The New York Times wrote an article that caught my eye this week about the Whoopie Pie’s comeback. A whoopie pie is traditionally made of two small round mound-shaped pieces of chocolate cake cake, with a sweet, creamy frosting sandwiched between them. I actually didn’t realized they were called whoopie’s until recently but came across tons of them throughout my childhood. Originally from New England they are popping up next to our beloved cupcakes in bakeries throughout the country. Now don’t shoot me but I actually think they have the potential to take over once the cupcake craze dies down. We’ll see what happens. Read more
What is it about Red Velvet Cake that drives people crazy? Some are fascinated by its color. And others can’t figure out what it tastes like. Any way you slice it, it’s fabulous. A 2007 New York Times article described it as a cake that stops traffic, and rightfully so. I will never forget the first day I stepped foot into Magnolia Bakery, nearly 7 years ago, and saw it as if it was on the counter all by itself. The bright red cake with white frosting stood out in the mass of layer cakes atop cake pedestals. Although I had never seen red cake before, I knew I had to try it.
The Times article above stated that Magnolia led the red velvet craze in NYC some 10 years ago. Even though it came in at a close second during a red velvet blind taste test the dining section performed, I still think it’s the best red velvet cake you can get in NYC. See for yourself after you bake the recipe below. The end result tastes JUST like the cake you would get at Magnolia Bakery. It not only tastes great but is also stunning – a definite show stopper.
Many like to pair red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. However, I think cream cheese frosting over powers the light cake. So I prefer a basic Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
Isn’t she beautiful (yes – she’s a girl)!
Some Notes:
- Be careful with the food coloring. The chances of your fingers getting stained are high. But don’t worry – it washes off.
- If you are making this into cupcakes you won’t have issues with crumbs. If you are making this into a layer cake be forewarned – it’s difficult to keep the red crumbs from showing on the white frosting. A useful trick, though, is to apply a thin layer of frosting to the cake and then refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. This will trap all the crumbs in place and then you should be able to apply the second (thicker) layer without a problem.
Since this cake was only going to be for me and my honey, I divided the recipe in half. The measurements below are for a regular 9-inch, 3-layer cake or 24 cupcakes.
Your finished batter will be bright red – like this.
Red Velvet Cake
from: More from Magnolia
Yield: One 3-layer 9-inch cake
3 1/3 cups of cake flour
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) of unsalted butter, softened
2 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
6 tablespoons of red food coloring (This is the only thing I changed in the recipe as it seemed a bit excessive to me. I think 3-4 tablespoons of liquid food coloring is fine. Because I used a gel-based food coloring 2 tablespoons was enough for a 9-inch cake)
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar (I know, I know – the addition of this ingredient may seem strange but it’s the chemical reaction that happens between the vinegar and cocoa/buttermilk that gives this cake its distinct flavor and texture).
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour three 9×2 round cake pans, then line the bottoms with waxed paper. (I sprayed my pans with a little bit of cooking spray and then lined them with parchment. Make sure the parchment does not come up the sides as this will make peeling it off more difficult.) In a small bowl, sift the cake flour and set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a small bowl, whisk together the red food coloring, cocoa and vanilla. Add to the batter and mix well. In a measuring cup, stir salt into buttermilk. Add to the batter in three parts, alternating with flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not over beat. In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. (This is going to fizz a bit, which is totally normal) Add to the batter and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sue the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth. Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the layers cool in the pans for one hour. Remove the pans and cool completely on a wire rack.
A few weeks ago I took a cake making and decorating class at New York’s Institute of Culinary Education (ICE). ICE is New York’s largest and most active center for culinary education with professional programs in culinary arts, pastry arts and culinary management. Its students and alumni are regularly nominated for or win top industry awards. I went for a tour of their facilities last year when I was tossing around the idea of going to culinary school in my head and they were quite impressive.
Another great thing about ICE is that they have an extensive recreational department where folks who don’t want to become chefs can take classes in a wide array of areas . Their courses are for all skill levels and range from preparing a complete steakhouse menu and learning to fillet a fish to cooking a Tuscan feast or baking the perfect éclair.
I’ve taken a couple of classes and can attest to how great they are. Most recently I took Making and Decorating Birthday Cakes with Chef Chad Pagano and the class was loads of fun. Throughout the class, Chef Pagano gave us tons of tips on how to make and decorate the perfect birthday cake. And we all went home with a nicely decorated cake. Mine (pictured above) was a white cake with a vanilla swiss meringue buttercream icing and filling. It also had toasted coconut in the filling and on the outside.
For those of you who want to learn more about cooking and baking but are overwhelmed and don’t know where to start, check out culinary schools in your area. Most of them offer recreational classes for people who don’t necessarily want to become chefs. There are also tons of other small, independent chefs that run their own classes open to the public. Don’t let cooking and baking become this daunting task that takes over you. It’s easier than you think. If I can do it anyone can.
Oh – and if not for yourself, this makes a great gift for a special loved one 
This class was a birthday gift from my great friend Jenn. Thanks babe
Nothing makes my day more than when I discover a new, great bakery, especially when it’s close to home. So was the case when I had a little bit of cheesecake heaven from Sweet Melissa Patisserie in Park Slope, Brooklyn. And better yet – the bakery also has its own cookbook – The Sweet Melissa Baking Book.
The funny thing about Sweet Melissa is that I have passed it a thousand times in the past couple of years. I have also gone inside a bunch of times but have not been inspired to get anything. Nothing ever jumped out of the case and said “buy me, buy me.” I think it may have been because I wasn’t immediately hit over the head row of cute cupcakes with colorful frosting as with most popular NYC bakeries. And then late last year while looking through cookbooks at Barnes and Noble I stumbled upon The Sweet Melissa Baking Book. The book is loaded with recipes but only a few pictures. And while I normally buy books based on the number and quality of pictures I couldn’t help but want to support a local Brooklyn baker – so I bought it. It also had so many recipes that I thought it was a great bang for my buck.
While running weekend errands, I walked into Sweet Melissa one Sunday afternoon determined to walk out of there with something. My options were for a more mature pallet – tarts, souffles, flavored cheesecakes and bread puddings. I chose a Mini Lemon Cheesecake. I took it home and my boyfriend and inhaled it. It was light and extremely creamy with just a hint of lemon in the background. The crust was like nothing I previously had and I later found out it was made out of cornmeal. My only regret after eating it was that I had not bought another! On a second trip I bought a piece of Sweet Almond Bread Pudding and that was equally as tasty. The pudding was moist (after warming it in the oven for a few minutes) without being mushy and the sliced almonds on top gave it great texture. I went back a third time and got their most popular dessert – Fallen Chocolate Souffle Cake. This cake is a chocolate lover’s dream come true. I’m not a chocolate lover, so this was my least favorite . But if you are – either hurry to the bakery and get yourself some or buy the book and make it at home. (Sorry that I don’t have pictures of any of these but I could barely wait to eat them once I brought them home).
In addition to baked confections, Sweet Melissa also has a menu serving light fare and what I’ve heard to be wonderful drinks. But one gripe that a lot of people have is that Sweet Melissa’s prices are a bit high. To those people all I have to say is that quality costs. Yes – my small piece of bread pudding was a bit overpriced at $6.50 but it was totally worth it (and I’ll leave it at that). I also always take out as seating and space inside is a bit limited. In warmer weather there is additional seating as there is a garden in the back.
You won’t find rows and rows of cupcakes at Sweet Melissa. But no matter what your favorite dessert is, I’m sure you WILL find an interesting and tasty version of it here.
My Chica Rating – 4 Estrellas (Stars)
Those of you who don’t live in New York or don’t want to venture out the Brooklyn can still get a taste of Sweet Melissa by trying some of the recipes in this great book . If you are a new baker, you will find the instructions very easy to follow. If you are more of a veteran, you’ll find nice twists to classics. No matter what you prefer, there is something in this book for everyone – cakes, brownies, cookies, puddings, tarts and much much more. The only downside of the book is that there are only eight photographs but don’t let that deter you. With such simply written recipes you won’t need a picture to guide you. I made the Sweet Almond Bread Pudding and it came out so incredible that it deserves it’s own post (coming soon) and tasted just like that I got at the bakery.
Although this book is a bit smaller than the average glossy cookbook I appreciated that it got right to the point. It would have been nice to have more pictures but I love that there’s no fluff here – just good solid recipes (and lots of them) great for all skill levels. Whether you want to try something classic like a black bottom brownie or one of Murphy’s interesting creations like Guinness (yes, the beer) Gingerbread, this book has something for everyone.
It was my coworker Laurie’s birthday last week. And because she is my partner in crime in the office, I knew I had to bake something special for her. When we get our afternoon sugar craving, Laurie normally seeks out the mini chocolate bars in the office pantry. (Sorry to out you Laurie…but it’s ok…we all do it) So when trying to figure out what I wanted to make for her, I opted for something that I knew she would love – Chocolate Cupcakes.
Now people think I’m weird because I don’t like chocolate. But for me, milk chocolate is too sweet and dark chocolate is too bitter. So the use of unsweetened cocoa powder in this recipe from Elisa Strauss’ The Confetti Cakes Cookbook was the main draw for me. But then another ingredient jumped out at me – coffee. When I saw this I told myself I was either going to love this cake or hate it because I don’t like coffee either (another reason why people think I’m strange).
Turns out coffee is what makes this cake spectacular. I am currently researching the exact reason why but coffee wonderfully enhances chocolate. This is not like Tiramisu – where coffee flavor takes the stage. The coffee in this cake very much in the background. While you can’t taste it, you do notice something in the back of your throat that makes you go “Hmmm, what is that?” Make these and you will see for yourselves.
I topped these cupcakes with my favorite icing – Swiss Meringue Buttercream – which I dyed pink with red food coloring to make them more festive. For those of you who have not heard of this type of buttercream, it is so good you are going to want to eat it with a spoon. It does require a little bit of work, as you will see below. But the flavor and creaminess of the finished product will make it all worth it. This buttercream is also extremely versatile and can be flavored with pretty much anything. I used vanilla extract this time but it can be flavored with lemon, orange, chocolate, coffee, mocha, flavored liquors…the possibilities are endless. Very Important – make sure your cupcakes are cool before frosting them.
A quick lesson I learned while making this cake:
A general rule in baking is using ingredients that are at room temperature. While making these cupcakes, I learned that butter should be soft but not oily. Because my butter had been sitting on my counter for the whole day and I then creamed it for 10 minutes with the sugar, my first batch of these cupcakes did not hold their shape well. They ran over the top and spread out on the baking pan.
Notes in red are my personal tips for the recipes.
Chocolate Cakes
by: Elisa Strauss
The Confetti Cakes Cookbook
Yield: 3 9-inch rounds, 1 Half Sheet Pan (13×18), 24 cupcakes
(I ended up with 29 cupcakes – yippie)
2 2/3 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 1/4 cups plus 2 Tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Sour Cream
1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Teaspoon Pure Almond Extract
1 Cup (2 Sticks) Unsalted Butter
2 Cups Granulated Sugar
2 Eggs
1 1/4 Cups Strong Coffee (Make sure this is fresh coffee, preferably not instant)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush the bottoms and sides of the pans with melted butter and line the bottoms with parchment paper. (Since I made my cake into cupcakes, I skipped this step. I instead lined my pan with cupcake wrappers) In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set Aside. In a separate bowl, combine the sour cream, vanilla, and almond extract. Set aside. In a bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until smooth. (After 3 minutes of beating, scrap your bowl and beat for another 3) Set the mixer on low speed and add eggs one at a time, scraping thoroughly between each addition. Alternately add the flour and sour scream mixtures to the butter mixture in two batches, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl after each addition. (This is a very important step to make sure everything is fully incorporated) Gradually pour in the coffee. Scrape down the bowl and beat until thoroughly combined. Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans or muffin tins. For each 9-inch cake pans, bake 1-hour or until a toothpick comes out clean; for half-sheet pans, bake 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean; for cupcakes bake 20-25 minutes, or until they spring back after being touched. (Mine baked for 25 minutes; I rotated my pans after 12 minutes to ensure even cooking)
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
by: Melanie Underwood
from: Cupcake Workshop at NYC’s Institute of Culinary Education
4 Large Egg Whites (These should be room temp. along with butter)
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
2-4 Sticks of Unsalted Butter, Cut into 1-inch Pieces (I always use 3)
Combine the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Place this over a double boiler and whisk constantly until hot to the touch (and there are no sugar crystals left in the mixture). Remove from heat, place on mixer with whip attachment and whisk until fluffy and cool to the touch and looks like marshmallow fluff (make sure it’s cool before adding butter because if not, your butter will melt). Switch to the paddle attachment and begin adding butter, 1 or 2 pieces at a time, adding at least 2 sticks of butter. (The buttercream may seem a bit runny at first but continue to beat on high speed after adding all the butter for 3-4 minutes and it will thicken up)
I filled the cups about half way with batter.
My finished little bundles of joy!
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Double Boiler Set-Up for Cooking Egg White Sugar Mixture – Make sure you keep the flame low and constantly whisk so that you don’t end up with sweet scrambled egg whites.
By the time the sugar completely dissolves in the egg whites, your mixture will be frothy.
Egg white sugar mixture before adding butter – you are going to want to eat this fluff but try to contain yourself.
Swiss Meringue Buttercream beating away in the mixer. When it starts to thicken, it will collect along the sides of the bowl .
Finished Cupcakes!!!!
I got up at 5am to make these before leaving for work because I’m a stickler for freshness. And of course, I had one for breakfast. (Had to make sure they were good, right)
My coworkers are becoming my biggest taste testers. That’s probably why one of them gave me this awesome cupcake carrier that holds 2-dozen from Crate and Barrel for Christmas. Happy Birthday Laurie!!!
As I was preparing for my mini vacation in Phoenix and researching where I could find some baked goodness while I was there, I learned that the famed Los Angeles bakery, Sprinkles Cupcakes, opened a location in Scottsdale (just outside Phoenix). Before I say what I thought of them, I first have to admit that I had tons of reservations. On the one hand, I’m from New York – home to some of the best restaurants and bakeries in the country. Being around the best of the best has made me a bit of a food snob. (At least I can admit it) So I found it hard to believe that such a “great” bakery was not in New York. Sprinkles has gotten lots of love in the press, which after having some exposure to how PR works, made me a bit skeptical as well. Furthermore, Bridget, of E’s The Girls Next Door, rants and raves about these cupcakes on the show which led me to ask whether she was a paid spokesperson of sorts for Sprinkles. (I know, I know, I’m a bit of a cynic)
Well, I am thrilled to report that the 25-minute cab ride from downtown Phoenix to Scottsdale was worth it. My experience at Sprinkles was phenomenal and way better than I expected.
Decor
I loved the grown-up, modern look and feel of Sprinkles. I tried to get a good inside shot without too many shadows but it was a very sunny day when I went. There is nothing old-fashioned about this place. It’s hip, chic and contemporary. The bakery was also extremely clean, which is very important for me as far as food establishments are concerned. There was no seating inside ,so we had to sit on a bench outside the store, which was a bit of a bummer.
Staff/Service
The staff and service at this Sprinkles location was stellar. The girl behind the counter was extremely very friendly, courteous and patient with me as it took me forever to pick out which flavors I wanted. And since I was new to Sprinkles, she was very thorough in her explanations of the different flavors available.
