Sunday, March 21, 2021

Swiss meringue buttercream and the soccer cake



The cake began and ended in a total of 6 hours, a minimal allotment, for something of this size, on any cake maker's timeline. Btw, strategically placing a baked item bigger than your face, onto another one is not an easy task. Although, logistical planning (which I abundantly lack), prep work and having all things ready to execute, make it quite doable. 

Granted, when working with something of this magnitude in such a short frame, you kind of anticipate a fair amount of drama. 

My hefty project was for the Second Child's 17th birthday. Soccer themed because he's played the sport since his feet have been walking, and big enough to feed a battalion of boys. Additionally, it's not the first time, I've played ball on cake.

Generally speaking, these undertakings require large amounts of frosting, to gild, structure and flavor what befits true homemade cake. The icing is the vehicle to hold adornments in place and remain in, its exposed appearance, as slick as ice. Thus, really, the medium you use for such sizable molding must hold its way in weight( figuratively and literally).

What would liquid velvet taste like? It's the key question and I think I've found the answer. Consequently, the need is dire that I share the information with you.

Swiss meringue buttercream is in the higher echelon of European style creams. One where the whites of eggs transform to a stilled meringue; butter, cut in, yields S.M's characteristic satin finish. It's pleasing to tongue's touch and a dream for the home baker who, in turn, realizes that you don't need to frost in perpetuum and wait for kingdom come in order to achieve flawless sides.

Here, eggs and sugar have a mutual understanding. Eggs assist sugar by dissolving granules in a stable atmosphere. Similarly, sugar keeps egg whites in a comfortably liquid state. However, it's a bit of an enterprise( read-tough work) to achieve this favorable end, i.e., 100% grain free syrup.

The sugared whites further beat into an ethereally smooth gloss. You almost want to kiss your stand mixer for doing the labor while you glimpse several at your Netflix in cue. A hand mixer can be used instead, though, in fair warning, you might need an arm prop to finish up the process.

Needless to say, I've had previous issues regarding this particular form of buttercream. First and foremost, the sugar melting process that everyone so easily tosses into instructions is really not that easy. You stand and stir for eons until you get the desired emulsion. The chemical process of dissolving solids in liquids made me want to cry. You see, I majored in Arts.

As opposed to American buttercream, Swiss M bears a much lighter texture and is a tad lower in sweetness, the latter  part might slightly be my only other quibble. Then again, some may call it fussing over the world's most cooperative frosting.

In effect, two things helped in creating a meringue suited to my workflow and catering to my ideal flavor balance. First,  I had the microwave do all the syrup making. Second, I lessened the butter by about half a cup. This, I believe still gives you the ample gloss and other icing prospects that swiss meringue is best known for.

Tying in to what I said previously about butter, may I take a second to harp on its glories ?!  Not only is it  on point in doing the emulsification work, it contributes greatly to the aforementioned liquid velvet conclusion.

No doubt, Swiss meringue is one of the best additions to my decorating repertoire.
I'm certain it will help you too, in creating structures sleek and pretty enough they'd be welcome in a museum exhibit.

Tall cakes are all the vibe. Plus, I needed to sit the kiddo's silhouette against a high backdrop.

I frosted the bottom cake frosted with the s. meringue. For the soccer ball, I needed a firmer undercoat for fondant, so white chocolate ganache was used.

My method of microwaving may not be for you. It saves me a pool of time and consistently melts my sugar without cooking the eggs in half the time it would take a double boiler/bain marie to do the job. Be sure to stir and mix at 30 second intervals. Even a single undissolved rebel sugar crystal can recrystallize the batch, and you'll be stirring it till no end!
Catch!
Ingredients:
  • egg whites from 6 large eggs
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • ⅛ tsp pinch salt
  • 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature, and cut into tbsp size pieces (you could use up to 2 cups butter)
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Directions:
  • Whisk egg whites, sugar, salt  together in a microwave-safe bowl until thoroughly combined so the sugar can protect the eggs from cooking. 
  • Heat the mixture in the microwave for 2-4 minutes on high at 30 second intervals whisking well after each 30 second heating. Heat until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture reaches 160ᵒ. (Alternatively you can double boil mixture over simmering water). 
  • Immediately place mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on medium- high using the whisk attachment until frosting has become thick and glossy, forming a stiff peaks. Continue to whip frosting until the bowl feels room temperature to the touch, a total of about 10 minutes.
  • Once bowl is no longer warm to the touch, switch out whisk attachment for paddle attachment. Turn mixer to medium speed and add butter one tablespoon at a time, allowing the previous butter to  incorporate into the meringue. 
  • Switch speed to medium-low, and beat until buttercream is smooth.
  • Mix in vanilla extract.
  • Your Swiss meringue frosting should be thick, creamy, easily spreadable and ready to to use

Notes~You can store s.m. buttercream at room temperature for 2 days, in the refrigerator tightly sealed for 2 weeks, or in the freezer for 2 months.
From top to bottom: almond, vanilla, chocolate.


