It Has Been A While

Hello! It's been a while... I hope to get back into the swing of things here. I severely broke my ankle last May and I had to have surgery. I missed the last week of school and didn't walk unassisted until just a few days before I went back to work, for this school year, in August.

I didn't do anything all summer long. I'm just getting back into the groove. I'm hoping that means more baking! I plan on continuing with my Bon Appetit recipe adventure and also, to showcase any fun and delicious recipes that I come across.

-Tiffiny

Bon Appetit: Semisweet Chocolate Layer Cake with Vanilla Cream Filling

This cake got me back to baking Bon Appetit recipes, after a long break. It was pretty good and all of my co-workers enjoyed it! Finally got to use some cake stencils that I had lying around.

Semisweet Chocolate Layer Cake with Vanilla Cream Filling

10 servings

Cake

1/2   cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder

2      ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao),           chopped

1/2   cup boiling water

1/2   cup buttermilk

1-1/3   cups cake flour

1      teaspoon baking soda

1/2   teaspoon salt

1-1/3   cups (packed) golden brown sugar

1/2   cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2      large eggs

1      teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream Filling

3      tablespoons cold water

1-3/4   teaspoons unflavored gelatin

2-1/4   cups chilled heavy whipping cream, divided

1/2   cup powdered sugar

1      teaspoon vanilla extract

Ganache

1-1/4   cups heavy whipping cream

1/3   cup light corn syrup

16   ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao),            chopped

1      teaspoon vanilla extract

Unsweetened cocoa powder or powdered sugar

CAKE: Position rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter three 8-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line pan bottoms with parchment paper; butter parchment. Combine cocoa powder and semisweet chocolate in medium bowl. Pour 1/2 cup coiling water over cocoa powder and chocolate and whisk until smooth. Whisk in buttermilk. Set chocolate mixture aside.

Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in another medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat brown sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended (mixture will not be smooth). Add eggs and vanilla and beat until light and creamy. Beat in dry ingredients and chocolate mixture. Transfer batter to prepared pans, dividing equally. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 15 minutes. Cut around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks; peel off parchment. Cool completely.

CREAM FILLING: Place 3 tablespoons cold water in small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over. Let stand until gelatin softens, about 10 minutes. Bring 1/2 cup cream just to simmer in heavy small saucepan. Add hot cream to softened gelatin; stir until gelatin dissolves. Place in refrigerator just until cool but not set, stirring frequently, 5 to 8 minutes. Using electric mixer, beat remaining 1-3/4 cups cream, sugar, and vanilla in medium bowl until peaks form. Gradually add gelatin mixture, beating until medium-firm peaks form.

Place 1 cake layer on 8-inch cardboard round or tart pan bottom. Spread half of filling over. Top with second cake layer. Spread remaining filling over. Top with third cake layer. Using icing spatula, remove any excess filling that  may have oozed out between layers. Chill on cardboard round until filling sets, about 2 hours.

GANACHE: Meanwhile, bring cream and corn syrup to simmer in heavy small saucepan. remove from heat. Add chocolate; whisk until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Cool until thick enough to spread, about 2 hours.

Place cake, still on cardboard, on rack set in center of baking sheet. Spread 1/4 of ganache over top and sides of cake. Chill cake 15 minutes. Spread 1/4 of remaining ganache over top and sides of cake again. Chill cake 1 hour. Rewarm remaining ganache in small saucepan over low heat just until lukewarm and pourable, stirring constantly. Pour ganache over cold cake, spreading as needed to cover top and sides. Chill until ganache is set, about 2 hours.

DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours before continuing.

Cut out paper heart shapes of differing sizes and lay flat atop cake. Sift cocoa powder or powdered sugar over. Carefully lift hearts from cake, revealing design, and serve.

Bon Appetit Desserts: Chocolate Decadence

Decadent is an understatement. This cake is almost pure chocolate!

This cake comes together quite quickly. It is sure to impress your co-workers... or anyone for that matter.

Chocolate Decadence
Although the pan is buttered and floured to prevent sticking, the cake itself is flourless. The decadence comes from a generous dose of bittersweet chocolate and butter, accented with Grand Marnier, Cognac (or Brandy), and espresso powder. 12 servings

1          pound bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped

10        tablespoons (1-1/4 sticks) unsalted butter

2          tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur

1          tablespoon Cognac or brandy

1          tablespoon instant espresso powder or coffee powder

6          large eggs

3/4       cup sugar

            Lightly sweetened whipped cream

            Fresh raspberries

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter and flour 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2-3/4-inch-high sides. Stir chocolate and butter in heavy large saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Whisk in Grand Marnier, Cognac, and espresso powder. Cool to lukewarm.

Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar in large bowl until tripled in volume, about 5 minutes. Fold 1/4 of beaten egg mixture into chocolate mixture to lighten, then fold chocolate mixture into remaining egg mixture. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs still attached, about 45 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack (cake will sink as it cools). Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Release pan sides.

DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and let stand still at room temperature.

Cut cake into wedges. Serve with whipped cream and berries.

My Bon Appetit Journey: Year Two

If you can believe it, I've been making Bon Appetit Dessert recipes for two years now! Year two was not very productive, but I did enjoy the cakes that I was able to make. This Bon Appetit journey, is just another reminder that things do not always go as we plan.

Links to all eleven (11) recipes are below! (My favorite are marked with an *)

1. Carrot Cake with Buttermilk Glaze and Cinnamon-Cream Cheese Frosting*

2. Parsnip Spice Cake with Ginger-Cream Cheese Frosting*

3. Glazed Lime Cake

4. Double-Ginger Gingerbread with Orange-Ginger Sauce

5. Cranberry-Maple Pudding Cake*

6. Apple-Cornmeal Upside-Down Cake

7. Caramel-Walnut Upside-Down Banana Cake*

8. Pineapple Upside-Down Pumpkin Gingerbread

9. Brown Sugar-Almond Cake with Caramel Frosting*

10. Upside-Down Spiced Peach Cake with Honey-Sweetened Whipped Cream*

11.  Raspberry Cake with Marsala, Creme Fraiche, and Raspberries*

My Bon Appetit Journey: One year of Bon Appetit Recipes

For the last year, I have been baking my way through the Bon Appetit Desserts Cookbook. I have always wanted to do something like this and since I have essentially been baking my entire life, I thought, why not jump in?

The last year has been fun and I shall continue with my cookbook efforts. This process should honestly take me over 12 years to complete. There are 631 pages in this book. I have already gone through the entire book and marked each year off, so that I can see what I am supposed to be doing.

What does year two hold? More cakes!! Year three? Some more cakes, cheesecakes, and pies! I am looking forward to year eight, which will be filled with ice creams, granitas, sorbets and the like... or maybe it's years eleven and twelve with cookies and candy!

I didn't make it to 52 recipes, but 23 is a pretty good effort!

Follow the links below, to take to you each of the recipes baked, in the last year:

1. Classic Pound Cake *

2. Deep Chocolate Pound Cake

3. Kumquat-Cardamom Tea Bread *

4. Hot Fudge Banana Pound Cake

5. Cornmeal Pound Cake with Rosemary Syrup, Poached pears, and Candied Rosemary *

6. Vanilla Chiffon Cake *

7. Angel Food Cake with Strawberry-Blueberry Sauce *

8. Orange-and Vanilla-Scented Bundt Cake

9. Apple-Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze *

10. Maple-Walnut Cake with Maple Glaze *

11. Raspberry-Yogurt Cake

12. Coconut Bundt Cake with Powdered Sugar Glaze *

13. Almond Butter Crown

14. Chocoloate-Apricot Kugelhopf with Chocolate Swirl Whipped Cream

15. Blueberry Coffee Cake

16. Spiced Crumble Cake With Chocolate Frosting

17. Sour Cream-Orange Coffee Cake with Chocolate-Pecan Streusel

18. Poppy Seed Coffee Cake with Cardamom Streusel *

19. Raisin Streusel Cake *

20. Cherry-Vanilla Tea Cake with Vanilla Sugar *

21. Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

22. Chocolate-Pecan Coffee Cake *

23. Texas Sheet Cake

*Family, friend, and neighbor standouts!!

I have enjoyed many of these cakes myself, but a couple that really stand out are the Kumquat-Cardamom Tea Cake, the Cherry-Vanilla Tea Cake with Vanilla Sugar, and the Coconut Bundt Cake with Powdered Sugar Glaze. Mmm mmm mmm!

I hope that you try a few of these recipes out. If you do, let me know what you think about them! I'll continue to bake my way through the Bon Appetit Desserts cookbook. It's going to be great!

Also, if you are interested in baking fair trade, I get my chocolate chips and my cocoa from Equal Exchange. Check them out! They sell a lot of great items. If you are in the mood for other fun chocolates (rice, quinoa, or sugar), check out Alter Eco.

