No-Bake Strawberry Shortcake

Why is this spring so wet?  I'm dreaming of picking strawberries and wishing that the season comes soon hence this post.

I'm always a fan of tiramisu and this time I decided to try a no-bake strawberry shortcake, tiramisu style.  This recipe has a clever substitution for making mousse without using raw egg.  I know there's recipe for making tiramisu without raw eggs which I often use and like.  Marshmallow creme is one of the ingredients to make the mousse and honestly, when I look at a recipe that calls for it, I still flinch.  Why?  Because in my mind I always think that this stuff is so sweet and bad.  And yes, I know this stuff is actually egg whites, sugar, and corn syrup, which are things that I always use for making desserts.  If I have time to make it homemade I'd do it but I didn't so store-bought is the one I have to use this time.

On to the mousse which also has cream cheese and when everything is whipped and put together, it actually is very good!  The texture is very creamy and light and just enough sweetness that isn't overpowering.

I did change a few things, mainly the pureed strawberries that are called for in the recipe.  I made my own strawberry jam which is a low-sugar type, so I used that instead.  And I added more chopped strawberries in the layering process to get more strawberries in the cake.  Plus maybe a bit more lemon zest!  Other than that, the cake is quite simple to make and very delicious.

My presentation is sucks though.  I had a hard time getting those cake squares out of the pan without messing up the mousse.  Maybe I should invest in a loose-bottomed square pan which is out of my budget right now?  Especially since I like this type of deserts :)  So yeah, ignore the messiness but trust me on the flavor!

No-Bake Strawberry Shortcake

Yield 9 to 12 slices


For the mousse:
1 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, divided
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
12 oz cream cheese, softened
7 oz marshmallow creme
4 oz fresh strawberries plus a bunch of whole strawberries, cut into half for decoration
1/4 cup low-sugar or no-added sugar strawberry jam
Zest of 1 lemon

For the crust:
1 1/2 (11 oz) packages ladyfingers
1/2 cup orange juice in a bowl


Make the mousse:
Place mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to chill before preceding to whip the cream.  Pour 1 3/4 cups of heavy whipping cream into the bowl and beat on medium-high speed until the cream gets bubbly.  Slowly add confectioners' sugar and continue beating on high speed until stiff peaks form.  Measure out 3/4 cup of whipped cream for the topping and set aside.  The rest will be mixed with the rest of mousse ingredients.

Beat the cream cheese in the same bowl on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes until it's light and fluffy, scraping sides of bowl often.  Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of whipping cream and marshmallow creme, and beat until well combined.  Chop strawberries into small pieces and set them aside for the garnish.  Mix strawberry jam with lemon zest, pour this into the cream cheese mixture and beat until well combined.  Fold in the remaining whipped cream (aside from 3/4 cup reserved whipped cream) into the mixture and beat until combined.

Make the crust:
Spray the bottom of a 9-inch square dish with cooking spray.  Dip the top of each ladyfinger into the bowl of orange juice.  Line the bottom of the dish with 1 layer of dipped ladyfinger, cut if necessary to fit in.  Next, evenly spread half of the mousse over the ladyfingers.  Scatter with half of the chopped fresh strawberries.  Again, dip the rest of the ladyfingers in the orange juice and line them on top of the first layer of mousse.  Lastly, spread the rest of the mousse over ladyfingers, scatter the rest of chopped strawberries.  If desired, top the mousse with swirls of remaining whipped cream and decorate with half strawberry.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to allow each layer to set.


Source:  adapted from No-Bake Layered Desserts and Icebox Cakes by Julianne Bayer

Pumpkin Walnut Cake

I made this cake when I had a break, that is over Thanksgiving break :)  I know I'm way behind posting related recipe according to the season; but I've given up trying to follow the trend because it's just not enough time in my life to do that anymore.

I thought this cake is delicious all around; it was a moist and has tender crumbs.  It reminded me of my mom's pumpkin roll cake--flavor-wise--but hers uses no eggs while this has.  This year I'm in love with pumpkin spice all over again.  My favorite beverage right now is chai tea latte with lots of pumpkin spice; it's a nice drink to have when the weather is dropping down to the 30's.

The caramel whipped cream is equally good, I actually have never made it before and thought, why didn't I try this sooner?  Combining caramel and whipped cream is simply divine.  The original recipe doesn't use salt but I did put in a generous pinch of it because I really thought it needed it.

