Alex's Mocha Melted Ice-Cream Cake with Chocolate Marshmallow Frosting

Alex and I are both business analysts on the same product team and although we almost never work together on projects, we're still very much a team. When I'm stuck on an issue, he is always there to help me work through whatever it is.

When Alex told me his birthday was coming up, I couldn't wait to make him something special. He said he didn't want anything too fussy, but something basic. I also managed to pry out of him that he wanted something made of cake, preferably chocolate, and maybe something with some coffee flavor.

I knew there would be a slew of recipes to choose from but this one really intrigued me. I really wanted to make a cake using melted ice cream! I decided to add a few mini chocolate chips to the batter, just for some extra chocolatey goodness. Happy Birthday Alex!


Incredible Melted Ice-Cream Cake
by Anne Byrn

1 package (18.25 ounces) plain white cake mix (one without pudding in the mix!)
2 cups melted ice cream, your choice of flavor (I used Häagen-Dazs coffee)
1 tablespoon instant coffee or espresso powder
3 large eggs
2/3 cup mini chocolate chips
Chocolate Marshmallow Frosting (see below)

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly mist a 12-cup Bundt pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour. Set the pan aside. ( Or just use Pam wit Flour - I love this stuff!)

2. Place the cake mix, melted ice cream, instant coffee, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with the rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look thick and well blended. Add chocolate chips and mix just until it's best combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the rubber spatula. Place the pan in the oven.

3. Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and just starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, 38 to 42 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a small rack, then invert it again onto a second rack so that the cake is right side up to complete cooling, 30 minutes more.

4. Meanwhile prepare the Chocolate Marshmallow Frosting.

5. Slide the cake onto a serving platter and pour the warm frosting over the cake (you will have a little extra). Let it stand for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Marshmallow Frosting
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
6 large marshmallows or 3/4 cup marshmallow fluff
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup whole milk or whipping cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Sift the sugar and cocoa powder together into a large mixing bowl.

2. Set aside. Place the marshmallows, butter, and milk/cream in a medium-size heavy saucepan over low heat. Stir until the marshmallows are melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Pour the confectioners' sugar and cocoa mixture over the marshmallow mixture. Add the vanilla and stir until the frosting is smooth and satiny.

3. Use at once to frost the top of the cake of your choice.
4. For the garnish, I used marshmallow fluff to "glue" on chocolate covered coffee beans


Yield: Cake: approximately 16 servings Frosting: 1 1/2 cups
Would I Make This Again? For certain! This is a good recipe when you don't feel like baking a big fussy cake. This cake had a very interesting texture. Alex said it sort of tasted "cold and creamy". I want to make this again but with a different flavored ice cream, like Cherry Garcia. For a cake-mix based recipe, this was an impressive cake. 4 out of 5 stars.
As for the frosting, it's a definate keeper. It tasted really chocolately and created this Magic Shell like coating on the outside of the cake. Everyone at worked really liked it too. Yummmmmers! 5 out of 5 stars

I Heart Bakerella's Cupcake Lollipops

It was a typical February afternoon in Seattle. Cold, windy and rainy. Blah. The day was progressing like any other and it was lunch time. I had just arrived back to my desk, waiting patiently for my piping hot (yet still frozen in the center) Cedarlane vegetable enchiladas to cool off. As I do just about every work day, I fired up the first of several of my favorite blogs while I started to dig into my lunch:NotMartha.org. The daily post consisted of a collection of a bunch of links to interesting stuff of or related to my favorite subject: food. Yay!

I scroll through the links: something about beef (gross), crust less quiche (promising)...and then I see it: "cake lollipops at Bakerella". Bakerella? Cake lollipops? I'm so there!

Oh. My. Goodness. These cake lollipops were the cutest things ever! That was until I clicked on the picture and was directed to Flickr. I immediately started looking at Bakerella's photostream and that's when I saw them....Cupcake Lollipops!!! Only the coolest most adorable thing EVER! I knew right then and there I had to make these -- so I did, two months later :-)

These were challenging (and fun...and messy!) to make but worth the effort. If you'd like to make them you can either go to Bakerella's blog where she *just* posted really wonderful step by step instructions (I would have loved these yesterday!) or to theMarthaStewart.com website(there's a step by step video there). Bakerella, was invited to be on the show to make these! How cool is she?

