Lemon Pound Cake from Penzeys

I know it looks awful because it fell apart on the way out of the bundt pan, but it tasted delicious.  The recipe is from another Penzeys Catalog, and I've had this recipe on my fridge all summer, but only got to it a couple of weekends ago.  I baked it for my friends' housewarming party, and everybody ignored how it looked and thought it was quite tasty.

Here's what you'll need for the cake:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 sticks butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (omit if you are using salted butter)
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup finely grated lemon peel, or 2 teaspoons of Penzeys' Minced Lemon Peel covered in 2 tablespoons warm water for 5 minutes (I used Penzeys)
• 6 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Here's what you'll need for the glaze:

• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

First, move your oven racks around so you have one in the middle.  Next, preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Grease and flour a 2 quart plain or fluted tube pan and set aside.  

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt (if using) in a medium bowl and set aside.  In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar and lemon peel at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

 Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the vanilla and beat well.  

In 3 batches, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, add the flour alternately with milk and lemon juice and beat just until combined.  Spoon the batter into the pan and smooth the top.

Bake until the cake is golden brown and springs back when touched and/or a toothpick inserted in several places comes out clean, about 45-55 minutes.  Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes and then remove from pan (ever so carefully!) onto a rack to cool completely.

To prepare the glaze, stir the powdered sugar into the lemon juice and keep stirring until smooth and thick.  When the cake is completely cool, set the rack over a baking sheet or waxed paper.  Drizzle the glaze over the cake, letting it drip down the sides.

Enjoy!

St. James Coffee Cake from Penzeys

I made this coffee cake Labor Day weekend to bring to my aunt's house, who was hosting a small get together at the Jersey shore.  It's from a Penzeys catalog, so you know it's going to be good.  :)

Here's what you'll need:

• 3 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Penzeys Cinnamon (best cinnamon ever!)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup butter
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup raisins (or currants)
• 1 cup chopped nuts, I believe I used hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and spices.  Cut or rub in the butter until the mixture resembles corn meal.

Reserve 1/2 cup of the mixture.  In a second bowl, combine buttermilk and baking soda.  Pour this into the remaining crumb mixture in halves, beating thoroughly after each addition.

Stir in the raisins and nuts.  Spread the batter into a greased and floured 9"x13" pan.  Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture over the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour until brown and springy when touched or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Banana Cake with Coconut Topping

This is another Penzeys recipe which came from their Early Summer catalog.  The recipe is from the kitchen of Ceci Droll, and I think might be one of the best cakes I've made thus far.  It got great raves and reviews from my family when I brought it over for a Sunday night dinner.  I really don't know how to describe this cake, it was just delicious.  I'm not usually a big fan of coconut, but it worked really well with this cake.
Here's what you'll need for the cake:

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon Baking Spice (Penzeys) (I added this, it wasn't in the original recipe)
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup buttermilk, sour cream or plain yogurt (I used plain Greek yogurt)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup very ripe, squished banana (2-3 bananas)

Here's what you'll need for the topping:

• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1 1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes (I used unsweetened and it was fine)
• 5 tablespoons milk 

 Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease and flour a 9"x13" pan and set aside.  In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs and beat well.

In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.  Gradually beat into the creamed mixture, alternating with the buttermilk.

Stir in the vanilla and banana and mix until just combined. 

Pour into the pan and bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes, until browned and springy to the touch.  Let the cake cool before frosting.

For the topping:  Turn your oven to low broil.  Beat together the melted butter and brown sugar.  Stir in the nuts, coconut and enough milk to get a nice spreading consistency.

Spread over the cake.  Place under the broiler until bubbly, 5-10 minutes depending on your oven.

Enjoy!

