Ready for Dessert (11 page)

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, orange juice, and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture, then the date-nut mixture just until combined.

Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake until the top is light golden brown and the cake feels just barely firm in the center, about 40 minutes.

Heavily dust the warm or room-temperature cake with powdered sugar. Cut into squares right in the cake pan.

STORAGE:
The cake will keep for up to 3 days at room temperature.

MAKES ONE 9-INCH (23-CM) CAKE; 10 TO 12 SERVINGS

At one time, everything I knew about Indian cooking could fit on one
bindi
dot. It wasn’t until Niloufer Ichaporia King came to work with us at Chez Panisse, where each year she guided us through the preparation of a traditional Parsi New Year’s feast, that I tasted authentic and wonderfully aromatic Indian food. My favorite dish was a cake enrobed in a sheet of gold leaf, a stunning touch that lent the dessert the splendor worthy of a Bollywood musical.

This is my version of that cake, but I left out the gold, since it’s not something you’re likely to have on hand. I did, however, brighten up the batter with vibrant green pistachios, which should be more easily found in grocery stores than sheets of gold leaf.

TOPPING

2 tablespoons (1 ounce/30 g) unsalted or salted butter

1 teaspoon sugar

¾ cup (60 g) sliced almonds, preferably unblanched

CAKE

¾ cup (95 g) shelled unsalted pistachios

¼ cup (35 g) plus ¾ cup (110 g) all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cardamom seeds

½ cup (4 ounces/115 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup (200 g) sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

To make the topping, melt the 2 tablespoons (1 ounce/30 g) butter in a 9-inch (23-cm) round cake pan set directly on the stovetop over low heat. Once melted, remove from the heat and let cool briefly. Sprinkle the 1 teaspoon sugar evenly over the melted butter, then add the almonds, tilting and shaking the pan to distribute them evenly. Set the pan aside.

To make the cake, in a blender or a food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulverize the pistachios with the ¼ cup (35 g) flour until as finely ground as possible. Transfer to a small bowl.

Crush the cardamom seeds in a mortar and pestle or seal them inside a sturdy plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Add the crushed seeds to the pistachio mixture and stir to combine. Set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a bowl by hand), beat together the ½ cup (4 ounces/ 115 g) butter and 1 cup (200 g) sugar on medium speed until very light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until completely incorporated.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ¾ cup (110 g) flour, baking powder, and salt, and stir it into the butter-egg mixture. Stir in the pistachio mixture just until combined.

Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pan by dropping 4 or 5 mounds on top of the almonds. Carefully spread the batter into an even layer, trying not to disturb the almonds. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes.

Run a knife around the sides of the cake to help loosen it from the pan. Invert the cake onto a serving plate. Let cool completely.

SERVING:
Although terrific on its own, this cake goes well with a fruit compote or a fresh fruit sorbet. I like to serve it with
Tangerine Sorbet
.

STORAGE:
This cake will keep for up to 4 days at room temperature, well wrapped. It can be frozen for up to 1 month.

VARIATION:
This cake is lovely served with Sauternes-poached apricots: Bring 1½ cups (375 ml) water and ¾ cup (150 g) sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add half a vanilla bean, split lengthwise, and ¾ cup (180 ml) Sauternes (or other sweet white wine). Decrease the heat to maintain a simmer. Halve and pit 8 apricots. Add the apricot halves to the pan and poach until softened, about 10 minutes. You can also use 8 ounces (225 g) dried apricots, poaching them until tender, 30 to 45 minutes.

MAKES ONE 10-INCH (25-CM) CAKE; 10 TO 12 SERVINGS

Cornmeal is often thought of as purely an American ingredient, probably because of our infatuation with corn-bread, but Italians love cornmeal as much as we do. It’s not unusual in Italian bakeries to see rows of golden cakes and baskets of crumbly cookies made with polenta and sometimes flavored with a pour of olive oil, just in case you forget you’re in Italy.

A bit of minced fresh rosemary infuses this cake with a familiar, yet elusive flavor. I wouldn’t dream of leaving the rosemary out. Polenta gives the cake a rustic feel; you can use stone-ground cornmeal instead to make a cake with a more refined texture that retains that agreeable crunch. As for the olive oil, use one that’s strong and fruity; its flavor is more important than its provenance.

1 tablespoon plus ½ cup (4 ounces/115 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 teaspoons plus 4 teaspoons finely minced fresh rosemary leaves

2 tablespoons (20 g) plus ¾ cup (130 g) polenta or stone-ground yellow cornmeal

1 cup (140 g) all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup (125 ml) olive oil

5 large eggs, at room temperature

2 large egg yolks

½ teaspoon almond extract or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1⅓ cups (265 g) sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

Smear the 1 tablespoon butter all over the inside of a 10-cup (2.5-liter) Bundt cake or tube pan. Sprinkle the 2 teaspoons rosemary evenly into the pan, then dust with the 2 tablespoons (20 g) polenta, tilting the pan to coat the sides.

To make the cake, into a small bowl, sift together the flour, ¾ cup (130 g) polenta, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, eggs, egg yolks, and almond or vanilla extract.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a bowl by hand), beat together the ½ cup (4 ounces/ 115 g) butter and the sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly dribble in the egg mixture, a little at a time, until completely incorporated. Stir in the flour mixture along with the 4 teaspoons rosemary just until incorporated. Don’t overmix.

Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool for about 30 minutes, then invert the cake onto a serving plate.

