No Sweat Baking

I was hunting down some fish recipes and came upon a stash of old ridiculously easy baking recipes that were very popular when I catered and ran a bakery.  Since too many people are terrified to try baking, I thought I'd share them to see if it makes the kitchen less scary.  These are actually easy enough to do with kids and a great way to get them started. SORRY, no real photos: as I said these are beloved old recipes. I didn't make them this very busy week.  We'll return next Monday to spring flings like pickled asparagus and braised dandelion greens--or even something fishy.

These particular recipes are really wonderful for right now when there isn't much stone fruit available to make crisps, crumbles and pies, and heavy iced layer cakes feel like way too much to digest. You will use these recipes over and over, especially at fall and winter holidays times and for summer picnics.

Greek Walnut Cake

I got this recipe years ago from the Greek community in Portland, Maine as someone makes it every time there's a Greek Orthodox church supper and for the annual festival of all things Hellenic. It's THE alternative to the time consuming and calorie laden baklava.

serves 6-8
1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 c confectioner's (powdered) sugar
1/2 tsp grated orange peel
2 extra large eggs, separated yolks from whites
1 c unbleached flour (if you have special cake flour use 1/2 c and 1/2 regular)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 c milk
1 c walnuts, coarsely ground

To make the syrup:
1 c turbinado, raw or granulated sugar
1 c water
2 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
small piece lemon rind

Preheat oven to 350º. Butter an 8" square pan.
In a large mixer or mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar and orange peel until fluffy.
One by one add egg yolks, beating to increase volume.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Fold half this mixture into the butter batter. Add milk, stir once and add the remaining flour mixture. Stir just enough to blend. Do not overmix. Fold in the walnuts.
In a clean large bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. This may take 5 minutes and you know they are stiff when they stand up in peaks without help. Carefully fold this without crushing them much into the cake batter to lighten it. Put the batter into the buttered square pan and smooth the top to level.
Bake at 350º in center of the oven 45 minutes or until a cake tester (you can use spaghetti) comes out clean. Remove immediately and pour over the syrup. Cool before cutting.

To make the syrup: combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has totally dissolved. Bring this to a boil, raise heat and boil not stirring 10 minutes until it thickens. Pour over the cake.

Rich Chocolate Cake

This amazingly kindergarten simple but luscious recipe came from a very lacy artistic woman whose mother developed recipes for all the wheat (i.e. flour) her native Kansas produced. My bakery couldn't make enough to meet demand. NOTE: the photo is not of my cake.
makes 1 large bundt (ring) cake

1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 tsp cider vinegar
2 tsp vanilla
2 c water
3 c all purpose unbleached flour
1 1/2 c sugar (I recommend makeing 1/2 c of this turbinado or light brown for flavor)
6 tbsp cocoa
1 tsp salt
To serve: 1/4 c powdered sugar

Heat over to 350º and butter a large bundt pan. (It's the ring with a hole in the center.)
In a large mixing bowl, combine melted butter, vinegar, vanilla and water. Stir to blend.
In another large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
Either with a mixer on low speed or a wooden spoon, blend the dry ingredients into the butter mixture--just until it's' all smooth. No more.
Pour batter into the bundt pan and bake at 350º 1 hour. Be sure a cake tester comes out clean.
Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then turn it over, knock on the bottom and sides and turn the cake onto a wire rack.
To serve: lightly dust with powdered sugar.

Orange Pecan Cake
There aren't that many cakes that show off oranges, so this is a rare treat. It came from a New York caterer/private chef. Because it's not that sweet, it's perfect for lunch, tea or the kids' lunchbox. It's also easy enough to make, you can take it as a hostess gift or to a potluck. It's similar in process to the Greek walnut cake.

1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 c sugar (I always recommend including a pinch of light brown for flavor)
2 extra large eggs
3/4 c sour cream
1 lg orange, peel grated
2 c unbleached flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 c chopped pecans
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch ground cloves

for the orange glaze
1/4 c sour cream
1/2 tsp grated orange peel
1 c powdered (confectioner's sugar)
1 tsp fresh orange juice

Heat oven to 350º. Butter two small or one large bundt (ring) pan.
In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, sugar, eggs and sour cream. Beat on medium speed until smooth.
Stir in orange peel.
In a separate medium size bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda and spices. Add this to the butter mixture and on low speed or by hand blend just enough to thoroughly blend. With a rubber spatula, fold in the pecans.
Use that spatula to spread the batter evenly in the two or one pan. Level the top/s. Bake in the center of the oven at 350º: for one large pan 50-55 minutes, two smalls 30-35 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
While the cake bakes, make the syrup: Combine all ingredients in a medium size bowl and mix until smooth and creamy. Pour over the cake after it cools. It should drip down the sides and stop on its own.

Here's something special for kids--and everybody else!
Toffee Bars

(NOTE: That is a borrowed photo.)The pastry chef of my catering business ued to leave a large pan of Toffee Bars setting up in the walk-in cooler with a signed taped to the top: "You touch, you die!" These are that irresistible. They are also genially flexible: you can cut them into lunchbox bars or thin strips for tea or bite-sized squares for a party. Because they need a few hours to intensify and harden, Toffee Bars are best made a day ahead. They freeze well too, making them super friendly.
16 bars

1/2 c (1 stick) butter
1/2 c light brown sugar
2 tsp molasses
1 tsp vanilla
1 c flour
1/4 tsp salt
4 oz. semisweet chocolate
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 c slivered almonds, lightly toasted

Heat oven to 350º and butter an 8" square pan.
In a mixer bowl or large mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar, molasses and vanilla into a smooth mixture. Slowly add flour and salt and beat until everything is completely combined. Press this batter evenly into the bottom or the buttered square pan. Bake at 350º 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool in the pan.

In a small heavy bottom saucepan, over low heat melt chocolate and butter together. Stir occasionally. Spread the blended mixture evenly over the baked crust. Sprinkle the almonds on top, lightly pressing them into the chocolate but not sinking them.

Refrigerate at least 4 hours before cutting and serving.

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

This innocent looking ring cake (not my photo) is actually a rich, melt-in-your-mouth, to die for cream cheese pound cake full of chocolate chips. In the age before gluten fetishes, there was nobody who didn't want more. Best for the baker, it stays fresh almost a week and freezes perfectly for the future. Anyone annoyed by chocolate chips can substitute dark raisins soaked in a favored liqueur.
 makes two small bundt cakes

1/2 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened (not whipped)
4 extra large eggs
2 tbsp sour cream
1 c sugar
2 1/4 c unbleached all purpose or cake flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c chocolate chips

Heat oven to 325º. Butter two small bundt (ring) pans and dust with flour.
In a large mixer or mixing bowl, combine butter, cream cheese and sugar. Beat until smoothly blended. One at a time add the eggs, beating after each one to maintain creamy consistency.  Mix in the sour cream and vanilla.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder. Add this to the wet batter and mix just long enough to blend it in. Do not go beyond or your cake will be tough. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Fill the bundt pans and be sure the top is level. The batter will only go about 2/3 of the way in each but don't worry, it rises in the oven. Bake at 325º 45-55 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans 10 minutes, then invert on wire racks to cool down. Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar.