Wildly Wonderful Whiskey Cake

It has been just over thirteen weeks since I have unloaded my things (more than I think Jon was expecting) into my new home in Tempe.  It would be a lie to say that I haven't felt the least bit homesick.  Don't get me wrong, Jon is great company- we have so much fun together- but every now and then, I feel that slight pang in my chest; the longing to see my friends, go to lunch or run errands with my mom or even to eat at one of the restaurants that I had grown so fond of.  Living in the Dallas area for over 16 years gave me ample time to grow deep and meaningful relationships with several restaurants.  There are many that became permanent fixtures in my dining out routine, none more so than Mi Cocina (what I would give for a Mambo Taxi...), but Whiskey Cake, quite possibly my new all time favorite restaurant, has been on my mind more often than I would like.

My constant day dreaming of the food at Whiskey Cake is starting to become a problem.  One day it's thoughts of the Mesquite Grilled Redfish, the next it's their "3 Little Pigs" pulled pork sliders.  But most often, I dream of having a large slice of their namesake dessert placed in front of me, their Whiskey Cake.

It is unlike any other dessert I have ever tasted- rich, sticky, stinking of good whiskey and sinfully delicious.  The mere thought of sliding my fork down the edge of that cake into a pool of bourbon sauce is almost enough to get me to book a flight back to Dallas.  Almost.

The thing is, why would I fly all the way back to Texas when I could have Whiskey Cake right here, in the comfort of my new home?  Well, to put it simply, I wouldn't.  Not only does Whiskey Cake serve up fresh, local and seasonal ingredients (a restaurant trend that I hold in the highest regard ), but this restaurant has won me over in another big way.  You can request any recipe for any dish off their menu. Now, in my experience, most restaurants who provide recipes or publish cookbooks supposedly filled with said recipes, will subsequently tweak an ingredient here or leave out an ingredient there, thus resulting in a failed attempt to remake your favorite restaurant dish at home.  My thoughts on this matter: If you don't wan't to give out the real recipe for a dish off your menu, then don't give out the recipe at all.

I can't tell you how many times I have bought a cookbook from a bakery or restaurant only to fully regret that purchase days later after my pursuit to mimic a particular dish ends in complete misery.  My desire for a slice of Whiskey Cake was too strong to let this deter me, however.  I figured I should give this particular recipe a fair shot, although I will admit I was skeptical of it from the get go.  But with doubts and fears aside, I completed all 5 components needed to make the Whiskey Cake what it is: an absolute masterpiece.  Did I tweak the recipe to make it somewhat my own?  Perhaps...  I may or may not have tripled the amount of whiskey originally called for...  I'll let you be the judge of that.

Whiskey Cake

Recipe slightly adapted and interpreted from Whiskey Cake, in Plano, Texas

Ingredients:
Date Cake (see recipe below)
Bourbon Sauce (see recipe below)
Toffee Sauce (see recipe below)
Spiced Pecans (see recipe below)
Whipped Cream (see recipe below)

* I know this recipe looks like a lot of work, what with there being 5 separate components, but in order to make it a little easier on yourself, make 3 components one day and 2 the next.  Each component really doesn't require that much time and I promise the effort will be well worth it!

Directions:
1. Cut the Date Cake into 12 equal pieces.  Poke several holes in the top of each piece using a wooden skewer or chopstick.  Arrange the cake pieces on a baking sheet covered with nonstick foil.

2. Heat the oven to 500º.  Pour 1/4 cup of Toffee Sauce over each piece of Date Cake.  Place toffee soaked cake pieces in the oven for about 4-5 minutes, until the Toffee Sauce is bubbling and the cake is warmed throughout.

3. Spoon 1/4 cup of Bourbon Sauce onto 12 individual plates or bowls.  Place each piece of warmed cake in the middle of each pool of Bourbon Sauce.  Finish each piece with a large dollop of Whipped Cream and a sprinkling of Spiced Pecans.  Enjoy!

Makes 12 servings


Date Cake

Ingredients:
1, 8 oz package of dried pitted dates, chopped into 1/2" pieces
2 tsp baking soda
1 3/4 cup boiling water
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar
3 jumbo eggs, at room temperature
1 3/4 cup self rising flour (*see note below to make your own)
3 tbsp Sugar in the Raw (turbinado sugar)

Directions:
1. Heat the oven to 350º.  Place dates, baking soda and boiling water in a medium sized bowl.  Allow to sit for 15-20 minutes until the dates are softened.  Place the date mixture in a food processor for 2 minutes to form a paste.

2. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed for about 1 minute.  Add the sugar and continue to cream for 3 minutes longer.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl using a rubber spatula.  Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing in between to fully incorporate each egg.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  With the mixer running on low, add the flour, about 1/2 cup at a time, and mix just until the flour is no longer visible.

3. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer.  Add the date paste and gently fold in using a rubber spatula.

4. Spray an 8"x14" cake pan with non-stick spray.  Sprinkle the turbinado sugar into the cake pan and move the pan around until the sugar coats the bottom and all sides.   Pour in the cake batter and bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

5. Allow the cake to cool at room temperature for 20 minutes.  Flip the cake out onto a parchment paper lined tray.  Leave at room temperature to cool completely.  Wrap the cake in plastic wrap and store at room temperature until ready to use.

*To make Self-Rising Flour:  mix together 3 cups of all purpose flour, 2 tsp of iodized salt and 1 tablespoon of baking powder in a medium sized bowl.  Use immediately or store in an airtight container.


Bourbon Sauce

Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
1vanilla bean, split
4 jumbo egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp good bourbon (I used Maker's Mark)

Directions:
1. Bring heavy cream, 1/4 cup sugar and vanilla bean to a simmer in a small to medium sized sauce pot.

2. In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and other 1/4 cup sugar together until frothy.

3. While stirring, slowly add about 1/2 of the heavy cream mixture to the eggs.  Stir together gently.  Pour the egg mixture into the pot of remaining heavy cream.  Continue to cook over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spatula or spoon.

4. Stir in the vanilla extract and bourbon and remove from heat.  Pour the mixture through a strainer into a container.  Place the container of bourbon sauce in an ice bath until cool.

5. Either use the sauce immediately, or store in the fridge until ready to use.  If stored in the fridge before use, re-heat in the microwave at 10 second intervals on 50% power until thinned and slightly luke warm.


Toffee Sauce

Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter
1 lb light brown sugar
2 cups heavy cream
2 tbsp good bourbon
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Place butter in a heavy bottom sauce pot over medium heat.  Once melted, add brown sugar and continue to cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add heavy cream and allow to cook for another 6-7 minutes, still stirring occasionally.

3. Remove pan from heat and stir in bourbon and vanilla. Use sauce immediately or store in the fridge for up to 3 days.  Reheat before using.


Spiced Pecans

Ingredients:
1 lb pecan halves
2 tsp water
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions:
1.  Heat oven to 350º.  Mix water, syrup, salt, and both peppers together in a small bowl.  Place pecans in a medium sized bowl.  Pour maple syrup mixture over pecans and mix until all are evenly coated.

2. Spread the pecans out on a baking sheet covered with foil.  Bake for 12-15 minutes.

3. As soon as the pecans come out of the oven, scrape the pecans off the pan and break up pecan clumps to prevent from sticking together.  Let cool completely.  Store in an airtight plastic container at room temperature.

(At this point, I chopped up about half of the pecans to sprinkle on top of the cake.  I left the other portion of pecans whole to use for other purposes, like as a salad topping).


Whipped Cream

Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla to the bowl.  Beginning at low speed and slowly increasing the speed to high, whip the mixture together until slightly stiff peaks form.

2. Use immediately or store in the fridge until ready to use.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

I realize that pumpkin is technically more suited for the likes of November's seasonal eating.  You're probably thinking that perhaps I should have made an egg nog inspired whoopie pie or even basic chocolate ones flecked with peppermint candy canes. But ya know what?  I had already made these. Over a month ago. And I had already photographed these.  So I thought, the hell with it.  I'm posting them anyway.

Come to think of it, why do we, on average, only eat pumpkin one month out of the year?  It's sold year round in supermarkets, the canned version anyway.  It's delicious. It's healthy.  So why not?  Maybe I'll just have to make it my mission to change this.

Pumpkin or no pumpkin, however, whoopie pies are becoming increasingly popular.  Some even claim it's on its way to replacing the cupcake as the next "It" dessert.  There are others out there, however, who believe it's the French macaroon that is on its way to the top.  I prefer macaroons to whoopie pies, but macaroons take a skilled hand. (You might recall this from last December- a humiliating display of macaroon technique. I plan to give this another go within the upcoming weeks). The beauty of the whoopie pie although, is that there is basically an endless array of flavor combinations.  If it can work as a cupcake (or cake), it can work as a whoopie pie.  After all, whoopie pies began their existence as a way to use up leftover cake batter, which is merely plopped by the spoonful onto a baking sheet, the same way cookie dough is.

Now, the whoopie pie purist might be some what put off by my use of a cream cheese frosting in this recipe. Original whoopie pies were made with a marshmallow fluff filling, but that's not very fun.  Or creative.  Or very forgiving to flavor additions. So I'll make my whoopie pies any way I see fit.  And you can too.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Spice Cake
recipe heavily adapted from Bon Appètit 

Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 teaspoons finely grated orange peel

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a whoopie pie pan with nonstick cooking spray. (If not using a whoopie pie pan, use a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper). Whisk first 8 ingredients in large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat pumpkin, sugar, and oil in another large bowl. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating to incorporate between additions. Mix in orange peel. Add flour mixture; beat on low speed until just combined. Spoon 2 tablespoons of batter into each cavity of pan; spread batter to the edges. Cavity should be about 2/3 full. (If not using pan, drop 2 tablespoons of batter on to prepared baking sheet and flatten slightly with the back of a spoon).

2. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the top of the cake springs back when touched. Cool in pan 8 minutes. Remove cakes from pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before filling. Repeat process with remaining batter. 

3. To assemble pies, spread frosting (or pipe with a piping bag filled with frosting) on the flat side of half the cakes.  Top each frosted cake with another cake.  Voila! 

*I poured sprinkles around the edges of the frosting for added decoration.  Chopped pecans would be yummy too!

makes 20-24 whoopie pies

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

16 oz cream cheese, softened

1 cup butter softened

6 cups confectioner's sugar

6 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1/2 tsp maple extract (optional)

Directions:

1. Beat the cream cheese and butter together in a large bowl until blended and creamy.  Gradually add the confectioners sugar and beat until combined.  Add the maple syrup and extract if using and beat until smooth.  Store in refrigerator for up to one week. 

makes 3 cups

A Tribute to New York City Part 1

* My friend Hannah Flora asked me to be a guest blogger on her blog this week (and next).  She wanted me to write about my time in New York City and how it relates to living in Dallas, TX. You can read the full post here, but make sure to check out her fabulous blog: Hannah Kate Flora. 

I’ve known Hannah since we were young, like really young. Braces young. Even training bras young. And though we went to school together for many, many years, I never really got to know her- that is until I moved to New York. I was lucky enough to develop a friendship with Hannah during my brief time in the Big Apple. I had a hard time meeting and making friends there, but Hannah definitely made things easier for me. Honestly one of the sweetest people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing, she was always reaching out and inviting me places. One of my favorite memories with her in New York was going to the Big Apple Barbeque Block Party. Rows upon rows of barbeque vendors from all over the US were there to share their finger lickin’ ribs and pulled pork, even some Texas standards such as The Salt Lick, which if you’re from Texas, you’ve no doubt heard about and hopefully had a chance to try- seriously good stuff.

