Cake #18 - White Cake with Almond Cream Filling and Chocolate Almond Buttercream Frosting

This is the basic birthday cake that I've made for Nick's birthday for years, but I'm counting it as new (for this challenge's purposes) because it was my first outing with chocolate buttercream, my first filling with pastry cream, and the first time doing this combination together.

We had a fun time decorating it - it was a joint project, with my daughter, whose fifth birthday this cake celebrates, doing the general art direction, embellishing with sprinkles, and adding one of the fish.  My son did the other fish.  My husband suggested that Lilah could trace her name with a toothpick, and I could go over it with frosting, which worked well.

It was a good cake - I wish there was more of the pastry cream filling, to make a thicker layer between the cakes.  I might even try doubling what is listed below.

The buttercream frosting is incredible.  It's so smooth, it's like edible silk.  It is so worth the work.  The first time felt tricky, but this time it seemed pretty straight forward.

White Layer Cake with Almond Cream Filling and Chocolate Almond Buttercream Frosting

For the cake:

1 cup milk, room temperature

¾ cup egg whites (about 6 large or 5 extra large), room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

2¼ cups plain cake flour

1¾ cups sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened

For the pastry cream:

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Pinch of salt

¾ cup milk

1 large egg

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

2 teaspoons amaretto

For the buttercream frosting:

8 egg yolks

1 cup water

½ cup sugar

2 cups butter (4 sticks), at room temperature

2 tablespoons amaretto

6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled to room temperature

For the cake:

1.       Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly butter two 9-inch cake pans and line with parchment paper, then dust with flour. 

2.       Pour milk, egg whites, and extracts into 2-cup glass measuring cup, and mix with fork until blended.

3.       Mix cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of electric mixer at slow speed.  Add butter; continue beating at slow speed until mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no powdery ingredients remaining.

4.       Add all but ½ cup of milk mixture to crumbs and beat at medium speed (or high speed if using hand-held mixer) for 1½ minutes.  Add remaining ½ cup of milk mixture and beat for 30 second more. Stop mixer and scrape side of bowl.  Return mixer to medium (or high) speed and beat 20 seconds longer.

5.       Divide batter evenly between two prepared cake pans; using rubber spatula, spread batter to pan walls and smooth tops.  Arrange pans at least 3 inches from the oven walls and 3 inches apart.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 23 to 25 minutes.

6.       Let cakes rest in pans for 3 minutes.  Turn out of cake pans, invert onto cooling racks, and cool completely. 

For the pastry cream:

1.       Whisk sugar, flour, and salt together in a 1- to 1½-quart nonreactive saucepan.  Whisk in milk, then egg and yolk.  Heat mixture over low heat, whisking constantly, until pastry cream thickens and comes to a boil.  Boil, whisking constantly, for 15 seconds.

2.       Remove from heat; whisk in vanilla and butter.  Scrape pastry cream into a nonreactive bowl and press plastic wrap against the surface.  Refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour.  (Can be refrigerated overnight.)

3.       Stir amaretto into pastry cream.

For the buttercream frosting:

1.       Beat the egg yolks with an electric mixer on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes until they lighten; set aside.

2.       Combine the sugar and water in the saucepan and place on medium-high heat.  Boil until the sugar dissolves, 3 to 4 minutes.  Increase the heat to high and boil the syrup another 4 to 5 minutes, until a candy thermometer registers 239 degrees.  Immediately remove from the heat.

3.       With the mixer on high speed, beat the egg yolks, gradually adding the syrup a few tablespoons at a time.  Avoid pouring the syrup on the beaters or it will end up on the sides of the bowl instead of in the eggs.  Continue beating the egg and syrup mixture until it is no longer hot to the touch, about 5 minutes.

4.       Add the softened butter a few tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition.  The consistency will not be frosting-like until the last few tablespoons of butter are added.  When finally thick and creamy, beat in the amaretto and melted chocolate.  Set aside in a cool place until ready to use.  [For this design, I pulled out about ¾ of a cup to tint blue, before adding the chocolate.]

