Category Archives: Daring Bakers

Tuiles & Daring Bakers – Junk Food Post #26

This month’s challenge is brought to us by Karen of Bake My Day and Zorra of 1x umruehren bitte aka Kochtopf. They have chosen Tuiles from The Chocolate Book by Angélique Schmeink and Nougatine and Chocolate Tuiles from Michel Roux.

So for this installment of unResolution month, two grand traditions have come together.  These being what can only become an annual BlogWellDone.com tradition, unResolution month, and what can only become a monthly BlogWellDone.com tradition, the Daring Bakers.  For those unaware of the Daring Bakers, it’s a secret organization of bakers and food bloggers who meet triannually at a secret location known as The Meadows.

Actually, it’s an group of dedicated bakers that get together to take on Iron Chef-level baking challenges, challenges for which I feel like a wee baby lying on my back and flailing my arms, all the time crying for momma.

If only I knew how to bake.

But in the spirit of unResolution month, I knew I had to try to make

Tuiles

A tuile summed up briefly, is a delicate almond cookie.  For the challenge, I was to make the dough, shape it, and pair it with something light.  Easy, no?

Now, a tuile is supposed to look like this:

I however, went with the alternate recipe:

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Fluffernutters – Junk Food Post #25

Marshmallow Fluff = AwesomeWell, for tonight’s unResolution month post, I was going to post my Daring Baker’s challenge for the month.  However, my Daring Bakers attempt for the evening was EPIC FAIL.  EPIC FAIL.  Thank goodness I have a few more days.

So instead, I am going to do something real quick and easy, and sort of not dessert-y.  But at the same time, set this dessert down in front of the right crowd and they will love you for it.

Tonight we’re doing…

Fluffernutters

What the heck is a fluffernutter anyway?  Well, it’s a sandwich that part marshmellow fluff, part peanut butter, and 100% more sugar than anyone needs in their lifetime, but they are sooo good.  So good in fact, that you really don’t need to kick them up with anything.  However, this is unResolution month, so we gotta do something.  How about chocolate?

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Daring Bakers: Caramel Cake with Caramelized Butter Frosting

Today I completed my first ever Daring Bakers challenge.  My mission: make a caramel cake with caramelized butter frosting.  Last month they made pizza.  Pizza I could have done.  This?  This is real baking, but who am I to back away from a challenge just because I am a crap baker?  Isn’t that why I joined Daring Bakers in the first place?

Well, first thing’s first.  If you think you can outdo me (you can!), this recipe comes from Shuna Fish Lydon’s blog Bay Area Bites.  Check it out!  It’s a cool food blog with lots of awesome looking recipes.

Now, without further ado… the big reveal, here’s my finished product:

Finished Caramel Cake

Right off the bat, it’s not a very pretty cake.  Some of my other fellow Daring Bakers did some very pretty things with their frosting, adding dried fruits and other nice things.

I wanted to do something pretty, but the frosting just would not cooperate.  Also, I was not thinking about toppings this month because I was trying to concentrate on following the recipe exactly.

So yeah, it’s pretty plain looking.  On the other hand, I tell you what.  This is one of the best cakes I’ve ever had, bar none.

Notes:

  • I don’t think this recipe is very entry level, then again, I would not expect the Daring Bakers to take on an easy challenge.  So I’m not complaining, I am just pointing it out.
  • Secondly, the recipe, as written, lists the ingredients for the caramel syrup after the cake.  This is a bit misleading as the caramel syrup should be made probably two hours before you want to start baking so that it cool completely.  Also, the caramel frosting uses brown butter.  When I do this recipe again, I will make the brown butter as the cake is baking (instead of watching KU beat Mizzou) because it needs time to cool as well.
  • The wet-dry-wet-dry method specified in the recipe was very effective for getting things incorporated quickly and effectively.
  • I do not think I did the frosting right.  This may possibly be because the butter was not completely cool, but to get the frosting as firm as I wanted, I would have had to double the amount of confectioner’s sugar.  My teeth thank me for not doing so.
  • I think I baked the cake too long.  Here it is coming out of the oven.  As you can see, it has gotten a little black:

Baked Caramel Cake

Still, the inside was still nice and moist and I was able to cut off the part that was overly done.  I used it test my frosting. 🙂

I can’t help but wonder if I did not overcook the caramel sauce, too.

Caramel Syryp

Final Thoughts

In terms of taste, I would eat this cake again and again.  I do wish I could have done something nicer to make it look a little more appetizing.

That will be my challenge for next time!

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