** Remember that you are able to print these recipes out, by clicking on a link and scrolling down to the bottom of that post and clicking on the print button.**

Bon Appetit Desserts: Texas Sheet Cake

If you can believe it, I started my Bon Appetit Desserts Journey just over a year ago. I set out to make one recipe per week. That was quite the goal. Even though I love baking, it was just too large of a task while working full time and trying to have a life (I work more than an hour away from my home, so a lot of free time is spent traveling to and from work). Baking a Bon Appetit dessert once a week is also quite expensive. To date, I have made 23 of the 52 recipes that I had hoped to make this year. I will be posting a list of all of the recipes that I have made, in the next few days.

The recipe for the 23rd cake is below, Texas Sheet Cake!

Texas Sheet Cake

Cake

1-2/3      cups unbleached all purpose flour

2/3         cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4         teaspoon baking soda

3/4         teaspoon salt

1-1/2      cups sugar

3/4         cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2            large eggs

1            teaspoon vanilla extract

1            cup hot water


Glaze

2/3         cup heavy whipping cream

2            tablespoons sugar

6            ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (do not exceed        
              61% cacao), chopped

2            tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1-1/4      cups coarsely chopped pecans, toasted


CAKE: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter and flour 13x9x2-inch metal cake pan. Whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla. beat in half of dry ingredients, then 1 cup hot water, then remaining dry ingredients. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. (Mine took 30, adjust time if needed.) Cool cake in pan on rack.

GLAZE: Bring cream and sugar to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat and add chocolate and butter. Let stand 5 minutes; whisk until smooth. Drizzle half of glaze over cake; sprinkle with pecans. Drizzle with remaining glaze. Cool until glaze is set.

DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

Cut cake into squares and serve.

Bon Appetit says: There are lots of ways to change up the topping, such as adding coarsely crushed toffee bars, chocolate-coated espresso beans, or toasted coconut; or add mini marshmallows and toasted walnuts for a rocky road rendition.

I did not have enough pecans, so I added toasted coconut to my topping.

Bon Appetit Desserts: Chocolate-Pecan Coffee Cake

Wow! It has been a long while since I have been able to bake and post a recipe. I'm already in my second week of summer break, but last week was spent recovering from a food borne illness that I got at Disneyland's California Adventure. It was not pleasant and was not how I pictured spending my first week out of school. I am currently in my 4th week of my first grad class and I am feeling the heat. Today was the first day that I felt like I didn't have a ba-jillion assignments to do.

I celebrated by baking!

When reading the ingredients and procedure you might find yourself thinking, "A raisin and cream cheese topping with sugared pecans... on a chocolate cake?" I know that I did and you know what? It totally works!!

Chocolate-Pecan Coffee Cake

Topping

1          8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature

1/4       cup powdered sugar

1          large egg yolk

2/3       cup golden raisins


Cake

5          ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (I just used chocolate chips)

3/4       cup (packed) golden brown sugar

1-1/2    cups sifted unbleached all purpose flour (sifted, then measured)

3/4       teaspoon salt

6          Tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, diced

1/3       cup warm water (105ºF to 115ºF)

1          teaspoon sugar

1          1/4-ounce envelope active dry yeast

1          large egg, room temperature

6          Tablespoons milk, room temperature


Pecans

1          large egg white

1/2       cup sugar

1          cup pecan halves

**This cake must rise for an hour! Plan ahead.**

TOPPING: Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar, and egg yolk in small bowl to blend. Mix in raisins.

CAKE: Butter 9x9x2-inch metal baking pan. Finely grind chocolate and brown sugar in processor. transfer to bowl. Blend flour, cocoa, and salt in processor 5 seconds. Add butter; using on/off turns, chop finely. (I do not have a processor. I just whisked these ingredients and then cut the butter in.)

Combine 1/3 cup warm water, sugar, and yeast in large bowl. Stir to dissolve yeast. let stand until foamy, about 8 minutes. Mix in egg, milk, chocolate mixture, and flour mixture. Spread batter in prepared pan. Drop topping over batter by tablespoonfuls and spread carefully to cover.

pour boiling water in bottom of 8x8-inch pan to depth of 1-1/2 inches. Place pan with dough over pan with water. Cover pan with dough lightly with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let stand until dough has risen, about 1 hour.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350ºF.

PECANS: Meanwhile, beat egg white and sugar in medium bowl until thick. Add pecan halves and stir until well coated.

