Tennis Cake

Happy 11th Birthday to my little tennis addict! Tennis is our life now and I love it. We are at the club 6 days a week and gearing up to do USTA tournaments this year. Now that Z is 11 year old, he can compete in yellow ball (the normal adult tennis balls) instead of starting out with the slower red or orange kids balls. Sure beats standing outside in the rain and cold watching soccer games!

I had so much fun making the details on this cake. I used a marshmallow fondant from Craftsy and it turned out perfectly. I didn't let it rest overnight, just for 30 mins in the fridge and it was great. Definitely will be my go-to recipe from now on.

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

These banana bars are so simple, so moist and with a little effort (not much) they transform into beautiful, elegant treats. I love how a little swirl of frosting here, a carefully placed walnut there and ... tada... the humble banana bar is transformed!



I like this recipe because it only uses 2 bananas so it is perfect for those times when you only have a couple overripe bananas which isn't quite enough for a loaf of banana bread. The crunchy walnut, smooth cream cheese frosting and moist bar are an amazing combination. In my opinion, a splash of maple flavoring to the frosting truly elevates the taste by adding another dimension of flavor. Yum!



Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
9 x 13 pan | adapted from Betty Crocker

1 cup sugar
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 medium)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 brick cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp maple flavoring (or vanilla)
1 cup powdered sugar (may need more to achieve desired consistency)
walnuts, for decoration

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom and sides of rectangular pan, 9 x 13 pan with shortening. In large bowl, mix granulated sugar, bananas, oil and eggs with spoon. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Spread in pan.
2. Bake bars 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, with a hand mixer, mix cream cheese, butter and maple flavoring (or vanilla) on medium speed until blended. Gradually beat in powdered sugar, scraping bowl occasionally, until smooth and spreadable.
4. Cut cooled bars before frosting them. Put frosting in a piping bag and pipe a robust cream cheese frosting rosette on each bar. There is a fair bit of frosting, so you can be generous. Top with a walnut and serve.

Easy Faux Petit Fours

"Petit Fours" literally means "Small Oven". French always makes everything sound fancier and prettier, doesn't it? These classy little cakes are traditionally eaten after a meal, served with coffee or tea. Please excuse the poor quality of the photos as they were taken with my Blackberry. I left my camera in a different purse that day.





The version I'm posting here is a fun, kid-friendly one. It is easy to make and relies on storebought vanilla frosting that you liquify in the microwave and tint with food coloring. Dip your cake cubes in to coat them and you are done! Easy and really really cute. We went all out with the color palette here as you can see.



Easy Faux Petit Fours
Makes 4 dozen cubes

1 recipe Classic Pound Cake <--click for recipe
1 can storebought vanilla frosting (not whipped)
food coloring
toothpicks

1. Cut the cooled pound cake into 1" cubes. Try to cut them as evenly as possible for the prettiest petit fours.

2. Scoop some frosting into a small bowl. Add a couple drops of food coloring and microwave for 15-20 seconds to melt. Stir to combine coloring.

3. Pierce a cake cube with the toothpick and dip it into the frosting to coat fully. Let the excess drip off. Place cubes on a cooling rack for a few hours to let the frosting set fully.

Perfect Pound Cake

This golden, statuesque pound cake is tender and moist. The crisp, caramellized crust hides a fine grained cake with a slightly firm texture that results from the use of cake flour. Delicious plain or served with lemon curd. It also freezes extremely well and takes well to flavoring with different extracts and lemon or orange zest. The recipe is from the classic book by Rose Levy Berenbaum - The Cake Bible. It is not as heavy on the eggs and butter as many other pound cake recipes yet just as delicious. The recipe below is for a loaf cake but I doubled the recipe and baked it in a tube pan.



Perfect Pound Cake
8 x 5" loaf | The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum

13 tbsp butter
3 tablespoons milk
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
13 tablespoons, softened

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl lightly combine the butter, milk, eggs and vanilla.

2. In a large mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients and mix on low speed for 30 seconds to blend. Add the butter and half the egg mixture. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase to medium speed and beat for 1 minute to aerate and develop the cake’s structure.

3. Scrape down the sides. Gradually add the remaining egg mixture in 2 batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure. Scrape down the sides.

4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with a spatula. The batter will be almost a 1/2" from the top of a 4-cup loaf pan. (If pan is smaller, use excess batter for cupcakes.)

