Category: DESSERTS

OPERA CAKE ala BAKING PARTNERS CHALLENGE

Opera Cake is a very famous French Pastry, where almond sponge cake is soaked in coffee syrup, topped with french coffee butter cream and finally glazed with ganache.  This cake is a labor of love as it is labor intensive. It can be prepared in 3 phases. First day prepare the sponge cake, second day prepare the butter cream and coffee syrup, and third day prepare ganache, chocolate glaze and assemble the final cake. The taste is awesome and worth the effort. I skipped the ganache to make it a little lighter.

NOTE:  The key for a good opera cake is evenly soaking the cake with the coffee syrup without sogging it down.

Source : Joe Pastry

For the Almond Sponge (Joconde):
6 Egg whites @ room temperature
2 1/4 tablespoons Sugar 
8 ounces Blanched almonds 
1 cup sifted Powdered sugar
6 Large eggs 
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon All purpose flour
3 tablespoons Clarified butter, melted
1 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla 
  • Blanch almonds. Soak almonds in hot water for 30 minutes and then peel the skin off. 
  • Dry the almonds well on a paper towel and then powder in mini food processor. 
  • All ingredients need to be at room temperature for best results.
  • Pre heat the oven 425 F. 
  • Grease a half sheet pan with melted butter. 
  • Cut parchment paper exactly to the size of the pan. If it is too long , it may make the corners jagged.
  • Aadd the eggs to mixing bowl. 
  • To the eggs add sieved powdered sugar beating until pal yellow and sugar has been incorporated well with the eggs. The mixture would have increased in volume.
  • Add the powdered almonds and all purpose flour to the egg mixture blending until smooth with no lumps.
  • While this is happening, separate the other egg whites from the yolk. The bowl has to be clean. Reserve the egg yolks for making buttercream.
  • While the almond mixture is incorporating, prepare the meringue. Beat the egg whites until it reaches soft peaks. Now add the granulated sugar and beat again until it reaches stiff peak. DO NOT over beat the meringue – it may become flat. 
  • Fold the meringue into the almond mixture taking care not to flatten the mixture. 
  • Add melted butter and vanilla to the batter.
  • Grease the parchment paper with melted butter again. 
  • Pour the batter into the pan and spread it using a spatula. Take care to spread the batter on the corners. Corners are the culprits for not getting even sized sponge. 
  • Bake the sponge for 5-7 minutes or until the sponge is springy to the touch. DO NOT over bake – cake will become hard. 
  • Turn the sponge over a parchment paper and let it cool. Once one side is cooled, turn it over and peel the parchment paper and let the other side cool completely. If you are going to freeze wrap it using a cling wrap and freeze. If you are going to prepare the cake within 2 days, then it can be covered completely and stored at room temperature.
For French Coffee Buttercream:
2 tablespoons Coffee powder 
2 teaspoons Boiling water 
6 Egg yolks 
1 cup Sugar 
1/4 cup Water
1  pound Butter 
2 teaspoons Vanilla  
  • Dissolve the coffee powder in hot water and set aside. 
  • Add the reserved egg yolks to a mixing bowl. Beat until it becomes foamy,for at least 3 minutes. 
  • While the egg yolks are mixing prepare the sugar syrup. 
  • Add sugar and water in a sauce pan. Let it reach 238 degeree F. The mixture will be bubbling hot.
  • When the sugar is hot, immediately pour the syrup into the yolk little by little. DO NOT pour it in a hurry. DO NOT let it touch the walls of the mixer – the sugar will become crystal. Pour it little by little, mixing after each addition. Whisk the egg yolk mixture until it becomes cold. This is very important for the butter cream. The egg and sugar mixture MUST BE cooled down completely. 
  • Once it is cooled, remove the whisk attachment and insert the beater attachment to the mixer. 
  • Drop the butter one cube at a time to the mixer until it is incorporated well into the egg mixture.
  • Beat the butter mixture on high speed for at least 5 minutes until it becomes fluffy and pale.
  • Add the coffee and vanilla to the mixture and beat for a minute. This will make the buttercream rich in coffee flavor.

