Important Blog Information

Oct 05, 2006 | From the kitchen of Rose in Announcements

Automatic Alert for Responses to Your Blog Questions/Comments

from fellow blogger Zach Townsend:

If you want to be alerted when someone responds to a particular topic for which you've provided a comment, there is a check box called "let me know if someone adds a comment" that you will see when you select the "post a comment" option at the bottom of the topic window. If you check that box, you will get notified of each new comment via the email address that you enter. However, it only works when you post a comment and check that box, which essentially "subscribes" you to that string of messages. It will not alert you, however, when a new topic is posted. Once you subscribe to the message string via the checkbox, then you will receive a notification at your email address no matter when someone posts a comment regarding that message."

Why Does the Cake Dip in the Center?

Oct 05, 2006 | From the kitchen of Rose in FAQs

Question from Kim

I've been baking cupcakes using your All Occasion Downy Golden cake recipe. The texture is incredible - soft, light, fluffy and melt-in-your-mouth. The only problem is that the cakes rise beautifully in the oven - but then about 5 minutes after I take them out they begin to sink in the middle. What do you think could be the problem? I'd love for them to be just slightly rounded on top, for the sake of presentation.

Rose Response

First i'd like to say that when I make cakes in two layers I like the cakes to be perfectly flat for tiering but when I make one higher layer I also like it to be gently rounded.

Dipping is always a structural problem. It can be either of the following

The Wrong Type of Flour
If using unbleached flour for a butter cake in which the butter is used in softened form, as opposed to melted as for a genoise, the cake will dip in the center about 5 minutes after baking. This is because the smooth flour particles of unbleached flour cannot effectively hold the butter is suspension. So use bleached cake flour or bleached all-purpose flour.

Too Weak a Structure
This is usually due to too much leavening. Try dropping the baking powder by 1/4 teaspoon.

The larger the cake, the less amount of baking powder per cup of flour is used. This is because the distance from the sides of the pan to the center are greater so that they batter needs a stronger structure to support itself.

Where to Study Baking

Oct 10, 2006 | From the kitchen of Rose in FAQs

Gina Question

I am currently in the process of applying for the Baking and Pastry program offered at the Art Institute of Vancouver. I know that this is a good program but am also wanting to keep my options open. I was wondering if you had any suggestions or knew of other Baking and Pastry programs that are offered elsewhere. If you have any advice, I would love to hear it.

Rose Reply
Ii don't know anything about the program in Vancouver but I do know it is an extraordinarily beautiful city and fabulous food town. You should definitely check out the French Culinary Institute, and the Institute for Culinary Education in NYC, the CIA in Hyde Park, NY, and Johnson and Wales which has several campuses.

The Chocolate Wedding Cake in the Cake Bible

Oct 13, 2006 | From the kitchen of Rose in FAQs

Karen Question

I am planning on making the chocolate butter wedding cake for a friend's wedding next weekend. Your chocolate base cake formula appears to have more butter (530 grams butter for 12 inch layers or 75.67 grams x rose factor 7) that the 3-tier chcolate butter cake to serve 150 (400 grams butter for 12 inch layers) although the other ingredients are the same. Could you please advise what is the correct amount of butter to use?

Rose Reply
You're right! Originally I made the cake just as it appears on page 486-487 but decided to add more butter to make it more moist. You could instead just add a little syrup.
I changed it in the base but forgot to change it on the larger recipe. If you opt to go with the higher butter it would be 16 oz./454 grams for the two 6 & 9 inch layers and 18.5 ounces/525 grams for the two twelve inch layers.
Do let me know what you decide to do! Either way it will be delicious and chocolatey!

Ingredients in the UK

Oct 15, 2006 | From the kitchen of Rose in FAQs

Great Feedback from Cherry and Alexis

You gave me useful advice a few years back about flour after I moved to the UK. I've since discovered that McDougall's Grade "00" flour (not self-rising) is a perfect substitute.
Additionally, I find that buttermilk is a better substitute for American sour cream than (higher fat) UK soured cream in cakes and muffins--seems to give more reliable results than an educated guess at the amount of soured cream to decrease.
Thus, with a few added marginalia, the US "Cake Bible" remains in use here.
Cherry

AFAIK, the 00 is not bleached, but it is somewhat softer than the regular plain flour. I researched this once, and according to the Flour Advisory Bureau, bleached flour is not available to the UK consumer. (Although I suspect that the McDougall Supreme Sponge is bleached as it claims it can absorb more fat and sugar than regular flour... sadly it's only available in self-rising!)

UK spoons are now pretty much standardised at 5 and 15ml. The Aussies are the ones who are off: an Australian tablespoon is 20ml! I bake in metric now so I can ignore imperial versus US ounces.

The other headache is baking powder. I know a lot of Americans who report having to use 1.5x as much. My guess is that there's more bulking agent--the first ingredient listed on the container is rice flour. I'll be honest, I cheat: I bring American baking powder back with me (and I've got some Swans Down as well).

British soured cream is the same fat content as American, 18%, though it tends to be thinner in texture. I've never had a problem cooking with it.

