Spiderweb Chocolate Fudge Cake

Throughout this whole week I am trying to post fall- and Halloween-related treats that would be just right for any festive get-togethers you may be attending this weekend.  A spiderweb chocolate cake is very, very easy to make.  You can simply make any chocolate cake (or really, just any cake) you wish, coat it with a layer of ganache, and before the ganache sets make the spiderweb design.  It looks impressive but couldn’t be easier.

All you will need is some powdered sugar, milk, a squeeze bottle (or plastic bag with a small tip cut off) and a toothpick.  Combine some powdered sugar with a very small amount of milk to get a consistency that will drizzle but in a relatively thick stream.  (For those who decorate with royal icing, you want this to be somewhere between the thickness you would use for piping and for flooding.)  Transfer the mixture to a squeeze bottle (a baggie is okay too, but I have better control with a squeeze bottle.)  Once the ganache has been smoothed onto the cake, make concentric circles over the ganache with the powdered sugar glaze.  Immediately use a toothpick dragged outward from the center to create the web effect, cleaning the toothpick between each line.  Let the glaze and ganache set – and that’s it!

A couple of notes – I used Dorie Greenspan’s Almost-Fudge Gateau for this.  It is one of my absolute favorite cakes, and seemed just right for this variation.  Also, be sure to make your web effect immediately after circling the glaze onto the ganache.  I was tending to Andrew for just a minute or two and the glaze had already started to set.   I think it still turned out pretty cute though!  It would also look infinitely better with a plastic spider from the Halloween aisle, but I didn’t want to buy one just for this and don’t tend to have those hanging around my house.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie Bars

In case you have ever wanted just a quick and easy, small serving of pumpkin pie without going to the effort of making the pie, these bars are the answer.  These sweet treats are perfect in every way. They really do taste just like pumpkin pie.  Because of that, the texture might not be exactly what you are expecting simply because they are a bar dessert.  I was thinking they would be more solid and cookie like, like other bars but they have that semi-solid and smooth texture of pumpkin pie filling.  The oats and chopped pecans in the crust and topping add a depth of flavor and texture that goes above and beyond a classic pie crust or graham cracker crust.  And of course we all know that I am powerless against anything including butterscotch chips so I was bound to love these – they were the perfect addition!  I can’t wait to make them again.  It may have to be very soon!

It’s that pumpkin time of year!  Try these other pumpkin goodies:
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Pumpkin Pie Fudge
Pumpkin Spice Granola
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Pumpkin Cake with Butterscotch Filling

Pumpkin Pie Bars
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Ingredients:
For the crust and topping:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
12 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup old-fashioned oats
½ cup chopped pecans

For the filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree
1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Butterscotch chips, for topping

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with foil, extending the foil over the edges of the pan.  Lightly grease the foil.  Combine the flour, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a small mixing bowl and toss with a fork.  Add the pieces of butter to the dry ingredients and cut it in with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in the oats and chopped pecans.

Reserve 1 cup of the crust mixture and set aside.  Add the remaining crust mixture to the prepared baking pan and press onto the bottom of the pan in an even layer.  Bake the crust alone in the oven for 15 minutes.  In the meantime, prepare the filling.

To make the filling, combine the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Mix on medium speed until smooth and well combined.

Once the crust has been removed from the oven, pour the filling into the pan and smooth over the crust.  Sprinkle with the reserved crumb mixture and butterscotch chips, as desired.  Bake for 25 minutes, remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.  Slice and serve.

Source: adapted from Joy the Baker, originally from Kraft

Caramel Apple Cheescake Pie

That’s quite the title, isn’t it?  I know it’s kind of long but I thought it was imperative that you all understand just how much awesomeness is contained in this one dessert.  It starts out with a graham cracker crust, then a layer of caramel and pecans, lots of caramelized apples, topped with a layer of cheesecake, and finished off with whipped cream swirled with more caramel and pecans.  I had a bag full of apples from the orchard and a half bottle of homemade caramel leftover from the banana caramel cupcakes, so I really had no choice but to make this dessert!

