Simple Math Bakery » Cake

Daring Bakers Challenge: Ice Cream Petit Fours

Jeanne — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 07:30:32 +0000

The August 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Elissa of 17 and Baking. For the first time, The Daring Bakers partnered with Sugar High Fridays for a co-event and Elissa was the gracious hostess of both. Using the theme of beurre noisette, or browned butter, Elissa chose to challenge Daring Bakers to make a pound cake to be used in either a Baked Alaska or in Ice Cream Petit Fours. The sources for Elissa’s challenge were Gourmet magazine and David Lebovitz’s “The Perfect Scoop”.

I’ve built two houses this month. The first one (shown above) is make of butter, sugar, and flour. The second one is made of clay, sand, straw, and water (cob). They’re both a bit rustic, but full of flavor and character. Each house was built using a series of layers that form a strong bond when tied together.

Mixing cob is a bit like mixing cake batter, except you use your feet instead of your hands. The final material is used to construct thick, strong walls with an incredible insulation factor and gorgeous flowing shapes.

This building adventure was a community effort. Most of us had never built anything with cob before, let alone a house! As we worked together to stomp on mud and smooth it into walls, the worksite echoed with conversation and laughter. Building with earth is unlike anything I’ve experienced before. The workshop has inspired me to continue my natural building education, and I hope to share more projects and insight with you soon! During the seven day workshop, we completed almost the entire first story of the house!

It goes to show that you don’t have to be a building expert to build your own house. But if you’re not ready to take on a cob house quite yet, you could always build a smaller scale replica with Petit Fours.

With any building project comes a set of challenges. My largest challenge in constructing the Petit Fours was due to the different temperature requirements of each layer. The ice cream layer in the middle needed to remain frozen, yet the poured buttercream coating wouldn’t pour unless it was warm. This resulted in some melty edges. I would recommend using a glaze that is pourable at room temperature to achieve a perfectly square finish.

If you’re not interested in a perfect shape, I’d like to say that the combination given in the recipe is amazing! The brown butter pound cake and vanilla bean ice cream are made to be sandwiched together. These Petit Fours tasted incredible, both glazed and unglazed.

I made this dessert over the course of three days:
Day 1 – Make ice cream
Day 2 – Make brown butter pound cake and assemble the layers
Day 3 – Slice into Petit Fours and decorate

Vanilla Ice Cream

1 cup whole milk
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup sucanat (Note: the sucanat makes the ice cream a tan color. If this bothers you, use white sugar)
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise OR 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups heavy cream
5 egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan, heat the milk, salt, and sugar until it steams. Use a paring knife to scrape the seeds out of the vanilla pod and into the milk, adding the bean pod as well. Remove from heat, cover, and let infuse for one hour. If you are not using the vanilla bean, heat the milk, salt, and sugar until the liquid steams, then let cool to room temperature.

Make an ice bath for the cream by placing a 2 quart bowl inside a larger bowl partially filled with cold water and ice. Your ice bath is even cooler (figuratively speaking) if you use Pi ice cubes!

Set a strainer on top of the smaller bowl and pour in the cream.

In a separate bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks together. Reheat the milk in the saucepan until warmed. Gradually pour 1/4 cup of warmed milk into the egg yolks, constantly whisking to keep the eggs from cooking. Once the yolks are warmed, scrape the yolk and milk mixture back into the saucepan of warmed milk and cook over low heat. Stir constantly and scrape the bottom with a spatula until the mixture thickens into a custard which thinly coats the back of the spatula.

Pour the custard through the strainer into the heavy cream and stir the mixture until cooled. Add the vanilla extract (1 teaspoon if you are using a vanilla bean; 3 teaspoons if you are not using a vanilla bean) and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, preferably overnight.

Remove the vanilla pod and freeze in an ice cream maker.

Brown Butter Pound Cake

19 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sucanat, finely ground in a coffee grinder or food processor
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325° with the rack in the center position. Grease and flour a 9″x9″ pan.

