Happy Birthday, jonesing for… !

One year ago today I started my blog and it’s been nothing but fun since.  This whole thing began after encouragement from friends since I enjoyed taking pictures of whatever I was cooking, and liked typing up a few words about it as well. I’ve had so much fun sharing my love of cooking and recipes, and nothing makes me happier than hearing my friends and total strangers have been inspired to cook from recipes I post.

And I have something even bigger to celebrate than my blog’s anniversary. I’m so excited to announce I’ve just accepted a position as the new Test Kitchen Assistant for a national food magazine! I’ll be testing recipes, assisting food styling, grocery shopping, and working in the test kitchen for a living – a.k.a. my dream job! Words cannot express how excited and blessed I feel to be able to do what I love for a living as young as I am. Getting out from behind a desk and back into the kitchen means the world to me, so now it’s really time to celebrate!

So to celebrate, I wanted to bake a cake – a very special cake. In a way, this entire post, blog, and really my career, is dedicated to my oldest sister, DeAnna. She honestly is the biggest reason I pursued cooking – admiring her life as a pastry chef when she was younger and always being enchanted with whatever she was baking or making. This bundt cake is one of the earliest food memories I have of being impressed with food, thinking the black and white drizzle was so fancy, the cake shape so odd, the entire thing just being special. So I wanted to go back to my roots with this one.

Unfortunately neither D nor my mom could find the recipe. They both tore their kitchens apart looking for it to no avail, which seemed almost poetic in a way. I got to just create my own version, which is exactly what I like to do here. So I took a simple chocolate bundt cake recipe and oomphed it up, adding coffee and buttermilk, using a chocolate ganache drizzle instead of melted semi-sweet chips, and I had to stay true to the white chocolate drizzle – even though I’m not a huge fan, you can’t get that stunning white color with anything else, and since the cake isn’t overly sweet, it balances out.

So thank you to my readers, family, and friends for a wonderful year! I can’t wait to see what this next year has in store!

—

Black and White Bundt Cake

Makes at least 16 servings (depending on how you slice it).

Based on my sister’s recipe with froufrou flourish from Food & Wine.

Ingredients

• 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped and separated (I really indulged and used Callebaut “Refined” semi-sweet, which is to die for)
• ¾ cup canola oil
• 1¼ cups granulated sugar
• 1 extra-large egg plus 1 egg white
• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1¼ teaspoons baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup strongly brewed fresh coffee, cooled (the bolder the better)
• 1 cup reduced fat buttermilk
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• ½ tablespoon corn syrup
• ½ tablespoon unsalted butter
• 4 ounces white chocolate (I usually loathe white chocolate but Callebaut’s white is actually nice and mild and not too sweet, so I recommend it)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 365° F. Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with vegetable oil spray and set aside.
2. In a small saucepan or your microwave, melt 2 ounces of the chopped chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly. Pour the chocolate into a medium bowl and let cool until there’s no longer steam rising from it. Whisk in the oil and sugar until smooth, then whisk in the egg and egg white.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add half of the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture along with ½ cup of the coffee and ½ cup of the buttermilk; whisk until smooth. Add the remaining dry ingredients, coffee and buttermilk and whisk until smooth.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the lower third of the oven for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let the cake cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then turn it out and let cool completely.
5. While the cake cools, prepare the ganache. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer, but don’t scald it. In a heatproof bowl, combine the remaining 3 ounces of chopped chocolate with the corn syrup and butter. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let stand until melted, about 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Let the ganache glaze cool until thick but still pourable, about 5 minutes (don’t be afraid to pop it in the fridge for a few minutes if your kitchen is slightly warm).
6. Drizzle the ganache over the cooled cake. Let the cake stand until the glaze is set, at least 30 minutes, before adding the white drizzle.
7. In a double boiler, melt the white chocolate until smooth and glossy. I do not recommend doing this in the microwave because white chocolate burns very easily and doesn’t melt like real chocolate (because it isn’t)! Drizzle over the cake artfully and serve slices with a huge glass of cold milk (and maybe a glass of champagne!).

© Jessica J. for jonesing for..., 2010. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: cake, chocolate, dessert, favorite, high altitude, indulge

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Let’s stay fat!

Haha, just kidding. But that’s what this entry feels like, in opposition to so many health-conscious and weight-loss centered food blog entries right now. Yes yes, so many people resolve to lose weight this week, which is fantastic. Yet I’ve been doing that since last New Year’s and I’m doing great. So I know I can derail, regardless of a diet frenzy right now, and do just fine.

And oh me oh my, what better way to derail than by skipping the tracks and soaring straight into one of the best chocolate cakes I have ever tasted. I finally bought the Baked cookbook for myself this holiday and couldn’t put it down the rest of my break. Every recipe sounded tantalizing and although often being lengthy, not intimidating.

