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A Piece of Cake
August 2009: Third Slice
Newsletter written by Anne Byrn August 13, 2009
A Word from Anne
I can’t believe August is here. In our world my children have finished their camps and jobs, but not their summer reading. School is around the corner, we can feel it coming, but we’re not ready for homework. That’s when we love August. It’s relaxed and it’s hot. It’s also my birthday month, and I have many fond childhood memories of swim parties and churning homemade ice cream with friends. At our house we’re savoring what August brings in our basket from a local farm – eggplant, yellow squash, Cherokee black tomatoes, poblano peppers and loads of fresh basil. Basil thrives in steamy August, so make pesto, layer sliced tomatoes with basil leaves and fresh mozzarella cheese, wrap marinated shrimp in basil leaves and slices of prosciutto before grilling, throw hot pasta into a bowl with chopped basil, tomatoes, grated Parmesan, garlic, and toasted pine nuts, then feast.
August is my month to breathe a bit before I hit the road on book tour with my new cake book. It has been nearly 10 years since my first Cake Mix Doctor was published. My youngest child, John, was in a highchair when I wrote that book, and now entering fifth grade and a Star Wars fan, he named the new book. Actually he wanted it to be called “The Return of the Cake Mix Doctor,” but for brevity it became “The Cake Mix Doctor Returns!” Sorry Star Wars fans, there won’t be any light saber fights, just 160 new cake recipes, a photo for every recipe in the style of the first two books, and many classic recipes improved. I’ve listened to your comments, gripes, and praise and have included specific frosting amounts should you need to frost a layer cake, Bundt or just cupcakes. Plus, I’ve baked a wedding cake. And so can you.
If you're a fan of the extra movie scenes at the tail end of a DVD or just like to see a bit behind-the-scenes, click here to check out these photos I took at our Cake Mix Doctor photo shoot in New York in February.
So happy August and happy baking! In this newsletter I share reader comments about those peanut butter cookies of last newsletter, uncover and savor a lost chocolate cake recipe, and give you an amazing taste from The Cake Mix Doctor Returns!
May the cake be with you!
Anne
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A Word from Workman
Anne is going on tour this fall, check to see if she'll be in your town! Visit CakeMixDoctor.com for a full schedule and the latest updates.
Anne is kicking things off with two appearances on QVC on August 30th; In the Kitchen with David starting at noon EST and Now You’re Home with Jill starting at 5pm EST.
The first 25,000 QVC viewers who order the cookbook will receive a free box of Betty Crocker SuperMoist Devil’s Food cake mix, so make sure to tune in!
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Bits & Bytes
Thanks for all the fun feedback after I shared Sylvia Carter’s peanut butter cookie recipe in the last issue of this newsletter. Many of you could not believe that recipe would work without flour. And many of you were thrilled it didn’t contain flour because you could bake it for your family and friends on gluten-free diets. Here is some of the cookie mail I received:
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Always use a plastic fork when pressing down on peanut butter cookies before they go into the oven. The batter won’t stick to the plastic fork. – Lesley Swiacke
-The cookie recipe is just as good using Splenda for those who must watch their sugar. My husband is diabetic so I am always looking for recipes that I can convert to sugar-free. I replace the sugar cup-for-cup with Splenda. I also add a couple teaspoons of sugar just to make sure the cookies brown correctly. – Charlotte Marshall
-I have been making this recipe for about 10 years now and absolutely love it. Try it with Jif peanut butter, which has a higher molasses content. My best hint is to use this recipe in a cookie press! We have made peanut butter blossoms (flower shape) and peanut butter snowflakes with great success. – Jenni Ball-Lindsey
-I have made these flourless peanut butter cookies for many years with one variation. After I take them out of the oven I wait a minute and then plunk an unwrapped Hershey’s Kiss on each one. – Mary Anderson
Hungry for peanut butter cookies but missed the recipe? Click here for the June newsletter…
Q&A
Q. I have paid for your cake books over and over as I make a different one at least once a month and sometimes two or three for my husband’s bridge group. I now have a reputation to uphold which is why I am writing. What am I doing wrong when I make the German chocolate cake with the coconut and pecan icing baked in? It falls both times I have made it. We love the flavor and when I flip it over you can’t tell, but it doesn’t look great coming out of the oven. – Patricia Lyons, Cumming, GA
A. Patricia, because I, too, have experienced this same problem in the last year, the cake mysteriously falling as it cools, I wondered if either the mix or the frosting had been reformulated since I first tested this recipe. Working on my new book, I found a solution, and I share my secret to a More Amazing German Chocolate Cake. It is both an answer to your question and a sneak peek into The Cake Mix Doctor Returns! I hope you find that the little bit of flour added to the batter helps stabilize this cake and keeps it from falling. And this cake has the same great, and amazing, flavor!
More Amazing German Chocolate Cake
 Serves: 12 to 16
Prep: 10 minutes
Bake: 42 to 47 minutes
Cool: 35 to 40 minutes
Vegetable oil spray, for misting the pan
Flour, for dusting the pan
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain German chocolate cake mix
1 container (14.5 ounces) coconut pecan frosting (see Note)
1 cup water
1⁄3 cup all-purpose flour
1⁄3 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar (optional)
1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly mist a 12-cup Bundt pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust it with flour. Shake out the excess flour and set the pan aside.
