Read Ready for Dessert Online

Authors: David Lebovitz

Ready for Dessert (8 page)

BOOK: Ready for Dessert
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½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

⅔ cup (90 g) powdered sugar, sifted

4 or 5 teaspoons water

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Coat a 10-cup (2.5-liter) Bundt cake or tube pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray.

To make the cake, in a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the currants and brandy or whiskey to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover, and let cool.

Into a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Stir in the granulated sugar. In a medium bowl, mix together the ¾ cup (6 ounces/ 170 g) melted butter, persimmon purée, eggs, and 2 teaspoons vanilla.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, add the persimmon mixture, and gently stir. Fold in the currants, along with any unabsorbed liquid, and the nuts. Mix just until everything is moistened; don’t overmix.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Once cool, invert the cake onto a serving plate.

To make the icing, in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese and 1 tablespoon butter on high speed until smooth. Beat in the ½ teaspoon vanilla and the lemon juice, then gradually add the powdered sugar, beating on high speed until smooth. Add the 4 teaspoons water; the icing should be pourable. If necessary, add 1 more teaspoon water.

Spoon the icing around the top of the cake, then tap the plate on a folded kitchen towel on the countertop to encourage the icing to run down the sides of the cake.

STORAGE:
This cake will keep for 4 days at room temperature.

VARIATION:
If you don’t have persimmons, or if they’re not in season, you can substitute unsweetened applesauce or banana purée for the persimmon purée.

 

Plum-Blueberry Upside-Down Cake

MAKES ONE 9-INCH (23-CM) CAKE; 8 TO 10 SERVINGS

This is the classic upside-down cake that takes advantage of the summer season, when plums and berries are in full swing. I love how the flavor of tart plums contrasts with the toffeelike brown sugar topping. But feel free to swap out other favorite fruits of summer; I offer a few of suggestions in Variations, below.

TOPPING

3 tablespoons (1½ ounces/45 g) unsalted or salted butter

¾ cup (170 g) packed light brown sugar

1¼ cups (6 ounces/170 g) blueberries

6 to 8 plums (1 pound/450 g), halved, pitted, and cut into ½-inch (1.5-cm) slices

CAKE

1½ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

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

¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs, at room temperature

½ cup (125 ml) whole milk, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

To make the topping, put the 3 tablespoons (1½ ounces/45 g) butter in a 9-inch (23-cm) round cake pan or cast iron skillet. Set the pan directly on the stovetop over low heat until the butter melts. Add the brown sugar and stir until the sugar is thoroughly moistened. Remove from the heat and let cool briefly.

Distribute half of the blueberries evenly over the brown sugar mixture in the pan. Arrange the plum slices over the blueberries in overlapping concentric circles, or just scatter them in an even layer. Strew the remaining blueberries on top of the plums. Set aside.

To make the cake, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

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 the mixture is light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and eggs, one at a time, beating until completely incorporated. Gradually mix in half of the flour mixture. Stir in the milk followed by the rest of the flour mixture and mix just until combined.

Scrape the batter on top of the fruit in the pan and smooth it into an even layer. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour.

Let cool for about 15 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the cake to help loosen it from the pan. Invert a serving plate over the pan. Wearing oven mitts, grasp both the pan and the plate and turn them over together. Carefully lift off the pan.

SERVING:
Serve the cake warm with
whipped cream
or your favorite flavor of ice cream.

STORAGE:
The cake will keep for 2 days at room temperature, but since it’s best served warm, you can rewarm the cake, wrapped in aluminum foil, in a low oven, or reheat slices in a microwave oven.

VARIATIONS:
You can use fresh apricots instead of plums, and substitute any kind of berries (except strawberries) for the blueberries. In the winter, replace the stone fruit and berries with 2 cups (8 ounces/225 g) fresh or frozen unthawed cranberries.

TIP:
A great do-ahead trick for just about any type of upside-down cake is to make the cake, invert it onto a serving platter, and leave the inverted pan in place. The cake will stay warm for about an hour this way.

 

Nectarine-Raspberry Upside-Down Gingerbread

MAKES ONE 9-INCH (23-CM) CAKE; 8 TO 10 SERVINGS

As everyone knows, the best part of an upside-down cake is the caramelized bits of topping and batter that get stuck in the bottom of the pan after the cake is unmolded. Instead of eating these bits, the right thing to do is to scrape them out and smear them back onto the warm cake. If you can do that, you’re a better person than I.

