Fare Notes

• About
• Notes
• Recipes

02-04-10

German-Style Mango Cake

Makes 6 Servings

Ingredients:

02-01-10

Baby Tiramisu

Makes 6 Servings

Ingredients:
1/2 cup(s)  nonfat ricotta cheese (4 ounces)
2 tablespoon(s) confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
12  ladyfingers (about 1 3/4 ounces)
4 tablespoon(s) brewed espresso or strong coffee, divided
2 tablespoon(s) bittersweet chocolate chips, melted

Directions:
1. Combine ricotta, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
2. Place 6 ladyfingers in a 9-by-5-inch (or similar size) loaf pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons espresso (or coffee). Spread the ricotta mixture over the ladyfingers. Place another layer of ladyfingers over the ricotta and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons espresso (or coffee). Drizzle with melted chocolate. Refrigerate until the chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 107 calories; 2 g fat; 0 g fiber; 18 g carbohydrates

01-10-10

Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Makes 16 Servings

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chopped walnuts
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
TOPPING:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 jar (10 ounces) Seedless Raspberry Preserves
Fresh raspberries and fresh mint leaves, optional

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Stir in nuts. Add eggs and oil; mix well. Pat dough into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan.
In a small bowl, stir together cream cheese, sugar and egg; spread over dough. Drop raspberry preserves by teaspoonfuls onto cream cheese mixture, about 1 in. apart. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Garnish with raspberries and mint if desired.

Berry Cream Cheese Muffins: Prepare dough as instructed above. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Prepare cream cheese topping as instructed above. Drop by tablespoonfuls into the center of each muffin. Drop raspberry preserves by tablespoonfuls into the center of each muffin. Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes before removing to wire rack. Yield: 16 muffins.

Berry Cream Cheese Mini Muffins: Prepare dough as instructed above. Fill greased mini muffin cups two-thirds full. Prepare cream cheese topping as instructed above. Drop by teaspoonfuls into the center of each mini muffin. Drop raspberry preserves by teaspoonfuls into the center of each mini muffin. Bake at 350° for 12-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from pan to cool on wire rack. Yield: 3 dozen mini muffins.

01-09-10

Fuji Apple Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 12 Servings

Ingredients: 
Cake:

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons bourbon, apple brandy, or rum (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
• 2 medium Fuji or Gala apples (13 to 14 ounces total), peeled, halved, cored, cut into 1/3-inch cubes
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans (about 6 ounces)

Frosting:

• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 3 cups powdered sugar (measured, then sifted)
• Coarsely chopped toasted pecans (for garnish)
• Special equipment: 2 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides

Directions: 
For cake:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch high sides. Line bottom of each pan with parchment paper round. Whisk first 7 ingredients in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat 1 cup butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add both sugars and beat until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla, then bourbon, if desired (mixture may look curdled). Add flour mixture to egg mixture in 3 additions alternately with applesauce in 2 additions, beating until blended after each addition. Stir in apples and pecans. Divide batter between cake pans; smooth tops.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of each comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Transfer cakes to racks and cool in pans 15 minutes. Cut around pan sides to loosen cakes. Invert cakes onto racks; peel off parchment paper. Place another rack atop 1 cake and invert again so that cake is rounded side up. Repeat with second cake. Cool completely. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap each cake in plastic and stoer at room temperature.

For frosting:
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in vanilla extract and pinch of salt. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until frosting is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.

Using long serrated knife, trim off rounded tops of cakes to make level; brush off any loose crumbs. Transfer 1 cake to platter, trimmed side up. Drop half of frosting (about 11/2 cups) by spoonfuls atop cake. Spread frosting evenly to edges of cake. Top with second cake, trimmed side down. Drop remaining frosting by spoonfuls onto top of cake, leaving sides of cake plain. Spread frosting to top edges of cake, swirling and creating peaks, if desired. Sprinkle with pecans. Let cake stand at room temperature 1 hour to allow frosting to set slightly. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let cake stand at room temperature at least 2 hours before serving.

 NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 763 calories; 40 g fat; 3 g fiber; 96 g carbohydrates

Makes Servings

Ingredients:
Directions:

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: calories; g fat; g fiber; g carbohydrate

11-24-09

Four Layer Pumpkin Cake with Orange-Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 12 Servings

Ingredients: 

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder*
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups (packed) golden brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange peel
• 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• Chopped walnuts or walnut halves, toasted

Directions: 

• Position rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 350°F. Spray two 9-inch cake pans with 1 1/2-inch sides with nonstick spray. Line bottoms with parchment; spray parchment.
• Whisk flour and next 4 ingredients in large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in another large bowl until smooth. Beat in brown sugar. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating to blend between additions. Beat in pumpkin. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture in 3 additions alternately with milk in 2 additions, beating to blend between additions. Divide batter between pans.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool in pans on rack 15 minutes. Run knife around cakes to loosen. Invert cakes onto racks. Remove parchment. Using tart pan bottom as aid, turn cakes over onto racks, top sides up, and cool completely. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap cakes in plastic and store at room temperature.
• Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add cream cheese and orange peel; beat until smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat on low speed until smooth.
• Trim rounded tops from cakes. Using long serrated knife, cut each cake horizontally in half. Place 1 cake layer, cut side up, on large platter. Spoon 2/3 cup frosting atop cake in dollops; spread to edges. Repeat 2 more times with cake and frosting; top with remaining cake layer, cut side down. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake (layer will be thin). DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover with cake dome; chill. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.
• Decorate cake with walnuts and serve.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 750 calories; 44g fat; 2g fiber; 81g carbohydrates

11-24-09

Spiced Bundt Cake

Makes 12 Servings

Ingredients:

1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350°. Grease and flour a 10-cup bundt pan. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, five-spice powder, baking soda, salt and pepper.
2. Using a food processor, mix the granulated sugar and ginger until the ginger is coarsely ground.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar-ginger mixture and vanilla at high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer at medium speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mixing at low speed, add the flour mixture alternately with the molasses in 3 batches until combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake until the cake begins to pull away from the side of the pan and is springy to the touch, about 1 hour. Transfer to a rack to cool for 20 minutes, then invert the cake onto the rack and let cool completely. Dust with the confectioners’ sugar.

