Cakes and mix and match

I've been breading it up big at home lately - I realize just how much I seriously love to make breads.... But on the other hand I've also been playing around with cake ideas. I have my final quarter coming up at school early next year and I have a project called "Chef Of the Day" and I have to make a tart, a breakfast pastry, a chocolate (or a petis four), a bread, and a cake. Needless to say I'm worried about the cake portion as I feel it's something that I haven't really done much of.

As I've been learning more this quarter about cakes I've been liking them a whole lot more. There are so many variations to make, not only that but you can take parts of one cake you like and apply it to another one - it's really easy to integrate, and mix and match.

This cake is one I've been thinking about for a few weeks, sort of a baklava cake: the base is a walnut sponge, this is covered in a honey syrup. On top of this is a roasted pistachio and vanilla bavarian, then a layer of praline, and then a milk chocolate and honey yogurt mousse. I was pretty happy with the way it came out. I do need to work on presentation (it's a tad bland in looks), and also I'm going to change the bavarian layer to a roast hazelnut layer, but it's not bad. Al

so, all the layers are from different recipes, just proving you can make whatever you like as long as you have the basics down (ie. know how to make a sponge, a mousse and a bavarian).

Naan

I adore Indian food; its complexity, warmth, the fact that you can eat it all with your hands. I have made naan before. Unfortunately, it wasn't a great experience.

At school when you are 2nd quarter you are in charge of supplying the bread rolls and other such sundries the schools restaurants require. The week I was doing my bread rotation just happened to be the week when they were doing a middle eastern/ Indian theme. All I remember is standing by the sheeter (a mechanical rolling pin essentially) and making flat breads for what felt like hours. Under stress - because they wanted the bread now.

But, I went to dinner at Tricia and Tim's place and well, it was Tim's birthday and he requested naan, so I had to make it!

It was alright. A little dry - I like my naan moist and filled with pannier- which I din't use in this naan. A really easy bread to make though, only requires one fermentation (rather then two) and has a little zing due to the yogurt used.

It was a good accompaniment for all the delicious Indian food we had made - so that means success for me.

It's really is funny though, how I'm never satisfied with what I make. It's never perfect. It can be 'alright' or 'pretty good' but usually not brilliant (note the exception below this post the tomato, mozzarella tart - go and buy yourself -if you are in the Northern hemisphere, some beautifully ripe tomatoes, some good buffalo mozzarella and make the tart tonight).

Ice Cream

I'm holding onto the thought that it is still summer (despite watching the trees beginning to turn all shades of red) and so I've proceeded to make a bunch of ice cream of late. I made a peach honey ice cream from Dorie Greenspan 'Baking From My Home to Yours - result = so so. A little hard when frozen, not enough peach taste despite having both fresh and cooked peaches in it. I made a fabulous greek yogurt ice cream - the flavors are cream and butter... Really amazing and texturally good (for the recipe see: http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/2009/09/greek_yogurt_ice_cream).

Yesterday I made a rum and roasted walnut ice cream. All signs are positive on this one - smooth texture, a serious punch of rum and the crunch of walnuts (from chez panisse dessert book). Finally I made a clove ice cream to go with a rhubarb strawberry tart that I'm making (once again from chez panisse desserts).

I wonder about the difference in recipes though. Some use half and half, other use whole milk, some like the liquor raw (no burning/heating/cooking) others like to have it cook off. Mostly I'm curious about the milk part mostly - about how the fat content effects the texture. The greek yogurt one was lovely and smooth (and it lasted a while being that way) and I imagine this is in part the result of having not only milk and cream but also the yogurt. So why not always up the fat content? Why not always use half and half instead of milk?

Pine Nut and Lavender Cake - Yogurt Part 2

This cake has a bunch of flavors and textures - ranging from gritty to smooth and citrus to floral, this cake is pretty dynamic it'll have you're taste buds figuring things out with every bite!

Ingredients: Cake

3/4 cup raisins

2 Tbs brandy

3/4 cup fine grind polenta (or cornmeal)

1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1.5 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 Tbs. grated lemon zest

3 large eggs

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup honey

3/4 cup plain yogurt

3/4 cup roasted pine nuts

Ingredients: Glaze

1/4 cup honey

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 Tbs of dried lavender

Method: Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan.

3. In a small bowl mix the raisins and the brandy together- let alone for 10 min, until plump.

4. In a medium bowl whisk together the polenta, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon zest.

5. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment combine the eggs, honey, olive oil, and yogurt. Beat until blended.

6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones, the raisins most of the pine nuts (keep around 3 Tbs. aside for decorating the top of the cake).

7. Mix on low speed until the batter is almost smooth.

8. Pour the batter into the springform pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

9. Bake until a toothpick placed in the center comes out clean (around 25-30 min).

10. While the cake is baking make the glaze. In a small saucepan combine the honey, lemon juice, and lavender.

11. Bring to a boil and remove from heat - let cool.

12. Transfer the cake to a wire rack.

13. Immediately poke holes all over the top of the hot cake with a toothpick and then using a pastry brush, brush the cake with the glaze.

14. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 min.

15. Remove the cake from the pan and flip upside down.

16. Once again prick holes all over the underside of the cake with a toothpick and glaze it using a pastry brush.

17. Place the cake the right way up and glaze again, this time sprinkle the roasted pine nuts on top as well as some fresh lavender.

Taken from "Essentials of Baking" Williams-Sonoma pp.98-9.

Raspberry Yogurt Cake - Part 1 of the Yogurt Cakes

Raspberries are here! They are in season and they are tasting mighty fine. As such - I had to do some more baking with them. Although not the prettiest cake this cake was seriously moist and tasty. It had pockets of fresh raspberries which disintegrated into little jam like nuggets just bursting with raspberry flavor. A very nice cake indeed!

Ingredients
3 cups all purpose flour
1.5 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter at room temp.
1 and 3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbs. orange juice
1 tsp almond extract
1 cup of low fat plain yogurt
1 tsp. grated orange zest
3 large eggs at room temp
1.5 cups fresh raspberries

Method
1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Grease a bundt pan.

3. In a large bowl whisk 2.5 cups of flour, salt and baking powder together.

4. In a stand mixer using the paddle attachment cream the butter and sugar together until smooth and creamy.

5. Add the orange juice, almond extract and orange peel to the butter mixture - beat together for 30 seconds.

6. Add one egg at a time, beating for 30seconds between each egg.

7. Mix in the yogurt.

8. Add the dry ingredients until they are barely blended.

9. In a separate bowl put in the raspberries and add 1/2 a cup of flour. Mix together.

10. Fold in the berries with the rest of the batter.

11. Put the batter in the bundt pan and bake for 1hour and 10 min. The cake is ready when you place a thin knife through it and it comes out clean.

12. Serve!

Taken from the July 2008 "Bon Appetie" p. 63.