Chilean Torta Milhojas (Thousand Layer Cake)

As many of you may have already learned by reading my posts, I am Chilean YAAAY!!! Very proud of my nationality, but since I have been living in Canada for many years, Chilean food is my closest comfort to feeling like I am back home. The most common food to have, well cake, is this Torta Milhojas. Every birthday celebration this was the cake of choice even for other celebrations such as anniversaries, baby showers, baptisms, you name it this is the go to cake. I personally love it because it has my all time favorite ingredient, Dulce de Leche, or as we call it in Chile, Manjar. But it is not just the Manjar that makes this cake so utterly perfect, it is the thousands of crunchy yet soft layers of nestled between layers of Dulce de Leche and walnuts, making every bite absolutely sinful. To make this cake is a bit of a process but very much worth the effort. The best tip I can give you on this cake is that the taste gets better as the days pass. So it is recommendable that you make this cake at least a day in advance. The reason for this is that it gives enough time for  the Dulce de Leche to settle nicely and incorporate itself to the walnuts and the sheet layers. Here is the recipe I have used for years. 

Torta Milhojas

Layer ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour

 2 teaspoons baking powder

 7/8 cup butter

 3 egg yolks

 1 cup milk

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup brandy

1 cup chopped walnuts

Dulce de leche:

 2 (14 ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk

 1 big pot (for boiling)

Water enough to fill pot

Directions:

Making Dulce de Leche:

Place both cans of condensed milk in the pot and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil and boil the cans for 3 hours continuously a watching over them and filling up on the water that has evaporated. Once the 3 hours are done drain the water and cool for bit and then open the cans. Set aside until you are ready to use them.

1.      Preheat oven to 350˚F.

2.      Mix flour and baking powder and set aside.

3.      In an electric mixer mix beat the butter until creamy. Blend in the egg yolks one at a time. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk. Incorporate everything until it look like the texture of cookie dough. Remove from mixer and divide the dough into 10 small equal balls. Roll out each ball to about 8-9” circles. Place the circles on cookie sheets and prick with a fork in several places.

4.      Bake the circles in the preheated oven until they are golden brown, approximately 10-15 min.

5.      In a small bowl mix the ¼ cup of water with ¼ cup of brandy. Drop a small amount of the Dulce de Leche on a cake plate or cake board and place one of the circles on top making sure it adheres to the Dulce.

6.      Sprinkle the circle with the water and brandy mixture. Spread some of the Dulce de Leche over top the circle. Sprinkle some of the walnuts. Place another circle on top.

7.      Repeat step 6 until you have used the last circle. On the last layer spread the remaining Dulce over top and on the sides. You can decorate as you wish.  

Try it out and let me know how it goes.

 Happy Baking!

Kids Are Going Crazy for Frozen!

Hello all, so this week I want to talk to you about craze that is sweeping the nation. Much like when the NKOTB and The Backstreet Boys driving kids  crazy, so is this new craze. Frozen has got our young innocent children crying to their mommies, begging hem for the dolls, the bedroom set, the movie, the book, the limited edition figurines, etc., etc., etc... and of course their birthday celebrations would not be complete without it being a Frozen theme.

Kids' birthdays are usually celebrated in conjunction with a theme. There are themes that are timeless and are very common: Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Sesame Street, and Jungle Animals to name a few. Then there are the themes that become popular with the lunch of a new kids movie. These themes will have high demand but will fade away as the next new movie or cartoon comes out. But there is one movie that seems to have broken all rules, FROZEN. I think I have been asked to make Frozen cakes and cupcakes over a hundred times just this last year, and that is that I do not make cakes 24/7. For a cake designer it is a beautiful theme with lots of different  elements that make it ideal for coming up with design ideas. Although the movie is basically about two princesses, there are other characters that have own their popularity as well, such as the adorable talking snowman, Olaf, and the iceman Kristoff who helps Anna find her sister Elsa. This is great because usually stories about princesses can only be used as a theme for a girl's birthday party, but Frozen has yet again broken that rule. Boys are having birthday parties with Olaf as the main theme or Kristoff, making Frozen perfect for all children.

To get the right party going, you need a Frozen cake which you can get from local cake designers such as Josy Cakes, Frozen decorations which can be found at Party City and Dollarama (you can find the closets location to you), you can also add extras like cupcakes and cake pops which can also be found where you get your custom cake. Now if you really want to make the kids happy you could get one of the characters to show up and party with the kids. I guarantee the kids will go nuts and absolutely love it! Characters can be found by contacting party entertainment groups such as E&D Entertainment.

If you are a having a Frozen party anytime soon, share with us how you did it, we would love to see.

