The Cake Slice: Banana Cake with Chocolate Frosting
April 20, 2010 at 7:30 am | Posted in cakes & tortes, groups, layer cakes, sweet things, the cake slice | 22 Comments
This is the second time I’ve made a banana cake with The Cake Slice Bakers. The two are quite different, but my reaction is the same: bananas make for a darn good cake! The cake itself was so moist and flavorful. I can see it being great with a little cinnamon or espresso powder mixed in, or re-engineered as a snack cake. It’s one I’ll make again, for sure…
…The chocolate frosting, though was a different story. It turned super thick after I added the last addition of powdered sugar. So thick, that I couldn’t spread it. Rather than toss it in the bin, I put it over gentle heat until it just started to soften. Then it was use it or lose it time, so I immediately swiped it on the cake in one pass. I think I did a reasonably good job, all things considered, but can you see how the frosting looks a little dry and crackly? It tasted good, and had quite a fudgy consistency, actually, but I think I’ll go with a tried-and-true chocolate frosting next time and save myself the stress.
Here’s a printable link to the recipe. Or get your hands on a copy of Southern Cakes by Nancie McDermott. Cruise through the list of The Cake Slice Bakers to check out all of our banana cakes this month!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Sweet Cream Biscuits
April 20, 2010 at 1:01 am | Posted in biscuits/scones, breakfast things, groups, tuesdays with dorie | 25 Comments
If I’ve learned anything from this week’s TWD, it’s that I make lousy biscuits. Well, let me clear that up…these Sweet Cream Biscuits (chosen by Melissa of Love At First Bite for TWD) tasted good, especially topped with some homemade strawberry-vanilla bean smoosh, but they were not the high, flaky biscuits of my dreams. Overworking must have been the culprit, although after seven years of baking professionally, I like to think that I know when to stop.
But I won’t let you get me down, biscuits. No, no…I will master you yet. You just wait and see.
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, or read Love At First Bite. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Swedish Visiting Cake
April 13, 2010 at 8:47 am | Posted in cakes & tortes, groups, simple cakes, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 27 Comments
A couple of years before I got married (when going on vacation with friends was still “allowed”), my friend Fani and I visited Denmark and Norway. We had a great time, but I probably would have added Sweden to the list if I’d known there would be cake!
Nancy of The Dogs Eat the Crumbs picked Swedish Visiting Cake for TWD this week. This cake has been calling my name since I got BFMHTY. It comes together so easily by hand…I probably should have just gone ahead and made it ages ago, but no, I waited.
I followed Julia’s lead and swapped out the almond extract for a sprinkling of cardamom. The cardamom, the lemon zest and the almonds on top gave it great flavor. It’s a sturdy little cake but not at all heavy. I was fascinated by the instruction to remove it from the oven while it’s still “damp.” My cake tester was noticeably wet, but the cake really did finish cooking as it cooled.
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan (she also has an apple version here on Serious Eats) or read The Dogs Eat the Crumbs. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Mocha-Walnut Marbled Bundt Cake
April 6, 2010 at 1:13 am | Posted in bundt cakes, cakes & tortes, groups, simple cakes, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 29 Comments
Two bundts in a row– I am a lucky girl! I made this Mocha-Walnut Marbled Bundt Cake for our Easter dinner. Last week’s Coconut Tea Cake went unadorned, but for this one, I stirred up a quick chocolate sour cream frosting (thinned out with a little coffee leftover from making the cake batter), so my springtime pastel hundreds and thousands would have something to stick to.
Chocolate, coffee and ground walnuts all in one moist cake– what’s not to like? It’s tasty, it’s easy, and I’m glad that Erin of When in Doubt…Leave it at 350 picked it for TWD.
I have jury duty today. Perhaps a little snack-sized piece of this will find its way into my tote…
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, or read When in Doubt…Leave it at 350. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Coconut Black Sesame Tea Cake
March 30, 2010 at 5:54 pm | Posted in bundt cakes, cakes & tortes, groups, simple cakes, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 29 Comments
Between the time I wrote this and now, I’ve left my job, gone to Florida and back and gone to Seattle and back. Whew! I just got home last night, hence the delay in posting (and my poor showing in the comments department over the last couple weeks).
I’m really glad that Carmen of Carmen Cooks picked this Coconut Tea cake for TWD— it’s been on my “would someone hurry up and choose it?” list like forever! I couldn’t resist doing one of Dorie’s “playing around” variations, so I added black sesame seeds to mine…I just know that when my husband sees it, he is going to ask me if I baked a cake with fleas!
I also used rum, in addition to vanilla, and toasted, unsweetened coconut (I get this at the healthfood store, and I think it helped to temper the sweetness of the cake…there’s a lot of sugar in the batter, afterall!). I made half the recipe in a six-cup bundt pan, and it was done in 35-40 minutes. This is just the type of cake I love: easy-peasy to make, in bundt form, moist and tastes like coconut! I haven’t tried it with tea yet…that’ll be tomorrow, when I sit down with a cuppa to watch episodes of The Ricky Gervais show on HBO On demand. Yes, I have a lot going on now that I’m not working…
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, or read Carmen Cooks. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Dulce de Leche Duos
March 23, 2010 at 1:01 am | Posted in cookies & bars, groups, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 27 Comments
So, I was standing in an aisle at the store, staring crossly at a $7 jar of DdL, wondering if these Dulce de Leche Duos, chosen by Jodie of Beansy Loves Cake for TWD, would be worth it. Then I suddenly remembered I had an opened can of condensed milk in the fridge. Score! I went home and put David Lebovitz’s oven-baked method to the test. It worked like a charm, and I think I will go with this technique (rather than boil-in-the-can) in the future.
With dulce de leche both in the cookie batter and acting as the filling, these cookies are sweet, to be sure. I imagine, though, that the chewy cookies could hold their own as-is, no sandwiching required. But gilding the lily a little doesn’t hurt either…these are tasty!
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, or read Beansy Loves Cake. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
The Cake Slice: Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
March 20, 2010 at 1:01 am | Posted in cakes & tortes, groups, simple cakes, sweet things, the cake slice | 15 Comments
The Cake Slice Bakers are flipping out some Pineapple Upside-Down Cakes this month. Sounds good, right? Looks good, too, I think. The taste…ehh. I used fresh pineapple and dried cherries in my topping, and boy was that yummy, all baked up in buttery brown sugar. But the cakey bit seemed heavy and doughy. It was a relatively lean cake, with only four tablespoons of butter and just one egg…maybe that had something to do with it. I dunno, but I think I’ll stick with this recipe, which I remember liking quite a bit.
If you do want to give it a shot, here’s a printable link to this month’s recipe. Or get your hands on a copy of Southern Cakes by Nancie McDermott. To see if anyone else had setter success with this recipe, cruise through the list of The Cake Slice Bakers!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Soft Chocolate and Raspberry Tart
March 16, 2010 at 1:01 am | Posted in groups, pies & tarts, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 25 Comments
For the last five weeks, I’ve had a smile on my face that I haven’t been able to scrub off. You see, I gave notice at work…five weeks’ notice. It’s been a long time coming, but my last day is…tomorrow! I really have only good things to say about my experience at the bakery, but after a year and a half of making cupcakes and brownies, I think it’s time to move on. After a little break, of course. I’m excited to go out West to visit my parents…I haven’t seen them since before I started. I’m excited to have weekend breakfast with my husband…we work opposite schedules, with never a day together. But first things first….I’m excited to nibble on the Soft Chocolate and Raspberry Tarts that Rachelle of Mommy? I’m Hungry! chose for TWD.
Here, I made individual tartlettes…only because I am in love with my little ring molds. The shells are pretty shallow, so I left the berries out of the filling (I didn’t want them poking through the top) and just used them as garnish, along with a little mascarpone. The filling, not quite a straight-up ganache, yet not quite a custard, is baked. It makes a really delicious basic chocolate tart– one that I’m certain could easily be paired with a lot more than just raspberries. Just an FYI: my little guys, sans berries, took under fifteen minutes to bake.
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, or read Mommy? I’m Hungry! Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Thumbprints for Us Big Guys
March 9, 2010 at 1:00 am | Posted in cookies & bars, groups, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 36 Comments
So here, thanks to Mike, I present you with my first batch of Thumbprints. OK, I’ve had two thumbprints all my life, but if those ones ever get me caught red-handed, these ones just might help me get out of trouble!
Not only are they cookies cuties, they are tasty too. They have a crumbly shortbread texture that melts in your mouth. Make them bite-sized and they won’t be messy. Only because I have a bag of almond flour in the fridge, I used ground almonds instead of hazelnuts. Some I filled with strawberry-raspberry jam and others with blueberry-cherry.
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, or read Ugly Dude Food. In fact, check out Ugly Dude Food even if you don’t want the recipe…he’s one of our lone dude members, and deserves props just for playing along with all of us girls every week! Don’t forget to check out the rest of the TWD Blogroll!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Toasted-Coconut Tart
March 2, 2010 at 8:49 am | Posted in groups, pies & tarts, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 36 Comments
Beryl the Cinemon Girl picked something right up my alley for TWD this week– Dorie’s Toasted-Coconut Custard Tart! Oh yeah…I’ve been waiting for this one for awhile. Not only do I like rummy, coconutty desserts a lot, but these custard tarts gave me the chance to do two of my favorite things in the kitchen: make pastry cream and form tart shells!
This sablée-style sweet tart dough is super easy to work with (I did individual servings here), and it’s crisp sweetness is an important part of the dessert. I don’t normally have sweetened coconut in the cupboard, so I stirred toasted desiccated coconut into the pastry cream filling instead. It became pretty stiff in the fridge, but I just folded in a little of the whipped cream topping, and it loosened right up.
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, or read Cinemon Girl. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
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