ISO: Reviews Nigella Lawson Buttermilk Cake

[Shirley Panek]

Hi, all.

After reading so much about Nigella, I thought I'd take a look at some of her books. The library only had "How to Be a Domestic Goddess" and now I'm ready to make somethimg.

DD's birthday is coming up and was thinking of making the Buttermilk Birthday Cake (as well as the Butter cut-Out Cookies) and was wondering if anyone had tried either?

Also, should I be concerned about ingredient measurements? I've read discussions re: "Nigella Bites" and the American version being off from the British version. I'm not sure which version I have - how can you tell the difference?

My DSL is down, so I'll only be checking periodically, but any help would be appreciated!

Thanks!

Shirley

[wallingjan1]

bumping

[kcmo727]

I am bumping up this old thread in hopes that someone has made this cake and can tell me (and Shirley :) ) if it is worth making. If it is good, then I am going to make it for DD's birthday party. In any case, I am planning on doing a trial run of the recipe, and will post the results.

Thanks,

[valchemist]

Hi Michelle,

I have made this cake. before I tell you my comments, I want to say that I have read some good reviews of it on this BB, so it is really just a matter of taste. I happen to like very moist tender cakes that are rather sweet.

here are the notes I put in my mastercook after I made it.

fine to medium crumb cake. moist but not super moist. not as tender as some cakes I have had. not rubbery, just not as tender. a bit of a cornbready taste due to the twang of the buttermilk and low sugar. not a bad cake, but there are better.

is Julia going to be 3 already? hope you all are doing well.

Val

p.s. in case people are wondering, here is the cake Michelle is referring to...



Buttermilk Birthday Cake

Recipe By :Nigella Lawson

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk -- PLUS:
2 tablespoons buttermilk -- (or 1/3 cup plain yogurt
mixed with 1/2 cup low-fat milk.)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup soft butter -- unsalted
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs

1 9-inch square cake pan or 2 8- or 9-inch round cake pans, lined with parchment or wax paper and greased

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a bowl and set aside. Pour the buttermilk (or yogurt and milk) into a measuring cup and stir in the vanilla. Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed if using the mixer and add the eggs one at a time, beating for 30 seconds between additions. Add alternating increments of the flour mixture and the vanilla-buttermilk, blending well after each addition; this should take 3-5 minutes. Pour into the prepared pan or pans, and bake for about 40 minutes (30 if using the layer cake pans) until the cake is beginning to shrink away from the sides and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes before unmolding to let cool completely.

Source:
"How to Be a Domestic Goddess"

[kcmo727]

Originally posted by valchemist
fine to medium crumb cake. moist but not super moist. not as tender as some cakes I have had. not rubbery, just not as tender. a bit of a cornbready taste due to the twang of the buttermilk and low sugar. not a bad cake, but there are better.

is Julia going to be 3 already? hope you all are doing well.




"Cornbready"? Eeeek, not what I am looking for! I made a white chocolate cake a long time back, by the name of "Alpine Torte" and after spending $10 on white chocolate and working very hard on the recipe, it came out tasting EXACTLY like cornbread. I threw the entire cake in the garbage! So I do not want to repeat that experience.


I did not find any reviews of the nigella cake when I did a search ( I think I might be the worst "searcher" in the world!) so thanks for posting your comment.

My "standby" birthday cake is the Magnolia Bakery recipe but I was interested in branching out. I am making chocolate cupcakes since Julia loves chocolate so much but I don't want the actual birthday cake to be choc. b/c not everyone is a fan. Do you have any favorite white cake recipes?

And yes, Julia will be three next month...hard to believe! She is doing good and enjoying the warm weather, going to the pool etc. However, she has pretty much given up naps -- I miss having two hours a day to myself. Oh well!!!

Thanks!

[valchemist]

michelle,
I was worried you would take that cornbread comment and run with it. well, it definitely wasn't VERY cornbready. there was just something in the back of my mind that made me think that. maybe the egginess. not sure. also, that it wasn't really sweet. I will try to find those reviews on the cake. I think Shirley Panek enjoyed it.
val

[valchemist]

ok. it was reviewed on this thread.

http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=480153&highlight=buttermilk+birthday#post480153

I also found a thread where RunnerKim said it was good but thinks there could be better.

[valchemist]

I don't have any favorite white cakes. I would consider the nigella cake (and the magnolia cake) to be a yellow cake, though. are you looking for yellow or white? I do have some favorite yellow cakes.

