cake

Birthdays

girl in floral dress playing mini bedroom toy — ^{Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com}

I had a birthday recently and decided to take myself to go see “Barbie”. I was hoping for some fun escapism. Well… it was entertaining but it was also a story of a major existential crisis. So I’m conflicted. Not sure I liked it. But Ryan Gosling was excellent as Ken.

I can be conflicted about birthdays in general. Some good, some bad. Some have associations I don’t care for. Some happy occasions.

My mother writes about the menu for my second birthday: hunks of cheese, slices of bananas with peanut butter dabs all on a toothpick, tiny buns filled with ground spam, graham crackers with honey butter, and then cupcakes with a candle on each, coffee and Koolade.
Sounds like an exotic ‘50s meal, doesn’t it?

My fifth birthday was memorable because the family had just survived a plane crash and landed at our final destination two weeks late – on my birthday. Another memorable one was in Lagos, Nigeria when my mother and I marked the occasion by opening a small tinned chocolate cake. They probably don’t make such a thing anymore…

In 1999, the last year of the millennium, I spent my birthday in France.
We stayed with friends in the suburbs who had a house and small yard and a son our son, Noah’s age. They were about a ten minute walk from the train in a nice little village with a pretty chateau. The first day was spent getting our new visas organized and trying to do some shopping. On Saturday we wandered around the left bank and then the four adults went out to dinner at a very nice kind of ‘new’ French restaurant. It was my birthday so we had champagne and wine and great food. Sunday was the boat ride on the Seine with the boys and then a walk through the Tuileries garden where there just happened to be some rides and of course Noah had to go on them.

We rented a car and on Tuesday left for Metz and the eclipse. Metz is a very pretty town right on the river. We scoped out the area on Tuesday and early Wednesday morning we headed out with the telescope, video camera and other cameras. We set up our camp in the middle of the Esplanade which is a nice park right by the river. The town had organized a big festival around the eclipse and so there were parades, music, etc. going on all day long. It was cloudy. During the first half of the eclipse we were able to see it off and on. But about 20 minutes before total eclipse it started to rain. We could tell when the total was, though, because it was completely dark. It was really cool. All the flowers closed up and all the lights came on and it was really night. Then during the second half it cleared up a bit and we were able to see more. Noah kept looking at the “moon” through his glasses. Nicholas got some good shots through his telescope. And I got a new umbrella. When we got back to Paris our friends who had gone 25 minutes north of Paris on the train said they had seen the whole thing perfectly.

From Metz we drove into Lorraine and the Vosges area. We stopped at the Haut Konningburg castle which is a huge restored castle on top of a mountain in the middle of the forest. You can see forever from it. It is really cool with a moat and drawbridge and inner yard. It would be very hard to penetrate it.

From there we wound our way around down to La Bresse which is in the heart of a big ski area and lots of mountains and forest. Really beautiful. Our hotel was very nice with a good restaurant. We drove all around the area and went hiking around a glacial pool where Noah spent the better part of an hour throwing rocks into it.

On Sunday (the day before Noah’s birthday) we took the boys to the Bois de Bologne to the big amusement park there and I think they went on about 20 rides. They had a lot of fun.

Our last day in Paris we had lunch up at Montmartre with all the tourists in town. It was kind of fun.

Blogging and Chocolate Cake

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

I have been blogging for two years now. Seems like just yesterday. I started my blog to promote my book, Expat Alien. I didn’t know what I was doing or if anybody would even read it. What I found was a whole new world. There are millions of bloggers out there. I had no idea. People blog about everything. Some blog a lot, some not so much.

To mark the occasion I though I might find one of Julia Child’s cake recipes. It seemed appropriate since she was an expat. However her recipes tend to be three and four pages long and that is a lot of work. So here is my favorite chocolate cake recipe that I have made a million times. It comes from the Joy of Cooking 1975 edition.

And keep on blogging!

Cocoa Devil’s Food Cake

Two 9-inch round pans

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees F

Combine, beat until well blended, and set aside:

1 cup sugar

½ cup cocoa

½ cup buttermilk or yogurt

Beat until soft

½ cup butter

Add gradually and cream until light:

1 cup sifted sugar

Beat in, one at a time:

2 eggs

Beat in cocoa mixture.

Sift before measuring:

2 cups cake flour

Resift with:

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

Add the flour in 3 parts to the butter mixture, alternately with:

½ cup buttermilk or yogurt

1 tsp vanilla

Beat batter after each addition just until smooth.

Grease the pans and cook for 35 minutes in a 375 degree F oven.

When cooled, spread the cake with your favorite icing.

