Maida Heatter’s Cakes

by Maida Heatter

Price: $19.99
ISBN-13: 9781449401146
ISBN-10: 1449401147
Size: 7 x 9 in.
Page Count: 368 pages

“A recipe for moist, flavourful banana bread is a find. A half-dozen of them, all in one book, is a discovery. And if they all come together quickly with wonderful results, well, that’s a gold mine. Maida Heatter’s Cakes has no pictures, no fancy ingredients, no special techniques — only recipes. Each begins with a brief introduction, and each is backed by Heatter’s reputation as the doyenne of desserts. But a closer look reveals an enticing depth of variety for cakes — plain, fancy, chocolate, with fruit, with vegetables, with yeast, cheesecakes and baked breads. One thing is very clear after six days of harried baking: Everything turned out. Everything was delicious.” ––The Province http://bit.ly/kIiaw6

“It would be too easy to say that Maida Heatter epitomizes that “gets better with age” adage like a fine wine, and I have a feeling she has always been pretty fantastic to chat with, anyway. She’s not half bad with a brownie, either. If only we can all be so graceful — and hilarious — about our key lime pie presidential moments at a youthful 95.” ––Eat History http://bit.ly/megEXA

“The book is not encyclopedic, but definitely comprehensive with over 175 classic recipes and a primer on cake making basics. Cake recipes are divided into 10 categories including plain cakes, chocolate cakes, layer cakes, fancy cakes, cheesecakes, fruit and nut cakes, cakes with fruit or vegetables, yeast cakes, muffins and cupcakes, sweet breads and gingerbreads. There is also a bonus recipe section for ice cream lovers. Every category has numerous cakes that sound devilishly delicious.” ––Bite Club Eats http://bit.ly/hbIgsg

Cake
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
²⁄3 cup granulated sugar
¾ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ounce (¼ stick) unsalted butter, melted
½ cup walnuts, broken into medium-size pieces

Topping
¹⁄3 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
½ cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
2 teaspoons granular instant coffee
1 cup water

Variations of this recipe pop up in many areas of the country under many different names: Chocolate Upside-Down Cake, Chocolate Sauce Pudding, Chocolate Pudding Cake, Hot Fudge Sauce Cake, to name a few. In most cases, whatever the name, you will have a square pan of chocolate cake floating in a rather thin, dark chocolate syrup; both the cake and the syrup are spooned out together and served like a pudding with a sauce.

This Missouri recipe is similar, but is something else. It is a small, shallow square upside-down cake which, when it is turned onto a cake plate, covers itself with a thick layer of dark chocolate topping that resembles nothing I can think of. The topping is as dark and shiny as black patent leather, as tender and semi-firm as a pot de crème, and as mocha-chocolate flavored as you might weave dreams about.

The topping and the cake are baked together. Sensationally quick/easy/foolproof. This is wonderful just as soon as it has barely cooled, or it can wait hours, or it can be frozen.

Cake

Adjust a rack one-third up from the bottom of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°. Butter a shallow 8-inch square cake pan and set aside.

Sift together into the small bowl of an electric mixer the flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa, and sugar. Add the milk, vanilla, and melted butter, and beat until smooth and slightly pale in color. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Stir in the nuts. Turn into the buttered pan and smooth the top. Let stand.

Topping

In a small, heavy saucepan combine all the ingredients. Stir over rather high heat until the sugars melt and the mixture comes to a full boil.

Gently ladle the boiling hot mixture all over the cake batter.

Bake for 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted gently into the cake comes out clean. (During baking the topping will sink to the bottom.) Set aside to cool in the pan.

When the cake has cooled, cover with a square or oblong serving plate or a cutting board. Holding them firmly together, turn the pan and the plate over. If the cake does not slide out of the pan easily (and it probably will not), hold the plate and the pan firmly together upside down and tap them on the work surface. Now the cake will come out, and it will be covered with the topping, some of which will still be in the pan; use a rubber spatula to remove it all and put it on the cake. Smooth the top gently or pull the topping up into uneven peaks.

Serve immediately or let stand all day or freeze. (If you freeze this do not cover with plastic wrap; the topping never does freeze hard and plastic wrap will stick to it. Just cover the whole thing with an inverted box deep enough so it doesn’t touch the cake.) Freezing diminishes the flavor of all foods, especially this. Although this can be served frozen, it has more flavor if it is brought to room temperature.

This cake does not need a thing but a plate and fork. However, if you are serving it for a birthday party or some other festivity, ice cream is wonderful with it.

First published in 1997, Maida Heatter’s Cakes has never gone out of style. The book is a “best of” collection of 175 of Maida’s most beloved cake recipes, compiled from her previous cookbooks.

Beginners and experienced bakers alike can expect sweet success with Maida’s precise, foolproof recipes and sage advice. Maida Heatter’s Cakes is packed with 13 chapters on all things cake such as Cake-Making Basics; Chocolate Cakes; Fancy Cakes; Muffins, Cupcakes, and Tassies; Cheesecakes; and much more. Recipes such as Old-Fashioned Coconut Cake, Triple-Threat Cheesecake, and Mocha Chip Chiffon Cake will have cooks’ mouths watering and taste-testers clamoring for another slice!