RECOMMENDED PRESERVES:
Raspberry jam is traditional, but I’ve also used strawberry or blackberry to delicious effect.
YOGURT UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE
MAKES ONE 10-INCH/25 CM CAKE
We’ve all heard tell of those cakes that can be stirred together in the moments it takes for an unexpected guest to park their car and walk to the house. I’m not sure that this one is quite that quick (I guess it all depends on how long the path is to your front door), but it’s blessedly speedy nonetheless. I make it using a single bowl, a whisk, a cast-iron skillet, and whatever jam is currently open in the fridge.
1 cup/240 ml plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
½ cup/120 ml neutral oil
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1¼ cups/250 g granulated sugar
1½ cups/180 g all-purpose flour
2½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup/240 ml jam
Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C. Oil a 10-inch/25 cm cast-iron skillet or a similarly sized deep, round cake pan. Cut a round of parchment paper and place it in the bottom of the skillet.
In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt and oil until well combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk. Add the sugar and whisk. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk to combine.
Pour the jam onto the parchment round in the prepared skillet, spread it to coat, and carefully spoon the cake batter over the jam, trying not to displace too much of the jam. Smooth with an offset spatula.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the cake at least once during baking so that it bakes evenly. The cake is done when the top is nicely browned and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out mostly clean (a few moist crumbs are okay).
Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes or so in the skillet. Run a knife around the edges of the cake to loosen.
Put a plate over the skillet and, using hot pads to protect your hands, invert the cake onto the plate. It’s important to do this relatively soon after the cake comes out of the oven, so that it doesn’t stick. Carefully peel the sheet of parchment away from the cake with a spatula in hand, so that you can push bits of the jam back into place, as necessary.
Serve warm.
RECOMMENDED PRESERVES:
I find that this cake is best made with chunkier jams or compotes, but truly, anything can be used. I particularly like it with thick-cut marmalade. Arrange the bits of orange rind in spiral pattern if you’re feeling artistic.
MARMALADE POUND CAKE
MAKES 2 LOAVES
When Scott and I were planning our wedding, one of the things I was really clear on was that I wanted to bake our dessert. We did not have the budget to buy an exceptional cake and I was not willing to serve lackluster cake to our friends and family. And so, in the days before our big day, I baked a dozen cakes. Half were loaves of this pound cake and the remaining six were Flourless Chocolate Cake (here). A decade later, my in-laws still mention our delicious wedding cakes whenever I see them. It was well worth the work!
1½ cups/340 g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for pans
3 cups/360 g all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2½ cups/495 g granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grated orange zest
8 large eggs, at room temperature
⅓ cup/80 ml marmalade
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
GLAZE
¾ cup/85 g confectioners’ sugar
⅔ cup/160 ml marmalade
½ cup/120 ml water
Preheat your oven to 325°F/163°C. Butter and lightly flour two 8 × 4-inch/20 × 10 cm loaf pans.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and orange zest together for 3 to 4 minutes, or until fluffy.
Break the eggs into a spouted measuring cup. With the mixer running on a moderate speed, add the eggs, one at a time. When the eggs are incorporated, add the marmalade and vanilla and beat them in.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the batter and mix just until combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula, as needed. Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir a few times to ensure that the flour from the edges of the bowl and any runnier batter from the bottom are all blended in.
Divide the batter evenly between the 2 prepared pans and smooth the tops.
Bake the cakes for 35 minutes. When the time is up, rotate the pans 180° so that the cakes bake evenly. Continue to bake until a cake tester comes out mostly clean from the center of a cake (a few crumbs are okay), another 30 to 35 minutes.
While the cakes bake, prepare the glaze: In a small pan, combine the confectioners’ sugar, marmalade, and water. Place over medium heat and warm until everything melts together.
Remove the pans from the oven and place them on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Let them cool for 10 to 15 minutes and then remove the cakes from the pans. Set them, top-side up, on the rack and spoon the glaze over the warm cakes. Use a brush to glaze the sides of the cakes. Keep spooning and brushing until all the glaze has been distributed over the cakes.
Let them cool completely before serving.
