Let Them Eat Cake

Boston Fudge Cake with Fudge Sauce
Cake:
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
3 eggs
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Fudge Sauce:
1 bar German chocolate
1/2 square unsweetened chocolate
1 stick butter
3 cups unsifted powdered sugar
1 2/3 cups evaporated milk
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease and flour a sheet pan.

To make the cake, cream together sugar, shortening; add buttermilk and vanilla. Add melted chocolate, and eggs, 1 at a time; beat for 2 minutes. Sift together dry ingredients, add to creamed mixture. Beat an additional 2 minutes. Pour into prepared sheet pan. Bake for 35 minutes.

To make the sauce, melt chocolate and butter in saucepan over very low heat. Stir in powdered sugar, alternately with evaporated milk, blending well. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until mixture becomes thick and creamy, about 8 minutes. Stir in vanilla; serve warm over cake.

Prune Plum and Walnut Butter Cake
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus 8 tablespoons, at room temperature
1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour, plus 1 cup
12 prune plums, halved and pitted
2 tablespoons sugar, plus 1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons
1/4 cup brandy
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup ground toasted walnuts
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with 1 tablespoon of the butter and dust it with 1 tablespoon of the flour.
Toss the plums with 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the brandy; set aside.

Cream the remaining 8 tablespoons butter in a large bowl with 1 cup of the sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Sift the remaining 1 cup flour, baking powder, and salt together and beat into the creamed butter.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs until they start to foam. Do not over beat, or the cake will be tough. Add the eggs and ground walnuts to the flour and butter mixture. Mix well.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Arrange the plums on top in rings. Sprinkle with any remaining brandy-sugar syrup and the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.

Bake for 1 hour, or until the cake is golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the cake (not the plums) comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing the sides of the springform pan and serving. Garnish with a dusting of confectioners' sugar.

Warm Chocolate Cakes with Berries
Chocolate Cakes:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted softened butter, plus extra for buttering molds
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
4 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
2/3 cup granulated sugar
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting molds
3 tablespoons Frangelico or hazelnut liqueur
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 cup fresh strawberries
Fresh mint, for garnish

Butter and lightly flour 6 (6-ounce) ramekins. Tap out any excess flour.
In a small saucepan, bring to a boil 2 inches of water. In a large glass bowl, add butter, chocolate and espresso powder. Lower heat and place bowl over the simmering water. Slowly whisk mixture until the chocolate is almost completely melted. Remove bowl from heat and continue to whisk until all chocolate has melted. Allow to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, add eggs, yolks, and sugar. Using an electric mixer, beat until light and fluffy and pale in color. Reduce speed to medium-low and slowly pour in the chocolate mixture. Add the flour and mix until just combined. Do not overwork the batter.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Divide the batter between the molds. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place chocolate molds onto baking sheet and place in oven for 7 minutes. If not baking immediately, cover chocolate molds with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 8 hours. When ready to bake, place refrigerated chocolate molds onto baking sheet and place in oven for 10 minutes. The top and sides should be cooked and dry and the inside will be runny.

Using oven mitts, carefully invert each mold onto a plate and let it sit for 10 seconds. Then lift 1 corner of the ramekin and the cake should slip out. Sprinkle about 1/2 teaspoon Frangelico over each cake. Spoon berries around the chocolate cake and garnish with mint. Serve warm.

Sylvia's Red Velvet Cake
For the cake:
2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2 ounces red food coloring
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
For the Frosting:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter or margarine, softened
1 pound box confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans

For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 (9-inch) cake pans. In a medium bowl or on a piece of waxed paper, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter. Beat in eggs one at a time. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk. Beat in food coloring and vinegar, then add vanilla. Spread the batter evenly in the pans. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Turn out onto a rack to cool.
For the frosting: In a large bowl, cream the cream cheese and butter. Beat in confectioners' sugar until fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Stir in pecans. Use frosting to fill and ice cake. Slice and serve on individual plates.

Pear Walnut Spice Cake
Cake:
1 cup raisins (dark or golden)
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon each ground cloves and ground allspice
2 cups peeled pear chunks (from about 3 pears)
1 cup chopped walnuts
Glaze:
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the raisins in a bowl and toss them with 2 tablespoons of the flour until lightly coated (this will prevent them from sinking in the cake batter during baking).
To make the cake: Beat the eggs and sugar in a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer) until fluffy. With the mixer running, slowly pour in the vanilla and the oil. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Mix into the egg mixture. Mix in the pears and nuts, then stir in the raisins by hand, distributing them evenly in the batter. Spoon into a 10-inch tube pan and bake about 45 to 60 minutes, until springy and dry in the center. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack, then turn it out. Freeze until ready to use or just wrap and store for up to 2 days.

To make the glaze: Stir the maple syrup and sugar together in a bowl. Glaze the cooled cake by spooning the glaze around the top of the cake and letting it drip down the sides.

Sambuca Cake With Strawberries, Whipped Cream and Shaved Chocolate
1 prepared pound cake, from bakery section or frozen foods, defrosted
3 ounces sambuca, or other anise liqueur
1/2 pint strawberries, halved or sliced
2 teaspoons sugar plus 2 tablespoons
1 pint whipping cream
Chocolate syrup, for drizzling
1 bar good quality dark bittersweet chocolate

Place 2-inch-thick slices of pound cake on dessert plates. Douse cake slices with sambuca or other anise liqueur.
Slice berries and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons sugar, then toss and reserve.

Beat whipping cream with 2 tablespoons sugar with a hand mixer until soft peaks form.

Top cake with berries and drizzle with zigzags of syrup. Top cake and berries with whipped cream. Using a vegetable peeler, shave dark chocolate over each dessert plate and serve.