Birthday cake - Orange Chiffon Cake

Today, my baby turned two years old.  Where does the time go?  Where was I?!  She's getting so big!



Here she is in Newfoundland at the age of 15 months.

(By the way, there'll be another baby born to us this coming June.  That's right, #5 is on it's way.  And yes, that is the end for us in this lifetime.)

Back to #4's birthday cake.  I was thinking hard about her and trying to think up a cake that would be "her".  Chocolate was too plain.  White with sprinkles has been done.  Coconut was too wispy and floaty for her.  I'm generally not all that creative when it comes to choosing flavours for things to bake but for some reason orange jumped out at me.  We also just happened to have some oranges in the house that are awesome and she's super awesome so the fit was a natural.  Besides, I think her favourite colour might really be "owange" as she says it now and not the colour blue that her sister has assigned to her because that was the only colour that was left after all the other family members that could speak had chosen theirs about a year ago.

#4 blowing out her candles, Thing 1 watching over her.

I was imagining an orange loaf or a pound cake of sorts and perused the usual suspects of cookbooks in my pantry and Betty Crocker's Two-Egg Yellow Chiffon Cake really stood out.  After indulging over the holidaze, I can hardly bring myself to make another sweet cake right now this one fit the bill.  It is by no means "light" as in less fat than any other cake but it does have a light feel to it - much like a cross between a regular butter cake and an angel food cake (here's a lovely blurb about how the chiffon cake came to be and rose to fame).  You do prepare a cake batter and then fold in an egg white meringue. 

The filling and frosting for this cake is a package of vanilla pudding mix prepared with orange juice and water then folded with whipped cream.  Delicious and what a good trick!

Here I have typed out the recipe as I prepared it using the recipe for the filling as filling and icing on top (I did not use another cup of whipping cream as suggested in the cookbook to frost the top and sides of the cake; I bet that would be great but just seemed a bit OTT (over-the-top) for tonight).  I also do not "do" layer cakes very well, I find the layers slide around on me a lot and usually aren't very pretty so I passed on the suggestion to cut my two cakes in two thereby creating four layers and simply filled and stacked my two cakes (if you have any suggestions to pass along, please feel free, I am open to all you comments).  It was certainly just as good, just not as impressive if I was bringing it to bridge night or something else fancy that women get together and bring stuff to and then judge each other based on it's appearance.  I don't buy into that jazz.

This fancy cake was served after a feast of "pee-dda" which she chose from pizza or spaghetti.

The Orange Cake was one of the options in the yellow chiffon recipe, I have typed it out here as the recipe as I have prepared it.

Two-Egg Orange Chiffon Cake
from Betty Crocker
2 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups sugar, separated
2 1/4 cups flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup oil
1 orange, zested and juiced (measure juice of one orange, add water to equal 1 cup liquid)

- heat oven to 350F.  Grease and flour 2 round cake pans or one bundt pan. 
- zest one orange and juice it.  Set aside.
- in small mixer bowl, beat egg whites until foamy.  Add 1/2 cup sugar 1 Tbsp at a time and beat until stiff and glossy.  Set aside.
- measure 1 cup sugar, flour, baking powder and salt into a lage mixer bowl.  Add oil, juice/water and zest, beat 1 minute on high speed, scrape bowl.  Add egg yolks, beat 1 minute. 
- fold in meringue.  Pour into pans.
- bake 30-35 minutes until tester comes out clean in the centre.  Cool completely.

Orange Filling
1 pkg (4 servings) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 orange, zested and juiced (measure juice of one orange, add water to equal 1 cup liquid)
1/2 cup whipping cream
- mix dry pudding mix with juice of 1 orange plus water to equal 1 cup.
- in another bowl, whip cream
- fold together
- place one cake on serving platter, spreat about half the filling on cake, stack second cake on top and spread remaining filling on top allowing it to gently cascade over the side.
- let set about an hour in the fridge (or outdoors in the +4C weather we have here right now) and serve to many.  Best with tea, coffee will do.  Hahahahaah TEA!  ME?!  COFFEE!

