When autumn arrives, has there ever been a better twosome to toast the change of seasons than apples and caramel? I think not. Well OK, soup and homemade bread works too. But if you want to raise a cheer, it should be with something a little more auspicious than a humble bowl of soup and a piece of bread. At least to my thinking. Of course a Hot Buttered Rum or a warm cup of Glögg and a Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies or two would work also. But for today I’m going to celebrate apples and caramel. (My blog, my choice!)

So the other day I got a wild hair to make a caramel-apple upside down cake. (And no, I have not made many upside down cakes before. So this was going to be a fairly new experience for me.) So why now you might ask? And I would have no adequate answer to give you. “Just because” is probably as close as I could come to the actual reason.

But then I love caramel. And apples are OK too. And I was in the mood for cake because I truly love a really delicious homemade cake. All I knew was that I didn’t want to bake a huge old cake because then I would be forced to eat more than I really should. And then I’d feel guilty. And if I ended up throwing some of it away I’d also feel guilty. (We still don’t have a new freezer even though we ordered and put a down payment on one months ago! Grrrr….) So, how could I avoid guilt tripping myself in any manner available to do just that? (I’m so very good at it, you see.)  

So to the internet to get some ideas about how to build an upside down apple caramel cake. And to my delight, on the pinchofyum.com site, (great site BTW) was what appeared to be the perfect recipe for me. A salted caramel-apple cake that would fit in a 9-inch cake pan. So, not too large a cake. In fact, just the perfect size to share with our neighbors Mark and Vicki.   

Now sometimes I try a recipe and it’s just OK tasting, or it doesn’t have all of the qualities I hoped for. And you never know about it. Not this recipe. This wonderful recipe is delicious and absolutely what I had in mind. And the recipe contains common ingredients that are easy to put together. So in my book, this is a perfect recipe. Thank you very much Lindsay for this delightful, welcome to autumn, recipe.

So as always, be content with what you have, who you are, and for what’s to come.

I’ve been a bit concerned about how I was going to handle being confined to quarters for the long fall and winter ahead. But as I was drifting off to sleep last night, I thought about all the wonderful delights fall and winter have to offer that I can enjoy from the comfort of my own home. Watching the clouds come and go. Seeing beautiful colored autumn leaves drift by my window. (Sounds like a song lyric, right!?) Catching a bit of movement out of the corner of my eye as a tree twists and turns in the wind. Sit in my comfortable den chair and read. And cook up a storm.

And then there’s the holidays to plan for.

This year of course is going to be different than any previous year. But there are still things I can continue to do to make life a little bit more fun for myself and my family and friends.   

Every year I send a goody package to each of my kids. I bake fruit cake (yes fruitcake can be delicious), candy, and cookies. So this year isn’t going to be any different in that regard. (Maybe more types of cookies and candy. Maybe different types of goodies like spice and herb blends. Maybe gourmet chocolate or even a large bottle of really good vanilla or a favorite ice cream sauce. Lots of fun for me to plan and build, and I’ll bet there will be some delight on the other end too.) And I can plan fun things to build for my friends. Who knows, there could even be something containing alcohol involved. Been known to happen.

And then, maybe it will snow. I love snow. I’m just about as bad now as I was as a kid praying for a snow day. And then before I know it, the first signs of spring will appear. And a whole new cycle will begin. And once again I will be reminded how lucky I am and how wonderful life really is for me. May each of you also find joy in your life. Peace and love to all.

For the Caramel and Apple Part:

½ c. unsalted butter

2/3 c. brown sugar, packed

¼ tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. freshly ground nutmeg

¼ tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. thinly sliced peeled apple (takes about 1 big apple)

Generously butter a round 9-inch high sided cake pan. (If you don’t have a high sided cake pan, be sure to place a rimmed baking sheet under your cake pan before placing in the oven. A bit of the caramel will undoubtedly try and probably succeed in escaping while the cake is baking. At least it did for me. (And yes, I just ordered a couple of high sided cake pans because I plan to make this cake again and again. The girl can learn!)

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and vanilla. Keep over medium-low heat and cook for about 3 minutes or until smooth and slightly thickened. Pour the caramel into the greased cake pan and top with the apple slices.    

For the Cake:

½ c. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter*

1 c. brown sugar, packed

2 lg. eggs

¼ c. whole milk

1½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

1 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

coarse sea salt for topping

Beat the cold butter and brown sugar until well combined. (The mixture will not be creamy and light like you would normally get if you started with room temperature butter. That’s what you want. See reason below.) Scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs and milk and beat until incorporated. (Might be a few small lumps. That’s fine. Not too worry.) Scrape the sides of the bowl again or whenever the ingredients are sticking to the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon together. Stir into the butter mixture just until combined. Spoon the stiff cake batter onto the top of the apples. Using an offset spatula, carefully smooth out the cake batter until the apples and caramel are evenly covered.    

Bake in a pre-heated 325 degree oven for 45 minutes. Stick a toothpick into the cake part. If it comes out clean and the top of the cake is a lovely brown, the cake is done. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. (Letting the cake cool for 10 minutes is very important.) Using a knife or offset spatula, cut around the edge of the cake to make certain it is not still attached to the pan. Invert the cake onto a cake plate and tap the top until the cake comes out onto the plate. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Lovely warmed or at room temperature.  

*I use cold butter for this recipe because I want the batter to stay a bit stiff and not incorporate as much air as if I had started with room temperature butter. When you cream sugar with room temperature butter, the sugar crystals punch little holes in the butter and those holes capture air. In this recipe, I prefer the cake part to be fairly dense.   

For whatever reason, I had never made a Boston cream cake before yesterday. And yes, I know most people refer to as a pie, but being a baker who definitely knows the difference between a pie and a cake, well, I just had to call it what it is. It’s a cake! Anyway…………….

Yesterday was my birthday. And what I really wanted for my birthday was a chance to bake this cake that I had been salivating over for several years. I had always wanted to serve it to our JazzVox guests. But every time I seriously considered serving it to 35-40 people during a 15 minute intermission, I thought better of it. Ya think!?!? And that didn’t even take into account the amount of time it would have taken me to prepare the darn thing to begin with! Anyway…………..

I made this amazing creation yesterday. And it was, and still is, almost perfect. The cake part is very moist, the butter cream between the cake layers absolutely delicious, and the ganache topping – well – way over the top too much and too rich. And I know what you’re thinking. Patti, you could have made half as much of the ganache and it would have been the perfect amount. Obviously great minds think alike. Because that’s exactly what I did in writing out the recipe for you all. I halved the ganache recipe, and frankly, next time (and there will be a next time), instead of using dark chocolate chips, I’m going to use milk chocolate chips. And maybe bourbon or Cointreau instead of Kahlua. I think for my particular tastes, I will be happier with a different combination. But obviously, you can use any old chocolate chips or booze you want in the recipe. Anyway………….

I’m also not going to place the hot ganache in the refrigerator to get really cold before I try to “dribble” it over the cake. Major mistake. There was no dribbling ganache over a cake happenin’ in my kitchen yesterday, I’ll tell you that! Even though I tried to warm the ganache by placing it in the microwave, I finally just gave up and spread the darned stuff over the top of the cake. I simply had never used a ganache as a “drizzle” before. But now that I have done some reading on the subject, I will never make this same mistake again. And if you follow the recipe below, you won’t either when you make your very own Boston cream cake. And you simply must make this cake. It is truly phenomenal. Anyway…………..

Have fun in your kitchen. Learn from your mistakes (or mine as in this case), because any cook worth their salt is going to have plenty of mishaps along the way. It’s inevitable. And believe me, I’ve had more than my fair share of “kitchen casualties”. But I just keep on truckin’ and advise you to do the same.

As always, peace and love to all

Pastry Cream Filling:

6 egg yolks

½ c. granulated sugar, divided

2 c. whole milk

¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour

1/8 tsp. fine sea salt

4 T. (½ stick) unsalted butter

1½ tsp. vanilla extract

Combine the egg yolks and half of the granulated sugar in a bowl; whisk until lighter in color. Add the flour and the salt; mix well to combine.

Place the milk and the remaining sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. When the milk just begins to boil, remove from heat. Very slowly dribble the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture, whisking the entire time. When about half of the milk has been added, place all of the yolk mixture into the saucepan over medium heat.

Using a whisk, continually beat until the mixture comes to a boil. Let boil for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. The mixture will quickly thicken.

Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla extract. (Feel free to strain if you can see visible lumps.)

Place the pastry cream into a bowl and cover directly with plastic wrap that has been ever so lightly sprayed with cooking spray. (This will prevent a skin from forming on the pastry cream.) Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before assembling the cake.

