Bon Appetit Desserts (32 page)

¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

Candied orange peel

CAKE
: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1½-inch-high sides. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and cardamom in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat pumpkin, sugar, and oil in another large bowl until blended. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then orange peel. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just to blend. Divide batter between prepared pans.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 33 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. Cut around pan sides to loosen cakes. Invert cakes onto racks and cool completely.

FROSTING
: Sprinkle ½ cup sugar over bottom of small nonstick skillet. Cook without stirring over medium heat until sugar melts, swirling pan occasionally. Continue cooking until sugar turns deep amber color, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Add ½ cup cream, vanilla, and salt (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir until any caramel bits dissolve. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon cream. Strain into small bowl. Cool caramel to room temperature.

Sift remaining sugar into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl. Gradually beat in sugar. Beat in cooled caramel. Cover and chill frosting until firm enough to spread, about 2 hours.

Using long serrated knife, trim rounded tops from cakes. Place 1 cake layer, cut side up, on cake plate. Spread ¾ cup frosting over. Place second cake layer, cut side down, atop frosting. Spread remaining frosting smoothly over top and sides of cake.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover with cake dome or large bowl and chill. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours before serving.

Sprinkle candied orange peel over top of cake. Cut into wedges and serve.

Cranberry-Glazed Orange Layer Cake

Be sure to use clean, dry beaters and a clean, dry mixing bowl to beat the egg whites. Even a trace of oil can keep them from expanding properly. The glaze for this lovely autumn cake should be made a day ahead.
12 servings

3 cups sifted cake flour (sifted, then measured)

2½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3½ cups sifted powdered sugar (sifted, then measured)

6 large eggs, separated, room temperature

2 teaspoons finely grated orange peel

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1½ teaspoons orange extract

1 cup whole milk

¼ cup plain whole-milk yogurt

Creamy Brown Sugar Frosting (see recipe)

Cranberry Glaze (see recipe)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in egg yolks 1 at a time, then orange peel, vanilla, and orange extract. Whisk milk and yogurt in small bowl to blend. Beat dry ingredients into butter mixture in 3 additions alternately with milk mixture in 2 additions.

Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another large bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into batter in 2 additions. Divide batter between prepared pans. Smooth tops.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 15 minutes. Cut around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap cakes in plastic and store at room temperature.

Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Spread ¾ cup Creamy Brown Sugar Frosting over. Spread 1 cup Cranberry Glaze over frosting, leaving ½-inch border around edge. Top with second cake layer, flat side down; press lightly to adhere. Spread 2 cups frosting over sides of cake. Spoon remaining frosting into pastry bag fitted with medium-size star tip. Pipe decorative border around top edge of cake. Refrigerate until frosting is firm, about 1 hour. Spread remaining glaze over top center of cake. Chill until glaze is set.

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

Creamy Brown Sugar Frosting

Adding the powdered sugar in several stages helps prevent it from flying out of the mixing bowl.
Makes about 3½ cups

12 ounces Philadelphia-brand cream cheese, room temperature

¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

¾ cup (packed) golden brown sugar

2¼ cups powdered sugar

1½ tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in brown sugar. Beat in powdered sugar scant ½ cup at a time. Beat in orange juice concentrate and vanilla. Chill frosting until firm enough to spread, about 30 minutes.

Cranberry Glaze

Make the glaze a day ahead so the flavors can meld and the texture can firm up.
Makes about 2⅓ cups

1 12-ounce package fresh or frozen cranberries

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1½ teaspoons finely grated orange peel

Combine cranberries and sugar in processor. Using on/off turns, coarsely chop cranberries. Transfer mixture to heavy medium saucepan. Add 1 cup water and orange peel and bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; simmer until mixture is reduced to 2⅓ cups, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Cover; chill at least 1 day or up to 2 days (mixture will thicken).

Coffee, Hazelnut, and Raspberry Torte

If you’re planning a special dinner party, save yourself some stress by making this dessert a day ahead. (But be sure to make the raspberry filling a day before baking the cake, as it needs to chill overnight.) Any leftover filling would be delicious on pancakes, waffles, yogurt, or even whole wheat toast.
8 to 10 servings

1 cup frozen raspberries, thawed, drained

1 cup raspberry jam

2½ cups chilled heavy whipping cream, divided

10 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), chopped

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon instant coffee crystals

1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked

1 cup sifted unbleached all purpose flour (sifted, then measured)

1¼ cups sugar, divided

1 teaspoon instant coffee crystals

¼ teaspoon salt

6 large eggs, separated, room temperature

¼ cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Fresh raspberries (optional)

FILLING
: Press raspberries through fine sieve into small bowl. Press jam through same sieve into raspberry puree; discard seeds. Stir to blend well. Cover and chill overnight.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.

FROSTING
: Combine ¾ cup cream, white chocolate, and coffee crystals in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over low heat just until chocolate melts, coffee dissolves, and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Let stand until cool and thick, whisking occasionally, about 1½ hours.

Using electric mixer, beat remaining 1¾ cups cream in large bowl until firm peaks form. Fold large spoonful of whipped cream into chocolate mixture to lighten. Fold chocolate mixture into whipped cream in 4 additions. Cover and refrigerate frosting until very firm, about 6 hours.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.

CAKE
: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1½-inch-high sides with parchment paper. Butter and flour parchment. Combine nuts, flour, ¼ cup sugar, coffee crystals, and salt in processor. Blend until nuts are finely ground.

Using electric mixer, beat egg yolks and ½ cup sugar in large bowl until very thick, about 5 minutes. Beat in ¼ cup water and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining ½ cup sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into yolk mixture in 3 additions. Transfer batter to prepared pans.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks. Cut around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks; peel off parchment.

Place 1 cake layer on platter and second cake layer on piece of foil. Spread ⅓ cup filling over each; let stand 20 minutes to set up. Spread 1 cup frosting over filling on each. Lift cake layer off foil; place atop cake layer on platter. Top with third cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of torte.

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

Garnish torte with fresh berries, if desired. Cut into wedges and serve.

Hazelnut Crunch Cake with Honeyed Kumquats