Project Baking: 8 recipes for when you're stuck at home

It seems like most of us will be spending our days at home for the foreseeable future thanks to COVID-19. Martin works in professional soccer and MLS has suspended their season for the next 30 days, so things feel a little up in the air around here. Thankfully, since I work from home, I will still continue to develop and share recipes with you as normal for the next few weeks. I’ve decided, though, that all of this social distancing and self-quarantine is perfect for what I like to call ‘project baking’. These are recipes that you may not turn to for a weeknight dessert; they are little more labor-intensive and need a little more time (which is something we all have). So if you’re home, I encourage you to grab your kiddos or family or quarantine buddy, and hop in the kitchen. Knead some dough, decorate some cakes, and make something beautiful during this time.

Classic Sourdough- Where better to start than a good ‘ole loaf of bread. Sourdough is one of my favorite things to make, and it’s made it’s way into my regular rotation. Here you’ll find a step by step guide to starting your very own sourdough journey—everything from creating a culture to the final loaf. I also have a video of the entire baking and shaping process saved to my Instagram highlights to make things a little easier for you.

Baklava- Sure there is a bit of layering involved in baklava-making, but it is worth it. If you’re looking for a nutty, buttery dessert to share with your loved ones, this is the one for you. Plus, there is nothing more delicious than pouring honey sauce on hot baklava and watching it bubble. As Lizzie McGuire says, “This is what dreams are made of.”

Chocolate Tahini Brioche Babka- This might be my favorite recipe on the blog. It’s definitely in the top ten. Swirls of tahini and dark chocolate are tucked into fluffy brioche and the whole thing sort of melts in your month. Also, shaping babkas are fun and they’re very photogenic.

Bombolonis with Limoncello Cream- Bombolonis are Italian-style yeasted doughnuts. They are fried until they are golden brown, tossed in sugar while warm, and filled with a slightly citrus limoncello cream. Eat them for breakfast, brunch, dessert, lunch, really whenever. Also, if you tackle the Chocolate Tahini Brioche Babka (above), you can use the remaining half of the brioche dough for these doughnuts. See, you can multi-task project baking!

Chamomile Cake with Blood Orange Curd and Swiss Meringue Buttercream- Quarantine is the perfect time to dust up on your cake decorating skills. This chamomile cake feels like spring and it’s filled with a bright, citrusy blood orange curd. You can easily substitute whatever citrus you have on hand to make this cake your own.

Russian Honey Cake- I first discovered Russian Honey Cake in pastry school. We made it as a project for one of my cake classes and I’ve since added it to my own kitchen repertoire. The cookie layers are similar to graham crackers and they’re sandwiched with a dulce de leche cream that softens the cookies just enough to be able to cut through them. It’s sweet and show-stopping at the same time.

Classic Croissants- Everyone should make croissants at least once in their lives. If nothing else, you will gain a new appreciation for your local bakery that makes those perfect croissants that flake into a million pieces the second you bite into them. These are classic, but feel free to fill them with chocolate or spinach or ham and cheese—really anything your heart desires!

Multigrain Bagels with Quinoa and Arugula Cream Cheese- These bagels are filled with quinoa for a little extra protein and they freeze beautifully— a win-win in my book. Pair them with a bright, herby cream cheese and you’ve got a beautiful brunch pairing.

Espresso Chiffon Layer Cake with Chocolate Ganache Buttercream and Salted Caramel

Every year, I ask Martin what kind of cake he wants for his birthday and every year he replies with one word— “fluffy”. It drives me crazy! He never cares about flavor or frosting or fillings, but fluffiness is his peak concern. Maybe, sometime soon, I will learn to stop asking. In the meantime, he will get the fluffiest cake I know—chiffon cake.

What is exactly is a chiffon cake, you ask? Excellent question, one I wish I could give a definitive answer to. In my cakes class in pastry school, our chef taught us that chiffon cakes are similar to angel food cakes in that they rely on egg whites for their leavening. The key difference, she said, was that chiffon cakes also include some sort of carbonated ingredient like club soda, seltzer, or even champagne. When I began testing this recipe, I embarked on my own chiffon cake research and could find absolutely nothing on the internet about carbonation being a mark of a chiffon cake. So who knows? What I can tell you, is that a chiffon cake does rely on the use of egg whites for it’s lift, includes some fat (angel food cake does not), and is endlessly fluffy. Also, I don’t think it would be a bad idea to start incorporating more champagne in cakes.

This espresso chiffon cake is layered with the silkiest ganache buttercream and enough salted caramel for it to ooze out the sides. It feels sultry (is that a word I can use to describe cake??) and romantic and like a messy bun updo, it’s just the right amount approachable and elegant. I highly recommend doubling the ganache buttercream and keeping the leftovers in your fridge for all the leftover cake scraps.

Espresso Chiffon Layer Cake with Chocolate Ganache Buttercream

Yield: 1 8” 4-layer cake or two 5” 3-layer cakes

Ingredients: 

for the cake: 

7 eggs, separated 

1 tbsp vanilla extract 

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 cup + 2 tbsp (8 oz; 230 g) granulated sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup (4 oz) neutral oil

2/3 cup (5 oz) strong brewed espresso

1 1/2 cup (9 oz; 260 g) all purpose flour 

for the chocolate ganache buttercream: 

recipe from Tartine

8 oz (225 g) dark chocolate, chopped 

1 cup (240 g) heavy cream

1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar

10 T (140 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature 

for the salted caramel: 

recipe from Bobby Flay via NYTimes Cooking 

1 cup granulated sugar 

1/2 cup heavy cream 

2 T unsalted butter

1 tsp kosher salt 

Procedure: 

to make the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 325° F. 

2. In a small bowl, stir together granulated sugar and baking powder.

3. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine egg whites, vanilla, and salt. Whip on medium-low speed until whites are frothy then, with the mixer running, stream in granulated sugar and baking powder. When all of the sugar is added, increase the mixer speed to medium-high and whip until a loose, silky meringue forms. When you pull the whisk out of the meringue, it should leave a ribbon mark that somewhat holds it’s shape. 

4. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together egg yolks, oil, and espresso. Add flour, and continue to whisk. This should be a thick paste-like batter. 

5. Using a rubber spatula, add a small amount (one scoop, about 1/2 cup) of the meringue to the batter. Mix this vigorously until fully combined. (Doing this lightens up the batter and makes it easier for the meringue to be folded in.)

6. Gently fold the remaining meringue into the batter in 3 batches, adding more only when the previous amount is combined. 

7. When everything is mixed together, the batter should be light and fluffy, a light-tan in color, and there should be no meringue streaks left. 

8. Divide batter evenly into 2, ungreased and unlined 8” cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, until cake is set and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. 

9. Immediately flip the cakes over onto a wire cooling rack, but do not remove the pans. Allow cakes to cool upside-down in the pans for at least 30 minutes, until cooled throughly. When cool, you can remove the cakes from the pans and set aside until you are ready to assemble.

to make the ganache buttercream:

1. Place chopped chocolate in a heat-proof glass bowl set over a double boiler. Heat, stirring occasionally until chocolate is completely melted and set aside. 

2. In a small saucepan set over medium heat, combine heavy cream and sugar. Heat until sugar is dissolved and small bubbles begin to appear around the edges of the pot. Pour half of the cream mixture into the melted chocolate and whisk to combine. Add the remaining cream to the chocolate and whisk until the mixture is completely emulsified. 

3. Add the butter, a couple of cubes at a time, and whisk until completely melted and homogenized and then whisk a minute longer. 

4. Cover the frosting with plastic wrap and let sit to cool at room temperature for at least 6 hours until thickened slightly. 

to make the salted caramel:

1. In a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat, combine sugar and 1/4 cup water. Without stirring, cook sugar until a deep amber color.

2. While the sugar is cooking, heat cream in the microwave or a small saucepan until slightly warm to the touch, just to remove the chill. Remove caramel from the heat and slowly whisk in heavy cream. (Caramel will bubble up, this is normal.)

3. Return to the heat, and cook another minute or two. Add butter, whisking until combined, followed by salt. Remove from heat and let cool completely.

Classic Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Milk Swiss Meringue Buttercream

I spent this past weekend in Knoxville drinking wine on front porches (and huddled around fires) and soaking up all the fall weather that I could. The official purpose of my trip was to help out with a Side by Side wine dinner some friends were hosting. It was a private dinner perched atop an East Tennessee hillside, with sprawling views of the city, a picturesque backdrop for one of the most beautiful dinners I’ve ever been a part of. I spent the weekend hand rolling agnolottis, singing karaoke, having drinks with one of the most prolific food writers around, and drinking 1995 vouvray. It’s been a long time since I’ve had friends that felt more like family and every time I leave Knoxville I start thinking about my next excuse to return.

Recently, I’ve been trying to shift my mindset from apprehension to gratitude. There has been a lot of transition in leaving a full-time career to pursue a future in food writing and my day-to-day has taken some getting used to. Having to manage my time and discipline myself to put in the work, whether in the kitchen or at the computer, has challenged me in ways I didn’t anticipate. Sometimes I feel like I’ve been working all day and still don’t have anything to show for it and I often find myself holding a tight grasp to the “someday”, looking forward to the day when I see a paycheck, my name on a byline, or my own book in my hands. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great that I have a goal to push towards on the days when I feel like I don’t know what I’m doing, but I’m realizing that I also don’t want to miss the time I have right now. I’m trying to view my days as flexible instead of empty, grateful that I am able to take a weekend in Knoxville or that I have the time to make a birthday cake, like this one, for a sweet friend. These are the times I want to make the most of.

