Lemon Scented Lavender Bundt Cake

(one 8 cup tube cake)

Next weekend is Lavender Festival here in Sequim, WA. Sequim lies in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, where it often receives less than 16 inches of rain annually. Combine that with sandy and acidic soils and you get ideal growing conditions for lavender.

This cake has a pronounced lavender flavor which is a bit unexpected in this sort of cake, yet very pleasant. My mum loaned me her lovely 8 cup bundt pan which was ideal. Her pan was heavy cast aluminum and that made a huge difference. My cake turned out perfect! It was evenly browned and it finished baking in 50 minutes. Whenever I use my smaller ceramic 6 cup bundt pan, my cakes end up spending well over an hour in the oven. What a pleasant surprise!

lemon-lavender cake
2 cups wholewheat pastry flour
1/2 cup unbleached flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 lemon
1 1/2 cups evaporated cane juice or granulated sugar
1 1/2 tbsp culinary lavender
1 cup butter (2 sticks), room temperature
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup milk
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Combine the wholewheat pastry flour, unbleached flour, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside

Remove the rind from the lemon, taking care to get as little of the white pith as possible. Place this into the bowl of a food processor along with the sugar and lavender. Pulse until the rind and lavender are ground up and combined with the sugar.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour an 8 cup bundt/tube pan and set aside.

Cream the butter in a large bowl, gradually beating in the flavored sugar mixture, one tablespoon at a time. Beat until all of the sugar has been added and the butter mixture is light and fluffy.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time.

Squeeze the juice from the lemon. Combine 1 tablespoon of juice with the milk and stir. Set aside any remaining juice for the glaze.

Stir half of the flour mixture into the butter mixture and when that's been combined, stir in half of the soured milk. Repeat with the remaining flour and milk mixtures.

Fill the prepared cake pan with the batter. Place the pan onto a cookie sheet and bake in the middle of the preheated oven for about 40-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. I usually begin testing as soon as the aroma of cake begins to fill my kitchen.

Cool the cake in the pan for about 15 minutes, then carefully invert it onto a serving plate.

Prepare the lavender glaze.

lavender glaze
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp culinary lavender
1/4 cup evaporated cane juice or granulated sugar
2 tbsp butter

In a small saucepan combine the water, lemon juice and lavender. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Stir in the sugar and cook another 5 minutes, stirring the mixture until the sugar has dissolved.

Strain the syrup into a small bowl. Add the butter to the hot syrup, stirring until it has melted. Brush this glaze over the warm cake.

Serve the cake when it has completely cooled.

Spiced Apple Cake with Browned Butter Frosting

(8 inch square cake)

A lot of folks here have fruit trees in their backyards. Since September I've had a steady stream of various types of apples in my kitchen. It seems every time I visit my mum, she sends me home with another bag of them. The last batch of apples I got from her were fairly tart and worked really well in this delicious spiced cake.

The amount of frosting I made was just enough for a thin layer over the top of the cake. I thought that was plenty, however you could easily double the recipe if you prefer more.


dry ingredients
1 1/4 cup whole wheat  pastry flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground anise
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp mace or nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt

wet ingredients
2/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tbsp unsulphered molasses
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 small eggs or 1 jumbo egg
1 large tart cooking apple, cut into small dice


Preheat oven to 350°F.

Lightly grease an 8 inch square baking pan. Line the greased pan with parchment. Set aside.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, anise, allspice, cloves, mace or nutmeg and salt in a large bowl until everything is well combined.  Set aside.

Whisk together the sour cream, oil, molasses, vanilla and eggs until the mixture is smooth in a second bowl. Stir in the chopped apples.

Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until you have a smooth batter. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared cake pan.

Bake the cake for 35- 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully remove the cake from the pan and allow to cool further.

frosting

3 tbsp butter

about 1 -1 1/3 cups icing sugar

about 2 tsp of  heavy cream

Melt the butter over medium heat and cook until it begins to brown and becomes very fragrant. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Whisk about 2/3 cup icing sugar into the cooled butter. Add the cream, then another 1/3 cup or so of icing sugar. Add more sugar if needed, to create a spreadable but not too stiff frosting. Add more cream if it seems too stiff.

Spread the frosting over the top of the cooled cake.

Mocha Buttercream Cake with Hazelnut Buttercrunch

(8 inch cake; about 9 servings)

A few weeks ago I rented a small furnished studio apartment near Sequim, WA. It has a tiny kitchen area, but it's big enough to cook most things.

