Week 5: Gingerbread with Mascarpone Whipped Cream Frosting

"God Bless us, everyone!"

-The Gingerbread Man, Shrek

My grandmother always had a box of gingersnaps in her pantry. I remember visiting her house in Maryland when I was a little girl. I would push a chair across the tile floor and reach into the cabinet and sneak a spicy sweet cookie out of the orange and yellow striped box of Nabisco cookies. It was something that never changed, Grandma always had a box of gingersnaps.

Any ginger type "treat" immediately leaves me feeling nostalgic. They spicy warmth reminds me of my grandmother and of being younger. So, this week I chose Gingerbread Cake, not only for the simple ingredients and method, but also for the warm memories.

gathering and prepping...

I invested in a few new items for this week's cake, the first being a new 9X9 baking pan. I also had to track down unsulfured molasses, which I had never heard of until this recipe. Mostly everything else I had in my pantry including all the fragrant spices. Nutmeg! Ginger! and Cinnamon! Oh my!

The Gingerbread Cake wasn't complicated to make, but it was time consuming. There were lots of steps, lots of measuring, lots of sifting and the usual slow process of incorporating.  It seemed to be worth the time as this amazing aroma coming from my oven filled my house while the Gingerbread Cake baked.



-ginger flower-



finishing and frosting...



I chose the Mascarpone Whipped Cream as a frosting because the recipe suggested it and because Mascarpone seemed like a good match for the spicy ginger flavor.

Gingerbread Cake with Mascarpone Whipped Cream Frosting.

The Gingerbread Cake was....good. I wasn't overwhelmed with amazement. It tasted like any other Gingerbread cake I've ever had. The texture was moist and it did have that spicy ginger taste that I love so much. I was impressed with the Mascarpone Whipped Cream frosting. Without the frosting this cake would have been a disappointment. The frosting added the gourmet feel that I'm looking for in my baking.

I'm not sure that I will make this cake again. If I do, I will serve it in bite size pieces with the Mascarpone frosting on the side as a spread. I think serving it this way would be a perfect appetizer/snack to offer at a tea party or a baby shower or holiday party.

Overall still very delicious.

-jodi

Week 4: Heavenly Angel Food Cake with Classic Whipped Cream and Strawberries

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."

-Leonardo da Vinci-



After last week's rich chocolaty indulgence I was in search of a something on the lighter side for this edition.  The Cake Book author, Tish Boyle, describes the angel food cake as "guilt free heaven". I have to roll my eyes a little bit at the "guilt free" part because there is nothing "guilt free" about The Cake Book.  I will say the Heavenly Angel Food Cake is slightly less guilt inducing than most of the recipes. There is no butter and no oil. No cholesterol.  I think of angel food cake as one of the classic desserts. It's almost always a perfect and light way to end a dinner party.

gathering and prepping...

There isn't much to angel food cake - egg whites, sugar, cake flour, vanilla and cream of tartar. Oh! and the optional little dash of almond extract which I opted for! Very, very simple. The prepping on the other hand is a little intimidating. The recipe is constantly reminding you of all ways you can screw this cake up. "It is essential that the eggs whites are at room temperature" and "...the egg whites are glossy and smooth - they should not be dry". "Gently sift the flour over the egg whites". And "VERY gently fold in the flour to deflate the batter as little as possible". Oh my goodness! All the pressure!

After a deep breath and a little pep talk I was able to get my egg whites glossy and smooth! And I gently added things and folded and tried to stay as gentle as possible in general! Phew!



finishing and frosting...

After the cake cooled and I got it out of the pan I was quite relieved to see that it turned out looking like....an angel food cake! I dusted it with a tiny bit of confectioners sugar.  So far so good....

I decided to make the Classic Whipped Cream for the frosting. When it comes to whipped cream I prefer as little sweetness as possible. I reduced the amounts of vanilla and confectioners sugar that the book suggested by one third. This was the perfect amount for me! It had just a hint of the sweetness but mostly the creaminess. I sliced some fresh strawberries and assembled.

A slice of Heavenly Angel Food cake with Classic Whipped Cream and fresh sliced Strawberries.

