Category: Cakes

Brown Butter Almond Cake with Chocolate Filling

With the holidays quickly approaching you may be looking for new recipes to share with your loved ones. Today I am bringing you a Brown Butter Almond Cake with Chocolate Filling that I personally wouldn’t say is ideal for dessert but better suited as a breakfast / brunch treat. Or for an afternoon watching holiday movies, decorating or wrapping gifts while enjoying your favorite warm beverage.

I started this cake by making brown butter. After letting it cool, I got to work on making the batter for the cake. I whisked the cooled brown butter with eggs, sugar and vanilla extract, until it was smooth. In another bowl I whisked together the dry ingredients – flour, almond flour and baking powder. I incorporated the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in 3 batches alternating with buttermilk. While you can buy buttermilk, I always opt to make my own by combining whole milk and vinegar. Once the batter was ready, I poured half of it into my prepared pan and then topped it with diced almond paste and semi-sweet chocolate chips. I then topped it with the remaining batter and gently spread it with an offset spatula. Before placing it in the oven I sprinkled the top with sliced almonds. After the cake cooled I dusted it with Confectioners’ sugar before enjoying a slice.

You may be wondering why I said this cake wasn’t very dessert-y. Well, besides the fact that it wasn’t very sweet, the texture was more reminiscent of a muffin or scone to me. It did taste good, but I think the recipe title is a bit deceiving. I was really hoping the brown butter flavor would stand out more as it did in the batter – yes, I tried the batter raw – but it somehow melted away while baking. And while the title does say “Almond Cake”, adding almond flour to the batter didn’t really give the cake an almond flavor, that really came from the almond paste that was added to the filling along with the chocolate chips. The almond flour aided in making the cake extremely moist though – always a good thing when it comes to cakes. No one wants to eat a dry cake, regardless of how good it may be. It is possible that the brown butter and almond flour somehow cancelled each other out, both having a nutty flavor or that the almond past just overpowered everything. Maybe a better title for this cake would be Brown Butter Cake with Almond & Chocolate Filling. Apologies if I sound negative, as I mentioned, the cake was good just not really what I thought it would taste like based on the recipe title. I would be curious to try this recipe again by omitting the almond flour and increasing the amount of all-purpose flour. Maybe then the flavor of the brown butter would really shine through.

Brown Butter Almond Cake with Chocolate Filling

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup almond flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 ounces almond paste, finely diced (about 1/3 cup)

1/2 cup sliced almonds

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Directions:

Brown the butter: Place the butter in a medium saucepan and melt over low-medium heat, stirring constantly until the butter reaches a warm amber color, about 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to large bowl to cool.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray an 8-inch springform pan with baking spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Add the eggs to the cooled brown butter and whisk together until smooth. Whisk in the sugar and vanilla extract until combined. Add the flour mixture in three parts alternating with the buttermilk. Whisk until the batter is smooth.

Spread half the batter into the prepared pan. Scatter the chocolate chips and diced almond paste over the batter in an even layer right to the edge. Top with remaining batter and gently spread with an offset-spatula. Sprinkle the sliced almonds over the cake in an even layer.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and springs back when pressed. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Run a knife along the edges of the cake to loosen from the springform ring. Remove the springform ring and let the cake cool completely before dusting with Confectioners’ sugar.

Recipe from Food Network

Raspberry Almond Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Hi there… It’s been a while! I have been baking, but I haven’t really been baking anything new to share. I did tweak a Blueberry Crumb Muffin recipe that was quite yummy that I intended on sharing, but didn’t photograph so it didn’t become a blog post. I’ll have to whip up a batch soon to share especially since berry season is right around the corner. I’ve also been doing quite a bit of crocheting. I used up most of my remnant stash of Bernat Blanket Yarn to create a colorful granny square blanket. I’ll be sharing that soon. I’ve also been working on a sunburst granny square cardigan for myself. Full disclaimer, I’ve been working on it for over a year. I go through bursts of making the squares and then take a break. I believe I am only a few squares away from having enough to start stitching it together so hopefully it doesn’t take me another year to complete. But today I am sharing a cake where all the flavors work perfectly well together. A Raspberry Almond Cake with Chocolate Frosting. So, if you like chocolate-covered almonds, raspberry truffles, any almond dessert, etc. this cake is for you!

