Last Call...Blueberry Crumb Coffee Cake

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It is the weekend after Labor Day, the unofficial start of Fall.  I don't know about your neck of the woods, but here in Georgia it is sweltering.  As in 90 degree weather, terribly humid and many an afternoon thunderstorm.  The apples are out in the produce department but, better than that, the berries are on sale, as in three for the price of one.

I know I should be posting about Fall recipes, but who can think of the hearth and apple pie when it's this hot.  These next two weeks are usually bad as far as dressing and cooking is concerned.  I used to spend an inordinate amount of time trying to decide what to wear when I lived in New York City. Beige, tan and black, black and tan, but forget white.  Navy? no, too Spring.  Grey was okay. Brown? nah. The next three weeks were a pain to dress.  You never knew what the next day would bring.

It's the same with cooking for the next two weeks.  We are still grilling but late afternoon showers make it iffy.

This coffee cake, like black and tan, is great to have around in this transition period.  Good for brunch, good for tea and a great dessert with coffee.  Madame Mere has been sneaking a piece (a "tiny" little piece) every day for the last week with her espresso right after lunch.   Yes,  you can make this any time of the year with frozen blueberries but it is really not the same.

One day last week, I did my good deed for the week by helping an elderly lady in one of those motorized carts reach for a few baskets of raspberries.  There were six left and she wanted three.  So I picked out the best three and THEN she told me about the special, written in tiny letters over the counter, three for the price of one.  As I stared at the last three baskets after she took off, and I mean took off,  I thought, jeepers three for the price of one? raspberries?! Well obviously I didn't want the discards after selecting the best for the motorized lady but I was consoled to see that the same deal was offered for the blueberry pints.  So that's how this came to be.  That and the recipe I had saved from Maida Heatter, via Smitten Kitchen, one of my favorite food blogs.

This cake is called a crumb cake.  I think of it more along the lines of a coffee cake since it reminds me of my mother and her generation. That is what they used to call this kind of cake which was served after lunch or for breakfast together with the infamous percolated American coffee ( insipid and weak!).  I would serve it instead for tea or as part of a brunch.

 Debbie is absolutely right in all her modifications.  First,  why sift the flour when this promises to be a dense cake; and why coat the blueberries in flour when they won't sink to the bottom in a batter this thick.  Two unnecessary steps out of the way.

Do add the walnuts, it makes for interesting mix of texture.

One of the things Smitten Kitchen commented about was the butteriness of the crumble and resisting the urge to add more flour to make it more crumbly.  If you put it back in the fridge, until ready to use, it will be crumblier and easier to sprinkle.

Another thing I did not do was compensate for not sifting the flour by adding an extra tablespoon. Instead, I used White Lily Flour, one of the wonders and great advantages of living in the South.  If you can't find it just use a fine sieve and forget about sifting.

One of the things I like about this cake, or coffee cake, is the fact that it requires just two bowls and one cake pan.  It gets done in no time and it is better the next day and the day after, meaning you are more than safe making it a day ahead.  I have not tried freezing it as there was none left after four days.  Madame Mere and the lady who takes care of her managed to polish it off in three days, with a tiny bit of help from me, so it doesn't look like I will ever know it it freezes well or not.  I just have a good feeling it will.

So, blueberries are on sale, this is an easy cake, no fuss, no mess, it can be made ahead, freezes well and is delicious to boot. What are you waiting for?!

Blueberry Crumb Coffee Cake

Serves 8

Ingredients:

For the crumble

5 tablespoons (40 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup, 2 ounces or 55 grams) unsalted butter, cold
Pinch of salt

For the cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour (use White Lily if you can)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup, 2 ounces or 55 grams) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pint or 340 to 455 grams fresh blueberries, clean and dry
1/2 cup whole milk,
1/2 cup (55 grams) walnuts, chopped medium fine (optional)
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (optional)

Directions:

Heat oven to 375°F. Butter a 9-inch round baking pan (with at least 2″ sides) and dust it lightly with flour; line it with a round of parchment paper.'

Prepare the topping by mixing the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt, then cutting the butter in with a pastry blender, fork or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.  (I suggest you put it in the refrigerator until ready to use.  It is easier to sprinkle on top later)

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt until combines.

In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar and zest together until light and fluffy.  Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined.

Beat in 1/3 of the dry ingredient mixture until just combined, followed by 1/2 the milk; repeat with remaining dry ingredients and milk, finishing with the dry mixture. The batter will be very stiff, but don’t fret.

Fold blueberries into cake batter until evenly distributed. Scoop cake batter into prepared pan and smooth so that it is flat. If using walnuts, scatter them on top. Sprinkle with prepared streusel.

Bake in heated oven for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out batter-free. You can let the cake cool complete in the pan on a rack, or just cool it in the pan for 20 minutes before flipping it out onto a cooling rack, removing the parchment paper lining, and flipping it back onto a plate. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, if using. 

Do ahead: Cake keeps covered with plastic or foil at room temperature for three days. If longer, it might be best to keep it in the fridge. It gets more moist each day and it is better the day after baking.

