Lamingtons - May Daring Baker

For the May challenge Marcellina from Marcellina in Cucina dared us to make Lamingtons. An Australian delicacy that is as tasty as it is elegant.  I was immediately excited about this recipe, because it is already gluten free.  I'm all for any conversion-free challenges!!!  However, I let this one sneak up on me.  In fact, I had almost decided that I wouldn't participate until Kate decided that we should make David a "chocolate cake" this weekend.  My only "problem" was what to dip the lamingtons in.  You see, David doesn't like coconut; so, that wasn't going to work for the coating.  I settled on a few options: rice krispies, crushed chex, almonds, and cookie decorations (for Kate!).

 Kate did a great job of cracking eggs and even had fun guessing and then seeing what color eggs turn when you beat them.  She also thought it was fun to dip the cakes.

 I ended up not dipping them all completely.  The cakes were falling apart when they had that much chocolate icing on them.  I think David has enjoyed them...he had one two nights in a row.  :-)

Traditional Lamingtons
Ingredients:
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (240 ml) (225 gm) (8 oz) castor (superfine) sugar
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups (300 ml) (200 gm) (7 oz) cornflour (cornstarch)
1 ½ teaspoons (8 gm) baking powder

1. Preheat oven to moderate 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
2. Prepare a 4 ½ cm (1¾ inch) deep, 23cm x 33cm (9”x 13”) baking pan by lining with non-stick paper.
3. In a stand mixer bowl place eggs, sugar and salt. Using the whisk attachment, beat on high for 15 minutes. 

 While the eggs and sugar are beating sift the cornflour and baking powder at least 3 times.  Sift flour mixture over the egg mixture. I like to use a whisk but you can also use a large metal spoon to lightly fold the flour in.

Spread mixture into your prepared pan and smooth out evenly.  Bake in preheated moderate oven for 22-25 minutes. The sponge will rise quite a lot but then settle back down. Don’t be tempted to open the oven to peak. I also warn the family to walk gently past the oven! When baked the sponge will have shrunk very slightly from the sides and should feel springy when pressed gently.  Turn the sponge out immediately onto a wire rack to cool and reverse sponge so as not to mark the top. Allow to cool. It is best to keep the cake for a day before making the Lamingtons as the cake will be easier to handle.

Chocolate icing
Ingredients:
3 ¼ cups (780 ml) (400 gm) (14 oz) icing (powdered) sugar
1/3 cup (80 ml) (40 gm) (1-1/3 oz) cocoa powder
1 tablespoon (15 gm) (15 gm) (½ oz) butter, melted
½ to ¾ cup (120 ml to 180 ml) milk

Sift the icing sugar and cocoa into a heatproof bowl. Stir in the butter and ½ cup milk. Set the bowl over a pan of hot water. Stir until icing is smooth adding more milk to thin the icing if needed. I find I need more than ½ cup but not quite ¾ cup of milk.

To assemble the Lamingtons:
Cut the sponge cake into 24 rectangular pieces – 6 across and 4 down. To be particular you can trim the crusts.  Dip each piece in the chocolate and then dip in your chosen topping.  Place back on wire rack and allow to harden for 2 hours.

Sacher Cake - October DB Challenge

I honestly wasn't sure if I would be able to the challenge this month.  You see, on posting day last month I was giving birth to my greatest baking thus far:  my sweet baby boy Caleb!  He is one month old today and I cannot believe how quickly it has gone by. 

We had a church function two weeks after that and I decided to make this cake to take.  The October Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to us by Korena of Korena in the Kitchen. She took us to Austria and introduced us to the wonders of the Sachertorte.  Korena wanted us to make this in a classic way.  However, David is gluten free - so I used gluten free flour.  The only other change I made was to use raspberry jam (I didn't have apricot and didn't have time (BABY!) to go get it). 

It turned out really good and David loved it.  On the whole, it was a bit chocolatey for me...though I did like the icing.  :-)  Speaking of the icing, despite following instructions, it seized up very quickly and I wasn't able to spread it as it cooled VERY quickly.  It ended up being fudge like but tasted great!  Thanks for a fun challenge.

Sachertorte

Servings: 12-16
Cake Ingredients
¾ cup (180 gm) (4½ oz) (125 gm) good quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
9 tablespoons (135 ml) (4½ oz) (125 gm) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 cup (240 ml) (4½ oz) (125 gm) confectioners’ sugar (aka icing sugar or powdered sugar)
6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature (see note above about egg whites)
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
½ cup (120 ml) (7 oz) (100 gm) granulated sugar
1 cup (120 ml) (4½ oz) (125 gm) all-purpose (plain) flour (for volume measurement, spoon gently into measuring cup and level top)
pinch fine grain salt
Assembly
Apricot Glaze (see recipe below)
Chocolate Glaze (see recipe below)
Writing Chocolate (see recipe below)
1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream, cold

 Preheat oven to moderately hot 375˚F/350°F fan/190˚C/gas mark 5 with a rack in the centre of the oven. Spray springform pan with cooking spray. 

Place the bittersweet/semisweet chocolate in a heat-proof bowl and heat over a small saucepan of barely simmering water (make sure that the bowl is not touching the simmering water) or in the microwave until just melted. Set aside to cool completely, stirring often.

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer or electric mixer on medium speed until very light and creamy. Add the confectioners’ sugar on low speed, then increase to medium speed and beat again until light and creamy.  Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl.  Add the cooled chocolate and vanilla and beat until well-mixed and very light and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

In a scrupulously clean bowl using the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites with about one tablespoon of the granulated sugar on high speed until foamy. Gradually add in the rest of the granulated sugar and continue beating the whites until they form soft, shiny peaks - they should hold their shape but flop over on themselves.

 

Vigorously stir about 1/3 of the whipped egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, then gently fold the remaining egg whites into the chocolate mixture with a spatula until just a few wisps of egg white remain. Do this carefully so as not to deflate the egg whites. Stir together the flour and salt and sift half of it over the chocolate mixture. Fold in with a spatula until almost incorporated. Sift over the remaining flour and fold to combine completely.  Spread the batter evenly in the prepared springform pan.  Bake in the preheated moderately hot 375˚F/350°F fan/190˚C/gas mark 5 oven for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. The cake will crack and dome in the middle as it bakes but will flatten out as it cools.

 

Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge to loosen it from the pan and remove the sides. Carefully invert the cake onto a rack and remove the bottom of the pan and parchment paper, then turn the cake right-side up onto a rack and allow to cool completely.

 

Assembly

  Turn the cake upside-down so that the perfectly flat bottom of the cake is now the top. Cut the cake horizontally into 2 even layers.
13. Place 1 cake layer on a cake plate.  Spread it generously with about half of the apricot glaze. Allow it to soak in.  Place the second cake layer on top and spread the top and sides with the remaining apricot glaze. Work quickly before the glaze has a chance to set and use a metal offset spatula to smooth the top. Place the cake on a rack set over a plate or baking sheet lined with waxed paper and allow the apricot glaze to set.

 

Make the chocolate glaze as below (it must be used immediately, while still hot) and pour it over the top of the cake, first around the edge and then in the middle. Spread the excess glaze over any bare spots using a metal offset spatula. Before the glaze has a chance to set, move the cake to a serving platter.  

With the writing chocolate, pipe the word “Sacher” in the middle of the cake and add any decorative flourishes you wish. Chill the cake until the glaze is completely set, at least 1 hour.

 

Glaze:

Ingredients
1¼ cup (300 ml) (14 oz) (400 gm) apricot jam or preserves (or other fruit flavor)
2 tablespoons (30 ml) rum (or other liquor) or water

 Boil the jam and rum/water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the mixture thickens and drips slowly from the spoon, about 2-3 minutes. Strain through a wire mesh sieve, pressing firmly on the solids. You should have about 1 cup of glaze. Use warm.

Chocolate Glaze:
Ingredients
1 cup (240 ml) (7 oz) (200 g) granulated sugar
½ cup (120 ml) water
(4 oz) (115 gm) good quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Place the sugar and water in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil,  stirring occasionally.  Attach a candy thermometer and cook, stirring, until the mixture reaches 234˚F/112°C, about 5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the chocolate. It might thicken up quite a bit. If it does, return it to low heat and add a few drops of water if necessary to thin it out to a runny, pourable consistency. The glaze should be smooth and shiny.  Off the heat, stir the glaze for 30-60 seconds to cool it slightly, then immediately use it to glaze the cake.

Writing Chocolate
Ingredients
¼ cup (60 ml) (1.8 oz) (50 gm) chopped good quality chocolate
½ - 1 teaspoons vegetable oil

Heat the chocolate until just melted, then stir in enough vegetable oil to get a pipeable consistency. If necessary, let the chocolate mixture cool slightly to thicken so that it is not too runny.  Place the chocolate in a disposable piping bag or small Ziplock bag and snip off the tip to make a small hole.

Assemble cake as above and enjoy!!!

 

Almonds Make Caramel Healthy, Right!?

This was one of the first cakes I tried gluten free and I was REALLY excited about it because it used almond flour.  Plus, it was caramel!  I took it to Sunday school and then to work.  I'm pretty sure everyone liked it...though I'm not sure about David.  He really is more of a chocolate person.  We're really pretty much opposite in what we like food-wise, except that we both really like fish.  Crazy! 

Anyway, this is a great cake for anyone.  It does have a nutty texture since it's made from almond meal, but it's not distracting.  I actually modified this a good bit, now that I look back at the recipe.  It calls for "Swerve" sweetener, which I have never even heard of.  I honestly can't remember if I used Splenda or regular sugar, but either would work.  I also didn't make my own caramel sauce.  I cheated!!  I used caramel ice cream topping.  Worked pretty well if you ask me.  :-)  I also added a basic glaze to make it "pretty."  Try it out - even if you're not gluten free. 

Caramel Pecan Coffee Cake adapted from All Day I Dream About Food (original recipe with link)

Cake:
3 cups almond flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar or Splenda
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 325F and grease a bundt pan well (this could also be made in a 9-inch springform pan).  In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.  In a large bowl, beat butter until smooth. Add sugar/sweetener and beat until lighter and well-combined, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, scraping down beaters and sides of bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in vanilla extract.  Beat in half of the almond flour mixture, then beat in almond milk. Beat in remaining almond flour mixture until well combined.  
 
Spread half the mixture in the prepared pan and use the back of a spoon to create a channel in the center of the batter, all the way around the bundt pan.  Pour some caramel sauce into the channel.  Sprinkle with 1/4 cup pecans. Top with remaining batter and spread evenly with offset spatula to cover caramel and pecans. Place the pan into the preheated oven and bake 35 to 45 minutes, or until cake is golden brown and just firm to the touch. A tester inserted in the center should come out clean (except for some caramel sauce!). Remove and let cool 10 minutes (IT MUST cool!) then flip out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle with remaining caramel and pecans.  Enjoy!

Frozen Surprise Cake

 We are birthday busy in the month of July at our house.  K turned five earlier and David's birthday is tomorrow.  Last weekend we had a Frozen birthday for K.  I had suggested an ice cream cake several months back thinking I'd buy one from Dairy Queen (those cakes were all the rage when I was growing up!) but then when this month's Daring Baker's challenge came up, I figured I'd make one.  For the July Daring Baker’s Challenge, Ruth from The Crafts of Mommyhood challenged us to bake a cake. But not just any cake; she asked us to add in a special surprise for our eyes as well as our taste buds!

I had done lots of pinterest searching and found some fun ideas to do with the outside of the cake and the inside as well.  All in all, this cake was REALLY easy.  I just made two 8-inch cake rounds and dyed each a different "frozen" color. 

Then I placed a half-gallon of ice cream in the other 8-inch cake round and put it in the freezer.  It all went together like this:  cake - ice cream - cake - layer of icing - fondant.  I was really pleased with the outcome.

David did say at one point that we weren't going to do anything creative next year, we were just going to buy everything.  I told him that was fine...he didn't have to do anything creative, I'd do it.  I think that stemmed from trying to find free printables for the other food, which I'll share soon.  I didn't have any....well, only had one break down when I was making the fondant.  I had rolled it out and was trying to transfer it onto the cake. 

Well, it was breaking and I thought "I can lightly roll it and then roll it out over the cake."  Yeah...fondant won't unroll.  It stuck together.  Let's just say, that fontant got a good beating.  Yikes!  I did reroll it and had David help me put it on the cake. 

Then the morning of the party, I put Olaf on top and we had a frozen cake!  It turned out really fun.  Even the inside was colorful and festive.  I didn't get any complaints!  This was such a fun challenge!

Frozen Ice Cream Cake
1 box white cake mix, made to instructions on box
1 half gallon ice cream, your chosen flavor
1/2 can frosting
1 recipe Fondant:

• 1/3 cup softened butter
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar

Slightly thaw ice cream.  Spread into round cake pan and place pan in freezer to solidify.  Bake cake per package instructions.  Divide into two cake pans.  Use you desired color of food coloring (or mixin would be fun too!).  Allow cake to cool.  When ready to assemble, take ice cream out of freezer.  Place on cake layer on a cake plate.  You can protect the plate from future decoration by putting wax or parchment paper under the cake, but sticking out so it can be removed after decoration.  Then place the ice cream layer on top.  To loosen from the pan, turn it upside down (holding it in with a layer of wax paper on top!) and hold the pan under warm water for a few seconds.  this will "melt" the ice cream so that it pops out easily.  Place the ice cream disc on top of the first cake layer.  Then place the second cake layer on top of the ice cream layer.  At this point, you can go ahead and ice or you can place into the freezer to decorate later. 

To make fondant, blend the butter, corn syrup, vanilla and salt on medium speed with a paddle attachment until smooth and well-combined.  Add the powdered sugar all at once, and mix on slow speed, gradually increasing speed to medium until well-combined. The mixture should cling together in the bottom of the bowl and be smooth to the touch.  When done, place in desired food coloring to get the color you desire and mix in with beater (you could use your hands and knead it but then you would have dyed hands, trust me...I know!).  Roll out to appropriate shape about 1/8 of inch thick.  At this point, you are ready to put it on your cake.

Prior to placing fondant on the cake, you need to put a crumb coat of icing.  Put a very thin layer of icing on the cake.  Then cover with your fondant.  It is highly likely that you'll need some help doing this, I did!  Then decorate as desired. Enjoy!

Caramel Cake

What is it about the Christmas season that is so busy?!  I love it but it also just gets tiring.  The week after we got back from Thanksgiving vacation (a week away from work with a 4 year old isn't much vacation, though!) our church had its Christmas music.  I was in the praise team and had several practices.  That took up the entire week.  Somehow the next week was busy as well - I think David and I were both on call. We sang at a local event called Christmas on Ice. 

I think David worked in the ER that Saturday.  Then Sunday night, we had our first party of the month.  It was our Sunday School party.  The theme was "Team Spirit" and we were supposed to dress in our best team gear.  I don't really have any team gear...so I stole David's and K's.  Check this out: 

How awesome is my outfit...complete with hairbow and pager?! 

:-)  It was worth it...I won!  YES!  This was a pot-luck event.  I took green bean bundles, spinach salad, and white velvet caramel cake.  When I saw this cake, I KNEW that I had to make it.  OH MY!  It was SOOOO good!  The icing was wonderful, though I can't see how in the world you could ever use two batches on a single cake. 

