Seven Layer Cake Recipes

Steps:

• To make the sponge:
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare two baking sheets by greasing them and lining with parchment.
• Sift the matzo cake meal, potato starch and salt together, set aside. In a mixer whip the eggs and sugar, for about 8 minutes.
• The eggs should be very light in color and a thick foam. At the very end, add the vanilla and zest.
• Sift the dry ingredients over the egg foam.
• Very gently, but thoroughly, fold the dry ingredients into the egg foam.
• Pour the batter into one of the prepared pans and spread evenly with a spatula.
• Bake the cake for about 18 minutes or until golden and dry when poked with a cake tester. Repeat with the second cake layer.
• To make the buttercream:
• In a small pot, fitted with a candy thermometer, heat 2 cups sugar, water and cream of tartar to 242 degrees F. This will take several minutes, so get your eggs started.
• Whisk together the eggs, yolks and 1/3 cup sugar. Beat the eggs on medium high speed until light in color and thick.
• Once the sugar has reached 242 degrees F, add it very carefully and slowly to the eggs, while the beater is going on slow speed. Be sure to pour the syrup along the edge of the bowl, not directly onto the beater or it will splatter. Continue beating the egg mixture on medium-high speed until the eggs have cooled, about 8 minutes.
• Once the eggs are cooled, add the butter 2 tablespoons at a time. The mixture will go through a stage when it looks soupy and curdled, but keep adding the butter and it will come together. After all the butter is added, mix in the vanilla.
• The buttercream will be smooth and glossy.
• Divide 1/3 of the buttercream into a separate bowl and add the poppy seed paste.
• To the remaining buttercream, add the melted chocolate.
• If you are not going to use the buttercream right away, cover it and leave it at room temperature for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to use it, give it a good stirring or put it back in the mixer and beat with the paddle attachment until smooth.
• To make the soaking syrup:
• In a small saucepan heat the sugar, water and zest over medium heat until the sugar has fully dissolved.
• Cut each sheet of cake into 4 equal pieces (they will be about 4 inches wide and 12 inches long).
• Lay the first layer of cake on the serving platter and brush with the soaking syrup. You want to dab the syrup on, but don't overly saturate the cake or it will be soggy.
• Spread a thin layer of the poppy seed buttercream over the soaked layer.
• Repeat with 5 more layers and then finish with the 7th layer of cake. This will leave you with one extra. Since my cake is not traditional anyway, you should feel free to use up that last layer. If you want to keep it to seven layers, then I suggest you use that lonely extra layer as a snack.
• If your layers need squaring up, just trim them with a sharp serrated bread knife.
• Stir the chocolate buttercream to make sure it is smooth and cover the entire cake in a nice even layer.
• It is okay if it isn't perfectly smooth, because we're going to add some rough stripes to the outside.
• Take a small blob of buttercream on the end of your spatula,
• and starting at the end of the cake, on the bottom, spread that blob in a stripe along the cake. Repeat over and over again, but alternate which side you start on. Repeat this on the top as well.
• You will end up with rough stripes all over the cake, which gives the cake some texture.
• Using a sharp chef's knife, scrape the smooth side of a bar of chocolate with the blade, so that the chocolate curls up. If the chocolate is very cold and brittle, try sitting it in the sun for a few minutes and the curls will come more easily. Cover the top with the chocolate shavings.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Layer potatoes, carrots and onions in a large buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle the uncooked rice over the vegetables. Then add the peas (with liquid) and arrange the pork sausage on top of that. Dilute tomato soup with a can of water and pour over the sausage. Season with salt and pepper.
• Bake covered in a preheated oven for 1 hour, then uncovered for an additional hour.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish layer the rice, potatoes, onion, carrots, peas, tomato soup with water, and sausage. Salt and pepper to taste.
• Bake covered at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes, or until fork tender. Remove cover for last 5 minutes of baking.

