0 Imperfect

The last couple weeks have been the busiest I've been at work in a very long time. I mean, I'm always fairly busy and I never have enough time or staff to finish everything, but we had a deadline to meet and a product to launch. In addition, our company was in the process of moving from one office building to another. Even though our new office is a million times better than our old office, my commute now has me driving on the parking lot more commonly known as Highway 101 instead of the wide-laned, rolling-hilled Interstate 280. I sound like a total whiner and I know that this month's Daring Baker challenge recipe was fairly straightforward, but I wasn't sure if I had the time.

I'm aware that my situation is not unique. Whether it's your job, commute, children or household chores, there are not enough hours in the day for all that and "personal" time too. But it is exactly during these busy, stressful times when taking a moment for a "breather" is so important. A pleasant distraction (like taking a walk or baking a cake) can de-stress and refresh the mind enough so that it can continue working.



So I took a break from my desk and headed into the kitchen to bake the cake. This month's hostess Morven of Food Art and Random Thoughts chose the "Perfect Party Cake" from Dorie Greenspan's Baking From My Home To Yours. The cake is a white cake flavored with a hint of citrus. The frosting is a Swiss meringue buttercream and the cake can be filled with whatever we like. It sounded, well, perfect.

I was unsuccessful the last time I made a Swiss meringue buttercream (for the Daring Bakers' yule log challenge) and I was not sure if I would be successful this time around either. My buttercream curdled a bit so I added a bit of cream cheese to help smooth it out. Using cream cheese was a much better solution than adding more sugar to bind the frosting (which is what I did for the yule log frosting) and the frosting turned out surprisingly well. But it seemed more like a cream cheese frosting now than a buttercream.

I don't usually have any trouble making cakes and that was pretty much true this time. However, I realized that the flour I purchased was not cake flour but actually pastry flour. Now normally I would just use about 1 tablespoon less of pastry flour than I would per cup of cake flour. (FYI: Pastry flour has a higher protein content than cake flour but still lower than all purpose flour.) But this pastry flour was not the fine textured ivory pastry flour that I usually buy, but a slightly coarser light tan pastry flour. Stupidly, I went ahead a used it for the cake anyway. What I should've done was use all purpose flour. (FYI: One cup minus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour = one cup cake flour.)

My cake looked far from perfect. My cake was not snow white like the cake shown in the cookbook. My cake was beige and I'm sure it was because of my pastry flour. Even though my cake rose in the oven and was fluffy, my cake tasted very "whole grainy". I think that my pastry flour was a whole wheat pastry flour. The package read whole grain pastry flour and I'm not quite sure if that's the same as whole wheat. Generally speaking, I am not opposed to whole wheat, but it's just not appealing when you're expecting a light, delicate and tender white cake.

I did some calculations and determined that the King Arthur pastry flour I usually use has 8 grams protein per 100 grams (8%) and the pastry flour I used for this cake had 11 grams protein per 100 grams (11%). I'm not sure if the label on my pastry flour package is correct since 11% is as high as the content in all purpose flour. (But protein content was not the major issue with my cake. The major issue was the flavor. But it's my fault for using the wrong flour. I'm sure the recipe is a good one. I just messed up.)

I had no time to make the cake again before the posting date so I just continued with the recipe. I cut my cakes horizontally to make 4 layers, and then using a cookie cutter, I cut out 4-inch circles for mini cakes. I filled them with Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread) and my buttercream, frosted the sides and top and then snapped some quick pictures.

The Nutella and frosting helped to hide some of that whole grainy taste but I felt my cake was beyond salvaging. I wanted to toss the whole thing into the compost and just get back to work. My husband said it was not horrible and I should just bring it to the office and see what my coworkers thought. Some really liked it, some thought it was a bit strange but still good and others felt it was not my best work. My coworker JC did say that my worst is still better than most people's best. Thanks JC -you made my day! And thanks to hostess Morven and all the Daring Bakers. When I have some more time, I will definitely try making this cake again.



My changes to the recipe:
I filled my cake with 2/3 cup of Nutella instead of fruit preserves.
I used orange zest and orange oil instead of lemon zest and lemon extract in the cake.
I use orange juice instead of lemon juice in the frosting.
I added some cream cheese to the frosting (when my buttercream frosting curdled).
I omitted the shredded coconut.
I cut my split cake layers with a 4-inch diameter cookie cutter to make mini layer cakes.

PERFECT PARTY CAKE
(From "Baking from My Home to Yours" by Dorie Greenspan)

Cake Ingredients
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
4 large egg whites
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 stick (8 tablespoons or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ teaspoon pure lemon extract

Buttercream Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large egg whites
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Filling and Finishing
2/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves stirred vigorously or warmed gently until spreadable
About 1 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconut

Getting Ready
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9 x 2 inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each pan with a round of buttered parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

To Make the Cake
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Whisk together the buttermilk and egg whites in a medium bowl.
Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant.
Add the butter and working with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light.
Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed.
Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated.
Add the rest of the milk and eggs beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients.
Finally, give the batter a good 2- minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated.
Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and springy to the touch – a thin knife inserted into the centers should come out clean
Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unfold them and peel off the paper liners.
Invert and cool to room temperature, right side up (the cooled cake layers can be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to two months).