Place the butter in a large light-colored skillet or pot over medium-low heat. Let the butter cook until the milk solids are a dark chocolate brown and the butter smells nutty. The stages of browning butter are as follows:

First, the butter melts:

Then it foams:

Next, it gurgles and spits at you:

Finally, it browns:

It’s best not to walk away while the butter is browning. It goes from brown to burnt in no time flat!

Pour the browned butter into a shallow bowl and chill it in the freezer until just congealed, 15-30 minutes.

Whisk together cake flour, baking powder, and salt.

In an electric mixer, beat the brown butter and sucanat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Beat in the vanilla extract.

With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and stir until just combined.

Pour the batter into the pan. Ensure that the top is as level as possible, and rap the pan on the counter. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool the entire pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges and invert the cake twice so that it cools right side up on a cooling rack.

To assemble the Ice Cream Petit Fours:

Line a 9″x9″ pan with plastic wrap, making sure to hang it over the edges for easier removal later. Spread about 2 cups of ice cream into the pan, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and freeze for a few hours (preferably on a level surface, if you can find one in your freezer).

When the brown butter pound cake has completely cooled, level the top with a serrated knife or cake leveler. Split the cake in half horizontally to make two thin layers (this is tricky!).

Place one layer of the cake onto a piece of plastic wrap larger than the cake by a few inches on all sides. Unwrap the frozen ice cream layer and invert it onto the cake. Peel the plastic wrap off the ice cream and place the second cake layer on top. Carefully lift the bottom layer of plastic wrap and lower the entire cake back into the pan. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and freeze overnight.

The next day, invert the cake onto a cutting board and remove the plastic wrap. Here’s where the original recipe tells me to cut of 3/4″ on each side and then divide the cake into 2.5″ squares. I realized that I had had some cake shrinkage and wouldn’t be able to duplicate those measurements.

So I suggest using your math skills to create Petit Fours sized ideally for your cake. Slice off the edges of the cake so that you’re starting with four (mostly) even sides. Slice into squares as evenly as possible.

Poured Buttercream
The original recipe suggested covering the Petit Fours with a chocolate glaze but I decided to attempt poured buttercream. This recipe would work well on a cake without ice cream in it! The buttercream must be warm to pour, so it tends to melt the ice cream around the edges. This resulted in Petit Fours that weren’t exactly square, but still delicious!

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup heavy cream, plus extra for melting
3 cups powdered sugar

In an electric mixer, beat butter, vanilla extract, and 1/4 cup cream until smooth. Sift the powdered sugar and slowly add it to the creamed butter until the desired consistency is reached.

Reserve buttercream for piping decorations if desired.

Place buttercream in a microwave safe dish. Heat in 5-10 second increments, stirring in between heating. If it gets too thick, add some cream, a tablespoon at a time. The buttercream is the correct consistency for pouring when a spoon lifted from the bowl creates a ribbon of buttercream that disappears back into the rest.

Place one Petit Four on a fork over the bowl. Dip the bottom of the Petit Four into the buttercream. Use a large spoon to drizzle buttercream over the top and sides of the Petit Four. Place Petit Four onto a baking sheet lined with waxed paper and return to the freezer immediately.

As the buttercream cools it will become too solid to pour smoothly. Reheat in the microwave in 5-10 second intervals until it is pouring consistency.

Once the buttercream coating has cooled and hardened, decorate the Petit Fours as desired. Feel free to go vertical!

Daring Bakers Challenge: Swiss Swirl Ice Cream Cake

Jeanne — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 08:00:35 +0000

The July 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Sunita of Sunita’s world – life and food. Sunita challenged everyone to make an ice-cream filled Swiss roll that’s then used to make a bombe with hot fudge. Her recipe is based on an ice cream cake recipe from Taste of Home.

‘Tis the time of year to turn on the fan, sprawl on the couch (or on the patio if it’s not 100 degrees out) with a good book, and enjoy a bowl of ice cream. This Swiss Roll ice cream cake is like an all-in-one ice cream sundae with two different ice cream flavors, hot fudge, chocolate cake, and strawberry whipped cream! It’s sure to cool you down on a hot July day.

