Thursday, February 25, 2010

Chocolate Cake

Well, hello friends.  I am sorry that I have not posted in a while.  However, I have been busy.  I went out of town for a much needed kid-free weekend and then as soon as I got back, my hubby had to go out of town for 8 days.  Needless to say, baking was the last thing on my mind while I was holding down the fort.

So, I was inspired to bake on the day my hubby was coming home from his business trip.  Who wouldn't want to come home to roast beef and all the trimmings and homemade chocolate cake?

I had high hopes for this cake--maybe too high.  The cake was a chocolate sheet cake, covered with a fudge glaze and then frosted with chocolate buttercream.  Are you in a chocolate coma yet?   The recipe promised the glaze would harden and you would get the crunch with every bite.  Maybe I did something wrong, but my glaze never got crunchy.  Don't get me wrong, the cake was delicious but it did not meet my high expectations.   The cake was also very easy to make--no layers to deal with and you only had to use the mixer for the buttercream icing.

Give it a try and see what you think.



Here is the recipe:

Chocolate Sheet Cake 

For the Cake:
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 Tbsp cocoa powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp baking soda dissolved in 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
Fudge Glaze:
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 2 cups sugar
  • dash of salt
  • 1/3 cup cocoa
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 tbsp. vanilla
Chocolate Buttercream:
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 2/3 cup cocoa
  • 16 oz powdered sugar
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3-5 Tbsp milk

- For The Cake: Combine the sugar, flour and salt; set aside. Over medium heat; bring the butter, water and cocoa to a boil and pour over the flour mixture. With a wooden spoon mix in the eggs, milk and vanilla. Pour into a greased jellyroll pan and bake at 350 for about 40 minutes (or until cake tests done.) Make sure you prepare the glaze during the last few minutes of baking so you can pour the glaze over the cake while it is hot!



- For the glaze, combine all the ingredients except for the vanilla over medium heat and bring to a boil. Count to about 80-100, take it off the heat and stir in the vanilla until thickened. Pour over the hot cake and let set until glossy and hard. Allow the cake to cool COMPLETELY before you frost - this is key. Top with buttercream frosting after it is cool.

- For the Frosting: Cream butter. Mix cocoa and powdered sugar together. Add to creamed butter and add vanilla. Gradually add your milk one tablespoon at a time until frosting is at desired consistency - it may take an extra tablespoon depending on how you like your frosting.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Tiramisu Cake

Hello friends.  Today was all about tiramisu!  This cake is delicious.  The recipe is very easy to follow and the cake comes together very quickly.  The frosting is so yummy--I just wanted to put my face in the bowl and eat all of it.

Hal loved the cake and so did my parents and niece.  Noah was not impressed.  He said and I quote:  "it looks like barf".  Oh well, he is only 5.  I also sent two pieces of cake to my neighbors.  The jury is still out but hopefully they will love it too.   Here is the recipe if you decide to make one for yourself.  Enjoy!

Tiramisu Cake  recipe adapted from Dorie Greenspan's book Baking:  From my Home to Yours.

For the cake:
2 cups cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 ¼ sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
¾ cup buttermilk

For the espresso extract:
2 tbs. instant espresso powder
2 tbs. boiling water

For the espresso syrup:
½ cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbs. amaretto, Kahlua, or brandy

For the filling and frosting:
1 8-oz. container mascarpone cheese
½ cup confectioners sugar, sifted
1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tbs. amaretto, Kahlua, or brandy
1 cup cold heavy cream
2 ½ oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
Cocoa powder, for dusting




Getting ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9 x 2 inch round cake pans, dust the insides with flour, tap out the excess and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment or wax paper.

To make the cake: Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Working with a stand mixer,  beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for another 3 minutes. 
  


I was lucky to have a helper for this part - my 5 yr old son Noah.  :)

Add the eggs one by one, and then the yolk, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low  and add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk,  and end with the dry ingredients; scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and mix only until the ingredients disappear into the batter. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans.  Bake for 28-30 minutes. When fully baked, the cakes will be golden and springy to the touch and a thin knife inserted into the centers will come out clean. Transfer the cakes to a rack and cool then for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up.

To make the extract: Stir the espresso powder and boiling water together in a small cup until blended. Set aside.

To make the syrup: Stir the water and sugar together in a small saucepan and bring just to a boil. Pour the syrup into a small heatproof bowl and stir 1 tablespoon of the espresso extract and the liqueur or brandy; set aside.

To make the filling and frosting: Put the mascarpone, sugar, vanilla and liqueur in a large bowl and whisk just until blended and smooth. Working with the stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream until it holds firm peaks. Switch to a rubber spatula and stir about one quarter of the whipped cream into the mascarpone. Fold in the rest of the whipped cream.

To assemble the cake: Place one layer right side up on a cake plate protected with strips of wax paper.

Using a pastry brush or a small spoon, soak the layer with about one third of the espresso syrup.

Smooth some of the mascarpone cream over the layer – use about 1 ¼ cups – and gently press the chopped chocolate into the filling.

Put the second cake layer on the counter and soak the top of it with half the remaining espresso syrup.

Then turn the layer over and position it, soaked side down, over the filling. Soak the top of the cake with the remaining syrup.

For the frosting, whisk 1 to ½ tbs. of the remaining espresso extract into the remaining mascarpone filling.   Smooth the frosting around the sides of the cake and over the top.  Refrigerate the cake for at least 3 hours (or up to 1 day) before serving.


Just before serving, dust the top of the cake with cocoa.



Thursday, January 28, 2010

My first post!

Hello Everyone and welcome to my little world.  I decided to start my own blog to document my baking adventures.  I am inspired by the cooks who bake with groups such as:  Tuesdays with Dorie, The Daring Kitchen, and the Barefoot Bloggers.  My ultimate goal is to join one of these groups but for now I will pick out my own recipes.

So, here are my plans.  I will pick out one new recipe a week (there may be times when life or a 5 year old gets in the way) and give you all the delicious details.  My first test will be Tiramisu Cake.  This cake looks divine and I would have made it already but I am missing a few key ingredients.  I am going to try and bake this cake on Sunday and post by Monday.  Please keep coming back to check my progress. 

Before I end this post, I must give credit to my friend, Tammy, who inspired my addiction to blogs.  She has been blogging for two years now and she has an incredible site.   If you are crazy about crafting then check out her site at http://theothersideofme-tl.blogspot.com/.