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http://thespicedlife.blogspot.com/2010/02/cold-oven-cream-cheese-pound-cake.html

Thursday, February 4, 2010
Cold-Oven Cream Cheese Pound Cake

When this month’s hostess for my book club asked me to bring dessert, I immediately jumped on it as an opportunity to bake a cake. Cakes are kinda tricky—at least in my home—because it is hard to give away part of a cake (although John’s department and students do receive half-cakes from time to time), which means if I want to try it, it is probably going to be at my house. Which means I will eat it. All of it. Not at once of course, but still. So I like baking cakes to bring to other people’s homes—I get to bake the cake (and I love making cakes, especially bundt cakes), I get to try the cake, and other people hopefully get to finish the cake (although in this case I do believe it is John’s students who will be finishing the cake since we only ate about half of the cake at book club).

I’d been eyeballing this bundt cake since receiving Cake Keeper Cakes because I was fascinated by the cold oven method, which allows the cake to rise even further. As a result the cake is lighter (seeming) than other pound cakes, not quite so dense. It is moist but not super moist. Actually this would be a nice cake for a simple, quick warm cake lemon glaze, although it was good without it. I also liked the crust on this cake—not all pound cakes crust nicely, although I have not completely decided the reason for this, and this one did. Chattman says the extra time for rises also translates to extra time for developing a nice crust. The dark golden true crust is much more appetizing than a cake where the outside is the almost the same color as the outside.

A quick word about photos: it turns out not everyone designs their kitchen around the concept of having bright light for photographing food. Who knew? So please excuse the sliced cake pictures; the hostess very graciously allowed me to get there early to take pictures of the sliced cake, but the lighting was very tasteful and warm—which meant I probably looked great but my cake pictures not so much.

Cold-Oven Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Closely adapted from Cake Keeper Cakes, Lauren Chattman

3 cups (330 g) cake flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 cups (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
2 1/2 cup superfine sugar
6 large eggs, room temperature
1 T vanilla
1 T lemon zest
1 1/2 T grated fresh ginger, optional (I left out)

Adjust the oven rack to the lower middle position. Spray a 12 cup bundt pan with a grease/flour combo such as Baker’s Joy (or do it yourself). Set aside.

Thoroughly whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.

Beat the cream cheese for 30 seconds on medium speed until it is quite creamy. Add the butter and cream for 1 minute on medium speed, until the butter and cream cheese are completely blended. With the mixer running on medium high, slowly add the sugar and beat until fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl at regular intervals.

With the mixer on medium speed add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. After the last egg, add the vanilla, lemon zest and ginger (if using). Beat for 30 more seconds.

Turn the mixer down to low and add the flour in 5 additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. After the last addition, beat the batter on medium speed for 30 seconds. Scrape the batter into the prepared bundt pan, smoothing the top out when finished. place the pan in the cold oven. Turn the temperature to 325 F and bake for 65-80 minutes—do not open the oven until after the 1 hour mark (to check for doneness). The cake is done when it is golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes. Then invert it onto a cooling rack and cool completely before serving (I made my cake 24 hours in advance and just kept it well wrapped in an airtight cake keeper).

Posted by Laura

http://thespicedlife.blogspot.com/2010/02/triple-citrus-black-pepper-pound-cake.html

Monday, February 15, 2010
Triple Citrus Black Pepper Pound Cake

I have had a realization lately: the crusts on the majority of my plain (i.e., unglazed) pound cakes are lacking. How do I know this? The last 3 pound cakes I have made, all from Lauren Chattman’s Cake Keeper Cakes, have had far superior kick ass crusts. Just fabulous—to the point that I find myself leaving the top for last, like a muffin. Kind of crispy and extra flavorful—a true crust. I have yet to decide what she is doing differently or what I was previously doing wrong.

This latest pound cake—with another awesome crust— is top to bottom stunning in an understated sort of way. It is flavored with citrus and black pepper, notable for being unusual, but no one flavor dominates. It is not borderline tart, like my Ultra Lemon Bundt Cake nor is it really super perfumed with orange, as some orange cakes can be. It is just citrus. The black pepper is noticeable but not overpowering; it is not hot, like some of the dried chile pepper desserts I have made. However, as the days go by, the black pepper does get a bit stronger, just kind of hitting the back of your throat with warmth. This flavor combo was just really, really good. I hope that some of you who are skeptical will give it a try.

