Mission: Perfect Cake, Part 2

Sorry for no post last week (to anybody that actually reads this), I had a really busy week in school, one test in my law class and two finals in my pulmonary therapeutics module. So even though I didn't have anytime to write about food, I always find the time to cook it, or bake in the case of my cake mission. This time I went for a second attempt on the yellow chocolate chip cake. I tweaked the amount of sugar, flour and heavy cream this time around and these edits made a world of difference. The texture still isn't quite where I want it, which would be a good combination of density and fluffiness, but I definitely am heading in the right direction. When I got done icing this thing, see for yourself, it could have been mistaken for something from a professional bake shop. This cake tasted unbelievable and was the talk of the cook out I brought it to. I think in two or three more attempts at this one and it might be just where I want it to be. Good icing doesn't hurt to help a cake out either. For this attempt I used cinnamon buttercream on the outside and vanilla buttercream in the middle layer. I know I don't post recipes for the icings I use, and that's only because I don't use a recipe to make them because I don't think a recipe is needed. Just take soft room temperature butter, powdered sugar, a little milk or cream, and whatever other flavors you want to add to it, mix them together and just keep adding a little bit more at a time of each ingredient until it tastes the way you want it and it's texture is the way you want it. The first cake recipes I posted, hopefully you didn't try, but I definitely recommend going at this one, it's not the perfect cake yet but it's pretty damn good.

Chocolate Chip Yellow Cake

2 8" or 9" round cakes

1 stick of butter, room temperature

2 c flour

2 eggs

3/4 c sugar

1/4 c brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/4 c heavy cream (start with 1 c and if the batter seems too thick and the extra 1/4 cup)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars until, the color lightens and its smooth.

Add the eggs and vanilla, and mix until combined with the creamed sugar and butter. Then add 1 cup of the heavy cream, and again mix until everything is well combined.

In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking soda and baking powder.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix to incorporate. Try not to over mix, I learned that this can be one of the causes for a cake to fall in. If the batter seems to thick add the extra 1/4 cup of heavy.

Separate evenly into the two cake pans and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick stuck into the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool then frost anyway you seem fit.

Eat well, Live well

A Mrs. Collier Quesadilla

If in need of a quick meal, this is definitely one way to go. I just recently started eating avocados and quickly fell in love. They are so versatile, they can be added, or have things added to them, be turned into a side, or even used as a main, like with this quesadilla. I think it took me so long to start eating this odd fruit because when I was in 7th grade I did a book report on a book titled, The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death (an enjoyable read from what I remember). As part of my presentation on the book my teacher, Mrs. Collier (who always told stories about her journeys around the world, she even claimed to have met the Dalai Lama)had me bring in an avocado. She apparently loved them, and I had never tasted one before so I was excited to give it a try. She apparently liked to eat them with a sprinkling of salt (for some reason she kept a salt shaker in her desk), I tried it for myself and hated it, I think I had to spit it out. So ever since then, up until about a year ago, I never ate one again and definitely never touch guacamole, but every time I came across one I though of that book and Mrs. Collier. This quesadilla is an ode to her since it's main component is avocado. Topped with a little bit of cheese and caramelized onions (or whatever else you may want, I'm thinking bacon the next time I make it), this is a tasty, quick and easy lunch, or dinner option. Give this a try next time your in the mood for some Mexican, and maybe try and find an out of print version of The Snarkout Boys.

Mrs. Collier Quesadilla

3-4 quesadillas

3-4 tortillas

1 avocado

1 lime

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/4 cup cheddar cheese

1 caramelized onion

1/2-1 tsp salt

Slice the avocado in half, take the seed out, take it out of it's skin, and place in a mixing bowl.

Combine the avocado with the garlic, juice from 1/2 of the lime, and 1/2 tsp of salt. Mash it all together, taste and see if more lime juice or salt needs added. (The lime juice is not only for flavor, but also it keeps the avocado from turning brown, so be sure not to cut open the avocado until your ready to mix it with the lime juice)

Put a pile of the avocado on half of the tortilla, spread it out to coat the tortilla evenly, then add a sprinkle of cheese and some onions. Fold the tortilla over and place the tortilla on a medium-high heated grill.

