Book Food: Night and To Kill a Mockingbird

       I already shared the poke cake and black tea cupcakes to represent books for my English project.  Finally, here are the other two foods I baked.

        Night by Elie Wiesel was about the Holocaust, so of course it was sad.  A key theme reflected on the struggle between survival and humaneness.  Also, bread played a significant role in the book since it was the prisoners' key to survival.  Thus, I made bread with a heart baked inside of it.  The hard crust represents hardship and the soft heart inside shows that even in difficult situations, humanity prevails.  Quite profound.

         To make the bread, first make some pink bread dough (tinted with either food coloring or beet powder).  Roll it into a cylinder, wrap it in foil, let it rise, and bake it.  Then cut a notch out to make it look like a heart with a lot of depth.  Freeze the heart until solid.  Next, make some regular bread dough.  Roll it into a rectangle, brush it with egg whites, and wrap the frozen heart inside.  Be sure to press a strip of plain bread dough into the notch in the heart. Place the dough in a pan, let it rise, brush with egg wash, and bake. Do all this and you have heart bread.

           To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a sweet book taking place in Alabama, and in the early 1900s I think.  Racism and segregation play a large role in the maturation of its speaker, Scout.  Tradition is valued by the citizens in the book and largely controls their actions.  To symbolize tradition, I baked a lane cake, famous in Alabama.  However, Scout and other characters break tradition by supporting African Americans.  To show this, I frosted the cake with chocolate frosting instead of the normal seven-minute-style  frosting.  Also, to represent segregation, I cut the lane cake and chocolate cake into concentric rings and mix-matched them to make a checkerboard cake. 

       So now you know foo can symbolize a lot.  Not only can it reflect your lifestyle or personality, but it is also a great medium for representing book themes.  Enjoy! And forgive me for bringing back memories of English class after school is out for summer.

Carrot Cake Cheesecake

          I realized recently that I haven't been eating as many vegetables as I probably should be.  The only meals I regularly have veggies in are lunch and dinner, and even then I mostly eat rice or bread.  But if I want to have my daily 5 servings of vegetables, I'm going to have to extend beyond lunch and dinner.  Zucchini pancakes, vegetable juice, and veggie straws are some solutions, but why limit vegetables to boring, not very flavorful foods?  Why not have veggies for dessert?  Carrot cake is the perfect solution. 

       Carrot cake turns out to be my dad's favorite kind of cake.  It's my go-to cake for celebrating his birthday or father's day.  However, since I don't like making the same thing too many times, I often change the cake up a little.  Like last year, I made him carrot cake sushi (see here) which was basically a carrot roll cake cut to look like sushi (my dad also really likes sushi).  This year, I made a carrot cake cheesecake, which kind of makes average carrot cake seem obsolete.   

         Everyone knows how carrot cake and cream cheese are the perfect food combination.  Carrot cake is always frosted with cream cheese frosting.  But to take it up a notch, this cake covers carrot cake with cheese cake, which is then frosted with cream cheese frosting.  Heavenly.  Forget graham cracker crusts.  Just use cake for the base of all your cheesecakes.  

          I then made some candied walnuts to top the cake.  Since the cheesecake and carrot cake are creamy, the crunch of the walnuts is very welcome.  Also, the big, chunky carrot cakes I'm used to always include walnuts in the batter, but this time I wanted the cake to be smoother so that it would blend with the cheesecake better.  Thus, I just put the nuts on top instead of including them in the batter.  Candying the walnuts gives the nuts an even bigger crunch and a beautiful flavor.  You'll have some extra from the recipe below, but they will probably be nibbled up by the end of the day.  

           Making the cake is simple.  Just keep in mind that you need a 9 to 10" springform pan (a pan with detachable walls).  It doesn't have to be fancy, mine is an old metal one which I bought for a quarter at a yard sale.  

First, whip up the cheesecake batter (cream cheese, eggs, vanilla, sour cream, flour and sugar).

Mix together oil and sugar.

Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.

Stir in the dry ingredients.

And add grated carrots.

Spread half the carrot cake batter on the bottom of a greased 9 or 10" springform pan. 

Dollop some large spoonfuls of cheesecake batter on top (about half the cheesecake batter)

Cover with the spoonfuls of the rest of the carrot cake batter.

Smooth the rest of the cheesecake batter on top.

Bake for about an hour.  It will take less time for a 10" cheesecake to bake.  If it's turning brown after half an hour, cover with aluminum foil.   In the end, it will look puffy and cracked, that's okay. 

Let it cool completely and it will loose it's puffiness.

