March 24, 2003

Birthday Cake Extravaganza Month

When my grandson Colin was about 3 years old he would proudly say in his deep, husky little voice, “My birthday 18 March!” When I told him my birthday was also in March, he was having none of it! March was his exclusive property until I explained, “Colin’s birthday 18 March, grandma’s birthday 24 March” and that satisfied him.

There have always been multiple March birthdays in my family as my Dad was born on March 1 and my Grandma Phebe on March 10. They’re gone now, but Colin and I “march” on with the tradition.

As I was growing up, there was only one birthday cake: my mother’s homemade angel food cake with powdered sugar icing. Later on, with my own family, cake was not so favored, so our birthday cakes were just as likely to be pie, chocolate cream pie to be exact. In addition to the angel food cake, which you can find in any all-purpose cookbook, I have several favorite cakes which would be welcome March 24th or any other day. Here are two of the best.

Moist Chocolate Cake with Ganache Icing

About 15 years ago, this recipe was copied down from some magazine or other. Except for brownies or the flourless type of chocolate cake, I have never been tempted to try any other. It is so delicious—but the ganache icing is required. Don’t be afraid of ganache, it’s probably the easiest icing you’ll ever make.

The cake may be made in 8” or 9” layers instead of the 10” x 14” rectangular pan, but because the timing is critical the layers are easy to overbake and dry out. If you decide to try this (or if you want to remove the cake from the pan before icing) butter the pans and line with waxed paper or parchment. Test early and often.

Even though current “experts” have said that five ounces equals one cup of flour, I always weigh mine and have been using four ounces per cup for years. If you don’t have a scale, fluff the flour with a whisk before measuring, and then spoon it lightly into the cup. If you have access to Wondra flour, use it. This batter is so thin that the flour tends to clump even if you sift it directly into the bowl, and then you have to strain it into the pan, requiring quite a juggling act or two people.

2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups water
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour (8 ounces)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

Heat oven to 350 degrees. This cake MUST be put into the hot oven as soon as the dry ingredients are added to the warm liquid, as the baking soda will start to react immediately. Spray a 10” x 14” rectangular pan with vegetable oil.

In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, stirring gently, bring the water and sugar to a boil. If necessary, keep stirring until sugar is dissolve, then remove from heat. Add chocolate and butter. Cool about 20 minutes and add the vanilla. This mixture will separate and look a ghastly mess, but not to worry.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt with a whisk. Dump out onto waxed paper, parchment paper or foil.

In the same bowl, beat eggs lightly. Beat in the chocolate mixture, gradually at first to prevent scrambling the eggs. Add dry ingredients all at once and beat until smooth. If mixture is lumpy, run through a sieve into the pan. Work quickly.

Bake cake for about 25 minutes, testing by lightly touching the cake with your fingers. The cake should spring back. Cool on a rack. If you are going to turn out the cake, let cool for 15 minutes, then invert to rack to cool completely.

When completely cold, ice with chocolate ganache. Store iced cake in refrigerator.

Chocolate Ganache for Icing Cake

The same experts mentioned above say you cannot use chocolate chips for ganache, but I have used Ghirardelli chips without a problem.. If you have one of the finer baking chocolates such as Valrhona, Scharffen Berger or Callebaut, this is the place to use it.

2 cups whipping or heavy cream
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, cut up
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan over low heat, stir the cream and chocolate over low heat until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and pour mixture into a large mixing bowl and add vanilla.

Chill in refrigerator until the mixture starts to thicken around the edges of the bowl. This could take up to an hour.

Beat the mixture until thick and of spreading consistency. If you start to see any signs of graininess, stop beating. This does not take as long as whipping plain cream. Immediately spread on the cooled cake as it will continue to thicken.

Banana Cake with Brown Butter Icing and Toasted Walnuts

Most banana cakes call for cinnamon and other spices, but this one is pure banana. I can’t resist telling this story on my friend Jane. To put it mildly, Jane isn’t really keen on desserts. Once I sent home with her four pieces of this cake to share with a houseguest. When I later asked her how they liked the cake, she confessed it was so good she ate all four pieces without even mentioning the cake to the guest! Like the chocolate cake, this one is especially moist, and the combination of moist cake, brown butter and toasted walnuts is superb.

In my opinion, this cake is much better than banana bread, so I make it for breakfast substituting one cup of Splenda to cut out the extra sugar and bake it in two 8”x 8” pans. One goes in the freezer for later use as either dessert or breakfast bread. Should you want to layer the cake, use 9” x 9” pans so the layers won’t be so thick.

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour (12 ounces)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

3-4 ripe bananas (about 1 1/2 cups mashed)

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
6 Tablespoons vegetable shortening
2 cups sugar (or one cup each sugar and Splenda)
3 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk(or 1 teaspoon lemon juice plus milk to make 3/4 cup)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Brown Butter Icing
1 to 1 1/2 cups toasted English walnuts

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt with a whisk. Turn out onto waxed paper.

In the same bowl, mash bananas and add to a measuring cup. If you have a tablespoon or two extra of bananas, leave out a little of the buttermilk. If you have a tablespoon or two less than 1 1/2 cups, add a little buttermilk. If you’re way short of banana, you could make up the difference with applesauce or other pureed fruit—even baby food.

In the same bowl, cream butter, shortening and sugar, adding sugar gradually. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the mashed bananas.

Add the vanilla to the buttermilk. Beating slowly alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the banana mixture. I usually do this in 5 parts: one-third dry ingredients, half wet ingredients, another one-third dry, remaining half wet, and remaining one-third flour. You want to beat the mixture as little as possible so the gluten in the flour won’t develop and toughen the cake. If just a little flour remains visible you can stir it in by hand.

Pour the batter into a 10” x 14” baking pan which has been sprayed with vegetable oil, and spread it evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly touched with the fingers. Cool completely on a rack before icing.

Assemble cake by icing with Brown Butter Icing. Break the walnuts into 3 or 4 pieces each as the texture is so much better than chopping and, in the case of nut abstainers, easier to pick off. Sprinkle walnuts over icing and lightly press down so they adhere.

Brown Butter Icing

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
Half and half cream (or light cream or whipping cream with milk added)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound box powdered sugar

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat the butter until it turns nut brown in color. Swirl it around rather than stirring it and don’t leave it for a minute. Remove from heat.

Immediately add about 1/3 cup light cream, the vanilla and about 3/4 of the powdered sugar. Beat with an electric hand mixer until smooth, adding more cream and/or sugar until icing is still a bit runny but spreadable. It will be sticky until cooled. Ice the cake and top with nuts if desired. Chill about 20-30 minutes to set up quickly. Good on all kinds of cupcakes, too.

©Copyright 2003 - All Rights Reserved