tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87603985682851881652024-03-13T16:42:28.525-04:00Zucchero Dolce - sweet sugarAlliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00353582428020194161noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760398568285188165.post-15448371808057747372010-10-29T09:52:00.000-04:002010-10-29T09:52:00.159-04:00Sugar High Friday Roundup - Layer Cakes!So many great cakes, I'll get right to it. Be sure to check them all out, there's a wide variety of flavors. Happy Cake Baking!<br />
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Vanessa at <a href="http://www.sweetartichoke.com/">Sweet Artichoke</a> made this beautiful <a href="http://sweetartichoke.com/2010/10/18/chocolate-truffe-cake-gateau-truffe-au-chocolat/">Chocolate "Truffé" Cake</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIaY2ga8WfHZte6gMiQMrfTlYdSSzqDjN-38mk84HrP5r1auhtT3x3EXQMLTagsbplaDrCVYN5nk5LdxzrfzmKZJhKCdZy6WYMqTbZYOuX5HWkz4y_XME7ss54gntKZy-9KpbCRfJTbEY/s1600/truff%C3%A93.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIaY2ga8WfHZte6gMiQMrfTlYdSSzqDjN-38mk84HrP5r1auhtT3x3EXQMLTagsbplaDrCVYN5nk5LdxzrfzmKZJhKCdZy6WYMqTbZYOuX5HWkz4y_XME7ss54gntKZy-9KpbCRfJTbEY/s320/truff%C3%A93.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Akheela at <a href="http://torviewtoronto.blogspot.com/">Torviewtoronto</a> made this <a href="http://torviewtoronto.blogspot.com/2010/09/chocolate-cake-with-raspberry-jam.html">Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Jam</a>. Check out the fancy plating!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG065kChxgRt12seyBt3-hTuLpLcZpqLCQr7iWat3LWqI-8FYY-Bs8vOsxYFnrC-Gn7NLmndw07xhhVpVjODVxQojbYcqZFOqlhA5e208cjVzki75aCL2_b-MqujTj3nf2apOCcpwQ7ig/s1600/chocolateraspberry.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG065kChxgRt12seyBt3-hTuLpLcZpqLCQr7iWat3LWqI-8FYY-Bs8vOsxYFnrC-Gn7NLmndw07xhhVpVjODVxQojbYcqZFOqlhA5e208cjVzki75aCL2_b-MqujTj3nf2apOCcpwQ7ig/s1600/chocolateraspberry.JPG" /></a></div><br />
I made this <a href="http://zuccherodolce.blogspot.com/2010/10/yellow-cake-with-amaretto-swiss.html">Yellow Cake with Amaretto Mocha Buttercream Frosting</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SShedxndFmhfkqVda7YJaqTej6yYuBhXLqd498MYOwlr0BnHMgunFvqRLOrxKa8KZp3JLXT2b0v1Wqfs9m9u9z7rgYkyTpnfCuQ2BbgMNyPIvh2HaUggMxbSz3hsKtxeIShslYNkfmI/s1600/Amaretto_Cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SShedxndFmhfkqVda7YJaqTej6yYuBhXLqd498MYOwlr0BnHMgunFvqRLOrxKa8KZp3JLXT2b0v1Wqfs9m9u9z7rgYkyTpnfCuQ2BbgMNyPIvh2HaUggMxbSz3hsKtxeIShslYNkfmI/s320/Amaretto_Cake.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Barbara at <a href="http://moderncomfortfood.com/">Modern Comfort Food</a> made this <a href="http://moderncomfortfood.com/2010/10/carrot-cake-with-pecan-coconut-frosting/">Carrot Cake with Pecan Coconut Frosting</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7DmkU4AEyrc4yki4vL89m0P8kFBuXdOu5CwuJCKj5MJVjyjuvawcc9BYHJXHrhEJfiBsJqLQ6o1n8a0Dywm8p_DO-t7hsIzyOAYFcdb2OOZmo4ZxpDRn-a0OO-KYJAg7hBJgMpSjPSAw/s1600/Carrot_Cake250SQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7DmkU4AEyrc4yki4vL89m0P8kFBuXdOu5CwuJCKj5MJVjyjuvawcc9BYHJXHrhEJfiBsJqLQ6o1n8a0Dywm8p_DO-t7hsIzyOAYFcdb2OOZmo4ZxpDRn-a0OO-KYJAg7hBJgMpSjPSAw/s1600/Carrot_Cake250SQ.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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Valerie at <a href="http://pixie-baker.blogspot.com/">Une Gamine dans la Cuisine</a> made this <a href="http://pixie-baker.blogspot.com/2010/10/sweet-and-salty-cake.html">Chocolate Sweet & Salty Cake</a> from Baked.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_gPit_1BAHFOEzY7bq5vXWIrIMTiD6EhUHJWRLGXBkL1vgrd_e21UItG_u8uOQ_7EXaGNZ_usTyaI0AbSANmQ3EmolEKECW2LeMjkpy0vFu_RV0_hK7zEetoOIZcA8sf8mLL5RE1qQvQ/s1600/sweet_salty_cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_gPit_1BAHFOEzY7bq5vXWIrIMTiD6EhUHJWRLGXBkL1vgrd_e21UItG_u8uOQ_7EXaGNZ_usTyaI0AbSANmQ3EmolEKECW2LeMjkpy0vFu_RV0_hK7zEetoOIZcA8sf8mLL5RE1qQvQ/s1600/sweet_salty_cake.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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Corina at <a href="http://searchingforspice.wordpress.com/">Searching for Spice</a> made this <a href="http://searchingforspice.wordpress.com/2010/10/12/chocolate-and-macademia-cake/">Chocolate and Macademia Cake</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVjhyU3ZwRgFgukxOtkclj6mqiV2yIVyTPmVgN6HpL0bsr8FlZxhoruC7YnaYSXGRPy2CKCipK8NCiiy93PIhr_G4Yv_WCM2i-W-Lv4vKcEyGlVig_zfoCgj__MZPyy8cl_zJaOAkHng/s1600/Corina_cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVjhyU3ZwRgFgukxOtkclj6mqiV2yIVyTPmVgN6HpL0bsr8FlZxhoruC7YnaYSXGRPy2CKCipK8NCiiy93PIhr_G4Yv_WCM2i-W-Lv4vKcEyGlVig_zfoCgj__MZPyy8cl_zJaOAkHng/s320/Corina_cake.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Sunmi at <a href="http://heapoflemonzest.blogspot.com/">A Heap of Lemon Zest</a> made this <a href="http://heapoflemonzest.blogspot.com/2010/10/mega-doofy-times-infinity.html">Deep Dark Chocolate Cake</a>. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWsN6c_XWFrKshiq9Fo65Q4aE6U62fNoxc4XusBeWA16DLFiaGp3qVoL5Tw40_EDpwLS_Os9Q2KYH0HZDdgiH3XyC3yCKWES1NMN8W72BYQXW84sACqg8pdE9ZQjWYzT9J1uP6bEmIPUg/s1600/sunmi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWsN6c_XWFrKshiq9Fo65Q4aE6U62fNoxc4XusBeWA16DLFiaGp3qVoL5Tw40_EDpwLS_Os9Q2KYH0HZDdgiH3XyC3yCKWES1NMN8W72BYQXW84sACqg8pdE9ZQjWYzT9J1uP6bEmIPUg/s1600/sunmi.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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Katie at <a href="http://level2mommy.blogspot.com/">Level2Mommy</a> made this <a href="http://level2mommy.blogspot.com/2010/10/lemon-coconut-cake.html">Lemon Coconut Cake</a>. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo0FxlbA0_w6Rw3m0oc5v0j0OkzmJcvTwRgHI1OChN6sL-ASuiD7NUMRXItCs7D7_8-H7xBrdIS5MRNm4VDNVDm-fytcz_sR3MjkzuoC2nqBmXniTgX9Qg7huZuT1B4ZhvbS8OHvFM6m8/s1600/lemon_cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo0FxlbA0_w6Rw3m0oc5v0j0OkzmJcvTwRgHI1OChN6sL-ASuiD7NUMRXItCs7D7_8-H7xBrdIS5MRNm4VDNVDm-fytcz_sR3MjkzuoC2nqBmXniTgX9Qg7huZuT1B4ZhvbS8OHvFM6m8/s1600/lemon_cake.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Carolyn at <a href="http://dreamaboutfood.blogspot.com/">All Day I Dream About Food</a> made this <a href="http://dreamaboutfood.blogspot.com/2010/10/all-in-years-time-and-sugar-high.html">Sugar High Chocolate Cake</a> (fitting name or what?).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmFDPX17vrAZvEksSAGbkyukLGhRQvtNoyzA0okW_KSjT7BI8oKDFTQI0Ouc-d4SUqG-_QOZo8kjEY8KWgvoDVBf9wiQNSFY04u3OFgJAxtbf5c4C9iETWcmLx532RZYC5Q4szRrekaEM/s1600/Carolyn.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmFDPX17vrAZvEksSAGbkyukLGhRQvtNoyzA0okW_KSjT7BI8oKDFTQI0Ouc-d4SUqG-_QOZo8kjEY8KWgvoDVBf9wiQNSFY04u3OFgJAxtbf5c4C9iETWcmLx532RZYC5Q4szRrekaEM/s320/Carolyn.JPG" width="254" /></a></div><br />
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Melissa at <a href="http://cutekittypunk.blogspot.com/">Cute Kitty Punk in the Kitchen</a> made this <a href="http://cutekittypunk.blogspot.com/2010/10/sugary-sweet-spumoni-cake.html">Sugary Sweet Spumoni Cake</a>. Love the Italian theme!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Sh20YnnEP6-jVX3Auzr628rE81skOqSwEta91ZoIayVWx_E-W_2os2V6hq7gK3_1Hz_foDCQ86OtPhYS2rXal4kTdi31LCh4CyBxEV0tZM5jhXmDHag7QqkPjv9bXJSuRkCpRz9BLL0/s1600/spumoni+cake.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Sh20YnnEP6-jVX3Auzr628rE81skOqSwEta91ZoIayVWx_E-W_2os2V6hq7gK3_1Hz_foDCQ86OtPhYS2rXal4kTdi31LCh4CyBxEV0tZM5jhXmDHag7QqkPjv9bXJSuRkCpRz9BLL0/s1600/spumoni+cake.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Mihaela at <a href="http://mihaelapd.blogspot.com/">De prin lume adunate</a> made this <a href="http://mihaelapd.blogspot.com/2010/10/tort-amandina-amandina-cake.html">Amandina Cake</a>, a Romanian layered cake.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjWj0v3j6BGldutNmxoVhhG_kpdZINEnliXlS3B4LfwlaimcFxyue7IIvXvZHmSAPGncfKj4HBagVIzH-5j4rvVjBmxQeStB9AnFMa-EN7kVKykoPtganv1Cx6tx_CVyf8vXyqcV1ru3c/s1600/amandina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjWj0v3j6BGldutNmxoVhhG_kpdZINEnliXlS3B4LfwlaimcFxyue7IIvXvZHmSAPGncfKj4HBagVIzH-5j4rvVjBmxQeStB9AnFMa-EN7kVKykoPtganv1Cx6tx_CVyf8vXyqcV1ru3c/s1600/amandina.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Alex at <a href="http://fortheloveofsucrose.blogspot.com/">For the Love of Sucrose</a> made two cakes: <br />
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<a href="http://fortheloveofsucrose.blogspot.com/2010/10/pumpkin-spice-cake-with-maple-cream.html">Pumpkin Spice Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting</a> <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXcyKKMic__yjnW1mRsMcu23GlFxUIKZARPQBI4S57zPmLZEIy__O6bPqqK33XMOLiKgUjs7vVbPoMyUUM9iVwA1Jd3PPou5UGYObTQGMchpdxKEaHklQ_uBMYj6hb-WWx91NCtR0IQg0/s1600/PumpkinSpice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXcyKKMic__yjnW1mRsMcu23GlFxUIKZARPQBI4S57zPmLZEIy__O6bPqqK33XMOLiKgUjs7vVbPoMyUUM9iVwA1Jd3PPou5UGYObTQGMchpdxKEaHklQ_uBMYj6hb-WWx91NCtR0IQg0/s320/PumpkinSpice.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br />
and <a href="http://fortheloveofsucrose.blogspot.com/2010/10/four-layer-coconut-raspberry-lemon-cake.html">Four Layer Coconut, Lemon, Raspberry Cake</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJBVNTJJSpN8i25a-7lfJ9WDtqyS05UtNttzTT94jl5MV8XHedSFw9e_AVTNDQ7dS649n8d5mY6Cfq3zr9l6nVAmmFNxa4VauMPOL12y6bkskqpUHeGt7iLx6dzPp___pk_ybVxZozcdU/s1600/ShowerCake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJBVNTJJSpN8i25a-7lfJ9WDtqyS05UtNttzTT94jl5MV8XHedSFw9e_AVTNDQ7dS649n8d5mY6Cfq3zr9l6nVAmmFNxa4VauMPOL12y6bkskqpUHeGt7iLx6dzPp___pk_ybVxZozcdU/s320/ShowerCake.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br />
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Dawn (no blog) made this Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Nuts.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC9midE9XcYaFfa-b3d4IlW9u3VSa2F_M1OevabEi_C48iThg4J-kqLfbHIjAFLKgNtmJuPA-1KtAUG1YIuQ2Z9sAABoQZnGH4uinLsVhNIn4yUHLg5svx9b-Uq7poMWkALhVVvUK8WEs/s1600/Dawn_cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC9midE9XcYaFfa-b3d4IlW9u3VSa2F_M1OevabEi_C48iThg4J-kqLfbHIjAFLKgNtmJuPA-1KtAUG1YIuQ2Z9sAABoQZnGH4uinLsVhNIn4yUHLg5svx9b-Uq7poMWkALhVVvUK8WEs/s320/Dawn_cake.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00353582428020194161noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760398568285188165.post-25014635261625375512010-10-25T19:51:00.001-04:002010-10-25T19:52:58.533-04:00Yellow Cake with Amaretto Swiss Meringue Buttercream for Sugar High Friday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKMuhyphenhyphenYfbpDD5EDsEBx6vOGUGWft9EBcaV9TuVZ0IYyXweDP5uQ6FRztgslD2qaWZi-RiXQqTCb4HoGVTjrRPkMNb0RSzaC0vhWunRhSTDIB3QT31hzwAOxy9nlHVJOANWkW4pT1LNy4/s1600/Small_Chocolate_Rose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKMuhyphenhyphenYfbpDD5EDsEBx6vOGUGWft9EBcaV9TuVZ0IYyXweDP5uQ6FRztgslD2qaWZi-RiXQqTCb4HoGVTjrRPkMNb0RSzaC0vhWunRhSTDIB3QT31hzwAOxy9nlHVJOANWkW4pT1LNy4/s400/Small_Chocolate_Rose.jpg" width="377" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Small Chocolate Rose</i></div><br />
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Don't forget, time is running out to submit your cakes for this month's Sugar High Friday - Layer Cakes Edition! Click <a href="http://zuccherodolce.blogspot.com/2010/10/sugar-high-friday-octobers-theme-is.html">here</a> for more info. The deadline is tomorrow, October 26th.<br />
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Last week, I took the first of three week-long cake decorating classes from <a href="http://www.tobagarrett.com/">Toba Garrett</a> at the Institute for Culinary Education in NYC. It was a basic skills class which I had to take to take the more advances courses, but it was definitely worth it. The chocolate rose alone was worth the cost of tuition. And it was so much fun. First you make modelling chocolate from chocolate and corn syrup. After it rests for 24 hours, you can mold the chocolate. The rose above is a small chocolate rose or if you keep it a little tighter, the first step of the full chocolate rose, below. It took about 2 hours to make the large rose for the first time, but it was great! <br />
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We made this cake at the end of the week. Because the rose took so long, that left very little time to actually level, frost, fill, and decorate the cake. The recipes can be found in Toba's book The Well Decorated Cake. The cake was good, though I'm still a devotee of <a href="http://zuccherodolce.blogspot.com/2010/01/best-yellow-cake-ever-and-best-mousse.html">Shirley Corriher's yellow cake</a>. The buttercream is great if you like a very buttery buttercream; if you want a lighter frosting, try <a href="http://zuccherodolce.blogspot.com/2010/06/blogiversarry-almond-cake-with.html">this swiss meringue recipe</a>, and add the coffee & Amaretto mixture instead of the vanilla and jam.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Moist Yellow Cake</b> </div><div style="text-align: center;">(Toba Garrett's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Well-Decorated-Cake-Toba-Garrett/dp/1402717733/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1288050066&sr=1-1"><i>The Well Decorated Cake</i></a>)</div><br />
3 cups cake flour<br />
1 tablespoon baking powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter <br />
2 cups sugar<br />
5 eggs<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla<br />
1 1/4 cups buttermilk<br />
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<i>Preheat oven to 350F, and spray 2 8" pans with baking spray. Line with parchment paper, and spray again.</i><br />
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<i>Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.</i><br />
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<i>Cut the butter up into small pieces, and beat on medium-high speed for about 4 minutes until light and creamy, scraping the bowl occasionally if you don't have a beater blade. Gradually add the sugar, scraping the bowl occasionally.</i><br />
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<i>Add the eggs one at a time, beating until each one is just combined. </i><br />
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<i>Stir the vanilla into the buttermilk.</i><br />
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<i>Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk. Divide the batter between the two pans, and smooth the batter with a knife or spatula. Drop the pans on the counter from a height of 3" or 4" to burst any air bubbles. Bake for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick comes clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans.</i><br />
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<i>Double wrap the cake in plastic wrap. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or the freezer for up to 2 months.</i><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Amaretto Mocha Swiss Meringue Buttercream </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(Also Toba Garrett's)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">12 ounces egg whites (about 1 1/2 cups or 10 large egg whites)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3 cups sugar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3 pounds butter, room temperature</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4 tablespoons instant espresso coffee</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 fluid ounce Amaretto</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lightly whisk egg whites and sugar together in a mixer bowl over simmering water until the mixture reaches 140F.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Beat on medium-high speed with whisk attachment until it's about double in volume - soft peaks. Cut up the butter into small pieces while the mixture is beating.</div><br />
Replace the whisk attachment with the paddle attachment. Add the butter, and increase the mixer's speed every 10 seconds until you reach medium-high. (If you have a 5-quart mixing bowl, add half the butter, pulsate the mixer on low until the meringue covers the butter, and add the remaining butter; otherwise the butter might spill out). Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 5-8 minutes.<br />
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Whisk the coffee and Amaretto until the coffee is dissolved. Slowly pour the coffee mixture into the frosting, and beat on medium-high for 2-3 minutes. <br />
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You can store the frosting in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.<br />
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</div>Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00353582428020194161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760398568285188165.post-82921388116622976472010-10-01T09:42:00.000-04:002010-10-01T09:42:16.247-04:00Sugar High Friday - October's Theme is Layer Cakes!<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNmGjm-63-XsTWaQs1eB1h0l6ccrDHw1qKjEg4irCzkWS27bslq_d6YmQ0OXazimk6VunQJAHInf90uHCyZqMidZug44ytIPWliFEcxYP-KPQyGh1ycdpG5sso98AJLWvRnNSN3_7Kbc/s1600/top_cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNmGjm-63-XsTWaQs1eB1h0l6ccrDHw1qKjEg4irCzkWS27bslq_d6YmQ0OXazimk6VunQJAHInf90uHCyZqMidZug44ytIPWliFEcxYP-KPQyGh1ycdpG5sso98AJLWvRnNSN3_7Kbc/s320/top_cake.jpg" width="320" /></a><i> </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://zuccherodolce.blogspot.com/2010/07/yellow-cake-with-raspberry-buttercream.html"><i>Yellow Cake with Chocolate & Raspberry Buttercream</i></a></div><br />
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Welcome to October's Sugar High Friday! <br />
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<a href="http://www.domesticgoddess.ca/pages.php?page=10002">Sugar High Friday</a> is a blogging event started by Jennifer at the <a href="http://www.domesticgoddess.ca/">Domestic Goddess</a>. Each month, the host chooses a theme, and you all get to make a dessert showcasing that idea. At the end of the month, I'll post a round-up of all your delicious concoctions!<br />
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This month's theme: Layer Cakes! I love layer cakes, and with the weather getting colder out there, it's a perfect time to spend an afternoon in the kitchen. You won't even need to worry about your buttercream melting! Be creative with your flavor combinations -anything goes: peanut buttter, chocolate, carrot, almond, pistachio, lemon, pumpkin, .... <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNvrHavH14GSPHc02pIifxjSIE1bBQSDUoadouMKgoqmAFaOCeVP1Ep7lgODMU2NsOpeWUBM9zkos5SbWzvWJEopZO7ymK0EX7_imsuZyrXmaGY07esOj-cFHk2ixPHtYwWo8YrysRsGU/s1600/Hazelnut_Florentine_Angle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNvrHavH14GSPHc02pIifxjSIE1bBQSDUoadouMKgoqmAFaOCeVP1Ep7lgODMU2NsOpeWUBM9zkos5SbWzvWJEopZO7ymK0EX7_imsuZyrXmaGY07esOj-cFHk2ixPHtYwWo8YrysRsGU/s320/Hazelnut_Florentine_Angle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://zuccherodolce.blogspot.com/2010/02/world-nutella-day-hazelnut-cake-with.html"><i>Hazelnut Cake with Nutella Mousse Filling and Praline Buttercream</i></a></div><br />
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Anyone can participate. Here are the details.<br />
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* Make a layer cake between now and <b>October 26th</b>.<br />
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* Post your cake on your blog (if you have one), with pictures, and a link to this announcement.<br />
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* <a href="mailto:zucchero.dolce.blog@gmail.com">Send me an email</a> with the following info by Monday <b>October 26th</b>: your name, your blog's name, the name of your cake, the link to your cake post, and a 250 x 250 pixel jpg of your cake.<br />
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* If you don't have a blog, <a href="mailto:zucchero.dolce.blog@gmail.com">send me an email</a> with your name, the name of your cake, and a 250 x 250 pixel jpg of your cake by Monday October 26th.<br />
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*Check back here on Friday October 30th to see everyone's cakes!<br />
