Daring Bakings March Challenge: Perfect Party Cake

A month or so ago I was trolling around the internet, reading (and lusting) over baking and cooking blogs, when I came across one that was a Daring Bakers Blog member. Curious to learn more, I clicked on the hyperlink and found myself scrolling through a limitless blog roll of baking blogs all around the globe. I was in awe!

I read the history about how the group got started and what was involved in becoming a member of the group. I liked what I read, so I quickly fired off my “Pick me! Pick me!” email to Lis and Ivonne. Within a day I received my welcome email and was officially on the mailing list. I couldn’t wait for my first challenge!

On March 1, I received an email outlining my mission; it was a cake recipe by Dorie Greenspan called the “Perfect Party Cake”. While there were some rules regarding the recipe that I absolutely had to follow, there was still a lot of room for creativity. For me this was a good thing because I can never seem to make any recipe without putting my mark on it in some way.

I couldn’t wait to make this cake. I wanted to do something really fun and different with the cake but in the end decided to stay true to the traditional party cake concept. The only thing I changed in this recipe was substituting black cherry preserves for the raspberry (my husband loathes raspberries) and adding the ingredient of lemon curd. The lemon curd just seemed like a really good addition to the lemon cake and lemon flavored buttercream. I also made one mini cake for my son, who detests coconut.

Since Easter was coming and I knew this was a cake to be shared, I decided to make the cake as the main event at my Easter brunch. My mother-in-law came, along with a few close friends; and of course my husband and my son were there as well.

One thing I really liked about this recipe was the author’s writing style. Dorie writes like she’s talking to you, not just in the stereotypical cookbook tone. For example, she is very specific as to how long to mix ingredients together, which I appreciated. For me this is really helpful because sometimes I really worry that I’m over mixing ingredients. Turns out I probably under mix most of the things I make.

My first baking challenge was not free of mishaps. I added an extra stick of butter to the cake batter by mistake. It wasn’t until I started to make the buttercream that I realized that I was missing a whole stick of butter and by then it was too late. The cake was already in the oven. The good news is that it didn’t seem to hurt the cake at all. I’m really curious to know what it would have tasted like had I left it out! The other mistake I made was that I banged the pans of batter on the counter before I put them in the oven to remove the air bubbles. This was some silly technique that I learned in seventh grade home economics. It occurs to me after rereading the recipe that perhaps having all those air bubbles would have helped the batter to rise more in the pan (my cakes were shy of an inch in height before I cut them in half). I’ll think twice before I ever remove the air bubbles from the pan again!

This was a cake that did not disappoint! While the cake didn’t look as pretty as I would have liked (next time I’ll do a crumb coat before I add the coconut), it really tasted great. The cake was soft and moist, with just the right hint of lemon flavor, and with a beautiful white color. The buttercream wasn’t too sweet and it complemented both the flavors and texture in the cake.

I thoroughly enjoyed every second of this experience as a Daring Baker member. I am already looking forward to next month’s mission!


Perfect Lemon Party Cake
Baking: From My Home to Yours
By Dorie Greenspan

Cake
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
4 large egg whites
1 ½ cups sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ teaspoon pure lemon extract

Buttercream
1 cup sugar
4 large egg whites
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Filling/Finishing
2/3+ cup raspberry preserves stirred vigorously or warmed gently until spreadable (I used Hero brand’s black cherry preserves)
1 ½ cups of your favorite homemade lemon curd. The recipe I used can be found here (Note: this is not in the original recipe.)
About 1 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconut

Getting Ready
Center a rack in the oven and preheat 350 degrees F. Butter two 9 x 2 inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each pan with a round of buttered parchment. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

To Make the Cake
1. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
2. Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl.
3. Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant.
4. Add the butter and working with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light.
5. Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed.
6. Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, and then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated.
7. Add the rest of the milk and eggs beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients.
8. Finally, give the batter a good 2- minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated.
9. Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.
10. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and springy to the touch – a thin knife inserted into the centers should come out clean.
11. Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unfold them and peel off the paper liners.
12. Invert and cool to room temperature, right side up (the cooled cake layers can be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to two months).

