Real Baking with Rose Levy Beranbaum

I'm trying to recreate my Jewish grandmother's apple cake. I tried measuring as she threw the last bowlful of ingredients together, but alas, I failed and she's no longer here. The cake part was thick and dense and orangey. The cake was a single layer, about 1/2 inch. I can get the citrus factor, but I can't get the denseness in any recipe I try. Thanks for your help!

Reply to this      Posted by: Mo | September 5, 2008 12:58 PM #

I recently made the Chocolate Oblivion Torte and it is wonderful. The only problem is that it was too bitter for some people, I used Varlrhona 55% and beat in 1 tbs of sugar with the eggs. Is there a recommended amount of sugar, since Rose suggests using 53% cocoa mass, but only includes the sugar for 60% cocoa mass.

Reply to this      Posted by: Joel | May 8, 2008 8:47 PM #

Hi Rose and readers,

Two comments:

First, I'll share my secret Carrot Cake ingredient: it's 3/4 of a cup of pumpkin puree! It keeps the carrot cake really moist. I invented it when a carrot cake recipe in Bon Appetit called for crushed pineapple. I didn't have any, so I substituted the pumpkin and now it's my best cake.

Second: I've searched your site for Red Velvet cake recipes. All of the references are for recipes with food coloring, but I've read that Red Velvet originally got its red color from beets. Do you or your readers know of any Red Velvet recipes that use beets? I've also seen beet sugar. Any knowledge of how to use beet sugar in baking?

Thanks,
Erica

Reply to this      Posted by: Erica O'Brien | October 16, 2007 5:11 PM #

Patricia,
Rose addresses some of your questions in the large cakes section. Have you looked at the recipe for the Party-Perfect Pound Cake towards the back of the Cake Bible?

Reply to this      Posted by: Matthew | June 22, 2007 2:10 AM #

I love your perfect pound cake! I live in Singapore and don't seem able to find the correct loaf pan size stipulated in the recipe. I've improvised by using larger loaf pans but the cake consistently seems to be underbaked (with a denser layer in the middle).

I've tried baking it longer, but the top turns too dark (which I've tried to negate by covering with aluminium foil after the top has browned) but its still not what I think the cake should be.

So I thought of using a bundt style cake. I took one look at the Nordic cake pans and was totally seduced! I bought 4 of them at 1 go! And this is where my problems really begin! First of all, the Nordic cake pans have a 10 cup capacity (which means having to increase your your recipe which I did by weight, keeping as close as possible to the ratios provided). The first cake I made was in the heart-shaped pan which turned out underbaked and gummy. So I increased baking time in my second cake (using the chrysanthemum pan)and that had crispy portions in the bottom third part of the cake (as it would be when baking) or what is the narrowest portion of the pan.

Is there anyway you can come up with cake recipes (I love them all and own every single one of your books) that would suit the Nordic pans or at least tell me what I'm doing wrong. Thank you so very, very much!

Your #1 fan in Asia

Reply to this      Posted by: Patricia Howe | June 22, 2007 1:37 AM #

Dear Rose, I have just obtained my first Nordic Ware pan with decorative top, and plan to make the lemon poppyseed pound cake. In the meantime, I am curious to know, if one is to invert a cake with all the wonderful turrets, castle walls, church spires, etc., how can these be prevented from being damaged as they sit on the rack before reinverted? Thanks. Joan

Reply to this      Posted by: Joan | June 5, 2007 10:42 PM #

Dear Rose, When I print out recipe from the baking magic recipes from this blog ,not the books, there is where I find the 3/4 tsp baking soda (1.5gm).:-)

Reply to this      Posted by: cindy | June 4, 2007 9:51 PM #

Dear Rose, Thank you for your clarification. Since this is your recipe , your word is final. So there are printing deviation from this. From the recipe of the choco Domingo cake from this entry ,the amount of baking powder and soda are both printed to be 3/4 tsp but 4gm and 1.5gm resp. The 1/2 tsp is salt. When I refer back to the Cake Bible, mine is a 1992 British print. The variation is even bigger. There is no baking powder needed ,only baking soda. So it is by chance that we will spot these "error" If these are in some other book ,there will be no chance of clarification. Thank to this blog and our enthiusiasm. Happy serious baking!

