Maple Pecan Pound Cake

Despite its name "pound cake", this loaf is not heavy in the least. It cuts cleanly into beautiful, mouth-watering slices.

This is the perfect embodiment of fall flavors. The batter is infused with pure maple syrup and the flavors are heightened with maple extract both in the batter and in the glaze. Do not skip the glaze – it takes the cake from being great to AMAZING. It is the kind of glaze with an ever so faint crust on top that yields easily and melts on your tongue like the maple cream filling you find in some filled chocolates. Toasting the nuts is also an invaluable step to maximize flavor.

I bring baking to work at least once a week and I had several co-workers comment that this was one of their favorites. Another hit from "Cake Keeper Cakes" by Lauren Chattman. This is one gem of a book and this is one hell of a cake.



Maple Pecan Pound Cake
1 loaf | Cake Keeper Cakes

CAKE
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 large eggs
1/2 tsp maple extact
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
14 tbsps (1 3/4 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
5 tbsps pure maple syrup
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

GLAZE
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsps heavy cream
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 1/2 tsps fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp maple extract

1. Cake: preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan and dust with flour.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine the eggs, maple extract and vanilla in a glass measuring cup and lightly beat.

3. Combine the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl; cream with an electric mixer on med-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes; stir in the maple syrup until smooth. Decrease mixer speed to med-low; pour the egg mixture into the bowl in a slow stream; mix until incorporated.

4. Decrease mixer speed to low; add the flour mixture, 1/2 at a time; after the last addition, mix for 30 seconds. Stir in pecans. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

5. Bake the cake until it is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, invert it onto a wire rack, and then turn it right side up on a rack to cool completely.

6. Glaze: combine the glaze ingredients in a bowl; whisk until smooth. Move the whisk back and forth across the cake, drizzling it over the top and letting it drip down the sides. Let stand until the glaze sets, about 1 hour. Store at room temperature.

Spiced Orange Cranberry Snacking Cake

I am so excited! I am no longer a "first time home buyer". I bought a condo and am heading out right now to the building inspection. If all goes well I will remove subjects on May 20th (this Friday) and the house will be mine on June 22! It's all happening so quickly. I feel like this is a new chapter for me and my son. It will be more financial burden on me and more work for me not having my mom around to help out with Zach but this is something I have to do. My mom was so mad at me the weekend I put in an offer she didn't speak to me all weekend. It shouldn't have come as a surprise to her since I've been looking since November 2010! I think she's warmed to the idea now.

I've been swept up with house buying stuff, so I haven't been baking as much and might not be baking as much over the next few months. For busy times like this, here's a recipe that's really quick, really easy and really delicious. Perfect for picnics or bake sales and lunchboxes when you don't want to deal with messy frostings or streusels. It's like a zippier version of an orange cranberry muffin, baked in cake form. The dash of cloves give it an interesting flavor but if you're baking for kids or don't like cloves feel free to substitute with cinnamon or omit them altogether.



This book by Lauren Chattman: Cake Keeper Cakes is a real winner. Right now it's only $6.46 on Amazon.com! I bought it when it first came out and so I paid much more than that, but it's been totally worth it. I like this book so much that it even has its own tag in my blog. Check out the tag in my side-bar for more recipes from the book.



Spiced Orange Cranberry Snacking Cake
8" cake | Cake Keeper Cakes

1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup softened butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp orange zest
1 cup dried cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8" square pan. Combine flour, powder, soda, cloves and salt.

2. Cream together butter, sugar and zest. Add vanilla and eggs. In a separate bowl combine sour cream and orange juice.

3. Add flour and sour cream mixture alternately, starting with the flour. Do not over mix. Fold in cranberries and dump batter into prepared pan.

4. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan before inverting.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake

This recipe is another winner from Cake Keeper Cakes. Today is a lazy day - starting with me waking up at 2:00 PM. I feel a little guilty admitting to sleeping away more than half the day, but it truly felt AMAZING! I didn't even realize how exhausted and sleep deprived my body has been.

When I woke up, I felt like making something simple and comforting. This twist on a lunchbox staple - the oatmeal chocolate chip cookie - was just the thing. For ultimate moistness, wholesome rolled oats are soaked in boiling water before being added to the batter. Note: Remember to build in extra time to let the oat and hot water mixture cool fully.

In my opinion, the best thing about this cake is the golden brown crispy top that gives way to the moist, fluffy cake and decadent chunks of melty, gooey chocolate chips. It's the best of both worlds - cake and cookie.



Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake
8" square pan | Cake Keeper Cakes

1 cup rolled oats (not instant)
3/4 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts/pecans

1. Place oats and boiling water in a bowl. Stir and let stand until cool. Combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8" square pan. Cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs and mix to combine. Add cooled oats and mix, then add flour mixture. Do not over mix.

3. Fold in chocolate chips. Dump batter into the baking pan and bake for 50-55 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 10 mintes before inverting and removing from pan.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Crumb Cake

Did you know that food allergies affect 8% of children under 3, and 6-8% of school-age children. 85% of children outgrow milk and egg allergies by age 5, but only 20% outgrow peanut allergies by age 6. The prevalence of peanut allergies in children has doubled in the past five years. I guess those days of good old PB&J sandwiches are going the way of the dinosaurs. Now it would have to be something like "Lactose-Free-Nut-Free Soy PB & J"! Tee hee.



It's too bad schools have to be so strict with enforcing peanut-free lunches due to allergies. This would make a great lunchbox treat - sturdy and not too sweet with a chewy centre. I guess your kids will just have to eat peanut butter and jelly crumb cake at home instead! This recipe starts out as a thin layer of a basic coffee cake batter topped with a generous serving of jelly and a unique peanut butter crumb topping. The crumbs are to die for. I had to exert all kinds of crazy will-power not to pick all the crumbs off the cake!