The recipe came from my favorite book in my book shelves, The Cake Book by Tish Boyle.  There are numerous recipes that I haven't even tried and all sounds very yummy.

Here is the recipe:

Pumpkin Walnut Cake

Makes one 9-inch square cake

1 3/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup safflower oil or other neutral vegetable oil
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degree F.  Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking pan.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt into a medium bowl.  Whisk to combine well, and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the eggs with both sugars at medium speed until pale, about 2 minutes.  Add the oil, pumpkin puree, milk, and vanilla extract and mix until blended.  Add the flour mixture at low speed in three additions, mixing just until blended.  Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and stir in the walnuts.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool the cake completely in the pan on a wire rack.

To serve, cut the cake into squares, and top each with a large dollop of the cream.

Caramel Cream

Makes about 3 cups

3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/4 cups heavy cream, divided
Generous pinch of sea salt
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extra


In a small heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and lemon juice and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves.  Increase the heat to high and cook without stirring, occasionally brushing down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush, until the syrup caramelizes and turns a golden amber color, about 4 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and carefully add 1/2 cup of the heavy cream (the mixture will bubble up) and sea salt, stirring until smooth.  Carefully pour the hot caramel into a heatproof glass measure and loosely cover with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate the caramel until chilled, about 2 hours.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the remaining 3/4 cup cream with the mascarpone cheese and vanilla at medium speed until blended.  Add the chilled caramel and beat at a high speed until the mixture forms soft peaks.  Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate.


Source:  The Cake Book by Tish Boyle

No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake

My apology for being absent for a long time.  I think I mentioned it on my last post that I'm taking more responsibility at work now that my priorities at home has also changed.  I also don't feel like making desserts or sweet treats for a while so this break is much needed.

My son also has an early bird class which makes my day is longer than usual.  I'm in bed by 10 most nights and I believe sleep is one of things I won't miss out.  A well rested wife and mommy is a much appreciated person during the day :)

This month I finally feel the urge to start baking again.  But the first thing I made is actually involves little time in the oven.  I had a slice of cheesecake on my church potluck and I wanted to eat cheesecake at home.  I don't think I've ever made no-bake cheesecake before that this time is the right time to try it.  Strawberries have started coming in the stores so automatically it's the fruit that I fancy putting in the no-bake cheesecake.

The crust is made of chocolate graham crackers with some oats and brown sugar.  It tastes very yummy; actually this combo strawberry and chocolate is super delicious.  The addition of whipped cream and extra strawberries on top makes it even better.  This actually reminds me of strawberry ice cream without the brain freeze!

Now the fresh strawberry slices are mixed with melted marrionberry jam because I run out of my strawberry jam.  They taste just fine with it, it's just when photographed it looks a little funny with those little seeds of marrionberry.  This also told me that I need to make more strawberry jam in a month or two.

I hope you'll give this a try!

No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake

Serves 10


Crust:
9 whole chocolate graham crackers
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
3 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling:
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin (from 2 envelopes)
1 1/2 8-ounce packages Philadelphia-brand cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 cups chopped strawberries

Topping:
1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon sugar
4 cups fresh strawberries, cut in half
1/2 cup strawberry jam


To make the crust:  Preheat oven to 350F.  Blend graham crackers, oats, brown sugar, and salt in processor until graham crackers are finely ground.  Add melted butter and vanilla; process until moist crumbs form.  Press crumb mixture onto bottom and 1 inch up sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides.  Bake crust until deep golden brown, about 12 minutes.  Cool.

To make the filling:  Pour 1/4 cup water into small saucepan; sprinkle gelatin over.  Let stand until gelatin softens, about 15 minutes.  Stir over very low heat just until gelatin dissolves.  Blend cream cheese, cream, sugar, and lemon juice in processor until smooth, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl.  Add berries; puree until smooth.  With machine running, add warm gelatin mixture through feed tube and blend well.  Pour filling into crust.  Cover; chill overnight.

Cut around pan sides to loosen cake; remove pan sides.  Transfer cake to platter.

Topping:  Using electric mixer, beat cream and sugar in medium bowl until peaks form.  Spread cream mixture thickly over top of cheesecake.  Place berries in bowl.  Heat jam in small saucepan over low heat until just melted.  Pour jam over berries; toss to coat.  Mound coated  berries on cream, leaving 1-inch plain border.  Chill cake at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.


