Real Baking with Rose Levy Beranbaum

Lisa and I have long considered ourselves to be baking sisters. The following quote from Lisa, describing how we both feel about the baking process, and perfectly exemplifies why this is so.

Baking is one of the most engaging and animated of all the kitchen arts. And the style of baking--the visual experience, the lure of the hands-on, the literary expression of it all--is as essential as what you actually stir, whip, or beat in a mixing bowl, compose on a baking sheet, and relay into the oven.

I'm offering these quotes from the book itself because no one can articulate her vision better than Lisa herself. But now let me tell you something that will not come from Lisa's discreet and modest pen: No other author I know is as hands on in every aspect of book production--a quality that could drive a lesser editor crazy. Pam Chirls, our mutual and highly esteemed editor, appreciates Lisa's attention to detail--from the binding, weight of the paper, book design, and editing......because she values the extraordinary quality and integrity of results Lisa brings to her work, as in their earlier book. ChocolateChocolate A less accomplished editor may not recognize what Lisa brings to her work.

All the props in the photographs are from Lisa's personal collection and she even does all of her own baking and styling for the photographs.

Lisa moves through her pages like the dancer of a minuet--sometimes graceful as in her description of biscotti #1 on page 83 languorous afternoon almond cookies... sometimes uncompromisingly bold as in her description of what she enjoys in a "plain sugar cookie" on page 88 The aroma of butter must knock you in the face as soon as the tin is opened.--always eloquent, charming, and sharing.

It was Lisa's previous book ChocolateChocolate that inspired me to choose photographer Ben Fink for my own cake book. In Baking Style there are over 160 of Ben's glorious photos to complement over 200 of Lisa's recipes--a brilliant collaboration of artists: author and photographer. This book is of heirloom quality. The soft pale pink of the title pages looks just the way baking feels--warm, comforting, inviting. The photographs have such depth, clarity, and dimension one feels it possible to reach right in and grab a piece of what ever is on the plate. Truly this is a dream book.

Lisa has given me permission to offer one of the recipes from Baking Style that intrigued me for several years when she first shared a picture preview of it. I was taken with the velvety texture and unusual rippling effect on the top of each slice. This effect is a result of the exceptionally high tube pan (9" x 6" Profession Tube Pan/18 cup capacity) which can be found at one of my all-time favorite baking and cooking supply stores: Fante's in Philadelphia. I waited patiently (not!) to get the recipe and was rewarded with a stunning cake that was just as I imagined it to be: buttery, velvety, and just firm enough to slice beautifully despite it's towering height.

As those of you on this blog have become accustomed to my offering weights for main ingredients, I have added them to this recipe. Please note when baking other recipes from this book that Lisa uses the dip and sweep method of measuring flour, stirring it before measuring.

Lisa Yockelson's Exquisite Cake

buttery scented batter
3 cups unsifted bleached all-purpose flour (435 grams/15.3oz)
1 cup unsifted bleached cake flour (145 grams/5.1 oz)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups superfine sugar (600 grams/21 ounces)
6 large eggs (300 grams/10.5 ounces)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon orange extract
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
confectioners‚ sugar, for sifting on top of the baked cake

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F/160C

Film the inside of a plain, one-piece 9 3/4-inch tube pan (6 inches deep, with a capacity of 18 cups) with nonstick flour-and-oil spray.

For the batter, sift the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, and salt onto a sheet of waxed paper.

Cream the butter in the large bowl of a freestanding electric mixer on moderate speed for 5 minutes. Add the superfine sugar in 3 additions, beating for 1 minute after each portion is added. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing for about 30 seconds after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula to keep the batter even-textured. Blend in the vanilla extract, lemon extract, and orange extract. On low speed, alternately add the sifted mixture in 3 additions with the heavy cream in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the sifted mixture. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl thoroughly with a rubber spatula after each addition. Add the lemon juice and beat for 1 minute longer.

Spoon the batter into the prepared baking pan. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 25 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until risen, a deep golden color on top, set, and a wooden pick inserted in the cake withdraws clean. The baked cake will pull away slightly from the sides of the pan.
Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 12 to 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto another cooling rack, lift off the pan, then invert again to stand right-side up. Cool completely. Store in an airtight cake keeper. Just before slicing and serving, sift confectioners‚ sugar over the top of the cake.

serving: one 9 3/4-inch cake, creating about 16 slices
ahead: 2 days

notes
the lemon juice helps to tenderize the cake batter
the cake is baked in a plain, one-piece 9 3/4-inch tube pan (6 inches deep, with a capacity of 18 cups); a plain, one-piece 10-inch tube pan (4 1/4 to 4 1/2 inches deep, with a capacity of 18 cups) may be substituted, reducing the baking time by 5 to 6 minutes
use a finely serrated knife to cut the cake

Credits: baking for photography by Lisa Yockelson
linen, fabric, plate, and serving piece from the collection of Lisa Yockelson
photography by Ben Fink
pub date Sept. 26

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