I just attempted the Tennesse Jam Cake (page 116) and anyone who can make this cake look anything like the book cake has me beat hands down! The recipe calls for 2/3 cup of blackberry jam on top of the first layer of cake, follow that up by spreading warm caramel frosting right on top of the jam! What? Wouldn't that melt the jam? OH YEAH!! As soon as that warm caramel frosting touched the jam, things just started moving. Place that top layer on top of that and there's no chance those layers aren't sliding around!! Forget spreading any frosting on the side of the cake! I tried- the first swipe and -- " forget about it". I just poured the warm caramel frosting on top and let it go where it would. Then I carefully tried to get it all in the refrigerator where I hope it'll somehow "set up" and stop sliding around. The last thing I saw as I closed the door on the whole mess was globs of jam falling down the side. My only hope if the taste far exceeds the presentation! I might just try writing the author on this one and ask where it all might have gone wrong.
- - It was a well received cake - many comments and compliments. I found the frosting to be delicous, if a little over powering. I understand the need to add the extra cinnamon to the cake mix - it probably could have used a little more - I thought the cake lacked a little flavor. However others mentioned they thought it was just right. The jam was just tart enough to off set the sweet frosting a bit and everyone agreed that the combination was delightful.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Cinnamon-Chocolate-Apricot Coffee Cake
Monday morning at the office - coffee cake is appropriate. As usual, this cake (page 254) is moist, tender, relatively easy to make. So it just comes down to your taste - do you want apricot, chocolate chips, and cinnamon together this morning - or at all for that matter. The combo was ok. Nothing to brag about in my book. But pleasant.
So, here is what I liked about this coffee cake. It was sweet and delicate in texture. A nice addition to my morning coffee that didn't weigh heavy in my stomach or leave me feeling guilty - though maybe I should have - I should figure the calories and fat......
What left me wanting more about this recipe--- I didn't like the way most of the apricot-chips-cinnamon streusel ended up in bottom of the pan- at the top of the cake. As instructed, I place two thirds of the batter into the pan then scattered the streusel mix over it before covering with the remaining one third of the batter. But in the oven, something took over - gravity or baking chemistry or whatever, and 95% of that "streusel" sank and/or the cake rose up around/over it. I'd prefer it be mixed throughout and get a bit of something in every bite.
Still, a relatively small criticism, of an otherwise good recipe. But in the end, I didn't feel like I wow-ed anyone. And truth be known, that's what I'm looking for -the "wow factor". If at least one of the ladies in the office doesn't ask for the recipe, I'm disappointed.
So, here is what I liked about this coffee cake. It was sweet and delicate in texture. A nice addition to my morning coffee that didn't weigh heavy in my stomach or leave me feeling guilty - though maybe I should have - I should figure the calories and fat......
What left me wanting more about this recipe--- I didn't like the way most of the apricot-chips-cinnamon streusel ended up in bottom of the pan- at the top of the cake. As instructed, I place two thirds of the batter into the pan then scattered the streusel mix over it before covering with the remaining one third of the batter. But in the oven, something took over - gravity or baking chemistry or whatever, and 95% of that "streusel" sank and/or the cake rose up around/over it. I'd prefer it be mixed throughout and get a bit of something in every bite.
Still, a relatively small criticism, of an otherwise good recipe. But in the end, I didn't feel like I wow-ed anyone. And truth be known, that's what I'm looking for -the "wow factor". If at least one of the ladies in the office doesn't ask for the recipe, I'm disappointed.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Double-Chocolate Chewies --- Almost!
Getting cold here in the mid-west. A good day to stay in. Only it's been too long between recipes. But I don't have a big variety of ingredients. I do have four different cake mixes - devils food, white, orange, and lemon. Surely there's something in this book I have all the ingredients for......
So, I sat down and started front to back - I was going to make the first recipe I came to that I already had all the ingredients for and hadn't yet made. I got all the way to page 334, but finally found it - "Double-Chocolate Chewies" - a drop cookie. I need a devils food cake mix, an egg, butter, water, pecan, and chocolate chips. Got it, got it, yep, water's still flowing, hmmm, plenty of PEO pecans around as usual, and I always have chocolate chips.
Or do I? Got the cake mix, water, butter and egg all mixed up only to find I was out of chocolate chips. Isn't rule one get out all the ingredients before starting? Heed this rule! Don't follow my fate!
Except sometimes it turns out pretty good. I found a bag of Heath chocolate toffee pieces. So I dropped not only the chocolate chips, but also the pecans and instead stirred in the entire bag of Heath pieces which was about equal to the chips and nuts combined.
The cookies taste great! The recipe says makes 42 two inch cookies. I always make my cookies bigger than that - so I got not quite three dozen - 34. The recipe claims " with the chewiness of a brownie and the crunch of a cookie,..." They are ever so slightly crunchy around the edges - not at all hard, just a nice little snap. The centers are soft with out being overly moist or gooey.
I found the recipe On a website called The Family Cookbook Project. They credit the book, so I'm comfortable linking to it for you- just remember, my edits ;)
http://www.familycookbookproject.com/view_recipesite.asp?rid=156848&uid=3245&sid=7210
So, I sat down and started front to back - I was going to make the first recipe I came to that I already had all the ingredients for and hadn't yet made. I got all the way to page 334, but finally found it - "Double-Chocolate Chewies" - a drop cookie. I need a devils food cake mix, an egg, butter, water, pecan, and chocolate chips. Got it, got it, yep, water's still flowing, hmmm, plenty of PEO pecans around as usual, and I always have chocolate chips.
