Wedding Cake v1.0

I may be making another wedding cake so I had to try it out. The results were yummy and awsome. Chocolate cake (see prior post on America's Test Kitchen classic chocolate cake), Mocha filling, a thin coating of buttercream, and then marshmallow fondant. Here are some recipies

Mocha Filling
2oz unsweetened chocolate
1 stick unsalted butter
6 tsp instant Coffee
1 Tbs water
3 cups (approx) powdered sugar

Beat the butter until fluffy. While that's beating, melt the chocolate in the microwave with a dot of crisco or vegtable oil.

Add the melted chocolate to the butter and beat well. Having the chocolate not ridiculously hot is desirable or the butter melts.

Combine the instant coffee and water into super-strength coffee extract in a small bowl. Mix well to ensure no coffee crystals are left and then add to the butter and chocolate.

Then add powdered sugar. I'm guessing around 3 cups. Less than in normal frosting. It will probably need to be chilled because undoubtedly you put the chocolate in while very hot and half the butter melted in a mess.

Marshmallow fondant
There's a whole website devoted to this. In summary.
1 lb package mini marshmallows
4 Tbs water
2 lbs powdered sugar
Heat the marshmallows and water in the microwave (around 2min) stopping often to stir until they are melted.

Add about 3/4 of the confectioners sugar and mix well.

Grease the counter and yourself (crisco, not butter). Heck, coat the entire kitchen with crisco while you're at it, this stuff sticks! knead in the rest of the sugar like it was bread dough. keep kneading until you get a smooth dough (about 5-8min) double wrap in plastic and put in a freezer bag in the fridge overnight.

use cornstarch to keep it from sticking when you roll it out.

Daal Palak a la Margaret

This is an Indian curried lentil dish. The spices are critical so take a moment to search around your neighborhood store to find them. This recipe serves 6-8.

For the rice:
1 1/2 c brown rice
2 1/2 c boiling water
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp salt

For the Daal:
1 1/2 c red lentils
3 1/2 c water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 Tbs olive oil
1 medium onion diced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp grahm marsala
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 Tbs chopped fresh ginger

1 box frozen spinach
1/2 cup plain not low fat yogurt
1 tsp grahm marsala


1. Put the rice in the bottom of a glass 9x9 pan and pour the boiling water over it. Add the oil and salt and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at 375F for 1 hour. Yes, I know you don't usually make rice this way. Trust me, it works better and it's not hard!

2. Combine the lentils and the water in a heavy bottomed pot and allow to soak for 20 min.

3. Add the salt, tumeric, chili powder and cayenne to the lentils and bring to a boil for 15-20 minutes or until lentils are soft

4. In a frying pan, heat the oil and add the onion, cumin, garlic, ginger and graham marsala. Cook over medium heat until onions are translucent

5. when lentils are soft, add the spinach, onion mixture and remaining tsp of grahm marsala and bring back to a boil. remove from heat, stir in the yogurt and serve over rice.