Strawberries and Cream Birthday Cake

This is a white cake layered with custard, strawberries and whipping cream.

FRUIT FILLING:

1.5 c (8 0z) raspberries, strawberries or blueberries
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Mix and let sit 1 hour.

WHITE CAKE:

2 c flour
1 tsp salt
1 c sugar
1 c heavy cream
2 tbsp milk
2 tsp baking powder
4 egg whites, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract

1. Preheat oven to 325 F.
2. Butter 8 in round pans. Add parchment. Butter and flour that too.
3. Mix dry ingredients.
4. Mix wet ingredients in kitchenaid, whip till thickens.
5. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.
6. Divide batter amongst 3 pans.
7. Bake 20-25 min.
8. Let cool COMPLETELY.

CUSTARD / PASTRY CREAM FILLING:

2.5 c whole milk
3/4 c sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c cornstarch
1 tbsp flour
4 egg yolks
1/2 c whole milk
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) butter
1 c heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

1. In medium saucepan, mix 2.5 c milk, sugar and salt. BOIL over med heat.
2. In separate bowl, whisk cornstarch, flour and egg yolks with 1/2 c milk.
3. TEMPERING: whisk some of the boiling mixture with the egg yolks, then pour back into hot milk and return to heat. Do it little by little so the eggs don’t curdle.
4. Bring to a boil and boil for 30 sec.
5. Remove from heat, STRAIN (if it curdled), and stir in butter and vanilla extract.
6. Rub a piece of butter over the surface of the cream, top with plastic wrap, and fridge till cool.
7. To complete, fold in whipping cream.

WHIPPING CREAM FROSTING:

2 c whipping cream
1 c confectioner’s sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract

Mix well.

 

Lemon Yogurt Cake

There are a bunch of recipes on the internet for this. I’m going for a delicious, moist, AND healthy cake.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 c almond flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
1 cup yogurt
1/2 cup oil
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

GLAZE:

2 tbsp (approx) lemon juice
1 c powdered sugar
1/2 tsp (approx) lemon zest

Mix well.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Spray your loaf pan with nonstick spray.  I used four mini loaf pans instead of one big loaf pan.
3. In first bowl, whisk flours, baking powder, and salt.
4. In second bowl, mix sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest.
5. Add yogurt, oil, eggs and extract to second bowl.
6. Fold first bowl mixture into second bowl mixture.
7. Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top.
8. Bake until top of cake is golden brown and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes.
9. Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
10. Invert onto rack; let cool completely.
11. Add glaze topping.
12. Enjoy!

NOTE: Can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature. Freezes well also (take finished cake, wrap in wax paper, then aluminum foil and then cling wrap – all this is to make sure the freeze smell does not get absorbed into your cake).

SUBSTITUTIONS: If you don’t have almond flour, use all purpose flour. If you don’t have lemon, use lime, or orange, or any citrus for the juice and extract. If you don’t have oil, use melted butter. If you don’t have yogurt, use sour cream or ricotta cheese.

VARIATIONS: Can add 1/2 c of fresh fruit to finished batter (blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, bananas). Can also fold in some dried fruit or nuts (walnuts, almonds, dried cherries, dried cranberries). Can also change the extract used from almond to vanilla to lemon to orange to really anything you like the flavor of.

NOTE2: With substitutions and variations, bake time will have to be adjusted. So just check on the cake every so often.

NOTE3: This batter does not make good muffins, because it does not rise.

NOTE4: The glaze is optional but tastes really good 🙂

NOTE5: With the mini loaf pans (animals, traditional, Fall), you can make multiple flavors – just divide up the main batter, and to one add lime or orange flavoring, to the other add fresh strawberries, blueberries or blackberries, the other banana walnut, and the last dried cherries and almonds. The sky is the limit!

