• Breads,  Breakfast,  Cake,  Dessert,  Fruit,  Recipes,  Vegetarian

    Strawberry Shortcake

    August 31, 2011 / 0 Comments

     

    Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

     

    Strawberries are the quintessential food of summer.  Whether served plain, dipped in sugar, chocolate or a sweet fondue, mashed and drizzled with balsamic or flavored vinegar, chopped and mixed with vanilla ice cream, strawberries are happily both delicious and nutritious.  Between summer’s heat spells, take time to light up the oven and treat yourself to some strawberry shortcakes.  They taste as if they were difficult to make, but they aren’t.

    Grate frozen butter into the flour.

     

     

    Before you begin, throw 1/2 a cup of unsalted butter into the freezer.

    Print
    Strawberry Shortcakes
    Author: 
    Recipe type: Dessert or Breakfast
    Prep time: 
    Cook time: 
    Total time: 
    Serves: 8 - 10
     
    These scrumptuous, not-too-sweet cakes are ideal for a summertime dessert or for a special breakfast or brunch. You can even serve them at high tea!
    Ingredients
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 tablespoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon lemon or orange zest
    • 5 tablespoons sugar, divided
    • ½ cup unsalted butter, frozen
    • 1 large egg, beaten
    • ½ cup cream or ½ and ½
    • 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
    • 10 - 12 ounces fresh ripe strawberries
    • 1 tablespoon sugar
    • 1 cup whipped cream
    Instructions
    1. Heat oven to 425F.
    2. Stir together the flour, salt, baking powder, zest and 3 tablespoons of the sugar in a bowl.
    3. Grate the butter into the dry ingredients, then with your fingers or pastry blender gently incorporate the butter into the flour.
    4. Whist the egg into the cream and slowly pour into the dry mixture while mixing with a fork, just until the dough begins to form (you may not need all the liquid).
    5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured area and roll gently to about ¾ ".
    6. Dip the cutter in the excess flour and cut out rounds.
    7. Place the shortcakes one inch apart on a greased baking sheet, or one lined with parchment paper.
    8. Gather the scraps of dough and continue rolling and cutting until used up.
    9. Brush the tops of the shortcakes with egg white and sprinkle with one teaspoon of remaining sugar.
    10. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes until golden brown.
    11. Allow to cool on a wire rack (you'll want to eat them while warm).
    12. Slightly crush the strawberries to release the juices.
    13. Sprinkle with last teaspoon of sugar. You may also drizzle with balsamic or flavored vinegar, stir in fresh snipped mint leaves, or stir with a tablespoon of whiskey.
    14. Split each shortcake lengthwise and add strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream, then top with the other half of the shortcake like a little hat.
    15. Makes 8-10 shortcakes.
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    Gently cut into 2 1/2 inch rounds.

     

    Bake until browned, then cool on a rack.

     

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  • Dessert,  Fruit,  Gardening adventures,  Recipes,  Sweet Decorations,  Vegan,  Vegetarian

    Candying Kumquats

    July 16, 2011 / 2 Comments

     

    An army of kumquat halves

    We have two small but prolific kumquat trees.  Kumquats are very small citrus that are tart and sweet at the same time, and you eat the skin and all whole.  Kind of scary.  Not wanting to waste food, my daughter picked a whole batch of them and was determined to juice them.  And she did, one tiny half at a time!  There was about half a cup of juice in all, which she froze in plastic butter molds for future use in drinks, etc.

    De-pithed kumquat shells

    Then we had all these little half shells, so she carefully scraped the pith out of all of them and candied them.  The idea was to make little candied shells in which we’d put little scoops of vanilla ice cream, lemon sherbet, or something yum.  We tried a couple with homemade vanilla ice cream, and it was worth all the work.

    Cooking kumquats in simple syrup

    The kumquats needed to dry round, like little bowls, so I picked some more kumquats (yes, there are still more!), halved them and used them as molds for the shells, which were put onto the halves like little hats.

    Using kumquat halves as molds for shells

    All the split ones were set aside, and then everything was sugared and dried.  Several years ago we candied orange and lemon peel and I pulled some out of the bags now and then for use in baked goods.  Now we have candied kumquat peels and shells.

    Sugaring the peels and letting them dry

    But we still had all those kumquat halves that we’d used as molds.  We also had half a saucepan of simple syrup in which the kumquats had been cooked.  So, not wanting to waste, we put the kumquat halves into the syrup and boiled it again until the halves were candied and then I put them in jars and sealed them.  I’m not sure what I’m going to do with them, but they can be used to decorate desserts.

