ISO: Easter Dessert

[laurenc]

I am going to my cousins house for easter and I would love to bring a festive dessert. Does anyone have any suggestions? It is about a 2 hour drive to her house so I need something that can survive the car ride.
Thanks in advance!

[patrice]

I am also in need of a dessert recipe. My family is getting together for dessert and my sister has already claimed dibs on making cheesecake.

[aggie94]

I haven't tried it, but the Eating Well chocolate cake recipe that people have been raving about for the past few weeks sounds wonderful. A cake would keep well on the trip, and what could be more appropriate than chocolate for Easter?

[funnybone]

A Rainbow Cake is always pretty this time of year. It consists layers of cake and icing done in all different colors. There are soooo many versions of it around, I'm sure you can find one on a search. There are jello versions too, for those with tons of boxes in their pantry (I am guilty as well).

[Vanessa]

Since its spring what about a lemon cake? You could make it a bundt cake and just a simple lemon glaze on top...or a lemon tart or individual tarts you can pack and put the cut upfruit when you arrive? What about a carrot cake or a Hummingbird cake? A pineapple cake might be a nice change too...

[BeckyM]

Since a lemon cake was suggested, that reminded me I made a lemon pound cake once that was really good. It was in a CL issue maybe a year or two ago that had a bunch of different pound cakes. I made the lemon one because I had given up chocolate for Lent and was wanting to bring a nice dessert to my in-laws for a birthday or something. Anyway, it really was delicious!

[Grace]

I agree that lemon is something nice and Spring-y. Here is a Lemon-Poppyseed roll cake that looks pretty and festive.

CookWare(tm) from Cooking Light(r)

Lemon-Poppy Seed Roulade

SOURCE: Cooking Light YEAR: April 1999 PAGE: 170

INGREDIENTS FOR 8 SERVINGS:
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons cake flour
4 large egg whites
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
4 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2/3 cup sifted cake flour
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons powdered sugar, divided
1 cup frozen reduced-calorie whipped topping, thawed
1/2 cup bottled lemon curd (such as Crosse & Blackwell)

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Coat a 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan with cooking spray; line bottom with wax
paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray; dust with 2 teaspoons flour.

3. Beat egg whites at high speed of a mixer until foamy. Gradually add 1/2 cup
granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form.

4. Beat egg yolks in a large bowl at high speed of a mixer for 4 minutes.
Gradually add 1/4 cup granulated sugar, beating until thick and pale (about 2
minutes). Beat in lemon rind, juice, and oil. Gently fold egg white mixture
into egg yolk mixture. Combine 2/3 cup flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, and
salt, stirring well with a whisk; gently fold into egg mixture.

5. Spoon cake batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or
until cake springs back when touched lightly in center. Loosen cake from sides
of pan, and turn out onto a dishtowel dusted with 1 tablespoon powdered sugar;
carefully peel off wax paper. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon powdered sugar; cool
1 minute. Starting at narrow end, roll up cake and towel together. Place, seam
side down, on a wire rack; cool completely (about 1 hour).

6. Unroll the cake carefully, removing the towel. Combine the whipped topping
and lemon curd. Spread the whipped topping mixture over the cake, leaving a
1/2-inch margin around the outside edges. Reroll cake, and place, seam side
down, on a platter. Cover and chill for 4 hours. Sift 1 tablespoon powdered
sugar over cake, and cut into slices. Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1
slice).

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
CALORIES 247 (22% from fat); FAT 6.1g (sat 2.2g, mono 1.6g, poly 1.6g);
PROTEIN 4.4g; CARB 44.9g; FIBER 0.1g; CHOL 109mg; IRON 1.2mg; SODIUM 171mg;
CALC 70mg

If you need more suggestions (lemon just ain't doin' it for ya!), let us know. I think I can come up with a few more ideas...

[KValley]

Lauren,

BeckyM mentioned the issue with several pound cake recipes- I think she's referring to the APril 2000. THese cakes are phenomenal. Pound cakes are easy to bake ahead and travel well.