To start I made the raspberry curd. Yes, raspberry curd. While most people think of citrus –especially lemon – when it comes to curd you can pretty much make curd with any fruit. The steps are basically the same you may just have to adjust the amount of sugar you use depending on the sweetness of the fruit. Once the curd was done, I let it cool in the refrigerator overnight so it could thicken.

For the cake, I used a white cake mix that I doctored by adding in buttermilk, sour cream, vanilla extract and a decent amount of almond extract to get the perfect almond flavor without it being too overpowering – a full tablespoon. You may think this is too much, but any less and the almond flavor won’t stand out. I wanted the flavors to complement each other but also to stand out on their own.

Any to top it all off a simple chocolate buttercream frosting. Perfectly chocolatey without being overly sweet! I may have enjoyed a few spoonful’s of the leftover frosting.

Put all those together and you have a cake that may just become your go-to when looking for something special but not too difficult to make.

Raspberry Almond Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients:

Raspberry Curd:

11-12oz. Raspberries (frozen or fresh)

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

6 egg yolks

1 stick unsalted butter, cubed

Almond Cake:

1 15oz white cake mix

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 vegetable (or canola) oil

3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

1/3 cup sour cream, at room temperature

1 tablespoon almond extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Buttercream:

2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (1 1/4 cups), at room temperature

3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

3/4 cup cocoa powder

5 tablespoons heavy cream, at room temperature

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Fresh raspberries and sliced almonds for decorating, optional

Directions:

For the Raspberry Curd: In a medium saucepan combine the raspberries and the lemon juice. Cook on medium low heat until the raspberries begin to burst, and you can smash them. Once the raspberries are mostly liquid press them through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds. Allow it to cool.

In a medium saucepan lightly beat the egg yolks and then add in the sugar. Whisk the eggs yolks and sugar together until well combined. Then whisk in the cooled raspberry mixture. Cook on low heat whisking constantly until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cubed butter until it has completely melted. Strain the curd through a fine mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl. Allow it to cool to room temperature and then place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface then cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until the curd has thicken.

For the Almond Cake: In a large bowl add the cake mix, eggs, oil, buttermilk, sour cream and both extracts. Beat with a hand mixer on low for 30 seconds and then increase speed to medium and continue beating for about 2 minutes until the ingredients are well combined. Do not overbeat. Divide the batter among 2 8-inch cake round pans that have been sprayed with baking spray. Bake in a 350 F preheated oven for 26-28 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 15 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Chocolate Buttercream: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the butter on high speed until creamy. Scrape the sides of the bowl and then add the sugar, cocoa powder, heavy cream, salt and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for about 30 seconds and then gradually increase the speed to high and beat for an additional minute until all the ingredients are well incorporated and the frosting has come together.

To assemble the cake: If necessary, level the cake rounds. Place one of the cake rounds on a cake board or cake platter, flat side down. Using the chocolate frosting, pipe a dam around the perimeter of this cake round. Fill the cake with the cooled raspberry curd (you will only need a little more than half of the curd). Place the other cake round on top, with the flatter side as the top of the cake. Crumb coat the cake with the frosting and then refrigerate for 10 minutes so it can set. Finish frosting the cake with the remaining chocolate buttercream. If you would like you could pipe swirls on top of the cake with the remaining buttercream and then top each with a fresh raspberry. If using, decorate the sides of the cake with almond slices by simply pressing them on.

Recipe first appeared on Bead Yarn & Spatula

Neapolitan Pound Cake

Summer has officially come to an end. Truth be told I am happy to be moving into a new season, my favorite one as well! Bring on the pumpkins, apples, leaf peeping, sweater weather and all the other Fall season fun! But if you are looking to hold onto summer just a little bit longer, I have a dessert for you that just might do that, an homage to the classic Neapolitan ice cream. Today’s Neapolitan Pound Cake has a layer of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry.

