March Daring Bakers Challenge

The Daring Baker Challenge for March is my first ever food challenge.
This month months challenge was hosted by Morven of Food Art and Random Thoughts and she chose the “Perfect Party Cake” from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking From My Home To Yours.
It’s a lemon flavoured white cake with a swiss meringue butter cream.
I enjoy anything even remotely lemon flavoured so I was looking forward to baking this for my first challenge. As it happens my Dad’s birthday is in March and he loves lemon almost as much as I do, so this cake was perfect.
You can find the recipe here on Morven’s blog.
My cake turned out more yellow than white. Not sure why that is… too much lemon?
I used a lemon curd filling instead of preserves, ’cause lets face it, lemon cake just ‘aint enough lemon, it’s gotta be filled with lemon too!
The frosting is fantastic, the cake looked amazing. The photos are dodgy but it was half eaten at the time (didn’t take a camera to the resturant, dah).

PERFECT PARTY CAKE
From Dorie Greenspan’s Baking from My Home to Yours (pages 250-252)

Words from Dorie
Stick a bright-coloured Post-it to this page, so you’ll always know where to turn for a just-right cake for any celebration. The original recipe was given to me by my great dear friend Nick Malgieri, of baking fame, and since getting it, I’ve found endless opportunities to make it – you will too.
The cake is snow white, with an elegant tight crumb and an easygoing nature: it always bakes up perfectly; it is delicate on the tongue but sturdy in the kitchen – no fussing when it comes to slicing the layers in half or cutting tall, beautiful wedges for serving; and, it tastes just as you’d want a party cake to taste – special. The base recipe is for a cake flavoured with lemon, layered with a little raspberry jam and filled and frosted with a classic (and so simple) pure white lemony hot-meringue buttercream but, because the elements are so fundamental, they lend themselves to variation (see Playing Around), making the cake not just perfect, but also versatile.

For the Cake
2 ¼ cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups whole milk or buttermilk (I prefer buttermilk with the lemon)
4 large egg whites
1 ½ cups sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 stick (8 tablespoons or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ teaspoon pure lemon extract

For the Buttercream
1 cup sugar
4 large egg whites
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 large lemons)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For Finishing
2/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves stirred vigorously or warmed gently until spreadable
About 1 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconut

Getting Ready

Centre a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 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 or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

To Make the Cake

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl.
Whisk together 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.
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.
Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed.Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated.
Add the rest of the milk and eggs beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients.
Finally, give the batter a good 2- minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated.Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.
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
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.
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

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.
The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like shiny marshmallow cream.Remove the bowl from the heat.Working with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the meringue on medium speed until it is cool, about 5 minutes.
Switch to the paddle attachment if you have one, and add the butter a stick at a time, beating until smooth.Once all the butter is in, beat in the buttercream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, 6-10 minutes.
During this time the buttercream may curdle or separate – just keep beating and it will come together again.On medium speed, gradually beat in more lemon juice, waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding more, and then the vanilla.
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

Using a sharp serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, slice each layer horizontally in half.Put one layer cut side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper.
Spread it with one third of the preserves.
Cover the jam evenly with about one quarter of the buttercream.Top with another layer, spread with preserves and buttercream and then do the same with a third layer (you’ll have used all the jam and have buttercream leftover).Place the last layer cut side down on top of the cake and use the remaining buttercream to frost the sides and top.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.

Playing Around

Since lemon is such a friendly flavour, feel free to make changes in the preserves: other red preserves – cherry or strawberry – look especially nice, but you can even use plum or blueberry jam.

Thank You Gift: First Thing

We were given a great gift for Easter from Pa Baker's boss. So I made a little thankyou gift because we were so surprised and so delighted that she thought of us. And how do you say thank you better than with baking? Well maybe with really expensive gifts, but I’m a baker not a millionaire.
Truffles are my favourite thing (at least they’re at the top of the list) so that came first, just because its’ Easter.
These truffles are fantastic, you can add anything you like to flavour them hazelnuts, almonds, mint, cardamom, anything.
I love them plain, good quality chocolate; I don’t mean go out and pay $10 for 100gm kind of chocy, unless you want to and you’ve got the cash to blow. Just something that’s good quality from the supermarket, or whatever your favourite is if you like Cadbury, use it, if you like Lindt go for it.
I do recommend a dark chocolate, as sweetened milk chocolate gets to be sickeningly sweet in truffle from.

Truffles
200gms of your fav chocolate
150mls cream

Combine chocolate and cream, melt together. Pour into a tray and refrigerate to set.
When set use a melon baller to scoop the ganache into round balls, or roll a teaspoon full between your hands.
Roll balls in cocoa powder.
If you like you can chocolate coat them. The best way I have seen is to smear a little melted chocolate on your hand and roll the truffle in the chocolate until coated. This gives the truffle a wafer thin coating that cracks as you bite into it.