    Candied kumquat preserves in syrup

    I also had another ginger beer recipe that called for slicing the ginger, cooking the slices in a sugar and water mixture until reduced, then using the liquid as a base for a ginger drink.  The slices could then be sugared and dried and eaten.  I keep candied ginger from Trader Joe’s in the car to snack on, because ginger helps with car sickness or an upset stomach.  These homemade ginger slices were quite hot, so I think I’ll save them to use in cakes and pies instead.

    Stored candied kumquat shells and peels

    So it was a day of sugaring, preserving and messing about in the kitchen.  We now have seven quarts of pickles, a couple of bags of dried kale that is not only good to munch on, but great to crumble over rice or noodles, jars of candied kumquats, a jar of sugared kumquat peel, a bag of candied ginger slices, some miscellaneous jam, and lots of zucchini with more to come!

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  • Dessert,  Fruit,  Recipes,  Vegetarian

    Freestyle Peach and Apricot Tart

    July 4, 2011 / 0 Comments
    Print
    Freestyle Peach and Apricot Tart
    Author: 
    Recipe type: Dessert
    Prep time: 
    Cook time: 
    Total time: 
    Serves: 8
     
    A handsome, rustic dessert that is easier to make than a regular pie or tart, and delicious, too!
    Ingredients
    • For Pastry:
    • ½ cup cold unsalted butter
    • 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
    • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1 beaten egg yolk
    • 2-3 tablespoons ice water
    • For Filling:
    • ¼ cup granulated sugar
    • 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
    • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
    • 3 cups total sliced, peeled peaches and apricots
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 1 beaten egg
    • Powdered sugar
    Instructions
    1. For Pastry:
    2. In a mixing bowl cut butter into flour with a pastry blender until pieces are small pea-sized.
    3. Stir together egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of the ice water
    4. Graually fold egg yolk mixture into flour mixture.
    5. Using a fork, gently toss rest of ice water one tablespoon at a time into flour mixture, till all the dough is moistened.
    6. Gently press together dough until you can form a ball.
    7. If necessary, cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for ½ an hour or more until the dough is easy to handle.
    8. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and sprinkle it lightly with flour.
    9. Place the dough in the middle and roll to a 13-inch circle; a chilled rolling pin will help with this, or lightly dusting the top of the dough with flour (don't overdo!).
    10. For Filling:
    11. Mix together granulated sugar, flour and nutmeg, then stir in fruit and lemon juice.
    12. Mound fruit mixture in the center of the crust, leaving a 2-inch border.
    13. Fold border up over fruit in an artsy, farmhouse sort of way, leaving the middle exposed.
    14. Combine the egg and 1 tablespoon water and use it to brush onto the top and sides of crust for browning.
    15. Bake in a 375F oven for 40-45 minutes until crust is golden and fruit is bubbling.
    16. To prevent overbrowning, you can cover the edge with foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.
    17. Cool 30 minutes on the baking sheet.
    18. Dust edges with powdered sugar, if desired.
    19. Serve as is, or with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
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  • Cake,  Fruit,  Recipes,  Vegetarian

    Plummy Skillet Cake

    June 20, 2011 / 0 Comments
    Golden plummy goodness

    Have a lot of juicy plums that need a place to go?

    Eating fresh plums in the sunshine with the juice dripping down your chin is like sipping nectar in paradise.

    How about this tasty, light cake baked in a skillet?  A cast-iron skillet is perfect for this cake, but you can use any oven-proof skillet or baking dish if you don’t have one.  If you are skilled in campfire or Dutch-oven cooking, take this recipe with you when you camp.  As an interesting change of seasonings, use the Chinese Five-Spice powder that has  been hanging out in your spice pantry since the last time you made stir-fry.

    Chinese Five-Spice powder and plums are a great combination

    If you don’t have any, use freshly-grated nutmeg or ground cinnamon.

