I’d hang the blackwood version in my kitchen to hold spice jars. Or a cute collection of salt and pepper shakers. Or a collection of white ceramic fruit. Or perhaps I’d take the white one home to hang in my craft room where it would hold colourful spools of thread. I can’t decide. But for now I’m adding the shelf to my Pinterest wish list in case Santa decides to stop by early this year.

Bride & Wolfe 

Yesterday was Mother’s day here in Australia. I honored the memory of my mother by participating in an annual fun run which raised money for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. While my mother has been gone too long for me to remember the sound of her voice, some of the strongest memories I have of her contain her baking and her cooking.

Her roast dinners with Yorkshire puddings, the thin, speckled crepe-like pancakes with golden syrup on Shrove Tuesdays and the amazing birthday cakes she made for my brother, father and I each year. Today the scent of freshly-squeezed lemon juice reminds me of something she would make in the kitchen, I just can’t remember what it was she added lemon juice to. Perhaps it was the cheesecake she made with Philadelphia cream cheese or the warm lemon pudding she baked in a large oval-shaped Pyrex dish.

 Katie in the kitchen, 1984

Today I mix my cakes with the same metal spoon she did, the one I’m holding in the photo above. I made these white chocolate cupcakes with her in mind, and shared them with the friends who ran with me yesterday. We raised over $900 for the fight against the disease that took my mother too soon.

White Chocolate Cupcakes
Adapted from The Crabapple Bakery Cupcake Cookbook by Jennifer Graham
Makes 20 – 24 medium cupcakes

Ingredients

2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
250g butter, chopped
1 cup whole milk
4 cups caster sugar
150g white chocolate, chopped
2 eggs, whisked
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 155 °C/310 °F.

Sift flour and baking powder together into a large bowl, set aside.

Put butter, milk, castor sugar and white chocolate into a large saucepan and place on stove over a low heat . Stir continuously until chocolate has melted and sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Use a rubber spatula to fold the whisked eggs and vanilla extract into the cooled chocolate mixture. Pour this mixture into the flour and fold together gently until well combined. The mixture will be thick and may be a little lumpy. As long as there are no large clumps of flour I have not found the lumpiness to be a problem.

Divide the mixture evenly between the cupcake trays. Fill each no more than ³⁄₄  full. Bake for 26 minutes or until a fine skewer inserted comes out clean.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients
250g butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
300g - 500g pure icing sugar, sifted
Food colouring of your choice

Directions

Beat butter and vanilla extract while gradually adding icing sugar until desired consistency and taste is reached. Add food colouring and beat until combined. For these cupcakes I used 500g of icing sugar.

And I thought it was just yarn.

Stay tuned for the next episode of Life Lessons Katie Learnt from Crochet!

1. Royal Doulton Gordon Ramsay Blue Maze Bakeware Set 7pce $129 (also available in white)
2. Retro Kitchen – Colander Iceberg Blue $17
3. English Rose Coasters Set of 4 $12.95
4. Doily Picnic Cutlery Set $9.95
5. Blue Polka Dot Frying Pan $15.95
6. Eat Drink Be Merry modern kitchen art fork by GraphicAnthology $24
7. KitchenAid Artisan KSM150 Mixer Ice $689
8. Robert Gordon Le Petite Gateau Baking Cups Spotty Blue $3.50

All prices are AUD

Each audience member received and rather cute canvas tote which included a current edition of an ACP magazine.

The first session I attended was hosted by Deborah Bibby, editor of Real Living magazine. Deborah and her co-hosts showcased the current Royal Albert fine bone china range and demonstrated how to use the range in a budget-friendly afternoon tea setting. Each audience member at the Royal Albert showcase received a 30cm New Country Roses cushion. Quite a nice freebie! After the session, attendees sipped tea, nibbled on biscuits and purchased Royal Albert items with a 30% discount. I won’t be re-creating the serving suggestions demonstrated (most involved glueing china to glasses to create cake stands and bending cutlery to create place card holders); however, I am thinking an afternoon tea is in my future. Floral, polka dots and pastels, oh my!

 A freebie from Royal Albert.

