Erin loves anime, cherry blossom scented body items, and has a real affinity for Japan…so I wanted to make something in that theme but also easy since I would be cooking at her house with limited resources.

I used a white cake mix as the base on this.  I wasn’t sure what she had and what she didn’t.  Use any white cake recipe that you like, or even a cake mix-no one is going to know.

The rose and cherry flavor of the cake was delicate and floral.  The house smelled amazing.  The green tea frosting was the perfect compliment to give this dish an exotic flair.  It was quick enough that I had everything done in less than an hour and a half, including smoked turkey, dried cranberry, and pecan tea sandwiches that I made for her.

Rose & Cherry Cupcakes

• 1 box white cake mix or your favorite white cake recipe (Use the egg white only version, the yolks will change the color)
• 1 small jar maraschino cherries, drained and juice reserved
• 1 tablespoon high quality  rose water

Make your cake batter according to instructions but substituting the cherry juice for as much of the liquid as possible.  If the recipe calls for 1 cup of milk, for example, use the cherry juice and add heavy cream to make up a cup.  Place in cupcake liners and bake according to instructions.

Meanwhile make the frosting.

Green Tea Frosting

• 1 green tea teabag
• 1/4 cup water, brought to a boil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp almond flavor
• 4 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
• pinch kosher salt
• 1/2 c white shortening
• 1/4 c unsalted butter

Beat confectioner’s, butter, shortening, and salt together until crumbly.

Add flavorings and beat well.

Add cooled green tea until the desired consistancy is reached.

Frost the cooled cupcakes with the frosting and use the maraschino cherries as garnish.

Makes 24 or so.

image: maryeaudet2009

Post from: Baking Delights

For November the Daring Bakers assignment was a caramel cake with caramel frosting.  The catch was the perfect, homemade caramel syrup.

The rules were that we could add what we wanted but we had to use the caramel cake and caramel frosting.  I decided to use the caramel frosting between the layers and cover the cake with an Earl Grey & Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache.

Nice.  Very…Very…Nice.

Since I chose to make it as one of the something like eight desserts we had for Thanksgiving there was some left, and we were amazed to find that the flavor had developed beautifully overnight and it was more complex and intense the next day.  I would recommend making it ahead of time because of this.

The cake is dense and moist with the texture of poundcake.  I baked it in a springform pan and sliced it into three layers with no problems.I then drizzled each cut side with caramel syrup.  After that I added the frosting between the layers and then the ganache.

The ganache was created by using 2 teaspoons of loose Twinings Earl Grey tea in 3/4 cup of heavy cream.  I then brought it just under a boil and removed from heat, allowing it to steep for 5 minutes.  I strained the tea out and reheated the cream to a simmer.  I then added 8 ounces of chopped bittersweet chocolate, stirring until smooth.  I poured it over the filled and stacked cake, smoothing over the top and sides.  Since I had a little caramel left I drizzled that over the top and sides.

The Recipe:

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 ( I used 1/2 teaspoon)

2 Cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk, at room temperature

Notes from Natalie for those of you baking gluten-free:

So the GF changes to the cake would be:

2 cups of gluten free flour blend (w/xanthan gum) or 2 cups of gf flour blend + 1 1/2 tsp xanthan or guar gum
1/2 – 1 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 350F

Butter one tall (2 – 2.5 inch deep) 9-inch cake pan.

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.

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.

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.}

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)
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.

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.

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

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

Pour cooled brown butter into mixer bowl.

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)

The source for the  Caramel Cake with Caramelized Butter Frosting is courtesy of Shuna Fish Lydon (http://eggbeater.typepad.com/), as published on Bay Area Bites (http://blogs.kqed.org/bayareabites/).  This is Shuna Fish Lydon’s signature caramel cake…and it is fabulous!

Host was Dolores of Culinary Curiosity with co-hosts, Alex (Brownie of the Blondie and Brownie duo: http://blondieandbrownie.blogspot.com/), Jenny of Foray into Food (http://forayintofood.blogspot.com/) and  Natalie of Gluten-a-Go-Go (http://glutenagogo.blogspot.com/)to help with the gluten free changes.

