spumoni

Spumoni Cake

April 4, 2016 by rachelle 32 Comments

Spumoni Cake

I’m baaaaaaack!

And I’m back with a bang! I totally missed you guys, but I enjoyed my vacation, and now I’m all rested up and refreshed from a very much needed break. I decided that my return should be impressive, so here we are with a Spumoni Cake.

This cake, y’all – I can’t even!

It’s no secret that I love all things spumoni. I’ve made No-Churn Spumoni Ice Cream and Spumoni Cheesecake, but I’ve never made anything like this Spumoni Cake before.

This all started because of my recent St. Patrick’s Day birthday and the party we had to celebrate all things me! A couple of years ago, we went to a local restaurant for my birthday (that’s now closed, so sorry to see you go Villa Antonio) and they gave me the most delicious spumoni cake for dessert.

Actually, I went to powder my nose and while I was gone Chris told our server that it was my birthday, which he is never allowed to do because I do not want the entire restaurant singing to me. #soembarrassing

Given that this was St. Patrick’s Day and the rest of Charlotte was doing the pub crawl, there wasn’t much risk of being humiliated because we pretty much had this Italian restaurant to ourselves.

The server asked Chris what kind of birthday dessert I would like and he just said that I like spumoni. Then like magic a slice of spumoni cake appeared with a simple happy birthday from our kind server.

Chris, of course, got the stink eye, but I couldn’t stay mad after he brought spumoni cake into my life.

So when we started planning my birthday party this year I tried to find that dang cake on the interwebs. Google couldn’t find that specific cake from the now defunct Villa Antonio, but it brought magic back into my life when it led me here and showed my the most beautiful cake I’ve ever seen in my life.

I totally had to have it for my birthday cake! I actually made the cake 3 times because I’m not much of a cake baker or decorator, so I needed a trial run to see if I could pull it off. The first time I made it exactly the way the recipe was written, but then Chris pointed out his surprise that I didn’t put any Southern Tier Creme Brulee Stout in it since I was putting it in everything else these days.

Zoink! Head smack! DO OVER!

The second time I swapped out the coffee from the original recipe with my favorite beer of the cold season and I made cream cheese frosting instead of the original buttercream.

I also swapped out the pudding mix for homemade pistachio pudding in the pistachio cake layer and the frosting. That is the reason for the different colors in the photos. The pudding mix makes a much brighter green color in the cake and the frosting.

I ended up serving two spumoni cakes at my party because why not?

One had all three colors of frosting and the other I just covered in chocolate buttercream flowers. Sadly, I was running behind on party day and I forgot to take a picture of that one. Just imagine this cake, but all chocolate. They were both a hit with my friends and family!

I knew I needed this Spumoni Cake in my life the minute Google uncovered this wonder to me. And I can tell you that it was just magical to see all my party guests’ faces light up when we walked in with these gorgeous cakes for dessert!

I’ll be the first to admit that my cake decorating skills are pretty much non-existent, but I do have to say I’m pretty proud of this cake and it’s not bad for a beginner!

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:158]

Spumoni Cake inspired by and adapted from I am Baker

Chocolate layer adapted slightly from I am Baker

Pistachio and Cherry layers process adapted from I am Baker and cake base adapted from Martha

Homemade Pistachio Pudding Recipe here

NOTES:

The original recipe uses packaged pudding mix which is how I made it the first time and has the brighter green color in the photos of both the frosting and the cake. The second and third times I used homemade pudding in the cake and the frosting. The photos of the steps (including the photo of the inside) are with the pudding mix and the finished cake with the lighter colored pistachio frosting are with the homemade pudding.
This cake is kind of a project, so I made the cakes, wrapped them tightly in layers of plastic wrap and heavy duty foil and froze them until the day before I was going to serve the cake. The day before I just removed them from the freezer and left them on the counter overnight. Then made the frosting and assembled and finished it.
You will have an extra layer of the chocolate cake that you can either double the chocolate frosting and add a fourth layer or keep it in the freezer for another day.
You can watch a video here for instructions of how to make cake roses.

No-Churn Spumoni

August 20, 2015 by rachelle 42 Comments

Y’all, I’m totally headed into this weekend with my favorite dessert in the whole entire world. SPUMONI! And since It has come to my attention that Friday is National Spumoni Day we are in a Win! Win! Situation over here!

I have LOVED spumoni my whole entire life. Layers of pistachios, chocolate, cherries, and ice cream? Seriously, what’s not to love?

I can’t actually remember the first time I had spumoni, but I know it had to have been love at first bite. One of the first places I can remember having spumoni is this Italian restaurant called Tags. We used to go there when I was a kid and I have several memories of the place.

I remember when the server asked what we would like to drink and my 5 year old sister Molly ordered a Harvey Wallbanger – which is what my gram called Shirley Temples. Please don’t confuse Molly with my other sister Katie who liked to swim naked in beer coolers at Cape Cod.

Most of the spumoni I’ve had use maraschino cherries. I had fresh ones, so that’s the way we rolled.

Full Disclosure: Making spumoni is a huge pain in the ass, but totally worth it.

Just keepin’ it real around here. Happy spumoni weekend!

