Southern California Cooking from the Cottage (25 page)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1
cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
cup buttermilk
2 cups chopped walnuts
2 cups Caramel Frosting (page 205)
Preheat the oven to 375
o
F. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Using an electric mixer beat the shortening with the sugar on high until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Add the bananas and vanilla, beating for 2 more minutes. In a small bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to the banana mixture, alternating with the buttermilk and beating well after each addition. Stir in the walnuts. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 25 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes in the pans. Transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Ice with the Caramel Frosting.
MAKES 10 SERVINGS
CARROT CAKE
C
arrot cake is a favorite for bridal luncheons and book club gatherings. We serve it with a traditional cream cheese frosting that has a hint of cinnamon.
2 cups sugar
1½ cups canola oil
4 eggs
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups grated carrots
½ cup chopped pecans
1 cup raisins
Preheat the oven to 350
o
F. Grease and flour a 13 x 9-inch pan or three 8-inch round cake pans. In a medium bowl cream together the sugar and oil. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. In a small bowl combine the baking soda, baking powder, salt, flour, and cinnamon. Stir into the batter. Add the carrots, pecans, and raisins. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Cool in the pan. Remove from pan and frost with Cream Cheese Frosting (page 204).
MAKES 10 SERVINGS
CHOCOLATE CAKE
E
very restaurant has its own version of chocolate cake. The coffee in ours adds depth to the flavor. I suggest either Fudgy Frosting (page 207) or Caramel Frosting (page 205).
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
cup cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
1 cup milk
1 cup coffee, cooled
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 325
o
F. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, and sugar. Add the oil, milk, and coffee and whisk for 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat for 2 minutes more. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool and frost with Fudgy Frosting (page 207) or Caramel Frosting (page 205).
MAKES 8 SERVINGS
FALLEN CHOCOLATE SOUFFLÃ CAKE
T
he title is right. It looks like a fallen cake. However, the real title should be “Fallen, Decadent, Chocolatey, Light, Great-for-Dessert Cake.” Eggs keep it light, but the flavor is intense.
16 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
(or 8 ounces semisweet plus 8 ounces unsweetened chocolate)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
9 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
Preheat the oven to 350
o
F. Butter and line with parchment paper a 10-inch springform pan. Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler over simmering water. Remove from the heat and cool to a lukewarm temperature. Stir in the vanilla. In a medium bowl beat the egg yolks with the sugar until thick and the color is light. Fold in the cooled chocolate. In a separate bowl beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold into the chocolate mixture. Pour the batter into the springform pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the center is barely set. Cool and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before removing the sides of the pan. This is great with ice cream, whipped cream, or raspberry sauce.
MAKES 10 SERVINGS
ITALIAN POUND CAKE
H
ere's the pound cake we use for Delyn's Raspberry White Chocolate Bread Pudding (page 200) and Strawberry Trifle (page 203). It is moist, dense, and delectable. The recipe comes together fast, and the cake is great to eat either plain, topped with fruit, soaked in liquor, or transformed into Bread Pudding or Trifle.
3 cups all-purpose flour
1½ cups (3 sticks) butter
2¼ cups sugar
6 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Heat the oven to 350
o
F. Grease and flour a Bundt pan. In a large bowl combine the flour, butter, sugar, eggs, sour cream, baking powder, and vanilla. Beat for 10 to 12 minutes. Pour the batter into the Bundt pan and bake for 1½ hours. Cool before removing from the pan.
MAKES 10 SERVINGS
APPLE CAKE
A
pple Cake is easy to make and seems to get better as it sits in the refrigerator during the week. The only problem is that usually it is long gone by week's end.
4 cups peeled, cored, and diced apples
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ cup canola oil
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
teaspoon salt
1½ cups Cream Cheese Frosting (page 204)
Preheat the oven to 350
o
F. Grease and flour a 13 x 9-inch pan. In a large bowl combine the apples, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, oil, and nuts. In a small bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the apple mixture and mix well. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 55 minutes. When the cake has cooled, frost with the cream cheese frosting or just shake some confectioners' sugar on top.
MAKES 12 SERVINGS
CREAMY LEMON CHEESECAKE
C
heesecake is a Cottage staple. We always have one on the menu, and lemon is La Jollans' favorite, especially at ladies luncheons and bridal and baby showers. I think the lemon flavor makes it taste lighter than a traditional cheesecake.
Crust:
1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
½ cup sugar
½ cup melted butter
Filling:
4 egg whites
1 cup sugar
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
Topping:
2 cups sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ cup sugar
Preheat the oven to 350
o
F. For the crust, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in a medium bowl. Press into a 10-inch springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
For the filling, in a deep bowl beat the egg whites until stiff. Beat in the sugar gradually. In a medium mixing bowl beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the lemon juice and blend. Beat in the egg white mixture at low speed. Stir in the lemon zest. Pour the filling into the crust and bake for 25 minutes.
For the topping, in a mixing bowl beat the sour cream, lemon juice, and sugar together. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, carefully spread over the cake. Let cool and then refrigerate.
MAKES 10 SERVINGS
CHOCOLATE VELVET
E
gg whites keep this flourless cake light, and heavy cream makes it smooth. Crème de cacao and coffee powder give it an intense flavor. We serve it chilled with whipped cream.
2 pounds bittersweet chocolate, cut in pieces
6 ounces butter, cut into cubes
1 cup confectioners' sugar
6 egg yolks
¼ cup rum
¼ cup crème de cacao
2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
4 cups whipping cream
6 egg whites
In a medium saucepan melt the chocolate with the butter. Remove from the heat and cool. In a large bowl combine the confectioners' sugar, egg yolks, rum, crème de cacao, and coffee granules. Pour the chocolate into the mixture. In a medium bowl whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into the chocolate mixture. Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until soft peaks form. Fold them into the chocolate mixture. Pour into a 10-inch springform pan. Refrigerate the cake for 3 to 4 hours.
MAKES 10 SERVINGS
CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
M
ost people think that mousse is hard to make. It isn't, but it does take a bit of patience. Make sure when you set up your double boiler that the top pot is not touching the water. If you don't have a double boiler, use a small saucepan on the bottom with water and place a stainless steel mixing bowl inside, making sure it doesn't touch the water. Let the chocolate melt gradually. If you don't hurry, your mousse will turn out delicious.
8 ounces good quality white chocolate
(or 8 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate
and up to ½ cup granulated sugar), coarsley chopped
1 cup heavy cream
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup whipping cream
Combine the chocolate (with sugar if using bittersweet chocolate), heavy cream, and salt in the double boiler over simmering water. Be sure the top pot isn't touching the water. Stir until smooth. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. Whisk in the vanilla. In a medium bowl beat the whipping cream until stiff. Whisk one-fourth of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture and then fold in the remaining whipped cream. Spoon the mousse into glasses and refrigerate for 3 hours or until set.
