An Almond Cake
Sat, 01/16/10:
Almond Cake
from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters
So here is my second cake ever baked... I used some new tools (2 aluminum 9-inch cake pans and those previously mentioned insulated cake strips), and unfortunately, the aesthetic results were only so-so: as the cake cooled in the pan, the layers started to shrink from the top of the pan, but stayed in place at the bottom, resulting in sloped, hard-to-stack sides... maybe my new tools need to be worn in a bit, kind of like a pancake griddle? Or it could be that I didn't soak the cake strips for long enough: I only remembered that they needed to be soaked at the very last minute, after the batter was all mixed up, so I gave them a kind of rushed soaking for about 5 minutes: I did notice they were sort of browned when I removed them after baking. Anyway, according to Mom, those cake strips are supposed to help layers stay even, so next time, I'll be sure to start soaking at the onset of ingredient prep. (but if there are any experienced bakers out there with advice on how to avoid "shrinking sides", please leave comments!)
The recipe suggested that the cake remain plain, and served with fresh fruit or whipped cream, but it also mentioned an alternative gussied-up look of apricot jam glaze. I tried that on and between the layers, and I think it looks nice. Another attempt to hide the messy layers was an adornment of blanched and toasted almonds. Amazing what a little symmetrical pattern can accomplish.
Waiting for James to come home so I can slice this and EAT it...
Finally!
(For the record, this was James' "favorite dessert yet!")
The cake really tasted fantastic! This is my second cake from Alice Waters' cookbook, and so far it seems that she really has a knack for keeping the texture extremely moist and fluffy. That chocolate cake from my birthday included buttermilk and an addition of hot water (the latter of which my mother found pretty unusual), but I think these two ingredients really helped to keep the cake moist for several days: its texture was excellent almost a week later. This cake had very few ingredients: sugar, butter, almond paste, 6 eggs, and flour (as well as baking powder), but they must be the right ingredients; the cake just melts in your mouth. Lovely!
I think next up is Alice's 1-2-3-4 cake, a recipe she includes in The Art of Simple Food for cake novices. The numbers refer to the ratio in ingredients: 1 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, 3 cups flour, 4 eggs. I'll wait a week for these calories to settle, but stay tuned!
Almond Cake
from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters
So here is my second cake ever baked... I used some new tools (2 aluminum 9-inch cake pans and those previously mentioned insulated cake strips), and unfortunately, the aesthetic results were only so-so: as the cake cooled in the pan, the layers started to shrink from the top of the pan, but stayed in place at the bottom, resulting in sloped, hard-to-stack sides... maybe my new tools need to be worn in a bit, kind of like a pancake griddle? Or it could be that I didn't soak the cake strips for long enough: I only remembered that they needed to be soaked at the very last minute, after the batter was all mixed up, so I gave them a kind of rushed soaking for about 5 minutes: I did notice they were sort of browned when I removed them after baking. Anyway, according to Mom, those cake strips are supposed to help layers stay even, so next time, I'll be sure to start soaking at the onset of ingredient prep. (but if there are any experienced bakers out there with advice on how to avoid "shrinking sides", please leave comments!)
The recipe suggested that the cake remain plain, and served with fresh fruit or whipped cream, but it also mentioned an alternative gussied-up look of apricot jam glaze. I tried that on and between the layers, and I think it looks nice. Another attempt to hide the messy layers was an adornment of blanched and toasted almonds. Amazing what a little symmetrical pattern can accomplish.
Waiting for James to come home so I can slice this and EAT it...
Finally!
(For the record, this was James' "favorite dessert yet!")
The cake really tasted fantastic! This is my second cake from Alice Waters' cookbook, and so far it seems that she really has a knack for keeping the texture extremely moist and fluffy. That chocolate cake from my birthday included buttermilk and an addition of hot water (the latter of which my mother found pretty unusual), but I think these two ingredients really helped to keep the cake moist for several days: its texture was excellent almost a week later. This cake had very few ingredients: sugar, butter, almond paste, 6 eggs, and flour (as well as baking powder), but they must be the right ingredients; the cake just melts in your mouth. Lovely!
I think next up is Alice's 1-2-3-4 cake, a recipe she includes in The Art of Simple Food for cake novices. The numbers refer to the ratio in ingredients: 1 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, 3 cups flour, 4 eggs. I'll wait a week for these calories to settle, but stay tuned!
Labels: 1-2-3-4 cake, alice waters, almond cake, cake strips
posted by Emily Hunter at 10:50 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home