Pumpkin bread

People, I am officially getting on the pumpkin bandwagon. When I just came to this country, many years ago, using pumpkin in sweets sounded like another one of those wacky American ideas (along with PB&J sandwiches, cottage cheese and alfalfa, though the last one probably sounds wacky to anyone who doesn't live in California). It took me all the way until last year (I KNOW, what was I thinking?) to try a pumpkin dessert, and luckily for me, it was a pumpkin cheesecake. I don't have to tell you how insanely awesome that is, right? Just thinking about it is making me drool.

There is something about pumpkin puree that is quintessentially fall, its gentle aroma wafting through the house just as the wind beats against windows and doors and ruffles the dry leaves. Snuggled on the couch during one such evening, I was flipping through Dorie Greenspan's book, Baking, and I saw the recipe for pumpkin muffins, and I knew that this was going to be my first pumpkin dessert experiment. The recipe seemed very straightforward, not fussy at all. I liked that -- I like food that can make you feel great but still remain a background for good friends and good conversation. Oh, how glad I am that I made this! This is a bread that has to be eaten warm, maybe even with a dollop of spiced whipped cream, and surrounded by a spread of all my favorite fall fruit - persimmons, apples and pomegranates. I substituted black currants for raisins, upped the nutmeg and added a dollop of brandy (hey, don't judge me), which gave this unassuming quickbread a nice flavor kick. Not too moist and not too dry, this is a perfect tea cake. Almost absentmindedly, the four of us went through most of the loaf in a few hours, chased by a few small glasses of delicious Framboise (right, like I said, "tea cake"). I can tell you that I was very happy with the way it all turned out and will gladly repeat the experiment. Pumpkin cheesecake -- here I come!

Pumpkin Bread
(adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Pumpkin Muffins recipe)

2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch of allspice
1 stick (8 T) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin puree
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup black currants (or raisins)
1/2 cup chopped pecans of walnuts
2 T brandy

Preheat oven to 400F. Butter or spray your mold. Soak the black currants in about a cup of boiling water until soft and plump.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. In a mixer bowl, beat the butter until soft and fluffy. Add sugar and continue to beat until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg. Beat in the vanilla and the brandy. Lower mixer speed and incorporate the pumpkin and the buttermilk. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients in a steady stream, mixing only until incorporated (don't overmix!).

Drain the black currants and, with a rubber spatula, stir in the currants and the chopped nuts. Pour into a loaf pan and bake for about 50 minutes or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.

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Interlude

It's been a while since I last posted, but I promise, there is something yummy coming very soon. Meanwhile, enjoy this non-food-related yummy - my fav football player de jour, the gorgeous goalkeeper for Real Madrid, Iker Casillas.

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Celebrating

Today, eight years ago, A. and I shared our first kiss. I can't tell you how wonderful those years have been. It seems like time has passed so quickly, and yet, I can barely remember what my life was like before we were together -- all I know is that it was incomplete. Thank you, my darling, thank you for everything.

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Apple Tart Bread

It will come as no surprise that I find baking to be very therapeutic. Especially, when I bake in the morning and the light in my kitchen is bright and golden and the house is quiet, quiet except for the rustle of leaves outside or the quick spatter of someone's footsteps. I don't get to do this often (unfortunately, my full time job intrudes), but when I do, I treasure it. It's my time, as much mine as I can make it. The magic that happens here is mine alone and mine to share.

I hope you are not yet sick of apple cakes, because I am offering another one from this website that has quickly become one of my favorites since I discovered it a short time ago. What I really wanted to do was make an apple pie. However, I have sort of a phobia of apple pies and I have never baked one before, and that morning was not the one for experimenting. You see, even though I have spent most of my life in this country, my genes are European and I just don't know what a true American apple pie is supposed to taste like. I do not have that innate sense of rightness or that intuition that most people have when cooking a dish native to their ancestors' land. Some day, I will research and tackle this project (or just shoot from the hip and make the first recipe that sounds good to me), but the morning I baked this, I felt a tug of nostalgia and I wanted something that tastes familiar, something I could smell even before the first flour was sifted or the first apple was cut.

All I can say is that this cake is a delight and you must -- no, really, you must -- make it. It is everything that is rustic and yet elegant, complex and simple, tasting of mellow October sun and apple orchards heavy with ripened fruit. It's the kind of cake where you think "will all these apples really fit?" but fit they do, and gloriously so. I would make it again and for every occasion. Slicing the apples thinly gives it the softness and delicacy of French apple tarts, but the robust batter (which, by the way, tasted amazing) provides a nice, comforting heft. I am completely in love with this cake.

The Knead For Bread Apple Tart Bread

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3.5-4 large apples or 5 smaller ones
Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Peel and core your apples, and then slice them thinly. Prepare an 11 inch tart pan and turn the oven to 350F. If you don't want the apples to brown, you can squeeze some lemon juice over the apples (but there is no need here, as the apples will go into the batter anyway).

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon into a small bowl. Melt the butter and leave it to cool. In a large bowl combine the eggs and sugar. Using a mixer mix on high speed for three minutes. The mixture will become pale and thick.

Add in the slightly warm melted butter and vanilla extract. Mix until well blended. Add in the sliced apples and stir until the apples are coated. Add in the sifted dry ingredients and mix until the flour in incorporated.

Pour into the prepared tart pan and place into the preheated oven for 50-55 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Once cooled, dust with confectioners' sugar. I think this tastes the best when warm, and I would not be averse to trying it with some whipped cream next time.

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World Peace Cookies

It is a truth universally acknowledged that cookies make people happy (sorry, Jane Austen, I just had to crib that line). It's so true, though -- have you ever been unhappy while eating a cookie? No, I think not, my friends. Cookies are like a shot of tequila, only without the headache. I have a friend whose grandmother told me that every time she travels, she bakes cookies. She says that it immediately breaks the ice and makes people smile -- especially harried, stressed out people who only expect complaints and demands from passengers. I love that sentiment and I do find that food is the greatest communal experience through which we bond with others (ok, maybe not *the* greatest, but you know what I mean!). These cookies hit the spot completely. They are as intensely chocolate as they look, and the bit of salt gives it a grown up, sophisticated flavor. All I can say is, bake them, share them, enjoy the smiles.


World Peace Cookies
(Dorie Greenspan - makes 36 cookies)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick plus 3 tablespoons (11 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel or 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips, or a generous 3/4 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips

1. Sift the flour, cocoa and baking soda together.

2. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add both sugars, the salt and vanilla extract and beat for 2 minutes more.

3. Turn off the mixer. Pour in the dry ingredients, drape a kitchen towel over the stand mixer to protect yourself and your kitchen from flying flour and pulse the mixer at low speed about 5 times, a second or two each time. Take a peek — if there is still a lot of flour on the surface of the dough, pulse a couple of times more; if not, remove the towel. Continuing at low speed, mix for about 30 seconds more, just until the flour disappears into the dough — for the best texture, work the dough as little as possible once the flour is added, and don't be concerned if the dough looks a little crumbly. Toss in the chocolate pieces and mix only to incorporate.

4. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, gather it together and divide it in half. Working with one half at a time, shape the dough into logs that are 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate them for at least 3 hours. (The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. If you've frozen the dough, you needn't defrost it before baking — just slice the logs into cookies and bake the cookies 1 minute longer.)

Getting Ready to Bake:

5. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

6. Using a sharp thin knife, slice the logs into rounds that are 1/2 inch thick. (The rounds are likely to crack as you're cutting them — don't be concerned, just squeeze the bits back onto each cookie.) Arrange the rounds on the baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between them.

7. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 12 minutes — they won't look done, nor will they be firm, but that's just the way they should be. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and let the cookies rest until they are only just warm, at which point you can serve them or let them reach room temperature.

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Caramelized onions, mushroom and thyme tart

I can see the surprised looks -- another tart/quiche? Yes! I'm sorry! Alas, this has not been a week of creative dinners. Instead, I have been taking photos of this beautiful October light. I cannot get enough of it. Every time I go outside, I want to grab my camera and point, point everywhere and capture the golden touch on leaves, on flowers, on cheekbones and in mirrors. I've put some of my favorites on Color Moods, so I hope you will visit me there as well. Meanwhile, if you like caramelized onions and mushrooms (and if you don't, you and I need to sit down for a tiny chat), this quiche is a winner with a capital W, I promise. I didn't think it was possible, but I think I like this combination even better than leeks and Swiss chard. The onions are caramelized in white wine and herbes de Provence, and this, for me, perfectly captures the delicate, golden taste of fall.

