Streusel Topped Babka

I am a little late with this post, but this past week has been hectic.  I decided I would rather wait until I could post without being rushed.

Since the last few posts have been very rich and indulgent, I decided I would go with something lighter and more in the cake family for this week.  This particular recipe is for a breakfast or coffee cake.  The bread part made from a wonderful brioche dough.  Brioche loaves are a favorite around here just simply served with butter.

However, I have no aversion to the additions to this bread.  Cocoa, cinnamon, pecans and walnuts swirl through the middle of the dough.  They are actually made like cinnamon rolls but the swirled dough slices are put in a loaf pan and shaped slightly.  The rising and egg wash is what actually brings the dough slices together.  Also, if that was not enough to hold the loaf together, it has been topped with quite a bit streusel.

The slices of this cake went over well at work and actually drew out a few introductions from some of the people.  I am glad the recipe made 3 loaves. Please note that the dough has to rest overnight prior to baking, so plan in advance.

Streusel Topped Babka
adapted from Great Coffeecakes

Ingredients/Babka dough
3/4 cup sour cream
3 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup or 1 stick butter ( in between temp/consistency, not soft and not hard)
1/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup plus 1 tsp sugar
1 tbs and 1 1/2 tsp or 1 1/2 pkgs yeast
3/4 tsp salt
3 3/4 cup flour

Ingredients/Filling
3/4 cup pecans, chopped and toasted
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup dark brown sugar (lightly packed)
2 tbs plain bread crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbs dutch process cocoa powder
1/2 cup very soft butter
1 large egg beaten with 2 tsp water for egg wash

Ingredients/Streusel
3 tbs finely chopped pecans or walnuts
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
6-7 tbs butter

To make the dough, warm a small bowl by rinsing in warm water.  Then fill with 1 tsp of sugar and warm water.  Sprinkle the yeast on top-do not stir.  Cover the bowl with a saucer and let sit for 2 minutes. After it sets, uncover and swirl the bowl.  Repeat again with the time being 2 minutes. Cover for an additional minute, then uncover and stir.  Cover for one last interval of 3 minutes for yeast to get bubbly and foamy.

Using a stand mixer, blend the flour, sugar and salt.  Once mixed, add the butter and run mixer on low for about 3 minutes.

Take out a separate bowl and blend sour cream, eggs and vanilla.  Then add the dissolved yeast.  Take this mixture and pour it into the butter flour blend in the stand mixer.  Turn the mixer on low and let run for about 3-4 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl.

Place the dough on a floured surface and knead a few times until it is no longer sticky.  Divide into 3 pieces and place each in a small plastic bag and seal.  There should be enough room in the bag to allow for dough to expand and rise.  Refrigerate overnight.

The next day. prepare 3 of the 8X3 3/4 inch loaf pans by brushing the interior with some of the butter.  Then place a strip of parchment 3 inches wide by 15 inches long in each pan, making sure the long length hangs outside of the long sides of each pan.  It should be like a cross. Also line a baking sheet (with a slight lip on it) with parchment paper.

To make the filling, stir together the cinnamon, cocoa, bread crumbs and both type of sugars.  Set aside. 

Take one piece of dough out of refrigerator.  Place on floured surface and knead a few times.  Add 1/3 of the pecans.  Knead them into the dough evenly until the dough is no longer sticky.  Roll the dough into a rectangle.  It should be 12 inches and parallel to the counter with the left and right sides measuring 9 inches.

Spread surface of the dough with 1/3 of the remaining butter, leaving a 1 1/2 border at the top of the 12 inch length.  Sprinkle top with  1//3 cup of the cinnamon cocoa blend, leaving the top border blank.  Sprinkle with 1/3 cup chopped walnuts.  Press filling slightly into the dough.  Brush the 1 1/2 inch border with the egg wash.

Starting with the long edge closest to you, roll the dough up toward the egg wash side.  Once a log has formed, pinch the egg wash edge against the log. After the initial roll up, roll a few more times on a floured board to tighten the dough and keep it sealed.  The log should be the same length as the original dough length of 12 inches.

Cut the log into eight pieces.  Then brush egg wash on the uncut outside dough of each piece, leaving one side without the egg wash to put up against the pan.  Place the pieces ,with the cut side down, in two rows of four going down the length of the pan.  Then push down slightly.  Also push from the sides inward to make it into a loaf mound.  Repeat the steps in this is paragraph as well as the 3 prior for the other two mounds of dough in the refrigerator. Once completed, cover each loaf with a clean towel and place in a warm area to rise.  Rising time should be about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

To make the streusel place the butter in a small sauce pan over low heat until almost all is melted. Remove and let cool.   In another bowl, mix together all the rest of the ingredients.  Stir dry ingredients into melted butter.  Stir until mixture has coarse crumbs and can clump in your hand.

Let the mixture sit for about 10-15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Brush the tops of the loaves (that have completed rising) with egg wash and sprinkle the streusel on top. Place the loaf pans evenly on the parchment lined baking sheet and bake until done about 30-35 minutes.  Check at the mid point to make sure loaves are not browning to fast.  You can slow down browning process by placing foil over the areas that  are toasting too fast.

Remove pans and let loaves cool.  When cooled, lift out by using the parchment paper in pans.  Slice and serve.
                      **LAST YEAR: Renegade Cookies***

Bourbon Maple Bars

I have had this recipe tucked away for some time now.  It was actually one of the recipes I got when I first started in G+.   Since then I have pulled a couple more from the site.  The recipes are from Micheal Recchiuti, that has a lot of talent when it comes to confections.  His site has a lot to offer in the way of treats as well as recipes.

As far as this recipe, I am glad I found something a little bit upscale and unique in comparison to all the blondie and brownie recipes floating around out there.  The moist maple and bourbon cake along with the crunchy toasted walnuts turned out to be a pretty tasty bar.  The only change I made to the recipe was making 1/2 a batch more of the glaze.  The original recipe amount left too much of the bar showing through, so it was not enough in my opinion.  

Due to the fact it was late and I was unable to get in touch with Micheal prior to this post for permission to post the recipe details here, I have provided a direct link to his site for the recipe:
Dad's Bourbon Maple Bars

Outside of the fantastic recipes, I am thinking that I may splurge for Halloween and try some of his chocolate candy. However, for right now I am splurging on these maple bars!
                             **LAST YEAR: Chestnut Chocolate Muffins***

Apple Butterscotch Bundt Cake

Well the Texas weather has finally cooled down, giving me thoughts about all the fall baking that is coming up and the great holidays.

This particular cake is a tasty way to welcome fall.  Anything that has cinnamon and nutmeg does the trick for me every time.  Not only does this cake have spices but also walnuts and apples, which add great taste and texture.

It is not difficult to make and does not require a lot of fancy ingredients, so it is a perfect recipe to go to when you are in a bind for time.

In my mind, bundt cakes have such great flavor that they really do not require any icing.  While I did not make the icing as stated in the recipe below, I did use a caramel drizzle. I will be serving the cake with the drizzle on the side, so people can make their own choice.  Some of the crowd is dieting and some have a big sweet tooth, so I think this was a good solution.

Apple Butterscotch Bundt Cake
adapted from Cake Simple

Ingredients/ Cake
1 cup chopped, toasted walnuts
4 cups chopped and peeled apples (I used Granny Smith)
1 1/2 cups canola oil
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar (packed)
3 cups flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Ingredients/ Butterscotch Icing
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup or 1/2 stick of butter /cut into small cubes
1/4 tsp salt

Prepare a 12 cup bundt pan by greasing the inside with melted butter, you can use a pastry brush or dip a paper towel into the butter and coating the pan.  Then dust the interior with flour and tap out the excess.  Set aside and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in a medium bowl. Then fill the bowl of a stand mixer with the canola oil and both sugars.  Using the whisk attachment, blend for 30 seconds on medium speed.  Add one egg and whisk for another 30 seconds.  Continue with the same process for each egg addition.  Once all the eggs are blended, whisk in the vanilla extract.

Add the sifted ingredient to the batter and stir with a wooden spoon until no dry streaks remain.  Then add the walnuts and apples, folding in until all is evenly distributed.

Then spoon batter evenly into prepared bundt pan.  Place pan in oven and bake until tester comes out clean.  With my oven it took about 55 minutes.  The recommended baking time with the recipe is one hour and 15 minutes.  Remove cake from oven and place on a wire rack.  Let cool for 20 minutes and then invert cake onto rack and let cool completely before icing.

