Tag: pound cake

No Bake Ice Cream Loaf Cake

We are officially in the dog days of summer. And today I am sharing a dessert that doesn’t require you to turn on your oven or put forth much effort, perfect these hot and humid days. It only requires 2 ingredients – 5 if you are feeling fancy. What is it… An Ice Cream Loaf Cake.

While I have seen recipes for ice cream cakes that involve baking the loaf cake from scratch using a store-bought loaf cake works just as well. I opted to use an Entenmann’s All Butter Loaf Cake, but you could also use a frozen one. As for the ice cream, your favorite flavor works best. I decided to go with chocolate and vanilla.

The first thing I did was slice the loaf cake into thirds. To make slicing the cake a bit easier and to reduce the number of crumbs I refrigerated the cake for about an hour.

After that, I laid the bottom of the cake in a loaf pan lined with plastic wrap. To line the pan, I placed one piece of plastic wrap vertically and another horizontally to ensure the corners of the cake would be covered. Next, I spread about 1 ½ cups of ice cream over the cake. You want a nice layer of ice cream but not so much that it starts to overflow from the sides once the cake is fully assembled. To make spreading the ice cream easier I let it sit at room temperature for about 5-10 minutes. You don’t want it so soft that it becomes a soupy mess, just enough to make it easy to spread. I repeated these layers with the middle slice of the cake and more ice cream. Finally, I topped the cake with the top third and wrapped it tightly with the plastic wrap and placed it in the freezer overnight.

While I could have enjoyed the cake as is I decided to get a little fancy and topped it with a quick and easy chocolate ganache and sprinkles. What’s ice cream without sprinkles??? To make the ganache I stirred together warmed heavy cream and chocolate chips until the chocolate melted. After letting it sit for a few minutes I poured it over the cake. I added some sprinkles on top and then popped it back in the freezer so the chocolate could set.

Once the chocolate was set it was time to enjoy a slice (or two)!

To make your cake really unique use a flavored loaf cake. Think marbled, chocolate chip, lemon, etc. A lemon loaf cake with a raspberry sorbet would be the perfect refreshing treat for these warmer months!

No-Bake Ice Cream Loaf Cake

Ingredients:

1 store-bought loaf cake, chilled*

2-3 cups ice cream, softened

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Sprinkles

*You could also use a frozen loaf cake; you may need to let it thaw slightly before slicing though

Directions:

Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap – horizontally & vertically. Any size loaf pan works, just make sure it’s big enough to fit the cake you’re using. If you opt to use a frozen loaf cake, use the pan the cake comes in.

Slice the cake into thirds horizontally so you have three pieces about the same thickness.

Place the bottom piece of the cake into the prepared loaf pan. Spread half of the ice cream over the cake. Repeat these layers with the middle piece of the cake and the remaining ice cream. Finally, gently press the top of the cake onto the ice cream. Cover tightly with the plastic wrap and freeze for a few hours (or overnight) so the ice cream can set.

Just before serving the cake place the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. Heat the heavy cream in the microwave or stove until it’s steaming (but not boiling). Pour the heated heavy cream over the chocolate chips. Let it sit for a few minutes and then stir together so the chocolate chips can melt. Once the mixture is smooth let it sit for about 5 minutes so it can thicken.

Remove the cake from the freezer and unwrap. Slowly pour the ganache over the cake. Spread the chocolate evenly over the cake using an offset spatula. Top with sprinkles and then place the cake back in the freezer – unwrapped – for 10-15 minutes so the chocolate can harden.

To serve, carefully remove the cake from the pan and plastic wrap then slice. Store leftovers in the freezer for 3-5 days.

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

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

Marbled Pound Cake

If you can’t choose between a vanilla or chocolate cake, then a marbled cake is for you! And if you are thinking that it might be double the work because you have to make to separate batters that’s not the case at all. With today’s recipe I started off by making the vanilla batter and then dividing it in half and adding cocoa powder to one of them.

Once I had the two batters ready it was time to fill my prepared pan. I used a cookie scoop and a 1/4 cup measuring cup to drop alternating scoops of the vanilla and chocolate batter in the pan to get the marble effect.

