I was recently reminded of a project I completed in anticipation of family arriving from overseas. The project wasn’t imperative for their comfort or enjoyment, it was just the impetus I needed to “git ‘er done” as they say!
We’ve lived in our present home for almost 15 years, and ever since the first day we moved in, I’ve wanted curtains on both windows in our living room (or lounge) but we already had perfectly good, and totally lovely curtains on the back sliding doors. To replace perfectly good (and well made, I might add) curtains seemed excessive to me, so we lived with them. For 14+ years. Until I did some math and to my utmost delight , I discovered I could get two for the price of one, out of the generous fabric that the original curtains had. I wanted the dated tabs replaced with a more contemporary and clean look (for the sewers out there, I simply folded the tabs down, behind the top and stitched across. Pull the rod through the tabs to hang. I also added recycled toilet tissue rolls to help hold the role). The sliding door curtains are functional and we do close them down on the very cold days, but the front ones are just for show! I am just so happy every time I look at them. Of course, I had to do the dining room next…it’s really never ending. While hemming the new dining room curtains, I started thinking about the Indonesian Spekkoek Lapis Legit cakes I made a couple of years ago (here and here), specifically about how I can change it up. My FILs birthday was in mid-May so making a cake for him was the perfect opportunity to experiment. We all love Charles’ Kladdkaka and Tuppkaka so I wondered if I could combine the two delicious cakes using the Spekkoek Lapis Legit technique. It was a huge success and the two flavours went together famously. I made the cake again for JTs birthday in June, by special request.
What project have you put off only to get it done for guests?
Kladdkaka
Ingredients:
- 200 g Caster Sugar
- 140 g unbleached Flour
- 50 g Cocoa Powder
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 2 tsp Vanilla
- 120 g Butter
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup water
Directions:
- Prepare your spring-form tart pan with non-stick cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Add the sugar, flour, cocoa powder and baking powder to the bowl of your food processor. Plus few times to incorporate evenly.
- In the microwave, melt the butter slowly so it doesn’t overheat. Combine the cooled melted butter, eggs, vanilla and water. Slowly pour the melted butter mixture in an even stream while processing. Mix well, scraping down the sides as required.
- Lightly grease a round tin about 20cm in diametre (I used a spring form tin). Spoon the batter into the tin and smooth out to the edges (it is rather thick). Resist the urge to try this batter, it’s seriously good and you will not be able to stop.
- Set aside while you make the Tuppkaka layer.
Tuppkaka
Ingredients:
- 300g Caster Sugar
- 200g Plain Flour
- 74g Butter
- 2 Eggs, separated
- 2 tsp almond flavouring
- 1/4 cup water
Directions:
- Melt butter and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Combine the eggs with the sugar and beat well (until thick and very pale yellow). Combine the melted butter with the almond flavouring and water and and mix well.
- Sift in the flour and stir until entirely incorporated.
Making the layered cake:
- The first layer is chocolate, use about 1/2 cup of chocolate batter for the first layer.
- Broil for 2-4 minutes watching carefully so it doesn’t burn. Once it is set and your tester comes out clean, pour 1/2 cup of the almond batter on top and spread evenly (the heat from the chocolate will begin cooking the batter so you’ll need to work fast.
- Broil for 2-4 minutes until it is set and your cake tester comes out clean. Repeat alternating the flavours until you have used up both almond and chocolate batters, broiling each layer individually.
- Allow to cool completely before layering the ganache on the cake.
Chocolate Ganache Ingredients:
- 114 g dark semi-sweet chocolate
- 125 mL (1/2 cup) heavy cream
Ganache Directions:
- Heat cream to almost boiling, pour over chocolate and stir until melted and entirely incorporated and smooth.
- Pour over cake and smooth top and sides.
- Refrigerate until set.
Notes:
- Set your oven rack 2nd highest from the top.
- As the cake becomes taller you may need to reduce the broil to low so it doesn’t burn.
- I baked the final layer in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes because it just got too close to my boiler and I was concerned it would burn.
Waw, Eva! The special lovely high & amazing inviting cayered cake looks fantastic!!!
Waw! A FABULOUS TASTY CREATION!!! What a lot of hard work! x
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I’ve always wanted to make a layer cake like this. A new German friend has offered to show me how to make Baumkuchen which is quite similar. What a lovely looking cake you’ve made!
