(GF) Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pumpkin. It makes just about everything better, don't you think? This is a Philadelphia Cream Cheese recipe that I tweaked ever so slightly to be gluten free. I didn't do the caramel topping, but I bet it's delicious. The cheesecake is very rich on it's own, so I don't think it's really necessary. But, then again, sometimes you might just need a little caramel...

(GF) Pumpkin Cheese Cake

~Print Recipe~

• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, divided
• 38 or 1 1/2 cups (gluten free, optional) ginger snaps, finely crushed
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 4 pkg (8oz each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
• 1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 eggs
• 25 caramels (optional)
• 1/4 cup milk

1.  Heat oven to 325 degrees. Chop 1/4 cup nuts finely; place in medium bowl. Add ginger snap crumbs and butter; mix well. Press onto bottom of 13x9 inch pan.

   

   Crush cookies in a food processor, or just smash with a rolling pin.

2. Beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl with mixer until blended. Add pumpkin, spice, and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust.
3. Bake 45 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours.
4. Optional topping: microwave caramels and milk in microwaveable bowl on high for 1 1/2 minutes or until caramels are completely melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Spoon over individual servings of cheesecake. Sprinkle with remaining nuts.
5. Serve with whipped cream. 

Makes 12 Servings

Maple-Gingerbread Cake with Salted Maple-Caramel Sauce

 Maple is a perennial favorite around here, and this recipe from Bon Appetit is a creative twist on the usual flavor combinations. I cut this recipe out of the magazine in the fall of 2013, but looking back through my recipe books, I actually found a version that they printed back in 2010. There is a reason this one has stuck around.

Maple sugar can be a little hard to track down, and it is a bit pricey. Trader Joe's used to carry it, but sadly doesn't anymore. I found maple sugar at a local upscale grocery chain, but I have a note that the Joy of Baking says you can substitute 1 1/2 cups white sugar and 2 teaspoons maple extract for 1 cup of maple sugar. (I have not yet tried this.)

The creme fraiche in the frosting makes this very creamy and rich. The maple-caramel is absolutely decadent, but it really makes the cake.

Maple-Coated Pecans

• 3/4 cup pecan halves, toasted
• 1/4 cup Grade B pure maple syrup
• Kosher salt

Cake

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup chopped crystallized ginger
• 1 cup maple sugar
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup hot water
• 2/3 cup molasses

Frosting

• 1 1/2 cups chilled creme fraiche
• 1 1/3 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup maple sugar
•  6 tablespoons powdered sugar

Salted Maple-Caramel Sauce

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup maple sugar
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 5 to 6 drops imitation maple extract

Maple Coated Pecans

1. Place large piece of foil or parchment on work surface. Combine nuts and maple syrup in heavy medium skillet (not nonstick) over medium high heat. Bring to a boil and toss to coat. Cook until syrup is dark amber and almost cooked away, thickly coating the nuts--about 3 1/2 minutes. 
2. Scrape nuts onto covered work surface, quickly separating clumps. Sprinkle with sea salt and cool until coating is hard, about 1 hour.

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Combine first 4 ingredients in food processor; add ginger. Blend until ginger is finely ground, about 1 minute. In a mixer with a large bowl, beat maple sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. (Batter may look curdled.) 
2. Stir 3/4 cup hot water and molasses in a small bowl. Beat dry ingredients into butter mixture in 4 additions, alternating with molasses mixture in 3 additions.
3. Divide batter between prepared pans (about 2 1/2 cups each). Bake until tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks.

Maple-Caramel

1. Melt butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar. Whisk until sugar melts and mixture is thick and boiling, 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in cream. Bring sauce to a boil, whisking often. Boil, whisking often, until sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon and is reduced to 1 cup (another 2-3 minutes). Remove from heat. Whisk in salt and extract. Cool.

Frosting

1. Combine creme fraiche, cream and both sugars in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until very thick and stiff.

