middydd
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Posts posted by middydd
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The Vinatarta sounds pretty interesting middydd; I wonder if it is Czech or Hungarian in origin?
That's an interesting question. Apparently, in Iceland the layers were sponge cake, but the version that became traditional in "New Iceland" (Manitoba, Canada) had cookie type layers. The eight or so cookie layers were spread with a prune filling, stacked and then iced with an almond flavoured icing.
The recipe was apparently brought to Iceland by members of the "Constantinople Guard" as they travelled through Europe and tasted the famous cakes of Vienna. The Vinartarta was their adaptation of cakes like Sachertorte and Doboschtorte.
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I did it as listed and it was perfect. It kept well in the fridge for a couple days so you can make it ahead and assemble later.
Good to know! It sounds like you can make the cake layers and mousse ahead and then
assemble the cake later.
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I haven't made the cake yet but I wanted to let you know the mousse is delicious! I'm using it for a dessert event this week.
Thanks for posting about the mousse. Do you stick to the amount of gelatin in the recipe, or increase it as some reviewers recommend?
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That recipe has a lot of liquids in it.... a liquidy batter can cause a sinking cake when exposed to temperature extremes, like moving from a hot oven to a cool room, or if it gets bumped around while still hot. Remember, batter expands with heat and is susceptible to all kinds of trouble while still in its expanded state. (I prefer liquidy batters, myself....makes for moister cakes when done right.) I don't think this is everyone's problem with it, however....it may just be that the cakes are deflating a bit on cooling and it's being mistaken for sinking. I'm not sure about the advice to "Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto 9-inch cardboard rounds or removable tart pan bottoms; cool cakes completely on racks. " For denser cakes this is fine but handling that cake while still hot can cause deflating, so it's better to just leave this cake in its pan, right side up, until almost cool. Make sure you line the sides of the pan with parchment so you can get the cooled cake out.
To help wth deflating though, I'd recommend you replace the 2 teaspoons baking soda in the recipe with 1 tsp. baking soda + 1 tsp. baking powder. I also think you should seperate the eggs and whip the whites to firm peaks seperately, then FOLD (not STIR) those in at the very end.
Sugarella, thanks for all the advice. The 2 teaspoons of baking soda sounded like a little too much leavening power to me, the combination of powder and soda sounds like it would give a more even rise.
I think I'll experiment a bit with the cake before embarking on the whole production.
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I've been wanting to make the Cuban Opera Cake but have been daunted by reviews that mention the cake falling after coming out of the oven.
Could some of the experienced bakers here have a look at the recipe and see what might be causing this?
I'd appreciate it.
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middydd or anyone else with a "normal" bundt pan -- if you're in the kitchen in the near future and have a ruler or tape measure handy, would you mind measuring the diameter and depth of your pan? I'm just curious is the difference we had in rise was due to different shape of the pans.
The 12 cup NordicWare Bundt pan is 10 inches interior diameter and 3 1/2 inches deep.
Incidentally, I have one Bundt pan that is 8 inches diameter and 4 inches deep and one that is 9 inches diameter and 3 inches deep. I've made the same recipe (not the CI Chocolate Cake but other favourites) in the deeper pan and the rise is much better than in the shallower pan. The texture of the cake even seems lighter and fluffier in the deeper pan.
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Secondly, I thought I had a regular-sized bundt pan (which is what was required) but either my pan is smaller or I somehow managed to end up with much more cake batter, because although the cake didn't overflow, it rose past the top of the pan, especially around the middle where it almost overflowed.
Same here. I knew I had too much batter when I was filling the bundt, so I left out about 10% of the batter. It still rose a little above the pan in the middle, but wasn't a problem. I'm sure my pan is 12 cup capacity, as the recipe specifies. It might have something to do with the shape of our pans -- even though my pan has 12C capacity, I think it is deeper and has a smaller diameter than a traditional bundt pan.
I made the CI Sour Cream Chocolate Bundt Cake last night in the traditional 12 cup NordicWare Bundt pan, when baked it filled the pan exactly, rising maybe an eighth of an inch over the level of the middle tube but exactly level with the sides of the pan.
