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Lumberjack Cake

(adapted from Frances restaurant, San Francisco)

The original recipe for this cake was created by Frances restaurant. This was the first time I made it, but right away I decided to change a few things: I substituted whole wheat pastry flour for regular flour, added less sugar than it called for and used the coconut palm variety, added more coconut flakes, and also added almonds (one could also experiment with other nuts). The result was a very moist, flavorful cake, best served sprinkled with powdered sugar and topped with a dollop of Kalona sour cream, freshly whipped cream, or Straus vanilla bean ice cream... A bit of orange zest glaze also makes a lovely accompaniment.

1c water

1 c dates, pitted and chopped into 1/4 inch pieces

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/4 c whole wheat pastry flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 c butter, softened

3/4 c coconut palm sugar

 1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 c large coconut flakes

1/2 c chopped almonds

1 apple, peeled and medium diced

In a saucepan, bring water and dates to a boil. Whisk in baking soda. Set aside to cool to room temperature. In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl (or that of a stand mixer), cream butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and egg. Slowly add room temperature date mixture until incorporated. Then slowly add dry ingredients until blended, careful not to over-mix. Fold in coconut, apple, and almonds. Pour mixture into a 9-inch greased springform pan and bake at 350F for 45 minutes. Rotate pan in oven and continue to bake for 10 minutes. Insert a clean toothpick into the middle of the cake and if it comes out clean, the cake is done. If not, rotate the pan and continue to bake.

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chocolate stout bundt cake

with cocoa-buttermilk icing

(recipe from Heidi Swanson)

for the cake:

2 c chocolate porter or stout beer
8 Tbsp unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
3/4 cup natural cocoa powder (non-dutched)
1 c whole wheat flour
1 c all-purpose flour
1 c muscovado or dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp fine grain sea salt
3 large eggs
1 1/2 c plain whole yogurt
3/4 c pure maple syrup

for the icing:

3/4 c powdered sugar
1/4 c natural cocoa powder (non-dutched)
2 Tbsp buttermilk

flaky sea salt, to serve

Preheat oven to 350F, with a rack in the center. Butter and flour (generously) a 11 or 12-cup capacity bundt pan (or equivalent). You can bake this in other cake pans, just be mindful to avoid filling the pan(s) more than 2/3 - 3/4 full. Adjust the baking time as well - baking until the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, and the center tests clean when you insert a knife. In a saucepan simmer the beer down to 1 cup. Remove from heat, add the butter and stir until melted. Stir in the cocoa powder, mixing until smooth, then set aside to cool, stirring occasionally to let off heat. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, yogurt, and maple syrup. Whisk well, until nicely blended and uniform in appearance. Gradually add the (cooled) stout mixture, stirring all the while. Stir until well blended. Add the flour mixture, folding until just blended, using as few strokes as possible. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake for 35 - 45 minutes if using the bundt pan, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. You really don't want to over bake this cake - err on the slightly moist side if anything. Remove from the oven, and turn out onto a cooling rack after seven minutes. In the meantime, make the icing by whisking together the powdered sugar, cocoa, and buttermilk. Really go at it for at least a minute. The icing should end up smooth and creamy looking, adjust with a touch of powdered sugar or a few extra drops of buttermilk if you want to tweak the consistency at all. When the cake is completely cool, run the icing around the top with an offset spatula and let it set. Serve sprinkled with a bit of flaky sea salt. But don't sprinkle with flakes of salt until ready to serve, or you'll end up with little divots.

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this cake

is not the most gorgeous

(nor the most decadent)

but it is so satisfying and delicious

(( going along with my recent buckwheat obsession ))

Breton Buckwheat Cake
with Fleur de Sel


(from 101 Cookbooks, originally written by David Lebovitz
in The Sweet Life in Paris)

For the cake:

7/8 c buckwheat flour

1 c all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp plus 1/3 tsp fleur de sel

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 lb unsalted butter, at room temp

1 c sugar

4 large egg yolks

1 large egg

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp dark rum

For the glaze:

1 large egg yolk

1 tsp milk

Butter a 9 or 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom or a 9-inch springform cake pan. Preheat oven to 350F. In a small bowl, whisk together the buckwheat and all-purpose flour with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the cinnamon. (I added 1 tsp ground cardamom as well.) In the bowl of a standing mixer or by hand, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and continue the beat until smooth. In a separate bowl, beat the 4 egg yolks and whole egg with the vanilla and rum (I used bourbon instead) with a fork, then gradually dribble the egg mixture into the batter while beating. If using an electric mixer, beat on high speed so the butter gets really airy. Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top as flat as possible with an offset metal or plastic spatula. Make a glaze by stirring the single yolk and milk together with a fork, then brush it generously all over the top. (You may not use it all, but use most of it.) Take a fork and rake it across the top in three parallel lines, evenly spaced; then repeat starting from a slightly different angle to make a criss-cross pattern. Crumble the remaining 1/3 tsp salt over the gateau with our fingers and bake for 45 minutes. Don't over-bake or it will be on the dry side - start checking after 35 minutes or so. Let cool completely before unmolding.

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for Dad's 65th

birthday spaghetti with eggplant & chanterelles >> 

boil salted water in medium sized pot. in another larger pot, add 2 tsp dried chili flake & 2 tsp ground nutmeg. toast for 1-2 minutes, then add 2 Tbsp olive oil & one roughly chopped yellow onion. cover with lid and cook on med-low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. add 1 small eggplant (diced) & 3 cloves minced garlic and continue cook for 5 minutes. add 3/4 package spaghetti to boiling water (i use Rustichella d'Abruzzo pasta). to eggplant mixture, add about 3/4 lb sliced chanterelles, remove lid and cook for a few minutes (allow mushrooms to release their moisture and cook down). add a splash of sherry to deglaze pan, followed by a few tablespoons cream. when pasta is almost al dente, remove it from boiling water and transfer to large pot with other ingredients (along with a splash of pasta water). allow liquid to cook off, and remove from heat. add 1 Tbsp fresh lemon zest, 1/4 c pinenuts, 2 Tbsp fresh oregano, & salt to taste. toss well and serve. serves 4.

birthday chiffon cake with cardamom-vanilla bean syrup and dark chocolate frosting >> 

i recently made Tartine's Basic Chiffon Cake recipe as a cake base for their Fromage Blanc Bavarian. however, the Bavarian recipe called for only 1/3 of the chiffon. i thoroughly wrapped the remainder of the cake and froze it for future use.

i removed it to defrost the morning i created this cake.

in a small saucepan, combine 1/4 c water, 2 1/2 Tbsp sugar, 1 tsp ground cardamom, and 1/2 vanilla bean (pod and beans). heat over low until the sugar dissolves. remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. using a pastry brush, moisten the entire top surface of the chiffon cake evenly with the syrup. in a new saucepan, combine 1/2 c sugar and 1/2 c heavy cream and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. reduce the heat and simmer for 6 minutes. add 2 1/2 ounces Scharffen Berger 99% cacao unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped and 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces. stir until melted. pour into a bowl and stir in 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract. refrigerate frosting for at least 40 minutes, and once thicker, frost top and sides of cake. serve with Straus vanilla bean ice cream.

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 i spent my birthday morning

constructing this bit of decadence

Tartine's Fromage Blanc Bavarian

a bottle of bubbly

a birthday crown

a dear mother

& a cute boy

(( i'll take mornings like these anytime ))

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depression antidotes

 the new

the sumptuous 

( the simple things )

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(( be careful ))

this might just be one of the best

chocolate cakes i've ever tasted

i'm not eve a big

chocolate cake person

to begin with

but this might

just convert you

...really.

(recipe here)

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(more from Just Kids):

where does it all lead?

what will become of us?

it leads to each other.

we become ourselves.

  

made this last night for the first time.

orginal recipe didn't call for thyme or honey, but the combination was quite lovely.

serve cake with a glass of madeira or other dessert wine...

lemon-thyme polenta cake

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup polenta

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (use a buttery vs. pungent oil)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

1-2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

honey (for drizzling) 

Preheat the oven to 325°.  Butter a 9-inch springform pan.  Sift together flour, polenta, baking soda and salt.  In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice and vanilla.  In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the granulated sugar at medium speed until thick, about 3 minutes.  Gradually beat in the oil mixture, lemon zest, and thyme.  Gently fold in the dry ingredients just until blended.  Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until the center springs back when lightly pressed.  Let the cake cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.  Remove the side and let cool completely.  In a medium bowl, whip the heavy cream with sugar and vanilla to soft peaks.  Transfer the cake to a serving plate and sift the confectioners' sugar over the top.  Serve with a drizzle of honey and a spoonful of whipped cream.

 

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i never get enough time in this home

especially in front of the fire

(nor in the kitchen)

first time making Tartine's Chocolate Souffle Cake
 ((  !  ))

Ingredients:

3/4 c walnuts or pecans, lightly toasted and finely chopped

3/4 c + 1 tbsp unsalted butter

14 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

7 large eggs

3/4 c + 2 tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

for ganache topping:

4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 c heavy cream

Kitchen Notes:  The success of this cake depends on two things.  First, you must incorporate air into the egg yolk and sugar mixture, whipping them to a thick ribbon, or the cake will not have the correct light texture when it is baked.  Second, you must be careful not to overbake the cake, or it will turn out dry.  Many cooks are inclined to turn the mixer to high speed for beating egg whites to stiff peaks.  But you will find that if you whip whites on medium speed and take a little longer, the whites will have a tighter, more stable structure and have fewer large, irregular air pockets.

Preheat the oven to 325.  Line the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan with 3-inch sides with parchment paper cut to fit exactly.  Evenly distribute nuts over the bottom of the pan, then gently shake the pan back and forth to fill in any gaps.  In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and then add the chocolate.  Stir as the chocolate melts, blending it with the butter.  Remove from the heat and set aside.

(recipe continued on next page)

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(on a cloudy day)

sometimes one must bake a cake.

and eat it.

(on no particular occasion)

with whipped cream and walnuts and maple syrup.