• Place A Rack In The Center Of The Oven, And Preheat The Oven To 350°F.
• Lightly Grease A 13″ × 9″ Baking Pan With The Vegetable Oil Spray Or Soft Butter.
• Set The Pan Aside.
• For The Cake, Place The Butter And Sugar In A Large Mixing Bowl, And Beat With An Electric Mixer On Medium Speed Until The Mixture Is Light And Fluffy, 1 To 2 Minutes.
• Add The Eggs, One At A Time, Beating About 15 Seconds After Each Egg.
• Blend In The Vanilla, And Set The Batter Aside.
• Sift The Flour, Baking Powder, And Salt Into A Small Bowl.
• Add The Flour Mixture To The Batter About 2 Tablespoons At A Time, Blending On Low Speed After Each Addition.
• Pour The Batter Into The Prepared Pan, And Place The Pan In The Oven.
• Bake The Cake Until The Top Springs Back When Lightly Pressed With A Finger And A Toothpick Inserted Comes Out Clean, 20 To 25 Minutes.
• Remove The Cake To A Wire Rack, And Poke Holes On The Top Of The Cake With A Wooden Skewer.
• Let The Cake Cool For 15 Minutes.
• Meanwhile, Make The Milk Syrup.
• Pour The Milks, Rum, If Desired, And Vanilla Into A Medium-Size Bowl And Stir.
• Spoon The Syrup Over The Top Of The Cake, Letting It Soak Into The Holes.
• Cover The Cake With Plastic Wrap, And Place It In The Refrigerator To Chill For 2 Hours.
• For The Whipped Cream, Chill The Heavy Cream And The Beaters Of The Electric Mixer.
• When Cold, Pour The Cream And Sugar Into A Large Mixing Bowl, And Beat On High Speed Until Stiff Peaks Form.
• Remove The Cake From The Refrigerator And Spread The Whipped Cream Evenly Over The Top.
• Return The Cake, Covered, To The Refrigerator Until Time To Serve.
• To Serve, Cut Into Squares And Top With The Fresh Strawberries, If Desired.

• Place A Rack In The Center Of The Oven, And Preheat The Oven To 350°F.
• Generously Butter And Flour A 10″ Springform Pan Or A 10″ Round Layer Pan That Is At Least 3″ Deep.
• Set The Pan Aside.
• Set Aside A Large Roasting Pan.
• Place 8 To 10 Cups Of Water In A Large Saucepan Over Medium-Low Heat, And Keep The Water Hot And Steamy, But Not Boiling, While You Prepare The Cake.
• For The Cake, Place The Butter And Sugar In A Large Mixing Bowl, And Beat With An Electric Mixer On Medium Speed Until Light In Color And Texture, 3 Minutes.
• Scrape Down The Sides Of The Bowl With A Rubber Spatula.
• Add The Egg And Espresso, And Beat Just Until Blended.
• Set Aside.
• Sift Together The Flours, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Cocoa, And Cinnamon, If Desired.
• Add Half Of The Flour Mixture To The Batter, Blending At Medium-Low Speed.
• Scrape Down The Bowl.
• Add Half Of The Buttermilk And Blend.
• Add The Remaining Flour And Blend, Then The Remaining Buttermilk, And Blend Until Smooth.
• Scrape Down The Sides Of The Bowl And Then Increase The Speed To Medium-High And Beat For 1 Minute.
• Set Aside.
• For The Flan, Place The Milks, Eggs, And Vanilla In A Blender Or Food Processor And Blend Until Smooth, About 15 Seconds.
• Set Aside.
• To Assemble The Cake For Baking, Pour The Cajeta Into A Glass Measuring Cup.
• Place The Cup In The Microwave On High Power For 15 To 20 Seconds.
• Pour The Cajeta Evenly Into The Prepared Pan, Spreading It To The Edges Using A Small Metal Spatula.
• Dollop The Cake Batter Over The Cajeta, Spreading To The Edges Of The Pan.
• Using A Ladle, Gently Pour The Flan Mixture Over The Batter.
• The Pan Will Be Very Full.
• Place The Cake Pan Into The Roasting Pan And Place On The Middle Rack In The Oven.
• Using A Heatproof Glass Measuring Cup, Gently Pour Hot, Steamy Water Into The Roasting Pan Around The Cake Pan Until The Water Is 1″ Deep.
• Close The Oven Door.
• Bake The Cake Until It Is Firm To The Touch And Cracked On Top, 48 To 52 Minutes.
• Remove The Roasting Pan From The Oven.
• Carefully Remove The Cake Pan From The Roasting Pan.
• Place It On A Wire Rack And Let It Cool For 1 Hour.
• To Serve, Carefully Run A Thin-Bladed Knife Around The Edge Of The Cake And Flan To Free The Edges.
• Invert A Rimmed Serving Platter Over The Pan, Grasp The Two Tightly Together, And Then Flip The Two Over.
• Gently Jiggle The Pan Back And Forth Several Times To Make Sure The Cake And Flan Have Dropped, And Then Remove The Pan.
• Scrape Any Remaining Cajeta From The Mold Onto The Cake.
• Slice And Serve.

