This cake seemed simple and I anticipated no problems. This, in itself, can be one - because I can get careless.
You know, I have difficulty moving back and forth to view the recipe. It's not that the distance is that far; in fact it is four feet back and forth across. Nevertheless, I lose focus. My friend, Leah, has gifted me with a software program called "Sous Chef." One may scan the recipe into it. It then appears in very large text on the screen, and it speaks the directions - out loud. I am in awe. I can't wait to try it.
But back to the present challenge - I set mis en place. I have a very small counter space where two KAs sit forward, and a Cuisinart sits in the corner. For this project, I moved the food processor forward and the KA stand-up to the left. This machine is the latest one I have acquired. I am used to my tilt-head. Dealing with a bowl that fits on side heads and has to be pushed down in the back and then the whole thing moved by a lever up and down was a bit daunting, but I might as well get used to it, I bought it. This arrangement is crowded for working, to say the least.
As you know, the whole Banana Cake starts out using the food processor with bananas and creme fraiche being blended. [It also requests addition of the Turbinado sugar that sat brightly on its tray, ignored by me]. The banana, egg [I added extra yolk], vanilla mixture is added to the KA and oil added.
The dry ingredients are whisked together. The dry inredients are to be sifted into the batter. I placidly took my handy battery sifter in my left hand, attempting to turn its button on and off. The PourPerfect bowl with spout was grasped in the other hand, aimed at the sifter. I turned on the sifter and began to attempt to pour flour into that sifter, balanced carefully [actually not so] against the bowl and the space between it and the beater.
The act of sifting went forward, but suddenly near the end of the task, it lost it, and flour mixture began flying. Probably half cup or more - spewing out all over. I thought, well that's that cake. But I just scraped up what I could with a bench scraper, threw an extra handful of untreated cake flour from the container into the bowl and turned on the beater. And then, in front of me: Of all things -- there was the little bowl of Turbinado sugar, still sitting brightly on its tray. It was to have been added initially to the banana mixture. Well, you know what I said ^#[-= ! And, then feeling sorrow for the little sugar, I just slid it into the bowl of now even more dubiously- balanced ingredients. I let it all whirl for a good 2 minutes plus until it seemed to be mixed, and turned it into its pan with apologies to it.
Thinking the worst, I went away, and returned in 15 minutes or so. Peeked through the glass in the oven, and behold -
This sturdy little cake was rising happily. I was awestruck. I have been attempting to listen to Hector a little better lately and so I took the temp of the little cake with my Thermapen instead of a toothpick. It was about 202f. Looking firm, a slight dome, good color, sides just beginning to pull from the pan. It was ready.
I removed it, let it sit 10 minutes, in the pan, inverted it. Went back a few minutes later and reinverted it.
And as we speak, a couple of hours later, it is cooling. It is all I can do to keep from going out there and leveling it so I can see what the interior brings, and steal a bite. But I want to refrigerate it over night. The final verdict won't come until tomorrow night after it is frosted. I now have leveled it and it was moist and full of texture, the taste of banana, and the slight taste of the caramel of the Turbinado sugar. It was a miracle to me that the loss of certain ingredients in the flour spill hadn't ruined it. But Lady Luck was here for sure.
The cake turned out beautifully. The dreamy, creamy white chocolate frosting was a dream to make -
--delicious and pretty on the top of the cake. We found the combination superb in its simplicity. It will be very easy to make again, quickly for any appropriate occasion. [excuse photo color of frosting]
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