I also was compelled to try the Gateau pound cake recipe - the simplicity of the recipe is so appealing.
Like Nannybakes, I also made a quatre of the quatre quart cake. I used cake flour, and standard large eggs from the grocery. I was tempted to add additional egg white from a carton, but didn’t. After reading NannyBakes’ post, I’m glad she tried it and was able to comment. I might add a teaspoon or two next time just to gauge the results.
I had no trouble mixing the batter, in any case, and was happy with the results as written.
I baked in a 4 x 2.25” Fat Daddio pan for 26 minutes in a fan oven (regular setting = no convection). The batter filled about 65% of the pan when wet. The domed center rose above the rim of the pan when baked.
This is a cake with which I had trouble back when I was posting on Chowhound. I loved the flavor, but was getting squidgy bits in the crumb. At least one member thought it might be the pan I was using – the Nordic Ware Charlotte pan – and suggested I use a proper bundt pan. It’s taken me all year to get to it, but I finally did.
I made a half recipe in NW’s decorative 6-cup heart pan. While the designs didn’t come through well, the cake was a hit. No squidgy bits!
I forgot to mention I also used cake flour. The prunes in Armagnac were really good with it. I put a few tablespoons of the Armagnac syrup around the cake as well.
MR…no great notes that I can find but, I’m pretty sure I use the recipe from Paula Wolfert’s
“Cooking of Southwest France”. She seeps the prunes ( with pits) overnight in tea, dries them well, then a cooled sugar syrup is poured over them , followed by Armagnac. If you don’t have the book or can’t turn it up, I’ll write it out for you after NYE. They are wonderful.
You guys are gonna laugh, but not only am I making another chocolate and dulce de leche cake for the guy who got one last time (because his words were “best cake I ever had”), but a family friend also wants a chocolate and dulce de leche cake and I felt like I couldn’t say no. And I need to do both of them this weekend.
Soon I’m going to introduce people in this town to chocolate and caramel .
I forgot that I did some baking when I was in Ottawa ( very stressful trip, as with many people travelling over the holidays!). My mother was very tired and so I helped her out with some of her cookie baking: made SK’s espresso-chocolate shortbread bars https://smittenkitchen.com/2007/12/espresso-chocolate-shortbread-cookies/ ( SO GOOD) and some thumbprint cookies. I made bit of a hash of those, using too much jam in some. Had to eat the evidence…
I made your Jiffy cornbread tonight to go with our black eyed peas. Took quite a bit longer to bake since I used an 8 x 8. Next time I’ll use my 11 x 7 which is probably more in line with your shaped pan. So buttery and a bit crumbly. DEElicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe and Happy New Year.
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