Coffee-Caramel Tres Leches Cake

Coffee-Caramel Tres Leches Cake

Ingredients

2 tablespoons instant coffee

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 12-ounce store-bought pound cake, halved lengthwise

2 large eggs plus 4 egg yolks

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1 12-ounce can evaporated milk

1 cup chilled heavy cream

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Dissolve the instant coffee in a bowl with 1/3 cup warm water. Cook the sugar in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until it begins to melt. Continue cooking, swirling the pan but not stirring, until the sugar turns amber, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat (don't worry if a few lumps of sugar remain). Carefully stir in the coffee mixture until smooth. Pour the caramel into an 8-inch-square baking pan; tilt the pan to coat the bottom and halfway up the sides. Let cool until the caramel is no longer sticky, about 10 minutes.

Lay the cake halves, cut-side down, next to each other on top of the caramel in the prepared pan. Poke the cake all over with a fork.

Whisk the eggs and yolks in a bowl until foamy. Slowly whisk in the condensed milk and evaporated milk until smooth. Pour the egg mixture over the cake, gently pressing on the cake so it soaks up the liquid. Cover the pan with foil and bake until set, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer to a rack, remove the foil and let cool 30 minutes.

Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake, then invert it onto a plate and unmold, letting the caramel drip onto the plate. Refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours. (The cake can be refrigerated, covered, up to 3 days.)

Beat the cream with a mixer until soft peaks form. Slice the cake; top with the whipped cream.

Photograph by Kang Kim

Recipe source by http://www.foodnetwork.com/

Dulce de Leche Cake with Caramel Buttercream

Dulce de Leche Cake with Caramel Buttercream

Dulce de Leche Cake with Caramel Buttercream

ingredients

2 1/4 cups cake flour (9 ounces), plus more for dusting the pans 
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature 
6 large egg whites (3/4 cup), at room temperature 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar (12 1/4 ounces) 
4 teaspoons baking powder 
1 teaspoon table salt 
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened but still cool
Caramel Frosting
Dulce De Leche (storebought or homemade)

METHOD:

Set oven rack in middle position. (If oven is too small to cook both layers on a single rack, set racks in upper-middle and lower-middle positions.) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray; line the bottoms with parchment or waxed paper rounds. Spray the paper rounds, dust the pans with flour, and invert pans and rap sharply to remove excess flour. 

Pour milk, egg whites, and extract into 2-cup glass measure, and mix with fork until blended. 
Mix cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of electric mixer at slow speed. Add butter; continue beating at slow speed until mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no powdery streaks remaining. 

Add all but 1/2 cup of milk mixture to crumbs and beat at medium speed (or high speed if using handheld mixer) for 1 1/2 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup of milk mixture and beat 30 seconds more. Stop mixer and scrape sides of bowl. Return mixer to medium (or high) speed and beat 20 seconds longer. 

Divide batter evenly between two prepared cake pans; using rubber spatula, spread batter to pan walls and smooth tops. Arrange pans at least 3 inches from the oven walls and 3 inches apart. (If oven is small, place pans on separate racks in staggered fashion to allow for air circulation.) Bake until thin skewer or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 23 to 25 minutes. 

Let cakes rest in pans for 3 minutes. Loosen from sides of pans with a knife, if necessary, and invert onto wire racks. Reinvert onto additional wire racks. Let cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours.
Layer cakes with dulce de leche, frost with caramel buttercream and decorate as you wish! 

RECIPE SOURCES BY http://www.sporkorfoon.com/

(Cake recipe adapted from Cooks Illustrated (I also made a 3-layer cake, but this recipe is for a 2-layer cake.  To add the 3rd layer, increase ingredients by 1/2)

CHOUX PASTERY

CHOUX PASTERY ( lal recipe )

                                            CHOUX PASTRY 

Ingredients

                                          EASY CHOUX PASTRY 

Unsalted Butter 100 gm.

Plain Flour 150 gm.

Water 250 ml

Salt a pinch

Sugar a pinch

Eggs 4

Fresh cream 1000 gm.

Temper chocolate 1000 gm.

 Method

In a pan, add butter, water salt and sugar then boil. Then Add flour and mix it nicely (there should not be any lumps).Let it cool, and then add egg one by one.Brush a baking tray with oil to lightly grease .Bake on 200 C for 5  minute, then reduce the temperature to 160 C & dry 10 to 12 minute. Remove from the oven and make a small hole in the underside of each bun to release any steam. Set aside to cool on a wire rack.When they are cool, fill it with whipped cream. Decorate it with temper chocolate.

