Jennifer’s mom, Susanne, developed this pound cake recipe about fifteen years ago. It’s a surefire hit every time it’s served, and there’s never an Appel get-together without it. The secret to the tender crumb is the club soda. Kudos to Mom!
11/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup club soda (not seltzer)
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
11/2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
MAKES ONE 10-INCH CAKE
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and lightly flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.
In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and the sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the flour in thirds, alternating with the club soda, beating after each addition until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and the lemon zest and mix well. Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake 70–80 minutes until golden brown or a cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Let cake cool in pan for 20 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.
VARIATION: For an equally delicious cake, try this as a marble cake. Pour 2/3 of the batter into prepared pan, then pour 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder on top. Gently press the powder down into the batter with a large spoon. Pour in the remaining batter. Baking time should remain the same.
After tasting a delicious cake at another bakery, Jennifer was so impressed that she developed this recipe from scratch to try to match their confection. We think you’ll love this unbelievably moist and chocolaty cake.
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted (see Note)
1 cup milk
3 teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons amaretto-flavored liqueur
MAKES ONE 10-INCH CAKE
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and lightly flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.
In a medium-size bowl, sift together the flour and the baking soda. Set aside.
In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and the sugars until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the chocolate, mixing until well incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in thirds, alternating with the milk and the extracts, beating after each addition until smooth. Add the liqueur and mix well. Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake 45–50 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Let cake cool in pan for 20 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.
NOTE: To melt chocolate, place in a double boiler over simmering water on low heat for approximately 5–10 minutes. Stir occasionally until completely smooth and no pieces of chocolate remain. Remove from heat and let cool for 5–10 minutes.
This simple but chocolaty cake has a nice sour cream tang to it. It’s the kind of cake that sits on the kitchen table to be shared with visiting neighbors over a cup of coffee.
3 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
11/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon instant espresso
11/2 cups boiling water
3/4 cup (11/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
22/3 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
11/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup sour cream
2/3 cup miniature chocolate chips
MAKES ONE 10-INCH CAKE
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Grease and lightly flour a 10-inch tube pan.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, the baking soda, and the salt. Set aside.
Place the chocolate and the espresso in a medium-size bowl. Add the boiling water and stir until chocolate is melted. Set aside to cool for 5 or 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, on the low speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter with the sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at at time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract. Gradually add the dry ingredients, beating only until smooth. Add the sour cream. Add the chocolate mixture in three parts, beating after each addition. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake for 70–80 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean.
Let cake cool in pan for 20 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.
Despite the belief of many New Yorkers, poppy seeds aren’t found just on bagels. Try this yummy and unique version of an old standby the next time the folks pop in for coffee and cake. As a variation, try using prune or apricot filling in place of the poppy filling.
Coffee Cake
11/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, separated, at room temperature (see Note)
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 twelve-ounce can poppy filling
Topping
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
MAKES 1 CAKE
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line an 8 x 8 x 2-inch square baking pan with waxed paper.
To prepare the coffee cake: In a medium-size bowl, sift together the flour, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.
In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks, about 1 minute.
In a large bowl, on the low speed of an electric mixer, cream the shortening and the sugar until fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. Add the egg yolks. Add the dry ingredients in two parts, alternating with the milk. In a separate bowl, on the high speed of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter. Batter will be thick and doughlike.
Meanwhile, prepare the topping: In a small bowl, mix together the flour, the brown sugar, and the baking powder. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Pour the batter into prepared pan. Make indentations with the back of a spoon and press teaspoonfuls of the poppy filling into each indentation. Sprinkle the topping over cake. Bake 40–45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out with moist crumbs attached. Do not overbake.
Allow to cool for 20 minutes before cutting and serving.
NOTE: It is best to separate the eggs when cold and then allow them to come to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe.
Upon hearing that we were collecting recipes for our cookbook, customer Steven Kaplan, who is from the South, told us of a wonderful dessert his mom always made, called “dump cake.” “It’s the easiest thing in the world,” says Kaplan, “because you just dump in all the ingredients, and out comes this terrific cake!” He sure was right!
1 twenty-one-ounce can cherry pie filling
1 sixteen-ounce can crushed pineapple, with juice
1/2 box white cake mix (just the plain mix, nothing added)
11/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into thin slices
MAKES 1 CAKE
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Pour the cherry pie filling into a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish and smooth evenly over the bottom of dish with a rubber spatula. Pour canned pineapple over the pie filling. Sprinkle the white cake mix completely over the pineapple. Place pecans evenly over cake mix. Top with slices of butter. Bake about 45 minutes or until cake appears golden brown and bubbly. Serve warm right from the dish with a dollop of whipped cream.
This recipe was handed down to our friend Debra Davis from her Texan grandmother, Winifred Crawford. The cake can also be made with red or golden Delicious apples and with or without the glaze. You won’t be disappointed with any variation.
Cake
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Bosc pears, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
Glaze
11/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons water
MAKES ONE 10-INCH CAKE
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease a 10-inch tube pan.
To make the cake: In a large bowl, sift together the flour, the sugar, the baking soda, and the salt, making a well in the center. Stir in the oil, the eggs, and the vanilla extract. Stir in the pears and the pecans. Spoon the batter into prepared pan. Bake for 60–70 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Let cake cool in pan for 20 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.
To make the glaze: In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and the water until smooth. Drizzle decoratively over cooled cake. Garnish with pecans if desired.
Here’s a quick and easy confection that lends itself to any fruit combination you might desire. We decided to use pears and cranberries for a delicious autumn torte.
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Bosc pear, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup cranberries, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar
MAKES 1 NINE-INCH TORTE
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and lightly flour one 9 x 2-inch round cake pan, then line the bottom with waxed paper.
In a large bowl, on the low speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and the sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour, the baking powder, and the vanilla extract until well incorporated. Pour the batter into prepared pan. Spread the pear slices and the berries evenly over the batter. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake for about 1 hour until golden brown. Serve warm with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.