ready in about 30 minutes; serves 12
You might need to buy:
  • egg
  • milk
  • coarse or granulated sugar
  • FILLING:
  • All Purpose flour
  • milk
  • sugar
  • vanilla extract
  • almond extract
  • salt

Makes 12 cupcakes

This recipe does not double very well. Cupcakes made from a doubled batch and baked side by side in the oven yield a slightly compromised rise. It’s best to make two separate batches and bake each separately. Store leftover cupcakes (frosted or unfrosted) in the refrigerator, but let them come to room temperature before serving.

Belongs to Kentucky Gal Creme Brulee 
You might need to buy:
  • Extra large egg yolks
  • sugar
  • heavy cream
  • Puff Pastry shells
  • Bananas
Belongs to SHINE Vanilla Ice Cream 
You might need to buy:
  • vanilla extract
  • salt
  • sugar
  • heavy cream

Makes about 2 cups

Do not substitute semisweet chocolate chips for the chopped semisweet chocolate in the frosting—chocolate chips contain less cocoa butter than bar chocolate and will not melt as readily. For best results, don’t make the frosting until the cakes are cooled, and use the frosting as soon as it is ready. If the frosting gets too cold and stiff to spread easily, wrap the mixer bowl with a towel soaked in hot water and mix on low speed until the frosting appears creamy and smooth. Refrigerated leftover cake should sit at room temperature before serving until the frosting softens.

You might need to buy:
  • corn syrup
  • cold heavy cream

SERVES 10 TO 12

Do not substitute semisweet chocolate chips for the chopped semisweet chocolate in the frosting—chocolate chips contain less cocoa butter than bar chocolate and will not melt as readily. For best results, don’t make the frosting until the cakes are cooled, and use the frosting as soon as it is ready. If the frosting gets too cold and stiff to spread easily, wrap the mixer bowl with a towel soaked in hot water and mix on low speed until the frosting appears creamy and smooth. Refrigerated leftover cake should sit at room temperature before serving until the frosting softens.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
The mixing method was the key to getting the right texture for our chocolate layer cake recipe. After trying both creaming and “reverse creaming,” we turned to ribboning— whipping eggs with sugar until they double in volume, then adding the butter, dry ingredients, and milk. The egg foam aerated the cake, giving it both the structure and the tenderness that neither creaming nor reverse creaming could provide. To give our open-crumbed cake rich chocolate flavor, we simply melted unsweetened chocolate and cocoa powder in hot water over a double boiler, then stirred in sugar until it dissolved before adding the chocolate mixture to the batter.

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/bake-it-better/2013/01/old-fashioned-chocolate-layer-cake/

You might need to buy:
  • hot water
  • CAKE
  • buttermilk
  • FROSTING
  • corn syrup

Makes 12 pieces

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
This rich chocolate butter cake is layered with fluffy seven-minute icing and topped with a drippy chocolate glaze. We added light corn syrup to the chocolate glaze so that it clung tightly to the cake and had a glossy texture. Using an offset spatula ensured the icing on our Chocolate Shadow Cake spread in an even layer.

You might need to buy:
  • light corn syrup
  • cream of tartar
  • water
  • large egg whites
Belongs to Bethany Cinnamon Babka 

Serves 8

Once you’ve added the butter in step 3, if the dough is still sticking to the sides of the bowl after five minutes of mixing, add 2 to 4 tablespoons of extra flour. The test kitchen’s favorite loaf pan measures 8½ by 4½ inches; if you use a standard 9 by 5-inch loaf pan, start checking the babka for doneness after 40 minutes.

You might need to buy:
  • Filling:
  • large egg white
  • Dough:
  • large egg yolks plus 1 large egg
  • instant or rapid-rise yeast
Belongs to Bethany Angel Food Cake 

Serves 10 to 12

Do not use all-purpose flour. Our tasters unflatteringly compared a cake made with it to Wonder Bread. If your angel food cake pan does not have a removable bottom, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. In either case, do not grease the pan (or the paper).

You might need to buy:
  • cake flour
  • large egg whites
  • cream of tartar

Serves 8

This dessert is best served warm or at room temperature the same day it is made. Scoop it out and serve in a bowl.

You might need to buy:
  • cornstarch
  • grated zest and 1/2 cup juice from 4 lemons
  • boiling water