For the icing, fill a saucepan with the heavy cream, brown sugar, butter and salt.  Place pan over medium low heat and let cook, stirring constantly.  When the sugar and salt have completely dissolved, remove pan from heat and let cool.   Once mixture reaches room temperature, sift the confectioners sugar over the top, then whisk until smooth.

Take the icing and drizzle over the top of the cake, now it is ready to serve!
                    **LAST YEAR: Big Brahman Rolls** 

Pineapple Polenta Cake

I have made a few recipes with pineapple.  However, I have always used canned and as we all know, fresh cut pineapple is more flavorful and juicy. So, after seeing fresh pineapple at the grocers, I could not resist buying some.

I am still perusing through Johnny Iuzzini's cookbook and I came across a recipe for pineapple-polenta cakes.  I do like the standard cake base for pineapple upside-down cake, but this recipe was a delicious step outside the box. The texture of the polenta cake made a great foundation for the juicy chunks of pineapple and was a smart choice for making individual cakes.

The best bite in this cake is when you get all three components: juicy pineapple, sweet polenta and a caramel topping.  I made sure that my pineapple pieces were nice and thick, so it would be evident in every bite.  Also, to really get the most out of this dessert, serve it warm.

This recipe requires four 3 1/4 inch or ten 2 1/4 inch rings.

Pineapple Polenta Cake
adapted from Dessert Fourplay

Ingredients/Fruit Layer
1/2 ripe pineapple
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbs water
pinch of salt

Ingredients/Cake
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup plus 2 tbs yellow cornmeal
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup flour
4 tbs or 1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 egg
2 large egg yolks
7 tbs sugar

Prepare the ring molds by covering the bottom with foil and wrapping up around the outside edges, so you have a little cake pan.  Place foil side down on baking sheet.  Set aside.

For the fruit layer, cut 1/2 pineapple into quarters vertically.  Then take each quarter and cut into 8 pieces and place in bowl.

Take a saucepan fill with sugar and water.  Place over high heat.  Let the sugar melt and cook until it starts to turn color.  Remove and swirl the pan so the sugar will brown even and place back on burner.  Continue with this process until the sugar mixture is a dark amber.  Remove from heat and fill one mold with about 1 1/2 tbs of sugar mixture for large and 2 tsp for small.  Lift and tilt mold so that all the sugar mixture evenly coats the bottom foil from edge to edge. Repeat the process so that all of the molds are bottom lined with the sugar mixture.

For the small molds, place one piece of pineapple on top of the sugar layer.  For the larger, use two pieces of pineapple. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

To make the cake batter, cream together the sugar and butter with a stand mixer fitted with the paddle. Mixture should be fluffy.  Scrape down sides and add one egg.  Beat for 30 seconds and scrape down sides.  Add one egg yolk and beat for another 30 seconds.  Then add the last egg yolk and beat until well blended.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.  Pour into the wet batter and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until no dry streaks remain.  Take a small zip loc back and snip the corner.  Fill bag with batter and pipe between and over pineapple pieces in mold.  Then for larger molds add two more pieces of pineapple and smaller add one.  Then cover this layer with the batter as well.

Then pipe another layer of batter, smoothing out tops, molds should be 3/4 full.  Place in oven and bake for 8 minutes for the small cakes and 10 for the large.  Make sure the pan is rotated at the halfway point.  The cakes are done when a tester comes out clean.   Let cool for about 1 minute.

Remove from oven and run a knife around the inner edge of the mold.  Ivert mold onto serving plate and remove the foil and then remove the ring mold.  Then serve.

Tips and Notes
1. I used such big chunks of  pineapple that I needed an additional 1/2 recipe of the batter to fill mold and cover pineapple chunks.
2. Do not lift ring off of cake without taking off the foil, it will cause you to pull caramel as well as pineapple pieces off the cake.
3. I used a fork to help when peeling off the foil to make sure the topping came off the foil
4. Due to using more batter in my molds, the cakes took about 20 minutes to bake for 3 1/4 inch molds.
5. I made sure that the pineapple pieces were not stacked one on top of each other.  My first layer had two pieces placed vertically and the second had two pieces placed horizontally.
                            **LAST YEAR: Sunshine Grove Cookies**

Persephone's Winter Cake

There is a myth surrounding how wintertime actually came about.  Apparently Hades, God of the Underworld, stole someone's daughter named Persephone to keep her and make her marry him.  Her mother was Demeter, goddess of the harvest.

Once Demeter heard about her daughters fate, plants stopped growing.  The lack of food did take its toll on several people as well as animals.  Then her husband Zeus advised that as long as Persephone had not eaten any food in the underworld, she could go free.  Based on this, Persephone was released back to her family.

However it did not take long for a servant of Hades to arrive and advise the parents that Persephone did in fact eat.  It was only 7 pomegranate seeds, but it still was food.  The family was devastated, so much so that it was finally ruled that Persephone could stay with her parents 9 months out of the year. The other 3 months she would have to stay in the underworld.  As a result, plants would die during the 3 months, hence the season was to be called winter.  This cake does have some summer flavors, but the name reflects the tie in to the myth.

This particular cake has is a unique flavor combination, pomegranate and white wine. It came out very moist with a subtle tartness from the pomegranate.  The layers are filled with lime curd and the cake is frosted with sweetened whipped cream.  The curd really does give an extra pop of flavor against the subtle flavor of the cake. Also the whipped cream just pulls it all together in one tasty bite.  

Persephone's Winter Cake
by flourtrader

Ingredients/Lime Curd
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 tbs lime zest
1/3 cup lime juice
1/2 cup or 1 stick of butter, 1/4- 1/2 inch cubes


Ingredients/Cake
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup & 2 tbs white wine
1/4 cup & 2 tbs  pomegranate juice
2 tsp vanilla extract
5 egg yolks
red food coloring (optional)
2 tbs freeze dried pomegranate
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs baking powder
2/3 cups sugar
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
8 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar

Ingredients/Whipping Cream
1/2 tsp whipping cream stabilizer (I used Whip it brand)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
8 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla

For the lime curd, beat together eggs, lime juice, lime zest and sugar.  Pour into small saucepan and cook on low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and lightly coats the back of a spoon.  It should reach a temperature of about 160 degrees.  Then add about 3-4 cubes of butter and stir until it melts.  Continue with this process until all butter has been melted and mixed in.  Remove from heat.  Place a sieve over a heat proof bowl and pour the curd into it.  Make sure all curd is pushed through strainer, leaving the zest behind.  Let cool for about 5 minutes, then cover the surface with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.

Prepare two 9 inch cake pans by greasing the interior with melted butter.  Then line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper and butter the surface.  Dust bottom and sides with flour.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Sift together 2/3 cup of sugar, flour, baking powder,freeze dried pomegranate and salt.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together yolks, water, oil, vanilla and lemon zest.  Stir in the wine and pomegranate juice.  Add the optional food coloring, being aware that the egg whites will lighten the batter color.  Mix until blended evenly.

Take out a mixer bowl and fill with eggs whites and cream of tartar.  Beat until it turns into soft peaks.  Then add 1/4 cup of sugar and beat for 1 minute and add another 1/4 and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.  Fold the egg white mixture into the pomegranate batter.

Pour the batter into the two cake pans, making sure each is filled evenly.  Put each pan in the oven, one on the top left and one on the bottom left.  Baked until tester comes out clean, which is about 25 minutes.  Remove pans and run a knife around the edges.  Place pans on rack and let cool for 10 minutes.  Then invert and peel off parchment and let cakes cool completely.

Once the cakes are cool, place in fridge for 15 minutes.  Then remove and trim domed tops to make each cake even and flat on top.  Then with cut dome side up, smooth the lime curd on top evenly.  Then top with other cake layer.

To make the whipped cream, place all ingredients in a small bowl and beat until soft peaks form.  Be careful not to over beat, you do not want it stiff, just thick.  Frost the top and sides of cake and pipe a border if desired.  Store in fridge until ready to serve.