I have a few tips after making these:

1. I didn't use cheesecake frosting from a can but instead make it from scratch. I just don't care for canned icing. The recipe still worked out fine, although the "dough" (cake + frosting mixed together) was on the soft side. My recipe is really simple: 3 8oz blocks of cream cheese, at room temperature. 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature. 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix the cheese and butter together until really well blended, add the vanilla and mix again. Add powdered sugar and mix on low until the sugar is combined. Then mix on high for about 2 minutes. Done. (Makes about 2 1/2 cups)

2. Don't skimp on the Almond Bark for the bottoms of the little cakes or try to use candy melts or even real chocolate. What's Almond Bark? This is the stuff you usually find on the bottom shelf of the chocolate chip isle that comes in a solid block. It typically comes in two flavors: chocolate and vanilla. Don't worry, it doesn't taste like almond or contain almonds. What I loved about this product was that it stayed viscous for a long time which meant I didn't have to keep tempering it. I also loved the way it looked when it set. It was very smooth and even. Eventually I ran out and had to use candy melts instead and the texture was just different and it didn't look as pretty to me as the bark did. I think the almond bark also adds a nice chocolaty flavor. The candy melts don't really taste like anything so bark is a nice contrast.

3. The directions to use the 1 1/4-by-3/4-inch flower-shaped cookie cutter. I had a hard time finding this at first but eventually found it at Williams & Sonoma as part of a six piece pack for $10. I also found the exact same six piece pack, although packaged differently, at Michael's for $3. Yeah... I'm bringing back the set from Williams & Sonoma (rip off!).


4. While you're at Micheal's, pick yourself up a big hunk of WHITE Styrofoam. Avoid the green kind. Why? Well, the green kind is designed to work more with silk flowers and breaks apart as you touch it. Before you know it you have have this green, sand-like material all over the place, which will attach itself to the pops. Ick.

5. Give yourself lots of time. It took me many hours to make this from start to finish. Be patient and think through each step before you start.

6. Always use the lollipop stick when handling the cupcakes, especially when you're sticking them into the Styrofoam. I made the mistake of pushing on down onto the top of the cupcake to stick it into the Styrofoam and the stick went right through the top of the cupcake, breaking it.

I really enjoyed making these little guys. I already have some other ideas on what I can use the "dough" to make next. It's a great way to show your creativity. I think I got a little carried away but I loved the results.
Bakerella, thank you for this recipe. You're a genius!

Yield: I made two cakes, using two boxes of cake mix and made about 75 total cupcakes.
Would I Make This Again? Um, YES! Just a little aside: One of the gals at the party today asked me if I made food like this for a living after she ate one of these little guys. I laughed out loud and told her I was a business analyst by day. If there was ever a reason to rate a recipe 5 out of 5, that was it.
(I made this one for my hubby. Happy Anniversary honey!)

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.

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.

And the Oscar goes to....Mexican Chocolate Cake!

This evening my husband and I hosted a little Oscar's viewing party for a few friends and of course I had to make something special for dessert. This time I asked my husband to decide what I should make and he requested Mexican Chocolate cake. He picked this specific cake because not only is it one of his favorite cake flavors at Simply Desserts in Fremont (my hands down favorite cake shop in the greater Seattle area), but because he rarely gets to have any of the cakes I make.

When I started researching recipes, I quickly found that Mexican Chocolate cake contain not only cinnamon but cayenne pepper too. Apparently the act of mixing chocolate and hot chilies started with the Aztecs back to the early 1500s. I wouldn't think that these flavors would go together, but they do! The recipe I used called for 1/2 to 3/4 of a teaspoon of cayenne pepper, but I thought it best to go easy and only used 1/4. I think this was the right amount as anymore would have just completely stolen the show.

I eventually settled upon this recipe from VegCooking.com by way of "Yeah, That 'Vegan' Shit" blog (yes, that's really the name of the blog!). The author wasn't kidding! This is a wonderfully moist and just darn yummy chocolate cake. I didn't taste the cinnamon though and I wonder how the cake would taste without it. The cayenne was a really wonderful little surprise. After each bite, a parade of little firecrackers would dance across my tongue. The chocolate glaze added just the right amount of sweetness to the cake. And although it's not vegan, I added a dollop of cinnamon whipped cream on the side, just as a fire extinguisher.

Mexican Chocolate Cake

1 1/2 cups flour, sifted (I used cake flour instead of all purpose. If you decide to use cake flour, add an additional 4 tablespoons of flour to the recipe.)
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (1/2 will be very spicy!)
1 teaspoon. vanilla extract
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup cold water

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 8 to 9-inch cake pan or spring form pan.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and baking soda. Stir in the cinnamon, cayenne, vanilla, vinegar, oil, and water. Mix until just combined.

Pour into the prepared cake pan and cook for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool.