I find the crumb of this cake very fine but dense and prefer the texture of the Double Chocolate Cake.
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Sounds like a very successful tweakery, WhiteTruffleGirl! By the way, did you see my post to you on page 15 regarding the Cuban instant espresso?
In addition to trying it with all cake flour next time, I think I'm going to go with a hotter oven, particularly now that I've increased the number of eggs. I think it will create an even lighter cake with even better rise. I'm not sure about any other modifications yet. I've got to wait and see.
I'll report back tomorrow.
Does anybody know the reason why the Double Chocolate cake from Epicurious bakes at 300 instead of 325 or 350 like most cakes?
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I also just made a Raspberry Bavarian Cake that could be made with strawberries instead of raspberries.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/re...36_1319,00.html
Picture:
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Can anyone help me with a recipe or a recommendation for a book that would tell me how to make a strawberry mousse for a cake filling?
I made the Chocolate Strawberry Whipped Cream Cake from the Hersheys site for Valentines Day. It was very good. And also very easy.
It calls for Hersheys Strawberry syrup but I couldn't find it, so just used the syrup from frozen strawberries.
http://www.hersheys.com/recipes/recipes/de...word=strawberry
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Ok folks - forget the peanut butter - need an original, decadent caramel dessert for birthday that does not have to be refrigerated. Milk chocolate OK - not dark and needing a "show stopper" type as this will be the "present". Thanks
I don't know whether it would need refrigeration, but I've been meaning to attempt a Dobos torte for a while......... lots of caramel there!
The Triple Caramel Cake from Fine Cooking is very good. It's got a sauce with whipped cream in it, though, so may need refrigeration.
http://www.recipecircus.com/recipes/Schnit...ramel_Cake.html
There's also a very good Caramel Cake on the Penzey's site.
The Penzey's cake recipe is posted here:
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Ok folks - forget the peanut butter - need an original, decadent caramel dessert for birthday that does not have to be refrigerated. Milk chocolate OK - not dark and needing a "show stopper" type as this will be the "present". Thanks
I don't know whether it would need refrigeration, but I've been meaning to attempt a Dobos torte for a while......... lots of caramel there!
The Triple Caramel Cake from Fine Cooking is very good. It's got a sauce with whipped cream in it, though, so may need refrigeration.
http://www.recipecircus.com/recipes/Schnit...ramel_Cake.html
There's also a very good Caramel Cake on the Penzey's site.
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Could it be that the eggs were simply not beaten long enough, and there was not enough air incorporated? Or perhaps the batter deflated too much due to over-folding?
It sounds like the oil may not have been incorporated well enough, and then the oil sat in the bottom of your bowl, when the batter is poured into the pan the oil impedes rising in the portion of the batter it's touching. I've had this happen with the butter in genoise.
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well, if you are not too concerned about loosing the shine from the ganache, maybe try dusting it with cocoa or powdered sugar then putting the marshmallow topping on.
Thanks for all the suggestions. I bet the dust of cocoa would give the grip needed to keep the marshmallow from sliding off.
I wonder if it would work to put the marshmallow topping on before the ganache sets, the unset layer might "glue" itself to the marshmallow.
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They look cute -- something my daughter would like.
Seems like if you are putting them under the broiler to brown the marshmallow, the glaze is melting causing the marshmallow to slide off.
Do you have a blowtorch that you can brulee the marshmallow with?
We do use a blowtorch.
It seems like the sliding is caused by the shiny surface of the ganache. I thought maybe scoring the surface or creating a depression in the middle of the ganache might help, but haven't tried it yet.
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I really like these Devil's Food Cupcakes with Chocolate Glaze and Marshmallow Topping, recipe from Chocolatier magazine.
http://www.godiva.com/recipes/recipe.asp?id=593
When I make them the marshmallow layer slides off the chocolate glaze layer.
Anybody have any ideas to keep this from happening?
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I follow the original recipe exactly and just add the bittersweet chocolate. The result is very much like the Epicurious Double Chocolate Cake recipe but makes a slightly smaller cake.