I had a few hiccups along the way while making the batter for this cake. It’s what happens when you haven’t baked in a few months and your brain isn’t 100% into it. You make silly mistakes. I thought I was using a 1/3 cup measuring cup when adding the sugar to the butter, but it was a 1/2 cup one, so I ended up adding in an extra cup of sugar. I knew something was off when the mixture wasn’t looking right while beating it, so I had to start over. And then, while typing up the recipe for this blog post I realized another mistake, I used 2 packages of cream cheese when the recipe only needed 1. Eeek! Thankfully it only enhanced the cake by making it extra moist, but it would have been just fine with 1 package – which is how I wrote up the recipe below.

Hopefully I’ll get myself in the right mindset for Fall baking and the holidays so I don’t make anymore silly mistakes!

Neapolitan Pound Cake

For the Cake:

2 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups sugar

1 8oz. packages of cream cheese, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 large eggs

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

For the Strawberry Layer:

1 oz. bag freeze dried strawberry, processed into a powder

1/2 teaspoon strawberry emulsion

A few drops of red food coloring

For the Chocolate Layer:

1/4 cup Dutch process cocoa powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 F. Spray a bundt pan with baking spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.

In a large bowl beat the butter with a hand mixer on medium speed until creamy. Gradually add the sugar 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy. Next add the cream cheese and vanilla extract and beat for an additional minute. Finally, add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until well blended.

Transfer 2 cups of the batter to a bowl and an additional 2 cups to another bowl. In one add the dried strawberry powder, strawberry emulsion and red food coloring and in the other the cocoa powder. Stir both batters well until well blended.

Pour the original (unflavored/vanilla) batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Gently pour the chocolate batter in top and finally the strawberry batter.

Bake in the preheated oven for 50-55 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe first appeared on Bead Yarn & Spatula

French Vanilla Espresso Cake with Almond Mascarpone Frosting

Quite a few of my recipes as of late have used a boxed cake mix as their base. There are some bakers who would scoff at this and there are others who always turn to a boxed cake mix for their baking. It’s all a matter of preference. And in all honesty, it is possible to make a boxed cake mix taste homemade by switching out and adding in ingredients.

For today’s French Vanilla Espresso Cake with Almond Mascarpone Frosting, I used a French Vanilla boxed cake and instead of adding water to the mix I added in a cup of espresso which toned down the flavor of the French vanilla and gave it a hint of coffee flavor. While the cake is incredibly soft and moist the real stand-out is the frosting. It’s incredibly light and fluffy and the almond flavor is delish without being overpowering. While I opted to pipe stars on the two layers of the cake to decorate it you could also lightly frost it for a naked look.

French Vanilla Espresso Cake with Almond Mascarpone Frosting

For the cake:

1 15.25 French Vanilla box cake mix*

3 eggs

1 cup espresso (or strong coffee)

1/3 cup vegetable oil

For the frosting:

8oz. mascarpone cheese

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

2 tablespoons Amaretto**

1 cup heavy whipping cream

*I used Duncan Hines

**Optional

Directions:

For the Cake: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with baking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl combine the cake mix, eggs, coffee and vegetable oil and beat on medium speed until just combined. Divide the batter between the two pans and bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, or a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the cakes cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting on a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Frosting: In a large bowl combine the mascarpone cheese, confectioners’ sugar, both extracts and Amaretto (if using). Beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until just combined. Add in the heavy whipping cream and continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy. Be careful not to overbeat the frosting as this will cause it to curdle.

To Assemble: Torte the cake layers if necessary. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Place one of the cake layers on a cake board or cake stand and pipe the entire top of the cake with dropped stars. Place the second layer on top and pipe the top with stars as well.

Recipe first appeared on Bead Yarn & Spatula

Key Lime Cake with White Chocolate Buttercream

If you love citrus desserts, you are going to love today’s Key Lime Cake with White Chocolate Buttercream. It’s a nod to the classic key lime pie with key lime curd sandwiched between layers of key lime cake. All topped with a white chocolate buttercream that is the perfect complement to the lime flavor.

In an attempt to make a boxed white cake mix taste homemade I added homemade buttermilk (whole milk mixed with vinegar) along with key lime juice and lime zest to the batter. Well, I forgot the fundamentals of baking science and the result of all that acidity was two cake layers that were dense and barely rose. On my second attempt I decided to keep it simple and ended up with perfect cake layers.