Next up was a cake-baking session. Pamela Clark is the food director for The Australian Women’s Weekly Test Kitchen and has over 100 cookbooks to her name. I think most Australian homes have at least one AWW cookbook on their shelves. I’ve still got my mum’s collection and have added a few of my own. Pamela and her assistant Charlotte demonstrated how to bake the perfect sponge cake. I took notes in this session and can’t wait to try them out. I’ll share Pamela’s tips in a future post. They include using your hand to mix the batter. Not sure if I’ll try that one at home kids.

Pamela and Charlotte making the perfect sponge cake with fluffy frosting.
Sponge cake made with Queen food colouring

Paris Cutler of Planet Cake hosted a Q&A session and shared her love of cake decorating. Paris has built quite the cake empire. Cake store, cake decorating school, cake books – she even has a cake TV show! Paris told stories of cakes being made too large to fit through doorways, a melting wedding cake that was patched up with toilet paper and Celine Dion singing her a song after she made the singer’s 40th birthday cake.

Paris Cutler from Planet Cake.

The Home, Food & Wine Weekend continues tomorrow, May 6. Head to the website to enter some pretty cool giveaways.

Pretzels
Recipe adapted from Auntie Anne’s Pretzels, by Yammie’s Noshery

Ingredients

2 cups skim milk
1 ¹⁄₂ tablespoons active dry yeast
6 tablespoons brown sugar 
60g butter, melted 
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt

¹⁄₃ cup baking soda
3 cups warm water
coarse salt

100g butter, melted in a shallow dish

Directions

Warm milk on stove or in microwave until lukewarm.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine yeast and warm milk, stir then let sit for three minutes.

Add melted butter, sugar and salt to milk mixture. Using a dough hook on low speed, add flour, one cup at a time. Let the mixer knead the dough for 10 minutes.

Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with a tea towel until dough has doubled in size. (Approximately one hour).

Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F.

Shape pieces of dough into pretzel knots, long straight pieces or small bite-sized buns.

Combine water and baking powder in a medium bowl. Dip shaped pieces of dough in baking powder mixture.

Place dough pieces on lined baking tray, sprinkle with coarse salt and then bake for 7 to 11 minutes.

Dip freshly baked pretzels in melted butter, serve.

A snapshot of my Pinterest boards. Click to enlarge image.

For those unfamiliar with Pinterest, it is -

Pinterest is a virtual pinboard. Pinterest allows you to organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. You can browse pinboards created by other people to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests.

People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and share their favorite recipes.

Each image you pin, if pinned correctly, links back to the original source. If you don’t want your own images to be pinned, there is html “no pin” code you can add to your site. It’s found on the Pinterest site.

Baking? Retro? Nostalgia? I’m there! Yesterday the postman brought me a cookbook that was on my wish list – The Retro Cookbook: Then and Now by The Australian Women’s Weekly. I love the design and layout, the colour, the mix of old and new recipes and the vintage ads and illustrations. Do you have this cookbook? Have you made any of the recipes?

Take a sneak peek at the rest of the book on the site of the book’s designer Hannah Blackmore. Check out her other books while you are there, now I have my eye on High Tea.

Happy birthday Elise!

Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Recipe adapted from Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented, By Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito.

Ingredients

For the classic chocolate cake

3/4 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
2/3 cup sour cream
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1 inch cubes, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tbs vanilla extract

For the chocolate frosting 

180g dark chocolate, chopped
180g milk chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tbs light corn syrup or golden syrup
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, soft but cool, chopped into 1 inch pieces

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter three 8 inch round cake pans, line them with parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Dust the parchment with flour and knock out excess flour.

In medium bowl, mix the cocoa powder and sour cream with 1 1/4 cups hot water and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.

Using a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes – the mixture will appear to string or ribbon throughout the bowl.

Add the sugars and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 more minutes.

Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing about 10 to 15 seconds after each addition until the egg is incorporated into the mixture.

Then turn the mixer to low, add the vanilla, and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again for 30 seconds.

Beginning with the dry ingredients, add the dry mixture and the cocoa mixture to the mixer bowl in three alternating parts, ending with the dry.

Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Use an offset spatula to level the batter. Bake the cakes for 35-40 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Transfer the pans to a wire rack and cool for 30 to 45 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto the rack and let them cool completely. Remove the parchment.