2. Place the cake mix, frosting, water, flour, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are incorporated, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat the batter for 11/2 minutes longer, scraping down the side of the bowl again if needed. The batter should look smooth and thick. Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan, smoothing the top with the rubber spatula, and place the pan in the oven.
3. Bake the cake until the top springs back when lightly pressed with a finger, 42 to 47 minutes. Transfer the Bundt pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool for 15 minutes. Run a long, sharp knife around the edges of the cake, shake the pan gently, and invert the cake onto a wire rack. Let the cake cool completely, 20 to 25 minutes longer. Sift the confectioners’ sugar over the cake, if desired, then slice and serve.
Store this cake, in a cake saver or loosely covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to five days. Freeze the cake, wrapped in aluminum foil, for up to six months. Let the cake thaw overnight on the counter before serving.
Q. I love to bake, especially homemade cakes. But for some reason my cakes always come out dry. I tried adding extra sugar, extra butter, and even added some sour cream…What do you suggest for me to do to have my cakes come out moist? – Cynthia Jimenez
A. If you are making a from-scratch cake, the two reasons it could be dry are that you are baking it too long (oven might be running too hot) or you are measuring the flour incorrectly. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup, then level off the top with a knife. Don’t dip the cup into the flour bag which causes you to pack the cup with flour and thus add too much flour to the cake. Make sure you are using all-purpose flour, and if you are in a region of the country that sells White Lily flour, use it because it is lower in protein than most flours and perfect for making cakes. And if all else fails, Cynthia, try one of my recipes beginning with a cake mix. They are always moist!
Doctor the Doctor
Sandi Hayes of DeRidder, LA, wrote saying she loves to bake for parties, teacher luncheons, the people at her husband’s office, and is always looking for a cake that makes a great impression but isn’t a lot of trouble. She made my Melted Ice Cream Cake from the first book using coffee ice cream and a white cake mix, adding bourbon-flavored vanilla and her signature chocolate glaze. I begged her for the glaze recipe so that we all might make this to spoon over vanilla ice cream or an ice cream cake!
Sandi’s Chocolate Glaze
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 to 3 tablespoons warm brewed coffee (leftover from the morning pot)
Place the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Pour in the melted butter and coffee, adding enough coffee for the mixture to be pourable. You can substitute warm water for the coffee, if desired.
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Recipe Swap
Nadine Fox had lost this chocolate cake recipe, one she had clipped from Real Simple magazine. Lamenting her loss, she asked me, and I asked readers in a recent newsletter if they had such a cake recipe. And in the end, Nadine’s computer was repaired and she found the missing recipe on her hard drive, much to the delight of all of us who were dreaming about such a moist and chocolate-packed cake with this lightning-fast ganache frosting. I tweaked the recipe a bit, adding a little more water as I do in my Darn Good Chocolate Cake, a recipe that is almost identical to this one. But this is baked in layers, and this makes a wonderful birthday cake, whether you frost it with the Cool Whip ganache, a real ganache made with hot cream and chocolate (see my Chocolate from the Cake Mix Doctor book), or simply frost with whipped cream. Enjoy!
Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain chocolate cake mix
1 package (3.9 ounces) chocolate instant pudding mix (see Note)
4 large eggs
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2/3 cup warm water
½ cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Easy Chocolate Ganache:
1 package (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and place a rack in the center of the oven. Grease and flour two 9-inch round layer pans.
2. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, water, and oil in a large mixing bowl and blend with an electric mixer on low speed until just moistened, 30 seconds. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 1 minute, or until smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips. Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the top. Place the pans side by side in the oven.
3. Bake the cake until it is firm when slightly pressed with a finger, 32 to 35 minutes. Remove the cake layers to a rack to cool 15 minutes.
4. Run a knife around the edges of the pans and invert the layers once then again onto the wire rack so that they may cool right side up. Let the layers completely cool, 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the ganache. Place the thawed whipped topping in a microwave-safe medium to large bowl and add the chocolate chips. Microwave on high power for 1 minute 30 seconds, then remove and stir until the chips have completely melted. If you need to return the bowl to the microwave for 15 to 20 more seconds, do so, then stir until the chocolate has melted. Let the ganache rest on the counter for 5 minutes until it thickens and is pudding-like in consistency.
6. To assemble, place one layer on a cake plate or stand and spread the top with a generous 1/3 cup ganache. Place the second layer on top of the first and frost the top and sides generously. It helps to place the cake in the fridge for 3 to 4 minutes after you have lightly frosted the sides so the frosting sets. Then remove the cake, spread on the remaining frosting, and return it to the fridge so that the frosting is firm to the touch, 3 to 4 minutes. Garnish with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar, a few raspberries or a mint sprig. Slice and serve.
Note: For less shrinking as the layers cool, use a half package of the pudding mix and save the remainder for another cake.
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Next Issue: October 2009
I begin book tour, and hopefully I travel to a town near you. I’ll see you in New York, St. Louis, Nashville, Cincinnati, Dayton, Fort Worth, Dallas, Houston, and Atlanta. And I’ll be blogging and tweeting from the road.
Follow Anne on Twitter at http://twitter.com/annebyrn
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