Posts tagged Desserts

Okay. Calling this cake is a bit of a misnomer. Yes, it’s cake-shaped with stacked layers made for slicing and it’s even frosted, but there’s nary a crumb to speak of.  It’s 100% mousse, in cherry chip and pistachio flavors, surrounded by vanilla whipped cream - my take on spumoni.

Since this cake was inspired by its ice cream counterpart, it can be served as a  frozen dessert - and it’s delicious as such. I could see this served  at a summertime gathering in place of a typical ice cream cake. After the half-slice I tested as a frozen dessert had sat on the counter and thawed somewhat, I tried it again. It’s just as delicious at room temperature, and much softer with a true airy mousse texture.

I found that using instant pistachio pudding to flavor the top layer created a pretty green hue, and the flavor is easily recognizable. It also has just the right amount of ground pistachios in the mix to keep the mousse texture nice and smooth. If you don’t have access to instant pistachio pudding, you may omit the pudding from the recipe, add a handful of ground pistachios and use pistachio flavoring.

The cherry layer is my favorite because, well, I’m just a cherry lovin’ girl. There’s something so wonderful about getting a bite filled with cherry chips. It tastes like happy. 

Spumoni Mousse Cake Recipe

Cherry Layer

• 1/4 oz. package of powdered gelatin
• 2 tbsp. maraschino cherry juice
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup whole milk or half and half
• 8 oz. high quality white chocolate, chopped
• 1 tsp. almond extract or 1/4 tsp. almond oil
• Few drops of pink food coloring
• 24 maraschino cherries, chopped into “chips”
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream

For the cherry layer

Lightly grease the bottom and sides of two 7 or 8-inch spring form pans. Line the bottoms with a parchment paper round. Set aside
.
Place the 2 tbsp. cherry juice in a medium saucepan and sprinkle gelatin over water.  Let stand for 1 minute.  Whisk in egg yolks and sugar; mix well.  Stir in milk.  Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly.  Cook until thickened considerably 7-10 minutes. When done, it should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.   Stir in chopped white chocolate and blend with a whisk until chocolate has melted and has an even color.  Let cool.

When mixture is cooled to just barely warm, whisk in almond extract and pink food coloring.  Stir in cherry chips.

Whip cream until stiff peaks form.  Gently fold whipped cream into the cooled cherry mixture until well blended.  Pour into a prepared spring-form pan and level the top with a rubber spatula.  Pick up and drop the pan once or twice to settle any gaps that may have been created when the mixture was poured.  Place in freezer and freeze until firm.  Wash and dry your saucepan, bowl, spatula, whisk and beaters for the next layer.

Pistachio Layer

• 1 tsp. powdered gelatin
• 2 tbsp. cold water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons egg yolk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup whole milk or half and half
• 4 oz. high quality white chocolate, chopped
• 3 tablespoons instant pistachio pudding
• Drop of green food coloring (if desired)
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

For the pistachio layer

Place the 2 tbsp. water in a medium saucepan and sprinkle gelatin over water.  Let stand for 1 minute.  Whisk in egg yolk and sugar.  Stir in milk.  Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly.  Cook until thickened considerably 5-7 minutes. When done, it should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.   Stir in chopped white chocolate and blend with a whisk until chocolate has melted and has an even color.  Whisk in instant pistachio pudding mix.  Let cool.

When mixture is cooled to just barely warm, whisk in a drop of green food coloring to intensify the green color, if desired. 

Whip cream until stiff peaks form.  Gently fold whipped cream into the cooled pistachio mixture until well blended.  Pour into the remaining prepared spring-form pan and level the top with a rubber spatula.  Pick up and drop the pan once or twice to settle any gaps that may have been created when the mixture was poured.  Place in freezer and freeze until firm.

Vanilla whipped cream and assembly

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream  
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. clear vanilla extract
• Pink food coloring
• 12 whole maraschino cherries, rinsed and patted dry

Remove pans of mousse from the freezer. Use a dish towel soaked in hot water then wrung dry to warm the outside of the spring-form collars and then gently unlatch and remove the collars. Turn the cherry layer onto a serving platter or cake stand and peel off the parchment round.  Stack the pistachio layer on top of the cherry layer and press down until layers are even.  If you have gaps between the layers, use an off-set spatula to smooth the two layers together.  Peel off parchment circle.

Whip heavy cream until soft peaks form, and then gradually add the sugar. Add in the vanilla and beat until stiff peaks form.  Frost the upper half of the mousse cake white whipped cream; avoid frosting the top – we want the pretty green color of the pistachio mousse to show.  Tint the remaining whipped cream pink and frost the lower portion with the pink whipped cream. Use one large spatula to smooth the two colors together on the sides of the cake.  Transfer remaining pink whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.  Pipe 12 pink whipped cream florets on the top outer edge of the cake.  Place a cherry in the center of each floret.  Store cake in the freezer.  Slice into pieces while still partially frozen.  Serve frozen or let slices come to room temperature – it’s delicious both ways!

