Best Brown Derby Cake Recipes

GRAPEFRUIT CAKE (HOLLYWOOD BROWN DERBY RESTAURANT)

Steps:

• 1. Grapefruit Glaze (prepared first, as it needs to chilll): Mix together the chilled grapefruit juice, confectioners' sugar and cornstarch until cornstarch is fully dissolved. Pour mixture into a small saucepan, and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly. When it begins to heat, it will become transparent and thicken to a syrupy glaze. Remove from heat source, cover and store in refrigerator until thoroughly cooled.
• 2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line bottom of a 9x2-inch round cake pan with parchment paper, then very lightly spray parchment with nonstick baking spray; set pan aside.
• 3. In a mixing bowl, sift together the cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center, and add water, oil, egg yolks, grapefruit juice and lemon zest. Beat until smooth.
• 4. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff but not dry. Gradually pour egg yolk mixture over the whites, gently folding with a rubber spatula just until blended. Don't stir the mixture, just fold gently.
• 5. Pour batter into prepared cake pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly pressed with a fingertip. Invert cake onto a cake rack to cool completely. Run a butter knife around edge of cake, and carefully remove cake to a platter to cool completely. With a serrated knife, gently slice cake in half to yield two layers.
• 6. FROSTING: Beat softened cream cheese until fluffy. Add lemon juice and lemon zest. Gently stir in sugar, then beat until well blended. Stir in food coloring. Crush several grapefruit sections to measure 2 teaspoons, and blend the crushed grapefruit into the frosting mixture.
• 7. Spread the frosting over the surface of the bottom cake layer. Top with several grapefruit sections. Place the other cake layer on top of the frosted bottom layer. Using the remaining frosting to frost the top and sides of the cake.
• 8. To serve - Remove Grapefruit Glaze from refrigerator, and stir it several times for ease in pour. Pour the glaze over the frosted cake. Garnish with remaining grapefruit sections, if desired, and then cut the cake into 8 to 10 slices.
• 9. NOTE: Disney chefs garnish individual slices of Grapefruit Cake with an ultra-thin slice of grapefruit that has been heated in a moderate oven until hydrated and lightly scorched. It's a nice modern touch, but it wasn't an original garnish when this dessert was originally created and served at the Hollywood Brown Derby.

BROWN DERBY CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Instructions For cake: Preheat oven to 350F and prepare 1 round cake pan and 1 medium-sized mixing bowl (oven-safe!) with butter and a healthy dusting of flour or confectioner's sugar. Line the round cake pan with parchment paper as well. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Using a stand or hand mixer, cream butter on medium speed until soft. Add both sugars and continue beating for 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Add vanilla. At this point things may look curdled but keep on beating. On low speed, add melted chocolate. Then add dry ingredients in 3 additions alternating with the milk in 2 additions. Mix just until incorporated. Add in the boiling water which will thin down the luscious batter. Finally, stir in the chopped chocolate with a rubber spatula. Divide the cake evenly between the prepared pan and prepared bowl. Bake separately in the preheated oven. The round cake will take about 25-30 minutes. The bowl took me closer to an hour to set properly. When you insert a knife into the center of the cake, it should come out clean. Allow cake to cool for several minutes before running a knife/spatula around the sides, unmolding, and allowing to cool completely to room temperature.
• 2. For filling: (Again, as above, you can simply mix the fruit with whipped cream sweetened slightly with confectioner's sugar if desired. This recipe gives a bit more solid filling with the addition of gelatin.) Stir gelatin in milk to soften. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites until stiff and add the sugar in slowly, mixing to combine. Heat the gelatin and milk mixture over very low heat for several minutes until the gelatin is completely dissolved. With the mixer on, pour the warmed mixture over the egg whites and mix well. Add in vanilla. Cool to warm before folding in prepared fruits. In a separate bowl, beat heavy cream until stiff peaks (you can use your dirty beaters). Fold in to fruit mixture.
• 3. For topping: Beat heavy cream in a clean bowl until stiff peaks. Add sugar to taste. For assembly: Once cakes are cooled, level both cakes, reserving scraps (take a bit off even if your cakes came our perfectly which mine never ever do). Take round cake and place on stand. Top with as much filling as desired. (I only did one big fat layer of filling and used about 3/4 of it. In hindsight, you can cut the cake baked in the bowl into two layers and then have two layers of filling with three layers of cake. Just saying.) Top with cake baked in the bowl. Using a spatula, spread sweetened whipped topping all over cake. Finally, crumble scraps and press into whipped topping. If your scraps a little too moist, you can spread them over a baking sheet and dry them out a bit in a warmed oven.

BROWN DERBY GRAPEFRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into bowl. Make well in center and add water, oil, egg yolks, grapefruit juice and lemon peel. Beat until very smooth. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff but not dry. Gradually pour egg yolk mixture over egg whites and fold in gently until just blended. Do not stir. Turn batter into ungreased 9 inch spring form pan and bake at 350 degrees 30 minutes, or until top springs back when touched lightly with finger. Invert onto cake rack and cool thoroughly. Loosen edges of cake carefully and remove from pan. With serrated knife, cut cake crosswise to make two layers. Reserve a few fruit sections for frosting. Fill with part of the Cream Cheese Frosting and grapefruit sections. Spread top and sides of cake with frosting and decorate with additional fruit sections. Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat softened cream cheese until fluffy. Add lemon juice and peel. Gradually blend in sugar and beat until well blended. Stir in food color. Crush enough grapefruit sections to measure 2 teaspoons and blend into frosting.