Tembleque (Puerto Rican)

From: http://www.tastingpuertorico.com/tembleque

This is the Puerto Rican Christmas Cake. It has the consistency of Flan, but no eggs.  It is a completely vegan recipe. And it’s so yum. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cans (13.5 oz. each) Coconut Milk (Goya Brand)
• ¾ cup sugar
• ½ cup corn starch
• ¼ tsp. salt
• Toasted coconut (optional for garnish)
• Ground cinnamon (for garnish)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In saucepan over medium-high heat, combine 1.5 cans of the coconut milk with sugar and salt, stirring occasionally until the mixture starts to boil
2. In a separate bowl dissolve the cornstarch with the remaining 0.5 can of Coconut milk, making sure that the cornstarch has no lumps
3. Add this cornstarch and coconut mixture to the pan and stir until the mixture starts to thicken (about 5 mins)
4. Next pour through a strainer(optional) into individual serving dishes or one large bowl then cover to prevent a thick skin from forming on the top as the dessert cools.Allow to cool and place into the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours or longer
5. If you are using individual serving dishes, sprinkle the top of the tembleque with ground cinnamon before serving
6. If you have used a large bowl, then run a thin knife around the edge of the pudding, carefully invert the bowl onto a serving plate. Sprinkle the top with ground cinnamon before serving

Tres Leches Cake (Puerto Rican)

FROM: Chowhound

INGREDIENTS:

• Butter, for coating the baking dish
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2/3 cup evaporated milk (not nonfat)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened canned coconut milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 cup sweetened or unsweetened flaked coconut
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat the oven to 325°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Coat a 13-by-9-inch glass baking dish with butter; set aside.
2. Separate egg whites and egg yolks.
3. In kitchenaid, blend egg whites on high until medium peaks form.
4. In bowl, whisk egg yolks, vanilla extract and almond extract.
5. Add egg yolk mixture spoonful by spoonful to egg white mixture. Fold in slowly, by hand, taking care to keep the volume of the egg whites.
6. Add flour mixture slowly, half cup by half cup. Fold in slowly, by hand, taking care to keep the volume of the egg whites.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake until the cake is puffed and golden and the edges pull away from the sides of the pan, about 20 to 25 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, place the three milks and the rum in a large bowl and whisk until combined; set aside.
9. Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire cooling rack. Using a toothpick or wooden skewer, poke holes all over the cake and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Pour the milk mixture evenly over the cake and continue cooling, about 45 minutes more. Tightly cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
10. When the cake is ready to serve, spread the coconut in an even layer in a large frying pan. Toast over medium heat, stirring often, until lightly browned and fragrant, about 5 minutes. (If the coconut begins to burn, reduce the heat.) Immediately remove from the pan to a small bowl.
11. Place the heavy cream and powdered sugar in large bowl and whisk until medium peaks form. (If you like, flavor it with a teaspoon of dark rum.) Slice the cake and serve topped with a mound of whipped cream and a sprinkle of toasted coconut.

Pavlova

This is a recipe for a one layer pavlova. It is made of meringue, lemon curd, whipping cream, and fresh strawberries. This is not something that makes good leftovers, so assemble only when you are ready to serve. Otherwise it will get mushy and ruined. It takes a long long long time to make, but it tastes great and isn’t particularly difficult. The meringue is high protein, no fat, and super healthy. The lemon curd is moderately healthy. The whipping cream is not healthy at all, so use it sparingly. Note that you will need parchment paper for this recipe. And a Kitchenaid mixer.

MERINGUE:

Ingredients:

4 egg whites
pinch of salt
1 c sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp white or rice wine vinegar
a few drops vanilla extract
a few drops rose extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Trace a 9 in circle on it.
3. In kitchenaid, blend egg whites, salt until stiff peaks. Then add sugar. Fold in cornstarch, vinegar and extracts in the end.
4. Place the meringue on the 9 in circle and shape into a flat disk.
5. Lower oven heat to 300 F and bake meringue for 75 min.
6. After 75 min, turn off oven and let meringue cool while in oven.

LEMON CURD

Ingredients:

4 large egg yolks
1.5 c sugar
1/2 c fresh squeezed lemon juice, and zest of the lemons you used for the juice
6 tbsp butter
1/8 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Combine yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar in small saucepan. Whisk. Stir over medium heat constantly for around 5 min, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the wooden spoon.
2. Take off of heat.
3. Add butter, stir until smooth.
4. Transfer to medium bowl, cover with a sheet of plastic. Fridge until cool, at least one hour.
5. Note: if the yolks curdle and mixture becomes lumpy, use a strainer to get rid of the curdled part.
6. Note: the lemon curd lasts for 5 days in the fridge. You can also freeze it to use later.

