Cake
No dessert seems to say celebrate quite as much as cake does. Since today would have been one of my grandmothers' 116th birthday, cake works in nicely. Check out the Blackout Cake, the Earl Grey Tea Cake With Dark Chocolate and Orange Zest, or any of the other cake recipes in today's post. Enjoy!
PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE
This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, "Can you imagine a world without pineapple upside-down cake? Neither can we! And this recipe is by far the greatest of all time. Brown sugar and butter create a rich, caramel glaze that coats juicy pineapple rings, maraschino cherries and a golden-brown cake—what’s not to love? But the true secret to this cake’s beauty is in the “flip” that happens when you remove it from the oven. It might sound intimidating, but it’s so much easier than you think! The result is a picture-perfect upside-down pineapple cake made from scratch."
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes; Makes 9 servings
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1/4 cup butter
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
9 slices pineapple in juice (from 20-oz can), drained
9 maraschino cherries without stems, if desired
1-1/3 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
Directions
Heat oven to 350°F. In 9-inch square pan, melt butter in oven. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over melted butter. Arrange pineapple slices over brown sugar. Place cherry in center of each pineapple slice.
In medium bowl, beat remaining ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour batter over pineapple and cherries.
Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately place heatproof serving plate upside down over pan; turn plate and pan over. Leave pan over cake a few minutes so brown sugar mixture can drizzle over cake; remove pan. Serve warm. Store cake loosely covered.
Expert Tips
The cake needs to be turned out of the pan shortly after it’s removed from the oven or the fruit will stick. Be armed with hot pads and a cake plate or board. Allow the fruit to stop bubbling, then place the plate on top of the pan. Carefully lift up the pan, holding the plate firmly in place, and invert the pan. Let it stand for a few minutes before lifting the pan off.
Considered a classic American cake, pineapple-upside down cake first appeared when canned pineapple become available. But the method of creating a lusciously caramel-like topping for a cake, pastries (like caramel rolls), or bread has a long baking history.
The ratio of butter and brown sugar is fairly low, enough to create the rich carmely syrup in the pan, but not so much that the flavor of the fruit is lost.
Skip the brightly colored cherries and replace them with candied or crystallized ginger pieces or a cluster cranberries.
Try fresh chopped herbs or dried spices added to the brown sugar and butter mixture for a flavor twist.
CHOCOLATE CHIP CAKE
This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, "A timeless layer cake, inspired by one of our favorite ice cream flavors! For a showstopping look and the perfect balance of chocolate and vanilla flavors, we’ve added shaved chocolate to the cake batter and the marshmallow buttercream frosting."
Prep Time: 35 minutes; Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes; Makes 12 servings
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Cake
1 box Betty Crocker™ Super Moist™ white cake mix
1-1/4 cups milk
1/3 cup butter, melted
3 whole eggs
1/2 cup shaved semisweet chocolate baking bar
Frosting
1 jar (7 oz) Kraft Jet Puffed marshmallow crème (1-1/2 cups)
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
2-1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup shaved semisweet chocolate baking bar
Decoration
3 tablespoons shaved semisweet chocolate baking bar
Directions
Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Spray bottoms and sides of 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray.
In large bowl, beat cake mix, 1-1/4 cups milk, 1/3 cup melted butter and the whole eggs with electric mixer on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in 1/2 cup shaved chocolate until just blended. Divide evenly between pans.
Bake 28 to 32 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; run metal spatula around edge of pans to loosen cakes. Remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
In large bowl, beat marshmallow creme, 1 cup softened butter, the vanilla and 1 tablespoon of the milk with electric mixer on medium speed until blended. Beat in powdered sugar until fluffy. If necessary, beat in more milk, a few drops at a time, until thin enough to spread. Stir in 1/4 cup shaved chocolate until just blended.
Place one cake layer on serving plate. Spread 3/4 cup frosting on top layer; top with second cake layer. Frost side and top of cake with remaining frosting. Sprinkle on top of cake, and press up side of cake the remaining 3 tablespoons shaved chocolate.
Store loosely covered in refrigerator.
