Happiness Cake

I've been wanting to make this cake ever since I first saw it in the Momofuku Milk Bar cookbook where it's just called a Chocolate Chip Layer Cake.  I think that simple name does not even begin to describe what it is:  mini chocolate chip butter cake layered with passion fruit curd, chocolate cake crumbs, and coffee buttercream frosting.  Hello.  So I decided to rename it Happiness Cake, because this is what happiness is.  =)

The main reason why it took me so long to make this cake is because according to the cookbook, you needed a cake ring and acetate lining to build up the layers.  I wasn't interested in acquiring any more random stuff for my kitchen so I just kept drooling over the recipe but not making it.  At one point I started thinking about making it into a cupcake form, but then I got the bright idea to just put all the layers in small Mason jars, which I already had!  I love that they can be kept in the freezer for a while and are totally portable, so they make really good gifts for friends!

 
There are a lot of different parts to this cake, and some parts take more time than others and need to chill before using or need to use immediately, so this is how I would suggest going about it:

1. Make the cake and put it in the oven to bake.
2. While the cake is baking, make the passion fruit curd and let it chill in the fridge.
3. After the cake is done, let it cool and lower the oven temperature to 300°F.  Make the chocolate crumbs, which will also need to cool after baking.
4. Just before you are ready to assemble everything, start making the coffee frosting.  This will take a while to come together, so you can go ahead and start with the assembly process while you are waiting.

Another note about the coffee frosting, even after mixing in my stand mixer for more than half an hour, I still wasn't getting it to come together, so eventually I just poured out the liquid coffee milk that was left and paddled until everything was homogenous.  Then I found that I needed a lot more of the coffee frosting than the original recipe called for, so in the recipe below, I increased the amount of frosting but decreased the coffee milk to butter ratio a little.

After assembling the 6 jars, you'll end up with a lot of leftover components.  Feel free to make a Happiness Scrap Heap out of them just for yourself or, if you have more jars, you can try making more Happiness Cakes, just without the perfect circles.

 
Happiness Cake (adapted from Momofuku Milk Bar)
makes 6 small (8 oz.) jars with lots of leftover scraps perfect for snacking on

1 recipe Chocolate Chip Cake (below)
1/3 cup passion fruit puree
1 recipe Passion Fruit Curd (below)
1 recipe Chocolate Crumbs (below)
1 recipe Coffee Frosting (below)

Chocolate Chip Cake
makes one 9"x13" cake

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
3 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Nonstick cooking spray
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine the butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2-3 minutes.  Add eggs and mix on medium-high again for 2-3 minutes.

On low speed, stream in the buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.  Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and paddle for 4-6 minutes, until the mixture is practically white, twice the size of your original fluffy butter-and-sugar mixture, and completely homogenous. 

On very low speed, add the cake flour, baking powder, and salt.  Mix for 45-60 seconds, just until your batter comes together and any remnants of dry ingredients have been incorporated.

 
Spray a 9"x13" pan with nonstick cooking spray and line with a piece of parchment paper.  Using a spatula, spread the cake batter in an even layer in the pan.  Give the bottom of the pan a tap on the counter top to even out the layer.  Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the cake batter.

 
Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes.  At 30 minutes, gently poke the edge of the cake with your finger; the cake should bounce back slightly and the center should no longer be jiggly.  Leave the cake in the oven for an extra 3-5 minutes if it doesn't pass these tests.

 
Take the cake out of the oven and cool on a wire rack, or in a pinch, in the fridge, freezer, or snow (just make sure, you know, it's stopped snowing).  The cooled cake can be stored in the fridge, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 5 days.

Passion Fruit Curd
makes about 1 1/2 cups

1/2 cup passion fruit puree
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon powdered gelatin
3/4 cup butter, very cold
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Put the passion fruit puree and sugar in a blender and blend until the sugar granules have dissolved.  Add the eggs and blend on low until you have a bright-orange-yellow mixutre.  Transfer the contents of the blender to a medium saucepan.  Clean the blender canister.

Bloom the powdered gelatin in 2 tablespoons of cold water.

Heat the passion fruit mixture over low heat, whisking regularly.  Once it boils, remove it from the stove and transfer it to the blender.  Add the bloomed gelatin, butter, and salt and blend until the mixture is thick, shiny, and super-smooth.