Arrange pecans, rounded side up, atop cake in irregular pattern (discard excess sugar mixture). bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out with just a few crumbs attached, about 35 minutes. (Keep and eye out, my cake needed 50 minutes.) Cool cake in pan on rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Bon Appetit Desserts: Sour Cream-Orange Coffee Cake with Chocolate-Pecan Streusel

I had the chance to make this recipe last week, because I did not have work on Friday. It was nice to bake again, because I am currently working a second job... beyond teaching, on the weekends. I have found it hard to make time for my Bon Appetit Desserts Adventure. I was happy to be back where I find joy!

I was pleased with this '1 whisk' coffee cake. It won't take long before it's in your belly! Family, friends, and neighbors all received their fair share.

Sour Cream-Orange Coffee Cake with Chocolate-Pecan Streusel
12 servings

Streusel
1-1/2          cups (packed) golden brown sugar

1                Tablespoon ground cinnamon

6                Tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled salted butter, diced

1-1/2          cups coarsely chopped pecans

1                cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips (Fair Trade, if you can!)

Cake
3                cups unbleached all purpose flour

1-1/2          teaspoons baking soda

1-1/2          teaspoons baking powder

1-1/3          cups sugar

3/4             cup (1-1/2 sticks) salted butter, room temperature

3                large eggs

1-1/2          teaspoons finely grated orange peel

1-1/2          teaspoons vanilla extract

1-1/2          cups sour cream

1/4             cup fresh orange juice

Powdered Sugar


STREUSEL: Whisk sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl to blend. Add butter and rub in with fingertips until mixture hold together in small moist clumps. Mix in pecans and chocolate chips.

DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

CAKE: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter and flour 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan. Sift flour, baking soda, and baking powder into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter until blended and smooth. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then orange peel and vanilla. Mix in flour mixture in 4 additions alternately with sour cream in 3 additions. Mix in orange juice. Spread half of batter in prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of streusel. Drop remaining batter over by heaping tablespoonfuls; carefully spread batter to make even layer. Sprinkle with remaining streusel.

Bake 30 minutes. Place sheet of foil loosely over pan to keep topping from browning too quickly. Continue baking until tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes longer. Remove foil. Cool cake in pan on rack 20 minutes. Sift powdered sugar over cake; serve warm or at room temperature.

DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cool completely. Store airtight at room temperature.

Bon Appetit Desserts: Spiced Crumble Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Another Bon Appetit recipe has been tried, just for you! Mmm... spices, nuts, chocolate... cake! You cannot go wrong here.

Completely normal ingredients are used for this recipe. So normal, that I bet you have all of them on hand already. This is a two whisk recipe, so it is a bit more challenging. However, it is only because you have to mix this and that in its own bowl and then some of this and some of that in another bowl. Not hard. I hope that you give it the old college try.

Have you tried any of these recipes out? I post this blog for fun. It is exciting to see if there are any views for the recipes, books, and thoughts that I post. So, if you stop by this blog from time to time, let me know! I'd love to hear from you!

Spiced Crumble Cake with Chocolate Frosting
12 servings

Crumble
1            cup pecans

1/3         cup (packed) golden brown sugar

2            Tablespoons (1/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, diced

1            Tablespoon natural unsweetened cocoa powder (fair trade when possible)

Cake
2-1/3      cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1            Tablespoon cornstarch

1            teaspoon baking soda

1            teaspoon cinnamon

3/4         teaspoon salt

1/4         teaspoon ground cloves

1/4         teaspoon ground allspice

3/4         cup sour cream

1/4         cup whole milk

1            teaspoon vanilla extract

1            cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1            cup sugar

3/4         cup (packed) golden brow sugar

5            large eggs

Frosting
6            ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped

1            8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature

1/4         cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1            teaspoon vanilla extract

2-1/2      cups powdered sugar

2            Tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder

CRUMBLE: Blend pecans, sugar, butter, and cocoa in processor until nuts are finely chopped.

CAKE: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter and flour 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan. Whisk flour, cornstarch, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves, and allspice in medium bowl to blend. Whisk sour cream, milk, and vanilla in small bowl to blend.

Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually beat in both sugars. Beat in 3 eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in 1/2 cup dry ingredients. Beat in remaining 2 eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in remaining dry ingredients in 3 additions alternately with sour cream mixture in 2 additions.

Spread 3 cups batter in prepared pan. Sprinkle with crumble; press lightly into batter. Spread remaining batter over crumble to cover. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack.

FROSTING: Melt chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water, stirring until just melted and smooth. Let stand just until cool but not set. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Beat in sugar in 3 additions, then cooled chocolate and cocoa.

Spread frosting over top of cake.

DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill until frosting is set; cover and keep chilled. Let stand 1 hour at room temperature before serving.