I rarely make ice cream, though I love to eat it. I don’t own a fancy ice cream maker, just this simple hand crank Donvier model that we used when I was young. This ice cream maker is 22 years old! In fact, I can tell you that we made our first ice cream from this machine on December 27, 1988 (it must have been a Christmas present). And we liked it. Thanks, mom, for keeping good notes!

I generally make a custard ice cream (in other words, using eggs) so it was interesting to try these simple recipes with just cream, sugar, and flavor. They did come out delicious! The only issue I had was that the chocolate ice cream never froze solid. It remained soft, even after sitting in the freezer overnight. I’ve never made chocolate ice cream before, so I’m not sure if this was my error or a problem with the recipe.

The original recipes called for caster sugar, which is unavailable where I live. It’s basically superfine sugar, so I created my own substitute by grinding some organic sucanat in a coffee grinder. It worked beautifully!

Since there are so many lovely berries available right now, I decided to give my cake a berry twist. I used fresh strawberries in the Swiss roll filling, and fresh blackberries in one of the ice cream layers.

Swiss Swirl Ice Cream Cake
Adapted from Taste of Home

This recipe is best made over the course of two (or more) days. I made the Swiss roll and blackberry chip ice cream on the first day, and the hot fudge and chocolate ice cream on the second day, while assembling the cake. The cake sat in the freezer overnight, since I had some difficulty with freezing the chocolate ice cream.

Chocolate Swiss Roll With Strawberry Whipped Cream Filling
Yield: one Swiss roll (approximately 10 slices)

For the cake:
3 eggs
1/2 cup sucanat, finely ground in a coffee grinder or food processor
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon boiling water

For the filling:
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
5 tablespoons fresh strawberry puree

Preheat the oven to 390°. Prepare an 11 inch by 9 inch baking pan by spraying with cooking spray then lining with parchment paper.

With an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sucanat until the mixture is very thick. This will take about 10-12 minutes. The mixture is thick enough when you lift the beater and it leaves a trail for 10 seconds.

Sift the flour and cocoa powder together. Fold into the egg mixture in three batches. Gently stir in the boiling water. Spread the batter into the pan, as evenly as possible. It will be very thin.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the center is springy and the edges are starting to curl away from the sides of the pan.

Spread a dish towel on the counter and sprinkle it with some confectioners sugar or finely ground sucanat. When the cake comes out of the oven, invert it onto the dish towel. Peel away the parchment paper and trim off the crisp edges.

Carefully roll up the cake and the towel together. Doing this while the cake is still warm will allow the cake to keep its shape once filled. Cool the cake, rolled up in the towel, on a cooling rack, seam side down. While the cake is cooling, prepare the filling.

Place the mixer bowl and beater in the fridge for 10-15 minutes (this step is optional, but will make it easier to whip the cream). Puree the strawberries in a food processor (or like me, if you don’t have one just use a potato masher).

Add the cream and vanilla extract to the bowl and beat until soft peaks form. Sprinkle in the confectioners sugar and continue to beat until the cream forms stiff peaks, or to your desired consistency. Fold in the strawberry puree. If you’re not using the whipped cream right away, place it in the fridge.

Cover your work surface with confectioners sugar to prevent the cake from sticking. When the cake has completely cooled, carefully unroll it onto the sugared surface. Spread the whipped cream over the cake, to within 1/2 inch of the edges.

Gently roll the cake up again, without the towel this time. Sprinkle the cake with confectioners sugar and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate, seam side down, until ready to use.

Blackberry Chip Ice Cream
Yield: slightly less than one quart

2 cups whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sucanat, finely ground
1 cup fresh blackberries
1/3 cup grated chocolate

Whisk together the cream, vanilla extract, and sucanat. Stir in the blackberries and chocolate. Pour into your ice cream maker and freeze according to instructions.

If you’d like to make the ice cream without an ice cream maker, David Lebovitz gives some excellent instructions.

