January 29th, 2009: The glorious combination of cake and candy.
While at work on either the 29th or the 28th (my memory of this occasion is somewhat faded) I overhead my boss saying that she was really craving an almond joy. So I thought to myself, "what if you combined candy AND cake?" And I did. And it was good.
Seeing as how I have never made nor heard of an almond joy cake before, I sort of stumbled around blindly while making this cake, compiling different recipes to make a master almond cake recipe for my repertoire of cake savvy.
The first and simplest part of the cake was the actual cake part. I made a simple chocolate cake using a recipe courtesy of my favorite religious text, The Cake Bible. It goes as follows:
Perfect All-American Chocolate Butter Cake:
- 1/2 c. + 3 Tbsp. Dutch cocoa powder
- 1 c. boiling water
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 1/4 tsp. vanilla
- 2 1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. sifted cake flour
- 1 1/2 c. sugar
- 1 Tbsp. baking powder
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1 c. unsalted butter, softened
Start out by preheating the oven to 350 F. Then whisk together the cocoa powder and boiling water until smooth, then set aside and allow it to come to room temperature.
In another bowl, combine the eggs, 1/4 of the cocoa mixture and vanilla. Like so:
Mmm...raw eggSift the cake flour (yes it takes forever but it gives the cake a finer texture so unless you want to be eating a cake that has the consistency of a sea sponge, sift!).
Sifty sift.
Sifty sift.In yet another bowl (it's handy to have 80 million mixing bowls in your kitchen), combine the remaining dry ingredients and mix until well, combined.
(Insert snarky comment here)
(Insert snarky comment here)
Now in the bowl of a stand mixer (we're upgrading here) combine the dry ingredient mixture, the butter and the remaining cocoa mixture on a low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 1 1/2 minutes to aerate and develop the cake's structure (it's like a delicious and cool chemistry lab). Scrape down the sides and gradually add the egg mixture in 3 batches, beating for a few seconds after each addition. Scrape the batter into prepared pans (greased and floured with 2 Tbsp. cake flour) and bake for 25 to 35 minutes.
Allow the cakes to cool on a wire rack for about 10 to 15 minutes.
While the cakes are baking, you can start on the almond joy filling and chocolate candy coating.
Cake + Candy = Happiness
While the cakes are baking, you can start on the almond joy filling and chocolate candy coating.
Filling:
- 1 c. evaporated milk
- 1 c. sugar
- 1 pkg (10 oz.) mini marshmallows
- 1 pkg (14 oz.) flaked coconut
- 1 c. almonds, coarsely chopped
Chocolate Topping:
- 1 1/2 c. sugar
- 1/2 c. evaporated milk
- 1/2 c. butter
- 1 pkg (12 oz.) bittersweet chocolate chips
- Almond pieces and flaked coconut, for decoration
For the filling, combine the sugar and milk in a saucepan and stir until sugar is dissolved. Over low heat add the marshmallow, stirring until marshmallow is just melted. Remove from heat and stir in coconut and almonds and set aside.
For the chocolate topping, combine the sugar, milk, and butter in a saucepan and bring to boil then remove from heat. Add chocolate chips and stir until smooth. Let cool for a few minutes.
For the chocolate topping, combine the sugar, milk, and butter in a saucepan and bring to boil then remove from heat. Add chocolate chips and stir until smooth. Let cool for a few minutes.
To assemble the cake:
Place one cake layer on a cardboard round and sheets of wax paper (this is to collect the spillage of the chocolate coating), then add a hefty dollop of the almond-coconut filling, spreading to the edges. Repeat until you have used all your layers and filling but do not put any of the filling on top of the top layer. Carefully and slowly pour the chocolate mixture over top of the cake, using an icing knife to spread and coat the edges. It's okay if some excess spills over, this is what your wax paper is for! Once your cake is doused in chocolate goodness, sprinkle almond bits and coconut flakes on top for a decorative finish. Let the chocolate harden. Carefully remove wax paper. Admire for 30-60 seconds then dig in.
Place one cake layer on a cardboard round and sheets of wax paper (this is to collect the spillage of the chocolate coating), then add a hefty dollop of the almond-coconut filling, spreading to the edges. Repeat until you have used all your layers and filling but do not put any of the filling on top of the top layer. Carefully and slowly pour the chocolate mixture over top of the cake, using an icing knife to spread and coat the edges. It's okay if some excess spills over, this is what your wax paper is for! Once your cake is doused in chocolate goodness, sprinkle almond bits and coconut flakes on top for a decorative finish. Let the chocolate harden. Carefully remove wax paper. Admire for 30-60 seconds then dig in.
Cake + Candy = HappinessFebruary 14th, 2009: The day of jam-filled hearts.
