Chocolate Applesauce Cake

Chocolate Applesauce Cake

Source: Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2006 ed.), pg. 79.

You will have to forgive me for veering slightly off track with this recipe. I normally make everything exactly as written. There is a popular recipe website that I refer to often and I always read the user reviews because they have helpful tips from people who have actually made the recipe. Often, however, a person will have changed so many ingredients that it no longer resembles the original recipe. It drives me nuts!

I made 2 changes for this and I feel they are slight ones. First, I decided to use chocolate chips instead of raisins. So many of Maida's recipe call for raisins but after all the holiday baking, I was sick of them. The second change made me wary but I decided to cut the sugar back and substitute applesauce. I do this on other non-Maida recipes and it works fine. This recipe calls for 2 cups of sugar (a lot!), so I used 1 1/4 cups of sugar and 3/4 cups applesauce. Of course, this is additional applesauce with the 2 cups already called for. In all, 2 3/4 cups applesauce. The recipe supplied below, however, is the original recipe as supplied in the book. Do with it what you will.

The results were spectacular. Like she says in the introduction, this is a very moist, pudding-like cake that slices beautifully. I've even made super thin slices from it and there is no crumbling or collapsing whatsoever. The cake has a mild chocolate-y flavor and it is not overly sweet. Now, if you use the 2 cups of sugar called for, perhaps it would be sweeter? Not sure - if you make it with all the sugar, let me know. It was sweet enough for me and you also get the slight kick from the cinnamon and nutmeg.

And, as for the chocolate chips, they provided occasional soft spots with chocolatey goodness. I liked it!

3 oz. raisins
1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 cup plus 1 TBS. unsweetened cocoa (preferably Dutch process)
6 oz (1 1/2 sticks) butter
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 cups walnuts or pecans, in medium-sized pieces
Optional: Confectioners sugar for garnishing

Preheat the oven to 350. Butter a plain tube pan that measures 10 inches across and line the bottom with parchment paper. (Note: I used a Bundt pan for this and did not line in, just sprayed it with a baking spray and heavily dusted it with bread crumbs. I had no issues with sticking).

Cover the raisins with boiling water and let them stand for about 5 minutes. (Or you can skip this step and use chocolate chips!)

Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cocoa powder. Set aside.

Cream the butter and add the sugar, beating well.  Add the eggs one at a time. Beat at high speed for one minute after adding the last egg.

Lower the speed and slowly add the sifted dry mixture in three additions, alternating it with the applesauce. The mixture will have a curdled look.

Remove from the mixer and stir in the nuts and the raisins. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 70-85 minutes. The cake will come away from the sides and spring back lightly when pressed when it is done. 

Cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack and carefully remove the cake from the pan and allow it to cool completely. 

Sprinkle with confectioners sugar, if desired.

Yum

Original Kentucky Whiskey Cake

Original Kentucky Whiskey Cake (Source: Maida Heatter's Cakes (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed., pg. 157).

One of the best cakes I made during the holidays was this one. I had my doubts at first - I had never heard of wrapping a cake in a bourbon-soaked handkerchief before - but since starting this blog almost ten years ago (!), I am still coming across unusual techniques in Maida's recipes.

I first saw this recipe in Maida Heatter's New Book of Great Desserts and in that book, it fails to give the baking time. It is reprinted in Maida Heatter's Cakes which does - it is 300 degrees. There is also a "Kentucky Cake" as well as several whiskey cakes so it gets a bit confusing - this is the Original Kentucky Whiskey Cake.

I used both dark and golden raisins and I soaked them in the bourbon one day in advance. She says to use a jar with a tight lid but I just put them in a bowl wrapped in plastic. You can also soak the raisins up to one week in advance. 

This is a cake to think about ahead of time - in addition to soaking the raisins, it needs to sit for a few days after it is finished.

4 1/2 cups dark and light (or all dark) raisins
1 cup bourbon
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
8 oz. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 tsp. powdered nutmeg (or 1 fresh nutmeg)
2 cups granulated sugar
6 eggs, separated
5 cups pecan halves

Soak the raisins in the bourbon  a day (or week) before baking the cake.

Preheat the oven to 300. Use a 10x4 inch tub pan (either a one-piece or two-piece pan is fine). Butter or spray the pan and line the bottom with parchment - butter it as well and dust with fine bread crumbs.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and 1/4 tsp. of salt and set aside.

Beat the butter until softened and add the nutmeg and 1 3/4 cup of sugar (reserving 1/4). Beat for 5 minutes until creamy. Add the egg yolks and beat for a few minutes. 

Add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients, beating only until mixed. 

Mix in half of the raisins and the bourbon that was not absorbed. Add another 1/3 of the dry ingredients, the remaining raisins and the remaining dry ingredients until mixed.

Stir in the nuts.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with the reserved 1/4 tsp. of salt until the hold a shape. Add the remaining sugar and beat on high speed until stiff peaks are achieved.

Fold in 1/4 of the whites with a large spatula. Fold in the remaining whites.

Transfer the batter to the pan and smooth the top.

Bake for 2 1/2 hours but begin checking with a tester around the 2 hour mark. If the cake begins to darken too much during the last hour of baking, cover loosely with foil.

Remove from the oven and let it stand for 30 minutes. Invert it on a wire rack and let it cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few days or freeze. You can also wrap it in a napkin that has been soaked with bourbon or stuff a piece of cheesecloth in the center hole, wrap in plastic wrap, and let it age at room temperature.

Yum

Key West Rum Cake

 
Key West Rum Cake (Source: Maida Heatter's Cakes (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed., pg. 37).

Well, this did not turn out to be one  of the most attractive cakes but oh my gosh, is it good! I made it almost two weeks ago, and it is still divine, the remainder wrapped in plastic wrap. If we didn't have a hundred other desserts lying about, I'm sure it would have been long gone. It is still moist but then again, I suppose it should be with almost 1/2 cup of rum soaked into it. 

The cake is also known as "Pirate's Cake". It is similar to a pound cake. After it has baked, you drench it with 2/3 cup of rum. The rum and 2 cups of pecans make the cake very heavy.  I slightly under baked the bake which probably made it even moister but it was done. It didn't slice well though and was a tad messy. A fork (or spoon!) was definitely needed. Now we are just pinching off pieces of it. One bite will satisfy any sweet craving. The combination of the chocolate with the rum and lime juice mixture is divine.

I used a Bundt pan for this but a tube pan might work even better. She says to use a tube pan and I'm not sure why I didn't do that.

Cake

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate
8 oz. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 cups toasted pecans

Rum Syrup

1/2 cup water
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup light rum
1 TBS. lime juice

Preheat the oven to 325. Butter or spray a large tube pan (13-14 cup capacity) and dust with bread crumbs.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Melt both the semi-sweet and the unsweetened chocolate in a double-boiler over hot water. Set aside.

Beat the butter until soft and add the vanilla and almond extracts. 

Add the sugar...

Add the eggs, one at a time, until mixed.

Add the sifted dry ingredients on low speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Remove one cup of the batter and place it in a separate bowl -

To this batter, add the baking soda -

and the melted chocolate - mix well

Using a spoon, place dollops of the batter you just mixed into the prepared pan -

Smooth it out with the back of the spoon -

Now, return to the remaining batter and add the pecans to it -

Spread the second batter over the chocolate batter and smooth it out -

Bake for 1 hour or until a tester comes out clean from the center. 

While the cake is baking, prepare the rum syrup:

Stir the water and sugar in a saucepan, bringing it to a boil over medium heat. Let it boil for 5 minutes without stirring. Remove from the heat and let it cool completely. Then stir in the rum and the lime juice.

When the cake is done, leave it in the pan and brush the hot syrup over the cake until it is all absorbed.

Invert the cake onto a cooling rack and remove it from the pan while it is still warm.

Cool completely before cutting.

Chocolate Pear Cake

© 2019 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

© 2019 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

Chocolate and pears make an excellent combination in this irresistibly moist, rich and indulgent cake. It's mildly sweetened with a mix of coconut sugar and erythritol. A perfect cake to entertain or end a satisfying dinner.

45 g Unsweetened cocoa powder, lightly alkalized 5 g Espresso powder 10 g Baking powder 150 g Refined spelt flour 80 g Ground hazelnut 150 g Butter, slightly softened 50 g Coconut sugar 100 g Erythritol granules Pinch of sea salt 3 Large eggs, room-temperature 1 tsp Vanilla extract 100 ml Whipping cream, room-temperature 5 Small ripe pears, peeled

1. Grease and line a 10-inch / 26cm springform pan with parchment paper. Sift the cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder and spelt flour into a mixing bowl. Stir in ground hazelnut. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
   
2. Cream the softened butter, coconut sugar and erythritol granules together for 5 minutes with a pinch of salt, then beat in the eggs one by one and vanilla extract.
   