After tapping the pan a few times on my counter to release any air bubbles I used a small off-set spatula to smooth the top of the cake. I then placed it on baking sheet and baked it in a 325 F preheated oven for 70 minutes.

After letting the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, I transferred it to a wire rack to cool completely.  

And then it was time to slice it. And as cheesy as it sounds, I get a slight tinge of excitement when I bake a cake that is supposed to have a surprise inside or look a certain way and it works. The joys of baking! As you can see, the marble look was just about perfect with this loaf cake. Even more exciting though, was how delicious the cake was. I used to love the Marble Loaf Cake from Entenmann’s, but I feel like they changed their recipe because it doesn’t take like how I remember. Thankfully I have a replacement now that I can make myself.

I actually ended up baking two loaves and decided to slice the second one and freeze it. This is the perfect type of cake to freeze, it has no frosting and is moist but dense enough to withstand being frozen and thawed. I wrapped each of the slices in plastic wrap and then placed all of them in a resealable bag in my freezer. When I am ready to eat a slice, I will leave it out on my counter for a few hours so it can defrost.

Marbled Pound Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1/4 cup cake flour, sifted

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

3 eggs, at room temperature

1/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature*

3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder

*To make your own combine 1/4 cup whole milk with 1 teaspoon white vinegar. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes then stir to combine.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Spray a loaf pan with baking spray, or, lightly grease with butter and then coat with flour.

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

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the butter of medium-high speed until creamy.

With the mixer on low add in the sugar. Continue mixing on low until the butter and sugar are incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and continue mixing until the mixture has become light and fluffy (about 5 minutes.) Scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Add the vanilla extract. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition until just combined.

With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts alternating with the buttermilk.

Divide the batter in half and add in the cocoa powder to one half. Mixing well to incorporate it evenly among the batter.

Using a 2 ice cream scoops (or 2 1/4 cup measuring cups, or 1 of each) alternate scoops of the vanilla and chocolate batter into the prepared loaf pan. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles and using a small off-set spatula or butter knife smooth the top of the cake.

Place the loaf pan on a baking sheet and baked in the preheated oven until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 70 minutes.

Let the cake cook in the pan for 10 minutes and then remove from pan and let cool completely before slicing.

Recipe from Zoe Francois

Mascarpone Cake

After making the Tiramisu Cheesecake I posted two weeks ago I still had about a cup of mascarpone cheese left. While I could have used it to spread on toast or crackers, I decided to bake something else with it. I came across a recipe for a Mascarpone Cake that sounded simple and delicious, so I decided to give it a try.

This is one of those recipes that most people love… It comes together in one bowl. No need for sifting or mixing your dry ingredients in one bowl and then combining them with your wet ones in another. You simply mix all of your wet ingredients first and then add the dry ones at the end. And after baking and cooling it’s time to enjoy.

This cake tasted just as the recipe sounded… delicious. It was reminiscent of a pound cake for me, just not as a dense. And not sweet at all. If you do you need a bit for sweetness to it, you can follow the original recipe and dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar once it has completely cooled.

Mascarpone Cake

Ingredients:

3 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup mascarpone cheese

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray a tube pan with baking spray (or coat with butter and lightly dust with flour) and set aside.

In a large bowl beat together the eggs and sugar with a hand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla extract, mascarpone cheese and oil and continue beating until combined. Add the flour and baking powder and beat until smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared ban and 30-40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a cake tester inserted near the center comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Recipe from An Italian In My Kitchen

A Classic Pound Cake

You may or may not have noticed that I recently streamlined my category groups. I realized that I had too many and that some of the categories only had one or two posts under them. So, I took some time to clean it up. Which meant pretty much re-categorizing about half of my posts. While doing so I noticed how my picture quality has improved since I started blogging. Not to say that they are anywhere near perfect now, but, I have definitely gotten better from the beginning in terms of background and lighting.  It also gave me the chance to see some of the baked goods I have shared with you – some that I can’t believe I haven’t made again and others that tasted good but I am sure I won’t be making again. This all led me to realizing that there was one recipe I haven’t shared… my go-to pound cake recipe. I have been making this recipe for a few years now. I actually posted an almond variation of the recipe a few years ago and today I am finally posting the original recipe.

This cake is super simple to make, moist, delicious and will be sure to please all palates. You can’t beat that!

