Holiday Pièce de Résistance
I was always charged with making the desserts for holiday dinners and I usually attempted the featured cake on the cover of Southern Living's Dec. issue for that particular year. This cake was in one of their "Home for the Holidays" magazine (1998) and is a definite favorite. All scratch, but worth the effort! The white chocolate frosting and the cranberry curd also work great with other dessert recipes.
Cranberry-Filled White Chocolate Cake
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 (4oz.) white choc. bar, melted
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup half-and-half
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Cranberry Curd (recipe to follow)
White Chocolate Frosting (recipe to follow)
-Beat butter at medium speed until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add melted chocolate, beating until blended.
-Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture, alternating with half-and-half, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed after each addition until blended. Stir in vanilla. Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 8" round pans.
-Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 min. or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 min., then remove from pans and cool on a wire rack.
-Spread Cranberry Curd between each cake layer. Spread White Chocolate Frosting on top and sides of cake. Spread 1 cup Cranberry-Curd on the top of the cake.
-Spoon remaining frosting into a decorating bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe frosting around the base and top edge of the cake, creating a ruffle. Serve with the remaining 1 cup of Cranberry Curd and garnish, if desired.
Cranberry Curd
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup cranberry juice cocktail
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
4 cups fresh cranberries
-Cook first 5 ingredients in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until butter melts. Add fresh cranberries and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and cranberry skins pop (10-12 min.); cool. Cover and chill. Yields: 4 cups.
White Chocolate Frosting
1 cup butter, softened
8 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/2-3/4 cup half-and-half
3 oz. white chocolate, melted
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
-Beat butter at med. speed until creamy. Gradually add sugar and half-and-half, beating until light and fluffy. Add white chocolate and vanilla, beating until spreading consistency. Yield: 5 cups
I was always charged with making the desserts for holiday dinners and I usually attempted the featured cake on the cover of Southern Living's Dec. issue for that particular year. This cake was in one of their "Home for the Holidays" magazine (1998) and is a definite favorite. All scratch, but worth the effort! The white chocolate frosting and the cranberry curd also work great with other dessert recipes.
Cranberry-Filled White Chocolate Cake
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 (4oz.) white choc. bar, melted
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup half-and-half
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Cranberry Curd (recipe to follow)
White Chocolate Frosting (recipe to follow)
-Beat butter at medium speed until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add melted chocolate, beating until blended.
-Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture, alternating with half-and-half, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed after each addition until blended. Stir in vanilla. Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 8" round pans.
-Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 min. or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 min., then remove from pans and cool on a wire rack.
-Spread Cranberry Curd between each cake layer. Spread White Chocolate Frosting on top and sides of cake. Spread 1 cup Cranberry-Curd on the top of the cake.
-Spoon remaining frosting into a decorating bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe frosting around the base and top edge of the cake, creating a ruffle. Serve with the remaining 1 cup of Cranberry Curd and garnish, if desired.
Cranberry Curd
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup cranberry juice cocktail
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
4 cups fresh cranberries
-Cook first 5 ingredients in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until butter melts. Add fresh cranberries and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and cranberry skins pop (10-12 min.); cool. Cover and chill. Yields: 4 cups.
White Chocolate Frosting
1 cup butter, softened
8 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/2-3/4 cup half-and-half
3 oz. white chocolate, melted
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
-Beat butter at med. speed until creamy. Gradually add sugar and half-and-half, beating until light and fluffy. Add white chocolate and vanilla, beating until spreading consistency. Yield: 5 cups
Paula Deen.) I'll definitely give this recipe a try. I love pumpkin and always want more ideas.