Tips and notes:
1. deflating the whites when folding in can make for a dense cake, so take care in this process
2. Straining out the zest in the curd is optional, you can leave it in for extra tartness.
3. The stabilizer does help whipped cream from being runny at room temperature for extended times. If you do not have stabilizer, it is best to use a version with gelatin but it will give it a more spongy texture.
4.  This is another one in which I did not like the taste of the cake the first day but on the second day the flavors had developed into something very tasty.
                   **LAST YEAR: Maple Pumpkin Bars**

Elixir Wage Cake

Back in the 15th Century in Britain the labor force was under a truck system. The truck system was a manner in which payment was made for services in the form of commodities.  This in turn meant that those commodities had to be exchanged for the actual true needs of the laborer.  Also, the place of exchange would be a company owned store that controlled the value.

However, when it came to farm workers and cider, the average wage was 4-5 pints a day.  This system soon was became a way to rate a laborer. The more a man could drink, the more valuable he became. So a man that put away 2 gallons a day was considered a great worker.  Then in 1887 came the Truck Act which put a stop to payment in commodities and the drink fest came to a close.

Perhaps payment in the form of hard cider was a bad thing, but I decided that this particular cake would make for a nice company bonus!  This spicy cake takes a whopping 1 1/2 cups of hard cider.  Along with that, you include dark brown sugar and some apple juice.  The rich moist crumb of the cake is delicious enough on its own, but I couldn't just leave it at that.  Hard cider does deserve an apple chaser, so I included a tunnel of apples as well.

Elixir Wage Cake
by flourtrader

Ingredients/apple tunnel
1 cup dried apple pieces, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup apple juice
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Ingredients/Cake Batter
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups hard cider (open can or bottle and leave sit overnight, covered, to get flat)
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup or 1 1/2 sticks of butter
3 1/4 cups cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar

To make the filling, fill a saucepan with the apples, water, orange juice and apple juice in a medium size saucepan and place over medium heat and stir.  Let mixture come to a simmer and then cover and let cook for about 10 minutes.  You want the apples to become very soft and a lot of the liquid to be absorbed.  Then add the sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Simmer uncovered, stirring constantly for about 5-8 minutes, the water should now be very thick and syrupy.  Remove and set aside to cool to room temperature.  After it reaches room temperature, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Generously grease the inside of a 10 cup bundt pan.  Then dust with flour.   Sift together baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and flour and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.  Then beat in vanilla extract and salt.  Add one egg and beat for 30 seconds and then do the same with the second egg.  Using a wooden spoon, fold 1/3 of the sifted ingredients into the batter.  Then add 1/2 cup apple juice and 1/2 cup hard cider, stir until blended.  Add 1/2 of the remaining flour mixture and blend with wooden spoon.  Pour the last of the hard cider (1 cup) into the bowl and mix.  Follow with the rest of the sifted ingredients and blend until no dry streaks remain.

Now, to fill the cake pan.  I used 3 cups for the first layer, but you can see how much sinking the apples did.  I would say put 5 or 6 cups of batter into the pan.  Then take out the apple mixture and spoon it around in a circle in the center of the batter, making sure none touches the edges.  Spoon the rest of the cake batter on top and smooth out evenly.

Place pan in oven and bake for about 55 minutes or until tester comes out clean.  Place pan on a rack and let cool for 20 minutes.  Then invert and let completely cool before slicing.

Tips and Notes:
1.  Cake is better the next day because the spice flavor develops more.  I liked mine served slightly warm.
2.  The sinking factor is unpredictable,  but the apples may land dead center even if you place them on top of all the batter before baking-the process does need some experimenting for placement..
3.  Caramel sauce would be a great accompaniment.
                         **LAST YEAR: Triple Quake Bars**
                                 

Florida Cottontails

When I think of cottontails, I usually think of a more central or northern rabbit.  However, there is a rabbit which inhabits some areas of Florida.  They are called marsh rabbits.  They look like most cottontails that you see in other areas, except they are a little more reddish instead of brown.

Since Florida is a large producer of lemons and these cakes do look like a big fluffy cottontail, that is how I came up for a name for these cakes.

The flavor idea came to me when I saw those pink Hostess cakes called "snowballs".  For those that are unfamiliar with the "snowballs" they are chocolate cakes shaped like a dome that are filled and coated with marshmallow fluff and then sprinkled with pink coconut. 

Instead of that combination, I thought that lemon,coconut and meringue would go well together.   These lemony cakes are filled, as well as topped, with meringue then have a final coating of sweet coconut.  Outside of their great taste, they have a bright lemon yellow color which conjures up the lazy days of summer and outdoor picnics.  However, be aware that these yellow gems do entice little kids into grabbing and eating them with their hands-so be sure to have plenty of napkins around when serving!

This recipe makes 8 cakes and requires 2 domed cupcake pans with 1/2 cup cavities that are 3.5 inches in diameter and 1.5 inches deep.

Florida Cottontails
by flourtrader

Ingredients/Cake
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tbs lemon zest
2/3 cup of lemonade (I used Simply Lemonade brand)
1 tbs lemon juice
1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
1 tsp vegetable oil
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Ingredients/Filling and Frosting
3 egg whites, room temp
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
pinch salt
2 cups sweetened coconut
6 drops liquid or 1/4 tsp powdered yellow food coloring

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease the top edges and interior of 8 cavities of your dome pans.  Then dust with flour.

Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder.  Then sprinkle in the zest and stir, distributing evenly.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar.  Once it becomes light and fluffy, add one egg and beat for 30 seconds.  Then add the additional egg and vegetable oil, beating again to blend.  Using a wooden spoon, fold in 1/3 of the sifted ingredients.  Then mix in 1/3 cup of lemonade and lemon juice.  Repeat this process and then add the final amount of the dry ingredients.

Using an ice cream scoop or a spoon, fill each cavity 2/3 full with cake batter.  Place in oven and bake 15-25 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Rotate baking pans halfway into the baking time.  Mine took a total of 18 minutes to fully bake.  Remove pans and let rest for 3-5 minutes, then invert cakes onto rack to finish cooling.  Flip cakes so dome is facing up.

Once cool, take a serrated edge knife and cut off 1/3 of the top of the dome on each cake.  Then scoop out 1 1/2 tbs of cake from the center of the bottom piece.

To create filling and frosting, fill a sauce pan with the water and sugar and place over medium heat.  Let come to a boil and cover.  Set timer for 3 minutes. During this time, prewarm your thermometer in a glass of warm water.  Once the timer goes off, uncover and place thermometer in syrup and let mixture heat up until it registers between 235-240 degrees.  Once it reaches that stage, remove pan from heat and place thermometer back in the glass of warm water.

With a large stand mixer,  beat the egg whites until foamy.  Sprinkle in the pinch of salt and beat for 30 seconds.  Continue to beat until soft peaks form.  While still running the mixer at high speed, pour in the syrup in a thin stream, letting it glide down the inside edge of the bowl.  Continue to beat the mixture for 10 minutes longer to let cool down.  Then beat in the vanilla extract.  Take 1 cup of the meringue out and place in another bowl, setting aside.  Add 3 drops or 1/8 tsp of the food coloring to the larger amount of the meringue in the stand mixer bowl and beat until it becomes an even color of yellow.  You can add additional food coloring should you want a deeper color.

Then fill a small food processor bowl with the coconut and the remaining food coloring and blend until coconut has turned a lemony yellow.  Set aside.

Take the white meringue and fill the hole in the bottom of the cakes.  Then put the top back on the cakes.  Then thickly cover each cake with the colored meringue.  Generously sprinkle the cakes with the coconut, covering all areas.  Press gently to maintain dome like shape and to get the coconut to adhere. Then they are ready to serve!

Tips and notes:
1. you can change up the extract flavoring in the meringue according to your tastes.
2. I used powdered food coloring.  My liquid food coloring may have been too old, but it gave the meringue an orange tinge, instead of yellow.
3. The meringue gets foamy if it sits, but you can beat it back into its silky consistency.  The silkier, the better you can work with it.
                         **LAST YEAR: Armenian Dinner Rolls**

Banana Split Cake

This is a recipe that I have been hanging onto for quite some time.  The main reason that I have been hesitant to make it is because I feared that there may be too many things packed into this cake.  However, I did move forward and I am glad I did.

The cake has chopped strawberries, bananas, walnuts, pineapple and chocolate chips.  Based on that, it does have all the makings of a banana split, but in a cake form.

