Myfudo Blog » cake

easy desserts & recipes: no frills seriously delicious carrot cake & passion cake recipe

MyFudo — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 03:55:03 +0000

Whoever thought of adding a vegetable to dessert to somehow ease the guilty pleasure is a genius! After all, a cake is only a cake, but the addition of carrots provides that distinct flavor that gives the otherwise ordinary cake a delicious twist.

Carrot cake is also known as “Passion cake” and using carrots is an age old secret to create sweet cakes since the medieval period. Sweeteners were as valuable as gold and usually very expensive but carrots, with their natural sweetness, were a lot cheaper. The origins of carrot cake can be traced back to Norway, and during WWII it became a rationing staple in Britain when a businessman named George C. Page asked bakers to make use of an overabundance of canned carrots. The idea of a carrot cake worked wonders for creating a demand for the excess canned carrots! The Americans caught the carrot cake bug in the 1960’s when it became commonly available in restaurants. In the U.S., carrot cake was initially thought of as a novelty, but its velvety texture, mild sweetness, and overall scrumptious taste made it an instant hit.

A simply delish carrot cake is straightforward, no frills, just plain and simple delectable. It instantly satisfies that sweet tooth craving minus the sugar overload.

Carrot Cake

Adapted from The Joy of Baking

1 cup (100 grams) pecans or walnuts
3/4 pound (340 grams) raw carrots (about 2 1/2 cups finely grated)
2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated white sugar
1 cup (240 ml) safflower, vegetable or canola oil (or other flavorless oil)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter or spray two – 9 x 2 inch (23 x 5 cm) cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with a circle of parchment paper. Please follow baking directions for pound cake. When Tested, we lowed the baking to 310 for 45 min to an hour.If you are using round pans please follow the directions above and cook at 350.
Toast the pecans or walnuts for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool and then chop coarsely.
Peel and finely grate the carrots.
In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon.
In bowl of electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the eggs until frothy (about 1 minute). Gradually add the sugar and beat until the batter is thick and light colored (about 3 – 4 minutes). Add the oil in a steady stream and then beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat just until incorporated. With a large rubber spatula fold in the grated carrots and chopped nuts. Evenly divide the batter between the two prepared pans and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. After about 5 -10 minutes invert the cakes onto the wire rack, remove the pans and parchment paper, and then cool completely before frosting.
To assemble: place one cake layer onto your serving plate. Spread with about half the frosting. Gently place the other cake onto the frosting and spread the rest of the frosting over the top of the cake. If desired, garnish with toasted nuts on the top of the cake. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.
Serves 10 – 12.

Photography Data:
Featured Photographer
Confidential
haveseen

easy desserts & recipes: the ombré layered fluffy white cake recipe graduated in pink pastels & rose cake

MyFudo — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 06:41:04 +0000

Layered cakes will make any celebration twice the fun. An ombre cake will do just the trick in adding that special festive mood in every delicious bite. Ombré means shaded in French. There is no clear history of the origins of ombre cake but its popularity is unmistakable. The distinct ombre style is a graduation of colors that are usually layered from dark to light. This unique and gorgeous cake is the perfect way to let out your inner artistic talent by an explosion of colors!

There is a rainbow of colors to choose from to create such an effect. But to achieve it, layering is always a necessity. Depending on your mood, let’s say you’re feeling blue or you’re up for something spectacular like orange, the gradients of colors will always make your cake worth ogling or better yet… eating!

Here is a collection of tips when making ombre cake with whatever favorite cake and frosting recipe you may have:

Fun Tips

1. Add more flavor. Substitute half of the liquid in your cake batter recipe for a triple section. You can use lavender extract for a purple ombre cake or lemon zest extract for yellow ombre cake. Flavored liquor is also a great option.

2. What’s the color of the day? Whatever color you choose for your cake, powdered food coloring seems to work best. Using liquid coloring can be tricky when trying to achieve the perfect blend of colors and it also messes up the batter consistency. And of course, natural food coloring is something we love the best, or, none at all and use the graduation in colors by using cocoa powder.

3. Be generous when greasing and flouring your pans. Pretend that you are rubbing the buff body of a Roman God and sprinkle flour as if you are throwing flower petals on the path of your most revered hunk. To put it simply, a little imagination will ensure that your cake won’t stick.

4. Have enough batter. There are usually around five to six layers in an ombre cake to achieve the gradual yet obvious change in colors from layer to layer. The key is to add food coloring a little at a time from the first batter to the next starting from the lightest shade, working your way to the darkest.

5. Shave off the tops of your cake. When your cake layers are ready, they may be uneven coming out of the oven. With a sharp knife, cut off some of the parts to even them out.

