The Extraordinary Art of Cake: August 2010

Tuesday, 31 August 2010

Chocolate Orange Macaron Recipe

I love the combination of chocolate and orange, these Macarons are no exception, they are utterly scrumptious and I love the colour too.

I think I have finally got the hang of Macarons, my last few attempts have come out brilliantly. I have figured out what consistency the batter needs to be for a good Mac. and this has stopped me over mixing. After folding in the almonds and icing sugar mixture my batter only tends to need around 5 more folds before it runs of my spatula perfectly.

Doubling up the baking sheets changed everything and is my number one tip.

I dusted some of the Macarons with Cocoa Powder before baking and sprinkled others with sugar strands.

Recipe Adapted From - Hisako Ogita: I Love Macarons

For the Macarons:

2/3 cup (3 ounces / 85grams) ground almonds / almond flour

11/2 cups (5.25 ounces / 150 grams) powdered sugar

1 teaspoon natural orange extract

3 large egg whites, at room temperature

5 tablespoons / 65 grams granulated sugar

A couple of drops of orange food colouring

Cut a sheet of parchment paper to fit your baking tray. Draw 1-inch (2.5cm) circles on the paper, spacing them at least 1/2-inch (1.5cm) apart. This will be your guide for squeezing out the Macaron batter.

In a food processor, grind together the almonds, powdered vanilla sugar, cocoa powder and powdered sugar together to a fine powder. Sift the mixture through a medium-mesh sieve twice. Set aside.

In a stainless-steel mixing bowl, beat egg whites on high speed until they are foamy. Gradually add the granulated sugar to the egg whites whilst beating.

Add the vanilla and continue beating, when the meringue is stiff, firm, and has a glossy texture, it is done.

Add half the sifted almond and powdered sugar mixture. Stir with a spatula while scooping it up from the bottom of the bowl.

Add the rest of the almond flour and mix lightly in a circular motion.

Macaronner: When the batter becomes nicely firm and drips slowly as you scoop it with a spatula, the mixture is done.

Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1cm round tip. Squeeze the batter into the centre of your drawn out circles, make small circles as the batter will spread out.

Rap the baking tray firmly against the counter. This helps the Macarons hold their rounded shape and helps the pied, or little 'foot', to form.

Dry the batter at room temperature, uncovered, for 15 minutes. A slight crust should form on top of the Macarons.

If the batter circles do not stick to your fingers when you touch them, the drying process is complete. On a dry sunny day, the drying process takes approximately 30 minutes.

Use two trays one inside the other to prevent the Macarons puffing up to much and cracking.

Place the baking trays in the centre of the oven. Preheat to 375 F (190C)

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until slightly crisp and crackled on top.

When the Macarons are done, remove the baking sheet from the oven and cool on a wire rack. When the Macarons are completely cooled, remove them from the baking sheet.

I sandwiched the Macarons together with a simple milk chocolate ganache.

Chocolate Ganache
Makes about 1 1/4 cups

2/3 cup heavy cream

6 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped

Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat, and add chocolate. Let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, and let cool, stirring often.

Happy Macaron Making

xoxox

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Monday, 30 August 2010

Dita's Cointreau Teese Cocktail

Discover Cointreau Teese

This stunning Violet cocktail was created by Dita Von Teese for Cointreau. I think it may just be the prettiest drink I have ever seen but then I wouldn't expect anything less from Dita.

I know she is a huge fan of violet honey, so the flavour choice didn't surprise me

Here is the recipe taken from the Cointreau.com

Cointreau Teese

4 cl (1 1/2oz) Cointreau

2 cl (3/4oz) Apple juice

1,5 cl (1/2oz) Monin violet syrup

1,5 cl (1/2oz) Fresh lemon juice

Frost ginger around the rim of the glass

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Peanut Butter and Jelly Cakewich Recipe

Yes it is Cakewich time!

I love the pan, which was a total doddle to use and the cake does look rather alarmingly like a PB&J sandwich. I don't however rate the recipe very highly, I used the recipe that came on the box and the cake was seriously stodgy and dense. This is brilliant for carving and constructing but not so great for eating, the flavour of the cake however was rather good and the peanut butter frosting was delicious.

The cake isn't particularly pretty as it does look exactly like a hunk of bread, the creative cake maker in me is dying to try mini PB&J cakwiches, which I think would be cuter.

I found the pan on Amazon and am chuffed to have it in the collection.

The cake came out of the pan with no problems at all but does require a little doctoring, carving off the top etc. Next time I will definitely try this with my white cake recipe.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cakewich

Cake

• 2 cups plain (all purpose) flour

• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 175g unsalted butter, softened

• 1 ½ cups sugar

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 6 large egg whites

• ¾ cup milk

Frosting

• 63g unsalted butter, softened

• Heaping ½ cup creamy peanut butter

• ¾ cup icing sugar

• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

• ½ cup fruit jelly, slightly warmed

For the cake, set the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 160°C (315°F). Grease the inner bottom surface of your Cakewich pan. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl, mixing well with a whisk. Whisk together egg whites and milk in a medium mixing bowl until just combined.

In a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and beat vigorously. Reduce the speed to low and add one quarter of the flour, then one third of the milk mixture, mixing until just combined and scraping down the bowl after each addition. Repeat until all ingredients are just combined.

Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the Cakewich pan and smooth the top. Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a cooling rack for 1 hour, then unmold it to finish cooling right side up.

For the frosting, place the butter and peanut butter into a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer for several minutes or until just combined. Gradually mix in the icing sugar until just combined. Add the vanilla and beat for 3 minutes until fluffy.

To assemble, use a serrated bread knife to slice off the “dome” of the cake, then slice again through the center horizontally. Spread the peanut butter frosting on the first layer of the cake. Spread a thin layer of jelly on top of the frosting. Place the second layer of cake on the first, making sure the cut side is visible.

x x x

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Bank Holiday Monday, Toffee and Apple Sauce Muffin Recipe

I hope you are all having a lovely Bank Holiday Monday, I love Bank Holidays, I like to think of them as national home baking days.

This brilliant muffin recipe is from a new cookbook, Home Bake Eric Lanlard. Lanlard is the fabulous owner, of the even more fabulous Cake Boy patisserie in London. I am already crazy for this book, this is the first recipe I have tried but I want to bake everything in it, all the recipes look and sound delicious.

The book is packed with gorgeous photographs and handy tips, the chapters are titled sponge cakes, tarts, meringues, muffins and cupcakes, tray bakes, festive recipes, cheesecakes, puddings and pastries and biscuits. I can't wait to try the Macarons, Fresh Fruit Tart, Double Chocolate Marshmallow Muffins and the Lemon Curd Squares.

I decided to make these muffins because firstly, apples and fudge are two of my favourite things and secondly this was Lanlard's description of the muffins in the book:

'These have to be my favourite of all the muffins we make at the patisserie. The combination of the toffee, apple and rich cinnamon is just pure delight!'

He is not wrong. These are by far the most delicious muffins I have ever made! Oh my God these are good, really, really good. They smell like apple pie coming out of the oven and when eaten warm, they are, without doubt the most comforting, delightfully flavoured muffin ever!

I love the combination so much I'm going to come up with a cupcake version for the Buttercream Bakery menu, maybe a fudgy apple sauce filled cuppie with fudge frosting and cinnamon sugar sprinkle.

My only note is that my butter and eggs did not combine in the slightest, the butter remained lumpy despite being very soft. I proceeded regardless and the batter came together really well in the end, with very few lumps despite being combined very gently.

Toffee and Apple Sauce Muffins - Home Bake by Eric Lanlard

Makes 12 Large Muffins

For the Apple Sauce

300g (11oz) Bramley apples (about one large apple)

100g (3 1/2oz) soft light brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2tsp Calvados

For the Muffins

275g (9 1/2 oz) plain flour

100g (3 1/2 oz) caster sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

75g (2 3/4oz) unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs

125ml (4fl oz) full fat milk

100g (3 1/2oz) home-made or bought fudge,

chopped in to small chunks

2 tbsp cinnamon sugar

(2 tbsp soft light brown sugar

mixed with 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon)

icing sugar for dusting

To make the apple sauce: Peel and core the apples and cut into small cubes. Place the diced apples in a saucepan with the sugar, cinnamon, Calvados and 1 teaspoon of water. Cook over a low heat until the apples are tender but not mushy. Leave to cool.

Preheat the oven to 200C. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with muffin papers.

Sift the flour, sugar and baking powder into a large mixing bowl.

Beat the butter and eggs together, then add the milk. Stir this mixture into the flour mixture along with the fudge, until just incorporated. Don't over stir, it's fine if the mixture is a little lumpy.

Spoon half the mixture into the muffin cases, then spoon over 2/3 of the apple sauce. (Ensure that the apple sauce is the same consistency as the batter so that it doesn't sink into the cakes). Cover with the remaining muffin batter. With a small spoon make a swirl of apple sauce in the top and dust with lots of cinnamon sugar.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 - 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Serve dusted with icing sugar.

They are also fantastic warm with the steamy apple sauce centre and melting fudge!

Next time your making muffins try these, you will not be disappointed.

x x x

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Friday, 27 August 2010

The Must Have Mulberry Margaret Shoulder Bag

I have fallen hook line and sinker for this stunning Mulberry shoulder bag, the Margaret family of bags and purses are named after Princess Margaret, like her the bags are classic with a cheeky twist, (for those of you that don't know Princess Margaret is a very naughty Princess indeed). The sculpted plaque is engraved with the Mulberry logo, the crest reads 'We Believe in Tea and Cake' and is completed with two British Bulldogs, one with a tea pot on his head and another with a cupcake on his head!

'We Believe in Tea and Cake', has there ever been a truer statement? I can't even begin to explain how much I want this bag, it makes me ache inside. I especially love the Grape Suede but they're all gorgeous and I would happily make any one my own.

Best of all the Mulberry Margaret bag features a leather and chain strap that can be tucked in when you wish to use the bag as a clutch. I'm starting to believe that the lovely people at Mulberry made this gorgeous bag especially for me...

x x x

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Thursday, 26 August 2010

Adorable & Unique Cookie Cutters

A very fabulous twitter friend of mine, LilyOfOpulence tweeted about an amazing corset cookie cutter, I fell in love with it immediately and hotfooted it to the website where I proceeded to spend an absolute fortune. Luckily whilst chatting to a local store today I was asked if I could supply bespoke sugar cookies, I pretty good with sugar cookies but have never thought of putting them on the Buttercream Bakery menu before, so let me know what you think.

Needless to say I have cookies on the brain, so I decided to share some amazing cookie cutters with you, all the links will take you straight to the cookie cutter in question.

Top to Bottom, Left to Right:

1. Landmarks Cookie Cutter Set - Fancy Flours

Set includes Eiffel Tower, Leaning Tower of Pisa, Big Ben, Statue of Liberty, Sidney Opera House & Pyramids.

2. Ninjabread Men Cookie Cutters - Fred and Friends

I want these so much I could cry, I already have the Already Been Chewed Gingerbread Men cutters and these would totally complete the set.

3. Limited Edition Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum Cookie Cutter - Fancy Flours

There are a whole range of Limited Edition Cutters on Fancy Flours.

4. Mini Strawberry Cookie Cutter - The Cookie Cutter Shop

Yes people it is mini enough for cupcakes!

5. Yoga Pose Cookie Cutter - Copper Gifts

Yoga Bread Men!

6. Corset Cookie Cutter - Copper Gifts

This one is on its way to me and thinking about it makes me so happy : )

7. Castle Cookie Cutter - The Cookie Cutter Shop

Love the detail on this one.

8. Pi Cookie Cutter - Copper Gifts

Baby Love laughed and called me a geek but I want this one too! Its a clever cookie.

9. Jigsaw Cookie Cutter - Cox and Cox

Another clever cookie.

10. Poodle Cookie Cutter - Fancy Flours

So adorable.

11. Cupcake Cookie Cutter - Copper Gifts

This one is on its way to me too.

