CS Bakers- Burnt Sugar Cake

Burnt Sugar Cake.
Burned sugar syrup incorporated into a yellow cake, frosted with icing with the same burnt sugar syrup.Sound sweet?
That's putting it mildly.
This was November's Cake Slice Bakers cake from Southern Cakes by Nancie McDermott. Not a hit in our house. The cake was moist, but overly sweet. The frosting was the powder-y sugar kind that I don't care for. I was hoping for some kind of toasty, caramel-y warm sugar flavor that wasn't present in my cake. This had to be served with ice cream to mellow out the sweetness. I read someone used apples in it to tone down the sweetness, which would be a good idea. Go here for other's ideas and results!

Burnt Sugar Cake

Makes one 9 inch round cake

For the Cake

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup milk

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1¾ cups sugar

4 eggs

½ cup Burnt Sugar Syrup (below)

For the Burnt Sugar Syrup

1 cup sugar

1 cup boiling water

For the Burnt Sugar Frosting

3¾ cups confectioners sugar

½ cup Burnt Sugar Syrup (above)

¼ cup (½ stick) butter

½ tsp vanilla extract

2 – 3 tbsp evaporated milk or normal milk

Method – Burnt Sugar Syrup

Heat the sugar in a cast iron skillet or another heavy bottomed pan with high sides. Heat over a medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar melts into a clear brown caramel syrup. It should be the colour of tea. Gradually add the boiling water, pouring it down the sides of the pan so that if the syrup foams and bubbles up, you should be protected.

Continue cooking, stirring often, until the water combines with the syrup and turns a handsome brown syrup. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Store the cooled syrup in a sealed jar if not using straight away.

Method - Cake

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt and stir with a fork to mix well. Stir the vanilla into the milk.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and the sugar with an electric mixer at high speed for 2 – 3 minutes, until they are well combined. Stop now and then to scrape the bowl down. Add the eggs, one by one, beating well each time. Pour in half a cup of the burnt sugar syrup and beat well. Add a third of the flour mixture and about half of the milk, beating at a low speed, until just incorporated. Mix in another third of the flour and the rest of the milk. Finally, add the remaining flour.

Divide the batter between the cake pans and bake at 350F for 20 to 25 minutes until the cakes are golden brown, spring back when touched gently in the centre and begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Let the cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for15 minutes. Turn out the cakes into the wire rack to cool completely.

Method – Burnt Sugar Frosting

In a large bowl, combine the confectioners sugar, the burnt sugar syrup, butter and vanilla. Beat with a mixer at medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl now and then to bring the ingredients together. Add 2 tablespoons of the milk and continue beating until the frosting is thick, soft, smooth and easy to spread. Add a little more sugar if it is thin, and a little more milk if it is too thick.

To Assemble

Place one layer, top side down, on a cake stand or serving plate. Scoop about ¾ cup of the frosting onto the cake. Spread to the edges and place the second cake layer over it, top side down. Frost the sides of the cake, and then the top until it is evenly covered.

TWD- Cran-Apple Crisps

Ok, are fresh/frozen cranberries really in the grocery store? I know it's (early) November, but my stores didn't have them in yet. Dorie says she makes this in October when cranberries arrive.
Hmm.
So I just used apples and the dried cranberries. It did need another berry, though, because it was a little dry. I did a little math and only made two of these since my husband is out of town and my parents, who were in town, left last weekend.This is a great quick and easy crisp recipe. The topping (as with all crisps I've ever had) was my favorite part- I loved the addition of coconut. Check out Em's blog for the recipe. And be sure to bookmark it- it's one of my favorites!

Peter Pan cake

Not as ornate as Gabe's cake last year, this was a Peter Pan cake with Tinkerbell, the crocodile with Captain Hook's arm, and the rowboat with Mr. Smee's hat.

