Still hunting for the perfect dessert to crown your holiday table? This stunning pumpkin roll with a dreamy Swiss meringue buttercream delivers big on taste and packs an eye-pleasing punch. It’s a Thanksgiving no-brainer! (Oh, and did I mention it was easy? Yep, it's easy!) ...Continue reading at The Kitchn
Recipe: Icebox "Cake Stacks" (via The Kitchn)
I've been making Nabisco's famous Icebox Cake for a few years now thanks in part to my friend Haley, but this time around I formed them into mini "cake stacks." They taste exactly the same, only now they're cuter! My "love babies" will definitely be showing up at all of my spring and summer parties (if I don't devour them all myself that is).
Read moreRecipe: Southern Coconut Layer Cake
First and foremost, let me just start by saying this coconut cake is my masterpiece. But it didn't come easy. What you see here took lots (and lots) of licked fingers, too many slices to count, and a few more tears than I'd like to admit.
It all started out simply enough, when I decided to surprise Walt with an impromptu 30th birthday party on a particularly nondescript Sunday afternoon. In years past, the menus have been very much the same and always include my "famous" chocolate chip cookie cake. But milestones are milestones (no matter how hard we try to avoid them) and deserve something a bit more over the top. I took it upon myself to whip up the most impressive, most irresistible, most Southern cake I could think of—the one and only coconut cake.
To get started, I needed to do my homework. (It should be noted that when I take on a project like this, I demand perfection.) I trolled the many reputable food websites and culled through all of my cookbooks. I compared and contrasted and left no stone unturned. The sheer amount of recipes available to me was overwhelming, but I persevered and marched into battle ready to bake.
Unfortunately, all the research in the world does not guarantee a perfect cake. I learned this the hard way. I made a costly impulse decision, putting my usually hard-earned trust in the hands of a yet unproven cookbook (by a famous Southern chef, no less!), when I should have followed my instinct and chosen a more reputable source. Just ask Walt. Because he's the one who found me sitting alone and defeated on the kitchen floor, black streaks of mascara the only remaining proof of the tears I had shed. Three sullen, sunken cake layers glared down at me from the counter, a bittersweet reminder of how much I still have to learn.
I spent the next few hours feeling beaten up and broken down. I'm a pretty chill girl, but for some reason mistakes in the kitchen get me and they get me good. And it's cakes that always pack the hardest punch, it seems. So I decided to sleep on it. I knew a little rest would ease the pain, and then with the party only hours away I wouldn't have too much time to sulk, anyways.
It's amazing what a good night's sleep can do. I woke up ready to bake, armed with a new recipe in hand. This time I went straight for Cook's Illustrated, which never lets me down in a moment of need. Sure enough, two golden, flat, and damn near perfect cake layers emerged from the oven safe from harm's way. Talk about a huge sigh of relief!
The final product was a piecemeal of recipes: a Food & Winebuttercream and a Martha cream cheese frosting. I even salvaged one cake layer from the previous day's disaster, which yielded a triple-stacked Southern beauty. My tragic coconut cake had gone from ugly ducking to beautiful swan in almost an instant.
Of course one of the major conversation starters at the party was coconut-gate 2012. But all the drama was forgotten as soon as it was time to blow out the candles and cut into the cake. The silence from my guests seemed to be a good sign. I took one bite and must admit that even I was impressed. (And I really am my worst critic, you know.) It was so good, in fact, that I didn't even get a moment to snap a blog-worthy photo, because every last slice was gone in the blink of an eye.
Since this recipe was too good not to share, I'm giving y'all a dessert encore, however this time around I made the recipe my own. I think you'll very much like the changes. Of course, three cakes in as many days is a lot for anyone—I'm going to need a short break from all things coconut, piña coladas not included. I truly hope you enjoy this coconut cake as much as Walt and I did. It was definitely a labor of love, but worth every single second of blood, sweat, and even those pesky tears.
