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A Piece of Cake
November 2004: Fifth Slice
Newsletter written by Anne Byrn November 11, 2004
A Word from the Doctor
First of all, happy Veteran's Day to all our U.S. military—retired and active. Thank you for your service to our country and our freedom you so bravely preserve.
And congratulations to Laura Cunningham of Parsippany, NJ, our grand prize winner in the third annual Cake Mix Doctor's Bake for Charity Recipe Contest! Laura's Easy Linzer Bars perfectly fit the contest's bake sale theme, and they were both rich and scrumptious!
Linzer bars are similar to the famous "linzertorte," an Austrian tart of ground almonds, lemon rind, and spices in the crust, spread with raspberry jam and topped with more crust. Laura used a yellow cake mix for the crust, cleverly added white chocolate chips to the filling, then poured over warm raspberry jam flavored with lemon zest. Yum!
The $1,000 prize money for Laura's terrific recipe goes to her designated charity, Cheshire Home II, a group home for physically disabled young adults, in Parsippany.
Congratulations also to the two runners-up, who will receive Cake Mix Doctor cookbooks: Barbara McCarthy of Upland, CA, shared her Orange Dream Brownies, which begin with a brownie mix and include créme de cacao, orange marmalade, walnuts, and other goodies. They would be ever-so-tempting on the bake sale table and taste just like those chocolate candy oranges. And Joan Ravetto of Mill Valley, CA, shared her Lemon Apple Streusel Cake, baked in a Bundt pan. For bake sales it could be baked and sold whole or in pieces. We loved the unusual combination of lemon with apple as well as the moist texture of the cake.
I am constantly amazed at the creativity of those of you who read my books and are members of the cakemixdoctor.com family. In spite of your busy careers and families, you find time to bake and help others, too. Thanks to all of you who entered the contest and shared your recipes.
I know you'll enjoy baking these prize-winning recipes for your next bake sale, dinner party, holiday gift, or just on a lazy weekend at home.
Happy baking,
Anne
Recipe Swap
Laura Cunningham says she loves to bake and she loves children. "Since I don't have children of my own, I occasionally organize a baking day with the children of my friends," she says. "The parents think that I am doing them a favor but I look forward to those special days as much as the kids! I love the look in their eyes as they are making and creating something in the kitchen on their own. It's great to watch them as they crack an egg for the first time, or measure out the flour, or learn that sugar comes in more forms than granulated white."
Laura works for UPS in the New Jersey corporate office. She is known for her fabulous desserts and has fond memories of cooking with her mother. "I remember the special joy and pride I had while eating what I'd helped to prepare with my own little hands. Mom always had something fun for us to do--from using our hands to make cookies (even decorating them with colored frostings to make rings, bracelets, and fancy nails) to whipping up a quick dessert of Jell-O and fruit cocktail. Needless to say, my delight for baking comes from my mother as well as so much of what I've learned. I've taken the foundation of my mother's training and developed my own style."
Laura says she came up with her linzer bars because she loved the bakery version of this cookie and always wanted to make them herself but thought they'd be too time-consuming. She tweaked her sister's recipe with the cake mix and white chocolate chips, and voila! "I love the addition of the white chocolate chips. Anyone who does not like the taste of white chocolate should consider using them in this recipe anyway since their flavor is not very noticeable. They complement the spices and the raspberry jam so perfectly, like the sweetest melody. I cannot imagine these bars without them!"
Easy Linzer Bars
from Laura Cunningham, Parsippany, NJ
Makes 24 to 30 bars
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 35 to 40 minutes
Crust:
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain yellow cake mix
3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted
1/3 cup evaporated milk (from a 5-ounce can)
1 cup finely chopped almonds (from 6-ounce bag, reserving rest for topping)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Filling:
2 cups raspberry jam (an 18-ounce jar)
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
Garnish:
Confectioners' sugar for dusting
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the cake mix, melted butter, evaporated milk, almonds, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture is moistened and the ingredients are well combined. Press half of the batter evenly into the bottom of a 13- by 9-inch pan. Place the pan in the oven and bake 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven.