I probably don’t even need to tell you how fantastic it was, since I am sure you can figure that out just from the pictures and description alone.  This was one of those desserts that I ate every night until it was gone, despite several other sweet options in the house.  Not only that, I had mentioned it to a coworker who then requested it for his birthday the following week.  I brought it in and suddenly became quite popular with all the employees in that department.  It’s just that good!

I used homemade caramel both times I made this, but you could certainly use the jarred kind if you prefer.  But I encourage you to try homemade – it’s easier than you might think, and it tastes heavenly!

Want fun ways to get your “apple a day”?  Try these recipes:
Apple Cranberry Crisp
Apple Pie Cupcakes
French Apple Tart
Apple Crumble Bars

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie
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Ingredients:
For the crust:
1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tbsp. sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon
5 1/3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
½-¾ cup caramel
1 cup chopped pecans

For the apple filling:
5 tbsp. unsalted butter
½ cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
5-6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

For the cheesecake:
8 oz. cream cheese
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the topping:
¾ cup heavy cream
3-4 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
¼-½ cup caramel
Chopped pecans

Directions:
To make the crust, preheat the oven to 375° F.  Line the bottom of a 9-inch round springform pan with parchment paper.  In a medium mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and melted butter.  Toss with a fork until all the crumbs are moistened and the ingredients are evenly mixed.  Transfer the mixture to the prepared springform pan and press the crumbs in an even layer over the pan bottom and about half to two-thirds of the way up the sides of the pan.  Bake for 6-8 minutes, until golden in color.  Let cool for about 10 minutes.  Pour a layer of caramel into the bottom of the crust and sprinkle evenly with the chopped pecans.  Refrigerate the crust while you prepare the filling.

To make the apple filling, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Mix in the brown sugar, salt and cinnamon and cook for 1 minute, until bubbling.  Mix in the apple slices and toss well to coat.  Cook over medium to medium-high heat until tender and most of the liquid has been reduced, about 15-20 minutes.  Let cool for a few minutes and pour into the prepared pie shell.  Set aside.

Reduce the heat of the oven to 350° F.  To make the cheesecake layer, combine the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute.   Mix in the vanilla, egg and lemon juice until fully incorporated and smooth, 1-2 minutes.  Spread the cheesecake filling into an even layer over the top of the cooked apples in the crust.  Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.  Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

To serve, carefully remove the sides of the springform pan.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form (being careful not to overbeat.)  Spread gently over the top of the chilled cheesecake layer.  Top with dollops of caramel sauce and swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect.  Sprinkle with a handful of chopped pecans if desired.  Slice with a long, thin knife to serve.

Source: adapted from Ezra Pound Cake, originally from Mimi Hodges, the winner of Good Morning, America’s “Pie of Emeril’s Eye” Contest, 2000

Banana Caramel Cupcakes

Sometimes I could truly kick myself for having a recipe saved for so long before finally trying it.  This one had been sitting waiting patiently for a year and a half.  At least for me, it’s easy for banana caramel to be overlooked in favor of something uber chocolatey or maybe something involving cheesecake – but I will not make that mistake again.  These cupcakes are truly divine.  The banana flavor in the cake and the caramel in the frosting are both prominent and compliment each other perfectly.  I am normally not one to play around with baking recipes for fear of a batter that will never solidify or be far too dry, but I did make some alterations to this and they ended up working out really well.  As an added bonus, any recipe that leaves me with a leftover squeeze-bottle full of homemade caramel sauce – well, that’s a winner.