5. Bake 55 to 65 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cover loosely with buttered foil after 30 minutes to prevent overbrowning. The cake should start to shrink from the sides of the pan only after removal from the oven. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes and invert it onto a greased wire rack. If baked in a loaf pan, to keep the bottom from splitting, reinvert so that the top is up and cool completely before wrapping airtight.

Copycat Club: Duncan Hines Yellow Cake Mix Clone

Happy 4th birthday Zachary! I made this construction-site cake for his birthday party. We had so much fun decorating it together. I let him pick out which construction vehicle toys he wanted to put on top and he helped crush up the oreo cookies for the "dirt" on top.



Instead of buying a cake mix, I decided to give this copycat recipe from Todd Wilbur's Top Secret Recipes a shot. The texture was spot on. and everyone raved about the taste. I doubled the recipe to make a 2-layer cake and filled the cake with raspberry jam.

The beautiful part of this recipe is that you can make this mix ahead of time and store in a zip-lock bag. When you are ready to make the cake, just add the same amount of water, oil and eggs just as you would with a storebought mix.





Duncan Hines Yellow Cake Mix Clone
Makes equivalent of 1 box of mix

3 cups cake flour
2 cups superfine sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup shortening
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons imitation butter flavoring
10 drops yellow food coloring
1 1/3 cups water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs

To make the mix: Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Combine shortening, vanilla, and food coloring with an electric mixer in a small bowl.

Spoon shortening mixture into dry ingredients and beat well with mixer on medium speed. Mix until no chunks of shortening are visible. The mix should resemble cornmeal. This is your cake mix, which you can keep in a sealed container for several months until you are ready to make the cake.

To make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the sides and bottom of two 9 inch baking pans or one 13x9 inch pan. Lightly flour pans.

Blend dry cake mix with the water, oil, and eggs in a large bowl on low speed until moistened. Increase to medium speed and beat for two minutes. Pour batter into pans and bake for 30-33 minutes for 9 inch pan, 35-38 minutes for 13x9 pan. Cupcakes take 19-22 minutes.

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.

Honeyed Apple Torte

This recipe was adapted from Baking in America by James Patent. When I decided to try this recipe I was not expecting such a beautiful cake! It was a nice surprise when it turned out a gorgeous golden brown with the honey-infused apple slices nestled into the cake. Even more than its appearance, I love love loved the texture. Crispy-chewy edges and a dense yet tender crumb made for a nice balance of textures against the apples. It is not a tall cake - after all James Patent does call it a torte - but to me it seems to lean more towards cake.



This is a nice and prettier alternative to the usual apple cakes that you mix chopped apples into. It really shows off the fruit and looks like more effort than it really is.



Honeyed Apple Torte
9" square or round pan | adapted from Baking in America

1/3 cup honey
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 medium-firm apples, sliced

1 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs

1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1. Simmer the honey, lemon juice and apples together in a skillet over medium, stirring gently and frequently until apples are tender. Drain and cool, reserving honey liquid for the cake.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9" square or round pan. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.

3. Cream together butter, sugar, vanilla and brown sugar. Add honey liquid from step 1 then add eggs and beat. Add dry ingredients and mix just to combine. Do not over mix. Scrape into prepared pan and arrange the cooled apple slices on top, pressing them down into the batter slightly. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon evenly on top.

4. Bake for 1 hour or until gently puffed and golden brown and toothpick comes out clean.

Milky Way Cake

This is a sinfully decadent cake with actual Milky Way Chocolate bars melted into the batter! One tiny tiny slice is enough to satisfy any chocolate craving. I increased the recipe by 1.5x and made a 4-layer-cake which stood 5" high. It was enough to feed an army! This would be wonderful served with ice cream to cut the sweetness a little bit. I made chocolate dipped strawberries, alternating white and dark chocolates, and put little pink frosting dots along the sides of the cake for a feminine touch or color.

The recipe is adapted from Sunday Baker's Blog and Grouprecipes.com. The nice thing is that you can switch it up by using different melted chocolate bars. How about Snickers and chopped peanuts?! Mars bars and pecans?!