NOTE: If possible, use buttercream frosting soon after it is made.  If stored in the refrigerator, always let it return to room temperature before spreading, because cold buttercream is very likely to curdle and become grainy when beaten.  Adding 1 or 2 tablespoons of melted butter may help restore its original satiny texture.

To assemble:

1.       Using a 9-inch spring form pan, place a 9-inch cake round into the bottom of the pan, and then place one of the cakes into the pan, bottom-side down.  Spread the pastry cream to the edges.  Place the second cake, top-side up on the pastry cream, and press gently.  Wrap the cake fully with plastic wrap and make sure it’s completely sealed.  Place in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight (do not freeze pastry cream).

2.       When ready to frost, remove the cake from the fridge, open up the spring form edge, and remove the cake.  Place on a cake stand (or cake turn table) and frost.  Store the cake in the fridge – remove an hour prior to serving.

Cake and pastry cream recipes from The Best Recipe by Editors of Cook's Illustrated Magazine and buttercream recipe from Moosewood Restaurant Book of Desserts by The Moosewood Collective

Cake #16 - Black Mocha Cake with Vanilla Whipped Cream Frosting and Coffee Buttercream Frosting

This is by far the most complicated cake I've yet attempted, and I did it over several days.  None of the individual parts were too difficult, although it was the first time I had made real buttercream frosting (with a boiled sugar syrup added to egg yolks as they whip) and it was a little unnerving as I was doing it.  But it turned out delicious.  

I made a full batch of buttercream, not knowing how much it would make (meaning twice what I've listed below).  It called for 15 egg yolks and 4 cups (8 sticks!) of butter.  It seemed crazy to be risking so many ingredients on something I'd never done before, but it turned out well.  The recipe had a warning about how it could curdle if you chilled it in the fridge - any recipe that comes with a warning tends to put me on edge.  

I got the idea for frosting it this way from the cover of a book called Frostings by Courtney Whitmore.  It was pretty quick to do, although by the end the frosting was getting too warm to hold its shape (probably just from the heat of my hand) and if I'd been more patient I could have cooled it a bit mid-process.  

This was for my mom's 71st birthday celebration and it was a HUGE hit.  I have to say, it was delicious.  I sent her home with a piece about the size of two slices.  She said she didn't have any more the day of her party.  She didn't have any the next day either.  But after dinner on the third day she sat down with her cake, and ate the whole big piece.  Apparently after 15 cakes in 15 weeks, I had leveled up.  

We had a family friend in town the next weekend to celebrate his birthday, and my mom suggested that I make the mocha cake again for his party.  I had trouble with the remaining frosting which had been in the fridge.  Some came out okay, but some seemed to break and get greasy and lumpy.  To hide the less smooth frosting, I covered it with crushed chocolate cookie crumbs, which always looks so cool in pictures.  I was underwhelmed with how it looked on my cake (and it made a huge mess).  Perhaps it would have been better if I'd crushed them in the food processor, so they were more uniform?  But I think the mess was unavoidable.  The lesson I learned is that you should make a half batch and try to use it all.  It would probably be good to do have a small batch of cupcakes on which you can use up any remaining frosting, once you've got the cake covered.

There are pictures of the second mocha cake version at the bottom.  This is a hard cake to transport in Arizona in the summer (it really needs to stay pretty cool) but regardless of how the heat impacted its looks, it tasted pretty damn good.

Black Mocha Cake with Vanilla Whipped Cream Filling and Coffee Buttercream Frosting

For the cake:

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups sugar

1¾ cups unbleached white flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup vegetable oil

1 cup fresh strong coffee, at room temperature

1 cup milk, buttermilk or yogurt (I used whole milk)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the whipped cream:

1½ cups minimally pasteurized heavy cream (go to Whole Foods or another specialty grocer and read the labels carefully – a high quality cream makes a noticeable difference)

1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

4 rounded teaspoons confectioners’ sugar

For the buttercream frosting:

8 egg yolks

1 cup water

½ cup sugar

2 cups butter (4 sticks), at room temperature

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons instant coffee granules dissolved in 2 teaspoons hot water

For the cake:

1.       Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly butter the cake pan and line with parchment paper, then dust with cocoa powder. 

