Perfection Pound Cake

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe was Chocolate-Crunched Caramel Tart, selected by Carla of Chocolate Moosey. I'd already made this recipe and posted it (here), so I opted to make something from the Tuesdays with Dorie archive of dishes I've missed. Dorie's Perfection Pound Cake is a delicious classic, and I took Dorie's "playing around" suggestion and made it marbelized with some chocolate batter.

Baking the cake for a little too long, I burnt it a little on the crust - what can I say, I've been out of it for a while. I really need to get back into the mode of baking more...I'm really getting rusty. Anyways, this was my second time marbeling, and I was pretty happy with how it turned out.

Cut into thick slices, microwaved, with just a small pat of butter on top, this treat is an excellent sweet breakfast, or delicious dessert. I'll be trying this out again soon, without the chocolate, just to see how well it turns out - who doesn't love a classic pound cake?

Recipe: Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan, pp. 222-223

Coconut-Roasted Pineapple Dacquoise

Posted a week late...again. Last week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe was selected by Andrea of Andrea In The Kitchen. Not being a fan of pineapple, I thought this dessert might not be my type, but it all turned out fine with the mixture of white chocolate, coconut, and almond.

This was a bit too sweet for my tastes on the whole, though. All that icing has a lot of sugar packed into it, not to mention what goes into the meringues. However, I really did like how the overall presentation ended up, with the meringue cutting (not breaking) nicely. The layers are nice, and the pineapple gives it good coloring.

I keep having a bit of trouble whenever I make a white chocolate icing in this manner. This is the second time I've over-beat it (though this time wasn't nearly as bad), and end up with something that curdles with some of the liquid escaping. I'm sure a few more tries and I'll have it down, but I need to remind myself not to take my eyes of the stand mixer when it's going.

Recipe: Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan, pp 293-295.

Tiramisu, and good luck?

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe was selected by Megan of My Baking Adventures. This tiramisu cake is made with a yellow cake batter instead of ladyfingers, and syrup is poured over the cake rather than letting it outright soak.

A few weeks ago, you might remember, my oven broke down, so I had to cook everything on the broiler setting. Not long after that, two of the four coils on the top of the oven burned out, so that had to be fixed. Then around two weeks ago, there was a leak behind our wall, so the oven was pulled into the middle of the kitchen and I had to do all my mixing and whatnot in the living room. Last night, our cable/internet went out. I swear, it's a conspiracy. The cable/internet provider said it was going to be out for 3-4 days at least, so I'm having to type up this while at work. After a heavy sigh, I started baking this cake, and while making the batter, cracked my very first double-yolked egg! Hopefully, since that's a sign of good luck, fortune will begin to turn my way in the baking world.

I ended up making this cake twice. I got response that the first cake ended up tasting a bit dry for a tiramisu, so for the second batch I more than doubled the amount of syrup, adding an extra little helping of amaretto. To my disappointment, my first bite into it showed it was still dry. I'm used to having a very wet tiramisu, so maybe it's just a matter of opinion, but next time I'd probably soak the layers much more thoroughly than Dorie indicates. Overall though, the dessert is very tasty, and the frosting is exceptionally good (made with an extra couple doses of amaretto).

Recipe: Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan, pp. 266-268

Chocolate Amaretti Torte

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe was selected by Holly of Phe/MOM/enon. It's a flourless cake made with almonds and amaretti - small Italian almond cookies. It gave me an excuse to visit Little Italy in San Diego, something I haven't done since I moved down here. I found Amaretti Di Saronno cookies by Lazzaroni, the ones Dorie suggests as her favorite, along with a ton of other goodies in the little market.

Among the goodies, I found a 750g (26.5 oz.) container of Nutella. Why have I not been told that these are around until now? Whenever I see them in the supermarket, they're in tiny containers. Have I been deprived, or is this a common occurance? Do any of your standard supermarkets carry super-sized Nutella, or do you have to find specialty stores to get your jumbo-sized chocolatey hazelnut goodness on? Needless to say I bought one, and immedietly remembered that I have no self-control. The tub lasted a good two weeks...it fought to stay full, it really did, but it was no match for my sweet tooth's lust.

Back to the dessert at hand, it's earned its place as one of my favorites from this book. So simple to put together (except for finding the ingredients), and absolutely decadent. It tastes like it has some great amaretto in it, a trick of the tongue with all the flavors playing on each other. I also munched on the leftover amaretti di saronno cookies, and they were delicious. I know they're the type that probably can't be duplicated in a home kitchen (and certainly not my current one), so I'll just stick to buying them if I see them from now on.

Recipe: Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan, pp. 276-277

Blueberry Crumb Cake

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe was selected by Sihan of Befuddlement. Always up for something new, I ended up broiling instead of baking this cake. The oven we have here is an old electric, and after waiting an hour for the oven to preheat, it never got warmer than about 100ºF. The bottom burner looks like it's out (so no clue why it even got warmer than room temperature in the first place) and I'll have to call the landlord about that soon, but in the meantime I had the cake just sitting there, waiting to be put in. I tented it with some foil and put it on a low shelft, then broiled it, checking every 10 minutes or so to make sure the temperature wasn't going too high. Long story short, the cake ended up taking me about two hours to fully bake instead of the one, but the taste definitely (and surprisingly) wasn't affected.

Hopefully this problem will be fixed quite quickly - I wanted to put myself ahead a few recipes, as I usually do, just in case something comes up, and I need to make my weekly loaf of sourdough (I pretty much eat a sandwich and some fruit for lunch every day at work, and I refuse to go out and buy bread. It's not that mine's any better, I'm just stubborn like that). Anyways, people reading this are probably more interested in the recipe. So, let's see. Fresh blueberries in a moist cake, topped with a walnut crumb crust. Contrasting texture of slightly crispy on top of soft; buttery walnuts with brown sugar topping the fruity cake. As Dorie suggests, this cake can be eaten as a breakfast treat, as a snack, or for dessert. It goes well with any time of the day. Fairly easy to put together, but your friends will think it took loads more effort.

Recipe: Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan, pp. 192 - 193

King Cake

Happy belated Mardi Gras! Yes, I know, very very belated. I actually made this cake late on Monday night just in time for the celebration, but forgot I even had these pictures until just now. Just as well though - hopefully someone can find this recipe useful and make their own King Cake for the party next year. King Cake is traditionally shaped into a circle after braiding it, but I left mine as more a loaf because I didn't have the room to make the braids any longer. I really need a bigger kitchen. It's also traditionally topped with colored sugar for the three Carnival colors (purple, yellow, and green) and baked with a trinket inside - whoever gets the piece with the trinket has to bake the next King Cake.

Recipe:

Cake:
1/2 cup warm water
4 1/2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
4 1/2 cups flour (or more, depending on your dough)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon fresh lime zest
1/2 cup lukewarm milk
3 eggs, room temperature
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup butter, softened

In the bottom of a stand mixer attached with a kneading hook, combine the warm water and yeast. Allow to proof for 10 minutes. In the meantime, combine 4 cups of flour with the sugar, nutmeg, salt, and lime zest. Pour into the yeast mixture and add the milk and eggs. Knead until combined, then add the butter and continue kneading until the dough forms a ball that pulls away from the sides of the mixer. Add more flour, a tablespoon a time, if the dough is too wet to form a ball. After the dough is fully incorporated, butter a bowl and place the dough into it, then cover with a towel until doubled in size (about 2 hours). Punch down the dough and divide into three. Roll each portion into a rod, equal in length (your choice - mine were 16 inches long). Braid together on a baking sheet, then cover with a towel and allow to rise for about an hour. In the meantime, preheat oven to 350ºF. After the dough has finished rising, bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

Icing:
3 cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons water

Combine confectioner's sugar with lime juice and water, and stir until the sugar has had enough time to dissolve as much as it will. Add more water, one teaspoon at a time, if this mixture is too thick. Pour evenly over the cooled King Cake.

