Category Archives: Baking

Honey Oatmeal Bread

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Prep 20 mins Bake 45 mins Rising :2 hr 15 mins Total 3 hrs 20 mins Oven: 350 F

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups boiling water
  • 3/4 cup large-flake rolled oats plus more for coating
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt
  • 2 Tbsp butter or vegetable oil
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup lukewarm water
  • 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (or more all purpose flour)
  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour approximately

Instructions

  • Boil some water and measure out 1 1/2 cups. Add to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the rolled oats, salt and butter and stir to combine. Let stand 20 minutes, to soak and cool. *Be sure your mixture has cooled enough before you add your yeast to the bowl. If it’s too hot, you will kill your yeast. Use a thermometer to test the temperature. It should be around 110F before you add the yeast. If you don’t have a thermometer, let cool 5 minutes more and make sure it’s just lukewarm.
  • Add the yeast to the lukewarm water. Stir and let stand 5 minutes.
  • Once the oat mixture is cooled enough, add the honey, proofed yeast mixture, whole wheat flour and the 1st cup of all purpose flour to the bowl.
  • Mix to combine with the kneading hook. With the mixer running, begin adding the 2nd cup of flour in small increments, letting it mix in before adding more. Continue adding this cup and additional flour, if needed, until you have a quite moist dough, but one that wraps around the hook and cleans the bowl in spots. Remove the dough to a floured surface and knead a few minutes, adding a bit of flour as needed, to prevent it from sticking to your hands or the work surface. Form into a ball.
  • Place into a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
  • Grease an 8×4-inch loaf pan and set aside.
  • Remove dough to a lightly floured surface and gently deflate it by pressing down on it with your palms.
  • Form the dough into a rough oval, about as long as your loaf pan (set your loaf pan next to your work area to judge the length).
  • Flip the dough over and pinch in from the sides to the center of the dough, pinching a seam down the middle.
  • Pinch in the ends, as well.
  • Flip it back over, right side up.
  • Scatter some rolled oats on your work surface.
  • Lightly brush your dough with water (not too much – just a light coating), then roll it over the oats, rolling to cover top, sides and bottom.
  • Place dough into your prepared loaf pan.
  • Spray a piece of plastic wrap with cooking spray and cover the top of the pan tightly. Allow to rise until doubled again, about 45-60 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350F.
  • When dough is ready, remove plastic wrap and bake in preheated oven for about 45 minutes, or until the loaf tests at least 200F with an instant read thermometer. If you don’t have a thermometer, insert a tester in the side and into the center. It should come out clean and dry. If in doubt, leave it in the oven a few extra minutes, as you probably won’t hurt it. *It is unlikely that your loaf will over-brown, but check it after about 35 minutes and if it looks like it may over-brown, lay a sheet of aluminum foil loosely over-top for the last part of baking.
  • Remove loaf from oven and immediately remove from pan to a cooling rack to cool completely before slicing.

Notes

This bread keeps well for several days stored at room temperature, well wrapped. You can also freeze this bread up to 3 months, though it will best if used within the first month.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream and Variations

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Ingredients

  • 10 large fresh egg whites (300 g)
  • 2-1/2 cups 500 g sugar
  • 3 cups 680 g unsalted butter, cut into cubes and cool, but not cold
  • 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon 20 ml pure vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Wipe the bowl of an electric mixer with paper towel and lemon juice, to remove any trace of grease. Add egg whites and sugar, and simmer over a pot of water (not boiling), whisking constantly but gently, until temperature reaches 140°F, or if you don’t have a candy thermometer, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites are hot.
  2. With whisk attachment of mixer, begin to whip until the meringue is thick, glossy, and the bottom of the bowl feels neutral to the touch (this can take up to 10 minutes or so). *Don’t begin adding butter until the bottom of the bowl feels neutral, and not warm.
  3. Switch over to paddle attachment and, with mixer on low speed, add butter cubes, one at a time, until incorporated, and mix until it has reached a silky smooth texture (if curdles, keep mixing and it will come back to smooth). *If mixture is too runny, refrigerate for about 15 minutes and continue mixing with paddle attachment until it comes together. Add vanilla and salt, continuing to beat on low speed until well combined.
  4. Add additional flavours, purees, as desired.

Sweetapolita’s Notes

*Keep in airtight container in refrigerator for up to one week, leaving out at room temperature when needed, rewhipping in mixer for 5 minutes.

**Can freeze for up to 6-8 weeks. To thaw, place on counter overnight, and rewhip for 5 minutes with paddle attachment in an electric mixer.

***If buttercream still doesn’t have its satiny finish after rewhipping, microwave 1/3 of the buttercream for approximately 10 seconds and add to remaining buttercream in mixer bowl, beating for a few moments to incorporate.

Sweetapolita’s Notes on a few Variations:

  • Chocolate Buttercream:  Add 300 g (1 1/2 cups before melting) melted bittersweet high quality chocolate (the best you can get–I use Callebaut) for every 5 cups of vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream and beat until incorporated.
  • Strawberry Buttercream (or any other berry version):  Add fruit puree to taste (approximately 1/2 cup for 5 cups of SMB).
  • Vanilla Bean Buttercream: Add 1 tablespoon of vanilla bean paste OR 1 vanilla bean, scraped for every 5 cups of SMB, and beat until incorporated.
  • Lemon Buttercream: Eliminate vanilla extract and add 1 teaspoon of pure lemon extract  for every 5 cups of SMB, or to taste, and beat until incorporated.
  • You can also add liqueurs and other flavourings, as well as any food gel colours to achieve any desired colour.

Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake

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Prep: 30 min Total Time: 20 hrs 30 min

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE RED VELVET LAYERS

Butter, for cake pans

All-purpose flour, for cake pans

1 box red velvet cake mix, plus ingredients called for on the box

FOR THE CHEESECAKE LAYER

2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened

2/3 c. granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1/3 c. sour cream

1 tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, softened

2 1/4 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350º and butter and flour two 9″ cake pans. Prepare red velvet cake batter according to box instructions.
  2. Divide batter among prepared cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 32 minutes. Let cool slightly in cake pans, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. Using a serrated knife, level out tops of the cake so they’re flat (save scraps for decorating!).
  3. Make cheesecake layer: Line a 9″ springform pan with parchment and spray with cooking spray. In a large bowl using a hand mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy and combined, 3 minutes. Add eggs, one a time, until combined. Add sour cream, flour, vanilla, and salt and beat until combined.
  4. Pour filling into prepared springform pan and bake until only slightly jiggly in the center, about 1 hour. Let cool slightly, then transfer to the freezer to cool completely and firm up before assembling.
  5. Make cream cheese frosting: In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy, then add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until combined.
  6. Assemble cake: On a cake platter, place one red velvet cake. Top with cheesecake layer, pressing down firmly, then top with second red velvet cake.
  7. Using an offset spatula, frost cake with cream cheese frosting.
  8. Garnish with red velvet cake crumbs before serving.