Last week, while visiting my friend Katrina, the chocolate sorceress of Vosges Haut-Chocolat, she asked if I wanted some milk chocolate.  You would be crazy to turn down an offer like that from one of the best chocolatiers of all time so I thanked her and accepted.  Expecting a nibble or bite, I was surprised to see her loading about 3 pounds of chocolate pastilles into my work bag.  I nearly made myself sick that afternoon melting one after another against the roof of my mouth.

While ruminating on what to make with my newly acquired treasure, I remembered an article featuring milk chocolate desserts in Bon Appetit.  A household search finally led me to my recycling bin where I had accidentally and prematurely disposed of the February 2010 issue.  Milk chocolate recipes ranged from mousses to tarts to souffles but due to a welcome request to make a friend’s birthday cake, I decided on the Devil’s Food Cake.

The original recipe is titled “Top Tier” Devil’s Food Cake with Sour Cream Fudge Frosting.  It is a Valentine’s Day recipe that yields a small, 5-inch layer cake intended to be enjoyed in place of the top tier of a wedding cake that is often saved for the first year of a marriage.  Cute idea but I needed a full size cake for 20 people.  My first attempt at doubling the recipe did not provide enough cake so I found myself up late into the night calculating and baking an additional tier.

I love desserts with buttermilk, sour cream and cream cheese because the sour-ish dairy balances the sweet.  That is exactly what happened with this fudgey sour cream frosting that cushioned and surrounded the layers of chocolate cake.

Though I wrestled with this cake to get the recipe adjustment right and properly level the layers due to some oven inconsistencies, I am quite sure the next time I make it, the steep learning curve will be behind me and I will whip it out in a few hours. For all of you, accept my learning curve as yours and use the below adjusted recipe to create an impressive 4-tier, 9 inch layer cake!   This probably isn’t the best recipe for a beginning baker but for those who love the process… you will be melting, sifting, whisking, whipping, leveling and spreading…. for me, it all adds to the wonderful reward of a final, beautiful and delicious layer cake.

Devil’s Food Cake with Milk Chocolate Sour Cream Fudge
Adapted from Bon Appetit, Feb. 2010

For the Cake
3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
3 ounces high-quality milk chocolate (such as Lindt, Perugina, or Valrhona), chopped
3/4 cup boiling water
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 cups cake flour (*see substitute below)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup canola oil
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Frosting
24 ounces high-quality milk chocolate (such as Lindt, Perugina, or Valrhona), chopped
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sour cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper. Combine cocoa powder and milk chocolate in medium bowl. Pour boiling water over; whisk until mixture is smooth. Whisk in buttermilk. In another medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt .

Using electric mixer, beat both sugars, oil, egg, and vanilla in large bowl until well blended. Add flour and cocoa mixtures; beat until blended (batter will be thin). Divide batter between pans.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out with some crumbs attached, 30 to 34 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 15 minutes. Turn out onto racks; peel off parchment. Turn over; cool on rack for at least an hour or until completely cool.

For the Frosting
Place chocolate in large metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water and stir until melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water. Add butter and stir until melted, then add sour cream and corn syrup and whisk until smooth. Let frosting stand at room temperature until thick enough to spread, about 20 minutes.

To Assemble
When cakes are cool, using serrated knife, trim top of cakes to make level. Cut each cake horizontally in half. Place 1 cake layer, cut side up, on platter. Spread about 2/3 cup frosting (I eye-balled it) over, leaving 1/2-inch border. Top with second cake layer, cut side down. Spread 2/3 cup frosting over, leaving 1/2-inch border. Top with third cake layer, cut side up. Spread 2/3 cup frosting over, leaving 1/2-inch border. Top with remaining cake layer, cut side down. Spread 3/4 cup frosting over top and sides. This is a thin layer – cake will show through. Chill in the refrigerator until frosting is set, about 30 minutes. Keep remaining frosting at room temperature. Spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides of cake.

DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover with cake dome and store at room temperature.