Expert Tips
For this recipe, you will need about 4 oz from a 9.7-oz 62% cacao semisweet chocolate baking bar.
Use a vegetable peeler to shave chocolate easily.
To keep your serving plate clean while frosting and decorating the cake, place strips of waxed paper around edge of plate. Remove after decorating is complete.
SWISS ROLL ICE CREAM CAKE
This comes from Jessie Sheehan on TheKitchn, a site I absolutely love (along with its sibling site, Apartment Therapy). If you haven't check out either site, I highly recommend both of them.
The recipe begins, "If some of your fondest childhood food memories include packaged snack cakes — Devil Dogs, Yodels, Swiss Rolls, and the like — as well as store-bought ice cream cakes (Baskin-Robbins’ mint chocolate chip cake, I’m looking at you), I guarantee this ice cream-filled Swiss Roll will rock your world." It goes on to describe the various steps of making this decadent yumminess.
Prep Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour; Cook Time: 5 minutes to 7 minutes; Yield: 16 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.thekitchn.com/ice-cream-swiss-roll-cake-recipe-23185963.
Ingredients
For the cake:
5 large eggs
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons very hot tap water
1 tablespoon espresso powder
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup cake flour
5 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups vanilla ice cream
For the magic shell:
1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (about 9 ounces)
3 tablespoons vegetable, olive, or refined coconut oil, or vegetable shortening
Instructions
Crack 5 large eggs into the bowl of a stand mixer (or large bowl if using an electric hand mixer). Let sit until room-temperature, about 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F. Coat a 15x18-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the baking sheet with parchment paper and coat the parchment with cooking spray. Dust with cocoa powder, tapping out any excess. Place 3 tablespoons very hot tap water and 1 tablespoon espresso powder in a small bowl and whisk until combined and smooth.
Beat the eggs with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until lightened in color and foamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually add in 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar and beat until the eggs have tripled in volume and the batter forms ribbons when the whisk is lifted, 4 to 5 minutes more.
Add the espresso mixture and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and beat on medium-low speed until combined. Stop the mixer. Sift 1/2 cup cake flour, 5 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt into the bowl. Gently fold together by hand with a flexible spatula.
Pour the batter onto the baking sheet and nudge it into the corners with your spatula. Bake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake just begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, place a clean kitchen towel on the counter and sift cocoa powder over it.
Remove the cake from the oven. Immediately sift cocoa powder over the top of the warm cake. Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to release the cake. Invert the cake onto the cocoa-dusted dish towel and carefully remove the parchment paper. Sift more cocoa powder over the cake. Starting at a short end, gently roll up the cake along with the dish towel. Place the rolled-up cake seam-side down on a wire rack and let cool until room temperature, at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, remove 3 cups ice cream from the freezer and place on the counter to soften for about 20 minutes before you are ready to assemble the roll.
Carefully unroll the cooled cake. Using an offset spatula or butter knife, spread the ice cream onto the cake in an even layer, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Gently re-roll the cake without the towel. Arrange seam-side down. Tightly wrap the roll in plastic wrap, manipulating the cake a bit once wrapped to tighten up the roll and push together any cracks. Freeze until the ice cream hardens, at least 4 hours or up to 1 week. About 20 minutes before serving, make the magic shell.
Make the magic shell:Place 1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips and 3 tablespoons oil or shortening in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH in 30-second bursts, stirring between each burst, until the chocolate is fully melted, 1 to 1-1/2 minutes total. Let the mixture cool until barely warm, about 20 minutes.
Unwrap the roll and place on a serving platter. Immediately pour the chocolate mixture over it. Let sit for a minute for the shell to harden before slicing crosswise and serving. The ice cream roll is best enjoyed immediately, as the magic shell will crack if frozen and then sliced.
Recipe Notes
Make ahead: The cake can be baked, filled, rolled, and frozen up to 1 week ahead. Apply the magic shell just before serving.
Storage: The chocolate-coated cake will keep tightly wrapped in plastic wrap in the freezer for up to a week. Unwrap and let sit about 20 minutes at room temperature before serving so that the shell softens and does not crack when you slice it.