STRAWBERRIES

Ingredients:

1 pound strawberries, hulled and quartererd
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp sugar
pinch salt

Directions:

1. Mix well. Let sit for 15 min to 2 hours at room temperature. I like to put it in a pyrex bowl with a lid.

WHIPPING CREAM:

Ingredients:

1 pint whipping cream (this is the same as 2 cups)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
some lemon zest

Directions:

1. In kitchenaid on high, mix until stiff peaks form.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER:

1. Take the meringue off the parchment paper. Put on cake stand over a cute doily (they sell disposable ones at Walmart).
2. Crack the top of the meringue with a spoon
3. Option: You can mix the lemon curd with whipping cream, and THEN put it on the meringue. Or you can have two separate layers.
4. Top with lemon curd, then whipping cream, then strawberries. Serve immediately.

TIP: You can buy lemon curd if you don’t want to make it. Or lime curd, passion fruit curd, grapefruit curd, or orange curd. (In that order of yumness). You can find rose extract in an Indian grocery store. If you don’t like rose, you can skip it altogether.

 

Strawberry Yogurt Bundt Cake

From Food.com.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, zested
2 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces plain Greek yogurt or 8 ounces vanilla, greek yogurt

Fruit:

1/4 c flour
12 ounces fresh strawberries, diced

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. Sift together the 2 ¼ cups of flour, baking soda and salt. Mix in the lemon zest and set aside.
2. With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in 1 Tb. lemon juice. Alternate beating in the flour mixture and the yogurt, mixing just until incorporated.
3. Toss the strawberries with the remaining ¼ cup of flour. Gently mix them into the batter.
4. Pour the batter into the Bundt pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
5. Allow to cool 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Once cooled whisk together the remaining 2 Tb. of lemon juice and the powdered sugar. Drizzle over the top of the cake.

Martha Stewart Strawberry Cake

From Martha Stewart.

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pie plate
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 c milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 lb fresh strawberries, hulled and halved

Garnish:

2 tablespoons sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch pie plate. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl.
2. Put butter and 1 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low; mix in egg, milk, and vanilla.
3. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture. Transfer batter to buttered pie plate. Arrange strawberries on top of batter, cut sides down and as close together as possible. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over berries.
4. Bake cake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake until cake is golden brown and firm to the touch, about 1 hour. Let cool in pie plate on a wire rack. Cut into wedges.

Strawberry Cake

 

I want something that I can make in pieces, and then assemble when company comes.

SO: Vanilla cupcakes, custard, strawberry compote, and whipping cream.

To serve: Slice the vanilla cupcake in half, add a dollop of custard and a dollop of strawberry compote. Replace the top of the cupcake. Top with whipping cream. Serve with meringue crumble.

NOTE: These ingredients can also be arranged in a trifle. Find a tall container. Layer first cake, then compote, then custard, then cream. Alternate attractively. Serve.

Custard Recipe (makes 3 cups):

4 large egg yolks
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c cornstarch
pinch salt
2 c milk
1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Whisk egg yolks until smooth in large bowl. Combine sugar, corn starch, and salt in medium saucepan and heat on medium heat. Stir constantly, adding milk gradually in a slow, steady stream. Cook until mixture thickens and begins to bubble, about 5 min.
2. Whisking constantly, slowly pour 1/3 of the milk mixture into the egg yolks (this is called tempering, which keeps the yolks from curdling). Pour remaining milk mixture in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture comes to full boil and is thick enough to hold its shape when lifted with a spoon, 2 to 4 min. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla.
3. Strain mixture through fine sieve into heatproof bowl. Cover with parchment paper or plastic wrap, pressing directly onto surface to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled and firm, at least 2 hours, up to 2 days.

Vanilla Cake Recipe:

Ingredients:

1.5 c all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp room temperature butter
1 1/8 c sugar
2 eggs
2/3 c buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Mix butter and sugar on high in kitchenaid until fluffy.

