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A Note from the Doctor
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Q & A
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Hot Tips
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Next Issue: December

Our hearts have been broken, our souls zapped, emotions exhausted, and patience tried. The horror of September 11, followed by the war on terrorism, anthrax scares, and continued worry of more terrorist attacks, has brought panic to the season. It's hard to feel "normal" or even to know what normal is. Thus, a bit reluctantly, and nearly a month late, I send you this latest newsletter.

I am both relieved and proud that the new chocolate book is in many stores. I adore chocolate cake, and there are some real goodies inside this book! Yet, reading the message board I hear the frustration from many of you who pre-ordered the book or rushed down to the book store last week hoping to find a copy hot off the press, but still haven't located one. Many of the shipping delays can be blamed on the current mail crisis, so be patient. There are plenty of books out there. I am sure they will work their ways into your hometowns very soon. To keep you satisfied, we've posted not only the Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Cake on the Web site, but also the Triple-Decker Raspberry Chocolate Cake that I made on the Home Matters show October 29.

And I also share a dandy of a chocolate cake in this newsletter—Chocolate Fudge Ribbon Cake—that is not even found in the new chocolate book! It was initially requested by Nancy Hall of Houston, TX, and two readers were thoughtful enough to send it my way. My daughter Kathleen loved helping me make this big Bundt cake. She watched through the oven door window in amazement as the top cream cheese layer mysteriously sank into the cake as it baked. When you flip the cake onto a platter, the cream cheese layer winds up on top and forms a delicious white ribbon through the chocolate batter, thus the cake's name.

You know, we take for granted just how fascinating baking a simple cake can be. And I am not just talking about licking the bowl. I am talking about watching the cake bake and seeing the final result, the glorious cake that you turn out of the pan onto a rack to cool as you hear your daughter mutter, "that is amazing."

This fall, if you want to witness something truly amazing, turn off the TV news, invite a friend, child or grandchild, even your reluctant spouse, into the kitchen and bake. Then before you start washing up, sit down and fork into this food for the weary soul—warm, home-baked cake.

With thanksgiving,
Anne

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So being cake-crazed is just fine with us and we give thanks to Anne for baking on this fall. By November 1, all books should be in all stores across the country as our vendors work to overcome tight security and delays that we all must accept these days. Keep checking the news board for all Anne's tour information. We have signings coming up in Chicago, Lexington, Louisville, Raleigh, Charlotte, Atlanta, Houston, and San Antonio this November. We will have lots more planned for 2002!

And your next chance to catch Anne on national TV? Wednesday, December 5, on Good Morning America. If you are in Times Square in NYC, why not try and stop by? Happy fall!

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Triple-Decker Raspberry Chocolate Cake

A new and super-easy recipe from the Chocolate book, I prepared this recipe on the Home Matters show recently. In the past, the Discovery Channel has posted my recipes on their web site after an appearance, but they did not act quickly enough for this episode. So, for a limited time we are going to post the recipe. The cake just has five ingredients and tastes like something from a fancy pastry shop. Click here for the recipe.

Are you desperately seeking . . .

A specific baking tip? A certain recipe? Go to the Community Board and use the search function to find past comments about a recipe or baking tip. Here is how it is done: To search for the "ice cream cake," for example, type "ice cream cake" in the search box at the top of the page, then click "go." This will pull all the discussions on this cake. Of course, if you've got the time, you can scroll back through everything by browsing the archives. Click on "click here for recent posts" at the bottom of each Community Board page.

Baking in the Clouds

Vonne Heninger of Lake Almanor, CA, lives at an elevation of 4,500 feet, and she writes that she has had some flops trying to bake the Apricot Nectar cake and also Susan's Lemon Cake. They both fell. I explained to Vonne that she needs to avoid cakes with added sugar at high altitudes. All of you who bake at high altitudes should check out the December 2000 newsletter issue where some excellent tips are shared for baking under these conditions.

Coincidentally, Robin Grattet who lives just minutes outside Denver sent me some high-altitude cake-baking suggestions to share:

• Don't add extra sugar. It results in a darker, sticky crust, and a dip in the middle of the cake.


• Add 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour to the batter. This adds structure.


• Beat the batter as little as possible. Stick with the times in the book or even less. Beating adds air, and this makes the cake too fragile to survive!


• Line layer cake pans with parchment paper.


• Place the pan on a rack in the bottom of the oven.


• Increase the baking temperature by 25 degrees.


• Decrease the baking time. Start checking about 10 minutes before the book's time.

A. I have heard of people baking my cakes and selling them, but this is a new one. Baking cakes for the pet sitter - I love it! On to your question, the wording reveals it all. If the word "sifted" is after the ingredient, you measure first and then sift. But if the word "sifted" is before the ingredient, as in "2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar" you would sift first and then measure.

Q. I have a pan with 6 mini-Bundt cups. I am wondering how to adjust your recipes to use this pan?—Lori Steen

A. You can use most any of my Bundt recipes with this pan. One recipe should fill 6 of those cups, and they will need from 20 to 25 minutes baking time at 350 degrees.

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Lemon Ice Box Pie

Ruby Worrell of Winston-Salem, NC, e-mailed that she had found a recipe for a lemon pie using a cake mix for the crust, but that she had misplaced it. I shared that plea with you, and many of you dispatched all sorts of wonderful lemon desserts. But the recipe that Angel Sims of Trenton, MI, sent was just the one Ruby was seeking. It begins with a box of Jiffy cake mix, that you bake, then crumble and then form into a pie crust. Pour a quickly cooked lemon custard on top, chill, and slice and you have a lemon pie much like that served at the Piccadilly cafeterias.

