cook like james

This cake is so delicious, always a hit with friends and no one can tell that it’s a reduced sugar recipe. It’s one of the many fantastic recipes found in from America’s Test Kitchen cookbooks called Naturally Sweet. Sucanat is not found in many grocery stores and can be ordered online.

Download Reduced Sugar Chocolate Layer Cake and Creamy Chocolate Frosting recipe

INGREDIENTS

¾ cup plus ⅓ cup Sucanat (6 ounces)

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

⅔ cup (2 ounces) Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1½ cups hot brewed coffee

1½ cups (8¼ ounces) bread flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

¾ cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs

4 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 recipe Reduced-Sugar Creamy Chocolate Frosting (see below)

*BEFORE YOU BEGIN

If you use natural cocoa powder for this recipe, the cake will be lighter in appearance and have a milder chocolate flavor. This cake was made with Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Premium Baking Bar; other brands may contain different amounts of sugar. Do not skip grinding the Sucanat in step 1 or large air pockets will appear inside the cake and on the surface of the cake. If using dark colored cake pans, start checking the cakes for doneness 5 to 10 minutes earlier. You can learn more about Sucanat in this article. The flavor of Creamy Chocolate Frosting is terrific on this cake; however, a Vanilla Frosting will also work well.

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper, grease parchment, and flour pans. Working in 4 batches, grind Sucanat in spice grinder until fine and powdery, about 1 minute.

2. Place chocolate and cocoa in medium bowl, add hot coffee, and whisk until melted and smooth. Refrigerate mixture until completely cool, about 20 minutes. In separate bowl, whisk ground Sucanat, flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder together.

3. Whisk oil, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla into cooled chocolate mixture until smooth. Add flour mixture and whisk until smooth.

4. Divide batter evenly among prepared cake pans. Bake until cakes are set and center is just firm to touch, 20 to 22 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking. Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans, discard parchment, and let cool completely on wire rack, about 1 hour. (Cake layers can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.)

5. Line edges of cake platter with 4 strips of parchment to keep platter clean and place dab of frosting in center to anchor cake. Place 1 cake layer on platter and spread 1 cup frosting evenly over top. Top with second cake layer, press lightly to adhere, then spread 1 cup frosting evenly over top. Spread remaining frosting evenly over sides of cake. To smooth frosting, run edge of offset spatula around cake sides and over top. Carefully remove parchment strips and serve.

Reduced-Sugar Creamy Chocolate Frosting

Makes 4 cups (TIME 50 minutes)

INGREDIENTS

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons Sucanat (4⅔ ounces)

4 large egg whites

⅛ teaspoon salt

24 tablespoons (3 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 24 pieces and softened

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Microwave chocolate in bowl at 50 percent power, stirring occasionally, until melted, about 4 minutes. Stir in vanilla and let cool, about 10 minutes.

2. Combine Sucanat, egg whites, and salt in bowl of stand mixer and set over saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water. Whisking gently but constantly, heat mixture until slightly thickened, foamy, and registers 150 degrees, about 8 minutes.

3. Fit stand mixer with whisk attachment and whip warmed Sucanat mixture on medium speed until slightly cooled and has consistency of shaving cream, about 2 minutes. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, until smooth and creamy. (Frosting may look curdled after half of butter has been added; it will smooth with additional butter.)

4. Once all butter is added, add cooled melted chocolate mixture, and mix until combined. Increase speed to medium-high and whip until light, fluffy, and well combined, about 2 minutes, scraping down whisk and bowl as needed. (Frosting can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. To refresh, microwave until just slightly softened, about 15 seconds, then whip on medium-high speed in stand mixer until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.)

I first saw this version of Spice Bundt cake in Maida Heatter's Book of Great American Desserts. Maida was known as the “Queen of Cake” and lived to the age of 102; if you’re not familiar with her recipes, I highly recommend seeking out one of her cookbooks online. Maida’s original recipe is very good, but I found the amount of molasses in a tad overwhelming, and some of the instructions were a little time consuming (separating eggs and folding in beaten egg whites – too many dishes!) This is a more streamlined recipe but tastes excellent (maybe even better) It is a great dessert for the holidays, or during the winter months, as the spice batter is reminiscent of gingerbread.

