Dear SugarSource: My Cake is Stuck!

Dear SugarSource,
I thought I properly greased my cake pans, but it turns out I must have missed several spots. I can’t get my cake out! Are they ruined, or is there something I can do?

Sincerely,
Stuck Baker

Dear Stuck Baker,
The good news is that there are a few steps you can take to try to mitigate the damage! After the cake has cooled for about an hour, pop it into the freezer. It is less likely to crumble or fall apart as you work it out of the pan when it’s cold.

After about six hours (or overnight), use a butter knife to loosen the cake around the edges. Hovering over a cutting board, flip the pan over and tap on the bottom. If it does not slip out, use forks to dislodge the cake’s edges, moving toward the center. Once it has been fully removed, let the cake defrost for a few hours before proceeding to frosting or decorating.

To avoid in the future, use a pastry brush to effectively coat all of the nooks and crannies of your pans with (very soft) butter. Good luck!

Until next time,
SugarSource

Recipe: Traditional King Cake

In honor of Mardi Gras, I attempted to bake a traditional King Cake. I modified a recipe from Nola.com, which seemed to be an appropriate source for such an endeavor.

Ingredients
– 5 c. flour  – 1/2 c. sugar  – 1 1/2 tsp salt  – 2 packets instant yeast  – 3/4 c. whole milk  – 1/2 c. water  – 1 c. butter  – 3 eggs  – 1 tsp lemon zest  – 1 Tbsp cinnamon  – dash of nutmeg  – 1 tsp vanilla  – powdered sugar

Recipe
Combine the milk, water and butter in a small saucepan on the stove. Slowly bring up the heat, stirring occasionally. You are looking to reach 120-130 degrees (for reference, milk boils at over 200 degrees Fahrenheit). I used a small candy thermometer to pace properly.

In a mixing bowl (I used my KitchenAid stand mixer), combine 1 1/2 cups of flour with the sugar, salt and instant/rapid yeast. Once the liquid on the stovetop has reached 120 degrees, combine with the flour mixture and mix on medium speed for two minutes. You will start to smell the yeast activating – it will not resemble a traditional cake batter (and it’s not supposed to!).

Add 2 eggs, 1 egg yolk, 1/2 cup flour, lemon zest, cinnamon, a dash of nutmeg (1/8 teaspoon would be fine) and vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed for two minutes, stopping to scrape the sides occasionally, then slowly add in the remaining 3 cups of flour.

Transfer the dough to a large bowl coated with cooking spray. You want to ensure the dough has room to expand. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for two hours.

Once the dough has chilled for two hours, punch the surface down and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. First shape the dough directly with your hands – you are looking to achieve a rough rectangle. Then, using a floured rolling pin, slowly roll the dough to a rough 24″ by 12″ size. Continue to run your fingers or a spatula underneath the dough to ensure it isn’t sticking to the surface.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter, and brush onto the surface of the dough using a pastry brush. Lightly sprinkle cinnamon and sugar (I combined 1/3 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon into a shaker) across the entire surface, aiming for even and complete distribution. Beginning on one of the long sides, roll the dough tightly. You are aiming for a long thin log, not a short thick log. In my first attempt I almost started rolling from a short end but quickly caught my mistake!

Transfer the roll onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, shaping into an oval and pinching the ends together to complete the ring. I sliced off the uneven end pieces, baking them separately to give me a sense of the cake’s composition (you see them in the photograph above). You want to leave as much space in the middle of the oval as possible, as the dough expands quite a bit.

Cover the dough ring with a clean dish towel and place in a warm area of the house for about an hour. You are proofing the dough, a key step with yeast-based dough.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Carefully check the center of the round to ensure it has properly cooked through. Let it cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a baking rack to cool completely. For the transfer, use two spatulas. Do not attempt to solely pick up the parchment paper – this is a sure way to lose the cake you just baked!

Decorating
After the cake has had the chance to cool completely – I left for a few hours with the clean dish towel draped over the top – mix 2 cups of powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon of milk (again, I used the KitchenAid stand mixer for expediency). Slowly and cautiously add additional liquid as needed – you do not want it to be too liquidy. Drizzle the icing over the cake. My first icing unfortunately had too much milk, so I used it more as a glaze with my pastry brush. You can either dye the icing in the traditional yellow, green and purple of Mardi Gras, or coat the icing in colored sugars. I chose the sugars, which I like both aesthetically as well as texturally, and made them myself because I couldn’t locate them in local stores!

