this has been an intimidating post to begin. mainly because, there is just so much. but enough is enough, i will not procrastinate any longer.
let's begin, shall we? i hope you're ready for cake tidbits flying at your brain.
long story short. i made a wedding cake for a wonderful wedding.
in the month leading up to may 11, i used/blamed this project as an excuse to immerse my after-work world in all things cake.
everyone wants to make delicious cake. everyone wants to eat delicious cake.
the thing is, cake is good.
unless you've forgotten the sugar or accidentally spilled nail polish remover in your batter, the cake is (most likely) going to be something that you want to eat.
but i want better cake. the i-need-another-piece-right-now kind.
it's got to look nice, which is part of the fun.
but before that, its insides need to be on point. the flavors and textures need to mingle with each other in harmony.
let's recipe test..
cake bones and innards.
i made big batches of each component, then ate them in different combos with the cakes.
just like putting together outfits but without changing sweatpants or needing to fit into outfits.
i took a few of my favorite elements from my favorite cakes...and figured out a way to smash them all together in one fat cake.
the salty caramel and ganache from the sweet and salty cake. and my beloved hazelnut crunch from momofuku...
white cake.
for 2 weeks i compared white cake recipes and mixing methods.
i finally decided on a fluffy white cake base from Sweetapolita
raspberry strawberry filling. easily the simplest component. stewed for a couple minutes with a touch of sugar, lemon, and cornstarch. it should taste like fresh raspberries and strawberries.
next, i turned to cream cheese. obviously.
i tried out a cream cheese filling in the center of the cake. hmm..
i tried momofuku's spreadable liquid cheesecake, which i really dug on its own, but wasn't sold on it for this cake. it needed something more mellow/complementary.
i then turned to a basic vanilla bean custard. i spread it onto a hunk of cake with the rasp/strawb filling and hazelnut crunch and hoped for the best. WINNER.
and for the top cake. one for chocolate and salt lovers. and anyone with taste buds.
the standby awesome chocolate cake that i will forever count on, built with valhrona cocoa, strong coffee, and buttermilk.
thin saltier-than-the-norm-caramel, to seep into each layer of cake. maldon sea salt.
a crazyface whipped ganache that starts with boiling sugar and water.
sugar and water boils until it is deep amber.
deep amber —> pull off the heat. stream in cream. bubble bubble bubble. boom caramel.
a boatload of dark chocolate gets dumped to melt into the hot caramel.
(do you see what's going on here? in a typical ganache, chocolate gets melted into hot cream. here, chocolate gets melted into hot caramel...this makes things very exciting i know!
and lastly. after the caramel ganache is cool. it goes into the kitchen aid bowl and butter is whipped in, bit by bit, until 1 pound of butter has disappeared into glossy chocolate bliss.
and that, my dearest darlings, is what gets spread in between the layers.
ok. are you exhausted? that's enough cake talk for one night.
i will continue with the building of this wedding cake beast shortly.
Fluffy Vanilla Cake
from Sweetapolita
notes: this recipe yields 2 9 inch rounds of cake. i most definitely made more than that.
5 large egg whites (5 oz/150 g) room temperature
3/4 cup whole milk (6 oz) room temperature
2 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
scrapings of 1/2 a vanilla bean (optional)
zest of 1/2 an orange (optional)
2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour (10 oz/285 g)
1 3/4 cups sugar (12 oz/350 g)
1 tbsp + 1 tsp baking powder (19.5 g)
3/4 tsp salt (5 g)
12 tbsp unsalted butter (6 oz), at room temperature
preheat oven to 350 degreesF. grease, line with parchment, and flour two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans.
in a medium bowl or measuring cup, combine and stir the egg whites, 1/4 cup of milk, vanilla, vanilla bean, and zest. set aside.
in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients together on low speed for 30 seconds.
add the butter and remaining 1/2 cup of milk, and mix on low speed until just moistened. increase to medium speed and mix for 90 seconds.
scrape the sides of the bowl and begin to add the egg mixture in 3 separate batches; beat on medium speed for 20 seconds after each addition. divide the batter in two, spreading it evenly with a small offset palette knife. if you have a kitchen scale, weigh to ensure 2 even layers.
bake 25-35 minutes or until a cake tester comes clean when inserted into the center. be careful not to over bake.
let cool on racks for 10 minutes before loosening the sides with a small metal spatula, and invert onto greased wire racks. gently turn cakes back up, so the tops and up and cool completely.
wrap tightly in plastic and store at room temperature for up to 2 days, or frozen up to 2 months.
