• July 2010: Second Slice
• February 2010: First Slice
• December 2009: Fifth Slice
• November 2009: Fourth Slice
• August 2009: Third Slice
• June 2009: Second Slice
• March 2009: First Slice
• December 2008: Fourth Slice
• September 2008: Third Slice
• May 2008: Second Slice

Print Page

Email story

I can't jump into fall and prime time baking season without mentioning the recent death of the great cook, author, and TV personality Julia Child.

Living to the 90s is an accomplishment, and without a doubt, Julia Child lived a rich, full life. I keenly remember Julia's August birthday because 12 years ago I was sent as a food reporter from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution to Julia's gray clapboard home in Cambridge to cook lunch and talk food as she approached her 80th birthday. And was I nervous! On the plane ride to Boston, in the rental car navigating my way to Cambridge, then walking up to her pre-Victorian home carrying a small gift from Georgia—a ripe peach—I trembled. Julia was my food hero, a delightful, warbling television star, both commanding and gentle, and a friend to all.

Julia opened the door, and I recall that she appeared as tall as the door frame—she stood 6 foot 2. She led me through the formal living room into her bright, warm, eclectic kitchen, which was comfortable and utilitarian at the same time. A behemoth black Garland gas range rested in the corner like a sleeping giant, as I called it in the story. And on the white walls were brown peg boards holding more than 50 stainless steel, copper, and cast iron pans. The thoughtful efficiency amazed me. If you lifted off each pot, underneath was a penciled outline that her husband Paul had drawn so that Julia could remember where each pan belonged.

Julia broiled free-range chicken, I washed salad greens, and after we sat at the kitchen table she told me gently but firmly how one should always salt the greens first when making a salad, then add a dribble of good olive oil. She poured us a glass of California sauvignon blanc. The wine was cool and crisp, the chicken warm, the salad refreshing, and the company, well, I wished I didn't have to report about the afternoon so I could enjoy it all the more.

I would see Julia after that on several occasions, and she would remember me. She seemed to remember everyone. In the early days of television Julia made a name for herself because of her on-air gaffes—the sunken soufflé, the crying custard, the slippery chicken that wound up on the floor—but what she contributed to our culture was far more than slap-stick food TV. She taught us to appreciate one another and to cook simple, well prepared food.

Oddly, I read now something she told me that day, referring to her years on television, "Once you're off
the tube, you're dead. The next generation doesn't know who you are." I think Julia was wrong about the next generation not remembering her. So as you ease back into cooking and baking this fall, remember Julia Child, remember how delicious a ripe piece of fruit can taste, and share her love of simple food with others.

And keep in your thoughts and prayers the victims of the Russian school siege, those people recovering from the destruction of hurricane Frances in Florida, families of victims of 9/11 as we near the third anniversary of the tragedy, and members of our U.S. military in Iraq and their families at home.
Peace to everyone this baking season,
Anne

Third Annual Cake Mix Doctor Bake-for-Charity Contest

Dust off your cake pans and preheat the oven, it's time for the third annual Cake Mix Doctor Bake-for-Charity Recipe Contest. For the last two years we have awarded $1,000 to the charity chosen by our grand prize winning baker. With that prize money, local communities have put a roof on an animal shelter and helped raise breast cancer awareness. This year will be no different.

This year's contest theme: Bake Sales! With the Bake Sale theme, we want your best and favorite layer cake, sheet cake, Bundt, brownie, bar, or cookie you tote to bake sales. Share your tips for packaging these items to sell, stories on how the recipe came to be, and let us know if this recipe is unique to your region of the country. Runners-up will receive prizes, too, and all the winning recipes will be shared with you in the October newsletter.

So start baking, and send your recipe to anne@cakemixdoctor.com with the tagline "Recipe Contest" by midnight, EST, September 30, 2004. We're going to bake cakes like mad in the test kitchen, then get the newsletter to you by the last week in October.

Making a Chocolate Groom's Cake

My dear friend Diane asked me to prepare a groom's cake for her son's wedding, and it was a special request because his favorite cake from my books is the Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake, page 50 in The Cake Mix Doctor. This is a moist sheet cake that contains just devil's food cake mix, a can of cherry pie filling, two eggs and some almond extract. And yet, this cake, while delicious, presented a challenge because it is just chocolate on chocolate and not that spectacular to look at. After some thought, the right pans, and a little luck, a gorgeous chocolate groom's cake evolved. Here's how I did it in case you are asked to make such a cake.

Use three pans, the really deep ones like wedding cake bakers use, about 3 inches deep. I used a 10-inch pan, an 8-inch pan, and a 6-inch pan, purchased in a set. And I prepped them by brushing solid vegetable shortening (Crisco) over the sides and bottom with a pastry brush then dusting with flour. I also added an extra egg to each batch of cake batter to give the cake more loft.

One batch of cake mix batter yields between 4 and 6 cups. Keeping that in mind, I prepared three batches of batter, in separate bowls. I find that the batter combines more easily in one batch, and you can double-batch in a very large bowl, but unless you have commercial equipment it's tough to properly mix three batches in one bowl.

The 10-inch pan would bake at 325 degrees in my upper oven, and the two small layers would bake at 350 degrees in the lower oven. If you have just one oven, bake the 10-inch layer first, then increase the temperature and bake the other two.

Thanks to the instructions that came with the pans, I filled these pans no more than half full. The 10-inch pan held about 8 cups of batter and baked in about 70 to 75 minutes. The 8-inch pan held about 5 cups of batter and baked in 50 minutes. The 6-inch pan held 3 cups of batter and baked in 40 minutes. The reason you bake any layer larger than 9 inches across in a lower oven (325) is that it allows the layer to bake more evenly, and it doesn't dome up, which makes stacking easier.

After the layers had been removed from the pan, I let them cool completely on a wire rack. While they were in the oven, I prepared three recipes of the Chocolate Ganache frosting in three separate bowls so it would chill and firm up more rapidly.

Ready to assemble. Stack the largest layer on a silver tray, top with a coating of ganache that has the consistency of peanut butter. Spread to fill any dips and hollows so that the top of the first layer is level. Frost around the sides of the bottom layer. Add the 8-inch layer and frost the top of it as you did the first layer, frosting it level. Frost the sides of the 8-inch layer. Now, position the 6-inch layer on top. We secured these layers with two wooden skewers stuck down through the three layers, parallel to each other. We snapped off an inch or so, so that the skewers were hidden below the top of the cake. Now, frost the top of the cake decoratively with lots of frosting, frost the sides of the top layer, and then go back over the sides of the cake, layering on the rest of the frosting, using clean, smooth strokes. Chill the cake uncovered for at least an hour before transporting. Garnish with fresh flowers and cherries, chocolate curls, or any decorative touches you like. This cake will serve 50 to 60.

Wedding Cake Wonders

If you have turned a Cake Mix Doctor recipe into a wedding or groom's cake, we'd like to hear about it. Please share how you made the cake, what tips you can pass along, and a photo, too. We'll share these stories in future newsletters to help those of us who are asked to bake that important cake. Call these "Wedding Cake Wonders" in the subject line of your note, and send them to me at anne@cakemixdoctor.com .

Turning a Sheet or Layer Cake into a Bundt

I turned a simple sheet cake into a spectacular groom's cake. But what if you just want to turn a sheet cake into a Bundt? This question comes up often.

You can absolutely do this, but remember that with a two-egg cake such as this the Bundt won't rise to the top. The big pretty Bundts usually contain four eggs. You can get away with three eggs. So add an egg or two if needed.

A Bundt bakes somewhere between 40 minutes and an hour, depending on the ingredients. With the addition of pudding, sour cream, and chocolate, the cake takes longer to bake. But take care not to overbake Bundts, as they will bake more quickly than the same cake in a tube pan.

Signs for doneness? Carefully press the top of the cake with your finger and see if it springs back. Shake the pan slightly. The batter shouldn't jiggle. The beauty of Bundts is that they are delicious as is, with a simple glaze, or a dusting of confectioners' sugar.

The second recipe is one from Elaine Dolan of Kingston, MA. "What memories it brought back to me of a wonderful soft drop cookie that my mom used to make for my dad, brother, and me. Well, I searched my recipes and much to my dismay it had not been passed along to me, so I immediately got on
the phone to my mom (now 85). She knew right where it was."

We suggest glazing Elaine's recipe, known as Roberta's Soft Pineapple Cookies, with the brown butter frosting, too.

Pineapple Drop Cookies with Brown Butter Frosting

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 8 minutes
Assembly time: 20 minutes
Makes 40 1 1/2-inch cookies

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained well, juice reserved
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Brown Butter Frosting:
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
6 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons reserved pineapple juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Garnish:
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Set aside two baking sheets.

2. Place the shortening and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until creamed, 30 seconds. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, 1 minute. Add the pineapple and beat 15 seconds to incorporate. Turn off the machine. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the batter with a wooden spoon. Fold in the walnuts.

3. Drop the batter by teaspoonfuls onto the baking sheets. Bake the cookies until they are set and begin to brown, 8 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and remove the cookies to wire racks to cool.

4. For the frosting, sift the confectioners' sugar into a large mixing bowl and set it aside. Place the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir and cook until the butter melts and browns. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the pineapple juice and the vanilla and pour the liquid mixture over the sugar, whisking until smooth.

5. Dunk the top of each cookie into the pan of frosting. Place on a flat surface for the frosting to set, or sprinkle with coconut while the frosting is warm. Serve.

Note: These cookies store well, up to five days, covered, at room temperature.

Roberta's Soft Pineapple Cookies

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 8 minutes
Makes 60 1 1/2-inch cookies

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
2/3 cup vegetable shortening or butter, melted
1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple with juice (undrained)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Set aside two baking sheets.

2. Place the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Make a well in the center. Melt the shortening or butter and pour it into the well. Add the pineapple and juice, eggs, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes or until the eggs are well combined. The dough will be wet.

3. Drop the batter by teaspoonfuls onto the baking sheets and bake until they set and begin to brown, 8 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven, and remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool. Frost with the frosting above, dust with confectioners' sugar, or serve as is.

Many of you are enjoying making biscotti using my recipes in book one. Here is a great way to tweak what I offer. Eileen Leyrer of Cherry Hill, NJ, writes that she made her father-in-law biscotti, but she added half a tube (stick) of almond paste, 2 teaspoons orange extract, and 2 tablespoons grated fresh orange zest to my Lemon Pecan Biscotti, page 352. Use a yellow cake mix instead of the lemon and omit the pecans.

Winning recipes from the Cake Mix Doctor's Bake-for-Charity Recipe Contest. $1,000 will go to the grand prize winner's favorite charity.