Birthday Cake

Last week was my sister Kimberly's birthday and we marked the occasion with a soiree at her Brooklyn apartment. Since I'm all about testing my culinary skills, I offered to make the dessert and opened the door to what Kim might think up. Luckily, she's a girl after my own heart and likes things simple (in other words, no Irish Car Bomb cuppy cakes or Mint Julep Brownies, please and thank you). While I'm typically of the chocolate cake-vanilla buttercream persuasion, Kimberly requested a basic yellow cake with chocolate frosting. Sounds easy enough, right?

Since my wonderful mother is something of a domestic goddess (and a super chef to boot) I consulted her for a recipe recommendation. The suggestion? Old-school Betty Crocker as "the only one I would trust," (that's a direct quote). When I saw the recipe for Betty Crocker's New Starlight Cake, I literally said the words, "Could this BE any easier?" And oh how I spoke to soon. 

I'm not sure if it was my new oven, the recipe, or some lackluster baking skills, but my first cake turned out like this when I tried to get it out of the pan. Burnt and broken. Not exactly the moist and fluffy confection that I envisioned. If it wasn't quite so bad, I would have tried the whole glue-the-cake-back-together-with-icing-no-one-will-notice-the-chocolate-river-down-the-middle trick. But alas, the cake was literally in two pieces and I just couldn't bring myself to try and salvage it. So on the morning of the party, I gave it another go. This time, I shortened the baking time considerably, greased that pan like it was nobody's business, and voila...a scrumptious yellow cake worthy of a certain someone's 24th birthday. It was a bit drier that I had hoped, but once slathered with super chocolatey frosting, this cake turned into one that I would definitely make again. Let's get down to the details...

New Starlight Cake
*Adapted from Betty Crocker
2 C all purpose flour
1 1/2 C sugar
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 C vegetable shortening (like Crisco)
1 C milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour one 13x9" pan or two round layer pans (Note: You really need to get on this like never before. I had a lot of trouble getting my cake out of my pan and I was using a new non-stick pan loaded with de-sticking ingredients. Just when you think you've buttered and floured enough...do it some more). Measure all ingredients into a mixing bowl (I used my stand mixer, but I will assume that a hand mixer will work just as well). Blend 1/2 minute on low speed, scraping the bowl as it goes. Beat 3 minutes on high speed, still scraping bowl as necessary. Pour the mixture into your pan (or pans).

Now here's the tricky part. The recipe says bake 40-45 minutes for a 13x9" pan, and 30 to 35 for round layer pans. When I baked my 13x9" cake for the first time, I let it go for 40 minutes and ended up with the aforementioned debacle. On the second try, I went with 30 minutes. At this mark, the toothpick came out clean, so I went with it. In my not-so-expert opinion, I'd say regardless of which size cake you make, do a thorough check at 30 minutes (or earlier for the round pans). Just sayin'. Once finished, cool completely and ice with chocolate frosting.

"Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting
*Adapted from Hershey's Unsweetened Cocoa can back
1 stick unsalted butter
2/3 C unsweetened cocoa (obviously I went with Hershey's)
3 C confectioners' sugar
1/3 C milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Melt the butter. Add to a stand mixer (or a mixing bowl with a hand mixer) and stir in the cocoa. With the mixer on medium speed, alternately add the confectioners' sugar and milk. Beat until smooth, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure it mixes evenly. If it's too thick, add a bit more milk. Stir in the vanilla extract.

So there you have it. One basic, yet mouthwatering birthday cake. Oh, and you'll notice the Happy Birthday Kim and ribbon trim, courtesy of yours truly and my sister Christine. Not bad for a can of pink frosting with a ribbon tip, huh? Anyhow, what kind of birthday cake is your favorite?

Roasted Pears with Sweet Ricotta Cream

Last week, on the heels of my Fresh Direct over-order, I was itching for something sweet. Typically, fruit just doesn't cut it in my list of desirable desserts. Occasionally I'll dabble in some berry ridden whipped cream and that's how I got the idea for some brown sugar basted pears. Yup, you read that right. Sweet pears roasted and basted with a brown sugar sauce. And while whipped cream from a can is always a staple in my fridge (though my love for it has dwindled since I discovered homemade mint whipped cream), I wanted some sort of thick cream for these sweet delights but also something that was not completely terrible for me. So I turned to ricotta, a versatile and delicious Italian cheese that's used in everything from lasagna and mixed into spaghetti to sweetened and dolloped over fruit. Though this dish isn't exactly the pinnacle of health, it's lighter than my favorite cupcakes and fulfills any sweet tooth...oh and gives a healthy dose of fruit to boot.