Reply to this      Posted by: cindy | June 4, 2007 9:06 PM #

Hi , Rose,
I just made the Chocolate Domingo cake . I made them into muffin size cup cakes. They were light,tender and fluffy and so intensely chocolatey. The cup cakes rose beautifully but the centre sinked after cooling so the look is not so good . I find that the amount of baking powder and baking soda stated in the recipe are the same in measurement(3/4 tsp) but differ a lot in weight(4gm and 1.5 gm). I added the amount according to the weight meaurement as I was weighing all my ingredients. Is this correct or I should add the leavening according to the teaspoon measurement?
Thanks for clarifying.

Reply to this      Posted by: cindy | May 31, 2007 10:11 PM #

Thank you so much Rose. I feel much better now. I know how busy you are (imagine the volume of postings you will have after the new book comes out....) and appreciate you taking the time to acknowledge my apology.
Rozanne

Reply to this      Posted by: Rozanne | April 11, 2007 2:52 PM #

Heather - sounds like you might want to try more cream cheese next time - it firms well upon refrigeration, while the whipped cream will stay soft even when chilled.

Reply to this      Posted by: Patrincia | April 11, 2007 1:46 PM #

Hi Rose and everyone that helped.
Just to update you. Even though the cake wasn't from your site, thought you would like to know you played a major role in it's success. I was concerned with the technique for the filling between the layers. You placed a circle of strawberries cut in 1/2 around the outside of the bottom layer, and then the centre was filled with finely chopped berries that had some of the juice drained, thickened and added back. I was afraid this would make for a soggy cake, which I don't enjoy so I made your Neoclassic Buttercream recipe and iced the bottom and middle layers with it before continuing with the recipe. I had no problem with the cake even though I tripled the batter and used 2 10" springform pans because there was a crowd coming and the recipe was for 9" pans which I don't have. I did have some difficulties with the icing however, maybe you can give me some advice. You combined cream cheese and sugar until it is soft and then add heavy cream beating it until you have a stiff whipping cream consistency. I had difficulty getting the consistency I would have liked. I have a Strawberry Pie recipe which uses the same ingredients for the filling, however,I whip the heavy cream seperately and then fold it into the cream cheese mixture. Can you give me any suggests so in the future I can achieve a firm consistency, as it really makes the icing of the cake which was 3 layers high, I would think it would cut and keep better if the consistency was firmer when I used it.
Thanks
Heather

Reply to this      Posted by: Heather Martin | April 9, 2007 2:48 PM #

Hi Rose -

I am pleased you have your computer up and running again. I will admit that as I kept looking with no success I was wondering if I was a little crazy. Last night when I decided to try looking elsewhere I decided to check the Americas Test Kitchen because I kept remembering having the choice of this season or last season and I thought that their web site was like that. Long storey short, there is a strawberry cake there so maybe that is what I did. I am not sorry this happened though because if I hadn't felt desperate enough to find the recipe I might never have participate by doing a posting to your blog and thus never have gotten to know how truly helpful your readers and yourself are willing to be, so thanks again everyone and I will let you know how the cake turns out.
Heather

Reply to this      Posted by: Heather Martin | April 6, 2007 11:38 PM #

Hi everyone -

Just want to thank everyone for all their effort. I appreciate you taking the risk with your computer Rose. I work off my work computer and am very protective of it as well so I really do appreciate the effort. As for posting some recipes for me the thought was appreciated but I have already ordered the Cake Bible for myself, and it will be here in 7 to 10 days. If I had know about it before I would have already owned it. Rose I just want to mention that I first learned about you when your Baking Magic Show was on our local PBS channel. It was on at 11 am Saturday mornings and I moved heaven and earth to make sure I was home to watch and try to tape it (I wasn't good at setting the timer for my VCR). What I enjoyed the most about your show, besides the great recipes, was you didn't just show us how to make a baked good. You explained why things where done and why they where important. An example was you where beating egg whites and explained to add 1/8 tsp cream of tarter per egg and that was so that you could not over beat your eggs, even if you left for the phone or something and left the beater on for 10 minutes. I found this interesting and informative because recipes often said optional but as the reader we never knew why it was optiononal. Now I do and I also know that I want to use it. If feel I will get a lot of information to enjoy from your Cake Bible and I am going to start reading your Bread Bible this afternoon.
Again, thanks for all the help. I will go looking on a few other sites I am comfortable using to see if I can find a similar cake, even though I won't be as confident trying a new recipe on family as I would be if it was one of yours. I am going to bake your Poppy Seed Cake today. I do breakfast and lunch for our local Scout Camps annual Clean-up day in a couple of weeks and am going to try making some loaf style cakes a head of time this year for the breakfast eats so my day isn't quite as busy. I also have 5 Puddle Brownies in the freezer already. I bake mine in a 9" square spring form pan so I can cut them into more traditional squares and have them go further for a crowd.
Heather

Reply to this      Posted by: Heather Martin | April 5, 2007 3:16 PM #

Wow, lots had happened on this thread since I turned off my computer last night...

