Cake Archives - Page 20 of 33 - Garden Seeds and Honey Bees

Peanut Cakes

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Makes 20 Peanut Cakes

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Sponge Cake:

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*1 Heaping cup All-purpose Flour, sifted

*1 Heaping teaspoon Baking Powder

*1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt

*4 Egg Whites, whipped to stiff peaks

*4 Egg Yolks, beaten

*1/2 cup cold Water

*1/4 teaspoon Almond Extract

*1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

*1 (16 ounce) Unsalted Peanuts, chopped small, topping

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Instructions:

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1. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt 5 times. Set aside.
2. In a bowl add egg whites, use a hand mixer and whip egg whites until frothy and makes stiff frothy peaks.
3. In another bowl add egg yolks, vanilla and almond extracts, use a hand mixer to beat the egg yolks. Then slowly add the water and flour mixture, alternating beat until combined.
4. Now, fold in the egg whites into the egg yolk flour mixture.
5. Pour mixture into 2 parchment lined quarter baking sheets
**Note: For another option is to use a standard cake pan lined with parchment paper. Then after baking and cooling cut them into 20 squares and then turn each square on its side and cut again down the middle of each square making 40 squares.). I cut them with sharp scissors or use a serrated knife.
6. Bake in a 325*F. (Pre-heated oven) for 25-30 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and lift out holding onto the parchment paper and allow to cool on cooling rack/racks.
8. Cut cooled cake into 20 squares or number of squares desired. Frost each square. (Recipe below)
9. Frost all sides of the cake except the bottom of each square.
10. Now place the chopped peanuts in medium bowl and dip/drop the top each frosted square into the chopped peanuts and then sprinkle or push the chopped peanuts onto the sides of the peanut square.
11. Pick up the peanut square and place in an airtight container. Repeat until all squares have been dipped and refrigerate until ready to eat and enjoy.

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Butter Cream Frosting

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*2 tablespoons Meringue Powder plus 6 tablespoons water, whipped together with hand mixer, set aside

*1/2 cup Butter, almost room temperature

*1 to 2 tablespoons Heavy Whipping Cream

*4 cups Powdered Sugar-more as needed, for a semi thick frosting for frosting cake squares

*1/4 teaspoon Almond Extract

*1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

*Pinch of Sea Salt, literally

1. Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment on medium speed: cream together the butter and powdered sugar, adding a cup at a time until combined. Then add the whipped meringue mixture. Beat together on medium high for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add the almond and vanilla extract. Add pinch salt.
2. Slowly add the more powdered sugar as needed for a semi-thick frosting.
3. Frost sponge cake squares as explained above.

Enjoy!

Lindy

Mini Berry Cake Macarons

Makes about 26 Cake Macarons (13 filled Cookie Cakes)

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*1 cup plus 2 tablespoons Almond Flour, Sifted (Discard unsifted pieces)

*1 cup Powdered Sugar, extra for dusting/topping

*1/4 cup Special Dark Cocoa, like Hershey’s

*1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt

*3 Egg Whites, room temperature

*1/8 teaspoon Cream of Tatar

*1/4 cup Sugar

*Blueberries, as needed

*Raspberries, as needed

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Ganache

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*4 ounce Bittersweet Chocolate, like Bakers, chopped small

*1/2 cup Whipping Cream

*1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

*1/4 teaspoon Almond Extract

*pinch of Sea Salt

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In a bowl sift the powdered Sugar, almond flour, cocoa powder, salt and discard pieces of almond that won’t pass through sifter. Set bowl aside.

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Now in a clean grease free glass bowl. Add the 3 egg whites and whip eggs until frothy and then add the cream of tartar and continue whipping the egg whites until they become white in color and slowly add the granulated sugar a small amount at a time. Continue to whip the egg white mixture until stiff peaks occur and the whipped mixture in the beaters remain within beaters without dripping out when held up.

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Remove beaters from the whipped mixture. Then with a rubber scraper fold in 1/3 of the dry almond mixture in the whipped mixture and fold, about 12 folds. Repeat by folding in another 1/3 of the almond mixture and again another 12 folds. Now add the remaining almond mixture fold in another 24 folds. Mixture should become lava like, flowing off the rubber scraper when scooped and let sheet down to the bowl taking about 30 seconds for almost the entire mixture to sheet off the spoon and back into the batter bowl. Then the batter that is in the bowl will become smooth again in the bowl after 60 seconds of sitting. Note: This is where you can over or under mix/fold the mixture. The right air consistency is crucial in the success of these cookies.

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When consistency has been achieved. Place/scoop the batter in a pastry bag (2/3 full) with an 803 tip attached, pipe on medium-small (2 and 1/2 inch circles) of batter onto a Silpat covered 1/2 baking sheet, pipe consistent circles on Silpat or parchment paper, try to make each macaron the same size. Hold the pastry bag with the tip straight down in the middle of the macaron circle close to the 1/2 baking sheet (space macarons at least one and a half inches apart). Fold down the open end of the pastry bag to batter level and holding fold squeeze the pastry bag until batter flows smoothly. Then place piping tip in the center of the macaron circle and squeeze out the batter until it almost reaches the drawn circle pattern. Repeat until all circles are filled. Pickup baking sheet a couple of inches from the table and drop the baking sheet, repeat 8 times, rotating baking sheet after each drop. This is to remove air bubbles.

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Smooth down with your finger any piping tips that might poke up on the top of each macaron.

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Now let the piped macarons set for 20 minutes or until macarons don’t stick to your finger when touched. A smooth semi gloss crust develops and then bake in oven.

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In a pre-heated 300 F. oven, place filled macaron 1/2 baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes.