#metropolitanbakery

Although this is our most popular cake all year, it is especially appreciated this month. Try it at home for your Passover and Easter celebrations! 

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa 

3/4 cup granulated sugar

4 large eggs, separated

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Confectioners' sugar, for garnish 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8" x 3" round cake pan; line the bottom with a parchment paper circle. Lightly butter the parchment paper.

2. Combine the butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan halfway filled with barely simmering water. 

3. Meanwhile, sift the cocoa and sugar into another bowl. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine the egg whites and salt. With a whip attachment set at medium-high speed, beat the whites until soft peaks form. Set both aside.

4. Remove the melted butter and chocolate from the simmering water. Stir until smooth and to release the heat. Add the cocoa mixture, egg yolks, vanilla, and one-quarter of the beaten whites. Stir with a whisk until the mixture is smooth. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the remaining whites just until blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake on the center oven rack for 30 to 35 minutes, until a skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake just barely comes out clean. 

Get ready for your new favorite side dish: Roasted Corn Salad.

Roasting the corn heightens its natural sweetness, while the ricotta salata (a firmer, more aged version of creamy ricotta) adds texture. With perfectly ripe tomatoes and a simple dressing of extra-virgin olive oil and vinegar, this salad is a satisfying addition to your plate on these hot, late summer days.

Ingredients: 4 ears yellow corn, shucked 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Juice of 1/2 lemon 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 plum tomato, seeded and diced 3/4 cup diced ricotta salata 1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper 1 green onion, thinly sliced

Yield: 3 CUPS

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the bottom and ends of each corn cob. Stand 1 ear of corn on its end on a cutting board, holding the ear near the top. With a large knife parallel to the cob, cut the kernels off. Repeat with the remaining corn. Place the kernels on a baking tray and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil. Roast for 15 minutes or until the corn starts to turn golden. Set aside to cool. 

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, garlic, and black pepper. Add the corn, ricotta, tomato, bell pepper, and green onion; toss to combine. 

Want an excuse to eat cake for breakfast? Not that you need one. This Crumb Cake solves that problem, doubling as a delicious dessert and a morning treat to have with coffee or tea.

A staff favorite, trust us when we say you'll want to bake this cake yourself so you can save some of the crumb topping for later!

Cake: 1 cup plain yogurt 1 cup sour cream 2 large eggs 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon plus 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar Grated zest of 1 lemon 2 cups fresh berries or other fruit (optional)

Crumb Topping: 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled Confectioners' sugar, for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9″ x 3″ round cake pan; line the bottom with a parchment paper circle. Lightly butter the parchment paper. 

2. In a bowl, stir together the yogurt, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. In another bowl, soft together the flour, baking powder, and salt. 

3. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add the lemon zest; beat 1 minute. Add the yogurt mixture alternatively with the flour mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat well after each addition. Spread the batter in the prepared pan, sprinkle berries or fruit if using. Bake the cake on the center oven rack for 40 minutes. 

4. Meanwhile, in a bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder for the crumb topping. Add the butter and toss until mixture becomes crumbly. 

5. Remove the cake from the oven, sprinkle the crumb topping over the cake. Bake the cake 15-20 minutes more, until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake on a wire rack. Run a knife around the edge of the cake. Place a plate over the pan and invert. Remove the pan and parchment paper. Invert the cake, right side up, onto a serving plate or cake stand. Garnish with confectioners’ sugar if desired.

Day One (First Refreshment): 

1/2 cup ripe Chef

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup water (68 degrees)

In a large glass bowl with a wooden spoon, stir together the Chef, flour, and water until the dough is firm and smooth. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let the mixture ferment at room temperature for 6 hours or until bubbly. Then refrigerate the starter overnight. 

Day Two (Second Refreshment): 

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup water (68 degrees)

Check to see that the starter has doubled in size. With a wooden spoon, stir in the flour and water. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let the starter ferment at room temperature for 6 hours or until bubbly. Then refrigerate the starter overnight. 

Day Three (Third Refreshment): 

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup water (68 degrees) 

Check to see that the starter has doubled in size. With a wooden spoon, stir in the flour and water. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let the starter ferment at room temperature for 6 hours or until bubbly. Then refrigerate the starter overnight. 

Day Four: 

While we’re back to slinging pizzas at our cafe location Wednesday-Saturday, if you are not in the Philadelphia area -- give this recipe a try from our co-owner and head baker, James Barrett! Check out the YouTube video in our next post where you can watch him make this delicious meal start to finish. 

