Lemon Cardamom Semolina Cake

July 30, 2023July 30, 2023 ~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

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So a Persian Semolina Cake and a Lebanese Semolina Cake walk into a bar…. But seriously, I took two delicious cakes with certain common elements, made some tweaks and came up with this single wonderful Lemon Cardamom Semolina Cake. Bright and lemony with that unique texture that you get with semolina cakes. The finished warm cake is soaked in a simple syrup perfumed with lemon and rose water. This permeates the entire cake, resulting in a dense, moist delicious bite. I topped it off with some lightly toasted pistachios and edible dried rose petals. For utter decadence, I served it with strawberries macerated in a bit of sugar and some lightly sweetened crème fraîche on the side. Do I have your attention yet?

This Lemon Cardamom Semolina Cake should rank right up there with the best of the semolina cakes. And while I admit to tarting it up a bit with strawberries and crème fraîche, it is wonderful all on its own. No embellishments are needed to enjoy this utterly lovely cake.

Middle Eastern semolina cakes, like b asbousa are very common – and VERY delicious. They are usually soaked in some kind of simple syrup or a syrup sweetened with honey. Not only does the syrup add wonderful flavor to the cake, but it also makes the cakes able to last longer, particularly in warm climates where refrigeration wasn’t common until relatively recently.

These cakes stay moist for days and the flavors only intensify with each passing day. And as each grain of semolina soaks up the syrup, the cake takes on such a lovely, creamy texture. I find that if possible, I always make semolina cakes one or two days ahead of serving. This allows all of the wonderful flavors and aromas to meld into one delicious bite.

As anyone who reads my blog knows, I love Middle Eastern and South Asian cuisine. and I also love a great dessert. This Lemon Cardamom Semolina Cake is the perfect make-ahead dessert for Shabbat or any special dinner – especially if it has a Middle Eastern/Mediterranean theme.

And because this cake uses olive oil instead of butter or margarine, a whisk and a spatula is really the only equipment needed. There is no heavy creaming of the butter and sugar or tedious beating to incorporate air into the mixture.

But don’t wait for an “occasion” to make this delicious cake. Take it on your next picnic. It will travel well and requires no refrigeration or special treatment.

For more semolina cake recipes:

Orange Semolina Cake

Lemon Semolina Almond Cake

Basbousa (Semolina, Coconut and Pistachio Cake

Simple Basbousa

Recipe

Yield: About 8 servings

Ingredients

Yield: About 8 servings

Ingredients

For the Cake

1.5 cups almond flour or almond meal

1.5 cups semolina flour

1.25 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon grated/ground nutmeg

1 cup fruity Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Use a Lemon-flavored oil if you can. It will give even more punch to the lemon flavor.)

1 cup granulated sugar

2 lemons, zested

Juice of one lemon (Be sure to zest your lemons first!)

3 large eggs

Simple Syrup

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup water

1 lemon, juiced (From the 2 lemons zested in the cake)

1 to 2 Tablespoons rosewater (Optional, but desirable, but use a really good quality rose water so it doesn’t taste like pot pourri!) Alternatively you could use Orange Blossom Water.

Garnish

About 1/3 cup coarsely chopped and lightly toasted pistachios or blanched slivered almonds

about 2 Tablespoons dried, edible rose petals

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 F.

Grease an 8-inch springform pan and line bottom and sides with parchment paper. (You could use a 9-inch pan for a flatter cake. Decrease the baking time by about 10 minutes.) Grease parchment. Whisk together the almond flour, semolina flour, salt, cardamom, nutmeg and baking powder in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, whisk the oil, sugar, and lemon zest from 2 lemons together until combined. (This can also be done with a hand mixer.) However, you are not trying to beat a lot of air into the mixture. You just want everything well combined.

Then gradually add the eggs, one at a time, beating to incorporate, about 1 minute. Next add the dry ingredients and the juice of 1 of your lemons and whisk just until everything is combined. Do not over-mix. Semolina cakes are meant to be fairly dense.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Place the cake on the middle rack, and bake until golden brown, approximately 45 to 50 minutes. (If you use a 9-inch springform pan, check your cake after 35 minutes.) Ovens really vary, so you can tell the cake is done if you lightly press the top of the cake — it should feel lightly springy when done. (I baked mine a few minutes longer than I should have ideally, although with the syrup it is fine.) Allow to cool for 20 minutes or so in the pan before removing the ring and transferring the cake to a cooling rack.

Using a toothpick, poke holes all over the top of the cake. Spoon or brush ALL of the simple syrup (See below) over the cake. (I like to put a pan covered in foil under the cooling rack to collect the inevitable dribbles and to make clean-up easier.) It might look like a lot of syrup, but it will all get absorbed into the cake after a few minutes. Not only does the syrup add flavor but it is necessary for keeping the cake moist and contributes to the overall texture of the cake.

Simple Syrup

In one easy step, combine water, sugar, juice of 1 lemon, and rosewater, if used, in a pot. Cook it over medium-heat until the sugar is fully dissolved, for 4-5 minutes.
Then continue cooking the syrup on medium-low heat for an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Strawberry Cake (Kuchen)

July 15, 2023July 15, 2023 ~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

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“Summertime and the livin’ is easy

Fish are jumpin’ and the cotton is high”**

Or perhaps

“It’s too darn hot

It’s too darn hot

I’d like to sup with my baby tonight” ^

You get the point, right? No one wants to slave over a hot oven or be stuck inside when summer calls. And thanks to climate change, the world is suffering increasing heat, with temperatures reaching dangerous levels. But I do enjoy a nice dessert, especially on Shabbat.

