Eat First

The Ultimate Fruitcake: Black Cat Cafe and Bakery

The handmade fruitcake baked by the thousands at the Black Cat Cafe and Bakery in Sharon Springs (Schoharie County) came to my attention on Facebook. They caught my eye because they are golden, studded with fruit and nuts and resemble my Mother's Lemon Extract Cake -- also known as fruitcake. I clicked like and shared the photo. Later, when Tony Daou, the restaurant's owner, asked if he could send me a sample, I said yes. I rarely accept or request food samples, but sometimes make exceptions for local products -- and this was an offer too good to turn down.

 

 

Two 10-ounce fruitcakes and a mini fruitcake arrived in the mail a couple days later. They were neatly wrapped in brown paper and also wrapped in cheesecloth. Stored at room temperature, the cakes will last for months, the package notes. I gave one to a fruitcake-loving friend who made several boozy Jamaican rum cakes at Christmastime, stashed one in the freezer and shared one with Robert.

 

Fruitcake gets a bum rap. I spent many years not eating it, before becoming a grown-up with an adventurous palate who also likes to bake. The fruitcake from the Black Cat is dense and buttery, like pound cake, and based on a British recipe handed down for generations. It's loaded with pecans and dried fruits, including figs, dates, pineapple, orange, apricots, dark and golden raisins. The cakes are made with brandy and Laird's Applejack (a blend of apple brandy and neutral spirits), but the booze is a really subtle note in the background -- unwrap the cheesecloth and brush on more liqueur if you like. Front and center is the sweet figs, which also add nice chew to the cake. The cake goes great with coffee and tea and I thought about having a slice or two of it with vanilla ice cream.

 

For 15 years, the Black Cat fruitcakes were known as Drunken Blonde Fruitcake. They've been rebranded as The Ultimate Fruitcake and that's fitting. Robert and I agreed we've never tasted a better fruitcake (aside from my Mother's). 

 

The Black Cat offers the cakes through March and they're on sale now for $22 each (with further discounts if you order two or more). So why not give your loved one or ones a fruitcake for Valentine's Day?

 

If your travels take you to Sharon Springs, the Black Cat Cafe and Bakery is at 195 Main St., across the street from the American Hotel. It's open seven days a week. Fruitcakes and other Black Cat products, like fig balsamic drizzle and Lebanese lemon dressing, can be ordered online. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION or call 518-284-2575.

The icing on the birthday cake

My mother used to make us chocolate cakes (and white cakes) with "boiled" frosting for our birthdays. I can see her making it, in a clear glass Pyrex double boiler on the stove. When the mixture of sugar and egg whites reached a certain consistency and temperature, she got out her hand mixer and whipped them until thick and frothy, sort of a cross between meringue and marshmallow.

Yum!

For my mother's and sister's birthday in March, I decided to make a somewhat froufrou devil's food cake with "boiled" frosting. Lacking Mom's recipe, I turned to the recipe for Fluffy White Icing in Nick Malgieri's book, "Perfect Cakes." I leveled each cake layer and saved the crumbs to use as a garnish.

Fluffy White Icing is just like the name suggests -- fluffy, not as dense as a buttercream. I spread each cake layer with a thin coating of seedless raspberry jam, which added a hint of flavor and also gives the icing a stick surface to cling to. The hint of raspberry in each bite was unexpected and earned compliments.

You no doubt have a favorite chocolate cake, devil's food cake, or white/yellow cake that would wear this Fluffy White Icing well. The frosting is thick enough to allow decorative flourishes made with the tip of an offset spatula or knife.

 

To celebrate another birthday the following weekend, I wanted to make a cake -- but nothing too outrageous, because we were having a very rich supper (pasta with Bolognese sause).

 

Nothing beats a classic Bundt. This one is really simple, with a hint of almond flavor and great texture texture from the addition of almond paste and mini chocolate chips. You're likely to have all the ingredients on hand, with the exception, perhaps, of the almond paste.

 

Happy baking!

 

 

FLUFFY WHITE ICING
Adapted from "Perfect Cakes," by Nick Malgieri

4 large egg whites
Large pinch salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the icing, half fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Combine the egg whites, salt, sugar, corn syrup and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk by hand, just to mix together.

