Comparing Apples and Tangerines???

We are in full swing of the winter season ...and what better than seasonal ingredients, to make the perfect Cake.
Get out the sunglasses, beach towel, flip flops, and tanning oil.
A little bit of Florida is what we need to enjoy our winter.

Fresh Tangerine Cake
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/fresh-tangerine-cake-recipe/index.html

Total Time: 45 min.Prep20 min. Cook25 min.
Yield:8 servings .Level:Easy.

Ingredients
Vegetable oil cooking spray
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup vegetable oil
1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
1 cup tangerine juice
1 tablespoon tangerine zest
Tangerine Icing, recipe follows

Directions


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.



Spray 2 (9-inch) circular cake pans with vegetable oil cooking spray.



In a large bowl add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix together with a spatula. Using a hand-held mixer, add the vegetable oil, sour cream, tangerine juice and zest. Mix until well combined.



Divide the batter evenly into the pans. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before icing. Ice the cakes, as desired, and serve.



Tangerine Icing:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
6 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons tangerine juice
1/2 tangerine, zested


Mix together the butter, cream cheese and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the tangerine juice and zest and combine well.

Sooooo Good! I Have to Brag About It Again!

The Gateau Chateau has grown, and branched out into a new realm, with the conception of it's latest feat; The Bark and Briars Bakery and Earthly Delights, hosted by TwigsAndLeavesEater.BlogSpot.Com
Twigs And Leaves Eater explores the ideas of Veganism and Gluten-Free preparation of meals, and treats.
Of course, Veganism is a drastic lifestyle change from omnivorism, and is not suggested for all, but some of the recipes we create are really worth trying out, and I encourage all of you to do so.
Last night, Amy & I decided to invent our own version of a Vegan Gluten- Free Chocolate Mint Cake, and it was Out of This World.
I feel that it is worthy of being repeated here on Gateau Chateau.
I will give you the substitutions, for Milk, Egg, and Cream Cheese at the end, if you feel that you can't do without them.

Here is the entire blog entry:

Wednesday, November 30, 2011 The Gateau Chateau is proud to announce the opening of it's newest endeavor,
The Bark and Briars Bakery and Earthly Delights. At Bark & Briars, we are a strictly vegan, and health conscious kitchen, designed to cater to fat kids trying to lose a few pounds, and their Gluten Free spouses.
In honor of our Grand Opening, Amy & I traveled all the way to South America, to investigate the Andes mountains (aka Mitchell Ave. Kroger)and discover the secret behind their wonderful mints. Without any luck finding them, we decided to invent our own.

Homemade Peppermint Patties
Melted Semi sweet vegan chocolate chips
1/2 C. Mint "butter"cream icing ---- recipe to follow, in Mint Chocolate Cake

Place melted chocolate in icing/pastry bag.
Using half of the chocolate, make small flat discs of chocolate on aluminum foil.
refrigerate until hardened.
In another icing bag use 1/2 c.Mint Buttercream Icing. Pipe into center of chocolate discs.
Using the remaining half of the melted chocolate, cover icing so that chocolate covers icing filling.
Freeze until firm.
Mint Chocolate Cake aka Andes Mint Cake, Thin Mint Cake
1 box Hodgson Mills Gluten Free Chocolate Cake mix.
(any vegan chocolate cake recipe will work. We have found that when baking gluten free, nothing compares to Hodgson Mills cake mixes)
---- Ignore directions on Box----
1/2 c. softened Earth Balance vegan butter
1/4 c. canola oil
1 1/2 c. SO Delicious Chocolate Mint Coconut Milk
3 TBS. Golden Flax Meal
9 TBS. Water
1 TBS. Pure Peppermint Extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Grease two 8 inch round cake pans with canola oil & cocoa powder.
Mix Flaxmeal & Water till smooth & set aside

Blend Cake Mix, Earth Balance, Canola Oil, Coconut Milk, and Peppermint together with electric mixer until incorporated.
Add Flax mixture (consistency, will be similar to egg whites)

Batter will be thick like brownie batter.

Pour evenly into two 8 inch cake pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Mint "Butter"Cream Icing.
1 tub Tofutti non dairy cream cheese
3/4 c. Earth Balance
3-4 c. powdered sugar- use your best judgement
2 TBS. Pure Peppermint Extract
5 drops green food coloring (for that real Andes mint feel)

Blend Tofutti & Earth Balance together until smooth.
Add Powdered sugar, a little at a time until smooth.
Add in Peppermint Extract & food coloring until well incorporated.

