Devil's Food White-Out Cake

Last week was Joe's birthday, so of course I wanted to bake a cake for him. And I wanted to let him pick his own cake, so I handed him a stack of baking cookbooks and told him I'd make whatever he wanted. The book at the top of the pile was Baking: From My Home to Yours, and he immediately pointed at the cake on the cover and said, "That. I want that cake." I pretty much knew that was going to happen.

I was incredibly nervous about making this cake for some reason. I think I was mostly concerned about the frosting, due to the whole candy thermometer/exact temperature thing. But the cake and the frosting both actually turned out okay, without any hitches, which was a surprise. Actually, this cake turned out better than okay: It was delicious. I served it cold, which gave it the fudgiest, richest texture of just about any cake I've ever made. This cake has a wonderfully decadent chocolate flavor, and the black and white layers make it look so dramatic.

I think this would be equally as delicious frosted with nothing other than sweetened whipped cream. Joe said it was just as good as he'd hoped it would be, and I thought so too.

Devil's Food White-Out Cake
Source: Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan

For the cake:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1/2 cup buttermilk or whole milk, at room temperature
1/2 cup boiling water
4 ounces semisweet or milk chocolate, finely chopped, or 2/3 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips

For the filling and frosting:
1/2 cup egg whites (about 4 large)
1 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-x-2-inch round cake pans, dust the insides with flour, tap out the excess and line the bottoms with parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

2. To make the cake, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Working with a stand mixer or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugars and continue to beat for another 3 minutes. Add the eggs one by one, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla; don't be concerned if the mixture looks curdled. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the melted chocolate. When it is fully incorporated, add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, adding the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the milk in 2 (begin and end with the dry ingredients); scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and mix only until the ingredients disappear into the batter. At this point, the batter will be thick, like frosting. Still working on low speed, mix in the boiling water, which will thin the batter considerably. Switch to a rubber spatula, scrape down the bowl and stir in the chopped chocolate. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and smooth the tops with the rubber spatula.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pans at the midway point. When fully baked, the cakes will be springy to the touch and a thin knife inserted into the centers will come out clean. Don't worry if the tops have a few small cracks. Transfer the cake pans to a rack and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up. (The cooled cake layers can be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to 2 months.)

When you are ready to fill and frost the cake, inspect the layers. If the cakes have crowned, use a long serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to even them. With the same knife, slice each layer horizontally in half. Set 3 layers aside and crumble the fourth layer; set the crumbs aside.

3. To make the filling and frosting, put the egg whites in a clean, dry mixer bowl or in another large bowl. Have a candy thermometer at hand.

Put the sugar, cream of tartar and water in a small saucepan and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, cover the pan and boil for 3 minutes. Uncover and allow the syrup to boil until it reaches 242 degrees F on the candy thermometer. While the syrup is cooking, start beating the egg whites.

When the syrup is at about 235 degrees F, begin beating the egg whites on medium speed with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer. If the whites form firm, shiny peaks before the syrup reaches temperature, reduce the mixer speed to low and keep mixing the whites until the syrup catches up. With the mixer at medium speed, and standing back slightly, carefully pour in the hot syrup, pouring it between the beater(s) and the side of the bowl. Splatters are inevitable -- don't try to scrape them into the whites, just carry on. Add the vanilla extract and keep beating the whites at medium speed until they reach room temperature, about 5 minutes. You should have a smooth, shiny, marshmallowy frosting.

4. To assemble the cake, put a bottom layer cut side up on a cardboard cake round or on a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper. Using a long metal icing spatula, cover the layer generously with frosting. Top with a second layer, cut side up, and frost it. Finish with the third layer, cut side down, and frost the sides and top of the cake. Don't worry about smoothing the frosting -- it should be swirly. Now, cover the entire cake with the chocolate cake crumbs, gently pressing the crumbs into the filling with your fingers.

5. Refrigerate the cake for about 1 hour before serving. (If it's more convenient, you can chill the cake for 8 hours or more; cover it loosely and keep it away from foods with strong odors.)

Buttery Cheesy Garlic Bread

I knew I wanted some garlic bread to go with the baked ziti we had for dinner the other night, but I didn't have any of the frozen kind in the freezer, and I certainly didn't want to take my little one (who is currently suffering from a cold and a double ear infection, poor thing) out to get some. So, I improvised. I had some bolillo rolls in the freezer, so I thawed them on the countertop while I was preparing the ziti, then sliced them in half and topped them with a delicious flavored butter and lots of parmesan cheese and black pepper. These turned out so well, I don't know if I'll ever go back to frozen garlic bread again!

Buttery Cheesy Garlic Bread
Source: Cassie

3 bolillo rolls, sliced in half
1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Shredded parmesan cheese to taste
Fresh-ground black pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a small bowl, mix together butter, garlic powder, salt and parsley. Slather the flavored butter on roll halves. Top with parmesan cheese and black pepper.

3. Bake for about 5 minutes, until butter and cheese begin to melt. Turn broiler to high and broil for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until edges of bread begin to crisp.

Baked Ziti

Lately, Joe and I have been doing a lot of what I call "thrown-together" eating -- making random meals thrown together with the ingredients we have on hand. Most of these meals aren't very blog-worthy, which is why things have been kind of quiet around here lately. However, in response to a hearty Italian food craving that wouldn't leave me alone, I "threw together" this baked ziti, and I think it has become an instant family favorite. So I have to blog about it.

