The Ninja Baker - #CakeSliceBakers

White Chocolate Sweet Potato Pecan Topped Cakes, #TheCakeSliceBakers

NinjaBaker — Thu, 20 Nov 2014 02:59:38 +0000

The Cake Slice Bakers are a group of bakers from around the world. Every month a new challenge arrives...Currently, we are presented with the opportunity to bake one of four preselected from Southern Living’s The Southern Cake Book.

This Ninja Baker’s winning choice? White Chocolate Sweet Potato Pecan Topped Cakes (adapted from the Rum Glazed Sweet Potato Cakes recipe.)

Little girls are made of, “Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice.” (According to a popular 19th century poem.) And so is my rendition of Southern Living’s sweet potato cakes. The White Chocolate Sweet Potato Pecan Topped Cakes I’ve made contain American sweet potatoes aka yams. (The ones with orange flesh typically served at Thanksgiving with dollops of melted marshmallows.)

White chocolate and sweet potatoes are a perfect match.
The pecans are a bonus crunch!

The American yam has many fine merits. But the purple skinned Japanese Satsuma-imo sweet potato is my favorite. One American potato connoisseur deemed the Japanese Satsuma-imo as “too sweet.” But that just supports my case: The Japanese potato is the sweetest, “bestest” one! Tee hee. Anyway, I digress.

In mini cake or bundt form, the flavors of sweet potatoes,
white chocolate chips and pecans together are fantabulous!

The Southern Cake Book serves up a mighty recipe for sweet potato cakes. The cake is like a Southern belle: A slightly sugary drawl delivered with a subtle kick of spice. The cookbook also infused their mini sweet potato cakes recipe with rum. As I wanted children to enjoy this cake, the alcohol was omitted. Instead white chocolate chips were sprinkled in and melted to coat my mini bundts and cupcakes. To provide a crunch to the soft tender crumb, I garnished the cakes with pecans. (Both whole pecans and ground up pecans are delicious picks.)

More good news: White Chocolate Sweet Potato Pecan Topped Cakes are easy to make!

Ninja Note: The original recipe calls for pureed roasted sweet potatoes. As I didn’t see such a product in my local market, I simply pulsed canned sweet potatoes in my food processor until they were perfectly pureed. And they worked perfectly!

White Chocolate Sweet Potato Pecan Topped Cakes

Southern Comfort: Sweet potatoes, cake and white chocolate meet in one mighty mini bundt. Pecans interject a yummy crunch to a marriage of moist cake and white chocolate coating.

Adapted from Southern Living’s The Southern Cake Book

Yields 24 mini bundts and approximately 24 mini muffin-sized cakes

Ingredients:

4 large room-temperature eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups pureed sweet potatoes
3 cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of sea salt
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¾ cup buttermilk
1 cup white chocolate chips (for cake)
12 ounces of white chocolate chips (for ganache cake coating)
½ cup heavy cream

Directions:

Prep:
Spray mini bundt pans with lots and lots of baking spray. Place mini cupcake cases into mini muffin tins.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whip together the eggs and sugar for 3 to 5 minutes in a kitchen stand mixer. (Aim for a pale lemon color.) Reduce the speed and add the oil and vanilla. Beat in the sweet potato puree.

In a separate bowl: Sift the flour, spices, salt, baking powder and soda.

Add one-third of the dry ingredients to the sweet potato, egg and sugar bowl. Combine well. Pour in half of the buttermilk. Add another third of the flour mixture. Pour in the remaining buttermilk. Dump the remaining flour mixture into the bowl of the mixer and beat. Stir in the one cup of white chocolate chips.

Divide the batter among the mini bundt pans and mini cupcake cases. Bake for 16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centers is clean.

Cool for 5 to 10 minutes before removing from the tins. (Gently running a frosting spatula around the edges helps to easily release the mini bundts from the pans.)

For the ganache: Heat the heavy cream over low to medium heat. When little bubbles emerge, pour the hot cream over the white chocolate chips. Vigorously stir until all the chocolate dissolves. Allow the ganache to stand for 5 minutes or more.

Dunk the mini sweet potato cakes into the ganache. Garnish with pecans.

An InLinkz Link-up

Wishing you sugar, spice and everything nice!

