Six Layer Salted Caramel and Chocolate Truffle Cream Cake

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Kathy

Thanks for the picture Rachel!

I wasn’t going to post this recipe initially. The cake recipe is an old one (a favorite that I use all the time) and the salted caramel frosting is directly from another blog – but BF told me I needed to share it because a six layer confection of frosting and cake should be shared. Because I hadn’t initially meant to blog this there are only pictures of the cake as it was built, but don’t worry about that. Marvel at the cake – six layers of yellow cake, salted caramel frosting sandwiched between each layer, coated with decadent chocolate truffle cream frosting, and topped with drizzles of caramel sauce.

I had been playing with the idea for this cake for quite a while – it’s a take on Smith Island cake, which just had chocolate frosting and filling. But BF isn’t the biggest fan of that much chocolate and I’ve been wanting to make salted caramel frosting, so it seemed a natural fit. I made this cake to bring over to Rachel and Joel’s as a pairing with a fantastic meal of braised lamb shanks and potatoes au gratin. Which meant I baked all day and left an obscene amount of dishes in the sink. But it was worth it.

I am one of those people that will bake to soothe whatever stress I’m under, whether it be in relation to job-hunting or doing my taxes, baking calms me down. So on Saturday, while BF struggled with his taxes and I paced impatiently from the kitchen to the office and back again, I baked a cake, I made two different kinds of frosting, and I fell in love with salted caramel sauce all over again. As I watched sugar melt and boil to a beautiful amber color and hoped against hope that it would come out right this time I fell into a state of ease – I shook off the tension of the week and indulged in a cake scrap drizzled with caramel sauce. So perfect, so confidence inducing, so satisfying to see a pot of caramel and say, “yeah, I did that, TWICE.”

Let us not forget the chocolate truffle frosting, either. This frosting is sort of a mantra for my mom who tells me that it is THE chocolate frosting I must make if I’m looking for it. My mom found this frosting about nine-and-a-half years ago, while she was pregnant with ‘Tonio and swore she wouldn’t ever make another one. I tend to agree with her – it’s fantastic, decadent without being too sweet, and rich without being overpowering. It paired perfectly with the salted caramel frosting. Now if only we all had enough room to eat a whole 3″x14″ six layer cake, instead we all had thin slices and cursed the epic amount of cake I made. Oops.

Six Layer Cake with Salted Caramel frosting and Chocolate Truffle Cream Frosting
The cake is all my design! The cake recipe I used is one I put up here a long time ago. The salted caramel frosting is from this post, over on My Baking Addiction, I made just the caramel sauce to put on top too.

Chocolate Truffle Cream Frosting
Adapted from the Joy of Cooking
This recipe makes enough to frost and fill a two layer cake.

4 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp espresso (1 tsp espresso powder + 1 tsp boiling water works)
1/3 cup boiling water
6 oz finely chopped chocolate (about a cup)
8 Tbs unsalted butter

In a wide heat-proof bowl (I use a shallow metal bowl) whisk together the yolks, sugar and espresso until fully combined and frothy, about 30 seconds. Add the boiling water 1-2 Tbs at a time, whisking between additions, until fully incorporated. Place a bowl in a frying pan with at least an inch of water in it (the idea here is basically a wide flat double boiler). Bring the egg, sugar, espresso, water mixture to a temperature of 160 degrees, stirring occasionally, and remove it from the heat. Add the chocolate and butter, mix until smooth. If you find that the chocolate/butter aren’t melting you can put them back in the pan with water in it (turned off, the water should still be warm enough to melt chocolate). Allow the frosting to cool, in the fridge, fro about twenty minutes if you want to use it as a spreadable frosting. Or just pour it over your cake if you just want a glaze. Enjoy.

