Ambrosia Icebox Cakes Recipes

AMBROSIA LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Make cake:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour cake pans, knocking out excess flour.
• Sift together flour (2 3/4 cups), baking powder, and salt into a bowl.
• Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer (fitted with paddle attachment if using a stand mixer) at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then beat in zest and vanilla and continue beating 5 minutes more. Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and milk alternately in 4 batches, beginning with flour mixture and mixing until batter is just smooth. Divide between cake pans, spreading evenly.
• Bake cake layers until they begin to pull away from sides of pans and a wooden pick or skewer comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool 5 minutes in pans on racks, then invert cake layers onto racks and cool completely. (Leave oven on for toasting coconut.)
• Make filling while layers bake:
• Whisk together eggs in a heatproof bowl until combined well.
• With clean dry whisk, stir together sugar, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan, then whisk in water and juices until smooth. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking, then reduce heat and cook at a bare simmer, whisking constantly, 2 minutes (mixture will be thick).
• Add half of hot juice mixture to eggs in a slow stream, whisking, then whisk egg mixture into juices in saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, whisking, just until it reaches a boil. Remove pan from heat, then add butter and zest, whisking until butter is melted. Chill filling, its surface covered with a buttered round of wax paper (buttered side down), until cold, about 30 minutes.
• Make frosting:
• Spread coconut in a shallow baking pan and toast in oven, stirring occasionally, until golden, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Beat together egg whites, sugar, water, corn syrup, and a pinch of salt in a large metal bowl with a handheld electric mixer (clean beaters if necessary) until combined. Set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and beat mixture at high speed until it holds stiff, glossy peaks, 5 to 7 minutes. (Humid weather may necessitate additional beating time.) Remove bowl from heat, then add vanilla and lemon juice and continue beating until frosting is cooled and very thick, 6 to 10 minutes.
• Assemble cake:
• Halve each cake horizontally with a long serrated knife. Put 1 layer on a cake stand or large plate and spread with about 3/4 cup filling. Stack remaining cake layers using about 3/4 cup filling between each layer. Spread top and side of cake with frosting and coat cake with coconut, gently pressing to help it adhere.

AMBROSIA CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Make, bake and cool cake as directed on box for two 8-inch or 9-inch round pans.
• To make orange-coconut filling, in small microwavable bowl, mix sugar and cornstarch. Gradually stir in 1/3 cup water. Stir in orange peel and orange juice. Microwave uncovered on High about 1 minute or until mixture thickens and boils; stir. Microwave 30 seconds longer, stirring every 15 seconds. Stir in 2 tablespoons coconut; cool.
• Fill cake layers with orange-coconut filling. Frost side and top of cake with frosting. Sprinkle 1/2 cup coconut over top. Store loosely covered.

AMBROSIA CAKE

Steps:

• Bake the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees and place a rack in the middle. Butter two 9-inch cake pans and line with parchment paper on the bottom.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, coconut milk, rum and vanilla.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter, coconut oil and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, then beat in zest. Beat in half the flour mixture, followed by half the milk mixture. Repeat, beating just until combined and scraping down bowl as necessary.
• In a separate bowl, use an electric beater to whisk egg whites just until stiff peaks form. Fold into cake batter.
• Divide batter between pans. Bake until lightly golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then unmold cakes and cool completely on rack. (Cakes can be made up to 2 days ahead; once cool, wrap in plastic and refrigerate.)
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Bring clementine juice and lemon juice to a boil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, yolks, sugar and salt. Whisking constantly, slowly pour hot juice into eggs, then return mixture to saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in butter and vanilla. Push through a strainer set over a medium bowl, and stir in clementine zest. Cover with plastic wrap directly on surface of curd and refrigerate until cold. (Curd can be made up to 5 days ahead.) Or to speed up cooling, set bowl of curd in a larger bowl filled with ice water and stir curd until very cold, 7 to 10 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
• Prepare clementines for decorating the cake: Cut the top and bottom off a clementine and set it cut-side down on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut away peel and pith, following the curve of the fruit from top to bottom. Working over a bowl to catch the juices, carefully cut out each segment from the membrane; it should fall into the bowl as you cut. Lay segments out on paper towels to dry slightly while you cut remaining fruit.
• Use a large knife to trim tops of cakes to level them, and cut both cakes in half horizontally to make layers.
• Place a cake layer on a serving dish and spread a third of the curd over it, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge. Layer a third of the clementine segments on top of curd, spacing them evenly so cake will be balanced. Top with another layer, spread another third of curd over it, and layer with 1/2 cup shredded coconut. Top with cake layer, repeat curd and clementines, saving some clementines for top of cake. Place the remaining cake layer on top, and chill while making frosting.
• Make the frosting: Bring a medium pot with 1 inch of water to boil. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and salt. Set bowl over simmering water and whisk constantly until eggs reach 160 degrees, or the sugar has melted. Remove from heat, and beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes.
• Immediately spread frosting on cake and press coconut shreds into tops and sides. Top with clementine wedges and strawberries if using; serve within an hour or two. (Or, keep refrigerated for up to 8 hours and wait until just before serving to top with fresh fruit.)

