The cake, the whole cake, and nothing but the cake

[heidih]

Poppyseed cake from the Solo poppyseed can label. Includes folded-in egg whites. Nice with a dusting of powdered sugar. I know now that I've thought of it, I won't rest until I have it.

Oh yes! The only reason we dusted with powdered sugar was for looks. Occasionally we mixed confectioners sugar, lemon juice and a bit of water for a very very light glaze. I love it plain.

[lesliec]

Death By Chocolate Zucchini Cake (although I often gild the lily by pouring liquified truffle over it....)

That's obscene! I want some ...

David Liebowitz has some pretty good ones that aren't strictly speaking iced, although they do have 'stuff' dribbled over them. I'm thinking particularly of his absinthe cake (which I've made very successfully with black sambuca. Blue cake - yum!).

We also have a family tradition of a Black Forest cherry cake for birthdays (mine next month, woo hoo) but I suppose, with its filling of cream, cherry jam, cherries and kirsch it's not exactly unadorned. Only has a sprinkle of icing sugar on top, though - very restrained.

[cakewalk]

doesn't need any help from icing, frosting or whatever

I don't know if this counts as a "whatever" but a good blueberry coffee cake with a layer of brown sugar/cinnamon in the middle is perfect as it is.

And this one might seem a little strange, but for Passover I make a chocolate chip chiffon cake (using potato starch and cake meal) and it needs nothing else.

Just wanted to say that for Passover I still make your biscotti recipe. (Cranberry pecan biscotti.) I always go to the same friends every year, and I wouldn't even get in the door without those biscotti. Care to share that chocolate chip chiffon cake recipe? (I'd make it in addition to the biscotti, of course.) Anyway, I agree, I think chiffon cakes can be excellent unadorned. The texture is so nice because of the oil. I'm basically a serious coffee drinker, but I like chiffon cake with a cuppa tea.

[cakewalk]

I would have to spend some time poking through my recipes, but these come to mind instantly:

Poppyseed cake from the Solo poppyseed can label. Includes folded-in egg whites. Nice with a dusting of powdered sugar. I know now that I've thought of it, I won't rest until I have it.

Nick Malgieri's brown butter hazelnut financier. Ditto the powdered sugar. This may well be my all-time favorite cake. This is from The Modern Baker.

Craig Claiborne's mother's black walnut and candied ginger (only one nut and one fruit) fruitcake from Moira Hodgson's Favorite Fruitcakes. I recently had two transcendent meals at a restaurant in Naples, Italy and I intend to send the owner one of these cakes as a thank you.

If I was looking for a perfect chocolate cake with no icing, I'd take a look at Maida Heatter. She's pretty good at recognizing perfection. I like the Hershey Black Magic Cake very much, but I consider a mocha frosting a necessity.

I love your choices. I have the Malgieri book (I love Malgieri) but that is one of the recipes I have never really looked at before. The Craig Claiborne cake looks amazing, I Googled the recipe. The poppyseed recipe has me curious (I don't usually like poppy seeds), I never heard of Solo poppyseeds!

[Lindacakes]

Since you have the Malgieri book, take a look at the Date Nut Bread -- absolutely delicious. From my thinking what we think of as quick breads are not the same as the icingless cakes we're trying to pin down -- they are denser. I

Solo Poppyseed Cake

1/2 pint sour cream

4 eggs, separated

1 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups sifted flour

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 twelve ounce can of Solo poppy filling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream shortening until light and fluffy.

Add sugar gradually and cream well.

Add poppy filling and beat well.

Add egg yolks one at a time, beating after each addition.

Blend in vanilla and sour cream.

Sift flour, soda, and salt and gradually add to poppy mixture.

Beat well after each addition.

Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.

Pour into greased tube pan lined with wax paper.

Bake for one hour and 15 to 20 minutes.

[cakewalk]

I made the Cook's Illustrated chocolate bundt cake the other night. It's wrapped and in the freezer (which I hope won't mess it up), but I made a mini loaf cake with part of the batter. (I had to.) It is a very good cake. Good deep flavor, very moist, I would definitely serve that on its own, just to help wash down a cup of coffee or tea. Thanks very much for that suggestion. Next up is Malgieri's brown butter hazelnut financier. I'm really glad this book was mentioned, I hadn't looked at it in a long time and now I'm revisiting it.