Chocolate Sauce

2 ounces dark chocolate
1/4 cup water or soy milk
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons vegan margarine
1/2 tespoons vanilla
1 to 2 pinches cayenne pepper

Melt dark chocolate with water or soy milk in a saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly until the chocolate is melted. Stir in sugar and cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in margarine, vanilla, and cayenne pepper, to taste. (I added an extra 1/2 cup of powdered sugar because I wanted the sauce to be thicker, however I'm not sure if powdered sugar is considered vegan.)

Cinnamon Whipped Cream

1/2 pint of whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
1/4 to 1 cup powdered sugar (depending on your taste)
1/2 to 1 teaspoons of cinnamon (depending on yoru taste)

Chill mixer bowl and beaters/wisk attachment in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Set up mixer and add whipping cream to the bowl and beat on super high speed,just until cream starts to get thick (when cream sticks to the back of a wooden spoon without dripping). Add sugar, mix for about 20 seconds and scrape down bowl. Add vanilla and half of the cinnamon. Mix another 20-40 seconds. Add remaining cinnamon (if desired) Chill until ready to serve.

Yield: 8 generous slices.
Would I Make This Again? Yes! This dessert was really great. If you take the cinnamon and cayenne pepper out, it would be a great basic chocolate cake recipe. Really yummy! 4.5 out of 5 stars.

My Mother in Law's Delightfully Simple Sour Cream Coffee Cake

So a few months ago I was asked to bake a little something for meeting we were having at work. Since the meeting was going to be at nine in the morning, I knew coffee cake would be the perfect choice.

At first I considered making my mother-in-law's tried and true Coffee Cake recipe but being me, I decided I would try something new and quickly set to work searching for something different. I went to every recipe website I could think of, read a few cookbooks, and eventually settled on a recipe that had over a hundred rave reviews. It was humble but looked to be a sure fire hit.

After the cake was in the oven, for fun, I took a peek at my mother-in-law's recipe to see how it would compare to the one I had settled upon. It compared alright! It was the same exact recipe! Go figure!


Although both recipes called for all purpose flour, I tempted the gods and used cake flour instead. I wanted the cake to have a delicate, light mouth-feel and changing the flour did the trick. The texture was exactly the way I wanted it.

Marilyn's Sour Cream Coffee Cake

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups + 4 tablespoons cake flour (If you prefer a denser, more pound cake like texture use 2 cups all purpose flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
dash of salt
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Nut Topping:
1/2 cup chopped nuts such as pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (If you can find Vietnamese Cinnamon, I highly recommend it.)
1/4 cup melted butter tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour (or use Pam with Flour - this stuff has completely changed my life! I *love* it!) a bundt or angel food cake pan.

Cream butter and sugar until pale yellow and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until mixed. Sift dry ingredients together. Mix half the dry mixture into the wet on medium speed and half of the sour cream. Scrape down bowl and repeat.

In a small bowl, combine all the nut topping ingredients together and mix until crumbly.

Add half the cake batter into the pan . Cover with half of the nut topping. Spoon the other half of the remaining cake batter into the pan and top with remaining nut topping. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until knife comes out clean. Let it rest in the pan until cool. Remove from pan and serve as is or with powdered sugar sprinkled on top.

Yield: About 10-12 servings. Would I Make This Again? Definitely. It's simple, easy to prepare, and tastes really good. I have yet to find someone who doesn't like it. Plus, it gives me the warm-fuzzies knowing I made one of my mom-in-laws favorite recipes. 4.5 stars out of 5

Yolanda's Raspberry-Lemon Trifle

Yolanda was very specific with her request. Although she didn't say she wanted a trifle per se, she did say she wanted something that was cold, wet, and fruity. She also didn't want anything that contained chocolate. The choice was obvious; it had to be a trifle.

Since raspberries are in season this recipe jumped out to me. It seemed the epitome of summer to me and it tasted like it too with it's flavorful lemon curd, and bright, sweet taste of the raspberries, this dessert was everything I hoped it would be. My only problem was that I didn't buy enough pound cake (I bought a 10 oz instead of the 16 oz) so it was a little on the small side. It worked out fine though. Yolanda was thrilled.

Raspberry Lemon Trifle

Adapted from Bon Appétit, June 2001

Syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup water

Curd
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

Fruit and Topping
4 1/2-pint baskets fresh raspberries or 1 bag frozen raspberries
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar

1 16-ounce frozen pound cake, thawed and trimmed of outside dark outer shell (save trimmings to be added to center of trifle later)

2 cups chilled whipping cream

For syrup: Combine sugar, lemon juice, and water in small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 1 minute. Cover and chill.

