CAKE PUCKS, MY NEW ADVENTURE!

Posted in Cake by sallybr

My first time making these, after flirting for a long time with the concept, while staring at my molds in a state of paralysis. In a way, they are not too different from Chocolate-Covered Oreos – that I make often – but the level of complexity goes up a bit. With cake pucks, you can use all flavors and kinds of cakes, as well as cookie dough, rice crisps, as long as you adjust the consistency to make…. the PUCK component. I see many of those in my future… For my first time, I chose Red Velvet with a thin Oreo inside. Check them out!

RED VELVET CAKE PUCKS WITH THIN OREOS
(adapted from this recipe)

molds used: BENTYCAKES SET

1 red velvet cake mix
1 cup water
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs
1tsp vanilla
Oreo thins
1/2 cup buttercream
Ghirardelli melting wafers, dark chocolate

Combine cake mix, eggs, water, oil and vanilla until fully mixed. Pour mixture in a greased 9×13 baking pan and bake at 350 F until done, with toothpick coming out clean as tested in the center of the cake (about 25 minutes).

Allow cake to cool, then crumble and mix in buttercream. Add about a tablespoon of cake mix to your small cake puck mold. Place one Oreo thin on top of the mix and then continue to fill the mold with cake mix. Use bottom of a measuring cup to gently pat the top of the cake puck centers down so they are level with the mold. Scrape off any excess mix.

Place mold in the fridge for 3 hours or freezer (45 min) to chill.

Melt 17 ounces chocolate (or the amount compatible with the number of cakes you will make) with one tablespoon of refined coconut oil for 1 minute. Continue to microwave in increments of 20 seconds until chocolate is smooth and fully melted.

Fill cavities of larger mold with chocolate a little less than half-full. Place chilled center on melted chocolate. Gently apply even pressure as you slowly press the center down until chocolate comes up from the sides and covers the top of the center. Scrape off any excess chocolate. If there is not enough chocolate to cover the center. Add chocolate and scrape away excess. Tap the mold tray on the counter to eliminate air bubbles.

Place mold in freezer for 10 minutes, they should set quickly because the cake component is very cold. Un-mold and have fu decorating your little cake pucks!

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Before I started this new adventure, I joined this group on Facebook to see what others were doing and learn from their shared experiences. For the most part they use cake mixes for the “puck” component because home-made cakes can be overly moist. I decided to take that approach for my first time, as I was absolutely clueless about the whole thing. So I started from a boxed Duncan Hines Red Velvet, adapting the recipe as advised by the experts. Bake, let it cool, and crumble it. Mix with buttercream (I had some leftover from another project made with butter & cream cheese), add to the puck mold.

Then I used this set of molds from Bentycakes to make the pucks and later cover them with chocolate.

Once that part is done, marvel at how well they un-mold to reveal the smoothest little cake puck!

For the set covered with dark chocolate, I opted to decorate with Royal icing drizzle and molded fondant painted with luster powder gold + vodka.

Once you cut through, the little Oreo inside adds a lot of cute to the equation… and of course, a bit more contrast in texture.

The ones covered with white chocolate dyed pink, got a simpler decoration, just the white fondant sprayed with PME luster pearl.

That decoration also works well on a dark chocolate background…

Of course, the possibilities to make other types of cake pucks are endless, and I am just getting started. My next goal is to use warm cake crumbled without adding buttercream, as I heard it can work well, and of course opens the horizons to cakes made from scratch. Stay tuned for more “pucking” adventures!

ONE YEAR AGO: Rolled Buttercream

TWO YEARS AGO: Miso-Ginger Turkey Meatballs with Cabbage “Noodles”

THREE YEARS AGO: Smoked Shrimp Tacos with Roasted Jalapeño Salsa

FOUR YEARS AGO: Corn Fritters

FIVE YEARS AGO: Minnie Macarons

SIX YEARS AGO: Air-Fried Mexican Meatloaf

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Mimi’s Sticky Chicken, a Call from my Past

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Perfect Soy-Grilled Steak

NINE YEARS AGO: The Devil’s Bread

TEN YEARS AGO: Heart of Palm Salad Skewers

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Potluck Frittata and Lavoisier

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Home-made Corn Tortillas

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Peanut Sauce

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Brigadeiros: A Brazilian Party!

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Lemony Asparagus

16Jun2024

THE BEWITCHING KITCHEN TURNS 15 YEARS OLD!

Posted in Cake by sallybr

Wow! Just WOW! Talk about a blogging milestone, I am having a hard time believing that for 15 years I’ve been cooking, baking, taking pictures, writing posts, and hitting PUBLISH, without a break… Last year I was feeling a bit discouraged and debating whether to quit, but I don’t feel the same way now. My love for blogging is renewed, maybe even a bit stronger. But what matters most in the anniversary of a blog is how to celebrate it. That brings cake to mind. And cake is what I have for you!

