Apparently I need to update this thing more often...

I apologize for my leave of absence. I'm never too busy to bake but I guess I get to busy to update my baking blog. Just to forewarn you, this might be an overwhelming update so brace yourselves for the high sugar content ahead, I would hate to send someone into a diabetic comma.

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 egg

Sift 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.

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)

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.

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.

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.

Cake + Candy = Happiness

February 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:

• 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

To get your linzer on:
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 #2

*******************************************************************************

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.

The Gayest Thing I Have Ever Made...

So I've seen this cake on a couple of other food blogs and I thought "why not?" I have to admit, this is by far the gayest thing I have ever created (and don't forget, I did musical theater for 6 years. Ponder that for a few seconds) So on with the cake. Since it's still early (enough) in the year, most people are sticking with their resolutions. Well good on ya! But, less we forget, the temptation of cake? It's out there, lurking, waiting for us to slip up. Well, here's a way to have your cake and actually eat it too (with minimal guilt later!). I present to you a fat free rainbow (yes, gay I know) cake:
It's excellent for...
- birthdays (both young and old, you're never too old to have a whimsical birthday cake)
- LGBTA get togethers, we've been having a lot of Prop. 8 (or rather Prop. H8) rallies here lately
- Or a friend's 21st birthday party (after they've been bar hopping for a bit, ask them to cut into the cake and watch the total mind blow: "Mmm...I love me some chocolate caaaaaaaa-holy shit! It's rainbows!"

Now on to the actual cake making bit. Firstly you'll need the ingredients. Now usually it pains me to use box cake mix, but I compromised myself because I really didn't have time to find a from scratch mix that would bake the same way this cake does.

Ingredients:
- 2 boxes of white cake mix (Brand is not an issue here)
- 24 oz. clear diet soda (Again, no brand preference, 7-up just happened to be on sale)
- Gel food coloring (the color is a lot brighter with gel as opposed to liquid food coloring)
- 16 oz. whipped topping (preferably in a plastic container because it's easier to make the frosting later, but my grocery store is lame and doesn't carry the plastic container kinds.)
- 2 small boxes (2 oz.) fat-free pudding mix (can be any flavor, I went with vanilla)

Yay! Ingredients!

Cake Mixin Process:

In a large bowl, mix together the 2 packages of white cake mix and the 24 oz. of soda, breaking up clumps until the mixture is smooth.

Stirring with your left hand is no easy feat.

Now, divide the batter into 6 equal portions. I measured off about 1 cup and 2 Tbsp. 6 times and that looked pretty even. Then add desired amount of food coloring to each portion. (Note if you are color mixing challenged: red + yellow = orange, blue + red = purple, and yellow + blue = green)

And mix...

Kinda looks like the goop they used as the pretend food in "Hook"... Bangerang! (sorry, couldn't help it)

So now that you have your rainbow colors, it's time to assemble the rainbow. Take 2 9-inch greased cake pans and in the first, drop about 3/4 cup of the red batter into the bottom of the pan, top with about 2/3 cup of the orange and about 1/2 cup of yellow and pause. (Note DO NOT SPREAD THE BATTER! LET GRAVITY DO IT'S THING! The weight of the layered batter will make the bottom layer spread to the edges.) In the second pan, repeat process except start with the purple, then blue, then green.

Yeah...I screwed up and put yellow before orange. :(

Finish the rainbow in each pan until all the batter is gone. It should look a little something like this:
Kinda looks like some care bears got drunk and threw up.

Now bake the cake according to the directions on the box. Remove from oven when a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

In the meantime, avoid doing the mountain of dishes that have now accumulated in your sink by anally stacking the mixing bowls in color order and taking artistic photos of them...

Pretty!

Let the cake cool in the pans for about 10 - 15 minutes then transfer to wire cooling racks. Now with your arsenal of baking gadgets, assemble the cake!

Cake decorating arsenal: cake round, icing knife, cake leveler, and layer lifter (also handy for pizza)

For the frosting, combine the whipped cream and the pudding mixture, you can add food coloring if you like. Place one layer of of the cake on the cake round, level off the top with your leveler. Spread about 1/3 of the whipped cream on the top of the first layer, then top with the second layer (this is where the layer lifter comes in handy!). Frost the cake with the remaining frosting. Add more decorations if you think you can handle it. Cut and serve!

