Tag Archives: Mama What’s cookin’

Cake Challenge: February Part 2

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Chocolate Cake with Almond Cream Filling and Sourcream Chocolate Icing–phew, that’s a mouth-full!

This is the second post documenting the February cake I baked. I wanted to quickly write the recipes down for anyone brave enough to try a triple layer cake at home! Its already half way through March and I feel lost by the fact that I haven’t baked any delicious sweets this month. Baking is literally the butter to my bread. Without it I’m simply a dry, over-toasted slice without the buttery topping to moisten it. Lately I’ve been inspired to make something creative with cake such as icecream cupcakes sandwiches, next week is Maddie’s Birthday and I will be making her a layer “ice cream” cake so maybe that will satisfy me.

Anyway, here’s the recipe!

Chocolate Cake:
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped
1 1/4 cups of sugar
1/2 cups strongly brewed coffee
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons of cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 ts. baking powder
1 stick of unsalted butter
1/2 cup of honey (odd I know)
3 eggs
2 ts. vanilla extract
1/2 ts. almond extract
2/3 buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms of 3 8-inch round cake pans, dust with flour.
2. Combine chocolate, 1/2 cups sugar, and coffee. Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes of until chocolate is softened. Stir to blend.
3. Sift flour, cocoa, soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
4. Cream butter and remaining 3/4 cups sugar. On medium speed beat in honey, eggs (one at a time), and vanilla/almond extracts.
5. Alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk to the mixture.
6. Pour chocolate/coffee mixture in and your batter is complete!
7. Pour a third of the batter into each pan and tap them gently on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
8. Bake 20-25 minutes, remove from oven, cool in pans for 10 minutes before turning them upside down onto cooling racks.

 

Almond Cream Filling:
2 whole eggs
1 egg yoke
1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk
2 ts. almond extract
1 ts. vanilla extract

1. Beat eggs in a small bowl until well mixed
2. In a saucepan, combine sugar and flour. Gradually whisk in about 1/2 cup of milk until smooth. Whisk in eggs and remaining milk
3. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat and cook for 3 minutes stirring constantly
4. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla/almond extracts
5. Cover with plastic wrap placing directly onto the cream filling to prevent a film from forming.
6. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

 

Sour Cream Chocolate Icing:
12 onces bittersweet chocolaté, coarsely chopped
1 stick unsalted butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 cup half-and-half (I used heavy cream)
1/2 cup sour cream

1. Melt chocolate with butter and corn syrup in a saucepan over very low heat. Remove from heat and whisk until smooth
2. Whisk in the half-and-half and sour cream. Use while soft (pay attention to this- the icing will get firm!)

Have fun, bake yummy cakes!

Cake Challenge: January

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Mocha Espresso Drizzle Layer Cake:

Cake Challenge Series: is a collection of posts which document the cakes I bake each month. More specifically, I have a goal this year to bake at least one (hopefully spectacular) layer cake each month, and photograph/post them here. I hope you enjoy this collection as much as I enjoy baking these delicious desserts!

I’m happy to say that I was able to achieve my goal, for the first month at least. My first triple decker cake this year (and EVER) was from my new cookbook, Sky High. The texture of this cake is more dense than it is fluffy. Personally I enjoyed the change, I’m so used to vanilla cakes with sugar based frosting, so this coffee flavored cake with expresso glaze tasted heavenly.

As I describe this to you, I have to remember all the things that did NOT go right when making this cake. You see, I started this venture with high hopes, the ingredients were measured, the batter was spun to perfection, the oven was ready… but little did I know my “ready” was the wrong temperature. Sadly, the first two layers were slightly overcooked and a bit dry. And although the last layer was baked to delicious moistness, more problems were awaiting when I began the glaze. As you will see below, the expresso glaze calls for a bag of white chocolate chips melted. <This was when I started hitting bumps in the road.> THE CHOCOLATE WOUDLN’T MELT! My parents and their friends were coming back for dessert at our house and the glaze wasn’t even close to completion! At this point, I was quite disappointed with myself and honestly just wanted to give up. Jessie keep me going though, she never gave up hope while I on the other hand was pacing back and forth voicing “what ifs” here and there… after much stress and multiple rounds in the microwave, the chocolate finally loosened (I think something was wrong with the chocolate and that is why it wouldn’t melt).

Finally, I mixed in the the sweetened condensed milk, other ingredients and vuoila, the glaze was done. My parents were already home waiting for the cake and although the glaze was on the thin side, we quickly assembled the cake and brought it out to be served. I was definitely not eager to serve this cake; after agonizing over it for so many hours I thought that it would taste horrible for sure. But it DIDN’T! On the contrary, I quite liked it… As I happily ate this beautiful cake, I reflected on my baking experience and found that…

Baking my first layer cake taught me three things:
1.) Check the oven temperature before you start baking!
2.) Only make chocolate based icings/glazes when you are mentally, emotionally, and physically sound- and don’t start unless you have LOTS of time.
3.) If you taste bits of cake crumbs and licks of icing here and there, you won’t have any appetite left to eat the finished creation!

 

Mocha Cake

Ingredients:
1 cup freshly brewed espresso OR double-strength coffee
2/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
4 eggs
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 2/3 cup cake flower
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter

Method:
1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of your cake pans.
2. In a medium bowl combine the hot coffee and the coca stirring until the mixture is dissolved into a glossy, smooth mocha. Let cool to room temperature.
3. In another bowl beat eggs lightly and whisk the buttermilk and vanilla in.
4. Place all the rest of the ingredients (dry) into a mixing bowl. With the mixer on low first add butter, followed by the mocha mixture. Beat until well incorporated. Raise the mixer speed to medium and blend until light and fluffy, at this point add the egg mixture in three additions.
5. Bake the cake layers for 35-38 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean but still moist. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes then invert onto wire racks.

Espresso Drizzle

Ingredients:
12 ounces white chocolate
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
6 tablespoons freshly brewed espresso OR double-strength coffee

Method:
1. Melt the white chocolate using either a double boiler (more reliable) or a microwave.
2. Whisk in the sweetened condensed milk and espresso until smooth. (If your drizzle is too thin, stick it in the fridge for an hour)

To assemble simply pout glaze in between each layer of cake, and add more on the top layer so that it will drizzle over the sides!

 

Neapolitan Valentine Treat

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Today I’d like to share with you a recipe I found on this blog. This is a perfect, delicious shortcake cookie for a Valentine Treat… Enjoy!

What You’ll Need:

– 1 cup of unsalted butter
– 1/2 cup of sugar
– 1 1/2 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
– 1/2 teaspoon of Almond Extract
– 1/4 teaspoon of salt
– 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
– Pink or Red food coloring
– 2 1/2 tablespoons of Cocoa Powder
– 1 large egg
– 1 tablespoon of water

Add sugar and butter to a bowl and cream well with a mixer… Then add vanilla extract and almond extract. Mix. Now add the flour and salt, mix on low.

The dough should be a bit crumbly so knead it together to ensure that it doesn’t fall apart. Then separate into three equally divided balls of dough

Place one of the balls of dough in a bowl and add the cocoa powder, use a mixer to blend these together to make the brown colored dough, or you can also knead the cocoa powder and dough together to make this mixture.

Add another portion of dough to a bowl and add a few drops of pink food coloring, blend together with a mixer and you have your pink colored dough!

Take each color of dough and place it between two pieces of wax paper or plastic wrap and roll it to a thickness of about 3/8 inch

Use  a ruler and sharp knife to cut the dough into 3/4 inch wide strips and refrigerate for about 20 minutes. While the dough is refrigerating whisk together the egg and water .

Lay a large piece of wax paper out and spread egg and water mixture on a small strip of the wax paper before placing a strip of brown dough on it. Then repeat with pink and white strips using the egg mixture as a “glue”… continue process till you have a large striped dough pattern. Finally take a heart cookie cutter and cut  hearts out of the pattern.

Pre-Heat oven to 350 degrees and cook for 8-10 minutes and you have yourself a very tasty Valentine treat!

I’m Lovin’…Winter

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Winter is one of those seasons which can either drive you crazy because of the cold weather or it can make you excited. Right now winter is on the excitement side for me… I love how I can come home to a cozy couch where I can snuggle up and read a good book with a cup of hot cocoa.

1: Books: When snuggled up on the couch a good book is the perfect therapy for an exhausted mind. (Books from Ashleigh T)

2: Hot Cocoa is one of my favorite hot drinks to sip during the winter, it always helps to warm me up! (Hot Chocolate from synapse)

3: Scarves, the snuggly loop ones are my favorite! (buy it here from Etsy)

4: Boots! A winter outfit is never complete without a pair of boots. (Winter Boots from Alicia DeCosta)

5: Hand lotion is essential when it gets so dry here in this winter season of Tianjin (Twilight Woods Hand Lotion,  Japanese Cherry Blossom Hand Lotion from Bath and Body Works)

 

Want a S’more?

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This week me and the girls decided to have a midnight snack of S’mores over our gas stove!  (Don’t worry I googled whether that was safe or not and I got a thumbs up:) So we popped open the bag of marshmallows and roasted away… We made the most delicious creation of S’mores! I’m sure to have another one …or two… or three very soon! Have you had any yummy midnight snacks lately?

Mama What’s Cookin’? Carrot Cake Donuts

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I was craving something different for breakfast this morning, something other than Maddie’s crepes [which she makes almost “every” non-school morning– I mean I like crepes but they get kind of old after a while– no offense Maddie]… Anyway, I was super excited to start this exciting venture BUT to my disappointment the recipe I wanted to use called for an overnight stay in the fridge for the little blob of sticky dough. Well, I decided to make it anyway and after sticking the dough safely in the fridge. I mixed up a batch of fluffy white biscuits for breakfast.

P.S. We topped our donuts with scoops of vanilla ice cream, you can also top your donuts with a simple cream cheese icing or even dip them in glaze and sprinkles!