Source:  adapted from Bon Appetit Desserts

Golden Vanilla Pound Cake with Fresh Strawberries

There's a danger of not posting recipe soon enough.  One, the season may have passed and that strawberry post is becoming old story when everyone has moved on to apple.  Second, I tend to forget where I get the recipe.  A pound cake recipe could come from fifty different books or one hundred Pinterest ideas.

This forgetting business is scary because as I'm growing older, it seems like one brain cell fades away everytime I'm idling.  Retracing steps has become a bit harder, a tad slower.  That's why I like it when everything is put back in place in the house because then I don't have to worry of not finding it in its usual place.  And it helps to put a bookmark in the book so I can retrace where I get the recipe :)

This is a very simple recipe of a pound cake.  The idea of eating fresh strawberries, pound cake, and whipped cream is one the reasons I bake.  I love the idea of brushing the top of the cake with sugar mixture; it adds sweet crunchiness to the tender crumbs of the cake.  Another way to eat this is to cube the cake and make a parfait consisting of ice cream, whipped cream, and chopped strawberries.

Local strawberries is a distant memory now but surely that will be replaced with different berries or even peaches.  Yes, I can't wait for peach season!

 Golden Vanilla Pound Cake With Fresh Strawberries

Yield 9" loaf cake, 18 servings

For the cake:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
5 large eggs, at room temperature
3 tablespoons milk
1 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

For the topping:
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon water

Whipped cream
Fresh sliced strawberries



Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Lightly grease a 9" x 5" x 2 3/4" loaf pan.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the butter, cream cheese, salt, sugar, baking powder, vanilla extract, and almond extract until well combined.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; the mixture may look slightly curdled/grainy.  After you've added the final egg, beat at high speed for 3 minutes.  Once all the eggs are added, stir in the milk.

Sprinkle the flour gradually, with the mixer going at low speed.  Mix just until combined.  The batter will be smooth and thick, but still pourable.  Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

To make the topping, combine the sugar, vanilla, and water.  Stir until the mixture is syrupy.  At first, it'll seem very stiff, but will become "drizzlable" as you stir.  Set the topping aside.

Set the cake on a baking sheet for easiest handling.  Bake it for 55 minutes.

Remove the cake from the oven, and brush/drizzle with the sugar mixture.  Return the cake to the oven for an additional 15 to 20 minutes.  Remove the cake from the oven, and set it on a rack.  Insert a toothpick into the center; it should come out clean.  The very top, right under the crust, will still be kind of soggy; don't worry about it.

After 5 minutes loosen the cake's edges and turn it out of the pan to cool completely on a rack.

Eat with whipped cream and sliced fresh strawberries.


Source:  adapted from The King Arthur Flour

Black-Bottom Banana Cream Pie

How do you eat your banana?  Fresh without embellishment or layered in between chocolate custard and vanilla custard?  If your answer is the second one, this pie is for you.  This is the kind of pie that has all my favorite ingredients, chocolate and custard.  It's also super easy and unfussy.  I really like the method where I only have to make one custard which will then divided into a chocolate and a vanilla one.  And the crust is the old-fashioned graham cracker crumbs which I think is excellent bearer of this seemingly humble pie.  It's certainly not humble in the taste department but grand in my opinion!

So go on, try it, you might like it!

Black-Bottom Banana Cream Pie

Serves 8

For the crumbs:
1 1/2 cups fine graham cracker crumbs (about 7 ounces)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 large egg yolks
2 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3 medium bananas, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Chocolate shavings, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350F.  In a food processor, combine the graham cracker crumbs with the sugar, cinnamon, salt and melted butter and pulse until the crumbs are moistened.  Press the crumbs evenly into a 9- to 10-inch, deep-dish glass or ceramic pie plate.  Bake for about 8 minutes, until the crush is lightly browned and set. Let cool completely.

In a large saucepan (preferably with a rounded bottom), combine the granulated sugar with the cornstarch, egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the milk and whisk until smooth.  Whisk in the remaining 2 cups of milk and cook over moderate heat, whisking constantly, until the custard is very thick, about 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla extract until the butter is melted.  Pour half of the vanilla custard into a medium bowl.

Whisk the chopped chocolate into the custard in the saucepan until it is melted.  Spread the chocolate custard evenly in the pie crust and top with the sliced bananas.  Carefully spread the vanilla custard over the bananas.  Refrigerate the banana cream pie until it is well chilled, at least 6 hours and preferably overnight.

