2012: A Cake Odyssey

While looking for a new cooking or craft project to kick off the new year, I came across something that was the perfect combo of both crafts and cooking. The recipe for Momofuku Milk Bar's Birthday Cake in the Milk Bar cookbook by Christina Tosi (the pastry chef) that I picked up back in December. I purchased mine in NYC, but I've seen it at Barnes & Noble too. The recipe is intriguing for various reasons, like the use of (strange to me) ingredients like glucose and citric acid. I was most drawn to the challenge of creating a layer cake that you bake in a sheet pan, then cut out the layers, and stack them with the support of acetate sheets. Feeling scared? Think it's too complicated for you? It's not. And it's TOTALLY worth it. Every single minute of effort is SOOOOO worth it.

Because I work full-time and have a child, my free time is fairly limited. I tackled this cake project over two nights. Well...let me back up just a minute, maybe more than two nights. Before I started the cake, I had to get all of the ingredients and other supplies which involved more than just a trip to the grocery store. Most of the ingredients were basic stuff like eggs, butter, sugar, etc. However,  I didn't have cake flour, grapeseed oil,  glucose, citric acid, or clear vanilla. In the end, I picked up the glucose at a local cake decorating supply store (check the baking aisle at Michael's too). If glucose scares you, then you can substitute corn syrup (she notes this in the recipe). You can find cake flour and grapeseed oil  at most any grocery store. I had no luck finding clear vanilla (I just used my regular brown-colored vanilla) or citric acid, but will keep an eye out for those. I can't say that those two missing ingredients made one difference in the taste or appearance of the cake. I picked up the cake ring, a large round metal cookie-cutter looking thing, that you use to cut the cake layers out of the sheet pan, and then use to form the base of the cake, at Sur la Table. You can also order them on Amazon. I purchased a sheet of acetate (clear plastic) at the local art supply store and cut out two 3"x 20" strips. You can buy these plastic strips online, but for the cost of the strips and the shipping and the fact that this is not my business, it was easier to just go the art supply store route.

So, back to the cake. The cake is made up of four separate recipes: the crumb, the icing, the cake wash, and the actual cake. I made the crumb and the icing the first night. They were very simple and quick. After I made them, I put each in their own air-tight container and placed in the fridge. To use the next night. I think Christina Tosi notes that the icing will keep for a week in the fridge and the crumb up to a month in the freezer.

Birthday Cake crumb

Crumb straight out of the oven. It's perfectly sweet, salty, and crunchy.

The next night I baked the cake. It's a pretty standard recipe, but you really must follow her instructions carefully. If she says you need to let the mixer go for 8 minutes, then you need to make sure that happens. Same thing when she says only let it go for 30 seconds. The cookbook has a great introduction written by Tosi that lays out how she arrived at this job, these recipes, and her reasons why you need to do what she says. I figure she's a renown pastry chef in NYC, not me, so I was very careful to follow each recipe to the letter--which is something I rarely do.

Once the batter was ready, I spread it out on a parchment lined quarter-sheet pan. The recipe calls for sprinkles and you can use any color combos you want. I was making this around the time we were celebrating the Baltimore Ravens' football team in the playoffs, so I figured purple, black, and yellow sprinkles were appropriate.

Straight out of the oven.

Once the cake has cooled, you cut two of the three layers out with your cake ring.

You use the left over "scrap" cake to form the bottom layer of the cake.

So now that all the parts of the cake were ready, I could finally begin to assemble. This is where that fourth recipe comes in...the cake wash. It's just vanilla and milk, so that one's not complicated at all.

Here is my set up: I lined a regular 8" cake pan with parchment. Then I put the cake ring in the middle, and lined the ring with one of the two strips of acetate.

You form the bottom layer of the cake, as I mentioned, with the scrap left over from cutting out the other two layers. So I just pressed the scrap pieces of cake into the round until I had a layer that was flat and about the same thickness as the other layers.

Then I got all excited about assembling the cake and forgot to take photos! So after the bottom layer of cake is in place, you brush the wash over it, then a thin layer of icing, sprinkle some of the cake crumb, then another thin layer of icing.

This is the first layer, before you put the layer of icing on top of the crumb.

Then you put one of the cut-out cake layers in place, after you add the other strip of acetate.

Then you do the wash, the icing, the crumb, and the icing again. Place the last cake layer on top of that, do the wash, the rest of the icing, and place the remaining crumb all over the top, or just in the center (which is what I did). And you have this:

The cake then goes in the freezer for 12 hours (minimum) and can keep in the freezer, well wrapped, for 2 weeks. About three hours before you serve it, place it in the fridge to defrost. And viola!

