Monday, November 29, 2010
Double Apple Cake with Brandy Brown Sugar Sauce
I loves me some appley things. Cakes, breads, pies, etc. When I saw this recipe posted on the kitchn I nearly seized. Appley cake PLUS boozey, salty caramelly sauce? Sold.
Plus, you can make it gluten free? Shut! Up!!
Here, my slightly altered version that I'm sure was every bit as delectable as the original.
Sticky Spiked Double-Apple Cake with a Brown Sugar-Brandy Sauce
Serves 10 to 12
1 cup raisins
1/3 cup brandy
1 cup unsulphured dried apple slices (cut rings in half)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1-1/2 cups tightly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans - I used the lightly salted and sweetened ones from Trader Joe's and chopped them
2 medium sized tart cooking apples, one peeled, one unpeeled, both cored and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Additional unsalted butter, at room temperature, for greasing the pan
In a small bowl, soak the raisins in the brandy for 45 minutes. Add the dried apple slices and macerate for a further 15 minutes. Do not drain!
While the dried fruit is macerating, start your prep:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Butter a 9 x 13 inch pan and line the bottom and up the two long sides with a sheet of parchment paper, letting the paper hang over the edges by an inch or so. Lightly butter the paper.
In a small bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices and set aside.
In a large bowl with a hand held electric mixer or whisk, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, blend both sugars. Add the eggs and beat on medium speed until thickened and pale, about 2 minutes with a machine, 4 to 5 minutes by hand. Add the cooled melted butter and mix to blend. Fold in the dry ingredients in two additions, mixing just enough to moisten most but not all of the flour. Add the dried fruit and brandy mixture, chopped pecans, and diced fresh apple, then fold them into the batter with long, deep strokes.
Note: this is a very fruit heavy batter, but don't worry. It bakes out just lovely.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and set in the center of the oven.
Bake for some amount of time from 40 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes, depending on your oven. I set my timer for one hour, but it was done much earlier than that. It is done when the center springs back when lightly touched, a tester inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake is beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan.
Transfer to a wire rack and cool.
Serve warm or at room temperature with a healthy pour of the warm Brown Sugar-Brandy Sauce.
Brown Sugar-Brandy Sauce
Makes about 2-1/4 cups, aka, way more than you need - but you'll love it on ice cream and fruit - apples and bananas especially - too!
1/3 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup tightly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup heavy cream (36%)
2-1/2 tablespoons brandy
Combine the butter, sugars and cream in a small, heavy bottomed saucepan. Stir this mixture over low heat until the sugar dissolves, then increase the heat to medium and bring the sauce to a very gentle boil, stirring all the while.
Cook 5 more minutes, then remove from the heat and stir in the brandy.
Serve immediately, or cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until needed, up to 3 days.
To rewarm, either microwave the uncovered sauce on low power or transfer the cold caramel to a saucepan and stir over low heat until warm.
Wrap the cake and store it at room temperature - I baked mine on Wednesday night to be ready for Thanksgiving on Thursday, and I still enjoyed the last piece on Monday, so this bad boy can stick around for a while. Well, depending on your level of self restraint. . .
Monday, November 1, 2010
Butterscotch Cake
1 package of yellow cake mix
1 c sour cream
1 small instant vanilla pudding mix
1/2 c vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 package of butterscotch chips
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine first 5 ingredients and mix well, for about 4 minutes.
Gently stir in butterscotch chips and pour into a greased and floured Bundt cake pan.
Bake for approximately one hour (check on it for doneness after 40-45 minutes or so).
Friday, October 22, 2010
I die.
Animals are cute.
Small animals are super cute.
Cake is good.
Small animal cakes make my head esplode.
I am SO making the bunnies, but probably with my fave bunny face (though please disregard how much this looks like a French bulldog; I'll do French bulldogs next):
My friend Noelle made the chicks last Easter, and while they were too sweet for eating in my opinion (7 year old me would kick me in the shins for even suggesting such an abomination), they were so insanely cute that they simply must exist.
Now, do I do white cake and white frosting to stick with the white? Probably. I'll come up with some species to create for my birthday so I can do yellow cake with chocolate frosting, omg yum. Boston terriers? Nah, I'll probably just make cute little faces on them.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake with Bourbon Whipped Cream
I did have a pumpkin cheesecake once that was to die for, which then led my wonderful mother to believe that I would like ALL pumpkin cheesecake and that's what she got for my birthday, only for us to realize that what I really want on my birthday is yellow cake with chocolate frosting, made with a boxed mix and using a can of frosting. Seriously.
However, pumpkin cheesecake is a delight, and these little bites look just fab. This is my first ever Seejeneat Special Request Recipe - so Quinn, when they're done I will certainly be delivering.
