Wedding Cake!

I am so glad that's over.  Remind me, the next time someone asks me to do a party cake, not to do it in someone else's kitchen in another state.

The experience was not altogether bad.  I learned that I can bake five layer cakes in four hours.  It took another four or so to ice them the next day.  I adjusted to the oven and appliances very quickly.  The groom very generously got out everything I needed the evening before, so I wouldn't have to hunt.  He was surprised how much I didn't need because it was in the box.

Emma the cat hated me.  Her favorite spot is the kitchen window, and here I was invading her personal space.  I'm surprised she didn't draw blood, since she swatted at me half the time I washed my hands.  We ended up storing the un-iced cakes in the car overnight so she couldn't get into them.

Really, the only thing I didn't like about their kitchen was lack of freezer space.  One of the kids moved around enough in the fridge to chill one cake at a time, but there was zero freezer space.  This was only a problem when I got to the red cake and accidentally made a soft batch of frosting.  Even after making it firmer, most slid off in the car on the way to the hotel and I had to re-pipe about 2/3 of the rosettes.  That's why I brought my decorating supplies and a bag of frosting with me.

Oh, other learning experience is that a 3-pack of shortening is 3 cups, not 6.  I was thinking it was the same as a pound of butter.  I also miscounted the powdered sugar.  Fortunately, the groom was headed to the store and I just gave him some money to tack on my groceries.  He got back just as I had used the scrapings to fill his Groom's Cake.  I wasn't all that short, and now he has ingredients for his own cakes.  I exactly estimated the first box of cake flour to run out half a cup short of cake #4.  Yay me.

I miss Wal-Mart.  It may be evil in some communities, but the ingredients sure were cheap.  The first trip was only $37, and round two of frosting ingredients was barely $10.  I'm not a brand snob.  Hens lay eggs and butter comes from cows.  The only brand name item I bought was the cake flour, because there are only two brands.  I have never encountered a generic version of it.  Oh, and the lemon curd was Bonne Maman because that was the only kind on the shelf.  Not as good as mine, but zero time or effort.

I was the only person in the hotel prep kitchen the morning of the wedding, so I spread out to fix the cakes.  After having three square feet to mix icing and frost in the apartment, it felt really good.  When it came time to set up, the hotel provided a central cake stand.  I flipped over two cake pans and covered them with cloth to support the side cakes, and the Groom's cake was table-height on the other side.  When the extra bridesmaid bouquet was placed in front, I realized it exactly matched the design on the cakes.  The whole time we were wrapping the bouquets in ribbon, I never noticed.

Everyone said they liked the freshness of the cakes.  Sure, because they'd never been in the freezer like they were supposed to.  Also, they were only two days old instead of the usual 5-8 when you order them from a bakery.  The bride and groom forgot to save the 6" lemon for their anniversary cake and ate it the next day.  There wasn't any room for it in the freezer anyway.  I'm not going back next year to make them another one.

Recipes and Techniques Used to Make the Cakes
Vanilla Chiffon Cake
Lemon Layer Cake
Strawberry Cake (sub blackberries)
Buttercream Frosting
Spider/Mummy Cake
Strawberry Rosette Cake

Spider/Mummy Cake

I'll get to the wedding cake in a minute, but this is time-sensitive.

I saw this idea on Little Cherry Cake.  Hers is specifically a spider cake, and that's what I made, but you could also make the streaks thicker, use different decorations, and call it a mummy cake.  You can also make this in any color.  Their wedding color was purple and it was a blackberry cake, but the groom is Slytherin and wanted it green.

You can see from the photo above that I didn't do the Cadbury Egg spider, which was a brilliant idea in the original video.  This was the Groom's Cake, and he didn't want any chocolate involved.  When I couldn't find any large enough Halloween sprinkles, I bought a mold with various creepy crawlies and a bag of black vanilla candy melts.  Never mind that four hours later I was making three dozen chocolate frogs for party favors...

