Easy, classic chocolate cake

In spite of all the fancy chocolate cake recipes out there, this is the cake that most people are wishing for when they think, "I would really like a piece of chocolate cake right now." It's dead simple, and brings back childhood memories of licking batter-laden spoons and sipping tall glasses of milk to wash down every last crumb of cake. This cake is a natural partner for ice cream, too. Even for people who think they can't bake, this is within the realm of possibility, and you'll be so pleased with yourself. And you'll have chocolate cake.

All-in-the-Pan Chewy Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Butter Icing

From Regan Daley's In the Sweet Kitchen, a favorite cookbook of mine with an awesome reference section. If you've been looking to get into baking but feel like you have too many questions to be comfortable in the kitchen, buy this book. I use the reference section almost as often as I use the recipes.

Makes an 8 x 8" (time given), 9 x 9" (subtract 5-7 minutes from the baking time), or about 1 1/2 dozen cupcakes (15-18 minutes baking time). The recipe can be doubled for a 9 x 13" pan, in which case the baking time is the same, but double the icing recipe as well.

Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

6 Tbs. vegetable oil, like canola

1 Tbs. white vinegar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup cool water

Icing

1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar

2-3 Tbs. milk or water

1 1/2 Tbs. natural unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. vanilla

**This recipe can easily be made vegan by substituting the butter in the icing with Earth Balance and using the water as liquid for the frosting. I consider this cake to be a pinnacle of vegan baking.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Sift the flour into an ungreased, unfloured pan (if you'll be making cupcakes, you'll need to do all the mixing steps in bowls and then pour into baking moulds at the end). In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add this mixture to the flour and stir well with a fork or a small whisk to blend the ingredients. Withe the back of a spoon, make three indentations or wells in the dry mixture: one large, medium and small. Into the large well pour the vegetable oil. Into the medium well, the vinegar. Vanilla goes in the smallest well. Pour the water over everything, and with a fork, stir the mixture until the ingredients are well blended, making sure you reach into the corners and sides to catch any dry pockets. Do not beat this batter, but mix just until most of the lumps are smoothed out, and there are not little patches of overly thick or runny batter. A few lumps won't hurt the batter, and it's important not to overbeat it.

Bake the cake for 30 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center of cake comes out clean and the top feels springy when lightly touched. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool the cake completely before icing. This is a very moist cake and will tear if cut too soon. While you're waiting for the cake to cool, whip up the icing.

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and 1 cup of the powdered sugar until the butter is well distributed. The mixture will be very dry and still powdery. Stir in 1 tablespoon of milk or water, then sift the cocoa powder over the mixture and cream to blend. Mix in the vanilla, then add the second cup of powdered sugar. Add as much of the remaining liquid as necessary to make a thick, creamy icing. Frost in the pan and dig in!

Leftovers can be stored in the pan at room temperature, covered with a piece of aluminum foil. The un-iced cake freezes well, wrapped in the pan.

Pan-Roasted Halibut

The first savory recipe on the bloggle is dyn-o-mite. I love fish of all kinds, but halibut is right up there as one of my favorites. Especially this time of year, when the fish rolls in wild and fresh from Alaska. This is a quick, easy way to serve thick halibut fillets or steaks that really shows off the flavor and texture of the fish. All it needs is a quick squirt of fresh lemon juice (don't use the stuff in the fridge, you'll be so sorry) and a dash of salt and pepper and you'll be the happiest camper.

Adapted from Cook's Illustrated.

Special equipment: an oven-safe pan (I use my 10" cast iron skillet for this, and pretty much everything else)

Olive oil

Halibut steaks or fillets, between 1 and 1 1/2" thick **cooking time will vary based on the thickness of the fish, about 30 seconds plus/minus per 1/4" of flesh. 

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

While the oven is heating up, rub both sides of the halibut generously with olive oil, about a tablespoon of oil per serving of fish. Start your oven-safe pan heating on the stovetop on medium-high heat. You can put a little oil in the pan to test the temperature: when it just starts to smoke, the pan is hot enough. Carefully place the halibut in the pan, skin side up (if it has skin). Allow it to cook undisturbed until spotty brown, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat, and carefully flip the fish with a thin metal spatula. 

Place the pan in the center rack of the oven. If you have a thermometer, it should read 140 degrees F when the fish is done. If you're eyeballing it (my preferred method), it should be opaque, just starting to separate, and flake easily with a fork. This should take about 9 minutes. Pull the pan from the oven, remove fish from the pan with a thin metal spatula, and serve immediately.