Milky Way Cake 8" - 3 layer cake 8 regular-sized Milky Way bars
1/2 cup butter
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla

Icing:
3 regular-sized Milky Way Bars
1 stick butter
2 teaspoon milk
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar

1. For cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease three 9" round cake pans.
2. Melt butter and candy bars then set aside to cool slightly. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Sift together the dry ingredients then beat into the wet mixture. Fold in Milky Way mixture. Do not over mix.
3. Spread evenly in the prepared pans. Bake for 1h 10m or until cake tests done.
4. Icing: Melt candy bars and butter. Stir in milk and powdered sugar. Add additional milk if needed. Beat until smooth and spread on cooled cake. [I just coated mine with a chocolate ganache made with 1 part heavy cream to 1 part bittersweet chocolate]

Golden Lemon Almond Cake

This Lemon Almond Bundt is a sturdy yet tender cake that gives off a lovely, nutty, zesty aroma while baking. The recipe is from Rose's Heavenly Cakes. I initially bought this book based on rave reviews it received from blogger and online foodies. Rose Levy Berenbaum's Pie and Pastry Bible was another best seller but I never got around to buying it. It didn't draw me in, despite its rave reviews (Sorry Rose!). So, I was a little hesitant ordering this new book online but I clicked "submit order" anyway.

Inside the Amazon.com box I found one of the nicest looking cookbooks I've seen! For that precise reason, I had never used this book until today. It was too pretty to make its way into the kitchen, so it sat pristinely on my bookshelf for the past 6 months. I hardly wanted to flick through the perfectly bound book; I didn't even want to crack the spine. Bear in mind that I'm the kind of person who saves the best thing on the plate for last and takes teeny tiny bites to really savor it.

Well, I'm glad I finally got over my silliness and started using this book for its intended purpose, because the recipes are as solid as the book is pretty.



Golden Lemon Almond Cake 12-14 servings | Rose's Heavenly Cakes

Batter
2/3 cup blanched sliced almonds
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup sour cream, divided
1 1/2 tsps pure vanilla extract
3/8 tsp pure lemon oil
2 cups plus 3 tablespoons flour
1 1/4 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 Tablespoons, loosely packed Lemon zest, finely grated
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1. Set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees F if using a dark pan).

2. Toast and Grind the Almonds: Spread the almonds evenly on a baking sheet and bake for about 7 minutes, or until pale gold. Stir once or twice to ensure even toasting and avoid overbrowning. Cool completely. In a food processor, process until fairly fine. Add 1/4 cup of the sugar and process until very fine.

3. Mix the Liquid Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, 1/2 cup of the sour cream, the vanilla, and lemon oil just until lightly combined. Make the Batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, mix the ground almonds, the remaining sugar, the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest on low speed for about 30 seconds. Add the butter and the remaining sour cream. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat for 1 1/2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

4. Starting on medium-low speed, gradually add the egg mixture in two parts, beating on medium speed for 30 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure. Using a spatula or spoon, scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface evenly with a small metal spatula.

5. Bake the Cake: Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted between the tube and the side comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the center should read 200-205 degrees F. Make the syrup shortly before the cake is finished baking

Lemon Syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Make the Lemon Syrup: In a 1-cup or larger microwavable glass measure (or a small saucepan over medium heat), heat the sugar and lemon juice, stirring often until the sugar is almost completely dissolved. Do not boil. A few un-dissolved grains form a sparkly, crackly finish to the crust. Cover it tightly to prevent evaporation.

Apply the Syrup and Cool and Unmold the Cake: As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, place the pan on a wire rack, poke the cake all over with a thin skewer, and brush it with about one-third of the syrup. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Invert it onto a 10-inch cardboard round or serving plate. Brush the top and sides of the cake with the remaining syrup. Cool completely and wrap airtight.

Bill's Big Carrot Cake

This post is to make up for my missing Tuesdays with Dorie post on Tuesday. With Christmas and bank holidays and the whirlwind of activity, I completely forgot! So, here I present to you, a TWD rewind: Bill’s Big Carrot Cake, pages 253-255, originally selected April 22, 2008.



It was lighter than the typical carrot cakes I have been served - both in color and texture. It was moist even without the use of crushed pineapple. I kept wanting to add pineapple out of habit - all the carrot cakes I've ever made have called for pineapple, but I refrained and was pleased by the end product.

Not too heavily spiced, the flavor was interesting but not overpowering.