And can we giggle for a second that in the address it says "whop cream?" Okay, thanks.
Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake with Bourbon Whipped Cream
Yields 12 2×3 mini cheesecakes
Crust
1-1/4 cups ginger snaps
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
Cheesecake
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 cups sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon of candied ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut up,
1 tablespoons butter
Bourbon Whip Cream
3/4 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoon of bourbon
1/4 cup caramel sauce
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg for sprinkling
- If you decide not to make mini cheesecakes, use an 8inch springform pan and increase the bake time by 15-20 minutes. Start checking for doneness at 12-15 minutes. The cheesecake is done when the center of the cake gives a slight jiggle when the pan is tapped.
- You can skip the chocolate layer if you wish.
- This pumpkin cheesecake can be made three days in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Semi-Homemade Petit Fours
I tried to find a bakery that would just sell me a quarter sheet cake or something, and not only did it confuse the hell out of them, but it was pretty damn pricey.
A quick search for "quick and easy petit fours" brought me to a recipe by Miss Paula Deen, and hallelujah! Not only did I not have time to bake a cake from scratch, but I didn't have the time I thought to frost them - I didn't let them dry long enough before I had to leave. Not only were they too soft for me to do any further "eat me" decorating or package them all up (I could only bring about half so they wouldn't touch), but I was half an hour late to my own damn event.
However, once croquet was over (and the next day), they were PERFECT. I thought the frosting was too sweet at first, when it was still soft, but once it solidified, it made an awesome little cake. Soft frosting or not, they seemed to be a hit at croquet.
Now, finding a pound cake in regular loaf form would've been way too perfect, so of course I could only find a bundt version, and I'm sure you can imagine how fun and easy it was to try to cut that into perfect little cubes. A fun thing came from this though - I made whole little slices of cake as petit fours too and they turned out great.
Petit Fours
1 loaf pound cake - about 1 pound, top crust removed, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
2/3 cup cold water
1 egg white
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 boxes confectioners' sugar, about 1 pound, sifted
preserves of your choice (cherry or apricot would be great, I used Bonne Maman cherry preserves
Almond extract - I'm guessing I used about 1 tbsp
3 dyes of food coloring
2 forks
Something cute, for garnish and design
I then cut my cubes in half (lengthwise) and put a dollop of warmed up cherry preserves (to thin them out a little). Use less than you think you need, since it will ooze out the sides. A small dollop - maybe 1/4 tsp seemed perfect for the little bites.
They look like little crustless pb&js:
In the top of a double boiler, dissolve the gelatin in 2/3 cups cold water. Add egg white and corn syrup. Whisk. Add confectioners' sugar and whisk until well blended and not too thick. When mixture reaches 110 degrees F. (warm to the touch) divide the icing among several bowls and add your preferred food coloring to each bowl. Mix well.
Line counter or baking sheet with waxed paper. Place a cooling rack
Rest your cake on one fork, and use a spoon to pour frosting all over cake - work fast, this stuff thickens quickly (but you can reheat it if you need to). Make sure the cakes are completely covered. Use second fork to help move the frosted cake onto the rack to dry. Do this for remaining cubes, using the various colors of frosting (rinse your forks when moving between colors, unless you're hoping for tie dye). When completely dried, place a dab of frosting onto the top of the cube to stick your cute little decor item. OR, you can pipe little designs if you're good at that.
I was going to make Alton's royal icing to write "eat me" on mine.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Eat Me

Every year I host a croquet party. We drink a lot of champagne and have an absolute blast. The rules insist that we wear white (well, mostly), but I'll also allow for a wicked good Heathers or Alice in Wonderland croquet get up as well - how could I not?
We bring snacks to help settle some of that champagne, and this year, I am totally going Alice with my snack. I have been fantasizing about "Eat Me," "Drink Me" treats for ages and I think this is just the year. I'll make some cute little template for the champagne bottles and/or juices we use as mixers, and then I'll make some Eat Me cakes. I'm thinking petit fours, but hot diggity dawg they're a lot of work. I'm thinking I can definitely do fudge covered brownies (and who doesn't like chocolate?), but I really love the look of the petit fours since they remind me so much of the little cakes from the movies.
I saw Martha do petit fours once, but I can only find this one recipe and it's different than the one I watched. Alas, this recommended cake and frosting recipe did NOT get rave reviews, so I hunted out a more traditional genoise and another frosting. Some reviewers stated that the cake tasted bland, but I'm thinking that once I thin down my cherry or apricot preserves into a syrup to brush over the top and allow that to soak in, it will not be bland at all. Another theme that came up in reviews was SIFT SIFT SIFT - then maybe sift again.
