Sacher Torte

recipe adapted slightly from Epicurious

One of my favorite Austrian foods is the Sacher Torte. Invented in Vienna in the 1800's, it's one of the most famous specialities of the country and is a delicious chocolate cake with tangy apricot preserves.

I have tried making Sacher Torte four times with four different recipes and this was the first one that got it close to the real thing. Mine still wasn't as pristine as the ones you buy at the bakeries (how do they get the glaze so smooth? I MUST KNOW!) but it was just as tasty, and even better the next day.

Totally worth the effort. So have at it. Go make and enjoy a little piece of Austria for yourself.

Chocolate Cake
4 1/2 oz couverture chocolate (140 g) *Any high quality bitter chocolate would do!
1/2 cup butter (125 g)
1 cup powdered sugar
6 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup flour

Apricot Glaze
1 1/2 cup apricot jam
2 Tbsp water (or golden rum, if you want to be authentic!)

Chocolate Glaze
1  cup sugar
1/2 cup water
4 oz chocolate (113 g)

Preheat oven to 400 (200 C)

Prepare a 9" springform cake pan

Melt chocolate in a double boiler or microwave (careful not to burn it!).

Beat butter until smooth and creamy. Then add powdered sugar and beat again until smooth (about two minutes). Next, add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition and making sure to scrape down the sides. Mix in warm (not hot!) melted chocolate and vanilla.

In another bowl, whip together egg whites and 1/2 cup regular white sugar. Whip vigorously until soft peaks form, then add about half to the chocolate mix, folding in gently. Then alternate folding in the flour, then the rest of the egg whites, and finally the rest of the flour. Be gentle! Pour in pan and bake about 40 minutes, or whenever the cake is done in the center.

Let cool completely.
While cooling, prepare the apricot glaze:
Bring the apricot preserves to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often. Cook until the last drops that cling to the spoon are very sticky and reluctant to leave the spoon (2-3 minutes).

With a serrated knife, trim the top of the cake to make it flat. Then cut the cake in half lengthwise  to make two equal layers. Place one cake layer on an 8 inch round. Brush the top with the apricot glaze. Then place the second half on top and brush the entire thing, sides and all with apricot glaze. Be generous with the apricot, allowing it so sink into the cake. Place on wax paper and let cool until the glaze is set (30 minutes).

Start to make the chocolate glaze. In a medium saucepan over high heat, mix the sugar, water and chocolate to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium and cook uncovered, stirring, until the mixture reaches 234 F (112 C) about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir to cool and thicken slightly, about a minute. Use immediately and when pouring, do not scrape the pan.

Take the chocolate glaze (so it is fresh and warm) and pour all over the cake. Using a metal spatula, smooth the chocolate over the cake so there are no bare spots and it looks smooth and even. Put in the fridge until the glaze is set (about 1 hour).

Serve with whipped cream. This cake is even better the next day, but store it in an airtight container at room temperature.

Blackberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

adapted slightly from Amanda's Cookin'

I made this last weekend and it was so incredibly good. A wonderful, moist coffee cake, plus a little soft cheese topping to make it feel just a little bit more decadent.

Cream Cheese Filling
1 8 oz package cream cheese (226 g)
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1 egg

Cake Batter
2 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, chilled (170 grams)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1 tsp almond extract
1 egg

1 cup blackberry preserves (any kind will probably do)
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Preheat the oven to 375 F (176 C). Either prepare a 12 cup muffin tin and a 9x9 square baking pan OR I just greased up a bundt cake pan.

Place cream cheese, sugar, flour and egg into a bowl, mix until smooth and set aside.

Combine flour and sugar together along with cinnamon and salt and cut in the butter, until you form coarse crumbs. Remove 1 cup of this mixture and set aside.  In a small bowl, combine sour cream, yogurt, almond extract and 1 egg. Combine wet egg mixture with the remaining crumbs along with the baking powder and baking soda.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking dish. Then on top of that, spread a layer of cream cheese filling. On top of the cream cheese, pour out 1 cup of blackberry preserves and lastly sprinkle the 1 cup of reserved butter crumbs on top. Garnish with sliced almonds and bake for 45 minutes. The cake will begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and will be golden brown, preserves will be bubbly. Let cool before serving.

