cake

#BundtBakers: Pears

~ lk529 ~ 24 Comments

4ae7b-bundtbakerspost

This month’s edition of #BundtBakers is a little different. No, you won’t notice anything unique about this month compared to any of the previous #BundtBakers events but behind the scenes I’m the one hosting! #BundtBakers is a group of bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bundts with a common ingredient or theme. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme or ingredient.

I’ve selected a theme of Pears for November 2016. When I told my mom she said, “but you made a pear cake last month.” Yes, yes, I did. I’m that much obsessed with pears this fall.

How did this pear obsession begin?

Friends of ours brought over a fruit salad one evening and there were pears in it. These pears were perfectly ripe and reminded me how delicious a pear can be! I’ve since been buying them when I can get decent ones at the grocery store. Treat loves them, too. They’re such a perfect late night snack.

My favorite pear variety of choice is the boring ole Bartlet. I went rogue and bought a Bosq for a salad (but my husband ate it). We didn’t care for it as much.

The pear cake I’m sharing today varies from the my previous one because the pear is shredded! The shredded pear almost disolves into the cake batter as it’s baking, but you still get that bit of pear texture. I decided to pulse some walnuts instead of using almondmeal and I love the flavor it gives to the cake. Another change I made from the recipe of inspiration was to use honey instead of maple syrup. Pear, honey, and walnuts, are a perfect flavor combination and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. It had me thinking of a cheese platter and I decided to use mascarpone cheese in the frosting again, too.

My husband perfers just about every cake to be warmed up in the microwave. I’m the opposite and like my cake at room temperature, even cold for some recipes! For this bundt cake, though, I am 100% on board with warming it up. Yum.

Honey and Walnut Pear Bundt Cake

Ingredients for cake:

  • 1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
  • 3/4 C sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla paste
  • 1/4 C honey
  • 1/2-1/2 C walnuts
  • 1 1/3 C flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 C milk
  • 1 pear, shredded

Ingredients for frosting:

  • 4 tbsp mascarpone, softened
  • 2 tbsp butter, softened
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 3/4 tsp vanilla paste
  • 1/2 C powdered sugar
  • milk, as needed
  • pinch of salt, if desired

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heavily grease a bundt pan.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs one at at time, mixing until incorporated. Mix in the vanilla and honey.
  3. Put walnuts in a food processor and pulse until fine – should yield 1/4 C.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1/4 C of the walnut crumbs, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg.
  5. Add half of the dry ingredients to the stand mixer and mix until combined. Add the milk, mix until incorporated. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients. Add the shredded pear and mix.
  6. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake 50-55 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out cleanly. Allow cake to cool before unmolding.
  7. Make the frosting: Place mascarpone, butter, honey, and vanilla in a bowl and whisk with a hand mixer until combined. Add in the powdered sugar and beat until incorporated. Add milk as needed a teaspoon at a time. If desired, stir in a pinch of salt. Pipe frosting over cooled cake.

*The cake recipe is modified from Tessa at http://thecakeblog.com/2015/12/maple-pear-cake.html*

Honey and Walnut Pear Bundt Cake for #BundtBakers from Sew You Think You Can Cook

You can see all our of lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about #BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

And don’t forget to take a peek at what other talented bakers have baked this month:

Almond Pear Bread Pudding from Food Lust People Love

Fresh Pear Bundt Cake with Vanilla Glaze from The Queen of Scones

London Fog & Pear Bundt Cake from All That’s Left Are The Crumbs

Orange Pear Bundt Cake from Basic N Delicious

Pear and Date Bundt Cake with Caramel Mascarpone Sauce from kidsandchic

Pear and Hazelnut Bundt from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner

Pear and Port Bundt Cake from Palatable Pasttime

“Pear”fect Rum Raisin Cake from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

Pear Pecan Coffee Bundt Cake from Patty’s Cake

Pear Spiced Bundt Cake from I Love Bundt Cakes

Pear Streusel Crunch Cake from Noshing with the Nolands

Pumpkin Pear Bundt Cake from Making Miracles

Roasted Pear & Walnut Spice Cake Bundt from Brooklyn Homemaker

Salted Caramel Pear Bundt Cake from Tartacadabra

Spiced Pear Bundt from A Day in the Life on the Farm

This recipe was my personal favorite of November 2016. I’ve added it to An InLinkz Link-up celebrating monthly favorite recipes on Sid’s Sea Palm Cooking. 