Assembly

1. Cut around sides of cake pans; turn cakes out onto racks. Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread with 1 1/3 cups frosting. Drizzle with  3 tablespoons caramel sauce.
2. Top with second cake. Spread a thin layer of frosting over entire cake and chill for 15 minutes to create a crumb coat. 
3. Spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides of cake. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons caramel sauce. Cover and chill cake for at least 1 hour.
4. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before continuing. Press pecan pieces into sides of cake. Serve cake slices with caramel sauce drizzled on top!

Mocha Layer Cake with Mocha Cream Cheese Frosting

I love birthdays. Not for the reasons you would first suspect, but because birthdays mean birthday cake. I love making fancy cakes from scratch. I rarely have the time to do this just for the fun of it, though. I need a legitimate excuse to bake one, so birthdays are perfect.

This year, I was fortunate to have tons of family and friends come up to Portland to celebrate my 30th birthday. It was extraordinary and memorable in every way. At one point a friend asked me incredulously, "You have to make your own birthday cake?!" To which I replied, "Yep, I get to make my cake! I can't wait."

This cake really was a perfect cake. The balance of chocolate and coffee, cream cheese frosting, moist layers, good ratio of cake to frosting... I received a lot of compliments and requests for the recipe.

Well, here it is! Adapted from a recipe I clipped from Bon Appetit years ago, this cake was just waiting for an excuse to be baked. Turns out turning 30 was the perfect excuse.

Mocha Layer Cake with Mocha Cream Cheese Frosting

~Print Recipe~

Cake

• 2 cups cake flour
• 3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp.
• 2 cups (packed) brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 4 teaspoons VIA instant espresso powder dissolved in 3/4 cup hot water

Frosting

• 1/3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon VIA instant espresso powder
• 1 1/2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream, divided
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 2 8oz. containers Philadelphia cream cheese
• Chocolate covered espresso beans or chocolate curls (optional)

Cake

1.  Generously butter two 9-inch cake pans with 2-inch sides. Dust with flour, tapping out the excess. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper. Position rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 325 degrees.
2. Sift or whisk cake flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt into medium bowl; set aside. In an electric mixer, beat butter in a large bowl until smooth. Add brown sugar and beat until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each one. Mix in vanilla. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternating with buttermilk in 2 additions, beating until just blended after each addition. Gradually add hot espresso-water mixture, beating just until smooth.
3. Divide batter evenly between pans (use a scale to measure the weight for precise results). To eliminate air bubbles, drop each pan flat onto the counter a few times from about a foot.   Bake cakes until tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on rack for 15 minutes. Run a small knife around the side to loosen the cakes. Invert cakes onto racks; lift pans off cakes and remove parchment. Place a wire rack on each cake and invert again so the top of the cake is up. Cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap in plastic and store at room temp.)

Frosting

1. Sift or whisk cocoa powder into a large bowl. Add espresso powder. Bring 1 cup cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Slowly pour the hot cream over the cocoa mixture, whisking until cocoa is completely dissolved, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup cream and sugar, stirring until sugar dissolves. Chill until cold, at least 2 hours, up to 1 day.
2. Add cream cheese to chilled cocoa mixture. With an electric mixer, beat on low speed until blended and smooth. Increase speed to medium-high, bet until mixture is thick and medium-firm peaks form when beaters are lifted, about 2 minutes. (Do not overbeat or the mixture will curdle.)

 Assembly

1. Using a pastry brush, brush off crumbs from cakes. Place 1 cake layer top side up on a platter. (Lining the sides of the platter with tin foil will help keep it clean.) Spoon 1 3/4 cups frosting in dollops over top of the cake. Using an offset spatula, spread frosting evenly to the edges. 
2. Top with second cake layer, top side up, pressing to adhere. Spread thin layer of frosting over top and sides of the cake (this is the crumb layer). Chill 10 minutes. Using offset spatula, spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake, swirling decoratively. 
3. Top with chocolate covered espresso beans or chocolate curls.

Mocha Layer Cake with Mocha Cream Cheese Frosting

     Birthdays around here mean cakes. Not from a box, and no quick breads or single pan affairs. Real, labor-intensive, time-consuming, multi-step cakes. From scratch. Of course, it's all a labor of love.

