Tim's b-day rice pudding cake

4.5 cups whole milk
1 cup arborio rice
pinch of salt
1 cup sugar

2 Tbs dry breadcrumbs
1/2 cup chopped blanched slivered almonds
1/4 cup chopped candied orange peel
2 tsp grated lemon peel
1/4 tsp almond extract
4 large eggs

Bring milk to boil in large saucepan. Stir in rice and salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered until most of milk is desolved and mixture is thick and creamy, stirring frequently, about 30 minutes. And 1/2 cup sigar and stir 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325 F. Butter 10 inch diameter springfoam pan with 2.5" tall sides. Dust pan with breadcrumbs. Mix almonds, candied orange peel, lemon peel and almond extract into rice mixture. Whisk egg yokes and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in medium bowl to blend. Stir into rice mixture. Cool completely.

Beat egg whites in large bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold whites into rice mixture in 2 additions. Transfer mixture to prepared pan. Bake until cake is golden and firm to touch, about 1 hour. Transfer to rack and cool completely in pan. It can be prepared 1 day ahead- cover and refrigerate, bring to room temperature before serving.

Run small knife around cake to loosen, release pan sides from cake and put it on a platter. Sift powdered sugar on top.

Yum!

Lemon, Almond, and Olive Oil Sponge Cake

This cake is delicious served with raspberry sauce or fresh berries.

Be sure and beat the eggs as long or longer than called for, as this is what causes the cake to rise (no baking powder).

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Oil a 9" springform pan.

Assemble all the ingredients ahead to add while beating the eggs:

5 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
grated zest of one lemon
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon jice
1 cup all purpose flour
confectioner's sugar for garnish

In a deep bowl, beat the eggs at high speed until pale and thick, about 3 minutes. Add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture triples in size and is pale, thick and foamy, at least two more minutes. Continue beating, and add the olive oil, almond and vanilla extracts, salt, lemon zest and lemon juice. Sift the flour over the mixture and fold in gently with a wide spatula.

Pour into prepared pan, and bake for 50 - 60 minutes until the cake is golden, springy and shrinks away from the sides of the pan. Let cool on rack, and in 10 minutes run a knife around the sides, then remove the sides of the springform pan. Sift confectioners sugar over the top and serve cut into thin wedges.

Raspberry Sauce:
4 cups fresh raspberries
1 T. confenctioner's sugar
2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice

In a blender, combine the berries, sugar and lemon juice and blend. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve set over a large bowl to remove the seeds. Transfer to a container and seal tightly. The sauce can be refrigerated for 2-3 days or frozen for six months.

Orange-Almond Polenta Cake

From Moosewood's "Simple Suppers": You make it in a blender!
This not-too-sweet cake is perfect for brunch or dessert, served with berries or sliced peaches.

1/3 cup cornmeal
2/3 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 and 1/2 cup almonds
3/4 cup sugar
1 orange
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
powdered sugar for dusting the top of the cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil and flour a 9-inch round pan.

- Stir or sift together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
- In a blender, whirl the almonds and sugar until the almonds are finely ground. Add to the flour mixture.
- Grate the orange peel and juice the orange for about 1/3 cup juice. Add the orange juice, zest, oil, eggs and 1/3 cup water to the blender and whirl for 15 seconds. Add teh dry ingredients and blend until well mixed, using a spatula to scrape down the sides.
- Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Don't overbake....it should be moist.
- Cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then dust with powdered sugar.
Note: If you don't have an orange, just use 1/3 cup orange juice.
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Chocolate Pumpkin Layer Cake

20 tablespoons (2 1/2 sticks) soft unsalted butter, more for greasing
2 cups flour, more for dusting
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup plain pumpkin purée, canned, frozen or fresh
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans
2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
10 ounces unsweetened chocolate, preferably 99 or 100 percent, melted and cooled to room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Use a little butter to grease two 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper. Butter and flour the paper. In a large bowl, whisk flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, baking soda, baking powder and salt together.

2. Using an electric mixer, cream 8 tablespoons butter and the granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in pumpkin purée. Mixture may look slightly curdled. Stir in flour mixture about half a cup at a time until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips and pecans.

3. Divide batter into pans and bake in middle of oven until springy to the touch and a tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, run a knife around edges, invert onto racks and peel off paper. Let cakes cool completely.

4. In a large bowl, blend remaining 12 tablespoons butter and confectioners’ sugar together. Blend in chocolate and vanilla extract and beat until smooth.

5. Place one cake layer, smooth side up, on a platter. Ice top. Place second layer, smooth side down, on top; ice top and sides of cake.

Yield: 8 to 12 servings.

To make ahead: For fully frosted cake, put in freezer unwrapped; when frozen hard, wrap in plastic, then foil. Remove wrapping before defrosting.

Unfrosted cake layers out of their pans can be wrapped first, then frozen up to three weeks.

Frosting can be made up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerated, then brought to room temperature for at least one hour.