Valentine’s Day is all about pinks and reds, sweets and special desserts! I also enjoy finding cozy mysteries that have a bit of holiday theme in them so I was happy when I started reading FATAL RESERVATIONS, the sixth book in they Key West Food Critic by Lucy Burdette (aka Roberta Isleib).  I’ve made several of Lucy’s luscious desserts in the past from other books in her series so knew my family was in for a treat when I saw her recipe for Raspberry Cake. And I knew that it would be the perfect Valentine’s Day cake with its gorgeous pink color thanks to the plentiful use of fresh raspberries and NO artificial food coloring.

Hayley Snow is a food critic for style magazine, Key Zest, in Key West, Florida. Putting up with a new boss who bought half interest in the magazine, juggling her “sort-of” relationship with her other boss, Wally, and keeping her elderly roommate, Miss Gloria, out of trouble keeps her more than busy. When Miss Gloria points out the police fishing a body out of the harbor, Hayley is glad she didn’t find it and isn’t involved in anyone’s death this time. That evening she attends the City Council’s meeting on behalf of her magazine to cover the controversy over the application to open a Japanese floating restaurant, For Goodness Sake. She puts the gruesome police activity out of her mind especially as tensions mount when several other restaurant owners in the area speak out against the proposed restaurant. As the agenda moves on to working out a solution for lease renewals for the street performers for the Sunset Celebration, the meeting turns violent when one of the street vendors tries to strangle Hayley’s tarot card reading friend, Lorenzo.

Not long after the meeting adjourns, Lorenzo calls Hayley and tells her that the police suspect he is the murderer of the flaming fork juggling performer, Bart Frontgate, the man pulled from the harbor that afternoon. Apparently Bart was involved in the controversial Sunset Celebration lease renewal issue, on the opposite side of Lorenzo, and they had been feuding for over a year. Hayley is certain that her friend is innocent and starts asking questions to clear his name. But when he disappears and she finds he’s been hiding secrets, Hayley’s loyalty is put to the test, especially when another murder takes place.

Lucy manages to capture the sights, sounds and flavors unique to Key West and makes you feel like you’re on a long vacation with Hayley. Her characters are quirky yet charming and I love to see how they grow and develop with each subsequent book. In addition to a great story, I thoroughly enjoyed the quotes beginning each chapter… with the one contributed by the author from her book, DEATH WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS, being my favorite: “Wally flashed a smile, tight as the rubber band around a bouquet of broccoli.” Lucy creates vivid pictures using words as her paint!

A huge thanks to Lucy for allowing me to share her very special Raspberry Cake recipe! I have included a video tutorial at the bottom of the page on how to make the cake as well, with a couple tips for decorating it. Be sure to take a look at the sneak peek of the newest book in “A Key West Food Critic Mystery” series, KILLER TAKEOUT, debuting April 5, 2016!

 

 

 

 

As a bonus for my readers I have a copy of FATAL RESERVATIONS to give to one lucky winner! Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe for a chance to win. Contest ends Thursday, February 11, 2016 at 11:59 pm PST. Winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!) Open to U.S. residents only.

 

 

 

Raspberry Cake

Hayley imagines this cake could seal the deal with Wally on Valentine’s Day. I think it would have, too – if only he’d tasted a bite before storming off the houseboat.

Serves 6 – 12, depending on the size of the slices.

 

 

Ingredients

Cake

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-3/4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 cups sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened but still cool, cut into cubes
4 eggs, room temperature
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

 

 

Frosting

1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese
1 stick unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Confectioners’ sugar**
2 boxes fresh raspberries – about 30 for the frosting and 40 or so for decoration
3 – 4 tablespoons good-quality raspberry jam

 

 

Instructions

Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F).

Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by buttering them well, lining with parchment paper, and then buttering the parchment too.

Combine the flours, baking powder, sugar, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer and mix at low speed.

Add the butter, a few cubes at a time, and continue beating on low for 1 to 2 minutes.

Beat the eggs in, one at a time, mixing well but minimally after each.

Mix the milk with the extracts.

Add 1/2 cup of the milk mixture to the flour mixture and beat until combines.

Add the remaining 1/2 cup of the milk mixture and beat for 1 minute.

Pour the batter evenly into the two prepared cake pans.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when touched, in the neighborhood of 25 minutes. Watch this because you don’t want to over-bake.

Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes.

Remove the cakes, one to a plate and the other to waxed or parchment paper, and allow them to cool to room temperature.

