TCU Cookbook - froglinks.com

TCU Cookbook
Featuring
the Award Winning
Culinary Cake Creations
of Susan Apple Graass ’83
Blue Ribbon Lemon Cake
State Fair of Texas
Best of Show 2009
BLUE RIBBON LEMON CAKE
Featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show
BEST OF SHOW STATE FAIR OF TEXAS 2009
Limoncello, an Italian lemon liqueur, melds with a moist cake and lemon curd
filling in this award-winning cake. The cake is finished with buttercream icing
flavored with Limoncello and garnished with meringue chips. The unique
combination of lemon tastes and textures sets it apart from other lemon cakes.
Cake:
3 cups flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 t. salt
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups whole milk yogurt
2 cups sugar
6 eggs, separated
2 t. lemon zest
1 t. vanilla
Simple Syrup:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
6 lemon peels
Lemon Curd Filling:
1 t. unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/8 t. salt
10 egg yolks
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Icing:
1 pound Crisco vegetable shortening
1 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
1 t. salt
1 t. vanilla
1/4 to 1/3 cup Italian Limoncello
2 pounds powdered sugar
Meringue Garnish:
4 egg whites, room temperature
1/2 t. cream of tartar
1/2 cup plus 1 t. superfine sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
CAKE:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut 3 8-inch parchment circles and place in 3
8-inch cake pans. Spray Pam in cake pans. Sift the flour, baking powder, and
salt into one bowl. In another bowl whisk together the vegetable oil, yogurt,
sugar, egg yolks, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly blend the dry ingredients into
the wet ingredients.
Whisk the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold into yogurt mixture. Pour into
prepared pans and bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and invert onto
cake racks. Cool completely.
GLAZE:
Stir sugar, water, and lemon peels in saucepan over medium heat. Heat
mixture until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and strain. Cool. (This may be
prepared the day before).
LEMON CURD FILLING:
Sprinkle the gelatin over 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice in a small bowl.
Cook the remaining lemon juice, sugar, and salt in a saucepan until the sugar
dissolves and the mixture is hot but not boiling. Whisk egg yolks in a bowl.
Whisking vigorously, slowly add the hot lemon-sugar mixture to the egg yolks.
Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring
constantly, until mixture reaches 170 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove
the pan from heat and stir in the gelatin mixture until dissolved. Stir in the butter
and pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Press plastic wrap
directly onto surface and refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours (this lemon curd
filling can be prepared the day before).
MERINGUE GARNISH:
Place a silpat on a heavy baking sheet. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Beat
the egg whites until frothy, add the cream of tartar and continue beating.
Gradually add the sugar while beating, until whites are very stiff and glossy.
Whisk powdered sugar into meringue, spread onto prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until dry. Cool (this meringue garnish can be
prepared the day before).
ICING:
Cream the Crisco and butter. Then add salt, vanilla, and Limoncello. Blend
one minute. Add powdered sugar. Whisk at high speed for 5 minutes. Fill pastry
bag with icing. Set aside.
TO ASSEMBLE CAKE:
-Trim top, bottom, and sides of cake layers.
-Place 1 cake layer on an 8-inch cake circle.
-Brush glaze onto the cake.
-Pipe a circle of icing around the edge of cake,.
-Spread the lemon curd filling onto the cake layer.
-Repeat with the second layer.
-Place the third layer on the cake and brush with the glaze.
-Spread the top and sides of the cake with the icing.
-Place plastic towel rod in center of cake.
-Garnish the cake with meringue chips.
Look for my blog on susanapple.com!!!
Susan Apple Graass
susanapple@me.com
214-502-8782
BLUE RIBBON LEMON CAKE TIPS
This cake can also be done in two days which can make it a more enjoyable
experience.
First Day
1. Meringue
2. Filling
3. Simple Syrup
Second Day
1. Icing
2. Cake
a. Prepare cake pans, cut 8” parchment paper circles for cake pans, spray
with Pam
b. Bake, cover with silpats, cool on wire racks
c. Trim crust from top, bottom, and sides of cake
d. Place 1 cake layer on 8” cake circle
e. Pipe circle of icing around cake layer
f. Fill with filling; don’t use all of the filling
g. Repeat with 2nd layer, top with 3rd layer
h. Pile icing on top of cake, then sides
i. Be sure the spatula only touches the icing to prevent crumbs getting
into icing
j. Place towel rod in center of cake
k. Break meringue into pieces and place on cake
Strawberry Angel Food Cake
State Fair of Texas
Blue Ribbon 2009
STRAWBERRY ANGEL FOOD CAKE
State Fair of Texas Blue Ribbon 2009
INGREDIENTS
Angel Food Cake:
1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour (sifted then measured)
¼ teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups superfine sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
zest of 2 oranges
zest of 2 lemons
14 large egg whites (1 3/4 cups), room temperature
1teaspoon cream of tartar
Filling:
16 ounces mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
Whipped Cream Frosting:
2 1/2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
25 fresh strawberries
DIRECTIONS
CAKE:
Set the oven rack on the lowest level and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the flour, salt, and 1/4 cup of the sugar into a bowl. Mix the lemon juice
and the zests in a small bowl.
