Cakes – Page 6 – First Look, Then Cook

Buttermilk Spice Cake with Pear Compote

Published on April 18, 2010 by Dawn6 Comments

Making sure we don’t waste any food is almost like a game to me. I am always trying to make sure nothing gets thrown away. Before we left to go on vacation, we had 3 semi-ripe pears sitting on the counter. I had no time to do anything with them, so I decided to just put them in the refrigerator to see if they would stay good until we returned. Sure enough, they didn’t ripen anymore, but they looked fine – they just didn’t seem ripe enough to eat by themselves. I was looking through my Bon Appetit magazine, and noticed this recipe – the Buttermilk Spice Cake looked delicious – but it was the Pear Compote that really caught my eye. I decided this was exactly what these pears in the refrigerator were meant for. I followed the instructions, and they turned out beautifully – even my husband was impressed – since he is usually the one that has to eat up all the fruit. The cake was also delicious – although it did not get as fluffy as I expected. I was picturing it more like this cake which is so rediculously light it almost melts in your mouth. Even so, it went perfectly with the Pear Compote – and there was not a piece left the next day – except for the piece I saved my daughter to put in her lunch…and boy was she happy about that.

Ingredients

Pear compote:

2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Large pinch of salt
3 Bosc pears (about 1 1/2 pounds total), peeled, quartered, cored, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Buttermilk spice cake:

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon (scant) baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground whole star anise*
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 3-inch piece vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1/4 teaspoon finely grated lime peel
3/4 cup buttermilk
Powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups crème fraîche or whipped cream

Preparation

For pear compote:
Mix sugar, lime juice, and salt in heavy large saucepan. Add pears and toss gently to coat. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until pears are just tender, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer mixture to bowl. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill until cold, then cover and keep chilled.

For buttermilk spice cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides; line pan with round of parchment paper. Sift first 9 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add sugar, beating until smooth. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, beating to blend between additions. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean and add lime peel; beat to blend. Beat in flour mixture in 4 additions alternately with buttermilk in 3 additions, scraping down bowl occasionally. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake cake until beginning to brown on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cake in pan on cooling rack. DO AHEAD: Cake can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.

Cut around pan sides to loosen cake. Turn cake out onto rack; peel off parchment and turn right side up onto platter. Sift powdered sugar over. Cut into wedges. Serve with pear compote and dollop of crème fraîche or whipped cream.

For a printer-friendly recipe, please click here: Buttermilk Spice Cake with Pear Compote

Cappuccino Cheesecake

Published on April 6, 2010 by Dawn10 Comments

My earliest memory of cheesecake has scarred me forever. When I was probably around 13 years old, I was at my friend’s house and we decided to bake something. For some reason that I can no longer remember, we decided on a cheesecake – just a regular old-fashioned cheesecake with a graham cracker crust. This was the most beautiful cheesecake I have ever seen in my life – we did an outstanding job – especially given that neither of us had ever done that before. I am not even sure I had ever had a piece of cheesecake, but at that point in my life – since there were no sweets in my house – I was into pretty much anything that wasn’t chocolate.

We were so proud of this cheesecake – that yes, we took a picture! Little did I know that someday this would be something I do constantly… We found her mom’s camera, and took a picture of this beauty. Mind you – we have still not had a piece at this point. My friend was putting it into the refrigerator to chill – when she stumbled just a little, and there went the cheesecake onto the floor. We just couldn’t believe it. We were so upset. We salvaged what we could – but thank goodness for the pictures. We never forgot that day – in fact, even though we grew apart later on in high school – whenever we saw each other, we would talk about our stunning cheesecake that ended up on the floor.

To this day, whenever I think of cheesecake, I think about that day. When I carried this cake outside to photograph it, I thought how classic it would be if it ended up on the floor.

This recipe is one of my favorites from Bon Appetit – I have adapted it slightly below by changing the crust. I love the chocolate wafer cookies and think they make an excellent crust. This was the first time I made the chocolate curls on top – the cheesecake had such a big crack in it, that I had to cover it up – especially because this was for a school auction. The curls were SO EASY to make, I will definitely do it again. This is a great method – I highly recommend it – even if your cheesecake doesn’t crack!

Ingredients

Crust

20 chocolate wafer cookies, crushed
5 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar

Filling

1/2 cup whipping cream
4 teaspoons instant espresso powder or coffee powder
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Chocolate curls (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix crackers, butter and 1/4 cup sugar in medium bowl; press onto bottom (not sides) of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Bake crust 10 minutes. Cool. Maintain oven temperature.

