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America's Test Kitchen

ATK’s Chewy Brownies

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ATK Chewy Brownies

A couple of months ago, before we all went insane staying in our homes, America’s Test Kitchen aired an episode listing their Top 20 most popular recipes of all time.

If there are brownies on any list anywhere, I’ll definitely make them and what do you know, ATK’s Chewy Brownies were there on the list!

I’ve made a couple of other recipes from this list – the wonderful Sticky Buns and the New York Thin Crust Pizza Dough. Sticky Buns – excellent. Pizza dough – no, no, no – it didn’t work out for me and I don’t recommend it (threw away the pizza).

ATK Chewy Brownies

Now, to these Chewy Brownies. Outstanding, fudgy brownies that you would be proud to take to any gathering. Or better yet, stay home and eat them all.

I think the bottom and top get chewy from baking them on the bottom rack of the oven. Then there’s the most fudgy, chocolaty insides that I’ve ever had in a brownie.

ATK tried to mimic boxed brownies since everyone seems to like them so much (including me), but I have to say these are better than any boxed.

ATK Chewy Brownies

I like this recipe because it’s made in a big bowl and all of the ingredients are whisked, then stirred together.

Pour the batter into the pan, pop them in the oven and 45 or so minutes later you have incredible brownies. Their recipe says to bake for 30-35 minutes, but mine took a little over 45. You’ll want to test them after 35 minutes, depending on your oven.

Bret likes frosting on brownies. I can’t imagine putting frosting on these rich brownies – they definitely don’t need it. He’ll just have to suffer and eat them wonderfully plain.

ATK Chewy Brownies

ATK’s Chewy Brownies use three kinds of chocolate – Dutch-processed cocoa powder, unsweetened chocolate, and bittersweet chocolate. Yes, the Dutch-processed cocoa powder does make a difference, so get it if you can. I got mine at Central Market for a pretty good price.

Don’t have much of a preference for the unsweetened baking chocolate, but for the bittersweet chips, go with Ghirardelli. They’re usually available at your local grocery store.

I hope you enjoy these brownies. They definitely deserve to be on America’s Test Kitchen’s Top 20 list. Absolutely.

ATK Chewy Brownies

ATK's Chewy Brownies

Yield: 25 brownies
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Cooling Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes

Rich, decadent perfect chocolate brownies made with three kinds of chocolate.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 C (1 oz) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp instant coffee granules
  • 1/2 C plus 2 tbsp boiling water
  • 2 oz unsweetened chocolate,finely chopped
  • 1/2 C plus 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 4 tbsp (1/2 stick) butter, melted
  • 2 large whole eggs, plus 2 large egg yolks
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 C (14 oz) granulated sugar
  • 1 3/4 C (8 1/4 oz) all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp table salt
  • 6 oz bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks cut into 1/2 " pieces

Instructions

  1. Move an oven rack to the lowest position in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13x9" pan with aluminum foil (to lift out brownies after they're cooled) and spray the aluminum foil lightly.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk the cocoa, coffee granules, and boiling water together until smooth. Add the finely chopped unsweetened chocolate and whisk together until melted and smooth.
  3. Whisk in the oil and melted butter (the mixture will look slightly curdled but it'll blend later). Add the whole eggs and egg yolks, and vanilla and continue to whisk until smooth and totally combined.
  4. Whisk in the sugar until fully incorporated. Add the flour and salt and stir completely together with a rubber spoon or spatula. Fold in the bittersweet chocolate pieces.
  5. Pour the batter into the pan and bake until a toothpick inserted toward the sides of the brownies comes out lightly moist with a few crumbs. Mine took about 45 minutes, but start checking at 35 minutes.
  6. Put the pan on a wire rack and let brownies cool for about an hour (so they won't fall apart). Lift the brownies from the pan by the aluminum foil flaps and set on the rack to completely cool.
  7. Remove the aluminum foil and make 4 even cuts horizontally and also vertically (to equal 25 squares) and serve. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Like they'll last that long.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

The original recipe calls for instant espresso, but I used coffee granules.  This ingredient is optional, but recommended.

