"It Takes Two"

I fully acknowledge that the title of this blog was a grade C movie starring the Olsen twins from the 90s, but the following recipes/decadent photos should more than remedy my referencing such a mediocre flick. I gained a reputation as the “office baker” thanks to these cupcakes. An “unnamed” (you know who you are) coworker secretly crossed out all of the names on the Birthday Sign-Up Sheet (a list that shows who is in charge of providing a cake/dessert for the monthly birthday celebration) and volunteered my services for the next 5 months. In other words, these cupcakes mean business, and will surely create a cult following of sugar-addicted fans if you endeavor to recreate them. I baked these cupcakes (a total of 48!) for our CEO Jennifer Hurley-Wales’ surprise birthday party, which took place in lieu of an all-staff meeting. Knowing the entire office would be involved, simple cupcakes with frosting wasn’t about to cut it, so I took leap: Dark Chocolate Cupcake with Salted Caramel Filling and Dark Chocolate Frosting AND Guinness-Gingerbread Cupcakes with Lemony Cream Cheese Frosting and Candied Ginger.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Filling

Guinness-Gingerbread Cupcakes

Time-consuming would be an understatement for these recipe – be prepared to devote an entire evening and morning to these little beauties. The result was well worth the effort. Considering I wanted these cupcakes to go above and, both are hybrids of several recipes. Let’s start with the one I know caught all of your attention, the chocolate! My go-to recipe for chocolate cake has and always will be Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Cake. Quite some time ago, I had come across a recipe by Martha Stewart on one of my go-to baking blogs, BakeorBreak, and have been waiting for the perfect opportunity to try it! Unfortunately, the recipe was for mini cupcakes which, while cute and equally delicious, wasn’t quiote the angle I wanted for this surprise party. As such, I stole the salted caramel filling (no, you’re not dreaming – this is really happening) and dark chocolate frosting portions of the recipe, and used my favorite chocolate cake recipe. These cupcakes were unbelievably amazing!!!!!!!!!

Cooking tip: the recipe calls for a candy thermometer in order to register when the caramel is done – having never owned a candy thermometer; I go by sight and wait until the boiling sugar begins to turn deep amber. I also added 2 tbsp of butter for extra creaminess! For the frosting, be prepared to add a tablespoon or two of butter if the chocolate seems to be burning (a.k.a. gets too stiff to stir).

Confession time: per usual, I forgot a few things. For the chocolate frosting, I didn’t use the “best quality” chocolate for the frosting, but rather 2 bags of Hershey’s semi-sweet chocolate chips. The flavor, in my opinion, was still a sinfully rich texture, so I think either decision is a safe one. Additionally, I used kosher salt in place of the Fleur de Sel.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Filling

Adapted via BakeOrBreak

Yields: about 30 cupcakes

Ingredients

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes:

   - 2 cups sugar

   - 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

   - 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa

   - 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

   - 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

   - 1 teaspoon salt

   - 2 eggs

   - 1 cup milk

   - 1/2 cup vegetable oil

   - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

   - 1 cup boiling water

Salted Caramel Filling:

   - 2-1/2 cups sugar

   - 2/3 cup water

   - 1 tablespoon light corn syrup

   - 3/4 cup heavy cream

   - 2-1/2 teaspoons sea salt

   - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Dark Chocolate Frosting 

   - 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

   - 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon boiling water

   - 2-1/4 cups (4-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

   - 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

   - 1/4 teaspoon salt

   - 1-1/2 pounds semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Directions:

For cupcakes: Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. 

For caramel filling: Heat sugar, water, and corn syrup in a heavy saucepan over high heat. Stir occasionally until syrup is clear. Attach a candy thermometer to side of pan. Stop stirring, and cook until syrup comes to a boil, washing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush as needed. Boil, gently swirling pan occasionally, until mixture is caramelized and turns a deep amber brown.

Remove from heat. Slowly pour in cream and wait until the simmering subsides; whisk with a wooden spoon until smooth, then whisk in butter 1 tbsp at a time. Stir in sea salt. Use immediately. If caramel begins to harden, reheat gently until pourable.

For filling: Combine cocoa and boiling water. Stir until cocoa has dissolved.

Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, confectioners’ sugar, and salt until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add melted and cooled chocolate. Beat until combined. Beat in cocoa mixture. Frosting can be refrigerated up to 5 days or frozen up to 1 month. Bring to room temperature and beat on low speed until smooth before using.

For assembly: Use a paring knife, cut a cone-shaped piece, about 1/2-inch deep, from the center of each cupcake. Spoon 1-2 teaspoons of warm caramel filling into each cupcake. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt over filling.

Fit a pastry bag with a medium open-star tip (Wilton #18). Fill pastry bag with frosting. Pipe onto cupcakes, swirling tip and releasing as you pull up to form a peak. Garnish with a pinch of sea salt. Cupcakes are best eaten the day they are filled and frosted. Store at room temperature in an air-tight container until ready to serve.

Note: The cupcakes can be stored, unfrosted, in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature.

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Now, let’s talk about the wild card: Guinness-Gingerbread Cupcakes. When I was first asked to bake the birthday cupcakes for the occassion, the coordinator had suggested this combination. My adventurous streak was intrigued having never tried such a flavor combination, and I set out to find the perfect recipe. It boiled down to two possible sources, and I went with my leading man –David Lebovitz. The balance of Guinness, molasses and sugar seemed perfect for the depth of flavor I wanted. Unfortunately, the thought of a lime buttercream frosting wasn’t exactly my ideal pairing, so I went with a standard cream cheese frosting and added lemon zest and juice. The result was perfect, and the minced candied ginger was the perfect finishing touch! I doubled this recipe since the original only produces 12, but somehow ended up with 30 cupcakes rather than 24!

Cooking tip: be sure to have the sugar pre-measured during the boiling of the Guinness-molasses mixture; you want to add it immediately after you remove the pot from the heat to ensure the sugar melts evenly.

Confession time: I completely forgot to include the minced candied ginger, hence using it instead as a garnish – simple solution, but still a beautifully delicious result!

Guinness-Gingerbread Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted via David Lebovitz
Yields: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients
For the cupcakes:

   - 1/2 cup stout beer, such as Guinness

   - 1/2 cup  mild-flavored molasses

   - 1/2 cup vegetable oil

   - 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 

   - 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

   - 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour

   - 1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder

   - 2 tsp.ground ginger

   - 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

   - 1/4 teaspoons ground cloves

   - 1/2 teaspoons table salt

   - 2 large eggs, at room temperature

   - 1/2 cup finely minced candied ginger

For the frosting

   - 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
   - 1/2 cup butter, softened
   - 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
   - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
   - half a large lemon, zested and juiced

   - Strips of candied citrus peel or candied ginger, for garnish

Directions:

For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners. In a very large saucepan, bring the stout, molasses, and oil to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat and whisk in the baking soda until dissolved. (The mixture will foam up, then settle down.) Stir in the brown sugar, then let cool until tepid.

Into a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Whisk the eggs into the stout mixture, then whisk in the flour mixture just until incorporated. Don’t overmix. Gently stir in the minced candied ginger. Divide the batter among the cupcake liners and bake until the cupcakes feel just set in the center, 22 to 24 minutes. Let cool completely.

For the frosting: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar. Add the lemon zest and juice. Store in the refrigerator after use. Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Remove the cupcakes from the muffin tin. Pipe rosettes of frosting in the center of each cupcake. (If you don’t have a pastry bag, you can spoon a mound of frosting decoratively in the center.) Garnish each with strips of candied citrus peel or a piece of candied ginger.

Note: The cupcakes can be stored, unfrosted, in an airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature.

And The Baker Said "Let There be Cheesecake!"

Cheesecake...dulce de leche...do you need to read the rest of this post to be convinced that you must make these? Let us consider the pros and cons. The pros: a rich texture of cream cheese with a buttery graham cracker crust, the sinful addition of dulce de leche, and a glossy layer of chocolate to top it all off. The cons: that these are just photos and you are not eating a piece this very second. I baked these squares for my coworkers at From the Top, and an clean pan was returned to me within hours of its arrival at the office. In other words, I highly recommend this recipe for all lovers of cheesecake, and possibly to those who have an aversion towards this classic dessert as well. It's just that good.