     I really look forward to birthdays, because it's my excuse to try a decadent new cake recipe. These are not usually cakes I would whip up just because. (I don't have enough free time for that anyway.) So, I must choose wisely. My first, and possibly favorite, from-scratch layer cake was a chocolate with peppermint and white chocolate ordeal. Next I tried a "fire cracker" apple spice cake, which actually had a spicy warmness to it that took some getting used to, but turned out to be delicious. There was the maple cake, and now there is the mocha cake.

     The best part of this cake is the mocha cream cheese frosting. I'm always a fan of cream cheese frosting, but this one was really stellar. Coffee, chocolate, whipped cream and cream cheese collide--what's not to like?

Mocha Layer Cake with Mocha Cream Cheese Frosting

~Print Recipe~

Cake

• 2 cups cake flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups packed grown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 4 teaspoons instant espresso powder (Starbucks VIA) dissolved in 3/4 cups hot water

Frosting

• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder (Starbucks VIA)
• 1 1/2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream, divided
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 2 8 oz. packages chilled cream cheese
• Chocolate curls (optional)

Cake

1. Position rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Generously butter two 9-inch cake pans, dust with flour and tap out the excess. Line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper. (Place pans on parchment, trace the bottoms with a pencil, then cut out the circles.)
2. Sift 2 cups cake flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat butter in a large bowl until smooth. Add brown sugar and beat until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla. 
3. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk in 2 additions, beating until just blended after each addition. Gradually add espresso/hot water mixture, beating just until smooth.
4. Divide batter between pans. (To remove air bubbles for smoother, more level cakes, lift each pan about a foot off of the counter and drop it back onto the counter, or tap pans on the counter a few times.) Bake cakes until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
5. Cool cakes in pans on rack for 15 minutes. Run a small knife around the sides of the pans to loosen cakes. Invert cakes onto racks, lift pans off cakes and remove parchment. Place wire racks on top of the cakes, then invert again so the top side is up. Cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead.)

Frosting

1.  Sift cocoa powder into a large bow. Add espresso powder. Bring 1 cup cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Slowly pour cream over cocoa mixture, whisking until cocoa is completely dissolved. Add 1/2 cup cream and sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves. Chill until cold, at least 2 hours or over night.
2. Add cream cheese to chilled cocoa mixture. Using an electric mixer, beat on low speed until blended and smooth. Increase speed to medium-high. Beat until mixture is thick and medium-firm peaks form when beaters are lifted, about 2 minutes. Do not over beat or the mixture will curdle.

Putting It All Together

1. Gently brush crumbs from cakes. Line the edges of cake platter with foil or parchment to keep it clean while you assemble the cake. Place 1 cake layer, top side up, on the platter.  Spoon about 1 1/2 cups frosting in dollops over top of cake. Spread frosting evenly to the edges. Top with second cake layer, top side up. Press to adhere. Spread a thin layer of frosting over top and sides of the cake. Chill 10 minutes.
2. Using an offset spatula, spread remaining frosting evenly over the top and sides of the cake. Top with chocolate curls, if using.

Serves 10 to 12

Chocolate Stout Layer Cake

This cake is from Bon Appetit Magazine online, and is very similar to the chocolate stout bundt cake I made for Lauren's birthday two months ago. Between the two, the bundt cake is definitely easier and quicker, since you don't have to trim the two layers of cake, frost in between, and frost sides and top. However, the layer cake is an excellent choice for a celebration such as St Paddys Day. I made it last night for 'day after St Paddy's Day dinner' dessert. It was delicious, especially when paired with a full pint of Guinness. In retrospect, you could probably add a bunch of green food coloring to make it even more festive, to give it a green velvet look.

What's in it

Cake:

3 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped

2 1/4 C all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

14 Tbl (1 3/4 sticks) salted butter, room temperature

1 1/4 C plus 3 Tbl sugar

3 large eggs, separated

3/4 C chocolate stout, regular stout, or porter

2/3 C freshly brewed strong coffee

Frosting:

1 lb bittersweet chocolate (54% to 60% cacao), chopped

2 C heavy whipping cream

1 tsp instant espresso powder

How it's made:

CAKE

• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottom of each cake pan with parchment paper round; butter and flour parchment. Place chopped chocolate in medium metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of barely simmering water and stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water and set aside.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar in large bowl until fluffy and pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolks 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Beat in lukewarm melted chocolate, then stout and coffee. Beat flour mixture into chocolate mixture in 2 additions just until incorporated.
• Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in another medium bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold 1/3 of egg whites into cake batter to lighten, then fold in remaining egg whites in 2 additions. Divide batter between prepared cake pans (about 3 cups for each); smooth tops.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer cakes to racks and cool in pans 20 minutes. Invert cakes onto racks; remove parchment paper and cool completely.
  DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and store at room temperature.
  
  

FROSTING

• Place chopped chocolate in medium heatproof bowl. Combine whipping cream and espresso powder in medium saucepan. Bring cream mixture to simmer over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally. Pour cream mixture over chopped chocolate; let stand 1 minute, then whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Chill chocolate frosting until slightly thickened and spreadable, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours (or for quick chilling, place frosting in freezer until thickened and spreadable, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes).
• Using serrated knife, trim rounded tops from both cake layers so that tops are flat. Place 1 cake layer, trimmed side up, on 9-inch-diameter tart pan bottom or cardboard round, then place on rack set over baking sheet. Drop 1 1/4 cups frosting by large spoonfuls over top of cake layer; spread frosting evenly to edges with offset spatula or butter knife. Top with second cake layer, trimmed side down. Spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides of cake.
  DO AHEAD Can be made up to 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let cake stand at room temperature at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours before serving.

Stout Chocolate Bundt Cake

Chocolate...Cake...Stout... It's the best of so many worlds! I am constantly looking for cake recipes that are simple, but have the wow factor (in this case the chocolate and stout combination). Something easy to bake, and delicious for a special event like a birthday. I cut this recipe out of Real Simple magazine's holiday edition, 2010. Today I had the excuse of Lauren's birthday to bake it. Perfect to bring to The Mallard for everyone to have paired with their beverage of choice for the evening. Everyone loved the cake, it was a huge hit. Oh, and it was DELICIOUS!!!!!!

What's in it

Butter and unsweetened cocoa powder for the pan

1 C (2 sticks) butter

2 1/2 C flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt

3/4 C stout beer (like Guinness)

12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips

3 eggs

1 C sugar

1 C brown sugar

1/2 C sour cream

1/2 C heavy cream

How it's made

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 12 cup bundt pan (be sure to butter thoroughly and to the rim) and dust with cocoa, tapping out the excess.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a small saucepan melt the butter with the stout over medium heat, stirring. Remove from heat and add 8 ounces of the chocolate, whisking until smooth. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream eggs and sugars together with an electric mixer. Beat on medium high until fluffy. Add sour cream and chocolate stout mixture and cream together. Gradually mix in flour mixture a little at a time, and mix until just combined. Do not over mix.

Pour batter into prepared bundt pan, and bake on lower rack in oven 45-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out with just a few crumbs. Let the cake cool in the pan a half hour, then invert onto a rack to cool completely. If the cake seems over cooked (dry) on top, you can trim off the top, which will also allow it to sit flat on the plate when inverted.

While cake is cooling on rack, make the ganache. In a small sauce pan heat the heavy cream just until it boils. Add the remaining 4 ounces chocolate chips and let sit for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes whisk mixture until smooth (about 1-2 minutes). Pour over cake to glaze, using a spatula to smooth and distribute the glaze. Allow glaze to set before serving.

Pumpkin Spice Layer cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

Is it so wrong to eat birthday cake for breakfast? Yeah, I didn't think so, either.

I relish the opportunity to make fancy cakes, since I so rarely get the chance. I guess that's not exactly fair---I could make a fancy cake anytime, really, but that would be a dangerous, dangerous idea. I reserve my fancy cake baking to birthdays. Usually my own.

This year I was agonizing over two really amazing-sounding recipes, but an informal poll on the Recipes For Laughter facebook page proved the pumpkin spice cake the most popular. I'm glad it was. It's hard to say which aspect of this cake was my favorite. The cake itself has the perfect dense-but-fluffy crumb---maybe even the platonic ideal of a birthday cake crumb. The combination of spices in this cake was truly spot on. The spices made this cake seem more pumpkin-y than any other pumpkin dessert in my recent memory, yet the flavor was not at all overwhelming (as some heavily

spiced cakes tend to be). This cake had a perfect balance of warm spices and pumpkin flavor. It easily could have been my favorite part of this cake...if it weren't for the frosting.

By now you may have picked up on the fact that I am an unrepentant cream cheese frosting enthusiast. Give me any excuse to top something with cream cheese frosting, and I will. But, this cream cheese frosting was a revelation. You make a quick and easy caramel from powdered sugar and heavy cream, then mix it into your typical cream cheese frosting. I love caramel nearly as much as I love cream cheese frosting, so this was a match made in frosting heaven. It was bordering on cloyingly sweet, so if you are not really into that, I would recommend adding less powdered sugar or adding more cream cheese to mellow out the sweetness a little.

I think this cake would have been even more perfect with some candied pecans on top, but I ran out of time before my guests arrived. I guess I should stop throwing myself birthday parties...

Ok, that's not going to happen. There's no way I'm giving up an excuse to make myself fancy cakes. Even if that means I have to eat cake for breakfast for days afterward.

Pumpkin Spice Layer Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

~Print Recipe~

For the Frosting:

• 1 pound of powdered sugar, divided (from a 1 pound box, or approx. 3 1/2 to 4 cups)
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temp.
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temp.

For the cake:

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder

  

  T's cake-slicing ability is unmatched.

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg*
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 15-ounce can of pure pumpkin
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons finely grated orange peel

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9-inch cake pans, tapping out any excess flour.
2. Sprinkle 1/2 cup powdered sugar over the bottom of a small non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cook without stirring until the sugar melts. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is a deep amber color, about 2 minutes more. Stir in 1/2 cup cream, vanilla and salt--be careful, as the mixture will bubble up. Stir until any caramel bits have dissolved. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon of cream. Strain caramel sauce into a small bowl and cool to room temperature.
3. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder and spices (through cardamom) in a large bowl.
4. In another large bowl, beat pumpkin, sugar and oil with an electric or stand mixer. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating to incorporate between each addition. Mix in orange peel. Add flour mixture, beating on low just enough to blend.
5. Divide batter between prepared pans and bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean--about 33 minutes. Cool in pans on racks for 10 minutes. Carefully invert cakes onto rack and then turn them top-side up to cool completely.
6. While the cakes are baking, sift the remaining powdered sugar into a medium bowl. Using an electric or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Beat in the cooled caramel. Cover and chill frosting until firm enough to spread, about 2 hours.
7. When cakes are cool, use a long serrated knife to cut the rounded top of off of one of them, leaving a flat surface. Place that cake on a cake plate cut-side up and cover with 3/4 cup of frosting. Place second cake on top. Cover top and sides of cake with remaining frosting.

Serves 12-16

Note: Cake can be made up to 2 days ahead. Just cover and chill. Let stand at room temp. 2 hours before serving.
*Buy whole nutmeg wherever bulk spices are sold. Whole nutmeg looks expensive, but if you just buy one (which is more than enough for this recipe) it will probably cost you less than a dollar. Grate the nutmeg with a microplane or the finest holes on your grater just before using.

Vanilla Bean Bundt Cake with Vanilla Glaze and Strawberries

I made this for Easter Dinner, it's from Bon Appetite Magazine, and it was so delicious. A beautiful hybrid between Angel Food Cake, Meringue, and Bundt Cake all mixed in one. The key is to use real vanilla bean, and use an actual bundt pan. It's the first bundt cake I've ever made, and it was super fun! Keep it in mind for Mother's Day coming up in May.

