This cake was easy to make and very tasty but I will tell you that if you are planning to use the Coffee Icing Recipe below that came with the cake, you will need to double or even triple it to make enough to cover the entire cake. I had to resort to using a premade cream cheese frosting. It was good anyway but next time I make this cake, I will definitely double the icing! The recipe is from the Baltimore Sun Paper.
MOCHA CAKE WITH COFFEE ICING
SERVES 12
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk (sour milk may be substituted)
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon instant coffee
1 cup hot water
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
2. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, melted butter, eggs, buttermilk or sour milk, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a mixing bowl. Dissolve instant coffee in 1 cup hot water and add to mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes until smooth; batter will be thin. Pour into prepared pans.
3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes and then turn out onto racks to cool completely before icing.
Coffee Icing
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
¼ cup butter, softened
3 to 4 tablespoons strong brewed coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Beat together confectioners’ sugar, butter, coffee and vanilla until smooth. Add more liquid or sugar as needed to reach proper consistency.
Place 1 cake layer on serving dish and frost top. Add second layer on top of first and frost top and sides with remaining frosting. If desired, drizzle some melted chocolate over top of iced cake and allow it to drip down sides.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Roasted Turkey Tenderloin with New Potatoes & Tarragon Broth
After all the eating I did this summer, I am trying to get back into a healthier eating pattern. I have my sister to thank for this recipe. She didn't give me the recipe but she did recommend eating turkey tenderloin. I had never tried it before. It stands to reason that there would be turkey tenderloin available for purchase in the grocery store but I just never really thought about making it. It turns out that my husband likes the turkey tenderloin better than the more widely known pork tenderloin that I make fairly frequently. Maybe he just liked the flavors in this recipe. I am not sure but please read all my comments to this recipe before you start cooking.
I am sure that if I had seen the episode of Robin Miller's show where she made this turkey, I would not have had any questions about the recipe but I didn't watch the show. I simply found the recipe through my favorite pastime (i.e., googling). Fortunately, I read the comments left by other Food Network fans who made the recipe before I started making the turkey. It was a mixed bag of positive and negative comments. Some comments were very helpful, though. The fact that baking the potatoes at 400 degrees for only 40 minutes came up. If you do it that way, I guarantee that the potatoes will be hard as rock when you take them out of the oven. I suggest taking out the turkey (so it doesn't get dried out like an old leather shoe) and leaving the potatoes in for at least an additional 20 to 30 minutes. That is how I resolved the potato problem. Robin's recipe on the Food Network website also leaves out a few other very important details such as that you should brown the turkey tenderloin before roasting it. Another big problem with the recipe is that there is no mention of what to do with the mango chutney. Some people, according to the comments, must have left it out because they were saying that the recipe was not flavorful enough. I guarantee that if you use the mango chutney you will not have a problem with a lack of flavor. You may not like the chutney but it is definitely full of flavor. I don't know exactly what Robin meant for us to do with the chutney but I put it on during the turkey's roasting process. It turned out nice and tasty for me. Another idea is to put the chutney on after you take the turkey out of the oven.
I know that I was not familiar at all with the taste of chutney before I used it in this recipe. It has sort of a sweet and spicy taste. I liked it. It is much more popular in the U.K. and in India, I think. Give it a try. You might enjoy it. I didn't like it enough to actually want to make my own chutney right now but maybe one of these days, I will. I bought a version of Major Grey's Chutney that I found in my local grocery store. According to Wikipedia: "Major Grey's Chutney is from the brand of Crosse & Blackwell, the number one chutney seller in the United States.[1] It is reputed to have been created by a British Army officer in the 1800s during the height of the British Empire. It' s characteristic ingredients are mango, raisins, vinegar, lime juice, tamarind extract, sweetening and spices.[2] It is notable for being one of the few sauces using tamarind.
Roasted Turkey Tenderloin with New Potatoes
and Tarragon Broth
by Robin Miller
Prep Time: 15 min
Inactive Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 40 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 (1 1/2 pound) turkey tenderloins
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2 pounds new red potatoes or baby red potatoes, quartered (if bigger, cut into 2-inch pieces)
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves
• 4 tablespoons store bought peach, cranberry or mango chutney
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
{Missing from Food Network website recipe but necessary: place a tablespoon of oil into a large saute pan, heat the oil on medium-high heat. When oil is sizzling brown the Turkey Tenderloin on all sides.}
Place oil in a large baking dish. Season turkey tenderloins all over with salt and black pepper and place in baking dish.
Arrange potatoes all around turkey and turn to coat with oil.
Season potatoes with salt and black pepper.