All of that being said, let’s be grateful for whatever season we’re in and let’s chat about Swiss meringue buttercream. I have never been a fan of traditional American buttercream, it’s a little too sweet for me and I don’t like its gritty texture. During culinary school, however, I discovered an entire world of buttercreams. Swiss buttercream is one of the easier buttercreams to execute and its silky smooth texture makes it one of the best for frosting layer cakes. You begin by heating egg whites and sugar over a double boiler, stirring frequently to make sure that you don’t end up with chunks of cooked egg whites because that’s gross. You’re going to heat the mixture to about 160 degrees F (feel free to use a candy thermometer if that floats your boat), but I find it’s easiest to just watch for the sugar to dissolved. The mixture should be warm to the touch and you should be able to rub a little between your fingers without feeling any sugar crystals. You will then transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment and beat it until it is stiff and glossy and room temperature. This is really important because your meringue and your butter need to be the same temperature or you will either have a chunky mess or a liquid mess-either way, a mess. With the mixer on medium high speed, add the butter piece by piece. As soon as the butter is completely added, switch from the whisk attachment to the paddle attachment and beat until smooth. At one point, your buttercream may look a little curdled and you may think it’s about to break. This is okay, as you continue to beat it, it will thicken up and start to take on that voluptuous buttercream shape. If it looks a little liquidy after you’ve added all the butter, pop the entire bowl into the fridge for a few minutes to cool it off and then try mixing it again. Because of all the butter in this recipe, when you add the melted chocolate, this buttercream tastes like a big glass of Ovaltine and takes on an ultra smooth consistency, perfect for cake swooping.

Chocolate Olive Oil Cake 

Yield: 1-1/2 sheet pan or 3-8” cake layers or 6-5” cake layers

Adapted from Ina Garten

Ingredients: 

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted

2 cup sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt 

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

1/2 cup olive oil 

1 T vanilla extract

2 eggs, room temperature 

1 cup brewed coffee, warm 

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. In a large measuring cup, whisk together buttermilk, olive oil, eggs, and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and whisk until no lumps or flour streaks remain. Whisk in warm coffee until homogenized.

4. Divide and/or pour batter into your prepared cake pans. Baking times will vary depending on the size of your pans. For a 1/2 sheet pan, I baked the cake for 7 minutes, rotated it, and baked for another 10-12 minutes. For 8” cake pans, I would recommend baking for 12 minutes, rotating, and then another 12 minutes, adding more time if needed. You will know that the cake is done when the top springs back when touched and the edges begin to pull slightly away from the sides of the pan.

5. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Slice and layer as desired!

Chocolate Milk Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Ingredients: 

115 g egg whites

230 g sugar

345 g unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

4 oz bittersweet chocolate

Procedure: 

1. Create a double boiler, using a heat-proof bowl and a medium saucepan. Combine egg whites and sugar in the bowl and heat, stirring frequently, until the temperature reaches 160 degrees or mixture is hot to the touch. Make sure that all of the sugar crystals are dissolved.

2. Transfer mixture to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip on medium-high speed until completely cool. You should have a stiff, glossy meringue that forms peaks when the whisk is lifted out of it.

3. With the mixer on medium-high speed, add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, making sure each piece is incorporated before adding the next. It is very important at this point that the butter and the meringue are the same temperature before adding the butter. As soon as you add the last of the butter, switch from the whisk attachment to the paddle attachment and beat on high speed until mixture is smooth, light, and fluffy. It should look like a familiar buttercream at this point.

4. Melt chocolate over a double boiler and then cool to room temperature.

5. With the mixer on low speed, add melted chocolate, vanilla, and salt and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and use a rubber spatula to fold buttercream, ensuring that everything is evenly mixed.

*Note: Measuring egg whites without a kitchen scale is a pain in the butt, so you will notice that this recipe is written using metric measurements. If you’re interested in why I think all baking should be done using a kitchen scale, you can read more here. If you don’t have a kitchen scale and have your heart set on making this Swiss buttercream, there is a bit a of a workaround. An average large egg weighs about 50 grams and each white weighs about 30 grams. You can do a little mental math to divide 30 into 115 and then use the number of egg whites that will get you closest. Also, one stick of butter weights about 113 grams and a cup of sugar weighs about 200 grams. If you are feeling like a real arithmetic whiz, you can scale this recipe up or down fairly easily. Swiss Meringue buttercream always uses 1 part egg whites, 2 parts sugar, and 3 parts butter. Feel free to get a little wild!