2.       In a large bowl, sift together the cocoa, sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  In another bowl with a whisk or electric mixer, lightly beat together the oil, coffee, milk (or buttermilk or yogurt), eggs, and vanilla.  Pour half of the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until smooth.  Add the remaining wet ingredients and stir until incorporated.

3.       Pour the batter into the prepared pans.  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in the pans.

NOTE: You can also make this batter in a different type pan.  The baking time for the cake depends upon the pan you decide to use.  

Here’s a good guide for the different sizes and shapes:

9 x 13-inch pan: 25 to 30 minutes

10-inch bundt pan: 30 to 35 minutes

Two 9-inch round pans: 35 to 40 minutes

Two standard 12-cup muffin tins: about 20 minutes

For the whipped cream:

1.       Whip the cream in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer or a whisk until soft peaks form.  Add the sugar and flavorings and continue to whip until stiff peaks begin to form.  Do not overbeat or you risk making sweetened flavored butter. 

2.       Serve at once or refrigerate for up to 2 days, until ready to use.

For the buttercream frosting:

1.       Beat the egg yolks with an electric mixer on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes until they lighten; set aside.

2.       Combine the sugar and water in the saucepan and place on medium-high heat.  Boil until the sugar dissolves, 3 to 4 minutes.  Increase the heat to high and boil the syrup another 4 to 5 minutes, until a candy thermometer registers 239 degrees.  Immediately remove from the heat.

3.       With the mixer on high speed, beat the egg yolks, gradually adding the syrup a few tablespoons at a time.  Avoid pouring the syrup on the beaters or it will end up on the sides of the bowl instead of in the eggs.  Continue beating the egg and syrup mixture until it is no longer hot to the touch, about 5 minutes.

4.       Add the softened butter a few tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition.  The consistency will not be frosting-like until the last few tablespoons of butter are added.  When finally thick and creamy, beat in the vanilla and dissolved coffee granules.  Set aside in a cool place until ready to use.  [For this design, I tinted half the frosting with brown food coloring.]

NOTE: If possible, use buttercream frosting soon after it is made.  If stored in the refrigerator, always let it return to room temperature before spreading, because cold buttercream is very likely to curdle and become grainy when beaten.  Adding 1 or 2 tablespoons of melted butter may help restore its original satiny texture.

To assemble:

NOTE: This works best as a multi-day process: On the first day bake and cool the cakes.  They can be stored in the fridge for a day or two.  On the second day cut the cakes, make the whipped cream, layer them in the spring form pan, wrap and freeze.  The cake can stay in the freezer for several days if well wrapped.  On the third day, remove the cake from the freezer and remove from the spring form pan, make the buttercream frosting, and frost.  Store the cake in the fridge – remove an hour prior to serving.

1.       After the cakes have cooled completely, divide each in half.  (To do this, I first measure halfway up the cake with a ruler, and mark that halfway point with toothpicks at several points around the cake.  Then stack up cardboard cake rounds in the original cake pan, to hold the cake up so that the toothpicks are even with the top of the cake pan.  Remove the toothpicks and with one hand on the top of the cake, use a long, serrated knife to score the cake all around using the top edge of the cake pan as a guide.  Then, turning the cake, use the knife to cut evenly through the cake.)

2.       Using a 9-inch spring form pan, place a 9-inch cake round into the bottom of the pan, and then place one of the bottom slices of the cake into the pan, bottom-side down.  Put a third of the vanilla whipped cream (about a cup) onto the cake, and using an offset spatula, spread the whipped cream to the edges.  Place a second slice of cake, top-side up on the whipped cream, and press gently.  Put another third of the whipped cream on top of the cake, spread with spatula, and top with the next slice of cake (the bottom slice of the second cake, bottom-side down).  Again press gently.  Repeat with the remaining whipped cream and last slice of cake, top-side up. 