2. Meanwhile, while the crust is in the oven, place the raspberry jam and lemon zest in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly, 2 to 3 minutes, until the jam has warmed and you are able to pour it.
3. Immediately after removing the pan from the oven scatter the white chocolate chips evenly over the surface. Pour the warm raspberry jam over the chips. Dollop the remaining crust mixture on top of the raspberry jam the best you can. It will not completely cover the top of the jam. Sprinkle the remaining slivered almonds on top. Place the pan in the oven. Bake the bars until the top is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
4. Remove the pan from the oven, and let it cool 10 to 15 minutes. Cut it into bars, dust the tops with confectioners' sugar, then remove them from the pan and serve.
Orange Dream Bars
from Barbara McCarthy, Upland, CA
Makes 16 servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 45 to 47 minutes
1 package (21.2 ounces) Betty Crocker triple chunk brownie mix
1/2 cup dark créme de cacao
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon orange extract
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup orange marmalade, warmed in the microwave on high 20 to 30 seconds
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch square baking pan. Set the pan aside.
2. Place the brownie mix, créme de cacao, oil, eggs, orange extract, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon for 50 strokes, then add the chocolate chips and walnuts, and stir another 10 strokes to combine.
3. Turn half of the batter into the prepared pan. Gently spread the warm marmalade on top of the brownies with the back of a wooden spoon. Dollop the remaining brownie batter on top of the marmalade, and gently spread it out with a spatula until smooth. Place the pan in the oven, and bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until the edges are crusty and the brownies are still soft in the center. Remove the pan from the oven, and let it cool 30 minutes. Cut the brownies into pieces and serve.
Note: This is a shortened form of Barbara's recipe instructions. She freezes the pan, covered, for 20 minutes once you place half the brownie batter in it. Then she spreads the warm marmalade over the top of the frozen brownies, and dollops the remaining brownie mixture, spreading it out smooth, over the marmalade. She covers the pan and lets this "thaw" on the counter for 40 minutes before baking. This is a little more time consuming but assures you of a medium-rare center.
Lemon Apple Streusel Cake
from Joan Ravetto, Mill Valley, CA
Makes 16 servings
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 45 to 55 minutes
Streusel:
1/2 cup chopped toasted almonds (see note)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup diced fresh apple (1 small)
Cake:
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain yellow cake mix
1 package (3.4 ounces) instant lemon pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon butter
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease and flour a Bundt pan (Joan uses Pam). Set the pan aside.
2. For the streusel, place the almonds, brown sugar, melted butter, flour, cinnamon, and apple in a medium bowl, and stir to combine well. Set the streusel aside.
3. For the cake, place the cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, oil, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest and juice in a large bowl. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat for two minutes, or until the ingredients are well combined. Spoon half of the batter into the pan. Carefully spoon two-thirds of the reserved streusel in a ring on top of the batter, keeping it away from the sides and the center of the pan. Spoon the remaining batter on top of the streusel. Spoon the remaining streusel in a ring on the batter, again not touching the sides or center. Place the pan in the oven.
4. Bake the cake until it is golden brown and tests done, 45 to 55 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven to a rack to cool for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan, and invert the cake onto a serving plate. While it cools, prepare the glaze.
5. For the glaze, place the confectioners' sugar in a small mixing bowl. Place the butter and milk in a small glass bowl in the microwave on high power for 30 seconds, until the butter melts. Stir in the cinnamon, and stir this mixture into the sugar until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake, slice, and serve.
Note: Chop blanched and slivered almonds. Toast them at 350 degrees for 4 to 5 minutes.
Do Share
Jacque Stump of San Antonio, TX, is looking for a recipe for a spice cake with an apple butter filling that she used to bake 30 years ago. The filling also contained a little orange or lemon juice and zest, pecans, and was possibly thickened with cornstarch. If you have a recipe that sounds similar, please send it to anne@cakemixdoctor.com
Next Issue: December 2005
Wedding Cake Wonders. Last-minute gift ideas and tips for mailing cakes.
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