Adapted from Maida Heatter via Smitten Kitchen
Photos Lindaraxa

Derby Chocolate Torte With Walnuts And Bourbon

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What if I told you that this dessert is not only scrumptious and easy but it's also gluten free? What if I also told you that it can be put together in less than 20 minutes with ingredients most of us have in our cupboards? AND you need only use one bowl? That's a home run in my books.

I have been wanting to make this torte for a long time.  Finally on Easter Sunday I decided enough time had passed without dessert and it was the right occasion to celebrate.  I could always give some to the neighbors, right? hmm...

I know most of us don't have coconut oil in our pantry but this cake is worth getting a jar.  It keeps well for a long time.  The rest is part and parcel of a well stocked pantry.  You should always have cocoa powder and bittersweet chocolate in case of an "emergency".  and nuts.  I always have walnuts, pecans and almonds, slivered and otherwise.

If you have a double boiler,  the top is your bowl where everything is later combined.  You don't need to beat the egg whites separately, as in other flourless cakes, and that is a big "skip" and one less thing to wash. 

Homemade whipped cream keeps well and I had some already in the fridge to go with fresh raspberries.  You can serve it alongside the cake or skip.  I strongly recommend it, just make it ahead.  Add a couple of TB. of powdered sugar and "lace it" with Bourbon if you make it for next month's Kentucky Derby.

As to the nuts, if you don't have walnuts, pecans will do.

The cake keeps best outside for a couple of days.  You can refrigerate it also but the frosting will harden somewhat.  Nothing bad about that.  Nothing.

 

 

 If you feel guilty after dessert, just go cut some trees.  We lost a dogwood after the storms.

Chocolate Torte With Bourbon And Walnuts

Serves 10

Ingredients:

Unsalted butter, room temperature, for pan
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for pan
1 tsp. espresso powder (optional)
1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon coconut oil
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or 1 TB Bourbon
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup ground toasted walnuts, plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts, for serving

Serve with Bourbon laced whipped cream (optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch round cake pan. Line bottom with parchment; butter parchment and dust with cocoa.

Melt 1/2 cup oil and 8 ounces chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring, until smooth. Remove from heat; whisk in sugar. Whisk in eggs, 1 at a time. Whisk in cocoa, espresso powder if using, vanilla or Bourbon, and salt; fold in ground walnuts. Spread batter in pan.

Bake until set, about 35 minutes. Let cool completely, preferably overnight. Run a knife around edge to loosen; remove from pan.

Melt remaining 2 ounces chocolate and 1 teaspoon oil in same manner as in step 2; spread on cake. Sprinkle chopped walnuts in center. Cut into wedges; serve.

All photos Lindaraxa

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart's Flourless Chocolate Torte With Walnuts. 

Meyer Lemon Pound Cake With Glaze

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Meyer Lemons are so good and so special they present a dilemma as far as what to make with them when they are in season.  They are a natural for desserts and can be substituted anytime lemons are called for, but you have to be careful how you use them to highlight the special qualities of this wonderful citrus.  To begin with, they are sweeter and juicier than regular lemons and intensely aromatic.  They are native to China and are said to be a cross between a lemon and a mandarin.

Meyer lemons were introduced to the United States in 1908 by Frank Nicholas Meyer, an employee of the United States Department of Agriculture who collected a sample of the plant on a trip to China.

The Meyer lemon is commonly grown in China in garden pots as an ornamental tree. It became popular as a food item in the United States after being rediscovered by chefs such as Alice Waters at Chez Panisse during the California Cuisine revolution. Popularity further climbed when Martha Stewart began featuring them in her recipes. 

In my opinion, the assertive floral-citrus of Meyer lemons  is best enjoyed in curds, whether by themselves or in a cake or pie, and in this delightful pound cake which is by far the best I have ever had.   Martha Stewart also has a recipe for linguine with a Meyer lemon and pistachio pesto which is high on my list of savory recipes to try. 

I have changed the recipe a bit by substituting Meyer lemon juice for some of the vanilla in the pound cake.  I also have to warn you that the original recipe calls for a cooking time of 1 1/2 hours.  I halved the recipe and only made one loaf which took only 50 minutes to bake, so watch the timing carefully.  Next time I may even triple the amounts, it was that good.

The season for Meyer lemons is November to April so hurry up and stock up.  I plan to freeze the juice and some of the zest to make lemonade and these Meyer Lemon Squares in the summer.  For my Meyer Lemon Curd recipe go here. 

You will adore this pound cake.  Make the full recipe and freeze a loaf for later on.  You won't be sorry.

 

Meyer Lemon Pound Cake

Ingredients:

For the cake

• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
• 4 cups sifted cake flour, plus more for pans
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 3/4 cups sugar
• 8 eggs room temperature
• 1 cup milk, room temperature
• 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 tsp. Meyer lemon juice*      
• Zest of 1 Meyer lemon

For the glaze

• Zest of 1 Meyer lemon
• 2 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar, plus more if needed
• 1/4 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour two 9-by-5-by-3-inch (or larger) loaf pans and set aside.
Sift the flour with the salt and baking powder two times and set aside.

With an electric mixer, cream the butter until fluffy. Add the sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with the milk, lemon juice and vanilla. Stir only until thoroughly blended. Gently fold in the zest.

Pour batter into the prepared pans, making sure to divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Level tops with an offset spatula.

