I will readily admit that I love most Italian foods. I love pasta and Italian breads, slow braised meats and Tiramisu. But despite my affinity for Italian cuisine I had little acquaintance with this Italian named cake. Now I am not sure of the exact origins of this nut-filled treasure (for all I know it may not be Italian), but this light, moist, flavorful Italian Cream Cake is so delicious I have to put it amongst my Italian favorites whether it is native or not. Continue reading
Marble Cake with Rich Chocolate Frosting
Several weeks ago my lovely reader Georganne requested a recipe for a marble cake. While I was very interested in complying and creating a recipe that she would enjoy, I was concerned about the implications of working with two very different cake batters. I had seen marble cakes that looked like the chocolate and vanilla cakes had very different textures. I wanted the chocolate and the vanilla to marry together in consistency but be stark in contrast of color and flavor. I wanted them to have a yin and yang relationship of harmony and distinction at the same time. So for a long time I pondered how best to approach this cake. Continue reading
The Big Bang Theory
Are you generally careful with your cakes when you remove them from the oven? Do you gently set them on a cooling rack to settle in? Then what I have to say may come as a shock to you. Coddling your cakes may actually undermine their structure and a bit more tough love may give you the results that you actually want. Continue reading
How Different Flours Affect Your Cake
For the baker, there is a wide variety of flours to choose from when making a cake. Some of the options include: bleached cake flour, unbleached cake flour, pastry flour, self-rising flour, unbleached all-purpose flour and bleached all-purpose flour, not to mention starch substitutes and hybrid variations of some of those above. It can be a bit confusing which is the best flour for cake baking. Here I hope to demystify some of the what’s and why’s of cake worthy flours. Continue reading
Almond Rose Cupcakes with Strawberry Mascarpone Buttercream
If you are looking for a cupcake with a fun unique flavor this is a great one to try. But don’t be frightened away by this uncommon flavor combination. These cupcakes have a light delicate crumb and can be made into an everyday almond or vanilla cupcake with the omission of extracts. The addition of mascarpone to the buttercream gives the icing a light whipped-cream like texture and the strawberry adds a fruity vibrancy to this noteworthy amalgamation. Continue reading
Tiramisu Cake
Do you need a pick-me-up? I thought you just might so
I baked this delicious Tiramisu Cake to tempt your tummy and lift your spirits. Let me tell you, this cake is more than wet, tasteless sponginess and frothy filling. It is mildly sweet with a potent kick of double power espresso and rich, creamy mascarpone and amaretto filling that may make you a little bit giddy. Trust me, you want to make this cake! Continue reading
Gluten-Free American Mud Cake with Triple Chocolate Frosting
Chocolate is often the default flavor that bakers go to when asked to make a gluten-free cake. It makes sense; chocolate is pronounced enough to cover any unsavory flavors that non-wheat flours present and cocoa powder can be used as a starch substitute for some of the wheat flour. But clear your mind of any preconceived notions of gluten-free chocolate cake. This is just straight forward delicious cake. This recipe is based on my American Mud Cake and boasts of the same great chocolate complexity and rich, moist, goodness! Continue reading
Gluten Free Vanilla Cake and Gluten Free Baking Tips
Gluten free Vanilla Cake is by far the most challenging of all gluten free cakes to formulate. It is quite naked in that it is the most revealing of cakes when it comes to flour exposure. There are no secondary flavors to hide behind such as fruit or chocolate. This purist among pastries must stand alone and operate in perfect unity with its supporting ingredients to create a cake that both tastes delicious and feels correct on the tongue. Continue reading
German Chocolate Cake
German Chocolate Cake, an American classic, popularized in the heart of Texas, may not win any beauty contests (at least not my cake 😉 ) but this moist, tender chocolate cake, filled and capped with thick, sweet Coconut Pecan Icing is a treat for all to behold. Here is my take on this beloved cake with a couple of my own twists which make it easier and tastier than ever before! Continue reading
Orange Cake with Passion Fruit Buttercream
It is difficult to tell that we are beyond summer solstice here. The sky is gray and there is a good chance of rain. It is par for the course in June in Oregon but my heart still pines for rays of sunshine and warmth on my skin. If I cannot have the climate I hope for I will have to settle for a cake full of tropical sunshine and flavor. This Orange Cake with Passion Fruit Buttercream is not the kind of cake that you bite into and wonder what flavor one could possibly be trying to convey. It is fully and intensely orange and bright and perfumed. I need something sunny and in its full splendor! Continue reading