Thursday, May 17, 2018

Decent Texas Sheet Cake


I've always felt my Texas sheet cake was the ultimate potluck cake. It is incredibly easy to make both the cake and the frosting. The cake can be brought to the party and served in the same dish it was baked in (no need to worry if the cake will stick to the pan!) and the icing is a pourable, un-mess-up-able dream. I've made it for every bbq or potluck for the past two years and it has always been demolished, and I have always been asked for the recipe. 

Except last week. Last week, I brought it to a dear friend's Cinco de Mayo party. My (okay, rather homey) chocolate cake was far outshined by several more visually stunning concoctions (all store-bought, of course). In particular, someone brought store-bought cupcakes with red, green and white icing with cute mini mexican flags flying atop each one, all of them arranged on top of a huge sombrero. How was a sheet cake supposed to aesthetically compete with that? 

I complained to my husband and his friend that no one was trying my dessert, and they strategically placed themselves next to the dessert table urging people to try it. "Hey, try that cake! It's amazing!" (What a blow to my baking-ego! Hah. Thank you guys.) A too-cool twelve-year-old boy did try it, and declared with a nod that it was, "Decent. Decent." And then he brought over all his friends. I brought home an empty pan.

Sometimes all it takes is one bite for word to spread.

We are about to make a big move next month. New home. New friends. New schools for the boys. New climate. It helps to know that my baked goods - no matter how homely in appearance - will always, eventually and inevitably, bring joy wherever we go. (However, next time I go to a Cinco de Mayo potluck.... I'm making cupcakes and putting them on a damned sombrero. Killer presentation for the cost of a cheap hat? Count me in. But, don't worry, I'll be making the cupcakes from scratch.)


Texas Sheet Cake

I originally wanted to make this cake because of the recipe in "Vintage Cakes" by Julie Richardson. While I do use her frosting recipe (which is just perfect for this kind of cake), I much prefer the cake recipe from my tried and true and so beloved "Joy of Cooking" (the 2006 edition). Mostly because I find the half oil / half butter ratio yields the perfect tender to moist balance in this cake, but also because Richardson's version uses a lot of coffee and I try to not bring desserts made with coffee or alcohol to a kid-friendly event... the caffeine and alcohol don't cook off that much actually, and you know, I'd rather be at an event where the kids' only stimulant is each other and sugar (that is too much enough to deal with already). But if you are going to an adults-only event (excuse me over here while I turn a vivid shade of green from envy), then go to town and substitute the water for strong coffee! And add in three or four tablespoons of liquor to the frosting! Kahlua would be divine.... Let me know how it tastes if you try it.


for the cake:
2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla

for the icing:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted (or not sifted if you are short on time and want to sprinkle the dish with nuts or sprinkles anyway... there will be a few very small dot-like lumps throughout the icing if you don't sift)

Preheat the oven to 375 and grease a 10 x 15 inch pan. (I use a ceramic roasting dish, but a glass pyrex is better.)

Whisk the sugar, flour, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the water, vegetable oil, butter and cocoa powder to a boil. Pour the hot mixture over the flour and stir just until smooth. (Note: place the saucepan to the side to use later for the icing and save yourself a pot cleaning.) 

Let the mixture cool slightly then whisk in the buttermilk and vanilla. Mix in one egg, combine thoroughly, then mix in the other egg and stir until very smooth.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in the middle of your preheated oven for about 20 minutes. As always, do not overbake! 

While the cake is baking make the icing:

Melt the butter in (the same as you used for the cake, no need to wash it had the same ingredients!) a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in cocoa powder and bring the mixture to a rolling boil and boil for about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and immediately whisk in 1/3 cup milk and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Whisking continuously, add the confectioner's sugar one cup at a time. Pour immediately over the top of the cake. Sprinkle with nuts if you desire. Or with colored sprinkles. Or marshmallows! Or pipe "eat me" in frosting on top. (Kidding. Despite above story, it does not need to be told twice to get eaten.)

Sunday, April 1, 2018

Almond Orange Easter Cake with Chocolate Cointreau Ganache

I'm trying to think of something elegant to say about this beautiful cake. Words are failing me when the pictures speak so clearly for themselves. This is truly a cake that is as beautiful as it is delicious. It is also gluten-free! I have made this cake in it's lemon form on a regular basis for several years now. I usually make a carrot cake for Easter but someone was already bringing one for Easter dinner today so, over several nights of Instagramming cake inspirations, I came up with this chocolate orange version of a cake I have loved so dearly. My husband prefers the original, plainer lemon version, but me... oh I could eat this cake for days and never tire of it. Happy Easter. Happy Spring. Eat chocolate and be happy!




Almond Orange Cake with Marmalade Glaze and Chocolate Cointreau Ganache 
loosely adapted from Nigella's great cookbook Kitchen 

for cake:
200 grams unsalted butter, softened
200 grams sugar
200 grams ground almonds
100 grams cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 large eggs
zest of 2 oranges

for marmalade glaze:
1/2 cup marmalade
1 tablespoon amaretto or cointreau

for ganache:
170 grams bittersweet chocolate chips, or coarsely chopped bars
190 grams heavy cream (a scant cup)

for topping:
unwrapped chocolate easter eggs and small Lindt bunny
colorful malted chocolate easter eggs
slivered almonds
slices of orange peel, peeled with a vegetable peeler into thin strips and coarsely chopped


Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy - either by hand in a bowl with a wooden spoon, or using a freestanding mixer or handheld mixer.

Whisk together the ground almond, cornmeal, baking powder and orange zest in a medium bowl. Add 1/4 of this to the butter-sugar mixture and mix until incorporated. Then beat in 1 of the eggs until incorporated. Add in the rest of the almond and cornmeal mixture and the eggs in two more batches, ending with the almond and cornmeal mixture.

Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Pour the mixture into your pan. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes. You can tell when the cake is done when the sides of the cake begin to shrink away from the sides of the tin. A tester will come out with moist crumbs.

While the cake is baking make the chocolate ganache. Put the chocolate chips or chopped chocolate into a medium bowl (preferably metal in case you need to reheat the ganache). Put the cream in a pot on the stove and heat until scalding hot but NOT boiling. (Watch it.) Pour the scalding cream over the chocolate and whisk until all the chocolate is melted. Stir in the liquer. Set aside.

Next make the marmalade glaze. Bring the marmalade and liquer to a boil in a small saucepan. Set aside on the stove top until cake is out of the oven.

Once the cake is out of the oven, prick the top of it all over with a toothpick, then pour the warm syrup over it, and leave to cool completely on a wire rack before taking it out of the pan.

Ease the cake out of the pan gently and place on your serving platter or cake stand. If the cake looks like it might crumble then just place the cake with the metal bottom still attached on the platter and adhere the platter to the stand with tape or butter. (It won't show until serving and at that point no one will care - trust me.) Pour the chocolate ganache over the top. If the ganache has stiffened you can either spread it over like a frosting (this will dramatically change the look of the cake as seen in my pictures, but I think it would still look great and it will taste delicious!) or gently rewarm it over a pot of gently boiling water (only if the bowl is metal.) 

Sprinkle the top of the cake with the slivered almonds then arrange the chocolate Easter eggs, bunny and malt balls on top. Sprinkle the orange slivers artfully on top. Bring to party, and enjoy. Happy Easter!