Specialty Cakes: Dual-Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

I love pumpkin. Absolutely love it. Cheesecake is also delicious. So if you put the two of them together, you have a treat that is doubly delicious. How can this simple recipe not be a hit.

In this recipe, I've used a prepared graham cracker crust. It's easy enough to make your own if you prefer. It really doesn't matter that much. You can even make this cheesecake without the crust. It is solid enough that it can simply be baked in a pan.

Ingredients

1 prepared graham cracker crust

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

½ cup sugar

½ tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

½ cup pumpkin puree

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

1 pinch ground cloves

½ cup whipped topping (optional)

cocoa powder for dusting (optional)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). In a large bowl, cream together cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla using an electric mixer. Blend in eggs one at a time, making sure the mixture is completely smooth afterwards. Remove 1 cup of the cream cheese mixture and spread it over the prepared graham cracker crust. Set the crust aside for the moment.

To the remaining batter in the bowl add the pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Stir gently until everything is well combined. Then stir again. You want a smooth and consistent batter. Very gently spread the pumpkin batter over the batter that's already in the crust. The point is to have the pumpkin batter above the plain batter, so don't mix the two. Spread gently.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, until the center is almost set. A little cracking may occur. This is normal. Remove cheesecake from the oven and allow to cool completely. Then refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

You can eat the cheesecake as is, or you can top with whipped topping first. Alternatively, use cocoa powder to sprinkle over the top of the cheesecake. I've used a stencil for cocoa powder in the cheesecake in the picture. You can use a stencil or just sprinkle the cocoa as you please.

Specialty Cakes: White Chocolate Sachertorte

There's a lot to be said for a classic dessert. Sachertortes are often a dark chocolate dessert, but if you change it up a bit and use white chocolate, you can have a delicious and satisfying treat that everyone will love. This is my younger son's favorite dessert, so we make it often.

You can change the jam, if you like. Try strawberry, apricot, blackberry, or even blueberry for an entirely different flavor. If you don't want to make your own icing, you can simply warm up some store bought icing so you can pour it over the cake. It will still taste amazing.

Ingredients

For the Cake

6 oz white chocolate

6 large eggs, separated

⅔ cup sugar

1½ tbsp vanilla sugar

⅔ butter, softened (do not use margarine)

¼ icing sugar

1⅛ cup flour

For the Filling and Icing

⅔ cup raspberry jam

1 sheet gelatine

6 oz milk chocolate

½ cup whipping cream

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Spray the inside of an 8-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Alternatively, you can grease the pan with butter and dust with flour to prevent the cake from sticking. Chop the white chocolate and melt it. You can use the microwave or a pan on the stove, but I prefer to use a small chocolate melter or even fondue pot. You can use whatever you like as long as the chocolate is melted until smooth. Be careful with white chocolate. It's easy to overheat it. Warm it until just melted. Set it aside to cool for a moment.

Whisk the egg whites (the yolk should be in a separate bowl) until they are semi-stiff. Add sugar and vanilla sugar and continue to whisk until glossy and stiff peaks form. Set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk the butter and icing sugar until the mixture is creamy. Add the egg yolk and whisk. Now add the white chocolate and whisk until smooth. Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Add flour and fold in again. Gently. You don't want to break down the egg whites.

Pour the batter into the springform pan. Smooth the top and bake for 25 minutes, then turn down the oven to 340°F (170°C) and bake for a further 35 minutes. Do not underbake. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Do not try to remove from pan until the cake has cooled completely.

When the cake is cool, cut it in half horizontally. Set the top half aside. Warm the raspberry jam until you can pour it. Spread about a third of the jam on the bottom half of the cake. Place the other half of the cake on top, almost making a jam sandwich. Brush the remaining jam over the rest of the cake. Don't miss any spots. This will keep the cake moist and enhance the flavor.

Now make the icing. Soak the gelatine sheet in cold water. While it's soaking, chop the milk chocolate. Add the chocolate to the cream and heat until the chocolate melts, being careful not to warm it too much. You want it melted enough to pour, but that's it. As soon as the chocolate is melted, remove from heat and take the gelatine sheet out of the water. It should be pliable and soft by now. Add it to the chocolate, whisking it all together. Allow the icing mix to cool for about 20 minutes, then pour it over the cake.

Let the icing set for at least 6 hours. Overnight is better. When the cake is set, you can decorate it if you like, or you can just leave it covered in chocolate. In the pictures here, I have used a set of plastic stencils to make a bunny pattern. My younger son loves bunnies, and this cake was for him.

Speciality Cakes: S'mores Cake

Do you ever buy all the ingredients for s'mores, fully intending to have a little fire, but then get rained out? It's happened to me so often that I have a backup plan. With just a few extra ingredients, you can turn those graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate into a fun cake that looks and tastes like s'mores. So next time you get rained out, try this tasty little cake.


Before you begin this recipe, smash up your graham crackers so you have a batch of crumbs. You'll use these crumbs to make the crust of the cake.


Ingredients


1 cup butter or margarine, softened
½ cup sugar
½ cup tightly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 package marshmallows
4 milk chocolate bars (or equivalent)
½ cup milk chocolate chips


Preparation


Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan with baking spray to prevent sticking. Set aside.


