"Cake Bible" by Rose Levy Beranbaum

[Wendy DeBord]

You can add your streusel after your cake has risen but before it's done..........that may solve the sunken problem.

I just wanted to make sure this is clear...........I've experienced this colapsing with other authors recipes, it's definately not something that happens with Roses' recipes only.

[*Deborah*]

I made the raspberry chocolate oblivion truffle torte for my kid's birthday. I posted about it in the desert thread (sniff sniff I wish I could post there more often  ) but I think I need to post here too.

Deborah, you are my inspiration for trying this. THANK YOU!!!

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Well, what goes around comes around, lady! Since I never would have gotten through that Oblivion wedding cake in the first place without your help and encouragement. I am so glad you liked it!

[K8memphis]

I made the sour cream coffee cake for the second time yesterday, and I have a question.  Both times I've tried the cake, the cake batter has sort of swelled through the layer of streusel on top, swamping it.  After baking, the layer of streusel has ended up mostly under the surface both times.  The cake has still tasted great, but I haven't achieved the attractive crunchy layer on top. 

Anyone know why?  What am i doing wrong?  I'm following Rose's directions to the letter.

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Hmm, I used to make these ginormous yeasted kuchens in what would be like a double full sheet pan size, a little deeper though. When I put apple slices & streusel they most always sunk. When I let it proof too much the struesel topping alone sunk too. Of course yours is not yeasted.

Drizzling glaze covers up the sink holes

But my real suggestion is to perhaps bake it in a bundt type pan maybe. Rose herself suggests using magic strips did you try that??? The object of the game is to get it rising evenly (duh, Kate . The hole in the middle of the bundt pan will help that some.

The magic strips will definitely help it bake more even in the springform pan. I would fold a piece of folded alminum foil Like the one in post 18 the third picture down. It is real easy to remove and just pat the streusel around to cover up the hole--take it out right when it comes out of the oven--the steam fills up the hole. Just slide a knife down each side to unfold the leg. Poof comes right out.

Umm, spreading the batter from the middle out towards the sides of the pan a bit will also help--y'know heap it up a bit around the edges, then put on the streusel. But the magic strips & aluminum foil thingy will help a lot I'll bet.

Just some possible ideas for you. I haven't thought about those massive kuchens in forever. They smelled so good!

PS. Thank you, Deborah!

Edited November 15, 2005 by K8memphis (log)

[TurtleMeng]

I made the sour cream coffee cake for the second time yesterday, and I have a question.  Both times I've tried the cake, the cake batter has sort of swelled through the layer of streusel on top, swamping it.  After baking, the layer of streusel has ended up mostly under the surface both times.  The cake has still tasted great, but I haven't achieved the attractive crunchy layer on top. 

Anyone know why?  What am i doing wrong?  I'm following Rose's directions to the letter.

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This might not be helpful since I have not made the Cake Bible way (I use Nick Malgieri's recipe)but I just looked over the recipes and they are pretty similar (his uses whole eggs and a little more sour cream, and the streusel is simpler). The only difference I can think of is kind of dumb--I have alwlays made this cake in a TUBE. That means quicker rising all around and perhaps the streusel somehow doesn't have a chance to sink. (Gees, and I took college chem and don't know what I'm talking about.) But maybe try it next time. I've never contemplated making this cake in a springform. It is one of my most popular cakes also.

edited for typo

Edited November 15, 2005 by TurtleMeng (log)

[ablosh]

I also tried the SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE and was utterly dismayed to find half the cake batter to be way undercooked while the outer layer, including the streusel was golden!

I baked it for 55 minutes, if I'm not mistaken and even tested the batter. I might not have noticed the yellowish batter against the pale wooden skewer I used as tester...

Is this a case of an oven that's too hot?

Flavor was just wonderful with the peaches and walnuts and cinnamon and butter combo...

[ablosh]

Has also anyone here tried baking the recipes without converting the recipe amounts to 1 & 1/3 for 2 layers? I don't like doing much math...Hehe.

Also, I will be trying the WHITE VELVET BUTTER CAKE next as I now have a surplus of 4 egg whites from the 4 egg yolks I used for the sour cream coffee cake.

