THE BEWITCHING KITCHEN TURNS 16!

Posted in Cake by sallybr

Cake is pretty much mandatory, right? This blog anniversary caught me by surprise, as we are currently away. I got a bit confused and thought that the big day was later in the month. My plan was to bake for the occasion once we arrived back home. Good thing I double-checked… Full disclosure: this cake was produced in a bit of a hurry as we prepared to leave for a 2-week trip to the East Coast. Without further ado, I share with you today a lemon cake with raspberry filling and Swiss meringue buttercream. Maybe made in a hurry, but with a huge amount of love!

LEMON LAYER CAKE WITH RASPBERRY FILLING
(adapted from The New York Times)

¾ cup/170 grams unsalted butter, softened
3 cups/385 grams all-purpose flour
2 cups/400 grams granulated sugar, divided
3 medium lemons
1½ cups/360 milliliters whole milk
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
¼ cup/60 milliliters neutral oil (I used grapeseed)
4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup raspberry jam (store-bought or home-made)

1 recipe for Swiss meringue buttercream, starting with 400g butter (details here)

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray three (8-inch) cake pans with baking spray and line each with parchment paper.

Make the cake: Add 350 grams of the granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, then zest the lemons directly into the sugar. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar until it looks moist and sandy.

Juice the zested lemons into a small bowl. Transfer ¼ cup of juice to a large measuring cup and stir in the milk. Let it sit while you prepare the rest of the cake, reserving the remaining juice for the lemon syrup.

To the bowl with the lemon sugar, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and mix on low to combine. Add the softened butter to the bowl all at once. Mix on low until the butter is evenly distributed and the mixture looks sandy. Add the oil and eggs to the measuring cup with the milk mixture and mix with a fork to combine. With the mixer on low, slowly stream in the milk mixture. When the batter is moistened, stop the mixer and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure there aren’t any dry pockets. Adjust mixer speed to medium and mix for 1 minute more. Divide the batter among the prepared pans, spread evenly and tap the pans on a countertop to release any large air bubbles.

Bake the cakes until slightly risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Set the pans on a wire rack and let the cakes cool for about 15 minutes. Then, run a thin knife along the edges of the pan and carefully turn the cakes out onto the rack to cool completely.

While the cakes cool, make the syrup: Measure ¼ cup lemon juice from the remaining reserved juice. Combine the juice and the remaining 50 grams sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high, stirring occasionally. Cook until the sugar has dissolved, then pour into a heat-safe container to cool.

Make the Swiss meringue buttercream. Reserve 1/3 of the amount and dye red (I used Tulip Red). Dye a very small amount with green for the stems. I used Laurel color. Dye the rest of the buttercream with Fuchsia or any other color you like.

Assemble the cake: Place one layer of cake onto a serving plate, top side up. Brush the cake with lemon syrup. Spread raspberry jam over the top of the cake. Repeat with the second layer on top of the filling, top side down, and press gently. Add the final layer. Brush the cake with syrup, then cover the top and sides of the cake with a thin layer of fuchsia frosting. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Frost the cake with fuchsia, smoothing the surface. Let that set for 30 minutes, then pipe stems with green buttercream and a tip 3. Using the tulip red buttercream, pipe the flowers with a petal 101 tip, a border at the bottom with an open star tip (like #20) and a border on top with 1M tip.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Hard to believe it’s been 16 years. Hard to find what to say about it without getting cheesy or highly predictable. So I won’t say much. I’m still having fun blogging, I’m still excited every time I hit “publish” on a new post. I am not stopping quite yet. Let’s step into the 17th year of my blogging journey, and if you’ve been following me for a while, THANK YOU! If you are new here, I hope you’ll find things that inspire you to cook, bake, and be passionate about. Life is too short not to enjoy what each day brings.

Apologies for not showing pictures of the cake cut to reveal the layers and filling. It was donated whole, so I also never got to see it. And that ends up as being part of its charm… Or so I hope…

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ONE YEAR AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen turns 15 years old!

TWO YEARS AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen turns 14!

THREE YEARS AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen turns 13!

FOUR YEARS AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen Turns 12!

FIVE YEARS AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen turns 11!

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

SEVEN YEARS AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen turns 9!

EIGHT YEAR AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen turns eight!

NINE YEARS AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen Turns Seven!

TEN YEARS AGO: Bewitching Kitchen Turns Six!

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen turns Five!

TWELVE YEARS AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen turns Four!

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen Turns Three!

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen turns Two!

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Bewitching Birthday!

SIXTEEN YEARS AGO: Welcome to my blog!

3May2025

LEMON LAYER CAKE WITH DULCE DE LECHE FILLING

Posted in Cake by sallybr

This post is dedicated to my friend Margie
(she will understand why).

I’ve been making layer cakes every other week to donate on Fridays. A couple of weeks ago I was trying to decide which cake flavor to make and my beloved husband told me “I’ve got one for you!” He then showed me a recipe published in the New York times. It sounded really good and I decided to go for it except that I changed the filling and the frosting. Layers had store-bought dulce de leche and I used Swiss meringue buttercream as the frosting because I’ve been having so much fun making it. The cake turned out with the springtime feel I was hoping for and I heard that everybody loved it. A win-win situation for sure!

LEMON LAYER CAKE WITH DULCE DE LECHE FILLING
(adapted from The New York Times)

1 recipe for Swiss meringue buttercream, starting with 400g butter (details here)

Make the Swiss meringue buttercream. Reserve 1/3 of the amount without any dye. That will be used as a crumb layer and for the white flowers. Dye a small amount green for the leaves. Dye the rest of the batter yellow.

Assemble the cake: Place one layer of cake onto a serving plate, top side up. Brush the cake with lemon syrup. Spread dulce de leche over the top of the cake. Repeat with the second layer on top of the filling, top side down, and press gently. Add the final layer. Brush the cake with syrup, then cover the top and sides of the cake with a thin layer of frosting. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Frost the cake with yellow buttercream, add details on the sides wiht a comb if so desired. Pipe roses and leaves. A little pumping of gold luster powder is optional but nice…

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: The layers baked like a dream, flat and beautiful. Cake smelled amazing, I really wish we could have sampled a small slice. Oh, well… I used my little electric turntable to frost it and again loved the process. Makes life very easy. Thank you, Phil! Your gifts are always perfect! The only thing I would change if I was to make this cake again, is use a lighter green for the leaves. Well, there is one more thing I would change. I would actually brush the layers with the lemon syrup instead of forgetting all about it and staring at the syrup sitting at the countertop next to the fully frosted cake.

If you have a special occasion to celebrate now that Spring is in full swing, think about this cake…

ONE YEAR AGO: A Duet of Springtime Macarons

TWO YEARS AGO: Fiesta Bakes for Cinco de Mayo

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ELEVEN YEARS AGO: P90X3, a Review of Tony Horton’s Latest Fitness Program

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FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Bite-sized Chocolate Pleasure

5Aug2024

LEMON BUNDT CAKE, A REAL WINNER

Posted in Cake by sallybr

Lemon Cakes can be a bit tricky as far as flavor goes. I have made a cake from a super reputable source that promised to deliver the most intense, most lemony flavor coupled with a moist and tender cake. It was tremendously convoluted, a ton of work and to be absolutely honest with you, the America’s Test Kitchen version delivered it all for 1/10 of the trouble. Which is saying a lot, as they are known for never cutting corners.

They are super strict about copyright issues, and rarely reply to requests asking permission to publish their recipes, however I was able to find this one online. If you’d like to make this deliciously lemony cake, pay a visit to this site. No difference from the recipe found in The Perfect Cake (2018), a cookbook I highly recommend. To bake this particular version, I used the Bavaria Bundt pan from Nordicware, but any pan with 10 to 12-cup capacity will do the job. I just love the way they un-mold like a dream!

When I make a Bundt cake, I donate it whole, so I cannot share a picture of the crumb, but I’ve had excellent feedback about this baby. In fact, I’ve made it three times already, using different Bundt pan shapes. Always a winner!

ONE YEAR AGO: Aji-Amarillo Roasted Chicken Thighs

TWO YEARS AGO: Karen’s Quick Shrimp Fried Rice

THREE YEARS AGO: OMG Peanut Butter Bars

FOUR YEARS AGO: Kansas Sunflower Seed and Black Walnut Macarons

FIVE YEARS AGO: Curry Turmeric Sourdough

SIX YEARS AGO: Black Olive Tapenade and Deviled Eggs

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EIGHT YEARS AGO: Fresh Strawberry Yogurt Bundt Cake

NINE YEAR AGO: Quinoa Salad with Red Grapes and Avocado

TEN YEARS AGO: Strawberry Coffee Cake

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Lemon-Poppy Seed Muffins

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Mascarpone Brownies

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Salmon Tacos

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Cinnamon Turban Bread

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Summertime Gratin

6Jun2024

LEMON GANACHE MACARONS AND ROYAL ICING TRANSFERS

Posted in macarons by sallybr

Super thrilled by this technique! I saw it on Instagram shared by the wonderful Melinda (see her page here). Basically she used Royal icing transfers right on the piped shells before crusting, and they stand well during baking, do not affect the shells and don’t get burned in the oven either. This opens up so many possibilities of decorating, and also makes it super easy. Once the macs are baked, they are already dressed up for party!

The recipe used for the shells is my default that you can find here. Simply divide the batter in three portions and dye one portion with yellow, one with green and one you can leave plain. Bake as normally, but right after piping and banging the pan to release bubbles, place your Royal icing transfer on top.

LEMON GANACHE FILLING
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

250g white chocolate, chopped very finely
75g heavy cream
zest of one lemon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 tsp lemon emulsion (optional, I used LorAnn)

Place the chocolate in a bowl. Heat the heavy cream until almost boiling, pour over the chocolate. Let it sit for 5 minutes, whisk gently. If needed, place in the microwave for a minute at 50% power. Once the chocolate is melted, add the lemon zest and juice, and the lemon emulsion, if using. Whisk gently again, then place in the fridge for an hour or so.

Once the ganache is set, you can whip it with a handheld blender or use as it is. If you decide to whip the ganache, make sure not whip for too long or it will go grainy and hard. Use caution here.

Fill the macaron shells, and let them mature in the fridge overnight before serving.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

I don’t think I will ever get tired of baking macarons!

ONE YEAR AGO: Fresh Dill and Feta Sourdough

TWO YEARS AGO: Marinated Chickpeas with Slow-Roasted Red Peppers

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ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Farewell to a Bewitching Kitchen

TWELVE YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen. June 2012

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Goodbye L.A.

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: 7-6-5 Pork Tenderloin

29May2022

KAREN’S BRAIDED LEMON BREAD WITH BLACKBERRIES

Posted in Breads, Breakfast & Brunch by sallybr

She posted. I read the post while away on a trip. Could not wait to get home to bake it. As far as enriched bread goes, you cannot get much better than this. Think brioche loaded with a tangy lemon cream and luscious blackberries. As I said, cannot get much better. THANK YOU, KAREN!

BRAIDED LEMON BREAD WITH BLACKBERRIES
(from Karen’s Kitchen Stories)

For the Sponge:
3 ounces warm water (95 to 105 degrees F)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
30 grams unbleached all purpose flour

For the Final Dough:
All of the sponge
85 grams vanilla yogurt, room temperature (I used plain and added 1/2 tsp vanilla)
56 grams softened unsalted butter
1 large egg, beaten
50 grams sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
300 grams unbleached all purpose flour
one beaten egg for the egg wash
pearl sugar for topping (optional, but nice)

For the Filling:
85 grams cream cheese, at room temperature
25 gram sugar
29 grams sour cream (I used creme fraiche)
1 tsp lemon juice
15 grams all-purpose flour
100 grams lemon curd
Handful of blackberries

Combine the sponge ingredients in a small bowl, stir, and cover with plastic wrap. Let it sit for 15 minutes.
In your stand mixer bowl, combine the sponge, yogurt, butter, egg, sugar, salt, vanilla, and flour. Mix with the dough hook for about 8 minutes. Place the dough in an oiled dough rising bucket or bowl, cover, and allow to rise for one to two hours, until doubled (mine took 2 hours and 30 minutes).

Mix the cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, lemon juice, and flour until smooth. Cover and set aside.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place the risen dough not the parchment, and press or roll it into a 10 inch by 15 inch rectangle. Mark the dough lengthwise into thirds by pressing a ruler into the dough. Spread the cream cheese mixture onto the middle third, leaving about an inch uncovered at the top and the bottom. Spread the lemon curd on top of the cream cheese mixture. Top with the blackberries.

Cut the outer sides into strips. Cut off the strips from the four “corners” of the dough, leaving a flap at the top and bottom. Fold up the bottom flap and fold the strips over the filling alternating in a braid pattern. Fold the flap over the top before finishing the braid. Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap.
Preheat the oven to 360 degrees F.

Let the dough rise for about 45 minutes. When the dough is ready, brush it with the egg wash and sprinkle it with the sugar. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until a deep golden brown. Cool on a cooling rack for at least 20 minutes. Slice and serve.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Make sure to stop by Karen’s post because her pictures and explanations are very detailed and will help you with the shaping. The dough is a pleasure to work with, as enriched doughs always seem to be. You can make the filling while the dough rises, and use store-bought lemon curd to make your life easier. Next time I will add more blackberries, I was afraid they would contribute too much moisture and leak too much, but that was not the case.