Classic Pound Cake

With the beginning of Spring and my first dinner party of the season, I knew I wanted bright colors, fresh flavors, and few ingredients to adorn my table. I really wanted to embrace that new, fresh, colorful feeling of Spring; and the dessert I wanted to serve was no exception. It was the one course on the menu I had left to plan, and the first thing that came to mind was fruit; leaving unlimited possibilities.

Seeing as I am an official believer that dessert is the closing to any meal and that it cannot be any less impressive than the meal itself, I refused to let it be just a last minute detail. If anything, the dessert should surpass the appetizer and main course; after all, it will be the last thing your guests eat. You want your guests to leave full, happy and still talking about how amazing the dessert was while your closing the door behind them.

The fact of the matter is, a simple dessert can leave this great positive impression. The dessert does not have to be complicated and take hours to construct. Simply having the ingredients speak for themselves is a great way to showcase any plate (even dessert), and this is what 'The Classic Pound Cake' is able to accomplish for you. It is buttery, dense and rich, but the bursts of fruit flavor are still able to pop. Fresh fruit is really the star of this dish and each bite is unique.

Ingredients:

• 1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1⁄4 tsp. baking soda
• 1⁄4 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter,
    at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1⁄2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1⁄2 cup sour cream, at room temperature

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. 


2. Lightly grease and flour standard (8 1⁄2-by-4 1⁄2) inch loaf pan.


3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients of flour, baking soda and salt just until blended. 


4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until light and fluffy. 


5. Add the eggs one at a time to the wet ingredients, beating well after each addition until just blended. 


6. Add half of the flour mixture over the wet mixture and stir until both are they are just incorporated. 


7. Then, stir in the sour cream.


8. Then, add the remaining half of the flour mixture and stir until combined. 


9. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and tap gently on the counter to even out and settle the ingredients. 


10. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean for about 70 minutes. The cooking time will be slightly longer if using a metal pan. 


11. Remove from oven placing the pan on a wire rack. Let cool for 15 minutes.


12. Run a knife around the inside of the pan, invert the cake onto the rack and slowly slide the cake out of the pan. 


13. Let cake continue to cool on rack until room temperature, slice and serve. Dust with powder sugar and top with blueberries and raspberries and lemon zest. Depending upon thickness of slice it will yield 8 to 10 servings.

Chocolate Flourless Cake

David Lebovitz. Do I need to say more? Chocolate genius! I came across this flourless chocolate cake during a last minute search for something chocolate, decadent, and simple. I wanted a recipe where the chocolate was the star. And, as usual, David delivered. He calls this cake the chocolate "idiot" cake, saying that an idiot can make it... that is, make it without messing it up. While I do tend to agree with this assessment, I will refer to this as his publisher did---the chocolate orbit cake. I mean if you do mess this up, who am I to add insult to injury by calling you an idiot? 

This recipe by David is a foolproof way to satisfy your richest chocolate craving. The feeling of rich, smooth chocolate melts on your tongue like a fine chocolate ganash. It makes you want to eat slowly and savor every single bite. Yet, it still manages to leave you completely satisfied with only a sliver. This dessert definitely accomplishes that feeling dessert is supposed to, that satisfaction at the end of a meal, without you feeling the need to over indulge. If you live for dessert like I do, you know exactly what I am talking about...that search for a dessert where one bite could be enough, but you'll have no problem finishing the rest of the sliver (or slice) on your plate.

Adapted from http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2007/01/shf-27-chocolat-1/ .


Ingredients:
10 ounces semisweet chocolate bar coarsely chopped (I used Ghirardelli semi-sweet bars)
7 ounces unsalted butter cut into approximately 1 tbsp slices
5 large, room temperature eggs
1 cup granulated sugar


Directions:


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.


1. Using a 9-inch spring form pan, butter the inside and then dust it with cocoa powder. Tap out any excess powder. (If you suspect your spring form pan is not 100% water-tight, wrap the outside with aluminum foil, making sure it goes all the way up to the outer rim. This will prevent the batter from leaking and water from the water bath from getting in.)


2. Now melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler (or you can use a microwave), stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from heat as soon as it is melted and combined. You do not want to overheat and burn the chocolate.


3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar.


4. Then whisk in the melted chocolate mixture and continue stirring until smooth.


5. Pour the batter into the prepared spring form pan and cover the top of the pan snugly with a sheet of foil. Put the spring form pan into a larger baking pan, such as a roasting pan, and add enough hot water to the baking pan to come about halfway up to the outside of the cake pan. (This is called a water bath.) Once again checking to make sure the spring form pan  is sealed and the water is not too high in the baking pan.


6. Bake the cake for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.


7.You’ll know the cake is done when it feels just set, like quivering chocolate pudding. If you gently touch the center, your finger should come away clean.


8. Lift the cake pan from the water bath and remove the foil. Place cake on a cooling rack until it is room temperature.


9. Serve thin wedges of this very rich cake at room temperature, with creme anglaise, ice cream, or whipped cream. I made homemade whipped cream and topped the entire cake. Then garnished with fresh organic raspberries.

(Storage: This Chocolate Orbit Cake can be wrapped and chilled in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.)

Banana Coconut Bundt Cake

The story of my life...bananas well past ripe, sadly sitting in the fruit basket on the counter, and the thought running through my head, "I did it again this week!". How do I always over-buy bananas? How many dishes can you actually successfully use bananas in? Is my subconscious just looking for an excuse to bake? While all rhetorical questions, I could answer them all without pause. (My son. Thousands. YES!) If you are looking for something to impress the ladies coming over 'to brunch', need something a little different for your family (which will make a statement--impressive!), or simply looking for a way to salvage those bananas that are on the edge of the leaping into the trash, this recipe will withstand even the harshest critics. And let me tell you, it tastes as good as it looks! 

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. fresh grated cinnamon

1/8 tsp. fresh ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. salt

2 eggs, beaten

5 over-ripe medium sized bananas, about 1 1/2- 2 cups mashed

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 pkg. Philadelphia Cream Cheese room temperature

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp. finely ground toasted pecans to garnish

Directions:

1. Grease bundt pan with shortening or butter. Lightly flour and remove excess. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3. In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.

4. In medium sized mixing bowl, mix eggs. Then add smashed bananas, sugar, and oil. Thoroughly mix all wet ingredients. (A potato masher works well for this process...)

5. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Mix well by hand. Batter will be lumpy.

6. Finally add coconut to batter and combine.

7. Pour into bundt pan and place in oven.

8. Cook for 45-50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

9. Remove from oven and let cook in pan on wire rack for ten minutes.

10. Then remove from pan and continue to cool on wire rack until room temperature.

11. In the meantime make the glaze. In a medium mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, milk, confectioners sugar, and vanilla. Whip ingredients together using a hand mixer. 

12. Pour glaze into measuring cup with a spout to easily drizzle over cake once cooled to room temperature. Now top with pecans and serve.