To Make the Buttercream
1. Put the sugar and egg whites in a mixer bowl or another large heatproof bowl, fit the bowl over a plan of simmering water and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes.
2. The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like shiny marshmallow cream. Remove the bowl from the heat.
3. Working with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the meringue on medium speed until it is cool, about 5 minutes.
4. Switch to the paddle attachment if you have one, and add the butter a stick at a time, beating until smooth.
5. Once all the butter is in, beat in the buttercream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, 6-10 minutes.
6. During this time the buttercream may curdle or separate – just keep beating and it will come together again.
7. On medium speed, gradually beat in the lemon juice, waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding more, and then the vanilla.
8. You should have a shiny smooth, velvety, pristine white buttercream. Press a piece of plastic against the surface of the buttercream and set aside briefly.

To Assemble the Cake
1. Using a sharp serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, slice each layer horizontally in half. (I used this tool. In my opinion it worked a lot better than a knife.)
2. Put one layer cut side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper.
3. Spread it with one third of the preserves.
4. Top the preserves with about a one-third to one-half cup of lemon curd
5. Cover the curd with about one-quarter of the butter cream.
6. Top with another layer, spread with preserves, curd, and buttercream and then do the same with a third layer (you’ll have used all the jam, curd, and have buttercream leftover).
7. Place the last layer cut-side down on top of the cake and use the remaining buttercream to frost the sides and top.
8. Press the coconut into the frosting, patting it gently all over the sides and top.

Serving
The cake is ready to serve as soon as it is assembled, but I think it’s best to let it sit and set for a couple of hours in a cool room – not the refrigerator. Whether you wait or slice and enjoy it immediately, the cake should be served at room temperature; it loses all its subtlety when it’s cold. Depending on your audience you can serve the cake with just about anything from milk to sweet or bubbly wine.

Storing
The cake is best the day it is made, but you can refrigerate it, well covered, for up to two days. Bring it to room temperature before serving. If you want to freeze the cake, slide it into the freezer to set, then wrap it really well – it will keep for up to 2 months in the freezer; defrost it, still wrapped overnight in the refrigerator.

Yield: I was able to get about 14 slices out of this cake, but they were on the small side.

Would I Make This Again? Definately!! 5 out of 5 stars.

Nanaimo Bars: A "Goto" Recipe

In every job there are those that I like to refer to as the "Gotos". These are the people that you "go to"when you need to get something done right or if you have a question; they will always have the right answer or know who does. I knew Amy was a Goto within a few hours of starting my job. I didn't even know what she did, necessarily but I could hear her talk to the constant flow of people at her desk or calling her on the phone, I knew she was the real deal. Once I started working on projects my suspicions were confirmed. "We should check with Amy on that," I hear repeatedly, and so I did.

With a cheerfulness that was a little contagious, she'd answer my questions in a way I could understand. She's been really awesome to work with. Not only that, after we discussed our mutual love of baking and I shared my blog address with her, she had told me that she was reading my blog and liked it. Ding! Ding! Ding! Huge brownie points! Her coolness factor was now in the stratosphere.

About a month ago I found out her birth date and told her I'd love to make her something to celebrate her day. I was pumped! But then, when I got back from Hawaii she told me she was leaving and coincidentally her last day was also on her birthday! *sigh* While I'm very excited for her and her new job, I, and several others, wished she would stay. Amy, you'll be missed!

For her double special day, she eventually decided on Nanaimo Bars. I knew just the Goto recipe too, which I guess is fitting. I have no idea where I got this recipe as I copied out of a book some time ago and never thought to include the name of the book anywhere. What I love about this recipe is that everything is from scratch, except the graham cracker crumbs. The filling does not use custard powder at all and nor should any self respecting Nanaimo Bar recipe! Seriously, if you're in that much of a hurry to make something that you need pudding mix or custard powder, don't bother making these. It's just not fair to the Nanaimo Bar.

When I made this recipe, I made it in stages. First the made the crust and then drove my son to his baseball game. I dropped him off and then headed back home and made the filling, which was about an hour before our two-hour yearly homeowners association meeting. It was then that I found out that I was out of cornstarch and didn't have time to go to the store to get some. During my search for the cornstarch in my pantry, I came across a bag of tapioca flour that I didn't even know I had. On the back it had clear cornstarch substitution information! Lucky me! What I found was that tapioca powder is gluten free (maybe there's gluten free graham crackers out there and this entire recipe could be made sans gluten!?) and that is binds even better than cornstarch. It made the filling quiet thick which made it easier to cut. When I got home from the HOA meeting, I made the chocolate sauce layer. Being forced to take my time in making this dessert was key. The layers really have to be well chilled or the entire dessert will suffer.

