Moist Golden Cake Food

GOLDEN CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE SOUR CREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 2 (9- by 2-inch) round cake pans and line bottoms of each with rounds of wax or parchment paper. Butter paper and dust pans with flour, knocking out excess.
• Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Add half of flour mixture and mix at low speed until just blended. Add sour cream, mixing until just combined, then add remaining flour mixture, mixing at low speed until batter is smooth.
• Divide batter between pans, smoothing tops. Bake in middle of oven until cake is springy to the touch and a tester comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 10 minutes, then invert onto racks, remove paper, and cool completely.
• Trim tops of cooled cake layers with a long serrated knife if necessary to make flat and level. Halve each layer horizontally with serrated knife to make a total of 4 layers.
• Put 1 cake layer on a cake plate and spread with 3/4 cup frosting. Layer remaining cake layers using 3/4 cup frosting between each layer. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting.

NECTARINE GOLDEN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with rack in middle. Lightly butter a 9 inch springform pan.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
• Beat butter and 3/4 cup sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in extracts. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until just combined.
• Spread batter evenly in pan, then scatter nectarines over top. Stir together nutmeg and remaining 1/2 tablespoon sugar and sprinkle over top.
• Bake until cake is golden-brown and top is firm but tender when lightly touched (cake will rise over fruit), 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove side of pan and cool to warm.

SUPER MOIST GINGER CAKE

Steps:

• Melt butter and golden syrup, set aside.
• Into a large bowl, sift flours, bi-carb of soda, ginger, cinnamon,mixed spice and sugar. Stir to combine.
• Add eggs and milk. Beat well.
• Add melted butter and syrup and mix well to combine.
• Grease and line 2 loaf tins (approx 23cm x 12 cms). Divide mix evenly between the 2 tins.
• Bake in a moderate oven (180 deg C / 350 deg F) for about 50 mins or until top is golden brown and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
• Allow to cool in the tins for 10 mins before removing.

GOLDEN CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 15 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, beat together egg yolks and egg white. Beat the egg mixture into the butter and sugar.
• In a separate bowl, sift together flour and baking powder. Stir flour into egg mixture alternately with milk. Stir in almond and vanilla extracts. Pour batter into prepared muffin cups.
• Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean.

THE BEST CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds and lightly coat the paper with spray.
• Cover the raisins with very hot water and let sit until plump, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain.
• Toast the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet until fragrant and browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool, and then chop 1 cup of the pecans; reserve for the cake batter. Pulse the remaining 1/2 cup pecans in a food processor until very finely ground; reserve for garnish.
• Combine the carrots and buttermilk in a medium bowl. Whisk the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a large bowl. Beat the eggs, brown sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until pale and thick, about 4 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually stream in the oil. Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the carrot mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until smooth. Fold in the raisins and chopped pecans with a rubber spatula. Scrape the batter evenly into the prepared pans.
• Bake the cakes, rotating the pans halfway through, until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let the cakes cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the cakes and invert onto the rack. Remove the parchment and let the cakes cool completely.
• For the frosting: Beat the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and gradually mix in the confectioner' sugar. Increase the speed to high and beat until the frosting until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• To assemble the cake: When the cakes are completely cool, trim the domes of each cake round with a large serrated knife so the tops are flat. Place one cake, cut-side down, on a platter. Spread 1 1/2 cups of the frosting evenly over top. Place the remaining cake, cut-side down, on top. Spread the top with another 1 1/2 cups of the frosting. Frost the sides of the cake with another 1 1/2 cups frosting and smooth out completely to make an even crumb coat (It's ok if some of the cake shows through. This is just a base layer.) Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the frosting set.
• Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake, swirling decoratively if desired. Sprinkle with the finely ground pecans.

GOLDEN, MOIST CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• PREPARATION: Arrange a shelf in the lower third of the oven and place a baking stone on it.
• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Spread nuts on a baking sheet, place in the oven on the stone, and roast for 10 to 12 minutes.
• While nuts are hot, stir in 2 tablespoons butter and 1/4 teaspoon salt; set aside.
• Spray 2 (8-inch) round cake pans (the 2-inch high kind) with nonstick cooking spray and line with a parchment circle.
• Spray very lightly on top of parchment, too.
• THE CAKE: In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and orange zest.
• Beat well at medium speed with an electric mixer.
• In another bowl, stir together whole eggs, egg yolks, and brown sugar.
• Then, add oil, vanilla, and orange juice, stirring to combine.
• Make a hole in the center of flour mixture and add egg mixture, a little at a time, stirring by hand.
• Add carrots and roasted nuts.
• Pour batter into prepared pans (spoon batter from one pan to the other until batter is divided equally).
• Drop pans, one at a time, onto the counter from a height of 4 inches to knock out large air bubbles.
• Place both pans in oven on stone.
• Bake for approximately 30 to 35 minutes, or until the center springs back when touched. Ideally, cake should not pull away from sides until it has just come out of oven. (The center temperature should read approximately 209° on an instant-read thermometer.).
• COOLING THE CAKE: Cool cake layers in pans on a cooling rack for approximately 10 minutes.
• Shake pan to loosen cake all around.
• Spray a cooling rack with nonstick cooking spray.
• Place rack, sprayed side down, on top of cake and invert.
• Let cool completely.
• FROSTING THE CAKE: When completely cool, slice each layer in half horizontally, creating 4 layers.
• Divide cream cheese icing in half; reserving one half to ice top and sides.
• Divide remaining half into thirds.
• Place one layer, cut side up, on a cake plate or serving dish and spread with one-third of icing.
• Place another layer on top of icing, cut side up, and spread with another third.
• Place third layer on top, cut side up, and spread with remaining third.
• Place top layer on, cut side down. Ice top and sides with reserved icing.

ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Butter and line a 20cm round cake tin (7.5cm deep).
• Put 200g chopped dark chocolate in a medium pan with 200g butter.
• Mix 1 tbsp instant coffee granules into 125ml cold water and pour into the pan.
• Warm through over a low heat just until everything is melted - don't overheat. Or melt in the microwave for about 5 minutes, stirring halfway through.
• Mix 85g self-raising flour, 85g plain flour, ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda, 200g light muscovado sugar, 200g golden caster sugar and 25g cocoa powder, and squash out any lumps.
• Beat 3 medium eggs with 75ml buttermilk.
• Pour the melted chocolate mixture and the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir everything to a smooth, quite runny consistency.
• Pour this into the tin and bake for 1hr 25 - 1hr 30 mins. If you push a skewer into the centre it should come out clean and the top should feel firm (don't worry if it cracks a bit).
• Leave to cool in the tin (don't worry if it dips slightly), then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Cut the cold cake horizontally into three.
• To make the ganache, put 200g chopped dark chocolate in a bowl. Pour 300ml double cream into a pan, add 2 tbsp golden caster sugar and heat until it is about to boil.
• Take off the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Cool until it is a little thicker but still pourable.
• Sandwich the layers together with just a little of the ganache. Pour the rest over the cake letting it fall down the sides and smooth over any gaps with a palette knife.
• Decorate with 50g grated chocolate or 100g chocolate curls. The cake keeps moist and gooey for 3-4 days.