And for more Daring Bakers check out the Daring Bakers Blog Roll!

Images:marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

O.k…well maybe not a mile high.

This is a three layer cake that is moist and has a unique flavor that you can’t put your finger on…It is the buttermilk of course. Delicately tangy. Very vanilla. Moist, rich, delicious. I love it. I think it is my favorite white cake.

I found it in one of my vintage Farm Journal cookbooks, Blue Ribbon Recipes . I have changed it a bit but this is a fabulous recipe and would make a great wedding cake.

Since the cookbook is circa 1969 I am going to use this as my entry in Carla’s Cookbook Challenge.

The layers were thick and so the cake was very tall. I used straws to keep it upright, and the layers from slipping sideways. I used four straws, as here, and then pushed them into the cake so they did not show. See? I am stripping the pocket doors in the background..I haven’t gotten far…I feel like standing on a corner holding a sign that says “Will trade baked goods for restoration work”

I am pretty sure that the cake would stay moist for several days but this cake lasted all of …uh… thirty minutes…The benefit was that the family was totally quiet during the ceremonial eating of the cake…other than a few sighs, and mmmmmm’s….and lip smacking sounds there were twelve very quiet people at my table.

I filled it with a delicately tangy orange curd, and frosted with the Perfect Party Cake Buttercream, but using orange juice rather than the lemon.

Be sure to use whole buttermilk and not the skim or low fat types.

Mile High Buttermilk Cake

3- 8″ layers

4 c cake flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 c unsalted butter

3 c sugar

2 TBS vanilla

1 inch of vanilla bean, seeds scraped into the batter pod set aside (add the pod to the sugar bowl)

2 c buttermilk

6 egg whites, unbeaten

Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

Cream butter and sugar unitl light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and vanilla scrapings.

Add dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Add egg whites and beat at medium speed for two minutes. Divide equally between 3 greased adn wax paper lined 8″ round pans.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, reduce heat to 325 and bake for 25 minutes more, or until the cake tests done. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then turn out and finish cooling on racks.

Images: (c)Marye Audet 2008, Apron Strings and Simmering Things

Content (c) Marye Audet 2007-2008 Baking Delights

Post from: Baking Delights

A Victorian Rose Poundcake recipe? Me?

Yeah.

I am really all about chocolate when it comes to desserts. I like things to be intense.  When I painted I painted still lifes on very dark backgrounds, very much in the style of the Dutch Masters of the 1600s.  When I listen to music I like it to be fast, and intense.. I dislike small talk..I want to know what people are thinking.  Some people think that I am…intense.  So…yeah…chocolate it my flavor of choice.

There is just nothing girly about me.  At least not that I will admit to or let you see. But..there is something about Victorian style,Victorian teas, Victorian homes…….sigh…

This pound cake fascinated me.  The color, the ingredients, the flavors…there are some changes I plan to make in it  next time.  I will add edible rose petals for color. I will probably add some chopped white chocolate, but all in all this is nice.

Perfect for a tea.  This is a light dessert, sweet without being intensely sweet, and the flavors are very delicate.  I made two loaves, one to eat fresh and one to eat the next day.  I wanted to see if there were any flavor and texture changes.  The texture was unchanged, however the flavor had matured and so I really do suggest that you make this the day before you want to serve it.  I served it with a few macerated strawberries.  I macerated them for an hour in a little sugar and about 1 tbs of rosewater.  It would be equally good with raspberries, a little clotted cream, or lightly sweetened whipped cream.  Think light and delicate with this.

Tea would definitely be better than coffee.  I would suggest a Darjeeling if you are having only one tea.  If you are having more than one I think that the following would be good:

Teavana Cloud 9

Tea Avenue Romantic Time 

Celestial Seasonings Vanilla Rose 

So there are my suggestions for go withs.  This Victorian Rose Poundcake would be a great finish to the Roast Chicken with Herbs de Provence.