Arrange chopped shallots over potatoes in pan.
In a small bowl, combine wine, broth, vinegar, and tarragon.
Pour mixture over turkey.
Roast turkey and potatoes 40 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer registers at least 160 degrees F. . {Put Chutney on the turkey either during the roasting process or after you remove it from the oven.}
Let turkey rest 10 minutes before slicing crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices
Serve half of the turkey and potatoes with this meal, with all of the broth from the pan over top. Serve spinach on the side. Reserve remaining turkey and potatoes for additional meals. {I would suggest that you take out the turkey after 40 minutes and leave the potatoes in the oven for an additional 20 to 30 minutes.}
Enjoy!
The Creative Cook
I am sure that if I had seen the episode of Robin Miller's show where she made this turkey, I would not have had any questions about the recipe but I didn't watch the show. I simply found the recipe through my favorite pastime (i.e., googling). Fortunately, I read the comments left by other Food Network fans who made the recipe before I started making the turkey. It was a mixed bag of positive and negative comments. Some comments were very helpful, though. The fact that baking the potatoes at 400 degrees for only 40 minutes came up. If you do it that way, I guarantee that the potatoes will be hard as rock when you take them out of the oven. I suggest taking out the turkey (so it doesn't get dried out like an old leather shoe) and leaving the potatoes in for at least an additional 20 to 30 minutes. That is how I resolved the potato problem. Robin's recipe on the Food Network website also leaves out a few other very important details such as that you should brown the turkey tenderloin before roasting it. Another big problem with the recipe is that there is no mention of what to do with the mango chutney. Some people, according to the comments, must have left it out because they were saying that the recipe was not flavorful enough. I guarantee that if you use the mango chutney you will not have a problem with a lack of flavor. You may not like the chutney but it is definitely full of flavor. I don't know exactly what Robin meant for us to do with the chutney but I put it on during the turkey's roasting process. It turned out nice and tasty for me. Another idea is to put the chutney on after you take the turkey out of the oven.
I know that I was not familiar at all with the taste of chutney before I used it in this recipe. It has sort of a sweet and spicy taste. I liked it. It is much more popular in the U.K. and in India, I think. Give it a try. You might enjoy it. I didn't like it enough to actually want to make my own chutney right now but maybe one of these days, I will. I bought a version of Major Grey's Chutney that I found in my local grocery store. According to Wikipedia: "Major Grey's Chutney is from the brand of Crosse & Blackwell, the number one chutney seller in the United States.[1] It is reputed to have been created by a British Army officer in the 1800s during the height of the British Empire. It' s characteristic ingredients are mango, raisins, vinegar, lime juice, tamarind extract, sweetening and spices.[2] It is notable for being one of the few sauces using tamarind.
The Crosse & Blackwell product is an imitation of a much older, Sun Brand Major Grey's Chutney, made by Poonjiajee Bros. and imported from Bombay (Mumbai), India.[citation needed] The latter has almost disappeared from the U.S. market, but is still available if one searches. Major Grey's Mango Chutney is manufactured in Pune, India by Desai Brothers Ltd under the brand name Mother's Recipe and has been exported to Singapore."
Roasted Turkey Tenderloin with New Potatoes
and Tarragon Broth
by Robin Miller
Prep Time: 15 min
Inactive Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 40 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 (1 1/2 pound) turkey tenderloins
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2 pounds new red potatoes or baby red potatoes, quartered (if bigger, cut into 2-inch pieces)
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves
• 4 tablespoons store bought peach, cranberry or mango chutney
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
{Missing from Food Network website recipe but necessary: place a tablespoon of oil into a large saute pan, heat the oil on medium-high heat. When oil is sizzling brown the Turkey Tenderloin on all sides.}
Place oil in a large baking dish. Season turkey tenderloins all over with salt and black pepper and place in baking dish.
Arrange potatoes all around turkey and turn to coat with oil.
Season potatoes with salt and black pepper.
Arrange chopped shallots over potatoes in pan.
In a small bowl, combine wine, broth, vinegar, and tarragon.
Pour mixture over turkey.
Roast turkey and potatoes 40 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer registers at least 160 degrees F. . {Put Chutney on the turkey either during the roasting process or after you remove it from the oven.}
Let turkey rest 10 minutes before slicing crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices
Serve half of the turkey and potatoes with this meal, with all of the broth from the pan over top. Serve spinach on the side. Reserve remaining turkey and potatoes for additional meals. {I would suggest that you take out the turkey after 40 minutes and leave the potatoes in the oven for an additional 20 to 30 minutes.}
Enjoy!
The Creative Cook
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