Happy Birthday(cake)!!

 

  It was my sister-in-law's birthday so I offered to bake a cake. I wanted to try a new recipe and I found a good one for a yellow cake. I always wish for my made-from-scratch cake to have the same tender crumb of a cake mix but without the weird flavors that come with using a mix. I have to say that this one is pretty darn close. It is certainly more dense than a mix, but it has a nice crumb and good flavor. I thought of spreading some homemade raspberry jam in the middle and frosting it with a vanilla buttercream, but them decided a chocolate buttercream was a better choice for a fall cake. So here it is. I actually think my favorite part of the entire cake is the edible "Disco Dust" I found at a specialty shop. The photos really do not do it justice...it is really fun! I recommend you get some and try it for yourself.

 

Yellow Cake

4 cups plus 2 TBS. sifted cake flour 

2 tsp. baking powder 

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 sticks softened butter

2 cups sugar

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

4 large eggs, room temperature

2 cups buttermilk (or two cups milk with 1 tsp. vinegar)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two nine-inch cake pans and set aside. Sift flour together with baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla, turn down the mixer to slow speed and then add eggs one at a time, being sure to mix well after each. Mix in buttermilk just until blended. Don't worry, the mixture at this point will look a little curdled. Then slowly add the flour mixture in three parts. Divide evenly between the two pans. Lightly tap each pan on the counter a few times to eliminate any air bubbles. Bake for ~30 minutes until cake is done when a tester is inserted. Take out of oven and place pans on a wire rack for ten minutes before removing from pans.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

makes about 4 cups

1 1/2 sticks softened butter

4 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/8 tsp. salt

5 TBS. milk or cream

6 ounces unsweetened chocolate(chopped)

Melt chocolate in top of double boiler and stir until smooth. Take off heat and set aside to cool. In mixing bowl, mix the other 5 ingredients together until smooth. Then pour in chocolate and mix until on high speed until thoroughly combined. You may want to add another tablespoon or two of milk if it seems too stiff. This frosting will spread nicely and then "set up" a bit while the cake stands, so do not be afraid to have the frosting kind of soft to start out.

I flipped each layer of my cake upside down to frost. The top is so moist, the crumbs are easily pulled off by the frosting. This method seems to work well and the cake is nice and level when you are finished. Find some "Disco Dust" and sprinkle liberally on top for a fun finish.

This cake is best served with a cup of coffee or a tall glass of milk.

Enjoy- 

yours in baking-

p

Madeleines and Tea

    This past summer, I splurged and bought a madeleine pan. It was a bit of an investment ($35 for a very nice one), but I had always wanted to make them and the pan moved me one step closer. A few weeks ago I had a Julia Child themed dinner party and I quickly baked some madeleines in the afternoon to serve as one of the desserts. I was amazed at how quickly they came together, but I was not entirely happy with the texture. They had a nice buttery orange flavor, but were a little dry and not as delicate as I would prefer. So when I woke up this morning and I knew I had an extra hour today because of setting the clocks back, I thought...it is time to try again. I also promised some of my students who read some Julia Child books for my summer reading project last summer that I would bake them some madeleines, so I had added incentive!

    I  did some online research and found a different madeleine recipe that uses fewer eggs(which although they do hold together the little cakes, can have a tendency to dry them out). They were in the oven ten minutes later and I must say, were much better this time. What I am really waiting for is to get my friend, Eric's recipe. He grew up in France and his madeleines are superb. But until then, these will do. Maybe you want to splurge for a pan and give these a try. You won't be sorry you did.

Madeleines

1 cup sugar

5 eggs

1/2 cup butter( melted)

1 tsp. vanilla

the zest of one ornge( or lemon)

1 1/2 cups cake flour

2 tsp. baking powder

confectioner's sugar (for dusting)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl mix together your sifted flour and the baking powder and set aside.

Beat eggs in a large bowl until pale yellow in color. Mix in sugar, butter, vanilla and zest until well blended.

Fold the dry ingredients into your egg mixture with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Be sure to mix evenly but do not overmix or your cakes will be too chewy.

Drop by tablespoon into each greased madeline mold. There are 12 in a pan. 

Bake for 8-9 minutes or until the top of each puffy little cake springs backwhen you touch it and the edges look G, B and D. (Golden, brown and delicious.)

Turn your cakes out onto a wire rack to cool and bake the next batch of 12. 

Sprinkle your cakes with a little powdered sugar and enjoy with a nice cup of tea.

yours in baking-

p

 

Almond Biscotti

   It has been some time since my last  post and I have been baking quite a bit during that time, but just couldn't seem to find the time to take photos and write a post. I have a number of new recipes to add so I may make up for lost time in short order!

    With school back in session...so comes Java Hut and our Thursday morning gathering presents regular opportunities for me to try out new recipes or whip up a past favorite.

    Seeing that it is a coffee gathering, biscotti is always a popular option and these almond biscotti have made a regular appearance although I do like to "mix it up" with different add-ins or chocolate drizzled on top.

    I found this recipe online at "Joy of Baking" and I have made subtle changes to it over the past few years that I have been baking them. As I have said before, many people find bisoctti intimidating for some reason. Remember they are simply a twice-baked cookie and I have to say are even easier than making traditional cookies because you bake an entire "batch" in one loaf for the first baking!

Almond Biscotti

~1 cup sliced almonds

1 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. salt

2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

3 eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp. almond extract

2-3 squares Melting chocolate for the drizzle on top

(I used white chocolate for these, but I used semi-sweet chocolate which makes for a nice contrast on the biscotti)

Optional add-ins; chocolate chips, dried cherries, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

(If you want to toast your almonds, places them on a cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven for about 6 mintues. Watch them carefulyl as one they start to brown, it seems to take no time at all for them to burn.)

In a small bowl, beat eggs together with your extracts.

In large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt . With either a hand mixer or just a spoon, stir in the egg mixture until well-mixed. Then stir in your almonds and any other add-ins you choose. I have a biscotti pan, so I place the dough in the greased pan and pat it down with slightly wet fingers(so that the dough doesn't stick to them).

If you do not have a biscotti pan, no worries. Simply form a long flat loaf on a greased cookie sheet.  The loaf should be about twelve inches long and 3-4 inches wide.

Bake in a 350 degree oven 25-30 minutes or until the loaf feels firm to the touch. Take out the loaf and let cool slightly. (You can keep the oven on but turn it down to 325 degrees)

Using a sharp knife, cut the loaf into 1/2 inch slices. (If you want to have some really long biscotti, cut your loaf on the diagonal.)

Place the biscotti on a clean cookie sheet and put back in the oven for 8 minutes. Turn over the biscotti and bake another 8 minutes or until they look slightly G, B and D on the edges...golden, brown and delicious.

Place biscotti on a wire rack to cool.

Melt 2-3 squares of melting chocolate and then drizzle over the tops of the biscotti with either a fork or a small spoon. Let stand until chocolate has set.

Sit down with a nice cup or coffee and enjoy.

 

Biscotti make great gifts. Simply put 8-10 in a nice bag and tie it with a decorative ribbon.

yours in baking-

p