I’m grateful I was asked to bake a cake this week. For this first time in forever, my daughter does not live in the same town I do and her birthday is this coming Sunday, September 14th. September is actually the No 1 birthday month and the single most popular date for birthdays all year is September 16th. We just missed it by two days so I think it’s fair that I co-celebrate with Bahlsen Waffeletten and my daughter Lauren. Bahlsen Waffeletten is a European cookie company and this year is their 125th birthday. They decided to have a birthday cake recipe contest, “Let the Good Times Roll,’ and I was invited to participate along with 15 other bloggers. The winner will be announced September 16th although I think we’re already winners as each blogger was sent a beautiful Tiffany cake plate just for participating. Still, winning would mean a 3-day workshop of our choice at one of the legendary Le Cordon Bleu’s “Bleu Ribbon Kitchen” US locations and I know I could use a break from routine and what a fun break that would be!
Why “Let the Good Times Roll?” Because Waffeletten cookies are multiple layers of thin, crunchy wafers rolled into a cylinder and then dipped into either Milk or Dark European chocolate. We were encouraged to be creative and use the cookies in any way we wanted. Inside, outside or upside down…just show our own creativity. The one thing that had me mulling a bit too much? Make it easy. What? That would be, well, too easy! I thought about it and had lots of ideas but all of them required cutting layers or using a piping tip or making meringues and while easy for me after more years than I would like to mention, the truth is they were not going to be easy if time was an issue.
So I took OFF the thinking cap and started to deconstruct. Forget about piping, think about a drizzle. Forget about cutting layers; how about one single layer? And that was the exercise I needed. Really what is easier or prettier than a single layer Bundt cake. I started to hunt for my Bundt…and found four! I forgot I had four so that was fun and my idea started to feel even more perfect when I remember that the word Bundt has German leanings even if made by an American manufacturer. Credited with creating the Bundt pan in 1950; H. David Dahlquist, the founder of Minneapolis-based Nordic Ware, said he did so at the request of Rose Joshua and Fannie Schanfield, members of the Minneapolis chapter of Hadassah, a Jewish women’s service organization. According to an article in the Fall 2005 issue of Generations, the newsletter of the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest, Fannie remembers a Hadassah luncheon when Rose lamented the quality of light and fluffy American-style cakes, and longed for the rich, dense cakes of her European childhood. These, however, required a special type of of pan—one with a hole in the center that allowed heat to penetrate heavy cake batter from all sides. With this type of form, a heavier batter could be baked without leaving under-baked dough in the center.
The cake was almost easier. Because the cake was going to have the cookies as part of the ingredients I decided to flip flop a mocha idea and instead of a chocolate cake with some coffee components I decided to make an espresso cake with chocolate components. With a form as decorative as this one I couldn’t actually see using the whole cookies for decoration so I decided to implement them in some way and as it turns out, two ways.
Half are crushed and added to some brown sugar and coffee liqueur and dropped into the cake batter; you can see that tunnel in the cake above. Just a nice little surprise bite. The rest? Easy as pie (part of our requirements remember?). I made the most amazing espresso and coffee liqueur caramel sauce and after drizzling it over the cake I just covered it with the other half of the crumbs.
A bit of crunch and some bites of chocolate combined with that sauce and a real coffee flavored cake and the results were divine. And easy. And pretty. Which means perfect. Know how I know when I have a winner? I have SO many willing tasters as neighbors; asking for another slice to take home is always a surefire key that something was successful.
The judging for the contest is comprised of four parts all worth 25% of the total. They are:
- Easy-to-make Creativity
- Presentation
- Incorporation of Product
- Taste
Now if the judges could just be three little boys I know I would be a winner but barring that; I still am. I love the cake plate and I love the boys who came down to help me eat some slices. I’m off to deliver some more to my neighbor Sam and his family; it’s nice to have these young strapping men near me; they can still eat these calories with abandon and I get joy from sharing with them. And well, OK, maybe a slice or two is squirreled away for me…and Lauren (I’ll keep a slice in the freezer for you honey for when you come home!). SOON please?
Ingredients
- For the Cake:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsps plus 4 tsps of dried espresso, divided (2 Tbsps in flour mix, 2 tsps added to vanilla which will go into the cake and t tsps for the filling)
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup sour cream (full fat) For the Filling:
- 2 1/2 Tbsp coffee liqueur
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped Bahlsen Waffeletten Cookies. Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate or a combination of both. For the Caramel:
- 4 Tbsp butter
- Brown sugar
- Vanilla
- Coffee Liqueur
- Dried Espresso
- Cocoa For the Garnish:
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped Bahlsen Waffeletten Cookies. Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate or a combination of both.
Preparation
- To Make the Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heavily butter and then flour Bundt pan.
- Beat the butter and sugar with a mixer at low speed for 5 minutes or until creamy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time until completely incorporated; about 2 minutes per egg.
- Combine the coffee liqueur with 2 tsps of the dried espresso; add to the mixing bowl and beat until incorporated.
- Combine the dry ingredients and 2 Tbsp of the dried espresso and whisk until mixed well. Add half to the mixture in the mixing bowl and beat for 30 seconds.
- Add the sour cream and mix until incorporated well.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. For the filling:
- Combine the coffee liqueur, brown sugar and chopped Bahlsen Waffeletten Cookies. Set aside.
- Pour 3/4 of the batter into the cake pan. Top with the brown sugar cookie mixture and then put the remaining batter on top and mix slightly with a wooden or metal skewer.
- Bake for 40-60 minutes (wide variety of pans available mean a wide temperature range. Bake until the cake feels sturdy and only crumbs come out when tested with a toothpick.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack for 15-20 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan.
- While cooking, make the caramel. Mix together all of the ingredients and bring to a boil on medium heat. Turn to simmer and cook for 5-7 minutes until sauce thickens. Take off heat and allow to cool down.
- Drizzle cake with sauce and immediately garnish with crushed Bahlsen Waffeletten Cookies.
- Serve with additional caramel sauce on the side.