COCONUT LAYER CAKE
Source: Nealey Dozier, adapted from Cook's Illustrated and Martha Stewart
Yields: 16 or more slices
I developed the base recipe of this 3-layer coconut cake after too-many-to-count hours of baking research, in addition to my previous testing using versions from both Cook's Illustrated and Bottega Favorita. It is a fairly traditional butter cake steeped with lots of extra coconut flavor, and yields a dense, super-moist crumb.
The filling, which I adapted from Martha Stewartvia Charleston's Peninsula Grill, is nothing short of spectacular. I think I went into shock from deliciousness upon my first taste from the bowl. Next time I'll probably double the recipe—half for the cake and half for me.
The frosting contains both butter and cream cheese; it has a slightly thicker texture than the filling and adds just a bit more tang. And last but not least, a coconut cake isn't a coconut cake without a cozy blanket of sweetened, shredded goodness. This cake must be the taste of heaven!
For the cake layers:
1-1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
13-1/2 ounces cake flour (approximately 3-1/4 cups, spooned and swept)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
1-1/4 teaspoons table salt
1 (13-1/2 ounce) can coconut milk
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons stirred, sweetened cream of coconut (such as Coco Lopez)
5 egg whites
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 teaspoons pure coconut extract
10-1/2 ounces granulated sugar (approximately 1-1/4 cups, spooned and swept)
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 large eggs
For the coconut filling:
1-1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, cubed
1-1/4 cups heavy cream
3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
Pinch of kosher salt
For the coconut frosting:
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese
2 teaspoons pure coconut extract
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
1 (16 ounce) box confectioners' sugar
3 cups sweetened shredded coconut plus more as needed, for garnish
For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously coat 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with shortening and flour the pan, discarding the excess. (I use Baker's Joy, a shortening spray with flour added. It's fabulous!)
Place shredded coconut in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped coconut, flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the coconut milk, cream of coconut, egg whites, vanilla, and coconut extracts until completely blended.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the sugar and butter on high speed until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low and beat in the three whole eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the coconut milk mixture, to the creamed butter, starting and ending with the flour.
Divide batter equally into the three prepared pans (I use a kitchen scale for accuracy). Bake the layers until they are light golden and set, and come out clean when pricked with a toothpick, approximately 35 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans for 15 minutes. Cut around the edges with a pairing knife and remove the cakes to wire racks. Cool completely before moving forward with the recipe.
For the filling: Place shredded coconut in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped. Set aside.
In a medium to large saucepan, bring butter, cream, and sugar to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted and sugar completely dissolved.
Meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch, water, vanilla bean paste, and a pinch of salt together in a small bowl, then stir the mixture into the saucepan with the cream mixture. Bring cream back to a boil, stirring constantly. Once the mixture returns to a boil, cook for an additional minute or so, until just thickened.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the chopped coconut. Continue stirring for another minute or so to release some of the heat. Transfer the filling to a mixing bowl and cool at room temperature for an hour. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill, stirring occasionally, until cool, 3-4 hours (or overnight).
When ready to assemble the cake, beat the chilled filling with a handheld mixer on high speed until thick, light, and fluffy, approximately 1-2 minutes.
For the frosting: Place butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer) and beat on medium speed until light and creamy. Turn mixer on low and add coconut extract and vanilla bean paste, followed by the confectioners' sugar. Continue beating until smooth, about 3 minutes.
To assemble the cake: Place one cake layer on a large plate or cake stand and coat with half of the coconut filling. Add the second cake layer and cover with the remaining coconut filling. Add the third cake layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake with a crumb coat of coconut frosting, followed by thicker layer. Thoroughly cover the frosted top and sides of the cake with shredded coconut, pressing gently to adhere it to the cake.
Kitchen tip: I recommend breaking this cake into steps—at least baking the cake layers ahead of time. The layers can be made up to three weeks in advance. If making two days in advance or less, just wrap each individual layer tightly in plastic wrap and tuck into a large Ziploc bag. Store the cakes on the counter at room temperature. To store the layers longer than two days (and up to three weeks), wrap a layer of aluminum foil around the layer of plastic wrap before freezing. Allow layers to thaw to room temperature before continuing with the recipe. The frosted cake will keep three or four days in an airtight container.
Source: Nealey Dozier, adapted from Cook's Illustrated and Martha Stewart
Yields: 16 or more slices
I developed the base recipe of this 3-layer coconut cake after too-many-to-count hours of baking research, in addition to my previous testing using versions from both Cook's Illustrated and Bottega Favorita. It is a fairly traditional butter cake steeped with lots of extra coconut flavor, and yields a dense, super-moist crumb.
The filling, which I adapted from Martha Stewartvia Charleston's Peninsula Grill, is nothing short of spectacular. I think I went into shock from deliciousness upon my first taste from the bowl. Next time I'll probably double the recipe—half for the cake and half for me.
The frosting contains both butter and cream cheese; it has a slightly thicker texture than the filling and adds just a bit more tang. And last but not least, a coconut cake isn't a coconut cake without a cozy blanket of sweetened, shredded goodness. This cake must be the taste of heaven!
For the cake layers:
1-1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
13-1/2 ounces cake flour (approximately 3-1/4 cups, spooned and swept)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
1-1/4 teaspoons table salt
1 (13-1/2 ounce) can coconut milk
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons stirred, sweetened cream of coconut (such as Coco Lopez)
5 egg whites
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 teaspoons pure coconut extract
10-1/2 ounces granulated sugar (approximately 1-1/4 cups, spooned and swept)
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 large eggs
For the coconut filling:
1-1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, cubed
1-1/4 cups heavy cream
3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
Pinch of kosher salt
For the coconut frosting:
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese
2 teaspoons pure coconut extract
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
1 (16 ounce) box confectioners' sugar
3 cups sweetened shredded coconut plus more as needed, for garnish
For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously coat 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with shortening and flour the pan, discarding the excess. (I use Baker's Joy, a shortening spray with flour added. It's fabulous!)
Place shredded coconut in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped coconut, flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the coconut milk, cream of coconut, egg whites, vanilla, and coconut extracts until completely blended.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the sugar and butter on high speed until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low and beat in the three whole eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the coconut milk mixture, to the creamed butter, starting and ending with the flour.
Divide batter equally into the three prepared pans (I use a kitchen scale for accuracy). Bake the layers until they are light golden and set, and come out clean when pricked with a toothpick, approximately 35 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans for 15 minutes. Cut around the edges with a pairing knife and remove the cakes to wire racks. Cool completely before moving forward with the recipe.
For the filling: Place shredded coconut in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped. Set aside.
In a medium to large saucepan, bring butter, cream, and sugar to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted and sugar completely dissolved.
Meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch, water, vanilla bean paste, and a pinch of salt together in a small bowl, then stir the mixture into the saucepan with the cream mixture. Bring cream back to a boil, stirring constantly. Once the mixture returns to a boil, cook for an additional minute or so, until just thickened.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the chopped coconut. Continue stirring for another minute or so to release some of the heat. Transfer the filling to a mixing bowl and cool at room temperature for an hour. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill, stirring occasionally, until cool, 3-4 hours (or overnight).
When ready to assemble the cake, beat the chilled filling with a handheld mixer on high speed until thick, light, and fluffy, approximately 1-2 minutes.
For the frosting: Place butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer) and beat on medium speed until light and creamy. Turn mixer on low and add coconut extract and vanilla bean paste, followed by the confectioners' sugar. Continue beating until smooth, about 3 minutes.
To assemble the cake: Place one cake layer on a large plate or cake stand and coat with half of the coconut filling. Add the second cake layer and cover with the remaining coconut filling. Add the third cake layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake with a crumb coat of coconut frosting, followed by thicker layer. Thoroughly cover the frosted top and sides of the cake with shredded coconut, pressing gently to adhere it to the cake.