I must say, that in the beginning I had doubts that all this effort would be worth it for a 6-inch cake (I manged to get 12 slices out of it, so it's share-able). I was wrong. Very, very wrong. It was definitely worth the effort and it's good to know that I can whip this thing out if I need to (with a little notice) for birthdays or any other reason. The cake has the texture of angel food cake, light and fluffy, but with the flavor of a perfect vanilla cake. I think the wash adds just the right amount of moisture. As I mentioned, the crumb is perfectly crunchy, salty, and sweet. The icing is divine! I would make the icing for use on any other cake. It's a combination of buttercream icing with a little cream cheese and a touch of sea salt. Put all of those things together...the light, moist cake with the sweet, salty crumb, sandwiched between the creamy icing and it's perfection. Tosi definitely knows what she is doing!

Since I don't want to be sued, I can't post the recipe here. But someone else did, so you can read that here. Or you can just buy the book. It provides recipes for almost everything they serve at Milk Bar. From compost cookies, blueberries and cream cookies, to their famous crack pie and cereal milk.

Cheers!

Happy 2012 everyone! Here's hoping that it's a fabulous year!

I'm not sure what this may indicate about the new year, but I'm going to go ahead and start this year's posts off with one about delicious alcoholic beverages.

I pinned the recipe for a Snowtini on Pinterest a few weeks ago, hoping I would get a chance to try it out over the holidays. Well, I did try it out. In fact, I tried out a whole pitcher of it on New Year's Eve and it was delicious. Next to bacon jam, this may be my new obsession.

Here is the original recipe, and my adjustments.

Snowtini
Makes 2
1/3 cup coconut cream (should be settled at the top of a can of coconut milk) 
¼ cup marshmallow creme--I used about half a jar, so probably more like 1/2 cup
3 tablespoons vanilla vodka--I doubled this because I didn't use the other alcohol the recipe calls for
3 tablespoons white chocolate liqueur--I couldn't find this in time for my New Year's Eve test run, but have it on hand now and I can't wait to use it next time!
2 tablespoons half and half--I just used milk I had in the fridge
1 miniature bottle of Malibu rum--I didn't use this and probably wouldn't. Unless you have it or just love it, you get plenty of coconut flavor from the coconut and the coconut cream
¼ cup coconut
2-3 tablespoons sugar--I omitted this, it was sweet enough with the marshmallow creme and coconut cream
1/8 teaspoon salt--also omitted this
Ice
1 package of Hostess Snoballs to garnish--I couldn't find these (but will look again next time I go to the store), so I used a powdered doughnut hole

Add all ingredients to blender and blend, Baby, blend!!!  Keep adding ice until you get a nice, slushy, snow-like consistency.  Garnish with Snoballs!

This is the BEST snow cream you will ever have! I sprinkled a little coconut on top for fun. And then I drank it ALLLLLLLL!!!!

I guess to counter the Snowtini, now would be a good time to share my favorite hot chocolate recipe. I have been obsessed for a very long time with replicating the hot chocolate at City Bakery in NYC. I've tried all kinds of recipes that promised they were the real deal, but they weren't. Not even close to the smooth, rich, and thick chocolate heaven that is City Bakery's hot chocolate.  And I'm not the only one obsessed with drinking their insane chocolate "soup"...there are tons of others (and here, and here are just a few) out there on the interwebs who feel the same way.

Photo from the Gothamist.

I wasn't even looking for it (in fact, I'd given up) when I saw Paula Deen's Work-a-holic Hot Chocolate recipe in a cookbook I own. I knew the recipe stood a chance when I realized you make vanilla custard and add chocolate to it...and I was right!!!  I know the thickness may be too much for some people, so when I made it at the holiday brunch, I added a little more milk just to thin it down a little (just a little...to me the charm is in its thickness). The night before the brunch (since I didn't want to be stuck at the stove making hot chocolate), I made three batches and put them in the fridge in air tight containers. Then, as guests wanted hot chocolate, I heated up half a batch at a time with a little milk so it wasn't quite as thick. I also had a little Godiva Chocolate Liqueur to add for those who were interested in kicking things up a notch!

Paula Deen's Work-a-holic's Hot Chocolate

Vanilla Custard:

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 1/2 cups milk, divided
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Hot chocolate:

• 7 ounces (2 chocolate bars) semisweet chocolate, chopped--I used semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup milk, boiled

Directions

Sprinkle the cornstarch over 1/2 cup of the milk in a small bowl and whisk to dissolve. Add the sugar and egg yolks and whisk well.

In a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan over low heat, bring the remaining 2 cups of the milk and the vanilla bean just to a simmer. Remove the bean, scrape the vanilla seeds into the milk, and discard the bean. Gradually whisk the egg yolk mixture into the milk.

Cook, whisking often, until the sauce comes to a full boil, about 3 minutes. If using vanilla extract, stir it in now. Strain through a wire sieve into a bowl. Serve warm.

Add to the vanilla cream the chopped chocolate chunks and a boiled cup of milk. Mix until smooth. Any flavor can be added- raspberry, cinnamon, holiday ginger spice, marshmallows. The semi-sweet chocolate can be substituted with milk or white chocolate

And I guess I should go ahead and warn everyone that I received 9 cookbooks for Christmas this year. NINE! Until I can come up with a new craft project or decide to redecorate a room, there's going to be lots of cooking. So for my co-workers who read this...you've been warned. Start doing your extra sit-ups now!

