Dogwood Blossom Wedding Cake

Our Dogwood Blossom Cake is a melt-in-your mouth white cake with a smooth blackberry filling. From the fondant dogwood blossoms to the white satin frosting, this cake is clearly an elegant centerpiece for springtime receptions

Ingredients

3 recipes Tiered Dogwood Blossom Cake

 

Blackberry Filling

3 recipes White Satin Frosting

 

Fondant Dogwood Blossoms

Preparation

1. Prepare and bake 1 Tiered Dogwood Blossom Cake recipe. Repeat procedure for second 14-inch layer. Prepare and bake remaining recipe using directions in the note for 10-inch and 6-inch cake layers.

2. Cut domed top off each layer using a serrated knife.

3. Prepare Blackberry Filling.

4. Prepare 1 White Satin Frosting recipe. Repeat procedure twice.

5. Cover 1 (14-inch), 1 (10-inch), and 1 (6-inch) sturdy cardboard cake circle with aluminum foil.


6. Spread a small amount of frosting on 1 side of 14-inch circle; top with 1 (14-inch) cake layer. Spread 3 cups Blackberry Filling over cake layer, leaving a 1-inch border. Top with remaining 14-inch cake layer.

7. Cut 4 wooden craft sticks to height of 14-inch tier; insert vertically into cake tier, evenly spaced and level with top of tier, about 3 inches from sides.

8. Spread top and sides of cake with frosting, smoothing with a wet metal spatula. Chill up to 2 days, or freeze up to 2 months.

9. Assemble and frost 2 (10-inch) layers on cardboard circle as directed above, using 2 1/2 cups Blackberry Filling. Assemble and frost 2 (6-inch) layers on cardboard circle as directed above, using remaining 1 1/2 cups Blackberry Filling and omitting craft sticks. Chill up to 2 days, or freeze up to 2 months.

10. Position 10-inch tier in center of 14-inch tier; position 6-inch tier in center of 10-inch tier. Place cake on stand.

11. Fit a large decorating bag with tip #32 (Wilton). Fill bag with frosting. Pipe a shell border on the top and the bottom edge of each tier.

12. Pipe a large amount of icing on top of cake to secure Fondant Dogwood Blossoms. Attach remaining blossoms to cake with a small amount of frosting.

Note:

Purchase ready-to-use white rolled fondant for the dogwood blossoms and leaves. It's easy to work with and saves time on such a busy occasion.

  

Saurce : Myrecipes

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Pan-Grilled Thai Tuna Salad

Plan a festive, colorful dinner of lightly-seared tuna steaks in about ten minutes.

Ingredients

Cooking spray $

2 (6-ounce) Yellowfin tuna steaks (about 1 inch thick)

1/4 teaspoon salt $

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

4 cups thinly sliced napa (Chinese) cabbage 



 

1 cup thinly sliced cucumber

1/2 cup matchstick-cut carrots $

1/3 cup presliced red onion $

1 navel orange, sectioned and chopped $

1 tablespoon sugar $

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro $

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice $

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste) or Sriracha (hot chile sauce, such as Huy Fong) 

Preparation

1. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle fish evenly with salt and pepper. Add fish to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Transfer to a cutting board.

2. Combine cabbage and next 4 ingredients (through orange) in a large bowl. Combine sugar and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Reserve 1 tablespoon dressing. Drizzle remaining dressing over salad; toss gently to coat. Divide salad mixture evenly between 2 plates. Cut each tuna steak across the grain into 1/4-inch slices; arrange over salad mixture. Drizzle 1 1/2 teaspoons reserved dressing over each serving.

For dessert: Spoon 1/2 cup coconut sorbet into each of 2 dessert bowls; top each serving with 2 tablespoons diced peeled mango and 1 tablespoon toasted flaked sweetened coconut.

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Cheesesteak-Style Sandwiches

 

Recipe Time

Prep: 10 Minutes

Cook: 15 Minutes

Broil: 3 Minutes

 

Ingredients

1 medium-size sweet onion, sliced $

1 small red bell pepper, sliced

1 small green bell pepper, sliced $

1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil $

1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 cooked and shredded Slow-cooker Pot Roast

 

5 (6-inch) hoagie rolls, split

10 provolone cheese slices (about 6 oz.) $

2 cups Slow-cooker Pot Roast gravy

Potato chips $

Garnish: banana peppers

Preparation

1. Sauté first 3 ingredients in hot oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 15 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with Creole seasoning and Worcestershire sauce.

2. Spoon shredded pot roast and bell pepper mixture evenly onto bottoms of split rolls, and top with provolone cheese; replace tops of split rolls. Place sandwiches on a baking sheet.

3. Broil 6 inches from heat 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese is melted and top of rolls are toasted.


4. Microwave Slow-cooker Pot Roast gravy in a glass measuring cup at HIGH 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve sandwiches with gravy for dipping and potato chips. Garnish, if desired

Saurce: myrecipes

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Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake

Savor all the rich flavor of cheesecake but with less fat and calories as in this lightened verson of Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake.

