Baking somewhat fearfully with Cynthia

Can I manage baking for my loved one?

As most of my friends know, I don’t bake. As the sad little kid in Polar Express says, “Baking just doesn’t work out for me.” Well, actually he said that about Christmas but you get the idea (honestly, I watched that movie SO many times, it is indelibly etched on my brain).

However. Ann Rasmus had the temerity to be out of town over Ernie’s birthday weekend. She assured me I could do it though, and lent me a book she’d recently been gifted called Snacking Cakes by Yossy Arefi. The book is utterly delightful, all recipes for one bowl cakes that can be made in a basic square metal pan (or in some cases, doubled for a bundt pan as I did).

It was supposed to happen on Ernie’s birthday but somehow the day got away from us and by the time I went to start and found we didn’t have enough sugar, we both kind of deflated. I looked at him wearily and told him it was up to him. He could go to the store for sugar or I could do it tomorrow. He voted for the next day. Later I wondered why it hadn’t occurred to me to ask Leo to go get sugar. Maybe I was tired enough that it was an easy out.

We did have a nice birthday dinner however. He’d been wanting some barbecued pork on the grill and I made his beloved potato salad. We just had a green salad with it as we knew it was all gonna be about the pork and potatoes.

I forgot to take pictures.

However, Tuesday came and I DID IT.

I baked!

Ernie’s still shaking his head over what a mess I made scooping sour cream out of the measuring cup with my hands, but I did it. I did it. I did it.

Powdered Doughnut Cake
from Snacking Cakes by Yossy Arefi

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup [150 g] granulated sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 1 cup [220 g] sour cream

• 1/2 cup [113 g or 1 stick] unsalted butter melted

• 1 1/4 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 1/2 cups [190 g] all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Topping

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted

• 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

• Position an oven rack to the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 35oF [180C]. Butter or coat an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray. Line the pan with a strip of parchment paper that hangs over two of the edges. 

• In a large bowl, whisk the granulated sugar and eggs until pale and foamy, about 1 minute. Add the sour cream, butter, nutmeg, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until smooth and emulsified. 

• Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk until well-combined and smooth. 

• Pour the batter into the pan and bake the cake until puffed and golden, and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes. Set the pan on a rack to cool for about 15 minutes. Then use the parchment paper to lift the cake out of the pan and set it on to the rack to cool almost completely.

• While the cake is just warm to the touch, brush the top with the melted butter and dust with the confectioners' sugar. you should have a nice thick layer of confectioners' sugar – more than you think might be necessary. (Store the cake, covered, at room temperature for up to three days. The cake will absorb the sugar on top, so it might need a fresh dusting of confectioners' sugar after the second day.)

I think it’s even better today!

Onward!

Love,
Cynthia