Bill’s Big Carrot Cake
8" three-layer cake or 12" Bundt | Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients:

For the cake:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups grated carrots (about 9 carrots)
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
1/2 cup moist, plump raisins or dried cranberries
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
4 large eggs

For the frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 pound or 3 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup shredded coconut (optional)
Finely chopped toasted nuts and/or toasted shredded coconut (optional)

Getting ready:
Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter three 9-x-2-inch round cake pans, flour the insides, and tap out the excess. Put the two pans on one baking sheet and one on another.

To make the cake:
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, stir together the carrots, chopped nuts, coconut, and raisins. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the sugar and oil together on a medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs one by one and continue to beat until the batter is even smoother. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture, mixing only until the dry ingredients disappear. Gently mix the chunky ingredients. Divide the batter among the baking pans. Bake for 40-50 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point, until a thin knife inserted into the centers comes out clean. The cakes will have just started to come away from the sides of the pans. Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes and unmold them. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up.
The cakes can be wrapped airtight and kept at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to 2 months.

To make the frosting:
Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until the frosting is velvety smooth. Beat in the lemon juice or extract.
If you’d like coconut in the filling, scoop about half of the frosting and stir the coconut into this position.

To assemble the cake:
Put one layer top side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper. If you added the coconut to the frosting, use half of the coconut frosting to generously cover the first layer (or generously cover with plain frosting). Use an offset spatula or a spoon to smooth the frosting all the way to the edges of the layer. Top with the second layer, this time placing the cake stop side down, and frost with the remainder of the coconut frosting or plain frosting. Top with the last layer, right side up, and frost the top- and the sides- of the cake. Finish the top with swirls of frosting. If you want to top the cake with toasted nuts or coconut, sprinkle them on now while the frosting is soft. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes, just to set the frosting before serving.

Serving:
This cake can be served as soon as the frosting is set. It can also wait, at room temperature and covered with a cake keeper overnight. The cake is best served in thick slices at room temperature and while it’s good plain, it’s even better with vanilla ice cream or some lemon curd.

Storing:
The cake will keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. It can also be frozen. Freeze it uncovered, then when it’s firm, wrap airtight and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost, still wrapped, overnight in the refrigerator.

Cake Pops: Snowmen and Polar Bears

This was my first foray into the realm of cake pops. If you haven't hopped on this fad yet, I highly recommend it. They're so cute that it's worth the nit-picky work they take to make!

Bakerella, the author of Cake Pops, recommends using a cake mix and canned frosting so that the results are predictable, especially as you are learning. I used a cake mix but made my own frosting - a simple American Buttercream and had wonderful results.





Some tips based on my first attempt:
-Make the cake balls and refrigerate them overnight before you dip them. This gives them lots of time to set fully and makes it easier to plan your time and split the work up over a couple of says.
-Don't add too much frosting at once. I did this and then I had to keep adding more crumbled cake to balance out the frosting.
-Make extra cake to have on standby just in case you need it.
-Candy melts harden quickly, so have your decorations ready to go at your fingertips so they can be 'glued' onto the pop before the coating hardens.
-Tweezers are invaluable.
-If you don't have a styrofoam block to hold your pops, use a cardboard box turned upside down with holes poked in it (Use a nail, small screwdriver or letter opener).
-I couldn't find a black edible ink pen so I used Wilton Black Icing Color in a little jar (only $1.42) and painted on the faces with a fine paintbrush.
-I used a 2-cup pyrex measuring cup to melt the candy melts and to dip the pops in. It was the perfect depth and it was microwaveable which made life SO much easier.
-eBay is a great place to buy your supplies for cheap. I got my lollipop sticks for a fraction of the cost of Michael's.

Gingerbread Bundt Cake

Less than 1 week to Christmas! It was a really weird feeling this weekend to be at the mall on the last weekend before Christmas and NOT have it packed with line-ups out the doors. I heard that online shopping has increased this year and I definitely feel that too when I am in the mall. Stores seem emptier and the sales seem better online. I know that personally, 75% of my shopping was done on eBay or Amazon this year. While baking delicious cakes at the same time!

If you like molasses spice cookies you will love this cake. Moist, spicy and comforting - it is especially good when served with a hot drink on a cold day. With a medley of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, it immediately awakens your palate and makes your house smell like Christmas with its light texture and creamy crumb. Even if you leave out the other spices and use only ginger, this recipe produces a really tasty cake that freezes well, double-wrapped in foil.