Sugar topping:
3/4 cup of granulated sugar, divided
Food coloring

In a small food processor, combine 1/4 cup granulated sugar with 3 drops of green food coloring. Pour out and repeat with the green and purple (for purple, I used 2 drops of red and 1 drop of blue). Sprinkle the sugar over the iced cake until you get the finish you want - don't overdo it, though.

Make sure your cake has baked through all the way (I altered the recipe I posted because when I cut into mine, it was a bit raw in the middle), and don't pour too much sugar on top. I ended up brushing off a bit of it because it was overly-sweet.

French Yogurt Cake with Apricot Glaze

First off, I'd like to thank all the well-wishers from last week. I'm feeling much better now, and it's so nice to be able to bake again without fear of spreading sick to people. Again, thanks to all of you. Second item, happy St. Patrick's Day! This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe was selected by Liliana of My Cookbook Addiction. I really had to fight the urge to add some green food coloring to this batter. A little green in the background will have to do. Thirdly (and randomly)...does anyone else have to fight the addiction for girl scout cookies? I feel like I keep getting conned into buying packages when I leave the store. This, after I complain that they never come to my house.

This cake is wonderfully moist and soft. It reminds me a lot of pound cake, but with a hint of almond and topped with a glaze of your choice. I'll be bringing this one into work today, and I have a feeling it'll be gone pretty quickly. Having eaten a bit of it already, it's surprising how fast a slice can disappear. All this, and it's probably one of the easiest cakes I've come across to put together.

If you're going to go out and celebrate St. Patty's Day tonight (and I know I will), make sure you wear green, and drink a lot of water. No hangovers allowed tomorrow - it's a work day.

Recipe: Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan, pp. 224-225

Chocolate Whiskey Cake

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe was Chocolate Armagnac Cake, selected by Lyb of And then I do the dishes. The recipe comes with a story about Dorie working at a restaurant, and adjusting a cake by substituting a few ingredients. I decided to make the original cake (with raisins and scotch) because I already had all the ingredients on hand. I can understand how Dorie could get bored making the same cake every day, but by no means does that make the original cake any less delicious.

The cake includes pecans in the batter, and mixes in raisins that have been soaked in whiskey. Many people aren't fans of raisins, I know, but every time I throw them into a chocolate dish, something wonderful always seems to happen. If the people consuming the cake aren't told that there are raisins, they'll tell you that the cake is moist, and that there's something they can't quite put their finger on. Even those that have an aversion to raisins seem to get over it when it's surrounded by decadent chocolate. Give it a try, you won't regret it.

Recipe: Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan, pp. 279 - 281

Chocolate Valentino Cake with Ice Cream

This month's Daring Bakers challenge was to make a flourless chocolate cake, paired with a homemade ice cream. I made a rich cake using Valrhona dark chocolate, paired it with two different ice creams - coffee, and chile spice, and topped it all with a semisweet chocolate and brandy sauce. Now that Daring Bakers is checked by a bot, we need to have an obligatory sentence in our post. I followed the suggested recipe for the cake, but the ice creams were not based on the shared recipes. Anyways, "The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE's blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef. We have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge."

If you decide to make this cake, you can use whatever sort of chocolate you'd like (except white chocolate; the ratios in that chocolate will throw off the recipe), just make sure it's a chocolate you love. Because the cake is only eggs, butter, and the chocolate, the cake will end up tasting just like the chocolate you put into it. As with most recipes, the better quality ingredients you get, the better this cake will taste.


Chocolate Valentino Cake:
16 oz. premium-quality dark chocolate (like Valrhona), roughly chopped
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 large eggs, separated

Butter an 8"x8" pan, and line with parchment paper (the butter helps the paper hold shape). Preheat the oven to 375ºF. In a double boiler, combine the chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring continuously until fully melted. Don't overheat it, or the butter and chocolate will separate. Once melted, remove from heat and allow to cool down. Whip the egg whites into stiff peaks, but don't over-whip them or the cake will feel dry. Add the egg yolks into the cooled chocolate mixture, and stir to combine. Take one third of the egg whites and fold into the chocolate mixture, then gently pour this mixture back into the remaining egg whites and carefully fold. Don't over-fold, or the egg white foam will break, and your cake will deflate. Pour into the pan, and 20-25 minutes, or until the top begins to crack. An inserted knife will still come up damp, not dry. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Makes 8 servings.

