Strawberry Cheesecake Cake

This one’s been in the blog bank for a while - since Mother’s Day to be exact. I wanted to bring a cake to a family potluck for mother’s day. The Huz’s family has 5 aunts (and one uncle) so they like to celebrate Mother’s Day together. Instead of bringing a cheesecake, why not make a cake that plays on a cheesecake? I’m really into desserts that are like other desserts (e.g., a cake that’s a take on a pie, an ice cream that tastes like birthday cake, a doughnut that tastes like root beer, etc). It’s confusing and awesome.

This cake has many components, so I premade the cake layers and froze them and kept the graham crunch in an airtight container until assembly day.

Check out the verdict at the end of the post!

Graham Crunch

adapted from Milk Bar Cookbook

Ingredients

¾ cup graham crumbs

2 Tablespoons milk powder

1 Tablespoon sugar

pinch of salt

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

2 Tablespoons heavy cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Toss graham crumbs, milk powder, sugar, and salt in a bowl to combine.
3. Pour in butter and cream and toss to combine.
4. Spread on a baking sheet and break apart large chunks. Bake for 25 minutes tossing halfway through.
5. Cool completely. Break apart and big pieces. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Vanilla Cake

From Anna Olson.

Baked in 3, 6-inch cake pans. 25-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

If the cakes dome, cut off to make them flat (and you can eat the best part of the cake!)

Strawberry Cream Cheese Filling

Ingredients

¼ cup butter, softened

½ cup cream cheese, softened

½ teaspoon lemon juice

½ cup icing sugar

3 Tablespoons strawberry jam

pinch of salt

Directions

1. Beat butter and cream cheese in a stand mixer to combine.
2. Add lemon juice, icing sugar, jam, and salt and beat until fluffy.

Cream Cheese Marshmallow Frosting

Ingredients

½ cup cream cheese, room temperature

1 ¼ cup butter, room temperature

1 cup icing sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 jar marshmallow cream

pinch of salt

pink food colouring

Directions

1. Beat cream cheese and butter together with a stand mixer (paddle attachment) to combine. Add icing sugar and vanilla and beat to combine.
2. Add marshmallow cream and salt and beat to combine.
3. For an ombre decorating effect, colour ⅓ of the frosting with a dark pink and the remaining ⅔ light pink (less food colouring).

*note that this frosting won’t be completely smooth - it’ll look a little bit curdled. I know, not ideal for a frosting, but it does taste great.

Assembly

Components

1. 1 cup thinly sliced strawberries
2. Vanilla cake layers
3. Strawberry jam
4. Strawberry Cream Cheese Filling
5. Cream Cheese Marshmallow Frosting

1. Smear a small dollop of strawberry cream cheese filling on you cake plate or cake board. Ideally, use a turntable for easier decorating. Place the first layer of cake on top.
2. Spread strawberry jam. Top with strawberry slices.
3. Spread the strawberry cream cheese filling and sprinkle the graham crumbs on top.
4. Place next cake layer and repeat. Finish with the final layer.
5. Frost the entire cake with the light pink cream cheese marshmallow frosting. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up.
6. Spread the dark pink frosting on the bottom ⅓ of the cake. Smooth out with a large spatula, blending the line between the two colours as you twirl the cake around.
7. Add graham crumbs along the bottom. Decorate to your liking. Keep in the fridge until an hour before serving.

Verdict: I really liked the flavours of this cake - really reminiscent of a strawberry cheesecake. The crunch of the graham crumbs on the outside gave the cake an interesting texture. Too bad that the graham inside the cake turned soft. It was definitely a crowd pleaser!

Banana Nut Crunch Layer Cake

I have a friend again! My friend who moved to Toronto 8 years ago came back to Vancouver for good just recently. I’ve never made her a birthday cake, because, well, the whole transporting a cake to Toronto is a tad difficult. But with her back in town, I finally had the chance to make her one.

It was a no-brainer as to which cake I was going to make. Ever since I bought the Milk Bar cookbook a few years ago, I’ve been eyeing the banana cake recipe. My friend really likes bananas (which I find interesting as I don’t know anyone else who would put bananas in their top 5 list. ps. she also likes rocks, which I find interesting. And maps.)

So here’s the cake! It’s a pretty intensive cake with recipes within recipes. Check out the verdict at the end of the post.