[2010]

Holy crap, (oops) sounds like I need to get this book. But how to get it in the UK? The bookstores here are so lacking in good pastry books. Oh how I miss Chapters (CAN) and Borders....

[Lindacakes]

Order it from amazon.com and have it shipped. Save money by buying a used copy. I got mine for $3.00 at an antique store . . .

[binkyboots]

Holy crap, (oops) sounds like I need to get this book. But how to get it in the UK? The bookstores here are so lacking in good pastry books. Oh how I miss Chapters (CAN) and Borders....

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our local borders (in edinburgh) have a copy in stock and will order almost anything (except martha stewart ) they also have a bunch of other US titles.

when ordering go prepared with isbn and persist when they say they dont see it on the system, tell them it's from the states and have them search their order in screen.

[Jim D.]

I looked through this old thread for some mention of Rose Levy Beranbaum's Praline Brioche Cake but did not find any.  If anyone has made this cake, I would appreciate suggestions about the brioche part.  Although the finished cake is delicious and always looks more or less OK, I have never had complete success with the brioche.  Whether I bake it as she directs as a single layer in a springform pan or in two cake pans, it always rises, tests done, then after being removed from the oven, falls.  Inevitably I have to trim it rather severely to get a nice cylinder that can be frosted.

 

In the most recent effort with this cake, it was on an unexpectedly warm day and the brioche rose more than the double that Rose mentions.  For the second rise just before baking, the brioche rose just as it was supposed to, and during the baking it rose and browned beautifully, tested done with a skewer, then promptly fell into a mess on the counter--a great sinkhole in the middle.  I was able to rescue it by trimming the edges (and by cheating a little with extra frosting here and there).  Could the first over-rise have been the issue?  This cake is so good that it is worth trying to solve the problem.  By the way, I have altered it a bit by either slicing a single layer in two or using two layers and then spreading some apricot jam--a great combination with the hazelnut buttercream and toasted hazelnuts around the outside.

 

Any brioche help would be appreciated.

[curls]

Jim D. FYI you can post your question on Rose Levy Beranbaum blog, she is very good about answering questions posted there. I haven't baked that cake so don't have any other advice.  http://www.realbakingwithrose.com/2014/12/ask_your_questions_8.html#c438838

[mmlstarr]

Hi all!
 

I just got a copy of The Cake Bible, and I'm very excited. I have a question, though. For reverse creaming, I've always added softened butter to the dry ingredients and mixed until sandy, then added the eggs and other liquids. In TCB, Rose (who I think invented reverse creaming?) adds the butter and not a small amount of liquid to the dry ingredients and says to mix until the dry ingredients are moistened. Obviously, she knows what she's doing, lol. I guess I just worry that the butter won't be evenly dispersed and in small enough pieces by the time the dry ingredients are "moistened." 

 

Anyone else overthink crap like this?

 

Michael

[Margaret Pilgrim]

I just attribute it to "different strokes for different folks" and follow precisely my guru of the day.

[JeanneCake]

Have you made anything from the book yet?  I haven't had a recipe from this book fail;  I'm on my third copy because I wore out the first two.

 

She also demonstrates some recipes on YouTube if you want to see what things are to look like.

 

I like her style and approach, i want to know why things work the way they do.  I like weighing things.  Not everyone appreciates this style so YMMV. 

 

Let us know which cake you make first!

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Her White Velvet Cake is stellar.    Son emailed "SAVE this recipe!!!   PERFECT birthday cake this year!"

[mmlstarr]

@Margaret Pilgrim

 

so interesting. I was going to make a different white velvet cake tomorrow (one with buttermilk and a little oil along with the butter - still using reverse creaming) - but now I think I'll do Rose's. What did you frost it with? 

[Margaret Pilgrim]

4 minutes ago, mmlstarr said:

@Margaret Pilgrim

 

so interesting. I was going to make a different white velvet cake tomorrow (one with buttermilk and a little oil along with the butter - still using reverse creaming) - but now I think I'll do Rose's. What did you frost it with? 

Per son's request, simple whipped cream with sliced strawberries included between layers.     Rose has a good recipe for stabilized whipped cream, worth the time if cake will be held for any time.