Bake for about 1 1/2 hours**, until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan about 10 minutes; then remove to a wire rack to cool thoroughly.

Glaze

In a medium bowl, whisk all glaze ingredients to combine. If necessary, add additional confectioners' sugar to desired consistency.

Pour glaze on top of cakes and serve.

*I have added 2 tsps.Meyer lemon juice to the original recipe and changed the vanilla to 1 tsp
**Watch time carefully.  Mine was done after 50 minutes.. 

 

 Adapted from Martha Bakes, February 2011

Cornmeal Almond Cake With Berries And Cream

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Contrary to what you may think, this is not a Southern recipe, but one adapted from an Italian cook you know very well, Giada de Laurentis.   I published the recipe awhile back in my country blog which is really a recipe box for recipes that appeal to me from all sources.  Some of them I have tried, others I have not.  I don't know what took me so long to try this one.  It is the best almond cake I have ever had and it is by far the best accompaniment I have ever found for fresh berries.  That includes shortcake.

As a bonus, you will also note it has very little flour, perfect for those of you cutting back on wheat.  This is really what prompted me to try it this weekend and boy, am I glad I did.  Wheat or no wheat, this is a keeper.

Since it seems like ages that I last posted a dessert, I decided to push back the  recipe I had planned for today and share this one with you.  It was enjoyed by all over the long weekend.

On another note, you may have noticed that the latest two posts require you to click to another page to view the recipe.  This is being done for a reason, a good one!  Bear with me for awhile longer and you will see what's in store.....I am sure you will like it!

Mama's Angel Food Cake With A Bourbon Creme Anglaise

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For Christmas my daughter in law gave me a copy of a fabulous cookbook by Virginia Willis called Bon Appetit, Y'all: Recipes and Stories from Three Generations of Southern Cooking. It is a unique cookbook in that it combines many of her family's traditional southern recipes with the french techniques she learned while studying in France.  This angel food cake is a perfect example of what she calls "refined Southern cuisine"

For those of you who don't know her, she apprenticed under Natalie Dupree, graduated from both L'Academie de Cuisine and La Varenne and has cooked for President Clinton, Julia Child, chef Roger Verge, and Jane Fonda.  Formerly Martha Stewart Living's kitchen manager, she now lives in Atlanta Georgia.

This is the first recipe I have made from her cookbook and I found it simple and straightforward.  Do notice that the flour needs to be sifted a total of five times. Yes, five.  Once before measuring and four times with the sugar.  This is necessary to achieve the traditional light-as-air texture of angel food cake. 

Read the recipe through once and you will see that it is not complicated at all.  

There is an unusual implement for cutting these cakes found in many silver chests throughout the South, including mine. These old fashioned rakelike cutters typically have a long slightly offset handle with 3-4 inch long tines that actually split rather than cut the cake.  They are wonderful to cut any type of cake and can still be found online and in gourmet catalogues.  If you do not own one, you can use a serrated knife.  Here's a photo of mine

The Bourbon Creme Anglaise is optional and not necessary although I highly recommend it if you are serving the cake for company.  I made mine this weekend for the grandchildren who spent the night while their parents entertained a group of friends, so I skipped it this time.  That's another thing, it's a great cake to make for the little ones.  No fuss and very little mess.  They can walk around with a handful and with the sous chef following close behind there's no need for cleanups.  Oh, and for the old foggies like me who are trying to watch their diet and cholesterol (boring) it's the perfect dessert! 

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 12 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped or 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• Bourbon Creme Anglaise, optional

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees with a rack set in the center of the oven.
2. Sift the flour before you measure it.  THIS IS IMPORTANT!
3. Sift flour together with 3/4 cup sugar. Repeat process three more times; set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites, cream of tarter, and salt on medium speed until foamy. Add vanilla-bean seeds and almond extract. With the mixer on medium speed, slowly add remaining 3/4 cup sugar. Continue mixing until whites are glossy and stiff peaks form.
5. Sift enough of the flour mixture over the egg white mixture to lightly dust the top. Gently fold flour mixture into the egg white mixture. Repeat process until all the flour is incorporated into the egg white mixture.
6. Gently spoon batter into a 10-inch tube pan. With a spatula or knife, using a circular motion, cut through the batter twice to eliminate any large pockets of air. Smooth top to remove any large peaks.
7. Transfer to oven and bake until golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Invert pan over a bottle (such as a 2-liter soda bottle or wine bottle) until completely cooled, about 2 hours.
8. To serve, set upright, and using a butter knife or a long spatula, loosen the cake from the sides of the pan. Invert onto a serving plate. Slice using a serrated knife or an angel food cake cutter; serve drizzled with bourbon creme anglaise, if desired.

 BOURBON CREME ANGLAISE


 Yield Makes 3 cups 

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole milk
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup sugar
• Pinch of fine sea salt
• 1 tablespoon bourbon

Directions

1. Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside.
2. Place milk in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and salt until thick and light. Slowly pour in half of the hot milk, while stirring constantly. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the remaining milk mixture, stirring constantly. Stir in bourbon.
3. Place saucepan over low heat and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly. Continue cooking until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and reaches 180 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from heat.
4. Strain creme anglaise through a fine mesh sieve set over a medium bowl. Set bowl in ice water bath and stir creme anglaise until cooled. Keep refrigerated until ready to use, up to 1 day.