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Here are some more cakes, just to start your creative juices flowing.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIoPLIYFqOZwU4O0XAbV5lJrSoZZa6k1NEHtMiPsXCCZ7JpSfIB6sKkfXEudB6jzOX8prjMYjIW-xtMCvCxImRaK9Z8CgboDJMqwjC9UD2HN62lqExH5iqPrNpUua2bnnc-TyKWJR55Ys/s1600/almond_coated_sides.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIoPLIYFqOZwU4O0XAbV5lJrSoZZa6k1NEHtMiPsXCCZ7JpSfIB6sKkfXEudB6jzOX8prjMYjIW-xtMCvCxImRaK9Z8CgboDJMqwjC9UD2HN62lqExH5iqPrNpUua2bnnc-TyKWJR55Ys/s320/almond_coated_sides.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://zuccherodolce.blogspot.com/2010/06/almond-cake-with-chocolate-raspberry.html"><i> Almond Cake with Chocolate Raspberry Ganache, Chocolate Frosting, & Toasted Almonds</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnRa9G31TPbU6ZEd5jrDETvuoBoxer7zgxpBWGEDej1hafmf7jflGKFnd_uZmiLzooLOHOTmvbMw0n8qNPP062q1ZO_qNWDHxqAoxxLJiIklSSaq46gBoF-k7hvWvax9wuQHRVYSWTt1w/s1600/berries&cream_cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnRa9G31TPbU6ZEd5jrDETvuoBoxer7zgxpBWGEDej1hafmf7jflGKFnd_uZmiLzooLOHOTmvbMw0n8qNPP062q1ZO_qNWDHxqAoxxLJiIklSSaq46gBoF-k7hvWvax9wuQHRVYSWTt1w/s320/berries&cream_cake.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://zuccherodolce.blogspot.com/2010/08/berries-cream-cake.html"><i>White Cake with Berries & Cream</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Vvv8BHKMP9C9UWcb3a0R1c2I72vxj9E7EnPFD_FRvdJfeRXGDAtXV9LFaJRBdiPpSn8hbFke62mYpMcAWniXYBKPtDkZynGhdS4c70TKrwRkyh5nsD49o31I1GoXsdfuz1GcaZ87ECg/s1600/Top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Vvv8BHKMP9C9UWcb3a0R1c2I72vxj9E7EnPFD_FRvdJfeRXGDAtXV9LFaJRBdiPpSn8hbFke62mYpMcAWniXYBKPtDkZynGhdS4c70TKrwRkyh5nsD49o31I1GoXsdfuz1GcaZ87ECg/s320/Top.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://zuccherodolce.blogspot.com/2010/06/blogiversarry-almond-cake-with.html"><i>Almond Cake with Chocolate Raspberry Ganache & Raspberry Buttercream</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh3XBkQvew00D5EZC891OUH15HU-1xHByzlxou-wM7zeNeH7F-6XdwcxNCKJCcqhIIf8Mex6-bAIVVv8rkgHSdp02wAIao5tc8zjBuyxirxut3z7gOVJqRSvTHCndCcGNA5tfqqkfSing/s1600/mint_chocolate_cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh3XBkQvew00D5EZC891OUH15HU-1xHByzlxou-wM7zeNeH7F-6XdwcxNCKJCcqhIIf8Mex6-bAIVVv8rkgHSdp02wAIao5tc8zjBuyxirxut3z7gOVJqRSvTHCndCcGNA5tfqqkfSing/s320/mint_chocolate_cake.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://zuccherodolce.blogspot.com/2010/05/mint-chocolate-layer-cake.html"><i>Mint Chocolate Cake</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOVQBwWA8e7Ewwp2SLGUxW4Fn3IQTHvYh8lonKxoVRqDH0ZO-N19Qd5H702HDViB1weEuo1ovgQ9I3qYuZMmZw6YcvRfyJNzetjmDPJYf2nX87rzpfqsOkmwUJB4KDgw65xSlA218XXXs/s1600/Whole_cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOVQBwWA8e7Ewwp2SLGUxW4Fn3IQTHvYh8lonKxoVRqDH0ZO-N19Qd5H702HDViB1weEuo1ovgQ9I3qYuZMmZw6YcvRfyJNzetjmDPJYf2nX87rzpfqsOkmwUJB4KDgw65xSlA218XXXs/s320/Whole_cake.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://zuccherodolce.blogspot.com/2010/03/math-cake-chocolate-cake-with-chocolate.html"><i>Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Nutella Filling & Brown Butter Frosting</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_vj_adiBhu2z2NL7KYoAX2d4XALxMohg8GLiQPZUwX_8uJ-OcI5y9FUc3hcJMZJazI6jwk0QeUDvXO0IZzkS4-SPxgCFeFl23eMu0fmrsvIkVRy1OKd2iRfrf3n25X-76W4mOAD89bYw/s1600/Caramel_Cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_vj_adiBhu2z2NL7KYoAX2d4XALxMohg8GLiQPZUwX_8uJ-OcI5y9FUc3hcJMZJazI6jwk0QeUDvXO0IZzkS4-SPxgCFeFl23eMu0fmrsvIkVRy1OKd2iRfrf3n25X-76W4mOAD89bYw/s320/Caramel_Cake.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://zuccherodolce.blogspot.com/2010/03/caramel-cake-sequel-with-brown-butter.html"><i>Caramel Cake with Brown Butter Frosting & Chocolate Ganache</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirSIL0RWFyYY62LdiFHkQ9rQuZpiHGhrpC0LOF7RQ2qa0sIKYQWEF79pv97BrH29sgnanloSPIM9JSKSXYOZGxRLcrkbfnbKKQL1iUR-YOrLAf1VnEErKBecSi5W0zkDySO2UIXTEsW_g/s1600/Chocolate_Poppyseed_Cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirSIL0RWFyYY62LdiFHkQ9rQuZpiHGhrpC0LOF7RQ2qa0sIKYQWEF79pv97BrH29sgnanloSPIM9JSKSXYOZGxRLcrkbfnbKKQL1iUR-YOrLAf1VnEErKBecSi5W0zkDySO2UIXTEsW_g/s320/Chocolate_Poppyseed_Cake.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://zuccherodolce.blogspot.com/2009/10/poppyseed-cake-with-cream-cheese.html"><i>Poppyseed Cake with Cream Cheese Filling & Chocolate Frosting</i></a></div>Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00353582428020194161noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760398568285188165.post-14706681223736519852010-09-05T14:26:00.000-04:002010-09-05T14:26:01.765-04:00AboutIt's about time I had an "About" section on this blog, so here it is.<br />
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I'm Allie, and I live in the Berkshires in northwest MA. For my day job, I'm a math professor. But I also run a home-based bakery called <a href="http://www.zuccherodolce.com/">Zucchero Dolce</a>. And, oh yeah, I teach fitness classes as well.<br />
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I bake all sorts of things (typically sweet), including lots of French desserts. But I have a very big Italian family on my father's side, and consider myself more Italian than anything else, hence the name Zucchero Dolce, which means "Sweet Sugar."<br />
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I'm also a vegetarian, and I'm a lover of healthy foods (except for dessert of course!): fruits, vegetables, and whole grains make me swoon. I blog more about dessert, but you'll find some savory vegetarian recipes here as well. You'll find some baked goods just for your lovable furry companions soon as well!<br />
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Oh, and here's my dog Tsuki and me:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcRSNiLnLWMvKmaG0hD8LDxLH6ir6q7NQ02Gs6i4wJres_5p_y9RjSgS5g983Bm60DpYvdue8kvQtJXQ-TeXfPFX6jQg2wD-dVdPj9I3bhOlEzFhR6Bhm0yb52-dW05BFRZnJRv8_87m0/s1600/Tsuki&Allie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcRSNiLnLWMvKmaG0hD8LDxLH6ir6q7NQ02Gs6i4wJres_5p_y9RjSgS5g983Bm60DpYvdue8kvQtJXQ-TeXfPFX6jQg2wD-dVdPj9I3bhOlEzFhR6Bhm0yb52-dW05BFRZnJRv8_87m0/s320/Tsuki&Allie.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><br />
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Click <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Williamstown-MA/Zucchero-Dolce-Baked-Goods/311609864221">here</a> to become a fan of Zucchero Dolce on Facebook!Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00353582428020194161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760398568285188165.post-32267660898827763262010-08-31T13:03:00.001-04:002010-08-31T16:15:41.678-04:00Sugar High Friday: Almond Cake with Raspberry Filling and Brown Butter Frosting<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLRTWfxfjcRYEMxEOLQgvjfMMfubgx2A9CFTPFBCQLdRJuoYIQhB1BckBnz_K6GbnabllzZ5IHpQDbZVJU_6BQlLC-a7gHV_-2f8Vk-ummpBKdL5-QKOZlj36CuVOdcJJz8zPfVnmSM8/s1600/almond_cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLRTWfxfjcRYEMxEOLQgvjfMMfubgx2A9CFTPFBCQLdRJuoYIQhB1BckBnz_K6GbnabllzZ5IHpQDbZVJU_6BQlLC-a7gHV_-2f8Vk-ummpBKdL5-QKOZlj36CuVOdcJJz8zPfVnmSM8/s400/almond_cake.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">The August edition of Sugar High Friday was hosted by Elissa at <a href="http://17andbaking.com/2010/08/01/announcing-sugar-high-fridays-browned-butter/">17 and Baking</a>.<b><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">The theme for this month is <i>Brown Butter</i>.<b> </b>I was very excited. I've made this brown butter frosting several times now, and it's one of my favorites. It's not as time consuming or potentially tricky as a buttercream, but way tastier than a traditional powdered sugar based frosting. And it's a great conistency for piping decorations. And the brown butter, with its slightly nutty taste, pairs very well with the almond cake.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I'll be hosting the October edition of Sugar High Friday's, so check back on October 1 to see what the theme is, and please consider submitting an entry.</div><br />
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</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b> </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9CA9hBha31N_2rn2axU_NptUJPMYgLfr0xzdnhvtMZrODjhxQRkHXKECqoAfC7k3w0Rees4ilduy_lLoGszPbPgbgmF36Cy6sFa7yc8aEJiXaPEE0I8KT2SzTOoR1CiyuMJBLhBU3Jbw/s1600/frosting_closeup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9CA9hBha31N_2rn2axU_NptUJPMYgLfr0xzdnhvtMZrODjhxQRkHXKECqoAfC7k3w0Rees4ilduy_lLoGszPbPgbgmF36Cy6sFa7yc8aEJiXaPEE0I8KT2SzTOoR1CiyuMJBLhBU3Jbw/s400/frosting_closeup.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<b>Almond Cake</b> (adapted from Rose Levy Beranbaum)</div><br />
4 eggs<br />
1 cup sour cream, separated<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract<br />
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
2 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted<br />
1/2 cup finely ground almonds, toasted and preferably unblanched<br />
1 1/2 cups sugar<br />
3/4 teaspoon baking powder<br />
3/4 teaspoon baking soda<br />
3/4 teaspoon salt<br />
18 tablespoons butter (9 ounces, or 2 1/4 sticks), room temperature<br />
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<i>Preheat oven to 350F. Spray 3 8" round cake pans with baking spray, line with parchment paper, and spray again.</i><br />
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<i>In a medium bowl, stir together the eggs, 1/4 cup of the sour cream, and the extracts. Set aside. Don't worry, it won't be smooth or pretty.</i><br />
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<i>In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all the dry ingredients - mix for 30 seconds. Add the butter and the remaining 3/4 cup of sour cream, and mix on low until combined. Mix on medium for 2 minutes to aerate batter. </i><i>Add the egg and sour cream mixture in 3 additions, beating 20 seconds after each addition.</i><br />
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<i>Split the batter between the cake pans, and smooth with a rubber spatula. Bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick just comes out clean. </i><i><br />
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<i>Let the cakes cook in their pans for about 10 minutes, then turn on to cooling rack. Cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap and chill until ready to frost.</i><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Brown Butter Frosting </b>(enough to frost and decorate an 8" 3-layer cake)<b><br />
</b></div><br />
3 sticks butter, browned<br />
1 1/2 pounds powdered sugar<br />
4-8 tablespoons heavy cream<br />
4-8 tablespoons Frangelico (or water or your choice of liqueur)<br />
Pinch of Kosher salt (optional)<br />
1 tablespoon vanilla extract <br />
<br />
<i>Brown the butter, pour through a fine meshed sieve into a heatproof bowl, and set aside to cool. Wait for it to cool completely.<br />
<br />
Pour the cooled brown butter into mixer bowl (paddle attachment). Add about 1/3 of the powdered sugar, and beat. Add the Frangelico, and continue beating. Add half the remaining powdered sugar, and beat. Add 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of heavy cream, and beat until smooth. Add more cream if you'd like the frosting to be softer, and more powdered sugar if you'd like it to be stiffer. The exact proportions will depend on your desired consistency as well as the weather. Add salt if desired.</i><br />
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<i>Refrigerate until ready to use. Re-whip the frosting right before use. If it's been in the refrigerator long (say over night), you might need to let it sit for an hour or two before it's ready to whip and frost).</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2a__9iI01vx-_vgBW88NdXPr3-XXgt4Yvdgb4lMkGOxDeL6oAtOV7JhHEaAbUQ19VsG5YPeTk1jX3hrESaORURWUd5Mp_oX7l_ml_uQLIHZuKKgPP0c0BoJBpeW0ujuIAdMiSEN9potY/s1600/cake_assembly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2a__9iI01vx-_vgBW88NdXPr3-XXgt4Yvdgb4lMkGOxDeL6oAtOV7JhHEaAbUQ19VsG5YPeTk1jX3hrESaORURWUd5Mp_oX7l_ml_uQLIHZuKKgPP0c0BoJBpeW0ujuIAdMiSEN9potY/s400/cake_assembly.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Frosting Dam & Jam Filling<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKKfpm1GiqBG2cIHKHVVhXlXUyv8yJiDR32Wed7zeFfojv6XPjokj9vfEdYPEG8n0DnpQZzk2gd3snz65RLIgvavaFFuVNmRvjrcBZhjbVQdgpjPasf_A_r8Iz9Iih09Qo6V4ZMGtKi6M/s1600/tinted_white_chocolate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKKfpm1GiqBG2cIHKHVVhXlXUyv8yJiDR32Wed7zeFfojv6XPjokj9vfEdYPEG8n0DnpQZzk2gd3snz65RLIgvavaFFuVNmRvjrcBZhjbVQdgpjPasf_A_r8Iz9Iih09Qo6V4ZMGtKi6M/s400/tinted_white_chocolate.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Tinted White Chocolate</span><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<br />
<b>Assembly</b><i></i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><i>If you want to make the tinted chocolate shavings, melt some white chocolate, and add your desired color. When it's the color you want, pour onto something flat, like a clean cutting board. Let the chocolate harden, then use a vegetable peeler to make the shavings.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>For the sugared raspberries, pour a little sugar into a small bowl. Add some raspberries, a few at a time, and coat with sugar.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>For the cake: </i><i>Make sure your cake is completely cooled, chilled is even better. </i><i>Place one cake layer on a cake board or plate, and pipe a frosting dam around the outer edge, so the jam doesn't seep out. Spread raspberry jam inside the frosting dam. Repeat with the next layer. After you've placed the third layer on top, cover the entire cake with frosting, and decorate as desired. If your kitchen is too hot, you may want to chill the cake before frosting.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwhwlwhWCAL-GRsTzOqqnvYSQDX5tz35BqKBHv-rwTKhW9QLZP65Wps1WU8AesCMZAoEhpr66ThgDMA0SLSfL7rWFEhY-z6i8D63hf2A8OsD6X1HKQG_dkGiif2NnIOQ0CV0NILrtKL_k/s1600/whole_cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwhwlwhWCAL-GRsTzOqqnvYSQDX5tz35BqKBHv-rwTKhW9QLZP65Wps1WU8AesCMZAoEhpr66ThgDMA0SLSfL7rWFEhY-z6i8D63hf2A8OsD6X1HKQG_dkGiif2NnIOQ0CV0NILrtKL_k/s400/whole_cake.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><i><br />
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</i></div>Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00353582428020194161noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760398568285188165.post-85863797396979851082010-08-21T16:06:00.001-04:002010-08-21T16:06:42.014-04:00Berries & Cream Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLJFA5HYlnb1kplK5fHy24QnCBxMCKF7pJ74jgFqo_IFOvNeUTpZJiTp0_x1epCPMVuQxvkZ4dF0nV4fdBanlBcTCSG9JHhfnY2_HhHfzCXeRJinzwUyaXWgBIn3l9-8tIGSOJFaaXl50/s1600/lotsa_berries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLJFA5HYlnb1kplK5fHy24QnCBxMCKF7pJ74jgFqo_IFOvNeUTpZJiTp0_x1epCPMVuQxvkZ4dF0nV4fdBanlBcTCSG9JHhfnY2_HhHfzCXeRJinzwUyaXWgBIn3l9-8tIGSOJFaaXl50/s400/lotsa_berries.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
This would have made a great cake for the 4th of July. But berries are still in season, and it'll taste just as good on the 4th of September, or the 21st of August; well, you get the idea. As far as layer cakes go, this is on the lower end of the difficulty level - the filling and frosting are the same, and you can whip the cream in just a few minutes. The white cream is a great backdrop for all sorts of berry decorations, so have fun!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1XJGEyCHrY0K-BLx0MX7DfBBysahrIoECwxccYxqex5qs6G5g8wMj4HwtrixLjxNoDKmT4WZKGF9jeqDi1jAubKmaMsyoSgfOIzYzrkzYlh2I7XryKuW6SR5QhB9xLBHhqroybR60VkY/s1600/berries&cream_cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1XJGEyCHrY0K-BLx0MX7DfBBysahrIoECwxccYxqex5qs6G5g8wMj4HwtrixLjxNoDKmT4WZKGF9jeqDi1jAubKmaMsyoSgfOIzYzrkzYlh2I7XryKuW6SR5QhB9xLBHhqroybR60VkY/s400/berries&cream_cake.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Berries & Cream Cake</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Cake</b> (adapted from <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/zucdolswesugb-20/detail/0618443363">Dorie Greenspan'</a>s Perfect Party Cake)</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Makes 2 8" round layers (or 2 thinner 9" layers)</div><br />
<br />
2 3/4 cups cake flour<br />
1 tablespoon baking powder<br />
3/4 teaspoon salt<br />
1 1/2 cups buttermilk<br />
5 egg whites (large)<br />
1 7/8 (=1 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons or 2 cups - 2 tablespoons) cups sugar <br />
2-3 teaspoons lemon zest<br />
10 tablespoons (1 stick + 2 tablespoons or 5 ounces) butter, softened<br />
1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract<br />
<br />
<i>Preheat oven to 350F.</i> <i>Spray 2 8" (or 9" for thinner layers) cake pans with baking spray, line with parchment, and spray again.</i><br />
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<i>Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg whites and buttermilk.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>In your mixer bowl, rub the lemon zest into the sugar with your hands until it's even distributed. This technique gets more out of your zest than simply stirring it into the batter later. Add the butter, and beat on medium-high for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in the lemon extract.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Beat in the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the egg/milk mixture in 2 additions. </i><br />
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<i>Pour the batter into the cake pans, and smooth the batter. Drop from a height of 3-4 inches to remove any air bubbles. Bake for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. The cake should start to pull away from the sides after you remove it from the oven.</i> <i>Cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then turn out onto parchment. Cool the cake right-side up.</i><br />
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Cakes made with egg whites like this one tend to dry out faster than some other cakes. It's best to make this cake the day you'll be serving it, or the night before (refrigerate well-wrapped overnight).<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Whipped Cream Frosting</b></div><b><br />
</b><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
2 cups heavy cream<br />
3/8 cup (=1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons) powdered sugar<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla<br />
<br />
When you're ready to assemble the cake, prepare the frosting: whip the cream until soft peaks begin to form. Gradually add the sugar while beating; add the vanilla. Continue to whip until the cream holds firm peaks. Cover and refrigerate.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAzipn1sH926Tv7gXmAfoJmOCWGU9RiXvxbSmA_Utnq6s0EZKkRzFY33tKdeBe5THFQZoulHVeu9rWzyJgZoyXzldhCWqq4gu6mIfNR6uEYaw6vliJpDCdDRdcaQdgWqJum32ERakpmYs/s1600/white_cake_berrie_cream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAzipn1sH926Tv7gXmAfoJmOCWGU9RiXvxbSmA_Utnq6s0EZKkRzFY33tKdeBe5THFQZoulHVeu9rWzyJgZoyXzldhCWqq4gu6mIfNR6uEYaw6vliJpDCdDRdcaQdgWqJum32ERakpmYs/s400/white_cake_berrie_cream.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Assembly</b></div><br />
<br />
Raspberry Jam (I'm sure strawberry or blueberry jam would taste great as well.)<br />
Berries and Mint Leaves, optional<br />
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<i>Place one cake layer on a cake board, and top with a thin layer of jam, whipped cream, and berries. Top with the second cake layer, and spread the whipped cream frosting generously over the entire cake. Decorate with berries and mint leaves, and piped whipped cream, if desired.</i><br />
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<i>Refrigerate the cake until soon before serving. Ideally, the cake should be served at room temperature, but in the summer, you'll need to be careful that the whipped cream doesn't melt. </i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj580jwuZVfd0Z-vJYubechypCG3IRohDv0QsxV8jbtVLwtuWjOVypP2qqNqbOoT5QE8a1mPrEpSevyUf5uCYpe8COLLxDQf9sOo45lPolU8z0QGHXQOhM8Cv9Z3lxcImcn_xlUf-scvOg/s1600/whipped_cream_frosting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj580jwuZVfd0Z-vJYubechypCG3IRohDv0QsxV8jbtVLwtuWjOVypP2qqNqbOoT5QE8a1mPrEpSevyUf5uCYpe8COLLxDQf9sOo45lPolU8z0QGHXQOhM8Cv9Z3lxcImcn_xlUf-scvOg/s320/whipped_cream_frosting.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00353582428020194161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760398568285188165.post-25549988646367967552010-08-15T15:08:00.001-04:002010-08-15T15:09:51.247-04:00Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting<div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioaKXGd76bG29A62clKvMfmMrd-mhhXvmHYmsizxJPC93ZoTMLpqI5fO0DAVEQ3RMeh_NB_Twzc87eVO4BkuZvkbsAgUEbwmWfBi5ULcxjhJp9pSwQzo9iCX14bptzYK3g4PjplM01UbI/s1600/Vegan_choc_cupcake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioaKXGd76bG29A62clKvMfmMrd-mhhXvmHYmsizxJPC93ZoTMLpqI5fO0DAVEQ3RMeh_NB_Twzc87eVO4BkuZvkbsAgUEbwmWfBi5ULcxjhJp9pSwQzo9iCX14bptzYK3g4PjplM01UbI/s400/Vegan_choc_cupcake.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div>I've been a vegetarian for close to 20 years, and I always will be, but I'll probably never be vegan. I usually eat 2 vegan meals a day, but I often have cheese with dinner, and it would be really hard to give up all my favorite baked goods... but being vegan is becoming easier and easier with vegan bakeries springing up all over the place. It wasn't so long ago that no one could even pronounce the word vegan, now it's a regular part of the culture.<br />