This recipe also taught me how to cut a dessert bar in such a way that looks appetizing. Usually I rush though this part and then the bars look messy and cracked. Slowly down, using a very sharp knife, and cleaning off the blade after each cut is key. Anyway, I digress.

Amy, I hope you have a great birthday and enjoy your new job. I really have enjoyed getting to know you and working with you. I'll miss hearing your laughter and seeing your big smile around the office. I know it will just be a matter of time before you're a Goto person in your new position too.

Nanaimo Bars

Bottom Layer
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened and cut into several pieces
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutched process is best)
1/4 cup of sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (or run through the food process until fine)

Middle Layer
3 ounces white chocolate chips or a bar finely chopped
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened and cut into several pieces
4 tablespoons tapioca starch or 2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons milk
2 egg yolks
pinch of Kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Top Layer
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Bottom Layer
Line a 8x8 or 9x9 with two long strips of parchment or wax paper that extend over the sides of the pan. This makes it so much easier to get the bars out of the pan.

In a large bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, coconut, and walnuts until its mixed together really well. Set aside.

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the butter, cocoa powder, sugar, egg, and vanilla. Cook, whisking constantly, for about five minutes. Add to the coconut, graham cracker, and walnut mixture, being sure to mix the really well (don't be afraid to use your hands).

Pat the crust mixture into the prepared pan, being sure to keep it level and packed down (I like to use the bottom of a juice glass to smooth and push the crust down). Refrigerate for at least an hour so that it gets really firm.

Middle Layer
Before you start making the filling, take the crust out of the frig. Pull the wax paper up and out of the pan a little, just to ensure it's easy to remove. This will help a lot later on. Put the crust back in the frig.

Set a medium sauce pan filled half way with water and bring to a very low boil. While you're waiting for the water to bowl, combine the tapioca starch, milk, egg yolks, and salt into a medium bowl and whisk to mix.

Place a large metal bowl over the top of the boiling water so as to create a double boiler. Melt the butter and white chocolate in the bowl and stir together until well combined. Take the crust out of the frig and put it somewhere close by.

Add the tapioca flour, milk, egg yolk and slat mixture to the butter and white chocolate mixture, being sure to whisk together vigorously. Continue whisking the mixture over the simmering water for about 5 minutes (mixture will thicken). Whisk in the vanilla and then the powdered sugar until smooth and even (the mixture will be really, really thick). Working quickly, pour the white chocolate custard into the cold crust and smooth the top as best as you can. Refrigerate again for at least an hour or more.

Top Layer
Set a medium sauce pan filled half way with water and bring to a very low boil. Place a medium bowl over the top of the boiling water so as to create a double boiler. Melt the butter and unsweetened chocolate in the bowl and stir together until well combined and smooth.

Take the crust and custard out of the refrigerator. Run a sharp knife around the perimeter and slowly lift the wax paper up and out just a bit. (This is yet another attempt to keep the crust and custard from sticking to anything in the pan. This makes it SO much easier later when you need to cut the bar.) Leave the pan on the counter.

Working quickly, pour the glaze over the filling. tilting the pan and spreading the chocolate to evenly coat. (Tip: When you have all the chocolate in the pan, hold the plan firmly in both hands and shake the pan vigorously back and forth on the counter. This helps to create a smooth surface of chocolate. However, if the chocolate has set at all, this technique doesn't work -- I leaned the hard way :-)

Refrigerate for at least twenty minutes until the chocolate is solid.

Cutting the Bars:
Gently pull up on the waxed paper and remove the bars from the pan. They should come out easily. Peel the waxed paper down so you can clearly see the three beautiful layers. Using a very sharp, non-serrated knife, cut small strips off each of the four sides, creating a very clean square.

Determine the size of the bars that you want to cut. I have a normal school ruler that's a foot long and about an inch wide. I used this to measure the rows and columns that I wanted to cut. Using the tip of the knife, slowly score the chocolate with the desired size, then come back to cut. Don't rush it! Take your time and slowly cut through to the bottom layer, using firm pressure. This will keep the chocolate on the top layer intact. If you go to fast or don't clean the knife between cuts, the chocolate will crack and you'll get the crust mixed in with the other layers.

Yield: 1 batch made about 20 bars
Would I Make This Again? Yes! This is one of the ones you pass down. 5 out of 5 stars.