And while it’s delicious on its own, adding fresh whipped cream (and fresh berries when they are in season) is a nice addition. Since its Fall I decided to whip up pumpkin spice whipped cream to go along with it. I’ve shared my recipe below, but if you have a favorite whipped cream recipe you swear by simply add in a teaspoon or two of pumpkin pie spice to give it a nice twist.

 

Classic Pound Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 8oz. package cream cheese, at room temperature

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 eggs

 

Directions:

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

In a medium bowl combine the flour and baking powder and set aside.

Using a handheld mixer cream together the cream cheese, butter, sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl until well blended. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition. With the mixer on low gradually add in the flour mixture until incorporated.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake for about an hour or until a cake tester inserted in the cake comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting it on a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe from Kraft

 

Pumpkin Spice Whipped Cream

  • Servings: About 2 cups
  • Print

Ingredients:

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Directions:

Place the beaters of a handheld mixer and a metal in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.

Place the whipping cream, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla extract in the chilled bowl and beat on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Do not over beat. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Ricotta Orange Pound Cake

I always have a container of ricotta cheese in my fridge just in case I want to make a baked ziti, a cheesecake or something or other. Unfortunately what ends up happening is, it sits in my fridge, I know it’s there, but I don’t get around to using it until it’s about to expire and then I’m scrambling to make something because I don’t want to throw it out. When this recently happened I decided to make something I made a few years ago, but didn’t come out quite right the first time… a Ricotta Orange Pound Cake. This cake has a nice orange taste and is quite moist thanks to the ricotta cheese.

Ricotta Orange Pound Cake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups cake flour*

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese

1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 orange, zested

2 tablespoons amaretto

*If you don’t have cake flour, use this method to substitute with all-purpose flour and cornstarch.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a loaf pan with butter, or spray with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir to blend.

With a mixer, cream together the ricotta cheese, butter, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after adding each one. Add the vanilla, zest and amaretto and beat until well combined. Add the dry ingredients, a little at a time, and mix until just incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 45 to 50 minutes. If you find you need to bake it a little longer, you may want to lower the temperature of the oven to ensure that you don’t burn the cake. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe from Food Network

Ricotta Pound Cake

Hey Everyone! So, I took a bit of a break from blogging, but, not from baking and crafting. If you follow me on Instagram or if you look down on the right hand side of this page you can see what I was up to during the holidays. How has the New Year been treating you? Hopefully good thus far. And for those of you who make resolutions, how’s it going? I may have mentioned this before, but, I don’t make resolutions. The way I see it, every day is a good day to set a goal or to make a change. So, for my first post of the New Year I bring you a Ricotta Pound Cake. Yeah, I know not too exciting, but, definitely a yummy treat nonetheless. It came about because I had about 2 cups of ricotta cheese in my fridge that was about to expire and I didn’t want to throw out.

This was a quick and easy pound cake to make. In one bowl I sifted together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt) and in the bowl of my stand mixer I creamed together the ricotta, butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla bean paste before incorporating the flour mixture into the mix. I then poured the batter into a 9-inch loaf pan that I sprayed with baking spray and baked it in a preheated oven for about 50 minutes.

And after letting it cool on a wire rack…

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It was time to slice it and enjoy! This cake is definitely good for any time of the day… If you’re not into your typical breakfast foods it’s a nice accompaniment to your morning coffee or tea, as an afternoon snack or for dessert after dinner.

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Ricotta Pound Cake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups cake flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups whole milk ricotta

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract*

*I used vanilla bean paste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prep a 9-inch loaf pan by spraying it with baking spray or by greasing and flouring it.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, or in large bowl to using a hand mixer, cream together the butter, ricotta and the sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, incorporating each egg before adding the next one. Add the vanilla.

On low speed, gradually add in the flour mixture. Once added, mix the batter for 30 seconds.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the batter.

Bake the cake on the center rack for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 325 F and bake for an additional 25-60 minutes. It will all depend on how wet the ricotta cheese is. The cake will be done when it springs back from touch and has slightly pulled away from the pan sides and a cake tested come out clean.

Cool the cake inside the pan for 15 minutes, before removing and letting it cool completely on wire rack before slicing.

