Have you ever made cake with your personal trainer? It could be super odd, if it wasn’t your sister-in-law!
For weeks I have been waiting to bake with my husband’s sister, Juliann. We both love making treats, but rarely get to do it together because we’re always so busy running around. I got her the the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook for her birthday (mostly so I could borrow it) so we knew we had to make one of the many fantastic recipes in it. She picked S’more’s cake, and it was so delicious!
It’s involved and takes a little time, but none of the individual steps are too tricky. We had a great time trying to figure out all the little details like, when is the ganache filling really officially cooled? (You need all of it, by the way. We thought it was too much, but we just didn’t cool it long enough and it was too drippy to pile on top of itself.) You’ll want to make sure and stir it until it’s almost stiff.
The frosting is easy to make, you just have to make sure and use it immediately. It shouldn’t be a problem. We couldn’t wait to torch it!
also,
If you need a good youtube video to watch while you’re waiting for the cakes to bake, check this out. Kid History It’s a story, told by children, acted out by their dads. Hilarious! Juliann showed it to me while we were doing just this and it was too good not to share.
Continue Reading
Even though we’re both planners, we ended up ready to go with no eggs, and no fuel in our kitchen torch. A quick trip to Trader Joe’s took care of the eggs. Fortunately, her husband is a high school chemistry teacher, and we snagged his lab torch. It was just a touch bigger than your average kitchen torch!
Browning the meringue was so so fun! It makes it look finished and professional. Be prepared to see many more desserts covered in crispy meringue, because I’m not waiting long to do this again.
- FOR THE CAKE
- 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups honey graham cracker crumbs, processed very fine (uses about 14 grahams)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups buttermilk
- FOR THE FILLING
- ½ lb milk chocolate, chopped small
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 2 pinches of salt
- FOR THE FROSTING
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- FOR THE CAKE
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Butter and flour two 9" cake pans
- Whisk flour, graham crumbs, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer or a bowl with a hand-held mixer, cream together butter and both sugars at medium speed for about two minutes, or until light and fluffy
- Add eggs, one at a time, fully mixing after each addition.
- Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately, three additions of flour, and two of buttermilk, starting and ending with flour mixture.
- Make sure that it is mixed fully and scrape the bottom if necessary.
- Pour cake batter evenly between both cake pans and smooth out the tops.
- Bake 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown and a tooth pick comes out clean.
- Run a knife around the edge of slightly cooled cake and invert on cooling rack.
- Feel free to speed the cooling process by putting the cakes in the fridge.
- FOR THE FILLING
- Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set aside.
- Bring cream and salt to a simmer in a small saucepan.
- Pour simmering cream over chocolate and leave it for one minute.
- Whisk until smooth
- Place bowl in a large bowl filled with ice water and stir until it is cooled and spreadable.
- ASSEMBLE THE CAKE
- Place several strips of parchment paper on cake stand or plate so that you can remove them after frosting is done and you will have a clean presentation.
- Place one layer of cake on the parchment strips and spread the ganache filling on top.
- Cover with second layer.
- FOR THE FROSTING
- Combine egg whites, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract in the heat proof bowl of an electric mixer.
- Set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk until sugar is dissolved and egg whites are warm to the touch.
- Transfer bowl back to mixer with the whisk attachment and whisk for 4-7 minutes, starting at a low speed and gradually increasing to high until stiff, glossy peaks form.
- Use immediately.
- Frost in whatever style you fancy.
- We didn't crumb coat, but it wouldn't hurt.
- Use a kitchen torch on the low setting to get the toasted look (and taste!)
21
0
4
0
26
0
Oh…..if only these lovely posts – which leave my mouth watering – came with just a spoonful of this heavenly deliciousness……and KID HISTORY was a total crack up – loved it! Thank you Lindsey, and sis-in-law, Juliann!
Thanks, Pam Maybe someday soon they will come up with the technology to taste via wifi! It could totally happen.
I’ve been meaning to get Deb’s cookbook for a while now and each and every recipe that I see online makes me want it more. I just can’t decide whether I want to get the actual book or the Kindle version for iPad.. #kitchenproblems. This is so beautiful! Very nicely done. It looks/I’m sure tastes aaahhhmazing.
Thanks! You know, I would think about the hard copy, just because the book looks so pretty on the shelf! But it is convenient to have it on the iPad. It did taste so amazing!
What a fun cake to make with your trainer…and sister-in-law. 🙂 How nice you got her the Smitten Kitchen cook book and nice planning (on the borrowing part). Oh….this cake look so grant and so much fun to make. (I get excited whenever I get to use the torch. 😛
Thanks for sharing and have a great weekend.
Thank you! I know, the torch is just way too fun!
s’mores CAKE!!?? Can I just say… wow! It looks amazing. I am dying for the Smitten Kitchen cookbook, can’t wait to get my hands on it! The cake looks divine.
Thanks! You should definitely get the cookbook. It’s so worth it. The photography is amazing!