Bake with Anna Olson Season 1, Episode 1: Chocolate Cake

Pie Dough

There are few things more rewarding than a freshly baked pie. In this episode Anna shares her secrets and techniques to making the perfect pie dough. She starts off with her standard pie dough recipe—it bakes flakey and tender—and she forms it into sweet, sticky Pecan Butter Tarts. Next Anna adapts her pie dough to perfectly compliment a delicious filling and bakes her classic Pumpkin Pie with a braided edge. Then, for a challenge and a restaurant-worthy dessert, she bakes Individual Coconut Cream Pies. These little pies are so delectable with their layers of warm custard and smooth cream in a crisp shell! Lastly Anna bakes up a rustic yet pretty tart, Apple Cinnamon Galettes.

30 min

Chiffon Cake

Light and airy, chiffon cakes combine the richness of a butter cake with the light spring of a sponge cake and they are the foundation for many favorite desserts. Anna starts with a basic chiffon cake, sharing her recipe for Angel Food Cake. She then adds fresh lemon and prepares Mini Lemon Chiffon Cakes. The texture and flavor of lemon and chiffon are a natural fit—both light and refreshing. For a dessert that is restaurant worthy, Anna creates Warm Maple Almond Chiffon Cakes. The layers of flavors in this cake are mouth watering and sure to impress. And finally Anna shows viewers how to transform chiffon cakes with four different styles of garnish: one for each season.

Pastry Cream

Anna knows that all great pastry chefs have a recipe for pastry cream in their repertoire and, in this episode, she shows how to perfect this thick, rich custard filling to create delicious, versatile and delicate cakes and pastries. She begins with a basic vanilla cream and prepares Strawberry Cream Tarts. Next, Anna takes those principals and bakes individual Apricot Orange Soufflés. For the ultimate dessert featuring pastry cream, perfect for that special someone, Anna prepares a classic Caramel Birthday Cake with caramel-flavoured pastry cream. And for something a little extra with pastry cream, Anna shares with viewers how to make Mini Cannoli with yummy pastry cream filling.

Cupcakes

Cupcakes are a pop culture phenomenon with countless bakeries devoted to them. Anna teaches viewers how to make a variety of styles and flavours, everything from simple vanilla to decadent edible works of cupcake art. Starting with basic Vanilla Cupcakes, Anna shows how she perfects tasty and fluffy classic cupcakes that are sure to be crowd pleasers. Advancing the technique she then creates a more challenging version: Chocolate Spice Cupcakes. This rich cupcake hides a chocolate truffle centre and is enhanced with exotic warm spices. Yum! Traditional ice cream cones inspire Anna next, when she creates her delicious Dulce de Leche Cupcakes. And finally, what cupcake lesson would be complete without a little icing 101. Anna shares her tips and tricks on creating beautifully decorated cupcakes with her Floral Cupcake Frostings.

30 min

Puff Pastry

Puff pastry is a key element in any French bakery and in this episode, Anna teaches viewers everything they need to know about puff pastry. Anna prepares basic puff pastry dough and demonstrates the principals behind making this buttery, flakey yet delicate pastry. She then takes her puff pastry dough and makes three individual Puff Pastry Tarts: Apricot Vol au Vent, Salted Caramel Pear Tart and S’Mores Tart. Big and little kids will love the last one! Anna advances the puff pastry lesson when she creates a classic French dessert: Chocolate Hazelnut Napoleon. Lastly Anna takes any leftover puff pastry and bakes delicious Savoury Hors D’oeuvres: Pesto Palmiers, Sesame Cheese Straws and One Bite Tapenade Pockets.

30 min

Cheesecake

Secrets for creating cheesecake.

30 min

French Meringue

In this episode Anna shares her secrets for making perfect French meringues. She starts by teaching viewers meringue fundamentals with Birds’ Nests. These light, airy and crunchy meringues are delicate vessels for fresh fruit. Next Anna moves to a more exacting meringue recipe, Classic Passion Fruit Pavlova. Named for the graceful Russian ballerina, Pavlova, it has a crunchy exterior but a soft and delicate inside, served with passion fruit and whipping cream. For a real showstopper that is certain to impress guests, Anna creates an elegant yet challenging layered dessert: Hazelnut Dacquoise Torte. This torte is an exquisite example of a French meringue. Finally Anna makes charming Meringue Mushrooms. These playful little sweets can accent any dessert or be presented as a petit four or packaged as a party favour.

30 min

Chocolate Ganache

Used as a base for truffles and filling for tarts, cookies and cakes, ganache is simply a mixture of chocolate and cream.

30 min

Croissant Dough

Croissants have long been staples of French bakeries and patisseries but home cooks can make them too. In this episode, Anna gives a lesson on to how to bake them like a pastry chef. She starts with basic Croissant Dough recipe and then works that dough into Classic Filled Croissants: almond, cheese and irresistible pain au chocolat. Expanding on the tips and techniques learned, Anna takes these buttery pastries and transforms them into a decadent dessert—Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding.