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I've done a reasonable amount of vegan baking and sampling, and unfortunately, many vegan desserts taste vegan - that doesn't mean they're not yummy, but sometimes they just taste a little... different. I don't think that's the case with these cupcakes though, especially if you eat the cake and frosting simultaneously. Go ahead, invite your friends over and have a taste test!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHCDQGNkonxnzSzGX9eM9oeDufy6PFzAZYPORhvZkSHvMY8-l4EBcsMApl_r7CaHg_a6jk9ebioO3r6MPr4zRzBjnn2ZTnnYpsx-z6ULDQsdIBWP2mUBobYTZ_dZeL-3YuvXGJrk6hL2I/s1600/vegan_choc_cupcake2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHCDQGNkonxnzSzGX9eM9oeDufy6PFzAZYPORhvZkSHvMY8-l4EBcsMApl_r7CaHg_a6jk9ebioO3r6MPr4zRzBjnn2ZTnnYpsx-z6ULDQsdIBWP2mUBobYTZ_dZeL-3YuvXGJrk6hL2I/s400/vegan_choc_cupcake2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes</b></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Adapted from <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/article/making-mandys-chocolate-cake">Martha Stewart</a> - Makes about 20 cupcakes</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 1/4 cups flour<br />
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda</div><div style="text-align: left;">3/4 teaspoon salt<br />
1 1/2 cups sugar<br />
3/4 cup canola oil</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tablespoon instant espresso powder dissolved in 1 1/2 cups water<br />
1 tablespoon vanilla extract<br />
3 tablespoons cider vinegar</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Preheat the oven to 375F. Spray muffin wells with baking spray, or line with muffin wrappers. </i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, espresso, and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients, and whisk until completely mixed. Add the vinegar, and stir quickly: the baking soda and vinegar will begin to react, and you'll see pale swirls throughout the batter.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Pour the batter into the muffin tins - each one should be about 1/2 full. Bake for about 12-15 minutes.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<br />
<b>Vegan Vanilla Frosting</b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">1/2 cup vegan margarine, soft</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 cup vegetable shortening</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 teaspoon vanilla</div><div style="text-align: left;">3-5 cups powdered sugar</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tablespoons water or soy milk</div><div style="text-align: left;">food coloring, optional </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Beat the margarine and shortening together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until very soft and smooth. Beat in the vanilla (use clear vanilla if you want to keep the frosting pure white). Add the sugar in 3 or 4 additions, beating well between each addition. Beat in the water or soymilk. The powdered sugar and water/milk measurements are flexible (and somewhat weather dependent) - add more powdered sugar if you want a stiffer frosting, and less if you want a creamier frosting. You can also add water/milk to make the frosting softer and creamier.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Add a toothpick-full or more of gel food coloring if desired.</i></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div>Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00353582428020194161noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760398568285188165.post-40683154936603416562010-07-21T22:14:00.000-04:002010-07-21T22:14:44.548-04:00Yellow Cake with Raspberry Buttercream Filling and Chocolate Buttercream Frosting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZCX3AZv5JH4wp3MFm3PPDpWxejJmIspCumsKRo9psn-QrAVtKOpZ54jnapClnakZm48vOBN1YghtKXFXKWQ6k10w3sHCNCEzaxNPesIy3cDRa0sNsMLf3vuaYogYbVY6_DWOZDmUuumU/s1600/top_cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="347" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZCX3AZv5JH4wp3MFm3PPDpWxejJmIspCumsKRo9psn-QrAVtKOpZ54jnapClnakZm48vOBN1YghtKXFXKWQ6k10w3sHCNCEzaxNPesIy3cDRa0sNsMLf3vuaYogYbVY6_DWOZDmUuumU/s400/top_cake.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">My niece Kate turned 4 not so long ago. This year, she had a family party and a kid party. Clearly two birthday cakes were required. The children’s party had a butterfly theme, and hence a butterfly cake. And it had to be chocolate. But more about that later.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh8BpEPr7Fe2WQbKQuJUgLP1_NH817XlCPZHe0jbrh8ynbXVGUyt8Yg6LYKSVFMPC8lnmJssa_3FU7j9_PgvNn2LvCddfJmNtgrbq1A8eoxc4GKUkQljPL37sWSMM0AegDLURTv6BM83o/s1600/Kate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh8BpEPr7Fe2WQbKQuJUgLP1_NH817XlCPZHe0jbrh8ynbXVGUyt8Yg6LYKSVFMPC8lnmJssa_3FU7j9_PgvNn2LvCddfJmNtgrbq1A8eoxc4GKUkQljPL37sWSMM0AegDLURTv6BM83o/s400/Kate.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">For the family cake, we went with flowers. Chocolate frosting was still an absolute necessity, but Kate decided to try something different for the cake itself. We went with yellow cake, raspberry buttercream filling. chocolate buttercream frosting, and yummy vanilla flavored frosting roses. Don’t worry, the buttercream can be made in one batch, then split up and flavored with raspberry and chocolate. The roses can also be made a couple of days ahead of time. The raspberry and chocolate buttercreams are light and creamy and go together extremely well. The yellow cake is very moist.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I was so worried about keeping the buttercream from melting during the 3 hour drive to New York City, that I totally forgot what a roller coaster the Taconic highway with its potholes and bumpy ridged roads can be. Luckily, I had the cake in a bakery box, packed tightly into a soft cooler bag, placed snugly into a larger cooler, wedged between a suitcase and other assorted packages in the trunk of my car. I was thrilled to arrive on the upper west side, cake unscathed. Phew!</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">And most importantly, the birthday girl loved her cake!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw86QYQSCxNyjpOkpqQ6opuqQk1JKSEl-mr7Qwu3e_4TSqS-ayzYEAazh_U2guuBt20rOtM6_SFbXJgpu2y5DyMO7aXiBl5EzVIMMrTdpCaQE0ZGwNuVs406vMzucrXES_38kDCrjdDK0/s1600/Flowers_close_up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw86QYQSCxNyjpOkpqQ6opuqQk1JKSEl-mr7Qwu3e_4TSqS-ayzYEAazh_U2guuBt20rOtM6_SFbXJgpu2y5DyMO7aXiBl5EzVIMMrTdpCaQE0ZGwNuVs406vMzucrXES_38kDCrjdDK0/s400/Flowers_close_up.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Yellow Cake</b> (adapted ever so slightly from <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/zucdolswesugb-20/detail/1416560785">Shirley Corriher's Bakewise</a>)</div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">8 tablespoons (i.e. 1 stick or 4 ounces) unsalted butter cut in small pieces</div><div class="MsoNormal">3 cup sugar</div><div class="MsoNormal">4 teaspoons vanilla<br />
2/3 cup canola oil</div><div class="MsoNormal">6 large egg yolks</div><div class="MsoNormal">4 large eggs</div><div class="MsoNormal">3 1/2 cups cake flour</div><div class="MsoNormal">3 1/2 teaspoons (i.e. 1 Tbsp + 1/2 tsp) baking powder</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 teaspoon salt<br />
2/3 cup buttermilk<br />
1 cup heavy cream<br />
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<i>Preheat the oven to 350F at least 20 minutes before baking. Spray 3 8" pans with baking spray, line with parchment, and spray again. (You can also make 2 9" layers if your pans are a full 2" tall.)<br />
</i><br />
<i>Soften the butter in a mixer on medium speed. Beat until light in color, about 3 minutes (warning: it's not so easy to beat such a small amount of butter, but give it your best). Add the sugar, and beat until very light. Keep the bowl cool, and scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally (or use a <a href="http://zuccherodolce.blogspot.com/2009/11/holiday-gift-ideas-for-your-favorite.html">beater blade</a>).</i><br />
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<i>Beat in the vanilla. On medium, mix in the oil.</i><br />
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<i>On low, beat in the yolks, then the whole eggs, one at a time, mixing just until combined. </i><br />
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<i>Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until fully combined. Add about half the dry ingredients to the batter, and mix on low until just combined. Add in half the buttermilk, still on low, and add the rest of the dry ingredients until just combined. Finish with the remaining buttermilk. </i><br />
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<i>In a separate bowl (make sure it's cold), whip the cream to soft peaks. Beat just a little longer. Stir in 1/4 of the whipped cream into the cake batter to lighten. Gently fold in the rest of the whipped cream. Pour into the prepared pans. Drop the pans (just a few inches) to knock out air bubbles.</i><br />
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<i>Bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick just comes out clean. The cake should just pull away from the sides when you remove it from the oven. Cool in pan, on a rack, for about 10 minutes, then invert onto parchment paper and remove pan. Cool completely.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Swiss Meringue</b><b> Buttercream Frosting </b></div><br />
6 egg whites<br />
1 7/8 cup sugar<br />
3 sticks (12 tablespoons) butter, softened, cut into smallish pieces<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla<br />
<br />
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted <br />
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam<br />
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<i>Place the egg whites and sugar in a mixer bowl, and place the bowl on top of a pan of simmering water. The bottom of the bowl should not touch the water. Whisk constantly until the mixture reaches 150F-160F. It's definitely easier with the thermometer. If you don't have one, it should take about 5-10 minutes, the mixture should be hot to the touch, and you shouldn't feel any sugar crystals, they should all be dissolved.</i><br />
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<i>Remove from the heat, and attach the bowl to your stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat on high until the mixture is completely cool, and the egg white have reached firm-stiff peaks. I've read that this should take about 10 minutes, but it's taken me much much longer sometimes, so don't give up hope, keep beating. Theoretically you can do this with a hand mixer too, but it will take even longer.</i><br />
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<i>Switch to the paddle attachment on the mixer, and add the butter a few pieces at a time while beating on low-medium speed. When all the butter has been added, increase to medium-high speed and beat a few more minutes. Add the vanilla and beat another 30 seconds. The frosting should be fluffy and not runny at all. </i><br />
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<i>Separate your buttercream: place about 1/3 in one bowl (for the raspberry), and the remaining 2/3 in another bowl (for the chocolate). Beat the raspberry jam into the smaller portion of buttercream. Beat the melted chocolate into the larger portion of buttercream. </i><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Did Your Buttercream Break?</b></div><br />
If your frosting curdles, do not despair, and whatever you do, do not throw it away! It's fixable. Whenever my buttercream "breaks," it's because the bowl gets too cold. If that's the reason, just warm up the bowl (hold over a hot burner or steam or melt a few tablespoons in the microwave and add back to the curdled mess), and whip some more. Magical chemistry ensues, and your buttercream will be beautiful and fluffy again soon. If the bowl becomes too warm, the buttercream can also break; in this case, you'll need to chill it, bringing it back to room temperature (or slightly above).<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Assembling the Cake</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">If you want to make frosting roses, you can make them out of buttercream - just up the recipe above by 1/2 or 1/3, and when separating the buttercream for the raspberry and chocolate, reserve some to color for the roses. Or you can make a powdered sugar frosting, such as the vanilla frosting here. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
For information on how to pipe roses, see <a href="http://www.wilton.com/technique/Roses">Wilton's tutorial</a>.<br />
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The cake pictured is 2 8" layers, with the third layer tucked away in the freezer for later use. <br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">Be sure the cake is completely cool before frosting. I always chill my cakes to be safe, you don't want cake layers melting frosting and sliding every which way. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Place one cake layer on a serving plate or a cake board, and spread the raspberry buttercream on top. Top with the second cake layer, and cover the entire cake with the chocolate buttercream frosting. </div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">Pipe more frosting<b> </b>around the top and bottom edges of the cake if desired. Top with frosting roses or sugared raspberries. Serve at room temperature. Enjoy! </div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggpiVX_zjeqmK5ZIW-JbcUDO-duQPTPfckNeTR6gZcUGwHt-1bAjdRWoVg0JNOzYn-Yczvcb5s0_sWk2WpspaHyPonzx_-ORB79w1Efw_ULzwjTG8pox8p7vHGBR1byxFb_xZcy1V7W64/s1600/cake_slice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggpiVX_zjeqmK5ZIW-JbcUDO-duQPTPfckNeTR6gZcUGwHt-1bAjdRWoVg0JNOzYn-Yczvcb5s0_sWk2WpspaHyPonzx_-ORB79w1Efw_ULzwjTG8pox8p7vHGBR1byxFb_xZcy1V7W64/s400/cake_slice.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"></div>Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00353582428020194161noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760398568285188165.post-8110050686055182782010-07-15T23:10:00.001-04:002010-07-15T23:12:02.571-04:00Healthy Berry Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-_IBpIOEekCX5qhhG3yetglcidlPXygK_dRW210RR082z7lRtDWUeBV0Y0FteuSmlIAufImMaIRMP-a449WvSCrj6VnFpDhyphenhyphenlqkjERjNDIsRyzYZ7qUDtZjAHMwvBiapn3iPr9CRD17g/s1600/round_berry_cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-_IBpIOEekCX5qhhG3yetglcidlPXygK_dRW210RR082z7lRtDWUeBV0Y0FteuSmlIAufImMaIRMP-a449WvSCrj6VnFpDhyphenhyphenlqkjERjNDIsRyzYZ7qUDtZjAHMwvBiapn3iPr9CRD17g/s400/round_berry_cake.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">The food I tend to cook is definitely on the healthy side. I love vegetables, avoid processed foods, don’t eat any meat, use only whole grain bread and pasta, avoid recipes with cream. My own personal definition of healthy definitely excludes all things labeled “low-fat”, “low-calorie”, and “reduced-sugar.” If you could somehow trick me into drinking a diet coke, you’d be treated to all sorts of strange facial contortions if not a big soda shower as I rid my mouth of the offensive liquid. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Does that philosophy seem strange given the abundance of decadent treats on this blog? I hope not. I’d trade a small piece of <a href="http://zuccherodolce.blogspot.com/2009/12/triple-chocolate-mousse-cake.html">Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake</a> for plate full of sugar free cookies any day. So it’s no surprise that I haven’t really baked with Splenda, and most of my recipes don’t call for applesauce or yogurt to replace the butter. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This recipe, however, is a little different. There’s applesauce <i>and</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> yogurt, and whole wheat flour (still no Splenda or anything else of that ilk). And lots of berries. But I promise, it won’t taste “healthy.” Sure, it’s not as decadent as this <a href="http://zuccherodolce.blogspot.com/2010/03/math-cake-chocolate-cake-with-chocolate.html">Chocolate Cake with Brown Butter & Frangelico Frosting</a>, but it’s perfect as a humble mid-week 9x13 pan cake that you sneak a square of for your daily sweet tooth fix. Or you can even dress it up a little in a 9” round cake pan and serve it at your next dinner party. I've served it to lots of college students with fancier and more outrageous desserts at dessert parties, and it holds its own.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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There are a lot of bowls to clean with this recipe, but it's very easy - you don't even need a mixer!<br />
Also, I'm not quite sure where the recipe originally came from, my mom has been making it for a few years now.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Mixed Berry Coffee Cake</b></div> <br />
1 cup flour<br />
1 cup whole wheat flour<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1 egg<br />
3/4 cup sugar<br />
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt<br />
1/2 cup applesauce<br />
1/4 cup vegetable oil<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />
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1 cup blueberries<br />
1 cup raspberries<br />
1/4 cup raspberry fruit spread<br />
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Topping (before baking):<br />
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3/4 teaspoon cinnamon<br />
2 tablespoons sugar<br />
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<i>Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9x13 pan with baking spray. </i><br />
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<i>Whisk together</i> <i>the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.</i><br />
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<i>In a separate, large bowl, whisk together the egg and sugar. Add the yogurt, applesauce, oil and<br />
vanilla.</i><br />
<i><br />
Make a well in the flour, and add the egg mixture. Mix just until moist. Set aside 1 cup batter in a separate bowl, and spread the rest of the batter in the prepared pan.<br />
</i><br />
<i>Mix together the fruit and fruit spread in a clean bowl. Spoon over the batter in the pan, then drop mounds of reserved batter on top. Stir together the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl, and sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture all over the cake. Bake for 30-40 minutes until a toothpick just comes out clean. </i><br />
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<i>Let cool for 30 minutes before adding the glaze.</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcoY_45-l9JUl8txInTTCxw-atxonQ-SZAd8wrEhkZLOREdVwAO4tYHEbRHmQqqdi9LzVpziSUEYYiyOXhrrc-5RWdn5_StJgk6R-vjmAWI_i0klnqQVZEwF_Ysd6qWH-nKvC-s-PmrLj7/s1600/close_up_berry_cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcoY_45-l9JUl8txInTTCxw-atxonQ-SZAd8wrEhkZLOREdVwAO4tYHEbRHmQqqdi9LzVpziSUEYYiyOXhrrc-5RWdn5_StJgk6R-vjmAWI_i0klnqQVZEwF_Ysd6qWH-nKvC-s-PmrLj7/s400/close_up_berry_cake.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Glaze </b></div><br />
1/2 teaspoon vanilla<br />
1 1/2 tablespoons warm milk<br />
1/4 cup powdered sugar<br />
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<i>Stir together the vanilla and warm milk, then pour over the powdered sugar, and whisk until smooth. Warming the milk helps make the glaze smoother. Drizzle over cake.</i><br />
