Tag Archives: daring bakers

Getting out of the culinary comfort zone

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I love to bake, but I try not to do it just anytime the urge strikes. That way I don’t make (and eat) cookies every single day. I figured that by joining the Daring Bakers, I could get that urge to back out of the way every month. And I might make some new and exciting stuff along the way.

Since October, I’ve made pizza dough (fantastic); caramel cake (oh my stars so good); a Buche de Noel (definitely a once-a-year undertaking); Tuile cookies; a flourless chocolate cake; and the most delicious cheesecake ever. I can’t reveal to you what this month’s challenge is, but I can tell you that (a) I haven’t made it yet and (b) I’m a little afraid to try. Next Wednesday is the Big Reveal Day, so you should pop back over then if you’re curious.

Last month the Daring Kitchen expanded its purview. I tend to get into cooking ruts, so I’m very excited about the Daring Cooks challenges. I say that even though I never got around to doing the first challenge, Ricotta Gnocchi. This month’s challenge is particularly exciting. Again, I can’t reveal what it is yet. Check back on June 14 for that one.

All of this is to say: The Daring Kitchen’s challenges work for me. They help inspire and challenge me in the kitchen, and that’s a great thing when you start to feel a bit blah about slapping together the food for your family.

Visit We are That Family for more Works for Me Wednesday tips!

In which I continue to discuss chocolate

February’s Daring Bakers challenge was a flourless chocolate cake to be served with vanilla ice cream. I’ve made a similar cake in the past, so this particular challenge wasn’t all that terrifying.

The cake turned out really dense and brownie-like. The cake will taste very much like whatever chocolate you use, so keep that in mind when you’re shopping for chocolate.

I made a vanilla ice cream from “Perfect Scoop” and it was so good. If you have an ice cream maker, you need this book.

Chocolate Valentino
from “Sweet Treats” by Chef Wan
16 ounces semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
½ cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 large eggs, separated

Put chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt, stirring often. While your chocolate-butter mixture is cooling, butter your pan and line with a parchment circle then butter the parchment.

Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and put into two medium/large bowls. Whip the egg whites in a medium/large grease free bowl until stiff peaks are formed (do not over-whip or the cake will be dry). With the same beater beat the egg yolks together. Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate.

Fold a third of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and follow with remaining two-thirds. Fold until no white remains without deflating the batter.

Pour batter into prepared pan, the batter should fill the pan 3/4 of the way full, and bake at 375F/190C. Bake for 25 minutes until an instant read thermometer reads 140F/60C. (If you do not have an instant read thermometer, the top of the cake will look similar to a brownie and a cake tester will appear wet.)

Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes, then unmold.

The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE’s blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef. We have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge.

One sweet challenge

This month’s Daring Baker Challenge was Shuna Fish Lydon’s Caramel Cake with Caramelized Butter Frosting. It was a little time-consuming, but the only really challenging part of the recipe was making the caramel syrup. I have a bad track record with candy, but this time it worked out really well. But we’ll get to that later.

The cake itself was a little dense, and it didn’t have as much caramel flavor as I’d expected or hoped. The frosting, though, was delectable. I’ll definitely make it again. (And again and again, most likely.) And the caramel syrup I mentioned earlier? Delicious. I have a bunch of it left. I’m not sure what to do with it. Other than eat it with a spoon.

Caramel Cake with Caramelized Butter Frosting
from Shuna Fish Lydon, as published on Bay Area Bites
10 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup caramel syrup (see recipe below)
2 each eggs, at room temperature
Splash vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 350F

Butter one tall (2 – 2.5 inch deep) 9-inch cake pan.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth. Add sugar and salt & cream until light and fluffy.

Slowly pour room temperature caramel syrup into bowl. Scrape down bowl and increase speed. Add eggs/vanilla extract a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down bowl again, beat mixture until light and uniform.

Sift flour and baking powder.

Turn mixer to lowest speed, and add one third of the dry ingredients. When incorporated, add half of the milk, a little at a time. Add another third of the dry ingredients, then the other half of the milk and finish with the dry ingredients. {This is called the dry, wet, dry, wet, dry method in cake making. It is often employed when there is a high proportion of liquid in the batter.}

Take off mixer and by hand, use a spatula to do a few last folds, making sure batter is uniform. Turn batter into prepared cake pan.

Place cake pan on cookie sheet or 1/2 sheet pan. Set first timer for 30 minutes, rotate pan and set timer for another 15-20 minutes. Your own oven will set the pace. Bake until sides pull away from the pan and skewer inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool cake completely before icing it.

Cake will keep for three days outside of the refrigerator.

Caramel Syrup
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup water (for “stopping” the caramelization process)

In a small stainless steel saucepan, with tall sides, mix water and sugar until mixture feels like wet sand. Brush down any stray sugar crystals with wet pastry brush. Turn on heat to highest flame. Cook until smoking slightly: dark amber.

When color is achieved, very carefully pour in one cup of water. Caramel will jump and sputter about! It is very dangerous, so have long sleeves on and be prepared to step back.

Whisk over medium heat until it has reduced slightly and feels sticky between two fingers. (Obviously wait for it to cool on a spoon before touching it.)

Note: For safety reasons, have ready a bowl of ice water to plunge your hands into if any caramel should land on your skin.

Caramelized Butter Frosting
12 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound confectioner’s sugar, sifted
4-6 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-4 tablespoons caramel syrup
Kosher or sea salt to taste

Cook butter until brown. Pour through a fine meshed sieve into a heatproof bowl, set aside to cool.

Pour cooled brown butter into mixer bowl.

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, add confectioner’s sugar a little at a time. When mixture looks too chunky to take any more, add a bit of cream and or caramel syrup. Repeat until mixture looks smooth and all confectioner’s sugar has been incorporated. Add salt to taste.

Note: Caramelized butter frosting will keep in fridge for up to a month. To smooth out from cold, microwave a bit, then mix with paddle attachment until smooth and light.

Many thanks to this month’s Daring Baker’s Challenge hosts Dolores at Culinary Curiosity, Rockford of Blondie and Brownie and Jenny of Foray into Food!