Over a two day period this past week, I baked and assembled a mocha buttercream cake with hazelnut buttercrunch in (what for me was) a limited kitchen. In Dallas I had a large powerful kitchen machine at my disposal and without it I felt a bit unprepared for this task. I ended up mixing the batter for this cake by hand and used a small handheld 200 watt beater for the buttercream. I really wanted to try an Italian buttercream for this but made a German version instead because that required less beating. I will try the Italian buttercream at some point, but it was my mum's birthday this weekend and I didn't want to take any chances.

For the cake itself, I adapted a recipe from Hershey's. This is a type of devil's food which turned out perfect. The finished moist cake had a nice even texture. I didn't sweeten the buttercream very much because I figured the amount of sugar in the cake batter (more than I usually add), plus the hazelnut buttercrunch would balance things out in terms of sweetness. You might consider adding more sugar to the buttercream if you are making it for something else.

adapted Black Magic Cake Recipe from Hershey's
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup hot strong espresso or black coffee
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar
1/3 cup canola oil
2 small eggs or 1 extra large egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease an 8 inch square pan (all I had) or an 8 inch round pan (what I would have preferred to use). Line the greased pan with parchment paper and lightly grease that as well. Set aside.

Stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Set aside

Stir together the hot coffee and cocoa until smooth and pour that into a second bowl. Stir together the milk and lemon juice or vinegar. When the milk begins to curdle, add that to the coffee and chocolate mixture. Stir in the oil. Add the 2 small eggs or 1 extra large egg (I have been buying eggs from a local farmer, selecting only the small ones because they are so cute) and whisk until everything is well combined.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk for about 30 seconds. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place into the middle of the preheated oven.

Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the pan.

German Mocha Buttercream
2 cups milk
1/4 cup corn starch

2 - 5 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp instant coffee

pinch of salt

2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

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

German buttercream is made by beating butter into cooled pudding. The proportions are usually about 2 parts pudding to one part butter. The pudding should be slightly sweeter and more flavorful to compensate for the plain butter. What's really important here is that both pudding and butter be the same temperature, otherwise the mixture might curdle and not come together. I find it easiest to prepare the pudding the night before and leave the butter out on the counter along with the pudding.

Place 1 1/2 cups milk into a small saucepan set over medium-low heat. Stir together the remaining 1/2 cup milk with the corn starch until smooth and set aside. Stir in the amount of sugar you are using. I added 2 tablespoons, but if you like your buttercream sweeter, then add more sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.

When the mixture begins to bubble slightly at the sides,  stir in the instant coffee and the chocolate chips. Stir until the chocolate has completely melted.

Add the reserved milk and corn starch mixture. Increase the heat slightly and stir until the pudding begins to thicken. Continue to stir until you notice the pudding begin to bubble, then remove the pan from the heat.

Cover the surface of the pudding with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming and allow the pudding to cool completely; preferably overnight. 

Place the cooled pudding into a bowl. Beat in the butter, a tablespoon or two at a time. Initially the mixture will be streaky and curdled looking, but eventually the buttercream will come together. You will notice the buttercream all of a sudden "stiffen" as you are beating in the butter. You can stop at this point, even if you haven't used all of the butter.

If for some reason the buttercream has curdled, you can save the buttercream by either immersing the bottom of the bowl in hot water momentarily to gently heat the mixture, or by placing the entire bowl into the microwave (if it's microwave safe) for 10-20 seconds at a time. Beat the mixture at high speed until the buttercream emulsifies. You might have to cool it a bit afterwards (then beat it again) before spreading it over the cake.

hazelnut buttercrunch (this recipe makes a bit extra)
1 cup sugar

2 tbsp agave nectar or corn syrup

1/4 cup butter, (1/2 stick) 

1 1/2 cups toasted hazelnuts

I usually make this without a candy thermometer by watching the color of the sugar mixture. It might be easier to use white sugar and corn syrup if you haven't done this before.

Prepare a cookie sheet by either greasing it or lining it with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Set aside.

Combine the sugar, agave nectar or corn syrup and butter in a small non stick sauce pan and place over medium heat. Cook and stir the mixture until the butter has completely combined with the sugar and the color is a nice rich medium brown.

Add the hazelnuts and cook for another 30 seconds or so while stirring all the while. Pour the mixture onto the prepared cookie sheet and using a wooden spoon push the nuts until they are in a single even layer. You will have to work quickly as the mixture will begin to harden quickly as it cools.

When the buttercrunch has cooled completely, roughly chop the mixture with a large sharp knife. Set aside.

Rum syrup
1 tbsp apple, pomegranate or red currant jelly
1/4 cup rum

Combine the jelly with half of the rum in a microwave proof container and heat for about 30-45 seconds or until the jelly has melted. Stir in the remainder of the rum and set aside.

To assemble the cake.
Remove the cake from the pan and peel away the parchment paper. Carefully slit the cake into two layers horizontally. Remove the top layer and set aside.

Place the bottom layer (cut side up) onto a serving plate and place strips of parchment paper (about 4 inches wide) underneath the sides of the cake, allowing for about 2 1/2 inches of the strips to extend beyond the edges.

Spread the rum syrup evenly over the top of the bottom layer. Spread about 1/3 of the mocha buttercream over that. Sprinkle about 3/4 - 1 cup of chopped hazelnut buttercrunch evenly over the buttercream.

Place the top layer of the cake over the bottom layer and spread another 1/3 of the buttercream over the top.

Spread the remaining buttercream (reservng a small amount for decorating the top if desired) onto the sides of the cake. Carefully press the chopped hazelnut mixture onto the sides of the cake using the parchment paper stripes to help with any stray bits.

There's plenty of hazelnut buttercrunch, so you can cover the entire top of the cake with it, or use a few pieces to decorate and eat the rest. :)

Carefully remove the strips of parchment paper before serving.

Hazelnut & Honey Cake with Plums (gluten free)

(8 inch cake)

This cake is a happy union of hazelnuts from Oregon and Washington plums. If you have access to a food processor, then this delicious dessert will come together very quickly.

I have no idea why I made the crumb topping. The cake would have been fine without it. If anything, the plums might have been more visible after it came out of the oven.

crumb topping (optional)
2 tbsp rice flour
2 tbsp sucanat or brown sugar
2 tbsp cool butter

hazelnut cake
2 1/2 cups whole hazelnuts, lightly toasted
1/3 cup honey

6 tbsp butter
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp fresh lemon zest
a pinch of salt

4 large eggs

6-9 plums, washed and cut in half, stones removed

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Prepare an 8 inch round cake pan by greasing it well with butter, then lining the bottom of the pan with a piece of parchment cut to fit. I was only able to find a springform at my mum's place, so I covered the bottom and sides with aluminum foil (in case it leaked) and gave that a generous coating of butter. Set aside.

Place the crumb topping ingredients into the bowl of a food processor (if making) and pulse a few times until the mixture resembles a course meal. Empty the crumb topping into a small bowl and set aside.

Place the hazelnuts into the food processor. Run the motor until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.

Add the honey, butter, baking powder, lemon zest, salt and eggs. Process until the mixture is smooth and creamy looking. Scrape down the sides and pulse a few times. Set aside.

Pour the hazelnut mixture into the prepared pan and spread it with a spoon to even it out.

Arrange the plums over the hazelnut mixture, cut side down. Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture evenly over the top of the cake, if using.

Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the top of the cake has browned nicely and the middle feels firm to the touch.

Cool the cake for about 20 minutes, then carefully remove it from the pan and cool it further on a wire cake rack.

Carrot (Juicer Pulp) Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

I received a juicer this year for Christmas and I love it! I have been juicing everything in sight; carrots, apples, oranges, bananas, pineapples, carrots, celery, beets...  red cabbage. The juice has been amazing, so much better than store bought!

However, one of the drawbacks of any juicer (in my opinion) is the pulp. There's a lot of it. Initially I put it into my composter, but that bothered me. The pulp wasn't completely dry and it contained a lot of fibre as well as nutrients. It just seemed wasteful to me to be dumping it into my garden. I did a quick check online to see what others were doing with their leftover pulp and to my surprise I came across some really interesting recipes for crackers, muffins, soups and cakes.

The first time I made this cake, I followed an online recipe which used 2 parts carrot pulp to one part flour. My cake turned out so heavy and dense, it was like one giant hockey puck!

I looked through a couple of cookbooks to check proportions and discovered that depended on whether the carrots were pureed or shredded. The Silver Palate Cookbook suggested about 2 parts flour to 1 part carrot puree whereas Maida Heatter's, Great Book of American Desserts suggested 1 part flour to 2 parts "shredded" carrots. I experimented a bit and found what worked best for me was a combination of juicer pulp and shredded carrot at a ratio of 1 part flour to 1 1/4 parts carrots. This yielded a nice moist cake with a lovely texture.

Check out the link for the icing sugar. I made my own for the frosting, using sucanat!

carrot cake (one 9 inch layer)
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup sucanat or brown sugar
*1 1/2 tsp Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder (optional)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 pinches salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup carrot pulp
**1/4 - 1/3 cup carrot juice, if needed
1/2 cup shredded carrots, packed

1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease and flour a 9 inch cake springform and tap out the excess flour. Cut a piece of parchment paper to line the bottom of the pan. Set aside.

