If you live in Northeast Ohio and are culinary minded, you know the name Bev Shaffer. Her name may even appear on cookbooks in your pantry: she's the author of Cookies to Die For!, No Reservations Required, Brownies to Die For!, Mustard Seed Market & Café Natural Foods Cookbook. When she's not publishing recipes, she's a popular culinary instructor, and makes frequent guest appearances on TV and radio, and is a frequent contributor to this site.
Her latest, Cakes to Die For! was recently published, and OhioAuthority caught up with Shaffer to get the skinny on how the book and batter came together.
OhioAuthority: You've authored more than a few cookbooks in the past, many of which touched on the sweet side of the pantry. How did Cakes to Die For! come about?
Bev Shaffer: It seemed like such a logical succession in the trilogy – you know, very Tolkien-esque. Brownies, cookies, cakes…
OA: Are many of the recipes featured in the book old standbys, favorites, mom's old recipes?
BS: There's a hardcore grouping of the recipes that are from my culinary teachings and my personal favorites; some are from chef friends; one or two from our moms.
OA: How many of the recipes were brand new for the book? Any happy accidents?
BS: Eighty percent of the recipes were brand new for the book. Happy accidents – more than anything, the unexpected pleasure of my recipe testers' reactions. They loved so many of them!
OA: Any not-so happy accidents?
BS: [There were] a few unhappy accidents (that never made it into the book), which is definitely why you test and retest. There is always something that comes up, [such as] a recipe that's worked in the past and all of a sudden becomes a total mess – change of flour, different liquids, oven temp., etc. It's what keeps me on my toes.
OA: Tell me about the process of testing each recipe - did you ever grow tired of cake?
BS: I have a form that is completed by whomever tests a recipe – notes, yield, anything that didn't work, flavor, appearance – and ultimately, I judge everything on taste and appearance. We had to shoot the cover about six times in various forms and looks, each time a new chocolate layer cake. By the end (and I never thought I'd say this), I was tired of looking at and smelling chocolate cake. I'm over that now!
OA: Should making a cake from scratch be intimidating to someone who normally uses boxed mixes?
BS: There's nothing complicated about making a basic cake, and the recipes in the book are coded with chef's hats to indicate difficulty – lots of "1 HATs" for easy. The section in the beginning of the book gives some basics on the hows and whys, and most ingredients you already have in your kitchen.
OA: What's the most common mistake people make in baking cakes?
BS: Using a boxed mix! No, just kidding... Over-whipping the ingredients, making for a tough crumb and an overbaked cake. If everything is at room temperature (which it should be), then your ingredients only need mixed until well blended.
OA: What's the key to delicious frosting? What types of frosting are covered in the book?
BS: There's such a variety of frostings covered in the book, everything from caramel frosting to a homemade marshmallow frosting to a basic buttercream. The key? The very best unsalted, organic, butter, pure vanilla extract and well-sifted confectioners sugar.
OA: Do you need any special equipment to make tasty cakes at home? If so, what do you need?
BS: A stand mixer is something I couldn't do without, but it's not essential. A hand mixer or a sturdy wooden spoon work well, too.
OA: Do you have a favorite recipe in the book?
BS: This time of year, my favorite is the orange crème fraîche cake. I adore it with fresh blackberries, raspberries and blueberries. It's simple and sophisticated at the same time.
Shaffer will sign copies of Cakes to Die For! at the Barnes & Noble in Fairlawn on Saturday, August 14. The signing is part of a 10th Anniversary Celebration, which also includes author and OhioAuthority contributor Carlo Wolff, and local authors John Gorman and Deanna Adams. For more information, click here or call 330-665-5199.