Hot Fudge Sauce
Yield: 1 3/4 cups

1 cup sucanat
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sucanat, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and water. Heat over medium heat, stirring contantly, until the mixture comes to a simmer. Continue whisking until the mixture thickens, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Chocolate Ice Cream
Yield: one pint

2 cups whipping cream
1 cup sucanat
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan, and place over medium heat. Stir constantly until the mixture begins to bubble around the edges. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature (even better, cool and then place in the fridge for an hour or two).

Pour into your ice cream maker and freeze according to instructions.

To assemble the cake:

Select a freezer-proof container of the size and shape you desire for your cake (I used a 2.5 liter Pyrex bowl). Line the bowl with plastic wrap to facilitate easier removal of the cake. Slice the Swiss roll and line the bottom and sides of the bowl with the slices. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer until the slices are firm (about one hour). In the meantime, remove the blackberry chip ice cream from the freezer to soften (about 20 minutes).

Spread the softened ice cream over the Swiss roll slices, cover, and place back in the freezer until the ice cream is firm (about 2 hours).

Pour the fudge sauce over the ice cream to the desired thickness (I only used about half of the sauce). Cover and place back in the freezer until the fudge sauce is firm (this took 3 or 4 hours).

Soften the chocolate ice cream. Mine had never firmed up so I didn’t need to remove it from the freezer ahead of time. Pour the softened ice cream over the fudge layer. Cover and place back in the freezer until firm (I left it overnight).

To remove the cake from the bowl, invert the bowl onto a plate. Carefully hold down the plastic wrap and lift the bowl off. If the plastic wrap sticks to the bowl, run a cloth dipped in warm water over the outside surface of the bowl. Peel the plastic wrap off the cake, slice, and serve.

Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Cake

Jeanne — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 16:29:28 +0000

I’m looking for a few good book recommendations. It’s time to start making my summer reading list. I’ll be taking a trip in a few weeks so I need to discover some good books for the journey. I’ll tell you about my latest read and share a recipe, and then you can give me some book recommendations. Deal?

I just finished reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma, and it inspired me to make some changes in my diet. The dilemma that Michael Pollan writes about is this: as omnivores, we can eat just about anything in nature, which is bound to create anxiety. Pollan offers insight into this dilemma by tracing four vastly different meals back to their sources. Armed with the information presented, you will be better equipped to navigate our confusing array of food choices, especially in America. It just may inspire you to change your diet, even in some small way, to become more sustainable. Everyone who eats food should read this book.

As everyone who likes bananas should make this cake. It’s so simple and easy to put together, and tastes incredible. I’m sure it would be equally stellar as a loaf or muffins. And I can assure you that the batter tastes great, too. See, I put my recipes through all sorts of rigorous testing just for your benefit. I have confidence that you’ll enjoy this one.

Don’t forget to leave me a book recommendation in the comments!

Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Cake
Adapted from Vegan Visitor
Yield: One 8″ cake

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
3 tablespoons water
4 very ripe bananas
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup sucanat (or your preferred type of sugar)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease one 8″ cake pan or spray with vegetable spray and set aside.

Stir the flax and water together and let sit for about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl or the bowl of your mixer, mash the bananas, then add the canola oil, sucanat, and vanilla extract. Beat well with an electric mixer.

Add the salt, cinnamon, and flax mixture. Mix on low speed until combined.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add to the banana mixture in two batches, beating just until combined. With a rubber spatula, fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the greased pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the entire pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar.

Pepsi Can Cake

Jeanne — Tue, 18 May 2010 04:21:34 +0000

Logos fascinate me. It’s incredible how much influence one small image can have. Logos work their way into our subconscious mind, persuading us to buy (or refrain from buying) a product. Logos transcend languages. When you see a soda can with text in a foreign language, chances are you’ll recognize the brand of soda by color and font alone. I’ll leave you all to your own opinion on whether this type of globalization is a good thing, a bad thing, or just an unavoidable fact of life in these modern times.

When I received a request for a Pepsi can cake, I had to do some scouting to find the current can design and logo. We’re not soda drinkers so I didn’t have a supply of cans for inspiration. The recipient requested that the can be on its side instead of standing up, which made it a little easier for me!

