Guinness Chocolate Cake with Baileys Frosting

Chocolate cake is not my friend.  Really, it's cakes in general--I find them all rather temperamental, moody little things that throw a fit and refuse to come out right if I mis-measure by even a quarter of a teaspoon.  

Actually, strike that.  I have measured and followed a recipe exactly, sifting when sifting is required, counting hand strokes for mixing (really) and carefully making the high altitude adjustments and I still don't have a chocolate cake recipe that I adore except my favorite chocolate ganache cake which starts with a box mix.  

Recently, I embarked on a journey to find the PERFECT homemade chocolate cake recipe.  I started with a recipe for Chocolate Heaven cake from the Back in the Day Bakery.  Five star bakery in Savannah, five star cookbook, and rave reviews for this cake, I was sure I'd finally found the go-to cake recipe.  

Cake flour, eggs and sour cream and room temp and unsweetened chocolate bars...you would think this recipe is on it's way to the winners list. 

I always give myself a pat on the back when I use more than one pan for a cake. 

And then an extra pat on the back when I pull out a pastry bag and pipe anything.  Piping is sometimes fun, sometimes annoying.

Alas, I was able to screw up a cake recipe that everyone else seems to be able to nail.  My version was dense, not chocolatey enough, and well, dense.  Maybe the problem is that I expect cakes to be fluffy.

Chocolate cake number two was a Pinterest recipe that was touted to be the world's best sour cream chocolate cake.  

Surely cream cheese buttercream (yes both) chocolate frosting is the secret to perfect chocolate cake.  

Or not.  This cake was a  lot fluffier but that frosting was killer sweet and there definitely wasn't enough chocolate in the cake or the frosting.  It was more like a "kind-of chocolate" cake.  

I should have mentioned that the chocolate cake by which I gauge all other cakes is Cheesecake Factory's Chocolate Tower Truffle cake which is probably more truffle than cake.  

Strike two. 

After all of the effort of the two prior chocolate cakes, I went back to one of my standards--Nigella's Guinness chocolate cake.  I would categorize this as an overall fantastic cake rather than a fantastic chocolate cake.

Best part is that it's super simple and made right in the saucepan.

I know I posted this recipe 4 years ago when I made it into Irish Car Bomb cupcakes, but while not the perfect truffle-like chocolate cake, it's a pretty delicious cake....definitely a keeper recipe for when you want to throw together something super quick and easy.

Only one saucepan and  one baking pan to clean up.

Chocolate Guinness Cake
Adapted from Nigella Lawson Feast

1 cup Guinness stout
1 stick unsalted butter, sliced
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1.5 cups sugar
¾ cup sour cream
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2.5 teaspoons baking soda

Baileys frosting
-8 ounce cream cheese
-1 cup confectioners’ sugar
½ cup Baileys

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and line bottom with parchment paper.
2. Pour Guinness into a large saucepan, add butter and heat until melted. Whisk in cocoa powder and sugar. In a small bowl, beat sour cream with eggs and vanilla and then pour into brown, buttery, beery mixture and finally whisk in flour and baking soda.
3. Pour cake batter into greased and line pan and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Leave to cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack.
4. When cake is cold, gently peel off parchment paper and transfer to a platter or cake stand.
5. Place cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar in a mixing bowl, and whip with an electric beater, until smooth
6. Add cream and beat again until you have a spreadable consistency.
7. Ice top of cake, starting at middle and fanning out, so that it resembles the frothy top of the famous pint.

No Knead Potato Bread and a Life Off-Grid

Anyone who knows me knows I love hyperbole.  The more ridiculous I can make something sound, the more I appreciate it.  Like me saying I'm going off-grid.

Off-grid usually means self-sustaining, hunting types who don't have electricity running to their homes...i.e off the power grid.   That sounds pretty cool, but in my case, off-grid means a long weekend in the mtns in a cabin without wifi or TV but full electricity and amenities. It means a car full of groceries I hunted at the grocery store and firewood that someone that is not me chopped.

Bread doesn't fit into the above at all but I'm all about lean efficiency.  One post, two topics.  This second topic is pretty spectacular if you're not on the wheat belly or wheat brain or wheat whatever diet.  

I am not.  I love bread.

And of course, I love no knead bread baked up in the cast iron pan.  This one is yet another variation of the recipe I've posted many times except that the star of this loaf is mashed potatoes.  Bread and mashed potatoes--happy post indeed. 

The core no knead recipe calls for a wet dough and letting it sit overnight.  This one looks a bit wetter than the other doughs, but that's what makes it so perfectly moist on the inside while still maintaing that thick, chewy artisan crust.

I still can't believe that 5 minutes of measuring and stirring results in a loaf like this. 

The potato really just adds moistness so you could even serve this up with jam.  The inside texture and crumb was so fantastic that this version definitely climbs up the ladder of favorites in the no knead category.

No Knead Sourdough Bread

Ingredients
1.5 cup ultra mashed potatoes (no lumps)
3 1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 cup water
2.5 tsps yeast

Instructions

1. Spoon mashed potatoes into a bowl with flour, salt, yeast and water. Mix with wooden spoon until combined. 
2. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12-16 hours or overnight. 
3. Heat oven to 450 degrees. When the oven has reached 450 degrees place a cast iron pot with a lid in the oven and heat the pot for 25 minutes. 
4. While the oven and pan is preheating, dump dough onto a heavily floured surface and shape into a ball. The dough will be sticky--keep flouring your hands and rolling dough in flour while forming ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest until pan is ready. 
5. Remove hot pan from the oven and carefully drop dough into ungreased pan. 
6. Cover and return to oven for 30 minutes. 
7. After 30 minutes remove the lid and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. 
8. Remove bread from oven and place on a cooling rack. Let cool before slicing

Homemade Hawaiian Rolls

I haven't been sulking after Denver's Super Bowl loss.  All that much.  Actually, if you've been a Denver fan long enough to remember the heartbreak of Denver's Super Bowl losses in the late 80s and early 90s, well you've probably learned to effectively cope with the grief.  It's really all about compartmentalizing.   After you get past the initial shock that the team has lost it within the first 12 seconds of the game, you begin to the road to acceptance that it's going to be another one of those.  It get's easier with each blowout.

So homemade Hawaiian rolls.

There are a bazillion recipes out there for Hawaiian rolls--I found this recipe that the blogger said were the fluffiest rolls she'd ever made.  That's just a recipe begging to be made in my book.  Seriously, these are the fluffiest, softest rolls I've ever made as well.  They are not as sweet as the store bought ones but that's a plus in my opinion.  

The sweetness in these comes from brown sugar and pineapple. That's definitely a good start to any recipe. 

I adapted the recipe to use coconut oil instead of olive oil because I am swimming in Costco sized coconut oil over here.  Knowing that there's dough rising on the counter almost ready to bake makes be absolutely giddy.  Is there any kitchen smell that's better? Okay, maybe cinnamon rolls.

When I make rolls I pull the dough around and pinch tightly at the bottom to make a ball shape.  I think I learned once that this forms a tension on the top of the rolls that helps them keep their shape (as opposed to just rolling them like you are rolling cookie dough).  

You can already tell just from the rising that these are going to be super soft and fluffy right?

These rolls are pretty fantastic filled with Hawaiian pulled chicken, but really, they're pretty fantastic straight out of the pan as well.  Try to eat just one. 

Homemade Hawaiian Rolls

adapted from Yammie's Noshery

Ingredients:
1/3 cup milk warm milk
1 packet instant dry yeast
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup melted coconut oil, plus additional 2 tsp for bowl and pan
4 tbsp butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup pineapple in juice
4 cups bread flour (all-purpose would also work)
1 teaspoon salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

For the tops:
1 egg
1/4 cup water

Directions:

1. Heat milk in a small saucepan until warm to the touch or about 100-105 degrees.  Add yeast and let rest for 5 minutes. 
2. Add the oil, butter, pineapple, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and milk mixture to a mixing bowl and mix on low until combined. 
3. Add flour and knead for 10 minutes on medium speed and using dough hook. This dough should be  a bit sticky.   
4. Grease a large bowl with melted 1 tsp of coconut oil.  Add dough and turn to coat dough with oil. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled (about 45-60 minutes depending upon your kitchen temp). Punch the dough down and divide into twelve equal balls. 
5. Grease  9x13 inch pan with 1 tsp coconut oil, roll dough into balls and let rise again until doubled (45-60 minutes). 
6. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Beat together the egg and water for the top and brush the tops of the risen rolls with the egg wash. Bake for about 25 minutes or until the tops are golden browned.

Denver Broncos Orange Crush Cupcakes

I have to admit that post-season games always get my blood pressure up.  Playoffs have been causing trepidation and fear ever since the days of Elway, Mecklenburg, the Three Amigos and Rulon Jones (who I had a really big girlie crush on mostly because he was 6-6 and that sure sounded like the most perfect height. Indeed.)   Those playoff games were always so close and then so disappointing that part of me just can't shake that post-season fear.

Fingers crossed for no disappointment Sunday.  It's been quite awhile since I've posted a game day eats recipe.  With the big playoff game coming up on Sunday, it seemed appropriate to post a recipe that had a bit of orange or blue in preparation for  game day.  I say double points here for not only bringing in the orange and blue, but for adding a little extra team spirit to the recipe. 

We call this Rocky Mountain champagne.  Now if you can actually drink the stuff, you are badder, tougher and cooler than me.  But it is the official drink of game day, (okay beer probably is) so you have to have it on the table at least as an offering.   OR, you can put it in the cupcakes.

I'd bookmarked a Mountain Dew cupcakes recipe awhile back because I'd planned on making some for my Mountain Dew addict brothers but never got around to it.  I mixed it up a bit and swapped out the Dew for some of the Rocky Mountain Champagne and was surprisingly pleased. It's not a full on chocolate cupcake with chocolate truffle frosting, but it's definitely a fun game day food.

I opted to make the cooked flour frosting that I'd made earlier this year, minus the dried ground strawberries.  Every time I say "cooked flour frosting" people turn up their nose and every time I make a cake with it, people ask for the recipe.  If you've never had it, I'd describe it as being really just a stabilized whipped cream type frosting.  It's basically the same core make up (butter is extra, extra whipped cream yes?) except with the flour which stabilizes it all so that you can frost cakes and leave them out.  

Make sure you cool the cooked flour mixture before adding to the butter.  Current weather conditions can be used to your advantage here.  I'd suggest pressing plastic wrap all the way down on the flour mixture to prevent a skin from forming.

Don't the little mini helmets just make you smile?  These are fully painted/printed so you can wash and reuse them if you are so inclined, but I've found that they tend to disappear with the guests.  

Here's hoping for a Sunday full of orange and blue magic and some good Orange Crush defense.

Orange Crush Cupcakes

adapted from Forkful  of Comfort

For the Cupcakes
Ingredients
1 cup butter (2 sticks) softened
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest

1/2 tsp orange extract
4 large eggs at room temperature
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups Orange Crush soda

1 batch of Cooked Flour Frosting(minus the strawberries) 

Orange Sprinkles

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In stand mixer beat butter until light. 

Add in sugar, orange zest and beat until fully mixed and fluffy. 

Add in eggs on at a time. 

In a medium mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. 

Starting with flour mixture, add 1/4 flour mixture then 1/3 Orange Crush alternately to the butter mixture, mixing to combine after each addition. 

Pour evenly about 2/3rds of the way up in a paper lined muffin tin. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned and tooth pick comes out clean. 

Remove for pan and allow to completely cool on wire rack before frosting and dipping in sprinkles.  

Marzipan Royal Crescent Scones

I have an opinion about scones everything.  Since I have an opinion about everything, I have an opinion about scones.  Yes indeedy. 

Actually it's not much of an opinion, I just think they should be just a little bit crisp on the outside and flaky and almost like a slightly sweetened shortcake/biscuit on the inside just like they are in the motherland.  By motherland I am referring to the home of many, many other people who are not me, namely the Brits. 

The standard Starbucks cakey scones?  Yeah, not so much a fan.  Why are they so cakey and soft?  How can they hold both clotted cream and jam without turning into smush?

Victoria Magazine's cookbook had this scone recipe from the Royal Crescent Hotel in Bath that has been my go-to favorite for eons--I shared the recipe many, many, many years ago when I liked to take yellow photographs.  I blame all older yellow photographs on my former incorrectly calibrated computer.  I blame all current yellow photos on the fact that white balance is still my archenemy. 

The scones are made by cutting butter into the flour and then adding milk and gently folding/kneading--that's how you get those awesome flakey layers.  I mixed it up a little bit this time by also adding 8 oz of cut up almondy goodness in the form of marzipan.  

