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Whiskey Date Walnut Cake

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Whiskey Date Walnut Cake
A lovely and delicious marzipan covered cake, full of walnuts, dates, spices, and flavored with whiskey. This is a perfect cake to serve at Easter, but when served with a cup of tea or coffee this dessert will entice your guests anytime of year. After baking the top of the cake is covered with sweet marzipan and then decorated with gold dragees and walnut halves “painted” with gold luster dust, making a stunning presentation that is really very easy to do.
Recipe type: Dessert | Cake | Marzipan
Serves: 8 to 10
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: One8x8x2 inch square Pan Prep: Greased, Floured, Parchment Oven Temp: 325° Storage: Cover and Refrigerate

Help: Cake Hints and Tips, Toasting Nuts and Seeds, Marzipan

TheBakingPan Recommends: The BEST instant read thermometer I’ve used for cooking and baking; the ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is incredibly fast, ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapenaccurate, and well worth the investment. I use my Thermapen Thermometer for checking room temperature ingredients, tempering chocolate, baking bread, making pastry creams, sugar syrup, caramel, and candy, cooking meats and fish, and deep frying. Thermapen Thermometer available here.
Ingredients
Batter:
  • 1½ cups toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup pitted dates, coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • ⅓ cup whiskey or bourbon
Topping:
  • About 1¼ pounds marzipan. See recipe for Marzipan
  • Confectioners’ (powdered) sugar for rolling
  • 2 tablespoons apricot jam
Decoration:
  • 4 walnut halves
  • Clear alcohol such as vodka or gin or kirshwasser
  • Gold Luster Dust
  • Small artist paintbrush
  • Gold dragees
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Prepare one 8x8x2 inch square pan; lightly grease the pan with shortening, line the bottom with parchment paper, and then lightly grease the top of the parchment paper and dust the pan with flour.
Batter:
  1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine chopped walnuts and chopped dates. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon flour over the fruit and nuts; mix well. Set aside. Tip: Since the dates get very sticky when chopping, sprinkle with the 1 tablespoon of flour before chopping to help cut down on the stickiness.
  2. In a small mixing bowl, combine 1 cup flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon; sift or whisk together to mix. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Tip: To cream, start by placing the butter in the bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed begin by beating the butter about 1 minute until it is smooth and light in color. With the mixer still on medium speed, slowly add the sugar to the butter, either one tablespoon at a time, or in a very slow steady stream, taking from 4 to 8 minutes to add all of the sugar, and beating until the butter and sugar are fully incorporated and the mixture is a light, or pale yellow color, with a fluffy texture. While adding the sugar, stop the mixer occasionally to scrape the mixture off the paddle and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly.
  4. Add eggs one at a time, beating until thoroughly mixed. Tip: For each egg, crack the egg into a small bowl and whisk with a fork to thoroughly break up the egg before adding to the creamed mixture. Start with the mixer on low speed so the liquid from the egg doesn’t splatter, once the egg is partially mixed increase the speed to medium. Each egg should be fully incorporated into the mixture before adding the next egg, taking about one minute to blend in each egg.
  5. With the mixer on low speed, add about one third of the flour mixture, mix just until the flour is almost completely blended. Scrape the bowl down, and add about one half of the bourbon, blending just until mixed. Scrape the bowl down again and continue alternating with the flour mixture and bourbon, ending with the last portion of the flour, and stirring just until blended.
  6. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold the date and walnut mixture into the batter.
  7. Bake: Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with the back of a large spoon. Bake 70 minutes or until a long toothpick, wooden skewer, or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and place pan on a wire cooling rack to cool for 10 to 15 minutes then remove cake from the pan and place the cake on the wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
Topping:
  1. See recipe for Marzipan.
  2. Place cake upside down on a cake plate. Tip: You can leave the cake right-side up, however the top normally has a bumpy texture. Turning the cake upside down provides a smooth surface for the marzipan.
  3. Heat apricot jam in a small saucepan over low heat or in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds. Using a pastry brush, brush the top of the cake with the jam. The apricot forms a sticky surface for the marzipan to adhere to.
  4. Sprinkle a marble board or pastry mat with a small amount of powdered sugar. Roll the marzipan ½ inch thick. Use a sharp kitchen knife to trim the marzipan to the exact size as the top of the cake, using the cake pan as a guide.
  5. Use the back of a long kitchen knife to press shallow indentations in the marzipan to form lines. Make the first line from corner to corner, and then make parallel lines about 1½ inch apart. Repeat in the other direction to form a criss-cross pattern. Gently lift the marzipan and place on top of the cake.
Decoration:
  1. In a small dish stir a small amount of clear alcohol and gold luster dust Whiskey-Date-Walnut-Caketogether; use this mixture to paint the top of the walnut halves using the small artist paintbrush. Set aside a few minutes to let dry.
  2. Lightly press a walnut half in the marzipan at each corner. Lightly press a gold dragee in the marzipan where the lines meet in the criss-cross pattern.
  3. Refrigerate cake until ready to serve. Refrigerate leftovers.
Cake Decoration Inspired by: Cairns, Fiona, Bake & Decorate, Quadrille Publishing Limited, London, 2010

 

Sticky Toffee Pudding

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Sticky Toffee Pudding
Sticky Toffee Pudding is a wickedly rich and delicious British dessert (or pudding) that consists of a moist flavorful cake made with chopped dates that sits under warm and rich toffee sauce. Sticky Toffee Pudding was also the winning ice cream flavor in a 2006 Haagen-Dazs contest.
Recipe type: Dessert | Date Cake
Serves: 8 to 10
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: One 9x9x2" Square Pan Prep: Greased Bottom Only Oven Temp: 350° and Oven Broiler Storage: Covered, Room Temperature

Help: Cake Hints and Tips

TheBakingPan Recommends: The BEST instant read thermometer I’ve used for cooking and baking; the ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is incredibly fast, ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapenaccurate, and well worth the investment. I use my Thermapen Thermometer for checking room temperature ingredients, tempering chocolate, baking bread, making pastry creams, sugar syrup, caramel, and candy, cooking meats and fish, and deep frying. Thermapen Thermometer available here.
Ingredients
Batter:
  • 1 cup pitted and chopped dates
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1¼ cups boiling water
  • 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Toffee Sauce:
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • 1¼ cups firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1 cup whipping (heavy) cream
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare one 9x9x2 inch square pan; lightly grease the bottom only.
Batter:
  1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine dates, baking soda, and boiling water. Let sit about 30 minutes or until the dates have softened and absorbed the water, and the water has cooled to lukewarm.
  2. In a small mixing bowl, add flour and baking powder; sift or whisk together to mix. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Tip: To cream, start by placing the butter in the bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed begin by beating the butter about 1 minute until it is smooth and light in color. With the mixer still on medium speed, slowly add the sugar to the butter, either one tablespoon at a time, or in a very slow steady stream, taking from 4 to 6 minutes to add all of the sugar, and beating until the butter and sugar are fully incorporated and the mixture is a light, or pale yellow color, with a fluffy texture. While adding the sugar, stop the mixer occasionally to scrape the mixture off the paddle and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly.
  4. Add egg and vanilla, beating until thoroughly mixed. Tip: Crack the egg into a small bowl and whisk with a fork to thoroughly break up the egg before adding to the creamed mixture. Start with the mixer on low speed so the liquid from the egg doesn’t splatter, once the egg is partially mixed increase the speed to medium. Beat until the egg is fully incorporated, taking about one minute to blend in the egg.
  5. Add the flour mixture; stir until mixed. Add date mixture; stir until mixed.
  6. Bake: Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with the back of a large spoon. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until a long toothpick, wooden skewer, or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven.
Toffee Sauce:
  1. Prepare toffee sauce while cake is baking. In a medium heavy saucepan over low heat, combine butter, brown sugar, and whipping cream. Heat to boiling and boil gently for 3 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula so mixture does not burn. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly until cake is finished baking.
  2. Pre-heat oven broiler.
  3. While cake is still hot, use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke several holes in the top of the cake. Spoon about ⅓ of the toffee sauce over the top, allowing the sauce to soak into the cake. Place cake under the oven broiler until the surface begins to bubble, about 30 seconds. Immediately remove the pan from the oven. Let the cake cool a bit, and then cut into 3 inch squares.
  4. Serving Suggestion: Serve warm or at room temperature in dessert bowls. Spoon remaining warm toffee sauce over cake pieces. Spoon a dollop of whipped cream on top if desired.

Rich Walnut Fruitcake

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Rich Walnut Fruitcake
This fruitcake recipe has been in my family for many years. My Mom, Dorothy, would make this fruitcake about 2 months before Christmas so there was ample time to age the cakes with lots of rum. For fruitcake lovers, this holiday cake is rich, full of fruit and nuts, and fabulous. The only change I’ve made to the original recipe is using unsalted butter in place of vegetable shortening in the cake batter.

My beautiful Mother is gone now, however the year she passed, 2015, I made about 20 of these delicious fruitcakes to give to our family and friends at Christmas as a special tribute to my Mom and her love of making homemade treats for those she loved. It took a bit of time, and of course an abundance of fruitcake ingredients, but I thought of her and remembered being a young girl assisting my Mom as she made these holiday fruitcakes with every batch of cakes that went into my oven.
Recipe type: Dessert | Fruitcake
Serves: 2 cakes
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: Two 9x5x2¾ inch loaf pans Pan Prep: Greased, lined with brown paper and parchment paper, greased between each layer Starting Oven Temp: 350° Cake Oven Temp: 250° Yield: 2 Cakes Storage: Rum soaked cheesecloth, tightly wrapped, cool dark place for several months

Help: Cake Hints and Tips, Toasting Nuts and Seeds

TheBakingPan Recommends: The BEST instant read thermometer I’ve used for cooking and baking; the ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is incredibly fast, ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapenaccurate, and well worth the investment. I use my Thermapen Thermometer for checking room temperature ingredients, tempering chocolate, baking bread, making pastry creams, sugar syrup, caramel, and candy, cooking meats and fish, and deep frying. Thermapen Thermometer available here.
Ingredients
Vegetable shortening, brown paper, and parchment paper for preparing pans
Cake Batter:
  • 1 cup dark raisins
  • 1 cup golden raisins
  • 2 tablespoons Rum, preferably dark Rum (or substitute bourbon or brandy
  • 2 cups toasted walnuts, broken by hand into about ¼ inch pieces
  • 2 teaspoons salted butter
  • 2 cups pitted dates, coarsely chopped, preferably Medjool dates, takes about 25 dates
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 pound mixed candied glace fruit mix
  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour, divided
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ⅓ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup honey, preferably clover honey
  • 4 large eggs
Decorate (optional):
  • Red or Green candied glace cherries
Storing and Aging:
  • Rum, preferably dark Rum (or you may substitute bourbon or brandy)
  • Cheesecloth
  • Plastic Wrap
  • Heavy Duty Foil
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare two 9x5x2¾ inch loaf pans; lightly grease the pans to hold the paper in place , and then line with 2 layers of brown paper and then 1 layer of parchment paper, greasing between each layer, and greasing the top parchment paper layer. The papers should extend 1 to 2 inches over the sides of the pans. Tip: I use brown Postal Wrapping Paper that comes in a roll. A cut up brown paper grocery bag also works well.
Cake Batter:
  1. Rinse dark raisins and golden raisins in cold water and drain to remove most, but not all of the water. Place raisins and rum in a covered dish and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Tip: this step steams the raisins so they are plumped. Set aside to cool.
  2. Spread broken walnuts in a jelly roll pan, dot with the 2 teaspoons salted butter. Place in oven to toast for 5 minutes then remove from oven and stir walnuts with a rubber spatula to coat all the walnut pieces evenly with the butter, and then return to the oven for about 5 minutes more to finish toasting. The walnuts should be just lightly toasted; be careful not to over-toast or burn the walnuts. Remove from oven. Set aside to cool. Tip: I like to use salted butter instead of unsalted butter when toasting the walnuts to give them extra flavor.
  3. Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees F. for baking the cakes.
  4. Coarsely cut the dates to about ¼ inch pieces; sprinkle the cut dates with 1 tablespoon flour to keep the dates from sticking together. Set aside. Tip: I use kitchen scissors to snip the dates into pieces, this works easier then chopping with a knife. Since the dates get sticky, I add the 1 tablespoon of flour into a bowl and snip the dates into the flour and stir to coat the dates to help cut down on the stickiness.
