When you need to bring a dessert to a party, turn to this excellent coffee cake recipe. You save time by using a couple cups of a commercial quick baking mix, but you do not sacrifice any flavor. The braided look that you create by folding over the strips of dough results in an attractive cake that looks much more difficult to create than it actually was. With beauty and good taste, this orange cream cheese coffee cake makes friends in all social situations.
You will need:
1 3-ounce package cream cheese
1/4 cup firm margarine or butter
2-1/2 cups baking mix, like Bisquik, Jiffy, or homemade biscuit dry ingredients.
1/2 cup orange juice
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup orange marmalade
Preheat the oven for 400 degrees F and have a large cookie sheet ready. Measure out the baking mix and then cut the 3-ounce package of cream cheese and 1/4 cup of margarine or butter into the baking mix. Use a pastry cutter or electric mixer to do this. Next add the orange juice to the baking mix and stir until dough forms. Then empty dough onto surface dusted with baking mix and knead about 10 times. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it is approximately a rectangle of 15 x 9 inches. Place dough rectangle onto large cookie sheet.
For the filling, mix the soft 8-ounce package of cream cheese with the marmalade until it is well blended and has nice smooth consistency. Spread this filling down the center of the dough rectangle leaving at least 2 to 3 inches of uncovered dough on each long side of the rectangle. Then cut lines 1 inch apart through the bare dough along the long sides of the dough rectangle perpendicular to the filling. Fold these 1-inch strips of dough over the filling, overlapping each strip with a strip from the other side of the dough. The effect will be that you are covering the filling with a braid of dough. Pinch shut the ends of the braid so everything is sealed up.
Bake the coffee cake for about 20 minutes until it is golden brown. Cool the coffee cake completely. Then you are ready to drizzle with a chocolate glaze made of:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons cocoa
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 4 teaspoons of milk.
Stir these glaze ingredients together thoroughly until they are smooth and runny.
This coffee cake is best the first day, as is the case for most coffee cakes, but remains quite delicious if you have leftovers. Be sure to put leftovers in the refrigerator because the cream cheese filling should not stay out at room temperature for an extended period.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Dessert Cake Recipe - Let Them Eat Chocolate Cake
Baking a really good chocolate cake from scratch is not difficult. Anyone with rudimentary skills in the kitchen can manage it. Cake mixes are good, but with a little extra effort, you can make a cake the old fashioned way and really have a special dessert. About the only difference from using a mix is that you have to spend a couple minutes assembling the ingredients and then you are just blending it in a big bowl with an electric mixer.
In this chocolate cake recipe, you can use either cocoa powder or melt squares of unsweetened chocolate. This versatility adds to the convenience of the dessert recipe because you can use either form of baking chocolate, depending on what happens to be in the cupboard. Although you can also use either all-purpose flour or cake flour, a cake made with cake flour will have a finer and softer texture. Don't worry if you only have all-purpose flour. Your cake will still turn out fine.
When you go shopping for the ingredients, keep in mind that a good chocolate cake, or any chocolate dessert, starts with selecting a good chocolate. Going upscale, especially with something from Europe, is definitely worth the extra couple bucks. Common products from Hershey's or Nestle are just adequate, not great.
Chocolate cake recipe ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour or cake flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate melted and cooled OR 2/3 cup cocoa powder
Select the type of cake pan that you wish to use for baking. You can choose from two or three round 8 or 9 inch pans, bundt cake pan, or 13 x 9 inch rectangular pan. With shortening or butter grease your pan and then dust with flour. This ensures that the cake will not stick and comes out of the pans easily.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. If using chocolate squares, melt them on very low heat or use a double boiler and then let the chocolate cool. If using the cocoa powder you can mix it in immediately with the other dry ingredients.
Assemble the dry ingredients into a bowl and then add the buttermilk, water, vanilla, oil, and eggs (and melted chocolate if that is what you are using). With an electric mixer, beat on high for 3 minutes until the batter has a smooth consistency with no lumps. If you don't have an electric mixer, use a large spoon or whisk and stir hard until batter is smooth.
