July 28th cake

I've been thinking about this for about a week and a half because it's my BIRTHDAY CAKEEEEE. Because baking is like rully important to me, this cake was destined to be a winner from the start. Everyone I talked to laughed when I said I was making my own cake, but the way I see it... why would I leave it in the hands of someone else? That way if it came out horribly I would have only myself to blame....

But it came out great, so no worries. Like, super great. So great that Lanie asked if I got it at Whole Foods. Lol'ing.


For the cake:

2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup hot (but not boiling) water
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons white vinegar

For the raspberry bit:

1/2 pint fresh raspberries

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon gelatin

For the heavenly lemon frosting:

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

zest of 2 lemons

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups confectioner's sugar

5 drops lemon essential oil

2 egg yolks

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter cupcake rounds; dust with cocoa, tapping out excess. Set aside. Whisk together flour, salt, and cocoa in a medium bowl; set aside.

Mix sugar and oil on medium speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk until combined. Add eggs one at a time; mix well after each addition. Mix in food coloring and vanilla. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the buttermilk and beginning and ending with flour, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed.

Stir together baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl. Add baking-soda mixture to batter, and mix on medium speed 10 seconds. Mix in the hot water until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake until a cake tester inserted into centers comes out clean, 18 to 23 minutes. Let cool completely in pans on wire racks. Using your fingers, take one cupcake and crumble it into tiny crumbs to be used as a garnish for later. Set aside.

While the cakes are baking, make the raspberry bit. In a small saucepan, melt butter on a low heat. Add raspberries, stir. Add brown sugar, lemon juice, and gelatin and heat until the berries break apart into a soupy consistency, about 3 minutes. Pour into small ramekin and allow to cool in a refrigerator for approximately 2 hours.

Next, prepare the frosting. In a large bowl, whip butter and egg yolks with an electric mixer until creamy. Add vanilla extract, lemon essential oil, and lemon zest and mix until combined. Add in confectioner's sugar in 3 batches, mixing between each addition. Let sit at room temperature before frosting!

Place one cake on a cake stand, spread raspberry bit on top. Place the second cake on top. Frost the entire thing with the lemon frosting. YAAY JULY 28TH!

Cake recipe adapted from Martha Stewart. Frosting/jam by me!

Hummingbird bakery cheesecake

 

One time we made a celebratory cheesecake. Then it broke coming out of the pan. But it was still an amazing cheesecake, so we ate it anyways.

For the crust:

8 ounces digestive biscuits (or graham crackers)
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake:

1 1/2 pounds full-fat cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces (1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon) caster sugar
3 large eggs
3 ounces mixed berries

Line the base of a spring form pan with parchment paper. Place the biscuits in a food processor and whiz into fine crumbs using the blade attachment. Tip the crumbs into a bowl, add the melted butter, and mix together with a spoon. Place the mixture in the prepared tin, pressing it into the base with the back of the spoon. Place in the refrigerator and allow to cool and set for 20-30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 320°F. Using an electric mixer, mix together the cream cheese, vanilla extract, and sugar on medium speed until smooth. Break the eggs in one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure every bit is incorporated. Stir in the mixed fruits by hand, checking that they are evenly dispersed, then pour the mixture into the prepared tin.

Create a water bath for the cheesecake. Wrap the outside of the spring form with foil, folding it up around the sides of the pan. Then place thepan in a roasting tin and fill with water to about 1/4 inches below the top edge. The moisture created in the oven helps to prevent the top of the cheesecake from cracking. Run a palate knife around the inside edge of the pan; this releases the mixture from the sides so that it doesn't stick.

Place in the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the cheesecake is a light-golden color on top (more so around the edges) and generally firm to the touch, with only a slight wobble in the middle.
Keeping the cheesecake in the tin, allow it to cool down at room temperature, then place in the fridge to set for a few hours, or preferably overnight. Once the cheesecake has set, it can be taken out of the pan and decorated with extra berries or whipped cream.

Recipe adapted from The Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days Cookbook

Wildberry croissant bread pudding

I have a lot of trouble being still. Lying down, sitting in a chair, standing in a line; you name it. Tanning is especially hard. On top of my Irish complexion (thanks, Italian genes. why did you fail me?), the act of tanning has always been really difficult for me. But obviously I try. I try really hard. Every time I go to the backyard and lay down my towel I tell myself this will be the time. It's like some sort of pep talk or something. This will be the time that I learn to appreciate the joys of mindlessly laying still, in the sun, getting my glow on, tanning.

And I fail every time. The first minute, maybe two, I'm ok. I say to myself ok, this is totally doable. Relax, Sar. But, no. Fail. Suddenly my mind is racing through this, that, and the other thing. I wonder if the new episode of Weeds went up online yet... Ooh, wouldn't it be fun to learn that Regina Spektor song on piano?... I wonder what color I should paint my nails next...... It's horrible! I just can't do it!

Obviously today I tried to lay out. It's such a gorgeous day who wouldn't want to just chill in the sun? Well, apparently not I. Five minutes in and I'm thinking about what I can bake next for the blog. Two minutes later and I'm in my car going to the grocery store in search of some croissants and a can of sweetened condensed milk.


4 large croissants (or 8 mini croissants)
1/2 cup wildberry (or any other berry you prefer) preserves
3 large eggs
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup water
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
Teensy dash cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°. Coat a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.

Cut croissants in half lengthwise. Spread about 1 tablespoon of preserves on each half. Replace tops, and cut croissants into small strips. Place strips in baking pan. Dab remaining preserves on top.

Whisk eggs, then whisk in milk, water, butter, vanilla, and cinnamon. Pour mixture over croissants. Press croissants into liquid if necessary. Let set for 5 minutes.

Bake until a knife or pick inserted in the center comes out clean (about 45 minutes). Allow to cool for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar or whipped cream, if desired.


Recipe adapted from Smucker's.