Ambrosia Icebox Cakes Recipes

Steps:

• Toast the coconut: Preheat oven 375°F Spread coconut in a thin layer in baking sheet. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes until coconut is lightly toasted. Halfway through, remove sheet from oven and toss coconut to mix using a spatula. This is to ensure even toasting. Watch very carefully as coconut can toast quickly towards the end. Set aside to cool.
• Make the pineapple curd: Bring 1 cup pineapple juice to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk the eggs, egg yolks and sugar together in a medium bowl. Sprinkle in the cornstarch and mix well. Very slowly, a few tablespoons at a time, pour hot juice into egg mixture whisking constantly. Do not go too fast or the eggs will scramble. Return mixture to pan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until it boils and coats back of a spoon. Continue cooking about 1 more minute. Remove from heat, stir in butter, lemon juice, salt and the remaining ½ cup pineapple juice. Place mixture into a small bowl set over ice to cool, stirring often, or place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto surface of curd and refrigerate to cool to room temperature.
• Make the orange cream: While pineapple curd is cooling, open the cans of mandarin oranges and reserve 6 tablespoons of the juice or syrup. Chop the segments from one full can plus half of the other can, or use your hands to break them into thirds. Set aside. Reserve remaining orange segments for another use.
• If using fresh oranges, finely grate the zest from 1 orange and reserve. Juice the rest of the oranges and set the juice aside.
• Whip cream, 1 teaspoon of orange extract, vanilla extract and confectioners' sugar together until stiff peaks form. Fold chopped mandarin oranges into cream.
• In a small bowl, combine orange juice, orange zest, reserved liquid from mandarin oranges, ½ teaspoon orange extract and sherry.
• Close up a 9 inch springform pan which should be at least 2 inches high (preferably 3 inches, or you can use a 10 inch springform). Arrange ladyfingers around the bottom of the pan so that there is a full even layer. Break the ladyfingers if necessary to plug any holes. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush ladyfingers with the sherry mixture. Place a little less than 1/3 of the pineapple mixture in the pan and use an offset spatula to make an even layer. Place a little less than 1/3 of the orange cream in the pan and use an offset spatula to make an even layer. Sprinkle about 1/3 of the toasted coconut on top of the orange cream layer. Arrange another layer of ladyfingers and brush lightly with sherry mixture. Continue layering in order given, ending with toasted coconut. Depending on the height of your springform you might have some extra curd and cream. Cover springform with plastic wrap, then with aluminum foil and refrigerate at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
• To serve, carefully run a thin knife around the edge of the springform and release the ring. Cut into slices.

Steps:

• CAKE: In a large mixing bowl, blend on low speed for 30 seconds: cake mix, oil, mandarin oranges and eggs.
• Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
• Pour into greased and floured 9 x 13 inch pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
• TOPPING: Combine pineapple and pudding mix.
• Let stand for 5 minutes.
• Add Cool Whip.
• Mix well by hand.
• Frost cake when cool.
• Refrigerate.

Steps:

• Make cake:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour cake pans, knocking out excess flour.
• Sift together flour (2 3/4 cups), baking powder, and salt into a bowl.
• Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer (fitted with paddle attachment if using a stand mixer) at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then beat in zest and vanilla and continue beating 5 minutes more. Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and milk alternately in 4 batches, beginning with flour mixture and mixing until batter is just smooth. Divide between cake pans, spreading evenly.
• Bake cake layers until they begin to pull away from sides of pans and a wooden pick or skewer comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool 5 minutes in pans on racks, then invert cake layers onto racks and cool completely. (Leave oven on for toasting coconut.)
• Make filling while layers bake:
• Whisk together eggs in a heatproof bowl until combined well.
• With clean dry whisk, stir together sugar, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan, then whisk in water and juices until smooth. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking, then reduce heat and cook at a bare simmer, whisking constantly, 2 minutes (mixture will be thick).
• Add half of hot juice mixture to eggs in a slow stream, whisking, then whisk egg mixture into juices in saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, whisking, just until it reaches a boil. Remove pan from heat, then add butter and zest, whisking until butter is melted. Chill filling, its surface covered with a buttered round of wax paper (buttered side down), until cold, about 30 minutes.
• Make frosting:
• Spread coconut in a shallow baking pan and toast in oven, stirring occasionally, until golden, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Beat together egg whites, sugar, water, corn syrup, and a pinch of salt in a large metal bowl with a handheld electric mixer (clean beaters if necessary) until combined. Set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and beat mixture at high speed until it holds stiff, glossy peaks, 5 to 7 minutes. (Humid weather may necessitate additional beating time.) Remove bowl from heat, then add vanilla and lemon juice and continue beating until frosting is cooled and very thick, 6 to 10 minutes.
• Assemble cake:
• Halve each cake horizontally with a long serrated knife. Put 1 layer on a cake stand or large plate and spread with about 3/4 cup filling. Stack remaining cake layers using about 3/4 cup filling between each layer. Spread top and side of cake with frosting and coat cake with coconut, gently pressing to help it adhere.