Sunday, June 27, 2009 Week #16

Meringue Cake

This is a light, delicious, perfect summer cake! Strawberry shortcake with a twist. We had the Linsley's over for a yummy dinner of skewered, marinated lamb tenderloin, roasted fingerling potatoes and asperagus almondine. This was a great dessert.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Grease and flour two - 8 x 1 1/2 inches (20 x 3.75 cm) round cake pans. Set aside.

Separate the eggs while they are still cold, placing the yolks in one bowl and the whites in another bowl. Cover the two bowls with plastic wrap and allow the eggs to come to room temperature before using (about 30 minutes).

Cake:

4 large egg yolks room temp ( about 1/2 hour from fridge to room temp)

1 cup (100 g) sifted flour ( 100 g is about 1/4 cup by weight)

1 teasp baking powder

1/8 teasp salt

1/2 cup ( one stick) butter

1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar

1 teasp vanilla

1/4 cup milk

In a mixing bowl sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then beat in the vanilla extract.

With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans, smoothing the tops with an offset spatula. Set aside while you make the meringue layer.

Meringue:

4 large egg whites room temperature

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a clean bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the sugar and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Divide the meringue between the two cake pans, gently smoothing the tops with an offset spatula. Bake for approximately 25 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. The meringue layers will have turned a light brown and will be crisp to the touch but soft inside.Place the pans on a wire rack to cool. When completely cooled, remove from pans.

Topping:

1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons (28 grams) granulated white sugar

1 pound (454 grams) fresh strawberries, sliced (Add a little sugar if necessary) I macerated the sliced strawberries in 1/4 cup Grand Marnier, 1/4 cup sugar and a couple of tablespoons fresh lemon juice.

Confectioners sugar (powdered or icing) for dusting top of cake

Shortly before serving, whip the cream with the sugar until soft peaks form. Slice the strawberries and, if necessary, add a little sugar to sweeten them. Place one of the cake layers, meringue side up, on a serving platter. Spread or pipe half of the whipping cream onto the cake and top with half the strawberries. Gently place the second cake layer, cake side down so the meringue layer is facing up, onto the first layer. Spread or pipe the rest of the whipping cream and then strawberries on top of the meringue. Dust with confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar. If not eating immediately, cover and place in the refrigerator until serving time. The assembled cake will hold in the refrigerator for a few hours.

I found this and other cakes I will be trying on www.Joyofbaking.com web site. There is a picture there as well.

Sunday, June 20, 2009 Week 15

Lone Star Cheesecake

This week we had celebration for Father's Day and my birthday (again)!! Two of my sisters from Florida with their husbands and kids and my sister and her grandson and my Dad came from Pittsburgh for a long weekend. 20 peopel!!! Lots of fun and food and beer and wine!! So the cake of the week was cheesecake!! This is a recipe Dad saw on Food Network and it is easy and good.

crust:

2 cups crushed graham crackers

6-8 T melted butter

Form crust up the sides of a 9 or 10" springform pan.

Filling:

4 8 oz packages cream cheese

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 t vanilla

4 eggs

1 or 2 T lemon juice

Mix together pour in the springform pan.

Bake 325 for 55 minutes - an hour or until only the center of the cake is somewhat jiggly.

Topping:

2 c sour cream

1/4 c sugar

1 t vanilla

Pour the topping over the warm cheesecake and put back in the oven for 1/2 hour.

Remove from oven and cool to room temp.

Refrigerate.

Serve plain or with fruit over the top.

Sunday June 13, 2009 Week 14

Ho Ho Cake

This is yummy for kids and tastes like a HoHo or Little Debbie Chocolate cake

1 box of chocolate cake made following box directions. Split the batter between 2 x 13" pans and bake for about 15 minutes.

filling:

1 stick of butter softened

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup warm milk

1 t vanilla

Cream first three ingredients, add milk and vanilla and spread on cooled cake.

1 jar of chocolate frosting, or chocolate syrup.

drizzle chocolate over the cake in fun crazy patterns to ice. Or: make your own chocolate icing:

3 squares ( 1 0z) Nestles Bakers chocolate

1/4 cup butter

1 cups confection sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Melt chocolate in the microwave for about 1 minute, stir, microwave for another minute. Add butter, sugar and vanilla and drizzle over cake.

Great for big family get togethers or pot lucks. ( Make one keep one for you!!) The first time I had this was ten years ago or so, Mrs. Hathaway made them for the Mcintyre girls and their kids visiting Pittsburgh!

Sunday June 6, 2009 Week 13

Crunchy Pound Cake

Ironically I have had this cake for the first time twice in the last 2 weeks! First at the CIC Volunteer Appreciation Lunch, hosted by Susan Brandt and Linda Carmichael from Chapel Hill High School and deliciously cooked by Susan Brandt.

A couple of days later I recieved a "thank you" cake baked by Hiedi Rosenhahn, the Culbreth Middle School Track coach. To my delight the cake was the same I had at Susan's and Heidi sent along the recipe. As an addition, Susan Frye sent me a pound cake recipe that is virtually identical so I'm citing all three as sources. BigOven.com had this recipe as well and some cakes that looked really good so I'll revisit that site as time goes on!!

Crunchy Pound Cake

1 1/2 cups (three sticks) butter softened

3 cups sugar

6 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla

1 teasp almond extract

3 cups flour with

1/2 teasp salt

Mix all ingredients in order until just blended. Pour into a 10 inch bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hour. (watch this: mine took less time)

I served with whipped cream and fresh fruit. Yummy!!