Novel Bakery

All right – I have a sneaking suspicion that you’re not 100% committed to your Oreo diet. The guidelines are really pretty basic. No excuses. Breakfast is obviously an Oreo granola bar or Oreo Pop-Tart. No, they’re not gross. Shut up. They’re amazing. Lunch should be Oreo pizza with an Oreo milk shake and a couple of those Oreo truffles my mom makes (a.k.a. the most delicious freaking things in the universe). Dinner is deep-fried Oreos served on top of Oreo ice cream, and for a drink, it’s Oreos dissolved in milk. No water. Only Oreo milk. Dessert can be Oreos straight up. Sound reasonable? It’s for your health, Blue.

For my review of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, click here!

You can’t NOT want Oreos after reading Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. Simon is obsessed with them. They’re a major food group for him. Case in point, a direct quote from Simon: “Okay, first of all, Oreos absolutely qualify as a food group.”

I’m gonna give you some freedom with this recipe. It’s all about texture. I scooped the batter into the cupcake tins and then added my Oreo on top. The result? Deliciously moist cake with a crisp Oreo on top. I loved the slight difference in textures. You can also put the Oreo in the bottom and then add the batter. The cookie gets soft as the cake and cookie sort of mesh together into this Oreo goodness. You really can’t go wrong on this one. You could even do both.

There’s also freedom with the cake recipe. Use your favorite chocolate cake recipe! I’ve got a link to mine below from Zoe Bakes, though I’ve also written it out for you. It’s the same recipe I used for my Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache and Carmelized Hazelnuts.

What do you think? Simon approved?

Oreo Cupcakes Recipe

Ingredients: 

Makes 18 cupcakes

Chocolate cake recipe from Zoe Bakes

1 package of Oreos

4 ounces unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

1 cup of sugar

2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup milk, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cups cocoa powder

1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Prepare cupcake tin with cupcake liners.
2. Cream the butter for 2 minutes in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the sugar and continue creaming until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula, about 2 more minutes. Lower the speed and add each egg, one at a time, blending until incorporated. Scrape bowl as needed.
3. Mix together the milk and vanilla in a measuring cup. Set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together. Starting with and ending with the dry ingredients, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk mixture, in portions at a time. Scrape bowl as needed.
5. Scoop about 2 tablespoon of batter into each cupcake liner and press the Oreo on top.
6. Bake for 15 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
7. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting Recipe

Ingredients:

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

4 ounces butter, at room temperature

4 cups of powdered sugar

Directions: 

1. In a stand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese together on high for two minutes, scraping down the sides of bowl as need.
2. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the powdered sugar in portions at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
3. After adding all of the powdered sugar, turn the mixer on medium high for a minute to fully incorporate the ingredients.
4. Using a rubber scraper, spoon the icing in a piping bag (or create your own piping bag by spooning the icing into a ziploc bag and cutting off a corner. For the swirls, you’ll want to make a fairly wide opening, about the size of a dime.
5. Beginning from the center of the cupcake, spiral outward and then back toward the center.
6. Decorate with crushed or whole Oreos, as desired.

She kicked Chaol in the ribs with a sock-covered foot. “All I’m saying is that I’d like some chocolate cake every now and then.”

He closed his eyes. “And an apple tart, and a loaf of bread, and a pot of stew, and a mountain of cookies, and a—“He chuckled as she put her foot against his face and pushed. He grabbed her foot and wouldn’t let go when she tried yanking her leg back. “It’s true, and you know it, Laena.”

“So what if it is? Haven’t I earned the right to eat as much as I want, whenever I want?” She wrenched her foot out of his grasp as the smile faded from his face.

“Yes,” he said quietly, his voice barely audible over the crackling fire. “You have.” After a few moments of silence, he stood up and walked to the door.

She sat up on her elbows. “Where are you going?”

He opened the door. “To get you chocolate cake.”

For a Crown of Midnight review, click here.

Chocolate cake makes several appearances in Crown of Midnight, my favorite being the one that Chaol and Celaena devour half of in one evening. My goal was to whip up a cake that would have had the two of them liking the crumbs off the plate.

The best part of this cake is that it’s little work with lots of wow factor. First, you’ll want to make your hazelnut brittle, recipe below.

After that, any chocolate cake recipe will do, though I would recommend this one from the blog Zoe Bakes. Zoe is a pastry chef and every recipe I’ve tried from her blog has been phenomenal. I had to double the recipe so I’ve written out the doubled recipe below. Make sure you take your 2 cups of milk, 2 sticks of butter, and 4 eggs out of the fridge at least 1 hour before you start baking. These ingredients need to be at room temperature.