Vanilla Bean Custard
adapted from smitten kitchen
1 cup whole milk
seeds from 1/4 to 1/2 vanilla bean or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 large egg yolks
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 sheet of gelatin
in a small saucepan, combine your milk and vanilla bean. heat the mixture until it is warm, then set aside.
in the bottom of a small saucepan, off the heat, beat or whisk your yolks and 1/4 cup sugar together vigorously, until it pales in color and it form a ribbon off whisk when lifted. whisk in the flour until fully incorporated.
whisking the whole time, drizzle the warm vanilla-milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture, just a bit at a time at first. whisk constantly.
bloom sheet of gelatin in ice water.
place the saucepan over medium heat whisking constantly, until it begins to bubble. once bubbling whisk it for 1-2 more minutes then remove from the heat. immediately stir in vanilla extract (if using) and butter until combined. squeeze water out of bloomed gelatin and whisk until melted and fully incorporated. pass it through a fine mesh strainer.
to cool quickly, place the custard in a bowl set in an ice bath.
press a film of plastic on the surface of the custard as to not develop a skin.
Hazelnut Crunch
Salted Caramel Sauce and Whipped Caramel Ganache
it was late. i was still up, sitting, doing what i usually do. feeling bored and sick of myself.
suddenly. large pounding sounds came from the back.
was that an earthquake? no.
was it a large scary guy coming after me with a weapon? no.
holy fuck. i'm not kidding…it's a Dinosaur.
it looks like it’s about to make it's way out here.
i saw it's face. it looks big and wrinkly and like it could bite my upper half off in one swift chomp.
it's there. what the fuck do i do? do i play dead like you're supposed to with sharks?
it moved toward me. shit. balls. could i train it to be my dinosaur pet? crap. it's going to eat me. it smells
i laid still. i thought about how i was going to die. jeff goldblum flashed through my mind.
i thought of my parents.
my mom is upstairs watching the bachelor. i wonder if it will go upstairs.
what if the dinosaur killed based on a person's television selections? shit...he'll definitely get her.
this is it.
calm down.
whatever will be will be.
i'll definitely be on the national news.
it's tail bashed over the flowers in my mom’s ugly vase and it stopped.
it looked at me. and holy hell, opened it's mouth.
"you need to knock it off. really."
"...what?" (ohmygodohmygod what is happening.)
"i'm sure it must get a little complicated with your things like wearing shoes and text etiquette, but you fucking humans...you're being dumb. it's your turn right now and you're doing it all wrong. leave it to your futuristic brains to overcomplicate a simple thing,
the simplest thing. Everyone ever, we're all essentially waiting to die. you need to pluck yourself off that comfy couch and stop thinking about everything so hard. what is the point of feeling stuck? what is the point of feeling unbearably nervous? fine, i know you can't help it at times, i hate public speaking too. but really, enjoy stuff. don't just act like you enjoy stuff while you suppress the other stresses in your brain, only to return to them later. stop it. seriously. feel good. appreciate things that make you feel good. appreciate your thumbs. go see machu picchu, because that shit is reeeediculous. be impulsive, dammit. because why the shit not? you're gonna die in a little, remember?
and don't come at me with those afterlife and reincarnation theories. shut up. you don't really know. Now is the time.
alright. that's it. so, julia. what are you going to make it?"
i realized i was holding my breath.
it stretched up tall. it's nostrils flared as it caught a scent that made it's dino knees buckle. it pivoted and b-lined it to the kitchen.
it put the whole zucchini bundt i had just made into its mouth, then grabbed the tv off the wall and slung it under it's mini arm thing.
"hmm, good. was that lemon? I'm taking this, you don't need it. Bye."
and it let himself out the side door.
Zucchini Olive Oil Cake with Crunchy Lemon Glaze
adapted from Gina DePalma's Dolce Italiano via Lottie and Doof
notes on this cake: it's goood. i've had this stashed on my to-make list for what feels like forever.
it's a lovely balance of summer freshness and spicy comfort.
the crumb is perfectly moist and the top part coated with the tart glaze is the best part, naturally.
1 cup pecan pieces
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
3 large eggs
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups grated zucchini (about 2 small-medium zucchini)
glaze:
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup confectioners' sugar
preheat the oven to 350 degreesF. grease a 10 inch bundt pan or 2 loaf pans and dust them with flour.
place pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast them until they are aromatic, 8-12 minutes. cool completely and then finely chop.
sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices into a medium bowl and set aside. in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, and olive oil together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. then beat in the vanilla extract. scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. beat in the dry ingredients all at once on low speed until they are thoroughly combined. then switch to medium speed and mix for 30 seconds. mix in the zucchini and pecans on low speed until incorporated.
pour the batter into prepared pans, smoothing the top with a spatula. bake the cake(s) for 40-50 minutes or until a tester comes out clean and the cake has begun to pull away from the sides of the pan.
