That which should never enter my house rides again

I blame Costco. After a near five year reprieve from membership at the warehouse mecca, TD and found ourselves wandering its (too busy for a Friday night) aisles. Wandering the aisles at Costco is never a good idea. I can’t remember what we went in for but am fairly certain the case of beer, apple chips, baby naans and two huge containers of Nutella were not on the original list.

There are only two things that I don’t trust myself to casually keep on hand. The first is Cheez-Its.The second, as I’ve mentioned in previous posts, is Nutella. Late on the night of the Costco trip I could hear the chocolate-hazelnut spread calling to me from the garage in little Italian voices accompanied by an accordian. I swear.

Something needed to be done with the Nutella…before I was done with it.

Cue the cupcakes. I started with a great basic vanilla and buttermilk cupcake recipe from Sunset Magazine. The recipe is simple and the resulting cupcakes have enough integrity (structurally speaking) to take on an inch or two of frosting.

Starting with my go-to buttercream recipe, I added a generous blob of Nutella. And then I added some more for good measure.

After a quick roll in chocolate jimmies, I had, what I thought was a pretty good misdirection for the serious error in judgement that was the purchase of Nutella. As a bonus, the cupcake recipe makes exactly 12 little cakes. So, I didn’t even have an excuse to try one since my carrying container holds one dozen and my own sense of social propriety didn’t want to explain what happened to the missing one.

Malted Vanilla Cupcakes with Nutella Buttercream Frosting

cake adapted from Sunset Magazine

For the Cake

Ingredients

6 TBS unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 C plus 2 TBS sugar
2 large eggs
1 TSP vanilla
2 C all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C malted milk powder
2/3 C buttermilk at room temp.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line pan with 12 cupcake wrappers.
Sift flour, baking powder, malted milk powder and salt into a medium bowl, set aside.
In a bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat butter and all the sugar until well blended.
Add eggs and vanilla and beat on high speed until well blended.
With mixer on low speed, beat about a third of the flour mixture into butter mixture, then about a third of the buttermilk. Repeat to beat in remaining flour mixture and buttermilk, alternating in thirds. When all the flour is incorporated, beat mixture on medium speed just until well blended.
Fill paper-lined or buttered muffin cups (1/3-cup capacity) about three-fourths full with batter (about 1/4 cup in each).
Bake in a 350° oven until tops spring back when lightly touched in the center, 20 to 25 minutes.
Cool on racks 5 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely.

For the frosting

Ingredients

5 large egg whites
1 C plus 2 TBS sugar (superfine)
pinch of salt
12 ounces (3 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp, cut into tablespoons
1 tsp cold espresso (optional)
3/4 C Nutella

Directions

In the heat-proof bowl of a stand-mixer, combine egg-whites, sugar and salt. Set over a pan of simmering water and whisk constantly by hand until the mixture is warm to the touch and the sugar has dissolved. The temp on an instant-read thermometer should read between 150-160 F.
Attach the bowl to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting on low speed, and gradually increasing to medium-high speed, beat until the mixture is fluffy and glossy and completely cool (you can tell by touching the side of the bowl). Process will take about 10 minutes.
With mixer on medium-speed, add the butter a few tablespoons at-a-time, mixing well between each addition. At some point the frosting will start to look curdled. Don’t worry, just keep on going.
Switch to the paddle attachment. Add-in espresso and Nutella mixing on low until everything is combined.
Generously frost cupcakes.

Dee-lich-chus Cake

I think I’ve talked about our adventures in cake-tasting and the beautiful but epic fail of a wedding cake that came out of them. Thinking of that 100 degree day in San Diego combined with the smell of buttercream across many bakeries still make me cringe a little.

Let’s say the average wedding cake tasting consists of seven samples. If my memory holds true, we visited four bakeries that faithful summer day. A little air arithmetic, carry the one and it comes to about 28 different taste tests.

And after biting into each morsel, TD would say, “that’s dee-lich-chus cake.”

About a dozen samples in, my curiosity (and annoyance) got the better of me and I asked what the hell he was talking about.

The details were a bit fractured (probably all that sugar) but what I gathered from his story is that there was a wedding, an elderly woman, some loose dentures and a cake that was decidedly not “dee-lich-chus.”

In my witness, every times he’s eaten cake since, he says the same thing: “that’s dee-lich-chus.”

It only took nearly ten years to wonder, if “dee-lich-chus” cake was a flavor, what would it be?

