 minutes. (Instead of looking like you dipped the toothpick in chocolate frosting, it should look like it has some chocolate cake crumbs clinging to it.)
Remove from the oven, let cool, then cut the cake into squares. If you’re feeling fancy, this tastes good (and looks pretty) with some confectioners’ sugar dusted on top.
BLUEBERRY BANANA CAKE
This comes from Carroll Pellegrinelli, who wrote for The Spruce Eats. Carroll wrote, "Whether you overbought at the farm stand or your fruit is ripening quicker than you can eat it, this blueberry banana cake is the perfect way to use up the produce and enjoy something sweet. What is great about this recipe is that there are more bananas and blueberries in the batter than flour and sugar, which makes it not only extra fruity and delicious, but also a healthy breakfast, dessert, or snack.
"This cake was made in a cathedral bundt cake pan, but you can use any bundt, cake, or loaf pan."
Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 50 minutes; Total Time: 70 minutes; Yield: 16 slices (16 servings)
Ingredients
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs (at room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 bananas (very ripe, mashed)
1 cup blueberries (rinsed and dried)
Directions
Gather the ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease and flour the cake pan.
Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl with a wire whisk. Set aside.
Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat until well combined.
Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture. Combine until just mixed.
Fold in the bananas and blueberries.
Carefully pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 50 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Tips
This recipe is somewhat simple, but there are a few tips you should keep in mind to ensure your banana blueberry cake is a success:
First, it is important that the butter and eggs be at room temperature so they both mix into the batter uniformly.
You also want to make sure that the bananas are nice and ripe; the goal is to have them blend into the batter versus remain in chunks. Bananas with almost black skins are ideal.
To achieve the creamiest texture, mash the ripe bananas with a mixer until they are a thick puree. You can use frozen bananas as well, just remember to thaw first.
When it comes to the blueberries, you need completely dry them before adding to the batter. Introducing water to the batter will result in a soggy cake.
This recipe can be baked in a bundt pan, loaf pan, or muffin tins. Just be sure to adjust the cooking times (muffins will take about half the time).
Recipe Variations
Whether you add or sub out ingredients in this cake, there are a few twists on this recipe that are sure to please. If your family is a fan of nuts, adding walnuts to the batter—or sprinkled on top—brings a nice crunch to the cake.
And, chances are, the kids won't object to a few chocolate chips.
You can elevate the cake by layering on a streusel topping before baking, which will create a sweet, crispy outer crust.
BLACK FOREST LAYER CAKE
This yumminess is from Betty Crocker, and begins, "If you’re looking for a baking project or beautiful (and wildly delicious!) layered cake for a special occasion, look no further than this Black Forest Layer Cake. Three layers of a moist chocolate cake are separated by a from-scratch cherry filling (made with dark sweet cherries) that’s both rich and tart in its taste, then frosted with a Swiss buttercream frosting and decorated with shaved chocolate and a pile of maraschino cherries. What makes this cake truly special is the “double dam” frosting border! Frosting is piped twice on the outside edge of the cake layer so there’s a thick layer of buttercream that holds in the cherry filling. The end result is a dramatic black and white look and a touch of extra Swiss buttercream for frosting lovers. This cake is an absolute stunner, and it will reward the baker and the guests alike!"
Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes; Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes; Servings: 12
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Cake
2 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1-1/4 cups water
2/3 cup butter, softened
1-1/3 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
Cherry Filling
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup water
1-1/4 cups frozen dark sweet cherries, thawed, drained, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon butter
Frosting
6 egg whites
1-1/2 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups butter, softened and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons vanilla
Decorations
1/2 cup shaved semisweet chocolate baking bar (about 1 oz)
1/2 cup maraschino cherries with stems, well drained and patted dry
Directions
Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottoms and sides of 3 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray; line with cooking parchment paper.
In small bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another small bowl, beat baking cocoa and 1 1/4 cups water with whisk until well blended. Set both bowls aside.