 * Recipe Credit: Sprinkle Bakes

Baked Alaska is a layered dessert consisting of cake, ice cream and sweet meringue, so it wasn’t terribly difficult to translate into cupcake form. To begin, you’ll need a “naked” cupcake - no wrappers!  They’d catch fire, and we certainly don’t want burning paper on our delicious treat.

You have two options to obtain your “naked” cupcakes: 1.) Bake cupcakes without liners in a greased and floured cupcake pan.  2.) For easy clean-up, use your least cutesy cupcake papers and just peel them away before you begin assembling the cakes. I’m all for the latter - one less pan to wash.  Inexpensive parchment paper liners will do just fine.

To make the blue-flame magic happen, turn down the lights and sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of warmed brandy over each meringue-coated cupcake. Ignite with a grill lighter or a long fireplace match.  

Flaming Baked Alaska Cupcakes:

Yield: 10-12 cupcakes&

Cake/Ice cream:
Use your favorite cupcake recipe, or the Basic Vanilla Cupcake recipe (below)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons milk

2 cups of your favorite ice cream for filling cupcakes

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form.  

* This recipe can be found in one of my favorite cookbooks:

                       

SprinkleBakes: Dessert Recipes to Inspire Your Inner Artist

In the century since William Entenmann opened his first bakery in Brooklyn, the Entenmann’s Bakery brand has burgeoned to the point that it’s the top selling sweet baked goods brand at supermarkets nationwide. For the first time translating some of that best-selling-baked-goods mojo into a recipe book for use at home, Entenmann’s has come out with Entenmann’s Big Book of Baking. I like the fact that there is a whole chapter on crumb cakes. This Blueberry Crumb Cake is my favorite.

Cake Batter Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp fresh-grated nutmeg
• 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup sour cream
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp lemon extract
• 3 cups fresh blueberries

Crumb Topping Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

Note: These amounts are an adaptation: I doubled the crumb recipe to put more crumbs on the cake

Instructions

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2.  Butter, or spray with cooking spray, a 13 x 9 x 2 baking pan and line with parchment paper. (Note: this will allow you to lift the cake from the pan after baking for very-easy slicing and clean-up)

3.  Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.

4.  Using two knives, or lightly with your fingertips, cut butter into dry ingredients until the mixture resembles fine crumbs and there are no chunks of butter left. Set aside.

5.  In a separate bowl, whisk egg, sour cream, milk and vanilla and add to flour mixture, stirring until combined.

6.  Fold blueberries and lemon extract into the batter. Pour batter into the pan, smoothing to reach corners.

7.  Make crumb topping: blend butter with flour until crumbly. Add sugar. Spoon over the batter mix.

8.  Bake until the cake is golden; 40 minutes. Cool cake for 20 minutes before serving.

* Recipe Credit: Entenmann’s Big Book of Baking

(Source: zazzle.com)

Guest Blog: Kayla

Ingredients

• Approximately 3 cups white chocolate
• 1 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tbs butter
• 1 1/2 cups marshmallow fluff
• 1 box (3.4 oz) Jell-O cheesecake pie filling mix
• 3 tbs Jell-O Strawberry Gelatin

Instructions

Prep a 9x9 or a 9x13 inch dish with wax paper. This will help you remove the block of fudge and cut it nicely.

Mix the chocolate chips & butter with the sweetened condensed milk and melt over medium heat in a saucepan.

Once smooth, add in the cheesecake mix and stir until combined. It’ll look grainy at first, but keep stirring for a minute or two.

 Add in the marshmallow fluff and stir until mixture is smooth and creamy.

Pour 2/3 of the mixture into your pan.

Add 1-3 tbs of the strawberry gelatin mix into the remaining mixture. Stir until even in color.

Pour the remaining mixture into the pan, use a toothpick to swirl the two together.

Refrigerate until set, remove from pan and cut! That’s it!!

* Recipe and Photos by Say Not Sweet Anne (Special Thanks to Kayla!)

Warning:  This post today will give you uncontrollable cravings for some sweet, yummy, goodness!

I found some delicious-looking treats that are pretty simple to make and provide pretty presentation too. {Recipe links below}

Pumpkin Spice Whoopie Pies – whoopie pies are the latest craze and they aren’t difficult to make when you begin with a boxed cake mix.  With it’s cake-like texture and filling of marshmallow cream, this is sure to please kids and groan ups alike!

 

Pecan Cheesecake Pie – can’t decide if you want traditional pecan pie or cheesecake?  Have your pie and eat it too with this recipe that combines the two classics.

