Tag: baking

Baking with Benson

By: Benson Elmore

Say it is your birthday, and you need the most awesome cake ever from scratch, well look no further, I have the best birthday cake recipe ever. 

The ingredients required for this masterpiece are

  • 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup whole milk

Once you have these your ready to get to cooking!

First, here are the steps to prepare your kitchen/appliances for awesomeness…

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two round cake pans.
  • In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  • In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy for about 5 minutes.
  • Add the eggs one at a time, mixing them well after each time you make a new addition. Then, stir in the vanilla extract.
  • Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, alternating with the milk. Start and end with the dry ingredients. Mix until combined.
  • Divide the batter evenly between the round pans.

Now it is time to get to baking…

  • Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. 

Next, you want to make the frosting

Here’s the ingredients 

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 2-3 tbsp heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Food coloring (optional)

Now, here’s how you make it

  • In a large bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy.
  • Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing on low speed until combined.
  • Add the heavy cream and vanilla extract. Beat on high speed for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy. If you want to color the frosting, add a few drops of food coloring and mix until well incorporated.

Now it’s time to assemble this masterpiece

  • Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread a layer of buttercream frosting on top.
  • Add the second cake layer and frost the top and sides of the entire cake with the remaining buttercream.
  • Decorate with sprinkles or any other decorations you like.

Now serve up this awesome cake to the birthday boy/girl for the best birthday EVER!!!

How to make sourdough starter  

By: Luke Banar

  • Whole Grain flour
  • Filtered water

Before making sourdough bread you need to start by marking a sourdough starter to make the dough rise. A sourdough starter is like homemade yeast. You have to grow bacteria and yeast using flour and water. You need to have unbleached flour because it will not rise enough if the flour is bleached. You need a tall mason jar or any other glass container that can hold 16 ounces to put the flour and water and a food scale. On the first day you need to add 150 grams of water and 100 grams of the unbleached whole grain flour to the jar and mix until incorporated. Then lightly tighten the lid and leave at room temperature for 24 hours. After 24 hours take half of the mixture out and throw it away then add in another 150 grams of water and 100 grams of the flour. Then leave it for another day at room temperature after putting on the lid loosely. Then the next day take 75 grams of the mixture from today and throw away the rest of the starter in the jar. Then add 70  grams of unbleached whole grain flour and 75 grams of water and let it sit for another day. For the next day you need to do the same thing as the last day. On day 5 you need to do the same thing one more time. On day 6 you need to add 25 grams of the starter and 30 grams of water into a separate container and 50 grams of flour. Every day after that you need to do the same thing every day after that to keep the starter alive. 

                 Tips for sourdough starter 

  • If you know that you are not going to be able to give the starter more flour and water then you can put it in the refrigerator to keep the starter from dying. 
  • Before using the sourdough starter you need to give it more flour and water to activate it and make it rise. After giving flour and water, wait until it rises again and then you can use it.