Gogi Berry Sponge Cake

Gogi Berry Torte with Green Tea Sauce


1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
5 large eggs
3/4 cup sifted flour (preferably cake flour, but all purpose works too)
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup gogi berries (if dried, soak in water for 10 minutes, then drain and dry thoroughly before use)

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Grease and flour a piece of parchment paper to line a 13x9x2 inch glass pan.
Heat butter and milk until butter is completely melted. Beat eggs and sugar in heavy-duty mixer until light and tripled in volume (about 5 minutes). Beat in baking powder. Sift 1/3 cup flour over egg mixture and fold in. Repeat 2 more times with remaining flour. Fold in warm milk mixture all at once until no streaks remain. Pour into prepared cake pan.
Bake for 5 minutes. Sprinkle gogi berries over the top, and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until top is lightly browned and firm to touch. Let cool in pan.

Green Tea Sauce:

1/2 cup water
4 green tea bags (or about 4 tsp loose green tea leaves)
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup sugar
3 egg yolks, well beaten
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla

Bring water to a boil. Add green tea bags and simmer for 2 minutes. Add milk.
Combine sugar, egg yolks, and salt in medium bowl. Gradually stir in about a 1/4 cup of the tea to combine, without curdling. Slowly whisk in remainder of tea. Return to saucepan, and bring to a simmer again. Stir in vanilla. If necessary, strain through sieve to remove any extra bits of egg or tea leaves. Refrigerate for at least two hours.

Assembly:
Gogi berry sponge cake
Green tea sauce
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp confectioners sugar
1/4 cup toasted shredded coconut

Whip the cream, vanilla, and confectioners sugar until soft peaks form.
Cut the sponge cake exactly in half, and place one half on a plate or platter. Smooth 1/2 cup of whipped cream over it. Top with second cake layer. Spread remaining whipped cream over top and sides. Sprinkle with toasted coconut. Drizzle with a bit of the green tea sauce, and serve additional sauce with individual slices of cake.

Rhubarb Streusel Rolls

Best of the rhubarb! Rhubarb is one of the first and most plentiful edible plants to pop up in the spring.

4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 dry milk powder
1/2 cup butter
2 1/4 tsp yeast
1 1/2 cup hot water (120-130 F)

Combine 3 cups flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, and dry milk powder in large bowl. Grate cold butter into bowl with large holes of a cheese grater. Mix in yeast, then pour in hot water. Stir until thoroughly combined. Add additional flour until dough is kneadable, but still sticky. Knead on floured surface for 10 minutes until dough is smooth, soft, and shiny. Let rise at least 1 hour. Make rhubarb filling.

Rhubarb filling:

1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. corn starch
2 cups rhubarb
1/2 cup strawberry or raspberry jam

Mix sugar and cornstarch in medium saucepan. Stir in rhubarb until thoroughly coated with sugar mixture. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes until rhubarb is soft. Stir in jam and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Cream cheese streusel:

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cream cheese

Combine first three ingredients. Cut in cream cheese until biggest pieces are no bigger than a pencil eraser.

To assemble:

Separate dough into 12-16 dough balls, depending on how big you want them. Press a fairly deep hole into the center of each with the back of a spoon. Fill indentation with rhubarb filling. Top each with a spoonful of streusel. Let rise for 1 hour.
Bake in a 350˚F oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.

Coconut Lime Cupcakes with White Chocolate Ganache

Yum?

CUPCAKES:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs
Seeds scraped from 1 split vanilla bean or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup coconut milk or coconut cream
1 tbsp lime zest

GANACHE
12 oz white chocolate
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut, lightly toasted (for garnish)


CUPCAKES:

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line eighteen 1/3-cup muffin cups with paper liners. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar; beat on medium-high speed until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add 2 eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in seeds from vanilla bean and remaining egg. Add half of flour mixture; mix on low speed just until blended. Add 1 cup coconut milk; mix just until blended.Add lime zest, then remaining flour mixture and lime; mix on low speed just until blended. Divide batter among muffin cups.

Bake cupcakes until tops spring back when gently touched and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes in pans to rack; cool 10 minutes. Carefully remove cupcakes from pans and cool completely on rack.

GANACHE:

Bring whipping cream to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat, and add white chocolate. Stir until melted and smooth. Let cool for thirty minutes. To thicken ganache to frosting consistency, add butter, then beat on medium speed with mixer until frosting is fluffy.

Spread over cupcakes, and garnish with toasted coconut.