30 min

Creme Brulee

An important dessert for pastry chefs to master, creme brulee is a classic dish of smooth custard with a carmelized sugar topping.

30 min

Pate Sable

In this episode, Anna shows viewers the basics on working with a standard in a baker’s kitchen, tender tart dough, more commonly referred to in the baking world as pâte sablée. She begins with a simple recipe for preparing the perfect sweet dough and bakes Empire Cookies. She then advances the technique and uses the sablée dough as the base for her delicious Pumpkin Crème Brûlée Tarts. For a more elegant dessert featuring sablée dough, Anna bakes a classic fruit tart, one that you might find in a bakeshop window, Peach Raspberry Custard Tart. And finally Anna prepares a scrumptious assortment of icebox cookies made with Pâte Sablée dough: Lemon Icebox Rounds, Earl Grey Squares and Chocolate Pinwheels.

30 min

Jelly Roll Cake

Jelly roll cakes range from straightforward tea time sweets to elaborate decadent desserts. They are fundamentally thin sponge cakes that are filled and rolled. Anna starts with a Classic Raspberry Jelly Roll and then moves on to a recipe that is a little more complex—Tart Lemon Roulade. For the ultimate in elegance, Anna prepares a rich and delicious Flourless Black Forest Roulade. And finally Anna combines a raspberry jelly roll with Bavarian cream and transforms it into a spectacular Charlotte Royale.

30 min

Choux Paste

Choux Paste, also known as pâte a choux or cream puff dough, is a wonderful airy pastry that can be used in countless ways to prepare cream-filled desserts. Anna starts with the fundamentals and teaches viewers a basic choux paste and makes simple sugar-dusted Crullers. Next Anna steps up the complexity with Profiteroles & Éclairs. For the ultimate in choux paste Anna shows viewers a French patisserie classic, Gateau St. Honoré. And finally Anna has a little fun building a glamorous cream puff tower—Croquembouche.

30 min

Squares

Squares are so versatile with a flavour to suit every taste. In this episode, Anna shares her secrets on how to make her favourites. She begins with a rich and delicious classic: Fudge Brownies. Next she moves on to a two-layer square requiring a little more finesse: Pumpkin Cheesecake Squares. For a truly challenging and elegant square, Anna shows viewers how to prepare smooth and silky Lemon Meringue Squares. Finally she breaks the mold on squares, creating a ‘round’ square—Rocky Road Cinema Tortes.

Strudel

Strudel is a buttery pastry that is a bakery staple; layer upon layer of flaky goodness wrapped around a delicious filling. Anna starts with a basic strudel made from thin sheets of dough, rolled up with filling and baked to perfection in her Caramel Apple Jalousie. Next she moves up a level when she makes individual Cabernet Pear and Walnut Strudels. For an advanced dessert Anna goes back to strudel’s roots with a Classic Cherry Strudel. This strudel has paper-thin pastry and is a must in any professional bakery. And finally Anna fancies up strudel with a delicious garnish—Caramel Springs.

Sandwich Cookies

Secrets for baking sandwich cookies.

Nut Cakes

Nut cakes range from easy little cakes to elaborate grand tortes. In this episode, Anna shows viewers how to make a few cakes that she’s just nuts about, desserts where nuts feature prominently in the recipe. Anna begins with a lovely little French teacake prepared with almond flour called Financiers. Next she moves on to Italian Pine Nut Cake. This classic cake from Italy has a rich and complex nutty flavor. And for a grand dessert featuring nuts, Anna prepares an elegant Mont Blanc torte—an impressive cake to serve at a dinner party. And what could be more fun than nut brittle, served as a garnish or a treat on its own.

Shortcake

Anna's favorite shortcake desserts.

Chocolate Pastry

Chocolate pastry is a buttery, rich and crispy base that is fundamental in a professional kitchen and an important element for the home cook too. Anna starts by teaching viewers how to make basic chocolate pastry dough and turning it into Chocolate Slice Cookies. Next Anna advances the lesson when she prepares a delicious French classic, Tarte au Chocolat. For the ultimate use of chocolate pastry Anna creates a decadent restaurant-style dessert—Warm Chocolate Orange Tarts. And for a final bit of fun Anna shares her secrets on beautiful plating with Piped Chocolate Garnishes.

Brioche

How to make a classic brioche; over-the-top decadent desert.

