Bush and Cake
Today is Lorin's birthday, and she wanted to have a potluck, so this pretty much a recipe post. But first, a few impressions from yesterday.
I don't really have many comments on hearing Bush speak. Since I already distrust the man, I couldn't sit back and listen to all of his initiatives and just accept that they're wonderful. I don't know as much about the U.S.'s international aid programs as I should, but I certainly did notice that when Bush talked about doubling the amount of funding for AIDS programs in Africa, he talked exclusively (to my recollection) about anti-retroviral drugs, and not at all about prevention. So, being aware of that glaring omission made me skeptical of everything else he said, assuming that he was similarly glossing over other issues.
He put a lot of focus on free trade and financial markets... he repeatedly emphasized that U.S. involvement in other countries is to our advantage, which I agree with, but apparently for different reasons than his. He repeatedly noted that developing countries are potential new markets for U.S. products and services. I remember him mentioning once that economically healthy countries are less likely to export terror (which I agree with... although I would probably frame it differently...). He didn't really say much to the effect of "we should help other countries because it's the right thing to do" (which to me is by far the strongest reason).
I met up with Tim at the Ronald Reagan building at 8:30 (Bush was scheduled to speak at 10), so we got seats in the fourth row. Even being so close, it didn't feel much more real than seeing Bush on TV. One little thing that I did notice, being there in person, was that every time Bush waved his arms around, or made any kind of gesture that deviated from standing with arms on podium, there was a sudden storm of clicking cameras from the media behind us and at the foot of the stage. I hadn't though much before about how difficult it must be to photograph a speech in an interesting way... or why they bother with photographs at all.
And now some recipes. The best chocolate cake ever:
CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CARAMEL-COCONUT-ALMOND FILLING
Cake
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup water
2 1/4 cups (packed) dark brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
Filling
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut (about 2 1/2 ounces), toasted
1 cup thinly sliced almonds (about 4 ounces), toasted
Frosting
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup sour cream
2 cups sliced almonds (about 8 ounces), toasted
For Cake:
Preheat oven to 350F. Butter three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottoms with waxed paper (My mom recommended leaving tabs on the waxed paper circle that stick up above the top of the pan. This helps with removing the cake later). Butter waxed paper. Combine chocolate and 1 cup water in heavy small saucepan. Stir over low heat until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth (In my experience, the chocolate and the water never fully combined. If there is chocolate sediment at the bottom of the pan, the cake will still turn out fine). Remove from heat. Cool completely, stirring occasionally.
Using electric mixer, beat brown sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add chocolate mixture and vanilla and beat until blended. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into medium bowl. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture alternately with sour cream in 3 additions, beginning with dry ingredients and beating well after each addition.
Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. Using small knife, cut around sides of pans to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks. Remove waxed paper; cool completely.
For filling:
Combine sugar and 1/4 cup water in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil without stirring until syrup turns deep amber, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling occasionally, about 10 minutes (took longer than 10 minutes for me). Remove from heat. Carefully add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously) (also, the sudden addition of a cold liquid will cause the sugar mixture to harden. Don't worry--it will soften when heated again). Place pan over medium low heat and stir until caramel bits melt, about 5 minutes. Stir in toasted coconut and 1 cup toasted almonds. Cool filling until thick enough to spread, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. (I think I didn't boil the sugar mixture long enough, because the filling never really got thick for me. However, it still turned out fine. The caramel kind of soaked into the cake)
For Frosting:
Melt butter and chocolate in heavy small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Transfer to large bowl. Stir in vanilla. Whisk in 1 cup powdered sugar and half of the sour cream. Whisk in remaining powdered sugar and sour cream.
Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread half of filling evenly over top, leaving 1/2-inch border. Top with second cake layer. Spread with remaining filling, leaving 1/2-inch border. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread frosting over sides and top of cake. Press 2 cups sliced almonds onto sides of cake. Using pastry spatula, swirl frosting on top of cake decoratively. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; store at room temperature.)
Serves 12.
Other notes: Due to scheduling constraints, I could not make this cake all in one day. On Wednesday I baked the cake layers, cooled them, and then froze them in gallon ziplock bags. On Thursday I made the filling and the frosting, and refrigerated them until they were reasonably cool.
I put one cake layer on a platter, and pushed wax paper under the edges of the cake to catch any extra frosting or filling before it got on the platter. I added the other two layers with filling in between. Normally I think this is the point where you should be leveling the top of each layer, however, my layers came out pretty flat, so I skipped it. I did, however, hold the knife vertically and cut around the edge of the cake to make the layers even. Then I frosted (frosting a frozen cake is so easy!) and sprinkled toasted almonds on the top--not the sides--of the cake. Doing the top just seemed easier, and still looked nice.
According to the recipe, the cake can sit out for a day at room temperature, but room temperature in a non-air conditioned house is a different situation, so I covered the cake loosely with foil and put it in the fridge. I removed it as soon as I got home from work today, and let it thaw with the foil still on. I later removed the foil and used a paper towel to blot the condensation on the frosting.
The cake is rich... I recommend serving with vanilla ice cream, or a glass of milk.
Second recipe was just a variation on polenta dishes that I've made before, but got good reviews, so for posterity:
POLENTA WITH GREENS AND GOAT CHEESE
Boil 2 cups water with 2 cups milk. Mix 1 cup corn meal with 1/2 cup water and 1 t. salt and gradually add this to the water and milk mixture. Simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring often. Hopefully, you won't have lumps. If you're me, scoop out and discard the larger lumps. About halfway through, add some grated parmesan or other hard cheese--like half a cup.
Pour into greased 9"x 13" pan, top with lightly sauteed greens (I used beet greens) and a jar of marinara sauce. Put in 350F oven for about 8 minutes (or less, if the greens look like they can't take anymore). Throw on some dollops of herbed chevre and torn-up pieces of fresh basil.
I don't really have many comments on hearing Bush speak. Since I already distrust the man, I couldn't sit back and listen to all of his initiatives and just accept that they're wonderful. I don't know as much about the U.S.'s international aid programs as I should, but I certainly did notice that when Bush talked about doubling the amount of funding for AIDS programs in Africa, he talked exclusively (to my recollection) about anti-retroviral drugs, and not at all about prevention. So, being aware of that glaring omission made me skeptical of everything else he said, assuming that he was similarly glossing over other issues.
He put a lot of focus on free trade and financial markets... he repeatedly emphasized that U.S. involvement in other countries is to our advantage, which I agree with, but apparently for different reasons than his. He repeatedly noted that developing countries are potential new markets for U.S. products and services. I remember him mentioning once that economically healthy countries are less likely to export terror (which I agree with... although I would probably frame it differently...). He didn't really say much to the effect of "we should help other countries because it's the right thing to do" (which to me is by far the strongest reason).
I met up with Tim at the Ronald Reagan building at 8:30 (Bush was scheduled to speak at 10), so we got seats in the fourth row. Even being so close, it didn't feel much more real than seeing Bush on TV. One little thing that I did notice, being there in person, was that every time Bush waved his arms around, or made any kind of gesture that deviated from standing with arms on podium, there was a sudden storm of clicking cameras from the media behind us and at the foot of the stage. I hadn't though much before about how difficult it must be to photograph a speech in an interesting way... or why they bother with photographs at all.