Roasted Pears
*Adapted heavily from Bon Appetit, circa 2007
2 Anjou pears
1 lemon, juiced
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp light brown sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel pears, cut them in half lengthwise and remove the cores. In a mixing bowl, coat the pear halves with lemon juice and vanilla. In an ovenproof skillet (stainless steel, no rubber handles), heat the butter until melted. Add brown sugar and mix into the butter. Place the pears cut side down into the skillet, pouring remaining lemon juice mixture over the top. Cook in the skillet until the sugar dissolves and the mixture bubbles, spreading some of the mixture over the top of the pears. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the pears and soft, about 15 minutes. Top with sweet ricotta cream.

Sweet Ricotta Cream
1 C part-skim ricotta
2 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In a food processor or blender, combine the ricotta, honey and vanilla. Process until smooth, about 1 minute. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours so the cream can thicken. Serve over roasted pears.

So there you have it...a semi-healthy dessert that's quick and easy without sacrificing an ounce of sweet flavor. But what I want to know is, what is your thought on fruit as dessert? Do you have favorite way to sweeten the deal?

Mint Julep Brownies

This past Saturday, May Day, was not only the Kentucky Derby but also Shaun's birthday. To ring in the big 2-8, we threw a Kentucky Derby cocktail party at our Jersey City apartment. In addition to dips, spreads and tea sandwiches, I wanted to cook up a special treat to mark both occasions.

When Shaun mentioned that a good, fudgy brownie was his dessert of choice, I got to work on finding a super brownie recipe in which I could add a Derby twist. The result? Mint Julep Brownies - triple chocolate brownies laced with bourbon and topped with mint whipped cream and pecans. I have to admit, along with my Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes, these Mint Julep Brownies are one of the most mouthwatering desserts I've ever concocted. To ensure that these were extra delish, I hunted down a serious throwback recipe from now-defunct Gourmet magazine. Check it out...

Triple Chocolate Bourbon Brownies
*Adapted from Gourmet circa 1992
6 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3/4 C unsalted butter
1 1/2 C sugar
2 tsp vanilla
4 large eggs
1 tsp salt
1 C all-purpose flour
1 C semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
2 tbsp bourbon
1/2 C chopped pecans, for garnish

In a double boiler* slowly melt the bittersweet chocolate and the unsweetened chocolate with the butter, stirring until the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat, and let the mixture cool for a few minutes. This is one instance where my favorite appliance won't be necessary.

Since brownies are based on a 'stir until just combined' mantra, the stand mixer is just overkill. Instead, use a little elbow grease and get 'er done yourself. Stir in the sugar, vanilla and bourbon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Stir in the salt and the flour, mixing until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips (Note: I had like 4 boxes of semisweet Baker's chocolate in my pantry. Instead of springing for a bag of semisweet morsels, I just chopped 2 oz of the Baker's chocolate and gently stirred it into the mixture. Delish). Pour the batter into a generously buttered and floured 13- by 9-inch baking pan. Smooth the top and bake the mixture in the middle of a preheated 350°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a tester comes out with crumbs adhering to it. Let the mixture cool completely in the pan on a rack and cut it into squares. Serve with mint cream and garnish with pecans.

Mint Whipped Cream
2 C heavy whipping cream
1/2 C confectioners' sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp peppermint extract

In the bowl of a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer, beat the heavy cream and sugar together. (Note: I used my stand mixer with the whisk attachment - not the paddle...a nice change, if you ask me). Add vanilla and mint and mix on medium speed until peaks begin to form. Mix until whipped cream like, but don't overmix, as the cream will eventually turn to butter. The whole process took about 3-5 minutes, but keep a close eye on it. Dollop onto brownie square and prepare to add Mint Julep Brownies to your all-time favorite dessert list. Oh, and don't even think that you'll ever be going back to canned whipped cream after this. Just toss that can of Redi-Whip right away. Whether mint or regular, homemade is really the only way to go.

So what do you think? Do you have any special Kentucky Derby traditions? What did you do for this year's race? And more importantly, what did you eat?

*Since I don't have stainless steel mixing bowls, I used a giant saucepan on top of a small saucepan filled with simmering water. Perhaps it wasn't the prettiest set up, but it got the job done-zo.