"Cake Bible" by Rose Levy Beranbaum

[Alinka]

I made her banana cake, and it came out high and fluffy, but a little too crumbly:

The lemon pound cake, however, is always popular: people comment on how subtly lemony it is, light, and not too sweet (I often make half the recipe) -

And I already showed the chocolate pound cake before:

Moist and chocolate-y (but I have to confess it's not my favorite chocolate cake).

(Thought pictures would help you decide )

Edited September 9, 2005 by Alinka (log)

[Pam R]

I've owned this book for years but tried very few recipes out of it (though the ones I tried I remember liking, there is something about the way is put together that I don't really enjoy).

Thanks for pointing me to some of these recipes - as soon as I have an oven I'll give them a shot.

[browniebaker]

I can't believe I forgot to mention Pineapple Upside-Down Cake. It's a family favorite. The sour cream in the batter distinguishes this upside-down cake from the others.

[freddurf]

Alinka, thanks for posting the pictures! I'm a visual person I like cookbooks with photos of EVERYTHING! I wish this one had more, but I really like how she tells us how long things will last at room temp, or stored in the frige. The pineapple upside down cake sounds yummy. I've noticed she uses sour cream in many of her recipes.

[sugarbuzz]

The Almond cake is awesome..I use it alot. I used that to make a friends wedding cake with a chocolate ginger brulee filling. My best cake ever.

I would love some more info on your chocolate ginger brulee filling. I didn't see it in the book and it sounds very interesting.

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The brulee filling is something I came up with..I can try & find the recipe I used..I haven't used it in awhile. I just tweaked a brulee recipe I had & let the ginger steep in the cream for a bit & adjusted the recipe to add some bittersweet chocolate I had leftover. I baked the whole thing in a hotel pan with a water bath & let it cool. I added more chocolate than usual for a brulee so it could stiffen up a bit more.

[Catherine Iino]

The yeast-raised waffles are incredible. It's Marion Cunningham's recipe, I think; in any case, really special.

[Patricia Austin]

The Grand Marnier Cake is wonderful. I made it for a 25th wedding anniversary cake last week, then again for my husbands birthday and sold some mini extras at the farmer's market. They were a big hit. You can make the cake in a bundt or tube pan as suggested or in round cake pans for slicing which is what I did. I sliced them in 3 thin layers, heavily brushing each layer with grand marnier syrup, a thin layer of bittersweet chocolate ganache, a thin layer of orange buttercream and a finish with bittersweet glaze. Another vote also for the Golden Almond Butter Cake.

[freddurf]

Patricia, the Grand Marnier Cake sounds heavenly. I'm adding that to the top of my list.

[LindaK]

I don't have the book handy--it's on loan to a friend planning a big wedding cake--so I might not have the names correct, but there is a recipe for a chocolate chiffon cake that I adore. Light but with serious chocolate flavor, it's great for using up extra egg whites. I've also had great luck with a chocolate souffle cake that she recommends for a roulade. Roll it up with softened vanilla ice cream and a raspberry sauce, yumm. The grand marnier cake is also excellent.

I have not had much luck with her genoise recipes. Not sure why, but they are always leaden.

Now I want to try the banana cake and the waffles!

[maggiethecat]

The lemon chiffon cake is my favorite from that book, but I increase the juice and zest a little.

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This book turned me onto chiffon cakes. So good, so easy, so fresh tasting.

[RuthWells]

I've also had great luck with a chocolate souffle cake that she recommends for a roulade. 

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I will "second" the chocolate souffle sheet -- it's my standard for Passover bring-along desserts. Light as air and so flavorful!

[sugarbuzz]

I completely forgot about that chocolate souffle roll. I usually fill it with some chantilly & fresh raspberries..so simple & really good.

Also I use the coffecake recipe alot..I just incorporate some fruit into the middle streusel layer. Frozen wild blueberries or some sauteed apples or pears. I'm going to try some figs next week.

[*Deborah*]

I think this book has the Chocolate Oblivion cake--a fellow Egulleter made that for a potluck dinner, and it was delicious. I've since looked at the recipe and remember it to be a very simple flourless chocolate cake. So good!

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It IS good! (thanks for the kudos, Ling )

Everyone I have made this cake for is blown away. I add 1 TBS Chambord Royale per lb. of chocolate (about 2 parts Callebaut semisweet to 1 part Scharffen Berger unsweetened or bittersweet is a ratio I've had good results with), and then serve with unsweetened whipped cream and raspberry sauce made by forcing defrosted IQF raspberries through a fine sieve, or with fresh berries in season.

The 6 inch x 3 inch size is nice if you don't have a lot of people to help you eat it, too. It's so rich, you don't need big pieces.

Thisis a record I made of making a two-layer Oblivion cake for my best friend's wedding cake.

Have fun!