Top photo Martha Stewart.com
Middle photo Lindaraxa

Chocolate Stout Cake

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A dense rich chocolate cake perfect for company or baked individually for hostess gifts.  In this case, beer takes the place of milk giving an intensily nutty flavor to the batter. If you like chocolate, this is your cake!

Yields 1 large bundt cake or 12 individual

Ingredients

For the cake

1-1/4 cups stout, such as Guinness (don’t include the foam when measuring)
1/3 cup dark molasses
7-1/2 oz. (1-2/3 cups) all-purpose flour
2-1/4 oz. (3/4 cup) unsweetened natural cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed); more for the pan
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
10 oz. (1-1/4 cups) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature; more for the pan
1-1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
6 oz. semisweet chocolate, very finely chopped

For the glaze:

3/4 cup heavy cream
6 oz. semisweet chocolate

Directions:

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350ºF. Butter a 10- or 12-cup bundt pan (or twelve 1-cup mini bundt pans) and then lightly coat with sifted cocoa powder. Tap out any excess cocoa.

In a small saucepan over high heat, bring the stout and molasses to a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat and let stand while preparing the cake batter.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

With a stand mixer (use the paddle attachment) or a hand mixer, cream the butter in a large bowl on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute.

Add the brown sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Stop to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.

Beat in the eggs one at a time, stopping to scrape the bowl after each addition.

With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding the flour and stout mixtures, beginning and ending with the flour. Stop the mixer at least one last time to scrape the bowl and then beat at medium speed until the batter is smooth, about 20 seconds.

Stir in the chopped chocolate.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan (or pans), spreading it evenly with a rubber spatula. Run a knife through the batter to eliminate any air pockets.

Bake until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs clinging to it, 45 to 50 minutes (about 35 minutes for mini cakes).

Set the pan on a rack to cool for 20 minutes. Invert the cake onto the rack and remove the pan. Let cool until just barely warm.

Make the glaze:

Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate. Let stand for 1 minute and then whisk until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Let cool for 5 minutes.

Drizzle the barely warm cake with glaze and then let cool to room temperature before serving.

Make Ahead Tips

Wrapped tightly in plastic, the cake keeps for up to a week, or you can freeze it for up to a month. If you’re making the cake ahead, wrap it while still barely warm without the glaze. If you plan to freeze the cake, don’t glaze it until you’re ready to serve it or give it away.


Recipe Fine Cooking 

Banana Cake With Banana Cream Frosting

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I have been looking unsuccessfully for a recipe for banana cake with cream frosting ever since I can remember.  Years ago when we came to this country and I was a very young girl I fell in love with a banana cake which  you could buy in the frozen section of any supermarket.  It was none other than Sara Lee's Banana Cake.  After awhile I sort of outgrew it and years later I tried it again and somehow it did not seem to be the same.  I don't know if Sara Lee changed the recipe or if my taste buds grew more sophisticated.  But the idea has stayed in my mind, particularly since my son loves banana cream pie.  I wonder if somehow he has inherited the banana gene from his mother.

I have looked for a good banana cake recipe in every cookbook I own and and all over the Internet.  Nothing.  So I picked out one that seemed to have the basics and proceeded to go from there.

What you want is a really light cake with a banana cream frosting that is on the creamy side and not too stiff.  I have substituted the regular flour for cake flour and followed the instructions on the box to make sure the measurements are right.  Originally the recipe called for 2 1/4 cups regular flour* which is the reason for the extra tablespoon you see in the ingredients.

The second ingredient that has been changed is the  shortening, primarily because I didn't have any on hand.  Shortening is supposed to make cakes lighter but the butter worked great in this case.

Finally, I have added a ripe banana to the frosting as I recalled that this was the game changer in the recipe of my dreams.

The recipe can also be baked in two cake pans, with frosting in the middle, for a different twist.

All in all, my best critic, who is my daughter, adored it and that is a lot coming from someone who doesn't like desserts!

Serves 16

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups plus 1 TB. cake flour*
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2teaspoon salt
• 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (about 3)
• 3/4cup buttermilk or sour milk*
• 1/2cup shortening or butter (i used latter)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs

Directions

1. Grease and lightly flour one 13x9x2-inch baking pan; set pan aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat the butter in an electric mixer on low speed, add the sugar, mix until combined. Add the mashed bananas, and vanilla.  Add eggs, mix well, then add the buttermilk.  Add the flour mix slowly and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

3. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for about 35 minutes for 13x9-inch pan or till a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Place cake in pan on a wire rack; cool thoroughly. Frost with Banana Cream Frosting. Makes 12 to 16 servings.

Note : If you don't have buttermilk on hand, substitute sour milk in the same amount. For the 3/4 cup of sour milk needed, place 2-1/4 teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar in a glass measuring cup. Add enough milk to make 3/4 cup total liquid; stir. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes before using it in a recipe.

Banana Cream Frosting

1/2 cup butter
1 8 oz pck. cream cheese or Neufchatel (1/3 less fat)*
1 mashed banana
1/2 tsp vanilla vanilla
3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

First mix the butter and cream cheese.  Add the banana well mashed.  Add vanilla and sugar. If the frosting is too stiff, add 1 TB. sour cream.  I purposely used Neufchatel cheese to make the frosting lighter.

