Bon Appetit Desserts: Raspberry-Yogurt Cake

This recipe came along in the cookbook at just the right time. I was able to get those late summer raspberries that are so good! There is nothing confusing about this cake, so no baking advice is needed. Mix it up, bake it, eat it!

I take that back... let the cake cool in the pan for more than 30 minutes! Perhaps, 40 minutes will do the trick. The top of my cake stuck to the pan and it made me morose.

Raspberry-Yogurt Cake
10 to 12 servings

3          cups unbleached all-purpose flour, divided
1-1/2    teaspoons baking powder
1/4       teaspoon salt
1          cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1-3/4    cups sugar
2          Tablespoons  fresh orange juice
1-1/2    teaspoons almond extract, divided
1          teaspoon finely grated orange peel
3          large eggs, room temperature
1          cup plain low-fat yogurt
2-1/2    cups raspberries (two 6-ounce containers)
1          cup powdered sugar
1          Tablespoon (or more) water



Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter 12- to 15-cup Bundt pan. Whisk 2/12 cups flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl.

Using electric mixer, beat butter and 1-3/4 cups sugar in large bowl until creamy. Beat in orange juice, 1 teaspoon almond extract, and orange peel. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in yogurt.

Add dry ingredients to batter and beat until just blended.

Toss remaining 1/2  cup flour and raspberries in large bowl. Fold berry mixture into batter. Spoon batter into prepared pan; smooth top.

Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Cool in pan on rack 30 minutes.

Invert cake onto plate and cool.

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

Whisk powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon water, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon almond extract in medium bowl. Add more water by 1/ teaspoonfuls as needed  for thick glaze. Drizzle over cake. Let stand until glaze sets.

Bon Appetit Desserts: Maple-Walnut Pound Cake with Maple Glaze

If you like maple, then you will love this cake. It is filled with maple-y goodness! If you do not have a food processor, like me, just grind your walnuts up in one of those handy nut grinders (check out Martha Stewart or King Arthur Flour). The old-fashioned way!

I think it is important to note, that I bake with salted butter, so I generally do not add the salt that is called for in the recipe.

I was overly excited to bake this cake because the weather has cooled down and fall is in the air. I finally took the rest of my fall decorations out, too! I hope you enjoy this simple to make cake! It is sure to please.

Maple-Walnut Cake with Maple Glaze
12 servings

Cake
1-3/4          cups coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
2-1/4          cups cake flour
1                teaspoon baking powder
1/2             teaspoon salt
1-1/4          cups (2-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1-1/4          cups sugar
5                large eggs
1/2             cup pure maple syrup
3/4             teaspoon maple extract
1/2             teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze
1/4             cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2                tablespoons pure maple syrup
2                tablespoons heavy whipping cream
10              tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted
1/8             teaspoon maple extract
12              walnut halves


CAKE: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter and flour 12-to 15-cup Bundt pan. Finely grind walnuts in processor. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in maple syrup, maple extract, and vanilla (batter may look curdled). Mix in dry ingredients. Fold in ground walnuts.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake cake until top is golden and tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Transfer pan to rack; cool cake in pan 10 minutes. Using small knife, cut around side and center tube of pan to loosen cake. Turn cake out onto rack and cool completely.

DO AHEAD:  Can be made two days ahead. Wrap cake tightly in foil and store at room temperature.

GLAZE: Melt butter with maple syrup and cream in a heavy small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar and maple extract; whisk until smooth. Cool glaze until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Drizzle glaze over cake. Arrange walnut halves decoratively on top of cake. Let cake stand until glaze sets; about 15 minutes.

Bon Appetit Dessert: Apple-Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

I don't know about you, but I am tired of the hot summer heat and I am ready for some cooler weather. This cake tastes like fall. Now, I just need the weather to cooperate!

This recipe calls for a nonstick vegetable spray, for your pan, but I found that it didn't work very well, so I suggest that you grease and flour your pan for best results.

Apple-Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze
12 servings

Cake

Nonstick vegetable spray

3          cups unbleached all purpose flour
1          teaspoon baking soda
1          teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4       teaspoon salt
1/2       teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4       teaspoon ground cloves
1/4       teaspoon ground allspice
1-3/4   pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, coarsely grated
1-1/2   cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1-1/2   cups sugar
1/2      cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1         teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
3         large eggs
1         teaspoon vanilla extract
1         teaspoon fresh lemon juice


Glaze

1/2      cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/4      cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4      cup heavy whipping cream
1/2      teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2      teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4      teaspoon salt

CAKE: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 325ºF. Spray 12-to 15- cup bundt pan with nonstick spray. Sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice into medium bowl. Drain grated apples in strainer. Using hands or  kitchen towel, squeeze out excess liquid from apples. Measure 2 cups grated apples.

Using electric mixer, beat butter, both sugars, and lemon peel in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in vanilla and lemon juice. Beat in flour mixture. Mix in grated apples. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake cake until tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes.

GLAZE: While cake cools, prepare glaze. Stir sugar, butter, cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and salt in small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, whisk until glaze is smooth, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Invert cake onto rack set over baking sheet. Using small skewer, pierce holes all over top of warm cake. Pour hot glaze over top, allowing it to be absorbed before adding more. Server warm or at room temperature.

Bon Appetit Desserts: Orange-and Vanilla-Scented Bundt Cake

Oranges are delicious! You might be thinking, 'How can oranges be better?' Generally, that would be a difficult question to answer. However, this recipe just has to be the answer. I mean, oranges... cake... oranges in cake! Sounds great to me.

The flavor is subtle and fresh. You can taste the orange, but it isn't beating you over the head.

Orange- and Vanilla-Scented Bundt Cake
10 to 12 servings

Cake
3          cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4       teaspoon salt
1/2       teaspoon baking soda
1-2/3    cups sugar
1          Tablespoon finely grated orange peel
1          vanilla bean, split lengthwise
3/4       cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3          large eggs
2/3       cup fresh orange juice
2/3       cup buttermilk

Glaze
1/2       cup fresh orange juice
2          Tablespoons sugar
2          Tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter

Icing
1/3       cup powdered sugar
2          teaspoons (about) fresh orange juice      



CAKE: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350ºF. Butter and flour 12-to 15-cup Bundt pan. Whisk flour, slat, and baking soda in  medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and orange peel in large bowl at low speed to release essential oils from peel. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into sugar mixture and beat to blend well. Add butter and beat until light. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in orange juice (mixture will look curdled). Stir in flour mixture, then buttermilk. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top. Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean; about 50 minutes.

GLAZE: Meanwhile, boil orange juice, sugar, and butter in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until reduced to 1/2 cup, swirling pan occasionally, about 5 minutes.

Brush 3 Tablespoons glaze over cake. Cool cake in pan on rack 10 minutes. Using small sharp knife, cut around sides and center tube of pan to loosen cake. Turn cake out onto rack and crush with remaining glaze. Cool completely.

ICING: Place sugar in small bowl. Mix in orange juice, 1/2 teaspoonful at a time, until thick pourable consistency forms. Drizzle icing decoratively over cake. Let stand until icing sets.

DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and store at cool room temperature.