It turned out really moist.  Outside of the texture, the taste was pretty amazing.  The tidbits of pineapple still gave off some juice in the bite.  This made me wish I had not have cut up the strawberries so small. The different fruits, chocolate chips and nuts are scattered in the cake, so you do get different flavors in each bite instead of a big blend of everything-that is if your bite is not real huge!

I did not ice this cake with the chocolate glaze, but I have included it in the recipe below.

Also, before I move on, I wanted to thank a few blogger for some recent awards:

Kim at Treat and Trinkets
She was so sweet and gave me the Versatile Blogger, Kreativ and Sunshine award. If you read Kim's about me section in her blog, you can see this is a person of many hats.  However, I am glad she wears a food blogger hat because her talent in the kitchen is something to be shared.  Thanks to her posting, I have a wonderful recipe for French Toast cupcakes as well as Cookie Stuffed Pies!

Richa at Khatta Meetha
Richa passed the Happy Blogger award to me.  While her blog focuses on Indian cuisine, she does have some talent for a variety of things.  You will find vegetarian, non vegetarian recipes as well as recipes for the kids. Truly this myriad of recipes does offer something for everyone.  A few of my picks were crispy okra and coconut french toast. Also, her blog format does pull you in with the slide show and amazing pictures!

So venture out and pay these two girls a visit to their blog and say hello.  Thanks again Kim and Richa for the awards.

Banana Split Cake
adapted from Nestle

Ingredients/Cake
1 cup chopped bananas
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh strawberries
1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1 1/4 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup mashed bananas
One 15.5 oz can of pineapple tidbits (I used 2 of the 8 oz cans)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 3/4 cup flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Ingredients/Glaze
3 tbs butter
3 tbs light corn syrup
3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Let eggs and butter set out for 30 minutes to get to room temperature. Generously grease the inside of a 12 cup bundt pan with melted butter, then dust with flour.

Take 1/4 cup of pineapple juice from can and place in a small bowl.  Drain and the rest of the juice from the pineapple can. You can discard or keep for another use. Add buttermilk to the 1/4 cup of juice and stir.  Then, in a separate bowl. sift together flour, baking powder and salt.  Set both bowls aside.

Place butter in a large mixing bowl and beat until soft and fluffy.  Add 1/4 cup of sugar and beat for 30 seconds.  Continue to add sugar in 1/4 cup measurements and beat after each addition.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally  Then beat in the eggs, mashed bananas and extract until evenly distributed.

Using a wooden spoon, fold in 1/3 of the sifted ingredients.  Add 1/2 of the buttermilk mixture and stir until liquid is absorbed.  Repeat the process of adding and stirring, ending with the last third of the flour mixture.

Fold in the chocolate chips and the 1/4 cup of walnuts.  Then fold in the remaining fruit (chopped strawberries, chopped banana and pineapple tidbits), making sure all is evenly distributed.  Spoon the batter into the pan, smoothing for an even top.

Place in oven and bake for 55-65 minutes or until tester comes out clean. The visible top of the cake does not turn golden, however the part covered by the pan does.  Remove cake and let cool on wire rack for 20 minutes.  Then invert onto rack to completely cool before glazing.

To make the glaze, fill a saucepan with all the ingredients, except for the walnuts. Place saucepan over low heat and stir.  Once mixture is smooth and chips have melted, place a baking sheet lined with wax paper under the rack that is holding the cake.  Then drizzle glaze over the cake and top with remaining nuts.   Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
                      **LAST YEAR: Strawberry Kuchen**

Zero Hour Cake

I recently went through a review of my posts and found that I do not have any many easy to prepare desserts.  With the busy lifestyle that some people have, a lot are looking for something less gourmet and quick.  This particular cake is a breeze to put together and includes ingredients that most people have on hand.

I would say this is a good snack cake to have around for when the kids get home from school as well as an after dinner treat during the week.  The cake is very moist and since it includes cinnamon, it does make you think of a coffee cake.  However, the addition of the chocolate chips brings you back to the idea of a snack cake.  I did not frost it, for I felt the flavor of the cake was rich enough.

The picture above is deceiving, most of the chocolate chips sank to the bottom of the cake. However, I did not have any issues when trying to release the cake from the pan.  Since the chips did sink, I think placing them on top of the batter before baking is much better than mixing in the batter.  These were mini chips and were coated with flour before mixing in, so putting them on top of the batter I see as the only remedy if you use them as an ingredient in this cake.

Zero Hour Cake
by flourtrader

Ingredients
4 eggs
1/3 cup mini choc chips
1/2 cup or 1 stick butter
1 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup sugar
confectioners sugar (for dusting cake)

Preheat the over to 350 degrees.  Prepare a 9 inch square cake pan by buttering all inside surfaces.  Then line the bottom and two sides of inside of the pan (with extra overhang on the sides) by using parchment paper and butter the face up side.  Then dust the all the insides with flour.

In a medium size bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon and baking powder.  Set aside.

Then cream together butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy.  Add one egg and beat for 20 seconds.  Continue to add the eggs, one by one, and beat until blended.  Using a spatula, fold in the sifted ingredients into the egg batter until no dry streaks remain.

Place the batter into the pan, smoothing the top so all is even.  Then sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the batter (see third paragraph above).  Then place pan in oven and bake for about 23-28 minutes or until tester comes out clean.  Cool cake in pan.  Once cool, you can either lift out of the pan or leave in the pan for cutting and serving.  Lightly sprinkle with confectioners sugar.
                             **LAST YEAR: Blackout Cookies**

Banana Boston Cream Pie

Firstly, I want to give my Foodbuzz friends a big thank you for voting the Amadeus Cookies into the top 9!  Your kindness, talent and knowledge are what drives me to strive to do better every day.  Not sure where I would be without the Foodbuzz community! 
 
I have been wanting to make something with bananas recently, but I wanted something different from bread or ice cream.  Then after reviewing several recipes, I decided on this particular one.  It is a version of the Boston Cream Pie, but created with banana cake instead of the standard yellow cake.

Some people do not like banana because they say it has too strong of a flavor.  However, this particular recipe, even though it has 6 mashed bananas, has a light flavor which does well with the chocolate ganache and vanilla pastry.  You can still taste the distinct flavors in the cake which makes it well balanced. I do not want to be eating chocolate and only tasting bananas!

The cake here is a little tall. The recipe calls for 10 inch cake pans and I used 9 inch pans.  Normally I photograph my layered cake slices laying down, but I decided to save some of the ganache and drizzle it over one slice. I had to move this several times during the photo session and I was worried about it toppling over. Luckily it survived the moving around!

There is an upcoming BBQ I have been invited to that I am deliberating on attending.  However, since there is a big difference between the number of people in an army squad and squadron, I will have to clarify that.  This cake certainly will not feed a whole squadron!

Banana Boston Cream Pie
adapted from From Emerils Kitchen Cookbook

Ingredients/Cake
4 cups cake flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream
1 tbs vanilla extract
4 eggs
2 cups mashed ripe (not over ripe) bananas (about 6 bananas)
1 1/4 sticks plus 2 tbs butter (room temp)

Ingredients/Pastry Cream
1/2 cup plus 3 tbs sugar
2 cups plus 2 tbs cream
3 tbs and 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
3 egg yolks
1/2 a vanilla bean, split lengthwise with seeds scraped out and all reserved

Ingredients/Chocolate Ganache
1 1/4 lbs or 3 1/4 cups chopped semisweet chocolate
2 cups heavy cream

Due to chilling time, the pastry cream will need to be made first.  Pour 2 cups of the cream into a small saucepan and add 1/2 cup and 1 tbs of the sugar and stir.  Then add all reserved vanilla bean ingredients.   Place saucepan over medium heat and let come to a simmer.  Stir while cooking to make sure all the sugar gets dissolved.  Then remove from heat and set aside.

In a small bowl, add the rest of the cream ingredients (2 tbs sugar, 2 tbs cream, cornstarch, egg yolks).  Blend all together with a whisk until mixture turns pale yellow.  Take 1/2 cup of the hot cream and whisk into egg mixture until blended.  Then pour back into the saucepan of the remaining cream mixture.  Place pan over medium heat and let cook, constantly stirring with a wooden spoon.  Once the mixture can coat the back of the spoon, it is done cooking.  Remove from heat and pour into heatproof bowl.  Cover the surface of the cream with plastic wrap.  Then refrigerate for about 4 hours.  I sped up the process and did 2 hours, one in the fridge and one in the freezer.