[kcmo727]

Val,

thanks for the link to the reviews -- that Barbie cake is just beautiful. I would love to make it for Julia when she is older. I also like the idea of the ladybug cake and might possibly use that this year. We are holding Julia's b-day party at a park so a nature-inspired cake and theme would be perferct.

You are right, both those cakes are yellow cakes, not actually white. I just don't want to do a chocolate cake, anything else would be fine. I would LOVE to see your yellow cake recipe when you get a chance.

TIA!

[valchemist]

I agree that Shirley's barbie cake was great! I'd love to do that someday for Julia, too. there is a cute ladybug cake in the June/July issue of Taste of Home. it is made with a box mix, but you could do it using a scratch yellow cake and use their decoration instructions.

I have a few yellow cakes that I like a lot. I have tried the Magnolia Bakery cake and while it was good, it wasn't at the top of my list. But again, everyone has different tastes and preferences. so I will post a few cake recipes when I get a chance (tomorrow morning) and maybe you can read my notes and decide which one might suit your tastes.

[valchemist]

here are a few yellow cakes that worked really well for me. my notes are below each one...


Cook's Illustrated Yellow Layer Cake

4 large eggs -- room temperature
1/2 cup whole milk -- room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sifted (6 3/4 oz.) plain cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar -- (10 1/2 oz.)
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup unsalted butter -- softened, each
stick cut into 8 pieces

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease two 9-inch cake pans with vegetable shortening and cover the pan bottoms with rounds of parchment paper or wax paper. Grease the parchment rounds, dust the cake pans with flour, and tap out excess.

2. Beat the eggs, milk, and vanilla with a fork in a small bowl; measure out 1 cup of this mixture and set aside. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on the lowest speed to blend, about 30 seconds. With the mixer still running at the lowest speed, add the butter one piece at a time; mix until the butter and flour begin to clump together and look sandy and pebbly, with pieces about the size of peas, 30 to 40 seconds after all the butter is added. Add reserved 1 cup of egg mixture and mix at the lowest speed until incorporated, 5 to 10 seconds. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the remaining egg mixture (about 1/2 cup) in a slow steady stream, about 30 seconds. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides and bottom of bowl. Beat on medium-high until thoroughly combined and the batter looks slightly curdled, about 15 seconds.

3. Divide the batter equally between the prepared cake pans; spread to the sides of the pan and smooth with a rubber spatula. Bake until the cake tops are light gold and a toothpick or skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. (Cakes may mound slightly but will level when cooled.) Cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the pan perimeters to loosen. Invert one cake onto a large plate, peel off the parchment, and reinvert onto a lightly greased rack. Repeat with the other cake. Cool completely before icing.

NOTES : anna: Well, the cupcakes were moist and delicious and had a great vanilla/butter flavor. If the cupcakes are this good, then a sheet cake or layer cake would be even better!
This two-step method really works. The cakes have a fine but moist crumb and are light and fluffy like yellow cakes should be.

my notes: I did this with a hand mixer and didn't realize til after that there was a separate set of instructions. you need to cut the butter in by hand with a pastry blender. my butter never really got incorporated. wow, but even with these problems, the cake turned out GREAT. fine-crumbed and very moist and tender. not dense like a pound cake but a bit heavy (like the ultimate butter cake) since it was so moist. there was a bit of an eggy taste and I am not sure if that might have had to do with the fact that the batter wasn't completely blended.



Golden Cake Layers

2 1/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons sifted cake flour
(measure after sifting)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (2 sticks plus 2 -- at room temperature
tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large yolks -- at room temperature
1 large whole egg -- at room temperature
3/4 cup sour cream -- at room temperature

1. Preheat the oven to 350?F. Lightly grease two 8-inch round layer pans with vegetable oil or butter, or line them with parchment circles or inserts. (I'd line layer pans regardless, to insure the cake comes out of the pan perfectly.)

2. Resift the flour with the baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a small bowl.

3. Cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla in a medium-size mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer twice to scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula.

4. Add the yolks one at a time, blending for 5 seconds on medium-low speed after each addition. Scrape the bowl each time. Then add the whole egg and mix until blended, 10 seconds.

5. Add one-third of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture by stirring them in lightly with the rubber spatula so that the liquid is absorbed. Then turn the mixer on low to blend partially, about 5 seconds. Scrape the bowl.

6. Add half of the sour cream and blend in with several broad strokes of the spatula. Then fold in one-third more dry ingredients by hand, followed by the remaining sour cream, then the rest of the dry ingredients. Turn the mixer to low and blend until the batter is velvety in texture, 10 seconds.

7. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and place them on the center rack of the oven.

8. Bake until the layers are golden in color and spring back to the touch, and a tester inserted in the center comes out dry, 35 minutes.

Source:
"Rosie's Baking Book"

NOTES : Rosie says: "Remember the beautiful slice of cake on the box of Betty crocker cake mix? I used to look at it and think that I could never make anything quite so perfect, but this cake not only looks good, it tastes a whole lot better. Although all-purpose flour can, in most cases, be substituted for cake flour (1 cup all-purpose equals 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake), I highly recommend using cake flour in this recipe -- it greatly contributes to the delicacy of texture."

my notes. well, this isn't like a cake mix, that is for sure. it is yummy, though!! fine to medium crumb. very moist, buttery, and tender. similar to cooks illustrated yellow layer cake. this is lighter/airy-er than a cake mix. not as puddingy.



Moist Yellow Cake

1 cup butter
2 1/2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. Sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.
2 In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, mixing just until incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3 Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool .

NOTES : VERY moist and tender. fine to medium crumb. I thought it had a good taste and was the right sweetness. I added about 3/4 tsp salt. this recipe makes a huge amount. you could get 4 average or 3 very thick nine inch layers. or make a 13x9 cake and 12 cupcakes.




Quick and Simple Yellow Cake

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
3 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c butter -- softened
2 cups granulated sugar

Mix first 4 ing. in a large bowl. Mix milk, eggs and vanilla extract in a 2-cup measuring cup. With an electric mixer, beat softened butter into dry ing, first on low, then increased to medium, until mixture forms pebble-size pieces. Add about 1/2 of the milk mixture; beat on low until mixture is smooth. Add remaining milk misture in two stages; beat on medium speed until batter is just smooth. Add the sugar; beat until just incorporated, about 30 seconds. Pour batter into 13x9 prepared pan. Bake about 35-40 min. or til toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Source:
"TOH BB"

NOTES : interesting mixing technique! very easy. I baked this in 9-inch layers and they came out nice and thick. they took around 25 minutes. this is a moist cake. it isn't crumbly. not dense, but not airy. nit fine crumb, but not coarse either. kind of in the middle. a good basic easy cake to make. fairly similar to a cake mix texture, I think.



Ultimate Buttercake

4 c all purpose flour -- spoon into measuring cup and level
3 tsps baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 c butter -- at room temperature
2 c sugar -- or superfine sugar
3 eggs -- at room temperature
1 1/2 c lowfat 2% milk -- or whole milk, at room temp
1 tbsp vanilla -- plus 1/2 tsp almond extract

Preheat the oven to 350 and grease two 9-inch pans.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. Beat the butter on low until soft. Add sugar in a steady stream at the side of the bowl. Increase speed to medium and beat for 5 minutes until light yellow and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time and beat for 20 seconds after each addition. Without turning off the mixer, add the flour in 3 equal portions, alternating with the milk in 2 equal portions, beginning and ending with the flour. Add in extracts and beat for 1 minute or until smoot. The batter should be thick and fluffy. Pu tthe batter in the pans and lighty smooth the tops. Bake for 40 minutes (yes, it does take that long!) or until the top feels firm and gives slightly when touched. Remove cakes to cool on wire racks for 10 minutes and then flip the cakes out onto wire racks and flip over to cool right side up. be careful, the cakes are delicate when warm.

Source:
"Baking 911 book"

NOTES : the best yellow cake. but is very rich, so be prepared for that. so moist and tender. And the flavor is great! not eggy at all as some cakes can be. It is fine to medium crumbed in texture. It is fairly dense. Not nearly as dense as a pound cake, but not light and fluffy. I had also tried the martha stewart cake which is dense and heavy with a fairly coarse crumb to it. That cake was pretty good, but this one is much better in taste and texture.

[kcmo727]

Val, you are amazing!!! Thank you for the recipes and for your comments. I am thinking of going with the Quick and Simple Cake b/c I love the texture of cake mix cakes but not the chemical taste unless I am specifically craving it, which happens a few times a year! Thanks also for the heads up on the new TOH with the ladybug cake. I will check that out at the grocery store this morning.

Here is the link to the cake that I am leaning towards in terms of decorating, but using from scratch recipes. I like it b/c I can use the yellow cake for the leaf part then make the chocolate cupcakes using the Eating Well Died and Went to Heaven Choc. cake recipe. The picture is on the right hand side of the home page. I think it will be darling and a big hit with the kids!

http://www.mormonchic.com/recipe/recipebox/pages/birthday_cakes.asp

Thanks for all your help Val!!!