TWD- Cherry-Fudge Brownie Torte

Ohhhh this recipe is SO good!
That's how good it is- I had to start the post by saying that. Chocolate. Cherries. Cream cheese-y mousse on top. I know some people on the P&Q were saying they don't like chocolate and cherries together. Not me. No siree! Black forest? Yes. Cherry-dipped chocolate ice cream cone? Hand it over!
This recipe is a moist and fudgy brownie base, filled with chocolate chunks and dried cherries (I omitted the kirsch).Then it's topped with a cream cheese marscarpone mousse. I confess here that I made a substitution. Made as is in the recipe, this would have cost me close to $15. For the topping, I used 8 oz cream cheese, 1/4 c sour cream, 2 T butter, 1/3 c sugar and 1T vanilla as in the recipe.
The torte turned out AMAZING and was a big hit with our guests. Check out April's blog for the recipe!

Amazing Chocolate Brownies

Afternoons are kind of coveted in my house. It's the time when #2 and #3 are asleep and #1 is busy doing something that doesn't involve me. Today, however, she sat next to me and said, "Can we make brownies?" Since I was reading through a Confetti Cakes cookbook trying to figure out some fun Halloween ideas, I had a brownie recipe on hand. So I thought, why not?
Since this is from a kids' cookbook, I figured it would be a simple, no-frills brownie and a guaranteed hit with the kids.
I was not disappointed.
Melted chocolate and butter,
Mixed with sugar, brown sugar, eggs, salt and vanilla,
just until blended, and pour in a pan.
These brownies are moist and chewy, with crispy edges and papery top. Perfect. The girl who owns this giraffe plate ate 2 (after dinner, of course).
Amazing Chocolate Brownies
adapted from Confetti Cakes For Kids
makes 20
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate
4 eggs
1/4 t salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 T vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9" x 13" pan.

2. In a double boiler, melt the butter and chocolate over med-low heat.

3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the eggs, salt, sugars and vanilla on low.

4. Slowly add the chocolate mixture and beat on low until combined.

5. Remove the bowl from mixer and fold the flour in using a rubber spatula.

6. Pour batter in prepared pan. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the top has formed a shiny crust and is moderately firm.

7. Allow brownies to cook for 20 minutes in the pan. Release the brownies by running a metal spatula or knife along the sides of the pan. Flip the brownies over onto another pan or cakeboard.

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CS Bakers- Cinnamon Coffee Cake (TWD post below)

I'm back!! After a few months and a baby, I'm back to the Cake Slice Bakers. We've moved on to a new book, Southern Cakes by Nancie McDermott. This month's recipe is for Cinnamon Coffee cake- a moist coffee cake with a cinnamon raisin filling and topping (I omitted the pecans). This cake was a MAJOR hit at our house. My 3 year old ate it three mornings in a row for breakfast (I know, not the most nutritious, but hey, whatever they'll eat!). I halved the recipe and made it in a 9" round. The cake is moist and the brown sugar-cinnamon topping/filling is so yummy!
October’s Cake: Cinnamon Pecan Coffee Cake

(Recipe from Southern Cakes by Nancie McDermott)

For the Cake

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup milk

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

For the Cinnamon Raisin Filling

1½ cups light brown sugar

3 tbsp all purpose flour

3 tbsp cinnamon

1½ cups raisins

1½ cups coarsely chopped pecans (I omitted)

¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter, melted

Method

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 13 by 9 inch pan.

To make the filling, combine the light brown sugar, flour and cinnamon in a bowl and stir with a fork to mix everything well. Combine the raisins and pecans in another bowl and toss to mix them. Place the cinnamon mixture, nut mixture and melted butter by the baking pan to use later.

To make the cake batter, combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Stir the vanilla into the milk. In a large bowl combine the butter and sugar and beat with a mixer on high speed until pale yellow and evenly mixed, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl to ensure a good mix. Add the eggs and beat for another 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl now and then, until the mixture is smooth and light.

Use a large spoon or spatula to add about a third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir only until the flour disappears. Add a third of the milk and mix in. Repeat twice more until all the flour and milk mixtures have been incorporated. Stir just enough to keep the batter smooth.

Spread half the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half the cinnamon mixture over the batter followed by half the melted butter. Scatter half the raisins and nuts over the top. Spread the remaining batter carefully over the filling, using a spatula to smooth the batter all the way to the edges of the pan. Top with the leftover cinnamon, butter and nut mixture, covering the cake evenly.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the cake is golden brown, fragrant and beginning to pull away from the edges of the pan. Place the pan on a wire rack and allow to cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes before serving in squares right from the pan. The cake is delicious hot, warm or at room temperature.