To make the cake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Melt the 2 tbs of butter and then generously grease the interior of 2 ten inch cake pans.  Line the bottom of the pans with parchment and use the rest of the melted butter to grease the face up sides of the parchment.

Sift the baking powder, baking soda, flour, 3/4 cup of sugar and salt in a medium size bowl.  Set aside.

Cream the 1 1/4 sticks of butter with the remaining 1 cup of sugar.  Then, fill the bowl of a food  processor (fitted with a metal blade) with the mashed bananas, eggs, vanilla and sour cream.  Process for about 30 seconds or until all is a thick puree.

Add 1/3 of the sifted ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture.  Beat at low speed until all is blended.  Then beat in 1/2 of the banana mixture.  Continue with the adding and beating, ending with the sifted ingredients.

Divide batter equally into the two pans.  Place in oven and bake until done.  The top of the cake will be golden and it will spring back when lightly touched.  Baking time is about 30-40 minutes.

Remove pans and place on rack for 10 minutes.  Then invert cakes onto rack to cool completely and peel off parchment paper.

To make the ganache, put chocolate in a heat proof bowl.  Then pour cream into a saucepan and place over medium high heat.  Once cream starts to simmer, pour it over the chocolate.  Let rest for 5 minutes and then whisk cream into chocolate.  Chocolate should be smooth and melted.

To assemble cake, place your rack with the cake over a baking sheet lined with wax paper.  Also, if using a cake round, cover it with foil.  The rounded tops of the cake layers should be leveled.  Then place one layer with bottom level side up on the cake board.  Cover the cake's top surface with the chilled pastry cream, smoothing it out leaving 1/2 inch border around the edge.  Place the other layer of cake on top, bottom side up, pressing lightly.  Cover the circumference of the cake with two layers of plastic and press top layer again making sure pastry comes to outer edge of the cake.

Remove plastic and scrape off any excess pastry cream.  Then pour 1 1/2 cups of ganache over the cake.  It will drip down the sides.  Allow to set up for about 5 minutes.  Then pour the remainder of the ganache on top, making sure top and sides are evenly covered.  Chill for 30 minutes before serving and then cut pieces with a serrated edge knife.
                                 **LAST YEAR: Chinese Almond Cookies**

Zucchini Slices with Chocolate Glaze

I have seen a lot of carrot cake recently and it did get me to thinking that it had been some time since I posted a cake made with a vegetable. While I was reviewing recipes, I was thinking how most of the time, cakes like this really have a great topping that compliments the flavor of the cake.  However, there are a lot of creations that have a bunch of add ins with the vegetables.  I have seen pineapple, coconut as well as white chocolate chips in carrot cakes.  Nothing wrong with that, but the more add ins, the lesser it becomes an actual carrot cake.

This particular cake is one layer, so in regards to the density, it lands in between a fluffy 2 layer birthday cake and a pound cake. The ground walnuts and grated zucchini in the batter bake up with a surprisingly smoother texture than you would think.  Besides the smooth texture, your taste buds will  experience a pop of cinnamon. Then the final flavor phase is the topping, which is the Viennese trademark, a silky coat of apricot glaze doused with bittersweet chocolate glaze.

The topping is a must. The apricot glaze has just the right amount of acidity to tone down the sweetness of this dessert.  In addition, the undercoat helps add that extra sheen to the ganache glaze on top.

Even though this is a zucchini cake, the topping puts it into a more upscale category than the standard.  I like that it can be made in a 9X9 pan, so it is a good one for small gatherings. Also, since the zucchini is not prominent in the taste, the unsuspecting veggie hater will also enjoy this dessert.  As a blogger, I rarely make anything twice.  However, after tasting this I have decided that it is worthy of a repeat-maybe sooner rather than later!

Zucchini Slices with Chocolate Glaze
adapted from Kaffeehaus by Rick Rodgers

Ingredients/Cake
1 tbs honey
1 tbs golden rum
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbs melted butter
bread crumbs (for dusting pan)
pinch of salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups finely shredded zucchini (about 2 small zucchini)

Ingredients/Topping
1/2 cup and 2 tbs apricot preserves
1 tbs rum or water
1/3 cup plus 1 tbs heavy cream
3 oz chopped bittersweet chocolate

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.   Brush the interior of an 8X11 or 9x9 inch cake pan with the melted butter.  Then dust with the bread crumbs.  Set aside.

Take a food processor bowl and attach a standard metal blade.  Then fill with walnuts, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Turn processor on and run for about 30 seconds or until the nuts are processed to a fine texture with the flour mixture.  Set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar.  Then mix in the rum, honey and vanilla extract until blended.  Then stir in the vegetable oil.  Fold the walnut/flour mixture into the batter until no dry streaks remain.  Lastly, mix in the shredded zucchini.

Pour ingredients into prepared pan and smooth the top so it is even.  Place pan in oven and bake until tester comes out clean.  This should take about 25-30 minutes.  Remove pan and place on a rack to cool for 5 minutes.  After 5 minutes invert cake onto rack. Place rack over baking sheet lined with wax paper.  Let cake cool completely before topping.

To make the apricot glaze, place preserves and rum or water in a saucepan.  Put over medium heat and stir continuously.  Let come to a boil and cook for about 2-3 minutes.  The end result is a smooth glaze and there should be drops that cling to the spoon  Remove pan from heat.

Pour mixture into a sieve placed over a heat proof bowl.  Let drain and then push the remainder through the sieve with a spoon.  Then using a pastry brush, brush glaze all over the top and sides of the cake, making sure that edges are covered.  Then let cake sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes for glaze to set up.

For the ganache, place heavy cream in a saucepan and let come to a boil and remove.  Put all chocolate into saucepan with cream and do not stir for 1 minute.  Then whisk the chocolate into the cream until well blended.  Then pour over cake and smooth chocolate over top and sides with an offset spatula, letting excess drip off.  Place in refrigerator for 20 minutes to allow glaze to set.  Once set, you are ready to slice and serve!

Tips:
Do not use jam or jelly for apricot glaze, the sugar ratio is different so preserves are a must.
You can substitute with different preserves, depending on your preference.
For a non alcoholic version for the cake use 1/2 tsp rum extract or water in place of the rum.
Should you want to put any decoration or nuts on top, do that prior to chilling the cake.
You can prepare the cake one day in advance.
Cake should be served chilled.
It is easier to chop the chocolate right before pouring into cream.
I peeled the zucchini before shredding to insure there was no green coming through in the batter.
                      **LAST YEAR:Orange Chicken**

Thunderstorm Bundt Cake

Firstly let me say that this is not just a vanilla chocolate marble cake as you would think by the picture.  Do not let it fool you, it is actually a strawberry chocolate marble cake.  No pink, because I chose no artificial color.

For some time I have been struggling with achieving a natural fruit flavored cake batter.  Yes, you can use citrus all day long, but outside of that it is difficult.  I have tried concentrated juices, boiling down juice and using extracts but I still continued to look.  I got a little closer by finding a natural fruit extract but was not completely there yet.  Now I am happy that I have found the answer in a combination of two things: natural fruit extract as well as freeze dried fruit powder.  This really does open the door to creating some more exotic cakes.  I even saw freeze dried gooseberry powder!

I think that the swirling of this cake is about like a swirl of dark clouds of an impending thunderstorm.  I was tempted to say "Perfect Storm" because I was so delighted at the flavor of this cake, but I chose something that was a little bit more humble.

I could have colored the strawberry batter for appearance purposes, but decided to decline.  It may not look so striking but I am happy that the natural flavors are there and that is enough for me! The texture is very moist and the strawberry chocolate combo not only tastes good but I can actually smell the strawberries as well as the chocolate in this cake.  I am hooked.

Now before we get to the recipe, I do have some shout outs as follows:

Balvinder or Neetu at  Gluten Free Food-thanks for passing along the ABC award to me.  Neetu is one of the bloggers I met early on and she really has shown me that gluten free does not mean that you are deprived of great taste.  I really liked her post on Mexican Brownies as well as Meatball pizzas.