Put in the refrigerator until about an hour before ready to serve.

The cake keeps best in the refrigerator.  I have frozen half, frosting and all.  I will let you know how it turns out.

Glazed Lemon Tea Cake With Berries and Cream

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When Citarella opened in New York City I used to stop by on weekends and buy their lemon pound cake.  I don't know if they still have it or if it's made by the same people, but I have never had one like theirs.  It was soft and moist and terribly lemony.  Luckily, it came in small individual loafs, enough for two rounds of afternoon tea.

For years, I have tried unsuccessfully to replicate that pound cake.   The texture was never quite right or the flavor not as lemony.  The catalyst this weekend was the gorgeous strawberries at the farmers market.  All I could think of on the way home was pound cake with berries and whipped cream for dessert! We did have a guest for dinner, the perfect excuse...so the quest started for a recipe to complement the loot and satisfy the craving.  I think this time I finally succeeded.

Because of its long and flat shape, I call this a tea cake and as an alternative, would serve it alone for afternoon tea.  It freezes well so once it's completely cooled,  wrap half and stick it in the freezer for unexpected occasions.  My daughter likes a thicker lemon glaze on top so I have included an optional glaze from one of the recipes I worked with.

The recipe is a blend of Martha Stewart's and Ina Garten's lemon pound cake.  I have found that although buttermilk (Ina's) sounds great in a cake, it makes for a very tight crumb.  I much prefer the texture you get from whole milk, something I have learned the hard way.

Martha Stewart's Lemon Pound Cake

I used Martha's recipe primarily and added a few things from Ina's such as the thicker lemon glaze on top and the 1/4 tsp of baking powder to make the cake slightly less dense.  What neither of them said to do was to make a few holes in the cake with a toothpick, while still hot ,and immediately pour the glaze.   

Serve this for dessert with your choice of berries and cream or alone for afternoon tea.  Either way it's to die for!

8/22/11 If you want an unforgetable experience, cut a slice of the frozen poundcake, stick it in a preheated toaster ovem set to toast and cook 12 minutes.  Let cool....Yummmmmyyyyyyyyyyy!

Serves 8

Ingredients

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan

3/4 cup, plus 4 tablespoons sugar, plus more for dusting

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus finely grated zest of 2 lemons, plus more for garnish (optional)

1/4 cup milk

2 large eggs

Glaze (optional)

1 Cup confectioners sugar

2-3 TB fresh lemon juice

2 pints of strawberries

1 pint of blueberries or blackberries

Whipped heavy cream

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Dust with sugar, and tap out excess; set aside. Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Stir together 1 tablespoon lemon juice and the milk.

2.Put butter and 3/4 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in eggs and zest. Working in two batches, alternate mixing in flour mixture and milk mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 35 minutes.

3.Meanwhile, stir together remaining 4 tablespoons sugar and 3 tablespoons lemon juice. In a saucepan, bring to a boil and cook until sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute.  Upon removing cake from oven, take a toothpick and make about 10 holes in the pound cake.  Immediately brush with 2/3 of lemon glaze until all is absorbed. Let cake cool in pan 10 minutes. Add the rest of the glaze. Unmold cake. Garnish with zest.

Combine strawberries, and blueberries or blackberries, and  1/3 cup sugar in small bowl and toss gently to blend. Add fresh mint if desired. Let stand until juices form, at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.

Cut cake crosswise into slices. Serve with berries and whipped cream or ice cream.

Optional:  If you want a heavier glaze on top, reduce step #3 to 3 tbs  sugar and 2 tbs. lemon juice.  Pour over the cake while still hot. Then combine 1 cup confectioners' sugar with  2 - 3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour over the top of the cake and allow the glaze to drizzle down the sides.

Also check out Lindaraxa's Signature Pound Cake 

Photo: Randy Major, Jan Gautro

And Speaking of Yemen...Moka Gateau!

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How many times have you walked into a French pastry shop and bypassed all those beautifully sculpted slices of cake and gone straight for the eclairs or the macarons? It's like who needs jello when one can have ice cream!

Let's face it, if we had them around the corner perhaps eventually we would work ourselves to the gateaux but when it's a special treat, like it usually is, they are just not worth it, or so we think. Now making them at home is another matter...for there is nothing more delicious than a mocha gateau. 

The cake is basically very easy to make, don't be put out by the length of the recipe. I just broke down the ingredients by steps.  What also makes it look complicated is all the frou frou on top which is something that is up to you.  You start with a genoise which is the simplest of cakes, make a simple coffee syrup and top with a buttercream.  If you don't want to pipe the frosting and make fancy decorations, you can just spread the buttercream all over and just coat the sides with almonds.  Add a few chocolate shavings on top.

The cake does not come out as tall as the photo above.  What I did was double the buttercream frosting so I had enough to put about and inch between the layers and enough leftover to pipe some on tod edge as shown above.

As I was comparing my recipe to others on the net, I came across this interesting tidbit, most appropriate for the times we live in..