Gooseberry Crumb Cake

Adapted from Closet Cooking

I made this a couple of months ago, but just before going to the USA for a month in August my gooseberry bush just EXPLODED with berries. Now if you haven't had a gooseberry before (I hadn't) they look like a grape and taste a bit like a cranberry. They are very tart, and not easy to eat raw. So I had buckets of these berries on my hands and didn't know what to do with them. This was my first effort and it turned out quite good. Two cups of berries down, about 30 more to go...

Berries

2 cups gooseberries

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp ground ginger

Cake Batter

1/2 cup softened butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs

1/3 cup sour cream

2 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Crumb Topping

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/8 tsp salt

6 Tbsp butter, cut into pieces

1 cup flour

Preheat the oven to 325 F (162 C)

Rinse the gooseberries and toss with the sugar, cornstarch and ginger to coat. Set aside.

Cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs one at a time. Then mix in the sour cream and vanilla. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Then add the dry ingredients to the wet ones a little at a time. Once mixed, pour all but 1/2 cup of batter into a greased 8x8 inch (20x20 cm) baking dish. Then pour out the gooseberry mixture on top, trying to get even coverage of berries. Top off with the remaining batter.

In a separate bowl, mix the brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt, butter pieces and flour. Pinch together to make coarse crumbs. Sprinkle on top of batter and put in the oven to bake until the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

German Chocolate Cake

from Allrecipes

The ironic thing about German Chocolate Cake is that it is most certainly NOT German. Pecans aren't even grown over here and are actually quite difficult to find. That being said, this is a delicious, fancy looking cake.

Cake:

1/2 cup water

4 oz (113 grams) chocolate

1 cup buter, softened

2 cups white sugar

4 eggs (separate yolks and whites)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

2 1/2 cups cake flour (all purpose is next best)

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Filling:

1 cup white sugar

1 cup evaporated milk

1/2 cup (70 grams) butter

3 egg yolks, beaten

1 1/3 cups flaked coconut

1 cup chopped pecans

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

Chocolate Sauce:

2 ounces chocolate

1 Tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C). Grease and flour three 9" round pans (I used two 10" pans). Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Set asidde. In a small saucepan, heat water and 4 ounces of chocolate until melted. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in 4 egg yolks one at a time. Blend in melted chocolate and vanilla, then add the flour mixture alternating with the buttermilk, mixing just until incorporated (do not overmix!)

In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the batter, then quickly fold in the remaining whites until no streaks remain. Pour into your prepared bake pans and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before removing.

To make the filling, combine 1 cup of sugar, evaporated milk, 1/2 cup butter and 3 egg yolks. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat, stir in coconut, pecans and vanilla. Cool until thick enough to spread. Spread filling between layers and on top of the cake. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate together, stir until smooth and then drizzle down the sides of the cake.

Some people prefer to toast the pecans and coconut before adding them to the filling, but that is up to you.

Angel Food Cake

adapted slightly from allrecipes

In Ben's family, the traditional birthday cake is a light fluffy cake with whipped cream and strawberries. Where my first instinct is to choose the darkest, densest chocolate cake possible, I have become fully converted to this lovely, chocolate-free treat. It is so light, and you feel so good after eating it! Anyway, this recipe was excellent and it turned out beautifully.

serves 20

12 eggs (1 1/2 cup egg whites)
1 cup confectioners' sugar

1 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar*

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F (176 C). Separate eggs; discard yolks. Place 1 1/2 cup egg whites in a mixing bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. (room temperature eggs whip better)

Meanwhile, sift confectioners' sugar and flour together and set aside. Add cream of tartar, extracts and salt to egg whites; beat on high speed. Gradually add sugar, beating until sugar is dissolved and stiff peaks form. Fold in flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time. Gently spoon batter into an ungreased 10 inche tube pan. Cut through batter with a knife to remove air pockets. Bake at 350 F (176 C) for 40-45 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly touched. Immediately invert pan, cool completely before removing cake.

nutritional analysis: each serving (1/20 of the cake) is about 100 calories (before toppings)

*I can not for the life of me find cream of tartar here in Europe. I'm sure they have it somewhere, but it's under a different name or something and I'm sick of trying to describe it in broken German to the salesperson. Anyway, if you don't have cream of tartar, you can substitute it with 1 1/2 tsp of lemon juice or white vinegar.

