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Think You Know Cake?

partysugar — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 01:39:16 -0800

Do you know your cakes? Are you an exceptional baker? To test your skills I've put together a quiz that celebrates today, National Cake Day.

I've listed the key ingredients, and you need to choose which cake they make. Sound fun? Get started!

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Make A Cake!

partysugar — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 15:55:03 -0800

Cakes, cakes, cakes, I love making cakes! During 2006, I went crazy making homemade layer cakes for every event I hosted and all of the holidays in between. To me, making a cake is an enjoyable process and once you understand the basic technique, the flavor possibilities are endless! Many cakes are done by the classic creaming technique. You cream together the sugar and butter, add eggs and then alternate between both a wet and a dry mixture. The dry mixture contains flour, baking soda, etc. and the wet mixture is vanilla, buttermilk, etc. Once all of this is combined, extras can be added (chocolate, etc.) and voila! you have cake batter. Since today is National Apricot Day, I found a cake recipe that has an apricot marmalade filling. read more

White Chocolate Cake with Apricot Marmalade Filling
From Food and Wine magazine

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk
8 ounces white chocolate, melted
2 tablespoons apricot marmalade, very finely chopped if chunky
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
White Chocolate Buttercream, recipe below
1/2 cup Candied Orange Peels, dipped in white chocolate, optional for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter at low speed until smooth.
Add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add the vanilla.
At low speed, alternately beat in the dry ingredients and the milk in 2 additions.
Add the melted white chocolate and beat just until incorporated.
Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pans and smooth the surfaces.
Bake the cakes in the center of the oven for 35 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then invert them onto a wire rack and let cool completely.
In a small bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the orange marmalade and the confectioners' sugar into 1 cup of the White Chocolate Buttercream.
Set 1 cake layer on a cake plate, right side up, and spread the filling on top. Cover with the second cake layer.
Frost the sides and top of the cake with the remaining White Chocolate Buttercream.
Garnish with the white chocolate–dipped Candied Orange Peels, if using (or fresh shaved white chocolate) and serve.

Serves 12.

Make ahead: the frosted cake can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.

[recipe|nid=101036]

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Happy March!

partysugar — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 00:01:12 -0800

I can't believe it's March already: it seems like the holidays were yesterday. Today is not one national food related made up holiday (I've said it before and I'll say it again: if anybody knows who makes these days up please let me know!) but three. Woo-hoo! It's National Pig Day (appropriate for Chinese New Year), National Peanut Butter Lover's Day (not to be confused with National Peanut Butter Day, and National Fruit Compote Day. To celebrate all three all you have to do is pig out on peanut butter and fruit compote sandwiches. For those of you who don't eat pork, hate peanut butter, and don't know the difference between a compote and jelly here's a super fun fact involving March 1: each year the Shakers celebrate the birth of their founder with a special cake. The original recipe for the cake had the baker beating the batter with fresh cut twigs from a peach tree to impart a delicate peach flavor to the cake. Crazy to think of the techniques old-age cooks had to use!

What's Yummy This Week - YumSugar Weekly Recap

partysugar — Sat, 17 May 2008 09:30:29 -0700

Learn how to properly serve absinthe.
Go behind the scenes of Hubert Keller's cooking show, Secrets of a Chef.
Celebrate National Apple Pie day with our fun quiz.
Jello is the secret ingredient that makes this key lime cake and this strawberry shortcake super moist.
Speaking of cakes, the next time you're attending a bridal shower, consider this adorable kitchen cake as a gift.
Is a deconstructed, minimalist salad still a salad?
Get excited for the premiere of the Sex and the City movie by checking out the pics from my Sex and the City party.
Finally, if you need a delicious, healthy meal this weekend, make grilled vegetables and chickpeas with couscous.

Yummy Links: From Recipes Gone Wrong to Pucco Cupcakes

partysugar — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 07:45:32 -0700

What to do when a recipe goes wrong. - The Kitchn
Quickly catch up on Slow Food Nation. - Chow
Meet the biggest Chinese restaurant in the world. - Serious Eats
The latest news of the food crisis: the number of food scientists is on the decline. - Slashfood
How to travel on a doddering dollar. - The Epi-Log
A crazy coincidence: Smitten Kitchen makes Yum's key lime meltaways on the exact same day. - Smitten Kitchen
Does your grocery list say something about your personality? - SavvySugar
Looking for a decadent dessert? How about raspberry chocolate bundt cake? - Baking Bites
How cute are these Pucco cupcakes?! - Hostess With the Mostess

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Test Your Cheesecake Facts

YumSugar — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 05:30:21 -0700

Did you know that today is National Cheesecake Day? No doubt this decadent dessert, a well-loved American favorite, deserves to be honored. But what do you know about this creamy cake, aside from the best slices to order at The Cheesecake Factory? Take our quiz and find out!