Assembly

This cake was a bit tricky for me, in that I created the whole thing specifically for a platter I had in mind, hence it’s Kit-Kat like appearance. This meant cooking the cake in cookie sheets/jelly roll pans and then cutting each sheet of cake down to a specific size, in this case 3″x14″. I found that cutting the cake down to be uniform sizes was the hardest part, mostly because I just can’t cut in a straight line. Regardless, when all of your cake pieces are uniform (or you think they are) stack them to make sure. Then you can start the real assembly. It’s best to have both frostings all ready when assembling, then you don’t have to stop. Start with a cake on the bottom then add a hefty amount of caramel frosting – I found that one recipe made just enough for me to fill between the layers. Smooth out the frosting then add another layer of cake, continue to alternate until it looks like the “image” below:

Cake

Caramel Frosting

Cake

Caramel Frosting

Cake

Caramel Frosting

Cake

Caramel frosting

Cake

Caramel frosting

Cake

There should be cake on the top and bottom of the whole thing. After you have filled the cake go around the edges with an offset spatula (if you have one, I used a butter knife). Then coat the whole cake in chocolate frosting. If you made the above frosting (which I can’t recommend highly enough) then you should have enough for about 1/8inch think frosting over the whole cake. You should check out Test Kitchen for tips on cake frosting, they’re awesome. Last of all, top the whole cake with a drizzle of caramel sauce in whatever pattern you want. Adding this caramel helps tone down the richness of everything else and is an important step, don’t skip it. Then take this massive cake and share it, with at least ten other friends. You will want to eat it all by yourself, this is a bad idea. Also, taking it on a long, packed train/bus ride is not a good idea. Trust me, I tried it, the cake got, well, smooshed.

Brunching to Bursting at Local 149

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Kathy

The Drinks of Local 149

Some weekends are quiet and you do nothing, and some weekends you are forced into doing that. I recently experienced the phenomenon of forced relaxation after significantly overeating at Local 149, in South Boston. Between the amazing drinks and the multiple courses that they served us I arrived home barely able to stand and promptly slipped into a day-long food coma. Please don’t misinterpret this as complaining, please. My time at Local 149 was filled with some of the best brunch food I’ve eaten in a very long time. And the best sangria (a white-peach and mint number) I’ve ever had the pleasure of trying. This was a culinary journey involving the best of brunch, so now I offer you – Food Porn. Full of decadence and over-indulgence, I assure you the trip to the Southie is definitely worth the effort.

Farmer’s Plate

Island Creek Oysters with Raspberry Migonette

When I first got to Local 149 with Renee, we were early (about 15 mins early) so we sat at the bar and both ordered cocktails. Renee ordered a House Mimosa (sparkling wine, OJ and pom) and I went with the Danish Bloody (a solid Bloody Mary topped with house made pickles). We sat and chatted while the rest of the brunchers trickled in – Jess, Megan, Amanda, Audrey, and Marie – to name a few! Local 149 set up our table and lo and behold – another drink!

Chicken and Waffles with Blueberry Rosemary Syrup

House Made Duck Sausage

This time it was the Thai Young Coconut Cocktail (and since my dining companion was pregnant that baby was all mine!). After that the food was coming out of the kitchen faster than we could eat it and the drinks just kept coming out. Ten courses and three drinks later (among them a second bloody mary, apparently I can drink!) I was rapidly approaching food coma and desperately in need of a nap. My photo recap is below. My favorite thing – the breakfast pizza with quail eggs, bacon, 3 different cheeses, arugala, and a crispy seed covered crust! My least favorite thing – the Lobster McMuffin, it was like 6 inches tall and I was so stuffed when it came out that it wasn’t even appealing to me.

Breakfast Pizza

Toast to Life and Bacon

My verdict? Go to Local 149!!! Drink the sangria, especially if it’s warm out and I don’t care when it is – get the pizza. It’s fantastic and great for sharing. Also take a moment to appreciate the intended kitsch – mismatched mugs and fun flatware help the atmosphere of a place with high end food relax and become a family affair.

