Angel Food Cake
INGREDIENTS
12 Egg Whites
1 ½ Teaspoon Cream of Tartar
1 ½ Cups Sugar – Divided
1 ½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
½ Teaspoon Almond Extract
1 Cup Sifted Cake Flour
¼ Teaspoon Salt
You Can Either Top With Fruit or Frost
Preheat oven to 375° F. You will need a 10 x 3 ¾ Inch Angel Food Cake Pan
In a large bowl, using a mixer, beat egg whites with cream of tartar at high speed until foamy. Add ¾ cup of the sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating constantly until sugar is dissolved; egg whites are glossy and stand in soft peaks. Beat in vanilla and almond extracts. Sift together flour, remaining sugar and salt. Sift about ½ cup of the flour mixture over whites and gently fold just until flour disappears. Repeat, folding in remaining flour mixture ½ cup at a time. Pour into UNGREASED 10 x 3 ¾ inch Angel Food pan. Gently cut through batter with metal spatula. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 to 40 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched with finger. Invert cake in pan on funnel or bottle neck. Cool completely, about 1 ½ hours. With narrow spatula or knife, loosen cake from pan and gently shake onto serving plate. Top with fruit or frost, if desired. Serves 12
Streusel Coffee Cake
INGREDIENTS
Topping:
½ Cup Brown Sugar
¼ Cup Sifted Unbleached Flour
¼ Cup Butter (Room Temperature)
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
Cake:
1 ½ Cups Sifted Unbleached Flour
2 ½ Teaspoons Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Salt
1 Beaten Egg
¾ Cup Sugar
1/3 Cup Buttermilk (or Sour Milk)
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
For the topping: In a small mixing bowl, combine topping ingredients and blend with fork until crumbly. Set aside.
For the cake: Combine 1 ½ cups sifted flour with baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. In a separate medium bowl, beat together egg, ¾ sugar and 1/3 cup melted butter. Next add the buttermilk and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture and mix well. Pour batter into a greased 8 inch square pan or a 9 inch layer cake pan. You could also use a bundt pan if you with. Sprinkle topping crumb mixture evenly over the batter. Bake in a preheated oven at 375º F for 30 minutes or until done. Partially cool in the pan on a wire rack. Cut coffee cake while still warm and serve warm for breakfast, brunch or an anytime treat.
Epiphany Cake
This cake goes by a few names: Epiphany Cake, King’s Cake or Christ Cake. There are many traditions surrounding Epiphany. One very popular tradition involves hiding small items in the cake.
On the night before the feast of Epiphany, a special cake would be served with three beans hidden within, two white beans and one black one. Whoever found the beans would be the “Kings” at the Epiphany feast. Dressed in fine robes, they would preside over the feast and before leaving would hand out small gifts, equivalent to frankincense, myrhh and gold.
In the royal courts of the Middle Ages, Epiphany Cakes would contain a bean for the king and a pea for the Queen. Whoever found the bean and the pea would be the King and Queen of the feast.
A traditional “Christ Cake” is popular in many countries of the world. A tiny plastic or ceramic statue of Christ would be baked into the cake. Whoever found the statue would be especially blessed throughout the coming year.
Epiphany Cake
INGREDIENTS
2 Eggs
1 Cup of Sugar
1 Cup of Sour Cream
½ Cup Butter
2 ¼ Cups Unbleached Flour
3 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 Teaspoons Salt
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
½ Teaspoon Lemon Extract
Small China Token or Dried Bean
For Frosting
2 Cups Powdered Sugar
1 Tablespoon Butter
2Tablespoons Lemon Juice (or enough to moisten into paste)
Crushed Nuts or Sprinkles to Decorate
Beat the eggs and sugar until light and fluffly. Add the sour cream, butter, vanilla and lemon extract. Mix together in a separate bowl flour, salt & baking powder. Lightly fold in the sifted flour mixture. Spoon the batter into the greased 8×3 inch cake pan (you can use a bundt pan if you wish). Remember that you can also line the cake pan with parchment paper. Make sure you add either the token or beans.
