The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook (102 page)

tangy chocolate frosting

MAKES 10 CUPS

4½ cups confectioners’ sugar

½ cup good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ teaspoon salt

12 ounces cream cheese (1½ packages), room temperature

1½ sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened

18 ounces bittersweet chocolate (preferably 70 percent cacao), melted and cooled

1½ cups crème fraîche (12 ounces)

1.
Sift the sugar, cocoa, and salt together into a bowl; set aside. Put the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until smooth.

2.
Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in the sugar mixture. Pour in the melted chocolate in a slow, steady stream. Gradually mix in the crème fraîche. The frosting can be refrigerated, in an airtight container, up to 3 days. Just before using, bring to room temperature; beat until smooth.

brandied cherry cassata

SERVES 9

3 cups fresh ricotta cheese

2 cups granulated sugar

1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest

1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise

1½ cups drained brandied cherries, plus ¼ cup liquid from jar

Vegetable oil cooking spray

1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

½ cup milk

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

1.
Put the ricotta, ½ cup granulated sugar, and zest in a food processor; scrape in the vanilla seeds. Process until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, and then stir in the drained cherries. Refrigerate.

2.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bring ½ cup water and ½ cup granulated sugar to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Let cool completely. Stir in the cherry liquid. Refrigerate. Coat an 8-inch-square baking pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment; coat the lining with spray. Dust with flour; tap out excess.

3.
Bring the milk and butter to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat. Put the eggs in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 6 minutes. Beat in the remaining cup granulated sugar and the vanilla. On low speed, gradually add the flour. Drizzle in the hot milk mixture. Beat in the baking powder and salt.

4.
Pour into the prepared pan. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack 30 minutes. Unmold; remove the parchment. Cool completely.

5.
Split the cake horizontally into thirds. Brush a cut side of each layer with syrup. Spread half of the filling on the bottom layer. Top with middle layer, and spread with the remaining filling. Top with the third layer. Refrigerate until firm, 2 hours. Dust with confectioners’ sugar. Cut into 9 squares.

chocolate truffle cakes

MAKES 6 INDIVIDUAL CAKES

For extra-fudgy results, make these cakes 1 day ahead; wrap them well in plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Serve them chilled or at room temperature.

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the muffin tin

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

14 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

2 tablespoons sugar

2 large eggs

¼ teaspoon salt

1.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Generously butter a standard 6-cup muffin tin. Dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside.

2.
Put the chocolate, butter, and 1 tablespoon sugar in a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; whisk occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat, and let stand until cool and thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Process the eggs and remaining tablespoon sugar in a food processor until pale and doubled in volume, about 2 minutes. Sift the flour and salt into the egg mixture; pulse to combine. Add the chocolate mixture ¼ cup at a time; pulse each addition until combined, about 10 times. (Batter will be thick.)

3.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin tin, filling the cups three-quarters full; swirl the tops with the back of a spoon. Bake until the tops are springy to the touch, 18 to 20 minutes. Immediately turn out onto wire racks; reinvert, and let cool.

coconut rum-raisin bundt cake with rum-caramel glaze

MAKES ONE 12-CUP BUNDT CAKE

10 ounces (2½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pan

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 cup raisins

¾ cup dark rum

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

2¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar

6 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

1 cup granulated sugar

1.
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter a 12-cup Bundt pan; dust with flour, tapping out excess. Soak the raisins in ½ cup rum.

2.
Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder; set aside. Put the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; cream on medium speed until smooth. Mix in the eggs, 1 at a time. Add the vanilla. On low speed, mix in the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions of 6 tablespoons cream each (12 total). Mix in the raisin mixture and the coconut. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan; smooth the top.

3.
Bake, rotating about halfway through, until a cake tester comes out clean, about 1 hour 55 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack 20 minutes. Run a thin knife around the sides of the cake; unmold. Let cool.

4.
Heat the granulated sugar and ¼ cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat, gently stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup is clear. Cook, without stirring, until the syrup comes to a boil, washing down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming. Let boil, gently swirling, until medium amber. Remove from heat. Carefully pour in the remaining ¼ cup rum and 2 tablespoons cream. Let cool, stirring, until thickened. Drizzle over cake.

almond custard cake

MAKES ONE 9-INCH CAKE

Almond flour is simply ground blanched almonds—it doesn’t contain any wheat flour. You can make your own by finely grinding ½ cup whole blanched almonds in a food processor. The dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month (thaw before using). The custard filling can be made up to 1 day ahead; press plastic wrap directly onto its surface (to prevent a skin from forming), and refrigerate in an airtight container.

