Plump cherries, sitting in my fridge, ever so slightly past their prime.  What, oh what, am I to do with you?

I shall bake a cake!  I said to myself, grabbing my spoons and whisks and bowls.  The most… Read the rest of this post

Plump cherries, sitting in my fridge, ever so slightly past their prime.  What, oh what, am I to do with you?

I shall bake a cake!  I said to myself, grabbing my spoons and whisks and bowls.  The most delicious cake in all the land, filled with fruit and spices and the goodness of some whole wheat flour.  And I shall take some pictures, and share this cake will all my friends (while eating the lot of it all by myself, oh hohohoho!)

I was so excited to do this post.  I’d done some research, decided how I wanted the cake to look and smell, and hopefully taste.  The whole time I was mixing up the batter, I was thinking about the post.  I slid the cake into the oven, and hummed happily to myself as I washed the gooey bowls.

15 minutes later, I just had to see how things were coming along.  So I opened the oven door for a peek, and….nothing.  Barely even warm.  A few more tests and frantic turnings of the dial, and it was official.  My stove was dead.

The pictures of this cake were taken at the home of my kindly friend Alex, who in exchange for a chunk of it lent me his (actually far nicer) kitchen for an evening.  And in the end, I still got my moments of glee when the cake came out of the oven – just about 6 hours later than I had intended.

Despite any difficulties, I’m incredibly pleased with how this turned out – the cake is moist and mildly spiced, and full of flavor.  The touch of orange zest with the cinnamon reminded Alex of a Christmas cake, but there’s no getting around the red juicy flavor of fresh cherries.  It’s perfect for a summer dinner, or even breakfast the next day.

Read on for the Cherry Yogurt Cake Recipe

Cherry Yogurt Spice Cake (PDF)

active time: 20 minutes, total: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients:
2 cups pitted and halved sweet cherries
2 cups white whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon orange zest
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons raw sugar (for topping)

Special Equipment:
10-inch springform pan (other cake/muffin pans can be used, just adjust the cooking time accordingly)

How to:
Pit and slice your cherries. Put in a small bowl and set aside.  Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, white sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg.  Using a whisk, stir the ingredients until evenly distributed. In a separate bowl, beat the 2 eggs.  Stir in the yogurt, orange zest, melted butter and vanilla.  Stir until well combined.

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry with a rubber spatula, being sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to get all the flour incorporated.  Lift the cherries from their bowl, leaving any accumulated juices behind, and gently fold them into the batter.

Spray the springform pan with vegetable oil or baking spray.  Pour the batter into the pan, and tap it firmly on the counter to release any air bubbles.  Sprinkle the top with the raw sugar (if desired)

Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey’s Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge.

I can’t say I’m a big cheesecake fan, in general. It’s just to much – too rich, too… Read the rest of this post

The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey’s Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge.

I can’t say I’m a big cheesecake fan, in general. It’s just to much – too rich, too creamy, and usually, too big.  But making my own was not something I’d attempted before, so it was worth a try for this month’s challenge.

I imagined a fruity, spicy cheesecake – something that would help cut the 24 ounces of cream cheese used to make the dessert.  I laced the graham cracker crust with chopped crystallized ginger, then added bits of mango, along with some cardamom and ginger to the batter.  Next time I’d use m0re of the spices – I underestimated how much it would take to cut the richness – but otherwise I was pretty happy with the result.

Now only one remaining question – how does one best freeze a cheesecake, so I won’t have to polish the rest of this one off myself?

You can check out the original recipe for Abbey’s Infamous Cheesecake at Jenny Bakes – I’ve posted my version below.

Mango Ginger Cheesecake
makes 1 10-inch cheesecake

time: 25 minutes prep, 2 1/2 hours baking (plus chilling overnight)

crust:
1/4 cup crystallized ginger
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 8 sheets)
1 stick butter, melted
2 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

cheesecake:
24 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons lemon juice or lemon liqueur (I used limoncello)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 cups frozen mango chunks

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Chop the crystallized ginger and mix it with the other crust ingredients.  Press it into the bottom of a 10″ springform pan.

2. Combine the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl. Cream together with an electric mixer.  Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated.  Add the cream, lemon, vanilla and spices and blend until smooth.

3. Chop the frozen mango (a food processor makes it easy) into small pieces. Frozen mangoes chop without getting smushed to bits, but fresh could easily be used if available. Mix into the cheesecake batter.

4. Pour the batter on top of the crust, and tap the pan on the counter to release any air bubbles.  Set the pan in a larger baking dish that will allow the water to come up halfway on the springform pan.  Boil a kettle of water and fill the baking dish with enough to come halfway up the cheesecake pan.

5. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until it is almost done – set but still jiggly.  Turn off the heat and leave the cheesecake in the over for another hour.  Let cool on the counter before refrigerating overnight.

It’s February. We’re baking. That means…chocolate!

If you know me, you know I’m one of those odd folks who is really not a huge fan of the chocolate. But I do appreciate some of its beauty – I love… Read the rest of this post

It’s February. We’re baking. That means…chocolate!

If you know me, you know I’m one of those odd folks who is really not a huge fan of the chocolate. But I do appreciate some of its beauty – I love the smell and look of melting chocolate, and the dark density of this flourless cake.

Just butter, chocolate, and eggs – the egg whites whipped to give it lift, and the yolks for even more richness.

We also added a twist this month – asking for ice cream to go with the cake. I went with one of the basic vanilla recipes suggested by our hosts.

Here’s the skinny – The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE’s blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef.
We have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge.

Chocolate Valentino Cake

Prep: 20 minutes, Total: 45 minutes

equipment: 9 inch tart pan, or 8 inch springform

1 pound combination of semisweet and bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
5 large eggs, separated

1. Put chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt, stirring often.

2. While your chocolate and butter mixture is cooling. Butter your pan and line with a parchment circle then butter the parchment.

3. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and put into two medium/large bowls.

4. Whip the egg whites in a medium/large grease free bowl until stiff peaks are formed (do not over-whip or the cake will be dry).

5. With the same beater beat the egg yolks together.

6. Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate.

7. Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and follow with remaining 2/3rds. Fold until no white remains without deflating the batter.

8. Pour batter into prepared pan, the batter should fill the pan 3/4 of the way full, and bake at 375F for 25 minutes until an instant read thermometer reads 140F/60C, or the top of the cake will look similar to a brownie and a cake tester will appear wet.

10. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes then unmold.

Wendy’s Ice Cream Recipe
Vanilla Philadelphia Style Recipe
Preparation Time:  5 minutes
2 cups (473 ml) of half and half (1 cup of heavy cream and 1 cup of whole, full fat milk)
1 cup (237 ml) heavy cream
2/3 (128 grams) cup sugar
Dash of salt
1 (12 grams) tablespoon of vanilla

Mix all ingredients together (we do this in a plastic pitcher and mix with an emulsifier hand blender-whisking works too). Refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer.  Mix in your ice cream maker as directed.

Our Thanksgiving menu is usually the same each year – perfect turkey, sweet potato casserole, green beans, pumpkin pie.  This year, I added our daring baker’s challenge - Caramel Cake by Shuna Fish Lydon of eggbeater.

The pyrotechnics of… Read the rest of this post

Our Thanksgiving menu is usually the same each year – perfect turkey, sweet potato casserole, green beans, pumpkin pie.  This year, I added our daring baker’s challenge - Caramel Cake by Shuna Fish Lydon of eggbeater.

The pyrotechnics of making the caramel sauce were rather spectacular – the browned sugar doused with cold water causes it to bubble and spit.  Then a quick whisk makes a drippable, golden sauce.  This serves as the base for the moist cake and delicately carameled icing.

I loved the cake – it had a gooey crumb, with a hint of the buttery caramel throughout.  I probably would have cut back on the icing. Browned butter, powdered sugar, and caramels sauce create an interesting flavor, nutty and sweet, but are a bit much with the cake.  Maybe if I’d done a single layer, like Shuna’s picture, it would have balanced a bit better.

I think the summer will bring variations with fresh fruit instead of icing. It would also make a beautiful cake for a christmas celebration.  I don’t doubt I’ll be making it again soon.

Thanks so much to the hosts for this month’s challenge: Dolores of Chronicles of Culinary Curiosity, Alex of Brownie of the Blondie and Brownie, Jenny of Foray into Food, and helping the alternative bakers, Natalie of Gluten-a-Go-Go.

Jump after the break to see the full recipe, or see it on KQED.

CARAMEL CAKE WITH CARAMELIZED BUTTER FROSTING

10 Tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/4 Cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 Cup Caramel Syrup (see recipe below)
2 each eggs, at room temperature
splash vanilla extract
2 Cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk, at room temperature

1.  Preheat oven to 350F.  Butter one tall (2 – 2.5 inch deep) 9-inch cake pan.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth. Add sugar and salt & cream until light and fluffy.

3. Slowly pour room temperature caramel syrup into bowl. Scrape down bowl and increase speed. Add eggs/vanilla extract a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down bowl again, beat mixture until light and uniform.