The cake absolutely needs the icing and additional sugar, as it is not a particularly sweet batter. It is at this stage where you can add the traditional “good luck” baby as well. You do not want to ever actually bake plastic into the cake, but instead insert after the cake has cooled through the bottom. We used a small plastic dinosaur from the 99 cent store, putting our own personal twist on it.

This easily serves 14-16 people, depending on the voracity of appetite. Once the cake has been cut, this starts to dry out almost immediately. If somehow you manage to have a section left, I would allow it to dry out completely to use the remaining bread in a simple bread pudding. Enjoy, and Happy Mardi Gras!

Until next time,
SugarSource

Travel Spotlight: El Postre de Oaxaca

Oaxaca is known for many things – energetic culture, beautiful textiles, intricate pottery, incredibly stringy cheese – and chocolate, which was heartedly embraced during a recent trip to this vibrant Mexican city. It was a phenomenal experience with a few particularly sweet highlights.

Malteadas at Chocolate Mayordomo. Milk and chocolate powder (ground right there in the store) are combined using a malt machine until thick, uniform and delicious. The addition of coffee tipped this drink into one of the top dessert experiences of the trip. Satisfying, sweet but not too sweet, richly chocolate and decadent, it was easy to sip but too filling for one person to finish.

The Chocolate Orgasmo at La Jicara. This small bookstore cafe offers a nice break from the Zocalo and more congested areas of town. The chocolate orgasmo, a semi-sweet flourless cake topped with a tangy raspberry sauce, provides the perfect afternoon boost, especially when paired with an Americano. A silken texture and dense chocolate flavor makes this a delightful pick-me-up.

Traditional hot chocolate from the shop off of the Tlacolula market. Hot chocolate here is a specialty – one can order a customized combination of vanilla, cinnamon, almonds, chocolate and sugar based on preferences or traditions. At this small shop off of the huge Sunday market, employees blend ingredients using grinders upon customer request. We observed these goings-on while sipping the house blend – a comforting concoction of cinnamon, chocolate and sugar – and nibbling on sweet rolls with a crisp sugary shell on top. A highly recommended experience – and the hot chocolate cups for sale are incredibly reasonable in addition to being beautiful!

Chocolate atole. This drink is commonly consumed to kick off breakfast and can be found at roadside stands and restaurants alike. Similar to a liquid porridge, it has a grainy texture due to the corn mixture used as the base. The chocolate is vigorously combined with the corn using a wooden utensil, rotated until froth builds along the surface. This is not particularly sweet and is not a flavor or texture common in American cuisine, so it will not solicit the same reaction from children as a traditional French chocolate chaud. However, that should not deter you from sampling one as a part of exploring the local cuisine!

The chocolate tamale at Las Quince Letras. It took two tries – I accidentally managed to order a hot chocolate the first time around (unintentional yet delicious) – but I was finally able to sample a chocolate tamale. Expecting a chocolate filling in a traditional tamale, the dessert’s appearance surprised me. The dark brown tamale was placed atop a streak of tangy passion fruit puree and accompanied with a few orange slices, proving my assumption incorrect. The citrus helped to break up the intensely rich decadence of the tamale, and it quickly disappeared from the forks of the group.

I would recommend spending at least a week in Oaxaca, as I have captured but a minute slice of the culturally rich and dynamic city.

Until next time,
SugarSource

Happy 2015: New Year, New Technique!

A New Year’s resolution to give up sweets was not plausible. I prefer to focus on smaller, more frequent attempts to better myself than a once-a-year commitment anyway. In that spirit, I took the Introduction to Piping class at Sugar Flower Cake Shop. As my mother’s birthday is right around the corner, I dedicated my mini cake to her.

Once Amy (the owner) and her staff reviewed the ground rules, we selected square slices of vanilla cake with salted caramel filling and were instructed to slather the surfaces with vanilla buttercream using the tools provided on each table. Attempting to get it perfectly smooth on the first try, we were told, would be futile. For traditional wedding cakes, this process often takes four to six attempts of frosting, smoothing, refrigerating and beginning again once the surface has hardened. As this was a two-hour class, we only had time for two refrigeration sessions.

A few tips I learned along the way:
– Refrigerate your buttercream during the decorating process. The pastry bag provides little protection from the heat of your hand and can easily become unwieldy. My classmates’ wilted scrolls and droopy rosettes were a testament to this fact.

Rosette practice

– Buttercream is forgiving. Unsuccessful first attempts to write “Mom” or swirl a perfect rosette in place can easily be removed with the swipe of a spatula.

– If the surface is not as smooth as you would like, add more buttercream. Novice cake decorators are often skimpy at the beginning – generous dollops will help achieve a silken appearance.

– Borders should not be first! Start in the center, and work your way toward the edges when decorating.

