More Fun with Fondant

 

It’s not often that I make large cakes with fondant.  It’s time consuming, challenging, and I’m not particularly crazy about the taste of fondant.  But, it is fun to work with so every now and then, I do enjoy a good cake decorating project.

This cake was made using two heart shaped cakes. One layer is chocolate and the other is vanilla.  Between the two cakes lies a generous layer of my clean eating chocolate buttercream.

1/2 cup Earth Balance buttery vegan sticks or 7 tablespoons non-hydrogenated shortening
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon erythritol, powdered, OR 1/4 cup xylitol, powdered
5-6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons Almond, Soy, or Coconut milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
Good-tasting pure stevia extract, to taste

Preparation:
Cream the butter in a small bowl until fluffy. Powder erythritol or xylitol in a coffee grinder or Magic Bullet for a minute or two, until extremely fine in texture (reminiscent of powdered sugar). Let sweetener settle in grinder before opening the top. Stir powdered sweetener into butter with a spatula, then beat until smooth. Slowly blend in the cocoa powder (unless you want to redecorate your kitchen), vanilla, and sea salt. Beat in the half and half and egg yolk, if using. Add stevia, starting with 1/16 teaspoon. You’ll probably use less than 1/4 teaspoon. Just keep tasting and adjust sweetness to your liking.

The cake looks much better in this swimsuit than I do.

 

 

Decorated Cake Roll

Deco Rolls, also known as Swiss Roll, are fun to make.  The sponge cake can be made in chocolate or vanilla.  To decorate, you will need a pattern or if you have a knack for free form drawing then you can be as creative as you want.   While there aren’t that many ingredients to gather, this cake takes a bit of time.

As always, I recommend measuring out your ingredients and preparing the pan ahead of time.  Before starting, decide what your decoration will be and what filling you will be using.  This cake is very good with just about any filling you have on hand.  I used leftover coconut cream that were in the freezer.  But you can use jam, whipped cream with strawberries, dulce de leche, or just about anything.

This recipe is enough to make a 17 x 11 inch sheet pan.  Once you determine the pan, cut two sheets of parchment paper to fit the size.  On the pan, underneath the parchment paper, place your template.  The template doesn’t have to be the full size of your pan.  For the 17 x 11 size, place the template closer to the top of the pan leaving and inch at the end.  As you roll the cake, the undecorated portions will be rolled under and not visible anyway.

I placed a few pieces of tape so the parchment paper wouldn’t roll up or move.  If you do that, remember to remove it before baking.  Tape doesn’t hold up well in the oven.

For the pattern you will need:

1 egg white
30g granulated sugar (or sugar substitute of choice.  Remember not all sugar substitutes measure one for one so you will have to adjust the measurements.  I don’t recommend using liquid sweeteners for this recipe since they will change the texture.)
40g whole wheat pastry flour. If making chocolate pattern substitute 20g for cocoa powder.
20g butter- room temperature
Food coloring (gel or paste, not liquid)

Mix the above ingredients together in a small bowl until well incorporated.  Add desired food color and mix in well.  Fill a pastry bag with a small tip.  I used a Wilton tip no. 2.  Trace over the pattern with the batter.

When finished, place pan in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.  In the mean time, make the cake batter.

4 eggs, separated (you will need both yolks and whites)
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp sugar (or sugar substitute of choice.  Remember not all sugar substitutes measure one for one so you will have to adjust the measurements.  I don’t recommend using liquid sweeteners for this recipe since they will change the texture.)
1/4 tsp vanilla or almond extract
60g butter – melted (approximately 1/2 stick + 1 tbsp)
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder (if making plain rolled cake substitute this for whole wheat pastry flour)

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Combine flour and cocoa powder in a small bowl.  Attach a mixer with the beater attachment.  Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy but not stiff.  Add half of the sugar.  Beat until stiff peaks form making sure not to overbeat. The peaks should be shiny.

In another bowl with a wire whisk, whisk together egg yolks, vanilla or almond extract, and the remaining sugar.  Fold egg whites into the egg yolks just until blended.  Fold in half of the melted butter.  Add in half of the flour and continue folding.  Then add in the remaining butter, fold in, then the remaining flour and fold just until well blended.

Take pan out of the freezer and remove the template underneath the parchment paper.  If you used tape, don’t forget to remove that as well.  Pour the cake batter over the frozen pattern and spread evenly with a spatula.  Work quickly so the pattern doesn’t defrost.

Bake for 5-7 minutes, until it’s done.

Sprinkle confectionery sugar on the second piece of parchment paper.  Flip the cake on top of the second parchment paper.  Gently peel back the first piece of parchment paper.  Your pattern should be facing on top.  If the edges are hard or uneven, trim them with a sharp knife.  Flip the cake back over so the pattern is facing the bottom.  With a spatula, spread filling on top leaving an inch around the perimeter filling free.