While the cake layers themselves have just a hint of lime flavor the real star of the cake is the key lime curd. The flavor is spot on without being overpowering. As a heads up, the recipe for the curd will yield more than what’s needed for the cake. I ended up mixing my leftover curd with yogurt. You could do as I did, or top it on pancakes or waffles, or just enjoy it on its own since it’s so good! And to top it all off I made a white chocolate buttercream by beating melted white chocolate along with butter and a few other ingredients.

Two quick things to note regarding the key lime juice and white chocolate. For the key lime juice, I opted to use Nellie & Joe’s Key West Lime Juice. It’s become my go-to for whenever I make any key lime desserts. Now, if you are up to it and are able to find them you can squeeze fresh key limes to get the juice. Just keep in mind that key limes are smaller than regular limes and you will need a decent amount of them to get the amount of juice needed for the cake. As for the white chocolate, you may be tempted to use white chocolate chips as opposed to baking bars, but speaking from experience the bars are better as they melt smoothly. Which is important when making the buttercream. I used chips once to make white chocolate buttercream and the chips didn’t melt smoothly and my buttercream ended up with small chunks of white chocolate. The buttercream tasted good, but it was an unexpected texture. I used Ghirardelli white chocolate bars which can be found in the baking aisle, but you could also use Lindt white chocolate bars which can be found in the candy aisle.

Key Lime Cake with White Chocolate Buttercream

Ingredients:

For the Key Lime Curd:

1 cup sugar

Zest from 1 lime

6 egg yolks

1/2 cup key lime juice

1 stick unsalted butter, cubed

For the Key Lime Cake:

1 15.25oz. box white cake mix

3 eggs

1 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup key lime juice

Zest from 2 limes

For the White Chocolate Buttercream:

2 4oz. white chocolate baking bars, chopped*

2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Graham cracker crumbs to decorate, optional

*I used 2 4oz. Ghirardelli White Chocolate Baking Bars

Directions:

For the Key Lime Curd:

In a medium saucepan lightly whisk the egg yolks. Add the sugar and lime zest and continue whisking until well combined. Gradually whisk in the lime juice.

Heat over low heat and continue whisking the mixture until it begins to thicken and coats the back of a spoon.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the cubed butter. Continue whisking until the butter has melted.

Strain the curd through a fine mesh sieve into a food-storage container. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd (to prevent it from forming a skin) and allow to cool for a few minutes before covering and refrigerating for at least 8 hours. The curd will continue to thicken as it chills.

For the Key Lime Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray 2-8inch round cake pans with baking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl combine all the ingredients for the cake and beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until combined, careful not to overbeat. Divide the batter among the prepared pans – about 2 cups each – and bake in the preheated oven for 28-33 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. If you are not assembling the cake the same day as baking the cake rounds, wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

For the White Chocolate Buttercream:

Place the chopped white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds, stir and then continue to heat for 15 second intervals, stirring between each, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Do not overheat as this will scorch the chocolate. Allow the chocolate to cool for 20 minutes.

In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the butter on medium speed until creamy. Gradually add in the cooled chocolate and continue beating until smooth. With the mixer on medium-low speed gradually add in the confectioners’ sugar. Beat in the vanilla extract and salt until combined.

Add in the heavy whipping cream and beat for a few seconds until incorporated and then increase the speed to high for 30-60 seconds to fluff the frosting.

To assemble the cake:

If necessary, level the cakes. Place one of the cakes on a cake board or a cake stand. Transfer some of the frosting to a piping bag (or resealable bag) and pipe a thick dam around the edge of the cake. Fill with the lime curd and then place the second cake on top. Crumb coat the cake and place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Frost the cake with the remaining frosting. If desired pipe swirls on top of the cake. If using, press the graham cracker crumbs on top of the cake and on the sides.

Recipe first appeared on Bead Yarn & Spatula

Cranberry Orange Upside Down Bundt Cake

If you are still looking for a festive and delicious dessert to serve at your holiday gatherings but don’t want anything that requires too much fuss, then today’s Cranberry Orange Upside Down Bundt Cake may just be what you are looking for.