 

For Ganache:
10 ounces Bittersweet Chocolate
1 cup Cream
  • Add the chocolate to a bowl. 
  • Heat cream slowly until it reaches boiling point. 
  • Pour immediately over the chocolate. 
  • Let stand for 5 minutes and then mix with a spoon until it is smooth.
  • Whisk the chocolate using a wire whisk. 
  • Let stand for 5 minutes. The ganache has to be spreadable consistency.
For Coffee flavored syrup:
1/2 cup Sugar  
1 cup Water   
3 tablespoons Instant Coffee powder
  • Take sugar and water in a pan aand let it get reduced to half the volume. Now add coffee powder and let it dissolve into the hot water. Turn off  and let it cool.
For Tempered Chocolate:
6 ounces Callebaut chocolate (gourmet chocolate)
2 tablespoons Butter   
  • Prepare 2 bowls with ice water in one and cold water in the other. 
  • Add the chocolate to a microwave safe bowl, melt it in microwave one minute at a time until it is melted completely.
  • Place it on top of the cold water bowl. The temperature would have dropped to 84 degree F. Now take the bowl out and place it on top of the hot water bowl, the temperature would have hiked to 89 degree F. 
  • Immediately mix the butter and the chocolate. 
  • Pour the tempered chocolate on top of the cake.

ASSEMBLY

  • Cut the sponge into 4 equal sized rectangles.  
  • Apply the ganache a thin layer on top of the cake board. This will make sure that the cake comes out clean, when we cut it ,without sticking to the board.  
  • Place the first rectangle on the board. 
  • Center the cake. The up side of the cake has to remain the upside of the cake as it has lot of pores which will absorb the syrup.
  • Soak the sponge completely with coffee syrup. Be liberal in soaking, as the cake has to be melt in mouth. We can also pierce the sponge with fork and soak it with coffee syrup. 
  • Apply a thick layer of coffee buttercream on top of the sponge cake. 
  • Place the second rectangle of the almond sponge cake on top of the buttercream. 
  • Soak it again with coffee syrup.
  • Spread the ganache on top of the butter cream. Use an angled spatula to cover all the corners.
  • Place the 3rd sponge cake on top of the ganache and soak again with coffee syrup.
  • Apply buttercream on top of the sponge cake.
  • Place the 4th sponge cake on top o
  • At last apply a thin layer of buttercream on the sponge. 

 

  • Now comes the glazing part. We can either glaze the cake with melted chocolate or we can temper the chocolate and pour it on top of the cake. I tempered the chocolate and poured it on top of the cake.
  • Let the chocolate set at room temperature for about 10 minutes. 
  • Trim the sides of the cake. You should have a neat rectangle part of the cake. 
  • Mark the cake with a sharp knife with lines. These lines will help us to cut the cake after chilling, without breaking down the cake. 
  • Chill the cake for about 3 hours or overnight. 
  • Bring the cake to room temperature and cut it. 
  • Top the cake with chocolate garnishes and serve.

CARAMEL PECAN DUMP CAKE

This is one of those recipes I cut out from a magazine that is super simple. I’m going to give you the original recipe and then my from scratch version.

original recipe: APPLE CARAMEL PECAN DUMP CAKE
2-21 ounce cans apple pie filling
1 box caramel or yellow cake mix
1/2 cup butter, sliced thin into 12 slices
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup caramel sauce

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Lightly spray 9×13 cake pan with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Pour both cans of pie filling into the bottom of the pan.
  • Sprinkle cinnamon over fruit.
  • Even spread cake mix over top of fruit.
  • Lay slices of butter in a single layer on top of cake mix.
  • Sprinkle pecan pieces over butter slices.
  • Drizzle caramel sauce all over top.
  • Bake 35-40 minutes or until cake is golden and fruit is bubbling.