To Make the Buttercream
Put the sugar and egg whites in a mixer bowl or another large heatproof bowl, fit the bowl over a plan of simmering water and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes.
The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like shiny marshmallow cream.
Remove the bowl from the heat.
Working with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the meringue on medium speed until it is cool, about 5 minutes.
Switch to the paddle attachment if you have one, and add the butter a stick at a time, beating until smooth.
Once all the butter is in, beat in the buttercream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, 6-10 minutes.
During this time the buttercream may curdle or separate – just keep beating and it will come together again.
On medium speed, gradually beat in the lemon juice, waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding more, and then the vanilla.
You should have a shiny smooth, velvety, pristine white buttercream. Press a piece of plastic against the surface of the buttercream and set aside briefly.

To Assemble the Cake
Using a sharp serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, slice each layer horizontally in half.
Put one layer cut side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper.
Spread it with one third of the preserves.
Cover the jam evenly with about one quarter of the buttercream.
Top with another layer, spread with preserves and buttercream and then do the same with a third layer (you’ll have used all the jam and have buttercream leftover).
Place the last layer cut side down on top of the cake and use the remaining buttercream to frost the sides and top.
Press the coconut into the frosting, patting it gently all over the sides and top.

Serving
The cake is ready to serve as soon as it is assembled, but I think it’s best to let it sit and set for a couple of hours in a cool room – not the refrigerator. Whether you wait or slice and enjoy it immediately, the cake should be served at room temperature; it loses all its subtlety when it’s cold. Depending on your audience you can serve the cake with just about anything from milk to sweet or bubbly wine.

Storing
The cake is best the day it is made, but you can refrigerate it, well covered, for up to two days. Bring it to room temperature before serving. If you want to freeze the cake, slide it into the freezer to set, then wrap it really well – it will keep for up to 2 months in the freezer; defrost it, still wrapped overnight in the refrigerator.

0 Feeling Green

A nearby tea shop was having a sale on matcha (green tea powder) so I bought a 100 gram container to try for baking. I figured that if I didn't like baking with it then I would just chalk the whole thing up to experience (it only cost $8). Matcha may not be everybody's cup of tea (yes, pun intended). It could be too bitter for some or too earthy for others. But if you love green tea ice cream, then chances are you'll love matcha in baked goods too.

I've seen the matcha shortbread (aka green tea sweets) that's been making its way around the blogosphere and I had originally planned to use my newly purchased matcha for that purpose. But at the last minute I decided to go a different route for my first foray into matcha territory. I modified a pinwheel cookie recipe from Fine Cooking magazine #68. Instead of dark chocolate I used matcha and white chocolate. I kept the vanilla dough pretty much the same.



The resulting cookie is very much like a typical sugar cookie. It's sweet, buttery and slightly crisp. I would've called it child friendly if not for the green tea (unless your child, like my nephews, actually likes matcha).The white chocolate tempered the bitter edge of the matcha without masking the flavor of the matcha. The vanilla and matcha doughs work very well together both flavorwise as well as aesthetically. The grassy green and creamy yellow reminds me that spring is just around the corner.

As you can see from the pictures my vanilla layer is a bit thicker than my matcha layer. I decided not to stress about it and roll it up anyway. Since the recipe makes 9 dozen cookies, I decided not to do all pinwheels. I also made some randomly blended, quasi-marbled ones and some solid matcha cookies with a bit of coarse sugar on the edges. That way everyone could choose their ideal ratio of vanilla to matcha.



Matcha Sugar Cookies
(makes about 9 dozen cookies)

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
10 ounces (2 1/2 sticks / 1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter, softened at room temp
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp matcha (green tea powder)
2 tbsp powdered sugar
3 ounces high quality white chocolate, melted and still barely warm

Sift together flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add egg and egg yolk and vanilla extract; mix until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Add flour mixture and, on low speed, mix until just combined. Remove 2 cups of the dough and set aside. This is the vanilla dough.

On low speed, add the matcha and powdered sugar to the remaining dough in the stand mixer bowl and mix until just combined. Then mix in the melted white chocolate until well combined.

Divide each flavor of dough into three fairly equal pieces. (You should have 6 pieces: 3 matcha and 3 vanilla.) Wrap each piece in plastic and refrigerate for about 20-30 minutes.

Roll one piece of matcha dough into a 7x7 inch square. Roll one piece of vanilla dough into a 7x7 inch square. Trying to line up the edges as best as you can, place the vanilla dough on top of the matcha dough. Gently roll over the dough to seal the two layers together.