3. Add in half of the flour mixture, roughly stir to combine. Pour in whipping cream and mix briefly. Now stir in the rest of the flour mixture until combined and smooth.
   
4. Scrape the batter into the cake tin and level the surface. Peel the pears and place them in the batter. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Check the cake with a skewer. If it comes out clean it is ready, if not give it a few more minutes in the oven.
   
5. Drizzle with melted chocolate and garnish with the sprinkles if desired.

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2019 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2019 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

Irish Whiskey Chocolate Cake

Irish Whiskey Chocolate Cake
Source: Maida Heatter's Best Dessert Book Ever (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 64.

Some days nothing goes right for you and the day I made this cake was one of those. I am convinced that planetary alignments or some other phenonema sometimes affect a person and no matter how careful you are, you are doomed to failure. 

Such was the case a few days ago. It was too rainy and dreary to be out in the garden so I thought I would work on updating some photos that had been lost on my blog. Technical issues as well as the sheer burden of the job prompted me to abandon that and go into the kitchen for some baking.

I proceeded as carefully as I could - I measured and set out all the ingredients and read the recipe completely before beginning. The first gaffaw happened after I was getting ready to pour the batter into the pan and realized that I had forgotten the flour mixture somewhere along the way. I reread the recipe and saw that it should have been added a few steps beforehand. There was nothing to do about this but go ahead and add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and hope for the best. It actually still looked good.

I was ready to bake and realized that I had been waiting quite a long time for the oven to beep to indicate that it had preheated. I checked the dial - it was turned to 350. I opened the oven door and the inside was cold as a wedge. A few weeks ago, we experienced a problem with the oven taking a very long time to preheat. We had the ignitor element replaced and it had been working well again. That is, until now and it was not heating at all. 

The only option, aside from throwing the whole thing in the garbage and going back to bed, was to bake it in the toaster oven which I've never used for baking. To make this even more trickier, the cake needed to be in a water bath (inside another pan) and she says that there is no way to test it and that you just have to bake it at the temperature and time recommended. Perfect.

Lo and behold, after exactly 30 minutes, the cake came out of the toaster oven looking and smelling divine. I let it sit for 10 minutes before attempting to flip it onto a wire rack. This is when the gods decided that I had not suffered enough. The rack on the bottom slipped, the cake dropped out of its pan, landing about halfway on the rack and halfway off. Maida had mentioned that this was a fragile cake and indeed it is. The part that landed off the rack crumbled into several pieces.

I was heartbroken but the cake was edible and I even managed to get a slice for the photo above. After the debacle, would you believe the cake was delicious? Michael said that it was one of her best. It is very moist and boozy and very sublime. As you can see in the photo below, it actually did not get quite done along the edges but that only happened on one side and was minimal. 

So, this is a cake to try again some day but not on a day when everything is going wrong. Michael wondered how this would taste with rum instead of whiskey. I have no idea but it may be worth a try. 

Disaster!

4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4-6 pieces
4 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped or broken
1/2 cup Irish whiskey
1 cup minus 2 tablespoons sifted unbleached flour
3 TBS. unsweetened cocoa (preferably Dutch-process)
3 large eggs, separated
1 cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt 

Preheat the oven to 350. Use a 9 x 2 inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper. Butter or spray the pan and the paper. 

Place the butter and the chocolate pieces in a double boiler over barely simmering water and stir occasionally until it has melted. (I bring the water to a boil and then turn off the heat to do this). Set it aside to cool.

 

Sift the flour and cocoa together and set aside.

Beat the eggs with 2/3 cup of sugar (reserving the remaining 1/3) for several minutes until they are pale in color.

Add the melted chocolate.

Add the whiskey and the sifted dry ingredients. Remove the bowl from the mixer. You will need a separate bowl to whip the egg whites.

In a clean mixing bowl, beat the egg whites with the salt until they hold a shape. On medium speed, add the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar and beat until stiff. Use the whisk attachment to do this (it also helps to put both the bowl and the whisk in the freezer for 5 or 10 minutes before using).

Add the egg whites to the chocolate mixture and fold it in just until the streaks disappear.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Place the pan in a slightly larger pan. Place it in the oven and pour hot water in the wider pan. 

Bake for 30 minutes.There isn't a way to test the cake so bake for 30 minutes exactly at 350 degrees.

Remove the cake from the oven and let it stand for 10 minutes. Cover with a wire rack and invert it onto another rack. Remove the pan and the parchment lining. Let the cake completely cool to room temperature.

This is a delicate cake so before cutting it, it is best to place it in the freezer for about 15 minutes.