SERVING:
This cake goes well with
whipped cream
flavored with grappa or
Tangy Lemon Frozen Yogurt
.

STORAGE:
The cake will keep at room temperature for up to 4 days, well wrapped. It can be frozen for up to 2 months.

VARIATION:
You can add ⅓ cup (35 g) finely chopped
candied orange peel
or candied angelica to the dry ingredients. If using angelica, omit the rosemary in the batter but keep the small amount used for the pan preparation.

It’s nice to serve slices of peaches or nectarines with the cake when they’re in season. During winter months, I’ll poach pears with saffron and honey, whose juices mingle nicely with the cake: In a medium nonreactive saucepan, bring ½ cup (125 ml) honey and 3 cups (750 ml) water to a boil. Decrease the heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer and add 25 saffron threads and 2 strips lemon zest, each 1 inch (3 cm) wide. Peel, quarter, and core 3 Bosc pears and add them to the poaching liquid. Place a circle of parchment paper over the fruit and simmer gently until a paring knife inserted into the fruit meets no resistance, about 10 minutes.

MAKES ONE 9-INCH (23-CM) CAKE; 10 TO 12 SERVINGS

I hate to admit this, but when I was a kid, my all-time favorite snack was those coconut-coated cake-and-cream filled marshmallow snowballs packaged in sticky pairs. Their neon-pink color was so fluorescent and I ate so many that I’m sure my insides are still glowing. Now I’m all grown up and presumably know better, but from time-to-time I still like a coconut-and-cake fix. This recipe is the remedy.

The cake should be assembled at least a few hours before you plan to serve it so the flavors have time to meld. I guarantee that the most memorable thing about this cream-filled coconut cake concoction will be how great it tasted, not its shocking color.

FILLING

1¼ cups (310 ml) plus ¼ cup (60 ml) whole milk

½ cup (100 g) sugar

½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise

2 tablespoons (8 g) cornstarch

5 large egg yolks

1 cup (70 g) dried unsweetened shredded coconut (see Tip)

RUM SYRUP

⅔ cup (160 ml) water

½ cup (100 g) sugar

3 tablespoons (45 ml) dark rum

Sponge cake
, 9-inch (23-cm) round

WHIPPED CREAM

1¼ cups (310 ml) heavy cream

1½ tablespoons sugar

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

1¼ cups (90 g) dried unsweetened or sweetened shredded or large-flake coconut, toasted

To make the filling, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the 1¼ cups (310 ml) milk with the ½ cup (100 g) sugar. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add them to the saucepan, then drop in the pod.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and the remaining ¼ cup (60 ml) milk until completely smooth. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks until combined.

When the milk-sugar mixture is hot, stir the corn-starch mixture to recombine, then whisk it into the saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. While whisking constantly, pour about one-third of the hot thickened milk into the egg yolks, then scrape the yolk mixture into the saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan, just until the mixture begins to boil (it will be very thick). Pour the mixture into a clean bowl and remove the
vanilla pod
(it can be rinsed, dried, and used for another purpose). Stir in the 1 cup (70 g) coconut, cover, and refrigerate until chilled. (To speed up the chilling, you can set the bowl containing the filling in a larger bowl filled with ice water.)

To make the syrup, warm the water and ½ cup (100 g) sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat, add the rum, and let cool to room temperature.

To assemble the cake, with a long serrated knife, slice the sponge cake horizontally into 3 equal layers. Place one cake layer on a serving plate and brush evenly with ⅓ cup (80 ml) rum syrup. Evenly spread half of the filling on top of the soaked cake layer. Cover it with a second cake layer. Brush the second layer with another ⅓ cup (80 ml) rum syrup. Spread the remaining filling over the second soaked cake layer. Place the final cake layer on top and brush with the remaining rum syrup. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the cake for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.

To make the whipped cream and finish the cake, in a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment (or in a bowl by hand), whisk the cream until it just beings to hold its shape. Whisk in the 1½ tablespoons sugar and the vanilla until stiff, but don’t overbeat.

Using an icing spatula, spread the whipped cream evenly over the top and sides of the cake. Cover the top and sides of the cake with the toasted coconut by sprinkling coconut on top of the cake and pressing some around the sides with your hands.

SERVING:
This cake is delicious on its own. Or, you can make a simple tropical fruit and berry compote to serve alongside: Toss diced mango, papaya, banana, or pineapple (or a mixture); fresh raspberries, blueberries, or sliced strawberries (or a mixture); a few tablespoons of sugar; and a shot of dark rum. Let stand until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is juicy.

STORAGE:
This cake will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, unfrosted. Make the whipped cream and finish the cake the same day you plan to serve it.

MAKES ONE 9-INCH (23-CM) LOAF CAKE; 10 SERVINGS

For some reason, whenever I’m interviewed, the question always arises: “What would be your last meal?” Or, sometimes it’s: “If you were stranded on a deserted island … ” I find both to be rather morbid questions—who wants to think about their last meal or being stranded on a deserted island?—and I never quite know how to respond.

But if I had to list the things that I couldn’t live without, I’d say chocolate and fried chicken. The third food in my holy trinity is passion fruit. If you haven’t tasted passion fruit, this pound cake is the perfect introduction. If I’m ever stranded on a deserted tropical island, I might get lucky and find a few vines of passion fruit and perhaps some cocoa pods, but I won’t hold out much hope for getting any fried chicken.

CAKE

1½ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt