RECIPLEASE!

Neapolitan Layer Cake:
Printer-Friendly Version

Ingredients:
For the chocolate cake:
¾ cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
6 tbsp. dark cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
1 large egg
½ cup black coffee
½ cup buttermilk
1½ tsp. vanilla extract

For the white cake:
2 large egg whites
1¾ cup all-purpose flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup very cold water
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. almond extract

For the strawberry cake:
1¼ cups plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1¼ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1½ oz. strawberry gelatin
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs
½ cup milk
1½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup sweetened strawberry puree*

For the filling:
Easy vanilla buttercream or good quality strawberry jam

For the strawberry buttercream frosting:
1½ cups fresh strawberries (8 oz.), rinsed, hulled and coarsely chopped*
4 large egg whites
1¼ cups sugar
3 sticks (1½ cups) unsalted butter, at room temperature

*To make the strawberry puree, process partially thawed frozen strawberries with a bit of sugar in a blender or food processor until smooth.  If using sweetened frozen strawberries, no additional sugar is necessary.

Directions:
To make the chocolate cake, butter and flour the edges of a 9-inch round pan, shaking out the excess flour.  Line the bottom with a round of parchment.  In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt; whisk to blend and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the sugar, vegetable oil and egg.  Beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.  With the mixer on low speed, blend in half of the dry ingredients, beating just until incorporated.  Blend in the coffee, buttermilk and vanilla just until smooth.  Beat in the remaining dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 20 minutes.  Run a knife around the edges, then turn the cake out onto the rack and let cool completely.

To make the white cake, butter and flour the edges of a 9-inch round pan, shaking out the excess flour.  Line the bottom with a round of parchment.  In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; whisk to blend and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on medium speed until foamy.  Increase speed to medium high and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.  Transfer the egg whites to another bowl and set aside.  In the bowl of the electric mixer now fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar and butter, and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.  With the mixer on low speed, beat in half of the dry ingredients just until incorporated.  Blend in the water, vanilla and almond extracts.  Beat in the remaining dry ingredients just until incorporated.  With a silicone spatula, stir in about a quarter of the egg whites to lighten the batter.  Gently fold in the remaining egg whites, until the batter is smooth and no streaks remain.

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 20 minutes.  Run a knife around the edges, then turn the cake out onto the rack and let cool completely.

To make the strawberry cake, butter and flour the edges of a 9-inch round pan, shaking out the excess flour.  Line the bottom with a round of parchment.  In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; whisk to blend and set aside.  Combine the sugar, strawberry gelatin and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.  Beat the eggs into the sugar mixture one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  With the mixer on low speed, add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix just until incorporated.  Blend in the milk and vanilla extract.  Add in the remaining dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.  Blend in the strawberry puree.

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 20 minutes.  Run a knife around the edges, then turn the cake out onto the rack and let cool completely.

To make the frosting, place the strawberries in a food processor or blender.  Puree until completely smooth.  Combine the egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water.  Heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture reaches 160° F and the sugar has dissolved.

Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer** fitted with the whisk attachment.  Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and the mixture has cooled to room temperature, about 8 minutes.  (The bowl should be cool to the touch.)

Reduce the speed to medium and add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, adding more once each addition has been incorporated.  If the frosting looks soupy or curdled, continue to beat on medium-high speed until thick and smooth again, about 3-5 minutes more (or longer – don’t worry, it will come together!)  Blend in the strawberry puree until smooth and completely incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

To assemble the cake, torte each of the cake layers horizontally into two thin halves.  Place one of the chocolate layers on a cake board or cake platter.  Top with a very thin layer of the vanilla buttercream or strawberry jam.  Place a layer of the strawberry cake on top.  Again, cover with a thin layer of vanilla buttercream or strawberry jam.  Top with a layer of the white cake.  Cover with a thin layer of the vanilla buttercream or strawberry jam.  Repeat the process with the remaining layers of chocolate and strawberry cake.  (For a taller cake, you can use the remaining layer of white cake.  Otherwise, you can wrap tightly and save for later use or discard.)  Frost the top and sides of the cake with the strawberry buttercream.  Transfer remaining buttercream to a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip for detailing as desired.

Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake
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Ingredients:
For the bottom layer:
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces (plus extra for greasing the pan)
7 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
¾ tsp. instant espresso powder
1½ tsp. vanilla extract
4 large eggs, separated
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

For the middle layer:
2 tbsp. cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed
5 tbsp. hot water
7 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1½ cups heavy cream
1 tbsp. granulated sugar
Pinch of salt

For the top layer:
¾ tsp. powdered gelatin
1 tbsp. water
6 oz. white chocolate, finely chopped
1½ cups heavy cream

For garnish:
Chocolate curls or cocoa powder

Directions:
To make the bottom layer, butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan.  (I lined the bottom of the pan with a parchment round for easy removal later.)  Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 325˚ F.  Combine the butter, chocolate, and espresso powder in a large heatproof bowl set over simmering water.  Stir occasionally until the mixture is smooth.  Remove from the heat and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.  Whisk in the vanilla and egg yolks.  Set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and salt on medium speed until foamy, about 30 seconds.  Crumble half of the brown sugar into the mixing bowl with your fingers to remove any lumps.  Beat until incorporated, about 15 seconds.  Add the remaining brown sugar and continue to beat on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 1 minute more.  Using a whisk, mix one-third of the beaten egg whites to the chocolate mixture to lighten it.  Fold in the remaining egg whites gently with a rubber spatula until no streaks remain.  Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake until the cake has risen, is firm around the edges and the center has just set but is still soft (should spring back after pressing gently with a finger), about 14-18 minutes.  Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool completely, at least 1 hour.  Do not remove the cake from the pan.  (If not making the second layer right away, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to proceed.)

To make the second layer, whisk together the cocoa powder and hot water in a small bowl; set aside.  Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth.  Once melted, remove from the heat and let cool slightly, 2-5 minutes.

In the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream, sugar and salt on medium speed until the mixture begins to thicken, about 30 seconds.  Increase the speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when the whisk is lifted, 30-60 seconds.  Whisk in the cocoa powder mixture until smooth.  Using a whisk, mix one-third of the whipped cream to the chocolate mixture to lighten it.  Fold in the remaining whipped cream gently with a rubber spatula until no streaks remain.  Pour the mousse into the springform pan over the cooled cake and tap gently on the counter 3 times to remove air bubbles.  Gently smooth the top with a spatula.  Wipe the inside edge of the pan to remove any drips.  Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes while preparing the top layer.

To make the top layer, sprinkle the gelatin over the water in a small bowl and let stand at least 5 minutes to soften.  Place the white chocolate in a medium bowl.  Bring ½ cup of the cream to a boil in a small saucepan.  Remove the pan from the heat, add the gelatin mixture and stir until dissolved.  Pour the hot cream mixture over the white chocolate and let stand about 1 minute.  Whisk until the mixture is smooth.  Cool to room temperature, about 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the remaining 1 cup of cream at medium speed until it begins to thicken.  Increase the speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when the whisk is lifted, 30-60 seconds.  Using a whisk, mix one-third of the whipped cream to the white chocolate mixture to lighten it.  Fold in the remaining whipped cream gently with a rubber spatula until no streaks remain.  Spoon the white chocolate mousse into the pan over the middle layer.  Smooth the top with an offset spatula.  Return the cake to the refrigerator and chill until set, at least 2½ hours.  (Note: Do NOT cover your pan with plastic wrap unless you are completely sure you can do so without it touching the top of your cake during placement or removal.  If it does touch the cake, it will smudge the perfectly pristine top, forcing you to make an excessive amount of chocolate curls.  I speak from experience.)

Mini Berry Swirl Cheesecakes
from Annie’s Eats
*yields 32 cheesecakes

Ingredients:
for the crust-
-1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
-4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
-3 tbsp sugar

for the topping-
-6 oz. fresh raspberries
-2 tbsp sugar

for the filling-
-2 lbs cream cheese, at room temperature
-1 1/2 cups sugar
-pinch of salt
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-4 large eggs, at room temperature

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325F. Line cupcake pans with liners. In a small bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar. Stir until well blended and crumbs are moistened. Spoon a tablespoon of crumb mixture into each liner, pressing down. Bake for 5 minutes and remove from oven.
2. In a blender or food processor, blend the raspberries and sugar until smooth. Pour through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds. Set aside.
3. Beat cream cheese in a large mixing bowl until smooth and creamy. Beat in sugar until smooth. Add salt and vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
4. Spoon approximately 3 tbsp of cheesecake batter over the crust in each cup, approximately 2/3 full. Dot a 1/2 tsp of raspberry puree over the cheesecake filling, using a toothpick to marble the berries in with the cheesecake.
5. Bake for 22 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Cheesecakes may be puffed up initially, but will fall when cooling. Cool to room temperature before refrigerating at least 4 hours (preferably overnight) until serving.

Frozen Mocha Marbled Loaf Cake
from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
-2 cups Oreo crumbs
-3 tbsp butter or margarine, melted
-1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
-1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-2 cups whipped cream, whipped
-2 tbsp instant coffee granules
-1 tbsp hot water
-1/2 cup chocolate syrup

Directions:
1. Line a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with foil. Combine cookie crumbs and butter in a bowl until moistened. Press firmly into the bottom of the lined loaf pan.
2. Beat cream cheese in a mixing bowl until light and smooth. Add sweetened condensed milk and vanilla, mixing to combine. Fold in whipped cream. Set aside half of this mixture.
3. Dissolve coffee in hot water and fold into one half of the cream cheese mixture. Fold in chocolate syrup.
4. Spoon half of chocolate/coffee mixture over the crust. Top with half of the cream cheese mixture. Repeat layers. Use a knife to swirl layers. Cover and freeze for at least 6 hours.
5. To serve, remove from freezer and lift out of pan. Remove foil and cut into slices.

Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake
Adapted from A Good Appetite

Butter for greasing pan
3 blood oranges
1 cup (200 grams or 7 ounces) sugar
Scant 1/2 cup (118 ml) buttermilk or plain yogurt
3 large eggs
2/3 cup (156 ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 3/4 cups (219 grams or 7 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons (8 grams) baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Honey-blood orange compote, for serving (optional, below)
Whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Grate zest from 2 oranges and place in a bowl with sugar. Using your fingers, rub ingredients together until orange zest is evenly distributed in sugar.

Supreme an orange: Cut off bottom and top so fruit is exposed and orange can stand upright on a cutting board. Cut away peel and pith, following curve of fruit with your knife. Cut orange segments out of their connective membranes and let them fall into a bowl. Repeat with another orange. Break up segments with your fingers to about 1/4-inch pieces.

Halve remaining orange and squeeze juice into a measuring cup; you’ll will have about 1/4 cup. Add buttermilk or yogurt to juice until you have 2/3 cup liquid altogether. Pour mixture into bowl with sugar and whisk well. Whisk in eggs and olive oil.

In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gently stir dry ingredients into wet ones. Fold in pieces of orange segments. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake cake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until it is golden and a knife inserted into center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then unmold and cool to room temperature right-side up. Serve with whipped cream and honey-blood orange compote (below), if desired.

Honey-Blood Orange Compote: Supreme 3 more blood oranges according to directions above. Drizzle in 1 to 2 teaspoons honey. Let sit for 5 minutes, then stir gently.

Chocolate Cake w/White Chocolate Mousse

Preparation time: 2 hours (includes assembling and decorating the cake)

Cook time: 30-35 minutes

Serves 10

Chocolate Cake (adapted from Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cake)

1 3/4 cups whole wheat all-purpose flour

1 3/4 cups sugar

3/4 cups cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tsp almond extract

1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, olive oil and almond extract; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in hot coffee (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

White Chocolate Mousse (filling):

6 oz white chocolate chips

1 7/8 cups heavy cream

1 tbsp sugar

Place a stand mixer bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer. Place the white chocolate chips in a bowl and microwave on a low power setting for around two minutes, running the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until it is smooth and completely melted. Set aside.

Place heavy cream and sugar in the well-chilled bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the chilled whisk attachment. Whisk on high-speed until stiff peaks form. Remove the bowl from the mixer. By hand, whisk to combine 1/4 of the whipped cream into the melted white chocolate until smooth and completely incorporated. Add the combined whipped cream and chocolate to the remaining whipped cream and use a rubber spatula to fold together.

Spread the mousse over the top of the cake base evenly. Use an offset spatula to smooth the top. Place the other cake round over the mousse, pressing down lightly. Chill for at least 1 hour.

Chocolate Ganache:
1 1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tbsp unsalted butter

18 oz of semisweet chocolate chips

Heat the heavy cream and the butter in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil. Place the semisweet chocolate in a large bowl. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth and bring the ganache to room temperature (about 1 hour). With a spatula, spread the ganache over the cake top and sides, covering evenly.

White Chocolate Cutouts:

6 oz white chocolate chips

Melt the chocolate in the microwave on a low power setting for around two minutes, running the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until it is smooth and completely melted.

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Pour melted white chocolate onto parchment paper and quickly spread into a thin layer using a rubber spatula.

Refrigerate until chocolate is firm (about 15 minutes). Cut chocolate into shapes with a sharp knife or cookie cutters. Lift the cutouts carefully from the parchment paper with a spatula or knife. Refrigerate until ready to use. Decorate the cake with the white chocolate on top.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
Printer-Friendly Version

Ingredients: 
For the dough:
2¼ tsp. instant yeast
2 tbsp. warm water
1/4 cup sugar (1¾ oz.)
2 large eggs
1 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour (10 1/8 oz.)
3/4 tsp. salt
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened but still cool, cut into 1-inch pieces

For the berry filling:
1¼ cups fresh or frozen raspberries or blueberries
1½ tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
Pinch of salt
Pinch of ground cinnamon
1¾ tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 1 tbsp. water

For the cream cheese filling:
4 oz. cream cheese, softened but still cool
2 tbsp. sugar
4 tsp. all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
½ egg (I just beat it lightly with a fork and add about half)
¼ tsp. vanilla extract

For the streusel topping:
2½ tbsp. brown sugar
1½ tsp. granulated sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
2½ tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

For the egg wash:
1 large egg
1 tsp. heavy cream or whole milk

For the glaze:
6 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
1½-2 tsp. milk
¼ tsp. vanilla extract

Directions: 
To make the dough, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; stir to dissolve.  Add the sugar, eggs, milk and vanilla.  Mix at the lowest speed until well combined.  Add about 1½ cups of the flour and the salt, mixing on low speed until the flour is incorporated, about 1 minute.  Increase the speed to medium-low and add the butter pieces one at a time, beating until incorporated, about 20 seconds after each addition.  Replace the paddle with the dough hook and add the remaining ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons flour; knead at medium-low speed until soft and smooth, about 5 minutes longer.  Increase the speed to medium and knead until the dough tightens up slightly, about 2 minutes longer.

The dough will be too soft to pick up with your hands, so scrape it into a straight-sided lightly oiled plastic container using a dough scraper (I just used a spatula).  Cover the container tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at warm room temperature until doubled in size, 3-4 hours.  Press down the dough, replace the plastic and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 or up to 24 hours.  Alternatively for a quick chill, spread the dough onto a lightly oiled baking sheet, about 1-inch thick, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 2 hours.

Meanwhile, to make the berry filling, combine the berries, sugar, lemon juice, salt, cinnamon, cornstarch and water in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Continue boiling, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick and shiny, 1½ to 2 minutes.  Scrape the mixture into a small bowl, cover and chill thoroughly before using.

To make the cream cheese filling, beat the cream cheese, sugar, flour and salt in the bowl of a mixer at high speed until smooth, 2-4 minutes.  Add the lemon zest, egg and vanilla extract.  Reduce the speed to medium and continue beating, scraping down the sides of the bowl at least once, until incorporated, about 1 minute.  Scrape the mixture into a small bowl and chill thoroughly before using.