• For The Cake, Place A Rack In The Center Of The Oven, And Preheat The Oven To 350°F.
• Lightly Grease As Many 9″ Round Layer Pans As You Have (You Need 10 Layers) With Soft Butter Or Oil.
• Set The Pans Aside.
• (Or Buy Ten 9″ Round Aluminum Foil Pans To Save Time. )
• Place The Butter And Sugar In A Large Mixing Bowl, And Beat With An Electric Mixer On Medium Speed Until Light And Creamy, 1 Minute.
• Add The Eggs, One At A Time, Beating On Medium Until Just Combined.
• Set Aside.
• Sift The Flour, Baking Powder, And Salt Into A Medium-Size Bowl.
• Add The Flour Mixture To The Butter And Sugar Mixture Alternately With The Evaporated Milk.
• Begin And End With The Flour Mixture.
• Beat On Low Speed Until Smooth, About 1 Minute.
• Scrape Down The Sides Of The Bowl, And Fold In The Vanilla.
• Spoon About A Generous ½ Cup Batter Into Each Prepared Pan, Using The Back Of A Large Spoon To Spread The Batter Across The Bottom Of The Pan.
• Place Up To 3 Pans In The Oven At A Time, Or Place In As Many Layers As Your Oven Will Accommodate.
• Bake Until The Top Of The Cake Springs Back When Lightly Touched With A Finger, 14 To 17 Minutes.
• Remove The Cakes From The Oven, Let Them Rest In The Pans For 5 Minutes, Then Carefully Remove To A Wire Rack To Cool.
• Repeat The Process With The Remaining Batter And Layers.
• Once All The Layers Have Baked And Are Cooled, Prepare The Frosting.
• Melt The Butter In A Large Saucepan Over Low Heat, 2 To 3 Minutes.
• Stir In The Cocoa, Salt, And Evaporated Milk.
• Cook And Stir Until The Mixture Thickens And Just Begins To Come To A Boil, 1 Minute Longer.
• Remove The Pan From The Heat.
• Stir In The Vanilla And The Confectioners’ Sugar, Continuing To Stir Until The Frosting Is Thickened And Smooth And The Consistency Of Hot Fudge Sauce.
• To Keep The Frosting From Hardening, Place The Saucepan Over Low Heat While Frosting The Layers.
• To Assemble The Cake, Place 1 Layer On A Cake Plate And Spoon About ¼ Cup Of The Frosting On Top, Spreading It Thinly To The Edge.
• Place Another Layer On Top, And Continue Adding ¼ Cup Of Frosting And Stacking The Layers.
• When All The Layers Have Been Stacked, Frost The Top And Sides Of The Cake Thinly With The Remaining Frosting.
• Store This Cake At Room Temperature Under A Cake Dome Or In A Cake Saver For Up To 3 Days.
• It Will Keep 1 Week In The Refrigerator.
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Option: Chop 3 Frozen Peanut Butter Cups Into Chunks And Set Aside As The Garnish For The Top Of The Cake.
• Pulse The Remaining 5 Peanut Butter Cups Into A Fine Powder In The Food Processor.
• As You Are Stacking The Cake Layers, Scatter 2 Teaspoons Peanut Butter Cup Powder On Top Of Each Frosted Layer.
• Once Finished, Garnish The Top Of The Cake With The Reserved Peanut Butter Cup Chunks.

