Vintage Cakes

Cakes are in and I'm having fun baking them. Gone are the oh-so-easy Bundt cakes and the Cake Doctor cakes. The more complicated, the better.

Vintage Cakes by Julie Richardson has cakes to keep me busy for awhile.

This weekend I made the Honey Bee Cake to celebrate the coming spring and arrival of the bees. I used a large shallow one-layer pan (12") with rounded edges. The recipe actually calls for a 9-inch springform but anything would work. Cut parchment paper to line the pan and spray the paper and sides with baking spray.

Sift together 2-1/4 cups flour, 2 tsps. baking powder and 1 tsp fine sea salt and make sure they are well-mixed.

Combine 3/4 c. plus 2 T unsalted butter at room temperature, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/3 cup honey and 2 tsp. vanilla and blend. Continue to cream on higher and higher speeds until it is light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes. Blend in 2 eggs (at room temperature) and 1 egg yolk (at room temperature) slowly and one at a time.

On low speed, add the flour mixture alternately with 3/4 c. buttermilk (at room temperature.) Mix until just barely blended and don't overbeat! Finish by hand with a rubber spatula.

Spread the thick batter evenly into the prepared pan. Rap the pan firmly on the counter to release any air bubbles.

Place in the center of the oven and bake for 45 minutes. The cake will turn a deep golden color and be firm to the touch. Test with a wooden skewer.

Make a glaze with 1/2 cup honey, 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar and 1/4 cup unsalted butter. Bring the mixture just to a simmer and leave on the stove to keep warm.
 

Remove the cake from the oven and poke holes all over the top with a wooden skewer. Pour half of the glaze over the cake and then sprinkle with a generous heaping of 1/2 cup of toasted almonds. Pour of the rest of the glaze over the almonds. Place the cake back in the center of the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Cool for an hour and serve warm. I served it in thin wedges (1-1/2 inch) topped with vanilla ice cream.  Colin ate a large wedge (5 inches or more) the next day and devoured it!

I'm tempted to buy the honeycomb cake pan and forgo the almonds. I would remove the cake from the pan and place it on a cookie sheet and top the honeycomb bottom with glaze and return to the oven serving bottom side up!

Lori Draper is making The Classic - birthday cake with fudge frosting.  I'm going to try the Butterscotch Cream Roll-Up soon because I've bought the book and won't have to rely on the library's copy!

Not Without Salt

It's been a hectic few years with four children married, the sale of two homes and the purchase of two others. Since last summer we've been overly preoccupied with organizing our new lives (and grandson Colin's) in both towns - Norwood and Marion. We've miraculously managed to try some great recipes with family and friends and I've expanded my culinary tricks to include layered cakes and new ideas for quick brunches. At the same time I've finally found that blending a careful combination of knitting, cooking, baking, puzzles, sleep, baths, movies and visiting with family and friends on the weekends in Marion is exactly what the doctor ordered.

Now that the months have passed and we're moving into a second summer in our new homes, it's time to add walks to work or to the water and bike rides along the southern Massachusetts coast or around the town of Norwood. Those weekends spent in our Marion home will get me through the hectic weeks in Norwood with late nights spent at work and long days with multiple interruptions and crises. In addition, Gerry will be restarting his two hives in Marion and starting another at the Norwood Community Garden where we will have a vegetable and herb plot.

We all know there isn't enough time in our lives to read the books on our nightstand let along the blogs that dot the Internet like stars in the sky. The Internet is endless, time is not infinite and I, for one, am realistic about it. I simply don't subscribe to blogs because I can't. When was the last time I listened to my favorite podcast, Books on the Nightstand? Six long months. When was the last time I read an entire online issue of American Libraries Online? At least two months. I'm not even going to think about the books or professional journals I haven't finished reading.

But today I found a blog that I couldn't resist. Recipes and terrific photographs (reminds me of my daughter Beth's!) and I wanted to hoard some of the recipes where I can find them. Which ... is here.

Grilled Soft Cheese with Thyme Honey and Figs seems like a great way to use our fresh summer honey from our hives. Grilled Cheese with Mascarpone and Chocolate. is another I can't wait to try some rainy summer brunch with friends. Next, of course, is homemade Mascarpone cheese which is a recipe you'll need and some terrific ideas for using it in place of ice cream or clotted cream. Broiled peaches with Mascarpone. Asparagus Tart. Yum. The last link I've included here is for a Bee's Knees cocktail that might become a favorite this summer using homemade honey syrup.

Potato Soup with Blue Cheese and Bacon

When I told my co-worker April that we were making this for dinner her comment was "Sounds like a lot of calories!" How true. But we once again found the Boston Globe Sunday Magazine irresistible.

The Elemental Irish-Style Potato Soup recipe makes 3 quarts and suggests using homemade chicken broth.

