Spartak Cake

Do you have any plans for today? Do you go out or stay in? Do you ask anyone to be your Valentine whether it is your spouse, special someone, friend, niece, yourself? Can you tell I really like Valentine's Day? It is a nice way for me to express to the people you love. For me, it is my family. I don't just buy my husband a gift but also the kids too. I even make my family a nice dinner. It is always Chicken Parmesan with Fettuccine Alfredo. If I'm going to change anything, it will be the dessert. Maybe this dessert? To make this cake, I used two different sources since I wanted to make two different types of layers. It is a pretty cake. 

Spartak Cake
White layer:
1 egg
1 cup sugar
4 Tbsp butter, softened
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp baking soda
3 cups flour

Directions:

1. In a heatproof medium bowl, beat together the egg and sugar. 
2. Add the butter, milk, and baking soda. Mix until smooth.
3. Place the bowl on top of a pot with boiling water to make a double boiler.
4. Heat the mixture for 10 minutes. Stir continuously.
5. Remove the bowl from the heat and immediately add the flour. Mix well.
6. Set aside and allow to cool for 20 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
8. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to about a 1 inch thickness.
9. Line a base of a springform pan with parchment paper.
10. Place the dough over the base of a springform pan.  
11. Cut around the excess dough from around the springform base.
12. Bake the dough for about 5 minutes or until the dough is golden brown. 
13. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for several minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.  
    
14. Repeat rolling out the rest of the dough steps 8 through 12.
15. Any remaining scraps bake since it is needed for the sides of the cake.
16. Allow the cake rounds to cool completely.

Chocolate layer:
3/4 cups butter1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp vinegar
2 cups flour
1 egg

Directions:

1. In a sauce pan, melt the butter, milk, and cocoa powder over low heat while stirring.
2. Once the mixture is smooth, stir in the sugar and then remove from heat.
3. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
4. In a small bowl, combine the baking soda with the vinegar.
5. Stir the baking soda mixture into the cooled slightly butter mixture. 
6. Add one cup of flour to the butter mixture. Stir until incorporated.
7. Add one egg and stir. 
8. Stir in another cup of flour. Mix well. The batter should become a soft dough.
9. Form a ball with the dough and wrap with plastic wrap. Press down onto the dough to disk. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
10. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to about a 1 inch thickness.
11. Line a base of a springform pan with parchment paper. 
12. Place the dough over the base of a springform pan.  
13. Cut around the excess dough from around the springform base.
14. Bake the dough for about 4 minutes or until the dough is baked through.
15. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for several minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack. 
16. Repeat rolling out the rest of the dough steps 8 through 12.
17. Any remaining scraps bake since it is needed for the sides of the cake.
18. Allow the cake rounds to cool completely.

Frosting: 
12 oz. unsalted butter, softened
1 can sweetened condensed milk
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
pinch of salt 

2 cups whip cream

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk the butter and condensed milk until incorporated.
2. Add the cream cheese and salt. Mix until incorporated.
3. Fold in the whip cream.

Cake Assembly:

1. Frost one completely cooled white cake layer with the frosting.
2. Place onto cake stand/plate.
3. Frost a chocolate cake layer with frosting and place on top of the white cake layer.
4. Repeat frosting a white cake layer and place on top of the chocolate layer.
5. Continue frosting the layers and alternating between the white layer and the chocolate layer until there is four layers left.
6. With the remaining frosting, completely cover the top and the sides with the frosting. 
7. With the remaining cake layers, crush into crumbs.
8. Cover the sides of the cake with the cake crumbs.
9. Refrigerate the cake for 10 hours before serving.

The white layer and frosting is adapted from Natasha's kitchen. The chocolate layer is adapted from Grab and Go Recipes.

One year ago...............................I made Vanilla Cupcakes.
Two years ago.............................I made Heart Pie Pops.

Did you already know...................
-Я люблю́ тебя́ means I love you in Russian.
-To say I love you in Russian is pronounced "lyoo-BEET".
-Check out USAToday for pickup lines said in Russian. 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Russian Meatballs

One day I hope to watch the Olympics live. Since I have to wait, I will blog about some foods I could encounter in Russia. Now, I will admit these may not be authentic recipes since I had to adapt them to something my family would eat. My husband loved this recipe which really did surprised me. He was the least excited about trying some Russian foods. I left out the tomatoes since I wasn't sure how it would taste with a sour cream sauce.

Russian Meatballs aka Tefteli
1 cup cooked white rice
1 lb. ground chicken
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp Paprika 
1/4 cup parsley
1 small onion grated
2 carrots grated
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. In a large bowl, combine the rice, chicken, salt, pepper, paprika, parsley, grated onion, and carrot.
3. Form the meat mixture into 2 inch balls.
4. In a large skillet, melt the olive oil and butter.
5. Brown the meatballs. Remove the meatballs and place into a greased baking dish.
6. Cover the meatballs with tinfoil and bake for 30 minutes.
7. Uncover the meatballs and bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through.

Recipe adapted from Let's Make Some Russian Food.

Sour Cream Sauce
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup grated carrot
1 tsp paprika
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup chicken broth 

1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup milk
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter in the olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add the onion and carrot. Saute for 1 minute. 
3. Sprinkle the flour and paprika on top. Stir for 1 minute.  
4. Whisk in the chicken broth and allow to cook for 5 minutes.
5. Stir in the sour cream and milk. Lower the temperature to simmer. Cook the sauce until it reduces to a thicker sauce.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve the sauce over the meatballs and rice.

Recipe by Jen of Sweet Morris.

One year ago........................I made Heath Bits PB Cookies.
Two years ago......................I made Chocolate Walnut Tart.

Did you already know...........
-Sochi is located on the coast of the Black Sea.
-Sochi has subtropical weather so warm summers with mild winters.
-In Sochi, the Olympic village will host about 6,000 athletes.