David Tamarkin

This can be counterintuitive because we're all told, for good reason, to not overwork our flour because then gluten will form. And as Jessica was just talking about with cake flour, it can lead to a texture that you don't want. However, when you cream butter and flour together, the butter coats the flour and therefore prevents gluten from forming when you add the wet ingredients.

So that's the trick here. Reverse creaming, which is also known as the paste method, prevents gluten formation, resulting in a more tender cake. It is a texture unlike other cakes and it's delicious. One other thing about reverse creaming is that the cakes tend to dome less, which can be a benefit if you're trying to stack them.

So that's the trick here. Reverse creaming, which is also known as the paste method, prevents gluten formation, resulting in a more tender cake. It is a texture unlike other cakes and it's delicious. One other thing about reverse creaming is that the cakes tend to dome less, which can be a benefit if you're trying to stack them.

Shout out to Rose Levy Birnbaum who really spread the word about this technique. If you want to try reverse creaming, King Arthur's Vanilla Birthday Cake and Tender White Cake are two great options. We'll put those recipes in the show notes for you.

Shout out to Rose Levy Birnbaum who really spread the word about this technique. If you want to try reverse creaming, King Arthur's Vanilla Birthday Cake and Tender White Cake are two great options. We'll put those recipes in the show notes for you.

Every episode, we like to check in with Jessica to see what wildly surprising and full-throated ideas are in her head. But today, we're going to a different person for these wildly surprising and full-throated opinions. It's not Jessica, but it's Jessica's protege, Rossi Anastapulo, also our podcast producer.

Every episode, we like to check in with Jessica to see what wildly surprising and full-throated ideas are in her head. But today, we're going to a different person for these wildly surprising and full-throated opinions. It's not Jessica, but it's Jessica's protege, Rossi Anastapulo, also our podcast producer.

Rossi, before you give us your Jess opinion, I have to ask, were you this opinionated before you started working with Jessica? Yes.

Rossi, before you give us your Jess opinion, I have to ask, were you this opinionated before you started working with Jessica? Yes.

Yeah, I can vouch for that because I knew you for a full year before Jessica joined the team and you were much more mild-mannered. And now look at you. You're coming on the podcast with a hot take on cake. What is it?

Yeah, I can vouch for that because I knew you for a full year before Jessica joined the team and you were much more mild-mannered. And now look at you. You're coming on the podcast with a hot take on cake. What is it?

Oh boy. Okay. So we already established at the beginning of the episode that this is not okay.

Oh boy. Okay. So we already established at the beginning of the episode that this is not okay.

This is spoken like a true person who has mastered pie crust, but plenty of people out there, the pie crust shrinks, it looks shabby. How do you get around that?

This is spoken like a true person who has mastered pie crust, but plenty of people out there, the pie crust shrinks, it looks shabby. How do you get around that?

You're actually convincing me a little bit here because you could also press that cookie crust into a tart pan and get a very beautiful scalloped edge and then fill it with cream. Okay, I'm actually being convinced.

You're actually convincing me a little bit here because you could also press that cookie crust into a tart pan and get a very beautiful scalloped edge and then fill it with cream. Okay, I'm actually being convinced.

That's a good point.

That's a good point.

You know, do you stick a candle in your pie, Rossi?