Second Thing

The second thing I made for the thank you basket is Strawberry and White Chocolate Chip Cookies.
These cookies are a modified version of these. The combination of dried strawberries and white chocolate is delicious it’s like strawberries and cream in a cookie.
These have been a hit with everyone even Pa Baker who hates white chocolate as much as I do.

White Chocolate & Strawberry Cookies

Ingredients110g unsalted butter, softened3/4 cup packed brown sugar1 egg2 tsp natural vanilla extract1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour1/2 teaspoon baking soda3/4 cup white chocolate chips1 cup dried strawberries
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar till smooth and fluffy. Gradually add the egg and vanilla extract and beat till well combined.
3. Sift the flour and baking soda and then mix them into the creamed butter mixture, then add the white choc chips and dried strawberries; mix well.
4. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper and carefully scoop tablespoons of the mixture onto the tray, at least 5cm apart as they spread a lot.
3. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven (less if you prefer your cookies chewy, more if you want a little crunch), till they are well puffed, golden on top and nicely browned underneath. Remove the baking tray from the oven and leave the cookies to cool completely on the tray before removing them to a wire rack (be warned, these cookies are EXTREMELY soft and delicate till they have cooled down).

Third Thing

The third part of the thank you basket is a Date and Lime Slice.
Slice’s are great to bake they are easy, versatile and you can eat them any time; lunch, coffee break or dessert.
Dates and Limes a ‘best friends’ hey always taste great together. The icing however makes this a very sweet slice, but delicious all the same.

Date and Lime Slice
1 cup SR flour
½ cup caster sugar
1 cup desiccated coconut
2 tsp finely grated lime rind
1 cup chopped dates
½ cup walnuts
180gms butter, melted
1 egg lightly beaten
Lime Icing
1 ½ cups icing sugar sifted
15g bitter melted
1-2 tbs lime juice

Preheat oven to 180C degrees, brush a 27 x 18 cm rectangular cake tin with melted butter or oil. Cover base with paper, extending over two sides ; grease paper.
Place sifted flour, sugar, coconut lime rind, dates and walnuts in a medium mixing bowl. Using a metal spoon, stir until combined.
Add butter; mix well. Add egg; stir until combined. Press into prepared tim. Bake 20 mins or until lightly golden stand 5 mins before turning onto a wire rack

Icing
Combine icing sugar in a small mixing bowl with the butter and lime juice. Spread evenly over slice; stand until set. Cut into squares.

Cup cakery

While searching through other food blogs (a new favourite pastime of mine) I came across The cupcake bake shop run by Cheryl. A virtual wonder world of cup cakes, in every imaginable flavour, and a few that I never would have imagined; ‘Lavender cream filled cupcake with citrus cream cheese frosting’, ‘Chocolate Tarragon cupcakes with Tarragon Cream Cheese Frosting’, are simply the top two cupcakes listed in her index. And since I am dedicated to trying new things in an effort to fill up this blog and keep it interesting I decided to give cupcakes a shot.
Not having much experience with cupcakes (not since I was about 10 years old anyway) I really am more of a muffin girl; I chose one of the simpler ones. Chocolate chai Spiced Cup Cake.
I like chocolate (more than I ought to) and I like chai tea. What a great combination!
I gave myself a whole afternoon for such a project. Once they were mixed and in the oven I did nothing but stare in the oven window and bite my lip. I expected disaster, over flown patty pans, sunken tops, burned bottoms. What I got was; perfection. As I turns out cup cakes aren’t so tough after all, and all those horror stories can no longer be blamed on the poor innocent, cute lil’ cakes.
The cake was soft, and moist, chocolate was the first flavour, but the subtle chai spice wafted through after, giving the chocolate cake a very grown up flavour. I saw quite a few surprised faces as I passed them around to family and friends. Everyone gave them a big a big thumbs up, even my Dad who isn’t known for to have an adventurous palate but never turns down my baking.
The frosting, a butter cream, was not as lovely as the cake but I ‘m not crazy about butter cream on anything. The chai spices certainly improved it, but the sweetness of the butter cream make the cupcake sickly, I just started scraping off the butter cream and only eating the cake – the exact opposite of what Miss Baker was wont to do (unexpected? – No).

Chai Spice Mix
2 teaspoons fennel, whole

2 teaspoons cloves, whole

1 tablespoon cardamom, ground

2 teaspoons cinnamon, ground

2 teaspoons ginger, ground
1. With a small food processor, grind up the whole fennel and cloves.

2. Transfer to a small bowl and add remaining spices. Mix to combine.
chai spice mix

Chocolate Chai Spice Cupcakes

24 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

200 gram bar of Valrhona 61% cacao
3 sticks butter

2-1/4 cups sugar

8 eggs1-1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3 teaspoons chai spice mix

pinch of salt
1. Chop chocolate and transfer into the bowl of a standing mixer.

2. Add butter to the chocolate and place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir until chocolate melts and butter is combined.

3. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Let mixture cool for 10 minutes.

