Lemon Meringue Cake

Lemon meringue pie with a slice removed.

This Lemon Meringue Cake is an absolutely delicious variation on the pie of the same name. In this cake version, soft butter sponge cake is layered with tangy, rich lemon curd, covered with Italian Meringue then browned with a kitchen torch. A stainless steel cake ring provides structure for the cake as it is being…

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Butter Sponge Cake

A bundt cake with powdered sugar on top.

PRINT Butter Sponge Cake Yield: One 8-inch cake # of Servings: 12 Difficulty: Moderate Ingredients: 8 tbl (4 oz / 113 g) butter, room temperature1 ¾ cup +2 tsp (3.6 oz / 102 g) pastry flour, sifted1 tbl + 2 tsp (.5 oz / 14 g) potato starch or cornstarch 6 large egg yolks1 ½…

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Butter Sponge Cake

A round baked sponge cake on a rack.

Basic yellow cake is the foundation of a multitude of layer cakes in both the American and European baking traditions. In America, it is the creaming method yellow cake, rich with butter, eggs and milk and baking powder as the leavening agent.  In France, it is the Genoise, where whole eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract…

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Lemon Curd

A bundt cake with powdered sugar on top.

PRINT Lemon Curd Yield: 1 pint # of Servings: 12 Difficulty: Moderate Ingredients ¾ cup (6 fl oz) fresh lemon juice2 ¼ tsp grated lemon rind1 cup (7 oz / 198 g) sugar9 large egg yolks 12 tbl (6 oz / 170 g) butter, cold, cut into cubes Special tools and equipment:   Pre-recipe preparations: Directions 

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Lemon Curd

Yellow custard in a glass bowl.

Lemon curd is a wonderful lemony, smooth, rich mixture that is used in tarts, cakes, or simply as a delicious accompaniment to scones. Traditional recipes called for a double boiler, but we found that the cooking process could be expedited by cooking over a direct flame in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.  Print Lemon Curd Yield: 1…

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The Friday Baking Project
Miriam Torte

A chocolate cake with raspberries on top of it.

PRINT Miriam Torte Yield: 1 8†cake # of Servings: 10 Difficulty: Moderate Ingredients: 10 oz chocolate, 61% to 64%, wafers or chopped into pieces1 ¼ cup (10 fl oz) heavy cream 1 recipe Nut Torte ¾ cup raspberry preserves Finishing: Special tools and equipment: Pre-recipe preparations: Directions Day 1: Make the ganache: Bake the…

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Miriam Torte

A chocolate ganache cake topped with fresh raspberries arranged in a circular pattern on a white plate.

I love the idea of using an existing cake as a foundation for new desserts. With that in mind, for this Passover, I transformed the unadorned Nut Torte from 2022 into a chic, delicious dessert that will be a wow-inducing finale to a Seder meal. The Nut Torte itself is a delightful blend of almond…

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Apricot Hazelnut Torte

Close-up of a freshly baked apricot almond tart dusted with powdered sugar, served on a white plate.

PRINT Apricot Hazelnut Torte Yield: 1 9″ cake # of Servings: 8 to 10 Difficulty: Easy Ingredients:The apricots:1 ¼ cup (9.2 oz / 261 g) dried apricots1 tbl (.45 oz / 13 g) light brown sugar1 ½ cup (12 fl oz) cold water ½ tsp almond extractPinch of salt ⅓ cup (2.25 oz / 63…

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Chocolate Nut Layer Cake

A chocolate cake topped with swirls of chocolate frosting, presented on a white plate.

PRINT Chocolate Nut Layer Cake Yield: 1 8†cake # of Servings: 8 to 10  Difficulty: Moderate Ingredients:Ganache: 1 lb. chocolate, 61% to 64%, wafers, or chopped into pieces1 pint (16 fl oz) heavy cream Cake:1 recipe Nut Torte D©cor:1 cup (4 oz / 113 g) chopped sliced almonds Special tools and equipment:  Pre-recipe preparations:…

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