Ingredients

Cooking spray $

9 chocolate graham crackers, broken into pieces 

 

3 tablespoons vegetable oil $

2 tablespoons water 

 

1 1/4 cups (6 ounces) fresh or frozen and defrosted raspberries 

 

1 1/4 cups sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, divided $

2 (8-ounce) blocks 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened $

2 (8-ounce) tubs fat-free cream cheese, softened $

1 cup reduced-fat sour cream $

2 large eggs $

3 large egg whites $

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour $

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 

 

2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lemon zest $

1/4 teaspoon salt $

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until finely ground. Add oil and water; pulse until clumps form. Press crumbs into bottom and 1 inch up side of pan. Bake until fragrant (about 10 minutes). Cool on rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325°.
2. Process raspberries in food processor with 2 tablespoons sugar until smooth. Strain purée into a small saucepan. Boil mixture for 3 minutes, until slightly thickened. Cool to room temperature.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and remaining 1 1/4 cups sugar until smooth (about 5 minutes). Add sour cream and beat until just combined. Add eggs then egg whites, one at a time, beating after each addition to incorporate. Add flour, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt, and mix until combined.



4. Pour batter into prepared pan, then place cheesecake into a roasting pan. Drop teaspoons of raspberry purée all over top of cheesecake. Using a wooden skewer or knife, swirl the purée. Place roasting pan in oven and add hot water to roasting pan to a depth of 2 inches.

5. Bake until cake is set but the center still jiggles (about 1 hour, 10 minutes). Turn off oven. Cool cheesecake in closed oven for 30 minutes. Remove springform pan from water bath. Run a knife around inside edge of pan; cool to room temperature. Chill until firm (at least 6 hours) before unmolding.

 Saurce: myrecipes

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Cheesecake-Stuffed Luscious Lemon Cake

 

Tantalize dinner guests and party-goers alike with this ultra-decadent layered lemon cake that starts with a cake mix and is filled with chopped frozen cheesecake and white chocolate and topped with lemon curd and berries.

Ingredients

1 (18.25-oz.) package white cake mix

1 (3.4-oz.) package vanilla instant pudding mix

3 large eggs $

1 1/4 cups milk $

1 cup canola oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 (4-oz.) white chocolate bar, finely chopped

2 tablespoons grated lemon rind (about 2 large lemons) $

3 (16-oz.) cans homestyle cream cheese frosting

1 (19-oz.) package frozen cheesecake with strawberry topping, finely diced (we tested with Sara Lee)

2 cups fresh raspberries, divided

1 (10-oz.) jar premium lemon curd

1 cup fresh strawberries, halved

Fresh mint sprigs 

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Beat first 6 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer 1 minute; beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Fold in chopped chocolate and lemon rind. Pour batter into 2 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans.
3. Bake at 350° for 30 to 32 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely. Wrap and chill cake layers at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
4. Using a serrated knife, slice cake layers in half horizontally to make 4 layers. Place 1 layer, cut side up, on cake plate. Spread with 1/2 cup cream cheese frosting; sprinkle with one-third of chopped cheesecake and 1/2 cup raspberries. Repeat procedure twice. Place final cake layer on top of cake, cut side down. Spread remaining frosting on top and sides of cake. Cover and chill in refrigerator until ready to serve. Store in refrigerator.
5. Just before serving, drizzle lemon curd over cake. Garnish with remaining raspberries, strawberries, and mint sprigs.

Note:

If the lemon curd is a bit too thick to drizzle over the frosted cake, microwave it at HIGH for 30 seconds. Stir the warm lemon curd, and drizzle over cake using a small spoon.

Saurce : myrecipes

 

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Make-Ahead Baking: Baked Doughnuts

I’m not one to turn down day-old doughnuts, but there’s nothing like a fresh, warm doughnut. I’m partial to the yeast variety—a buttery dough lightened with perfectly distributed pockets of air. I like to make them on chilly weekends to serve alongside a hot cup of coffee. Most recently, I baked these currant doughnuts, spiced with a generous grating of nutmeg and hint of cinnamon.

If you’ve never made a yeast dough before, the recipe might look intimidating. Just take it step by step and you’ll find that little of the four hours of prep is active—you’re mostly just giving the yeast time to do its thing. It breaks down simply to:

1. Activate the yeast (pictured above)
2. Mix the dough, then let it rise (pictured below).
3. Punch down the dough, and let the dough rise again.
4. Shape the doughnuts, and let them rise one last time.
5. Bake.
6. Brush with butter, coat with sugar, and serve.

Because there’s a good chance you’ll want to eat these in the morning, and an even better chance you don’t want to get up at 4 a.m., it’s helpful to know you can do all the steps through shaping the night before. Just cover the baking sheets with plastic wrap, refrigerate overnight, and then bring them to room temperature for the final rise in the morning.

I didn’t deviate from the recipe except to prepare the recipe for baking ahead of time and to use some vanilla sugar I made several weeks ago for the crunchy coating. Speaking of which, do not skip the melted butter and sugar finish. Baked doughnuts need this last touch to be a treat rather than bread. I loved the vanilla sugar here, but you could also add some cinnamon and nutmeg to reinforce the flavors in the dough.

That sweet, crunchy blanket gives way to a fluffy, yeasty interior. The currants are little fruity bonuses throughout. I can’t think of a better way to start the weekend.

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