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The first recipe I tried for cream-filled “canoes” gave me fits. But after two days and an embarrassing amount of not-quite-right cake that I fed to my chickens, I finally got it right. It’s a recipe for only 8 treats (the indents in a NorPro canoe pan) because the key is how the batter is whipped just before you fill the canoes. The second half didn’t come out of the oven as light and airy. So here’s my tip: Follow my recipe to the T, even my instructions to lightly butter the pan. Oil spray didn’t work as well. If you want to double the recipe, you’re going to need two pans so they can both go into the oven at the same time.
Also, just so you know, all the ingredients in these recipes are available as organic—even the corn syrup.
Cream-filled Canoes
PREP TIME: 50 MINUTES
COOK TIME: 20 MINUTES
MAKES: 8 CANOES
Ingredients
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¾
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cup white unbleached flour
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¾
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t baking powder
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⅛
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t salt
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¼
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cup water
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3
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T butter
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2
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eggs
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½
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cup sugar
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¼
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t vanilla extract
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Gluten-free Conversion
Substitute organic white rice flour (www.BobsRedMill.com), use 1 t baking powder, and use 3 eggs.
Directions
First, buy the pan you’ll need—a “canoe” pan. They are available in specialty kitchen stores and on www.amazon.com. The canoe pan comes with a 9-piece decorating set, perfect for injecting a creamy surprise inside or putting a swirl on top.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter pan and set aside.
- In a small bowl, thoroughly combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a small saucepan, heat water and butter just until butter melts.
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla until smooth and thick, about 6 minutes.
- Fold flour mixture into wet ingredients just until blended. Add the water and melted butter mixture and stir just until blended.
- Using a spoon, fill each impression in canoe pan half-full. (Do not overfill.)
- Bake until cakes are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 18–20 minutes. Turn out onto a cooling rack, bottom sides down. Let cool.
- Fill with Cream Filling (recipe below). Put filling into a cake decorator, using a #7 tip (or use the kit that comes with the canoe pan), and gently insert filling into three places along the bottoms of the canoes.
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Cream Filling
Ingredients
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¾
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cup sugar
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1
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T light corn syrup
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½
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t cream of tartar
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2
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egg whites, at room temperature
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¼
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cup water
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1
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t vanilla
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Directions
- In small saucepan, combine sugar, cream of tartar, water, and corn syrup. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low, and using a candy thermometer, cook until mixture reaches 230°F. (Do not stir while mixture comes up to temperature).
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
- Slowly pour hot syrup into egg whites while beating. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Add vanilla and beat 5–7 more minutes, until stiff peaks form.
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