Terrific Tiramisu Cake

Terrific Tiramisu Cake

Makes: 10 to 12 servings

 

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

⅔ cup milk

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. almond extract

6 egg whites

Coffee Syrup

Mascarpone Frosting

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Beat butter medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add sugar and beat well.
2. Stir together milk and 2/3 cup water Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Be careful not to overbeat. Stir in vanilla extract and almond extract.
3. Beat egg whites at high speed until stiff peaks form, and fold into batter. Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans.
4. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely (about 1 hour).
5. Meanwhile, prepare Coffee Syrup.
6. Prepare Mascarpone Frosting. Pierce cake layers with a wooden pick, making holes 1 inch apart. Brush or spoon Coffee Syrup over layers.
7. Place 1 cake layer, brushed side up, on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread top with Mascarpone Frosting. Top with second cake layer, brushed side up, and spread the top and sides of the cake with Mascarpone Frosting. Chill 4 hours before serving.

 

 

Coffee Syrup

Ingredients:

½ cup sugar

⅔ cup strong brewed coffee

¼ cup Kahlua (coffee liqueur)

 

Directions:

Combine sugar and ⅓ cup water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at high for 1 ½ minutes or until sugar is dissolved, stirring at 30-second intervals. Stir in coffee and Kahlua. Let cool for 1 hour.

 

 

Mascarpone Frosting

Ingredients:

1 (8-oz.) package mascarpone cheese

1 ½ cups heavy cream

½ tbsp.. vanilla extract

⅓ cup plus 3 tbsp. sugar

 

Directions:

1. Stir mascarpone cheese in a large bowl just until blended and there are no lumps.
2. Beat cream and vanilla at low speed with an electric mixer until foamy; increase speed to medium-high and add sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Do not overbeat or cream will become grainy. Gently fold mascarpone cheese into whipped cream mixture. Use immediately.

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Splendidly Simple Strawberry Balls

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon strawberry Jell-O powder

½ cup sugar

 

Directions

Mix the butter, condensed milk, and Jell-O powder in a pan over medium-low heat. When it boils, mix for 8 to 10 minutes until it thickens and you can see the bottom of the pan while mixing. Be careful so that it does not burn; you may need to lower the heat.

Remove from the heat. Butter a medium-sized plate and pour the mixture over it. Let it cool completely. Rub butter onto your hands and form the mixture into teaspoon-sized balls. Roll the balls in sugar.

Makes about 20 balls.

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Brilliant Banana Upside-Down Cake

For topping

¾ stick unsalted butter

1 cup packed light brown sugar

3 large just-ripe bananas, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

 

For batter

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

½ stick unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¾ cup warm milk

 

Special equipment: a well-seasoned 10-inch cast-iron skillet

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Melt butter in skillet over medium heat, then stir in brown sugar and simmer, stirring, 4 minutes. Remove from heat and arrange bananas on top of sugar mixture in concentric circles, fitting in as many pieces as possible.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. In a separate bowl, mix warm milk with vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with milk, mixing until just incorporated.

Spoon batter over bananas, smoothing top. Bake until top is golden and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.

Let cake stand in skillet 15 minutes. Put a plate over skillet and invert cake onto plate (keeping plate and skillet firmly pressed together). Replace any banana pieces stuck to bottom of skillet.

Serve cake slightly warm or at room temperature.

 

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