Lemon extract can be hard to find and pricey.  The easiest substitute for thinning gel colors or hydrating powders is vodka.  You're not using much and most of it evaporates off.  I suggest getting a regular paintbrush at the hardware store instead of one at whatever craft or baking store you buy the glitter dust at.  Half the price.  You only need a brush that is either new or has only ever been used on food.

1 cake, any size or shape, any number of layers
Frosting to coat cake and gel or powder food coloring in desired color
Edible luster dust in the same or a translucent color
1-2 Tb vodka
About a dozen large marshmallows
Pan spray!!
Decorations such as themed sprinkles or molded chocolate

1.  Trim, fill, and frost cake in desired color.  I'll go into it in more detail in the next post, but I was conserving frosting by the time I got to the 5th cake and just mixed all the leftover colors for the fill and crumb coat.  I figured it would make an interesting surprise.  The next half-batch of frosting and a few drops of green turned everything the color I wanted, which was a kind of awkward forest green that was maybe one shade into the khaki range.

2.  Once the cake is frosted and thoroughly chilled, hydrate the shimmery part with the alcohol.  I used half the tiny vial for a 6" cake, and had enough for one generous coat.  Paint the slurry onto the cake.  The brush streaks disappear when the cake dries.  Chill cake until needed.

3.  Pan spray a microwaveable bowl.  Drop in the marshmallows and microwave for 45 seconds to a minute, until they are puffed.  Pan spray a scraper spatula and stir until strings start to appear.

4.  Get the cake out of the fridge.  Lightly pan spray you hands and grab a handful of marshmallow.  Start pulling it into strings and draping it over the cake until the desired effect is achieved.  Don't forget to string some over the cake board.  Make the strands thin for spider webs, or thick to be like mummy dressings.  Decorate with edible or plastic adornments and serve.  I would suggest adding the marshmallows the same day, so they don't absorb too much moisture and get drippy.

Difficulty rating :)

Maple-Glazed Spiced Butternut Squash

I keep getting magazines I didn't subscribe to.  It's some kind of promo being run in the area.  This recipe came out of Women's Health, which clearly needs a food editor.  Not all of the ingredients were listed, and the directions must have been trimmed for space.  I made some tweaks to make it a bit less spicy and not break out in a rash, but it was an excellent use of two of my tiny home-grown butternut squash.

This is a grilling recipe, which made more sense in a summer issue of the magazine.  In October, you can finish off the skewers under the broiler.  Or, skip the skewers entirely and just serve as a side.  In that case, you don't have to chop up the squash, just roast as halves or quarters.

I was hoping to have a couple more recipes banked before going on vacation.  Looks like there's going to be a gap before I get the wedding cake posted.  Only a few extra days.  I had a choice between packing the laptop or a cloak to wear at the wedding.  It's going to be 50º, so the cloak won.  Meanwhile, it's going to be lovely and mid-80s at home.

*1 large butternut squash
*1 tsp cinnamon
1 Tb olive oil
*1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
*2 Tb maple syrup
salt and pepper
*1/2 tsp dried oregano

1.  Preheat oven to 350º.  If skewering, soak wood skewers in water for at least half an hour (or use metal ones).  Cut squash in half and scoop out seeds.  Chop into 2-bite pieces, about 1-1/2" square.

2.  Toss butternut in a bowl with oil to coat.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and pepper flakes and toss again.  Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet, skin side down.  Roast for 20 minutes, until mostly done.  Let cool enough to handle.

3.  Heat grill to medium or preheat broiler.  Thread squash onto skewers, brush with maple syrup, and season with salt, pepper, and oregano.  Grill or broil until lightly charred, about 6 minutes.

Serves 4 to 6

Difficulty rating  π

Blackberry-Lavender Opera Cake

One of my co-workers wanted me to make her a birthday cake, which is a neat trick when all your cake pans and decorating equipment are on the other side of the country.

I only heard of Opera cakes recently.  I pass a fancy bakery sometimes when I make deliveries, and was stuck in traffic.  I looked up their menu while the construction trucks decided which way they needed to move.  One item was a slice of Opera cake for $7.

