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cake

Summer Plum Almond Cake

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I’ve had a simple cake in mind made with fresh fruits. Something not too sweet, sort of on the line of a clafoutis, but not custardy and not too cake-y either. A treat I could snack on and not feel terrifically guilty about, and something that would be simple and easy to throw together.

I had been dreaming of peaches, but at the farmers market I spied some ruby jewel plums- just perfect for my little project.

I was not able to find a recipe for exactly what I was looking for, so I created my own. With delight and joy, it turned out quite nicely on the first go round. Certainly my years of cake making is a help, since batters are a balance of chemistry and there is a consistency that one can expect when all the elements are put together- but then again…

What I was also quite delighted about, was that it was the right amount of sweet and tart and chew that I was looking for- and so- I delightfully am sharing it with you.

The fruits turned out to be ripe to over ripe- perfect for my cake. They were not good for hand eating, and small enough to simply half and tuck into the batter. The only pain was de-stoning those tender babies (imagine ruby red pulp on fingers and my paring knife).

I did not reinvent the wheel here- and I am SURE there is a proper recipe out there for this- but my little beauty contains no butter or oil, and yet it’s moist and delicious. Like I said, a treat that you don’t have to feel too guilty about.

Summer Plum Almond Cake
serves 8
 
1c room temp milk
.75c sugar
3 large eggs, room temp
1t almond extract
1t vanilla extract
1.75 c flour
.5c ground almonds
1t baking powder
1t baking soda
.5t salt
1 pint of small plums, de-stoned and cut in half
 
 
Preheat oven to 350˚ and grease an 8″x8″ pan
 
In a side bowl combine milk, sugar, eggs and extracts and whisk smooth
 
In large bowl sift together flour, almonds, bs, bp and salt
 
Pour the milk mixture into the flour and whisk gently to combine
 
Pour batter into the pan, then arrange fruits, cut side up in the batter, not allowing them to sink below. If your fruits are too small and sink too deep, remove some of the batter and use to make extra small cupcakes
 
Bake for approximately 35 minutes until the top is golden brown and the center is springy to the touch
 
I am a touch baker. My years of baking have taught me that eggs at certain times of the year, humidity and devilish angels can affect baking times- so I’ve learned to go by feel and touch. Since oven temps and evenness of heat distribution can vary, I recommend you try this method too.
 
 
Enjoy! and Thanks once again for spending time with me.
 
 
 

Coconut Raspberry Cake

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So far this year I have spent Memorial Day in Guatemala and now, the Fourth of July in Thailand. Last night I spent the holiday at an event hosted by the US consulate here in Chiang Mai. The evening started out with glasses of wine that were handed out, tied with red, white and blue ribbons. On cocktail tables were decorations of stars and stripes- which, rather than making me feel at home- was a dramatic and harsh contrast to the Southeast Asian aesthetic.

Earlier in the day I had been thinking about what I would be missing at home- BBQ, backyard cocktails, fireflies and fireworks… There is nothing to fill the gap here, except the possibility of ordering a hamburger from a restaurant chain. Is it patriotic to go to McDonald’s to celebrate our American history? The sad but true answer is probably yes, but never in my world. No, there is no satisfying substitute, and nor should there be.

Instead I like the contrast. I like remembering that I am far from home, and recreating Americanization everywhere is by no means necessary. To my mind there is already too much (Starbucks are everywhere, KFC and Sizzler too). However, when they played the National Anthem after the introductions- I felt proud, tho a bit silly. I came here to be HERE, but I am proud to be an American and to stand up one day a year and proclaim so is the very least I could do.

When the anthem was over I wanted to say, “Play Ball!!”, but my joke would have been irreverent. I stood up. I mouthed the words to the anthem (like we all do) and raised my glass in a toast. I proudly, very proudly, represented my country.

Before leaving I made up this Coconut Raspberry Cake. Not really thinking about The Fourth, but this would make a fantastic addition to a casual picnic or cookout. It’s made in a sheet pan making it easy to tote along. Were I to serve it on The Fourth I would pair it with blueberry sorbet or ice cream- and proudly show my colors.

 

Coconut Raspberry Cake
serves 6-8
 
.33c sugar
1c AP flour
.5t baking powder
.5c sweetened coconut
pinch of salt
.5c milk-warmed
3.5oz melted butter
 
2c raspberries (can be frozen)
2c sugar
1T lemon juice
 
2 large eggs-beaten lightly
2c sweetened coconut
.33c sugar
 
Preheat oven to 350˚- grease 6×12″ pan
 
Combine sugar, flour, bp, salt and coconut in a large bowl and stir to combine.
 
In small bowl combine the butter and milk. Pour into the flour mixture and gently stir to combine.
 
Pour batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake until just lightly browned-12-15mins. The cake is not very thick, so don’t be tempted to overbake and brown.
 
While cake is baking: combine berries, sugar and lemon juice in heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 3-5 mins until thickened. 
 
Allow cake and jam to cool for 15 mins, then spread jam over cake, creating the middle layer.
 
In a separate bowl combine the eggs, coconut and sugar and stir to combine.
 
Spread coconut mixture on top of raspberry layer. Place back into the oven until coconut is golden brown- ~20 mins.
 
Allow to cool completely before serving- it’s even better chilled before cutting.

 

Warm Chocolate Pudding Cake with Caramel Creme Anglaise, Day 4: Irene’s Beans

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Heading home today from my time in Guatemala- the land of chocolate and coffee. It has been a fantastic time brushing up on my crusty rusty Spanish, exploring a new place, and making new friends. Unfortunately I’ve managed to develop a wicked head cold that is making me foggy minded and a big goofy, so forgive the lack of chit chat, it’s onward to an amazing cake and delicious coffee.

This cake is super moist with a slightly mousse-like texture. It’s delightfully not sweet, which is fantastic since it then calls out for some sort of topping. The caramel Creme Anglaise is perfection. The milk creaminess is so wonderful and the caramel brings out the chocolate. The Creme Anglaise needs to be made in advance and cooled, if you don’t have the time, sweetened whipped cream would not be a hardship nor ice cream.

The coffee pairing for this is the French Roast. OK, one little bit of a chat. Amongst my close friends it is well known that I am really not so much a coffee drinker, but an espresso drinker. In fact so much so that I am teased mercilessly for it- mostly as a result of one rough morning in a New Orleans Supermarket when I was asked which coffee I would like for the apartment we were sharing with friends. No coffee, only espresso. La-di-dah! (Sorry Mary!) What can I say? A girl knows what she likes.

This cake is at it’s best warm, but seriously, cold is quite wonderful too.

Warm Chocolate Pudding Cake with Caramel Creme Anglaise
serves 8
 
5oz bittersweet chocolate
6T unsalted butter
1T olive oil
3T sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
4T all purpose flour
1/8t baking powder (eye it)
large pinch of salt
 
Preheat oven to 350˚ and boil a large pot of simmering water. Grease and line a 6″ baking pan. You will also need a larger baking/roasting pan to set the cake pan into.
 
Over a double boiler, melt the chocolate and butter together. Stir in the sugar and salt. Allow to cool until warm to the touch then thoroughly stir in the eggs and oil.
 
In a small bowl combine the flour and baking powder. Gently stir into the chocolate mixture.
 
Pour batter into the prepared pan, then set pan into the roasting pan. Add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the cake pan.
 
Place the whole magilla into the center of the oven and bake for 30-35mins. Trend toward under baking rather than over baking.
 
Remove from oven and remove cake from water bath. Allow to cool for a few mins then remove from the pan and allow to cool another 5mins before serving.
 
Caramel Creme Anglaise
makes 1.5c
 
1c whole milk or cream
2t vanilla
4 egg yolks
4T sugar
2T water
 
In a heavy saucepan combine the water and sugar and place over medium high heat. Watching closely, boil the sugar until it caramelizes. Remove from the heat one shade lighter than you would like as it continues to deepen quickly at this point.
 
Pour in the milk or cream. It will steam and create a cold hard sugar lump on the bottom of the pan. Just ignore all that, but be careful about the steam.
 
Stir in the yolks and vanilla and gently warm again over a medium low heat. The sugar will dissolve into the sauce and it will slowly thicken.
 
Warm until the sauce is a thick heavy cream. It should coat the spoon. Be gentle with this, overheating will cause it to break.
 
Once the sauce has reached the desired consistency remove from the heat immediately and strain through a sieve into a bowl.
 
Cool completely.