It’s an odd little book.  Ten basic cake recipes and 17 additional cakes with toppings.  And then there’s the issue of pan size. The author gives many options for pan size, but many are hard to find.  Consider the  6-inch spring form pan or the 10 by 3-inch deep round cake pan–not the usual pan sizes. But forget about finding a loaf pan that measures 12 inches long, 4 inches wide and 3 inches deep, otherwise known as a pullman loaf pan.  Leroux Kitchen had a 9 by 4 by 3-inch version.  But make a cake in the wrong size pan and you’re headed for disaster. Exact measuring  and using the proper vessel for baking are vital elements of successful baking.

My baking odyssey in this book stemmed from a food article in the Saturday “Off-Duty” section of the Wall Street Journal called, “This Chocolate Cake Recipe Is So Good, It Needs No Frosting.”

The newspaper’s adapted recipe called for a 10 by 3 inch round cake pan or the unusual 12 by 4 by 3 inch loaf pan.  I liked the idea of a loaf pan cake of this size.  I tried everywhere to find it online and at our various kitchen stores. No luck.  So I settled for the 10-inch round cake pan, which I found at Leroux Kitchen, and it was the only one on the shelf.

I made the cake, and it turned 0ut beautifully. Great texture, with an unbelievably tender crumb and deep chocolate flavor.  I didn’t do the icing, a chocolate butter meringue, and the cake stood up well without a topping other than confectioner’s sugar.  The recipe in the newspaper was adapted from the book.  I ordered it from Amazon to arrive in two days.

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