Ginger Pumpkin Mousse - a lighter choice for dessert, but full of flavor!

Pumpkin Spice Creme Brulee - admittedly this recipe is a little more labor intensive with it’s mini pumpkin preparation and caramelized sugar drizzle, but for a special occasion it makes an incredible presentation.  And if you’ve ever had Creme Brulee, you KNOW it’s worth it!

Materials Needed:

• A large Offset Spatula 
•  Heavy duty pastry bag with large tip.

Step 1: Bake your cakes using your favorite recipe. (This is my favorite chocolate cake recipe.)

Step 2: After the cakes are baked and have cooled down, put them in saran wrap and put them in the freezer for a few hours. Cooling the cake will make the crumbs way more manageable. (As long as the cakes are wrapped, freezing it will not make a difference in the taste.)

Step 3: Remove the cakes from the freezer and trim off the top with a serrated bread knife (if needed) to create a perfectly flat layer. I prefer tall cakes which means I usually make 3-4 layers and sometimes I cut those in half to create even more layers.

Step 4: Put down the first layer of cake and taking a pastry bag of frosting create a nice even layer of frosting. Take an offset  spatula and spread out the frosting about 1″ before the edge. Repeat until all the layers are in place.

Step 5: Create a crumb layer. This layer will seal in all the crumbs before you are ready to decorate your cake. Using the large offset spatula starting at the top of the cake and then working down the sides, create a thin and smooth layer of frosting over the entire cake. Put it in the refrigerator until the frosting sets. (About 30-60 minutes.)

Step 6: Now it’s time to frost! For best results it’s important to work with cold cake and room temperature frosting. To create that perfectly messy frosting look pile on a very very thick layer of frosting with your offset spatula. The secret to get it right is there must be a deep layer of frosting to create the texture and swirls that make it look so good. Once your thick layer of frosting is on, take the back of a spoon and begin making swirls and crests in the thick layer of frosting. Continue until the whole cake looks swoop-y and delicious.

Getting the little ones to reach for fruit over candy can be a challenge. I love the idea of serving a treat that’s as cute as it is healthy.

Bride Idea: Serve them on top of shortcake “tubes” full of snow-covered whipped cream (sparkling white sprinkles or white chocolate shavings).

(Source: zazzle.com)

I admit it…I am an addict…Peanut Butter is my addiction!  I absolutely love anything with Peanut Butter in it! So when I found this recipe on Pinterest I knew I had to try it. So…..are….you…READY?  I give you…

Nutter Butter Cookie Balls

Ingredients:

• 1 package Nutter Butter cookies
• 1 8oz block of cream cheese
• 1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

• Using a food processor or a blender, crush up the cookies until finely ground

• Place the cookie crumbs and the cream cheese in a stand mixer (I am sure you can use a hand mixer or even mix it together with your hands, but it will take a bit more time and effort on your part.)

• Mix for several minutes until well-blended.

• Form mixture into small balls and place on waxed paper.  Put in the fridge or freezer for about 20 minutes or so.

• Melt your chocolate and dip the cookie balls into the chocolate, tapping off the excess chocolate.

• Let sit on waxed paper or foil until set. 

I tried making these with peanut butter instead of cream cheese. It works and definitely makes them more peanut-buttery-ish. However, the texture is not as smooth with the peanut butter as it is with the cream cheese.  But it is also another delish variation!

Enjoy!

(Source: zazzle.com)

This Lemon Mousse is light, airy, fresh and creamy.  Great by itself served in a parfait glass topped with whipped cream, but it would be equally great in a graham cracker crust or mini tart shell. 

If you are short on time, you can buy a pre-made lemon curd, and just add gelatin and fold in whipped cream.  However, store-bought lemon curd can be expensive, so the homemade version is a more cost effective option if you have the time.    

Lemon Mousse 

• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon plain gelatin
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• Pinch of salt
• 6 large egg yolks

• 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons of sugar

In a small bowl add the water and sprinkle the gelatin on top. Allow it to ‘gel’  for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium heat. Remove from heat and add the sugar, salt, lemon juice and zest. Whisk together and then add the egg yolks. Place over medium low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook until the mixture has thickened and coats the back of a spoon (this should take roughly 8-10 minutes). Do not allow the mixture to boil or it will curdle, if it begins to steam remove it from the heat for 20 seconds to allow it to cool then return it to the heat.

Once it has thickened, whisk in the gelatin.  Allow this mixture to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.  Once the lemon curd has cooled, beat the whip cream to stiff peaks. Adding half of the whipped cream into the lemon curd, gently fold it in.

Pour the lemon mousse between 4-6 parfait glasses.  Top with a large dollop of the whipped cream.

Recipe & Photo credit: Jenny Steffens Hobick

(Source: zazzle.com)