Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    United Cakes of America: Recipes Celebrating Every State
    United Cakes of America: Recipes Celebrating Every State
    United Cakes of America: Recipes Celebrating Every State
    Ebook488 pages2 hours

    United Cakes of America: Recipes Celebrating Every State

    By Warren Brown

    5/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    This tour of classic and curious cakes from all fifty states is “a sweet home-baked slice of Americana” (Publishers Weekly).
     
    In order to form a more perfect union of flour, eggs, butter, and sugar, CakeLove author Warren Brown offers his unique take on dessert recipes from all fifty states, plus Puerto Rico and Washington, DC.
     
    Starting his tour with the classic Baked Alaska, Brown explores America’s rich culinary history while updating regional treats like Louisiana King Cake, South Carolina’s Lady Baltimore Cake, and Florida’s Key Lime Pie. There are official state desserts, like Maryland’s Smith Island Cake and Massachusetts’ Boston Cream Pie, as well as unofficial favorites, like New York–style Cheesecake and St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake. Brown also includes more adventurous confections like Michigan’s Chocolate Sauerkraut Cake, and brand-new treats he’s created in honor of specific states, such as his California-inspired Avocado Cupcakes.

     With mouth-watering photos, informative sidebars, and an entire section devoted to the magic of buttercream frosting, United Cakes of America should take “that coveted guest-of-honor space on your baking shelf” (L.A. Weekly).
     
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherABRAMS
    Release dateOct 31, 2014
    ISBN9781613127957
    United Cakes of America: Recipes Celebrating Every State
    Author

    Warren Brown

    Warren Brown is an Author who has written in several genres from fiction to non-fiction. Warren is a certified Life Coach and Hypnotherapist. Warren completed his Advertising and Copywriting training through American Writers and Artists Inc. (AWAI).  I have been an Indie publisher for over eleven years now. I have been writing and publishing on the web since 1993. Website: https://warren4.wixsite.com/warren Medium: https://warrenauthor.medium.com/ Substack: https://warrenbrown.substack.com/

    Read more from Warren Brown

    Related to United Cakes of America

    Related ebooks

    Baking For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Baking for Keeps

      Oct 11, 2022

      Baking for Keeps
      10 min read

    • Article

      Frosted & Iced

      Sep 6, 2022

      Frosted & Iced
      13 min read

    • Article

      Summer Sensations

      Apr 7, 2020

      Summer Sensations
      6 min read

    • Article

      Recipe Index & Resources

      Jul 27, 2021

      Browned Butter Apple Blondies 15 Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups 11 Leftover Candy Compost Cookies & Bars 111 Malted Maple and Milk Chai Chews 20 Spiced Apples & Cream Crumb Bars 71 Chocolate, Cherry & Pistachio Viennoise 25 Honey-Molasses Brown Bread 39

      2 min read

    • Article

      Grandmother's HOLIDAY RECIPES

      Oct 6, 2017

      Grandmother's HOLIDAY RECIPES
      4 min read

    • Article

      10 Can't Beat Bakeries

      Jan 21, 2020

      10 Can't Beat Bakeries
      3 min read

    • Article

      Cherry & Almond Muffins

      Jun 3, 2021

      Cherry & Almond Muffins
      1 min read

    • Article

      Flavours Of Falastin

      Jun 11, 2020

      Flavours Of Falastin
      7 min read

    • Article

      Recipe Index

      Mar 23, 2021

      Begins on page 37 Makes 8 1⅔ cups superfine blanched almond flour9 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided¾ teaspoon kosher salt⅓ cup unsalted butter, cubed and softened1 large egg, room temperature¾ teaspoon almond extract½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste

      14 min read

    • Article

      Recipe Index & Resources

      Oct 11, 2022

      Recipe Index & Resources
      1 min read

    • Article

      Madeleines

      Oct 11, 2022

      Madeleines
      5 min read

    • Article

      4 Ways with Streusel

      Jul 26, 2022

      4 Ways with Streusel
      9 min read

    • Article

      A Taste for Nostalgia

      Dec 7, 2021

      A Taste for Nostalgia
      8 min read

    • Article

      Classic Ciabatta

      Nov 8, 2019

      Classic Ciabatta
      7 min read

    • Article

      Chocolate Decadence

      Mar 19, 2024

      Chocolate Decadence
      2 min read

    • Article

      American Founded Brands

      Mar 22, 2022

      American Founded Brands
      3 min read

    • Article

      All Hail The Queen Of Cake

      May 13, 2019

      Maida Heatter’s cookbook is a keeper thanks to the decadent recipes, including zingy gingerful biscotti and ethereal orange puff cake.

      2 min read

    • Article

      Legacy Of A Marvelous Muffin

      Jun 6, 2023

      Legacy Of A Marvelous Muffin
      2 min read

    • Article

      Pâte À Choux

      Sep 25, 2020

      Pâte À Choux
      2 min read

    • Article

      Recipe Index & Resources

      Dec 7, 2021

      Recipe Index & Resources
      1 min read

    • Article

      Big on Bars

      Sep 6, 2022

      Big on Bars
      11 min read

    • Article

      10 Baking Blogs To Follow

      Aug 13, 2019

      10 Baking Blogs To Follow
      9 min read

    • Article

      Sarah Kieffer

      Sep 1, 2020

      Sarah Kieffer
      11 min read

    • Article

      Kentucky Butter Cake

      Jul 27, 2021

      Kentucky Butter Cake
      2 min read

    • Article

      Brooklyn Blackout Cake

      Nov 26, 2019

      Brooklyn Blackout Cake
      4 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for United Cakes of America

    5/5

    4 ratings1 review

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      This has been my first cake-specific cookbook, so I have nothing to which to compare it. It contains 50 cake recipes, one for each of the US states. The recipes roughly relate to a historical, regional favorite styles, but they are sometimes modernized.At the time of writing this, my girlfriend and I have made 5 of the 50 recipes, and all have turned out very delicious. We receive great compliments when we ultimately give large sections of our creations away (we can't eat it all ourselves!). This book is a lot of fun and the results have been spectacular. Overall a very nice present.

    Book preview

    United Cakes of America - Warren Brown

    THE BIG PICTURE

    Before we begin, let’s take a step back and think about what we’re doing. Cakes are delicate. To create them, you have to use gentle hands and nimble fingers the whole time. Something delicate cannot sprout under the weight of heavy hands running roughshod over the ingredients. Nor will a soft and moist cake emerge from unattended equipment that overworks or overbakes a batter. Focus on what you’re doing when you bake and the time you put in will pleasantly reward you.

    Air is a big part of the cake-baking picture. You’re capturing air as you mix and holding it inside the batter because it will expand under the heat of the oven and give lift to the cake. You can also create gas through chemical reactions using baking powder, baking soda, or yeast. One or more of these three leavening agents appear in just about every recipe to help with lift, but they don’t normally do the job on their own.

    Read the whole recipe before you lift a finger—find out where you’re headed and what to expect. The best way to be sure that the batter gets into the oven with all that vital air intact is to plan ahead and have all the ingredients measured and ready to go before taking the first step in the preparations. In order to save time, in several recipes I suggest moving ahead while the mixer is stirring ingredients in the background. Working simultaneously may be second nature for experienced bakers, but even a beginner who reads the recipe ahead and does a decent job with preparing the ingredients will be able to handle the multitasking.

    Knowing how long to bake something is an art, not a science. The baking times stated in the recipes are really just guidelines, because lots of variables can affect baking times. While I always set a timer, I’ve noticed that I can’t smell the cake until it’s ready to come out of the oven, and so I’ve started to rely on that as a gauge of done-ness. I know a lot of people who experience the same thing. But don’t fret if your nose isn’t quite there yet—lots of visual cues are provided to guide you.

