Editor's Pick
MAY 11, 2010 1:02AM
Rate: 21
fortunately, no teeth were broken eating these cakes
For every family birthday as far back as photographic proof goes, a heart shaped cake was front and center for the celebration. My mother was a superb baker of many things but cake was not one of them. She never did master the art of a fluffy crumb. The batter was beaten until it was standing on its own, and baked at the right temperature and time, it still came out raw in some spots and little chewy in others.
Mom covered it with something reasonably close to frosting, but it was always a little shy on volume and barely stretched to fit - with the cake shining through in some spots. From the same someone who could embroider and stitch in perfect couture fashion, she always managed to pipe a gloppy unreadable message on the finished cake. But in the end none of that mattered; the cakes represented homemade love in a heart for anyone who was lucky enough to get one.On our girl child’s first birthday we inaugurated the next generation of cake tin tradition. The girl’s first heart cake was a chocolate speckled thing called Dotted Swiss Cake complete with chocolate ganache that awkwardly slathered the top. Motivated by cake with a brightly lit candle, she began to walk on that birthday, heading straight for the chocolate confection. That would indeed, be my girl.
The arrival of the child the year before, however, is an entirely different matter. It was almost 11PM and the entire day had been spent attached to an IV drip containing drugs in one final attempt to induce labor. I tried to explain that after 44 weeks of gestation, the child was reticent to make an appearance and that drugs would be rather useless. The child was simply not coming out unless someone went in there after her.
We were finally given two options; c-section or wait a few more hours for a c-section. We chose the early bird special. Just because this tale is more about food and celebrating birthdays, I’ll leave out all the interesting medical details. But just one thing – pain blocking medications have a come a long way since that day thirty-something years ago.
Once the c-section was a go, in a few short minutes I met my first child. Actually, I heard her first. She came out complaining loudly as she is still apt to do when unhappy. I was mesmerized by the stick straight hair that seemed to be falling in her eyes; the newborn baby girl needed a haircut. My unruly curls were jealous.
Our first year was spent in serious sleep deprivation. We took every opportunity to stop by the lemon loving in-law’s house and hand over the baby for some quality grandparent time. We would sneak off in search of a quiet space and fall asleep. We once napped for forty eight hours straight because they didn’t have the heart to wake us. Eventually we taught the child to read her picture books or play with toys in the crib at night and let us sleep. We always had one ear open, but we finally got some rest. Unlike the child who never seemed to need sleep.
It is 35 years later and she still stays up all night. I have proof. In the book, My New Orleans, honoring the city post-Katrina, there is an essay written by Julie Smith, NOLA resident and mystery writer. Her chapter captures the night time sojourns of my child, who happened to also then be her neighbor. The essay, Portrait of the Artist begins on page 129. When someone doubts me that the child never slept through the night and does not still, I send them the book. Or tell them to call Julie.
No matter how old she is or how far away the child lives, I still keep one ear open at night. Just in case. And on her birthday, we always have cake. Mighty good chocolate cake.
Annie’s Dotted Swiss Cake with Chocolate Glaze
IngredientsCake
- 2 cups flour (or 2 cups gluten free flour & a pinch of xanthan gum)
- 2.5 teaspoons baking powder
- Pinch salt
- ½ cup softened unsalted butter
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 1 heaping tablespoon orange juice
- 2.5 oz shaved bittersweet chocolate (use a small food processor or a grater)
- 1.5 cups heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 16 oz. of semi sweet and bittersweet chocolate chopped into chunks
Cake
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour (2) 8 inch round cake pans
Cream together sugar and butter until blended, and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt in another bowl. Combine milk, vanilla and juice. Alternately add in flour and milk mixture to the butter/sugar/eggs mixture. Mix well. Stir in grated chocolate with a wooden spoon just until incorporated.
Bake 30 minutes or until cake starts to shrink away from the edges and toothpick comes out clean, but don't overbake. Cool five minutes then flip out of pan onto rack and cool completely.
Glaze
Heat cream and corn syrup until small bubbles appear on the edge. Remove from heat and add in chopped chocolate. Stir until completely incorporated. Cool for about 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Pour over the cooled cake (bottom layer first) and let drip down the sides. Add top layer and repeat. Let harden at room temperature.
Bon appétit and Happy 18,405 Minute Birthday Annie Banannie!
Comments
wonderful story, beautiful recipe...I'm sending Freaky over.
Well done, a very nice read.
Well done, a very nice read.
sweet story about your daughter...at least the cake part. I was also a child who didn't much sleep. some friends of mine had a child with this problem and it turned out he had a problem breathing and it was corrected by surgery...
::gasp:: IT HAS DOTS! DOTS ARE SUPER CUTE!!
