So since I love recipes so much, and since many of my own contain more than 6 ingredients, I'm going to start this thread for recipes that have more ingredients to them. You're welcome to post any of your own as well. Mine will range in experience rating, from beginner, intermediate, and advanced. You're welcome to use that same rating system if you'd like as well. To start us off, a cake I made for Christmas dinner this year that is exceptionally good!
~Sparkling Cranberry Cake~
Experience Rating: Advanced
Note one: You'll need a couple of days to make this cake. Step one and two are the day before prep. Step three, four, and five you do the next day.
~Step one: Cranberry Sauce~
Ingredients:-1 12 oz bag of fresh cranberries.
-1 cup sugar.
-1 strip orange, or lemon zest.
-2 Tbsp water.
Directions:-Pour entire 12 oz bag of cranberries into a saucepan, along with sugar, zest, and water.
-Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until sugar is dissolved and cranberries are softened. (About 10 minutes.)
-Raise heat to medium/high and cook until all the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens.
-Add sugar to taste if necessary.
-Place sauce in the fridge until needed again later.
~Step two: Candied Cranberries~
Ingredients:-2 cups sugar.
-4 tbsp water.
-1 12 oz bag of fresh cranberries.
Directions:-Cook one cup sugar in all 4 tbsp water until sugar is completely dissolved.
-Turn heat to low and add all 12 oz of cranberries to the sugar water mixture.
-Allow to cook for about 5 or 10 minutes, or until cranberries soften but not burst yet.
-Remove from heat and let the cranberries soak in the sugar water at room temperature overnight.
-After they've soaked overnight, spread the remaining cup of sugar onto a baking sheet, and remove the cranberries from the sugar water, draining them well, and then roll them in the new sugar to crystalize (or sparkle) them.
-Place in the fridge to dry until needed again later.
~Step three: Cake Batter~
Ingredients:-3 1/3 cups (480g) all purpose flour.
-2 cups (400g) sugar.
-2 1/2 tsp baking powder.
-1 1/2 cups salted butter (340g), room temperature.
-3 eggs.
-2 tbsp vanilla extract.
-1 cup (240ml) sour cream.
-1 cup (240ml) milk.
-Previously made cranberry sauce.
Directions:-Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare three 8 inch cake pans with baking spray and parchment paper in the bottom of the pans.
-Sift and whisk together flour, sugar and baking powder in a large mixing bowl.
-Add butter, eggs, vanilla extract, sour cream and milk and mix on medium speed just until smooth. Do not over mix.
-Gently stir in cranberry sauce.
-Spread batter evenly between three round cake pans.
-Bake 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs. (Check after 20 minutes since oven times may vary.)
-Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove to cooling rack to finish cooling.
~Step four: White Chocolate Frosting~
Ingredients:-12 oz white chocolate chips.
-3/4 cup heavy whipping cream.
-3/4 cup butter, room temperature.
-8-9 cups powdered sugar.
Directions:-Place white chocolate chips in a metal bowl.
-Microwave heavy cream until it starts to boil. Remove from microwave and pour over chocolate chips.
-Cover bowl with saran wrap for 5-7 minutes.
-Whisk chocolate and cream until smooth.
-Allow ganache to sit until mostly cool. It should be thick.
-Beat the ganache with a mixer for about 2-3 minutes, until smooth and fluffy.
-Add butter and beat until it is fully combined.
-Slowly add powdered sugar and beat until it is fluffy and the right consistency. Add more cream if needed.
~Step five: Construction~
Ingredients:-3 premade cakes.
-Premade white chocolate frosting.
-Premade Candied cranberries.
Directions:-Remove cake domes from cakes with a large serrated knife. (This is the arched muffin top part of the cake. It might not be necessary though if the cakes are flat enough.)
-Place first layer of cake on cake plate. Spread about icing on top in an even layer. (You can be somewhat generous with the amount.)
-Add second layer of cake and add more icing on top in an even layer. (About the same amount as was put on the first layer.)
-Add final layer of cake on top and ice the outside of the cake. (You may want to do a thin crumb coat first, before fully icing the cake with the remainder of the frosting.)
-Top the cake with sparkling cranberries and add some around the edge, if desired.
Note two: I think most cakes are best if they are allowed to settle for at least 12-24 hours after icing. It allows to flavors to settle. This cake will stay moist for several days after being iced.