Of course, pound cakes are not particularly glamorous, but these recipes are so good that you will definitely make an impression. I second the vote for something lemon- try the Sour Cream Lemon Pound Cake.

I too have to travel about 2 hours by car for a family potluck Easter dinner. I'm making the Brown Sugar Pound Cake and serving it with vanilla ice cream and warmed-up blueberry sauce from the March '01 issue (on cover with gingerbread cake). If you can find decent fresh berries this time of year, this is also great with raspberries.

Have fun,

Julie

[schuh]

I was planning to make Lemon Swirl Cheesecake from awhile back. It got great reviews on this board.

[Beth]

I just got the dessert assignment this afternoon. I was going to make a cheesecake, but carrot cake would certainly be appropriate. I bought a pan to make egg-shaped minicakes for the kids.

[Leanne]

If you have kids there - a cute dessert is a coconut cake shaped like a bunny. The coconut shavings look like fur & you can put jellybeans around him for decoration. It would take some effort, but a friend of mine makes one every year for her son - his birthday is just a couple of days before easter.

[kbucky]

Wow, Grace...that recipe sounds WONDERFUL...I am tempted to make it for our dessert, too! Have you used that recipe before?

[kbucky]

I think I will be making Mandarin Cream Delight and possibly the lemon-poppy seed roulade, or a chocolatey alternative. This recipe is REALLY good. And for easy travel, you could keep the filling and the whipped topping in a cooler and put them on the prebaked crust when you arrive.

CookWare(tm) from Cooking Light(r)

Mandarin Cream Delight

SOURCE: Cooking Light YEAR: Jan/Feb 2000 PAGE: 137

INGREDIENTS FOR 16 SERVINGS:
Crust:
9 tablespoons butter or stick margarine, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
Filling:
2 (11-ounce) cans mandarin oranges in light syrup, undrained
1/4 cup sugar
1 (16-ounce) carton fat-free sour cream
1 (8-ounce) carton low-fat sour cream
2 (3.4-ounce) packages vanilla instant pudding mix or 2 (1.4-ounce) packages sugar-free vanilla instant pudding mix
1 (8-ounce) container frozen reduced-calorie whipped topping, thawed
Mint sprigs (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. To prepare crust, combine the butter, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla in a large
bowl. Beat at medium speed of a mixer until light and fluffy (about 2
minutes). Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add
flour and salt to butter mixture, beating at low speed until well-blended.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

3. Pat dough into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray, and
pierce bottom of dough with a fork. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes or
until lightly browned. Cool crust on a wire rack.

4. To prepare filling, drain mandarin oranges over a large bowl, reserving 1/2
cup juice. Combine juice, 1/4 cup sugar, sour creams, and pudding mix in a
large bowl. Stir in the orange segments. Spoon orange mixture over crust,
spreading evenly. Top with whipped topping. Chill 1 hour. Garnish with mint,
if desired. Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 piece).

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
CALORIES 276 (30% from fat); FAT 9.3g (sat 6.4g, mono 2g, poly 0.4g); PROTEIN
4.2g; CARB 43g; FIBER 0.3g; CHOL 18mg; IRON 0.7mg; SODIUM 212mg; CALC 44mg

[Grace]

Hi Kbucky -

Sorry, I haven't made this particular recipe, but I have made other CL Roulade recipes that have been wonderful. I have been wanting to make this one for awhile, but, well, with so many recipes to try, it just kind of fell to the back of the list! Please post a review if you do try it! Thanks and Happy Easter!

[hsvaughan]

I also have the dessert assignment at my parents house and at my in-laws. I plan on making the CL carrot cake that uses apple butter and also the blueberry pound cake. Also, at my in-laws I am bringing frosted cut-out Easter Egg cookies because if I come without them I will be attacked by all the cousins!! (I have a rep to uphold with the cookies, whenever I come to a family event without them everyone is dissapointed!)

[BeckyM]

Here's another suggestion for anyone making a frosted cake (or cupcakes, as I suggested under the "Easter Muffins" post).