Oh Valentine's Day, there are many sarcastic and snarky things I could say about this Hallmark holiday. But because I'm a true romantic at heart, I made uber girlie Valentine's Day cookies while watching Sleepless in Seattle.
Valentine Linzer Cookies:
Start out by preheating the oven to 350 F. Grease a baking sheet. Whisk together the flour, almonds and baking powder in a small bowl then set aside. Beat the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until pale and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined well. Add the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated. Divide the dough into four equal portions and wrap each portion in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour.
Take one portion of chilled dough and place between 2 sheets of wax paper. Roll out to a 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into rounds with a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter and transfer to baking sheet. Using a smaller (1 to 1 1/2 -inch) heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out a heart shape from half of the cookies. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are just lightly browned. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
To assmble the jammy goodness:
First mix together a 1/2 Tbsp. of confectioner's sugar and water each to make a simple paste. Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of heart cutout cookie halves. Sprinkle with red sugar crystals (this should be incredibly easy to acquire around this joyous holiday) or confectioner's sugar and let dry. Spread about 1 Tbsp. of raspberry jam on flat side of solid cookie and sandwich with flat side of 1 cut out cookie. Repeat. Enjoy.
Sugar-coated love.
You can even make stars if you're really opposed to hearts.
No, this isn't about the questionable lead content in Western's water supply. But I swear there is something in the water at my place of work, the Western Foundation. Three, now four women who work within the University Advancement team are pregnant (including one of my bosses). So to celebrate baby fever, my office held a joint baby shower for all those expecting little bundles of joy. And of course, because I'm the cake girl, I made the cakes for the shower. The first was a simple yellow-downey butter cake from the beloved Cake Bible, dyed blue and pink layers, topped with vanilla buttercream, which I dyed yellow to go with the color coordination of baby-dom. The second a dark chocolate cake topped with chocolate buttercream. All in all, delicious. I'm still getting compliments on them.
Baby Cake #2
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I'm sure more baking extravaganzas occured between January 29th and April 1st, I just forgot or chose not to document them. But I do promise to not wait 4 months to update my blog again. Until then, who know's what I'll be making next. I might attempt a forray into sorbets and tarts. You'll just have to wait and see, sitting on the edge of your seat and biting your nails in anticipation of course.
Oh Valentine's Day, there are many sarcastic and snarky things I could say about this Hallmark holiday. But because I'm a true romantic at heart, I made uber girlie Valentine's Day cookies while watching Sleepless in Seattle.
Valentine Linzer Cookies:
- 1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
- 1/2 c. ground toasted almonds
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 c. butter, softened
- 1/2 c. sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- Raspberry jam, red sugar, and confectioner's sugar, for decoration
- Heart-shaped cookie cutter
Start out by preheating the oven to 350 F. Grease a baking sheet. Whisk together the flour, almonds and baking powder in a small bowl then set aside. Beat the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until pale and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined well. Add the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated. Divide the dough into four equal portions and wrap each portion in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour.
Take one portion of chilled dough and place between 2 sheets of wax paper. Roll out to a 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into rounds with a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter and transfer to baking sheet. Using a smaller (1 to 1 1/2 -inch) heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out a heart shape from half of the cookies. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are just lightly browned. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
To assmble the jammy goodness:
First mix together a 1/2 Tbsp. of confectioner's sugar and water each to make a simple paste. Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of heart cutout cookie halves. Sprinkle with red sugar crystals (this should be incredibly easy to acquire around this joyous holiday) or confectioner's sugar and let dry. Spread about 1 Tbsp. of raspberry jam on flat side of solid cookie and sandwich with flat side of 1 cut out cookie. Repeat. Enjoy.
Sugar-coated love.
You can even make stars if you're really opposed to hearts.April 1st, 2009: I think there's something in the water...
No, this isn't about the questionable lead content in Western's water supply. But I swear there is something in the water at my place of work, the Western Foundation. Three, now four women who work within the University Advancement team are pregnant (including one of my bosses). So to celebrate baby fever, my office held a joint baby shower for all those expecting little bundles of joy. And of course, because I'm the cake girl, I made the cakes for the shower. The first was a simple yellow-downey butter cake from the beloved Cake Bible, dyed blue and pink layers, topped with vanilla buttercream, which I dyed yellow to go with the color coordination of baby-dom. The second a dark chocolate cake topped with chocolate buttercream. All in all, delicious. I'm still getting compliments on them.
Baby Cake #1
Baby Cake #2I'm sure more baking extravaganzas occured between January 29th and April 1st, I just forgot or chose not to document them. But I do promise to not wait 4 months to update my blog again. Until then, who know's what I'll be making next. I might attempt a forray into sorbets and tarts. You'll just have to wait and see, sitting on the edge of your seat and biting your nails in anticipation of course.
