SweetSide

Oh, Kkkkk88888.... K8 has, in various incarnations....

We leave out the coconut and pecans. I see another thread hear that mentions pineapple, but this one has no pineapple in the "cream cake" formulation. And yes, it has buttermilk in it and uses a separated egg method. We do not frost it with cream cheese frosting -- we frost with Swiss meringue buttercream.

My understanding (although it may be wrong) is that an Italian Cream Cake has southern US roots. Popular as a cake for weddings. I don't think that they mean a cream cake from Italy -- which actually sound much better! We make a version where I work, and leave out the coconut and pecans and call it French Vanilla cake.

No, not like a Lucky Charms marshmallow -- either from the box or in milk. It's a little chewy, and sweet faint vanilla flavor. Can't think of what I would compare it too. Gum is too sticky. A lot of people don't like it, but I don't find it offensive. I don't like the texture along with the cake, but when using it, I must admit I eat little scraps... But, if you try it DON'T get the Wilton stuff. Just not good.

I mix, round, and cut all my scones then stick them in the freezer till firm. Then I inividually wrap and freeze them in a ziploc bag. Never a problem yet. Just don't let them linger in the freezer for months on end. A personal favorite is the recipe in Baking with Julia. Martha also has a few in her Baking Handbook, but I've only made the chocolate. It was ok -- good texture but chocolate things often let me down.

Non-technical terms -- they melt, spread out, bubble around, and make their own lace. The bubbles make the thin sections. Watch them do their thing when you make them!

Thanks Dorie! Good to know. In the past I always thought the same way. But I think in the recipe that this happened, the nuts provided quite a bit of the structure. And if you hadn't answered, I would have "winged" it anyway. What's the worst that could have happened?! Fudge in pan? I'm a die hard batter tester anyway...

I put mine in the refrigerator mostly to see how firm it got. It was not all that stiff, firm though, just right actually, so in my opinion, it could be eaten right from the fridge. It is a wonderful recipe, and yes, not overly sweet which is why I am drawn to it, and one I hope to perfect soon, lol. ← mine was put in the fridge for a short time and it hardened considerably. i used a fork to break off a few pieces so i could put them in the microwave for a couple seconds so i could spread it on a piece of cake. wonder why you and i had such different results? ... ← Rodney, you said you added more sugar to yours, correct? That could have made the difference in the refrigerated texture.

Still looks delectable -- and I'm sure it tasted that way too!

As a non-insulin dependent diabetic (controlled by diet alone) I would wholeheartedly agree. And for anyone who hasn't experienced the effects of maltitol on their digestive system, be very careful. My personal motto is to eat well balanced, nutritious meals, and if you must have a sweet, don't waste your option on anything but the real deal. Now, I know not everyone is in my exact situation, so I'm not dispensing advice here. Just personal philosphy.

I use these at work -- another excellent choice. The heavy weight of Chicago Metallic or Magic Line and the even heating make them WELL worth the increased cost.

Hmmm, I'm wondering if the food processor part is because there is so much cream being added that it needs to have those blades to help emulsify the cream into the butter and sugar. Then the mixer gets it fluffy. I'm wondering, too, that if you beat the butter and sugar in the mixer and add the cream slowly if it will prevent the mixture from going through the curdled stage and maybe cut down on the length of time to get it to come together? Any expert care to weigh in on those thoughts of mine? Just tell me if I'm out in left field....

2 8 x 2 rounds angel food/tube pan 9 x 13 8 x 4 or 9 x 5 loaf pans bundt pan sheet trays (1/2 sheet for home ovens) 8" square pan 9" pie pan That's my most used list. I have tons of others. Too many when they come avalanching out of the cabinet.... But, regarding the pans, I will say this -- I absolutely HATE non-stick pans or pans with dark surfaces (other than my bundt pan). Any new cake pans I buy are Magic Line only -- I absolutely love them. Budgetary constraints prevent me from pitching my older pre-discovery of Magic Line pans.

Dailey, with Rodneyck's mention of curdling and your issue with having it come together, can you post the procedure you used for this recipe? And if it is different than the published procedure? I'd like to try it, but I'd like to see the directions too and don't have the book...

I like this book, and love the pictures, but... I learned from my chef instructor, who worked on a cookbook shoot preparing the items for the book, that all that you see is not real life. Recipes were doctored for the picture so they would cut perfectly, hold up under the lights, etc. No wonder my stuff doesn't come out like the book!

So even when the sugar syrup (for IMBC) is heated to 248 - 250 degrees F, it's still not hot enough to heat the egg whites to proper pasterization temperature? ← Newer published information says no. To be on the safe side, information I've read from American Egg Board and other sources says to use the Swiss Meringue method and heat the whites/sugar to 160F. The 140F for pasteurization require holding at that temperature for three minutes. The 160F must simply be reached, not held. Being very leary of making someone ill, I always use SMBC and cook to the 160F now.

Alright -- one down, many more to go..... With all the wonderful things in the book I started with brownies because they are my daughters favorite and I tend to bake for customers, husbands coworkers, etc. and never "simple" for her. The Bittersweet Brownies are out of the pan and cool. Consensu (family) is that they are too fudgy (I know, not possible for some people) for our palate. But, they do hold true to the intro of the recipe that they are extremely moist, much like a dense mousse. We just like ours with more "chew", but not cakey. I used about a 50/50 split of Valrhona Guanaja and Callebaut semisweet because my daughter doesn't like things that are too dark. But, this recipe could have handled all Guanaja -- it is a recipe for truely bittersweet chocolate. Because the chocolate does stand out, use the best as Dorie says. Question for Dorie -- I chose this brownie recipe to start with because my family doesn't like nuts in their brownies. Phoo on them, but... does not including the nuts listed in the other brownie recipes affect their outcome at all? That is, other than, well, just not having nuts? I have a cookie recipe that if you don't include the nuts, they just spread too much.

Thanks for posting that! I read her first book, Three Junes, and loved it. Off to the bookstore....

If I'm doing a larger amount, I do that too. Just be sure to watch out for an inadvertant "glug" at the end...

I find it goes on too thick that way ^^ causing te problem you are trying to avoid. I either really soften butter in the microwave (NOT melt it, it still has shape to it) and apply it with a pastry brush or I take a paper towel (because of the absorbency) and rub it on the butter and apply it that way. The only way you can tell my pan is butter is by the slight shine and greasy feel.

I LIGHT spritz of cooking spray helps it to not stick. But, if I don't want to drag out the spray for a tablespoon or two, I scrape it all out with my finger.... Plus, I have a liquid measure that is 4T, marked into 1/2T increments (made by OXO). Use it for just these things that stick, so I only have to scrape it all out once. Like to get every last drop...... ETA: If I'm measuring oil in a tablespoon also, I do that first and can avoid the spritz of cooking spray.

It sounds like your butter layer is too thick. You really want just a thin transparent layer on there to prevent the sticking. How are you applying the butter?

Me too, because by nature I'm a fluff, spoon in, and level person and you said you are a fluff, dip, and sweep person. For my method, I almost always get 4.5 oz AP flour per cup. Personally, I'm thinking of automatically using your 4.8 oz of flour when it says "cup". Now, if I could only decide where to start.....

Perfect -- I'm a die hard "weigher" too, and it isn't often you get to ask the author exactly how she does it! Just got my book this afternoon, have three days off and am anxious to join in on the baking! This is my fourth of your books and the other three are staples to me.

This is exactly how we used to make our vegan frosting at the healthy crunchy grocery where I used to work. For stability we also used a combo with Spectrum trans-fat free shortening.