I stacked two 9 by 13 chocolate cake layers and got to carving! The carving is probably my favorite part of decorating. I used a large (serrated) bread knife. Since my knife isn’t as long as the cake, it took some patience and skill to get the whole thing to look like a cylinder. I ended up carving the half circle shape from both ends, on both sides of the cake. The trick is to go slowly and take off a little at a time. When I was satisfied that the cake resembled a half cylinder, I used a smaller knife to create the notches at the ends of the can and to indent the bottom end of the can.

Next, the cake got a crumb coat. Then, a final coat of buttercream icing. I applied the blue icing first, and then capped off the ends with light gray.

To smooth the icing, I placed the whole cake in the fridge for about 15 minutes. The idea is to get the icing chilled enough to be very stiff with just the slightest amount of “crust”. Then I removed the cake from the fridge and used a paper towel to smooth the icing.

To do this, find a paper towel with a relatively smooth pattern. Place the paper towel over the icing and gently run your hand back and forth over the surface of the paper towel. The heat from your hand should be just enough to melt the rough surface of the icing and the paper towel should keep it smooth. I had some difficulty smoothing the icing on this cake due to the round shape. But with a lot of patience and a few tries I finally reached a point that I deemed acceptable.

Next, I drew the logo and the text on top. I finished off the ends by using a flat icing tip to create the metal overlap between the end of the can and the sides.

No soda can is complete without a pull tab! I used a butter knife to draw the indentation and piped the pull tab with gray icing.

This cake was lots of fun to make, and relatively simple. The recipient was thrilled with it!

Kitty Litter Cake

Jeanne — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 07:00:27 +0000

I’m giggling with delight as I imagine the responses I will get from my coworkers when they catch a glimpse of this cake on the table! I’m well known at the office for bringing in sweet treats, so I just couldn’t resist creating a sweet joke for April Fool’s Day.

The cat litter cake is already famous on the internet, but I put my own spin on it by making everything from scratch (well, except for the Tootsie Rolls – call me lazy!). It’s super fun to put together because you get to dig your hands into the cake! And sculpt little cat turds out of Tootsie Rolls.

To make this cake, you’ll need:

NEW, UNUSED cat litter box
NEW, UNUSED cat litter pooper scooper

Two batches of cake, whichever kind you prefer. I used one chocolate cake and one yellow cake.

Vanilla wafers.

Pudding. This was the first time I’ve made pudding from scratch. It was easy to make and delicious! I used organic soy milk, and it worked beautifully.

Tootsie Rolls. I cheated and bought some. But I’m sure there’s a recipe out there for homemade Tootsie Rolls, so I am hereby challenging myself to find it and make them. Hold me to that.

To assemble the litter box:

Thoroughly wash the BRAND NEW litter box and scoop (I know I’m beating a dead horse, but I don’t want to be responsible for anybody building this cake in a used litter box).

Crumble the cakes into the litter box. This is the fun part! You get to plunge your hands into all those cake crumbs! Spoon the pudding over the cakes and mix until evenly distributed. Add just enough pudding to keep the cake moist. I used almost the whole batch of pudding (and ate the rest in the name of taste testing).

Place the vanilla wafers in a large ziploc bag and smash them to pieces. Alternatively, use a food processor to create the cookie crumbs. Sprinkle the crumbs over the cake mixture in the litter box.

Doesn’t it look like a litter box?

Now, to send the cake over the top! Unwrap a few Tootsie Rolls and place them on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave for 10 seconds, or just until soft. Shape into poop-like shapes and decorate the “litter box” with them.

Bonus points for “poop” that hangs over the edge!

Homemade Twinkies

Jeanne — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:44:30 +0000

My kitchen smells like a Hostess bakery. Those of us who grew up in a town that had a Hostess bakery will never forget that smell. Driving through that part of town was always pleasant, since the air smelled of Wonder bread, Twinkies, or whatever snack they happened to be baking that day.

And now it’s in my kitchen. Sweet, sugary Twinkie goodness. Even better than the original.