It was actually at this block party that Hannah planted the seed, urging me to start my own blog writing about food and cooking, which is wherein my true passion lies. Before then, I was pretty oblivious to the world of blogging, but her suggestion intrigued me, and a couple months later I took Hannah’s advice and opened myself up to a whole new world of food blogging, a world I didn’t even know existed. But exploring this new world of virtual foodie friends and followers and writing and tweeting (twitting...?) about my culinary adventures, has allowed me to discover a new passion for writing, one that I didn’t even know I had, and that is, of course, thanks to Hannah.

I may have chosen to leave New York and return to the South, but that doesn’t mean my whole time spent up north was a waste or that it left a bad taste in my mouth.  I’m not bitter about my time there.  I actually had some fantastic experiences and was introduced to quite a few things, besides the smell of subways or how quickly rage could consume me when trying to fight my way trough the sea of people in Times Square.  It was in New York that I had my first encounter with a farmer’s market, which is hard to believe considering my immense love for local and fresh ingredients. 

I guess living in Dallas, the farmer’s markets here were always a destination, where as in New York, every time I stepped out in Union Square (after making my brief, but painful commute from Brooklyn to Manhattan) there were throngs of people scoping out what the vendors on that particular day had to offer.  I’d always stroll- ok rush, I hate crowds- up and down the congested aisles, stopping every so often to linger over a particular piece of produce, but never making a purchase. 

I had always thought farmer’s market purchases were supposed to be cheaper, encouraging folks to buy local instead of the chemical soaked copies that stock the grocery stores.  Alas, the minuscule budget I lived on in New York did not allow me to enjoy the organic fruits and vegetables farmers from upstate had worked so hard to haul down into the city. So a couple of weeks ago I decided to wake up early- on a Saturday (gasp!) no less- and drive all the way to downtown Dallas to check out the Dallas Farmer’s Market. 

I was like a kid in a candy store, except this candy store wouldn’t give me a stomach ache or rot my teeth.  There were so many choices of plump, juicy red Texas tomatoes, enormous green onions, the most delicious watermelon I’ve ever had, and some new little round “8-ball”squash that I had never seen before. 

And not to brag or anything, but the farmer’s markets in Texas have got it right, on the prices that is.  A bucket of 16 tomatoes cost $2! Ahhh, visions of bruschetta are dancing through my head… 

Another newbie for me in New York, although quite less profound, was the side by side escalators, one of which was for your shopping cart.  You New Yorkers, no doubt, know exactly what I’m talking about, while most Texans, I’m sure, don’t have a clue- that is unless you’ve made a trip to the brand spanking new Whole Foods that opened on Park Lane.  My mom and I first encountered these escalators during our venture out to the Target on Flatbush, deep in the heart of Brooklyn- and man do I mean deep.  My mom and I were pretty astounded at these escalators, which I guess is pretty silly, but that’s how we country bumpkins react to that fancy New York City stuff- ha. 

The idea of 24/7 delivery, of absolutely anything, was also new to me in New York.  Although I was only exposed to this luxury for a brief time, and this luxury was also “limited” to me living in Brooklyn, it has still spoiled me rotten, right to my core.  There have been many, many nights that I have found myself lying on my couch, paralyzed with laziness, wondering what I should have delivered for dinner, and upon making my decision, only then do I realize that I don’t even have that option.  There are sadly very few places that will deliver, and even fewer that do so past 9 pm.  In New York, you could have groceries, wine, greasy Chinese food, and even toothpaste delivered at 4 am if necessary.  How dare Plano make me get in my car and drive all the way to the nearest Asian take-out.

Bakeries were obviously not introduced to me during my time in New York, but the immense amount of them was.  I probably could have a tried a different bakery each week during my year there and though I tried quite a few of them, there were more than a few that I never had a chance to sample.  However, the two bakeries that really resonated with me were the two darlings of New York City: Billy’s Bakery and Magnolia Bakery.  The two have long held an infamous rival with one another and it’s easy to see why.  The cupcakes, which were basically made famous by Magnolia with thanks to Sex and the City, were, while delicious, not the real reason why I would frequent these bakeries. (But for anyone wondering which cupcake I favor of the two… I’d have to go with Billy’s- the actual cake of the cupcake is much lighter.)  No, it wasn’t the cupcakes that kept me coming back, not even with their towers of buttercream.  At Billy’s, it was their heavenly banana cake with cream cheese frosting.

I remember the exact moment that I had put that first bite into my mouth.  I had just come from the Bronx Zoo and decided to take a detour to Billy’s Bakery.  I took my tired self home, from the Bronx, to Chelsea, and all the way back to Brooklyn, climbed the stairs to my 3^rd story apartment, and before I even allowed myself to sit down, I took that first fateful bite of banana cake.  It really was life changing. The creamy, tangy frosting paired with the impossibly moist cake with small bits of banana baked through, (pause to wipe drool) literally made me weak in the knees.  Like I said, heavenly.  Then there is Magnolia Bakery, that has my second and third favorite desserts, and, oddly enough, one of them is also made of bananas.  The banana pudding there is insane.  It’s not your grandma’s banana pudding.  The other dessert is the red velvet cheesecake.  I had never heard of red velvet cheesecake before this.  And I love red velvet anything.  And I adore cheesecake.  So this particular dessert had high standards to live up to.  It did not disappoint, but rather soared right past those expectations. 

While I do feel a little sad reminiscing about those delectable desserts from such charming bakeries, don’t feel too sorry for me.  Dallas has some quality competitors.  I ordered a cake for my mom’s 50^th birthday from Society Bakery, but this wasn’t just any old cake.  This was a chocolate, turtle, caramel, gooey, rich- did I mention chocolate?- cake.  It was pretty darn awesome.  While I was there picking up the cake, I of course also had to pick up a couple other goodies, a couple of cupcakes and some petit-fours.  The petit-fours are definitely where it’s at.  The cupcakes were somewhat forgettable for me.  If you want a good cupcake in Dallas, check out Dimple’s, they’re delicious and jumbo sized which is always a plus.  I mean, is there such a thing as too much cupcake?

I still haven’t found a worthy replacement of the banana cake, however.  So making my own would have to suffice.  My recipe for Banana Cake is a good enough substitute, so I invite you to indulge in your own “Billy’s Bakery” moment.  For me, it’s like having a little slice of NYC, where each bite allows memories to come flooding back.  I can’t promise the same for you, but it’s worth a shot.  The frosting alone, if nothing else, is worth it.

I’ll be back next Friday with a follow up post on more New York memories and another NYC inspired recipe.

(banana cake recipe follows)

Heavenly Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting 

Inspired by Billy's Bakery 

Ingredients:

Crisco for greasing pans

2 3/4 cups cake flour (plus more for pans), sifted

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

3 large eggs, beaten

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup sour cream

5 ripe bananas

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans

1/2 cup chopped, toasted walnuts

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Grease and flour 3, 9-inch round cake pans; set aside. Pre-heat oven to 350º F.

2. Mash the bananas with a fork in a small bowl. Add the lemon juice and stir to combine; set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugars, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add the eggs and oil and stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened; do not beat.

4. Gently stir in the sour cream, banana mixture, pecans, walnuts, and vanilla. Divide the batter among the prepared pans and place in the oven. Set a pan of water on the rack below the cakes; it will help to keep the cakes moist. Bake for 23-28 minutes or until a pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake layers in the pans for 10 minutes, and then turn them out onto a rack to cool completely.

5. Once completely cooled, assemble, fill and frost the cake. Sprinkle with additional chopped pecans or walnuts. Enjoy!

(cream cheese frosting recipe follows)

Cream Cheese Frosting 

Recipe Courtesy of Paula Deen 

Ingredients:

2, 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 pound confectioner's sugar, sifted

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese until smooth in consistency, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the confectioner's sugar and continue to beat until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla.

2. The pecans/walnuts can be stirred into the frosting or reserved to sprinkle on top of the frosted cake.