my version: CARAMEL PECAN DUMP CAKE
2-21 ounce cans apple, peach or lemon pie filling
1 tablespoon cinnamon (omit if using lemon)

2 1/4 cups (8 ounces) cake flour

1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 cup butter, sliced thin
1/2 cup caramel sauce
4 ounces pecan pieces, minced 

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Lightly spray 9×13 cake pan with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Pour both cans of pie filling into the bottom of the pan.
  • Sprinkle cinnamon over fruit.
  • Sift together dry ingredients and spread evenly over fruit layer.
  • Lay slices of butter in a single layer on top of dry ingredients.
  • Sprinkle pecan pieces over butter slices.
  • Drizzle caramel sauce all over top.
  • Bake 35-40 minutes or until cake is golden and fruit is bubbling.

PAYDAY BARS

This was one of the recipes from my cooking magazine finds!  It was a HUGE hit with a small addition.

PAYDAY BARS
2 cups chopped roasted, salted peanuts
1/2 cup Heath bar toffee bits
14 ounces KRAFT caramel bits
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 tablespoon heavy cream

  • Prepare 8 inch square baking dish with parchment paper or foil.
  • Spray well with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Mix together the nuts and toffee bits.
  • Arrange half the nuts evenly in bottom of the pan.
  • Using a double boiler, melt caramels with heavy cream.
  • When caramel mixture is smooth add marshmallows and stir until smooth.
  • Immediately pour caramel mixture over nuts and top with remaining nut mixture.
  • Cool 2-3 hours until set before cutting.
  • Store in air tight container with wax paper between the layers.

SALTED CARAMEL CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE CAKE

This cake is super rich, but a beautiful cake for a holiday or special occasion. I sure wish my DIL was here – tomorrow is her birthday and she loves chocolate and would love this cake.   Happy virtual birthday Dawn. I adapted this recipe from Shugary Sweets.

SALTED CARAMEL CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE CAKE
CHEESECAKE
2 8-ounce packages Philadelphia cream cheese at room temperature
2/3 cup fine sugar
2 large eggs
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup heavy cream
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon PURE vanilla
pinch fresh ground Himalayan Pink salt

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Add a cake pan half full of water to lower shelf in oven.
  • Prepare a 9 inch springform pan with non-stick spray. Wrap foil around the bottom and up the sides.  Cut a circle section of parchment paper to fit in the bottom and spray it also with non-stick spray.
  • Beat cream cheese with sugar until light and creamy.
  • Add salt and eggs one at a time, beating until creamy after each addition.
  • Beat in sour cream, heavy cream, lemon juice and vanilla.
  • Pour into prepared pan and place in preheated oven.  Immediately lower temperature to 325°.
  • Bake 45 minutes.
  • Turn oven off and leave cake in for 30 more minutes.
  • Remove from oven and cool on rack until completely cool.
  • When cool, wrap in saran and place in freezer for 2-3 hours.

CHOCOLATE CAKE
1 cup butter
4 cups sugar
4 JUMBO eggs
4 cups buttermilk
5 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons PURE vanilla
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground Himalayan Pink salt

  • Grease and “flour” 2 9-inch pans.  I use cocoa instead of flour so the coloring matches.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy.
  • Add eggs and beat well.
  • Sift together the flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda.
  • Add alternately flour mixture, vanilla and buttermilk until well blended and smooth.
  • Pour into prepared pan(s).
  • Bake 30-50 minutes depending on pan until center springs back and toothpick comes out clean.

FROSTING
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup caramel sauce (recipe below or jarred is okay)
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk
pinch fresh ground Himalayan Pink salt

  • Beat butter until fluffy.
  • Add caramel sauce, milk, salt and powdered sugar gradually, beating until smooth and creamy between additions.

CARAMEL SAUCE

6 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • Stir in the sugar until well incorporated and cook over a moderately high heat, undisturbed until a deep amber caramel forms.
  • Turn off heat and carefully stir in butter with a long spoon.  Careful, it will spit.
  • Add the heavy cream in a thin stream, stirring constantly until smooth.
  • Add salt and blend well.
  • Transfer the caramel to a heatproof container and allow to cool.