Flourless Pies & Tarts

Flourless pies and tarts are gluten-free desserts made without conventional wheat flour. Anna starts with delicious Raspberry Clafoutis, a classic French dessert that uses ground almond as a base rather than a traditional tart pastry. Next Anna moves on to a Flourless Pear and Cranberry Pie, an exquisite winter dessert. To show viewers another option that is a little more complex but worth the extra effort, Anna prepares Flourless French Apple Tart with a flourless crust. This is a truly elegant dessert. Anna uses that same flourless crust and shows its versatility by making Cheddar Shortbread and Preserves.

Lady Fingers

Part cake, part cookie, ladyfingers are extremely versatile in the pastry kitchen. Anna starts by showing viewers how to make these light and spongy biscuits and dips them in chocolate to create Chocolate Dipped Ladyfingers. Next she uses those same delicious ladyfingers as a key ingredient in everyone’s favourite Italian dessert, Classic Tiramisu. Anna then really ramps it up when she prepares an Elegant Raspberry Lemon Torte. When your guests are raving you’ll know it was worth the effort. And for a little fun, Anna transforms classic ladyfingers into Coconut Almond Madeleines.

Upside Down Cake

An upside down cake is a single-layer cake baked with gooey-sweet fruit at the bottom. Then it’s flipped and served with that delicious fruit side up. Anna starts with the classic favourite: Pineapple Upside Down Cake. Then she advances the techniques from the first recipe and creates individual Upside Down Lemon Cakes. For the showstopper, a truly decadent restaurant-worthy dessert, Anna makes Cranberry Gingerbread Cakes with brown butter caramel sauce. Simply scrumptious. And finally, Anna takes the lemon cakes one step further and creates delicious Lemon Berry Meringue Cakes.

Pound Cake

Anna demonstrates how to make pound cake from a classic lemon to more advanced recipes.

Steamed Puddings

Steamed puddings are restaurant favorites and Anna shows viewers how to make them at home like a pro. She starts with a familiar British steamed pudding, English Sticky Toffee Pudding. This classic dessert is moist and delicate and oh-so-mouthwatering. Anna builds on the principals learned in the British-style steamed pudding and creates Steamed Lemon Soufflé Cakes. This steamed dessert is light and airy and has a little Asian inspiration with the addition of lemongrass and ginger. But for the ultimate in steamed pudding Anna creates the Christmas classic that is delicious anytime of year—Grand Plum Pudding. And for that little something extra to take your steamed pudding over the top, Anna shares how to decorate steamed pudding cakes with Marzipan Fruit.

30 min

Fruit Pies

There are few things more comforting to the senses than a warm slice of freshly baked pie. Anna starts with a standard double crust pie dough (pastry on top and bottom) and makes a classic ‘Blue Ribbon’ Apple Pie. Next she builds on that basic fruit pie lesson and bakes an old-fashioned Mincemeat Pie. This has a more complex filling made up of a mix of fresh and dried fruits with spices and syrup. So sweet! For a dessert recipe that is perfect at a picnic, party or afternoon tea, Anna creates a beautiful Blueberry Lattice Top Pie. The fancy design on top is sure to impress your guests. And for fun little individual pies, Anna bakes up Frosted Raspberry Hand Pies.

Veggie Cakes

Anna prepares a variety of cakes made with vegetables. Sweet, delicious and healthy, each has a unique texture and taste. She starts with Zucchini Orange Loaf, ideal for breakfast or a mid-afternoon snack. Next she tackles arguably the most popular of veggie cakes: Carrot Cake with cream cheese frosting. So delicious! For the cake that your guests won’t believe is a veggie cake, Anna creates a spectacular and dense Rich Beet Chocolate Cake. And finally a bite-size treat featuring a veggie you’d never expect in a cake: Potato Chocolate Cupcakes.

Chocolate Mousse

Anna demonstrates how to make an easy chocolate mousse, then advances to the next level.

Scones & Biscuits

Part bread and part pastry, scones and biscuits are delicious treats that are prominently featured in almost every bakery. Anna begins by showing viewers a fundamental recipe for Basic Buttermilk Biscuits. Next Anna advances the techniques learned by adding classic ingredients and baking up Lemon Cranberry Scones. To show off scones and biscuits in a fancy plated dessert, Anna prepares a more elaborate recipe, Berry Tarts with Honey Biscuit. And for a little something extra, Anna turns her sweet into savoury when she bakes Savoury Spiral Scones.

Drop Cookies

Who can resist these tasty treats served with an ice-cold glass of milk? In this episode of Bake with Anna Olson, Anna presents different recipes and creates a variety of drop cookies and drop cookie-inspired desserts, popular with kids and grown-up kids! She starts with everybody’s favourite, the Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie. Next she advances the lesson by adding a peanut butter filling to traditional Oatmeal Raisin Sandwich Cookies. A showcase dessert that you’d be happy to serve as a plated dessert, Anna bakes Peanut Butter Cookie Cakes with a warm caramel centre. And finally she makes delicious homemade chocolate ice cream and builds decadent Ice Cream Sandwiches.

