Last Saturday, i skipped talking about Valentine's Day in favor of Mardi Gras, so this week, I looked around for some weird cake recipes to satisfy our collective sweet tooth.
What's For Dinner is a community diary series published on Saturday nights at 4:30PST/7:30EST every week. We talk abut food, share recipes and anecdotes. Leave politics at the door, pour yourselves a drink and relax.
CHOCOLATE-EARL GREY CAKE
6 Earl Grey tea bags or 2 tablespoons loose Earl Grey
1 cup water
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup plain yogurt
confectioners' sugar
Directions
Heat oven to 350° F. Coat an 8-cup fluted tube pan with cooking spray.
Brew the tea in the water 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags or strain the leaves and set the brewed tea aside.
Using a mixer, beat the butter, eggs, and granulated sugar until fluffy. Blend in the chocolate. Beat in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, yogurt, and brewed tea. Pour into pan.
Bake 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out with a few crumbs attached. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes. Turn out of pan and cool. Dust with confectioners' sugar.
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FRESH PLUMS WITH POLENTA CAKE
10 red or black plums
1/4 cup plus 5 tablespoons sugar
2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 stick unsalted butter, plus more for the baking dish
grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup instant polenta
1/2 cup honey
4 large eggs, separated
whipped cream, for serving
Directions
Heat oven to 350° F. Butter a 9-inch square baking dish. Slice the plums into a bowl. Sprinkle with ¼ cup of the sugar and toss; set aside.
In a small saucepan, over low heat, warm the milk and vanilla. Add the butter, zest, and salt. Bring to a simmer. Whisking constantly, slowly stir in the polenta. Cook, still whisking, for 1 minute. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the honey, egg yolks, and 3 tablespoons of the remaining sugar and whisk until combined. Let cool until lukewarm.
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, beat the egg whites and the remaining sugar until soft peaks form. With a spatula, fold the egg white mixture into the polenta mixture.
Pour the batter into the prepared dish. Bake until golden, about 45 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes. Slice and top with the plums and whipped cream.
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OLIVE OIL CAKE WITH VANILLA ORANGES
3/4 cup olive oil, plus more for the pan
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for the pan
3/4 cup finely ground cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 blood oranges or navel oranges
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
mascarpone or sweetened whipped cream, for serving
Directions
Heat oven to 350° F. Oil an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan and dust with flour, tapping out the excess.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, buttermilk, eggs, and 1½ cups of the sugar; add to the dry ingredients and mix just until combined (do not overmix).
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile, cut away the peel and pith of the oranges: Working over a small bowl, cut along both sides of each orange segment, releasing the segments into the bowl. Toss the orange segments with the vanilla and the remaining ¼ cup of sugar. Let sit for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours, tossing occasionally.
Serve the cake, sliced, topped with the oranges and mascarpone.
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What's for dinner at your house tonight?