Memories of The Grill Room: Red Velvet Cake

Red Velvet Cake

Earlier this summer I had the pleasure of attending the 40th wedding anniversary of two dear friends. One of their daughters had baked the cakes for the celebration lunch: delicious banana cakes. She said she had wanted to make Red Velvet Cake for the occasion (ruby red for the 40th anniversary), but they didn’t work out for her. I told her I had a recipe for Red Velvet Cake and here it is for you, Synove, with a story to go with it, of course.

I was introduced to Red Velvet Cake when I was a kid. It was the treat at the end of many a downtown shopping trip with my nana. (Yes, we went downtown to shop, everybody did. We even took the bus.) Most of the time, we choose our coveted slice from the dessert section of Eaton’s cafeteria, but once in awhile we enjoyed the finer dining experience of Eaton's Grill Room. This recipe produces the cake that I remember.

Like many of the other recipes I share on this blog, I’ve had this one in my wooden recipe box for a long time and don’t know exactly where it originated. At one time, I made it frequently, but then got away from it. In recent years, Red Velvet Cake has enjoyed a huge resurgence in popularity. There are plenty of recipes and debate about its origin online. I read an interesting article about this cake at the Sand and Feathers blog.

This is an impressive looking scratch cake baked in three layers. I only had two 8” round baking pans available, so I used an 8” springform pan for one of the layers, and it worked just fine.

You could use a cream cheese frosting on this cake. However, the frosting recipe given here is closest to what I remember of the Eaton’s Red Velvet Cake. It calls for granulated white sugar although I have seen similar frosting recipes that use confectioners or icing sugar. It’s a little grittier in texture with the granulated, but it’s the texture I’ve come to prefer. Whichever frosting you go with, make sure you cool the cakes completely. In fact, it doesn’t hurt to refrigerate them and frost them out right out of the fridge. And, be sure to brush the crumbs off the cake before frosting, so the red stays red and the white stays white. Of course, the white frosting is a perfect canvas for decoration, but the dramatic contrast between the red and the white when you slice into the layers has always been striking enough for me.

MA’s Red Velvet Cake

Preheat oven to 350º F.

Grease and flour 3 – 8-inch round baking pans and place a sheet of parchment paper inside the bottom of each pan for easy removal of the cakes. 

Setting up to make the cakes

½ cup butter
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 oz. red food colouring
2 heaping tbsp cocoa
2 ¼ cups cake flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk or soured milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vinegar

Cream the butter, sugar and eggs.

Cool completely and brush off crumbs before frosting

Make a paste of the food colouring and cocoa and add it to the creamed mixture.

Sift together the flour and salt. Add to the creamed mixture, alternating with the buttermilk.

Add vanilla.

Blend in the soda and vinegar.

Pour the batter into prepared pans.

Bake 24 to 34 minutes or until tester inserted in centre of each cake comes out clean.

Cool on rack. For further cooling and to make frosting the cake easier, cakes can be refrigerated for one to two hours.

Frost with Frosting for Red Velvet Cake.

Store frosted cake in refrigerator. Can be served cold or brought to room temperature.

Printable Recipe for MA's Red Velvet Cake

MA’s Frosting for Red Velvet Cake

Cook flour and milk until very thick

2 tbsp flour
1 cup milk
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla

In a double boiler or in a bowl set over boiling water, cook the flour and milk, stirring constantly with lots of love, until very thick. Remove from heat and cool completely.

Cream together the sugar, butter and vanilla until very fluffy.

Add the cooled flour and milk mixture to the

Mix until frosting is consistency of whipped cream

creamed mixture and mix until well blended. The frosting will be the constituency of whipped cream.

Makes enough frosting to fill and frost the side and top of one 3-layer cake.

Printable Recipe for MA's Frosting for Red Velvet Cake

Delicious Red Velvet Cake

The Farmers Market and Rhubarb in July

A slice of Lunar Rhubarb Cake

Rhubarb and spring go together. I don’t have a rhubarb patch of my own and didn’t manage to raid any from my patch-blessed friends this spring, so when I came across some beautiful rhubarb at a local farmers market in July, I couldn’t resist taking home a few bunches.

The Mallard as seen from Petersfield Market

The market I speak of is a recent addition in our part of the world and I highly recommend it. The vendors are friendly and the variety of offerings they bring together range from handmade bags and quilts, baked goods, funky furniture for your deck, local produce, and much, much more. You’ll find it every summer Sunday from 11 am to 3 pm in Petersfield, in the park beside the big mallard statue. I plan to return there throughout the season. Wherever you are, support your local farmers market.

But back to the rhubarb and today’s recipe for Lunar Rhubarb Cake. I love this cake. It is rich in spices, buttery, easy to make and serves a crowd. The recipe came from a Canadian Living magazine in the early 1980s. I googled it before this writing and you can still find a rhubarb cake recipe on the Canadian Living website. It’s different from the recipe I’m sharing here, but, knowing how well they test their recipes at Canadian Living, I am sure it will be good if you try it. In my Internet search, I also came across a fabulous looking rhubarb bundt cake on a canadian foodie website. The ingredients were quite similar to this recipe and it looked terrific baked up in the fancy bundt pan. Check it out. Many great recipes and ideas on this Edmonton-based website.

Why Lunar? Because the surface of the baked cake resembles craters on the moon.

Without further ado, here’s the recipe for Lunar Rhubarb Cake.

MA’s Lunar Rhubarb Cake

(Originated in Canadian Living, Summertime Special 1982)

Preheat oven to 350º F.

Butter a 9” x 13” baking pan.

All measured for the batter and the topping

Batter:

½ cup butter

1 ½ cups sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk or soured milk (that's a little less than 1 cup milk with 1 or 2 tbsp of vinegar or lemon juice added to curdle the milk)

2 cups rhubarb, chopped into 1” pieces

1 tbsp flour

Topping:

¼ cup butter

2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup brown sugar, packed

Rhubarb tossed with flour 

In a large mixing bowl or a KitchenAid stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy.

Beat in egg and vanilla.

Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternating with milk – making 3 dry and 2 liquid additions.

Toss rhubarb with 1 tbsp flour and mix gently into batter. This prevents the rhubarb from sticking together in the batter; helps each piece stay separate from the other.

Ready for the oven

Spoon batter into baking pan.

In a medium mixing bowl, blend together the butter, cinnamon and brown sugar. Sprinkle this topping evenly over the surface of the cake.

Bake for 45 minutes or until the cake has risen and browned and comes away from the edges of the pan.

Makes 12 to 18 pieces, depending on how large you want them.

Lunar Rhubarb Cake ready to slice

Printable Recipe for MA's Lunar Rhubarb Cake

My Boyfriend's Birthday Cake

Crispy Rice Layer Cake

Don’t get the wrong idea, folks. This boyfriend-girlfriend relationship is all above board, spouse approved, and largely based on cake - specifically crispy rice cake. When I know my friend needs a little cheering up or most of the time for no special reason, I make him a crispy rice cake.

For his birthday, it was only natural to forgo the usual sheet cake and make him a crispy rice layer cake. It's super easy, quick to make and you won't even heat up the oven. If you want to make one for your boyfriend, here's how.

MA's Crispy Rice Layer Cake

Butter 2 springform pans.

4 tbsp butter

1 package (10 oz) regular marshmallows or 4 cups miniature marshmallows

7 cups crispy rice cereal

1 to 1 ½ cups frosting of your choice

Mixture cooling in springform pans

In a large, microwavable bowl, heat butter and marshmallows on high for 3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. If things have not melted down after 3 minutes, microwave in 15 or 20 second intervals, stirring after each, until the mixture is smooth.

Add crispy rice cereal to butter and marshmallow mixture. Stir until all the cereal is well coated. A well-buttered spatula makes stirring easier.

Divide mixture in half and put each half into one pan. Press mixture into pan using the buttered spatula, wax paper or buttered fingers if the mixture is cool enough.

Crispy and good with chocolate frosting!

Leave in pans for 10-15 minutes. Then remove from pans and place onto rack covered with wax paper to dry completely, about an hour.

Place one cake on serving plate and cover top with frosting. Place second cake on top and cover top with frosting. You can cover the sides of the cake if you wish, but I like the look of the cereal cakes.

Serves 8 to 10.

Printable Recipe for MA's Crispy Rice Layer Cake

Just for Fun Jelly Dessert

Jiggly, Just for Fun Jelly Dessert

We all have better things to do than make this jelly dessert. I first came across this type of jelly confection when searching for holiday recipes last December. This dessert goes by many names online: broken glass jello, glass block holiday jello, stained glass jello, even mosaic dessert bars.  Some recipes suggest it can be served as the salad course, but I think it's way too sweet for that.  Anyway, I printed off a few different variations for making this jelly and tucked the recipes away figuring there would not be enough time to add this to the Christmas table (and really there were so many sweet things ready to eat that I couldn't justify one more). A few weeks ago I came across the printed recipes and since I had the time and the desire for a dessert, I gave it a try - just for fun.

Keep in mind that this is a jelly dessert, and like all jelly desserts, it takes time to set. Best to make this a day or two in advance.

There is plenty of room for interpretation with this dessert. You can change the vessel you make it in, the colours of the blocks or the shape of the blocks. If you want to see how others have used this jelly, do a Google image search or search Pinterest and be inspired. (And if you're curious about how gelatin works, check out this Knox Gelatin website.) I made my jelly dessert in a large silicon bundt mold, but you could do individual molds, or let it set into fancy dessert glasses, or use a 9" x 13" pan and cut the jelly into squares for serving.  I think using all red jello blocks would make a great Canada Day dessert, especially if you had a maple leaf cookie cutter to cut the blocks. If you try it, let me know and send me a photo, I'd love to see what colours you used. Now, go have some fun.

MA’s Just for Fun Jelly Dessert

4 – 3 ounce or 85 gram boxes of gelatin dessert in your choice of flavours/colours (I used cherry, orange, lime and lemon in the one I photographed)

4 cups boiling water

2 envelopes unflavoured gelatin powder (I used Knox brand)

½ cup cold water

1 ½ cups boiling water

1 ¾ cups sweetened condensed milk (where I live sweetened condensed milk is sold in 300 mL tins, so I had to buy to 2 tins to get the right amount for this dessert)

Make your coloured jelly: For each flavour/colour, dissolve one box of gelatin dessert in one cup of boiling water. Pour each flavour/colour into a separate container that has been very lightly greased. Chill in refrigerator until each is set firmly, at least 3 hours but overnight is best. Cut into blocks or desired shapes.

If you are making your dessert in a jelly mold, lightly grease it so that the dessert will come out easier. I used olive oil on my silicon bundt and wiped out almost all of it before using it to avoid any greasy taste on the dessert.

Jelly blocks placed in lightly greased mold

Place coloured jelly blocks into the pan/mold you are using: 9” x 13” pan, jelly mold, individual dessert glasses or bowls.

Pour completely cooled milky jelly over the blocks

Making the milky jelly: In a large bowl, pour in the cold water and sprinkle the gelatin powder on top and let stand. In about 1 minute, the gelatin will be softened. Add the condensed milk. Stir and cool completely. If you pour this into your mold before it’s cooled, your jelly blocks will be melted by it.

Mixing the milky jelly with the coloured jelly: Pour the cooled white, milky jelly over the jelly blocks and chill overnight.

Unmold and enjoy!

To serve:
If you’ve made your dessert in a pan/mold like I did, unmold the dessert by dipping the pan/mold briefly into warm water and inverting it onto a serving platter.

If you’ve made your dessert in a sheet pan, just cut it into whatever shape you like and serve.

And, if you’ve made the dessert in dessert glasses that don’t need to be unmoulded or cut up, you are ready to go (although I would be tempted to put a dab of whipped cream on top of each dessert)!

Printable Recipe for MA's Just for Fun Jelly Dessert

A Crunchy, Creamy Strawberry Dessert with Kiwi Coulis

Strawberries & whipped cream in phyllo cup with kiwi coulis

A typical weekday meal at my house does not include dessert unless, of course, company is coming. When there will be company for dinner, I like to have the dessert made before I get caught up preparing the rest of the meal. It gives me a sense of calm knowing that whatever happens, our meal will end on a sweet note.

Last time I made the Over-stuffed Roasted Vegetable Lasagna, we invited friends to join us. Because the lasagna is quite filling, I thought something light was in order for dessert. Looking in the refrigerator, I saw that I had some nice strawberries, an almost full bag of kiwis, and my trusty can of whipped cream. Looking in the freezer, I noticed the box of phyllo dough and then I got inspired. Before I started building the lasagna, I would bake some phyllo cups, clean the strawberries and make a kiwi coulis. At dessert time, I’d get out the whipped cream and quickly build the sweet ending to our meal. I felt calmer already.

Unfortunately, I didn’t take any photos while I was prepping the dessert, but the process is easy and I’ll take you through it step-by-step. If you haven’t made a coulis before, don’t worry. It’s a fancy name for a sauce made from pureed fruit or vegetables. This kiwi one is uncooked and unstrained so it’s practically no work at all. I hope you'll try this sometime or be inspired to make your own version. It's delicious and just a little decadent.

Phyllo Cups with Strawberries, Cream and Kiwi Coulis

Strawberries: 

Clean about 12 strawberries. Leave whole or cut into pieces. Put aside until ready to assemble the dessert.

To make 6 phyllo cups:

4 sheets phyllo dough

4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

¼ cup sugar

1. Position rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 350º F. 
2. Butter the insides and rims of 6 large muffin cups. 
3. Keep sheets of phyllo dough stacked flat, covered with plastic wrap and a damp towel while you work with the individual sheets. 
4. Place 1 sheet of phyllo on a clean, flat work surface. Brush evenly with about ¼ of the melted butter, then sprinkle evenly with sugar. Place 2nd sheet of phyllo on top of first and repeat covering with butter and sugar. Repeat with 3rd and 4th sheets of phyllo. 
5. Cut the stack of phyllo sheets into twelve squares. 
6. Place 1 stack of squares into a muffin cup so that it covers half of the bottom, gently press the dough against the side of the cup, letting the top of it hang over the muffin cup. Place a 2nd stack of squares, slightly over the 1st stack to cover the other half of the muffin cup. 
7. Repeat to make 5 more phyllo cups. 
8. Bake about 10 to 15 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. 
9. Let cool completely and then remove carefully from the muffin tin. 
10. Baked cups can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days before using.

A sweet treat for our guest Larry

Kiwi Coulis

5 kiwi fruits, peeled, ends cut out and cut into quarters

2 tbsp sugar

2 tsp lemon juice

1. Puree all ingredients in a blender. Take care not to over blend as the seeds will come apart and turn the sauce brown. After pureeing, you can strain the seeds if you like don’t like the speckled look or have trouble digesting small seeds. 
2. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

To assemble:

1. Place phyllo cup on plate and fill it with strawberries and whipped cream.
2. Spoon kiwi coulis around phyllo cup.

Printable Recipe for Phyllo Cups with Strawberries, Cream and Kiwi Coulis

Banana Love: Earthquake Banana Cream Pie

Earthquake Banana Cream Pie

My love affair with bananas continues in this very excellent banana cream pie.

I found the basis for this recipe online six or seven years ago. The recipe's contributor noted that their father had made this pie from scratch in his restaurant for over forty years and the pie was always a favorite. Unfortunately, I don't know more about the restaurant and can't pass on the credit. I’ve rewritten the recipe here with minor changes and when you taste it, you'll see why it was such a favorite.

To start, you’ll need a baked pie shell. You can make one using my flaky lardy piecrust recipe or whatever piecrust you like as long as it’s already baked and cooled before the filling goes in. By the way, don’t worry if your homemade crust has a few uneven edges as mine does in the photo below. Whipped cream at serving time is the perfect cover up. The pre-formed graham crust you can buy at the grocery store is also delicious in this recipe. If you use a crust that is less than 10 inches in diameter, you will have leftover filling. Put it into ramekins and enjoy a tasty little pudding dessert.

You can use whatever milk you like to make the filling. I use skim and it works just fine. However, this is one place where you will not want to use overripe bananas. Save the mushy bananas for another recipe (like blender banana cake) and use slices of the firm ones here. Because of the custard filling and the bananas, this pie is not a good keeper. Plan to have it eaten within a day or two of making it otherwise the moisture of the custard will soften the crust. 

And what about the earthquake? Occasionally, the custard filling doesn’t set as firmly as you would like. The pie will still look smooth and firm until you cut the first slice - then suddenly cracks form along the top (you can see it in the photo at the top of this post). This happened as I was serving a slice to my friend Harry. He looked at the cracks and dubbed it earthquake pie. If I'd had an extra banana, I might have covered the top of the pie with banana slices to disguise the earthquake effect. Two pieces of pie later, the seismic custard proved the old adage: it's what's inside that counts!

MA’s Earthquake Banana Cream Pie

Ingredients for filling

10” baked pie shell, cooled

4 cups cold milk

8 tbsp cornstarch

1 ¼ cups sugar

1 pinch salt

4 eggs, slightly beaten

2 tbsp butter

2 tsp vanilla

2 bananas, sliced

In a medium-sized saucepan, pour cold milk.

Mix together cornstarch, sugar and salt. Add the mixture to the cold milk, stirring until all the dry ingredients are dissolved in the milk.

Cook mixture over medium heat. Stir constantly until bubbly.

Cooking the custard

Pour ¼ of the hot mixture into beaten eggs and mix thoroughly. Return egg/milk mixture to saucepan.

Continue cooking until the mixture comes back to bubbling and is thick.

MA’s Tip: If you see little brown flecks floating up, the milk and sugar have begun to scorch. Don’t panic. Try not to stir right down to the bottom of the saucepan. Turn down the heat and/or remove the saucepan for a minute or two.

Blend butter and vanilla into mixture.

Banana slices form centre layer

Pour about half the mixture into the pie shell and cover with banana slices.

Pour remaining mixture on top of the banana slices. Any leftover pie filling can be put into custard cups and served as a dessert.

Let the filling cool, then refrigerate until firm.

Top with sweetened whipped cream and serve.

If you won’t be serving the whole pie at one sitting, I recommend adding the whipped cream to each individual slice as it is served.

Printable Recipe for MA's Earthquake Banana Cream Pie

Ready for the whipped cream