cook like james

Triple Flavored Marble Pound Cake

 

I found this recipe in the September/October 2020 issue of Bake From Scratch. If you’re not familiar with the magazine, I highly recommend it, the recipes are innovative, delicious, and well tested, and this one is no exception. Made with a simple pound cake recipe, the batter is then divided into three separate bowls, and enhanced with vanilla, chocolate, and dulce de leche. It is then scooped into a loaf pan to create a clever patchwork of flavor.

Download Triple-Flavored Marble Pound Cake recipe

Ingredients

¾ cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, softened

1½ cups (300 grams) granulated sugar

3 large eggs (150 grams), room temperature

1¾ cups (219 grams) all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) kosher salt

¼ teaspoon (1.25 grams) baking powder

½ cup (120 grams) sour cream, room temperature

¼ cup (80 grams) dulce de leche

⅓ cup (57 grams) chopped 60-66% dark chocolate, melted and cooled slightly

1 tablespoon (5 grams) Dutch process cocoa powder

2 teaspoons (8 grams) vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Spray an 8½×4½-inch loaf pan with baking spray with flour. Line pan with parchment paper, letting excess extend over sides of pan.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar at medium speed until fluffy, 5 to 6 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture in three additions alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Divide batter into 3 portions (about 1⅓ cups [316 grams] each).

4. In a small microwave-safe bowl, heat dulce de leche for 15 to 20 seconds to soften slightly. Fold into 1 portion of batter. To second portion, add melted chocolate and cocoa, and fold until combined. To remaining portion, add vanilla, and fold until combined.

5. Using 1½-tablespoon spring-loaded scoops, scoop vanilla and chocolate batters in a checkerboard pattern into bottom of prepared pan (5 rows total). Scoop a row of dulce de leche batter down center of pan on top of vanilla/chocolate layer (5 scoops). Tap pan 2 to 3 times to help level batter and fill pan. Create another layer in a checkerboard pattern using dulce de leche and chocolate batters, being sure to place chocolate on top of vanilla batter from first layer. Scoop a row of vanilla batter down center of pan on top of dulce de leche/chocolate layer. Tap pan again. Scoop remaining batter randomly on top. Using a wooden pick, swirl batters together well. Tap pan again to help level batter and fill in any gaps.

6. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour and 40 minutes to 1 hour and 50 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Using excess parchment as handles, remove from pan, and serve warm, or let cool completely on wire rack.

Glazed Honey Apple Bundt Cake

 

Not only is this a great fall cake recipe, but it’s also perfect for Rosh Hashanah. Baked with traditional ingredients of apple and honey, this moist bundt cake is a great way to celebrate the Jewish New Year.

For the Honey Apple Cake:

3 large eggs

3/4 cup honey ( I use Nature Nate's Raw &Unfiltered Organic Honey)

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 1/4 cups canola oil

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp allspice

1/8 tsp ground cloves

4 Granny Smith or Gala apples (peeled, cored, and shredded)

GLAZE

1/3 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with vegetable spray.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and spices; set aside
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs until they are frothy. Whisk in the honey, white sugar, brown sugar, oil and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture into the liquid, stir gently to blend until no pockets of flour remain, do not overmix. Fold in the shredded apples.
4. Pour batter into the pan and smooth top with rubber spatula.
5. Bake cake for 70-80 minutes. When the edges darken and just begins to pull fully away from the sides of the pan, and the cake browns all the way across the surface, insert a toothpick deep into the thickest part of the cake. If it comes out clean, it's done. It’s a very moist cake, so it’s easy to undercook it.
6. Let cake cook in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, and then invert on wire rack to cool.

GLAZE:

1. Heat honey and vanilla on microwave for 30 seconds to thin. Brush over warm cake and let cake rest about 1 hour before serving.

Perfectly Spiced Indian-Style Basmati Rice

This makes a perfect side dish for Butter Chicken, Chicken Tikka Masala, or Tandoori. Rinsing the rice is an important step which delivers a light and fluffy dish with grains that are separate and distinct.

Download Perfectly Spiced Indian-Style Basmati Rice recipe

1 ½ cups basmati rice

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

3 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed

3 whole cloves

2¼ cups water

1 cinnamon stick

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon table salt

*Note: For basmati rice with a bright yellow color, add ¼ teaspoon of ground turmeric and a pinch of saffron threads with the water in step 3.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place rice in fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until water runs clear. Place strainer over bowl and set aside.
2. Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add cumin, cardamom, and cloves and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Add water, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, and salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until all water is absorbed, about 17 minutes. Let stand, covered, off heat for at least 10 minutes. Discard cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf. Fluff rice with fork and serve.