3 T butter
1 large onion, chopped
1-1/2 pounds leeks, about three medium with white and light green parts halved lengthwise and thinly sliced.*

1-1/2 tsp. fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
6 sprigs fresh parsley
salt and pepper
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1-1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
3/4 c. half and half
2 T snipped fresh chives, for garnish

*Note to Gerry: Never use the tough, dark green part of the leek!

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add onion, leeks, thyme, bay leaves, parsley, and 1 tsp. salt and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are heated through, about 3 min. Adjust the heat to medium-low, cover and continue cooking, stirring often, until the vegetables have released their juices, about 8 min. Add the broth and potatoes, adjust heat to medium-high, and bring liquid to a boil. Adjust heat to very low, cover and simmer until the potatoes are very tender, about 25 min. Remove the bay leaves and parsley.

With an immersion blender, puree the mixture until smooth and uniform. If necessary, return the mixture to the pot, add half and half, 1-1/2 tsp. salt and pepper to taste. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the soup is heated through. Taste and adjust seasonings. Garnish with chives.

For the Potato Soup with Blue Cheese and Bacon
you'll need 1-1/2 c. crumbled Gorgonzola (5 oz.)and 6 oz bacon.

Follow the directions for the Elemental Irish-Style Potato Soup making the following changes:

Fry 6 oz. bacon until lightly browned about 9 minutes. Drain and crumble. Use 1-1/2 T of the bacon fat and 1-1/2 T butter to cook the leeks and onion.

Reduce the thyme to 1 tsp., the bay leaves to 1 and the half-and-half to 1/2 cup.

After the simmering, remove the bay leaf and parsley and add 1-1/4 c. Gorgonzola and melt. Blend with immersion blender. Garnish with 1/4 c. Gorgonzola, bacon and chives.

Southern Coconut Layer Cake

February 8 is our 2nd Annual Volunteer Appreciation Tea at the library. 15 of our staff have signed up to make sweets and I've decided to make two cakes this year.

I've owned Cakewalk: Loving Spoonfuls from a Southern Kitchen* by Robin Gourley for years now (probably since it was published in 1994) and I've never made a recipe yet although I've loved thumbing through the book.  The book is irresistibly lovely with illustrations instead of photographs. It also has great nostalgia about Robin's own family growing up in the south and loving dessert. Robin writes that the cake was one of her father's favorites and if he 'had too much fried chicken to accommodate that second slice comfortably, he'd loosen his belt a notch or two.'
*cookbook available through Minuteman Library Network, as all of our recipes must come from one that you can check out!

Cake
3 large eggs, separated into whites and yolks
10 T. unsalted butter, softened
1-1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2/3 c. coconut milk
2 cups sifted, self-rising cake flour*

(*If you can't find self-rising cake flour, add 1 T. baking powder and 1 tsp. salt to 2 cups cake flour and sift together.) 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-in cake pans. (I used three 8" cake pans lined with parchment sprayed with PAM baking spray.)

In a bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff, but not dry.

In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. (The butter needs to be pretty warm - 70 degree room temperature.)  Add egg yolks and beat well.

Combine the coconut milk and vanilla and add to the creamed butter/sugar/egg mixture alternately with the flour until the milk and flour are fully combined. Fold in a third of the eggs whites and then the remaining whites.

Divide the batter and bake for 20-25 min. or until a cake pick comes out clean.
(Bake completely but do not overbake.)

Glaze
1/2 c. coconut milk
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Combine in a saucepan and stir constantly over med. high heat until the sugar is melted. Add vanilla.
(*I'm not sure I melted the sugar.  Online instructions really call for melting sugar into caramel - 320 degrees.  I stirred the milk and sugar until it just reached a boil.)

Starting with the layers top-side-down on the racks, pierce the layers all over with a toothpick. Brush bottoms and sides with glaze. Repeat after a few minutes.

Turn one layer onto the serving place and invert the second layer onto the first one's rack. Pierce tops with toothpick. Brush glaze over the tops and sides. Repeat after a few minutes until all the glaze has been used. Let sit 30 min.

Frosting
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. water
1 T light corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
2 large egg whites
pinch of cream of tartar
2 cups grated unsweetened coconut

Combine all ingredients except coconut in the top of a double boiler; beat with mixer to combine. Place frosting over rapidly boiling water and beat on high speed until soft peaks form (3-5 min.) Pour frosting into a large bowl and beat until stiff enough to spread on the cake. Generously frost the bottom layer and sprinkle with 1/2 c. of the coconut. Place the top layer on the bottom layer and frost the top and sides. Sprinkle on the rest of the coconut.

Applesauce Cake with Maple-Cream Cheese Frosting

Something Warm from the Oven by Eileen Goudge (2005)

has lots of yummy, classic recipes. I chose the Applesauce Cake with Maple-Cream Cheese Frosting because she promised that the cake gets better with time and I needed to bake early this week. for our 2nd Annual Volunteer Appreciation Tea on Friday, February 8 (which was postponed due to the blizzard.  The new date is Valentine's Day, February 14.)

Cake2-1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1-1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c. chopped walnuts or pecans
1 c. chopped dates or raisins
One 1-lb jar unsweetened applesauce
1 large egg, at room temp. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x12 baking pan (I used a Bundt pan.)

In a large bowl, sift the flour and other dry ingredients. Stir in sugar. Add softened butter, 1/2 c. water and beat together.  Add nuts and dates. (This will be easier if your butter is at room temperature 70 degrees.)  Beat with an electric mixer for 2 min. at medium speed. Add applesauce and egg and beat for two min. more. Pour batter into pan. Bake until a pick comes out clean, about 40-50 min.

Maple-Cream Cheese Frosting3/4 c. pure maple syrup
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. confectioner's sugar, sifted
Bring the syrup to a boil over med. high heat. Turn the heat to low and simmer, tilting pan occasionally until the syrup is reduced to 1/2 cup about ten min. In a bowl, cream the softened butter and cream cheese together with confectioner's sugar. Pour the reduced syrup into a cup nested in a mixing bowl partially filled with ice water. Stir until lukewarm 3-4 min. It will thicken and lose its gloss, turning a creamy caramel color. Quickly scrape the syrup into the butter-cream cheese and beat until the frosting is spreading consistency. Pour over Bundt cake letting it spill over the sides.

Poached Pears with Mascarpone Cheese, Walnuts and Cherries

I wanted to make a dessert with pears and Mascarpone cheese over the holidays but never quite got the time. I finally got the inspiration last night when Gerry hosted two of his work colleagues, Kevin and Elaine, who were here from Sudbury, England. Gerry made his speciality lasagna the night before and whipped up a salad before they came. I got bread and dessert duty and got home in time to throw some focaccia ingredients in the breadmaker and to ruminate about dessert. Fortunately, we had all the ingredients on hand for some experimentation. I used Asian pears but would try something more flavorful next time.

I removed the skin and core from the pears and sliced them thickly. With another kind of pear I might leave them halved; these I wanted to soften as they were crisp and grainy. I simmered the pears for 10 minutes in a syrup of 1-1/2 cups water, 1 cup dry white wine, 1 tablespoon of Black Cherry Balsamic vinegar (from LeRoux Kitchen) and about 8 cardamom seed pods.

I removed the sliced pears to a dish with a slotted spoon and set them aside to cool. I boiled the syrup with a bit more Black Cherry Balsamic until it was greatly reduced to about 1/4 cup. I let the syrup cool for about ten minutes and then mixed it with about 1/2 cup of black cherry preserves and set it aside.

I used an immersion blender to whip the Mascarpone with about 1 T. of whipping cream. At this point, I would have flavored the cream but I was unsure what to use. In the future, I might use black walnut extract when I have it on hand.

I chopped about 1/2 cup of walnuts and set them aside. I assembled everything after dinner when the coffee was brewing. I arranged some slices of the pears on the side of the plate with a spoonful of the cherries and syrup. I placed a generous dollop of the cheese on top of the pears and sprinkled with chopped walnuts.

You could arrange these ahead of time and have the plates waiting in the frig.

Note: Mascarpone cheese, unopened, lasts forever in the frig. You can have it on hand and try your own combinations for dessert. Disclaimer! I forgot to take a photo and found something similar through Google.

Pasta Frittata

Gerry made this amazing frittata for breakfast on New Year's Day using leftover fettucine we had the night before. I make my own pasta and this pasta is wonderfully fresh. I served the fettucini with a sauce made from baby portabello mushrooms sauteed until crisp, some cream, lots of Asiago and Parmesan cheese, one whisked egg, sea salt and fresh pepper. We had about 4 cups of leftover pasta topped with about 1/4 cup of sauce. Just enough for some extra flavor.

The recipe is adapted from The Italian Slow Cooker by Michele Scicolone.

10 large eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup chopped pepper
4 ounces chopped ham
8 ounces cooked pasta with sauce
butter
4 ounces shaved Parmesan cheese

Whisk the eggs, 1/2 c. cheese and salt and pepper until blended. Stir in the peppers and ham. Add the pasta and toss well.

Generously butter the bottom and 2 inches up the sides of the slow cooker. Pour in the egg mixture. Scatter the shaved cheese on top but don't touch the sides of the crock pot with the cheese. Cover and cook on high for 60-75 minutes.

With large spatulas, you can remove the whole frittata onto a serving platter.

The recipe calls for any kind of combinations of vegetables and meats such as roasted bell peppers (drained), salami, prosciutto, fontina or mozzarella cheeses and thawed frozen peas. I can imagine using all kinds of dinner leftovers. Experiment!