Sour Cream Gingerbread
1 - 10" Bundt | Fannie Farmer Cookbook

1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 cup sour cream
2 cups sugar
1 cup molasses
4 eggs
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 10-cup Bundt pan. Cream the butter and slowly add the sugar, beating until light. Add the molasses and sour cream and blend well. ADd the eggs, beating until well mixed. Mix together the flour, baking powder, soda, salt and spices. Add to the first mixture and bea until smooth. Pour into th pan and bake 40-50 minutes (or more) until toothpick comes out clean.

Semisweet Chocolate Layer Cake with Bakery Frosting

I volunteered to make a bunch of cakes for a cake walk at our church, so I was in mass production mode. I came up with the idea to bake two jelly-roll sheets 11" x 17" and cut each into 6 smaller rectangles, make 2-layer high cakes from these rectangles. It worked out *so* well. The layers were perfectly even, I didn't have to worry about splitting my cake into layers after it was baked, so from now on I will be making my layer cakes in sheet pans so they bake thinner and more evenly, then just cutting circles of cake from the large sheet pans.

This is a must-try frosting recipe, especially if you are in a bind for refrigerator space, as I often am. The frosting is just like the bakeries use on their cakes and does not require refrigeration if you are serving the cake within a day of making it. The Coffeemate instead of milk/cream makes it more stable. For longer storage it may be kept up to 3 months covered in the refrigerator. Just bring to room temperature before using.

Semisweet Chocolate Layer Cake
Makes 3 - 8" rounds | Gourmet, Feb. 2006

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 3/4 cups (packed) dark brown sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter three 8" cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottoms with parchment paper round; butter parchment. Place chocolate in metal bowl set over saucepan of simmering water. Stir until melted and smooth.

2. Whisk all purpose flour and next 4 ingredients in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat brown sugar, butter, and vanilla in large bowl to blend (mixture will be crumbly). Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in warm melted chocolate. Mix in dry ingredients in 2 additions alternately with buttermilk in 1 addition. Divide batter among prepared pans.

3. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 23 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack; peel off parchment. Cool cakes completely. Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap cakes in plastic and store at room temperature.

Bakery-Style No Refrigeration Needed Frosting
Makes 8 cups | adapted from Kittencal on Food.com

1 1/2 cups shortening
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup non-dairy powdered coffee creamer (Coffee Mate)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 (32 ounce) package confectioners sugar, sifted
1/2-3/4 cup water
1/4 cup, approx. cocoa powder (optional)

1. In a large mixing bowl beat the shortening, butter, creamer and vanilla.
2. Gradually beat in the confectioners sugar.
3. Add in enough water (starting with 1/2 cup) until frosting reaches desired consistency.
4. To make chocolate frosting, beat in cocoa powder to taste or to achieve the desired chocolatey-ness.

Buttercake Bakery's Chocolate Vanilla Swirl Bundt Cake

This chocolate & vanilla swirl bundt cake recipe is a clone of a cake you can find at a bakery in L.A. called Buttercake Bakery. I stumbled up on it while visiting that area last year. The chocolate chips burst like bubbles of flavor in your mouth and the cake is amazing. It's probably one of those things that's worth the calorie splurge and the extra effort required to make your own chocolate syrup. However, I bet you could use storebought chocolate syrup to save some time. The L.A. Times published this copycat recipe June 11, 2008 and I'm so glad I stumbled upon it! They call it "comfort food in cake form" and I couldn't agree more.

I will also be linking this to my Copycat Club for the December 7th round-up. (See link above for details and to join/submit any recipes).

Buttercake Bakery's Chocolate Marbled Cake
Makes 1 - 12" Bundt

2 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
2 2/3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup chocolate chips
Powdered sugar for dusting

1. In a small saucepan, whisk together one-half cup of the sugar, the cocoa powder and corn syrup with one-half cup hot water. Bring just to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Add a half-teaspoon of vanilla off the heat and set aside.
2. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and lightly flour a 12-cup bundt pan.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer), cream the butter with the remaining sugar until light and fluffy. Whisk in the eggs one at a time until thoroughly incorporated, then whisk in the remaining vanilla.
3. Whisk about a third of the flour mixture into the batter, then a third of the milk. Continue whisking in the flour mixture and milk, alternately and a little at a time, until everything is added and the batter is light and smooth.
4. Gently fold in the chocolate chips, then divide the batter into thirds. Pour a third of the batter into the prepared bundt pan.
5. Whisk the chocolate syrup with another third of batter, then pour this into the prepared bundt pan. Pour the remaining third of batter over this, lightly swirl the batters with a wooden skewer or knife to give a "marble" effect and place the pan in the oven.
6. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the cake springs back lightly when touched, about 1 hour. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack. Invert the cooled cake onto a serving platter and dust lightly with powdered sugar.