Combine the flour, sucanat, cocoa powder (*Maida Heatter added cocoa powder to her carrot cake resulting in a darker batter) cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together the oil, yogurt and eggs. Whisk in the carrot pulp. **If the mixture seems too thick/dry after adding the carrot pulp, you might need to add some carrot juice. The finished consistency should be similar to "regular" yogurt which has been whisked. 

Stir in the dry ingredients until they are well combined. Fold the shredded carrots, raisins, walnuts and coconut into the batter, then pour the the batter into the prepared cake pan.

Smooth the top and bake for about 30-45 minutes or until the sides begin to pull away from the pan and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan, then remove the cake and peel off the parchment paper. 

cream cheese frosting

4 oz cream cheese (1/2 package)

2 tbsp butter, at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 cup icing sugar

Place the cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract into the bowl of a food processor. Process, using pulses until the mixture is smooth.

Add the icing sugar; about half at a time and process until it's completely mixed in.

Spread the frosting over the top and sides of the cooled cake.

Lemon Zucchini Cake with Poppy Seeds

(4.5x8.5 inch loaf cake)

For several months I have been exploring gluten free baking and I have been pleasantly surprised by the results. I can tolerate gluten just fine, but I'm interested in reducing the amount of wheat in my diet and I have managed to do that to a certain extent.

Last week I took a bit of a detour when a friend requested a lemon cake for dessert.. made with "real" flour, lol.  This is what I made.

cake adapted from a recipe at Chocolate & Zucchini
2 large eggs
5.3oz (150g) container greek style lemon yogurt
2/3 cup sucanat or granulated sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp pure lemon extract
fine zest from 1 lemon
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 tbsp poppy seeds
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
a pinch or two of salt
1 cup shredded zucchini, don't pack 

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease and flour a 4.5x8.5 inch loaf pan. Set aside.

Wisk together the eggs, yogurt, sugar, oil, lemon juice and lemon extract until well combined. Set aside.

In another bowl combine the zest, flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda and salt. When everything is well mixed, add the zucchini and gently toss until the zucchini is well coated and evenly distributed throughout the flour mixture.

Add the egg and yogurt mixture to the dry ingredients and stir just until everything is evenly moistened. Spoon into the prepared loaf pan and bake for about 35-45  minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean and the loaf is a golden brown.

Remove and allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 20 minutes. Carefully remove the cake from the pan and place onto a serving plate. Cool further.

glaze
1/2 cup icing sugar
1-2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Add enough lemon juice to the icing sugar until you have a smooth glaze. Drizzle over the cooled cake.

Upside-down Peach Cake (Gluten Free)

(1x 9 inch cake)

Sometimes it's just too hard to pass up a bargain. This weekend they were practically giving away peaches at the market. I brought home a huge bag of them and used some in this delicious gluten free dessert.

Not too long ago I made a version of this super moist cake using plums which I placed on top of the batter and that cake was so good! This time I made a larger cake and placed the peaches on the bottom of the pan with a butter, honey and orange liqueur sauce. I can't decide which version I like better!

adapted from "Magically Moist Almond Cake" at Bob's Red Mill.

peaches
1 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp orange liqueur or freshly squeezed orange juice (zest the orange first)
4 peaches

cake

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)

1/3 -1/2 cup sucanat or brown sugar

4 large eggs

1/2 cup milk
finely grated zest from 1 orange

1 1/2 cups almond flour

1/2 cup coconut flour
2 tsp baking powder (gluten free)

1/8 tsp salt

Bring a pot of water to a boil and drop in the peaches for about 15-25 seconds. Remove them with a slotted spoon and allow to cool slightly. Cut the peaches in half. Slip off the skin and remove the pits. Cut into slices. Set aside.

Prepare a 9" cake pan by greasing it. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan and another piece for the sides. Set aside.

Combine the butter, honey and orange liqueur or orange juice in a small bowl.

Pour this mixture into the prepared cake pan and swirl until the bottom is coated evenly.

Arrange the peach slices in an even layer in the bottom of the cake pan. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Beat together the butter and sucanat until light and fluffy; about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Stir in the milk.

In another bowl stir together the orange zest, almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder and salt until well combined. Add this to the butter and egg mixture, then beat until the batter is smooth and creamy.

Spread the batter carefully over the peach mixture in the prepared cake pan.

Bake the cake for about 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted the middle comes out clean and the surface is a nice golden brown.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Carefully invert the cake onto a serving place. Peel off the parchment paper and allow to cool further.

Serve at room temperature.

Plum Cake with Bourbon Whipped Cream (Gluten Free)

(8" cake; 6 servings)

This delicious gluten free plum cake is an adaptation of a recipe for "Magically Moist Almond Cake", posted on Bob's Red Mill that I've wanted to try for quite some time. What caught my eye were the rave reviews; everyone loved this recipe. I also liked that it combined coconut flour with almond flour.

I used a small 8 inch tart pan with a removable bottom for this, but an 8 inch regular cake pan should work just as well. I added the lesser amount of sucanat, resulting in a not too sweet cake contrasted by slightly tart plums which in turn were topped with lightly sweetened bourbon flavored whipped cream. Yummy!

adapted from "Magically Moist Almond Cake" at Bob's Red Mill.

6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

1/4 - 1/3 cup sucanat or brown sugar, to taste

2 large eggs

1/4 cup milk

3/4 cup almond flour

1/4 cup coconut flour

finely grated zest from 1/2 lemon

1 tsp baking powder (gluten free)
2 pinches of salt

3 black plums, pits removed, cut into wedges

Preheat oven to 350°F. 

Prepare an 8" tart or *cake pan by greasing it . I sprinkled almond flour over the greased surface, but after the cake cooled, I noticed it stuck to the pan more than it should have. If I make this again, I won't "flour" the pan with almond flour.

*If I was using a cake pan instead, I'd probably cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan, and another piece for the sides; just in case this batter is sticky.

Beat together the butter and sucanat until light and fluffy; about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Stir in the milk.

In another bowl stir together the almond flour, coconut flour, lemon zest, baking powder and salt until well combined. Add this to the butter and egg mixture, then beat until the batter is smooth and creamy.

Spread the batter into the prepared tart pan or cake pan. **Arrange the cut plums over the top of the batter beginning in the center and working your way to the outer edges.

**Note: In retrospect I should have placed the plums skin side up as the flesh had a matte finish once the cake was baked. I made a glaze using 1 tbsp peach jam which I heated slightly in the microwave, then brushed this over the cut pieces of fruit before I served the cake.

If you are using a tart pan with a removable bottom, place it on a cookie sheet before placing it in the oven in case it leaks. Bake the cake for about 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted the middle comes out clean and the surface is a nice golden brown.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan before carefully removing it.

bourbon whipped cream

2/3 cup heavy cream

1-2 tsp sucanat or brown sugar, to taste

2-3 tsp bourbon, to taste

Place the cream into a small bowl. Add the sucanat, then beat until the cream is whipped. Stir in the bourbon; start off with 2 teaspoons and add the third of you prefer a more pronounced flavor. Serve with the cake.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Bourbon Sauce and Sauteed Apples

This year for Thanksgiving, I made a pumpkin cheesecake with a bourbon sauce and sauteed apples. I used a food processor and had great results. You'll need one with a large capacity. Mine is 11 cups, and the ingredients just barely fit as you can see from the photos below. I will definitely use a food processor for cheesecake again because this method allows very little air to get into the mixture which is important for minimizing a cracked surface.

I poured the mixture into an 8 inch springform resulting in a cheesecake which was about one and a half inches tall. A 7 inch springform would definitely give you a taller looking cheesecake, and that's the size I would probably use the next time I make this. I also baked the cheesecake at a slightly higher temperature than I usually do as I was in a bit of a hurry. The surface wasn't perfectly smooth, but all in all it turned out rather well.

pumpkin cheesecake
2 8oz pkgs neufchatel or cream cheese (not the whipped kind), room temperature
1 cup canned pureed pumpkin
1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature

1/2 cup brown sugar, to taste
3 tbs cornstarch
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
3 large eggs, room temperature

Prepare a 7 inch or 8 inch springform by lightly coating the inner bottom and sides with butter. Cut out a piece of parchment to fit the bottom of the pan. (You can easily make a circle by placing the paper over the outer bottom portion of the pan and lightly cutting it along the groove of the springform with a sharp knife.) Place the parchment circle over the greased (inner) bottom of the pan. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 250°F.

Place the the neufchatel cheese, pumpkin, sour cream, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, into the bowl of a food processor with at least an 11 cup capacity. Pulse several times until everything is evenly combined.

Scrape down the sides and add all of the eggs. Pulse just enough until they are combined.

Pour the mixture into the prepared spring-form. *Bake for 1 hr and 20 min. Turn off the heat and allow the cheesecake to cool completely in the oven; about 2 hours. Don't open the oven.

*I baked this is in a Breville counter-top convection oven. Using a conventional oven instead, might affect the baking and cooling times somewhat. After the baking time is up, I would probably prop the oven door open (on a conventional oven) a tiny bit with a wooden spoon while the cheesecake is cooling in the oven.

Cool the cheesecake further by refrigerating at least another 2 hours.

bourbon sauce, adapted from Simply Recipes/ makes about 1 cup
1/4 cup butter,(1/2 stick)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup *apple juice
1/4 cup *bourbon

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat, then whisk in the sugar and egg. Continue cooking over low heat, whisking the mixture constantly until it thickens. Be careful not to allow the mixture to even simmer; you just want it hot enough to thicken. Whisk in the apple juice and bourbon and heat until bubbles begin forming around the sides. Do not bring to a simmer as it might curdle.

*The alcohol never really gets a chance to evaporate because the bourbon is added towards the end and just heated through. The resulting sauce is strongly bourbon flavoured using just 1/4 cup bourbon. Adjust the juice and bourbon ratio to your liking, if you prefer less or more bourbon. The sauce will be fine as long as you add 1/2 cup (total) liquid.

Remove from heat, strain through a sieve and cool. The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools.

sauteed apples
2 tbsp butter
3 firm organic apples, washed, cored and sliced into 1/2 inch wedges. Do not peel.

Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the apples and fry until they are golden brown.

Remove from heat. You can serve these either warm or at room temperature.

to serve

Serve each slice of cheesecake with a few apple slices and a tablespoon or two of bourbon sauce.

Cuatro Leches Cake from La Duni

The first time I tried this at La Duni Latin Cafe, I was in heaven. This has become one of my favourite cakes and I was thrilled when I came across their recipe online.

I have made this cake a few times, but always a smaller version using half the ingredients listed. This time I tried whole wheat pastry flour and loved it. I add slightly less sugar and  don't make my own dulche de leche. I'm not fond of the idea of simmering an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk on my stove top for several hours. The ready made stuff is easy enough to find in Dallas. :)

Cuatro leches cake (from Chef Dunia Borga from La Duni Latin Café in Dallas)
Serves 10

Vanilla Mantecada Cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for buttering pan
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk

Arequipe (dulce de leche sauce)
1 (14 oz) unopened can sweetened condensed milk
½ cup whole milk, warmed

Tres leches sauce:
¾ cup evaporated milk
¾ cup sweetened condensed milk
¾ cup heavy (whipping) cream

Stir these three ingredients together and set aside for the assembly.

Meringue:
2 cups granulated sugar
½ cup water
1 cup egg whites (from 7 large eggs)
1 tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
Confectioners’ sugar, for decorating

1. To make cake, preheat oven to 350˚F and arrange an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Butter an **8-inch cake pan, line with a round of parchment paper, and butter the paper. Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt into a bowl. Cream the butter with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until very fluffy. Add the sugar, ½ cup at a time, beating after each addition, until blended. On low speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Finally, beat in the dry ingredients, alternating one with the milk: first, about one third of the dry ingredients, then ½ cup of the milk, another third of the dry ingredients, the remaining ½ cup milk, and finally the remaining dry ingredients. Beat until fully mixed, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Do not over beat.

**I make half the recipe in an 8-inch pan and would probably use a 9-inch pan if making the full recipe.

Pour patter into the prepared cake pan and bake until the center of the cake springs back when touched an a tester inserted comes out clean, 60 to 70 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes and then turn it out on the rack to cool completely.

2. To make the arequipe sauce, place the unopened can of sweetened condensed milk in a perforated insert such as a pasta pot) inside a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat, and simmer for 2 hours, turning the can twice during cooking, once after 45 minutes, then again at 1 ½ hours. (Make sure the can is always covered by water, or it may explode.) Remove can from water and let cool before opening. Be careful when opening it, as the contents will squirt out; pour into a bowl, whisk in the milk, cover and refrigerate.

3. To make the meringue, combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, undisturbed, until the syrup reaches 240˚F (soft ball stage) on a candy thermometer. When the thermometer registers 200˚F, begin beating the egg whites on medium speed in an electric mixer fitted with the wire whip until soft peaks form. Increase speed to high and with motor running, gradually pour syrup into the egg whites. Once all of the syrup has been incorporated, continue to beat at medium speed until cooled to room temperature and meringue is thick and glossy (15-20 minutes).

4. To assemble the cake, turn the cake out onto a cardboard round and remove the parchment. With a long serrated knife, cut the cake into 3 even layers. Remove the top 2 layers. Use a fork, to pierce the bottom layer all over; brush with about ¾ cup of the tres leches sauce, giving the sauce time to soak into the cake. Place the second layer on top, pierce with the fork, and brush with another ¾ cup of the sauce. Spread top and sides of the cake with about 1 inch of meringue, finishing the top with peaks. Use a blow torch (or run under a broiler, if possible) to caramelize the meringue. To serve, cut the cake into wedges, drizzle with the arequipe sauce, and sift confectioners’ sugar over it.

Rose's Banana Cake with Chocolate Ganache

(8 inch cake)

Happy Easter!

The other day I was looking for a book and noticed Rose Levy Beranbaum's Cake Bible, which I hadn't looked through for quite some time. At one point it was my favourite cookbook which I took to bed with me each night, to read. Many people find her recipes frustrating and hate having to follow them in order for their cakes to turn out. Let's face it, we aren't making a stew here where an additional onion, potato or cup of wine make a huge difference. Baking a cake is more exacting if you expect a similar result each time.

That being said, Beranbaum's banana cake is a lot more forgiving than some of her other recipes. I rarely make it exactly the same way, yet it always turns out; a moist, buttery and flavourful cake. I have no patience for certain things, like sifting flour. I just pull out my kitchen scale and weigh out the amount I need. The Cake Bible provides both weights and measures for all recipes. For this recipe, I loosely recalculated the ingredients to make a smaller 8 inch cake.

Recently I have fallen in love with meringue-like frostings which are light and smooth. I tried making one for this banana cake, with browned butter which quickly turned into a soupy mess. I ended up rescuing that disaster with 4 oz of semi-sweet chocolate and 4 oz of unsweetened chocolate; just enough to create a spreadable frosting. The frosting was nice, but I probably should have made the tangy chocolate ganache in the first place.

Adapted from Rose Levy Barenbaum's Recipe for an 8 inch cake
1 1/2 large ripe bananas/3/4 cup/170 grams
1/4 cup sour cream/60 grams
1 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
2 tbsp canola oil
1 1/2 tsp lemon zest, minced/3 grams
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour/ 150 grams
1/2 cup fine sugar/115 grams
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened/3/4 stick/85 grams

Equipment: One 8-inch by 2-inch cake pan or 8-inch springform pan, greased, bottom lined with parchment or wax paper and then sprayed with Baker’s Joy or greased again and floured.

Preheat oven 350°F.

In a food processor process the banana and sour cream until smooth. Add the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla and process briefly just to blend.

Using a hand mixer, combine the remaining dry ingredients and mix on low speed for 30 seconds to blend. Add the butter and half the banana mixture. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase to high speed and beat for 1 1/2 minutes. Scrape down the sides.

Gradually add the remaining banana mixture in 2 batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients. Scrape down the sides. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with a spatula. The pan will be about 1/2 full.

Bake *30 to 50 minutes or until a tester inserted near the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center. 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. Loosen the sides with a small metal spatula and unmold or remove the sides of the springform pan. Allow the cake to cool completely before wrapping airtight.

Finished Height: 2 inches to within 1 inch of the side; 1 1/2 inches at the side.

Store: Airtight: 2 days room temperature, 5 days refrigerated, 2 months frozen.

Serve: Room Temperature

*Although the original recipe calls for 30-40 minutes baking time for a 9 inch cake, I have always needed 40-50 minutes for an 8 inch cake in a convection oven.

I did not make this chocolate ganache, but if I were to make it for this cake, I would probably just make half this recipe.
Rose Levy Barenbaum's Sour Cream Ganache Frosting
4x 3oz semi-sweet chocolate bars(no higher than 62%)/340 grams
1 2/3 cup sour cream/400 grams

In a double boiler set over hot water or a microwave oven on high power, melt the chocolate, stirring every 20 seconds. Remove it from the heat source and stir in the sour cream until uniform in color. Use it right away or store it in a tightly covered bowl. When ready to frost the cake, soften it if necessary in a water bath or microwave for a few seconds, stirring gently.

A Lighter Meyer Lemon Cheesecake

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(8 inch cheesecake)

I've been curious about light Japanese cheesecakes, but almost every recipe I've come across uses half a dozen eggs and requires you to bake it in a bain-marie. The sad thing is that's not even that difficult to set up a water bath, but for some reason an extra step like that will more often than not have me clicking to the next recipe. I ended up making a few adjustments to my go-to recipe based on a couple of things I gleaned from various Japanese cheesecake recipes.

My cheesecake was definitely lighter than a conventional American cheesecake, but denser than a traditional Japanese cheesecake. It was fluffy and creamy. All in all, I was thrilled with how it turned out and ended up using only half the amount of cream cheese! This delicious cheesecake with it's delicate lemon flavour was perfect with a bit of whipped cream and fresh berries. OK, it didn't really need the whipped cream, but I had some! :D

8oz pkg neufchatel or cream cheese, (not the whipped kind)
2/3 cup sour cream
3 egg yolks
2 tbsp freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
fresh zest from 1 Meyer lemon, about 1 tbsp
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 egg whites
1/2 cup fine granulated sugar


freshly whipped cream
fresh berries

Prepare an 8 inch springform by cutting a piece of parchment paper to fit  the bottom and a strip to go along the side of the pan. Set aside.

Place the neufchatel and sour cream into a microwave proof bowl. Microwave for 10-15 seconds at a time to warm everything up just enough so you can whisk the cheese and sour cream together; you just want to soften the ingredients, not heat them up too much.

Whisk in the egg yolks, lemon juice, zest and cornstarch. Set the mixture aside when it's well combined.

Preheat oven to 250°F.

Beat the egg whites until they are frothy, then gradually beat in the sugar. Continue to beat until you get firm peaks.

Fold the egg whites into the cheese mixture, and pour into your prepared springform. Smooth out the top, if necessary.

Bake for 1 hour in the middle of the oven, then turn off the heat and allow the cake to *cool for 30 minutes in the oven. Hopefully this will help keep any cracks on the surface to a minimum. Refrigerate the cake for at least an hour or two before serving.

*I use a small counter-top convection oven which cools off faster. If you are using a large conventional oven then pry open the door just a tiny bit with the handle of a wooden spoon.

Serve with whipped cream and berries.

Komteß-Kuchen; Orange Cake with Chocolate

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(one 4x8 cake)

Contrary to my usual approach to baking a cake, I increased both the amounts of sugar and butter!  My warped sense of logic decided it would be ok to increase those amounts if the actual cake size was smaller than usual, lol. However, l didn't use as much sugar as some bakers who use a ratio of 1 cup of sugar for every cup of flour in a recipe. The resulting pound cake was moist and buttery which I sectioned and brushed with a mixture of orange juice and Grand Marnier before enveloping it with a semi-sweet chocolate ganache.

This delicious German cake presents really well.  Its ganache filled layers are vertical instead of horizontal.

Pound cake
3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup unbleached flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
zest from 1 navel orange, minced
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream


To finish
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup Grand Marnier, or another orange liqueur
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips


Place the butter into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat for a minute or two on medium speed. Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy; about 8 minutes.

Combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and zest in another bowl. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 4 x 8 inch loaf pan and set aside.

Slowly beat the eggs, one at a time into the butter and sugar mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions; about 15 seconds per egg. Beat in the sour cream; another 15 seconds.

Scrape down the sides and add the flour mixture. Beat very slowly until you have a nice thick batter; about 45-60 seconds.

Spoon the batter into your prepared loaf pan and bake for about 50-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. 

Remove from oven and cool in the pan for a few minutes, then remove it and allow it to cool completely on a cake rack. My cake slid out nicely, but if it's sticking, run a knife around the edges and try again.

Combine the orange juice and Grand Marnier in a small bowl or glass. Set aside.

Cut the cake in half along it's length from the top, then cut each half in half again, see photo.

Brush one side of each slice of cake with the orange mixture. Try to divide the juice mixture evenly among the pieces and use all of it up. Leave the slices for about an hour to allow the liquid to soak into the cake.

Heat the cream  until bubbles begin to form along it's edges. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips. Continue to stir until smooth. If the chips don't melt completely you might have to heat the mixture a touch. The microwave oven works great for this, just power the oven for 5 seconds or so at a time, stirring the chocolate until it's completely melted.

Starting with one of the outer slices (a side), spread a layer of chocolate (evenly) over the (cut) surface and top with it with a slice of cake. Brush that slice with chocolate, and top it with the third slice. Brush that slice with chocolate and top it with the last (outer) slice, thus reassembling the cake in the process. I didn't illustrate it very well in my photo, but I brought the chocolate to the very edge for each layer.

Brush the remainder of the ganache over the top and sides of the cake. You can see I brushed the chocolate on as it was cooling and getting thicker, leaving ridges across the cake instead of a smooth surface. I could have warmed the ganache by heating it a touch, but I don't like working with runny ganache/glazes where a good portion often ends up on the counter.

Allow the chocolate to set completely before attempting to slice into it. I found it easier to cut into the cake the next day.