Frosting

Beat together the cream cheese and butter.

Add the vanilla and confectioners’ sugar to taste. (The author used about 1 cup of sugar.)**

Now gradually beat in about 30 raspberries until your desired pink color is achieved.

Spread the plated cooled cake with a layer of frosting, then a layer of jam.

Layer on the other cake. Frost the top and sides and decorate with remaining berries.

Refrigerate until serving.

Tips

**I used close to 8 cups of confectioners’ sugar for several reasons. 1) My family likes sweet frosting. 2) I knew I wanted to embellish using decorating tips so I needed extra frosting; 3) I wanted a dark pink frosting which meant I needed to use a lot more raspberries without resorting to artificial food coloring.

Here are my tips for getting the frosting just right since raspberries can greatly vary in size and juiciness factors.

• After beating the butter, cream cheese and 1 cup of sugar together, add the raspberries a few at a time and check the consistency before adding more. If you want a darker pink, add extra confectioners’ sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, alternating with adding a few raspberries to the frosting until you reach the desired shade and the desired consistency.
• If you are piping the frosting onto the cake you will want the consistency to be stiff which means extra confectioners’ sugar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Lucy Burdette’s next book, KILLER TAKEOUT, is releasing April 5, 2016! Here’s a sneak peek!

It’s Fantasy Fest at Key West, and food critic Hayley Snow is ready to celebrate. But a killer seems intent on crashing the party. . .

Every year, Key West’s weeklong Mardi Gras–style festival has tourists and locals alike lining up for costumed revelry and delicious eats. Key Zest magazine has assigned Hayley to write a piece on the fest’s grab-and-go food, so she’s planning on hitting up the mobile eateries while checking out the party preparations.

Hayley’s office mate, Danielle, recently elected Queen of Fantasy Fest, is also buzzing between festivities and fundraisers.  But when a former royal rival gets taken out, Hayley needs to put down her party hat and her pen and figure out who served up a side of murder—before Danielle gets crowned a killer. . .

It seems like Labor Day is summer’s last hurrah before we hurtle into Fall and head towards the holidays. Typically it’s quite warm in Southern California so I’m not quite ready to embrace the flavors of autumn on this last summer holiday. When I was trying to think of a dessert to make for our Labor Day bbq, I remembered a good friend (thank you, Anna!) telling me about her flourless lemon cake some time ago.  It intrigued me so I hunted down her recipe and started experimenting and tweaking it to fit my tastes. A refreshing lemon cake with a texture that’s a cross between a traditional cake and cheesecake – super moist with a dense crumb that melts in your mouth thanks to the ricotta. I love the fact that this is naturally gluten-free so I can enjoy dessert along with everyone else!

Be sure to check the bottom of the page for my tip on what to do with your leftover vanilla bean pods.

 

 

 

Lemon-Scented Almond Flourless Cake

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1-1/3 cups (9.7 ounces) superfine sugar, divided (or pulse granulated sugar about 25 times in a food processor)
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped (**see below for what to do with leftover vanilla beans)
Lemon zest from 2 lemons (about 1 to 1-1/2 tablespoons zest)
4 eggs, room temperature
2-1/2 cups (8.5 ounces) almond meal
1-1/4 cups (10.5 ounces) ricotta cheese
1/3 cup (1.5 ounces) sliced raw almonds

Confectioner’s sugar

 

 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spritz a 9″ round cake pan with non-stick cooking spray and line with parchment paper. Set aside.

 

 

Place butter, 3/4 cup (6 ounces) of superfine sugar, vanilla seeds and lemon zest into the bowl of a standing mixer.

 

 

On medium-high speed, beat for 8 – 10 minutes until creamy and pale in color, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Add the egg yolks, one at a time. Beat the batter until they are fully incorporated.

Add the almond meal to the mixture and beat until incorporated.

Remove the bowl from the standing mixer and fold the ricotta into the batter. Set aside.

In a clean, grease-free bowl beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.

 

 

Slowly add the remaining sugar to the egg whites and beat until stiff peaks form.

Fold one third of the egg whites into the batter, gently incorporating.

Repeat with the remaining egg whites.

Pour the batter into the cake pan and sprinkle the almond slices over the top.

 

 

 

Bake 40 – 45 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the middle comes out with just a few crumbs attached. The crumbs shouldn’t be gooey.

Remove cake from oven and place on a wire rack, allowing it to cool completely in the cake pan.