Carmen of Carmen's Kitchen-thanks for passing along the Happy Blogger Award.  Carmen started her blog in 2011 very nervous about being the head cook and a newlywed.  However, I have come to realize she had nothing to be worried about.  Her blog really showcases how versatile she is in the kitchen.  I loved her post on Hello Kitty Cake pops as well as the Miso Katsu Burger.  Also, she has some sweet support from the hubby, who always puts in a word or two after eating.

Kim at A Little Lunch -thanks for the sweet rich chocolate clusters!  I had the luck to win her giveaway and her springtime looking package arrived quickly.  The quality of the clusters she sent is just amazing and a little goes a long way.  I already rolled out an introduction recently, but I just have to say that this candy is reflective of just what a sweet blogger she is!

Take some time and pop in to meet these bloggers if you haven't already!

Thunderstorm Bundt Cake
by Flourtrader 

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups of flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 cup sugar
1 tbs plus 1 tsp freeze dried strawberry powder
1/8 tsp natural strawberry flavor
1 1/2 tsp dutch cocoa powder (more for dusting pan)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or 8 oz chopped chocolate
1 cup or 2 sticks butter, room temp (more for greasing pan)
1 tsp vegetable oil
2 cups cream fraiche
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare a 12 cup bundt pan by greasing all the interior with melted butter.  Then sift some dutch cocoa in the pan and roll the pan making sure that all the interior is dusted with cocoa.  Set aside.

Set up a double boiler and fill the top pan with the chocolate.  Let the water simmer in the bottom pan and melt the chocolate in the top.  Stir occasionally.  Once all is melted and smooth, add the cocoa and stir until dissolved.  Remove pan from heat.

In a medium size bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.  Set aside.  Then fill the bowl of a stand mixer with the butter and sugar.  Cream mixture together by beating on medium speed for about 2 minutes.  It should turn light and fluffy.

Add one egg and beat for 30 seconds.  Continue with the process, adding one egg at at time.  Then beat in the vanilla extract and the vegetable oil.

Using a wooden spoon, fold in 1/3 of the sifted ingredients into the batter until incorporated.  Stir in 1/2 of the cream fraiche.  Mix in the next 1/3 of the sifted ingredients, then the rest of the cream fraiche.  Lastly fold in the remaining sifted ingredients.  Mixture should be a pretty thick batter.

Transfer 1/2 of the batter to another bowl.  Fold in the chocolate mixture in one 1/2 of the batter until smooth.  Then set aside.  For the remaining plain batter, add the freeze dried strawberry powder and the strawberry extract.  Stir until all strawberry ingredients are distributed evenly throughout the batter.

Most bakers have their preference of marbling technique, but here is mine.  Using an ice cream scoop take scoops of the strawberry batter and place them side by side in the bottom of the pan.  Then clean scoop and drop scoops of chocolate batter on top where the sides of the previous scoops meet.  After that, stack alternate layers of flavor scoops on top of each other around the inside of the pan.

Then place pan in oven to bake until tester comes out clean and cake is done.  This should take about 1 hour.  Remove pan and place on rack.  Let cool for 30 minutes before inverting onto cake plate.  Cool completely before slicing and serving.
                      **LAST YEAR:Toasted Coconut Bars**

Berry Meringue Slices

Well I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend.  At our place it was great weather and my husband decided to take some time to plant some herbs and vegetables.  We have an issue with a lot of winds here, so I am not sure how his poly house will withstand it-but at least he has given it a go.

This particular dessert is a part of Austrian cuisine.  This is actually one of many desserts that falls under the name of a Schnitten.  It is basically a cake layered with berries and meringue.  There are  a lot of variations and this particular recipe hails from a Cafe in Vienna.

The original recipe is with blueberries but there was a variation with raspberries listed, so I decided to go with the raspberries.

As far as the taste, I really did like the combo.  The cake part is almost like the same cake as a traditional pineapple upside down cake, except it had a subtle lemon flavor.  Then you have the burst of fruit from the fresh whole berries all topped with a fluffy, sweet meringue.  This dessert was a hit and it is definitely worth making more than once.  Below is the recipe with some helpful tips at the end.

Berry Meringue Slices
adapted from Kaffeehaus Cookbook

Ingredients/Cake
1 3/4 sticks or 14 tbs of butter
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
grated zest of  1/2 lemon
2 tbs fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups of flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt

Ingredients/Topping
2 pints of fresh blueberries or 4 cups of raspberries or blackberries or currants (I used 3 pints)
confectioners sugar: 3 tbs if using blueberries
                                 1/4 cup if using blackberries or raspberries
                                 1/2 cup if using currants
1 cup plus 2 tbs granulated sugar
6 large egg whites, room temperature

Prepare a 9X13 cake pan by greasing the interior and lightly dusting with flour.  This dessert will be plated straight from the pieces cut from the pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium size bowl sift together the baking powder, flour and salt.  Then take a separate bowl and fill with butter and sugar.  Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy, which should take about 3 minutes.  Beat in one egg until the batter is smooth, about 30 seconds each.  Continue with the same process until all the eggs are beaten into the batter.  Then add the vanilla extract and beat again until blended.

Beat 1/2 the sifted ingredients into the batter.  Once all is mixed in, beat in the remaining sifted ingredients.  Then stir in the zest and juice, making sure it is distributed through out the batter.

Spoon the batter into the pan and smooth the top.  Then place in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes.  Cake will be done when the center is touched and lightly springs back. Remove pan and place on cooling rack.

Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees for the topping.  Beat the egg whites at high speed until it reaches a soft peak consistency.  Then continue to beat and gradually add the granulated sugar.  Once all the sugar is blended, continue to beat the egg whites until they become very stiff.  You want the meringue to be shiny in appearance as well.

Then toss the fruit with the confectioners sugar. Pour or place the fruit on top of the cake.  Place scoops of meringue over the berries and smooth it evenly to cover all of the cake and berries.

Place cake in oven again and let cook 3-5 minutes.  You want the meringue to have some golden cooked streaks on the top.  Remove and place pan on a wire rack to cool completely.

To serve, cut the cake using a hot water dipped knife and then lift serving out with cake server or spatula. You can prepare this cake a day ahead, refrigerating it.  However, let it come to room temperature before serving.

Helpful hints and tips:

-line the bottom of the pan with parchment, buttering the surface and then dusting with flour, it will make for a cleaner release when plating.
-if using small berries, spoon over top.  For larger, place by hand in rows.
-fold in the flour instead of beating for lighter texture. Beating batter or dough after adding flour can toughen the texture of the cake
- you can use a knife or the back of the spoon to get a textured look on the top of the meringue.  When cooking, the uppermost portions will brown first, leaving the ones below white.
-Due to the varying size of blackberries and raspberries, place the smaller berries to the outside edge and the larger towards the inside  The smaller ones will hold easier than the larger ones..
                                **LAST YEAR: Brioche Bread Loaves***

Miami Mango Cake

This go around I did want to use a fruit in baking that I had not tried yet, which was mango.  I was not even sure it was the right season.  After some research I found that March is the start of the season for Mexico, but May is the start of the season in Florida.

When I came across this recipe, the first thing that surprised me was that the cake has no butter in it. Also, it had quite a bit of mango.  This let me to believe that there was an error in the recipe.  In my mind I pictured this soupy batter that would never even bake up to a solid mass.

I forged ahead and popped the pan into the oven to bake.  I kept peeking through the window on the oven door to see the progress of it.  It actually got quite brown, most likely due to all that fruit.

All in all, the finished product is a wonderfully moist cake.  Even though the walnuts are optional they added another layer of texture in the bite.  Also, the sweet cream cheese icing really pairs well with the cake.

Some days your instinct is not on the right track and this was one of those times.  The cake was a hit at the luncheon, so it will be something that I will make again.

Now I am off to make 12 dz cookies for donations, so I will be baking up a storm!

Miami Mango Cake
adapted from Three Guys from Miami

Ingredients/Cake
2 1/2 cups mashed/pureed mangoes  (approx. 3 large mangoes)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp natural mango extract (I added this into the recipe, so it is optional)
1 cup chopped walnuts, optional
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Ingredients/Frosting
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter
8 ounces of cream cheese

Ingredients/Topper
12-15 walnut halves
1/2 batch of above frosting
1/2  cup or more powdered sugar
2-4 drops of orange food coloring

To make the cake, grease the inside of a 9X13 inch pan.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.  In another bowl cream together the sugar and the eggs.  Then beat in the extracts.  Add the mango in 1/2 cup intervals, beating after each addition. 

