Glazed Cranberry Mini Cakes Food

GLAZED ALMOND MINI CAKES

Steps:

• Set an oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease the bottom of an 8-by-12 inch metal baking pan and line the bottom with parchment. Then grease and flour the bottom and sides of the pan. Set aside.
• For the cake: sift together the flour and baking powder. Add the salt and stir to combine.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add 1 cup of butter and sugar and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, as needed. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating on medium speed and scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and beat to combine. On low speed, mix in half of the flour mixture, then mix in the milk. Mix in remaining flour mixture until just combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake until a tester comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool slightly, then unmold and cool completely.
• To make the cake filling, using a serrated knife, cut the cake into an 8x8-inch square. Set aside. Crumble the portion of the cake that was removed and reserve 2 1/2 cups. Add the remainder of the cake crumbs to a large mixing bowl along with the remaining 1/4 cup melted butter, jam and almonds. Mix well (your hands are the best tool here) to make a spreadable filling.
• To assemble the cake, use a serrated knife to split the cake crosswise into 2 halves. Arrange both halves so they're facing cut-side up. Brush the cake with about 2/3 of the cooled almond syrup. With a small offset spatula, gently spread the jammy filling over the entire bottom half of the cake and top with the top half of the cake, cut side down. Press gently to adhere. Flip the cake so the flat bottom is now facing up, to create a flat top. Freeze the cake until firm, 1 hour.
• With a serrated knife, cut off the rough sides on the frozen cake and cut into 16 squares. Set the cake on a cooling rack over a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Coat the cakes 1 at a time by pouring the icing around the edges and letting it drip down to coat the sides, then fill in the top. (Set the bowl over hot water and stir if it begins to thicken before you are done.) Top with sprinkles or non pareils before the icing begins to set.
• Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat and cook to dissolve the sugar, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the almond extract and stir to combine. Cool completely.
• Melt the chocolate chips or candy melts in a double boiler and stir until smooth.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the confectioner's sugar, corn syrup, hot water and vanilla. Mix on low speed until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and continue to mix to make a very smooth, pourable icing, about the consistency of molasses. Add food coloring as desired.

CHEESECAKE WITH CRANBERRY GLAZE AND SUGARED CRANBERRIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.
• Crush biscuits into crumbs using a food processor. Stir crumbs, butter, confectioners' sugar, and salt together to make the crust. Press into the bottom of the pan. Rinse food processor and set aside for the cranberry glaze.
• Bake crust in the preheated oven until firm, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and reduce the temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Let crust cool while making the filling.
• Beat cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Add eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and orange zest. Mix until well combined, stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Spoon batter over the crust.
• Bake until the filling is set but still soft in the center, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool cheesecake to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
• While the cheesecake is cooling, combine 1/3 cup sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour into a bowl and cool for 10 minutes. Add cranberries and stir to coat with syrup.
• Refrigerate cheesecake and syrup-coated cranberries, 8 hours to overnight.
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Drain the cranberries, then roll them in the sugar. Place the sugared cranberries on the prepared baking sheet and allow to dry, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• In the meantime, make the glaze. Combine cranberries, water, and sugar in a small saucepan. Simmer, crushing cranberries, until jammy, about 8 minutes. Let cool slightly. Transfer to the food processor; add confectioners' sugar, orange juice, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt. Process until smooth.
• Strain cranberry glaze through a fine-mesh sieve and discard solids. Pour over the cheesecake and smooth across the top with a small offset spatula. Garnish with sugared cranberries.

ORANGE-CRANBERRY GLAZED CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a Bundt pan or ring mold with a little of the butter and flour.
• Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Using a stand mixer, beat together butter and sugar until well blended. Add the 3 whole eggs, the yolk and half the egg white. (Reserve the rest of the white for the glaze.)
• Zest the oranges, then juice them, adding both the zest and 3/4 cup/177 milliliters juice to the batter and mix to incorporate. (Reserve remaining juice for the glaze.)
• Add flour mixture to the mixer and beat until well combined. Stir in 1 cup/128 grams dried cranberries. Pour batter into the cake pan, shaking the pan so the batter firmly settles and there are no air bubbles. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
• While the cake is baking, prepare the glaze: Mix the remaining half an egg white with lemon juice and 1/4 cup/59 milliliters orange juice. Gradually beat in 3 cups/340 grams confectioners' sugar, mixing until all the lumps have disappeared and the glaze is thick and smooth, adding more sugar if needed.
• Let cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Insert a knife between the cake and the pan to loosen it, put a rack on top of the pan, and flip the cake onto the rack. Set the rack on top of a plate, then spoon on the glaze when the cake is still warm, scooping up any glaze that drips onto the plate and using it to reglaze the cake. Transfer to a serving plate and decorate with remaining cranberries before the glaze sets.

CRANBERRY POUND CAKE WITH CRANBERRY GLAZE

Steps:

• Cake: Preheat oven to 350F with shelf in middle of oven.
• Butter and flour 3-quart bundt cake pan.
• In large bowl of electric mixer, cream butter; add sugar, a little at a time, until light and fluffy; add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.
• Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk (begin and end with flour); fold in cranberries; spoon batter into prepared cake pan; smooth the top.
• Bake 1-1/4 hours or until tester comes out clean; cool on rack 10 minutes; turn out; allow to cool completely.
• Glaze: In heavy saucepan, over moderate heat, cook sugar and water; stir and wash down crystals on side of pan with brush dipped in water; add cranberries; bring to a boil; boil, undisturbed, until mixture reaches 250F;.
• strain through fine sieve, pressing hard on solids;.
• allow to cool slightly; brush on cake.

GLAZED CRANBERRY MINI CAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F
• Lightly grease or paper-line small muffin cups (1-3/4 inches in diameter).
• Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg and vanilla extract in large bowl until light and fluffy.
• Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually mix into butter mixture.
• Add milk; stir until blended.
• Stir in cranberries, walnuts and 2/3 cup white chips (reserve remaining chips for glaze).
• Fill muffin cups about 7/8 full with batter.
• Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool 5 minutes; remove from pans to wire rack.
• Cool completely.
• To prepare the white glaze: place remaining 1 cup white chips in small microwave-safe bowl; sprinkle vegetable oil over chips.
• Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 30 seconds; stir.
• If necessary, microwave at MEDIUM an additional 30 seconds or just until chips are melted when stirred.
• Drizzle white glaze over top of mini-cakes.
• Refrigerate 10 minutes to set glaze.