Let Them Eat Cake!

Most of us love something snacky once in a while. Cake seems to fit the bill. Here are six yummy cake recipes to help you through the day, including Celebration Cake and Pumpkin Dump Cake. Enjoy!

AMBROSIA CAKE

This comes from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “If you love the combination of oranges, coconut and marshmallows found in a traditional ambrosia — the salad or dessert that often also contains pineapple, bananas, cherries and some kind of creamy dressing such as whipped cream or sour cream — you’ll adore this cake. The coconut is baked into the cake layers and used as a sweet, shaggy garnish, while the oranges (in this case, diminutive, seedless clementines) are juiced into curd and sliced fresh for the filling. Then, as a final, fluffy touch, a homemade marshmallow frosting tops it off. It may be a lot of work, but it’s an impressive result. And you can make the curd and cake a few days ahead. Just be sure to make the frosting and assemble everything within 8 hours of serving. Otherwise the fruit starts to break down and the icing may crystallize.”

Yield: 12 servings; Time: 3 hours

This was originally featured in “An Ambrosial Cake, and That’s Just the Filling” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

For the Cake:

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1 tablespoon coconut rum or dark rum (or use 1 teaspoon coconut extract)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened

1/4 cup virgin coconut oil, melted and cooled (or use more butter)

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature, whites and yolks separated

1 1/4 teaspoons finely grated clementine zest (from about 2 clementines)

For the Filling:

1/3 cup fresh clementine juice (from about 4 clementines), plus 2 1/2 teaspoons finely grated clementine zest

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

4 large eggs

4 large egg yolks (reserve whites for frosting)

7 tablespoons sugar

Pinch kosher salt

12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cubed

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Frosting:

4 large egg whites

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Pinch kosher salt

For Decorating and Assembling:

8 to 10 seedless clementines

1 1/2 to 3 cups shredded sweetened or unsweetened coconut, to taste

Strawberries, sliced (optional)

Preparation

Bake the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees and place a rack in the middle. Butter two 9-inch cake pans and line with parchment paper on the bottom.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, coconut milk, rum and vanilla.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter, coconut oil and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, then beat in zest. Beat in half the flour mixture, followed by half the milk mixture. Repeat, beating just until combined and scraping down bowl as necessary.

In a separate bowl, use an electric beater to whisk egg whites just until stiff peaks form. Fold into cake batter.

Divide batter between pans. Bake until lightly golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then unmold cakes and cool completely on rack. (Cakes can be made up to 2 days ahead; once cool, wrap in plastic and refrigerate.)

Meanwhile, make the filling: Bring clementine juice and lemon juice to a boil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, yolks, sugar and salt. Whisking constantly, slowly pour hot juice into eggs, then return mixture to saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in butter and vanilla. Push through a strainer set over a medium bowl, and stir in clementine zest. Cover with plastic wrap directly on surface of curd and refrigerate until cold. (Curd can be made up to 5 days ahead.) Or to speed up cooling, set bowl of curd in a larger bowl filled with ice water and stir curd until very cold, 7 to 10 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Prepare clementines for decorating the cake: Cut the top and bottom off a clementine and set it cut-side down on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut away peel and pith, following the curve of the fruit from top to bottom. Working over a bowl to catch the juices, carefully cut out each segment from the membrane; it should fall into the bowl as you cut. Lay segments out on paper towels to dry slightly while you cut remaining fruit.

Use a large knife to trim tops of cakes to level them, and cut both cakes in half horizontally to make layers.

Place a cake layer on a serving dish and spread a third of the curd over it, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge. Layer a third of the clementine segments on top of curd, spacing them evenly so cake will be balanced. Top with another layer, spread another third of curd over it, and layer with 1/2 cup shredded coconut. Top with cake layer, repeat curd and clementines, saving some clementines for top of cake. Place the remaining cake layer on top, and chill while making frosting.

Make the frosting: Bring a medium pot with 1 inch of water to boil. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and salt. Set bowl over simmering water and whisk constantly until eggs reach 160 degrees, or the sugar has melted. Remove from heat, and beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes.