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#BundtBakers: Healthy Sneak, Cheat, or Substitute

~ lk529 ~ 8 Comments

4ae7b-bundtbakerspostThis month’s bundt theme is quite fun! Andrea of  Adventures in All Things Food challenged us to “healthify” our cakes in a sneaky way. She inspired us to stealthily add in some veggies, find a healthy way to eliminate oils or sugars, or even experiment with an arguably more wholesome flour option.

#BundtBakers is a group of bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bundts with a common ingredient or theme. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme or ingredient.

I wasn’t sure I’d get a chance to participate this month. We’ve had a lot of travel recently, going to Northern California for a wedding followed almost immediately by a trip to Lake Geneva.

I’ve mentioned the lake house before, but in case you’re new to Sew You Think You Can Cook, I spent my childhood summers at my grandparents’ summer home at the lake. When my parents purchased the home before my grandma passed away, I looked forward to getting to continue the tradition with my children. We even had Firecracker’s first birthday there! I didn’t think we’d get a chance to go this year having to travel from California, but we made it happen. And I’m so glad we did. Firecracker is old enough to truly enjoy the lake and just as I did, jumped off the pier into his grandfather’s arms.

I hadn’t baked my bundt before these vacations and was going to have to simply sit this event out. Fortunately there was a bundt pan tucked away in a cupboard, here! A beautiful, old Nordic Ware original.

With plans to make my buffalo cauliflower for game day, we had the vegetable on the mind. Off to Pinterest I went to uncover a chocolate cake. We added some freshly picked (a story for a future post!) apples to the cake, too.

The resulting cake is a dense, almost fudgy, cake. Funnily enough, the presence of cauliflower was apparent only if eaten cold. It wasn’t abrassive enough to say, “Hey, there’s cauliflower in here.” but just enough to know there’s “something different” about this cake. 15 seconds in the microwave and no one would be any the wiser. Not even a 2 year old.

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You might wonder why we even ate the cake cold in the first place.

The answer is one that every food blogger can relate to. Needing to take a picture! The cake was completed and frosted after sunset. My dad told me I had to include this part of the story in my blog post. The fact that he couldn’t dig in to chocolate cake the day it was made! Yes, I received a lot of heat for having to wait until morning.

It’s okay though, the boys had me up way before anyone else so I snapped some photos in the early morning sunlight.

Choco-flower and Apple Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

  • 2 C cauliflower florets
  • 1/2 C vanilla yogurt
  • 3/4 C sugar
  • 1/2 C vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 C flour
  • 1/2 C cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3/4 C buttermilk
  • 1-2 apples, peeled, cored, and diced

Steps:

  1. Boil cauliflower until fork tender. Puree in a food processor until smooth.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a bundt pan.
  3. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
  4. In a large bowl, beat together the yogurt, sugar, and oil. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated. Add in the vanilla and pureed cauliflower.
  5. Mix 1/3 of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. Add 1/4 C of buttermilk, stir until combined. Repeat with remaining dry ingredints and buttermilk. Fold in the chopped apple.
  6. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake 50-60 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out cleanly. Allow cake to cool before turning out of the pan.

Cinnamon Caramel Frosting

Ingredients:

  • 1 stick butter
  • 1 C brown sugar
  • 3-4 tbsp milk
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 C powdered sugar

Steps:

  1. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. Stir for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the powdered sugar until smooth. Pour over cooled cake.

*These recipes are adapted from Kate at http://veggiedesserts.co.uk/chocolate-cauliflower-cake-with-salted-cinnamon-caramel-icing-the-blogs-2nd-birthday/*

choco-flower-apple-bundt-cake-with-cinnamon-caramel-frosting-for-bundtbakers-from-sew-you-think-you-can-cook

You can see all our of lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about #BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

And don’t forget to take a peek at what other talented bakers have baked this month:

Almond Bundtlettes by Bea and Mara at I Love Bundt Cakes

Avocado Mini Bundts by Kelly at Passion Kneaded

Black Forest Tomato Bundt Cake by Shilpi at Simplyveggies

Chocolate Beet Bundt Cake by Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm

Easy Orange Bundt Cake by Nichole at Cookaholic Wife

Fall Fruits Bundt Cake by Rebekah at Making Miracles

Flourless Chocolate Bundt Cake by Colleen at Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

Secret Spice Yoghurt Cake by Jane at Jane’s Adventure in Dinner

Tunnel of Fudge Cake by Bee at The Queen of Scones

Vanilla Bean Malt Bundt Cake by Felice at All That’s Left Are The Crumbs

Whole Wheat Banana Bundt Cake byAnshie>at Spiceroots

Almond Peach Loaf

~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

Once upon a time I was a very organized person.