Baked French Toast Bread Pudding

One of my all time favorite company-worthy breakfast entrees that I like to make is Baked French Toast. It's essentially regular French toast but the bread is soaked in the egg and milk the night before and stored in the fridge until morning. It's then baked for about thirty minutes until it's a bit crispy on the edges of the bread. It's creaminess and buttery texture is always a sure fire hit.

The recipe I've always used is found here at Allrecipes.com. It includes a caramel sauce that I usually avoid because it always seems way too sweet for breakfast. Each time I make it, I can't help but think that the recipe was really more like a dessert than a breakfast, so when Stacie told me she wanted bread pudding a light bulb went off in my head. Could I use the Baked French Toast recipe to make a bread pudding? The answer is a big YES!

I had to tweak the recipe a bit. I sweetened the egg mixture, added more cinnamon, and used Challah bread instead of French. I also introduced raisins that I soaked first in a cup of warm water so they would plump up a bit. I wasn't sure how to cook it though. I was worried that the top and sides would cook too fast and leave the center raw so I cooked it very slowly in a water bath - over an hour.

All in all, it came out really well. I made my husband, son, and me individual portions. Considering how rich this is, it was the perfect serving size. The outcome was great! The texture was perfect - soft and moist on the inside and crispy and sweet on the top. My husband really enjoyed this and he's not even a fan of bread pudding!

I'll post the recipe after I've made it a few more times. I ended up cooking it for about an hour, due my experimentation with the cooking. For now, here's the recipe for the fabulous Baked French Toast, courtesy of Allrecipes.com.

Stacie, I really hope this is what you had in mind. Happy Birthday!

Baked French Toast
1 (1 pound) loaf French bread, cut diagonally in 1 inch slices
8 eggs
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups half-and-half cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups brown sugar
3 tablespoons light corn syrup

1. Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange the slices of bread in the bottom. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour over bread slices, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
2. The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a small saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar and corn syrup; heat until bubbling. Pour over bread and egg mixture.
3. Bake in preheated oven, uncovered, for 40 minutes.

Yield: I made this in a 9x9x3 baking dish and fed about 8. If I had made it in a longer, shallower dish, I probably could have feed 12.

Would I Make This Again? Yes, definitely! This one is a keeper! 5 out of 5 stars,

Ginger Lemon Cake with Blackberry and Lemon Curd

Stephanie was one of the first people I got to know at my new job. She and I both started within a few months of each other and at one point we shared a cubicle wall; me on one side and her on the other. We hit it off pretty fast and it didn't take her long for me to talk her ear off about my obsession with baking.

Her birthday was actually fairly early in the month of March but between my trip to Hawaii and her taking her birthday off, it wasn't until this week that I was able to make her a birthday treat.

While I was gone, Stephanie starting trolling around Epicurious to find a recipe that appealed to her. When I got back from my week in Hawaii, I was greeted to an email from her that contained roughly about ten really elaborate recipes. One example was Olive Oil Couscous Cake with Creme Fraiche and Date Syrup (I actually wanted to make it but it got low ratings and had no idea where I would get date syrup!). I told Stephanie that I wasn't afraid of a challenge but I was impressed by her selections! At one point I was going to wimp out and just make my Lemon Raspberry Trifle but right before I went into the grocery store to pick up supplies, I decided that I'd make this cake instead. Out of all the recipes, this cake was pretty, looked yummy, and wouldn't be too expensive to make. I did tweak it though; the original recipe included candied ginger and pistachios but I left them out because I didn't really feel like they would have added anything to the cake.

The cake itself was my favorite part. It was very dense but moist, had a snappy flavor and it filled the house with a pleasant aroma as it baked. When I was measuring the ginger, I kept checking and rechecking the recipe because five teaspoons seems like so much, but I think it was the perfect amount. I loved it! However, that's where the love stopped. The lemon curd was only okay, I've made better. I used Meyer lemons too but the curd was more sweet than lemony. I blame that on the recipe.

And while I'm on the topic of lemons, I'm not sure I understood the point of the lemon mouse. It didn't added anything to the cake at all -- other than complicating it. I couldn't even taste it! As for the blackberry preserves, once it went on the cake, the ginger flavor that I loved in the cake stopped singing and became a whisper. Overall, the ginger cake with the lemon curd AND the lemon mouse AND the blackberry preserves was just too much. Maybe if the blackberries were fresh, I skipped the mouse, and used the lemon curd recipe from my Raspberry Lemon Trifle, it would have been better.

