TWD/BWD: Double-Decker Salted Caramel Cake

 

Our second April recipe for Tuesdays with Dorie was the Double-Decker Salted Caramel Cake.  Apparently, there are quite a few April birthdays in this baking group!  (Actually, one of my daughters has an April birthday!)

This cake tasted to me like an old-fashioned cake doughnut, lightly spicy with a touch of caramel.  However, it took nearly twice as long to bake as the recipe suggested.  At 45 minutes, I could tell immediately that the center wasn't close to being baked. so it stayed in the oven for a good 20 extra minutes.

The other pet peeve I have about any cake, is that there is never enough frosting to both fill and cover the cake.  The recipe needs to be doubled to accomplish that.  So, there is a thin layer of filling, and a cake that is frosted 3/4 around.  (Not pictured in the photos.)  I did sprinkle some cocoa nibs on top, which added a delightful crunch.  Next time, I would also sprinkle some on the filling.

The caramel swirl showed up only in the top layer, but it was still delicious.

 

I liked the cake, but it was a lot for one person to eat.  I made notes in the cookbook about how to deal with that next time, as well as baking times and frosting amounts.

 

Head over to the Tuesdays with Dorie website to see comments from the other bakers.

Bolo do Caco (Madeiran Tile Bread)

This month, the Babes have taken a virtual trip to Madeira to sample some Bolo do Caco, or, Tile Bread.  Elizabeth, of Blog from OUR Kitchen, introduced us to this delicious bread.  

They are circular yeasted flatbreads made with sweet potatoes, so they're basically a Portuguese-style sweet potato roll.  I was able to select some white sweet potatoes for my biweekly veggie/fruit box.  (I had one leftover that I turned into chips.)  The bread can be baked in the oven, on a grill, or on the stove top.  I used my comal, since it perpetually sits on one of my burners ready for the next tortilla or flatbread.

The dough came together nicely, and didn't take too long to cook on the heated comal.  They were terrific toasted and slathered with butter.  But, then, what bread isn't?!

Stop by the Babes' websites to see what clever changes they made to these traditional flatbreads, and, of course, if you want to make them yourself, you can find a great recipe on Elizabeth's blog.

 

• Blog from OUR Kitchen – Elizabeth (Kitchen of the Month)
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories – Karen
• A Messy Kitchen – Kelly
• My Diverse Kitchen – Aparna 
• Bread Experience  - Cathy
• Thyme for Cooking - Katie
• My Kitchen in Half Cups – Tanna  
• Feeding My Enthusiasms – Elle

TWD/BWD: Goat Cheese-Black Pepper Quick Bread

 

 

Time for the first April bake for Tuesdays with Dorie.  I chose to make the Goat Cheese-Black Pepper Quick Bread.

Because I'm not a fan of goat cheese, I substituted feta cheese instead.  This is a savory quick bread with hints of lemon and a subtle heat from the black pepper.  It makes excellent toast, especially when slathered in butter!

 

Head over to the Tuesdays with Dorie website to see which delicious recipe the other bakers made.