Happy Cookie Cutting

x x x

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Tuesday, 24 August 2010

Buttercream Bakery Cute & Colourful Cupcakes

I have been crazy busy recently so haven't posted for a little while, I do however have time to post a couple of cupcake pictures to keep you going.

I love these adorable Vanilla cupcakes decorated in baby pink and off white buttercream and dotted with Love Heart sweets.

I have always had a thing for Love Hearts so this was an order made in heaven for me, my favorite cuppie was the baby pink one above, I get a kick out of the Think pink love Heart.

I also made these colourful batch for a little 'uns birthday, they are iced with vivid pink and yellow buttercream, cased in bright orange papers and topped with giant Jelly Beans and colourful sprinkles.

The giant Jelly Beans are amazing!

That's all for now but my cakewich pan arrived ! I'm so excited so I'm sure that will be up soon.

x x x

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Sunday, 22 August 2010

New Limited Edition Chanel Autumn Nail Polishes

I love Chanel nail polish and these are no exception, these gorgeous autumn colours have been created by Peter Philips, Chanel’s creative director of cosmetics, the limited edition colours are sure to have Chanel addicts in overdrive, the three colours are:

Chanel Khaki Vert, a moss green,

Chanel Khaki Brun, a brown meets grey,

Chanel Khaki Rose a terracotta hue.

I love them all but think Khaki Rose is calling me, I wouldn't usually wear a green but I think this one is perfectly understated and stylish. These colours are spot on trend and I'm going to have to nab at least one so that I don't spend the entire Autumn wearing Particuliere, which I still can't get enough of.

x x x

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Wednesday, 18 August 2010

Baby Pink Butterscotch Macaron Recipe

I haven't made Macarons for what feels like ages but today felt like a Macaron day and besides I had some butterscotch flavouring lurking in the baking cupboard (mmm butterscotch...)

I know baby pink isn't really an appropriate colour for a butterscotch Macaron but I wanted to make a pretty and colourful batch since my last few Macron posts have been Dulce de Leche, Coffee and Cream and Chocolate, which are all varying shades of brown.

I decided to sandwich the Macarons with milk chocolate and white chocolate buttercream, I also sprinkled half of the Macarons with chocolate sugar strands before baking. This is actually the first time I've added anything to the tops of my Macarons and I'm so glad I did because I think they look adorable, even if sprinkles aren't exactly Parisian chic, forgive me, I am, after all a slightly sprinkle obsessed cupcake baker.

The next Macaron flavour combinations I want to try I have come up with myself, Vanilla & Coconut Honey and Strawberry Lychee.

I have given you the Magnolia Bakery Chocolate Buttercream recipe, it's one of my favourites, you can use the same recipe for the white chocolate buttercream but I add about half of the amount of chocolate as otherwise I find it a little over-sweet.

Recipe From - Hisako Ogita: I Love Macarons

For the Macarons:

2/3 cup (3 ounces / 85grams) ground almonds / almond flour

11/2 cups (5.25 ounces / 150 grams) powdered sugar

1 teaspoon butterscotch flavouring

3 large egg whites, at room temperature

5 tablespoons / 65 grams granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp baby pink, powdered food colouring

In a food processor, grind together the almonds, powdered vanilla sugar, cocoa powder and powdered sugar together to a fine powder. Sift the mixture through a medium-mesh sieve twice. Set aside.

In a stainless-steel mixing bowl, beat egg whites on high speed until they are foamy. Gradually add the granulated sugar to the egg whites whilst beating.

Add the vanilla and continue beating, when the meringue is stiff, firm, and has a glossy texture, it is done.

Add half the sifted almond and powdered sugar mixture. Stir with a spatula while scooping it up from the bottom of the bowl.

Add the rest of the almond flour and mix lightly in a circular motion.

Macaronnage: When you run out of flour, press and and spread the batter against the bowl's sides. Scoop the batter from the bottom and turn it upside down. Repeat this process 15 times.

Pointer: If the macaronnage step is repeated less than 10 times, the baked Macarons will lack luster.

However, when it is repeated more than 20 times oil stains may remain on the pastry's surface when the Macarons are baked.