2. Add eggs. Blend on high until fluffy.

3. Add baking soda, baking powder, salt. Blend on low until fluffy.

4. Add buttermilk and vanilla extract. Blend on low until fluffy.

5. Add flour. Blend on low until cohesive dough forms.

6. Bake 350 degrees for 25 min.

7. Remove from pan, let cool.

Strawberry Compote:

1/2 cup unsweetened cranberry juice
2 quarts strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced (a few whole berries reserved for garnish)
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 c sugar

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine 3/4 cup sugar, cranberry juice, 2 cups strawberries, cornstarch, and salt.
2. Using a potato masher, gently mash strawberries.
3. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until very thick, about 1 minute.
4. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
5. Stir in remaining strawberries.
6. Refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours (or up to 1 day).

Whipping Cream:

2 c heavy cream
1/4 c confectioner’s sugar, sifted

1. Whisk heavy cream until soft peaks form.
2. Add sugar, whisk until combined.
3. If not being used immediately, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 hours in airtight container.

Meringues:

2 large egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
dash salt
1/2 c sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 200F.
2. In large bowl, combine egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt.
3. Beat until soft peaks form, THEN gradually add the sugar, continuing to beat until the mixture is stiff and glossy. Add vanilla extract at the end.
4. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil, shiny side up. Drop the meringue by large teaspoonfuls.
5. Bake 1.5 hours. THEN turn off the heat and leave the meringues in the oven until they are completely cool, 3 hours or more (best done overnight..).
6. Store in airtight container to keep crisp.

 

Southern Apple Cake

Fresh Apple Cake with Pecans and Brown Sugar Glaze

For the Cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups finely chopped apples
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts
For the Glaze:
1 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons evaporated milk, or half and half, or milk

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 13-by-9-inch pan, or two 8- or 9-inch cake pans, round or square. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, soda, and salt, and stir with a fork to mix everything together well.
2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk, a wooden spoon, or an electric mixer at low speed until pale yellow and foamy. Add the oil and the vanilla, and beat them together well. Stir in the sugar-flour mixture and use a wooden spoon to mix the batter, stopping as soon as the flour disappears. Add the apples and nuts, stir to mix them into the batter until fairly uniform, and scrape the batter into the prepared pans.
3. Bake at 350 for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown, springs back when touched lightly near the center, and is beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan.
4. Place the cake on a wire cooling rack or a folded kitchen towel. Make the glaze while the cake is hot. Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the mixture comes to a gentle boil and cook for 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Spoon the glaze all over the hot-from-the-oven cake. Let the glazed cake cool completely, and serve in squares right from the pan.

Makes one 9 x 13-inch cake

From Southern Cakes: Sweet and Irresistible Recipes for Everyday Celebrations. Chronicle Books 2007. Copyright Nancie McDermott. All rights reserved.

French Apple Cake

French Apple Cake
One 9-inch (23 cm) cake
Adapted from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan

Dorie doesn’t specify any type of apple but instead advises that you should use a mix of them. I don’t know what kind mine were since I’d picked them myself (they’re pictured at the top). The rum is really vital for the taste, and the cake would be not as interesting without it. If you’re avoiding alcohol, you could double to triple up on the vanilla to compensate.

I also like this recipe because you can make it with ingredients easily on hand. Being American, I was tempted to add a dusting of ground cinnamon to the apples, but then it wouldn’t be authentically French. Hence I decided a dollop of crème fraîche alongside to be rather nice.
3/4 cup (110g) flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
4 large apples, a mix of varieties
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup (150g) sugar
3 tablespoons dark rum
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 tablespoons (115g) butter, salted or unsalted, melted and cooled to room temperature
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC) and adjust the oven rack to the center of the oven.
2. Heavily butter an 8- or 9-inch (20-23cm) springform pan and place it on a baking sheet.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Peel and core the apples, then dice them into 1-inch (3cm) pieces.
5. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until foamy then whisk in the sugar, then rum and vanilla. Whisk in half of the flour mixture, then gently stir in half of the melted butter
6. Stir in the remaining flour mixture, then the rest of the butter.
7. Fold in the apple cubes until they’re well-coated with the batter and scrape them into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top a little with a spatula.
8. Bake the cake for 50 minute to 1 hour, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edge to loosen the cake from the pan and carefully remove the sides of the cake pan, making sure no apples are stuck to it.
Serving: Serve wedges of the cake just by itself, or with crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream.

Storage: The cake will keep for up to three days covered. Since the top is very moist, it’s best to store it under a cake dome or overturned bowl.