I created schedules for everything. Very much like Hermione during O.W.L.S. studying when she made study schedules for the trio. I did that when I was studying for finals in high school, dividing out how much time I’d take to spend on each subject.

That trend continued in college. Signing up for classes and creating schedules was my favorite part of the year! I happily volunteered to help coordinate and organize class offerings for my roommates and brother, too. Every course I took had its own designated color with which I coordinated folders, binders, notebooks, and even highlighters!

When I was working, I still managed to keep a fairly organized desk. Each program I worked on had its own folder, notebook, and even pen. (The day someone took my blue pen off my desk is one that still haunts me.) My email box was broken up into multiple folders to help me keep my different correspondence structured.

And then I had kids and my “study” habits flew out the window. My attempts to keep things in certain places were thwarted by sheer exhaustion.

Having 4 homes in the last 6 years hasn’t helped me much either.

I have visions for how to keep this blog on track, but I simply haven’t had the time to set aside for setting up a “desk.” I don’t actually have a desk here. My computer lives in the kitchen and my planner and pen collection live on the wet bar (that we don’t use for entertaining purposes in the slightest) in the living room. I have two different notebooks for writing down recipes. Then there’s both Foodgawker and Pinterest. And my collection of cookbooks.

Sometimes I can’t remember where I got the recipe when it comes time for me to blog about it. Sounds like I need to add more notes to my planner!

Such was the case with today’s loaf recipe. I was all set to write the post and then couldn’t find the original recipe! I was cutting it close to the deadline and decided to just forget about it. A couple of days later, it came back to me in the shower. As all good ideas do. I came across this recipe during a Secret Recipe Club reveal! I’d commented saying I’d be making it that weekend – and I actually had! Phew!

Almond Peach Loaf

Ingredients:

  • 2 C flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 stick butter, softened
  • 3/4 C sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 3 tbsp milk
  • 2 peaches, diced
  • 1/3 C sliced almonds

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a loaf pan.
  2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until combined. Add the almond extract.
  4. Alternately, add in the dry ingredients and the milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.
  5. Gently fold in the peaches and almonds. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake 50-60 minutes, or until a butter knife inserted comes out cleanly.

*This recipe is adapted from Sara at http://cookwithsara.blogspot.com/2016/07/peach-and-almond-loaf-cake.html*

Almond Peach Loaf | Sew You Think You Can Cook | http://sewyouthinkyoucancook.com

#BundtBakers: Secret Garden

~ lk529 ~ 12 Comments

4ae7b-bundtbakerspostI have been sitting on this cake for months! And that is not an exaggeration. Sue of Palatable Pastime is hosting and announced the theme of “Secret Garden” earlier this year. She defined the task by making a cake with flowers, herbs or summer vegetables. #BundtBakers is a group of bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bundts with a common ingredient or theme. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme or ingredient.

I opted for the “herbs” qualification and used up my massive amount of mint! I quickly decided on doing a mojito bundt. For Cinco de Mayo we met with some of my husband’s new coworkers at a local Mexican restaurant to celebrate their project kick-off. Neither of us are really big margarita fans and we figured we’d try the mojito instead. I had forgotten about that particular cocktail over the years. I remember first having one at my neighbors house some 6-odd years ago with some homegrown sugar cane and mint – delicious.

This recipe was the first that I photographed with my new macro lens. In addition to my obsession with photographing blood oranges, I’ve found zoomed-in photos of zest to be fascinating.

As you probably know by now, I am not a huge fan of frosting in general, but specifically on my bundt cakes. I hate covering up the intricate details of my bundt pans. This cake did need more than just powdered sugar, so I decided to create a simple lime glaze and toss in some finely chopped mint for extra measure to top these moist, boozy cakes.

I used my Bundt Duet Pan for these Mojito Bundt Cakes.

Mojito Bundt Cakes

Ingredients for the cake:

  • 2 C flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 stick butter, softened
  • 1 C sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tsp lime zest
  • 2 tsp finely chopped fresh mint
  • 1/2 C rum
  • 1 1/4 C applesauce

Ingredients for the glaze:

  • 2 C powdered sugar
  • juice 1/2 lime, or to taste
  • lime zest
  • fine chopped fresh mint

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 2.5 C bundts.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Add in the lime zest, mint, and rum and mix until fully incorporated.
  4. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients, mixing until combined. Add 1/2 of the apple sauce, mixing until combined. Repeat, ending with the dry ingredients.
  5. Divide batter between the bundt pans. Bake 45-50 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out cleanly. Allow cakes to cool in the pan before removing to a cooling rack.
  6. Make the glaze: Whisk together powdered sugar and lime juice until smooth. Fold in the lime zest and mint. Top cooled cakes with the glaze. Garnish with extra lime zest and mint, if desired.

*This recipe is modified from Kat at http://www.gooseberrymooseberry.com/2012/03/mini-mojito-cupcakes.html*

Mojito Bundt Cakes for #BundtBakers from Sew You Think You Can Cook

You can see all our of lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about #BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

And don’t forget to take a peek at what other talented bakers have baked this month:

Almond Lavender Bundt by The Queen of Scones

Carrot Bundt Cake with Chamomile Orange Icing by Patty’s Cake

Chocolate and Mint Cake by Baking Yummies

Ginger & Lemon Crackle Courgette Bundt Cake by Baking in Pyjamas

Elderflower and Lemon Bundt by Jane’s Adventure in Dinner

Lavender & Honey Bundt by Living the Gourmet

Lavender & Lemon Bundt Cake by I Love Bundt Cakes

Lavender Lemonade Bundt by All That’s Left Are The Crumbs

Lemon and Rosewater Cake by Palatable Pastime

Lemon Balm Bundt Cake by Magnolia Days

Lemon Zucchini Bundt with Sugared Pansies by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Roses & Lemon Bundt Cake by kidsandchic

Spiced Zucchini Bundt Cake by Making Miracles

Sweet Chocolate Feel the Beet Cake by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

Vanilla Rose Bundt with Edible Flowers by Our Good Life

Yorkshire Parkin Mini Bundt by Food Lust People Love

Zucchini, Cheddar and Chive Bundt by Cookaholic Wife

#TourDeManger: Walnut Cake

~ lk529 ~ 14 Comments

Eat the Tour De France image

When my blogging buddy Sarah of Curious Cuisiniere informed me she wanted to gather a group of bloggers to celebrate the Tour de France I thought it’d be fun to join in. While I don’t watch or follow the race (sorry, bikers, tennis and soccer trump you in our house), I can appreciate some good food!

The idea behind today’s blogging event is to eat through the race route. The race starts in Mont-Sait-Michel, dips into Spain and Switzerland, and ends in Paris.

My recipe today comes from Southwest France, more specifically, Aquitaine. Aquitaine has a little bit of everything – from seaside to mountains to woodland and farmland. The area is known for its wine, truffles, and walnuts. Northeast Aquitaine, the Dordogne area, is considered to be one of the oldest populaces  in Europe. Pau in Southern Aquitaine is Stage 8 of Le Tour De France.

I decided to make a walnut cake. Those cyclists need some sugar to keep going, right?! I adore this cake, and it couldn’t be any simpler to make. I’ll admit, I was skeptical because it doesn’t have a leavening agent in it. And I was converting metric units to American measurements. Technically… I used 13 extra grams of butter and somewhere between a third and a half cup extra flour, but hey, it worked! The cake didn’t rise (or if it did I couldn’t tell) but that didn’t mean it was dense. This walnut cake was somehow fluffy, sweet, and had texture from the ground nuts. A perfect base for some chocolate.

And it wasn’t at all my mid morning snack this week….

Walnut Cake

Ingredients:

  • 1 stick butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 C powdered sugar, divided use
  • 1 1/2 C halved walnuts
  • 3 eggs
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 C flour
  • 1 C semisweet chocolate chips
  • 3/4 C heavy cream

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8″ circle cake pan.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and 3/4 C powdered sugar.
  3. Place the walnuts in a food process and pulse until finely ground, but having some texture. Transfer to a bowl and mix with the remaining 3/4 C powdered sugar.
  4. Add the walnut mixture to the butter and mix until combined. Add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Add a pinch of salt and the flour, mix until combined.
  5. Transfer cake batter to the prepared cake pan. Bake 35-40 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted comes out cleanly. Allow cake to cool in the pan.
  6. Put chocolate chips and heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 20 second increments, stirring, until the chocolate is melted. Allow ganache to cool slightly before pouring over the cake. Garnish with extra walnuts if desired.

*This recipe is adapted from http://southweststory.com/french-south-west-gastronomy*

Walnut Cake for #TourDeManger from Sew You Think You Can Cook

See what the other bloggers have made from the other regions on the race route. Be sure to visit each one to learn more about the regions on the route and to enjoy a taste of the cuisine! Show us how you plan to eat your way though Le Tour de France all month long with the hashtag #TourDeManger !