I’ve only eaten Twinkies a few times in my life. As a kid, I wasn’t allowed to eat very many “fake” foods. It seems to have worked out well because to this day I don’t have much desire to eat processed foods. Thanks mom!

I won’t say that these Twinkies are healthy, but they certainly are worth the rare indulgence. I made these as a surprise treat for my boyfriend. He loves Twinkies, but knows that I don’t really approve of the store bought variety. The verdict? Much better than store bought!

To get the light, spongy cake shell requires a few extra steps. First, beat the egg whites until they are very stiff.

After mixing the batter, fold the egg whites in gently. The volume of the batter will increase greatly. See all those bubbles? This batter is fluffy!

To get the authentic Twinkie shape, use this canoe pan. Or, if you prefer, use a cupcake pan. I couldn’t resist trying the canoe pan. The cakes came out looking exactly like Twinkies!

The fun part is filling the cakes. Hold them in the palm of your hand, stick the icing tip into the cake and squeeze! Not too much, or the cake may explode. When you’re done, they’ll look very professional.

Final score? Store bought Twinkies: 39 ingredients. Homemade Twinkies: 12 ingredients.

Vanilla Snack Cakes (Twinkies)
Adapted from King Arthur Flour
Yield: 24 cakes

Snack Cakes:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons corn starch
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 cup cold water
1 teaspoon Princess flavoring (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
7 eggs, separated

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a canoe pan or muffin tins with cooking spray and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they are very stiff. They should hold their shape when removed from the bowl. Set aside.

Combine the flour, corn starch, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together or beat on low speed for a minute, until combined. Add oil, water, Princess flavoring, and egg yolks. Beat on medium speed until smooth.

Using a rubber spatula, gently scoop 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter. Fold the egg whites in by slicing the spatula through the center of the bowl, gently scooping batter from the bottom and wrapping it over the top. Turn the bowl 1/4 turn and repeat until the egg whites are barely visible. Repeat this process with each remaining 1/3 of the egg whites.

Spoon the batter into the pan, filling the wells 2/3 full. Bake for 8-12 minutes, or until cakes are golden brown and just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cakes will puff up when cooking, but will settle as they cool. Cool the cakes in the pan for 5 minutes, then gently remove them from the pan using a rubber spatula. Allow them to cool, flat side down, directly on the cooling rack.

Filling:
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk (I used soy milk)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar

In a small saucepan, heat the flour and milk over medium heat, stirring constantly. When the mixture becomes a paste (about 5 minutes), remove from heat and allow to cool for 1 minute. Stir in the vanilla extract. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and set aside to cool completely.

With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cooled milk mixture and beat for about 5 minutes, until smooth and creamy.

Use the pastry filler that comes with the pan (or a pastry bag with round tip) to fill the cakes. Place the tip about halfway into the cake and squeeze gently. Holding the cake in your palm while filling it will allow you to feel when it is full. Fill each cake 3 times to ensure that each bite contains cream filling!

Dallas Cowboys Cake

Jeanne — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 01:40:14 +0000

Now, I realize that there’s a big game coming up tomorrow. But I swear that the timing on this cake is a huge coincidence. This cake was requested by my coworker, and her husband’s birthday just happens to be tomorrow. And he’s a Cowboys fan (obviously).

Here’s my disclaimer: This cake is for entertainment and instructional purposes only. It is not a representation of my football allegiances, nor is it an indication of support for any particular team.

Further disclaimer: If I HAD to pick a team to support, it would have to be my (former) hometown team, the Patriots. So all you football fans can judge me based on that!

Now back to cake.

I started with a 9 x 13 pound cake (yes, I’m linking to a Lakers cake post from a Cowboys cake post. Does that violate any sports rules?). I frosted it to look like a football field.

It’s so difficult to pipe straight lines (and parallel to boot)! But not to worry, most of the cake will soon be covered with a football. I baked a small oval cake to carve into a half football. After carving it into the correct shape, I crumb coated it to avoid dropping crumbs all over the field.