Lemon Almond Loaf Cake with Rosemary Drizzle

I’m always searching for a great recipe for lemon pound cake, or tea bread, the kind I remember having in Paris, moist but light, and loaded with lemon flavor. This might be the best one I’ve tried, which I discovered on an episode of Milk Street TV called “Baking in Paris”. The recipe is inspired by the show’s visit to Rose Bakery, a cafe owned by Rose Carrarini,  where they sampled Rose’s acclaimed Lemon-Almond Pound Cake. Her secret is to replace some of the wheat flour with almond flour. Almond flour makes the cake's crumb extra tender and moist and gives it a more interesting texture than wheat flour alone. The original recipe uses a traditional lemon drizzle, but I decided to try a rosemary lemon drizzle which I saw John Whaite (English baker who won the third series of The Great British Bake Off) do on a Baking Mad “makeittogether competition The rosemary lemon drizzle soaks into the loaf cake and brings it to another level – an absolutely fantastic combination.

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

195 grams (1½ cups) all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan

4 large eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

241 grams (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) sugar

2 tablespoons grated lemon zest

100 grams (1 cup) almond flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

14 tablespoons (1¾ sticks) salted butter, cut into 14 pieces, room temperature

3 tablespoons sliced almonds

Lemon Rosemary Syrup

108 grams (1/2 cup) white sugar

6 tablespoons lemon juice, divided

1 sprig of rosemary

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the middle position. Coat a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray, dust evenly with flour, then tap out the excess.
2. In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup or small bowl, beat the eggs and vanilla until combined; set aside.
3. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the 241 grams sugar and the lemon zest on low until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add both flours, the baking powder and salt and mix until combined, about 10 seconds.
4. With the mixer on low, add the butter a piece at a time. Once all the butter has been added, continue mixing on low until the mixture is crumbly and no powdery bits remain, 1 to 2 minutes.
5. With the mixer still running, add the egg mixture in a slow, steady stream and mix for about 10 seconds. Increase to medium-high and beat until the batter is light and fluffy, 1 to 1½ minutes, scraping the bowl once or twice. The batter will be thick.
6. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the surface, then sprinkle evenly with sliced almonds. Bake for 45 minutes, then reduce the oven to 300°F. Continue to bake until the top is deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted at the center of the cake comes out clean, another 30 to 35 minutes.
7. While the cake is baking, in a small saucepan over medium-low, heat the 108 grams (1/2 cup) sugar, 5 tablespoons of lemon juice and rosemary sprig, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture reaches a bubbly simmer. Immediately remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Set aside to cool.
8. When the cake is done, cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto the rack, then turn it upright. Using a toothpick, poke small holes in the surface at 1-inch intervals. Brush all of the lemon-rosemary syrup onto the cake, allowing it to soak in. Cool completely before slicing, about 2 hours.

Tips: Don’t use cold butter or cold eggs. The butter must be softened to room temperature so it integrates into the sugar-flour mixture. And the eggs must be at room temperature, too, not chilled, so they don't cause the butter to stiffen up when added to the mixer. Lastly, don't rotate the cake as it bakes. Jostling the pan increases the chance the batter will deflate, resulting in a dense, under-risen cake.

 

Edamame Snap Pea Salad with Watermelon Radishes and Sesame Ginger Dressing

 

This is a fantastic summer dish which I first tried at Alan Jackson’s restaurant/marketplace Lemonade. The edamame are a great base for salads because of their bright, fresh flavor and watermelon radish add great color and crunch while the sesame ginger dressing ties it all together. Makes a great salad to serve with sushi.

Download Edamame Snap Pea Salad Watermelon Radishes Sesame Dressing recipe

½ pound sugar snap peas (2 cups), ends trimmed

2 cups shelled edamame (green soybeans), frozen, thawed, and cooked according to package directions

1 large shallot, minced (optional)

1/4 cup chopped fresh chives, mint or basil

3 small red radishes thinly sliced

1 watermelon radish, thinly sliced and then cut each slice into quarters (to resembles triangle slices of watermelon)

1 carrot, grated on small holes of a box grater

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

½ teaspoon coarse salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup Sesame Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl halfway with water and adding a tray of ice cubes.
2. Blanch sugar snap peas in boiling water for about 1-2 minutes (until they are just turning tender but still very crisp) and then immediately place into an ice bath. Slice sugar snap peas diagonally, smaller ones in half and longer ones into thirds.
3. Put the blanched snap peas in a mixing bowl. Add the edamame, shallot, chives (or mint, basil), radish slices, carrot, and vinaigrette, tossing to coat. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds, salt, and pepper, tossing well. Serve chilled.

SESAME GINGER VINAIGRETTE

3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar (or red wine vinegar)

2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 Tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon chili paste (optional)

1/3 cup canola oil

2 Tablespoons sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a small mixing bowl or mason jar, combine the vinegar, sesame seeds, ginger, garlic, mustard, soy sauce, chili paste, canola and sesame oils; season with pepper. Whisk or shake to blend. Keep any left-over vinaigrette covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Makes 1 cup.