The Best Chocolate Cake

This cake isn't cakey. That probably sounds strange, but I mean that it's not your average birthday cake with layers of buttercream. It's a dense chocolaty flourless cake that isn't a cop out, and is best served with creme anglaise or fresh berries.
It's not just chocolate wither. There's vanilla, espresso, salt, and cinnamon going on there too. You don't taste them all separately, though. All of these additions share flavor notes with the chocolate, and just make the cake taste even more chocolatey. I like to use Valrhona for these because it has a more intense chocolatey flavor than my usual baking favorite, Scharffen Berger, which is sweeter with a little bit more fruit.
If you have a favorite brand, though go ahead and use that. I just prefer the less fruity flavor because the darkness of the Valrhona ties in better with the earthy flavor additions.

Deep Chocolate Cake
10 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, diced
5 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp instant espresso
1/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9 inch cake pan and dust with cocoa powder, tapping out the extra. In a bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar, and add the vanilla, salt, and cinnamon.
In a small saucepan or microwave safe bowl, melt the butter, and add the espresso powder, then add the chocolate to the hot butter, and stir until melted and smooth.
Slowly drizzle the melted chocolate into the eggs, whisking the whole time.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and cover with a sheet of tin foil. Put the pan in a roasting pan and fill 1/2 way up the side with boiling water.
Bake the cake for an hour to an hour and15 minutes, or until the cake is set on top. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack and cooling to room temperature.

I Miss You, so Here's a Plum Cake

Hey all! I've gotta say that only posting ince a week s killing me in a small way. I miss the days when I would come home from work, crank up the oven, oblivious to the summer heat, and bake, cook, simmer, and steam almost every day of the week. I'm lustful for the days of spontaneous meringue-ing, baking brownies in the middle of the night. Oh, and this early November snow? I'm finding my hands subconsciously rotating like I'm stirring soup.
I'm an addict. This is withdrawal. It's bad, bad, very bad.

There is light at the end of the tunnel, though. THANKSGIVING IS COMING! This means day after day of shameless cooking. Cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, pot pies, crumbles, smoothies, and custards are all coming your way in the very near future. Oh, and I get to make all the dishes to satiate your sweet tooth every sunday from Thanksgiving until Christmas--an even longer period of shameless cooking with even more spices!

See how dark the batter is? That's from all the vanilla!

I miss you--writing these posts, thinking of new ideas--just as badly as I miss my pink rubber spatula back home. Because I miss you and you're even more fantastic than Christmas cookies and sweet potatoes (the highest of praise in my book) I made you a plum cake. Gone are the days when prunes were the dreaded black, crinkly rocks in the very back of the cabinet. Soaking the prunes in warm milk, and folding them into a thick, vanilla scented batter brings them to life like you wouldn't believe. So bake up, eat up, and enjoy a deeply vanilla cake with bursts of sweet and savory prunes.

Vanilla Plum Cake
Makes 1 9 inch cake

1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
1.5 tsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
6 large prunes

Preheat the oven to 400ºF, and prepare 1 9-inch cake pan by greasing, lining with parchment, greasing again and dusting with flour.
In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the milk for 1 to 2 minutes, until it's very hot but not boiling. Add the prunes to the hot milk and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and flouw until light and smooth. Add the egg and vanilla, mixing until well incorporated. Remove the prunes from the milk when they are plump and softened. Add the lemon juice to the milk and mix.
Add 1/2 the flour to the butter and egg mixture, when it is fully combined, add half of the milk. Add the rest of the flour and milk, mixing well.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and scatter (or carefully arrange) the prunes in the batter. Lightly cover the tops of the prunes with more batter to prevent burning.
Bake at 400º for 20-25 minutes. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before turning out to slice.
This cake is great served at any temperature, but is at its best when served warm!

Red Velvet Almond Tart

Graduation parties are confusing. I've always thought that if a party's being thrown to commemorate a specific time in somebody's life, you're supposed to bring that person a gift. It get's awkward, though, when you (and just about all of the other guests) have just graduated as well. It get's even worse when there are no less than three of these parties every weekend. That's a whole lot of gifts.
I think I've come up with an answer to this situation: Food Gifts.

These are always my favorite gifts to give because they are home made, different, personalized, and, unless you brought chocolate chip cookies from a tube, you know that the recipient doesn't already have one lying around somewhere.