GENOISE CAKE
1 cup sifted cake flour
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 pinch salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 eggs
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 8 inch round cake pan. Line with parchment paper and grease it as well. Lightly flour pan and paper.
Sift together the flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, and salt onto a piece of wax paper.
Place the eggs into a mixing bowl set over a pan of hot (not boiling) water. Add the 1/2 cup sugar to the eggs and whisk until the mixture feels warm (not hot) to the touch, about body temperature. Place the bowl onto a mixer and beat on medium speed until the mixture becomes pale yellow in color and falls off the end of the whisk attachment in long ribbons. Add the vanilla. Add about 1/3 of the flour mixture to the beaten egg and fold in. Continue to add the remainder of the flour, folding it in each time.
Place about 1 cup of the batter into the bowl containing the melted butter and combine the butter with the batter. Add this back to the main batter and fold it in. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Immediately bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 25 minutes or until the top is a light brown. Cool in pan on a rack about 10 minutes and then invert onto a rack. It is best to invert it again onto another rack so that it cools with the top up. Let cool completely before cutting or frosting.
Um. . . her frosting didn't seem to be very boss either. This helpful video had one that looks like it'll work:
POURABLE FONDANT FROSTING
6 cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 c water
2 tbsp corn syrup
1 tsp flavor (almond, vanilla, whatevs)
optional - coloring
Heat sugar, water and corn syrup to 92 degrees over low heat. Remove from heat and add flavoring and any coloring if using.
Pour the fondant into a bowl and keep over another bowl of hot water (like a double boiler) to keep the frosting soft.
To make the petit fours, slice the cake into nice little squares and set on a cooling rack with wax paper underneath. Spoon the fondant frosting over the top ensuring even coverage. You can scrape the drippings off the wax paper back into the bowl to soften and reuse! Or you can place the cakes onto a fork (or slotted spatula if they're bigger) and really glob the frosting on; let the excess drip off, and THEN put them onto the cooling rack.
This video was incredibly helpful and featured lots of good tips as well. I'm thinking of doing my petits fours a bit bigger than is traditional (I think 1 1/2" square is the standard), just so I can ensure that I can fit "eat me" on top of them without it looking too crowded.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Mmmmmexico
Mango Mousse (Mousse de Mango)
6 servings
• 2 ripe mangoes
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 envelope gelatin*
• 2 tablespoons hot water*
• 2 tablespoons cold water*
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Mexican lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1+1/2 cups whipped cream
1. Place the mangoes and powdered sugar in a food processor and puree.
2. In a large bowl, place the gelatin with the cold and hot water, lemon juice, nutmeg and cinnamon. Stir and then let sit for 5 minutes.
3. Add the mango puree to the gelatin mixture. Let sit for 20 minutes.
4. Beat one cup of the whipping cream to soft peaks and gently fold into the mangoes.
5. As this point you can either spoon the mousse into individual dishes or place the entire amount into a spring-form pan for slicing later.
6. Let the mousse chill in the refrigerator at least 4 hours. Top with fresh whipped cream.
*You can omit the gelatin and water, producing a softer consistency-more like a pudding.
Poblano Chiles stuffed with Scrambled Eggs & Bacon
(Chiles Rellenos con Huevos Revueltos y Tocino)
4 servings
• 4 large fresh poblano chiles
• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 8 eggs
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1 cup manchego cheese, grated
• 1 cup tomato puree
1. Roast and clean the poblano chiles.
2. Place the bacon in a large frying pan and cook until crisp. Remove from the pan and drain all the grease, except 1 tablespoon.
3. Sauté the onion in the bacon grease for a few minutes, add the tomatoes and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes.
4. Crack the eggs into a medium bowl and stir in the cream. Add salt to taste.
5. Add the eggs to the frying pan and finish cooking. Stir the bacon in.
6. Stuff each chile with the egg mixture. Place 1/4 cup of grated cheese on top and broil until the cheese is melted. (If you do not have a broiler, you can melt the cheese in an oven.)
7. Heat the tomato puree. Spoon 1/4 cup of the puree on each plate and place the chile on top.
Plan Ahead:
1-3 days in advance: Make tomato puree
1 day in advance: Roast poblano chiles
Chicken Poblano (Pollo a la Poblana)
6 servings
• 4 poblano chiles
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 white onion, sliced thin
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon thyme
• 1 cup cream
• 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
• salt, to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 boneless chicken breasts
1. Roast and clean the poblano chiles. Roughly chop and place in a blender.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan. When hot, add the onion, garlic, oregano and thyme and sauté for 5 minutes.
3. Add the cream, cilantro and salt. Cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Pour the mixture into the blender with the poblano chiles and puree until smooth. Set aside.
5. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the chicken breasts and cook until both sides are lightly browned.
6. Pour the poblano sauce on top on the chicken breasts when serving.
Plan Ahead:
1-3 days in advance: Make the poblano sauce.
Mexican Beef Tips (Puntas a la Mexicana)
4 servings
• 1 1/4 pounds marinated skirt steak
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 large white onion, sliced
• 3 roma tomatoes, cored & sliced lengthwise from the center
• 3 serrano chiles, sliced lengthwise into thin strips
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
salt and black pepper to taste
1. Slice the skirt steak, across the grain, into 1" strips.
2. Place the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When it starts to sizzle, add the steak and brown on all sides.
3. Add the onion, tomato, and chiles. Cover, stirring occasionally until the meat is cooked, 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro, salt, and pepper.
Green Rice (Arroz Verde)
4 servings
• 2 poblano chiles
• 1/2 cup cilantro
• 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 cup white rice
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
1. Roast the poblano chiles. (see page ...)
2. Place the chiles into a food processor, adding the cilantro and chicken broth. Puree.
3. In a 2-quart saucepan, heat the oil. Add the rice and onion and cook for about 10 minutes.
4. Stir in the garlic and cook a minute longer.
5. Add the poblano chile liquid to the rice, stir, cover and let cook for about 20 minutes or until done.
Plan Ahead:
1 day in advance: Make chicken broth and roast poblano chiles
Pork Loin w/ Mango-Chipotle Salsa
(Lomo con Salsa de Mango y Chile Chipotle)
6 servings
• 2 pounds pork tenderloin
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt
• black pepper
• 2 cups mango, chopped (approx. 2-3)
• 1 chile chipotle, seeded and minced (see page...)
• 1/4 cup green onions, chopped
• 2 teaspoons fresh Mexican lime juice
• 1/8 cup cilantro, chopped
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Salt and pepper the tenderloin and sear until browned on all sides. Transfer to a baking sheet.
3. Place the tenderloin in the oven for about 10-15 minutes or until done. (which for pork means 140 degrees.)
4. While the pork tenderloin is in the oven, place all the salsa ingredients into a large bowl and mix well.
5. Slice the tenderloin and top with the Mango Salsa.
Fruit-Chipotle Salsa:
Substitute 1 cup chopped pineapple for a cup on the mango.
Shrimp in Pumpkin Seed Sauce (Camarones en Pipián Verde)
6 servings
• 1 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1/2 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed
• 1 serrano chile
• 1/2 white onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 lettuce leaves
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pound shrimp, cleaned and deveined
1. Preheat the broiler.
2. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a frying pan over high heat or under the broiler, stirring frequently so they don't burn. (Avoid browning them excessively, to maintain the sauce's trademark green color.) Seperate 1/4 cup for the garnish. Toast the sesame seeds in the same manner.
3. Place the tomatillos, chile, onion and garlic on a tray under the broiler until soft. About 5 minutes on each side.
4. Place all the ingredients, except for the shrimp, in a blender. Puree until smooth.
5. Pour the sauce into a stock pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Lower to medium heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes.
6. While the pipian is simmering, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the shrimp and cook for about 5 minutes or until done. Drain.
7. Mix the shrimp into the pipian.
8. Garnish with the remaining 1/4 cup of toasted pumpkin seeds.
Plan Ahead:
In advance: toast the pumpkin and sesame seeds.
Pipian also holds well in the refrigerator, so it can be made a few days in advance.
Pipian freezes well, so make a double batch and save the other half for a quick meal when there's no time to cook.
Chocolate Kahlua Cake (Pastel de Chocolate con Kahlúa)
1 cake, 12-15 slices
• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup boiling water
Filling:
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 + 1/2 cup Kahlua
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease three-9 inch round cake pans with shortening, line with wax paper and then grease again.
3. Place all of the ingredients, except the boiling water, into a large bowl. Beat for 2 minutes on medium speed.
4. Add the boiling water and continue beating for another minute.
5. Divide the batter evenly among the 3 cake pans. Bake for 20 minutes or until done.
6. While the cake is in the oven, make the Kahlua filling. Boil 2 cups of water over high heat in the bottom part of a double boiler. Place all the ingredients (with only 1/2 cup of Kahlua) in a large bowl over the double boiler. Stir the mixture continuously until it thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
7. Un-mold the cakes and lay out on 3 separate plates. Pour the remaining 1/2 cup of Kahlua on top of all three. Let cool for 2-3 hours. When ready to frost, place the first layer on a serving plate, spread with 1/2 of the Kahlua filling. Top with the second layer and spread with the remaining filling. Top with the third layer and frost with chocolate butter cream frosting.
CHOCOLATE BUTTER CREAM FROSTING (for one cake):
Beat 1/2 cup softened butter (one stick) in a mixer, add 3 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup milk, 1/8 cup cocoa, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until fluffy.