*Note – it’s critical to bring the butter, milk, and eggs to room temperature before proceeding with recipe

Download Maida Heatter Inspired Marbleized Spice Bundt Cake

FOR THE VANILLA CAKE BATTTER:

½ cup (3.4 ounces/93 grams) vegetable shortening, plus more for greasing the pan

3 cups (13.5 ounces/375 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pan

2 sticks (8 ounces/226 grams) unsalted butter, well softened

2 ¾ cups (19.6 ounces/560 grams) sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup whole milk, at room temperature

FOR THE SPICE SWIRL BATTER:

2 cups of the prepared vanilla cake batter

1/4 cup unsulfured molasses

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

FINISH COATING:

2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar mixed with 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees; position the rack in the center of the oven.

2. Thoroughly grease a 9-inch Bundt pan with some shortening, getting into every nook to ensure that the cake releases perfectly from the pan after baking. Dust the pan with the flour and tap out any excess.

3. In a medium bowl thoroughly whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder; set aside. Combine spices in a small dish and set aside.

4. Place the ½ cup (93 grams) shortening in a large bowl and, using a stand mixer, beat the shortening on medium speed until softened and spread around, about 30 seconds. Add the butter and sugar and beat together on medium low speed until the mixture looks fluffy, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat the ingredients until well combined, some graininess has softened, and the texture feels more cohesive and fluffier, 3 to 5 minutes.

5. With the mixer running, add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute between each addition. After the last egg, the batter may look slightly curdled.

6. Beat in the vanilla extract until combined.

7. Add half of the dry ingredients to the butter and egg mixture. Beat on low speed until just combined and a few flour streaks remain. With the mixer motor running, add the milk and beat until just combined. The mixture may appear curdled again. Add the remaining flour and beat until combined. Using a silicone spatula, scoop batter from the bottom and sides of the bowl to the top for any hidden pockets of flour. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute to fully combine.

8. Spoon 2 cups of the vanilla cake batter into a medium bowl. Stir in molasses and reserved spices until well combined.

9. Spoon half of the plain vanilla batter into the prepared pan. Using a large kitchen spoon, dollop half of the spice batter on top of the plain batter and gently smooth over with a small offset spatula. Add the remaining plain vanilla cake batter and the remaining spice batter on top of that. Smooth the top and use a butter knife or offset spatula gently swirl the spice batter down into the vanilla cake batter. Smooth the top and place on the middle rack in the oven.

10. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the cake is golden brown, has risen, and cracked across the top. Insert a toothpick to test the doneness of the cake; it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

11. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes and gently invert the cake on a wire rack to cool completely.

12. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar and serve

13. Cake will keep wrapped at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Pasticceria Gollini in Vignola, Italy, not far from Modena, is home to a much-celebrated flourless chocolate cake known as torta Barozzi. Created in 1886 by pastry chef Eugenio Gollini and named for Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola, a 16th-century architect, this much-loved sweet continues to be produced today according to a closely guarded secret recipe. This Torta Barozzi recipe is one interpretation found in the July-August 2021 issue of Milk Street magazine, as the original recipe has been shrouded in secrecy since it was created in 1886. With an ingredients list that almost always includes dark chocolate, nuts, rum and coffee, this cake is a guaranteed crowd pleaser that also happens to be gluten-free. Some important points before you begin: Use high quality bittersweet (70%) chocolate; beat the sugar and egg yolks very well; do not overbeat the egg whites; and most importantly, do not overbake the cake.

