CUCINA CARA MIA.......Random thoughts from "my dear kitchen" about food, travel, Italy, San Diego and life!

Sunday, January 6, 2013

NEW YEAR, NEW RECIPES

Happy 2013! Hard to believe another year has passed by. I am looking forward to creating more Italian desserts, and looking for new recipes to try and make my own.

Recently, I came across another Giada recipe:

RASPBERRY POUNDCAKE WITH VIN SANTO CREAM

Ingredients:

Pound cake
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the loaf pan
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons orange zest (from 1 medium orange)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature,
plus more for greasing pan
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (10-ounce) bag sweetened, frozen raspberries, thawed
and drained


Cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
3 tablespoons Vin Santo wine or Moscato wine

To make the Raspberry Pound Cake:

Set an oven rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 by 5 by3-inch loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, orange zest, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the sugar and butter until blended, about 30 seconds. With the machine running, add the eggs 1 at a time. Add the vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients, a small amount at a time, until just incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, fold the drained raspberries evenly into the batter.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. (Cake may deflate in the center during cooling)

To make the Vin Santo Cream:

In a large bowl, beat the cream until it holds soft peaks.

Add the vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and Vin Santo. Continue to beat mixture until cream holds stiff peaks.

Transfer the pound cake to a serving platter. Slice and serve with the Vin Santo Cream.


I used fresh raspberries and did not make the cream - too many calories consumed during the holidays prevented me from adding it!

I am going to do a trifle and add a mascarpone whipped cream layer and fresh raspberries - perfect to serve in a mini dessert cup for an upcoming event!

This pound cake is very moist and delicious - even without the Vin Santo cream!






o