Posts Tagged ‘buttermilk’

Brooklyn Blackout Cake

So you may remember a recent post where I mentioned I don’t really have a thing for cake. At least not rich over the top cakes like this one (I do love a good Bundt cake). This has not changed, but when you turn to your husband on a late July afternoon and ask “So, what kind of cake do you want for your birthday this year?” And his answer is “Chocolate. Pure chocolate everything”. Well, that’s when you pull out all the stops.

Last year I think we were both a little caked out from our wedding, so we opted to forgo a traditional birthday cake for a raw chocolate raspberry tart. It was an amazing treat and one I should make again soon, maybe with blackberries this year.

For the most part the recipes I post here are the ones we eat everyday, our diet is naturally full of healthy, homemade meals. But sugar and butter filled cakes like this one do come around once in awhile for a special occasion. We shared most of this cake with a handful of good friends and the rest was eaten by us at home. I enjoyed my fare share, but honestly it’s the pudding-like filling that I couldn’t get enough of. So here’s to my husband, wishing you a very happy (chocolate-filled) birthday and many more to come. Love -J

Brooklyn Blackout Cake / serves 10-12
Adapted from The Cake Book

I’ve only made a few slight changes to the original recipe, but the cake came out super moist and the filling nice and creamy. I’m not a huge frosting person, but everyone seemed to love it. I personally think the cake is best served at room temperature, but on a nice hot day in August anything slightly chilled is probably welcome. This cake involves a few steps, but if you’ve made a layer cake before you can make this one too. I made the cake and pudding the night before, allowing them both to cool and chill thoroughly before assembling. You can make the cake all in one day, but I think it helps and is easier to make it in two.

cake
3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup natural cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups cane sugar
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 cup buttermilk (I used 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar mixed with a scant 1 cup almond milk)
1/2 cup (1stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water or hot brewed coffee

Position a rack in the center of oven and preheat to 350F. Grease the bottom and sides of 2 9-inch round cake pans. I highly suggest place a round piece of greased parchment in the bottom as well. Then dust with flour and shake our excess.

Sift together flours, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the sugar and using the paddle attachment, mix at low speed until blended.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolk, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla extract. At low speed, add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients in a steady stream. Scrape down the sides, then beat at medium speed for about 1 minute or until everything is well blended. Remove bowl from mixer and stir in the hot water/coffee from the bottom up a few times to thoroughly incorporate. Pour the batter into the prepared pans, dividing evenly and make sure the tops are smooth by gently tapping on the counter a couple times.

Bake the cakes for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans on wire rack, then invert and allow to cool completely.

filling
4 egg yolks
2/3 cup cane sugar
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
2/3 cup heavy cream
3 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Rinse and dry the mixing bowl that you made the cake batter in. Using the paddle attachment, beat the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute.

In a medium heavy saucepan, combine the water and cream and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk about half of the hot cream mixture into the yolk mixture in the saucepan just to combine, this helps to temper the eggs. Add the remaining cream mixture and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. Continue to boil, whisking for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the chocolate until completely melted.

Pass the filling through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl. Stir in the vanilla. Cover the surface of the pudding with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until chilled. I made mine the day before and left in the fridge overnight.

chocolate frosting
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
11 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1 2/3 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place the chocolate in a double broiler. Heat, stirring frequently, until the chocolate is completely melted. Remove the bowl from the pot and set the chocolate aside to cool until tepid.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter a medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat at medium-high speed for 2 minutes, scraping the side down as necessary. Beat in the vanilla extract and melted chocolate, then beat until well blended and creamy, about 1 minute.

assemble the cake
Using a long serrated knife, cut each cake layer in half horizontally, to make 4 layers. Reserve one layer. Place another layer, cut side up, on a serving plate. Whisk the chilled filling until smooth. Using a small offset spatula, spread half the filling over the the layer. Top with another cake layer and spread it with the remaining filling. Top with a third cake layer, smooth side up.

Break half the reserved cake layer into large pieces and place in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times until the cake becomes fine crumbs and set aside. (the last half of the cake is for you to snake on).

Using a narrow metal spatula, frost the top and sides of the cake with the frosting. Pat a generous amount of cake crumbs onto the sides of the cake, pressing them lightly into the frosting. Sprinkle the remaining crumbs over the top of the cake. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Store finished cake loosely covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Desserts + Sweets

Cranberry Walnut Upside Down Cake

The week before this last one was a doozy for me. It felt like I was going a million miles per hour trying to get things done for all the shows I mentioned before. In the middle of it all, I woke up one morning with that familiar scratchy feeling in the back of my throat that meant I was probably catching a cold. It didn’t surprise me at all. I hadn’t been eating or sleeping well, and that topped with stress and the thousands of people I came into contact with that week didn’t make for the best combination.

I have a pretty strong immune system and rarely get sick; before last week, the last time I had so much as a sniffle was over a year ago. Every time though, it reminds me of the power foods can have on ones overall health. That same night I decided to make a large pot of hot Thia style soup with lemongrass, ginger, tofu and kale. It was amazing and I’m definitely going to have to make it again to share with you.

That soup, along with lots of green smoothies did the trick. The next couple of days my cold was basically non-existent, like it was trying so hard to stay, but when all these good foods were being put into my body it was having a hard time competing. Have you ever had that experience? I mean, it really amazed me that I really only seemed sick when I was sleeping and it only lasted for maybe 3 days, and this was without any medication at all, just hot soup and lots of fruits and veggies.

Now that I’m better and all that’s over with I really want to talk about the cake I made last week. Made entirely for the pure joy of making a dessert after getting over being sick. I had a bag a cranberries sitting around that needed to be eaten quick and wanted them in some kind of quick bread or cake. I settled on this upside down version with walnuts and cranberries swirled with brown sugar on top of a cake batter that was slightly sweet and had a wonderful texture. I love when tart things are met with the perfect amount of sweetness and neither overwhelm the other. Plus, upside down cakes are easy and don’t require frosting or a million pans and dishes to work with.

Cranberry Walnut Upside Down Cake / makes 8 servings
Adapted from Gourmet

I made this with whole wheat pastry flour, but I think white whole wheat or regular all-purpose flour would make a great substitution. If you don’t have a cast iron pan, make it in a pie dish or cake pan, it should work just as well. Oh, and I totally spaced and forgot to put the baking soda in mine which I think might have helped it rise a little more. Sometimes I wonder how anything ever comes out right. I think this would make a really great addition to a brunch menu, especially this time of year. It was my favorite, warm from the oven on the first day, but should last another day or two if wrapped well.

topping
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 3/4 cup fresh or frozen cranberries(7oz. do not thaw if frozen)
3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted

cake
1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup well shaken buttermilk

For the topping, melt butter in cast iron skillet over moderate heat, then swirl to coat bottom and side of skillet and stir in brown sugar. Simmer, stirring, until sugar is dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes, then sprinkle cranberries and walnuts evenly over butter mixture and remove from heat.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until light and fluffy, 4 to 6 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture alternately in batches with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.

Heat topping in skillet over moderately high heat until it starts to bubble, then gently spoon batter over topping and spread evenly. Quickly transfer to oven; bake until cake is golden brown and a wooden skewer comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

Cool cake in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around inside edge of pan, then invert a serving plate over pan and invert cake onto plate. Cool completely on plate on rack, 1 hour. Serve cake warm or at room temperature.

Desserts + Sweets, Fall, Fruits, Winter