EARL GREY TEA CAKE WITH DARK CHOCOLATE AND ORANGE ZEST
This is from Samantha Seneviratne in The New York Times cooking page. Samantha wrote, "Loose Earl Grey tea stirred into buttery cake batter adds a sweet, floral essence that’s subtle but lovely. A little dark chocolate and orange zest makes this cake extra special. While you could use chocolate chips, using chocolate chopped from a bar produces the best result: The varying sizes of chopped chocolate blend in nicely without overpowering the delicate tea flavor."
Yield: 8 to 10 servings; Time: 1 hour, plus chilling
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021062-earl-grey-tea-cake-with-dark-chocolate-and-orange-zest.
Ingredients
For the Frosting:
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons loose Earl Grey tea
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup mascarpone or softened cream cheese (see Tip)
For the Cake:
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon loose Earl Grey tea
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest (from 1 large orange)
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1/4 cup chopped dark chocolate
Preparation
Prepare the frosting: In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup heavy cream to a simmer over medium-high heat. Stir in the tea, remove from the heat, cover and let stand for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Strain the tea through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the solids, and chill the remaining cream until completely cold, at least 1 hour.
Prepare the cake: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch round cake pan and line with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, tea, baking powder and salt.
In large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the orange zest and beat to combine. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the flour mixture on low, until just combined, then beat in the milk. (Don’t overmix.) Add the chocolate and fold it in using a spatula. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake just until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool for about 15 minutes. Then tip the cake out onto the rack to cool completely.
To finish the frosting, add the remaining 1/4 cup cream and the confectioners’ sugar to the tea cream. With an electric mixer on medium, beat the cream mixture until medium-stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mascarpone and beat just until stiff peaks form. (Do not overmix.) Top the cake with the frosting to serve. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days; let come to room temperature before serving.
Tip
If using cream cheese instead of mascarpone, because it has a thicker consistency, whip the cream cheese with the confectioners' sugar first, then add the whipped tea cream.
COFFEE-PRALINE CRUNCH ICE CREAM CAKE
This is from Samantha Seneviratne in The New York Times cooking newsletter. She wrote, "Inspired by butter-pecan ice cream, this cake combines crunchy praline with graham crackers, coffee ice cream and fudge sauce to make an impressive, but easy to assemble dessert. Store-bought pralines are perfect here, but if you can’t find them, you can make them from scratch with pantry staples. While they can be a little tricky, even a failed praline tastes great nestled in an ice cream cake, but toffee brickle or even just plain chopped nuts could stand in for the praline, too. While you could certainly buy fudge sauce, it’s the one component that is definitely better homemade, just sweet enough and deeply chocolatey. Make a double batch for future sundaes."
Yield: 8 to 10 servings; Time: 25 minutes, plus at least 5 hours' cooling and freezing
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022469-coffee-praline-crunch-ice-cream-cake.
Ingredients
For the Fudge Sauce:
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup light or dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup Dutch-process or natural cocoa, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For assembly:
Nonstick cooking spray
1-1/2 quarts/48 ounces coffee ice cream (about 3 pints)
10 graham crackers (about 6 ounces)
2 cups chopped store-bought or homemade praline, plus more for serving
3/4 cup cold heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks just before serving
Preparation
Prepare the fudge sauce: Set a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl. In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream, sugar, butter and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes.
Whisk in the cocoa powder and cook for another minute or two, whisking occasionally, until the mixture is thick and glossy. Run the sauce through the sieve into the bowl, working out any lumps directly in the sieve. Stir in vanilla. Let cool completely, about 1 hour. (You should have about 2 cups.) About 30 minutes before you assemble the cake, remove the ice cream from the refrigerator to soften.
To assemble the cake, spray a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan lightly with nonstick cooking spray. (This is just to help keep the plastic in place.) Press plastic wrap into the pan, making it as smooth as possible against the bottom and sides of the pan, leaving a 3-inch overhang on each of the two long sides.