Ingredients:

Dough: 230 g (8.10 oz) Bread Flour 230 g (8.10 oz) All Purpose Flour 12 g (1 oz) Dark Rye Flour, Coarsely milled 403 g (14.2 oz) Water 75 degrees 20 g (.70 oz) EVOO 12 g (.45 oz) Sea Salt 6 g (1 oz) Malt 4 g (.15 oz) Fresh Yeast

Sauce: 2 Each 28 oz cans San Marzano style Tomatoes 1 tps Kosher Salt 1 tps Sugar 2 Sprigs Fresh Thyme 2 Garlic Cloves, smashed 1 tbsp Tomato Paste ¼ cup EVOO

Method of Preparation: 

Dough: In the bowl of an electric mixer with the dough hook attachment, stir together the water, yeast, EVOO and malt. Allow the yeast to proof for 5 minutes. Mix in flour until a shaggy mass is formed. Sprinkle salt on top and leave rest for 20 minutes. On low speed, mix in the salt. Continue to mix on low speed for 4 minutes. Turn mixer to high speed and knead the dough for 4 minutes until the dough is shiny and elastic. The dough will appear softer when you move it from the mixing bowl than it does in the video. 

This is a well-hydrated dough so it will not clean the bottom of the bowl. Next, place dough in a lightly oiled container. Cover and let rise 1 hour. Fold the dough into itself 2X. (Book fold) Cover and let rise for 1 hour. Fold dough into itself (book fold.) Cover and refrigerate dough overnight.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Remove dough from the refrigerator and place in oiled 10” x 14” Steel pan (Detroit Style.) Brush the dough with olive oil and cover with plastic wrap. Place pan in a warm spot. Stretch and dimple dough out every ½ hour until dough fills the pan evenly. This will take approximately 1 ½ hours.

Place dough in preheated oven for 6 – 8 minutes. Remove pan and top with cheese, spreading to the edge. This will create the caramelized cheese crust. Continue to place toppings on the pizza.

Reduce oven temperature to 475 degrees. Bake until pizza is cooked through and toppings are cooked. This will take approximately 18 – 20 minutes. Remove pan and carefully cut pizza from the pan. Slide pizza out of pan onto a cutting board. Garnish pizza with further toppings such as ricotta cheese, basil etc. Cut and serve pizza drizzled with EVOO.

Sauce: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place all ingredients into a baking dish. Stir gently to dissolve the tomato paste. Stir ingredients over medium heat until warm. Place pan in lower third of the oven.

Slowly bake for 3 to 4 hours stirring every ½ hour. The sauce is finished when it is deep red, shiny and jewel like. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Remove thyme sprigs and crush the sauce with a potato masher to desired consistency.

Suggested Toppings: Cheeses: Mozzarella, Fontina, Asiago, Ricotta Meats: Pepperoni, Prosciutto, Sausage Vegetables: Peppers, Onions, Tomatoes, Squash, Mushrooms

It’s time to dazzle your friends and family with a Yuletide spread that would surely get a smile out of Paul and Prue (hey there fellow Great British Baking Show fans)! If you’re not spending hours in the kitchen perfecting your Stollen or Panettone recipe, let us lend a hand this Christmas. Pre-order today!

Special for Christmas

Buche de Noel $48: Blood orange soaked chocolate sponge cake rolled with chocolate mousse, espresso buttercream, and white chocolate ganache. Enough said. Serves 6-8.

Panettone $20: James learned to make this traditional Italian Christmas bread from his grandma Tucci. Our version has cherries, golden raisins, candied orange, candied lemon, honey, almonds, cocoa, orange zest, sea salt, and olive oil. Pro tip... this makes an outrageous French Toast.

Stollen $18.50: Dark raisins, cherries, candied Meyer lemon, black mission figs, almond paste, cardamom, dark rum, and orange zest all come together in this heavily powder-sugared loaf. Not your grandmother’s fruit cake!

Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Tart $40: A rich, buttery crust, bourbon chocolate filling, toasted pecans, and edible gold leaf for good luck. Serves 8-12.

Cranberry Pear Linzer Tart $26.95: Packed into a buttery-almond crust is a jammy filling of cranberries and dried pears spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. Serves 6-8.

Gingerbread Pound Cake $14: A moist, fluffy, slightly sticky cake that combines a little sweetness with the spiciness of ginger. Serves 6-8.

