What are you Baking the Week of September 3, 2023?

[Mike Nolan]

We've still got half of the chocolate buttermilk zucchini cake left, so I don't know if I'll bother to make another cake for my birthday tomorrow, because a Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake would seem somewhat redundant. Maybe I'll do something different, like a burnt sugar cake.

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[skeptic7]

I'll be getting my new stove on Wednesday, so I will be able to bake again. Weather permitting.

[BakerAunt]

I am so glad that you will soon have your new stove, Skeptic!

On Sunday morning, I baked Oatmeal Black Raspberry Muffins with black raspberries that I froze earlier this summer. I used an oatmeal blueberry muffin recipe that I like.

I also baked the King Arthur Fantastic Fudge Birthday Cake. I replaced the King Arthur flour with regular AP and the cornstarch with 2 Tbs. of barley flour. (King Arthur adds 2 Tbs. of cornstarch to tone down the gluten in their flour, so regular AP works well, and the barley flour was just to see how it comes out. I also replaced 2/3 of the oil with olive oil and added 2 Tbs. milk powder. I have changed the mixing instructions. I use my hand mixer to beat together the oil and sugar, then beat in the eggs and vanilla. I use my cake whisk to mix in the dry ingredients, then use it to slowly mix in the water. Finishing with my spatula. I find that makes for a more tender cake. Tomorrow, I will make a white chocolate, cream cheese, and butter frosting and assemble my bonus daughter's birthday cake!

[skeptic7]

Baker Aunt;
That cake sounds great! I'll have to look at the recipe. How do you prevent chocolate crumbs on the white frosting?

[BakerAunt]

Skeptic--I will have to post my adaptation of the cake recipe, which includes changing how it is mixed. To my surprise, it was not crumbly, so I wonder if changing the mixing technique helped. I used the mixer to combine the oil and sugar, then the eggs and vanilla, but after that, I hand mixed.

I did an initial "crumb coat," which is just a light coating of the frosting--does not have to cover as in a finished cake--then I did the main frosting coat over it.

I made a White Chocolate Cream Cheese Butter frosting from the recipe in Baking at Home, a book from the Culinary Institute of America. The trick with the frosting is not to let the butter get too soft, and to get the white chocolate at just the right temperature after melting it. Today, it all came together, and the frosted cake is in the refrigerator. The frosting is at its best when cold.

[RiversideLen]

I made burger/sandwich buns today.

[chocomouse]

I made English muffins today.

[skeptic7]

My oven is here but I am pissed. I paid for delivery and installation and having the old oven hauled off. However the they didn't install the anti tip device and I can't open the neighboring kitchen drawer since the oven door handle is in the way. The oven needs to be raised about half an inch for clearance. I couldn't get hold of the right people yesterday. I had a friend cut some wood to put under the oven and hope that this will do the trick, however I am now wondering if he cut the wood correctly. He first had two planks available, but then instead of cutting them both to the right length, he cut one down the middle. I think this would make it harder to put in the right place.

[BakerAunt]

Oh, Skeptic, that is horrible! They need to get back to your house and install the oven correctly. Remind them that if they do not install the anti-tip device, they will be liable for accidents.

On Thursday, I baked a double recipe of Big Lake Judy's Best Ever Molasses Cookies.

I have been noticing that when I bake cookies, the second batch is baking faster than the first batch. I cut a bit of time off of the second and third trays of cookies, and since the fourth tray had just five cookies, I cut the time by 2 minutes. Those five burned. Next time I bake cookies, I am going to use the convection setting, as I do for crackers, and reduce the heat by 25 degrees.

[RiversideLen]

That's very frustrating, Skeptic. Sometimes you get good installers and sometimes not so good. I agree with BA, you need to get them back and make it right.

[Mike Nolan]

I find that a second tray of cookies takes 30 seconds to 2 minutes less in the oven, depending on the recipe, so it isn't just you or your oven.

I've been using the convection setting in my big oven for the first 10-15 minutes of a pie, but not for other things--yet.

[BakerAunt]

Thanks for the input, Mike. I use the convection setting for crackers and get a more even result. I also use it for all my pies, although my pies are streusel-topped these days. I cover with foil for the first 45 minutes, then remove it to brown the streusel and let the pie finish in 5-10 minutes. I will report on how the convection setting works with cookies.

On Thursday evening, I baked a batch of the Whole Wheat/Rye/Semolina Buns (AKA Len's Buns) as 10 buns. We are planning a picnic tomorrow, so we needed buns for sliced turkey sandwiches.

I forgot to mention that on Wednesday morning I baked Pumpkin-Oat muffins. I did not think they were among my best, as they had a craggy appearance, but they tasted good, and they had disappeared by Thursday afternoon, so the rest of the family did not let appearance deter them.

[Mike Nolan]

I'm making bagel dough this evening, the Hamelman recipe again. I'll shape them tonight, refrigerate them, then boil and bake them in the morning.

[navlys]

My neighbor gave me 6 down and out bananas. I had 2 of my own. I had a recipe that called for 4 bananas so I made two individual recipes. Too much work. I may have underbaked them as well.

[BakerAunt]

I baked Oatmeal Date Muffins for breakfast on Friday.

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