This was the recipe that grabbed me the most (next to the s’mores nut bars, which no doubt will be next) and as a final farewell, my sister and I made this glorious confection the day before I left Kansas City. It came together rather quickly (especially the frosting, which was such a breeze) and filled the kitchen with the most delicious, malty chocolate smell.

We all devoured the cake after a dinner of indulgent pizza, and everyone agreed it was one of the best chocolate cakes ever, but only very light on the root beer flavor. Yet the cake is so moist and tender and the frosting is beyond to-die-for. So I still highly recommend this cake, but if you really want the root beer to sing, adding a teaspoon of root beer extract or even a splash of root beer schnapps definitely wouldn’t hurt. (And come on, when does adding schnapps to anything hurt?)

Sugar sugar sugar.

Do not measure the foam.

Mmmm, dark chocolate. There is no bad here.

Drip drip drip.

Batter.

Baked.

Very thick frosting.

Bundt.

It looks lonely…

That’s better!

Drowned crumbs.

—

Root Beer Bundt Cake

Based on the recipe from Baked bakery in Brooklyn, NYC.

Makes at least 12 servings (depending on how you cut it).

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 2 cups root beer (no diet, and in retrospect I wish I had used Stewart’s or some equally strong root beer)
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1¼ cups granulated sugar
• ½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1¼  tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• Optional: 1 tsp root beer extract or 1 splash root beer schnapps

For the frosting:

• 2 oz dark chocolate, chopped, melted, and cooled slightly (I like using 2/3 of a Dove 63% Silky Smooth Dark Chocolate bar)
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ cup root beer
• 2/3 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2½  cups confectioners’ sugar

Directions

For the cake:

1.) Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray a 10-inch bundt pan with nonstick spray, or butter and flour it.

2.) In a small saucepan, heat the root beer, cocoa powder, and butter over medium heat until the butter is melted and whisk the ingredients together. Add the sugars and whisk until dissolved. Remove from heat, transfer to a glass bowl, and let cool to room temperature.

3.) Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together. In a smaller bowl, whisk the eggs until just beaten, then whisk them into the cooled cocoa mixture until combined. Gently fold the flour mixture into the cocoa mixture. The batter will be slightly lumpy—do not overbeat, as it could cause the cake to be tough, but be sure there are no pockets of raw flour.

4.) Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40-50 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a small knife (or toothpick) comes out clean.

5.) Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool completely. Gently loosen the sides of the cake from the pan and turn it out onto the rack to frost.

For the frosting:

1.) Put all the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse in short bursts until the frosting is shiny and smooth. If you don’t have a food processor, a Kitchen Aid fitted with the paddle or hand mixer with the whip attachments works just fine.

2.) Use a spatula to spread the fudge frosting over the entirety of the cake in a very thick, rich, awesome layer.

3.) Let the frosting slightly set before serving. Serve a la mode or just plain with a huge glass of ice cold milk.

© Jessica J. for jonesing for..., 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: cake, chocolate, dessert, frosting, indulge, root beer

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Dietary restrictions suck.

Okay, not the most eloquent of openers but that’s all I can think as I type this. I’m fortunate enough to not be allergic to anything. I happily eat gluten, lactose, citric acid, and every kind of nut or seed under the sun without any sort of consequence, and I don’t take it for granted. Dietary restrictions are just a pain, and even more of a pain when it means trying to bake a cake dairy-free and have it come out, well, just as tasty as its evil lactose-filled twin. I’ve never tried to bake under restrictions before, but since Bill’s birthday was this past weekend and he happens to be lactose intolerant and misses coconut cream pie, I thought I’d take a stab at it.  Well, not coconut cream pie because that’s self explanatory, but at least a coconut cake.

And hold the phone, but I actually found the most genius, delicious way to make it dairy-free. Yes, you have to sacrifice the usually finger-lickin’ glorious cream cheese frosting, but the use of coconut milk in the batter instead of regular (or even soy) gives the entire cake the most delicious, fragrant, and awesome consistency I want to now use it in everything. And although there is no previously mentioned glorious cream cheese frosting, there is however a delicious 7-minute glossy and gorgeous frosting which is covered with mounds of shredded coconut anyway, so you don’t even miss it.

Coconut Cake (pretty much dairy free)

I say “pretty much” because yes, there is butter in this cake, but depending on your level of lactose intolerance, butter can be fine for some and not for others (or so I hear).  Other than that, it’s lactose-free! And I got the idea for the coconut milk after reading a few lactose intolerance blogs and seeing someone mention it as a great way to thicken soups instead of cream – genius!

For the frosting, it’s not your traditional 7-minute because I don’t have a hand mixer and can’t beat the egg whites directly over a double boiler, but thankfully Rach’s mom (cue baking goddess music) gave me this stand-mixer friendly recipe which still cooks the sugar and makes that perfect marshmallow-fluff glossy frosting we all adore.

Ingredients

Cake based on the recipe by Ina Garten.

For the cake:

• ¾ pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 ½ tsp pure almond extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 4 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

Frosting based on the the Quamba Church Cookbook recipe (via Vickie Tjaden).

