happenstance.

St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake

Hello.  It’s been a while.  I am so sorry I’ve neglected you… But I brought you a fabulous recipe.  It sounds heavy and overly sweet, but trust me it’s not.  The yeast dough base is light while the top layer tastes something like a hybrid of the top of a perfectly made crème-brulee and cotton candy and toasted marshmallows.  Glorious.

You start with a yeast dough base (Don’t be scared! It comes together easily.)  Then you top it with a fluffy butter topping. 

The thing about this cake is no matter how smooth you lay it out…

It makes such gorgeous waves of sweetness when it bakes!
 
(Powdered sugar is optional. But why wouldn’t you? It makes everything a little more decadent… yes?)
 
Do you see the gooey layer on top?  It’s to die for… almost.

St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake
Recipe from the New York Times

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

3 tablespoons milk at room temperature
1 3/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

For the Topping:

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Confectioners’ sugar, for sprinkling.

1. In a small bowl, mix milk with 2 tablespoons warm water. Add yeast and whisk gently until it dissolves. Mixture should foam slightly.

2. Using an electric mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar and salt. Scrape down sides of bowl and beat in the egg. Alternately add flour and the milk mixture, scraping down sides of bowl between each addition. Beat dough on medium speed until it forms a smooth mass and pulls away from sides of bowl, 7 to 10 minutes.

3. Press dough into an ungreased 9-by 13-inch baking dish at least 2 inches deep. Cover dish with plastic wrap or clean tea towel, put in a warm place, and allow to rise until doubled, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

4. Heat oven to 350 degrees. To prepare topping, in a small bowl, mix corn syrup with 2 tablespoons water and the vanilla. Using an electric mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl and beat in the egg. Alternately add flour and corn syrup mixture, scraping down sides of bowl between each addition.

5. Spoon topping in large dollops over risen cake and use a spatula to gently spread it in an even layer. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes; cake will rise and fall in waves and have a golden brown top, but will still be liquid in center when done. Allow to cool in pan before sprinkling with confectioners’ sugar for serving.

Mont Blanc Layer Cake

I know it’s been ages since I’ve updated this blog with a real recipe.  I’ve just been too busy and I kept pushing it back until I forgot about it.  But tonight, I could not keep my eyes open. As I scrolled through pages and pages of notes, I was getting nothing out of it and decided that perhaps after I write this blog, I would be refreshed and awake again.  

As you may or may not know, a Mont Blanc cake (apparently named after the famous mountain in the Alps) is usually made with chestnut puree.  At the time, I did not have any chestnuts but I did have some roasted Korean sweet potatoes which have yellow flesh, purple skin and (what I believe) a very chestnut-y taste. 

Looking at the first photo, it may seem like a complicated dish.  On the contrary, the cake is pretty simple and has a wow factor like you wouldn’t believe.   It starts off with baking a few layers of meringue.  

Followed by making a chestnut (or in my case, sweet potato) cream.  I also substituted mascarpone for the ricotta cheese.  Because that’s what I had on hand and to tell you the truth, I would choose mascarpone over ricotta any day of the week.  

Layer the meringue disks with the sweet potato cream and chocolate.

Oh and the taste… how do you describe something that’s crispy and light, yet sweet, rich and smooth at the same time?   It’s a juxtaposition of flavors and textures which I can only describe as heavenly. 

Mont Blanc Layer Cake

This is the recipe for my version of the cake.  The original can be found here.

Ingredients:

5 medium egg whites (or 4 large egg whites)
200g caster sugar (make this by grinding granulated sugar in your food processor)
125g powdered sugar
300g pureed korean sweet potato (skin peeled)
350ml heavy cream
150g marscapone
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
75g dark chocolate, melted

1) Cover three baking trays with foil. With a lightly buttered finger, trace the outline of a 7 in. circle on each foil-covered tray. You need room in the oven to bake all three meringues at once, so if your oven has only two shelves, you’ll need to squeeze three smaller circles on to two trays instead.

2) Gently warm the egg whites and the mixing bowl (over a pan of very lightly simmering water, for instance, though take care the bowl doesn’t come into contact with the water, otherwise the egg whites will cook), then, using an electric beater, (or your stand mixer with a wire whisk) beat the whites until foamy.

3)  Sprinkle a quarter of the caster sugar at a time over the whites and whisk through on high speed until the grains disappear and the mixture ends up very thick and glossy. Sift and fold in the confectioner’s sugar until the mixture is smooth,

4)  Spread a third of the meringue mix on to each prepared foil circle and with a spatula.

5)  Bake at 285 F for about 90 minutes, or until crisp, slightly beige coloured and with a firm crust. Remove and set aside to cool.

6)  In a bowl, beat the sweet potato puree, 250ml heavy cream, vanilla and enough sugar gently to sweeten it, until very thick. Mix in the mascarpone as the last step, being careful not to over beat.  (The mascarpone will curdle if you do.)

7) Peel one cold meringue from the foil and place on a serving plate. Spread with a third of the sweet potato cream and swirl melted chocolate all over. Repeat with a second meringue, sweet potato cream and chocolate, and top with the last meringue. Pipe on the last of the chestnut cream in a swirl. Drizzle with more melted chocolate and serve.

