Glaze Days: A Time for Fruity Cakes

Some desserts are just as well bought as made yourself, but there’s nothing to compare with a home-baked cake. Quality ingredients, satisfying flavor, moist texture and a soft, fresh crumb are hard to find in a bakery cake.

As we move from spring into summer, it’s time to think about lighter cakes garnished with fresh fruit or berry compotes. This way, if you want, you can settle for more fruit and less cake. Or the other way around.

These cakes can serve a crowd, each serving at least 12, although they can be cut into even smaller portions, if so desired.

Getting a cake recipe together is not a big deal, if you follow these suggestions:

* A mixer is essential (a standing mixer is enormously helpful for an angel cake, otherwise a hand mixer is satisfactory).

* Measure out all ingredients before you start to mix the cake. Measure dry ingredients with specific dry measures with handles; stir the flour well, dip the measure into the ingredient and sweep off the excess with the straight edge of a knife.

* Cake flour makes the most tender cakes; it’s a fine-textured, soft-wheat flour with a high starch content.

Most cakes freeze well unfrosted. To freeze a cake, cool completely, then place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Place in the freezer until frozen solid (three hours will more than do). Wrap the frozen cake in a plastic food bag, seal tightly, then wrap in another plastic food bag and seal again, airtight. Double-bagging decreases the possibility of freezer burn or off flavors. Return the cake to the freezer for as long as three months. Thaw the cake at room temperature while still wrapped. Glaze or frost the cake as desired.

GLAZED RASPBERRY FUDGE CAKE

CAKE

1/3 cup cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

5 large eggs, separated

5 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted, slightly cooled

2 tablespoons cocoa, preferably Dutch processed

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 tablespoon dark rum

1 tablespoon water

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Sift flour and baking powder in bowl. Set aside.

Use mixer to cream butter and 3/4 cup sugar. Add egg yolks, 1 at time, until mixture is satiny. Add melted chocolate, cocoa, vanilla, rum and water. Mix well. Add flour mixture. Mix well.

In large, grease-free mixing bowl, beat egg whites on low speed until frothy (easiest to do with stand mixer). Add cream of tartar and salt. Beat until they hold soft peaks. Slowly add remaining sugar by tablespoon. Do not overbeat. Peaks should still be soft.

Stir 1/4 whites into batter. Gently fold in remaining whites. Transfer batter to generously greased (9-inch) springform pan, bottom lined with greased parchment or wax paper. Smooth surface.

Bake at 350 degrees until well browned and crusty and wooden pick inserted into center comes out without batter (it is not bone dry), about 35 minutes. Cool in pan on cooling rack until completely cooled. Cake will deflate as cools.

Use sharp flexible knife to carefully separate cake from collar, then from bottom of spring form. Place piece of plastic wrap over cake and gently compress high edges of cake to make uniform surface. Invert cake onto serving platter. Remove paper.

GLAZE

2 tablespoons raspberry preserves

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 ounces semisweet chocolate

3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1 1/2 teaspoons dark rum

2 to 4 pints raspberries

Heat raspberry preserves until flowing. Brush onto top and sides of cake.

Combine water, butter and chocolate in microwaveable dish or small pot. Gently melt chocolate. Add powdered sugar and rum. Stir well.

Let glaze stand until slightly thickened and spreadable. Use flexible spreader to coat sides and top of cake with glaze. Can be made day ahead and held at room temperature, covered airtight. Serve with raspberries, passed separately in bowl.

Makes 12 to 20 servings.

Each serving contains about:

341 calories; 154 mg sodium; 109 mg cholesterol; 15 grams fat; 36 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 1.65 grams fiber.

GLAZED LEMON YOGURT BUNDT CAKE CAKE

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons grated lemon zest

3 large eggs, separated

1 cup low-fat plain yogurt

1 teaspoon lemon extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

Sift flour, baking powder and baking soda in bowl. Set aside.

Use mixer to cream butter and 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar. Add egg yolks, 1 at time, until each is incorporated. Mixture should be satiny. Add yogurt and lemon extract. Mixture will appear curdly.

In large, grease-free mixing bowl, beat egg whites on low speed until frothy (easiest to do with stand mixer). Add salt. Beat whites until they hold soft peaks. Slowly add 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at time. Do not overbeat. Egg whites should still hold soft, not firm, peaks.

Stir 1/4 of egg whites into batter. Use rubber spatula to gently fold in remaining whites. Transfer batter to buttered and floured 10-inch bundt pan. Smooth surface.

Bake at 350 degrees until well browned and wood pick inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Allow to rest upright on cooling rack 15 minutes. Gently invert, remove pan and cool completely on rack, placed over piece of wax paper.

GLAZE

3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon low-fat plain yogurt

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon lemon extract

2 tablespoons coconut flakes

Combine powdered sugar, yogurt, zest, juice and extract in small bowl. Mix well. When cake has cooled, spoon glaze over cake, reapplying any glaze that drips onto paper. Sprinkle coconut over top.

Makes 12 to 18 servings.

Each of 12 servings contains about:

306 calories; 118 mg sodium; 74 mg cholesterol; 9 grams fat; 52 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 0.06 gram fiber.