Regulate the heat under the pan of water so that it boils gently and place the bowl on the pan. Whisk gently just to keep the mixture moving until it is hot (about 140 degrees) and all the sugar is dissolved. Place bowl on mixer with the whisk attachment and whip the icing until it has cooled and becomes white and fluffy, about five to seven minutes.

Makes enough to frost one 9-inch, two layer cake.

 

Almond-Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

Adapted from "Bundt Classics'' (NordicWare)

 

1 3/4 cup sugar

2/3 cup butter, softened

3 ounces almond paste, cut in small pieces

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/3 cups milk

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Powdered sugar, for garnish

 

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan.

 

In a large mixing bowl, mix sugar, butter, almond paste, eggs, vanilla and almond extract until light and fluffy. Add remaining dry ingredients, alternating with milk, and mix to combine well. Add chocolate chips and mix gently.

 

Spoon batter in to prepared pan. Bake at 325 for 55 to 65 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan and cool completely. Before serving, sprinkle cake with sifted powdered sugar. Makes 16 servings.

 

 

Stone’s Homemade Candy, Oswego

Before there were Gertrude Hawk and Lindt chocolate outlets in what seems like every mall and shopping center, many communities had their own, family-owned candy shops.

Some are still here, fortunately: Places like Speach Family Candy Shoppe on Syracuse’s North Side, Hercules Candy Company in East Syracuse and Stone’s Homemade Candy in Oswego.

I’ve strolled and driven by Stone’s many times while in Oswego. Last week, on a trip to the Port City and on a lark, I stopped in.

At lunchtime on a snowy weekday, the shop was deserted. The display cases offered fudge, chunk chocolate, chocolate barks (milk, dark chocolate, white chocolate with pecans), graham cracker s’mores, Rice Krispie treats, chocolate nut clusters, chocolate-covered potato chips, dark chocolate and white chocolate patties (in peanut, coconut, cashew or raisin, for all of $1.35).

A tray holding sea salt caramels was empty – probably a blessing in disguise.

The cases also held a multitude of hand-made, chocolate Easter eggs with a variety of cream fillings – coconut cream, maple cream, vanilla cream, peanut butter cream. The shop brimmed with Easter baskets wrapped in cellophane and tied with pretty ribbons, filled with molded chocolate bunnies and other treats for those ready to hop to it.

According to the National Retail Federation, Americans will spend an average of $145.13 on Easter candy, clothing and decor. We won’t come close. The last thing our two-person household needs is a surplus of Peeps, malted milk eggs, foil-wrapped chocolate eggs and jelly beans.

I did “splurge’’ on four of Stone’s Easter eggs (two coconut cream and two maple), which cost less than $6 – and would have cost even less if I didn’t opt for the decorated ones. I can’t speak for the coconut cream eggs, but the maple cream eggs didn’t make it to Palm Sunday.

There are fancier chocolate shops than Stone’s in Central New York, like Lune Chocolat in Manlius, Sweet on Chocolate in Syracuse’s Armory Square and Meyer’s Chocolates (Clinton and Camden). Visit them when you’re craving gourmet.

Go to Stone’s when you’re craving something sweet – with a taste of nostalgia, too. Like the French Creams – bite-sized crystallized sugar candies (mint and fruit flavors) with a smooth and creamy center, done up in Easter colors.

“They melt in your mouth,’’ the cashier said.

Stone’s Homemade Candy (and Ice Cream; in season) is at 145 W. Bridge St., Oswego. Info.: 315-343-8401.

Guinness Stout Ginger Cake: the second time’s the charm

Every Christmas season has its misadventures: the gift thoughtfully purchased in July that can’t be located when you're ready to wrap it. The string of bulbs that worked when you tested them but won’t light on the tree. The cookies that crumble as you’re lifting them from the baking sheet.

The Guinness Stout Ginger Cake that fails to rise properly. Ah, yes. Robert was excited to make this dessert for Christmas dinner last year, but inadvertently omitted the baking powder when assembling the cake’s dry ingredients. The result was a short Stout cake rather than a tall one.

He re-baked it in the wee small hours of Christmas morning, bless his heart. But not before a shopping expedition for Guinness Stout in Bridgeport, NY – a one-stoplight and three-convenience store village -- on Christmas Eve.

Guinness Stout Ginger Cake is a grand dessert, as memorable for its flavor and presentation as it is for the story behind it. It’s full-bodied in texture and a little outspoken in taste, thanks to molasses, fresh ginger, ground ginger, cloves and cardamom.