I’m not going to lie – the frosting takes a looong time to make.  It took quite a while for the egg-sugar mixture to reach the desired temperature.  (Next time I’ll be absolutely sure my eggs are at room temperature – I may have skipped that step.)  Not only that, but as you add the butter, it seems like it is never going to come together and you think you just wasted all that time.  But then, you add the last couple pieces and some magical state is reached that transforms it into a nice, thick buttercream.  Finally you mix in the caramel and the texture becomes silky smooth and the flavor the caramel contributes takes this to a whole new level.  It may have been an ordeal to make, but I think it was completely worth the effort.  This may be my new favorite frosting.  Stay tuned next week to see what I did with my leftover caramel (it’s gooood!)

Bananas about bananas?  Check out some other yummy banana treats:
Banana Cream Pie
Banana Biscotti
Roasted Banana Ice Cream
Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
Banana Crumb Muffins

Banana Caramel Cupcakes
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Yield: 24+ cupcakes*

Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
12 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2½ cups sugar
6 eggs
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. buttermilk
1 1/3 cups mashed ripe banana

For the caramel:
8 tbsp. unsalted butter
½ cup heavy cream
1 cup packed light brown sugar

For the frosting:
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
¾ cup sugar
Pinch of salt
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 1 tbsp. pieces, at room temperature

Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.  In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt; whisk together and set aside.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Reduce the mixer speed to medium low and add in eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Mix in 1 the mashed banana until well combined.  With the mixer on low speed alternately add the dry ingredients and buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and mixing only until just incorporated.

Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 to ¾ full.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20-22 minutes.  Allow to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the caramel sauce, combine the butter, heavy cream and brown sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat.  Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.  Once it reaches a boil, lower the heat to medium and continue to boil until the mixture is thickened, about 8 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool.

To make the frosting, combine the egg whites and sugar in a large heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water.  Heat the mixture, whisking very frequently, until the sugar is completely dissolved and reaches 160° F on an instant read thermometer.  Transfer the mixture to the clean, dry bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Beat on medium-high speed until the mixture holds stiff peaks.  Reduce the speed to medium low, add in the salt and begin adding the butter one piece at a time, beating well after each addition.  Stir in ½ cup of the cooled caramel sauce until well blended.

Frost the cooled cupcakes with the caramel buttercream, and drizzle with the remaining caramel sauce.  (If the caramel has cooled too much to be easily drizzled, heat for 10 seconds in the microwave and stir well to thin it a bit.)

*Note: I made 1.5 batches of batter, and baked 36 cupcakes.  However, I still felt like I dumped quite a bit down the drain.  I don’t know the exact amount, but this makes a lot of cupcakes!

Source: adapted from Half Baked via Blake Makes

Peach Blueberry Cake

I know it’s fall now and peaches and blueberries are probably the last thing on your mind, but I just had to share this cake.  I honestly couldn’t even decide if I should really call this a cake because the method for making it is so unique and the end result is some amazing hybrid of a cake, pie, and cobbler all rolled into one.  The dough portion of the cake is made in the food processor and then pressed into a springform pan.  The center is filled with delicious fruit and then the whole thing is baked.  The end result is part cake on the outside, and the portion under the fruit stays a bit gooey, reminding me of an upside-down cobbler.  Whatever you want to call it, it is delicious and was very popular.  The only drawback I suppose it that this cake is really best the day it is made, especially while it is still warm.  Due to all the fruit in the center, a lot of juice comes out when you cut into it but the juice goes nicely with the scoop of vanilla ice cream you will surely serve alongside.

Peach Blueberry Cake
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Ingredients:
For the dough:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
16 tbsp. cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the filling:
¾ cup sugar
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. quick-cooking tapioca
5-6 peaches, pitted and cut into 8 pieces each
1½ cups blueberries
1½ tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375° F.   To make the dough, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade.  Pulse just to combine.   Add in the butter chunks and pulse until the butter forms small bits about the size of peas.  Add the eggs and vanilla and pulse again until the dough clumps together and forms a ball.

Transfer the dough to a 9-inch springform pan.  Press the dough evenly all the way up the sides of the pan, and cover the bottom completely.  Chill the pan in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes while you prepare the filling.

