The Baking Medic

tada! proof that size matters not!

This recipe proves that bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better! I made this cake a few weeks back for my Valentine’s Day dinner with my dear other half.  We decided to have a relaxed night in rather than a sappy and overpriced night out. :)

My dear other half was in charge of the main meal whilst I was given the task of procuring dessert.  Giving my obsession with all things chocolate, I was not terribly troubled by this.  However, I still had to find a cute dessert that be sufficient for the two of us. :)

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Almost halfway through Week 2, my studies are definitely well underway… and I’m already well behind on notes! ;_; But nothing says procrastination productive distraction like baking and I’ve already brought in treats for my classmates a few times! :) This cake is from my Golden Book of Chocolate, one of the most amazing chocolate cookbooks every published.  I was surprised and impressed by its comprehensive introduction, packed full of information about the history of chocolate, it’s production, and it’s role in the economic world of today.  The language is a bit grandiose, but it was informative nonetheless.

However, what really sets this book apart is the variety and quantity of recipes.  There are over 300 of them! And every single recipe is accompanied by a mouthwatering, foodgasm inducing photo.  It’s a pleasure simply to sit down with a cup of tea and slowly leaf through it’s golden pages. » Read the rest of this entry «

It’s usually a stint of baking that motivates me to post again.  Today a friend and I made chocolate cupcakes (recipe to follow) and the simple pleasure of sharing something tasty to eat gave me the itch to blog again.  I made this jelly roll a few weeks ago during my visit to the Lake. My mum has this Company’s Coming cake cookbook full of delicious, old-fashioned cakes and desserts.  I was feeling in a “retro” mood and decided I wanted to try and make a jelly roll. » Read the rest of this entry «

As of today, I’ve been at the Lake for a whole week! I’ve nicely settled in, have gotten used to lazy mornings, and really have started to sink my teeth into the Harry Potter books.  I started them two days ago and already I’ve had to sheepishly phone my neighbour twice to ask for the next book in the series.  To be on the safe side, when I came to collect the Prisoner of Azkaban this afternoon I also picked up the Goblet of Fire.  Woo!

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A thing of beauty!

Wait, did she just say… low-fat? Hellz yes I did.  This delicious cake uses a grand total of three tablespoons of canola oil — three! That’s less than a quarter cup, yet the cake manages to stay light and moist.  Dry and crumbly “diet” cakes begone!

Right, and now for an explanation that’s a little less random.

Yes this cake is a low fat version of the popular lemon poppyseed cake.  For a while now I have been wanting to try so called “lite” baking to see how these goods compare to the real deal.  Now as I’ve done some recipe perusing before, I had a vague idea of what ingredients to expect.  Namely, using applesauce as a fat substitute (in place of butter or oil) and egg whites instead of whole eggs. » Read the rest of this entry «

Eating is without a doubt a social activity. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve met my friends at our favourite cheap eats in downtown Toronto, or for a coffee in a number of the charming cafes that St Andrews has to offer. Heck, there was one memorable evening when a friend and I picked up what must have been 15 lbs worth of curry, rice, and naan for a gut-busting, not to mention hilarious dinner with friends (even if we *did* have to drag this curry on a 20 minute walk to get there).

One the principle reasons I love to bake is because sharing food brings people together. There is a special pleasure in making people happy by giving them something tasty to pop in their mouths. Don’t you love to exclaim “ooo! Try this, it’s absolutely delicious!”? I adore this sharing of nourishment and companionship. » Read the rest of this entry «

I said I was a bit behind on my posting, so here’s a quick post to help myself do a little catching up, while tiding you over until the next recipe post.

See the fudginess of these beauties?

These, my friends, are cake truffles.  Recently, in my quest for perfect flat layers and level surfaces, I had shaved off the slightly rounded dome on the top of my Black Magic Cake.  So, I was left with two gloriously level layers but also some “cake scraps”.  Apart from feeding the cake scraps to my father (he was happy to ‘dispose’ of them for me! ^.^), I could turn those odd bits of cake into something different but equally delicious.

Cake truffles are very simply made: you take your left over scraps of cake and mush them up with your leftover icing.  Then, the gooey mass of heaven is scooped up and shaped into small balls.  Chill the truffles-to-be before rolling them in chocolate or another coating of your choice. Let the chocolate set and be prepared to guard them with your life — they’re that good! » Read the rest of this entry «

I’m a bit behind on my posting, so I’m afraid the recipes I post won’t be in chronological baking order.  But I’m sure no one will mind. ;)

So after a week off of posting, I’d like to start with this one: the Black Magic Cake with Chocolate Buttercream.  I made this cake as a farewell to my coworkers at the Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion, the kickass peeps of the molecular diagnostics department. » Read the rest of this entry «

For many weeks now a colleague at work has been bugging me to make a “zebra” cake.  A zebra cake is named so for its unique striped pattern caused by alternating bands of chocolate and vanilla batter, which extend out from the centre of the cake in an impressive bull’s-eye.  The process of creating the stripes was surprisingly easy to make; all it takes is a bit of patience and attention.  And as I first read when I discovered this recipe on another great blog, Baking Bites, if you’re attention wavers and you make a mistake, don’t worry.  Just take a knife, give your batter a quick swirl and call it a marble cake; you can try again for the exotic stripes next time.

Not surprisingly, this cake was very soft and moist.  I say not surprisingly because the recipe calls for four eggs and a full cup of oil for one 9” cake.  Still, even after a few days the cake retained is moist texture and did not taste stale at all. » Read the rest of this entry «

So, this Sunday is head hancho at the office’s birthday. My boss asked if I wouldn’t mind baking a cake for him. Of course, I said I would do it in an instant.

I pondered briefly the age old question of “chocolate or vanilla?” before deciding on Dorie’s Perfect Party Cake. The cake is a classic, and I’ve made it twice now with success. The first time I made it as cupcakes and this time I baked it in a 9″x13″ pan. The cake cake out a bit flatter than I expected, but I also recall that the cupcakes didn’t rise a whole bunch either. » Read the rest of this entry «