Steps:

• Line the bottom and sides of a 9x5-in. loaf pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter; press one fourth of the mixture into the pan. Freeze for 15 minutes. , Spread vanilla ice cream over crumbs. Sprinkle with another fourth of crumbs; press down gently. Freeze for 45-60 minutes or until firm. , Spread with chocolate ice cream. Sprinkle with another fourth of the crumbs; press down gently. Freeze until firm. Spread with the strawberry ice cream, then top with the remaining crumbs (pan will be very full). Cover and freeze for several hours or overnight. May be frozen for up to 2 months. , Remove from the freezer 10 minutes before serving. Using the foil, lift cake from pan; discard foil. Cut cake with a serrated knife.

Steps:

• 1. To make the buttercream: Stir the sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and boil, without stirring, until the syrup reaches the soft-ball stage, or 250°F on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes.
• 2. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks until pale and thick, about 4 minutes. In a slow, steady stream, pour the hot syrup into the eggs, beating continuously as you pour. (Do not let the syrup touch the beaters or it will spin into threads.) Continue beating until the mixture thickens and cools to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
• 3. Beat in the butter and shortening, 2 tablespoons at a time, until absorbed. Gradually beat in the chocolate. Blend in the vanilla, salt, and rum if using. Do not add the flavoring too quickly or the buttercream might curdle. Chill until of spreading consistency, at least 2 hours or up to 1 week. If the buttercream firms too much, return to room temperature before using, about 1 hour.
• 4. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the bottoms of several 9-inch round cake pans and dust with flour, tapping out the excess. Or grease and flour several large baking sheets and, using a 9-inch saucepan lid or springform pan, mark 9-inch circles on the sheets.
• 5. To make the batter: Beat the eggs and sugar until thick and creamy, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the vanilla and salt. Sift the flour over the top and carefully fold it in.
• 6. Spread about 1/4 cup of the batter evenly over the bottom of the prepared pans or over each circle on the baking sheets.
• 7. Bake until the edges begin to color, 5 to 7 minutes. Loosen with a spatula, invert onto a rack, and let cool. Wipe the pans, regrease, dust with flour, and repeat until there are 7 or 8 matching layers.
• 8. To make the caramel if using: Stir all the caramel ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Stop stirring, increase the heat to medium, and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the syrup turns a deep amber color. Do not burn.
• 9. Using a lightly oiled metal spatula, spread all of the caramel evenly over one of the cake layers. Let set slightly (do not let it harden), then use an oiled knife to cut just the caramel into 8 to 10 wedges (indicating where the cake will be sliced).
• 10.To assemble: Place a cake layer on a serving plate, spread with 1/8-inch thick layer of buttercream, then place a second layer on top. Repeat layering the buttercream and cake layers. Cover the top of the cake with buttercream. If using the caramel layer, place on top of the cake. Cover the sides of the cake with buttercream. Chill. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 day or in the freezer. Let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving.
• VARIATION
• Oblong Layer Cake: Divide the batter between two 15 1/2-by-10 1/2-inch jelly roll pans and bake. After cooling the cakes, cut each lengthwise into 3 equal pieces to make a 6-layer cake.

Steps:

• 1st layer - Mix pecans (reserving enough to top dessert), flour, and melted butter. Press in 8" or 9" square pan and bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes until light brown. Let cool.
• 2nd layer - Mix cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 cup Cool Whip. Spread over 1st layer.
• 3rd layer - Mix pudding as directed on package and spread over 2nd layer.
• 4th layer - Mix remaining Cool Whip & remaining pecans to cover cake.
• Chill.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease and flour a Bundt pan (I use Baker's Joy Spray).
• Measure all extracts into measuring cup, then add milk to equal 1 1/3 cup of liquid, then make cake as directed on box.
• Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan.
• Bake for 38-43 minutes or until cake separates from side of pan.
• Cool cake.
• Prepare glaze: Combine all glaze ingredients in small pan and cook over low heat until sugar dissolves.
• Pour glaze over cake.

Steps:

• Put potatoes in 9x13-inch cake pan.
• Sprinkle rice over potatoes.
• Sprinkle onions over rice.
• Break up ground meat all over onions.
• Pour can of tomato soup over meat (adding just enough water to make it pour able).
• Bake in 350° oven till all ingredients are done and bacon is browned, about 45 minutes.
• (Make sure meat is LEAN, as bacon provides more than enough fat).