There is nothing more beautiful than dulce de leche. A simple ingredient, it has the capacity to transform any dessert from average to extraordinary. I always make my own based on David Lebovitz's recipe, and it turns out perfect every time (see above). The traditional method of preparation is boiling a can of sweetened condensed milk over the stovetop. This method seems particularly dangerous when one considers it could become a volatile procedure. The oven method is my preference, and has always produced the desired. That bowl of dulce de leche was extremely difficult to set aside to complete the recipe.

It is regrettable that cheesecake has not received due recognition on this blog considering it is a specialty of mine. But I do have one very special recipe in mind that will soon grace the archives of this site (it's a surprise, so stay tuned!). As far as this recipe is concerned, it takes a slightly different route than your traditional cheesecake: it calls for unflavored gelatin. Being the purist I am, this ingredient was one I initially opposed. Yet one of the setbacks in making cheesecake squares is their lack of stability. The addition of gelatin is a quick fix for said problem, and certainly proved its point with these squares.

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Squares

Adapted from SmittenKitchen

Make 24-30 squares

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 cup crumbled graham crackers (4 to 4 1/2 crackers)
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Filling

• 1 tsp unflavored gelatin (from a 1/4-oz envelope, will be just about half an envelope)
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 3/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup dulce de leche (store-bought, or homemade)

Glaze

• 3 oz bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), coarsely chopped (I used Ghiradelli)
• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 2 teaspoons light corn syrup

Directions

For Crust: Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325°F. Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with 2 sheets of foil (crisscrossed), leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides.

Finely grind crackers with sugar and a pinch of salt in a food processor*. With motor running, add butter, blending until combined. Press mixture evenly onto bottom of baking pan. Bake 10 minutes, then cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes.

*If you don't have a food processor (like me), then grinds the crackers, sugar, and salt in a blender. Once done, place in a bowl and mix in the melted butter (much less of a mess this way)

For Cake: Sprinkle gelatin over milk in a small bowl and let stand 2 minutes to soften. Beat together cream cheese, eggs, salt, and gelatin mixture in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until well combined, about 2 minutes, then stir in dulce de leche gently but thoroughly. Pour filling over crust, smoothing top, then bake in a hot water bath (I was able to fit mine in a 9×13-inch baking pan) in oven until center is just set (shake the pan gently to test for this), about 45 minutes.

Once done, turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside for at least 1 hour (this will prevent the unseemly crack notorious to all cheesecakes), then remove from oven and let cool on a rack for an additional 45 minutes to an hour. Chill, covered, at least 6 hours.

For Glaze: (within 2 hours of serving) Heat all glaze ingredients in a double boiler or a small metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth, then pour over cheesecake, tilting baking pan to coat top evenly. Chill, uncovered, 30 minutes.

Lift cheesecake from pan using foil overhang and cut into 1-inch squares with a thin knife, wiping off knife after each cut. (This is crucial! I had a glass of water next to me while cutting the squares, and I dipped the knife after each slice)

Note: Cheesecake (without glaze) can be chilled up to 3 days. If glaze is chilled overnight, it will make it difficult to cut

In Honor of Germany's Performance at the 2010 FIFA World Cup

Okay, so German Chocolate Cake is by no means of German origin, but instead owes its name to Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate; a dark baking chocolate bar created by Englishman Samuel German. But I felt Germany deserved to be acknowledged for an extremely valiant effort in the 2010 FIFA Tournament, and this decadent dessert seems to do them justice regardless of origin. I had also promised my coworkers at From the Top that I would provide them with baked goods after having circulated this blog link around the office. So the choice: German Chocolate Cupcakes.

Let me preface this blog entry by saying the following: these cupcakes are not your standard "Betty Crocker" cupcakes that mushroom 6 inches above the pan. In fact, the tops are almost completely flat. But looks can be deceiving, and this cupcake has a few tricks up its sleeve. The first secret? Separating the eggs. Emulsifying the yolks into the batter then folding in the (whipped) egg whites separately create a texture that is both light and rich! The yolks provide the leavening agent, while the whites incorporate just enough air into the mix to create a fluffy consistency. The second secret: buttermilk! Now I have mentioned this in previous posts - I never purchase buttermilk for baking (unless it is an essential component to the overall taste, in which case I shell out the extra dime). But the simplicity of adding a tablespoon of white vinegar to a cup of milk will produce the desired effect, and it is an effect that is by and far a leading contributor to the beautifully moist texture of these cupcakes.