Raspberry Chipotle Brownies
(Brownies con Frambuesa y Chile Chipotle)
12 servings
• 3/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 2 chipotle chiles in adobo, minced without seeds
• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
• 1/2 cup raspberry jam
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease a 9x13 pan with shortening, line with wax paper, and then grease again.
3. Boil 2 cups of water over high heat in the bottom part of a double boiler. Place the butter and cocoa in the top part. Stir until well blended. Remove from heat and let cool.
4. Place the eggs, salt, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat for 1 minute. Add the chocolate mixture, chipotle chiles, and adobo sauce. Beat for another minute.
Stir in the flour. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
5. Spread the raspberry jam on top and swirl with a knife into the brownie mixture.
6. Bake for 25 minutes or until the center is done. Invert the brownies and remove the wax paper. Let cool. Cut into 12 pieces.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Ice box cake/cupcakes
Chocolate Wafers
1 1/2 cups (6.75 ounces) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (2.4 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder (I'd recommend Black Cocoa)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
3 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Combine the flour, cocoa, sugar, salt, and baking soda in the bowl of food processor and pulse several times to mix thoroughly. Cut the butter into about 12 chunks and add them to the bowl. Pulse several times. Combine the milk and vanilla in a small cup. With the processor running, add the milk mixture and continue to process until the mixture clumps around the blade or the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a large bowl or a cutting board and knead a few times to make sure it is evenly blended.
Form the dough into a log about 14 inches long and 1 3/4 inches in diameter. Wrap the log in wax paper or foil and refrigerate until firm, at least one hour, or until needed.
Position the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut the log of dough into slices a scant 1/4-inch thick (I went thinner, closer to 1/8 of inch. If you’re trying to emulate the store-bought wafers, slice as thin as you can, and watch the baking time carefully, as it might be less.) and place them one inch apart on the lined sheets (cookies will spread). Bake, rotating the baking sheet from top to bottom and back to front about halfway through baking, for a total of 12 to 15 minutes. The cookies will puff up and deflate; they are done about 1 1/2 minutes after they deflate.
Cool the cookies on the baking sheets on racks, or slide the parchment onto racks to cool completely. These cookies may be stored in an airtight container for up to two weeks or be frozen for up to two months.
Note: These cookies should crisp as they cool. If they don’t, you’re not baking them long enough, says Medrich — in which case, return them to the oven to reheat and bake a little longer, then cool again.
Icebox Cupcakes
I came up with these a while ago as a way to make the icebox cake a little more single serving size. How many you’ll get depends on how many you want to stack — I use five, but the height comes up a tad short of your standard frosting-dolloped bakery cupcake. They’re decadent enough, in my opinion. Keep in mind that your cupcake will be too big for a standard sized paper liner, I just pressed the sides down a bit to make mine work. But if I knew I was making an entire batch of these, I’d make the cookie log smaller, more like 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
Makes about a dozen cupcakes, but this will vary depending on the size and thickness of your cookies, and the height of your stacks. I use five apiece.
1 batch of Chocolate Wafers (recipe above)
1 cup whipping cream
1 to 2 spoons of powdered sugar (adjusted to your preferred sweetness; I like my whipped cream barely sweetened)
A dash of your favorite flavoring or extract (I use about 1/2 teaspoon vanilla)
Whip cream with a spoonful or two of powdered sugar and a dash of a flavoring of your choice, until the whipped cream holds firm peaks. Spread about two teaspoons whipped cream between each cookie, to the edges, and stack them until you reach the height you’d like. If you spread whipped cream on top of the final cookie, you will end up with a softer lid — a good thing — but I prefer the look of the brown cookie top.
Set them in the fridge at least overnight or up to a day. The cookies will soften as they set, and become cake-like.
As an icebox cookie, these will take longer to soften than the store-bought wafers, so set aside more time than you normally would. I think 24 hours in the fridge would be ideal.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Office Breakroom Chocolate Cake
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Cakes Cakes Cakes
Now that I am wracking my brain to create some delicious and perfect treat for my beloved Buzzie's bday dinner, I stumbled across some mind blowingly good sounding fall cakes thanks to the kitchn. I had been tossing around the idea of not trying to compete with her beloved Red Velvet (which I have never made, and me thinks now is not the time to try it out for the first time) and just doing a cheese course; perhaps using a wheel of cheese and decorating it to look like a cake (with goat cheese rosettes around the edges to act as frosting perhaps) when BAM. The Kitchn beats me to it (sort of).

(also, Truffle Tremor? Swoon.) I don't think I need a 3lb wheel of cheese for 6 people though; even though we COULD eat the whole thing. That's just it - we might.
Onto the cakier cake options (some still with my beloved goat cheese even!). . .
Harvest Cake with Goat Cheese Frosting
Makes one 9” layer cake
For the cake:
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cup grated carrots
1 cup grated zucchini
1 cup finely grated beets
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2/3 cup safflower, canola or other mild-tasting oil
4 eggs
For the frosting:
15 ounces (about 2 cups) fresh goat cheese, at room temperature
6 ounces (about 3/4 cup) cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup pure maple syrup
For garnish
8-12 walnut halves or 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
flowers
Arrange oven racks to divide oven into thirds. Preheat oven to 400° F Grease two 9in x 2in cake pans, dust with a spoonful of flour and tap out. Line each with a round of parchment paper.
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt into a bowl. In another bowl, stir together carrots, zucchini, beets, nuts, and raisins.
In a large mixing bowl, beat maple syrup and oil together until emulsified. Add eggs one at a time, beating until batter is smooth. Add flour mixture in three or four batches, mixing gently until mixture is even. Gently mix in the vegetable mixture. Divide between baking pans.
Place one baking pan in center of each of the racks. Bake 25-35 minutes, until a skewer or paring knife inserted into centers comes out clear and cakes are pulling away from the sides of pans. Cool on a rack about 5 minutes, then gently remove from pans. Cool to room temperature before frosting.
To make frosting:
Using an electric mixer or a wooden spoon and a strong arm, beat goat cheese and cream cheese together until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and beat at low speed until well blended. Beat in maple syrup. Chill about 30 minutes, until firm.
To assemble:
Following our instructions on how to frost a layer cake, cut four strips of parchment or wax paper to line cake plate under the cake's edges. Place first cake layer on plate. If it has a peaked top, carefully shave it off using a bread knife or sharp slicing knife. Using an off-set spatula or table knife, spread with frosting, pushing it to edges. Place second layer, top down, squarely on first layer. Spread a thin layer of frosting over entire cake to eliminate crumbs. Frost with remaining frosting. Arrange walnut halves and/or flowers around edge. Can also be garnished by gently pressing handfuls of finely chopped walnuts into frosting.
NOTE: The recipe has been updated to reflect a larger quantity so that layers can be bigger. We have tested it several times and find this recipe works better when feeding a crowd. Of course, for a smaller cake you could halve the recipe and bake it in smaller pans, or in one pan and slice that layer into two layer for a more thin cake.
Banana Nut Cake with Cream Cheese FrostingButter, for greasing pans
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup veggie oil
4 large ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 c sour cream (as suggested by reviewers)
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), at room temperature
1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans
(or this one)
Cook's Note: This recipe is not formulated for a wedding cake, but for a normal size everyone can use. Increase as needed if you are making tiered or extra large cakes.
Butter and flour 3 (9-inch) round cake pans; set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add the eggs, oil, banana, sour cream and vanilla to another bowl and mix the wet ingredients separately. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened; do not beat. Mix in nuts.
Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake for 23 to 28 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake layers in the pans for 10 minutes, and then turn them out onto a rack to cool completely. While the cake cools, make the frosting.
In a bowl, blend together the cream cheese and butter. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Stir in the pecans, or reserve them to sprinkle over the frosted cake. Fill and frost the cake when it is completely cool.
Banana Almond Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting
(yes, I just said that) Please do visit the blog, Savour Fare, as it offers up some fab photos and tips. Like this one!:
Now listen closely, because I am going to tell you the secret to baking a good cake: Beat the hell out of it before you add the flour, and beat it as little as possible afterwards. When you’re creaming butter and sugar, beat it until the mixture is not just combined, but fluffy, and nearly pure white. Add the eggs one at a time, beating between each addition, and then beating some more. Once you add the dry ingredients, just stir until barely combined. What you don’t want to happen in cake is the development of gluten. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment cut to size, and spray with Baker’s Joy, and your cake will release perfectly.
1) Freeze your cake layers before you start decorating.
2) Split the layers with a serrated knife, and while you’re at it, cut off the domed top of the layer.
3) If you’re planning on decorating a lot of cakes, invest in a turntable. They’re not very expensive and make the process easier.
4) Secure your bottom layer to a surface (a small cake can be transferred from the decorating surface with a spatula, but for a larger cake you might want to build it on a cardboard round), then spread filling on each layer and stack, checking to make sure it remains level.
5) Don’t skimp on the frosting. There’s no sense in making a delicious cake and using frosting from a can. You can tell. Powdered sugar will do in a pinch, but the best buttercreams are sugar syrup based (and this particular buttercream, which is made with whipped caramel, might be the best thing you’ve ever tasted)
5) Start with a thin layer of frosting on the outside of your cake (called a crumb coat), chill, then add additional frosting.