The layers between the cake layers were somewhat thin but I don't know that a larger batch of icing could fix that.  Regardless, this was fantastic!  If you like caramel cakes you really must try this. 

The party was fun.  LOTS of food and fellowship. 

We had a dirty Santa in which we won some crawfish pies (YUM!) and a camouflage stainless steel flask (which is now no longer in our possession). Probably the best gift was the bag of two goldfish.  YES!

 We then played Pictionary and the girls totally rocked!  Can't wait for next year.

White Velvet Caramel Cake 
4 oz egg whites–room temperature
1 cup milk–divided–room temperature (I used almond milk)
2¼ tsp vanilla
3 cups sifted cake flour
1½ cup sugar
1 Tbs + 1 tsp baking powder
12 Tbs unsalted butter-room temperature
¼ tsp kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350.  In a mixer combine all the dry ingredients, and mix for about 30 seconds. Add the butter and mix until the flour gets crumbly. Stir in 1/4 cup of the milk and bring the speed to medium high and beat for about 30 seconds.  In a bowl, stir together the egg whites, remaining 3/4 cup milk and vanilla.  Add to the dry ingredients in 3 additions, scraping down the sides and beating for about 5-10 seconds after each addition. Do not over mix, but make sure it is all incorporated.  Pour into 2- round cake pans.  Smooth the batter.  

 

Place pans into the oven and bake for 35 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn over onto cooling rack and allow to cool completely.  Slice each round into two horizontally to make 4 layers total.

Caramel Icing

2 cups light brown sugar

1 stick unsalted butter

1/3 cup whole milk

2 Tbs real maple syrup

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups confectioner's sugar

Bring brown sugar, butter, milk, maple syrup and salt to a simmer.  Simmer just until the sugar is no longer grainy, don't let it boil - this takes several minutes.  Remove from heat and add vanilla, stirring constantly.  Allow to cool just slightly...so that it isn't scorching hot, but nicely warm.  Whisk in powdered sugar.  Whisk well - mind still had lumps in it. Alas!  Cool some but it should still be pourable.  Pour icing on each layer as you stack it. Once all the layers are set, pour the remaining icing over the top.  ENJOY!

Earthquake Cake

One day David was playing on facebook and said "I think we should try this!"  It was a chocolate cake called "Earthquake Cake."  I told him to share it with me...and he did.  It looked pretty good but I figured it was a "david" cake since it was chocolate.  Well, I decided to make it for him when he came back from Ann Arbor for board review.  Turns out, it was really good. 

I think the cream cheese part helped make it something that I liked.  David thought the coconut was a bit much...and I think I agree.  It just needed a little less...and maybe pecans instead of walnuts?  I served David's with ice cream...and left over tres leches "milk" on mine.  :-) 

David would definitely enjoy this one being a repeat.

Earthquake Cake from Duncan Hines via Facebook
Ingredients:
1 box Duncan Hines German Chocolate Cake Mix
•3 eggs
•1 1/3 c. water
•1/2 c. oil
•1 c. coconut
•1/2 c. chopped walnuts
•8 oz. softened cream cheese
•1 stick softened butter
•2 c. powdered sugar
•1 tsp. vanilla
•1 pkg. chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly spray a 9’x13’ pan with cooking spray. In the bottom of pan, put the coconut and nuts.

Mix cake mix according to package directions. Spread batter over the nuts and coconut.

In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar until fluffy. Spread over the batter. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake at 350 degrees F for 50 minutes. Cool.

Tres Leches...but which ones?!

I changed divisions within the pediatric department in July.  It's not what I originally thought I'd be doing but it was definitely an opportunity given to be by God!  I have been working in the pediatric neurology clinic and the people I work with are great!  My division chair is so helpful and encouraging, always available to help me and so supportive of family.  One of the other physicians I had worked with in the past and so was excited to work with him again.  He is a great teach, hilarious, and helpful.  The whole department is like a family...see my crazy and fun co-workers?!

  So, when it was Brad's birthday, we all got together for lunch.  I decided that was the perfect time to make my Daring Baker challenge for the month...a Tres Leches cake!  Inma of la Galletika was our Sept. 2013 Daring Bakers’ hostess and WOW did she bring us something decadent and delicious! Pastel de Tres Leches or Three Milk Cake, creamy yet airy, super moist but not soggy.. just plain delish!

The cake was very easy to make and turned out great.  I used a springform pan rather than a regular cake pan.  I think this just makes it easier to remove and cut.  When I told everyone that I made a tres leches cake I was immediately asked what the three milks were.  Brad's guess:  goat, cow, and...well, something wrong!  The recipe calls for evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and milk (though I used almond milk).  Be careful, though, when you make the syrup....THIS is what happens if it overflows!

 I decided to use cinnamon to flavor the cake, but I was a little unsure about what to use for the filling.  All the examples I saw used fruit but I didn't know what people would want...and was using this for Brad's birthday cake.  So...I decided to make a nutella cream filling.  I just took a half cup of nutella and mixed it with some of the whipped cream I made for the outside.  I thought it turned out good. Of course, David's comment was that you couldn't taste the nutella.  Alas! 