When I got home, I looked up recipes to find out why one slice was so pricey.  Opera doesn't mean going to a show in the name of this confection, it refers to the amount of work.  There are multiple layers of ingredients, different frostings, ganache, and it doesn't really make sense to make one of these things if you're not charging a lot per slice.  They sound good though, a lot like chocolate tiramisu, but not as oozey.

For this cake, I'm stealing the layer concept, but cutting down on the work.  My co-worker loves blackberries, so I'm scattering them on whipped cream frosting between layers of a modified lavender cake that have been brushed with lemon simple syrup.  I turned the last of the Gryffindor buttercream slightly purple to spread on the top, then drizzled white chocolate ganache for a design.  It's the 3-hour version of a cake that normally takes two or three days.

Cake
3/4 C sugar
*1 tsp culinary lavender
3/4 C margarine
3 eggs, room temperature
*2/3 C milk
1-1/2 C cake flour
1 Tb baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

1.  The day before, combine sugar and dried lavender.  Place in a sealed container to make lavender sugar.  You can do this up to a week before.  Any longer, and it won't get more intense.

2.   Grease an 11"x15" cake pan, line with waxed paper, and grease the paper.  Start preheating the oven to 350º

3.  Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside until needed.  Run the sugar through the sifter over a mixing bowl to remove most of the lavender buds.  Discard buds.  Cream together sugar and margarine with the paddle until smooth.  Scrape the bowl and add eggs one at a time, scraping between additions.

4.  Add flour and milk in stages, stirring to combine each.  Once all the ingredients are in the mixer, beat for 2 minutes.  Scrape the bowl, and beat an additional minute.

5.  Pour into cake pan.  Spread batter evenly, making sure to get the corners.  It's going to be very thin.  Smack the pan a few times on the counter to remove any bubbles.  Bake until springy, about 15-18 minutes.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then carefully turn out on a cooling rack and remove the paper.  Cool completely before moving on.  You can even freeze the cake and come back to it another day.

Whipped Cream Frosting
1 C heavy whipping cream
1/2 C powdered sugar
*2 Tb unsalted butter, room temperature

1.  In mixer with whisk, beat cream to soft peaks.  Add powdered sugar and beat to incorporate.

2.  Cut butter into small chunks and change to paddle attachment.  Beat butter into whipped cream until smooth and stiff peak consistency.  Chill until ready to use.

Lemon Syrup
*2 Tb lemon juice
2 Tb sugar

1.  Bring juice and sugar to a boil and stir until sugar is dissolved.  If desired, a bit of Limoncello can be added.  Allow to cool to room temperature.

Assembly

1.  Use a ruler to cut the cake into 4 equal quarters.  Stack them, picking one corner to line up perfectly.  I also did half of the pieces upside-down and made sure two inside edges and two outside were on each edge.  A little OCD, but it kept the cake relatively level.  Trim off any uneven or crunchy edges and start snacking.

2.  Rinse the blackberries and dry with paper towels.  Cut in half lengthwise.

3.  Place bottom cake layer on cake board or serving platter.  Brush with syrup.  Spread with a 1/4" layer of frosting, then dot with blackberries.  Repeat with the next two layers.

4.  If desired, tint remaining frosting before spreading on top piece of cake.  I realized the layer didn't actually have to be on the cake to do this, so the rest of it sat in the fridge for a few minutes, firming up, while I did this step.  Set top layer on the cake, then allow it to chill while you prepare the ganache.

5.  Microwave 1/4 C of white chocolate on 50% power in 1 minute increments until soft.  Add a few drops of cream or milk at a time until you get a consistency that can be drizzled or piped.  I put mine in a baggie with the end snipped off and piped the drizzle.  If you want, you can use royal icing to write on the cake.

6.  Keep cake chilled until half an hour before serving.  The whipping cream will spoil if left out.

Serves about 12, depending on the size of the slices

Difficulty rating  :-0

Avocado Hummus

I cut this recipe out of the L.A. Times in August, but only just got around to making it.  I've been enjoying the feel of autumn, which makes me less inclined to eat Mediterranean-style food.  Then the October Santa Anas made an appearance and I had this with some falafel.