Skill levels varied dramatically in the class but Amy was patient, repeatedly demonstrating the rope borders, dots, and spirals we hoped to replicate first on our laminated practice sheets and then on the real slices. I found some piping was much easier to execute than others. Naturally, when it came time to decorating my mini masterpiece, I stuck to those techniques I felt I could execute best. Hands shaking, holding my breath, I applied dots, stars, rosettes and a cursive “Mom” to my cake, making slight adjustments here and there.

At the end, some resembled ruffled lace ottomans, while some looked like miniature sheet cakes. I would like to think mine falls into the latter category.

With practice makes perfect and after two hours of intensive buttercream-infused training, I am still in need of a good amount of practice.

Until next time,
SugarSource

Best of NYC: Commerce Coconut Cake

Admittedly I am a coconut fan – it takes on a subtly crunchy, nuttier flavor when baked, and adds an extra, welcome element to a traditional vanilla cake. My go-to is the stellar version at Commerce, a gem slightly hidden in the West Village. With warm wood accents, a muted-toned mural spanning the majority of the restaurant, and a 70s-throwback bar, the restaurant welcomes diners to experience delicious dinners and delightful desserts.

The coconut cake appears at the table, a significant slice with shreds of coconut poking out of every nook and cranny. One forkful, delicately maneuvered through the layers of cake and icing, begins the adventure. The cake is light and well-balanced, and the frosting presents a heavier creamier, but not sweeter, element. There is no mistaking that this is a coconut cake, as the star flavor is present in every bite, with flakes topping every frosted layer. Accompanied by water, dessert wine, or espresso, it can hold its own.

While best shared with a companion, it is possible that this behemoth could serve as an entree on its own. It is a wonderful way to end an evening, and worth a trip for dessert alone.

Until next time,
SugarSource

Travel Spotlight: Sweets of the South

In addition to a trip to San Francisco, I have been lucky enough to sample sweets in several other cities this summer. Oddly enough I didn’t manage to capture the sweet experiences on camera, but hopefully my descriptions will do them justice!

Louisville, KY

– Graeters: I have heard about the renowned Graeter’s for quite some time, and finally had the opportunity to try this famous Cincinnati offering. Established in 1870, this company has been churning out ice cream treats for almost 150 years, and from the few flavors I was able to sample, it’s no small wonder why they are legendary. The mint chocolate chip was pure mint flavor – no green dye used here as a part of the process – and the dark chocolate pieces seemed to be whisked into every bite. Later I learned that they add warm chocolate into the ice cream while it is mixing to create chocolate ribbons, distributing delicious chocolately particles throughout the entire batch. The lemon and raspberry sorbets were refreshing, but the clear star was the ice cream. I will be back to try another – rumor has it the peach is amazing.

– Homemade Ice Cream and Pie Kitchen: This is the first time I have ever seen or experienced an upside-down cupcake. This local establishment flips over the conventional cupcake and coats it in a glaze-like icing (slightly reminiscent of what is used on doughnuts). It proved to be a bit too sugary for my taste, but I had the opportunity to sample multiple flavors in one sitting – the Oreo, strawberry, chocolate caramel, and vanilla. The cakes were quite large, dense and moist. The Oreo was a little dry – I’ve found this to be the case with a few cookies-and-cream flavored baked goods – and the strawberry tasted artificially flavored (the brilliant pink hue did not help assuage this feeling). The chocolate caramel did not have a particularly strong caramel taste – it was as if they didn’t fully allow the flavor to develop before glopping on the frosting. Though appropriate for the birthday celebration, I do not feel compelled to try them again.

Atlanta, GA

– Piece of Cake: Only in town for a short period of time, I quickly Yelped the nearest bakery to my location, and Piece of Cake appeared. Off we sped, and we sampled a variety from the glass case – caramel, white chocolate, orange, and cookies and cream cupcakes. The cookies and cream, like others before it, was quite dry and only vaguely reminiscent of the chocolate sandwich cookies from which it was presumably derived. The orange reminded us faintly of an orange-cream popsicle (but came nowhere near the dreamsicle version discovered in Denver), and the caramel was about average. Though the white chocolate did not possess a strong flavor profile, it was still pretty good as a stand-alone treat. If or when I return to ATL, I will be checking out the other cupcakeries in the area for comparison.