Using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, mix the egg whites and cream of
tartar until frothy. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time,
beat on high speed until all of the sugar is added and the egg whites are stiff and
shiny. Gently but thoroughly fold in the flour mixture, lemon juice, and zest.
Spoon the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan,
Bake the cake for about 45 minutes until, a wooden skewer inserted in the center
comes out clean. Invert the cake pan and place the neck of a large soda bottle
through the pan’s center hole to hang the cake upside down. Cool completely, 1
to 2 hours.
FILLING:
Line a 2-quart bowl with saran wrap. Combing the ricotta, cream, vanilla,
powdered sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir until well mixed. Using a
serrated knife, cut the angel food cake horizontally into 3 layers. Place the
bottom layer into the bottom of the prepared bowl. Spoon half of the ricotta
mixture evenly over the cake. Top with the middle layer of cake and spread the
remaining ricotta mixture to cover it. Lightly press the last layer of cake on top.
At this point, you can cover and refrigerator the cake for up to 1 day. When
ready to assemble, flip the cake over onto a serving platter. You will have a
perfect little domed cake.
FROSTING:
Using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cream on high speed
until thick. Stir the powdered sugar and vanilla into the whipped cream.
ASSEMBLING THE CAKE:
Cover the cake with the whipped cream frosting. Wash the strawberries and
dry them thoroughly with paper towels. Cut off green stem and slice the
strawberries in thin slices. Starting on the bottom of the cake, push the
strawberry slices into the sides of the cake. Using this method cover the entire
cake. The strawberries will look like a roof shingles.
This cake is best served immediately.
Creamy Caramel Cake
State Fair of Texas
Blue Ribbon 2009
CREAMY CARAMEL CAKE
State Fair of Texas Blue Ribbon 2009
INGREDIENTS
Cake:
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup Wesson oil
3 cups sugar
8 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 t. baking soda
2 t. caramel syrup
1 t. vanilla
3 cups flour
Pastry Cream:
8 egg yolks
½ cup sugar
A pinch of salt
¼ cup flour
¼ cup cornstarch
2 cups cream
2 t. caramel syrup
1 t. vanilla
White Snow Frosting:
3 egg whites
3/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 t. caramel syrup
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. salt
6 cups powdered sugar
Caramel Pecans:
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 t. heavy cream
1 t. caramel syrup
1 egg white
DIRECTIONS
CAKE:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter, oil, and sugar. Add egg yolks
one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir baking soda,
Caramel syrup and vanilla into buttermilk. Sift flour, add sifted flour into batter,
alternating with buttermilk mixture. Beat egg whites and fold into mixture. Pour
into 3 8-inch greased and floured cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35
minutes. Cool cake in pans. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire
racks. Trim top 1/4” and bottom ¼” off each layer. Place 1 cake layer on serving
tray and spread with pastry cream. Repeat with second layer. Top with third
layer and frost with white snow frosting. Press caramel pecans into bottom half
of sides of cake. Chill in refrigerator.
PASTRY CREAM:
Pour cream in saucepan and heat just before boiling. Whisk the yolks in the
saucepan, gradually whisk in the sugar and salt. Sift in the flour and cornstarch,
continue whisking over moderate heat. Then, by dribbles at first, blend in the hot
cream. Continue to whisk as the custard cooks. Cook for 2 minutes stirring with
a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and stir in the caramel syrup and vanilla.
Pass through a fine sieve into a bowl. Press a plastic wrap onto the surface and
refrigerate.
WHITE SNOW FROSTING:
In a medium bowl, cream egg whites, shortening, butter, caramel syrup,
vanilla, and salt with an electric mixer. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating
until light and fluffy.
CARAMEL PECANS:
Stir together brown sugar, cream, caramel syrup, and egg white until well
blended. Mix in pecans, spread on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 20
minutes. Cool. Break into pieces.
Caramel syrup can be found at Target. It is Archer Farms caramel coffee
syrup and is located on the coffee isle.
KITCHEN EQUIPMENT
Heavy-duty countertop mixer (2 5-quart mixing bowls, whisk attachment,
paddle attachment)
food processor
2-quart saucepan
cake-decorating turntable
3 8” X 3” cake pans
12” X 16“ jelly roll pan
12“ X 16” Silpat
metal measuring cup set
metal measuring spoon set
sifter
2 mixing bowls
3 cake-cooling racks
candy thermometer
stainless steel strainer
lemon juicer
lemon zester
10-inch baker’s knife
offset spatula
silicon spatula
large rounded-tip turner
natural-bristle, flat pastry brush
oven timer
kitchen scissors
parchment paper
Wilton pastry bags
8” cake boards
10” cake boards
toothpicks
Pam cooking spray