Mimi's Poppy Seed Cake from Penzeys ( done by me)

This cake was no piece of cake to make.  It was the first time I made a multilayer cake, and with a pudding in the middle instead of the same frosting as I would put on the outside.  I found this cake in the Penzeys catalog a while ago and kept it on my fridge to remind me to make it one day.  Well, since my dad loves it when I bake cakes, I decided to make this for him for Father's Day.  The recipe called for vanilla extract in the cake batter and pudding, but I used Penzeys' lemon extract instead.  When my dad had his deli, he would bake lemon poppy seed muffins, and having been a huge fan of those muffins, I decided to make it into a cake.  Thanks to Mimi's family for providing such a great recipe in the Penzeys catalog.

Here's what you'll need for the cake:

• 1/2 cup whole blue poppy seeds (I used Penzeys')
• 1 cup milk (I used coconut milk to get rid of it.)
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure lemon extract (I added another 1/4 tsp. because I didn't want the coconut to overwhelm the taste of the cake.)
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 4 egg whites, beaten

Soak the poppy seeds in the milk for 2 hours.

 Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Cream the butter until fluffy.  Add the sugar and lemon extract and mix well.  Add the poppy seed mixture.

Gradually add the dry ingredients.  Fold in the beaten egg whites.  Pour into 2 greased 8-inch layer pans and bake for 25 minutes.

Let cool in the pans for 5 minutes and then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely. 

Now onto the filling:

• 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 6 egg yolks, beaten until thick, 1-2 minutes
• 1 teaspoon pure lemon extract
• pinch of salt

Dissolve the cornstarch in a little of the milk in a medium saucepan.  Add the rest of the milk and cook over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens, about 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat.  Add the sugar to the beaten egg yolks.  Gradually add the hot milk mixture to the yolks, stirring constantly.  Return to the saucepan and cook over medium heat until thick and the mixture starts to bubble, stirring constantly, about 7-8 minutes.

Once the mixture bubbles, cook for an additional minute.  Remove from heat and let cool.  Stir in the lemon extract, cover  by putting plastic wrap right on the surface, and refrigerate until ready to use.

Now for the white frosting:

• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Beat the egg whites in a large bowl until peaks form and set aside.  In a small heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, water, cream of tartar and salt.  Place on the stove over medium heat and stir until it starts to boil, 4-8 minutes.

Cover tightly and cook over low heat for 2 minutes.  Remove from the heat.  While beating, pour the sugar mixture slowly over the egg whites.  Beat until peaks form and the frosting is thick and glossy and has the consistency to spread.  This should take about 4-7 minutes.  Add the vanilla and beat just to combine.

After the cake is completely cool, cut each layer in half.  This was tricky for me because I cut them on an angle by accident.  Spread some filling between each layer.

I know it looks sloppy, but it turned out better than this.

Now frost with the white frosting.

Place in the fridge to firm up a bit before cutting.  Enjoy!  My family sure did.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

So it's been a while since I updated my blog.  I have been extremely busy lately.  I've been helping out a roller derby league for a number of months now, and I finally started skating with them.  Well, not technically with them because I'm training to become a referee, so I'm skating with the other men and women who are also refs or refs-in-training.  That being said, I've been skating a lot.  It's a great work out and I'm actually comfortable enough on my skates these days to even practice jumping in them.  Not that I want to!  However, that's one thing I will have to do to pass the physical test. 

This recipe I found on allrecipes.com, and I was originally making it for a Passover post, but since Passover is long gone, it's just a flourless chocolate cake.  It was extremely rich, and only a small piece will fill you up.  It was also extremely easy to make. 

Here's what you'll need:

• 4-1 ounce squares semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Grease an 8 inch round cake pan, and dust with cocoa powder. 

In the top of a double boiler over lightly simmering water, melt chocolate and butter.  Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, cocoa powder, eggs, and vanilla.  Pour into prepared pan.

 Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.  Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack and cool completely. 

Enjoy!