Psychedelic man.

After completing the cake and consuming a piece, I have to say I'm not a huge fan. While the cake itself was moist and delicious, the frosting really weirded me out. The pudding mixture really didn't dissolve very well in the whipped cream so when eating it, you kinda got little powdery pockets of pudding mix. Not so nice. Plus the cake didn't keep for more than a day or two, the frosting sorta dried up and the cake began to fall apart. It's safe to say that I will not be keeping this recipe in my stockpile of desserts. I will however keep the idea of the rainbow layering. Pretty cool and really fun to see people's expressions when they cut the first piece.

'Tis the Season

Happy Holidays!

Every year at Christmastime I love to make gingerbread cookies. It reminds me of when we would go up to my grandparent's house and my grandmother would make us the best gingerbread men. We would help by eating the red hots. Instead of making traditional gingerbread men, I made gingerbread stars and decorated them with Royal Icing. Here's the recipe I used:

Gingerbread Cookies:

• 3 1/4 c. sifted all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter (room temperature, softened)
• 1/2 c. dark-brown sugar, packed
• 1 Tbsp. ground ginger
• 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 c. unsulfured molasses

To make the cookies:

Sift flour into a large bowl, mix in baking soda and spices, set aside. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, add sugar and beat until fluffy. Mix in the egg and molasses. Gradually add the flour mixture. Mix on a low speed until all the flour has been incorporated. Be careful not to over mix or the dough may become stiff and hard to work with. Divide the dough into thirds and wrap each third in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour. Before rolling out dough, let sit at room temperature for about 5 to 10 minutes to soften. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Place a third of the dough on a piece of lightly floured parchment or wax paper. Using a rolling pin, roll dough out to about a 1/8 inch thickness. Refrigerate again for another 5 to 10 minutes (this makes the cookies easier to cut). Using your desired shape of cookie cutter, cut out shapes and transfer to an ungreased cookie sheet. If you wish to use raisins, chocolate chips, red hots or other candies to decorate the cookies, do so before putting them in the oven. Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp, but not darkened. Remove from oven, let cool for a few minutes on cookie sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack. Once cooled completely, decorate with Royal Icing. Let the cookies sit until the icing has hardened and enjoy!

Royal Icing:

• 4 egg whites
• 4 c. sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1 tsp. lemon extract (or any flavor extract, for this recipe I used orange extract)

To make icing:

Beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add sugar and extract. Beat at a high speed until thickened. Makes about 2 cups.



While perusing the December 2008 issue of Gourmet magazine, I stumbled across a twelve-layer mocha cake that I couldn't resist to try out. It turned out to be a taste-bud tantalizing medley of chocolate and mocha buttercreams, nestled between layers of yellow spongecake, collapsed chocolate soufflé and hazelnut meringue. Yum. While this cake proved difficult to assemble, the end result was quite delicious. If you want to take a crack at it, you can fine this recipe in the December 2008 issue of Gourmet magazine or at http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Twelve-Layer-Mocha-Cake-350916

Let it snow!

I love this time of year! Especially all the flavors that coincide with winter, namely peppermint. Every quarter my work hosts a student appreciation lunch to "thank" the students who work in my office. I took it upon myself to bring a delicious treat to thank my fellow students as well. I've been wanting to try this cake out ever since I saw it on the cover of this month's Bon Appetit. Yes, I'm talking about the four-layered chocolate monstrosity, also known as devil's food cake with peppermint frosting, a dark chocolate ganache and a peppermint white chocolate cream filling. Yum. It was every bit as delicious as it sounds. I added a few bits of my own though. Through my endeavors of cake making, I've discovered that a good way to keep a cake moist is to use either jams or liqours drizzled over the cake layers. After letting the cake cool and leveling the layers, either melt a couple of tablespoons of your favorite jam/jelly or a splash of your favorite liqour and simply drizzle it over the layers of cake. Let the layers sit for about half an hour before you assemble and frost your cake. This not only adds a punch of extra flavor, but keeps the cake moist after you frost it. So for this devil's food cake, I used roughly 3-4 Tbsp. of Peppermint Schnapps drizzled over the four layers. If you're out of peppermint you could easily substitute it for a chocolate or vanilla liquor. Also, after assembling the cake, I used crushed peppermints in addition to the chocolate curls as the garnish. Another trick, take whole peppermints (or halve them if you're that patient) and line the bottom of the cake with them. It not only adds more visual appeal but it hides frosting lines and those occasional mistakes. I would definitely reccommend this cake, it's perfect for this time of year! Look for it in the December 2008 edition of Bon Appetit.