    Print
    Plummy Skillet Cake
    Author: 
    Recipe type: Dessert
    Prep time: 
    Cook time: 
    Total time: 
    Serves: 6
     
    Dessert in a cast-iron skillet can be cooked over a campfire instead of your oven. No cast iron? Use an oven-proof skillet or baking dish. You can use other stone fruit instead of plums with just as good a result.
    Ingredients
    • 6 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature, plus extra for skillet
    • 1½ cups all-purpose flour, plus some for skillet
    • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ¾ teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice powder
    • 1¼ cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
    • 2 eggs
    • ¾ cup buttermilk
    • 4 medium plums, thinly sliced and halved
    Instructions
    1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
    2. Butter a 10-inch cast-iron skillet (or ovenproof skillet or dish).
    3. Dust skillet with extra flour and tap out any loose flour
    4. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, Chinese Five-Spice powder and salt.
    5. In large bowl, or in a mixer bowl, combine 1¼ cups sugar and butter until creamy.
    6. Beat in eggs until smooth.
    7. Add a third of the flour mixture with a third of the buttermilk, until all is combined. Don't overbeat.
    8. Pour batter into prepared skillet and smooth top.
    9. Spread sliced and halved plums all over the top.
    10. Sprinkle with extra sugar.
    11. Bake 35 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out cleanly.
    12. Cool for about ten minutes before cutting.
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    Bake until golden brown
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  • Cake,  Frosting,  Fruit,  Recipes,  Vegetarian

    Lemon Strawberry Jellyroll Cake

    March 20, 2011 / 0 Comments
    Lemon Strawberry Jellyroll Cake

    Have you ever made a jellyroll cake?  It looks very fussy, but is extremly easy.  My daughter, home from college for a week, wanted a birthday cake that wasn’t “heavy and gunky like college food”.  So I made a Lemon Strawberry Jellyroll cake for her, and it was wonderful if I do say so myself!  You will need a jellyroll pan, which everyone should have anyway because you can do so much with it.  You can fill this basic sponge cake with whipped cream, custard, curd, or even… um… jelly or jam.  You can make a chocolate version with chocolate ganache, or even with pastry cream and mixed candied fruit to follow an Italian meal.  I’ve made one with whipped cream and mango.  This is the basic Yule Log, too.  This recipe is bright with lemon, which is saved from being too much by the fresh strawberries inside, and is very light.  Yum!

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    Lemon Strawberry Jellyroll Cake
    Author: 
    Recipe type: Dessert
    Prep time: 
    Cook time: 
    Total time: 
    Serves: 8-10
     
    An easy and delicious cake that looks complex.
    Ingredients
    • For the cake:
    • ½ cup all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 4 eggs at room temperature, separated
    • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
    • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
    • and ½ cup granulated sugar
    • One cup lemon curd (see recipes)
    • 2-3 large ripe strawberries, sliced, then halved
    • Sifted powdered sugar
    • Sweetened Whipped Cream, Lemon Icing (recipes follow) and Meringue Mushrooms (optional; see 'recipes' on blog)
    • For Icing:
    • 1 cup powdered sugar
    • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
    • For Sweetened Whipped Cream:
    • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
    • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla
    • Add meringue mushrooms to complement the 'log' if desired (see 'recipes').
    Instructions
    1. For cake:
    2. Line a 15x10x1-inch jellyroll pan with parchment paper (not waxed paper, it will stick), or grease and lightly flour it.
    3. In a small bowl stir together flour and baking powder.
    4. In a medium mixing bowl beat egg yolks and vanilla with an electric mixer on high speed for 3-4 minutes or until frothy.
    5. Gradually add the ⅓ cup granulated sugar, beating until sugar is almost dissolved.
    6. In another bowl beat egg whites with very clean, dry beaters on medium speed until soft peaks form.
    7. Gradually add the ½ cup sugar, turning up the speed and beating until stiff peaks form and stop the mixer.
    8. Gently fold the egg yolk mixture into the beaten egg whites.
    9. Sprinkle flour mixture over the batter and gently fold in until just combined.
    10. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
    11. Bake 375 degrees F. for 12 to 15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched and is just golden brown.
    12. Lay a towel or piece of parchment that is larger than the cake pan on the counter and sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar.
    13. Quickly invert the hot cake onto the towel and peel off parchment that was on the bottom of the cake, if used.
    14. Roll up the towel and cake, making sure the cake doesn't touch itself, starting from the short side.
    15. Cool rolled cake on a wire rack. You can refrigerate the cake now for a day, slid into a plastic bag.
    16. When ready to fill (on the same day as being served) bring the cake back to room temperature and carefully unroll. I haven't had a lemon jellyroll that hasn't stuck a little to the towel because it's so moist. If it cracks, its okay. You can cover the cracks with icing.
    17. Spread with lemon curd leaving one inch around the edges.
    18. Arrange sliced strawberries across the cake in rows.
    19. Carefully re-roll cake without the towel.
    20. Place on serving plate.
    21. Spoon lemon icing along top of jellyroll cake; it will slowly drip down the sides.
    22. Spoon sweetened whipped cream on servings or into a frosting bag and pipe rosettes or other decorations around cake.
    23. Add meringue mushrooms to complement the 'log' if desired.
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    Baked sponge

     

    Lay a towel or piece of parchment that is larger than the cake pan on the counter and sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar.

