The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook (104 page)

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1 cup desiccated coconut (unsweetened)

Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)

Dried Pineapple Flowers (recipe follows), optional

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center. Butter two 9 × 2-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. Butter the paper, and dust the pans with flour, tapping out any excess. Set aside.

2.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.

3.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the oil, vanilla, and sugar until combined, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs 1 at a time, incorporating each before adding the next. Beat at medium speed until the mixture is pale yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

4.
In a medium bowl, mix together the banana, pineapple, walnuts, and coconut. Add to the egg mixture; stir until well combined. Add the flour mixture; blend well.

5.
Divide the batter between the pans. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.

6.
Transfer the pans to a greased wire rack. Let cool 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges to loosen. Invert onto the rack; reinvert, top side up. Cool completely. Assemble the cake, or wrap each layer well and freeze (thaw before using).

7.
With a serrated knife, trim and discard the rounded top off one layer. Place the layer on a serving platter. Using an offset spatula, spread the top of the layer with ¼ inch frosting. Top with the untrimmed layer. Frost the sides and top of the cake with the remaining frosting. Decorate with pineapple flowers, if desired. Serve at room temperature. (The cake can be refrigerated up to 3 days.)

cream cheese frosting

MAKES 1½ QUARTS (ENOUGH FOR ONE 9-INCH LAYER CAKE)

1 pound (16 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature

2 pounds confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and vanilla until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, gradually add the butter, beating until incorporated.

2.
Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add the sugar, beating until incorporated. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before using.

dried pineapple flowers

MAKES ABOUT 2 DOZEN

2 large or 4 small pineapples

1.
Preheat the oven to 225°F. Line 2 baking sheets with Silpats (French nonstick baking mats) or parchment paper.

2.
Peel the pineapples. Using a small melon baller, remove and discard the eyes. Slice the pineapple very thinly; place the slices on the baking sheets. Cook until the tops look dried, about 30 minutes. Flip the slices; cook until completely dried, 25 to 30 minutes more. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days.

mini pear and blueberry spice cakes

MAKES 6 SMALL CAKES

These individual upside-down cakes are baked—and can be transported—in a muffin tin.

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for the tin

6 tablespoons light corn syrup

12 teaspoons packed light-brown sugar

¾ cup fresh blueberries, picked over and rinsed

1 ripe Bartlett pear, halved lengthwise, cored, and cut into thin wedges

1 cup all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

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teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

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cup granulated sugar

1 large whole egg plus 1 large egg yolk

¾ cup buttermilk

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter the cups and top of a muffin tin with six 8-ounce cups. Place 1 teaspoon butter in each muffin cup. Top each with 1 tablespoon corn syrup; sprinkle with 2 teaspoons light brown sugar. Arrange 7 or 8 blueberries in each cup. Cut the pear slices to fit the shape of muffin cups; place 4 or 5 pieces on top of the berries, spreading the slices to cover the berries. Arrange the remaining berries over the pears, and set the tin aside.

2.
Into a small bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the granulated sugar and remaining 5 tablespoons butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the egg and egg yolk; beat until smooth.

3.
With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the buttermilk and beginning and ending with the flour. Stir in the vanilla.

4.
Pour
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cup batter over the fruit in each muffin cup. Gently tap the bottom of the tin against the counter several times to evenly distribute the batter.

5.
Bake the cakes until golden around the edges and a cake tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven; let cool in the tin.

sticky buckwheat cake

MAKES ONE 10-INCH CAKE

The buckwheat flour adds a deep, assertive flavor to this dessert; the flour is also highly nutritious.

for the topping

½ cup raisins

½ cup brandy

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

½ cup packed dark-brown sugar

1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

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cup light corn syrup

½ cup coarsely chopped pecans (1¾ ounces)

1 apple, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch cubes

for the cake

¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1¼ cups packed light-brown sugar

3 large eggs

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup buckwheat flour

1½ teaspoons ground ginger

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger

1.
Make the topping: In a small bowl, combine the raisins and brandy; let stand until the raisins are plump, about 20 minutes. Drain the raisins; discard the liquid.

2.
In a 10-inch seasoned cast-iron skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Sprinkle with the brown sugar and cinnamon, and remove from the heat. Drizzle with the corn syrup. Strew the pecans, apple, and raisins over the corn syrup; set aside.

3.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Make the cake: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating until combined after each addition.

