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In the Oven: Hair of the Dog Cake

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Let’s ring in the new year with Hair of the Dog Cake, AKA Rum-Flavored Hot Milk Cake with Broiled Rum Brown Sugar Frosting. Posting date is January 4!

Hair of the Dog Cake
Author: Matt Lewis & Renato Poliafito
Serves: 1 9- by-13-inch cake • 24 servings
Ingredients
  • For the Hot Milk Cake
  • 2 cups (255 g) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (45 g) cake flour
  • 2½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 6 ounces (1½ sticks/170 g) unsalted butter, cut into chunks, plus more for the pan
  • 1¼ cups (300 ml) whole milk
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2¼ cups (450 g) granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) dark rum
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • For the Broiled Frosting
  • 4 ounces (1 stick/115 g) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
  • 1 cup (220 g) firmly packed light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream
  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (90 ml) dark rum
  • For the Rum-Flavored Whipped Cream (optional)
  • 1¼ cups (300 ml) heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons superfine sugar
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons dark rum
Instructions
Make the Hot Milk Cake
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter the sides and bottom of a 9-by-13-inch (23-by-33-cm) pan. Line the bottom with a sheet of parchment paper, and butter the parchment.
  2. Sift the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  3. In a saucepan set over low heat, stir together the butter and milk until the butter is melted and the mixture is hot and begins to bead (small bubbles appear) around the edge of the pan. Keep the mixture on very low heat (avoid a rolling boil) and stir occasionally while you make the batter below.
  4. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs, egg yolk, and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until thick and pale (the mixture will change color as it thickens). Replace the whisk attachment with the paddle attachment. Add the dry mixture all at once and beat the on the lowest speed until just incorporated.
  5. Remove the hot milk mixture from the heat. Stir in the rum and vanilla extract. Pour the hot milk mixture into the batter and beat until just combined.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Transfer the cake, still in its pan, to a cooling rack and cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, make the frosting, as it is important to apply it to a very warm cake.
Make the Broiled Frosting
  1. Preheat the broiler.
  2. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat, add the brown sugar, and stir until combined. Add the cream and rum and whisk until incorporated.
  3. Pour the frosting over the warm cake (still in its pan) and place in the oven directly under the broiler.
  4. Broil for 2 to 4 minutes, until the top of the frosting is just starting to brown and looks bubbly; we recommend keeping a close eye on it to prevent burning (you might even want to keep the oven door slightly ajar and watch the cake the entire time). Transfer the cake to a cooling rack.
Make the Rum- Flavored Whipped Cream (Optional)
  1. Pour the cream into a chilled metal bowl and beat vigorously with a chilled whisk for about 1 minute, until soft peaks form (alternatively, you can use a standing mixer). Sprinkle the superfine sugar and rum over the cream and continue whisking vigorously until stiff peaks form.
  2. Serve the cake warm or at room temperature; spoon a dollop of whipped cream on each slice, if you like.
Notes
How to store: the cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Excerpted from Baked Occasions: Desserts for Leisure Activities, Holidays, and Informal Celebrations, by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Copyright © 2014 by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito.  Excerpted by permission of Stewart, Tabori & Chang, an imprint of Abrams. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

In the Oven: S’More-Style Chocolate Whiskey Pudding

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Are you all ready for the very last recipe from “Baked Elements?”

Posting date is: Sunday, 26 October

S’More-Style Chocolate Whiskey Pudding

Yield: 6 servings
For the Graham Cracker Crust
4 1/2 whole graham crackers), coarsely broken
1 ounce (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the Chocolate Whiskey Pudding
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons dark unsweetened cocoa powder (like Valrhona)
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
Pinch of salt
3 large egg yolks
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
8 ounces good-quality bittersweet chocolate (54 to 60%), coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons good-quality whiskey
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

For the Marshmallow Topping
2 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 1/4 teaspoon good-quality whiskey

Baked Note: The best part about pudding: you can compose it and serve it in virtually any serving piece you want. True, this pudding looks great in glass servingware (so you can view the multiple layers), but it also looks fantastic in vintage and found ceramics and all manner of interesting individual porcelain pieces—and it even works as one large, buffet-style, giant-bowl dessert.

Make the Graham Cracker Crust
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Put the graham crackers, butter, sugar, and cinnamon in a food processor and pulse until coarse crumbs form. Turn the crumbs out onto the prepared baking sheet, spread to form an even layer (if necessary, break up any large pieces with your fingertips), and bake stirring once, until the crumbs are crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Make the Chocolate Whiskey Pudding
In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt. Add the egg yolks and whisk to blend (the mixture will resemble wet sand). Gradually whisk in the milk, then the cream. Place the saucepan over medium heat, and cook the mixture, whisking constantly, until it comes to a boil. Boil for 30 seconds, remove from the heat, and continue to whisk for 15 seconds to release excess heat. Add the chocolate, whiskey, and butter; whisk until the chocolate and butter are melted and the mixture is smooth. Let the pudding cool slightly, about 10 minutes, whisking occasionally.

Assemble the pudding
Spoon 1/3 cup of pudding into each of six (small and wide or sundae-like) 1-cup glasses; smooth out the tops. Divide the graham cracker mixture equally among the glasses, sprinkling it on top of the pudding. Top each glass with another 1/3 cup pudding; smooth out the tops. Cover each glass with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic directly onto the pudding. Chill at least 2 hours, until ready to serve.

Make the Marshmallow Topping
In the heatproof bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites, sugar, 1/4 cup of water, corn syrup, and whiskey. Set the mixer bowl with egg white mixture over a saucepan of simmering water. Using hand whisk, whisk the mixture constantly until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the mixture registers 160 degrees F, about 6 minutes. Return the mixer bowl with the egg white mixture to the stand mixer (still fitted with the whisk attachment) and beat on high speed until the marshmallow topping forms stiff peaks, 6 to 8 minutes.

Top each chilled pudding with 2 large spoonfuls of marshmallow topping, covering the top of the pudding completely and creating peaks, if desired.

Use a kitchen torch to lightly toast the topping to your liking. Serve immediately.

Excerpted from Baked Elements: Our 10 Favorite Ingredients by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Copyright © 2012 by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito.  Excerpted by permission of Stewart, Tabori & Chang, an imprint of Abrams. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.