Yorkshire Pudding with Sausage Gravy

Chocolate Malt Shake

A Weeknight at Bergamot

Posted on October 9, 2011 by Kathy

In August my big sister decided that BF and I needed to go to Restaurant Week with her, she didn’t care where we went as long as it offered a restaurant week menu and affordable wines. I searched the restaurant week website and twitter looking for recommendations. I found Bergamot. I’ve heard lots of wonderful things about them, both RW and regular menu meals. So we went – a table was acquired, wine was ordered, and delicious eating ensued.

Marinated Tomatoes and Peaches

Stinging Nettle Gnocchi – Roasted Cherry Tomato, Pattypan Squash, Shimeji Mushroom

Herb-Crusted Picnic Pork Shoulder – Braised Escarole, Shiitake Mushroom, Red Onion, Macerated Tomato Fondue

Cobbler – Oatmeal Tuile, Honeyed Stone fruit, Goat Cheese

Carrot Cake –Rum-Soaked Raisins, Cream Cheese Frosting, Crispy Carrot

Our meal at Bergamot was lovely – all fresh and local ingredients presented beautifully. The heirloom tomato salad was perfectly flavored and well composed, seriously those peaches were pretty. I loved my meal – the gnocchi was just right, chewy and pillowy, though it could have been a little less salty. And BF’s pork was surprisingly moist and delicious to all of our surprise. Also – that cream on the cobbler plate, it’s whipped goat cheese. Swoon.

So when March 18-23, 25-30 comes around and you are looking for somewhere to visit for Restaurant Week go try Bergamot. It’s worth your time. 🙂

Blogger Brunch at Om

Posted on September 17, 2011 by Kathy

One of the perks of the Boston food blogger community is the many resources I have at my disposal for hanging out with friends and eating delicious food. Brunch at OM was no exception to this rule. When Renee posted the July Blogger brunch was going to be at Om in Harvard square I did a bit of a jig. I’ve been eyeing Om for a while and desperately wanted to get in and try something there.

Fast forward to the day of the brunch. I woke up with what can best be described as a mid-winter cold- runny nose, tight chest, coughing; the whole bit. But I persevered. I was going to that brunch gosh darnit. Even if I had to take cold medicine to do it, so I searched our cabinets and found one dose of outdated cold medicine. I took it anyway and caught a slightly earlier bus into Harvard, where I got more cold medicine at CVS and took a dose of that, all not expired and such. At this point I was a bit foggy, apparently even if the cold medicine is outdated you should only take one dose, who knew?

Megan and I walked into Om to see a beautiful wall of cascading water and a serene interior. We were led to an upper level and given seats directly by huge windows, a very considerate seating on the side of Om, Thanks!

As the rest of the brunchers started to trickle in a waiter came over and announced that he was going to bring us all a complimentary lychee mimosa, on hearing this I paled a bit and asked for one of the non-alcoholic drinks on the menu, figuring (I assume correctly) that my double dose of cold medicine and champagne would be a horrific combo. He brought me a blood orange soda. It was amazing. I heard all around the table that the mimosa was pretty astounding too, but that soda was perfect, full of vitamin-C and so fresh I felt like I was eating a blood orange instead of drinking it. PERFECT.

Then came the food. Oh, the food. Just because I was on some cold medicine does not mean I couldn’t appreciate what was basically the most perfect piece of french toast I’ve EVER eaten. Crispy and brown on the outside and perfectly custard on the inside – I was in french toast heaven, with a chocolate and banana filling inside, I could have eaten a LOT more of that french toast. But there was still so much more to try! There were lemon pancakes with orange honey butter – I was on the fence about these I felt that were undercooked and not very good, but I adored that orange honey butter.