Mocha or Mokha (Arabic: المخا [al-Mukhā]) is a port city on the Red Sea coast of Yemen. Until it was eclipsed in the 19th century by Aden and Hodeida, Mocha was the principal port for Yemen's capital Sana'a.


Mocha is famous for being the major marketplace for coffee from the 15th century until the 17th century. Even after other sources of coffee were found, Mocha beans (also called Sanani or Mocha Sanani beans, meaning from Sana'a) continued to be prized for their distinctive flavor—and remain so even today. From this coffee the English language gained the word mocha, which is now used for combinations of chocolate and coffee flavors as cafe mocha.


It is commonly believed that the coffee bean that originated in the port city of Mocha was encountered by Marco Polo on his trip through the Arab World. After the month and a half of Polo's turbulent journey, his party were forced to go ashore at Ṣūr (modern-day Tyre, Lebanon) to resupply their stocks, because the captain, William Maurice, had provided insufficient room for food storage. In the marketplace there, Polo found a Yemenite salesman who had brought coffee beans from Mocha, purchased some and ultimately returned with them (among many other imports) to Europe. However, the bean was not widely known through Europe until the 17th century.


In 1595 Spanish Jesuit missionary Pedro Páez was the first European to taste Mocha's coffee in place.


Its importance as a port was also due to the Ottoman Empire law that required all ships entering the Red Sea to put in at Mocha and pay duty on their cargoes.


At present, Mocha is no longer utilized as a major trade route and the current local economy is largely based upon fishing and small amounts of tourism. The village of Mocha was officially relocated 3 kilometers west along the Red Sea shore to accommodate the building and demolition of several coastal highways.


The term "mocha" in relation to chocolate and coffee–chocolate blends is strictly as a result of European influence. Chocolate is not cultivated at Mocha nor imported into it.---From Wikipedia

Click here for more on the history of coffee and Yemeni coffee in particular

French Patisserie Moka Gateau

Ingredients

For the genoise or sponge cake:

4 eggs
225g /1 cup sugar
225g /1 cup  flour
15g / 1/2 oz butter
an 8 inch cake pan

For the coffee syrup

100g / 4ozs granulated sugar
75ml / 3 flozs water
2 tablespoons very strong black coffee
2 tablespoons rum

For the butter cream*

150g / 5 ozs granulated sugar
75ml / 3 ozs water
2 egg whites
225g / 8ozs unsalted butter
10g / 1/2 oz vanilla sugar
coffee extract
50g / 2 ozs toasted almonds.

Directions


To make the Genoise cake:

Heat the oven to 160c or 325f.
Butter the cake pan.
Place a bowl in a pan of warm water keep it on a low heat do not let it boil.
Place the eggs into the bowl. Add the sugar and beat until double in volume and warm to the touch.
Remove from the heat and beat until cold.
Beat in the sifted flour and place into a buttered tin.
Bake for 18 to 20 mins when cooked remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack

To make the sirop au cafe:

Boil the sugar and water together over a medium heat for 5 mins.
After boiling point is reached allow to cool a little and add the coffee and rum

To make the creme au beurre:

Cook the sugar and water until the syrup formed registers 220c on a sugar thermometer.
Or drop a little in cold water, a soft ball should be formed.
Beat the egg whites to a stiff peak. Slowly add the boiling syrup in a fine stream.
Beating constantly until the mixture is cold.
Soften the butter in a warm bowl work in the vanilla sugar.
Fold the egg whites in and add a few drops of coffee essence

*Double the buttercream recipe to have enough to pipe some decorative edges

Cut the cake across horizontally and sprinkle the cut side with the coffee syrup.  Let it absorb
Spread the bottom half with the creme au beurre and place the top of the other half.
Spread the top and the sides of the cake with the creme au beurre.
Reserve a little for the decoration.
Chop the almonds and press them thickly around the sides of the cake.
Pipe the remaining cream around the top of the cake.

Chill lightly for 12 hours before serving.

Photos: Google and A Taste of France

A Family Birthday... Chocolate Buttermilk Layer Cake With Buttercream Icing

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In this house everyone has a different birthday cake favorite.  Mine is orange cake with lime curd filling and meringue frosting, my daughter;s is plain old cheese cake and my son, who takes after his mother,  adores chocolate cake with vanilla frosting.  I always try to take the easy way out and buy old faithful Duncan Hines mixes and make the frosting myself but this time I decided to go the extra mile.

Most of you know Magnolia Bakery in New York City, famous for its cupcakes and cakes.  I have previously posted their  recipe for Red Velvet Cupcakes, a strong contender for yesterday's birthday party.  Instead, I decided to go out on a limb and make their Chocolate Buttermilk Layer Cake with their Vanilla Buttercream Frosting.  Anything buttermilk always sparks my curiosity for they make cakes lighter and fluffier. 

The recipe calls for 9 inch pans which I substituted for 8 inch to make the cake higher and narrow, just a preference of mine.  If you go this route, it will take an extra 5- 8 minutes to cook.  I also sprayed the pans with Baker's Joy thus skipping the waxed paper routine.

As to the frosting, you really do not need all 8 cups of powdered sugar, something they tell you in the recipe. I used about 6 1/2.  If you have a guard for your beater, use it. I had sugar all over the counter even using the low setting.  Use the frosting right after you mix or it will start to set and become difficult to spread.  You can always add a little milk to make it more spreadable if this happens.