6. Allow the cake to cool. Never frost with a hot cake. This will make all your hard labor fruitless and you might end up with a dilapidated cake.

7. Frosting time! This is the best part. It’s time to unleash your creative side. Just make sure you layer your cake from the lightest to the darkest from top to bottom or vice versa for a truly Ombré effect.

8. To add more sophistication to your cake, you can use a Wilton large #21 Star tip to decorate your cake or the Wilton 2D. But whatever way you fancy decorating it, there’s no better way than your way.

9. Where to find that fabulous cake stand, you can find it here. (Interiors by Donna).

10. Check out the cake we made with my five year old niece, she wanted Vanilla and Vanilla whipping cream. Not bad for her first cake.

Have fun!

Fluffy White Cake

Slightly adapted from Classic White Cake recipe on Baking Bites
Adapted from Sweetapolita

Yield: One 2-layer, 8-inch round cake or 9-inch round cake
Very fluffy and light, but can be a bit more challenging if even a fraction too much liquid is added.

Ingredients

5 large egg whites (5 ounces/150 grams) at room temperature
3/4 cup whole milk (180 mL/6 liquid ounces), at room temperature
2 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (12.5 mL) — I use Nielsen-Massey Vanillas 8-oz. Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract
2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour (10 ounces/285 grams–weighed after sifting)
1 3/4 cups sugar (12 ounces/350 grams)
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder (19.5 grams)
3/4 teaspoon salt (5 grams)
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (6 ounces/170 grams), at room temperature and cut into cubes

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease, line with parchment, and flour two round 8-inch pans.
In a medium bowl or measuring cup, combine and stir the egg whites, 1/4 cup of milk, and the vanilla. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients together on low speed (I use the “stir” setting on my mixer) for 30 seconds.
Add the butter and remaining 1/2 cup of milk, and mix on low speed until just moistened. Increase to medium speed and mix for 90 seconds.
Scrape the sides of the bowl and begin to add the egg mixture in 3 separate batches; beat on medium speed for 20 seconds after each addition.
Divide the batter in two, spreading it evenly with a small offset palette knife. If you have a kitchen scale, weigh to ensure 2 even layers.
Bake 25-35 minutes or until a cake tester comes clean when inserted into the center. Be so careful to not overbake. Check cake at 20 minutes, but not before, and once you feel it’s almost ready, set the timer for 2 minute intervals. Let cool on racks for 10 minutes before loosening the sides with a small metal spatula, and invert onto greased wire racks. Gently turn cakes back up, so the tops are up and cool completely.
Wrap tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 days, refrigerator for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 2 months. Best eaten the same day as baked.

White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

adapted from Beantown Baker
adapted from country cleaver

One batch of this frosting will be perfect for a 2-layer cake. If you’re going to use it as filling or frost a 3 or 4 layer cake, double the recipe.

Ingredients (2 cups)

1 cups unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar (or more, depending on desired consistency)
Pinch of salt
6 oz. good quality white chocolate, chopped (not white chocolate chips or candy melts!)
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 tsp vanilla

Directions

Put the chopped white chocolate into a small bowl. Heat the chocolate in 30 second increments in the microwave set to 60% power. Stir after each increment, and continue to heat 30 seconds at a time, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Set aside and allow to completely cool.
Once white chocolate has cooled, sift the salt and powdered sugar over the butter, in a large bowl. Cream the butter and sugar mixture together until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
Measure the whipping cream into a cup, and stir in the vanilla extract.
With the mixer running on low speed, gradually pour the cream mixture the bowl.
Once the cream mixture has been incorporated into the frosting, fold on the melted (but cooled) white chocolate until incorporated.
Increase the mixer speed to medium-high, and beat frosting for an additional 3 minutes.

Photography Data:
Featured Photographer
Ruth Black

easy desserts & recipes: oh, look! a rainbow! (cake)

MyFudo — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 09:13:00 +0000

My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky…
~William Wordsworth

It isn’t often that we gaze upon a rainbow. And, when we do we want to share what we are seeing with whomever is standing near us, “Oh, look! A rainbow!” We are humans and we have a need to share with each other when we witness something of note. We know that rainbows have been a part of many cultures myths and legends since ancient times and we might guess that these myths and legends, before the written word, were handed down from oral traditions even older still.

We find rainbows woven into cultures from around the world. In America various Native American peoples have legends in which the rainbow is present. Rainbows make an appearance or are the central theme in legends from Australia, Guam, Hawaii, Germany, Ireland as well as Babylon, Persia, Silesia, Africa and Greece.

Iris was the Greek goddess of the rainbow and the messenger for the Gods of Olympus. Many Greeks resided near the coast. Most often the rainbow’s arc was seen spanning the distance between cloud and sea. Iris was believed to fill the clouds in the sky with the water from the sea. Therefore, Iris was a goddess of both the sea and the sky.

Most people are familiar with the Irish folk tale of finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. This pot of gold, guarded by the mythical leprechaun, belongs to the fairies. The leprechaun is a cunning creature who often outwits any human trying to claim the gold.

This Irish folk tale is not the only myth regarding a pot of gold. In Silesia, a historical region of central Europe (partly in Poland, Czech Republic and Germany) there is a legend stating that angels placed gold at the end of a rainbow and only a man, a nude man, can retrieve it if he is worthy.

Many cultures view the rainbow as a bridge between heaven and earth. It is a sign of hope and symbol of good luck. It is also a symbol of promise. “I will put my rainbow in the clouds to be a sign of my promise to the earth.” (Genesis 9:13)

Scientifically speaking, the mystery of the rainbow is no longer. “We have not the reverent feeling for the rainbow that the savage has, because we know how it is made. We have lost as much as we gained by prying into that matter. “Mark Twain (A Tramp Abroad) “Rainbows are seen when raindrops, falling in the distance, bend and bounce sunlight back towards your eye.

Raindrops reflect sunlight, like a mirror. However raindrops also bend, or refract, light, like a lens. The reflection is spread into a cone of light. The edge of this cone is bright, because sunlight is concentrated at this angle (called the rainbow angle).

Each color of sunlight is bent and bounced in a slightly different direction. The colors separate around the bright edge of the reflection. The collection of raindrops that send the same bright color towards your eye is curved. The centre of the curve is the shadow of your head (called the anti-solar point). The rainbow always appears at the same distance from this central point, at the rainbow angle.” (Scientists and Discovery, Museum Victoria)

It is hopeful, despite our scientific knowledge, that we can maintain a reverent feeling for the rainbow. Can we not embrace the scientific knowledge as well as find ourselves in awe of its existence? Albert Einstein once said, “…If something is in me which can be called religious then it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it.”

Fortunately for us we can reveal the mystery of this beautiful rainbow cake without much ado in a scientific laboratory. This cake is fun for many occasions and when you cut into it your guests will say, “Oh, Look! A rainbow!”

Bloggers We Adore: MyFudo’s Editors Choice award goes to…

SweetAPolita is an adorable blog. We love everything about it from the Swiss polka dot wallpaper the banner picture and the font she used. But, mostly, we love her remarkable treats; mouthwatering sweets that are beautifully photographed making you want to jump right through the screen to have a taste. We are smitten with her take on the rainbow cake. The colors jump out at you in all their glory and the doodle cake decoration is beyond cute. Sweet Polita’s version of the rainbow cake is one of our favorite children’s birthday cakes and the beautiful 4 year old birthday girl is very lucky to have a mother who bakes such lovely sweets!

Chef Dennis, we are quite smitten with his blog. He has a clean layout as well as clean, crisp photos. We enjoyed learning that Chef Dennis is Director of Dining Services at an all girl academy. He is responsible for feeding 560 high school girls. Oh, my! Could you imagine having to listen to 560 different opinions from notoriously highly opinionated high school girls? We can’t and we are grateful for Chef Dennis’ of this world who take on that task. We saw the rainbow cake on his blog, but alas, he had a guest blogger who made the rainbow cake so we must include the lovely blog, Pip and Ebby-Messy Kitchen who took produced a vibrant rainbow cake. Best of all, Pip and Ebby made fantastic rainbow cupcakes with left over batter and frosting. These cupcakes remind us of tie dye t-shirts. Fun, fun, fun!

Don’t you just love the name, Call Me Cupcake? Well, we do, too. We love Linda, aka Cupcake’s exquisite blog. Her photos are charming and warm doing justice to her impeccable baked goods. Thank goodness for Google Translates because we are able to also read her wonderful text. It continually amazes us that we can connect with someone in another country, speaking another language. Not, only does the text translate easily, but so does Cupcake’s version of the rainbow cake. You will quickly understand that her style is soft and elegant when you see the ethereal shades of pink; so subtle. The frosting is a heavenly cloud beckoning you to find the pink rainbow beneath

Rainbow Cake (Recipe from Kaitlin Flannery)

Ingredients for the Cake

Vegetable shortening
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/3 cups sugar
5 large egg whites, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups milk, room temperature
Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple gel food coloring
Lemony Swiss Meringue Buttercream (recipe below)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush six 9-inch-round cake pans (or as many 9-inch cake pans as you have, reusing them as necessary) with shortening. Line bottom of each cake pan with parchment paper; brush again and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar. Slowly add egg whites and mix until well combined. Add vanilla and mix until fully incorporated. Add flour mixture and milk in two alternating additions, beginning with the flour and ending with the milk. Mix until well combined.

3. Divide batter evenly between six medium bowls. Add enough of each color of food coloring to each bowl, whisking, until desired shade is reached. Transfer each color to an individual cake pan. Transfer to oven and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, about 15 minutes (working in batches if necessary).

4. Remove cakes from oven and transfer to a wire rack; let cool for 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto a wire rack; re-invert and let cool completely.

5. Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes to make level. Place four strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate or lazy Susan. Place the purple layer on the cake plate. Spread a scant 1 cup buttercream filling over the first layer with a small offset spatula so it extends just beyond edges. Repeat process with blue, green, yellow, and orange layers.

6. Place the remaining red layer on top, bottom-side up. Gently sweep away any loose crumbs with a pastry brush. Using an offset spatula, cover the top and sides with a thin layer of frosting (also use any of the excess frosting visible between the layers). Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.

7. Using an offset spatula, cover cake again with remaining frosting.

Ingredients for the Filling and Crumb Coat

9 large egg whites
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure lemon extract
Ingredients for the Frosting
5 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure lemon extract

Directions

1. Make the filling and crumb coat: Cook egg whites and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly until sugar is completely dissolved. Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; mix on high speed until mixture is room temperature. With the mixer on medium-low, add butter, one piece at a time, mixing well after each addition.

2. Remove whisk attachment and switch to paddle attachment. Increase speed to high and beat until buttercream comes together, about 5 minutes; beat in lemon extract.

3. Make the frosting: In a clean saucepan and bowl of an electric mixer, repeat process in step 1.
Decorations for the cake: Have fun! Use multicolored sprinkles and other adornments. Make little flags from different colored construction paper and hang using thin culinary string.

Fun Fact: Want to remember the basic colors of the rainbow? Try this mnemonic: Roy G. Biv Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet.

How to get this shot:
Featured Guest: Olga Franco
ApertureFNumber: f/22.0
Make: Canon
Model: Canon EOS 50D
ExposureTime: 13/10
FNumber: 22/1
ExposureProgram: 1
ISOSpeedRatings: 100
MaxApertureValue: 4/1
MeteringMode: 5
Flash: 16

easy desserts & recipes: oh, look! a rainbow! (cake)

MyFudo — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 09:13:00 +0000

My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky…
~William Wordsworth

Bloggers We Adore: MyFudo’s Editors Choice award goes to…

Rainbow Cake (Recipe from Kaitlin Flannery)

Ingredients for the Cake

Vegetable shortening
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/3 cups sugar
5 large egg whites, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups milk, room temperature
Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple gel food coloring
Lemony Swiss Meringue Buttercream (recipe below)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush six 9-inch-round cake pans (or as many 9-inch cake pans as you have, reusing them as necessary) with shortening. Line bottom of each cake pan with parchment paper; brush again and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar. Slowly add egg whites and mix until well combined. Add vanilla and mix until fully incorporated. Add flour mixture and milk in two alternating additions, beginning with the flour and ending with the milk. Mix until well combined.

3. Divide batter evenly between six medium bowls. Add enough of each color of food coloring to each bowl, whisking, until desired shade is reached. Transfer each color to an individual cake pan. Transfer to oven and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, about 15 minutes (working in batches if necessary).

4. Remove cakes from oven and transfer to a wire rack; let cool for 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto a wire rack; re-invert and let cool completely.

5. Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes to make level. Place four strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate or lazy Susan. Place the purple layer on the cake plate. Spread a scant 1 cup buttercream filling over the first layer with a small offset spatula so it extends just beyond edges. Repeat process with blue, green, yellow, and orange layers.

6. Place the remaining red layer on top, bottom-side up. Gently sweep away any loose crumbs with a pastry brush. Using an offset spatula, cover the top and sides with a thin layer of frosting (also use any of the excess frosting visible between the layers). Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.

7. Using an offset spatula, cover cake again with remaining frosting.

Ingredients for the Filling and Crumb Coat

9 large egg whites
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure lemon extract
Ingredients for the Frosting
5 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure lemon extract

Directions

1. Make the filling and crumb coat: Cook egg whites and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly until sugar is completely dissolved. Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; mix on high speed until mixture is room temperature. With the mixer on medium-low, add butter, one piece at a time, mixing well after each addition.

2. Remove whisk attachment and switch to paddle attachment. Increase speed to high and beat until buttercream comes together, about 5 minutes; beat in lemon extract.

3. Make the frosting: In a clean saucepan and bowl of an electric mixer, repeat process in step 1.
Decorations for the cake: Have fun! Use multicolored sprinkles and other adornments. Make little flags from different colored construction paper and hang using thin culinary string.

Fun Fact: Want to remember the basic colors of the rainbow? Try this mnemonic: Roy G. Biv Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet.

easy desserts & recipes: yellow butter mini cake

MyFudo — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 12:21:02 +0000

Who doesn’t like the good old American classic yellow butter cake with chocolate frosting? This is a go to cake to bake for birthdays. It is easy to whip up and it is sturdy enough to travel to any location in your cake carrier. Best of all it is old fashioned goodness; solid, buttery cake with creamy, rich chocolate frosting. The smell when you bake it is so full that you feel you are eating the cake when you inhale. Could you imagine being in the house when this cake is baked, knowing you won’t get to eat it?!

Having children and baking for an occasion in which they may not partake is not easy. Recently, this was the case because a coworker was having a birthday. “Are you making that for us?” is a question you are bound to hear when this happens. Guilt washes over as a mumbled “No.” falls from your lips. A solution to this dilemma is to save a small portion of cake batter and frosting allowing you to make a mini-cake. No one will miss the tiny amount of batter and frosting, but your children (and/ or your hubby, significant other or roommate) will be thrilled that you thought of them when they find out that, yes, they can eat that cute little cake.

You can simply put the extra batter in a small single pan or you can have a little fun and make a four layer mini-cake as we did using four little cake pans. (You could use one cake pan over and over as long as you line it with fresh parchment paper each time. And, of course, you’ll have to allow it time to cool before removing the cake from the pan.)

Adapted from “Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook.“

Yellow Butter Cake

Ingredients

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9-by-2-inch round cake pans; line the bottoms with parchment paper. Butter parchment, and dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside. Into a medium bowl, sift together flours, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour; beat until combined after each addition.

3. Divide batter between the prepared pans, and smooth with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until cakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 20 minutes. Invert cakes onto the rack; peel off the parchment. Reinvert cakes and let them cool completely, top sides up.

Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients

24 ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon boiling water
3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
Pinch of salt

Directions

1. Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water. Turn off heat; stir occasionally until chocolate has melted completely, about 15 minutes. Set bowl on countertop, and let chocolate cool to room temperature, 25 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine cocoa powder and boiling water in a small bowl; stir until cocoa is dissolved.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, confectioners’ sugar, and salt on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add melted chocolate; beat on low speed until combined, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in cocoa mixture.

3. Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes to make level; brush off crumbs. Place four strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate or lazy Susan. Place the first layer on the cake plate, and spread top with 3/4 cup of frosting. Place the second layer on top, bottom side up, and spread top with 3/4 cup of frosting; repeat process with the third layer. Place the remaining layer on top of the third layer, bottom-side up; insert a dowel into the center of cakes if necessary. Spread entire cake with remaining frosting. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired or use your imagination and play with your decorating tips.

easy desserts & recipes: yellow butter mini cake

MyFudo — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 12:21:02 +0000

Adapted from “Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook.“

Yellow Butter Cake

Ingredients

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9-by-2-inch round cake pans; line the bottoms with parchment paper. Butter parchment, and dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside. Into a medium bowl, sift together flours, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour; beat until combined after each addition.

3. Divide batter between the prepared pans, and smooth with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until cakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 20 minutes. Invert cakes onto the rack; peel off the parchment. Reinvert cakes and let them cool completely, top sides up.

Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients

24 ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon boiling water
3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
Pinch of salt

Directions

1. Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water. Turn off heat; stir occasionally until chocolate has melted completely, about 15 minutes. Set bowl on countertop, and let chocolate cool to room temperature, 25 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine cocoa powder and boiling water in a small bowl; stir until cocoa is dissolved.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, confectioners’ sugar, and salt on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add melted chocolate; beat on low speed until combined, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in cocoa mixture.

3. Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes to make level; brush off crumbs. Place four strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate or lazy Susan. Place the first layer on the cake plate, and spread top with 3/4 cup of frosting. Place the second layer on top, bottom side up, and spread top with 3/4 cup of frosting; repeat process with the third layer. Place the remaining layer on top of the third layer, bottom-side up; insert a dowel into the center of cakes if necessary. Spread entire cake with remaining frosting. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired or use your imagination and play with your decorating tips.