6) If the cake is primarily for looks, have a thick layer of frosting — it will hide more imperfections. If you’re willing to embrace some imperfections, aim for a thinner coat of frosting so the sweetness doesn’t overpower the cake.
Cake and Frosting from The Wedding Cake Book by Dede Wilson, Icing from thepioneerwoman.com
For the cake
3/4 c. banana puree (2 sm bananas)
1/4 c. buttermilk
1 c. + 2 T flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 oz butter
2/3 c. sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 egg
1 oz. almond flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add extracts and egg and beat until thoroughly combined. Combine buttermilk and banana in one bowl and dry ingredients in another, and add them in alternate batches to the butter sugar mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until a cake tester shows its done.
Salted Butter Caramel Buttercream (8 cups)
Ordinarily, buttercream frosting is the one time I would tell you to use unsalted butter, but with this caramel flavor, salted butter adds the perfect note of salt.
4 c. heavy cream
4 c. sugar
2 c. water
1 lb salted butter
Combine sugar and water, heat until amber, following directions for caramel in the hazelnut praline paste recipe. Immediately add the cream. Cool 10 minutes, put in mixer bowl and cool until firm (but not ice cold). Whip with an electric mixer with balloon whisk attachment until the caramel is fluffy, add butter 2 T at a time and whip until butter is incorporated. Use before chilling.
For the icing:
7 T butter
2 heaping T cocoa powder
3 T milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
8 oz. powdered sugar
In a small saucepan, melt the butter, add the cocoa powder. Allow to bubble for 30 seconds, turn off the heat, then add the milk, vanilla and powdered sugar. Stir until combined, let cool slightly, and pour over frosted and chilled cake.
Sweet Potato Layer Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
Cake
2 pounds tan-skinned sweet potatoes (about 3 medium)
3 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
4 large eggs
2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup dried cranberries
Frosting
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
31/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup sliced candied orange peel
3 tablespoons sugar
For cake:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Pierce potatoes with fork; place on small baking sheet. Roast potatoes until soft, about 1 hour. Cool, peel, and mash potatoes. Measure 2 cups mashed potatoes; cool to lukewarm (reserve any remaining potatoes for another use). Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides; line pans with parchment. Sift flour and next 6 ingredients into medium bowl. Combine oil, 1 cup sugar, and brown sugar in large bowl; whisk until smooth. Whisk in eggs 1 at a time, then mashed sweet potatoes. Whisk in flour mixture in 3 additions. Stir in 2/3 cup walnuts and 2/3 cup cranberries. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes completely in pans on racks.
For frosting:
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in powdered sugar, scraping down bowl often. Beat in orange juice concentrate and vanilla.
Cut around pan sides; turn out cakes. Peel off parchment. Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Spread 3/4 cup frosting over. Top with second cake layer, flat side down. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Combine orange peel, 3 tablespoons sugar, remaining 1/4 cup walnuts, and 1/4 cup cranberries in small bowl. Stir to coat with sugar. Transfer to sieve; sift off excess sugar. Sprinkle fruit and nut mixture decoratively atop cake. Chill until frosting sets, at least 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; keep chilled. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.)
Finally, they rave about this one; but I just don't know. . .Oh, one more thing. Holla!
Buttercream & Creamcheese Frostings
Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons milk
3 drops food coloring, or as needed (optional)
- Cream room temperature butter with a hand mixer, the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, or a wooden spoon until smooth and fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until fully incorporated. Beat in vanilla extract.
- Pour in milk and beat for an additional 3-4 minutes. Add food coloring, if using, and beat for thirty seconds until smooth or until desired color is reached.
This probably needs to be doubled up for most cupcake batches.
2/3 c cocoa will make it chocolate.
Use "clear" flavorings for WHITE icing (regular vanilla will tint it a bit).
Dries well for sugar cookies.
Refrigerate for an hour before using to thicken enough for piping.
Cream Cheese Frosting
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar. Store in the refrigerator after use.
Optional tweaks - 1 - 8 oz. cream cheese, 1/4 c. butter, and 2 c. powdered sugar, 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla.
Add one more cup of sugar if you like a sweeter frosting; this one is very cream cheesy and not that sweet.
Might want to halve the recipe for smaller cakes (this frosts two 9" cakes).
Not stiff enough for any super fancy decorating schemes.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Grandma's Favorites
This particular one featured Cool Whip and Jell-O pudding so it must've been Kraft. In any case, we both kind of went, "mmm, that looks good." So for Grandma's birthday Quinn and I stopped by the assisted living facility and dropped one off. Apparently it was just about the Greatest Thing Ever because she's been talking about it ever since. Like any time anyone mentions birthdays, cakes, desserts, pineapple, Cool Whip or the weather.