Yellow Cake:  

½ c. whole milk

½ c. sour cream  

1 c. (2 sticks) un-salted butter, room temperature

1¾ c. granulated sugar  

2 tsp. vanilla

3 lg. eggs

2 lg. egg yolks

2¼ c. cake flour, lightly measured (fluffed)  

1½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

Whisk the milk and sour cream together. Set aside.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed for 1-2 minutes. Add the granulated sugar and beat for 4-5 minutes or until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing just until combined after each addition. Scrape down the mixing bowl as often as required.

Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Add 1/3rd of the flour mixture to the batter and mix just until combined, again, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add half of the milk/sour cream mixture and combine. Add another 1/3rd of the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined. Add the last half of the milk/sour cream mixture and beat until just combined. Add the final 1/3rd of the dry ingredients and mix just until blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl as a final gesture of good incorporation.  

Lightly grease and parchment paper line 3 – 9-inch cake pans. Scoop the batter evenly into the prepared pans and level the batter with an offset spatula.  

Bake in a pre-heated 325 degree oven for 22-26 minutes or until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs. Don’t overbake or the cake will be dry.

Remove from oven and place the pans on a cooling rack. When the cake layers are completely cool, remove from pans. (Yes you must discard the parchment paper.) Place the first layer on a cake plate. Spread half of the cold pastry cream over the top just to the edge. Place the next cake layer over the pastry cream, and spread with the remaining pastry cream. Place the third cake layer on top.

Drizzle the ganache on top of the cake allowing it to dribble down the side. Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve. (If you don’t use all of the ganache, that’s just fine. It makes a terrific topping for ice cream.)  

Chocolate Ganache:

½ c. + 2 T. milk, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate chips

½ c. heavy cream

1 T. Kahlua, bourbon, Cointreau, Bailey’s Irish Cream, etc.  

¼ tsp. vanilla

tiny pinch salt

Place chocolate chips in a heat-proof bowl. Set aside.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring cream just to a boil. Immediately pour cream over chocolate and let sit without stirring for 1-2 minutes. Then, whisk mixture gently until completely melted and smooth. Add your alcohol of choice, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until the ganache is velvety. But don’t over work.

Let cool for 15 minutes, then pour over the cake.  

More and more I find myself gently hitting my forehead with the palm of my hand wondering why in heavens sake I hadn’t thought of this or that (insert whatever it might be) 30, 40, even 50 years ago?!?! And my latest revelation that demanded a personal head and hand altercation involved malted milk. What would happen if I added malted milk powder to a luscious chocolate buttercream frosting? And holy malted milk batman, what an absolutely whopper of an idea that turned out to be!

Now I have to give credit where inspiration is due.

Recently while we were out and about at lunchtime, the urge for a cheese burger with extra pickles overcame us both. And as is often the case, Mr. C. ordered a chocolate malted milk shake to go along with his burger. I try to stay away from ice cream and sugar as much as possible, but that day I just had to have a sip of his shake. OMG. With one little sip, my love for malted milk came rushing back with a vengeance. Leap forward a couple of weeks.

While coming up with a dessert for our last 2 JazzVox (afternoon and evening concerts on the same day), I decided on cake. First I thought about baking one of my favorite chocolate cakes Mocha Chocolate Cake with Sour Cream Frosting or Chocolate Sheet Cake with Chocolate Hazelnut Topping. (Both on this site BTW) But then I decided I wanted to fix something brand new for our guests. And as I was pondering my choices, malted milk popped into my head. I had never used malted milk powder before, so I needed to figure out how I could incorporate it into my baking. I didn’t even really know what it was. So in case you too might be interested – malted milk is a powdered gruel made from a mixture of malted barley, wheat flour, and evaporated whole milk. So no, it is not gluten free. But oh my, what it does for chocolate frosting is amazing.

So if you too love the taste of malted milk, give this recipe a try. And as I discovered when doing my research, I am not the only cook who wants to use this amazing product. So go online. There are some fantastic looking recipes out there.

So please enjoy this recipe. And look for more malted milk recipes to come. I just have to believe that there is a malted milk brownie recipe out there just waiting for me to develop. Yum. I can almost smell the brownies baking ……almost ……

Yellow Sour Cream Cake: recipe fromJocelyn Delk Adams (Grandbaby Cakes web site)

• 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 
• 1/3 c. vegetable oil
• 2½ c. granulated sugar
• 6 lg. eggs, room temperature
• 2 lg. egg yolks, room temperature
• 2 T. pure vanilla extract
• 3 c. fluffed up or sifted cake flour (see how to make cake flour below)
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 c. sour cream

In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream the butter, oil, and sugar on high until light and fluffy, about 5-6 minutes. (Do not skimp on the time for this step. Very important.)

Add eggs and egg yolks one at a time until well incorporated. Scrape the bowl as needed. Add in the vanilla extract and mix until well combined.

In a medium sized bowl whisk the cake flour, baking powder, and salt together.  

With mixer on low speed, alternate adding in flour mixture and sour cream. Do not over mix.

Grease and lightly flour a 12×16-inch (half-sheet) cake pan. Pour the batter evenly into the pan. Shake to help even off the batter.

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick stuck into the middle of the pan comes out clean. Do not overbake. Check after 25 minutes to be sure. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.    

Store at room temperature.

Chocolate Malted Milk Buttercream Frosting:

• 1½ c. (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• lg. pinch fine sea salt
• ¾ c. malted milk powder
• ½ c. good unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Valrhona)
• 3 c. powdered sugar  
• 3 T. whipping cream, plus more as needed

Beat the butter, vanilla, and salt together until creamy in the bowl of your stand mixer.

Whisk the malted milk powder, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar together in a bowl.

Gradually add the cocoa mixture to the butter mixture alternating with the heavy cream until the frosting is super smooth and at your desired consistency. Scrap down the sides of the bowl several times during this process.  

Homemade Cake Flour:

For each cup of cake flour you will need:

• 2 T. cornstarch
• 1 scant c. all-purpose flour

Measure out 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and place it in a 1-cup measuring cup.   Gently spoon fluffed up all-purpose flour into the cup over the cornstarch. Don’t pack the flour down in the cup. Use the back of a table knife to level off the cup. 

Sift the mixture 2-3 times to thoroughly combine and aerate the flour. Measure again. (You may have a bit of extra cake flour left. Great! Save it for the next time you need cake flour.) 

So what do you make to take along on a golfing vacation with friends that would be considered a complimentary dessert to go along with “cocktail lab”? Well, I guess before I answer that question, I should explain what constitutes “cocktail lab”. In our case, it meant trying new drinks on each other that contained ingredients that were mostly foreign to the majority of us. Like – Fernet Branca liqueur*, pear liquor, Cynar**, King’s Ginger Liqueur, and muddled cucumber to mention a few.  

Having provided you with that little bit of information, you can now undoubtedly understand why I chose this recipe to share with our friends. (And yes, you can peek at the recipe before continuing with my narrative.)

And should you be wondering, there was actually some golfing that happened along with trying new and interesting adult beverages. Not to mention enjoying some wonderful meals together, both homemade and at restaurants. And in-between the rain showers, we also managed a few walks, hikes, bicycle rides, and a great visit to an antique mall. All and all a most pleasant time with our dear friends Todd and Cindy, Tim and Suzie. Could not have been a better way to spend our time.   

So I hope you enjoy this incredible cake slightly modified from a recipe I found on the Laughing Spatula web site. The cake is easy to prepare, the taste is amazing, the frosting is to die for, and it stays moist and delicious for several days. But beware. It is intensely rich. A small piece goes a long way. But do try it. It’s one of the best chocolate cakes I have ever tasted.

And if you happen to be a jazz lover and live in or near Anacortes, come enjoy the timE3 jazz trio at the Rockfish Grill on Wednesday, June 5^th. And as you sit there enjoying the music, imagine Tim (bass), Todd (drums), and Mr. C. (piano) enjoying time together in Sunriver, Oregon playing golf, eating hotdogs and drinking a beer at the turn, and sharing way too many funny stories along the course. Because that’s exactly what I will be doing too. Watching these three successful, wonderful men enjoying themselves so completely always makes me happy. And of course I get to spend time with their fabulous wives and other great friends while the guys are busy making music. And that too makes me extremely happy. Life just doesn’t get much better. As I have said before, I am one lucky lady! And part of the reason definitely belongs to the many wonderful friends we are so very lucky to have in our lives. Here’s to all of you who by your very being enrich our lives. Cheers!

Cake:

2 eggs

2 c. granulated sugar

1 c. sour cream  

½ c. vegetable oil

2 tsp. vanilla

½ c. water  

½ c. bourbon

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

1 c. unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Ghirardelli Majestic Premium Cocoa Powder)

1½ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. espresso powder (I use Medaglia d’Oro)

½ c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Ganache Frosting:

1¼ c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 c. heavy cream

3 T. bourbon

1 tsp. vanilla

pinch salt

Cake Directions:

In large mixing bowl combine egg, sugar, sour cream, vegetable oil, and vanilla until well blended. Add bourbon and water; mix until completely smooth.

Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder. Add to the egg mixture. Beat only until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Pour into a lightly buttered 9 x 13-inch baking pan, glass preferred.  

Bake in a pre-heated 325 degree oven for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean. (When done, the middle part of the cake might still adhere a bit to your toothpick. Not to worry. You just don’t want the rest of the cake to get too done.)

Remove from oven and let cool completely before spreading on the ganache frosting.

Ganache Frosting Directions:

Pour chocolate chips in large microwave save bowl and microwave for one minute until chips are just soft. In another microwave safe bowl or in a pan on your cooktop, heat cream until it just begins to boil.

Pour hot cream over chocolate chips. Let sit for 2 minutes before stirring with whisk until the chocolate mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in the bourbon, vanilla, and pinch of salt.

Cool in the refrigerator until the consistency is fairly thick, 30-45 minutes. (Can be made ahead and microwaved for 20 seconds or so before spreading on the cooled cake.)

*Fernet is an Italian type of amaro, a bitter, aromatic spirit. Fernet is made from a number of herbs and spices which vary according to the brand, but usually include myrrh, rhubarb, chamomile, cardamom, aloe, and especially saffron, with a base of grape distilled spirits. Amaro is an Italian herbal liqueur that is commonly consumed as an after-dinner digestive. It usually has a bitter-sweet flavor, sometimes syrupy, and has an alcohol content between 16% and 40%.

**Cynar is a bitter liqueur made from various herbs and plants, the most prominent being artichoke.   The bitterness is offset by the citrus from the lemon juice and grapefruit bitters.

   

OK, in complete honesty, I have never baked this cake. But, my dear friend Vicki has made this recipe twice, and I have had the pleasure of tasting a piece both times. (OK, more than one piece the second time she baked this cake for a JazzVox concert.) So, I am here to tell you that this is one of the best cakes I have ever tasted. And that’s saying something, because I love me a great big old piece of truly great cake!

The recipe comes from Jocelyn Delk Adams on her Grandbaby Cakes web site. (Fabulous site BTW.) And in my estimation, it could not possibly taste any better than it does! Not possible. Really!

The cake part is moist, flavorful, slightly dense, and not too sweet. In other words, it’s just what I have been looking for! Because, if you are like me, and have tried many, many recipes for yellow cake over the years in hopes of finding just that perfect one, this is your lucky day. Not only is the flavor perfect, the crumb is everything I believe a truly great yellow cake should possess. (And yes, I’m picky. I can’t help it!) And then there’s the icing. Oh caramel icing lovers rejoice. This is the real thing! Amazing!

Now a bit of information you should know before you go rushing off to your kitchen. The cake part is easy, the caramel icing, not as much. You don’t have to stir the icing the whole time its cooking (1½ – 2 hours), but you do need to pay attention to it. And it can burn, even if your dedication is exemplary. It can just happen. But don’t let me scare you off. I just wanted to provide you with full disclosure so you won’t hate me if 100% perfection is not achieved.

But next time you need a dessert for a special birthday, or just to let someone know how much you love them, bake them this cake. And let me know how it turns out. I love to receive comments. Thank you again Ms. Adams. I think you are a national treasure!

Cake:

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature  

1/3 c. vegetable oil

2½ c. granulated sugar

6 lg. eggs, room temperature

2 lg. egg yolks, room temperature

2 T. pure vanilla extract

3 c. fluffed up or sifted cake flour

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1 c. sour cream

In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream the butter, oil, and sugar on high until light and fluffy, about 5-6 minutes. (Do not skimp on the time for this step. Very important.)

Add eggs and egg yolks one at a time until well incorporated. Scrape the bowl as needed. Add in the vanilla extract and mix until well combined.

In a medium sized bowl whisk the cake flour, baking powder, and salt together.   

With mixer on low speed, alternate adding in flour mixture and sour cream. Do not over mix.

Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans or a 12×16-inch (half-sheet) pan. Pour the batter evenly into the pans or pan. Shake to help even off the batter.

Bake 9-inch round pans in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 23-30 minutes or until a toothpick stuck into the middle of the pan comes out clean. Do not overbake. Check after 23 minutes to be sure. Bake a 12×16-inch pan for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick stuck into the middle of the pan comes out clean. Again, do not over bake.   

If you are making a layer cake, remove pans from oven and place on cooling racks for 10 minutes. Then gently remove cakes from pans and allow to cool completely before icing. If you are baking a large single layer cake, just remove cake from oven and allow to cool completely on a rack. 

For a layer cake, place one of the cakes upside down on your cake plate. (Best if you have a domed cover for your cake plate, because plastic wrap is just not going to work!) Spread icing over layer. (Not too much.) Place the second layer over the icing, and add icing. Again not too much. Add the top layer and frost the top and sides of the entire cake. (Don’t worry if the icing puddles at the base of the cake and onto the cake plate. That’s the plan!

Please note: if your cakes are rounded at the top, slice off a bit of the cake to make top flat before frosting. If the cake layers start sliding around, stick a couple of long picks through the layers to keep the cake together. Store at room temperature.

To frost a large single layer cake, just pour on the icing and smooth out as much as possible. Store at room temperature.

Caramel Icing:

¾ c. (1½ sticks) unsalted butter 

2 (12-oz.) cans evaporated milk

tiny pinch of salt

2 c. granulated sugar

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Place butter, evaporated milk, salt, and sugar in a fairly large, heavy, stainless steel saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until melted together.

Leave over medium to low heat stirring periodically for about 1½ to 2 hours. Watch the entire time to make sure the contents don’t burn until the mixture is thickened and the caramel has darkened to a beautiful golden brown. Just don’t be afraid to cook it long enough. You need to make sure the caramel turns golden before stopping the heat. It should also thickly coat the back of a spoon. You may find yourself adjusting the heat in order to not let it burn. When the color and the thickness are perfect, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

Cool for about 30 minutes to allow it to thicken properly before icing the cake.

As you well know, I love to mess with already perfectly wonderful recipes just for the heck of it. And one of my favorite things to do is experiment with adding liquor or liqueur to dessert items such as cake batter, pie filling, frosting, glaze, whipped cream, etc. etc.

So while contemplating how to kick my cream cheese frosting recipe for Apple Cake (on this site) up a notch, I decided to add some cinnamon, because there’s cinnamon in the cake batter, and some Calvados (apple flavored brandy) because there are apples in the batter. (I’ve always excelled at stating the obvious!)

Anyway, that’s exactly what I did when I prepared the frosting for the apple cake I made for last weekend’s JazzVox pre-concert meal. And our guests told me they thought the frosting was pretty darn OK.

Note: When I use alcohol in a dessert, I usually cut down on the amount of vanilla. (If vanilla is called for, that is!)

So next time you make a cake, try enhancing the flavor of the batter and/or the frosting  with a bit of spice and/or a wee dram of something from the adult beverage category. And please don’t worry about the alcohol content. Adding a tiny bit of liquor or liqueur to your frosting recipe is about the same as adding pure vanilla extract. Pure vanilla extract legally has to contain at least 35% alcohol, which is basically the same proof as vodka or rum. So don’t fret about adding alcohol to your favorite frosting even if your children are going to be the primary consumers. You have undoubtedly been “spiking” their frosting since the first time they smeared it all over their face, your clothes, and the tray of their high chair! Have a great day.

• ½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, room temperature
• pinch salt
• 2 T. brown sugar
• ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp. vanilla
• 1½ T. liqueur – Calvados, brandy, bourbon, spiced rum, etc. (whatever flavor goes best with the ingredients in your baked goodie)
• 1 lb. powdered sugar, more or less

Beat the butter, cream cheese, salt, and brown sugar together until creamy. Mix in the cinnamon, vanilla, and liqueur. Add powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency.

FYI: For more information about pure vanilla extract, read the January 21, 2015 article entitled Why Don’t You buy Vanilla Extract in a Liquor Store by Michael Y. Park (via Bon Appétit magazine). It’s a really well written, informative, and scary article!