Stir together the sugar, flour and tapioca in a large bowl.  Mix in the peaches, blueberries and lemon juice, and toss gently to coat the fruit.   Spoon the filling into the prepared pastry dough.  Cover the pan loosely with foil.  Place the springform pan on a baking sheet in case any juice leaks out during baking.

Place in the oven and bake until the filling is bubbling in the center and the crust is golden, about 1 hour and 45 minutes.  Transfer the pan to a wire cooling rack and let cool at least 20 minutes.  Carefully remove the sides of the pan.  Let the cake cool until just warm, then cut and serve with vanilla ice cream as desired.

Source: adapted from Food Gal, who adapted it from Gourmet, August 2005

Guinness and Bailey’s Irish Cream Cupcakes

My friend and coworker Ryan had a birthday recently and asked if I had ever heard of Guinness cake with Bailey’s frosting.  Car bomb cupcakes – of course!  Not only had I heard of them, I’d been dying for an opportunity to try them.  For those unfamiliar, an Irish car bomb is a drink consisting of a shot of Bailey’s and whiskey and a glass of Guinness.  Sounds innocent enough, until you find out that the shot is dropped into the Guinness and the whole thing must be chugged before a foamy mess is all over the place.  I have never tried this concoction, though I have seen Ben and his friends do this more times than I care to mention.   Though I can’t vouch for the drink, I can definitely vouch for these cupcakes.

Wow, these are fantastic cupcakes.  They consist of a Guinness chocolate cake base, are filled with a Bailey’s-spiked ganache, and topped with Bailey’s buttercream frosting.  It sounds like a winning combination and it really, really is.  These were hugely popular with the coworkers and received many thumbs up all throughout the day.  They are fun to make, pretty, and they smell phenomenal.  The beer flavor isn’t very prominent, but rather adds a nice depth to the chocolate cake.  The Bailey’s ganache filling – I almost skipped it, but thank goodness I didn’t.  It really put these over the top to amazingness.  The Bailey’s buttercream was delicious as well and the flavor of the Bailey’s really came through.  I did have to add quite a bit more Bailey’s than the original recipe indicates (darn!) but it turned out fine in the end.  These are sure to be a hit wherever you serve them!

Guinness and Bailey’s Irish Cream Cupcakes
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Yield: 24 cupcakes
Ingredients:
For the Guinness chocolate cupcakes:
1 cup stout (Guinness)
16 tbsp. unsalted butter
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1½ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

For the Bailey’s ganache filling:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. butter, at room temperature
2 tsp. Bailey’s Irish cream

For the Bailey’s buttercream frosting:
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3-4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
4-8 tbsp. Bailey’s Irish cream

Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.  Combine the stout and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs and sour cream to blend.  Add the stout-butter mixture and beat just to combine.  Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed just until incorporated.  Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3 to ¾ full.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 17 minutes.  Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the ganache filling, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl.  Heat the cream in a small saucepan until simmering, then pour it over the chocolate.  Let sit for one minute and then whisk until smooth.  If the chocolate is not completely melted, place the bowl over a double boiler or give it a very short burst in the microwave (15-20 seconds).  Add the butter and Bailey’s and stir until combined.

Set aside to let the ganache cool until it is thick enough to be piped.  (You can use the refrigerator to speed the cooling process, but be sure to stir every 10 minutes or so to ensure even cooling.)  Meanwhile, cut out a portion from the center of the cupcake using the cone method (a small paring knife works best for this).  Once the ganache has reached the correct consistency, transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a wide tip and pipe it into the cupcakes.

To make the frosting, place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.  Gradually add the powdered sugar until it is all incorporated.  Mix in the Bailey’s until smooth.  Add more if necessary until the frosting has reached a good consistency for piping or spreading.  Frost the cupcakes as desired.