Malt Ball Cake

Oh Whoppers, malt balls, whatever name you go by, how much I love thee…. 
I love biting into that shiny chocolate exterior to find that melt-in-your-mouth malty interior.   
This cake, apart from being a beauty, is essentially a malt ball in cake form.
It has the most incredibly soft and tender malt flavored cake. 
A word of caution: the cake is so soft it’s a little difficult to handle!
But what really takes the cake, is the incredibly light as air chocolate frosting. 
I have to warn you.. the amount of butter that goes into this frosting is astounding.  
Astounding as in… did I really put in FOUR sticks of butter into this? 
Why yes, yes I did.
It looks extra cute when you garnish it with malt balls.  Split some in half and it makes a pretty white and brown contrast.

You must make it.  It’s just too good to pass up!

Malt Ball Cake

Ingredients:

For the Malt Cake Layers

2 ¼ cups cake flour

¾ cup all-purpose flour

1 cup malted-milk powder (I found this at my local Shop Rite)

1 tablespoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature

2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups ice cold water

4 large egg whites, at room temperature

For the Milk Chocolate Frosting:

10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

10 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped

1 ¾ cups heavy cream

3 tablespoons light corn syrup

2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted bitter, cut into 1-inch pieces

Malted milk balls for decoration

Bake the Cake:

1) Preheat the oven to 325°. Butter and flour three 8-inch (9 in cake pans will work too) cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

2) In a large bowl, whisk the flours with the malt powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.

3) In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter with the shortening until creamy. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat at medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the dry ingredients in 3 batches at low speed, alternating with the ice water, occasionally scraping down the side of the bowl.

4) In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites at medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the batter. Divide the batter between the pans, spreading it evenly, and bake the cakes for 40 to 45 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 20 minutes, then invert them onto a rack and let cool completely. Peel off the parchment.

Make the Frosting:

1) Place the chocolate in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil, then remove from heat. Add the corn syrup; immediately pour the mixture over the chocolate. Let stand for 2 to 3 minutes, until the chocolate has melted, then whisk until smooth. Let cool to room temperature.

2) Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk. Gradually beat in the butter at medium speed, a few chunks at a time, and beat until thoroughly incorporated between additions. The frosting should be smooth and silky. Refrigerate the frosting just until it is thick enough to hold its shape, 10 to 15 minutes.

3) Place one cake layer on a serving platter and spread 1 1/4 cups of the frosting over the top in an even layer. Repeat to form 2 more layers. Spread a thin layer of frosting over the side of the cake and refrigerate briefly until firm. Frost the side with the remaining frosting. Garnish the cake with malted-milk balls and refrigerate briefly to firm up the frosting before serving.

**The cake can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature to serve.

Enjoy!! :) 

Ghost Cake

Scary?

Scary cute!  

Before I go on: PLEASE vote for me on the Biscoff Facebook page! I’m VERY behind! ENDS TODAY!
http://apps.facebook.com/biscoffcontest/contests/157238/voteable_entries/34335009?order=recency

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS CLICK VOTE! EVERY VOTE COUNTS! :D THANK YOU!!

Ahem… continuing..

First you bake a red velvet cake (from box or from scratch - mine was from scratch).

 

Fill it with cream cheese frosting and stack it!

Cover the cake in almond buttercream and top with ganache for a cool drip effect.

Oh! Don’t forget the meringue ghosts to decorate the cake!

The air bubbles created their own mouths… which I filled in with chocolate.

The mustache one is my favorite!

You can also decorate it with candy corns - I think they look like teeny gravestones.

I also made cupcake versions.  Adorable and perfect for individual servings.

 

Layered Red Velvet + Cream Cheese Frosting + Chocolate Ganache 

“Dude you don’t look so good”
“You have NO idea what I’ve been through”
 

 * I almost didn’t upload anything because I was losing daylight fast and most of my photos were either taken with my iPhone or with poor lighting.  (The cupcakes were shot the day after) BUT this cake was so cute I couldn’t keep it to myself*

Recipes Featured:

All recipes make enough for 1 six-inch two tiered cake and a dozen cupcakes. 

Cream Cheese Frosting 

8 oz. cream cheese (cold, straight out of the refrigerator)
5 tablespoons butter (softened)
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 c. powdered sugar (sifted after measuring)

1. Combine cream cheese, butter and vanilla until combined and smooth.
2. Gradually add 2 cups of powdered sugar.

Chocolate Ganache

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup half-and-half

1. In a microwave oven safe bowl, place chocolate, corn syrup, and half and half. 
2. Microwave for one minute and stir.  If not smooth, work in 15 second batches until desired smoothness.
3. Cool slightly before spreading over cake to get drip effect.

Almond Vanilla Buttercream
This is enough for just the cake (I did not use it on the cupcakes).

8 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened)
3-4 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract

1. Mix 3 cups of confectioner’s sugar, butter, milk, vanilla and almond extract until smooth.
2. Gradually add remaining cup of confectioner’s sugar until desired thickness is reached.

Happy Halloween!! :D