In bowl of electric stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat 2/3 cup softened butter and 1-1/3 cups sugar on medium speed 2 to 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally, until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; beat in eggs, one at a time, just until smooth. Beat in 2 teaspoons vanilla. On low speed, beat in one-third of the flour mixture, then half of the cocoa mixture, beating well after each addition, just until smooth. Repeat with flour mixture and cocoa mixture, ending with flour mixture. Scrape side of bowl occasionally. Pour 1-2/3 cups batter in each pan; spread evenly. Tap pans on counter 2 to 3 times to eliminate air bubbles from batter.
Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, in 1-quart saucepan, beat 1/2 cup sugar and the cornstarch with whisk. Beat in 1/3 cup water until smooth. Stir in chopped cherries. On medium-high heat, heat cherry mixture to boiling; boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in 1 tablespoon butter. Pour into small bowl. Refrigerate uncovered at least 1 hour.
In medium glass or metal bowl, beat egg whites and 1-1/2 cups sugar with whisk until blended. Set over pan of simmering water, beating occasionally, 16 to 20 minutes or until sugar has dissolved and egg mixture reaches 160°F. Remove from heat; pour into bowl of electric stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat on high speed 2 to 3 minutes or until glossy peaks form and bowl has cooled to feel slightly warm. Still on high speed, slowly add 1-1/2 cups butter, one piece at a time, scraping side of bowl occasionally, until mixture is smooth, thick and shiny, 12 to 14 minutes. Beat in 2 teaspoons vanilla. If mixture separates, beat until smooth.
Fit decorating bag with 1/2-inch round piping tip; fill with frosting. Place one cake layer on serving plate. Pipe a thick frosting border around top edge of cake layer. Pipe a second border just inside the first border. Spread 2/3 cup of the cherry filling over top of cake inside borders. Top with second cake layer; repeat borders and filling. Place third cake layer on top. Frost side and top of cake with remaining frosting. Press shaved chocolate around bottom half of cake. Refrigerate 1 hour.
When ready to serve, mound maraschino cherries in center of cake. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.
Expert Tips
We tested this recipe with an electric stand mixer. An electric hand mixer may also be used, but for the frosting, start on low and gradually increase speed, ensuring the mixer’s motor can handle it; the beating time may take a little longer.
To make shaved chocolate for this recipe, we used a 62% cacao semisweet chocolate baking bar. Use a vegetable peeler to shave chocolate easily.
Soft butter is important in this recipe. To soften butter, cut in small pieces, and leave at room temperature. A faster method is to microwave butter in 5-second increments at 50% (Medium), turning the butter frequently so butter is softened but not melted.
Black Forest cakes typically have brandy in the cherry filling. Stir in 2 tablespoons brandy when adding the butter to the cherry filling, if desired.
If crumbs get in the frosting while frosting the cake, scrape off your icing spatula into a separate bowl so as not to get crumbs on the frosted cake.
A turntable is helpful when decorating a cake. You can build your cake on the flat surface, and it allows you to turn the cake as you frost, which makes it easier to decorate.
To keep your serving plate clean while frosting the cake, place strips of waxed paper around edge of plate. Remove after frosting, and decorating is complete.
There are different types of buttercream: Simple or American (butter and powdered sugar), Decorator's (typically using shortening and powdered sugar), French (egg yolks, sugar syrup and butter), Italian (sugar syrup, egg whites and butter) and Swiss (egg whites and sugar heated, and lots of butter)!
Making Swiss buttercream is a process that takes some patience. Heat egg whites and sugar in a double boiler until it reaches 160°F. Put egg-sugar mixture in a mixer fitted with whisk attachment, and beat until cooled. Slowly add 1 1/2 cups butter piece by piece so butter is nearly emulsified into the mixture. Take your time doing this! It will look like soft white meringue until the butter takes hold and becomes frosting. (It will not have frosting texture until nearly the last piece of butter is added.)
There are two types of cherries—sweet and sour. Sour cherries, also called pie cherries, tart cherries or tart red cherries make wonderful pies. Sweet cherries are great for eating fresh, but not for pies. Maraschino cherries are preserved sweetened cherries and are perfect for this cake. We used frozen dark sweet cherries to avoid the process of pitting.
RED VELVET CAKE
We lived in Connecticut for several years while I was growing up. During this time, a lady called the local radio station and said she’d recently returned from a trip. During a stay in a fancy hotel with her husband, she had this cake in their restaurant. Returning home, she wrote to the hotel and requested a copy of the recipe, saying she’d pay for it. She received a copy of the recipe, along with a bill for $300. (This was during the mid-1960s.) Furious over the bill, she proceeded to read the recipe over the air.