* Cake Flour Substitute: Fill 1 cup measure with 2 Tablespoons cornstarch, fill the rest with white flour. This is equivalent to 1 cup Cake Flour

In the past, I have sung the praises of Grand Central Bakery.  When I visit my best pal in Portland, Oregon I always find myself at the bakery ordering a cup fragrant, locally roasted coffee and about 10 other treats from the menu.  For Christmas, my bestie proved that she knows me well by gifting me the Grand Central Bakery’s new cookbook.  Since their bakeries are only on the West Coast, I can now get a little fix of Grand Central goodies in my own Chicago kitchen.

I am always suspicious about restaurants that are willing to print all their recipes and give away their secrets.  Did they leave just one ingredient out?  Did they skip an essential step to ensure we can’t COMPLETELY replicate their yumminess?  Or do they count on the fact that we just prefer them doing the work and enjoying the experience enough to continue buying their treats?

In the case of this Irish Soda Bread, Grand Central seems to not only have given us the true recipe but also pages of hints, tips and tricks on baking and ingredients so we can make them just right.  Thank you Grand Central!  I will still sit at your long, wooden table and eat YOUR Irish Soda Bread whenever I find myself in Portland.  But until then… I will be smiling ear to ear that I have a little taste of you in Chicago.

These are best eaten the day you make them so give a few to neighbors or co-workers.  Your unexpected good deed will surely lift their spirits.

Irish Soda Bread from Grand Central Bakery
Makes 8 large pieces.

4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoons caraway seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped orange zest
3/4 cup currants
3/4 cup cold, unsalted butter
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
Egg wash

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Line a  baking sheet with parchment paper.  Measure the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl with high sides or the bowl of stand mixer and whisk to combine.  Stir in the caraway seeds, orange zest and currents.

Dice the butter into 1/2 inch cubes.  Use your hands or the paddle attachment of the stand mixer on low speed to blend the butter into dry ingredients until the texture becomes mealy.  If you want to finish baking the soda bread the next day, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill overnight; otherwise proceed with the recipe.

Add 3/4 cup of the buttermilk at once, mixing just until the dough comes together, 30-35 seconds.  Scrape the bottom and sides to incorporate dry ingredients, then stir in enough buttermilk to bring the dough together.  You may have buttermilk leftover.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 2 chunks.  Gently shape the chunks into domed disks and score each one into quarters.  Place on the prepared pan and brush liberally with egg wash (1 egg, 1 tablespoon water, pinch of salt whisked all together).

Bake for 30-35 minutes rotating the pan halfway through the baking time.  The soda bread should be shiny and golden brown.  To serve, cut or pull the disks apart where they were scored.

I have been dancing the tango with Red Velvet Cake for some years now.  Just when I think I can turn my face away and retire my quest for the perfect recipe, the scarlet vixen has me pressed to her cheek striding across the dance floor once again.

Our love affair is always reignited in the month of February.  The marketing machines of the world are pressing Valentine’s Day upon us and my palate cannot resist cupid’s arrow.  Festive, moist, red cake topped with classic cream cheese frosting… I am dazed with desire.

What is it about Red Velvet Cake that has captured my heart?  Well, even more than most cakes, there is an element of chemistry that makes this cake right.  That magical mixture of baking soda and vinegar gives me a mad-scientist high.  Second, this cake plays hard to get.  Recipes vary greatly and have often disappointed only fueling my longing to test, try, bake and separate the good from the bad.

This year’s Red Velvet Cake recipe comes from my sister.  If you have been reading my blog long, you will know she is the source of many of my winners.  I don’t usually favor the use of shortening and full bottles of food coloring in my baking.  But, as with everyone that we love, we make exceptions for the smallest incompatibilities.

Red Velvet Cake

Makes about 24 cupcakes or one 9-inch layer cake.

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 ounces red food coloring
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon white vinegar

Grease two 9 inch round pans or line muffin pans with paper liners for cupcakes (makes approx. 2 doz.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make a paste of cocoa and food coloring. Set aside.

Combine the buttermilk, salt and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the cocoa mixture. Beat in the buttermilk mixture alternately with the flour, mixing just until incorporated. Stir together baking soda and vinegar, then gently fold into the cake batter.

Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

* For cupcakes, fill each liner approximately 2/3 full. Bake 15 – 20 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 lb. cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix cream cheese and butter and sugar until fluffy; about 5 minutes. Add vanilla

In an effort to feed my inner baking beast and stay within STRICT parameters of my New Year’s Resolution diet, I have started a Bran Muffin Bake-off.  Basically I am “baking off” against myself week after week in search of the best recipe.  My rating system is still being developed but the winner will likely have the best ratio of being healthy and delicious.  

