Best Yellow Trio Recipes

YELLOW CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease two 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds (see #6 in Cake Baking Tips), then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. I recommend using nonstick spray for greasing.
• Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
• Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed for 3 full minutes. The creamed butter and sugar will be extra creamy. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Turn the mixer down to medium-high speed and beat in the 4 egg yolks one at a time, letting each egg yolk fully mix into the batter before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla extract until combined.
• Add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients and 1/2 of the buttermilk and beat on low speed until combined. Add 1/3 more of the dry ingredients and the rest of the buttermilk and beat on low speed until combined. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and beat on low speed until combined. The batter is very thick. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl.
• Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together on high speed until fluffy peaks form, about 3 minutes. See photo and video above for a visual. Slowly and gently fold the egg whites into the thick cake batter. Avoid over-mixing as you don't want to deflate the egg whites.
• Pour/spoon batter evenly into cake pans.
• Bake for around 27-31 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. After about 18 minutes, tent the cakes with aluminum foil to prevent the tops and sides from over-browning. To test the cakes for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it's done. The cakes may look a little spongey on top as a result of the whipped egg whites. (That's normal!)
• Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
• With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, 3 Tablespoons heavy cream, salt, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 1 full minute. Do not over-whip. Add 1/4 cup more confectioners' sugar or cocoa powder if frosting is too thin or 1-2 more Tablespoons of cream if frosting is too thick. (I usually add 1 more.) Taste. Add another pinch of salt if desired.
• If cooled cakes are domed on top, use a large serrated knife to slice a thin layer off the tops to create a flat surface. This is called "leveling" the cakes. Discard or crumble over finished cake (or on ice cream!). Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with frosting. Top with 2nd layer. (If desired, if the edges seem extra crumbly, apply a crumb coat which is a thin layer of frosting all over the cake. You can see I did this in the video tutorial above. Refrigerate the crumb coated cake for 15 minutes before adding the rest of the frosting.) Spread remaining frosting all over the top and sides. I always use an icing spatula and/or a bench scraper for the frosting. Garnish with sprinkles, if desired.
• For extra neat slices, refrigerate cake for 30-60 minutes before slicing. This helps the cake hold its shape when cutting.
• Cover leftover cake tightly and store at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

ITALIAN TRIO SALAD

Steps:

• Combine the radicchio, endive, Treviso, arugula, olive oil, lemon juice and salt in a large bowl. Use your hands to toss the greens gently and coat them evenly with the dressing.

TRIO OF BRIGADEIROS

Steps:

• Spray a shallow dish with cooking spray and set aside. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. When the butter has melted, whisk in the condensed milk, cocoa powder and salt until well combined. Cook over a medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, until the mixture becomes thick and starts to pull away from the bottom and sides of the pan, 7 to 15 minutes.
• Pour the mixture onto the prepared dish and spread it out so it cools quickly. DO NOT touch the mixture with your hands at this point-it is VERY hot. If you are having trouble spreading, use a rubber spatula or spoon. (It doesn't need to look perfect.) Refrigerate until cool enough to comfortably handle, about 1 hour to 70 minutes. (The colder the mixture, the easier the next steps will be.)
• Place the coconut, sprinkles and cocoa powder in separate shallow bowls. Take a tablespoon of the candy mixture and form into a ball. Place the ball on a sheet pan. Continue forming the balls and placing on the sheet pan until all of the mixture is used; you should have 24 to 28 small balls. Once all the balls are prepared, roll each in one of the desired coatings, pressing the flaked coconut and sprinkles coatings so they stick. Place each coated ball in a little paper cup. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat.

TAMI'S TRI COLOR CAPRESE SALAD

Steps:

• Arrange alternate slices of yellow tomato, whole basil leaves, slices of red tomato, and mozzarella cheese slices on a serving platter in rows; sprinkle with shaved shallot. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the salad; season with salt and black pepper.

HUMMUS TRIO

Steps:

• Drain the chickpeas, reserving the liquid. Rinse the chickpeas and drain again. Set a few chickpeas aside for garnish.
• In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade attachment, combine the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and 1 tablespoon salt. Process until smooth and very creamy, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and process for another 60 seconds; the mixture should be light in color and thick. Add the chickpeas in 3 additions, processing until smooth after each addition. With the food processor running, slowly pour the oil into the feed tube in a steady stream and process until the mixture is creamy. If too thick, add up to 3/4 cup of the reserved chickpea liquid a few tablespoons at a time until hummus is smooth and has a sheen. Season with more salt if desired. Divide the hummus into 3 bowls. Top 1 bowl of hummus with the reserved whole chickpeas and a drizzle of olive oil and set aside.
• To make the spinach and artichoke hummus: Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a simmer in a small skillet. Add the spinach and cook until wilted, about 30 seconds. Cool and squeeze dry. Finely chop the spinach and mix it together with the artichoke hearts. Reserve about 1 tablespoon of the mixture for garnish and stir the remainder into 1 bowl of hummus; garnish with the reserved mixture and a drizzle of olive oil.
• To make the sweet-and-spicy hummus: Place the pine nuts in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Stir black pepper to taste into the last bowl of hummus and make an indentation in the top of the hummus. Fill the indentation with chopped peppadews, pine nuts, more black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.
• Serve all 3 hummus bowls with pita chips for dipping.