Sunday, December 5, 2010

Heavenly Cake Bakers: Chocolate Velvet Fudge Cake

Photo by Matt Korahais
Nothing like a really sturdy workhorse of a cake pan to make a simple bundt stand out. The kind people at New York Jobs with Justice/Urban Agenda, where I kept the books for over a year, sent me a gift certificate to Williams Sonoma. Instead of sensibly keeping it to re-gift for presents, or to hoard toward the purchase of my someday mixer, I went right out and spent it on something I'd been coveting, the Heritage Bundt Pan from NordicWare. Many of my Heavenly Cake baking colleagues had been sporting this beautiful piece, and I was jealous. I'm not sure what the 'heritage' is (Matt said it sounded vaguely like one of those awful narrow-focus units one gets in school (i.e. Black History Month), but the pan is exceptional. Not only is the end result high-class, with all those sharp waves, but the pan is heavy-duty and cooks perfectly, and so far I've had no trouble getting the cakes to release.
Photo by Matt Korahais
 And not to brag, but I think the composition of the shot at the top is to die for. I'm spoiled in my photographer. I just make the cakes around here, people. The Chocolate Velvet Fudge Cake, for all the words in its name, is a very simple cake, the chocolate in it is cocoa so I didn't even have to melt anything. It was also easy to eat, with a plain pound cake texture. Matt compared it to the pre-packaged pound cake sold in bodegas (in the best way of course).
Photo by Matt Korahais
Liana, who recently moved out, came by and made a beeline for the cake plate, then did an about face after she'd had some and refused to take any home to her new roommates on health grounds. Their loss.

9 comments:

Unknown said...

I'm going to have so much pan envy this coming days as I read everyone post - sigh! You and Raymond already started it for me.. by using the beautiful pan. (which eventually will get!).

Love this cake and like your gang, we loved to eat it too!

Katya said...

Monica, if it helps firm up your decision, the pan is not only beautiful but durable and really, really good quality. And NordicWare is not paying me. NordicWare, if you're reading this, you can pay me in pans.

Vicki said...

On Sunday afternoons I attend free classes at William Sonoma. I usually end up in the chair that sits right under this blasted cake pan and spend far too many minutes staring at it! I'm just going to have to buy it and be done with it. Gorgeous cake, by the way!

evil cake lady said...

your cake is beautiful, of course. that heritage pan would make anything look lovely! this cake was a hit with my family too.

Joan said...

Beautiful cake. send me a taste. Liana - how could you wast an opportunity to spoil your new roommates and take some of this off Katya's hands?

dad

Mendy said...

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I agree, it looks great! I also used the Heritage pan for this cake.

Andrea said...

Love your cake! I'm with Monica on the pan envy. I may have to add this one to my Christmas list. I like your comment about NordicWare paying you in pans. That would be cool!

mds said...

Katya, this looks amazing! And your photographer is really quite good. I'm still settling in at work, but I hope that soon I will begin to take part in some evening baking. Reading your blog makes me yearn to bake a cake. Maybe I'll bake something this week for Becky and her hungry law student friends as they study for finals.

Patricia @ ButterYum said...

I love the composition of that first shot too. I have a feeling the heritage cake pan will soon be Nordicware's most popular pan.

:)
ButterYum