The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook (101 page)

3.
Beat the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar in the clean bowl of the electric mixer on low speed until creamy and combined. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the mixture onto the batter in each mold; sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes; transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve dusted with confectioners’ sugar.

génoise torte with chocolate and praline caramel mousses

SERVES 10

1½ teaspoons unflavored gelatin

1¼ cups sugar

2¼ cups heavy cream

¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped

Almond Praline (recipe follows)

3 tablespoons cognac or brandy

½ cup Simple Syrup (Basics)

Génoise (12
×
16-inch cake; recipe follows), cut crosswise into 4 rectangles

¾ pound bittersweet chocolate, scraped with a large knife (about 1 cup)

1.
Sprinkle 1 teaspoon gelatin over 2 tablespoons water in a heatproof bowl. Sprinkle the remaining ½ teaspoon gelatin over 1 tablespoon water in another heatproof bowl. Let soften about 3 minutes.

2.
Bring the sugar and ½ cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat; swirl the pan to dissolve the sugar. Wash down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming. Boil until the sugar turns dark amber, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Slowly add 1 cup cream and the butter, stirring until the butter has melted. Put
²
/
₃
cup caramel into a medium bowl; set aside. Stir together the remaining caramel and the unsweetened chocolate in another medium bowl; set aside.

3.
Set 1 bowl of softened gelatin over a pan of simmering water, and stir until the gelatin has melted. Repeat with the remaining bowl of gelatin. Pour the larger batch of gelatin into the plain caramel. Pour the smaller batch of gelatin into the chocolate caramel. Let both caramels cool completely, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes.

4.
Whisk the remaining 1¼ cups cream in a medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold one-third of the whipped cream into the plain caramel mixture; fold the remaining whipped cream into the chocolate-caramel mixture. Refrigerate the mousses until slightly firm, about 10 minutes. Stir the almond praline into the plain caramel mousse.

5.
Stir the cognac and simple syrup in a small bowl. Assemble the torte: Place 1 cake rectangle on a platter; brush with one-quarter of the cognac syrup. Spread with half the chocolate-caramel mousse. Top with another cake rectangle; brush with one-quarter of the syrup. Spread with praline-caramel mousse. Refrigerate 10 minutes to set. Top with another cake rectangle; brush with one-quarter of the syrup. Spread with the remaining chocolate-caramel mousse. Top with the remaining cake rectangle; brush with the remaining syrup. Clean the edges with an offset spatula. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Before serving, sprinkle with bittersweet chocolate shavings.

almond praline

MAKES ABOUT
²
/
₃
CUP

Vegetable oil cooking spray

½ cup sugar

¹
/
₃
cup sliced blanched almonds

¼ teaspoon salt

1.
Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray; set aside. Bring the sugar and ¼ cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Swirl the pan to dissolve the sugar. Wash down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming. Boil until the sugar turns light amber, about 7 minutes.

2.
Add the almonds and salt; cook, stirring constantly, until the almonds are toasted and the caramel turns dark amber. Pour onto the prepared sheet. Let cool completely.

3.
Break into shards. Pulse until finely ground, with a few larger pieces remaining, in a food processor.

génoise

MAKES ONE 12
×
16-INCH SHEET CAKE OR
ONE 9-INCH ROUND CAKE

See the how-to on Cakes.

Vegetable oil cooking spray

²
/
₃
cup sifted cake flour, plus more for the pan

Pinch of salt

3 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (if rolling the cake)

1.
Coat a 12 × 16-inch rimmed baking sheet or a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment; coat with cooking spray. Dust with flour, tapping out excess. Stir together the flour and salt into a medium bowl; set aside. Preheat the oven to 450°F for a sheet cake or 400°F for a round cake, with a rack in the lower third.

2.
Put the eggs, egg yolks, and granulated sugar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set over a pan of simmering water; whisk until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch. Return the bowl to the mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. Raise speed to high. Beat until the mixture is pale and thick, about 4 minutes more.

3.
Remove the bowl from the mixer. Sift the flour mixture over the top; using a large rubber spatula, carefully fold it into the egg mixture, cutting through the middle and lifting gently over the sides. When almost incorporated, pour the melted butter down the side of the bowl; gently fold to incorporate completely.

4.
Spread the batter evenly in the sheet or pan with a large offset spatula. Bake until golden brown and springy to the touch, about 6 minutes for a 12 × 16-inch cake and 15 minutes for a 9-inch round cake.

5.
For the 12 × 16-inch cake: Run a small knife around the sides of the baking sheet; invert cake onto a wire rack. Remove the parchment. Reinvert the cake onto the rack. Let cool completely.

6.
For the 9-inch round cake: Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes; run a small knife around the sides of the pan. Invert onto a rack; remove the parchment, and reinvert onto the rack. Let cool completely.

strawberry cake

MAKES ONE 10-INCH CAKE

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pie plate

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 large egg

½ cup milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 10-inch pie plate. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl.