Since Jonathan Gold passed away, the Times Saturday section has been focusing more on recipes and less on restaurants.  Personally, I would like a section that's about 50/50.  New restaurants mean exposure to new recipe ideas, but the recipes themselves are an important part of that balance.  Publishing scaled-down versions helps everyone.

This is a pretty basic hummus recipe: base, garlic, lemon juice, tahini, and salt.  The addition of lime juice and cumin are what make it different.  There's no added oil because avocados are mostly fat.

If you want to thin this out for your own personal taste, I would recommend adding more lemon or lime juice.  I made mine very smooth, like sour cream, and it lasted four days without darkening.  If too sour, add a slight pinch of sugar to balance the flavor.

3 avocados, peeled and seeded
*1 clove garlic, minced
*1/4 C lemon juice, or more to thin
1/4 C lime juice
*1/4 C tahini
*1/2 tsp cumin
salt to taste

1.  Toss everything in the food processor and purée until smooth.  Taste and add juice or salt as needed, bearing in mind that the flavors will mature by serving time.

2.  Transfer to a serving bowl and cover with plastic wrap touching the surface.  Refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour before serving.  It may start to darken after a day, especially if you skimped on the lemon and lime juice.  Like guacamole, you can skim off the dark skin to make it pretty for a third or fourth day.

Makes about 3 cups, or 12 servings

Difficulty rating  π

Spiced Plum Jam

I'm finally out of last year's jams.  So I made a quart batch of strawberry-lavender, and decided to add pectin to avoid so much excess jelly.  Opened the packet, dumped it in the nearly-finished jam, and realized it had molded.  Had to toss the whole thing and start over.

As long as I was going to the trouble, I decided to make another batch of something.  Plums were on sale.  I found this recipe in Food in Jars.  Marisa really likes plums, and there were several recipes to choose from.  Since I've been cooking Fall and Winter recipes lately, I opted for the one that more or less has pumpkin spice in it.  Just needs ginger to put it over that line.

The kitchen smelled like Christmas for two days.  I'm going to have to find some way to use this jam in Christmas cookies.  Probably hamantaschen.  I'll make those any time of year.

I made half of her already small recipe, because I'm really trying not to repeat last year's over-preserving mania.  I also used my new jar of powdered pectin instead of the liquid she calls for.  What I did for both this and the strawberry jam was to reserve some cooled liquid for dissolving the powder, then add it at the end of cooking.  It isn't how most recipes or the jar tell you to do it, but it achieved the desired result.  If I was making larger batches of jam, I'd follow the instructions.

8 C pitted and finely chopped plums
3-1/2 C sugar
*zest and juice of 1 lemon
*2 tsp cinnamon
*1/2 tsp nutmeg
*1/4 tsp cloves
2 packets liquid pectin

1.  If canning, prepare jars for a 4-pint yield.  Get your water bath boiling.

2.  Combine the plums and sugar in a large pot.  Stir until the plums release enough juice to dissolve all the sugar.  Bring to a boil and add juice and spices.  Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until plums are very soft and everything looks syrupy.  This will take between 10 and 20 minutes, depending on ripeness.  Mine were on the crunchy side, so it took a while.

3.  Add the pectin and bring to a full boil for 5 minutes.  It will look thick and shiny, like the photo at the top.

4.  If canning, remove pot from the heat and ladle into prepared jars.  Wipe rims, secure lids, and process for 10 minutes.  If not canning, allow jam to cool uncovered until no longer steaming.  Transfer to storage container, refrigerate, and use within a month.

Makes about 4 pints

Difficulty rating  :)

Beef-Stuffed Acorn Squash

I'm cooking again, but I keep forgetting to finish and publish the posts.  It's a work in progress.

I got this idea from the Mad Hausfrau.  She put different things in hers and cut the squashes cuter, but it's pretty much the same.  This recipe also works with any squash with a seed hollow.  You could do it with pumpkin, butternut, or any of the odd hard-rined squashes that are appearing in the markets this month.