For curd: Whisk eggs, sugar, and lemon juice in heavy medium saucepan to blend. Add butter and lemon peel. Stir over medium heat until curd thickens to pudding consistency, about 10 minutes. Transfer to small bowl. Press plastic wrap onto surface of curd. Chill until cold, at least 4 hours. (Can be made 3 days ahead.)

For fruit and topping: Combine raspberries and 1/4 cup sugar in bowl. Mash berries coarsely with fork. Let stand until juices form, stirring occasionally for at least 30 minutes.

Cut cake crosswise into 8 pieces. Cut each piece into 3 strips. Line bottom of 3-quart trifle bowl with 8 cake strips, trimming to fit. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons syrup; spread with 2/3 cup curd, then half of mashed berries. Repeat layering. Top with remaining cake, syrup, and curd.

Beat cream and 3 tablespoons sugar in bowl until peaks form; spread over trifle. Cover; chill overnight.

Yield: This will serve several. With the 10oz loaf of pound cake I was able to make about 15 or so 1/2 cup servings, so I'm guessing with a 16 oz loaf, that would be streched to at least 20 or more similar sized servings. It's all in how you plate it.

Would I Make This Again? Yes! The lemon curd was so good! I'd make that by itself any day and will be my go-to recipe for curd for now on. Next time I'll try this with blueberries. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Jeremy's "My TMJ hurts" Vanilla Mint Brownie Ice Cream Cake

Jeremy's been talking a bit tight-lipped lately. He has somehow angered his TMJ and opening his mouth too wide or chewing anything too hard causes him to wince in pain. Poor guy! As someone who has also suffered mightily from a ticked-off TMJ, I can definitely empathize. So when he told me that he would like something that had a chocolate and mint combination for his dessert, the choice seemed obvious to me: Taffy! (Only kidding... Ice Cream!)

A few summers ago I was lucky enough to stop at a garage sale of a chap that was selling all of his ex-wife's kitchen appliances for next to nothing out of spite. He told me anything he didn't sell that day was going in the trash so I felt it was my obligation as a earth dwelling citizen to keep perfectly good kitchen equipment out of the landfill. I was able to buy a brand new Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker for $7 (along with a brand new fondue pot and a tart pan)! The ice cream maker has been sitting in a dark cabinet in my kitchen ever since, just waiting for the day when it would be the rock star that I knew it could be. Yesterday was that day!

I followed the Premium Vanilla Ice Cream recipe that came it the recipe booklet (you can find it here). It is essentially a vanilla custard that's then frozen. I added a teaspoon of mint (not peppermint) extract and chopped up Andies Candies, a personal favorite of mine. The ice cream maker did not disappoint. It did a great job and my very first attempt at ice cream was a big success.

Since I spent so much time on the ice cream, I decided to use a boxed brownie mix (I used Duncan Hines Family Size Brownie Mix). I followed the "cake" style method which uses three eggs instead of two. I also added a half of cup of dark cocoa, a half a cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips, and a half a teaspoon of mint extract. I baked them in a 9x13" pan for about 20 minutes and let them cool completely.

I had this elaborate plan to create a checkerboard pattern out of the ice cream and brownie but the ice cream was so soft, I just wasn't sure how that would be possible. I ended up just putting the brownies in a big, long, Tupperware container and topping them with the ice cream.

This turned out pretty much as I had hoped it would. Yey!

Happy Half Birthday Jeremy!

Yield: I made a double recipe so I hope it will feed about 20.
Would I Make This Again? Yes! The ice cream was so yummy and fresh tasting and the brownies pretty good too. Both have a lot of room of experimentation. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Esther's Chocolate Chiffon Cake with Penuche Frosting

Esther's cake was a bit of a challenge. It wasn't so much the cake, but the frosting really gave me some trouble. Esther was very specific about the type of frosting she wanted. It had to be Penuche and it had to be from her Betty Crocker Cookbook from 1973 (or there bouts). She gave me a copy so I could make it just right.

Well, I followed it...including the part that instructed me to put the hot pan I was using to make the frosting into an ice bath. This step occured right as I was trying to mix the powdered sugar into the molten butter and brown sugar mixture. What the heck was Betty thinking?! The frosting turned cold and hard in places and the frosting turned into fudge. It became impossible to mix and was very thick like cookie dough. Since I had never made it before and I didn't have a picture to go by, I figured that was what it looked like so I smeared the thich sludge on top of the cake and called it a night.