Treats
The cupcakes themselves were great. After one bite you can tell they are made from scratch. Every single cupcake we had was light and moist with just the right amount of crumb and sweetness. The frosting, however, was a bit of a letdown. It was too sweet, which sometimes overpowered the cake. My favorite of the cupcakes I tried was the Chocolate Marshmallow and now that I think of it, one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much was because it didn’t have frosting.
Cost
Very expensive. A single cupcake costs $3.25. As far as baked goods are concerned, Sprinkles only offers cupcakes. But they also carry an assortment of other merchandise, including tee-shirts, cupcake mix and cupcake trays. I would never pay $14 for cake mix but I did snag a pink cupcake tray, which would make a great gift for the baking aficionado in your life (even though it’s a bit expensive).
My Chica Rating – 4 Estrellas (Stars)
The cake part of the cupcakes was awesome but the frosting was thick, pasty and too sweet. They were also overpriced – $3.25 a pop! (and they were not jumbo cupcakes) Not sure how they are going to get away with charging that much in NYC. But I will still welcome them with open arms.
Sprinkles packaging is impeccable. The box was no nicely put together that I didn’t even want to open it. Not shown, the box was enclosed in a zip-top bag. But I would forgo fancy packaging for cheaper cupcakes.
A yummy assortment – (from left to right) – vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream, lemon cake w/lemon-vanilla buttercream, vanilla cake w/coconut vanilla buttercream, red velvet cake w/vanilla buttercream, dark chocolate filled with marshmallow cream topped with chocolate ganache.
Red velvet cupcake – the modern dots corresponds to the flavor. Their website lists the many varieties they come in. This was my second favorite cupcake of the ones I tried.
My favorite of my selection – dark chocolate cake with marshmallow filling topped with chocolate ganache. Rich but not overpowering chocolate flavor with just the right amount of sweetness. The marshmallow was just the right texture – gooey without being runny.
With Valentines Day just around the corner and many opting to stay in this year, a bunch of my non-baker friends have solicited my advice for simple desserts they can make for their loved ones. Whether or not you are a chocolate lover, you will love this treat.It starts with Nutella. Nutella is the brand name of a chocolate-hazelnut sweet spread created by the Italian company Ferrero in the 1940′s during a time when chocolate was very limited due to World War II. Since then it has become a large sensation among the chocolate-loving crowd, with its own World Nutella Day. The best thing about this recipe is that once you make it, you can dip pretty much anything you have around the house in it. I had strawberries, apples and marshmallows. But it will work just as well with savory treats like pretzels or crackers. And for those of you who are intimidated by baking, this dip can be prepared stove top.
Warm Nutella Dipby: Eliana
Note Total Time – Just 10 minutes
1 Cup Nutella
1/4 Cup Heavy Cream (Room Temperature)
Assorted Treats to Dip
Place Nutella in bowl of a double-boiler under low-medium heat. Stir until the spread reaches a softer consistency for 3-5 minutes. Then pour heavy cream into Nutella and stir. Continue to stir the mixture for another 5 minutes. Pour into a small serving bowl and serve immediately with an assortment of treats. Dip will stay warm for about 30 minutes. You can use a fondue pot if you have one to keep it warm for a longer period of time.
Step 1: Heating up Nutella in double-boiler. Make sure water in your small pot is simmering and not boiling.
Step 2: Use a gentle motion to stir the heavy cream into the Nutella. Incorporating room temperature cream will not bring down the temperature of your mixture.
Strawberries are a classic fruit to dip in chocolate. But have fun and use whatever you have around the house.
Red Hook, Brooklyn is slowly becoming the epicenter of all things cool in New York City. Ikea opened its doors in Red Hook in 2008 and the latest season of MTV’s Real World was filmed there as well. Paving the way for them four years ago, Red Hook saw the arrival of a new storefront bakery called Baked. After hearing/reading about them for some time now and snatching a copy of their new cookbook, I decided visiting the bakery was a must for 2009.
I hopped on the bus and braved the snow this weekend to make my way to Red Hook. Confusion took over me once I walked through the big, orange door. Accustomed to walking into spots like Magnolia Bakery and Buttercup Bakeshop, where you are greeted with an array of pastel colors and rows and rows of cupcakes, I was shocked when I didn’t immediately see any cake at Baked. See Baked is not like the conventional bakery we are used to seeing in NYC. It has more of a coffee shop feel to it, with a good bit of seating for folks to hang and read the paper over a good cup of Joe. I made my way to the counter and was relieved as I entered dessert heaven – bars, brownies, cookies, muffins, cupcakes, marshmallows and the crowned jewel – CAKE. I couldn’t decide on just one thing. So here’s a rundown of all the yummy things I tried:
Don’t worry – I didn’t have them all at once. I had some in the store but took most of it home.
- Coconut Cream Cake: First off, I got a huge hunk for only $4.50 and I enjoyed every last crumb of this cake. It was rich, creamy and full of coconutty goodness. The cake had a lot of body and tons of flavor. While the coconut flavor was very rich, it was not overpowering.
- Sweet and Salty Cake: This is Baked’s most famous creation. The concept behind the cake deserves its own post but let’s just say it was the best chocolate cake I have ever had. There are chocolate cakes that hit you over the head with overwhelming chocolate flavor. But this one was just right. And the French sea salt on top made for an extra special treat. I can’t wait to try the recipe in their book. If you don’t think something sweet and salty is of your liking, try a chocolate covered pretzel and you will be converted. (More on this in a future post)
- Ginger Cookie: AWESOME cookie. With bits of crystallized ginger baked throughout, it makes for a great fall/winter cookie.
- Marshmallows: For those of you that think all marshmallows are created equal think again. These are nothing like what you will get out of a plastic bag at your grocery store. If you don’t live in New York, you can buy them online in either vanilla, chocolate or peppermint. I’m a traditionalist when it comes to marshmallows, so I prefer vanilla, but the chocolate and peppermint ones were exquisite.
- Lemon Blueberry Muffin: Some people think muffins and cupcakes are the same thing but they are not. Among other differences muffins are not as sweet and more dense than cupcakes. Baked muffins fit the measure and are very flavorful.
- Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti: I was surprised by the texture of this biscotti. It was slightly “cakier” than other biscotti’s I have had in the past and really yummy. Great to have with tea or coffee.
Among the many things I did not try are a variety of different brownies. But they are among Oprah’s favorite things – so I’ll take her word for it.
If you are in New York, definitely give Baked a try. If you are not in New York, pick up a copy of their cookbook or try some of the products they sell online. You will not be disappointed.
On a scale of 1-5, I give Baked 5 Chica Stars
Do you want to hear about more delicious spots both in and outside NYC? Leave me a comment and I’ll make sure to add them to my list of places to visit and maybe they will get my Chica Seal of Approval.
After watching an episode of Giada at Home on The Food Network this weekend, I decided Angel Food Cake (AFC) would be an awesome cake to start the New Year off with. For those of you who are not familiar with it, AFC is not too sweet, very moist and ethereally light. It calls for little flour and no butter, so it’s perfect if adopting a healthier lifestyle is on the top of your New Year’s resolutions list.
It took me two tries to get this cake just right. Because AFC has little flour and no butter, the entire process of making it (from mixing it to cooling and taking it out of the pan) is different from making any other type of cake.
Some helpful tips for making a perfect AFC:
- Using an angel food cake pan with “feet” is best. Bundt pans, especially the ones with pretty designs, make releasing the cake from the pan more difficult.
- Do not grease the baking pan. Clinging to the sides of the pan is what helps this cake rise.
- Use a toothpick, wood skewer or a piece of raw spaghetti to test the cake for doneness by placing the toothpick into the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. In addition, the top of the cake should also be brown.
- Cool the cake inside the baking pan and invert it to keep it from falling on itself. The pan’s “feet” will help air circulate through the bottom of the cake.
- Let the cake completely cool before releasing it from the pan.
- Never use a plain knife to cut the AFC, since it will compress the grain of the cake as it is super light and spongy. A serrated knife with a gentle sawing motion is the best tool and technique for cutting. A serrated knife is the knife is your set with “teeth” along with blade instead of a straight edge.
Most AFCs are served with a sugary glaze on top, which I am not a fan of. Instead I made a strawberry sauce by mixing a cup and a half of sliced strawberries (mine were frozen), half a cup of water, half a cup of sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla. I let the mixture simmer until it reduced by about a third, removed it from the heat and strained it through a fine sieve. Although the original sauce for this recipe is made out of lemon, honey and yogurt, I found strawberry is a nice compliment to the hint of lemon in Giada’s cake. It also gave it a nice burst of color.
Enjoy
Angel Food Cake
Recipe courtesy: Giada De Laurentiis, 2008
12 egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/4 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest, plus extra for garnish
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
1 cup cake flour (sifted)
In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg whites, salt and cream of tartar. Using an electric hand mixer, beat on medium speed until frothy. Add the vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat on high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 to 4 minutes. Gradually add the sugar and beat until the mixture forms stiff peaks (should look like clouds), about 2 minutes longer. Sprinkle the flour over the egg white mixture. Using a spatula, carefully fold in the flour until incorporated. Spoon the batter into an ungreased 10-inch nonstick angel food cake pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the top is browned and a skewer inserted halfway between the inner and outer wall of the pan comes out clean. Invert the pan on a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
Be patient while mixing – your goal is to make your batter eventually look like clouds.
Cool the cake inside the pan by inverting it on it’s feet. As you can see here, it will be stuck to the pan when it comes out of the oven.
Have fun with this heavenly creation. With a slight hint of lemon in the background, it pairs well a varieties of flavors.
I wasn’t always a lover of sweet treats. This probably rose out of the fact that my mother was never a baker. Even though she secretly (or not so secretly) hates cooking, she can seriously cook her behind off. I have her to thank for pretty much hating anything on the menu of a Latin restaurant. She literally has her very own “essence”, or sazon as I call it, that goes into everything she cooks and has taken me years to learn how to prepare. And although mine will probably never tastes like hers, I will die still trying to emulate it.
Everything my mother prepares is done so on top of the stove. She only turns on the oven to finish something off that was started on top of the stove. This is probably the case because in her native village in the Dominican Republic, owning a functioning stove was a luxury when she was growing up when most cooking was done atop a charcoal grill. Now most homes have stove tops but in the villages most don’t have functioning ovens.
Even though I had a serious savory tooth growing up (yes, I preferred Ritz crackers over Chips Ahoy in the snack aisle), I was always amazed by cakes. Birthdays, graduations and baptisms among other special occasions in my family were always accented by glorious Dominican cakes. Dominican cakes deserve their own post so I won’t get into detail about them. For now, it is suffice to say that they are delicious. As a child, it was the only type of cake that I was familiar with until I tiptoed into the world of boxed cake mix around the age of 12. So how did I make a cake if my mom’s oven was full of pots and pans and none of those pans were cake pans? Yes, I made my very first cake on top of the stove in a 12-inch skillet. I believe it was an orange-flavored Duncan Hines cake and it was yummy.
I have somewhat upgraded my techniques since then. After moving out of college dorm rooms and getting my own kitchen, the first cookie I baked was a Chocolate Chip Walnut Oatmeal cookie. My first cake was a Carrot Cake. I picked these two because I wanted to make versions of them that did not have raisins (I really, really, really don’t like them). Slowly but surely I grew to love this art form that I knew existed but was completely foreign to me as everyone in my family leaves baking to the professionals. I learned (and am still learning) by watching a lot of Food Network, reading books and burning a ton of cookies and cupcakes. And I’m starting this blog or baking diary as I like to think about it to chronicle my journey though this wonderfully tasty world of baking. Future posts will include reviews, interviews and recipes among others. As with the rest of my life, this blog is a work in progress. For now it’s a little slice of me that I hope you like.
If there is anything in particular that you would like me to write about, feel free to leave me comment.
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