And now some recipes. The best chocolate cake ever:
CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CARAMEL-COCONUT-ALMOND FILLING
Cake
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup water
2 1/4 cups (packed) dark brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
Filling
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut (about 2 1/2 ounces), toasted
1 cup thinly sliced almonds (about 4 ounces), toasted
Frosting
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup sour cream
2 cups sliced almonds (about 8 ounces), toasted
For Cake:
Preheat oven to 350F. Butter three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottoms with waxed paper (My mom recommended leaving tabs on the waxed paper circle that stick up above the top of the pan. This helps with removing the cake later). Butter waxed paper. Combine chocolate and 1 cup water in heavy small saucepan. Stir over low heat until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth (In my experience, the chocolate and the water never fully combined. If there is chocolate sediment at the bottom of the pan, the cake will still turn out fine). Remove from heat. Cool completely, stirring occasionally.
Using electric mixer, beat brown sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add chocolate mixture and vanilla and beat until blended. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into medium bowl. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture alternately with sour cream in 3 additions, beginning with dry ingredients and beating well after each addition.
Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. Using small knife, cut around sides of pans to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks. Remove waxed paper; cool completely.
For filling:
Combine sugar and 1/4 cup water in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil without stirring until syrup turns deep amber, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling occasionally, about 10 minutes (took longer than 10 minutes for me). Remove from heat. Carefully add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously) (also, the sudden addition of a cold liquid will cause the sugar mixture to harden. Don't worry--it will soften when heated again). Place pan over medium low heat and stir until caramel bits melt, about 5 minutes. Stir in toasted coconut and 1 cup toasted almonds. Cool filling until thick enough to spread, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. (I think I didn't boil the sugar mixture long enough, because the filling never really got thick for me. However, it still turned out fine. The caramel kind of soaked into the cake)
For Frosting:
Melt butter and chocolate in heavy small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Transfer to large bowl. Stir in vanilla. Whisk in 1 cup powdered sugar and half of the sour cream. Whisk in remaining powdered sugar and sour cream.
Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread half of filling evenly over top, leaving 1/2-inch border. Top with second cake layer. Spread with remaining filling, leaving 1/2-inch border. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread frosting over sides and top of cake. Press 2 cups sliced almonds onto sides of cake. Using pastry spatula, swirl frosting on top of cake decoratively. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; store at room temperature.)
Serves 12.
Other notes: Due to scheduling constraints, I could not make this cake all in one day. On Wednesday I baked the cake layers, cooled them, and then froze them in gallon ziplock bags. On Thursday I made the filling and the frosting, and refrigerated them until they were reasonably cool.
I put one cake layer on a platter, and pushed wax paper under the edges of the cake to catch any extra frosting or filling before it got on the platter. I added the other two layers with filling in between. Normally I think this is the point where you should be leveling the top of each layer, however, my layers came out pretty flat, so I skipped it. I did, however, hold the knife vertically and cut around the edge of the cake to make the layers even. Then I frosted (frosting a frozen cake is so easy!) and sprinkled toasted almonds on the top--not the sides--of the cake. Doing the top just seemed easier, and still looked nice.
According to the recipe, the cake can sit out for a day at room temperature, but room temperature in a non-air conditioned house is a different situation, so I covered the cake loosely with foil and put it in the fridge. I removed it as soon as I got home from work today, and let it thaw with the foil still on. I later removed the foil and used a paper towel to blot the condensation on the frosting.
The cake is rich... I recommend serving with vanilla ice cream, or a glass of milk.
Second recipe was just a variation on polenta dishes that I've made before, but got good reviews, so for posterity:
POLENTA WITH GREENS AND GOAT CHEESE
Boil 2 cups water with 2 cups milk. Mix 1 cup corn meal with 1/2 cup water and 1 t. salt and gradually add this to the water and milk mixture. Simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring often. Hopefully, you won't have lumps. If you're me, scoop out and discard the larger lumps. About halfway through, add some grated parmesan or other hard cheese--like half a cup.
Pour into greased 9"x 13" pan, top with lightly sauteed greens (I used beet greens) and a jar of marinara sauce. Put in 350F oven for about 8 minutes (or less, if the greens look like they can't take anymore). Throw on some dollops of herbed chevre and torn-up pieces of fresh basil.
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