Charleston, SC

– Kaminsky’s: The attraction of the beautiful frosted cakes proved to be too strong to resist, and I finally entered the shop after passing several times. Close to conventional dinner time, the establishment was pretty full and I made the decision to forego a traditional dinner, replacing it instead with a monstrous slice of German chocolate cake. The lush, coconut glaze led to layers of moist chocolate cake that were rich enough to have a flavorful chocolate experience without overwhelming the walnut- and coconut-packed fillings in-between. Though I ended up in a bit of a sugar coma, easily remedied by a long evening stroll, I would do it all over again, trying a new kind of cake the second time around to sample more of the wonderful offerings of this local favorite.

With a few more travel plans left, I’m ready to buckle up and try more of what America has to offer…

Until next time,
SugarSource

 

Recipe: Nathaniel’s Spice Cake

A friend of mine works at Bouchon Bakery, and is constantly sharing the recipes of the delights he makes when he is off the clock. He has an enthusiasm for baking that is unparalleled, and I find myself getting inspired alongside of him. He made a spice cake for a brunch, and was kind enough to share the recipe, originally found in Miisa Mink’s Nordic Bakery Cookbook. The moment this hits the table, it will start to disappear. Do not be surprised if guests request this, as I did, after their first bite!

Ingredients
– Medjool Dates – Lemon – Water – Butter  – Brown sugar  – Vanilla extract  – Eggs  – Dark rye flour  – Cardamom – Cinnamon – Baking Soda  – Salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees, and prepare the cake pan – 7″ pan – by greasing it and dusting with flour.

Place 1 1/2 cups dates and 3/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Simmer over low heat for ten minutes, or until very soft. Once softened mash the dates, adding the juice and zest of one lemon.

Beat 1 1/2 sticks, 1 Tablespoon of butter with 1 cup, 2 Tablespoons of brown sugar until fluffy. Add 1 tsp vanilla extract and 2 eggs (one at a time), beating until well mixed and scraping the side of the bowl with each addition.

Add 1 2/3 cups dark rye flour, 2 tsp cardamom, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp salt.  Mix until ~95% combined, and add the cooled date mixture. Continue stirring until completely mixed – you are looking for a soft cookie dough appearance, not too much liquid.

Pour the batter into the cake pan, and bake for ~50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool for 15 minutes in the pan. Flip onto a cooling rack, and let completely cool.

It’s now ready for consumption! If you are having a late brunch, you could make this first thing in the morning. Believe me, your guests will not be disappointed. Enjoy!

Until next time,
SugarSource

 

 

Travel Spotlight: Mile High Delights

While Denver offers a myriad of choose-your-own-adventure options, from hiking to exploring the beautiful parks to adjusting to the elevation, I prefer to focus on the sweets. This Mile High city did not disappoint (though, disclaimer: my pictures are underwhelming compared with the sweets themselves)!

– Lovely Confections: I tried the Bees Knees at this small bakery. The lavender cake was slightly reminiscent of soap – it almost always seems to be, as it is a delicate flavor that can oftentimes be overpowering – and the honey lemon buttercream did not add much flavor to the combination.
– Gigi’s Cupcakes: The Italian cream cupcake was not particularly memorable. The decor reminded me of watermelon – green and pink – and the establishment has expanded since my initial visit – I was able to try another of Gigi’s offerings while in Wisconsin.
– The Shoppe: I did not visit this particular store, which is now unfortunately closed, but a client did bring them in once learning of my love of bite-sized cakes. The pumpkin chocolate chip cupcake was decent – the pumpkin flavor was there, though I would have expected a stronger combination of cinnamon and nutmeg. The death by chocolate was as expected – very chocolately and quite rich – but it was the tres leches that stole my heart. The cupcake was very moist, condensed milk almost dripping off of the saturated cake. It somehow managed to be light, packed with delicious milky flavor and topped with a not-to-sweet cream on top. I would have happily eaten another. Thankfully rumor has it the baker behind The Shoppe is considering a cookbook, which would be fantastic.

Big Fat Cupcakes!

– Big Fat Cupcake: Once my client learned of my love of cupcakes, she continued to seek out additional outlets, and surprised our team with a selection of six. As indicated by the name, these are not ordinary-sized cupcakes but giant versions – about 2-3 cupcakes (at least) would fit into each of these behemoths. She selected a variety to try (these are certainly meant to be shared, based on size alone!) – bread pudding, nutty nana (banana cake with peanut butter frosting and nutella filling), monkey love (banana cake, cream cheese frosting), orange dreamsicle, snowball (chocolate cake with coconut frosting), and salted caramel. The dreamsicle was as imagined – reminiscent of the orange popsicle savored during the heat of the summer – and the bread pudding was the hit amongst the group – not too sweet, with ribbons of cinnamon woven into the pockets of the cupcake.  Thankfully she was not offended that we sampled them, but did not consume them all in their entirety – that would have been the equivalent of eating contest volume with the bonus of an extreme sugar high.

