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| Devil's Food Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting |
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Bunco Cake!
This cake was for a friend's Bunco Party.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Vanilla Petit Fours
Perfect for that special occasion, these petit fours taste as good as they look.
The recipes for the cake and frosting are adapted from those in my Nana's Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, published in 1953. They are still delicious today. Egg whites beaten and folded in just before baking make this white cake so soft and fluffy.
White Cake:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups sifted cake flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk (best to use whole, but 2% works fine)
6 large egg whites
additional 1/4 cup sugar
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 13x9 pan - spray with Pam for Baking or butter, then parchment, then spray the parchment.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. Beat butter in mixer at medium speed for a minute, then beat in 1 cup of sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla and beat.
4. Alternate adding flour mixture and milk (about 3 rounds). After each addition, beat until smooth.
5. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until foamy (I use a hand mixer for this). Gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until the mixture forms soft peaks. Fold egg whites into batter using a large rubber spatula (I add them in 2 steps - makes it a bit easier) until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
6. Bake until golden and a toothpick comes out clean, about 25 minutes. (Note: Mine take about 25 minutes, although the original recipe calls for 40 minutes. My oven is super hot, but I recommend being conservative and start checking at 20-25 minutes.)
7. Cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and invert onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Once cool, either eat it as is (delicious!), frost with your favorite frosting or read on to make petit fours!
Petit Fours Frosting
2 cups sugar
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup hot water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Approx. 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
Candy thermometer
Candy decorations, tiny icing flowers, nuts, etc.
1. Cook sugar, cream of tartar and hot water in a small/medium saucepan over medium high heat. Stir until sugar dissolves, then cook until temperature on candy thermometer reaches 226 degrees Farenheit (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat.
2. Let mixture cool until temperature reaches 110 degrees Farenheit (about an hour).
3. Add vanilla and stir to combine.
4. Add confectioners' sugar until frosting is a good consistency for pouring but not super runny (about 2 cups). If you aren't sure, use a little less and do a few petit fours to test it, adding more sugar if needed.
Note: This recipe probably makes enough frosting to do about 3/4 of your petit fours. If your family is like ours, you will already have eaten about 1/4 of the white cake before frosting so it's not a problem... :)
Assembling the Petit Fours
1. Trim off the edges of your 9x13 cake and slice into whatever size shapes you would like. I prefer rectangles that are 1 1/4 inch x 2 1/4 inch. You can also use cookie cutters for fun shapes if you like.
2. I like to trim off the tops of my cake pieces so there is a fresh, flat white surface on top. I think they look better this way and you don't need to worry about any golden cake top showing through the frosting. Use a serrated bread knife.
3. Place cakes on a wire rack on top of a foil-lined baking sheet (to catch drips). Leave an inch or two between so that you have room to frost the sides.
4. Use a spoon to pour the frosting on top of each cake. Some will drizzle down the sides, but may not cover completely so you may have to use your spoon to smear some extra onto the sides. I've also found it's best if I let the frosting sit on the cake for a minute and then go back and do an extra layer on the top - it makes the top nice and smooth.
5. Once you have frosted the entire petit four, let frosting dry about a minute and then put on the decoration of your choice - tiny icing flowers, small piece of candy, nuts - or wait until dry and pipe icing flower or other decoration on.
6. Experiment with different frosting consistency, techniques, etc. Your last petit four will definitely look better than the first! Enjoy!
White Cake:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups sifted cake flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk (best to use whole, but 2% works fine)
6 large egg whites
additional 1/4 cup sugar
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 13x9 pan - spray with Pam for Baking or butter, then parchment, then spray the parchment.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. Beat butter in mixer at medium speed for a minute, then beat in 1 cup of sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla and beat.
4. Alternate adding flour mixture and milk (about 3 rounds). After each addition, beat until smooth.
5. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until foamy (I use a hand mixer for this). Gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until the mixture forms soft peaks. Fold egg whites into batter using a large rubber spatula (I add them in 2 steps - makes it a bit easier) until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
6. Bake until golden and a toothpick comes out clean, about 25 minutes. (Note: Mine take about 25 minutes, although the original recipe calls for 40 minutes. My oven is super hot, but I recommend being conservative and start checking at 20-25 minutes.)
7. Cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and invert onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Once cool, either eat it as is (delicious!), frost with your favorite frosting or read on to make petit fours!
Petit Fours Frosting
2 cups sugar
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup hot water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Approx. 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
Candy thermometer
Candy decorations, tiny icing flowers, nuts, etc.
1. Cook sugar, cream of tartar and hot water in a small/medium saucepan over medium high heat. Stir until sugar dissolves, then cook until temperature on candy thermometer reaches 226 degrees Farenheit (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat.
2. Let mixture cool until temperature reaches 110 degrees Farenheit (about an hour).
3. Add vanilla and stir to combine.
4. Add confectioners' sugar until frosting is a good consistency for pouring but not super runny (about 2 cups). If you aren't sure, use a little less and do a few petit fours to test it, adding more sugar if needed.
Note: This recipe probably makes enough frosting to do about 3/4 of your petit fours. If your family is like ours, you will already have eaten about 1/4 of the white cake before frosting so it's not a problem... :)
Assembling the Petit Fours
1. Trim off the edges of your 9x13 cake and slice into whatever size shapes you would like. I prefer rectangles that are 1 1/4 inch x 2 1/4 inch. You can also use cookie cutters for fun shapes if you like.
2. I like to trim off the tops of my cake pieces so there is a fresh, flat white surface on top. I think they look better this way and you don't need to worry about any golden cake top showing through the frosting. Use a serrated bread knife.
3. Place cakes on a wire rack on top of a foil-lined baking sheet (to catch drips). Leave an inch or two between so that you have room to frost the sides.
4. Use a spoon to pour the frosting on top of each cake. Some will drizzle down the sides, but may not cover completely so you may have to use your spoon to smear some extra onto the sides. I've also found it's best if I let the frosting sit on the cake for a minute and then go back and do an extra layer on the top - it makes the top nice and smooth.
5. Once you have frosted the entire petit four, let frosting dry about a minute and then put on the decoration of your choice - tiny icing flowers, small piece of candy, nuts - or wait until dry and pipe icing flower or other decoration on.
6. Experiment with different frosting consistency, techniques, etc. Your last petit four will definitely look better than the first! Enjoy!
Friday, July 29, 2011
Caramel Cake
Soft, fluffy cake draped in sweet caramel...delicious!
This recipe is adapted from epicurious.com. If any of it lasts past the first day, keep in the fridge overnight and microwave for about 15-20 seconds before eating over the next few days. This is a soft, delicious cake even without the caramel! On the other hand, you can also just eat the caramel off the top and sides of the cake and then declare yourself done, like my 3 year old Matthew does. :)
ingredients for cake:
2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons cake flour (sift before measuring)
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup buttermilk (or use 1 Tablespoon white vinegar and add enough milk to get to 1 cup, let sit 10 minutes)
ingredients for caramel glaze:
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon light corn syrup
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
candy thermometer
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 8 inch square cake pan. I love using Pam for Baking (do not use regular cooking spray) - spray the pan, line with parchment, then spray the parchment. (Otherwise can use butter.)
2. Sift together flour, baking power, baking soda and salt.
3. Beat butter in mixer at medium speed for a minute, then beat in sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla, then eggs (one at a time), beating after each addition. Set mixer to low, then add buttermilk until just combined. (The batter will look a little curdled.) Slowly add flour mixture, beating until just combined.
4. Spread the batter in cake pan and lightly drop pan on the counter a few times to get rid of any air bubbles. Bake until golden and a toothpick comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes.
5. Cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and invert onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
6. For the glaze: Bring cream, brown sugar, corn syrup and a pinch of salt to a boil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil until the glaze registers 210-212 degrees Farenheit on the candy thermometer (note: the recipe says this will take about 12-14 minutes, but I got mine to 210 in about 4-5 minutes, stirring once or twice. Then let it go another minute or two and it turned out great.) Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
7. Place cake on a wire rack over a foil lined baking sheet. Pour hot caramel glaze over the top of the cake, letting it run over the sides. Cool until the glaze sets, about 30 minutes.
Enjoy!
