All Cakes Considered - Melissa Gray [66]
6. Add the vanilla extract, 1 cup of the chopped toasted walnuts, and the coconut and beat until well blended.
7. Set the batter aside while you beat the egg whites. Switch to a clean mixer bowl and replace the paddle or beaters with a whisk attachment.
8. Whip the egg whites on high speed until frothy, then continue whisking while gradually adding the remaining ½ cup of sugar. The egg whites should form stiff, but not dry, peaks.
9. Fold the egg whites into the batter in thirds, making sure each time that the egg whites are completely incorporated. All together, the folding will take between 10 and 15 full rotations of the bowl. Be gentle.
10. Pour the batter into the pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the cake layers test done.
11. Cool the layers in the pans for 10 minutes, then unmold onto cake racks. Allow to cool to room temperature.
TO MAKE THE FROSTING
12. Cream the cream cheese and butter together on medium speed and add the vanilla extract.
13. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, until blended.
14. Kick up your mixer to high gear and beat the frosting until very smooth. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, stir in ½ cup of the reserved chopped walnuts. (You should have ½ cup left.)
CONSTRUCTING THE CAKE
15. Don’t worry about separating the layers. Judging from Cat’s beautiful cake photo, she likes great big undivided layers. Do level the top of the lower layer so that the layer stacks prettily. Frost the layers in the usual way, doing the sides last, after the crown.
16. THEN put cake in the refrigerator to firm up the frosting. About 30 minutes before serving, press the remaining ½ cup of chopped walnuts into the crown of the cake. Remember this “press chopped nuts into the frosting” trick for future cakes.
Working at NPR is a book lover’s paradise. We are regularly inundated with all kinds of books because so many publishers want us to interview their authors. I think less than 5 percent of incoming books eventually make the cut—the leftovers get snapped up by our bibliophilic staff, who either read the books themselves or redistribute them to interested parties. What’s left over gets donated to libraries or prisons.
The redistributors think I like books about Elvis, the South, shoes, and baking. And they would be right. I just wish they’d throw a little David McCullough or Malcolm Gladwell my way. As it is, I review what lands on my desk, set it aside for future consideration, or redistribute it myself.
That’s how I came across this recipe. It’s from Cat Cora’s Cooking from the Hip. She’s another one of those Food Network people, the star of Iron Chef America. Her book is about cooking fast meals. She has helpfully provided tips on how to convert leftovers to new dishes, and one day when I’m not living off of salad and cake, I may try a few more of these recipes because they look tasty. Alma’s Italian Cream Cake certainly is. (Alma was Cat’s grandmother, by the way.)
Sour Cream Spice Cake with Orange Butter Frosting
* * *
YOU’LL NEED
Two 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pans
FOR THE CAKE
2¼ cups sifted cake flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1⅔ cups sugar
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup sour cream
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
FOR THE FROSTING
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
¼ cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange extract
3 tablespoons dried orange peel
TO MAKE THE CAKE
1. Center a rack and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare the cake pans.
2. Dry whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves together. Whisk in the sugar.
3. With the mixer on medium speed, beat together the melted and cooled butter, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla extract and continue beating on medium speed until thoroughly blended.
4. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat until thoroughly blended.