TALKING CAKES WITH MARTHA STEWART

Today’s intro might be the hardest one I’ve ever written.  I’ve written it, rewritten it, scrapped it completely and started again.  How do you write an introduction for someone who’s inspired so many?  Do I reminisce about watching Martha Stewart Living in for the first time in high school?  Or how I used to consider it a good work day, straight out of college, if I was home in time to catch From Martha’s Kitchen at 5:30?  (Yes, I’m showing my age and admitting that DVR’s were not a reality back then.)  Do I recap my 2012 trip to the Martha Stewart headquarters in NYC and tell you how it’s a land of inspiration that I did not want to leave?  Perhaps the most relative point is that my own wedding cake, back in 2001, was inspired by a design pulled from the pages of Martha Stewart Weddings.  It was that very cake which first sparked my love of beautiful cakes and inspired me to try my hand at cake design.  And now here we are, almost 13 years later.

But that’s the thing.  We all have our stories, our Martha moments, our favorite projects and recipes inspired by Martha Stewart and her talented team at MSLO.  Which is exactly why it’s such a honor to welcome Martha Stewart to the blog!  Yes, today we’re Talking Cakes with Martha Stewart!  She’s here for an exclusive interview,  answering all of our cake questions (plus a few of the questions you asked on our Facebook page back in September) while sharing tips, tricks and advice for baking the perfect cake.  Plus she dishes on a few personal questions like her favorite type of icing and must-have baking tools.  And to top it all off, Martha is sharing a fabulous recipe for a Flourless Chocolate-Espresso Cake, pulled from the pages of her new book, Martha Stewart’s Cakes!  Whew, let’s start with the interview…

For the cake

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for pan
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate (preferably 70 percent cacao), chopped
• 6 large eggs, separated, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons instant espresso powder
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the glaze

• 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

For serving
Ice cream (optional)

1. Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter bottom of a 9-inch springform pan; line with a parchment round. Melt butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pan of simmering water.
2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar until thick and pale, about 3 minutes. Add espresso powder and salt; whisk about 1 minute. Add vanilla and the chocolate mixture; whisk about 1 minute more.
3. .............................

for full recipes please see : thecakeblog.com

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