Food Friday: Flourless Chocolate Cake

I had a craving for chocolate and how better to satisfy a chocolate craving than with a flourless chocolate cake? No better way. This recipe is courtesy of Whole Foods Market.

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips or bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped

1 cup butter

1 ¼ cups sugar

6 eggs

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon milk

1 tablespoon honey

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9-in springform pan and line bottom with parchment paper. Butter the paper and set pan aside.

Melt 8 oz chocolate and 1 cup butter in a medium saucepan stirring often. Remove from heat and transfer to large bowl. Add sugar and mix well. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Sift cocoa into bowl and stir until just blended.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 35-40 minutes, or until cake has risen and top has formed a thin crust. The cake should be just firm in the center when done. Cool for 10 minutes, then invert onto a plate, removing sides of springform pan. Remove and discard parchment paper and set cake aside to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the chocolate glaze. Melt remaining 4 oz chocolate and 3 Tbsp butter in a small saucepan (I used the same pan). Remove from heat, then stir in milk, honey and vanilla. Set aside to cool slightly.

When cake has cooled, pour glaze onto the center. Using a spatula or the back of a spoon, very gently smooth glaze along the top and sides of the cake. Chill cake, uncovered for 30-60 minutes before serving to set the glaze and make the cake easier to slice. It is good both warm and cold. It becomes kind of like fudge after refrigerated.

Food Friday: Mexican Wedding Cakes

My brother’s favorite cookie was always the Mexican Wedding Cake. They really aren’t Mexican or cake. They are also known as Russian Tea Cakes. Or by several other names around the world. We always made them with walnuts but I have seen them made with pecans and other nuts as well. They are cookies and they are good!!

Mexican Wedding Cakes

Finely chop 3/4 cup walnuts.

Mix:

1 cup soft butter

1/2 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Sift together and stir in:

2 1/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

Mix in:

3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

Chill dough

Roll into 1 inch balls

Place 2 inches apart on un-greased baking sheet

Bake 10-12 minutes

Cook till set – lightly brown on the bottom

While still warm carefully roll in powdered sugar.

Cool and roll in sugar again.

Food Friday: Blitz Torte

I ran out of time this week and didn’t manage my usual wonders in the kitchen. But I did run across an interesting cookbook:

The Victory Binding of the American Woman’s Cook Book

Wartime Edition

Edited by Ruth Berolzheimer, 1944

There is a handwritten note in the inside that says:

War – 1942

Will He come back to marry me?

Marlene Anne

1944

I love this photo: The Machine Beats Time As Well As Batter While You Supply The Brain That Makes The Cake.

Blitz Torte

½ cup shortening

½ cup sugar

1/8 tsp salt

4 egg yolks, beaten light

1 tsp vanilla

3 tbsp milk

1 cup sifted cake flour

1 tsp baking powder

4 egg whites

¾ cup sugar

½ cup sliced blanched almonds

1 tbsp sugar

½ tsp cinnamon

Cream shortening; beat in sugar and salt, then egg yolks, vanilla, milk and flour (sifted with baking powder). Spread mixture in 2 round greased cake pans. Beat egg whites until very light, add ¾ cup sugar gradually and spread on the un-baked mixture in both pans. Sprinkle with almonds, 1 tbsp sugar and cinnamon and bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees F) about 30 minutes. Let cool and put together with cream filling. Makes 1 (9-inch) 2 layer cake.

Cream Filling:

1/3 cup sugar

3 tbsp cornstarch

¼ tsp salt

2 egg yolks

2 tbsps butter

2 cups milk, scalded

1 tsp vanilla

Combine sugar, cornstarch, salt and egg yolks; beat thoroughly. Add butter and enough milk to make a smooth paste. Add paste to remaining hot milk and cook over boiling water, stirring constantly until mixture is thickened. Cool and add vanilla. If desired add ½ cup chopped nut meats.

Food Friday: Santiago Almond Cake

This cake is a specialty of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The area is famous for the pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Santiago translates to English as James and the story is that St. James’s remains were carried by boat from Jerusalem to northern Spain where he was buried on the site of what is now the city of Santiago de Compostela. There are several routes you can take to Compostela and they were heavily traveled in the Middle Ages. Today people travel from all over the world to walk the route and it has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Sword of St James

This is a flourless almond cake named after St James. It is usually topped with the symbol of the sword of St James. Although crosses are also appropriate.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 ¼ cups finely ground almonds

Separate 4 eggs into 2 large bowls.

Beat yolks, gradually incorporating ¾ cup sugar.

Fold in 2 ¼ cups finely ground almonds.