To make the streusel topping, mix the brown and granulated sugars, flour, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl.  Add the butter pieces and toss to coat.  Pinch the butter chunks and dry mixture together between your fingertips until the mixture is crumbly.  Chill thoroughly before using.

When you are ready to shape the coffee cakes, remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.

Shape the dough into a log about 8 inches long and about 2 inches in diameter.  (For me, there was way too much dough to fit into a 8 x 2-inch log, so I just approximated.)

Roll the log evenly into a 40-inch rope about 1 inch in diameter.

Use your fingers to flatten the log slightly into a 1½-inch wide strip.

Use both hands to twist the strip of dough into a coil.  (I found the length of the rope to make it a bit difficult to coil the whole thing neatly.  The easiest method was to start from the middle, coil one half of the rope, and then coil the other half from the opposite end, keeping the direction of the coils consistent.)

Loosely coil the rope in a spiral pattern, leaving a ¼-inch space between coils.  Tuck the end under and pinch to secure.  Place the coil on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Remember, if you make two cakes, place each on its own baking sheet – trust me!  Cover the shaped cake with plastic wrap and let proof at room temperature until slightly puffed, 1½ to 2 hours.

Brush the cake with egg wash.

Spoon the cheese filling over the center of the top of the cake, leaving a border clear around the edge.

Layer the raspberry filling over the top of the cheese filling.  (Some of the filling may leak over the edges, but it won’t hurt anything.)

Sprinkle the streusel topping over the top of the cake.  Slide the baking sheet onto a second baking sheet to prevent the bottom crust from over-browning.  Bake in an oven heated to 350° F until deep golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the cake reads 190° F, about 25-30 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and cool for at least 20 minutes.

To prepare the glaze, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, milk and vanilla extract in a bowl.  Drizzle over the top of the finished cake and let set before serving.

Chocolate and Caramel Cakes

for the cake (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 cup yogurt, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

for the caramel
1/2 cup water
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
4 oz. unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sour cream

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees, grease 12 ramekins, and dust with cocoa powder.

Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.

Cream the butter with a beater on medium speed until fluffy. Then add the sugar and beat two more minutes until it is well-combined and light.

Next, add the egg, then the yogurt, and then the vanilla extract. Stir in the flour mixture with a spoon and mix until just combined. Spoon the batter into ramekins  Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the cakes cool for 10 minutes, and flip them out of the ramekins to cool completely on a wire rack.

While the cake cools, begin making the caramel. Combine the water, sugar and corn syrup in medium saucepan over medium high to medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon now and then. Fill another large saucepan or metal bowl with cold water and set aside. Watch for the sugar mixture to bubble and cook for about 6 or 7 minutes and then begin to brown.  As soon as the sugar starts to brown, stir, and reduce the heat slightly. Keep a very close eye on things, and as soon as it is a deep golden color, remove from heat immediately, stir, and dip in the prepared water bath to cool it off.
Continue stirring, until the caramel has stopped cooking, but is still warm and soft.

Pour in the heavy cream, being mindful that the caramel may sputter. Next, stir in the butter and then the sour cream.

Pour the caramel over the cakes and serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

RASPBERRY CREAM CHEESE CUPCAKES

Raspberry Swirl Cupcakes (Adapted from Martha Stewart)
Makes 12 cupcakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 small box vanilla pudding
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 stick butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
Raspberry preserves/jam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the cups of a standard muffin tin with paper or foil liners. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and pudding; set aside. In a liquid-measuring cup, mix milk and vanilla; set aside.

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With mixer on low speed, add half of dry ingredients, followed by milk-vanilla mixture, then remaining dry ingredients. Do not overmix.

Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Add approximately 1/2 - 1 tsp of raspberry preserves & swirl into batter with a toothpick.

Place tin on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool cupcakes 5 minutes in tin, then remove and cool completely on a rack before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 - 8oz package cream cheese (I used the full fat version to remind me of cheesecake)
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar.