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Get Your Cheap Cheesecake!

partysugar — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:15:09 -0700

To commemorate their 30th anniversary, the Cheesecake Factory will be lowering the price of cheesecake. When the first Factory opened in Beverly Hills in 1978, a piece of cheesecake was only $1.50. Tomorrow, (which also happens to be National Cheesecake Day) the restaurant chain will offer cheesecake at its original ($1.50) price!

In addition to serving the cheap cheesecake, the Cheesecake Factory is introducing a special, limited-edition flavor, the 30th Anniversary Chocolate Cake Cheesecake. A portion of the sales of each anniversary slice will be donated to America's Second Harvest.

If you can't make it to a Cheesecake Factory tomorrow, no worries, the "sweet initiative" celebration - additional promotions have yet to be announced - will continue throughout the year.

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What's Yummy This Week: YumSugar Weekly Recap

YumSugar — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 08:57:31 -0700

This week we've been enjoying all things salad - including the difference between greens, two types of Caesar salads, a warm goat cheese salad, and how to make perfect salads.
This week also found us planning Molly's pup Oliver a super-fun puppy paw-ty. Check out our ideas and throw your own pooch a festive party!
If you've got time to lounge around and read, be sure to look through our summer reading selection. We'll be posting a new book every day in August.
Don't miss out on these August Must Haves.
Even though we've been celebrating all summer, Thursday was actually National Ice Cream Sandwich Day.
Speaking of national days, Friday was National Watermelon Day.
In reality tv news: I'm surprised by who got kicked off of Top Chef and I'm surprised by Gordon Ramsay's soft side.
Twenty-six people love ice cream and want to tell you all about it. These twenty-six folks sure know how to work their way into my heart.
I went to the garlic festival and ate pickled garlic, chocolate garlic, garlic fries, garlic ice cream, garlic chicken, garlic corn, well... you get the idea.
Although the filling in this deep dish lemon tart was absolutely smashing, I can't help but wonder what would happen if I could somehow smash it together with Twinkle's Swedish Strawberry Cake.
And finally, in one of the strangest things I saw all week: Christopher Walken teaches you how to cook a chicken.

What's in a Cookie?

YumSugar — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 01:18:39 -0800

Even though October was National Cookie Month, National Cookie Day is actually today, Dec. 4. If you think you know your cookies, then put your skills to the test. Much like our recent cake quiz, I'll give you the key ingredients and you tell me what kind of cookie it makes. Sound like a plan? Well what are you waiting for? Source

Take the quiz

The Symbolism Behind Rosh Hashanah Food

YumSugar — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 09:01:18 -0700

The Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashanah begins tonight at sundown. Although it is a time for introspection and soul-searching, it is also a happy day. Once the holiday prayer service is completed, a kiddush is said and a festive meal is eaten. Many foods are symbolic, such as apples dipped into honey which represent a sweet new year. The folks at About.com rounded up the symbolic meaning for other Rosh Hashanah food:

Round Challah
The round shape symbolizes a perfect year to come. Sometimes raisins or honey are added to make it extra sweet.

Apples and Honey
Dip the apples in honey to symbolize a sweet year to come.

Head of Fish or Gefilte ("filled") Fish
Fish is an ancient symbol of fertility and abundance. The head of fish symbolizes the head of the New Year. The head also symbolizes hope that the Jewish people will lead other nations through their righteous acts.

Head of Lamb, Sweet Chicken or Meat Dish
Head of lamb symbolizes our hope that the Jewish people will lead other nations through their righteousness. The sweet entree symbolizes our wish for a sweet year.

Tzimmes
Tzimmes is an eastern European recipe for honey baked carrots. The Yiddish word "meren" means carrots and to increase. Carrots symbolize our hope that we increase our good deeds in the coming year. Some tzimmes recipes add prunes, sweet potatoes or even meat to the sweet carrots.

Spinach
Spinach symbolizes a green year with plenty of produce.

To learn about more symbolic Rosh Hashanah food, read more

Rice
Rice symbolizes abundance.

Honey Cake or Teiglach (crunchy dough boiled in honey)
"This day is holy to God, your God; do not mourn and do not weep...for the joy of God is your strength." (Nechemiah 8:9-10). It is said that the Prophet Nechemiah introduced to the ancient Israelites the Persian custom of eating sweet foods to celebrate the New Year.

Source: About Judaism
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