CONFETTI CAKE WITH RANUNCULUS BUTTERCREAM PAINTING
(cake from Sally’s Baking Addiction, buttercream and tutorial for cake painting from MyCakeSchool)

for the cake:
207g cake flour (1 + 3/4 cup)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
113g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (1/2 cup)
200g granulated sugar (1 cup)
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
120g full-fat sour cream, at room temperature (1/2 cup)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
120ml whole milk, at room temperature (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles

for the buttercream:
910g confectioners’ sugar (2 pounds)
113 g unsalted butter softened (1/2 cup)
286 g solid vegetable shortening such as Crisco (1 + 1/2 cup)
2 Tablespoons clear vanilla extract
¼ cup milk 57 g full-fat milk (1/4 cup)
½ teaspoon salt to cut the sweetness

Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease three 6-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg whites on high speed until combined, about 2 minutes, then beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed.

With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients just until combined. With the mixer still running on low, pour in the milk and mix just until combined. Gently fold in the sprinkles. The batter will be slightly thick.

Pour batter evenly into cake pans. Bake for around 18-21 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack.

Make the buttercream: Cream butter, shortening , salt and extracts until creamy and smooth. Add powdered sugar and milk. Mix thoroughly on medium speed for approximately 8 minutes. For the last two minutes decrease the mixing speed to very slow until creamy and smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally during the mixing process. Frost the cake fully with white frosting, make portions of buttercream with the colors needed, and follow the instructions on the video to decorate the cake.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I wanted a colorful cake for the 15th anniversary of the Bewitching, and felt that this Springtime motif would be perfect… Now for a little bit of “behind the scenes” disclosure: while you read this post, we will be in Europe, in fact almost getting ready to fly back home. It turns out that before we left I prepared a bunch of posts to be published while we were away, but thought the anniversary of the blog was later in the month. I noticed my mistake just a few days before our departure… My first reaction was to forget all about it, deal with it later, but Phil said “you’ve been in the tent, you can do this! pretend it is a technical challenge”. What can I say? He definitely knows me well, so the outcome is this blog post… This was a cake baked in full frantic mode, my friends… what won’t I do for the love of blogging?

FLASH BACK

ONE YEAR AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen turns 14!

TWO YEARS AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen turns 13!

THREE YEARS AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen Turns 12!

FOUR YEARS AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen turns 11!

FIVE YEARS AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen Turns 10, and a Giveaway…

SIX YEARS AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen turns 9!

SEVEN YEAR AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen turns eight!

EIGHT YEARS AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen Turns Seven!

NINE YEARS AGO: Bewitching Kitchen Turns Six!

TEN YEARS AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen turns Five!

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen turns Four!

TWELVE YEARS AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen Turns Three!

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen turns Two!

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Bewitching Birthday!

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Welcome to my blog!

27Mar2024

HELEN FLETCHER’S PINEAPPLE KOLACHE

Posted in Breads, Breakfast & Brunch by sallybr

I am going to say something quite daring, so here it goes: this might very well be the best thing I’ve baked in a whole year! If you follow my blog, you probably know I am quite fond of Helen’s recipes, because not only they always work, but her explanations are crystal clear, and make you comfortable to try something even if it seems complex or out of your skill level. I had never made kolache, but following the method described in this post, I had no issues. They turned out fantastic! Check her post for all sorts of variations for the filling, or go with the one I chose: pineapple. Tart, bright, fresh, perfect contrast with the slightly sweet bread dough. A winner. I promise you.

PINEAPPLE KOLACHE
(from Helen Fletcher’s Pastries Like a Pro)

for the pineapple filling:
1 cup well drained crushed pineapple
⅓ cup sugar
1 teaspoon potato starch or cornstarch
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon melted butter

Whisk together the sugar and potato starch or cornstarch. Combine all ingredients in a small pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute. Cool completely. Refrigerate until needed.

for the dough:
½ cup butter (1 stick, 114 grams)
½ cup sugar (100 grams)
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream (225 grams)
2 teaspoons instant yeast
½ cup lukewarm water
2 eggs
4 cups all purpose flour (560 grams)

Cut the butter into pieces and place in a small saucepan along with the sugar and salt. Heat until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat and let it sit until it is lukewarm. Add the sour cream. Whisk it into the butter mixture. Add eggs and yeast, whisk them in. Lastly, add the water. Transfer to the bowl of a mixer. Add the flour and, beat until it comes together. Knead in the machine for 3 minutes, turning after about 1 ½ minutes as the dough will adhere to the top of the dough hook and not get beaten. The dough will be very soft and more of a batter.

Place it in a greased bowl or container, cover with plastic wrap and allow it to rise until doubled, about 2 ½ hours. After it has risen, punch it down, re-cover it and refrigerate overnight so the butter can firm up.

for shaping and baking:
Refrigerated dough
1 egg, well beaten
pineapple filling

Line three baking sheets with parchment. Set aside. Punch the dough down if risen and divide the dough in half (585 grams each). Shape each piece into a rectangle. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove one piece of dough from the refrigerator and roll it out so it is ½ inch thick. The dough will be very firm. With a 3″ cookie cutter (or whatever size you want) cut out rounds and place them on the parchment about 1 inch apart. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Reroll and cut additional rounds. Cover them with tea towels and allow to rise until almost doubled.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. With your fingers, make a deep well in the rounds about ½ inches in from the edge of the dough but do not go through the dough. Start by making a hole in the center. Expand the well by pressing the dough down. Brush the top edges of the Kolache with the beaten egg. Fill the wells with 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons of filling. Bake on a double pan for about 20 minutes for the 3″ size until the top of the dough is well browned. Reduce the time for smaller pastries.

Makes about 20 – 3″ rolls with re-rolling the dough.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I highly recommend you visit Helen’s site to get her step-by-step photos and instructions, especially if you’ve never made enriched bread dough. The dough is very nice to work with, a bit sticky, but I urged the temptation to add more flour and all ended well in the end. I was intrigued by the pineapple filling because I rarely use pineapple in baking, but it was much better than I expected. I made the filling the day before, right after mixing the dough and placing it in the fridge for overnight proofing. Next day the whole thing was a breeze, just rolled the dough, cut circles, filled and baked. I donated them all, but sampled one for “quality control”. It was hard to stop, but I exercised herculean self-control.

Helen, cannot thank you enough for so many great recipes I’ve made from your site!

ONE YEAR AGO: Blood Orange and Cranberry Mini-Cakes

TWO YEARS AGO: Simnel Cupcakes

THREE YEARS AGO: Oat and Sesame Seed Sourdough

FOUR YEARS AGO: Moroccan Turkey Pie with Olive Oil Crust

FIVE YEARS AGO: Another Twisted Sister of the Shepherd’s Pie

SIX YEARS AGO: Cashew Chicken, My Way

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Two Deliciously Simple Salads

EIGHT YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, April 2016

NINE YEARS AGO: Spring has Sprung with Suzanne Goin

TEN YEARS AGO: Chai Brownies

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Pomegranate-Molasses Glazed Carrots

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Braised Brisket with Bourbon-Peach Glaze

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: The Real Vodka Sauce

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Spring Rolls on a Spring Day

25Mar2024

BIRTHDAY CAKE FOR A SPECIAL BIRTHDAY

Posted in Cake, Desserts, Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

Someone is having a Birthday today!

DOG FRIENDLY BIRTHDAY CAKE
(adapted from this blog post)

1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup natural peanut butter (Do NOT use a peanut butter with Xylitol, as it is very toxic for dogs)
3/4 cup applesauce go with plain, unsweetened
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
FROSTING
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup peanut butter

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour and baking soda.
In a separate bowl mix together vegetable oil, peanut butter, applesauce and pumpkin puree. Once combined, mix in egg and mix well. Mix wet and dry ingredients and stir until no dried bits of flour are visible.

Pour mixture into an 7 inch square pan that has been greased with oil. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly.
Allow to cool on a wire rack prior to removing from pan. After cooling, add frosting if desired.

For the frosting: Mix Greek yogurt and peanut butter until well combined. Spread over cake. If not serving immediately, store in refrigerator.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This is a super easy treat to bake, and we actually tried the cake (without the frosting) and it is not bad at all! We cut three circles to offer the pups, and the leftover was cut in cubes and saved for later. Tiny Milk Bones to decorate are optional, but dog-appreciated… Our Birthday girl gave it two paws high up!

Here’s to MANY more years together!

A little video of our party…

ONE YEAR AGO: Almond Flour Sourdough

TWO YEARS AGO: Grilled Romaine Lettuce with Tahini Dressing and Chickpeas

THREE YEARS AGO: Asparagus and Snow Peas with Walnut Crumbs

FOUR YEARS AGO: Yin and Yang Viennoise Bread

FIVE YEARS AGO: Extreme Chocolate Cupcakes

SIX YEARS AGO: Sunflower Seed Kamut Sourdough

SEVEN YEARS AGO: The Joys of Grating Squash

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Auberge Pecan-Walnut Bread

NINE YEARS AGO:Gluten-free and Vegan Raspberry Bars
.
TEN YEARS AGO:Lasserre, a French Classic
.
ELEVEN YEARS AGO:Sourdough Bread with Walnuts and Dates
.
TWELVE YEARS AGO:Braised Brisket with Bourbon-Apricot Glaze
.
THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: The Real Vodka Sauce
.
FOURTEEN YEARS AGO:Pork Tenderloin and Blue Cheese

10Feb2024

BAKING WITH THE HEART

Posted in Breads, Cake, Chocolate Bonbons, Cookies by sallybr

WELCOME TO MY 1700th POST!

Valentine’s Day is almost here! Some don’t care for it, some enjoy each minute. Whatever team you are on, here are some bakes that you can try this week, or anytime love is on your horizon… Without further ado, one recipe and eight ideas for you. Read on…

.
BLUEBERRY CURD SWISS ROLL CAKE
(filling adapted from Caroline’s blog)

for the decoration:
50g butter, softened
50g powdered sugar
50g egg whites
50g all-purpose flour
black and red gel colors

for the cake:
130g cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
5 large eggs, at room temperature
200 g granulated sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

for the filling:
https://www.easyonlinebakinglessons.com/blueberry-orange-curd/
I did not use plums, and used a little gelatin to thicken it further (see comments).

Make the piping decoration by beating the butter with powdered sugar in a small bowl until fully combined. I used a hand-held electric mixer. Add the egg whites and beat for a couple of minutes. Add the flour and mix by hand with a spoon, divide in one small portion to dye black, one larger portion to dye red.

Make a diamond pattern with a Sharpie pen on parchment paper, and add heart shapes. Flip the paper so that the writing is at the bottom, and pipe the outline black. Freeze for 10 minutes. Quickly fill the hearts with red paste. Freeze again while you make the cake.

Heat oven to 350°F. Sift the flour and baking powder into a small bowl. Reserve. Place the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until the mixture form ribbons, about 12 minutes. Add the lemon zest, lemon extract and vanilla. Beat until combined. Sift the flour mixture over the beaten eggs, fold gently. When the flour is mostly incorporated, add a little bit of the mixture to the melted butter, whisk well. Pour that into the cake batter, whisk gently to disperse. Pour over the frozen parchment paper placed in a half baking sheet, and smooth the surface.

Bake the cake until it begins to pull away from the sides, 12 to 17 minutes.

Transfer the pan to a cooling rack, cover the cake with a towel and let it cool for 10 minutes. Remove the towel, sift a little powdered sugar over the surface and flip it over parchment paper. Gently peel off the paper with the design, flip the cake again over a clean towel. Starting with a short side of the cake, roll the cake gently, using the towel to support the cake as you go. Let the cake cool all rolled up in the towel, seam side down.

Carefully unroll the completely cool cake, spread the blueberry curd filling, then roll it again. Wrap the cake in plastic and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, overnight is best. When ready to serve, slice a small piece of each of the ends, so that it looks more polished.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I haven’t made a patterned roll cake in a while, so I really enjoyed this little adventure. I messed up while making the curd (sorry, Caro!), did not cook it enough, so after 10 hours in the fridge it was still too loose. Lesson learned. I made a gelatin mass with 1 tsp gelatin + 5 tsp water, warmed it to dissolve in the microwave. I heated up the curd to about 60 C and added the melted gelatin. Mixed well and allowed it to cool slowly, then placed in the fridge overnight. It was perfect to use next morning. Huge thank you to my friend Gary for the advice to deal with the curd. I added a very small amount of pink gel dye to the cake batter, but that is optional. I did not include in the recipe, as the cake will look perfectly ok without it.

The cake was moist and tender, the blueberry curd absolutely delicious!
The combination of orange and blueberry is a real winner, thank you Caro!

And now, time to share a few ideas, you can use any recipe you like, or some that are already in my blog

CHOCOLATE-COVERED OREOS

I used white Wilton candy melts to cover Lemon-flavored golden Oreos, and once that was set I made the heart decoration with Royal icing. First piped the black outline, let that set a bit and flooded the center with pink.

COMIC-STYLE HEART COOKIES

Comic-style, so popular these days! I followed a recent tutorial from Amber (join her club here) to make these babies. Some steps shown below.

POLKA-DOT HEART COOKIES

Super simple design, just flood, air-brush with a stencil and add some Royal icing transfers. A little bead border is of course more than welcome…

ZENTANGLE HEARTS, TWO WAYS

For a modern look, just flood with any color of your choice, and then use a food safe pen to draw the design…

For a modern but romantic look, just play with flowers…

BICOLOR HEART COOKIES

For those who do not care for icing, these will be a huge hit. Just mix two recipes, chocolate and plain, cut shapes and mix-and-match the centers. Bake and you are done!

MINI-BONBONS WITH MARSHMALLOW FILLING

I used candy melts to coat tiny silicone molds with heart shapes (available here). Placed a mini-marshmallow in the center and covered the molds with melted chocolate. Once that set, I un-molded the bonbons and drizzled white chocolate for the decoration, adding a little sprinkle heart on some of them.