Herbed Fougasse with Sea Salt $8: Our take on the “Tree of Life”, this Italian loaf is studded with rosemary and maldon salt. It’s almost too beautiful to eat -- though that would land you on the naughty list. 

Garlic Parmesan Bread $9: Our killer focaccia-like round with whole garlic cloves, asiago, fontina, and parmesan cheese. Alex Delany of Bon Appetit says, “The first time I ever had a ‘moment’ with bread was at Metropolitan off of Rittenhouse. Still having those moments, especially when a Parmesan-garlic focaccia loaf is involved. Look at those jammy, caramelized whole cloves.” (photo x Alex Delany)

Don’t forget! You can pre-order all of our regular breads, plus sweet classics like our Chocolate Layer Cake, Flourless Chocolate Cake, and pints of our housemate ice cream (think Boozy Eggnog and Peppermint Bark). 

How To Order / When To Order

Pre-order by 1pm Saturday, December 21st for Monday, December 23rd and Tuesday, December 24th. We’ll ask for payment upon ordering so your pickup is a breeze. Speaking of pickup... 

Call 215-545-6655 to pickup in Rittenhouse and 215-222-1492 to pickup in University City. Sorry breadheads, we don’t offer pickups at our Reading Terminal Market location. 

Holiday Hours

Tuesday, December 24th

Rittenhouse 8am-4pm

Pizza & Cafe CLOSED

Reading Terminal Market 8am-4pm

University City 7:30am-1pm

Wednesday, December 25th

All locations CLOSED

Tuesday, December 31st

Rittenhouse 7:30am-7pm

Pizza & Cafe CLOSED

Reading Terminal Market 8am-6pm

University City 7:30am-1pm

Wednesday, January 1st

All locations CLOSED

What To Do If You’re Not In Philadelphia 

Shop customer favorites at www.metropolitanbakery.com and get free shipping on orders over $150 with code SHIPMEFREE! Order by noon on Friday 12/20 to guarantee arrival by Christmas Eve.

*Pre-Order for Easter*

Coconut Layer Cake with buttercream and passion fruit curd, $42.95

Carrot Layer Cake with golden raisins and cream cheese icing, $42

Cherry Ricotta Pie, $32

Double Crust Caramelized Apple Pie, $32

Raspberry Chocolate Panettone, $18.50

Boxed French Macarons, five piece $11.95 | twenty piece $45 

Pre-order by calling 215-545-6655 or visit the Rittenhouse shop by the order deadlines:

For Friday, April 19th pickup, order by Wednesday, April 17th at 12pm.

For Saturday, April 20th pickup, order by Thursday, April 18th at 12pm.

For Sunday, April 21st pickup, order by Friday, April 19th at 12pm.

*Sold First Come, First Served*

Traditional Hot Cross Buns ($2.75 ea) will be available Wednesday, April 17th through Sunday, April 21st.

*Easter Sunday Hours*

19th Street | 8am-3pm

Metro Pizza & Cafe | Closed

Reading Terminal Market | Closed

“One of Philly’s best bakeries now makes one of its best pizzas” - Craig LaBan

“In case you didn’t know, Metropolitan Cafe is serving some of the best pizza in Philadelphia right now.” - @mulhollandr 

“Best pizza in Philly” - @love_phillyfood

“Pizza night featuring the best pizza in the city on 19th st just south of Rittenhouse” - @thedanisigel

“To all you pizza snobs out there @metropolitanbakery is seriously doing it right... 6+ hr fire roasted sauce... stone ground flour made IN HOUSE... perfect consistency in the dough... I am a little mad this is the only photo I took (too busy stuffing my face) - @Robblim

“Pepperoni pizza from @metropolitanpizzandcafe. Thin crust, vibrantly soulful sauce, four kinds of pepperoni. This comfort food will reset your compass no matter how far away from magnetic north your needle is pointing” - @philafoodie 

“When you want some next level pizza, get over there.” - @floridastylepizza

“Been eating @metropolitanbakery breads for as long as I can remember, so I figured the pizza was worth trying (it was).” - @mikeprince85 

“Can’t get enough of this @metropolitanbakery ‘za” - @philmytummy 

“Have you been to @metropolitanbakery since they reopened for some artisanal pizza? We suggest you go for lunch (or dinner) asap! We had it for lunch Friday... and maybe ordered it in for dinner Saturday.” - @menusandmaps 

“Pizza of my dreams” - @sourpuss91 

Many, many, many thanks!