Take a peek: my weekend trip to the Grand Canyon. 
******
"As I sing Your praise
Let worry fade and
All my hopes restored
Let my memories
Remind me of
What You did before"
- Keep on Coming Through/Jonathan Traylor

Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday." Psalm 37:5-6
 

Monday, March 8, 2021

S'mores cake


I've read the book, "Finding WInnie..." approximately thirty five times. It would be the period in my life when I managed a district school library, serving as its librarian. The book was/still should be a hidden gem on a generally overlooked nonfiction shelf. Reading it to crews of young readers brought the publication to top the check-out inventory for subsequent weeks, keeping it off shelves for a greater a part of the year. I don't think there could be a better example of total job satisfaction than that. 

Indeed, the love affair with Pooh bear has been as long as I'd learned to read, ca, Mrs. England's 1st grade class. It's a pretty good feel when you come to the realization the childhood favorite you once knew is not mere figment, yet stems from a true life version.

Moving along to other, more recent blissful experiences,  I made a s'mores cake in such an exceptional way that I think you'd benefit from knowing how I did it too. 

The recipe I combed from will be deemed as "the original" malty, involving higher "s'more" elements. Adversely, mine would then be the knock-off, albeit,  I must say, a definite keeper and a classic unto itself.
 
went rogue here, swapping traditional graham crackers for almond flour and pulverized Oreos to bulk the insides. I believe I've done justice to the campfire melty-cookie roast in a turn-around sort of way. Seldom do we understand that it's ok to have a variant of a beloved prototype, ie, if it remains collaterally unified in delivering flavors specific to its name.

Although, no one is stopping you to go for a more standard approach, I ask you to consider the adjustments I made ⬇️, after which you're free to decide:

* replacing graham cracker with almond flour as part of my flour base
* marshmallow flavored buttercream instead of blazed meringue, resulting in a stable spreadable cover
* crushed Oreos to fill up the insides, just because.

As a result, the combination of balance, texture, feel, taste is on point here and, at the moment, it's my favorite thing to eat.

The benefits of having almond flour in cake is multifold. Nut flour amplifies the pillow depth of crumb, making it moister and unbearably hard to settle at just one slice. Moreover, it lends an almost "healthy-ish" quality to what might have been 100% gluten laden cake( not that the latter is a bad thing).

Marshmallow frosting is comparable to a less complicated Swiss meringue. The silky feel of whipped fluff and butter creates perfect harmony with the crumbled cookies.

To summarize, as we pass the one year mark of the mask-clad virus that caught us all by surprise, a melody of bests, from great confections to great characters, may send out the light from a soon ending tunnel.

So, keep in mind, this could be the finest cake you'll ever know. 

Alas, when beseeching hands reach out for s'more, pleasethe dessert becomes true to its name.

Ingredients:
(Cake recipe adapted, with variations, from livforcake's Smores Cake)

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ cups almond flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk

Directions:
  • Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare and grease cake pans.
  • Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk together.
  • Using a stand mixer, beat butter until smooth.  
  • Add sugars and and eggs and continue to beat on medium until pale.
  • Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk), fully incorporating after each addition. Do not overmix.
  • Divide batter evenly between cakes pans and bake for 30-33 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.
  • Remove cakes from oven. Cool in pans for 5 minutes, then turn out onto racks to cool completely.
Marshmallow frosting:
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup *marshmallow fluff
Directions:
  • Beat softened butter until smooth. Mix in sugar and vanilla until creamy.
  • Add marshmallow fluff to the mixture and beat until combined and smooth.
Chocolate frosting recipe, right here.

For the Oreo crumble (optional):
  • 1 sleeve Oreo cookies or chocolate sandwich cookies
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
  • pinch salt
Combine in a food processor and pulse until combined into a crumble consistency, like wet sand.

Assembly:
Spread the first layer of cake with a round of frosting. Sprinkle with Oreo crumble.
Stack the next cake layer on and repeat frosting/crumble process with the remaining layers. 
Cover entire cake with marshmallow frosting, ***"striping" the chocolate frosting.
Alternatively, frost with marshmallow frosting first, chill, then top with chocolate frosting or vice versa.
Garnish/adorn to heart's desire.

For the best tutorial on striped icing, go to British Girl Bakes.


Notes:
Double the batch of frosting for larger cakes
I made my own marshmallow fluff. You can too→→livforcake.

"I always get to where I'm going by walking away from where I have been." _Winnie the Pooh

March~
******
"Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3: 12-14

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