while the cake is finishing baking, prepare the glaze. in a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and sugar, then whisk in the confectioners' sugar until the glaze is smooth.
allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. then carefully invert onto a wire rack. using a pastry brush, immediately brush the glaze over the entire surface of the warm cake, using all of the glaze; it will adhere to the cake and set as the cake cools. allow the cake to cool completely and the glaze to dry.
i haven't seen many sunsets as of late.
so this one felt extra good.
for the last year, when monday came around and bars were empty, when everyone was moping and complaining with monday blues, i was the happy one.
and now the time has come, it feels uncomfortable and exciting..things are about to change. this was one of my last monday 'saturday nights'. i think i will miss them in the most nostalgiac way.
there were three wee pears left in the fridge. too mushy to eat, too sad to let die.
let us juice them! for boozy juice. what a smart brain
boozy juice for this sunset.
ginger beer + vodka + pear juice + mint leaves.
food. we need food.
pretty red salmon, rubbed down with some brown sugar and chili powder. and a miso sugar snap pea salad that might knock your socks off.
this salad is for now. sweet snap peas, radishes sliced thin, napa cabbage, and a miso sesame gingery dressing that is awesome.
switch to wine, go back for seconds, forget about taking pictures of everything, and appreciate monday. it might as well be saturday.
Sugar Snap Salad with Miso Dressing
from the smitten kitchen cookbook
1/2 lb sugar snap peas
1/2 lb napa cabbage, in thin ribbons (about 3 cups)
4 ounces radishes (4 medium-large), julienned or thinly sliced
3 large scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced on bias
3 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
sesame miso dressing:
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp milk yellow or white miso, plus up to 1 more tbsp to taste
2 tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste)
1 tbsp honey
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tbsp toasted sesame seed oil
2 tbsp olive oil
blanch sugar snap peas. bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and prepare a small ice-water bath. boil the sugar snaps for about 2 minutes until just barely cooked but still crisp. scoop them out with a large slotted spoon, and drop them in the ice water bath. once they're cool, drain and pat dry. trim ends and cut sugar snaps on bias into thin slices. toss in large bowl with cabbage, radishes, scallions, and 1 tbsp sesame seeds.
make the dressing: whirl all ingredients, using the smaller amount of miso to start out, in a blender until smooth. taste and adjust ingredients - use the extra tbsp miso if desired.
toss the salad with half the dressing, and taste. use more dressing if you like (you do). sprinkle with remaining sesame seeds. feast.
sometimes all you need is an escape, preferably in the trees. a weekend to drop off the map completely.
weddings are the best. it's a known fact.
but weddings with your second family, deep in the redwoods, with no sign of internet or cell service...the best best.
our little cabin studio was the cutest, complete with baby loft and 3 skylights. anyone would be happy waking up here.
i think fairies live here, non?
the mornings were early and lazy. teacups of coffee, 20 refills.
beautiful breakfasts each morning. every one was memorable.
on the first morning, it was fried eggs over grits with roasted green chiles and bacon. we passed warm cinnamon bread and she squeezed us orange juice.
on the wedding morning, we woke to pancakes with lemon, ginger, and cognac, dotted with blueberries. and little sausages. we passed pitchers of maple syrup and melted butter.
a pitcher of melted butter.
i think sitah might be my soulmate. i'd be down for adoption. so i can live here.
rehearsal dinner night. complete with mexican food truck. and embarrassing myself playing corn hole. and wine. and churros.
and then it was saturday. time to throw a wedding together. time to take a deep breath and stack some cakes in a mini fridge. to suck in the forest air, and smack the bugs away.
get away from me mosquitos! you will not ruin this for me, for everyone.
time to marry some loverbirds.
jill and zach. you guys.
you are so very special to me.
and genuine joy can be a hard thing to come by. but you have most definitely found it in each other, and it's super awesome to witness. thank you for giving everyone such a special weekend.
i'm sorry i drunkenly vandalized your guestbook.
feeling like a schmagel face.
peeling off dried glue is more fun than scraping off the dried clumps of dough on the backs of my arms
i haven't had anything to eat.
well
that's not true.
i had some chips and a bunch of watermelon.
recipes and swanky stuff soon. promises promises
well crap.
this took longer than anticipated, but i have cake for you.
like a lot of cake.
i wish i could shoot all these cakes from a cannon off my roof into your house.
one time i wanted to start Street Cake. it's probably one of the best worst ideas i've had.
essentially it's street art but with dessert. like leaving cupcakes in nooks and crannies all around town.
would you consider eating a random cake left on your front porch?
what if i lined up a bunch of cupcakes across the sidewalk? what then?
i don't know. i just wanted to be a part of guerilla street art.
i guess it's just back to bake sales. i've never even had a bake sale. travesties!
