Lemon Cake

Things that brightened my day today:

- Realtalks™ (just kidding, no trademark)
- Sunlight streaming through the windows
- Spontaneous afternoon naps
- The delightfully inappropriate shenanigans of Deadpool
- Cake for dinner

Adults are allowed to make poor choices like that. Cause maybe I don't feel like cooking, and I had this cake I needed to eat because I spontaneously bought seven lemons at Aldi. This recipe reminds me so much of Ireland. Partially because I have a really joyful post about making lemon curd there, and partially because this cake recipe comes from The Cake Cafe Bake Book (The Cake Cafe being a hidden place in Dublin I spent a whole afternoon trying to find). Makes me feel very wistful and nostalgic. I was so free of responsibilities when I was there. But maybe living in the real world most of the time makes one appreciate those carefree times even more?

This cake is super tasty, but I overcooked mine a bit. I keep forgetting how hot my oven runs. Still good though! I covered mine in whipped cream, but I bet a cream cheese frosting would be really nice. Or a chocolate frosting, because I think lemon and chocolate are an unexpected but wonderful pairing. Also, sorry for the crap pictures. If I don't just snap something on my phone right away, I probably won't take a picture and then I won't post about it.

Lemon Cake 

from The Cake Cafe Bake Book

3 eggs, separated

300 g sugar

50 g room temperature butter

225 g plain yogurt

3 lemon zests

1 T lemon juice 

175 g self raising flour (Or make your own like I did) 

1 t baking powder

Lemon Curd (my recipe linked above is pretty reliable) 

Grease an 8" round pan and preheat the oven to 350. 

Beat butter, sugar, and egg yolks in a bowl until lightened in color and a bit fluffy. Add yogurt, lemon zest, and juice, and mix until smooth, remembering to scrape down the sides of the bowl regularly. Gently fold in flour and baking powder. Whisk egg whites to a soft peak and fold into the mixture. Pour into pan and bake for 60-75 minutes (Mine probably was done at 45, so just watch it. You know your oven). Cool completely, then slice into three disks. Spread lemon curd between two layers, and leave the top un-curded. Frost with whatever you'd like! 

Molten Chocolate Cake for one!

Have any of you watched The Great British Bake Off? I had no idea there were multiple seasons of it, but the latest one is on Netflix and it's lovely. Very soothing way to unwind after a day at work. I love the cheery cut scenes of sheep and rolling countryside, the pastel KitchenAid mixers, and the normalcy of the contestants. They're not professional chefs, they don't have over the top, made for tv personalities. They seem like friends and neighbors. 

Plus, the show makes me yearn for sugar. You don't even know the depths of my cake need yesterday around 7:30 pm. Thankfully, Joy the Baker came to my rescue again with her recipe for an individual molten chocolate cakes. A real one, not a desperate and gummy microwave one. In 15 minutes or less you can have your own gooey piece of heaven. 

And though it was nowhere near as fancy as the self saucing puddings the British bakers were making, I was quite pleased with myself. 

Single Girl Melty Chocolate Cake (from Joy the Baker Cookbook, Joy Wilson, 2012)

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 c. semisweet chocolate chips1
 large egg
4 tsp. sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. all-purpose flour
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and place cookie sheet in oven as it heats up.  Generously flour and butter an 8-oz. (1 cup) ramekin.
2. Place butter and chocolate into a microwave-safe container (I used my glass measuring cup) and heat in microwave until both are melted, maybe 40 seconds.  Set aside to cool.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and sugar.  Pour chocolate mixture into bowl and whisk until well incorporated.  Add salt and flour and mix until just combined.
4. Pour batter into prepped ramekin and place in oven on top of cookie sheet.  Bake 7-10 minutes; the less time it's in the oven, the more oozy the middle will be.  (The top should be set, though, so you can turn it out onto a plate!)
5. Remove from oven and cool for 2 minutes.  Using pot holders, invert cake onto plate and devour.

