I have been on a long, self-imposed break from the blogging world, but I felt it was necessary to pop-up for a moment to post a recipe for Princess Cake. I made it over 5 years ago from a recipe on iVillage.com (originally from the book Birthday Cakes: Recipes and Memories from Celebrated Bakers), but since then the site has taken it offline. Several times a year I get asked if I still have a copy of it. I have moved three times since then, and finally dug through my papers and found a version I printed from iVillage.com back in 2005.

Due to popular request, here it is, transcribed from my printed version. I typed it word for word, so forgive any typos. If you want the true original version, you’ll have to get the book! You can also see my attempt at making this recipe in 2005 on the original Princess Cake post .


Princess Cake
Recipe from Birthday Cakes: Recipes and Memories from Celebrated Bakers Via iVillage.com

This lovely cake calls for care in preparation. Plan your baking and assembling steps in advance and the result is a gorgeous, delicious cake.

Preparation Timeline:
Marzipan: 1 day to 1 month ahead
Soaking Solution: 1 day to 1 month ahead
Vanilla Genoise Layer Cake: 1 day ahead (refrigerate) or up to 1 week ahead (freeze)

Serving: 12
Prep Time: 150 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours (plus resting time)

INGREDIENTS

• Vanilla Genoise Layer Cake (recipe follows)
• Soaking Solution (recipe follows)
• 1/3 Cup Raspberry Jam
• Flavored Whipped Cream (recipe follows)
• 1 Cup Pastry Cream (recipe follows)
• Marzipan, at room temperature (recipe follows), see note
• Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
• Fresh pink or white rose for decorating

DIRECTIONS

Vanilla Genoise Layer Cake:
5 large eggs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup cake flour, sifted

1. To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour one 9×2 inch cake pan or two 9×1.5 inch cake pans; knock out the excess flour. Line the bottom of the pan(s) with a round of parchment paper. Fill a medium saucepan half full of water and bring to a boil.

2. Using a hand whisk, beat the eggs until blended in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer. Whisk in the sugar. Place the bowl over the saucepan of boiling water (the water should be at least 2 inches below the bottom of the bowl). To prevent the eggs from cooking, use your hand to stir the mixture constantly until it feels quite warm. The eggs should remain liquid and not become opaque or cooked. (Failing to mix constantly will result in very sweet scrambled eggs!) Immediately remove the bowl from the heat, fit the mixer with the whisk attachment and start whipping the eggs on high speed without stopping for 3 to 4 mintues.

3. Meanwhile, melt the butter and pour it into a small bowl. Add the vanilla. Place the flour in a sifter and set aside.

4. The egg mixture is ready when the eggs have just cooled and at least tripled in volume. When you lift the whisk out of the bowl, the batter should fall off the whisk in ribbons.

5. Remove the bowl from the mixer and sift a little less than one-fourth (a scant 1/4 cup) of the flour over the surface of the batter. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the flour. Repeat until all the flour is incorporated.

6. Pour a generous cup of batter over the melted butter mixture in the small bowl. Thoroughly fold the batter into the butter. Slowly pour the butter mixture over the remaining batter in the bowl in a circular motion. (If you add the butter mixture too quickly, it will sink, reducing the volume and toughening the cake.) Gently fold together until none of the darker butter mixture is visible.

7. Carefully pour the batter into the prepared 9×2 inch pan; it should be about two-thirds full. If using two 9×1.5 inch pans, pour one-third of the batter into one pan and the remaining two-thirds into the other pan. Set the cake pan(s) on a baking sheet and immediately place on the center rack in the oven. If using a 9x2inch pan, bake for about 30 minutes and wait to open the oven until the cake has baked at least 25 minutes, or it may fall. If using two pans, bake for about 20 minutes and wait to open the oven until the cakes have baked at least 15 minutes. The cake is done when it just starts to pull away from the sides of the pan (the cake will not spring back when gently pressed, and a toothpick will not come out clean when it is ready).

8. Remove the cakes from the oven and immediately run a metal icing spatula or knife around the inside of the pan(s) to loosen the cake. Let cool for 5 minutes, then unmold and let cool completely. The cakes may be stored, well wrapped, in the refrigerator for 1 day, or frozen up to 1 week.