• The Day Before Baking, Soak The Dried Fruit.
• Place The Dark And Golden Raisins And The Prunes In A Medium-Size Bowl.
• Pour About ¾ Cup Of The Rum Over The Fruit, Toss To Coat, And Cover The Bowl.
• Let Soak For 24 Hours.
• Stir Occasionally.
• For The Candied Fruit
• Place A Rack In The Center Of The Oven, And Preheat The Oven To 300°F.
• Grease A 10″ Tube Pan With Soft Butter, And Line It With Parchment Paper.
• First Cut A Piece Of Parchment To Fit The Bottom Of The Pan (Turn The Pan Over And Use The Bottom As An Outline For Cutting), Then Cut A Strip That Is Deep Enough To Go Around The Sides Of The Pan.
• To Allow For The Widening Of The Pan, Cut The Strip At Intervals So It Fans Out.
• Lightly Grease The Parchment With A Little Butter, And Set The Pan Aside.
• Place The Butter And Brown Sugar In A Large Mixing Bowl, And Beat With An Electric Mixer On Medium Speed Until Light And Fluffy, 3 To 4 Minutes.
• Set Aside.
• Sift The Flour, Baking Powder, Cinnamon, Cloves, And Mace Into A Large Bowl.
• Alternately Add The Flour Mixture To The Creamed Butter And Sugar With The Eggs, Beginning And Ending With The Flour Mixture, Until Just Blended.
• Scrape Down The Sides Of The Bowl With A Rubber Spatula, And Stir In The Molasses.
• Fold In The Chopped Ginger And Orange And Lemon Peel.
• Fold In The Soaked Dried Fruit And Rum (Do Not Drain).
• When The Batter Is Well Combined, Turn It Into The Prepared Pan, Smoothing The Top With The Spatula.
• Place The Pan In The Oven.
• Bake The Cake Until A Wooden Skewer Comes Out Clean, About 1 Hour 40 To 50 Minutes.
• Remove The Pan From The Oven, And Place It On A Wire Rack.
• Immediately Poke Holes In The Cake With The Skewer.
• Pour The Remaining ¾ Cup Rum Slowly And Evenly Over The Top Of The Cake.
• The Cake Will Sizzle As The Rum Goes Into The Hot Cake—Thus The Name.
• When The Sizzling Stops, Cover The Pan Loosely With A Clean Kitchen Towel And Let It Cool To Room Temperature, About 3 Hours.
• Turn The Cake Out Onto A Plate, Slice, And Serve.

Candied Ginger

• Place The Sugar And Water In A Medium-Size Saucepan Over Medium Heat.
• Stir Until The Sugar Dissolves And The Syrup Comes To A Simmer.
• Drop The Gingerroot Slices Into The Pan, And Stir So That All The Ginger Is Covered In Syrup.
• Let This Simmer For 1½ Hours, Or Until The Ginger Is Translucent.
• With Metal Tongs, Transfer The Ginger To A Wire Rack And Let It Dry Several Hours Or Overnight.
• Store In A Tightly Covered Plastic Container.
• Finely Chop Before Adding To The Recipe.

Candied Orange And Lemon Peel

• Place The Sugar And Water In A Medium-Size Saucepan Over Medium Heat.
• Stir Until The Sugar Dissolves And The Syrup Comes To A Simmer.
• With A Sharp Zester, Remove The Peel From The Orange And Lemons In Long Strips.
• Drop The Strips Into The Pan, And Stir So That All The Strips Are Covered In Syrup.
• Let This Simmer For 1½ Hours, Or Until The Peel Is Translucent.
• With Metal Tongs, Transfer The Peel To A Wire Rack And Let It Dry Several Hours Or Overnight.
• Store In A Tightly Covered Plastic Container.
• Finely Chop Before Adding To The Recipe.

• For The Frosting, Place The Cream In A Medium-Size Heavy Saucepan Over Medium Heat.
• Bring To A Simmer, And Then Remove From The Heat.
• Stir In The Chopped Chocolate, And Stir Until All The Chocolate Has Melted And The Mixture Is Smooth.
• Pour The Icing Into A Stainless Steel Bowl, And Set Aside On The Counter Until Ready To Frost The Cake.
• You Can Make This Up To 3 Hours In Advance.
• For The Cake, Place A Rack In The Center Of The Oven, And Preheat The Oven To 350°F.
• Grease And Flour Three 8″ Round Cake Pans That Are At Least 2″ Deep, And Shake Out The Excess Flour.
• Set The Pans Aside.
• Place The Stout And Butter In A Large Saucepan, And Stir Over Medium Heat Until The Butter Melts, 3 To 4 Minutes.
• Whisk In The Cocoa Until Smooth.
• Remove The Pan From The Heat And Let It Cool.
• Place The Flour, Sugar, Baking Soda, And Salt In A Large Bowl, And Whisk To Combine.
• Set Aside.
• Place The Eggs And Sour Cream In A Large Bowl, And Blend With An Electric Mixer On Medium Speed Until Just Combined, 1 Minute.
• Add The Chocolate And Butter Mixture And Blend Just To Combine.
• Fold In The Flour Mixture, And Scrape Down The Sides Of The Bowl With A Rubber Spatula.
• Divide The Batter Between The Prepared Pans, And Place The Pans In The Oven.
• Bake The Cake Until The Top Springs Back When Lightly Pressed With A Finger, 30 To 35 Minutes.
• Remove The Cake From The Oven, And Place The Pans On A Wire Rack To Cool For 10 Minutes.
• Run A Knife Around The Edges Of The Pans, Give The Pans A Gentle Shake, And Invert The Layers Once And Then Again So The Layers Cool Completely Right Side Up, About 1 Hour.
• To Assemble The Cake, Stir The Frosting Until Smooth Enough To Spread.
• Place 1 Layer On A Cake Plate, And Spread With About ⅔ Cup Of Frosting.
• Top With The Second Layer, And Spread With Another ⅔ Cup Of Frosting.
• Top With The Third Layer And Spread The Top And Sides Of The Cake With The Remaining Frosting.
• Slice And Serve.

• Place A Rack In The Center Of The Oven, And Preheat The Oven To 375°F.
• Lightly Grease And Flour A 9″ Springform Pan With The Olive Oil And Flour.
• Shake Out The Excess Flour, And Set The Pan Aside.
• Place The Flour, Sugar, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, And Salt In A Large Mixing Bowl And Whisk To Combine.
• Crack The Eggs Into The Bowl And Stir To Break The Yolks, Then Add The Orange Juice, Zest, And Olive Oil.
• Mix With A Wooden Spoon Until Well Combined, 60 To 70 Strokes, Or Mix With An Electric Mixer On Medium Speed Until Smooth And Combined, 1 To 2 Minutes.
• Turn The Batter Into The Prepared Pan, And Place The Pan On A Sheet Pan Or Baking Sheet To Protect Your Oven From Batter Leaking From The Bottom Of The Pan.
• Place The Pan In The Oven, And Bake Until The Cake Is Well Browned And The Top Springs Back When Lightly Pressed With A Finger, 38 To 42 Minutes.
• Remove The Pan From The Oven.
• Let It Rest On A Wire Rack For 20 Minutes.
• Run A Knife Around The Edges, Unsnap The Collar Rim, And Let It Rest On The Rack Until Cool, 30 Minutes More.
• To Serve, Run A Sharp Knife Underneath The Cake To Remove The Bottom Of The Pan.
• Place The Cake On A Plate, Dust With Confectioners’ Sugar, If Desired, And Slice And Serve.

• Place A Rack In The Center Of The Oven, And Preheat The Oven To 325°F.
• Lightly Butter And Flour A 9″ Loaf Pan.
• Shake Out The Excess Flour, And Set The Pan Aside.
• Separate The Eggs, Placing The Whites In A Large Mixing Bowl And The Yolks In A Medium-Size Bowl.
• Beat The Yolks Lightly To Combine And Set Aside.
• With An Electric Mixer Or Whisk, Beat The Egg Whites On High Speed Until They Are Foamy, About 2 Minutes.
• Set The Whites Aside.
• Place The Butter And Salt In A Large Mixing Bowl, And Beat With The Same Beaters (No Need To Wash Them) On Medium Speed Until Creamy, 1 Minute.
• Add The Sugar, And Beat Until Smooth And Light, 2 Minutes.
• Lower The Mixer Speed And Add A Third Of The Yolks Just To Combine.
• Add Half Of The Flour, And Blend To Combine, Then Another Third Of The Yolks, The Rest Of The Flour, And The Final Third Of The Yolks, And Blend Until Smooth.
• Pour In The Bourbon And Vanilla, And Blend.
• The Batter Will Be Thick.
• Put A Wire Whisk Down In The Egg Whites And Finish Beating Them By Hand Until They Hold Firm Peaks But Are Not Dry, 2 Minutes.
• Fold Them Gently Into The Batter With A Rubber Spatula Just Until Combined.
• Turn The Batter Into The Prepared Pan, And Smooth The Top.
• Place The Pan In The Oven.
• Bake The Cake Until It Is Deeply Golden Brown And A Straw Inserted Deep Into The Center Comes Out Clean And Dry, 1 Hour 18 To 22 Minutes.
• Remove The Cake From The Oven To A Wire Rack To Cool For 20 Minutes.
• Run A Knife Around The Edges Of The Pan, And Give The Pan A Gentle Shake.
• Turn The Cake Onto The Rack Right Side Up To Cool Completely, 1 Hour.