My go to gift is candy because there are millions of candies that look super impressive   and that only take about 15 minutes to make from start to finish. Candy making gets old, though, especially when you've sworn off caramel making for at least 2 months (or as long as it takes you to get your head when it comes to gooey, salty sugar) so it's always good to have a few non-candy recipes up your sleeve.
Enter the red velvet almond tart.

The Caramelized Malt (I said it's optional, but only in emergency situations)

It's vegan(-ish), and can easily be made gluten free (though the nuts pose a challenge in making it allergy proof) and is amazingly tasty. The light flavor of the chocolate in the crust is the perfect complement to the almonds. Because chocolate and almonds really are amazing together but sometimes you don't really want  a ton of chocolate flavor. It's great for cleaning out the fridge, or making when the fridge is already pretty cleaned out (how I came up with the recipe) and is versatile enough to be served at a barbecue, formal dinner, or packaged and frozen for gift giving.
This lasts in the freezer for a week, probably longer, but I've never had to store it for longer than 7 days.

The tart is extremely chewy and the almond topping sort of sinks into the crust, making it super delicious. The flavor of the chocolate in the red velvet crust is just peeking out enough to complement the almonds, but not nearly enough to make this a chocolate dessert. It is not a tall tart at all, so there's no need to line the edges of the pan with parchment, and if you don't want to bother with a springform, you can use a 9 to 10 inch part pan with a removable bottom and it will work just fine.

For the Crust
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 Tbs vegan shortening
1 tsp red food coloring (more if you want it really red)
2 Tbs light corn syrup
2 Tbs almond milk (may not need all 2 Tbs)
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1Tbs corn starch
1 1/2 Tbs cocoa powder
Pinch of salt

For the Filling
1 1/2 cups raw sliced almonds
3 Tbs light corn syrup
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 Tbs malted milk powder (optional)

Preheat oven to 350ºF, grease and line a 9-10 inch spring form pan with parchment paper.
In a bowl, with a rubber spatula, cream together the sugar and shortening. Add the corn syrup and food dye and mix until evenly combined.
Sift in the flour, baking powder, salt, corn starch, and cocoa powder. Mix with a wooden spoon until combined, adding almond milk until the mixture reaches the texture of soft cookie dough. Press into the bottom of your prepared pan.
In a bowl, mix the almonds, brown sugar, lemon zest, corn syrup, almond extract, and salt.
Spread evenly over the top of the crust and bake for 10 minutes at 350º.
After 10 minutes, turn the pan and lover the oven temperature to 275º for another 5-7 minutes, until the crust has risen and set.
Turn off the oven, remove the tart and sprinkle with the malted milk powder. Return to the oven for 10 more minutes, or until the malt powder has dissolved and begun to caramelize.
Remove from the oven, loosen the sides from the pan with a knife and cool for 20 minutes before removing from the pan and slicing into wedges.

Cut it into 16ths for gift bag size slices

If you're going to freeze the pieces, make sure they cool to room temperature before wrapping and freezing, in order to prevent condensation from ruining the texture of the tart.

Make Boxed Cake Mix Better and Buttercream

It's Memorial Day weekend and even though I posted a cake recipe yesterday, I realize that for most people a 2 day cake isn't really family barbecue material. So here's my super fast recipe for a great cake mix cake and 3 different frostings!
There aren't any pictures because this is more of a guide than a recipe, but I'm sure you'll see pictures of similar recipes soon, especially the frostings.

Making Cake Mix Great:
Pour your cake mix into a bowl.
In a different bowl, mix the eggs called for on the box with 1 extra egg yolk.
Replace the water called for on the box with milk, and add to eggs. Mix to combine.
Add the oil called for on the box (or use melted butter), 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 tsp instant espresso for chocolate cake
For an extra rich cake, mix in 1/4 cup yogurt or sour cream.
Mix wet ingredients well.
Add the wet mix to the dry mixture, mix well and bake  according to the directions on the box.

Mixing the wet ingredients  before adding them to the dry will give you a finer crumb.
Feel free to mix and match the above steps and do what's convenient for you! This recipe gives you a super moist cake.