Preheat oven to 325° F for about 35 minutes. Don’t open the oven door. Be patient! When done, remove cake from the oven and cool the cake before frosting.
Frost the top and sides of the cake after mixing all of the ingredients. Decorate with crushed nuts or sprinkles if you wish.
Flourless Chocolate Cake
INGREDIENTS
12 Ounces Chopped Bittersweet Chocolate
1 ½ Sticks Butter
¼ Teaspoon Salt
6 Large Eggs at Room Temperature
1 ½ Cups Sugar
Powdered Sugar for Dusting
Preheat oven to 325° F. Grease and flour 9 x 2 inch cake pan.
Put chocolate, butter and salt in a large bowl. Melt in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir and microwave again until completely melted for about 2 minutes more. Now, beat the eggs and sugar in a separate bowl. Fold the chocolate mixture into the whipped eggs until evenly combined. Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for about 1 hour and 25 minutes or until done. Remove cake from the oven and cool on a rack. When ready to serve dust cake with powdered sugar.
Boston Cream Pie
INGREDIENTS
½ Cup Softened Butter
1 Cup Sugar
3 Large Eggs
3 Large Egg Yolks
1 Tablespoon Vanilla
1 ¼ Cup Cake Flour
1 ½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
¼ Teaspoon Salt
½ Cup Milk
Vanilla Pudding
Chocolate Glaze
Preheat oven to 350° F. Line the bottom of an 8 inch round cake pan with parchment paper. Butter and flour the pan. Beat the butter and sugar together at medium high speed until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and yolks, one at a time and then add the vanilla. Stir the cake flour, baking powder and salt together. Reduce mixer speed to low and beat the flour mixture into the butter-egg mixture, adding it in thirds and alternating with milk. Beat until the batter is smooth. Transfer to the prepared pan and bake on the center rack of the oven until the cake is done – from 35 to 40 minutes. Remove when done and cool completely on a wire rack.
To assemble, split the unmolded cake using a long serrated knife. Spread vanilla pudding over the bottom half of the cake and place the top layer over the pudding. Pour chocolate glaze over the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides of the cake.
Vanilla Pudding
¾ Cup Milk
1 Cup Cream
1 Vanilla Bean
3 Egg Yolks
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
½ Cup Sugar
¼ Teaspoon Salt
½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 ½ Teaspoons Butter
Heat the milk, cream and vanilla bean until just simmering in a medium pot. Whisk the yolks, cornstarch, sugar and salt together and stream the hot milk mixture, while whisking continuously, into the eggs. Return to the pot and cook, while whisking over medium heat, until the mixture thickens and just begins to boil. Immediately transfer to a clean bowl. Pick out and throw away the vanilla bean. Stir in the vanilla extract and the butter. Press plastic wrap against the surface to cover.
Chocolate Glaze
½ Cup Heavy Cream
4 Ounces Chopped Dark Chocolate
1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
3 Tablespoons Corn Syrup
Heat cream to a boil and pour into a medium size and heatproof bowl filled with chocolate, butter and corn syrup. Let sit for 1 minute and stir until smooth. Let cool to thicken slightly. Use immediately and pour over the Boston Cream Pie.
Victoria’s Rum Cake
INGREDIENTS
4 Cups Cake Flour
½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
2 Sticks Unsalted Butter
3 Cups Sugar
9 Large Eggs
1 ½ Teaspoon Vanilla
¼ Cup Rum
Preheat oven to 325° F. Grease and flour a bundt pan.
Mix together flour and baking powder and set aside. In a large mixing bowl cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffly. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla and rum. Mix well. Gradually add the flour mixture and continue beating for about ten minutes. Transfer batter to pan and bake for about an hour or until done. Remove from oven and let cool for a short while before removing from the pan.
Sour Cream Pound Cake
INGREDIENTS
½ Cup Butter
4 Eggs
½ Cup Sour Cream
1 ½ Cups Unbleached Flour
¼ Teaspoons Baking Powder
1/8 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Cup Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
Preheat oven to 325° F. Grease and flour a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan and set aside. I like to use a glass loaf pan. Allow butter, eggs and sour cream to stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes. In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for about 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and then add eggs one at a time. Beat eggs one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each addition and scraping the bowl frequently. Alternately add the flour mixture and sour cream to butter mixture, beating on low to medium speed after each addition just until combined. Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until done. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool thoroughly on rack.
You can experiment and add blueberries, lemon, chocolate or whatever strikes you.
Goes great with coffee!
Italian Cheesecake
INGREDIENTS
3 ½ Cups Ricotta Cheese
¼ Cup Unbleached Flour
Pinch of Salt
1 Grated Lemon Rind
1 Grated Orange Rind
1 Tablespoon Vanilla
4 Beaten Eggs
1 Cup Sugar
Mix all ingredients and place in a 9 inch spring form pan. Bake in pre-heated oven of 350° for 45 minutes to 1 hour – or until firm. Serve warm or chilled. Serves 6. Store in the refrigerator.
Pumpkin Pie Cake
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Sugar
½ Cup Packed Brown Sugar
¼ Olive Oil
5 Large Eggs
15 Ounces Pumpkin
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
2 Teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
½ Teaspoon Salt
Pre-heat oven to 350° F. Grease two 8 inch round cake pans.
Combine 1 cup sugar, brown sugar and olive oil in large mixing bowl and beat. Add Eggs and blend well. Add the pumpkin and beat until mixed well.
In a separate bowl combine all dry ingredients
Gradually add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture. Blend, but don’t mix too much. Transfer the batter into the greased cake pans. Bake at 350° F for 30 minutes or until done. Cool in pans for approximately 10 minutes. Remove cake from pans and cool completely on a wire rack. Frost between the layers, assemble continue frosting and arrange pecans on top of cake.
Frosting: 2 Tablespoons softened butter; 8 ounces of cream cheese; 3 cups powdered sugar; 2 teaspoons orange juice and ¼ cup toasted chopped pecans. Beat the butter and cream cheese until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar and beat until blended. Add juice and stir until blended.
Red Velvet Cake
I LOVE THIS CAKE!!
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3½ cups cake flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa
1½ teaspoons salt
2 cups canola oil
2¼ cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) red food coloring
1½ teaspoons vanilla
1¼ cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons baking soda
2½ teaspoons white vinegar.
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place teaspoon of butter in each of 3 round 9-inch layer cake pans and place pans in oven for a few minutes until butter melts. Remove pans from oven, brush interior bottom and sides of each with butter and line bottoms with parchment.
2. Whisk cake flour, cocoa and salt in a bowl.
3. Place oil and sugar in bowl of an electric mixer and beat at medium speed until well-blended. Beat in eggs one at a time. With machine on low, very slowly add red food coloring. (Take care: it may splash.) Add vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk in two batches. Scrape down bowl and beat just long enough to combine.
4. Place baking soda in a small dish, stir in vinegar and add to batter with machine running. Beat for 10 seconds.
5. Divide batter among pans, place in oven and bake until a cake tester comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pans 20 minutes. Then remove from pans, flip layers over and peel off parchment. Cool completely before frosting.
Yield: 3 cake layers.
Red Velvet Cake Icing
2 cups heavy cream, cold
12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
12 ounces mascarpone
½ teaspoon vanilla
1½ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted.
1. Softly whip cream by hand, in electric mixer or in food processor. Cover in bowl and refrigerate.
2. Blend cream cheese and mascarpone in food processor or electric mixer until smooth. Add vanilla, pulse briefly, and add confectioners’ sugar. Blend well.
3. Transfer cream cheese mixture to bowl; fold in whipped cream. Refrigerate until needed.
Yield: Icing for top and sides of 3-layer cake.
