(Completed subbed) Chocolate Armagnac Cake
For this week's Tuesdays with Dorie, Lyb of And then I do the dishes selected Chocolate Armagnac Cake - The Cake That Got Me Fired on pages 279-281 of Dorie's book, Baking: From My Home to Yours. Check our Lyb's site for the recipe or get the book.
While baking in a top restaurant, Dorie got bored and changed up one of the restaurant's classic recipes. She was fired for "creative subordination!"
I might get fired too...for substituting too many things! I don't drink so I used orange juice instead of the armagnac...don't worry, I didn't try to flambe my OJ! :) I made 1/4 of the recipe. Since it was just for me, I skipped the glaze because I'm actually not the biggest fan of chocolate frosting. I dusted it with a heavy East Coast-type snow of powdered sugar instead.
Be sure to check out the other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers!
P.S. It's Square Root Day! (3/3/09 = 3x3=9) I'm a closeted math geek and think it is way cool. It's also Girls' Day in Japan!
LOVE it! I love confectioner's on chocolate cake, especially during the holidays. It's so cheerful - it makes "anything" cheerful. Your photos are fantastic - as I'm sure the "sub'd" cake is! Sounds like you enjoyed making it to your taste - which is what baking is all about! Nicely done!
ReplyDeleteYum, your cake looks good! I wish I'd left the glaze off because I didn't really like it. Happy Square Root Day to you - my husband was excited about it too :)
ReplyDeleteI made 1/4 the recipe also, left out nuts and prunes, and used scotch instead of Armagnac. So if you get fired, I'll be in the unemployment line with you!
ReplyDeleteOrange juice and powdered sugar sound like wonderful substitutions. Your cake looks great.
ReplyDeleteAnd you know pi day is coming right up! I like the East coast snow topping.
ReplyDeleteMmmm, this looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteIt's also my husbands and my 10th dating anniversary. How cool is that that we share it with square root day!
ReplyDeleteI love the thick layer of "snow" on your cake.
this looks super delicious! what a yummy view :)
ReplyDeletethe glaze was delicious, but i think your version w powdered sugar looks devine!
ReplyDeleteI prefer powdered sugar to heavy chocolate frosting too most of the time. I applaud your substitutions. Chocolate and orange are a wonderfully classic combo.
ReplyDeleteI think you're subs are wonderful. And I'm shaking my head at myself for not recognizing square root day. I never notice the neat math days throughout the year.
ReplyDeleteThose substitutions sound fine to me, as long as you didn't eliminate the chocolate! ;)
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you for mentioning the oatmeal. I eat oatmeal almost every day, the old fashioned kind, not the little packets, yet my cholesterol refused to cooperate!
Your cake looks really nice! I like the powdered sugar dusting on top.
ReplyDeleteLooks good, however you top it!
ReplyDeletebeautiful beautiful photos. Cake looks delish with the "snow".
ReplyDeleteyour cake looks delicious with the powdered sugar on top! and i'm sure dorie would never fire you for improvising, especially on this recipe ;)
ReplyDeleteGlad your subs worked out for you. Nice!
ReplyDeleteHAHA! Happy Square Root Day indeed! Nerd alert!
ReplyDeleteI like your powdered sugar idea, I should have done the same. The glaze was so-so on mine.
I think I like your version better than Dorie's! Sssshhhh!
I liked the frosting better than the cake...but your East Coast snowstorm is so pretty! (As pretty as the real one, until it started to melt...) I don't think you'll be fired...and anyway, it seemed to work out in the end for Dorie!
ReplyDeleteOh I LOVE That you used orange juice!!! And the confectioner's sugar!!! That is a cake that I'd love to eat!
ReplyDeleteI used liquor in mine, but really couldn't taste it AT ALL, so I was wondering how this would work if you just cooked the prunes in something else . . . like orange juice! It certainly looks wonderful! We loved this cake!
ReplyDeleteThe dusting of "snow" is so pretty on this cake! Did you like it with all of your subs?
ReplyDeleteThe sugar would add just enough sweetness. Looks great.
ReplyDeleteThe cake looks amazing with the powdered sugar. Beautiful job!
ReplyDeleteI think the powdered sugar sounds really good. Besides it decorates the tip of your nose.
ReplyDeleteI loved this cake/torte. The chocolate theme seems to work. Your photos are beautiful and makes me want some cake.
AmyRuth
As an engineer, I totally appreciate the Square Root Day reference :) Beautiful job - I think this cake was meant for substitutions. Orange juice sounds fabulous, and I went frosting-less as well.
ReplyDeleteThis cake is so dense and moist the icing on the cake is, well, icing on the cake! :) Love the idea of confectioner's sugar on top, it looks great. Thanks for baking along with me!
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