February 5, 2015 – Sweet Cakes RECIPE: Tiger Cakes Best Tricks for a Better Cake RECIPE: Carrément Chocolat, The Fancy Cake RECIPE: Odile’s Fresh Orange Cake Cookbook Review “Sweet Cakes for Special People” INTRO TEXT Have you ever noticed how loving words of endearment overlap with food terms -- “honey”, “cupcake”, “cookie”, “sugar”, and, of course, “sweet cakes?” With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, it’s a great time to celebrate by baking a little sweet indulgence. IN THIS ISSUE, we’re sharing a few delicious cakes from the baking master herself, Dorie Greenspan from her latest book. You’ll find Tiger Cakes, her Carrément Chocolate Fancy Cake, and a winter bright, citrus cake, Odile’s Fresh Orange Cake. We’ll equip you for success as you bake one of these cakes for the sweeties in your life. Thumbnails “for you, sweet cakes” MAIN BODY Tiger Cakes Just as food terms become endearments, other words become food expressions. The innuendo contained in this recipe’s name caught our attention as we began to think about Valentine’s Day. Reading the recipe further – almonds, butter, chocolate, etc. – we knew this was going to be a good recipe! The golden cake with dark chocolate bits throughout is, indeed, reminescent of a tiger’s coat. The batter is simple, requiring only a little whisking and stirring; the miniature cake bites bake quickly to golden perfection. The taste is heavenly with the slightly chewy golden crust perhaps the best part! Recipe from Baking Chez Moi by Dorie Greenspan. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, New York, NY. Copyright 2014. Reprinted with permission of the publisher. All rights reserved. Notes for Success: Very Adaptable - We made one batch as prescribed in the original recipe as little two-bite buttons in mini-muffin pans. The more-than-positive outcome prompted a second batch baked in heart shapes. The recipe was perfectly adaptable requiring only a few extra minutes of baking time due to the slightly larger size. Removing the Cakes from the Pan – Because of the batter composition, the crust of these little cakes caramelizes slightly producing a wonderful flavor and texture. But, this character may also cause the little morsels to stick in the pan more easily than most cakes. Use every precaution ahead of time to make sure the baby cakes fall easily from the pan: use a nonstick pan, butter the interior, and place parchment paper at the bottom of each baking cup. Easy Glazing – Although these cakes are fabulous on their own, they really become complete when dipped in a glaze. Bittersweet chocolate, melted and swirled with hot cream, forms the simplest of glazes. Chill the cakes before dipping, allow the glaze to cool to a 7-second ribbon stage and you’ll have the ideal conditions for a thick glaze that doesn’t drip out of control and cover all of those lovely tiger colors. Best Tricks for a Better Cake You don’t have to be an expert baker to product a beautiful cake that’s gorgeous to the eye and delicious to the palate. Here are some key tips for baking success into your cake-making efforts: Start With a Good Recipe The right recipe determines how easy it will be to decorate, how well it keeps, and, of course, how good it tastes. Most boxed cake mixes tend to yield a fragile, dry cake with a chemical taste. Fresh is best and not that difficult. Use Top Notch Ingredients There are so few ingredients in a cake that the quality of each item will make a big difference in the flavor and outcome. Use fresh leaveners (baking soda, baking powder), fresh eggs, excellent butter, top-quality chocolate, and the best pure vanilla you can afford. Choose a Better Pan Equip yourself with quality cake baking pans that are light in color and sturdily constructed. A good baking pan will not bend or warp when exposed to heat, and will have a rim that’s easy to grip with oven mitts. Prep the Pan Properly A great looking cake depends on its successful removal from the pan. Prep the pan in the following steps. (Even with a nonstick pan, we often choose to include these steps.) (1) Generously butter the bottom and sides of the cake pan. A tasteless oil such as canola oil may also be used. (2) Dust the pan with flour so that it coats all the surfaces; tap out any excess flour. For yellow or lighter cakes, use white flour to dust the pan. For chocolate or darker cakes, use cocoa powder to dust the pan. (3) Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper cut to fit. Sift the dry ingredients together This step removes any lumps and distributes the baking powder and/or baking soda evenly throughout the flour. Mixing the dry ingredients into the developing batter is often the last step before baking. Having the dry ingredients combined evenly prior to adding to the liquid ingredients forms a more consistent batter. Stir, but not too much Combining the butter and sugar is usually the first step. The butter coats each sugar granule, the first step in texture development. Adding the eggs is usually next added item. Eggs also add to the cake’s texture while also stabilizing and adding protein structures to the mix. Most cakes fare better when the dry ingredients are stirred until just combined, and not any longer. Do Preheat the Oven Know your oven and have it calibrated to the recipe. Make sure to preheat the oven. Once the cake is placed in the oven, resist the urge to open the door and check on it. Much of the final cake structure is accomplished in those early baking minutes. By opening the door, the oven’s temperature will quickly drop 25-50 degrees and affect the texture by potentially deflating the developing air bubbles. Test for Doneness At the end of baking, test the cake for doneness. The center of the cake should spring back when touched lightly with a fingertip. Or, insert a toothpick or bamboo skewer in the center; it should come out cleanly, or with only a few crumbs. If the toothpick is wet with batter, the cake needs to bake longer; test again in another 5-10 minutes. Cool the Cake Fresh out of the oven, a cake can be quite fragile. Cool the cake in stages according to the recipe’s instructions. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the sides. The butter, flour, and parchment will assist greatly in releasing the bottom of the cake. With the right recipe and proper pan preparation, the cake should fall out easily and intact. Cool the cake to room temperature before wrapping or icing. Carrément Chocolat, The Fancy Cake This is no ordinary chocolate cake -- this is a dazzling chocolate cake in both appearance and taste. It’s a statement piece with a clear message, “cuit au four avec amour“ -- baked with love. And, as we all know, chocolate speaks the language of love. This cake begins as a single chocolate layer, halved and filled with a rich chocolate custard. It’s then generously enrobed with a ganache-like glaze, and topped with shards of salted dark chocolate. What a wonderful offering this cake creation would be for any occasion, but especially so for Valentine’s Day. Recipe from Baking Chez Moi by Dorie Greenspan. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, New York, NY. Copyright 2014. Reprinted with permission of the publisher. All rights reserved. Notes for Success: Easier Than You Think – Ok, true, there are five components to this recipe, but, as Ms. Greenspan points out, they are nothing but a series of simple steps. There’s nothing complex or difficult with this cake; the magic comes from assembling the pieces together in a way that the “whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts.” You can do this! Make Ahead in Steps – As well, Ms. Greenspan points out that this cake creation may be done in steps over a period of a few days. This aspect adds greatly to the doability of this stunning dessert. Tempering the Custard – Perhaps the only tricky part to this recipe is making the filling, an egg-based custard. If you’ve never made an egg-based custard before, just familiarize yourself with the process of “tempering.” Tempering an egg-based mixture, is nothing more than the method used to gradually warm the mix. With gradual warming, the egg component stays uncooked, evenly dispersed, and uncoagulated. Accomplish the tempering step by drizzling some of the hot liquid into the egg mixture while continuously whisking. Once warmed, the mixture is ready for cooking on the stovetop. We recommend continous whisking while cooking the custard; it doesn’t take long, and is the key to achieving a smooth filling. A saucier-style pan with its curved edges is ideal when making custards. Odile’s Fresh Orange Cake While chocolate is a natural go-to ingredient this time of year, we understand that there may be a few people out there that aren’t chocolate fans. This special cake is just as worthy and stunningly beautiful as any chocolate cake! We made our version with blood oranges that are in season this time of year. Moro oranges, a blood orange cultivar, sports orange flesh that ranges from a blush to a deep maroon. We thought they made a lovely topping to this incredibly delicious orange cake. The oranges were lightly poached in a cinnamon-ginger syrup, then glazed with orange marmalade. You’ll find this spectacular cake most enjoyable! Recipe from Baking Chez Moi by Dorie Greenspan. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, New York, NY. Copyright 2014. Reprinted with permission of the publisher. All rights reserved. Notes for Success: Preparing the Cake Pan – Give yourself every opportunity for success by preparing the baking pan well. Nothing is more discouraging than baking a cake to perfection only for it to come halfway out of the pan while removing. As identified above, use nonstick bakeware, cut a round of parchment paper to line the bottom, butter the bottom and sides of the pan, dust with flour. By following these steps, this baked cakes should release easily from the pan. Get the Oranges Ready First – The dense, delicious cake takes only 20 to 25 minutes to bake before it’s ready for the syrup treatment while still warm. We recommend cutting and fitting the oranges prior to mixing the batter, then poaching the fruit while the cake is baking. In this version of the cake, the poaching liquid becomes the syrup drizzled on top of the just baked layer. Having the oranges prepped ahead of time makes the entire process smooth and quick. For Baking Special Cakes: USA PANS 8-INCH ROUND CAKE PAN A great pan, sturdily constructed to prevent warping and bending. Nonstick baking surface for easy release. KITCHENAID 5 QUART ARTISAN STAND MIXER Cakes, cookies, bread – it’s all easy with this power tool at your side. Extend its versatility with key attachments. ATECO OFFSET SPATULA Shaped especially for cake decorating, this tool spreads frosting with ease and perfection every time. OXO GOOD GRIPS STAINLESS STEEL MEASURING CUPS Measuring is important in baking. Choose measuring cups with clear markings, and durable construction. OXO GOOD GRIPS STAINLESS STEEL MEASURING SPOONS Be precise when baking! A set of good, accurate measuring spoons is essential for every kitchen. Dishwasher safe. ESCALI ARTI CULINARY SCALE The most accurate way to measure while baking – weighing. Minimizes dishes, recalibrates portions. ALL-CLAD 2 QUART SAUCIER PAN The rounded sides of this tri-ply pan is perfect for making custards, fillings, and all sauces. No hidden corners. STAINLESS STEEL WHISK Another kitchen essential that you’ll use again and again. Stir and whisk quickly. Durable stainless steel construction. MINI MUFFIN NONSTICK PANS These petite-sized baking pans are great for making mini muffins, bite-sized cakes, or cookies. So many uses! COOKBOOK REVIEW: Baking Chez Moi, Recipes from My Paris Home to Your Home Anywhere by Dorie Greenspan, James Beard Award Winner; IACP Award Winner Copyright 2014 Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, New York, NY. You’ll find us doing a little happy dance whenever a Dorie Greenspan cookbook is announced! True confessions, yes, we’re groupies. It’s easy to know why – her cookbooks are delightful in their combination of innovative and classic recipes. She writes with such care and detail that even the most complex recipes become accessible to every cook, novice or expert. This most recent cookbook is no exception as she shares classic French desserts gleaned from living in France in addition to her own innovative creations. Her instructions go beyond “just the recipe facts, ma’am” to the subjective descriptors and visual tips that guide and nourish the home cook toward success. The recipes range from Simple Cakes, Fancy Cakes, Tarts and Galettes, Baby Cakes and Petite Pastries, Cookies and Bars, Fruit, Creams, Frozen Desserts and Candies. There’s a treat ready for any occasion and for every cook. Closing: Skip dinner, go straight to dessert!