Baking From Scratch

A few weeks ago I made my first attempt in a long time at baking from scratch. It was my mom’s husband’s birthday, so I made dinner and decided to make his birthday cake from scratch. I was really excited to try it, because I know that it is a completely different animal than cooking savory food, and I know that if I ever take steps towards my dreams of opening my own restaurant, I will need to know what I am doing. I decided on making a three layer Tiramisu cake that I found a recipe for.

One of the most important things I learned about baking is that you have to measure precisely to the recipes and follow each and every step exactly in order to get the correct results. I found it a lot less easy to adapt than I do when I cook savory dishes, and I realized that once you make a mistake there usually isn’t a way to make up for it. 

That being said, the cake actually turned out very good. The way I iced it made it look like a five year old did it, but like I said I am a newbie to baking. What’s most important is that the flavor of the cake really tasted like tiramisu. My mom and her husband loved it. I cannot wait to make it again for another occasion!

It really was a completely different experience for me compared to what I am used to. I really enjoyed it and cannot wait to get more practice. There are so many nuances to baking that I have not learned yet and I am looking forward to discovering them all. I hope you like this post as much as my reviews because I hope to be posting a lot more of these types of entries very soon! Check out the recipe below if you want to try it out! Cheers!

• CAKE:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 cup milk
• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
• 1/4 cup coffee
• 1 tablespoon coffee flavored liqueur

• FILLING:
• 1 (8 ounce) container mascarpone cheese
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons coffee flavored liqueur

• FROSTING:
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons coffee flavored liqueur

• GARNISH:
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 (1 ounce) square semisweet chocolate

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 3 (9 inch) pans.
2. In a large bowl, cream sugar and shortening until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, beating just to combine. Add coffee, instant coffee powder, and coffee liquer. Mix until well incorporated. Finally, stir in vanilla. Pour batter into the prepared pans.
3. Divide two thirds of batter between 2 pans. Stir instant coffee into remaining batter; pour into remaining pan.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. In a measuring cup, combine brewed coffee and 1 tablespoon coffee liqueur; set aside.
5. To make the filling: In a small bowl, using an electric mixer set on low speed, combine mascarpone, 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar and 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur; beat just until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
6. To make the frosting: In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer set on medium-high speed, beat the cream, 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar and 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur until stiff. Fold 1/2 cup of cream mixture into filling mixture.
7. To assemble the cake: Place one plain cake layer on a serving plate. Using a thin skewer, poke holes in cake, about 1 inch apart. Pour one third of reserved coffee mixture over cake, then spread with half of the filling mixture. Top with coffee-flavored cake layer; poke holes in cake. Pour another third of the coffee mixture over the second layer and spread with the remaining filling. Top with remaining cake layer; poke holes in cake. Pour remaining coffee mixture on top. Spread sides and top of cake with frosting. Place cocoa in a sieve and lightly dust top of cake. Garnish with chocolate curls. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.
8. To make the chocolate curls, use a vegetable peeler and run it down the edge of the chocolate bar.