King

Ingredients

Butter Yellow Cake
2 cups (400g) granulated sugar 
1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter softened 
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour 
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter vanilla emulsion
1/4 cup (50g) toasted walnuts

Rum Soak
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark rum, divided into 1/4 and 1/4 cup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla

More Details

Flavor: sweet, buttery, aromatic
Texture: fluffy, moist
Storage: can be left on the counter at room temperature up to 1 week. Or, store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. 
2. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
3. In a stand mixer, cream softened butter with sugar with a paddle attachment until pale and fluffy (3-4 minutes on KitchenAid mixer on speed 6). It won’t be super fluffy because the amount of sugar will keep it somewhat dense, but you’ll notice the mixture becoming pale. 
4. Add egg one by one making sure the mixture is well combined in between additions. Whip until the mixture doubles in volume. Add oil, vanilla, and butter emulsion then continue whipping for another 2 minutes. The mixture will be thick, light in color, and very fluffy. 
5. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, until the mixture is evenly combined. Try not to over beat to preserve the air we incorporated. 
6. Add 50g of semi-toasted walnuts to the bottom of a butter and floured bundt pan. 
7. Add the batter, gently tapping the pan on the counter to remove air bubbles.
8. Bake in a preheated 350ºF oven (or 325ºF convection oven) for 50-60 minutes. The cake is ready when you lightly press on the top and it springs back. Alternatively, you can poke with a cake tester (or a long thin stick) to make sure no batter or crumbs stick to the tester. 
9. While the cake is baking, bring to boil the butter, sugar, 1/4 cup rum, and salt. Once boiling for one minute, turn off the heat. Carefully add the rest of the rum and vanilla as the mixture will bubble vigorously.
10. Once the cake comes out of the oven, let cool for 5 minutes, then poke holes with a toothpick or long stick all over (unmold the cake onto a plate to poke holes on the top and sides). Invert the cake back into the pan and pour half the syrup mixture on top slowly, ensuring the liquid seeps into the holes of the cake. Allow to rest for 5 minutes, then invert the cake again onto a serving platter. If you haven’t poked holes on the top of the cake, do it now before pouring the rest of the syrup on top, slowly. Take a pastry brush and dip in the syrup and generously coat the exterior of the cake. 
11. Allow to rest, covered, for a few hours, ideally overnight. The cake tastes best after letting it sit for 24 hours to allow the soak to thoroughly moisten the bundt, then cutting a slice and reheating in the microwave for 15-25 seconds.

Variations

Non-alcoholic: You can make this non-alcoholic by adding water into the syrup instead of rum.

Ingredients

360g all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon high quality matcha powder
2 tablespoon milk powder (any fat percentage is fine)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
230g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
300g granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
200g white chocolate, roughly chopped (separated into 150g and 50g)

Flavor: earthy, sweet, milky, grassy.
Texture: chewy in the center, creamy from the white chocolate, and slightly crispy on the edges.
Storage: stays freshest in an air-tight container. It will lose the chewiness over a few days and will become dry, but will keep for about a week before it truly impacts quality.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. If using the convection setting, set to 325ºF.
2. Sift together all-purpose flour, matcha, milk powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Ensure there are no clumps remaining.
3. In a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium speed (6 on KitchenAid) for 3-4 minutes or until the mixture is pale, light and fluffy. Do not over mix to avoid a cakey cookie texture.
4. Switch the mixture to low speed and add eggs one at a time, ensuring an even incorporation with each addition, then add vanilla extract.
5. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. There should be noticeable pockets of flour remaining.
6. Add white chocolate chunks to the mixture and mix until just combined.
7. Divide mixture into balls about 1/4 cup in size or 80g.
8. Place a dough ball on a lined cookie sheet, spread apart, and bake for 12-14 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway. I find about 6 balls on a half sheet pan is best. At 10 minute mark, take the cookies out and press some white chocolate chunks on top using the remaining 50g of white chocolate.
9. Let cool for 10 minutes on sheet pan and transfer to a cooling rack to finish firm up.

Variations

Hojicha Cookies – sub out matcha powder with hojicha powder. Results taste even more earthy and the sweetness of the cookie tames the intense, bitter earthiness of hojicha.