Cake

If you love cake as much as I do, you'll love today's post. What's not to love about Celebration Cake or Fabulous Vegan Fudge Cake with Bittersweet Icing? Enjoy!

LISBON CHOCOLATE CAKE

This comes from Dorie Greenspan on The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Dorie wrote, “On my first day in Lisbon, I became a statistic: I lost all my credit cards to a talented thief on the No. 28 tram. After ‘the incident,’ I wanted to leave Lisbon, but instead, my husband Michael and I decided to tackle our must-taste list. It was on our last day in Lisbon that we tasted the cake at Landeau Chocolate. It was intense, but not overwhelming; truly chocolate, but somehow each layer’s chocolateness was different. I returned home and made this cake, my version of the cake that cured my pickpocket blues. It’s a dense-but-not-heavy, brownielike cake topped with a whipped chocolate ganache (think: mousse) and a substantial dusting of cocoa. Because this cake is completely about the chocolate, choose one you love.”

Time: About 1 hour, plus cooling; Yield: One 9-inch cake (about 10 servings).

This recipe was featured in “The Chocolate Cake That Saved My Vacation”, and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020555-lisbon-chocolate-cake.

Ingredients

For the Cake:

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into chunks, plus more for greasing the pan

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

5 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs, chilled

For the Ganache:

1-3/4 cups heavy cream

6 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

For the Topping:

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Preparation

Make the cake: Center a rack in the oven, and heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-inch cake pan, line with parchment paper and butter the paper.

Sift together the cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk to blend.

Put the 1/2 cup butter in a large heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Scatter dark chocolate on top, and heat, stirring often, until the mixture is smooth and glossy. Remove the bowl from the pan, and stir in the sugar. One by one, energetically stir in the eggs, beating for 1 minute after the last egg is added. The mixture will look like pudding. Stir in the dry ingredients. Scrape the mixture into the cake pan, and give the pan a couple of good raps against the counter to settle the batter.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean (or with only a tiny streak of chocolate). Transfer to a rack, cool for 5 minutes, then unmold the cake. Peel off the paper, invert the cake and cool to room temperature. Wash and dry the cake pan.

Make the ganache: Pour 1-1/4 cups cream into a small saucepan; refrigerate the rest. Scald the cream over medium heat, turn off the heat and stir in the semisweet or bittersweet chocolate until fully incorporated. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Refrigerate the ganache for 10 minutes, whisk it, then refrigerate again for 10 minutes. Repeat chilling and whisking steps until the ganache is thick enough to make tracks when you stir, 50 to 60 minutes.

Cut two 3-by-16-inch pieces of parchment or foil, and crisscross them in the cake pan. Carefully return the cake to the pan.

Whip the remaining 1/2 cup cream until it holds medium peaks.

Using a whisk, gently beat the ganache until it’s soft and spreadable. With a spatula, fold in the whipped cream. Spread over the cake, and refrigerate for 2 hours (or cover and keep for up to 2 days). The cake is best served cool or at room temperature, so take it out of the fridge about 20 minutes before serving.

To finish, put the cocoa powder in a fine-mesh strainer, and shake it over the top of the cake. Run a table knife along the sides of the pan. Using the parchment or foil handles, carefully lift the cake out of the pan and onto a serving plate. Discard the strips. Cut the cake using a long knife that has been run under hot water and wiped dry between each cut.

DUMP CAKE

This came from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.

Ingredients

1 (21 oz) can cherry pie filling

1 (15 oz) can crushed pineapple

1 (18 oz) pkg. yellow cake mix

8 oz. chopped walnuts

1/2 C. butter (melted)

Directions

In a 9x13 pan mix cherry pie filling and pineapple. Sprinkle dry cake mix over pineapple and cherry mixture, stir until just combined. Then sprinkle walnuts over top. Drizzle top with melted butter. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH STRAWBERRY COULIS

This comes from the April/May 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 52. It begins, “Similar to a chocolate soufflé, this cake will rise, then fall slightly when cooled, leaving a cracked top. A fresh strawberry sauce balances the richness of the chocolate. The cake can be made up to two days in advance. For perfect, clean-cut cake wedges, dip the knife in hot water before cutting each slice.” Serves 12.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Cake

8.5 oz. bittersweet (60% cacao) chocolate, chopped

3/4 cup unsalted butter

4 large eggs, separated, at room temperature, divided

2 egg whites

1/2 cup sugar

Coulis

1-1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries (8 oz.)

1 Tbs. sugar

1/2 Tbs. lemon juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 300˚F. Coat 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray.

Melt chocolate and butter in double boiler. Remove from heat, and whisk until smooth and glossy. Whisk egg yolks, then stir into chocolate mixture.

Beat all 6 egg whites with electric mixer on high 1 to 2 minutes, or until foamy. Add sugar, and beat 4 minutes, or until stiff peaks form. Gently fold egg white mixture into chocolate mixture until just combined. Pour into prepared pan, and bake 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out mostly clean. Cool.