For the past two weeks on Sunday evenings I have prepared the ingredients and on Monday morning, I have baked fresh bran muffins to start the week.  Deep breath in… ahh, yes, the house smells of fresh baked goods.  Deep sigh out… ahhh, yes… I have not ruined my diet on the first day of the week.

This first recipe was passed along by one of my friends, Kathy, who has gathered the best of the best over the years.  My confidence in her recipes along with my love of buttermilk put this recipe at the top of my list.  They lasted for days and stayed moist in a tupperware on my countertop.  For those who aren’t on a diet, warm them up and slather these with butter and honey!

Stay tuned for the next bran muffin recipes. And, please send me links to your favorite, healthy bran muffin recipes.

Buttermilk Bran Muffins

1 cup unprocessed wheat bran
2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup low fat buttermilk
1/2 cup sugar (Kathy suggests Sugar in the Raw, I didn’t have it)
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 large egg
1 1/2 Tbs canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
Optional: 1/2 cup dried fruit or raisins, chopped nuts, 3-4 TBS flax seed

Heat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tins with paper cups. In a medium bowl, blend bran, flours, baking soda and salt until well combined. Use a whisk to combine all ingredients well or sift them together. Set aside.

In another bowl, using a handheld electric mixer on high speed, beat the buttermilk, sugar, applesauce, egg, oil and vanilla until frothy, about 2 minutes. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk mixture. Using a spoon, stir just until combined. Don’t over mix. Fold in fruit, nuts or flax.

Divide batter evenly among 12 muffin cups. Bake until the tops spring back when pressed gently in the center, about 18-20 minutes. Do not over bake.

I have always loved buying things from estate sales. I usually buy small things: costume jewelry, cookbooks, baking pans. Inanimate objects bring some of their history with them and I find them all the more interesting for it. I wonder what parties my bright bead necklaces have seen… were they dangling around a taught neck during a first kiss? What flavors of muffins most often popped out of my muffin tin before it came to live with me? Was the author of those Joy of Cooking margin notes left handed?

The same romance draws me to recipes that have been passed down, even if they come from people I have never met. This scone recipe is one of them. My mom has been making this recipe she received from a woman named Pam whose mother Helen used to serve scones with tea. I was so taken by the scones my mother asked her if I could share the recipe with all of you. Pam agreed and offered this endearing information about her mother who recently passed away:

A few words about my mom, Helen – She loved gathering people together and serving wonderful food. As a New Englander, she grew up with the tradition of drinking tea, and created little tea parties for my sisters and me with our child-size Blue Willow tea set. She made Cambric Tea for us, which is just tea with sugar and lots of milk, so that the tea looks the color of unbleached linen. Cambric is a word for very fine linen. Tea was always served informally when our aunts came to visit, or when we visited them. Someone would “throw the kettle on”, the most basic form of hospitality. Mum made many kinds of beautiful tea sandwiches and sweets for more formal occasions, and took delight in presenting prettily arranged trays of tea dainties and placing fresh flowers on the table. She was always on the alert for new recipes, and enjoyed the surge of interest in tea and related foods in recent years.

Thank you for sharing Pam. And Helen, wherever you are, we raise our tea cups to you! Your recipe lives on…

Helen’s Delectable Currant Scones
Serve with Devonshire Cream and an assortment of preserves; these are also excellent with no adornment at all.

1/4 cup dried currants
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 Tbsp brandy
6 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup buttermilk plus 2 tsp for brushing tops of scones
grated rind of one orange

Bake in 400 degree oven until golden brown (20-25 minutes). Watch smaller cut shapes so you do not overbake. Transfer to a rack to cool slightly. Serve warm.

It is that time of year where pumpkin flavor is nearly pouncing you from every corner…pumpkin spice lattes prancing on every coffee shop counter, towering pyramids of pumpkin bread mix at Trader Joes, a sea of canned pumpkin puree on aisle end caps at grocery stores…

I’m not complaining.