Simple White Cake

adapted slightly from Allrecipes

It was late Sunday night, and not a drop of candy in the house. After dinner Ben turned to me and asked... should we make a cake?

We rushed to the kitchen and this delectable baby was born. A simple white cake, drizzled with chocolate sauce. Satisfies the sweet tooth every time.

serves 6-8

2 3/4 cup flour

4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

4 egg whites

1 1/2 cups white sugar

3/4 cup butter (about 170 grams)

1 1/2 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla flavoring

1 tsp almond flavoring

Cream butter until soft and gradually add sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt until will integrated. Add sifted ingredients alternately with milk into the butter/sugar mixture a small amount at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in flavorings.

In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites (not the yolks!) together until foamy. Add 1/2 cup sugar gradually and continue beating until the mixture begins to form soft peaks. Fold the meringue (whipped egg whites) into the batter until thoroughly combined.

Spread batter in a 15x10x1 inch pan (or two 9 inch rounds, or three 8 inch rounds) that has been lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 F (175 C) for 30-35 minutes. Cool cake in the pan for 10 minutes before removing it and transferring it to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Orange Cake with Mascarpone

I love having people over because it gives me an excuse to make a big fancy dessert. This cake was lovely, it had a nice citrus flavor and the mascarpone frosting really made it sweet and creamy and delicious.

Cake:
3/4 cup orange juice + zest from 2 oranges

113 g butter

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup coconut

1/2 cup orange marmalade (to put in between the layers)

Frosting:

1 1/2 cup mascarpone

1 3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 cup mandarin oranges

Preheat oven to 350 (176 C)

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Then add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then blend in orange juice and orange zest. In a separate bowl, sift together dry ingredients (baking powder, salt, and flour). Combine flour mixture with orange mixture and fold in coconut. Pour into a prepared 9 inch (22 cm) round cake pan and bake for about half an hour or until the center of the cake springs back when touched. Let it sit until cooled completely.

Once cool, use a sharp serrated knife and gently cut the cake in half. Spread a generous 1/2 cup of marmalade on the top of the bottom half of the cake, and gently replace the top of the cake, sandwiching the jam in between the two layers. Then mix the mascarpone with powdered sugar and spread it generously on the cake until it is completely covered. Garnish with mandarine oranges and keep in the fridge until ready to serve.

P.S. This cake is even better the next day!

Grapefruit Cupcakes

Adapted from Crepes of Wrath

The first thing I noticed about these cupcakes is that they were beautiful. Really, the icing is a nice soft pink and the cake a cheerful golden color and they were so nice. Luckily they also taste great. The cake has a little fruity tang that is complemented by the icing.

Makes about 12 large cupcakes

1 1/2 cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup yogurt

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

zest of 1-2 grapefruits

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup oil

1 cup confectioner's sugar

2-3 Tbsp grapefruit juice.

Preheat oven to 350 (176 C). Sift together dry ingredients in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, combine sugar and grapefruit zest and stir well, until the sugar takes on a nice light orange color. Then add eggs, vanilla and yogurt to the sugar/zest mixture. Beat well. Mix in the dry ingredients slowly, then fold in the vegetable oil. Line or grease muffin tins and fill each cup 3/4 full of batter. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the cakes spring back when touched and are a lightly golden color.

While baking the cupcakes, create the icing by mixing together the sugar and grapefruit juice. Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, drizzle the icing on top and enjoy!

Ben's Favorite Dark Chocolate Cake

adapted from Allrecipes

I am usually not a big cake person. If asked, I usually would much prefer brownies or a nice fruit pie. But this cake is an exception. It is my new go-to recipe for chocolate cake, so dark that it just might be sinful. It came out so moist and wonderful, and paired with the frosting it is absolutely divine.

Cake:

2 cups boiling water

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup butter (about 225 grams)

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter

2 1/4 cups confectioners sugar

3/4 cup baking cocoa

1/4 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup milk

Preheat the oven 350 degrees (175 C). Grease and flour 3 nine-inch round pans (I used 2 nine-inch pans and used the rest of the batter to make cupcakes).

In a medium bowl, pour boiling water over cocoa and whisk until smooth. Let mixture cool. In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a third, large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time and stir in vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture. Spread batter evenly between the pans, filling them about 3/4 full.

Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Meanwhile, prepare the frosting. In a large bowl, mix butter until smooth and creamy. Then add sugar, cocoa and vanilla. Add milk in slowly, mixing constantly until frosting is of desired consistency. Allow cake to cool thoroughly before frosting.

Rainbow Birthday Cake

I made this cake for my nephew's first birthday and it was beautiful.

The frosting had some issues, but once you cut into the cake it was a lovely display of color.

And it was so easy! First, you make a simple white cake. (We used the boxed kind to save time) You split the batter into different bowls and add enough food coloring to get the primary and secondary colors:

Then you pour the batter into the cake pan, one a time, layering the colors on top of each other. Do not stir. Bake the cake as directed and let cool completely before frosting. Again, we used the store bought kind, but next time I think I would use a homemade cream cheese frosting... mmmmmm....

Enjoy!

Mom's Carrot Cake

from my Mom

This is one of my very favorite cakes and my mom's recipe is my very favorite version.

1 cup oil

2 cups sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

4 eggs

3 small jars carrot baby food

2 cups flour

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp baking soda

Frosting:

8 oz cream cheese

1/2 lb powdered sugar

1/2 cup (113 g) butter

Mix together oil, sugar, vanilla and salt in a large bowl. Then add eggs, beating well after each addition, and mix in the pureed baby food carrots. Sift together the flour, cinnamon and baking soda and add to the wet mixture. Bake in a 9 x 13 inch pan for 30-35 minutes (or until the center comes out clean when you pierce it with a toothpick). Cool well before frosting. Eat chilled.

Mom's Poppyseed Bread

From my lovely Mom

This recipe always reminds me of my mom. This bread is sweet and soft and irresistible. The glaze makes a nice citrus touch which helps the flavor pop.

Makes 2 loaves

1 1/8 cups oil

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp poppy seeds

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 tsp almond extract

1 1/2 tsp butter flavoring

3 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3 eggs

1 1/2 cup milk

Glaze:

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup orange juice

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp butter flavoring

Preheat the oven to 350 (176 C). Combine oil, sugar, poppy seeds and flavoring. Beat in the eggs. Then sift together flour and baking powder and add alternately with milk. Once smooth, pour into prepared bread pans and bake for 45 minutes to an hour or until the center comes out clean when pierced with a toothpick.

While baking, mix together the glaze ingredients. (You may not need all of it!) Once the bread is done, stab the top of the warm loaves while still in their pans and pour the glaze on top. Allow to cool completely and serve.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

adapted from Allrecipes

There is no better way to eat a zucchini than chocolate zucchini bread. My mom would give this to us when we were kids and it was so good we didn't even know it had veggies smuggled inside. I like this particular recipe because the applesauce cuts down on the oil and it is easy to substitute whole wheat flour without affecting the taste. It comes out soft and moist, with subtle hints of chocolate sprinkled throughout.

I made two loaves and froze one of them. It was so good that it only lasted in the freezer one night before Ben and I decided we may as well eat that one too.

Makes 2 loaves

6 Tbsp Cocoa

2 Tbsp butter, softened

3 eggs

1 1/2 cup white sugar

1 cup applesauce

2 cups grated zucchini

2 cups flour (I used 1/2 white, 1/2 whole wheat)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips + 2 Tbsp flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (175 C). Lightly grease two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, cocoa, and sugar. Then add zucchini, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and add it to the wet mixture. Coat chocolate chips in 2 Tbsp flour (so they don't all sink to the bottom) and then gently fold 3/4 cup into the mix. Pour the batter into prepared loaf pans and sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup chips on top. Bake in oven for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Banana Banana Bread

adapted from Allrecipes

This is my go-to basic banana bread recipe. I really like this one because it uses a ton of bananas so it really holds on to the banana flavor. It soft and delicious, and even better the next day, so I would double the recipe and save one loaf for tomorrow.

makes 1 loaf

2 cups flour (I used half white, half whole wheat)

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs, beaten

2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas (about 4 large bananas. If you don't have enough bananas, feel free to replace with other berries, applesauce or other mashed fruit)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 (175 C) and lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, vanilla and spices. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 60-65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

*You can also make these into muffins, bake at 350 (175 C) for 25 minutes

Shortcake

adapted from Pioneer Woman Cooks

We were getting ready for a 4th of July party and I had a cake meltdown. The cake I made did not work at all and was a huge mess. So with an hour to go, I turned to the reliable Pioneer Woman, hoping she had a simple recipe we could throw together at the last minute. And she saved the day. Because I was just done with cooking at that point, Ben ended up making the whole thing and it turned out so great!