• Place A Rack In The Center Of The Oven, And Preheat The Oven To 350°F.
• Grease And Flour A 13″ × 9″ Baking Pan, And Shake Out The Excess Flour.
• Set Aside.
• Place The Chopped Rhubarb And ½ Cup Of The Sugar In A Small Glass Bowl.
• Stir And Let The Mixture Rest While You Prepare The Rest Of The Cake.
• Place The Butter And The Remaining 1½ Cups Sugar In A Large Mixing Bowl, And Beat With An Electric Mixer On Medium Speed Until Well Combined And Creamy, About 1 Minute.
• Add The Eggs, One At A Time, Beating On Medium Speed Until Light And Fluffy.
• Set Aside.
• Sift The Flour, Baking Soda, Cinnamon, And Salt Into A Medium-Size Bowl.
• Add This Flour Mixture To The Creamed Butter And Sugar Alternately With The Buttermilk, Beginning And Ending With The Flour.
• Beat On Low Speed Until Combined.
• Fold In The Rhubarb And Sugar Mixture And The Vanilla.
• Pour The Batter Into The Prepared Pan, And Place The Pan In The Oven.
• Bake The Cake Until It Is Golden Brown And A Toothpick Inserted In The Center Comes Out Clean, 38 To 42 Minutes.
• Remove The Cake To A Rack And Let Cool In The Pan For 30 Minutes.
• Dust The Top With The Confectioners’ Sugar, If Desired, Slice, And Serve From The Pan.

• Place A Rack In The Center Of The Oven, And Preheat The Oven To 375°F.
• Lightly Grease A 9″ Springform Pan With Butter, And Place The Pan On A Baking Sheet And Set Aside.
• Place The Flour, Cornmeal, Baking Powder, And Salt In A Large Mixing Bowl, And Stir To Combine.
• Set Aside.
• Place The Butter In A Large Mixing Bowl And Beat With An Electric Mixer On Medium Speed Until Creamy, 30 Seconds.
• Add The 1½ Cups Sugar, And Beat On Medium Until The Mixture Is Light And Fluffy, 1 To 1½ Minutes.
• Scrape Down The Sides Of The Bowl.
• Add The Eggs, One At A Time, Beating Until Each Egg Is Incorporated, About 20 Seconds Each.
• Add The Maple Syrup, Oil, Vanilla, And Grated Citrus Zest, And Blend On Medium Speed Until Well Combined, 45 Seconds.
• Turn About A Third Of The Dry Ingredients Into The Batter And Blend On Low Until Just Incorporated.
• Add Half Of The Ricotta Cheese And Blend.
• Add Another Third Dry Ingredients And Blend, Then Add The Rest Of The Ricotta, And Finally The Rest Of The Dry Ingredients, Blending Just To Incorporate.
• Fold 1½ Cups Of The Cranberries Into The Batter, And Blend On Low Speed To Break Up The Cranberries A Bit, About 30 Seconds.
• Turn The Batter Into The Prepared Pan.
• Scatter The Remaining Cup Of Cranberries On Top Of The Batter, And Sprinkle With The Remaining 2 Tablespoons Sugar.
• Place The Baking Sheet With The Springform Pan In The Oven.
• Bake Until The Cake Is Well Browned And A Toothpick Inserted In The Center Comes Out Clean, 1 Hour 15 To 20 Minutes.
• After 1 Hour, Gently Cover The Top Of The Cake With Aluminum Foil To Protect It From Over-Browning.
• Remove The Cake From The Oven, And Let The Cake Cool In The Pan For 20 To 25 Minutes.
• Run A Knife Around The Edges Of The Pan, And Unfasten The Sides Of The Pan.
• Let The Cake Cool Completely Before Serving, About 1 Hour.
• Slice And Serve With Vanilla Ice Cream.