4.
Into a large bowl, sift together the flours, ground ginger, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, combine the milk and fresh ginger. Alternately add the flour and milk mixtures to the butter mixture, beating until just combined after each addition, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

5.
Pour the batter into the prepared skillet; smooth the top with an offset spatula. Bake until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let stand 5 minutes, then invert onto a serving platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.

crêpe gâteau with strawberry preserves and crème fraîche

SERVES 6 TO 8 (MAKES 15 CRÊPES)

The crêpe batter can be made through step 1 up to 1 day in advance and stored, covered, in the refrigerator. When assembling the gâteau, do not spread the cream and jam to the edges on the bottom layers, because the weight of the top will push out the filling. The gâteau should be assembled no more than 2 hours before serving.

¾ cup all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Pinch of salt

2 large whole eggs, room temperature

2 large egg yolks, room temperature

1¼ cups milk, room temperature

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1½ cups crème fraîche

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup strawberry or other fruit preserves

1.
Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, and the salt. Make a well in the center, and fill it with the eggs, egg yolks, and a few tablespoons milk; whisk until a thick, smooth paste forms. Add the remaining milk, and whisk until no lumps remain.

2.
Melt the butter in an 8-inch nonstick skillet with a 6-inch-diameter bottom; pour into the batter, leaving a coating of butter in the skillet. Let the batter rest at room temperature at least 1 hour.

3.
Over medium heat, warm the skillet thoroughly. Lift the skillet off the heat; stir the batter, and carefully ladle 3 tablespoons into the skillet. Immediately rotate the skillet so the batter is thinly spread evenly across the bottom to the edges. Return the skillet to the heat; cook the crêpe until the edges are golden brown and lacy, about 1 minute. Carefully flip the crêpe; cook the other side until golden brown, about 30 seconds. Slide the crêpe out of the skillet onto a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter, stacking the cooked crêpes on top of one another. Let the crêpes cool completely.

4.
Place the crème fraîche in a medium bowl set in an ice-water bath. Add the vanilla and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar; whip until the mixture holds a line drawn by the whisk.

5.
To assemble: Place 1 crêpe on a serving platter. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon preserves on top; using an offset spatula, spread in a thin layer over the crêpe, leaving a ½-inch border. Cover with another crêpe, stacking neatly. Spread 2 heaping tablespoons crème-fraîche mixture evenly over the crêpe, again leaving a ½-inch border. Continue alternating fillings with crêpes, finishing with a crêpe on top. If necessary, insert 2 long toothpicks through the layers to keep the gâteau in place. Refrigerate at least 15 minutes. Remove the toothpicks; cut into wedges before serving.

almond-polenta pound cake

MAKES ONE 4
×
8-INCH LOAF

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for the pan

1 cup cake flour (not self-rising), plus more for the pan

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cup almond paste (3¼ ounces)

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cup plus 1½ tablespoons sugar

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teaspoon pure vanilla extract

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teaspoon pure almond extract

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cup heavy cream

4 large eggs, room temperature, separated

½ cup coarse cornmeal (polenta)

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the lower third. Butter an 8 × 9 4-inch loaf pan; dust with flour, and tap out excess. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cut the almond paste into
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cup sugar with 2 forks until it resembles coarse meal. Add the butter; using the paddle attachment, beat until soft and light, about 4 minutes.

2.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the extracts, cream, and egg yolks. With the mixer on medium, gradually add the cream mixture to the butter mixture. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Sift half the flour mixture over the butter mixture, and fold to combine. Fold in the remaining flour mixture.

3.
In another mixing bowl, beat the egg whites and remaining 1½ tablespoons sugar on medium speed to stiff peaks, 2 to 3 minutes. Fold into the batter.

4.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. If the top begins to brown too much, cover loosely with foil. Let cool before serving.

orange-almond cake

MAKES ONE 9-INCH CAKE

6 navel or other sweet oranges

Unsalted butter, room temperature, for the pan

½ cup all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan

1¾ cups finely ground blanched almonds (about 6 ounces)

1½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

6 large eggs

2 cups sugar

1.
Place the whole unpeeled oranges in a large saucepan or stockpot, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer gently, 2 hours. Drain; let cool.

2.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan; set aside. Halve the cooked oranges, and remove any seeds. Place 7 halves in a food processor, and pulse until pureed but still chunky. This should yield about 3 cups; set aside.

3.
In a small bowl, whisk together the ground almonds, flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs with 1 cup sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Stir in the orange puree until just combined. Stir in the flour mixture; pour into prepared pan.