Recovering well from the holidays?

Oreo Puddin' Poke and recipe for Crazy Cake

I made this cake for supper tonight.  And it'll be for lunch boxes next week.  It was a lot of fun.

I used my Mum's Crazy Cake recipe and used one box of Cookies 'n Cream Instant Pudding (Jell-O brand). 

The Big Kid said a couple of times that I "really outdid [my]self this time".  Uh, thanks.  It's really nothing special.  But it is good and moist.

It is believed this cake recipe may have been developed when there was a lack of eggs, butter, or milk, perhaps in the 1930's.  So far, I have not read any definitive stories about it's birth just bits and pieces.  It is most often referred to as Wacky Cake, I have always called it Crazy Cake.  It's crazy 'cuz it works!

My original recipe card that I use every time.

Crazy Cake
from Prevention Magazine January 1999
1.5 cups flour (I used whole wheat this time)
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa (rounded)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbsp veg oil
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup cold water (see Note)
- preheat oven to 350F
- sift dry in a big bowl, make three depressions and add oil, vinegar, vanilla.  Pour water over all and mix thoroughly.
- grease pan, pour in and bake as below
8x8, 30 minutes
12 cupcakes, 22 minutes
Note: you can also substitute coffee (warm or cold) for the water, it is excellent.
You can frost this with my favourite chocolate icing or a simple dusting of icing sugar.

FOR THE PUDDING CAKE, (here is where I got my inspiration) prepare and bake a cake (can be a mix or your standby recipe, see above). Near the end of the cooking time for the cake, prepare your Cookies 'n Cream instant pudding mix as per the directions. As soon as your cake comes out of the oven, poke holes all over the top with a clean pencil or skinny dowel (don't be shy, stab away at it, deep and often). Immediately pour the pudding over the cake and let it cool completely. Serve.

This would be great with cookies chopped up on top or even a sprinkling of Oreo baking crumbs. Perhaps a white cake with a lemon pudding. Or try another cake and pudding combination, go wild!

And then report back to me!

Finished cake, you can see how the pudding has sunk in.

Pouring on the pudding, you can see the holes I made, make more than I did.

Cake before refrigerating and serving.

Armenian Nutmeg Cake

Going through my file of pictures and doing some general blog maintenance I came across a series of photos for an Armenian Nutmeg Cake that I have, gasp, not shared with you yet!  I've been holding out on you, but rest assured it was not deliberate.




From first cake. Mmmm

I made this one day, ate so much of it myself that I had to make another to save a piece to freeze for feedback and share the rest with friends.

Fresh, this cake rocks my world.  It seriously did.  I called my mother to tell her about it. Uh-huh.

From the second, but not the last, cake.

I found it on mmmisformommy's website and the recipe list was so short and simple, I just had to try it.  Her recipe calls for walnut pieces, but I just wasn't in the mood for nuts - my life is nuts enough to share - so I left them out.  Then, I fell so in love with the velvety rich texture without the nuts that I may forever leave them out.

It is imperative to use fresh nutmeg.  If you are not willing to grate your own or don't own a microplane, just ensure the spice you are using is as pungent and fresh as possible.  Maybe even treat yourself to a new container for this cake.

Armenian Nutmeg Cake

slightly adapted from mmmisformommy

1 cup milk
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, chilled and cubed
1 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 egg

- combine the milk and the baking soda. Set aside.

- in food processor, add the flour, baking powder and brown sugar and pulse to combine. 

- add the cubed butter on top and pulse until you get tan-coloured crumbs. 

- press half of the crumbs (2 cups) into a greased 9" springform pan.

- add the egg and the nutmeg to the crumbs remaining in the food processor and process until combined.

- add the milk/soda mixture and and continue to mix until a lumpy sand-coloured batter is formed. 

- pour over top of the bottom crumb layer and bake 350F for 50 minutes, or until it tests as done. 

- cool in pan and remove sides and serve.

 

The second time I made it, I did not use my food processor but rather my pastry cutter which I enjoy cleaning way more than my beast of a machine. 

