Fruit - The [Expensive] Harbinger of Summer

So I've been lax in posting. I know! I've been interviewing, weighing job offers, reading Non-School books, and baking! I've just been too lazy to document it. ;)

But I'm back! Alive and kicking, I'm afraid. Although, and don't hate me for this.... I made Weeva's Apple Pie Blondies , another set of Apple Pie Macarons and Oatmeal-Coconut-Corn Syrup cookies, and I don't have pictures!

I'm sorry, really I am.... But I do have three other recipes, so you'll forgive me, right? =)

However, first things first - 1. I got a job at Nestle! But, I don't begin till August, so I'll have plenty of time to bake and such between now and then. 2. I'm going to Cancun! For 5 days this summer. Oh boy! Expect pictures from that. 3. I quit my other job! So now I have extra time for baking. And finding apartments, and moving, and all that jazz.

But, back to the baking!

A couple weeks ago, Blackberries were on sale, and I bought Tartlette pans (mini tart pans) - the finished product of magnificent.

Pretty pretty, no?

Aaannndd.... This past Sunday night, I made Cherry Pie Bars...

Not as good as I wanted them to be, but still okay.

And, last night, I made a Cherry Cake. This, was fairly magnificent, as far as cakes go. It was my last day at work - and I figured I'd go out with a bang (something to be remembered by!).

It's absolutely amazing what you can do when you mix the creativity of two Bakeresses. (Weeva and I were brainstorming!)

So, being me, I only have the recipe for the last one (the Cherry Cake), because the first one is just a Vinegar pie crust with a Cream cheese/Heavy Cream/lemon juice filling, and the second I don't remember, and I'd like to modify the recipe before I give it to anyone else.

The Cherry Cake is comprised of three Parts: Cake, Filling, and Frosting.

The Frosting is the hands down best frosting I've ever made in my entire life. The filling is good - Next time, I'd add a little marsala or kiersh to give it a little more flavor. The cake could be better- Next time, I'm going to use real cake flour, and substitute milk for Buttermilk or Yogurt.

Cake: - Taken from Allrecipes.com

2 3/4 cups sifted cake flour 4 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 teaspoon salt 4 egg whites 1 1/2 cups white sugar 3/4 cup butter 1 cup milk (Use buttermilk/yogurt instead!) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon almond extract (I used 3/4)

Measure sifted flour, baking powder, and salt; sift together three times. In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Add 1/2 cup sugar gradually, and continue beating only until meringue will hold up in soft peaks. Cream butter or margarine. Gradually add remaining 1 cup sugar, and cream together until light and fluffy. Add sifted ingredients alternately with milk a small amount at a time, beating after each addition until smooth. Mix in flavorings. Add meringue, and beat thoroughly into batter. Spread batter into two 9 inch round pans which have been lined on the bottom with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool cake in pan 10 minutes, then remove from pan and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Filling: 2 lbs cherries (Or as many or few as you'd like) 3/4 cup sugar 2 tsp Vanilla 1 tblsp Corn Starch 2 tblsp Water

Pit cherries, and cut into fourths (I did - however, the fourths aren't mandatory). Put into a pan, and mix with ~2/3 cup sugar. Put on high heat until cherries have begun to release their juices - till almost boiling. Taste, and add remaining sugar if desired. Cook until juices start to thicken and almost cover cherries - 10-15 minutes. While these are cooking, in a small bowl mix Corn Starch and Water until smoothe. Pour 1 tsp at a time into the cherry mixture - this is to thicken the juice. Add Vanilla. Cook until a little thicker, ~5 minutes. Take off heat, and let cool.

Frosting: 3/4 Cup Butter 3/4 Cup Shortening 4.5 cups Powdered Sugar 1 tblsp Full fat Milk, Half and Half, or Heavy Cream (whatever is on hand with full fat)

Beat Shortening and Butter untill fluffy. Mix in Sugar. Add the milk/cream, and beat until smoothe and fluffy. Frost the cake!

Assembling: Level cakes if desired. Place one cake on the serving platter. Take frosting, and put a thin layer of frosting on top and sides. Make a "Sand bank" of frosting for the filling - so it doesn't seep through; about 1/4 inch high. Add about a cup of the filling, or as much as desired (and doesn't overflow). Put the second layer on, and lightly frost top and sides, to reduce crumbs in the main frosting. Frost the cake. Decorate as desired - I put most of the leftover cherry filling on the top, fairly-well insulated by frosting.

Voila!

Please note - I do not have links for the Filling and Frosting because they are my recipes. I know, strange as it may sound, I actually came up with them myself. =P

Love at First Taste

Lo and Behold! I'm alive and Baking!! I just haven't been posting. I've been baking quite a bit since my last post - more baklava, Mocha Cheesecake (Insanely good, albeit just as insanely rich), ice cream, Celestial bars, Pineapple-Cherry Upside-Down cakes, chocolate cakes galore, and more that I don't remember right now....

