- Ingredients would need to be sourced in advance of the large-scale project, ideally at discounted rates
- The fridge would be cleared to make room for the various cake components
- The chosen recipes would be scaled and process reviewed accordingly
- Can it be easily transported to the office?
- Do I own a container that fits the cake? Will it keep the cake level?
- Do I own a cooler bag that fits the container(s)? Can the bag fit more than one cake?
- If left on a table for an extended period of time, will the frosting melt? Will the texture take a turn for worse?
- Have I made this cake before?
- Are the flavours generic enough to be easily received by potential buyers? (People associate affinity with familiarity, after all.)
- Can the recipe be easily scaled up?
- What is the estimated time commitment required, including troubleshooting?
The two final contenders were: Carrot Pound Cake and Coffee Sponge with Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
Originating from none other than Sunday Baking the great, her trusty recipe was scaled up by 1.5x for this endeavour. This was a mere increase of one egg, with all other ingredients scaled proportionally with ease. The yield would comprise of: one standard loaf plus 6 standard-sized muffins.
i) Cake
- 3 eggs
- 150 g brown sugar
- 150 g oil
- 180 g AP flour
- 1.5 tsp/6g baking pow
- 3/4 tsp/4.5g baking soda
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice *opt
- pinch of salt
- 1̶2̶0̶ ̶g̶ → 125 g carrot
- 98 g apple
- 42 g dried cranberries
- 56 g pecans, finely chopped but not crumbs *reserve some for topping
ii) Frosting
- 300 g cream cheese
- 45 g ̶g̶r̶a̶n̶u̶l̶a̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶s̶u̶g̶a̶r̶ → 50 g icing sugar
- 30 g heavy cream
- vanilla bean paste *opt
- orange extract *opt
- Toast pecans at 350 F for 5 mins. Let cool and blitz in a food processor. Do NOT blitz until fine crumbs; finely chopped portions are enough. Transfer to small bowl and set aside. Reserve some pecans for topping.
- In clean food processor, cop apples, carrots, and dried cranberries. Set aside while preparing the rest of the batter.
- Whisk eggs, brown sugar, and oil.
- Add in dry ingredients. Fold to combine.
- Add in wet ingredients (carrot, apple, and dried cranberries), followed by pecans. Fold to combine.
- Portion between 1 loaf pan and six muffin liners.
- Bake loaf at 350 F for 40-45 minutes and muffins at 350 F for 25-27 minutes.
- Let cool.
- Beat together softened cream cheese and icing sugar. Add in heavy cream and beat again.
- Add in vanilla bean paste and/or orange extract, if using.
- Apply frosting on cooled cake(s).
- Serve and enjoy!
Sampled for QC purposes, the mini carrot pound cake serving was deemed a tremendous success. The exterior was sturdy, the interior moist, fruity, and a bit zesty due to the inclusion of citrus notes, and the frosting creamy and tangy. There was not a single complaint to be heard, save the wails of satiation due to my baking overdrive.
My second project would be comparatively less fulfilling. The cake base from Sunday's Naked Cake with Coffee Sponge and Mascarpone Cream was flawless - not that I had any qualms before starting. That said, I've yet to nail the perfect ratio of egg whites : butter : sugar for Swiss Meringue Buttercream. Using a candy thermometer is pivotal, but, as I learned this time, a stand mixer may render results for the worse.
Typical ratios:
- Amount of sugar = egg white x 2.2
- Amount of butter = egg while x 3 - however, I reduced to x 2.
- Though, as expected, result was too sweet.
i) Buttercream
- 242 g egg whites (8 egg whites)
- Sugar = egg white x 2.2 = 532 g → 540 g used
- Butter = egg white x 2 = 484 g → 470 g used (originally 489 g but had to discard some due to mould being discovered)
ii) Coffee Sponge
- 6 eggs (328 g)
- 180g sugar
- 180 g cake flour substituted for 160 g AP flour + 20 g cornstarch *
- 60 g oil
1) Line the bottoms of two 2" aluminum cake pans with parchment paper. The sides can be left exposed to assist with acquisition of volume.
2) Mix espresso powder and water together, then set aside. This mixture weighs in at approximately 30 g.
3) Beat eggs and sugar together, then fold in cake flour (or substituted AP flour and cornstarch blend.) Make sure to sift these flours well, as pockets of flour remained visible in my rendition even after baking. One has the option to strain the batter to prevent lumpiness, though I did not in fear of the final mixture separating in the pan.
4) Add in oil and espresso-water mixture. Mix well to incorporate.
5) Divide batter between two 6" pans, roughly 370 g of batter in each.
1025 g - 250 g = 775 g
Total weight (incl bowl) - weight of bowl = batter
775 g / 2 = 388 g
Batter divided by 2
Therefore, roughly 370 g per pan
6) Bake for 350 F for 30 minutes.
7) Let cool before removing from pan and inverting on wire rack. The cake can be removed once the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan.
8) Assemble coffee "syrup". Set aside
9) Slice cake rounds into layers approximately 1 cm in thickness.
10) Brush coffee syrup onto each layer before frosting with buttercream.
11) Once frosted, transfer to fridge and chill for a minimum of 4 h.
12) Serve and enjoy!
The second issue lay with my buttercream. In spite of gradually raising the temperature of the egg whites to 162 F over a water bath, stiff peaks were unable to be formed. The stand mixer had failed me again.
I combatted the extremely cloying properties by eliminating sugar from the coffee syrup, using strictly espresso powder and hot water instead, though ultimately could not camouflage the error.
While I debated options to transform the form into a fillable PDF, my baking coworker offered to write on my behalf. I appreciated the gesture, though this additional effort could have been eliminated altogether with either a spreadsheet that would export into a PDF form, or having participants fill out their own forms to start. Poor planning was not what I had signed up for.
The blood collection technician was also exceptionally friendly and experienced, consequently resulting in a relatively pain-free visit - both metamorphically and literally.
Courtesy of ochungg, I'd enter the premises with a $12 gift card in tow.
In place of the requested Mango Passion Cake, I took to a glistening BBQ Pork Bun instead. The lonely single cake did not beckon for attention, nor evoke an aura of freshness.
The array would consist of classics such as: Hot Dog Bun, Hot Dog Bun with Cheese, BBQ Pork Bun, and Pineapple Bun. Depleting the full value of the gift card was one of the requirements for redemption. As such, I appended a Hot Black Sesame Latte. The beverage was presented in a whopping 16 oz. portion, embodying a fragrant black sesame blend and topped with frothed milk. Without a doubt, the beverage was superior to Zagmachi's repulsive milk + powder concoction and well worth the associated price tag.
When it came to my turn, she proceeded to draw unnecessarily close to me, then toss her single bun onto the counter. Her Triple Cheese Toast landed next to my tray, prompting me to clarify to the cashier that "We're not together." Discomfort overwhelmed me, for I could sense overwhelming hostility. She was close to breathing down my neck for no apparent reason beyond that she was in a rush.
I could not understand the need for people to be so extremely imposing. If pressed for time, one has the option to simply reinstate the bun and leave. Saint Germain will not fret. There was absolutely no need to make the checkout experience unbearable for all others in the immediate proximity.
Truthfully, I had almost resolved to step aside and let her pass, as to relieve myself of the silent torture. But I digress: Every customer stands righteous and equal. Another's personal schedule is independent of mine, and thus should not impact my own actions.