And because I always have to think, "wait, what was in that again?" posting it here will save me a precious few minutes of redundant web searching.
You can make it too, I hear it's pretty tasty, especially in the opinion of diabetic grandmothers who shouldn't be eating it anyway.
I'm putting all the brand names in caps because I'm sure KRAFT would (to show their GREAT IMPORTANCE), so you can decide if you'd like to fall prey to the manipulations of the KRAFT machine, or so you can swap 'em out and get whatever brand because I'm sure it doesn't matter one bit. Don't tell KRAFT I said that though please.
Pineapple Cream Angel Food Cake
1 package JELL-O instant vanilla pudding (4 oz)
1 can DOLE crushed pineapple in juice
1 cup COOL WHIP
1 ready to go Angel Food Cake
fresh berries for garnish
Mix pudding and pineapple in medium bowl. Fold in the COOL WHIP.
Cut cake horizontally into 3 layers. To make this easy and even, some genius recommended I put the cake in a baking pan/cookie sheet with sides and slice across using the sides as a guide for my knife. Brilliant!
Top bottom layer with 1/3 of the pudding mixture. Repeat layers 2 times.
Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Top with berries just before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator.
Travel with it carefully; it's slidey.
I hear she also likes this stuff, which I totally forget how to pronounce, even though my mom just told me not five minutes ago.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Caramel Pecan Cakes
Caramel Pecan Cakes Gourmet | October 2008
| by Pastry Chef Monica Segovia-Welsh These individual cakes, from Lantern pastry chef Monica Segovia-Welsh, are moist, tender, and not remotely fussy. Active Time: 35 min Total Time: 2 1/2 hr ![]() For caramel: 2 cups sugar 1 1/2 cups water, divided For cake: 1/2 cup pecans 1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1/3 cup heavy cream 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup packed brown sugar Equipment: 8 (6-ounces) ramekins Make caramel: |
Bring sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then wash down any sugar crystals on side of skillet with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Boil, without stirring, swirling skillet occasionally so caramel colors evenly, until dark amber. Remove from heat and carefully stir in remaining cup water (mixture will steam vigorously and may stiffen). Return to a boil and stir until caramel has completely dissolved. If necessary, simmer until just syrupy, 1 to 3 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
Toast pecans for cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
Toast pecans in a 4-sided sheet pan in oven until fragrant
and a shade darker, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool and coarsely chop.Make cake:
Put 2/3 cup cooled caramel syrup in a bowl (save remainder to use as sauce) and add butter, egg, and cream, whisking well after each addition.
Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and sugars into a large
bowl. Make a well in center, then add caramel mixture and gradually whisk in dry ingredients until smooth. Fold in pecans. Chill, covered, until cold (or 12 to 24 hours for best results).Preheat oven to 325°F with rack in middle.
Butter and lightly flour ramekins, then cut out and fit a round of parchment paper in bottom of each. Arrange in a 4-sided sheet pan.
Divide batter among ramekins (about 1/4 cup each; batter will be stiff). Bake until cakes just spring back when lightly pressed, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool cakes to warm. Reheat remaining caramel.
Invert cakes onto plates, then peel off parchment and spoon some of caramel on top.Cooks’ note:
Cakes can be made 4 hours ahead. Rewarm, individually wrapped in foil, in a 300°F oven.
Bring sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then wash down any sugar crystals on side of skillet with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Boil, without stirring, swirling skillet occasionally so caramel colors evenly, until dark amber. Remove from heat and carefully stir in remaining cup water (mixture will steam vigorously and may stiffen). Return to a boil and stir until caramel has completely dissolved. If necessary, simmer until just syrupy, 1 to 3 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
Toast pecans for cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
Toast pecans in a 4-sided sheet pan in oven until fragrant
and a shade darker, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool and coarsely chop.Make cake:
Put 2/3 cup cooled caramel syrup in a bowl (save remainder to use as sauce) and add butter, egg, and cream, whisking well after each addition.
Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and sugars into a large
bowl. Make a well in center, then add caramel mixture and gradually whisk in dry ingredients until smooth. Fold in pecans. Chill, covered, until cold (or 12 to 24 hours for best results).Preheat oven to 325°F with rack in middle.
Butter and lightly flour ramekins, then cut out and fit a round of parchment paper in bottom of each. Arrange in a 4-sided sheet pan.
Divide batter among ramekins (about 1/4 cup each; batter will be stiff). Bake until cakes just spring back when lightly pressed, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool cakes to warm. Reheat remaining caramel.
Invert cakes onto plates, then peel off parchment and spoon some of caramel on top.Cooks’ note:
Cakes can be made 4 hours ahead. Rewarm, individually wrapped in foil, in a 300°F oven.



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