  5. In a very large mixing bowl, combine cooled raisins and rum, cooled toasted walnuts, cut dates with flour, and candied glace fruit mix. Sift one cup flour over the fruit and nut mixture; Stir well with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to coat all the pieces with flour to keep from sticking together. Set aside.
  6. In a medium mixing bowl, add remaining 1½ cups flour, baking powder, and salt; sift or whisk together to mix. Set aside.
  7. In a small bowl combine the orange juice and lemon juice. Set aside.
  8. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Tip: To cream, start by placing the butter in the bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed begin by beating the butter about 1 minute until it is smooth and light in color. With the mixer still on medium speed, slowly add the sugar to the butter, either one tablespoon at a time, or in a very slow steady stream, taking from 4 to 8 minutes to add all of the sugar, and beating until the butter and sugar are fully incorporated and the mixture is a light, or pale yellow color, with a fluffy texture. While adding the sugar, stop the mixer occasionally to scrape the mixture off the paddle and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly.
  9. Add the honey and beat until combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating until thoroughly mixed. The batter may be curdled but this will be corrected when the flour is added.
  10. With the mixer on low speed, add about one third of the flour mixture, mix just until the flour is almost completely blended. Scrape the bowl down, and add about one half of the juice mixture, blending just until mixed. Scrape the bowl down again and continue alternating with the flour mixture and juice mixture, ending with the last portion of the flour, and stirring just until blended.
  11. Pour batter over floured fruit and nut mixture; stir well with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, making sure to stir down into the bottom of the fruit and nut mixture, until batter is thoroughly distributed.
  12. Spoon the batter into the prepared pans, dividing the batter evenly between the two pans, and smooth the surface with the back of a large spoon. Tip: I use a food scale to weigh the pans after filling to ensure the same amount of batter in each pan so that the cakes will bake evenly.
  13. Decorate (optional): Place about 5 or 6 candied cherries on the top of each cake and gently press each cherry down into the batter so just the top half of each cherry is visible.
  14. Bake: Place a shallow baking pan of hot water on the bottom rack of the oven. Place fruitcakes on middle rack and bake 3 to 4 hours or until no imprint remains when cake top is touched or until a long toothpick, wooden skewer, or cake tester inserted in the center comes out almost clean, there may be just a few moist crumbs that cling to the toothpick. Tip: I normally bake these somewhere between 3 ½ to 4 hours, but start checking the cakes at 3 hours. Remove from oven and cool completely in pans on a wire cooling rack. When cool, remove from pans, remove paper and discard.
Storing and Aging:
  1. Fruitcake may be eaten immediately after it is baked and cooled; however most fruitcakes are best when allowed to age at least 1 to 2 months or longer.
  2. When the cakes are completely cool, use a pastry brush to brush the tops and sides with rum, and then wrap each cake is a large piece of cheesecloth (approximately 18 inches x 24 inches) that has been soaked in rum. You will need about ¼ cup rum for each cake. Tip: for each cake, place the ¼ cup rum in a small bowl and place the cheesecloth in the bowl to thoroughly soak the cloth. Use a pastry brush to brush excess rum from the bowl onto the top and sides of the cake, then wrap the cake in the soaked cheesecloth. Pour any leftover rum from the bowl over the top of the cake. Repeat for second cake.
  3. Wrap each cheesecloth covered cake tightly in plastic wrap, then wrap tightly with heavy-duty foil. Store in a cool dark place.
  4. Remoisten each cake with about 2 tablespoons rum after 2 days, and again after 2 weeks. Tip: carefully unwrap the foil and plastic wrap, but leave the cheesecloth intact around the cake. Use a pastry brush to brush each cake with 2 tablespoons of rum over the top and sides. Rewrap the plastic wrap and foil tightly around each cake and return to storage in a cool dark place.
  5. Recheck the cakes again for moistness every 3 to 4 weeks and remoisten with rum if needed.
  6. Fruitcake stored they way will keep several months.