Using the parchment paper as a guide, carefully roll your cake.

Can Can Girl Cupcake

It’s April already and in keeping with the April in Paris theme these Can Can Girl cupcakes are adorable.  These chocolate cupcakes have legs made from gumpaste and sugar sanded shoes.   I can’t take the credit for this idea though.  It was something I found on Pinterest that was repinned multiple times and to be honest, I have no idea who originally came up with it.

 

The Cake Boss At Sea

If you’re reading my blog, I assume it’s because you love to bake or enjoy eating what someone else baked.  My dear friends at International Tours & Cruises shared this bit of information with me.

Norwegian Cruise Line announced that beloved Master Baker Buddy Valastro, star of the popular TLC television series “Cake Boss,” will open an extension of his family business, Carlo’s Bake Shop, on the new Norwegian Breakaway. Located on deck 8, right off The Waterfront, Carlo’s Bake Shop features all of the delicious treats and confections the original bakery is known for. Guests will also have the opportunity to pre-order custom specialty cakes.  We are now booking individuals and groups on NCL’s Breakaway departing from New York. Book a group and sail for free. Call us at 215-293-0391 for more information.

You can go to their facebook page here .  Be sure to “like” their page for other travel deals.

Holiday Baking Tips

Want to make baked treats that are so good everyone will bug you for more?  Did you know that most cookie recipes are almost exactly the same?  There really aren’t that many variations to chocolate chip cookie recipes.  I compiled a list of baking tips so you can understand why some cookies taste better than others, using the exact same recipe.

1. Never, ever, ever use store bought boxed cake, cookie, and brownie mixes or icings and frostings.  All you need to do is look at the ingredients on the box and that alone should give you reason not to use them.  If a single ingredient is long, hard to pronounce, or sounds like something you would find in a chemical factory, it shouldn’t be consumed.  I wrote two articles about this here  and here .

2.  Always use the best quality ingredients you can find and afford.  Obviously there is a limit to how much trouble you’re  willing to go through to purchase ingredients and how much you’re willing to spend on them.  Valhrona chocolate, imported from South America, will make your brownies taste far better than using a store-brand chocolate but the cost is double.  Using Ghirardelli and even Hershey’s Special Dark chocolate will give you more rave reviews than Nestle.  *Did you know Nestle brand baking chocolate was rated the least liked in a survey by America’s Test Kitchen?*

3.  Never use “imitation” anything in your baking.  Read labels carefully, especially when buying chocolate chips.  I once bought a bag of chocolate chips from Trader Joe’s because they were a really good price.  What I didn’t realize until I got home was the small print on the back of the package that said “imitation chocolate chips.”  You really do get what you pay for.   Real vanilla, almond, lemon, and other extracts are widely available everywhere in the United States.  The only time I ever use an imitation vanilla is a clear vanilla extract needed to make an icing that must be very white.

4.  Always follow the recipe directions precisely.  There are times you can substitute certain ingredients such as butterscotch chips for chocolate chips but never replace baking soda for baking powder or leave out primary ingredients because you will have a disaster on to contend with.

5.  Always check your baked items a few minutes before the baking time called for on the recipe.  Most recipes will tell you not only how long to bake something for but will also tell you what it should look like and feel like when it’s done.  Ovens vary and something that could be fully done in one persons oven in 15 minutes could take 20 minutes in another.

6.  I mentioned earlier about not using imitation chocolate but there is an exception.  If you’re dipping pretzels, cake pops, or molding candy that will be a color other than brown or white, you will have to use candy melts.  Candy melts have very little chocolate in them and I try to use as little of them as possible.  For chocolate and white chocolate, I use the real thing but to drizzle red or green or any other color, I use Merckens brand.   You can find more info about it here.

7.  What if a recipe calls for unsalted butter and you only have salted?  Go ahead and use the salted butter but cut down on the amount of salt in the recipe.

I hope to add on to this list and if any of my readers would like to share their holiday baking tips feel free to e-mail me at cinnamonsweetshoppe@verizon.net.  I would be happy to post them.

Minnie Mouse Cake Pops

I made these cute cake pops with leftover cake scraps I had in my freezer.  Cake Pops are easy to make by throwing a baked and cooled cake into the food processor and then by adding just enough cake icing to make it moldable.  Roll into balls.  Then dip either cookie sticks or skewers into melted chocolate and stick in balls.

Place into the freezer for about 20 minutes for the pops harden.

While they harden, you can make the ears.  To make the ears, cut a small wedge out of candy melts.  Attach the ears with melted chocolate and let set.  Dunk the cake pop into melted chocolate making sure it’s completely covered.  Let excess chocolate drip off and place onto wax paper.   Immediately add the bow before chocolate sets.

The bow was made from tiny sugar hearts.