Looking for a festive finish to a holiday dinner party? This is it. Don't forget the baking powder!

While the cake bakes, prepare a big bowl of lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Grammercy Tavern Guinness Stout Ginger Cake

You will need:

1 cup Guinness Stout

1 cup molasses

½ teaspoon baking soda

3 large eggs

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

¾ cup vegetable oil

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons ground ginger

1½ teaspoons baking powder

¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

1 tablespoon grated, peeled fresh gingerroot

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 6-cup Bundt pan.

In a large saucepan over high heat, combine the stout and molasses and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the baking soda. Allow to sit until the foam dissipates.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the eggs and both sugars. Whisk in the oil.

In a separate bowl, which together the flour, ground ginger, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and cardamom.

Combine the stout mixture with the egg mixture, then whisk the liquid into the flour mixture, half at a time. Add the fresh ginger and stir to combine.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 1 hour, or until the top springs back when gently pressed. Do not open the oven until the gingerbread is almost done or the center will fall slightly. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

Serve with sweetened whipped cream. Makes 12 servings.

 

For Bob's birthday: Nutella Cupcakes

I've come across recipes for cupcakes filled with Nutella, cupcakes swirled with Nutella and cupcakes frosted with Nutella.

The recipe that finally got me uses Nutella as the basis for the cupcake batter itself -- along with eggs, butter, milk and a little bit of flour. The cupcakes are dense, rich and brownie-like. They don't really need it, but they're frosted with chocolate ganache and sprinkled with toasted chopped hazelnuts.

The recipe and inspiration to make these over-the-top chocolate bombs comes from Food 52, an online celebration of home cooks and cooking at home, hosted by food writers Amanda Hesser and Merill Stubbs.

For those who have never had it,  Nutella is a spread made from skim milk, roasted hazelnuts and cocoa. A two-tablespoon serving contains 200 calories (and 11 grams fat). It's not something I usually have in the pantry, for obvious reasons. A sandwich made with Nutella or Nutella spread on toast or a spoonful of Nutella, straight from the jar, is about the last thing I need.

I was going to make my old-standby chocolate cupcake recipe (with a touch of brewed coffee) for our friend Bob's 50th birthday party last month, but decided to make these instead for the chocolate-loving birthday boy celebrant. When desserts were put out, they disappeared fast.

Bob's reaction: "Those were like the best cupcakes ever."

But don't take Bob's word for it. Give the recipe a try and see for yourself!

And leave a comment. What do you like to do with Nutella?

Nutella Cupcakes

Created by Pieceofcake, a member of the Food 52 community

For the cupcakes:

• 1/2 cup self-rising flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 8 ounces Nutella
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk

For the ganache:

• 3 ounces high-quality bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
• 1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur), optional
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts, for garnish

Cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Whisk together the flour and salt and set aside.

With an electric mixer in a medium bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and beat until well-blended. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy and pale in color. Beat in the Nutella until well-incorporated, stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl while beating. Add the eggs and beat until smooth. On low speed, beat in half the flour mixture just until it beings to disappear into the batter. Beat in the milk. Fold in the remainder of the flour mixture by hand until the batter is smooth.

Pour the batter into the muffin cups, filling them no more than half  full. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs -- if in doubt, pull them from the oven a bit early -- do not over bake. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

Ganache: Place the chocolate chips, butter and corn syrup in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 second intervals, stopping to stir after each interval, until the mixture is shiny and smooth. Stir in the vanilla (and Frangelico, if using).

When the cupcakes are completely cool, using a spoon, top each one with about two teaspoons of the ganache, and with the back of the spoon coax it as close to the edges as possible without letting it drip down the sides (or go on and let it drip...drippy chocolate is rarely a bad thing). Sprinkle on a bit of the chopped hazelnuts. Let the ganache set before storing in an airtight container at room temperature overnight -- these cupcakes truly taste better the next day.

Makes 12 cupcakes.

A baking experiment gone right (mostly)

The marriage of ingredients in this cake came about by accident and inspiration. Rummaging through the pantry, I found a small wedge of almond paste left over from holiday baking. I took it out, crumbled it into small pieces and added it to the simple Bundt cake I was making to contribute to a post-funeral lunch gathering and spread.
Spring brings a boatload of special events worthy of baking cakes: birthdays, wedding showers, baby showers, graduations, teas. This cake works well for all occasions and serves a crowd (plan on about 16 slices). It's rich, dense and moist, and made with ingredients you probably already have on hand, except for maybe the almond paste.