"ENOUGH. get to the cake"
in mi opinión, every flavor and texture component in a cake should serve a purpose.
it's just like accounting balance sheets.
something heavy should be met with something light. something rich balanced with something tart, fresh, or salty.
and nothing, Nothing, will feel sickeningly sweet.
so here is a clean and simple buttery cake base.
the rich espresso buttercream filling is cut with the brightness of apricot preserves.
the almond mascarpone cream is a bit tangy and super light.
creamy dreamy.
and the toasted almonds = prettiness and cRunCH.
it's creamy dreamy. things are balanced all over the place. can this just count for doing my taxes?
Barely Brown Butter Cake
from momofuku milk bar
things about this cake:
this was my first time making momofuku's 'barely brown butter cake'.
It worked splendidly for this cake, especially because it's the perfect size for a 6 inch layer cake, but I will say that it isn't my favorite crumb of all time. i want my cake MOIST (muaha, sorry). and this cake, though tasty, was a touch drier than i would prefer. this could also very well be a result of other variables.. my wacko oven, baking time, something weird i did, etc, but i can't know for sure until i try it again. i just would never want to lead you astray.
i will write the recipe as it's written, but i totally encourage using your favorite basic white/yellow cake as the base for this cake.
4 tbsp (55g) unsalted butter
2 tbsp (40g) brown butter
1 1/4 cups (250g) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (60g) light brown sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup (110g) buttermilk
1/3 cup (65g) grapeseed oil
1/2 tsp (2g) vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (185g) cake flour
1 tsp (4g) baking powder
1 tsp (4g) kosher salt
preheat the oven to 350 degreesF. combine butters and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2-3 minutes. scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs, and mix on medium-high for 2-3 minutes. scrape sides once more.
stream in buttermilk, oil, and vanilla while the paddle swirls on low speed. increase the speed to medium-high and paddle 5-6 minutes, until the mixture is practically white, twice the size of your original fluffy butter-sugar mixture, and completely homogenous. if it doesn't look right after 6 minutes, just keep mixing.
stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
on very low speed, add the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. mix for 45-60 seconds, just until the batter comes together and any remnants of dry ingredients have been incorporated. scrape down the sides of the bowl. mix on low speed for another 45 seconds to ensure that any little lumps of cake flour are incorporated
pam spray a quarter sheet pan and line it with parchment. using a spatula, spread cake batter in an even layer in the pan. bake for 30-35 minutes. the cake will rise and puff, doubling in size, but will remain slightly buttery and dense. take the cake out of the oven and cool on a wire rack.
Espresso Buttercream
1 cup (8 oz) salted butter, room temperature
2 1/2cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 1/2 tbsp instant espresso powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
in a small bowl, add the espresso powder to the heavy cream and stir to dissolve. in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until creamy and smooth. add in the powdered sugar a bit at a time, beat to combine. add in the espresso/cream mixture and vanilla extract. and beat until combined and fluffy. taste and adjust to your flavor preferences.
Almond Mascarpone Cream
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tsp almond extract
in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine all ingredients and beat just until stiff peaks form.
Also need: 1/2 cup apricot preserves
toasted almond slices
now
To Assemble
:
1st layer cake
apricot preserves
espresso buttercream
2nd layer cake
apricot preserves
espresso buttercream
3rd layer cake
almond mascarpone cream to cover top and sides
press toasted almonds into sides
see more on the momofuku method for assembling cake
.
< squash buns. like sweet little hawaiian rolls, but better. >
i come to you tonight, with a warning. a warning of what might soon invade this space.
Cake is soon to bombard, come thrashing through my kitchen, baking powder everywhere.
it will consume my whole dessert brain, and take no prisoners.
*
i am making my first wedding cake and this wedding is fast approaching. i need to get my cake baking skills together asap
so. i hope you like cake..
ha, bitch please, shut up
breakfasty things can get switched into dessert fast.
grapefruit. yogurt. oats.
it was late afternoon with the nice light and i sat around and ate this frozen yogurt out of the ice cream machine bowl.
it was wonderfully good, and ridiculously simple. it was inspired by pinkberry.
i think everyone ever should eat it. alright. alright. alright.
Grapefruit Frozen Yogurt
modified from here
2 cups greek yogurt
1 large pink grapefruit, zest and juice (about 2/3 cup juice)
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup half and half
mix everything in a bowl. pour into bowl of ice cream ma
chine and churn according to maker's instruction.
for honey toasted oats, mix a little honey with a dab of melted coconut oil. toast in an oven at 350 degreesF for a few minutes.
with freedom, books, flowers, and the moon, who could not be happy?
.oscar wilde