Makes one 9-inch loaf
Be sure to buy unsweetened canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, which is preseasoned and sweetened. This is a fairly stiff batter that takes a bit of stirring to incorporate the liquid ingredients into the dry. Stop mixing as soon as the batter comes together.
- all-purpose flour
- baking soda
- baking powder
- ground cinnamon
- table salt
- nutmeg
- ginger
- sugar
- large eggs
- vanilla extract
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.
- baking soda
- baking powder
- large eggs
- vanilla extract
- table salt
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.
- unsalted butter
- sugar
- corn syrup
- vanilla extract
- salt
- 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/
- CAKE
- hot water
- baking soda
- table salt
- buttermilk
- vanilla extract
- large eggs
- large egg yolks
- FROSTING
- sugar
- corn syrup
- vanilla extract
- table salt
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.
- large egg whites
- water
- sugar
- cream of tartar
- salt
- vanilla extract
- unsalted butter
- light corn syrup
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.
- Filling:
- large egg white
- ground cinnamon
- salt
- Dough:
- large egg yolks plus 1 large egg
- vanilla extract
- instant or rapid-rise yeast
- salt
Serves 4
You can use whole or lowfat milk instead of skim, but the Dutch Baby won’t be as crisp. For a treat, serve with an assortment of berries and lightly sweetened whipped cream.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
We wanted a puffy, well-risen Dutch Baby with crisp sides and a tender bottom, but achieving that contrast did not come easily. Instead of relying on leavening agents like baking powder, we achieved a light, fluffy rise for our Dutch Baby recipe using the conversion of water to steam. We found an ordinary skillet promoted the most even rise, due to its gently sloping sides. Fats tended to make baked goods tender rather than crisp. To ensure crisper sides, we cut down on the fat by replacing whole milk with skim. For even more crispness, we replaced some of the flour with cornstarch.
http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/bake-it-better/2013/03/secrets-to-making-a-dutch-baby/
- vegetable oil
- all-purpose flour
- cornstarch
- grated zest and 2 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon
- salt
- large eggs
- vanilla extract
- confectioners' sugar
Serves 4
You’ll need 4 to 5 green tomatoes. We recommend finely ground Quaker cornmeal for this recipe.
- cornmeal
- all-purpose flour
- salt
- pepper
- cayenne pepper
- buttermilk
- large egg
- peanut or vegetable oil
Makes 15 large rolls
Don’t get the milk mixture too hot or the dough won’t rise.
- whole milk
- honey
- vegetable shortening
- all-purpose flour
- salt
Serves 4
This recipe didn’t specify a brand of cracker, but we like Ritz here. Try dipping the sandwiches in ketchup—a Frenchee fanatic told us that’s how she ate them growing up in Oklahoma.
- milk
- large eggs
- mayonnaise
- hearty white sandwich bread
- deli American cheese
- 3–4 quarts peanut or vegetable oil