Combine cream, espresso powder and vanilla in small bowl; set aside. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until smooth. Gradually beat in 1 1/4 cups sugar, then eggs 1 at a time. Beat in flour. Stir espresso mixture until powder dissolves; beat into cream cheese mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter over crust. Bake cake until edges are puffed and beginning to crack and center is just set, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Cool on rack 30 minutes; chill cake uncovered until cold, about 6 hours. Cover; keep chilled at least 1 day and up to 2 days.

Cut around cake to loosen. Release pan sides. Top with chocolate curls, if desired.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Cappuccino Cheesecake

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Published on March 22, 2010March 22, 2010 by Dawn4 Comments

What is the difference between a Coffee Cake and a Crumb Cake? This was the question I got when I served my daughter a nice big wedge. I love the questions – because they really get me thinking – and sometimes I get to make up the answers – one of the benefits of being a Mom. I told her that a Coffee Cake is a cake that goes well with coffee in the morning, and a Crumb Cake is a cake with a crumb topping. They are not mutually exclusive. Improvising at it’s finest – and I think she bought it. Truthfully – I really don’t know the answer. To me, a Crumb Cake is one of these – which were forbidden in my household growing up – but occasionally I would get lucky and one of my friends would share one with me at school. When I went to college, these were definitely one of the first things I bought at the mini-mart when I was looking for a snack. Now that I look back at them though, the problem was the topping, it blended in too much with the cake.

Nowadays, when I make a cake with a crumb topping, I want a real crumbly topping, one that has a little bite to it – and a texture different from the cake. I love a good Sour Cream Coffee Cake – and so does my husband. We were at one of my favorite bakeries over the weekend – and we were eyeing the Coffee Cake in the case. It just so happened that I saw this recipe in Cooking Light, so it gave me a perfect excuse to make it. This was a delicious cake – extremely moist, flavorful – and a wonderful crumb topping. The oats gave it the perfect amount of texture that it needed. Definitely a Coffee Cake recipe worth saving.

Ingredients

3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (about 2.5 ounces), divided
Cooking spray
4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
1 ounce whole-wheat flour (about 1/4 cup)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar, divided
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (8-ounce) carton light sour cream (such as Daisy)
2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts, toasted
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon chilled butter, cut into small pieces

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Spread oats in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 6 minutes or until oats are barely fragrant and light brown.

Coat a 9-inch spring-form pan with cooking spray; set aside.

Reserve 1/4 cup oats; set aside. Place remaining oats in a food processor; process 4 seconds or until finely ground. Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine processed oats, flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; stir with a whisk.

Place granulated sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 1/3 cup butter in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. (Batter will be slightly lumpy because of oats.) Spoon batter into prepared pan; spread evenly.

Combine remaining 1/4 cup oats, remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar, nuts, and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until well blended. Sprinkle top of batter evenly with nut mixture. Bake at 350° for 38 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, top is golden, and cake begins to pull away from sides of pan. Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes; remove from pan.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Custard-Filled Corn Bread

Published on March 12, 2010 by Dawn9 Comments

Last year I was on a quest to find the perfect corn bread recipe – I swear every weekend I made a different one. Eventually I will post what I think was the best one…but I found this recipe in Molly Wizenberg’s book, A Homemade Life and it was unlike any cornbread I have ever made before. I had to give it a try.

Corn bread to me is the perfect accompaniment to soups, stews, or BBQ. Any time I made any one of those, there is usually a side of corn bread to go with the meal. I was making soup for dinner, so I had an excuse. The recipe is strange – you make the batter, then right before you put it into the oven, you pour a cup of heavy cream right into the center of the pan, right on top of the batter, so it just swims aimlessly around the pan. Then you carefully put it into the oven to bake. I left it in the oven for an entire hour – until it was really nicely browned on top – but it still didn’t seem to be done. I took it out anyway though because I didn’t want it to overcook – and let it sit for a while. The funny part is, this is not a cornbread that you serve with dinner – this is dessert – a wonderful custard filled cake that you drizzle maple syrup on top of – and eat it with a spoon. I didn’t realize this until it came out of the oven. When I finally served it – the custard had set slightly, but it was still pretty runny. I thought it was fabulous – but my daughter loved it the next night more – the custard had hardened – but when you put it in the microwave to warm it up, it became slightly soft and just a perfect consistency. The first night I served it with maple syrup – the second with honey – both were fantastic. My daughter asked if she could have it for breakfast the next morning…

Ingredients

3 tbsp melted butter
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup yellow cormneal, preferably medium ground
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 large eggs
3 tbsp sugar
½ tsp salt
2 cups whole milk
1 ½ tbsp white vinegar
1 cup heavy cream

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish or a 9″ round pan. Put the dish in the oven to warm while you’re preparing the batter. Don’t put the dish directly on a pizza stone if you have one in your oven. This applies while baking the cornbread too.

