Strawberry Sour Cream Streusel Cake #41

                      Strawberry Sour Cream Streusel Cake (page 47)

1 cup hulled, sliced strawberries

3 Tbsp. strawberry preserves

2 tsp. cornstarch

2 tsp. vanilla extract

vegetable oil or butter for pan

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 cups plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) cold butter, in 1/2-inch cubes

1 cup sour cream

1 large egg

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. turbinado or light brown sugar


1. In a blender, combine strawberries and preserves. Make a paste by mixing cornstarch and vanilla, and add. Puree and set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 9-inch spring form pan and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, flour, baking powder and baking soda. Sprinkle in butter cubes and, using your fingertips, rub them in until mixture resembles large coarse crumbs. 

 3. Remove 1/2 cup and set aside. Add sour cream, egg and vanilla to crumbs in large bowl. Mix well.

4. Drop dollops of half the batter into the prepared pan. Pat batter across bottom of pan and about 1 inch up sides; mixture will be very sticky and somewhat uneven. Add strawberry puree, making an even layer across the layer of batter and leaving a 1/2 inch border. Cover with remaining batter.

5. In a medium bowl, combine reserves 1/2 cup crumbs and turbinado or light brown sugar. Stir lightly with a fork to mix. Sprinkle evenly over cake.

6. Bake cake until lightly golden, about 45 minutes. Cool on a rack completely before removing sides of pan and serving. Serves 8 people.

Bolzano Apple Cake #39

                                                        Bolzano Apple Cake  (page 40)


4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

5 Granny Smith apples

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup milk, at room temperature

Confectioner's sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line an 8-inch square pan with foil, then grease with thick layer of butter. Dust with flour, and tap lightly to remove excess.

2. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Set aside. Beat together eggs and half of the granulated sugar to blend. Continue to beat while slowly adding remaining sugar, until the mixture is thick and light and forms a ribbon when dropped from a spoon.

3. Peel, quarter and core the apples, then trim ends and slice thin. 

4. Stir butter into egg-sugar mixture. Whisk together 1/2 cup flour and the baking powder, then stir it into the batter alternately with milk. Fold in apples, making sure they are well-coated with batter. Pour batter into pan and smooth top.

5. Bake for 25 minutes, then rotate the pan;bake for about 25 minutes more, until cake pulls away from pan and is brown on top. A thin-bladed knife inserted into the center will come out clean. Cool 30 minutes.  Dust with sifted confectioner's sugar before serving. Serves 6-8 people.

Angel Food Cake #19

                                                    Angel Food Cake  (page 75)


 1 1/3 cups superfine sugar

 1 cup sifted cake flour

 1/4 tsp. salt

 12 large egg whites (at room temp)

 1 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

 1 tsp. vanilla extract

 1/2 tsp. almond extract


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine 1/3 cup sugar, the cake flour and salt in a sifter. Sift the mixture three times.

3. Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer, and beat until foamy. Add cream of tartar. Continue beating until whites hold soft peaks.

4. Continue beating, gradually adding the remaining cup of sugar, about a tablespoon at a time. Fold in vanilla and almond extracts. Sift about a quarter
of the flour mixture over the egg whites and fold in. Repeat until remaining flour mixture is folded in.

5. Pour batter into an ungreased deep 9-inch tube pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until cake has risen, is lightly browned and springs back when you touch it.

6. Immediately invert cake on a rack, or suspend the pan upside down over the neck of a sturdy bottle. Allow to coo completely, about 1 1/2 hours. Run a knife or metal spatula around sides of pan to release cake. Serves 8-10 people.

Apple Upside-Down Cake #17

                                         Apple Upside-Down Cake  (page 79)


6 Tbsp. unsalted butter

4 medium apples, peeled, cored, and cut into
slices 1/2 inch thick

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 large eggs

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 Tbsp. apple cider, or Calvados

3/4 cup sifted cake flour

3/4 tsp. baking powder


1. Melt 4 Tbsp. of the butter in a heavy skillet. Add the apple slices and saute over high heat about 5 minutes, until the apples are tender, beginning to brown, but still holding their shape. Remove the skillet from the heat.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a 9-inch pie plate in the oven, add the remaining butter and allow it to melt. Remove the pie pan from the oven.

3. Tip the pan so it is completely coated with butter. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together and spread in the pan. Return the pan to the oven just until the sugar has melted. Remove from the oven and spread the sugar mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan.

4. Arrange the apple slices in a pattern over the brown sugar in the bottom of the pan. 

5. Beat eggs until thick, gradually adding the granulated sugar, beating until light and lemon-colored. Stir in cider or spirits.

6. Sift the flour with the baking powder, and fold into the batter. 

7. Spread the batter over the apples in the pan. Bake 30 minutes. Allow to cool at least 30 minutes, then unmold the cake onto a large platter, and serve while 

still warm. Serves 6-8 people.

                               Bon Apetit!