Reserve 1/2 c. for Peppermint Patties.

Chocolate Ganache
12 oz. pkg semi sweet vegan chocolate chips
3-4 TBS. So Delicious Mint Chocolate Coconut Milk
1 to 2 tsp. Pure Peppermint Extract.
Melt chocolate chips in double boiler. Gradually whisk in coconut milk.
Mixture will get curdly, but as you whisk, the heating will make it shiny & smooth.
Add Peppermint to taste.

Cake Assembly:
After removing cake from oven, let cool 10 minutes in pan.
Remove cakes from pans & let cool completely on cooling racks.

Once cakes are cool. Spread Mint Buttercream Icing between layers.
Place top layer, on cake.
Freeze 30 minutes.
Meanwhile let Ganache cool, a bit.
Remove cake from freezer and ice the surface of cake ,as you normally would, with the Ganache.
Garnish with homemade peppermint patties.
Posted by Gateau Chateau at 9:44 PM 0 comments Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to Facebook
Substitutions:
Peppermint Patties: Any Semi Sweet Chocolate Chip will do.

Mint Chocolate Cake:
Any Box Chocolate Cake will work as well.
Earth Balance, is simply margarine without milk fat added, so any Butter or margarine will work.
I suggest sticking with SO Delicious Chocolate Mint Coconut Milk, for the flavoring.
3 Eggs, substituted for 3 TBS Flax Meal, and 9 TBS water.

Mint "Butter"Cream Icing
Substitute 1 block Cream Cheese, for Tofutti Cream Cheese(which is really creamed tofu)
Substitute Butter or Margarine for Earth Balance.

Ganache:
Regular Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips are fine.
Once again, I suggest sticking with the So Delicious, to keep flavors consistent.

Cake Origins: German Chocolate Cake

In 1829 my Great-Great-Great Grandma Riestenberg sent a recipe with her family to cross the sea, from Germany into the United States.
It was called "Deutsche Schokolade Kuchen", or in English, "German Chocolate Cake". The recipe has been handed down through every generation since, and I am lucky to have it myself. I was always a bit confused about why Coconut would be an ingredient in traditional "German" Chocolate Cake,since, well, you, know... Germany doesn't have native coconut trees. I decided I'd check it out, and stole the original recipe, written in German, from my mother's recipe box. It seems as though, that my Great-Great-Great Grandma didn't ever even know what a coconut was. Apparently, the only vegetable that is grown in Germany is Cabbage, since all of the other recipes were called Kraut this, and Kraut that.
It appears that they used kraut in everything. The original icing for German Chocolate Cake was really Sauer Kraut Pecan Icing. I then started doing more research, and found my Great- Great- Grandmother's recipe, which had some english words, but mostly german, and my Great- Grandmother's recipe, which was slopped up with old fried chicken grease. (she owned a restaurant called the Alpine Inn. They would slaughter the chickens right behind the restaurant, & fry 'em up as they were ordered.) The recipes were all the same except they quit using metric measurements by the time my Great Grandma wrote down the recipe, which was written totally in "american".
But then, I found my Grandmother's recipe, which called for coconut instead of sauer kraut. It was on a little recipe card, that said "With Love, from Fort Lauderdale". It dawned on me then, that my Grandma, who lived in Fort Lauderdale in the late 40's early 50's, had a plethora of coconuts, in the tropical climate, and switched up the recipe, because cabbage does not grow in sand. And like a good daughter, my mother made her recipe the same way her mother did.

Or...
There was a man who worked for the "Baker's Chocolate Co." named Sam German. He invented a Semi- Sweet Dark Chocolate, and in honor of his wonderful invention Baker's Chocolate deemed it German's Chocolate, which you can still buy at your local grocery store today.
The recipe for the cake & the icing were developed to make the product marketable, and it is probably the most popular dessert invented in the U.S., next to a Tollhouse Cookie.
Here's the original recipe for
German's Chocolate Cake with Coconut Pecan Frosting
http://www.kitchenproject.com/history/GermanChocolateCake/OriginalRecipe.htm

pkg. Baker's German’s sweet chocolate (4 oz.)
1/2 cup Water, boiling
1 cup Butter or margarine

2 cup Sugar
4 Eggs, separated
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
2 cups Flour, all-purpose
1 teaspoon Baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Buttermilk
Coconut-pecan frosting


Approx. Cook Time: 30min

1. Melt chocolate in water and cool.

2. Cream butter and
Sugar.

3. Beat in egg yolks.

4. Stir in vanilla and
chocolate.

5. Mix flour, soda and salt. beat in flour
mixture, alternately with buttermilk.

6. Beat egg whites
until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. Pour batter
into three 9-inch layer pans, lined on bottoms with
waxed paper.

7. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or
until cake springs back when lightly pressed in
center Cool 15 minutes; remove and cool on rack.

THE FILLING AND TOPPING

4 egg yolks
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine
1 pkg. (7 oz.) BAKER'S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut (about 2-2/3 cups)
1-1/2 cups PLANTERS Chopped Pecans



BEAT egg yolks, milk and vanilla in large saucepan with wire whisk until well blended. Add sugar and butter; cook on medium heat 12 min. or until thickened and golden brown, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.



ADD coconut and pecans; mix well. Cool to room temperature and of desired spreading consistency.

Been Too Busy Baking But Now Back To Blogging

Wow! This kitchen has been hopping with Cakes galore, and there has been no time to brag about them.
I've been making Birthday Cakes, Coffee Cakes, Poppy Seed Cake, Cake Pops, and dealing with lots of Fruit Cakes...
But, I digress...
It's been about 2 1/2 months and I have lots of recipes to share with you.
First, there was the delectable Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing that we used for Will's 60th Birthday party. I have my own special secret Chocolate Cake recipe, which I cannot share with you, but I hear that the recipe on the Hershey's Cocoa Can is pretty yummy.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing
from Allrecipes.com
4 oz. unsweetened Bakers Chocolate melted
1 block Cream Cheese softened
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 TBS. evaporated milk

using a mixer, mix the melted chocolate & cream cheese together until light and fluffy.
slowly add in 4 cups powdered sugar
mix in vanilla
then mix in evaporated milk
This recipe was to die for.


2nd recipe
Gluten Free Cake Pops
invented by Amy Moore-Kelm
1 box Hodgson Mill gluten free cake mix
follow recipe on box, increase oil to 3/4 cup
increase eggs to 4.
bake, remove from pan & let cool.
remove hard edges from cake.
crumble remaining cake to crumbs

add Nutella in small increments, stirring until cake can be molded into balls, but not pastey.
roll into desired sized balls.
place onto cookie sheet and freeze until firm.


meanwhile,
melt 1 12 oz. pkg chocolate chips in double boiler.

take lollipop sticks, and dip into melted chocolate 1 at a time.
Insert 1 stick into each ball.

holding stick, dip each ball into chocolate, using spoon to help coat the entire ball.

sprinkle desired topping i.e. sprinkles,crushed nuts, crushed cookies over ball.
insert oppposite end of stick into styrofoam and let chocolate harden.
When chocolate is hardened, they are ready to enjoy!!!

3rd, we made Apple Coffee Cake, unfortunately, we used Rosie's mom's Yeast dough recipe, and I'm not allowed to even have that, but the filling was:
Invented by Christopher Noel
6 Northern Spy Apples peeled and chopped
2 sticks butter
cinnamon, sugar, nutmeg, and cloves.

melt 2 sticks butter in frying pan.
add apples.
add cinnamon, sugar, nutmeg & cloves to desired flavor.
fry until desired tenderness.

using your favorite yeast cake recipe.
roll dough out on cookie sheet until it is wide enough to hold fillng and able to be wrapped like a turnover.
sprinkle brown sugar and crushed pecans or walnuts over apple mixture.
fold the ends over the top of the mixture.
bake until the dough is a golden brown, per recipe instructions.
drizzle a glaze or caramel sauce over top.

And Finally, what you've all been waiting for... is Chris Noel's Award Winning Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with orange glaze... well, actually it's not my own recipe, but one I found in 1999 while on an excursion to Mesa Verde National Park, CO.
I found it in The National Park Cookbook, 1995 ed. , which I bought specifically for this one recipe... and believe me, it's the only recipe worth wanting from this cookbook.
Well, what else would someone think about, while pondering over how Native Americans were able to live on sides of sheer cliffs??? Food, of course.

I made this cake for my friend Steven's birthday party.
He's been begging me to make it since the Cake Disaster of 2009, which won 1st prize at The Avenue Cake & Karaoke Competition.

Pea Ridge Poppy Seed Cake
National Park Cook Book 1995 ed.
1 pkg yellow cake mix-------------- I use Lemon
1 pkg instant pudding mix---------- I use Lemon
4 eggs
1 cup Sour Cream

1/4 oil
1/2 cup Cream Sherry.--- I've got plenty, if you need to borrow some.
1/4 cup Poppy Seeds

Orange Butter Glaze
1 1/2 TBS Milk
1 TBS Butter
1 TBS Orange Juice
1 1/4 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. grated orange rind.