Marzipan is added after the butter is cut into the flour but before milk is added. 

The rest is just plain 'ole scone making.  Gently press flat and cut into triangles or circles. 

I used cast iron to ensure the bottom got that crispy crunch I like. Sugar in the raw was right on the counter whereas white large decorating sugar was in the back of the cupboard.  Sugar in the Raw worked perfectly for this. 

With clotted cream and jam of course.  

Royal Crescent Scones
from Victoria Sweet Baking

Ingredients
3 & 2/3 c flour
6 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

8 oz chopped marzipan (optional)
1 & 1/4 cup milk, plus additional for brushing scones

large sugar crystals for sprinkling on top

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with Silpat or parchment--or use a cast iron pan
2. Place flour in food processor bowl.  Add sugar, baking pwder and salt and cut butter.  Pulse a few times until butter is the size of peas.  
3. Pour flour mixture into bowl and add marzipan.  Mix marzipan into flour.
4. Gradually add enough milk to form a soft dough--mix only enough to incorporate dry ingredients. Turn dough onto floured surface and turn and fold dough gently several times to form smooth dough.
5. Roll or press dough on floured surface to a 1 1/4 inch thickness. 
6. Cut out scones with a floured 2-inch biscuit cutter. Reroll scraps and cut additional scones. 
7. Arrange scones 2 inches apart on baking sheet and lightly brush tops with milk. Sprinkle with large sugar crystals if desired.
8. Bake for 20 mins, or until golden. Serve with clotted cream and jam while hot and fresh.

Pistachio Kiss Cookies

Christmas time just screams out for some sort of Hershey's kiss topped cookie doesn't it? I've strayed many times from the traditional PB and chocolate ones usually find myself making the cherry shortbread version.  This year I was determined to finally nail a Pistachio Pudding cookie and thought this might be the perfect opportunity. 

I have a forever weakness for pistachio flavored foods.  Yes, I know it's more likely fauxstachio but there's just something about that faux flavor that makes me grab for that little green jello box entirely way too often. 

There are a lot of fun ideas and recipes to create fun foods from pudding mix and I've given them a whirl...without any luck.  Sad.  Even these cookies had about three previous versions where I played with the sugar/flour/cornstarch combo.

I've tried the Betty Crocker cookie and pudding mix cookies with cranberries.  They tasted like cookie mix cookies. 

These pistachio wedding cookies looked awesome in the original poster's recipe but tasted a little plain when I made them.

I had super high hopes for the pistachio pudding fudge but mine came out grainy and tasting like pistachio white chocolate.  White chocolate was one of the main ingredients but I'd hoped that the pistachio flavor would overpower and eliminate any traces of white chocolate--not so much.  

There's something about that light pistachio green though that just makes it look delicious and fun.  

Butter + powdered sugar + jello pudding mix = something that looks like I want to eat straight from the mixer.  

Dark chocolate topped the cookies in this kitchen, but you can obviously switch up the kisses with the milk chocolate or even the (gasp) white chocolate ones. 

Like the cherry versions, these cookies are definitely more shortbread than sweet cookie.  If you love your sugar, these are probably not going to be sweet enough.  If you find all the sugar of the holidays a bit overwhelming, these may be right up your alley.  

The pistachio flavor is a little subtle the first day but no worries--the pistachio flavor becomes more prominent by the 2nd and 3rd days.  

I know I made them for Christmas, but every time I look at them, I think of Elphaba from Wicked.  

Pistachio Kiss Cookies

Ingredients

1 c softened butter
3/4 c powdered sugar

1 pkg instant pistachio pudding mix
1 egg
1 tsp pistachio extract (I bought might from Savory Spice shop)
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 3/4 c flour

1/4 c cornstarch
1/2 c. pistachios, finely chopped (optional)

30 dark chocolate Hershey's Kisses

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 °
2. Cream butter and sugar until smooth. Add pudding mix and extracts and mix well. 
3. Add egg and beat to combine.
4. Add flour and cornstarch and mix until thoroughly combined. Stir in chopped pistachios. 
5. Shape into 1" balls  Place 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Mine made exactly 30 cookies.  While cookies are baking, unwrap kisses
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool slightly before topping each with a Kiss.