- Preheat over to 350F.
- Butter and flour a 10-inch Bundt or tube pan.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and mix in the vanilla and dissolved coffee until blended.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir to blend.
- Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately with the sour cream in 2 increments, beating until thick and smooth.
- Spoon one-third of the batter into a small bowl and stir in the chocolate.
- Spoon 4 heaping tablespoons of the coffee batter into the pan, spacing them apart, then spoon some chocolate batter by the tablespoon into the spaces. Repeat until all the batter is used.
- With a knife, swirl through the mixture once to marble the batters. [Note: I felt once was not enough and would do it at least 2 times depending on how deep you are able to swirl the batter.]
- Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then unmold right side up on a wire rack and let cool completely.
- Cut into slices to serve.
Cake
Mocha-Cappuccino Marbled Coffee Cake
Torte Reforme
- To make the torte: Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 400°F. Lightly butter a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with a round of parchment or wax paper. Dust the sides of the pan with flour and tap out the excess.
- In the top part of a double boiler over very hot, but not simmering, water, or in a microwave at medium power, melt the chocolate. Remove from the heat or the oven, and let stand, stirring often, until cool.
- Beat the butter in the bowl of a heavy-duty standing mixer fitted with the paddle blade on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. On low speed, beat in the confectioners' sugar. Return the speed to medium-high and beat until light in color and texture, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the chocolate and vanilla.
- Beat the egg whites and granulated sugar in a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer on high speed just until they form soft, shiny peaks. Do not overbeat. Stir about one fourth of the beaten whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, then fold in the remaining whites, leaving a few visible wisps of whites. Sift half of the flour over the chocolate mixture, and fold in with a large balloon whisk or rubber spatula. Repeat with the remaining flour.
- Spread evenly in the pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. (The cake will dome in the center.) Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove the sides of the pan, and invert the cake onto the rack. Remove the paper and reinvert on another rack to turn right side up. Cool completely.
Ginger Peach Upside-Down Cake
Note: This recipe uses white sugar in the topping, if I was to make it again, I would definitely try brown sugar for a more caramely effect. Also, most of my coworkers thought the cake was moist, but I thought it was a little on the dry side - next time I'll add a tiny bit more butter.
Ginger Peach Upside-Down Cake
From Wild Oats Marketplace via Kitchen Crafts 'N' More
1 1/2 lbs ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced (1/2-inch thick)*
1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 cup unbleached flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp dried ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup raw cane sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk
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- Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss sliced peaches with ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
- Sift together flour with baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl beat sugar with butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each. Add vanilla. Add flour mixture and milk, alternately. Mix until smooth. Set aside.
- Heat a 10 to 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add three tablespoons butter and a third-cup sugar. Cook until golden brown and bubbling, stirring occasionally. Arrange gingered peaches on the bottom of the pan. Pour batter over the peaches.
- Bake 45 to 50 minutes, until golden brown and firm in the center.
- Allow to cool for 20 minutes, run a knife around the cake and invert onto a serving plate. Serve warm topped with vanilla or cinnamon ice cream.
Fresh Lime Chiffon Cake
- To prepare the lime filling, combine 1 teaspoon lime rind, 1/4 cup lime juice, and sweetened condensed milk in a small bowl, stirring until blended. Cover and chill 3 hours.
- Preheat oven to 325°.
- To prepare cake, coat bottoms of 3 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray (do not coat sides of pans); line bottoms with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray; dust with 1 tablespoon flour.
- Lightly spoon 2 cups cake flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine 2 cups cake flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk until well combined.
- Combine oil, 1/3 cup juice, 3 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon rind, lemon extract, and egg yolks in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add oil mixture to flour mixture; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth.
- Place egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Gently stir one-fourth of egg white mixture into flour mixture; gently fold in remaining egg white mixture.
- Divide cake batter equally among prepared pans, spreading evenly. Break air pockets by cutting through batter with a knife. Bake at 325° for 20 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool in pans for 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans. Remove wax paper from cake layers. Cool completely on wire rack.
- To prepare frosting, combine 3 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons lime juice in a small glass bowl. Microwave at high for 30 seconds or until sugar dissolves. Cool completely. Fold into whipped topping.