Source: adapted from Smitten Kitchen

M&M Ice Cream

M&M’s have been my favorite candy for as long as I can remember.  I remember getting them as a reward for doing good things as a kid – maybe that’s where my love started.  Regardless, my affection for this candy has not faded.  I find M&Ms incredibly addicting.  So it comes as no surprise that I’ve been dying to incorporate them into an ice cream.  I actually tried one version from my Ben & Jerry’s ice cream book last year, and though it tasted good, it just wasn’t quite the perfection I was hoping for.  The texture was off and the thing that bothered me the most was that the colored candy shells melted a bit when the candy was mixed in, causing this ugly smeared color effect.  That old slogan, “They melt in your mouth, not in your hand,” is just plain wrong!  Not only do they melt in my hand, they melt in ice cream – which is cold!  This just wouldn’t do.

I brainstormed until I came up with a version I knew would be successful, and it most definitely was!  I decided to try David Lebovitz’s French-style vanilla ice cream as the base because I wanted something thick and creamy that stayed frozen well.  As to the problem of the ugly color smearing, I simply froze the M&Ms for about an hour before I mixed them into the ice cream – voila!  It worked wonders.  The colored candy shells  stayed where they were supposed to and the ice cream tasted fantastic.  Despite many other tempting treats in the house, I ate this every night until every last bite was  gone.

M&M Ice Cream
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Ingredients:
1 cup whole milk
¾ cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
Pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
6 large egg yolks
¾ tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup M&Ms

Directions:
Combine the milk, sugar and 1 cup of the cream in a medium saucepan.  Heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through.  Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the mixture and add the husk of the bean as well.  Cover the saucepan, remove from the heat and set aside to steep for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Pour the remaining 1 cup of cream into a large bowl with a fine mesh sieve set over the top.  In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks.  Slowly pour some of the warm milk mixture into the bowl with the egg yolks, whisking constantly to temper the eggs.  Continue until you have added all of the milk mixture.  Return the mixture to the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, being sure to scrape the bottom of the pan as you stir.  Continue cooking until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon (about 170-175°F.)  Pour the custard through the mesh sieve and stir it into the cream.  Place the vanilla bean into the custard mixture, stir in the vanilla extract, and stir until cool over an ice bath.  Cover and chill thoroughly in the refrigerator.

At least 1 hour before you are ready to freeze your ice cream, place the M&Ms in the freezer.  Remove the vanilla bean from the ice cream batter, stir well, and freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Transfer about one third of the ice cream to a freezer-safe air-tight container.  Top with about a third of the frozen M&Ms and gently fold them in to the ice cream with a spatula.  Repeat this layering and folding process until all the ice cream is in the container and all the candy has been incorporated.  Freeze until ready to serve.

Source: adapted from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

Boston Cream Pie

Recently a couple of our good friends came over for dinner.  Since one of them had just celebrated a birthday, I thought a birthday-appropriate dessert was in order.  I remembered that he had absolutely LOVED the Boston cream pie cupcakes that I made for them a while back, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to try out a real Boston cream pie.  In case you aren’t familiar, a Boston cream pie is two layers of yellow sponge cake filled with vanilla pastry cream and coated with chocolate ganache.  Why is it called a pie, you ask?  Supposedly it did originate in Boston in the 19th century, and back then pie pans were much more common kitchen equipment than cake pans – hence the name.

There is nothing particularly complicated about this cake.  You just need to ensure that you set aside enough time to let the pastry cream chill and the ganache set.  I have professed my undying love for this pastry cream before, and I still feel the same way.  All that wonderfulness in combination with the light, moist sponge cake and the smooth ganache yields a truly fabulous dessert.

One kitchen trick I have heard about previously but never remembered to try until now is to use strips of wax or parchment paper under the edges of your cake on the cake board.  You leave them there until the glaze sets and simply peel them away.  This prevents the excess glaze from making the cake board messy.  It really did a nice job and I will be sure to use this technique again in the future.

Boston Cream Pie
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Ingredients:
For the pastry cream:
2 cups half-and-half
½ cup (3.5 oz.) sugar
Pinch of salt
5 large egg yolks
3 tbsp. cornstarch
4 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1½ tsp. vanilla extract

For the sponge cake:
½ cup (2 oz.) cake flour
¼ cup (1.25 oz.) all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
3 tbsp. milk
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
½ tsp. vanilla extract
5 large eggs, at room temperature
¾ cup (5.25 oz.) sugar

For the ganache:
1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup light corn syrup
8 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
½ tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
To make the pastry cream, heat the half-and-half, 6 tablespoons of the sugar, and the salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat until simmering, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar.  Meanwhile, combine the egg yolks and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl and whisk until the sugar has begun to dissolve and the mixture is creamy, about 15 seconds.  Whisk in the cornstarch until combined and the mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 30 seconds.

When the half-and-half mixture has reached a simmer, slowly add it to the egg yolk mixture to temper, whisking constantly.  Return the mixture to the saucepan, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Return the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until a few bubbles burst on the surface and the mixture is thickened and glossy, about 30 seconds.  Off the heat, whisk in the butter and vanilla.  Strain the pastry cream through a  fine mesh sieve set over a medium bowl.  Press plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until cold and set, at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.

To make the cake, adjust an oven rack to lower middle position.  Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line the bottoms of two 9-inch round cake pans with wax or parchment paper.  Grease and flour the sides of the pans; set aside.  In a small bowl, whisk together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt.  Combine the milk and butter in a small saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until the butter melts.  Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla; set aside.

Separate 3 of the eggs, putting the whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and reserving the 3 yolks plus the other 2 whole eggs in a separate bowl.  Fit the mixer with the whisk attachment and beat the 3 whites on low speed until foamy.  Increase the mixer speed to medium and gradually incorporate 6 tablespoons of the sugar.  Continue beating until the whites form soft, moist peaks, being careful not to overbeat.  Transfer the egg whites to a clean mixing bowl and add the yolk-whole egg mixture to the stand mixer bowl.  Beat the egg mixture with the remaining 6 tablespoons of sugar at medium-high speed until the mixture is very thick and pale yellow in color, about 5 minutes.

Add the beaten eggs to the bowl with the egg whites.  Sprinkle the flour mixture over the beaten eggs and whites.  Fold in very gently with a spatula, about 12 strokes.  Make a well in one side of the batter and pour the milk-butter mixture into the well.  Continue folding until the batter shows no trace of flour and the eggs are evenly mixed.

Immediately divide the batter between the prepared cake pans.  Bake until the tops are light brown and spring back when touched, about 16 minutes.  Immediately run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cakes.  Place one pan on a towel and cover the pan with a plate.  Invert the pan so that the cake is upside down on the plate.  Peel off the wax paper and reinvert the cake onto a wire rack to cool completely.  Repeat with the second cake layer.

To make the glaze, combine the heavy cream and corn syrup in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer.  Remove from the heat and add the chocolate; cover and let stand for 8 minutes.  (If the chocolate has not completely melted, return the saucepan to low heat and stir constantly until melted.)  Stir in the vanilla extract very gently until smooth.  Cool the glaze until tepid so that a spoonful drizzled back into the pan mounds slightly.  (You can refrigerate the glaze to speed up this process, stirring every few minutes to ensure even cooling.)

To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on a cardboard cake circle.  Place strips of parchment or wax paper underneath the edges of the cake all the way around the perimeter.  If desired, reserve about half a cup of pastry cream for decorating.  Spread the remaining pastry cream in an even layer on the first cake layer, all the way to the edges.  Top with the remaining cake layer and press down gently.  Pour the glaze onto the middle of the top cake layer and let it flow down the sides of the cake.  Use a spatula, if necessary, to help cover the sides completely.  Let the cake sit until the glaze fully sets, about 1 hour.  This cake is best served the day it is made.

Source: adapted from Baking Illustrated

Flourless Chocolate Cake

I’ve mentioned it countless times before, but any time I see a recipe for a super chocolatey dessert, it is inevitable that I will try it eventually.  I have made other similarly decadent chocolate cakes, but had yet to try a true flourless version.  Recently my friends and I threw together a wine and cheese night in honor of a friend who was moving out of town.  I thought a flourless chocolate cake seemed like a fitting dessert for such an occasion, and it really was.  One thing that I think is so cool about this cake is the fact that it only contains three ingredients: butter, eggs and chocolate.   Clearly, chocolate is the star here with no frills or other flavors to detract attention.  You can add up to ¼ cup of strong coffee or liqueur, but I didn’t bother – chocolate tastes too good on its own.

For a cake with only three ingredients, this actually took a bit longer than I expected to prepare, mainly due to the beating of the eggs.  Thankfully the recipe has guidelines for the volume the eggs should achieve because after beating them for the recommended 5 minutes, they weren’t even close to being ready for mixing with the chocolate.  This cake has an amazing smooth, dense texture that melts in your mouth.  We did split up some leftovers at the end of the party, but the portion I brought home did not survive long.  Be sure to let the cake sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before slicing and serving.  It makes a huge difference to the slice-ability and texture.

More fabulous chocolate desserts:
Almost-Fudge Gateau
Chewy, Fudgy Triple Chocolate Brownies
Brownie Cookies
Chocolate Decadence
Chocolate Overdose Cake

Flourless Chocolate Cake
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Ingredients:
8 large eggs, cold
1 lb. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325° F and adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position.  Grease the sides of an 8-inch springform pan*
and line the bottom with parchment paper.  Wrap the outside of the pan tightly with heavy duty foil and set in a larger baking pan.  Bring a pot of water to boil.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment beat the eggs at high speed until the volume doubles to approximately 1 quart (about 5-10 minutes).

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.  Heat until smooth and very warm (about 115° F), stirring once or twice.  Fold about a third of the beaten eggs into the chocolate mixture using a large rubber spatula until only a few streaks of egg are visible.  Fold in half of the remaining eggs, and then the last half, until the mixture is homogenous.

Scrape the batter into the prepared springform pan and smooth the surface with a spatula.  Pour enough boiling water into the larger pan surrounding the springform to come about halfway up the sides of the springform.  Bake until the cake has risen slightly, the edges are just beginning to set, and an instant-read thermometer inserted halfway into the center reads 140° F, 22-25 minutes.  Remove the springform from the water bath and set on a wire rack; cool to room temperature.  Cover and refrigerate overnight to mellow the flavor.  The cake can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.

About 3o minutes prior to serving, carefully remove the sides of the springform pan, invert the cake onto a plate to peel off the parchment paper, and reinvert onto a serving platter.  Sprinkle lightly with confectioners’ sugar.  Use a sharp, thin knife to slice the cake, dipping it into a pitcher of hot water and wiping the blade before each cut.

*Note – a 9-inch springform may be used as well, but you will need to adjust the baking time to 18-20 minutes.

Source: adapted from Baking Illustrated

Fun with Fondant

For so long I have seen cakes, cupcakes and more decorated with fondant and absolutely loved the way they looked.  The smooth finish and ability to mold it into anything you want allows so many fun and creative ideas to take shape.  The gorgeous end products always looked so great that for a long time, I didn’t think it was something I was capable of doing myself.  Then I decided to make an attempt at fondant for Andrew’s birthday cake this year and it was far easier than I ever could have imagined.  So, for anyone else who has ever been as intimidated as I was, fear no longer!  I decided to create this little tutorial to help you all realize how simple fondant is to work with, and how fun it can be.  If you are capable of playing with Play-doh, you can decorate with fondant!

