Russian Keks Stolichny Sweet Raisin Cake

General Baking Tips

• Preheat your oven to 325ºF.
• Prepare the pan: Grease the recommended pan and line it with parchment paper. If using a Bundt pan, apply a baking spray that contains flour.
• For best results: Weigh all ingredients and bring them to room temperature.
• Avoid opening the oven door until the cake has set, unless the recipe instructs otherwise.
• Check for doneness: Your cake is done when it begins to shrink from the sides of the pan, springs back when touched or when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
• Cooling: Let the cake cool for 5–10 minutes before removing it from the pan.

Storage Guidelines

• Frosted cakes or cakes with pastry cream: Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
• Plain or glazed cakes and cookies (without frosting or pastry cream):
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
• Refrigerating plain cakes: For extended storage, double-wrap cooled cake in cling film and aluminum foil and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
• Freezing plain cakes: Double-wrap in cling film and aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months.
• Defrosting frozen cakes: Keep the wrapped cake in the refrigerator for 24 hours before serving.

Alternative Baking Options (for all cake recipes except for vegan recipes )

Cupcakes:

• Bake at 325ºF for 18–21 minutes in a cupcake pan with liners.
• Fill each cavity about two-thirds full.
• Yields about 24 cupcakes.

Mini Bundt Cakes:

• Bake at 325ºF for 18–21 minutes in a mini Bundt pan.
• Fill each cavity about two-thirds full.
• Yields about 24 mini Bundt cakes.

Bite-Sized Mini Muffins:

• Bake at 325ºF for 13–16 minutes in a mini muffin pan with liners (1.25 inch diameter).
• Fill each cavity about two-thirds full.
• Yields about 72 mini muffins.
• Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before unmolding.
• Cool completely before frosting.

Cookies:

1 package Flour & Olive cake mix (For Almond cake mix: add 1 extra egg yolk and 1 additional tablespoon olive oil or butter)

• 2 large eggs (126 g)
• ½ cup olive oil or cooled, melted butter (113 g)
• ¾ cup stir-ins, optional (chocolate chips, chopped nuts, sprinkles, or M&Ms)
• ½ cup icing sugar, optional (for rolling crinkle cookies)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Beat eggs at high speed for 3–5 minutes until light and fluffy. With mixer running, drizzle in olive oil (or cooled, melted butter) and beat until thick and creamy.
3. Add cake mix and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until just combined. Refrigerate dough for 10–15 minutes.
4. Scoop batter: Using a 1-inch ice cream scoop, drop 12 mounds onto each sheet, leaving space between.
5. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until cookies are just set.
6. Cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack. Repeat with remaining dough. Makes ~24 cookies.
7. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3–4 days.

Decoration Ideas

• Dip in melted chocolate
• Spoon room temperature ganache over cookies
• Brush cooled cookies with sugar glaze.
• Sandwich with caramel, ganache, frosting or ice cream.

Crinkle Cookie Option

• Use a 1.5-inch scoop to drop 8 mounds per sheet.
• Roll each mound into a ball, coat in icing sugar, and flatten slightly.
• Bake as directed above.

• Pre-heat your oven to 325ºF.
• Grease the recommended cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
  If using a Bundt pan, apply a baking spray made with flour.
• In a separate bowl, beat room temperature eggs at high speed for 3-5 minutes, then add mild extra virgin olive oil in a slow, steady drizzle until thick and creamy.
• Add remaining wet ingredients and the cake mix to the egg mixture and mix until combined, stopping to scrape down the bowl. Do not overmix.
• Gently mix stir ins into batter until well combined.
• Scrape batter into prepared pan(s) and sprinkle with toppings.
• Bake immediately following the guidelines in the recipe.
• Cool in baking pan for 5-10 minutes before unmolding.
• Cool cake completely before frosting.

You can substitute butter for olive oil in our recipes at a 1:1 ratio—no complicated conversions needed!

• Preheat your oven to 325ºF. Grease the recommended cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
• Whisk wet ingredients (eggs, milk, dairy products, etc.) together on medium speed until well blended.
• In a separate bowl, beat softened butter, cake mix, and dry ingredients on low speed until combined and sandy in texture (about 30 seconds).
• With the mixer still on, slowly add wet ingredients, scraping the bowl down from time to time. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for two minutes. Do not overmix.
• Fold in stir-ins (nuts, berries, chopped fruit, chocolate chips, etc.) until just blended.
• Scrape batter into prepared pan(s) and evenly sprinkle with toppings (e.g., sliced almonds).
• Bake immediately following the guidelines in the recipe.
• Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before unmolding.
• Cool completely before frosting.