Stress baking can produce delicious results

I started baking as a means to deal with my stress. I figured it was a productive usage of my time. Since I'm still in college, I'm not exactly mellow all the time. Hence, a lot of baked goods are produced in my kitchen, especially around midterms and project due dates. This week's creations were centered around my Sociology research project's due date and my craving for Chex Mix and my friend's birthday.

Now when I went to the store to buy said Chex for said mixin', I noticed that there are no longer oven directions only...microwave directions ::hiss:: Terrible. Chex Mix should never, EVER, be made in a microwave. So if you're looking for a traditional oven prepared Chex Mix, don't fret:

Chex Mix (compliments of my sister):

3 c. Rice Chex
3 c. Corn Chex
3 c. Wheat Chex
1 c. Pretzels
1 c. Rye chips
2 c. Mixed nuts
6 tsp. butter (melted)
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Mix all the dry ingredients in a big bowl. Melt butter over low heat. Add the spices to the butter and mix well. Pour butter mixture over dry ingredients, stirring constantly to coat evenly. Bake in the oven at 250º for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool on papertowels.

Now if you're interested in something more sweet, here's a recipe for Muddy Buddies:

9 c. Rice Chex or Corn Chex or a combination
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/4 c. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

Measure cereal into a large bowl and set aside. Melt chocolate chips, butter, and peanut butter in a microwave on high for 1 minute, stir. Microwave for another 30 seconds or until mixture is smooth. Then stir in vanilla. Pour over cereal and stir to coat evenly. Pour into a 2 gallon Ziploc bag. Add powdered sugar and shake the bag to cover all the cereal. Spread on wax paper to cool.


My last creation of the week was a birthday cake for my friend Holly, who happens to be allergic to soy. Now one tricky thing about soy is...it's in practically everything! So it requires thoroughly reading the ingredients, a combination of recipies and some serious substitutions to make a delicious cake that meets her dietary needs. I made her cake from a few recipies in Rose Levy Beranbaum's "The Cake Bible." To be more specific, downy yellow butter cake and white and dark chocolate buttercream. This recipe used butter instead of shortening and veggie oil, which makes the cake lighter and softer, but still delicious! And the buttercream is well, butter. Paula Dean would be so proud! And I used Dutch processed cocoa powder instead of bar chocolate (which contains soy) to make the buttercream chocolate. After frosting the cake with the chocolate butter cream, I used the white chocolate buttercream to add some decorative touches. The cake turned out scrumptious looking and I really hope that she likes it!

pastry foray

First and foremost, I love food. Point blank. I will eat practically anything. (Especially if it happens to be lemon flavored) I've always enjoyed food, especially making it with and for people. My friends and I love getting together and cooking big meals together. To me, food has always brought people together. Why do all of our holidays seem to have food as the centerfold? Because food is so damn delicious.

But personally, I enjoy cooking, but I find no greater joy than baking. Nothing puts a smile on your face more than the smell of a loaf of milk and honey bread wafting through the kitchen or the taste of a rich dark chocolate ganache generously poured over a moist cake.

Over the past year I have dabbled in the baking and pastry arts; namely bringing my confectionery treats into work. It makes me happy that people enjoy my food. I find no greater reward than the look on their face when they bite into a checkerboard sable or lick the remaining butter cream from their fingers. One day, one of my coworkers said "you know, you should just go to culinary school!" So I gave it some thought and figured, why not!?! I already love it as a hobby, why not make a living out of it. Of course I'm still 2 years shy of graduation, but my hope is that by that time I will have figured out if this is something that I really want to do. In the meantime, I want to share my pastry concoctions with not just my coworkers but to everyone else who enjoys sweets and savories! So I plan to dedicate this blog to my forays into the pastry arts from my very own kitchen. Please enjoy!