I decided a cake of this caliber would start with a buttermilk base. In to which roasted strawberries would be gently folded.

And accessorized with clouds of pillowy pink strawberry and balsamic buttercream. Stay with me here. Adding balsamic to strawberry is like adding coffee to chocolate. You don’t actually taste the extra ingredient, it just really enhances everything.

And so was born dee-lich-chus cake.

Roasted Strawberry and Buttermilk Cake with Strawberry Balsamic Buttercream

cake adapted from Joy of Cooking, frosting adapted from The Foodies Kitchen

for the cake

Ingredients

4 C fresh strawberries
2 1/3 C cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking sode
1/4 tsp kosher salt
3 large eggs at room temp.
6 ounces (10 TBS or 1 stick plus 2 TBS) butter
1 1/3 C sugar (I use superfine)
1 C buttermilk, at room temp.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Gently wash and cut strawberries into quarters. Place berries on a cooling rack, seeds-side-down over a sheet pan. Bake until strawberries are partially dried, about 45 minutes. Let cool, the chop (they’ll be sticky). Divide into 3/4 and 1/4 portions. Set aside 1/4 for the frosting.
Grease (use your use butter wrapper) two 9-inch cake pans and set aside.
Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set Aside. In a small bowl (I also like to use a 2 C pyrex liquid measuring cup), whisk together eggs and vanilla.
Using a mixer (standing or hand) on medium speed, beat the butter until creamy. Beat-in the sugar slowly over the course of 3-minutes. Beat- in egg-and-vanilla mixture one egg-at-a-time.
Reduce speed on mixer to low and mix-in flour and buttermilk in three parts, beginning and ending with the flour.
Gently fold-in strawberries by hand. Distribute batter into pans and bake in middle rack of oven for 25-30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes up clean.
Once out of the oven, allow cakes to cool on rack for 10 minutes. Carefully un-mold and allow to cool completely.

for the frosting

Ingredients

remaining chopped roasted strawberries from cake recipe
5 large egg whites
1 C plus 2 TBS sugar (superfine)
pinch of salt
16 ounces (1 pound, 4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp, cut into tablespoons
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 TBS balsamic vinegar

Directions

Add balsamic vinegar to reserved strawberries, puree mixture and set-aside.
In the heat-proof bowl of a stand-mixer, combine egg-whites, sugar and salt. Set over a pan of simmering water and whisk constantly by hand until the mixture is warm to the touch and the sugar has dissolved. The temp on an instant-read thermometer should read between 150-160 F.
Attached the bowl to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting on low speed, and gradually increasing to medium-high speed, beat until the mixture is fluffy and glossy and completely cool (you can tell by touching the side of the bowl). Process will take about 10 minutes.
With mixer on medium-speed, add the butter a few tablespoons at-a-time, mixing well between each addition. At some point the frosting will start to look curdled. Don’t worry, just keep on going.
Switch to the paddle attachment. Add-in vanilla and strawberry puree and incorporate with paddle on low. Scrape-down sides and mix until frosting is completely smooth.
Frost cake as desired. Enjoy and try not to think about how much butter is in the frosting.

A tribute to the great Mary See

Who is Mary See? Funny you should ask.

It seems like most families have their own sort of internal economy complete with a currency and policies toward compensation, incentive and, of course, debt. In my own family, the economy is ruled by the all mighty See. Well, See’s Candy. This “old fashioned” West-coast purveyor of confections plays a role in many of my childhood memories. The grandchildren at my maternal grandmother’s Thanksgiving table were always exceptionally well-behaved in hopes of earning one of the coveted chocolate See’s turkeys. World series games and professional golf tournaments were watched in nervous anticipation because a pound or two of See’s candies were always on the line. So great was their love for these chocolate-covered goodies that my mother, aunts and grandmother would make regular pilgramages to the See’s store in Santa Barbara because their home town of Santa Maria did not have a shop of its own.

Does it surprise you at all that I come from a family willing to drive four hours round-trip for a chocolate?

Ninety years after the first store was opened in Los Angeles, See’s offers something for everyone; from suckers to truffles to bridge mix to chocolate turkeys. For me that something is very specific. The Bordeaux. Brown sugar and buttercream covered in either milk or dark chocolate and smothered in chocolate sprinkles. Want my heart? I’ll trade you for a Bordeaux. It’s the sprinkles. But then, its always been the sprinkles.

Which may help explain why, when I was at my favorite cooking supply store a couple of weeks ago and saw a huge container of those little jimmies, I immediately thought: Bordeaux cupcakes (well, I had to have some way of justifying the purchase).

