This cake has been my go-to cake for a triple layer 6″ cake with a lovely vanilla flavor, perfectly moist, and easily filled with all sorts of options. Today I followed the cake/filling recipe in Frosted (Bernice Baran), using lemon curd between the layers, but choosing an ABC frosting instead of the suggested American Meringue Buttercream.
Despite a dam of frosting, as well as trying the ‘seal it in technique’ (Georgia’s Cakes), the lemon curd oozed all over. It took several crumb coats and repairs before I could mask the lemon that insisted on blending with my ABC.
Speaking of ABC, I remain a fan of this frosting more so than any other I have tried, although I continue to work to make it not taste as sweet. Hard to do when it’s so full of sugar, but today’s experiment included: using Amish roll butter, adding in 2 TB super chilled heavy cream and 1 TB super chilled sour cream, 1 TB lemon juice, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 TB meringue powder, and beating for about 15 minutes. Still sweet but less so – I feel like I’m getting there. And the texture was good for spreading and piping. So much patience required in this cake decorating business – cannot do it when I’m tired.
Recipe from Bernice Baran’s Frosted – I’ve said it before, the recipes in here are just fantastic. Lots and lots of five star bakes IMHO.
First off, a three layer 6″ cake was the perfect opportunity to test out, side by side, the bake even strips mentioned in my previous post – they really do make a difference. Much less of a dome to the cake, but most importantly, a lovely finish to the sides – see for yourself (one on the left, no strip). If you are a baker, absolutely worth the $10. Note: I do think they bake a little slower, so you may need to add another 5 minutes to the bake time.
Now for the cake, LOL. Wonderful caramel chai taste on the drip – will use that in other recipes, just yummy, though not quite as thick as I would like. And the cake is very moist and has a great spiced pumpkin taste. The frosting – I took it upon myself to substitute giant orange pumpkin marshmallows instead of the regular marshmallows called for in the frosting. The taste is great (and I’m a fan of the color); I did run into an issue with the consistency of the frosting (a bit goopy and required several periods in the fridge) and the marshmallow left clumps of chewy toasty marshmallow in the frosting (not necessarily a bad thing, but you wouldn’t have been able to pipe this frosting). All in all, this is an amazing spiced cake, and I’m not even that much of a pumpkin fan! I may have to change my opinion!
The first question I get is ‘but why?’ and the more I’ve experimented, the more reasons I’ve found. It all started with my daughter who manages peanut allergies and dairy allergies in her family of three children, and then who decided she’d experiment with Gluten Free and Vegan baking for herself. When I got the question ‘can you bake three different cakes when you come next year (Kindergarten graduation, Smash Cake and Birthday Cake #1) but ideally make them GFV (as I’m terming it), I thought I had better start practicing 8 months out, since I had had little to no experience baking this way. So here’s what I’ve learned to date:
Cake #1 – I used King Arthur Gluten Free 1:1 flour, unsweetened coconut milk, apple cider vinegar and 1/2 tsp cherry oil in hte frosting. I also put a jam filling in between. The result: too moist, too much cherry oil, the jam filling made it fall apart, and a very floury taste. Rated a 3 out of 10.
Cake #2. Used Bobs Red Mill GF flour and coconut milk again. Added 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp vanilla bean paste. Used white vinegar instead of the cider vinegar. Used a scant 1/3 cup applesauce instead of the canola oil. Still too moist though taste was improved. Gave this version a 5 out of 10.
Cake #3. Used Oat flour. Added 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, used oat milk, used the apple cider vinegar, instead of canola oil/applesauce used a scant 1/3 cup mashed banana and added in 1 tsp banana flavoring. Not bad. I liked the oat flour consistency and the oat milk which was not nearly as creamy as the coconut milk. You have to like banana though. Maybe a 6 out of 10.
Cake #4. Used Oat flour again and the oat milk but decreased the amount to 3/4 cup. Increased baking powder to 2 tsp. Kept the cinnamon, used the apple cider vinegar but mixed it directly with the baking soda prior to adding, For the canola oil this time I used a heaping 1/3 cup of grated zucchini. Baked it at 335 instead of 350 for 36 minutes and used purple baking sleeves from Wilton. (First time using these – LOVE). https://www.wilton.com/bake-even-strips/191006397.html
BTW, in all of these I have used Country Crock plant butter for the frosting which I LOVE. It mixes smoothly, pipes beautifully, and doesn’t have the deep butter grease or taste (which I personally dislike) that comes with so many frostings. (Note to self: does not hold gel or oil based food color that well. How did I get it to work in #3?) Getting very close. This is a 7/10 maybe. No gluten free taste, a little too dense and still a bit too moist, but really close to being delicious. Next up: repeat same recipe, try with egg substitute added in.
Oh my! What a great great book. Couldn’t put it down. Really enjoyed this. Well written and such an interesting topic. And based on a true story, even better. Everything from the characters to the setting and the plot were well described; had the tiniest bit of a questionmark at the ending but certainly not impossible.
