While spring turns some fancies to love, my fancies turn to spring desserts. As everything comes to life outside, in the kitchen, desserts also throw off the cozy mantle of winter. Comforting pastry and hearty bread pudding give way to the rich flavors and soft pastel colors of ivory-white chocolate, lemon-yellow and spring-green mint leaves that mirror the flowers in bloom.
It's also a time when desserts need to do more than just taste good. A season of celebrations - from Mother's Day this Sunday to graduation parties, baby showers and weddings - calls for showstopping creations as pleasing to the eye as they are to the palate.
These lovely desserts are right for any spring occasion. A do-ahead Lemon Icebox Pie with billows of whipped-cream topping refreshes those first warm evenings. White-chocolate-and-mint-flavored mousse garnished with mint leaves provides a nice finish for spring brunches or lunches.
And for times when you really want to pull out all the stops, there is a spectacular cake with the delicate flavors of coconut and almond to celebrate the most important milestones (including, of course, another year with your mother). In keeping with the carefree spirit of spring, even this four-layer finale is easy to prepare, can be assembled ahead and will leave you with plenty of time for "spring flings."
An old-fashioned hot-milk cake batter produces a light-textured butter cake to be filled and covered with whipped cream and shreds of coconut. The batter is easily mixed by beating eggs and sugar to a thick, fluffy mass, then mixing in flour, hot milk and melted butter.
Because the butter melts into the hot milk, it is not even necessary to soften butter for this cake. The cake batter develops properly from a thorough beating of eggs and sugar. It is stabilized when the hot-milk mixture is added.
It would be very difficult to over-beat the egg-and-sugar mixture, so if you're not sure whether it is sufficiently beaten, continue beating for another minute or two.
After the cake layers cool, cut them into two thinner horizontal layers. Use a serrated knife and a sawing motion to cut the layers smoothly and evenly. To move cake layers safely, support them with the removable bottom of a tart pan, the bottom of a springform pan or two large spatulas.
If you're looking for something to make far in advance that still will look as fresh when you serve it as the bouquet on the table, Lemon Icebox Pie fills the bill. Before this pie is topped with whipped cream, it can be frozen for up to 1 month.
To freeze the pie, refrigerate it until the top is firm, then wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and heavy aluminum foil. Let the wrapped frozen pie sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to soften slightly, then add the whipped-cream topping before serving it. Because this pie does not freeze rock-hard, it could even be served without being defrosted. The firm filling makes a nice contrast to the soft cream topping.
For a quick finale that still makes for an elegant presentation, think white-chocolate mousse, freshened with a hint of mint. Be sure to cool the white-chocolate mixture before whipping it with the cream, but only to the point that it remains pourable; that way, the cream and soft white-chocolate mixture will whip together smoothly. Measure the mint extract carefully - even a small amount packs quite a punch.
Coconut Whipped Cream Cake
Serves 12
CAKE: 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups whole milk
5 ounces (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
5 large eggs
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
FILLING AND TOPPING:
4 cups cold heavy (whipping) cream
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons amaretto (almond-flavored liqueur)
4 cups sweetened shredded coconut (divided use)
For the cake: Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper and butter the paper.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and butter over medium heat until the butter melts and the mixture is hot, about 150 degrees if measured on a food thermometer. Do not boil.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs and sugar until the mixture is fluffy, thick and lightened in color, about 3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla and amaretto.
On low speed, mix in the flour mixture just until it is blended. Slowly add the hot-milk mixture, mixing until it is smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pans, dividing it evenly.
Bake for about 45 minutes, until the top feels firm when touched lightly and a toothpick inserted into the center of each layer comes out clean.
Let the cakes rest in the pans for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of each pan to loosen the cakes. Invert each cake onto a wire rack. Discard the paper liner. Let the cake layers cool thoroughly.
For the filling and topping: In a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed, beat the cream, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and amaretto until firm peaks form.
The whipped cream will increase in volume; transfer 5 cups to a medium bowl and fold in 1 1/2 cups of the coconut. Set the remaining whipped cream aside.
Finish the cake: Place a serving plate on the bottom of 1 cake layer and, using the wire rack to hold the cake in place, invert the cake onto the serving plate. The top side of the cake layer will be up. Tuck waxed paper strips just an inch or so under the bottom of the cake all the way around to keep the plate clean.
Use a long serrated knife to cut the cake layer horizontally into 2 even layers. Use the removable bottom of a tart pan to lift up the top half of the cake layer and move it to the side. Spread about 1 1/2 cups of the coconut whipped cream over the cake. Slide the top half of the cake layer carefully over the filling and spread it with another 1 1/2 cups of coconut whipped cream.
Invert the second layer onto another plate or wire rack so it is top side up, cut it horizontally into 2 even layers, and move the top half of the cake layer to the side. Slide the bottom layer onto the filling and spread the remaining coconut whipped cream over the cake.
Slide the remaining top half of the cake layer carefully onto the filling and spread the reserved whipped cream generously over the top and sides of the cake.
Sprinkle the remaining coconut over the top and press it gently onto the sides of the cake. Carefully pull out and discard the wax paper strips. Cover carefully and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Serve cold.
Per serving: 829 calories, 9 grams protein, 53 grams fat, 35 grams saturated fat, 83 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fiber, 225 milligrams cholesterol, 310 milligrams sodium
White-Chocolate-Mint Mousse
Serves 8
2 1/2 cups cold heavy (whipping) cream (divided use)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
10 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon mint extract
white-chocolate shavings for topping
fresh mint leaves for garnish
Have ready a serving bowl with at least a 6-cup capacity.
In a medium saucepan over low heat, place 1/2 cup of the cream and the butter and heat until the mixture is hot and the butter melts. Do not let the mixture boil. Remove the pan from the heat.
Add the white chocolate and let it soften in the hot cream mixture for about 30 seconds. Stir the mixture until it is smooth and all of the white chocolate melts. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate until cool to the touch but still pourable, about 30 minutes.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, mix the remaining 2 cups of cold cream, vanilla, mint extract and the cooled white-chocolate mixture on low speed to blend the ingredients. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until firm peaks form, about 1 minute.
Transfer the mousse to a serving bowl. Spoon the white-chocolate shavings over the mousse. Garnish with mint leaves. Cover and refrigerate up to 1 day. Spoon into dishes and serve cold.
Per serving: 487 calories, 4 grams protein, 42 grams fat, 27 grams saturated fat, 22 grams carbohydrate, 0 grams fiber, 122 milligrams cholesterol, 67 milligrams sodium
Lemon Icebox Pie
Serves 8
CRUST: 1 1/3 cups graham-cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
FILLING:
one 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 large egg yolks
TOPPING:
1 cup cold heavy (whipping) cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the crust: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-inch pie pan. Stir the graham-cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and melted butter together until evenly moistened. Press the crumbs evenly in the pan. Bake 8 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
For the filling: In a large bowl, stir the condensed milk and lemon juice until blended. Stir in the egg yolks until the yolks are incorporated. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust.
Bake at 325 degrees until the filling looks firm and set when you give the pan a gentle shake, about 25 minutes. Cool 15 minutes, then refrigerate the pie uncovered until the filling is cool to the touch, about 1 hour.
For the topping: In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the cream, confectioners' sugar and vanilla until firm peaks form. Use a spatula to spread the whipped cream over the cooled filling.
Cover the pie carefully and refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight. Serve cold.
Per serving: 437 calories, 8 grams protein, 26 grams fat, 15 grams saturated fat, 46 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fiber, 156 milligrams cholesterol, 186 milligrams sodium