Kitchen tip: I recommend breaking this cake into steps—at least baking the cake layers ahead of time. The layers can be made up to three weeks in advance. If making two days in advance or less, just wrap each individual layer tightly in plastic wrap and tuck into a large Ziploc bag. Store the cakes on the counter at room temperature. To store the layers longer than two days (and up to three weeks), wrap a layer of aluminum foil around the layer of plastic wrap before freezing. Allow layers to thaw to room temperature before continuing with the recipe. The frosted cake will keep three or four days in an airtight container.
Savannah Cream Cake
I've had this Savannah Cream Cake recipe bookmarked since the day I received the January 2008 issue of Gourmet magazine, dedicated to all things Southern. Well this, and every other recipe on every other page. But then the magazine got tucked away into an ever-expanding collection of food magazines, never to be seen or heard from again.
While trying to find a home for my magazine collection in our new digs -- besides Walt's recommendation of the recycle bin -- I found myself paging through old issues of Gourmet. A little bit of me was mourning the loss of such a beautiful and inspiring publication, a lot of me was procrastinating from the actual task at hand.
Now reunited with this delicious looking recipe, I just knew it had to be my Easter dessert. Walt and I split the holiday (AM with my parents, PM with his), so I wouldn't be cooking my usual fare, but I doubted anyone would decline my offer to provide the sweets.
I planned ahead and made the Angel Food Cake on Friday night, with the goal to assemble the rest of the creation at my parents house on Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately the baking gods had other things in mind. Not going into (most of) the whiney details, I was pretty much having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
Cocktail in hand, I prepped all of my ingredients (hooray for mise en place!) and set about making the sherry custard. Following the recipe to a tee, I brought the custard to the perfect thickness, taking extra care not to scramble the eggs. I poured the silky delight into a pyrex dish and set it in a water bath to chill to room temp. Then I whipped heavy cream into a fluffy mound and straightened up the kitchen a bit. Okay, that second part was a lie. My mom did the cleaning.
Cream whipped, I was ready to forge ahead. Unfortunately, I went to grab what was formerly known as custard to find what now resembled congealed butter. Apparently the ice bath was toooo cold. Me being me, I even went as far as folding it into the cream while praying for salvation. Nope. After I saw the look on my mom's face, into the trash it went.
Second cocktail in hand, I tried again. With a little rearranging of steps, I was well on my way. New custard made, I was ready to pour in my second gelatin mixture, only to realize my mother had dumped it out in her cleaning madness. Gaw. Let's try this one more time, folks!
At this point, I finally heeded my family's advice and decided to wait until the next morning. If you ever want to start anew, I can't think of a better day than Easter to do it. I woke up with a cake to finish, people. Feeling good and full of pancakes, I whipped and stirred and mixed my way to pure perfection. Sometimes, third time really is a charm -- this Savannah Cream Cake didn't make it through the night.
(PS - The instructions below have been modified to make your life easier.)
SAVANNAH CREAM CAKE
Source: Adapted from Elizabeth on 37th and Gourmet Magazine
Yields: 8 - 10 slices
FOR ANGEL FOOD CAKE:
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon cake flour
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 cup sugar, divided
6 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
FOR SHERRY CUSTARD:
1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin (from a 1/4 oz. envelope)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water, divided
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
2 large egg yolks
1/4 cup cream sherry
FOR THE FROSTING:
1 cup chilled heavy cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Splash pure vanilla extract
EQUIPMENT:
10 x 4-1/2 inch (16 cup) tube pan (preferably with a removable bottom)
9 inch springform pan
MAKE CAKE: Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in middle.
Sift together flour, nutmeg, and 1/4 cup sugar 3 times. Beat egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer until frothy, then add cream of tartar and salt and continue beating until whites barely hold soft peaks. Beat in remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time. Add vanilla and beat until whites just hold soft peaks.
Sift one fourth of flour mixture over whites and fold in gently but thoroughly, then sift and fold in in remaining flour mixture, all at once, in same manner. Spoon into ungreased tube pan and smooth top (pan will not be full), then rap pan on counter twice to eliminate any air bubbles.
Bake until springy to the touch and a wooden pick comes out clean, about 30 minutes. If pan has feet, invert it on a work surface; otherwise, invert it over a long necked bottle. Cool cake completely, about 30 minutes.
