Home Party Dessert Recipe
4/25/2014
Carrot Layer Cake
(for Cake)
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 1/2 t ground cinnamon
3/4 t ground nutmeg
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ground cloves
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
a t vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups shredded carrots
2/3 cups dried currants
(for Frosting)
16 T unsalted butter, softened
3 cups confectioner's sugar
1/3 cup buttermilk powder
2 t vanilla extract
1/4 t salt
12 oz cream cheese, chilled and cut into 12 equal pieces
2 cups pecans, toasted and chopped coarse
>how to make<
(for Cake)
*Aduust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
*Grease 18" x 13" rimmed baking sheet, line with parchment paper, and grease parchment.
*Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and cloves together in large bowl.
*Whiks sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla together until mixture is smooth.
*Stir in carrots and currants.
*Add flour mixture and fold with rubber spatula until mixture is just combhined.
*Transfer batter to prepared baking sheet and smooth surface with offset spatula.
*Bake until center of cake is firm to touch, 15~18 minutes.
*Cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes.
*Invert cake onto wire rack (do not remove parchment) and then reinvert onto second wire rack.
*Cool cake completely, about 30 minutes.
(for Frosting)
*Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter, sugar, buttermilk powder, vanilla, and salt on low speed until smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed.
*Increase speed to medium-low; add cream cheese, 1 piece at a time; and mix until smooth, about 2 minutes.
*Transfer cooled cake to cutting boared, parchment side down.
*Using sharp chef's knife, cut cake and parchment in half crosswise and then lengthwise to make 4 equal rectangles, about 6" x 8" each.
*Place 6" x 8" cardboard rectangle on cake turntable or plate.
*Place 1 cake rectangle, parchment side up, on cardboard and carefully remove parchment.
*Using offset spatula, spread 2/3 cup frosting evenly over cake layer.
*Repeat with two more layers of cake, frosting each layer with 2/3 cup frosting and pressing gently on each layer to level.
*Place last rectangle of cake on top and frost top of cake with 1 cup frosting.
*Use remaining frosting to coat sides of cake.
*Hold cake with 1 hand and gently press chopped pecans onto sides with other hand.
*Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
Note: I found this recipe in "Cook's Illustrated".
(for Cake)
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 1/2 t ground cinnamon
3/4 t ground nutmeg
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ground cloves
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
a t vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups shredded carrots
2/3 cups dried currants
(for Frosting)
16 T unsalted butter, softened
3 cups confectioner's sugar
1/3 cup buttermilk powder
2 t vanilla extract
1/4 t salt
12 oz cream cheese, chilled and cut into 12 equal pieces
2 cups pecans, toasted and chopped coarse
>how to make<
(for Cake)
*Aduust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
*Grease 18" x 13" rimmed baking sheet, line with parchment paper, and grease parchment.
*Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and cloves together in large bowl.
*Whiks sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla together until mixture is smooth.
*Stir in carrots and currants.
*Add flour mixture and fold with rubber spatula until mixture is just combhined.
*Transfer batter to prepared baking sheet and smooth surface with offset spatula.
*Bake until center of cake is firm to touch, 15~18 minutes.
*Cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes.
*Invert cake onto wire rack (do not remove parchment) and then reinvert onto second wire rack.
*Cool cake completely, about 30 minutes.
(for Frosting)
*Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter, sugar, buttermilk powder, vanilla, and salt on low speed until smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed.
*Increase speed to medium-low; add cream cheese, 1 piece at a time; and mix until smooth, about 2 minutes.
*Transfer cooled cake to cutting boared, parchment side down.
*Using sharp chef's knife, cut cake and parchment in half crosswise and then lengthwise to make 4 equal rectangles, about 6" x 8" each.
*Place 6" x 8" cardboard rectangle on cake turntable or plate.
*Place 1 cake rectangle, parchment side up, on cardboard and carefully remove parchment.
*Using offset spatula, spread 2/3 cup frosting evenly over cake layer.
*Repeat with two more layers of cake, frosting each layer with 2/3 cup frosting and pressing gently on each layer to level.
*Place last rectangle of cake on top and frost top of cake with 1 cup frosting.