    Powder a towel

    Quickly invert the hot cake onto the towel and peel off parchment that was on the bottom of the cake, if used.

    Peel off parchment

    Roll up the towel and cake, making sure the cake doesn’t touch itself, starting from the short side.

    Roll it up

    Cool rolled cake on a wire rack.  You can refrigerate the cake now for a day, slid into a plastic bag.

    When ready to fill (on the same day as being served) bring the cake back to room temperature and carefully unroll.  I haven’t had a lemon jellyroll that hasn’t stuck a little to the towel because it’s so moist.  If it cracks, its okay.  You can cover the cracks with icing.  Spread with lemon curd leaving one inch around the edges.  Arrange sliced strawberries across the cake in rows.

    Mine cracked because I was too hasty, but cracks be hidden!

    Carefully re-roll cake without the towel.  Place on serving plate.

    Rolled cake ready for icing

     

    Spoon lemon icing along top of jellyroll cake; it will slowly drip down the sides.

    Spoon whipped cream on servings or into a frosting bag and pipe rosettes or other decorations around cake.

    Add meringue mushrooms to complement the ‘log’ if desired.

    Yummy Slice

    Makes 8-10 servings.

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  • Cake,  Recipes,  Sweet Decorations

    Meringue Mushrooms

    March 18, 2011 / 0 Comments
    Stems and caps

    I had wanted to make these for Christmas, but didn’t get a chance.  My chance came yesterday when I made my daughter’s Lemon-Strawberry Jellyroll birthday cake.  What better to decorate a log than mushrooms?  So here is the recipe; I’ll add the birthday cake recipes soon.

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    Meringue Mushrooms
    Author: 
    Recipe type: Dessert Garnish
    Prep time: 
    Cook time: 
    Total time: 
    Serves: Many
     
    Piping little mushroom decorations for cakes is fun and will bring you great admiration from your family and friends! And they are so good to eat, too!
    Ingredients
    • 2 large egg whites, room temperature and with no bits of yolk in them
    • ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
    • ½ cup superfine sugar (if you don't have it, you can use regular white, or blend white sugar up a bit in a blender)
    Instructions
    1. Oven to 200 degrees F., and place the two oven racks to upper and lower thirds. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (don't use waxed paper; the 'shrooms will stick)
    2. Fit a large pastry bag with a number 6 (1/2 inch diameter) (1¼ cm) round plain tip.
    3. In a mixer bowl beat the egg whites on moderate speed until they are foamy, a minute or so.
    4. Up the speed a little and add the cream of tartar, beating until soft peaks form.
    5. Turn the speed to high and add sugar slowly.
    6. Beat until stiff peaks form and sugar is dissolved (you can rub a little between your fingers to make sure it isn't gritty). Reserve about an eighth of a cup of meringue for later.
    7. With a spatula, spoon the meringue into the pastry bag.
    8. Piping
    9. To make caps: Holding the bag upright and close to the parchment paper, pipe a round about 2 inches wide and one inch high, giving the bag a twist to separate. Make the caps as close to the same size as possible for even baking.
    10. Leave a good two inches between caps. Use your finger or a toothpick to smooth any points on the caps.
    11. To make stems: Holding the bag upright and close to the parchment paper, pipe a cone about one inch high straight up, making the base a little larger than the top. Some may fall over during baking, so leave good space between.
    12. Make as many stems as there are caps.
    13. Bake both sheets for an hour, rotating the sheets up and down, front to back about halfway through the baking time.
    14. The 'shrooms should be firm enough to be lifted from the sheets without sticking. Using a knife, make a little hole in the underside of the caps.
    15. Pipe a little of the reserved meringue into the hole, and stick in a stem, bottoms up. Return upside-down mushrooms to parchment paper, and bake for another 15 - 20 minutes until dry. (I found that some were still sticky, so I turned off the oven and let the pan sit in there for awhile to dry, like you do with traditional meringue cookies. It worked fine).
    16. Stand mushrooms up.
    17. Some might lean, some stand, some lie down... it all looks natural.
    18. Take about a teaspoonful of cocoa powder and very carefully shake a little over the caps.
    19. Using your finger or a kitchen paintbrush, smudge the cocoa just a little to make it look natural.
    20. Store these cute little devils in an airtight container for a week or so.
    21. Any exposure to moisture will make them sticky, so if using to adorn a cake put them on at the last minute.
    22. Makes about 25 little shroomies.
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    Piping

    To make caps: Holding the bag upright and close to the parchment paper, pipe a round about 2 inches wide and one inch high, giving the bag a twist to separate.  Make the caps as close to the same size as possible for even baking.  Leave a good two inches between caps (I put them too close together and the baking was uneven).  Use your finger or a toothpick to smooth any points on the caps.