The next morning I checked on the cake and the Penuche had turned to hard like shellac. Ick! I just couldn't bring that to Esther! I decided to make it again, this time using the recipe below. It was pretty much the same recipe, except this time I used double the amount of half and half and no ice bath. I couldn't remove the old frosting without distroying the cake so I just poured the molten frosting over the top of the old frosting and hoped for the best. It turned out just fine and Esther liked it. Phew!

Chocolate Chiffon Cake
Courtesy of the Cake Mix Doctor (follow the link to the recipe which is freely available on the web)

5 egg whites
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
one 18.25-oz. plain chocolate fudge or devil's food cake mix
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 egg yolks
2 tsp. vanilla

Place oven rack in center of oven and heat to 325 F. Set aside an ungreased 9x13" pan.

Place egg whites and cream of tartar in a medium-size mixing bowl. Beat with electric beaters on high speed until stiff peaks form--about two to three minutes. Set aside.

Place cake mix, water, oil, egg yolks and vanilla in a large mixer bowl, and with same beaters (no need to clean them), blend on low speed for one minute. Stop and scrape down bowl. Increase speed to medium and beat for two minutes, again scraping down bowl. Turn the egg whites out on top of the batter and fold in with a rubber spatula until batter is light but well-combined. Pour batter into the ungreased pan, smoothing top.

Bake for 30 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly pressed. Remove and turn it upside down over the neck of a glass bottle. Cool for one hour.

Penuche Icing

1/2 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 milk
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt the butter; add the brown sugar and cook over low heat two minutes, stirring constantly. Add the milk and continue stirring until mixture comes to a boil and cook for about a minute. Add confectioner's sugar until the frosting is of a spreading consistency.

Yield: 12-16 servings.
Would I Make This Again? Yes. The cake was light and not too sweet and a perfect match with the frosting. Now that I know how to make the frosting, I'd definately make it again. It will be a nice back up when I need a recipe in a hurry. 4 stars out of 5

Kevin's Orange Blossom Angel Food Cake

Kevin asked me to make him something low fat for his birthday treat this year. I wanted it to be simple but unusual and eventually ended up making Sesame Macaroons. While the flavor of the cookies was fine, they lacked the "wow factor" that I wanted.

For the last six months I've had a bottle of Monteux orange blossom water sitting in my cabinet, waiting patiently for just the right recipe. I bought the bottle because one whiff from the bottle and I'm back in the sweet, redolent orange groves of my childhood. So, while I lamented the Sesame Cookies, I decided to search the Net for a more interesting, yet low fat recipe that Kevin would enjoy. It was then that I decided to search for recipes that used the orange blossom essence. The very first recipe I found was the one I decided to make. It was elegant, simple, and low fat. I also thought Kevin, being the foodie that he is, would enjoy it.

I settled upon a simple Moroccan Angel Food Cake that was flavored with both vanilla and orange blossom water. The cake was beautiful as it baked in the oven. It was my first angel food cake and I was terrified it was going to bake up and over the top of the pan! It eventually stopped expanding and baked up to a beautiful golden brown. And just for extra fun, I also prepared a Moroccan Orange Salad to serve over the top of the cake. The recipe for both the cake and the salad can be found here.

Cake and Orange Salad
Yield: 16 servings?
Would I Make This Again? Yes (although I haven't eaten it yet!) 4 stars out of 5

Sesame Macaroons
Yield: About 30 cookies
Would I Make This Again? No. While the taste was just okay, they were just a bit too boring for me. 2 stars out of 5
(pictures coming soon!)

Kara's Lotta Leches Cake

I'll post more later, but for now here's the recipe for those who asked for it. Happy Birthday Kara!

Three-Milk Cake (Pastel de Tres Leches)
Adapted from a recipe from The Taste of Mexico by Patricia Quintana.

1 1/2cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 eggs, separated
1 1/2cups sugar
1/2 cup milk full-fat

Three-Milk Topping
2 cups milk
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk

Whipped Cream Topping
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 sugar (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking pan. Sift flour with baking powder. In large bowl, beat egg whites until fluffy. Add sugar gradually, beating to form stiff peaks. Add yolks, one at a time.

Alternate folding in flour mixture and milk until it is mixed well but be careful not to over beat. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until edges are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool on a rack.



While the cake is cooling, in a large bowl, combine the three milks together and whisk to incorporate. Let them sit on the counter until the cake is cool (about 20 minutes). Poke several holes in the cake in with a folk. Whisk milk mixture again and slowly pour it over cake. Put it in the refrigerator and let sit until all mixture is absorbed, 20 to 30 minutes.