Spread one third of the softened ice cream (about 2 cups) evenly over the bottom of the pan. (If your ice cream is still too firm to spread, cut it into slices, arrange them in a layer and smooth using an offset spatula.) Lay 3 crackers over the top, breaking them to fit as needed. Top with 1/3 of the fudge sauce (about 2/3 cup), using an offset spatula to spread evenly, and half of the praline, patting into an even layer. Top with another 1/3 of the ice cream, 3 more crackers, 1/3 more fudge sauce and the remaining praline. Finish with the remaining 1/3 of ice cream and 4 more crackers. Use the plastic overhang to wrap the cake up tightly and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.
To serve, unwrap the plastic wrap, then quickly rub the outside of the pan with a warm, moistened kitchen towel to loosen. Flip out onto a serving plate and remove the plastic wrap. Top with whipped cream and more chopped praline. Cut slices with a knife dipped in hot water. (If too hard to slice, let sit for a few minutes to soften.) Serve with the remaining fudge sauce, warmed, if desired.
BLACKOUT CAKE
This recipe, on The New York Times cooking site wis from Ebinger's, and adapted by The New York Times. It begins, "This absurdly rich chocolate cake came to The Times in a 1991 article by Molly O'Neill about Ebinger’s, the legendary chain of Brooklyn bakeries that closed its doors in 1972 after 74 years in business. Their wildly popular blackout cake, a three layer devil's food cake filled with dark chocolate pudding, slathered with chocolate frosting and covered with chocolate cake crumbs, had a cult-like following in its day. This recipe isn't authentic (the Ebinger family never shared the original recipe with the public), but Ms. O'Neill claims in her book, 'The New York Cookbook: From Pelham Bay to Park Avenue, Firehouses to Four-Star Restaurants,' that this version got the thumbs-up from 'a panel of twelve Ebingerites.' That's enough for us."
Yield: 1 cake; Time: 3 hours plus chilling
This recipe was featured in "The Cake Box From Heaven (Brooklyn, of Course) is Back" and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018772-blackout-cake.
Ingredients
For the cake:
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa
1/4 cup boiling water
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup milk
2 cups sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, slightly softened, plus 2 tablespoons for the cake pans
4 eggs, separated
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour, plus 1 tablespoon for the cake pans
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
For the filling:
2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa
2 cups boiling water
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons butter
For the frosting:
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup hot water
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla
Preparation
Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
To make the cake, place the cocoa in a small bowl and whisk in the boiling water to form a paste. Combine the chocolate and milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently as the mixture warms and the chocolate melts, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk a small amount of the heated chocolate milk into the cocoa paste and then whisk the cocoa mixture into the milk mixture. Return to heat, stir for one minute, remove and cool until tepid.
In the bowl of a mixer, cream the sugar and butter together. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time and add the vanilla. Slowly stir in the chocolate mixture.
Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Using a spatula or a wooden spoon, slowly add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture. In another bowl, whip the egg whites to form soft peaks and, using a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the batter.
Butter and lightly flour two 8-inch round cake pans and divide the batter between the two pans. Bake for 45 minutes and cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Gently remove the cakes from the pans and continue to cool.
While the cake is baking, make the filling. Put the cocoa into a saucepan and pour in the boiling water and place over low heat. Add the sugar and chocolate. Dissolve the cornstarch in the cold water to make a smooth paste. Whisk the cornstarch into the water and chocolate, add the salt and bring it to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for one minute.
Remove the pan from the heat, whisk in the vanilla and the butter, and transfer the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate until cool.
Make the frosting. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter, one tablespoon at a time, returning to heat if necessary to melt the butter.
Whisk in the hot water all at once and stir until smooth. Whisk in the corn syrup and the vanilla. Refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes before using.
Assemble the cake. Use a sharp knife to slice each cake into two disks to form four layers. Set one layer aside. Place one layer on a cake round or plate. Generously swath the layer with filling. Add the second layer and repeat. Add the third layer. Quickly apply a layer of frosting to the top and the sides of the cake and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, crumble the remaining cake layer. Apply a second layer of frosting to the cake, press cake crumbs into the top and sides of the cake, and serve within 24 hours. Store in a cool place.
PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE
This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, "Can you imagine a world without pineapple upside-down cake? Neither can we! And this recipe is by far the greatest of all time. Brown sugar and butter create a rich, caramel glaze that coats juicy pineapple rings, maraschino cherries and a golden-brown cake—what’s not to love? But the true secret to this cake’s beauty is in the “flip” that happens when you remove it from the oven. It might sound intimidating, but it’s so much easier than you think! The result is a picture-perfect upside-down pineapple cake made from scratch."
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes; Makes 9 servings
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1/4 cup butter
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
9 slices pineapple in juice (from 20-oz can), drained
9 maraschino cherries without stems, if desired
1-1/3 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
Directions
Heat oven to 350°F. In 9-inch square pan, melt butter in oven. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over melted butter. Arrange pineapple slices over brown sugar. Place cherry in center of each pineapple slice.
In medium bowl, beat remaining ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour batter over pineapple and cherries.
Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately place heatproof serving plate upside down over pan; turn plate and pan over. Leave pan over cake a few minutes so brown sugar mixture can drizzle over cake; remove pan. Serve warm. Store cake loosely covered.
Expert Tips
The cake needs to be turned out of the pan shortly after it’s removed from the oven or the fruit will stick. Be armed with hot pads and a cake plate or board. Allow the fruit to stop bubbling, then place the plate on top of the pan. Carefully lift up the pan, holding the plate firmly in place, and invert the pan. Let it stand for a few minutes before lifting the pan off.
Considered a classic American cake, pineapple-upside down cake first appeared when canned pineapple become available. But the method of creating a lusciously caramel-like topping for a cake, pastries (like caramel rolls), or bread has a long baking history.
The ratio of butter and brown sugar is fairly low, enough to create the rich carmely syrup in the pan, but not so much that the flavor of the fruit is lost.
Skip the brightly colored cherries and replace them with candied or crystallized ginger pieces or a cluster cranberries.
Try fresh chopped herbs or dried spices added to the brown sugar and butter mixture for a flavor twist.
CHOCOLATE CHIP CAKE
This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, "A timeless layer cake, inspired by one of our favorite ice cream flavors! For a showstopping look and the perfect balance of chocolate and vanilla flavors, we’ve added shaved chocolate to the cake batter and the marshmallow buttercream frosting."
Prep Time: 35 minutes; Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes; Makes 12 servings
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Cake
1 box Betty Crocker™ Super Moist™ white cake mix
1-1/4 cups milk
1/3 cup butter, melted
3 whole eggs
1/2 cup shaved semisweet chocolate baking bar
Frosting
1 jar (7 oz) Kraft Jet Puffed marshmallow crème (1-1/2 cups)
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
2-1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup shaved semisweet chocolate baking bar
Decoration
3 tablespoons shaved semisweet chocolate baking bar
Directions
Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Spray bottoms and sides of 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray.
In large bowl, beat cake mix, 1-1/4 cups milk, 1/3 cup melted butter and the whole eggs with electric mixer on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in 1/2 cup shaved chocolate until just blended. Divide evenly between pans.
Bake 28 to 32 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; run metal spatula around edge of pans to loosen cakes. Remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
In large bowl, beat marshmallow creme, 1 cup softened butter, the vanilla and 1 tablespoon of the milk with electric mixer on medium speed until blended. Beat in powdered sugar until fluffy. If necessary, beat in more milk, a few drops at a time, until thin enough to spread. Stir in 1/4 cup shaved chocolate until just blended.
Place one cake layer on serving plate. Spread 3/4 cup frosting on top layer; top with second cake layer. Frost side and top of cake with remaining frosting. Sprinkle on top of cake, and press up side of cake the remaining 3 tablespoons shaved chocolate.
Store loosely covered in refrigerator.
Expert Tips
For this recipe, you will need about 4 oz from a 9.7-oz 62% cacao semisweet chocolate baking bar.
