Mary’s Poppyseed Custard Cake

Apple Cake

This delectable Apple Cake has a slightly crunchy crust and a soft moist center that is loaded with chunks of sweet apple and pecans. It is perfectly spiced with cinnamon, ground cloves and nutmeg. It is lightly drizzled with an easy four ingredient caramel sauce. I make this cake several times each fall for bake sales, potlucks and family and friend get-togethers.

Easy Ratatouille

This easy ratatouille recipe is a classic summer French stew filled with vibrant, colourful and nutritious vegetables: tomatoes, zucchini and eggplant. It is a low-carb, gluten-free and vegan dish that can be made in one pan and served atop greens or grains, as a side to a main entrée, or all on its own.

2 Comments

westmonster on 5.7.2013

Oh, Paulette, I’m so sorry – I didn’t even see your comment until now! I will test the recipe as soon as I can and get back to you.
A few notes in advance about what I think might be possible reasons for the recipe not turning out for you:

– Layer 1 is basically a shortbread. Using a little milk to make it more pliable was a good idea!

– Layer 2: What kind of semolina did you use? This ingredient is called “Grieß” here in Germany and is made of wheat (wheat middlings). It is basically the same as polenta, only that it’s wheat, not corn. I am pretty sure that polenta would work in this recipe as well.
Layer 2 should be a thick pudding-like consistency when it’s done. You could try boiling the mixture it a little longer or adding more semolina by the tablespoon until it thickens. The butter is simply mixed in (no pre-melting or creaming required) and will melt into the pudding.
– If layer 3 was too heavy, you can just add a little milk, like you did with layer 1. Or maybe try using a more fluid sour cream?

Paulette Alioa on 12.2.2012

This recipe really looked good and was just what I had in mind for a holiday social event. I had a few problems, though, and needed to improvise. I realize that sometimes cooks using old family recipes know how to adjust to make them turn out.
The layers were a consistency more difficult to work with than expected, which caused me think that it needed some adjustment:
First, the size of the springform pan was not shown, so thankfully I guessed right (9″).
Layer 1 – was too dry and crumbly to roll out. I added about 2-3 tablespoons of milk to make it workable.
Layer 2 – I don’t think the combination of ingredients is correct. Usually, a custard contains eggs as well as milk and sour cream, so this mixture was quite watery. Also, it did not indicate how the butter should be added -(creamed, melted?). A whole stick of butter (1/2 cup) seemed like way too much, so I added about half that amount.
Layer 3 seemed to create too small an amount to spread over the whole cake – and was too heavy to pour. I was also concerned that because layer 2 was too watery, this layer would sink to the bottom. I again added a few tablespoons of milk but waited to put it on until the middle layer had baked about 20 minutes. I also left it in the oven about 15-20 minutes longer than the recipe states.
I would like to try it again, so if westmonster can check the ingredients again and respond, I (as well as others who might try it) would appreciate it!