I used canola oil instead of vegetable oil.

The original recipes calls for 2 1/2 cups of sugar, but they were plenty sweet and rich at 2 cups of sugar.

The original recipe calls for 30-35 minutes in the oven, but mine were almost raw in the middle at 30 minutes.  Mine took more like 45-50 minutes, but don't over bake them - they are very moist.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 25 Serving Size: 1 brownie
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 107Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 89mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 3g
© adapted slightly from America's Test Kitchen
Category: Bars

Sticky Buns (America’s Test Kitchen)

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It’s finally time for me to learn to make Sticky Buns and there’s no better source to get the recipe from than America’s Test Kitchen‘s top 20 recipes all of time. 

Sticky Buns

This is from Season 17 and is rated 5th overall.  Bret bought a 6-quart KitchenAid mixer for me and these buns are the perfect thing to make on its maiden voyage. (And I do mean voyage – this new mixer is as big as a boat.)

The ingredient list and the instructions look long and involved, but it’s really rather straight forward to create these tasty little buns.

It starts with a sticky dough that becomes a beautiful, silky risen dough that’s great to work with. The stand mixer does all the kneading work, so you can just sit back and take a little nap during the mixing.

Sticky Buns

The buns bake up soft, fluffy, and perfect. America’s Test Kitchen does a great job on the instructions, detailing every step so that even a novice will succeed.

These Sticky Buns aren’t actually dripping with gooey topping. They have just enough to make a perfect, thick layer of caramely and sticky goodness. If you want the buns stickier and gooey-er you can make more topping, although I do think you’ll find this recipe gets it just right.

It’s gonna be hard, but have patience – you need to wait till these buns are completely cooled to eat them. When they’re ready, the ratio of soft, fluffy bun to the layer of gooey caramel goodness is spot-on delicious.

An observation, though, is that they’re best the first day after being completely cooled. If you can’t eat all of them the first day, microwave for 10-15 seconds for the best taste and texture. ATK gets my vote for best sticky buns!

Sticky Buns

This recipe is an investment in time, mainly because of the two rising hours. I enjoyed making these buns, though, and we’re enjoying eating them even more.

Sticky Buns (America's Test Kitchen)

Sticky Buns (America's Test Kitchen)

Yield: 12
Prep Time: 3 hours
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

An outstanding version of the standard sticky bun. Soft and tender with a chewy, gooey caramely topping.

Ingredients

  • Flour Paste:
  • 2/3 C water
  • 1/4 C (1 1/3 oz) bread flour
  • Dough:
  • 2/3 C milk
  • 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
  • 2 3/4 C (15 1/8 oz) bread flour
  • 2 tsp (1 packet) instant or rapid-rise yeast
  • 3 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 6 tbsp butter, softened (ATK recommends unsalted)
  • Topping:
  • 6 tbsp butter, melted (ATK recommends unsalted)
  • 1/2 C (3 1/2 oz) dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 C (1 3/4 oz) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 C dark corn syrup
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1 C pecans, toasted and chopped (optional)
  • Filling
  • 3/4 C packed (5 1/4 oz) dark brown sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