Beat cream cheese, butter & vanilla until smooth & well blended. Slowly beat in powdered sugar. (Adjust amount until you reach desired consistency).

Frost cupcakes as desired. Garnish with fresh raspberries.

Passionfruit Meringue Cupcakes

cupcake batter

- 1 ¼ cup flour

- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

- 1/4 teaspoon salt

- 2/3 cup milk

- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in pieces

- 2 large eggs

- 1 large egg yolk

- 1 ¼ cup sugar

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

- about 1 cup passion fruit curd

1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F.  Line a 12 cup cupcake mold with paper liners.

2. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Set aside.Heat milk and butter in a small saucepan until hot.

3. In another bowl, with an electric mixer beat the eggs, yolk, and sugar until thickened. Add vanilla and almond extracts. Incorporate the flour mixture, and then slowly mix in the hot milk. Mix until the batter is smooth, but don’t over beat. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 cupcake liners.

4. Bake until the tops are firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.  Remove the cupcakes from the pan, and let cool on a wire rack.

5. Pipe the passion fruit curd filling right into the cupcakes with a long piping tip. Alternatively, cut out a cone shaped piece from the cupcakes to make a hole for the filling. Cut the lower part of the cone, leaving you with a circular lid. Spoon the filling inside the holes, and replace circular lid on top of the filling.

6. Prepare the 7 minute frosting according to the directions below. Frost the cupcakes and dust some fun sprinkles over the top. Share and enjoy!

passion fruit curd

- 1 cup sugar

- 1/2 cup passion fruit concentrate

- 6 large egg yolks

- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced

1. In a medium saucepan, place the sugar, passion fruit concentrate and egg yolks. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens. This should take about 15 minutes. Turn heat off, and add the butter pieces one by one until all the butter is incorporated. Let cool and refrigerate until ready to use it. Makes about 2 cups.

7 minute frosting

- 1 cup plus 1tablespoon sugar

- 1/2 cup water

- 1 teaspoon light corn syrup

- 4 large egg whites, at room temperature

1. In a small saucepan, place 1 cup of the sugar, water and corn syrup. Place a candy thermometer on the side of the pan. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat without stirring until it reaches 230°F.

2. While the mixture is coming up to 235°F, in the bowl of a standing mixer, beat the egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Add in the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.

3. When the sugar syrup reaches 230°F, slowly pour the syrup on the inside side of the bowl while beating the egg whites on low. Once you have added all the syrup, change the speed to high, and beat for 7 minutes until stiff peaks form. Use immediately.

Recipe for cake from Cupcakes by Elinor Klivans.

Recipe for passion fruit curdand 7 minute frosting from Martha Stewart.

tips + tricks

- You can make the passion fruit curd up to three days in advance.

- You can make the cupcakes and fill them up to one day in advance.

- If you have a long piping tip like this one and piping bags you can just fill the cupcakes by inserting the point of the tip in the middle of the cupcake and squeezing the filling into it until you see the cupcake expand slightly. If you don’t have a long piping tip, then just cut out cone shaped pieces from the middle top of the cupcake and spoon the filling into the holes

- Decorate your cupcake platters with simple things such as fresh flowers and colorful paper napkins.

- Silicone teacups are a fun and different presentation, and reusable.

- Don’t make the 7 minute frosting on rainy or very humid days, it won’t get fluffy and won’t set as it should.

ESPRESSO CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE with MOCHA MASCARPONE FROSTING
Recipe created by Abigail Johnson Dodge for the April 2009 issue of bon appétit magazine

ESPRESSO CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE

2 cups cake flour
¾ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ tsp baking soda
¾ tsp salt
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 cups packed golden brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 ½ tsps vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
4 tsps instant espresso powder dissolved in ¾ cup hot water

Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C) and position the rack in the middle of the oven. Generously butter two 9-inch round x 2-inch high cake pans, dust with flour, shake out the excess and then line the bottoms with parchment paper.