Caramelized onions, mushroom and thyme tart

For the crust:
(recipe from the Tartine cookbook)
1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 2 T very cold (or frozen) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup iced water
1/2 tsp salt

For the filling:
4 eggs
1 cup milk (I even used low-fat *shock* *horror*)
6 oz mushrooms, sliced (any kind)
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup white wine
1 tsp herbes de Provence
2 tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

The night before - make the crust. When making a flaky crust, remember that cold is your best friend. Chill everything whenever possible. In a small cup, mix salt and water, put in the refrigerator until ready to use. Put the flour in a large bowl and scatter pieces of butter on top of it. With a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour quickly until the biggest pieces are no larger than a pea. Put the whole thing in the freezer for 5 min. Slowly, add the salt water mixture, mixing with a fork just until the dough comes together. Turn it out onto a flowered work surface and pinch the dough together. You should still see pieces of butter. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate overnight.

Take out the dough and let it sit on the counter for 5 min or so, or until it's pliable. Butter or spray your tart/quiche/pie pan. Roll out the dough to a desired size and place in the pan. Do not stretch dough, but press it gently into place. Trim the edges to be even with the edge of the pan. Freeze for at least 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375F. Put a buttered piece of foil (shiny side down) into the tart pan and bake for 20 minutes. Take out the foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and fully baked. After the crust is done, cool on the counter.

While the crust is baking, saute the onions with a little butter or olive oil on medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Pour in the white wine and sprinkle with salt and herbes de Provence. Turn the heat to low and let simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 25 minutes or until the liquid evaporates. This isn't the traditional method of caramelizing onions, but I wanted a milder flavor for this tart. After the onions are done, spread them inside the crust. In the same pan, saute sliced mushrooms and thyme for 5-7 minutes or until the mushrooms are very soft. Spread the mushrooms on top of the onions.

Whisk the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour over the vegetables. Bake on 375F for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325F and bake until the filling is set, about another 30 minutes, rotating once about half way through the baking time. I like this tart warm or hot, and I can imagine a dollop of crème fraîche could be a very good thing.

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Vanilla Extract, DIY And A Giveaway

Update: Congratulations, Peg, and thank you! See the finished product right here.

The other day, A. and I sat across from each other in a cafe downtown for a wonderful lunch of fragrant pad thai, which was so large that neither of us could finish it. We asked our waitress to wrap up our portions, but she must have misheard because she accidentally threw them away. We said, "oh well," but the restaurant surprised us by making us both new pad thais. Really, two whole new portions. It struck me then, just like that, how lucky I am that my parents braved insanely difficult times and brought me here, that I can sit in a restaurant with white tablecloths and ice clinking in my glass, that the sky is blue and that I could pay the bill with money that I, myself, had earned through honest labor. And that someone made me a new pad thai. I gave it to someone else so that she could eat it and I promised myself that I will give more often to people who are in need, even if it's one sandwich at a time. It meant so much to me, who has so much. Pay it forward, I said to myself.

What does this have to do with making your own vanilla extract? Well, let me tell you. I finally gave in to my inner voice and bought wonderful Mexican vanilla beans. Excited and a little nervous, I picked up the first bean with shaking hands, split it carefully and added good, old-fashioned ingredients that I know have nothing to do with "corn syrup." I made three bottles, and I want to give one of them to one of the people who reads this blog on the condition that when you receive it, you do something nice (can be something very little, like a hug or a cup of hot soup) for someone else. What, did you think I do things with no strings attached? It doesn't work like that around here, don't you know. :) Just make a comment on this post and 8/10 weeks from now, when my extract is done, I will randomly select one comment and that person will receive a holiday gift in the mail to start their New Year on a dark, rummy, flavorful, amber vanilla note. If you are feeling so inclined, also tell me the kinds of things people have done for you that have inspired you to pay it forward.

