One-Egg Cake with Creamy Chocolate Frosting

So I dropped the ball in April—and then have continued to leave the ball on the ground and stare at it dejectedly for the 23 days since April ended.

How, you ask? I’m supposed to be making a chocolate cake every month—remember?

But April was busy—I was doing a lot of job interviews (more about that soon!), I got sick, we had company almost every weekend, and although all of that stuff (except getting sick) was awesome, it also meant that my time/patience for cooking was at an all-time low and I pretty much retreated into my bed and never wanted to come out. Plus, the longer I went without cooking, baking, and posting a recipe meant that it was even harder to convince myself to do it, because the guilt was so bad I just couldn’t face it. But then I used my sick day to redo the index over here, and suddenly I was excited again.

Butter mixture  should be light and fluffy after creaming in the sugar.

Anyway, I made this one last night and it came out great-- the perfect thing to get me back into the baking spirit! The cake recipe comes from the same wee card that produced such gems as this cornbread and these biscuits, so I figured it would be ok, but I was totally wrong about a few things here. First of all, I assumed that because this cake batter was sifted (and sifted and sifted) and calls for cake flour (which I never have, so I just swapped out a few tablespoons of flour for cornstarch per this shortcut), that the end result would be fluffy, spongy and light, but I was most decidedly wrong. Instead, the cake came out with a dense and heavy crumb-- not at all unpleasant, just different from what I expected. Had the layers been any thicker, the density would have been problematic, but with such thin layers, the heaviness was just fine. Additionally, the cake is just the right side of 'dry,' so it pairs perfectly with a moist icing or would do just as well being filled with jam, custard, or fruit curd instead of frosting in between the layers.

the frosting gets weird before it gets normal-- don't fret! 

The cake recipe called for 'butter frosting,' so I searched out a chocolate frosting recipe that... involved butter (?) and settled on this Creamy Chocolate Frosting recipe from a Baker's Dot Chocolate recipe card from the 1950s. The frosting came out really tasty, but was super temperamental-- once I figured out how to work with it, though, it was great. If you have a double-boiler, this is the perfect time to bust it out so your frosting stays soft and pliable as you use it. If you don't have one, then work quickly and plan to reheat your frosting once or twice during the process. The problem comes because the warm melted chocolate gets mixed with cold butter, which makes the whole thing thicken up to the point that it becomes pretty unmanageable. If you start with soft (room temperature) butter, that helps, but if the frosting thickens to the point where you can't spread it, just zap it in the microwave for 3-5 seconds and it'll soften up just enough to work with again.

But don't let that deter you-- this recipe is totally worth it. The frosting sets nice and firm without getting the crust that buttercream usually forms on the edges, and the measurements listed here make exactly enough frosting to frost between the layers and on top of your cake without any pesky leftovers (always a pain when you're making frosting!).

This is a simple cake, perfect for a weeknight treat when you've had a particularly good (or bad!) day at the office, and pretty enough to share with friends but quick enough that you won't mind keeping it all to yourself, either.

The verdict:

3 spoons out of five. It's super tasty, and while I'll definitely make the frosting again, the 'sift-three-times' thing was just a little much for me when it comes to a regular white cake.

one year ago: Brioche!

The recipe:

One-Egg Cake with Creamy Chocolate Frosting

the directions:
Cake:

Preheat oven to 175C/350F.
Grease 2 8-inch layer pans and set aside.
Sift flour once, measure.
Add baking powder and salt and sift together 3 more times, then set aside.
Cream butter thoroughly, then add sugar gradually and beat together well.
Add egg and beat thoroughly.
Add flour mixture, alternating with milk, very small amounts at a time, beating after each addition until smooth.
Add vanilla and mix until smooth.
Pour into prepared pans and bake 15-20 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Frosting:

Melt chocolate over low heat, then pour into a mixing bowl.
Add sugar, salt, and water and beat until smooth.
Add one egg yolk at a time, beating after each addition.
Add butter in small amounts, gradually, beating well after each addition.
Frost layers while still slightly warm.
If frosting becomes too stiff to spread, warm it over a double boiler or in the microwave for a few seconds, just until soft.

the ingredients:
the cake:

2 c cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
4 tbsp butter
1 c sugar
1 egg
¾ c milk
1 tsp vanilla

 

 

 

the frosting:

5 oz unsweetened chocolate
3 c powdered sugar, sifted
Pinch of salt
2 ½ tbsp water, very hot
3 egg yolks
1/3 c butter, room temperature

Honey Chocolate Cake (for your honey)

I'm getting better at frosting cakes, too! 