Make the chocolate frosting

Place the chopped chocolate and milk chocolate in the bowl of am electric mixer. In a small saucepan bring cream and syrup to the boil, remove from heat and immediately pour over the chocolate. Let stand for 2-3 minutes. Slowly whisk the chocolate mixture until completely smooth. Let mixture cool to room temperature.

With the electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium speed, gradually add the butter and mix until well combined and smooth. Chill frosting for a few minutes until it can hold its shape.

To assemble the cake

Place one cake layer on a serving platter. Trim the top to create a flat surface, and evenly spread about 1 1/4 cups frosting on top.

Add the next layer, trim and frost it, then add the third layer. Spread a very thin layer of frosting over the sides and top of the cake and put it in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to firm up. (This is known as the crumb coating and will help you keep loose cake crumbs under control when you frost the outside of the cake.)

Spread the sides and top of the cake with the remaining frosting. Refrigerate it for 15 minutes to firm it up.

The cake can be stored, covered in a cake dome or cake saver, at room temperature for up to 3 days

Sweetapolita is an expert on Swiss meringue buttercream frosting – I highly recommend you visit her site before making it. And visit YouTube for sweetandsaucyshop’s video on making frosting ruffles. They are easier to make than they look! This was my first attempt but I’d love to try them again.

Chocolate Cake
Recipe adapted from Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented, By Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito.

Ingredients

3/4 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
2/3 cup sour cream
2 ²/₃ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1 inch cubes, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 ½ cups sugar
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tbs vanilla extract

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 325°F. Butter three 8 inch round cake pans, line them with parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Dust the parchment with flour and knock out excess flour.

In medium bowl, mix the cocoa powder and sour cream with 1 ¼ cups hot water and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.

Using a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes – the mixture will appear to string or ribbon throughout the bowl.
Add the sugars and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 more minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing about 10 to 15 seconds after each addition until the egg is incorporated into the mixture.
Then turn the mixer to low, add the vanilla, and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again for 30 seconds.

Beginning with the dry ingredients, add the dry mixture and the cocoa mixture to the mixer bowl in three alternating parts, ending with the dry.
Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Use an offset spatula to level the batter.
Bake the cakes for 35-40 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and cool for 30 to 45 minutes.
Turn the cakes out onto the rack and let them cool completely. Remove the parchment.

Sweetapolita’s Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Because it does take some time to make and freezes well, I make a larger batch. You can divide this recipe in 2 or even 3.
Yield: 15 cups (enough to frost and fill approximately three 8″ round cakes)

Ingredients

16 large egg whites (30g each–total 450g, or 2 cups)
4 cups granulated sugar (800g)
5 cups (2.5 lbs, 10 sticks) of unsalted butter, softened but cool, cut into cubes
30 ml (2 tablespoons) pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt

Directions

Wipe the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk attachment, small bowl, and whisk with paper towel and lemon juice (or vinegar), to remove any trace of grease.
Add egg whites and sugar,  and simmer over a pot of water (not boiling), whisking constantly but gently, until temperature reaches 140 degrees F, or if you don’t have a candy thermometer, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites are hot (you can feel a drop in between your fingers to ensure no granules.).

Take off of stove, and place bowl back on electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment, begin to whip until the mixture is thick, glossy, and neutral (you can feel outside of the bowl to test temperature).
Switch over to paddle attachment and, while mixing on low-speed continuously, add butter one cube at a time until incorporated, and mix until it has reached a silky smooth texture (if curdles, keep mixing and it will come back to smooth).  Add vanilla and salt, mix well. You can also add a wide variety of flavourings, extracts, and more. If buttercream is too runny, the butter was possibly too soft–place into the refrigerator for about 15 minutes, then beat again.
If still too runny, add a few more cubes of butter and keep beating until it reaches Use immediately, or refrigerate/freeze.

Notes:

Keep in airtight container in refrigerator for up to one week, leaving out at room temperature when needed, rewhipping in mixer for 5 minutes.

Can freeze for up to 6-8 weeks. To thaw, place on counter overnight, and rewhip for 5 minutes with paddle attachment in an electric mixer.

If buttercream still doesn’t have its satiny finish after rewhipping, microwave 1/3 of the buttercream for approximately 10 seconds and add to remaining buttercream in mixer bowl, beating for a few moments to incorporate.