I very shoddily made a honey layer cake I had been wanting to try since forever. I didn’t want to use coating chocolate, which I find gross, so I tempered white chocolate. But of course at these temps white chocolate can’t survive 
. I just wanted to try tempering sous vide and wanted to see the honeycomb decoration. I did a very thin layer of the chocolate so it broke off when I peeled it. I couldn’t dye it yellow because I don’t have powdered coloring and the gel-based coloring I have was likey to make the chocolate seize.
The cake itself is really delicious. More buttercream should be called for and the amounts of white and yellow should be given in weights. If you squeeze a little too hard and dye too much yellow, you won’t have enough buttercream to coat the cake. As written I think I split it pretty well and still the white wasn’t really enough. I’d rather have extra buttercream than not enough. I love what I refer to as Asian style American buttercream. It’s American buttercream I actually think is delicious and to the point I wouldn’t want to bother with European buttercreams because this is so much simpler and less heavy.
So pretty! What makes a buttercream Asian style?
I call it Asian style American buttercream because it’s an American buttercream but it’s got a lot less sugar than typical and often a higher proportion of heavy cream. American buttercream typically calls double sugar to butter or equal parts on the low end. Vloggers from South Korea, China, and Taiwan tend to make it with less sugar than butter. This one was 200 g butter and 100 g powdered sugar plus 30 g honey and 50 g heavy cream. I’ve seen a few where the cream is more than the butter. The resulting frosting is light and silky.
Is it similar to something like this:
That’s a pretty classic American buttercream with equal parts sugar and butter. It’s lower than a lot of American buttercream, because many are 2:1, but it’s still sweeter than when you see Asian bloggers make American buttercream. The cream is higher than a lot of American buttercream, though.
I’ve never liked American buttercream because it’s very sweet, but I find these versions really nice.
Stella says her version doesn’t crust, so I think it’s similar to these lower sugar Asian ones. For people who want a really sturdy frosting the 2:1 ratio is best. I just don’t like the taste of it except for maybe chocolate versions because either unsweetened chocolate or cocoa tone down the sweetness.
Thanks for the explanation! Will try it - I am not a fan of traditional buttercream, so I might prefer the Asian style.
Five a.m. bake of New York Times’ potato kugel. Pretty much followed the recipe, although used chicken schmaltz and bacon fat instead of oil. Used the FP all the way. Soaked the grated potatoes in water for a few minutes, then wrung in a towel just before mixing. Used a full Tbsp. of Morton Kosher salt. Baked for 118 minutes in a hot cast iron skillet at 350, and hit with the broiler for 2 minutes.
First time making or eating kugel, so don’t have anything to compare. We enjoyed it, found it comforting, and I’ll make it again.
The recipe makes quite a bit – the two of us ate about 1/3 of it. I’m not quite sure how to handle the leftovers. Eat cold? Reheat on the stove? Warm up in the oven? I suppose any of these methods would work.
For me I love German buttercream and cooked flour/heritage frosting along with French and anglaise buttercreams. Italian and Swiss I don’t like as much because I find them too overwhelmingly buttery when they’re plain. I like them better when they’re strongly flavored, like say berry or coffee versions.
American buttercream I’ve never cared for due to sweetness, but the Asian adaptations of it I find pretty nice.
For most people who don’t like buttercream, I always suggest German buttercream or flour frosting. They’re not too sweet and not too rich.
Spécialité de la Maison…
and I promise not to post anymore berry tarts! But…this was so good, FM strawberries and raspberries, a small tart, just enough for 4 pieces, I’ll probably be making a couple a week in various guises. Vanilla ice cream wouldn’t hurt!
I love seeing your many variations on fruit tarts, so please keep posting away!
Awwww…thanks Caitlin!
Keep posting these berry tarts. Your baking is inspirational. 
Thank you, MTT, I loved your rhubarb bake!
I’m here with everyone, please keep posting.
Thanks, Stef, I’m afraid I’d be boring everyone with variations on a theme
A rhubarb anise upside down cake from The Gourmet Cookbook(yellow cover). I wish this cookbook had weights. Brown sugar and butter are melted and rhubarb is laid in whatever pattern you wish. A simple batter of butter,sugar,eggs,ground seed anise,flour baking soda,baking powder and buttermilk is made and poured over. I used my tart tatin pan. Will be served with vanilla ice cream
Wow! That’s beautiful! I’m sure it was enjoyed.
Not bored at all - just jealous!
Sourdough from the bread machine (too hot to want to run the oven). I added what was left of a package of fresh sage to the dough and it smells so good!
I made éclairs which I honestly never bother with because I tend to prefer cream puffs, and I’m torn between if I’ll bother making them again for a few years and wanting to bake more soon so I can keep practicing. They are honestly very annoying for home baking due to the need to meet so many conditions in order to get them to bake properly and only having one oven. I’m lucky the power company decided to leave us alone today at least.
They are so delicious when the shells are brown and crisp and the pastry cream is nice and cold, though. Finally tasting after the hours of waiting for everything to come together felt so worth it, which isn’t always the case with a lot of other time-consuming baking projects.