Ingredients
1/2 C butter (note)
1/4 tsp. salt
1-1/2 C sugar
1 C buttermilk
2 eggs, well beaten
1 T vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
2 T cocoa
2-1/4 C flour (sifted)
2 oz. red food coloring
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8" round pans. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs. Make paste of food coloring and cocoa. Add to 1st mix. Add salt and buttermilk alternately with flour. Add vanilla. Dissolve soda in vinegar and add this last. Blend all ingredients, as little as possible. Pour into pans and bake for 30-40 minutes. When cool, split each layer horizontally.
FROSTING FOR RED VELVET CAKE
Ingredients
1 C butter (note)
1 C milk
1 C sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
5 T unbleached flour
Directions
Cream butter with sugar. Cook flour and milk in saucepan until very thick, stirring the whole time. Cool. Combine 2 mixes and add vanilla, using electric mixer. Spread on cake.
NOTE: Butter must be used in the frosting, otherwise the frosting will liquefy & refuse to harden. In the cake itself, though, margarine may be used. Also, if two 9" round pans are used, layers don’t need to be cut in half.
ROCKY ROAD CAKE
This recipe can be found in my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking. I'm currently updating Off the Wall Cooking, adding more recipes, as well as photos.
I was taking a speech class at a local junior college. One week we had to give a demonstration speech; one lady demonstrated how to make this cake, passing out copies of the recipe along with pieces of cake. It’s absolutely delicious. The icing can be used on almost any kind of cake; it would be really good on carrot cake!
Ingredients
1 C chopped nuts
4 eggs
1 C raisins
1 C mayonnaise
1 C mini-marshmallows
1 C water
6 oz. package of chocolate chips
1 package (18.25 oz) Devil’s Food cake mix w/pudding
Directions
Grease and flour 2 9-inch pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix first four ingredients in medium-size bowl. In large bowl at low speed, mix cake mix, eggs, mayo and water until blended. Increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes. Stir in nut mixture. Pour into greased and floured pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes on cooling rack.
Icing (for Rocky Road Cake)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 stick butter
8 oz. cream cheese
1 box confectioners sugar
Place ingredients in bowl and cream together. When cake is cool, ice. ENJOY!
7UP CAKE
This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, “I love a clandestine soda in the preparation of food, a flash of carbonation where the French might use wine, or brandy. It may be transgressive to say so, but I’m hardly alone, for all those who cringe at the thought. Page through church or community cookbooks and you’ll find examples: Coke-spiked Jell-O situations, root beer-glazed fillets of salmon, beans simmered in Moxie. This recipe for a lemon-and-lime soda cake came to me a while back from a Times reader who thought I’d appreciate it (I did!). She said she’d gotten it from a grandmother down south, who stored it on an index card placed in her copy of the cookbook published by the Symphony League of Jackson, Miss., in 1971. The original called for oleo and Crisco oil. I swapped these out for dairy and neutral oil, and a little less soda, and an additional 15 minutes in the oven. This leaves the cake toast-brown and glistening, glossy-crumbed and high-risen, a marvelous moist yellow within. I’m no shill for Big Soda. You could just as easily make it with plain sparkling water and a spritz of lemon or lime. You could make it with sparkling wine!”
Yield: 10 to 12 servings; Time: 1 hour 30 minutes, plus cooling.
This was featured in “The Secret to Poundcake That Really Pops”, and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020510-7up-cake.
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature, plus additional for greasing
1/2 cup vegetable, canola or other neutral oil
3 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup 7Up
3 cups all-purpose flour
Preparation:
Heat oven to 350.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, oil and sugar at medium speed. Add eggs one at a time, blending until incorporated, then blend in the lemon, vanilla and almond extracts. Add half the 7Up, blending until combined, then half the flour; repeat with the remaining 7Up, then the remaining flour until evenly blended.
Grease a 10-inch Bundt pan with butter; add cake batter. Bake until golden on top and firm to the touch, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert onto serving platter, and let cool to room temperature before slicing and serving.
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