Last week marked FOUR YEARS since Judson and I got married, and seven years since we met, which, probably, makes it a lucky anniversary. We’re celebrating in Tenerife, and hopefully right now I am lying on a beach, drinking something out of a coconut and debating whether my next activity should be to take a nap or go for a swim.

But, prior to leaving Edinburgh, of course I had to make a cake to celebrate, and since we’ve moved on from cheesecakes to chocolate cakes, here’s your monthly chocolate cake recipe: a honey cake for your honey.

Here’s the thing, though: This cake is a pain. Almost every ingredient in it requires some kind of prep before you mix it into the cake: the butter has to be softened, the eggs separated and whipped, if you live in a place where you can’t find buttermilk or cake flour, then lemon juice has to be added to your milk, and cornstarch has to be added to your flour, milk has to be scalded, chocolate melted, pans lined, and the list goes on..

But oh man, is it worth it. The last few chocolate cakes that I have made have been airy or fudgey, but I’ve never made one as velvety as this one. And since the cake was taking so long, I enlisted Judson’s help to make the frosting (a job I hate, though I love frosting, and a job Judson loves, although he hates frosting) and I’ll be damned if he didn’t make the tastiest homemade frosting I’ve ever had. It was perfectly smooth and creamy with the richest cocoa flavour I’ve ever encountered in a frosting. 

(I have no idea what kind of frosting is supposed to be on this cake-- the recipe just says 'confectioner's sugar frosting,' and since I couldn't bare to leave such a perfectly moist cake frosting-free, I opted for a simple, deeply chocolate 'cocoa icing,' that blended up smoother than any frosting I've made in awhile.)

So I guess this cake is a good metaphor for being married, even beyond the perfectly pun-able name: in the end, you’ve got a delicious cake, but only after putting a lot of work into it, and even then, there might be moments when you're sure it's all a disaster before it all comes together in the end (like when I tasted the frosting halfway through the process and it had the consistency of dried cement and tasted so bitter I could barely swallow it).

the verdict:

5 spoons out of five. This cake has a rich and velvety texture from the honey without being cloyingly sweet, and the frosting actually tastes like chocolate-- not just like powdered sugar. It's rich and decadent, and the perfect triumph after all the work you'll have to put in to actually make it. 

One year ago: Fancy tomato soup (and an embarrassing story)

The recipe:

Honey Chocolate Cake

the directions:
Cake:

Note that this recipe requires everything to be done in a certain order, so I've tried to put things below in the order you should do them to avoid the mad scramble I had halfway through. Follow everything below to the letter and you'll have an easier time than I did!

Remove butter from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature while you prepare everything else.|
Line 2 round cake pans with parchment on the bottom.
Preheat oven to 175C/350F.
If making your own buttermilk, add lemon juice to milk as above and set aside.
If making your own cake flour, sift together the cornstarch and flour as above.
Sift baking powder, salt, and baking soda into the cake flour and set aside.
Melt the chocolate and set aside.
Separate the eggs, set the yolks aside, and beat the whites until stiff but not dry.
Add ¼ c sugar to the egg whites, then beat again until very stiff and glossy.
Set beaten whites aside.
By this time, your butter should be close to room temperature so you can proceed with the recipe.
Cream butter, remaining ½ c sugar, and vanilla.
Add yolks and beat well.
Add chocolate (now melted but cool) and blend.
Gradually beat in honey.
Scald the milk on the stove or in the microwave.
Meanwhile, add sifted flour mixture and buttermilk to chocolate mixture, then beat until smooth.
Fold egg whites gently into batter, then stir in the scalded milk until mixture is of uniform consistency.
Pour into prepared cake pans and bake 20-30 minutes until a pick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Allow to cool completely, then frost.

frosting:

Blend melted shortening, salt, and cocoa.
Add milk and vanilla and beat well (mixture will be dark and grainy).
Add powdered sugar in 3 parts, blending after each.
If mixture is too thick, add a few drops of milk and cream until silky smooth.
Frost the cake and enjoy!

the ingredients:
the cake:

