Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Tuesdays with Dorie Number 14: Dimply Plum Cake

Cue Sappy Music.....Now....

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Ah, ladies and gentleman, please join me for another riveting session of "Can this Cake be Saved?" Today's session is brought to you by Butterbur's Butter, found in all major supermarkets across the country. Better Baking Begs for Butterbur Butter.
Today we visit with Rigby of "Butterbur's Bistro" and the "Dimply Plum Cake". The setting of the scenario is simple: a small kitchen, an iPOD playing the musical stylings of CAKE, and the massive book "Baking: From My Home to Yours" by Dorie Greenspan. It should have been an ideal afternoon.

Rigby: The recipe looked so ideal, so perfect. Mix a few ingredients here, add a few ingredients there. Perfect.
Dimply Plum Cake: Yes, but you were distracted. You never listen.
R: I do enjoy CAKE...
DPC: At my expense.
R: Honestly, I was sure that everything was included in the batter. I did wonder why the batter was so thick when I poured it into the pan though...
DPC: [sniffles]
R: At least I realized my mistake before you had been in the oven too long...I tried to make it right.
DPC: Imagine being all warm and cozy, tucked into your 350 degree paradise, when you are wrenched back into the loud frenzy of the kitchen and ripped apart.
R: You needed oil.
DPC: humph!

What do you think gentle readers? Can this cake be saved? Tune in next week for the conclusion of this session.

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This week's recipe was the Dimply Plum Cake, and was chosen by Michelle of Bake-En. As I am sure you have gathered by now, what should have been a fairly simple cake to throw together ended up being a panic moment (please refer to my stressed assistant above). I had the full cake assembled and in the toaster oven when I happened to glance over the recipe and realized that I had not added any oil. I had a moment of furious internal debate: should I leave the poor thing alone and hope for the best or try to correct the mistake? I opted for the latter choice, and had a mess on my hands as I removed plum halves from fudge-like cake batter. The oil didn't mix in as well as I hoped, but at least it was there. Back into the oven...fingers crossed, breath baited. The only excuse that I can offer is that my brain was so frazzled from running/walking a 10K race today, that there wasn't anything left for cognitive clarity.

"And there was much rejoicing."

The timer went off, and cautious jubilation! It appeared that I had a cake! Of course, there was a taste test involved, and the cake did indeed pass inspection. There was much rejoicing. Perhaps the next time I make this cake, I will follow the directions a little more closely.

* * * *


Here is the cake the next day as part of my breakfast with a good strong cup of coffee. I think the cake was even better for sitting overnight, and it was perfectly complimented by my coffee.

14 comments:

PheMom said...

Glad it got better for you - I think it looks great!

Shelby said...

Despite missing an ingredient it still looks lovely! I did the same thing recently with Biscotti - only I doubled the butter by accident and realized it before baking as the dough was too soft. I went ahead and added extra ingredients....except the sugar (which my mind totally ignored somehow). However, it still came out tasting great!

Engineer Baker said...

And there was much rejoicing throughout the land. Nice save, it looks beautiful. Oh, and I've totally done that before.

Anonymous said...

oh, isn't that such a sickening feeling?! i've done that before, too. i'm so glad it worked for you!

Nancy/n.o.e said...

That is one resilient cake - you'd never know it's been through all that! My experience was similar, except I forgot the sugar. I sort of wondered why my batter wasn't "satiny"! I love the way you set the scene, and the dialogue between you and the cake.
Nancy

Christine said...

Wonderful post! This cake was better the next day and I am so glad you were able to rejoice!

CB said...

I LOLed several times reading your post. So glad you were able to salvage your cake and add the oil. Your little plastic alien friend was a great sous chef right? HAHA
Clara @ iheartfood4thought

Elizabeth said...

haha. I can't count how many times I've forgotten something obvious in an otherwise straightforward recipe. I've never had so much success in saving my failures though. Way to go! It looks perfect - I'd never have guessed that it had a sordid past.

Anonymous said...

I just love reading everyone's little mini problematic bits each week...it makes this all so much more interesting and makes me feel not so alone! The oil...oh, I forgot the oil! Yikes.

It looks tasty!

Chou said...

Brilliant write-up! I've considered joining in the TWD fray, but can't even begin to imagine what my fried brain would do. BTW, hilarious note about your cat and toilet paper on genkitummy. ;)

Anonymous said...

It doesn't matter what led up to the cake -- just that the cake itself was yummy. And it was better the second day, very moist and tender.

Prudy said...

Oh good! I do that kind of thing so often and it rarely works out. I'm so glad that your cake turned out without the oil, although it should probably go without saying that Dorie uses the optimal amount of fat in each recipe. It's interesting to note that it worked just fine with less than half the fat.

Prudy said...

Wait a sec-I just went back and read and see that you added the oil in. Ok, messy but definitely workable. I'm glad I re read since I would have wanted to try it sans oil next time. Actually, I swapped out the oil for yogurt and it was nice and moist and lovely. I love your hobbit precious cookies!

Bungalow Barbara said...

Loved your post! Glad it worked out. Your three-eyed assistant is darling.

I once left all the sugar out of the filling of a fruit pie. It had sour cherries in the filling. Arghh...