It has been nearly a year since I posted anything. To be honest, I was underwhelmed by the Cake Slice Bakers' 2017 book selection, World Class Cakes. Each month when the baking options were posted, I would take a look at the recipes and was never excited to bake any of them. My purpose for joining CSB and maintaining this blog was to create some time and space for baking and writing for pleasure. When I found myself not wanting to take time out of my busy life to bake those particular recipes, I realized that forcing myself to bake out of obligation to the group was both silly and antithetical to my reasons for wanting to bake with the group in the first place. Thus, my hiatus from the blog. That's not to say I haven't baked at all in the last 10 months, because I have, but I didn't take the time to take pictures or post about my baking adventures. Fast forward to November when the CSB moderators released the choices for the December cake: a choice of any cake from any book from which the CSB have baked in the past. I was excited to return to the other books I had from the two other years I baked with the group: Southern Cakes and Cake Keeper Cakes. I had a holiday party to attend last night, and when I asked the hostess what to bring, she said dessert would be great. She urged me to just bring something store bought, but I figured that this was a great opportunity to bake with the CSB again. Before I get to the cake, I have to share a bit about my friends whose party I was attending. My friends are seasoned travelers, and they have many entertaining stories from their trips. One of the most notable stories was about their trip to Machu Picchu in Peru, which apparently has quite the population of llamas. These aren't just any llamas. These are very "active" llamas. And by "active" I mean that these llamas are committed to ensuring the continuation of their species. Ever since I heard the story of their trip to Peru, we have maintained an ongoing joke about llamas. On a regular basis, we work llamas into conversations. Recently my friend even added a line about llamas into a recommendation letter she was writing for me; luckily, I caught it before sending it along to the committee that would be reviewing it. I was glad to find some llama-inspired hostess gifts - wine and a candle - to bring to the party and was thrilled to receive this gift from my friend. Now for the cake. As a kid my grandma always put a chocolate orange in my Christmas stocking. As I was flipping through Cake Keeper Cakes, I came across a recipe for an Orange-Chocolate Chip Pound Cake with Sour Cream Glaze. Recalling the chocolate oranges from my childhood, this recipe seemed seasonally appropriate and easy enough to bring to a party. This was an easy cake to make. I followed the recipe exactly and used both regular and mini chocolate chips. The cake was a hit at the party. I had a small piece of it, and it was perfectly moist. The mini chocolate chips were gooey and delicious, while the regular ones added a bit of texture. I wasn't sure if the orange flavor would come through, but it certainly did. The sour cream glaze added a light, sweet contrast to the tang of the citrus in the cake. I neglected to get a picture of the cake once it was sliced, but I did get a couple of the completed cake. Orange-Chocolate Chip Pound Cake with Sour Cream Glaze (from Cake Keeper Cakes)
Serves 8 to 10 For the Cake 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar 2 large eggs 1/2 cup sour cream 1 tablespoon grated orange zest 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips For the Glaze 2 tablespoons sour cream 3/4 cup cup confectioners' sugar 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Make the Cake 1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease the inside of a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan and dust with flour. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. 2. Combine the butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice as necessary. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat in the sour cream. Stir in the orange zest and vanilla. 3. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times as necessary. After the last addition, mix for 30 seconds on medium speed. Stir in the chocolate chips. 4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, invert it onto a wire rack, and then turn it right side up on a rack to cool completely. Make the Glaze 1. Whisk together the sour cream, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla. Spread the glaze over the top of the cake with an offset spatula, letting it drip down the sides. Let stand until the glaze is set, about 1 hour. Slice and serve. 2. Store uneaten cake in a cake keeper or loosely wrap in plastic and store at room temperature for up to three days.
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AuthorMom of two, wife, college professor, therapist, home cook, baker. ArchivesCategories |