In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the heavy cream with the confectioners' sugar until it is softly whipped.  Mound the whipped cream on top of the pie.  Garnish the banana cream pie with chocolate shavings and serve.


Source:  adapted from Food and Wine, authored by Valeri Lucks

No-Bake Strawberry Bars

When I first tried the original recipe, I was amazed by how delicious it was.  Who could have thought that cream cheese, gelatin and whipped cream go harmoniously together in such a way  in this no-bake dessert?  I give kudos to Judy at The Midnight Baker for sharing the recipe in her original post, No-Bake Cherries Jubilee Pie.  My family loves this kind of dessert and quickly voted to have it in a repetitious rotation :)  

This time I made it with strawberry gelatin and chopped fresh strawberries for the filling, and used rectangular baking dish to make the dessert.  I found that this combination works as well.  I think the only other modification I did was in the amount of sugar used in the crust in that I only used one teaspoon instead of three teaspoons.  Do follow her suggestion of using the extra creamy whipped topping because it makes a difference in the taste and texture.  And lastly, you really should try this because it's super easy and way too tasty not to make!  I, myself, can't wait to try it with different types of flavor and fruit.

No-Bake Strawberry Bars

Makes one 9-x-13 baking dish


Crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon sugar

Filling:
1 tub (8 oz) extra creamy whipped topping
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 package (3 oz) strawberry gelatin dessert
3/4 cup boiling water
1 package (8 oz) fresh strawberries, save some prettier strawberries for garnish, the rest is chopped into smaller pieces

Topping:
1 tub (8 oz) extra creamy whipped topping
 Fresh strawberries, halved


Mix all crust ingredients well.  Press into a 9-x-13-inch baking dish.

For filling, beat softened cream cheese with a wire whisk attachment on a stand mixer, set aside.  Mix the strawberry-flavored gelatin in a separate large bowl with the boiling water, stirring until all gelatin is dissolved.  This will take about 2 minutes.  Slowly whisk the gelatin into the cream cheese.  There will be lumps, don't worry.

Place the bowl with the gelatin/cream cheese mixture in a larger bowl filled with ice water and ice cubes until the gelatin is beginning to thicken.  This will take about 5 minutes or so.  Stir every minute or so that you keep an eye so it doesn't actually set.

Fold in 1 tub of the whipped topping, then fold in the chopped strawberries.  If the mixture doesn't "mound" refrigerate for maybe 10-15 minutes until it does (mine mounded without chilling).

Spoon mixture into prepared crust, spreading it out evenly.  Chill for 4-6 hours or overnight.

Top with the second full tub of whipped topping.  Decorate with halved fresh strawberries.


Source:  The Midnight Baker (No-Bake Cherries Jubilee Pie)

Chocolate Raspberry Trifle

A few days ago my husband and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary and the day after that he celebrated his birthday.  There's no big celebration--we're not party people-- other than going to a dinner with my parents last weekend; in fact, they've also had their wedding anniversary this month.  May is such a celebration month for our families, and the fact that it's when flowers are blooming makes it even better.  I'm such a flower person nowadays, an affection that I don't know where it comes from since I was quite a tomboy growing up.  It might have grown from the time I picked a camera and started shooting.

In the midst of work, chores and school stuff, I managed to make a trifle for us to enjoy this week.  Trifle is a great way to use cake, fruits and mousse together in a relaxed arrangement.  This chocolate and raspberry trifle called my name even if making it took more steps than I wanted too.  First it was the cake, then it's the mousse, then it's the whipped cream.  Between making those components, I also sneaked in strawberry jam making.  I was exhausted! :)  But once it's done, it's worth the time and effort of making it.  The chocolate cake is tender and in need of creamy daub which the mousse comes in place; that mousse is so good and custardy that eating it alone would not considered a sin.  Tart raspberries and soft whipped cream finish off the dessert to a perfection.

A slight modification is as follow:  the chocolate cake recipe is from King Arthur Flour website while the mousse and whipped cream recipe is from original Family Circle magazine.  I added freeze-dried raspberry crumbles for extra oomph and cocoa powder dusting at the end.  And I made several mini version of it for my husband's lunch box, those little jars make it easy to transport.