Coffee ice cream:
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups whole coffee beans
Heavy pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon finely ground coffee

In a medium pot, combine the milk, sugar, coffee beans, salt, and 1/2 cup of the cream, then warm over medium heat until steaming. Cover and take off of the heat, then set aside to steep for 1 hour. After it has finished steeping, place a metal bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice, and pour in the remaining cup of cream. Reheat the coffee bean mixture until steaming again. Whisk the egg yolks together, and add a small amount of the steaming milk into it while whisking to temper, then combine the tempered yolks back into the steaming milk while continuing to whisk to prevent curdling. Stir over medium heat using a wooden spoon until nappe, about 10 minutes. Strain into the chilled cream. Mix in the vanilla and ground coffee. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, then process ice cream as per manufacturer's directions.

Chile spice ice cream:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
2 jalapeños, or chiles of your choice, roughly chopped
3/4 cup sugar
6 egg yolks
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine 1/2 cup heavy cream with the milk, sugar, and chiles. Place into a medium pot over low heat. Once the mixture begins to steam, cover with a lid and set aside to steep for 1 hour. Bring this mixture back to a steam, then whisk the egg yolks together. Place the remaining cup of cream into a metal bowl, set into a larger bowl filled with ice. Carefully temper the egg yolks with a little bit of this steaming milk, then pour back into the milk mixture, making sure to whisk to prevent curdling. Place back over medium heat and continue to stir until nappe. Strain this mixture into the chilled cream, then add the remaining spices and stir. Refrigerate this mix for at least 2 hours, then process according to manufacturer's directions.

The coffee ice cream is heavenly on its own, but the chile ice cream definitely needs to be paired with some chocolate. The spice is pretty mild with all the dairy it's in, but it still has a bite that just doesn't feel right without some accompanying chocolate. The cake itself was heavenly, and like expected, it tasted just like a big Valrhona dark chocolate bar, but with the lighter mouthfeel of a cake. The ease of this cake means it's a great last-minute dessert, as far as fancy cakes can go.

Devils Food White Out Cake

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe was selected by Stephanie of Confessions of a City Eater. This is the cover recipe for the book we've been baking from, so my expectations were pretty high, and I wasn't let down. A devil's food cake is sliced into four layers (if you can get it to rise, a common problem amongst the bakers) and is layered with marshmallow-like white frosting. Dorie leaves the option to frost all four layers like a normal cake, but I took her lead and copied her in chopping up one of the layers and using it as decoration.

If (when?) I make this cake again, I'm going to use some smaller cake pans so I can get thicker layers of cake. Because the texture was perfectly fine, I'm assuming that this cake just isn't meant to rise as much as I had expected, but I was a little bummed out by how much smaller it was than I had anticipated. Still, the mix of dark chocolate cake with light vanilla marshmallowy cream makes this cake a definite favorite.

Recipe: Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan, pp. 247 - 249

Berry Surprise Cake

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe was selected by Mary Ann of Meet Me in the Kitchen. It's a light cake, a nice break from the traditional overly-sweet ones. The cake itself is more egg than flour, lending an airy feel to the overall product. The filling is cream cheese based, loaded with raspberries, and after it's all been assembled it's topped with whipped cream.

According to Dorie's directions, the cake should rise up considerably more than mine did. Mine also caved in on me while it was cooling, but I didn't worry too much about it. After cutting the cake down the middle, I just kept loading raspberries into the center until it finally looked flat when the top was back on. Same finished product, just a different method via improvisation.

This is one of those treats that gets a top-five count for Dorie's best. The cake is light through every bite, with whipped cream, whipped cream cheese, and the egg-based batter. The raspberries play the key role of flavor, and the others go into the background to support without argument. The only bad thing with this delectable is that it's so light and delicious, you could probably eat the whole thing in one sitting without really noticing.