It's just beautiful as is, could be served at any function, it's gorgeous.

 

The cake lost some of it's flavour after a brief freeze.  The texture was just fine, but it had lost that over-the-top, lose-yourself-in-it spicy-ness it had fresh and barely warm out of the oven.

 

Beauteous!

This would be great served with coffee or tea to chat with a friend, it also travels well in lunchboxes or on a road trip.  

Product review - Duncan Hines Carrot

Several weeks ago, I had a guest over and she brought with her a mix for Duncan Hines Classic Carrot cake. 

Prepared as per the instructions -
they are more beautiful in real life and on their way into my mouth somehow!

I prepared it as per the full-fat instructions on the box (oops, I would've used the less-fat instructions had I looked for them, they were also on the box) and it made 12 big muffins.

They were okay warm out of the oven.  BUT, after spending the night in an air tight container at room temperature they were something to write home about. 

They were THAT good!  The texture was great and the flavours had kind of mellowed.

This is what the box looks like in case you want to pick one up.

I'd make this again if someone were to bring it to my house.

Disclaimer: This product was a gift and I did not receive free product from the company.  I received no compensation to try the product and was under no obligation to write a review, I just wanted to.

Microwave Brownie in a Mug (single serving)

Midnight snack tonight.

Not too much to look at, but you can see the ooey, gooey centre just slightly undercooked.
Yes, please!

Microwave Brownie in a Mug
adapted from Chow
3 Tbsp granulated sugar, slightly rounded
3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp butter, melted
3 Tbsp water
1/4 tsp vanilla
A dash of salt
1 tsp Just Us! Espresso Blend ground coffee (optional, but highly recommended)
- In a small bowl or mug, mix sugar, cocoa and flour well.
- In a large mug (or small bowl), melt butter.  Add water, salt, vanilla and coffee, if using. Whisk.
- Add dry ingredients, whisk well.  Clean off edges of the mug with your clean finger, lick finger.
- Microwave for 60-75 seconds: 60 seconds for a molten bottom, 75 for uniformly done.

NOte on the coffee: you can use 3 Tbsp strong, brewed coffee (hot or cold) (and omit the 3 Tbsp water) to avoid the grits of coffee grinds in your cake, but I rather like the bits in my cake.

I cooked it in the microwave for 60 seconds.  (one measuring spoon and one button on my microwave!)

Perfection when served as is.

Then again, you could stick a small chunk of dark chocolate in the centre while hot, top with ice cream, whipped cream, Newfie cream (Carnation canned cream, like clotted cream I think), crème douce (whipping cream, heavy cream), or dust with icing sugar, or a ganache (nah, that's just too rich).

You can double (or more) this recipe. Then you can cook two at one time (I recommend two bowls) or use half now and store half in the cupboard for later... like later tonight when you're up with your toddler AGAIN and it only takes one beep of the microwave to cook it - One Minute button, thank you. Um, combine the dry ingredients and store those, then add the wet when you NEED CAKE FAST. I know what I'm talking about here!

EDIT: I have made it with cow's milk, soy milk, Earth Balance and applesauce in place of the melted butter. You take your pick.

If you have time to think and plan ahead, make a pan of these luscious brownies, they freeze really well and you can ship them across the country (though this costs a small fortune as they are dense and heavy).


SMALLER SERVING
It has come to my attention that the full recipe above is rich (yes, you're welcome) but perhaps too much for 1 person in one sitting.  Here is the math worked out for 2/3 of the cake above:
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp cocoa
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp flour
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp butter, melted (or applesauce or Earth Balance, melted)
2 Tbsp water (or brewed coffee and omit coffee granules)
1/8 tsp vanilla
dash salt
2/3 tsp coffee granules
- mix dry
- melt butter in cereal bowl, add water, vanilla, salt and coffee (if using).
- add dry, mix well
- microwave 50 seconds to 1 minute


Did you share your brownie?  You don't have to, you know...
Did you add anything to it? 

Did you top it with something?