2.
Put the butter and 1 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low; mix in the egg, milk, and vanilla.

3.
Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in the flour mixture. Transfer the batter to the buttered pie plate. Arrange the strawberries on top of the batter, cut sides down and as close together as possible. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over the strawberries.

4.
Bake the cake 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Bake until the cake is golden brown and firm to the touch, about 1 hour. Let cool in the pie plate on a wire rack. Cut into wedges. The cake can be stored at room temperature, loosely covered, for up to 2 days.

pecan torte

MAKES ONE 10-INCH TORTE

9 large eggs, separated

1½ cups granulated sugar

1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest, plus more for garnish

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon salt

12 ounces pecans, toasted and finely ground (3 cups)

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Passover Lemon Curd (recipe follows)

Mixed berries, for serving

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Put the egg yolks, granulated sugar, zest, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until pale and thickened, about 4 minutes. Fold in pecans.

2.
Beat the whites in a clean mixing bowl until stiff peaks form; fold into the yolk mixture. Pour into a 10-inch springform pan.

3.
Bake until golden brown, about 1 hour (if the top browns too quickly, tent with foil). Let cool on a wire rack 30 minutes. Remove the sides of the pan. Let cool completely. Dust with confectioners’ sugar. Serve with curd and berries; garnish with zest.

passover lemon curd

MAKES 1¾ CUPS

2 large eggs plus 6 large egg yolks

1 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

Freshly grated zest of 2 lemons plus
²
/
₃
cup fresh lemon juice (3 lemons)

1½ sticks (12 tablespoons) margarine, cut into 6 pieces

Beat the eggs, yolks, sugar, and salt with an electric mixer until pale and thickened. Beat in the lemon juice; add the margarine. Bring to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisking. Cook until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour through a fine sieve into a bowl; stir in zest. Refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.

glazed lemon pound cake

MAKES ONE 5 X 9-INCH LOAF

This cake doesn’t rise very much, so don’t be surprised if it is shorter than you expect.

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pan

¾ cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar, plus more for dusting

1 cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking soda

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice plus finely grated zest of 2 lemons, plus more zest for garnish (optional)

¼ cup milk

2 large eggs

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 5 × 9-inch loaf pan. Dust with sugar, and tap out excess; set aside. Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Stir together 1 tablespoon lemon juice and the milk.

2.
Put the butter and ¾ cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the eggs and zest. Working in 2 batches, alternate mixing in the flour mixture and the milk mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 35 minutes.

3.
Meanwhile, stir together the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Upon removing the cake from the oven, immediately brush with the lemon glaze. Let the cake cool in the pan 10 minutes. Unmold the cake. Brush the remaining glaze on top. Garnish with zest.

six-layer chocolate cake

MAKES ONE 9-INCH LAYER CAKE

Vegetable oil cooking spray

3½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons salt

4 sticks (1 pound) unsalted butter, softened

2¾ cups sugar

1 cup crème fraîche (8 ounces)

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

9 large eggs

1¼ pounds bittersweet chocolate (preferably 70 percent cacao), melted and cooled

Tangy Chocolate Frosting (recipe follows)

1.
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Cut 3 9-inch rounds of parchment paper to line the bottoms of 3 9 × 2-inch round cake pans. Coat the pans with cooking spray. Line with parchment rounds; coat the parchment with cooking spray. Flour the pans, tapping out excess; set aside.

2.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a bowl; set aside.

3.
Put the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low; mix in the crème fraîche and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and eggs in alternating additions; mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until the batter is smooth.

4.
Reduce speed to low. Pour in the melted chocolate in a slow, steady stream; mix until combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer; scrape down the sides (batter will be thick). Stir until combined.

5.
Divide the batter among the pans, smoothing the tops with an offset spatula. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the centers comes out with moist crumbs, 35 to 40 minutes.

6.
Let the cakes cool in the pans on wire racks 30 minutes. Unmold the cakes; peel off the parchment. Let the cakes cool completely.

7.
Trim the tops of the cakes with a long serrated knife to make the surfaces level. Using a ruler to measure halfway up the sides of 1 cake, insert toothpicks around the cake’s middle at 3-inch intervals to mark 2 equal layers. Rest the serrated knife on the toothpicks; halve the cake horizontally using a sawing motion. Carefully slide the top cake half onto a cardboard cake round or a plate. Repeat with the remaining 2 cakes.

8.
Put 1 bottom cake half on a cake plate. Using a small offset spatula, spread ¾ cup frosting on top. Carefully set the top cake half back in place. Spread ¾ cup frosting on top. Repeat, stacking the remaining 4 cake halves on top and spreading ¾ cup frosting between each. (Do not frost the top of the last layer.)

9.
Spread the top and sides of the cake with 2 cups frosting in a thin smooth layer. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides; apply with the offset spatula using an S motion to create a textured appearance. The cake can be refrigerated, under a cake dome, up to 3 days; bring to room temperature before serving.