Walnut Coffee Cake

Today's recipe comes from Cooking Light Everyday Baking, it's one of the cookbooks I got for Christmas from my secret santa, who happened to be my sister-in-law, Meghan.  This was the first recipe I have cooked from this book, and it was great.  It was your classic coffee cake without all the really horrible stuff in it you'd find in an Entenmann's.  There's a sweet streak of brown sugar, cinnamon and a little bit of a crunch of walnuts.  If you're allergic to walnuts you can substitute them for pecans.

Here's what you'll need:

• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts (chopped to the size of a pea)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 14.5 oz. or 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 10 tablespoons butter, softened
• 6 large egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups nonfat buttermilk
• Cooking spray

First preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine the first 3 ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Weight or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.  Combine flour and next 3 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk.  Combine granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium-high speed until well combined (about 3 minutes).  Add egg whites; beat 3 minutes or until combined.  Beat in vanilla.  Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating well after each addition and scraping sides of bowl.

Spoon half of batter into a 10-inch Bundt pan coated with cooking spray.  Sprinkle half of brown sugar mixture evenly over batter.

Spoon remaining half of batter into pan.  Top with remaining brown sugar mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan.  Cool completely on wire rack.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Cake

Yes, that's my homework under my dessert.

Let's make this clear, this isn't a cheese cake, this is a cake with cream cheese in it.  I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but it came out very tasty and filling.  It was very chocolaty, not very moist, but still very good.  I baked this last weekend when I should have been doing my homework.  I had a huge craving for chocolate though, so I took a break from my accounting studies. 

Here's what you'll need:
2 cups hazelnut flour
2 cups almond flour
2 1/2 cups Stevia Extract in the Raw or 1 1/4 cups New Roots Stevia Sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 eggs
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup salted butter melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons liquid stevia

First preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a Bundt pan entirely with butter and place it in the freezer.

In a large bowl, combine the hazelnut flour, almond flour, stevia, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt and whisk until well mixed.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and liquid stevia and mix with an electric mixer at medium-low speed.

Add the flour mixture one or two cups at a time, and mix at medium-low speed until it makes a smooth, thick, pourable batter. 

Remove your prepared pan from the freezer, then dust the entire inner surface with almond, pecan, or coconut flour (I used coconut because I have a lot more of it than the other two).  Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and jiggle it to evenly distribute the batter into every nook and cranny.

Bake for 30 minutes, then gently rotate and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the cake is springy when pressed in the center and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack.  Let the cool for at least 20 more minutes before slicing and serving.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pound Cake with Buttermilk Glaze

Last year I made this cake a bunch of times during the fall season.  I made it after my husband and I bought our stand mixer, I think it was the first cake recipe I made with the mixer, now that I think about it.  I made it a couple of times when I had some new friends come over for dinner.  I made it for Thanksgiving at my aunt's last year, and at my in-laws' Christmas party.  Since it was so loved last year at Thanksgiving, I made it again this year.  I'll probably make it the in-laws' Christmas party as well. 

The recipe comes from my Cooking Light Way to Bake cookbook.  Since it is a pound cake it feels heavy, and comes out nice, moist and very yummy.

Here's what you'll need for the cake:
cooking spray
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
13.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup non-fat buttermilk

Here's what you'll need for the glaze:
1/3 cup non-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon baking soda

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Then lightly coat a 10-inch tube pan with cooking spray and dust with 1 tablespoon flour.  Spread pumpkin over 2 layers of paper towels;  cover with 2 additional layers of paper towels.  Let stand about 10 minutes.  Scrape drained pumpkin into a bowl.

Place 3/4 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup butter in a large bowl;  beat with a mixer at medium speed for 3 minutes or until well blended.

Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

Beat in pumpkin and vanilla.

Weigh or lightly spoon flour  into dry measuring cups;  level with a knife.  Combine flour and next 4 ingredients in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk.  Add flour mixture and 3/4 cup buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Spoon batter into prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack.  Remove from pan;  cool completely on wire rack.

T prepare glaze, combine 1/3 cup buttermilk and remaining ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat;  bring to a boil.  Cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly;  remove from heat.  Drizzle glaze over cake.

Enjoy!

Decadent Double-Chocolate Bundt Cake

 Hey everybody!  Sorry it's been a while since I posted, been busy with a lot of stuff.  I'm trying to decide if I want to keep working where I do or if I should just go back to school in January as a full time student to get my certificate in bookkeeping.  Honestly, I think I rather go back and get the certificate so I can get a better paying job.  I like my job, but it's not something I can't see myself doing the rest of my life.  I know bookkeeping may not sound like the most exciting thing ever, but I'm a very quiet, shy person (around new people), and this would fit my personality.  I was thinking about going to cooking school, but I don't want to make one of my hobbies into a career, because then I may end up hating having to cook when I come home from work.  I tried making music into a career, and I ended up not enjoying playing my piano...which I miss greatly now! Anyway, my husband's birthday was at the beginning of November and I made him this chocolate bundt cake from my CookingLight Way to Bake cookbook.

Here's what you'll need for the glaze:
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup chocolate-flavored liqueur
2 tablespoons butter

Here's what you'll need for the cake:
1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
6 tablespoons butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
13.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3 cups)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate minichips
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

First you'll have to prepare the glaze, so combine the first 4 ingredients in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.  Cool completely.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  To prepare cake, drizzle oil into a 12 cup Bundt pan;  coat pan thoroughly using a pastry brush.  Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons flour, shaking out excess, then coat preparted pan with cooking spray.  I know it sounds like a lot to prepare the pan, but you don't want your cake to stick to it while you're trying to get it out of the pan.

Place 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar and 6 tablespoons butter in a large bowl;  beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes).  Add eggs and egg whites, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in vanilla.

Weight or lightly spoon 13.5 ounces flour (about 3 cups) into dry measuring cups;  level with a knife.  Combine the flour and next four ingredients, stirring with a whisk.  Add flour mixture and milk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture;  mix after each addition.  Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.  Fold in chips.  Spoon batter into prepared pan.  Swirl batter using a knife.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Immediately pour glaze over cake.  Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes.

Invert cake onto a serving plate;  cool completely.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Enjoy!  

Apple Upside-Down Cake

So I was originally going to make this for my friend's birthday but due to the fact that it takes me forever to peel apples, I didn't have enough time.  I made this while at my parents' place on Sunday for Sunday dinner, only this was the dessert.  It was delicious and I'm so glad I got to use more of the apples I picked from the orchard.  It was from my Cooking Light Way to Bake cookbook.  I added some Apple Spice for an extra flavor, you don't have to or you could just use cinnamon. 

Here's what you'll need:

for the topping (or rather bottom of the pan):
Cooking spray
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
3 cups (1/4" thick) slices peeled Rome apples (I used whatever apples I had, but the book says 2 large ones should equal 3 cups)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 teaspoon Penzeys Apple Spice (optional)

Cake:
5.3 ounces cake flour (about 1 1/3 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter, softened
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
3 large egg whites

First preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Coat a 9" round cake pan with cooking spray.
To prepare topping, combine 3/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small heavy saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until sugar dissolves, stirring gently as needed to dissolve sugar evenly (about 3 minutes).

Continue cooking 4 minutes or until golden (do not stir).  Immediately pour into prepared cake pan, tipping pan quickly to coat bottom.  Arrange apple slices in concentric circles over warm caramel in pan.  Sprinkle with nuts (and spice); set aside.

To prepare cake, weight or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.  Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; stir with a whisk.
Combine 2/3 cup sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add egg yolks and vanilla to sugar mixture; beat until combined.

Add flour mixture and milk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix after each addition.

Place egg whites in a large, clean bowl.  Beat egg whites with a mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form using clean, dry beaters.

Gently fold egg whites into batter.  Spread batter over apples.

 Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack.  Loosen cake from sides of pan with a knife; invert cake onto a serving plate.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy!