I’m not sure which I’m happier about: conquering a recipe with (liquid) coffee in it, or finally managing to successfully dust something with powdered sugar without having it look hilarious, like a 4-year-old did it. Both feel like long-awaited accomplishments, and both resulted in deliciousness.
A long time ago, years before I was baking anything other than oatmeal cookies, I tried to make mocha brownies and they turned to mush. I had to scrap the whole thing. That was the last time I used coffee in a recipe. Looking back, I think I just didn’t know that baking time is variable, and I probably just tried to use the time in the recipe and took it out too soon.
Now I know better.
I have email subscriptions to various recipe & cooking sites, and this one landed in my gmail early in the day. I knew immediately that I wanted to make it tonight. In addition to being low enough in Weight Watchers points that I actually get to enjoy it, I loved the idea of only using one bowl. I’m tired.
It all starts with dry ingredients: whole wheat pastry flour (which I’m loving a little more each time I use it), cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
I whisked.
At the same time, I brewed up the coffee, with a little extra in the pot for Dave. The recipe called for hot strong black coffee, so I didn’t hold back on the beans.
To the dry ingredients I added buttermilk,
oil, vanilla, egg (slightly beaten),
and brown sugar.
I used my stand mixer here, the recipe said to mix for two minutes on medium speed, but it was thoroughly mixed long before I got to that point.
And then I added half a cup of freshly brewed strong coffee, which made the whole thing look like a drink instead of cake batter. But I expected that, based on the recipe’s claim that the batter would be “quite thin”. A bit of an understatement, that, but more than enough to reassure me. Mostly.
I put it into the oven, a cake pan full of liquid, and hoped for the best. It took just over 30 minutes for it to cook all the way through.
I let it cool, and removed it from the pan. The texture was looking pretty good.
Now on to the dusting. I don’t know why I never Googled “how to dust with powdered sugar” before, because I found instructions as well as a handy video showing just how easy it is. I took out the mesh strainer I usually use for sifting, and plopped some powdered sugar into it, then tapped it gently as I moved it over the cake.
Aha! It was just that simple.
Dave & I treated ourselves to some, “treated” being the perfect word for it. Delicious! Warm and rich and full of flavor, but fluffy and light in texture. And it looks nice, thanks to the powdered sugar. The dawning of a new era in dusting is upon me.
And for those who care, it’s 4 P+ (Weight Watchers) per slice, if you get ten slices out of it, which seems very reasonable.
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