But now I'm back in full force! And I've found time to bake, *and* post pictures and recipes while whizzing through my last semester at CSUN! Thank goodness Spring Break is next week.

So now, news on the latest adventure.....

Once upon a time, there were two beings. It was love at first taste - nothing was quite so chocolately-moist goodness as one of these particular beings. But, it was not a relationship to last - for that being was doomed to be a birthday cake. And boy, did it do a dang good job of it.

So enlighten me - For all you women - Why can't we just fall in love with chocolate instead? It's *so* much better all around.... It doesn't talk back, is always eternally giving, and tastes absolutely spectacular all the time. Now, there may be a slight problem with reproduction.... but that's beside the point.

And I know it's a cliche, but - Forget Love - I'd rather fall in chocolate. Especially this chocolate cake.

Behold! A Raspberry Chocolate cake from the Taste of Home:

Delicious! And this one actually managed to stand fairly straight.

^ So help me, that's my bane of existance - most of my cakes look like the leaning tower of Piza. Meh. At least their appearance is made up for by the taste.

I made two of these cakes this weekend, Creme Brulee (Which flopped - my fault, I read the recipe wrong and added double the creme =S .... It's REALLY creamy, though!! And more like a custard than a brulee), and Vanilla Gelato. Yes, there's a difference between Gelato and Ice cream. However, next time, I think I'm going to try making it white chocolate flavored... or raspberry flavored....

Either way, I now have something to compare it to - I found out there's a Gelateria not too far from here, and it's suprisingly good! I'll admit, I was impressed when their White-Chocolate-Raspberry Gelato reminded me of the Gelato in Italy. Definitely not as good - but it's a heck of a good rendition.

And now, the recipe! Because Weeva has been bothering me about actually *posting* my recipes....

CAKE:

3 cups sugar

2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup baking cocoa

2 teaspoons baking soda

1-1/2 teaspoons salt (I only put 1)

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1-1/4 cups buttermilk (If you don't have it on hand, have no fear! Buy plain yogurt instead - it tastes magnificent, and makes it a wee bit moist-er)

3/4 cups vegetable oil

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 eggs

1-1/2 cups strong brewed coffee, room temperature (and I mean STRONG!)

FILLING:

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons milk

6 tablespoons shortening (butter can be used instead)

3 tablespoons butter, softened

3 cups confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons raspberry liqueur**

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 drops red food coloring, optional (but recommended)

4 tablespoons raspberry jam, melted (spill this)

FROSTING:

1 package (8 ounces) cold cream cheese

1/3 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup baking cocoa

1 tablespoon raspberry liqueur**

4 cups confectioners' sugar (1 pound)

Raspberries and chocolate curls, for decorating

**Raspberry Liqueur can be substitued with Raspberry Extract - 2:1 ratio, liqueur to extract. (e.g., 2 tblsp's Liqueur, 1 tblsp extract). Or, a mixture of both, if you'd like. But, raspberry liqueur can be hard to find.

1. Line three greased 9-in. round baking pans will waxed paper and grease paper; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Combine the buttermilk, oil, and vanilla; add to the dry ingredients. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition; beat for 2 minutes. Gradually add coffee (batter will be thin).

2. Pour batter into prepared bans. Bake at 350 degrees (Farenheit) for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpic inserted near the center comes out clean (They may need less time - DO NOT OVER-COOK). Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely; discard wax paper (after using a spoon to eat all the crumbs off of it).

3. For filling, in a suacepan, whisk together four and milk until Smoothe. Cook over medium head for 1 minute, or until thickened (and I mean REALLY thickened), stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and let stand until cool. In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and butter. Gradually add confectioners sugar; mix well. Gradually add cooled milk mixture; beat for 4 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in liqueur, salt and food coloring if desired.

4. Level tops of cakes if necessary. Place one layer on a serving plate; spread with about 2 tablespoons jam (melted). Place remaining layers on waxed paper; spread one of the remaining layers with remaining jam. Let stand for 30 minutes. Spread 1/2 cup filling over layer on the plate to within 1/4 inch of edges. (NOTE: More filling is better, but be prepared for it to ooze out, and to cover the mistakes with the Frosting.) Top with jam-covered cake, then spread with remaining filling. (NOTE: You will probably have leftover filling.) Top with the remaining cake layer.

5. In a large mixing bown, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add cocoa and liqueur; mix well. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Frost top and sides of cake; top with raspberries and chocolate curls if desired. Store in the Fridge.

Please Note: All of the Notes in the above recipe are mine. =)

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.