Note: The melted chocolate should be thin enough so as not to clump up on the cake pop.  If it’s too thick add 1 tablespoon of melted vegetable shortening and that should thin it out.  Never add water to chocolate as it will thicken it to one big clumped up ball and it cannot be revived.

 

 

 

Mocha Chocolate Cake – Gluten Free and Vegan

UPDATE: As I wrote in my last blog entry, you won’t taste the coconut in this cake.

Makes one serving.

• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder ( I always use either Dutch processed chocolate or Hershey’s Special Dark)
• 3 tablespoons spelt flour or gluten free flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 tsp raw sugar or evaporated cane juice
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 2 stevia packets
• 2 tsps coconut oil (you could sub applesauce or mashed banana. But I can’t personally vouch for the results if you make that substitution.)
• 2 tablespoons milk of choice (I used unsweetened almond milk)
• 1 tablespoon strong coffee
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Combine cocoa powder, flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and stevia and mix very well.  Add coconut oil, milk, coffee, and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.

Transfer to a small microwaveable dish, ramekin, or even a coffee mug. Microwave 30-40 seconds. If you don’t want to eat it straight out of the dish, be sure to spray your dish first (and then wait for it to cool before trying to remove it).

I drizzled some sugar free caramel and melted semi-sweet chocolate on top

Crumb Buns

It’s ironic that outside of New Jersey and New York, Crumb Buns are not well known.  Crumb buns and crumb cake are very similar but not the same.  Crumb buns are more crumb topping and a little less cake.  And let’s face it, the best part of the crumb cake is the crumb topping so why not just eat a crumb bun.

The recipe I posted here is not exactly the same one I used but it is very good.  The recipe I use has an ingredient that is hard to get and expensive and many of the readers here may not want to pay a lot of money to buy the item in bulk just to use a small amount of it.

Make sure you have a good portion of the day available to make these as it has yeast in it and the dough will have to rise not once but twice.  These can be made a day in advance.  I have seen recipes online that show how to make a “quick” crumb bun but they use store bought boxed cake mix aka Duncan Hines and if you don’t know how I feel about those mixes, read here Cake Baked From Scratch or From A Boxed Mix?

You will need two recipes :

1.  Basic Yeast Dough
2. Crumb Topping

You will also need an additional 2 tablespoons melted butter and confectioner’s sugar for dusting the tops

Basic Yeast Dough

Makes 14 buns

1/2 cup warm water (95 to 105 degrees.  Use a thermometer because if it is too hot, the yeast will not bubble).
2 1/4 teaspoons or 1 package granulated active dry yeast
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup whole milk
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces, plus additional for the bowl
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 1/2 to 4 cups all purpose flour, plus additional for the work surface
1 cup cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Place the water in a large bowl, sprinkle with the yeast and 1 teaspoon of the sugar and stir until the yeast dissolves.  Set aside until some foam and a few bubbles form on top, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over low heat, heat the milk and butter until the butter melts and the milk is warm but not hot (the liquid should be 95 to 100 degrees). Use a thermometer to make sure is not too hot. Remove from the heat.

To the yeast mixture, add the warm milk mixture, eggs, lemon zest and vanilla and mix to combine.  Add 1 cup of all purpose flour, the cake flour, the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and salt and with an electric mixer on low speed, beat until smooth and well blended.  Add 2 cups of the remaining all-purpose flour and blend it into the dough.  Using a wooden spoon, add the remaining flour in 1/4 cup increments until the dough forms a smooth, soft, but not sticky, ball that comes away from the sides of the bowl.  If it’s too sticky add more flour 1/4 cup at a time.

Transfer the dough to a buttered bowl and rub the top of the dough with butter to coat.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to rise until the dough is almost double in size, about 1 hours.  Using your fist, punch the dough down to deflate.

While the dough is rising, make the crumb topping

Crumb Topping

10 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

In a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed, beat the butter, granulated and brown sugars, salt and vanilla until the mixture is thoroughly combined, about 1 minute.  Add the flour, sprinkle the cinnamon over the top and combine until the mixture forms crumbs. Set aside.

After deflating the dough, divide it into 2 equal portions.  Cover the unused portion with plastic wrap or a towel.

On a lightly floured surface, roll one portion of the dough until it measures about 1/4 inch thick and forms a rectangle about 8 by 14 inches.  The long side of the dough should be closest to you and parallel to the edge of the counter.  Brush the dough lightly with some of the melted butter.  Sprinkle about 3/4 cup of the crumb mixture evenly over the dough.

Starting at the long side farthest from you, fold 1/3 of the dough over onto itself. Brush this plain top 1/3 of the dough lightly with melted butter.

Fold the double layer of dough onto itself again to cover the remaining 1/3 of the dough closest to you.

You should have a three layered strip of dough that is 14 inches long and about 2 1/2 inches wide.  Press gently on the dough so the layers adhere to each other and pinch all of the edges together tightly to seal.  Cut the rectangles into 7 portions, each about 2 inches wide.

Repeat with the remaining portion of the dough.

Generously butter a 13 by 9 by 2 inch baking pan.  Place the buns 1/2 inch apart in the prepared pan.  Brush the top of each bun lightly with the remaining melted butter.  Sprinkle the remaining crumbs over the buns, letting some fall between the buns and pressing the crumbs gently into the top of the buns.

Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to rise for about 30 minutes, until the dough looks slightly puffy.  The buns should not be touching.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Remove the plastic wrap from the buns and bake them for about 40 minutes until the tops are golden and the crumbs are firm.

The baked buns should have spread into 1 large pull apart pan of buns.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.  Then, using a small sharp knife to loosen the buns from the sides of the pan, carefully lift the buns from the pan in sections, so as not to disturb the crumbs.  Serve warm or transfer to wire rack to cool completely.  Just prior to serving, dust with confectioners’ sugar.  To freshen day old buns, wrap them in aluminum foil and heat in a 300 degree oven until warm.)

S’Mores Whoopie Pies

I spent weeks working on this recipe and it was well worth it as they are the best s’mores whoopies I’ve tasted.  It takes three different recipes to make these whoopies.  The graham cracker cake, chocolate ganache filling , and marshmallow filling.

 

For the Graham Cracker Whoopie:
1½ cups graham flour  (Available in specialty stores and health food stores)
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
½ cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Classic Marshmallow Filling:
1½ cups Marshmallow Fluff (or other prepared marshmallow cream, which will do in a pinch)
1¼ cups vegetable shortening
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the Chocolate Ganache Filling:
8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips (or solid chocolate, finely chopped)
½ cup heavy cream

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  In a medium bowl, stir together both flours, baking powder, and salt.

In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, shortening and brown sugar until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and the buttermilk and beat until combined.

In a measuring cup, combine the milk, baking soda, and vinegar. Add the milk mixture to the batter along with the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. Add the vanilla and beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until completely combined.

Using a spoon, drop about 1 tablespoon of batter onto one of the prepared baking sheets and repeat, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time for about 10 minutes each, or until the cakes begin to brown. Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool on the sheet for at least 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

To Make the Marshmallow Filling: In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the Marshmallow Fluff and the vegetable shortening, starting on low and increasing to medium speed until the mixture is smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low, add the confectioners’ sugar and the vanilla, and beat until incorporated. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes more.

To Make the Chocolate Ganache Filling: Put the chocolate in a large, heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat just until it bubbles. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate in the bowl and let it sit for about 10 minutes, until the chocolate is melted. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until smooth. Refrigerate the mixture for about 30 minutes, until it is firm enough to spread, stirring every 10 minutes.

To Assemble the Whoopie Pies: Pipe or spread a layer of chocolate ganache filling onto the flat side of one of the cakes. I used a parchment cone and snipped a very small tip at the end so the chocolate didn’t run out all over the place.

The one mistake I made with the ganache was filling the cone too high and some chocolate did creep out of the top.

Using the same method, top the chocolate filling with the marshmallow filling. Top it with another cake, flat-side down. Repeat with the rest of the cakes and filling.

I finished off the whoopies by rolling them into mini chocolate chips

Canned Frosting Should Be Illegal

Well, not really illegal but it shouldn’t be consumed.  In my last post I wrote about boxed cake mixes and even mentioned how some professional bakers will use this out of convenience.  None of them will use frosting from a can or tub.  Boxed cake mix may not be the healthiest option but it still has that home made good taste.  I can not say the same for canned frosting.  The taste is extra sweet, vile, and artificial.  The consistency is not workable either.  It’s not creamy enough to spread without tearing up a cake, even if it’s warmed up.

Here are the ingredients of Betty Crockers Vanilla Frosting:

Sugar, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and Cottonseed Oil, Water, Wheat Starch, High Maltose Corn Syrup, Contain 1% or Less of Salt, Distilled Monoglycerides, Colored with Artificial Color, Yellows 5 & 6, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Citric Acid, Nonfat Milk, Freshness Preserved by Potassium Sorbate

Most of these chemicals are emulsifiers, stabilizers, and preservatives.  This is why it’s able to sit on the shelf so long without going bad.  Even though it’s white, there are still dyes in it.

Here’s a simple Vanilla Frosting recipe that only requires 4 ingredients and all of them you have heard of.  For healthier version substitute Smart Balance Buttery Spread and use low-fat milk.

4 cups confectioner’s sugar
4 Tbsp butter (softened)
4 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients and mix until smooth.  If frosting is too thick add more milk a little at a time until spreadable consistency.

Doesn’t the homemade frosting sound more appetizing?