Seriously, seriously rich brownies

These are the Outrageous Brownies from the first Barefoot Contessa cookbook. Ina Garten doesn't skimp on ingredients, and these are no exception. You will be the happy recipient of the undying affection of anyone lucky enough to eat one of these decadent treats, so consider cutting the pieces small for maximum luv. This particular recipe is really more like a cross between fudge and brownies, so if you're a cakey-crumbly brownie person, these will probably not be to your taste.

Makes one 9 x 13" pan.

1/2 lb. unsalted butter

8 oz. + 6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

3 oz. unsweetened chocolate

3 extra-large eggs

1 1/2 Tbs. instant coffee

1 Tbs. vanilla

1 1/8 cups sugar

5/8 cups flour

1/2 Tbs. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts (if you're a nut person - I prefer pure chocolate)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter and flour a 9 x 13" pan, including the sides.

Melt together the butter, 8 oz. of chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl over simmering water. Allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs, coffee granules, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature. **It is very important to allow the batter to cool completely before adding the dry ingredients, or the chocolate chips will melt and ruin the brownies.

In a medium bowl, sift together 1 cup of flour, the baking powder, and salt. Add to the cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the 6 oz. of chocolate chips (and walnuts, if using) with 1/8 cup of flour in a medium bow, then add them to the chocolate batter. **Flouring the chips and walnuts prevents then from sinking to the bottom of the batter. Pour into the pan.

Bake for 20 minutes, the rap the pan firmly against the oven shelf to force the air out from between the pan and the dough. Bake for about 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake! Allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate, and cut into squares.

This recipe can be made up to a week in advance, wrapped well in plastic, and refrigerated. I've never seen them last that long, but I've heard it can be done.

Double Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Filling

Double Chocolate Layer Cake
smittenkitchen.com

The recipe below is for 2 10-inch layers filled and coated in chocolate ganache. This is a true death-by-chocolate cake. I made it with the raspberry filling to balance the intensity of all that chocolate, and was really pleased with the results. This is an incredibly moist, delicious chocolate cake. You'll be glad you made this, and, if you can bring yourself to share, your friends and neighbors will be too.

For cake layers
3 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate (I used Ghiradelli)
1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee (I used instant espresso powder)
3 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla

For ganache frosting and filling
**If you want to just use it for frosting, halve the recipe.
1 pound fine-quality semisweet chocolate (also Ghiradelli)
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

For raspberry filling
1 lb bag frozen raspberries, thawed
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Special equipment: two 10- by 2-inch round cake pans

Make cake layers:
Preheat oven to 300°F and grease pans. Line bottoms with rounds of wax paper and grease paper.

Finely chop chocolate and in a bowl combine with hot coffee. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

Into a large bowl sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes with a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a hand-held mixer). Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined well. Add flour-sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined well.

Divide batter between pans and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Cool layers completely in pans on racks. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove wax paper and cool layers completely. Cake layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature. **Be very careful handling the cake layers, they are fragile and will fall apart easily if not well supported at all times.

Make raspberry filling:
Puree the raspberries in a food processor, blender or immersion blender. Press the puree through a fine-mesh strainer with the back of a spoon, removing the seeds (this will be unpleasant, but so worth it - this puree really benefits from a seedless state). Heat the puree in a small pot with the sugar and cornstarch until mixture boils, stirring constantly. As it boils, it should quickly thicken.

Let it cool completely before spreading. A thin filling will make the cake easier to frost, but I applied a pretty generous layer of raspberries and didn't have much of a problem. You can dollop extra filling on top of the cake slices.

Make frosting:
Finely chop chocolate. In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart saucepan bring cream, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over moderately low heat, whisking until sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from heat and add chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted. Cut butter into pieces and add to frosting, whisking until smooth.

Transfer frosting to a bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, until spreadable (depending on chocolate used, it may be necessary to chill frosting to spreadable consistency). I found that stirring this over a bowl of ice water did a great job of cooling it off quickly and evenly.

Spread raspberries or frosting between the cake layers and carefully set the second round on top of the first. Frost the top and sides, being careful not to tear the cake too much. Cake keeps, covered and chilled, for 3 days. Bring cake to room temperature before serving.

Challah French Toast

From Cook's Illustrated, May 1997.

Though thick-sliced challah is best for French toast, you can substitute high-quality, presliced sandwich bread. Flipping challah is easiest with tongs, but a spatula works best with sandwich bread. To speed the cooking of large quantities, heat two or more skillets to brown a few batches at once. To vary the flavor of the batter, add three-quarters of a teaspoon of ground cinnamon or one-half teaspoon of ground nutmeg with the dry ingredients, or substitute almond extract for the vanilla.

