The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook (108 page)

MAKES ONE 10-INCH CAKE

12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter

1¾ cups firmly packed light-brown sugar

3 firm but ripe pears, such as Anjou

Juice of 1 lemon

1 cup fresh cranberries

2½ cups all-purpose flour

2½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

3 large eggs

1 cup milk, room temperature

Spice Ice Cream (recipe follows)

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine 6 tablespoons butter and ¾ cup brown sugar in a medium skillet, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until melted and thoroughly combined, about 6 minutes. Pour into a 10 × 2-inch professional round cake pan.

2.
Peel the pears, core, and slice into ½-inch-thick wedges. Coat with lemon juice, and arrange on top of the brown sugar mixture in a spiral pattern around the edge of the pan. Fan out the slices in the center. Sprinkle ½ cup cranberries over the pears, and set aside.

3.
Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and ginger together in a medium bowl; set aside. Combine the remaining 6 tablespoons butter and cup of brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer, and beat until well combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the milk alternately with the flour mixture, beginning and ending with flour; beat until smooth. Stir in the remaining ½ cup cranberries; pour over the fruit in the pan.

4.
Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges and invert onto a serving platter. Serve with spice ice cream.

spice ice cream

MAKES ABOUT 1½ QUARTS

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

4 cinnamon sticks

1 whole star anise (optional)

2 cups milk

6 large egg yolks

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

2 cups heavy cream, very cold

1.
Place the vanilla bean and scrapings, cinnamon sticks, and star anise (if using) in a saucepan with milk over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer, cover, and remove from heat. Allow to steep for 30 minutes; then strain, discarding the solids.

2.
Combine the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl, and whisk until pale yellow and thick, about 3 minutes.

3.
Fill a large bowl with ice and water; set aside. Return the milk to the stove, and bring just to a simmer. Slowly pour the milk mixture into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return it to the saucepan, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. The custard should retain a line drawn across the back of the spoon with your finger.

4.
Remove the pan from the heat, and immediately stir in the cold cream. Pass through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl set in the ice bath. Stir occasionally until cool. Cover the bowl, and place in the refrigerator until well chilled, preferably overnight.

5.
Pour the custard into an ice-cream maker; churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions, until the ice cream is just set. Transfer to an airtight container, and freeze at least 4 hours or up to 1 week.

chestnut chocolate layer cake

MAKES ONE 9-INCH LAYER CAKE

This cake is best when served the day it is made. You can bake the cake in the morning and finish it later in the day. It can stand in a cool place for about 3 hours before serving. Marrons glacés (whole candied chestnuts) are available in specialty food stores.

Unsalted butter, for the pans

14 ounces fresh chestnuts

1 cup sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature, separated

½ teaspoon cream of tartar

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cup sifted cake flour (not self-rising)

¾ cup sifted chestnut flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup water

½ cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, very finely ground

2 cups Pastry Cream (Basics)

Chocolate Ganache (recipe follows)

8 marrons glacés (optional)

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter two 9 × 2-inch round professional baking pans, and line the bottoms with parchment. Butter the parchment, and set aside.

2.
Using a chestnut knife or a small paring knife, make an incision about
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inch deep through the shell and into the flesh of each chestnut almost all the way around the circumference of the nut. Transfer to a chestnut pan or rimmed baking pan. Roast in the oven until the chestnuts are tender, about 35 minutes. Turn the oven off. Leaving the pan with the chestnuts in the oven, remove several at a time. Working quickly, place 1 chestnut in a towel, and, holding both, peel the chestnut while still hot. Remove and discard the shells and inner skin; let cool completely. Transfer the chestnuts to the bowl of a food processor. Add 2 tablespoons sugar, and pulse until very finely ground; set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

3.
Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat until foamy on medium-low speed, 5 to 6 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly add ½ cup sugar. Raise speed to medium-high; beat until stiff peaks form, 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer the egg white mixture to a bowl.

4.
Into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, sift together the cake flour, chestnut flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and remaining 6 tablespoons sugar. Add the egg yolks, water, oil, and vanilla; beat on medium speed until smooth and well combined, about 1 minute.

5.
Using a rubber spatula, carefully and gently fold the flour mixture in 4 or 5 additions into the egg white mixture until well combined. Gently fold in the reserved chestnuts and chocolate. Evenly divide the batter between the prepared cake pans.