In a large microwaveable bowl, melt the butter in the microwave using medium power so that the butter doesn’t splatter everywhere.

In a small bowl whisk together the flour, cormeal, baking powder and baking soda.

When the butter has cooled a bit, add the eggs and whisk to blend well. Then add the sugar, salt, milk and vinegar and whisk well again. Whisking constantly, add the flour mixture. Mix until the batter is smooth and no lumps are visible.

Remove the heated pan from the oven, and pour in the batter. Carefully pour the cream into the center of the batter. Don’t stir! The cream will form a layer just under the surface of the batter. Bake for about an hour or until lightly browned. Cool for 5 minutes or so before slicing. Serve with maple syrup or honey.

Note: Covered with plastic wrap, this bread will stay good at room temperature for 1 day. If you put it into the refrigerator covered – it will last up to 3 days. Leftovers are delicious at room temperature, or warmed in a low oven (or microwave). Remember to serve with syrup or honey.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here: Custard-Filled Corn Bread

French-Style Yogurt Cake with Lemon

Published on March 8, 2010March 12, 2010 by Dawn7 Comments

Lemons have always been something of an anomaly for me. I love lemons in savory food – like in chicken picatta, or greek lemon soup with rice – I love lemons in cocktails – lemon drops, vodka with a twist of lemon – but for some reason if a lemon square was sitting in front of me, I would have no problem passing it by. I almost never bake with lemons – I turn my nose at lemon merengue pie, or lemon cake – and would choose something else any day of the week. Then this recipe came along. I found this recipe in Molly Wizenberg’s book A Homemade Life. First of all, the word French really caught my eye. I have to admit, I basically like anything french. The next word that got me was yogurt. I love yogurt – can’t get enough of it – I have at least one everyday – and my favorite yogurt is european style – extremely creamy, but not too think – and full-bodied, unlike many of the yogurt on the market. I read the ingredients – and I decided I had to make it. Maybe this would be the recipe that turns me into a complete lemon lover. Well – this cake was incredible. It was moist, flavorful – and just perfectly delicious – the lemon glaze on top was exactly what the cake was calling for – and it was fantastic. The glaze is very thin, and soaks into the cake to make it even more moist and delicious. It is best served immediately – or waiting an hour or so.

Ingredients

Cake:

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1/2 cup well-stirred plain whole-milk yogurt (not low-fat or non-fat)
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil, such as canola

Icing:

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons lemon juice

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with butter or cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper, and grease it too.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the lemon zest, and whisk to mix thoroughly.

In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, sugar, and eggs, stirring until well blended. Add the flour mixture and stir just to combine. Add the oil and stir to incorporate. At first, it will look like a horrible, oily mess, but keep stirring, and it will come together into a smooth batter. Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the cake feels springy to the touch and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not overbake.

Cool cake on a rack for about 20 minutes; then turn it out of the pan to cool completely.

When the cake is thoroughly cooled, combine the lemon juice and powdered sugar in a small bowl and spoon it gently over the cake. The glaze will be thin and will soak in like a syrup.

Serve immediately.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here: French Yogurt Cake

Coconut Cake with Chocolate Chunks and Coconut Drizzle

Published on February 16, 2010 by Dawn3 Comments

The other day I was talking to someone about coffee cake – and my daughter asked me, “What makes a cake, a coffee cake?” I thought about it for a minute, and decided it was all about the crumb topping. Cakes that have a crumb topping are often called coffee cake – and for some reason that gives you permission to eat it in the morning with a cup of coffee. I guess the crumb topping is usually in place of a sweet creamy frosting, but I have to say, a lot of coffee cakes have a nice sweet glaze on top that to me is even better than frosting. I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit, and I love coconut, so I had to give it a try. With my newly formed definition of coffee cake, this definitely fits the bill. This moist cake was absolutely delicious – the coconut flavor paired perfectly with the chocolate chunks – and I have to say that the glaze was so good, I was licking the bowl after I finished drizzling it over the cake. The only change I made to the recipe was to use unsweetened coconut on top as well as in the batter – sweetened coconut can sometimes be too much, and there was plenty of sweetness with the chocolate and glaze.

Ingredients

Cake:

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons (packed) finely grated orange peel
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate bars (do not exceed 61% cacao), broken into 1/2-inch irregular pieces, divided
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Coconut Drizzle:

3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons (or more) canned unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides; dust pan with flour, shaking out excess. Sift 1 3/4 cups flour, baking powder, and sea salt into medium bowl. Stir in unsweetened shredded coconut and set aside. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, and orange peel in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with coconut milk in 2 additions, beating just until blended after each addition. Fold in half of bittersweet chocolate pieces. Spread batter evenly in prepared cake pan. Sprinkle remaining chocolate pieces over batter, then sprinkle with sweetened flaked coconut.

Bake cake until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, tenting with sheet of foil if coconut atop cake is browning too quickly, 60 to 70 minutes. Transfer cake to rack and cool in pan 45 minutes.

Coconut Drizzle
Whisk powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk, and vanilla in small bowl to blend well, adding more coconut milk by 1/2 teaspoonfuls until mixture is thin enough to drizzle over cake.

Carefully run small knife around sides of cake to loosen. Invert cake onto platter, then carefully invert again onto another platter, coconut side up. Using small spoon, drizzle powdered sugar mixture decoratively over cake. Cool cake completely on platter. DO AHEAD Cake can be made up to 1 day ahead. Cover cake and let stand at room temperature.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here: Coconut Cake with Chocolate Chunks and Coconut Drizzle

Salted Chocolate Ganache Cake

Published on February 8, 2010February 9, 2010 by Dawn4 Comments

When did salt start becoming something you not only douse your savory food with, but also your sweet? Now, scientifically speaking, I know that salt does something in the baking process to make sure everything works correctly – but salt sprinkled on top of sweets is something more recent. I don’t remember when I was little eating salted caramel – or salted chocolate. I do remember loving chocolate covered pretzels though. My first taste of chocolate covered pretzels was at a store I worked at in high school. This store sold a little bit of everything – gifts, cards, jewelry, invitations, stickers, and even sweets. Every once in a while we couldn’t stand it, and we would break open a package of something delicious – for me it was even more of a treat since I was not allowed sweets at home. Those chocolate covered pretzels were my favorite – that salt with the sweetness of the chocolate was such an interesting combination. I make chocolate covered pretzels every year around the holidays (rocky rods), but for some reason when I made this cake, I thought of my first taste of salted chocolate. This recipe came from Cooking Light, and I followed it exactly. The cake was so nice and fluffy – and the frosting was perfect – just a thin layer of ganache with the salt on top made you keep coming back for more.

Ingredients

Cooking spray
2 teaspoons cake flour
5.3 ounces sifted cake flour (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
3/4 cup evaporated fat-free milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 1/2 ounces dark chocolate, divided
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon sea salt or fleur de sel

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Coat 1 (9-inch) round cake pan with cooking spray; dust with 2 teaspoons flour.

Weigh or lightly spoon 5.3 ounces flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and baking powder in a bowl; stir with a whisk. Place 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add egg; mix well. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in vanilla.

Beat egg whites with a mixer at high speed until foamy using clean, dry beaters. Gradually add 3 tablespoons sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Gently fold half of egg white mixture into flour mixture; fold in remaining egg white mixture. Grate 1/2 ounce chocolate; fold grated chocolate into batter. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 23 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on a wire rack.

Chop the remaining 2 ounces chocolate. Combine chopped chocolate and 1 tablespoon butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM 1 minute or until chocolate melts, stirring every 15 seconds. Spread chocolate mixture over top of cake; sprinkle evenly with sea salt. Cut into 8 wedges.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Salted Chocolate Ganache Cake

Devil Dog Cake

Published on December 22, 2009December 22, 2009 by Dawn3 Comments

Devil Dogs…yum. You know from my Pumpkin Snack Cake post that I have a little thing for snack cakes. Ok, maybe more than a little thing. Put it this way – if I see a recipe for something that resembles a snack cake – let along called a Devil Dog Cake – there is no way I can pass it up. For those of you that have no idea what I am talking about, I learned this week that Devil Dogs are an east coast thing… so see the link below.

This is actually the second time I have made this cake – the first time I brought it to my daughter’s school picnic. I decided that since there would be a lot of kids there, I would make this into bit sized treats. Basically I made them look exactly like this by spliting the cake in half horizontally. They were a huge hit. There was a very long table completely packed with desserts and the devil dog bites were gone first.

Ok – so what prompted me to make this cake again? Besides the fact that everyone loved this cake – it was my good friend’s 40th birthday – and she was having a Keraoke party – she loves chocolate, and I figured this would be the perfect retro-cake to go with the venue. The marshmallow frosting is to die for. It is not a sweet frosting, and goes with the moist chocolate cake perfectly – both are pretty mellow, which for my sweet tooth is perfect. Next time I am taking a blow torch to the top, instead of sprinkling cocoa powder on top – that would definitely make a statement. This recipe comes from Gourmet – and I followed it exactly as written.

Ingredients

For cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process) plus additional for dusting
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups water

For frosting

2 large egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preparation

Make cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter and flour an 8-inch square cake pan (2 inches deep).

Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

Beat together butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well, then beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture and water alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until just combined.

Pour batter into cake pan and smooth top, then bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 1 hour. Transfer cake to a cake plate.

Make frosting:
Combine frosting ingredients with a pinch of salt in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and beat with a handheld electric mixer at high speed until frosting is thick and fluffy, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and continue to beat until slightly cooled. Mound frosting on top of cake. Dust with additional cocoa powder.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here: Devil Dog Cake

Coconut Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Published on December 1, 2009January 14, 2010 by Dawn22 Comments

This is by far the best recipe for coconut cake that I have ever tasted. I started making this when I first became a manager at work. I took over managing a team that had a high percentage of turnover each year. I wanted to do something that would give people incentive to stay…and since you are reading this, you know that all roads lead to food. I came up with an idea – that I would bring in a baked good of the employees choice twice a year – once for their birthday, and once for their anniversary with the company. Early on I was asked to make a coconut cake, so I searched the web and looked for the recipe that sounded the most interesting. Based on my obsession with cream cheese frosting, this one was the clear winner. Needless to say, I made this coconut cake more than any other baked good – it was requested over and over again. I stopped doing this when I had my first child – my team was getting too big, and my time was wearing thin. Let me tell you though – it worked – I had very little turnover during my time managing that team. They were a happy bunch.

I found this recipe in Bon Appetit, and the ingredient that struck me was the Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut. This product makes the cake spectacular – it is in both the batter and the frosting. The cake is not overly sweet, but has an aroma and taste that is perfectly coconut. Because you fold egg whites into the batter, the cake is light and fluffy. The cream cheese frosting with the cream of coconut is decadent – and the combination with the cake is sinful. If you like coconut cake, there is no need to look any further than this recipe below.

Ingredients

Cake

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup canned sweetened cream of coconut (such as Coco López)*
4 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
Pinch of salt

Frosting

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup canned sweetened cream of coconut (such as Coco López)*
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups shredded coconut

*Canned sweetened cream of coconut is available in the liquor section of most supermarkets nationwide.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter and sweetened cream of coconut in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla extract. On low speed, beat in dry ingredients and then buttermilk, each just until blended.

Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites with pinch of salt in another large bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold beaten egg whites into batter.

Divide cake batter between prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on rack 10 minutes. Run small sharp knife around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely.

Make the frosting. Beat cream cheese in medium bowl until fluffy. Add butter and beat to blend. Add sugar, sweetened cream of coconut and vanilla extract and beat until well blended.

Place 1 cake layer on cake plate. Spread 1 cup Cream Cheese Frosting over cake layer. Sprinkle 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut over. Top with second cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle remaining coconut over cake, gently pressing into sides to adhere. (Coconut Layer Cake can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours before serving.)

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here: Coconut Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Snack Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Published on November 24, 2009 by Dawn6 Comments

I have to admit, I am obsessed with cream cheese frosting. It really doesn’t matter what the cake is – if it has cream cheese frosting on top, I am in. Another obsession I have though is with snack cakes. Maybe it is because I was not allowed to have sweets growing up. My friends would bring these snack cakes to school in their lunches (mostly the prepackaged kinds), and I would stare longingly. I remember there was one girl in my class in 5th grade that brought some type of snack cake (Yodels, Twinkies, Ding Dongs, Ho Hos, etc…) every day in her lunch. I decided that I needed to be friends with her in hopes that she would invite me over after school – just so I could try one of those goodies when we got to her house. I still remember the strawberry rolls we had. That marshmallow cream in the middle was the best. At the time, that fake strawberry jelly was like heaven. I am so glad those days are over, and that I can make my own snack cakes with good fresh ingredients – instead of eating cakes that can sit on a shelf for years and still be moist when you open them.

I saw this recipe in Cooking Light, and the cream cheese frosting was calling me. The cake was moist and flavorful, and not too sweet. The frosting was a perfect match. Do me a favor, make this for your child and pack it in their lunch. Have them be the one that other people are jealous of.

Ingredients

Cake:

10.1 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 cups)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
Cooking spray

Frosting:

2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (8-ounce) package 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
2 cups sifted powdered sugar

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare cake, weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.

Combine brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well combined. Add eggs, 1 at a time, to sugar mixture; beat well after each addition. Add pumpkin; mix well. Fold in flour mixture. Spread batter into a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

To prepare the frosting, combine 2 tablespoons butter, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and cream cheese in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until combined. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until well combined. Spread frosting evenly over top of cake.

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