Flo's Standbys

Breakfast Cranberry Cake

Servings: 10

1 1/2 c Sugar	2 c Water
4 c Cranberries, fresh or frozen	1 Grated zest orange
2 1/2 c Flour	1 t Freshly grated nutmeg
1 t Ground cinnamon	1 t Salt
1 t Baking powder	1 t Soda
3 Large eggs	1 c Sugar
1/2 c Packed light brown sugar	12 T Unsalted butter, melted
1 c Buttermilk

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking pan.

Make the sauce: Combine the 1 1/2 cups sugar, 2 cups water, the cranberries. Cook in large heavy saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Then reduce the heat to medium and cook until the sauce has thickened and darkened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the orange zest, remove the pan from the heat, and let cool.

Prepare the cake batter: Sift the flour, spices, salt, baking powder, and soda together onto a piece of wax paper.

In a large bowl combine the eggs with the sugars and mix until they are thoroughly blended; then add the melted butter and mix well. Add the dry ingredients in thirds alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix quickly, stirring just until the ingredients are thoroughly blended. Do not overmix.

Spread the cooled cranberry sauce into the prepared baking pan. Pour the cake batter over it, and smooth out evenly. Bake until cake is golden and springs back when touched, about 35 minutes. Let cool at least 10 minutes. Cut the cake, removing the pieces carefully with a spatula. Serve cranberry side up with creme fraiche for breakfast or vanilla ice cream for dinner.

This recipe is from the "Farmhouse Cookbook" by Susan Herrmann Loomis. I served it at my January 1993 brunch. - Flo Leighton, 1993

German Sweet Chocolate Cake

Servings: 12

1 pk German Sweet Chocolate	1/2 c Boiling water
1 c Butter	2 c Sugar
4 Egg yolks	1 t Vanilla
2 1/4 c Sifted all purpose flour	1 t Soda
1/2 t Salt	1 c Buttermilk
4 Egg whites, stiffly beaten

Melt chocolate in boiling water. Cool. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in vanilla and chocolate. Sift flour with soda and salt; add alternately with buttermilk to chocolate mixture, beating after each addition until smooth. Fold in beaten egg whites. Pour into three nine

inch layer pans, lined on bottom with wax or parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool. Frost tops only.

For frosting combine 1 cup evaporated milk, 1 cup sugar, 3 slightly beaten egg yolks, 1/2 cup of butter and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened, about 12 minutes. Add 1 1/3 cup of angel flake coconut and 1 cup chopped pecans. Cool until thick enough to spread, stirring occasionally. Makes 2 1/2 cups.

This is a grass roots recipe that swept the country to become a classic. It is the original recipe from the German sweet chocolate package. There were simpler versions later, but I notice now that they have gone back to the original version.

I make this cake for Hudson's birthday on January 4th. I make it again for Arthur's birthday on August 23rd. - Flo Leighton, 1992

Angel Cake

Servings: 10

1 c Cake flour	1 1/2 c Sugar
2 c Egg whites	1 1/2 t Cream of tartar
1 t Vanilla	1/4 t Salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Adjust oven rack so it is one third of the way up from the bottom.

To measure the flour: Dip a 1 cup dry measure into the cake flour container, scoop up the flour, and sweep off the excess with a knife. Combine the measured flour with half the sugar (3/4 cup), stirring them together. Tear off two good-sized sheets of wax paper. Pour the combined flour and sugar into a sifter and sift them together onto one sheet of waxed paper. Pick up the paper, pour into sifter, and sift again onto the other piece. Repeat once more so flour and sugar are sifted three times. Place the remaining sugar in a small cup.

Put the egg whites in mixer bowl and attach the beaters or whip. Turn to lowest speed. After about a minute, when the whites are broken up and resemble foamy syrup, stop beating and add cream of tartar, vanilla, and salt. Take about 30 seconds to gradually turn to medium speed, then, holding the reserved 3/4 cup sugar at the edge of the bowl, gradually let sprinkles of it drift into the whites. Stop beating when all the sugar is added, and scrape around the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Resume beating at medium speed until whites are stiff but moist. Egg whites are stiff but moist when they hold their shape in a sharp, angular way and stand in peaks that droop slightly when the beater is lifted.

Sift about one third of the flour-sugar mixture over the top of the egg whites (still in the bowl) and, using the same beaters, turn the machine to lowest speed and blend for a few seconds. Scrape sides of bowl and add remaining flour-sugar by halves.

When mixed scrape immediately into a 10 inch ungreased tube pan, run a knife in circle through batter to break up any air bubbles. Smooth the top.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes (begin testing with a straw at 30 minutes). When done invert immediately either on pan legs or a bottle. Cool completely. Carefully remove from pan with spatula.

Frozen egg whites work fine, though not quite as much volume as fresh. The pitfall in this recipe is to divide the sugar. This recipe is from The Fannie Farmer Baking Book by Marion Cunningham.
- Flo Leighton, 1992

Andy's Fresh Ginger Cake

Servings: 9

1/2 c Butter	1/2 c Water
1/2 c Light brown sugar	1/4 c Light molasses
1/4 c Dark corn syrup	1 Egg
3 T Pared and grated ginger	1 1/2 c Sifted flour
1/4 t Salt	1 t Soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour an 8 inch square pan. Melt 1/2 c butter with water in a saucepan--do not simmer. Remove from heat and whisk in sugar, molasses, syrup, and then the egg. Then add ginger, and sifted dry ingredients. Whisk or beat a minute or two until smooth and light. Pour into prepared pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until cake is pulled away from the sides of the pan and top is springy to the touch. Cool a few minutes, then turn out onto cake rack. While still warm dust with confectioner's sugar or spread with simple vanilla icing.