Autumn is my season. I feel better, more alive. I love the colors, the sweaters, the kids starting school, the trees, the smell in the air and the flavors. Bring on the pumpkin spice, the apple cake, the soups, stews and warm comfort foods. Sure, I miss the summer produce but my love of autumn has me temporarily blinded to the fact that winter is coming.

This is my first pumpkin baked good of Fall 2009. The house smelled like a dream today! This is very moist and not overly sweet. If you have a sweet tooth, spread the bread with honey butter or stir in a cup of chocolate chips or dried cranberries and walnuts.

Other Pumpkin Taste Treats:
Pumpkin Buttermilk Bundt Cake
Roasted Pumpkin and Garlic Soup
Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

Basic Pumpkin Bread
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Make 1 large loaf or 4 mini loaves

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (be sure to use fresh spice for best flavor! see substitute below if needed)
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup canned pure pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup buttermilk

Pumpkin Pie Spice Substitute: For the 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice, use instead 1 teaspoon cinnamon plus 1/2 teaspoon ginger , 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon cloves

Heading into the holiday weekend that often marks the end of summer, it seemed appropriate to milk the last days with a frozen treat. Before you know it, kids will be heading off to school with back packs full of new school supplies, we’ll be airing out stored sweaters and all of us food folks will be scheming up pumpkin recipes.

Earlier this summer, I enjoyed dinner at an old friend’s house in my hometown. A bunch of my high school pals and their children gathered for a backyard BBQ. Mid way through the meal, the faint sound of music wafted into the yard. The kids all stopped what they were doing as abruptly as a needle off a record. Ears perked up and eyes widened, hopes were confirmed…. it was the ice cream man.

Everyone ran for the front door, clamoring, with nerves on end, fearful that the ice cream truck wouldn’t come down our street or that we would miss the opportunity. Luckily, my friend Pat seems to have a personal connection with their neighborhood ice cream truck (I learned he is the prime benefactor) so the truck never misses his house. Even the two dogs lined up to get their milk bones from the friendly cold treat purveyor.

After the excitement subsided, I realized that my nerves were returning from over excitement to a normal state of relaxation. The musical tune of my childhood ice cream truck still riles me up as surely as Pavlov’s drooling dogs. Perhaps it is memories of ice cream man treats that have trained me to be crazy about anything frozen in the form of a rocket?

A few weeks ago, my talented officemate Sarah Drake (check out her pretty blog) sent me this recipe for Lemon Buttermilk Popsicles. They were just as amazing as she had described! They are so creamy and delicious. I reduced the sugar slightly from the original recipe and gave them a new name. You could make these in any shape or form, I even put some in ice cube trays for a quick fix.

Hold up your pops and slurp…here is to the last days of summer!

Easy, Creamy, Lemon Dream Popsicles
2/3 cup sugar
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons grated lemon peel
1 pinch salt
1 2/3 cup buttermilk

Whisk sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel, and salt in 4-cup measuring cup until sugar dissolves. Whisk in buttermilk.
Divide mixture among ice pop molds. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours and up to 5 days.

There are so many things that are so right about my friend Kathy. She loves to laugh. She is sassy. She is comfortable in her own skin. She celebrates ‘Talk Like a Pirate Day’ with me. She is an amazing baker.

I learned what an amazing baker she was when we used to work together. During stressful times, Kathy does not sleep well. So, she bakes. Middle-of-the-night tarts, pies, coffee cakes, crisps, and cookies turned up in the office. It was so bittersweet. I knew Kathy hadn’t slept well but boy was it hard to feel sorry when the flaky crusts, sweet fruit fillings and crumbly toppings graced your lips.

The above photo was taken from her table during an Easter meal that included sausage and sauerkraut, pierogies, mini chocolate cupcakes, brioche filled with apricot and custard and these pecan rolls. It was hands down the best Easter meal I have shared to date.

If I remember correctly, Kathy made the rolls in the photo with a brioche dough. It is not exactly same as the below recipe but I can promise you the recipe I am sharing is worth the effort. She taught a Yeast Breads course at Sur La Table and this was one of her winning lessons. These might be just the perfect breakfast treat for a long holiday weekend. Happy Independence Day!

Caramel Pecan Rolls
Makes about 18 rolls.