This recipe is adapted from epicurious.com. If any of it lasts past the first day, keep in the fridge overnight and microwave for about 15-20 seconds before eating over the next few days. This is a soft, delicious cake even without the caramel! On the other hand, you can also just eat the caramel off the top and sides of the cake and then declare yourself done, like my 3 year old Matthew does. :)
ingredients for cake:
2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons cake flour (sift before measuring)
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup buttermilk (or use 1 Tablespoon white vinegar and add enough milk to get to 1 cup, let sit 10 minutes)
ingredients for caramel glaze:
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon light corn syrup
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
candy thermometer
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 8 inch square cake pan. I love using Pam for Baking (do not use regular cooking spray) - spray the pan, line with parchment, then spray the parchment. (Otherwise can use butter.)
2. Sift together flour, baking power, baking soda and salt.
3. Beat butter in mixer at medium speed for a minute, then beat in sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla, then eggs (one at a time), beating after each addition. Set mixer to low, then add buttermilk until just combined. (The batter will look a little curdled.) Slowly add flour mixture, beating until just combined.
4. Spread the batter in cake pan and lightly drop pan on the counter a few times to get rid of any air bubbles. Bake until golden and a toothpick comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes.
5. Cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and invert onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
6. For the glaze: Bring cream, brown sugar, corn syrup and a pinch of salt to a boil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil until the glaze registers 210-212 degrees Farenheit on the candy thermometer (note: the recipe says this will take about 12-14 minutes, but I got mine to 210 in about 4-5 minutes, stirring once or twice. Then let it go another minute or two and it turned out great.) Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
7. Place cake on a wire rack over a foil lined baking sheet. Pour hot caramel glaze over the top of the cake, letting it run over the sides. Cool until the glaze sets, about 30 minutes.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Play Ball!
Here's a little something for all you summer baseball lovers out there (especially Yankee fans!)
Or, if you prefer no stick...
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| Devil's food cake, chocolate frosting and vanilla candy coating. Mmmm... |
Or, if you prefer no stick...
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Amazing Peanut Butter Cookies
Using extra-crunchy peanut butter and freshly ground peanuts really punches up the peanut taste in these yummy cookies.
This recipe is adapted from my favorite cookbook, Baking Illustrated, from the editors of Cooks Illustrated magazine. (I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE all their stuff, including their magazine, their other cookbooks, and America's Test Kitchen, which airs weekly on PBS!)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (16 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup extra-crunchy peanut butter
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup salted dry-roasted peanuts, ground in food processor into crumbs
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together and set aside.
3. Beat butter in electric mixer until creamy. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat until fluffy.
4. Add peanut butter, eggs (one at a time), vanilla, dry ingredients and ground peanuts, beating after each addition.
5. Roll the dough into 2 inch balls (use about 2 Tablespoons of dough for each). Place on baking sheets (these are decent sized cookies so I usually just do 6 on a sheet so they have enough room to spread a little). Press each ball with the back of a fork twice to make the design on top. (Note: Dip the fork in cold water every few balls so it doesn't stick to the dough)
6. Bake approximately 10 minutes until the edges are just beginning to brown and the cookies are slightly puffy in the middle (they will look a little underdone in the middle). Let cool on baking sheet for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
This recipe is adapted from my favorite cookbook, Baking Illustrated, from the editors of Cooks Illustrated magazine. (I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE all their stuff, including their magazine, their other cookbooks, and America's Test Kitchen, which airs weekly on PBS!)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (16 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup extra-crunchy peanut butter
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup salted dry-roasted peanuts, ground in food processor into crumbs
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together and set aside.
3. Beat butter in electric mixer until creamy. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat until fluffy.
4. Add peanut butter, eggs (one at a time), vanilla, dry ingredients and ground peanuts, beating after each addition.
5. Roll the dough into 2 inch balls (use about 2 Tablespoons of dough for each). Place on baking sheets (these are decent sized cookies so I usually just do 6 on a sheet so they have enough room to spread a little). Press each ball with the back of a fork twice to make the design on top. (Note: Dip the fork in cold water every few balls so it doesn't stick to the dough)
6. Bake approximately 10 minutes until the edges are just beginning to brown and the cookies are slightly puffy in the middle (they will look a little underdone in the middle). Let cool on baking sheet for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
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| FYI: You can also dip them in melted chocolate - it kind of obscures the peanut flavor but, well, now they're covered in chocolate so you really can't complain... |
Friday, July 1, 2011
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