6.
Bake on the same shelf, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until golden and a cake tester inserted into the centers of the cakes come out clean, about 65 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack until completely cool. Invert the pans to remove the cakes. Remove the parchment paper.

7.
Place 1 layer on a cake round (or directly onto a cake stand or serving platter). Using an offset spatula, spread the pastry cream on top to within ½ inch of the edges. Place the other layer on top.

8.
Pour the ganache on top; carefully spread to about ¼ inch from the edges. The ganache will overflow slightly and gently brim the edges. Arrange the marrons glacés on top of the cake, spaced evenly. Set the cake in a cool place to allow the ganache to firm.

chocolate ganache

MAKES ENOUGH FOR ONE 9-INCH LAYER CAKE

5 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

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cup heavy cream

Place the chocolate in a small bowl. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate. Cover with plastic wrap for several minutes. Remove the wrap, and stir until the chocolate is completely smooth and melted. Set the ganache in a cool place; let stand until thickened to the consistency of thick cake batter, 10 to 15 minutes. to cool. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder; set aside.

two-colored squash loaf cake

MAKES ONE 5 X 9-INCH LOAF

Purchase high-quality pistachios, and pick through the nuts for the greenest ones. After roasting, rub the nuts between your palms to eliminate as much of the brown skin as possible.

10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for the loaf pan

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan

4 each medium yellow and green zucchini (about 1½ pounds)

1 cup shelled, unsalted pistachio nuts, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1½ teaspoons baking powder

1¼ cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 teaspoons fennel seeds

1.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Generously butter a 5 × 9-inch loaf pan. Sprinkle the pan with flour, tap out excess flour, then set the pan side. Using a box grater, coarsely grate the squash. Place the grated squash in a piece of cheesecloth, and squeeze out as much liquid as possible; set the squash aside.

2.
Place the pistachios on a baking pan, and toast in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove, and set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder; set aside.

3.
In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar; beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and mix until combined. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture, and beat until just combined.

4.
Remove the bowl from the mixer stand; fold in the squash, pistachios, and fennel seeds. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan; bake 10 minutes.

5.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F, and bake the loaf cake until golden brown and a wooden skewer, inserted into the center of the loaf, comes out clean, about 1 hour. Remove the cake from the oven, and transfer to a wire rack until cool.

apple pie upside-down cake

MAKES ONE 12-INCH CAKE

1¼ cups (2½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan

1½ cups packed light-brown sugar

3 tablespoons Calvados apple brandy

Salt

3 whole cinnamon sticks

6 medium Braeburn or McIntosh apples (about 2½ pounds), peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch-thick rings

2¼ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1½ cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

½ cup sour cream

1.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a 12 × 1-inch round pizza pan. Line bottom with parchment paper, and butter parchment; set aside. Put ½ cup butter, the brown sugar, brandy, and a pinch of salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.

2.
Spread mixture into prepared pan. Place cinnamon sticks on top. Layer with apple rings. Use your hands to press apples gently into mixture; set aside. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, ¾ teaspoon salt, and the ground cinnamon into a medium bowl; set aside.

3.
Put remaining ¾ cup butter and the granulated sugar into the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the clean paddle attachment; mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in eggs, one at a time, and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the sour cream. Spread batter evenly over apples.

4.
Bake until cake is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack 15 minutes. Invert onto a serving plate. The cake can be stored at room temperature, covered, up to 1 day.

“pumpkin pie” cheesecake

MAKES ONE 10-INCH CAKE

for the filling

1 small butternut squash (about 1¾ pounds)

Unsalted butter, for parchment and pan

¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

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teaspoon ground allspice

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teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground ginger

2½ pounds cream cheese, room temperature

1¾ cups sugar

½ cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup sour cream

1¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

5 large eggs

for the crust

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

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cup sugar

1 large egg yolk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface

Pinch of salt

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Make the filling: Cut squash in half lengthwise; remove seeds, and reserve for another use. Place squash, cut sides down, on a baking sheet lined with buttered parchment paper. Bake until tender, about 45 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack; let cool.

2.
Make the crust: Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in egg yolk and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour and salt; mix until dough comes together. Shape into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day.

3.
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 10-inch circle, a scant ¼ inch thick. Fit into the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan. Freeze 15 minutes. Bake until crust is firm and pale golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

4.
Scoop squash flesh into a food processor; process until puréed. Transfer 1 cup purée to a medium bowl (reserve remainder for another use). Stir in cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and ginger.