GANACHE
4 ounces dark chocolate
1/3 cup heavy cream

  • In a double boiler or microwave at 30 second intervals, melt chocolate with heavy cream. Cool.

ASSEMBLY
1/2 bag Heath Bar baking pieces
2 tablespoons caramel sauce (recipe above or jarred is okay)
pinch fresh ground Himalayan Pink salt

  • On a cake plate arrange 1 chocolate cake layer.
  • Top with the cheesecake layer.
  • Sprinkle half of the heath bar pieces on top of cheesecake and press down lightly.
  • Add 2nd chocolate cake to the later.  Gently press the layers together.
  • Frost cake.
  • Add ganache to the top (some will run down sides).
  • Sprinkle with salt and then add remaining Heath bar pieces.

PEACH BLACKBERRY CRUMBLE GALETTE

PEACH BLACKBERRY GALETTE
CRUST – do NOT over mix
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour + flour for rolling
1/4 teaspoon fine ground sea salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, chopped
3 tablespoons ice cold water

  • In food processor pulse flour, salt and sugar until combined.
  • Add butter pieces, pulsing until becomes coarse crumbs.
  • Sprinkle with ice water.
  • Pulse again JUST until dough is crumbly, but holds together when squeezed together. You can add 1-2 more tablespoons as necessary to get desired texture.
  • Form dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour.

FILLING
2 1/2 pounds white peaches, pitted, peeled and sliced
1 bag frozen blackberries, thawed and drained well
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons Wondra flour

  • Toss fruit together and then sprinkle with flour and brown sugar tossing again until well coated.

CRUMBLE
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup Wondra flour
1/3 cup old fashioned rolled oats
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, chopped

  • Combine flour, brown sugar and rolled oats.
  • Using your hands add butter and work into large crumbs.

ASSEMBLY

  • Preheat oven to 375°.
  • Lightly flour rolling pin and work surface.
  • Roll out dough to 12 inches.
  • Place dough in a 9 inch pie pan or make free form galette on prepared cookie sheet.
  •  Add filling and top with crumble mixture.
  • Bake 1 hour until golden and bubbly.
  • Let cool on wire rack 1-2 hours before serving.

SALTED CARAMEL POTS DE CREME – BAKING PARTNERS

Swathi asked me to select a recipe for this month and I’d been dying to try these, so guess what we’re baking? Yep, you guessed it, SALTED CARAMEL POTS DE CREME. I cannot tell you where I first got the recipe because all I have is a photocopied page.  The salt brings out the rich buttery flavor of these simple creamy custards.

SALTED CARAMEL POTS DE CREME
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup whole milk
6 egg yolks
1 teaspoon flaked sea salt*

*I used Himalayan Pink fresh ground salt

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • Adjust racks as necessary so your baking dish will be centered evenly in your oven.
  • Place six 6 ounce ramekins in a large baking dish. As you can see I used a combination of what I had available at the time.
  • Add enough water to the baking dish to go half way up the sides of the ramekins.
  • In a medium saucepan combine the sugar, water and 1/4 teaspoon sea salt.
  • Heat and stir until sugar is completely dissolved.
  • Increase heat to medium high and bring mixture to a rolling boil.
  • Boil for 8 minutes without stirring until you reach a deep amber color.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Whisking constantly, whisk in whipping cream and milk in a steady stream. Mixture will steam and sugar will begin to harden.
  • Return to heat cooking and whisking about 2 minutes until sugar has dissolved.
  • In a large bowl whisk egg yolks until light and foamy.
  • Slowly whisk whipping cream mixture into beaten egg yolks.
  • Pour mixture through sieve into a 4 cup spouted measuring cup.
  • Carefully pour strained mixture into ramekins.
  • Bake 40 minutes or until edges are set and centers jiggle just slightly.
  • Transfer to wire racks to cool, cooling completely.
  • Cover with saran and chill 4-24 hours.
  • Before serving sprinkle with flaked sea salt.
I have made something similar in the past if you want one not quite so rich. These Salted Caramel Cheesecakes were really good too.Every recipe we tried recently was excellent, but this dessert was melt-in-your-mouth decadently good!  It was also rich so I’m very glad I made it in these small ramekins for individual servings!
SALTED CARAMEL CHEESECAKE CUPS
CHEESECAKE
1/2 pound softened cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
2 JUMBO eggs at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
CARAMEL
6 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • Preheat oven to 325°.
  • In a large mixing bowl beat the cream cheese and sugar at medium speed until smooth.
  • Add eggs, beating until incorporated after each egg.
  • Beat in sour cream.
  • Pour into ramekins.
  • Set ramekins in a baking dish and add water to midway up the ramekins.
  • Place in the center of the oven and bake 15-20 minutes until the edges are set, but the centers are still jiggly.
  • Turn off oven and leave cheesecakes undisturbed for 1 hour.
  •  After 1 hour transfer ramekins to cooling rack and cool completely before covering.
  • Cover and chill cheesecakes in the refrigerator at least several hours, preferably overnight.
  • Meanwhile make the caramel.
  • In a heavy saucepan heat the corn syrup.
  • Stir in the sugar until well incorporated and cook over a moderately high heat, undisturbed until a deep amber caramel forms.
  • Turn off heat and carefully stir in butter with a long spoon.  Careful, it will spit.
  • Add the heavy cream in a thin stream, stirring constantly until smooth.
  • Add salt and blend well.
  • Transfer the caramel to a heatproof container and allow to cool.

To serve:

  • Heat caramel in small increments until desired temperature.
  • Pour a spoonful over each cheesecake and serve.

CHOCOLATE HEAVENS

These cookies are melt in your mouth delectable.  I guarantee they will not last long enough to worry about putting them in the cookie jar.


CHOCOLATE HEAVENS
2 cups minus 2 tablespoons cake flour
1 2/3 cups bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1 1/4 cup tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons PURE vanilla
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
4 ounces BAKER’s bittersweet chocolate, grated or chopped in your food processor
1 cup milk chocolate chips
4 ounce package Diamond walnut topping pieces

  • Sift together flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy.
  • Add eggs, one at a time, blending well.
  • Add vanilla just until combined.
  • Gradually add flour mixture until all combined.
  • Fold in nuts and chocolates.
  • Roll dough into log and wrap dough in plastic for 24-36 hours before baking.*
  • Preheat oven to 350 °.
  • Line cookie sheet with Parchment paper.
  • Unwrap dough and slice into 1/4 inch cookies.
  • Lightly sprinkle each slice with sea salt.
  • Bake 10-12 minutes.
  • Cool.
  • Enjoy.

*You can just slice the dough and lay the cookies out to bake, but I like to take the slices and roll each one into a ball.  Then after they have been in the oven about 15 minutes, I use my spatula to slightly flatten each cookie like you would a peanut butter cookie.

    ELVIS PRESLEY POUND CAKE – BAKING PARTNERS

    This month’s baking partner’s challenge is to make pound cake. I made lemon pound cake with an apricot pineapple filling and an orange glaze.

    This recipe makes 1 loaf, but if you want to use a Bundt pan, double the recipe.  Make sure this cake bakes in a cold oven,  DO NOT PREHEAT OVEN.