Cook’s Notes:

• For optimum moistness, this cake is best baked in a 9×2 inch cake pan, then cut into 3 layers.
• Genoise may be cut into layers as soon as it is cool. If the cake has been refrigerated, cut it as soon as you remove it from the refrigerator. If it has been frozen, let it thaw about 30 minutes, then cut. Always cut off the top layer first and place it cut side down.
• If you precut the cake layers well before icing the cake, keep them covered in plastic wrap. Vanilla genoise dries out very quickly when left unwrapped.

Marzipan
3 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 pound almond paste
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 to 3 tablespoons water
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon green food coloring (traditional for the princess cake)\

1. Put the confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the flat beater. With the mixer running on medium-low speed, add the almond paste about 1 teaspoon at a time. This will take about 5 minutes. The mixture will be crumbly. Scape down the bowl and the beater. Add the corn syrup and mix on low speed until incorporated. The mixture will still be crumbly. Again scrape down the bowl and beater.

2. In a small bowl, combine the water and food coloring. With the mixer on medium-low speed, add about half of the food coloring mixture and beat until incorporated. Continue gradually adding the food coloring until the marzipan just comes together and reaches the consistency of sugar cookie dough. It should be smooth but not crumbly or overly sticky.

3. If more color is desired, knead it by hand after removing the marzipan from the mixer. (Remember it is easier to add a little more color at the end than to make a new batch!) Different food colorings have different intensities and will require different amounts.

4. Place the marzipan on a sheet of plastic wrap and form it into a 9-inch round disk about 1/2 inch thick. Wrap and refrigerate overnight before using. Store in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Soaking Solution
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon Myers’s dark rum

1. In a small saucepan, combine the water and sugar and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and let cool. Add the rum. Let cool completely before using or refrigerating. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Pastry Cream
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
6 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
4 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a heavy saucepan, warm the half-and-half over medium heat until it begins to simmer. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix the cornstarch with the sugar. Using a whisk, whip in the water until smooth. Beat in the egg yolks. When the half-and-half is simmering, slowly add about half of it into the cornstarch mixture, whisking constantly to incorporate. Whisk this mixture into the simmering half-and-half and continue to whisk vigorously and constantly until the pastry cream thickens, about 2 to 5 minutes.

2. Remove from heat, add the vanilla and transfer to a glass or metal bowl. Let cool completely, stirring frequently to prevent a skin from forming on the top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 5 hours, or up to 3 days.

Flavored Whipped Cream:
3 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. When you are ready to assemble the cake, make the whipped cream. In a deep bowl, combine all the ingredients. Using an electric mixer or a balloon whisk, beat the mixture until soft peaks form. Set aside while cutting the cake.

TO ASSEMBLE THE PRINCESS CAKE:

1. Using a long serrated knife, level the top(s) of the cakes. If you used a 9×2 inch pan, cut the cake into three even layers; if you used two 9×1.5 inch pans, cut the thicker layer into two even layers. Place the top layer of the cake, cut side down, on a 9-inch cake cardboard. Brush it lightly with soaking solution, being careful not to oversoak it. Spread the cake with a thin layer of raspberry jam (You should almost be able to see through it.) Spread a 1/4 inch thick layer of the whipped cream over the raspberry jam. Set the middle layer of the cake on the whipped cream. Brush it with soaking solution and then spread it with a 3/8 inch thick layer of pastry cream. Place the remaining cake layer, cut side down, on top of the pastry cream. Brush it with soaking solution.

2. Using a metal icing spatula, coat the side of the cake with a 1/8 inch thick coat of whipped cream. There should be just enough whipped cream to seal in all the crumbs and to prevent the marzipan from resting directly on the cake.

3. Mound the remaining whipped cream on the top of the cake, and using a metal icing spatula, spread into a dome so that the cake almost looks like an upside down bowl. Soften the edge where the top of the genoise ends and the dome begins by beveling it with the flat part of the spatula.

4. Bring the marzipan to room temperature at least 1 hour before assembling the cake. Before attempting to cover a cake with marzipan for the first time, practice covering an inverted 8 inch or 9 inch bowl. Once you are comfortable with this technique, gather up the marzipan, knead it into a ball and reroll to cover the cake.

5. Lightly dust the work surface with confectioners’ sugar. Place the marzipan on the surface and, using an 18-inch wide rolling pin, roll out the marzipan as you would pie dough, into a 16-inch circle, 1/8 inch thick. Frequently dust the marzipan with plenty of confectioners’ sugar and turn the circle to make sure the marzipan is not sticking to the work surface. Using your hand, brush off the excess confectioners’ sugar. Don’t worry if a lot of confectioners’ sugar clings to the marzipan; it will be absorbed.