I was somewhat surprised that I didn’t run into a Denver specialty flavor. I’m sure there is some sort of Rocky Mountain treat that I missed, and I will certainly seek it out (or whatever the local dessert is) on my next trip.

Until next time,
SugarSource

Dear Sugar Source: Freezing A Cake

Dear Sugar Source,
I’m going to a party mid-week and I want to bake a cake for the event but I only really have time to do so on the weekends. Can I make the cake on Saturday, freeze it and bring it to the function the following Friday? Will this ruin the cake? I’m making a basic yellow cake with chocolate frosting. Please let me know!

Sincerely,
Concerned Part-Time Cake Baker

Dear Concerned Part-Time Cake Bakery,
I’m not sure the occasion, but I’ve found that homemade treats are received well at most functions. Regarding your concerns, you can absolutely bake ahead and freeze. Frozen cakes are actually easier to decorate – less crumbs flake off during the frosting process, and there isn’t a chance that the cake’s temperature will start melting the icing either. I’ve provided a few pointers below:
– Freezing works best with rich, dense cakes. Angel food, for example, may not hold up to this approach.
– Once the cake is completely cooled on wire racks, place in the freezer. Once completely frozen, wrap the cake in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of tin foil. If you have multiple layers, wrap them individually.
– Cream cheese frosting can stand up to being frozen. However, I would recommend leaving the frosting until the day-of.
– On the morning of the day you would like to serve the cake (Friday, in this case), take the cake out of the freezer. Whip up the icing and frost as usual. By the evening’s festivities, the cake should be thawed while still remaining moist for your guests.

Good luck with the cake – I’m sure it will be wonderful!

Until next time,
SugarSource

Travel Spotlight: Chicago

Mille Feuille, Au Cheval

The Windy City is known for extraordinary dining experiences (look no further than Alinea), and it comes as no surprise that they have some of the top sweets destinations as well.

– Cupcakes: Molly’s Cupcakes. The swings at the cupcake counter, the sprinkle station, and the fantastic flavors have made this cupcakery one of my favorites. From the Cookie Monster (filled with “cookie dough.” this cupcake leaves you happily satisfied without the salmonella concern from eating real cookie dough) to the Ron Bennington (fudgy chocolate and peanut butter wonder that should always be accompanied by a glass of water or milk) to the Peach Cobbler (absolutely stunning…and one of the reasons why this bakery won Cupcake Wars!). I have not had a cupcake here I haven’t liked. With a wide range of options, from the classic to the seasonal to the slightly out there, Molly’s has something to satisfy any sweet tooth.

– Cupcakes For Grown-Ups: More Cupcakes. These cupcakes are beautifully decorated (the chocolate curls alone are a delicate, elegant and tasty touch), and the store carries many alcohol-inspired and -infused varieties. They used to have a happy hour every so often where you could try miniature versions of the cocktail cakes. More is the place to get exceptional cupcakes for an adult’s birthday party or office event, with a professional look and mature flavor profile. Another bonus? They will deliver cupcakes outside of Illinois, packed in dry ice (I may have been lucky enough to receive a dozen in Manhattan)!

Carrot Cake Club, Angel Food Bakery

– The Mille Feuille: Au Cheval. The waitress made her way to the table with the dessert, and our eyes widened. Layer upon layer of flaky pastry separate vanilla pastry cream. With a decisive thwap, she split the massive dessert in half, explaining that it helps guests tackle the piles of deliciousness. We were only able to consume about half of the sugary wonder, and I would absolutely order it again.

– Retro Treats: Angel Food Bakery. This hidden gem houses a wonderful collection of vintage Easy Bake ovens (and similar toys), and is a throwback bakery of sorts turning out homemade versions of Hostess products like Twinkies. We decided to go for the Carrot Cake Club, as was recommended by the woman behind the counter. At first glance, it could pass as an enormous finger sandwich topped with a pimento olive. However, one forkful and you will recognize that this is not your average lunch item. Two thick slices of moist, cinnamon-infused carrot cake sandwich the velvety cream cheese frosting. I would recommend splitting with another person, although I’m sure you could manage to tackle the entire thing given the time (or the level of empty stomach!).

– Frosting Shots: Sugar Bliss Cake Boutique. If you ever really need a sudden jolt of sugar, look no further than the frosting shots at Sugar Bliss, located off of Millennium Park. However, be warned: you are almost guaranteed a sugar-high.

Once again, just a slice of the many sweet experiences to be had, but a good place to start to sample some of Chicago’s best!

Until next time,
SugarSource