The football was pretty flimsy but also very small (about 5 inches by 7 inches). I was able to use a spatula to lower it as close as possible to the field, then gently drop it straight down on top.

I then decorated the football and added grass around the edges of the football and along the bottom of the cake. I love the grass icing tip! It’s so much fun and I really like the look of the grass.

I used a wide, flat tip to pipe the edges of the field and end zones. The recipient’s favorite player is Tony Dorsett, so I put his number on the football. I did put a little bit of texture onto the football using a paper towel.

I had a lot of fun with this project! The design is relatively simple and it doesn’t require any special pans to make. You could carve the football out of any size pan you wish.

And now, the question that you’re dying to answer: which team’s logo would you paint in the end zones?

Chocolate Cake Truffles

Jeanne — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 02:00:13 +0000

Ever since I first laid eyes on Bakerella’s blog, I’ve wanted to make these cake truffles (or cake balls, as she refers to them). Bite size pieces of cake covered in chocolate! How can you go wrong?

I decided that these would be the perfect contribution to our holiday dessert potluck at work. Bite sized treats always go over well, since they’re easy to grab and don’t require hunting down the necessary utensil. Plus, cake truffles look fancy and are super easy to make!

I was a little intimidated at first, since this requires dipping the cake mixture in melted chocolate. It did get a little messy, but was actually quite a bit easier than I had anticipated. I bought a bag of dark chocolate candy melts at Michael’s, and supplemented it with my favorite Ghirardelli baking chips since they taste so much better!

So, let’s get started:

Bake a 2 layer cake of your choice (chocolate was my choice), and allow to cool completely. Whip up a batch of frosting (I used buttercream). Crumble the cooled cake into the bowl with the frosting. Mix well.

Dig in with your hands to form the truffles. You could also use a small scoop for this part if you wish. I used my hands since I like to think of baking as a hands-on activity, and I was able to get the truffles really round that way.

Line up the truffles on a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Place them in the freezer for an hour or two, until they are firm. Alternatively, you can refrigerate them. In that case you’ll have to leave them in the fridge for a few hours.

Melt the chocolate according to package directions. I used the microwave at 50% power, for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between. The easiest way to dip the truffles is with a fork so that the extra chocolate can drip off as you remove the truffle from the chocolate.

Place on wax paper to cool. I tried placing the truffles on a cooling rack over some wax paper, but the chocolate hardened around the cooling rack and pulled the truffles apart when I tried to remove them. Luckily I had only done a few truffles when I realized this. If you allow them to cool and harden on wax paper, they will peel right off.

You can use any cake and frosting combination you would like. The combination I used is below. This chocolate cake recipe is currently my favorite. It’s dense and moist, which made the truffles very soft in the center.

This recipe made 54 truffles.

Hershey’s Collector’s Cocoa Cake
From Hershey’s
Yield: One 2-layer cake

3/4 cup butter
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups water

Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare 8-inch or 9-inch pans by spraying with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs and vanilla, beating on medium speed for about one minute. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture alternately with the water to the butter mixture, beating after each addition. Mix until well blended. Divide batter evenly between the two pans.

Bake 8-inch layers for 35 to 40 minutes, or 30 to 35 minutes for 9-inch layers. Cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove cake from pans to cool directly on wire rack.

Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 pound confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk or water

Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Beat with a mixer until smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl often to incorporate all ingredients evenly.

Celebrating GIS Day with Apple Cake!

Jeanne — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:00:27 +0000

By day, I am a cartographer. I edit geographic data, perform analyses, design map layouts, and provide my coworkers with baked goods.

Every year, The National Geographic Society sponsors Geography Awareness Week. GIS Day is on the Wednesday that falls within Geography Awareness Week, which makes today GIS Day! GIS and geography lovers all over the world celebrate in different ways, from holding an open house to working with local schools to raise awareness about how GIS makes a difference in our world.

Serving a GIS cake is an important part of GIS Day all over the world. It’s also the best way for me to combine two of my passions: maps and cake!

