Spiced Walnut Cake With Pomegranate Molasses Frosting Recipes

SPICE CAKE WITH MOLASSES CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• For Cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Combine first 6 ingredients in large bowl. Whisk apple butter, buttermilk, oil, eggs, molasses and raisins in medium bowl to blend. Stir apple butter mixture into dry ingredients. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer cakes to racks and cool 20 minutes. Run small sharp knife around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes onto parchment-lined racks and cool completely.
• For Frosting:
• Beat cream cheese and sugar in medium bowl until smooth. Add molasses, butter and vanilla and beat just until smooth. Place 1 cake layer on plate. Spread 1 1/2 cups frosting over. Top with second cake layer. Spread remaining frosting decoratively over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate while preparing caramel.
• For Caramel:
• Stir sugar and cream in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Boil and stir 1 minute. Let stand until very thick but still pourable, about 5 minutes. Drizzle caramel over cake. Press nuts onto sides of cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.)

OLIVE OIL-WALNUT CAKE WITH POMEGRANATE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil sides and bottom of a 9-inch springform pan or cake pan. Place a parchment circle in bottom of pan and lightly oil parchment. Dust with flour and shake off excess. Set pan aside.
• Add the walnuts to a food processor and grind to a coarse powder. Place ground walnuts in a bowl, and add 1 cup flour, baking powder and salt. Stir and set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff. With a rubber spatula, transfer the whites to a sheet of parchment or to a separate bowl.
• Put egg yolks in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add sugar and whisk on low speed until sugar is dissolved. Then increase speed and continue beating, scraping down sides of the bowl as necessary, until the mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 5 minutes.
• Beat in buttermilk, vanilla extract and orange zest, then slowly add the flour mixture at low speed. Slowly add 1/2 cup/120 milliliters olive oil and beat for a minute or so to combine. Using a rubber spatula, quickly fold in the reserved beaten egg whites. (First, fold in 1/3 of the whites to lighten the batter, then fold in remaining whites.) Scrape batter into prepared cake pan, put pan on a baking sheet and place in oven on middle shelf.
• Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until a skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a rack, then invert onto a cake plate.
• Meanwhile, make the syrup: In a small saucepan, put sugar, orange juice, cinnamon stick and cloves. Simmer over medium heat until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Let cool. Spoon half the syrup over top of cooled cake. Cut cake into wedges and serve with a dab of crème fraîche, if desired. Spoon more syrup over each portion. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.

OLD-FASHIONED MOLASSES CAKE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, beat butter and sugar until crumbly, about 2 minutes. Beat in egg. Beat in molasses. Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with water, mixing well after each addition., Transfer to a 9-in. square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares; garnish with whipped topping.

POMEGRANATE MOLASSES BUTTER CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch-square baking pan, dust lightly with flour and knock out excess.
• Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, combine milk and 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses.
• In a large bowl, cream together stick of butter and 3/4 cup granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each until well combined.
• Add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with milk mixture. (Begin and end with flour, and mix after each addition until just combined.)
• Pour batter into pan and bake until top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges, turn cake out onto a rack, and then turn right side up again.
• Whisk together confectioners' sugar, cream, and 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses. Brush glaze over cake, letting it drip down sides.
• In a small, preferably nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, combine nuts, 1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses and 4 teaspoons sugar. Stir constantly and watch carefully until sugar melts and coats nuts, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle over top of cake.