vintage cake

his Vintage Cake combines two layers of white cake, with a surprise brownie layer soaked in a decadent chocolate sauce. And the cream cheese frosting takes it right over the top!

Ingredients

• Amanda's white cake recipe OR 1 box white cake mix
• Amanda's Decadent Brownies OR 1 box brownie mix
• 2 squares (2 ounces) semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 7 ounces sweetened condensed milk (half of a 14-ounce can)
Cream Cheese Frosting:
• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups confectioner's sugar
• 1/4 cup milk

Instructions

1. Prepare white cake as directed on the box, and pour into two 9-inch round cake pans. Allow cakes to cool to room temperature.
2. Prepare brownies as directed, baking in a 9-inch round cake pan.
3. To make the chocolate sauce, place the chocolate, sweetened condensed milk and 1 tablespoon water in a small saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring until the chocolate is melted (about 5 minutes).
4. While the brownies are still warm, place the brownie layer on a cake stand. Slowly pour the chocolate sauce on top, letting it soak into the brownie. Allow the sauce to soak in for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the cream cheese frosting (see below).
5. Place a white cake layer on top of the brownies and top with approximately 1/4 cup of the frosting using an offset spatula.
6. Add the second white cake layer and cover the cake in a layer of cream cheese frosting. Since I'm not a pro at decorating, I used Amanda's tip and just swooped my spatula through the frosting in a "C" shape.
7. Chill the cake until ready to serve.
To make the frosting:
8. Combine the cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a stand mixer and mix on medium speed until incorporated, about 1 or 2 minutes. Add the confectioner's sugar 1 cup at a time, until the frosting is light and creamy. For thicker/stiffer frosting, add more confectioner's sugar 1/4 cup at a time. If the frosting is too stiff, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time.

 White cake

The flavor is fantastic and the texture is truly perfection. One major adaptation I did was using 8-in cake pans.  The original recipe calls for 9-in and about 5 minutes less cooking time.  If you plan on using 9-in plans please do consult the original recipe.  The first time I made it I used 8-in cake pans with no time adaptation and was not as successful.

The Perfect White Cake

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups cake flour
• 1 cup milk at room temperature
• 6 large egg whites at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened but still cool

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two 8-inch cake pans.
2. Make sure milk and eggs are room temperature.
3. Pour milk (I used skim) , egg whites, and extracts into medium bowl and mix with fork until blended.
4. Mix cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of electric mixer at slow speed. Add butter, cut into cubes and continue beating on low for about 1-2 minutes.
5. Add all but 1/2 cup of milk mixture to flour mixture and beat at medium speed for 1 1/2 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup of milk mixture and beat for about 1 minute.
6. Pour batter evenly between two prepared cake pans.
7. Bake until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 27 to 30 minutes.
8. Allow cake to cool to room temperature.
9. Frost cakes with favorite frosting.
10. Just barely adapted from epicurious, taken from Cooks Illustrated.

Read more: http://iambaker.net/the-perfect-white-cake/#ixzz394hYQdHb

brownies

While I love a good fudgey brownie, this cakey brownie with a crispy crust and bits of semi-sweet chocolate is my newest obsession.

Decadent Homemade Brownies

Ingredients

• 1 cup granulate sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cake flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate (about 2 ounces) finely chopped

Heat oven to 350 degrees and prepare an 8-inch round cake pan.

In stand mixer, combine sugars, butter and vanilla and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time until well blended.

Sift flours, cocoa and salt in medium bowl. Gradually add the flour mixture to butter mixture with mixer on low speed and blend until ingredients are fully combined. (no more than 1 minute)

Remove bowl from mixer and fold in finely chopped chocolate by hand using a spatula.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let brownies cool to room temperature in pan.

Read more: http://iambaker.net/decadent-homemade-brownies/#ixzz394i2PAbW