::THUD::
::THUD::
Love the story, but I'm afraid I went to the same baking school as your mother.
Only you, no one but you, uniquely you, idiosyncratically you, could successfully combine the details of a c-section with a cake recipe, and leave me wanting cake. Loved the description of the thin spotted wet uncooked places cake. Something I learned long ago is when given a choice, take the ugly cake. Pretty cakes, too greasy and sweet.
Ah. I know Julie Smith, Too! I'll have to read the book. Buy the book. Remember Buy the Book!!!! Then give it to the Friends of the Library. Mantra for book-lovers.
I used to wander the house at night. No crib could contain me. One of my sons was a crib-hater and the other one never climbed out.
I used to wander the house at night. No crib could contain me. One of my sons was a crib-hater and the other one never climbed out.
That these go up in the morning is sweet torture indeed. I want to come to your house sometime.
Luscious! That ganache looks like something I'd dive into with both hands (like I was turning 1). Cake....must have cake!
for me! weeeeeeeeeeeee! well, not really, but still weeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Looks amazing and you know I love your food stories!
xoxoxox
Looks amazing and you know I love your food stories!
xoxoxox
You've done it again: you're luring me over to The Dark Side with thoughts of "hmmm...this recipe doesn't seem too difficult; perhaps I should give baking another try..."
Happy birthday (and a good night's sleep) to Annie.
Happy birthday (and a good night's sleep) to Annie.
You write this so beautifully. I think you should collect these and write a food memoir. You do have the chops (excuse the pun).
Reminded me of the ketchup-drenched heart-shaped meatloaf my mother used to cook us for Valentine's Day.
Reminded me of the ketchup-drenched heart-shaped meatloaf my mother used to cook us for Valentine's Day.
Thanks everyone. Coming by means the world to me. Hugs back at you and cake all around. Imperfect, but tasty cake. And a big piece for Freaky.
Yum... lovely story and declicious cake...
Very interesting, very cool that the kid's insomnia is captured in a NOLA book, and damn! that cake sure looks good :D
C-sections and cake. You have an incredible gift._r
I love chocolate and orange together! Sweet story and even sweeter recipe. Another excellent post, L&Ph.
Lovely. And the cake looks great. Of course we have our own traditional family cake, but the dotted swiss will be just right for some other occasion.
I'll always keep one ear open, too.
Any leftover cake crumbs for late comers to the party?
Any leftover cake crumbs for late comers to the party?
Damn, you're good . . .
Your cake looks scrumptious! How did you create the criss-cross effect on the top?
Lovely story as well! Ah, I remember the days of waking at the slightest whimper from the kids. But when my youngest turned 3, I must have unconsciously decided they'd be fine. I still remember the first time I woke up, shocked, to find a child in the bed with me but no clue when or how she arrived there.
Lovely story as well! Ah, I remember the days of waking at the slightest whimper from the kids. But when my youngest turned 3, I must have unconsciously decided they'd be fine. I still remember the first time I woke up, shocked, to find a child in the bed with me but no clue when or how she arrived there.
wow, Mom, you got Hello Kitty spam!
I love you!
My favorite cake in all the years of chocolate hearts will still be the princess cake. I remember dropping the choicest piece on the ground and being devastated. I don't know what it meant to the grownups, but the trauma of losing that treasure lives on. Well, not quite trauma-- this comment box won't let me erase anything. The three hours of sleep I've had testify to the veracity of this recipe post. & my fondness for those chocolate birthday cakes.
I love you!
My favorite cake in all the years of chocolate hearts will still be the princess cake. I remember dropping the choicest piece on the ground and being devastated. I don't know what it meant to the grownups, but the trauma of losing that treasure lives on. Well, not quite trauma-- this comment box won't let me erase anything. The three hours of sleep I've had testify to the veracity of this recipe post. & my fondness for those chocolate birthday cakes.
if you apply the glaze after it sits for a while, you can get it to hold the shape on top. I just run a sharp edge one way and drag it through the other until I like the design.
Annie! I have the princess cake in photos too. I loved that cake as well. I don't remember the losing of the prize piece, but it sure was big enough to get you another. Greenfield St - you were 5.
Happy early birthday. I cannot believe how time flies. Those days I write about are so vivid still. Poof.
Annie! I have the princess cake in photos too. I loved that cake as well. I don't remember the losing of the prize piece, but it sure was big enough to get you another. Greenfield St - you were 5.
Happy early birthday. I cannot believe how time flies. Those days I write about are so vivid still. Poof.
nothing better than a sweet story with a great recipe at the end. perfect.
Must~have~that~cake... mmmmmm. I have insomniacs in my family. They should be baking cakes when they're not sleeping.
No comments:
Post a Comment