4. Sift flour and baking powder. Turn mixer to lowest speed, and add one third of the dry ingredients. When incorporated, add half of the milk, a little at a time. Add another third of the dry ingredients, then the other half of the milk and finish with the dry ingredients. {This is called the dry, wet, dry, wet, dry method in cake making. It is often employed when there is a high proportion of liquid in the batter.}

5. Take off mixer and by hand, use a spatula to do a few last folds, making sure batter is uniform. Turn batter into prepared cake pan. Place cake pan on cookie sheet or 1/2 sheet pan. Set first timer for 30 minutes, rotate pan and set timer for another 15-20 minutes. Your own oven will set the pace. Bake until sides pull away from the pan and skewer inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool cake completely before icing it. 

Cake will keep for three days outside of the refrigerator.

CARAMEL SYRUP

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup water (for “stopping” the caramelization process)

1. In a small stainless steel saucepan, with tall sides, mix water and sugar until mixture feels like wet sand. Brush down any stray sugar crystals with wet pastry brush. Turn on heat to highest flame. Cook until smoking slightly: dark amber.

2. When color is achieved, very carefully pour in one cup of water. Caramel will jump and sputter about! It is very dangerous, so have long sleeves on and be prepared to step back.

3. Whisk over medium heat until it has reduced slightly and feels sticky between two fingers. {Obviously wait for it to cool on a spoon before touching it.}

Note: For safety reasons, have ready a bowl of ice water to plunge your hands into if any caramel should land on your skin.

CARAMELIZED BUTTER FROSTING

12 tablespoons unsalted butter 
1 pound confectioner’s sugar, sifted
4-6 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-4 tablespoons caramel syrup
Kosher or sea salt to taste

1. Cook butter until brown. Pour through a fine meshed sieve into a heatproof bowl, set aside to cool.

2. Pour cooled brown butter into mixer bowl.

3. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, add confectioner’s sugar a little at a time. When mixture looks too chunky to take any more, add a bit of cream and or caramel syrup. Repeat until mixture looks smooth and all confectioner’s sugar has been incorporated. Add salt to taste.

Note: Caramelized butter frosting will keep in fridge for up to a month. To smooth out from cold, microwave a bit, then mix with paddle attachment until smooth and light.
(recipes above courtesy of Shuna Fish Lydon)

Considering that I have an interest in the intersections of food and music, the latest Daring Bakers Challenge on Opera Cake should have been a perfect challenge for me. I loved the idea of a complex structure,… Read the rest of this post

Considering that I have an interest in the intersections of food and music, the latest Daring Bakers Challenge on Opera Cake should have been a perfect challenge for me. I loved the idea of a complex structure, a multi-layered and textured cake, and something that takes hours and hours to make being named after opera.

But I suffered the same downfall of so many a performer—lack of preparation. I started the cake two days in advance of the posting date, basically hoping that everything would go smoothly the first time out. I should have known better.

It was a series of mishaps—imagine a performance where the prima donna gets her braids tangled in her horns and the conductor is a bit tipsy. Too coarse almond meal made the joconde base far too crumbly. I tried to make a butter cream from a sugared syrup, which immediately solidified on the beaters of my hand mixer, turning them into enormous lollipops. I did manage to salvage enough for one minature cake, which at least looks good (even though it didn’t taste good). The critics would have panned me.

Ah well. I learned my lesson: the only way to get to (the bakery next to) Carnegie Hall is practice, practice, practice.

Check out some of the more successful attempts at the Daring Bakers Blogroll. If you dare to try the recipe for yourself, it can be found here. Thanks to the organizers, as always.

(This post originally appeared on Cookthink)

It’s the end of the month, and time for another Daring Bakers challenge. After last month’s French bread I was ready for something a little sweet. Lucky for me, Morven of Food, Art and Random Thoughts… Read the rest of this post It’s the end of the month, and time for another Daring Bakers challenge. After last month’s French bread I was ready for something a little sweet. Lucky for me, Morven of Food, Art and Random Thoughts chose A Perfect Party Cake from Dorie Greenspan’s book Baking From My Home To Yours. Most of my cake baking experience had been limited to box mixes before this, but I felt I was ready to go at it from scratch.

I was fortunate that the cake turned out well with minimum fuss. The icing was another matter. I had never made buttercream before, and didn’t realize how much effort “6-10 minutes” of mixing, even with a hand mixer, would require. After five minutes of mixing my biceps went numb. I kept going, starting at the gooey mass of sugar and butter with sweat beading on my brow, wondering when it would come together. After three more minutes, magically, the goo became fluffy and I breathed a little easier.

The strawberry filled and topped version I made turned out to be the star of my Easter brunch. The fresh berries matched the lemony-light cake perfectly. It was a hit, but it was a bit too sweet for my taste. Next time I think I’ll leave out the buttercream and serve it with a little berry syrup, some fresh whipped cream and a sprig of mint.

Maybe now I can justify investing in a stand mixer.

(This post originally appeared on Cookthink)