When cool, carefully turn the cake out onto a plate, then invert the cake onto a serving platter.

Sprinkle the top of the cake with confectioner’s sugar.

Refrigerate leftovers and consume within 3 days.

 

 

Recipe inspired by Cakelets & Doilies

 

Homemade Vanilla Extract

**Use leftover vanilla beans to make your own vanilla extract!

Ingredients

1 fifth-sized bottle decent vodka – it doesn’t have to be the super expensive kind but you don’t want really cheap either (A fifth is the medium-sized bottle, about 25 ounces of vodka)
8 vanilla beans, cut lengthwise and opened up to expose the seeds (you can use the vanilla bean you used above even though the seeds are missing.)
Decorative bottles if desired

Instructions

If needed, pour a tablespoon or so of vodka from the bottle to make room for the vanilla beans.

Place the vanilla beans into the vodka and place the cap on tightly then shake vigorously.

Store the bottle in a cool, dark place and shake the bottle every day for 2 weeks.

Allow the vanilla beans to steep in the vodka for at least 4 weeks but 6 weeks is even better.

If you wish, after 6 weeks of steeping, transfer the vanilla extract to decorative bottles and share. Your friends will thank you!

Tip

• Anytime you use a fresh vanilla bean in a recipe, simply add the leftover pod to your vanilla extract and freshen with a bit of extra vodka. You’ll never run out of vanilla extract that way.
• You can also place the dry, leftover vanilla bean pod into your granulated sugar container for vanilla-scented sugar, which is wonderful in cookies and desserts.

 

Confession Time: As I started making this cake I mistakenly grabbed an 8″ round cake pan and didn’t realize my mistake until the batter was in and I started sprinkling almonds on top. I baked it anyway (it took a good 60 minutes) and it turned out fine…although the bottom was darker than it should have been. Just don’t be alarmed if your 9″ cake pan doesn’t look as full as my photos.

 

 

 

Several times a year I bake and decorate cakes for my granddaughters: birthdays, special occasions and of course to celebrate the last day of school with their annual pool party. The photos in this post is the cake I made for the girls this week. I don’t mind spending countless hours working on the decorations but when it comes time to bake the actual cake I chicken out and use boxed cake mix. Boxed cake mixes are reliable and almost fool-proof…and let’s not forget how quick it is to mix one up and get into the oven! Plus when I’m stacking cakes, boxed mixes have a sturdy structure to support the weight (just make sure to use dowel supports when stacking). However, mixes do have an unmistakable “fake” taste to them, so I came up with 17 tricks to make a boxed cake mix taste like homemade.

 

 

 

17 Tricks to Make a Boxed Cake Mix Taste Like Homemade

General

1. Use homemade frosting and fillings. I’ve included my favorite recipes below.

2. Brush cake layers with simple syrup, flavored with vanilla. This will keep your cake moist and provide a boost in flavor. See recipe below.

3. Use whole milk instead of water, as called for on the mix.

4. Substitute soda pop for the water: dark sodas, such as cola or root-beer, work well with chocolate or spice mixes while light sodas, such as lemon-lime or ginger-ale, works well with vanilla mixes.

5. Use extracts to boost flavor of plain cakes: peppermint, lemon, orange, almond, rum, or my favorite Fiori di Sicilia, which is a blend of vanilla and citrus flavors.

6. Use a tablespoon or two of your favorite flavor of jam to swirl into cake batter and brush onto baked layers before frosting. Seedless jam is best.

7. Substitute all or partial amounts of melted butter (cooled to lukewarm temperature before adding to batter) for the vegetable oil called for.

8. Add 2 tablespoons mayonnaise to the mix to greatly improve the texture of the cake.

9. Add-ins provide additional flavor and texture: chocolate chips, toasted nuts, shredded coconut or blueberries to name a few. Use the same add-ins as garnish once the cake is frosted.

10. Torte the cake layers: slice one layer into two pieces, horizontally, and spread the bottom cut side with filling then replace the top slice (cut side positioned down). Add filling on top of that layer then repeat with the second layer. You should end up with 4 layers of cake and 3 layers of filling.

 

 

Vanilla Cake

11. Substitute 1 tablespoon vanilla extract for 1 tablespoon of the liquid called for. This is the perfect time to use milk instead of water!

Chocolate Cake

12. Add 3 tablespoons sifted unsweetened cocoa powder to the cake mix along with 1 teaspoon of instant coffee powder.

13. Bake the cake in a bundt pan, which will “dress” it up, then drizzle the easy 2-ingredient chocolate ganache over the cake. See my recipe below.