Or do I? Got the cake mix, water, butter and egg all mixed up only to find I was out of chocolate chips. Isn't rule one get out all the ingredients before starting? Heed this rule! Don't follow my fate!
Except sometimes it turns out pretty good. I found a bag of Heath chocolate toffee pieces. So I dropped not only the chocolate chips, but also the pecans and instead stirred in the entire bag of Heath pieces which was about equal to the chips and nuts combined.
The cookies taste great! The recipe says makes 42 two inch cookies. I always make my cookies bigger than that - so I got not quite three dozen - 34. The recipe claims " with the chewiness of a brownie and the crunch of a cookie,..." They are ever so slightly crunchy around the edges - not at all hard, just a nice little snap. The centers are soft with out being overly moist or gooey.
I found the recipe On a website called The Family Cookbook Project. They credit the book, so I'm comfortable linking to it for you- just remember, my edits ;)
http://www.familycookbookproject.com/view_recipesite.asp?rid=156848&uid=3245&sid=7210
Monday, January 7, 2013
Orange cupcakes
This is one of those times when I cross over into one of Anne's other books. The Fresh Orange Birthday cake is on page 37 of The Cake Mix Doctor Returns and the Orange Cream Cheese frosting on page 474.
This past Saturday I hosted a baby shower for my daughter. We decided on a Cake Boss cake from our local Kroger store instead of the traditional and flavorless white cake with baby shower decoration. My daughter was thrilled at the choice. But that had a layer of chocolate cake and fudge between the layers, so I wanted an alternative for anyone who doesn't care for chocolate - sounds weird to me, but I knew of at least one guest with that peculiarity. So I selected the orange cake and decided to make them cupcakes which I displayed circling the Cake Boss cake.
My young niece liked them, eating every last bite. I found, as I have come to expect from these recipes, the cupcake nearly perfect in texture, moist, and pleasant in flavor. I was surprised, perhaps pleasantly so, that the flavor was not as intensely orange as I had expected. I liked the subtle orange flavor. The cream cheese frosting was complimentary, even refreshing. (But then I have always been "mad" about cream cheese frosting, a perfect compliment to nearly any cake, in my opinion.)
The picture is from the Cake Mix Doctor website - I tinted my frosting orange, which I thought was appropriate .
This past Saturday I hosted a baby shower for my daughter. We decided on a Cake Boss cake from our local Kroger store instead of the traditional and flavorless white cake with baby shower decoration. My daughter was thrilled at the choice. But that had a layer of chocolate cake and fudge between the layers, so I wanted an alternative for anyone who doesn't care for chocolate - sounds weird to me, but I knew of at least one guest with that peculiarity. So I selected the orange cake and decided to make them cupcakes which I displayed circling the Cake Boss cake.
My young niece liked them, eating every last bite. I found, as I have come to expect from these recipes, the cupcake nearly perfect in texture, moist, and pleasant in flavor. I was surprised, perhaps pleasantly so, that the flavor was not as intensely orange as I had expected. I liked the subtle orange flavor. The cream cheese frosting was complimentary, even refreshing. (But then I have always been "mad" about cream cheese frosting, a perfect compliment to nearly any cake, in my opinion.)
The picture is from the Cake Mix Doctor website - I tinted my frosting orange, which I thought was appropriate .
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Classic/simple!
This time around, something simple! My husband likes it plain - and chocolate - and this weekend he asked me to make his favorite - a yellow cake with chocolate frosting. So, I selected the Classic Yellow cake on page, which is actually in The Cake Mix Doctor Returns. Oh the things I do for the man I love!
Now just to poke a little fun at myself, if I had presented this cake for judging during my 4-H days, I would have, at best, hoped for a red ribbon - the first piece I cut out of the pan had two large air bubbles! Oops! Of course we known this has to do with the beating and can be somewhat combatted by dropping the pan (a short drop) a couple of times before placing in the oven- but since I baked it in a Pyrex pan, I skipped the drops.
Other than those couple of air bubbles, the texture was light and even. It was moist and tender. Tasted great! My husband had many compliments for it as well. Everything I've come to expect from these recipes. And super easy!
Next, I'll be making Orange Birthday Cake, as cupcakes however. In addition to being in the book, this recipe is currently featured on the website: www.cakemixdoctor.com/recipe/my-orange-birthday-cake/
Now just to poke a little fun at myself, if I had presented this cake for judging during my 4-H days, I would have, at best, hoped for a red ribbon - the first piece I cut out of the pan had two large air bubbles! Oops! Of course we known this has to do with the beating and can be somewhat combatted by dropping the pan (a short drop) a couple of times before placing in the oven- but since I baked it in a Pyrex pan, I skipped the drops.
Other than those couple of air bubbles, the texture was light and even. It was moist and tender. Tasted great! My husband had many compliments for it as well. Everything I've come to expect from these recipes. And super easy!
Next, I'll be making Orange Birthday Cake, as cupcakes however. In addition to being in the book, this recipe is currently featured on the website: www.cakemixdoctor.com/recipe/my-orange-birthday-cake/
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