Cake vs Pie...Why choose?

     Now, I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure all dads like cake and/or pie. Who doesn't like little tasty bits stuck in their mustache for later? Adorable. Since my dad's birthday was one day after Father's Day this year and he got slighted in the gift department (just kidding, he got lovely Scotch), I wanted to make an extra-special cake. Then a glorious thought struck me: this is America, and I'm going to make a cake/pie hybrid. No Frankenstein stuff over here, just a cake wearing pie's clothing, as it were.

    Banana Cream Pie Cake

---

---

---

---

    The cake is pretty simple to make, but I want to stress that you get ultra-ripe bananas. What does this mean? It means your bananas should look like little rotting corpses. God, I am on a role with the imagery on this one. To start, cream the butter, salt, and sugar. Next add the buttermilk. In a medium bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and add them to the butter and sugar mixture. Do not over-mix; banana bread lives to make your life hard, don't let it bully you. Bake and cool completely. 

     I told my friend's brother that the filling was vanilla pudding because I thought telling him it was pastry cream would scare him. He still didn't try it. In any case, to make the pastry cream, heat your milk (and a slit vanilla bean) on medium heat until it starts to simmer. Meanwhile, in a heat-proof bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, cornstarch and salt. Temper the egg mixture by slowly pouring in the hot milk mixture. Once the two mixtures have been combined, you can add it back to the pot after straining it. Heat on medium until the mixture thickens to a pudding consistency, stirring all the while. Cool, add vanilla extract, discard bean, and chill with plastic wrap until you're ready to assemble the cake.

     To assemble this lovely cake, start with one disk of cake and evenly spread the pastry cream over it. Slice 1-2 bananas and lay the pieces in a concentric pattern. Place the second layer of cake on top. Now, whip the cream, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt until stiff peaks form. An icy bowl and cold cream will make this happen faster. Have you ever tried whipping cream by hand in a hot room? Now that will put some hair on your chest. Frost the entire cake with the whipped cream and top the cake with extra banana slices in a pretty pattern, or just throw them on for that monkey-ravaged look. The cake is best the first or second day, but will hold well for about four. 

Recipe

350 F/ 25-35 min, 2x 8-9 in round cake pans, greased or lined

CAKE

2/3 c butter, softened
1 2/3 c sugar
2/3 c buttermilk (if you don’t have it, just use regular milk)
3 - 4 bananas (very ripe)
2 eggs
2 ½ c flour
1 ¼ tsp. baking powder
1 ¼ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp vanilla extract

PASTRY CREAM

32 ounces whole milk (use coconut milk for a non-dairy version)1 vanilla bean, split and scraped or 1 Tbsp vanilla extract

5 whole eggs (about 8.75 ounces)
2 egg yolks (about 1.5 ounces)
10 ounces sugar
3 ounces cornstarch
1/4 tsp kosher salt

WHIPPED CREAM

1 pint whipping cream

3 tbsp sugar 

1/4 tsp salt

INSPIRATION

     Find me a find, catch me a catch...


     For a very long time, cupcakes infuriated me. Dry, overly costly and dainty, they bring shame to my favorite major food group, cake. When one of my first restaurant reviews was at a cupcake cafe, I gagged a little bit. This does not mean cupcakes can't be phenomenal, but more often than not they are sad creatures. So, imagine my surprise when I found great pleasure in creating a cupcake cake last week for a bridal shower. I made some mini ones with the leftover batter and I did not hate it. So haters gonna hatehatehatehatehate, but I'm supporting the cupcake in all of its cute glory.

   Funfetti Cupcakes with Special Frosting 

 ---

     

     Funfetti scares me a bit, but it's so dreamy I push those fears aside. The bride-to-be loves the flavor so I thought a homemade version would be lovely. To make the cupcakes, start with the flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Mix together. Either with a stand or hand mixer on low, incorporate the cold butter pieces into the dry mix until it resembles coarse sand. Now add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go. Add the milk and vanilla and mix to combine. Now mix everything on medium until the batter is smooth, about two minutes. Lastly, fold in the sprinkles, making sure not to over mix. Bake for 15-20 minutes and cool in the pan for 10 minutes before you transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

     This icing is a black horse for sure. It's essentially a buttercream, but is stabilized with flour. To start, heat the milk, vanilla and flour on medium until the mixture forms into a batter-like paste, but do not let it gain color. Let this mixture cool. Meanwhile, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Now, add the cooled flour mixture and beat until the whole lot looks like whipped cream. Taste it to make sure all of the sugar has dissolved as well. Try to use the frosting the same day you make it. 

Recipe

(Adapted from Browned eyed Baker)

350 F 15-20 min/ 2 dozen cupcakes

CAKE

1¾ c cake flour
1¼ c all-purpose flour
1¾ c granulated sugar
2½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 c unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into ½-inch cubes
4 eggs
1 c whole milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ c rainbow sprinkles

FROSTING

(recipe from The Pioneer Women)

5 tbsp flour
1 c milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 c butter (2 sticks), room temperature 
1 c granulated white sugar (not powdered sugar)

     So it begins...


     I know everyone has been complaining about how"chilly" it's been lately, but to be honest, I haven't stopped sweating since April...or 1998. I'm just a blazin hot critter all the time, which is why I especially like ice cream when it starts to get warm out. I wanted to do a recipe with rhubarb as my first choice because it will soon be completely out of season and it's such a joy to work with when it's here. This ice cream is best served the day it is made, but will last for a few days before major ice crystals begin to form.


Strawberry Rhubarb Ice Cream

The first step in making this ice cream is to make the fruit compote that will be mixed into the dairy portion of the recipe. To do this, simply add your sliced rhubarb, strawberries, sugar and water to a pot and simmer away until you have a jammy consistency. I added a splash of lavender balsamic vinegar at the end for a little more acidity and a pleasant floral hit. Blend the mixture and then chill it.

Now to make the base. Heat the half and half on medium heat until it begins to simmer. Meanwhile,  separate five eggs and add the yolks to a medium sized mixing bowl. Save the whites for something fun, you crafty sprite. Whisk in the sugar until dissolved. Once the half and half is simmering, slowly pour it over the eggs while stirring to temper them. Once the two have been completely mixed, return the new mixture to the stove and cook on medium heat until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. You can strain the mixture before it hits the pan if you're OCD like me, but it won't make a huge difference. Take this mixture off the heat and add the salt and vanilla. Mix the fruit compote into the dairy base and chill the whole thing for at least 2 hours. 

To finish, my machine requires a pre-frozen vessel, so plan ahead if yours is the same. About half way through the churning process, I added 1/2 c of diced strawberries. If you add them in the beginning, you risk having them all sink to the bottom of your vessel. Once the ice cream is finished churning, you need to freeze it for at least six hours for a soft-set consistency, and at least eight for a traditional scoop. 

Recipe

(adapted from Savory Simple)

Fruit Compote

1 c strawberries, sliced

2 small rhubarb stalks, sliced

1/4 c sugar 

1 Tbsp lavender balsamic vinegar (optional)

2 Tbsp water

Ice Cream Base

1 3/4 c half and half

1/2 c sugar 

5 egg yolks

1 3/4 c fruit compote

1 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

1/2 c diced strawberries (optional)