Banana Cake

slightly adapted from Milk Bar Cookbook

Ingredients

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

¾ cup sugar

1 egg, room temperature

½ cup buttermilk, room temperature

2 Tablespoons oil (I used canola)

½ teaspoon banana extract (I omitted and the flavour was still there)

2 very ripe bananas

1 ⅓ cup flour

¾ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line the bottom of 2, 5-inch cake pans with parchment (or use 3, 6-inch and omit slicing in half after baking). Grease the sides with oil or butter and add a thin layer of flour
2. Beat butter and sugar with the paddle attachment of a standmixer for 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides,  add egg, and beat for another 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides.
3. To the buttermilk, add the oil and banana extract (if using) and stir. With the mixer on low, stream in the buttermilk mixture a little at a time. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until doubled in size and light in colour (6 min). If after 6 minutes it doesn’t look homogenous, keep beating. Scrape down bowl.
4. Add banana and mix on low for 60 seconds.
5. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and mix on low for 60 sec just until things come together.
6. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the toothpick test come out clean. This will depend on your oven and the size of your cake pan.
7. Cool for 10 minutes before popping them out and cooling completely. Torte, or cut the cakes in half to make 4 layers (no need if you baked in 3 pans).

Hazelnut Brittle (to use in Hazelnut Crunch) (make ahead of time)

from Milk Bar Cookbook

Ingredients

½ cup sugar

¼ cup hazelnuts

Directions

1. Place silicone mat on a baking sheet.
2. Put sugar in a small saucepan and heat on medium-high to caramelize. Stir with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to cook evenly. Get to a dark amber colour. Take off heat.
3. Stir in hazelnuts and quickly spread out onto silicone mat. Cool completely
4. Break into pieces and place in a ziplock bag. Crush with a meat pounder or rolling pin until you get rice size pieces.

Hazelnut Crunch (make ahead of time)

slightly adapted from Milk Bar Cookbook

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons hazelnut paste (I used almond butter because that’s what I had)

1/3 cup of the hazelnut brittle from above

½ cup feuilletine (you can find this in specialty stores or online. If in Vancouver, you can get it at Gourmet Warehouse)

1 Tablespoon icing sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a stand mixer and paddle until combined. Store in an airtight container.

Banana cream (make ahead)

slightly adapted from Milk Bar Cookbook

Ingredients

1 very ripe banana

2 ½ Tablespoon heavy cream

2 Tablespoons milk

¼ cup sugar

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

¼ teaspoon salt

1 ½ egg yolks

½ teaspoon powdered gelatin

1 ½ Tablespoon butter

yellow food colouring

¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons heavy cream

½ cup icing sugar

Directions

1. Puree banana, 2 ½ Tablespoons of heavy cream, and milk in a blender.
2. Add sugar, cornstarch, salt, and yolk and blend until smooth. Pour into a saucepan. Clean the blender.
3. Bloom gelatin by sprinkling it over 2 Tablespoons of cold water in small cup. Allow it to sit for 3-5 minutes to soften.
4. Place saucepan over medium-low heat and cook while whisking. Bring to a boil then continue whisking for 2 minutes until it comes to a thick glue consistency.
5. Place contents of saucepan into the blender, add the gelatin, and blend until combined.
6. Add food colouring and blend.
7. Transfer to a bowl and cool in the refrigerator until completely cooled (1 hour).
8. Whisk remaining heavy cream and icing sugar to medium-soft peak. Add banana mixture and slowly whisk until combined. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.

Ganache

from Sweetapolita Bakebook

Ingredients

150g dark chocolate, chopped

¾ cup heavy cream

½ Tablespoons corn syrup

pinch of salt

1 Tablespoons butter, in cubes

½ teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. Place chocolate in a bowl.

2. In a saucepan, combine cream, corn syrup, and salt, and bring to a boil.

3. Pour over chocolate and let stand for 1 minute.

4. Whisk to combine, from the middle slowly out to the outer edge.

5. Add butter and mix.

6. Cool before using. If you make ahead, keep wrapped in the fridge and microwave for 10 seconds to make pliable.

Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

¼ cup butter

1 cup icing sugar

1 Tablespoon heavy cream

¼ teaspoon vanilla (or banana) extract

yellow food colouring

Directions

Combine all ingredients except for the food colouring and mix until smooth. You can add more cream if it’s too thick. Add food colouring to your desired hue.

Finished product with acetate.

Assembly

Components

1. cake layers
2. ganache
3. hazelnut crunch
4. banana cream
5. frosting
6. ¼ cup milk
7. acetate 

Directions

1. Place a little dollop of frosting or ganache on your plate or cake board. Place first cake layer on top.
2. Using a pastry brush, brush milk over the surface and sides of cake.
3. Spread on a layer of ganache.
4. Sprinkle hazelnut crunch to completely cover the surface.
5. Add banana cream and spread out with a small spoon.
6. Place second cake layer on top.
7. Wrap acetate tightly around the cake so that it creates a container around it that extend above it. Secure with tape. This will hold the remaining layers and make it easier to build.
8. Repeat the layers until you end with the final cake layer.
9. Spread the buttercream frosting on top. Decorate as you like.
10. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Remember to peel of the acetate before serving.