For our topping, we used whipped cream and berries. For a more decadent icing, PW has a lovely looking cream cheese icing that looks divine to try...

1 1/2 cups flour

3 Tbsp corn starch

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

9 Tbsp butter, room temperature (117 grams)

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla

Topping:

4-5 cups whipped cream (prepared)

Strawberries

Blueberries (optional)

*Important: If using 8 inch round cake pans, be sure it is at least 2 inches deep or the batter will overflow!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 inch round cake pan or 9 inch square (we needed a rectangle shape so we used a 9x11 inch pan...)

Whisk together flour, salt, baking soda and corn starch.

Cream butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs in one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix until combined. Add sifted ingredients and mix until just combined.

Pour into a greased and floured cake pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until no longer jiggly in the middle. An inserted knife should come out clean and the cake should look lightly tanned. Remove cake from the pan as soon as possible and put it on a rack to cool completely.

Wash and slice the berries. Once the cake is completely cool, slice it in half through the middle (so there are two layers) Spread about 1-2 cups whipped cream on the bottom half of the cake and cover with a layer of strawberry slices. Put the other half of the cake on top of the cream/berry layer and use the remaining whipped cream to cover the entire cake. Decorate with berries and serve. If not eating right away, store in the fridge.

Berry Coffee Cake

Adapted from Sister's Cafe

I had to put together a quick dessert for a dinner party and with all the summer berries out right now, this was the perfect recipe. The cake was moist and the berries made it pretty and gave it enough tang to keep it interesting.

2 cups flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

2 cups fresh or frozen berries

Topping:

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup butter

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x9x2 inch baking pan, set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.

In another bowl, beat butter (softened) with sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, beat well. Then add flour mixture and milk alternately to butter/sugar mix, beating until smooth after each addition.

Spoon batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with berries. In another bowl, combine topping ingredients, cutting in the butter mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle topping over berries and bake for 50-60 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Mini Cheesecakes

adapted from Mango & Tomato

Who doesn't love cheesecake? It is so decadent, I can never eat more than a small peice but that small peice packs in a punch. These were so good and went very quickly.

I decided that baking them into mini cheesecakes would help with portion control, and though it really didn't help THAT much, it made it much easier to put half locked up in the freezer for another day. Out of sight, out of mind right?

Crust:
2 cups of mashed oreos (or other cream filled cookie)
1/4 cup butter, melted

OR

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Cheesecake:
24 oz cream cheese (I used lite)
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 359. Mix together the crust ingredients and press into cupcake cups. Set aside.
Combine cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Then add the eggs one at a time, and gently incorporate them into the mix. Try not to beat it. Then add the heavy cream, vanilla, and lemon juice and blend until smooth and creamy.
Pour batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring all of the air bubbles to the surface.
Bake for about 30 minutes. You are waiting for the cake to hold together, but still have a little jiggle in the center. Take them out of the oven to rest on the counter to cool. Once they are room temperature, put them into the fridge to chill.

To prevent cracks: Don't beat the eggs. Let the cakes cool slowly before putting in the fridge. Also, placing a dish with water underneath your pan called a "water bath" will help it bake more evenly, preventing cracks.

Yogurt Marmalade Cake

from Pioneer Woman Cooks

This dessert is delicious, adding the yogurt in the bread makes it very moist and soft. In doing this again, I would probably experiment with the glaze a little bit, mine came out rather thick.

Cake:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1 heaping cup of plain yogurt

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Zest of 1 lemon

1/2 cup canola oil

Glaze:

1/2 cup orange marmalade

1/4 cup yogurt

Preheat oven to 350. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside

In a different bowl, mix yogurt, sugar, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest and oil until combined. Pour wet mixture over dry ingredients and stir until just combined; do not over beat (may be a bit lumpy)

Pour the mixture into a prepared loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Remove from pan. While cake is cooling, pour marmalade into a sauce pan and heat on low until melted, stirring occasionally. Add yogurt to pan and turn off heat. Stir to combine, then slowly pour over the top of the cake, allowing icing to pool around the sides.