cake – Best of Scratchin' It

Friday, April 10, 2020Friday, April 10, 2020

Paltry Pantry Spice Cake

Ah, with nearly everyone staying inside and the shelves at the store bare, you might be thinking of having just a little snack. This might seem difficult if your pantry is running a bit low, but, it’s not. People have dealt with that pesky paltry pantry many, many times in the past, and there’s almost always something you can put together from whatever you have available. Think that sounds far-fetched? Well, we’ll show you how to make a tasty cake from whatever you have around the house. All you need is 2 cups of flour and a few other staples.

Worth the trouble?

Monday, October 28, 2019Sunday, October 27, 2019

The Mi-Cuit

How would you like to make the cake that’s the best in the world, according to Pierre Hermé, named the world’s best pastry chef in 2016? Are you thinking that it’s going to be some super-complex recipe, with difficult to find ingredients, hard to follow instructions, and specialized equipment, that would be far beyond your capabilities? Well, it’s not true. This cake is simple, contains just five ingredients, and you can mix it up with a spatula and a fork. It’s true.

Worth the trouble?

Thursday, September 20, 2018Monday, December 2, 2019

Thomas Keller’s Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Wow! We haven’t had Pineapple Upside-Down Cake in years. The last one was made in a skillet, partly on the stove and partly in the oven, and was quite good, but it required a good bit of work. So, when we picked up a pineapple and thought once again about making this all-American cake, we turned to Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc at Home. We just love his recipes: they’re very detailed, always work, and are delicious.

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Worth the trouble?

Tuesday, May 1, 2018Monday, November 18, 2019

Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake Bites

We were going to make loaves of Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake for the church coffee hour and slice them for serving. It would be a bit easier in preparation, but those savings would just transfer to more difficultly later. Instead, we decided to make what we’re calling pound cake bites, basically mini cakes made in mini-muffin tins. If you want to make this pound cake as loaves, it’s pretty easy.

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Thursday, April 20, 2017Saturday, October 26, 2019

Sponge Cake

When we saw this recipe in My Kitchen Year, by Ruth Reichl, we were intrigued. First, because it was an old recipe, coming from Mary J. Lincoln via the Boston Cooking School magazine. We like old recipes; there’s just something fun about making a cake that your great-grandparents might have had for a celebration. It gives you a tangible connection with the past. The second reason we liked this recipe was its simplicity — only four ingredients. How can you make a cake with just four ingredients? Read on, fellow scratcher.

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Friday, December 30, 2016Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Earl Grey Madeleines

We loved the Earl Grey Ice Cream we made in the past so much that we’ve been thinking about making an Earl Grey Cake of some sort. Doesn’t that sound delicious? Well, rather than a cake, we settled on a number of small cakes, and made Earl Grey Madeleines, instead.

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Worth the trouble?