Southern Living Ambrosia Cake Food

AMBROSIA CAKE

Steps:

• Cut the cake horizontally into thirds and place the bottom layer on a serving plate. In a small bowl add the yogurt and a 1/2 cup of whipped topping and mix well to blend. Spread on the bottom layer and top with the sliced grapes. Add the middle layer and spread with the preserves and cover with the orange segments. Put the last layer on top and frost entire cake with remaining whipped topping. Toss 1 cup coconut with the toasted coconut and press into sides of cake. Arrange pineapple and cherries on top.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve at room temperature.

AMBROSIA LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Make cake:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour cake pans, knocking out excess flour.
• Sift together flour (2 3/4 cups), baking powder, and salt into a bowl.
• Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer (fitted with paddle attachment if using a stand mixer) at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then beat in zest and vanilla and continue beating 5 minutes more. Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and milk alternately in 4 batches, beginning with flour mixture and mixing until batter is just smooth. Divide between cake pans, spreading evenly.
• Bake cake layers until they begin to pull away from sides of pans and a wooden pick or skewer comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool 5 minutes in pans on racks, then invert cake layers onto racks and cool completely. (Leave oven on for toasting coconut.)
• Make filling while layers bake:
• Whisk together eggs in a heatproof bowl until combined well.
• With clean dry whisk, stir together sugar, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan, then whisk in water and juices until smooth. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking, then reduce heat and cook at a bare simmer, whisking constantly, 2 minutes (mixture will be thick).
• Add half of hot juice mixture to eggs in a slow stream, whisking, then whisk egg mixture into juices in saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, whisking, just until it reaches a boil. Remove pan from heat, then add butter and zest, whisking until butter is melted. Chill filling, its surface covered with a buttered round of wax paper (buttered side down), until cold, about 30 minutes.
• Make frosting:
• Spread coconut in a shallow baking pan and toast in oven, stirring occasionally, until golden, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Beat together egg whites, sugar, water, corn syrup, and a pinch of salt in a large metal bowl with a handheld electric mixer (clean beaters if necessary) until combined. Set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and beat mixture at high speed until it holds stiff, glossy peaks, 5 to 7 minutes. (Humid weather may necessitate additional beating time.) Remove bowl from heat, then add vanilla and lemon juice and continue beating until frosting is cooled and very thick, 6 to 10 minutes.
• Assemble cake:
• Halve each cake horizontally with a long serrated knife. Put 1 layer on a cake stand or large plate and spread with about 3/4 cup filling. Stack remaining cake layers using about 3/4 cup filling between each layer. Spread top and side of cake with frosting and coat cake with coconut, gently pressing to help it adhere.

AMBROSIA LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Make cake:.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F Butter and flour cake pans, knocking out excess flour.
• Sift together flour (2 3/4 cups), baking powder, and salt into a bowl.
• Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer (fitted with paddle attachment if using a stand mixer) at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then beat in zest and vanilla and continue beating 5 minutes more. Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and milk alternately in 4 batches, beginning with flour mixture and mixing until batter is just smooth. Divide between cake pans, spreading evenly.
• Bake cake layers until they begin to pull away from sides of pans and a wooden pick or skewer comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool 5 minutes in pans on racks, then invert cake layers onto racks and cool completely. (Leave oven on for toasting coconut.)
• Make filling while layers bake.
• Whisk together eggs in a heatproof bowl until combined well.
• With clean dry whisk, stir together sugar, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan, then whisk in water and juices until smooth. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking, then reduce heat and cook at a bare simmer, whisking constantly, 2 minutes (mixture will be thick).
• Add half of hot juice mixture to eggs in a slow stream, whisking, then whisk egg mixture into juices in saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, whisking, just until it reaches a boil. Remove pan from heat, then add butter and zest, whisking until butter is melted. Chill filling, its surface covered with a buttered round of wax paper (buttered side down), until cold, about 30 minutes.
• Make frosting.
• Spread coconut in a shallow baking pan and toast in oven, stirring occasionally, until golden, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Beat together egg whites, sugar, water, corn syrup, and a pinch of salt in a large metal bowl with a handheld electric mixer (clean beaters if necessary) until combined. Set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and beat mixture at high speed until it holds stiff, glossy peaks, 5 to 7 minutes. (Humid weather may necessitate additional beating time.) Remove bowl from heat, then add vanilla and lemon juice and continue beating until frosting is cooled and very thick, 6 to 10 minutes.
• Assemble cake:.
• Halve each cake horizontally with a long serrated knife. Put 1 layer on a cake stand or large plate and spread with about 3/4 cup filling. Stack remaining cake layers using about 3/4 cup filling between each layer. Spread top and side of cake with frosting and coat cake with coconut, gently pressing to help it adhere.
• Cooks' notes: Cake layers (not split horizontally) can be made 3 days ahead and chilled, wrapped individually in plastic wrap. Filling can be chilled up to 8 hours. Stir before spreading. Frosting can be made 4 hours ahead and chilled, covered. Cake can be assembled and frosted 2 hours ahead.

AMBROSIA CAKE

Steps:

• CAKE: In a large mixing bowl, blend on low speed for 30 seconds: cake mix, oil, mandarin oranges and eggs.
• Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
• Pour into greased and floured 9 x 13 inch pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
• TOPPING: Combine pineapple and pudding mix.
• Let stand for 5 minutes.
• Add Cool Whip.
• Mix well by hand.
• Frost cake when cool.
• Refrigerate.

AMBROSIA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Stir together first 3 ingredients; press mixture into bottom of a 10-inch springform pan.
• Bake at 350° for 8 minutes. Cool.
• Beat cream cheese, eggs, and 1 cup sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Stir in 14-ounce package coconut and vanilla. Pour into prepared crust.
• Bake at 350° for 1 hour. Cool completely on a wire rack.
• Cover and chill 8 hours. Release sides of springform pan, and place cheesecake on serving platter or cake stand. Spread Fresh Orange Curd evenly over top of cheesecake. Sprinkle 1 cup toasted coconut around outer edge of top, if desired. Arrange Decorated Pastry Strips on sides of cheesecake, if desired. Garnish top of cake, if desired.

LUXURIOUS ANGEL FOOD AMBROSIA CAKE

Steps:

• PINEAPPLE CURD: Bring juice from canned pineapple to boil. Whisk together eggs, yolk, and sugar in medium bowl. Add to pineapple juice, whisking continuously over medium heat until it becomes thick (3-4 minutes). Take off heat, stir in butter and salt. Pour in small bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• CAKE: Slice cake horizontally into 3 even layers.
• In a mixing bowl, add vanilla frosting, orange juice and orange zest; stir to combine. Place bottom layer of cake on platter, spread 1/2 of orange frosting on bottom layer, top with mandarin oranges.
• Place another layer of cake on top, spread pineapple curd over this layer and top with 4 slices of pineapple rings cut in 1/2.
• Add third layer of cake, frost all around the sides with rest of orange frosting. Frost top with cream cheese frosting.
• Layer 4 pineapple rings on top, cut into 1/4 and second can of mandarin oranges.Press toasted coconut into sides and on top of cake.