Chocolate Raspberry Trifle

Makes 24 servings


1 box (16.25 oz.) chocolate cake mix, or try this Self-Rising Chocolate Cake from King Arthur Flour, baked in the same size of pan
2 large eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
4 large egg yolks
½ cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut up
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 ½ cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 packages (6 oz each) fresh raspberries
Chocolate curls or cocoa powder, for garnish


Heat oven to 350F.  Coat a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Line bottom with wax paper; coat paper with spray.  Prepare cake mix as per package directions with eggs, oil and 1 ¼ cups water.  Bake at 350F for 35 minutes or until cake springs back when pressed.  Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; invert directly onto rack, remove paper and cool completely.

While cake cools, in a large metal bowl, combine egg yolks, ½ cup sugar, ¼ cup water and butter.  Place bowl over a pot of simmering water.  Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is pale and thickened and registers 160F on an instant-read thermometer, about 7 minutes.  Remove bowl from saucepan and whisk in chocolate until smooth.  In a separate bowl, beat 1 cup of the cream with 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the vanilla until medium-firm peaks form.  Fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture until no white remains.  Cover surface directly with plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Once cake has cooled, cut into 1 ½-inch cubes.  Whip remaining 1 ½ cups cream with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar to medium-firm peaks.  Begin layering trifle:  Spoon half the cake cubes into a 4-quart glass bowl or dish.  Compress slightly.  Spread half the chocolate mousse (about 1 ½ cups) over cake cubes.  Top mousse with 1 pkg of the raspberries and half the whipped cream (about 1 ½ cups).  Repeat layering and garnish with chocolate curls or cocoa powder.  Serve immediately or refrigerate up to overnight until serving.


Source:  adapted from Family Circle magazine, February 2015

Strawberry Genoise with Whipped Cream

Seeing strawberries in the market made me wanting to eat strawberry shortcake with lots of whipped cream.  But I like my cake to be the one that's soft and light, which I found the answer in this genoise.    Airy genoise is made by warming the egg and sugar and then it's whipped into a billowing mixture.  Flour and melted butter are folded in quickly as to not lose the air, pop it in the oven for 20 minutes and voila, the cake is done.  Next, prepare lots of strawberries, slices and whole.  Dry them well after washing because you don't want too much moisture in the cake.

The last thing to do is eating it--it's more fun than making the cake! Ha!  Sliced strawberries are sandwiched in between the layers--with whipped cream--and more whipped cream on the outside.  I'm so in love!

Strawberry Genoise with Whipped Cream

Makes 1 9-inch cake, serves 8 to 10


For the genoise:
4 eggs
½ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup cake flour, sifted
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the filling and finish:
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon kirsch
2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar
3 cups strawberries, hulled and cut into ½-inch slices, plus more 10-12 strawberries, for garnish


To make the genoise:  Preheat oven to 375F.  Line the bottom of a 9-by-3-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the eggs and granulated sugar by hand until combined.  Place the bowl over but not touching simmering water in a saucepan.  Gently whisk until the mixture registers 140F on an instant-read thermometer, about 3 minutes.  Put the bowl on the mixer and beat with the whisk on high speed until the mixture is pale and almost tripled in volume, 5 to 8 minutes.

Remove the bowl from the mixer.  Sift the flour over the egg mixture in 2 additions and carefully fold in with a large rubber spatula.  Fold a large dollop into the melted butter, then fold back into the egg mixture.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.  Bake until the top of the cake is browned, about 20 minutes.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Run a table knife around the edge of the pan and invert the cake onto a work surface.  Turn the cake right side up, leaving the parchment paper in place.  Cut the cake into 2 equal layers.  Put the top layer, cut side up, on a serving plate.

To make the filling and finish:  In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the granulated sugar and water.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves.  Remove from the heat and let the sugar syrup cool to room temperature.

In a small bowl, stir together the kirsch and sugar syrup.  Brush the cake with about half of the syrup. Whip the cream and confectioners' sugar to soft peaks.  Place the sliced strawberries in a bowl.  Fold about one-fourth of the cream into the berries.  Spread the mixture evenly on top of the cake.  Position the remaining cake layer, cut side down, on top.  Peel off the paper.  Brush with the remaining syrup.  Spread the top and sides of the cake with the remaining whipped cream.

Decorate the top of the cake with whole strawberries.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.


Source:  adapted from William-Sonoma Collection Series Cake, by Fran Gage

Pop Art Raspberry Icebox Cake

This is an embarrassingly late post about a birthday cake for a birthday which happened in August.  Back when August was warm and sunny--and I love everything that took place in August--my son made (and I helped) this cake for my birthday.  Over the years, and especially since I've lived in Oregon, August has become a happy and glorious month to be in, and not just because it's my birthday month :)  Sun, peak of produce, road trip, lazy days, crickets at nights, roasting marshmallow on the fire; that's just to name a few things that August has to offer.  So yeah, this cake recipe should've been posted sometime last month; but no matter, it is still gloriously good--like the month of August in every slice.