While the name may be a mouthful, this cake is super easy to make and comes together rather quickly thanks to using a yellow cake mix as the base for the cake. Simply add some orange zest and freshly squeezed orange juice to the batter and you end up with a nice orange flavored cake that is slightly sweet yet refreshing. And the addition of cardamom is a nice complement to the orange flavor. If you don’t have cardamom, you could use cinnamon instead. While the fresh cranberries on top of the cake adds a nice pop of color and a slight tartness to the cake. If you want your cranberries to be a bit sweeter add more brown sugar to the topping.

So, with little effort and in about an hour you have a beautiful and delicious cake to enjoy!

Cranberry Orange Upside Down Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

For the Cranberry Topping:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries

1/3 cup light brown sugar

For the Cake:

1 15.25 oz box yellow cake mix*

3 large eggs

1 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon cardamom

Zest from 2 navel oranges

Juice from 1 navel orange

*I used Duncan Hines

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F and spray a Bundt pan with baking spray.

Pour the melted butter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly. Scatter the cranberries over the melted butter in an even layer and then sprinkle the brown sugar over the cranberries.

In a large bowl add all the ingredients for the cake – cake mix, eggs, water, vegetable oil, cardamom, orange zest and juice – and beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until combined.

Gently pour the batter into the Bundt pan and tap it down on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the cake comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting onto a cake stand (or cake board) and let cool completely before slicing and enjoying.

Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Recipe first appeared on Bead Yarn & Spatula  

Peppermint Bark Molten Lava Cakes

Creating and making your own recipes is like conducting a science experiment. Until you take that first bite you wonder if you got the proportions of the ingredients correct, will the flavors work together and is it even edible. These thoughts and more swirled around my head while making today’s Peppermint Bark Molten Lava Cakes.  

I got the idea after having a package of Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark Squares left-over from last Christmas. I say left-over because I normally buy a few packages to enjoy around the holidays since they are a seasonal treat. I bought one too many though because I couldn’t bring myself to open the last package I had because I had my fill of the square by then. I figured there had to be something I could incorporate them into. At first, I thought cookies, but around the same time I was working on the recipe for these Raspberry Molten Lava Cakes and thought that maybe I could use them to make a peppermint lava cake that would be perfect for the holidays.

I made some tweaks to the Raspberry Molten Lava Cake recipe and ended up with a molten lava cake that was the perfect balance of peppermint and chocolate. And it’s finally time to share the recipe with the holidays just around the corner. To make the batter I melted the peppermint bark squares in the microwave along with butter and then incorporated that into a mixture of sugar and eggs and finally folded in flour. After dividing the batter among 4 ramekins…  

I baked them in a preheated oven for about 15 minutes and then let them cool for a few more…

Before inverting on a plate and dusting with confectioners’ sugar to enjoy.

So, this holiday season if you have an extra bag of peppermint bark or are looking for a fun twist on the traditional molten lava cake pick up a bag of peppermint bark and whip up a batch of these yummy cakes!

Peppermint Bark Molten Lava Cakes

Ingredients:

1 5.4 oz. package Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark Squares, broken into quarters

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1/4 cup flour

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 F.

Spray 4 6oz. ramekins with baking spray and place on a baking sheet.

In a microwave safe bowl combine the peppermint bark squares and butter and microwave for 30-second intervals until the butter melts. Once the butter has melted stir the mixture until the chocolate melts.

In a medium bowl beat together the sugar and eggs with a hand mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy.

Fold the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture until just combined. Add the flour and continued folding the mixture together until well combined.

Divide amongst the prepared ramekins, about 1/2 cup of batter in each.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15-16 minutes. Cool for 5-10 minutes before inverting. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and enjoy.

For leftovers, cover the ramekins tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. To heat, microwave for 30 seconds. Let sit for a minute then invert and enjoy.

Recipe first appeared on Bead Yarn & Spatula.

