Red Velvet Cake – serves 12

CAKE:

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 1/4 cups (11 1/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
A pinch of salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons natural cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)
2 tablespoons (one 1-ounce bottle) red food coloring (I use ordinary McCormick’s)
1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar

FROSTING:

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
4 cups (16 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
A pinch of salt
16 ounces cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces and softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1.  For the cake: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.  Whisk the buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla, and eggs together in a medium bowl.  Mix the cocoa and food coloring together in a small bowl until a smooth paste forms.

2.  With an electric mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed in a large bowl until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Add one-third of the flour mixture and beat on medium-low speed until just incorporated, about 30 seconds.  Add half of the buttermilk mixture and beat down the sides of the bowl.  Repeat, ending with the flour mixture.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl,  add the cocoa mixture, then mix on medium speed until completely incorporated, about 30 seconds.  Using a rubber spatula, give the batter a final stir.

3.  Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake and and smooth with a spatula. For cup cakes, use a 1/4 cup ice-cream disher to portion into liners.  Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes, rotating the cake pans halfway through baking.  Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely, at least 1 hour.

4.  FOR THE FROSTING: With an electric mixer, beat the butter, confectioners’ sugar, and salt on medium-high speed in a large bowl until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Add the cream cheese, 1 piece at a time, and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds.  Beat in the vanilla.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

5.  TO ASSEMBLE: Place one cake layer on a cake plate or cardboard round.  Spread 2 cups of the frosting evenly across the top of the cake with a spatula.  Place the second cake layer on the top, then spread the remaining frosting evenly over the top and sides of the cake. Serve.

WHERE THINGS CAN GO WRONG: This recipe must be prepared with natural cocoa powder.  Dutch-processed cocoa will not yield the proper color or rise.  Also, overcooking makes an acceptable, but much less flavorful cake.  The difference between just right and over cooked is about 3 minutes, so careful monitoring during baking is needed.

Daniel’s Dish: Entertaining at Home with a Four-Star Chef

(makes 30 cupcakes)

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
• 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch process)
• 1/4 cup instant coffee powder
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 1/3 cup coffee beans, crushed
• 8 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 cups mascarpone cheese
• 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

To Make the Chocolate-Coffee Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 30 standard muffin cups
with paper liners.

Combine the milk, cocoa, coffee and 1/4 cup water in a small sauce-
pan and bring to a boil, constantly whisking, until the cocoa and coffee
have dissolved. Let cool and pour into a liquid measure.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of a mixer,
cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until light and
fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients alternately with
the milk mixture in three batches, ending with the liquid. Fill each
muffin cup halfway with the batter. Bake 18 to 20 minutes until a
toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the
cupcakes from the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Mocha Ganache and Mascarpone Cream

Combine 1 cup of the heavy cream and coffee beans in a small sauce-
pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat, cover,
and let infuse for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a
clean saucepan and bring back to a boil. Put the chocolate in a medium
bowl and pour the hot cream over it, stirring slowly, until the ganache
is smooth. Spoon enough ganache over each cupcake to fill the liners
to the rim.

Using a whisk or in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a whisk attach-
ment, whip the remaining 2 cups of heavy cream to stiff peaks. Add
the mascarpone and confectioners’ sugar and whisk until smooth.
Spoon the mascarpone cream into a pastry bag fitted with a medium
round tip and pipe the cream on top of the ganache in a circle.

We made these cupcakes in the culinary school cookies & cupcakes class.  The sunflower cupcakes are from the class and the lavender cupcakes I made a week later.  This is a recipe for a half batch of what we made but it should be plenty.  I had never made Swiss Meringue but it was lovely. For the sunflowers, we used ganache and chocolate sprinkles to make seeds.

Chocolate Cupcakes

(Coming Soon)

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

(Coming Soon)

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• Zest from one lime
• 4 cups of Frozen Mango Chunks
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• Pinch salt
• 3 Tbsp tequila (optional but does make it taste like a mango margarita)

Heat the sugar, water, and lime zest in a medium saucepan until the sugar has completely dissolved. Add mango chunks which will cool down the hot syrup.

Put the mango pieces, sugar water, lime juice, and salt into a blender. Blend until completely smooth. The frozen mango should have cooled off the syrup. If not, place in a covered bowl and refrigerate until completely cool.

Put the chilled purée into your ice cream maker, mix in the tequila. Transfer mixture to a freezer safe container and place in your freezer until firm. My kitchen-aide icecream make makes edible sorbet right away but 2 hours in the freezer is nice also.

Ingredients 1 bottle Prosecco (750 ml) 3/4 cup sugar, divided 1/2 cup water 2 (1/4-ounce) packets unflavored gelatin 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 pint mascarpone, room temperature Directions Put the Prosecco, 1/2 cup of the sugar and 1/2 cup water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes to burn off some of the alcohol. Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in the gelatin until completely dissolved. Pour into a 9 by 11-inch baking dish, cool to room temperature, then refrigerate to set up for at least 4 hours. In a large bowl, whip the cream to medium stiff peaks. In another bowl, whisk the remaining 1/4 cup sugar into the mascarpone until smooth. Add 1/3 of the whipped cream to the mascarpone to lighten, and then fold in the remaining whipped cream. Cut the Prosecco gelatin into 1 by 1-inch cubes and put a layer into the bottoms of 4 parfait glasses. Divide 1/2 of the cream mixture among the glasses on top of the gelatin, and then repeat with 2 more layers, ending with a final dollop of the cream. Serve with a long spoon and dig in!

• 3 ounces good vodka
• 3 ounces fresh watermelon puree (blend seedless watermelon)
• 1 1/2 ounces sweet and sour
• 1 1/2 ounces fresh lime juice
• Sugar, to taste (optional)

Sweet and Sour Mix

• 1 – 1 1/2 tbs. Lemon Juice
• 1 tsp. of Powdered Sugar

Mario Batali

Makes 4 Servings | Region: Lazio | Book: Molto Italiano (Ecco 2005)

A true carbonara has no cream, and it can be slightly tricky in its execution. The key is to toss and thoroughly mix the cooked pasta off the heat with the cheese, eggs, pepper, and pasta water, to create a creamy yet not overly thick sauce. I like to separate the eggs and present the individual egg yolks in nests of pasta; then each guest stirs the yolk into the pasta to cook it and form an even creamier sauce. Be sure to use the best—quality eggs you can get.

• 3 tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• 8 ounces Guanciale (recipe below), Pancetta, or good Bacon
• 1 pound Spaghetti
• 1 ¼ cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 4 large Eggs, separated
• Freshly ground Black Pepper

4 cups (16 oz) of all purpose flour.
1 Tsp baking soda
1 Tsp salt
14 oz of buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 425 F. degrees.  Lightly crease and flour a cake pan.
In a large bowl sieve and combine all the dry ingredients.
Add the buttermilk to form a sticky dough.  Place on floured surface and lightly knead (too much allows the gas to escape)

Shape into a round flat shape in a round cake pan and cut a cross in the top of the dough.
Cover the pan with another pan and bake for 30 minutes (this simulates the bastible pot).  Remove cover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

The bottom of the bread will have a hollow sound when tapped so show it is done.
Cover the bread in a tea towel and lightly sprinkle water on the cloth to keep the bread moist.