Recipe from Epicurious

Almond Pound Cake

I pretty much love anything made with almonds…Danishes, croissants, cookies, cakes, milk, etc. And of course almond themselves are wonderful to snack on. Their health benefits are pretty vast. To name a few… they are a great source of Vitamin E, they are packed with protein, they are gluten free and snacking on them can help curb other cravings. So, when I had half a pack of Odense Almond Paste left over from a previous recipe I knew I had to put it to good use and what better use than an Almond Pound Cake… something simple but yet so satisfying.

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To begin I beat 2 sticks of butter until they were creamy, then gradually added in 2 cups of sugar and continued beating the mixture until it was light and fluffy. I then added in an 8 oz. package of cream cheese, vanilla extract and the almond paste, which I crumbled.

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Following that I added in 6 eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

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And finally I added in 2 cups of flour that I whisked together with baking powder and salt. I beat the batter until it was well blended and then stirred the mixture a few times with a rubber spatula to ensure all of the ingredients were well combined.

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I then poured it into a prepared tube pan. To prepare the pan I sprayed it with a baking spray that contains flour.

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After baking the cake in a 325 F preheated oven for 55 minutes it came out perfect and smelled amazing.

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I let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then removed it and let it cool completely on a wire rack.

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I couldn’t wait to slice it into it and I wasn’t disappointed. This was the perfect comfort dessert for the cold weather this winter has brought. It had the dense familiarity of a pound cake while still being moist and a hint of almond flavoring thanks to the almond paste.

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Almond Pound Cake – Adapted from here

Ingredients:

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

2 cups sugar

1 8oz. package cream cheese, at room temperature

4 oz. almond paste, crumbled

1 tsp, vanilla extract*

6 eggs, at room temperature

2 cups flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp, salt

*For an extra dose of almond flavor use almond extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Grease and flour (or spray with a baking spray that includes flour) a fluted tube or tube pan.

2. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

3. Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. Add the cream cheese, almond paste and vanilla extract and beat for another minute. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until well blended.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about an hour or until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in the pan and then remove and let it cool completely on a wire rack.

Comfort Desserts

It’s been about a month since I last posted and it’s not for the lack of baking, beading or knitting. I did a bunch of baking for a friend’s birthday earlier this month but stuck to treats that were among his favorite and ones that I have blogged about before- my newly discovered pumpkin doughnuts, mini chocolate-chip cheesecakes and a strawberry shortcake birthday cake. As for knitting, I recently completed two scarves which I plan to post about soon – a ruffle scarf for a friend and a cowl neck for myself. I liked the ruffle scarf so much I am planning on making one for myself. And finally beading, after about a four month hiatus I finally picked up some beading needles and started making jewelry again. But in between all of that I did try out two recipes for what I like to call comfort desserts – a pound cake and a rice pudding. I know rice pudding is not most people’s cup of tea when it comes to desserts, but it has been a favorite of mine for quite some time. Both of these recipes are super easy to follow and turn out some delicious treats.

Grandma’s Pound Cake

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 Minutes

Servings: 12

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

2 cups sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

6 eggs

Directions:

Heat oven to 350ºF.

Mix flour and baking powder; set aside. Beat cream cheese, butter, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each until blended. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until blended.

Pour into 12-cup fluted tube or 10-inch tube pan sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 min. Loosen cake from sides of pan with knife. Invert cake onto wire rack; gently remove pan. Cool cake completely.

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Arborio Rice Pudding

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Total Time: 40 Minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 cup water

pinch of salt

1/2 tbsp. butter

1/2 cup Arborio rice

2 cups whole milk

4 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Few dashes ground cinnamon

Whipped cream, for serving

Directions:

Bring water, salt, and butter to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the rice, return to a boil, and then reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Shake the pan occasionally and cook until rice has absorbed the water but it still al dente, about 15 minutes.

Bring milk, sugar, vanilla, and a few dashes of cinnamon to a simmer in a separate saucepan. Add the cooked rice and cook at a simmer over medium-low heat until rice absorbs most of the milk and mixture starts to get thick and silky, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Transfer pudding to a large bowl and cool to room temperature. Place in refrigerator until cool and set. Serve with whipped cream and a dash more cinnamon.

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Enjoy!