Birthday Cake!

I enjoy making birthday cakes...because they are delicious! My favorite cake cookbook is The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum. It's a good book because she explains the baking process which helps me avoid mistakes. She also lists ingredient measurements by weight and I enjoy using a cooking scale instead of measuring cups. The buttercream recipe below is a favorite of all my friends because it is silky smooth and not too sweet.

Chocolate Butter Cake

(from The Cake Bible)

1/2 cup + 3 Tbs. (63g) Dutch processed unsweet cocoa
1 cup (236g) boiling water
3 large eggs (150g), at room temperature
2 1/4 tsp. (9g) vanilla
2 1/4 cup + 2 Tbs. (235g) sifted cake flour
1 1/2 cup (300g) sugar
1 Tbs. (15g) baking powder
3/4 tsp. (5g) salt
1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Set out eggs and butter a few hours before beginning cake so they can come to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, whisk together cocoa and boiling water until smooth. Cool to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9 inch cake pans, line bottoms with wax paper, and grease and flour the pans. (I use Wilton bake-even strips around outside of pans for even layers).

In a small bowl, lightly combine the eggs, 1/4 of cocoa mixture, and vanilla.

In a large mixing bowl, combine remaining dry ingredients and mix on low for 30 seconds to combine. Add the butter and remaining cocoa mixture. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase to medium speed and beat for 1 1/2 minutes. Scrape down the sides. Gradually add the egg mixture in 3 batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition. Scrape down the sides.

Pour batter into prepared pans and smooth out surface. Bake 25-35 minutes or until a tester comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center. Let the cakes cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on racks.

French Buttercream

(from The Cake Bible)

6 large (112g) egg yolks
3/4 cups (150g) sugar
1/2 cup (164g) corn syrup
2 cups (454g) unsalted butter
1 Tbs. vanilla, optional

Have ready a greased 2 cup glass measuring cup near stove.

In a bowl of stand mixer, beat yolks with whisk attachment until light in color (don't worry about over-beating). Meanwhile, combine sugar and corn syrup in a nonstick saucepan until combined. Turn heat to medium and stir constantly until sugar dissolves and bubbles begin to form at edges. Stop stirring but continue to heat until rolling boil and large bubbles cover the entire surface. Immediately transfer syrup to glass measuring cup.

Stop mixer, pour a small amount of syrup into yolks and immediately beat at high speed for 5 seconds. Stop mixer and repeat with larger amount of syrup. Continue this process until all syrup has been incorporated. Continue beating until completely cool.

Gradually beat in butter, one tablespoon at a time. Incorporate the vanilla and scrape down sides and complete mixing.

Can't Go Wrong With Pork Tenderloin

One of the easiest and most delicious meals you can make is pork tenderloin.  The only way to go wrong is to overcook it, which is easy, so get yourself a good meat thermometer.  Here are two simple yet tasty recipes.

Spiced pork tenderloin, spinach souffle,
and roasted butternut squash

Spiced Pork Tenderloin

3/4 lb. pork tenderloin
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. red pepper
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. maple syrup
1 Tbs. dijon mustard

Mix all spices together and pat on meat.  Drizzle oil over meat and marinate for at least an hour.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 min. or until internal temperature reaches 155 degrees.  Let rest 5 minutes.  Combine maple syrup and dijon and pour over meat.

NOTE:  Two tenderloins usually come packaged together.  This recipe is for one so if cooking both, double the recipe.  Tenderloin is easy to overcook so use a meat thermometer to check internal temperature at 30 minutes.

Glazed Pork Tenderloin

1 orange
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp. minced ginger
1 lb. pork tenderloin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
From orange, grate 1 tsp. zest and squeeze 1/4 cup of juice.
Combine zest, juice, soy sauce and ginger in a sauce pan.  Boil until it is reduced to approximately 2 Tbs. (3-4 minutes).
Brush glaze over pork.  Roast approximately 35 min or until internal temperature is 155 degrees.  Let rest 5 min. and serve.

Old Timey Spinach Souffle

My grandmother gave me this recipe from a newspaper she picked up while traveling through Alabama on November 15, 1987.  I've been making this dish from the Decatur Daily since about 1990.  It's a good way to get kids to eat spinach.

Spinach souffle before going into oven

Spinach Souffle

1 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. bread crumbs
20 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup grated cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 eggs, separated
1/4 cup mayonaise
1/4 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a round souffle dish and coat with bread crumbs.

Squeeze moisture out of spinach.  Mix all ingredients except egg whites in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Mix 1/4 of beaten egg whites into spinach to lighten the mixture.  Gently fold in remaining egg whites.  Pour mixture into prepared dish.  Bake 45 minutes.