What's in it

1 vanilla bean

1 tsp bourbon

1 1/2 C flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 C + 6 Tbl butter, room temperature

3/4 C sugar

1/4 C brown sugar, packed

2 large eggs

1 egg yolk

1/2 C buttermilk

How it's made

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour standard bundt pan, and spray with nonstick spray.

Pour bourbon into a small bowl, and scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into it. Keep the vanilla pod for another use. Set aside.

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

In a large bowl, cream with mixer butter and sugars. Add eggs and yolk one at a time (mixing in between). Mix in vanilla/bourbon mixture.

Add one at a time, mixing in between until just blended: 1/2 of flour mixture, buttermilk, rest of flour mixture.

Transfer the batter to the pan, smoothing out the top. Bake 55 minutes until tester comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack 15 minutes, then invert onto wire rack to cool completely.

For the glaze

Whisk together 2/3 C powdered sugar, 4 tsp or more whole milk, 1 tsp vanilla extract. When cake is cool, drizzle over cake in zigzag pattern using a spoon. Let set 15 minutes.

For strawberries

Wash and slice 1 1/2 lbs fresh strawberries. Mix 3 Tbl or more sugar in and let set 40 minutes until juices form. Toss occasionally.

Serve slices of cake with strawberries on the side.

Cajeta and Coconut Tres Leches Cake

This was a birthday present to a dear friend. It may seem odd, gifting food which won't last past the day it is given---but, what is better? It may be easier to grab a book or something, but that doesn't require the investment of hours of your time. And it is definitely not as satisfying as producing something with your own hands. I like to give food because it is thoughtful and personal and won't clutter up a person's house after you are done. Besides, if all goes according to plan, the memory of your gift will probably last longer than some trinket anyway.

This cake came together as a cross between techniques from my Dona Tomas cookbook, multiple online resources and my own tweaking.

The Cake

• 5 eggs
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• Dash of cinnamon

1. Line a round cake pan with a piece of parchment, then grease the paper and sides of the pan with butter. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Sift flour and baking powder together and set aside.
   
3. Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy.
4. Add the eggs and both extracts. Beat well.
5. Add the flour mixture a little at a time, mixing until well combined.
6. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until golden and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Turn the cake onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Remove paper.

Cajeta

• 3 cups whole milk
• 3/4 granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup corn syrup
• 2 inch cinnamon stick
• A rounded 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cold water

1. Put the milk, sugar, corn syrup and cinnamon stick in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Whisk occasionally to prevent boiling over.
   
2. In a small bowl, dissolve the baking soda in water. Rapidly whisk the baking soda mixture into the saucepan, removing it from the heat if it looks like it will spill over.
3. Decrease the heat to medium and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, until the mixture has cooked down and turned dark brown and thick.
4. Remove from heat and pass through a fine-mesh strainer.
   

The Sauce and Fillings

• 1 1/2 pints strawberries, sliced (reserve a few unsliced for garnish)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

• 2/3 cup cajeta (room temperature)
• 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  
• 3/4 cup coconut milk

• 1 quart heaving whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or more to taste)
  
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract (or more to taste)
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

• Shredded coconut as needed

1. In a bowl, toss the strawberries with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the cajeta, condensed milk, 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream and coconut milk. Mix well. Set aside.
   
3. In another separate bowl, use an electric mixer on high to whip the 1 quart whipping cream to medium peaks. Add both extracts and the powdered sugar towards the end of the whipping process.

The Assembly

1. Slice the cake in half crosswise with a long serrated knife. Place the bottom half on the serving plate. On a separate plate, place the top half of the cake with the cut side up. Using a tablespoon, spoon half of the milk mixture over the bottom of the cake, letting it soak in evenly and completely. (This may take awhile. I used a toothpick to prick little holes throughout the cake so the sauce would soak into the cake more readily.)
2. Using half of the remaining milk mixture, soak the top half of the cake.
3. Spread a 1/8 inch layer of the whipping cream evenly over the bottom half of the cake. Sprinkle a good layer of shredded coconut over the whipped cream. Arrange a layer of the strawberries on top. Sprinkle with more coconut.
   
4. Cover with another layer of whipped cream, coconut, strawberries and more coconut.
   
5. Finish with another thin layer of whipped cream. Carefully place the top half of the cake on top of the last whipped cream layer, cut side down.
6. Soak the very top of the cake with the remaining milk mixture. (I had some left over, which I drizzled over the slices of cake.)
7. Cover the entire cake with the remaining whipped cream, spreading evenly over the top and sides. Sprinkle cake with shredded coconut and decorate with whole or sliced strawberries on top.
   
8. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before slicing and serving. (Refrigerate any leftovers.)

* The cake part of this recipe can be substituted with any white cake that is spongy enough to soak up the milk, but strong enough to hold up and not become too soggy. I've read online that boxed white cake mix works well and cuts down on the time involved.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

This cake is so easy to make, and so nostalgic for many of our parents. The best part is flipping the cake upside down out of the skillet and seeing the pretty arrangement of pineapples on top. This recipe is from Moosewood, which is why it calls for mashed bananas, to reduce the amount of fat. I made this for Andy's dad's 60th birthday on request, and Mary Ann's birthday as well.

What's in it:

20 oz can unsweetened sliced pineapples, undrained

1/4 C butter

1/2 C sugar

2 eggs

3/4 C packed brown sugar

1/2 C buttermilk 

1/2 C mashed banana

3 Tbl vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 C flour

How it's made:

Drain the pineapple, reserving 1/3 C of juice.  In a 10" cast iron skillet, or oven proof skillet, heat and melt butter on med heat. Add sugar and cook stirring constantly until sugar starts to turn brown (3 min).  Remove from heat and keep stirring.  Add drained juice (1/3 C) and return pan to low heat and stir until sugar is melted again.  Arrange pineapple slices close together in a decorative layer on the bottom of the skillet, reserving any leftovers.

For cake batter combine wet ingredients in one bowl and sift together dry ingredients in another.  Add dry to wet and stir until mixed.  Pour batter over pineapple slices and top with any reserved slices.  Bake for 30-40 min until knife inserted comes out clean.  Cool in skillet for at least 10 minutes, then invert it onto a serving plate, so slices are facing up.

Iced Very Lemony Pound Cake

A recent dinner with friends had a theme: home. I used to always request lemon pound cake for my birthday when I was a child, so it was an easy choice for this gathering. I found the recipe my mom used in her original Moosewood Cookbook--and found out why it's called a pound cake. I looked at the ingredients list and decided I didn't actually want a pound of butter in my cake, thankyouverymuch. So, I turned to the internet. Recipes abound. Some use lemon extract or shortening--YUCK! I found this recipe on the Martha Stewart website, and since I feel like I can pretty much trust Martha at this point, I decided to give it a try. With a twist, of course.

The Cake:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan
• 3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
• 3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
• Zest of 2 lemons, finely grated
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 large eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in lowest position. Butter and flour a bundt pan or two loaf pans.
2. In a small bowl, combine buttermilk with lemon zest and lemon juice. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
3. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in three parts alternately with the buttermilk mixture in two parts, beginning and ending with flour; beat just until smooth (do not overmix).
5. Pour batter into the pan and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes (tent with foil if browning too quickly).
   

The Sauce:

• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup sugar

1. Leave the cake in the pan and set it on a wire cooling rack. As soon as you take the cake out of the oven, poke small holes in the top with a toothpick. Drizzle half of the lemon sauce over the top, letting it soak into the cake.
   
2. After the cake has cooled for 10 minutes, turn it out onto the cooling rack. Poke more holes in the top and drizzle the remaining lemon sauce over the top.
3. Let the cake cool completely before icing.

The Icing:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3-4 tablespoons lemon juice
  

1. Whisk the powdered sugar to remove clumps. Stir in lemon juice in small quantities until all of the sugar is dissolved and desired consistency is reached. I used 3 tablespoons and still found it to be slightly runnier than I'd have liked.
   
2. Set the cake's cooling rack over a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Pour glaze over cakes, letting it run down the sides. Let dry, about 30 minutes--if you can wait that long. This cake is good warm, as well as cold the next day.