Then, using a wooden spoon, fold in the sifted ingredients until no dry streaks remain.  If you opted for nuts, stir them in at this point.  Pour the batter into the pan.  It will be easy to pour and will even out on its own.  Bake until a tester comes out clean, which is about 35-40 minutes.  Let cool in pan.

Take out a medium size bowl for the frosting.  Beat together the butter, vanilla extract and cream cheese. Once blended, sift confectioners sugar into mixture and then beat again until smooth and creamy.  Then frost the top of the cooled cake.

For the orange/walnut topper, make 1/2 a batch of the frosting and beat in orange food coloring.  Then sift in another 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar and beat again.  If it is not your desired consistency or color continue to add drops of food coloring and tablespoons of powdered sugar, beating after each addition. Mixture should be smooth and creamy with no streaks of food coloring or powdered sugar.

Cut the cake into serving pieces and then pipe a swirl on the top center of each piece. Place one walnut on top, pressing down lightly.  Then you are ready to serve.
               **LAST YEAR: Shrimp Cakes**

Amber Tweed Bundt Cake

Have you ever had a hobby that you started and then went all out and then straight to the point of burn out?  Well I certainly did when I go my sewing machine years ago.  I did save a lot of money, making my own clothes, but my machine is retired now. I probably made at least 50 sets of clothes, if not more.

One thing I do still have a love for is all the wonderful fabrics out there.  One of them, of course, is tweed.  I made a lot of lined business suits for work and I had a thing for the heavier fabrics.  However my tastes are not perfectly suited for the climate since I live in Texas.

I do remember finding my favorite fabric mecca in Dallas.  I walked in and there were bolts stacked to the ceiling of a vast array of fabrics. Woolens, silks, cottons-you name it, they had it.  I used to spend hours in there just trying to decide!  Then I found another specialty place that had unusual and really stylish buttons, so I frequented there often too.

That was many years ago and now that I am blogging, I am waiting to find the same in a kitchen shop.  Until then, I will make due ordering from here and there and shopping at various places.

This particular bundt cake is speckled with chopped cinnamon chips and has no sugar in it.  It is sweetened with honey. The cake is moist with a tender crumb and goes well with a cup of coffee or tea in the morning.  For a dessert, it can be served with cinnamon whipped cream and your favorite berries.

Amber Tweed Bundt Cake
by flourtrader

Ingredients
1 2/3 cups honey
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup plus 4 tbs butter
1 tbs baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
3 egg yolks
1 egg
1 1/4 cup whole milk
1 cup chopped cinnamon chips
3 cups of flour

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Melt 2 tbs of butter and brush the inside of a 10 cup bundt pan.  Then dust with flour.

In a medium size bowl, sift together the baking powder, salt, cinnamon and flour.  Set aside.  In another bowl, beat 1/2 cup and 2 tbs of butter until smooth and creamy.  Add the honey and beat for 2 minutes.  Add one egg yolk and beat for 30 seconds until blended.  Follow the same process for each egg yolk and the egg, beating after each addition.

Then fold 1/3 of the sifted ingredients into the batter.  Add 1/2 a cup of milk and stir until blended.  Fold in another 1/3 of the sifted ingredients and then stir in 3/4 cup milk.  Take the chopped cinnamon chips and stir it into the last 1/3 of the sifted ingredients.  Fold that into the batter.

Pour or spoon the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake for 55-65 or until tester comes out clean.  Cake is done when top springs back when lightly touched.  Let cool in cake pan for 20 minutes and then invert onto rack to finish cooling.

                    **LAST YEAR: Thin Mint Cupcakes**

I am off to the doctor today to take care of this nasty sinus infection, so I will try to catch up with all of you later this afternoon!

Caramel Apple Cakes

I decided this go around I wanted to do a project, not just a regular cake.  I had saved this recipe a few years back from a Disney website but never made it. That site actually has some pretty cool crafty ideas for cupcakes as well as cakes.  This particular recipe was actually for one giant cake.  I made this with a mini ball pan instead and it made about 8 cakes.

The cake part is a spice applesauce cake.  The taste is wonderful and the aroma when baking was enough to make anybody hungry.  This would be a good cake, even if you did not want to got to all the trouble to make the "caramel apple look".  The cakes are covered with caramel and rolled in finely chopped walnuts. I used a specialty caramel-Celtic Sea Salt.  It was not packed with salt, but every once in a while a bite would yield a salty, crystal crunch.

I have listed the original cake recipe for the large caramel apple cake as well as instructions for the mini cakes. I did have a lot of fun making them!.  Also, I finished off my baking session by eating the cut out slice from the one mini cake above, which was the perfect ending to a day in kitchen!  We have visitors coming this evening, so the cakes will be served then.  I have included some helpful tips at the end of this recipe should you decide to make these.


Caramel Apple Cake
adapted from Family Fun Go website 

Special Equipment:
1 ball cake pan  or  2 oven safe 1 1/2 quart bowls (2 mini ball pans)
1 large craft stick (1 package of lollipop sticks)

Ingredients/Cake
2 cups unsweetened applesauce
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp salt
3 1/2 cups flour

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour the top edge as well as the cavities of your pans.

Sift together the cinnamon, allspice, baking soda, cloves, salt and flour.  Set aside.  In another bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, applesauce and vegetable oil until smooth.  Fold in the sifted ingredients.

For the mini ball pans, fill  cavities 2/3 full and bake for about 18-22 minutes.  For the big cake, bake for 60-70 minutes.  Cakes will be done when tester comes out clean.

Once the cake is done and removed from oven, let cool in pan for 10 minutes.  Then invert onto cooling rack and let cool completely.  Then trim the flat sides of cake or cakes so the two pieces match together, forming a ball.

Ingredients/Topping
3/4 cup finely chopped toasted walnuts
60 caramel candies
2 tbs water

In a microwave safe bow, place unwrapped caramels and add the water.  Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval for about one and a half minutes. The mixture should drip off of a spoon.

Place about a tablespoon of caramel in the middle of  8 of the mini cakes or 1/4 cup in the middle of one half for the large cake. Place 1 sheet of wax paper on a flat surface for the large cake and 2 sheets for the minis. Place cake or cakes on top of one sheet.  Spoon the warm caramel over the top, letting it drip down the sides.  Continue until all is covered except for the part directly on top of the wax paper.  Wait 20 minutes for the caramel to cool on the large cake and then scatter nuts along the bottom half of the large cake.  If making minis, let cool for 10 minutes and scoop with a spatula.  Then roll the bottom half of the cakes in the nuts to coat.  Place mini cakes back on clean sheet of wax paper.

Cover the large craft stick with wax paper and insert into top center of the cake.  For the mini's insert one lollipop stick into top center of each cake.

To serve, mini cakes, have guests remove stick and cut with a knife to eat.  The large cake, just remove stick and cut slices.  Each slice should be split again from the top or bottom half of the cake, unless you want to serve long half moon slices.

Tips:
Do not use the center stick to move the cake, it will not hold.
Cooling time is crucial on the caramel, you want the nuts to stick but not to drip off with the caramel
Excess caramel will be on the wax paper.  To create less waste, scoop and re-heat to pour over cake or cakes again.
Since the bottom half of the cake is round, you may have to spoon the caramel to get that part all coated.
The best way to plate these and also help in moving them from one place to another is to take a jumbo muffin paper and cut about an inch off the top and place one cake on top.  Also you can just take a standard cupcake paper and fan it open.

                  **LAST YEAR::Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies**
 

Banana Nut and Dulce De Leche Coffeecake

I know, there is nothing here that says Valentines.  However in my defense, I have to say I had a few festive posts last week. Also me and the hubs already had a nice intimate celebration on Saturday, so even though it has not passed by on the calendar, Valentine's day has already ended for me.

This particular recipe I am very pleased with.  The cake part is fluffy and moist, bursting with banana flavor.  To add to that, there is crunchy pecan streusel on top that is finalized with a drizzling of dulce de leche.  The best way to enjoy this is served slightly warm. Cold or cool Dulce de Leche just does not have the save flavor effect on the cake as it does warmed.

Also, I wanted to give a shout out of thanks to The Purple Spoon for recently passing on the Liebster award to me.  I have been given this award a time or two but it always gives me a feeling of honor as well as happiness.  This particular blogger is involved in catering wedding events and is a specialty dessert wholesaler.  All of her talent is definitely reflected in her blogging as well.  A few of the treasures I found on her site are the Butterfinger Brownie Bars and the Lime Blackberry Meringue Cupcakes.  I am sure you are bound to find something inspiring on her site, so stop on over and meet The Purple Spoon.

Banana Nut and Dulce De Leche Coffee Cake
adapted from Southern Living

Ingredients
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tbs vanilla extract
3/4 cup butter, softened and cut into cubes
1/4 cup of butter, softened and cut into cubes
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 3/4 cup of flour
1 cup toasted chopped pecans
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 (13.4 oz) can of Dulce de Leche

Prepare a 9X13 inch pan by greasing and lining the bottom and two long sides (with overhang) with parchment paper.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Sift together 2 1/4 cups of the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Then stir in the granulated sugar until evenly distributed.   Using a pastry cutter, blend 3/4 cup of the cubed butter into the flour mixture.  Set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together eggs, mashed banana, vanilla extract and sour cream together.  Then fold into flour mixture, making sure no dry streaks remain.  Do not over mix.  Spoon batter into prepared pan and smooth it out so the batter is even.

In a small bowl, stir together remaining 1/2 cup of flour with the brown sugar.  Then cut in the last of the butter chunks (1/4 cup) with a pastry cutter until no dry ingredients remain.  Then blend in pecans, using clean hands or a fork.  Your mixture should resemble large clumps. Sprinkle streusel mixture evenly over batter.

Place Dulce de Leche in a microwave safe bowl.  Heat in microwave for about a minute, stopping and stirring about every 30 seconds.  Continue with that process until it reaches drizzling consistency.  I had a hard time getting it to that stage, so after about 2 minutes I just put it into a squirt bottle.  Drizzle or squirt warmed mixture on top of the streusel.

Place in oven and bake until a tester (poked into section that has no Dulce de Leche on top) comes out clean. Streusel topping should have just started to brown  Baking time is about 35-38 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool in pan 5 minutes.  Then pull cake out of pan with overlapping parchment paper and place on flat surface.  Cut quickly with a sharp knife dipped in hot water.  Knife should be cleaned and re-dipped at cutting intervals because of the sticky topping.  Serve warm. 
                 **LAST YEAR: Loca Luna's Turtle Cake**

Lower East Side Nut Cake

This recipe is one that I have had for quite some time and just now got around to making it.  The two things that drew me to it was the inclusion of matzo meal as well as the raspberry filling.

Before I made this, I wanted to be sure I did everything to insure that this was a success. I got a buttercream icing recipe and scaled it down to make the crumb crust, I did not want this thing tearing as it was iced.  However, it needed very little crumb coating since the cake was only  1 1/2 inch in height and had a layer of raspberry on top underneath the icing.  Also, instead of just purchasing raspberry jam, I got raspberry filling (I used Solo brand) and I used the whole can instead of 1/4 cup as stated in the recipe.

I really did like how it turned out.  It was a dainty, nutty cake and the raspberry was a great pairing of flavor.  The only issues I had was that I should have ground the hazelnuts more and the chocolate ganache frosting took a long time to set up.  Next time, I may use chocolate instead of chocolate chips, which may help with the consistency. Also, note that this recipe recommends using two 9 inch square baking pans.

Lower East Side Nut Cake
adapted from Food Network

Ingredients/Cake
1/4 cup cream
2 tbs hazelnut liqueur
2 tbs melted butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, separated
1 cup finely chopped roasted hazelnuts
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup matzo meal
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup cake flour
1/4 tsp salt and one pinch for egg whites
pinch of cream of tartar
1/4 cup raspberry cake filling or seedless jam (see note above)

Ingredients/Ganache Frosting
4 oz bittersweet chocolate chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
chocolate buttercream crumb coat (optional)
1 pint raspberries for decorating

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare pans by spraying with non stick coating.  Then line the inside bottom of each pan with parchment paper.

Place flour, salt, baking powder and 1/2 cup of sugar in a sifter and sift all into a large bowl. Then sift again for 2 more times.  Then whisk in the chopped nuts and the matzo meal.  Make a well in the dry ingredients and add egg yolks, oil, liqueur, cream and butter.  Stir with a wooden spoon until all is blended.

In a separate bowl add egg whites, salt and cream of tartar.  Beat with electric mixer until foamy and just starting to form peaks.  Add 1/4 cup of sugar and beat for 1 minute.  Add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and beat until stiff glossy peaks form.

Stir in 1/3 of the egg whites into the yolk batter.  Then fold in the rest of the whites until no white streaks remain.  Divide batter evenly and pour into each pan, spreading until even.  My batter was a little over 2 cups for each pan.

Bake cakes until lightly tan on top and top springs back when lightly touched.  This should take about 20 minutes.  Remove pans and place on cooling racks until completely cool.  Cake should pull away from edges while cooling.  Once cool invert pans and let layer release from pan.  Then place one layer on a cake plate, parchment side up.

Remove parchment and trim top to level if needed.  Then spread with half of the raspberry mixture.  Remove parchment on other layer of cake and flip over on top of the other layer.  Trim to level if needed. Spread the remaining raspberry on top of the cake, leaving a small border to insure raspberry does not drip down sides.  If using a crumb coat, smooth it on the exposed sides of the cake and the top edge then place in fridge for 30 minutes to set.  If no crumb coat, still place it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

To make frosting, place chopped chocolate in a medium heat proof bowl. Then pour cream into a small sauce pan and place over medium high heat.  Once it reaches scalding, remove and pour cream over chocolate and stir until all the chocolate is melted and smooth.  Let cool for 30 minutes or until it is thick enough to spread.

Remove cake from fridge, frost the sides and top of the cake with the ganache frosting.  Then place raspberries on top for decoration.  Place in fridge for another 30 minutes to have it all completely set.  Then run a knife under hot water, wipe off and cut cake into pieces for serving.

Baked Lemon Cake Puddings

I had bookmarked these several months ago, but the book somehow got put back on the shelf with the bookmark still in it.  I just came across it recently.  Now I am wondering,what else has a bookmark.  At least I came across it now, so I was happy to make these.

This recipe is a concoction which allows the cake part to float to the top and the custard part to float to the bottom.  While there was not a big distinction between the cake and pudding layer, I did find these to be tasty.  They were a nice change from the chocolatey cake I made earlier this week.

I love all things citrus-my favorite fruit drink is lemonade.  You will not see me drinking tea or soda if lemonade is around, regardless of the weather.  When I took of spoonful of this cross between a cake and a pudding, I was quite taken.  Fluffy in some areas and silky smooth in others, the texture was pleasing to the palate.  Also, the tart lemony flavor was pretty addicting, so it was very difficult not to eat the whole thing.  It had just the right amount of tartness, not mouth puckering but enough for you to notice the zing. 

I filled two 16 ounce ramekins to make mine.  The recipe below is for six 6 ounce custard cups or ramekins.  Also, you can use a 1 quart casserole dish.  The cooking time should be about 55-65 minutes for the casserole dish.

Baked Lemon Cake Puddings
adapted from Good Housekeeping Book of Desserts

Ingredients
3 tbs flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup milk
3 tbs melted butter
2 eggs, whites and yolks separated
2 medium sized lemons

Grease all the inside of the ramekins or custard cups.  Set aside.

Zest the lemons to make 1 tablespoon.  Then squeeze out 1/3 cup of lemon juice.

Fill a small bowl with the egg whites and salt.  Beat until soft peaks form and continue to beat, slowly adding 1/2 cup of sugar.  Beat at high speed until the mixture reaches the stiff peak stage.

Take out another bowl and beat egg yolks with the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar.  Then add all the other ingredients and beat until well blended.  Fold the egg white mixture into the batter with a whisk or spatula, folding until no white streaks remain.

Then boil about 6 or 7 cups of water in a saucepan.  While this is coming to a boil, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Evenly fill the custard cups with the batter and place in a 9X13 inch pan and place on oven rack.  Fill the pan with the boiling water so it comes halfway up the sides of the custard cups.  Slide rack with pan back into oven and bake until tops are golden and firm.  This should take about 40-45 minutes.  Remove and let custard cups cool on wire rack before serving.