¼ cup butter, softened to room temperature
¾ c sugar, divided
½ tsp vanilla
2 eggs, separated
4 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
½ c honey\
2 c cake flour, sifted (make your own cake flour by placing 2 tbsp cornstarch into your measuring cup then filling with flour, for a total of 4 tbsp cornstarch for 2 cups of flour)
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
½ c buttermilk (make your own by placing 1 ½ tsp lemon juice into your ½ cup measuring cup, then filling with milk and leaving stand 5-10 minutes until slightly thickened)
½ c milk, scalded (heat milk until tiny bubbles appear around the outer rim but milk does not boil)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the frosting:

¼ c shortening or Stork, melted
¼ tsp salt
½ c cocoa
1/3 c milk
1 ½ tsp vanilla
3 ½ c powdered sugar, sifted & divided

Leg of Lamb with White Wine and Herbs

This week marks four years since Judson and I got married, and seven years since we first met, so we are off celebrating in Tenerife (an Spanish island in the Atlantic) all week long!

But I would never leave you without some celebratory recipes, so here’s a lovely fancy lamb recipe to make next time you have (a lot of) extra cash and some (very fancy) company coming over. Here’s the thing: I was trying to get this made during February, which, over here in the UK is Lamb Lovers’ Month. I thought this would be the perfect dish to make in honour of that… but then I went to the butcher shop and realised how expensive a butterflied, de-boned leg of lamb is.

The answer: very.

Last year to celebrate our anniversary, I made prime rib and the world’s most complicated key lime pie recipe. They were both amazing, and I was so proud of myself for how delicious (and easy!) the prime rib ended up being. I rationalised it in my head because the cost of the prime rib was much lower than the cost of two people going out for dinner… but that is most definitely not the case here. I never had any idea how pricey lamb was, so as soon as I realised how expensive it is, I immediately realised this would have to be our anniversary dinner. And man, was that expense worth it.

I wasn’t holding out a lot of hope for this recipe: Judson and I are both marginal lamb fans at best (though I have made some pretty awesome lamb recipes over the past year), and the marinade was just kind of basic (I thought), AND the biggest problem? This is meant to be cooked on a grill, which I obviously do not have access to in a country that rarely crests 20 degrees Celsius. So I thought we’d mess it up (and I’m lumping Judson in here because you’d better believe he got involved once I found out how expensive this meat was).

But I was totally wrong.

You know how usually when you marinate something, it might become more tender, or it might become saltier or sweeter or something, but you usually can’t taste each individual ingredient in the marinade in the final product? (No? Just me?) Not so in this recipe: the marinade imparted a strong rosemary flavour and an amazing level of bitter-sweetness from the wine. Plus, the oil created a delicious crust and helped to seal in all the moisture. This lamb tasted like a perfectly tender, perfectly seasoned steak, and I think if I had been blindfolded there is no way I would have identified it as lamb.

The only downside to this recipe is that you have to procure for yourself a deboned, butterflied leg of lamb—but your butcher will be able to help you out there, and though the original recipe calls for a 4-6 pound piece of meat, we scaled down based on the butcher’s recommendation for two people (and still got two meals each out of it!). The marinade is easy and if you have an upcoming celebration, I’d encourage you to give this a shot. It is, without a doubt, the best lamb I’ve ever tasted—and definitely the best I’ve ever made!

The verdict:

5 spoons out of five. It was worth the price to try this, and hands down worth the ease with which we made it. I’m already hungry just thinking about the leftovers.

New! One year ago: Prime Rib of Beef

The recipe:

Butterflied Leg of Lamb

The directions:

Mix together all ingredients except for lamb.
Place lamb in a shallow dish and pour marinade over it.
Cover tightly and marinate in the refrigerator for 8-10 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.
Drain marinade and place meat in a large oven-proof dish.
Preheat broiler to medium, then place lamb approximately 6 inches from element.
Cook lamb in 10 minute increments, basting with additional wine in between.
Cook 40-45 minutes until lamb is pink in the middle but warmed throughout.
Allow to rest 5-10 minutes, then carve and enjoy.

The ingredients:

½ c vegetable oil
¼ c white wine + additional ½ c for basting
2 tbsp parsley, chopped fine
4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 bay leaves
1-2 tbsp rosemary, chopped coarsely
1 large onion, chopped coarsely
1 tsp salt
1 leg of lamb, boned and butterflied