Recently, my good friend, Danielle, gave me a book called Simple Cake by Odette Williams. It was published earlier this year by Ten Speed Press. It is a lovely compilation of recipes and photographs. I have read the book, although I have not actually made anything yet, I have my eye on OW's Lovely Lemon Yogurt Cake for a birthday coming up.
One of the inspirational things about this book is that although it only has ten cake recipes and recipes for fifteen toppings, the book has a lot of suggested variations and ideas embedded in the pages. Then there are thirty examples of how to combine the cakes and toppings for all occasions. The book encourages simplicity and creativity. Two things I love.
I already feel inspired to make some of my next cakes in unusual pans. OW calls for 6 inch spring-form pans (which look really cute), loaf pans, and bundt pans. A little out of my 2 nine inch cake pan comfort zone, but I'll give it a try!
I was excited earlier while looking at the Lovely Lemon Yogurt Cake recipe. It is written to be baked in a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan. I was frustrated because to me- a loaf cake is not birthday material--although I am trying to think outside the box! I was ready to calculate the number of cups it would makes, and find a chart telling me how many cups I would need for my two 9 inch pans, when I spotted in the bottom right hand corner of the page, other options for pans, including 9 inch cake pans and cupcakes.
The only issue I have with this book is that many of the recipes call for baking powder. Baking powder and I are not friends. I love baking soda, and I work some chemistry every time I use a recipe that calls for baking powder to replace it with baking soda, and replace other ingredients with appropriate acids, and get some levity.
Update:
I made the Lovely Lemon Yogurt Cake!
Two changes to the recipe: 1 teaspoon of baking soda instead of 3 teaspoons of baking powder (plenty of acid in the cake between the lemon juice and yogurt) and replacing the Greek yogurt with our homemade yogurt.
It was a hit! Although I probably won't bake it in a loaf pan again, unless I cut down on some of the batter - it didn't cook through despite cooking it longer than called for. Absolutely lovely. I highly recommend it!
One of the inspirational things about this book is that although it only has ten cake recipes and recipes for fifteen toppings, the book has a lot of suggested variations and ideas embedded in the pages. Then there are thirty examples of how to combine the cakes and toppings for all occasions. The book encourages simplicity and creativity. Two things I love.
I already feel inspired to make some of my next cakes in unusual pans. OW calls for 6 inch spring-form pans (which look really cute), loaf pans, and bundt pans. A little out of my 2 nine inch cake pan comfort zone, but I'll give it a try!
I was excited earlier while looking at the Lovely Lemon Yogurt Cake recipe. It is written to be baked in a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan. I was frustrated because to me- a loaf cake is not birthday material--although I am trying to think outside the box! I was ready to calculate the number of cups it would makes, and find a chart telling me how many cups I would need for my two 9 inch pans, when I spotted in the bottom right hand corner of the page, other options for pans, including 9 inch cake pans and cupcakes.
The only issue I have with this book is that many of the recipes call for baking powder. Baking powder and I are not friends. I love baking soda, and I work some chemistry every time I use a recipe that calls for baking powder to replace it with baking soda, and replace other ingredients with appropriate acids, and get some levity.
Update:
I made the Lovely Lemon Yogurt Cake!
Two changes to the recipe: 1 teaspoon of baking soda instead of 3 teaspoons of baking powder (plenty of acid in the cake between the lemon juice and yogurt) and replacing the Greek yogurt with our homemade yogurt.
It was a hit! Although I probably won't bake it in a loaf pan again, unless I cut down on some of the batter - it didn't cook through despite cooking it longer than called for. Absolutely lovely. I highly recommend it!
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