When she was just 5, Kristen Richards started baking with her Nanny, who was born and raised in Germany. “These recipes are all based on items I grew up making with her. They were always very traditional German recipes we would make, but over the years, I’ve compiled my own recipes that remind me of those memories but have my knowledge of baking I’ve gained attached to them,” says Richards. “My inspiration has always been rooted in the woman who taught me what it means to be a baker—to humbly provide for others by creating something that inspires you with your hands,” she adds.
Pro Tip: Investing in a scale (to measure in grams) is a huge part of accurate baking and will ensure better outcomes along your baking journey. You can easily find them online for about $30.
Cinnamon Rolls
For the dough:
12 fluid ounces lukewarm milk
3 eggs
8 tablespoons (or 111 grams) soft butter
2 ¼ tsp. iodized salt
1 cup (or 4.5 ounces) granulated sugar
3 teaspoons instant yeast (different from active dry)
5 cups (or 1 pound 12 ounces) bread flour (preferably King Arthur)
For the sugar filling:
1 ½ cups (or 200 grams) brown sugar
1 ½ cups (or 200 grams) granulated sugar
2-3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon iodized salt
1 zested orange
1 stick (or 4 ounces) melted unsalted butter (to brush on dough)
For the cream cheese frosting:
12 ounces (or 226 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
3 sticks (or 200 grams) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups (or 300 grams) brown sugar
¼ cup (or 50 grams) confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the frosting: Using the paddle attachment of your stand mixer, blend together the butter and cream cheese. It’s important these ingredients are at the same temperature when you mix them. Add in the brown sugar followed by the vanilla extract.
For the dough: Combine milk, yeast, sugar, and flour together in the bowl of your stand mixer with the dough hook attachment and mix for two minutes to hydrate the flour. Add in the eggs, butter, and salt and mix on a higher speed for 5-6 minutes until the dough looks smooth and cohesive. Place the dough into a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour until doubled in size. While the dough is proofing, make the sugar mixture to fill the dough. Combine all of the ingredients except the butter in a bowl and set aside. Once the dough is proofed, pull it out of the bowl and place onto a floured surface. Roll out into a large rectangle. Brush the dough with melted butter leaving ¼ inch around the sides of the rectangle. Sprinkle liberally with the sugar mixture and gently pat into the dough. Tightly roll up the dough and slice to be about an inch thick. Place into a greased baking dish, cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit at room temperature until puffy in size (about 1 hour). This will make between 16-18 rolls depending how large you cut them. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes until a deep golden color is visible all the way across the rolls. Allow rolls to cool before frosting.
Gingerbread Cake
3 cups (or 380 grams) all-purpose flour (preferably King Arthur)
1 cup (or 200 grams) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon iodized salt
2 large eggs
1 cup (or 240 milliliters) vegetable oil
¾ cup (or 180 milliliters) molasses
1 cup (or 240 milliliters) freshly brewed hot coffee (or boiling water)
Preheat the oven to 325º and grease and line 3 8-inch baking pans with parchment paper. In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the flour, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the eggs, oil, and molasses and beat on medium speed for two minutes. Add the hot coffee and whisk until just blended. Divide the batter between the 3 pans and bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 15 minutes, and then turn the cakes out of the pan onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For the German Buttercream:
24 fluid ounces whole milk
¾ cup (or 3.5 ounces) granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon iodized salt
½ vanilla bean or 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons (or 1.25 ounces) cornstarch
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
4 egg yolks
4 tablespoons (or 2 ounces) cold cubed butter, plus 1 pound butter
Combine 22 fluid ounces of milk, half the sugar, salt and vanilla in a pot over medium heat. In a separate bowl combine the other half of the sugar, cornstarch, and flour. Whisk the dry ingredients together till smooth and then add in the 2 fluid ounces of milk and egg yolks—should be a thick mixture without dry spots. Wait for the milk to come to just a boil and slowly temper it into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to avoid cooking the eggs. Add that mixture back into the same pot and cook over low heat until it thickens like pudding. Immediately take off the heat, strain if necessary and then add the 4 tablespoons or 2 ounces of butter in last. Whisk until the butter is dissolved. Place the pastry cream into a container to cool down with a layer of plastic wrap directly on the cream to avoid a skin from forming. Allow to cool for at least 3 hours before using. To make the buttercream, place 1 pound of unsalted softened butter in your stand mixer with the paddle attachment and mix until light and fluffy—slowly add in the cooled mixture and switch to the whip attachment, whipping until light and fluffy. This buttercream is best used when it is fresh. If you go to re-whip it after you have placed it in the fridge and it looks like it is separating, gently heat the outside of your mixing bowl to get the components to the right temperature and allow it to whip again. It will come back together!
To assemble the cake: Trim the cooled cake layers so that they are even and uniform; using the German buttercream, start to fill the cake and stack each layer. Chill the cake for 30 minutes before icing the outside. Once chilled, crumb coat the outside of the cake. I like to leave cakes with a naked look, but continue to ice it as much as you’d like. Decorate with fresh herbs, flowers, and fruits. Here we have a cranberry pomegranate glaze on the cake with fresh rosemary and cranberries.
Gingersnap Cookies
2 ½ sticks (or 276 grams) softened, unsalted butter
2 cups (or 396 grams) granulated sugar
1 ¼ teaspoon iodized salt
1 ½ tablespoons (or 20 grams) baking soda
2 eggs
8 fluid ounces (or 226 grams) molasses
4 ¼ cups (or 552 grams) all-purpose flour (preferably King Arthur)
2 tablespoons (or 20 grams) ground ginger
1 teaspoon (or .5 gram) ground cloves
1 tablespoon (or 10 grams) ground cinnamon
Combine all the dry ingredients except for the sugar in one bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.
Cream together the butter and sugar for 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, scraping down after each addition to make sure they are fully incorporating; continue to mix until it looks cohesive again. Add in molasses, followed by all of the dry ingredients, until there are no dry spots and the dough looks just combined. The dough will be sticky and loose. Chill the dough for at least 1 hour before scooping or baking. Scoop the dough with a large ice cream scoop; roll the balls into granulated sugar before placing on a lined, greased baking sheet. Flatten with your palm to get a nice large cookie. Bake 6 per tray at 350 for 6 minutes, rotate, and continue to bake for another 6-8 minutes. Cookies should have cracks on the top once cool. This will make 2 dozen cookies.