    To make stems:  Holding the bag upright and close to the parchment paper, pipe a cone about one inch high straight up, making the base a little larger than the top.  Some may fall over during baking, so leave good space between.  Make as many stems as there are caps.

    Space them farther apart!

    Bake both sheets for an hour, rotating the sheets up and down, front to back about halfway through the baking time.  The ‘shrooms should be firm enough to be lifted from the sheets without sticking.  Using a knife, make a little hole in the underside of the caps.  Pipe a little of the reserved meringue into the hole, and stick in a stem, bottoms up.  Return upside-down mushrooms to parchment paper, and bake for another 15 – 20 minutes until dry.  (I found that some were still sticky, so I turned off the oven and let the pan sit in there for awhile to dry, like you do with traditional meringue cookies.  It worked fine).

    Turn the mushrooms right-side-up.  Some might lean, some stand, some lie down… it all looks natural.  Take about a teaspoonful of cocoa powder and very carefully shake a little over the caps.  Using your finger or a kitchen paintbrush, smudge the cocoa just a little to make it look natural.  Store these cute little devils in an airtight container for a week or so.  Any exposure to moisture will make them sticky, so if using to adorn a cake put them on at the last minute.  Makes about 25 little shroomies.

    Sift cocoa powder onto shrooms

    An option for putting the dried stems and caps together is to dip the end of the stem in chocolate ganache (see recipe for Buttermilk Chocolate Ganache Cake) or frosting, and using that as glue.  Don’t do the additonal baking.  With even a little ganache, the chocolate flavor overwhelms the meringue flavor, but that isn’t all that bad, is it?

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  • Fruit,  Recipes,  Vegetarian

    When Life Gives You Lemons… Make Lemon Curd!

    March 6, 2011 / 0 Comments

    What to do with a plethora of beautiful juicy lemons?  There is, of course, just so much lemonade your dentist will allow you to drink (sugar and acid!).  Here is something very British-teatime that you can do with those wonderful fruits, that you can also give to friends as a wonderful gift: Lemon Curd.  You can also make curd from limes, oranges, and even passionfruit.   This recipe is for lacto-ovo vegetarians, not vegans, because it contains eggs and butter.

     

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    Lemon Curd!
    Author: 
    Recipe type: Condiment
    Prep time: 
    Cook time: 
    Total time: 
    Serves: 8 plus
     
    Lemon curd goes well on bread, in pies and on cakes, and makes a thoughtful gift!
    Ingredients
    • For one cup (may be increased; I usually make it x 6):
    • ⅓ cup sugar
    • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
    • 2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel (then mince)
    • ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
    • ¼ cup margarine or butter
    • 2 beaten eggs
    Instructions
    1. In a medium saucier pan (rounded bottom rather than square, which is a sauce pan), combine the sugar and cornstarch.
    2. Stir in lemon peel (I use a microplane grater, then mince the peel so its very small) and lemon juice.
    3. Add butter.
    4. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until thick and bubbly.
    5. Carefully whisk half the lemon mixture into the beaten eggs, making sure that it mixes immediately so the hot mixture doesn't cook the eggs.
    6. When incorporated, whisk the egg mixture into the pan with the rest of the lemon mixture.
    7. Cook and stir for about two minutes more. Pour into sterilized canning jars, or into a serving bowl if using that day, and cover with waxed paper and cool. Makes about one cup of lemon curd.
    8. I give my jars of curd a turn in simmering water for about 5 minutes, just to make sure that it keeps, and I store it in the refrigerator.
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    Now that you have it, what do you do with it?  Lemon curd is delectable served on hot scones. For something especially decadent, pair it with marscapone cheese.  Oh, my!   It can also be used as a cake filling, a spread for toast, pancakes, waffles, and as a pre-cooked pie filling (just bake a crust, spoon  in the curd and chill.  Top with whipped cream.  Yum!).