Download Italian Flourless Bittersweet Chocolate Cake - Torta Barozzi recipe

Ingredients

141 grams (10 tablespoons) salted butter, cut into 10 pieces, plus more for the pan

134 grams (6 ounces) bittersweet chocolate (about 70%, like Lindt bittersweet), chopped

20 grams (¼ cup) Dutch-processed cocoa powder, plus more for dusting

2 teaspoons instant espresso powder

4 large eggs, separated, room temperature

160 grams (¾ cup) white sugar, divided

100 grams (1 cup) almond flour

½ teaspoon table salt

3 tablespoons dark rum

1. Heat the oven to 350°f with a rack in the middle position. Butter an 8-inch square pan, line the bottom with a parchment square and butter the parchment.

2. In a medium saucepan over medium, melt the butter. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, cocoa, and espresso powder. Let stand for a few minutes to allow the chocolate to soften, then whisk until the mixture is smooth; cool until barely warm to the touch.

3. In a large bowl, vigorously whisk the egg yolks and 107 grams (½ cup) of the sugar until lightened and creamy, about 30 seconds. Add the chocolate mixture and whisk until homogeneous. Add the almond flour and salt, then whisk until fully incorporated. Whisk in the rum; set aside.

4. In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, whip the egg whites on medium-high until frothy, 1 to 2 minutes. With the mixer running, gradually add the remaining 53 grams (¼ cup) sugar, then beat until the whites hold soft peaks, about 2 minutes. Add about a third of the whipped whites to the yolk-chocolate mixture and fold with a silicone spatula to lighten and loosen the base. Scrape in the remaining whites and gently fold them into the batter until no streaks remain.

5. Transfer to the prepared pan and gently shake or tilt the pan to level the batter.

6. Bake until the cake is slightly domed, and a toothpick inserted at the center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 to 45 minutes; the cake will deflate slightly as it cools.

7. Run a paring knife around the inside edge of the pan to loosen the cake, then invert onto a platter; needed, peel off and discard the parchment. Cool completely. Dust with cocoa before serving.

Sometimes a single layer cake is all you need for a small gathering, and they can look just as festive as a traditional layer cake. This cake is light, tender, and the banana flavor is enhanced with sour cream and lemon. I use cream cheese frosting on this cake, but if you are a fan of chocolate and banana, you could frost with a ganache or any favorite frosting.

Download Single Layer Banana Cake Cream Cheese Frosting

Cake Ingredients

2 large ripe bananas (1 cup/227 g/8 oz)

2 tablespoons (30g/1 ounce) sour cream you could use up to 1/2 cup (4 ½ oz/121g) it will make the cake extra moist

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons grated lemon or lime zest

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

2 cups sifted cake flour (7 oz/200 g)

¾ cup + 2 tablespoons sugar (6 oz/200g)

1 teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

10 tablespoons soft unsalted butter (5 oz/ 142 g)

Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows below)

Cake Instructions

1. Grease and flour a 9-inch (23-cm) by 2-inch (5-cm) round cake pan, after you line the bottom with parchment paper, and pre-heat the oven to 350ºF/176ºC

2. In a food processor, process the bananas and sour cream until smooth. Add the eggs, lemon zest and vanilla, and process until just blended.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and using hand mixer (or stand mixer) mix on low speed for 30 seconds to blend. Add the soft butter and half the banana mixture and beat on low speed until the ingredients are moistened. Increase to high speed (medium on stand mixer) and beat for 1 ½ minutes. Scrape down the side of bowl and gradually add remaining banana mixture in 2 batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition. Give batter a final stir with rubber spatula.

4. Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake come out clean, and the cake when pressed lightly in the middle springs back.

Frosting Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 cup (4 ounces) confectioners' sugar

4 ounces cream cheese, cut into 4 pieces and softened

¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting Instructions

1. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add cream cheese, 1 piece at a time, beating after each addition until fully incorporated. Add vanilla and mix until no lumps remain. Spread on cooled Banana cake.

I found this recipe in the September/October 2020 issue of Bake From Scratch. If you’re not familiar with the magazine, I highly recommend it, the recipes are innovative, delicious, and well tested, and this one is no exception. Made with a simple pound cake recipe, the batter is then divided into three separate bowls, and enhanced with vanilla, chocolate, and dulce de leche. It is then scooped into a loaf pan to create a clever patchwork of flavor.