Rolls & Buns

Rolls and buns are small little breads that are more decorative than a slice of loaf bread and come in countless styles and flavours. Anna starts with the basics: Classic Parker House Rolls. These rolls are buttery and soft, tender inside with a thin crust. Then Anna expounds on the lesson when she shows viewers a recipe that is a little more demanding: Braided Egg Buns. The third bun that Anna bakes is a sweet version and the biggest challenge yet, but worth the extra effort: Hot Cross Buns. And what goes better with a fresh bun hot out of the oven? Butter! Anna teaches viewers a simple way to make their own Homemade Butter.

Doughnuts

Doughnuts are easy to find at doughnuts shops all over town, but they are also simple to make at home, and there is nothing as tasty as a homemade doughnut. Anna starts with the basics when she deep-fries to perfection sour cream Apple Fritters. Once you understand the fundamentals you’ll be ready to follow along as Anna prepares jelly-filled yeast doughnuts and creates equally yummy Raspberry Jelly Doughnuts. For that restaurant-worthy dessert Anna prepares a treat that is inspired by a doughnut, technically a cake, but known as a pie: Boston Cream Pie. And for a final treat, Anna makes a version of a New Orleans specialty: Truffle Centred Beignets.

Lemon Curd

Fresh and sweet, creamy yet tart, lemon curd is a spread, a filling and a topping and is a staple in every pastry chef’s repertoire. Starting with a stovetop method to make British-style lemon curd, Anna creates a Lemon Whip with Berries. Then she makes a classic French bistro dessert, Tart au Citron. Next Anna bakes a challenging dessert that will impress guests and is a North American mainstay, Lemon Meringue Pie. And finally Anna adds tart, creamy lemon curd to homemade ice cream and creates Lemon Ripple Ice Cream.

Shortbread Cookies

Mmm, shortbread, an old-fashioned style of cookie that’s buttery, rich and crumbly—perfect with a cup of hot tea or a glass of cold milk. Anna starts out preparing a basic Vanilla Spritz Shortbread by piping cookie dough through a cookie press, a great technique to give cookies a pretty shape. Then Anna prepares traditional Scottish Pan Shortbread. This timeless recipe makes denser dough and is a little more challenging but produces dozens of buttery cookies that melt in your mouth. For the ultimate application of shortbread, Anna creates Chocolate Raspberry Napoleons, shortbread at its most elegant. And finally for a little fun, Anna bakes Decorated Shortbread Cut-Outs.

Sticky Buns

How to make sticky buns.

Coffee Cakes

Coffee cake—there is nothing more relaxing than sitting in a cozy chair with mug of hot coffee and a delicious yet easy cake to go alongside. Anna begins with a basic coffee cake: Sour Cream Pecan Coffee Cake. This cake has a crumbly streusel layer in the middle and on top. Next Anna advances the lesson by adding a fruit layer buckle and bakes a Raspberry Ricotta Buckle. For a truly inspired dessert, Anna combines the gooey goodness of a butter tart with the simplicity of a coffee cake and creates a delightful plated dessert: Butter Tart Coffee Cake. And for a coffee cake featuring actual coffee Anna bakes up some individual Cappuccino Cakes.

Focaccia

Focaccia is traditional flat-style Italian bread that can be prepared sweet or savoury. Anna begins with basic focaccia dough and makes aromatic Rosemary Onion Focaccia. Using the same dough she swaps savoury for sweet and creates Cranberry Chocolate Focaccia Twists. For an artisanal version of this mouth-watering bread, Anna bakes a Potato Parmesan Focaccia. And what to do if you have any leftover focaccia? Anna shares some tasty options with a lesson she calls Croutons 101.

Candied Orange Peel

Candied Orange Peel is delicious and versatile. Pastry chefs make it as a treat on its own, and to add a sweet, delicate citrus accent to a number of desserts. Anna begins by candying orange peel and then turning it into a confection, Chocolate Dipped Orange Peel. Next Anna uses that same candied orange peel as a key ingredient in a Classic Fruitcake. Then for a restaurant-worthy dessert, Anna creates a real showstopper, Southern Lane Cake: three layers of vanilla cake with crunchy meringue frosting and a gooey centre featuring candied orange peel. And to finish things off, Anna creates her mom’s favourite Italian dessert, Candied Orange Cassatas.

Focaccia

Focaccia is traditional flat-style Italian bread that can be prepared sweet or savoury. Anna begins with basic focaccia dough and makes aromatic Rosemary Onion Focaccia. Using the same dough she swaps savoury for sweet and creates Cranberry Chocolate Focaccia Twists. For an artisanal version of this mouth-watering bread, Anna bakes a Potato Parmesan Focaccia. And what to do if you have any leftover focaccia? Anna shares some tasty options with a lesson she calls Croutons 101.