6. Set the cake near the rolled out marzipan, about 6 inches away from the edge of the work surface, so that you can see and reach around the entire cake. Loosely roll the marzipan onto the rolling pin, starting at the back and rolling toward you.

7. Lift the rolling pin with the marzipan rolled around it. Unroll the marzipan over the cake, starting at the front and unrolling toward the back, while making sure to cover the entire cake and cardboard. When finished, some marzipan should drape onto the work surface all around the cake.

8. At this point, the dome of the cake will be smoothly covered, but there will be folds and creases on the sides. To remove the folds and creases, lift the outside edge of the marzipan with a hand on either side of the fold and, without tearing or stretching, gently pull the marzipan out and down until the fold disappears.

9. Work your way around the cake. Once all the folds are eliminated, rub the palm of your hand around the sides of the cake to further smooth and eliminate air pockets.

10. With a rolling pizza cutter or small, sharp knife, carefully cut off the excess marzipan along the bottom edge of the cake cardboard (the cardboard should not show). Reserve for making leaves.

11. Slide the icing spatula under the cake cardboard and tilt the cake up enough to get the palm of your other hand underneath to lift it without touching the sides. Turn the cake, checking to make sure the cake and cardboard are completely covered with the marzipan. If not, gently push the marzipan down, using the palm of your hand.

12. Set the cake down and sift a fine dusting of confectioners’ sugar over it. Transfer to a serving platter.

13. Cut three elongated ovals about 3 inches long by 1 inch wide out of the remaining marzipan to make three leaf shapes. Lightly score the top of the leaves with a knife to create veins. Gently blend each leave into a leaflike curve. Place the marzipan leaves, spaced evenly apart, on the center of the domed cake top with the stem ends touching. Gently press the stem ends into the dome to secure the leaves to the top of the cake.

14. Cut the rose stem 2 inches below the flower. Lift the sepals so they will set over the marzipan leaves and insert the rose into the center of the dome.

15. The finished princess cake may be stored in the refrigerator for up to two days, but it is best the day it is made. Remove the cake from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.

Pichet Ong’s latest venture, Dessert Spot, opened last Wednesday on St. Marks in the East Village. I had a chance to stop in yesterday, and luckily I was hungry.

I should start by saying that I was not a big fan of his last place, Batch. The concept was great, but I felt the desserts were more sugary than flavorful. Sorry Pichet, but now that you have Dessert Spot I can say this because I am a fan of the new recipes. It seems that Pichet took a few months off, spent some time in Sydney, and somewhere along the way got inspiration for some really flavorful and delicious desserts.

During our visit three friends and I shared:

• Chocolate cupcake with apricot filling and green tea buttercream
• Coconut chocolate chip cookie (the size of City Bakery’s cookies)
• Peanut butter cookie with sea salt (about 2″ thick and 3″ in diameter)
• Passionfruit banana sorbet with red thai jewels (made with water chestnuts and a gelatin coating, I believe)
• Vietnamese coffee ice cream with poached pears
• Cheesecake with a walnut crust, huckleberry compote and passionfruit foam topping (served with orange slices)

I really enjoyed each and every one of the desserts. The peanut butter cookie and coconut chocolate chip cookie were doughy and slightly under baked, which may put off some, but it fulfilled my comfort food craving. The passionfruit sorbet was very refreshing and paired well with the thai jewels. My least favorite dessert was the coffee ice cream, only because it didn’t seem different enough from good coffee ice cream available elsewhere (and at $3 for a tiny scoop, I want something more unique). Surprisingly, one of my favorite creations was the chocolate, apricot and green tea cupcake. All three flavors held their own and the buttercream was perfectly smooth and creamy.

As for the cheesecake, it was also tasty, but I’m a simple dessert girl and I’d rather see Pichet experiment more with natural ingredients (including alternative, natural sugars) and new flavors than continue to play with foams and plating.

The one thing that I’m still uncertain about with the Dessert Spot, is if it’s intended more for take-out or sit-down service. The space is small, and the counter is set back from the window and hard to browse without getting in the way of the seating area. I can imagine it would be impossible to order once it gets crowded. There are about 15 seats in the place, mostly on wood tables and benches with “faux grass” underneath, giving it a picnic feel.

The space is nice, and I’m really happy to have another casual, yet polished, dessert establishment in town. Since it’s located in the always busy St. Marks area of the East Village, I expect it to do well. It’s slightly hidden down a flight of stairs, so keep an eye out for it on the north side of the street amongst the rows of Japanese restaurants.

Dessert Spot
13 St. Marks Place (between 2nd and 3rd Avenue)
Look down the stairs on the north side of the street, in the old Iron Fairies space
Hours not posted yet (should be at least til 10pm)
(212) 677-5670 phone

I am getting married in T-minus 33 days, which means in 34 days I will be laying a beach, relaxing on my honeymoon. I have been thinking a lot about 1) which bathing suit I should bring along, and 2) what my body will look like in it! I have been trying to watch my sweets, and I found a perfect way to stay motivated while still thinking all about sugar – KanDi Swim.

KanDi Swim is a line of swimwear and resortwear that is inspired by dessert.

My favorite part about the line is that they clearly draw on the fun colors and styles of dessert, without being too literal. For example, you won’t find a giant cupcake on your chest or “sweet” printed across your bum. It’s a swimwear line for women who just want something fun.

In honor of my wedding and bikini/dessert obsession, KanDi Swim is giving away a bikini to one lucky USA Lovescool reader! The winner can choose from the “Bakery Box” or “Lemon Meringue” bikini (available in sizes extra-small to large).

Left: Bakery Box KanDi Bikini, Right: Lemon Meringue KanDi Bikini

To enter this contest, simply add a comment below and tell us which dessert you would love to see in bikini form. Comments submitted before Monday, August 31st at Midnight EST will be entered into the contest. The winner will be randomly selected from comments entered.

(Please note: Sorry, but suits can only be shipped within the US. Be sure to enter a valid e-mail address in the comment form – it won’t be shared with anyone or used for any marketing purpose, I just need it to contact the winner to get bikini preference and shipping information.)

The KanDi Swim line is created by Dani Kates, an NYC native and Parson’s school graduate. The 2009 collection includes:

• Bakery Box: a white bikini with red and white ruffles or straps
• Black & White Cookie: half vanilla, half chocolate
• Cotton Kandi: a Cotton KanDi cover up with hand embroidered leaf cookies, rainbow cookies, cupcakes and black & white cookies
• Cupcake: a vanilla, strawberry, lemon or red-velvet colored bikini with hand-beaded colored sprinkles or rows of “chocolate” ruffle frosting
• Frosting: a solid colored bikini that comes in strawberry, raspberry, pistachio, dark chocolate, vanilla, or lemon
• Leaf Cookie: a strawberry, vanilla or pistachio colored bikini with chocolate dipped edges and strings
• Lemon Meringue: a lemon colored bikini with ruffles accented in burnt brown
• Linzer Tart: a bikini with raspberry polka dots and accents and white ruffles

For a full list of retailers, visit the KanDi Swim website.

Good luck everyone. Thank you KanDi Swim!

My new favorite breakfast is the cinnamon raisin bread from Orwasher’s. I first passed this Upper East Side bakery on my way to a gym class, and even though I was trying to be good, I walked out with a loaf of bread. Little did I know how lucky I was to get it! Every time I return to the bakery, the cinnamon bread is often sold out. It’s one of their most popular creations. It is seriously fresh and delicious. The morning is your best chance to snag one. The loaf is large, but it holds up well for a few days and there is plenty to share (potentially making you many new friends!) The staff is also really nice, and they take their bread seriously. A great find.

Orwasher Bakery
308 East 78th Street (btwn 1st/2nd Ave)
New York, NY 10075
212-288-6569 phone

AP Photo/Hasbro Inc., Darryl Bush

According to the organizers, “the street will be closed to traffic as children from the University of California, San Francisco Children’s Hospital participate in the game as colored game pieces and interact with life-sized game characters.” At the end they will be rewarded with a big party, including plenty of cake (and hopefully candy!)

This makes me want to move to San Francisco ASAP. It was my dream as a little kid to be Queen Frostine floating in the ice cream sea. What a great treat for the kids.

Update: Photos from the event are now online at SFist.com

via SFist.com

As a bakery owner, it was rare to actually leave the store to have a proper meal. I often found myself eating muffins for lunch, or scrounging the last of the oatmeal for a somewhat healthier option. Vegetables and protein weren’t available much, but my body was used to a carb and sugar-heavy diet, so I didn’t mind – at least at first. It is easy to get sick of your own products, but when you want to make sure the quality is up to your standards, and you are trying to develop new recipes, you can’t help but eat more than you should.

The New York times recently reported on the difficulty of Staying Fit when Food is Your Job and talked about how “the image of the roly-poly chef is an enduring stereotype, and sometimes for good reason.” When your life is in a restaurant or cafe and you are constantly surrounded by food, you lose perspective.

Now that the bakery is closed, I have time to focus on my health again. This includes mentally relaxing and, just as important, spending time evaluating the nutritional balance of foods that go into my body. I finally had a “sugar overdose”, and felt that I needed to regain a balance. My friend and former owner of the Polka Dot Cake Studio had the same reaction after she closed her bakery, and enrolled in the Natural Gourmet Institute to focus on nutrition after spending years making cakes. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that either of us have rejected sweets, we just decided that we needed to learn more about it.

I have always liked the idea of all natural products. I don’t eat artificial sweeteners and I avoid food-coloring whenever possible, but I haven’t fully explored the world natural sweeteners, whole grains, flour alternatives, etc. that are available. I recently picked up Heidi Swanson’s book, Super Natural Cooking, where she talks about how alternative sweeteners are just starting to become more widely available, and she compared it to the world of salt which has exploded in the past few years. I look forward to having things like unrefined sugar and agave available in more stores than just Whole Foods, for a less expensive price, but in order for that to happen I think that more recipes have to be developed for them and more education has to happen.

I’m taking my time on developing ideas for my cookbook, because I want to explore this world a little bit more so I can include options for people that are concerned with healthy alternatives or have allergy restrictions. I will always enjoy a sugary, chocolate-filled dessert, but sometimes you just want, or need, another option. I don’t want to eat a dessert just because it’s made with healthier ingredients. It has to taste great, or I don’t want it at all.

What are some of your favorite wholesome desserts?

If you’re considering becoming an entrepreneur, read this article on NYTimes.com.

I usually prefer to bake naked cupcakes (no paper liner), but sometimes I want a little decoration. For my wedding in September I have been looking for something special, but the selection of cupcake liners in stores is quite disappointing. I finally found some really cute papers in mini and full-size versions on the Bake It Pretty shop on Etsy. It’s a great shop for unique cake supplies, and you can buy in small quantities. In addition to cupcake liners, they also have cake toppers, packaging and more. Here are a few more of my favorites:

Available on BakeItPretty.etsy.com >

This burger and fry combo on Bakerella goes against all of my anti-food coloring, dessert-in-moderation views, but it was such a great step-by-step breakdown of a creative idea, I had to share it with you. This is certainly a good alternative for vegetarian dads! Very cute.

Happy Father’s Day.

Recipes and instructions for Fast Food Fun on Bakerella

Amai’s last day was one of the saddest, but best, days of my life. The customers that stopped by to show their support, and all of my old employees and friends who came back to celebrate, made it more special than I could have ever imagined.

It doesn’t matter what happens next. This experience showed me how much good there is in people and I feel very content. You usually hear about all of the bad things that people do, but when it comes down to it, people do care. It gives me a lot of hope.

Here are a few pictures of everyone on our last day – I wish I had more. I’m missing some of my favorites like Aydemir and Lynn (lunchtime regulars for chocolate chip cookies and Fiji tea) the Muchnicks (who order pies every week in the summer), Kathy and Andy (weekend regulars), and many more. I also didn’t capture Ayse, the owner of Polka Dot Studio who gave me my start. She came and I am so happy to still call her a friend. I hope to see you all again soon.

Thank you, everyone! It took me awhile to get these pictures together, but I still wanted to post them here.

Now, onto the cookbook (I hope)…

Ava and Wendy

Queenie and Yuliya

A mountain of chocolate walnut and cranberry scones – all gone before noon.

Betty came to take pictures of me at work on the last day – it was so hectic and I had been working for 3 days straight – I hate to think what those pictures look like!

Sunday morning regulars for “mommy and me” time.

Ed and Jackie – We did their wedding favors. Now they are coming up on their one year anniversary.

Danielle – The chocolate walnut scone lover.

Andrew and his cousin Derek – the best wall-painter/rapper/dessert lover a shop could ask for.

Phil. A fixture at Amai.

Baby Madeleine and Mom

Boss Q, Barista B and Baker D

Digna, the best person to ever work with!

Amai Girls

Amai Bakers – Dyann and Jen

Flowers from the Greenmarket

Lots of mini cupcakes.

Clarice sold everything on the shelves.

Stevie and Janet celebrate