How often have you read a baking recipe only to be left wondering how to do one of the critical steps? You know books that say things like "top with chocolate shavings" - as though they assume all of us know how to make chocolate shavings?  Other times you'll find recipes that say "melt the chocolate" without saying how, or recipes that require specialized ingredients without telling what they are or where to get them. It's frustrating. Well, today's cookbook not only provides a great collection of recipes it also answers all of your baking questions in an informative, easy to understand way that won't leave you stuck in the middle of a recipe.  The Art & Soul of Baking by Cindy Mushet is part of Sur La Table's new collection of cookbooks. Both Cindy and all of her helpers at Sur La Table did a great job compiling this hefty 450 page book that's also a Gourmet Cookbook of the month selection. 

For those of you who want a simple dessert recipe, sure you'll find some in "The Art & Soul of Baking", but that's not really the point of this book.  Instead, this is a way to learn all of the baking details you've never learned while making some interesting desserts.  I tried out the Retro Ringers one day, on the spur of the moment, when I felt like baking.  While the little cakes are by no means simple, Cindy gently walks you through the recipe making it seem a breeze.  

Throughout the book you'll find detailed photos and "What the Pro's know" sections with tips and tricks that professional bakers use.  You'll also find a great reference section at the beginning of the book.   And while I'm not sure baking has a soul, if it does you'll surely find it here...

Retro Ringers with Silver Leaf

From The Art & Soul of Baking by Cindy Mushet, Andrews McMeel Publishing 2008.

Makes 8 cakes

This version of a childhood lunchbox favorite is all grown up and ready for a party, with rounds of chocolate cake hiding a center of real cream and finished with a cloak of fine-quality bittersweet chocolate. Your friends will enjoy the sly wink the silver leaf gives to the shiny foil wrapping of the original snack cakes. This recipe is all about chocolate, so use the best quality possible in the glaze. Edible silver leaf can be purchased from Indian grocery stores and fine cookware shops.

• 1 recipe Devil’s Food Sheet Cake (see below), cooled completely

Filling

• 1/3 cup (2¾ ounces) heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Scant ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Glaze

• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (up to 64 percent cacao), finely chopped
• 1 cup (8 ounces) heavy whipping cream (if using chocolate that is over 60 percent cacao, add an extra ¼ cup cream)

Topping

• Edible silver leaf or silver dragées
• Fresh Raspberry Sauce
• 1 half-pint basket (6 ounces) fresh raspberries
  

Equipment

3-inch Round Cookie Cutter, 2-inch Round Cookie Cutter, Paring Knife, Stand Mixer Fitted with a Whisk Attachment or a Hand Mixer and a Medium Bowl, Pastry Bag Fitted with a ½-inch Plain Tip, Medium Bowl, Small Saucepan, Whisk, Cooling Rack, Two Baking Sheets with Rimmed Edges, Parchment Paper, Mini Offset Spatula, Fine-Mesh Strainer (Optional), Silicone or Rubber Spatula (Optional), Icing Spatula

1. Cut the cakes: Use the 3-inch cutter to cut eight rounds from the cake. Save the scraps for snacking. Insert a small paring knife into the side of a round, ¼ inch from the bottom, and push the tip approximately two-thirds of the way through the cake. Push the 2-inch cutter down into the center of the cake until it hits the paring knife. Gently wiggle the knife and cutter until the cylinder of cake is cut free. Remove the knife and the cutter with the cake piece in it. Pop the cake out of the cutter and slice off a ¼-inch-thick round, which will become the “cover” for the opening, sealing in the cream filling. Set the cover aside and enjoy the remaining cake for yourself. Repeat with all the rounds.

2 Make the filling: In the bowl of the stand mixer, whip the cream, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed into firm peaks. You can also use a hand mixer and a medium bowl. Transfer to the pastry bag (or a quart-size resealable plastic bag and snip off one of the corners). Pipe the cream to fill the hole in each cake. Press the round slices of reserved cake on the tops.