I picked up some late season Arkansas Black apples for this cake. They have a sweet taste, which makes them perfect for cake. I used a cinnamon buttercream frosting for an extra touch of spice.

Old-Fashioned Apple Cake
Adapted from King Arthur Flour
Yield: One 9×13 cake

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
4 cups apples, peeled and chopped (about 1 pound of apples before peeling)

Preheat the oven to 325°.

Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until well combined. Add eggs and beat well. Stir in flour mixture. The batter will be extremely thick, like cookie dough. Add the apples and mix on low speed until the apples release some of their juice. Mix until the batter is a consistency between cookie dough and brownie batter.

Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan. Spread the batter evenly in the pan, and bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the entire pan on a cooling rack and cool completely before removing cake from pan.

Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting
Adapted from Wilton

1 cup butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons water or milk
1 pound confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon meringue powder (optional)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

With a mixer, beat the butter, vanilla, and water on medium speed until well incorporated. Add confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder, and cinnamon. Beat until creamy and smooth.

Spread over cooled cake, and decorate as desired.

My GIS Day cake is decorated with one of the north arrow designs that we use frequently. It shows how three different types of geography (points, lines, and polygons) can be overlayed to create a map.

Mocha Hazelnut Marble Cake

Jeanne — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:25:57 +0000

I have to confess: I don’t often use nuts in my baked creations. But sometimes I make an exception. This cake is one of those exceptions. The toasted hazelnuts add just the right flavor to the coffee and bittersweet chocolate.

Generally, I like to keep things simple. But sometimes it’s fun to get out all kinds of bowls, and use the mixer, the stove and the oven all at once. I had a party to attend and this seemed like just the thing to show up with. And it didn’t disappoint. Super chocolatey, but not overly sweet. It got rave reviews at the party.

I saw this cake on Joy the Baker. Have you seen Joy’s website? It’s beautiful, and packed with amazingly delicious recipes. Joy just won Best Baking Blog in the 2009 Foodbuzz Blog Awards. Congratulations Joy! And thanks for the inspiration!

Mocha Hazelnut Marble Cake
Adapted from Joy the Baker

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, finely ground
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
9 ounces (2 sticks + 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I used 1/2 cup Ghirardelli 60% cacao baking chips)
1/4 cup coffee (hot or cold)
1 teaspoon instant coffee
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a bundt pan or tube pan with cake release, or grease and flour the pan.

To toast the hazelnuts: Spread the hazelnuts on a cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes or until fragrant. Let cool, then grind with a food processor or mortar and pestle.

Combine flour, hazelnuts, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Create a double boiler by placing a heatproof bowl over a saucepan with a small amount of water in it. Make sure the bowl is not touching the surface of the water. Heat the water to a gentle simmer. Cut the 2 tablespoons of butter into 4 pieces, and add to the bowl along with the chocolate, coffee, and instant coffee. Keep the heat low and stir the mixture often until it melts and becomes smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside.

Use a mixer to beat the remaining 2 sticks of butter and the sugar for about 3 minutes at medium speed. The mixture will be a thick paste, not light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after adding each egg. The batter will become smooth and velvety. Add the vanilla extract and beat well. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts alternately with the milk in 2 parts, beating on low speed after each addition. Begin and end with the dry ingredients. Scrape the sides of the mixing bowl as necessary.

Spoon a little less than half of the batter into the bowl with the chocolate mixture and stir to blend completely.

Scoop the batter into the pan, alternating between the chocolate and white batter. Use a knife to swirl the batter. Bake for 65-70 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Place the whole pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan and allow to cool completely on the cooling rack.

Mocha Sour Cream Glaze

5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (again, I used a scant 1 cup of the Ghirardelli chips)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup brewed coffee, room temperature

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, over gently simmering water. Stir the chocolate while it melts. Remove from the double boiler and stir in the sour cream.

Add the corn syrup and vanilla, stirring to incorporate. Slowly add the brewed coffee a little at a time, mixing until well incorporated. If you’d like the glaze to be a thinner consistency, add more corn syrup and coffee.

Spread onto the cooled cake.