The Ninja Baker

© ™ Watkinson 2012

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

Follow Ninja Baker @NinjaBaking's board NinjaBaker.com Sweets on Pinterest.

Tags:

Easy Caramel Covered Applesauce Cake, #The Cake Slice Bakers

NinjaBaker — Wed, 20 Nov 2013 00:36:57 +0000

As bits of Fuji and Granny Smith apples mingled with melting butter, brown sugar and spices, aromas of comfort and joy whispered from the oven. On the stovetop saucepan, bubbling brown sugar, butter and heavy cream sang a cheery tune. A wonderful kitchen symphony - thanks to another winning recipe selected by The Cake Slice Bakers.

Who are The Cake Slice Bakers?
Professional pastry chefs, wildly talented bakers and wannabes.(Guess who?)
Paloma, the lady with the golden heart and touch is our leader.
Once a month, we democratically select a recipe and bake from the same cookbook.

The Cake Slice Bakers are currently baking Applesauce Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze from Carole Walter's Great Cakes. The recipe calls for sweetened applesauce. To help with the family budget I stuck with the organic unsweetened applesauce in the fridge. I compensated with a couple of tablespoons of sugar. I also opted for sweeter Fuji apples rather than Granny Smith. Yes, this luscious spice cake contains both applesauce and fresh apple bits. While chopping the Fuji apples, I mused on the ironies of life.

Caramel made with brown sugar, butter and cream harmonizes
with the cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg in this applesauce cake.

A northbound train ride from cosmopolitan Tokyo (where I grew up) will deliver you to Nagano; one of the largest apple producing regions in Japan. In and around Nagano train station, dozens of vendors sell dried apples (think dried fruits like apricots which are chewy but still soft.) Besides dried apples, candies, cookies and pies with apple are sold. Even traditional Japanese style sweets infused with apples are available for purchase. But, try finding a jar of applesauce. Apple jam? Yes. Applesauce? No. (Expect a lot of puzzled looks.) It is just one of those ironies in life. Despite all the successful marriages between Western style cooking and baking with indigenous Japanese produce, some items are simply not appealing to the Japanese palate. (It's like sushi. Many Westerners love sushi but won't go near octopus.)

Caramel - the old fashioned Main Street flavor - plays well with
the Fuji and Granny Smith apples in the pecan-studded applesauce cake.

The Great Cakes applesauce spice cake probably would not appeal to the taste of a Japanese friend either. The cake is dense, moist, packed with nuts, apples and spices - and heavier than the typical light, fluffy Japanese patisserie style gateaux. But, this towheaded American absolutely loved everything about the applesauce cake. Including the brown sugar glaze which is truly a caramel glaze. Not just a hint of caramel but a full blast of honest-to-goodness Main Street USA old-fashioned caramel! And when combined with the applesauce cake, well, let me say, you may just hear an angel or two sing.

A great tasting applesauce cake recipe with caramels, apples and pecans
from Carole Walter's Great Cakes cookbook.

To get the full how-to of the Applesauce Spice Cake & caramely Brown Sugar Glaze, you can purchase Great Cakes here.

Wishing you holidays filled with easy recipes, leaving you time with loved ones.

The Ninja Baker

© ™ Watkinson 2012

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

Tags:

applesauce spice cake

Fuji apples

Granny Smth apples

#CakeSliceBakers

Butterscotch Cream Roll-Up, #CakeSliceBakers

NinjaBaker — Fri, 20 Sep 2013 20:15:40 +0000

“Just Do It!” The Nike sneaker slogan was my mantra this month. Why? The Cake Slice Bakers' assignment for September is a Butterscotch Cream Roll-Up. (I needed courage. I’ve only made one roll-up in my entire life! ) The rules of the group stipulate that each member bakes the same recipe from the same book. Currently, we’re making our way through Vintage Cakes by Julie Richardson.

The famous Nike sportswear slogan: "Just Do It!"

In addition to mumbling “Just Do It,” I reminded myself that I joined this elite group of bakers to up my baking game.To my pleasant surprise, once I dove into the process, I found great pleasure in the process. Gazing at butter melting and merging with brown sugar into butterscotch is a sensory delight. A distinctly caramel aroma embraced my kitchen as my wooden spoon scraped the sides of the pan. To see rich sauce bubble up as heavy cream is added is a thrill, too.