© Flo Leighton, 1992

Chocolate Chestnut Cake

Servings: 18

Cake:

18 oz Chocolate chips	13/16 c Sugar
1/2 c Brandy	6 T Butter
5 Eggs	2 Egg yolks
1/3 c Whipping cream	2 T Cornstarch
1 (15 1/2 oz) Can chestnut puree

Glaze:

4 oz Chocolate chips

2 oz Butter

Heat chocolate chips, sugar, brandy, and butter over water until melted.  Cool. Beat eggs, yolks, whipping cream, and cornstarch until smooth.  Add melted chocolate mixture.  Blend chestnut puree in blender or food processor. Add to egg mixture and beat until smooth. Pour into buttered 9 inch springform pan and bake 1 hour at 300 degrees. 

Heat 4 oz chocolate chips and 2 oz butter until melted. Blend until it reaches glaze consistency.  Spread over cake. 

Refrigerate when cool.  Serve very small portions with a dab of whipped cream on the side.  This dessert is only for true chocolate lovers. 

This is a recipe we used at Gallery 8 Restaurant.  Martha Geffin found it. - Flo Leighton, 1991

Cranberry Upside Down Cake

Servings: 8

2 c Fresh cranberries	1/2 c Pecans
1/2 c Sugar	1/2 c Melted butter
2 Eggs	1 c Sugar
1 c Flour	1/4 c Melted butter

Grease 9 inch cake pan.  Arrange pecans on bottom.  Add cranberries, 1/2 c melted butter and sugar to pan.  Beat eggs well.  Add 1 cup sugar gradually.  Add flour,stirring gently.  Fold in 1/4 cup melted butter.  Pour batter over cranberries.  Bake at 325 degrees for 60 minutes.  Serve with a bowl of whipped cream. 

This recipe was given to me by Priscilla Goldstein.  It was her mother's recipe. - Flo Leighton, 1991

Mango and Macadamia Nut Cake

Servings: 12

Cake:

6 Egg yolks	3/4 c Sugar
1 T Lemon juice	3/4 c Egg whites
1 c Sifted flour

Beat egg yolks and sugar until light or ribbons.  Beat in lemon juice.  Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff but not dry.  Fold yolks, whites and flour together.  Pour into a buttered 8 inch spring form pan.  Bake at 325 degrees 50 minutes, or until it pulls away from the side slightly.  Cool.  Split and fill.  Top layer should be 1/3 thickness. Filling recipe follows.

Filling:

1 oz Gelatin	2 c Pureed canned mangoes (2 cans)
6 T Sugar	2 T Grand Marnier

Soften gelatin in some cold mango juice.  Stir mangoes, sugar.  Heat to boil.  Add the gelatin and Marnier.  Stir.  Chill until it begins to set.  Filling should be stirred while cooling to keep it soft.  Gelatin is used only to give body to filling so it doesn't run off the cake.  When cool spoon between layers of cake.  Filling should be 1/2 inch thick.  In this instance the cake is the vehicle for the filling.  Frost cake with whipped cream and sprinkle 1/3 cup of chopped macadamia nuts over the top.

This is a Gallery 8 recipe.  - Flo Leighton, 1991

Walnut Cake

See Chocolate Butter Cream recipe for frosting.

Servings: 12

1/2 c Butter	1 c Sugar
1 1/2 c Sifted cake flour	1 1/2 t Baking powder
1/8 t Salt	1 c Broken walnut meats
2 Large eggs	1/2 c Milk
1/2 t Vanilla	1/4 t Almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Cream butter and sugar for 10 minutes in electric mixer. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Toss the broken walnuts meats with one tablespoon of flour and set aside.  Add eggs one at a time to the creamed mixture, beating well after each addition.  Combine the milk, vanilla, and almond extracts. Alternately, add the flour mixture and milk to the creamed mixture.  Beat well after each addition.  Add the floured walnuts and continue beating on low speed until well blended.  Lightly butter 9x5x3 loaf pan.  Spoon batter into pan. 

Bake 50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool in pan 10 minutes. 

Turn the cake out on rack.  Spread top and sides of cake with Chocolate Butter Cream. Garnish the top of each cake with six whole walnuts.  

© Flo Leighton, 1991

Chocolate Butter Cream

Servings: 12

4 oz Unsweetened chocolate	2 T Very strong coffee
4 Egg yolks	1/4 t Salt
1/2 c Sugar	1 c Butter

Set a mixing bowl in a basin of simmering water.  Add the chocolate and coffee and heat, stirring often, until chocolate is melted and blended.  Combine the yolks, salt, and sugar in another bowl.  Set the bowl in a basin of simmering water and beat the yolk mixture until it ribbons.  Spoon the chocolate into the yolks.  Return bowl to water and continue beating.  Gradually beat in the butter bit by bit.  Remove the bowl from the heat.  Continue beating until thickens and becomes spreadable.  Let cool until can be easily spread on cake. This is a generous amount for one cake.

© Flo Leighton, 1991

Brown Sugar Chocolate Cake

Servings: 12

2 1/2 c Sifted cake flour	1 t Soda
1 c Unsalted butter, softened	2 1/4 c Brown sugar, firmly packed
3 Eggs, slightly beaten	1 t Vanilla
2 oz Unsweetened chocolate	1 c Milk

Melt chocolate and cool. Sift flour with soda. Cream butter. Add sugar. Cream until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Stir in chocolate. Alternately add flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with flour. Mix after each addition. Pour batter into 3 eight inch layer pans or 2 nine inch pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes at 350 degrees. Test with toothpick. Cool in pans 15 minutes. Remove and cool on racks. Frost with icing of choice.

Besides greasing cake pans I like to line with parchment paper for easier removal from pans. Take paper off layers as soon as layers are removed from pans but leave loosely covering layers while they continue to cool.

© Flo Leighton, 1990