Oh, and the coffee is decaf Starbucks Sumatra, it's fairly strong. Never tried it with espresso but it sounds good.
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I love the Black Magic Cake also, especially with a few tweaks. I decrease the sugar significantly (instead of 2 cups, I use 1 1/3), I use half the amount of salt, nonfat plain yogurt instead of buttermilk, and brewed espresso instead of coffee.
My tweak to the original Black Magic cake recipe is to melt about 2 ounces of bittersweet chocolate in the coffee before adding it to the cake batter. It rounds out and deepens the chocolate flavour.
Sounds good. Do you use the original sugar and salt amounts? Do you use espresso or strong coffee?
I follow the original recipe exactly and just add the bittersweet chocolate. The result is very much like the Epicurious Double Chocolate Cake recipe but makes a slightly smaller cake.
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I love the Black Magic Cake also, especially with a few tweaks. I decrease the sugar significantly (instead of 2 cups, I use 1 1/3), I use half the amount of salt, nonfat plain yogurt instead of buttermilk, and brewed espresso instead of coffee.
My tweak to the original Black Magic cake recipe is to melt about 2 ounces of bittersweet chocolate in the coffee before adding it to the cake batter. It rounds out and deepens the chocolate flavour.
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Did anyone else try new things (or even old standbys) and had them turn out disappointing this year? Or maybe even some total disasters?
I made a Tiramisu I've made many times before, the mousse is thickened with gelatin.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/re...6_14508,00.html
The mousse got all little gelatin lumps in it. Nobody complained, my husband said he didn't notice them, but I knew they were there.
After asking for advice I think my gelatin wasn't dissolved completely or my egg whites were just too cold. I don't think I've ever made this recipe in the winter before, maybe all the ingredients were too cold when I mixed in the gelatin.
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Today i tried a cup cake recipe with a butter-cream chesse frosting. i followed the instraction carfully: to beat the butter first 3 minutes until it becomes soft, then to add the cream chesse and beat, then add vanilla....(know here's when the problems started). After i add the last ingredient (the confectioners sugar) it frosting was not smooth as the author explained....my frosting looked crudel.
What might went wrong.? i have a suspetion in one of the following:
cream chesse, i used low fat
confectioners sugar, i did not sifted it because the author did not specify.
Any thoughts?
I've had that happen if my cream cheese was too cold.
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Thanks, Patrick. I used ChefPeon's "baker's grease" but still had a little bit of a sticking issue on the sides. I'll have to be more careful next time; maybe let the cakes cool longer in the pan (I gave them 10 minutes or so).
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I saw a brand new supply of Saigon Cinnamon at Costco (Ajax) yesterday. I know they didn't have it last week. It is packed by Club House (McComicks, London Ont.), and the label says it is hotter and spicier than other cinnamon, and comes from 15 year old barks.
They claim it is the world's best, immodestly!) It is $4.49 for a fairly large 200g jar, and it is ground.
Now all we need is a source for VietNamese cinnamon in bark form; the seach never ends...
Thanks for the lead. I'll check my local Costco.
Anybody happen to know where to get real coconut extract, instead of the artificial?
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This is the recipe I posted on WebFoodpros a while back that Wendy would remember. I am Hungarian, and this recipe is my favorite, and its the only one I use.
Thanks
Oli, thanks for posting your recipe. the cake sounds very rich with the cream in it. I'm looking forward to trying this recipe.
A year in Canada
in Ontario: Dining
Posted
Try to find some northern Ontario wild blueberries. They're so different from the farmed blueberries you get in the grocery store. If you travel north you could pick them yourself or buy them by the side of the road later in the summer. It depends on the weather when they become available.
They're generally smaller than the cultivated ones and combine an incredible sweetness with the tang of the forests they grow in.
For a great blueberry pie, combine 4 cups blueberries, a squeeze of lemon juice, a cup of sugar, 4 tablespoons flour, a dash of salt (1/8 teaspoon) or so. Toss (not too gently, break up some of the berries a bit), pour into your favourite double crust. Bake at 450 for ten minutes and then 350 for 30 to 40 minutes. Cover the crust if it looks too brown.