Whip up the cream cheese frosting. 

Frost the cake and refrigerate until chilled.

Then, make the candied walnuts.  First, toast the nuts in the oven.

Melt some brown sugar.  I used a chopstick to stir.

Add some salt and the walnuts, and toss to coat

Dump the walnuts back onto the parchment paper and quickly break them apart with 2 forks.  Move fast before the sugar hardens.

Remove the cake from the pan and cover with the candied walnuts.  Serve cold.

       Enjoy and remember to eat your veggies!  

       P.S.  This cake is not actually good for you.  

Carrot Cake Cheesecake with Candied Walnuts

recipe adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

makes one 9"-10" cheesecake, serves 12-16 people

Ingredients

For the cheesecake:

1 lb cream cheese 

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp flour

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup sour cream

For the cake:

3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

dash of cloves

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 lb finely grated carrots (about 1 heaping cup)

For the cream cheese frosting:

3 oz cream cheese, at room temperature

2 tbs unsalted butter, at room temperature

1-1/2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbs sour cream

For the candied walnuts:

3/4 cups walnuts

1/4 cup brown sugar (loose, not packed)

coarse salt (optional)

Directions

1. Make the cheesecake batter:  In a medium bowl using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the cream cheese, sugar, eggs and flour until smooth. Add the vanilla and sour cream and mix just until blended. Set aside.
2. Make the carrot cake batter: In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat together the oil, brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until the mixture is light creamy and light. Stir in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt until just combined. Mix in the carrots.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9- or 10-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Spread half of the carrot cake batter into the bottom of the prepared pan. Dollop half of the cheesecake batter on top of the carrot cake layer in large spoonfuls. Don't spread or swirl together. Just dollop. Dollop the rest of the carrot cake batter on and around the spoonfuls of cheesecake batter. Spread the last half of the cheesecake batter on top of all the layers and spread with an offset spatula into an even layer. Tap the pan on the counter a couple of times to get rid of any air bubbles.
4. Bake the cheesecake for 60-70 minutes (check earlier if using a 10-inch springform pan; it won't bake as long as a 9-inch pan).  Cover the top of the cheesecake with foil the last 20 -30 minutes of baking if it is browning too quickly. The cheesecake will puff up and probably crack, but once it cools it will deflate and the cracks will be covered with frosting.  The top center part of the cheesecake should still be slightly soft and jiggly when you take it out, and be careful not to over-bake. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack for about an hour.
5. Make the frosting: Whip together the cream cheese and butter until creamy and smooth. Mix in the powdered sugar a little at a time until the frosting is well-combined with no lumps. Add the vanilla and sour cream and mix well.  When the cheesecake is cool, spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cheesecake.
6. Make the candied walnuts:  Preheat oven to 350*F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the walnuts on top.  Bake for 5 minutes, or until toasted and fragrant.  Be careful not to burn them.  Meanwhile, place the sugar in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.  Stir constantly until melted, then add a pinch of salt and the toasted walnuts. Toss to coat.  Scoop the walnuts back onto the parchment lined baking sheet and immediately separate the walnuts using 2 forks.  Set aside to cool completely before placing on top of the cheesecake.  
7.  Cover the cheesecake with tin foil or plastic wrap, careful not to touch the frosting, and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 6 hours. Serve cold. The cheesecake can be refrigerated for 2 days.

Book Food: Macbeth and Oedipus Rex

     Next up for Book Food is this strawberry jello poke cake, representing Macbeth by Shakespeare and Oedipus Rex by Sophocles.

       Both Macbeth and Oedipus had characters who tried to control their own fate, though they inevitably failed.  Both books were also really bloody, a bit too much for my liking.  

(spoiler alert) Did Macbeth's head really have to be ripped off?  

        The red strawberry gelatin oozing down through the cake looks like blood and symbolizes the turmoil that Oedipus and Macbeth faced in order to gain their thrones.  The reflective "mirror" on top of the cake conveyed that one's actions "reflect" one's destiny, and so one controls their own fate.  

          Basically, this cake is just vanilla cake, strawberry butter cream, and Jello.  I used my vanilla layer cake recipe and my strawberry buttercream recipe for this.  

           First, you bake the cake and poke holes in it with a fork at 1/2" intervals.  

      Then you mix 1 package strawberry Jello with 2 cups hot water.  Stir for 2 minutes until the Jello is dissolved.

 

     Pour the jello over the cake.  Then refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours.

        Frost the cake with strawberry buttercream and refrigerate for another 2 hours.