Recipe: Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan, pp. 273-275

Caramel Cake with Caramelized Butter Frosting

This month's Daring Bakers challenge was to make a caramel cake with caramelized butter frosting. In addition, a suggestion was to make homemade caramels to be served with the cake. I made some homemade caramels to go along with this recipe (though not the recipe suggested by the group), adding more texture to this decadent dessert. The cake as a whole isn't overly rich, allowing you to truly enjoy it. The challenge this month was hosted by Culinary Curiosity, and co-hosted by Blondie and Brownie, Foray into Food, and Gluten-a-Go-Go.

This cake is not overly complicated, nor is it pretentious. Its basic flavors are more than enough to support it, so there is no need to add details that could potentially take away from the burnt caramel and butter goodness. It would be remiss to force something overbearing into this cake, which would be easy to do considering the light flavors, so I would suggest you make the cake as-is.

Recipe (originally by Shuna Fish Lydon, her signature caramel cake)

Caramel Syrup:
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water, divided

In a heavy pot, suspend the sugar in 1/2 cup of water - it will not fully dissolve. Heat high until the color turns dark amber. Remove from heat, and keeping the pot at an arm's length distance, slowly (and carefully) add the remaining cup of water. Step away from the mixture until it stops bubbling, then place over medium heat, whisking until reduced. When you drop a bit onto a cold plate and rub it between your fingers after it's cooled, it should have a consistency thicker than syrup but thinner than honey. Place into a glass jar to cool, and store at room temperature.


Caramelized Butter Frosting:
12 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound confectioner's sugar, sifted
4-6 tablespoons heavy cream
2-4 tablespoons caramel syrup
Kosher salt to taste

In a light pan, cook the butter over medium heat until it is browned and emits a nutty aroma. Pour through a small sieve into a stand mixer bowl and allow to cool completely. Using a whisk attachment, begin whisking the butter and add the sugar slowly. Once it begins to form chunks, add cream and caramel syrup a tablespoon at a time. Add more sugar until chunky, and then again add cream or syrup. Continue doing this until all the confectioner's sugar is whisked smoothly into the frosting. Add kosher salt to taste. Can be refrigerated a week in advance. Before using, allow to warm to room temperature and whisk to fluff it.


Caramel Cake:
10 tablespoons, unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup caramel syrup
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups cake flour, divided
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup whole milk, divided

Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease a 9-inch cake pan with sides at least 2 inches high. Cut the butter into 10 pieces and place into a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add the sugar and cream together on medium speed until lightened in color and fluffy. Add the salt, and turn speed down to medium-low. Slowly add the caramel syrup in a steady stream. Once incorporated, add the eggs one at a time, waiting until the first one is fully incorporated before adding the second. Pour in the vanilla extract and stir until combined. Add the flour and baking powder together, mix, and then separate into three equal portions. Add the first third into the batter and mix until combined. Add 1/2 cup of the milk, mix until combined, and then add another third of the flour. Repeat with the remaining milk and flour. Don't over-mix the batter. Turn off the stand mixer and fold the batter a few times with a rubber spatula to ensure no flour collected at the bottom. Pour into the cake pan and bake for 30 minutes, rotate 90º, and then bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before cutting or adding frosting.


Homemade Caramels:
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons butter
1 1/3 cups brown sugar, packed

Line a small dish (I used a 9x9-inch square pan) with foil, and then butter that foil. In a heavy pot, combine all the ingredients and heat on medium until the sugar dissolves and the butter melts. Wait until it comes to a boil, and then place a lid on the pot and allow it to boil for 3 minutes. Uncover and add a candy thermometer. Heat, without stirring, until the temperature reaches 250ºF. Pour into the dish, and wait a few minutes before scoring the top with a knife. Once completely cool (6 or so hours), break along these scored marks and wrap individual pieces in wax paper. Keeps at room temperature for one week.