    Keeping tabs on how the atmosphere affects recipes is part of your job as baker, too. In developing a better understanding of baking, you’ll see it is just a matter of realizing the impact that gravity and moisture have on a rising cake. Some days are more arid than others, so a cake might bake a little faster since the moisture bakes off more quickly. And vice-versa for humid days. In Washington, D.C., when the heat and humidity collide in early May, our chocolate cakes always fall at the bakery; the excess moisture pushes the batter down. If you’re in high altitudes (over 3,000 feet), lots of adjustments are necessary because you have less pressure and less moisture in your air. See the discussion under Montana (this page) for more advice about high-altitude baking.

    The recipes in this book are pretty straightforward and are geared toward the basic or beginner baker. They’re fun recipes—some you’ll recognize, and others you’ll love to get to know. I hope you’ll learn a little about each state, pick up some odd history here and there, and gain exposure to the range of baking styles alive and well in professional and amateur kitchens across America.

    But most of all, I hope you’ll have fun!

    INGREDIENTS

    Whenever you bake, use the best ingredients available. Since there are so few elements in a cake and each has a specific profile of flavors, it’s particularly easy to tell when someone cuts corners. We all know the difference between a rich and complex chocolate versus a chocolate that’s mediocre and bland. Frostings with real butter will taste lighter and smoother than those with hydrogenated oils. Baking is just that much better with high-quality ingredients.

    I have my favorite ingredients, of course, and I’m happy to spread the word about them. I’m also learning about new stuff all the time. One of the best ways to introduce you to an ingredient is with pictures and demonstrations! For the current guide on the ingredients I like to use, visit my website, cakelove.com/ingredients.

    A few notes on identifying and measuring core ingredients:

    UNSALTED BUTTER

    I use garden-variety unsalted butter with 80 to 82 percent milk fat, usually Cabot, Land O’Lakes, or 365 from Whole Foods. Unsalted tends to be fresher and allows me to control the amount of salt in the cake. I suggest staying away from inexpensive labels because they’ll include too much water and make the batter runny. Unless otherwise noted, the butter should be at room temperature when incorporated into the batter. A few recipes call for cold butter, which means straight-out-of-the-refrigerator cold. Melted butter should always be left to cool a few minutes before going into a batter.

    SHORTENING

    Naturally saturated vegetable shortening is in a couple of the cakes included in this book. Although it’s widely used at commercial bakeries, I stay away from it at Cake-Love because it doesn’t contribute flavor and can leave things a bit greasy if used without caution. However, for some recipes it’s almost essential in creating the authentic dessert (shortening makes a cake taste lighter than butter, since its taste profile leans more toward neutral). If you’d prefer to drop the vegetable shortening, that’s fine; just substitute with the same amount of room-temperature butter. And don’t confuse this with artificially hydrogenated shortening, which, to me, is a no-no.

    EGGS

    Every egg referred to in this book is a size large. White or brown doesn’t matter. It’s what’s on the inside that counts.

    ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR

    Unless otherwise noted, I use unbleached, all-purpose flour and always measure by weight, sifting it into a bowl set on top of a scale. Five ounces of sifted all-purpose flour equals about 1 cup, but never, ever scoop and level unless 2 tablespoons or less is called for. Flour compacts so easily that measuring out more by any method other than weight will pile on more than the amount called for in the recipe. That’s a catastrophic mistake—and the cake will be doomed.

    SUPERFINE GRANULATED SUGAR

    Sugar contributes a lot more than just the sweetness of a cake. Its crystalline structure is critical in helping to push air into the batter and create the all-important lift. The size of the sugar grain makes a big difference, too. Sugar is sharp and cuts well—through butter, through eggs, and more. Superfine sugar has smaller grains than regular granulated sugar. That provides more sharp edges to cut in air—and makes for more lift in the cake. As it happens, superfine granulated sugar weighs about 8 ounces per cup, which is also 8 ounces in volume. But don’t scoop and level—use the scale. It’s faster and much more accurate.

    By the way, in my first book I called for extra-fine granulated sugar, which, unfortunately, is not readily available at retail. For the purposes of this book, superfine and extra-fine are interchangeable. If you need to use regular granulated sugar, give it a few pulses in the food processor to break it down a bit.