Tennessee Whiskey Cake

Happy Fall! So, I am switching things up this year. I normally welcome Fall with a pumpkin recipe, but I haven’t baked anything with pumpkin yet. I have one or two recipes that I want to make but just haven’t gotten to them yet. Instead, I am bringing you a cake that is just as equally perfect for the Fall, a Tennessee Whiskey Cake. (Although, I made it with bourbon, but you could use either.) There is also a decent amount of chopped pecans in the cake that I find reminiscent with Fall baking.

One thing I loved about this cake is that it only required one-bowl and came together rather quickly. I thought about foregoing toasting the pecans to save time, but I went ahead and did it. I can’t say for sure if it added another layer of flavor to the cake though. What I mainly tasted was hints of the bourbon, which wasn’t a bad thing. A slice of this cake is the perfect accompaniment to a nice hot cup of tea (or coffee if that’s your thing!). Perfect after a day of raking leaves, leaf peeping, apple picking or whatever Fall activity you may be doing.

Tennessee Whiskey Cake

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup pecan halves, plus additional for topping

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

5 large eggs, at room temperature

1/4 cup whiskey or bourbon*

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups flour

*I used Jim Beam’s Bourbon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Spread the 1 1/4 cups of pecans on a baking sheet and bake 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the pecans from sticking and/or burning, until toasted and lightly browned. Allow to cool and then chop the pecans.

Reduce the oven temperature to 325 F and spray a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan with baking spray.

In a large bowl beat the butter, both sugars and vanilla extract together with a hand mixer on high speed until light and fluffy.

With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time, beating after each.

Next, beat in the whiskey/bourbon, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Reduce the mixer to low and stir in the chopped pecans and then the flour until just incorporated.

Spread the butter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top and then place pecan halves on top.

Bake in the preheated oven until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes to 1 hour.

Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Remove from the pan, place on the wire rack and cool completely. For best flavor store airtight for one day at room temperature before serving.

Recipe from Elizabeth Alston’s Best Baking

Sour Cream-Chocolate Chip Pound Cake (and a few other things!)

It’s been a bit quiet around here. Almost two months since my last post. Partly because this summer has been way too hot to turn my oven on to bake anything and because I was gone for about 10 days in late July / early August. I finally made it across the pond! I went to Barcelona for two days and then headed out on a Mediterranean cruise which made stops in Mallorca, Marseille, La Spezia (Florence), Civitavecchia (Rome) and Naples. Since I was on a cruise, I really didn’t get the opportunity to try a lot of the local food, but while in Marseille I did try a traditional cookie called a Navette (it wasn’t to my liking) and while in Lucca I enjoyed pizza and gelato (both were delish!).

And not food related whatsoever, but too beautiful not to share a few pics of the Mediterranean and a few sunrise and sunset pics from the ship. 

A few weeks after getting back I finally turned my oven on to bake something as I was planning to visit family and wanted to bring dessert. I opted to make a Sour Cream-Chocolate Chip Pound Cake that I had flagged in a cookbook quite some time ago but hadn’t gotten around to making. I really need to go through my cookbooks and see what else I have flagged that I haven’t made! Truthfully, I felt out of sorts while prepping the batter for the cake. It was almost like I was tripping over myself. Don’t get me wrong, I have been cooking for myself even though I wasn’t baking but I never realized that I had developed a rhythm of sorts while baking.

Thankfully, my out of sorts feeling didn’t translate into the cake… It turned out delicious! The recipe called for a cinnamon sugar topping which I thought to be a bit odd, but I went with it and am happy that I did. The cinnamon flavor really added to the flavor of the cake. You could taste it, but it wasn’t overpowering.

One thing to note, the flavor of this cake gets better with time. I suggest making it a day or two ahead of time and then wrapping it tightly to keep it fresh and let the flavors develop.

I think I am finally getting my baking legs back! I baked a Blueberry Crumb Cake that came out delish – although I did have to mix my dry ingredients twice. I flipped the measurements for salt & baking soda and added in more baking soda than the recipe called for and I didn’t want to end up with metallic soapy flavored cake. Maybe that isn’t a good example. I did bake up some treats (cookies and cheesecake brownie bites) last week along with a birthday cake that all came out perfect! I even decorated the cake… It’s been a while since I have done that. So, I guess I am getting back into the swing of things. Perfect timing to with Fall and the holidays just around the corner.