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<i>You may want to use only 2/3-3/4 of the glaze for the round cake, since there's less surface area.</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhgW80tzju5WTHvCERPwGlcma23ylLUtc1vSQNQm-adtm9dfnzgQN12uMKGJvLY_rzUgK0IiOoiHhEZz0zoZ9e_JQvXm4wZoIm-r9QqMEl1HlrD3PNL_tyGeNdRy2V6bDUVT0SWi0uxGG/s1600/rect_berry_cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhgW80tzju5WTHvCERPwGlcma23ylLUtc1vSQNQm-adtm9dfnzgQN12uMKGJvLY_rzUgK0IiOoiHhEZz0zoZ9e_JQvXm4wZoIm-r9QqMEl1HlrD3PNL_tyGeNdRy2V6bDUVT0SWi0uxGG/s400/rect_berry_cake.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A rectangular version of the cake; simply bake the cake in a 9 x 13 pan.</i></div>Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00353582428020194161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760398568285188165.post-58579967374155852010-06-22T20:50:00.003-04:002010-07-18T14:41:24.768-04:00Blogiversary: Almond Cake with Chocolate Raspberry Ganache Filling & Raspberry Buttercream<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNvaN1zX6q9bfKxNN_gxM-RRM56LLw9fFTOxtdMqa3uJpxPn-E9ElgVTPxYYcEst6qI2EFwpU1Pdmdzp7ACzBHyNhh0E5EXkIfaYE3yN2pjl_VzAO9LfU837IgReQqmg3oHM-C5xdHOtw/s1600/Top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNvaN1zX6q9bfKxNN_gxM-RRM56LLw9fFTOxtdMqa3uJpxPn-E9ElgVTPxYYcEst6qI2EFwpU1Pdmdzp7ACzBHyNhh0E5EXkIfaYE3yN2pjl_VzAO9LfU837IgReQqmg3oHM-C5xdHOtw/s400/Top.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Happy Birthday to my blog!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">It's been a great year! I started my blog, my <a href="http://www.zuccherodolce.com/">home bakery</a>, I taught a 4-week<a href="http://zuccherodolce.blogspot.com/2010/01/baking-class-for-winter-study-and.html"> baking course </a>at Williams, and most importantly, I've done a lot of baking! This weekend, I'm participating in the <a href="http://www.northadams-ma.gov/index.php?nav_id=8&cal_id=2751">Northern Berkshire Food Festival</a> in North Adams, so if you're in the area, stop by!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">If you've been following my blog at all, you'll recognize the almond cake in this recipe. I used it for my <a href="http://zuccherodolce.blogspot.com/2010/05/birthday-cake-2010-almond-chocolate.html">birthday cake</a> this year with brown butter frosting, and <a href="http://zuccherodolce.blogspot.com/2010/06/almond-cake-with-chocolate-raspberry.html">with chocolate raspberry ganache and chocolate frosting</a> for a client. It's extremely versatile, and a great addition to your repertoire! And this frosting may be my new favorite. It's not as heavy as some buttercreams can be. It's light and fluffy, with a beautiful pink hue and raspberry taste. You may not want to make it without a stand mixer; there's probably a good 20-25 minutes of beating with the stand mixer. But if you need any more reasons to get a stand mixer, swiss meringue buttercream is it. No heavy, dense, sugary mouthfuls here, this frosting is more reminiscent of a smooth, high quality ice cream with a more subtle sense of sweetness. You'll see this frosting again soon, I'm sure of it.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">And now, to celebrate my blog's birthday, I'm off to make a cake of course! A chocolate butterfly cake for my niece's 4th birthday tomorrow. Happy baking!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">p.s. Stop by my Zucchero Dolce <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Williamstown-MA/Zucchero-Dolce-Baked-Goods/311609864221">facebook page</a> for more pictures, or to become a fan. </div><b> </b><br />
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<b>Almond Cake </b>(adapted from Rose Levy Beranbaum)</div><br />
4 eggs<br />
1 1/3 cups sour cream, separated<br />
2 teaspoons almond extract<br />
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
3 1/3 cups cake flour, sifted<br />
2/3 cups finely ground almonds, toasted and preferably unblanched<br />
2 cups sugar<br />
1 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
3 sticks butter (12 ounces), room temperature<br />
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<i>Preheat oven to 350F. Spray 3 9" round cake pans with baking spray, line with parchment paper, and spray again.</i><br />
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<i>In a medium bowl, stir together the eggs, 1/3 cup of the sour cream, and the extracts. Set aside. Don't worry, it won't be smooth or pretty.</i><br />
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<i>In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all the dry ingredients - mix for 30 seconds. Add the butter and the remaining 1 cup of sour cream, and mix on low until combined. Mix on medium for 2 minutes to aerate batter. </i><i>Add the egg and sour cream mixture in 3 additions, beating 20 seconds after each addition.</i><br />
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<i> </i><i>Split the batter between the cake pans, and smooth with a rubber spatula. Bake for 30-40 minutes until a toothpick just comes out clean. </i><br />
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<i>Let the cakes cook in their pans for about 10 minutes, then turn on to cooling rack. Cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap and chill until ready to frost.</i><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Chocolate Raspberry Ganache Filling</b></div><br />
5 ounces semisweet chocolate<br />
5 tablespoons (2.5 ounces) butter<br />
Scant 1/2 cup raspberry puree*<br />
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*To make the raspberry puree, defrost about 2 or 2 1/2 cups of frozen raspberries (you can use the microwave if you're in a hurry), and puree in the blender or food processor. <br />
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<i>Melt together the chocolate and butter (I use the microwave, heating on 30 second intervals, and stirring fully between heating). Stir in the raspberry puree.</i><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Raspberry Buttercream (Swiss Meringue) Frosting</b></div><br />
6 egg whites<br />
1 7/8 cup sugar<br />
3 sticks (12 tablespoons) butter, softened, cut into smallish pieces<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
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1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam<br />
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<i>Place the egg whites and sugar in a mixer bowl, and place the bowl on top of a pan of simmering water. The bottom of the bowl should not touch the water. Whisk constantly until the mixture reaches 150F-160F. It's definitely easier with the thermometer. If you don't have one, it should take about 5-10 minutes, the mixture should be hot to the touch, and you shouldn't feel any sugar crystals, they should all be dissolved.</i><br />
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<i>Remove from the heat, and attach the bowl to your stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat on high until the mixture is completely cool, and the egg white have reached firm-stiff peaks. I've read that this should take about 10 minutes, but it's taken me much much longer sometimes, so don't give up hope, keep beating. Theoretically you can do this with a hand mixer too, but it will take even longer.</i><br />
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<i>Switch to the paddle attachment on the mixer, and add the butter a few pieces at a time while beating on low-medium speed. When all the butter has been added, increase to medium-high speed and beat a few more minutes. Add the vanilla and beat another 30 seconds. The frosting should be fluffy and not runny at all. Add the raspberry jam, and beat just until combined.</i><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Did Your Buttercream Break?</b></div><br />
If your frosting curdles, do not despair, and whatever you do, do not throw it away! It's fixable. Whenever my buttercream "breaks," it's because the bowl gets too cold. If that's the reason, just warm up the bowl (hold over a hot burner or steam or melt a few tablespoons in the microwave and add back to the curdled mess), and whip some more. Magical chemistry ensues, and your buttercream will be beautiful and fluffy again soon. If the bowl becomes too warm, the buttercream can also break; in this case, you'll need to chill it, bringing it back to room temperature (or slightly above).<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Assembling the Cake</b></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">2-3 tablespoons toasted slivered almonds (toast at 300F for 5-8 minutes)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Semisweet Chocolate, Shaved </div><div style="text-align: left;">Raspberries, lightly coated with sugar</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Be sure the cake is completely cool before frosting. I always chill my cakes to be safe, you don't want cake layers melting frosting and sliding every which way. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Place one cake layer on a serving plate or a cake board, and spread the chocolate raspberry ganache on top, leaving roughly a 1/4" border on the outer edges (the weight of the second layer will make the ganache spread to the edge). Top with the second cake layer, and chill if you have time (not long, even a half hour would be good if your kitchen is warm; you can assemble the whole thing at once if it's not too hot out). Cover the entire cake with the raspberry buttercream frosting. </div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">Pipe more frosting<b> </b>around the top and bottom edges of the cake if desired. Scatter the toasted slivered almonds on top, and to with raspberries. Serve at room temperature. Enjoy! </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00353582428020194161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760398568285188165.post-51974250777334918692010-06-18T14:51:00.003-04:002010-07-18T10:45:19.006-04:00Raspberry Ice Cream Cake with Homemade Ice Cream<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9JOHtvPYnkLab1dCTkCQk1WTIHFPfo7PiN-h2hZldR1k06THKr9kGAfF6mIf-YLObhpu3JbpDExSal8GdVYqesgq7RVO6Gv6zHpchwtnor9wmdGzObHfzV5qKASjOD-6y1dqgvZMyCg0/s1600/Side_View.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9JOHtvPYnkLab1dCTkCQk1WTIHFPfo7PiN-h2hZldR1k06THKr9kGAfF6mIf-YLObhpu3JbpDExSal8GdVYqesgq7RVO6Gv6zHpchwtnor9wmdGzObHfzV5qKASjOD-6y1dqgvZMyCg0/s400/Side_View.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Are you finding it much too hot out to turn on the oven? Time for ice cream cake!<br />
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Chocolate and Raspberry is one of my new favorite flavor combinations - doesn't matter the form: <a href="http://zuccherodolce.blogspot.com/2010/06/almond-cake-with-chocolate-raspberry.html">cakes</a>, brownies, cupcakes, or ice cream cake like this one... Plus, I love that it's pink!<br />
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Ice cream cakes are great for entertaining, because so much of the work can be done ahead of time. And guests are always impressed with homemade ice cream, though feel free to use store-bought if you don't have an ice cream maker. You can even stir in the raspberry puree into store-bought vanilla ice cream, if you want to go the semi-homemade route. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWOwla_QVdi3iZRyTniLz-Nx6jWwPBIBGQoj4daUClvzWQ-s6ORMWrA1vuj-fhdVYlNDLM2YdRUzm6untP-nO2WTT1nIhLoVFvpfelX3NQimhMFoy1KEStc3YjD7RP4lPBNuoT-rj_nYo/s1600/slice_gone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWOwla_QVdi3iZRyTniLz-Nx6jWwPBIBGQoj4daUClvzWQ-s6ORMWrA1vuj-fhdVYlNDLM2YdRUzm6untP-nO2WTT1nIhLoVFvpfelX3NQimhMFoy1KEStc3YjD7RP4lPBNuoT-rj_nYo/s400/slice_gone.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<b>Oreo Crust</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">5 ounces crushed oreo cookies </div><div style="text-align: left;">4 tablespoons (2 ounces; 1/2 stick) butter</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Melt the butter, and stir into the cookie crumbs. Press evenly into the bottom of an 8" springform pan, and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze at least one hour.</div><br />
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<b>Raspberry Ice Cream </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">First, you'll need 2 cups of raspberry puree. Start with about 4 - 5 cups of frozen raspberries, thaw (or microwave briefly if you're in a hurry), and puree in the blender or food processor. If you want to strain your puree, you'll need to start with even more frozen raspberries (7-8 cups), but I didn't bother. I like the look of the darker pink specks in the ice cream, and it still tastes great with less work!</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOVcCFFUZPCrHiG2a0Ayd9hSQ2-WaeVywPnxuubHGSzWitciGKF4Zjz3TgccdyCYaR8x-HEPd2SZ1jMOwrTuQH-jtrUmrO8vti7cz1ROS0HZ93c2fx-FxLFxahxUijP7PoOxCeCZQIMmQ/s1600/raspberry_puree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOVcCFFUZPCrHiG2a0Ayd9hSQ2-WaeVywPnxuubHGSzWitciGKF4Zjz3TgccdyCYaR8x-HEPd2SZ1jMOwrTuQH-jtrUmrO8vti7cz1ROS0HZ93c2fx-FxLFxahxUijP7PoOxCeCZQIMmQ/s400/raspberry_puree.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Raspberry Puree</span></i><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><b>Ice Cream </b>(loosely adapted from David Lebovitz)<br />
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2 cups heavy cream, divided</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 cup whole milk</div><div style="text-align: left;">3/4 cup sugar<br />
Pinch salt </div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 cups raspberry puree</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Heat 1 cup cream with the milk, sugar, and salt until the sugar is completely dissolved. Pour the mixture into the blender or food processor with the remaining ingredients, and mix well. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Chill thoroughly (45 minutes should be plenty). Freeze the mixture (according to the instructions) in your ice cream maker. If the ice cream is still extremely soft, freeze another hour or two in the freezer; otherwise you can proceed to assembly, and spread the ice cream onto the oreo crust.<br />
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</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Chocolate Ganache</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">4 ounces chocolate, finely chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 cup (4 ounces) heavy cream</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Place the chocolate in a small bowl. Bring the cream to a boil, and pour over the chocolate. After one minute, stir until completely blended. Let the ganache come to room temperature (this might take an hour or more), stirring occasionally.</div><b><br />
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<b>Assembly</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">Remove the ice cream from the freezer and spread it over the oreo crust. Work quickly so that the ice cream doesn't melt. Cover with plastic wrap (press right onto the ice cream itself), and place in the freezer for two hours. Make the ganache; it should reach room temperature by the end of the two hours.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Spread the ganache over the ice cream. If the ganache has not cooled, the chocolate will melt the ice cream underneath. Place plastic wrap over the ganache, and be sure it's touching. Otherwise you'll get freezer crystals on top of the ganache, as in the pictures above. Place the cake in the freezer again for another two hours. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Remove from the freezer, and top with fresh raspberries if desired. Enjoy!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglRqh5YDlQAxveh-_hK5wxQP7cnvCMAf9TizJUh3zEye3vn0Bc3vBapbafpKHGTZsZ2_l6Ovup19qfDwMkO4PItiRkEGo6grQjPeI-9YXqJb9GSDwzF95Wkl5kj1b67oIP_AbY5paxfBM/s1600/Candles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglRqh5YDlQAxveh-_hK5wxQP7cnvCMAf9TizJUh3zEye3vn0Bc3vBapbafpKHGTZsZ2_l6Ovup19qfDwMkO4PItiRkEGo6grQjPeI-9YXqJb9GSDwzF95Wkl5kj1b67oIP_AbY5paxfBM/s400/Candles.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Amanda's Birthday Cake</span></i></div>Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00353582428020194161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760398568285188165.post-26115367813346408052010-06-13T21:21:00.000-04:002010-06-13T21:21:25.828-04:00Best-Ever (Bakewise) Pound Cake & The Science of Baking<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEx4eV2ViCVaaeyuOyJPbQLXt6koq1NDDdPIaS1oPKgBiOop3OTslL3TAWOdNQaMKTSLRUHtBIW47Q1ikVB47PghtsNMGu8O935G2TOr6hE78EJYR41y9Pb6JcqANOmUFu_d3MLea6iRE/s1600/whole_cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
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I taught a 4-week, 40-hour course in January called The Art & Science of Baking. We used Shirley Corriher's book <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/zucdolswesugb-20/detail/1416560785">Bakewise</a> for a textbook. Shirley is a frequent guest on Alton Brown's show <i>Good Eats</i>. She's a chemist, and explains the science behind the baking. If you want to develop your own recipes, this is a must-read book. She explains how to check the math of a given recipe and the important differences between baking powder and baking soda, natural cocoa powder and Dutch-process cocoa powder, and so much more. One of the most surprising things I learned - so many cake recipes are way over-leavened!!<br />
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Shirley examines pound cake early on in her book, and takes you through her process of developing the perfect recipe. Make this cake immediately, and as you taste the moist buttery cake with just a slight hint of almond (perhaps unidentifiable to some, but you'll taste something a little different), with a dense (but not heavy) crumb, you'll see how successful she was. The whipped cream is not a typical ingredient in pound cake, but after you make this cake, it might become a regular in all your cake recipes. It adds moisture, and of course enriches the flavor of the cake; whipping air into the cream lightens the texture of the cake. Replacing some of the fat (i.e. butter) with oil also adds moisture to the cake; oil is better at greasing the flour proteins than are butter or shortening, so less gluten forms.<br />
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Full-disclosure, I did adapt Shirley's recipe slightly. Potato starch isn't readily available at my grocery store, so I stuck with flour; Shirley says the potato starch adds moisture to the cake, and that the large granules make the texture a little less tight than the average pound cake. I believe her, but my version of the cake is still extremely moist, and the texture is not as dense and tight as your everyday pound cake. I also didn't add her optional cream glaze or pound cake icing. I didn't miss them. <br />
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Other things to note: don't make this cake in a loaf pan, it won't work. The abundance of butter and sugar in this cake make the cake perfectly moist and sweet, but don't contribute enough protein structure for the cake to dome in a loaf pan. Using a tube pan or Bundt pan insures that the cake remains fully in the pan; in a loaf pan, we would want the cake to dome nicely above the pan, but without the sides of the pan to climb, the cake needs sufficient protein structure to reach that high. Also, if the cake sinks slightly on top, it's not noticeable with these pans, since you invert the cake before serving anyway.<br />
