Entertaining

Martha Stewart’s Yellow Layer Cake with Vanilla Frosting

Perfect, simple yellow layer cake, with just-sweet-enough frosting. You probably already have the ingredients on hand, and it comes together quickly.

Martha is an institution for a reason.

Do yourself a favor: step away from the boxed cake mix. You don’t need it. And this is way better.

You’re welcome.

Yellow Layer Cake with Vanilla Frosting

From Martha Stewart Living

Cake:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, plus more
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
5 cups (approx) confectioner’s sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8″ round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment; butter parchment as well.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat together butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Add eggs and beat well, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture, beating until combined. Add milk and vanilla and beat until just combined.

Divide batter between pans; smooth tops with an offset spatula. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, 33 to 35 minutes. Let cakes cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks to cool completely.

Beat together butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to medium. Add confectioner’s sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Add salt, milk, and vanilla and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. If not using immediately, cover surface of frosting with plastic wrap. Make ahead: Frosting can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 week. Before using, bring to room temperature, then beat on low speed until smooth.

Place 1 cake layer on a cake plate. Spread 1 cup frosting on top. Place remaining cake layer on top. Spread top and sides of cake with remaining frosting, swirling to coat in a decorative fashion. (If frosting is too soft, refrigerate to firm up.) Make ahead: Cake can be covered with a cake dome and refrigerated overnight. Bring cake to room temperature before serving.

Corn Risotto-Stuffed Poblanos

One of my fabulous Christmas gifts was the new cookbook from one of my favorite food bloggers, Deb Perlman at Smitten Kitchen. Only problem is, I hadn’t actually gotten around to using this delightful gift.

For shame!

Enter stuffed poblano peppers. Amidst a couple hundred pages of gorgeous pictures, these appetizers jumped out to me. I served them with make-your-own nachos for an Easter egg decorating party.

The peppers are charred and peeled, and then stuffed with a nontraditional risotto that’s just different enough to work. The salty-sweet filling — beer, corn, cheese, and cilantro — cuts the spice of the peppers.

Be careful when handling the peppers. Carefully remove the seeds, and remember not to touch your face. Wear gloves if you’re particularly sensitive.

Corn Risotto-Stuffed Poblanos

Adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, by Deb Perlman

Yield: 3 main dish servings or 6 appetizer servings

6 large poblano peppers
4 cups vegetable stock
2 Tbs olive oil, plus a little more
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 cups arborio or other short-grained rice
1/2 cup beer, light or medium in color
1 cup fresh corn kernels or frozen, defrosted kernels
1 1/2 oz Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1/4 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 c crumbled queso fresco (substitute ricotta salata, feta, or other crumbly cheese)
2 Tbs sour cream mixed with 2 tsp milk and a pinch of salt
2 Tbs chopped cilantro

Preheat a grill or broiler. Lightly brush clean, dry chilies with oil. Place the chilies 3-4 inches under the broiler or over the hottest part of the fire. Allow the peppers to char to black in spots, turning as necessary to char all surfaces. Remove and place in a heatproof bowl. Cover with a plate or lid for 5 minutes. (Do not leave covered for longer, or the peppers will continue to cook in their own steam.)

Remove the bowl cover and allow the peppers to cool to room temperature. Slip off the skins. Using your finger or a knife, open one side and remove seeds and membranes. Keep the stems intact.

In a 1 1/2 quart saucepan, heat the stock to a low simmer. On a separate burner, heat a larger saucepan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add oil and heat through; add onion and saute until softened and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the rice and stir for a minute or two until it becomes lightly toasty. Pour in the beer, scraping up any stuck bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the beer simmer for roughly a minute; it will mostly disappear.

Ladle 1 cup of warm stock into rice, and simmer until the liquid is fully absorbed. Add remaining stock, 1/2 cup at a time, allowing stock to flly absorb before adding more and stirring often. With the final addition of stock, add the corn. The total cooking time is about 30 minutes. The risotto should be creamy and tender, and a little bit thicker than a standard risotto. Stir in the cheese, salt, and pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste. Remove risotto from heat.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Fill each pepper with risotto and arrange tightly in a baking dish. Sprinkle with queso fresco. Bake for 10-15 minutes until bronzed on top.

In a small dish, whisk together sour cream, milk and salt. Drizzle over hot chiles. Garnish with cilantro. Serve hot.

Sausage Breakfast Casserole

Sometimes I wonder if I’m the only one in the DC metro area who doesn’t love brunch. It’s not that I hate brunch — really, I don’t — I just don’t see what the big deal is.

Whenever I go out for brunch, I can’t shake the feeling I’m being herded through like cattle. The restaurants are overcrowded and understaffed. I don’t feel like I have time to taste my food, let alone enjoy a leisurely meal or enjoy the conversation. Sometimes I don’t think the wait staff even refills my water… because I haven’t had enough time to drink it.

Maybe my problem with brunch isn’t brunch so much as it’s going out for brunch. I enjoy a hearty breakfast after my Sunday morning BODYPUMP class, especially if it involves something I can’t readily make on a weekday before work. And I love the company.

So when a work trip was unexpectedly canceled and I found myself hosting a friend for Easter, brunch seemed like the ideal choice. This casserole comes together quickly the night before, and falls somewhere between a bread pudding and egg casserole. I served it with a spinach salad, a bowl of fresh strawberries, and mimosas. We decorated a bunny cake, watched a movie, and caught up on life. If you ask me, as holidays go, this one was pretty perfect.

Sausage Breakfast Casserole

Yield: 4-5 servings

8 oz. ciabatta bread, cut into 1″ cubes
1 lb. pork breakfast sausage (or substitute turkey)
1 1/4 cup milk
6 eggs + enough egg whites to make 1 1/2 cups
4 oz. extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400°.

Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 8 minutes or until toasted.

Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Remove any casings from sausage and add to pan. Cook 6 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. (If using turkey sausage, you may need to add a little grease to your pan.)

Combine sausage and bread in a large bowl. Combine milk, cheese, eggs and salt and pepper in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add milk mixture to bread mixture, tossing to coat bread. Spoon mixture into a 2-quart baking dish generously coated with cooking spray. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°. Uncover casserole. Toss the ingredients. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until set and lightly browned. Serve immediately, and store any leftovers in the refrigerator.