Allow the tortilla to crisp up and get nice grill marks, then flip it to the other side and do the same thing, about 3-4 minutes per side. Finally take it off the grill, cut in to wedges and enjoy.

Eat well, Live well

Mission: Perfect Cake, Part 1

A couple weeks ago I gave myself a mission to make up a recipe for a chocolate cake and yellow cake from scratch, and not just a good recipe, but something that I would want to eat more often than any of the cakes or cupcakes I can get around town. I know I claim to not be much of a baker but I love cakes and cupcakes so much I figure why not be able make an awesome cake myself, and plus baking cakes isn't to crazy and there really isn't a need for any special equipment. My cake theory might need revised a little bit, because while I still think a cake can only be as good as its frosting, the more I eat cakes and cupcakes from different bakeries the more I can tell the difference between the decent cakes, and the cakes you don't want to stop eating. So I did some homework and looked at tons of different cake recipes all over the internet and on different food blogs, and to me most of them were kind of similar. I just wanted to get a basic idea on how to proportion the ingredients for a proper cake. So basically after that I just wrote to recipes out with numbers off the top of my head, one for the chocolate cake, and one for the yellow cake which ended up being a chocolate chip cake, and started baking. The flavor of both of the cakes came out really well, a few minor tweaks and the flavors will be where I want them. The textures and look of the cakes on the other hand weren't quite on the same level. Both cakes certainly wouldn't have won any awards on looks, but I frosted them (the chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream, and the chocolate chip cake with a cinnamon buttercream) both and turned them into at least respectable looking caking, for a first try.

I baked the chocolate cake first, and for some reason decided to use an 8" x 8" (or 9" x 9", I can't remember) pan for some reason, and the cake completely fell in. It was like a meteor landed in the center of the cake and made a giant crater. I looked into why cakes fall in, and there are too many reasons to list, but next time I make this cake it will be in two 8" cake pans, probably bake it at 375 degrees and I won't keep opening the oven to check how its doing. The texture of this one actually seemed pretty good as well, so aside from maybe some minor tweaks in the amount of flour and baking soda, I used, I don't think I'll have to do much with it. The chocolate chip yellow cake on the other hand, I did bake in standard 8" cake pans, but the problem with this one was the texture. It was a little grainy, and didn't have much fluffiness to it. I definitely think the sugar to flour ratio was way to high, because not only was it grainy, but the crust and top was like almost caramelized. Changes for this one next time will be to lower the amount of sugar a little and add a little more flour. I think after I make the tweaks to the recipes I have and bake them each a second time I should have a pretty good idea of where each one stands, and exactly what needs done to make two perfect cakes, hopefully....

Chocolate Cake

1 stick of butter

2 c flour

2 eggs

3/4 c brown sugar

1/4 c granulated sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 c heavy cream

3 Lindt milk chocolate bars

Bake time: 55-60 minutes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place a bowl over top a pot with boiling water and melt the chocolate and butter together. When it is fully melted set aside and allow to cool.

As the chocolate and butter is cooling mix together the flour, baking soda and baking powder. In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, sugar and vanilla.

When the chocolate and butter is cool mix it in with the egg and sugar, and whisk well to fully incorporate. Then add the heavy cream to this, and again whisk well to combine.

Finally add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir well to fully incorporate them together, but be sure not to over mix it, a few lumps never hurt anyone.

Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Chocolate Chip Cake

2 8" x 8" cakes

1 stick of butter at room temerature

1 1/2 c flour

2 eggs

1 c sugar

1/4 c brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 c heavy cream

1 c milk chocolate chips

Bake Time: 55-60 minutes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a bowl mix together the flour, baking soda and baking powder.

In a separate bowl cream the butter and sugar together. When this mixture lightens up in color add the eggs and vanilla and whisk well again.

Add the heavy cream and stir together to incorporate.

Finally add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir together, don't over mix a few lumps never hurt anyone. Also add the chocolate chips at this stage.

Finally bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick stuck into the center comes out clean.

Eat well, Live well