Everyone at the office liked it.  The description was "like tiramisu without the coffee."  Brad even said that, after having five cakes that day, this cake was his favorite!  Thanks, Inma, for such a delicious challenge!

Classic Three Milks Cake:

Servings: 12
Ingredients for the vanilla sponge cake
5 large eggs (separated)
½ cup (120 ml) (4 oz) (125 gm) sugar
2 teaspoons (10 ml) of vanilla extract
1 cup (240 ml) (5 oz) (140gm) all-purpose (plain) flour (sifted)
For three milks syrup
1 can (14 oz) (400 gm) sweetened condensed milk
1 can (12 oz) (340 gm) evaporated milk
1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream (about 35% fat) or 1 cup of half & half or 1 cup milk
1 cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons (10 ml) rum (or other flavoring)
Topping and filling
2 cups (500 ml) of whipping cream (about 30% fat)
½ cup (120 ml) (4 oz) (125 gm) sugar
Canned or fresh fruit (to fill and decorate the cake)
Directions For the Sponge Cake:

1. Preheat oven to moderate 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Prepare a square 9”x9” (23cmx23 cm) pan or 9” (23 cm) round cake pan
2. Separate the egg whites from the yolks.
3. Beat the egg whites on medium speed, 3 - 5 minutes.
4. When soft peaks form slowly add the sugar in small batches.
5. Whip until stiff peaks form about 5 minutes. Set aside.  
6. In a medium bowl beat egg yolks at medium-high speed for about 5 to 6 minutes, or until the egg yolks become pale colored, creamy and puffy. (OR hand beat...yes sir I did!)Stir in vanilla.
   
7. Pour the egg yolks over the egg whites, gently fold until just combined trying not to lose any volume from the mixture.
8. Fold in the flour little by little in the form of rain. Mix until just combined (over-beating will result in a denser, flatter cake).
9. Pour the batter into the prepared 9”x9” (23cmx23 cm) square cake pan or 9” (23 cm) round cake pan.
10. Bake in the preheated moderate oven for 25 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean
11. Let it cool.
    

Three milks syrup

1. In a saucepan add the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream and cinnamon stick, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and continue boiling for 5 minutes. Remove it and let it cool.
2. Once it is cool, add the rum or any other flavoring you are using
3. Gradually brush all the milk soaking liquid into all sides of the cake (including the cut surfaces) until all absorbed. Best to rest the cake in the fridge overnight to complete the soaking process. 

Topping

1. Whip the cream, when soft peaks form add the sugar little by little, continue whipping until stiff peaks form about 2 mins. 

Assembly:
Cut the cooled cake in half and place the bottom half on a cake plate.  Poke with a fork to allow the cake to absorb the milk syrup.  Spoon the syrup over the cake so that it is soaked!  Top the bottom layer with your desired filling.  Top with the second layer of cake.  Poke holes in that layer and spoon with syrup until soaked!  Cover with whipped cream topping.  Refrigerate for at least an hour...longer is better!  Enjoy!

Congratulatory Cookie Cake

David always has a cookie cake for his birthday.  I didn't get a chance to make his this year for birthday (though he had one when we visiting his parents) but I did make one to celebrate him completing the medicine boards.  It was actually kind of fun...I made it the day before and hit it in our guest room.  Ha! 

I found this recipe that claimed to be just like the cookie cakes that you buy.  I'm not sure I'd say that but only because the pan they instruct you to use makes the cookie so thick!  Texture-wise it was GREAT.  Moist and gooey.  I thought it was great.  David thought it was great. And the other residents thought it was great, too!  I do think I'd make this again.  The instructions say to use a cake pan but I used a spring form pan which was great.  Definitely as good as a store bought cookie cake even if not exactly like it. 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake from Life, Love, and Sugar

Yield: one 8 or 9-inch cookie cake

Cookie Cake

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp cornstarch (I think this may be the key)

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips OR about 1 cup of chocolate chunks

Vanilla Buttercream

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup shortening

4 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2-3 tbsp water

 

Instructions

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Mix in egg and vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, add flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt.  Stir in chocolate chips. Dough will be thick.  Chill for at least 30 minutes or overnight. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place parchment paper into the bottom of your cake pan (I actually used a springform pan) to help the cookie not stick. Spread the dough out into the cake pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden.

Remove from oven and let cool for a couple minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

For Vanilla Buttercream

Beat the shortening and butter until smooth. Slowly add 3 cups of powdered sugar. Mix until combined. Mix in the vanilla extract and 1 tbsp water. Add the rest of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add more water to get the right consistency.

Mawa and Bolinhas

David is not the most adventurous eater, so when I was able to get him to try Indian (and me...I had never had it!) in London while we were on our honeymoon I was excited!  I was even more thrilled when he said he liked it.  He then commented that I should bake something Indian since I like to bake.  However, there aren't really any "classic" Indian desserts that are common knowledge.  So, when the challenge this month for the Daring Bakers was to make two Indian desserts I was excited.  Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen was our August 2013 Daring Bakers’ hostess and she challenged us to make some amazing regional Indian desserts. The Mawa Cake, the Bolinhas de Coco cookies and the Masala cookies – beautifully spiced and delicious!



  

I decided to make the Mawa cake and Bolinhas de Coco cookies.  The cake was really good.  David liked it...without the decorative almonds!  I took it to work as well.  They enjoyed it a lot.  Someone even made the comment "you can really taste the milk."  I hadn't thought about it but you could.  It just tasted creamy! 

Making the mawa took a little longer than I thought but I may have had the temperature a little too low. 

I had a bit of trouble with the Bolinhas cookies as I couldn't find semonlina.  Semolina flour yes, semonlina...no.  So, I used grits. 

They are a bit too tough.  I guess I should have used cream of wheat (farina) or corn meal.  Anyway, the taste was really good but the texture is just crunchy.  Alas, fun concept.

All in all a fun and different challenge.  I had never heard of mawa cake but am so glad I got to try it!  Thanks, Aparna!

Mawa Cake
Ingredients
For the Mawa:
1 litre (4 cups) full fat milk
For the cake:
1/2 cup (1 stick) (120 ml) (4 oz) (115 gm) unsalted Butter (soft at room temperature)
3/4 cup (180 ml) packed crumbled mawa
1-1/4 cups (300 ml) (10 oz) (280 gm) castor sugar
3 large eggs
5 to 6 cardamom pods, powdered, (about 1-1/2 tsp powdered cardamom)
2 cups (500ml) (9 oz) (260 gm) cake flour
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (5 gm) baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (120 ml) milk
1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract (optional)
Cashewnuts (or blanched almonds) to decorate (about 18 to 20)

Directions:
1. First make the “Mawa”. Pour the milk into a heavy bottomed saucepan, preferably a non-stick one. Bring the milk to a boil, stirring it on and off, making sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom.
Turn down the heat to medium and keep cooking the milk until reduces to about a quarter of its original volume. This should take about an hour to an hour and a half.
2. The important thing during this process is to watch the milk and stir it frequently to make sure it doesn’t stick to the sides or bottom of the pan and get burnt. The danger of this happening increases as the milk reduces and gets thicker.
3. Once the milk it has reduced to about one fourth, 1/4 quantity, lower the heat to low and let cook for a little while longer. Keep stirring regularly, until the milk solids (mawa) take on a lumpy appearance. There should be no visible liquid left in the pan, but the mawa should be moist and not stick to the sides of the pan.
4. Remove the pan from heat and transfer the mawa to a bowl and let it cool completely. Then cover and refrigerate it for a day or two (not more) till you’re ready to make the cake. It will harden in the fridge so let it come to room temperature before using it.
You should get about 3/4 to 1 cup of mawa from 1 litre (4 cups) of full-fat milk.
5. Now start preparations for the cake by pre-heating your oven to moderate 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Beat the butter, the crumbled mawa and the sugar in a largish bowl, using a hand held electric beater, on high speed until soft and fluffy. 
6. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat on medium speed till well incorporated. Add the vanilla and milk and beat till mixed well.
7. Sift the cake flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt onto the batter and beat at medium speed and well blended. If you cannot find cake flour, place 2 tablespoon of cornstarch in the bottom of your 1-cup measure and then fill it with all-purpose (plain) flour to make up to 1 cup.
8. Grease and line only the bottom of an 8 inch (20 cm) spring form pan. Pour the batter into this and lightly smooth the top. Place the cashew nuts (or blanched almonds) on top of the batter randomly. Do not press the nuts down into the batter. A Mawa Cake always has a rustic finished look rather than a decorated look.
9. Bake in a preheated moderate oven for about 1 hour until the cake is a golden brown and a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean. Do not over bake the cake or it will dry out. If the cake seems to be browning too quickly, cover it will aluminium foil hallway through the baking time.
10. Remove from oven and allow it to cool for 10 min in the tin. Release the cake, peel off the parchment from the base and let it cool completely.

Bolinhas de Coco
Ingredients:
2 cups (500 ml) (5-1/3 oz) (150 gm) fresh grated coconut, packed
1-1/2 cups (360 ml) (9 oz) (250 gm) semolina
1-1/4 cups (300 ml) (8-3/4 oz) (250 gm) granulated sugar
3/4 cup water (180ml) (6 oz) (175 gm) water
A pinch of salt
2 tablespoons (30 ml) (1 oz) (30 gm) ghee (clarified butter) or melted unsalted butter
2 large eggs
8 to 10 pods cardamom, powdered (about 1-1/2 teaspoon)

