Bon Appetit Desserts (18 page)

¾ teaspoon ground cardamom

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2⅓ cups cake flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon ground cardamom

¼ teaspoon salt

11 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup sour cream

¼ cup fresh orange juice

2 teaspoons finely grated orange peel

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

⅓ cup poppy seeds

STREUSEL:
Mix sugar, flour, melted butter, cardamom, and cinnamon in small bowl until moist clumps form.

CAKE:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 10-inch-diameter angel food cake pan with removable bottom. Sift cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, and salt twice into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in sour cream, orange juice, orange peel, and vanilla. Beat in dry ingredients to blend. Mix in poppy seeds. Transfer batter to prepared pan (batter will fill less than half of pan).

Bake cake 25 minutes. Sprinkle streusel over top of cake. Continue to bake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 25 minutes longer. Cool cake completely in pan on rack.

Using sharp knife, cut around sides of pan and center tube to loosen cake. Holding center tube, lift cake from pan sides. Cut cake free from pan bottom. Placing hand gently atop cake for support, tilt cake just far enough over to release from center tube; remove tube. Place cake streusel side up on platter.

DO AHEAD:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.

Raisin Streusel Cake

Made with matzo cake meal, potato starch, and nondairy creamer, this deliciously spiced coffee cake also satisfies the dietary requirements for Passover.
12 servings

¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted margarine, room temperature

⅔ cup sugar

4¼ teaspoons ground cardamom

2¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ cup matzo cake meal

½ cup matzo cake meal

½ cup potato starch

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground ginger

5 large egg whites, room temperature

1⅓ cups sugar, divided

5 large egg yolks

⅓ cup liquid nondairy creamer

¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted margarine, melted, cooled

2 tablespoons finely grated lemon peel

1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice

⅔ cup raisins

STREUSEL:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Coat 9×9×2-inch metal baking pan generously with margarine. Mix margarine, sugar, cardamom, and cinnamon in medium bowl. Gradually add matzo cake meal and mix until crumbly. Spread half of streusel on baking sheet and bake until golden and crisp, about 10 minutes. Cool and break into bits.

CAKE:
Combine matzo cake meal, potato starch, salt, and ginger in small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1 cup sugar and beat until stiff but not dry.

Using same beaters, beat egg yolks and remaining ⅓ cup sugar in another large bowl until mixture is thick and slowly dissolving ribbon forms when beaters are lifted. Beat in nondairy creamer, then margarine, lemon peel, and lemon juice at low speed. Add dry ingredients and stir until well blended. Fold in egg white mixture in 2 additions.

Pour half of batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle baked streusel over. Sprinkle with half of raisins. Spread remaining batter over. Sprinkle with unbaked streusel and remaining raisins. Bake until tester inserted into center of cake comes out dry, about 40 minutes.

Cool cake in pan on rack. Cover with foil and let stand 1 hour to soften topping.

DO AHEAD:
Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep covered and store at room temperature.

Cut into squares and serve.

Cherry-Vanilla Tea Cake with Vanilla Sugar

A springform pan is ideal for this cake: The powdered sugar topping can be sifted over the hot cake while it’s still in the pan—allowing some of the sugar to melt ever so slightly—then the sides can be slipped off without disturbing the topping. Tossing the cherries with the reserved flour mixture before they’re added to the batter prevents them from sinking to the bottom.
10 servings

1½ cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

⅔ cup sour cream

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel

1 cup canned pitted sweet cherries, halved, drained

½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour 10-inch-diameter springform pan with 2¾-inch-high sides. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and 1 cup sugar in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in vanilla extract. Transfer 2 tablespoons dry ingredients to small bowl. At low speed, beat half of remaining dry ingredients into butter mixture, then mix in sour cream and lemon peel. Beat in remaining half of dry ingredients. Mix cherries into reserved 2 tablespoons dry ingredients; fold cherries into batter.

Spoon batter into prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer cake to rack and cool 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, using small sharp knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean into small bowl. Mix in remaining 1 tablespoon sugar, rubbing with fingertips to distribute seeds. Add powdered sugar and rub again.

Sift vanilla sugar over hot cake and cool. Cut around pan sides to loosen cake; remove pan sides.

DO AHEAD:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; let stand at room temperature.

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

With mini chocolate chips dotted throughout and a sweet and tangy drizzle on top, this moist coffee cake is great for either brunch or dessert.
12 servings

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

2 large egg whites (¼ cup)

⅓ cup (packed) golden brown sugar

Pinch of salt

1½ cups coarsely chopped walnuts

1¼ cups mini semisweet chocolate chips, divided

2 cups cake flour

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

3 large eggs

¾ cup sour cream

¾ cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons sour cream

CAKE:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour 10-inch-diameter angel food cake pan with removable bottom, then spray with nonstick spray. Mix egg whites, brown sugar, and salt in medium bowl. Mix in walnuts and ¼ cup chocolate chips.

Whisk flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in another medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl to blend. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Stir in flour mixture in 4 additions alternately with sour cream in 3 additions. Stir in remaining 1 cup chocolate chips.

Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top. Spoon walnut mixture evenly over. Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour 8 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack 15 minutes. Using sharp knife, cut around sides of pan and center tube to loosen cake. Using oven mitt, grasp center tube and lift cake from sides of pan. Cool cake completely on rack. Cut cake free from pan bottom. Placing hand gently atop cake for support, tilt cake just far enough over to release from center tube; remove tube. Place cake, streusel side up, on platter (walnuts should be on top).

DO AHEAD:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap in plastic.

TOPPING:
Mix sugar and sour cream in bowl; drizzle over cake.

Chocolate-Pecan Coffee Cake