Claire Thomas

By ClaudiaJan

Details

Servings 10
Adapted from thekitchykitchen.blogspot.com

Preparation

Step 1

You can make the delicious lemon scented sponge cake that Tina uses for the base of her crackle cake, or you can make a box sponge or angel food cake with a bit of lemon zest mixed in, either works.

The cake is a little tricky because it burns sometimes. You have to be careful and not cook it too long, it can go dry really quick. But it what really makes a difference with this cake is the lemon rind in the cake. It gives an acid punch that works well with the sweet coffee crunch and whipped cream. that's what makes it addicting and it's light, it has no butter or oil.

Make in 3 10-inch cake pans lined with wax paper.

Preheat oven to 350F. Adjust rack in the lower third of oven.

Whisk egg whites in bowl of a heavy-duty mixer just until frothy. Add cream of tartar; whisk until soft peaks form. Add 3/4 cups sugar in a steady stream, whisking until thicker, stiffer, glossy peaks form – about 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Scoop white into a VERY large bowl (trust me, you'll need it) and set aside.

In the same bowl you used for the whites, beat the egg yolks with remaining sugar until thick and pale yellow, about 2-3 minutes. Add water and beat until thickened, about 4 minutes. It should be very thick and pale. Pour yolk mixture over whites and gently fold together with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle a third of the flour mixture over the egg mixture; fold to combine. Repeat two more times just until ingredients are incorporated. Gently pour batter into the pans and level tops with a spatula.

Combine coffee, sugar and corn syrup in a heavy, 4-quart saucepan. Place over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. When mixture is clear and begins to boil, increase heat to medium-high; cook until mixture reaches 290°F on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda (mixture will foam up intensely). While still foaming, pour out onto prepared baking sheet. Do not spread (this will compress it) and let it harden and cool completely (about 30 minutes).

Combine cream, sugar and vanilla. Whisk until cream holds stiff peaks.

Place cake on a cake plate. Spread whipped cream between each layer about 1 inch thick and sprinkle with the smallest pieces and dust from the coffee crunch. Carefully stack the layers, repeating the whipped cream and sprinkling the coffee crunch. Spread remaining whipped cream over the top and sides of cake and decorate with as much coffee crunch as possible. Refrigerate until serving.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and lightly season with salt and pepper. In a dutch oven, cook onions and butter over medium heat until pale yellow, about 10-15 minutes. Add garlic, paprika, tomato paste, and the chicken. Add 1 cup of broth and the salt. Cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender. Allow it to cool a bit and stir in the sour cream. Serve with egg noodles.

Preheat the oven to 425F degrees. Bring the olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt, and minced garlic up to heat over a medium flame for about a minute. Stir in the tomatoes and the fresh oregano and bring to a gentle simmer. Off the heat, add the adobo sauce and taste. I added a little too much the first time I made this, so beware, adobo is powerful stuff. Salt and pepper to taste, but go easy on the salt, because I find that canned beans can be a touch salty. Add the beans and spinach, and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into a 9x13 baking pan and sprinkle with the cheese and breadcrumbs and bake in the top-third of the oven for roughly twenty-five minutes, or until it is browned and bubbly on top. Enjoy!

How much red pepper flakes??? I want to make this at next family gathering.

Gonna make the bean dish today, so excited to try it. Thanks for the recipes!

I was so excited to make this cake because it looks phenomenal! But when I entered the ingredients into weight watchers, it is 25 points for one slice (I get 26 points per day)!!! I'm going to have to do some doctoring...

Another great episode leaving behind some wonderful vintage recipes to try. Desert first ha ha!!! How many cakes did you make for the set as the one here I can tell you decorated it as you like the planetary look ha ha Fun show...keep up the good work. I enjoy sharing your show times and recipes with friends and family. Always easy to understand instructions.

could you make the bean casserole in a crock pot?