I’ve been wanting to do this post for quite some time, but was looking for a reason to make some fondant cupcakes.  Then my food blogging buddy Elly shared the happy news with me that she is expecting her first baby.  She mentioned she was looking for a fun way to announce the pregnancy on her blog, but didn’t have the energy to bake anything (I don’t blame her – growing a baby is tiring!)  I gladly offered to bake something for her announcement, and decided to use this as an opportunity to make this little how-to guide.  Head over to her blog to congratulate her on the new addition!

Supplies you will need:
A batch of fondant (homemade or store-bought)
Vegetable shortening (this is key – you will use it frequently throughout the process)
Gel icing colors
Toothpicks
Buttercream in a pastry bag for extra detailing, if desired

Also, a batch of frosting to help the fondant adhere to your cupcakes.  I always use my favorite vanilla buttercream.

A mat or work surface for rolling and cutting the fondant
A fondant rolling pin
Circular cutters to cut the base rounds of fondant (I don’t have graduated circular cutters, so I just use whatever I can find around the kitchen)
A variety of other items that might be useful for cutting shapes, like small circles (pastry tips work wonderfully for me)
A small sharp knife for cutting out freehand shapes (I bought a craft knife to use solely for this purpose)

You also need – a plan!  I actually make this long before gathering all of my supplies, but didn’t want to put this picture too close to the top of the post for fear someone would glance and think I’m the pregnant one – haha!  I always find that sketching out my ideas before starting such projects really helps when it comes time to create.  I also used my sketch to trace some shape templates (the pink card stock).  These helped guide my cutting later in the process, and helped ensure that all of the little critters were the same size.

You will need a batch of cupcakes frosted in a thinner, uniform layer of buttercream.

Take a hunk of fondant and smear some of the gel coloring into the center.  Fold the edges around the gel and start kneading the fondant to evenly distribute the color.  You can use any method of kneading you would like, but I try to keep the main deposit of color in the center rather than on the outside to prevent too much of it getting on my hands.  (I think one of my fingers was dyed for two weeks after Andrew’s birthday!)

As you knead, you will start to see a marbled effect.  Just keep going until you are happy with the distribution, adding more dye if necessary to achieve your desired color.  If at any time during kneading the fondant starts to feel dry or tear, rub a very small amount of vegetable shortening on your hands and continue working.  This will help the fondant stay moist.

Repeat with remaining hunks of fondant until you have all the colors you need.  Any fondant that is not in use should be wrapped in plastic wrap and sealed in a plastic bag to prevent it from drying out.

Before rolling out your fondant, use the vegetable shortening to lightly grease the work surface and the rolling pin.   This is key – it prevents everything from sticking.  Roll out your first hunk of fondant into a very thin sheet.  There are rolling pin guides available to ensure a uniform thickness but I just eyeball it.

Use a round cutter that is just slightly bigger than the circumference of the top of your cupcake to cut out a round of fondant.  I tried a few different items before I settled on Andrew’s sippy cup lid – it was the perfect size.

Lay the round of fondant on top of the cupcake and gently smooth the fondant onto the cupcake so that it adheres evenly.  I find that holding the cupcake upside down with the fondant-covered top in my cupped palm and gently turning it helps to smooth it nicely.

Repeat this process until all of your cupcakes are covered.

Now we’re ready to decorate with fondant shapes and embellishments.  I cut out all the shapes at once so that I can easily add them all together and make sure they are placed correctly in relation to each other.  This pastry bag tip was the perfect size for the owl eyeballs.

I used the little shape templates I had cut out of card stock to trace the shapes of all the birds with my sharp craft knife.  The edges of the shape may look ragged after cutting, so just gently smooth them with your fingers.

Finally, “glue” the shapes on to the top of each cupcake by dipping your finger in water or a flavored extract and brushing a light layer on the back of the fondant shape, just enough to help it stick.

That’s it!  Get ready to make some cute creations using your new medium.