[mmlstarr]

@Margaret Pilgrim

 

nice! And it's strawberry season (at least here on the East coast!)  A couple of questions:

 

1. Have you ever made ermine frosting? Thoughts?
2. Did you use cake strips? 

 

See why I worry that Woody and Rose will tire of my questions, lol?

[mmlstarr]

In the meantime, anyone want to hazard a guess as to why my scale is haunted?

 

A baking sheet weighs 355 g empty, but weighs only 350 g with a sheet of parchment on it.

 

👻

 

Edited June 22, 2023 by mmlstarr
file type (log)

[rotuts]

@mmlstarr 

 

interesting

 

if you take off yhr parchment paper , jently

 

what is the reabout ?

[mmlstarr]

@rotuts

 

right back to 355, lol

[mmlstarr]

On 6/15/2023 at 5:46 PM, JeanneCake said:

Have you made anything from the book yet?  I haven't had a recipe from this book fail;  I'm on my third copy because I wore out the first two.

 

She also demonstrates some recipes on YouTube if you want to see what things are to look like.

 

I like her style and approach, i want to know why things work the way they do.  I like weighing things.  Not everyone appreciates this style so YMMV. 

 

Let us know which cake you make first!

@Margaret Pilgrim 

 

The other day I made the White Velvet Cake, and I was so disappointed. I'm not a professional baker, but I bake a lot, lol, and usually it's pretty good. : )

 

I weighed all my ingredients (even the bp and salt!) and followed the instructions to the letter.  I used her charts at the back of TCB to scale it to 2 8"x2" round layers. the batter looked AMAZING and tasted great. I baked it for 25 mins and did a visual check - not done. Checked with a wooden skewer at 30 min, a lot stuck to the skewer. Checked at 32, ditto. Checked at 34, clean skewers in both cakes. (I will also say that at 30 the cakes had pulled away from the pans even though the skewers were not at all clean.)

The cakes were SO dry - not velvety at all. I don't have a picture of t he crumb unfortunately. I did put the cakes in the fridge for about 15 minutes to help set the icing, but they were fully at room temp if not above by the time we cut into them....

 

I'm sad. What did I do wrong?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 26, 2023 by mmlstarr
add'l info (log)

[JeanneCake]

The cakes look good, but as they say, you don't know until you cut it!

 

I, myself, would have just used the original recipe and made cupcakes with any leftover batter (you were using an 8" pan).  There's room for error when calculating from the chart, to be honest.  And, as someone who uses these recipes almost daily, I've never had a problem with the baking powder; I just make the batch size I need and be done with it.  I'm not making some of the batter and then added the leavening to whatever is left for the  next set of pans.  I just make the whole thing and scale it out and it has always worked for me.

 

Reasons for a dry cake - oven temp has a role here and your oven could run a little hot.  She says the best test for her recipes is to make the downy yellow one and see how long it takes, to get to know your oven and how her recipes will bake in it.  At work I have convection ovens so I'm always rotating the pans and allowing for air flow around them; at home I just used to position the pans so I could slide them over halfway through. a few crumbs on the skewer  is fine; completely dry could be just a minute too long in the oven.

 

The white cake has only egg whites, not much additional fat so there's the potential for dryness right there.  The yellow cake, with the yolks, has less of a dry mouthfeel; regardless, I always use a simple syrup on butter cakes because we are so used to the lighter/chiffon/cake mix style.

 

You used whole milk, correct?

 

I didn't have a scale the first few times I made her recipes and it is easy to add just a little too much flour when you're not weighing.  I say this only because your scale is already playing tricks with the parchment paper LOL so maybe an extra few grams of flour found their way into the batter

[mmlstarr]

@JeanneCake

 

Great info and thoughts, Jeanne. Thank you!

 

I'll try Downy Yellow as a test! And maybe change the battery in my scale, lol.

 

I have a recipe for White Cake that uses a a butter/oil combo. Wonder if that would lean more moist in principle? 

 

Well, I'll keep a-tryin'!

[mmlstarr]

@JeanneCake

 

Oh and 

1. Yes to whole milk

2. That's interesting about the simple syrup. Never done that. Would you/could you just use unflavored (i.e. sugar and water)? If so, how much?