Just in case, here is the (easiest in the world) recipe:

DIY Vanilla extract
3 vanilla beans
1 cup vodka (can be very cheap vodka, although I just used what I had - Absolut)
1-2 T dark rum (to taste, I used 2)

Split the vanilla beans down the middle with a sharp knife, leaving them attached at the ends (split the third vanilla bean completely in half). Scrape out the seeds and place the beans and seeds in a 9-10 oz container with an airtight lid (or you can divide between two 5-oz containers, like I did) and pour the vodka inside. Place the container in a dark, dry place (like your pantry) and let the extract infuse for 8-10 weeks, shaking the container slightly once a week. When the extract is a very dark amber color, pour the rum into your container(s) and swirl it around a bit. Your extract is ready to be used! The vanilla beans are so strong that you can even top off the container with a little more vodka once you've used up some extract. It should regain its color and intensity shortly. I made more than enough for me, my mom, and also one of my readers, so go ahead, leave me a comment, and I cannot wait to share the fruits of my labor with you.

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Leek and Swiss Chard Tart (or is it quiche?)

I was telling a friend the other day that I made a quiche for dinner. She said, "Oh, I don't like the amount of cheese and cream they usually put in those." I smiled. "Mine has no cheese and no cream, and A. didn't even notice." Okay, so there is a bit of good butter and quite a few eggs, but it's very hearty and satisfying and packed to the brim with veggies, so that in one slice, you get everything you could possibly want for dinner. And even better, this tart is TASTIER on the second day (if it lasts that long, which it probably won't).

Now, I will ask you for a favor. Do not -- please, do not -- buy a frozen crust at the store. Seriously, with a tiny bit of foresight, you can make your own in no time and it's LEAPS AND BOUNDS better. I mean, I can't even describe it. The tender, flaky, buttery crust is like an essential part of the whole zen experience of eating this tart, and after you've had a bite, you'll never look at Pillsbury ever again. Sorry, Pillsbury, you are very cute, and your crescent rolls had me at hello, but we have to go our separate ways now. It's not you, it's me.

Leek and Swiss Chard Tart

For the crust:
(recipe from the Tartine cookbook)
1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 2 T very cold (or frozen) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup iced water
1/2 tsp salt

For the filling:
5 eggs
1 cup milk (I even used low-fat *shock* *horror*)
2 large leeks or 3 small ones (white and light green parts only)
1/2 bunch of Swiss Chard, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

The night before - make the crust. When making a flaky crust, remember that cold is your best friend. Chill everything whenever possible. In a small cup, mix salt and water, put in the refrigerator until ready to use. Put the flour in a large bowl and scatter pieces of butter on top of it. With a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour quickly until the biggest pieces are no larger than a pea. Put the whole thing in the freezer for 5 min. Slowly, add the salt water mixture, mixing with a fork just until the dough comes together. Turn it out onto a flowered work surface and pinch the dough together. You should still see pieces of butter. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate overnight.

Take out the dough and let it sit on the counter for 5 min or so, or until it's pliable. Butter or spray your tart/quiche/pie pan. Roll out the dough to a desired size and place in the pan. Do not stretch dough, but press it gently into place. Trim the edges to be even with the edge of the pan. Freeze for at least 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375F. Put a buttered piece of foil (shiny side down) into the tart pan and bake for 20 minutes. Take out the foil and bake for another 5 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and fully baked. After the crust is done, cool on the counter.

While the crust is cooling, wash and slice the leeks thinly. Saute on low-medium heat until the leeks are tender and soft, but not brown. Chop the Swiss Chard and throw into the pan with the leeks for a few minutes until wilted and soft. Spread this mixture inside the tart shell.

Whisk the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour over the vegetables. Bake on 375F for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325F and bake until the filling is set, about another 30 minutes. This tart is best served slightly warm or at room temperature, so let it cool a bit before you dig in!

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Brunch for Eight

When I was in college, we used to have dinner parties, like all the time. In fact, we had dinner parties even when all we could use to cook was a 40 year old oven which barely baked chocolate chip cookies. It seemed easy back then -- all you needed was one big dish that everyone could eat, a lot of wine and maybe a cheesecake from Trader Joe's. These days, I find that fewer and fewer people have parties at home. I think it's because women feel like they have to be domestic goddesses, like they have to wow everyone with something amazing, like they have to be Nigella Lawson and like paper plates for dessert are suddenly not cool anymore. They think about the hassle of preparing a 5-star-chef meal to satisfy critical guests' expectations and then they just say screw it and go to a restaurant with a real 5-star-chef.

