KANSAS CITY, MO — Kansas City Baker Donnell Chambers of Chambers Cakes, Cookies and Muffins has been sharing his love of baking for over 30 years. He has appeared on the Food Network’s “The Best Thing I Ever Ate” and on television with Martha Stewart, who loved his Orange Pumpkin Spice Cake. Today he joins us with tips on making the perfect cake at home, and to discuss his new recipe book: A Bakers Dozen, which contains 13 of his best cake recipes.
Donnell Chambers' Caramel Pecan Pound Cake
Ingredients:
2 cups light brown sugar packed
1/2 cup white sugar
5 eggs at room temperature
2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups flour plus 1/4 cup for pecans
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup chopped pecans
Method:
1. Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy
2. Add eggs one at a time
3. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt
4. Add buttermilk alternately with flour mixture beginning and ending with flour mixture
5. Mix for 3 minutes until batter is smooth. Fold in 1 cup of chopped pecans that have been mixed with 1/4 cup of flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Pour cake batter into a 10 inch tube pan that has been buttered and floured
Bake for about 55 minutes
Make caramel sauce
Caramel Pecan Sauce
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 stick unsalted butter
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a heavy sauce pan stir together sugar,butter and corn syrup.
Cook until mixture begins to bubble.
Add heavy cream and stir. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract and pecans.
Let cool for 2 minutes and then glaze cooked cake that has been removed from tube pan.
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Donnell Chambers' Towering Carrot Cake
Ingredients:
1 cup chopped pecans
2 1/2 cups canola oil
3 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
4 cups grated carrots, about 1 pound
Grated zest of 1 Orange
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1. Combine canola oil, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of a mixer with a paddle attachment
2. Add eggs one at a time
3. Add buttermilk , mix and combine
4. Sift flour,salt, baking powder,baking soda and cinnamon together and add to oil,sugar and buttermilk mixture
5. Fold in carrots, orange zest and pecans.Mix to combine
6. Spray three 8x2 inch cake pans with flour baking spray
7. Pour cake batter evenly into cake pans. Bake for 45 minutes. Prepare Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
2 1/2 8oz. blocks of cream cheese
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
2 teaspoons of grated orange zest
Mix all ingredients together in the bowl of a mixer with a paddle attachment until smooth
Spread 1/3 cup of frosting between layers of cooled cake. Stack layers and frost rest of cake. Enjoy!