Big Daddys Cake Recipes

BIG DADDY'S CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Adjust a rack one-third up from the bottom of the oven and preheat to 350°. Very generously butter a 10-inch bundt pan (even if it has a non-stick finish). Coarsely break up half the pecans and set them aside. Chop the remaining pecans finely (or use the pre-chopped pecans sold in the baking aisle). Pieces should be about the size of rice. Reserve a few tablespoons of chopped nuts for garnish. Place the finely chopped nuts in the buttered pan, then turn the pan and shake it to coat it completely with nuts. Allow the excess nuts to stay in the bottom of the pan. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt, and set aside. Melt the chocolate with the coffee in the top of a double boiler. (See sidebar for detailed instructions if you've never used a double boiler.) Remove from heat and whisk briskly with a small wire whisk until smooth, then whisk in cream until it is fully incorporated and the mixture is once again smooth. Set aside. Beat the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until soft and smooth, then beat in vanilla and Amaretto (or almond extract) and sugar and beat for an additional 2 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in milk, then gradually add dry ingredients, beating on low speed. Note: after adding the milk, and even after adding dry ingredients, batter will have a curdled appearance. That's fine. Turn batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Drag a large spoon around the center of the batter to form a trench about 1/2" deep and 1 1/2" wide. Spoon the chocolate mixture into the trench, making sure it doesn't touch the sides or the tube. Sprinkle the reserved coarsely broken pecans all over the top of the batter (they can touch the sides). The fudge trench will sink while baking and disappear from the surface of the batter. Bake for 50 minutes, then cover loosely with foil and bake another 15 minutes, or until a long wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. During baking, a big crack will form in the center where the trench was. Cool 20 minutes. Then cover it with a large, flat plate and invert and remove bundt pan. If it doesn't come off on its own, you can re-invert it and very carefully loosen the cake from the pan with a flexible blade. Be very careful or the pecan crust will break away from the cake. While the cake is cooling, use the chocolate bowl over the double boiler to melt the glaze ingredients until smooth. Pour over the top of the cake, allowing the glaze to run down the sides unevenly. Serve at room temperature.

CHRISTINA'S DADDY'S CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Generously butter a 9-inch springform pan and dust the bottom and sides with the ground cornflakes. Wrap the pan in heavy-duty aluminum foil, then refrigerate the pan while preparing the batter.
• In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, cornstarch, orange and lemon extracts, and salt. Add 3 of the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition.
• Separate the remaining 2 eggs. Mix the yolks into the batter.
• In another bowl, with the mixer on low speed, beat the heavy cream, egg whites, and confectioners¿ sugar until combined. Stir the cream mixture into the batter, then strain through a fine mesh sieve into the chilled pan.
• Set the springform pan in a roasting pan and add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the springform. Cover the top with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 250 degrees F, uncover, and bake for 2 hours more. Increase the heat to 350 degrees F. and bake until light golden and set, about 10 minutes more.
• Place on a rack to cool completely, then refrigerate overnight.
• Release pan sides and transfer cheesecake to a platter.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch round cake pan with nonstick butter spray and line bottom with parchment.
• Put the chocolate, butter, vanilla and hazelnut liqueur in a large bowl on top of a double boiler. Stir the mixture frequently until combined and smooth. Remove the chocolate from heat and put the bowl into an "ice bath" to cool the chocolate.
• Cook's Note: This step is important so the eggs will not cook when added to the chocolate. Mix in the sugar and cocoa powder. Stir in the eggs and pour into the prepared cake pan. Put the cake pan on a sheet tray and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
• Remove the cake from the oven and invert onto a rack over a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Pour the ganache over the cake. Allow the cake to cool and set for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh berries and powdered sugar.
• Put the chocolate into a large bowl. Heat the cream in a small pot, over low heat, until hot to the touch. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Mix well with a rubber spatula until the chocolate melts.

BIG DADDY'S COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• Combine first 4 ingredients with a fork, add in oil and stir until crumbly. Set aside 7 ½ cups of this mixture in a separate bowl.
• In original bowl, add in the eggs and milk and stir or mix until well blended.
• Pour mixture into greased ½ cake sheet pan. For topping, add the remaining ingredients to the 7 ½ cups set aside earlier, chop butter into small pieces and combine, sprinkle over top of base cake mix, place in preheated 375° oven for approximately 40 to 45 minutes or until a knife comes out clean when inserted.
• Cool for 15 minutes, sprinkle top with powdered sugar.

DADDY'S BIRTHDAY CAKE - GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• 1. TO MAKE CAKE: Preheat oven to 325. Spray 3 8" round cake pans or 2 9" rounds with cooking spray and dust with cocoa. Shake excess out of pans.
• 2. Chop the Germans chocolate into 1" pieces. Place in a microwave-safe bowl and cook on high for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes stopping and stirring every 30 seconds until chocolate is melted.
• 3. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form and set aside.
• 4. Place sour cream and oil in a large mixing bowl. Mix till incorporated. Add pudding mix and melted chocolate and mix until all comes together. Then add cake mix and hot water. Mix together. Then add egg yolks one at a time. Beat on low until all ingredients are combined for about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and increase mixer speed to medium and beat 1 1/2 minutes longer. The batter should look smooth and thickened.
• 5. Fold in whipped egg whites.
• 6. Divide batter between pans and smooth tops.
• 7. Place pans side by side on the oven's middle rack. Bake 29 to 33 min or until done.
• 8. Transfer cakes in the pan to a wire rack. Let cool 5 minutes. Then turn out cakes right side up on the rack and let cool completely 20 minutes or longer.
• 9. TO MAKE FILLING: Spread coconut on one sheet pan and the chopped pecans on another. Toast in a 350 degree oven for 4 to 5 min just until light brown. Stir around coconut and pecans after about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes.
• 10. Place evaporated milk, sugar, butter, and egg yolks in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until thickened and golden brown in color 9this will take at least 15 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Let the filling cool 5 minutes.
• 11. After 5 minutes, fold in toasted pecans and coconut. Let cool for another 15 minutes or till room temperature.
• 12. TO MAKE CHOCOLATE GANACHE FROSTING: Place chopped semi-sweet chocolate in a large mixing bowl.
• 13. Pour cream into a small heavy saucepan and place over medium-high heat and bring to boil stirring constantly. Remove the cream from the heat and pour over chocolate pieces. Using a wooden spoon stir until chocolate is melted.
• 14. Stir in vanilla and let cool at room temperature 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• 15. Once the ganache is cool, whip with mixer for 1 to 2 minutes.
• 16. TO ASSEMBLE CAKE: If you baked 2 9" layers slice each layer in 1/2 to make 4 layers or if using 3 8" layers no need to slice.
• 17. Place bottom layer cut side up on cake plate spread 1 cup of filling over layer to edges. Place next layer cut side down, spread another cup of filling over layer repeat with final 2 layers. On the final layer on 8 or 9" cakes use the rest of the filling on the top spread to the edges of the cake.
• 18. Ice sides of with whipped ganache. Place ganache in a piping bag with a large star tip. Pipe a border around the bottom of the cake. Pipe rosettes around the top of the cake and one in the center. Place reserved pecan halves in rosettes.