Next I tackled the cake. The sifted sugar atop the white flour reminded me of a snow-covered mountain. (There is serenity and beauty in cake construction!) I baked up my batter in two 9 x 12 pans. A 12 x 16 inch jelly roll pan is recommended in Vintage Cakes. But with a smallish apartment comes a smallish oven. If anybody else is in the same boat, it took 28 minutes baking time instead of the suggested 20 in the two pans.

Another cake note: For this lovely cake, egg whites are used. When whipping up egg whites, add a pinch of salt. Also, double the cream of tartar; you’ll see lovely meringue peaks in minutes.

Butterscotch Cream Roll-Up Cake

Whipping up the butterscotch whipped cream was a breeze. But I started saying my prayers once I reached the roll up part of the recipe. I got brave, for the second time in my life created a roll-up cake. I won’t lie. There was a crack or two. But nothing a little whipped cream and sauce couldn’t fix. For the second pan, I followed author Julie Richardson’s instructions. Again, a crack here or there, but nothing worth crying about. Especially after tasting the lovely, light cake filled with the heavenly butterscotch kisses of angels.

Am I glad ignored the fear and made the Butterscotch Cream Roll-Up? You bet! If you have any trepidation about roll-up cakes, ignore the fear; “Just Do It!”

Butterscotch Cream Roll-Up Cake

This lovely and light cake filled with the heavenly butterscotch is like kisses from heavenly angels. Comforting caramel mingles with fluffy clouds of whipped cream and cake.

The following recipe is adapted from Vintage Cakes by Julie Richardson.

Ingredients:

Butterscotch Sauce:
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon whiskey
1 ½ vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt

Cake:
1 cup sifted cake flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup canola oil
4 egg yolks at room temperature
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 egg whites, at room temperature
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar (I used ½ a teaspoon)

Cream Filling & Frosting:
1 ½ cups cold heavy cream
A generous ½ cup of toasted sliced almonds

Directions:

Butterscotch Sauce:
Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, stir with a wooden spoon (or heatproof spatula.) Keep stirring. The consistency will change from a sand texture to a deep liquid. Let the mixture simmer for about 3 minutes. (Keep stirring!) Whisk in the cream. Allow the sauce to boil while whisking intermittently. (About 8 minutes.) Take the pan off the stove. Cool for a couple of minutes. Whisk in the whiskey, vanilla and salt. Refrigerate.

Cake:
Preheat an oven to 325.

Spray two 9 x 12 pans or a 12 x 16 inch jelly roll pan with baking spray. Cover with parchment paper. Spray again.

In a large bowl, sift in the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. (Yes, the flour is sifted twice for this cake.)

In another bowl, lightly beat together the egg yolks, oil, water and vanilla. Add the mixture to the dry ingredients. Briskly stir with a spatula until a smooth batter is seen.

With a mixer, beat the egg whites. (The whisk attachment works best.) When a sea foam looking bubbles arise, add a pinch of salt. Keep beating until soft peaks emerge. Pour in the sugar. Keep beating until glossy, stiff egg whites appear.

Gently add 1/3 of the egg whites into the cake batter. Carefully combine the rest of the meringue mixture into the batter.

Pour thin layers of batter (about 1/3) into each 9 x 12 pan. (There will be some batter left over to make cupcakes.) If using a 12 x 16 inch pan, use the entire contents of the bowl.

Bake for 28 minutes for the 2 pans. 20 minutes for the larger pan. When the cakes are a very light golden brown and spring back when touched, they are ready. Cool.

Cream Filling & Frosting:
In a bowl that has been left in the freezer overnight, beat the cream and 1 cup of the cold butterscotch sauce.

Cake Construction:
Slather filling and toasted almonds atop the cake.

For a single roll-up: Starting at the skinny end of the pan, gently roll the cake up. Use the parchment paper as a guide so the actual cake is not touched.

For a multi-layered roll-up: Before frosting the tops of the cake, cut the cake into four equal strips. Next, smooth the cream filling and almonds on top. Take the first strip and roll. Add the second strip around the first roll. (Essentially a cake rose is created.) Tuck the third strip around the second. And the fourth strip around the third strip.

Frost the outsides of the rolls and garnish with almonds.

Wishing you the courage to carry out your heart's desires.

The Ninja Baker

© ™ Watkinson 2012

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

Tags:

#CakeSliceBakers

Butterscotch Cream Roll-Up Cake

recipes

Maple Pecan Chiffon Cake with Brown Butter Icing, #CakeSliceBakers

NinjaBaker — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 16:55:38 +0000

Do maple syrup, pecans and butter bring forth any fond memories for you? My mind flies to Sunday mornings and stacks of pancakes. Maple syrup, toasted pecans and butter murmur comfort and sunny chitter-chatter around the breakfast table.

Pancakes with Maple Syrup (Photo Credit)

The nostalgic ingredients are also the stars of this month’s Cake Slice Baker’s group challenge. Maple Pecan Chiffon Cake with Brown Butter Icing from Julie Richardson’s Vintage Cakes was the recipe chosen by the bakers. The creator of always-picture-perfect cakes, Paloma King of The Coffee Shop blog leads the group. (She is also one of the sweetest lady leaders in the food blogosphere.)

Maple Pecan Chiffon Cake with Brown Butter Icing

As sophisticated sounding as the title implies, the making of this Vintage Cakes recipe is fairly simple. And the result is a maple pecan chiffon that combines grownup textures with child-friendly tastes. The cake is fluffy and light like an angel food cake. The dense, concentrated brown butter topping offers a fine contrast.

A Slice of Maple Pecan Chiffon for the Cake Slice Bakers

Although the recipe may yield enough for a whole cake, I’m glad I only frosted the top of the cake. The brown butter is definitely buttery. While I love the stuff slathered on toast, I confess it’s not my favorite flavor for frosting. But, it is the perfect accent to smooth on top of this maple syrup infused cake.

Maple Pecan Chiffon Cake with Brown Butter Icing

As sophisticated sounding as the title implies, the making of Julie Richardson's Vintage Cakes recipe is fairly simple. And the result is a maple pecan chiffon that combines grownup textures with child-friendly tastes. The cake is fluffy and light like an angel food cake. The dense, concentrated brown butter topping offers a fine contrast.

Ingredients:

Cake Ingredients:

2 ¼ cups sifted cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
¾ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
6 egg yolks
½ cup canola oil
½ cup maple syrup (the real kind if possible)
¼ cup water
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
8 egg whites (at room temperature)
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup finely chopped pecans, toasted

Brown Butter Icing Ingredients:

4 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
½ cup heavy cream
(plus a few more tablespoons for thinning if needed)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Directions:

Cake Directions:
Preheat an oven to 325 degrees. Line the bottom of a 10-inch angel food cake pan with parchment paper. (Do not grease or flour.)

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in the brown sugar by hand.

In another bowl, with a clean whisk, combine the yolks, oil, maple syrup, water and vanilla.

With the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, on medium speed whip the egg whites until foamy. Sprinkle in the cream of tartar. Increase the speed and whip until soft peaks appear. Slowly add the sugar in a steady stream on medium speed. Turn the mixer to high and whip until the egg whites are firm (not stiff.) Look for glossy peaks.

Add a third of the egg whites into the batter with a spatula. (The challenge is to combine well but not over mix.) Gently add in the rest of the egg whites. Fold in the pecans.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (A few crumbs are all right.)

Invert the cake pan on a bottle (or use a pan with legs.) Cool the cake completely. Slide a frosting spatula around the rim of the pan. Carefully slide the cake out and frost.

Brown Butter Directions:
Place the sifted sugar into a clean bowl.

Over medium heat, melt the butter in a saucepan. Allow the butter to change from a lemon to a chestnut color. Swirl the pan to ensure even heating. Remove the pan from the heat once a nutty sort of scent emerges. Pour the melted butter into the bowl with the sugar.

Add the cream, vanilla and salt. Whisk until smooth.

You can use the mixture immediately as a glaze or wait for 30 minutes or more until the icing firms.

You’ll see gorgeous variations on the recipes from the Cake Slice Bakers listed here.

Wishing you treats which tickle happy memories.

The Ninja Baker

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

Tags:

#CakeSliceBakers

Maple Syrup

Chiffon Cake Recipe