 
Transfer the mixture to a heatproof container and put in the fridge until the curd has cooled completely, at least 30 minutes.  The curd can be refrigerated for up to 1 week; do not freeze.

Chocolate Crumbs
makes about 1 1/4 cup

1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

Combine the flour, cornstarch, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and paddle on low speed until mixed.

Add the butter and paddle on low speed until the mixture starts to come together in small clusters.

 
Spread the clusters on a parchment- or Silpat-lined baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes, breaking them up occasionally.   The crumbs should still be slightly moist to the touch at that point; they will dry and harden as they cool.

Let the crumbs cool completely before using.  Stored in an airtight container, they will keep fresh for 1 week at room temperature or 1 month in the fridge or freezer.

Coffee Frosting
makes about 2 cups

1 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine the butter and confectioners' sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2-3 minutes, until fluffy and pale yellow.

Meanwhile, make a quick coffee milk:  whisk together the milk, instant espresso powder, and salt in a small bowl.

 
On low speed, gradually stream in the coffee milk.  You are essentially forcing liquid into fat, so be patient.  The butter mixture will clump up and separate upon contact with the coffee milk. 

 
Do not stream more coffee milk into the butter mixture until the previous addition is fully incorporated; keep the mixer on and remain patient.  The result will be a wildly fluffy coffee frosting, pale brown, and super-shiny.  Use immediately.
 
Happiness Cake in a Jar Assembly

 
Using an empty jar as a cookie cutter, cut out 12 circles from the chocolate chip cake.  (Yes, there are 13 circles cut out above.  I had to eat one.  For science.)

 
Press one circle into the bottom of a jar.  Brush with a generous amount of passion fruit puree.

 
Spoon in a layer of the passion fruit curd.  Top with a layer of the chocolate crumbs.

 
Carefully spread a layer of the coffee frosting on top.

 
Repeat with another layer of cake, passion fruit puree, passion fruit curd, and chocolate crumbs.

 
Finish with a final layer of coffee frosting.

 
Repeat with the remaining 5 jars.  Cover and place in the freezer for at least 12 hours to set the cake and filling.  The cakes will keep in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.  Defrost in the fridge for at least 3 hours before serving.

 
Dig in with a spoon and experience happiness.

Four years ago:  Panna Cotta, Take 2; The Feng Family Secret Peking Duck Recipe; Korean Pancake Face Off

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Pecan Topped Cranberry Cake

I still had a ton of cranberries left from cranberry picking so I made this beautiful cake from The Kitchn.

 
Pecan Topped Cranberry Cake (from The Kitchn)
makes one 9x13-inch or one 10-inch springform cake

For the cake

3 eggs
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, slightly softened and cut into chunks
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups flour (I substituted in 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour)
2 1/2 cups cranberries (1 bag)

For the pecan topping

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup pecans, toasted

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13 pan or a 10" springform pan. (I cut up the butter and transferred them to the pan to soften on top of the oven range.)

Beat eggs and sugar together for at least 5 minutes — probably as long as 7 or 8 minutes — the egg and sugar mixture should double in volume and turn pale yellow, leaving ribbons on top of the batter when you lift the beaters.

Add the butter and flavorings and beat for 2 more minutes. Stir in flour and fold in cranberries. Pour into greased pan.

To make the pecan topping, heat the butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the sugar and stir.

Add the toasted pecans and cook for several minutes, stirring, until the butter and sugar mixture is shiny and smooth and the nuts smell toasted. Spread over the cake batter.

 
Bake 45-50 minutes for a 9x13, or a little over an hour for the springform. You may need to tent the cake with foil in the last 15 minutes or so to keep the top from browning.

 

Cool completely before serving.

Next time I'd probably make more of the pecan topping since that was my favorite part of the cake, and there was barely enough to cover the top of the cake.  This cake is on the heavier side, almost like a pound cake.  I stored it covered at room temperature for 5 days, and it was still moist and yummy on the last day.

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Apple Cake Win

When I found myself in possession of 6 apples (from a combination of apple picking and Boston Organics), I knew it was time for me to redeem myself after this fail a couple of years ago.  But first I had to find a tube pan.  Luckily, I found one at TJ Maxx that not only was a springform and had a non-stick coating, it also had a second, flat bottom so I could use it was a regular cake pan!  And it was only $10!  Score!

