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Take a splash of Vanilla Molina® to your days, here you will find how.

Why baking with alcohol is so awesome?

15 / 08 / 2019

Baking with beer, champagne or wine is fun for sure! But mostly we love it because it gives a distinct and unique flavor, due to the fermentation process. You can get that extra herbal, smokey and floral notes of booze in your baking and enhance their flavor. 

Here are some basic rules when baking with alcohol. 

 

  1. Buy good quality booze!

The most delicious cakes have high quality liquor in it.

Besides, not all recipes need the entire bottle, so buy something that you will enjoy drinking later. 

 

  1. A little bit of alcohol works just fine! 

Be careful when adding the booze into your recipe, too little and the taste will barely appear, but if you use too much, the alcohol will cover other flavors and it won´t be so pleasant to eat. Start with a modest splash, taste and add more with care. 

 

  1. Know your alcohol categories! 

Each kind of alcohol bakes and tastes different, so learn when to use what kind and how much to add to your recipes. Here are some tips: 

 

 

 

Sparkling wine

 

Every chef´s favorite booze to cook and bake! You can use is as a substitute for some of the liquid in the recipe. The bubbles will make your cake fluffier and lighter. Try making a delicious sauce or glaze to enhance the cake. 

 

Beer

 

Baking with beer is awesome! It gives an extra lift and a more tender texture to breads and cakes. If you're new to baking with beer, porters and stouts are the best ones to begin, they are brewed with dark malt, which brings notes of cocoa and coffee to the mix. 

 

Liquor

 

It can be the hardest alcohol form to use in baking, because you do not want to add too much and overpower the dessert or dish you are making. You will want enough quantity for the liquor to taste. The best way is to make a syrup for coating the baking goods, without having to drown them in liquor. 

Start with little and work up to the next taste level. Remember that it is OK to experiment in the kitchen! 

 

Here is a delicious Champagne & Vainilla Molina cake recipe and frosting that you can make at home and practice all the things you just learned!  

 

 

Champagne & Vainilla Molina cake recipe

 

Ingredients

 

  • 2 ½  cups of flour
  • 2 cups of champagne or the sparkling wine of your choosing
  • 1 ¾  cups of sugar
  • ¾ cups of butter, softened
  • ½ cup of sour cream
  • 6 egg whites
  • 3 ½  teaspoons of baking powder
  • ½  teaspoon of salt
  • ¾ cups of milk
  • A big splash of Vainilla Molina

 

 

Directions: 

 

  1. Mix your dry ingredients: flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
  2. Cream together:  butter and sugar until fluffy using a stand or hand mixer.
  3. Add in: sour cream and a big splash of Vainilla Molina. 
  4. Once the ingredients are well combined, add in the egg whites. 
  5. Beat until nice and fluffy. 
  6. Once those ingredients are mixed alternate adding your dry mixture with the milk and the champagne concentrate. 
  7. Divide the batter evenly between 3 pans. Bake at 350 ºF for 22 to 25 minutes.
  8. Let them cool before frosting! 

 

NOTE : This recipe makes a three-layer, eight-inch cake.

 

 

Champagne and Vainilla Molina frosting recipe

 

Ingredients

 

  • 1 cup of butter, softened
  • 9 cups of sugar
  • A big splash of Vainilla Molina
  • 2 tablespoons of champagne
  • ¾ cups of milk

 

Directions:

 

  1. Beat together: butter, sugar, a big splash of Vainilla Molina and two tablespoons of champagne. 
  2. Mix in the milk until it reaches a smooth consistency. 
  3. Use it on your champagne cake! 

 

For the champagne concentrate: 

 

For this recipe you don’t want to add in the champagne straight out of the bottle. Instead you will use a concentrate that will really shine on your cake! Make it like this: 

 

  1. Carefully open a bottle of sparkling wine or champagne and pour 2 cups into a small saucepan. 
  2. Bring to a simmer and let it reduce until there’s only a cup of champagne left. 
  3. The result is half the liquid with double the flavor.

 

NOTE: Be sure to let the concentrated cool down to room temperature before adding it to the batter.

 

 

 

 

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