Pour the batter into pans and bake according to these guidelines:
Round cake pans: 35 minutes
Bundt pan: 55 minutes
Rectangular pan: 45 minutes
Bake until a wooden toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean. If cake is still gooey bake another five or ten minutes, but you do not want the cake to get too dry. When baking is done, cool the cake in its pan or pans. When pans are cool to the touch, you can invert the pans and remove the cakes. Use a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake if necessary.
Once the cake is completely cool, select the type of frosting you want to use. It is important to make sure that the cake is not the least bit warm before frosting because this will heat the frosting and make it sloppy.
In this chocolate cake recipe, you can use either cocoa powder or melt squares of unsweetened chocolate. This versatility adds to the convenience of the dessert recipe because you can use either form of baking chocolate, depending on what happens to be in the cupboard. Although you can also use either all-purpose flour or cake flour, a cake made with cake flour will have a finer and softer texture. Don't worry if you only have all-purpose flour. Your cake will still turn out fine.
When you go shopping for the ingredients, keep in mind that a good chocolate cake, or any chocolate dessert, starts with selecting a good chocolate. Going upscale, especially with something from Europe, is definitely worth the extra couple bucks. Common products from Hershey's or Nestle are just adequate, not great.
Chocolate cake recipe ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour or cake flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate melted and cooled OR 2/3 cup cocoa powder
Select the type of cake pan that you wish to use for baking. You can choose from two or three round 8 or 9 inch pans, bundt cake pan, or 13 x 9 inch rectangular pan. With shortening or butter grease your pan and then dust with flour. This ensures that the cake will not stick and comes out of the pans easily.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. If using chocolate squares, melt them on very low heat or use a double boiler and then let the chocolate cool. If using the cocoa powder you can mix it in immediately with the other dry ingredients.
Assemble the dry ingredients into a bowl and then add the buttermilk, water, vanilla, oil, and eggs (and melted chocolate if that is what you are using). With an electric mixer, beat on high for 3 minutes until the batter has a smooth consistency with no lumps. If you don't have an electric mixer, use a large spoon or whisk and stir hard until batter is smooth.
Pour the batter into pans and bake according to these guidelines:
Round cake pans: 35 minutes
Bundt pan: 55 minutes
Rectangular pan: 45 minutes
Bake until a wooden toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean. If cake is still gooey bake another five or ten minutes, but you do not want the cake to get too dry. When baking is done, cool the cake in its pan or pans. When pans are cool to the touch, you can invert the pans and remove the cakes. Use a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake if necessary.
Once the cake is completely cool, select the type of frosting you want to use. It is important to make sure that the cake is not the least bit warm before frosting because this will heat the frosting and make it sloppy.
Italian Cream Dessert Cake Recipe - Delicious Dessert Recipes
Are you looking for an excellent dessert to follow the perfect Italian meal, romantic wedding cake, or just a recipe to break the chocolate cake monotony? If so, you definitely want to consider an Italian cream cake recipe.
Cake Ingredients:
2 cups of white sugar
6 large room temperature eggs.
Cooking spray
1/2 cup of unsalted butter
2 cups of all purpose flour
1tsp of baking soda
1 cup of low fat or regular buttermilk
1/2 cup of coarsely chopped pecans
1 tsp of real almond extract
1 tsp of real coconut extract
1 tsp of real vanilla extract
1/2 cup of sweetened flaked coconut
1 tsp of salt
Cream Cheese Icing Ingredients:
4 oz of unsalted butter
4 cups of powdered sugar
1 tsp of real vanilla extract
8 oz of cream cheese
One cup of pecans (toasted or un-toasted)
Italian Cream Cake Recipe Directions
The Icing:
Step One: Combine butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and cream cheese in a medium bowl.
Step Two: Beat the ingredients until light and creamy( about three minutes.) Be careful not to over beat, or the icing will be too runny.
Step Three: Set the nuts aside. They will be used at the end.
Step Four: Cover and refrigerate the icing.
Note: Do not add nuts to the icing. It will make the icing very difficult to spread.
The Cake:
Step One: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Step Two: Evenly spray 3 (9 inch) round cake pans with the cooking spray.
Step Three: Dust the pans with flour, and then shake off excess flour.
Step Four: Set the pans aside.
Step Five: In a large bowl, combine sugar and butter. Use an electric mixer to beat on medium speed; until it is an even creamy consistency.
Step Six: Separate egg yolks and whites. Reserve the egg whites for use in a moment.
