RECIPES: Give blender baking a whirl

Despite their many benefits, blenders are not widely used to make cake batter because baking is a science and it’s not as simple as tossing in the ingredients like you’re whipping up a batch of killer margaritas. Even though many batters are semiliquid, the powerful machines can easily over-activate the gluten, causing the final baked good to be tough and rubbery.

One key to blender baking is to prepare low- or no-gluten batters. In these blender recipes, one cake has no gluten and the other is a combination of naturally gluten-free cornmeal and nuts and flour, effectively making it low gluten.

Secondly, the powerful machine is able to create an emulsion, one liquid dispersed in another. Most mixer cake preparations begin with creaming the butter and sugar. Then eggs are slowly added so the fatty emulsion does not break. You can’t cream butter in a blender; the shape of the jar and speed of the blade do not allow it. However, you can emulsify the liquids, fats and sugar by harnessing the power of the blades. The intense whirling produces an emulsion that takes the place of creaming. The emulsion is then added to dry ingredients to avoid over-activating the gluten and producing a tough cake — no heavy mixer needed.

Credit: Virginia Willis

Credit: Virginia Willis

RECIPES

This trio of easy blender recipes covers basic baking needs: a sophisticated modern dessert, a good old-fashioned birthday cake and a family-friendly chocolate sponge-like snack cake. Vegan Lemon Olive Oil Cornmeal Cake, Blender Yellow Layer Cake and Gluten-Free Chocolate Snack Cake make baking easy and enjoyable. Pull out your blender and give these recipes a whirl.

Credit: Virginia Willis

Credit: Virginia Willis

Vegan Lemon Olive Oil Cornmeal Cake

Made with ground pecans, cornmeal and flour, this rustic cake is dense and moist. Aquafaba, the liquid in a can of chickpeas, is a staple of the vegan pantry and a reliable substitute for egg whites. To use, simply drain one can of chickpeas, reserving the chickpeas for another use. Most chickpeas cans contain between 1/2 cup and 3/4 cup of aquafaba.

3/4 cup pecan halves (4 ounces)

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup medium-grind yellow cornmeal

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 large lemons

About 1/2 cup water

1/2 cup aquafaba

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

Mint, for garnish

Heat the oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the center position. Spray an 8-inch round cake pan with baking spray. Set aside.

In the jar of a blender combine the pecans, sugar, flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Pulse to combine and grind the nuts. The mixture should resemble fine meal.

Zest and juice the lemons. (You should have about ½ cup of juice, depending on the size of the lemons.) Add enough water to the lemon juice to make 1 cup of liquid. Add the lemon water, lemon zest, aquafaba and oil to the pecan mixture in the blender. Pulse until the batter is combined, scraping the jar halfway through.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake until the cake starts to shrink from the sides of the pan and springs back when lightly pressed in the center with a fingertip, about 40 minutes.

Transfer cake pan to a wire rack to cool slightly for about 10 minutes, then turn cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Using a serrated knife, cut cake into slices for serving. Drizzle with additional olive oil and garnish with mint. Serve the cake warm or at room temperature.

Serves 16.

Per serving: 196 calories (percent of calories from fat, 44), 3 grams protein, 26 grams carbohydrates, 10 grams total sugars, 2 grams fiber, 10 grams total fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 164 milligrams sodium.

Credit: Virginia Willis

Credit: Virginia Willis

Blender Yellow Layer Cake

You will be tempted to make this entire cake in the blender. Don’t do it; the cake will be rubbery and the crumb will be uneven and filled with tunnels.

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup low-fat buttermilk, at room temperature

1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

2 large eggs, at room temperature

2 large egg yolks, at room temperature

¼ cup canola, vegetable, grapeseed or other neutral oil

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup sugar

1 recipe Old-Fashioned Chocolate Frosting (see recipe)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the center position. Spray two 8 or 9-inch round cake pans with baking spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In the jar of a blender, combine the buttermilk, butter, eggs, egg yolks, oil, vanilla and sugar. Blend on high just until combined, about 15 seconds, scraping the jar halfway through.

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients. Stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. (The batter will not be as thick as traditional cake batter.)

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. (It may not seem like enough batter, but it will rise.) Place the pans in the oven, evenly spaced on the rack. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

Transfer pans to a rack to cool slightly, about 3 minutes. Run a paring knife around the edge of each cake to loosen. Invert the layers onto the rack, lift off the pan and cool completely, about 1 hour.

Place 1 cake layer on a cake plate and spread 1 cup frosting on top. Place remaining cake layer on top. Spread top and sides of cake with remaining frosting, swirling to coat in a decorative fashion. (If frosting becomes too soft, refrigerate to firm up.) Cake can be covered and refrigerated overnight; bring cake to room temperature before serving.

Serves 12.

Per serving: 540 calories (percent of calories from fat, 43), 6 grams protein, 74 grams carbohydrates, 53 grams total sugars, 3 grams fiber, 27 grams total fat (14 grams saturated), 114 milligrams cholesterol, 385 milligrams sodium.

Credit: Virginia Willis

Credit: Virginia Willis

Gluten-Free Chocolate Snack Cake

Most gluten-free cakes that use almond flour are torte-like, dense and fudgy. This crumb is tender and spongy, more like a traditional layer cake.

1 cup superfine almond flour

1 cup low-fat milk, at room temperature

3/4 cup white sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

1/2 cup 100% cacao special dark cocoa powder

3 tablespoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

½ recipe Old-Fashioned Chocolate Frosting (see recipe)

16 pecan halves (optional)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the center position. Spray an 8-inch baking dish with baking spray. Set aside.

In the jar of a blender combine the almond flour, milk, sugar, eggs, butter, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping the jar as needed. Pour into the prepared pan. (The batter will be very loose.)

Transfer to the oven and bake until the sides of the cake begin to pull away from the pan and a toothpick inserted at the center comes out with a few crumbs, about 35 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 1 hour. (The cake will not retain its height as it cools.)

Once the cake has cooled to room temperature, top with Old-Fashioned Chocolate Frosting. Garnish with pecans if desired. Serve immediately or cover in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Serves 16.

Per serving: 236 calories (percent of calories from fat, 45), 5 grams protein, 30 grams carbohydrates, 24 grams total sugars, 3 grams fiber, 13 grams total fat (6 grams saturated), 67 milligrams cholesterol, 157 milligrams sodium.

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Frosting

This recipe can be used for both the Blender Yellow Layer Cake and the Gluten-Free Chocolate Snack Cake. Divide the recipe in half to make a more appropriate amount of frosting for the Gluten-Free Chocolate Snack Cake and other one-layer cakes. In warm weather, this frosting can become quite loose while frosting the cakes and may need to be chilled in the refrigerator to harden and set.

12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into chunks

1/2 cup milk, at room temperature

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon instant espresso (optional)

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup 100% cacao special dark cocoa powder

1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

Place the butter in a medium bowl and let come to room temperature. Meanwhile, combine the milk, vanilla and optional espresso powder in a liquid measuring cup. Set aside.

Once the butter is soft, sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder over the butter. Add salt and reserved milk mixture. Using a whisk, stir to combine. Whisk until smooth and free of lumps. Use immediately, or store in a refrigerated airtight container for up to 1 week.

Makes 3 cups.

Per 2-tablespoon serving: 131 calories (percent of calories from fat, 41), 1 gram protein, 20 grams carbohydrates, 18 grams total sugars, 1 gram fiber, 6 grams total fat (4 grams saturated), 16 milligrams cholesterol, 16 milligrams sodium.

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