Note: I find that these cakes improve with age. If you can manage it, bake them at least a day or two before serving. They also freeze beautifully, if left unglazed.
RECOMMENDED PRESERVES:
Marmalade. Any kind. If it’s really thick-cut, consider dicing the big hunks of peel before stirring into the batter.
FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE
SERVES 16 TO 20 IN SMALL, RICH SLICES
I have made this cake more times than I can count. I served it at my wedding with raspberry sauce and a gallon of freshly whipped cream. We made half a dozen when my sister got married. I’ve taken it to birthday parties, potlucks, Passover Seders, and funeral meals. It is easy to make, improves with age, travels well, and can be offered to people who don’t eat gluten. While it can be served just as it is, I like to warm up a half-pint of jam and pour it over the top of the cake just before slicing. It soaks in just a bit and makes for glorious leftovers. This cake is also excellent when topped with a billowing cloud of the Raspberry Fool (here).
1 cup/225 g unsalted butter, cubed, plus more for pan
8 ounces/225 g semisweet chocolate, broken into bits
1½ cups/300 g granulated sugar
6 large eggs
1 cup/85 g unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup/60 ml hazelnut liqueur (e.g., Frangelico) or strong brewed coffee
1 cup/240 ml berry jam
Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C. Generously butter a 9-inch/23 cm springform pan and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.
Create a double boiler by setting a large glass or stainless-steel bowl over a saucepan with 2 to 3 inches/5 to 7 cm of water in the bottom. Make sure that the bottom of the bowl isn’t in the water. Place the double boiler over medium-high heat. Place the chocolate and butter in the bowl and let melt. Stir to help them combine.
Once the chocolate and butter have melted, remove the bowl from its perch on the saucepan and place it on a folded kitchen towel. Using a hand mixer, whisk in the sugar.
Break the eggs into a spouted measuring cup and add them, one at a time, as the mixer runs.
Sift the cocoa powder into the batter and, starting on the mixer’s lowest setting and slowly work upward, beat to combine. Finally, beat in the liqueur.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Gently knock the pan on your counter a few times to coax out some of the air bubbles.
Bake until a cake tester comes out mostly clean (a few crumbs are fine, wet batter is not), 45 to 50 minutes. If the top cracks, don’t worry about it.
Remove the cake from oven and let cool in the pan for at least
20 minutes before carefully removing it from the pan. If you don’t plan on serving it immediately, wrap it in 2 or 3 layers of plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator or freezer until you’re ready to serve. Allow cake to come to room temperature prior to serving. Just before slicing, pour the berry jam over the top.
Note: This cake freezes really well, both whole and in slices. I have small, individually wrapped slices in my freezer even as I type.
RECOMMENDED PRESERVES:
This cake goes best with raspberry or cherry jam. Strawberry does in a pinch, but doesn’t always hold up to the intensity of the chocolate.
FRUIT BUTTER DOLLOP CAKE
SERVES 9
This cake is based on Marian Burros’s famous Plum Torte. It’s a recipe that has run in the New York Times on numerous occasions and is a summertime classic. I’ve adapted it slightly by using preserves rather than fresh plums, making it accessible for year-round cooking. I encourage you to think creatively about the various preserves with which you stud the cake batter. My suggestion of fruit butter is a delicious one, but you could also use berries canned in syrup or some of the whole fruit you stashed in the freezer with every intention of making jam at a later date.
½ cup/110 g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for baking dish
1 cup/120 g all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup/200 g granulated sugar
2 large eggs
¼ cup/60 ml fruit butter
Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C and lightly butter an 8-inch/20 cm square Pyrex baking dish.
Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
Using either a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream together the sugar and butter for 2 to 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until they are just combined.
Scrape the batter into the prepared baking dish. Working in a 4 × 4 grid pattern and using 2 teaspoons (one to scoop and hold the butter, and the other to push it off the spoon), place 16 small rounds of fruit butter on top of the batter. Resist the urge to swirl in the fruit butter and instead leave the dollops intact, to reduce the risk of burning.
Bake until the corners of the cake pull away from the baking dish slightly and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake (avoiding the puddles of jam) comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes.
Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool to room temperature. Serve straight from the baking dish.
Note: The fruit butter may sink into the batter during baking. That’s okay. As you cut the cake, you’ll uncover tasty pools of fruit, which are delicious.
RECOMMENDED PRESERVES:
To start, I highly suggest trying this cake with plum or peach butter. From there, the world is yours to explore.
CHOCOLATE APPLESAUCE CAKE
SERVES 9 TO 12
This cake is a humble, homely thing. When it is finished baking, the top is cracked, craggy, and lacking in any kind of shine. However, the first taste always makes up for any visual deficits. It is moist, rich, and just gets better with age. It’s the cake I bake when I’m craving something sweet and don’t want to indulge too much.
6 tablespoons/85 g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for baking dish
¾ cup/150 g granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup/245 g unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup/120 g all-purpose flour
½ cup/55 g unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C. Butter an 8-inch/20 cm square Pyrex baking dish and set aside.
Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together for 2 to 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, applesauce, and vanilla and beat to combine.
In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir on low to combine. Scrape the sides of the bowl down and beat until smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top to level. Bake until the top domes, the edges pull away from the baking dish, and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.
Remove the baking dish from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. Any leftover cake will keep in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days. For longer storage, refrigerate or freeze.
RECOMMENDED PRESERVES:
If you don’t have applesauce, try this cake with any unsweetened fruit sauce. For a sweeter cake with a fudgier texture, replace the applesauce with puréed strawberry preserves.
CHOCOLATE SAUERKRAUT CAKE
MAKES 1 LARGE BUNDT CAKE
I know that the idea of a chocolate cake shot through with sauerkraut sounds off-putting at first glance, but I promise, this cake isn’t a gimmick. It’s actually a fairly traditional recipe that is said to have originated in the days when schools and institutions got big cans of government surplus sauerkraut and needed to find ways to use it creatively. However it came to be, the result is a tasty, tender cake in which the kraut serves as a textural component that mimics the feel of shredded coconut. The finished cake tastes hearty and grounded, with only the smallest hint that you stirred fermented cabbage into the batter.
Oil, for pan
2¼ cups/270 g all-purpose flour
¾ cup/83 g unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
4 ounces/110 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups/300 g granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup/180 g drained Basic Sauerkraut (here)
1 cup/240 ml water
Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C degrees. Generously oil a Bundt pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined.
Rinse the sauerkraut under running water and drain. Place it in a blender with the fresh water and run the machine until the sauerkraut is well chopped.
Add the sauerkraut slurry to the bowl of wet ingredients and mix to combine.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in stages, mixing on low speed, just until combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out mostly clean (a few dry crumbs are okay), 40 to 45 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let the cake cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, then invert the cake onto a plate.
RECOMMENDED PRESERVES:
Basic sauerkraut, well drained.
APPLE BUNDT CAKE
MAKES 1 LARGE BUNDT CAKE
I bake this cake in early fall, when apples are fresh and I want to celebrate the arrival of slightly cooler days. It’s also one of those cakes that can do double duty. It’s just as good eaten as part of a brunch spread as it is served at the end of a meal, with a spoonful of barely sweetened whipped cream. The end result is a really satisfying, versatile cake.
5 ounces/140 g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan
1 cup/120 g all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1 cup/110 g whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
<
br /> ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1¼ cups/250 g granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup/240 ml apple butter
2 medium-size apples, peeled, cored, and grated (about 2 cups/480 ml)
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 cup/120 g toasted and chopped walnuts
½ cup/80 g golden raisins
Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C. Generously butter and flour a 12-cup/2.8 L Bundt pan.
Whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl.
Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together for 3 to 4 minutes, or until light and quite fluffy.
Break the eggs into a spouted measuring cup. With the mixer running on a moderate speed, add the eggs, one at a time. When the eggs are incorporated, add the apple butter, grated apples, and ginger. Mix to incorporate.
Add the dry ingredients in a few additions, mixing just until they are combined. Finally, add the nuts and raisins and mix until they are dispersed.
Scrape the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and level the top with a silicone spatula.
The Food in Jars Kitchen Page 14