Cake Byte: Essential Baking Debuts Tea Cakes for the Northwest Tea Festival

Finish this phrase: Tea and _________.

If you said "sympathy", you're a dope. Because the correct answer is CAKE.

And you'll have plenty of it if you go to this year's Northwest Tea Festival, because this year, there's an official Tea Cake maker for the event: Essential Baking Company! The clever little cookies over at EBC have developed three unique tea cakes which will be debuted at the festival, but will also be part of their retail bakery offerings. Designed to be paired with a wide variety of teas, these buttery cakes are all delicately sweet, each with a fresh, contrasting flavor to refresh the palate: think blueberry-orange, carrot-pineapple, and raspberry-lemon. 

Now, don't get too jealous, but since I got a sneak peek (er, taste?) of these cakes at the lovely Perrenial Tea Room in the Pike Place Market, I can attest that you should start working up your appetite. The Northwest Tea Festival takes place next weekend, October 2 + 3, at the Seattle Center.

For more info on the festival, click here; also, I should tell you that the loaves will also be available at Essential Baking retail locations.

Pound It: Pound Cake Recipe, Circa 1824

So, here's the deal. Anyone who has ever had the slightest bit of curiousity about why Pound Cake is referred to as such is probably aware that it is derived from the French "Quatre Quarts"--meaning, literally, four quarts--which refers to the equal weight of the four ingredients (eggs, butter, sugar, flour) which went into early versions of the cake. Apparently, this easy ratio was necessary because"  In the days when many people couldn't read, this simple convention made it simple to remember recipes." (What's cooking America".

But what this brief historical lesson does not tell you, however, is how these early versions tasted.

And so, dear friends, I bravely stocked up my reusable grocery tote (I am in Seattle, after all) with a whole lot of eggs, butter, sugar, and flour, and tried it out for you.

Of course, my first inclination was to try this recipe, found on The Food Timeline:

[1817] A Pound cake, plain.
Beat a pound of butter in an earthen pan till it is like a thick cream, then beat in nine whole eggs till it is quite light. Put in a glass of brandy, a little lemon-peel shred fine; then pork in a pound and a quarter of flour. Put it into your hoop or pan, and bake it for one hour."
---The Female Instructor or Young Woman's Guide to Domestic Happiness, [Thomas Kelly:London] 1817 (p. 462)

But as tempting as it was to figure out how to "pork in" a pound and a quarter of flour, something seemed missing from this recipe: namely, sugar. So instead I opted for a variation on the recipe (also from the Food Timeline):

[1824] Pound cake.
Wash the salt from a pound of butter and rub it till it is soft as cream, have ready a pound of flour sifted, one pound of powdered sugar, and twelve eggs well beaten; put alternately into the butter, sugar, flour, and the froth from the eggs; continuing to beat them together till all the ingredients are in, and the cake quite light; add some grated lemon peel, a nutmeg, and a gill of brandy; butter the pans and bake them. This cake makes an excellent pudding if baked in a large mould, and eaten with sugar and wine. It is also excellent when boiled, and served up with melted butter, sugar, and wine."
---The Virginia Housewife, Mary Randolph, with historical notes and commentaries by Karen Hess [University of South Carolina Press:Columbia] 1984 (p. 161)

In this version, the proportions were pretty much a pound each, but in the effort to produce the most pure final product, I did not add the peel, nutmeg, or brandy.

So, here's how it all went down.

• First, creaming the butter til it was "like cream"--basically, I beat it (in my very not 1824-esque Kitchen Aid) until it was softer than butter itself, and became an aromatic, beautiful sort of thing that begged to be slathered on bread.
• In my second stand mixer (because yes, I have two...jealous?), I separately mixed the eggs. What did "well-beaten" mean? I took it to mean "beat into complete submission", so I let them thoroughly froth up by mixing them on medium for about 5 minutes (but to be 100% honest, I didn't really look at the clock).
• Then, I started to add the rest of the ingredients, bit by bit, to the extremely creamy, dreamy butter.
• This makes a pretty significant bit of batter, so I divided among a few pans. I baked each cake in a moderate (350-degree) oven until lightly golden on top--about 30-45 minutes depending on the pan size.  

