Butter Pogača

I know, I'm spreading these Pogača recipies everywhere! But that's because it is sooooo delicious!
This version is wit butter: you do the dough as I posted previously, but without using eggs (or just with your grandmother tips), then you divide the dough in 5 parts, make a ball with each of it, and let grow again. Once they're big, spread them on the table, shaping them like disks: put melted butter on the first dough disk (almost 2-3mm with a diameter length of about 40-45 cm). Put the second disk on the first, put  and spread the liquid butter (but not hot of course!), and go on till you finish the ingredients (which are only butter and dough disks). Divide the big disk in many triangles, then shape each one like a rose. Put them nicely on the oven pan, cook un til golden at 200, then reduce to 175 and leave for 45 mins more! (if the surface is getting darker and darker, place an aluminium foil on it).


Here I also post the final result of my Butter pogaca <3

 

Do you have doubts? Questions, tips, anything else? Just leave a comment and I'll answer as soon as I can! 

If you liked that, please, share the link and let other find out new tips and recipies!

What's the difference between the 2 pogacas? Well, this dough is very soft and with a kind of caramelized taste I'd dare to say... Very very soft, just don't exagerate with butter otherwise it'll fry in the pan at it will be crunchy in some parts.. I'm not saying that's completely wrong, but I think it tastes better if is softer, but it's up to you, to what you prefer :)

BIRTHDAY CAKES

Here are some pics and nice ideas for unforgettable birthday cakes! 
When I plan how to make a birthday cake, I like doing it keeping in mind what that person likes, about both taste and his/her own hobbies. Basically, I pay attention to the cake itself, regarding flavors and food preparation I remember she/he likes, but I consider also a wider aspect, is to say, their hobbies, what he/she likes, or just something that could be funny to see for them on the b-day cake!
I only have pictures of 2 kind of cakes I made so far, but in both cases, it was a success, also because of the blend of both taste and cake personalization.

Here is the first cake, I'm sure you already noticed the little figure on the top, which means I made it for a turning in 5 years old little girl, who loves Peppa Pig, so this is my Peppa Pig cake!
Many cakes on this occasion are filled with whipped cream and chocolate, something that kids will eat for sure, but in this one I've chosen to make something a bit original, folloing a bright pattern in matter of colors too, pink-white-yellow. As you can see, the 2 top layers are sponge cakes, while the bottom is a cake whose taste is orange and cinnamon. The cream is the same kind, on both layers: homemade custard. Oh, yes, I forgot to mention that the WHOLE cake is HOMEMADE! If I have time (or better, I try to save some in any case), I like to prepare custards, sponge cakes and whatever else you might need for your cake: is much better in quality and taste as well, no need to say that you'll feel more confident with your recipies, and the compliments will be well deserved!

Now, in case you'd like to try this cake for a special occasion, here I enclosed the recipe:
SPONGE CAKE:
Ingredients: 
- 5 whole eggs
- 150 gr sugar
- 75 gr flour
- 75 gr potato starch
- 7 gr vanillin (1 small bag)
Procedure:
1- Mix in a bowl the 5 eggs with a fork, then add sugar and mix with the mixer eggs and sugar until it gets soft spumy and whitish.
2- Set the oven temperature at 180°C. Add slowly at the egg and sugar, the mixture of flour and potato starch, mixing carefully with a wood spoon from the top down.
3- When the oven reaches 180°C, put the content of the bowl into a form, then put it in the oven, and let it bake for 25-40 mins (I know, it's not precise at all but id depends on the oen you have: since i tried 3 different ovens, I just tell the avarage, better to check every now and then , but NEVER open it before 25 minutes are passed, otherwise it won't grow enough)

As you noticed, I didn't mention the yeast. This also depends on how much well you mixed the eggs and sugar: if it's white and soft and you're confident in doing Sponge cakes, then you can omit it, but if you're trying for the first times, better if you use it, just to avoid a flop and waste of food. To be fair, in the old, original and real recipe of Sponge Cake, yeast is not necessary, but it also depends on your need: basically in case you want a very thick layer of sponge cake, you may use yeast, better if it is specific for Sponge Cakes.

ORANGE & CINNAMON LAYER
Ingredients:
- 2 oranges (both peel and juice)
- 100 gr butter
- cinnamon 1-3 table spoons (according to your taste)
- 3 eggs
- 1 bag yeast powder for cakes
-  250 gr flour
- 150 gr sugar
- vanillin (1 bag- 7gr)
Procedure: 
1- Great the oranges, and separe the greated peel from the juice. 
2- Then, mix in a larege bowl the eggs with the sugar with a mixer, till it gets whitis and soft (as you did for the sponge cake), then add the greated oranges and keep mixing for 2 minutes. 
3- Add melted butter and the orange juice, after that add slow and carefully flour, cinnmon and yeast, previously mixed.
4- Pour the bowl's contnet in a form, and let it bake for 30 minutes since when the oven reaches 180°C. 
5- Switch off the oven and check with a toothpick if it's ready, poperly and uniformly baked. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the form.

CUSTARD
Ingredients:
-  4 eggs
- 40gr flour
- 100gr sugar
- 400ml milk
- 1 vanilla stick
Preparation:
1- Heat the milk with the vanilla stick seeds in it, not till boiling!  
2- In a bowl, mix the eggs with sugar. Add to eggs and sugar the flour too. Add into this mixture the milk, and keep mixing.
3- Pour it into a little pot to cook, mixing constantly with a woodspoon to avoid lumps. Let it cook till is dense.
4- Switch it off, and keep mixing. Set it aside, but mix every now and then.If you are not going to use it straight away, put it in the fridge, maximum for 2 days.

DECORATION
Whipped cream mixed with Mascarpone.

SUGGESTIONS
 Now, assembling the whole cake, just be smart: in order to avoid problems, set the heaviest layer as the bottom (usually the orange&cinnamon cake, which contains butter). 
Before to put the cream between each layer, you might put some orange jam on each part of the cake, just to highlight the fruity and orange taste.


About my second cake: the Minion cake!
I planned this cake on my mum's taste in matter of cakes and treats, so, as she loves berries, orange, mint, chantilly and coffee, I tried to match things, without just putting everything in it. Since is September now, fresh blueberry were available and good; no problem for the chantilly cream (just add whipped cream to custard, then mix till is uniform), orange layer of course as before for the Peppa Pig one!

Now if I think about that I might have made the combination coffee-mint, but it's still summer here in Italy, so something fruity and fresh before the Autumn is not bad, also because in Autumn and Winter, I'm going to make plenty of cakes and treats with coffee, so.. :) 
 

 The recipies for both Minion spongecake and orange-cake layers are the same as the Peppa pig ones!

I hope you liked these ideas for birthday cakes, I can assure they taste great and just by personalizing it a bit, it will be a great deal to bake a cake for your kid/brother/sister/mom/dad/grannies/boyfriend, your someone, without going to the Patisserie, where usually, this very kind of cake is very expensive! So, you save money, you have fun and keep yourself busy in the kitchen and more important, you personalize the cake in a unique way, just as your someone wishes!