Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Whisk the sugar, cream of tartar and salt together in a medium bowl.
• Add the egg whites and 2 tablespoons water to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment. Beat on low speed until the whites are foamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and slowly sprinkle in the sugar mixture (this should take about 3 minutes). Watching closely, continue beating until medium-soft peaks form, 5 to 7 minutes longer. (You want the mixture to droop when lifted out of the bowl. If the peaks stand straight up, you have taken it too far and the cake will sink during baking). Add the vanilla and mix until just combined.
• Remove the mixing bowl from the stand and working in three additions, very gently fold the flour into the egg whites until just incorporated. Spoon the batter into an ungreased 10-inch footed angel food cake pan and smooth the top.
• Bake until the top is golden and springs back when touched and a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the cake upside-down on a wire rack to cool completely in the pan, about 3 hours.
• Run a knife or a small offset spatula around the edges of the pan and gently tap it on the counter until it releases from the pan. Use a sharp serrated knife to slice the cake -- a regular knife will smash it. Serve with berries and whipped cream.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9-inch-round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper; butter the parchment and dust the pans with flour, tapping out the excess.
• Whisk 3 cups flour, the baking powder and salt in a bowl until combined. Beat 2 sticks butter and the sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium; beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. (The mixture may look separated at this point.) Beat in the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with flour, until just smooth.
• Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake until the cakes are lightly golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pans and turn the cakes out onto the racks to cool completely. Remove the parchment. Trim the tops of the cakes with a long serrated knife to make them level, if desired.

Steps:

• Beat egg whites until they form stiff peaks, and then add cream of tartar, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
• Sift together flour, sugar, and salt. Repeat five times.
• Gently combine the egg whites with the dry ingredients, and then pour into an ungreased 10 inch tube pan.
• Place cake pan in a cold oven. Turn the oven on; set it to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Cook for about one hour, or until cake is golden brown.
• Invert cake, and allow it to cool in the pan. When thoroughly cooled, remove from pan.

Steps:

• Bake cake according to package directions for a 9x13 inch pan; cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. Make slits across the top of the cake, making sure not to go through to the bottom.
• In a saucepan over low heat, combine sweetened condensed milk and caramel topping, stirring until smooth and blended. Slowly pour the warm topping mixture over the top of the warm cake, letting it sink into the slits; then sprinkle the crushed chocolate toffee bars liberally across the entire cake while still warm. (Hint: I crush my candy bars into small chunks as opposed to crumbs - I like to have pieces I can chew on!)
• Let cake cool completely, then top with whipped topping. Decorate the top of the cake with some more chocolate toffee bar chunks and swirls of caramel topping. Refrigerate and serve right from the pan!

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Oil a 900g loaf tin and line with baking parchment. Combine the sugar, oil and eggs in a large bowl and mix well. Fold in the flour, baking powder and ground pistachios. Squeeze out as much moisture as you can from the grated courgette using your hands (don't worry about squeezing out every drop), then add this to the bowl along with the lime zest and half the juice, and mix to combine.
• Bake for 40-50 mins until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Check the cake after 30 mins - if it's looking too brown, cover with foil for the remaining cooking time. Leave to cool in the tin for 20 mins, then transfer to a wire rack, poke a few holes in the top using a skewer and pour over the remaining lime juice. Leave to cool completely. Once cool, will keep frozen for up to a month. Defrost fully before decorating and serving.
• For the frosting, tip the soft cheese into a bowl, sift over the icing sugar, pour in the lime juice and mix to combine. Spread this over the top of the cooled cake, then sprinkle with the chopped pistachios and lime zest. Will keep chilled in an airtight container for up to three days.

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, vigorously whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until lightened. Whisk in the cornstarch. In a saucepan, warm the milk, then slowly pour it into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. Pour the combined mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until very thick, about 5 minutes. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Make the sponge cake. Sift the flour. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and one-third of the sugar until lightened. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites into stiff peaks, adding the remaining sugar a little at a time halfway through the beating time. Fold the beaten egg whites into the yolk mixture, then fold in the flour. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared sheet pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely.
• Carefully peel the parchment paper from the cake.
• Using the cake ring, cut out two circles from the cake.
• Add the butter to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat until light and creamy.
• Add the pastry cream and beat until well incorporated. Transfer the mixture to a bowl.
• Place the cake ring on a serving plate and place one cake circle on the bottom.
• If necessary, briefly rinse the strawberries and pat them dry on paper towels.
• Set aside one dozen of the most attractive strawberries for the top decoration. Hull and cut similarly sized strawberries in half and place them next to each other around the perimeter of the ring with the cut side touching the ring.
• Cover the strawberries with a little of the pastry cream to seal them against the ring.
• Hull the remaining ones and place in the center of the cake.
• Cover the layer of strawberries with some of the pastry cream.
• Place the second cake disk on top.
• Evenly spread a thin layer of the pastry cream on top.
• Hull the remaining whole strawberries then set them on top of the cake, pointed ends up.
• Scrape the remaining pastry cream into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/3-in plain pastry tube and pipe pointed mounds of cream on top of the cake between the strawberries.
• Refrigerate overnight. Just before serving, carefully remove the ring.