Bon Appetit Desserts (20 page)

DO AHEAD:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Glazed Lime Cake

Here’s a cake you can make any night of the week on a whim, since there are just seven staple ingredients used for both the cake and glaze—all of which you’re likely to have on hand. If you don’t have self-rising flour, use all purpose flour instead and add 1¾ teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt. For a pretty garnish, grate some fresh lime peel over the cake just after it’s been glazed and sprinkle with blackberries or raspberries.
9 servings

¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter, room temperature

2½ cups powdered sugar, divided

2 large eggs, room temperature

¼ cup milk

1⅓ cups self-rising flour

4 large limes

6 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 8×8×2-inch metal baking pan. Using electric mixer, beat butter and 1½ cups powdered sugar in large bowl until well blended. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Beat in milk, then flour. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 33 minutes.

Meanwhile, finely grate enough lime peel to measure 1 tablespoon. Halve limes; squeeze enough juice to measure 6 tablespoons. Stir lime peel, lime juice, and 6 tablespoons sugar in small bowl until sugar dissolves. Set lime syrup aside.

Using skewer, poke holes all over cake. Spoon 2½ tablespoons lime syrup into another small bowl; reserve for glaze. Spoon all remaining lime syrup evenly over hot cake. Cool cake completely in pan on rack.

Whisk remaining 1 cup powdered sugar into reserved 2½ tablespoons lime syrup; drizzle glaze over cake. Let stand 1 hour. Cut cake into squares.

Double-Ginger Gingerbread with Orange-Ginger Sauce

The double hit of ginger comes from ground ginger and chopped crystallized ginger.
8 servings

1½ cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

½ cup (packed) dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

¼ cup robust-flavored (dark) molasses

⅔ cup buttermilk

¼ cup chopped crystallized ginger

½ cup chilled heavy whipping cream, whipped to soft peaks

Orange-Ginger Sauce (see recipe)

Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 8×8×2-inch metal baking pan; dust with flour. Sift flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, salt, and pepper into small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in molasses. Mix in half of dry ingredients, then buttermilk, then remaining dry ingredients. Fold in crystallized ginger.

Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool cake slightly in pan on rack.

DO AHEAD:
Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cool completely. Cover with foil and rewarm in 375°F oven 10 to 15 minutes.

Cut warm cake into squares and place on plates. Top with whipped cream and Orange-Ginger Sauce and serve.

Orange-Ginger Sauce

This sauce would also be delicious over vanilla ice cream or spooned over thick Greek yogurt scattered with toasted almonds.
Makes about 1½ cups

3 large oranges

1 cup (about) fresh orange juice

6 tablespoons sugar

1 cinnamon stick

3 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger

Using small sharp knife, cut off peel and white pith from oranges. Working over small bowl, cut between membranes of oranges, releasing segments. Transfer segments to medium bowl. Pour accumulated orange juice into measuring cup. Add enough orange juice to measure 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons. Transfer juice to medium saucepan. Add sugar and cinnamon. Cook over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and simmer until juice mixture is syrupy and reduced to 6 tablespoons, about 12 minutes. Pour over oranges. Add ginger. Cool.

DO AHEAD:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Cranberry-Maple Pudding Cake

Pudding cakes form two wonderful layers all on their own as they bake—the pudding layer settles on the bottom, and a spongy cake forms on top. Serve this warm for breakfast or dessert.
6 to 8 servings

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

1 cup pure maple syrup (Grade B or Grade A dark amber)

⅔ cup heavy whipping cream

¾ teaspoon finely grated orange peel

Pinch of salt plus ½ teaspoon salt

⅔ cup unbleached all purpose flour

⅓ cup yellow cornmeal (preferably stone-ground)

1½ teaspoons baking powder

1 large egg

3 tablespoons sugar

½ cup whole milk

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Crème fraîche, softly whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F. Combine cranberries, maple syrup, cream, orange peel, and pinch of salt in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt in medium bowl. Whisk egg and sugar in another medium bowl. Whisk milk, melted butter, and vanilla into egg mixture. Add flour mixture to egg mixture; whisk to blend.

Pour warm cranberry mixture into 11×7×2-inch or 8×8×2-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Pour batter over. Bake cake until golden and cranberry mixture bubbles at edges, about 28 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. Spoon warm cake with cranberry mixture onto plates. Serve cake topped with crème fraîche, whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream.

Apple-Cornmeal Upside-Down Cake

Yellow cornmeal gives this homey dessert great texture. Pippin apples can be used in place of Granny Smiths. When adding the batter to the cake pan, drop it by spoonfuls rather than pouring it over to help distribute it evenly and to avoid dislodging the apples. This cake isn’t super-sweet, so serve it warm with vanilla or dulce de leche ice cream, if desired.
6 to 8 servings

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, divided

½ cup plus ⅔ cup sugar

3 7- to 8-ounce Granny Smith apples, peeled, cut into eighths, cored

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

¼ cup yellow cornmeal

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 large egg

½ cup buttermilk

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Generously spray 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ½ cup sugar and stir until sugar melts and turns golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add apples and saute over medium heat until apples are just tender and coated with caramel, shaking pan occasionally, about 12 minutes. Immediately pour mixture into prepared pan; distribute apples and caramel evenly over bottom of pan.

Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat remaining 6 tablespoons butter and ⅔ cup sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in egg. Add half of flour mixture; stir in buttermilk. Add remaining flour mixture and mix well. Drop batter by spoonfuls evenly over apples and spread gently with offset spatula.