Strawberry Lemonade Shortbread Bars

Yes, this is the second strawberry lemon dessert I've made this weekend, and you know what, you're welcome. This shit is delicious. Flaky shortbread crust and lemon buttercream topped with fresh strawberries. I worried it may be too sweet, but the shortbread is a little salty and the buttercream a little zippy, and overall, I'm not mad at this one bit. It's also like really easy. Really. You're gonna want to make these. 

This recipe makes two 8x8 inch squares or you could do a big one in a 13x9 pan. 

For the shortbread:

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp

1/2 c granulated sugar 

2 c all-purpose flour (ish* see below)

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cardamom 

Zest of 1 lemon

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and line pan(s) with parchment (with a bit of overhang so you can pull it out of the pan for cutting and serving), and spray with cooking spray. 

2. Put butter and sugar in stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment and cream together for a few minutes. 

3. Add salt, cardamom, and lemon zest. Slowly add in flour until you get the desired texture (that 2ish cups we discussed)  *You want the texture to be sandy, but when you squeeze some in your hand, it should stick together. If it feels too wet and not very sandy, you can add a bit more flour. If you add too much flour, you're fucked, so err on the side of caution. I mean you're not really fucked; it'll still be delicious, but the texture won't be quite the same. Sorry for the scare tactic.*

4. Pour out into prepared pan(s) and press down into a solid layer. *If you're doing the two smaller pans like I did, just divide the dough evenly. 

5. Bake at 350F for about 40-45 mins or until lightly golden brown.

6. Allow to cool completely before assembly.

For the buttercream:

2 stick unsalted butter, room temp

3 c powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1. In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine butter, salt, and lemon zest. 

2. Slowly start to incorporate powdered sugar one cup at a time. 

3. In between sugar cups, squeeze in half a lemon. 

4. Finish with a splash of vanilla extract. 

5. Reminder that buttercream is a feel thing, so if it feels too loose, add more sugar. If it feels too stiff, add more lemon juice or heavy cream. 

6. Whip it for a minute or two at the end to aerate it and make it fluffier.

Assembly:

You will also need: 

1 pint of fresh strawberries, thinly sliced

A little apricot jam *optional

1. Take cooled shortbread and top with a layer of lemon buttercream. 

2. Arrange strawberry slices on top. I just did rows so that it was easier to cut in between them when serving.

3. Mix a little apricot jam with a splash of water. Brush onto the strawberries for a shiny finish. 

4. Cut into 12 slices (if you're in the 8x8 pans like me- so 24 pieces total). 

5. Store in the fridge, but take out a bit before serving so it can warm up a bit before eating.

Chocolate Orange Cake

A friend had her baby shower recently, and she requested a chocolate orange cake. I realized that I hadn't made this combo before, BUT I  had made all the components, so this is a bit of Frankenstein cake, complete with chocolate cake, chocolate buttercream, chocolate ganache, orange marmalade, and candied oranges! It weighs about 20 pounds, and now all of us that ate it feel about 20 pounds heavier. Worth it. I highly suggest that you make this a TWO day cake process. Start with the candied oranges the day before so they have time to dry out. This recipe makes a three layer 9-inch round cake.  

For the candied oranges:

I used this recipe for the candied oranges with slight modifications.

1 1/2 navel oranges sliced into about 1/8 - 1/4 inch thick.
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups water
2 tbsp orange juice (from the other half of the second orange)

1. Put a pot of water on the stove to boil.
2. Make an ice bath in a large bowl and set by the boiling water.
3. Place orange slices in the boiling water for about one minute and then transfer them to the ice bath to cool. *The recipe said to drain them before the next step.... I didn't. I just kept them in the ice bath until my syrup was ready.
4. Bring the 2 cups water, granulated sugar, and orange juice to a boil on the stove. Once the sugar has dissolved, reduce to medium-low heat. Add orange slices in a single layer. *mine was not a single layer... It was still okay.
5. Simmer the orange slices for about 45 - 60 minutes, flipping every 15 minutes, until the rinds are slightly translucent.

6. Place orange slices on a cooling rack (preferably with something underneath to catch the drip) and allow to cool completely. *the recipe says at least an hour up to overnight. I did two hours, and it's fine, but I think next time I will do it overnight. For this cake application, two hours is fine. For like candy, overnight probably makes for a better chew. *Also, once they set up, I cut them in half to be able to place on the cake. Definitely wait until they have hardened!

7. Dust with additional granulated sugar to help with the stickiness.

8. RESERVE the syrup! That's your soak for the cake!

 For the batter:

2 c granulated sugar 
2 1/2 c flour 
1 c cocoa powder 
3 eggs 
3/4 c vegetable oil 
2 tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 c boiling water 
1/2 c buttermilk 
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease three 8-inch round pans using goop.
2. Combine sugar and vegetable oil in stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment.
3. Add eggs one at a time until incorporated. Add in vanilla extract as well.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
5. Alternate dry ingredients and buttermilk, incorporating each into the batter before adding more. Start and end with the dry ingredients.
6. Add the hot water *make sure your speed is on the lowest!* to the batter a little at a time. Once all incorporated, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and then turn to medium-high speed and whip for one minute. This batter will look really loose, but that's how it should be.

7. Pour batter evenly into cake pans.
8. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
9. Let cool on cooling rack. Turn out cakes when still a bit warm. Allow to cool completely before icing.

For the buttercream frosting:
4 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature *yes, this is pretty butter-heavy; trust me, it's delicious
1 c cocoa powder
4 c powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

1. Put butter into stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment.
2. Sift cocoa powder and powdered sugar together. *I don't sift unless I need to. You know this, but with a frosting, it's best to sift.
3. Pour sugar mixture into butter a little at a time until incorporated. Add salt and vanilla.

For the Ganache:

1 c heavy cream
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips 
4 tbsp (half a stick) unsalted butter, room temp - I almost ALWAYS don't do room temp because I forget to pull the butter out for this; it's fine; just takes a few more mins to melt
Pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Place the heavy cream in a small pan on the stove and heat until just at a simmer. You don't want this to boil.
2. While the cream is heating, put your chocolate and butter chopped into small cubes into a heat safe bowl.
3. Once the cream has heated, pour over the chocolate and butter and cover bowl with plastic wrap for about 5 minutes. *This just ensures that your chocolate will melt and be easier to incorporate.
4. Stir the ingredients together. At first it will look like they aren't coming together. They will. Once it's smooth, I add some salt and vanilla to taste, and make sure to fully incorporate it.

5. You will want this to sit for a while so that it is pourable but will not fall off the cake. We want drips.

Assembly:

You will also need:

18 oz orange marmalade

1. Put a dollop of buttercream on cake stand to prevent slippage. Add first cake layer.

2. With a pastry brush, soak the cake with some of the orange simple syrup reserved from making the candied oranges. 

3. Put about 1/4 of the buttercream into a piping bag. Pipe a ring around the top of the first layer- this is a dam to hold in the marmalade. 

4. Spread marmalade on the cake. 

5. Top with second layer- repeat. 

6. Top with final layer. Cover the cake with buttercream. 

7. Slowly pour the chocolate ganache on the cake. Start to push some of it off the sides at intervals to create organic drips. *I put my ganache in the fridge to firm up a bit because I was impatient... then it was a little too firm. If that happens, put the ganache over a double-boiler to loosen a bit. 

8. Decorate with additional buttercream and orange slices.