Dough:
2 packages dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 Tbls sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt

Place 3 whole pecans on one cut side of roll and place pecan side down in prepared pans. Be sure not to crowd the rolls, leave room for expansion. Let rise 30-60 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake rolls for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned. Turn out of pan onto a serving platter while warm. Caramel will harden as it cools.

My husband grew up on the Great Plains of north central Montana surrounded by thousands of acres of wheat and barley, and perhaps due to that flat, landlocked life, he’d always dreamed of sailing around the world. He told me once that his mother always baked him sailboat cakes on his birthdays, and although I try my best not to treat him like his mother, I thought it was a sweet tradition to keep alive.

The first birthday I spent with my husband, I made a 9 x 13 sheet cake and cut out a hull and a sail. I had lots of cake left over and cut out a sun and waves, but still I found myself eating a lot of negative space. In subsequent years, I decorated cupcakes with sailboats, and bought plastic boats to sit on top of cakes like brides and grooms.

This year I baked a chocolate buttermilk cake that got rave reviews for its richness at a birthday bash. Since our Whipped blog-ess loves buttermilk, I thought this was a good one to share. The secret is in the hot, extra-strong coffee that is stirred in just before pouring the batter into the pans. The batter will be among the thinnest you ever worked with, but I promise you that it makes an excellent cake. The finished confection is not a mocha cake; rather, the coffee adds a depth of flavor that people have difficulty identifying. Pardon the poor decorating; I was focused much more on the ingredients rather than the toppings while at the grocery store.

Chocolate Buttermilk Cake

3 c unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/2 c sugar
1 T + 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c unsweetened cocoa powder, best quality
1 1/3 c canola oil
1 1/2 c buttermilk
3 large eggs
1 1/2 c freshly brewed, extra-strong hot coffee
1 tsp vanilla
24 oz chocolate chips
1 1/2 c heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9-inch cake pans with nonstick spray, then line with parchment paper.

Create a double boiler and bring water in the bottom pan to a boil. Place chocolate chips and cream in a pan set atop the simmering water. Allow mixture to melt. When chocolate has melted, stir with a whisk. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature.

Remove cakes from pans and place one layer on a serving plate. Trim the top away to flatten out the surface and place a scoop of ganache in the middle. Smooth it out to the edges with a spatula. Trim the top off the other layer of cake and center it on the first layer, pressing gently. Spread ganache on the top and all around the sides. If you would like to add a second layer of ganache, refrigerate the cake for no more than 15 minutes before adding a second coat. Decorate like a sailboat.

Five Stars. Top Dog. Fireworks Worthy. Blue Ribbon. Top Drawer. Best in Show.

These are the best cupcakes that have ever come out of my kitchen. Now, I am not saying it is the best CAKE I have ever baked as my Chocolate Beet Layer Cake is hard to beat. But, as far as cupcakes go, the crumbly cake and firm, flavorful frosting lend themselves perfectly to hand-held beauties.

Once again, my buttermilk love continues to grow with this new recipe. My sister, whose delicious cooking has been an inspiration since the beginning of Whipped, sent this recipe my way after hearing my plan to seek out all wonderful things buttermilk!

Buttermilk Cake
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups bleached flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter cake pans and line bottom with parchment paper or line put papers in cupcake pan. Beat hte butter and sugar for 5 minutes at medium speed until light and fluffy (be sure to do the entire 5 minutes – this makes a big difference!). Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping bowl and beaters between each to incorporate.

Sift flour with the baking powder and baking soda. Add a quarter of the flour mixture to the butter-egg mixture. Then add vanilla and a third of the buttermilk. Repeat, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and scraping well after each addition.

Pour batter into prepared pans and spread to edges. Bake 25-30 minutes for layer cakes 18-20 minutes for cupcakes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool pans on a rack for 5 minutes. Turn cakes out and cool completely.

Lemon Frosting
2 sticks butter, firm but not cold
zest of one lemon
1/8 tsp. salt
3 1/4 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
2-4 tsp. buttermilk

Beat butter, zest and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, gradually add sugar, beat until blended. Add the vanill and lemon juice and beat until smooth. Do not over mix or frosting will incorporate too much air. It will be creamy and dense. Add buttermilk 1 tsp. at a time until frosting has a spreadable consistency.