Roll your layered dough into a tight log. After the log is formed, gently roll it back and forth on the counter to slightly elongate and compact it. The log should be about 9 inches long and about 1.5 inches in diameter. Wrap the log in plastic wrap. Repeat with the other pieces of dough. Refrigerate dough logs for 2 hours or freeze up to 2 months.

Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Working with one log at a time, slice the dough into 1/4 inch thick rounds and place rounds on your prepared baking sheets (space them about 1 inch apart). Bake at 350F for 12-14 minutes or until the tops of the cookies look set. Cool on baking sheet for 1-2 minutes then gently transfer cookies to a wire rack.

0 A Big Bag of Brown Sugar

I've been a member of Costco for a long time now. For those unfamiliar, Costco is a membership warehouse club chain. When I joined in 1990, the company was in the pre-merger days and called Price Club. Although I was not a small business owner, Costco still appealed to me. My college roommates and I would drive from Davis to Sacramento to do some bulk shopping. We could buy toilet paper, giant food service sized cans of fruit cocktail, half gallon tubs of peanut butter and cleaning supplies. I also remember trying to cram a desk we bought into the backseat of an early 80's Toyota and accidentally tearing the cloth covering the back of the passenger side seat. Ooops! Even now, I feel bad about tearing my roommate's seat.

My parents, small business owners until they retired a few years ago, have been Costco members for far longer than I have been. Recently, on their usual monthly shopping trip to Costco, they returned with a 25 pound bag of C&H brown sugar. Our Costco doesn't always have brown sugar and, every once in a while, would have a "manageable" 10 pound bag in stock, but not on this trip. Certain items seem to come and go at Costco. So if you see something you like, buy it, because it might not be there on your next visit.

My mom knows how much I like to bake, so she gave me more than half of their 25 pounds. Since I try to keep my baking pantry pretty well stocked I already had about 6 pounds of brown sugar in my kitchen. Now, with almost 20 pounds of brown sugar to work my way through, I was searching for all kinds of recipes to use up the brown sugar. You would think that brown sugar could be used in place of white granulated sugar in baking recipes. This may be true in many cases, but there are certain situations where the substitution would not work. Brown sugar is more acidic than white sugar so the acid level could be slightly thrown off balance which could possibly affect the finished product. Sometimes I adjust my leavening agents to compensate.

But there was no need to do that since this recipe is written for brown sugar. I found this brown sugar chocolate chip pound cake recipe in the October 2007 issue of Bon Appétit magazine. The brown sugar and maple are well matched flavors and the buttermilk keeps the cake super moist and cuts the sweetness with its tang. My favorite part is the maple espresso glaze drizzled on top. Yummy! My coworkers agreed that this cake is worth making again and again.

By the way, does anyone remember the C&H Sugar Company jingle "C&H, pure cane sugar, from Hawaii, _____ in the sun"? I cannot remember what word comes before "in the sun". So now the jingle is stuck in my head and it's driving me crazy! My internet search has come up with same 3 or 4 words to fill in the blank, but I haven't found a definitive answer. If anyone can help me regain my sanity, I would be eternally grateful.



Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Pound Cake
with Maple-Espresso Glaze
(from Bon Appétit, October 2007)
(makes 12 servings)

Cake:
12 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate (or 12 ounces chocolate chip morsels)
3 cups all purpose flour (plus an additional amount for dusting pan)
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup (8 ounces/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp maple extract (I didn't have any so I used 4 tbsp pure maple syrup)
4 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
2 tbsp (or more) heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder

To make the cake:
Preheat oven to 325F. Generously butter a 12-cup Bundt pan then dust pan lightly with flour.

Place your chopped chocolate (or chocolate chips) in medium bowl. From your 3 cups all purpose flour, measure about 2 tablespoons flour and toss those 2 tablespoons in with your chocolate. (Tossing your chopped chocolate with a tiny bit of flour helps keep them evenly suspended in the batter.)

Sift remaining flour with baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in vanilla extract and maple extract (or maple syrup). Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

On low speed, mix in the flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Detach the bowl from the stand mixer and, using a spoon or spatula, fold in the chopped chocolate. Spread your batter evenly in your prepared pan.

Bake at 325F until cake tester comes out clean and the cake begins to pull away from sides of pan, about 60 minutes. Cool cake in pan over a cooling rack for about 30 minutes. Then invert cake onto cooling rack and let it cool completely before glazing.



To make the glaze:
In a medium bowl, whisk powdered sugar, maple syrup, 2 tablespoons cream, and espresso powder until smooth. If the glaze seems too thick to drizzle, add cream by 1/2 teaspoonfuls until the desired consistency. Drizzle glaze over top of cake. Allow the glaze to firm up before serving, about 60 minutes.

I've also used this alternative recipe for the glaze when I didn't have any heavy cream.
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 to 2 tbsp strong coffee or espresso
1 tsp instant espresso powder (optional)