Cake

Who doesn't love Cake? It practically yells celebrate.

To that end, here are six cake recipes to help you through the day, including Dense and Delicious Chocolate Cake and Red Velvet Cake. Enjoy!

Note: I will be taking the next two weeks off, and will be back to posting here on Monday, February 3. See you then!

SWEDISH ALMOND CAKE

This is from Dorie Greenspan in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Dorie wrote, “Fika is the Swedish custom of stopping twice daily for coffee, conversation and a little something sweet; the word was created by flipping the two syllables in kaffe. Minutes after I had a fika in the Stockholm studio of the pastry chef Mia Ohrn, I started thinking about what I’d serve at my own first fika. This cake, so much easier to make than you’d guess by looking at it, has become my favorite. The recipe turns out a moist, buttery, tender cake, which would be lovely as is. But when the cake is half-baked, I cook a mixture of butter, sugar, flour and sliced almonds, spread it over the top (a homage to Sweden’s famous tosca cake), put the pan back in the oven and wait for the mixture to bubble, caramelize and create a shell that is a little chewy, a little crackly and very beautiful. It’s a perfect cake for fika, and great for brunch.”

Yield: 8 servings; Time: 1-1/4 hours, plus cooling.

This was featured in “The Perfect Cake for Your Coffee Break”, and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020767-swedish-almond-cake.

Ingredients

For the Cake:

1/2 cup plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and lukewarm, plus more unmelted butter for greasing the pan

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pan

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1-1/4 cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

2/3 cup whole milk, lukewarm

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Topping:

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small chunks

3/4 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons whole milk

Preparation

Make the cake: Center a rack in the oven, and heat it to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan (using solid, unmelted butter), and dust the interior with flour; tap out the excess. Place the pan on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

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

Working with a mixer (use a paddle attachment, if you have one), beat the sugar and eggs together on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium, and gradually add the melted butter, followed by the milk and vanilla. (I like to pour the ingredients down the side of the bowl as the mixer is working.) Mix until the batter is smooth; it will have a lovely sheen. Decrease the speed to low, and gradually add the dry ingredients. When the flour mixture is almost fully incorporated, finish blending by stirring with a spatula. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

Slide the cake into the oven, and set your timer for 30 minutes.

As soon as the timer dings, start the topping (leaving the cake in the oven): In a medium saucepan, mix together all the topping ingredients. Place over medium-high heat and, stirring constantly, cook until you see a couple of bubbles around the edges. Lower the heat to medium, and cook, stirring nonstop, for 3 minutes. The mixture will thicken a little, and your spatula will leave tracks as you stir. Remove the pan from the heat.

Immediately take the cake out of the oven (leaving the oven on), and carefully pour the topping over the cake, nudging it gently with a spatula to cover the cake completely.

Return the cake to the oven, and bake for an additional 15 minutes (total baking time is about 50 minutes) or until the topping, which will bubble and seethe, is a beautiful golden brown and a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack, and cool for 5 minutes. Carefully work a table knife between the side of the pan and the cake, gently pushing the cake away from the side (it’s a delicate job because the sticky topping isn’t yet set). Remove the sides of the pan, and let the cake come to room temperature on the base. When you’re ready to serve, lift the cake off the springform base and onto a platter.

DENSE AND DELICIOUS CHOCOLATE CAKE

This is from the October 2006 issue of Vegetarian Times (page 31), and begins, “Wow the chocolate lovers in your life with this fudgy creation that’s as easy to whip up as a cake mix.” Makes 10 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk

1 large egg

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup brewed espresso or strong coffee

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Fudge Glaze

2 Tbs. low-fat buttermilk

2 Tbs. cocoa powder

2 Tbs. unsalted butter

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400F. Coat 9-inch round springform pan with cooking spray. Combine flour, sugar, and baking soda in bowl. Whisk together buttermilk, egg, and vanilla in separate bowl.

Combine espresso and cocoa in large saucepan. Add butter, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in dry ingredients. Add buttermilk mixture, and whisk until smooth.

Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until top looks dry but toothpick inserted in center comes out moist.

Meanwhile, make Fudge Glaze: Combine buttermilk, cocoa powder, and butter in medium saucepan, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar and vanilla.

Pierce holes all over cake with skewer or fork. Spread glaze over cake with spatula. Let stand 5 minutes before unmolding, and serve.

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.

LEMON POUND CAKE

This recipe begins, "This sugar-free pound cake is easy to make because it uses a reduced-fat baking mix as the base. Lemon yogurt, juice and grated lemon peel provide rich flavor. This is sure to become a favorite with frequent requests. Just don’t let anyone know how easy it really is to make so you can bask in all the praise!"

Yield: 16 servings

Source: Equal

Recipe and image appear courtesy of Equal.

To view this online, go to https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipe/lemon-pound-cake.

Ingredients

Cooking spray

2-1/2 cups reduced-fat baking mix (Bisquick)

48 packets Equal sweetener*

2 tablespoons cornstarch

4 teaspoons grated lemon peel

1 cup lite lemon flavored nonfat yogurt

6 tablespoons butter, melted

2 eggs

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons 2% milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

*Substitute 2 cups Equal Spoonful for the packets.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F.

Spray a 9 cup Bundt cake pan OR a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray; set aside.

Combine baking mix, Equal, cornstarch and lemon peel.

Mix in yogurt, melted butter, eggs, lemon juice, milk and flavorings until blended.

Spoon mixture into prepared pan.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean.

Let cake cool in pan 5 minutes.

Remove and cool completely on wire rack.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 137; Fat: 6 grams; Sodium: 258 milligrams; Cholesterol: 35 milligrams; Protein: 3 grams; Carbohydrates: 18 grams

Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Fat; 1 Starch

WACKY CAKE

This is from Mary Knipe at allrecipes, and begins, "Wacky cake is made without milk or eggs and is a moist, dark, and delicious chocolate cake. A brainchild of the Depression era when ingenious cooks developed a cake that could be made without expensive and scarce ingredients. Frost with your favorite icing."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 40 minutes; Servings: 10; Yield: 1 (8X8-inch) cake

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup white sugar

4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Sift flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in an 8x8-inch ungreased cake pan. Make 3 depressions in flour mixture; pour oil into one well, vinegar into second, and vanilla into third well. Pour water over all, then stir with a fork until well blended.

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.

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 & flour two 8" round pans. Cream butter & sugar. Add eggs. Make paste of food coloring & cocoa. Add to 1st mix. Add salt & buttermilk alternately with flour. Add vanilla. Dissolve soda in vinegar & add this last. Blend all ingredients, as little as possible. Pour into pans & 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 & milk in saucepan until very thick, stirring the whole time. Cool. Combine 2 mixes & 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.

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