Now on to the recipe: these cupcakes are from one of my favorite blogs - David Lebovitz. As a resident of Paris, he has learned that the French palate prefers desserts that are not as sugar-laden as American recipes. I personally find it a welcome change of pace considering it presents a dessert that relies more on the quality of its ingredients than on that extra cup or two of sugar.it calls for cake flour, but having never had the energy/funds to stock up on said ingredient, I always resort to all-purpose. The trick? Loosely-measuring all-purpose flour will produce the same effect as cake flour (as illustrated above). The buttermilk and cake flour shortcuts are two constants in my baking, and saviors to my wallet.

Another change: I used a mixture of unsweetened coconut with sweetened. This combintation produced a well-balanced frosting that wasn't too overwhelming or lacking in sweetness. I also doubled this recipe wanting to create 24 cupcakes...I ended up with 32. Not sure how that happened, but just be aware that this is a possibility. WARNING: upon finishing all the steps required for the batter, you will be tempted to take a spoon and eat it straight from the mixing bowl (see above). RESIST this temptation by all means and proceed to fill those cupcake liners. Trust me, the baked product is way worth it. But definitely feel free to have a spoonful (or five) of the frosting ;)

German Chocolate Cupcakes

Adapted (and Doubled) from David Lebovitz

24-28 cupcakes

Cupcakes

• 4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup boiling water or coffee
• 16 tbsp (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups loosely-measure all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (125 ml) buttermilk (or 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp white vinegar/lemon juice)

Frosting

• 1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 4 large egg yolks
• pinch of salt
• 4 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted, at room temperature
• 4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 3 cups sweetened or unsweetened coconut flakes, lightly toasted (or 1 1/2 cups of each)
• 2 cups chopped, toasted pecans
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

For Cupcakes: Preheat the open to 350ºF (180ºC). Line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners. Pour the boiling water or coffee over the chocolate, and stir until melted. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or by hand, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Then mix in the vanilla and the melted chocolate. Whisk together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour.

In a clean, dry bowl, whip the two egg whites until stiff, then fold one-third of them in to the chocolate batter, then the rest. Fold just into there are no streaks of white remaining, but don't overfold. Divide the batter between the muffin cups and bake for about 25 minutes, until the batter feels just set in the center. Remove from the oven, then let cool for a few minutes.
Once cool enough to handle, remove the cupcakes from the muffin tin and let cool on a wire rack completely before frosting

For Frosting: Whisk together the evaporated milk, brown sugar, egg yolks, and salt in a medium saucepan. Add the butter, then cook the mixture, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula over medium heat, like a custard, until the mixture begins to thicken and coats the spatula. Do not let boil.

Remove from heat and immediately whisk in the chocolate, stirring gently until melted. Then stir in the coconut, pecans, and vanilla. (If using just unsweetened coconut, you can add an additional teaspoon of brown sugar if it's not sweet enough, to your taste.) Let cool to room temperature, then use the frosting to ice the cupcakes, topping the cupcakes with a bit of toasted coconut as a garnish after you ice them, if you wish.

Two Temptations for Two Celebrations

Normally my birthday cakes, decoration-wise, consist either of topping the cake with chocolate chips, syrup, etc. or covering it with a simple buttercream or cream cheese frosting. Yet these two cakes required a few extra steps in terms of decorating. Each cake was made for a friend's birthday, and both were well worth the extra effort put into these cakes. The two cakes are a Strawberry Basket Cake with Whipped Crème Fraîche Frosting and a Brown Sugar Cake with Dulce de Leche Cake and Almond Praline.

This cake was incredible!!! The cake gets a richness from the sour cream as well as density of flavor from the addition of orange juice and zest. I chose square pans rather than round cake pans to better emulate a basket. It also made the basket weave design (see link at end of recipe) easier than had it had round edges.

I would recommend letting the Whipped Crème Fraîche chill for a little bit. It is not as stiff as buttercream or cream cheese frosting, and is thus difficult to make a basket weave using. I would also recommend making this the whole 8 hours ahead - that way the filling will have time to absorb into the cake and really take up the flavor!