I remembered my mistakes from before so I tried to follow the recipe more faithfully this time.  But I still couldn't resist trying to sneak in some white whole wheat flour and evaporated cane juice in an attempt to make it slightly healthier.  Thankfully, it worked out this time.  =)

 
Smitten Kitchen's Mom's Apple Cake

6 apples (I used half McIntosh and half Granny Smith apples)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
5 tablespoons sugar

2 3/4 cups flour (I substituted 3/4 cup of white whole wheat flour)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar (I substituted a cup of Sucanat)
1/4 cup orange juice
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a tube pan.

 
Peel, core and chop apples into chunks. Toss with cinnamon and sugar and set aside.

 
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.

 
In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, orange juice, sugar and vanilla. Mix wet ingredients into the dry ones, then add eggs, one at a time.  (I had to do this in my stand mixer because the batter was so thick.)  Scrape down the bowl to ensure all ingredients are incorporated.

 
Pour half of batter into prepared pan. Spread half of apples over it.

 
Pour the remaining batter over the apples and arrange the remaining apples on top.

 
Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until a tester comes out clean.

Like Deb said, this cake definitely gets better one the second day, "when the apples juices seep further into the cake."  I chose not to top mine with powdered sugar because I always end up either inhaling the powdered sugar or getting it all over my clothes, or both. =)

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Lemon Angel Food Cupcakes

And now for something a little healthier. After making two Crack Pies and the Guinness Milk Chocolate Ice Cream, I had a lot of egg whites sitting in my fridge. I toyed briefly with the idea of making macarons, but then I remembered that no matter how cute and pretty they look, they are still ridiculously time-consuming to make, and I don't even really like how they taste all that much. So instead, I decided to make angel food cake. And since I had a lemon to use up from my Boston Organics delivery, I decided to make lemon angel food cupcakes.

Just about every recipe for angel food cake lists cake flour as an ingredient. I already have unbleached all-purpose flour and white whole wheat flour in my pantry and really didn't feel like buying yet another type of flour. But luckily, a quick google for "cake flour substitute" brought me to this page, where I learned that I could add a tablespoon of cornstarch to a 1/2 cup measuring cup and then level off with all-purpose flour to make the equivalent of a 1/2 cup of cake flour.

I also don't have a sifter, either, but I just ended up using a fine-mesh metal sieve and two bowls to sift the flour and sugar together. At first I thought I could get away with just whisking the two together, which is what I usually do when I need to sift flour, but I realized pretty quickly that the powdered sugar was not going to unclump from mere whisking.

Oh, and I got to use my new lemon juicer for the first time! It's so much faster and cleaner than the reamer I've been using, and it was on sale too! Don't forget to roll the lemon around on a hard surface before cutting so that you can get more juice out of it.

Lemon Angel Food Cupcakes (based on this recipe from Cooking Light)
makes 16 cupcakes

1/2 cup cake flour (or 1 tablespoon corn starch plus 7 tablespoons all-purpose flour)
3/4 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup egg whites (about 5 large eggs)
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Grated rind from 1 medium lemon

1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
Freshly squeezed lemon juice from 1 medium lemon

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place 16 paper muffin cup liners in muffin cups. Set aside.

Lightly spoon cake flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Sift together flour and 3/4 cup powdered sugar into a medium bowl; repeat the procedure 2 times.

Beat egg whites and salt with a mixer at high speed until frothy (about 1 minute). Add cream of tartar, and beat until soft peaks form. Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Sprinkle flour mixture over egg white mixture, 1/4 cup at a time; fold in after each addition. Stir in vanilla and rind.

Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350° for 18 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pan; let cool completely on a wire rack.

To prepare frosting, beat butter with a mixer at high speed until fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups powdered sugar; beat at low speed just until blended. Add lemon juice; beat until fluffy. Spread lemon frosting over each cupcake.

Since I only have one muffin tin, I had to bake these in two batches, which meant I wasn't entirely sure how far to fill the muffin cups. I erred on the side of caution for the first batch and only filled them 3/4 of the way. They do rise in the oven, but then they shrink quite a bit once they cool, both in height and circumference. Don't be surprised if the cupcakes don't stay entirely round after they've cooled. So for the second batch I filled the cups with batter basically all the way to the top and was much more pleased with how those turned out after they had cooled.