After the cake has completely cooled, you’ll whip up your ganache. My ganache recipe is also below. You’ll want to give the ganache at least ten minutes to cool or it will be too thin when you pour it over your cake. Just let it sit and give it the occasional stir with your rubber spatula. Then drizzle it over the top of your cake. The leftovers (if you manage to have any) can be stored in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month. Just put it back on the stove for a few minutes to melt it back down.

Finally, crush up your cooled and hardened brittle. Wrap up the candy in parchment paper and crush it with a rolling pin until you have pieces your desired size. Sprinkle on top of the cake and keep the rest for late night munching. Celaena would definitely approve.

Hazelnut Brittle Recipe

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup

3/4 cup (1/2 pound) hazelnuts

Directions:

1. Prepare a cookie sheet covered with a piece of parchment. Place this near the stove.
2. Combine the sugar and corn syrup in a heavy bottomed pot. Place on medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixure is bubbling.
3. Continue to cook the mixture for 8 to 10 minutes until the mixture turns light amber (dark amber =burned). Keep a close eye on it and stir occasionally. It will thicken and get more difficult to stir, but you don’t want the sugar at the bottom of the pan burning.
4. Turn down the heat and stir in the nuts. Turn the heat back up to medium and continue to stir for one minute.
5. Pour the mixture onto parchment paper and allow to cool.

Chocolate Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

8 ounces unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

2 cups sugar

4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup milk, at room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cups cocoa powder

2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a 10 1/2 inch bundt pan.
2. Cream the butter for 2 minutes in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the sugar and continue creaming until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed, about 2 more minutes. Lower the speed and add each egg, one at a time, blending until incorporated. Scrape bowl as needed.
3. Mix together the milk and vanilla in a measuring cup. Set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together. Starting with and ending with the dry ingredients, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk mixture, in portions at a time. Scrape bowl as needed.
5. Pour the batter into the bundt pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean.

Chocolate Ganache Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions: 

1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan.
2. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula until the ingredients have melted together into a smooth mixture.
3. Remove from heat and allow to cool about ten minutes before pouring over cooled cake.

“She [Nina] shoved one of the cakes from the coffee service into her mouth …”

Nina was always eating sweets and was especially enamored with cake. I set out to make one that would have her salivating. For a Six of Crows book review, click here.

This recipe has several components, so I recommend reading it all the way through before beginning. You can also make it in steps. The crème anglaise can be made the night (or a couple nights) before. As can the sponge cake. Everything must be cool to assemble.

Traditionally, a Swedish Princess Cake is green, but I gave mine a rosy tint that I thought Nina would better appreciate. Also, these cakes are typically much larger. It’s a very sweet cake, though, and the miniature version is the perfect portion size.

This cake is a sponge cake, baked in a muffin tin, cut in half and spread with some fresh crème anglaise and raspberry jam. I suppose you could substitute the crème anglaise with pudding, though it feels like heresy just suggesting it. The crème is the most difficult part of this recipe. Because you need patience, young Padawan. Lots and lots of patience. Don’t look away from your crème for even a moment. Don’t blink. Blink and you your crème anglaise is dead. Just keep an eye on it and I promise you and the crème will make it out deliciously alive.

This recipe will make about 2 dozen princess cakes. I recommend making the number you need because the leftover scraps make for a divine trifle. Just layer the cake, fresh crème anglaise, fresh whipped cream, and jam in a glass dish and voila.

Princess Cake

Ingredients: 

Sponge Cake cupcakes (I used this recipe. Some notes below.)

Crème Anglaise (recipe below)

Fresh whipped cream (directions below)

Seedless raspberry jam

8 ounce package of marzipan

Your choice of food coloring (or food coloring gel)

Directions:

1. Make the crème anglaise and allow to cool in the refrigerator. Recipe below.
2. Make your sponge cake cupcakes. Allow to cool. Recipe below.
3. Make the whipped cream. Directions below.
4. Slice the cupcakes in half.
5. Spread the bottom half of the cupcake with crème anglaise. Spoon 1 teaspoon of raspberry jam on top of the crème. Do not spread the jam to the edges. Keep it in the center.
6. Place the other half of the cupcake on top, like a sandwich.
7. Spread the sides and top with whipped cream. You will need extra cream on top to shape a dome. I found my (clean) hands to be the most helpful tool for shaping the cream, especially with how small the cakes are.
8. Line the completed domes on a cookie sheet and cool in the refrigerator while you prepare the marzipan.
9. Unwrap the marzipan. If you have a stand mixer, I recommend kneading the marzipan with a dough hook. It’s easier and you won’t stain your hands with food dye. If you don’t have a stand mixer, it does help to wear gloves to avoid staining your hands. Kneed your preferred color into the dough. I wanted to get a deep corporalki red, but I started to get nervous after 40 drops of red food coloring. I didn’t want to add too much liquid to my marzipan. You won’t have to worry about the liquid if you use gel food coloring.
10. Dust a clean surface with powdered sugar (just like you would do with dough and a flour dusting). Roll out the marzipan into a thin layer. Find a round cookie cutter, glass, tubberware, or bowl bottom that’s about 6 inches in diameter. (If you get the size wrong, just put the circle back in the sheet of marzipan and pat it back into place).
11. Pull the pan of cakes from the fridge and drape the marzipan over the cake, careful not to smash your dome. Pat the marzipan into shape and use a knife to press the edge of the marzipan into the cake and then cut off the excess along the bottom. Finish shaping the marzipan, using your fingers along the bottom to give the marzipan a nice crimped edge.
12. The cakes can be served immediately. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Crème Anglaise

From The Joy of Cooking

Ingredients:

5 large egg yoks

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups whole milk (I used 1 cup skim milk and 1 cup heavy cream)

1 vanilla bean (optional)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

Directions:

1. Note: do not allow your mixture to come to a boil at any time. Remember….don’t blink!
2. Pour the 2 cups of milk into a saucepan (preferably a heavy bottomed one). If you want a vanilla flavored custard…
   1. Cut the vanilla bean lengthwise in half. Scrape the seeds into the milk.
   2. Bring the milk to a very gentle simmer. You’ll see steam and some bubbles around the edges of the pan. That’s perfect. You don’t want anything that resembles a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the vanilla bean to steep for 15 minutes.
   3. Strain the vanilla bean and then proceed with the recipe.
3. (If you don’t have vanilla bean, you can pick up the recipe from here). In a medium bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks and sugar. Set aside.
4. Heat the 2 cups of milk on low heat. One the mixture is steaming and there are small bubbles around the edges, you’re good. Remember, no boiling.
5. Remove the milk from the heat. With one hand, whisk the egg and sugar mixture. You must keep it moving. With your other hand (or get a willing friend) slowly pour a ladle of the hot milk into the egg mixture. By keeping the egg mixture moving, you’ll prevent the egg from scrambling. Whisk in the rest of the milk.
6. Return the mixture to the saucepan and return to low heat. Watch carefully and continue to slowly stir the mixture with a rubber spatula, especially sweeping the bottom of the pan. Do not let it boil. By keeping the heat low and stirring, you can warm the mixture slowly enough.
7. Once it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (or has reached 175° on a candy thermometer), remove from heat. Pour the custard into a bowl and allow it to cool at room temperature. Place in the fridge, uncovered, and allow to chill for at least 1-2 hours before layering on your Princess Cake
8. NOTE: If your crème anglaise began to boil or appears slightly curdled (read: lumpy), do not panic! Pour the mixture into a bowl, allow to cool at room temperature, and then refrigerate uncovered. When you pull it out of the fridge, just give it a nice stir and it will smooth out. No one will be the wiser! This does not apply if the eggs have scrambled. I’m afraid there’s not much that can be done about that.
9. Once the custard is cool, you can cover it with plastic wrap. Press the plastic wrap against the custard. This will prevent condensation from forming. Store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Sponge Cake

Choose your favorite sponge cake recipe. I used this one and found the accompanying video extremely helpful.

1. Spoon 2 tablespoons of batter into a regular sized muffin tin with paper cupcake liners. I made 8 cupcakes and then poured the rest of the batter into a ungreased 8X8 pan. The pan must be ungreased to allow the cake to properly rise. It needs to cling to the sides of the pan.
2. The cupcakes will bake about 15 minutes. Follow the directions on your recipe for testing doneness.
3. When you pull the cupcakes out of the oven, you’ll want to find a way to let them cool upside down, otherwise the cake will collapse on itself. (If you have no way of getting them upside down, don’t worry too much about it). My cupcakes didn’t quite reach the top of the liners, so I was able to turn them upside down on a clean counter, balanced on the top edge of the liner. If you used a nonstick pan, the cakes will stick to the pan. This is good. Balance the edges of a pan on two glasses.
4. The cake is sticky. Once the cakes are cool, carefully unpeel the liner. You’re now ready to begin your princess cakes.

Whipped Cream

Ingredients:

Cold heavy cream

Sugar

Directions:

1. For every 1 cup of heavy cream, add 2 tablespoons of sugar. I whipped 2 cups of cream, part of which was used in my trifle.
2. Pour the cream and sugar into a large bowl. Whisk on high with a stand mixer or hand mixer until the cream has stiff peaks. Watch it carefully, though. If you beat it too long, you’ll end up with butter!