Ingredients
1 large egg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted, plus extra for frying
3/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon table salt
4 - 5 slices day-old challah bread (3/4-inch-thick) or 6 to 8 slices day-old sandwich bread

Instructions
1. Heat 10- to 12-inch skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium heat for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, beat egg lightly in shallow pan or pie plate; whisk in butter, then milk and vanilla, and finally sugar, flour, and salt, continuing to whisk until smooth. Soak bread without oversaturating, about 40 seconds per side for challah or 30 seconds per side for sandwich bread. Pick up bread and allow excess batter to drip off; repeat with remaining slices.
2. Swirl 1 tablespoon butter in hot skillet. Transfer prepared bread to skillet; cook until golden brown, about 1 minute 45 seconds on first side and 1 minute on the second. Serve immediately. Continue, adding 1 tablespoon butter to skillet for each new batch.
3. Adorn your french toast with syrups, jams, butters, fruits, etc. Eat and swoon.

Vanilla Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Another tasty recipe from The Bread Bible, this is a quintessential coffee cake and freezes quite well.

Vanilla Sour Cream Coffee Cake

This makes one 10-inch round cake, or one 12-cup Bundt cake, or two 9-by-5-inch loaves.

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups sour cream

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup (3 oz.) pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts, finely chopped

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/3 cup powdered sugar (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 deg. F. Grease the pan(s). In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each. Beat in the vanilla and sour cream until just smooth. Gradually add the dry ingredients and beat well until fluffy and light colored. There should be no lumps or dry spots.

3. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, nuts, and cinnamon. Spoon about one third of the batter into the pan. Sprinkle with one third of the nut mixture. Repeat for three layers of batter and end with a layer of nut mixture.

4. Place the pan on the center rack of the oven and bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the top of the cake is no longer shiny. Let the cake stand in the pan about 15 minutes. Remove from the pan to cool completely on a rack, right side up. Serve dusted with powdered sugar, if desired. 

Muffin mania

All the info in this post in taken from The Bread Bible, by Beth Hensperger, which I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a good collection of bready recipes.

Things to know about muffins:

- Don't worry about lumps in the batter; the less a muffin is beaten, the better.

- For thick batters, fill cups level with the top; for thin batters, fill 3/4 full to avoid spilage.

- Bake muffins in the center of a pre-heated oven.

- Muffins can be frozen for up to 3 months.

- Miniature muffin cups cook for 10-15 minutes; standard sizes cook for 20-25 min, and oversized cook for 25-30 min.

Banana Pecan Muffins

Use an overripe banana with black, mottled skin and soft, very sweet flesh - these are best for baking.

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (3 medium bananas)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 cup (3 oz.) pecans, finely chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 375 deg. F. Grease or line 10 standard muffin cups. Fill the other 2 halfway with water.

2. In a large bowl, using a whisk or an electric mixer, combine the sugar, oil, and eggs until light colored and foamy. Add mashed bananas and beat well. The banana will incorporate, but still be chunky.

3. In a large bowl, using a whisk, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add the pecans and the banana mixture and stir with a large spatula until just moistened, about 10 strokes.

4. Spoon into cups until level with the tops. Place the pan on a rack in the center of the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and the tops feel dry and springy. Cool the muffins in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Spiced Applesauce Muffins

An American classic.

1 1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 Tbs vegetable oil

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp powdered instant espresso

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

3/4 cup raisins or chopped nuts (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 deg. F. Grease or line 9 standard muffin cups, and fill the other 3 halfway with water. 

2. In a large bowl, using a whisk, combine the applesauce, brown sugar, eggs, and oil.

3. In a large bowl, using a whisk, combine the flour, baking soda, espresso, and spices. Add to the wet mixture and stir with a large spatula until just moistened, about 10 strokes. Add the raisins or nuts, if using.

4. Spoon the batter into the cups until level with the tops. Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops feel springy. Cool the muffins in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Raspberry Cornmeal Muffins

If your raspberries are tart, sprinkle them with some of the sugar and macerate for 15 minutes to sweeten them up.

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup fine yellow cornmeal

2/3 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Grated zest of 1 lemon, just the yellow part

1 cup milk

2 large eggs

1/3 cup corn oil

1 1/2 cups fresh red or golden raspberries

1. Preheat the oven to 400 deg. F. Grease or line 9 standard muffin cups.

2. In a large bowl, using a whisk, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and zest.

3. In a large bowl, using a whisk or an electric mixer, combine the milk, eggs, and corn oil and beat for 1 minute. Pour into the flour mixture and stir with a large spatula just until evenly moistened, not more than 15 or 20 strokes. Gently fold in the raspberries, taking care not to break them up (the batter will be lumpy).

4. Spoon the batter into each muffin cup until just below the tops. Place the pan on a rack in the center of the oven and bake 20-25 minutes, or until browned, the tops feel dry and springy, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not overbake. Cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the pan before transferring to a cooling rack.