For my main meal I chose the duck confit hash with poached eggs and spicy tomato sauce. When I am ridiculously stuffed up I love to eat spicy foods, it’s actually one of the only times you will find me seeking out things with a kick, I love the feeling of being able to breathe fully after eating something with spice and the way it stands out so clearly in terms of flavor. This dish was phenomenal I loved the play of the slightly salty hash, the yolk of the poached egg and the heat of the sauce, it worked sooooo well together. I nearly finished it (impressive as my appetite was pretty near nil)!

So, brunch at Om? Yes you should probably go and if you don’t do liquor get one of the mocktails. Mine was insanely delicious. Also, the best part? To get a meal and a drink (alcoholic or no) is $15. That’s it. An entree and a bloody mary in Harvard Sq for $15? Sign me up.

This brunch was provided free of charge to me through the Boston Brunchers, but all opinions here are my own.

A Chat with the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance

Posted on September 4, 2011 by Kathy

It’s a sunny April afternoon and I’m chatting with Niaz Dorry the PR rep for the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance (NAMA). When the initial email of possible blogging topics went out I snagged NAMA for a couple different reasons, if you have read my blog much you know that I’m originally a Maine girl and grew up on the coast so the NAMA’s whole goal of sustainable fishing resonates with me.

I have spent the better part of my life watching lobster men (and women) struggle to stay afloat literally, making barely $2.50/lb off the boat for the gourmet crustacean that sells for upwards of $15 down here in Boston. These are people that sign on for a hard life where the boats are frequently jury rigged and all out wars over good lobster grounds are had. In Lubec (pronounced lou-beck. If you live there you are a Lubecker, FYI) where there are excellent lobster grounds (compliments of the Bay of Fundy and epic tidal waters) there are heated arguments over the fishing lines daily; Canadians from Campobello Island and Lubeckers both want to lay claim to a tiny strip of fierce tidal waters that gather lobsters like no one’s business. These waters are pretty fruitful still but not what they once were. About 10 miles from Calais, ME where I went to high school is St Croix Island, a first epic fail at European colonization. When people were left on St. Croix they were left there by someone who had seen the Bay of Fundy being fished – in the early 1700s it was said that you could WALK from Maine to Nova Scotia on the backs of the cod in the bay. This was obviously a hyperbolic statement but the point stood, there was a lot of cod, now there are regulations on fishing it and you’re lucky if you even see one.

When I get on the phone with Niaz I start to discuss my background with her – the strife of my hometown and the fishermen there with these very stories that I have seen constantly. She’s been there. She knows of a sardine factory close by that was shut down in October. Being a fisherman is hard and NAMA is there to back them, working to change policies and create communities of fishermen that work together to fish safely and diversely. NAMA’s ultimate goal is to have a successful marine biodiversity in local waters and to help local economies connect with local fishermen.

NAMA is working together with communities and fishermen to change policy and create successful small local fishing and sales practices. They offer a lot of opportunities for fishermen to offer their wares and present a central area that aggregates local Community Supported Fishery (CSF) shares (find your local CSF here and there are a TON of recipes on how to use the fish in that CSF here). They are traveling all over New England teaching and talking about fishing to communities, hosting Seafood Throwdowns and being a resource to those small towns that need to see a policy change.

NAMA will be at the Boston Local Food Festival on October 1st as both a sponsor of the festival and to host a Seafood Throwdown. What exactly is a Seafood Throwdown, you ask? HAHA, I say. The Seafood throwdown is a competition wherein two local chefs are given – a secret seafood ingredient, $25 and 15 mins to shop the market stalls for ingredients. It’s exciting, it’s delicious, and it’s oh-so-much fun. Last year saw delicious results and I expect this year to be no different. So come to the Boston Local Food Festival and show your support for local fisheries, local chefs and some nice competition!

If you have any questions at all about NAMA, it’s goals, or just want to donate you can visit the website at http://www.namanet.org/ and I know they love to educate and answer questions! So give them a call or email and pick their brains.

All images are courtesy of NAMA’s website at http://www.namanet.org/