- To assemble cake, place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread half of filling over cake layer [add sliced strawberries if desired]. Top with second layer, remaining half of filling, and third layer. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake. Garnish with mint, blueberries, and lime wedges, if desired. Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator for up to 3 days. Slice cake into wedges.
Raspberry Curd Cake aka Berry Bread Pudding Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350F and position the racks in the middle of the oven. Choose your cake pan (8x4 loaf, or 9 or 10" spring form) and butter in generously.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- In a large bowl, use a stand mixer or handheld mixer to beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar and beat again. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl once or twice during the process so you end up with a nice, even, creamy blend. Beat in the eggs one at a time, incorporating each fully before adding the next and scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times. If you don't beat well enough at this stage, you'll end up with little butter sugar flecks throughout the batter in the end. Stir in the vanilla until evenly incorporated. Add the dry ingredients and gently fold them in by hand just until the last of the flour barely disappears; don't over mix. Fold in the berries.
- Scoop half of the cake batter into the prepared pan. It's pretty thick, so you may need to spread it around a bit with the back of a spoon. Now spread about half of the curd over the batter, staying clear of the sides of the pan. Add the rest of the batter and smooth the top until level, then plop big spoonfuls of the remaining curd on top of the cake (again staying clear of the sides of the pan). Drag a butter knife through the curd in a loop-de-loop motion so the cake batter swirls with the curd to create a marbled effect.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the cake bounces back a bit when you push the top of it with your finger. The baking time will vary depending on pan size and shape. The cake should be very moist, so don't overcook it; trust your eyes, nose, and instinct. Let cool in the pan. Slice and serve at room temperature, dusted with a bit of powdered sugar and with a side of softly whipped cream if you like.
This is what happens when all sorts of things go wrong...
Chocolate Babka
Chocolate Babka
From All Recipes
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 10 inch tube pan. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, beat the butter and 1 1/4 cup sugar with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy. Change the mixer speed to medium, and beat in the vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. With the mixer on low speed, alternately beat the flour mixture and sour cream into the creamed mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat only until just blended.
- For the topping: In a small bowl combine the chocolate, pecans, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon to make a crumb mixture. Spread half of the batter in the bottom of the prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of the crumb mixture. Pour in the remaining batter, and sprinkle with the remaining crumb mixture; press the crumbs in lightly so they adhere to the batter. Quickly, but gently cut through the batter and crumbs in an up and down motion with a knife. Lightly rap the pan once against a hard surface, to settle the batter.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Cover the top of the cake with aluminum foil. Continue baking until a skewer inserted halfway between the side of the pan and the tube comes out clean, about 20 minutes longer. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Carefully loosen the cake from the sides of the pan. Invert cake onto rack, and cool completely.
Chinese New Year Inspired Medjool Date Cake
Chinese New Year Inspired Medjool Date Cake
This recipe was inspired by my traditional Chinese New Year cake and my mom's wacky ability to just throw stuff in to a pan and make it taste delicious!
Note: If I make this again, I will probably add less sugar, more dates and maybe another 1/4 of milk.
16 oz glutinous rice flour
1 tbsp baking soda
1 stick butter (8 tbsp)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 1/4 cup of milk
9 oz Medjool Dates (this was the weight including pits - about 13 dates)
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- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x13 cake pan.
- Chop dates into small pieces. Since the dates are quite sticky, I actually found it easier to rip the dates open, remove the pits and shred by hand.
Shredded dates, but doesn't is strangely look like shredded pork?!
- In a mixer cream butter and sugars. Scrape sides as necessary.
- On medium speed, add eggs and milk. Blend until smooth.
- On low speed gradually add in rice flour, 1/3 of the flour at a time. Add in baking soda until combined.
When finished, mixture should be somewhat like thick pancake batter. Note: you may want to sift these two ingredients together first.
- Pour half of the batter into cake pan. Spread evenly to coat the pan.
- Scatter the dates evenly all over the cake.
- Pour rest of batter into cake pan, covering dates.
Spread if necesary to make sure the batter is evenly distributed.
- Place on middle shelf and bake for 30-35 minutes.
