Recipe Rage

[SylviaLovegren]

Well, I couldn't find the layered cake in my Scandi cookbooks, but I did find the classic Dobos Torte online. The layers are made as I remembered -- a small bit of batter spread thin and baked crisp. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Hungarian-Seven-Layer-Cake-Dobostorte-104023

[prasantrin]

I think the recipe seems very similar to vinarterta, the Icelandic version of a Viennese torte. http://etherwork.net/ejmtph/recipes/vineterte.html is the most "authentic" recipe I've seen (a good vinarterta should have almond extract, though I always omit it, but it should also have a layer of marzipan on top).

I've seen modern versions made with different fruit fillings (blueberry, saskatoon berry, peach, etc.).

[prasantrin]

http://etherwork.net/ejmtph/recipes/vinartertainfo.html has more information of vinarterta and its links to Denmark/Norway/etc.

[judiu]

IIRC, most stack cake receipies call for a 'rest period' before serving so the filling can soften the crisp layers back to a cakey consistancy. HTH!

[Mjx]

IIRC, most stack cake receipies call for a 'rest period' before serving so the filling can soften the crisp layers back to a cakey consistancy. HTH!

Absolutely! I've made stack cakes, in fact. But this was supposed to be a layer cake

According to the images accompanying the recipe, the layers were supposed to come out of the oven cake-textured cake: soft, flexible.

These layers emerged from the oven crisp and dry.

My boyfriend's mother, who has experienced over six decades of baked goods here in Denmark, expected them to be soft and cakelike; she was quite surprised at their being crisp!

The layers did sort of soften, what with being sandwiched with the chocolate-cream-strawberry filling overnight, and then some, but... Well.

Essentially, this was like following a recipe for Boston cream pie, and having the layers turn out like rounds of short-bread

But hey, three of the six people who ate it thought it was the bomb, so not an entire failure!

[Lindacakes]

Most people who are not bakers are overjoyed at anything we do, even when we personally are disgusted.

I recently made a Rose Levy Berenbaum cake that I thought was an utter failure. It fell apart when I tried to get it out of the pan (doing exactly what I was told to do, and doubted). I cut it into little odd shaped chunks and bought an angel food cake and neopolitan ice cream slices to fill in.

Guess which offering disappeared and which one sat? Yup, homemade anything wins.

Me, I had to massage my throat to get it down.

I would suppose most of us are critical perfectionists (I am) and that's why we are attracted to a practice like baking. I remember very fondly one time I made a chocolate cake for a relative who is a fiend about chocolate. We sat side by side on the couch, forking up mouthfuls and criticizing every single aspect of the cake. Color, texture, taste, quality of chocolate.

It was heavenly.

The cake was very good. I like perfect. All the fun is in reaching for it.

[Jonathan J]

Thanks for sharing your saga. I agree baking for people who don't understand cooking is a constant surprise to me. They do usually appreciate anything homemade as long as it is not too far out there, but have no idea about the amount of work involved nor the number of truly incompetent recipes that are written. I try to guide my kids and friends to either cookbooks I trust or get a theme and modify a well practiced recipe. Alas like everyone, it does not always work. In that case chocolate with fresh fruit embedded in it will cover a multitude of sins.

[Garth]

I would have baked disks of meringue for the layers then pipe whip cream around the edge spread strawberries in the middle then set another meringue on that & repeat then top with a meringue & pipe a stiff whipped cream on it & drizlle with chocolate garnish with strawberries (boccone dolce). Recipes are instructions for people with limited cooking exp. There is alot of psychology to dealing with people when it comes to food. I don't know how many times a server brought me back a piece of prime rib or steak to re-do that was cooked just like the customer ordered & all I ever did was flip it over & they were extremely pleased with the new one. If faced with this again tell the person you take great pride in your work & you can reproduce it for them & recommend any changes that you need to make but in the end don't sign off on something that doesn't meet up to your level of standards it reflects on you & you should take it personaly

Edited November 4, 2012 by Garth (log)