Sandra Lees Strawberries And Cream Cake Recipes

ULTIMATE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• For the cakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease four 12- by 8- by 1-inch baking pans with cooking spray and line with parchment paper.
• Prepare the dark chocolate cake according to package directions, using 1/4 cup canola oil and 3 eggs, and substituting the chocolate milk for the liquid. Bake in 2 of the prepared pans. Cool and remove the cakes from the pans.
• Prepare the milk chocolate cake according to package directions, using the remaining 1/4 cup canola oil and 3 eggs, and substituting the cream soda for the liquid. Bake in the remaining 2 pans. Cool and remove the cakes from the pans.
• While the cakes are baking, make the frostings.
• For the milk chocolate frosting: Using an electric hand mixer, beat together the softened butter, softened cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder and chocolate milk.
• For the dark chocolate frosting: Using an electric hand mixer, beat together the softened butter, confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder and chocolate fudge sundae topping.
• For the chocolate glaze: Place the chocolate chips in a medium microwave-safe bowl and set aside. In a small saucepan, combine the cream and corn syrup. Cook over medium heat just until boiling. Pour over chocolate chips and stir until completely smooth. If not completely smooth, microwave on medium setting (50 percent power) for 2 minutes. Cool about 5 minutes or until the mixture thickens.
• Cut each cake in half horizontally, to make 8 even layers. Place a dark cake layer onto a serving platter and frost the top only with some dark chocolate frosting. Place a milk chocolate cake layer on top and frost the top only with the milk chocolate frosting. Continue until you have 8 layers. Don't frost the top layer. Carefully pour the glaze over the cake, coating the top and letting it drip down the sides.

CHEESECAKE PETIT FOURS WITH CREAMY STRAWBERRY GLAZE

Steps:

• Place cheesecake in freezer until partially frozen, about 3 to 4 hours.
• Using your cookie cutters, press out mini cheesecakes and place on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper. To smooth the sides of the cheesecake, you may dip a small knife into hot water. Place cakes in the refrigerator.
• In a medium saucepan, heat jam, sugar, cream cheese, and lemon juice over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and ingredients are fully combined. Once dissolved, whisk ingredients to combine. Let mixture come to a rapid boil and continue cooking for 5 minutes; the mixture should coat the back of a spoon. Let cool for 2 to 3 minutes and then strain. Pour glaze over cheesecakes and let set. For a professional look, transfer glaze to a squeeze bottle and pipe a star shape over cheesecakes.
• Place icing in a large resealable plastic bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe icing over cheesecakes. Garnish with strawberries and mint.

SAMBUCA CAKE WITH STRAWBERRIES, WHIPPED CREAM AND SHAVED CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Place 2-inch-thick slices of pound cake on dessert plates. Douse cake slices with sambuca or other anise liqueur.
• Slice berries and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons sugar, then toss and reserve.
• Beat whipping cream with 2 tablespoons sugar with a hand mixer until soft peaks form.
• Top cake with berries and drizzle with zigzags of syrup. Top cake and berries with whipped cream. Using a vegetable peeler, shave dark chocolate over each dessert plate and serve.

SHORTCAKES WITH WARM STRAWBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• For Biscuits:
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Stir together baking mix, melted butter and cranberry juice in a large bowl, until a soft dough forms. Drop in 4 even mounds onto the baking sheet. Sprinkle the tops with sugar and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and cool completely.
• For Strawberry Sauce:
• In a medium bowl whisk together sugar, cornstarch and cranberry juice. In a large skillet combine strawberries with cornstarch mixture. Stir together and bring to a simmer over medium heat making sure to stir often. Turn down heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
• For Serving:
• In a large mixing bowl that has been chilled, combine the heavy cream and powdered sugar and beat with a hand mixer until soft peaks form.
• To serve, cut each cooled shortcake in half horizontally and place bottoms on serving plates. Spoon a few tablespoons of the warm strawberry sauce over each of the shortcake bottoms. Place shortcake tops on fruit. Spoon on a little more strawberry sauce and top with whipped topping.
• In the bowl of a food processor combine flour, baking powder and salt. Pulse for 15 seconds. Add shortening and pulse until mixture is similar in texture to cornmeal. If you do not have a food processor shift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Cut in the shortening with a fork or pastry blender until mixture is similar in texture to cornmeal.
• Use in recipes that call for Bisquick or all-purpose baking mix.

STRAWBERRY AND CREAM LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Fill a small saucepan with about 1 inch of water and set over medium heat until the water steams.
• Meanwhile, coarsely chop about a quarter of the strawberries and combine in a medium heatproof bowl with the sugar. Cover the bowl tightly and set it over the saucepan. Reduce the heat if necessary to keep the water just below a simmer and allow the berries to sit, swirling the bowl once or twice to dissolve any stubborn sugar clumps, until they've released all their juices, are mushy, and swim in a translucent red liquid, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat, uncover and strain through a fine-mesh strainer. (You should have 1/2 to 3/4 cup of strawberry syrup.) The mushy berries will have given off their color and flavor, and even though you won't use them in the cake, they're still tasty. Reserve the berries for spooning over pancakes or yogurt.
• In a separate medium bowl, combine the heavy cream, crème fraîche and salt. Whisk the mixture vigorously by hand, or beat with a hand mixer on medium-high, until thick, light and holding a medium peak. Chill the bowl of whipped cream. Thinly slice the remaining raw strawberries lengthwise.
• Invert the sponge cake on a flat serving plate or cake stand. Holding a long serrated knife horizontally and parallel to the work surface, use it to lightly score all around the side of the cake at the midway point. Then, using long, even strokes and still holding the knife parallel to the surface, slice clean through the cake, using the score marks as a guide, to cut it into two even layers. Set the top layer aside.
• Use a pastry brush to dab several tablespoons of the strawberry syrup across the bottom layer, lightly soaking the entire surface. Pull the bowl of cream from the refrigerator and dollop about half of it across the soaked layer, then spread in an even layer all the way to the edges. Arrange half of the sliced strawberries on top of the cream, then place the second cake layer on top of the first, cut side up. Lightly soak the top layer of cake with the strawberry syrup, reserving any remaining syrup for serving. Spread the remaining cream on top of the cake, then pile the remaining sliced strawberries over top. (If not serving immediately, cover loosely and refrigerate until ready to serve.)
• Slice the cake with a serrated knife and serve. Drizzle the slices with any remaining strawberry syrup. The cake is best served the day it's made, but will keep, covered and chilled, for up to 3 days.