Cream together butter and sugars until you have a light and fluffy mixture. Add egg and vanilla. Blend well, then add flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, and salt. Stir together until you have a crumbly mixture. Place ¼ of this mixture in a separate bowl. Set aside.


Press the remaining ¾ of the graham cracker mixture into the prepared baking pan. It should be an even layer. Cut marshmallows in half and arrange them on top of the graham cracker layer. Break chocolate bars into pieces and arrange these on top of the marshmallows. Crumble the remaining graham cracker mixture that you set aside earlier and sprinkle it on top of the chocolate. Top with chocolate chips.


Bake for 30 minutes, until graham cracker layer is fully cooked, chocolate is melted, and exposed marshmallows are slightly toasted. Allow to cool completely before cutting.

Cakes: Basic Yellow Cake

Cakes are classic and fun to make. They're also easier than you think. A very basic cake takes only a few ingredients, 2 pans, and less than 1 hour. A yellow cake is among the easiest to prepare, and this recipe is soft and moist inside, making it delicious.


You can frost or otherwise decorate your cake, if desired. This cake goes well with many frostings, including chocolate, vanilla, and even lemon frosting. You can even eat this cake without frosting at all, if you are so inclined. That's how I like my cake.


Ingredients


2½ cups all purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1¼ cups sugar
½ cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup milk


Preparation


Heat the oven to 350°F. Spray 2 8- or 9-inch cake pans (either round or square) with baking spray to prevent sticking. Set the pans aside until needed.


Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Mix slightly. Add all other ingredients to the bowl and blend using an electric mixer. You want the batter free or any lumps or clumps, but don't overbeat the batter. Only continue until the batter is smooth, about 3 minutes.


Spread the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Gently, but firmly, tap the bottom of the pans on the counter or other hard until the batter is smooth and even in the pans. This not only smooths out the batter, but it helps remove air bubbles that might ruin your cake. You don't have to be rough, but don't skip this tapping. It will result in a better cake.


Bake the cakes for 30 to 35 minutes, until the cakes are slightly browned and they pull away from the sides of the pan. Slide a toothpick into the center of each cake to double-check that your cakes are done. The toothpick should come out clean except for a crumb or two. There should be no wet batter on the toothpick.


Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks. Frost or fill your cool cakes as desired.


This cake will keep for 3 days if your keep it covered. Of course, cakes never last that long around here.

Specialty Cakes: Chocolate Meringue Cake

This cake is fun and actually quite easy to make. There are only a few ingredients, but you do have to separate eggs. The easiest way to do this is to gently crack the needed eggs into a small bowl, then use you hand to carefully life the yolks out of the whites. Place the yolks in a separate bowl, and you have successfully separated eggs. There are other methods, of course, so separate the eggs in whatever way you like.


You can change the flavor and presentation of this cake, customizing it in any way you choose. Simply change what you do to the meringue. You might add a teaspoon of mint extract, then swirl red and green food coloring into the meringue. Top the meringue with bits of candy cane and you have a Candy Cane Meringue Cake. You can do anything else with the meringue as well. You're limited only by your imagination.


Use a small spring form pan to bake this cake. It makes removing it from the pan that much easier.


Ingredients


For the Cake
1 cup chocolate chips
⅔ cup butter
3 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 cup of flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
½ cup chocolate chips


For the Meringue
3 egg whites
¾ cup sugar
½ cup melted chocolate


Preparation


Start by making the cake. Melt the butter and the 1 cup of chocolate chips in a small saucepan or chocolate melted. While you're waiting for the chocolate to melt, place egg yolk, sugar, flour, and cocoa powder in a large bowl. Blend until you have a mixture that resembles crumbs.


Heat oven to 320°F. Take a small spring form pan and spray with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Turn your attention back to the batter. Pour the chocolate mixture into the egg yolk mixture and blend well until smooth. Fold in the ½ cup of chocolate chips.


Pour batter into spring form pan and smooth the top. You may have to press the batter into pan to get it to spread. The batter is thick and may not spread on its own. Bake for 35 minutes, then remove from oven, but leave it in the pan.


Now you'll work on the meringue. Drop the temperature in the oven to 300°F. Place the 3 egg white in a nonmetal bowl and use an electric mixer to beat them. Do this for 3 minutes, then start slowly adding the sugar. Do not just dump the sugar in or you'll break the egg whites. Continue beating the eggs while you do this. After you've added the sugar, keep beating the egg whites until you have stiff peaks form. The meringue should be very white and should not collapse.


Take the melted chocolate and gently drizzle it over the meringue. Don't pour it all in one spot. Gently, ever so gently, fold the chocolate into the egg whites, but don't fully incorporate it. A swirl of chocolate will give you a nicer presentation than a completely chocolate meringue.


Gently spoon the meringue onto the cake. Spread it just enough to fully cover the cake. Bake for 30 minutes, until the meringue begins to crack. Let the cake cool in the spring form pan. It must be completely cool before you attempt to remove the spring form pan.


This cake is delicious and probably won't last long before being eaten. But you can store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days.