The Decorated Cookie May be Stepping Up

Look out cakes! the decorated cookies are gaining in popularity. Have you seen the cookies out there now? They look like little pieces of artwork. The Sugar Cookie is the canvas and the royal icing the paint. What I absolutely love about these cookies is that they can be customizable to meet your celebration needs.



Having a birthday party for your little guy who is obsessed with Mario Bros.? Get him the themed cake and get decorated Mario cookies to give to his guests as part of or in lieu of the loot bag.






A little girl who loves the Backyardigans and you want to make the cake and cookies match.








Even cuter for baby showers, take this monkey theme for instance, everything compliments each other very well and the shower guests get to take home a lovely thank you gift.





Then there are the seasonal holidays like Christmas, Halloween, Easter, etc.. Cookies are fun to make and do not require as much ingredients and hard work as cakes do. They can be made in advance and stored for up to 4 weeks in an airtight container, although I try not to go past the 2 week mark, just to be on the safe side. So for the holidays you have more than enough time to get the Christmas cookies ready for your kid's class, the Easter cookies for the Easter Egg Hunt or the Halloween cookies for your haunted Halloween bash.

Great recipes for Sugar cookies can be found on online such as Wilton's Roll-Out-Cookie recipe or Martha Stewart's Sugar Cookie recipe . I have used both these recipes and they have become my favourites. For the Royal Icing recipe I always use the same one because it's never failed me, Wilton's Royal Icing. I particularly like this recipe because it does not call for raw eggs to be used, which are replaced with the Meringue Powder. With these two recipes you should be set to start making your own unique decorated cookies. 

-Happy Baking

How to Make a Moist Cake

How many times have you been at a party and are looking forward to getting your slice of cake, only to be disappointed with the dryness of the cake which make you wish you had a cup of milk near by?  I hate that feeling and would rather just not have the slice.  Home made cakes are usually considered to be better tasting than the supermarket or mainstream factory made cakes but  you would be surprised at how many home made cakes turn out this way.This is due to the balance or lack there of ingredients in the recipe. All homemade cakes generally use the same basic ingredients that balance each other out: eggs, flours, sugar, and a fat (butter or oil). Here are a few tips and tricks I  have learned throughout the years I have been baking.

Things that will alter your cake

Firstly it is important to follow instructions and ingredients list properly, do not substitute ingredients like using margarine instead of butter. This will not only change the richness but also the moistness. Do not over beat your mixture, if the recipe calls for beat at medium speed for 2 min., then only beat for 2 min. Over beating causes for too much gluten to form, and too much gluten, can cause a dry cake. It is always advisable to use the most natural form of ingredients. If the recipe calls for real vanilla extract then that is what should be used, in my experience it gives the best flavor. Now pure Vanilla extract is costly in Toronto on average it is about $10 for a tube with one Vanilla been or if you're lucky 2, and if you are baker on a budget then the artificial/imitation Vanilla extract is just fine.

Dry cakes

• Dry cakes like Swiss Rolls and white cakes are made with a lot of egg whites which tend to dry out the cakes. 
• Baking a cake too long will also make for a dry cake, to avoid this you should keep a timer running.
• Add more flour than the recipe calls for will also result in a dry cake. This usually happens when you are measuring your cups (if using single cup measuring cups) and do not scrap off the excess. 

How to moisten cakes

• Taking out a cake from the oven just a few minutes before the time is up is an excellent way to make the cake moist. The cake finish cooking if left in the pan it was baked in.
• For a richer cake you can add an additional 1/4 cup of oil even if the recipe does not call for it. This works especially well for chocolate cakes.
• You can add  1 cup of sour cream to a box recipe.
• To get a moist cupcake prepare a day before eating. I think the letting them cool and settle is was does it, it's something I have noticed throughout the years.
• Simple syrup is a way to moisten the cake after it is already baked. Simple Syrup is made by simmering equal parts of water and sugar in a sauce pan until the sugar is dissolved. once cooled you brush or pour the syrup over the cake layers to moisten.

These are all techniques that I have used and have all aided in making the cakes more moist. My everyday go to moistening technique is adding the fruit juice of whatever fruit I am using in the filling to brush over the cakes. For chocolate cakes you can either brush over milk or even coffee, and it will also give it a great taste.

Try these techniques out and let me know if they work out for you and you have any techniques of your own please share, I would love to hear them.