The idea to make this cake is of course the simplicity of an icebox cake; something that my son could make with little help from me.  Tastewise, the texture is smooth with lots of raspberry flavor, a little crunch from the seeds, and enough chocolaty-ness from the cookies.  My family loves this and perhaps yours will do too!

Pop Art Raspberry Icebox Cake

Serves 6



27 Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafer cookies

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and slightly cooled

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

3 tablespoons cold water

One 12-ounce bag frozen raspberries

3/4 cup sugar

2 cups heavy cream, chilled

2 tablespoons framboise (raspberry liqueur)--optional

1 teaspoon vanilla extract



Line a 9 1/2 x 4 x 3-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, making sure the wrap is tucked into all the corners and there is at least 1 inch overhanging the top of the pan on all sides.  Working with one cookie at a time, spread the more rounded side of 9 of the wafer cookies with a thin layer of melted chocolate and place 3 of them, chocolate side down, on the bottom of the pan.  Place another 3 cookies against each long side of the pan, chocolate-coated sides facing the pan.  Place the pan in the freezer.

Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water in a small bowl and let soften for 2 minutes.

Combine the raspberries and sugar in a medium-size heavy saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring a few times, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is warm to the touch.  Stir in the gelatin mixture.  Let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

Combine the heavy cream, framboise (if using), and vanilla in a large bowl and using an electric mixer, whip until stiff peaks form.  Gently fold in the cooled rapsberry mixture, taking care not to deflate the cream.

Remove the pan from the freezer.  Pour all but one-fourth of the mousse into the pan.  Smooth the top with a rubber spatula.  Insert the remaining 18 wafers into the mousse, arranging them vertically in three rows of six so they are lined up with the chocolate wafers on the sides of the pan.  Spread the remaining mousse over the wafers and smooth with the spatula.  The pan should be full to the top.  Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until completely set, at least overnight and up to 1 week.

To unmold, gently tug the plastic wrap that lines the pan to loosen the cake.  Place a serving platter over the pan and turn over.  Gently tap to release.  Carefully peel the plastic from the cake.  Cut into slices and serve immediately.



Source:  Icebox Desserts by Lauren Chattman

Mocha Rollcake with Strawberries-Lemon Whipped Cream Filling

The title is long but the cake is short and sweet.  I've a passion for Japanese baking books, they're my inspirations even though I can't even read or speak the language.  I'm craving those exquisite pictures on those books and the recipes are also intriguing.  The pictures depicted a variety of combination in desserts that looks pretty in the books though I'm not so sure if I can have all the ingredients here in the US.  But, these don't deter me from deciphering some of the recipes.  Rollcakes are something that I want to learn and be better at making it.  I think rollcakes are pretty, what with the different flavor fillings I can make and also different types of cakes to be used for rollcake.  Sponge cake, choux paste, meringue, genoise, and many other types of cake can be made into rollcakes.  The main thing is to master the rolling part so the cake won't crack, but hey, if it happens grab a bowl and make some frosting!  Slather that on top of the cake, et voilà, the cake is ready.

At this time I made a rollcake with sponge cake base.  The method is practically the same as this post and the filling is the same this post.  I've based my rollcake from two books which I, unfortunately, don't know the name of the books or one of the authors--I only know that on one book the author is Kumiko Yanase.  The strawberries aren't local, I embarrassedly admitted but since they look pretty in rollcake I have to include them.  The one thing that maybe hard to find here, if not cheap to buy, is the mocha paste.  As for myself, I have a bottle of mocha paste that I bought in Indonesia.  Here, I found a company that makes mocha paste which is sold at VeryAsia.com and it's a product of Indonesia as well.

I've never thought that lemon-strawberry-mocha flavors could be combined in a harmoniously in this rollcake but I like it and I love to do more rollcakes in the future.  Looking at the pictures, I feel like it's Christmas once again with the color combination! ;)

Mocha Rollcake with Strawberries-Lemon Whipped Cream Filling

Makes 1 large rollcake



For the rollcake:

6 large egg yolks, at room temperature

5 large egg whites, at room temperature

1oo gr confectioners' sugar, sifted and divided in half

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 tablespoon mocha paste

50 gr all-purpose flour, sifted

50 gr unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

Lemon curd-whipped cream filling, you'll only need about 1/2 of the recipe

10 strawberries, each cut into quarters

For the whipped cream frosting:

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin powder

4 teaspoons cold water

1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon clear vanilla extract

Confectioners' sugar for dusting



Line a 10-x 15-inch jellyroll pan with parchment paper.  Preheat the oven to 400 degree F.