I found that I could eat one of these cupcakes in about two bites; they were so soft and delicious! Actually, the texture really reminds me of the cake layer of lemon pudding cakes. And the frosting--when I first tasted it straight from the bowl, I wasn't that impressed with the taste or texture, but once it's on the cupcakes--is so mouth-watering good! It really reminded me of those lemon Girl Scout cookies or lemon coolers.

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Lemon Pudding Cake

The concept of a pudding cake--a dessert made from a single homogeneous batter that separates into two layers, one cake-like and one pudding-like, while baking--has intrigued me for a while, so when I found myself with a lemon in my Boston Organics delivery, I figured it was time to try Baking Bite's Lemon Pudding Cake.

It was easy to halve her recipe (which calls for 2 lemons), and instead of making one big cake, I was able to three individual size servings in little Pyrex cups. I filled them up about three-quarters of the way, and they didn't rise too much after baking.

Like magic, the batter separated into a dense lemony custard at the bottom of the dish and a light, fluffy sponge cake at the top. You can serve them either in the cups or unmold them so that the custard is on top.

Lemon Pudding Cakes (from Baking Bites)
makes 3 individual servings

1 egg, separated
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/3 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place a 9-inch cake pan, filled with about 3/4 inch of water, into the oven. Grease 3 small souffle cups.

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, and salt. Add in egg yolks, lemon juice, lemon zest, milk and vanilla and whisk thoroughly. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks. Stir egg whites gently into lemon mixture, until well combined.

Pour mixture into prepared souffle dish and gently place in water bath.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the cake has risen and begun to pull away from the sides of the dish.

This was so good, I ended up making another batch the next time I got a lemon from Boston Organics! I couldn't believe how good this tasted considering no oil is added, and the only fat comes from the egg. I did end up saving one overnight in the fridge, and it tasted just as good the next day, even when I ate it cold. I have a feeling I'll be making orange pudding cakes the next time I end up with an orange that I don't know what to do with.

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Apple and Pear Cake FAIL

I needed to use up some more apples and pears from my Boston Organics delivery, so I decided to try Smitten Kitchen's Mom's Apple Cake. Except I didn't have a tube pan. Or a bundt pan. And I only had 2 apples and 2 pears. And I accidentally bought white whole wheat flour instead of my usual unbleached all-purpose flour. A normal person might have decided these reasons were enough to stop, but oh no, I had to go ahead and try to make the cake anyways.

First conversion: I figured I could multiple all the ingredients by 3/4 to account for the fact that I only had 4 pieces of fruit instead of the 6 required for the recipe.

First fail: You know how people say baking is like chemistry and that everything needs to be measured precisely? Well, I had to adjust some of the calculated measurements just so I could measure them. And I ended up with a really, really, really thick batter. Like closer to cookie dough than cake batter. I don't think that's right.

Second conversion: Instead of using a tube pan, I used a normal square pan. In the original post, Deb says that you can probably make the cake in a 9"x13" cake pan if you don't have a tube pan. I figured since I was reducing the quantities in the recipe, I could get away with a 9" square pan.

Second fail: I think the reason this cake calls for a tube pan is because it take a long time for the middle to bake. And maybe longer because I had that ridiculously thick batter. The original recipe says to bake for 1.5 hours or until a tester comes out clean. Um, at 1.5 hours, the middle of the cake was just barely starting to set, and the edges were all getting burnt.

(By the way, The Kitchn just posted a hack on what to do if you don't have a tube pan!)

Third conversion: I only had 1/4 cup all-purpose flour left, so I used that and then used whole wheat flour for the rest of the flour. I figured, it's a cake with fruit so it's already slightly healthy anyways. Can't make that much of a difference right? Um, yeah. Don't ever do what I did, okay? Unless you like eat really dense cardboard.

But, I was still able to get some decent pictures of the thing. And I still did eat it. At least, the top half of it. The bottom half was unsalvageable. Hmmm, I should've taken a picture of what was leftover in the pan.

Anyways, instead of posting the fail recipe, I'm just going to link over to Smitten Kitchen again. Because she has the correct recipe AND gorgeous pictures.

ETA:  Three years later, I finally conquered this recipe by using the right ingredients and baking pan.

One year ago:  Maracons - A Lesson in Humility

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