For Cake:
Combine all ingredients in large mixer bowl.
Blend, then beat at medium speed for 4 minutes.
Pour into greased and floured 10 inch Bundt pan.
Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 50 minutes or till done.
Do Not Overbake.
Cool in pan 15 Minutes.
Remove and cool entirely on Rack.
spoon glaze over cooled cake.

For Glaze: Heat milk, butter & Orange Juice in sauce pan till butter is melted.
Stir powdered sugar & orange rind in small bowl, and to lquid & beat till smooth.

HINT: I zest the orange, then use the juice from the orange... it works marvelously.

Got Those Summertime Blues???

Blueberries, that is!!
Nothing says Summer quite like them.
They are great on everything. Ice Cream, Pie, in Greek Yogurt, on top of your cereal, even in green salads... with a few Nuts!
Here's a recipe to try out. It's in the oven right now...
One lesson to learn though is to read the directions at least 24 hour in advance.
This came from my favorite Cook Book Better Homes & Gardens 2006 edition
or you can just link to the web page below!

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/layer-cakes/blueberry-sour-cream-dessert/

Blueberry-Sour Cream Dessert

1
recipe Dessert Crust
3
cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1/3
cup sugar
3
tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
1/4
cup water
1
teaspoon ground cinnamon
1
teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
1/4
teaspoon ground nutmeg
2-1/2
cups dairy sour cream
3
egg yolks, slightly beaten
1/2
cup sugar
1
teaspoon vanilla
Fresh blueberries (optional)
directions

1. Prepare and bake Dessert Crust. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. In a medium saucepan, combine 3 cups blueberries, the 1/3 cup sugar, the tapioca, water, cinnamon, lemon peel, and nutmeg. Let stand for 15 minutes. Cook and stir mixture over medium heat until blueberries become juicy and mixture is bubbly. Turn into partially baked Dessert Crust.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine sour cream, egg yolks, the 1/2 cup sugar, and the vanilla. Pour evenly over blueberry mixture.

3. Bake about 50 minutes or until sour cream layer is set when gently shaken. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 1 hour. With a sharp knife, loosen crust from side of pan; remove side. Cover and chill overnight before serving.

4. To serve, if desired, garnish with additional blueberries. Makes 12 to 16 slices.

Dessert Crust: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter, softened, with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Beat in 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until combined. Beat in 1 egg yolk. Add 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; beat until combined. (Mixture will be crumbly). Work dough mixture with your hands just until mixture holds together. Press the mixture on the bottom and 1-1/2 inches up the side of an 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 12 minutes or until edges of crust are lightly browned. Cool on wire a rack while preparing filling.

nutrition facts

Servings Per Recipe 12 to 16 slicesCalories323Total Fat (g)18Saturated Fat (g)10, Monounsaturated Fat (g)6, Polyunsaturated Fat (g)1, Cholesterol (mg)107, Sodium (mg)141, Carbohydrate (g)37, Total Sugar (g)20, Fiber (g)2, Protein (g)4, Vitamin C (DV%)7, Calcium (DV%)7, Iron (DV%)6, Starch (d.e.).5, Other Carbohydrates (d.e.)2, Fat (d.e.)3.5, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Long Ago... In a Galaxy Far, Far Away

It's been a hectic weekend, and I promised that I'd bring a cake tonight. I found an hour yesterday to make my World Famous Chocolate Cake. I won't give out my secret recipe, but I hear the one on the back of the Hershey's can is pretty good.
It's 5:35, and I've yet to come up with a topping for it.
What do I do now?
Improvise, that's what!

Milky Way Icing--- Chris Noel's newest invention.
1 Can Sweetened Condensed Milk (I prefer the brand with Elsie the cow on the label)
1 Bag Milky Way Fun Size Bars
1 dash salt
1/2 tsp vanilla

Chop up Milky Way into chunks
Combine with can Condensed Milk in a double boiler.
Melt the combination until smooth, on medium heat.
blend in 1 dash salt & 1/2 tsp vanilla.
Drizzle on cake while warm!

I Like It Moist and Wet!!!

How often do you hear that statement when people refer to Cake?
The secret is to
A. Make sure you are using Fresh Ingredients.
B. Freeze your cake for at least a day.
C. Always... Always!!! Split your layers.
D. Load up the layers with an exorbitant amount of filling.
E. Freeze it again for another 24 hours.
F. Let it thaw for 1- 2 hours before serving.

It works every time ;)