Archive for the 'Cakes' Category

G is Three!

Published on August 18, 2011 in Cakes, Chocolate, Desserts, Family, Kids and New York City. 4 Comments

My son just turned three. It’s very difficult to comprehend this, but as anyone with a child will tell you, “They grow up so fast.” And while it’s a cliché, it is quite true and not a little freakish. They start out as these little blobs, who lie around doing a whole lot of nothing and then in the blink of an eye, they’re walking, talking, and pulling your shirt up in public to slap your stomach and squeeze your love handles while singing, “Patty cake, patty cake, baker’s man.” I tell you; it’s shocking, the things they can do. Shocking…and ever so slightly horrifying.

But I wouldn’t trade this kid for anything. And that’s why, despite the stomach-pinching shenanigans, we threw him a party. But not just any party. A party with Big Toot. Big who? you may ask? Big Toot.

Who or what is Big Toot? Well, I’ll tell you. Big Toot (I can’t stop saying it) is, I believe, one of New York’s best kept secrets. And now I’m letting the toot out of the bag. Sorry. Big Toot is an adorable former Navy boat that’s been recommissioned as a pleasure cruiser for those wanting to enjoy the sights and sounds (and smells) of the Hudson River. And for a mere $10 for each adult (kids are FREE), you can cruise around the Statue of Liberty or Governor’s Island or, like we did once last fall, watch a sailing regatta from out on the water. The rides are about 50 minutes long, and they run on the weekends from May to October.


So due to the Big Toot factor, I decided that G’s party needed to have a classic red and blue nautical theme and subsequently lost my marbles accumulating and/or making all things seafaring. For the invitations, I used Paperless Post, which has gorgeous designs and you can customize your invitation, envelope and envelope liner. I used a design from Mr. Boddington’s Nephew in a navy envelope with the “Link” envelope liner in crimson. I love how when your guests click on the envelope, the invitation glides out of the envelope. Super-cool and very shipshape!

As for party supplies, I hit the jackpot at Target when I pounced upon the napkin of my dreams (red anchor *and* blue stripes = perfection) and some fantastic striped melamine bowls in the clearance section. (I also found these awesome acrylic glasses, but my mother forbade me to buy them. I’m still thinking about them. And look at these!)


I fashioned paper boat place holders, clipped miniature anchor-printed sails for cupcake toppers and created custom stickers. I also found some fantastic favor bags, which we stuffed with Toob boats, Lifesavers, Swedish fish, stickers and water gunssquirters). I knew things were spiraling out of control when I found myself recreating a “Happy Birthday” sign using the international maritime alphabet on the computer and contemplating buying fabric and sewing actual flags. Good thing I found a nautical-ish bunting at Target; stringing that $4 score up added another year or two to my life and (hopefully) convinced my husband that I’m not completely insane.

On the food tip, it wouldn’t be a nautical-themed party without Pepperidge Farm’s goldfish, of course (no, I didn’t even think about trying this). I even managed to find these, but then G put the kibosh on sandwiches and insisted on pizza, which was much easier anyway. We also had some appies including my hummus with carrots and chips, a lovely little watermelon bite thing (which I’ll do a separate post on even though it’s three ingredients), nuts, Prosecco, etc. — none of which I have photos of because I had to wait until we came back from the boat ride to put everything out, so all the guests were there and I didn’t have time to snap the food table (plus I got all self-conscious because most normal people, i.e., non-food bloggers, don’t take photos of the food at their children’s parties).

And then there were the cupcakes, made using Magnolia Bakery’s cupcake recipe and my chocolate frosting recipe with red and blue sprinkles.

And while I did go a little overboard (pun intended) with the preparation and planning, I have to say, it was really fun. I loved the coming up with the crafty elements and figuring out how to execute them, and, of course, the cooking and eating parts. And yes, we are all wearing navy and/or red. I even scored this fab anchor necklace at Forever 21.

Most importantly, my little monster had tons of fun with his buddies and really enjoyed his big day. Happy Birthday, G! We love you!

“Boy Do I Likes Clake”

Published on July 7, 2011 in Cakes, Chocolate and Desserts. 0 Comments

The complete quote is actually, “Boy, do I likes chocolate clake…” which is one of the lesser known — but still classic — statements made by the one and only Spanky, but really who’s quibbling because there’s plenty of chocolate in this here clake (or cake, if you want to be precise).

I ostensibly made this delicious cake for Ryan’s birthday, but the truth is since we didn’t really have a party for my birthday, I made it for me too (shh, don’t tell). I was actually trying to recreate the cake my mother traditionally made for my birthday. She always made me a yellow cake with chocolate frosting. On a side note, my brother always got southern sheet cake (don’t worry, that’s coming soon to a blog near you, i.e., this one); my oldest sister, Alicia, (she of the recipe-sharing French teacher) got another Mom classic, black bottom pie (in due time folks, it is bikini season, you know), and I can’t remember what Steph, my other sister got, but I’m thinking there was chocolate involved. I’ll have to check with her on this. I guess chocolate seems to be a recurring theme in my family’s lives.

I digress, but there is something really wonderful about getting that special birthday cake or meal or whatever made just for you by your mother or someone else you love. I mean, I’ve never forgotten that cake. I think of it as my cake. The only problem is…well, I don’t have the recipe. And unfortunately, my poor mother can’t find the recipe she used and, frankly, doesn’t know what the hell I’m talking about (would you if you had to juggle four kids and all their birthday requests and personal predilections?).

But! The good news (there is good news here) is that she did find a recipe for a cake that was her mother’s recipe. And while it’s not the cake I remember (that one was yellow, this one is white), it is certainly delicious. It’s not super-dense, but more of a spongey kind of texture; a nice lighter counterpoint to the incredibly rich and buttery chocolate frosting I whipped up. And with a name like Alice’s Lazy Dazy Cake — I mean, how can you NOT give that recipe a go?

Notes:
You can use sweetened chocolate, which is what the recipe for my [former] all-time favorite frosting from Magnolia Bakery does, but I didn’t have any, so I used unsweetened and just used a bit more (but not much) sugar. I don’t like my frosting to be too sweet (and yes I see the irony in that statement when you consider the 3 cups of sugar in this recipe). Also, this made about a cup more than I needed, but I think I underfrosted, particularly in the in-between layer because I wasn’t sure how much I had. And yes, I did add a nice scoop of frosting on my plate next to my slice of cake for additional dippage. And is it such a bad thing to have a container of chocolate buttercream frosting just sitting around in the fridge waiting for you and a spoon to stop by anyway? Wait. Don’t answer that.

Grandmother Alice’s Lazy Dazy Cake

Makes 2 9″ round cakes

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups cake flour (if you only have all-purpose, just sift it twice)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 350ºF/180º C. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add sugar gradually and mix until fluffy, about three minutes. Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl, then gradually (in thirds) add that into the egg and butter mixture.

In the meantime, bring milk and butter to a boil (keep an eye on it), then add to the mixture. The batter will seem a little bit thin. Mix in vanilla. Divide evenly into two buttered and floured 9″ round cake pans. Bake for 30 minutes.

Cool on a rack. To remove the cake, run a knife around the outside edge of the pan, put your hand on the top of the cake and tip the pan over. The cake should come right out.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

6 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1-1/2 sticks (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 tablespoons milk, plus more, if needed
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Melt the chocolate over medium-low heat in a double boiler or a glass or metal bowl that fits well in a small saucepan (i.e., suspended over and not touching the water below). Let it cool for about 10 minutes.

Whip the softened butter until light and fluffy for about 3 minutes. Add the milk and beat for two minutes. Add the chocolate and beat for another two minutes. Mix in the vanilla. Add sugar and mix on low until frosting is creamy.

To frost the cakes, place small pieces of wax paper on the cake plate underneath and around the outside edge of the first cake, which should be placed on its top, i.e., upside down. Don’t worry, it will settle down. Frost the top, then place the second cake bottom-side down (so the two flat sides are together) on top of the frosting, then frost the rest of the cake — top first and spread down to cover the sides.

Cravings

Published on February 2, 2011 in Beans + Legumes, Breakfast, Cakes, Cookbooks + Cooks, Cookies, Inspiration, Mexican, pasta and Soups + Stews. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Hello, it’s me. Sick again. Yippee. It sucks really. I don’t know how mouth breathers do it. Breathing through your mouth is very unpleasant.

Anyway, I spent some time clicking away on some of my favorite food sites last night and wanted to share some things I’m craving…even though I can’t taste anything. But you go have fun. Really. It’s okay.

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Soup. More soup. We like soup. This soup. Smitten Kitchen delivers (as usual).

Post Punk Kitchen is cooking up some quinoa goodness here

I’m a sucker for poppy seeds. Tim at Lottie + Doof is too.

Matt (of Matt Bites fame) is an incredible photographer and going to his site always makes me hungry. Like, this. Hello.

Winter makes me want to eat potatoes. I’m particularly obsessed with sweet potatoes right now. Give me a sweet potato roasted in its skin, slathered with butter, and topped with a healthy grind of black pepper and a sprinkle of fleur de sel and I’m in my happy place. Gluten Free Girl has taken it up a notch, and I’m feeling happy in a whole new way.

Never met a chocolate chip cookie I didn’t like. And this one from Orangette is, um, healthy. Sort of. Not really.

More soup. Again with the soup? Yes. Again with the soup. It’s for sick people. Heidi says so. Thank you 101 Cookbooks (my online food bible).

Last and perhaps least, if you’re feeling virtuous and/or enormous, pop on over to Bon Appétit and get yourself on a cleanse for food lovers. Doesn’t sound so bad actually. There is no lemon cayenne water involved. And chocolate is still on the menu.

Buenos Aires: Nucha!

Published on March 19, 2010 in Argentina, Cakes, Desserts and Field Trips. 0 Comments


Oh, happy day! Out this morning walking the dog with the hombrecito, we passed what has been until today a construction site. Not just any construction site, mind you, but one for the mecca of incredible desserts here in BsAs. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you…Nucha.

The Nucha that I’d been to, which is in Palermo Viejo, is a tiny little shop with about 10 small tables. This new branch, which, ahem, is a less-than-5-minute walk from mi casa, is enormous. Cavernous, if you will. Double-height ceilings, glass walls, spacious tables and, most importantly, the desserts! Oh my. They have the requisite dulce de leche-laden fare, including a gooey dark chocolate and DDL bar, but also incredible lemon squares, decadent chocolate mousse bars and, of course, alfajores. Oh, and they do excellent mini empanadas, which would be great for a cocktail party, and also delicious tartas (kind of like a savory tart, but with a flour/empanada crust as opposed to a puffed pastry one).

This has just made me realize that I need to try some empanada and tarta recipes, although it’s rather hard to make all these things when they’re so readily available, tasty and super cheap (as in less than a dollar for an empanada). I also need to share with you my healthier version of lemon squares. I think I need to make those very soon. Soooo good. But for now, I’ll just have to choke down a slightly less healthy version from Nucha. (And yes, you get a lovely little dark chocolate filled with dulce de leche and an orange juice with your cafe con leche. Muy bien.)

Muchas gracias, Nucha, y bienvenidos al barrio!

Carrot Cake

Published on January 6, 2010 in Cakes and Desserts. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .


One of the best things about being here in Buenos Aires is the amazing group of women that I’ve met through my playgroup. When you move to a new country not knowing a soul with a one-year old, let me tell you, meeting other moms should be priority #1. These women are not only invaluable resources (as most of them have lived here for years), but have also created a great support system. If you’re a mom, you know that sometimes you need to talk ad nauseum about your child’s sleep schedule — or lack thereof (and if you’re not a mom, you get really bored by this kind of talk). And to top it all off, they’re just fun and cool and they’re my new friends. Yay! We like friends.

So, when it was my turn to host, I thought a special effort was in order (don’t think I didn’t consider serving those buttery scones from my lovely panaderia; alas, they only make them on Fridays). I have yet to see carrot cake here, so I thought a little taste of “home” (i.e., North America) would be nice. This cake was based on a recipe from Cooking Light, but I made quite a few changes based on what I had on hand (whole-wheat instead of white flour, yogurt instead of carrot baby food, 9” round pan instead of 8” square, etc. etc.), and I think it turned out quite well.

So I raise a carrot cake covered fork (and a glass of wine) to my ladies in the playgroup…besos!



Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cake:
¾ cup whole-wheat flour, sifted
¼ cup oats
1-½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup plain yogurt (whole or low-fat, your choice or if you live in BsAs and want to be naughty, then use Casan Crem
(it’s like sour cream)
1-¼ cups finely grated carrot (about 4 ounces or two good-sized carrots; buy three just in case, though!)
½ cup chopped walnuts (or you can use raisins, if you like; I’m not a huge fan)

Frosting:
3-4 tablespoons low-fat cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon butter, softened
¾ cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1-½ teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ cup flaked sweetened coconut, toasted (optional)

Preheat oven to 325°F/165º C.

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, canola oil, sugar and vanilla. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moist. Stir in grated carrot, yogurt and walnuts. Pour batter into an 8” square or 9” round baking pan coated with cooking spray or butter. FYI, this will also make 15 standard-sized cupcakes.

Bake for 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

To prepare frosting, combine cream cheese and butter in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at high speed until creamy (or by hand if you’re like me and don’t have a mixer). Gradually add confectioner’s sugar and vanilla, beating at low speed until smooth (please don’t overbeat. Thank you.). Spread over cake; sprinkle with coconut if you like that sort of thing (I do).