Well, guess what, I am NOT okay with that. There is so much charm in hosting people at your house, in seeing them eat food that you prepared and choosing your own music and dimming the lights just so. Today, I made a brunch for 8 people in under two hours*, and I can tell you, it was dead easy and it was awesome. I used simple ingredients and I was not above having bagels (and I bought them, too, ha!). Seriously, though -- we should get together at home more often; we should cook for our loved ones; we should eat off of our best china, drink our best wine, dance to Ella Fitzgerald and sit as long as we want to without a waiter giving us the stink eye. And now, I'm just going to stop and give you the menu already, because I'm beginning to feel like I need a short skirt and pom-poms and it's too early for Halloween.

*Except for the crème brûlée, I made that the night before and it took me maybe 15 minutes.

(PS Sorry for the lack of pictures, but my clock was inexplicably 1/2 hr late and I panicked and broke things and burned myself and chaos and pandemonium ensued and I didn't have time to take pictures. But the food turned out great. I kept the blood out of the frittata -- just kidding, mom!).

Full-Proof Brunch Menu For Eight

Starters:
Two wedges of cheese (e.g. Brie and Cheddar or, as I prefer, Brie and Blue Costello)
Pepper crackers, 1 box
1 cold, crisp apple, sliced
A bottle of Prosecco or champagne, cold

Main course:
Frittata with whatever you have on hand (mine was with cheddar, onions, tomatoes and sausage, but you could easily go with asparagus and sun-dried tomatoes or eggplant, cherry tomatoes and gruyere)
Orzo with herbs and goat cheese
Bagels, halved and toasted
Cream cheese
Lox
2 tomatoes, 1 red onion and 2 avocados, thinly sliced
Arugula salad with persimmons, almonds, pomegranate seeds and goat cheese

Dessert:
Crème brûlée
Fruit

Drinks:
White wine
Mineral water with sliced limes and lemons
Orange Juice
Tea

Today's recipe: Frittata!

You should make a frittata because it is the easiest and most versatile dish in the world. And also because saying "frittata" is so much more fun than "omelet." First, you should decide on your ingredients. Asparagus, mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes? Chorizo and caramelized onions? Fresh mozzarella, basil and tomatoes? What kind of cheese are you going to use? Should you throw in herbs like thyme and/or spices like smoked paprika? Here is how I made mine. The procedure is basically the same, just switch up the ingredients.

In a 10 inch skillet that you can put into the oven, heat up a few tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat. While the oil is heating, chop your ingredients. In my case, it was 1 chorizo (vegetarians, omit this), 1 medium beefsteak tomato and 1/2 of a large red onion. Toss the ingredients into the skillet and saute for a few minutes until they start looking and smelling good (until the chorizo browns and the onion/eggplant/mushrooms/whatever is softening). Note that for asparagus, you should saute all the ingredients first and then throw it into the skillet for a minute at the end right before you pour in the eggs.

While everything is sauteing, put your oven on the broiler setting. For eight people, I used 6 eggs and 6 egg whites (for health and fluffiness reasons) and 1/2 cup of milk. Whisk the eggs, egg whites, milk, a few shakes of salt and pepper together and then when the ingredients have sauteed enough, pour the eggs into the skillet. Throw in a handful of grated cheese. Cover. Go put on your makeup and pour champagne for everyone. Heh heh. Ok, leave it on the heat, covered, for about 10 minutes (or until the eggs are just starting to set but are still a bit wobbly) and then put the skillet under the broiler (I put the rack in the middle of the oven) for another 5-10 minutes or until the frittata is completely set in the middle. Watch it carefully so it doesn't burn. Cut into 8 pieces and transfer to a serving platter. Please be very careful taking it out of the oven because the skillet is going to be HOT (can you tell I am speaking from painful experience here???).

Stay tuned for the other recipes, especially the salad and the crème brûlée. They were really, really, really good.

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Tiramisu Cake

I like making cakes. It's really that, a process of making, when you tweak the recipe just so, when you carefully pick out just the right sort of chocolate and cut every strawberry to a desired thickness, when you whip the cream to be not soft and not hard, when you look and say, no, just a little more chopped or a teaspoon of this will make the difference (when it's probably all in your head). It's about making something special for someone special, a private communication between you and that person, a wordless expression of feelings only the two of you will understand.

Someone asked me last night, "what is in this cake?" And I blinked and had to think about it for a moment -- the question really stumped me -- "the usual things that go in a cake, I suppose" I said: butter, eggs, flour, etc (oh, and brandy)... The end result is so much more than the sum of its parts, though. The real ingredients are laughter and voices and the clinking of glasses, a cake-naming contest and lights and running out of wine.