Assembly:
Cut the cake horizontally into three pieces. Brush each layer off to ensure no crumbs remain behind, and brush each layer liberally with caramel syrup. The syrup is easier to work with when hot, so warm it up in the microwave for 30 seconds if need be. Put the cake back together and add the frosting to your desire. I simply smoothed out the sides, and then piped on a random design on the top. You can crunch up some of the homemade caramels as well and sprinkle them on top. Serves 12-16. After you slice it and place on a plate, drizzle with a little caramel syrup for presentation.

Kugelhopf

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe was selected by The All-Purpose Girl. It's a simple sweet bread, or cake, with the flavor of butter, sugar, and raisins. However, this is the first time I had a serious problem with one of Dorie's recipes. It may be because I don't have a Kugelhopf pan and used a Bundt pan instead, but the dough didn't rise as expected. When it was freshly made, it doubled and I punched in down as per directions. When it was in the fridge, same story. When I took it out the next day to rise in the bowl...nothing. It still tastes delicious, but it's probably not as light and airy as it should be.

Lack of a rise aside, this cake is very flavorful in its simplistic way. The top is brushed with butter as soon as it comes out of the oven, then sprinkled with sugar to form a thin glaze (at least in my case). After it's cooled to room temperature, it's sprinkled with confectioner's sugar for decor and served. Small slices are perfect, giving you a few bites to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Recipe: Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan, pp. 61-63

Chocolate-Chocolate (Almond) Cupcakes

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe was selected by I Heart Food4Thought. The original recipe was for a grown-up bittersweet chocolate cupcake with a bittersweet chocolate glaze on top. I had some slivered almonds in the cupboard, so I added half a cup of those to the cupcake batter, and added 1/8 teaspoon of almond extract for a little extra flavor. The end product was a moist cupcake with great flavor.

I brought these in to work, and about half of them disappeared the first day. Keeping in mind we only had 8 or so people there that day, I'll take that as a good thing. I can never trust my own taste-buds with my baking.

Moowie is also bringing in some cupcakes today so we can have a little taste test between the two. I don't know if she's tried one of mine yet, so perhaps me sneaking in the almond extract and almond slivers can give me a little boost. That, and the Valrhona chocolate...I've taken to stocking extra Valrhona in the cupboard for baking.

Recipe: Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan, pp. 215-217

Caramel-Peanut-Topped Brownie Cake

What's better than brownies? Brownies with homemade caramel and nuts on top, of course. This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe was picked by Wee Treats by Tammy.

This was my first time making homemade caramel, and it turned out perfect. The cake came out a bit dry, even though I took it out of the oven 10 minutes early. The cake itself wasn't too exciting for me, it was a plain ol' cake, but that's not the purpose of this recipe now is it? The caramel topping was perfect on top.

I poured all of the caramel/almond (did I not mention I used almonds instead of peanuts? I used almonds instead of peanuts.) on top of the cake (which was domed...never sunk back in) and when I removed the spring-form pan it ended up spilling everywhere.

As you can see, it's spilling everywhere. I just spooned whatever was left and served like that. The cake has actually been sitting at work for about a week, one of the few that hasn't disappeared the same day. I think it's the messiness of it all that's making people stray away.

Recipe: Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan, pp. 264 - 265

Dimply Plum Cake

This was my first experience cooking with plums. It's also been a full week since I've updated. After my last computer malfunction, I've been trying to restore all my old problems, but some are giving me more problems than others (er...photoshop, namely) so I can't get the coloring right on most of my pictures. Fortunately the pictures taken this week were at my brother and sister-in-law's house where they have plenty of sunlight. Curse the designer of my townhouse and the north-only windows. This week's Tuesday with Dorie recipe was picked by Bake-en.

My mom was visiting in town the same day I made this, and she brought with her an ice cream maker and some chocolate almond ice cream batter (recipe to follow...eventually). We tasted this cake after enjoying some of the chocolaty goodness, and I really think it took away from the flavor of the cake. It just ended up tasting dry and plain. I had some leftovers the next day and it tasted moist and flavorful - I didn't know plums could be so good until I tried those leftovers. It could be the fact that it was able to sit for a full day and move the juices through the cake, but I'm betting it's just the overpowering ice cream.

