My sister Alisa Romano is a masterful professional
baker with a restaurant in Miami, where she prepares the best home-style
treats. She has perfected this traditional recipe for marbled pound cake, a
vanilla cake with a dense, dark chocolate center. I pack it into my sons’ lunch
boxes for school, and they have been offered many bribes to share it. I like to
slice off a thick piece and cut it into bite-sized squares, saving the pieces
that have the most chocolate for last.
When I serve it to guests, I like to spoon some Berries with Lime
Syrup on the side of each slice.
·
½
pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan
·
1½
cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
·
1¼
cups granulated sugar
·
1
teaspoon vanilla extract
·
1
teaspoon baking powder
·
¼
teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
·
4
large eggs
·
½
cup sour cream
·
¼
cup hot water
·
¼ cup
unsweetened cocoa powder
·
Confectioners’
sugar for dusting (optional)
1.
Preheat
the oven to 350°F, with a rack in the middle. Butter a 9-x-5-inch loaf pan.
Line the bottom with parchment paper and butter the paper. Dust the pan lightly
with flour; set aside.
2.
In
a large bowl beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until
3.
creamy,
about 3 minutes. Add the sugar and continue beating until well combined and
fluffy, another 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and continue beating until well
incorporated, another minute.
4.
Sift
the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Break the eggs into another
bowl. Add half of the eggs and half of the sifted flour mixture to the butter
mixture, beating on medium-low speed until well combined and scraping down the
sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Repeat with the remaining
eggs and flour. Add the sour cream and continue beating until the batter is
smooth.
5.
In
a small bowl, combine the hot water with the cocoa powder. Pour half the cake
batter into another bowl and fold in the cocoa-water mixture with a rubber
spatula until thoroughly mixed.
6.
Spread
the vanilla batter in the loaf pan. Pour the chocolate batter on top, in a
straight line down the center. With a knife or spoon, make a whirling design
from one side of the pan to the other.
7.
Bake
the cake for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes
out clean. Transfer to a rack to cool.
8.
Invert
the cooled cake onto a rack, remove the parchment paper and invert again onto
a plate. Dust the top of the cake with confectioners’ sugar, if desired (I
always do), before slicing and serving.
MEXICAN COOK’S TRICK: You’ve probably noticed
that when you add cocoa powder to a batter, the cocoa dust flies everywhere.
So, depending on the recipe, I combine it with the dry ingredients or with hot
water. This way the dust settles and the water brings out and intensifies the
cocoa’s full flavor.
Tres Leches Cake :
Think of this as a Latin version of Italy’s tiramisu. A
sponge cake is soaked in a creamy vanilla sauce made from three milks
(condensed, evaporated, and whole—the tres leches) and refrigerated. This dessert lets you go as far as your
imagination can fly. Want to go down to the tropics? Switch the
evaporated milk for coconut milk. Feeling like chocolate? Mix in 4 ounces of
melted chocolate. Like a hint of alcohol? Add a couple of tablespoons of rum.
Finish it all off with a fluffy layer of whipped cream.
·
Unsalted
butter
Cake
·
9
large eggs, separated, at room temperature
·
1
cup granulated sugar
·
1
tablespoon vanilla extract
·
2
cups all-purpose flour
Sauce
·
1
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
·
1
12-ounce can evaporated milk
·
1
cup whole milk
·
1
tablespoon vanilla extract
Whipped Cream
·
2
cups heavy cream
·
¼
cup confectioners’ sugar
·
8
ounces strawberries or other berries (optional)
1.
To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F, with a rack in the middle. Butter a
9-x-13-inch baking pan and line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper.
2.
In
a large bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer on medium-high speed
for 4 to 5 minutes, or until they hold soft peaks. Reduce the speed to medium
and slowly add the sugar, beating until the whites hold stiff, shiny peaks; set
aside. Wash the beaters.
3.
Pour
the egg yolks into another large bowl and beat on medium-high speed until
fluffy and pale yellow, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and continue beating
for another minute.
4.
Gently
and slowly fold the egg yolk mixture into the egg white mixture, taking care
not to deflate the whites. Fold in the flour ¼ cup at a time, scraping the
bottom and sides of the bowl with the spatula to mix well. The batter will look
a bit streaky.
5.
