German Chocolate Birthday Cake, Delicious Indian!

This is one of the best, if not the best cake I've made to date. It was boss! I used Bryanna Clark Grogan's recipe and once again, thanks to padraigin917 on PPK. Bryanna's a proven hit-maker! One layer was the cake recipe from BCG, the other layer was VCTOTW's chocolate cake but using some dark cocoa. I know it's not traditional but it's great. The birthday boy isn't vegetarian, but he's got milk allergies and enjoys my food. I don't want to be a bragger, but everyone really liked it. I'm proud of this cake. Bryanna's mousse is like most vegan mousse that I enjoy and I think it was a nice touch, lighter than a buttercream. I think it went really well.






Next up is the PPK Dal. The roasting spices really made my mouth water. I am not natural at cooking Indian food. My palate can't tell what needs what, but for some reason it seemed really familiar. It's worth it to find and grind your spices. She says you can use mortar and pestle but go ahead and get a coffee grinder for spices.




Next up is a mesh of 2 recipes. I used Bryanna's Paneer and a mix of her Saag and Veggie Kitchen's. I will be going back to that blog again for sure.
My version: veggie kitchen's method, but no ginger, and only 1 jalapeno. Spice mix is 4 cloves garlic, 1 tsp garam masala and 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds. I did Bryanna's cream mixture, and used the 4Tb. margarine called for, for the spices. When cooking after adding the spinach, I only cooked a few minutes, to soften. Don't let it get really dry. I blended the cream and the spinach together.



Don't forget the parathas/roti. I didn't make them, got them at the Asian market in the frozen section. So flaky and good!

All together:


Lastly, I had an Orangesicle Spritzer which is really yummy! Just Orange soda and ice cream. Recipe idea from Michael Chiarello.

Birthday Cake for a Friend

Happy Birthday, Cindy!

This birthday cake was so good. I mean REALLY good. Probably the best (if not, one of the best) cakes I have made. My boyfriend doesn't really do sweets (blasphemy) but he had 2 pieces!

It is a lemon cake, filled with raspberry jam and frosted with lemon cream cheese icing. The contrast is lovely.







I must give credit where credit is due- my recipes are the slightest tinkering of Kittee's Vanilla Double Layer Cake and VCTOTW's Cream Cheese Icing.





Cake:

In a large bowl, sift* the following:
3 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda

In a separate bowl, mix the following:
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons lemon extract
2 cups water
3/4 cups vegetable oil

Also: you will need a jar of good raspberry jam. I used Polaner Seedless Raspberry.

*If you do not have a sifter, use a mesh colander or something else. You want air in and lumps out.

Pour the liquids into the sifted dry ingredients and mix. Don't overmix, though. I mixed enough where I couldn't see lumps, and it came out fine.

Pour into 2 round cake pans (even amount in each). I use a nonstick 9" Wilton round cakepan. I sprayed it with nonstick spray and also cut a parchment round and placed it in the bottom to ensure easy non-sticking.

Cook in a 350 degree oven, roughly 30 min. When you insert a toothpick in the middle, it should be clean. Let rest 10 minutes out of the ofen then carefully place on a cooling rack to cool.


Next, cut in half lengthwise. The easiest way I have found to do this is cut about 2 inches in all around the cake, then take a piece of floss, wrap it around inside the 2' cut and pull it through the cake. Then again, I am no cake decorator and my cake is uneven, so take it or leave it! Keep cake (you will now have 4 flat cakes) on cooling rack until ready to assemble. Remember to remove parchment if you are using.

To assemble:
Use about a cup or more of jam. Heat in microwave a few seconds until it's very spreadable.

Put flat bottom of one cake on surface. Slather with jam. Top with (round) (top) cake. Slather with jam. Invert the other (round) cake and place it on top. Slather with jam again. Place final (flat) piece on top and let sit So basically you put one whole cake upside down on the other, except it makes 4 layers and has jam in each layer. I hope that made sense!

Frosting (Makes enough to frost the cake and decorate with some left over. You may want to do 3/4 of this recipe)

1/2 c vegan Cream Cheese (Better Than Cream Cheese), room temperature
1/2 c vegan margarine (Earth Balance), room temperature
4 c powdered sugar, sifted
dash lemon extract (I probably used 1-1 1/2 teaspoons total, do it to taste)

Cream cream cheese and margarine until combined (don't overmix). Add sugar in 1/2 cup increments until all sugar is added. Add extract at the end.

Decorate your heart out.