Monday, June 29, 2009

Drunken Chocolate Birthday Cake

choccake
Drunken Chocolate Cake, Gluten Free and Tipsy
There is one other love in the lives of Lulu &Phoebe aside from anything named food. That would be their ever loving human Dad, the one who takes them for early morning and late evening walks.

They cozy up to him at night when the other human is radiating like a furnace, and they hide behind his legs when the cat that is bigger than a Great Dane pounces off the balcony above them. He will share his ice cream cone, take them for rides in the car, and throws the slimy ball endlessly.

For his 28.4 million minute birthday they have gifted him a day off from all things canine except for the early morning and late night walking, ball throwing, filling of food bowls, and protection from neighborhood feline bullies.

They've requested that I make an all time favorite cake which he last tasted about 15 years ago. They asked that I take him to the San Francisco MOMA to see the beauty of Ansel Adams and Gertrude Stein, partnered in one exquisite exhibit. They also requested that I take him to dinner at their favorite place where they can sit under our table, and look adorable while eating everything we drop.

Drunken Chocolate Cake, Gluten Free

Ingredients: Cake

  • 1 package Pamela's gluten free chocolate cake mix
  • 1 small box of chocolate fudge instant pudding mix
  • 1/2 cup Valrhona cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/4 cup kahlua
  • 1/4 cup creme de cacao
  • 1/4 cup godiva liqueur
  • 3/4 cup strong espresso
  • pinch of vanilla and almond flavoring

Ingredients: First Glaze

  • 1 cup of powdered sugar sifted so no lumps remain
  • 2 tablespoons espresso
  • 2 tablespoons of each liqueur

Ingredients: Second Glaze

  • 1 cup heavy cream, heated
  • 1.5 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (or semisweet)
  • pinch of espresso, almond flavoring, and the liqueurs

Directions

Mix everything together on medium speed for about 3 minutes until fluffy and smooth. If it seems a bit thick, add a bit more coffee or liqueur.

Pour into a buttered and floured (I use cocoa to flour the pan) bundt pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes and 325 degrees for 10 minutes more.

As soon as a toothpick comes out mostly clean, take the cake out. Overbaking a gluten free cake makes it a little rubbery.

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from the oven - let it rest (quietly)

Cool for a few minutes and then invert onto a rack (using a cardboard cake holder while it cools on the rack helps).

Poke holes in the top of the cake with a skewer. Many holes! You want the glaze to get into the cake.

Mix up the first glaze and pour it over the warm, but not hot, cake. Get as much as you can into the holes. Let it set for about 30 minutes.

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oversight management first glazing (K, C & G)

Mix up the second glaze and let it set for about 10 minutes. Then pour over cake until you are happy. Let this glaze set before serving, about an hour.

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really happy chocolate

The pictoral version of the recipe is here, if perhaps you've taste tested the ingredients before assembling the recipe. And remember - do not eat and drive! Happy birthday and Bon Appetit.

cake-mix
One bag of Pamela's Chocolate Cake Mix, Gluten Free
Jello_Instant_Pudding_Chocolate_3_9_oz
add one small box of chocolate fudge instant pudding mix
cup_expresso
save 3/4 cup of your espresso and pour it in too
creme-de-cacao
add 1/4 cup of this stuff
Godiva-Mocha-Liqueur-lg
add 1/4 cup of this too
450px-Kahlua_bottle_200ml
and another 1/4 cup of this!
Eggs Bowl
add four of these
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add about 1/2 cup of this

Monday, June 22, 2009

Got Raspberries? Make Cake

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gluten free raspberry cake

Aside from the cupboard full of chocolate and another closet full of wine mingling with shoes, there is a refrigerator full of raspberries, blueberries and cheese. About the only thing these epicurean delights have in common is that you can drink the wine with any of them.

Right now chunky little raspberries are all around us. And they seem abundant this year. When we cannot keep up with eating them naked, it is time to think of other delicious ways to dress them up for the table.

This raspberry cake is simple to make. You need a bowl, a mixer or a strong arm and a measuring cup and an oven. It is best served freshly baked and slightly warm with either vanilla gelato or whipped cream. Extra berries on top are de rigour.

Of course, all of our recipes are gluten free. This one is adapted from Gourmet Magazine and fluffed up a bit to accomodate both a gluten free variety and our love of all things raspberry.

Gluten Free Raspberry Buttermilk Cake

berrycakeF
cast of characters
Ingredients
  • 3/4 cup gluten free flour
  • 1/4 cup coconut flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • pinch of almond extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup plus a tablespoon or two of buttermilk
  • 1 to 2 cups fresh raspberries

Directons

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter and flour an 8 or 9-inch round cake pan. I used an 8 inch pan with high side. You can use a square pan too. Your choice.

Whisk together flours, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes, then beat in vanilla and almond extract. Then add the egg and beat well.

At low speed, mix in flour mixture in batches, alternating with buttermilk, and mixing until just combined. Don't overmix.

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easy on the mixing

Spoon batter into cake pan, smoothing top. Scatter at least one cup of raspberries evenly over top and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.

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batter and berries meet up
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add remaining sugar to top

Bake until cake is lightly browned (remember, gluten free never gets golden) and a toothpick comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool to warm, 10 to 15 minutes more. Place a cake plate on the cooled cake and invert so the top is up.

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just baked, ready to cool

Serve slightly warm with additional raspberries and ice cream or whipped cream.

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Ready to serve