        Then mix 1/2 pack of jello with 1 cup of hot water, stir until dissolved, and pour it over the frosting.  Refrigerate until the jello stiffens.  

           The top jello part unfortunately didn't work out for me.  Still, the cake tasted pretty good and it represented the books well.  

            Enjoy!

Book Food: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

     

     It bothers me when people bring in food for a final project that is not meaningful or inventive in any way.  

     I mean, people who know nothing about cooking or baking should not just decide to make food for their project and end up picking a bunch of recipes off the internet which vaguely resemble the ideas found in a book, right?  

     Let me just say that I've looked through thousands of food magazines, recipes, and blogs, and I've read cookbooks cover to cover, soaking in all the new techniques.  I've also experimented a lot in my own kitchen in order to learn skills so that I can be creative.  And I put a lot of effort into everything I bake.

    For my English project where I had to represent the 4 book units we covered over the year, I chose baked goods as my medium for conveying the themes.  

        Up there you see a representation of the first book I read in 9th grade English, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (or H2G2 for short) by Douglas Adams.  H2G2 was hilarious, by the way, and I really enjoyed reading it.  I hope you've read it before too, but if you haven't, I'll try not to spoil it in this post.  Same for the other books I'll be posting about.  

        I made a black tea cupcake with lemon honey buttercream.  I wanted to make a black tea cake to reflect the speaker's bitter outlook, as well as the randomness in the book.  Black tea is bitter and tea molecules are well known to move around randomly.  I also wanted either lemon or honey frosting, because those compliment the black tea flavor and represent themes of their own.  Lemon again symbolizes the speaker's cynical, sour tine and the honey conveys the mellow "Don't Panic" theme. 

         I remember coming across this recipe for black tea cupcakes years ago, thinking, "ew, who would put tea in a cake?"  I didn't like tea back then, though I do enjoy it now.  Surprisingly, the cupcakes turned out delicious.  They weren't overwhelmed with black tea flavor, though the tea gave the cake a nice subtle "fragrance," I should say.  The cupcakes were tender and moist, and rose beautifully.  

          The frosting was very good and hit another tone which blended with the flavor of the black tea.  There was a strong lemon flavor from the lemon juice, while the sourness was balanced by the sweet, distinct flavor of honey.  The cupcake even exceeded my expectations. 

Here's how I made the cupcakes:

Steep tea in hot milk until the milk cools.  Then remove and reserve the bags.

Sift together the dry ingredients.

Blend in pieces of butter.

Stir in the milk and fold in tea leaves.

Divvy up the batter in 12-15 cups.  

Bake. 

If you chose to make 12 cupcakes, the cupcakes will turn out to be very tall and domed.

Then make the frosting and frost the cupcakes when they are cool.

      I made three other baked goods, which I will share with you soon.  To give you a hint, the books are Macbeth and Oedipus Rex (combined into one dessert), Night, and To Kill a Mockingbird.

      These cupcakes would be perfect for a variety of occasions.  Darla, the author of this recipe, made it to commemorate a singer's birthday.  You could also make them just to help you get the hang of those pesky Thursdays :)  Enjoy!

Black Tea Cupcakes with Lemon Honey Buttercream

recipe from Bakingdom

makes 12-15 cupcakes, you may run out of frosting if you make 15

Ingredients

For the Cupcake:

1/2 cup hot milk

3 black tea bags

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups (180g) cake flour

3/4 cups sugar

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into pieces

For the Frosting:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups (8oz, 250g) confectioners sugar, sifted

2 tbs honey

1 tbs fresh lemon juice

1 tbs heavy cream

1/4 tsp grated lemon zest

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180 C). Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, steep the tea bags in the hot milk for at least 10 minutes. Allow the milk mixture to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, whisk in the eggs and vanilla until combined; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the butter pieces, one at a time, then increase mixer speed to medium low. Once the butter is fully incorporated, increase speed to medium and beat until well combined (about 30 seconds).
4. Reduce mixer speed to low and add half of the milk mixture. Mix until just combined, then increase speed to medium high for about 30 seconds. Repeat with the remaining milk mixture. Fold in some black tea leaves from the tea bags, if desired.
5. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.   Bake for 18 minutes, or until the edges are light golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a crumb or two clinging to it. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.
6. To make the frosting, Beat the butter on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in half of the sugar until combined. Stir in the vanilla and honey. Beat in the remaining sugar. Add the heavy cream, lemon juice, and lemon zest, whip on high speed for 6 minutes.  
7. Frost the cupcakes and enjoy!

Milky Way Cake

    

The best birthday cake.