    Active Time: 20 min
    Total Time: 3 1/2 hr (includes cooling)
    from Gourmet | September 2005

    ELVIS PRESLEY’S FAVORITE POUND CAKE
    1 sticks (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for buttering pan
    1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour plus additional for dusting
    1/3 teaspoon salt
    1 1/4 cups sugar
    3 and 1/2 large eggs, at room temperature
    2 teaspoons PURE vanilla
    1/2 cup heavy cream

    • Generously butter pan and dust with flour, knocking out excess flour, line the bottom  of the pan with parchment paper.
    • Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or 6 to 8 minutes with a handheld mixer. 
    • Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. 
    • Reduce speed to low and add half of flour, then all of cream, then remaining flour, mixing well after each addition. 
    • Scrape down side of bowl, and then beat at medium-high speed 5 minutes. Batter will become creamier and satiny.
    • Transfer the batter into pan and tap the pan against work surface once or twice to eliminate air bubbles.
    • Place pan in (cold) oven and turn oven temperature to 350°F. 
    • Bake until golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in middle of cake comes out with a few crumbs adhering, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. 
    • Cool cake in pan on a rack 30 minutes. 
    • Run a thin knife around inner and outer edges of cake, then invert rack over pan and invert cake onto rack to cool completely.

    APPLE PUMPKIN BRULEE’ TART

    This makes 2-4×13 tarts. This is a very versatile recipe that can be made as all pumpkin, or pumpkin banana or apple pumpkin or apple banana pumpkin…

    They are both good, but I think I’m partial to the Banana Pumpkin.

    APPLE (BANANA) PUMPKIN BRULEE’ TART serves 8+
    1 batch of your favorite pie dough
    2 cups pumpkin pure’e or 1 cup pumpkin pure’e, 1 ripe banana and 3/4 cup chunky applesauce
    2 large eggs
    3 large egg yolks
    1 1/2 cups half and half
    3/4 cup sugar plus caramelizing sugar
    3/4 teaspoon sea salt
    1 teaspoon ginger
    1 teaspoon cloves
    1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

    • Preheat oven to 375°.
    • Prepare and measure dough to 2-7 x 16 inches pieces.
    • Lay dough over 4 x13 tart pan with removable bottom. DO NOT PUSH INTO PAN – this may crack your crust. Gently lift and lower dough into tart pan careful to form corners.
    • Trim edges flush with pan.
    • Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit into tart pan. 
    • Place tart pan on cookie sheet.
    • Fill with pie weights and bake 25-30 minutes until begins to brown.
    • Let cool to lukewarm, remove pie weights and parchment paper.
    • Blend together, the pumpkin, eggs, half & half, sugar, salt, ginger, cloves and cinnamon.
    • Pour into tart.
    • Pour custard mixture into tart.
    • Reduce to 325°.
    • Bake tart 30 minutes or until custard is set and starts to puff.
    • Cool 1 hour.
    • Chill at least 2 hours.
    • Sprinkle generously with sugar.
    • Pass flame of kitchen torch over sugar until golden and melting.
    • Let sugar cool until hard.
    • Cut into pieces.

    BUTTERMILK CARROT BRAN MUFFINS

    Thanks to my friend I have a new favorite recipe. Hoping she doesn’t mind my changes and additions.

    BUTTERMILK CARROT BRAN MUFFINS makes 3-4 dozen
    1 1/2 cups ALL BRAN Original
    1 1/2 cups ALL BRAN Buds
    2 cups buttermilk
    1/2 cup coconut oil, warmed
    1/2 cup butter, softened
    2 eggs
    1 1/2 cups sugar
    3-4 tablespoons Grandma’s molasses
    2 1/2 cups flour
    2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
    2 teaspoons salt
    1 teaspoon nutmeg
    1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
    1 1/2 cups golden raisins

    • In a large mixing bowl combine the bran buds and and bran original.
    • Pour buttermilk over bran mixture and set aside.

    • Sift together flour, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    • Coat muffin tins or fill with muffin papers.

    • In your mixer bowl cream together sugar, coconut oil, butter and eggs until fluffy.
    • Add molasses.
    • Alternately add in bran mixture and flour mixture, blending well as you go.
    • Fold in carrots and raisins.
    • Fill muffins 2/3 full.
    • Bake 15-20 minutes.
    • Batter will keep in refrigerator several weeks.

