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In a few weeks the Easter Bunny will be hopping down the bunny trail. That means it's time to start thinking about a menu for the holiday dinner. At my house, there will be a big glazed ham served with sides galore (we'll talk about them in the weeks to come,) and of course a special dessert.
If I were inclined to bake a cake it would almost certainly be three luscious layers of Italian Cream Cake loaded with nuts and coconut sandwiched together and crowned with fluffy sweet Cream Cheese Frosting. A little more coconut, preferably toasted, goes on top, along with a few colorful jelly beans for a beautiful presentation.
Toasting really brings out the flavor of coconut, as well as nuts, and is so easy to do. Just place in single layer onto ungreased baking sheet and bake in 325-degree F. oven, stirring often, until the desired degree of brownness, about 12 to 15 minutes for coconut, 5 to 7 minutes for nuts.
I always like a little pineapple with my Easter meal, so a vanilla jelly roll filled with a sweet pineapple filling is a perfect fit. Decorated with powdered sugar, whipped cream and cherries it's a beauty.
For fans of anything lemon there's also a sunny lemon cheesecake, a sweet and tart masterpiece of a dessert for after the big meal. So refreshing!
Italian Cream Cake
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
5 eggs
2 cups flour, sifted twice
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
2 tsp. vanilla
Directions: Separate eggs. Beat whites until stiff. Set aside. Cream butter and shortening with electric mixer. Add sugar and beat until combined. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk; add alternately with flour. Beat well. Add coconut, nuts and vanilla. Fold in reserved stiffly beaten egg whites.
Pour into three greased and floured 9-inch cake pans using 2 cups batter per pan. Bake in preheated 350-degree F. oven 25 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire racks about 10 minutes then remove from pans to cool completely. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows.) Serves 8 to 10. Refrigerate leftovers.
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter
1 (1-pound) powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Directions: Combine ingredients and beat until fluffy. Spread between layers and on top of cooled cake. Sprinkle top with coconut, if desired. For Easter add a few jelly beans.
Pineapple Filled Jelly Roll
Cake:
4 eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Powdered sugar (for dusting cooling towel)
Filling:
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple in syrup, drained, reserve syrup
1/2 cup reserved pineapple syrup
1 T. cornstarch
Powdered sugar
Sweetened whipped cream
Maraschino cherries
Directions: Grease 15x10x1-inch jelly roll pan. Line with waxed paper; grease waxed paper. Set aside.
In small mixer bowl beat egg whites at high speed until foamy. Continue beating, gradually adding 1/4 cup sugar, till stiff peaks form (2 to 3 minutes). Set aside.
In large mixer bowl combine egg yolks, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, salt and vanilla. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. By hand, alternately fold in egg whites and flour till just mixed. Pour into prepared pan. Bake in preheated 375-degree F. oven 10 to 15 minutes or till top springs back when lightly touched.
Immediately loosen cake from edges of pan. Invert onto kitchen towel sprinkled generously with powdered sugar. Remove pan; pull off waxed paper. While hot, starting with 10-inch side, roll up cake in towel. Cool completely.
In 2-quart combine all of the filling ingredients. Cook over medium, stirring occasionally, till mixture comes to a full boil, boil 1 minute. Refrigerate till completely cooled.
Unroll cooled cake; remove towel. Spread cake with cooled filling; roll up cake. Refrigerate till ready to serve. If desired, garnish with powdered sugar, whipped cream and cherries. Serves 10.
Lemon Cheesecake
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 eggs, divided
1 T. milk
2 tsps. vanilla extract, divided
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, softened
16 -ounces sour cream, divided
Zest of 1 lemon, divided
Garnish: fresh lemon slices
Directions: In large bowl, combine flour, 2/3 cup sugar, butter, 2 eggs, milk, one teaspoon vanilla, baking powder and salt. Mix well. Press mixture evenly into bottom and partially up sides of a lightly greased 9-inch round springform pan.
For filling, beat cream cheese and 1 1/3 cups sugar with electric mixer till smooth. Beat in remaining eggs, one at a time, beating slightly after each addition; stir in sour cream, remaining vanilla and 2/3 of lemon zest.
Pour filling into crust; bake in preheated 325-degree F. oven for 1 hour. Turn off oven; leave pan in oven 15 minutes.
For topping, mix together remaining sour cream, 1/4 sugar and zest till smooth. Spread sour cream topping over filling. Set oven to 325-degrees F. Bake 15 minutes longer. Cool on wire rack for one hour. Cover and chill 8 hours. Garnish with lemon slices before serving. Serves 12.