Use a vegetable peeler to shave chocolate easily.
To keep your serving plate clean while frosting and decorating the cake, place strips of waxed paper around edge of plate. Remove after decorating is complete.
SWISS ROLL ICE CREAM CAKE
This comes from Jessie Sheehan on TheKitchn, a site I absolutely love (along with its sibling site, Apartment Therapy). If you haven't check out either site, I highly recommend both of them.
The recipe begins, "If some of your fondest childhood food memories include packaged snack cakes — Devil Dogs, Yodels, Swiss Rolls, and the like — as well as store-bought ice cream cakes (Baskin-Robbins’ mint chocolate chip cake, I’m looking at you), I guarantee this ice cream-filled Swiss Roll will rock your world." It goes on to describe the various steps of making this decadent yumminess.
Prep Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour; Cook Time: 5 minutes to 7 minutes; Yield: 16 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.thekitchn.com/ice-cream-swiss-roll-cake-recipe-23185963.
Ingredients
For the cake:
5 large eggs
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons very hot tap water
1 tablespoon espresso powder
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup cake flour
5 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups vanilla ice cream
For the magic shell:
1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (about 9 ounces)
3 tablespoons vegetable, olive, or refined coconut oil, or vegetable shortening
Instructions
Crack 5 large eggs into the bowl of a stand mixer (or large bowl if using an electric hand mixer). Let sit until room-temperature, about 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F. Coat a 15x18-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the baking sheet with parchment paper and coat the parchment with cooking spray. Dust with cocoa powder, tapping out any excess. Place 3 tablespoons very hot tap water and 1 tablespoon espresso powder in a small bowl and whisk until combined and smooth.
Beat the eggs with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until lightened in color and foamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually add in 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar and beat until the eggs have tripled in volume and the batter forms ribbons when the whisk is lifted, 4 to 5 minutes more.
Add the espresso mixture and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and beat on medium-low speed until combined. Stop the mixer. Sift 1/2 cup cake flour, 5 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt into the bowl. Gently fold together by hand with a flexible spatula.
Pour the batter onto the baking sheet and nudge it into the corners with your spatula. Bake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake just begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, place a clean kitchen towel on the counter and sift cocoa powder over it.
Remove the cake from the oven. Immediately sift cocoa powder over the top of the warm cake. Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to release the cake. Invert the cake onto the cocoa-dusted dish towel and carefully remove the parchment paper. Sift more cocoa powder over the cake. Starting at a short end, gently roll up the cake along with the dish towel. Place the rolled-up cake seam-side down on a wire rack and let cool until room temperature, at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, remove 3 cups ice cream from the freezer and place on the counter to soften for about 20 minutes before you are ready to assemble the roll.
Carefully unroll the cooled cake. Using an offset spatula or butter knife, spread the ice cream onto the cake in an even layer, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Gently re-roll the cake without the towel. Arrange seam-side down. Tightly wrap the roll in plastic wrap, manipulating the cake a bit once wrapped to tighten up the roll and push together any cracks. Freeze until the ice cream hardens, at least 4 hours or up to 1 week. About 20 minutes before serving, make the magic shell.
Make the magic shell:Place 1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips and 3 tablespoons oil or shortening in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH in 30-second bursts, stirring between each burst, until the chocolate is fully melted, 1 to 1-1/2 minutes total. Let the mixture cool until barely warm, about 20 minutes.
Unwrap the roll and place on a serving platter. Immediately pour the chocolate mixture over it. Let sit for a minute for the shell to harden before slicing crosswise and serving. The ice cream roll is best enjoyed immediately, as the magic shell will crack if frozen and then sliced.
Recipe Notes
Make ahead: The cake can be baked, filled, rolled, and frozen up to 1 week ahead. Apply the magic shell just before serving.
Storage: The chocolate-coated cake will keep tightly wrapped in plastic wrap in the freezer for up to a week. Unwrap and let sit about 20 minutes at room temperature before serving so that the shell softens and does not crack when you slice it.