  1. For the flour paste: In a small bowl, whisk the water and flour together until smooth. Microwave in 25 second increments, whisking after each 25 seconds, until stiff, smooth, pudding-like consistency with a total of 50 to 75 seconds.
  2. For the dough: In bowl of stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk flour paste and milk together until smooth. Add egg and yolk and whisk to combine. Fit stand mixer with dough hook , then add the flour and yeast. Mix on low speed until all of the flour is moistened, 1 to 2 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes. Add sugar and salt and mix on medium-low speed for 5 minutes. Stop mixer and add butter. Continue to mix on medium-low for 5 minutes longer, scraping down the dough hook and sides of bowl when needed. Dough will be very sticky.
  3. Lightly flour your counter or marble and scoop the dough on the surface. Knead briefly to form a ball and transfer, seam side down, to a lightly greased large bowl. Spray dough ball lightly with cooking spray and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rise until just doubled in volume - 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  4. For the topping: While the dough rises, grease 13x9" metal baking pan. Whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, corn syrup, and salt together in medium bowl until smooth. Add the water and whisk carefully until smooth. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and tilt the pan to cover it evenly. (Sprinkle with pecans, if using).
  5. For the Filling: Combine sugar and cinnamon in small bowl and mix until thoroughly combined; set aside.
  6. Turn out the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface. Press dough gently, but firmly to expel the air. Working from the center toward the edge, pat and stretch dough to form 18x15" rectangle, with the long end facing you. Sprinkle the sugar/cinnamon mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a 1" border along the top edge. Smooth the filling into an even layer with your hand, then gently press the filling into the dough to adhere.
  7. Begin with the long edge near you and gently roll the dough into a loose cylinder, taking care not to roll too tightly (if too tightly rolled, the rolls with rise upward). Pinch the seam together to seal and roll the seam to the bottom.
  8. Mark the cylinder into 12 equal portions (there should be twelve, 1 1/2" portions). To slice, get a 10 to 12 inch strand of unflavored dental floss, hold it taut, and slip it under the roll to the first mark. Cross the ends of floss over each other and pull, cutting the slice. Repeat with all slices.
  9. Transfer the slices, cut sides down, into the prepared pan with the topping, spaced evenly. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a draft-free warm place until the buns are puffy and touching one another, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  10. While buns are rising, adjust the oven racks to lowest and lower-middle positions. Place a rimmed baking sheet on the lower rack to catch any drips. Preheat the oven to 375°.
  11. Bake buns on upper rack until lightly golden brown, about 20 minutes. Carefully tent the pan with aluminum foil to avoid further browning and bake until center of dough registers at least 200°, 12-15 minutes longer. Remove from the oven, remove the foil and let buns cool in the pan on wire rack for 5 minutes. Lightly run a butter knife around the edges of the pan, then place a rimmed baking sheet over buns and carefully invert onto the sheet. Scoop up any glaze left in the baking pan onto buns. Let cool for at least 10 minutes longer before serving (best after completely cooled, though).

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

You'll notice the weights of the ingredients in the instructions.  I do weigh them to get the best results and highly recommend investing in an inexpensive kitchen scale.

You can refrigerate the slices in the pan (before the 2nd rising) overnight, for up to 14 hours, then bake them.  To bake, remove the pan from the refrigerator and let sit until buns are puffy and touching one another, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  Then bake as usual.

Both of the rising times took the entire hour for me.  

ATK recommends unsalted butter, but I use salted.  It worked fine.

I didn't use pecans, but if you do be sure and toast them first (spread on a baking sheet, 350° for 5 or so minutes until you just smell the nuttiness).  It really makes a difference in the taste.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 roll
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 407Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 63mgSodium: 459mgCarbohydrates: 53gFiber: 2gSugar: 20gProtein: 7g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© America's Test Kitchen
Category: Breakfast

Cider Glazed Apple Bundt Cake (#TheCakeSliceBakers)

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Cider Glazed Apple Bundt Cake

This is the last cake we’ll be baking from The Perfect Cake by America’s Test Kitchen. And what a great cake cookbook it’s been! Our final selection from the book is our choice from any cake in the book and I chose the Cider Glazed Apple Bundt Cake.

I chose this cake because some of the other bakers in The Cake Slice Bakers had previously made it and it looked so, so good. And you know what? It is so very, very good. Here’s a photo of it right out of oven after it was glazed with the apple cider reduction:

Cider Glazed Apple Bundt Cake

That soft top is lightly soaked with the thick, candy-like glaze and when you invert the cake the top of the cake is now a moist and delicious bottom layer.

Bret thinks the cake tastes like an old-fashioned apple cake (a compliment, not a complaint), but I think the texture is more tender and not as heavy. I liken it more to an apple fritter cake in a way. Simply delicious.

Besides the great texture, the shredding of the apples is genius. You get tart apples in every bite and I like that better than the bigger apple chunks (although chopped apples work well in my Fresh Apple Cake with Maple Glaze).

The apples along with the lightly spicy, tender cake make for a great cake. And that final apple cider glaze tops it off perfectly. I made about twice as much glaze because it completes the look and the deliciousness of the cake.

Cider Glazed Apple Bundt Cake

America’s Test Kitchen’s Cider-Glazed Apple Bundt Cake is one of those cakes that I’ll make over and over, for pot lucks, special occasions, holidays, and just at home to eat for dessert or with coffee at breakfast.

When you make it, make sure and let the cake cool about 45 minutes before putting the final glaze on (they say 30 minutes, but I say more, please) or the glaze will just soak into the cake and not look as pretty.

Cider Glazed Apple Bundt Cake

Cider-Glazed Apple Bundt Cake

Yield: 12
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Additional Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Tender, lightly spicy apple cake soaked with an apple reduction and topped off with a sweet glaze. Perfection,

Ingredients

  • 4 1/4 C. Apple Cider
  • 3 3/4 C  (18 3/4 oz) all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground allspice
  • 3/4 C (3 oz) powdered sugar
  • 16 tbsp butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 C packed (10 1/2 ounces) dark brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 lb Granny Smith apples, peeled and shredded (about 3 cups)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 12-cup nonstick bundt pan with baking spray with flour (if not using baking spray with flour, spray with regular baking spray and lightly flour the pan.)
  2. In a medium heavy-bottom pan, bring the cider to a boil over high heat. Cook until reduced to about 1 cup (20-25 minutes).
  3. While cider is reducing, in a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and allspice together. Place the powdered sugar into a separate small bowl.
  4. Add 2 tablespoons of the cider reduction to the powdered sugar bowl and whisk until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside. Set aside another 6 tablespoons of the cider reduction in a cup (for pouring over the baked cake, yum).
  5. Pour the remaining 1/2 cup of cider reduction into a medium bowl; add the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Pour this cider/butter mixture over the flour mixture and stir with a large spoon until almost fully combined (don't worry if streaks of flour remain - you don't want to over-stir it or it won't be as tender). Stir in the apples and any juice they may have created until combined throughout the batter.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Bake until a skewer (or piece of spaghetti) comes out clean with just a very few crumbs on it, 55 minutes to 1 hour. Rotate the pan half-way through baking.
  7. Transfer the baked cake to a wire rack that's sitting on a rimmed baking sheet (to catch any drippings). Brush the exposed surface of the cake lightly with 1 tablespoon of the reserved cider reduction. Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes, then invert it onto the wire rack.
  8. Remove the pan and brush the top and sides of the cake with the remaining cider reduction. Let the cake cool for 30 minutes.
  9. Stir the powdered sugar glaze, then drizzle over the cake. Let the cake cool completely (about 2 hours) before stirring. The cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

Stir the batter gently so the cake won't be tough.

I doubled the glaze for a prettier finished cake (and it's good).

Make sure the cake is fairly cooled before glazing or the glaze will soak into the cake.

The original recipe calls for unsalted butter, but I use regular salted butter. Your choice.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 457Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 87mgSodium: 555mgCarbohydrates: 70gFiber: 3gSugar: 36gProtein: 6g
© sblades
Category: Cakes

Cranberry Sour Cream Pound Cake

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Updated: September, 2020

Cranberry Sour Cream Pound Cake

This Sour Cream Cranberry Pound Cake is the next-to-the-last cake that we’re baking from America’s Test Kitchen’s The Perfect Cake.

