Desserts

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.

Rhubarb Sorbet

Rhubarb is one of my favorite spring treats, but it’s been scarce in my neighborhood markets this year.

I was able to snag a couple of stalks at a farmer’s market recently — not enough for pie or crisp, but enough to satisfy my sweet tooth with a batch of sorbet. Frozen rhubarb will also work well for this recipe. For the best color, look for bright pink or red stalk.

This is recipe is very flexible with whatever fruit and juice you have on hand. I like the combination of rhubarb and strawberries because they have similar growing seasons, and in-season strawberries are sweet enough that I can pull back on the sugar.

Rhubarb Sorbet

Makes about 2 cups

4 cups chopped rhubarb, or a combination of rhubarb and strawberries (about 1 1/4 lbs)
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, or another favorite juice
1/2 cup water
Up to 2/3 cup sugar, to taste

Combine ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Place mixture in a blender and process until smooth. Pour into a bowl; refrigerate 2 hours until thoroughly chilled.

Pour mixture into the freezer can of an ice cream freezer; freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. Meanwhile, place a freezer-safe bowl in a freezer for 10 minutes.

Spoon sorbet into bowl; cover and freeze for 4 hours or until firm. Garnish with mint or citrus rind, if desired.

Grasshopper Pie

Once upon a time, there was a redhead caught between a red-eye from the West Coast, a fire drill at her big-girl job, and a P!nk concert. She was organizing an International Pi(e) Day party for her office the next day, but there was no rhubarb at the sad excuse for a grocery store down the street. No strawberry rhubarb pie, kids.

Sometimes, that’s the way the cookie crumbles. And in this case, the cookie crumbled quite nicely in her favor.

Last week I was eating dinner at Jackson 20, which is featuring Grasshopper Pie on its dessert menu right now. It brought back a wave of memories from childhood Christmases and St. Patrick’s Days.

While I’m pretty sure the version from my childhood included Cool Whip, this version from The Pioneer Woman tastes like it came right out of the 1980s.

Oreos, cream, marshmallows, booze, and about 20 minutes of prep work. Exactly what this busy redhead needed.

Happy St. Patty’s Day!

~Red

Grasshopper Pie

from The Pioneer Woman

Serves 12

18 Oreos, divided
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 jar marshmallow creme or
24 marshmallows
2/3 cup Half & Half
2 tablespoons or more Crème De Menthe or other mint liqueur (green or clear)
2 tablespoons Crème De Cacao or other chocolate liqueur
Green food coloring, if desired
1 cup heavy cream

In a food processor, pulse 16 Oreos and butter until you have coarse crumbs, and press into the bottom and sides of a pie plate. Set in the freezer while preparing the filling. (Alternatively, you can use a pre-made Oreo crust.)

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt marshmallows and Half & Half, stirring constantly. As soon as it’s melted, place the mix over a bowl of ice water to chill, continuing to stir. When the mixture is cool, stir in liquers. Taste, and add more Crème de Menthe if you want a more intense flavoring. If you want a more intense green coloring, add a couple drops of green food coloring. Beat cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Fold in marshmallow sauce.

Pour into the pan (depending on the size of your pan, you might have a little bit of filling left over). Crush the remaining 2 Oreos and sprinkle on top.

Freeze until very firm, at least 2 hours. Remove from freezer 10-15 minutes before serving.