To make Coulis: Combine strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in bowl of food processor; let stand 5 minutes. Add 2 Tbs. water, and purée until smooth. Strain through fine-mesh strainer. Serve Cake drizzled with Coulis.

nutritional information Per Slice: Calories: 275; Protein: 5 g; Total Fat: 20 g; Saturated Fat: 12 g; Carbohydrates: 22 g; Cholesterol: 94 mg; Sodium: 36 mg; Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 18 g; Gluten-Free

VICTORIA SPONGE CAKE

This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “This traditional British layer cake is made up of two buttery, tender spongecake rounds that sandwich a thick layer of jam and, often, a dollop of sweetened whipped cream. It’s a simple, homey confection that works as well with a cup of afternoon tea as it does for dessert. Feel free to substitute other flavors of tart jam for the raspberry. Apricot and blackberry work particularly well.” Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

This was featured in “‘The Great British Bake Off’ Changes the Way the British Bake” and can be viewed online at here.

Ingredients

12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1-1/2 sticks), softened, more for greasing pan

1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour

3-1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

2 tablespoons whole milk

1/2 cup raspberry jam, more to taste

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar, more for dusting

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Heat oven to 350 degrees and place a rack in the center. Grease and line the bottoms of two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, then beat in milk, scraping down sides of the bowl as necessary. Mix in flour mixture until combined, then scrape into prepared cake pans, smoothing the top.

Bake cakes until golden brown and springy, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes, then unmold them onto a wire rack to cool completely, flat side down.

Transfer one cake (the less attractive one) to a serving platter, and spread jam evenly on top. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip cream, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla just until it holds stiff peaks. Dollop about half the cream on top of jam, then top with remaining cake. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve immediately, with the extra whipped cream on the side.

FABULOUS VEGAN FUDGE CAKE WITH BITTERSWEET ICING

This is from the September 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times (page 66)

Serves 8

“I’ve tried vegan cake recipes in the past, but didn’t like the sour taste of the vinegar that is usually used to activate the leavening,” says single mom and café manager Shelly Platten. “I tinkered with some recipes that didn’t use vinegar to come up with a fudgy, satisfying cake.”

Ingredients

1-1/4 cups Bob’s Red Mill organic unbleached white flour

1-2/3 cups Florida Crystals organic cane sugar, divided

1-1/3 cups Chatfield’s cocoa powder, divided

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup Silk vanilla soymilk, divided

1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup canola oil, divided

1 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 9-inch round pan with parchment paper, and spray with cooking spray.

Whisk together flour, 1 cup sugar, 2/3 cup cocoa, baking soda, and salt in bowl. Whisk together 2/3 cup soymilk, 1/3 cup oil, and 1/2 cup water in separate bowl. Stir soymilk mixture into flour mixture. Spread in prepared pan, and bake 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Unmold onto plate.

Warm remaining 2/3 cup cocoa, 2/3 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup oil in saucepan over medium heat. Pour in remaining 1/3 cup soymilk, and cook 1 minute, or until smooth. Spread icing over warm cake, and sprinkle with hazelnuts.

Nutritional Information, per slice:

Calories: 525, protein: 5 g, total fat: 25 g, saturated fat: 2g, carbohydrates: 67 g, cholesterol: 0 mg, sodium 315 mg, fiber: 7 g, sugar: 43 g. Vegan

CELEBRATION CAKE

This comes from Seattle’s own Macrina Bakery. I’m on their mailing list (they send out the yummiest recipes!), and I highly recommend signing up.

If I’m ever out in Seattle, I fully intend to pay a visit to any of their bakeries…

According to Macrina’s Leslie Mackie, “This is one of my favorite birthday or special occasion cakes. The natural sweet flavor of toasted coconut layered with fresh summer berries and lemon cream makes for a light yet decadent summer treat.”

To view this online, click here.

INGREDIENTS: COCONUT CAKE

1 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut 1 cup coconut milk

5 egg whites

1 teaspoon pure almond extract

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2-1/4 cups cake flour

1-3/4 cups granulated sugar

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp.

2 pints fresh raspberries (for assembly)

LEMON CREAM

3 egg yolks

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup lemon juice

3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 cup whipping cream

WHITE CHOCOLATE FROSTING

12 ounces white chocolate chips

8 ounces unsalted butter, room temp. 1 pound cream cheese, room temp.

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS: COCONUT CAKE

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spread coconut evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 3 minutes. Toss with tongs to toast evenly and return to the oven for 3 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a bowl. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the coconut milk, egg whites, and almond and vanilla extracts. Mix with a whisk and set aside.

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the toasted coconut and mix on low speed using the paddle attachment for 30 seconds. Cut butter into small cubes and add to the flour mixture. Mix on low speed until it is coarse and crumbly with no visible pieces of butter, approximately 4 minutes. Add half the wet ingredients and mix on medium speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and add the remaining wet ingredients, mixing for another 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl again to ensure it is well incorporated.

Prepare a 12" x 18" baking sheet pan with 1/2" rim by brushing it with oil and lining the bottom with parchment paper. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake on the center rack for 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown. When cool, run a knife around the edge of the cake and invert onto another sheet pan. Gently remove parchment paper and then cut three 7" circles of cake. You will have excess cake scraps, which make great trifle with fresh berries and whipped cream. Cover cake circles until ready to assemble layer cake.

Comments

Popular Posts