The texture is a little drier and lighter than regular pound-cake due to the fact that is it leavened only with egg whites.  Fold carefully so that you don’t deflate them, and of course, be sure not to over beat.

I found that covering the almonds with water and then microwaving worked better than pouring boiling water over them for blanching and removing skins.

Victorian Poundcake 

1/2 c unblanched almonds, whole

1/4 c rose water

1 tsp almond extract

1 c unsalted butter

2 c super fine sugar, or run sugar through the blender

1/2 tsp salt

12 egg whites (about 1 1/2 c), room temp.

2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour

Grease and flour 2 loaf pans.  Set aside

Preheat oven to 350F.

Put almonds in a microwave safe bowl with water to cover.  Microwave until water comes to a boil and then remove.  Let cool.  When water has cooled take almonds out and slip the skins off.  Allow to dry on a towel.

Put the almonds into a food processor and pulse until the nuts are coarsely chopped. Add the rose water, and almond extract, and continue to pulse until the mixture is pasty but not totally smooth.

Remove 1/3 cup of the egg whites and set aside.

Rinse the mixer bowl and beaters with a little lemon juice. Drain the juice out and add the remaining egg whites. Beat until foamy.  Continue to beat while slowly  adding 1/2 c sugar. Beat to peaks that curl slightly when beaters are removed.

Remove whites from bowl, or use a second beater bowl.

Beat the butter until creamy.  Add the sugar and continue beating until smooth and graininess is gone.  Scrape the bowl and beaters and beat a few more minutes.

Add in almond mixture, reserved egg whites, and salt. beat until thoroughly mixed.

Now add in the flour by hand mixing well.  You can use a mixer but adding by hand will keep the texture more delicate.

Once the flour is incorporated into the butter, start adding the egg whites in.  Fold in 1/3 of the whites to lighten the batter and then fold in the remaining whites carefully.

Spoon the batter into the loaf pans and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.  Start checking for doneness after an hour.  When done the cakes will have a crack int he top and a toothpick will come out clean.

Let cool for 20 minutes in the pans, then loosen from the pans and turn out to finish cooling.  Wrap and leave at room temp for 24 hours for best flavor.

2 loaves.

The kitchen smells heavenly when these are baking.

All content on this page (c)2008 Marye Audet for Baking Delights, http://bakingdelights.com. Any other use is stealing.  Uncle Guido does not like stealers.

Post from: Baking Delights

Here is a house cake from Susie’s Scrumptious Sweets

And then this one from Making Sweet Memories It has mice I think and I know how much she loves mice…

Remember she did the post about remaking old barns a while ago? The Party Works has the answer

This is pushing the definition of house a bit..maybe home? But I know she is very into environmental issues so I could not resist this globe cake from The Pink Cake Box, a site I drool over often.

Maybe she would prefer une maison au chocolat in Paris?

And for those times she needs a stately victorian home with an ocean view, this gingerbread house fits the bill.

Which ever house she chooses, you can bet that it will be full of Happy Birthday wishes from me. Happy Birthday Jennifer. Thanks for being my friend. You weirdo.

Post from: Baking Delights

When is a car not a car? When it is a cake.
I once made a car shaped cake for my oldest son. I was pretty impressed with how it came out until I saw THIS.
Every single thing is made from cake and edible materials. The engine, the seats, the tires…and it is full sized.
On the site it says, The TV commercial for the New Fabia, features a team of artisans baking a replica of the new Fabia entirely out of cake, won the Czech company the ‘Commercial of the Year’ award at the British Television Advertising Craft Awards (BTACA).

Every single thing is edible…including the OIL which looks to be made from syrup.
I am sitting here in disbelief- I don’t know whether to drool or wait and see if a stripper jumps out of the top. Seriously, you need to watch the video of how they made this car. It is absolutely the coolest thing I have seen in a long time. Skoda Fabia

NOW I know what cake I want for my birthday…

Post from: Baking Delights