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Life has, again, eaten me whole. I was right in the middle of costumes for La Cage (Literally, RIGHT in the middle, working from a ginormous stack of mending and altering) when the artistic director of the theatre asked...
AD: "Are you auditioning for In the Next Room?"
Carrie. (Thinks about what that would entail. Blushes furiously.) Um... No.
AD. "Would you costume the show?"
And because I'm a complete and total sucker for all things Victorian, I said yes. Giddily, most likely. While giggling.
Look at how grogeous these are. And how gorgeous these girls are in them. I love dressing pretty people.
I love actors. And anachronisms.
So life, alas, she has not stopped. I've jumped from one project into another, not even waiting before the first one was finished. I'm about to wrap up In the Next Room (my part, anyway), and wonder what I'll do once it's over. I've got a lot of sitting planned. And I've got some television watching lined up. Actual watching, not just listening while I have a lap full of alterations to do. I'm psyched. On Sunday, however, I took some time and did something I've not done in a rather long time. I baked.
I rejoiced when I found this recipe. A fall cake without even a hint of a pumpkin? I remember: I actually gasped. (If you know me, you're aware of the violent irrational irritation I get in reaction to the barrage of pumpkin-related things in the Fall. It very nearly pisses me off.) In any case, Nolan loved this cake. He even ate it again the next day, which is nigh unto unthinkable, for him. And it made the house smell fantastic.
Gingerbread Cake:
adapted from La Cuisine d' Helene
2 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon Dutch-processed cocoa powder
8 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted, then cooled to room temperature
3/4 cup dark molasses
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup milk
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Get the Baker's Joy after your Bundt pan.
2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and cocoa in medium bowl. Enjoy the aroma. Yum.
3. Beat butter, molasses, and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Beat in egg until incorporated. Gradually add buttermilk and milk until combined.
4. Add dry ingredients to liquid; beat on medium speed until batter is smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Do not overmix. Scrape batter into prepared pan.
5. Bake until top springs back when lightly touched, and edges have pulled away from the pan sides, about 40 minutes. Set pan on wire cake rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm, or at room temperature. (Gingerbread can be wrapped in plastic, then foil, and refrigerated up to 5 days.)
6. If you like, Glaze that bad boy. 1 c. Powdered sugar, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, and as much milk (added tablespoon by tablespoon) as you like, depending on how thick you want your glaze to be. Let sit until the glaze sets.
Enjoy. :)
AD: "Are you auditioning for In the Next Room?"
Carrie. (Thinks about what that would entail. Blushes furiously.) Um... No.
AD. "Would you costume the show?"
And because I'm a complete and total sucker for all things Victorian, I said yes. Giddily, most likely. While giggling.
Look at how grogeous these are. And how gorgeous these girls are in them. I love dressing pretty people.
I love actors. And anachronisms.
So life, alas, she has not stopped. I've jumped from one project into another, not even waiting before the first one was finished. I'm about to wrap up In the Next Room (my part, anyway), and wonder what I'll do once it's over. I've got a lot of sitting planned. And I've got some television watching lined up. Actual watching, not just listening while I have a lap full of alterations to do. I'm psyched. On Sunday, however, I took some time and did something I've not done in a rather long time. I baked.
I rejoiced when I found this recipe. A fall cake without even a hint of a pumpkin? I remember: I actually gasped. (If you know me, you're aware of the violent irrational irritation I get in reaction to the barrage of pumpkin-related things in the Fall. It very nearly pisses me off.) In any case, Nolan loved this cake. He even ate it again the next day, which is nigh unto unthinkable, for him. And it made the house smell fantastic.
Gingerbread Cake:
adapted from La Cuisine d' Helene
2 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon Dutch-processed cocoa powder
8 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted, then cooled to room temperature
3/4 cup dark molasses
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup milk
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Get the Baker's Joy after your Bundt pan.
2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and cocoa in medium bowl. Enjoy the aroma. Yum.
3. Beat butter, molasses, and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Beat in egg until incorporated. Gradually add buttermilk and milk until combined.
4. Add dry ingredients to liquid; beat on medium speed until batter is smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Do not overmix. Scrape batter into prepared pan.
5. Bake until top springs back when lightly touched, and edges have pulled away from the pan sides, about 40 minutes. Set pan on wire cake rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm, or at room temperature. (Gingerbread can be wrapped in plastic, then foil, and refrigerated up to 5 days.)
6. If you like, Glaze that bad boy. 1 c. Powdered sugar, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, and as much milk (added tablespoon by tablespoon) as you like, depending on how thick you want your glaze to be. Let sit until the glaze sets.
Enjoy. :)