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What a gorgeous-looking cake! I wonder if Charles will ever blog again… I hope he is happy in Sweden!
Your curtains look really great and what a wise trick! You have reminded me I wanted to make some “skirts” for a piece of furniture that accumulates dust in a very annoying way.
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I see what you mean about the generous amount of material in the original version of the curtains — how serendipitous! Love how you revamped them and yes, truly nothing better than visitors to spark the renos! (to answer your question we recently added french doors to a living space to convert it into an extra bedroom and placed some cool deep grey shades on the windows for privacy and shading – not as pretty as curtains but quite handsome in their own right and they roll up conveniently to let in the light during the day). This cake…. those layers… just beautiful Eva! I really (really) want a piece 🙂
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Well done with your curtain make-over! It’s amazing how long we can put up with something – 14 years to update the curtains! The new look is a lot more contemporary. And renovating a home truly is, never ending. I love the layers in your cake and the ganache looks really dark and delicious xx
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The cake looks spectacular Eva!!!
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That looks magnificent, definitely worth all the efforts!
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I love that cake and I’m very impressed with your curtain job. The fabric is really pretty. I love having guests come to visit because every honeydo job gets done. 🙂
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Holy smokes this looks magnificent!
Let’s see….My biggest project for guests?
I think was to buy a certain mattress cover and down comforter for the guest bed.
And believe me, that was easier said than done.
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What a gorgeous cake. The modifications really worked and all that chocolate is pretty decadent. Happy b’day JT.
I still remember my own attempt at this type of cake … a green mint St. Patrick’s day cake. I made several mistakes during the baking process but learned a lot. That reminds me that I should really make it again.
Company is great motivation to get all those chores left undone, isn’t it? I was admiring the shot of the lovely bbq cover out the window in the 2nd picture. I replaced the cracked horror on top of my own yesterday. Of course, the new one is 1/4 the weight and thickness of the one that’s lasted over 10 yrs of Canadian. (sigh)
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Beautiful job on the curtains! I’ve never been able to sew very well, but Miss A is learning. Rumor has it she’s even getting a sewing machine for her birthday. I just hope on of her grandmas can teach her how to use it! Then perhaps she can fix up our curtains! They look just beautiful. So many talents Eva!
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The layers look fine to me! Seriously, you’re a talented cake baker!!!
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I have a similar, wonderful Norwegian/Swedish chocolate cake recipe that is baked in a pound cake loaf.I always sub out some of the flour with ground almonds..
LIke your curtain remodel too.Looks great!..Soo glad that you adjusted the too short curtain hems..I was thinking before I saw your clarification- that I would add a red bottom border to increase the length, or add a red strip to cover the tabs to serve the same purpose..
Here’s the chocolate cake recipe:
Mamma’s Sjokoladeformkake Mom’s Chocolate Loaf Cake
Loaf tin, approx. 23 x 13 cm, buttered and floured or with a paper insert.
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
150 ml full fat milk ( 5 oz) almost 2/3 cup)
150 ml sugar( 3/4 cup)
110 grams (1 stick) butter
2 medium eggs
300 ml all-purpose flour(2 1/2 cups)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
Mix cocoa, milk and half of the sugar in a pan, bring to boil, leave to cool a bit.
Whisk butter and the rest of the sugar until it turns pale, add the eggs and vanilla and whisk again.
Pour in the chocolate mixture and stir.
Mix flour and baking powder, sieve it over the bowl and stir again.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin, and bake for about 45 minutes (or until cake tester comes out clean) in a 170C/350F oven
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Wow, Eva, the cake looks super decadent and professional! I don’t know if I’d have the patience to go through all those steps or the skill to pull it off. Good on you! It’s amazing what a new curtain rod and an updated style to old curtains can do. Great job! Very inspiring! I’ve been thinking of doing something similar with our bedroom curtains (remove the tabs), so your successful project might just be the push I need…
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I’ll try to find the link to the site I used for folding down the tabs, really easy though. You’ll need to either move the rod down or increase the length from the existing hem. Thanks Michela, your words are always so flattering, I’m really touched.
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Hi Michela, thank you for your kind words. Here is a link for the curtains, really easy http://www.viewalongtheway.com/2013/06/easy-high-impact-update-make-your-tab-top-curtains-look-custom/
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