Month: December 2022

Ingredients:

• 3 and 2/3 cups (433g) cake flour (spoon & leveled)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 and 1/2 cups (345g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs + 2 additional egg whites, at room temperature
• 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract (yes, Tbsp!)
• 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) buttermilk, at room temperature

Vanilla Buttercream

• 1 and 1/2 cups (345g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 5 and 1/2 cups (650g) confectioners’ sugar
• 1/3 cup (80ml) whole milk or heavy cream
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease three 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.)
2. Make the cake: Whisk the cake flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together. Set aside.
3. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the 3 eggs, 2 egg whites, and vanilla extract on high speed until combined, about 2 minutes. (Mixture will look curdled as a result of the egg liquid and solid butter combining.) Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients just until combined. With the mixer still running on low, pour in the buttermilk and mix just until combined. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick.
4. Pour batter evenly into cake pans. Weigh them to ensure accuracy, if desired. Bake for around 23-26 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
5. Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and salt with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. Add more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin, more milk if frosting is too thick, or an extra pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet.
6. Assemble and decorate: Using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Discard (or crumble over ice cream!). Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand, cake turntable, or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with about 1 and 1/2 cups of frosting. Top with 2nd cake layer and evenly cover the top with about 1 and 1/2 cups of frosting. Top with the third cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides. I use and recommend an icing spatula to apply the frosting.
7. Refrigerate cake for at least 1 hour before slicing. This helps the cake hold its shape when cutting.
8. Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 and 1/4 cups (250g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups (354g) sifted all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk
• 2 Tablespoons lemon zest
• 1/2 cup (120ml) lemon juice (3 medium lemons)
• 1 and 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh (258g) or frozen (do not thaw– 275g)
• 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 ounces (224g) full-fat brick style cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 3 and 1/2 cups (420g) confectioners’ sugar
• 1 – 2 Tablespoons (15-30ml) heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• pinch salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease three 9-inch or 8-inch round cake pans (8-inch pans produce thicker cakes), line bottom with parchment paper, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans.
2. Make the cake: Using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high until creamy – about 1 minute. Add granulated and brown sugars and beat on medium-high speed until creamed, about 2-3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until everything is completely combined, about 2 full minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Beat on low speed for 5 seconds, then beat in the milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice just until combined. Toss the blueberries with 1 Tablespoon of flour and gently fold into the batter. Batter is extremely thick. Do not over-mix. Over-mixing will lead to a tough, dense textured crumb.
4. Spoon batter evenly into prepared cake pans. Bake for about 21-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (8 inch cakes take closer to 25 minutes.) Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan before assembling and frosting.
5. Make the frosting: Using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until no lumps remain, about 3 full minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, 1 Tablespoon cream, vanilla extract, and salt with the mixer running on low. Turn mixer to high speed and beat for 3 minutes. Add 1 more Tablespoon of cream to thin out, if desired.
6. Assemble and frost: First, using a large serrated knife, trim the tops off the cake layers to create a flat surface. Place 1 layer on your cake stand. Evenly cover the top with cream cheese frosting. Top with 2nd layer, more frosting, then the third layer. Top with frosting and spread around the sides. The recipe doesn’t make a ton of frosting, just enough for a light frost. Top with blueberries or lemon garnish if desired. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes before cutting or else the cake may fall apart as you cut.
7. Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Ingredients:

For Sponge Cake:

• 9 large eggs
• 1 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp instant coffee powder
• 2 tbsp boiling water
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 2 tsp baking powder

For Milk Syrup:

• 1 tsp instant coffee powder
• 1/2 cup warm milk
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk

For Frosting:

• 8 oz softened mascarpone or cream cheese
• 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp instant coffee powder
• 2 tbsp boiling water
• 2 cup heavy cream, chilled

Instructions:

Making the Coffee Sponge Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F (177C). Line the bottom of two, 8-inch (20-cm) round cake pans with parchment paper; leave the sides ungreased.
2. Prepare the coffee sponge cake first. In a stand mixer bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar on high speed for 7 to 8 minutes, until the eggs are thick, voluminous and pale in color. In a small ramekin or bowl, dissolve the 1 tablespoon instant coffee powder in 2 tablespoons boiling water. Pour the dissolved coffee into the eggs and mix again for 30 seconds.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, almond flour and baking powder. Sift the dry ingredients into the eggs in small batches, folding gently but thoroughly after each addition. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans.
4. Bake the layers in the preheated oven for 33 to 35 minutes, until the tops are set. Remove the layers from the oven and allow them to cool completely in the pan. Once layers are cooled, run a knife along the edge of the pan to release the cake. Use a long serrated knife to split each layer in half, resulting in four layers total.