This cake is a treat. It's light in every way. The cake is airy and soft. When it's combined with the whipped cream and strawberries it takes it to a whole other level. Simple perfection - Yum! I can say with 100% certainty that I will never serve store bought angel food cake again! Even though it was a little bit more work, all the care and attention to details made it amazing.

-jodi

Week 3: Sour Cream Chocolate Cake Layers with Silky Chocolate Buttercream

"Let's face it, a nice creamy chocolate cake does a lot for a lot of people; it does for me."

-Audrey Hepburn

So many people I talk cake with say that chocolate cake is their favorite. I love chocolate. I love cake. But I've never had a chocolate cake that I love. So, when I chose chocolate cake for this week's selection, I wasn't super excited about it. But two things influenced this week's selection. Number one, I had sour cream in the fridge.  And,  number two, as Monica sang it, it was  "Just one of  them days" 

(you feel me?) 



gathering and prepping...

The ingredients for the Sour Cream Chocolate Cake  and Silky Buttercream Frosting were very easy to find.  Affordable and simple. The cake was also very easy to make. As long as you're measuring carefully and not rushing through the incorporating of the ingredients, I don't think anyone could mess it up.

frosting and finishing...

The frosting was slightly complicated. Each recipe in The Cake Book has a difficulty rating that ranges from one to four cake slices. The cake was a "one slice" difficulty level and the frosting was "two slices". The ingredients were simple -chocolate, butter, sugar, water. The chocolate had to be melted in a bowl over a steaming pot of boiling water. Not the hardest process in the world, but it was the first time I've tried out the double boiler method. After the chocolate melted, I made a simple syrup with the sugar and water. The tricky part was getting the simple syrup to a certain temperature and then adding it little by little to the egg yolks and mixing quickly so that the egg yolks did not become scrambled eggs. I think now that I've made this buttercream frosting and understand the recipe and method, it won't be hard to make in the future.

Right before frosting the cake I decided to make it four layers. I cut the two 9 inch cakes in half. I have to say that four layers makes a cake so much more elegant and decadent. Giada always says that before you eat, you eat with your eyes. I think this theory applies to cakes. Part of the fun of cake is the beauty of it. The fluffiness with the thick creamy layers - belissimo!

This cake took me by surprise. When I finished the final coat of frosting I had to stand back and admire it.

Every time I finish one of these amazing cakes I feel a sense of pride. I know this isn't brain science and these aren't my recipes, but there's something about making something from scratch with your own two hands.

And after a bite of this cake I think I finally understand what chocolate cake is all about. The cake is moist,  not too sweet and combined with the dark chocolate flavor of the frosting. It is Delicious! It's the kind of cake I want to have in my fridge just in case company arrives. A slice of cake with an afternoon cup of coffee or tea for my guests. Or even an after dinner dessert with a glass of red wine. Or a tasty little treat for the neighborhood kids with a glass of cold milk. This cake is a classic and everyone should try it once!

Sour Cream Chocolate Layers with Silky Chocolate Buttercream

Week 2: Sour Cream Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with Whipped White Chocolate Lemon Ganache

“The measuring and mixing always smoothed out her thinking processes - nothing was as calming as creaming butter - and when the kitchen was warm from the oven overheating and the smell of baking chocolate, she took final stock of where she'd been and where she was going. Everything was fine.”
-JenniferCruise, Maybe This Time

After a few days of mulling through pages of recipes in The Cake Book and even polling my friend on Facebook, I chose Sour Cream Lemon Poppy Seed Cake for this week's baking expedition. As I make these first cake choices I'm considering two things: Level of Baking Expertise and Level of Financial Investment. The Sour Cream Lemon Poppy Seed cake fit the criteria - it seemed relatively simple to make and the ingredients were within my budget. The only major purchase necessary was a 13x9 cake pan.

                                             Gathering...

This was the first occasion in my 33 years of life that I have sought poppy seed at the grocery store. I assumed it would be in bulk size - like arrowroot flour or something similar. My assumption was wrong. Poppy seed is in the spice secton, sold in spice size.

               I had to buy three jars to get the 3/4 cup measurement. That's a lot of "spice"!

Prepping...

Combine the dry ingredients, combine the wet ingredients. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. That's what cake making is all about! I'm starting to catch on. I still do not own a heavy duty electric mixer (which every recipe in The Cake Book requires) but my little hand held mixer is doing a decent job so far.

There's something about lemon zest.

I love that burst of fresh citrus scent that mingles in the air.

Aroma therpay in the kitchen!

 Pretty Poppy!

After a quick taste test from my cute assistant ...

Into the oven it goes!

Frosting and Finishing

There were no frosting suggestions for the Sour Cream Lemon Poppy Seed Cake, it simply goes with the Whipped White Chocolate Lemon Ganache. This frosting is so easy to make and absolutely amazing! Cream, lemon zest and a little sugar. There's no going wrong with this combo!

Sour Cream Lemon Poppy Seed Cake With Whipped White Chocolate Lemon Ganache

This caked is delightful! It's a light lemon flavor - not too sweet. The poppy seeds give it that fun little crunch. The frosting perfected it - a sweet cream with kissed with a little lemon. Simply an elegant, delicious cake! 

 A great edition of Cake by the Week. Looking forward to my next adventure!

-Jodi

Notes:

This cake tasted the best the first day.

Week 1: Basic Golden Cake Layers with Whipped Ganache

"There's something magical about the process of making a cake form scratch, a process that transforms a few simple ingredients - butter, sugar, flour and eggs - into a culinary artistry. "

-Tish Boyle

For my first cake I decided to go for simplicity: Yellow cake with chocolate frosting. Growing up my grandma would make this combo every year for my mom's birthday. I always looked forward to it and it's one of the reasons I love cake the way I do today.

The recipe is on page 120 and it's called "Basic Golden Layers".  It was very basic - cake flour, baking soda, salt, butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and milk.

The recipe refers to a heavy duty mixer, which I do not own. I used a hand held mixer instead. For this basic recipe the hand held mixer worked fine, but I can see if I continue with this endeavour I'm going to have to invest in a heavy duty mixer.

I chose the Whipped Ganache from page 321 for the frosting. The ganache was also very basic - cream, bittersweet chocolate and a dash of Grand Marnier.

Ta-Da!

Light, soft yellow cake covered in airy chocolate frosting! Delicious! Far above any thing I have EVER made out of a box.

The cake was wonderful. Not too sweet - just soft and light.
The frosting reminds me of chocolate mousse. Very chocolaty and also light.
Quite the decadent dessert!

For my first cake I am very happy. I think the next time I make this Golden Layer cake I will try a different frosting, something non chocolaty. I think vanilla or even just a basic white to make the dessert a little on the lighter side. Fresh berries on top would also compliment this cake well.

The frosting was very rich. I loved it, but I think it needs a different cake. Not sure exactly what cake that is yet.

This is going to be so fun!

Jodi


Notes:

• for the 25-30 minutes instructed as cook time, definitely start with 25. I did 30 and the cake was a little dryer than I like)
• work on evening the batter out in the pans before baking
• next time use more frosting on the first layer. There is more than enough frosting to have a thick middle layer.

The Beginning

I read about a new cooking booked called The Cake Book by Tish Boyle in Cooking Light magazine. Before I go on, I would like to add that there is nothing "Light" about The Cake Book.  

Cooking Light's description from the: "Boyle demonstrates her complete and utter mastery of all things cakey, and she gets right down to the business of making exceptionally precise cakes, icings, fillings, and garnishes. Her straightforward, no-nonsense style will appeal to the busy (and serious) baker. And while the cookbook is comprehensive and encouraging, you won't be wading through sentimental accounts of her first baking experience with grandma." (Cooking Light)

For some reason the description and the photo of the book caught my interest.  I've always been a cake lover. Light fluffiness covered in creamy frosting - really, I don't see where anyone could go wrong. But the cakes I've made have always come from a box of Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker. As I've gained more experience in my own kitchen, I've realized that there isn't anything you eat anywhere that you can't make in your own kitchen. And nine times out of ten, it's better when you make it from scratch.

So why not cake?

I put the book on my Christmas wish list. And here we are.

My goal is to make a cake every week. I'm gonna try!

Thanks for reading!

Jodi