Art by the Creek

Preheat oven to 350*. Grease and flour one loaf pan (6 cup capacity)

Ingredients

3/4 cup walnuts, toasted, peeled and broken up into medium pieces
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup instant oatmeal, unflavored
1 ripe banana, mashed
1/2 cup canola or safflower oil
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temp.
1/3 cup water
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2/3 cup zucchini, finely grated
1/3 cup carrots, medium grated

Preparation

Whisk together flour, baking soda/powder and salt. Stir in the oatmeal. Set aside. In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine banana, oil, sugars, and eggs. Beat at medium low until combined. Slowly add in water at low speed, then beat at medium high for three minutes. Add the vanilla, zucchini and carrots, and beat at low for 10 seconds. Then add the flour mixture, beating at medium for 20 seconds. Finally add the walnuts, beating at medium for another 10 seconds. Scrape into a prepare loaf pan and bake for 15 minutes. Then, quickly score the length of the loaf with a shallow knife, returning to oven and baking for another 34-45 minutes until tester comes out clean and top is nicely browned. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely.

Preheat oven to 350*. Spray with oil/flour mixture one 10 cup bundt pan or one 3D pumpkin mold.

Ingredients

Batter

½ cup walnut halves or pieces, toasted, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 cups cake flour (200g.)
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3/8 tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
1 cup plus tbs. light brown sugar, packed (244 g.)
3 large eggs, room temp.
4.5 fl. oz. canola oil, room temp.
3 tbs. walnut oil, room temp.
1 tsp. vanilla
1 ½ cups solid pack pumpkin, or fresh

Buttercream

Creme Anglaise

¼ cup sugar
1 tbs. water
3 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla
¼ cup milk

Italian Meringue

3 tbs. plus 2 tsp. sugar
1 tbs. water
one egg white
¼ tsp. cream of tartar

Buttercream

creme Anglaise, 70*
Italian meringue, 70*
2 sticks unsalted butter, 70*
1 ½ tsp. orange juice concentrate, room temp
1 ½ tsp. orange zest, finely grated
orange food coloring

Preparation

Batter

Whisk together walnuts, flour, baking powder/soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside. In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat at medium speed eggs, oils, and brown sugar for about 3 minutes. Add vanilla and pumpkin and beat until just smooth. By hand, stir in flour mixture just until completely moistened. Scrape into prepared pan and bake for about 34-35 minutes until browned and tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and rest in pan on rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pan to cool completely.

Buttercream

Creme Anglaise

Have at the ready a fine mesh sieve over a metal bowl. Whisk the egg yolks until smooth and have near the stove. In a small saucepan, scald milk and lower heat just to keep it warm. In another small saucepan, combine sugar and water. Stir until all of the sugar is moistened and then apply medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar syrup comes to a boil, then stop stirring and let boil until an instant-read temperature reads 370* and the syrup is a deep amber. Immediately remove from heat and add the hot milk. Stir over very low heat until the caramel is completely melted and smooth. Temper the egg yolks with the caramel, whisking the caramel little by little into the egg yolks, then return the mixture to the pan and apply medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture reaches 170* then immediately remove from the heat, pour through the sieve and press to strain all of liquids from the solids. Cool to room temp.

Italian Meringue

Have at the ready a glass heat-proof measure. In a small saucepan combine sugar and water. Stir until all of the sugar is moistened and then apply medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar syrup comes to a boil, then lower heat to just a simmer.

In a medium bowl with a hand mixer, blend egg white until just foamy. Add cream of tartar and beat at medium high until soft peaks form. Slowly start to add 2 tsp. of sugar and beat at high to stiff peaks form.

Return to the syrup, raise the heat back to medium and boil until the instant read thermometer reads 250*. Immediately pour the syrup in the glass measure to stop the cooking. With the beaters on high slowly pour the syrup into the meringue, avoiding the beaters and then lower the speed to medium high and beat for 2 minutes. Refrigerate the meringue until the instant read thermometer reads 70* then proceed.

Buttercream

In the bowl of a standing mixer with whisk attachment, beat butter on medium for 30 seconds, slowly beat in the creme Anglaise until smooth. Add the Italian meringue and beat until just incorporated. Beat in orange juice concentrate and zest. Remove about 2 tbs. of the frosting to a small bowl to tint with food coloring an intense shade of orange then stir that in to tint the rest of the frosting.

Frost the cake, and decorate with marzipan leaves and tendrils.

Note: If you want to make this cake, let me know and I’ll loan you the special pan and give you some walnut oil as you only need a little and can only buy it in a big can.

Whew – I can’t believe how much work this was, another one you’ll probably not see again.

Using a flour/oil spray, prepare 10 inch tart pan (removable bottom preferred) by coating it with baking spray with flour added. Line bottom with parchment and respray. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350°

Ingredients

½ cup sliced, blanched almonds
¾ cup superfine sugar
¼ tsp. salt
9 oz. best quality butter (cultured, European style is best, 86% fat)
2 tbs. water
4 egg yolks, room temp.
1 tbs. kirsh or dark rum
1 1/4 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour lightly sifted then measured, (250 grams)
1 whole egg, lightly beaten

Preparation

Spread almonds in one layer on baking sheet, toast approximately 7 minutes until lightly browned and fragrant. Stir occasionally to avoid over browning in spots. Cool completely. In the workbowl of a food processor, pulse almonds with ¼ cup of the sugar and salt until finely ground, but not to a powder.

In a bowl of a standing mixer with flat beater attachment, cream butter and remaining sugar at low-medium speed for about one minute. add egg yolks one at a time and beat at medium speed (starting slow) for 20 seconds after each addition. Add almond mixture, kirsh, vanilla, and water and mix on low until dry ingredients are fully moistened. Add the flour in four parts, blending at lowest speed for 15 seconds after each addition. Do not overmix. Spread dough evenly into prepared tart pan. Chill 15 minutes to firm surface. Using a fork, score six long lines (3 each way) in a cross hatch pattern across topmost layer of dough (this prevents uneven puffing and makes a nice design. Beat the single whole egg in a small bowl. Using a brush, lightly brush egg over top of dough. Bake about 35-45 minutes, until the cake layer top is nicely brown and springs back when touched. Tester should come out clean.

Cool in pan about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack, top side up.

Best served the same day. The longer it is stored, the more shortbread cookie like it will become. This cake begs for you to splurge on quality butter. It is the key to the flavor and texture of the end result. If you use lower fat butter, add more water (up to 4 tbs.).