Category Archives: Cake

Oat Cake with Black & Blueberries

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Oat Cake

Yesterday I received the June edition of Martha Stewart magazine. I’ve mentioned before how I love to sit and flip through the pages. One recipe caught my eye. This Oat Cake. I love oats and I love cake, so that’s all there was to it.

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If you don’t have quick cooking oats on hand, you better go get your jacket and keys, because you want to make this cake.

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I like that this cake doesn’t contain a lot butter. Just a half stick will do.

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Fresh blackberries and blueberries are gently folded into an oat dense batter.

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Save some of those juicy berries for the top along with a few tablespoons of those lovely oats and sprinkle of sugar.

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It is so pretty when it comes out of the oven. Perfect for a Mothers Day celebration. You could also try check out what I made for Mothers Day 2012.

Oat Cake with Black and Blueberries

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Living magazine June 2013

  • 1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup plus 3 Tbs. quick cooking oats, divided
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbs. granulated sugar, divided
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 cups mixed ripe or overripe blueberries and blackberries, divided

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8 inch square dish.

Combine 1 cup oats and water and let stand for about 5 minutes.

Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a small bowl.

Cream together butter and sugars using a handheld mixer for about 2 minutes.  Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Add flour and oat mixtures and mix until combined. Fold in half the blueberries and blackberries.

Spread batter in dish and sprinkle with remaining 3 Tbs. oats and 1 Tbs. sugar. Scatter remaining berries evenly over top.

Bake 40-50 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

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Homemade Hostess Orange Cupcakes

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We are driving home from an all day hike. We stop at a gas station to fuel up. Thomas comes out of the store with his usual. A chocolate milk and an Orange Hostess Cupcake. He eats these after a day of hiking or after a triathlon or anytime he needs that sugar replenishment from overexertion.

Today, I have done it. I have not only replicated them but made them better.

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Made with fresh oranges, they are very fragrant and pack a lot of flavor.

There is the cake to make, the filling and the glaze on top.

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The secret to amazing texture is cake flour. Cake flour contains a lower protein content than all-purpose flour and it is also ground much more finer. The texture you will get from using cake flour is light and airy.

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I am so proud of these cupcakes. I have never been so happy about a cupcake before.

Homemade Orange Cupcakes

Homemade Orange Cupcakes

Print Homemade Orange Cupcakes Recipe

  • 1 1/2 cups cake flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 stick of unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons orange zest (from 2 medium oranges)
  • the juice from 1 medium orange
  • 2 Tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin tin with paper cups or grease.

Using a handheld mixer whip up butter.  Add sugar and zest and continue to beat. Add egg, orange juice and milk, beat 2 minutes.  In another bowl, combine cake flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well. Add to butter mixture and mix until fully incorporated. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake for approximately 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Fluffy Vanilla and Marshmallow Filling

  • 1/2 cup marshmallow fluff
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/4 cup Crisco
  • 1 Tablespoon milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Using a handheld mixer, whip all ingredients until fluffy. Fill a piping bag with frosting and with a cupcake filling tip, fill cupcakes when they have cooled.

Orange Glaze

  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon meringue powder
  • the juice of half an orange
  • pinch of orange zest

Combine all ingredients adding more sugar until it reaches desired consistency. The meringue powder hardens the glaze slightly. Dip filled cupcake tops into the glaze.

Switch piping bag tip to make a squiggly line with remaining frosting (optional)

Enjoy!

Carrot Cupcakes

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deliciousness

Deliciousness. That is all.

Carrot Cupcakes are made tastier with a marshmallow frosting.

ingredients

You can’t go wrong with carrots in a dessert.

in the oven

This oven shot means a lot to me.  The ancient stove that came with our house when we bought it was finally laid to rest. It has been replaced with one that has a window in the door and a light that actually works!

sapling

Isn’t this sapling adorable? Ethan came home on Earth day with this gem.

carrot cupcakes

Carrot Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting

Print Recipe for Carrot Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting

Recipe slightly adapted from Williams-Sonoma Cooking Essentials

  • 1 cup flour
  • 3/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/3 cup canola oil
  • 1 1/2 cups grated carrots
  • 1/2 can crushed pineapple
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Marshmallow Frosting

  • 1/2 cup marshmallow fluff
  • 1 cup confectioners sugar
  • 1/8 cup shortening
  • 1/8 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 Tbs. milk

Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin tin with paper cups.

Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl. In a large bowl, mix eggs and sugars with a handheld mixer for 2 minutes. Add vanilla and oil and mix another minute. Add the flour mixture and mix until well combined. Add carrots, pineapple and walnuts. Mix until incorporated. Bake for 20 minutes.

While cupcakes are baking, make the frosting. Combine all the ingredients and mix until combined with the hand mixer.

Let cupcakes cool on wire rack. Once cooled, frost them and enjoy :)

Birthday Cake

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Chocolate Pudding Reeses Peanut Butter Cake starts with a homemade chocolate cake.