    MUSCOVADO SUGAR

    Light and dark muscovado are unrefined, phenomenal-tasting versions of the brown sugar we grew up putting on hot cereal. They have a lot of natural components and flavors that aren’t in conventional brown sugars, which are just white sugar with molasses added. Most of the time I bake with muscovado, I use the lighter version, since its more moderate flavors are a little easier to blend with other ingredients. Take a whiff of muscovado and you’ll smell the difference. Once you taste it, neither your hot cereal nor your baking will ever be the same.

    TURBINADO SUGAR

    This is used a lot throughout the book. Turbinado is an unrefined, large sugar crystal, almost as coarse as kosher salt. It’s fantastic as an exterior coating to create a crunchy effect and make anything it sits on look prettier. While it’s an accent and omitting it won’t ruin the cake, it will look and taste a lot better with it.

    BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE

    When I refer to bittersweet chocolate, I’m thinking of bittersweet chocolate with 60 to 64 percent cocoa mass. This won’t knock you out or make you wired. It’s great for Chocolate Icing (this page) or for melting and folding into a batter. The best way to work with chocolate for icings and buttercreams is to start with pistoles, or disks. These small, round morsels melt perfectly in a double boiler over warm water—never simmering—which is the only method I use. Microwaving is fine, if you’ve figured out your machine, but I like the control the double boiler gives me. Chocolate manufacturers sell pistoles mainly to bakeries and restaurants, but they’re also appearing more and more in specialty baking shops and grocery stores. If you can’t find pistoles, lightly chop off chocolate from a large block. Using a sharp knife with a large sheet of parchment paper underneath as a drop cloth, carefully chip away at the chocolate block with focused strikes. You’ll find that chunks of chocolate in a double boiler melt quickly and evenly for any application.

    UNSWEETENED COCOA POWDER

    Just as using unsalted butter allows you to control salt content, using unsweetened cocoa powder gives you control of the amount of sugar in the batter. If it’s available, select the type with 22 to 24 percent cocoa butter. This is twice the amount of cocoa butter—the fat—normally found in cocoa powder sold in the United States. The texture of the chocolate cake will be greatly enhanced with this extra fat—it’s baking we’re talking about, after all. If this type isn’t available and all you can find is Droste or other brands with 10 to 12 percent cocoa butter, they will work just fine for any of these recipes.

    What you find on most store shelves will probably be Dutch processed. This just means an alkali solution was used to reduce some of the acidity because cocoa powder is rather acidic in its natural state. (No offense to the fruit of the gods, but cacao beans, whether roasted or raw, truly taste awful, almost like dirt.) Baking with cocoa powder that’s a step or two closer to pH7 isn’t harmful for you, but if you want the most natural cocoa powder, then avoid the Dutch processed.

    POTATO STARCH

    If you know my work, you know I’m a big fan of the spud’s starch. It’s gluten free and lightens up a cake’s texture while delivering just a hint of flavor. If a cake has different sources of starch, your tongue is presented with different flavors, and each gets noticed. Potato starch is readily available in major grocery stores—check the specialty baking aisle, wheat-free baking section, or Jewish foods aisle. If all else fails, search online and have a two-pound bag sent to your home. It’ll last a long time.

    SUGAR SYRUP

    Sugar syrup is good to have on hand for soaking cake sponges when making a layer cake, for tossing with nuts before roasting them, and more. You’ll find useful applications with cocktails, too.

    To make sugar syrup, combine 16 ounces (2 cups) of superfine granulated sugar and 1 cup of water in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved. Remove and let cool to room temperature. Transfer to a container for storage in the refrigerator.

    You can flavor this syrup with liqueurs of your choice, using 1 to 2 tablespoons per ½ cup of syrup. For alcohol-free variations, cook the syrup with up to 2 tablespoons of orange, lemon, or lime zest.

    WHOLE VS LIGHT INGREDIENTS

    We’re baking. Nothing is fat free! Every recipe presumes the use of whole milk, whole sour cream, and so on. Don’t substitute low-fat or low-calorie ingredients for the real thing. They’re not the same.

