Cake Week 11: FRUITS, FRUITS, FRUITS
Cake Week Eleven was, especially considering the challenges of Cake Week 10.2, a total breeze and a lovely time! I’m not sure if it was because I took on less challenging bakes, or if I really have just gotten better over the last year: it was probably a combination of the two.
Each year I make approximately sixty-five cakes.
That’s probably quite a bit more than your average home baker.
I hope that making nearly 200 cakes every three years (although if I’m to be honest, and this project has a LOT to do with facing the truth of myself, the number each year is increasing steadily), that this baking volume has made me a better baker. Insert here professional bakers laughing at that measly number. This volume and the diversity of the bakes has definitely made me a better appreciator of good cake… and understander of why bad cake can also be so so good.
Cake Week Eleven’s theme of “FRUITS, FRUITS, FRUITS” was selected somewhat at random. A lot of people (my mom…) HATE fruit in cakes, but I kind of love them. Fruit in cake adds a ton of moisture and a depth of sweetness that straight-up sugar never could.
Enjoy the fruits (….) of my labors below and go make yourself a banana pudding rundt cake soon thereafter!
Cake One: Blackcurrant Opera Cake
Blackcurrant Opera Cake (Wild Sweetness by Thalia Ho)
When I tell you, this was the year of Thalia Ho, you can’t possibly understand the depth of it. Her cookbook, Wild Sweetness, quickly has become my go-to for interesting flavors, incredible photography, and POETIC descriptions of bakes. I love her. I love her recipes. Buy this book and blow everyone in your family away with the uniqueness of her talent.
Cake Two: Pineapple Upside-Down Layer Cake
Pineapple Upside-Down Layer Cake (All About Cake by Christina Tosi)
Another baker who’s flavors never miss. Christina Tosi adds the zest of ten lemons when other bakers add one. She’s a hero to me for understanding some of us have no “taste.” This cake, which involves poaching pineapple in white wine and soaking the layers in maraschino cherry juice, was the right side of way too much.
Cake Three: Banana Pudding Cake
Banana Cake (Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan) + Banana Pudding (improvised) + Marshmallow Frosting (Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan) + Nilla Wafers + Banana Runts
My husband and I don’t often agree on what is the “best” cake of Cake Week, but this year there was a clear winner.
This cake was so good.
I felt a little like Sandra Lee claiming credit by just adding on to this great base cake from Dorie Greenspan, but honestly, the pudding, nilla wafers, and runts added so much. New textures. Pops of butter and hyper sugar. It was all around incredible.
Go buy the book. Make the cake. Pour a pound of banana runts on top.
Cake Four: Pomegranate Cranberry Mousse and Classic Peach Pies
Cranberry Mousse Pie (Dessert Person by Claire Saffitz) + Classic Peach Pie (A Good Bake by Melissa Weller) = 1 Cake
Two easy pies by two bakers I truly idolize. I’ve never had a cake from Melissa Weller not turn out and I can’t count the hours I’ve spent laughing with (at?) Claire Saffitz’ incredible videos.
Cake Five: Apricot-Almond Meringue Cake
Apricot and Almond Meringue Cake (The Perfect Cake by America’s Test Kitchen)
I had to make two cakes this day (“had to”…) so I started with a shockingly easy (as most things Test Kitchen are) Almond Meringue cake. Crunchy, sweet, nutty. Nothing to complain about here.
Cake Five-point-two: Blackberry Peach Layer Cake
Blackberry and Peach Cake (Chelsweets)
Okay.
This cake.
So I LOVE Chelsweets videos. And this cake was good when you got a bite of all the bits together…
But I should just run whenever I see American Buttercream used for anything but the smallest of applications.
I want a cake that I can have seconds of without feeling sick, which isn’t hard to do as I have a pretty iron stomach… but American Buttercream….. pass.
Cinnamon cake layers, peach, and blackberry fillings: devour.
Cake Six: Cherry Chocolate CHip Cake
Cherry Chocolate Chip Cake (The Perfect Cake by America’s Test Kitchen)
By this point in the week I’d spent nearly forty hours in a kitchen that nevers falls below 84 degrees in the summer.
So when I tell you that I served this delicious, moist, chocolatey, vanilla, confection with the paper still on the cake layers, I hope you understand.
I’ve literally never done it before, but I can’t say that anymore. I served this cake to a group of five people and didn’t realize why it was cutting so badly until the first slice had been handed out.
Cake Week is a journey.
Cake Seven: Orange Vanilla Tart-Caken
Funfetti Cake (A Good Bake by Melissa Weller) and Orange Tart (Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan)
This cake was a strong strong contender for second best of the week. Depending on the day… it might even be number one.
I’d seen these cakes before, but not really understood how you cooked a tart inside a cake.
Because you don’t.
It’s all a trick of construction and it couldn’t be easier.
The combination of citrus tart, buttery pastry, and fluffy funfetti was perfect and the jiggly eyes, which I’d never done (or seen?) before were a perfect ending to this fruity cake week.