Whisk egg whites until foamy

Gradually beat in ¼ cup sugar and continue to beat until stiff

Stir 1/3 of egg whites into almond mixture, then carfully fold in remaining egg whites in 2 batches.

Pour batter into buttered 9-inch cake pan and bake until done – about 30-35 minutes

Allow to cool

Dust with powdered sugar.

Enjoy! Yum!

Mothers’ Congress Cook Book 1922

I inherited a cookbook from my grandmother. The cover is gone so I don’t know what it looked like but the date is 1922. The Preface states:

“Organized into a working body, the Mother’s Congress of Mount Ayr, presents Mothers who are studying and working for the betterment of Child Welfare.

In its interests financially, this little book is published and sent out by them.”

Followed by:

“We may live without poetry, music and art.

We may live without conscience and live without heart;

We may live without friends, we may live without books;

But civilized man cannot live without cooks. —- Merideth.”

It starts out with 12 points on how to set a table. Numbers 11 and 12:

11. Place carving set in front of host, or put carving knife and gravy ladle at his right, and fork at his left.

12. Place coffee cups and coffee pot at right of hostess.

The recipes don’t mention oven temperature other than “moderate oven” or “quick oven” and many of them don’t mention how long anything should cook. Here are a few samples.

Norwegian Stew. – Brown in a large kettle 1 c. lard and butter mixed, 25-cent round steak cut in small pieces, flour thoroughly and stir into the browned lard, continue stirring until meat is brown. Then add 1 c. flour stirring constantly, set on back of stove and add 2 qts. Boiling water, salt and pepper and let simmer 2 hrs, ½ hr. before serving add enough potatoes of medium size for the meal, stir occasionally as it will stick to kettle. — J.A.W.

Molasses Cake. 1 cup molasses, ½ c. sugar, ½ c. butter or lard, ½ tsp each cloves, ginger, cinnamon; 1 tsp. soda in 1 c. boiling water, 2 eggs, well beaten; last, flour to stiffen. –Mrs. Holman.

And my grandmother’s contribution:

Green Tomato Relish. – 5 lbs. green tomatoes, 6 large onions, 3 c. brown sugar, 3 c. red peppers, 3 green peppers, 1 tbsp. each of powdered cloves, all spice, celery seed, dry mustard, ½ c. salt, 8 c. vinegar. Peel and slice tomatoes and onions very thin. Remove seeds from peppers and chop very fine. To these add the other ingredients and cook over a moderate fire ½ hr., stirring frequently. Cover with paraffin. – Mrs. Liggett.

Household hints:

Rub the feet every night and morning with bay rum and witch hazel, equal parts, for frost bits.

Turpentine and lard rubbed on throat and chest will often relieve pain from cold.

To carry a mattress without breaking your fingernails (also back) use a broom underneath as a saddle and see how much easier it is.

Use a tbsp. of kerosene to wash windows. It not only cuts the dirt but is distrastful to flies

I’m not sure what “distrastful” is. Maybe a typo. But you get the idea.

The book ends with a poem.

Receipt for a Happy Day

Take a little dash of cold water,

A little leaven of prayer,

A little bit of sunshine gold,

Dissolved in the morning air.

Add to your meal some merriment,

Add thought for kith and kin,

And the, as a prime ingredient

A plenty of work thrown in.

Flavor it all with essence of love,

And a dash of play.

Let the dear old book and a glance above,

Complete the well spent day.

–Mrs. Smith

Whatever your recipe is, I hope you have a happy day!!

Indian Cake

One of my cousins put together a family cookbook. It is full of people reminiscing about Grandmother’s cooking, and great recipes down through the generations. My aunts were awesome cooks as well. The funny thing about this cookbook is that there is not one but FOUR recipes for Indian Cake. And I don’t even remember anybody ever serving it to me.

My father summarizes best what everybody else says about my grandmother and her baking:

“All of our family remembers how Mary could tell when the temperature was right in the oven to bake a cake, pie or bread. This was long before gas or electric stoves were known on the farm and our kitchen stove was either wood or coal fired and the oven didn’t have a temperature gauge.

She would get the fire going and after a while she would open the oven door and put her hand in the oven. After a few “hand” tests she would say it was ready, and put in her goods to be baked. They always came out perfectly.”

This is my grandmother’s version of the cake.

Indian Cake

2 cups sugar
½ cup shortening
¼ cup cocoa powder
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup cold coffee
2 eggs
1 cup hot water

Blend sugar and shortening. Add ingredients in order given, adding hot water last. Pour into a greased 9”X 9” pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 1 hour. Check it at 45 mins – these recipes always say “bake until done”. So the first time, you need to keep an eye out.

Bon appetite!