Favorite Cake Mixes:
Yellow: Betty Crocker Super Moist Yellow cake mix tastes almost exactly like the King Arthur version, but is 1/2 the price!
Chocolate:Duncan Hines Devils Food Cake
White: Betty Crocker Super Moist Cake mix in Vanilla

Frosting: Feel free to dye them patriotic colors
Classic Vanilla Buttercream:
3 cups of powdered sugar
1 cup softened butter cut into large pieces
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2-4 Tbs whipping cream
With a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar on low, moving up to medium, until they are combined and slightly sandy in texture. Add vanilla, dye, and 2 Tbs cream. Continue beating, moving up to high speed. If the mixture needs thinning, add more cream very gradually. Whip until fluffy

Chocolate Buttercream:
1 pound powdered sugar
1 cup good quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup softened butter
2-3 Tbs whipping cream
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp instant espresso
Melt chocolate gently in a double boiler or the microwave. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes. Dissolve espresso in 2Tbs cream, and add vanilla. Beat the butter, sugar and salt together until well combined, about 3 minutes. Add cream mixture and beat to combine. Slowly add chocolate, raising mixer speed to high, until the frosting reached medium peaks. If the mixture is too warm, cool in the refrigerator after the chocolate is completely incorporated. Whisk again to fluff it up before using.

Summery Mint Buttercream:

3 cups of powdered sugar
1 cup softened butter cut into large pieces
1 tsp mint extract
2-4 Tbs whipping cream
3 Tbs chopped fresh mint leaves
With a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar on low, moving up to medium, until well combines-- 3 minutes. Add mint extract and 2 Tbs cream. Continue beating, moving up to high speed. If the mixture needs thinning, add more cream very gradually. Beat until desired consistency, then gently fold in chopped mint leaves with a rubber spatula.

An Italian Dessert For Spanish Final

My Spanish final was to cook something. Well, the whole assignment was to make a dish that meant something to you, make a photo presentation, translate the recipe into Spanish, and talk about the recipe is made and why it is important to you. I made a list that was almost a whole page long with possible ideas. Most of the recipes I make, including the brownies I made earlier this week, have a great memory or important person attached to them.

After a couple days of reviewing my list, I realized what waswrong with my list and why the decision was so hard. I hadn't written down the obvious first choice: Cannoli cake!
Every family birthday party is centered around two things. Yep, the cake is just as important as the birthday boy or girl.

Crackly Circles of Spongy Goodness 

Cannoli cakes, and cannoli in general, make me think of my dad and twin sister. I never see either of them eating cakes or really any other desserts (other than ice cream. My dad's ice cream crazed) but as soon as a cannoli enters the picture, they're fighting over the last cheesy, almond scented crumb. Slices of cannoli cake go missing from the fridge night after night during birthday week, and we never manage to leave a cousin, aunt, or uncle's party without a hefty slice of ricotta filled cake. Cannoli cake makes me happy because it reminds me of when the whole group of us is happy. And they taste pretty darned fantastic.

The cakes at these parties, though, are from our favorite bakery here in Chicago, Ferrara Bakery. So, I was going to have to combine some of my go to recipes for this cake. I had a standby recipe for whipped  cannoli filling, and sponge cake. All was well. Then there was the matter of making the cake portable and easy to serve to 25 people with just a few napkins and a plastic butter knife. Mini cakes, or if we're still going with the fancy names: Petits Fours. They're the answer to almost every cake serving problem becausethey can be eaten with fingers and are precut into adorable mini cakes. For some added interest, I added a layer of pistachio cake to the center and topped it with marzipan, because, really, what's a cannoli without some nuts?

Slightly Chunky Pistachio Batter

When you cut out the little mini cakes from the sponge, you're going to end up with a lot of delicious scraps that should be saved. Even if you're not the "waste not want not" type, you absolutely must save these scraps. I added them to cups of coffee and topped it with vanilla yogurt mixed with a tiny splash of almond extract, and a dash of cinnamon and cocoa. The mix of the cake and coffee brings out a surprising combination of flavors that I had no idea were hiding on the cake. It was like magic. We feasted on 30 second tiramisu. Or, if you want to mak it sound more impressive tiramisu crudo. I find that if you give things fancy names, people think they're very fancy and that your slaved over them for hours.

I'm not sure how well I was able to translate this fairly long recipe into Spanish, and Petit Quatros de Cannoli doesn't sound quite as chic as the Italian name, Tortine de Cannoli, but they taste amazing, the perfect balance between sweet, savory, nutty, and fruity, travel well, and taste like little mini family birthday celebrations. They give a whole new meaning to, "It's like a party in your mouth."