    BUTTERMILK DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE with COCONUT CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

    Every year for the past 17 years my cousin Jenn and I have each made a birthday cake for her sister, Michelle. It’s a tradition that we began to remember Michelle by.  You see she past away on April 22nd 17 years ago and we “buried” her on her actual birthday, the 25th. We’ve added June 15th for her mom and November 17th for my dad.  I don’t usually write about this, but for some reason this year I have the need to spell it out.

    This is a simple recipe, but VERY adaptable to layer cake, cup cakes, sheet cake etc… and a family favorite.

     
    BUTTERMILK DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE with COCONUT CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

    CAKE
    1/2 cup butter
    2 cups sugar
    2 JUMBO eggs
    2 cups buttermilk
    2 1/2 cups flour
    2 teaspoons baking soda
    1/2 cup cocoa powder
    2 teaspoons PURE vanilla
    1/8 teaspoon salt

    • Grease and “flour” pans.  I use cocoa instead of flour so the coloring matches.
    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    • Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy.
    • Add eggs and beat well.
    • Sift together the flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda.
    • Add alternately flour mixture, vanilla and buttermilk until well blended and smooth.
    • Pour into prepared pan(s).
    • Bake 20-50 minutes depending on pan until center springs back and toothpick comes out clean.

    FROSTING
    1/3 cup cream cheese, softened
    1/4 cup butter, softened
    1 teaspoon PURE vanilla
    1/3 cup flaked coconut
    2 cups powdered sugar

    • Cream together cream cheese and butter until fluffy.
    • Add vanilla.
    • Add coconut.
    • Add powdered sugar, beating until smooth.

    Save

    CHOCOLATE HEART OF DARKNESS CAKE – BAKING PARTNERS

    This month baking partners had the choice between flourless chocolate cookies or chocolate truffle cake.  

    LOL, There was NO choice for my family. In fact hubby INSISTED on the chocolate truffle cake and if he hadn’t I would have.  But, I have to admit these are way too rich for my blood. I made them on Easter and had a little glaze left from the hot cross buns so added a bit of cocoa and glazed the cakes.

    CHOCOLATE HEART OF DARKNESS CAKE by Marcel Desaulniers 

    CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE
    8 ounce semisweet baking chocolate
    3/4 cup heavy cream

    • Place semi sweet chocolate in a mixing bowl.
    • Heat 3/4 cup heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil.
    • Pour boiling cream over the chopped chocolate. Let it sit for five minutes and whisk until smooth.
    • Pour the mixture onto a nonstick baking sheet and slightly spread it with a spatula.
    • Place this in the freezer for 15 minutes.
    • Divide into two and roll into balls.
    • Place the truffles into paper lined plates and place in the freezer.

    CHOCOLATE COCOA CAKE
    5 ounces butter, cut into pieces + 2 tsp melted
    2/3 cup all purpose flour
    1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
    8 ounces (1 box) semi sweet baking chocolate
    3 large eggs + 2 yolks
    1/2 cup granulated sugar
    1 teaspoon PURE vanilla extract

    • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
    • Lightly coat the inside of muffin tin (3 inch diameter cups) with melted butter. Set this aside.
    • In a sifter combine flour and cocoa powder. Sift and set aside.
    • Melt chocolate and butter in double boiler or in a microwave and stir until smooth.
    • Place egg, egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and beat on medium high heat with an electric mixer.
    • When it is frothy add the butter chocolate mixture and beat for 15 seconds.
    • Fold in the dry ingredients along with vanilla extract.
    • Fill each muffin cup 3/4’s with the batter and bake for about 5-6 minutes.
    • Remove the truffle from the freezer.
    • Quickly take the muffin tray from the oven and press one truffle each to the center of the muffin.
    • Immediately return the baking pan into the oven and continue baking until a toothpick inserted into the cake (not the center truffle portion but the edge of the cake) comes out clean. It will take 15-17 minutes.
    • Cool in room temperature for 20 minutes.
    • Run a knife around each cake to loosen it and then gently pull the baked cake out of the cup.
    • Serve while still warm with whipped cream or ice cream.