Mad About Maida

Devil's Food Cake Source:  Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1999 ed.) , pg. 56. What a beautiful cake this turned out to be!  I thought it was delicious as well - a traditional devil's food cake that is light and subtle. The sweet frosting provides a nice contrast and together they are the perfect match. This calls for three 8" layers so it is a very tall cake. The chocolate curls are optional and I added them at the last minute. This cake will not freeze well because of the 7-minute icing. I had too much cake and not enough people to eat it. I ended up taking it to work on Monday. 3 oz. unsweetened chocolate 2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour 2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 lb (1 stick) butter 2 tsp. vanilla extract 2 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, firmly packed 3 eggs 1/2 cup buttermilk 1 cup boiling water Preheat the oven to 375, adjusting rack to the center of the oven. Butter 3 round 8" cake pans and dust t...

I made this our friend's daughter McKenzie, who had a birthday a few days ago. She likes coffee-flavored desserts. The cake is light as a feather and even the cream frosting and filling seems light (but obviously not).  I was pleased with this cake and it is one that I will make again. I thought about using expresso powder instead of coffee to make the cake richer in that flavor but I'm glad I stuck to the recipe. The coffee flavor is just right and a perfect compliment to the cake.  The garnish is simply chocolate curls that are easy to do. Just get a large bar of Hershey's chocolate (keep it at room temperature) and use a potato/fruit peeler to make the curls.  Coffee Cream Sponge Cake Source:  Maida Heatter's Cakes (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed.) , pg. 127. 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1 TBS. instant coffee 1/4 cup boiling water 3 eggs, separated 1 cup granulated sugar 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 1/4 tsp. sa...

Lemon Cream Cheese Pie Source:  Maida Heatter's Pies & Tarts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg.74. Here is an easy recipe that is quick to put together - just remember to have your cream cheese at room temperature. It is creamy smooth and the topping is very tart from the addition of sour cream. However, when combined with the lemon filling, it is quite tasty. As I've mentioned previously, the crumb recipe is time consuming so if you prefer, you can use a faster crumb recipe or even a bought one. Crumb Crust 1 1/4 graham cracker crumbs 1 TBS. granulated sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. nutmeg 1/2 tsp. ground ginger Pinch of allspice 3 oz. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted  Mix together the above ingredients and follow the directions for a crumb crust using a 9-inch pie plate. Filling Finely grated rind of 1 lemon 3 TBS. lemon juice 3/4 cup creamed cottage cheese or ricotta cheese (large or small curd, regular or low fat) 8 oz. ...