3.       Wrap the cake fully with plastic wrap and make sure it’s completely sealed.  Place in the freezer for several hours or overnight.

4.       To frost, remove the cake from the freezer, use a hairdryer to warm the edges of the spring form pan, open up the spring form edge, and remove the cake.  Place on a cake stand (or cake turn table).  Fill two icing bags with different-colored frosting using a star tip.  Beginning on the top, starting at the outside edge, create spiral “flowers,” leaving space between each for a “flower” of the alternating color.  Don’t worry about being too precise.  Once you’ve completed the entire top in one color, fill in the spaces with the other color, leaving no blank spaces.  Then repeat around the edges.  Place bags of frosting in the fridge if you’re working in a warm kitchen or the frosting is getting too soft from the heat of your hand. 

Each recipe from Moosewood Restaurant Book of Desserts by The Moosewood Collective

Cake #17 - Almond Bundt Cake

 

 

On a weekend when there was already a request for a cake I had made before, I needed something straight forward for the new cake of the week.  I had also just returned a bunch of cookbooks to the library, so I was on backup sources for recipes.  I searched marthastewart.com in her listing of bundt cakes and without any citrus on hand, this seemed like the best bet. 

The original recipe is for mini bundt cakes and it says to double it for one large cake and to bake for 45-50 minutes.  I used the great recipe organization site, recommended by my sister-in-law, called Pepperplate to do the scaling.  With major cooking websites like Martha Stewart, you can simply import the recipe by pasting in its website, and then there's a feature that allows you to scale the recipe (by half, by 1/4, by double, etc.)  You can see it on the right side of the page, about halfway down.

Here's a screenshot of Pepperplate:

 

It doesn't fix the amounts in the directions, so you have to pay attention as you read through the recipe.  (I adjusted everything below.)  I also switched out the vanilla extract in the cake and glaze to almond extract - I love the flavor of almond extract, and I wanted it to be thoroughly almondy.  It worked. 

As it was finishing baking, my kids thought they smelled cinnamon rolls.  This is a perfect coffee cake or bunch offering, moist with yummy spice and nutty crunch.  When doubled this makes too much glaze - probably twice too much, so feel free to scale back on the amount of glaze you make.

Almond Bundt Cake

20 tablespoons (2½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans

¾ cup sliced almonds

2/3 cup coarsely chopped almonds

10 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar

2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1½ cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 tablespoon pure almond extract

1 1/2 cup sour cream, or plain yogurt

4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

6 to 8 tablespoons milk

 

1.       Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter the Bundt pan and sift in a little flour; set aside. Spread sliced almonds out on a baking pan, and toast until golden brown. Transfer nuts to a bowl to cool.

2.       In a medium bowl, combine chopped almonds, light-brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg; set aside. In another medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

3.       In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine 12 tablespoons butter (1 1/2 sticks) and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time; beat until combined. Add 2 teaspoons almond extract, and beat until smooth. Add 1/3 of reserved flour mixture and half of sour cream or yogurt; beat to combine. Repeat. Add final third of flour mixture, and beat to combine.

4.       Fill Bundt pan with 1/2 the batter, and spread evenly with a small offset spatula or spoon. Sprinkle each 2/3 of reserved almond-spice mixture. Top with additional 3 batter; sprinkle with remaining almond-spice mixture.

5.       Bake until cake is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45-50 minutes. Transfer cake to a wire rack to cool completely. Unmold cake. Place cake, flat sides down, on a wire rack placed over a baking pan.

6.       Melt remaining 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter over medium-high heat until color turns nut brown, about 5 minutes. Pour butter through a paper-towel lined sieve into a medium bowl, leaving behind any dark sediment. Stir in confectioners' sugar, remaining 4 teaspoons almond extract, and 6 tablespoons milk until smooth; add an additional tablespoon milk, if necessary, so glaze is pourable. Drizzle glaze over cakes, and sprinkle with toasted almonds.

www.marthastewart.com