- Cake is finished when top is golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from oven, flip out of pan and serve warm!
Excessively Expressive Espresso Ecstasy Cake
Excessively Expressive Espresso Ecstasy Cake
From Marcel Desaulniers
Chocolate Espresso Cake
5 oz unsalted butter cut into 1/2 oz pieces; plus 1 tbsp (melted)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 oz semisweet baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs (room temperature)
1/4 cup instant espresso powder
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache
12 oz semisweet baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups heavy cream
2 tbsp granulated sugar
Espresso Mousse
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup instant espresso powder
4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, coarsely chopped and melted
Extras
1/4 cup espresso beans
3/4 cups sliced almonds, toasted and crushed with your hands*
12 chocolate-covered espresso beans
Note: If you're like me and you don't really enjoy almonds in your chocolate, you can replace with other nuts, coarsely chopped chocolate, or for a kick (which is what I did) more espresso beans
The Cake
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- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat the insides of four 9×1 1/2-inch nonstick cake pans with some of the 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper (or wax paper), then lightly coat the paper with more melted butter. Set aside.
- In a sifter combine 1 1/4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sift onto a large piece of parchment paper (or wax paper) and set aside until needed.
- Melt 6 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate, 5 ounces butter, and 3 ounces chopped unsweetened chocolate in the top half of a double boiler, or in a microwave oven, and stir until smooth.
Note: If you don't have a double boiler, or a microwave, you can use a metal or glass bowl on top of a pan. Just make sure that the water doesn't touch the bowl, you only want the steam to melt. Also, I find that it's best to take the bowl off of the pan once the chocolate is 2/3 melted, and then stir until the rest melts.
- Place 1 1/2 cups sugar, 5 eggs, and 1/4 cup espresso powder in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle. Beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes until thick. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the melted chocolate mixture and mix on medium to combine, about 20 seconds.
- Operate the mixer on low while gradually adding the sifted dry ingredients; mix until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Add 1/2 cup sour cream and 2 tablespoons vanilla extract and mix on low to combine, about 15 seconds. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to finish mixing the ingredients until thoroughly combined.
- Immediately divide the cake batter into the prepared pans (about 1 2/3 cups of batter in each pan), spreading it evenly.
- Bake on the top and center racks in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake layer comes out clean, about 22 minutes. (Rotate the pans from top to center halfway through the baking time.) Remove the cake layers from the oven and cool in the pans for 15 minutes at room temperature. Invert the cake layers onto cake circles (or onto cake plates). Note: If you don't have cake circles, use a piece of cardboard, or flat plates
- Carefully peel the paper away from the bottoms of the layers. Refrigerate the cake layers until needed.
- Place 12 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate and 4 ounces chopped unsweetened chocolate in a large bowl.
- Heat 2 cups heavy cream and 2 tablespoons sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a boil. Pour the boiling cream over the chopped chocolate. Set aside for 5 minutes; then stir with a whisk until smooth.
- Transfer 1 1/2 cups of the ganache to a baking sheet with sides, spreading it evenly. Set aside at room temperature the remaining ganache and the ganache on the baking sheet until needed. Note: This is to allow the ganache on the pan to cool faster.
- Place 2 cups heavy cream, 3/4 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup instant espresso powder in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a balloon whip. Whisk on medium-high for 2 minutes until firm, but not stiff, peaks form.
- Add 1 1/2 cups of the whipped cream to 4 ounces melted unsweetened chocolate, and use a rubber spatula to fold them together until thoroughly combined. Add the combined whipped cream and chocolate to the remaining whipped cream and use a rubber spatula to fold them together until smooth and thoroughly combined.
- Remove the cake layers from the refrigerator. Use a cake spatula to spread about 1 1/2 cups of Espresso Mousse evenly and smoothly over the top and to the edges of each of 2 of the inverted cake layers.
- Transfer the 1 1/2 cups of ganache from the baking sheet to the top of another inverted cake layer, and use a cake spatula to spread the ganache evenly over the top and to the edges.
- Refrigerate the remaining amount of mousse (about 1 cup) until needed to complete the assembly of the cake.
