chocolate and yellow cakes

[momoreg]

Which Chocolatier recipe are you referring to? My favorite white cake recipe comes from an issue about 5 years back.

I really don't know which issue it is, I think I was at a bookstore and just copied it down, but I will look.
Spoons, the hi-ratio shortening we use is not the solid white stuff like Sweetex, it looks more like a gel, very smooth and creamy yet fluid called Fluid Flex(from Ventura Foods). I don't know if you will achieve the same results with Sweetex, but I will try it out on Monday and report back with the recipe if it works. Have any of you tried the hi-ratio cakes in Professional Baking(Grisslen) or the Baker's manual(Amendola)?

Spoons, I'd be interested in your results with Kimbal's devil's food cake. I seem to remember that his ratio of ingredients providing liquid to the cake where pretty high, but I gotta look at the recipe again.

I've also tried Kimball's devil's food - I didn't care for it at all. The amount of liquid *is* rather high. There's a note in his Dessert Bible that says he had trouble making it with Scharff. natural cocoa - the cake didn't rise properly. He reccomends Droste from King Arthur. I don't remember what I used; I was playing with different brands of cocoa at the time.

[m brown]

Fluid Flex is also called "liquid" shortening, the recipes I have used create faultless cakes. You literally can't mess them up!!! Good quality, uniform product.

The Amendola book is my bible, I keep it with me always. Tweek the formulas to your likeing. I have not had a problem with any of his formulas and it's a small book, handy. Bo's book is good for study, but way too big and heavy to bulk around.


[This message has been edited by m brown (edited 01-28-2001).]

I have not had good results with Friberg's The pastry Chef. I use it more for technique and ideas rather than recipes.

Wow, two strikes w/ Kimball's Devils Food Cake. Haven't tried it yet.
Momoreg,I think it's.Chocolatier 1997, Fancy White Cake. Is the cake I have been using.Not sure if Angry Chef's is the same. I don't know I, I might have to bake Kimball's & this one simultaneously to do a test taste.

Cowgirl,Yeah the townonline link is not happening.I'll post the white cake for you.

1 c. milk
6 lg egg whites
2 1/2 t. vanilla
3 cups cake flour
4 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
12 tbls. unsalted butter
1 1/2 c. sugar

2 9" pans

Fluid Flex, never had a reason to use it.Please share your recipe for white cake. Anyone. Thanks. Would greatly appreciate it.

[m brown]

angry one, I agree, technique is the name of the game. a recipe is a road map. A formula is wrote.

Curious?
What's your comments on recipes for chocolate cake w/ strong coffee?

Or, do you prefer to use all cocoa, Or, melted chocolate.
What do you think gives the best chocolate experience?

[momoreg]

It really depends on your preference, and what you plan to use it for, and accompany it with. I have a flourless choc. cake that's almost like a terrine, and there, I think coffe is a perfect addition, because it provides dimension and moisture, which is necessary when there is no filling.

As for cocoa vs. chocolate, I almost always prefer chocolate.Cocoa just doesn't deliver the full flavor and smooth mouthfeel that chocolate does. But there have been a few exceptions. If you add rich ingredients like butter and sour cream, with a great quality cocoa, it can be just as good.

[angrychef]

Spoons, sorry I have not replied with the recipe. I just don't want to give you a bad recipe if it doesn't work out with Sweetex. It's written in baker's percentages and i would really like to try it out with Sweetex to see if the results are the same.
I have not gotten around to making any more yellow/white cakes, but a tip I have found is in a yellow cake recipe, you can replace half the weight of the whole eggs with eggwhites without hardly altering the cake's structure and making the cake whiter.
Momoreg, I tried your chocolate cake recipe since I needed to make some, will report back on the taste, texture and color tom. if time permits(I'm in the middle of making a couple thousand Valentine cookies). Thanks for the recipe.

[angrychef]

Momoreg, I tried your cake yesterday but broke it down into baker's percentage's then made a very small batch. The texture and mixing method are excellent, it has a nice mouthfeel and crumb. But it wasn't as chocolatey(and the chocolate was at 54%!)and dark as I expected, but maybe that has to do with my measurement of baking soda(1/2 cup measured 4.5 oz. which is equivalent to 3.9%(in relation to flour) and I only used 3.5%. Is it dark like a blackout cake? Maybe I will add a bit more chocolate or cocoa.My cakes came out more reddish. Anyway, it is a very good recipe and thanks for sharing.

[ 02-10-2001: Message edited by: angrychef ]

[momoreg]

It shouldn't be super-dark, but it is a deep brown, and very moist. It holds up for 2 weeks in the refrigerator, but I never leave it in there for more than a couple days, just based on the principle. I'm sure you can add some dark cocoa in place of some of the flour, if you want it more chocolatey.


I don't think that a fraction of an ounce of soda would've changed things much. It's a pretty heavy cake.

Anyway, let me know if you try it w/ cocoa. Sounds good.

[Spoons]

Angrychef,
I just tried the moistest chocolate cake today. Dark, rich, moist, flavorful. You know it's hard to describe what someone likes, it's personal preference. But, try it, Wow! The mixing method is kinda funky. http://food.epicurious.com/run/recipe/view?id=101275
Momoreg, I haven't gotten around to sampling your recipe, I'm lazy to do the math. I need to shrink it down major. Need my walking calculator to do it, my husband.

[KyleW]

I use a recipe for chocolate cake that has been attributed to Simca Beck. With out it in front of me...

6 oz. bittersweet chocolate
12 tbs unsalted butter
4 egg yolks
4 egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
4 tbs flour
2 tbs pulverized almonds (The finer the better)

Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler.

Ribbon the egg yolks and sugar.

Fold yolk/sugar into chocolate and add flour and almonds.

Beat the egg whites until they hold their shape and fold them into chocolate mixture.

Pour into buttered, floured 9" cake pan and bake @350 for approximately 25 minutes. Let it cool for several minutes in pan and then transfer to rack to cool completely.

This is a very dense, chocolatey cake. I sometimes glaze it sometimes I serve it plain. This weekend I served it glazed on a raspberry coulis and topped with fresh whipped cream. It seemed to go over well