The tater tots and a trip to IHOP finally put the weight back on, so I'm back to eating a bit healthier and smaller portions.  Their pumpkin-cinnamon roll pancakes were very good, though.  Hausfrau's recipe calls half a squash a serving, while I did 1/4 of a large one.  It depends if you're having any side dishes.  I just had a bit of bread and butter on the side, since most of this dish is veggies.

1 large acorn squash
3/4 lb 80/20 ground beef
1/2 C diced onion
1 C frozen mixed veggies
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp oregano
dash of nutmeg

1.  Preheat oven to 350º.  Place squash on a baking sheet.  Pierce in a few places to prevent explosions and roast until softened, 45 minutes.  Set aside to cool a bit, but leave the oven on.

2.  In a large skillet, brown the ground beef.  Once it gives up enough fat, add the diced onion to the pan.  When the onion is softened, add remaining ingredients.  Cook until veggies are done, about 5 minutes.  Set aside while you cut up the squash.

3.  Cut the cooked squash in half to expose the seed hollow.  Scoop out the seeds and strings.  You can clean and roast them if you like.  Fill the hollows with the beef mixture.  There's going to be some left over.  Keep it warm for a bit.

4.  Put the filled squash halves back in the oven and roast for an additional 10 minutes.  This will allow some of the beef fat to soak into the squash so you don't need to add butter.

5.  Cut each half in half again and serve, with a scoop of the reserved meat mixture on the side.

Difficulty rating  :)

Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole

I'm still trying to put on weight.  That's my excuse, and I'm sticking with it.

How have I not known about this dish?  As much as I love all breakfast foods, I had to find out about it from a Marie Callender's ad.  It looks like something a college kid invented to ward off a hangover. And I wanted it badly.

Various forms of frozen potato casserole seem to be a Southern thing.  At some point, I'm going to use the other half of the bag of taters to make totchos (tater tot nachos).

This is going to take you at least an hour to make, since everything is cooked prior to assembly except the eggs.  On the other hand, you can do all those parts in advance, or use leftovers.  I chose to do it all at once, and it was a bit of a project until the finished bowls went in the oven.

I also chose to make these in individual oven-safe soup crocks instead of an 8x8 dish.  It was all about presentation.  The only problem was that you can't see the potatoes on the bottom this way.  A glass casserole may end up being the better choice.

You can choose to top the finished project with slices of avocado or a sauce such as country gravy, ranch dressing, or sour cream.  For those so inclined, salsa or hot sauce would be welcome.  The first serving, I forgot to put anything on it and didn't miss the garnish.  After that, a dollop of plain yogurt made it extra creamy.

16 oz (half a 32 oz bag) frozen potato nuggets
4 slices thick-cut bacon (about 1/4 lb)
8 oz breakfast sausage
1/2 C diced onion
1 roma tomato, diced
3 eggs
*1 C milk
1/4 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp ground pepper
1 C shredded colby/cheddar mix
garnishes

1.  Cook potatoes to package directions, likely 24 minutes at 400º.  I went crispy, since they were going to get soaked in egg.

2.  While those are in the oven, cook bacon in a skillet.  I guess you can put it in the oven, but you're getting a skillet dirty in the next step, so it isn't worth it to dirty another baking sheet.  Again, I went crispy so it would be easier to chop up small bits.  Do that when the slices are cool enough to handle.

3.  Cook sausage into crumbles with the onion.  Drain off the fat.  Put bacon bits and sausage in a bowl with the diced tomato.  Grease or pan-spray an 8"x8" baking dish and turn the oven down to 350º once the potatoes are done.

4.  Beat together milk, eggs, and seasonings.  I didn't add any salt and was fine because every other ingredient is salty.  The potatoes are usually seasoned in the package.  Just read the ingredients.

5.  Spread the potatoes on the bottom of the pan.  Cover with the meat mixture.  Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top.  Pour the egg mixture evenly over the casserole, and give it a minute to sink into the nooks and crannies.  Bake until the egg sets, about 20 minutes.  Let rest 10 minutes, then garnish and serve.

Difficulty rating  :)