Chocolate Orange Scones

Just finished the first week of my new job. It's strange, working in an office. It's so quiet. I kind of miss the friendly cacophony of the bakery. I also have my own office, with a door and everything, so people in the cubicles would have to go out of there way to chat with me. It's just different. When I get home, I'm tired bone tired and feeling the need to drop into bed like I was before, but the last rays of the sun are disappearing and I feel sad that I didn't get to see any light. It's a give and take, I suppose.

The good news is I'm feeling the urge to bake again already. It's a good way to ingratiate myself with my new co-workers, if nothing else. I made scones today, which has become second nature after doing it for so long. It's a great experience when you can just look at and feel a dough and know if it's right, or what else it needs. I don't want to brag, but I make a pretty killer scone. You can ask around if you don't believe me. These are flavored with chocolate and orange zest, a classic combination.

I'm not going to post the recipe unless I get express permission from my former boss, but if I do, it'll be up here. I just wanted to share a little slice of life with you.

The Lost Year

I don't know where to begin. This blog is unfamiliar to me, typing this is strange. It's like working a muscle that you haven't used in a while...the knowledge is there, but the ease and intuition with which you use it is gone. But it can come back. It will come back.

I have been gone a year. Longer than that, but I'll round down. So much has happened. Perhaps most importantly, at least in the context of this blog, is that I discovered what I want to do with my life. Or rather, what I don't.

I don't want to bake for a living. I tried, and I'm so glad I tried, but it is not the path for me. I don't regret the detour – if I never had taken it, I would have always wondered what could have been. But my body is tired, my mind is tired, and when I come home, the last thing I want to do is bake after I've been doing it for eight hours.

So the blog grew dusty in the corner. So many people expressed their sadness that I had stopped, and I felt guilty, like I was letting people down. Also, surprise, because I didn't realize people cared that much. But I couldn't bring myself to come here when I knew my heart wasn't in it.

I'll be starting a new job in the new year, one that has nothing to do with baking. And I hope that sparks my passion again. It's still in me, lying dormant. That's my hope. I'm not sure what shape or direction this blog will take in the future, but I'm going to pour my heart into it. That's all I can do.

Thanks for sticking by me. 

Black Bottom Cupcakes

Working in a bakery has its perks, such as being able to eat all the imperfect treats, access really nice ingredients, and wear jeans and t-shirts everyday. But lately my body has been getting irritated with me. I have scoliosis, and while it hasn't ever acted up much in the past, spending all day on my feet, as well as bending over to lift large bags of flour and pulling things out of the oven makes my spine very upset.

No way I'm going to let my body limit my passions though. It just means I need to take better care of myself. More exercise to strengthen my spine. Better shoes (time for some ugly kitchen clogs...). And, if necessary, seeing a doctor. But I'm trying not to let myself be too concerned. 

 

Having days off to rest helps, even if I'm still baking at home! I've been making a decent amount of black bottom cupcakes recently. I'd never had them before, and they're crazy easy to make. No mixer required! Or frosting, since they've got a cheesecake center. Nom. The recipe I prefer is from a cookbook called Wintersweet, which I unfortunately returned to the library already, but David Leibovitz's recipe is pretty solid as well. 

Black Bottom Cupcakes 
from David Leibovitz
(Mine made like, 15 cupcakes. Dunno how you'd get 12 out of this)

 

For the filling
8 ounces regular or reduced fat cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
 
For the cupcakes
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
5 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1/3 cup unflavored vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white or cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions 

Beat together the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and egg until smooth. Stir in the chopped chocolate pieces. Put in the freezer for like an hour. 

Adjust the rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Butter a 12-cup muffin tin, or line the tin with paper muffin cups. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together the water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients, stirring until just smooth. Stir any longer and you will over mix the batter and end up with less-than-tender cupcakes. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Spoon a few tablespoons of the filling into the center of each cupcake, dividing the filling evenly. This will fill the cups almost completely, which is fine. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the tops are slightly golden brown and the cupcakes feel springy when gently pressed. These moist treats will keep well unrefrigerated for 2 to 3 days if stored in an airtight container.