Before I made this, the only baked ziti I had actually ever eaten in my life was from Sbarro at the mall food court. I was initially going to make my own version vegetarian like that one, but Joe -- carnivore extraordinaire -- suggested that I add hot Italian sausage. I typically always use hot Italian sausage in my pasta sauce, so it seemed like a natural fit. So I agreed.

This really hit the spot for me; it's comforting, hearty and delicious. And I pretty much love anything topped with blistery cheese, so that was another added bonus.

Baked Ziti
Source: Cassie

1 pound ziti pasta
1 pound ground hot Italian sausage
1 small onion, chopped
1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce (I used roasted garlic tomato sauce)
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon sugar
1 14.75-ounce can diced tomatoes
8 ounces ricotta cheese
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese, divided

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cook ziti in salted water according to package directions; drain. Add about 1 tablespoon of butter and 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese directly to the noodles; stir until butter and cheese are melted.

3. Meanwhile, brown sausage in a small amount of olive oil in a large, high-sided skillet. Add onion and saute until onion is translucent and sausage is cooked through.

4. Add pasta sauce, Italian seasoning, sugar, and diced tomatoes to the sausage mixture. When sauce is heated through, stir in ricotta cheese. Once the ricotta is incorporated, add the ziti to the sauce mixture.

5. Pour half of the ziti mixture into a greased 9 x 13 casserole dish. Top with 2 cups mozzarella cheese. Pour the rest of the ziti on top of the cheese layer, and top with remaining mozzarella and remaining 1/2 cup of parmesan.

6. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes; remove foil and baked for an additional 20 minutes. Turn broiler to high and broil for 1-2 minutes, or until cheese begins to blister.

Buffalo Chicken Tenders

I love buffalo wings. I mean, really, who doesn't? I love that spicy, buttery sauce and the way the breading and sauce on the chicken sticks to my fingers while I'm eating the wings. Wings are one food you just can't eat neatly. They're also not the healthiest thing to eat, which is why we don't have them very often. But when I saw this recipe pop up on A Taste of Home Cooking, I knew I had to make these buffalo chicken strips for dinner. They're made with chicken tenders, which makes them a little less unhealthy, and they're a lot less messy to eat.

I increased the amount of sauce since we like our wings saucy, and I served the chicken tenders with a store-bought buttermilk ranch dressing for dipping. Crispy French fries completed our casual dinner, but these delicious strips could easily be served in smaller portions as an appetizer. I'll definitely be making these again. Over and over again, if Joe has anything to say about it.

Buffalo Chicken Tenders
Source: adapted from Everyday Food; originally seen on A Taste of Home Cooking

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup hot sauce (I am a firm supporter of Frank's Red Hot; I believe it is superior to any other hot sauce, but by all means use whatever you want)
3 tablespoons melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet, and transfer to oven.

2. Place flour and buttermilk in separate medium bowls; season flour with salt and pepper. Set out another rimmed baking sheet alongside. Dip chicken in buttermilk (allowing excess to drip off), then in flour (shaking off excess); place on sheet.

3. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Working in batches, fry chicken until golden brown and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to rack in oven to keep warm.

4. In a large bowl, stir together hot sauce and melted butter. Add chicken, and toss to coat. Serve tenders with blue cheese or ranch dressing for dipping.

Sour Cream-Orange Coffee Cake with Pecan Streusel

In celebration of the ASPCA's "Go Orange for Animals" day on April 7, my office held an orange-themed bake sale, with 100% of the proceeds going to the ASPCA as they work to prevent animal cruelty. Rather than making something that was actually orange-colored, I decided to make this orange-flavored coffee cake. This was an amazing coffee cake! The texture was dense but not heavy, and it had the perfect amount of orange flavor. I got lots of compliments and more than one request for the recipe, which I think is always a good sign.

The recipe listed below is my modified version of the original, which also called for chocolate in the streusel topping. I'm not a fan of the chocolate-orange combo, so I left it out. You could probably halve the streusel topping itself, because I had a lot left over, and I still felt like the cake had plenty. I really think you should make this right now. Seriously, why are you still reading? Go make this!

(Oh, one more thing before you go: You should really go read more about Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month and maybe even organize something in your own community to raise awareness!)

Sour Cream-Orange Coffee Cake with Pecan Streusel
Source: adapted from Epicurious

For the streusel:
1 1/2 cups (packed) golden brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled salted butter, diced
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 teaspoon grated orange peel

For the cake:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/3 cups sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter, room temperature
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/4 cup fresh orange juice

1. Whisk brown sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl to blend. Add butter and rub in with fingertips until mixture holds together in small, moist clumps. Mix in pecans and orange peel and set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and flour 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan.

3. Sift flour, baking soda, and baking powder into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until blended and smooth. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then orange peel and vanilla extract. Mix in flour mixture in 4 additions alternately with sour cream in 3 additions. Mix in orange juice.

4. Spread half of batter in prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of streusel. Drop remaining batter over by heaping tablespoonfuls; carefully spread batter to make even layer. Sprinkle with remaining streusel.

5. Bake cake 30 minutes. Lay sheet of foil loosely over pan to keep topping from browning too quickly. Continue baking until tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes longer (mine only took an additional 25 minutes; I think it depends on your oven). Remove foil.

6. Cool cake in pan on rack 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.