1 tbsp melted butter (helps the glaze set with a slight crust)
½ teaspoon lemon extract
A splash of milk (only if needed to thin it out)
Directions
Batter
Preheat: Set your oven to 325°F (163°C). A lower temperature is vital for a large Bundt cake to bake evenly without burning the edges.
Grease thoroughly: Generously coat every ridge of a 10–12 cup Bundt pan using softened butter or shortening, then dust it lightly with flour, tapping out the excess. (Alternatively, use a baking spray that contains flour). Do not skip this step; strawberries make the cake prone to sticking.
Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the 1 cup of softened butter and 2 cups of granulated sugar on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes until the mixture is pale, light, and fluffy.
Add Eggs and Vanilla: Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrap down the sides of the bowl. Stir in the vanilla extract.
Alternate Dry and Wet: Whisk the 2 tablespoons of milk into your 1 cup of sour cream. With the mixer on low speed, add the 3 cups of flour in three additions, alternating with the sour cream mixture (start and end with flour). Mix just until combined. Do not overmix.
Fold in the Berries: Gently fold the 2 cups of diced strawberries into the thick batter using a rubber spatula.
Layer and Swirl
First Layer: Spoon half of the cake batter into the prepared Bundt pan.
Syrup Swirl: Drizzle ¼ cup of your strawberry syrup evenly over the center of the batter. Use a toothpick or butter knife to gently swirl the syrup into the batter, keeping it away from the bare edges of the pan.
Second Layer: Carefully spoon the remaining batter over the swirl layer. Drizzle another ¼ to ⅓ cup of syrup on top, and swirl it gently into the surface layer of batter.
Bake: Bake at 325°F (163°C) for 65 to 75 minutes. Test the cake by inserting a long toothpick or skewer into the deepest part; it should come out clean or with a few dry crumbs
Initial Cool: Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for exactly 15 minutes.
Invert: Place the wire rack over the top of the pan, carefully flip it over, and gently lift the pan off. Let the cake cool completely to room temperature before glazing.
Glaze and Set
Make the Glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together the sifted powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons of strawberry syrup, and the melted butter. If it is too thick to pour, add a tiny splash of milk or a little more syrup. If it is too runny, add a bit more powdered sugar. It should be thick but pourable.
Glaze the Cake: Spoon or pour the glaze slowly over the top of the cooled Bundt cake, letting it run down the ridges.
Crust Over: Let the cake sit undisturbed at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes. The powdered sugar and melted butter will air-dry to form a beautiful, sweet crust that cracks slightly when sliced.
Put sugar, oil and eggs in mixing bowl and beat well. Sift flour, soda, salt, and cinna mon together and add to mixture slowly while beating. After it is well blended, add carrots and pecans. Pour batter into 3 greased 9″ layer cake pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and bake for 30 to 45 minutes. Cool on racks, then ice with frosting below.
ICING:
Stick
. soft butter
8 oz. cream cheese
2 tsp. vanilla
1 lb. confectioners sugar
Mix butter and cream cheese well blending, then slowly blend in confectioners sugar and vanilla.
Add approximately 2L of Mountain Dew (six 12oz cans) to a 3qt sauce pain and simmer until reduced to a syrup, about 2 hours. Syrup volume will be about 10% of the original volume (250ml).
Add two to three drops of green food coloring to enhance color.
Divide syrup to two heatproof containers and cool.
Add half of the syrup to the cheesecake batter and combine.
(Option 1) Drizzle remaining syrup over top of the cheesecake prior to baking. Using a toothpick or narrow chopstick, etch a pattern I to the cake and prepare as directed. Prepare cheesecake per instructions.
(Option 2) Prepare cheesecake per directions, and chill overnight. Warm remaining syrup until it flows easily. Add 1 tbsp cool water and combine, then coat finished cheesecake with syrup. Chill 3 hours, until set.
This is a 3-layer cake as written above, but there is also a version using a bundt pan, with the center filled using chopped hazelnuts tossed in honey syrup.