Verdict: This cake was amazing! Moist, flavourful, with great texture from the hazelnut crunch. Definitely worth it to make, you just need to be very organized and start planning and prepping components days in advance because it’s too much to do in one day. I was on my honeymoon right before her bday, so I baked the cake beforehand and froze the layers. I made the ganache, banana cream, and hazelnut crunch the day before.

Toasted Coconut Chocolate Layer Cake

Guess what??? I got married! And it was everything that we could hope it would be – low key but beautiful and intimate. Imagine a conservatory in the evening with tea lights in mason jars and hanging string lights. And now, back to real life – and yet it feels different. Not the day to day routine, but just us, inside. Like we have a fun secret. That’s the only way to explain it.

So that’s what I blame the lack of posts on – just the wedding. But now that that’s over (and btw the husby said “aww, I’m kinda sad it’s over” and after which I rolled my eyes thinking about how stressed he was prior to the wedding to the point of almost calling it off!), I want to catch up on sharing some of the baking that’s been going on. And no, I didn’t make my own wedding cake – in fact, we didn’t have a “wedding cake”, just a bunch of cakes and desserts. But my sister and I did make some of the treats, but more on that later.

Anyways, first one up is a Toasted Coconut Chocolate Layer Cake that I made for my colleague’s baby shower. And this is my undercover work on finding out what flavours she likes: “Hi Sophie, do you like chocolate? You do? Ok, that’s all” (and I walk out of the room). And on a subsequent day: “Hi Sophie, do you like coconut? Yes? Ok, that’s all”, followed by the turning around and walking out. But I like to think she was surprised by the cake.

Check out the verdict at the end of the post!

Chocolate Cake

From here. I halved the recipe and baked them in 2, 6-inch baking pans.

Funfetti Cookie Crumble

Adapted from here. Can be done ahead of time and kept in an airtight container.

Ingredients

1 cup flour

¼ cup sugar

½ cup butter, room temperature

2 Tablespoons sprinkles

Directions

1.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.   Combine flour and sugar in a bowl. Cut butter into the mixture with a pastry cutter until you get small pieces.

3.   Add sprinkles and mix. Spread on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

4.   Break it apart to get big chunks and bake for another 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheet and store in an airtight container.

Coconut Ganache

Ingredients

255g dark chocolate, chopped to small pieces

1 cup whipping/heavy cream

¼ teaspoon coconut flavouring

Directions

1.   Put chopped chocolate in a bowl. Set aside.

2.   Heat cream in a small saucepan until almost boiling. Pour over chocolate and let it sit for 5 minutes.

3.   Whisk to combine.

4.   Add ¼ teaspoon of coconut flavouring and whisk. Taste it before adding more, 1/8 teaspoon at a time (coconut flavouring tastes nasty when there’s too much!).

5.   Cool to room temperature. Whip to soft peaks – as it stands, it will become stiffer.

Toasted Coconut (can be done ahead of time and kept in an airtight container)

I used about 2 ½ cups of flat dried coconut ribbons. I placed it on a cookie sheet and baked until golden in a 300 degree F oven – about 10 minutes, stir, then another 5 minutes. Keep an eye on it – coconut burns easily in the blink of an eye! Cool completely before using on cake.

Assembly

1.   Slice cakes into 2 layers each. Place a dollop of ganache on a cake plate and place the first cake layer on top.

2.   Spread a thin layer of ganache on the cake. Sprinkle on cookie crumbs. Place next cake layer on top and repeat with all layers.

3.   Spread ganache on the top and sides of the cake. Don’t worry about crumbs because you’ll cover it with coconut. The thicker the ganache layer, the easier it will be for the coconut to stick.

4.   Place toasted coconut in a bowl. Hold the cake over the bowl in one hand and grab some coconut with the other hand and place it on the side of the cake. Make sure the cake is hovering above the bowl so that the extra coconut will fall back into the bowl.

5.   Fill in gaps by delicately inserting coconut. Leave out until ready to eat!

Verdict: This cake was pretty darn awesome! The cake was super moist but fluffy and not overly sweet. Loved the coconut flavour. Unfortunately the cookie crumb lost its crunch, but it was still tasty. Everyone loved!