Prepare the whipped cream topping by chilling the cream, bowl and beaters thoroughly (about 3 minutes in the freezer). Beat cream with electric mixer until it begins to thicken. Gradually add sugar and vanilla and beat until stiff peaks form. Cover top of cake with whipped cream, cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Top with fresh strawberries if desired.

Joan's Classy Red Velvet Cake

In every company there's always that person that people are drawn to talk to; that person that you can't help but like. Joan's that person. Everyone just loves her and why wouldn't they? Who wouldn't adore a women than wore a pink Barbie tiara after passing a big exam? Joan's just spunky and classy and she loves the color red. For her birthday she told me I could make her what ever I wanted. Woo hoo! There was no other cake that would do. I had to make her a Red Velvet Cake. Happy 50th Joan!

Here's the recipe I used for the cake. It was was adapted from The Buttercup Bake Shop Cookbook: More Than 80 Recipes for Irresistible, Old-Fashioned Treats

Red Velvet Cake

• 1 oz food coloring (one big bottle or 2 tablespoons)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened dark cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups flour, sifted
• 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Velvet Cream Cheese Icing

• 2 cups full-fat milk, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup of flour
• 1 lb unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 8oz package cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar

1. Start preparing the icing by, whisking together the milk and flour. Stir constantly over medium-high heat until thick - about 18 minutes. You'll know it's ready when the milk leaves a coating on the back of a metal spoon. Let the mixture cool for at least 50 minutes. (Icing instructions continue in step 10)

2. Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare two 10" round cake pans or three 9".

3. In a small bowl, whisk together until well combined the food coloring, cocoa powder, and vanilla. Set aside.

4. In a large bowl, on the medium speed, cream the butter and sugar until very fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add in the eggs one at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

5. Add 1/3 of the buttermilk, mix a little, then add about a cup of the flour, beating well after each addition. Repeat the process until the buttermilk and flour until they are gone and the batter is mixed together well. Add in the salt.

6. Turn the mixer off. Slowly add the red cocoa mixture to the batter. Slowly mix incorporate the mixture into the batter (This will keep splatters to a minimum!). Turn the mixer on medium low and beat in the cocoa mixture until thoroughly incorporated. You will need to scrape down the bowl and check for white spots.

7. In a small bowl, mix together the vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter at the end, making sure to mix well.

8. Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

9. Let cake cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire rack. When cake has cooled, ice between layers with a generous amount of frosting (there will be more than you need). I recommend a "crumb layer" of icing first. Store in the refrigerator until set.

Icing Continued
10. Remove the skin that has formed on the top of the milk. Drain the milk through cheesecloth or a sieve to remove any big glops.

11. Cream together the butter and sugar for about 5 minutes, until it's really fluffy. Add the vanilla and mix well. Slowly add the milk mixture, taking breaks to scrape down the bowl.

12. Using a whisk attachment, add the softened cream cheese and mix for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, to taste and store in the fridge until ready.

Vicky's Carrot Cake

Last year, Vicky asked for carrot cake for her birthday but we just couldn't coordinate schedules. Much to my disappointment we agreed to just let it go. This year was my chance to make it up to her and once again she requested carrot cake. So last Tuesday, two days before Vicky's birthday when she was in the office (she usually telecommutes) we had arranged that we would celebrate her birthday. Well when Tuesday came, the fates were not with us. The cake made it into the office but Vicky had not. She was not feeling well and decided to stay home. I knew the cake wouldn't last more than a few days so, with Vicky's blessing, we decided to share it with everyone anyway. It was gone in a matter of minutes! :-)

All was not lost. Vicky had said she was going to be in the office again this Monday and coincedently I had decided to make another carrot cake for dessert for a big Easter dinner I was making. So, I saved a piece just for her. I think the first cake a made was actually better but at least she got her carrot cake! I hope you had a great birthday!

I used this Carrot Cake recipe:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup frozen pineapple-orange juice concentrate
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups grated carrots
• 1 81/2-ounce can crushed pineapple in juice, well drained
• 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts

Frosting

• 1 1/2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup frozen pineapple-orange juice concentrate

Cake Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine first 5 ingredients.

3. Add oil and mix. Add the eggs and mix.

4. Add carrots, nuts, and vanilla, mixing thoroughly.

5. Pour into a floured and greased 13 x 9 x 2 inch cake pan.

6. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool in pan completely

7. Frost and refrigerate.

Cream Cheese Icing Directions:

1. Beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth.

2. Blend pineapple-orange concentrate.

3. Add powdered sugar and beat on high until well combined. Do not refrigerate until the cake is frosted. (Makes it much easier to spread).