AMBROSIA CAKE

Steps:

• CAKE: In a large mixing bowl, blend on low speed for 30 seconds: cake mix, oil, mandarin oranges and eggs.
• Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
• Pour into greased and floured 9 x 13 inch pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
• TOPPING: Combine pineapple and pudding mix.
• Let stand for 5 minutes.
• Add Cool Whip.
• Mix well by hand.
• Frost cake when cool.
• Refrigerate.

HOLIDAY AMBROSIA CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extract. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with pineapple juice, beating well after each addition. Fold in the coconut, pineapple, macadamia nuts, raisins, mangoes and candied cherries., Transfer to a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 350° until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 50-60 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely., In a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, coconut milk and extracts. Drizzle over cake.

AMBROSIA ICEBOX CAKE

Steps:

• Toast the coconut: Preheat oven 375°F Spread coconut in a thin layer in baking sheet. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes until coconut is lightly toasted. Halfway through, remove sheet from oven and toss coconut to mix using a spatula. This is to ensure even toasting. Watch very carefully as coconut can toast quickly towards the end. Set aside to cool.
• Make the pineapple curd: Bring 1 cup pineapple juice to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk the eggs, egg yolks and sugar together in a medium bowl. Sprinkle in the cornstarch and mix well. Very slowly, a few tablespoons at a time, pour hot juice into egg mixture whisking constantly. Do not go too fast or the eggs will scramble. Return mixture to pan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until it boils and coats back of a spoon. Continue cooking about 1 more minute. Remove from heat, stir in butter, lemon juice, salt and the remaining ½ cup pineapple juice. Place mixture into a small bowl set over ice to cool, stirring often, or place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto surface of curd and refrigerate to cool to room temperature.
• Make the orange cream: While pineapple curd is cooling, open the cans of mandarin oranges and reserve 6 tablespoons of the juice or syrup. Chop the segments from one full can plus half of the other can, or use your hands to break them into thirds. Set aside. Reserve remaining orange segments for another use.
• If using fresh oranges, finely grate the zest from 1 orange and reserve. Juice the rest of the oranges and set the juice aside.
• Whip cream, 1 teaspoon of orange extract, vanilla extract and confectioners' sugar together until stiff peaks form. Fold chopped mandarin oranges into cream.
• In a small bowl, combine orange juice, orange zest, reserved liquid from mandarin oranges, ½ teaspoon orange extract and sherry.
• Close up a 9 inch springform pan which should be at least 2 inches high (preferably 3 inches, or you can use a 10 inch springform). Arrange ladyfingers around the bottom of the pan so that there is a full even layer. Break the ladyfingers if necessary to plug any holes. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush ladyfingers with the sherry mixture. Place a little less than 1/3 of the pineapple mixture in the pan and use an offset spatula to make an even layer. Place a little less than 1/3 of the orange cream in the pan and use an offset spatula to make an even layer. Sprinkle about 1/3 of the toasted coconut on top of the orange cream layer. Arrange another layer of ladyfingers and brush lightly with sherry mixture. Continue layering in order given, ending with toasted coconut. Depending on the height of your springform you might have some extra curd and cream. Cover springform with plastic wrap, then with aluminum foil and refrigerate at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
• To serve, carefully run a thin knife around the edge of the springform and release the ring. Cut into slices.