Sift the 2 cups cake flour, the cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl. Place the softened butter in a large mixing bowl and, using electric beaters, beat the butter until smooth. Add the brown sugar and beat until well blended and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Blend in the vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Beat in the dry ingredients on low speed in 3 additions alternating with the buttermilk in 2 additions, beating just until blended after each addition. Gradually add the hot water espresso, beating until smooth. Increase beater speed to medium and just whip very briefly until smooth and fluffy.

Divide the batter evenly between the 2 prepared cake pans and bake for about 40 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center of the layers comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes on cooling racks. Run a knife around the edges of the pans to loosen the cakes, invert the cakes onto the racks, lift off the pans and peel off the parchment paper. Invert the layers again so the top sides are up and allow to cool completely.

You can make the cake layers a day ahead; simply wrap each layer individually in plastic wrap and leave at room temperature.

MOCHA MASCARPONE FROSTING
Must be prepared ahead to allow for chilling

1/3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbs instant espresso powder
1 ½ cups chilled heavy whipping cream, divided
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 8-oz containers chilled mascarpone

Sift the cocoa powder into a large bowl. Add the espresso powder. Bring 1 cup of the heavy cream just to a boil in a small saucepan then slowly pour over the cocoa and espresso, whisking until the cocoa is completely dissolved, about 1 minute. Add the remaining cold ½ cup cream and the sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Chill in the refrigerator until cold, at least 2 hours. Or do this the day before and chill overnight.

Place the mascarpone in a large mixing bowl and beat until loosened and fluffy. Add the chilled cocoa mixture and, on low speed, beat until blended and smooth. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is thick and medium-firm peaks hold, about 2 minutes. Do not overbeat or the frosting may curdle.

Assemble the cake:

Using a pastry brush, brush off crumbs from the cake layers. Place one cake layer, top side up, on the serving platter. Spoon 1 ¾ cup frosting on the cake and spread evenly over the layer all the way to the edges. Top with the second cake layer, top side up, pressing to adhere. Spread thin layer of frosting over top and sides of cake. Chill for 10 minutes. Spread the remaining frosting over the sides and top of the cake, swirling decoratively.

Raspberry Chocolate Cake

First, the raspberry filling:

• Frozen Raspberries, 2 bags
• Sugar, 1/2 to 2/3 cup
• Corn Starch, 2 tablespoons
• Raspberry Jam or Preserves, 1/4 to 1/3 cup

In a large heavy saucepan, combine the berries, sugar and cornstarch.  Stir it all together and heat over low to medium-low heat.

Let it cook for maybe 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it begins to thicken.

Remove it from the heat and stir in a little jam to thicken it a bit more.  Don’t worry if it still looks too runny to spread on a cake.  It’ll continue to thicken as it cools.

While it’s cooling, move on to the Chocolate Frosting:

• Semisweet and/or Bittersweet Chocolate, 12 ounces (I was emptying my pantry stash so I’ve got a mismatch here.  It didn’t matter.)
• Sugar, 1/2 cup or more to taste
• Butter, 3 tablespoons
• Heavy Cream, 1/2 cup, room temperature

Break the chocolate into chunks.  Melt it carefully in the microwave by heating on 50% power for 45 to 60 seconds at a time and stirring in between.  It doesn’t have to melt completely on it’s own.  It’ll still hold some of it’s shape but will finish melting as you stir.

While the chocolate is still nice and warm, stir in the sugar and butter.  Continue stirring until the butter is melted.  Adjust the sugar to taste.

Stir in the cream until it’s fully incorporated.  Set it aside and let it continue to cool.

Now to put it all together:Slice each cake layer in half using a serrated knife.  The toothpicks inserted in the middle of the layer make a handy slicing guide.

Place the first layer on a cake plate. Wax paper or foil strips under the edges will keep the plate clean while you work.  Spread a generous amount of raspberry filling all the way to the edges.

Ignore my horribly uneven slicing job.

Add the next layer and spread with chocolate.

Repeat with the remaining two layers.

Garnish with a handful of raspberries and enjoy!