- Use a utility turner to remove the ganache-coated cake layer from the cake circle; then stack that cake layer onto one of the mousse-coated layers. Note: If you do not have a utility turner, use a large spatula (my turner has gone MIA, so used a pancake flipper).
- Top with the other mousse-coated layer. Place the remaining inverted cake layer onto the top of the preceding mousse layer and gently press it into place. Refrigerate the cake for 1 hour, until the mousse layers have firmed, before completing the assembly. Note: Don't overdo it on the mousse like I did. If you do, scrape the excess off after firming, but before final frosting.
- Place 1/4 cup espresso beans in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse the espresso beans for 45 seconds until coarsely chopped. Combine the almonds and espresso beans on a baking sheet with sides. Set aside. Note: I decided to forgo the nuts and went all espresso beans. Let's just say it definitely adds a bunch more caffeine to the final result.
- Transfer the remaining ganache to the top of the cake. Use a cake spatula to spread a smooth coating of ganache over the top and sides.
IMAGE
Note: Make sure the ganache is cool enough before doing this step. I did not check and poured the ganache on top. The ganache on the bottom of the bowl was much much warmer than the ganache on top. If I was doing this again, I would probably spread the ganache out on a pan like I did for the first half. Because my ganache was not cool enough, and I had too much espresso mousse oozing out on the sides, the two melded together and was definitely a bit of a mess. Luckily, I wasn't worried about pretty here because I knew I would be coating the sides with crushed beans.
Not totally cooled, so it mixed with the espresso mousse more than I would have liked.
- Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes. Use a utility turner to transfer the cake onto a clean cardboard cake circle. Note: Since I did not have any cake circles in the house, I assembled my cake directly on my cake stand.
- Press the chopped almond and espresso bean mixture into the sides of the cake, coating it evenly.
- Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip with the remaining cup of mousse. Pipe a circle of 12 evenly spaced mousse stars along the outside edge of the top of the cake. (Depending on the size of the stars, you may end up with a wee bit of mousse left over. Mmm!) Top each star with a chocolate-covered espresso bean. Note: If you do not have a pastry bag, put your mousse into a ziploc bag and snip a corner.
- Refrigerate for 1 hour before slicing and serving. Heat the blade of a serrated slicer under hot running water and wipe the blade dry before cutting each slice.
Related: chocolate, dessert, cake, coffee, espresso, chocolate cake, death by chocolate, multi-layer
9 Minute Pineapple Cake
9 Minute Microwave Pineapple Cake
From astray
6 ounce sliced pineapple
1/2 cup brown sugar
5 tsp butter
6 maraschino cherries
1/2 box white cake mix
1 egg
Using a bundt microwave pan, spray with non stick vegetable spray. Melt butter and pour into bunt pan. Spread brown sugar in bottom of pan on butter. Place pineapple slices around on top of brown sugar. Save the juice. Slice the cherries and place in and around the pineapple slices. Mix pineapple juice and one egg in the half of boxed cake mix. Pour over pineapple slices, cherries and brown sugar. Bake in microwave on high for 9 minutes on turn table. If you don't have a turn table, turn 1/4 turn every 3 minutes.
Pastry Cream
Pastry Cream
From Baking Illustrated
2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup sugar
pinch salt
5 large egg yolks
3 tbsp cornstarch
4 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
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- Heat the half-and-half, 6 tbsp of the sugar and the salt in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until simmer, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar.
- Heat the half-and-half, 6 tbsp of the sugar and the salt in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until simmer, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar.
- Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined.
- Whisk in the remaining 2 tbsp sugar and whisk until the sugar has begun to dissolve and the mixture is creamy, about 15 seconds.
- Whisk in the cornstarch until combined and the mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 30 seconds.
- Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined.
- When the half-and-half mixture reaches a full simmer, gradually whisk the simmering half-and-half into the yolk mixture to temper.
- Return the mixture to the saucepan, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula; return to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until a few bubbles on the surface and the mixture is thickened and glossy, about 30 seconds.
- Remove from heat, whisk in the butter and vanilla.
- Strain the pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium bowl.
- Press plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
- Refrigerate until cold and set, at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.
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