Sour Cream-Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup plus 4 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 3/4 stick (14 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 large eggs, at room temperature

3/4 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 cups flour

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Spray a 9x5x3- inch loaf pan with baking spray then line with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang, then spry with additional baking spray. Set aside.

Cinnamon Sugar Topping- In a small bowl mix 2 tablespoons of the sugar with 1/4 teaspoon of the cinnamon and set aside.

In a large bowl beat the butter, vanilla extract and the remaining sugar together with a hand mixer on high speed until pale and fluffy. Reduce the speed to medium and add the eggs one at a time, beating after each. Beat in the sour cream, baking powder, baking soda, salt and the remaining cinnamon. Scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low, add in the flour until almost combined. Finally add in the chocolate chips and continue mixing on low until the batter is well combined.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles and then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar topping on top of the cake.

Bake in the preheated oven until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 70 – 75 minutes.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Then using the overhang lift the cake out of the pan and place on the wire rack to cool completely. Remove the foil and serve or wrap tightly in plastic wrap and leave at room temperature until ready to serve. For best flavor, let the cake sit for 1 day before serving.

Recipe from Elizabeth Alston’s Best Baking

Chocolate Turtle Cake

Around the holidays I always do what I have termed as marathon baking. Usually on December 22nd or 23rd I bake a bunch of cookies that I give as Christmas gifts. I have tried and true recipes that I make every year that I know are crowd pleasers and then I try one or two new ones to add to the mix. Last year one of those cookies was a Chocolate Caramel Thumbprint, essentially a Turtle candy turned into a cookie. And just in case you are not familiar, Turtles are candies made with pecans and caramel dipped in chocolate. The cookies were so good that I ended up making them again for New Year’s Eve. Which then got me thinking of making a cake reminiscent of the flavors and ingredients. Hence, today’s Chocolate Turtle Cake.

So, how are all the flavors incorporated into the cake? Well, two chocolate cake layers are separated by a generous layer of caramel whipped cream and then the whole thing is covered in a delicious chocolate frosting. And finally, decorated with chopped pecans and drizzled with caramel sauce. YUM!

Chocolate Turtle Cake

For the Chocolate Cake:

1 15.25oz box of chocolate cake mix (I used Duncan Hines Devil’s Food)

3 large eggs

1 cup coffee, cooled

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Caramel Sauce / Caramel Whipped Cream:

14oz. package caramels*

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 cup heavy cream

For the Chocolate Frosting:

2 cups sugar

1 14 oz. can evaporated milk

8oz unsweetened chocolate melted and cooled

Pecan halves and/or chopped pecans, to decorate the cake

*I used Kraft caramels

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with baking spray and set aside.

For the chocolate cake: In a large bowl combine the eggs, coffee, vegetable oil, sour cream and vanilla extract. Beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until well combined. Sift the cake mix over the mixture and beat the mixture on low speed until just combined. Divide among the prepared pans and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

For the caramel sauce / caramel whipped cream: In a small saucepan combine the unwrapped caramels and evaporated milk. Over medium heat, stir constantly until the caramels melt and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the maple syrup. Let cool.

Once the caramel sauce is cooled, add 1/4 cup of the sauce along with the heavy cream to a medium bowl and beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate the caramel whipped cream until ready to use. Set aside the remaining caramel sauce to drizzle on the cake.

For the chocolate frosting: Add the ingredients to a blender and blend on low speed for 1 minute and then switch to high speed and blend for another minute. The sound of the blender should change signaling that the frosting is done. Transfer the frosting to an airtight container and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour until thickened and spreadable.

To assemble: If necessary, level the cake layers. Place one of the layers on a cake stand or cake round. Transfer about 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups of frosting to a piping bag and pipe a dam around the bottom layer and then fill with the caramel whipped cream. You may have more whipped cream than you need. Place the second cake layer on top of the cake and crumb coat the entire cake. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes and then finish frosting the cake. With remaining frosting pipe decorate dollops on top of the cake. Drizzle some of the remaining caramel sauce on top of the cake as well and then decorate with chopped pecans along the sides of the cake.