3. Make the glaze: Place the chopped chocolate in the medium bowl. Warm the cream in the small saucepan just until it begins to boil. Immediately pour over the chocolate. Let the mixture sit for 1 or 2 minutes, then whisk gently until completely blended and smooth. If there are any lumps of chocolate left, place the bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water and stir constantly until they melt. Remove the glaze from the heat and let cool slightly for 5 to 10 minutes. It should be pourable but slightly thickened, about the consistency of heavy cream or honey.

4. Glaze the cakes: Working with one cake at a time, place it on a cooling rack set on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Set the bowl of glaze next to the baking sheet. Pour 3 tablespoons of glaze onto the top of the cake, then use the offset spatula to gently push the glaze across the top, letting the excess run down the side to coat them. Dab glaze onto any exposed patches of cake. As you finish each cake, use the offset spatula to move it to the far end of the cooling rack so you won’t accidentally drip glaze on it and mar its finish. Repeat with the remaining 7 cakes. If the glaze becomes too thick to pour over the cakes, reheat it in the microwave oven or set over a bit of simmering water until fluid again. If you run out of glaze, reuse the excess on the parchment paper by scraping the ganache into a fine-mesh strainer (to remove any crumbs) set over the bowl of glaze and pushing it through with the silicone spatula, if necessary. Gently reheat the glaze to make it fluid again, and continue covering the cakes. Any leftover glaze can be used as an ice cream topping, rolled into truffles, or stirred into hot milk or coffee.

5. Use the tip of a paring knife to break off a bit of silver leaf, if using, and touch it to the surface of each glazed cake. The moisture on the surface will cause the silver leaf to adhere instantly. Work close to the cake, so the silver leaf does not break loose from the knife and disintegrate into the air. If you are garnishing with silver dragees, sprinkle them over the top now, while the glaze is still tacky and can hold them. To remove the cakes from the rack, carefully slide an offset spatula underneath each cake, releasing the chocolate glaze around the edges from the rack. Move the cakes by supporting them with an icing spatula while the glaze is still soft, but no longer dripping.

6. Refrigerate the cakes for at least 20 minutes or until serving time. To serve, spoon a bit of raspberry sauce on one side of each cake and scatter a few raspberries around.

Storing

The finished cakes can be stored on the parchment-lined pan wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.

What the Pros Know

This is a recipe for which mise en place and a couple of kitchen towels for cleaning hands and workspace of chocolate are especially important. Nothing here is particularly difficult, but once you get started, it’s best to proceed unimpeded to the finish. Read through the recipe, gather everything you need, and don’t answer the phone. Being prepared allows you to enjoy baking and decorating.

Devil's Food Cake

From The Art & Soul of Baking by Cindy Mushet, Andrews McMeel Publishing 2008.

Make 2 (9-inch) cake layers, serving 8 to 12

The deep chocolate flavor of this cake comes from the technique of pouring boiling water over cocoa powder, which intensifies and releases all the chocolate notes within.  Be sure to use unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder; natural cocoa powder will react unfavorably with the baking powder.  If you're not sure which kind you have, check the ingredient label: Dutch-process cocoa powder contains alkali, whereas natural does not.

• 1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) unsifted unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) plus 1 cup (8 ounces) water
• 1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened (65-68 degrees F)
• 1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (6 ounces) firmly packed light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups (7 ounces) sifted cake flour
• 1/4 cup (1 1/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Equipment: Two (9 by 1 3/4 inch) Round Cake Pans, Parchment Paper, Two Small Bowls, Small Saucepan, Whisk, stand Mixer Fitted with a Paddle Attachment or a Hand Mixer and a Medium Bowl, Silicone or Rubber Spatula, Fine-Mesh Strainer, Medium Bowl, Cooling Rack, Thin and Flexible Knife or Spatula, Two (9-inch) Cake Cardboards or Tart Pan Bottoms.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and position oven racks in the lower and upper thirds.  Lightly coat the pans with butter, oil, or high-heat canola-oil spray and line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper.

2. Mix the cocoa powder: Place the cocoa powder in a small bowl, Heat 1/2 cup of the water in the small saucepan just until it begins to simmer. Pour it over the cocoa and whisk or stir until blended and smooth.  Add the remaining 1 cup water and stir until the mixture is smooth. Set aside until the mixture cools to room temperature.  If it is warm, it will melt the butter and ruin the texture of your cake.

3. Cream the butter with the sugars: Place the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in the bowl of the stand mixer.  Beat on medium-high speed until very light in color, 4 to 5 minutes.  You can also use a hand mixer and a medium bowl, although you may need to beat the mixture a bit longer to achieve the same results.  Scrape down the bowl with the spatula.

4. Add the eggs: Beat the eggs and vanilla in the other small bowl to blend. With the mixer on medium, add the eggs to the butter mixture about 1 tablespoon at a time, allowing each addition to completely blend in before adding the next.  About halfway through, turn off the mixer and scrape down the bowl, then resume adding the eggs.  Scrape down the bowl again.

5. Add the dry and wet ingredients alternately: With the fine-mesh strainer, sift the cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt into the medium bowl and blend with the cleaned whisk.  With the mixer on the lowest speed, add the flour mixture and the cocoa water alternately, beginning with one-third of the flour mixture and half the cocoa water alternately, beginning with one-third of the flour mixture and half the cocoa water. Repeat, then finish with flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl and finish blending the batter by hand, if necessary.

6. Bake the cake: Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the tops are firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean.  Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

7. Unmold the cakes:  Run the thin and flexible knife or spatula around the edge of a pan to loosen the cake. Place a cake cardboard on top of the pan, hold the two together, and flip over. Remove the pan, leaving the parchment on the cake.  Set the second cake cardboard or plate on top, then flip again.  The cake will now be right side up.  Repeat with the remaining cake.

8. Level the cakes: Turn one over onto a cake cardboard or serving plate and remove the parchment paper.  Spread a generous 3/4 cup sabayon cream over the surface. Turn the second cake over onto the cream, cut side down.  Peel off the parchment paper. Viola! - a crumb-free surface for frosting. Use the remaining frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake. Serve immediately or refrigerate until needed.

Storing:  The unfrosted cakes can be wrapped in plastic and held at room temperature for 1 day.  They can also be frozen, double-wrapped in plastic, each one inside a resealable plastic freezer bag, for up to 4 weeks. Leave the parchment paper intact.  To thaw unwrap the cakes and defrost at room temperature for about 1 hour.  Once frosted, refrigerate for up to 3 days under a cake dome.  If it has been cut, simply press a piece of plastic wrap firmly against the cut surfaces to keep it fresh.

Devil's Food Sheet Cake: Position an over rack in the center of the oven. Lightly butter or oil a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.  Scrape the batter into the pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

What the pros know:  Bakeries often have a few "workhorse" recipes that are the basis for all of their cakes. New cakes are introduced by varying the pan size and shape, as well as the fillings, frostings, and flavoring syrups.  you can do the same at home by perfecting your technique with a cake recipe you like, then varying it endlessly with new fillings and frostings, like the variations shown here with Devil's Food Cake.

About The Art & Soul of Baking

The Art and Soul of Baking guides readers through the world of baking, where alluring aromas of chocolate, vanilla, and cinnamon fill the air and tempt the palate. Culinary authority Sur La Table teams with professional pastry chef and baking instructor Cindy Mushet to create the ultimate book for bakers. The Art and Soul of Baking demystifies the friendly science of baking through delicious recipes and photography sequences that illustrate proper techniques for carmelizing sugar, or working with croissant dough.

Available at Amazon.com

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