Shannon's Lady Baltimore Cake

If you've read the left hand column of my blog, you'd know that I credit the very existence of Dozen Flours to my friend Shannon (aka Shanno). She moved on to greener pastures many moons ago and I've really missed working with her. No matter how rotten a day Shannon was having, she was positive and smiling and just a joy to be around. And she would always give me the most sincere comments about my Birthday Fairy treats. I only had the good fortune to bake for her on her birthday once before she left. Several months ago at a friend's party, Shannon and I ran into each other again and that's when she suggested starting a blog so that she could at least see what she was missing out on.

Even though Shannon didn't work with me, I still fully intended to bake her something on birthday. A week or so before her birthday this year, our mutual friend, Erika had mentioned to me that Shannon had been eyeing something called a Lady Baltimore Cake. I'd never heard of such a thing! I was intrigued! So I did my usual Internet research and found several promising recipes (here's a bit of history about the cake). Unfortunately, when her birthday arrived my oven was on the fritz! Oh the humanity! I was so sad!

As luck would have it, our paths were to cross again over the weekend and my oven was in full working order. Although her birthday was a several months ago, I figured it was better late than never. A more appropriate cake could not have been made for such a wonderful person. Thanks Shannon for being such a great friend!

I followed the recipe that I found on Epicurious but I did alter it a bit -- here's my version of the recipe:

For the cake layers

• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (clear keeps the cake very white)
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (clear keeps the cake very white)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon double-acting baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup full-fat milk
• 7 large egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Filling and Frosting

• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 8 large egg whites
• 2 teaspoons clear vanilla
• 1/2 cup finely chopped dried figs (plus 3 whole dried figs for garnish)
• 1 cup pecans, toasted lightly and chopped fine
• 1/2 cup raisins, chopped
• 1/2 cup dried or candied cherries

Cake

1. Grease and flour 3 or 4 9-inch round cake pans.

2. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter with the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and the almond extract.

3. In a different bowl, stir together the flour, the baking powder, and the salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in batches alternately with the milk, until well combined.

4. In another large bowl beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar and a pinch of salt until they just hold stiff peaks, stir one third of them into the batter, and fold in the remaining whites gently but thoroughly.

5. Divide the batter among the prepared pans, smoothing the tops, and bake the cake layers, in batches if necessary, in the middle of a preheated 325°F. oven for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Let the cake layers cool in the pans on racks for 5 minutes, turn them out onto the racks, and let them cool completely. The cake layers may be made 1 week in advance and kept wrapped well in plastic wrap and frozen. Let the layers thaw before proceeding with the recipe.

Frosting:
1. In a small saucepan combine the sugar and the water, bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, and boil the syrup until it registers 248°F. on a candy thermometer. Pour sugar mixture into a tempered glass measuring cup. (I suggest this because the pot is very, very hot and heavy!. Transfering the sugar to a glass mesauring cups is lighter, cooler, and easier to pour from.)

2. While the syrup is boiling, in a large bowl with an electric mixer beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they hold soft peaks and with the mixer running add the hot syrup in a stream. (DO NOT DUMP THE HOT SUGAR MIXURE DIRECTLY INTO YOUR EGG WHITES! This will cause your egg whites to deflate. However, if this happens all is not lost! Keep mixing the egg whites and they will come back eventually.

3. Beat in the vanilla and beat the icing until it is cool - about 10-15 minutes. Transfer 2-3 cups of the icing to a bowl, reserving the remaining icing, and fold in the figs, pecans, cherries, and raisins.

4. Arrange 1 of the cake layers, flat side up, on a serving plate, spread it with half the dried-fruit icing, and top the filling with another cake layer, flat side down. Spread the top layer with the remaining dried-fruit icing and top the filling with the remaining cake layer. Spread the top and side of the cake with the reserved plain icing .To garnish, either leave the top of the cake plain, sprinkle with pecans, or to do what I did, take a dried fig and flatten it. Using a very sharp paring knife, cut a "W" out of the top. This will become your tulip! Use log pieces of pecans for the stems. For the ribbon I used big dried cherries that I cut into a strip, and two that I flattened and cut a "V" out of.

5. Refrigerate the cake until you're ready to eat it. The frosting is very light and sticky at room temperature. When it's refrigerated it gets firm and sets a bit better and makes it much easier to transport.

Noella Got Married! Venetian & Italian Wedding Cookies

Last week, my dear friend Noella and her long time boyfriend, John went to Hawaii for vacation. Shortly after they arrived in Maui, John proposed, and forty-eight hours later at a courthouse in Kaua'i, they were pronounced husband and wife! I think it's the most romantic way to get married. She told me today, "I waited so long for him to propose I just couldn't wait to be married to him!" (Aww!)