Mini Cannoli Cake "Petit Fours"
Makes 1 sheet cake of each flavor (number of servings depends on size of petit fours)


Sponge Cake:
1 cup unbleached cake flour
5 extra large eggs, separated and at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt.

Pistachio Cake:
4 extra large eggs
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup roasted unsalted pistachios
2 tsp baking powder
2 cups cake flour
8 oz butter, melted
1/2 c milk (almond milk will also work)
Pinch of salt

Marzipan:
3 cups slivered skinned almonds
1 2/3 cups sugar
Squeeze of lemon juice (about 1 Tbs)
2/3 cup water
1/4 tsp almond extract
Pinch of salt
Food coloring of choice (Optional)

Cannoli Cream:
3 cups Ricotta cheese (Drained for at least 24 hours)
1 cup mascarpone cheese
1/4 c granulated sugar
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup chopped pistachios
Zest of 1 Meyer lemon or 1/2 a lime
1 cup dried fruit or mini chocolate chips (I like using freeze dried oranges from Trader Joe's)


For the Sponge:
Preheat oven to 350ºF. With an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and 1/2 cup of sugar until they are pale yellow and form medium peaks when the whisk is removed. In another bowl, beat the egg whites, salt and other 1/2 of sugar until they form stiff peaks. Add the vanilla and fold the egg white mixture into the yolks. Sift the flour into the eggs and fold in gently. Pour into a prepared sheet pan and bake for about 30-35 minutes, until golden. Cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into small circles.

For the Pistachio Cake:
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Combine pistachios and sugar in a food processor and pulse until they form a medium grained powder. In a bowl, combine the flour, pistachio mixture, salt, and baking powder. In a different bowl, whisk together the butter, milk, eggs, and almond extract. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, combining thoroughly. Pour the mixture into a prepared sheet pan and bake for about 30-35 minutes, until done. Cool for about 10 minuted before cutting into rounds with a small cookie cutter or other round.

For the Marzipan:
In a spice grinder or food processor, grind the almonds into a fine powder. It is easier to get a finer powder if you work in small batches, about 1/2 cup at a time. Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil and add the sugar. Cook until the sugar dissolves. Add the almond powder, salt, and lemon juice. Continue cooking until the mixture forms a paste that stays together when a little bit is rolled into a ball. Remove from the heat and add the almond extract and any desired food coloring, making sure to mix both in thoroughly. The final stirring is a little challenging because of the thickness of the marzipan, but if you really beat it with a wooden spoon, everything should combine. Dust your work surface with powdered sugar and roll the marzipan out to about 1/4" thick. Use a small round cutter to punch out circles that are the same size as your cakes or a little smaller. Set the marzipan circles aside.

For the Cream:
In a food processor, pulse the cheeses and sugar until smooth. Add the lemon zest and pulse until it reaches the texture of cream cheese frosting (10 quick pulses should do the trick). Move to a bowl and fold in fruit, almond extract and pistachios. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until ready to use. When removed from the fridge, the mixture should have thickened up quite a bit.
*To Drain Ricotta: Set a fine mesh strainer over a medium bowl so that it does NOT rest on the bottom of the bowl. Line the inside of the strainer with cheesecloth or paper coffee filters. Pour your cheese into the strainer, top with more cheesecloth, strainers or paper lunch bags. Top again with a heavy plate or bowl and refrigerate for 1 to 2 days. I like 2 days of straining because processing the cheese later brings out any retained moisture and the drier filling holds up much better with the cake.*

To Construct:
1) Cut the cake circles in half so you have 2 thin circles instead of 1 thick circle.
2) Top 2 pieces of sponge with a small dollop of cannoli cream (I used about 1 tsp but it depends on the size of your cakes)
3) Sandwich a pistachio cake half between the 2 creamed sponge halves.
4) Top the 3 layer mini cake with a marzipan round.
5) Alternate sandwiching pistachio between sponge and sponge between pistachio slices.
6) If you are going to be traveling with the cakes, it helps to put a toothpick through the top, deli style, so the layers do not come apart.

You can also make 1 big cake with this recipe if you bake the cakes in 9" round cake pans, roll the marzipan out to 1 large round, and frost the whole thing with whipped cream frosting. You will have to halve one of the cake recipes, though in order to get a 3 layer cake. If you want a 4 layer cake, just add a little more cheese to the cream recipe to make sure you have enough to fill the whole cake.