Back to Bread

Oct 24, 2006 | From the kitchen of Rose in Announcements

I didn't mean it to be, consciously, but the word back is a double entendre!

I've been holed in hibernating for--can it be--6 long weeks--recovering from a bad disc problem in my back. Physical therapy and exercise have helped enormously and it now seems like a miracle that i'm entirely free of pain. But it is only tonight that I realized how full my recovery is because I was faced with a decision of whether or not to BUY bread! I haven't bought bread in several years, since I started working on the Bread Bible. But tomorrow night I want to make a "Cuban Sandwich" with some left-over pork shoulder roast and actually went as far as putting Italian Bread on my shopping list when I realized that I HAD to make the bread myself.

There are five essential reasons why I feel this way:

1) A very beautiful note on g-mail from a woman called Mary Ellen who wrote: After many failed attempts, I decided I'd best leave bread baking to professional bakers. After browsing through the Bread Bible at a local Borders, I thought I'd give it one more try. Thank you for giving me the guidance I need to make great bread! I'm so happy as I bake bread. I feel so peaceful. I want to express my thanks for really explaining all the details and directions on making great bread. My life will never be the same.
It reminded me of how I feel about bread.

2) It will be so much more delicious to make my own Basic Hearth Loaf and shape it into 6 long rolls.

3) Harvest King, the new flour from Gold Medal with my recipe for Basic Hearth Loaf on the back has just appeared in my supermarket down the street.

4) It only took 5 minutes to mix the dough and won't take much longer to knead, shape and bake it.

5) Baking bread is the most grounding activity I know and the only way I really feel like my old self again!

In a few days I will post all the tips that go along with the recipe on the bag which include how to vary it to make it a multi-grain bread, and how to make rolls with soft or crisp crust.

Meantime, watch your backs--it's no fun when they rebel and as a doctor I once worked for told me many years ago: "human beings weren't meant to stand erect." Now I'm wondering why they don't teach standing, walking, bending, and lifting correctly in grade-school gym instead of useless things like how to climb a rope or assume a cross-legged seating position without support (yes I can still do that, the question is should I--or should anyone!.

P.S. It was pretty bad but couldn't have been that bad because I never lost my sense of humor!

Baking Magic with Rose Airing in Ohio

Oct 25, 2006 | From the kitchen of Rose in Television

PBS Affiliate WBGU in Ohio has scheduled my 13 part series beginning in December. Please check your t.v. listings for times and channels.

It Was Worth It!!!

Oct 25, 2006 | From the kitchen of Rose in Bread

The Cubanos were out of this world! What had been less than moist but flavorful 5 day old pork shoulder came alive with a gilding of mayo, the bread and butter pickles from the farmer's market--less sweet than the usual. The slice of ham was a perfect addition and the melted Swiss cheese bound it all together. But it was the bread that was the star--crisp crust, soft flavorful crumb!

The recipe for the bread is on the Harvest King bread bag and in the Bread Bible and all you have to do to make these great rolls is divide it in 6 (5 ounces/144 grams each) and shape them into 6 inch long batons. They only takes 20 minutes to bake. Cool and split in half horizontally. Heaven!

For the Cubano, it took 10 minutes on medium high in a panini maker and in a 350 oven wrapped in foil, and weighted between two baking sheets with an oven-proof skillet on top it will take about 20 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Always Time for Bread

Oct 27, 2006 | From the kitchen of Rose in Announcements

We were planning to go to the country this weekend to see if the house still stands after a 6 week absence but the weather report changed our minds (40 mph winds and rain). So I asked my husband if he'd like me to warm up the apartment by baking his favorite challah (though he still hasn't gotten quite to the bottom of the bread in the freezer drawer). His answer was "if you have the time." My answer is above.

The 75 grams/2.6 oz. of old starter are defrosting in the water for the dough and it will take all of 5 minutes to mix the rest of the ingredients. After a short kneading and rising, into the frig for its overnight flavor development. Braiding tomorrow morning will take 10 minutes and then rising on its own and into the oven with a little help from me.

I have a smidgen of ham left over from the Cubanos. Would it be sacrilege to have it on the challah? I know it would be delicious.

This reminds me of an article I did many years ago for my late mentor, Cecily Brownstone, of Associated Press. The recipe that accompanied it was for mini challah rolls. She called me many months later, very distraught, to tell me that a food editor in the mid-west just ran the article. When I asked her what was wrong with that she said: "I guess she was saving it for a Jewish holiday but Passover wasn't the appropriate one!" (Only matzo--unleavened bread can be eaten during Passover. It is the very symbol of the holiday.) The headline read: Bake Challah for Passover! (Oy vay!!!)

Getting back to my challah, on second thought, somehow ham requires mayo and the leftover Swiss cheese is also a natural addition.I can't see either on challah. Besides--honey or butter are the only gilding challah really requires. (Saved!)

Hey! it's taken almost as long to write about it as to make it!

