It just came out of the oven and cooled for a half hour. Since I am experimenting with yellow cake recipes, I cut a wedge and tried it. This cake is delicious! It doesn't need icing it is so good. It is a delicate cake compared to the indestructible Cake Boss cake I made yesterday. The odd ingredients are potato starch and brandy (I used Hennesy cognac). No one could detect either ingredient in the final product, but the Hennesy definitely added a depth of flaver not found in yellow cakes. The batter, my favorite, was wonderful, where the benefit of the Hennesy could be detected. The potato starch contributed to the texture which was great, but delicate. Right now, this is my favorite yellow. I have never made the CC favorite, Sylvia Weinstock's, but that one is on my agenda tomorrow.
You must try this cake!!!
I would love to try it, right now my favorite is from seriouscakes. Its really good. want to switch recipes?
i read his book, but didn't try any recipes because they all take potato starch and i couldn't find any! did you have to buy yours at a specialty store?
Diane, I am looking at trying this recipe too. I heard you can find potato starch in the Jewish foods section of the grocery store.
I'm not sure whether this is the same, but I have this bookmarked from other blog, I downloaded it for my own self tutorial http://www.cakelove.com/podcast_yellow.php
Thanks for sharing! just bought the book at Half Price book store!!!! and have been wanting to try one of his recipes. also, Thanks for telling us where to get the potato starch
I got potato starch in the natural section of our grocery store. The recipe along with his tutorial is on his website. The book is a very interesting read on his baking philosophy. With the first cake being this good, I am anxious to try his others. I have even bought brioche tins to make "crunchy feet".
Ambar2, I would love to swap recipes. I hope you like this one.
About the alcohol... I bake many items with alcohol and I have a suggestion since he does not cover it. Brandy is inexpensive. I chose a cognac because it is an aged brandy. The older it gets, the sweeter and smoother it gets. Hennessy, to me, is the sweetest of the cognacs. If you want to spend less, E & J Brandy makes an XO which is aged more than regular brandy. A pint only costs $5.00. If you just want to try the Hennesy, buy a mini.
About the potato starch, the brand I got was Bob's Red Mill. I have seen this brand in Walmart (natural baking, on baking isle), big supermarkets, health food stores, and Whole Foods. I think it is the "go to" brand for food allergies. A health food store will be able to order it for you if you can't find it and you won't have to pay shipping.
scp1127, id you dont mind me asking where you got the pans and for how much? i saw them in bed bath and beyond for $.59 each. did you get a better deal?
bakencake, I bought them at fantes.com. They had the exact size he uses. The ones at BB&B are either too big or too little. I have the little ones to do samples. The ones from BB&B are rough vs. the smooth tin of fantes. But, fantes ones are $3.00 each, so with shipping, I have $50.00 in 16 of them, and you need 32 to 36. Try the ones at BB&B. Just change the baking time. Whenever (busy week) I make them I will post back on here and you can do the same. I would love for the .59 ones to work. If you have a Sur La Table, they carry brioche tins. Do you have the book? If not, let me know and I will look up the size he uses for you to compare.
I tried almost all his recipe out of "cakelove" And I think the only one I wasnt impressed by was Tres Leches, but all his cakes were divine. And dont get me started on his buttercreams!!!! Four words: out of this world!!! His chocolate buttercream is my "go-to", and coconut and peanut buttercreams just super silky smooth, having just enough of flavor to make it perfect! He uses corn starch in almost everything and it makes a huge difference!
I do have his book! i got it at half price books store. thank you for the brioche tips. i will definitely check it out
Lelka, I'm glad you have had such great results. Now it will be more fun trying the others... we all hate duds! I just read his chocolate butercream since you mentioned it. It looks very interesting. I will definitely try this this week. When I read his book, he came through with such conviction, I knew it was going to be a good recipe book. I'm sorry Food Network took his show off the air. I live just 1 1/2 hours outside DC and my other house is on the way, but it will take alot more than cake to get me near that DC traffic madhouse. Thanks for your reviews.
By the way, I put a layer in the freezer and will take it out in 24 hours to see how it does.
could someone suggest a substitute for the alcohol? for religious reasons i dont use it.
thanks.
I love his Sassy cake. It's my favorite orange cake. I've also made the mojito one. It's delicious!
When I bought his book I had to go to the liquor store and buy lots of different liquours: rum, tequila, limoncello, brandy, Cointreau and all kinds of essences and extracts and non-powdered nutmeg...plus the potato starch, that I also had trouble finding until I thought about the Jewish section at the supermarket.
I also like his "Mr. Banana Legs" cake. And I learned how to make IMBC with his podcast and use his recipe for it, even though that recipe is almost the same everywhere.
For every recipe he has a non-alcoholic alternative. It tells you at the beginning what to substitute it with.
So just to be sure, is his book just called "Cake Love"? After reading these posts, I have got to pick it up!
Cake Love
How to bake cakes from scratch
by Warren Brown
Glad I found this post. Just reserved the book from the local library and it's en route. Thanks scp1127!
Wow - glad I found this post also - I just went to Amazon and read the reviews on this book also. Needless to say, mine is on the way!!
It just came out of the oven and cooled for a half hour. Since I am experimenting with yellow cake recipes, I cut a wedge and tried it. This cake is delicious! It doesn't need icing it is so good. It is a delicate cake compared to the indestructible cake I made yesterday. The odd ingredients are potato starch and brandy (I used Hennesy cognac). No one could detect either ingredient in the final product, but the Hennesy definitely added a depth of flaver not found in yellow cakes. The batter, my favorite, was wonderful, where the benefit of the Hennesy could be detected. The potato starch contributed to the texture which was great, but delicate. Right now, this is my favorite yellow. I have never made the CC favorite, Sylvia Weinstock's, but that one is on my agenda tomorrow.
You must try this cake!!!
Is this cake suitable for carving? I have seen the book and would like to get it. Are there any cake recipes in this book that are firm and good for topsy turvy cakes?
Jade8, the alcohol is used as an extract. Vanilla sold in stores is 70 proof... 35% alcohol, by law. Brandies and cognacs are only 40 proof... 20% alcohol. To omit brandy and vanilla, he says to increase half and half by 1 tablespoon. Hope this helps.
Charmed, I have very little experience carving a cake, but this is probably too delicate.
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