Indice dei contenuti per March/April 2023 in Bake from Scratch

WELCOMING A SPRING FULL OF CELEBRATION As winter comes to a close and we shift into sweeter, sunnier days, we bakers begin to reap the rewards of the first seasonal strawberries, fresh herbs, and bakes fit for a spring celebration. With this issue full of flavors and features both familiar and new, we can’t wait to revel in all the fun that spring is sure to bring. We start this issue with one of my favorite golden ingredients, browned butter, in our From the Test Kitchen feature. We share every tip, trick, and tool for getting a beautiful beurre noisette every time. And speaking of the test kitchen, we couldn’t be more excited to show you our new home base and state-of-the-art test kitchen space, housed in our new office…

How did For Goodness Cakes begin? Candice Dominguez-Sundquist: It started back in 2016 when our cofounder Jaime Lehman delivered four bakes to her local agency. Since then, we’re up to more than 25 chapters across the country. [The Portland, Oregon, chapter] is actually new, so we just had our first birthday, and we’re really excited to be here. We did over 400 [cakes] in our first year coming out of a pandemic. So, it’s wild, and it also speaks to the need. We wouldn’t be here if there wasn’t a need. It’s great and amazing and also a little bittersweet because we know that these kids are in need of this. They’re so excited and so grateful because it isn’t about the cake, per se. It’s [about] being acknowledged. Somebody…

A signal of spring in the southern US and summer in the northern US, strawberries are the sweet harbinger of warmer temperatures and longer days of sunshine soon to come. Whether enjoyed fresh, macerated, cooked in jams and jellies, or roasted, strawberries are a staple for a reason. With its sweet and almost floral aroma, bright red color, and sugary, juicy interior, this flavorful and versatile fruit turns cakes, quick breads, cookies, and more into irresistibly fresh and fruity bakes. But the strawberry requires special attention to preparation and seasonality in order to truly capture the utmost flavor. Strawberries are the product of flowering plants in the Fragaria genus, which belongs to the Rosaceae family, or rose family. Oddly enough, it’s not the commonly believed white and red flesh of…

COLOMBIA | AREPAS WITH MARIANA VELÁSQUEZ ABOUT MARIANA: “I grew up in Bogota, Colombia, surrounded by women who taught me how to cook. At the age of 17, I moved to the US with the dream of becoming a chef. I have been in the world of food for a couple of decades, worked in restaurants in New York and California, worked at Saveur and Eating Well magazines, and, 15 years ago, became a food stylist. Last year, I had the honor of publishing my own cookbook, Colombiana, with HarperCollins.” THE ORIGIN: “I grew up having an arepa and a glass of cold Milo (an Ovaltine-like chocolate drink) for breakfast every day. My grandmother made sprouted corn arepas for special lunches, served alongside her red bean stew. On road trips,…

SAGE BROWNED BUTTER BISCUITS Makes 12 biscuits These aren’t your average buttermilk biscuits. This Sage Browned Butter Biscuits recipe is the ultimate savory bake. Using browned butter infused with sage to create flaky, fluffy layers and cold buttermilk for a tangy richness, these biscuits are a perfect side for any meal. Top the golden-brown rounds with flaked sea salt and slather with softened butter for a beautiful, tasty finish. 1¼ cups (284 grams) unsalted butter1 tablespoon (4 grams) packed fresh sage leaves3¾ cups (469 grams) all-purpose flour2 tablespoons (24 grams) granulated sugar1 tablespoon (15 grams) baking powder1 tablespoon (9 grams) kosher salt1 teaspoon (2 grams) garlic powder½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) baking soda1 cup (240 grams) cold whole buttermilk1 large egg (50 grams), lightly beaten1 tablespoon (15 grams) waterFlaked sea salt,…

HUMMINGBIRD SCONES Makes 4 scones As simple as they are delicious, these Southern classic-inspired scones include every flavor of the beloved cake but in quick bread form. Bursting with fruity banana, lightly tangy pineapple, and toasted, crunchy pecans, these scones balance perfectly between decadence and light, fresh flavors. Finished with a classic Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze, it’ll almost be like eating cake for breakfast, minus the hassle. 1¾ cups (219 grams) all-purpose flour3 tablespoons (36 grams) granulated sugar½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) baking powder1 teaspoon (2 grams) ground cinnamon¾ teaspoon (2.25 grams) salt¼ teaspoon (1.25 grams) baking soda6 tablespoons (84 grams) cold unsalted butter, cubed¼ cup (60 grams) cold whole buttermilk1 teaspoon (4 grams) vanilla extract½ cup (114 grams) mashed ripe banana (about 1 medium banana)¼ cup (67 grams) pressed drained…

FIRST OFF, WHAT IS IT? Butter is made up of milk fat, water, and milk solids. Most American butters sit at about 80% milk fat, 18% water, and 2% milk solids. European-style butters are required to contain 82% milk fat or higher, which means that they’ll ultimately have a lower water content. When you brown butter, you’re doing two things. First, you’re cooking off all the water. All that bubbling and fizzing that occurs when you’re making browned butter is the water cooking out and evaporating. Because European-style butter contains less water than American butter, it’ll typically cook a little quicker. And second, you’re browning the milk solids. The browned milk solids are what give browned butter its signature golden hue and nutty flavor. THE TOOLS The Pan: You’ll want…

