HCB: Mini Vanilla Pound Cake

July 13, 2010 by Monica in Baking, Baking Club, Cake, Cookbooks, Desserts, Family Cookbook, HCB

This past weekend was insane around our house, last week I was away in Orlando for work-related training, so upon arriving on Friday the amount of stuff that accumulated in the To Do list was ridiculous – laundry, cleaning, folding, dishes and on and on. I mean, Tom does his share around here, but I guess what they say it true – when the cat is away…. Apparently everything goes to the dogs! So I was very happy about this week's HCB choice, since I knew it was going to be a snap to prepare, bake and have ready for those hungry boys I live with.

This is straight easy pound cake recipe, with three perfect twist: One, they are mini cake (can you say perfect give-aways? yes you can!). Two, they are made with vanilla bean and three, soaked in a cognac base syrup. (On a side note, I'm on to Rose and her boozy syrups because in my world I trust anything that is made with liquor - it makes everything better - trust).

How can you go wrong?

You can’t.

TWD: Rum-Drenched Vanilla Cake

June 29, 2010 by Monica in Baking, Baking Club, Cake, Cookbooks, Desserts, TWD

This week’s Tuesday with Dorie baking choice was picked by Wendy of Pink Stripes. Or maybe the recipe picked her, since she simply flipped through Dorie Greenspan’s Baking…From My Home to Yours book and page 226 fell open to reveal this beauty.

And oh what a pick it has been! There is no words in how good this cake is. Well, maybe there is because I'm going to tell you about it.

This cake is just the kind of cake I like - Simple, modest, quick and easy. But the best part? No waiting around for butter to soften!

Oh, wait; I have not mentioned how much I hate waiting for the butter to soften before?

Well I do.

Because I been spoiled. See, my previous rental house had a microwave with a setting called “soften”. This, Internet, is THE BEST setting in any kitchen appliance – TRUST ME. Press the button and voila – butter – soften! Cream cheese – soften! Ice Cream – Soften!

HCB: Saint-Honore Trifle

May 04, 2010 by Monica in Baking, Baking Club, Cake, Desserts, HCB

This week's HCB choice has been in the calendar for over 3 weeks and most of the bakers have been talking non-stop about it during all that time, if you check out the HCB Blog and the recaps comments, the choice gets mentioned again and again.

This one would likely fall under the "difficult" category, not because it’s difficult to make, but after 6 pages with 6 different steps, we must call it SOMETHING! Now for most season bakers, all of those steps are not very difficult, the batter is pretty straight forward sponge cake. Then the syrup is pretty easy, the making of the Chiboust Cream is made in 30 minutes top, then there is some cutting and mixing on the next step of preparing the strawberries and the preserves. The second to last step is the whipped cream topping and then the piece of resistant, what all of us bakers been talking about for the last 3 weeks, the spun sugar step.

Yep, Rose is making us cross boundaries here and urging us to be daring bakers.