Heather - page 233 simply describes how you turn classic buttercream into Stawberry buttercream by adding pureed strawberries.

Rozanne - legal issues.... who'da thunk it??? we are all learning along with you.

Reply to this      Posted by: Patrincia | April 5, 2007 11:30 AM #

Rose,
I am VERY, VERY sorry. I didn't mean to cause any trouble. The legal aspect didn't even occur to me. Please accept my apologies.
Thanks,
Rozanne

Reply to this      Posted by: Rozanne | April 5, 2007 10:11 AM #

Hi Heather,
The website that had all the Baking Magic recipes was bakingmagic.com but it is no longer in existence. The programme was sponsored by Baker's Joy, maybe you could get in touch with them. Could the recipe you are looking for be for a strawberry shortcake? If that is it, then Rose once suggested (on this blog) "i would make a genoise and collect the syrup from the macerated strawberries. check the amount of syrup needed for the genoise and then add to it or reduce it as necessary and brush it evenly onto the layers.

Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | July 1, 2006 2:34 PM"

The topic under which this was posted was "What is the best way to stabilize whipped cream for frosting a cake?"

Patricia, if you are too busy with the kids I can help you out by posting some of the recipes Heather wants (should she request for recipes from the Cake Bible)

Thanks,
Rozanne

Reply to this      Posted by: Rozanne | April 5, 2007 8:14 AM #

Hi =
Thanks for your help. I went back and looked at the index for the book I just ordered and it says - under Strawberry
Butter cream classic pg 233 then it says for a 3-tier cake for 150 ...
I thought this might be the recipe I was seeing but it is hard to tell.
If you can find that one in your book, like I said, it was a white cake with white icing and strawberries in the middle and decorating the top.
Thanks for everyone's effort
Heather

Reply to this      Posted by: Heather Martin | April 5, 2007 12:41 AM #

Heather - I remember reading a post from someone on this site which said the original website with the recipes from the PBS series was no longer available.

I have the cake bible - can you tell me which recipe you are looking for? I looked under STRAWBERRY and here is what is listed (but I don't think any of them fit your description):
buttercream
cloud cream
conserve
Maria
puree and sauce
savarin
shortcake
silk meringue buttercream

Reply to this      Posted by: Patrincia | April 4, 2007 10:37 PM #

oops! the muffins are there. scratch that!

Reply to this      Posted by: Tyler | April 4, 2007 10:30 PM #

Actually, the blueberry muffins and the stud muffin cheese bread aren't there, if anyone else noticed.

Reply to this      Posted by: Tyler | April 4, 2007 10:29 PM #

Hi Patricia -
Thanks for trying to help. It wasn't the above list of recipes. They all look great and I have made the puddle brownies and they are everyone's favorite and I have 4 batches in the freezer getting ready for a function I have coming up. The first time I found the postings for the PBS recipes I thought it took me somewhere else and let me access this seasons and last seasons recipe and the one I am looking for was a white cake with white icing and strawberries in the middle and decorating the top. I went shopping last night to try and purchase the Cake Bible, the index makes it look like it might be in there but no luck finding a copy, I did find and buy the Bread Bible and then went on line and ordered the Cake Bible from Amazon but it won't get here before Easter so if anyone knows the cake I am talking about and can help with the recipe or help me get to where I saw it the first night I would appreciate it.

Thanks

Reply to this      Posted by: Heather Martin | April 4, 2007 8:53 PM #

Heather - they are all at the top of this post... just scroll up!

Reply to this      Posted by: Patrincia | April 3, 2007 8:21 PM #

I am a great fan of your PBS Baking Magic Show. When I found your website the first time I though I was able to access recipes from this season and last season and I pulled up a recipe for a Strawberry Cake but my computer wasn't set up to be able to down load your recipes yet and now that I can I am not able to remember how I found the receipe. Can you help at all, it really looked like a cake my family would enjoy
Thanks Heather

Reply to this      Posted by: Heather Martin | April 3, 2007 8:13 PM #

Rose,

I did a quick search for listings for the show. This is the only one I found that hasn't occured yet (most were last September). Perhaps you know someone who can record this?