Preparing the Milk Syrup:

1. For the coffee syrup, first heat the milk in a microwave safe measuring cup until the milk is steaming hot. Add the instant coffee and stir until it’s dissolved. Add the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, then stir until all three milks are well combined; set aside.

Making the Frosting:

1. Next, prepare the coffee whipped cream. In a small bowl, dissolve the instant coffee in the boiling water. Allow the coffee to cool. Add the dissolved coffee into a large mixing bowl along with the softened cream cheese (or chilled mascarpone) and sugar.
2. Whisk the ingredients together for a few minutes until completely smooth and creamy. Add in the chilled heavy cream and whisk again until stiff peaks form, about 3 to 5 minutes. The frosting should be fluffy and hold its shape.

Assembling the Cake:

1. Before assembling the cake, make sure the cake layers are completely cooled! Start by soaking each sponge cake layer very generously with the prepared coffee milk syrup, then frost with whipped cream.
2. Frost the top and sides with a flat spatula. Transfer any remaining cream into a pastry bag tipped with a simple round tip; garnish the top of the cake with dollops of cream. Sprinkle the top with cocoa powder and add whole coffee beans, if desired.

Ingredients:

Chocolate cake

• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 vanilla bean* (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• ½ cup dutch-processed cocoa powder, spooned and leveled
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt

Cherry filling

• 1 lbs canned sour cherries in water, drained (don’t discard all the water)
• 4 teaspoon cornstarch
• ½ cup water from canned sour cherries, divided
• ¼ cup kirsch
• 3/8 cup granulated white sugar

Whipped cream frosting

• 3 cups heavy whipping cream
• ¼ cup granulated white sugar

Decoration

• additional whipped cream, chocolate shaves, and cherries to your liking

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 320 °F (160°C). Line the bottom and the sides of a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan with parchment paper and set aside. To line a springform pan with parchment paper, the easiest way is to cut out a circle for the bottom and strips for the sides.
2. In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, mix the eggs, sugar, butter, and vanilla for about 3 minutes until creamy.
3. Sift in the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt and mix just until well combined, about 1 minute. Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for about 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove from the pan and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
4. Place the drained sour cherries in a heatproof bowl and set aside.
5. In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and ¼ cup of the canned sour cherry water and set aside.
6. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring ¼ cup of the canned sour cherry water, kirsch, and sugar to a simmer over medium heat. Once it simmers, add the cornstarch mixture and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until it thickens like syrup and covers the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and pour over the sour cherries. Let it cool completely.
7. In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the whipping cream on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 2-3 minutes. Then add the sugar and mix until stiff peaks form, about 1-2 minutes. Don’t overmix or it will curdle.
8. Cut the cake twice horizontally so that you have three cake layers.
9. Place the bottom cake layer on a cake turner and brush it with cherry syrup. Spread with whipped cream and spread an additional ring of whipped cream around the edges. Use about ⅙ of the cream in total. Then spoon half of the sour cherries and syrup on top of the cream but inside the whipped cream ring. The ring ensures that the cherry filling stays in the cake and that no syrup runs out on the sides. Then spoon more whipped cream onto the cherries and distribute evenly on top (another ⅙ of the cream, so that now a total of about ⅓ of the cream has been used). Place the second cake layer on top and repeat.
10. Place the third cake layer on top and distribute the remaining ⅓ of the whipped cream over the entire cake and around the sides to lightly frost the outside of the cake. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
11. Before serving, decorate with chocolate shavings, cherries, and additional whipped cream to your liking. Store the cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Notes

*First, cut off the straight end of the vanilla bean. Then place the tip of your sharp knife below the curled end and cut the vanilla bean through the middle of the bean lengthwise. Although you don’t need to cut it all the way through, it’s ok when you do so. Then open the vanilla bean and scrape out the flavorful seeds with the back of your knife. Then just use the seeds.