Boston Cream Pie

Two days ago marked our 200th sale at the catering/meal delivery place where I work. You know what I'm going to say, right? Time for cake! We decided on a Boston Cream Pie to mark the occasion.

Before making this cake, I had never made pastry cream. I had, however, made vanilla pudding. Turns out, they're basically the same. If you've never made a custard, fear not; homemade pastry cream is too easy not to make from scratch. Just please, for the love of all that is good and holy, do not buy pudding and stuff it between your cake layers. It will taste as bad as it sounds.

This recipe comes from King Arthur Flour, a wonderful and reliable recipe source. Boston Cream Pie has a few more steps than your traditional yellow cake with chocolate frosting, but a few elements can be made in advance. For instance, the pastry cream will last in the fridge for up to 5 days. Also, I baked the cake one day in advance, wrapped it tightly in plastic, and refrigerated it until I was ready to assemble the final cake.

Boston Cream Pie

For the cake:
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups cake flour*
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
*Don't rush to the store for cake flour; you'll need cornstarch to make pastry cream, so read the box. Cornstarch+flour=cake flour. Amazing, I know.

1 1/2 cups prepared pastry cream (see below)

For the glaze
1/2 cup heavy or whipping cream
1 tablespoon corn syrup
3/4 cup chopped dark chocolate or dark chocolate chunks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9" round cake pan with non-stick spray, line it with parchment, and spray the parchment.
2. To prepare the cake: In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until very thick, until the batter falls from the paddle in thick ribbons. This will take a few minutes. Beat in the vanilla.
3. Bring the milk and butter to a simmer in a small saucepan. Slowly stream it into the egg/sugar mixture with the mixer going, and beat for another minute.
4. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt over the cake batter. Mix on low speed just until combined.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Check carefully for lumps and remove any with a small spoon. Bake the cake for 50-60 minutes, or until it's a deep golden brown and beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan.
6. Remove the cake from the oven, run a table knife around the edges, and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Turn the cake onto to a rack to cool completely.
7. When the cake is completely cool, use a long serrated knife or a cake slicer to slice into two equal layers. Fill with the pastry cream, spreading it right to the edges. Replace the top layer.
8. Prepare the glaze by melting the chocolate, corn syrup, and cream together until smooth and lump free. Add the vanilla and stir well. Pour the glaze over the filled cake, allowing some to drip down the sides and serve immediately. Store any leftovers in the fridge, well wrapped in plastic.

PASTRY CREAM
3 cups whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon flour
4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup butter

1. In a medium-sized saucepan, stir together 2 1/2 cups milk, sugar, and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
2. Meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch, flour, and egg yolks with the remaining 1/2 cup milk.
3. Whisk some of the hot milk mixture into egg yolks to temper them.
4. Pour the egg/milk mixture through a strainer back into the remaining simmering milk. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens.
5. Remove from the heat and strain through a fine sieve. Stir in the butter and vanilla extract.
6. Rub a piece of butter over the surface of the cream, top with a piece of plastic wrap (make sure it touches the top of the pastry cream so it doesn't develop a skin), and then refrigerate until cool.

Note: This pastry cream recipe yields 3 cups, or twice what you'll need for your Boston Cream Pie. It will keep, refrigerated, for up to five days. Makes a good excuse to try your hand at cream puffs!

Now, what does Boston Cream Pie have to do with today's holiday? Absolutely nothing. Happy Halloween!

Until next time!

A Chocolate Anniversary

Yesterday I celebrated my first full year of living on my own. Yay for me! Do you know what this calls for?
Cake! Chocolate cake!
Any excuse for cake is a good excuse. I'd celebrate the end of every week with a cake if I could get away with it. Why not? Cake is delicious. Especially if it's rich, chocolate cake with an espresso glaze and chocolate drizzle. Mmm...
I'd been holding onto this recipe for a long time and finally decided to give it a try. It took me so long to commit because the first step calls for letting the mixture rest for two hours.
It is more than worth the wait. You have to have sourdough starter on hand for this recipe--I've had mine for almost as long as I've been living on my own. I named him Derp. Fitting name for a gloopy, beige mass of starter, I think.

Freshly fed and happy!

The starter in the recipe seems to mellows out a bit once its mixed with milk and flour and allowed to sit out. Then it bakes and creates a deep rich cake with no sour or tart notes whatsoever. If you don't have your own starter, go to the kitchen right now and make one. Seriously. Not only can you use it to make this unbelievable cake, but you can also make the best breads, rolls, pancakes, muffins, waffles, quick breads, and pizzas you have ever eaten. I love having a starter on hand. And I love this cake recipe.

Where's my fork?

What can I say? The folks at King Arthur Flour really know what they're doing. Now go get baking!

Until next time!