Run a thin knife in a sawing motion around edges of pan and tube to loosen cake. Cut cake with a serrated knife into 1-inch cubes.
MAKE SHERRY CUSTARD: Butter bottom and sides of springform pan, then line bottom with parchment paper.
Combine gelatin and 1/4 cup of water in a small bowl. Heat mixture in microwave, 10 seconds increments at a time, stirring after each increment, in order to dissolve gelatin (about 20 - 30 seconds). Set aside.
Beat cream, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons sugar in a large bowl until mixture just holds soft peaks. Chill.
Beat yolks with an electric mixer until very pale. With mixer at low speed, add sherry, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and remaining 2 tablespoons water. Cook mixture in a small heavy sauce pan over low to medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until very thick and you can see "ribbons" when you run a spoon through.
Remove from heat and whisk in gelatin mixture until dissolved. Quick chill by putting sauce pan in an ice bath and stirring for one to two minutes. Remove from ice bath and cool mixture to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
Fold in sherry mixture to whipped cream mixture gently but thoroughly, then fold in cake cubes. Transfer to springform pan and smooth top. Chill, covered with plastic wrap until set (at least 4 hours).
Run a thin knife around cake and remove side of pan.
MAKE FROSTING: Beat cream with sugar using an electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks. Frost cake.
Source: Adapted from Elizabeth on 37th and Gourmet Magazine
Yields: 8 - 10 slices
FOR ANGEL FOOD CAKE:
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon cake flour
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 cup sugar, divided
6 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
FOR SHERRY CUSTARD:
1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin (from a 1/4 oz. envelope)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water, divided
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
2 large egg yolks
1/4 cup cream sherry
FOR THE FROSTING:
1 cup chilled heavy cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Splash pure vanilla extract
EQUIPMENT:
10 x 4-1/2 inch (16 cup) tube pan (preferably with a removable bottom)
9 inch springform pan
MAKE CAKE: Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in middle.
Sift together flour, nutmeg, and 1/4 cup sugar 3 times. Beat egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer until frothy, then add cream of tartar and salt and continue beating until whites barely hold soft peaks. Beat in remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time. Add vanilla and beat until whites just hold soft peaks.
Sift one fourth of flour mixture over whites and fold in gently but thoroughly, then sift and fold in in remaining flour mixture, all at once, in same manner. Spoon into ungreased tube pan and smooth top (pan will not be full), then rap pan on counter twice to eliminate any air bubbles.
Bake until springy to the touch and a wooden pick comes out clean, about 30 minutes. If pan has feet, invert it on a work surface; otherwise, invert it over a long necked bottle. Cool cake completely, about 30 minutes.
Run a thin knife in a sawing motion around edges of pan and tube to loosen cake. Cut cake with a serrated knife into 1-inch cubes.
MAKE SHERRY CUSTARD: Butter bottom and sides of springform pan, then line bottom with parchment paper.
Combine gelatin and 1/4 cup of water in a small bowl. Heat mixture in microwave, 10 seconds increments at a time, stirring after each increment, in order to dissolve gelatin (about 20 - 30 seconds). Set aside.
Beat cream, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons sugar in a large bowl until mixture just holds soft peaks. Chill.
Beat yolks with an electric mixer until very pale. With mixer at low speed, add sherry, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and remaining 2 tablespoons water. Cook mixture in a small heavy sauce pan over low to medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until very thick and you can see "ribbons" when you run a spoon through.
Remove from heat and whisk in gelatin mixture until dissolved. Quick chill by putting sauce pan in an ice bath and stirring for one to two minutes. Remove from ice bath and cool mixture to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
Fold in sherry mixture to whipped cream mixture gently but thoroughly, then fold in cake cubes. Transfer to springform pan and smooth top. Chill, covered with plastic wrap until set (at least 4 hours).
Run a thin knife around cake and remove side of pan.
MAKE FROSTING: Beat cream with sugar using an electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks. Frost cake.