Lemon Cake

14. Use white cake mix but substitute 1/2 cup thawed lemonade concentrate for 1/2 cup of the water called for. Don’t use milk for the liquid when adding citrus juices as the milk can curdle…the cake will taste fine but the texture will be much denser.

15. Add a thin layer of lemon curd between the cake layers to boost tart lemon flavors. See my EASY lemon curd recipe below.

Spice Cake

16. Add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and a 1/4 teaspoon each cloves and ground ginger to the mix.

17. Substitute apple juice for the water called for.

 

 

 

Lemon Curd

Ingredients

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 egg, room temperature
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons cold water

Instructions

Melt the butter in a 4-cup microwave-safe bowl. I like using my 4-cup glass measuring cup for this.

Vigorously whisk the lemon juice and sugar into the butter then whip in the egg .

Microwave 1 minute, remove and whisk, then microwave 30 seconds and whisk.

If mixture is not bubbling and appearing to thicken cook an additional 30 seconds in the microwave. Mixture should reach about 185 degrees.

While the lemon mixture is heating in the microwave, dissolve the cornstarch in the water.

Remove mixture from microwave and transfer to a small saucepan.

Heat lemon mixture over medium-low heat and continuously whisking, mix in the cornstarch and water mixture.

Keep whisking the mixture over the heat for approximately 2 – 2-1/2 minutes, until it begins to thicken.

Remove from heat and strain if desired.

Pour back into the 4 cup container you started with and cover with plastic wrap or a lid.

Place in the refrigerator until thoroughly chilled then spread on to the cake layers.

Keep the curd refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks or you may freeze for longer storage.

 

Simple Syrup

Ingredients

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

In a small sauce pan, heat the sugar and water until it begins to simmer.

Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture is clear. If it is cloudy, heat longer, stirring until it clears.

Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Allow to cool to lukewarm.

Using a silicon basting brush, brush the cooled syrup over the cake layers then proceed with filling and frosting the cake.

 

Quick Frosting

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
5 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3 – 4 tablespoons whole milk, half & half, or heavy cream**
2 teaspoons vanilla extract**

Instructions

In the bowl of a standing mixer, whip the butter and salt until creamy.

Add approximately half the confectioners’ sugar to the butter and whip until incorporated.

Add 1-1/2 tablespoons cream or milk, and the vanilla extract, to the mixture and whip until creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Repeat with the remaining sugar and 1-1/2 tablespoons cream. Once incorporated, whip until the frosting is light and fluffy, approximately 3 – 4 minutes. If the frosting seems too thick, add more cream, 1 teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

**If lemon frosting is desired, substitute 1-1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice for 1 tablespoon milk or cream. Omit the vanilla.

 

Chocolate Ganache

This is a nice glaze that is especially lovely drizzled over a bundt cake.

Ingredients 

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
4-5 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate (it works best using high quality chocolate)

Instructions

Melt chocolate and heavy cream together in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly or heat in the microwave.

If using the microwave start out with 1 minute on high, then whisk. If chocolate is not melted, heat in 10 second intervals, whisking after each time until smooth.

Drizzle the ganache over the cake and cool before serving.

 

White Chocolate Buttercream & Filling

Ingredients

6 ounces premium white chocolate (don’t use white chocolate chips or candy coating)
1/3 cup half & half plus up to 3 tablespoons more as needed
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 pounds confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

Microwave the white chocolate in a heat proof dish (I like a glass measuring cup for this) for 30 seconds. Remove and stir, then return to microwave. Heat an additional 15 seconds, then stir again. Repeat until chocolate is melted, but use care in making sure you don’t overheat.

Let chocolate cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes, while you collect the remaining ingredients.

Whisk the salt and vanilla into the 1/3 cup half & half.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with either a wire whisk or this beater blade, beat the butter until creamy, about 2 minutes.

Gradually add approximately 1/3 of the sugar. When it’s incorporated add 1/3 of the half & half mixture and beat.

Repeat alternating with the confectioner’s sugar and the milk mixture until all is fully incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

When frosting is blended and creamy, slowly add in the room temperature white chocolate and whisk in the mixer until light and fluffy.

Add additional half & half as needed, until desired consistency is reached.

Option: Add crushed Oreo cookies to a portion of this frosting for filling between the layers of your cake.