Immediately spread frosting on cake and press coconut shreds into tops and sides. Top with clementine wedges and strawberries if using; serve within an hour or two. (Or, keep refrigerated for up to 8 hours and wait until just before serving to top with fresh fruit.)

HEAVENLY ICE CREAM CAKE WITH RASPBERRY COULIS

This recipe begins, “Prepared angel food cakes from the supermarket bakery section are good items to have on hand for desserts. Before preparing this elaborate-looking recipe, freeze the cake completely. It slices easily with a serrated knife.” Serves 12.

You can also view this online, here.

1 16-oz. angel food cake, frozen

1 10-oz. jar raspberry preserves

1/4 cup raspberry liqueur or orange juice

2 pints low-fat vanilla ice cream, softened, divided

1 10-oz. pkg. frozen raspberries in syrup, thawed

Cut cake into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cover bottom of 9-inch springform pan with slices, cutting one or two slices as necessary to fill in gaps.

Combine raspberry preserves and liqueur in small saucepan over medium heat, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 5 minutes. Brush half of raspberry mixture over cake in pan. Spread 1 pint ice cream over cake, and smooth top. Arrange more cake slices over ice cream to cover completely. Spread remaining raspberry mixture over cake. Smooth remaining pint of ice cream over cake. Cover with plastic wrap, and freeze overnight. (Can be prepared up to 3 days in advance up to this point.)

Purée thawed raspberries and syrup in food processor until smooth. Strain into bowl.

Run knife around sides of springform pan. Release sides from cake. Slice into wedges, and top with raspberry coulis.

nutritional information Per SERVING: Calories: 273; Protein: 4 g; Total Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 60 g; Cholesterol: 3 mg; Sodium: 319 mg; Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: 31 g

STRAWBERRY COUNTRY CAKE

This is from Ina Garten, star of The Food Network’s Barefoot Contessa. Total Time: 1 hr 15 min; Prep: 30 min; Cook: 45 min; Yield: 2 (8-inch) cakes; Level: Intermediate

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/strawberry-country-cake-recipe.html?oc=linkback.

Ingredients

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups sugar

4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

3/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

For the filling for each cake:

1 cup (1/2 pint) heavy cream, chilled

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter the bottom of two 8-inch cake pans. Then line them with parchment paper and butter and flour the lined pans.

Cream the butter and sugar on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. On medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, then the sour cream, zests, and vanilla, scraping down the bowl as needed. Mix well. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda. On low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and combine just until smooth.

Pour the batter evenly into the pans, smooth the tops, and bake in the center of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then remove to wire racks and let cool to room temperature. If using 1 cake, wrap the second well and freeze.

To make the filling for one cake, whip the cream, sugar, and vanilla in a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until firm. Slice one of the cakes in half with a long, sharp knife. Place the bottom slice of the cake on a serving platter, spread with 1/2 the whipped cream and scatter with sliced strawberries. Cover with the top slice of the cake and spread with the remaining cream. Decorate with strawberries.

CELEBRATION CAKE

This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, “This cake, which was developed by the British-Israeli chef Yotam Ottolenghi, may not look perfect. You may end up with cracked layers, roughly cut edges and a white-chocolate ganache spread willy-nilly. I think it’s best if it is superrustic,’ Ottolenghi said. But it will be elegant anyway, the astonishingly good result of care and time spent in the kitchen for loved ones, and the flavors are terrific.”

Yield: Serves 10-20; Time: 24 hours, plus freezing

This was featured in “Revel in the Bounty of Spring, With a Feast From Yotam Ottolenghi” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

For the Layer Cakes:

15 1/2 ounces dark baking chocolate (70 percent cocoa), chopped

9 ounces egg yolks (the yolks from 14 or 15 large eggs)

15 1/2 ounces superfine sugar

14 ounces egg whites (the whites from about 10 large eggs)

1 tablespoon brandy

For the Ganache:

10 1/2 ounces white chocolate, chopped

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

To Finish:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

7 ounces blueberries, with 8 or so set aside for garnish

7 ounces blackberries, with 12 or so set aside for garnish

7 ounces strawberries, trimmed and thinly sliced, lengthwise

7 ounces raspberries, with 8 or so set aside for garnish

Powdered sugar, to dust (optional)

Preparation

To make the layers for the cake, heat oven to 350. Grease and line three 10-by-14-inch jellyroll pans with parchment paper. (If you only have one, you can make the layers separately.)