This cake was challenging, I'll give it that. It took me about four hours to make it from start to finish. I had to use a ten inch pan instead of a nine so that made for shorter layers. The cake also didn't look at pretty as I would have liked. That was my fault; I was rushing and didn't really follow the directions for assembly. I think if I made it again, it would skip the preserves and lemon curd and just top it off with a simple vanilla frosting.


Those at work that shared in the belated birthday celebration seemed like the cake. One of the ladies told me it was the best cake she ever had (wow!), so perhaps I'm in the minority? Nevertheless, Stephanie I hoped you liked your cake! Happy belated Birthday!

Ginger Lemon Cake with Blackberry and Lemon Curd
An adaptation of Mary Cech's recipe found on Epicurious

Lemon curd
7 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, diced
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons (packed) finely grated lemon peel

Cake
4 cups all purpose flour
2 1/4 cups sugar
5 teaspoons ground ginger
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/3 cups whole milk
2 1/2 tablespoons (packed) finely grated lemon peel
8 large egg whites, room temperature, divided
1+ cup blackberry preserves, warmed in the microwave or on the stove

Mousse
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
4 large egg whites, room temperature
3 tablespoons sugar

White chocolate curls (about a half a cup)

Preparation
For lemon curd:
Whisk eggs and yolks in large bowl. Combine lemon juice, butter, and sugar in medium metal bowl. Set over saucepan of simmering water; stir until sugar dissolves. Gradually whisk hot lemon mixture into egg mixture. Return mixture to bowl set over water; increase heat so that water is boiling slightly. Whisk constantly until mixture thickens and instant-read thermometer registers 180°F, about 5 minutes. Pour curd through fine strainer set over bowl.
Place plastic wrap directly on surface of curd. Refrigerate until cold, at least 8 hours or overnight. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

For cake:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 325°F. Lightly butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. (I used two 10" pans in my recipe and the layers were noticeably shorter, but worked out okay.) Line bottom of pans with parchment rounds.

Sift first five ingredients into large bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Add butter, milk, and lemon peel and beat on medium-high speed until a very thick batter forms, about 2 minutes - you'll want to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl a few times, as well as the whisk attachment. I found a bunch of lemon rind clumped together there.

Add 4 egg whites; beat until smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom again. Add remaining 4 egg whites; beat until well blended and smooth. Divide batter between prepared pans (about generous 4 1/2 cups for each); smooth tops with offset spatula.

Bake cakes until golden and tester inserted into centers come out clean, about 45 minutes. (It still took 45 minutes in a 10" pan) Cool in pans on rack 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks; remove parchment and cool completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap in foil and store at room temperature.)

Cut domed tops from both cakes, making each cake 1 1/4 to 1 1/3 inches high. Using long serrated knife, cut each cake horizontally in half. Place 3 cake layers on separate cardboard rounds or plates (reserve fourth cake layer for another use). Spread 1/3 cup preserves over top of each of 3 cake layers. (I warmed the preserves in the microwave on 30% power first. This helps to make it more spreadable.)

Transfer 1 cup curd to large bowl; reserve for mousse. Divide remaining curd among layers (generous 3/4 cup for each); spread evenly over preserves to edge of layers. Refrigerate layers separately while preparing mousse (do not stack cake layers).

For mousse:
Pour 1/4 cup water into small saucepan; sprinkle gelatin over. Let stand until gelatin softens, about 15 minutes. Place saucepan over low heat, stirring until gelatin dissolves, about 2 minutes (mixture will be lukewarm). Stir gelatin into reserved 1 cup lemon curd.

Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and 3 tablespoons sugar in large bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold egg whites into curd mixture in 2 additions; set aside until mousse begins to set slightly, about 10 minutes.

Spoon 1/3 of lemon mousse (scant 1 cup) atop each layer, then spread gently to about 1/2 inch away from the edges using offset spatula (if the mouse is too close to the edge, it will ooze out). Chill layers until mousse firms up slightly, about 30 minutes.

Place 1 cake layer on platter. Gently top with second, then third, being careful not to press down firmly. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and keep refrigerated.)

Garnish top edge of cake with white chocolate curls.

Yield: 1 10-inch cake pan easily fed 10-12

Would I Make This Again? No, not this exact recipe. For me, it was just overkill. 2 out of 5 stars, however, the cake by itself was wonderful. 4 out of 5 stars.