12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pan

2½ cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

½ cup almond flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

7 large egg yolks

3 tablespoons sweet dessert wine, such as Sauternes or Beaumes-de-Venise

1 teaspoon pure almond extract

1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, and seeds scraped to loosen

1¾ cups whole milk

Freshly grated zest of 1 orange

1 tablespoon heavy cream

2 tablespoons sliced blanched almonds

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Strawberry-Rhubarb Sauce, for serving (recipe follows)

1.
Cut a 9-inch round of parchment paper to line the bottom of a 9 × 2-inch round cake pan. Butter and line the pan. Butter the lining, then flour the pan, tapping out excess; set aside.

2.
Make the dough: Whisk together 2¼ cups flour and the almond flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

3.
Put the butter and 1½ cups granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add 3 egg yolks, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add the wine, almond extract, and half the vanilla seeds; mix until combined, about 15 seconds. Add the flour mixture in 2 additions, mixing until just combined (do not overmix).

4.
Divide the dough in half, and flatten each piece into a disk. Wrap the disks in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour.

5.
Make the custard filling: Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Fit an electric mixer with the whisk attachment. Put 3 egg yolks and the remaining 6 tablespoons sugar in a clean mixing bowl; beat on medium speed until pale yellow and thickened. Add the remaining 5 tablespoons flour; beat on low speed until combined.

6.
Bring the milk, remaining vanilla seeds, and zest to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Pour ½ cup hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, and beat on medium-low speed until combined. Stir the mixture into the remaining milk in the saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to reach the bottom and sides of the pan. Cook until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Set the pan in the ice-water bath; stir occasionally until cool, about 20 minutes.

7.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Press 1 piece of dough onto the bottom of the prepared pan and 1½ inches up the sides. Spoon the custard on top, and spread into an even layer.

8.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the remaining dough into an 11-inch circle. Drape over the pan; trim the edges flush with the pan. Gently press the edges of the top crust to meet the bottom crust; crimp the top edges with a fork to seal. Refrigerate the cake 30 minutes.

9.
Beat the remaining egg yolk and the cream in a small bowl. Brush the top of the cake with egg wash; sprinkle with almonds. Bake until golden brown, about 35 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Invert the cake to unmold; peel off the parchment, and reinvert. Just before serving, dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar. Serve with the strawberry-rhubarb sauce.

strawberry-rhubarb sauce

MAKES 2½ CUPS

This sauce can be made 2 days ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container. Reheat over medium-low heat, or bring to room temperature before serving.

12 ounces rhubarb (6 to 8 stalks), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

6 tablespoons sugar

1½ cups strawberries (8 ounces), hulled and halved

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Bring the rhubarb, sugar, and ¼ cup water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 8 minutes. Stir in the strawberries and vanilla; cook until the berries are softened, about 3 minutes more. Serve the sauce warm or at room temperature.

raspberry-swirl cheesecake

MAKES ONE 9-INCH CAKE

1 cup finely ground graham crackers (5 ounces; about 8 sheets)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1¾ cups sugar

6 ounces raspberries (about 1½ cups)

4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, room temperature

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 large eggs, room temperature

Boiling water, for roasting pan

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Wrap the exterior of a 9-inch springform pan (including base) in a double layer of foil; set aside.

2.
Stir together the cracker crumbs, melted butter, and 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl. Press the crumb mixture firmly onto the bottom of the pan. Bake until set, about 10 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack. Reduce oven heat to 325°F.

3.
Process the raspberries in a food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds. Pass the puree through a fine sieve into a small bowl; discard the solids. Whisk in 2 tablespoons sugar, and set aside.

4.
Put the cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the remaining 1½ cups sugar in a slow, steady stream. Add the salt and vanilla; mix until well combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing each until just combined (do not overmix). Pour the cream cheese filling over crust.

5.
Drop the raspberry sauce by the teaspoon on top. With a wooden skewer or toothpick, swirl the sauce into the filling.

6.
Set the cake pan inside a large, shallow roasting pan. Transfer to the oven. Carefully ladle boiling water into the roasting pan to reach halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake until the cake is set but still slightly wobbly in center, 60 to 65 minutes.

7.
Transfer the cake pan to a rack; let cool completely. Refrigerate, uncovered, 6 hours or overnight. Before unmolding, run a knife around the edge of the cake.

lemon-blackberry pudding cakes

MAKES 6 INDIVIDUAL CAKES

1 pint blackberries

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the ramekins

3 large eggs, separated

6 tablespoons cake flour (not self-rising), sifted