Put a medium-size pot with a few inches of water in it over medium heat, and bring it to a simmer. Place a large, heatproof bowl on top of the pot, making sure that the base of the bowl is not touching the water. Put the chocolate in the bowl, and melt it over the simmering water, stirring occasionally. Remove the bowl from the heat, and set aside to cool slightly.

Put the egg yolks and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer with a whisk attachment. Mix for about 3 minutes, until thick and pale, and then gently fold the mixture into the melted chocolate. Stir until almost combined, and set aside.

Put the egg whites in the clean bowl of an electric mixer with a clean whisk attachment. Beat at high speed until soft peaks form, and then gently fold them into the chocolate, followed by the brandy.

Divide the chocolate mixture between the 3 jellyroll pans (or pour a third of the mix into one, if you’re baking in 3 batches). Use a spatula to even out the tops or top, and place in the oven. Cook for approximately 15 minutes, until firm to touch and a skewer inserted in comes out clean. Set aside to cool.

Once the cakes have cooled, place a sheet of parchment on a sheet pan, and set it over one of the finished spongecakes, then flip the whole thing over, so the sheet pan is now sitting under the cake. Remove the jellyroll pan and the used paper. Repeat with the remaining cakes, placing each on a clean sheet of parchment paper and stacking them. Wrap them well with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for at least 24 hours.

To make the ganache, place white chocolate in a large bowl and set aside. Add the cream to a medium saucepan with a heavy base and place it on medium-low heat. Cook until just starting to simmer, and then pour it over the chocolate. Allow to sit for 3 minutes or so, until the chocolate has softened, and then gently stir until the chocolate is melted and fully combined with the cream. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight (or for up to 3 days).

To assemble the cake, put the ganache into the bowl of an electric mixer with a whisk attachment. Add the cream, and whip on medium-high until the mixture has achieved the consistency of soft whipped cream. (Keep a close eye on it so as not to overwhip.)

Mix the berries you are not holding back for garnish in a large bowl, and set aside.

Remove one sponge layer from the freezer at a time, and place on a serving platter or cutting board. Do not remove them all at once; they need to be frozen. Trim about 1/2 inch off all the edges to make a clean rectangle, then spread roughly 1/3 of the ganache mixture across the top of the cake. Scatter 1/2 of the berries on top of the ganache mixture, making sure they are evenly spread right to the edges of the cake. Trim the second sponge layer, place it on top of the first and cover it with another 1/3 of the ganache mixture and the remainder of the fruit. Remove the final layer of cake from the freezer, trim it and place it on top of the second, then spread the remaining ganache across the top of the cake, smoothing it with a palette knife. Place the fruit reserved as garnish in each corner of the cake, and dust the whole thing lightly with powdered sugar, if you like. If you’re not serving the cake right away, store in the refrigerator for a few hours, bringing it out 30 minutes before serving.

PUMPKIN DUMP CAKE

This is from Tbsp., and begins, “An easy fall cake that is ‘dumped’ into a pan and baked.”

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 60 minutes; Servings: 16

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 can (29 oz) pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk

3 whole eggs

1 cup white sugar

3 teaspoons cinnamon

1 box Betty Crocker™ SuperMoist™ yellow cake mix

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

3/4 cup butter, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 baking dish.

In a large bowl, mix pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, and cinnamon until well blended. Spread pumpkin mixture in prepared baking dish. Mixture will be very wet.

Sprinkle cake mix evenly on top of the batter. If adding pecans, sprinkle them over the cake mix. Pour melted butter over the top of the cake mix. Bake 50 minutes.

Cool completely. Top with whipped cream or ice cream.