EARL GREY TEA CAKE WITH DARK CHOCOLATE AND ORANGE ZEST
This is from Samantha Seneviratne in The New York Times cooking page. Samantha wrote, "Loose Earl Grey tea stirred into buttery cake batter adds a sweet, floral essence that’s subtle but lovely. A little dark chocolate and orange zest makes this cake extra special. While you could use chocolate chips, using chocolate chopped from a bar produces the best result: The varying sizes of chopped chocolate blend in nicely without overpowering the delicate tea flavor."
Yield: 8 to 10 servings; Time: 1 hour, plus chilling
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021062-earl-grey-tea-cake-with-dark-chocolate-and-orange-zest.
Ingredients
For the Frosting:
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons loose Earl Grey tea
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup mascarpone or softened cream cheese (see Tip)
For the Cake:
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon loose Earl Grey tea
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest (from 1 large orange)
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1/4 cup chopped dark chocolate
Preparation
Prepare the frosting: In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup heavy cream to a simmer over medium-high heat. Stir in the tea, remove from the heat, cover and let stand for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Strain the tea through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the solids, and chill the remaining cream until completely cold, at least 1 hour.
Prepare the cake: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch round cake pan and line with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, tea, baking powder and salt.
In large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the orange zest and beat to combine. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the flour mixture on low, until just combined, then beat in the milk. (Don’t overmix.) Add the chocolate and fold it in using a spatula. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake just until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool for about 15 minutes. Then tip the cake out onto the rack to cool completely.
To finish the frosting, add the remaining 1/4 cup cream and the confectioners’ sugar to the tea cream. With an electric mixer on medium, beat the cream mixture until medium-stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mascarpone and beat just until stiff peaks form. (Do not overmix.) Top the cake with the frosting to serve. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days; let come to room temperature before serving.
Tip
If using cream cheese instead of mascarpone, because it has a thicker consistency, whip the cream cheese with the confectioners' sugar first, then add the whipped tea cream.
COFFEE-PRALINE CRUNCH ICE CREAM CAKE
This is from Samantha Seneviratne in The New York Times cooking newsletter. She wrote, "Inspired by butter-pecan ice cream, this cake combines crunchy praline with graham crackers, coffee ice cream and fudge sauce to make an impressive, but easy to assemble dessert. Store-bought pralines are perfect here, but if you can’t find them, you can make them from scratch with pantry staples. While they can be a little tricky, even a failed praline tastes great nestled in an ice cream cake, but toffee brickle or even just plain chopped nuts could stand in for the praline, too. While you could certainly buy fudge sauce, it’s the one component that is definitely better homemade, just sweet enough and deeply chocolatey. Make a double batch for future sundaes."
Yield: 8 to 10 servings; Time: 25 minutes, plus at least 5 hours' cooling and freezing
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022469-coffee-praline-crunch-ice-cream-cake.
Ingredients
For the Fudge Sauce:
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup light or dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup Dutch-process or natural cocoa, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For assembly:
Nonstick cooking spray
1-1/2 quarts/48 ounces coffee ice cream (about 3 pints)
10 graham crackers (about 6 ounces)
2 cups chopped store-bought or homemade praline, plus more for serving
3/4 cup cold heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks just before serving
Preparation
Prepare the fudge sauce: Set a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl. In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream, sugar, butter and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes.
Whisk in the cocoa powder and cook for another minute or two, whisking occasionally, until the mixture is thick and glossy. Run the sauce through the sieve into the bowl, working out any lumps directly in the sieve. Stir in vanilla. Let cool completely, about 1 hour. (You should have about 2 cups.) About 30 minutes before you assemble the cake, remove the ice cream from the refrigerator to soften.
To assemble the cake, spray a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan lightly with nonstick cooking spray. (This is just to help keep the plastic in place.) Press plastic wrap into the pan, making it as smooth as possible against the bottom and sides of the pan, leaving a 3-inch overhang on each of the two long sides.
Spread one third of the softened ice cream (about 2 cups) evenly over the bottom of the pan. (If your ice cream is still too firm to spread, cut it into slices, arrange them in a layer and smooth using an offset spatula.) Lay 3 crackers over the top, breaking them to fit as needed. Top with 1/3 of the fudge sauce (about 2/3 cup), using an offset spatula to spread evenly, and half of the praline, patting into an even layer. Top with another 1/3 of the ice cream, 3 more crackers, 1/3 more fudge sauce and the remaining praline. Finish with the remaining 1/3 of ice cream and 4 more crackers. Use the plastic overhang to wrap the cake up tightly and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.
To serve, unwrap the plastic wrap, then quickly rub the outside of the pan with a warm, moistened kitchen towel to loosen. Flip out onto a serving plate and remove the plastic wrap. Top with whipped cream and more chopped praline. Cut slices with a knife dipped in hot water. (If too hard to slice, let sit for a few minutes to soften.) Serve with the remaining fudge sauce, warmed, if desired.
BLACKOUT CAKE
This recipe, on The New York Times cooking site wis from Ebinger's, and adapted by The New York Times. It begins, "This absurdly rich chocolate cake came to The Times in a 1991 article by Molly O'Neill about Ebinger’s, the legendary chain of Brooklyn bakeries that closed its doors in 1972 after 74 years in business. Their wildly popular blackout cake, a three layer devil's food cake filled with dark chocolate pudding, slathered with chocolate frosting and covered with chocolate cake crumbs, had a cult-like following in its day. This recipe isn't authentic (the Ebinger family never shared the original recipe with the public), but Ms. O'Neill claims in her book, 'The New York Cookbook: From Pelham Bay to Park Avenue, Firehouses to Four-Star Restaurants,' that this version got the thumbs-up from 'a panel of twelve Ebingerites.' That's enough for us."
Yield: 1 cake; Time: 3 hours plus chilling
This recipe was featured in "The Cake Box From Heaven (Brooklyn, of Course) is Back" and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018772-blackout-cake.
Ingredients
For the cake:
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa
1/4 cup boiling water
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup milk
2 cups sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, slightly softened, plus 2 tablespoons for the cake pans
4 eggs, separated
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour, plus 1 tablespoon for the cake pans
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
For the filling:
2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa
2 cups boiling water
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons butter
For the frosting:
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup hot water
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla
Preparation
Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
To make the cake, place the cocoa in a small bowl and whisk in the boiling water to form a paste. Combine the chocolate and milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently as the mixture warms and the chocolate melts, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk a small amount of the heated chocolate milk into the cocoa paste and then whisk the cocoa mixture into the milk mixture. Return to heat, stir for one minute, remove and cool until tepid.
In the bowl of a mixer, cream the sugar and butter together. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time and add the vanilla. Slowly stir in the chocolate mixture.
Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Using a spatula or a wooden spoon, slowly add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture. In another bowl, whip the egg whites to form soft peaks and, using a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the batter.
Butter and lightly flour two 8-inch round cake pans and divide the batter between the two pans. Bake for 45 minutes and cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Gently remove the cakes from the pans and continue to cool.
While the cake is baking, make the filling. Put the cocoa into a saucepan and pour in the boiling water and place over low heat. Add the sugar and chocolate. Dissolve the cornstarch in the cold water to make a smooth paste. Whisk the cornstarch into the water and chocolate, add the salt and bring it to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for one minute.
Remove the pan from the heat, whisk in the vanilla and the butter, and transfer the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate until cool.
Make the frosting. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter, one tablespoon at a time, returning to heat if necessary to melt the butter.
Whisk in the hot water all at once and stir until smooth. Whisk in the corn syrup and the vanilla. Refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes before using.
Assemble the cake. Use a sharp knife to slice each cake into two disks to form four layers. Set one layer aside. Place one layer on a cake round or plate. Generously swath the layer with filling. Add the second layer and repeat. Add the third layer. Quickly apply a layer of frosting to the top and the sides of the cake and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, crumble the remaining cake layer. Apply a second layer of frosting to the cake, press cake crumbs into the top and sides of the cake, and serve within 24 hours. Store in a cool place.
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