Oh, in case you are wondering, we are all better except Alex. It is almost as if the other 3 of us got hit with a stomach virus while she got the flu. You name a symptom, she’s had it—except for inner ear pain I guess. But we are all back to eating like normal, thank goodness. Not that I’ve shared the cake with them. That’s why I made the banana bread!

Triple Citrus Black Pepper Pound Cake

Closely adapted from Cake Keeper Cakes, Lauren Chattman

1 1/2 cups (165 g) cake flour
3/4 t baking powder
1 - 1 1/2 t freshly ground black pepper (I erred on lower side)
1/4 t salt
zest of one lemon
zest of one lime
zest of one orange, or a little less (you are aiming for equal amount of all 3—my oranges were huge)
1 cups (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature, likely beaten

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Grease and flour a 9X5 loaf pan—be sure to grease thoroughly as my cake did stick in a few spots (I was able to dislodge with a flexible silicone turner—a handy trick, by the way). Set aside.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, black pepper and salt. Set aside.

Cream the butter with the citrus zests until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and cream an additional 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl down as necessary. With the mixer on medium low speed, pour the egg mixture into the bowl, stopping to scrape the sides as needed. Mix until blended.

On low speed mix the flour mixture in, adding it in 4 additions. After the last addition, mix on medium speed for 30 seconds.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 60-75 minutes, until a toothpick inserts into the center comes out with only a few crumbs attached and the sides of the cake are pulling away from the sides of the pan. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes, and then invert the cake onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing and serving.

Posted by Laura

http://thespicedlife.blogspot.com/2010/02/rustic-cocoa-cream-loaf-cake.html

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Rustic Cocoa Cream Loaf Cake

I think we sometimes get stuck in a mindset that chocolate desserts must be decadent and rich, especially cakes. We also of course prefer our cakes in particular to be striking and elegant. Mousse cakes, layer cakes, glazed bundt cakes, flourless cakes...

Well this cake is none of the above. I almost did not share it with you as a result, but when I found myself craving it I decided I was being silly. After all there is a place for homely, er I mean rustic chocolate desserts with an understated chocolatey appeal. And when I say homely/rustic, well I do mean it. I have no idea why it caved—maybe I beat the batter too hard after adding eggs? I was using my new handheld mixer—maybe lack of familiarity caused me some problems? Or maybe it is supposed to look like this? In looks it reminds me a little of Nigella Lawson’s Dense Chocolate Loaf Cake, but being neither mega dense nor intensely chocolate, its flavor is pretty different.

The crust on this cake is, contrary to appearance, quite tasty. Because it toasted the outside a lighter brown, it looks dry but actually is just a wonderfully crispy chocolate crust that suits the interior perfectly. This cake also got better with sitting—the first day I felt it really needed whipped cream (and I was out) but after sitting a day or 2, it became perfect on its own.

Rustic Cocoa Cream Loaf Cake

Closely adapted from Cake Keeper Cakes, Lauren Chattman

6 T high quality Dutch Cocoa (I used Valrhona)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup plus 2 T AP flour
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups superfine sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 t vanilla
1/4 t espresso powder

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Grease and flour (or spray with Baker’s Joy) a 9X5 loaf pan. Set aside.

Sift the cocoa powder into a glass (or any heatproof) bowl. Add the espresso powder to the cocoa. Place the cream in the microwave and heat on short bursts until it is steaming/nearly boiling. Pour it over the cocoa. Using a small spatula, mash and stir this into a paste. Set aside.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Place the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream on medium high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat the cocoa paste in until it is smooth.

With the mixer on speed 2 (or one notch above low), add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each egg. Add the vanilla and mix it in as well.

With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. After the last addition, increase the speed a bit for up to 30 seconds to ensure the batter is totally mixed.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake the cake until it is firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 70 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then invert it out onto a cooling rack and flipping it right side up to finish cooling completely.

Posted by Laura