Peanut Butter and Jelly Crumb Cake
10" Round Cake | Cake Keeper Cakes

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey roasted peanuts, chopped

2 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup jam

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease the inside of a 10" round spring form pan.

2. Crumbs: Combine peanut butter, 1/4 cup flour, brown sugar and peanuts in a small bowl. Crumble together with your hands.

3. Cake: Combine eggs, milk and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, powder, salt.

4. Cream together butter and sugar. When light and fluffy, add egg mixture and beat until smooth. Then add flour mixture and mix until just combined. Spread into the prepared pan.

5. Evenly spread the jam over the cake batter in the pan then crumble the peanut butter crumbs on top. Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before releasing the sides. Serve at room temperature. Store airtight for up to 2 days.

Ricotta-Topped Blueberry Cake

This cake is like a layer of not too sweet cheesecake on top of a dense, blueberry studded cake. A little reminiscent of danish filling in a blueberry muffin. The original recipe says to serve at room temperature but I found them also really nice after a few hours in the fridge, fully chilled. They cut nicely into neat squares and they also store well. These are a nice twist on cheesecake - lighter and more subtle. The cake base is like a dense, sweet blueberry muffin. I thoroughly enjoyed the cake alone and I would honestly be happy just eating the cake without the ricotta layer too.



Ricotta-Topped Blueberry Cake
9" Square Cake

1 cup (4 1/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
3/4 cup (5 1/5 ounces) sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup (2 5/8 ounces) milk
1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) vegetable oil
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) fresh or frozen blueberries

2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) ricotta cheese
1/3 cup (2 1/4 ounces) sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9" Square Pan.

Batter: In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the milk, oil, egg and vanilla, beating till smooth. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the blueberries on top.

Topping: In a small bowl, beat the eggs till frothy, then beat in the cheese, sugar and vanilla. Spread this mixture evenly over the blueberries.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and cool to lukewarm then refrigerate to chill fully before cutting into squares.

Sour Cream Lemon Snacking Cake

A bunch of great quickbreads or snack cakes are a wonderful thing to have in your baking repertoire. They are easier than cookies (no need to portion them into individual portions), faster than yeast breads (no rising) and healthier than cakes (usually) but just as pleasing. Sometimes simple is really best. This cake is not overpoweringly lemony or sweet. The original recipe from Cake Keeper Cakes: 100 Simple Recipes for Extraordinary Bundt Cakes, Pound Cakes, Snacking Cakes and Other Good-To-The-Last-Crumb Treats is sans poppy seeds but in my world, lemon and poppyseeds go hand in hand so I threw in a couple tablespoons. When I received this book in the mail from Amazon I was a little surprised at how small and thin it was. Don't judge a book by its size! Do not be deceived! I was soon blown away by the range and simplicity of the recipes that turn ordinary ingredients into everyday indulgences while staying true to the theme of simplicity.

The cake flour gives a particularly tender crumb but is not necessary (in my opinion).
**Tip** Re: Cake Flour: For 1 cup cake flour substitute you can use 2 tbsp corn starch to replace 2 tbsp of the flour in the recipe. Not as good as the real thing but better than subbing straight all purpose for cake flour.

Sour Cream Lemon Snacking Cake
8" Square Cake

1 cup sour cream, room temperature
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp poppy seeds (optional)
4 tbsp butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tsp lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease an 8" square baking dish. Combine sour cream, eggs, vanilla in a
small bowl.
2. In a separate bowl combine flour, powder, soda poppy seeds and salt.
3. Cream together butter, sugar and zest. Add in flour mixture and sour cream alternatingly. Drizzle in lemon juice and stir in just to combine. Scrape into prepared pan and bake for 45-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs attached. Cool fully then sprinkle with icing sugar or a simple glaze or serve plain.]

I recommend using the glaze recipe from the Lemon Ricotta Cookies for a sour-sweet punch.

Peanut Butter-Sour Cream Bundt Cake

I know, you're probably thinking - 'ANOTHER peanut butter recipe!?"

Yes I'll admit I have been slightly obsessed with PB lately. However, I read that food cravings can be your body's way of telling you that you are lacking certain vitamins or minerals. Craving PB could mean I'm low on B-vitamins. Nice excuse to eat more of this cake, eh!? Sure, I'll go along with that idea. Makes me wonder what deficiencies a chocolate craving would signify! lol

This recipe is adapted from a great little book called Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman, 2009. Non-fussy, wholesome, dependable cake recipes for everyday baking. A nice combination of solid classic recipes and updated flavor pairings. 100 recipes might not sound like a lot but it really is when all the recipes are winners like in this book (as far as I've tried and from others' feedback).

This cake has a fine, tight crumb and lovely texture. The batter is thick but the finished product is surprisingly not too heavy. It was sooo difficult waiting for this to cool enough to invert and eat. The smell of sweet peanut butter that filled my kitchen was just amazing.



Peanut Butter-Sour Cream Bundt Cake
10" Bundt | adapted from Cake Keeper Cakes

1 cup sour cream
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter (I used crunchy)
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar

8 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp chopped peanuts

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan and dust with flour. Whisk together the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla in a large glass measuring cup. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

2. Combine the butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.

3. With the mixer on low, add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat until incorporated. Add 1/2 of the sour cream mixture. Repeat, alternating flour and sour cream mixtures, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions. Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and beat for 1 minute.

4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40-50 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

5. Glaze: Place the chocolate and butter in a double-boiler. Heat until melted. Whisk in cream until smooth. Pour/spread the warm glaze over the cake and sprinkle the chopped peanuts over the glaze. Let stand until the glaze is set. Store airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days.