Download Triple-Flavored Marble Pound Cake recipe

Ingredients

¾ cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, softened

1½ cups (300 grams) granulated sugar

3 large eggs (150 grams), room temperature

1¾ cups (219 grams) all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) kosher salt

¼ teaspoon (1.25 grams) baking powder

½ cup (120 grams) sour cream, room temperature

¼ cup (80 grams) dulce de leche

⅓ cup (57 grams) chopped 60-66% dark chocolate, melted and cooled slightly

1 tablespoon (5 grams) Dutch process cocoa powder

2 teaspoons (8 grams) vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Spray an 8½×4½-inch loaf pan with baking spray with flour. Line pan with parchment paper, letting excess extend over sides of pan.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar at medium speed until fluffy, 5 to 6 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture in three additions alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Divide batter into 3 portions (about 1⅓ cups [316 grams] each).

4. In a small microwave-safe bowl, heat dulce de leche for 15 to 20 seconds to soften slightly. Fold into 1 portion of batter. To second portion, add melted chocolate and cocoa, and fold until combined. To remaining portion, add vanilla, and fold until combined.

5. Using 1½-tablespoon spring-loaded scoops, scoop vanilla and chocolate batters in a checkerboard pattern into bottom of prepared pan (5 rows total). Scoop a row of dulce de leche batter down center of pan on top of vanilla/chocolate layer (5 scoops). Tap pan 2 to 3 times to help level batter and fill pan. Create another layer in a checkerboard pattern using dulce de leche and chocolate batters, being sure to place chocolate on top of vanilla batter from first layer. Scoop a row of vanilla batter down center of pan on top of dulce de leche/chocolate layer. Tap pan again. Scoop remaining batter randomly on top. Using a wooden pick, swirl batters together well. Tap pan again to help level batter and fill in any gaps.

6. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour and 40 minutes to 1 hour and 50 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Using excess parchment as handles, remove from pan, and serve warm, or let cool completely on wire rack.

Not only is this a great fall cake recipe, but it’s also perfect for Rosh Hashanah. Baked with traditional ingredients of apple and honey, this moist bundt cake is a great way to celebrate the Jewish New Year.

For the Honey Apple Cake:

3 large eggs

3/4 cup honey ( I use Nature Nate's Raw &Unfiltered Organic Honey)

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 1/4 cups canola oil

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp allspice

1/8 tsp ground cloves

4 Granny Smith or Gala apples (peeled, cored, and shredded)

GLAZE

1/3 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with vegetable spray.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and spices; set aside
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs until they are frothy. Whisk in the honey, white sugar, brown sugar, oil and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture into the liquid, stir gently to blend until no pockets of flour remain, do not overmix. Fold in the shredded apples.
4. Pour batter into the pan and smooth top with rubber spatula.
5. Bake cake for 70-80 minutes. When the edges darken and just begins to pull fully away from the sides of the pan, and the cake browns all the way across the surface, insert a toothpick deep into the thickest part of the cake. If it comes out clean, it's done. It’s a very moist cake, so it’s easy to undercook it.
6. Let cake cook in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, and then invert on wire rack to cool.

GLAZE:

1. Heat honey and vanilla on microwave for 30 seconds to thin. Brush over warm cake and let cake rest about 1 hour before serving.

I’m always searching for a great recipe for lemon pound cake, or tea bread, the kind I remember having in Paris, moist but light, and loaded with lemon flavor. This might be the best one I’ve tried, which I discovered on an episode of Milk Street TV called “Baking in Paris”. The recipe is inspired by the show’s visit to Rose Bakery, a cafe owned by Rose Carrarini,  where they sampled Rose’s acclaimed Lemon-Almond Pound Cake. Her secret is to replace some of the wheat flour with almond flour. Almond flour makes the cake's crumb extra tender and moist and gives it a more interesting texture than wheat flour alone. The original recipe uses a traditional lemon drizzle, but I decided to try a rosemary lemon drizzle which I saw John Whaite (English baker who won the third series of The Great British Bake Off) do on a Baking Mad “makeittogether competition The rosemary lemon drizzle soaks into the loaf cake and brings it to another level – an absolutely fantastic combination.