A new yellow- and white-striped awning greets visitors to the cake café at Caroline’s Cakes in Spartanburg, South Carolina. While the mainly mail-order cake business has often been a bustling hive of activity on Beaumont Street, in 2022, it became a true community hub when it began welcoming visitors inside its new retail space, where guests can sample cake and sip wine or coffee. There are details tucked into every corner of the recently refurbished building, from a collection of cake stands at the entrance to light fixtures specially designed to resemble whisks, but there’s one detail above all that signifies the true nature of this nationally revered cake business: a neon sign outside CEO Richard Reutter’s office that simply reads “Caroline” in cursive yellow neon. “That’s Caroline’s signature, and…

INSPIRED EARRINGS Test kitchen assistant Becca Cummins wore a pair of these earrings during our 2022 Birmingham Baking Retreat, and it was love at first sight. KIKAY, a Los Angeles-based brand owned by duo Bella and Quinn (friends of Becca’s), started as a small business run out of Bella and Quinn’s college housing and has grown to become so much more. Each earring and accessory is made by hand, and the bold, beautiful designs are sure to wow. I Could’ve Dropped My Croissant!, made to look like a set of boulangerie-ready croissants, and Mix It Up, which allows you to wear your most tried-and-true kitchen accessory, are two designs we absolutely love. AVAILABLE AT: kikay.shop A BAKERY ADVENTURE ABROAD Reflecting on visits to see her brother in Barcelona, Spain, editorial assistant…

Family can go far beyond the family you’re born into, and Mary Haskell’s story of finding a lifelong friend who became a part of her found family sounds almost serendipitous looking back. Give Cookies are what I call a legacy recipe. It was given to me by my best friend Martha Keith Butler. Martha’s story of the recipe is that it was given to her mother, Alice Lloyd Adamson Keith, by a friend. Now, Alice was born in late 1880s or early 1890s, as I recall, so this is a forever recipe. Martha was born and bred in Nashville, Tennessee, moving to Memphis, Tennessee, for husband Bill’s State Farm job. From there, they moved to Bloomington, Illinois, where we became friends through our church and, as she once remarked, “like…

TSOUREKI Makes 1 (14-inch) loaf A traditional braided bread enjoyed by Greeks during Easter, tsoureki is made using an incredibly tender, enriched bread akin to challah, with brightly dyed Easter eggs nestled into the braided ring. The three strands of dough are said to represent the Holy Trinity, while the crimson eggs are said to symbolize the blood of Christ as well as eternity and fertility. It’s customary to flavor the bread with orange, anise, and mahleb, a spice made from the seeds of a species of cherry with a taste akin to bitter almond and cherry. However, because the availability of mahleb varies by region, we’ve used almond extract in its place. It’ll be the perfect addition to Easter brunch! 1 cup (240 grams) whole milk¼ cup (57 grams)…

ROASTED STRAWBERRY BREAD Makes 1 (8x4-inch) loaf Pretty in pink, this bright and beautiful quick bread uses Roasted Strawberries to achieve a concentrated, almost caramelized sweet strawberry flavor. Greek yogurt in the batter yields a rich, tender crumb while fresh strawberries and lemon juice keep the flavors light and springy. Topped with a simple stir-together strawberry glaze, this Roasted Strawberry Bread shines. Roasted Strawberries (recipe follows)1½ cups (188 grams) all-purpose flour1½ teaspoons (7.5 grams) baking powder¾ teaspoon (2.25 grams) kosher salt¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar2 large eggs (100 grams), room temperature¼ cup (56 grams) vegetable oil¼ cup (60 grams) full-fat plain Greek yogurt, room temperature1¾ teaspoons (7 grams) vanilla extract*, divided½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) fresh lemon juice1 cup (155 grams) diced fresh strawberries1 tablespoon (15 grams) whole milk1½ to…

It’s a truth universally acknowledged: traveling is best when done with friends! Last summer, I had the opportunity to travel to Thessaloniki, Greece, to learn about one of Greece’s top exports, feta PDO, with one of my good friends and editor-in-chief, Brian Hart Hoffman. From eating cheese with every meal to enjoying Greek wine, beaches, and sunshine, we couldn’t have asked for a more quintessentially Greek experience. In a place where “food is an expression of love and hospitality,” Brian and I both fit right in. Starting each morning with a stroll along the waterfront, popping into a café for a freddo cappuccino and pastry, it was love at first sight, bite, and sip. Thessaloniki is the second-largest city in Greece after Athens, with a population of around 814,000 people.…

With a dessert this crisp and flaky, it’s no wonder so many countries claim to be the originators. Typically made with phyllo dough, sweet syrup, nuts, and butter, baklava bakes into a gorgeously golden, flaky pastry full of rich, honeyed flavor and an irresistible blend of textures. The layers of nuts add a crunch and warm, earthy flavor to each bite, while the sticky sweet syrup tenderizes and softens each layer. Traditionally, baklava is given at least 30 to 40 layers, and beneath each layer is a storied history. The full history of this sweet, layered dessert is widely disputed, along with the origins of its name, but Turkey and Greece are among the top countries credited with its invention. However, baklava as we know it today is a far…

LEMON SNACKING CAKE WITH LEMON GLAZE Makes 1 (8-inch) cake This is the brightest and zippiest of lemon cakes and is a perfect last-minute addition to your Easter dessert spread, as it can be assembled and baked in less than an hour—and if you tuck it into the freezer briefly to quickly bring it down to room temp post-bake, you’ll be serving it soon after that. Sour cream is wonderful here, as it provides moisture and tenderness to the cake and its tang plays so scrumptiously with lemon. And there is lots of lemon packed into this little cutie, both in the form of zest and juice and a tiny bit of (optional) lemon extract. Cake flour makes for the lightest and most delicate of crumbs, and the sweet yet…