And so I bring you my interpretation of the Bordeaux in little cake form.

I started with Martha Stewart’s near ubiquitous brown sugar cupcake recipe. Really, try Googling “brown sugar cupcakes.” Pretty much all brown sugar roads lead to Martha Stewart (yes, I know, I just stepped into that one, TD. Go ahead, say what you will). This recipe is lean on ingredients and comes together in a flash.

The recipe says it makes between 28 and 30 and that the cups should be filled to three-quarters. As ever, Martha is serious about this. I fudged the 28-30 into 24 cupcakes and of course, over-filled and had some spreading. I hate it when that happens.

While the cakes were in the oven, I turned my attention to the brown sugar buttercream. While I tossed around the idea of filling the cupcakes with the cream, I eventually decided to spread a layer on the top of the cakes before frosting. Oh, but I’m getting ahead of myself.

A little research revealed the centers of the bordeaux candy, while described by See’s as a buttercream is actually penuche or a type of fudge. So, to make, I combined brown sugar and butter in a heavy pan.

Let it melt.

Then let it boil (note–there is no candy thermometer in the photo because the recipe doesn’t need one).

Then let it cool.

And finally, added a ridiculous amount of confectioner’s sugar.

The result is a paste that once cool, is very easy to mold.

For each (cooled) cupcake, I rolled-out a little ball (probably half-an-ounce).

Then I flattened it and molded it to the top of the cake.

Then, I generously topped each cupcake with a layer of bittersweet ganache. Half of the linked recipe will cover two-dozen cupcakes (even if you have a very heavy frosting hand as I do).

Which brings me to the sprinkles. If you are planning ahead for this recipe or any other that might call for food decoration, for heaven’s sake, do not buy them at the grocery store or even a regular retail outlet such as Williams Sonoma or Sur la Table. You’ll pay way, way too much. Three ounces at my local grocery is about four-dollars. Yikes.

If you happen to live in the Los Angeles area, Surfas is a great place to buy decorations (and just about anything else food related). My 12 ounce jar of chocolate sprinkles is about $8 there. If you don’t happen to live in the area, you can mail-order from them via the same link. If you don’t need a pound of chocolate sprinkles, Off the Beaten Path has a staggering array of sprinkles, sanding sugars and edible glitter in smaller sizes.

Now for he piece de resistance. Pour a generous amount of the sprinkles into a shallow dish. Then, quickly up-end the frosted cupcake and gently press the frosted side into the sprinkles.

The result will be quite satisfying

And very tasty. Thank you Mary See!

Bordeaux Cupcakes

makes 28-30

Cupcakes

Recipe credit: Martha Stewart

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup buttermilk

Directions

Line cupcake pans with wrappers. Whisk together dry ingredients. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one-at-a time.

Reduce mixer speed to low. Alternating dry ingredients and buttermilk, add to butter mixture in three parts beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Fill cupcakes to 3/4 full. Bake until a tester comer out clean (15-25 minutes).

Brown Sugar Penuche

Recipe adapted from Stephanie Paschal

Ingredients

1 C brown sugar
1/2 C butter
1/4 C whipping cream
1/2 tsp instant coffee
pinch of salt
2 C confectioner’s sugar

Directions

Melt butter and brown sugar together in heavy pan. Bring mixture to a boil and let roll for two minutes. Stir in cream, coffee, salt and bring to boil again stirring constantly for 30 seconds. Pull off heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Stir-in confectioner’s sugar. Chill until paste holds shape of a ball.

Bittersweet ganache

Note: half this recipe will be enough to cover the entire batch of cakes.

To assemble cupcakes

Roll penuche into small balls and then mold to the tops of the cupcakes. Pour chocolate sprinkles into a shallow bowl or dish. Frost cupcakes as desired. Carefully dip each cupcake into the sprinkles, adding sprinkles to the bowl as you go.

Chocolate Stout Cake

Let’s get this month started properly.

Guinness Stout. Chocolate. Buttercream.

Shall I continue?

A work colleague (and fantastic baker) introduced me to this cake recipe several years ago. And I’ve been exploiting it ever since. This is by far my favorite way to make chocolate cake. It is dark and not as sweet as some chocolate cakes, which makes it a perfect foil for the globs of buttercream I like to slather on top. And, if you are so inclined (as I am from time to time), it gives you a good excuse to pop the little widget on the Guinness can or bottle and enjoy a pint or two while baking.