To make the rollcake: In a bowl of stand in mixer with a wire whisk, cream egg yolks and half the sugar until pale and thick.  Add mocha paste and mix in until well blended.  With a clean bowl, whip egg whites and cream of tartar until frothy, add last half of sugar until soft peak, fold a little bit of egg white into the egg yolk and then pour all the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites.  Sift the flour and fold over.  Add melted butter and fold quickly, just until the butter is blended.  Pour batter into the pan.

Bake on center rack for 12 minutes, or until it's light brown and shrink a bit from sides of pan.  Immediately take out from the oven and invert to a parchment paper that's been lightly sprayed with cooking spray and slightly bigger than the cake, on top of a flat surface.  Roll the cake and unroll it , this is to get the cake ready.  Leave the cake to cool for 10 minutes.

Spread the lemon curd-whipped cream filling on the cake, covering evenly.  Arrange cut strawberries on one of the short side of the cake and scatter some strawberries all around the cake.  Roll the cake tightly and try to peel off the parchment paper from the bottom of the cake as well.  Cover the whole cake with another parchment paper and leave it to cool completely.

To make whipped cream frosting: Combine gelatin and cold water in small ramekin.  Let stand until thick.  Fill a small saucepan with a bit of water and place over low heat.  Stir gelatin until becomes liquidy and remove from saucepan.  Let stand and cool slightly.  Whip cream, sugar, and vanilla extract until slightly thickened.  While beating slowly, gradually add gelatin to whipped cream mixture.  Whip at high speed until stiff.  There'll be leftovers of whipped cream from frosting the cake.

Frost the cooled roll cake with whipped cream and if you like, pipe dots on top of cake with whipped cream.  Scatter cut strawberries on top of whipped cream, press down slightly.  Dust with confectioners' sugar if desired just before cutting.  The cake needs to be refrigerated and will keep for about 3 days.

Americana Banana Roll

Banana is one fruit that's consistent in our household.  I enjoy eating banana that's not too ripe, so is my son.  The only person who's willing to eat ripe banana is my husband :)  Needless to say, there's always too many ripe bananas before we are able to finish them all.  So here is what I did with banana a few weeks ago.

One thing for sure is that I'm looking for an unusual method to incorporate banana in a cake.  I found it by trying a recipe from a book called The Simple Art of Perfect Baking by Flo Braker.  I was skeptical at first, banana in a roll cake?  Would it be possible?  But hey, there's nothing to lose, only one large banana to use!

The first step is to make a banana sheet cake which would be rolled later after it's filled with a combination of whipped cream and sour cream.  The sheet cake is sweet, not overly so, and when it's paired with the filling, it came out as a delightful roll cake.  Sour cream in a sweetened whipped cream is meant to give a little tang to the creaminess of the whipping cream.  It's a first for me to incorporate those two in one, something that I was grateful to learn.

I could hardly believe that the cake is so perfectly moist and very easy to make.  In less than 2 hours the cake was done and ready to be devoured.  This cake could take so many variations on the filling that I'm planning to make one again soon, as soon as one the bananas in the fruit basket is brown and ripe :)

Americana Banana Roll

Makes 8 to 10 servings



Banana Sheet Cake

Makes one 12 x 15 1/2-inch cake



1 cup sifted cake flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 large egg, room temperature

1/2 cup ( 1 large) mashed ripe banana

1 tablespoon sour cream

1 teaspoon lemon zest

5 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat oven to 375 degree F.

Lightly grease a 12 x 15 1/2 x 1/2-inch baking sheet and line pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang at each short end.  Grease and flour the foil, tapping excess flour. Pour flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a sifter.  Sift onto a sheet of waxed paper ; set aside.

Crack egg into a small bowl, and whisk briefly.  Combine the mashed banana, sour cream, and lemon zest in a small bowl; set aside.

