2.14

This past Thursday we celebrated Valentine's Day and our sixth anniversary. We ate, we drank and we hung out with Bosco; perfect.

Black Chocolate Party Cake

It really is a party. We received a stoneware fluted pan for our wedding from my Alaska family and it was time to put it to use. We need to throw a party so I can make this cake again soon. Ian and I had a long celebratory weekend and rang in our sixth anniversary on Thursday - Valentine's Day. On Sunday night, I wanted the celebrations to continue, so I made this Black Chocolate Party Cake from Rose's Heavenly Cakes. A party it was. 

This cake is so dark and chocolatey it is difficult to eat more than one slice. A little alkalized cocoa powder goes a long way and this recipe calls for three-quarters of a cup. Wowza.  For milk drinkers, this is the dream. A slice of this cake with a cup of milk would be the ultimate; ice cream also will suffice.

For this recipe, you grind walnuts to help bring out the rich chocolate flavor. This isn't something I have seen before, but I am a believer. The full recipe is below.

Black Chocolate Party Cake 
Cake:
1 cup sour cream
¾ cup (67g) unsweetened (alkalized) cocoa powder
3 large eggs - room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup walnuts - ground
 2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cup (250g) turbinado sugar
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup (226g/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

Cocoa syrup:
¼ cup (22g) unsweetened (alkalized) cocoa powder
1/3 cup (67g) superfine sugar
1/3 cup (80ml) boiling water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter a 10-cup capacity flute pan.

In a medium bowl, stir together the sour cream, cocoa, eggs and vanilla – then wisk slightly, the mixture will be lumpy. Set aside.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the ground walnuts (toasted and ground in a food processor), all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt on low speed for about 30 seconds. Add butter and mix until moistened.

Add one-third of the cocoa mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Scrape the side of the bowl. Add half of the remaining cocoa mixture and beat for 30 seconds. Raise the speed to medium and beat for 1 ½ minutes. Scrape the side of the bowl then beat for another 30 seconds. Add the last of the cocoa mixture and mix for 30 seconds. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the surface.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Make the cocoa syrup shortly before the cake is finished baking: in a small saucepan, whisk together the cocoa and sugar. Add a small amount of the boiling water, whisking until all of the mixture is moistened. Add the remaining water, whisk, and then bring the mixture to a boil over low heat, stirring often. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Cool for 5 minutes before using it in the cake.

As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, poke it all over with a wooden skewer then pour 1/3 of the cocoa syrup over the cake. Let the cake cool in the pan over a wire rack for 10-15 minutes. Carefully invert the cake onto a plate and brush with the remaining cocoa syrup. Cool completely.

Coconut Cake

This year, I diverged from the norm. Every year Ian asks for a sour cream chocolate chip cake for his birthday; every year. This year, he asked to mix things up for his 30th year. Herein lies the coconut cake. I am not a fan of coconut, but Ian is and this is not about me. We decided to compromise and make a coconut cake with chocolate buttercream frosting. This was one of the cakes we wanted for our wedding, but the bakery was all out. How a bakery runs out of a particular kind of cake is beyond me, but that is for another discussion.

The recipe comes from Rose's Heavenly Cakes, one of the best cake books in town, but I will admit her recipes are hard. Her cakes usually come out with the best consistency, but there are a lot of bells and whistles.

The actual cake came out so well and Ian loved it, but the buttercream was a different story. You essentially have to make candy so the frosting has a smooth and glossy texture. This is hard.  My buttercream had little chunks of hard candy in it, but overall it tasted good and Ian was pleased. Maybe this means sour cream chocolate chip cakes are a thing of the past.

