Hanna's Tiramisu

My friend Hanna has great taste. So it was no suprise that when asked what kind of cake she wanted for her birthday she asked for something 1) Italian and 2) Containing alcohol. An additional bonus of Tiramisi is that there is no baking involved and it can be made the night before and only gets better by sitting in the fridge.


Ingredients:
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/8 cups mascarpone cheese
24 ladyfingers
1 1/2 cups brewed coffee
1/4 cup Kalua (Brandy or Frangelico or whatever booze takes your fancy)
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
Shaved 70-80% Cacao chocolate to decorate

Method:
1.) In a medium bowl over a simmering pot of wayer, beat yolks with sugar and vanilla until smooth and light yellow. Cool.
2.) Fold mascarpone into yolk mixture. Set aside.
3.) Mix coffee and kalua in a shallow dish.
4.) Dip ladyfingers briefly in coffee and arrange 12 of them in the bottom of an 8x8 inch dish.
5.) Spread half the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers.
6.) Repeat with remaining cookies and mascarpone.
7.) Cover and chill at least 1 hour (up to overnight).
8.) Sprinkle with cocoa and shaved chocolate just before serving.

Carrot cake with Cardomom Cream cheese Frosting

Carrot cake recipes seem to inevitably be multi-layered bohemiths filled, covered and topped with frosting. This is a great recipe for carrot cake for just a few people - Single layered and frosting only on top...

Ingredients:

Cake

• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1 cup A.P flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 pound carrots
• 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
  

Frosting

• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• large pinch cardomom powder
• 1 tsp lemon zest (optional)
  

Method:

• Preheat oven to 325F; Butter 9' cake pn and line bottom with parchment
• Toast pecans for a few minutes; Cool and chop finely
• Beat eggs and sugar at high speed 5 minutes until pale and fluffy; Add remaining wet ingredients and beat until combined
  
• Whisk dry ingredients in one bowl; Add to liquid ingredients; Beat until just combined
• Fold in Pecans, grated carrots and raisins
• Pour batter into cake tin; Bake 55-60 minutes rotating half way
• Cool cake on rack until cool to the touch
  
• Mix all frosting ingredients and beat on high until smooth and well combined
• Frost cake and decorate with the most masculine flower you can find.
  

Best enjoyed with the birthday boy who requested it.

Upside down Pineapple cake

When I offered to make my assistant Rebekkah any cake she desired for her Birthday I was not expecting a request for a 1960s throwback. But the cake actually turned out to be very pretty and delicious with crispy caramalized edges.

Ingredients:

1/4	cup butter or margarine
2/3	cup packed brown sugar
5	slices pineapple in juice (from 14-oz can), drained
5	maraschino (or fresh Bing) cherries without stems
1 1/3	cups All-purpose flour
1	cup granulated sugar
1/3	butter
1 1/2	teaspoons baking powder
1/2	teaspoon salt
3/4	cup milk
1	egg

1 tsp Vanilla

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350F
• Melt 1/4 cup butter in 8x8" square pan in oven
• Arrange pineapple slices in pan and fill spaces with finely chopped pineapple. Place cherries in center of pineapple pieces.
• Sift flour, baking powder and salt in seperate bowl
  
• Cream remaining butter (1/3rd cup) and sugar together, beat in egg and vanilla
• Mix in flour mixture alternately with milk
• Pour batter in pan over pineapple slices
• Bake for 50-55 minutes or until done
  

Turn out cake onto eat proof plate and leave for 10 minutes for pineapple slices to position themselves on top of the cake. If there are any remaining pieces of pineapple still stuck to the pan, pull them out and rearrange them in place.

Enjoy with whipped cream for optimal weight gain :)