4. Beat in an electric mixer for 3 minutes.

5. Add one egg at a time, mixing for 30 seconds between each

6. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, chai spice mix, and a pinch of salt into the mixture and mix until blended.

7. Scoop into cupcake cups and bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Chai Spice Butter cream Frosting
1 cup (2 sticks) butter

4-5 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1/4 cup milk2 teaspoons chai spice mix

2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1. Beat butter until creamy, scrape bowl.

2. Add 4 cups of sifted powdered sugar, milk, spice mix, and ginger. Beat until combined.

3. Add more powdered sugar as needed to get piping consistency.

Note: Everyone’s personal preferences differ. With frosting, the flavour is up to you. If you are unsure of how much of a chai flavour you want, start light on the spices and add a teaspoon at a time until you get to a flavour you like. Same goes for the sugar. It’s a matter of taste and what consistency you want to work with. Experiment until you get at what works for you.

Assemble

1. Frost the cooled cupcakes.

Non-Anzacs

Today I wanted a chewy biscuit, I fancied a bit of chocolate too so I decided to fiddle around with an Anzac a little bit.
I love the oaty-ness of Anzac’s as well as the coconut. They are a great all round biscuit pretty much everyone loves them. But I wanted something a bit different than usual. I wanted a biscuit that would stay chewy even when cool. I decided that I would increase the butter slightly and swap Golden syrup for honey.
The result is something like an Anzac but not quite traditional. I decided to keep going with being different so I drizzled some 73% cocoa chocolate over the top. The bitter-sweetness of the chocolate gave the biscuits a real kick they were fantastic.

Non-Anzacs
1cup Plain Flour
2/3cup sugar
1cup rolled oats
1cup desiccated coconut
140g butter
1/3cup honey
1/2tsp bi-carb soda
1tbs boiling water
Preheat oven to 180C.
Sift flour and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Add oats and coconut; make a well in the centre.
Combine butter and honey in a small pan. Stir over low heat until butter is melted and mixture is smooth; remove from heat. Dissolve soda in water; add immediately to butter mixture. It will foam up instantly. Add butter mixture to dry ingredients. Stir well until combined.
Roll tablespoonfuls into balls and flatten slightly with fingers, allow room for spreading.
Bake 20 minutes or until just browned.

Melt and Mix Chocolate Coconut Cake

I've been bored with my recipe book collection for a while now so I picked up a few new ones on Friday. Donna Hay recipe books dominate my recipe cupboard and her 'Chocolate' book is my new favourite. Baby Baker loves it too, I know this because she started crying 'chocolate, chocolate' and snatched it out of my hands and wouldn't give it to the check-out-boy or me until I swapped it for a choc-chip hot cross bun.
Where was I... oh so, new recipe book, I had to try it out but I wanted something simple, not too fancy and fairly easy to through together.
Melt and Mix Chocolate Coconut Cake, I'm talking about you.
This cake is one of those cakes you can make anytime, there are no unusual ingredients, and it’s all basic stuff that is always in my pantry. I don't know about anyone else but there are some things I make sure I never run out off. I mean if there's a disaster like an earth quake, the shops might all close, and then I couldn't bake! OMG!
So there are things I always stock; flour, baking soda and powder, corn flour, icing sugar, brown sugar, eggs, coconut, cocoa, and chocolate.
Okay so maybe I'm a little obsessive, but I have little kids and I can't just trip down to Coles for stuff all the time (especially nap times - my favourite baking time) so I like to have all the necessities covered.
So this cake is one that you could just throw together from the pantry, as are a lot of the recipes in the Chocolate book, though quite a few ask for chocolate, specific kinds and well, chocolate just doesn't last long enough for me to keep much in the cupboard.
Melt and mix means exactly what it seems, you put all the ingredients in a large bowl, melt the butter then mix it all together.
The cake itself really surprised me, when I cut it I thought it would be quite dense, but when I put it in my mouth the first thing that I noticed was how light and soft and moist it was. It was not dense or sticky at all. The coconut is a strong flavour but it doesn't over power the chocolate, rather sits next to it as an equal. Coconut all grown up and come into its own power. The two flavours mixed together make a stunning combination.
Maybe I'm talking this cake up too much, but really I was deeply impressed with this humble looking chocolate cake, its texture was surprising and I think really makes the cake as wonderful as I think it is. If it were dense and heavy, the flavour would be ruined.
The recipe recommends a chocolate glaze but I think it's too much, the fresh cake does not need any dressing, perhaps a little icing sugar sifted over for decoration when serving, the next day (if it survives that long just a little fresh or wiped cream to brighten it up.

Melt and Mix Chocolate Cake

250g butter, melted

3/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted

12/3 cup caster sugar

4 eggs

11/2 cups self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 160 deg C. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour into a 20cm square cake tin that has been greased and lined with baking paper. Bake for 1 hour or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Allow to cool in tin for 10 minutes then turn onto a wire rack.