Directions:
1. Run the grated coconut in your processor or the small jar of your blender a couple of times so that the flakes are smaller and uniform in texture. Do not grind into a paste. Keep aside.
2. Put the semolina in a pan and toast/ roast it, over low to medium heat, until it starts giving off an aroma, and looks like it’s about to start changing colour. This should take a couple of minutes. Do not brown. Transfer the semolina into a bowl and keep aside.
3. In the same pan, pour the water and add the sugar to it. Place it on medium heat and keep stirring until the sugar dissolves completely. Once the sugar has dissolved, keep stirring the solution and let it cook for about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat. The sugar solution should just begin to start forming a syrup but is still watery. Do not cook until it forms a thick syrup.
4. Add the toasted/ roasted semolina and mix well. Then add the coconut, salt and ghee (or melted butter) and mix well. Put the pan back on the stove, and over medium heat stir the coconut mixture until it is really hot and easily forms a thick clump. This should take about 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Take the pan off the heat and let the semolina coconut mixture cool to room temperature. Transfer this into a bowl or container, cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, ideally overnight. For really fluffy biscuits/ cookies, the overnight rest is recommended.
6. The next day, take the dough out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Separate the yolks from the egg whites. Lightly beat the yolks with a fork to break them and add to the dough. Also add the powdered cardamom and mix well with a wooden spoon or fork.
7. Whisk the egg whites by hand until frothy and add to the dough. Mix well till incorporated.
8. You will now have a slightly moist and sticky dough. Refrigerate this dough for about half an hour so it firms up a bit.
9. Pre-heat your oven to moderate 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Line your baking trays with parchment or grease them well with some ghee or melted butter.
10. Take the dough out and pinch off walnut sized bits of dough. The dough should be firm enough to handle without difficulty. If the dough is sticking to your palms, lightly dust your palms with flour before shaping the dough. Roll the bits of dough into balls and then flatten them very slightly.
11. Decorate the top by marking criss-crosses (3 equidistant lines one way and another 3 crossing them at right angles), with a table knife. Press down a bit but not too deep or right through the biscuit/ cookie. Use up all the dough this way.
12. Place the shaped dough on the baking trays leaving a little space between them. Bake in a preheated moderate oven for about 20 to 25 minutes until they’re a golden brown and done. Let them cool on the sheets for about 5 minutes and then transfer to racks to cool completely.
13. Store the biscuits/ cookies in airtight containers. This recipe makes about 4 dozen Bolinhas de Coco.




 

Cupcake Party!!!!

We decided, well, I guess I decided, a while back that K's party this year would be a cupcake party.  I thought it sounded SO much fun to make cupcakes and have every child decorate their own.  K went for it as she loves making cupcakes! 

However, when I asked her what flavor she wanted "cotton candy" was her answer. Um, not quite sure how to make cotton candy cupcakes...so I went with funfetti.  :-) 

I figured it would be pretty easy and it was.  I used this recipe though the first batch I used shortening and the second butter.  They were pretty good but a little heavier than a cake mix cupcake.

 In order to send home a cupcake with each child, simply get clear punch cups, put the cupcake in the cup, and the cup in a clear treat bag, then tie with a ribbon.  Easy and cheaper than cupcake boxes.  For favors, I made cupcake candy jars!  A pinterest idea that was such fun. 

Get the 4 oz. ball glass jars, super glue the lid to the ring, pain that white.  Then "swirl" caulk on top like icing, sprinkle with small "jems" and put candy in them.  Such fun!  All in all, an easy party (though I did spend five hours beforehand cleaning house! and was exhausted after the party). 

Funfetti Cupcakes from Sally's Baking Addiction

• 1 and 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup yogurt (plain or vanilla; or greek yogurt; or sour cream)
• 3/4 cup milk (cow's milk; or soy milk; or almond milk)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sprinkles
 
Vanilla Buttercream
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 3-4 cups powdered (confectioners') sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy cream (see note above about substituting milk or half-and-half)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt butter in the microwave. Stir in sugar - mixture will be gritty. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 minute. Stir in egg, yogurt, milk, and vanilla extract until combined. Slowly mix in dry ingredients until no lumps remain. Batter will be thick. Slowly stir in sprinkles, but do not overmix because the sprinkles will bleed their color.
3. Divide batter among 12 cupcake liners (or 24 mini) and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Bake for 8-9 minutes if making mini cupcakes. Allow to cool.
4. To make the frosting, beat softened butter on medium speed with an electric or stand mixer. Beat for about 3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla extract with the mixer running. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes. Add more powdered sugar if frosting is too thin or more cream if mixture is too thick. Add salt if frosting is too sweet (1/4 teaspoon). Frost cooled cupcakes and top with sprinkles. There may be leftover frosting depending how much you use on each cupcake.
5. Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days and in the refrigerator up to 7.

Princess Cake for the ER

Korena of Korena in the Kitchen was our May Daring Bakers’ host and she delighted us with this beautiful Swedish Prinsesstårta! 

This was one of those challenges that I wasn't sure if I'd have enough time to make.  However, David was working in the ER the first weekend and I found out they were bringing food one night...so, I made this that weekend.  K helped with the cake and kept asking if she was going to eat "birthday cake."  don't you know...ALL cakes are birthday cakes!  :-) 

I decided to go simple and just make a quick fondant instead of marzipan (not a big fan anyway!).  K had to taste every color because obviously the different colors taste different.  I make the logo of our hospital for the decoration and it was a hit in the ER.  They ate half overnight and I took the other half to the lounge the next day.  It was gone by the time I went home.  I'd say people liked it!

