The editors at Columbia Metropolitan Magazine were thrilled with the response to the request for cake recipes in this year’s Top Cake Contest. It seems that the Midlands is host to many exceptional amateur bakers! Thank you to everyone who shared their creations with us this year.
After thoughtful deliberation, we narrowed the entries down to our five favorites. Those contestants graciously agreed to share their delicious recipes with us so that our readers can bake and enjoy these cakes themselves. For those who would prefer to eat and not bake, we also will have samples of these masterpieces, baked by the original chefs, at the Central Carolina Food and Wine Festival Gala Event (see page 34 for more details). Visit the Columbia Metropolitan Magazine booth at the event on April 17 at the Medallion Center between 7 and 8:30 p.m. to vote for your favorite cake. We will announce the winner at 9 p.m.
The lucky winner will receive a glass cake plate with dome and a $75 gift certificate from Mary & Martha’s, a $100 gift certificate to Mr. Friendly’s, a fantastic bottle of wine from Morganelli’s, a stylish apron from Tiffany’s and a 2-year subscription to Columbia Metropolitan Magazine.
Lisa Hockenberry’s Blueberry-Lemon Pound Cake
Cake
2 cups (4 sticks) butter
3 cups white sugar
6 eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 pint blueberries
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 lemon, zested
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a Bundt pan and lightly coat with flour. In a large bowl or mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Beat in the flour alternately with the buttermilk, mixing just until incorporated.
Rinse blueberries and toss lightly in flour. Add vanilla, lemon zest and juice to batter. Gently mix. Delicately fold blueberries into batter.
Pour batter into Bundt pan. Tap pan on countertop to release any air bubbles in batter. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. After removing from the oven, immediately loosen cake edges with a knife. Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes. Put a large plate on top of Bundt pan. Flip over and remove cake from the pan.
Vanilla Lemon Glaze
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, zested
Mix ingredients in a small bowl until smooth and well blended.
To Assemble
Drizzle Vanilla Lemon Glaze over the top of warm cake. Sprinkle a little extra zest over top of cake and lightly dust with powdered sugar.
Amy Gilli’s Six Layer Coconut Cake
Filling
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1/4 cup sour cream
Stir cornstarch, water and vanilla in small bowl to dissolve cornstarch. Bring cream, sugar and butter to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Add cornstarch mixture and bring to boil. Remove from heat and stir in coconut. Cool completely. Mix in sour cream. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Lemon Curd
3 lemons
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
4 extra large eggs
1/2 cup lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons)
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Using a carrot peeler, remove the zest of 3 lemons, being careful to avoid the white pith. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add sugar and pulse until the zest is very finely minced into the sugar. Cream the butter and beat in the sugar and lemon mixture. Add eggs 1 at a time, then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined. Pour the mixture into a 2-quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. The lemon curd will thicken at about 170 degrees, or just below simmer. Remove from the heat and cool or refrigerate.
Cake
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
5 large eggs
1 1/3 cups whipping cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour three 9-inch round cake pans. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in another large bowl to blend. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in cream and vanilla. Stir flour mixture into butter mixture. Divide batter equally among pans. Bake until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool completely. Cakes can be prepared one day ahead and refrigerated until ready to use.
Seven Minute Frosting
5 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 large eggs whites at room temperature
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
Whisk first five ingredients together in a large, stainless-steel bowl. Set the bowl in a bain-marie (or use a double boiler). Beat on low speed until the mixture reaches 140 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Do not stop beating while the bowl is in the skillet, or the egg whites will be overcooked. Beat on high speed for exactly five minutes. Remove the bowl from the skillet and add vanilla, beating on high speed for two to three more minutes to cool. Note: this frosting is best used the day it is made; it will start to dissolve after 1 day.
To Assemble
Slice each cake layer in half to make 6 layers. To assemble cake, place 1 layer on cake plate and top with 1 cup of lemon curd. Add a second layer of cake and top with half the filling. Add a third layer of cake and top with 1 cup of lemon curd. Add a fourth layer of cake and top with the other half of the filling. Add a fifth layer of cake and top with remaining lemon curd. Add the final layer of cake on top. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake. Pat 4 cups toasted sweetened flaked coconut over top and sides, pressing gently to adhere. Cover and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.
Theresa Rhodes’s Luscious Lemonberry Cake
Cake
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 cups sugar
5 eggs, separated
3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon extract
2 cups cake flour or sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons grated lemon peel
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour (or non-stick spray) three 8-inch round cake pans. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in lemon juice and lemon extract until well blended. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add to mixture, alternating with buttermilk and beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Stir in lemon peel. In a separate bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 23 to 28 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in the center. Cool in pans on cooling rack for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans; cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Lemon Butter Cream Icing
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter
8 cups powdered sugar
4 to 6 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
4 tablespoons lemon peel
2 to 4 tablespoons half and half
In a large bowl, beat butter until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar (icing will be very dense). Beat in fresh lemon juice and lemon peel, starting with only 4 tablespoons of lemon juice and adding additional juice as needed for taste intensity. Finally, mix in half and half until icing has a smooth, spreadable consistency.
To Assemble
1/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves
fresh raspberries and mint leaves for garnish
Stir raspberry preserves until smooth; cover and set aside. To assemble cake, trim cake layers even. Place one layer, trimmed side down, on serving plate. Spread with 1/2 cup frosting, followed by an even amount of raspberry preserves. Repeat with next cake layer. Place final layer on top with trimmed side down. Spread top with 1/2 cup frosting, smoothing to form flat surface. Reserve 1/2 cup frosting for piping. Spread sides with remaining frosting. Place reserved frosting in small decorating bag fitted with small star tip. Pipe decorative edge around top and bottom edge of cake. Once complete, circle inside edge of piping on top of cake with fresh raspberries, allowing raspberries to touch. In center of cake, place 3 raspberries with mint for garnish.
Elizabeth Windley’s Neapolitan Cake
Chocolate Cake
1 cup all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
10 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
3 tablespoons semisweet chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk plus 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
Put a rack in the middle of an oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottoms of two 9- by 2-inch nonstick round cake pans with rounds of parchment paper. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt together into a bowl. In a separate bowl cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy, 4 or 5 minutes, with an electric mixer on medium-high speed. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until completely incorporated. Mix in the chocolate and vanilla, combining well. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the dry ingredients, alternating with the milk mixture, in 3 batches, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Make sure to let it mix thoroughly.
Pour half the batter in each pan and spread it evenly with a spatula. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the pans from oven and allow the cakes to cool for 10 minutes or so. Loosen the edges of the cakes from the pans with a knife and flip over onto flat surface. Remove the paper and let the cakes completely cool.
Strawberry Cake
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
10 tablespoons frozen strawberries with juice, thawed
1 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 pinch sea salt
1/2 cup milk plus 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
5 toothpick dips of rose food color gel, or until color you desire
3 egg whites
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, cream butter with sugar for 3 minutes. Add egg yolk, vanilla, then strawberries; beat for another 3 minutes. Sift next four ingredients in a bowl and add to butter/egg mixture alternately with milk mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined, then add food color. In another bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites till stiff. Fold gently into cake batter by thirds. Pour into two 9-inch round cake pans. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes.
Vanilla Butter Cream Icing
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
4 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
5 tablespoons heavy cream
Beat butter for a few minutes with a mixer on medium speed. Turn mixer on the lowest speed (so the sugar doesn’t blow everywhere) and add 3 cups of powdered sugar, mixing until incorporated. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and 2 tablespoons of cream; beat for 3 minutes. Add remaining sugar and mix on lowest speed. Add remaining cream and beat until mixed thoroughly.
To Assemble
Place chocolate layer on a cake plate and spread with icing. Continue with alternating layers of cakes, icing in between. Ice the top and sides of the cake, and decorate as desired.
Katie Evatt’s Carolina Cream Cake
Cake
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups of sugar
4 large eggs
2 3/4 cup Adluh All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup buttermilk
8 ounces sour cream
3 teaspoons caramel flavoring
1 teaspoons butter flavoring
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray three 9-inch round cake pans with Baker’s Joy baking spray. Cream together the butter and sugar in a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, blending just enough after each egg to incorporate the yolk into the butter and sugar. Scrape down the sides of the mixer and blend another 30 seconds. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, salt and baking powder. In another bowl, stir together buttermilk and sour cream. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures into mixer, starting and ending with the flour. Add flavorings and mix just until blended. Divide the batter among the three cake pans. Bake approximately 24 to 26 minutes. Cool cakes on wire racks in pans for 10 minutes before removing from pans.
Caramel Cream Filling
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 tablespoon corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
8-ounce container mascarpone cheese
While cakes are baking, add first six ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Cook on medium, stirring occasionally until mixture comes to a boil. Continue to cook another 4 minutes while mixture is boiling, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Cool mixture to room temperature before adding the mascarpone cheese.
Frosting
1 pint whipping cream
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons caramel flavoring
1 teaspoon butter flavoring
8-ounce container mascarpone cheese
1 3/4 cups ground Heath English Toffee Bits
To make frosting, whip cream on high speed in mixer until stiff. Add in the sugar and flavorings and blend on low speed. Stir in mascarpone cheese until combined.
Using a food processor, grind 1 1/2 cups of Heath English Toffee Bits until fine. Stir 1 cup ground toffee bits into frosting mixture. Reserve remainder.
To Assemble
Top the bottom layer with half of the filling and then sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the reserved ground toffee bits. Repeat for the second layer. Cover with top layer of cake. Frost top and sides with frosting and sprinkle top of cake with remaining 1/4 cup unground toffee bits. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Keep refrigerated.