       Strangely, I don't like candy bars that much.  They're good once in a while I guess, but I would much rather eat a chewy oatmeal raisin cookie or a soft, fluffy muffin than a Hershey's bar.  

       This wasn't always the case.  Before I became accustomed to freshly baked goods and foods made from scratch, I loved candy, and Milky Way bars were my favorite.  Milky Ways, as I remember, were basically just a nougat and caramel dipped in chocolate.  After seeing other desserts based off of candy bars, I was inspired to elevate this candy bar into a chocolate layer cake with salted caramel buttercream, covered in milk chocolate ganache and homemade caramel sauce.  Since it was my birthday when I made this, it was justified that I indulge in this rich, sweet, and just scrumptious cake. 

       Food can symbolize a lot.  I should know because I just finished baking my English final project (more details to come).   In this case, the cake symbolizes how I got older.  Similar to how I grew into a highschooler,  the Milky Way bar grew into a gorgeous five-layer cake.  

        For the basic cake, I used my favorite one-bowl chocolate cake recipe, which is quick and easy to make.  I made 3 8" layer and then split 2 of the layer in half (the third layer was thinner than the others). 

        Then I modified a nougat recipe according to the things I had.  All you need is marshmallow fluff (found in the peanut butter isle), chocolate malted milk powder (found where the dehydrated milk is), milk, butter, and vanilla extract.  The result was just what I wanted, and it was exactly like the filling in Milky Way bars.  

         I made some caramel sauce (which is basically almost-burnt sugar mixed with heavy cream and butter) and incorporated it into a buttercream.  Then I filled and frosted the cake and poured ganache and more caramel sauce on top.  I was kind of lazy and I didn't feel like making the cake pretty.  Also, everyone in my house was pressuring me to finish the cake so that they could eat it.  If you want it to look pretty, let the ganache cool and thicken more before you pour it.  

         I really liked this cake, and so did my family.  They said that it was the best cake I ever made.  They always say that, but I agree that it was pretty awesome.  The cake was moist and chocolatey, the filling was fluffy and nougaty, the frosting was creamy and so delicious, and...need I say more?

         Please do yourself and those around you a favor and make this.  Enjoy!

One Bowl Chocolate Cake

Recipe in this post

*Spread batter evenly into 3 8" or 2 9" cake pans and bake.

*When the cakes are cool, or, preferably, chilled in the refrigerator, cut each cake in half vertically so you get 4-6 cake layers.

Nougat Cake Filling

makes about 2-1/2 cups

Ingredients

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup chocolate malted milk powder

7.5oz (1 small jar) Marshmallow Fluff

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Stir in the sugar, milk, and malted milk powder.  When the mixture is smooth, remove it from the heat.  Stir in marshmallow fluff and vanilla until well combined.  Transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature, stirring every so often.  Yo can also refrigerate the filling and then microwave it to get it back to room temperature.

Caramel Sauce

adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

makes one cup

Ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar

6 tbs butter, at room temperature and cut into pieces

1/2 cup heavy cream

1-1/2 tsp fleur de sel or flaky sea salt (optional)

Directions

1. In a medium pot, add the sugar and melt over medium heat, stirring constantly until it is all melted.  Once it's smooth, stop stirring and just swirl the pot around instead.  When the caramel is golden and reaches 350*F, remove it from the heat.  Be careful or it will burn. 
2. Add the butter pieces, carefully because the mixture will start bubbling.  Stir until smooth.  
3. Slowly add the heavy cream and whisk to incorporate. Stir in salt if using.
4. Let sauce cool for ten minutes, then transfer into a glass jar.  Let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate.
5. This can be refrigerated for up to two weeks.  Microwave until liquid before using.  

Caramel Buttercream

adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

enough to frost one cake

Ingredients

1 stick (1/2cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature

4oz cream cheese, at room temperature

1/4 caramel sauce (recipe above)

2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted

Directions

1. Cream together the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy.  Then beat in the caramel sauce.  Add the sugar bit by bit and beat to incorporate.  Beat the frosting for a couple of minutes until fluffy.

Milk Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients

8oz milk chocolate chips

1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Bring the heavy cream to a boil and then pour over the chocolate. Stir until smooth. Let cool a bit before pouring over the frosted cake.

Assembly of Milky Way Cake

1. Spread nougat filling onto one cake layer and then place another cake on top.  Repeat with the rest of the cake layers.
2. Frost the cake with the caramel buttercream
3. Pour the ganache over the cake, then drizzle on some more caramel sauce.
4. Refrigerate until serving.