Red Velvet Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Perfect for Valentine’s Day or any of the other 364…

Briana Riddock

Red Velvet Cake is a southern classic that is served every Thanksgiving and Christmas at my family’s dinner table. It is tradition to order it from our local Piccadilly’s because they have the best version that we love! Their red velvet cake features three layers of cake with cream cheese frosting and is covered in pecans. For some reason, we never baked the cake ourselves. I thought it was important that I know how to make this classic cake for myself. I found this recipe from another blogger, Bakerella, which has been the best recipe I’ve tried. It includes buttermilk and vinegar, which gives the cake a subtle, tangy flavor. I wanted to give regular cream cheese frosting a slight facelift by adding cocoa powder to complement the cocoa in the cake.

I found varying stories of where red velvet cake originated, and it’s not as southern as I thought. Many fingers point to the Waldorf Astoria as the birth parent in the 1930s. Adams Extract Company capitalized on the similar recipe of Mahogany Cake and made it popular by adding its vanilla extract and red food coloring. Beet juice also attributed to the red color as a source of sugar during World War II sugar rations. It did not start to pop up on southern tables until the 1950s. For more details about the origins of Red Velvet cake, check out the New York Times article where I sourced my information.

The original recipe called to bake at 350F, but I find that the edges burn quicker than the inside with dark pans. Depending on the darkness of your baking pan, I would recommend baking at a lower temperature–around 335F for a slightly longer time to prevent the outside from baking faster than the inside.

I chose to decorate my cake with walnuts and assorted fruit. Typically, red velvet cake is topped with pecans, but walnuts were a less expensive option so I went with that. I made an arrangement with strawberries, blueberries, and kiwi. I started with arranging the strawberries first and built the sliced kiwi around it. I used a potato peeler to peel the kiwi to get an even, circular shape. Lastly, I added blueberries randomly around the strawberries and kiwi. The shine of the fruit came from a glaze of melted apricot preserve with water that I slightly heated and brushed over the fruit.

I love the look of shaved chocolate on cakes. I shaved a chocolate bar with a potato peeler to get the chocolate curls. I learned this tip from a bakery I worked at in Atlanta called Maison Robert Fine Chocolates that specializes in French pastries. If you are ever in the city check it out!

I hope you enjoy this recipe and decorating tips!

Sweet Cornbread with Lavender Syrup

Happy Easter! It is strolling around the block weather in Brooklyn today. For those heading to brunches and loved ones houses after church this afternoon, consider adding this Sweet Cornbread with Lavender Syrup to the menu. It is an unlikely pairing, but the soothing and woodsy lavender syrup mimics what honey does for biscuits. The lavender aroma instantly fills your kitchen as the buds steep.  For a few seconds, I teleported to a Thai day spa and I was surrounded by the scent of burning lavender oil. Cornbread brings comfort. It made sense to match it with a relaxing flower.

The cornbread is subtly. I used condensed milk instead of sugar in the batter. The condensed milk adds an extra dose of milk and a little bit of sweetness. With a drizzle of the lavender syrup, it gives you the ability to control the sugar.

Fresh corn is cut right from the cob to create body and texture in each slice. I recommend baking the cornbread in a cast iron skillet to guarantee a crispy golden crust. When you cut into the corn bread you get a pillowy inside with a thin layer of crunch on the outside. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, the cornbread can transform into corn muffins if you bake it in a muffin tins.

If you have extra lavender syrup left, add a scoop to your morning tea or coffee. Try it on toast with ricotta cheese and lemon zest. You can use it in place of simple syrup in your favorite cocktail or sweeten plain yogurt topped with mixed berries for a midday snack.

Sweet Cornbread with Lavender Syrup

Author: seasoningbottle

Ingredients

• 1 cup cornmeal

• 1 1/2 cup All purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 eggs

• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

• 1 ear of corn, shucked

• 1 cup of milk

• 1/2 cup condensed milk

• 1 teaspoon orange zest

• 2 cup boiling water

• 2 tablespoons dried lavender

• 1 cup white sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375F

2. In a medium (10 inch) cast iron skillet heat to medium and melt butter. Add the corn kernels to saute for about 8 minutes. Corn and butter may turn slightly golden brown as the milk solid start to cook. When the corn is cooked, pour into a heat safe bowl and allow to cool for a few minutes.

3. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl – cornmeal, AP flour, baking powder, and salt.

4. In another bowl, lightly beat the eggs and stir in the milk, condensed milk, and orange zest.

5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix in the corn with butter into the batter.

6. Add the batter back to the skillet which should already be greased from the butter.

7. Bake for 30 minutes until the crust is brown around the edge.

8. While the cornbread is baking, steep the lavender in for 10 minutes in the boiling water.

9. Strain the lavender tea. Pour the tea into a small sauce pan with the white sugar. Bring mixture to a boil and reduce to a low boil for 30 minutes stirring occasionally to reduce crystallization on the sides of the the pan. The mixture will reduce in volume by half. Once it thickens remove from the heat and allow it to cool for 15 minutes.

10. Drizzle syrup over the warm cornbread!

Easter Lemon Pistachio Scones with Whipped Honey Ricotta

Happy Easter! Wake your family up to the smell of scones baking in the morning. The air will be filled with hints of bright lemon and nutty pistachios. This combination is divine.  These scones are slightly sweeten with brown sugar and they will complement any savory item you have on your breakfast plate. If you love the dazzling green hues of the pistachios flecked with purple, then these scones should be at your table Easter Sunday!

Now I  understand that nuts are expensive, and pistachios are definitely expensive, but if there wasn’t another time to get them, then this would be the time. I found the pistachios at my local bodega selling for $10 per pound. I grabbed a little more than a handful for a total of $3. It would be best to buy the nuts unsalted and in the shells. They are fresher if they are bought in the shells. It will take a little extra prep time to dig them out, but it is worth it.

If you have only had ricotta in your lasagna, this sweetened version will be a pleasant surprise. It complements the scones so well. Neither are overly sweet. They both have the perfect amount, so you can eat more than one scone without feeling guilty. Drizzle the scones with honey, if you have a sweet tooth for an extra punch of delight!

Easter Lemon Pistachio Scone with Whipped Honey Ricotta

Recipe Type: intermediate

Cuisine: American

Author: seasoningbottle

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Serves: 8

This is the perfect scone recipe for Easter breakfast and brunch!

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour, with extra for rolling

• 6 tablespoons cold butter

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 4 tablespoons brown sugar

• 1/2 cup chopped pistachios

• zest of 1 lemon

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 cup heavy cream + 1 tablespoon

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, brown sugar, and salt.

3. Cut cold butter into medium sized chunks and add to flour. With your hands break up the butter into the flour, creating small pebbles of flour and butter.

4. Add the lemon zest, pistachios, vanilla, and cream to the flour mixture to form your dough. Be sure not to over work the dough. If you find it not coming together, add small amounts of cream, 1 teaspoon at a time, as needed.

5. On a clean surface, dust with flour and roll dough into a ball.

6. With your fingers, or if you have a rolling pin, spread dough to about 1/2 inch thick.

7. Use a pizza cutter to cut dough into slice like shape. Don’t worry if the edges are a little jagged.

8. Place scones on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown.

9. Remove from oven once baked and allow to cool.

10. In a medium mixing bowl combine ricotta cheese, honey, and cream and blend together with a mixer on medium speed until it becomes whipped and airy.

11. Serve whipped ricotta with scones and enjoy!