This easy Strawberry Cake doesn’t require any special equipment – not even a mixer. It can be made with pretty much any available fruit and is good just as is. This is not a showy cake – kuchen, a simple butter cake, never is. But, it also can be dressed up with some crème fraîche, ice cream, whipped cream or simply a snow of confectioner’s sugar.

I’ve taken to making my own crème fraîche, which is easy to do, and some generally can be found in my fridge. I flavor it with vanilla and some confectioner’s sugar – not too much. Just enough. But, of course, crème fraîche is available in many grocery stores ready-made these days.

The butter and sour cream keep the cake moist. And the lightly macerated strawberries ooze their delicious juices into the cake. I macerated more strawberries than I needed to cover the top of the cake and used the leftovers when serving. The batter is lightly perfumed with freshly grated lemon zest and nutmeg, a delightful combo.

A springform pan was used for easy presentation, but the cake could also be baked in a square baking pan and served right from the pan. The original recipe called for a 9-inch round pan, but I made mine in an 8-inch round. It makes for a slightly higher cake and took a bit longer in the oven, but I was happy with the results.

Strawberry Cake (Kuchen) will keep for a few days covered. The cake will become more a bit custardy as time goes on and the fruit juices permeate the batter. My husband would say, “And this is a bad thing?” But, I would be very surprised if your cake lasted that long once people have enjoyed a taste.

For another delicious and adaptable kuchen recipe:

Plum Kuchen (Butter cake)

^ It’s Too Darn Hot from Kiss Me Kate. Songwriter: Cole Porter

** Summertime from Porgy and Bess. Songwriters: Ira and George Gershwin, DuBose and Dorothy Heyward

Recipe

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

Strawberry topping

2 cups (334g) strawberries, sliced into 3 slices each (I made more to use as a topping when serving)

2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar, divided

pinch of salt

Cake

1 1/4 cups (150g) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt

6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup (198g) granulated sugar

Zest of 1 lemon

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg, preferably freshly grated

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup (113g) sour cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center.

Grease an 8” or 9”- inch round springform pan or an 8”- inch square. Line the bottom with parchment and lightly grease.

To make the strawberry topping

In a medium bowl, toss the strawberries, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and the salt to combine. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the cake. (Reserve remaining 1 tablespoon sugar for topping the assembled cake. I added probably another cup of strawberries, but did NOT add any additional sugar.)

To make the cake

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar, lemon zest, and nutmeg until creamy and homogenous but not necessarily light or fluffy. You can use a hand or standing mixer but if your butter is at room temperature, why create more dishes than needed?!

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the bowl as needed.

Add the sour cream and vanilla; beat to combine.

Add the flour mixture and beat just until everything is combined. Do not over-mix or your cake will be tough.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. Distribute the strawberries over the batter in a tight, single layer, leaving behind the juices in the bowl. Save any leftover liquid and strawberry slices for snacking or for serving with the cake.

Sprinkle the cake all over with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar from the topping.

Bake the strawberry cake for about 1 hour or until the top is deeply golden brown. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack. Run a thin flat blade around the inside of the springform, if using, and open the spring. Remove the ring and using a spatula, lift the cake onto the cooling rack to cool completely. Once cool, you can sprinkle the cake with confectioner’s sugar, if desired.

To make Homemade Crème Fraîche

In a clean glass jar, pour one cup of heavy cream (preferably with no thickeners added). Add 3 Tablespoons of any cultured milk milk product such as buttermilk, kefir or even whole milk yogurt. Leave in a dark, room temperature place, shaking the jar occasionally until desired thickness. Depending on the warmth of the room and the quality of the cream, this can take between 24 to 36 hours. Once the desired thickness is achieved, you can add a healthy teaspoon of pure vanilla bean paste and about 3 Tablespoons of confectioner’s sugar. Stir through and refrigerate. This will keep for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.

Mississippi Mud Cake

February 16, 2023February 16, 2023 ~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

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Dark, rich and boozy, Mississippi Mud Cake is everything you could want in a chocolate cake. While paging through one of my hand-written and collated cook books, I came across this recipe by Susan Purdy from her book A Piece of Cake. It was on yellowed newsprint from an old New York Times. Cut out, stapled and scotch-taped into my collection of recipes, this old friend called out to me to bake it. My husband and I were not disappointed.

Why Mississippi Mud Cake? Supposedly the finished cake (or more often, pie) resembled the dark river mud of the Mighty Mississippi. Call it what you will, but make this delicious cake the next time you crave a really, really great chocolate cake. And while there is a fair amount of booze (Bourbon in this case) in the recipe, the alcohol will all be cooked off during the baking process. All that remains are the the slightly sweet, caramel and vanilla flavors that define a good Bourbon. If you really don’t like Bourbon, you could sub in Rum, Cognac or Amaretto. The flavor profile will be somewhat different, but still delicious.

While this cake requires no adornment, it is wonderful served with a dollop of creme fraiche, good vanilla ice cream or freshly made whipped cream. Or just before serving, give this wonderful cake a dusting of powdered or icing sugar or unsweetened cocoa.

And while not strictly necessary, if you wish to amp up the booziness a bit, you can add a sugar glaze. It is one cup confectioner’s (icing) sugar and 1 Tablespoon milk or water, a pinch of salt and one Tablespoon of good Kentucky Bourbon. Stir well and pour over the top of the cake.

