AustinÂs Coffee Cake Austin has made this coffee cake as his baking entry at the Martinsville Fair, with Blue Ribbon results! Yeah, Austin!! Austin always uses real butter, and he also uses the cardamom called for in the Streusel, but it can be omitted.. HereÂs the recipe: Streusel:  1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs  ¾ cup finely chopped walnuts  ¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar  1 tsp. cinnamon  ¼ tsp. ground cardamom  ½ cup melted butter (1 stick) To make the Streusel topping:: Combine crumbs, nuts, cinnamon, brown sugar, cardamom, and melted butter, and set aside. Cake:  2 cups cake flour  1 cup sugar  2 ½ tsp. baking powder  ½ tsp. salt  ½ cup butter, room temperature (1 stick)  2 eggs  1 ½ tsp. vanilla  1 cup milk Cake: Combine dry ingredients, add butter, eggs, vanilla and milk. Beat 2 minutes. Pour half the batter into a greased and floured 9"springform pan. Layer half the streusel, then add the remaining batter and repeat the streusel layer. Bake in a 350 degree oven, for 50 minutes. This cake can be served warm or cold. Peanut Butter Lovers Cake 2 cups flour 1 tsp. baking soda ½ tsp. salt ¾ cup butter, softened 2 cups sugar 5 eggs, separated 1 cup creamy peanut butter 1 cup buttermilk 1 tsp. vanilla extract Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl, set aside. Beat the butter in a mixer bowl at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the sugar gradually, beating constantly until blended. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in the peanut butter. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk. Stir in the vanilla. Beat the egg whites in a small mixer bowl at high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold into the batter. Pour into 3 greased and floured, 9-inch round cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Frost with Peanut Butter Frosting, sprinkle with peanuts. (or coarsely chopped peanut butter cups, or chocolate) Peanut Butter Frosting ¾ cup butter, softened 1 cup creamy peanut butter 4 ½ cups powdered sugar 1/3 cup milk 1 tsp. vanilla Beat the butter in a mixer bowl at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in peanut butter. Add the powdered sugar, gradually, beating constantly until well blended. Add the milk and vanilla, mix well. Add additional milk 1 Tblsp. at a time until of the desired consistency. Note: this is definitely too much batter for a 9 X 13" pan.

The original recipe on the ny times website has the flour listed in weight. No need to convert. The website you used appears to have removed the weights. I love this recipe and usually have a batch in the freezer. Chocolate chip recipe Published: July 9, 2008 Adapted from Jacques Torres Related Perfection? Hint: It’s Warm and Has a Secret (July 9, 2008) Time: 45 minutes (for 1 6-cookie batch), plus at least 24 hours’ chilling 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour 1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt 2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter 1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract 1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note) Sea salt. 1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside. 2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

soonergrandmom, I agree, the WM flour smells odd, I don't like it. I have used other store brands, including the local Spartan brand, and it's been fine. I did get one "off brand" that seemed a different texture, heavier, if that makes sense, but not lumpy. Gold Medal is on sale here for $1.98 for 5 lbs, and that's not much more than any of the store brands are. I didn't buy any because I got 2 bags of King Arthur all purpose yesterday on sale for $2.79 each. As Grainlady mentioned, you can weigh, measure, sift, whatever when you are making bread, and each time it will be different. The hydration level depends on so many factors so what works today probably won't work tomorrow. I always check the dough in my bread machine because it is seldom "right" when I go by the measurements in recipes. I never sift. (shrug) And I just dip the measuring cup into the canister of flour and make sure it's kind of even. I'm more careful with things like leavening, but my cooking and baking has always been based on the way the batter or dough looks or feels. It works for me and like Teresa, I seldom have a failure (as long as I pay attention and don't overproof the bread, LOL). Like cynic, I tend to add more of some things, less of others, depending on the way I like things to taste or the texture I'm trying to achieve. And like others I tend to mix dry ingredients with a whisk to be sure they are evenly distributed. Nothing quite like getting a bite of baking soda in your muffin.... Annie

It's sort of real. You don't actually get bread flour. The absorption will be different. Adding vital wheat gluten will fortify the rise, however, and add to the gluten structure. I add VWG to whole wheat--my wheat is rated at 14% protein, which is the equivalent of strong bread flour, but the bran interferes with the rise and can actually cut the the gluten strands. In that situation, the VWG doesn't increase the rise, but it does make it stronger and more elastic. I can't remember proportions, but can look it up. With white flour, it should similarly strengthen the rise, but since white flour is so elastic to begin with, you might also get more height from the strengthening. The big difference between AP and bread flour is the amount of protein. Most bread will make from just AP. You can strengthen the gluten by resting the mixed dough in the fridge for awhile and kneading longer.