Suzi's Blog

True Grit to Buttery Fluff: Learning How to Bake with Carol Walter

by Brian on March 4th, 2009 in Cookbook Reviews No Comments

I’ve been baking since I was six. Well, if you count brownies out of a box. As I truly learned to bake, I become good, sometimes very good, but never great. My faults were standard ones: just a tad sloppy in measuring and often impatient as I rushed to complete the batter. Baking is said to be as much chemistry as cooking, so making mistakes about the relative proportions or the timing are routes to bad cookies. I know.

I reformed. There have been two big influences. I hate to see a look of disappointment on Suzen’s face. And, I would never want to disappoint my friend Carol Walter. Carol is the mother, grandmother, aunt you always wished you could have. Beautiful and articulate, she is a wonderful human being and an incredibly gifted baker. She is the author of four cookbooks, and her latest, Great Coffee Cakes, is another essential reference.

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Sour Cream Marble ­Cake

by Suzi on March 4th, 2009 in Recipes 2 Comments

Note: This post was first made in 2009 and we did not give an attribution to it. We’ve been told it is one of Carole Walter’s recipes and we want to acknowledge that. Carole is a great friend of Cooking bythe Book.

Makes one 9­-­inch Bundt cake, 10 to 12 ­servings

AT A ­GLANCE

Pan: 9­-­inch Bundt ­pan
Pan Prep: Butter generously/flour
Oven temp: ­350°F
Baking time: 55 to 60 ­minutes

Weaving together swirls of deep chocolate and creamy vanilla, this sour cream marble cake is an irresistible taste combination any time your sweet tooth calls. It never ceases to amaze me that so many people are drawn to these contrasts of flavors and colors. To achieve a beautiful marbled affect, be sure to follow the directions carefully. If the batter is overworked, the layers of chocolate and vanilla will not be clearly ­defined.

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