For chocoholics – also check out these recipes:

Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake

Chocolate Marble Cake

Chocolate cupcakes – pssssst! they’re vegan!

Rye Chocolate Crumb Cake

Vegan Italian Chocolate Cookies

Chocolate Amaretti Torte

Raspberry Chocolate Tart

Pistachio, Chocolate and Dried Cherries Tart

Molten Chocolate Cakes for Two

Sachertorte

Recipe

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

Ingredients

5 ounces of unsweetened baking chocolate (I like Baker’s Chocolate for this recipe)

2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour, sifted

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt

1/4 cup powdered instant espresso

2 Tablespoons hot or boiling water

1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons cold water

1/2 cup Bourbon, rum, cognac or Amaretto

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted room temperature butter

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups granulated sugar (Remember, you are using “unsweetened” chocolate!)

3 large eggs plus 1 additional large yolk at room temperature

1/4 cup full-fat sour cream, creme fraiche or whole-milk natural yogurt

Directions

Generously grease a 10-cup bundt or tube pan. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.

Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pot of hot, but not boiling water. The bottom of the bowl should NOT touch the water. When the chocolate is almost all melted, remove it from the heat and stir it through until smooth and glossy. Set it aside.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside. In a bowl or 2-cup measuring cup, dissolve the espresso in the 2 Tablespoons of hot water. Then stir in the cold water and Bourbon and set this aside.

Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until fluffy and creamy. This should take at least a good 5 minutes with occasional pauses to scrape down the bowl and beater. Don’t skimp on the timing. It will make a huge difference to the finished product!

Beat in the eggs and additional yolk, one at a time. Then scrape down the bowl and add in the sour cream. Mix it well to thoroughly incorporate it.

Now add in the slightly cooled melted chocolate and beat until smooth and incorporated.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and using a large spatula start adding in the flour and reserved liquid mixture alternately, beginning and ending with the flour. Every time you add in the liquid, the mixture will look a bit curdled and as if the liquid will never incorporate. It will. And when you add in the flour, the mixture will no longer look curdled. DO NOT OVER MIX! Just mix gently to thoroughly incorporate the flour so there are no lumps or flour bombs in the finished cake.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until the top looks somewhat cracked and a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. This will take about 65 minutes, although ovens do vary. Do not overbake the cake.

Remove the pan to a wire rack for 15 to 20 minutes. Using a thin blade or spatula, carefully run it around the cake to make sure that it will release from the pan. Then place a cake or board over the top of the pan and invert the cake. Lift off the pan and allow the cake to cool completely. At this point you can serve it as is, or dust it with confectioner’s sugar or unsweetened cocoa powder.

The cake should be good for several days at room temperature if kept under a dome or well-wrapped.

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

October 17, 2022October 17, 2022 ~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

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Spicy, sweet, moist and fragrant, Pumpkin Coffee Cake says autumn bliss in every bite. Warming cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg and cloves and sweetened with brown sugar and maple syrup. With toasted pecans in a streusel topping covered with just the right amount of sweet, vanilla icing. Can you smell how it perfumes the whole house?

I can easily resist the siren call of “pumpkin spice latte” and “pumpkin spice” scented candles and room sprays. Don’t even get me started! However, I am a sucker for the real thing. And this lovely coffee cake actually contains real pumpkin and not merely “pumpkin” spices.

When I was searching for a recipe for a pumpkin cake or muffin, I came across this from Sally’s Baking Addiction. Initially I meant to make the recipe exactly as written – truly, I did. However, I immediately started thinking of ways to make it more my own. It’s safe to say that my version of Pumpkin Coffee Cake is only “inspired” by Sally’s.

My Pumpkin Coffee Cake gets its spicing from my Pumpkin Pie. I like a really well-spiced pie. It means adding a few cracks of fresh black pepper to my spice mix. This is a trick I learned a number of years ago. It isn’t enough to notice on its own. But it just enhances the spicy nature of the ginger, allspice and cloves.

I’m not sure why using the word “moist” to describe a cake has become a dirty word. For me, it means that the cake will melt in your mouth and the crumbs will stick together on the fork. It also means that the cake will likely be delicious even after a couple of days. So, yes, this Pumpkin Coffee Cake is beautifully and unashamedly moist! This, of course, also means that you can slice off mere slivers of the cake every time you happen to pass on by. No crumbling here.

Lately, I’ve noticed a curious correlation between bad news and my sweet tooth. The worse things are in the world, the more I crave quality sweets. So for me, the amount of icing was the perfect balance for the spiced cake and the streusel topping. But if you prefer the Jackson Pollack look of lacy lines or even no icing at all, that’s okay too. This is a humble coffee cake – not a fancy pastry.

The coffee cake was baked in a 9-inch springform pan. However, it could easily have been baked in an 8-inch springform or a 9-inch square pan or loaf pan. It just means that the baking time will need to be adjusted depending on how deep the cake is.

Pumpkin Coffee Cake uses ingredients that most of us have in our pantry. It’s always nice when my urge to bake doesn’t require an extra trip to the grocery store. But using fresh spices is always important for optimal flavor. So don’t get seduced into buying spices in bulk. Unless you are running a bakery or restaurant, most of us cannot use up these bulk spices quickly enough before the flavors are lost. Of course, the more whole spices you buy and grind yourself, the longer the spices will last. And the flavors will be more intense.

As with most coffee cakes, you can eat this from breakfast until dessert following dinner. And the cake can be frozen. I simply wouldn’t add the glaze until just before you are ready to use it.

But enough talk – let’s bake!

Recipe

Yield: One 9-inch cake

Ingredients

Streusel Topping

1/2 cup (63g) all-purpose, unbleached flour

1/2 cup (100g) packed dark brown sugar

1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup (4 T or 59g) unsalted cold butter

Pumpkin Coffee Cake Batter

2 cups (250g) all-purpose unbleached flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon double acting baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon each: ground allspice, nutmeg and cloves

1 teaspoon ground ginger

3 good cracks of freshly ground black pepper

1 cup (230g) pumpkin puree

1 large room temperature egg

1/2 cup (100g) packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup (120ml) canola or other neutral vegetable oil

1/4 cup (82g) pure maple syrup

1/4 cup (60ml) dairy or non-dairy milk

Vanilla Icing

1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar

2 to 3 Tablespoons of milk or half & half

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch non-stick springform or square baking pan. If you are using a square pan, you can line it with parchment leaving a 2-inch overhang. This will make it easy to remove the cake from the pan. You could also choose to serve it directly from the pan. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the streusel ingredients using your fingers, a fork or pastry blender. Mix just to create clumps and large crumbs. Set aside.

Place all of the dry ingredients (flour and spices) in a large bowl and whisk them together. Then add in the pumpkin, egg, brown sugar, maple syrup, oil and milk. Stir just until everything is smooth and combined. Do not over mix. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Add the streusel topping across the batter, gently pressing it in slightly.

Ovens vary as do the pans used. I baked mine in the springform pan for 40 minutes. I then turned the oven off, cracked open the door and left the cake in the oven for 10 more minutes. The center didn’t sink and the cake was perfectly baked. You can also check with a toothpick in the center to see if it comes out dry with a few crumbs attached. I find that less reliable. I go by smell and how the cake looks. By turning off the oven and keeping the cake in there for a few additional minutes, I know the cake will be just done without risk of over-baking.

Remove the cake to a wire rack to cool. If necessary, run a thin knife or spatula around the inside edge of the pan before releasing the outer ring of the springform pan.

Once the cake has cooled to warm, you can prepare the icing, if using. Depending on how thick you like the consistency of the icing, will determine how much liquid you use. You can always add a little more sugar if you went too far with the liquid. How you choose to ice the cake is up to your inner artist. You can also choose to spread it across the top and allow it to run down the sides. This is a cake that can be eaten warm.

Italian Apple Cake

October 8, 2022October 8, 2022 ~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

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Autumn and the Jewish New Year always mean sweet/tart/crisp, juicy apples and cinnamon to me. I can’t get enough of them in every and any iteration. My blog has several apple cake examples and you could be excused in thinking that are many more really needed.

But when I came across this recipe for an Italian Apple Cake, I knew I would try it right away. Of course, I tweaked it a bit! The result is a beautiful, fragrant, appley cake that is even better the second day. Every time I lift the lid on the cake plate, I am hit with a waft of apple scent. It’s delicious before I even taste a bite!

Most of the ingredients are always on hand so I was able to pull it together without a trip to the grocery store. There is nothing fancy here or cloyingly sweet. Every bite is chock full of apple chunks and the flavor is clean and apple-forward with a hint of lemon and cinnamon.

While I did use a hand mixer for beating the eggs with the sugar until airy and light, this cake can be made by hand if you have a strong arm. Other than that one task, no special equipment is required. And while I chose to lay some additional apples on top, dotted with butter and sprinkled with Demerara sugar, you could opt to leave that off and simply dust the cooled cake with confectioner’s sugar for presentation. I did also brush the finished cake top with a light coating of apple jelly for a bit of shine.

With so many varieties of apples available, choose one (or a variety) that is tart/sweet and will hold its shape when baked. No applesauce here!

The holiday of Sukkot begins Sunday night and lasts all week. This is a perfect treat for the coming 8 days. But you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy this Italian Apple Cake. Perfect as is, a dollop of freshly whipped cream or crème fraîche would not go amiss, however. And the cake cuts beautifully.

And if you are like me, and can’t get enough of apples, consider some of these other delicious recipes:

Apple Cake – Take 2

Whole Wheat Apple Cake

Vegan Dessert to die for – Apple Frangipane Tart

Apple Bread Pudding

Tarte Aux Pommes – Apple Tart

Apple Walnut Bread with Rum-Soaked Raisins

Caramelized Apple Pancake

Apple Pecan Bourbon Bundt Cake

Apple Cinnamon Noodle Kugel

Spiced Apple Cake

Amish Apple Pie

Plum (or Apple)and Almond Paste Tart

Vegan Apple Raisin Cake with Applejack Sauce

Apple Tarte Tatin

Apple Crumble

Apple pie with cheddar cheese crust and hard sauce

Recipe

Yield: One 9-inch cake

Ingredients

2.5 to 3 medium apples, peeled, cored and cut into small chunks (I used 2.5, but I could have even had a few more chunks)

1 large apple if using the decorative topping, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

Zest of one small lemon

2 cups (240 g) unbleached, all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons (14 g) double acting baking powder

1 rounded teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt

1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar

1 cup (245 g) whole milk plain yogurt

1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 large eggs at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon unsalted butter for dotting apples on decorative top, if using

A light sprinkling of Demerara or sanding sugar for decorative top, if using

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a non-stick 9-inch spring form pan with a vegetable spray.

Rub the lemon zest into the sugar and set aside while you measure out your other ingredients.

In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, cream the lemon/sugar and eggs until they are light in color and VERY fluffy. This takes between 5 and 8 minutes.

Stir in the yogurt, butter and vanilla extract until smooth. Do this by hand with a spatula. Do NOT use the hand mixer.

Add the dry ingredients and stir through gently until everything is well combined. Then add in the apples and gently stir through.

If you are using the optional decorative topping, layer the apple slices in an attractive over-lapping pattern. Then sprinkle the apple slices with the sugar and dot with the butter.

Place the spring form pan on top of a baking pan to catch any oozing from the bottom of the pan. Bake until nicely browned. Ovens vary as do apples. So start checking after 45 minutes but don’t be surprised if the cake takes at least an hour. I always then turn off my oven, leaving the door ajar with the cake inside. This will ensure that the cake really is done and won’t sink. The apples and yogurt will keep the cake moist.

Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes. Using a thin spatula, carefully run it around the inside of the pan’s rim to make sure that nothing stuck anywhere. Then you can open the ring and remove it. Cool the cake fully. The cake should easily come off of the bottom of the spring form pan. However, you could also leave it on it and serve from there, just being careful not to cut into your pan.

Place the cooled cake in a covered cake plate. Italian Apple Cake is even better the next day, making it a great do-ahead recipe. Now enjoy!

Lemon Yogurt Cake with Blueberries

August 21, 2022August 20, 2022 ~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 1 Comment

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If you are a fan of bold citrus in a melt-in-your-mouth cake, Lemon Yogurt Cake with Blueberries is for you. What this cake lacks in ‘curb appeal’ it more than makes up for in flavor. After all, isn’t that what crème fraîche or whipped cream are for? And this humble cake requires no equipment more complicated than a whisk. Oh my goodness this cake is wonderful!

As I often do, I was clicking through recipes when I came across a recipe for yogurt cake by the well-known author, Claudia Roden. I was about to make it for Shabbat when I decided to read the comments. They were very, very mixed leaning towards the negative. By that time, however, I had it in my head that I had to make a yogurt cake – so I kept on clicking. I came across one titled French Grandmother’s Lemon Yogurt Cake. It looked simple and the reviews were universally positive.

Now I meant to make it exactly as written – really I did. However, my husband, who recently has gotten into cooking and baking, said “Why don’t we add blueberries?” So I figured, why not? But then he said “What if we zest lemon into some sugar and roll the blueberries in that like for the Upside Down Blueberry Pancake?” Trying to be encouraging in his nascent dive into cooking, I said “Sure, why not?”

And, thus was born the Lemon Yogurt Cake with Blueberries!

This unpretentious cake can be eaten for breakfast, coffee or tea break or as dessert. It’s easy to make and even easier to eat. And the cake will only get more flavorful and moister as the days go on. Assuming, of course, that it isn’t all eaten up in one go! Serve just as is or with a little crème fraîche or whipped cream.

Recipe

Yield: About 8

Ingredients

For the Cake

1/2 cup whole milk plain natural yogurt

1 cup granulated sugar plus 3 teaspoons, divided

3 large eggs at room temperature

1.5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt

Grated zest of one medium to large lemon, divided

1/2 cup of a neutral oil (I used canola)

1/2 cup of blueberries

For the syrup

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

3/4 cup powdered, icing or confectioners sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray an 8-inch springform or round cake pan with a neutral spray. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment and lightly spray that. Set the pan aside.

Using your fingers, rub about 1 teaspoon of the lemon zest into the 3 teaspoons of sugar. Add the blueberries and toss through. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, 1 cup of sugar and the eggs. Stir or whisk until well blended.

Add the oil to the egg mixture and stir through.

Sift the flour and baking powder over the egg mixture. Now add the lemon zest and stir just to combine. Add the blueberries and gently fold through.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the top is nicely browned and the cake feels springy to the touch. Depending on the oven, this can take 40 to 50 minutes.

While the cake is baking, combine the sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. This should be more of a runny syrup than a sugar glaze. Set aside.

Cool the cake on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Then, if you are using a springform pan, just run a thin knife or spatula around the cake and release the outer ring. If you are using a cake pan, turn the cake out of the pan onto the rack. Don’t worry if the cake sinks a bit in the center. Place a pan or some newspaper under the rack to brush on the syrup.

While the cake is still warm, use a pastry brush with the syrup. Generously brush the syrup over the top and sides of the cake. You may have some extra glaze which you could use when serving the cake. Allow the cake to cool completely before serving.

Simple Basbousa

August 2, 2022 ~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

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Simple Basbousa is an easy version of this beloved Levantine sweet treat. This recipe requires no special equipment and because no eggs are called for, it can easily be veganized.

There are many versions of this delightful dessert, including one on my blog with pistachios and coconut. However, all of the recipes for basbousa utilize semolina and a sugar syrup. This means that the cake flavors intensify over time and remains incredibly moist even after several days. Because the Simple Basbousa is dense and sweet from the sugar syrup, a little goes a long way. But it is the perfect complement to well-spiced foods and strong coffee fragrant with cardamom.

I did make a few tweaks to the original recipe, but the changes do not make this Simple Basbousa any more complicated. Generally baked in a rectangular pan. I made mine in a 10-inch square pan because that was what I had on hand.

For Americans who are unfamiliar with basbousa, this Simple Basbousa version reminded both me and my husband of a moist cornbread with honey. Nothing fancy to see here. Just a delicious, simple cake. And in the summer, who wants to slave over dessert?

For more delicious semolina cakes:

Orange Semolina Cake

Lemon Semolina Almond Cake

Recipe

Yield: 25 squares

For the cake

2 cups of coarse semolina (My so-called coarse semolina proved to be only slightly less refined than my fine semolina, so don’t fret if you can’t find both.)

1/4 cup of fine semolina

1 cup of plain whole milk natural yogurt OR plant-based such as coconut

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup of unsalted butter or a plant-based vegan “butter,” melted

1/4 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon each of pure almond and vanilla extract

25 whole blanched almonds

For the syrup

2 cups of granulated sugar

2 cups of water

4 to 5 cardamom pods

1 teaspoon of orange blossom or rose water (I used orange blossom as my husband is not a fan of rose water)

Directions

For the cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix together the sugar and melted butter. Then add the yogurt and mix until smooth and well combined.

Combine the semolina, salt and baking soda and then add to the yogurt mixture. Stir well. The mixture will be fairly thick.

Place the batter into a greased pan (9 X 12 or 10 X 10). Smooth out the mixture using the back of a spoon or an off-set spatula. Score the basbousa with a knife into the squares that you see above.

Add an almond to the center of each square, pressing down gently into the batter.

Bake 35 minutes or until golden brown. Ovens vary so it may take longer or shorter.

Meanwhile, make the syrup. Bring the water, sugar and cardamom pods to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 8 to 10 minutes. Then remove the syrup from the heat, discard the cardamom pods and mix through the orange blossom or rose water.

As soon as the basbousa comes out of the oven, pour the syrup gradually over the top. It will be absorbed almost immediately. Allow the basbousa to cool and then cut through the score lines and enjoy!

Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake

June 13, 2022 ~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 2 Comments

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This killer Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake is decadently rich, dark and velvety. Did I mention that it has an Oreo crust?! And for those with an egg allergy – NO EGGS! I had seen a recipe for a chocolate cheesecake on the King Arthur website and it got me remembering a Mocha Cheesecake that my Mother used to make occasionally when we had guests over. It may have been based on one that was published (we’re talking almost 60 years ago, folks) in the New York Times. I’m pretty sure that the author was Maida Heatter, that doyenne of fabulous desserts.

The only problem is that it’s just me and my husband these days and that cake fed 16 people. Now I REALLY love a great New York-style cheesecake. However, even I cannot eat that much of it. And unfortunately, I never have enough room in my freezer. You know, to put some away for a pretty rainy day – or Congressional Hearings into January 6.

So, it got me thinking that I needed to come up with a version that uses my 6-inch springform pan. I found that this is the perfect size to yield 6 servings. We can definitely consume that over the course of the week.

The base of the cheesecake started with one that I published last year with a blueberry topping. Please use a really good quality dark bittersweet chocolate like Valrhona or Scharffenberger. 70% cacao is perfect. (And actually – never use poor quality chocolate. It’s just not worth it. Better to make something else entirely!) This will counter the rather sweet cookie crust and the sweetened condensed milk. The espresso powder will emphasize the deep chocolate taste.

Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake is for serious chocolate lovers. It has a true, clean chocolate taste and a smooth, truffle-like mouthfeel that starts melting as soon as it hits your tongue. And as rich as this cheesecake is, compared to other New York-style cheesecakes, you don’t have to feel too guilty. Go for it.

Recipe

Yield: 6 Servings

Ingredients

Yield: About 6 servings

Ingredients

Crust (This is the amount in the original recipe which makes a delicious but fairly thick crust)

250 g of crushed chocolate cookies such as Oreos (This is about 2.5 cups)

1/2 cup (113 g) melted butter (salted or unsalted)

Filling

8 oz. (225 g) full-fat cream cheese in a block, softened

1/2 cup (120 g) heavy or double cream

1 teaspoon espresso powder

1/25 cups of dark (70%) chocolate (about 175 g)

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt

1 Tablespoon Black Natural Cocoa Powder (Dutch cocoa could be used instead)

2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or Dark Rum

1 cup (306 g) of Sweetened Condensed Milk

Directions

Lightly grease the bottom of the springform pan and line it with a round of parchment. You don’t have to do this but it will make it easy to transfer the cake off of the bottom of the tin.

Blitz the biscuits in a food processor or with a rolling pin until you have fine crumbs. Do not wash the food processor. Just try to remove any excess crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a bowl and add the melted butter. Mix until all of the crumbs are moist. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F or 160 C.

Using a hand beater or the food processor (why dirty another utensil?) beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy.

In a smallish bowl, whisk the heavy cream and corn starch until smooth. Add this to the cream cheese. Add the vanilla, sweetened condensed milk and citrus zest. Blitz until the batter is completely smooth. Pour the batter into the pan over the crumb base.

Wrap the bottom of the pan in two layers of aluminum foil to prevent any leakage. Set the pan in a baking dish large enough to hold it. I used a 9-inch square pan. Carefully add hot tap water to the pan until it comes up about half-way up the sides of the springform mold.

Place in the oven and bake for about 1 hour or until the center just slightly jiggles. Turn off the oven and leave the door ajar with the cheesecake inside. Keep the pan in there until your oven fan turns off or the cheesecake cools down. This prevents the crust from cracking.

Remove the cooled cake to a wire rack and using a sharp, flat blade, just carefully run it around the circumference of the cake. Cool the cake in the fridge for 4 to 6 hours.

When you are ready to serve, unlock the springform and carefully remove the ring. You can then either leave the cake on the bottom for serving or it should come off easily once the suction has been broken. Transfer to a serving plate and enjoy.

Lemon Ricotta Almond Cake for Passover

April 9, 2022April 10, 2022 ~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

**Lemon Ricotta Almond Cake for Passover**

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Every year for decades I hosted Passover, the Jewish holiday commemorating the redemption of the Jewish People from slavery. And while it was a lot of work, I loved having family and friends around to join in the seders. There have been many wonderful desserts, including a few that are vegan. (They are linked below.) But I always tried to make at least one new dessert each year. This Lemon Ricotta Almond Cake for Passover would have been this year’s entry in that category. Unfortunately, between my niece’s family having moved away and the pandemic, it has been a few years since I hosted any family holiday gathering.

Pesach this year will be spent with Matthew, Frances and Juliana in San Francisco. Perhaps I can convince Frances to make this Lemon Ricotta Almond Cake for Passover.

Light, moist and lemony, this flourless cake uses almond flour to replace all-purpose or cake flour. Between the almond flour and the ricotta, this is a cake that it is impossible to dry out. It may get slightly custardy over time, with the flavors only intensifying. Delicious on its own, adding either fresh berries and a dusting of icing sugar or a berry compote would kick it up to the next level. Michelle Polzine’s Slow-Roasted Strawberries would be a great option. However, for my money, true perfection was achieved when I served this luscious cake with a good dollop of lightly sweetened home-made creme fraiche and a few raspberries. No matter how you choose to eat this cake, you cannot go wrong.

But you don’t have to make this just for Passover. It’s a lovely, light dessert any time of the year. The recipe originated from the Donna Hay Magazine via the Nosher website and has been slightly tweaked by me. And while there are volume measurements included, I strongly recommend weighing your ingredients when baking.

For Other Great Passover Desserts:

Passover Florentine Cookies

Death by Chocolate Vegan Passover Cake

Passover Sephardic Wine Cookies

Chocolate Chip Vegan Meringue Buttons for Passover

Passover Almond Coconut Macaroons

Passover Orange Ginger Spice Cookies

French Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Glaze

Chocolate Amaretti Torte – make with kosher for Passover amaretti cookies

Tarte Citron Mama – just substitute 1 Tablespoon of Matzah Cake Meal for the 1 T of flour

Recipe

Yield: One 8-inch cake

Ingredients

120 grams (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
275 grams (1 1/3 cups) granulated or caster sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped or 1 generous teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract (Optional to use only if you wish to have a more pronounced almond flavor)
1/4 cup loosely packed lemon zest (2 to 3 lemons, depending on size)
4 large eggs, separated and at room temperature
240 grams (2 1/2 cups) almond meal or almond flour
300 grams (1 1/3 cups) ricotta, at room temperature
About 2 Tablespoons flaked (sliced) natural almonds
Icing sugar, for dusting

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter or PAM an 8-inch (20 cm) springform pan. Line the bottom with a parchment round and lightly sugar the sides and bottom.

Place the butter, granulated sugar, vanilla seeds or extract, almond extract and lemon zest in a stand mixer. Beat for 8 to 10 minutes (REALLY) until, pale, creamy and very fluffy. Scrape down the sides as needed.

Gradually add the egg yolks one at a time, while continuing to beat the mixture.

Add the almond meal and beat to combine. Fold the ricotta through the mixture.

In a separate, clean bowl, beat the egg whites until you have stiff peaks.

Gently mix through about 1/3 of the egg whites in to the main batter to loosen it up. Then carefully fold in the remaining egg whites in 2 parts until most of the white bits are no longer visible. Be careful to not deflate the mixture since there is no other leavening in the cake.

Pour the mixture into the cake tin and smooth out the top with a spatula. Decorate the top with the sliced almonds.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or longer, depending on your oven. The top should be golden and there shouldn’t be any wobble. If it appears that your cake isn’t done, but you don’t want it to brown anymore, cover it lightly with aluminum foil. Allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack. Carefully run a thin knife or spatula around the cake in the pan to be sure that it isn’t sticking anywhere. Then you can loosen the ring of the springform pan and remove the cake. Do not apply icing sugar until the cake is completely cooled.

Chocolate Marble Cake

December 5, 2021December 5, 2021 ~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 2 Comments

Growing up I had a very Manichean approach to dessert. My favorite cookie was a Black & White. My favorite ice cream was a soft-serve twist of chocolate and vanilla from Carvel. And my favorite cake was Chocolate Marble Cake from our local bakery. In New York, where I lived until I was fourteen, these desserts were ubiquitous. Every good deli and bakery carried the cookie and cake of my dreams. And in those days, a Carvel sign could be seen at most off-ramps all over New York. The truth is, I have never outgrown these loves, although finding really good versions of them in the Midwest is more challenging. So I was VERY excited when I came across this recipe for Black & White Pound Cake using black cocoa powder.

Black Cocoa Powder is what gives Oreos (or Hydrox Cookies, which is what I ate growing up and believe to be superior) their color and unique almost dry chocolate flavor. I had only used Dutch cocoa before. That will work here but the look and flavor will be different. The recipe comes from Sohla El-Waylly, a Food 52 star baker. She is very fun to watch and has several YouTube offerings. Sohla has a slightly funky vibe and a natural charm. I’ve made a few things of hers and the results have always been successful.

Now the one part of this recipe that caused a lot of debate in the comments section was the so-called streusel, which is used in both the middle of the cake and on top. I say so-called because it isn’t really like any other streusel I’ve eaten. It’s quite dry and the whole cake when it comes out of the pan, kind of looks as if it had been rescued from a fire and was covered in coal dust. I know, I know – this doesn’t sound as if I am making a case for the topping. But the funny thing is that as I ate the cake, the not-very-sweet topping grew on me. The part that went in the middle just melted into the cake and was delicious. The stuff on top crumbled off these dark, deep Oreo-like bits which were not overly sweet, but had a certain somethin/somethin.

It would be completely understandable if you chose to leave it off of the top and the cake would be AMAZING. But if you are open to giving it a chance, I would encourage you to do so. Either way, I would definitely use it in the middle of the cake as given in the recipe.

The finished cake when cut is an ever-changing work of art. Each slice is unique in it’s design and all are beautiful. It’s edible modern art, with dark beautiful veins of deliciousness. And while it may appear to be difficult to achieve, it really isn’t. I won’t lie. The cake is a bit fussy, takes a little time and uses several bowls, but there are no special techniques to making this. Just REALLY, REALLY, REALLY read the directions through several times before starting. And I also found that by measuring everything out before I began actually making the cake made things much easier. Yes, it does create more bowls and dishes to wash, but it also means that there is no scrambling to measure and possibly mis-reading things. Directions are crucial here.

I have mentioned it in other posts, but it’s worth saying again. I have become a BIG fan of weighing most of my ingredients when baking. It really is so much more accurate than simply measuring. Kitchen scales are readily available and cost around $25 – money well spent. I have included both measurements and weights where appropriate.

The other thing I learned when making this cake is how transformative long creaming of your butter and sugar can be. Until Sohla, I had never, ever creamed butter and sugar this long. However, I will now never, ever cream butter and sugar anything but this long again! Who knew how light and fluffy the mixture could become? And it is essential that ALL of your ingredients are at room temperature for best results.

Recipe

Yield: One 9 X 5-inch loaf

Ingredients

For the Streusel (Optional)

1 1/4 cup (156 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (100 grams) light brown sugar
1/4 cup (20 grams) black cocoa powder (or Dutched or natural cocoa powder)
3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
6 tablespoons (82 grams) cold butter, cut into cubes

For the Cake

14 tablespoons (196 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan
1 1/4 cup (250 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1/2 cup (120 grams) sour cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup (187 grams) all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons (15 grams) black cocoa powder (or Dutched or natural cocoa powder)
1 tablespoon milk or water

Directions

For the Streusel

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cocoa, and salt. Add the cubed
butter and rub the mixture together with your fingers until it comes together into clumps; set aside. [Mine never quite formed clumps and I tend to agree with most of the comments that felt it needed more butter for this to happen. However, it did surprisingly stay together on the cake and when eaten was the texture of a thick Oreo dust. Not especially sweet.]

For the Cake

Set a rack in the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5-inch metal loaf pan with butter or cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment and grease that as well.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar,
baking powder, and kosher salt on medium-high speed until pale and very fluffy, stopping once during
mixing to scrape down the paddle and bowl, 6 to 8 minutes total. (You might think it’s done before that
time, but keep going all the way.)

Scrape down the paddle and sides of the bowl. On medium-high speed, beat in the eggs and yolk one at a
time, scraping down the paddle and the bowl after each addition. The batter should look very fluffy,
creamy, and emulsified (if not, your eggs or butter may have been not at room temperature—let the
mixture come to room temperature then try mixing it again).

Scrape down the paddle and sides of the bowl. In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream and vanilla
until lump-free and totally smooth.

Add half of the sour cream and mix on low until just incorporated, about 15 seconds. Add half of the flour
and mix until just incorporated, about 15 seconds. Repeat with the remaining sour cream and flour. Using
a flexible rubber spatula, scrape down the paddle and the bowl and mix the batter a few times to make sure
everything is evenly combined.

Transfer about half the batter to a medium bowl. Sift over the cocoa powder and stir into the batter along
with the milk or water.

Add half the cocoa batter and half the vanilla batter to the pan in alternating dollops. Top with half the streusel and repeat dolloping the remaining batter.

With a butter knife or offset spatula, swirl the knife through the batter to make sure it is evenly distributed
into the pan with no big air pockets and give the pan a few swift taps against the counter. Wet a butter
knife and use it to slice down the center of the loaf cake (this ensures an even crack right down the middle
of the cake). Top with remaining streusel, lightly pressing it into the batter.

Bake until the crust is deeply browned, the loaf rises and splits, and the cake feels firm and set when you
gently press the top, 65 to 75 minutes. (This is a very moist cake and it is better to overbake rather than
underbake. If the crust is looking very dark partway through, set a wire rack just above the loaf pan and
place a rimmed baking sheet on it to provide a shield.)

Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then run an offset spatula or butter knife around the sides to
loosen. Tip the cake into your hand, then place on a wire rack to fully cool before slicing.

Recipe

Yield: About 8 servings

Ingredients

Yield: About 8 servings

Ingredients

Directions

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Yield: 6 to 8 servings

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Yield: 10 to 12 servings

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Yield: One 9-inch cake

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Yield: One 9-inch cake

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Yield: About 8

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Recipe

Yield: 25 squares

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Recipe

Yield: 6 Servings

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Yield: About 6 servings

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For Other Great Passover Desserts:

Recipe

Yield: One 8-inch cake

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Directions

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Recipe

Yield: One 9 X 5-inch loaf

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Directions

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