[freddurf]

Deborah, great photos. May I ask the reason you put a thin layer of fondant on the bottom cake and a thicker one on top?

[*Deborah*]

Deborah, great photos.  May I ask the reason you put a thin layer of fondant on the bottom cake and a thicker one on top?

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More than likely just my lack of familiarity with using fondant...when I was putting the layer on top, I realized it was thicker (and a little prone to cracking) but I wanted the top to have that smooth finish and the rounded corners. I basically just crossed my fingers through that whole process, I think I was as nervous as the bride.

Wendy has asked me to make a "demo" thread about that cake, and I can share all my first-time faux pas with you all.

[Tracy K.]

The white chocolate cake is very, very good, with a fine texture and a mellow flavor that doesn't scream "white chocolate". The raspberry puree is a good preparation, and it does freeze very well. Also, be sure to try the chocolate rolled fondant. It is really easy to work with and tastes like a "gourmet" Tootsie roll--and I'm not a big fan of chocolate either. This is a fun book. Be sure to read the "science" at the back about how this book got started.

[freddurf]

The Grand Marnier Cake is wonderful.  I made it for a 25th wedding anniversary cake last week, then again for my husbands birthday and sold some mini extras at the farmer's market.  They were a big hit.  You can make the cake in a bundt or tube pan as suggested or in round cake pans for slicing which is what I did.  I sliced them in 3 thin layers, heavily brushing each layer with grand marnier syrup, a thin layer of bittersweet chocolate ganache, a thin layer of orange buttercream and a finish with bittersweet glaze.  Another vote also for the Golden Almond Butter Cake.

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Patricia, did you use orange flower water for this or vanilla? They don't sell it in my area and I'm wondering if I should go to the trouble of ordering it or just use vanilla.

[Becca Porter]

I made the Grand Marnier cake with just vanilla. After that I saw some in the Bakers Catalogue and bought it. Since then I haven't ever used it. I guess I need to break out that 50 dollar bottle of Grand Marnier and make it properly.

-Becca

[deensiebat]

i second the waffle recommendation. i made them with half whole wheat flour and they're still amazingly light.

and on that note -- the recipe calls for you to let the batter rise and fall overnight at room temp. i always thought that when the batter fell it was bc the yeast did their thing without being punched down and poisoned themselves with their own outgassing. but this batter clearly has a lot of rise left in it the next morning. anybody know the food science better than i do?

[sanrensho]

We made the waffle recipe from Cake Bible for the first time on Sunday. Excellent crispy waffles and very easy to throw together the night before. We'll be making them again, although I really need a larger, more powerful waffle iron.

Edited September 20, 2005 by sanrensho (log)

[MelissaH]

I make the waffle recipe also, but with a slight modification to the technique (courtesy of the yeast waffle recipe in a not-too-long-ago issue of Cook's Illustrated). I tend to cut back on the butter a bit, with no ill results, because my husband's going to put butter on the waffles no matter what. I cut back the yeast, to about half a package. I also add the eggs right into the mix from the start. Then I put the batter avec les oeufs into the largest pitcher I have (about 2.5 quarts), put the lid on, stick a plate in my fridge (for secondary containment), and put the pitcher on the plate. With this method, there's no need for baking soda, and the whole thing's ready to go in the morning!

MelissaH

[greenwich st]

Yet another vote for the golden almond cake -- foolproof (as long as you don't let it get even a bit overdone) and fabulous with confectioner's sugar and vanilla ice cream.

[Ling]

Sounds like I have to order this book from Amazon, if only for this Golden Almond cake and the mousseline buttercream that everyone is praising!

[SethG]

I bought the Cake Bible because of this thread. I've had my differences with RLB over the years-- I already owned her Pie/Pastry and Bread books, and my opinion of both books is mixed.

Today I made the All-Occasion Downy Yellow Butter Cake, with Rose's Neoclassic Chocolate Buttercream. And it was sensational. Way to go, Rose. I am intrigued by the method for the cake. Rose has you mix dry ingredients, and then beat with butter and milk for a minute and a half "to aerate." I'm surprised that this works, since the classic butter cake has you beat suger into butter first in order to drive tiny holes through the butter so as "to aerate." Rose, by contast, has you essentially liquify everything before you "aerate." She describes her method as faster & easier, and she's right. But I don't really get why it works. I guess the mixture is still dry enough-- even though the sugar seems to be dissolved-- for holes to be driven through the batter to form air pockets for leavening. But it seems counter-intuitive.

nice cake, though. And the buttercream, good God.

[sanrensho]

Today I made the All-Occasion Downy Yellow Butter Cake, with Rose's Neoclassic Chocolate Buttercream.  And it was sensational.  Way to go, Rose.

The batter also makes a great cupcake. Made a bunch for a potluck party with which choc/mocha/lemon/choc mousseline buttercream. The cupcakes were engulfed in mere minutes.