This recipe is a definite keeper for birthday cakes and cupcakes.  I could tell the minute I tasted the raw mix and couldn't stop!



Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 eggs at room temperature
6 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla

Procedure

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour two 8 inch cake pans.  Line with wax paper.

In a mixer with the paddle attachment cream butter and sugars until smooth, about 3 minutes.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition/

Add melted chocolate, mixing until included.

Add dry ingredients in 1/3s, alternating dry and wet.  Beat smooth after each addition. Add vanilla.

Divide batter between pans and bake 25-35 minuted until toothpick comes out dry. (for cupcakes 20-22 minutes)

Let cake cool in pans 10 minutes

Remove to wire rack and cool completely before frosting.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
8 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla

Place butter in mixer and beat well. Add 4 cups sugar, milk and vanilla.  Beat until smooth and creamy.  Gradually add remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time until icing is thick enough for spreading.  Add coloring if desired.  Use and store at room temperature as it will set if chilled.  Can be stored in air tight container for 3 days.

Save extra frosting to make repairs, particularly if you have little grandchildren like the one above!

Recipe Adapted From Magnolia Bakery Cookbook
Photos Lindaraxa

English Trifle With Pears And Cherries

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English trifle is one of those desserts that looks like you have spent hours making it when in reality it is a very simple dessert to put together.  In this recipe all you will be actually making is the creme anglaise which takes about 10 minutes to make.  The rest is assembling ready made ingredients and waiting for them to get really cold. 

This recipe calls for pears and cherries, a great and festive combination, but you can really substitute any fruit you want.  If you have a good bakery near you, get their pound cake or sponge cake there.  If not, Sara Lee is pretty good. You can even use lady fingers if you want.

Sherry is the traditional wine for this dessert, but you can use rum, madeira or anything else that is similar.  As to the whipped cream, you can make it a couple of hours before serving, cover the top of the dish and stick it in the refrigerator.  It will keep.  Now, if you choose to cheat with ready made, fine, but I guarantee you it won't be the same!

You can cut this recipe down by making only two layers which should serve 6 to 8 people.  If you have extra sauce anglaise cover and refrigerate.  It should be good for 2-3 days and can be enjoyed with other fruits or meringues!

Serves 10 - 12

Ingredients:


1 cup dried tart cherries

3 Bartlett pears

Juice of 1 lemon

2 cups raspberry jam

1⁄4 cup warm water

1 cup slivered almonds, toasted (see Note)

1  9-by-5-inch bakery pound cake (I recommend Sara Lee)

1 cup sherry (preferably amontillado or oloroso),
   Madeira or sweet Marsala

2 recipes crème anglaise*

For the whipped cream:

1 1⁄2 cups heavy cream

1 1⁄2 Tbs. confectioners’ sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Make the Creme Anglaise first, as it will take 2-3 hours to cool

2.  Put the dried cherries in a small bowl and add boiling water to cover. Let stand for at least 30 minutes to plump the cherries. Drain. Reserve about 2 Tbs. of the cherries for garnish.

3 Peel the pears, halve lengthwise, core and cut the pears crosswise into thin slices. Put them in a bowl, add the lemon juice and toss to coat. In a small bowl, combine the jam with the warm water and stir. Reserve about 2 Tbs. of the almonds for garnish.

4. Cut the cake into slices 1/2 inch thick. In a 2 1/2-quart trifle dish or deep glass bowl, make a layer of one-third of the cake slices, cutting and fitting them together as necessary. Sprinkle the cake layer with one-third of the sherry. Dollop one-third of the jam mixture over the cake. Sprinkle the jam with one-third each of the pears, cherries and almonds, in that order. Pour 1 1/3 cups of the crème anglaise over the top. Repeat to make 2 more layers.

5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the trifle for at least 2 hours or up to overnight

6. About 30 minutes before serving, make the whipped cream: In a deep bowl, using a balloon whisk, beat the cream, confectioners¿ sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Spoon the cream over the top of the trifle. Garnish with the reserved cherries and almonds. Let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes. To serve, scoop out large spoonfuls, going down to the bottom layer. Serves 10 to 12.

Note: To toast the slivered almonds, in a small, dry fry pan over medium-low heat, stir the almonds frequently until they are fragrant and begin to turn golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Immediately transfer to a bowl and let cool.

Creme Anglaise*

Ingredients:


2 cups milk

2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk

1⁄4 cup sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract


Directions:

Rinse the inside of a nonaluminum saucepan with water and shake out the excess water. Pour in the milk, place over medium-low heat and cook until small bubbles form around the edges of the pan, about 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the eggs, egg yolk and sugar and whisk just until blended. Gradually whisk in half of the hot milk, then pour the egg mixture into the pan. Set over low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and leaves a clear trail when a finger is drawn through it, 6 to 8 minutes. Do not allow it to boil.

Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Stir in the vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and let cool. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or for up to 2 days.

Makes about 2 cups.


Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection Series, Christmas, by Carolyn Miller (Simon & Schuster, 2003).

Cranberry Almond Streusel Cake

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This recipe comes from the Holiday issue of Sweet Paul Magazine,  an online 90 page food, crafts and lifestyle magazine filled to the rim with great recipes, fun crafts, interesting people and much more.  It is based on Paul Howe's wildly successful blog Sweet Paul.