This cake recipe is a little unusual in that you start it by boiling together a couple of cups of a good stout beer, butter and cocoa. Strange brew indeed.

While the brew cools a bit, beat together eggs and sour cream.

Then the beer mixture is added to the sour cream.

After this, the dry ingredients are incorporated.

The result is a gorgeous, silky cake batter. I’ve made layer cakes, sheet cakes and cupcakes with this recipe.

Here is the do what I say, not what I do portion of the post. I thought it would be cute to make mini cupcakes without the wrappers so that when I topped them with the frosting they’d look like little beers. Good idea in theory, a little short-sighted in operation. First, if making cupcakes, only fill each cup about 2/3 full. In the picture below they are filled to the top. Not a good idea. Second, these guys need wrappers. Despite oiling the already non-stick pan, I had a heck of a time getting the little buggers out of the pan. This recipe will make about three dozen full-sized cupcakes, six dozen babies or two eight-to-nine inch cakes.

While this cake would be fantastic topped with a cream cheese or sour cream frosting, my go to is an Italian buttercream recipe from Gourmet magazine. Hey–you know how some people have the dates of their deceased loved-ones in decals across the back windows of their cars. Do you suppose there is a foodie out there with a Gourmet Magazine RIP on their car? Just wondering.

Anyhow, Italian buttercream starts by creating a sugar syrup. Yes, you’ll need your candy thermometer.

While the syrup is coming up to temp, egg whites get whipped into soft peaks with a little sugar and salt.

Then things get really fun. Start up your standing mixer and slowly add the hot syrup in a steady stream.

This is going to heat things up a bit. Don’t worry though, keep that whisk attachment (or handmixer) going.

It wouldn’t be buttercream without the butter. The butter gets added a tablespoon at a time.

At some point it will start to look like something has gone horribly wrong. It hasn’t, keep on whisking.

A little later you’ll think, really, this isn’t right. It is.

Eventually, the whole mess will come together and you’ll have beautiful, smooth butter cream frosting.

What you do after is up to you. Me? I topped my little stout cupcakes with a dollup of butter cream and dusting of sanding sugar.

If what TD says is true about there being a sandwich in every beer, there is definitely a cake in every pint!

Chocolate Stout Cake

Bon Appetit, September 2002

Ingredients

2 C stout (such as Guinness)
2 C (4 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/2 C unsweetened cocoa powder
4 C all purpose flour
4 C sugar
1 1/2 t salt
1 T baking soda
4 large eggs
1 1/3 C sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare pans

In a saucepan, bring stout and butter to a simmer over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in large bowl. In a separate bowl or standing mixer, beat eggs and sour cream to blend. Add stout mixture to egg mixture and beat to combine. Add-in flour mixture and blend briefly on slow speed until just combined. Divide batter as desired. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes our clean, 18-35 minutes.

Vanilla Buttercream

Gourmet, January 2004

This recipe makes about 6 cups frosting

Ingredients

4 large egg whites at room tempurature
Rounded 1/4 teaspoon of salt
2/3 C water
1 1/3 plus 2 T sugar
4 sticks (2 C) butter, cut into tablespoon pieces and softened
2 t vanilla

Combine whites and salt in a very large bowl. Stir together water and 1 1/3 cups sugar in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan until sugar is dissolved, then bring to a boil over moderate heat, without stirring, brushing any sugar crystals down side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water.

When syrup reaches a boil, start beating egg whites with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until frothy, then gradually add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and beat at medium speed until whites just hold soft peaks. (Do not beat again until sugar syrup is ready.)

Meanwhile, put thermometer into sugar syrup and continue boiling until syrup registers 238 to 242°F. Immediately remove from heat and, with mixer at high speed, slowly pour hot syrup in a thin stream down side of bowl into whites, beating constantly. Beat, scraping down side of bowl with a rubber spatula, until meringue is cool to the touch, about 10 minutes in a standing mixer or 15 with a handheld. (It is important that meringue is properly cooled before proceeding.)

With mixer at medium speed, gradually add butter 1 piece at a time, beating well after each addition until incorporated. (Buttercream will look soupy after some butter is added if meringue is still warm. If so, briefly chill bottom of bowl in a large bowl filled with ice water for a few seconds before continuing to beat in remaining butter.) Continue beating until buttercream is smooth. (Mixture may look curdled before all of butter is added but will come back together by the time beating is finished.) Add vanilla and beat 1 minute more.

Note: buttercream will freeze very well in an air-tight ziplock bag.