                         EASY CHOUX PASTRY 

Baking Tips.

All the flour must be added at once, so it cooks evenly. Beat vigorously until the mixture is smooth and comes away from the side of the pan. Do not over-beat. The amount of egg required varies with each batch. It depends how big the eggs are and how much egg the flour absorbs. Too much egg will make the choux rise unevenly and spread. Not enough egg and the choux will be stodgy. Set the mixture aside to cool slightly so the eggs don't cook when they are beaten in.Once cooked, it is important to prick the base of each one to release the steam that has helped it to rise. If left to go cold unpunctured, the steam turns back to water resulting in soft or soggy buns.

Ingredient Volume to Weight Conversions

Ingredient  Volume  to  Weight  Conversions

Ingredent	Volume (cups)	Weight (grams)
Butter (Salted or Unsalted)	1/2 cup 1 cup	113 grams226 grams
Flour (All purpose or plain)	1 cup	130 grams
Flour (Cake)	1 cup	120 grams
Flour (Whole Wheat)	1 cup	130 grams
Potato Flour	1 tablespoon1/2 cup	12 grams80 grams
Cornstarch (Corn flour)	1 tablespoon	10 grams
Ground Almonds (Almond Meal or Flour)	1 cup	90 grams
Cornmeal	1 cup	120 grams
Sugar (Granulated White Sugar)	1 cup	200 grams
Sugar (Brown) (lightly packed)	1 cup	210 grams
Confectioners Sugar (Powdered or Icing)	1 cup	120 grams
Chocolate Chips	1 cup	170 grams
Cocoa Powder (Regular Unsweetened or Dutch Processed) (can vary by brand)	1 tablespoon1 cup	6 grams100 grams
Graham Cracker Crumbs	1 cup	100 grams
Old Fashioned Rolled Oats	1 cup	95 grams

Volume
1 cup = 240 mL (milliliter)
1/2 cup = 120 mL
1/3 cup = 80 mL
1/4 cup = 60 mL = 4 tablespoons
1 tablespoon = 15 mL = 3 teaspoons
1 teaspoon = 5 mL
1 fluid ounce = 30 mL
1 US quart = 0.946 liter ~=1 liter

Weight
1 ounce = 28 grams
1 pound = 16 ounces = 454 grams



Temperature
400° F = 200° C = gas mark (France) 7
350° F = 180° C = gas mark (France) 6
300° F = 150° C = gas mark (France) 5
(See equivalents for UK gas marks.)

Dairy

Butter: 1/2 cup = 1 stick = 4 ounces = 113 grams

Butter: 1 tablespoon = 14 grams

Comté cheese, grated: 1 cup = 100 grams

Crème fraîche: 1 cup = 240 grams

Fresh cheese: 1 cup = 240 grams

Greek-style yogurt: 1 cup = 280 grams

Gruyère cheese, grated: 1 cup = 100 grams

Heavy cream: 1 cup = 240 grams

Light cream: 1 cup = 240 grams

Milk: 1 cup = 240 mL

Parmesan cheese, grated: 1 cup = 110 grams

Ricotta: 1 cup = 250 grams

Yogurt: 1 cup = 250 grams

Note: Since the volume measurement of an ingredient depends on how you pack the measuring cup/spoon and on the ingredient itself (how it is cut, its density, its water content), the volume-to-weight conversions are not absolute: they are simply a reflection of my own experience.

Chocolate Cup Cake

Chocolate Cup Cake

Chocolate Cup Cake

Ingredients 

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES:

all  purpose Flour:   170gm
Cocoa powder:   50gm
Boiling water:   1 cup
Egg:   2
Baking powder:   2 teaspoon
Sugar:   200gm
Salt:    1/2 teaspoon
Butter:   110 gm
Vanilla:   2 teaspoon
Chocolate chip: 60gm 

Chocolate Fudge Frosting:

4 ounces (120 grams) unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

2/3 cup (150 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/3 cups (160 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Method
In a small bowl stir cocoa powder and coiling hot water until smooth and let it cool at room temperature.In another bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and mix.Add flour mixture and mix nicely.Then add the cooled cocoa mixture and stir until smooth. Fold chocolate chips.Bake @ 160 C for 15-20 minutes.

Chocolate Frosting: 

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and beat until it is light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the chocolate and beat on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until frosting is smooth and glossy (about 2 -3 minutes).

TIPS

Place the pan in the centre for proper and even heating.