KQED Channel 9 (Northern Calif)
Sat, Mar 31, 2007 -- 1:00 pm

Master Class at Johnson & Wales
Asian Noodles (#306)
...Guest chef is Rose Levy Beranbaum, best-selling author and pastry guru, who turns a banana split into an ice cream pie...

Reply to this      Posted by: Matthew | March 29, 2007 11:42 PM #

Is the show aired in Toronto, Canada?

Reply to this      Posted by: Cindy | March 26, 2007 12:53 AM #

Rose,

Baking Magic has been airing Saturday mornings in Minneapolis at 11:00. I'm in NJ but I happened to come across it during a web search a few weeks ago. I have some relatives in Minneapolis that have been watching and (hopefully) taping some for me.

Brian

Reply to this      Posted by: Brian | March 25, 2007 8:56 PM #

Hi Lorie,

The recipe for Rose's Brownie Puddle Tart is at the top of this page.
Thanks,
Rozannne

Reply to this      Posted by: Rozanne | March 25, 2007 12:56 PM #

Hi Rose --

I'd love some advice on making an old family recipe a little simpler. Eggs and sugar are beaten until thick. Then you fold in: whipped cream, then flour/dry ingredients, and finally a cup of very finely chopped walnuts.

Question: Can you imagine any disadvantage to combining the flour and chopped nuts and then folding that mixture in? As the recipe is written, it's difficult to distribute the walnuts. I would try it, but I'd hate to ruin the cake at the very last step! Thanks.

Kate

Reply to this      Posted by: Kate | March 24, 2007 8:41 PM #

I would like the recipe for your brownie puddle tarte,thank - you

Reply to this      Posted by: lorie | March 24, 2007 7:47 PM #

here is a tip for bread bakers:
the shower caps that are given free in hotels make an excellent plastic cover for bowls of fermenting or rising dough, and are a lot easier to use than plastic wrap.

Reply to this      Posted by: Harold | March 24, 2007 3:34 PM #

Just watched 'Baking Magic' (Sat. AM.3-24-07...enjoyed very much! Need the receipe for the 'brownies' -you poked hole in pan - poured 'chocolate syrup mixture' in each hole! My husband is a fanactic 'choco lover'..will surprise him!!! Thank you! mj

Reply to this      Posted by: M.J. | March 24, 2007 1:00 PM #

Rose,

Would yoo Please give general directions for using cast iron Dutch Ovens for baking bread.
I have just bought a Bread Bible, and there is nothing in it about that as far as I can see.
Harold

Reply to this      Posted by: Harold | March 22, 2007 5:15 PM #

does the all american chocolate torte make good cupcakes? if you were to make them, would you fill the liners 1/2 full?

Reply to this      Posted by: tyler | March 12, 2007 6:37 PM #

Rose would you know how to adapt your buttercream so it would be a peanut butter buttercream? I don't think there's a plain peanut butter one in The Cake Bible.

Reply to this      Posted by: Tyler | February 22, 2007 8:37 PM #

I LOVE your Banana Cake. I made it as a dual layer cake with a chocolate chip/peanut butter chip/cool whip filling and a non-sour-cream chocolate ganache to frost. Actually, I love just about everything you've published -esp. the Pie and Pastry Bible. My mother and one of my best friends swears you'll help me land a husband! (ha ha)

I do have a general baking question: if a recipe calls for buttermilk, can I always substitute sour cream? I don't like the taste of buttermilk (it doesn't go well with enchilades) and I feel it doesn't give as much moisture to a cake. The only recipe I can think of at the moment where I need to do this is the Red Velvet cake from Food Network posted elsewhere on here and I know you don't prefer that type of cake. Thank you so much!!!

Reply to this      Posted by: Sarah | February 20, 2007 2:07 PM #

Rose, thanks for posting all of these recipes. Ironically, I had made the Basic Brioche (as a loaf) a couple days before seeing this post. It was incredibly soft and buttery. The only problem was that it only lasted about 15 minutes after being cut, and that was with only 3 people eating it. Can the recipe be doubled and then divided before ripening or baking?

Reply to this      Posted by: Kas | February 20, 2007 12:56 AM #

Hi Rose,
I would like your opinion on a recipe that I have for cut-out cookies that is suitable for diabetics. Can I use this same recipe to make hamentaschen? Here are the ingredients - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, 1/4 cup light butter, 1 cup SPLENDA, 1 T. vanilla, 1/4 cup egg substitute, 1/4 cup water, 3/4 tsp. vinegar, 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 cups cake flour, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. baking powder.
Thanks for any help you can give me.

Reply to this      Posted by: Linda | February 19, 2007 8:08 PM #

Hi Rose,
THANKS so much, for posting these recipes from the Baking Nagic series.
To my knowledge,sadly it never aired in Las Vegas (PBS).
We get Lydia's Family Table,which I love.....
We adore her resturant when we go to New York .yummmmm
I've used your books for years,and BECAUSE of YOU.....my passion for baking and cooking for my sweet family has improved.
As long as my family continues to ask for alot of your recipes,which I take full credit for thanks to ((YOU))...lol...
I love all youe tips.....
Your blog is so helful.
I think you are sitting right beside me....(*)?(*).....
Hugs and Happy baking...
Thank-you "Rose"......
Andi* Fishman

Reply to this      Posted by: Andi* | February 18, 2007 5:35 PM #

Hello Rose -

Thank you so much for publishing these recipes. I truly appreciate them. BTW, I do have your books where I can get the recipes but it is much easier to print them and keep my recipe book clean (free of flour dusts,etc).

I am starting to try baking our own bread and yes, I'm following the recipes in your bread bible. I would like to say that pictures in your blog do help a lot.

Thanks, once again.

Norie

Reply to this      Posted by: Norie | February 17, 2007 12:37 PM #

Rose could probably describe the torte better than I can. It's absolutely delicious. Intensely chocolate, and kind of a softer fudge consistency. It's rich and dense so one torte feeds a lot of people.

I think torte is just a fancy name for cake made with little or no flour.

Reply to this      Posted by: Sheri | February 16, 2007 9:25 AM #

After reading the receipe of the Chocolate oblivion truffle torte,I felt very interested. I have never taste one before and is not sure how it is like .There are only chocolate ,butter and eggs , no sugar, no flour and it is baked for so short a time. I wonder how the texture is like. Can Sheri or Rose please described or tell me more about this Torte(BTW what is a torte?)
Just very cutious to try this.
Thank you.

Reply to this      Posted by: Cindy Chiu | February 16, 2007 1:52 AM #

Dear Rose,
When theese recipe call for superfine sugar, can I use icing sugar? You have hinted to ground granulated sugar but since icing sugar is readily available, does it work? Thank you.

Reply to this      Posted by: Cindy | February 16, 2007 1:36 AM #

Hi Rose, I just found out about this web site and am thrilled to start looking at your recipes. I have (as do mnay members of my family) an allergy to wheat. We are able to tolerate spelt flour and I have been making up recipes and trying to make them work. Today, I finally got a great banana bread. I have a wonderful recipe for a rye/spelt bread with lots of raw nuts and great things in it. I was wonderfing if anyone else has contacted you about recipes using spelt? Thanks for any comments.

Reply to this      Posted by: Bonnie Olsen | February 15, 2007 4:17 PM #

In the grand marnier cake, is there a substitution for the ground almonds?

Reply to this      Posted by: Tyler | February 15, 2007 2:49 PM #

I love the Chocolate Oblivion Truffle Torte - it's my go-to dessert when we're having a mid-week dinner party. Thanks for posting all of these yummy recipes. It's nice to have them on one place.

Reply to this      Posted by: Sheri | February 14, 2007 11:51 PM #

Rose,

we do have a tradition of baking a lot at home in Sweden. Unfortunately, this does not seem to be passed on to the younger generation.. I noticed you have a swedish limpa your bread bible, and I look forward to bake that.

Kind regards,
Sofia

Reply to this      Posted by: Sofia | February 14, 2007 3:27 PM #

Hello Rose!

I just bought The Bread Bible a few weeks ago, it was kind of tricky to find in Sweden, but finally I ordered it from a website. And thank God I ordered it! I love it, and read it every day. Thank you so much for posting these recipes as well, I will probably try all of them at least once..
Thank you for a great website, and wonderful books!
Kind regards,
Sofia

Reply to this      Posted by: Sofia | February 13, 2007 6:17 PM #

are all of these recipes in one of the bibles?

thanks!

Reply to this      Posted by: jeff | February 13, 2007 2:43 PM #