My mother's birthday often falls on Easter, so we always used to make her an Easter / Birthday cake. We would frost it with white (or other pastel) frosting, then for decoration we would make little easter nests. We would color some coconut green (put the coconut in a ziploc with a couple drops of green food coloring and sorta toss it around until all the coconut is evenly colored) and form it into several little "nests" on top of the cake. Then we would fill each nest with little jelly beans. It looks really festive and Easter-like. Those of you who prefer chocolate (like me!) could substitute Easter M&M's for the jelly beans. I was thinking this idea would work well with the Carrot Cake or even one of the pound cakes, as long as there's enough glaze or frosting for the coconut to stick on top of the cake.

[Curleytop]

Here are a couple of lemon pound cakes!

* Exported from MasterCook *

LEMON-POPPY SEED POUND CAKE

Recipe By :Cooking Light Magazine 10/99
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Cakes Desserts
Low Fat Pound Cakes


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

Cooking Spray
1 Teaspoon Unbleached flour
1 Cup Sugar
1/3 Cup Butter -- Softened
2 Large Egg Whites
1 Large Egg
1 Tablespoon Lemon Rind -- Grated
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 2/3 Cups Unbleached flour
2 Tablespoons Poppy Seeds
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
3/4 Cup Lowfat Buttermilk
2/3 Cup Powdered Sugar
4 Teaspoons Lemon Juice

Preheat oven to 350° (325° convection).

Coat an 8X4 inch loaf pan with cooking spray, dust with 1 teaspoon flour.

Beat granulated sugar and butter at medium speed of mixer until well-blended (about 4 minutes. Add egg whites and egg, 1 at a times, beating well after each addition. Beat in lemon rind and vanilla. Combine 1 2/3 cups flour and next 4 ingredients (thru salt) stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning ending with flour mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan, bake at 350° (325° convection) for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Poke holes in top of cake using a skewer. Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl, brush over warm cake. Cool completely.

Yield:
"1 8x4 LOAF CAKE"


* Exported from MasterCook *

SOUR CREAM LEMON POUND CAKE

Recipe By :Cooking Light Magazine 4/00
Serving Size : 18 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Bundt Cakes Cakes
Desserts Low Fat
Pound Cakes

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
Cooking Spray
3 Tablespoons Dry Bread crumbs
3 1/4 Cups Unbleached flour
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
3/4 Cup Butter -- Softened
2 1/2 Cups Sugar
2 Teaspoons Lemon Extract
3 Large Eggs
1 1/2 Tablespoons Lemon Rind (2 lemons) -- Grated
1/4 Cup Lemon Juice -- Divided
1 8 ounce Low-fat Sour Cream
1 Cup Powdered Sugar

Preheat oven to 350° (325° convection)

Coat a 10 inch tube pan with cooking spray, and dust with the breadcrumbs. (used Bundt pan).

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl, stir well with a whisk. Beat the butter in a large bowl at medium speed of a mixer, until light and fluffy. Gradually add the granulated sugar and lemon extract, beating until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add grated lemon rind, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice, beat 30 seconds. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with sour cream, beating at low speed, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350° (325° convection) for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack, remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Combine 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and powdered sugar. Drizzle glaze over top of cake

[lanie]

Here are 2 that have recently been sent to me with pretty good reviews - definitely not CL - but look good.

SCALLOPED PINEAPPLE

2 c sugar
1 c margarine
4 eggs, beaten
1/4 c milk
4 c white bread cubes
1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple

INGREDIENTS:

Cream together margarine, sugar, and eggs. Add remaining ingredients and mix
well. Place in a buttered oblong casserole; bake at 375º for 15 minutes,
then at 350º for 1 hours. Serve 6-8

Yet another variation albiet small:

Pineapple Surprise

1 pound crushed pineapple drained (1 large can)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
5 slices of white bread (wonder works best!)
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 350, grease pan, 9 x 9,
Cube white bread
Combine eggs, butter and sugar until smooth
Fold in drained pineapple and bread
Lay in pan, cook 1 hour

Makes approximately 10 servings

[hsvaughan]

I was wondering, can you turn any cake into cupcakes? I'm kinda new at all of this :-)

Thanks for your help!