My Birthday Cake -- The Rocky Road Cola Cake

 My Birthday Cake  --  I make this only once a year and always when others will be around otherwise I eat the whole thing!  It's a simply cake--no mixer needed--but oh, so moist and rich.  I usually use the Mexican Coke but any regular sugar Coca Cola will work.  Be sure to serve it with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream!

ROCKY ROAD COLA CAKE                 Serves 12.

Cake:

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

4 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 cup coca cola

2 large eggs, at room temp.

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla

 Frosting:

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/3 cup coca cola

1 tsp. instant espresso

2 T. water

1 lb. powdered sugar, sifted

5 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup chopped toasted pecans

1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

1. To make cake, grease and flour (or spray with nonstick spray) a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa and salt in a large bowl.  Bring butter and cola to a boil in a small saucepan.  Pour over the flour mixture and stir with a spoon until combined.  Whisk eggs in a medium bowl and add buttermilk, baking soda and vanilla.  Stir into batter until incorporated. The batter will be thin.  Pour into prepare pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

 2. While cake bakes, make the frosting.  Bring the butter, cola, instant espresso and water to a boil in a small saucepan.  Whisk the powdered sugar and cocoa together in a medium bowl and pour the butter-cola mixture over; stir until well blended.  Fold in the nuts and marshmallows.  Remove cake form oven and pour the frosting over the top of the hot cake, spreading to sides of pan.  Cool to room temperature.

 

Blueberry Cheesecake Galette 5/27/22

Memorial Day Dessert

This is a delicious tart with the twist of also being a cheesecake.  It is especially nice because it is free-form so no tart pan is necessary and it looks as good as is tastes.

BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE GALETTE       Serves 6 to 8. 

Pastry: 

1 3/4 cups flour 

2 T. sugar 

1 tsp. cider vinegar 

Pinch salt 

1/2 cup unsalted butter, diced and chilled 

1 large egg mixed with 2 T. water 

Filling: 

2 cups fresh blueberries 

1/3 cup plus 

2 T. sugar, divided use 

1 T. fresh lemon juice 

4 tsp. cornstarch 

1-8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened 

1 large egg plus 

1 egg yolk, divided use

 Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

 Coarse sugar for sprinkling 

1. For the pastry. Place flour, sugar, vinegar and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the cold butter and pulse until butter in pea-sized. Add egg/water mixture and pulse until dough just starts to form. Turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap; shape into a disk, wrap tightly and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour. 

2. Place dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll out into a 12-inch round. Set on a baking sheet and refrigerate until ready to form. 

3. For the filling, toss blueberries with 1/3 cup sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch and salt. In another bowl, whisk cream cheese, egg yolk, 2 T. sugar and nutmeg. 

4. Remove dough from refrigerator and peel off top sheet of parchment. Spread half the cream cheese mixture over the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Top with blueberries. Fold edge of dough over filling. Drizzle with remaining cream cheese mixture; refrigerate 30 minutes. 

5. Put a second baking sheet in the over in the lower third, upside down. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Whisk the whole egg and use to brush the exposed crust; sprinkle with coarse sugar. Place the baking sheet directly on the hot baking sheet in the oven and bake until crust is golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

THE PERFECT EASTER/MOTHER'S DAY CAKE

I love this cake and make it about once a year when I'm having people over in the Spring or Summer.  If the candy part seems daunting just leaving it off.  The cake is just as good with only the Lemon Curd Cream Frosting.  

I prefer Chiffon to Angel Food Cake.  They are similar but Chiffon includes the egg yolks so it is richer but still light in texture.  Enjoy make this cake!

CITRUS CHIFFON CAKE WITH LEMON CURD CREAM FROSTING AND

  LEMON CRUNCH CANDY COATING SERVED WITH FRESH BERRIES  

Serves 8 to 10.

Cake:

2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 T. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

7 egg yolks

3/4 cup cold water

1 T. lemon zest

1 tsp. orange zest

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup egg whites (7 to 8 whites)

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

Candy:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1 T. baking soda

2 tsp. lemon extract

Frosting:

2 cups heavy whipping cream

3/4 cup prepared lemon curd (see below)

Sliced strawberries, sugared

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. To make the cake, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.  Make a well in the center and add in order the oil, egg yolks, cold water, lemon and orange zests and vanilla.  Stir until smooth.

2. With a mixer, whip egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff peaks form.  Gradually pour egg yolk mixture over beaten whites, folding gently until just blended.  Pour into an ungreased 10 inch angel food cake pan.  Bake for 65 to 75 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly with finger. 

3. Invert pan and let stand until cake is completely cool.  To remove from pan, loosen first by moving a spatula up and down against in the inside of pan.  Next, hit edge of pan against counter top and gently shake cake out onto cake plate.  Leave cake bottom side up and cut in half across to form 2 layers.

4. To make candy, cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.  Combine sugar, water and corn syrup in a heavy 4-quart saucepan.  Cook over medium high heat, without stirring, until sugar dissolves.  Continue cooking, again without stirring, until syrup reaches the hard-crack stage, 300 degrees on a candy thermometer. 

5. Remove pan from heat and immediately stir in baking soda and lemon extract.  Stir until blended—it will be very foamy.  Quickly pour candy on prepared parchment cover pan and spread as thin as possible.  Let cool completely, 20 to 30 minutes.  Break and crush candy into tiny pieces—you probably won’t need it all for the cake.

6. Whip cream to stiff peaks and fold in the lemon curd.  Fill and frost cake with lemon cream and press crushed candy into the sides of the cake to coat well; refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours to set cream into a mousse-like texture before serving. 

 

LEMON CURD                         

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces

6 T. fresh lemon juice

1 T. lemon zest

Whisk sugar, eggs, yolk, butter, lemon juice and zest in a medium saucepan over medium low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens to the consistency of lightly whipped cream, about 5 minutes. Mixture should reach 160 degrees on an instant thermometer at this point. Pour into a bowl; cover with plastic wrap set right on the surface of the curd and chill for several hours until cold.

 Virtual Cooking Class coming up in February 

with Phillis Carey

Fun with Italian Flavors                     PAY NOW

            Wednesday, February 16 at 11 am

Rosemary Roasted Grapes and Burrata Crostini;

Crispy Chicken Parmesan with Pepperoni on Broccoli Pesto Pasta;  

Pork Tenderloin Agradolce (Sweet/Sour Sauce of balsamic, garlic, thyme and honey);

Scampi Fra Diavolo Risotto (made with a tomato broth);

Lemon Crepelle (Crepes) with Creamy Mascarpone Pistachio Filling and Berries.

To register for the class, click on the Pay Now button.  Registration confirmation will be emailed to you within 24 hours.  Recipes and the Zoom link with be sent 3 days before the class.