But what of the cake that came out of the oven? Amazingly, this cake was far lighter than I would have expected. The crumb was surprisingly delicate, and the texture almost feathery--and yet, and yet, the indescribeably buttery and rich taste allows you to make no mistake, this is a serious cake through and through.

Would I suggest moving back to our pound cake roots? Probably not, because ultimately (for better or worse) I think I do prefer the hefty, dense, sliced loaves of pound cake that are more common these days. But it did make for a sweet experiment, and an even sweeter taste of history.

Want more? You can find a plethora of historic poundcake recipes (and info) on Food Timeline.

Sweet Love: A Bakery Crush on Gateau, Djursholm, Sweden

The best part about having a store? Well, other than making absolute gobs of money, all day long, every day? 

Definitely the customers. I get to meet all sorts of cool dudes and dudettes not only from around Seattle, but around the world! And usually, they have great bakery suggestions.

But jumping to the head of the class? Customer (and cool dude) Nicholas, who splits his time between Seattle and Sweden (the poor thing), and sent some delectable photos from Gateau, a cafe in Djursholm, "a fancy area just outside of Stockholm." Let's take a virtual bakery break and imagine we're there with him, shall we?

First, here's the selection. Lovely, no?

...and how 'bout a closeup of some of the prettiest domes you've ever seen: chocolate cakes on the right, Princess cakes on the left.

...and here, a new classic in Sweden--the Royal Wedding Cake, which has gained popularity in bakeries since having been the cake of choice at Princess Victoria's wedding.

...but of course, nobody's going to forget about the classic Princess cake, even if there's no real straight answer as to why it's green.

Ultimately, this is what Nicholas decided on: a raspberry meringue cake! In his words: "Very tasty. In the back you can also see two 'kardemumakringlor' or a cardamom kringle on the plates."

...but the best part? Digging in. Don't know about you, but this is more desirable than any "wish you were here" postcard to me.

Want more? You can see more of Nicholas's delicious foodie photography here, and visit Gateau here.

Cake Byte: New Holiday Card Designs Available!

Some say that the Christmas season starts earlier and earlier every year, but I say if it's a season that involves cookies and Yule Logs, bring it on.

And it's in that sweet spirit that I'm delighted to unveil my 2010 collection of holiday cards! As reported on Cupcakes Take the Cake by the charming Java Cupcake, the sweetest cards on earth are now available online and at CakeSpy Shop--but be warned, they won't be reprinted, so when they're gone they're gone!

Of course, if you were a fan of last year's popular Naughty and Nice collection, I do still have a limited quantity of mixed cards available; or, you can either mix and match or have me choose a mix for you.

Find it all online at cakespyshop.com!

Stuff It: Cupcake-Stuffed Cupcakes for Serious Eats

I hold this truth to be self-evident: Cupcakes are better when filled. This, of course, is a lesson learned from Bake It In A Cake, which proves that there's no lack of material with which to fill them, ranging from cookie dough to dollhouse-sized pies to baklava.

But the ultimate cupcake-stuffer? Cupcakes themselves. By embedding miniature cupcakes—frosting and all—inside batter-filled standard-sized cups, you get a surprisingly delightful treat: The baby-cakes, sealed by the moisture of the cake batter, don't dry out, whereas the baked bit of frosting lightly spreads, browns, and adds a rich crunch, making for an overall taste and visual contrast which can't be beat.

Note: If you don't cover the mini cupcakes batter, the frosting will spread a bit and you might want to keep a cookie sheet under the muffin tin in case of drippage. Alternately, save a little batter and cover them completely before baking.

For the full entry and recipe, visit Serious Eats!

Sweet Home Chicago: 50 Sweet Moments from a Midwest Excursion

Fact: Chicago is totally sweet. And on a recent trip there to sell artwork at the Renegade Craft Fair, I had so many sweet moments which cemented the city's status as awesome. Care to go through my vacation slideshow to hear all about it? I'll take that as a yes. Here goes: 50 sweet moments and snapshots from my trip to Chicago!

1. The first thing I saw after getting off of the plane? Dunkin' Donuts. No matter where you are, donuts mean you're home. Vanilla Kreme? Yes please.
2. The reasoon I was there: the Renegade Craft Fair! Dudes, dudettes, it was. Off. The. Hook. Several blocks closed down just for art! How much awesomer does it get?
3. On the way to the craft fair, my cab driver gave me a delicious chocolate candy. Which makes the answer yes, I will take candy from strangers.
4. Host files #1: Abbey, of AbbeyChristine. The genius behind the Ira Glass finger puppet (and so many others) I had the good fortune of staying with Abbey and her boyfriend Ben (see below). Among her other talents, Abbey has an amazingly retro-outfitted kitchen. YES!
5. Host Files #2: which brings us to Ben. As a Chicago tour guide, Ben was amazingly informative, and when I would idly ask something like "I wonder how far away that is?" Ben would say something like "Well, because 8 blocks make a mile in Chicago, it would probably be such and such a distance". Also, we had a great conversation about CandyBlog.
6. HOOT! Owl show at Renegade Handmade: so, I didn't win the competition, but my piece did sell, and not to brag but it was among the first to sell.
7. The cutest 7-11 ever.
8. Leaving love notes to this fair city.
9. Sweet Cakes: after Leigh (Rhymes with Twee) told me two years in a row that I had to go here, I finally made good on my promise. And I wasn't let down--a delicious savory biscuit and two chocolate chip cookies (vegan!) rewarded myself and my boothmates for walking over in the rain.
10. Best customer interaction ever: first, find out customer is from St. Paul (near where I did the mural in the bathroom at Cake Eater Bakery). Me: "have you ever been to Cake Eater Bakery?". Her "Yes!". Me: "Did you go to the bathroom??". Her (not knowing I did a mural there): "Um, no."
11. Having a delightful dinner at a cool restaurant called Otom with cupcake royalty from Bleeding Heart Bakery, Cake Eater Bakery, and Cupcakes Take the Cake.
12. Being surprised with a ginormous box of Swirlz Cupcakes after dinner. YES!
13. Totally sweet: Natalie of Bake and Destroy brought me vegan chocolate peanut butter cookies. YES!
14. Awesome overload: Natalie of Bake and Destroy returned the next day (with her cute husband and son) with MORE treats, from Angel Food Bakery.
15. Part 1 of the "Trailer Park Special" from Angel Food Bakery: The "Airstream" (a homemade Twinkie).
16. Part 2 of the "Trailer Park Special" from Angel Food Bakery: The "RV" (a homemade Zinger).
17. Part 3 of the "Trailer Park Special" from Angel Food Bakery: I don't know what this was, but it was delicious: a chocolate Twinkie-shaped cake, filled with peanut butter and coated in chocolate. Oh yeah. 
18. German chocolate cookie from Alliance Bakery! The cutest pile of poo-looking confection ever.
19. Floriole! You were closed, but I left you a love note. 
20. Sweet Mandy B's! You put me in a state of buttercream bliss.
21. Adorable: a "recipe" in the window at Sweet Mandy B's.
22. A drive-by at Molly's Cupcakes. Didn't get anything, but saw that they had peach cobbler cupcakes (!). 
23. Cotton candy shortbread from Phoebe's Cupcakes. Le nom.
24. Unfortunately they weren't open, but I got a beefcake contact high from Meatloaf Bakery.
25. Not cake, but hilarious: POSTAL POLICE!
    
26. More Cupcakes: delicious cocktail flavors, on the day I went. Took a walk with the Margarita cupcake. Margarita cupcake didn't make it home.
27. The bakery case at Milk & Honey (where I hear the granola is fab).
28. Me and a celebrity: Michelle from Bleeding Heart Bakery!
29. This girl, who is possibly my new hero.
30. Better than the White House: House of Fine Chocolates.
31. Homemade funfetti! From Phoebe's Cupcakes
32. The most beautiful word (as sighted in a flyer from Sweet Mandy B's)
33. Another beautiful word: as seen in the window at Bleeding Heart Bakery.
34. Totally awesome coffee from Intelligentsia.
35. Sweet visitor to booth: Jessica from MO!
36. Spied at Whole Foods: Jennie and Vera's cookies!
37. Sweet visitor: Kelly!
38. This has nothing to do with cake, but I want to point out that I found these tattoos in a magazine. Yes, someone has these Law and Order tattoos on their body. How I wish I could meet that person.
39. Sweet regret: I was not able to visit Fritz Pastry, but I look forward to saying hi next time!
40. Sweet visitor: Tamara!
41. Sightings like this truck.
42. Scooter's wasn't open on Monday when I walked by, but I did pause to dream about their "Coconut Cream Pie" - Vanilla Custard, Coconut, Graham Cracker Pie Crust blended and topped with whipped cream.
43. I did, however, get to sample Black Dog Gelato.
44. Stopped at the retail Threadless Store, home to so many sweet tees!
45. So sad: I missed Bethany, but did enjoy the artwork of her buddies Shawnimals.
46. How happy do these frosted cookies (from Sweet Mandy B's) make you?
47. Yay for sweet signs on the street.
48. Sweet celebrity sighting: I got to catch up with the lovely and amazing Lucy and Ryan Berkley.
49. Totally got a tattoo with Sheela. Yes, it involves a baked good. No, I'm not going to show you.
50. Having very sweet dreams upon returning (exhausted, but exhilarated) home. Seeya next year, Chicago!

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links

Woot! It's Friday! Get all starry-eyed this weekend with this batch of sweet links!

Mac Attack! Totally sweet macaron plates.

Possible pleasure overload? Bacon Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix, from Vosges.

Just Donut! A mug with a doughnut handle.

Scoop shop: Build your own ice cream scoop charm necklace!

Sweet and Salty perfection: Salty Oatmeal Cookies.

Cobbler cupcakes: Spotted at Molly's Cupcakes in Chicago, by Cupcakes Take The Cake!

Guess what? The lovely Gluten-Free Girl has a book out, Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef -- and it has plenty of dessert recipes.

S'mores Semifreddo? S'momigod!

Caramel delight: white chocolate cranberry macadamia caramels sound about right!

Wish your marshmallows weren't ruined by all those pesky bits of cereal? The answer is Cereal Marshmallows! (Thanks, Sage!)

The secret ingredient isn't crack, but Crack Pie does live up to its addictive-sounding name.

Vive le roi: Baking history in New Orleans, with the largest King Cake ever!

Sweet memories: Obi-Wan cookies!

Cake Byte: CakeSpy Shop Has a New Sign!

Three guesses as to what I'm most excited about today, my sweet friends.

That's right: CakeSpy Shop has a new neon sign! It's pink! With a white border! And it's in NoodleScript (also used a lot on the site!).

Yes! Yes! Yes!

You can see it for yourself at 415 E. Pine Street, Seattle WA 98122; or, just make yourself feel better about not seeing it in person by shopping at cakespyshop.com.

Batter Chatter: Interview with Food Photographer Angela Boykins

The thing about food on the internet is this: it's gotta look good. Cos you know what? You can describe a decadent brownie or a creamy gelato all day and all night as poetically as you can, but when it comes down to it, what will draw people in is the sexy picture. 

And one person who knows how to engage viewers is Seattle-based Angela Boykins, a budding food photographer whose stunning shots make you wish you were having was she's having, and right now. Curious about some of her secrets to food photography success? Read on:

CakeSpy: First things first. What is the last dessert or baked good that "wowed" you? 

Angela Boykins: My boyfriend and I recently ate at Dahlia Lounge, and finished with a Creme Caramel that I am still thinking about. Seriously, so smooth & flavorful. A perfect ending to an amazing meal. Tom Douglas, you brilliant genius. 

CS: Do friends find it annoying to go out to eat with you because you must compulsively photograph everything before eating? Cos you know, mine do. 

AY: Totally! But also they're really interested in how I get a good shot with problems like dim lighting, and less than perfect styling. I often cook at home for friends and it's always like I am torturing them, because I lay the food down, then take 10 min to shoot. "Can we eat now? Now?"

CS: Can you share a favorite food photograph of yours and tell us why it's your favorite? 

AY: I gotta be honest...I love taking photos of baked goods. They often last longer in a shoot and have more possibilites. One of my faves is a pear cookie I did for a self published cookbook. As I was making the delish cookies, I had the top of the pear sitting in front of me. It was this brain explosion moment. I stacked three cookies and placed the pear top on and it was magical. I feel like that was my first idea that I had to keep photographing food. (aforementioned photo pictured at the top of the post)

CS: I find that brown-hued items (chocolate cake, brownies, or savories such as meats, etc) are very hard to photograph in a way that they don't look like, well, dog poop. Any tips for making them a bit more attractive? 

AY: A light colored linens or textile have a great opposites attract. Also, be simple with the styling. Place your protein with some color (leafy greens or veg sautee) on a white colored plate. Focus not only on the meat, but something that gives a little extra depth. With cakes and brownies, think about adding powdered sugar or a light dusting of what's already included in the recipe. Plus, a good cake stand will be genius. 

CS: Are there any foods that you don't like to eat but you love to photograph? 

AY: I am not a huge mushroom fan. It's a texture thing, I can't lie. However, there is such a huge variety of neat looking mushrooms, it's exciting. 

CS: When it comes to food photography, do you have any secrets to success? For instance mine is always shoot in natural light.

AY: I primarily shoot in natural light. Which, totally makes for tricky business in Seattle. I tend to shoot in the brightest parts of the day, near a window and use a tripod.  

CS: I hear this rumor that a lot of the foods you photograph you've also cooked or baked. So, basically, what I am saying is that I know you've got a sweet recipe to share. Yes? 

AY: Do I! I found a recipe for vegan cupcakes 3 yrs ago from a now defunct blog and I can't stop making it. I usually adapt it to a cake and layer it with my Mom's killer peanut butter frosting. It needs to be said, I am not vegan. But dang, vegan baking is super fun! So far I have had good luck with vegan baked good recipes tasting light and moist, all without the major gutsmack of butter and eggs. Thanks Vegans! Here it is, enjoy! My Mom says hi!

Chocolate Vegan Cupcakes

 Ingredients

• 1 C. soy milk
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 C. sugar
• 1/3 C. veg oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 C. flour
• 1/3 C. cocoa powder
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

 Procedure

Whisk together soy milk and vinegar, add sugar, oil, and vanilla. Beat on med high until foamy. Sift together dry ingred and add to soy mixture; mixing in batches. Pour into cupcake papers and bake at 350 degrees for about 10-15 min. Ovens vary.

Mom's Peanut Butter Frosting

 Ingredients

• 1/3-1/2 C of peanut butter
• 2 C powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk (CS Note: Obvi, non dairy to keep it all vegan)

 Procedure

Beat together until smooth and creamy. Use Immediately.

What's next for Angela? She's working on building a website (in the meantime, check out her photos via Facebook) with a very talented up and coming graphic designer, sarasmileygraphics.com, and is also focusing on devolping a studio space, hitting up restaurants to update their websites and cooking up a storm. And of course, "taking pictures of what the guy next to me ordered."

Sweet Notes: Little Love Letters to Chicago, from CakeSpy

So, if you read this site, like, ever, you probably know that the guiding principle of CakeSpy is that I am seeking sweetness in everyday life, and hopefully leaving the world a sweeter place with my work. I know, so cheesy you could die, right?

Well, don't die yet. First, check out these sweet little love-notes I left around Chicago, with hopes that they would sweeten the day(s) of those who found them:

First, Floriole. I was thrilled to hear that these dudes had opened up a retail spot, because I had been delighted by a canelé I picked up at their Farmer's Market booth 2 years ago.

Alas, Floriole was ferme on Lundi! Sacre bleu! Well, I left them a little something to find when they were ouvert again, to let them know I cared. A note, nestled between their outdoor tables, to be discovered by an employee in the morning! (picture of note is at the top of the post)

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Second, while browsing some delightful secondhand clothes at The Buffalo Exchange, I thought I might add to the "treasure hunt" aspect of thrifting by hiding a treasure in a handbag for sale.

Of course, anyone who buys an Andy Warhol handbag has good taste, and they should be rewarded, right?

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Third, I was struck by the beauty of this gorgeously appointed...storage space? So I left a little note nestled in by the toes of this Egyptian dude. Call it a footnote!

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Well, after all of this walking around, some caffeination was in order, and what better spot for a Seattleite to hit up for strong coffee than Intelligentsia? And to say thank you for the totally sweet latte, a totally sweet little note was left on the counter.

Thanks for the totally sweet times, Chicago! Love ya, miss ya! 2 good + 2 be = 4 gotten! (Note: A full bakery roundup to come)