Here is the recipe:
Southern (Manhattan) Coconut Cake
6 large egg whites, room temp
1 1/3 cups canned (10.6 fl oz) coconut milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp coconut extract
4 cups cake flour, sifted
2 cups superfine sugar (I hand-blended caster sugar)
5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter (firm but not hard is best)

1. Oven preheated at 350 degrees  Prepare two 9 by 2 " round pans by lining with baking paper, then greasing them and lightly flour them
 2. Use a hand whisk to whisk the egg whites, 1/3 cup of the coconut milk, vanilla and coconut extract until just combined
 3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt at low speed for a couple of seconds
 4. Add the butter and remaining coconut milk. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened, then increase speed top medium and beat 1 1/2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl
 5. With the mixer at medium speed, gradually add the egg white mixture in 3 parts, beating at medium speed for 20 seconds after each addition
 6. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and bake 30 to 40 minutes or until a wire tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean or the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center
7. Let the cakes cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes then remove from pans with a metal spatula

Chocolate Buttercream 
3 large egg yoks
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
1 teaspoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 ounces 60% - 70% chocolate

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the yolks on high speed until light in color
2. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, syrup and lemon juice. Using a silicone spatula, stir until all the sugar is moistened. heat over medium-high, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves and the syrup begins to bubble around the edges. Stop stirring completely and continue cooking for a few minutes until the syrup comes to a rolling boil. The entire surface will be covered with large bubbles. Immediately transfer the syrup to the glass measuring cup to stop the cooking
3. In the stand mixer, add the syrup to the yolks. Begin by pouring a small amount of syrup. Immediately beat on high speed for five seconds. Add the remaining syrup the same way in three parts
4. For the last addition, use a scraper to remove the syrup clinging to the glass measure and scrape it against the beater
5. When the outside of the bowl feels cold, beat the butter by the tablespoon on medium-high speed. The buttercream will not thicken until almost all the butter has been added. Add the vanilla and beat on low speed until incorporated.
6. Beat in three ounces of melted chocolate (cooled)

Snow Day + Baked Oatmeal

There is nothing I love more than being home with my little family while it is snowing outside. We had our first real snow today and I thought it appropriate to make something warm and comforting. The obvious choice here was baked oatmeal. This is becoming a weekend favorite for us, and it indulges my love of oatmeal (seen here, here and here).

Baked oatmeal is so simple, and a healthy brunch item! How have I gone on for so long without this? The recipe comes from 101 Cookbooks, but I found it on Lottie + Doof and I made slight tweaks.

Baked Oatmeal

• 2 cups / 7 oz / 200 g rolled oats
• 1/2 cup / 2 oz / 60 g walnut pieces, toasted (see page 219) and chopped
• 1/3 cup / 2 oz / 60 g natural cane sugar
• 1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
• 11/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• Scant 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
• 2 cups lowfat milk / 475 ml
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 ripe bananas, cut into 1/2-inch / 1cm pieces
• 11/2 cups / 6.5 oz / 185 g huckleberries, blueberries, or mixed berries

Preheat the oven to 375F / 190C with a rack in the top third of the oven. Generously butter the inside of an 8-inch / 20cm square baking dish.

In a bowl, mix together the oats, half the walnuts, the sugar, if using, the baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

In another bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, if using, the milk, egg, half of the butter, and the vanilla.

Arrange the bananas in a single layer in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle two-thirds of the berries over the top. Cover the fruit with the oat mixture. Slowly drizzle the milk mixture over the oats. Gently give the baking dish a couple thwacks on the countertop to make sure the milk moves through the oats. Scatter the remaining berries and remaining walnuts across the top.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is nicely golden and the oat mixture has set. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes.

Serves 6 generously, or 12 as part of a larger brunch spread

New York City In Review

We spent Ian's 30th birthday in New York with friends and the weekend was full of upgrades, surprises, celebrities (one) and fun. We had the best time and look forward to going back soon. 

Penthouse suite overlooking the park 

 Cold day across the Brooklyn Bridge:

Arguing the nuances of 'Girls'

 Brucie and Kelly

 Cam Diaz says hello

 My 30-year-old

Bouchon Bakery! I will never forget this galette; Ian was lucky to get a bite.

 

 Cold day in the park

2007

2013 - same spot in Central Park

Bosco is the Best

We have had our little Bosco for nearly five months and while I can't say the time has flown by, we are so incredibly happy to have him. This guy was easy to fall in love with. Here he is, the one and only Boz.

Boz's preferred mode of transportation in the cold: 

First snow!

 The ultimate napper:

Look! I'm on the desk!