The Science of Lauralogy


Easy Buttermilk Cake + Funemployment Update
26.May.2009, 3:50 am
Filed under: Life Goals, food | Tags: , , , ,

Here’s a simple buttermilk cake recipe. Not only is it incredibly easy to make, but it is also delicious, and has the perfect consistency. The texture is just light enough that I ate the whole thing (minus a few pieces shared with my temporary roommates) all by myself and didn’t feel the huge fatty that I am! Anyways: 

Buttermilk Cake + Blackberries

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 t baking powder
  • 1/2 t baking soda
  • 1/4 t salt
  • 1/2 stick butter (softened)
  • 2/3 c sugar (+ extra for top)
  • 1/2 t vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 c buttermilk
  1. Whisk: flour, baking powder, baking soda, & salt. Set aside.
  2. In separate bowl, beat: butter & sugar until fluffy (~ 2 min). Add vanilla & egg. Beat well.
  3. Mix in flour in 3 batches, alternating with buttermilk. So: flour, buttermilk, flour, buttermilk, flour. Mix until just combined. 
  4. Spoon into buttered/floured 8×8 cake pan. Sprinkle sugar on top. 
  5. Optional, but delicious. Drop in ~ 1 cup ripe berry (your choice! I used blackberries.) 
  6. Bake at 400, ~20 minutes (until knife comes out clean/golden brown.)

(Original: Gourmet)

When I get some ramekins and cream of tartar, I’m making a modified version of this Lemon Sponge Pudding Cake. And it will be delicious. When I have a house of my own/I move to Miami and have a semi-permanent address, I want to subscribe to Bon AppetitWoman’s Day, & Gourmet

Tomorrow I find out exactly when my funemployment comes to an end (hopefully on Wednesday!). Then I will be a carnie at Oaks Park in Portland. The first day or two (maybe even three) of being graduated were all fun and dandy, but now I’m bored. I’m getting antsy. All I do is lay in the sun, read books, think about cooking, play Left 4 Dead, and go on obscenely long walks. Which all sounds awesome, but really I’m getting bored. And mainly, I’m absolutely broke so I really could use the weekly (!!) paycheck that comes with being a carnie. 

Some days I just feel like I can’t get it right. Even with someone holding my hand, guiding me step-by-step, somehow I manage to get confused and tangle myself up in ways I didn’t think were possible. 

Some days I feel like Larry David meets Lost. 



Yummy Black-Bottom Cupcakes
14.April.2009, 12:18 am
Filed under: food | Tags: ,

 

black-bottom cupcake

The texture of these bad boys is a little dense, but they’re still quite yummy and very easy to make.  

Black-Bottom Cupcake

(yields 12 full-sized cupcakes)

Ingredients

filling

  • 1 package cream cheese
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/3 c granulated sugar
  • 2 oz baker’s chocolate (unsweetened), coarsely chopped

cupcake

  • 1 1/2 c flour
  • 1 c light brown sugar
  • 5 tbls unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 c water
  • 1/3 c vegetable oil
  • 1 tbls white vinegar
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Directions

  1. Mix all filling ingredients in bowl.
  2. Beat until smooth.
  3. Mix flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in one bowl. Well.
  4. Mix water, vegetable oil, vinegar, and vanilla in another. 
  5. Add to dry ingredients.
  6. Mix until just stirred (over-stirring yields tough cupcakes!)
  7. Fill buttered/floured muffin pan 80% full.
  8. Divide spoonfuls of filling evenly between cupcakes. 
  9. Bake 25 minutes (or until springy) at 350 in center of oven.

 

(Shamelessly stolen from here.)



Pancake Recipe
12.April.2009, 1:56 am
Filed under: Writing, food | Tags: , ,

A really good pancake recipe (i.e. the one I use when I wanna get my breakfast on):

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 tblsp granulated sugar
  • 2 tblsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 egg (beaten, obv)
  • 2 tblsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tblsp vanilla
  • 1  tblsp cinammon
  1. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together.
  2. Well it up.
  3. Mix the milk, egg, vegetable oil, vanilla, and cinammon in a bowl.
  4. Dump into the flour mixture. 
  5. Whisk until smooth.

Voila! Pancake batter! Cook to your heart’s content!