Pear and Bittersweet Chocolate Cake
Yes, well, as Sarah pointed out, what do we do about the baked goods?
First I read about Pear and Bittersweet Chocolate Cake on Smitten Kitchen and I became this baking zombie where I walked, trance-like, into the kitchen, and basically didn’t snap out of it until the cake was all done. Because, I mean, Pear Chocolate Cake! Come ON! I will say, and I know this concept is sort of hard to get your mind around, that I put too much chocolate in. I upped the amount a bit because I felt like the cake needed a really liberal chocolate layer, and it was a little over-chocolatey. Follow the recipe if (when!) you make it.
And then it was Dave’s birthday yesterday, and Dave’s birthday equals carrot cake. Luckily, Dave likes his carrot cake with walnuts and raisins, and I want walnuts and raisins far, far from my baked goods. So I was not so tempted. I turned again to Smitten Kitchen for the recipe, and made it as a layer cake (always go for the layer cake if it’s an option), and Dave declared it the best carrot cake he’s ever eaten. So if you want a good carrot cake recipe, there you go.
Carrot Cake: First Layer
Carrot Cake: Both Layers. I know I was probably supposed to trim them to be exactly the same size, but that seems like a waste of cake to me.
Completed Carrot Cake: Did I mention Maple Cream Cheese Frosting?
Julie – I can’t tell you how much I want a piece of that carrot cake. I cannot bake cake unless I know it will be shared by many people because I will eat it until I am in a cake stupor on the couch. Ask Agusti, he’s witnessed it.
Both cakes look phemonenal. And thanks for turning me on to Smitten Kitchen. Matt’s birthday also equals carrot cake. Last year, I made the carrot cake from Jamie Oliver’s Cook with Jamie…it was exceptionally good carrot cake. You might want to check it out – lime-mascarpone icing. It involves a lot of work, including beating the egg whites separately and folding them in, but it seems to make it very moist. It was a hit.
I feel all persecuted. I can’t remember the last time anyone made me a birthday cake.
I think I’ll have to bake the chocolate pear cake to make myself feel better about that. (My springform pan could use the workout.)
Dave had to go to Florida for two days today, and he took a piece of carrot cake with him on the plane. He was joking that he was going to pull it out, set it on his seatback tray, and then say, “OK! One, two, three…Haaapppy birrrthday to me!” etc.
Anne, I actually gasped when I read your comment. How is that possible? Birthday means cake! I’m not sure I’ve ever had a birthday WITHOUT cake! Though I often get control freaky and make it myself (not that Dave can’t make cake, because oh my, he certainly can, but I have so many cake needs that if I’m going to have only a few cakes a year, each one had better be phenomenal).
And totally drooling over the thought of lime mascarpone icing.
My whole freakin’ life is a cake stupor.
by all that’s holy, wow that’s amazing. I often convince myself that carrot cake isn’t cake, really – that it’s somehow a digestif or somehting, or vegetable. Like, if you’ve already had lunch but someone needs to meet you later in the afternoon and the place to do that is a diner you can have carrot cake while you meet because a) diners always have carrot cake (often with funny little phallic carrots in icing on top) and b) it’s not cake: it’s vegetables (carrots) and protein (cream cheese).
Dave used to make these cookies called “health bars” that were chocolate chip bar cookies, but with wheat germ added. Like that made it all ok.
I think most baked goods are merely a vehicle for walnut and raisin delivery. I made cookies last weekend and put raisins and walnuts in tollhouse cookies. It was YUM!
Lori, that is just shocking. Though I guess, being married to a walnut-and-raisin person, I can deal with it. I just don’t get it, though. To me it just seems like a lot of STUFF in my baked good. I take a bite and there’s something HARD and something SQUISHY and what is the world coming to??
Last night as I was picking up pizza I had to get a slice of carrot cake too. I’m blaming it on you.
Blame taken. Though now I want pizza.