*Use remaining frosting to coat sides of cake.
*Hold cake with 1 hand and gently press chopped pecans onto sides with other hand.
*Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
Note: I found this recipe in "Cook's Illustrated".
4/10/2014
Banana Coconut Rum Cake
(for cake)
2 cups cake flour
2 1/4 t baking powder
1/8 t baking soda
1/8 t salt
10 T unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1 T vanilla extract
1/2 cup plus 2 T milk, room temperature
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas
1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
3 large egg whites, room temperature
(for frosting)
1.5 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup mashed very ripe bananas
4 T dark rum
1 T vanilla extract
1 t lemon juice
(for assembling)
1.5 cups sweetened shredded coconut
>how to make<
(for cake)
*Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
*Butter and flour two 8" diameter cake pans.
*Sift flour, baking powder, soda and salt into medium bowl.
*Cream butter and sugar in large bowl until light.
*Add yolks and vanilla and beat until combined.
*Gradually beat in dry ingredients alternately with milk and bananas in 3 additions each.
*Continue beating 2 minutes.
*Beat in coconut.
*Using electric mixer fitted with clean dry beaters, beat whites in medium bowl to medium-stiff peaks.
*Gently fold whites into batter in 2 additions.
*Divide batter between prepared pans.
*Bake until cakes are just golden and tester inserted into center of each comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
*Cool cakes in pans on rack 10 minutes.
*Run small sharp knife around pan sides to loosen cakes if neccessary.
*Turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely.
(for frosting)
*Cream butter in large bowl until light.
*Sift half of sugar over and beat until fluffy.
*Add mashed bananas, 1 T rum, vanilla extract and lemon juice and beat to combine.
*Sift remaining half of sugar over and beat until thick.
(for assembling)
*Place 1 cake layer on plate.
*Pierce cake all over with tip of knife.
*Sprinkle 1.5 T rum over cake.
*Spread 1.5 cups frosting over.
*Top with second cake layer.
*Pierce cake all over with tip of knife.
*Drizzle remaining 1.5 T rum over.
*Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake.
*Press coconut onto top and sides of cake, covering completely.
-serves 10-
(for cake)
2 cups cake flour
2 1/4 t baking powder
1/8 t baking soda
1/8 t salt
10 T unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1 T vanilla extract
1/2 cup plus 2 T milk, room temperature
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas
1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
3 large egg whites, room temperature
(for frosting)
1.5 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup mashed very ripe bananas
4 T dark rum
1 T vanilla extract
1 t lemon juice
(for assembling)
1.5 cups sweetened shredded coconut
>how to make<
(for cake)
*Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
*Butter and flour two 8" diameter cake pans.
*Sift flour, baking powder, soda and salt into medium bowl.
*Cream butter and sugar in large bowl until light.
*Add yolks and vanilla and beat until combined.
*Gradually beat in dry ingredients alternately with milk and bananas in 3 additions each.
*Continue beating 2 minutes.
*Beat in coconut.
*Using electric mixer fitted with clean dry beaters, beat whites in medium bowl to medium-stiff peaks.
*Gently fold whites into batter in 2 additions.
*Divide batter between prepared pans.
*Bake until cakes are just golden and tester inserted into center of each comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
*Cool cakes in pans on rack 10 minutes.
*Run small sharp knife around pan sides to loosen cakes if neccessary.
*Turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely.
(for frosting)
*Cream butter in large bowl until light.
*Sift half of sugar over and beat until fluffy.
*Add mashed bananas, 1 T rum, vanilla extract and lemon juice and beat to combine.
*Sift remaining half of sugar over and beat until thick.
(for assembling)
*Place 1 cake layer on plate.
*Pierce cake all over with tip of knife.
*Sprinkle 1.5 T rum over cake.
*Spread 1.5 cups frosting over.
*Top with second cake layer.
*Pierce cake all over with tip of knife.
*Drizzle remaining 1.5 T rum over.
*Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake.
*Press coconut onto top and sides of cake, covering completely.
-serves 10-
Labels: banana cake recipe, banana coconut rum cake recipe, coconut cake recipe, layer cake recipe
