Sunday, April 29, 2012

Mary Ann Cake with Mascarpone and Berries

A few months ago I found a recipe for a cake with a mascarpone cream filling and topped with berries. I searched all over to find a Mary Ann cake pan and it was not an easy task. I ended up finding one here and bought it. I had never even heard of these pans before I found this recipe.

Mary Ann Cake Pan (photo from www.kingarthurflour.com)

I bought my pan and wanted to try this recipe out, so I went to look for it online and couldn't find it any more! I emailed Williams-Sonoma and they were able to mail me a copy of the recipe, but when I received it, the recipe did not have mascarpone in it (the cream filling was just 1 cup heavy cream beaten with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar - another option if you don't have any mascarpone). I searched more online and luckily, I found a copy-cat recipe of the original Williams-Sonoma one that I had found.

I decided this morning to finally give this cake a try, and I loved it! The cake was very easy to make. There was more batter than would fit in the Mary Ann cake pan, so I used to rest to make six cupcakes. I used the whole 8 ounces of mascarpone, so I added a little bit more of everything else in the cream topping recipe. I had a bit of the cream topping leftover, which is fine by me - I'll have it with the leftover berries. This cake was delicious and presents well and I will definitely be making it again soon!

Photo from Williams-Sonoma


Mary Ann Cake with Mascarpone and Berries
Recipe courtesy Williams-Sonoma

Mascarpone is a soft fresh Italian cheese made from cream, with a texture reminiscent of sour cream. Delicate in flavor, this rich cheese pairs deliciously with fresh fruit.

CAKE:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
16 Tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup milk

TOPPING:
2 cups mixed berries, such as blueberries, raspberries and sliced strawberries
4 Tablespoons granulated sugar
6 ounces mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup sour cream, at room temperature
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup chilled heavy cream, beaten to soft peaks
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting (optional)


Preheat an oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a Mary Ann cake pan.

To make the cake, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the granulated sugar, beating until blended. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the vanilla.

Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour, beating just until blended and no lumps of flour remain.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Carefully turn the cake out onto the rack and let cool completely, at least 1 hour.

Just before serving, prepare the topping: In a nonreactive bowl, combine the berries and 2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar and stir until well blended. Set aside.

In a small bowl, using a rubber spatula, gently combine the mascarpone, sour cream, vanilla and the remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Fold in the whipped cream. Spoon the mascarpone mixture into the well of the cake, spreading it to the edges. Arrange the berries on top of the mascarpone mixture. Dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar.

Serves 12 to 16.

Cake batter


Cake right out of the oven

Cake inverted - notice the little well for the filling!

Raspberries & blackberries

Strawberries


Mascarpone cream filling


Cake topped with berries & ready to serve!




This is what I did with the leftover cake batter & topping!

Photos by JoJo

Monday, April 23, 2012

Orzo Salad

Since summer is just around the corner, I thought I'd post one of my favorite pasta recipes to bring to cookouts. It's an orzo salad with a red wine vinaigrette. My sisters and I have been making this for a few years, and it's always a popular dish for any event we've brought it to. It's very simple to make, healthy, and delicious!

The original recipe can be found here.


Orzo Salad
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentis

ORZO:
4 cups chicken broth
1½ cups orzo
1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1½ cups red and yellow teardrop tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved
¾ cup finely chopped red onion
½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
¼ cup chopped fresh mint leaves
About ¾ cup Red Wine Vinaigrette, recipe follows
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pour the broth into a heavy large saucepan. Cover the pan and bring the broth to a boil over high heat. Stir in the orzo. Cover partially and cook until the orzo is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes. Drain the orzo through a strainer. Transfer the orzo to a large wide bowl and toss until the orzo cools slightly. Set aside to cool completely.

Toss the orzo with the beans, tomatoes, onion, basil, mint, and enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad, to taste, with salt and pepper, and serve at room temperature.

Yield: 6 servings (4 recipes fills a big Tupperware bowl)

RED WINE VINAIGRETTE:
½ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons salt
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with more salt and pepper, if desired.

Yield: 1¾ cups (this makes enough vinaigrette for 2 recipes)

Cooked Orzo

Red Wine Vinaigrette

Orzo, veggies & vinaigrette mixed together


Photos by JoJo

Monday, April 16, 2012

Carrot Cake

My sister threw a surprise 30th Birthday party for my brother-in-law this past weekend and wanted to make him a carrot cake. Not just any carrot cake though - one in the shape of a 3-0! With my mom's assistance, it came out looking pretty good, and more importantly, tasted great! The recipe they used was Paula Deen's Grandma Hier's Carrot Cake. I don't even usually eat carrot cake but I gave this a try and it was very good. They put pecans in one of the cakes and left them out of the other (both ways were great!).

And, if you want a delicious cream cheese frosting, I highly recommend the one that comes with this cake. I've been trying to find the perfect cream cheese frosting for when I make red velvet cake, and this one is the best I've made so far. I did not add pecans to the frosting, but I'm sure that would taste good as well.

With the combined effort and my sister's great idea of a 30th birthday cake for her husband, the cake came out delicious.


Carrot Cake
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

CAKE:
Butter, for pans
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1½ cups vegetable oil
3 cups grated carrots
1½ cups chopped pecans (optional)


Preheat oven to 325°. Grease and flour three 9-inch round pans. Line bottom of the pans with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add eggs and vegetable oil. Using a hand mixer, blend until combined. Add carrots and pecans (if using).

Pour batter into pans. Bake for approximately 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes. Remove from pans, place on waxed paper and allow to cool completely before frosting.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick salted butter, room temperature
1 16-ounce box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup chopped pecans (optional)


Add all ingredients, except nuts, into a medium bowl and beat until fluffy using a hand mixer. Stir in the nuts (if using). Spread frosting on top of each cake layer. Stack the cakes on a serving place and serve.


Carrot Cake "3"

Carrot Cake "0"

Cream Cheese Frosting


Birthday cake complete!

Happy 30th Birthday!

Photos by JoJo

There's also a video on the Food Network of this recipe below!



Sunday, April 15, 2012

Chocolate Raspberry Trifle

Years ago, my friend Tara made a Chocolate Raspberry Trifle and brought it over to a pizza party I was throwing. She made it for a few other occasions and it was always a huge hit. I've made this a few times as well, and finally took some pictures of it to post on here.

This is a great party dessert - both kids and adults enjoy it. It's very simple to make too - bake a recipe of your favorite brownies, let them cool & cut into pieces, mix a box of pudding, add Cool Whip to it, and assemble the trifle. Give it a try and see for yourself how popular it will be!

If you don't have a trifle bowl, use a nice looking clear round bowl. I received my trifle bowl from a co-worker for a holiday gift exchange and I love it. Mine is from Williams-Sonoma, but unfortunately they no longer carry it. Crate and Barrel also sells a nice one, though theirs is a bit smaller, but does not seem quite as fragile as the one I have.

Photo from Williams-Sonoma website


Chocolate Raspberry Trifle

3 cups milk
1 package (6-serving size) chocolate flavor instant pudding
2 8-ounce containers Cool Whip, thawed
1 baked 9-inch square brownie layer (from scratch or a mix), cut into bite size pieces
1 12-ounce bag frozen raspberries (or about 2 cups)

Make a 9-inch square pan of brownies. Let cool and cut into bite sized pieces.

Mix one package of pudding with three cups of milk (you can also use a 4-serving size box of pudding with two cups of milk). Fold in half of a container of Cool Whip with the pudding.

Place half of the brownie cubes in a trifle bowl. Top with half of the pudding mixture, half of the raspberries and half of the remaining Cool Whip. Repeat layers. Refrigerate 1 hour or until ready to serve.

Serves 12.

Trifle Bowl

Chocolate Pudding

Pudding mixed with half of a container of Cool Whip

Frozen Raspberries

First layer - brownies cut into bite-size pieces

Second layer - pudding/Cool Whip mixture

Third layer - raspberries


Fourth layer - Cool Whip

First layer complete

Second layer - repeat everything once more





Finished trifle!

Refrigerate for an hour or until ready to serve

Photos by JoJo