Come January 2019 we may not be officially baking from the book anymore, but this is truly one special baking cookbook that will take its place on my carefully streamlined cookbook shelf.

I’m not being compensated in any way when I highly recommend The Perfect Cake if you’re in the market for a new cake cookbook!

Cranberry Sour Cream Pound Cake

Although this is what I classify as a fairly easy pound cake, it does take some time to chop up the cranberries, so do that before you begin. The eggs definitely need to come to room temperature, as does the butter.

When using the smaller loaf pan that’s called for, this cake takes over an hour-and-a-half to bake, then it cools for a couple of hours. If you’re using a larger loaf pan, be sure and lessen the baking time and start checking it earlier. So, yes it’s fairly easy to put together, but it does take a bit of time between the bake and the serve.

I use fresh cranberries, but you can also use frozen (don’t thaw before adding). It definitely wouldn’t be as good with dried cranberries, so get fresh if you can.

Cranberry Sour Cream Pound Cake

America’s Test Kitchen is spot-on for this pound cake recipe. From the ingredients to the instructions, each step is carefully structured to make sure your cake comes out its best. And it does!

Cranberry Sour Cream Pound Cake is a delicious, lighter-than-usual, wonderfully flavorful pound cake with bits of tangy cranberries scattered through it. (Enough adjectives for you?) This will be a great Fall or Christmas cranberry pound cake to share with friends and family.

We noticed that this delicious cake gets more moist every day. Grab a slice for dessert, a snack, or for breakfast and you’ll enjoy it immensely.

Cranberry Sour Cream Pound Cake

Cranberry Sour Cream Pound Cake

Yield: 10 slices
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes

Soft, tender, delicious cranberry pound cake. Gets more moist every day.

Ingredients

  • 5 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 C (8 3/4 oz) all-purpose flour
  • Salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/3 C sour cream
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 14 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 14 slices and softened, but still cool
  • 1 1/4 C (8 3/4 oz) granulated sugar
  • 1 C (4 oz) fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped coarsely
  • 1 tbsp powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300°. Spray an 8 1/2" by 4 1/2" loaf pan with cooking spray, then lightly flour the pan.
  2. Whisk the eggs and vanilla together in a small bowl. Sift the flour, 3/4 teaspoon of the salt, and baking powder together into a medium bowl. Whisk sour cream and milk together in a separate small bowl.
  3. Using a stand mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed. Reduce speed to medium and gradually add the granulated sugar. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until pale and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, again scraping down the bowl as needed. Reduce speed to medium and gradually add the egg mixture in a low, steady stream.
  4. Scrape down sides of the bowl, then continue to mix on medium speed until completely combined, about 1 minute (batter may look slightly curdled, but that's OK).
  5. Reduce mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the sour cream/milk mixture in 2 additions. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Give batter a final stir by hand to make sure everything is blended from the bottom of the bowl.
  6. Toss the cranberries with powdered sugar and 1/8 tsp. salt in a small bowl until evenly coated (to keep them from sinking to the bottom of the cake). Fold cranberries into the batter.
  7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and gently tap pan on counter a couple of times to release air bubbles. Bake until toothpick inserted in the center comes out virtually clean, 1 3/4 hour to 1 hour 55 minutes - rotating the pan halfway through baking. Start checking the cake for doneness at 1 hour.
  8. Remove the cake pan to a wire rack and cool for about 15 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and let cool completely on the rack - about 2 hours.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

Don't use dried cranberries, please.

I used 2% milk and salted butter.

If you use a larger loaf pan, use the same instructions, but keep checking every 15 minutes after one hour of baking. It won't take as long to bake in a larger pan.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 286Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 140mgSodium: 125mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 6g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© America's Test Kitchen
Category: Cakes

Maple Layer Cake (#TheCakeSliceBakers)

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Updated: September 2020

Maple Layer Cake

I zeroed in on the Maple Layer Cake from The Perfect Cake for The Cake Slice Bakers’s choice this month. There were three other great choices: Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake, Cider-Glazed Apple Bundt Cake, and Pear-Walnut Upside Down Cake, but I just love anything maple!