TWD: Cranberry Shortbread Cake

This cake was a huge success! It falls into my favorite category of baked goods: hybrids! Part shortbread, part cake, part pie - ALL DELICIOUS! I was feeling a little lazy this weekend and was tempted to use canned cranberry sauce, but I pulled up my socks and made the filling as directed in the recipe. I'm so glad I did. It was phenomenal with just the right balance of sweetness and tartness accented by a hint of fresh orange flavor. I am definitely going to make this cake again and again with different fillings. Blueberries or cherries anyone? The only change I made to the recipe was to crumble the topping over the filling (like a streusel) instead of rolling it and laying out flat on top. I'm sending out a huge thank you to Jessica of Singleton in the Kitchen chose Not-Just-for Thanksgiving Cranberry Shortbread cake on pages 208-209. Check out her blog for the recipe!

Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake

This week, Leslie of Lethally Delicious decided on Tarte Fine on page 315.



Confession: I had a puff pastry dilemma this week - To buy or to make? I really didn't want to buy it when I know I can make it for cheaper and better at home, but then I ran outta time because of my indecision and procrastination. So, I apologize, there is no Tarte Fine aux Pommes for moi this week.

Instead, I made this deliciously moist, super-cute apple cake that tastes just like a caramel apple. There's a nice, thick layer of sugar and butter that gets put into the pan first. This carmellizes in the oven creating a gooey, caramelly topping after it's baked. The apples soften up and absorb some of the caramel during baking. They are tender and flavorful gems on the top of the cake. Psst...see the middle of the cake? The centre apple has still got its stem. :)

Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake
9" cake | adapted from Land-o-Lakes

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons cold butter, cut into cubes
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, sliced

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup caramel sundae topping

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Place 1/2 cup brown sugar in small bowl; cut in 3 tablespoons butter with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press onto bottom of greased 9" round cake pan. Arrange apple slices on top. Set aside.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.

Combine 2/3 cup brown sugar and 1/3 cup butter in another medium bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add egg and vanilla; continue beating until smooth. Add flour mixture alternately with milk until well mixed.

Spoon batter over apple layer; spread evenly. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes; invert onto serving plate. Serve warm or cool, drizzled with caramel topping.

TWD: White Peach Upside Downer

I haven't seen any cranberries around my grocery store quite yet, so I had to improvise this week and take advantage of the last of the summer-fruit bounty. I had some gorgeous, plump white peaches that fit the bill. I did a mini-happy-dance when I flipped the cake over and it unmolded perfectly - not a single stuck peach slice! However, since I used white peaches, the fruit didn't stand out the way I would have like it to. Cranberries would have been much prettier.

The nutty, caramel topping that gets poured into the pan before the peaches and the batter was a definite winner in my books. It suited the cake and fruit flavors to a tee. I imagine this recipe working well with any fruit - berries, apple, plums?

Sabrina of Superfluous chose Cranberry Upside-Downer on page 206 for this week's Tuesdays with Dorie bake-along recipe. Check out her blog for the recipe.

Butterscotch Peanut Chews

If you are even slightly interested in heirloom baking or the history of baked goods, this book is a great one to take a peek at. It's a thick book - maybe 2" thick? - but despite the plentiful information it is not boring. I found it really enlightening to see how the recipes we know today originally came to be. It was like touching a piece of the past as though through act of baking I was participating in something bigger, something woven deeply through all aspects of our history.

Besides needing food to survive, there can be great pleasure derived from eating. Food is present in every celebration or gathering. It evokes memories. Special foods are reserved for special occasions.