  • 2 oz. chocolate, chopped (I used some bittersweet, some milk chocolate)
  • 1/2 cup boiling water
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 2/3 cup milk (soy if you want to make it vegan)
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 2 8-inch round cake pans. Place the chocolate pieces in a bowl. Pour the boiling water over it and whisk until completely melted and uniform. Let this cool for a bit.

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Next whisk the flour, sugars, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a bowl until combined.

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Add milk, oil and vanilla into the cooled chocolate mixture and mix thoroughly.

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Pour the batter into your prepared pans and bake for approximately 18 minutes. Let cool on wire racks.

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They will be thin cakes. Great for layering :)

The rest of the cake is even simpler. Prepare a package of pudding of your choice. I like chocolate. Spread the pudding onto one of the layers of cake. Top that with about 2/3 cup crushed mini Reeses Peanut Butter cups.

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Top with other cake layer. You can use whatever you want to ice the cake. I used whipped cream.

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And it was delicious.

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Gingerbread

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Gingerbread has been around a while. It was brought to Europe in the year 992.

Usually when you hear gingerbread, you think of little gingerbread men or cookies. I like gingerbread cake best. Gingerbread houses are especially fun to make around the holidays.

Here’s one I made a couple of years ago. We had borrowed a bunch of books from the library about gingerbread house decorating. We all helped make it and it was a ton of fun.

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I recently rescued a mini bundt pan from a flea market. It’s cast aluminum and oh-so-pretty.

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The question was, “What kind of mini bundts should I make?”

The answer, “Gingerbread.”

This recipe is usually made into a 9×9 cake, not mini bundts. I think the single cake comes out with a better texture and definitely more moist.

Gingerbread

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 Tbs. ground ginger
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup molasses
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease your pan. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt; set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat the molasses, water, butter and brown sugar until hot, stirring until butter and brown sugar are melted.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Slowly whisk in slightly cooled molasses mixture. Stir in the flour mixture until combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes.

Enjoy with a dollop of homemade whipped cream.017

Stuff and things

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I was supposed to make gingerbread baby cakes today for TWD. I didn’t want to. I have an amazing gingerbread recipe already. I don’t want to try something different. I can be that way if I want to, right?

I feel busy lately. I’m not sure if I am, but I feel like I am.

Today is my awesome husband’s birthday. This is the 17th birthday I have celebrated by his side. I feel so blessed to be his wife. I am so happy to be a part of his life. I have a huge smile on my face right now just thinking of him.

I took a vacation day today to be able to decorate the house, make his cake and surprise him at work at lunchtime. I want him to feel special on his birthday. That’s just how we roll.

We got our Christmas tree on Sunday. We decorated it while It’s a Wonderful Life played on the television.

We made homemade tiger balm.

For the next couple of days I am making a ton of cookies for our local library’s annual fundraiser. They put together cookie platters to sell for Christmas. They make the bulk of their funds that way.

Being that I am a list making fanatic, I have a list of things I want to do or make or buy for Christmas this year. Being the overachiever that I am, I sometimes don’t feel satisfied until it’s completely done. I want to just enjoy this time without my crazy brain telling me to go, go, go all the time. I’m working on that.

So, here is Thomas’ birthday cake. It starts with yellow cake, then chocolate frosting, add crushed up oreos. Layer the other half, cover with vanilla frosting and here’s where it gets fun.

Thomas' birthday cake

I went with a birch tree theme, since we all heart birch trees in this household.

Happy Birthday Thomas

 

 

Cranberry Crumb Skillet Cake

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Here we are, waiting for “Sandy” to hit. She’s a hurricane. We are also expecting a nor’easter. The combination is what they are referring to as “the perfect storm” or a hybrid storm. Fortunately, we are not on the coast. We won’t have to worry about 16 foot waves. We live inland and are expecting 60 mph winds, up to 80 mph wind gusts and probable power outages.

During this time, I have bought minimal groceries in case we do lose power. You can only store so much in coolers. We have had plenty of experience with power outages. Since buying our house three years ago, we have gone without power about fifteen times. Some of those for just an hour, but most for days. Last year at this time, we lost power for nine days. That’s a long time without running water. See, we have a well and septic. No electricity = no pumping of water out of the well. No showers and no flushing toilet.

But we do have a wood stove and wood to burn. We do have a plethora of books and games to entertain ourselves and we do have this Cranberry Crumb Skillet Cake.

You will love this. Thomas said “I don’t even like cranberries and I love this cake”. So, what are you waiting for?

Start with fresh cranberries. I got a bag of Ocean Spray cranberries and was a little disappointed. I ended up throwing about 1/4 of the bag away due to mushy cranberries. Who wants mushy cranberries?! Wash 1 cup cranberries.

In a medium bowl, you want to combine 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder. Whisk it to combine.

Next you want to measure 1/3 cup of canola oil and place it in a 1 cup measuring cup, add 1 egg and then pour enough milk to fill the 1 cup measuring cup. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix completely.

Fold in your fresh cranberries and place into a “seasoned” cast iron skillet.

In the same bowl that you made the batter in, combine 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter and 1 tsp cinnamon. Using a fork or your fingers, mix until crumbly.

Spread this mixture over top of your batter.

Bake in a 400F for 20-25 minutes.

It is a perfect combination.

 

Spiced Pumpkin Bundt Cake

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In the last minutes of the day we enjoyed a fresh, crisp fall walk in the woods.

Tom, Ethan, Marcy and I walked/ran in the leaves that littered the once clearly visible paths.

When we arrived home after the sun set we enjoyed a delicious fall treat. A Spiced Pumpkin Bundt Cake. If you’ve never had pumpkin bread or pumpkin cake, I feel truly sorry for you, and if you add a dollop of whipped cream or cool whip, you will be thanking me. It’s the perfect combination of sugar and spice.

The recipe from Cake Simple, called for mini bundt pans. I used a regular bundt but you could use muffins cups or even a loaf pan. They would all be delicious.  Christie Matheson tops her mini bundts with a spiced glaze. I opted for the combination of pumpkin and cream instead.

Start by preheating oven to 350F. Get out three bowls and a whisk, rubber spatula and electric mixer.

Whisk the dry ingredients in one bowl.

Mix the wet ingredients in another bowl. Pumpkin, milk and vanilla extract :)

Cream the sugars and butter in the third bowl with an electric mixer. After that is creamy, add one egg at a time. Now add the flour mixture (in three increments) alternately with the pumpkin mixture (in two increments), beginning and ending with the flour and beating until the batter is real smooth-like.

The dry ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp salt

The wet ingredients

  • 3/4 cup pumpkin
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla

The creaming ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 eggs

Bake in that 350F oven for about 45-50 minutes for a bundt or loaf and probably 20 minutes for mini bundts or muffins.

The result:

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Skillet Cake

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Skillet Cake

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I have gratefully stumbled upon Joy the Baker. She has an awesome baking blog that is chock full of fantastic recipes and gorgeous photography. She also has a book, Joy the Baker Cookbook. I haven’t had a chance to get it yet, but it is on my wish list.

One of her recipes I recently indulged in was a Banana, Walnut and Chocolate Cookie Cake. How genius is it to prepare and bake something in one dish, a cast-iron skillet! I love it.  I love it so much that I created this healthier version, cutting the butter and sugar in half. It contains whole wheat flour, banana, pumpkin, walnuts and of course you gotta have the chocolate chips :)

It’s very good, but it becomes a supastah with a scoop of freshly made whipped cream…

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Skillet Cake

  • 4 Tbs. unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 ripe banana
  • 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

First things first, the butter needs to melt in a hot skillet. Remove from the heat and stir in the brown sugar. Let that cool before whisking in the egg. Once cooled and egg is whisked in, add the vanilla. Add the banana and pumpkin to the mix and stir until incorporated.

Add the whole wheat flour, baking soda, spices and salt.

Finally stir in those chopped nuts and chocolate chips. Smooth the top and place in a preheated 350F oven for 15-20 minutes.

If you want this cake to really shine, you’ve got to have the whipped cream.

Start with heavy cream, add 2 Tbs sugar and 1 Tbs vanilla extract. Using an electric mixer, beat for about 5 minutes until it is the consistancy you want…and enjoy!

lemon raspberry cake

Lemon Raspberry cake or loaf or muffins…

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“I want a lemon dessert”. That’s all I need to hear and I’m off searching for the perfect lemony treat.

My search produced this lemon raspberry treasure. I wanted to use my new doughnut pan but it turns out that this batter is just too delicate for doughnuts. I used the rest of the batter in a cake pan. You could use a loaf pan or make muffins instead.

It is easily the most moist, tender and delicious lemon dessert I have ever had…I HAVE EVER HAD!

Lemon Raspberry Cake

(Adapted from kitchen confidante)

For the cake

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp grated lemon zest
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/3 cup canola oil
  • juice of a lemon

For raspberry topping

  • 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
  • 2 Tbs. sugar
  • 3 Tbs. water

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease your choice of pan. Sift flour, baking powder and salt. Combine milk, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla, oil and lemon juice in another bowl until completely mixed. Stir in flour mixture until combined.

Pour into your choice of pan. Place raspberries, sugar and water into a blender and puree. Strain the mixture to remove those pesky seeds. Dot the top of the cake with the raspberry mixture and swirl to incorporate. You will have leftover raspberry sauce. (could be used with waffles or pancakes)

If using a cake or loaf pan, bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 20-30 minutes (maybe longer)

Get ready for a slice of heaven.