A sweeter take on Banana Rum Bread, this recipe incorporates malted milk powder, toasted coconut and coconut rum to give a subtly creamy, almost tropical edge to the dish.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons malted milk powder
3 tablespoons brown sugar for topping
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed banana, about 5 medium
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, browned
3 oz coconut, spiced rum
3 tablespoon toasted, shredded coconut
3 tablespoons shredded coconut for topping
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 X 5-inch bread pan with butter or cooking spray.
Prepare toasted coconut. Finely mince coconut flakes or blitz in a food processor. Spread on tin foil in an even layer and toast at 300°F until light brown, about 4 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Prepare the browned butter. In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and maintain heat until amber in color, swirling frequently, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and add the rum to the pan to halt the cooking. Allow to cool.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, milk powder, toasted coconut, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg.
In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Mix in the banana and sugar. Add butter / rum mixture to banana mixture and thoroughly incorporate.
Add banana mixture all at once to dry ingredients and stir until just mixed. Do not over mix.
Transfer batter to greased loaf pan. Combine brown sugar with reserved coconut and sprinkle evenly over top.
Bake for 55 – 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Note: Cover loaf with some tin foil in the last 15 minutes of baking should it begin to darken too much.
Remove from oven and place pan on wire rack to cool for 15 minutes.
The bread slices best after being left in plastic wrap overnight.
This recipe requires a pressure cooker, or special baking technique. Accommodates at 10 inch spring form. Decrease recipe by ⅓ for a 7 inch spring form.
Drain the ricotta cheese in a fine mesh sieve or in a piece of cheesecloth for at least one hour. Extract about ⅔ to ¾ cup of whey.
Prepare a 10 inch spring form pan. Coat the inside liberally with neutral oil or butter. Optionally line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment. Prepare the pressure cooker with 1 to 2 cups of water in the bottom, and set a trivet. Prepare a tinfoil sling for the spring form pan by folding a long sheet of foil (twice the diameter of the pan) in thirds lengthwise.
Prepare the graham cracker crust, if using. Finely crush one sleeve of graham crackers in a plastic bag, or blitz to a fine meal in a food processor. Combine graham cracker crumbs with 4 tablespoons of melted butter, tossing to thoroughly distribute. Pour the mixture into the bottom of the spring form pan, and press into an even layer about ¼ inch thick, pulling the crumb mixture about ½ inch up the side of the pan.
In a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese, ricotta, sugar, salt, and cornstarch until well blended, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and lemon zest, and stir until combined. Add eggs one at a time and stir on low until incorporated, not overworking the batter.
Transfer the batter to the spring form pan, gently pouring to not disturb the graham cracker crust. Tent the pan loosely with foil, then carefully lower the pan into the pressure cooker with the sling, resting on the trivet. Make sure all of the foil is tucked neatly inside the cook pot, then set the lid and seal the pressure cooker.
For a 10 inch spring form cake, set the pressure cooker to high for for 55 minutes. Allow to cycle and fully release, total time 2 hours. Opening the valve before the pressure cooker is fully release may make the cake crack or heave.
Allow the cake to cool, then refrigerate 4 hours to overnight before serving.
An easy, no-bake cake recipe oozing with rich cookies-n-cream flavors. Made from whipped cream and chocolate wafers and then refrigerated, the cookies absorb liquid from the cream to become soft and cake-like while the cream thickens.
Ingredients
2 boxes Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers (9oz ea.)
1 pint heavy cream
1½ tablespoon confectionary sugar
1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Try to source two boxes of unbroken wafers. Broken wafers can still be used in to center of the cake.
Combine cream, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer. With a whipping attachment, start mixer on medium-low speed until cream begins to thicken, to prevent splashing. Increase speed and whip cream until soft peaks form. Reserve up to ⅓ of the whipped cream for frosting cake,
Assemble the cake. Place a generous tablespoon sized dollop of cream on the flat underside of each cookie. Press the cookies down on top of the cream, working in layers to your desired pattern (6 point star with a center stack, pictured.) When all of the cookies are used, frost the cake with the reserved whipped cream.
Refrigerate 8 hours, or overnight until the cookies take on a cake-like softness.