The birthday girl won the contest, by the way, and named this cake "Temptation." :)


A few notes about the cake:
*I tweaked the recipe just a tiny bit -- I added more brandy and more espresso to the espresso syrup and upped the cream by a third of a cup. I also added strawberries, which I think was a really successful touch. I also did not use powdered chocolate (ick) but just grated some real chocolate over the top of the cake.
*This does not taste exactly like traditional Tiramisu, but the recipe yields a tender, velvety cake with a light, mousse-like filling. The texture held up well even after soaking, though the cake was by no means "wet" like actual Tiramisu.
*Although the list of steps might seem daunting at first, this cake is really one of the easiest cakes to make and I put it together in a flash (and I'm the slowest baker alive when it comes to a recipe I've never made before!)
*I love my new icing spatula. There, it has nothing to do with the recipe, but for someone who's been using a butter knife to frost things, an icing spatula is a luxury. Love, love, love it. Also, love, love, love this cake. Definitely a winner, people.

Tiramisu Cake
(adapted from Dorie Greenspan)

FOR THE CAKE
2 cups cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 (10 T) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk

FOR THE ESPRESSO SYRUP
2 T espresso (about one shot?)
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
2 T brandy

FOR THE FILLING/FROSTING
1 8-oz container mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 T brandy
1 1/3 cup cold heavy cream + 3/4 T for strawberries
3 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
12 or so medium to large strawberries
1 T espresso

Make the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350F and butter two 9x2 inch round pans. Line the pans with parchment paper.

Sift or whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. In a different, large bowl (or mixer bowl), beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for another 3 minutes. Add the eggs one by one, and then the yolk, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. It's going to look gross and curdled, but don't worry. Reduce speed to low and add the dry ingredients in 3 additions alternating with 2 additions of the buttermilk (begin and end with dry ingredients); scrape down the bowl and mix only until the ingredients disappear into the batter. Divide evenly between two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.

Bake for 28-30 minutes, rotating the pans at midway point, or until cakes are golden and springy to the touch and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes to unmold, flip over onto a rack or plates and peel the paper liners. Flip back over and cool at room temperature.

While the cakes are baking, make the espresso syrup: stir the water and sugar together in a small saucepan and bring just to a boil. Stir in the espresso and brandy. Set aside.

Make the filling and frosting: In a small bowl, whisk the mascarpone, sugar, vanilla and brandy just until blended and smooth. In a large (or mixer) bowl, whip 1 1/3 cups heavy cream until it holds firm peaks. With a rubber spatula, stir in about one quarter of the whipped cream into the mascarpone. Fold the mascarpone into the rest of the whipped cream with a light touch. Chop 1 oz of the chocolate very finely. Hull 6 strawberries and slice them thinly.

Strawberries: Take remaining 6 strawberries and slice them in half lengthwise, leaving the green tails on. Top a tray with wax or parchment paper and arrange strawberry halves on top. Chop 1 oz of the chocolate very finely and put in a small bowl. Bring 4 T cream to a boil and pour over the chocolate; let stand a minute and then whisk until smooth and glossy. The chocolate should be thin enough to drip from the end of a spoon -- if not, add a bit more cream and whisk in. Drizzle melted chocolate over strawberries. Refrigerate for at least 1/2 hr.

To assemble the cake: If the tops of the cake layers have crowned, use a long, serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to even them. Place one layer cut side up on a cake plate. Using a pastry brush or a small spoon, soak the layer with 1/3 of the espresso syrup. Smooth some of the mascarpone filling over the layer. Gently press the 1 oz chopped chocolate into the filling and arrange sliced strawberries on top. Put the second cake layer on the counter, cut side up and soak it with half of the remaining espresso syrup. Turn the layer over (carefully, it'll be very soft) and position it on top of the first layer and filling. Soak the top of the cake with the remaining syrup.

Whisk 1 T of espresso into the remaining mascarpone filling and smooth the frosting around the sides and on top of the cake. Grate 1 oz of chocolate over the top of the cake. With a butter knife, detach the refrigerated strawberry halves from the wax paper and arrange in a circle on top of the cake.

Refrigerate the cake for at least 3 hours or for up to 1 day before serving -- the elements need time to meld.

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