Apple Date Cake

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Apple Date Cake
A wonderful chewy crust forms on the top of this cake when baked. Every bite is filled with apples and pecans. For a delicious treat, serve warm with a dollop of whipped cream.
Recipe type: Dessert | Cake
Serves: 10 to 12
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: 13x9x2 inch oblong Pan Prep: Greased and Floured Oven Temp: 350° Storage: Covered, Room Temperature

Help: Cake Hints and Tips, Toasting Nuts and Seeds

TheBakingPan Recommends: The BEST instant read thermometer I’ve used for cooking and baking; the ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is incredibly fast, ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapenaccurate, and well worth the investment. I use my Thermapen Thermometer for checking room temperature ingredients, tempering chocolate, baking bread, making pastry creams, sugar syrup, caramel, and candy, cooking meats and fish, and deep frying. Thermapen Thermometer available here.
Ingredients
Batter:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ cup commercial applesauce
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1½ cups peeled, coarsely chopped Granny Smith apple (about 1 large)
  • 1½ cups peeled, coarsely chopped Golden Delicious apple (about 1 large)
  • ½ teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 cup pitted dates, coarsely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • ⅔ cup toasted walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Prepare one 13x9x2 inch oblong pan; lightly grease the pan with shortening and dust with flour. Tip: to make baked cake easier to remove from pan, lightly grease the pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, and then lightly grease the top of the parchment paper and dust the pan with flour.
Batter:
  1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine 2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon, sift or whisk together to mix. Set aside.
  2. In a small mixing bowl, stir the applesauce and vanilla together. Set aside
  3. Chop the apples and immediately sprinkle with lemon juice and stir to mix (the lemon juice helps prevent the apples from turning brown.) Set aside.
  4. Chop the dates; sprinkle the coarsely chopped dates with 1 teaspoon flour to keep the dates from sticking together. Set aside. Tip: Since the dates get very sticky when chopping, sprinkle with the 1 teaspoon of flour before chopping to help cut down on the stickiness.
  5. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Tip: To cream, start by placing the butter in the bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed begin by beating the butter about 1 minute until it is smooth and light in color. With the mixer still on medium speed, slowly add the sugar to the butter, either one tablespoon at a time, or in a very slow steady stream, taking from 4 to 8 minutes to add all of the sugar, and beating until the butter and sugar are fully incorporated and the mixture is a light, or pale yellow color, with a fluffy texture. While adding the sugar, stop the mixer occasionally to scrape the mixture off the paddle and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly.
  6. Add eggs one at a time, beating until thoroughly mixed. Tip: For each egg, crack the egg into a small bowl and whisk with a fork to thoroughly break up the egg before adding to the creamed mixture. Start with the mixer on low speed so the liquid from the egg doesn’t splatter, once the egg is partially mixed increase the speed to medium. Each egg should be fully incorporated into the mixture before adding the next egg, taking about one minute to blend in each egg.
  7. With the mixer on low speed, add about one third of the flour mixture, mix just until the flour is almost completely blended. Scrape the bowl down, and add about one half of the applesauce mixture, blending just until mixed. Scrape the bowl down again and continue alternating with the flour mixture and applesauce mixture, ending with the last portion of the flour, and stirring just until blended.
  8. Add apples, dates and nuts. Using a balloon type whisk or large rubber spatula, gently fold into the batter to mix.
  9. Bake: Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with the back of a large spoon. Bake 60 to 70 minutes or until a long toothpick, wooden skewer, or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on a wire cooling rack.
  10. This cake may be served directly from the pan, or remove and place on a serving plate. Serve warm or cool. If desired, serve with sweetened whipped cream.
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light October 2006