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Oh, and I'm not sure she mentions this, but this cake improves after baking, so try not to eat it all the first, or even second day. It's still moist on day 3, and the butter flavor is even more pronounced (I haven't figured out why yet!).<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>The Best-Ever Pound Cake - Seriously</b> (adapted from <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/zucdolswesugb-20/detail/1416560785">Shirley Corriher</a>)</div><div style="text-align: center;">Makes 1 12-cup Bundt cake, 1 10" tube pan cake, or 1 10-cup Bundt cake & 4 mini-Bundts.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Just under 3 cups all purpose flour (3 cups - 4 teaspoons, or 13.3 ounces)</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 teaspoon baking powder</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 teaspoon salt</div><div style="text-align: left;">3/4 cup (6 ounces or 12 tablespoons) butter, room temperature</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 cup vegetable shortening (trans-fat free)</div><div style="text-align: left;">3 cups sugar</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tablespoon vanilla extract</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/4 teaspoon almond extract*</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/3 cup canola oil</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 large egg yolks</div><div style="text-align: left;">5 large eggs</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/4 cup buttermilk</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 cup heavy cream</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Powdered sugar, for dusting</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">*Don't let a lack of almond extract keep you from making this cake. I think the almond extract is definitely responsible for part of this cake's greatness, but it'll still beat out your average cake if you replace the almond extract with more vanilla.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Spray a 12 cup Bundt pan or 10" tube pan generously with baking spray (with flour). I used a 10-cup Bundt pan, and made 4 mini-Bundts as well. Preheat the oven to 350F**. Chill a medium bowl and the beaters of a hand mixer for use in a few minutes (if your kitchen isn't too hot, you will probably be ok if you skip this step, but Shirley might diagree).</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until completely blended.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Beat the butter on medium speed to soften. Add the shortening, and beat until light and pale in color, about 3 minutes. Add the sugar, and beat a few more minutes until very light; scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl if you're not using a Beater Blade. You want the mixture to stay cold. If it's a very hot day, you may want to place the bowl in the fridge or freezer if it gets too warm.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Beat in the extracts.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Beat in the oil, a little at a time, until fully incorporated.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>On the lowest speed, add the yolks and eggs, one at a time.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>On the lowest speed, add the dry ingredient mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Take the bowl and beaters from the fridge, and whip the heavy cream to soft peaks. Whip another 30-seconds or so, just past soft peaks. Stir in about a quarter of the cream to the batter to lighten, then gently fold in the remaining cream.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Drop the pan on the counter from a height of 4 inches to knock out the air bubbles. Smooth the batter with a rubber spatula. Bake the cake for about one hour (could be a little longer, 60-70 mins) until a toothpick in the center of the cake just comes out clean. It shouldn't start to pull away from the sides of the pan until it has just come out of the oven.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes on a rack; invert the cake onto a serving platter to finish cooling. </i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Dust with powdered sugar immediately before serving. Enjoy! But try to save some for a day or two from now, it'll taste even better (see notes above).</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">(Shirley includes a cream glaze and a pound cake icing, but I really don't think the cake needs it. If you disagree, heat 1/3 cup heavy cream, 3/4 cup sugar, and 2 tablespoons light corn syrup in a pan over medium heat until the sugar is fully dissolved. Brush and rebrush over the warm cake until the glaze is absorbed.)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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**Shirley recommends baking cakes on a pizza stone. The stone absorbs and retains heat, and protects your cake from the sometimes significant temperature swings that can be caused by opening and closing the oven door. I didn't use the pizza stone, but made sure the oven was preheated for a half hour before baking, and was careful not to open the oven door often or for very long.</div>Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00353582428020194161noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760398568285188165.post-88751754743478694702010-06-09T22:21:00.003-04:002010-06-20T18:03:37.583-04:00Carrot Cake Cupcakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEVKrIDAxHxc_-hALA11tKDqtUPAL-e_ZpdNBsS8d_py6ancQVYm6DE4MQDu3Azi0BIe0hL7mwtqyIh_cd5xw2hp3G1Fh5MtT545p1dXyjO2Gew5sk4WJzB1lBVkadyTDZEZX86dDnZAE/s1600/single_cupcake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEVKrIDAxHxc_-hALA11tKDqtUPAL-e_ZpdNBsS8d_py6ancQVYm6DE4MQDu3Azi0BIe0hL7mwtqyIh_cd5xw2hp3G1Fh5MtT545p1dXyjO2Gew5sk4WJzB1lBVkadyTDZEZX86dDnZAE/s400/single_cupcake.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I've never quite understood the world's fascination with carrot cake, but everyone seems to love it. I do think these cupcakes are pretty cute with the pecan on top, and I love cream cheese frosting, but carrot cake will never be my cake flavor of choice. To each his own...<br />
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By the way, if you don't already use an ice cream scoop to fill cupcake liners, I highly recommend it. It makes the whole process go much more quickly and I also think it makes it easier to fill the wells uniformly. Remember, each one should be filled just over halfway (for most recipes).<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Carrot Cake Cupcakes</b>: Makes About 16 Cupcakes (or 48 minis)</div><div style="text-align: center;">(Adapted from <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/zucdolswesugb-20/detail/0618443363">Dorie Greenspan</a>)</div><div style="text-align: center;">A triple batch fits fine in a 5-quart stand mixer.</div><br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;">1 cup flour</span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">1 teaspoons baking powder<br />
1 teaspoons baking soda<br />
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots<br />
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans (or walnuts) + more for decoration<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
1/2 cup canola oil</span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">2 eggs<br />
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Position oven racks to divide the oven into thirds. Preheat the oven to 325</span>°F. <span style="font-style: italic;">Place paper liners in 16 cupcake wells. It's ok to leave a couple of wells open.<br />
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Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.<br />
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In another bowl, stir together the carrots and nuts.<br />
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In another bowl, preferably with a stand mixer, beat the sugar and oil together on medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, and continue to beat until the batter is even smoother.<br />
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Reduce speed to low, and add the flour mixture, mixing just until combined.<br />
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Gently stir in the carrots and nuts. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake holders; each one should be filled between halfway and 2/3 full. Bake for 15-17 minutes. The cupcakes are done when a toothpick just comes out clean. Cool completely on rack. Be sure that they are completely cool before frosting.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Cream Cheese Frosting </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> (adapted from Martha Stewart)</i></div><br />
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla<br />
1 stick butter (4 ounces), room temperature, in small pieces<br />
2 cups powdered sugar<br />
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<i>Beat cream cheese on medium speed for several minutes, until creamy. It's hard to get out all the lumps, but keep beating! </i><br />
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<i>Add vanilla.</i><br />
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<i>Gradually add butter while beating on medium speed. This will take several minutes. Turn up to high speed for 30-60 seconds; frosting should be smooth.</i><br />
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<i>On low speed, add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. If the frosting is stiff enough to pipe, you can use it now, but depending on the temperature in your kitchen, you may want to refrigerate it before using. </i><br />
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<i>If it's too stiff after refrigeration, just mix again for 30 seconds or so.</i><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">It's been months since I posted any chocolate and peanut butter treats, that's just not right! So here's another. I don't need to convince you how great the flavor combination is. I made this as one of several desserts for a party for my Abstract Algebra students. I never have students over without serving cheesecake, it's so easy and quick, it serves a lot, most people really like it, and there are endless flavor combinations! And it can be made ahead of time, perfect for parties! You could definitely serve this on an oreo crust if you prefer, but I really like the brownie texture.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Brownie Base</span> (adapted from <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/coffee-brownie-torte-recipe">King Arthur Flour</a>)</div><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">12 tablespoons (6 ounces) unsalted butter</span> <span id="block" style="font-style: italic;"> </span><br />
<span id="block" style="font-style: italic;">1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder</span><br />
<span id="block" style="font-style: italic;">3 large eggs</span><br />
<span id="block" style="font-style: italic;">1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) sugar</span><br />
<span id="block" style="font-style: italic;">3/4 cup (3 ounces) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour<br />
1/8 teaspoon salt</span><br />
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<span id="block" style="font-style: italic;"> Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour (or spray with baking spray) a 9 x 9 square or 10" round springform pan.<br />
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Melt the butter and stir in the cocoa powder. Cover, and set aside to cool.<br />
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Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs for 3 minutes (longer if you're using a hand mixer), then gradually add the sugar, beating 2 to 3 minutes more. Stir in the butter/chocolate mixture. Gently fold in the flour and salt, just until combined.<br />
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Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs. Cool completely.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO21XMIBZCxK_tClcYts57XqZa1QUDovAlSucEtx-FwRU8v5PM_cgXGobbaqZMFzRsxw9KFJ30Rr_jJboC4a33XzMs09WIhwnautXbz2Tl_OiELfuOzpU8joO7paP_GhhwsTUpk57dNhk/s1600/Whole_Cheesecake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO21XMIBZCxK_tClcYts57XqZa1QUDovAlSucEtx-FwRU8v5PM_cgXGobbaqZMFzRsxw9KFJ30Rr_jJboC4a33XzMs09WIhwnautXbz2Tl_OiELfuOzpU8joO7paP_GhhwsTUpk57dNhk/s400/Whole_Cheesecake.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span id="block">Peanut Butter Cheesecake </span></b><span id="block" style="font-style: italic;"><br />
</span></div><br />
2 pounds (32 ounces) cream cheese<br />
1 cup peanut butter (not the natural kind that you have to stir)<br />
1 1/3 cup sugar<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla<br />
4 eggs<br />
1/3 cup sour cream<br />
1 cup heavy cream<span id="block" style="font-style: italic;"> </span><br />
<span id="block" style="font-style: italic;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Be sure to have all ingredients at room temperature, especially the eggs and cream cheese. This will help keep cracks from forming in the top of the cheesecake.</span><br />
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<span id="block" style="font-style: italic;">Preheat the oven to 325°F (if you're doing the cheesecake the next day; otherwise just reduce the oven temperature). Put a kettle of water on to boil for the water bath. Wrap springform pan in 3-4 layers of aluminum foil to prevent (or lessen at least!) leakage.<br />
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In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese at medium speed for about 4 minutes, until soft and creamy. Add the peanut butter and beat for another 2-3 minutes. Add the sugar and beat for another 4 minutes. Beat in the salt and vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well (about 1 minute) and scraping sides of bowl after each addition. Beating at low speed, add the sour cream and heavy cream. The batter will be thin.<br />
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</span><span id="block" style="font-style: italic;">(Note: If you're using a hand mixer, you will want to increase the mixing times).</span><br />
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<span id="block" style="font-style: italic;">Pour the remaining batter on top of the cooled brownie base. You'll want to leave a little room (half-inch or so) at the very top of the pan, but it should be nearly full (depending on your pan size and your base, you may have a little extra batter which can be cooked in small cake pans or muffin tins). <br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Place the cheesecake in the pan for the waterbath, and place in the oven. Pour the boiling water in for the water bath, it should come about halfway up the side of the springform. Bake the cheesecake for about 55-65 minutes: it should hold together and appear set at the edges, but there will still be a lot of jiggle in the center. Turn the oven off, and leave the cheesecake in the oven for another hour. After one hour, remove the cake from the water bath, and let it finish cooling on the counter top. Remove the foil, and refrigerate overnight.</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOPUqiFFwEbmhECQmFZvRHu-sBsV36d4gOCaPng2PywDnD69boVEtdubBDbe3rUmASwT3zDP7FEbMybgRESPEGyh0EybECLOgeE39XurD8REzpfmLkMUWb4On-c13mtfCa2MoLr5STs6I/s1600/still_in_springform.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOPUqiFFwEbmhECQmFZvRHu-sBsV36d4gOCaPng2PywDnD69boVEtdubBDbe3rUmASwT3zDP7FEbMybgRESPEGyh0EybECLOgeE39XurD8REzpfmLkMUWb4On-c13mtfCa2MoLr5STs6I/s400/still_in_springform.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span id="block"><b>Ganache Topping </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="block">5 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="block">3 fluid ounces heavy cream </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="block"><span style="font-style: italic;">Place the chopped chocolate in a medium-sized bowl. Bring the heavy cream to a boil, and pour over the chocolate. Let sit for one minute, then stir until smooth. Let the ganache cool to lukewarm or even room temperature, and then pour over the chilled cheesecake. Spread the ganache evenly over the entire cheesecake, and return to the fridge to set.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="block"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="block"><span style="font-style: italic;">Bring the cheesecake to room temperature before serving. Run a thin sharp knife around the edge of the spring form pan before removing the outer rim of the pan.</span></span><span id="block"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></div><br />
<span id="block"><span style="font-style: italic;">A warm knife works best for cutting the cheesecake, you may want to wipe it clean between slices. </span></span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i>How To Keep Your Cheesecake from Cracking</i></b></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1. The water bath greatly helps prevent cracks in your cheesecake, because it makes the cheesecake cook more slowly. The problem is that water almost always leaks into the springform pan. You can use a regular cake pan, rather than a spring form - no leaks, but you have to flip the cheesecake out, and then flip again to make it right side up. That's kinda scary. When using an oreo or brownie base, the small amount of water that leaks in can make the crust a little fudgier which I like. So I usually use the water bath, and wrap it with at least 3 layers of aluminum foil.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2. It's very important to have all ingredients at room temperature. Take the eggs, sour cream, and cream cheese out of the refrigerator way ahead of time. But, of course, life happens, and sometimes you forget! You can fake it if you have to: let the eggs rest in warm water for 10-15 minutes to bring them to room temperature. You can also microwave the cream cheese (not too much! use 5-10 second increments and low power) to bring it to room temperature.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3. Don't overbake the cheesecake. The middle should still jiggle a lot when you turn the oven off.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4. Some people swear by just reducing the oven temperature and letting the cheesecake bake for longer (with no water bath). I've never tried this method, but let me know if you do!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">5. Cracks come from quick and drastic temperature changes. The water bath keeps the cheesecake from baking too quickly, and leaving the cheesecake in the oven keeps it from cooling too quickly. Placing a warm cheesecake in the fridge may also cause cracks.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>6. Even if it cracks, it still tastes great, so don't worry about it! And if it really bothers you, make a sour cream or chocolate ganache topping and cover it up. No one will ever know. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpT1iFhwTLRAUG5BCukH895CY0SL8XYIoVn0z4iFa4LApFeZvkDeWkbivo5W4teSfniWgKVWSP9QrVDf_HeqmLma-e73rxtLUuZ-SQusn7-WojXSxiMHIFdINswZyGXS3K3yYgaDZJOD4/s1600/pb_cheesecake_slice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="337" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpT1iFhwTLRAUG5BCukH895CY0SL8XYIoVn0z4iFa4LApFeZvkDeWkbivo5W4teSfniWgKVWSP9QrVDf_HeqmLma-e73rxtLUuZ-SQusn7-WojXSxiMHIFdINswZyGXS3K3yYgaDZJOD4/s400/pb_cheesecake_slice.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span id="block"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00353582428020194161noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760398568285188165.post-31414905126582075042010-06-05T11:57:00.002-04:002010-06-20T14:55:37.461-04:00Almond Cake with Chocolate Raspberry Filling & Chocolate Frosting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis0uVyDzJl_McBdpJjCERDhMazUHzPjPXQ-TCZ5c9zdG7JEIM-RM10I6NZPK4rST4TOycj6LOr8UbVSDHF7fwbDhVXsNKcNa28hR3KfHFLOaU85LkTg8_L5FQS9I5pwah4dVX2ad5_o38/s1600/sunlit_top_cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis0uVyDzJl_McBdpJjCERDhMazUHzPjPXQ-TCZ5c9zdG7JEIM-RM10I6NZPK4rST4TOycj6LOr8UbVSDHF7fwbDhVXsNKcNa28hR3KfHFLOaU85LkTg8_L5FQS9I5pwah4dVX2ad5_o38/s400/sunlit_top_cake.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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Do you own 6" cake pans yet? I love mine! If you like to bake, and don't want to gain 5 pounds, you should definitely invest in some 6" pans. You can usually just half the recipe for a 9" cake, and make it as a 6" instead - no complicated math required! If you're intimidated by the thought of putting together a big layer cake, a 6" is also a little less scary. The smaller layers are less likely to break while you're assembling the cake, and frosting the 6" is just a little bit easier than a bigger, unwieldy cake.<br />
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I didn't get to eat any of this cake unfortunately (it was for a <a href="http://www.zuccherodolce.com/">Zucchero Dolce</a> order), so I don't have any shots of the inside. I'll just have to make it again soon so I can get you some more pictures... yeah, that's the reason I need to make it again soon. Really it is...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7JEctmGYHbnxkpQfy4ouzFBux5EXxGPifuyOKkihmDjzg4sOVt_41joxar_a-46_LCMNyapcUxu8DbYKmytRMU2XbnOQqTxrfF47dy7mA2-Urqt1sxlsIjqLuZ2rBOAiWLqlWGzzAsxA/s1600/almond_coated_sides.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7JEctmGYHbnxkpQfy4ouzFBux5EXxGPifuyOKkihmDjzg4sOVt_41joxar_a-46_LCMNyapcUxu8DbYKmytRMU2XbnOQqTxrfF47dy7mA2-Urqt1sxlsIjqLuZ2rBOAiWLqlWGzzAsxA/s400/almond_coated_sides.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Almond Cake </b>(adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cake-Bible-Rose-Levy-Beranbaum/dp/0688044026/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275587752&sr=8-1">Rose Levy Beranbaum</a>)</div><br />
This recipe makes a 2-layer 6" cake. Double the recipe to make a 3-layer 9" cake, a 3-layer 8" cake, or a 2-layer 9" cake if your pans are a full 2" tall.<br />
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2 eggs<br />
2/3 cups sour cream, separated<br />
1 teaspoons almond extract<br />
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
1 2/3 cups cake flour, sifted<br />
1/3 cup finely ground almonds, toasted and preferably unblanched<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
12 tablespoons butter (6 ounces), room temperature<br />
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<i>Preheat oven to 350F. Spray 2 6" round cake pans with baking spray, line with parchment paper, and spray again </i><i>(you can probably skip the parchment if you spray well)</i><i>.</i><br />
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<i>In a medium bowl, stir together the eggs, about 1/4 (that's a little under 3 tablespoons) of the sour cream, and the extracts. Set aside. Don't worry, it won't be smooth or pretty.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all the dry ingredients - mix for 30 seconds. Add the butter and the remaining 1 cup of sour cream, and mix on low until combined. Mix on medium for 2 minutes to aerate batter. If you don't have a beater blade, scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently with a rubber spatula. Add the egg and sour cream mixture in 3 additions, beating 20 seconds after each addition.</i><br />
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<i>Split the batter between the cake pans, and smooth with a rubber spatula. Bake for 20-30 minutes until a toothpick just comes out clean. (that's a big time window, but cooking time can vary drastically with different ovens, so it's best to keep an eye on it).</i><br />
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</i><br />
<i>Let the cakes cook in their pans for about 10 minutes, then turn on to cooling rack. Cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap and chill until ready to frost.</i><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Chocolate Raspberry Ganache Filling</b></div><br />
<br />
3 ounces semisweet chocolate<br />
3 tablespoons butter<br />
1/3 cup raspberry puree*<br />
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To make the puree, I find it easiest to use frozen raspberries. Thaw (or microwave) the frozen berries, and puree in the blender or food processor. You'll need about 2 cups of berries to get 1/3 cup puree.<br />
<br />
Melt together the chocolate and butter in a double boiler or in a microwave (short 30 second spurts, stir in between or you're likely to burn the chocolate). Stir in the raspberry puree, and use to fill the cake. If you make this ahead of time, you may need to microwave it very briefly to bring it back to spreadable consistency.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Chocolate Frosting </b>(adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/ChocolateChocolate-Lisa-Yockelson/dp/0471428078/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275753565&sr=1-1">Chocolate Chocolate</a>)</div> <br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><style>
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</style> </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook";">4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter<o:p></o:p> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook";">2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled to tepid<o:p></o:p> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook";">2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled to tepid<o:p></o:p> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook";">Large pinch of salt<o:p></o:p> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook";">1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract<o:p></o:p> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook";">3-4 cups powdered sugar, sifted<o:p></o:p> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook";">3 fluid ounces (3/8 cup) milk, heated to tepid<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"><i>Beat butter on medium speed for 1-2 minutes.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div><br />
<div></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"><i>Blend in the melted chocolate, salt, vanilla, and 1 cup powdered sugar.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"><i> <o:p></o:p> </i></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"><i>Add in the rest of the powdered sugar in three additions, alternating with the milk in two additions (begin and end with the powdered sugar). Add more powdered sugar for heavier (this may be necessary if you want to pipe your frosting) frosting, or more milk for a creamier frosting. Use the frosting immediately. If it starts to harden before you're ready to frost, re-whip, adding a small amount of milk if necessary to restore the creamy consistency.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Assembly</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">About 1 cup ground almonds (I like salted)</div><div style="text-align: left;">2-3 tablespoons toasted slivered almonds (toast at 300F for 5-8 minutes)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Raspberries, lightly coated with sugar</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Be sure the cake is completely cool before frosting. I always chill my cakes to be safe, you don't want cake layers melting frosting and sliding every which way!). </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Place one cake layer on a serving plate or a cake board, and spread the chocolate raspberry ganache on top, leaving roughly a 1/4" border on the outer edges (the weight of the second layer will make the ganache spread to the edge). Top with the second cake layer, and chill if you have time (not long, even a half hour would be good if your kitchen is warm; you can assemble the whole thing at once if it's not too hot out). Cover the entire cake with chocolate frosting. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Cover the sides of the cake with the ground almonds while the frosting is still smooth and creamy (if you wait too long, the frosting will begin to harden and the nuts won't adhere to the cake). To cover with nuts, just scoop some nuts up in your hand and gently press in to the cake. Many many nuts will fall down on to the platter. Just keep scooping them back up and pressing on to the cake until it's covered. Work quickly, so the frosting doesn't harden.</div><br />
Pipe chocolate frosting<b> </b>around the edge of the cake if desired. Scatter the toasted slivered almonds on top, and to with raspberries. Serve at room temperature. Enjoy! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFD_Jwbzaaxtz9c4016xEDtz8BgoGkTJV12ucshdTzuwpUouk3nwTH1e9kcTC_RfGoyr5kXSXXRYy4hPczZPkshD206VhGYRbcnpTmvEWmYit_bJuNCEN8j53mlJD_B4DyJUhIXEjn1fc/s1600/Almond_Chocolate_Raspberry_Cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFD_Jwbzaaxtz9c4016xEDtz8BgoGkTJV12ucshdTzuwpUouk3nwTH1e9kcTC_RfGoyr5kXSXXRYy4hPczZPkshD206VhGYRbcnpTmvEWmYit_bJuNCEN8j53mlJD_B4DyJUhIXEjn1fc/s400/Almond_Chocolate_Raspberry_Cake.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00353582428020194161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760398568285188165.post-15175954229523394672010-06-03T12:44:00.001-04:002010-06-03T12:44:32.449-04:00Croquembouche - The Recipe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo6PKe-LdnDmHbt_jt0CIqvk4fpA18tAkoscCWPhvY4f2L8ZDWrw495Aj7LEgklff7O40Mft31WN5va6DqsW8bMBIb8JaCoMN1nKA_ZPss61jOYscmSvQbQ6c8IClY96UGIRp__CAblmA/s1600/cbouche_outside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo6PKe-LdnDmHbt_jt0CIqvk4fpA18tAkoscCWPhvY4f2L8ZDWrw495Aj7LEgklff7O40Mft31WN5va6DqsW8bMBIb8JaCoMN1nKA_ZPss61jOYscmSvQbQ6c8IClY96UGIRp__CAblmA/s400/cbouche_outside.jpg" width="372" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo by Amanda</span></div><br />
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Sorry to make you wait, here's the recipe for the Croquembouche with the Daring Bakers. As I mentioned, it didn't quite turn out to be the towering beauty I longed for, but after doing it once, I'll do it again - much sooner. Amanda and I made this for her birthday (along with a raspberry ice cream cake); everyone seemed to have fun disassembling the pyramid.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Chocolate Pastry Cream</b></div><br />
2 cups milk<br />
1/4 cup cornstarch<br />
3/4 cup sugar<br />
2 eggs<br />
4 egg yolks<br />
4 tablespoons butter (2 ounces), cut into several small pieces<br />
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Dissolve cornstarch in 1/2 cup of the milk. Combine the remaining milk with the sugar in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Beat the eggs and yolks into the cornstarch mixture. Slowly pour the milk/sugar mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly (you don't want to cook the eggs). Strain.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Return to heat (medium/high flame), and continue whisking until the cream thickens. After the cream comes to a boil (little blips, not an active boil), cook one more minute; keep whisking!</i><br />
<br />
<i>Remove from heat, and stir in the butter, chocolate, and vanilla and melted chocolate. Cool completely in the refrigerator or over an ice bath. The ice bath will cool the cream more quickly.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ls8K_t_sHlZgrKCSieYwH9Mc9nCIRqLNGhHq2sUxc_dAEDykdD9Wj0BSChspOXkwb89kxaMooAEYYsi_cwIjLsQOyDWr95DaV5q1-banZ8O0uNIe78gETO8LoeX0PBMj4qOodKlyRrE/s1600/c'bouche_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ls8K_t_sHlZgrKCSieYwH9Mc9nCIRqLNGhHq2sUxc_dAEDykdD9Wj0BSChspOXkwb89kxaMooAEYYsi_cwIjLsQOyDWr95DaV5q1-banZ8O0uNIe78gETO8LoeX0PBMj4qOodKlyRrE/s400/c'bouche_1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Choux Pastry</b> (from Nick Malgieri)</div><br />
3/4 cup water<br />
6 tablespoons butter<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
1 cup flour (all-purpose is fine, we used bread flour)<br />
4-5 eggs (approximately)<br />
<br />
<i>Preheat oven to 425°F.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Combine water, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. When the mixture starts to boil, remove from heat and stir in flour.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Return to heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixtures dries slightly and begins to leave the sides of the pan. Transfer to a bowl, and let stand for 5 minutes to cool; if using a stand mixer, beat for one minute to cool.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Beat in the eggs, one at a time; be sure to wait until each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. You might not need the entire fourth egg; you might need another half egg. The dough should be stiff enough to pipe; if you swipe your finger through the dough, it should close up on itself fairly quickly.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Immediately pipe the dough into small mounds (about an inch in diameter) and bake for about 10 minutes or until well-risen. Lower the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking until completely dry (another 20-25 minutes most likely). It should be completely firm when you take it out of the oven or it will collapse; usually it needs another 20 minutes in the oven after it starts to look done.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>You'll get about 45 puffs if you keep them small. </i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Caramel Glaze </b>(from <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/caramel-for-marthas-famous-croquembouche">Martha Stewart</a>)<b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">1 cup sugar</div><div style="text-align: justify;">2 tablespoons water</div><div style="text-align: justify;">1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice </div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Prepare an ice-water bath large enough for your pan of caramel to sit inside. </i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Bring the sugar, water, and lemon juice to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Use a wet pastry brush to wash down the sides of the pan so that sugar crystals do not form there. Without stirring, cook until the sugar dissolves, 5-6 minutes. Raise the heat to high, and cook until the syrup is a medium-deep amber color, continually swirling the pan by lifting it just off the heat. This will take another 5 minutes or so. When the color is how you want it (you may want to test a small drop on a white plates to get an accurate color reading), remove the caramel from the heat and set the bottom of the pan in the ice bath to stop it from cooking. If your ice-water bath isn't ready yet, the caramel will burn while you're preparing it. Use the caramel immediately.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLoIqWmT6xoV82y8P1sv_PBWqMljmAlZrPI7dCbBQo7qTszfBo5ZuhnRxmnLp6yr0mmzGTipopDIpvzRmi2D2T9z9aOTQI_jaMEwNBwZDYb-TjyfeVVLhfrm09ucumpjK5efBICZ_fEeo/s1600/caramel_puffs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLoIqWmT6xoV82y8P1sv_PBWqMljmAlZrPI7dCbBQo7qTszfBo5ZuhnRxmnLp6yr0mmzGTipopDIpvzRmi2D2T9z9aOTQI_jaMEwNBwZDYb-TjyfeVVLhfrm09ucumpjK5efBICZ_fEeo/s400/caramel_puffs.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Assembly</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Make the pastry cream, as directed above.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Make the choux pastry, as directed above.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">When the puffs and pastry cream are completely cool, fill each of the puffs with the cream. Take a sharp knife and cut a small hole in the bottom of each puff (put the point of the knife through, then twist to get a circular hole), large enough for the very tip of your pastry cream bag to fit through. Next, fill your pastry bag (or large ziplock bag) with pastry cream (put a round tip at the bottom, or just cut the tip of the bag off so that the opening is about 1/4" in diameter; fold the edges of the pastry bag down a couple of inches, and fill the bag with cream; fold up the edges of the bag, push the cream down towards the tip, and twist the top so you don't get leakage out the wrong end!). Fill each puff with cream; you will know to stop when the puff begins to feel heavy, and it feels like more pressure would be required to let any more cream out. If you push too hard, the cream may burst through small cracks on the top or sides of the puff.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Next, make the caramel glaze, as directed above.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Now you're ready to build your tower. Amanda and I assembled our tower free-hand. Next time, I'll make a cone and use that as a mold (see <a href="http://lacerise.blogspot.com/2009/02/croquembouche-project.html">here</a> for a much larger and prettier croquembouche). Dip the bottom of each puff in the caramel, and set on parchment paper (caramel side up). Reheat the caramel if it begins to get too thick. I've seen many pictures of these with a heavy dose of caramel on each puff (like ours), but I think I prefer the look of the thinner glaze. </div><br />
Make the spun sugar, if desired. I think I'll hold off on posting the directions here until I do it again with more success. <br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9hohxjwSpC0hA8iyG_fxq9I8VRjEmkCA2U_GH7_2in9-45fOa01ibCaTCnWN7cA9G2OsKj-RAfi3KoRNOdr2OgY9aX_4KvNQDx9FepAwfdO5VSjIO8G9sY-_ZbNqNkGf-UBOo1TRf9fg/s1600/Spun_sugar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9hohxjwSpC0hA8iyG_fxq9I8VRjEmkCA2U_GH7_2in9-45fOa01ibCaTCnWN7cA9G2OsKj-RAfi3KoRNOdr2OgY9aX_4KvNQDx9FepAwfdO5VSjIO8G9sY-_ZbNqNkGf-UBOo1TRf9fg/s400/Spun_sugar.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00353582428020194161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760398568285188165.post-80611325024832766472010-05-27T22:19:00.000-04:002010-05-27T22:19:34.451-04:00Croquembouche with the Daring BakersI've been meaning to make a Croquembouche (also known as <span style="font-size: small;">a </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">piece montée) for months and months, and I finally did it. Not quite as eye-catching as I'd like, but it'll be better next time. I'll have the whole recipe and more pics really really soon, but here's one to tide you over!</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIeJB1sVzcu3E0iQ9mU91AzFNpMqjqB86SgAq6psZenZWwVyimPnqpofK7k6-6ytJteZlgolLBmOU6guuDUfIzkbqkmhc-7MJBMJzjiBJ4k0yjvB7TE18-_iKd4GgnNhGCPagVZ4V1rzc/s1600/c'bouche_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIeJB1sVzcu3E0iQ9mU91AzFNpMqjqB86SgAq6psZenZWwVyimPnqpofK7k6-6ytJteZlgolLBmOU6guuDUfIzkbqkmhc-7MJBMJzjiBJ4k0yjvB7TE18-_iKd4GgnNhGCPagVZ4V1rzc/s400/c'bouche_1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Fine print: </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The May 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Cat of<a href="http://www.littlemisscupcakeparis.blogspot.com/"> Little Miss Cupcake</a>. Cat challenged everyone to make a piece montée, or croquembouche, based on recipes from Peter Kump’s Baking School in Manhattan and Nick Malgieri.</span>Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00353582428020194161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760398568285188165.post-69889203003273093702010-05-23T21:21:00.000-04:002010-05-23T21:21:33.490-04:00Lemon Squares<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6lCM_i-B4ZX3zKqHDerNByrJecnbQYpkj5YAZOClpsiWD7w0gf3AUtCbV0YY1gPwBuMTSIXNGkVElcPuouuHrWN5DHtd4XFV2bUsnLef2brWgcC-mCfLgU5HecUhR5Bxlr26ZWU7k3Es/s1600/lemon_bar2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6lCM_i-B4ZX3zKqHDerNByrJecnbQYpkj5YAZOClpsiWD7w0gf3AUtCbV0YY1gPwBuMTSIXNGkVElcPuouuHrWN5DHtd4XFV2bUsnLef2brWgcC-mCfLgU5HecUhR5Bxlr26ZWU7k3Es/s400/lemon_bar2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I promise, my baking repertoire includes more than just layer cakes! Take these lemon squares for instance. They're not overly sweet, but they have a strong lemony flavor. My only complaint about lemon squares is that after you've completed the none-too-short tasks of juicing and zesting the lemons, putting together the crust, and baking the final treats, you're left with... lemon bars. They taste great, but as I stare at my bare, disemboweled lemons, I always feel like I've earned something just a little fancier.<br />
<br />
Three cake orders in the next week though, so many more layer cakes to come! And a really fun Daring Bakers Challenge this Thursday - stay tuned!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpEPW2E8NKT6Deo1OjmKmEuoGAzxbTMCLoVtWy6qFAWzNNoXFpfRvEguaPtxEtXnyOSVYkfmuLNEhFioOQBz6HNlrBteOQ3RkFUhF6BNVwhGXMMtz1O_aRMqQ0Ebfl3GF928jcfaReUg/s1600/lots_of_lemon_squares.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpEPW2E8NKT6Deo1OjmKmEuoGAzxbTMCLoVtWy6qFAWzNNoXFpfRvEguaPtxEtXnyOSVYkfmuLNEhFioOQBz6HNlrBteOQ3RkFUhF6BNVwhGXMMtz1O_aRMqQ0Ebfl3GF928jcfaReUg/s400/lots_of_lemon_squares.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Lemon Squares</b> (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Williams-Sonoma-Collection-Cookies-Marie-Simmons/d%20p/0743226836/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274286393&sr=8-1">Williams Sonoma Cookies</a>)</div><br />
<b>Crust</b><br />
<br />
1 cup flour<br />
1/4 cup powdered sugar<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
1 teaspoon lemon zest<br />
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Preheat the oven to 350F. Line an 8" x 8" pan with foil; let the foil hang over the sides. Spray the foil with baking spray.<br />
</i><br />
<i>Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Cut in the butter until crumbly using two knives or your fingers (don't use your fingers if you have warm hands, you don't want the butter to melt at all). Pour the dough into the pan, and spread evenly.<br />
<br />
Bake for 22-25 minutes, until the crust is golden at the edges.</i> <i>While the crust is baking, prepare the filling.</i> <i>Reduce the oven temperature to 325F when you remove the crust.</i><br />
<br />
<b>Filling </b><br />
<br />
3 tablespoons flour<br />
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice<br />
3 eggs<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
1 tablespoon lemon zest<br />
pinch salt<br />
<br />
<i>Whisk together the flour and lemon juice. Add the eggs, sugar, zest, and salt, and whisk until smooth. Pour the filling into the baked crust. Bake for 30 minutes, until center is springy.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Cool completely in pan. Remove from pan by lifting foil. Cut into squares or strips. Dust with powdered sugar immediately before serving.</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaoWVyRB3AHaIwCfybxrgKl-_59DXR8JWPjtBrxYEnKQ_A4bp7dHHMQf2UjYGjw0Gep_0et4x1QoqgJdhDSEQwuq9qY2PesoLF8JBPLQjtdjMxBrhrqj0hRr-56OlNLMENFi0LhxHdeYI/s1600/lemon_bar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaoWVyRB3AHaIwCfybxrgKl-_59DXR8JWPjtBrxYEnKQ_A4bp7dHHMQf2UjYGjw0Gep_0et4x1QoqgJdhDSEQwuq9qY2PesoLF8JBPLQjtdjMxBrhrqj0hRr-56OlNLMENFi0LhxHdeYI/s400/lemon_bar.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00353582428020194161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760398568285188165.post-84351791487842636442010-05-17T21:02:00.000-04:002010-05-17T21:02:13.123-04:00Mint Chocolate Layer Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicBX81budMw15g0f5ixdT41eyFy9MxycLacF2JeNHQRA4K8LrknJMqXL8Jyrftk4h8Qabe8fAUUInlCLICNhUKNh3roLbv41xrvHOU-i-TxbtWgzya6sjzB-MyZI3kget9QJzwtVojqiQ/s1600/mint_chocolate_cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicBX81budMw15g0f5ixdT41eyFy9MxycLacF2JeNHQRA4K8LrknJMqXL8Jyrftk4h8Qabe8fAUUInlCLICNhUKNh3roLbv41xrvHOU-i-TxbtWgzya6sjzB-MyZI3kget9QJzwtVojqiQ/s400/mint_chocolate_cake.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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It's rare that you eat a piece of chocolate cake and feel as refreshed as if you had just brushed your teeth. But mint does that, even when it's combined with lots of chocolate. I've been using the chocolate and mint flavor combination a lot recently, and only by request, but I just may be coming around to this dynamic duo myself.<br />