Happy Holidays

I'd like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New 2012! This will be my last post of 2011, so I thought it would be best to round out the year with photos of lots of delicious food. We hosted a brunch this past weekend for some of our friends. Despite worrying about having about 40 people in my tiny house at one time, and hoping that I would be able to cook enough food for all of the people who came, I think it was a great success. I know that we enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with many people, some of whom we haven't seen at all this past year.

I found those plastic reindeer at Michael's and just spray painted them white. I just need 6 more to round out the set!

I figure it's best to start with photos of the desserts.

The menu included sweet potato brownies, ginger molasses cookies, cornflake marshmallow chocolate chip cookies (from Momofuku Milk Bar cookbook), and apple cider doughnuts from Weber Farm.

We also had a mix of fruit, biscuits, croissants (I attempted to find country ham for the biscuits, but apparently it's illegal to sell in Maryland because I couldn't find it anywhere!), bacon jam (of course), baked grits, and two different breakfast stratas. I use the basic recipe for a strata from Williams Sonoma and then just make up my own vegetable or meat mixtures (I also cube the bread instead of just placing the slices in the pan). I made a veggie strata with sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, and spinach, and then a meat strata with italian sausage and sun-dried tomatoes.

Don't you love those little amputated arm sign holders from Fishs Eddy? I DO!

And here are a few photos from the party...

Henry doing the dreaded "cheese" smile for the camera.

We told him to say "boogers" in this one. Much better.

Most of our friends have kids, and they're all the same age, so that really worked out well.  They all played really well together and the damage to the living room was only temporary.

And to just throw one last craft project in the mix, I thought I'd share these really cute and very easy gift bags I found on Pinterest. I don't have the Fiskars machine or punches to cut out the shapes, but since I only had to make 6 of these for Henry's "fwiends" at daycare, I figured I could manage to cut them out by hand. Are they cute or what?

Happy Holidays everyone!!!!!!

Merry NYC!

I had the pleasure of taking a quick trip to NYC over this past weekend. I was only there for a little over 24 hours, but I covered as much ground as I could! I did check out a few new places, in addition to my usual haunts. I always stop by Fishs Eddy, Century 21 (I went to both the original store downtown and the new one near Lincoln Center), and Strand bookstore. I took a few trips to other places I haven't visited in awhile, like Jamali Garden in the Flower District, where you can find anything you could ever need to decorate for the holidays (or any other reason/season). Here are some photos I snapped with my iphone:

 I spent way too much time at the Bowery Kitchen Supply store in Chelsea Market, mostly talking myself out of buying tons of pots and pans that I'd have to lug around the the city for the rest of the day.

I did check out a few new places too. If you've never been to the B&H Photo store (I've ordered online from them for the past 10 years), you should go...if for no other reason than to check out the Willy Wonka-style operation in place once you step inside the doors. It's possible that B&H has the best and most efficient customer service of any retail location in Manhattan (outside of some of the luxury retailers on 5th Avenue). I also went to the Doughnut Plant, which has finally opened a location within a short walk of a subway stop. There is little I can say to truly describe how delicious the doughnuts are at the Doughnut Plant. They have the standard flavors that you might expect, and then they roll out seasonal varieties like gingerbread and pumpkin in the fall/winter. They are fresh and are lightly coated with a delicious glaze, some that even ooze with cream cheese or chocolate when you bite into the cake. They're not your typical filled doughnuts.

I also tried a new pizza place called Forcella, located on Bowery near the western edge of the East Village. I learned all I needed to know about this place after I read the word "fryolator" in the review in New York Magazine. I went with the friends, who I was staying with on this trip, and we shared one of the fried pizzas, the standard margherita pizza, the bruschette, and the meatballs. And then we hauled our stuffed selves to Milk Bar for dessert. Good thing I spend lots of time walking when I'm in NYC.

The brick oven at Forcella.

The Montanara Pizze Fritte at Forcella. A gorgeous fried pizza.

I also finally made it to the hipster mecca that is the Stumptown cafe in the Ace Hotel.

Stumptown in the Ace Hotel.

My cappuccino at Stumptown.

It was a great trip, and as always way too short. Here are the rest of my photos from my strolls around the city:

The famous Chelsea Hotel, which is the site of the new Doughnut Plant location.

I had the Blackout and the Chocolate Chip Cookie.

Fun details inside the Doughnut Plant.

A "Christmas Tree" in the Chelsea Market.

Chelsea Market

Near Astor Place.

Grace Church. From this angle you would never guess this little church is in the middle of the city.

Bloomingdales.

The Lady Gaga window displays at Barney's.

The Plaza.

Times Square...looks like an alien invasion down there--which is why I usually avoid it altogether.

Columbus Circle.

The New Yorker Hotel.

Macy's.

The Ace Hotel.

The Flatiron Building...one of my all time favorites.

Flatiron.

Flatiron

Art installation in the front windows of the Flatiron Building.

My other favorite building, the Chrysler Building.

Rockefeller Center.

The iconic Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center.