    EQUIPMENT

    Baking requires a few specific pieces of equipment that make the process a lot easier and the result much more reliable. But there’s no need to go overboard outfitting your kitchen with extraneous, fancy, or expensive equipment—just make sure you have these basics.

    SCALE

    Baking with a scale makes a tremendous difference. Buy one now if you’re not already baking with one. It’s the best move you can make to improve your results. I use basic models, both digital and nondigital, that easily accommodate the ingredients I weigh the most: flour, sugar, butter. It’s nothing fancy and costs under $40. If you haven’t purchased one yet, or if for some reason you can’t find it within yourself to bake with a scale, I’ve included approximate volume measurements. But the final results will be a lot better balanced if you use a scale.

    STANDING MIXER

    Most of the recipes in this book can be made with a hand mixer, and some could be done completely by hand, but all are a lot easier with a 5-quart standing mixer. I use a KitchenAid. I like the tilt head, and I don’t care what color it is. I just want the machine to have speeds that work at every indicated rate—low, medium, and high. A 6-or 7-quart machine is not necessary—most of these recipes won’t even work in bowls that large. Grab an extra bowl if you plan to bake a lot. It’ll save you a lot of hassle when preparing some of the more advanced recipes (none of these is daunting—I want you to have fun!). If you’re in the market for a mixer, the refurbished models at reduced prices are a great option.

    SIFTER

    A sifter is super-handy for removing lumps from any ingredient that can settle or absorb moisture and form clumps. The usual suspects are flour, cocoa powder, confectioners’ sugar, corn starch, and potato starch. It doesn’t hurt at all to sift any of these items once or twice, even if it’s not called for. I like crank sifters because they work faster and get jammed up less often than trigger sifters. But each just needs a few stiff shakes to clean the wire mesh. A fine-mesh sieve will also work in a pinch and it’s very handy to have around the kitchen.

    OVEN (AND TEMPERATURE)

    I tested all my recipes on commercial conventional ovens. Even though they’re more powerful than residential units, the bake times should be about the same. Please keep in mind that every oven is different. Get to know your oven and its hot spots. I do the same at my bakeries and see great differences between shops. Staying on top of it keeps me on my toes.

    I bake a lot of things at 335°F, which may seem a bit odd. But it’s a nice temperature that’s right in the middle of the range that’s safest for baking cakes. You can bake the same recipe anywhere between 325°F and 350°F; the only thing that changes is how much time the cake is in the oven and, possibly, how much it browns across the top. Staying at 335°F gives me a safe middle ground.

    TURNTABLE

    This is really helpful for assembling in an efficient and neat way. Making your cakes look even more presentable is much easier with a well-lubed cast-iron turntable. I recommend using one whenever you need to assemble various components into a layered cake. Plastic turntables are available, too, but the cast-iron models are indestructible and better for creating level and symmetrical cakes.

    CANDY THERMOMETER

    This is crucial for any of the sugar syrups necessary for making a cooked meringue, whether for the angel food cake (this page) or the cooked-meringue buttercream (this page).

    SMALL BASIC TOOLS

    You’re going to need a full set of measuring spoons and measuring cups, as well as an assortment of flexible spatulas and mixing bowls. They’re not sexy tools, but you won’t get anywhere without them, so be sure your kitchen is well stocked. They make great gifts, too, if you ever want to get someone started on the road to becoming a baking god or goddess.

    CAKE PANS

    The pans called for are the old standbys that you’ll be able to use for other baking projects. Each will need to be either lined with parchment paper or sprayed with nonstick oil-and-starch spray, but usually not both.

    9-by-2-inch round pans

    baking sheet

    12-cup Bundt pan (and occasionally a 9-cup pan)

    12-by-9-inch baking pan

    cupcake pan

    10-cup loaf pan

    angel food pan

    9-by-3-inch round cake pan (for cheesecake)

    MAINE

    Whoopie Pie

    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1