Pure Pumpkin Cheesecake

Oct 31, 2006 | From the kitchen of Rose in Cakes

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bake for 45 minutes.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Crust

INGREDIENTS	MEASUREMENTS	WEIGHT
	volume	ounces	grams
unsweetened pumpkin, preferably Libby’s	1 cup	8.5 ounces	243 grams
sugar, preferably unrefined	1 cup	7 ounces	200 grams
heavy cream	2 liquid cups
cream cheese	2 (8-ounce) packages	1 pound	454 grams
2 large eggs		3.5 ounces	100 grams
2 large yolks		1.3 ounces (weighed with the shell)	37 grams
Garnish: Pecan halves(*)	24	1.5 ounces	42 grams

(*) If desired, use an additional 1/2 cup 1.75 ounces/50 grams of coarsely broken pecans for the center

Equipment: One 9-inch by 2 1/2-inch or higher springform pan, greased, outside of the pan wrapped with a double layer of heavy-duty foil to prevent seepage. One 12-inch by 2-inch cake pan or roasting pan to serve as a water bath.

CRUST: 4 1/4 oz. gingersnaps, broken (preferably Swedish brand), 2 oz. pecans, toasted, 1T sugar, 2 pinches salt, 2 oz. butter, melted. Process cookies and pecans, sugar, salt til fine crumbs (app 20 secs.) Add melted butter and pulse 10 times til just incorporated. Press into pan and up the sides.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a small, heavy saucepan, stir together the pumpkin and sugar. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a sputtering simmer, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 5 minutes, until thick and shiny.
Scrape the mixture into a large food processor, fitted with the metal blade and process for 1 minute with the feed tube open.

With the motor running, add the cold cream. Add the cream cheese in several pieces and process for 30 seconds, scraping the sides two or three times, or until smoothly incorporated. Add the eggs and yolks and process for about 5 seconds or just until incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Set the pan in the larger pan and surround it with 1 inch of very hot water. Bake the cake for 45 minutes. Turn off the oven without opening the door and let the cake cool for 1 hour. Remove it to a rack and cool to room temperature (about 1 hour). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight. To unmold, wipe sides of pan with towel run under hot water and wrung out. The cake will be 1 3/4-inches high.

Optional Caramel and Pecan Garnish: Arrange the pecan halves around the perimeter of the cake pointed ends out. If using extra pecan pieces, scatter them evenly within the circle of pecan halves. The caramel can be added 6 hours ahead but the cake cannot be covered, as the condensation will soften the caramel.

Pour the caramel into a quart-size freezer weight zip-seal bag (without a “zipper”) or a piping page. Cut a small amount from one corner and pipe the caramel in swirls on top of the pecans.

Caramel Sauce

Take care when making it not to have any small children about and give it your undivided attention. Caramel burns are extremely painful.

Makes: 1 full cup, app 10.5 ounces/308 grams

INGREDIENTS	MEASUREMENTS	WEIGHT
room temperature	volume	ounces	grams
sugar	1 cup	7 ounces	200 grams
golden syrup (Lyle’s refiner’s syrup) or caro syrup	1 tablespoon	0.75 ounce	21 grams
water	1/4 liquid cup	2 ounces	59 grams
heavy cream, heated	1/2 liquid cup	4 ounces	116 grams
unsalted butter, softened	2 tablespoons	1 ounce	28 grams
pure vanilla extract	1 teaspoon	-	-

Equipment: 1 heavy saucepan, at least 5 cup capacity, ideally with a non-stick lining

In the saucepan, stir together the sugar, syrup, and the water until the sugar is completely moistened. Heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the syrup is bubbling. Stop stirring completely and allow it to boil undisturbed until it turns a deep amber (360°F to 380°F.). Immediately remove it from the heat and slowly and carefully pour the hot cream into the caramel. It will bubble up furiously.

Use a high temperature spatula, to stir the mixture until smooth, scraping the thicker part that settles on the bottom. If any lumps develop, return the pan to the heat and stir until they dissolve. Stir in the butter. The mixture will be streaky but become uniform after cooling slightly and stirring.
Allow it to cool for 3 minutes. Gently stir in the vanilla extract.

For a decorative lacing effect, the caramel pours perfectly at room temperature. For the greatest precision, use a pastry bag with a small decorating tube or zip seal bag with a small amount of the corner cut.

Store: Room temperature up to 3 days; refrigerated at least 3 months.

To reheat: If the caramel is in a microwave-safe container at room temperature, microwave it on high power for 1 minute, stirring twice. Alternatively, place it in a pan of simmering water and heat, stirring occasionally, until warm, about 7 minutes.

Pointers for Success:
After the caramel is prepared, do not stir it too much as this also may eventually cause crystallization. The syrup will help to prevent this.

Variation: Bourbon Butterscotch Caramel: Substitute 2 tablespoons of bourbon for an equal amount of the cream. Add it together with the vanilla extract.

This recipe first appeared in an article I wrote for Fine Cooking Magazine, 2001

Welcome to Real Baking with Rose, the personal blog of author Rose Levy Beranbaum.

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