For the frosting:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup white corn syrup
• ¼ cup water
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 4 egg whites
• 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 6 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

Directions

For the cake:

1.) Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray two (9-inch) round cake pans with non-stick spray, then line them parchment paper. Spray them again and dust lightly with flour, tapping out the excess.

2.) In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl once during mixing. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well. Don’t worry if the mixture looks curdled – it will come together once you add the dry ingredients.

3.) In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the coconut milk to the batter in 3 parts, beginning and ending with dry ingredients (dry-milk-dry-milk-dry). Mix until just combined. Remove the bowl and fold in the 4 ounces of coconut by hand.

4.) Pour the batter evenly into the 2 pans and smooth the top with an off-set spatula. Bake in the center of the oven for 40 to 50 minutes, until the tops are browned and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a baking rack to finish cooling completely.

For the frosting:

1.) In a small saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt in saucepan. Bring to a boil until it reaches a threadlike stage (when you dip a spoon into the sugar it drips slowly off, creating threads).

2.) Meanwhile, in the the (very clean and dry) bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Once ready and with the mixer running on low, pour syrup mixture into egg whites. Turn the speed up to high and beat until glossy. Stir in the vanilla by hand and let the frosting come to room temperature before assembling the cake.

To assemble:

1.) Place 1 layer top side down on a flat serving plate or cake stand whose edges you’ve lined with strips of parchment paper. Spread the top with about 1 cup frosting and sprinkle some coconut on top. Place the second layer on top, top side up, and frost the top and sides. A crumb layer isn’t necessary per se since you’ll be coating everything with coconut, but I like the underside to look perfect, so I do a light crumb coating, refrigerate it for 10 minutes, and then finish with another thick layer.

2.) Sprinkle the top with coconut and lightly press more coconut onto the sides. Remove the parchment strips and serve with birthday candles.

© Jessica J. for jonesing for..., 2009. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: cake, dessert, indulge, sweet

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I’m loved and loathed around my office. Working for a sports publisher, the majority of those walking around are perfectly fit, love being that way, and loathe anyone who may derail them. Yet they grudgingly love and thank me every time I bring in the leftovers from whatever I choose to bake, or even worse, intentionally bake something and bring in the entire portion.

“You’re going to break the will of every person in this office!” is something I hear all too often, and yet I revel every time I see a cyclist reach for another cookie. I’m like a drug dealer around here and love every minute of it!

Knowing the birthdays of two of my coworkers were coming up and another’s last day was today, I figured making something sweet was on the docket. I’ve been itching to work with rhubarb since the summer began, and I kept trying to think of something fun to do with it. I’m not a huge fan of pie (heresy, I know!) so I went to the guru of pastry that I know – my friend Rach’s mom. She was notorious for bringing the best cupcakes and sweets with her when she would visit Rach in college (and Rach was kind enough to share), so I inquired if she could pass any great summer fruit dessert recipes my way. This is what I was sent and hoo boy, is it a treat. Sweet and tart and the crumbly crunchy-munchy topping. It’s like a coffee cake but better.

I changed it slightly by adding strawberries to the mix (they’re just so perfect right now) and making the topping more of a streusel. The sprinkles were the curious thing in the recipe, and when I asked if they were for color or sweetness, Rach confirmed yes to both, but also replied: “My mom says it’s grandma’s recipe and she’s dead, so she’s guessing at this point. It doesn’t matter, it’s so good when it hits your lips!”

Truer words never spoken.

Vickie’s Rhubarb (and Strawberry) Cake

Makes 1 9×13 cake

Ingredients

For the cake:

• ½ cup shortening
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp baking soda dissolved in 1 cup milk
• 2 cups plus 1 TBL all-purpose flour
• 3 cups finely sliced rhubarb
• ¾ cup sliced strawberries
• ¼ cup red candy sugar sprinkles

For the streusel:

• 2 TBL brown sugar
• ¼ cup white granulated sugar
• ½ TBL cinnamon
• ½ stick cold butter, cut into small pieces
• ½ cup all-purpose flour

Directions

1.)Preheat oven to 350° F.

2.) In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the shortening and then add the sugar. Mix well, then add the salt and beat in the egg. Add the soda and milk mixture, and slowly (while the mixer is running) add the flour.

3.) Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the rhubarb, strawberries and sprinkles by hand. Pour into a 9×13 pan sprayed with cooking spray and set aside.

4.) In a small bowl, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon. Add the butter and using your fingers or a pastry cutter, work the mixture until it’s crumbly and incorporated, almost feeling like wet sand. Sprinkle over the top of the cake and bake about 45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

© Jessica J. for jonesing for..., 2009. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: cake, dessert, fruit, summer, sweet

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She made a 2-layer chocolate ganache filled cake and used colored royal icing for the different sections, and delightful sparkly sprinkles from Dean & Deluca for the center.

© Jessica J. for jonesing for..., 2009. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: cake, dessert, sweet

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