Kitchen Inferno

August at my latitude is unreal. Living without central air at my latitude is also unreal. Baking in the summer teeters on suicidal.
A couple weeks ago I made a lemon cake as a send-off treat for someone I worked with. It nearly killed me. Having the oven on raises the temperature in my kitchen to around 90 degrees Fahrenheit! Why not just crack a window, you ask? Because all the windows in my lovely abode have been painted shut. Not by me, I'll have you know!
So where am I going with all this whining? I'll tell you: the joys of a microwave mug cake.
I love being able to have a single-serve dessert without the fuss of baking. If you're new at microwave 'baking,' give it a shot. I trust I don't have to tell you how much better these are than storebought. And no p.h.o.!
This recipe is my go-to when I'm craving a melty chocolate treat. I love it because it calls for pantry staples and doesn't even require an egg! There are many, many more microwave cake recipes out there. My only advice? Try them all!

Brownie-in-a-Mug
4 Tbl flour
4 Tbl sugar
2 Tbl cocoa
dash salt
2 Tbl vegetable oil
2 Tbl water



In a large coffee mug, mix flour, sugar, cocoa and salt using a fork. Add oil and water and mix to combine. Pay attention to the bottom of the mug--make sure you get all the flour mixed in. Microwave for about one minute. Brownie should still look wet in the middle. Do not overcook this, let it be gooey and glorious!
Enjoy experimenting with mug cakes--don't let the heat get you down!

Until next time!



Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

When a friend of mine turned 21, she told me all about drinking an Irish Car Bomb. Needless to say, the idea of chugging a drink before it has a chance to curdle sounds pretty awful to me. But then I saw these cupcakes. A dense, chocolate base filled with a core of rich, spiked ganache, and then crowned with a swirl of boozy frosting? Well, what can I say? When it comes to drinking, I prefer to eat my alcohol.

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes
(based on recipe found here)

Cupcakes:
1 c Guinness stout
1 c unsalted butter, softened
3/4 c cocoa powder
2 c all-purpose flour
2 c granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 eggs, room temperature
2/3 c sour cream
Ganache Filling:
8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
2/3 c heavy cream
2 Tbl butter, softened
2 tsp Irish whiskey
Bailey's Frosting:
1 c unsalted butter, softened
4 c powdered sugar, sifted
3 Tbl Bailey's Irish Cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease or line 24 cupcake cups. I only own one cupcake pan, so I baked my cupcakes in two batches.

In a medium saucepan, bring the Guinness and butter to a simmer over medium heat. Add the cocoa and whisk until smooth. Cool slightly.

While the mixture is cooling, in a large bowl whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.

Using an electric mixture, beat eggs and sour cream on medium speed until combined.

Add the chocolate mixture and beat just until combined.

Reduce the speed to low, add the flour mixture, and beat briefly. Use a rubber spatula to fold the batter until combined.

 

Divide among the lined/greased cups.

Bake 17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Turn cupcakes onto a rack to cool. 

While the cupcakes are cooling, make the filling. Or if you're a good multitasker, feel free to make it while they bake. Put the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl.

 

Bring the cream to a simmer and pour it over the chocolate.

Leave it alone for one minute, then, using a rubber spatula, stir from the center out until smooth.

Add the butter and whiskey and stir to combine. Set it aside to cool while you make the frosting.

Beat the butter on medium speed for a few minutes, or until light, scraping sides as needed.

 Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually add all the powdered sugar.

Add the Bailey's and increase the speed to medium-high, whipping until light and fluffy (~2-3 minutes).

To assemble: Use a melon-baller to hollow out the cupcakes (go a little more than halfway down).

Transfer the ganache to a piping bag, or a squeeze bottle, or even a freezer zip-top bag and fill in those holes!

Then, using a large star tip, pipe a swirl of Bailey's frosting on top of the cakes, masking the ganache.

Store in an airtight container. We kept ours in an airtight container in the fridge and they lasted a week. Let them sit out at room temperature so the icing softens before serving.

Until next time!

Homemade Anniversary

My better half loves Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites, but naturally, I do not. I try my hardest not to pull faces or voice my opinion whenever a box shows up, but eww! Just look at them!

Am I the only one who thinks they look like animal leavings?

So what's a girl to do? Shut your mouth and get in that kitchen!
I came across this recipe during an afternoon of Pinterest-ing. Yeah, it's a verb.
The recipe is very simple; beat the butter and sugar together, mix in the remaining ingredients, roll into 1" balls, and chill for half an hour. Melt 6 ounces of chocolate in a double boiler while the bites are chilling, then drizzle with melted chocolate.

Word to the wise: the original recipe claims to yield 24 1-inch bites. I used a melon-baller to help me roll mine and I got SEVENTY 1-inch bites! Yikes! My only advise is to share the wealth and freeze any surplus. It worked out great for me because I had the opportunity to give my better half these treats in celebration of our two-year anniversary. Te amo mi mundo!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites
1 c salted butter, softened (if using unsalted butter, add 1/2 tsp salt)
1 1/2 c packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 c all purpose flour
6 oz mini chocolate chips
Cream butter and sugar. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Roll into 1" balls and chill for 30 minutes. Drizzle with melted chocolate. Store in the refrigerator.

Until next time!

Granola Bar Bites

I've been on a health kick lately. Lately? Okay, you caught me. Really, I've been on the hunt for gluten-free recipes in honor of my oldest and bestest friend's birthday. We've been friends since the 2nd grade! Happy belated birthday, girlie!
I came across this recipe and thought it looked pretty tasty. After running the ingredient list past my friend and getting a thumbs-up, I went for it!
These little beauties have a delightful chewy texture, with a nice crunch from dark chocolate chips. They are endlessly adaptable, so feel free to play around with the ingredients. And the best part? No preservatives or added oils!

Granola Bar Bites (original recipe here)
makes 20-25 1" bites
1 c old fashioned oats
1 c toasted coconut flakes
1/2 c chocolate chips (try nuts, dried fruit, and/or seeds)
1/2 c peanut butter (or any nut butter)
1/2 c ground flaxseed (or wheat germ)
1/3 c honey (don't substitute agave, it's too thin)
1 tsp vanilla

I didn't use flaxseed or wheat germ, and mine were still delicious!

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Chill for 30 minutes.

Roll into 1" balls.

Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to one week.

Head's up: this recipe is easily doubled, tripled, or halved. I halved the above, which is why my portions in the photos look so meager.

Until next time!

While you're enjoying your granola bites, head on over to my bestie's etsy pages and take a peek!
K. Jane
cjstitchery

Shortcut German Chocolate

Happy Birthday to me! Now where did I put that can of frosting? Just kidding!

It’s time to bake my annual Cheater’s German Chocolate Birthday Cake! This cake is called a cheater because it is so easy to throw together it just feels like you’re breaking the rules. Sadly, I do not know who to credit for the original recipe; my copy was passed down from my grandmother. Thanks GMom!
The beauty of this cake is that you do not need a mixing bowl, you don’t need beaters…heck, you don’t even need any non-stick spray to throw it together! Let’s get this party started!

Cheater’s German Chocolate Cake

3 c flour

2 c sugar

1/3 c cocoa powder

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp salt

¾ c vegetable or canola oil

2 c water

2 Tbl white vinegar

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 325˚F

Sift dry ingredients into a non-greased 9x13 pan. You can use either a metal or a glass pan, either way you can’t go wrong!

Level the dry ingredients with a fork,

then make three wells in the dry mixture.

Put vinegar in one well, vanilla in another, and oil in the last. No worries if your oil overflows like mine did. It’ll be okay. Deep breaths.

Add water and mix (don’t beat)...

until there are no lumps. I traded my fork in for a silicon whisk at this point—make sure you get the corners well mixed!

Bake 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.

This cake is perfect as is—a moist, rich, chocolate cake that doesn’t even need icing. And it’s vegan! But seeing as how this is my birthday and I promised y’all my German Chocolate Cake…we will proceed.

While the cake bakes, you can make the frosting.

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, milk, egg yolks, butter, and salt. As you can see, I toasted my pecans while I cooked the frosting base, but you can toast your nuts ahead of time. Simply place them in a dry skillet over medium heat and give them a stir every minute or so. They’re toasty when you can smell them. Doing that ahead of time sure would have made my frosting-making a bit less hectic—just a heads-up.

Cook the milk mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture starts to boil and thicken.

Remove from heat and add pecans, coconut, and vanilla.

Stir to combine.

Let it cool until spreadable, 15-20 minutes. Avoid the temptation to simply grab a spoon.

You can stop here, with a beautiful chocolate cake with coconut-pecan frosting. Or you can push it just one step further…

To make a pretty glaze for the top, I combined 3 tablespoons of evaporated milk (leftover from the frosting) with the same amount of chocolate chips. Since I don’t own a microwave, I thought I would be clever and melt it on the stove. Bad idea.

Oh, in the name of all that's inconvenient!

But after a quick break to restore my stove to his former glory, we carry on.

Oooh, glossy!

I used my favorite tiny whisk to stir together the hot milk and chocolate together. When you're heating them up, make sure they do not boil, you only want the milk hot enough to melt the chocolate.

Once the cake has cooled, slather it with frosting!

Then, pour/scoop your chocolate glaze into a zip top bag, snip a tiny bit off one corner, and go crazy.

Until next time!

Cheater’s German Chocolate Cake

3 c flour

2 c sugar

1/3 c cocoa powder

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp salt

¾ c vegetable or canola oil

2 c water

2 Tbl white vinegar

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 325˚F. Sift dry ingredients into a non-greased 9x13 pan. Level off with a fork, then make three wells in the center. Pour vinegar in one well, vanilla in another, and oil in the third. Add water and mix (don’t beat) until no lumps remain, paying careful attention to the corners. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

Coconut-Pecan Frosting

1 ¼ c chopped pecans, toasted (I used an entire bag, about 1 ½ c)

1 c sugar

1 c evaporated milk

3 egg yolks, lightly beat

½ c butter, cubed

1/8 tsp salt

1 ½ c sweetened coconut (I used more like 2 c)

½ tsp vanilla

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, milk, egg yolks, butter, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture starts to boil and thicken. Remove from heat and stir in pecans, coconut, and vanilla. Cool until spreadable, 15-20 minutes.