Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Brown-Butter-and-Vanilla-Bean Weekend Cake

This week's bake at Tuesdays With Dorie (TWD) where we are currently baking from the lovely book "Baking Chez Moi", by Dorie Greenspan is Brown-Butter-and-Vanilla-Bean Weekend Cake. 


According to Dorie, "The French call this a weekend cake because it will last all weekend, and it's good with so many kinds of weekend meals and outings."

I've made the cake twice, the first time, I've used a hand whisk. The cake did not really rise, the texture inside is full of holes, obviously I may have done something wrong during the mixing of the batter! But the cake tasted really good! 


The first bake ; lots of holes and did not rise that much at all.

Interestingly, this cake is baked in a loaf pan which is placed on two baking sheets that are stacked up together with the top sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.



The second bake : turned out really nice.

Made the cake the second time, this time using the stand mixer with the balloon whisk attachment, from the whisking of the eggs, right through to the adding of the brown butter, which is the last step before baking. The cake bakes up really nice, well risen and moist, with lovely golden crust. I was really impatient to slice into it, but did as Dorie suggested, to wrap it in plastic wrap and leave it overnight for the flavours to develop. 






When I sliced it the next morning, I was all smiles as the crumbs are moist, there's no holes like the first time I've made it, and it smells really nice with the vanilla. It has a tight, dense but soft crumbs. The cake is buttery with the lovely scent of the vanilla and the light fragrance from the rum.  The only changes I made was to reduce the sugar to 180gm from the original 250gm, and the sweetness was just right for us. I've used salted butter and have omitted the salt. And I've lined the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, though it was not mentioned in the recipe, I always do that with my bakes.

As for the browning of the butter, Dorie mentioned that it takes just seconds for the butter to turn from a deep honey-brown to black, so keep a lookout for it, do not turn your back on it! (just love her friendly and easy to understand instructions!). I'm so relieved that I've managed to brown the butter to a deep honey-brown without any blunders! :)


I like eating thin slices of this cake, with a cup of warm tea. Though it cannot be seen clearly from the photo, the tiny specks of vanilla seeds are all over the cake. A tasty buttery fragrant cake!

To see the other bakers take on this cake, do stop by Tuesdays With Dorie (TWD).

and I'm sharing this post with :

Cook-Your-Books


25 comments:

  1. It looks lovely! The second one is remarkably consistent; funny the first one was full of holes :-)

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  2. That second cake looks like it has a beautiful texture! This was delicious, wasn't it?

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  3. Your crumb looks a lot more delicate than mine did. Maybe I'll have to be patient and wait a day to slice like you did!

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  4. Those two photos are so different...I wonder how that first one got all those holes in it...interesting to hear about it and to see it (thanks for posting the photo) as I am always curious how things go from one thing to the next. That second version is absolutely perfect.

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  5. Love the look and texture of the second cake . I bet they both are delicious . Pinning :)

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  6. Yews the second cake look amazing!!!!
    xoxo

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  7. Your second cake looks gorgeous! Sorry the first one gave you a problem! At least it was tasty! Happy Tuesday!

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  8. Pass a slice this way, please! That 2nd one looks delicious, perfect, Joyce!

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  9. The holes in the first cake are so bizarre. The second looks great! I can see the vanilla flecks near the top of the slice.

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  10. What a difference the method makes! Your second cake is perfect....look at that beautiful crumb! And your serving plate is so pretty....

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  11. The second cake is picture perfect! And the first looks just as tasty!

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  12. Glad you gave it a second shot! Looks like you got perfect results :)

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  13. Beautiful cake! I don't know that it would last the weekend here, though! :)

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  14. wow wee! indeed the second cake has such lovely texture.. such fine crumbs! i can imagine it taste heaven!

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  15. Your second cake looks perfect and so light! Good for you trying it again :)

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  16. Your cake turned out a beautiful and buttery looking. I am wishing I had a slice to enjoy now ;0)
    Good for you to try it out a second time to get it right.
    Happy Baking to you!

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  17. Wow, Joyce! Your second bake is a beauty!!! I can't stop admiring the fine crumbs of this cake. Sad that you can't publish the recipe of this cake in your post.

    Zoe

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  18. The second cake looks like perfection. You are a patient woman, and it paid off!

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  19. Joyce , your 2nd cake is beautifully-baked , the texture looks moist and buttery ! I think your hand I mean , the hand whisk just don't have enough firepower to beat the batter properly :D

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  20. Hi Joyce,
    I can imagine the great smile on your face for the 2nd baked cake ! Indeed lovely !

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  21. Oh my... This looks so buttery-ily good! Yums

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  22. Your second bake, is absolutely beautiful! Makes me want a slice this moment! Kudos to you for doing a double take. I would have just written off the first one.

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  23. I'm glad your second one turned out so beautifully! It's funny that baked goods can go so inexplicably wrong sometimes. And I agree with you, Dorie's instructions are the best.

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  24. Yummy! I loved this cake and it looks like you did too. I don't think I'd mind if it had some holes as long as the taste was still there:)

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