Pour
the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in
the center comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes. The top of the cake should be
lightly browned and feel spongy to the touch. Place the pan on a wire rack to
cool.
6.
Invert
the cake onto a rack and remove the pan and parchment paper. Cover the cake
with an upside-down platter large enough to hold the cake and the sauce and
invert again so the cake is right side up. Using a fork, poke holes all over
the top of the cake, so it will absorb the sauce.
7.
To make the sauce: In a large bowl, combine the three milks and vanilla and stir to
blend well. Pour the sauce over the cake. Don’t worry if it looks like there is
too much sauce—the spongy cake will absorb it all. Cover and refrigerate for at
least 2 hours.
8.
When
you are ready to finish the cake, make the whipped cream: In a large bowl, whip
the cream with an electric mixer on medium speed until it holds soft peaks, 5
to 6 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the confectioners’ sugar, then
increase the speed to medium-high and beat until stiff peaks form. Spread the
whipped cream over the top and sides of the cake.
9.
To
serve, slice the cake and spoon fresh berries, if using, on top of each serving
or on the side.
MEXICAN COOK’S TRICK: After the soaked cake has been refrigerated for a couple of
hours, you can add the whipped cream and return the cake to the refrigerator
for up to 3 days, or you can add the whipped cream right before serving.
Guava Cheesecake :
I devoured a version of this dessert, a take on the popular combination of soft Mexican Manchego cheese with slices of guava or
another fruit paste, at the charming and sunny coffee shop in the Sweets Museum
in the city of Morelia, in Michoacán, in western Mexico. I was so mesmerized by
it I came back home determined to re-create it with my students.
The cheesecake boasts four very different layers that come
together seamlessly: a crisp, sturdy cookie crust; a layer of bright guava
paste; a thick layer of cream cheese filling; and lastly a slick of tangy sour
cream.
·
Crust
·
6
tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan
·
1½
cups finely ground Maria cookies, vanilla wafers, or graham crackers
·
1
teaspoon sugar
Guava Spread
·
12
ounces guava or quince paste
·
5
tablespoons water
Cream Cheese Filling
·
1
pound cream cheese, at room temperature
·
⅓
cup sugar
·
1
teaspoon vanilla extract
·
3
large eggs, at room temperature
·
¼
cup heavy cream
Sour Cream Topping
·
1½
cups sour cream
·
¼
cup sugar
1. Place
an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
Butter a 9- to 10-inch springform pan and set aside.
2. To make the crust: In a medium bowl, combine the ground cookies, sugar, and melted
butter until thoroughly mixed. Turn the cookie mixture into the springform pan.
With your fingers, pat it evenly over the bottom of the pan, gently pushing it
up the sides to make a crust ½ to 1 inch high. Refrigerate while you make the
filling.
3.
To make the guava
spread: Place the guava paste and water in a blender or food
processor and process until smooth; set aside.
4.
To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer at
medium speed until smooth and light, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla
and continue beating until well mixed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as
needed. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until thoroughly combined after
each addition, again scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the cream and
continue beating until the mixture is well blended and smooth; set aside.
5.
With
a rubber spatula gently spread the guava mixture evenly in the prepared crust.
Gently turn the cream cheese filling onto the guava layer and spread evenly.
6.
Bake
for 35 minutes, or until the filling is set and the top is lightly browned.
Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes before you add the
topping. Leave the oven on.
7.
Meanwhile, make the
topping: Mix the sour cream and sugar together in a medium bowl
until well blended.
8.
Spoon
the topping over the cheese filling, return to the oven and bake for 10 more
minutes until the topping looks set. Remove from the oven and let the
cheesecake cool for about 10 minutes. Then cover and refrigerate for at least 4
hours, or preferably, overnight.
9.
To
serve, run the tip of a wet knife around the sides of the pan to release the
cheesecake. Remove the sides of the pan, then slice and serve the cake.
MEXICAN COOK’S TRICK: There are many ways to crumble the cookies or graham crackers for
the crust. The easiest is to place them in a blender or food processor,
breaking them in pieces as you do so, and then pulse until fine. A more
old-fashioned way is to place the cookies in a plastic bag and crush them with
a rolling pin or the bottom of a heavy skillet. You can decide how even and
fine you want the crumbs. I like them finely ground.
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