photo op: reliving baking memories

RER 3.14.17

There was a time when love was blind

And the world was a song

And the song was exciting

There was a time

Then it all went wrong…

No, I know. I’m being dramatic. And a Les Miz fan. Nothing has gone wrong. But…

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RER 3.14.17

 There was a time when I used to bake

And the kitchen smelled like cookies

And there was butter and sugar all over the place

There was a time

Then came adulting…

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A lot has happened over the last few months: Life has just intensified in the most amazing ways from my job, to a status change, to looking forward to and toward the future. There has been little time for baking, but still plenty of time for eating well (pics or it didn’t happen).

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The last time I baked, it was chocolates chip cookies and a foggy memory. Coconut, too. Something about a snow day— a rare occurrence when I was in school, the very same school where I am starting my third year as a teacher (!!).  When I was young, the school would stay open and the less-than-attractive floors would be slippery and squeak with the melted snow from boots and shoes. Classes would be diminished, but we would learn things that you can’t find in books. The snow would be like a silencer for the outside world, but inside school there would be palpable excitement and an ineffable feeling of security and comfort.

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Making those cookies back in March made me feel that sense of coziness, and thinking about the last time I truly baked, makes me feel the same on this humid August day. And maybe, I also feel a little inspired…..

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8.18.17

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photo op: BIRTHDAYS cake

RER 12.9.16

The end of the year is pretty sweet and birthday-intense for my family: mine is in October, my sister’s is in November, and both my parents have December birthdays.  That means a lot of cake. This year, we celebrated with one cake for two birthdays in December. I wanted to try to make a sheet cake, and Sally’s Baking Addiction did not fail me, per usual (like the time I made brownies, mini red velvet cheesecakes, and apple pie butter bars). I made the yellow sheet cake with chocolate fudge frosting. It was delicious....

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And rainbow sprinkles make all the difference #winkwink

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2.9.17

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MangiaMore: APPLESAUCE cake

RER 10.6.14

And it happened again. Sometimes I can't help it. I find myself scrolling endlessly through pretty baking blogs and the Martha Stewart website drooling after the delicious baked goods and beautiful layer cakes. A variety of flavors and shapes, sizes and textures, levels of difficulty and technique. There are fluffy cakes with egg whites folded in, or dense bread like cakes studded with nuts. That's nothing. There's buttercreams in a rainbow of colors; cooked frostings, boiling on the stovetop; and glazes, sweet and dripping.

RER 10.5.14

RER 10.5.14

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RER 10.5.14

And then it happens. I haaaave to make something. This time I desperately needed to make a layer cake. Despite searching the World Wide Web, I found the cake recipe in our tattered Betty Crocker’s New Cookbook (1996). The Applesauce Cake was easy enough to be fun and it wasn't laden with butter like some of my favorite bookmarked cakes (I will come to those more buttery, more difficult cakes later...Cupcake Wars). But as usual, we had to adjust, just a tad, subbing pumpkin pie spice for our own measured mix of spices.

This cake is practically a one-bowl wonder. It gets texture from applesauce and its fall feeling from the warm mix of spices. In our book, Betty recommends either a cream cheese frosting or a maple buttercream. Embracing the cooler weather and the crisper air we opted for the delicious maple frosting.

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RER 10.5.14

Applesauce Cake

adapted from Betty Crocker's New Cookbook

2 ½ C all purpose flour

1 ½ C unsweetened applesauce

1 ¼ C sugar

½ C water

1 ½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon baking powder

2 eggs

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour bottom and sides of pan.

Beat all ingredients in a large bowl with mixture on low scraping constantly. Then beat on high for three minutes and scrape occasionally.

Bake in rectangle pan for 45-50 minutes or two 8 inch round pans for 40-45 minutes.

Cool and frost with Maple Buttercream or your favorite frosting!

Maple Buttercream

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup of butter

½ cup maple syrup

Mix powdered sugar and butter in a medium bowl.

Stir in maple syrup.

Beat until smooth and to preferred consistency. Add more syrup or powdered sugar if necessary to achieve spreadable texture.

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AJR 10.5.14

RER 10.5.14

The cake was spicy sweet dense and redolent of fall evenings and cozy moments. Each note of subtle heat brought comfort and struck a strong chord with the sweet earthiness of the maple in the buttercream. It was moist and spongy, and kinda great. Can’t wait for my next slice.

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10.5.14

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