No-Churn Spumoni

Ingredients

For the Pistachio Pudding

Pistachio Paste
1/2 cup salted pistachio nuts
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 cups whole milk
2 large egg yolks
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons corn starch
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
2 tablespoons butter room temperature

For the Ice Cream

1 14 ounce can of sweet condensed milk
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
2 cups very chilled heavy cream

For the Cherry Stuff

1 pound of fresh cherries pitted and halved
1/3 cup sugar
Juice and zest of 1 lemon

For the Chocolate

1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

For the Pistachio Paste

Put pistachios in the food processor and pulse until they are in small pieces. Add water and sugar and pulse until combined into a paste
Transfer paste to a small saucepan over medium heat, add milk and whisk until steamy and hot
Whisk egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt
The mixture will be thick, but keep whisking until smooth
You need to temper the eggs at this point by adding 1/2 cup of the steaming milk to the egg mixture and whisking to combine. Do it again, then add the entire mixture back into the pistachio-milk mixture
Whisk constantly over medium heat until thick and bubbly
Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla bean paste until butter is melted
Pass pudding through a fine mesh strainer
Transfer to a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it onto the top of the pudding to prevent the weird skin situation
Refrigerate overnight

For the Cherries

Combine cherries, sugar, zest and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat
BE CAREFUL! They will overflow, stir and smash until thick-ish, set aside and cool

For the Ice Cream

Combine condensed milk and vanilla bean paste
In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, beat cream on medium for 2-3 minutes, until stiff peaks form
Fold whipped cream into condensed milk mixture and divide into thirds
Heat heavy cream in a pot or microwave and pour over chocolate chips, stir to combine
mix into 1/3 of the ice cream mixture
Spread into the bottom of a loaf pan
Mix 1.5 cups pistachio pudding into another third of the ice cream mixture
Mix the cooled cherry jam mixture into the last third of the ice cream
Spread the cherry ice cream mixture over the chocolate, then the pistachio on top (or whatever order you want) and wrap securely with plastic wrap. Chill overnight.

No-Churn Ice Cream adapted from Martha Stewart

Pistachio Pudding adapted from Joy the Baker

National Cheesecake Day Recipe Roundup

July 30, 2015 by rachelle 42 Comments

It’s National Cheesecake Day! What!?!!?!

There really isn’t a lot that needs to be said or that I can add about cheesecake. I’m going to keep it on the up an up and just share with you some links to some of my faves out on the interwebs. You dig?

No Bake Easy and No Oven in July! Smart people only need apply….

Nutella Cheesecake Mouse from Cooking LSL

No Bake Individual Tiramisu Cheesecakes from Cook with Manali

No Bake Blackberry Cheesecake from Pumpkin ‘n Spice

No Bake Strawberry and Vanilla Cheesecake from Kitchen Sanctuary

No Bake Lemon Berry Cheesecakse from Rachel Cooks

Cheese cake with Almonds and Strawberry Sauce from Guys Love Cooking

No Bake Peanut Butter Dulce De Leche Cheesecake with Popcorn Crust from Bakerita – Whoa girl!

Strawberry Lemon Cheesecake in a Jar from What Jessica Baked Next

Traditional = the hard(er) way – but worth every minute

Spumoni Cheesecake from Beer Girl Cooks

Brownie Bite Cheesecake from Spiced – Sorry to mix you in with all the girls David, but that’s where you landed 🙂 But hey! That’s probs a great place to be!

Classic Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce from Olivia’s Cuisine

Bananas Foster Cheesecake from Beer Girl Cooks

Peanut Butter Cheesecake from Beer Girl Cooks

S’mores Cheesecake from Fashionable Foods

Whiskey Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake from F & B Department

White Chocolate Coconut Cheesecake and Raspberry Whipped Cream & Vodka Drizzle from Inspiration Kitchen – I can’t turn down a recipe that involves booze!

Brown Sugar Amaretto Cheesecake with Sugared Nuts from Butter and Brioche

Itty Bitty’s or is it Bitties? Minies?

Chocolate Chip Cookie Chips Mini Cheesecakes from Just About Baked

Mini S’mores Milk Chocolate Cheesecakes from American Heritage Cooking

Red White and Blueberry Cheesecake Bars from Well Plated by Erin

Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes with Pomegranate from Baked by an Introvert

Strawberry Cheesecake Dip from My Ginger Garlic Kitchen

Lemon Delight Mini Cheesecake from In Good Flavor

Nutella Cheesecake Doughnuts from The Crumby Cupcake

Drunken Cherry and Dark Chocolate Cheesecake Parfaits from Maebells – ’cause I’m all for that on a weekday!

Freezer Fun Stuff

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Box Cake from Life Made Sweeter

Blueberry-Ginger Coconut Cheesecake Popsicles from Floating Kitchen

Soft-Serve Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream from K Cole’s Creative Cooking Corner

For My Vegan Friends – we can’t leave you out!

Vegan Grasshopper Oreo Cheesecake from Whisk and Shout

No Bake Vegan Lime Cheesecake from Veganosity

Strawberry Cheesecake Bites from Oh She Glows

Raspberry Lime Vegan Cheesecake by Veganosity

Happy Cheesecake Day, y’all!

spumoni

No-Churn Spumoni

Ingredients

For the Pistachio Pudding

For the Ice Cream

For the Cherry Stuff

For the Chocolate

Instructions

For the Pistachio Paste

For the Cherries

For the Ice Cream

Footer