I am surprised to say I love this cyber magazine.  The recipes are fantastic, down to earth and very doable.  The photography is stunning.  If this is the future of online magazines, bring it on!

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsps baking powder
1 stick salted butter
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 Cups sour cream
2 cups french cranberries
3 TB sugar

Topping

1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 1/2 sticks salted butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

Mix the flour and baking powder

Butter a 9 inch square or round pan

Cream butter and sugar until light.  Add eggs one at a time and mix well.

Add the two extracts and sour cream.

Add the flour and baking powder mix.

Coat the cranberries with sugar in a separate bowl and incorporate into mix by hand

Pour mix into cake pan

Make the streussel, work together sugar, flour and butter until crumbly. Sprinkle on top of the cake.

Bake for 50-60 minutes. until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and and dust with powder sugar

I have condensed the directions from the actual recipe on the magazine, but you get the point!

An Elegant Summer Menu For the Ladies Who Lunch

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A long time ago, I promised one of my readers that I would post a menu for a ladies lunch.  With all the things that have happened lately in my life,  I frankly forgot.  I hope it is not too late to remedy the situation, particularly since she has been one of my earliest and most faithful subscribers.

Ladies luncheons are fun to have.  My Mother's generation is great at planning these things but, unfortunately, when it came time for my age group, we were all too busy caring for kids or going to work.  I was seldom a party to the "ladies who lunch" set, but I did have a small group of corporate girlfriends with whom to celebrate birthdays at fancy restaurants in Manhattan.  We all had money to spend in those days and the presents and food were terrific.  It was a great time to catch up on other people's real life and good old fashioned gossip.  For just a couple of hours, we were girls again, in spite of the fact that by 3 o'clock we had to put back our armors and go fight another day.

Later, when I moved to Miami, I was reunited with a lot of my childhood friends and my Mother's friends and I have to confess to attending many a ladies lunch.  It was not a labor of love, believe me, those ladies can cook and when they get together, it's all systems go!  Out came the linen tablecloths, and the silver,  china, and flowers.  Nothing was purchased or catered;  they spent days getting ready for the big event, cooking and ironing with countless hours on the phone figuring out what they were going to wear and what they were going to eat.  On the day of the party they came dressed to the nines, as if  they were going to lunch at Cipriani's... pearls, Hermes scarves, Ferragamo shoes and all the accoutrements from days gone by. Oh, and they never broke a sweat, not this group, even in the heat of the day!  It was kind of fun, but it did take planning and outside help.  Luckily, good help is plentiful in Miami  for it's nice to end the party with all the dishes washed and put away. 

But don't despair, although I love a beautiful party, for occasions such as these, I like to put together a menu that I can cook the day before and that doesn't require a lot of last minute fuzzing or outside help.  The soup definitely must be made the day before so that it is very cold when served.  The pork is also cooked and sliced the day before and can be arranged on a platter and placed in the refrigerator the night before.  Do bring it out at least a couple of hours before you serve it so that it is room temperature. The cake and sauce are also made ahead and the squash casserole can be assembled the night before and cooked on the day of the party.  I always like to have one hot dish with a cold lunch and this is a great match for the menu.  Feel free to use any other hot casserole you may have tucked away.

Remember to clean out your refrigerator ahead of time so everything fits in the fridge.  If you set the table the night before, all you will need to do that day is mix the salad.  Notice I have kept hors d'oeuvres light on purpose.  If you want to expand, just do a small  antipasto type platter with perhaps just olives and thinly sliced prosciutto, but don't overfeed them before they sit down.

If you have pretty demitasse cups, you can fill them with the cold soup and pass them around before you sit down to lunch.  This eliminates more dishes and spoons to wash (you have to think that way) and they love it!  They make quite a splash and provide interesting and trivial conversation for another half hour or so...just make sure you chill them before you pour the cold soup in.

White peaches from California are in and you can usually buy a big case at Costco at this time of the year.  Squeeze the peaches to or three days ahead and keep the juice covered in the refrigerator.  Costco also has some very good Prosecco for around $10.00!  Do make the cheese wafers the weekend before.  They can be shaped into rolls and frozen or refrigerated.

The rose wine I recommend can be purchased at Crown Liquors in Coral Gables (my friend lives there) or at most well stocked liquor stores.

This menu is for 8 but it can be easily double.  If you are organized, you will not need any outside help.

Ladies' Lunch Menu

Bellini's

Cheese wafers

Cold Cucumber and Spinach Soup

Cold Stuffed Roast Pork with Fig And Balsamic Chutney

Summer Squash Gratin

Endive and Watercress Salad With a Lemon Vinaigrette

*Domaine Houchart Rose*

Savannah Sponge Cake With Berries And Sweet Madeira Sauce

Espresso

Now I have shown you how versatile some recipes, like this tenderloin, can be. Served hot it can be the main course for an elegant summer or winter dinner, or it can be served cold for lunch or a buffett. If you have left overs, slice thin and save for a Cuban sandwich...now, how versatile is that!

You may also want to check Cool Summer Menus For A Ladies Lunch


Images: Carolyne Roehm