This is one of those recipes that's very open to variation depending on what sort of fruits you have lying around the house. Oh, and I learned from this experience - when sinking fruit into a cake, make sure you put all the fruit into place first and press them all down at the same time. I ended up with a lopsided cake because my first row pushed extra batter to one side, and it kept moving over more as I added rows.

Recipe - Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan, p. 41

Strawberry Swedish Visiting Cake

A friend of mine was helping me make the lasagna I posted earlier, and she really wanted some cake for dessert. I hadn't thought of a dessert ahead of time, so I threw Baking: From My Home to Yours at her and let her go through the book to pick something out that looked quick and simple. She came across the Swedish Visiting Cake, and I had bought some strawberries and strawberry jam, so I mixed it all together.

It's a very simple recipe and makes a delicious cake using a cast iron skillet. There's definitely room to play around with this recipe and make variations like I did. I also used orange flavoring instead of lemon, and I absolutely noticed great flavors because of it.

Recipe - adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
Zest of 1 orange
2 eggs, room temperature
1 heavy pinch, salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
10 large strawberries, sliced lengthwise, divided
4 tablespoons strawberry preserves
1 cup heavy cream
Juice of 1/2 an orange

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and move a rack into the middle. Butter a 9-inch cast iron skillet or brush lightly with oil. The more seasoned the skillet, the better.

Remove a stand mixer bowl from its assembly and add together 1 cup of sugar and orange zest. Pinch the ingredients together until fragrant. Place back into the stand mixer and add a paddle attachment. On medium speed, add in the eggs one at a time. Once the eggs are in, add the salt, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and almond extract. Turn off the stand mixer and add the flour. Using a spatula, fold the flour in until just combined. Add the melted butter and fold again until combined. Pour half the batter into the skillet, then add the slices of 5 strawberries plus the preserves. You won't be able to spread the preserves, so use a small spoon and plop preserves into empty spots. Cover with the remaining batter and top with the remaining strawberries.

Place into the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. The inside remains slightly damp as it's taken out of the oven, but will set as it sits in the cast iron. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Loosen the cake with a knife (be careful not to scratch the cast iron - you don't want to ruin your seasoning).

Add the cream to a stand mixer and add a whisk attachment. Pour in the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar and remaining 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Whisk on high speed. Once it begins to thicken, add the orange juice. Continue whisking until whipped cream forms.

Slice the cake into 10 pieces and top each serving with a dollop of orange whipped cream.

Because it goes together so easily and bakes up fast, using ingredients many people will have around the house, this cake is perfect for a last-minute dessert.

Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream

This months' Daring Bakers challenge was to make a Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream. If you don't know what that is, don't worry...neither did I. I decided to play with this recipe and make some mini-cakes instead of one large one. I also decided to flavor it a bit with bananas, figuring it'd pair well with the hazelnut and chocolate in the original recipe.

Recipe:
Filbert Genoise:
1 1/2 c. hazelnuts, toasted and skinned
2/3 c. cake flour
2 T. cornstarch
7 large egg yolks
1 c. sugar (1/4 c. and 3/4 c. divided)
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 t. lemon zest
5 large egg whites
1/4 c. warm, clarified butter

To toast and skin the hazelnuts, toss them onto a baking sheet and put into a 350ºF oven for about 12 minutes. Don't wait until you smell them cooking - by that point, they'll be burnt. Pull them out and set them in a tea towel, then wrap them up and let them steam for about 10 more minutes. Rub the towel together and most of the skins should come off. Pick the remaining skins off - if some won't come off, it's fine to leave a few.