Vanilla Custard

Ingredients
1 cup (240ml) heavy cream, divided
4 egg yolks from large eggs
2 tablespoons (30 ml) (15 gm) (½ oz) cornstarch
2 tablespoons (30 ml) (30 gm) (1 oz) granulated white sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped (or 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract)
Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, sugar, and egg yolks. Gradually whisk in ½ cup (120 ml) of heavy cream until smooth. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium heat until just boiling. Slowly whisk the hot cream into the bowl with the egg mixture to temper the eggs.
2. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until it becomes thick like pudding and just comes to a boil. The mixture must hit a boil for the cornstarch to properly thicken the custard, and also to cook out any starchy taste. If it starts to look curdled or lumpy, remove it from the heat and whisk vigorously until smooth, then return to the heat. As soon as it comes to a boil, remove it from the heat. If using vanilla extract, add it now.
(If desired, pass the custard through a fine mesh sieve before continuing.)
3. Pour the custard into a clean bowl and press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until completely cold. Can be prepared a day ahead and kept in the refrigerator.

Sponge Cake

Ingredients
Fine dry breadcrumbs for the pan (such as crushed panko)
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (240 ml) (225 gm) (8 oz) granulated white sugar
½ cup (120 ml) (70 gm) (2½ oz) all-purpose (plain) flour
½ cup (120 ml) (65 gm) (2¼ oz) potato starch (or cornstarch)
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (5 gm) baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to moderate 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4 with a rack in the lower third of the oven. Thoroughly butter a 9” (23 cm) round springform pan, line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper, then butter the paper. Dust the buttered pan with enough breadcrumbs to coat the bottom and sides, just like flouring a cake pan. Set aside.
2. Place the eggs and granulated white sugar in a mixing bowl and beat on medium-high speed with an electric mixer or stand mixer with whisk attachment until the eggs are tripled in volume and very light coloured and fluffy, about 5 minutes. The mixture should fall from the beaters in thick ribbons. Don’t overbeat the eggs – once they form thick ribbons and stop growing in volume, stop beating.
3. Sift the all-purpose (plain) flour, potato starch, baking powder, and salt into a bowl, then sift the flour mixture over the whipped eggs. With a balloon whisk, fold the flour into the eggs until blended, keeping as much air in the batter as possible. Use large, gentle yet confident strokes, bringing batter from the bottom of the bowl to the top. Once mixed, the batter should be quite thick and smooth.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spread it out evenly, and bake in the lower third of the preheated moderate 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4 oven for about 40 minutes or until golden brown on top, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Let the cake cool in the pan for a few minutes then run a knife around the edge and remove the sides of the springform pan. Don’t worry if it sinks a bit in the middle. Invert the cake onto a cooling rack and peel off the parchment paper. If the cake is lopsided, press gently to make it level, then allow it to cool completely before continuing. The cake can be made a day ahead and stored, well-wrapped in plastic, at a cool room temperature.

Prinsesstårta Assembly

Ingredients
2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream, chilled
granulated white sugar, to taste (scant 1 tablespoon is plenty)
Sponge Cake, cooled
1/3 cup (80 ml) seedless raspberry jam (or regular jam pressed through a sieve to remove seeds)
Vanilla Custard, chilled
Marzipan Covering and Rose
Icing sugar, for rolling and dusting
Optional: melted chocolate, royal icing, or piping gel
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add sugar to taste (keep in mind that the rest of the cake components are sweet, so the whipped cream should be very lightly sweetened at most) and continue whipping the cream until stiff. You want it to be sturdy enough to provide structure to the cake, but not over-whipped enough to make butter. Set the whipped cream aside.
2. With a long serrated knife, slice the sponge cake into three even layers. This cake is very delicate, so do this as carefully as possible. Use a gentle sawing motion to move the knife through the cake instead of trying to pull it through the cake. Use a spatula to help you lift off each layer after you cut it. Set aside the middle layer – this will become the top layer of the assembled cake as it is the most flexible and therefore easiest to bend into a dome over the whipped cream.
3. Place one of remaining layers on a cake board or serving platter and spread it evenly with the raspberry jam. Spread or pipe half the chilled custard over the jam in an even layer, leaving enough room around the edges so that it doesn’t spill over the sides of the cake.
4. Top the custard with another layer of cake. Spread or pipe the remaining custard evenly over it, again leaving some room around the edges.
5. Reserve ½ cup (120 ml) of the stiffly whipped cream. Pile the rest into a mound on top of the custard. Spread it into a thick layer with a thin, flexible spatula or off-set spatula, then hold the spatula at an angle to shape the whipped cream into a dome, piling it up in the middle of the cake as much as possible. 
6. Place the final layer of sponge cake (the one cut from the middle of the cake) on top of the whipped cream. Do not press on the top of the cake – instead, gently tuck the edges of the cake layer into the whipped cream, so that they are flush with the cream. This will create a smooth, seamless dome on top of the cake.
7. Gently spread the reserved ½ cup (120 ml) of whipped cream over the entire cake to fill in any cracks and even out the surface. If necessary, refrigerate the cake to firm it up before continuing.
8. Use the rolling pin to drape the rolled-out marzipan or fondant sheet over the cake and smooth it around the cake gently with your hands. If it seems like it wants to fold or buckle around the cake, gently lift and stretch it away from the cake with one hand while smoothing it down with the other. 

Enjoy!