The description in the book reads, "The candylike batter for this cookie is made quickly in a saucepan". Well, they ain't lying. I had this ready to go into the oven before the oven had even finished preheating. There's nothing fancy about these other than the simple beauty of carmelized brown sugar with a slight nuttiness from the peanuts. At the time I made this I wasn't sure what the author meant in step 5 where you're supposed to tamp down the sides of the 'cake', so I skipped it. It was still good but in retrospect I think it might have been more "chewy" if I had used a measuring cup or back of a metal spoon to press down the finished product so it was more compact and hence, more chewy and less cake-like.

I am submitting this recipe to Brenda's Canadian Kitchen for Cookbook Sundays - a great, easygoing bakealong that I highly recommend joining. Brenda is an awesome cook and I had the pleasure of creating the badge below for her, so click on over and check out her site :)



Peanut Butterscotch Chews
8" pan | Baking in America

1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup roasted peanuts, finely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease an 8" square pan.
2. Combine dry ingredients.
3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter then add brown sugar, stirring constantly. Add evaporated milk and bring to a boil for exactly 1 minute, stirring once or twice. Cool to warm.
4. Beat in egg then vanilla. Stir in flour mixture only until incorporated, then add peanuts. Scrape into prepared pan and spread evenly.
5. Bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Don't overbake they should be very moist. Cool for 5 minutes then tamp down sides of the "cake" to level it. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Blueberry Lemon Cream Cake

After anxiously waiting for the marks to be released, I found out that I PASSED my accounting exam! I can add those 3 little letters - CMA - after my name. It feels fantastic and this cake was a great way to celebrate!

It has 4 thin layers of lemon flavored sponge cake sandwich 3 layers of fresh, plump blueberries suspended in a slightly tart lemon cream filling. This was a delightfully light and summery dessert. Fancy enough for a special occasion yet not overly fussy.

The recipe comes from The Complete Canadian Living Baking Book: The Essentials of Home Baking.

Note: It's important to use an electric mixer for the cake to get the maximum rise by beating the eggs thoroughly.



Blueberry Lemon Cream Cake
1 - 10" Caks | adapted from Canadian Living

3 cups (750 mL) raspberries (or any fresh berries)
1 tbsp (15 mL) icing sugar

Sponge Cake:
6 eggs
1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup (75 mL) butter, melted

Lemon Cream:
1 pkg unflavoured gelatin
3 eggs
2 egg yolks
1-1/4 cup (300 mL) granulated sugar
1 tbsp (15 mL) grated lemon rind
2/3 cup (150 mL) lemon juice
1-1/3 cups (325 mL) whipping cream

1. Sponge Cake: Line bottom of 10" springform pan with parchment paper; grease side. Set aside. Set eggs in bowl of warm (100°F/40°C) water for 5 minutes.

2. In electric stand mixer on medium-high speed, beat eggs until foamy. Gradually beat in sugar until pale yellow and batter falls in ribbons when beaters are lifted, about 10 minutes. Fold in lemon rind and vanilla.

3. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt ; sift one-third over egg mixture and fold in. Repeat twice. Transfer one-quarter to bowl; fold in butter. Fold back into remaining batter. Pour into prepared pan.

4. Bake in centre of 325°F (160°C) oven until cake springs back when lightly touched in centre, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove side of pan; let cool on rack. (Make-ahead: Wrap in plastic wrap and store for up to 24 hours, or overwrap with heavy-duty foil and freeze for up to 2 weeks.)

5. Lemon Cream: In small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 3 tbsp (50 mL) water; set aside. In heatproof bowl, whisk together eggs, egg yolks, sugar, lemon rind and lemon juice. Place over simmering water; cook, stirring frequently, until translucent and thick enough to softly mound on spoon, about 20 minutes.

6. Strain into large bowl. Stir in gelatin mixture until melted. Place plastic wrap directly on surface; refrigerate, stirring every 10 minutes, until cool and mixture can mound on spoon, about 1 hour. In bowl, beat cream; fold one-third into lemon mixture. Fold in remaining cream. Fold in 2-1/3 cups (575 mL) of the berries; set aside.

7. Assembly: Line bottom and side of same pan with waxed/parchment paper. Cut cake horizontally into thirds. Place top cake layer, cut side up, in pan. Spread with half of the lemon cream. Top with middle cake layer, remaining lemon cream and remaining cake layer, cut side down. Cover and refrigerate until set, about 4 hours. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.)

8. To serve, remove side of pan. Sprinkle top with icing sugar. Arrange remaining berries around top edge.