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Happy 35th: My Best Buddy’s Birthday Cake

17 Mar

Super-husband turns 35 this week, so we had friends over for a night of virtual reality gaming and delicious food.

The centerpiece of the evening was the guest of honor’s request, a yellow butter cake with vanilla buttercream. I’m not sure how I’ve never shared this yellow cake recipe on here, because it’s one I make often for birthdays because it’s so, so good. Soft, fluffy, sweet, and everything a celebration cake should be. Here’s how to bake it!

Yellow Butter Cake

  • 3 cups sifted cake flour
  • 3 ½ tsp. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 12 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/3 cups sugar
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 1 cup whole or reduced-fat milk
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of two 9 in. round cake pans with parchment paper, and then grease and flour the pans.

Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and set aside

In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.

Add the eggs in two batches, beating well between additions and scraping down the bowl as needed.

With the mixer on low, add 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by half of the milk, then 1/3 of the flour mixture, the other half of the milk, and finally the last 1/3 of the flour mixture, mixing well between additions and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. In this instance, it was 500 grams of batter per pan.

Bake the cakes for about 25 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, and then invert onto a wire rack. Re-invert the cakes to prevent cracking and cool completely.

The recipe for the vanilla buttercream can be found here in the Ribbon Cake recipe.

To frost, place one cake on a plate and frost the top with a thin layer of the buttercream (about ¾ cup).

Add the second layer and frost the top and sides evenly.

Color the remaining buttercream with food coloring for decoration if you wish, and pipe whatever designs your heart desires.

Of course, sing happy birthday and share with friends for maximum enjoyment.

Happy Birthday Joe! You’re the best.

Ciao for now,

Neen

 

 

Study Break: Maple Butter Cake with Bourbon-Maple Glaze

19 Jan

I’ve been down a schoolwork hole the last couple of weeks. I’m studying to be a pharmacy technician and while I’m really enjoying the program, I admit it is more science and math than I’ve done in years. That means I’m reading, re-reading, making flashcards, Googling formulas, performing lab experiments, and taking practice tests pretty much every day. Today it was time for a break, and there is no better way for me to relax than (what else?) baking! After all, too much of anything is overkill and after a certain point you stop retaining information.

I wandered into the kitchen and decided it was time for cake. Something warm and wintry felt right in the midst of all the recent ice and snow. What came to mind immediately was the combination of maple and bourbon with their sweet, rich caramel notes. And I thought a butter cake would be the perfect vehicle. So take a study break with me!

Maple Butter Cake with Bourbon-Maple Glaze

Cake:

  • 2 cups cake flour (can substitute all-purpose, but the final cake will be denser)
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 6 oz. (12 tbsp.) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt (or strained regular whole milk yogurt)
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Glaze:

  • 1 oz. (2 tbsp.) unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup bourbon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 or 10 cup bundt pan

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions.

Add half of the flour mixture and beat until incorporated.

Mix in the yogurt and vanilla extract, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add the rest of the flour mixture and beat until just combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.

Bake the cake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes and then invert onto a wire rack.

To make the glaze, combine the bourbon, butter, and maple syrup in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes or until it becomes syrupy.

Brush the glaze over the warm cake.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

The cake is surprisingly light and very moist. The bourbon-maple glaze is sweet without being cloying and adds just the right finish to the rich cake. This one is perfect alongside coffee or tea and the flavor reminds me a lot of pancakes with butter and syrup.

Now that I’ve made some sustenance and taken a break to have some playtime, it’s back to the books. But don’t worry, I can never stay out of the kitchen very long.

Ciao for now,

Neen

Holiday Heartwarmer: Triple Ginger Spice Cake

24 Nov

Well, here we are. This year has been kind of a vortex. It’s like I blinked and it’s almost December. Now that Thanksgiving has passed, Christmas trees and wreaths are popping up all over the neighborhood. When I walk the dogs, we’re delighted by twinkling lights and ribbons wrapped around lampposts. Even as the chill smacks against my cheeks, I feel a sense of gratitude to just be able to walk them again. It sounds cliché, but I have all the gifts I need just being relatively healthy.

For those of us who love baking, it truly is the most wonderful time of the year. From sparkling cut-out cookies to soft sweet breads, it’s the season for giving out sweets. As the weather turns frigid, I turn to rich spices to make the house feel cozier just by illuminating their enchanting scents. And when you need something warming, what could be better than ginger? And if you’re going to go for ginger, I say go all the way! Why bake with one kind when three will bring out all of its spicy-sweet characteristics? Plus, ginger plays well with others, thereby allowing you to bask in the sweet scents of the season while you bake a cake that’s a comforting companion to a cup of coffee or cocoa.

Triple Ginger Spice Cake

  • 4 oz. unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • ½ cup ginger ale
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ oz. candied ginger, finely chopped
  • 1 ¼ tsp. baking powder
  • ¼ tsp. baking soda
  • ¼ tsp. kosher salt
  • ½ tbsp. cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp. ginger
  • ¼ tsp. cardamom
  • ¼ tsp. nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp. cloves
  • 1/8 tsp. black pepper

Glaze:

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 tbsp. ginger ale
  • 2 tbsp. maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9×5 in. loaf pan.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients and set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugars.

Add the eggs one at a time and beat well. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the ginger ale, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Blend well.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then invert and re-invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Whisk all of the glaze ingredients together and drizzle over the cooled cake.

I don’t much care for the cold, but if it gives me an excuse to bake this cake, so be it! It’s rich, soft, and smells amazing every time you lift a bite to your lips. The butter in the cake rounds out the spicy flavors and the glaze adds a bright, sweet finish.

So happy holiday season to all of you! I hope it’s full of delicious dishes.

Ciao for now,

Neen

Birthday Bakes: Lemon Olive Oil Cake

23 Oct

I’ve been lost in a massive RA flare the last couple of weeks, and realized literally the night before it, that I hadn’t made or even conceived of a cake for my father-in-law’s birthday.  And of course this was the one time I was out of both butter and chocolate. Ugh. But you know, butter is certainly not the only fat around that can keep a cake moist and flavorful. While most average kitchen oils don’t have a ton of flavor to speak of, there is one that can bring out the fruitiness of citrus and makes a cake that is actually better after it sits for a day. That’s olive oil. Extra virgin is preferred, but it doesn’t have to be anything top shelf, just an extra virgin olive oil that you like the flavor of when you cook. If it doesn’t taste right on its own, it won’t make a cake you want to eat. Using liquid fat means a slightly different approach than the traditional creaming method for cakes, but this one is pretty forgiving so don’t stress!

Lemon Olive Oil Cake

  • 2 cups cake flour
  • ⅓ cup cornmeal
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp. finely grated lemon zest
  • 1¼ cups extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp. almond extract

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and sugar-coat a Bundt pan and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cake flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In another small bowl or measuring cup, combine the lemon juice and extracts.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, and lemon zest together until thick, light, and ribboning off of the whisk. It will take about 3 minutes.

With the mixer still on high speed, slowly stream in the olive oil and beat until thick.

Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the lemon juice mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Fold the mixture a few times with a large spatula to ensure that everything is well-incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and gently shake to even it out.

Put the cake in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, and then invert onto another rack to cool completely. Once cool, cover in plastic wrap and leave at room temperature. The day you are going to serve, finish it with a simple powdered sugar and lemon juice glaze.

It cuts easily, revealing a beautiful fragrance from the lemon and fruity olive oil, a crisp exterior from sugaring the pan prior to baking, and a crumb that’s moist, dense, and citrusy. It’s soft, but the cornmeal adds a slight coarseness that keeps the texture from being one-note.

But don’t take my word for it, my father-in-law had three pieces the night I served it to him. That’s the ultimate in rave reviews from my perspective.

This recipe is another example of how some of the best cooking discoveries can come from creating from what you have on-hand. With a piece of fruit from the refrigerator and the oil I use in most of my cooking, I had the base of a really special cake and didn’t even know it. But now I do, and you do too!

Ciao for now,

Neen

Inspired Spiral: Swiss Roll

6 Sep

It will come as no shock to anyone that I am a fan of the Great British Bake Off. Almost every episode, I am inspired by at least one of the challenges or history lessons presented. Recently, I’ve been watching old episodes and gathering creativity from them. In one of the episodes I came across, the contestants made Swiss Rolls, often referred to in the States as Jelly Rolls. These consist of sponge cake topped with a cream filling which is then rolled up into a beautiful spiral.

The challenge has its perils. If the sponge is not rolled at the right time, it can crack or break. If the filling is too soft, it will squeeze out the sides, if the sponge is too warm when the filling is added it can melt, and if the cake is not rolled tightly enough from the start, it will simply fall apart when cut.

By now you might be thinking, “NOPE,” or “Why would anyone want to do this?” Well for starters, sheer curiosity, and secondly the internet is FULL of people sharing techniques to avoid these pitfalls. By the time I was finished with my Swiss Roll, I didn’t feel stressed and I had a delicious and oh so light cake to share with Joe. Now, I’m not under a time crunch or fearing pressure from distinguished judges, and neither are you, so remember this is all just fun at the end of the day.

Let’s roll!

Strawberry Swiss Roll

Cake:

  • 4 eggs
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1/3 cup cake flour
  • 3 tbsp. cornstarch
  • ½ cup + 1 tbsp. sugar, divided
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • Powdered sugar (for rolling)

Strawberry Cream Filling:

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ½ tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp. sugar
  • 1/3 cup strawberry preserves

Butter, flour, and line with parchment a standard half sheet pan (12×17 in.), then butter and flour the parchment paper.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Sift together the flour and cornstarch and set aside.

Separate two of the eggs. Set the whites aside, and to the yolks add the two remaining whole eggs and one egg yolk.

Place the egg yolk and whole egg mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer along with ½ cup of the sugar. Beat this mixture on high speed until it is pale yellow and thick. This will take a good five minutes. Add the vanilla extract and beat well. Move this mixture to another bowl and clean and dry the stand mixer bowl.

Sift half of the flour mixture over the egg and sugar mixture and fold in gently, then do this with the second half of the flour mixture. Set this aside.

Add the egg whites and cream of tartar to the clean stand mixer bowl and secure a whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until the egg whites are very foamy and then slowly add the remaining 1 tbsp. sugar. Continue to beat on high speed until stiff peaks form.

Fold a small portion of the whipped egg whites into the batter to lighten it, and then gently fold in the rest.

Pour the batter onto the prepared sheet pan and use an offset palette knife to spread it to the edges in an even layer.

Bake the cake for about 7 minutes, or until it springs back when touched and is golden brown.

While the cake is baking, lay a clean towel at least the size of the sheet pan out on the counter.

As soon as you take the cake out of the oven, dust the top lightly with powdered sugar and invert it onto the clean towel. Remove the parchment paper lining from the cake, dust the bottom (now top) with powdered sugar, and gently roll the cake up in the towel. Place this on a wire rack and let it cool for at least an hour.

Clean the stand mixer bowl and whisk attachment, and place them in the refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes. If you have enough space in your freezer, you can use that too.

While the cake is cooling, make the whipped cream filling. Place the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and sugar in the chilled bowl. Secure the whisk attachment and beat on high speed until soft peaks form. Add the strawberry preserves and beat until stiff peaks form. Chill this in the refrigerator while you wait for the cake to cool.

To assemble, unroll the cake gently and spread an even layer of the strawberry whipped cream on top.

Then slowly re-roll the cake, pulling in toward you as you go to tighten the spiral.

Place the cake on a platter, cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours minimum.

I like to cut this cake into 12 servings. Use a serrated knife and slow, even strokes as you go. Don’t press straight down or you’ll squish your spiral. Lay the cut pieces on a platter, garnish with powdered sugar and fresh strawberries, and serve!

Honestly, as long as you take your time, it’s really not that hard to do. Beating the yolks and some of the whites separately is what gives this particular sponge the elasticity to roll without cracking or breaking. It is a low-stress sponge, I like to say. And the flavor can totally be of your own design! If strawberry’s not your game, use 1/3 cup of whatever flavor of preserves suits you. You can add some lemon zest to the batter or filling, try a different extract (oooooh almond would be good), paint the inside with flavored simple syrup before the second roll, or even give it a little powdered sugar/milk glaze after rolling. This one is a nice blank slate ripe for creativity.

So, there are some things on TV that you should absolutely try at home without fear, and this is one of them: A perfect little pinwheel to share with friends. What could be better?

Ciao for now,

Neen

Birthday Bakes: Carrot Cake

2 Sep

I love carrots. They’re like the candy of the vegetable world, really. There’s always a bag of them in my refrigerator and I eat them with such consistency that Joe doesn’t even ask me to put them on the shopping list anymore. Much like coffee, he just assumes I’m running low and buys more.

If I’m waiting for something to bake or cook in the kitchen, I’m usually also leaning against the counter dipping carrot pieces in hummus or peanut butter. So it’s kind of weird (now that I think of it) that I’ve never once blogged about carrot cake. Probably because I’m the only one in this household that likes it and I just can’t eat a whole cake by myself.

So when I got the opportunity to make one for a friend’s son’s birthday recently, I HAD to jump at the chance. The natural sweetness of carrots blended into and a soft, tender cake full of warm spices is absolutely a treat. Wrap that up in some rich, decadent cream cheese frosting and we are definitely talking celebration-worthy. And plus, no one can say you didn’t eat your vegetables, right? Let’s make some cake!

T’s Carrot Cake

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp. fresh ground nutmeg
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups canola oil
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 3 cups peeled and grated carrots

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 16 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 4 oz. butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
  • Pinch of salt

Candy Decorations

  • 6 oz. green candy melts
  • 6 oz. orange candy melts
  • Orange and green sprinkles

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter, flour, and parchment-line two 9 in. round cake pans and set aside.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger in medium bowl.

Whisk the sugar and oil in large bowl until well blended, and then add the eggs one at a time, beating between additions.

Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until well-blended.

Stir in the grated carrots.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. I prefer to do this by weight rather than volume because it results in more even layers.

Bake the cake layers for about 40 minutes each, or until a tester inserted into center comes out clean. Allow them to cool in the pans for 15 minutes and then invert onto wire racks, peel away the parchment paper, re-invert and allow them to cool completely. The re-inverting is important because the tops of the cakes will be a little bit sticky, so you want the bottom-side on the cooling rack.

To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter together on low speed until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar and beat on medium speed until fully incorporated and creamy.

Add the vanilla extract and lemon zest and beat until combined.

Taste the frosting and then decide whether or not to add the pinch of salt. Cream cheese brands can really vary salt content-wise, so you may or may not need it depending on your preference.

Now onto the fun stuff! I always think it’s easier to trim and frost a chilled cake, so I usually wrap and refrigerate layers for a few hours or overnight. Carrot cake has enough oil in it plus added moisture from the grated carrots that it won’t dry out at all as long as you wrap it up well.

Take a look at your cake layers. If they’re even and flat, leave them alone. If you have any doming, it’s a good idea to trim them with a serrated knife.

Put one layer on a cake board. If you have one, set that on a turntable. Place a layer of frosting on top of the cake layer (about ¾-1 cup of frosting) and then stack the second layer on top.

Then place a large dollop of frosting on top and frost the top and sides of the cake using a spatula or offset palette knife.

I have these cake scrapers to smooth the sides, but you can just as easily use the flat side of a knife, bowl scraper, bench scraper, or a plain old flat spatula.

Once you have a nice even coat, put the rest of the frosting into a piping bag for decoration. You can also use a gallon sized plastic freezer bag with the corner cut off for this.

Don’t be intimidated! Keep it simple with small swirls of frosting around the top and bottom or go nuts with patterns. At this point, it’s going to be delicious no matter what. Play around a little. You can always scrape a decoration off and throw that frosting back in the piping bag. If your hands are warm and the frosting gets a little soft, refrigerate the piping bag briefly and return to work when it has cooled.

You can also decorate in a way that allows you to practice as much as you want by using some candy melts, which are just colored vanilla candy you can buy at most craft stores and also online. I melted about 6 oz. of green and 6 oz. orange melts and drew these little carrots on some parchment paper, then sprinkled them with colored sugar.

They set up quickly and stick easily to frosting, so it’s a relaxed way to do more intricate decorations. I also used candy for the lettering on this cake by pouring the melted candy into letter-shaped silicone molds.

Once you’ve decorated your cake, put it in the refrigerator to let all of the frosting and decorations firm up. You can leave it uncovered if you are serving it that day, or box it up if you need to store overnight.


This cake is warm, spicy, and sweet. The smooth, luxurious cream cheese frosting compliments the spices, especially the ginger (in my opinion) without being overwhelmingly heavy. The little candy decorations give a nice vanilla crunch that adds a lovely bit of texture to the whole dessert.

To see the smile on Tobias’ face as his mom opened the cake box was the ultimate reward. There is nothing better than helping to make someone’s special day even sweeter.

Happy cake baking!

Ciao for now,

Neen

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