10-10-09

Peach and Pecan Upside-Down Cake

Makes 8 to 10 Servings

Ingredients:

For peach and pecan topping:

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 40 (about) pecan halves (about 3 ounces)
• 2 medium peaches (about 7 ounces each), peeled, halved, pitted, each half cut into 6 wedges

For cake:

• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• Vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream

• Special equipment: 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides

Directions:

Peach and Pecan Topping:
Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar; whisk until sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Pour mixture into 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides; spread evenly over bottom of pan (layer will be thin). Arrange pecan halves, side by side with round sides down, in circle around outer edge of pan bottom. Arrange peach wedges, slightly overlapping, inside circle of pecans, covering pan bottom. Set aside while making cake batter.

Cake:
Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Combine first 6 ingredients in processor. Blend until nuts are finely ground. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until butter is pale in color, about 4 minutes. Whisk eggs and vanilla in small bowl until well blended. Add egg mixture to butter mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with milk in 2 additions, beating just until blended after each addition. Drop batter by large spoonfuls atop pecans and peaches in pan; spread evenly and gently with offset spatula or rubber spatula.

Bake cake until golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Transfer cake to rack; cool in pan 25 to 30 minutes (do not cool longer or peach layer may stick to pan). Run small knife around sides of cake to loosen. Place serving platter atop cake pan. Using oven mitts, firmly hold cake pan and platter together and invert cake onto platter. Let cake rest 1 minute, then very slowly lift off pan. If necessary, rearrange any peach wedges or pecans that may have become dislodged. Let cool to room temperature.

Cut cake into wedges. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

08-27-09

No-Bake Chocolate-Rapsberry Cream Pie

Makes 8 Servings

Ingredients:
7 ounces chocolate wafer cookies (about 32), coarsely broken
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup sugar
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup crème fraîche*
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
2 1/2 cups fresh raspberries (two 6-ounce containers)

Directions:
Place broken cookies in processor. Using on/off turns, process until finely ground. Place chocolate chips, butter, and sugar in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high at 15-second intervals until melted, stirring occasionally. Add chocolate mixture to processor and blend until combined. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch glass pie dish (do not pack firmly). Chill crust while preparing filling.

Whisk condensed milk, crème fraîche, lemon juice, and lemon peel in large bowl to blend. Add half of raspberries. Stir, pressing gently on some raspberries, until raspberries begin to break apart and filling turns pink. Transfer filling to crust. Chill until filling is set, about 2 hours.

Scatter remaining raspberries over pie. Cut into wedges and serve.

08-11-09

Angel Food Cake with Lemon Honey Sauce

Makes 12-16 Servings

Ingredients:
Cake:
12 egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/4 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest, plus extra for garnish
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup cake flour
Fresh mint sprigs
Sauce:
1 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Special equipment: a 10-inch nonstick angel food cake pan

Directions:
For the cake: Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg whites, salt and cream of tartar. Using an electric hand mixer, beat on medium speed until frothy. Add the vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat on high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 to 4 minutes. Gradually add the sugar and beat until the mixture forms stiff peaks, about 2 minutes longer. Sprinkle the flour over the egg white mixture. Using a spatula, carefully fold in the flour until incorporated. Spoon the batter into an ungreased 10-inch nonstick angel food cake pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the top is browned and a skewer inserted halfway between the inner and outer wall of the pan comes out clean. Invert the pan on a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.

For the sauce: In a small bowl whisk together the yogurt, honey, and lemon juice until smooth. Pour into a serving pitcher.

Using a spatula, loosen the cake around the sides and middle. Release the cake and place on a serving plate. Cut into slices and drizzle with the sauce. Garnish with lemon zest and mint sprigs.

06-21-09

Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Cream Frosting

Makes 12 Servings

Ingredients:
frosting
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup seedless strawberry jam
3/4 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
cake
3 cups cake flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, room temerature
7 large eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
6 tablespoons seedless strawberry jam
1/3 cup seedless strawberry jam
2 1/4 lbs strawberries, hulled, sliced (about 6 cups)

Directions:
Frosting:
For the frosting, use the electric mixer to beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides of the bowl. Beat in sugar, then jam. Beat cream in medium bowl until peaks form. Fold whipped cream into frosting. Cover; chill until firm enough to spread, about 2 hours.
Cake:
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Butter and flour 2 or 3 9-inch cake pans with 2 inch high sides. Sift flour, baking powder, and baking soda into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add sour cream, beat 30 seconds. Add flour mixture in three additions, beating just to blend after each addition. Divide the batter between the prepared pans.
Bake until tester comes out clean. About 45- 50 minutes. Cool cakes in pan for 15 minutes and then loosen with knife and turn onto rack to cool completely.
Using a large serrated knife, cut each cake horizontally in half. Place one cake, cut side up, on cake plate. Spread 2 tablespoons strawberry jam over ( I like to warm it slightly in microwave and add some boiling water so I can brush it on the cake), then 3/4 cup frosting, and 3/4 cup sliced berries, arranging in a single layer.
Repeat this 2 more times with each layer of cake.
Spread 2 cups frosting on top of cake and over sides of cake.
Optional, spread remaining jam (room temp) on top and sides of cake (swirl).
Cut cake into wedges and top with remaining strawberries.