WORLD’S BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE

This is from Yotam Ottolenghi in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. The recipe begins, “The recipe for this cake, adapted from "Sweet" by Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh, first appeared in an article written about Ms. Goh when she ran her cafe, the Mortar & Pestle, in Melbourne, Australia. Rather intimidatingly for her, the headline for the article was "World’s Best Chocolate Cake." It could actually be called lots of things: “world’s easiest cake,” possibly, requiring nothing more than one large bowl to make it all in. Or “most versatile cake,” given that it can be served without icing and just a light dusting of cocoa powder, or dressed up to the nines, as it is here, with a thin layer of chocolate ganache and served with espresso cinnamon mascarpone cream. In the Ottolenghi shops in London, it is smaller and goes by the name Take-Home Chocolate Cake, designed to be shared by four people after a meal. This larger version is no less delicious, and keeps well for four to five days. As with any baking project, you should weigh your ingredients in grams for the best results.”

Yield: 12 servings; Time: 1 1/2 hours, plus cooling.

This was featured in “Yotam Ottolenghi on Creating Recipes for His Cookbook ‘Sweet’” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

For the Cake:

1 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks plus 1 1/2 tablespoons), at room temperature and cut into 3/4-inch cubes, plus extra for greasing the pan

7 ounces dark chocolate (70 percent cocoa solids), chopped into 3/4-inch pieces

1 1/2 teaspoons instant coffee granules, dissolved in 1 1/2 cups boiling water

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons self-rising flour (see note)

1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder, plus 1 1/2 teaspoons, for dusting

1/4 teaspoon salt

For the Chocolate Ganache (Optional):

7 ounces dark chocolate (70 percent cocoa solids), broken or chopped roughly into 3/4-inch pieces

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

For the Espresso Cinnamon Mascarpone Cream (Optional):

1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream

3/4 cup mascarpone

Scraped seeds of 1/2 vanilla pod

2 1/2 teaspoons finely ground espresso

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 1/2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Preparation

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit/170 degrees Celsius. Grease a 9-inch/23-centimeter round springform pan with butter and line with parchment paper, then set aside.

Make the cake: Place butter, chocolate and hot coffee in a large heatproof bowl and mix well until everything is melted, combined and smooth. Whisk in sugar by hand until dissolved. Add eggs and vanilla extract and whisk again until thoroughly combined and smooth. Sift flour, cocoa powder and salt together into a bowl and then whisk this into the melted chocolate mixture. The batter here is liquid, but don’t think you have missed something; this is how it should be.

Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour, or until the cake is cooked and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few dry crumbs attached. The top will form a crust and crack a little, but don’t worry, this is expected. Leave the cake to cool for 20 minutes before removing from the pan, then set aside until completely cool.

Make the chocolate ganache, if desired: Place chocolate pieces in a food processor, process until fine and set aside. Combine cream and corn syrup in a small pan and place over medium-high heat. As soon as bubbles begin to appear (just before it comes to a boil), remove from the heat. Get the food processor running again, with the chocolate still inside, and pour in the hot cream in a steady stream. Process for 10 seconds, then add butter. Continue to process until mixture is shiny and smooth. (You can also make the ganache by hand; just make sure the chocolate is chopped fairly finely before adding the cream mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until almost melted, then add the butter. Stir again until the ganache is smooth.)

Use a rubber spatula to scrape the ganache into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, with the plastic actually touching the top of the ganache. Set aside until it has set to the consistency you want. If you want a thin layer to spread over the cake, it can be poured over while liquid so that you get an even, light and shiny coating. For a thicker ganache with a spreading consistency, leave it for about 2 hours at room temperature. (The ganache can be stored at room temperature, providing it’s not too warm, for 3 days or kept in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. It can also be frozen, although it will lose a bit of its shine when defrosted.)

Make the espresso cinnamon mascarpone cream, if desired: Place all the ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat for 1 to 2 minutes, until soft peaks form.

Peel the parchment from the cake and discard. Transfer to a serving platter and spread the ganache, if using, on top of the cake. Slice into wedges, divide the cake among plates and, if using, spoon the mascarpone cream alongside. With or without icing, the cake will keep well for 4 to 5 days in an airtight container.