Serve it plain, sprinkled with confectioners sugar or dressed up with your favorite icing or glaze.

To avoid blemishes on removal, grease and flour your Bundt pan really well. Use more of each than you think you need!

Almond-y Chocolate Chip Cake Adapted from "Bundt Classics'' 1 3/4 cups sugar

2/3 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

1.5 teaspoons almond extract

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups flour 

1 1/3 cups milk

1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips 

4 ounces almond paste, crumbled in small pieces

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment, combine sugar, butter and almond paste until well blended. Add eggs and almond and vanilla extracts and combine until light and fluffy. Add all remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour batter into pan, smoothing top with spatula. Gently tap pan on countertop once or twice to help batter settle.
Bake 55 to 65 minutes, until center of cake tests "clean" with a toothpick or cake tester. Cool 15 minutes, then remove cake from pan and cool completely. Before serving, lightly sift some confectioners' sugar on top of cake, if desired. Makes 16 servings. Notes: For less almond-y flavor, use 1 teaspoon almond extract and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. The cake freezes well, double-wrapped.

Birthday cakes I've known and loved

Special request: Pineapple Upside-Down Cake for Amanda's birthday.

I grew up in an era when, as part of your birthday festivities, Mom baked cupcakes for the entire class at school and a layer cake, always served with ice cream, to be enjoyed with the family after dinner.

What a lucky Mid-Century girl I am!

We had white cake with white icing, yellow cake with butter brickle frosting, marble cake, angel food cake (Anne's favorite), chocolate cake with old-fashioned boiled icing, chocolate cake with chocolate frosting (Eileen's favorite to this day), Bundt cake, strawberry cake, you name it.

Sometimes the cake was made with a Duncan-Hines or Betty Crocker mix. Only on rare occasions did the frosting come out of a can.

Old-Fashioned Yellow Cake with Chocolate Icing.

My birthday falls in October -- today to be exact! -- and when I got older, I asked my mother to make her mother's recipe for "Apple Jack": a moist, single-layer cake chock-full of sliced apples, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar (giving it a nice crust on top) and topped with a warm cinnamon sauce.

Mom is 88 now, and achy joints and sore feet keep her from doing much standing around the kitchen -- and baking.

My one attempt at making Apple Jack didn't go so well. It's one of those old-timey recipes with cryptic instructions, like: Add milk and flour until the consistency of a thin paste. ...

So, several years ago, I started a new tradition of making a different cake for myself each year and inviting friends and family over to share it.

The timeline, to date:

2006: Carrot Cake Cupcakes and Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes.

2007: Devil's Food Cake with Seven-Minute Icing, an old-favorite made with eggs, sugar and cream of tartar, cooked in a double-boiler and beaten using a mixer until it holds firm peaks.

2008: Old-Fashioned Yellow Cake with Chocolate Icing.

2009: Chocolate-Espresso Cupcakes with a fluffy Cream Cheese Icing flecked with orange zest. This was a practical decision: I've had frosting from a prior batch of these cupcakes in the freezer for months. Time to use it up! Besides, cupcakes are a perfect portion-control treat for someone endlessly battling the bulge.

Yum: Chocolate-Espresso Cupcake with Cream Cheese Icing.

For Robert's special day: Italian Almond Cake With Fresh Raspberries and Whipped Cream.

Maybe it's my advancing age, but I'm kind of sentimental and old-school when it comes to birthday cake.

I purchased a gizmo called a cake leveler a couple years ago, but still it sits in the cupboard with the cake pans. To my way of thinking, the perfect cake need not stand up perfectly straight, like cakes always do on the covers of the glossy food magazines. And the frosting shouldn't look like it was sprayed on.

The perfect birthday cake looks a little tipsy on the plate, its top caving a bit under the weight of so many candles.

I want it to look like something June Cleaver, with her perfectly ironed dress protected by an apron, would make for "the Beav.''

A cake that looks a little precarious on the plate takes me back to the days of cupcakes for the class, and of making a wish and blowing out the candles to the accompaniment of the birthday song sung out of key, followed by applause around the table.

Applause for the birthday girl or boy. And a thick slab of cake!