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No picture of the inside of the cake, as it was an order - but I really like the look of the white filling against the dark cake layers. And if you're really feeling adventurous, dye the filling green!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitr0xa0mbWykdae3QhCvembZq__6di7A3Eh9YOt8b-rfC34vI7LOlf94wkRL6CWvrJGXuS1LmGvAOwAAgLz8mXPEE52prNgMbC6Jvu5Fl2uSMUpUhiAvBHgJMhQs5rSfIKoS27NVON-Gc/s1600/close-up_top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitr0xa0mbWykdae3QhCvembZq__6di7A3Eh9YOt8b-rfC34vI7LOlf94wkRL6CWvrJGXuS1LmGvAOwAAgLz8mXPEE52prNgMbC6Jvu5Fl2uSMUpUhiAvBHgJMhQs5rSfIKoS27NVON-Gc/s400/close-up_top.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
This recipe is for a 2-layer 6" cake. You can double the recipe for a 3-layer 9" cake.<br />
<br />
<b>Chocolate Cake</b> (adapted from Bon Appetit)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">1 1/2 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
3/4 cups hot brewed coffee*</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">1 1/2 cups sugar</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch processed)</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">1 teaspoon baking soda</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">scant 1/2 teaspoon baking powder</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">3/4 teaspoons Kosher salt</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
2 large eggs</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">(use 3 eggs rather than 4 if you double the recipe)<br />
3/8 cup (that's 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons, or 6 fluid ounces) vegetable oil</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">scant 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract</span><br />
<br />
<br />
*You can replace the coffee with half whole milk, half water if you're baking for kids. The coffee flavor is barely discernible in the cake, it just enhances the flavor of the chocolate.<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
Preheat the oven to 300°F and spray 2 6" pans with baking spray. Line bottoms with rounds of parchment paper and spray paper as well (you can get away without the parchment paper if you spray the pans very well and if your pans are good quality). </span> <br />
<div style="font-style: italic;"><br />
</div><div style="font-style: italic;">Finely chop the chocolate and place in a medium bowl; pour hot coffee over the chocolate. Let stand for one minute, then stir until chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. </div><div style="font-style: italic;"><br />
</div><div style="font-style: italic;">Whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.</div><div style="font-style: italic;"><br />
</div><div style="font-style: italic;">In another large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes with a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a hand-held mixer).</div><div style="font-style: italic;">Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined well.</div><div style="font-style: italic;">Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined well.</div><div style="font-style: italic;"><br />
</div><div style="font-style: italic;">Divide batter between pans and bake in the middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 50-65 minutes. </div><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Cool the cake layers completely in pans on racks. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove parchment paper and cool layers completely.</span><br />
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<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Mint Filling</b><br />
<br />
1 stick butter (4 ounces), room temperature<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
3/4 teaspoon mint extract (or 1/4 teaspoon mint oil)<br />
3 cups (about 12 ounces) powdered sugar<br />
3-4 tablespoons milk<br />
<o:p></o:p> <br />
<br />
<i>In a large bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer. Add the vanilla and mint extracts. Gradually add one cup of sugar, beating well on medium speed. Scrape the bowl. Add the remaining sugar, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the sugar.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Add more powdered sugar to make the frosting stiffer, more milk or water to make frosting creamier.</i><br />
<br />
To save time or to really overload on the chocolate, you may want to use the mint chocolate frosting to fill the cake as well. I personally like to cut the chocolate a little with a different filling.<br />
<br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Mint Chocolate Frosting</b><br />
<o:p></o:p> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">4 1/2 tablespoons butter (2 1/4 ounces)<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">2 ounces unsweetened chocolate<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">2 ounces semisweet chocolate<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">A pinch of salt<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">1 teaspoon vanilla extract<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">3/4 teaspoon mint extract (or 1/4 teaspoon mint oil)<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">3 cups (about 12 ounces) powdered sugar<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">3 ounces (1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons) milk, heated to lukewarm<o:p></o:p></div><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><i>Beat butter on medium speed for 1-2 minutes.<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Blend in the melted chocolate, salt, vanilla, mint, and 1 cup powdered sugar.</i><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Add in the rest of the powdered sugar in three additions, alternating with the milk in two additions (begin and end with the powdered sugar). Add more powdered sugar for heavier (this may be necessary if you want to pipe your frosting) frosting, or more milk for a creamier frosting. Use immediately.</i><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Assembly</b><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
Be sure to chill the cakes before frosting. Place a layer of chocolate cake on a plate or cake board, and place scraps of parchment paper between the cake and plate/board. Spread a thick layer of mint frosting on top, leaving a 1/2" border at the edge (the weight of the second layer will cause the frosting to spread towards the edges). You may have some filling left over. Freeze for a later use (you can use it in place of the mint layer of <a href="http://zuccherodolce.blogspot.com/2010/03/mint-chocolate-brownies-for-st-patricks.html">chocolate mint brownies</a>). Top with the remaining cake layer, and chill while you prepare the chocolate frosting. Frost the cake as soon as the chocolate mint frosting is done - if you can't, you'll need to rewhip the frosting, and you might need to add some milk.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Decorate with shaved chocolate and mint leaves, if desired.<o:p></o:p></div>Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00353582428020194161noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760398568285188165.post-47005584602993674792010-05-16T23:50:00.001-04:002010-06-20T15:13:36.846-04:00Birthday Cake 2010: Almond, Chocolate, Praline & Brown Butter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAkkKb9R_dZt68h_I8_s0D27c3f1FjJdF621TPZ10II0TVlomkLq6ARDeFDNsH21aUBqSs1p4tzk-vycyaX79GRlKjqvoUs5JtqJoPdl6-QOQigSatRxHw78H1DfqrZwMTHw3eqS5I7tk/s1600/Whole_Cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="337" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAkkKb9R_dZt68h_I8_s0D27c3f1FjJdF621TPZ10II0TVlomkLq6ARDeFDNsH21aUBqSs1p4tzk-vycyaX79GRlKjqvoUs5JtqJoPdl6-QOQigSatRxHw78H1DfqrZwMTHw3eqS5I7tk/s400/Whole_Cake.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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Wow, it's been over 3 weeks since my birthday, and I'm just getting you the recipe now. It's been a crazy two months - lots of orders, exams to grade, finals to write. But Friday was my last class until February, so I should be here a lot more often in the coming months. I have been baking this whole time, and I have all sorts of things just waiting to post!<br />
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For the past four years, I've made a <a href="http://zuccherodolce.blogspot.com/2009/04/chocolate-and-peanut-butter-cake.html">peanut butter cake with chocolate ganache and cream cheese frosting</a> for my birthday, but I decided to change it up this year. This year, I made a raspberry ice cream cake (coming soon) and an almond cake with chocolate praline ganache filling and brown butter moscato d'asti frosting. It went over really well. I couldn't taste the wine in the frosting as much as I would have liked, so I'll try to remedy that next time, but otherwise I think I'll leave it as is for next time.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkTsvlDA4udM8iA4XnlNABe2c7hzWtuV_WQibC3F5zlfMJ_fIheoVnJ5Miz4d0CIg3LI8GjbQeuN8ixvNnRR6aPR4Y-TEZ03Ohk1XDDzd_Dw1NELIbTos3Kd1YPCl8xr2AhyR8xHq6dtk/s1600/Cake_Slice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkTsvlDA4udM8iA4XnlNABe2c7hzWtuV_WQibC3F5zlfMJ_fIheoVnJ5Miz4d0CIg3LI8GjbQeuN8ixvNnRR6aPR4Y-TEZ03Ohk1XDDzd_Dw1NELIbTos3Kd1YPCl8xr2AhyR8xHq6dtk/s400/Cake_Slice.jpg" width="308" /></a></div><b> </b><br />
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<b>Almond Cake</b> (adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cake-Bible-Rose-Levy-Beranbaum/dp/0688044026/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274068218&sr=8-1">Rose Levy Beranbaum</a>): makes 3 9" layers<br />
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<br />
4 eggs<br />
1 1/3 cups sour cream, separated<br />
2 teaspoons almond extract<br />
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
3 1/3 cups cake flour, sifted<br />
2/3 cups finely ground almonds, toasted and preferably unblanched<br />
2 cups sugar<br />
1 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
3 sticks butter (12 ounces), room temperature<br />
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<i>Preheat oven to 350F. Spray 3 9" round cake pans with baking spray, line with parchment paper, and spray again.</i><br />
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<i>In a medium bowl, stir together the eggs, 1/3 cup of the sour cream, and the extracts. Set aside. Don't worry, it won't be smooth or pretty.</i><br />
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</i><br />
<i>In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all the dry ingredients - mix for 30 seconds. Add the butter and the remaining 1 cup of sour cream, and mix on low until combined. Mix on medium for 2 minutes to aerate batter. </i><i>Add the egg and sour cream mixture in 3 additions, beating 20 seconds after each addition.</i><br />
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<i>Split the batter between the cake pans, and smooth with a rubber spatula. Bake for 30-40 minutes until a toothpick just comes out clean. </i><br />
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</i><br />
<i>Let the cakes cook in their pans for about 10 minutes, then turn on to cooling rack. Cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap and chill until ready to frost.</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHJZjoFGtC3JfiiHUMiZojEFHlcIWGnca5ce2T9VOqjcYtieJTjpXxps2qSXmoB72rgTecX4EbN8c8VgYy58fhOZGNvItqPeStlfxklly9bzA4-y3TDpirg6HBimj3cKs06C0-TPiFk7Q/s1600/Trim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHJZjoFGtC3JfiiHUMiZojEFHlcIWGnca5ce2T9VOqjcYtieJTjpXxps2qSXmoB72rgTecX4EbN8c8VgYy58fhOZGNvItqPeStlfxklly9bzA4-y3TDpirg6HBimj3cKs06C0-TPiFk7Q/s400/Trim.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<b>Chocolate Praline Ganache Filling</b><br />
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6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped<br />
3/4 cup heavy cream<br />
1/2 cup praline <br />
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<i>Place the chocolate in a bowl; it doesn't have to be chopped finely, but you don't want any pieces that are much bigger than a blueberry. Bring the cream to a boil, and pour over the chocolate. Stir in the praline if desired, and chill.</i><br />
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<i>The ganache should be fairly thick before you spread it on the cake, you don't want it to squish out the sides when you place the cake layers over it. A couple of hours in the fridge should be sufficient. If it's too thick to spread when you remove from the fridge, just microwave on half power for 10 seconds or so and stir.</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhroy3ikVj_9RRu7H57wZjg01hvWhSM8kB1DZhesHiDNG4iE4um831OBLg6ZtXk171HmzUmzBeTgjmxLry5BeXWbDhQr6BCTooTWSbePUa_Dpt_e5vTz1xOzEQTClSzbrrLki7zOEFI0ok/s1600/calla_lillies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhroy3ikVj_9RRu7H57wZjg01hvWhSM8kB1DZhesHiDNG4iE4um831OBLg6ZtXk171HmzUmzBeTgjmxLry5BeXWbDhQr6BCTooTWSbePUa_Dpt_e5vTz1xOzEQTClSzbrrLki7zOEFI0ok/s400/calla_lillies.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<b>Brown Butter & Moscato d'Asti Frosting </b>(enough to frost and decorate (but not fill) a 9" 3-layer cake)<b><br />
</b><br />
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3 sticks butter, browned<br />
1 1/2 pounds powdered sugar<br />
6-8 tablespoons heavy cream<br />
6-8 tablespoons Frangelico (or water or your choice of liqueur)<br />
Pinch of Kosher salt (optional)<br />
1 tablespoon vanilla extract <br />
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<i>Brown the butter, pour through a fine meshed sieve into a heatproof bowl, and set aside to cool. Wait for it to cool completely.<br />
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Pour the cooled brown butter into mixer bowl (paddle attachment). Add about 1/3 of the powdered sugar, and beat. Add the caramel syrup, and continue beating. Add half the remaining powdered sugar, and beat. Add the 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of heavy cream, and beat until smooth. Add more cream if you'd like the frosting to be softer, and more powdered sugar if you'd like it to be stiffer. Add salt if desired.</i><br />
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<i>Dye the frosting if desired. Refrigerate until ready to use. Re-whip the frosting right before use. If it's been in the refrigerator long (say over night), you might need to let it sit for an hour or two before it's ready to whip and frost).</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgszYD-XkS9EsIQL7zYPyPU_inIuIX38BxBg_JDRZX7Ar5so6j12sKIVrAcw2bYYjptCiaQXftv4lc1nSKYsNZjSTR2QPmRqfNqOtpqnV9Zq10GjLFQ3t0BdsyG-_vYy057aDfsWkElKSw/s1600/sunlight_shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgszYD-XkS9EsIQL7zYPyPU_inIuIX38BxBg_JDRZX7Ar5so6j12sKIVrAcw2bYYjptCiaQXftv4lc1nSKYsNZjSTR2QPmRqfNqOtpqnV9Zq10GjLFQ3t0BdsyG-_vYy057aDfsWkElKSw/s400/sunlight_shot.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><i><br />
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<b>Assembly</b><i></i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Place one cake layer on a cake board, and slide scraps of parchment paper between the cake and the board. Top with half the chocolate ganache. Top with another cake layer and the remaining ganache. Chill before frosting if the ganache is not thick enough to set yet.</i><br />
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<i>Frost the top and sides of the cake. When you've covered the whole cake, run your offset spatula under hot water for 30 seconds, and quickly dry it. Run the spatula around the top and sides of the cake to smooth out the frosting (hold the spatula still very lightly against the cake at an angle, and rotate the cake on a revolving cake stand if you have one). Remove the parchment paper, and decorate the rest of the cake as desired (borders, flowers, etc).</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Bw2uWc3FCP0WNoQp3tee1_3N4dcrMITw9vfH2JMmp3X6xTsEfr0PEIhPiKVri9vInbj1KIWbubM1WGTxC5qX9bJ6jaWdEbNyHdssdlroWjLvkQy5rVvw8J5ypq8NyH4zq4yxgGYvucc/s1600/No_Flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Bw2uWc3FCP0WNoQp3tee1_3N4dcrMITw9vfH2JMmp3X6xTsEfr0PEIhPiKVri9vInbj1KIWbubM1WGTxC5qX9bJ6jaWdEbNyHdssdlroWjLvkQy5rVvw8J5ypq8NyH4zq4yxgGYvucc/s400/No_Flowers.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">What a difference flowers make!</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNXO2fOzmXE6L-U-Am3hpQhmO7HsAIDf_qruqK65huYsgupCUnuQZ1tAOuR4mH-P3bmFcIykqno6mlkmNvEC_yV0zQHLiCX2iBeKS70Ph4-q0EthqywV40q5u8aFa-RLXeOTfIvMeDhew/s1600/Cake_-_Slice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNXO2fOzmXE6L-U-Am3hpQhmO7HsAIDf_qruqK65huYsgupCUnuQZ1tAOuR4mH-P3bmFcIykqno6mlkmNvEC_yV0zQHLiCX2iBeKS70Ph4-q0EthqywV40q5u8aFa-RLXeOTfIvMeDhew/s400/Cake_-_Slice.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><br />
</i></div>Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00353582428020194161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760398568285188165.post-9567459097933211422010-04-27T15:01:00.000-04:002010-04-27T15:01:54.190-04:00Butterflies & Birthday Cakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2iX1FMCZnYhxphviWxstzwrwG-dUTRGywAC_jtjK_Jp1iSMl31MJC83JgoKQhfJ7ct3w2KhiiX15n0M23bGLXlDDkuFbnNje6bXupDMdfCRW6fq1VquypYDdZVfarhacFBvm0Ml5avzI/s1600/Butterfly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2iX1FMCZnYhxphviWxstzwrwG-dUTRGywAC_jtjK_Jp1iSMl31MJC83JgoKQhfJ7ct3w2KhiiX15n0M23bGLXlDDkuFbnNje6bXupDMdfCRW6fq1VquypYDdZVfarhacFBvm0Ml5avzI/s400/Butterfly.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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Wow, April has been a busy month, can't believe it's almost over. Have you noticed how many birthdays there are in the last half of April and first weeks of May? I swear there must be more Tauruses out there than other signs. My birthday was this past weekend, and I'll have pictures and recipes up soon: I made a raspberry ice cream cake and an almond cake with chocolate praline ganache filling and brown butter moscato d'Asti frosting.<br />
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In the meantime, however, here are some pictures of a cake I did for a client last week. It's a simple chocolate cake with vanilla frosting. The birthday girl's dad emailed me the next day to say that the kids wouldn't let him put the cake away, they just sat at the table and looked at it, kept smelling it. So cute!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPFrWnfqMHlkU20q_UfgKw6HmTcBAjZkumu7QuayJDvNgSZ36dD3oSYl2cPSY5VH1CysyYovxS-784IaDHIA3WCPav2-gYReFqXJnRYgFjzg35y6iXMeKYXVQRwzcg-kKBdG7dIhqkVhw/s1600/Cake_side_view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPFrWnfqMHlkU20q_UfgKw6HmTcBAjZkumu7QuayJDvNgSZ36dD3oSYl2cPSY5VH1CysyYovxS-784IaDHIA3WCPav2-gYReFqXJnRYgFjzg35y6iXMeKYXVQRwzcg-kKBdG7dIhqkVhw/s400/Cake_side_view.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00353582428020194161noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760398568285188165.post-25409506806946907352010-04-10T22:32:00.002-04:002010-04-11T21:50:56.357-04:00Baking Class Project: A Cornucopia of Cupcakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfiU1yxmS5KPpucxtuxHmlD4OCS_fP4Vzw9m-NxPAGrQ0n3RRxYVWCTcEn4JLG3U6GYtd-DLNXRn78U9eJQY8eZfnW0PbFpHz-83R0rNGqOu4lrk4cxvFjYb3Vc0fc8BAoXOFca43Wt8E/s1600/Jared&Cupcakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfiU1yxmS5KPpucxtuxHmlD4OCS_fP4Vzw9m-NxPAGrQ0n3RRxYVWCTcEn4JLG3U6GYtd-DLNXRn78U9eJQY8eZfnW0PbFpHz-83R0rNGqOu4lrk4cxvFjYb3Vc0fc8BAoXOFca43Wt8E/s400/Jared&Cupcakes.jpg" width="253" /></a></div><br />
Well, ok, only 3, but I've always loved the word cornucopia. These cupcakes were made by Jared, and they were gorgeous! Here's the menu:<br />
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Coconut Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting<br />
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Red Velvet Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting <br />
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Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache Filling & Peanut Butter Frosting<br />
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Recipes after the jump...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-hbO6MhyphenhyphenAVCsBLI0DG5OQDXNCnPSMbeHjU0rSyW-Wa5DvjmGg3tgkMq2OKDIkQHMU5nwiwsjRR666TUBWZY6_YdM7TGJ_9ciGmvcdbdviTv5l_eg1bOgCRz0fGIkoZqe-Utuj71OKTA/s1600/JQ_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-hbO6MhyphenhyphenAVCsBLI0DG5OQDXNCnPSMbeHjU0rSyW-Wa5DvjmGg3tgkMq2OKDIkQHMU5nwiwsjRR666TUBWZY6_YdM7TGJ_9ciGmvcdbdviTv5l_eg1bOgCRz0fGIkoZqe-Utuj71OKTA/s400/JQ_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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Do you have any idea how quick and easy it is to make fresh, home-made, flaky biscuits from scratch? Quick, like 10 minutes or less between your great idea to make biscuits and your placing the tray of little beauties inside the warm oven... well, maybe a little longer depending on how long your oven takes to preheat! You should make these right away. Omit the herbs if you want biscuits for strawberry shortcake (I'm a firm believer in the biscuit-type shortcake, not the cake-type) or for smothering with maple syrup. Change the herbs depending on what's in your kitchen. Use all white flour, or throw in some whole wheat flour if you're so inclined. I am definitely so inclined. My favorite way to eat biscuits? Warm from the oven with salted butter, yum....<b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8gflgTAPNW4FaOxbzV1d-M7t_LwdtEiE0p0kqEUCoJUOm6LfSGI78TaMWfp9IbkpmRtY6_x5rq81Clh2rcXJGtUz9Ri8_h9GhiIdv9FxCCRwV_JCPs01sHmt_dvn8H0PK1RfJgvNqACg/s1600-h/Before_baking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8gflgTAPNW4FaOxbzV1d-M7t_LwdtEiE0p0kqEUCoJUOm6LfSGI78TaMWfp9IbkpmRtY6_x5rq81Clh2rcXJGtUz9Ri8_h9GhiIdv9FxCCRwV_JCPs01sHmt_dvn8H0PK1RfJgvNqACg/s400/Before_baking.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Before baking.</i><b><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Herbed Biscuits with Whole Wheat Flour </b>(adapted from <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/baking-powder-biscuits-recipe">King Arthur</a>)<b></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: center;">Makes 8-12 biscuits. (I got 9 relatively large biscuits.)<b><br />
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<span id="block">2 cups all purpose flour</span><br />
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<span id="block">1 cup whole wheat flour (see note below)</span><span id="block"><br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
1 tablespoon baking powder</span><br />
<span id="block">1 teaspoon dried oregano</span><br />
<span id="block">1 teaspoon dried basil</span><br />
<span id="block">1 teaspoon dried rosemary</span><span id="block"><br />
2 tablespoons sugar <br />
5 tablespoons butter, cut in 4-6 pieces</span><br />
<span id="block"> 1 cup milk, buttermilk, or water</span><br />
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<i><span id="block"></span></i><span id="block"><i>Preheat your oven to 425°F. </i><br />
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<i>Whisk together the flours, salt, baking powder, herbs, and sugar. Add the butter, and use your fingers to blend the butter in. Keep rubbing the butter with your fingertips, through the flour, until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. You should have small pea-sized and smaller bits of butter.</i></span><br />
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<i>Add the liquid all at once, mixing quickly and gently for about 20 seconds until you have a soft dough. Pat the dough into a rectangle, about an inch or so thick (thicker, maybe 1.5", if you like really tall biscuits). Cut into biscuits (with a biscuit cutter or a sharp knife). I have round biscuit cutters, but I usually use a knife so there are no scraps.</i><br />
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Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned.</span><span id="block"> </span><span id="block">Serve warm, if at all possible, with salted butter. </span></i><br />
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<i><span id="block">Enjoy! </span></i><br />
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<b>Notes:</b> I've made these with only all-purpose flour, and I honestly couldn't taste the difference with the whole wheat flour. Maybe next time, I'll do half and half with the flours. Feel free to substitute your own combination of herbs as well.Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00353582428020194161noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760398568285188165.post-50637952886703380272010-03-29T16:50:00.001-04:002010-06-03T12:47:46.791-04:00Math & Cake: Chocolate Cake with Chocolate-Nutella Filling and Brown Butter Frangelico Frosting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrkDNOJfGcOaHQmjFWFERb-N3BVdanl1IOdLtwLVEwwikGSyGytrdYEp7nxV98WPvRiylrP5oPecHE80RWnLyfBU5BRBDHFU8e9tLzCqub09Tk06ji4oElMffzqeC-NG6BVuQzKQUlntQ/s1600/Whole_cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrkDNOJfGcOaHQmjFWFERb-N3BVdanl1IOdLtwLVEwwikGSyGytrdYEp7nxV98WPvRiylrP5oPecHE80RWnLyfBU5BRBDHFU8e9tLzCqub09Tk06ji4oElMffzqeC-NG6BVuQzKQUlntQ/s400/Whole_cake.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Last week, I gave a talk about Math and Cake. Ok, I had a fancier title, but my "side hobby" in mathematics is an area called fair division. At some point in your life, you probably needed to fairly divide a candy bar or some other yummy treat between you and a friend: one of you cut the treat in two, and the other got to choose first. Fair! But what do you do if there are three people? Or more? My college adviser asked me this question on my very first day of college. He does research in the area, and got me interested in the subject. Extremely interesting mathematically, but also when else do I get to show pictures of all sorts of cake during a math lecture?! See <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/zucdolswesugb-20/detail/1441926615">my book</a> if you'd like to learn more about fair division and cake-cutting.<br />
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This is the cake I made for my talk. It was sort of a prop, but I figured it'd give the audience something to look at if they zoned out for the math content! No pictures of the inside of the cake unfortunately, but it went over very well. Not a crumb left.<br />
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<b>Chocolate Cake</b><span style="font-style: italic;"> (</span><a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Double-Chocolate-Layer-Cake-101275" style="font-style: italic;">from Epicurious</a><span style="font-style: italic;">)</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
</span>3 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate <br />
1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee (I used hazelnut coffee) <br />
3 cups sugar <br />
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour <br />
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch processed) <br />
2 teaspoons baking soda <br />
3/4 teaspoon baking powder <br />
1 1/4 teaspoons Kosher salt <br />
3 large eggs <br />
3/4 cup vegetable oil <br />
1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk <br />
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
Preheat the oven to 300°F and spray 2 10" pans with baking spray (I used 2 9" pans and made an additional 3 inch cake; I've also used just the 2 9" pans before). Line bottoms with rounds of parchment paper and spray paper as well. </span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span> <br />
<div style="font-style: italic;">Finely chop the chocolate and place in a medium bowl; pour hot coffee over the chocolate. Let stand for one minute, then stir until chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. </div><div style="font-style: italic;"><br />
</div><div style="font-style: italic;">Whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.</div><div style="font-style: italic;"><br />
</div><div style="font-style: italic;">In another large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes with a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a hand-held mixer). Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined well. Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined well.</div><div style="font-style: italic;"><br />
</div><div style="font-style: italic;">Divide batter between pans and bake in the middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. </div><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;"> Cool the cake layers completely in pans on racks. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove parchment paper and cool layers completely.</span><br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;">This is a tall cake! </span><br />
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<b>Chocolate & Nutella Frosting </b><span style="font-style: italic;">(adapted from </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/ChocolateChocolate-Lisa-Yockelson/dp/0471428078/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250221555&sr=8-1" style="font-style: italic;">Chocolate Chocolate</a><span style="font-style: italic;">)</span> <br />
<span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
</span>4 tablespoons unsalted butter <br />
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled to tepid <br />
1/3 cup Nutella, depending on taste (the Nutella taste is somewhat mild) <br />
Large pinch of Kosher salt <br />
2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />
3 1/2 - 4 cups powdered sugar <br />
1/2 cup milk, heated to tepid <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
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Beat butter on medium speed for 1-2 minutes.<br />
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Blend in the melted chocolate, Nutella, salt, vanilla, 1/3 cup milk, and 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar.<br />
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Add in the rest of the milk; beat for 1 minute.<br />
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Add the rest of the powdered sugar; beat for 1 minute. Use more powdered sugar for a stiffer consistency, less for a softer consistency.<br />
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Refrigerate the frosting for 1-2 hours until spreadable.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
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<b>Brown Butter Frosting </b>(enough to frost/decorate a tall 9" 2-layer cake or a 3-layer 8" cake)<b><br />
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3 sticks butter, browned<br />
1 1/2 pounds powdered sugar<br />
6-8 tablespoons heavy cream<br />
6-8 tablespoons Frangelico<br />
Pinch of Kosher salt (optional)<br />
1 tablespoon vanilla extract <br />
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<i>Brown the butter, pour through a fine meshed sieve into a heatproof bowl, and set aside to cool. Wait for it to cool completely.<br />
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Pour the cooled brown butter into mixer bowl (paddle attachment). Add about 1/3 of the powdered sugar, and beat. Add the caramel syrup, and continue beating. Add half the remaining powdered sugar, and beat. Add the 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of heavy cream, and beat until smooth. Add more cream if you'd like the frosting to be softer, and more powdered sugar if you'd like it to be stiffer. Add salt if desired.</i><br />
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<i>Refrigerate until ready to use. Re-whip the frosting right before use. If it's been in the fridge awhile, you might need to let it sit at room temperature for an hour or so until it's soft enough to whip.</i><br />
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<b>Assembly</b><br />
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Lay one of the chocolate cake layers on a cake board or plate. Spread the chocolate frosting over the surface, leaving a half-inch border all around the outside. You can also spread just half the frosting on this layer, and spread the rest on top. You'll still cover the whole thing with the brown butter frosting.<br />
Place the second cake layer on top of the first, and cover the whole cake with a crumb coat (very thin layer of frosting). Be careful not to let your offset spatula touch the cake, or you'll get tons of chocolate crumbs in your frosting. Place the cake in the fridge so that the crumb coat sets. You should be able to touch the cake gently without leaving any impression in the frosting. Frost the cake again; it'll be easier this time with the crumb coat in place. Use any leftover frosting to pipe shells, and/or tint some of the frosting and make roses. It's a good consistency as is, but if necessary (if it's very hot or humid out), add some more powdered sugar to make the frosting stiff enough for roses.<br />
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For instructions on how to do a crumb coat and how to decorate your cake, see <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/baking/online-baking-class-list.html">King Arthur's online cake decorating tutorials</a>.<br />
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For information on how to pipe roses, see <a href="http://www.wilton.com/technique/Roses">Wilton's tutorial</a>. Or, take a class at your local Michael's.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhovdk4tcdB4E82-Mi0YbYPyQiuT8CQ-3nWB0qOzfYFhpjRelquPj4H_iXqpwJ_NNYicoc28lMITCgy3TK9sDRaCl1uXgX1_XqCyLQW1oZN6ldL_quoFZKpdH19r3BT-k52yd3h0hC8exc/s1600/Close-up_Rose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhovdk4tcdB4E82-Mi0YbYPyQiuT8CQ-3nWB0qOzfYFhpjRelquPj4H_iXqpwJ_NNYicoc28lMITCgy3TK9sDRaCl1uXgX1_XqCyLQW1oZN6ldL_quoFZKpdH19r3BT-k52yd3h0hC8exc/s320/Close-up_Rose.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</i>Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00353582428020194161noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760398568285188165.post-20012553039269044352010-03-24T23:25:00.000-04:002010-03-24T23:25:49.416-04:00Caramelized Onion & Blue Cheese Tart with a Whole Wheat Crust<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3fx996af5mMTVtjQx-DhyC30uZY8cWvqoF083uM-qFZxPhPkpETQ2rwTB-4Puz-wBKxY1xio8BKi9AxP0h-ZLIFNa-oZ5r1uRaNJeYtc2raEcnbadS89yzC9zWmnL8RUcYmrGaHS5mMc/s1600-h/Whole_Tart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3fx996af5mMTVtjQx-DhyC30uZY8cWvqoF083uM-qFZxPhPkpETQ2rwTB-4Puz-wBKxY1xio8BKi9AxP0h-ZLIFNa-oZ5r1uRaNJeYtc2raEcnbadS89yzC9zWmnL8RUcYmrGaHS5mMc/s400/Whole_Tart.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I haven't really posted any savory items on this blog yet, but that would be wrong. As unhealthy as all my desserts are, I'm a pretty healthy eater overall. I'm a vegetarian, I eat lots of fruit and veggies, and besides my sweets, I stick to whole grains as much as possible.<br />
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I wasn't always this way. I remember well the days in college and early grad. school when I would become incredibly sleepy and lose all energy after every meal I ate. These were the days when I would also regularly get a cheeseburger-without-the-meat (I've been a vegetarian since high school) and french fries at McDonald's. Even when I wasn't eating junk food for lunch, I still ate things with white flour. Then it was announced that McDonald's french fries are not vegetarian! I was angry, of course, at the time, but it all worked out for the best, because I never went to McDonald's again after that. At about the same time, I started eating pizza with whole grain crust for lunch a lot. Then I started eating exclusively whole grains for breakfast and lunch (and as much as possible for dinner as well). Wow! I was again a fountain of energy (ask my aerobics classes if you don't believe me), and life changed forever! <br />
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Most whole grain breads still contain a large amount of white flour, often up to 50%, but this crust is made exclusively with whole wheat flour. It's thin and crispy, and the caramelized onion and blue cheese pair very well. I'll definitely be making it again.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFFhlz2bXVjLJWy01mbHdmeZxZRZDmlcMVrEVKg_jE5Et5Ff9PnL3EpBsrt0AqhIYWQ8gy5vOMlIJuc0bsX_suHJbmEDPF4pSjLNpKr657idmI2Xt4DVdrFASstsUVatJiGgThaF1BV3s/s1600/Close_up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFFhlz2bXVjLJWy01mbHdmeZxZRZDmlcMVrEVKg_jE5Et5Ff9PnL3EpBsrt0AqhIYWQ8gy5vOMlIJuc0bsX_suHJbmEDPF4pSjLNpKr657idmI2Xt4DVdrFASstsUVatJiGgThaF1BV3s/s400/Close_up.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Caramelized Onion & Blue Cheese Tart with A Whole Wheat Crust</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">(Adapted from <a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/caramelized-onion-tart-with-whole-wheat-crust">Food and Wine</a>)</div><br />
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<b>For the Crust</b><br />
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1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, plus more for dusting<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
9 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice<br />
1/4 cup cold water <br />
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<i>As with most crusts, you can make it by hand or with a food processor. If you're using the food processor (which I recommend if you haven't made a lot of pie crusts before), pulse the flour with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Add the diced butter and pulse until it’s the size of small peas or just a little larger. Sprinkle in the cold water and pulse again until the tart dough begins to come together. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and pat it into a disk. Wrap the dough and refrigerate until it is firm, at least 1 hour. You can add more water if it's not coming together, but only add as much water as you absolutely need. If there are a few crumbs that don't hold together, you're fine.</i><br />
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<i>If you're doing it by hand, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the diced butter, and use your fingers to work in the butter until it's the size of small peas. Add the water, and stir it in with your hands, bringing the dough into a disk. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.</i><br />
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<b>For the Filling </b><br />
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3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil<br />
4 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 pounds)<br />
1 teaspoons thyme (dried)<br />
Freshly ground pepper, to taste<br />
3 ounces creamy blue cheese, crumbled (about 3/4 cup)<br />
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<b>To Caramelize the Onions</b> (you can do this in advance; refrigerate onions until ready to use)<br />
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<i>In a large skillet, cook the onions and olive oil over low heat, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden, about 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden, about 15 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and let the onions cool to room temperature.</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkgLRJR7qpCprDZ5vggxUA9IMJf7pFUz4zBoTxraDdZMG6wfsqcfKXd85EcPNVGqUl_FyGqMahLmgr8ZWPNzxyWDoIRStfQSAFno0zS5kS6nd3oR5TJ4v27EFOJi_sYPVwN8a43MeTbkE/s1600-h/Cooking_onions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkgLRJR7qpCprDZ5vggxUA9IMJf7pFUz4zBoTxraDdZMG6wfsqcfKXd85EcPNVGqUl_FyGqMahLmgr8ZWPNzxyWDoIRStfQSAFno0zS5kS6nd3oR5TJ4v27EFOJi_sYPVwN8a43MeTbkE/s400/Cooking_onions.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><i><br />
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<i>Preheat the oven to 400°F. </i><br />
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<i>On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to a 12-inch round. Wrap the dough around the rolling pin and transfer it to a 10-inch fluted tart pan (9" will work fine) with a removable bottom. Press the dough into the pan and trim off any excess (roll the rolling pin over the top, and the excess dough will just fall off). Use the scraps to patch any cracks. Prick holes all over the bottom of the crust with a fork. Bake until the crust is lightly browned, about 20 minutes.</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPCPty1mw6SIu1llZX7oQZVErpX4BsiJY6ZetaHCFp0UsGr-eGHGB9bu02RYzmmnUR_bslA8HXlo817uah2-HezZGSxqpWa00zLIC_zXWu84ZsOFKGRIw06yU_7lNiip6Gx9c5KxiIa2A/s1600/Pre-baked_Crust.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPCPty1mw6SIu1llZX7oQZVErpX4BsiJY6ZetaHCFp0UsGr-eGHGB9bu02RYzmmnUR_bslA8HXlo817uah2-HezZGSxqpWa00zLIC_zXWu84ZsOFKGRIw06yU_7lNiip6Gx9c5KxiIa2A/s400/Pre-baked_Crust.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Pre-Baked Crust (it shrank quite a bit from the sides)</i></span></div><br />
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<i>Spread the onions in the tart shell and sprinkle with the blue cheese, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bake until the cheese is melted and the onions are warm, about 5-8 minutes. Cut the tart into wedges and serve. </i><br />
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<ol></ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><ol></ol><ol></ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1yvobWOhbIbKuOn5MQqFcAtwmnuEYiUg4WHcq1dizUPxEq_Rd8uT9Na6zrNVYizN-_3IEsNEi_uavlgiDGlCekNauE12ZaGyinFLXTLNSvUsnIxy7ho4GKS9aUWBwKKcSs82BZ76aa_c/s1600-h/Tart_slice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1yvobWOhbIbKuOn5MQqFcAtwmnuEYiUg4WHcq1dizUPxEq_Rd8uT9Na6zrNVYizN-_3IEsNEi_uavlgiDGlCekNauE12ZaGyinFLXTLNSvUsnIxy7ho4GKS9aUWBwKKcSs82BZ76aa_c/s400/Tart_slice.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<ol></ol>Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00353582428020194161noreply@blogger.com0