Strawberry Basket Cake with Whipped Crème Fraîche Frosting

Bon Apetit

Serves 10

Ingredients

Cake

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs

• 2 12-ounce baskets strawberries
• 1/3 cup strawberry preserves

Whipped Crème Fraîche

• 3 cups chilled whipping cream
• 3/4 cup chilled sour cream
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper. Sift first 4 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and 1 cup sugar in large bowl until well blended. Beat in sour cream, orange juice, orange peel and vanilla. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add dry ingredients and beat until well blended. Divide batter between prepared pans; smooth tops.

Bake cakes until light golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 28 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on rack 30 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely.

Whipped Crème Fraîche: Using an electric mixer, beat all ingredients in a large bowl until stiff peaks form.

Meanwhile, hull and slice 1 basket strawberries. Place in medium bowl. Add preserves and 2 tablespoons sugar; toss to blend. Let stand at room temperature until juices form, about 2 hours.

Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Top with sliced berry mixture in even layer. Spread 1 3/4 cups Whipped Crème Fraîche over berry mixture. Top with second cake layer, flat side down, pressing slightly. To make basket weave, spread 1 1/4 cups Whipped Crème Fraîche over top and sides of cake; then follow directions in the box at right. Or to frost simply, spread all of Whipped Crème Fraîche over top and sides of cake. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate.) Mound remaining whole berries in center of cake.

Visit the original recipe to learn How to Pipe a Basket Weave

This cake was uh-mazing! Dulce de Leche makes any dessert 10x better, and this recipe is no exception. The most difficult part of this recipe is the praline. Be careful to not overcook the sugar as it will burn and ruin the mix. As mentioned in the recipe, use a fork, NOT you fingers to rearrange the almonds once you have poured the sugar mixture on top of them.

This recipe comes from another blog I follow called Bake and Shake. She mentions that the praline was not a favorite by her guest given that it was too sharp too eat, but when I served this everyone loved it! I may have made my pieces a little smaller as well. Also, she purchased a can of Dulce de Leche whereas I made my own (click here to see David Lebovitz's recipe, the only one I've used and trust). She also replaces buttermilk with a combination of milk and cream. When I made this, I just used 1/2 cup of regular whole milk + 2 tsp distilled white vinegar. Other than that, prepare yourself for an amazing dessert experience!!!

Brown Sugar Cake with Dulce de Leche and Almond Praline

Bake and Shake

Serves 8 - 10

Ingredients:

Cake 


• 1 stick salted butter, melted and cooled

• 1 cup packed Dark Brown sugar

• ½ cup buttermilk (or ¼ cup milk, ¼ cup cream and two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar)

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 ½ cups AP flour

• 2 large eggs

• ½ teaspoon almond extract

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Praline:

• 2/3 cup granulated sugar

• 1/3 cup cold water

• ¾ cup almonds, toasted and roughly chopped

Frosting:


• 1 cup heavy cream

• 3 oz cream cheese

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• ¼ teaspoon almond extract

• 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

• 1/3 cup (heaping) of powdered sugar

• 1 14 oz can prepared Dulce de Leche

Directions

Praline:
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Put on a shirt with long sleeves, and fill a large bowl with cold water.

In a small saucepan (with high sides) over medium heat, melt the sugar and water together until the mixture is clear and all sugar granules have dissolved. Bring to a rapid simmer and continue cooking for at least eight minutes (it took me longer, it may take you less time to reach that state), swirling the pan gently, until the sugar turns golden or light-amber, if you prefer – once the mixture has turned from yellow to gold, remove from the heat immediately – carry-over cooking can turn caramel from golden to completely burnt.

Pour the caramel over the chopped almonds, and use a fork (NOT YOUR FINGERS) to rearrange the almonds if needed. Leave to cool completely.

Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour one 9-inch round cake pan. Whisk together the sugar, eggs, salt. vanilla and almond extracts until smooth. Add the flour and baking soda, and stir just until combined. Pour in the butter, and whisk until batter has absorbed it all. Then add the buttermilk and whisk again, until the batter has absorbed all of the liquid.

Pour into the prepped pan, and bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool in-pan for ten minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely.

Frosting:
Chill the whisk/beaters/etc. and bowl you’ll be using for at least 15 minutes.Pour the cream and granulated sugar into the bowl, and whisk or whip until medium-stiff peaks form. Add the vanilla and almond extracts, and whip until combined. Transfer to a different bowl, and set aside.