INSTRUCTIONS:

195 grams (1½ cups) all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan

4 large eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

241 grams (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) sugar

2 tablespoons grated lemon zest

100 grams (1 cup) almond flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

14 tablespoons (1¾ sticks) salted butter, cut into 14 pieces, room temperature

3 tablespoons sliced almonds

Lemon Rosemary Syrup

108 grams (1/2 cup) white sugar

6 tablespoons lemon juice, divided

1 sprig of rosemary

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the middle position. Coat a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray, dust evenly with flour, then tap out the excess.
2. In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup or small bowl, beat the eggs and vanilla until combined; set aside.
3. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the 241 grams sugar and the lemon zest on low until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add both flours, the baking powder and salt and mix until combined, about 10 seconds.
4. With the mixer on low, add the butter a piece at a time. Once all the butter has been added, continue mixing on low until the mixture is crumbly and no powdery bits remain, 1 to 2 minutes.
5. With the mixer still running, add the egg mixture in a slow, steady stream and mix for about 10 seconds. Increase to medium-high and beat until the batter is light and fluffy, 1 to 1½ minutes, scraping the bowl once or twice. The batter will be thick.
6. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the surface, then sprinkle evenly with sliced almonds. Bake for 45 minutes, then reduce the oven to 300°F. Continue to bake until the top is deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted at the center of the cake comes out clean, another 30 to 35 minutes.
7. While the cake is baking, in a small saucepan over medium-low, heat the 108 grams (1/2 cup) sugar, 5 tablespoons of lemon juice and rosemary sprig, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture reaches a bubbly simmer. Immediately remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Set aside to cool.
8. When the cake is done, cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto the rack, then turn it upright. Using a toothpick, poke small holes in the surface at 1-inch intervals. Brush all of the lemon-rosemary syrup onto the cake, allowing it to soak in. Cool completely before slicing, about 2 hours.

Tips: Don’t use cold butter or cold eggs. The butter must be softened to room temperature so it integrates into the sugar-flour mixture. And the eggs must be at room temperature, too, not chilled, so they don't cause the butter to stiffen up when added to the mixer. Lastly, don't rotate the cake as it bakes. Jostling the pan increases the chance the batter will deflate, resulting in a dense, under-risen cake.

This retro recipe from the 70’s was regularly printed on the back of a Duncan Hines yellow cake mix box. You can still make it with a yellow cake mix, but it’s important to add a few extra ingredients to give it a more “from scratch” taste. Sour cream, toasted pecans, and vanilla give the cake mix a needed flavor boost. The cake is fine on its own, or you can drizzle a little cream cheese glaze to make it even more decadent.

Streusel

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

¼ cup packed light brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

¾ cup pecans, toasted

Cake

1 Duncan Hines Yellow Cake Mix (15.25 ounces)

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup granulated sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup sour cream, room temperature

1/3 cup vegetable oil

¼ cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze

1 ½ cups Confectioners' sugar (6 ounces)

3 tablespoons cream cheese, softened

3 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Pinch table salt

1. Make Streusel: Process flour, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans in food processor until finely ground. Set aside
2. Make batter: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour (or use baking spray) a 12-cup nonstick Bundt pan or tube pan. In bowl of stand mixer combine cake mix, flour, sugar, sour cream, oil, water, eggs, and vanilla. Mix on low speed for 1 minute to combine ingredients. Increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes.
3. Layer and bake: Pour half of batter into prepared pan and top with streusel mixture. Cover with remaining batter, using rubber spatula to smooth surface. Bake until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool cake in pan 20 minutes. Turn cake out onto wire rack to cool.
4. Glaze: While cake is cooling, Mix all the ingredients together until smooth, then let sit until thickened, about 25 minutes. Pour the glaze over the top of the cake after it has completely cooled, allowing the glaze to drip down the sides. Let the glaze set for about 10 minutes before serving.

I posted this vintage recipe 9 years ago, and thought it was worth re-posting in case you are running low on eggs, or just trying to conserve. This moist chocolate cake was popular during the Great Depression, when people had limited access to eggs and oil. Brands like Hellman’s (Best Foods on the west coast) made it famous when they added the recipe to the jar label. This was my grandmother’s recipe, so it’s well tested and was a family staple in our house. Enjoy with a dusting of powdered sugar, a dollop of whipped cream, or frost with your favorite buttercream.

Download Grandma-moores-easy-chocolate-mayonnaise-cake-recipe

1/3 cup Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa

1 cup boiling water

11/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup mayonnaise

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and adjust racks to middle position. Grease and flour 9x9” square or use baking spray.
2. Whisk together cocoa and boiling water in a medium bowl until smooth and cool to room temperature. When cool, whisk in vanilla and mayonnaise.
3. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, soda and salt. Add chocolate mixture and beat on low speed for 30 seconds to combine. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 1 minute until smooth.
4. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 23-26 minutes or until tooth pick inserted comes out clean and cake springs back when lightly pressed.
5. Let cake cool in pan on wire rack, 1 to 2 hours. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, cut into squares, and serve straight from the pan; or turn cake out onto serving platter and dust with confectioners’ sugar or frost with favorite vanilla buttercream or cream cheese frosting.

This recipe for "New York-Style Crumb Cake" from Cook's Illustrated reminded me of my years in NYC where you could find big squares of thick crumb coffee cake in nearly every corner deli. It's also reminiscent of Drake's Coffee Cakes - a primarily east coast product made even more famous by a Seinfeld episode. Cook's Illustrated makes it clear not to be tempted to use all-purpose flour in this recipe, the cake flour is essential to producing a fine tender crumb. If you don't have buttermilk, you can substitute an equal amount of plain, low-fat yogurt. When topping the cake, take care to not push the crumbs into the batter. This recipe can be easily doubled and baked in a 13 by 9-inch baking dish. If doubling, increase the baking time to about 45-50 minutes. Cooled leftovers can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Crumb Topping

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon  

1/8 teaspoon table salt  

8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted and still warm 

1 3/4 cups cake flour (7 ounces) 

Cake

1 1/4 cups cake flour (5 ounces) 

1/2 cup granulated sugar (3.5 ounces) 

1/4 teaspoon baking soda  

1/4 teaspoon table salt  

6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 stick), cut into 6 pieces, softened but still cool 

1 large egg  

1 large egg yolk  

1 teaspoon vanilla extract  

1/3 cup buttermilk  

 Confectioners' sugar for dusting 

1. FOR THE TOPPING: Whisk sugars, cinnamon, salt, and butter in medium bowl to combine. Add flour and stir with rubber spatula or wooden spoon until mixture resembles thick, cohesive dough; set aside to cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.

2. FOR THE CAKE: Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Cut 16-inch length parchment paper or aluminum foil and fold lengthwise to 7-inch width. Spray 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and fit parchment into dish, pushing it into corners and up sides; allow excess to overhang edges of dish.

3. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt on low speed to combine. With mixer running at low speed, add butter one piece at a time; continue beating until mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no visible butter chunks remaining, 1 to 2 minutes. Add egg, yolk, vanilla, and buttermilk; beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute, scraping once if necessary.

4. Transfer batter to baking pan; using rubber spatula, spread batter into even layer. Using both hands, break apart the crumb dough, rolling the broken dough between your thumb and forefinger to form crumbs about the size of large peas. Continue until all the dough has been broken down into crumbs. Sprinkle crumbs evenly over the cake batter, breaking apart any larger chunks, beginning with edges and then working toward center. Bake until crumbs are golden and wooden toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack at least 30 minutes. Remove cake from pan by lifting parchment overhang. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.