    If you have a lot of extra lemons, grate the peel, squeeze them all, mix the peel and juice together, and pour into ice cube trays, covering with plastic wrap.  One tray holds about a cup and a half of juice.  When frozen, empty the tray into a zip-lock freezer bag or freezer container, label and date, and you have juice ready for curd, lemonade or what you will, when lemons aren’t falling off the tree.

    Do yourself and your friends a favor and make lemon curd for a wonderful hostess gift, a gift for a foodie, or to repay the person who gave you all those lemons!

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  • Cake,  Frosting,  Photos,  Recipes,  Vegetarian

    Easy and Incredible Buttermilk Chocolate Ganache Cake with Perfect Chocolate Frosting

    September 30, 2010 / 0 Comments
    Spread ganache on cake layers, leaving some in the bowl for licking!

    A rare thunderstorm in San Diego, after days of 100+ degree heat.  A few drops of rain and enough crashing to make my dogs nervous.  They are happily taking advantage of my push-over self and are in the living room, while my cats are furious in the rest of the house.  The cooler fallish weather and darker skies makes me want to cook!

    I bake for friends, and this is one of my most requested cakes.  It is easy, it is wonderful, it is satisfying: it is chocolate.  I don’t like wimpy chocolate cakes; if I’m going to invest my calories in a dessert, it better pay off in flavor and texture.   Making this cake a day ahead allows the flavors to meld, but it can be eaten right away in case of chocolate emergency.  This recipe does use dairy products, and the acid reaction between the buttermilk and baking soda helps it rise and makes the chocolate flavor be yum.   I have directions for a layer cake or sheet cake, but it makes great little bundt cakes, too.  I have a humongous sheet cake pan and I quadruple the recipe with complete success.  I’ve given directions for chocolate frosting, which is absolutely great, by the way, but feel free to use other colors for decorations.  Although I enjoy dark chocolate, I find semi-sweet is best in the ganache, although I’ve used extra-dark baking cocoa for the batter and frosting with much success.  Enjoy!

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    Easy and Incredible Buttermilk Chocolate Ganache Cake with Perfect Chocolate Frosting
    Author: 
    Recipe type: Dessert
    Prep time: 
    Cook time: 
    Total time: 
    Serves: 10 - 12
     
    My best and most satisfying chocolate cake recipe, without a lot of hassle!
    Ingredients
    • Buttermilk Chocolate Ganache Cake
    • For Cake:
    • 2 cups white sugar
    • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose unbleached flour
    • cups powdered unsweetened baking cocoa
    • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 2 eggs
    • 1 cup buttermilk
    • cup vegetable oil
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • 1 cup boiling water
    • For Ganache:
    • cup heavy cream
    • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate in pieces
    • For Frosting:
    • 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
    • ⅔ cups powdered unsweetened baking cocoa
    • 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
    • ⅓ cups milk, water or buttermilk
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    Instructions
    1. Heat oven to 350 F.
    2. Grease and flour 2 9-inch round baking pans, or one sheet cake pan.
    3. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
    4. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
    5. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).
    6. Pour evenly into baking pan(s).
    7. Bake 30 – 35 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out cleanly.
    8. Cool ten minutes.
    9. For layer cake, or for the more adventurous sheet cake bakers, turn cake(s) out onto wire racks and cool completely.
    10. For ganache, combine heavy cream and butter in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer.
    11. Turn off heat.
    12. Add the chocolate pieces and swirl around to cover them with the hot milk mixture, and then cover for five minutes until chocolate is melted.
    13. Stir until smooth and creamy.
    14. Pour into a small bowl, cover and refrigerate until ganache is thick enough to spread.
    15. For frosting, melt butter and pour into bowl.
    16. Stir in the cocoa.
    17. Alternately add sifted powdered sugar and milk, beating on medium speed to spreading consistency.
    18. Add more milk if needed.
    19. Stir in vanilla.
    20. Makes about 2 cups.
    21. To finish: If making a layer cake use the ganache as filling.
    22. Cake may then need to be chilled to keep ganache firm before and after frosting. Ganache can also be used both as filling and as a coating for the top layer, and the frosting spread around the sides of the cake and piped decoratively around the top edge as a barrier to contain the ganache.
    23. If making a sheet cake, spread thickened ganache on top of cooled cake.
    24. Pipe frosting decoratively around edge to contain ganache and, if you’ve managed to turn the cake out of the pan, spread the frosting around the sides.
    25. This cake is excellent if made the day before serving, to give the flavors a chance to meld.
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