Place butter in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer.  With a paddle beater, cream the butter on medium speed for 30 to 45 seconds, or until it is smooth and light.  Add sugar steadily, scrape the bowl as needed.  Continue to cream until mixture is light in color and fluffy in appearance.  Pour in the egg and continue to cream for about 1 to 2 minutes. Add half of the flour, stir with a rubber spatula.  Add the mashed banana mixture, stirring to blend.  Add the remaining flour mixture and stir until smooth.

Scoop the batter onto five different areas over two-thirds of the prepared baking sheet.  With a spatula, spread and coax the batter to cover the two-thirds of the sheet.  Extend it to the rest of the sheet in as even a layer as possible.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cake is light brown, the sides are beginning to contract from the metal, and the cake springs back when lightly touched in the center. Remove the pan from the oven.  Using a knife, release any portion of the cake sticking to the long sides of the pan.  Pull up on the foil overhangs, one at a time, to release foil from the pan's edges.  Lift up the cake bottom gently and transfer it to a large rack to cool.   Place a sheet of foil over the cake in a tent fashion, and let it cool for 30 minutes.

To make the roll cake:

One recipe Banana Sheet Cake

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

For the filling:

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons sour cream

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoons unsifted powdered sugar

Slip a baking sheet of the same size under the foil-lined banana sheet cake.  Sprinkle 1 tablespoon granulated sugar over the cake's surface.  Place two 18-inch strips of foil lengthwise on top of the sugared cake, one overlapping the other; then place a second baking sheet of the same size on top of the foil.  Invert the cake on it, and carefully peel the baking foil from the cake.

Combine the filling ingredients in the bowl of a mixer, with a wire beater whip until soft peak.

Lift the cake on the two overlapping sheets of foil off the baking sheet so that one of its long sides is parallel to the edge of your counter.  Spread the cream evenly over the cake, up to 1 inch on the long end.  Begin rolling by flipping the edge of cake nearest you over onto itself.  Then, with the aid of the foil, roll the cake lengthwise until you reach the end.

Sprinkle a light coating of powdered sugar over the cake before serving.



Source:  adapted from The Simple Art of Perfect Baking by Flo Braker

Poppy Seed Cupcakes

Continuing my post about lemon curd on my old food blog, I have one more to share with you here.  This idea of making cupcakes filled with lemon curd occupied my mind while I was working.  I was trying to figure out what kind of cake I wanted to make and how could I incorporate the curd in the cake.  Something small would be better since I didn't want to make something elaborate.  My thought went to Chockylit who made a variety of cupcakes with different kinds of fillings on the inside of the cupcakes.  So bingo!

I also browsed my baking books and found a recipe of poppy seed layer cake with lemon curd-whipped cream as the filling in Martha Stewart's Christmas Cookbook.  Since I love flavored whipped cream, I thought that's it, I was off to make these cupcakes right away.

For these cupcakes, I filled them half with lemon curd-whipped cream and the other half with just lemon curd.  Preferably, the lemon curd needs to be thicker to stay in the cupcake, and usually cornstarch is  added when making it but since I only had that curd, I just had to use it.  It only became visible that when it's cut into two, the curd started to flow and wouldn't stay put for the photograph!  I had fun doing this project and the combination of poppy seed and lemon curd were sweet!

Poppy Seed Cupcakes

Makes about 22 cupcakes



1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 lemon

1 cup milk

1/3 cup poppy seeds, plus more for sprinkling

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 1/2 cups lemon curd, homemade or store-bought

1 cup (1/2 pint) heavy cream



Preheat oven to 350 degree F.  Line cupcake pan with liners.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt two times into a bowl; set aside.  Grate zest of lemon into a small saucepan and add milk and poppy seeds.  Heat over high heat until steaming; let cool to room temperature.  Add vanilla extract.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until soft.  Gradually add sugar; beat on medium speed until very fluffy, about 5 minute, scarping down sides of bowl several times.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; continue beating on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute.

Add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with milk mixture and beginning and ending with flour.  Beat on low speed until just combined. Divide batter evenly for the cupcakes, about 2/3 full each.  Bake until tops are golden brown or until a cake tester inserted in center of cakes comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pans once if needed.   Let cupcakes cool completely on wire racks.  Cakes can be made a day ahead before serving if desired.

Cut out a cone from each cupcake and trim the ends of the cones.  Fill the hollowed cupcakes with lemon curd-whipped cream.  Replace each top.  Frost cupcake tops with more lemon curd-whipped cream and sprinkle some poppy seeds.

Source:  adapted from Martha Stewart's Christmas Cookbook