Making and Buying Fondant Cakes

Cake decorating has turned into one the fastest growing industries lately. With the launch of reality televisions shows such as “Ace of Cakes” which first aired in 2006 and chronicled the baking to selling process of a Baltimore bakery. This show opened up a niche in the market that was solely a professional thing. Then with the second reality television show “Cake Boss”, the cake decorating boom soared in popularity like never seen before. These shows which focused on fondant covered customised cakes, made it possible for people at home to pick up fondant and try decorating a cake themselves. The problem was that fondant was not readily available and could mostly only be bought wholesale to bakeries. This is where Wilton, one of the first companies, was able to capitalise in on the trend and mass produce fondant to be available to the home baker. Wilton is now one of the most diversified and largest companies in the craft industry and holds the number one position in cake decorating and bake ware. Soon after many other companies followed as the trend grew. Now fondant can be found in many places.

For those home bakers, as I, making fondant cakes takes lots of hours of labour. Many times, depending on the complexity of the design of the cake, things have to be prepared days in advance and once decorating is done, hours have gone by, especially if you are doing it solo. The cost of fondant is somewhat expensive ranging from $8/lb - $25/5lbs. All this is part of the cost that needs to be taking into consideration when selling the cakes - And here is the problem. Most people do not like paying the high price tag of fondant cakes and always try to get reductions or just simply reply with a "the price is too high". The trouble in these situations is that the customer expects a beautiful unique cake with attention to detail and great craftsmanship on the decorating but does not consider the hours of work, production costs and the skill of the baker. These are important thing to consider on both parts when making and buying a fondant cakes.

Designs can be simple or more complex and with many different components. Either way it is usually a labour of love and skill and should be appreciated.

In honor of Miss Colombia – Torta Negra recipe

Yesterday Miss Colombia was crowned Miss Universe. Yay! In honor of Colombia I have decided to bring to you a recipe that is traditional to all Colombians. Torta Negra
is usually at every celebration in Colombia. I had always heard about this cake and one day decided to ask someone for the recipe and make it. This recipe is of an old neighbor I had, Senora Ana and this was the way she made the cake. There are many versions and many people have different substitutions for the fruit. I have made and tried this cake 3 times and every time the cake was devoured at home. Since Colombia is definitely in celebration mode, I bet there are hundreds of these cakes being made today. Let’s join in the celebration and make our own Torta Negra cake. Here it is hope you all enjoy it and let me know how it turned out.
Now this cake requires some advance prep work, 2 weeks to be exact. And is best to be served 3 days after it is baked.

Ingredients:
• 2 cups prunes (without seeds)
• 2 cups raisins
• 1 cup Port Wine (Portuguese fortified wine)
• ½ cup dark wine
• 2 cups figs
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups of butter
• 12 large eggs at room temperature
• 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp. ground cloves
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp. molasses or burnt sugar color
Preparation:
1. 2 weeks prior, place the prunes, raisins, ¼ cup of the rum and ½ cup of the wine in a glass bowl.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F
3. Grease 2 8 inch round cake pans.
4. Place the contents of the previously prepared fruit and the figs in a food processor for about 60 seconds and set aside.
5. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg and set aside.
6. In an electric mixer cream together the butter and sugar, scrap the sides down and add the vanilla and eggs, one at a time.
7. Add the flour mixture and mix at low speed for about a minute. Add the molasses or sweet burnt sugar and mix for another minute.
8. Take the bowl out of the electric mixer and add the processed fruit and incorporate everything well.
9. Divide the batter evenly between the 2 greased pans and bake for about 90 minutes or until am inserted tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes.
10. Unmold the cakes and brush with the remaining rum and wine. Wrap the cake in plastic wrap and then again in foil paper. Let stand at room temperature for at least 3 days before serving or up to 3 weeks in the fridge before decorating.
Happy baking everyone! And please share your Torta Negra results.

What is Dulce de Leche?

Dulce de Leche or as I called it growing up, Manjar, is a sweet delicious, luscious, smooth, milky, caramel like spread. Commonly know in Chile and Argentina, Dulce de Leche was and still is a staple ingredient in many  delicious South American pastries and cakes. Many say the best Dulce de Leche comes from Argentina but you will find many Chileans argue that claim. Being from Chile myself, I find the one from Chile tastes best, but that is probably my patriotic side speaking because Argentina's is just as delicious. I have known of this sinful delight ever since I could remember, but it has not been for the last few years that this spread has become more known. It is still not available for purchase just anywhere but it can be found in supermarkets like Loblaws, Superstore, Bulk Barn and of course in Latin mini markets. Although the spreads found in the major supermarkets are great, they lack in the authentic back home taste. You can however find the same ones being sold in Chile and Argentina in the Latin ethnic mini markets. Whatever the choice your pastries will definitely come to life if you use it. As this favourite treat of mine gains in popularity, I will keep you all informed of excellent ways to use Dulce de Leche in a variety of recipes as well as introduce you to other Latin baked treats that are just as scrumptious as is anything with Dulce de Leche. Once you try this spread you'll wonder how you could have ever baked with out.