In honor of their nuptials, her desk was decorated all "wedding-y" and it looked great! We didn't stop there! Of course I had to make her something super special. Since Noella is Italian, I knew she'd love either Venetian Cookies or Italian Wedding Cookies but I couldn't decide between the two. So I ended up making them both!

Congratulations Noella and John!

Travis's Black Forest Gateau

I didn't have to ask Travis what he wanted for his Birthday Fairy Treat. Shortly after I met him last year and explained our birthday customs at SerSol, he smiled broadly and said, "Oh I know want... I want a Black Cherry Cake!" You have to respect a man who knows what he wants! ;-)

About two weeks ago I started on my quest to find the best recipe. I found several! Everything from the standard super sweet cake mix and goopy cherry-compote variety to the authentic Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte*. Oh so fancy and right up my alley! I decided to go all out for Travis and make it totally from scratch and as authentic as possible.

The cake part was made 24 hours in advance so that it could get a little stale before it was assembled. This helped it to better absorb the cherry syrup that was drizzled directly onto the three cake layers. In addition to the syrup, the layers were lavished with generous dollops of fresh whipped cream and sour Morello cherries that had been simmered in Kirsch (cherry brandy), sugar, cinnamon, and lemon peel. Once the cake was assembled, I frosted the cake with more whipped cream, semisweet milk chocolate curls, and topped it off with a big "T" I fashioned out of maraschino cherries. This cake won't win any beauty contests but it's the most sincere one you'll find anywhere! Happy Birthday Travis! Thank you for everything you do for us at SerSol and for being your fabulous, perpetually happy self!


*For those interested in the recipe I used, you can find it here. (If you're wondering what the best type of cherry to use in Black Forest Gateau is, it's Morello. They are tart with just the right amount of sweetness. You can I find them jarred in their juice at Trader Joe's. Cherry pie compote will not due, sorry.) If you decide to use this recipe, I strongly encourage you to double the whipped cream as there wasn't nearly enough. Also, I ended up making this cake in my 10" pans instead of the 9" it called for. There was just too much batter and I didn't want to waste any.

Richard's Double Chocolate Layer Cake

Today is Richard's Birthday Eve, but since he'll be out of the office tomorrow, we're celebrating today. Good thing too because I feel like it's been forever since I baked anything. I've been itching to make this cake for Richard since I made the Hazelnut Cheesecake. It has a good reputation so I thought it would be a good bet and Richard was jazzed to try it. I mean seriously, anything with almost two pounds of milk chocolate and cocoa powder has to taste good, right? This recipe is the epitome of what chocolate cake should be. I followed Epicurious's Double Chocolate Layer Cake but used Dutch processed cocoa even though it said not to. Pure cocoa is just too expensive and can be bitter. I didn't want to chance it. Since Dutched cocoa but already contains alkali, I omitted the baking soda it the recipe. The cake is a really dense then I thought it would be so next time I make it I might just cut the baking soda in half instead of omitting it all together. Nevertheless, I'm feeling confident that it should still taste good. I'm not a big chocolate fan but I think I'm going to have to try a small piece, you know, for educational purposes. :-)

Tasting Update: Richard and I discussed this and we both agreed that it almost had a New York style cheesecake texture. This is not a cake that can be eaten too quickly. One must take small bites and wait before digging in again. Peter S. told me me that he got a little buzzed from it. This is definately one for the books folks. If you want to make an impressive super-duper chocolate cake, this one is it.

This picture was hard to get! Dark chocolate cake is just difficult to capture without creating too much contrast. Thanks Craig for taking the cake slice photo! I swear I can smell a rich chocolate aroma wafting out of my monitor!

Shawn's Darn Good Chocolate Cake

Today was Shawn's 30th birthday so I wanted to do something extra special for him. When I asked him what he wanted he just said something chocolaty and cake-like. It didn't take me long to pick one of my favorite, tried and trusted recipes. I almost feel as though I'm cheating because there is cake mix involved, but it has never let me down. The Cake Doctor deserves all the credit for this basic recipe, however I've "Julia-ized" it just a bit to make it more chocolaty:

Darn Good Four Chocolate Chocolate Cake

• 1 box devil's food cake mix (without pudding added!)
• 1 box chocolate pudding
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1-2 T of dark chocolate cocoa powder
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks
• 1 cup dark chocolate (I used a bar and cut it into chunks)

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a bundt pan. Put everything except the chips in a bowl and mix on low speed for 1 minute. The batter will be VERY thi