The second time I made this cake, I doctored ATK’s (America’s Test Kitchen) recipe a little because I wanted more maple flavor. The end result – a fantastic maple cake with maple cream cheese frosting.

Maple Layer Cake

You whisk the batter ingredients together by hand and it’s unbelievably quick to come together. ATK provided a maple cream cheese frosting for the cake, but I wasn’t very impressed. The frosting isn’t sweet at all to me and has no maple flavor whatsoever.

I love cream cheese on bagels but unless sweetened, it isn’t so great on a cake! I ended up adding almost a half cup of powdered sugar and over a half teaspoon of really good maple flavoring to make it a nice creamy, still barely-sweet, maple-flavored frosting.

Since the frosting they offered wasn’t up to par, on my second cake bake I used a different ATK cream cheese frosting from another recipe of theirs. I included it on the recipe card below instead of the original. It’s great!

Maple Layer Cake

We’re enjoying the cake with the new and improved frosting. The sponge of the cake is moist and so very soft.

It’s kind of strange that after using 1 1/4 cups of maple syrup in the cake from the original recipe, it still had no maple flavoring. Maybe we don’t get the best quality maple syrup in Texas – go figure.

Will I make this cake again? Yes, using the updated recipe. This Maple Layer Cake will be a nice addition to holiday tables and a definite must for pot luck get-togethers.

Looking for more great cake recipes?

Maple Layer Cake

Maple Layer Cake

Yield: 10-12 slices
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Soft, tender maple layer cake with a tasty cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 C (10 oz)   Cake Flour
  • 2 tsp  Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp  Salt
  • 3/4 C plus 2 tbsp  Vegetable Oil
  • 1 1/4 C  Maple Syrup
  • 3 large  Eggs
  • 1/2 tsp  Maple Extract
  • 3 1/2 tsp  Vanilla Extract
  • For the Frosting:
  • 1 1/4 lb   Cream Cheese, softened
  • 12 tablespoons   Butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened
  • 2 tbsp  Sour Cream
  • 1 1/2 tsp  Maple Extract
  • 1/4 tsp  Salt
  • 2 1/2 C (10 oz)  Powdered Sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray two 9" round cake pans, line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper, then spray the parchment. Lightly flour both pans.
  2. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl. In a large bowl, whisk the oil, maple syrup, eggs, maple extract, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  3. Divide the batter between the two prepared pans. Bake until the cakes are set and the center is firm to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking.
  4. Remove cakes to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from the pans, peeling off the parchment paper, and let cool completely on the wire rack, about 1 hour.
  5. For the frosting: Using a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese, softened butter, sour cream, maple extract, and salt on medium-high until smooth, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar. beat on medium until the sugar is fully incorporated and the frosting is smooth, about 4 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 4 more minutes. (Should yield about 5 cups)
  6. Place one layer of the cake on your cake platter. Spread 1 1/2 cups of the frosting evenly over the top, right to the edge of the cake. Top with the second layer and press down lightly. Spread the remaining frosting evenly over the top and sides of the cake.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

Be sure and use cake flour for this cake. If you don't want to buy a whole box of cake flour, see if your local store (Central Market, Whole Foods, etc.) has bulk flours and just buy the amount you need.

I use salted butter in the frosting because that's what I have. I just use a pinch of salt in the frosting instead of the 1/4 tsp it calls for to make up for the salted butter.

I stored the leftover cake in the refrigerator. Before serving the refrigerated cake, I set it out on the counter to get it back to room temperature.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 497Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 126mgSodium: 489mgCarbohydrates: 46gFiber: 1gSugar: 23gProtein: 7g
© America's Test Kitchen
Category: Cakes