Put the hazelnuts into a food processor and add cake flour and cornstarch. Process for 30 seconds, then pulse until a fine powder is obtained. Don't over-process, or you'll pull too much oil out of the nuts and make it a paste instead of a powder. Whisk the egg yolks until light in color, then add 3/4 c. sugar over the course of 3 minutes. This should get a ribbony texture. Add the lemon zest and vanilla, then mix to combine. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites into soft peaks. Slowly add the remaining 1/4 c. sugar, and whisk the eggs for 30 seconds. Add the egg yolks into the whites and fold until just combined. Add the hazelnut mixture into the egg mix, then add the clarified butter and fold until just combined. Pour into a mini-muffin pan, filling each mold about 2/3 of the way to the top. Bake for 10 minutes at 350ºF, or until the cakes are springy and coming away from the edges of the pan. Yields 48 mini cakes.


Simple syrup:
1 c. water
1/4 c. sugar
2 T. banana liqueur

Dissolve the sugar in water and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the liqueur, then allow to cool completely.

Swiss Buttercream:
4 large egg whites
3/4 c. sugar
3 sticks, butter
2 T. banana liqueur
1 T. vanilla extract

Whisk the egg whites together until they are nearly soft peaks. Move the egg whites into a double-broiler, and whisk in sugar 1 T. at a time, over the course of a minute. Continue to whisk the mixture until warm (about 120ºF) and becomes the consistency of thick marshmallows. With a paddle attachment on a stand mixer, beat these egg whites medium-high for 5-7 minutes or until a cool and thick meringue forms. Be careful not to over-beat the mix. Move this mixture to another bowl, and using the paddle attachment, beat the butter until it becomes smooth and creamy. Using medium-low speed, add the meringue to the butter over the course of 1 minute. Add the liqueur and vanilla, then mix until combined, thick, and creamy. Refrigerate this for at least 10-15 minutes before using so everything can set.


Praline paste:
1 c. hazelnuts, toasted and skinned
2/3 c. sugar

Line a jelly roll pan with butter and parchment paper. Place the sugar into a heavy 10-inch skillet and heat medium-low for 10-20 minutes or until it begins to melt around the edges. Don't stir the mix, but swirl it to mix in parts that aren't melting. When the sugar is fully melted and caramel in color, add the nuts and stir with a wooden spoon. Separate any clusters that form, and continue heating until it begins to bubble. Make sure all the hazelnuts have been coated. Pour onto the parchment paper and spread evenly to cool. Once at room temperature, carefully break the praline into pieces and place it into a food processor. Pulse into a powder, then continue processing until a thick paste is formed.

Praline Buttercream:
Full recipe of Swiss Buttercream
1/3 c. Praline Paste
2 T. banana liqueur

Blend 1/2 c. of the buttercream into the praline paste, then add this into the remaining buttercream. Whip on medium-low speed until combined. Pour in the liqueur and mix in. Refrigerate this mixture before using.


Nutella Whipped Cream:
3/4 c. heavy cream
2 T. Nutella

Whisk the heavy cream until it forms whipped cream, then add the Nutella and continue to whisk until combined thoroughly.

Banana Jam:
2 large bananas, overripe, frozen, and then thawed
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. water

Boil the water and sugar together, then add the bananas and boil, mashing with a fork. Continue to cook until reduced and thick.


Ganache Glaze:
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
3/4 c. cream
1 T. corn syrup
1 T. banana liqueur
3/4 t. vanilla extract

Chop the chocolate roughly and place into a bowl. Heat the cream and corn syrup in a pan over low heat until it forms a gentle boil. Pour the cream mixture over top of the chocolate, and let stand 1 minute before stirring with a fork. Blend in the vanilla and banana liqueur. If it appears oily, add a little hot water and it will begin to thicken.


Assembly:
Cut each of the mini-cakes in half, and brush with the simple syrup until all the syrup is used. On one half, spoon on some of the buttercream mixture, and add the nutella whipped cream on the other half. Place the halves together to form a cake and top with a bit of the banana jam. Top with the ganache glaze, and serve.

The cakes are extremely messy to eat, mainly because my buttercream didn't come together quite right. I don't blame the recipe, but rather my attempt at multi-tasking a bit too much. The mini-cakes are perfect for a large bite-sized treat, so it didn't matter too much that buttercream spreads all over the place. The banana, hazelnut, and chocolate flavors all play well together, making this dessert very tasty.