Cream the powdered sugar and cream cheese together until smooth. Add 1/3 of the whipped cream, and beat together – this will lighten the cream cheese and make it easier to combine with the whipped cream. Switch to a spatula, and add the rest of the whipped cream. Fold the two mixtures together completely.

Assembly:
Split the completely cooled cake with a serrated knife, and pipe a border of frosting around the perimeter. Spread the Dulce de Leche within the boundaries, in an even layer, and place the second layer on top. Smooth the rest of the frosting over the top and sides.

Using a mezzuluna, your hands, or a long, large chef’s knife, crack the praline into small pieces. Press against the side of the cake, and scatter any extra over the top.

Setting the "Bar" High for Recital Receptions

Receptions are my number one venue for baking aside from birthday celebrations. I tend to lean towards cookies and bars for these events so distribution can be more easily achieved for a larger group. For my recital, I baked two sets of bars that were oh so good! I transported them to the recital in tupperware and plastic wrap (another reason for choosing bars and cookies over cakes). The two bars I made were Dulce de Leche Brownies and Chewy Toffee Blondies.

These brownies were devoured in no time at all. The combination of chocolate and homemade dulce de leche was an irresistible result. These brownies should be made the day ahead of time to allow the dulce de leche to set as well as time for enhancing the flavor.

This recipe comes frm one of my favorite pastry chefs, David Lebovitz. The recipe calls for 1 cup of Dulce de Leche. You can either make you own or buy it at a store. Here is a link for making you own Dulce de Leche. He uses the oven method rather than the stovetop one as it is much safer as well as more consistent. I also omitted the optional pecans/walnuts. These brownies will keep, stored in tupperware, for up to 3 days.

Dulce de Leche Brownies

David Lebovitz

Yields: 12 brownies

Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons (115g) salted or unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 6 ounces (170g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

• 1/4 cup (25g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 3 large eggs

• 1 cup (200g) sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 cup (140g) flour
• 1 cup (100 g) toasted pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped
(optional)
• 1 cup Dulce de Leche (or Cajeta)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (175 C).
2. Line a 8-inch (20 cm) square pan with a long sheet of aluminum foil that covers the bottom and reaches up the sides. If it doesn't reach all the way up and over all four sides, cross another sheet of foil over it, making a large cross with edges that overhang the sides. Grease the bottom and sides of the foil with a bit of butter or non-stick spray.
3. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the chocolate pieces and stir constantly over very low heat until the chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth. Add in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the sugar, vanilla, then the flour. Mix in the nuts, if using.
4. Scrape half of the batter into the prepared pan. Here comes the fun part.
Drop one-third of the Dulce de Leche, evenly spaced, over the brownie batter, then drag a knife through to swirl it slightly. Spread the remaining brownie batter over, then drop spoonfuls of the remaining Dulce de Leche in dollops over the top of the brownie batter. Use a knife to swirl the Dulce de Leche slightly.
5. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. The brownies are done when the center feels just-slightly firm. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

The second type of bar I made was Chewy Toffee Blondies. I LOVE blondies! Granted, they are basically brown sugar bars but that in itself makes them delicious. Like brownies, you can add pretty much anything you want to them (such as nuts, chocolate, etc). This recipe is from another blog I like to follow called Not Derby Pie. She adopted this recipe from Dorie Greenspan. I omitted the last 2 ingredients as she did (coconut and walnuts) and used butterscotch chips. These bars were still perfectly moist, but naturally the brownies overshadowed them at my recital reception.

Chewy Toffee Blondies

Not Derby Pie

Yields: 32 bars

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 1 1/2 cups (packed) light brown sugar

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips, or 1 cup store-bought chocolate chips

• 1 cup butterscotch chips or Heath Toffee Bits
• 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
(optional)
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut (optional)

Directions:

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9×13-inch baking pan and put it on a baking sheet.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle or using a hand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add both sugars and beat for another 3 minutes, until well incorporated. Add the eggs one by one, beating for 1 minute after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Turn the mixer to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing just until they disappear into the batter. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the chips, nuts and coconut, if using. Scrape the batter into the buttered pan and use the spatula to even the top as best you can.
4. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the blondies comes out clean. The blondies should pull away from the sides of the pan a little and the top should be a nice honey brown. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for about 15 minutes before turning the blondies out onto another rack. Invert onto a rack and cool the blondies to room temperature right side up.

With my teacher, Renee Krimsier, after the recital