Bready or Not: Marble Sheet Cake
I love frosting, so take it on my authority that this Marble Sheet Cake is delicious without need of any frosting on top. Plus, enjoying the cake in naked or near-naked form with just a sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar on top reveals that beautiful marbling to the world.
That marbling is delicious stuff, too. The base batter is vanilla-flavored, with the other portion including cocoa powder and additional goodness.
The texture of the cake is tender and soft. Since there’s no need for frosting, this is a good travel cake. When I made this for my husband to take to work, I individually wrapped pieces to-go in a plastic bin. They made the journey without issue.
Modified from One Bowl Baking Special Issue from Bake from Scratch.
Bready or Not: Marble Sheet Cake
Equipment
- 9×13 pan
- aluminum foil
- nonstick spray
Ingredients
Vanilla batter
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups white sugar
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups milk room temperature
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs room temperature
Cocoa batter
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Topping, optional
- 2 Tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 325-degrees. Line a 9×13 pan with foil and apply nonstick spray.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, pour in milk, butter, and vanilla, stopping a few times to scrape the bottom of the bowl. Add eggs one at a time. Batter should be smooth.
- Measure out about 3 cups of the vanilla batter and pour it into the pan. Add the remaining three ingredients to the bowl, mixing until smooth. Dollop heaping spoonfuls of the cocoa batter onto the vanilla. Use a butter knife to swirl the colors to create a marbled effect. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to knock air bubbles free.
- Bake for about 35 minutes. The middle should pass the toothpick test. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Use foil to lift the cake onto a cutting board for easy slicing. Sprinkle on confectioners’ sugar just before serving. Store in a sealed container.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Peach-Almond Bars
These Peach-Almond Bars are peachy-keen, if you ask me! They aren’t super sweet and they really let the flavors of the fruit shine through.
I don’t do a lot with peaches because I live in Arizona and the peaches available here are not the best. There are a lot of things I miss about Central California, and the fresh fruit is a big one. (Oh, don’t start my yearning for strawberries…)
The good news is, you don’t need ripe or especially sweet peaches for this recipe because you add a touch of sugar and cook down the fruit. Lyle’s Golden Syrup is a British ingredient that can be found in the import section of a lot of grocery stores; there is no exact American substitute, but a mix of half light corn syrup and half honey is one I have seen in recipes more than once.
These bars are a pleasant mix of softness, crispness, peachiness, and crunchy almonds. Not only would they make for a good dessert or snack, but a fine breakfast as well.
Bready or Not Original: Peach-Almond Bars
Equipment
- 9×13 pan
- aluminum foil
- nonstick spray
Ingredients
Peaches
- 6 small peaches about 4 cups, peeled and chopped
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup Lyle’s Golden Syrup
- 1 Tablespoon corn starch
Bars
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup almond flour sifted to remove lumps
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup) room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons sliced almonds
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 9×13 pan with foil and apply baking spray
- In a medium saucepan, cook the peaches, water, and golden syrup about 15 minutes at a simmer, until peaches are soft. Add corn starch and stir well to bring the liquid together. Let set a few minutes to gel.
- In a mixing bowl, combine flour, almond flour, confectioners’ sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat in the butter until it forms a lumpy dough.
- Press about 2/3 of dough into the prepared pan. Use a piece of waxed paper and a heavy glass to really compress it. Spread the peach mixture on top. Add clumps of the remaining dough to sporadically cover. Sprinkle almonds on top.
- Bake for about 40 minutes, until middle is set, not jiggly, with a golden brown crust across the top. Cool completely, speeding the process in the fridge if desired. Use foil to lift contents onto a cutting board to slice up. Store in a covered container, with waxed paper between the layers or with bars individually wrapped.
OM NOM NOM!
CoKoCon 2022 Schedule
I’m attending my first in-person convention in about three years this Labor Day weekend. CoKoCon is a small con in the Phoenix area. This year, it’s at a new location at the DoubleTree in Tempe. I’ll be there Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and early Monday morning. Feel free to talk, ask to have books signed (which I’ll gladly do unless I’m on the run to a panel!), and generally hang out. I’ll be in a black mask, channeling my old favorite Mortal Kombat ninjas.
Panels are always subject to change; I’ll post any updates via Twitter and Facebook.
Friday, September 2
4:30pm Writing on the Spectrum
Fiesta Ballroom 2, 4:30pm – 5:30pm
Neurodiverse writers talk about how their unique filter on the world impacts their writing and about neurodiverse representation in books.
Saturday, September 3
10am Beth & Mike’s Book Club: The City We Became
Coronado, 10am – 11am
Michael Senft, who runs the Sci-Fridays Book Club at the Poisoned Pen, and Nebula Award®-nominated author, Beth Cato, will be leading a discussion on The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin. Read or listen to it ahead of the event or come in blind, but beware of spoilers!
6pm Writing Speculative Poetry
Fiesta Ballroom 2, 6pm – 7pm
Join our award-winning poets as they discuss the craft and market for speculative poetry, and maybe even share some of their own award-winning work!
Sunday, September 4
1pm Literary Charcuterie
Coronado, 1pm – 2pm
Let’s talk about the glories of food in literature and reality and inspire everyone to scamper for the nearest cheese shop (and there are several near the hotel!)
6pm Author Self-Care: Not Post-COVID Yet
Fiesta Ballroom 2, 6pm – 7pm
We’re back in person, but are we really back to normal? This popular panel returns in a world that still hasn’t gotten through the COVID times.
7:30pm Historical Fiction Meets Fantasy
Fiesta Ballroom 2, 7:30pm – 8:30pm
What is the proper proportion of facts with fiction when writing historical fantasy? What resources the perils and joys of research.
#SFWAPro
Read MoreBready or Not Original: Almond Graham Cookies
I’m a chewy cookie person. These Almond Graham Cookies fit that description nicely, being chewy, crisp, and perfectly sweet.
Graham cracker crumbs are integral to the cookies. You can buy a box and mash them yourself using a food processor or the old Ziplock bag-and-rolling-pin method or buy a container of the prepared crumbs. This recipe can be a good way to use up graham crackers you have idling in your cupboard (which is totally how I came about this recipe).
This is a fast cookie to mix up, too. For me, the longest step was sifting the almond flour, which I must do because it tends to clump badly. However, that’s also a step that can be done the day before.
Be ready to enjoy a lot of cookies. I used my teaspoon scoop for even measurements and got 52 cookies.
Bready or Not Original: Almond Graham Cookies
Equipment
- parchment paper
- teaspoon scoop
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1 cup almond flour sifted
- 1 Tablespoon sliced almonds
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, cream together the shortening and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in graham cracker crumbs and almond flour until just combined.
- Use a teaspoon scoop or teaspoon to dole out dough onto the baking sheet, spaced to allow some spreading. Place a few almond slices atop each cookie.
- Bake for 9 to 10 minutes, until top is crackled. Let cookies set on baking sheet for about 10 minutes then transfer to a rack to completely cool.