Makes 8 servings
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 8 to 10 minutes
Chilling time: at least 2 hours

Crust:
1 small package (9 ounces) yellow cake mix
1 egg
1/2 cup water

Filling and Topping:
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups whole milk
3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 8-ounce container frozen whipped topping, thawed or 2 cups whipped cream
Reserved cake crumbs for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and lightly mist a 9-inch round cake pan with vegetable oil spray and dust with flour. Place the cake mix, egg, and water in a medium mixing bowl, and beat at low speed with an electric mixer for 1 minute to incorporate ingredients, then increase the speed to medium and beat 2 minutes longer so that batter lightens. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until lightly golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven. Let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely, 20 minutes more.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Place the sugar, flour, salt, and milk in a medium saucepan and whisk to combine. Turn the heat on medium and whisk constantly until the mixture comes to a boil, about 2 minutes, then reduce heat to medium-low and whisk and cook 2 minutes longer. Remove the pan from the heat and ladle about a cup of the custard into the beaten egg yolks, stirring to incorporate. Slowly pour the egg yolk mixture back into the custard in the pan, whisking to combine well. Whisk in the lemon juice and zest. Place the custard back over medium-low heat and boil 2 minutes longer, whisking constantly, to cook the egg yolks. It should be thick. Set aside to cool.

3. Crumble the cake and measure 2 well-packed cups into a medium bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons sugar. Mist the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie pan with vegetable oil spray and pat crumbs into the pan, packing them down. Place the pie pan in the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the crumbs are lightly browned and crisp. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool.

4. When the pie crust and filling have cooled, turn the filling into the crust and smooth the top. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours. To serve, spread whipped topping or whipped cream over the chilled pie, scatter with some remaining cake crumbs, slice and serve.

Chocolate Fudge Ribbon Cake

It seems like ages ago that Nancy Hall of Houston, TX, requested a chocolate Bundt cake that contained sweetened condensed milk. When the cake baked, she said, the milk mixture made a flan-like moist layer at the top. Many recipes arrived in response, but the two sent by Lakey Curlee of Salisbury, NC, and Carol Thackery of Fullerton, CA, best suited Nancy's wishes. This is an incredibly moist cake, and it is delicious with just a sprinkling of sugar, your favorite chocolate glaze, or what we share below.

Makes 16 servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 48 to 52 minutes
Assembly time: 3 to 4 minutes

Cake:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain devil's food cake mix
1 1/3 cups buttermilk or water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs

Glaze:
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon light corn syrup

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly mist a 12-cup Bundt pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour. Set the pan aside.

2. Place the soft cream cheese, butter, and cornstarch in a medium mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the sweetened condensed milk, egg, and vanilla, and beat until smooth. Set aside. Place the cake mix, buttermilk, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl, and with the same beaters, mix on low speed for 1 minute to incorporate ingredients, then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase the mixer to medium and beat two minutes or until lightened. Pour the chocolate batter into the prepared pan. Pour the cream cheese mixture on top of the chocolate batter, and do not stir. Place the pan in the oven.

3. Bake the cake until the top is firm and the cake tests done, 48 to 52 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, place the chocolate chips, butter and corn syrup in a small saucepan and melt over low heat, stirring until the glaze is smooth.

5. Turn the cake out onto a rack or cake plate, and while it is warm, pour or spoon the glaze just over the top. Let the glaze firm up before slicing, then serve.

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Sybil Buckland of Camden, SC, also has cake savers on her mind. "I discovered cake savers at a dollar store and bought about 20 of them at $1 each. They are great for transporting cakes and if you leave them behind you feel that you've left a gift for the hostess. I especially like them when taking a cake to someone who has had a death in the family. This relieves them of the headache of having to return the container. I just put a note that the cake AND the container are from me."

Becky Marshall of Chicago has some terrific suggestions on making the Chocolate Praline Cake work each and every time. She first lines her pans with parchment paper, which prevents the praline from sticking and the cake from tearing. Then, she lets the praline topping cool, and has even chilled it, before pouring in the cake batter. Lastly she suggests you use a chocolate cake mix with pudding in it, which makes slicing the cake easier. Thanks Becky!

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Kathy Heiney of Hamburg, PA, has obviously earned her advanced degree from Color Me Beautiful! And she could not wait to share her tricks for doctoring up my Chocolate Macaroon Ring Cake, which is in the new book and has been posted on this site as a teaser. "I tint the filling with a drop or two of food coloring before spooning it onto the cake batter. This makes a beautiful presentation when sliced. When I was feeling extremely creative I would use two or more colors spooned alternately such as green and red for Christmas. A thick vanilla glaze sprinkled with green and red sugar or sprinkles added a festive touch." Kathy has even dyed the filling in different pastel colors and topped the cake with multi-colored sprinkles for a baby shower dessert. "The possibilities are endless," she says. How about tinting the filling and glaze to match a birthday person's favorite color, even school colors?

And Julia Hobbs of Anchorage, AK, confessed happily that she has made the Best Pound Cake shared in a recent newsletter with a devil's food cake mix. She added almond extract instead of the vanilla. And after cooling the cake, she frosted it with the Shiny Chocolate Glaze and topped it with almonds. "I shared it with my extended family. Do I need to tell you there was no cake left?"

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And Natalie Johnson of Dallas, TX, is searching for a Butter Pecan Brownie Cake. Please send either or both of these recipes to anne@cakemixdoctor.com. I'll test the recipes and share them in a future newsletter.

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