TOPPING

4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60 g) unsalted or salted butter

¾ cup (170 g) packed light brown sugar

1¼ cups (6 ounces/170 g) raspberries

4 medium nectarines (1½ pounds/675 g), halved, pitted, and cut into ½-inch (1.5-cm) slices

GINGERBREAD

1½ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon salt

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

½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar

½ cup (125 ml) mild-flavored molasses

2 large eggs, at room temperature

¼ cup (60 ml) whole milk, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

To make the topping, put the 4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60 g) butter in a 9-inch (23-cm) round cake pan or cast iron skillet. Set the pan directly on the stovetop over low heat until the butter melts. Add the brown sugar and stir until the sugar is thoroughly moistened. Remove from the heat and let cool briefly.

Distribute the raspberries evenly over the brown sugar mixture in the pan. Arrange the nectarine slices over the raspberries in overlapping concentric circles. Set aside.

To make the gingerbread, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.

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 the mixture is light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in the molasses. (The batter may look curdled, which is fine.) Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until completely incorporated. Gradually mix in half of the flour mixture. Stir in the milk followed by the rest of the flour mixture and mix just until combined.

Scrape the batter on top of the fruit in the pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes.

Let cool for about 15 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the cake to help loosen it from the pan. Invert a serving plate over the pan. Wearing oven mitts, grasp both the pan and the plate and turn them over together. Carefully lift off the pan.

SERVING:
Serve the cake warm with
whipped cream
or
Vanilla Ice Cream
.

VARIATION:
For
ORANGE UPSIDE-DOWN GINGERBREAD
, add ½ teaspoon freshly ground cardamom to the melted butter along with the brown sugar when making the topping. Substitute 4 navel or blood oranges, peeled and sliced crosswise into ½-inch (1.5-cm) slices, for the nectarines. You can omit or use the raspberries.

 

 

Fresh Ginger Cake

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

Of all the desserts I’ve ever made, this cake is the one that is most renowned, drawing acclaim for its incredibly moist texture and its spicy zing from an overload of fresh ginger. Many people have told me this is their all-time favorite dessert. And whenever I make it and take a bite, I’m in agreement: it’s one of my favorites as well.

4-ounce (115-g) piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

1 cup (250 ml) mild-flavored molasses

1 cup (200 g) sugar

1 cup (250 ml) vegetable oil

2½ cups (350 g) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup (250 ml) water

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 large eggs, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch (23-cm) springform or round cake pan with 2-inch (5-cm) sides and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade or with a chef’s knife, chop the ginger until very fine. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the molasses, sugar, and oil. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, cloves, and pepper.

In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil, then stir in the baking soda. Whisk the hot water into the molasses mixture, then add the chopped ginger.

Gradually sift the flour mixture over the molasses mixture, whisking to combine. Add the eggs and whisk until thoroughly blended.

Scrape the batter into the prepared springform or cake pan and bake until the top of the cake springs back when lightly pressed with a finger or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool completely.

Run a knife around the sides of the cake to help loosen it from the pan. Invert the cake onto a plate, peel off the parchment paper, then re-invert it onto a serving platter.

SERVING:
Serve wedges of this cake with
whipped cream
a favorite ice cream, or a fruit compote.

STORAGE:
Because this cake is so moist, it keeps well for up to 5 days at room temperature. It can be frozen for up to 1 month.

VARIATION:
My favorite complement for this cake is the whipped cream-lightened lemon curd filling used in
Lemon Semifreddo
. Another idea is a
PLUM-RASPBERRY COMPOTE
. Slice 8 pitted plums into 6 wedges. In a medium saucepan, heat ¼ cup (50 g) sugar, 1 cup (250 ml) water, and half of a vanilla bean, split lengthwise. Add the plum wedges and simmer over low heat until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, add 1¼ cups (6 ounces/170 g) raspberries and 1 tablespoon kirsch (optional), and let stand for 1 hour. Before serving, remove the
vanilla pod
(it can be rinsed, dried, and used for another purpose).

 

Buckwheat Cake with Cider-Poached Apples

MAKES ONE 9-INCH (23-CM) CAKE; 8 TO 10 SERVINGS

This cake always reminds me of my trips to Brittany, an exceptionally beautiful region in western France that borders the Atlantic Ocean. The often-blustery weather is the only thing that stands in the way of Brittany becoming a major tourist destination.

Aside from the chilly climate, the region is famous for its hand-harvested sea salt and salted butter caramel, both of which I would travel to the ends of the earth for. And no matter where you go in the region, you’ll find buckwheat being served in various guises, from griddled galettes to
kig ha farz,
a local curiosity made by poaching a pasty buckwheat batter in the sleeve of a linen shirt until it’s firm. Then it’s rolled on the counter until it breaks into tiny bits, like buckwheat couscous. They say it’s something that you need to be Breton to enjoy, so I must have some Breton in me since I loved it since the first time I tried it. I’m happy to have this cake in my repertoire because I enjoy the hearty taste of buckwheat in my desserts, too.

BOOK: Ready for Dessert
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