Step Seven: Add one egg yolk and beat the mixture well. Add another egg yolk and beat the mixture well. *You will only use two of the egg yolks.
Step Eight: In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt, and baking soda.
Step Nine: Add the 1/4 of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, and mix well.
Step Ten: Add 1/4 of the buttermilk, and mix well.
Step Eleven: Continue to alternate flour and buttermilk, until all of it is used.
Step Twelve: Stir in the vanilla, coconut, and almond extracts.
Step Thirteen: Stir in the pecans and coconut.
Step Fourteen: Use an electric mixer to beat the egg whites on high speed, until a stiff peak forms. Be careful not to over beat.
Step Fifteen: Gently fold egg whites into batter.
Step Sixteen: Pour batter into pans.
Step Seventeen: Bake for 23 minutes.
Step Eighteen: Let the pans cool for 10 minutes. Then, gently remove cake from pans.
Icing The Cake:
Step One: Line a plate or cake dish with wax paper. You can use one of the pans to trace a circle for the exact size.
Step Two: Place one layer on the plate, and ice with ¼ of the icing. Repeat with each layer.
Step Three: Use the final 1/4 of the icing to ice the sides of the cake.
Step Four: Sprinkle the pecans on the top of the cake and along the sides. You can use a piece of wax paper to press the pecans into the icing.
It may sound a little tedious, but this Italian cream cake recipe is well worth it!
Cake Ingredients:
2 cups of white sugar
6 large room temperature eggs.
Cooking spray
1/2 cup of unsalted butter
2 cups of all purpose flour
1tsp of baking soda
1 cup of low fat or regular buttermilk
1/2 cup of coarsely chopped pecans
1 tsp of real almond extract
1 tsp of real coconut extract
1 tsp of real vanilla extract
1/2 cup of sweetened flaked coconut
1 tsp of salt
Cream Cheese Icing Ingredients:
4 oz of unsalted butter
4 cups of powdered sugar
1 tsp of real vanilla extract
8 oz of cream cheese
One cup of pecans (toasted or un-toasted)
Italian Cream Cake Recipe Directions
The Icing:
Step One: Combine butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and cream cheese in a medium bowl.
Step Two: Beat the ingredients until light and creamy( about three minutes.) Be careful not to over beat, or the icing will be too runny.
Step Three: Set the nuts aside. They will be used at the end.
Step Four: Cover and refrigerate the icing.
Note: Do not add nuts to the icing. It will make the icing very difficult to spread.
The Cake:
Step One: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Step Two: Evenly spray 3 (9 inch) round cake pans with the cooking spray.
Step Three: Dust the pans with flour, and then shake off excess flour.
Step Four: Set the pans aside.
Step Five: In a large bowl, combine sugar and butter. Use an electric mixer to beat on medium speed; until it is an even creamy consistency.
Step Six: Separate egg yolks and whites. Reserve the egg whites for use in a moment.
Step Seven: Add one egg yolk and beat the mixture well. Add another egg yolk and beat the mixture well. *You will only use two of the egg yolks.
Step Eight: In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt, and baking soda.
Step Nine: Add the 1/4 of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, and mix well.
Step Ten: Add 1/4 of the buttermilk, and mix well.
Step Eleven: Continue to alternate flour and buttermilk, until all of it is used.
Step Twelve: Stir in the vanilla, coconut, and almond extracts.
Step Thirteen: Stir in the pecans and coconut.
Step Fourteen: Use an electric mixer to beat the egg whites on high speed, until a stiff peak forms. Be careful not to over beat.
Step Fifteen: Gently fold egg whites into batter.
Step Sixteen: Pour batter into pans.
Step Seventeen: Bake for 23 minutes.
Step Eighteen: Let the pans cool for 10 minutes. Then, gently remove cake from pans.
Icing The Cake:
Step One: Line a plate or cake dish with wax paper. You can use one of the pans to trace a circle for the exact size.
Step Two: Place one layer on the plate, and ice with ¼ of the icing. Repeat with each layer.
Step Three: Use the final 1/4 of the icing to ice the sides of the cake.
Step Four: Sprinkle the pecans on the top of the cake and along the sides. You can use a piece of wax paper to press the pecans into the icing.
It may sound a little tedious, but this Italian cream cake recipe is well worth it!
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