#BundtBakers: Tropical Vacation

~ lk529 ~ 14 Comments

4ae7b-bundtbakerspostIt’s that time of month for me to share a bundt cake with you alongside #BundtBakers. #BundtBakers is a group of bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bundts with a common ingredient or theme. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme or ingredient. This month Christiane of Taking on Magazines is hosting and selected the theme of Tropical Vacation.

What a perfect theme for this time of year! I think we can all use a little slice of sunshine right about now. Spring is almost here but Winter doesn’t want to quite let go just yet. Maybe with a cake inspired by the tropics we can force the cold out for good!

We will be moving in under two weeks and I have been in a “use all the food” frenzy! I had an Orange Supreme Cake Mix in the pantry that my mother-in-law gave me. She wanted me to make a bundt cake from her friend’s daughter’s blog, Southern Plate, which called for that particular cake flavor. (Apparently, it’s not a flavor carried in all stores.) I looked at the recipe for Christy’s Grandmama’s Orange Supreme Cake and headed to the store to check out the nectar varieties available to me. There weren’t any that I could consume so I scratched the idea. Instead, I decided to turn that boxed cake mix into a tropical inspired bundt cake! I replaced the water called for in the recipe with pineapple juice and added some macadamia nuts. (To really go all out with the tropical theme I bet you could use melted coconut oil instead of the vegetable/canola oil!) But because this theme was Tropical Vacation and not just Tropical I felt a pull towards alcohol so I created a rum glaze, using rum extract so it’s still family friendly. I’m definitely happy with the resulting creation, and if you close your eyes you can almost forget you’re not sitting on the beach drinking a cocktail.

An Original Recipe

Tropical Supreme Cake with Rum Cream Cheese Glaze

Ingredients:

  • 1 box (16.5 oz) Orange Supreme Cake Mix
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 C pineapple juice
  • 1/3 C canola (or vegetable) oil
  • 1/4 C chopped macadamia nuts (plus more for garnish)
  • 1 C powdered sugar
  • 4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 1/4 tsp rum extract

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a bundt pan.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, juice, and oil. Beat using a hand mixer until batter is smooth. Fold in the nuts.
  3. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out cleanly.
  4. Allow cake to cool in the pan at least an hour before unmolding. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  5. Make the glaze: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, and extract using a hand mixer until smooth. Pour glaze over the cake. Garnish with extra macadamia nuts.

Tropical Supreme Cake with Rum Cream Cheese Glaze for #BundtBakers from Sew You Think You Can Cook

You can see all our of lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about #BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

And don’t forget to take a peek at what other talented bakers have baked this month:

Banana Coconut Pineapple Bundt by Food Lust People Love

Banana Pineapple Mini Bundt Cakes by I Love Bundt Cakes

Banana Rum Cake by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner

Bounty Bundt Cake by Baking in Pyjamas

Bundt Cake Tropical by La mejor manera de hacer …

Chocolate Coconut Tres Leche Bundt Cake by The Whisking Bowl

Drømmekage (Danish Dream Cake) Bundt Cake by Brooklyn Homemaker

Golden Tropical Coconut Bundt Cake by Faith, Hope, Love & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

Key Lime Bundt Cake by Taking On Magazines

Lava Flow Bundt Cake by All That’s Left Are The Crumbs

Lime-Coconut Bundt Cake by Palatable Pastime

Piña Colada Rum Bundt Cake by Making Miracles

Pineapple Upside Down Coconut Cake by Adventures in All Things Food

Speckled Tropical Bundt Cake by I Camp in my Kitchen

Tequila Sunrise Bundt Cake by Los Chatos Chefs

Tres Leche Bundt with Pineapple and Strawberry Whipped Cream by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Tropical Hummingbird Bundt Cake by Tartacadabra

Blogger CLUE: Lemon Loaf

~ lk529 ~ 22 Comments

blogger CLUE

Easter is coming early this year (March 27th) and the Blogger Clue crew and I have been on the hunt to provide you with some wonderful Springtime dishes.

This month I was assigned the blog Confessions of a Culinary Diva. Christy describes herself as a “food enthusiast, wine aficionado, Food & Cooking Channel fanatic, and cookbook bibliomaniac, who suffers from an incurable case of wanderlust.” On quick look at her blog and you just know her mini-bio is true – there’s wine everywhere! And countless recipes that take you to another place (France mostly).

While on the hunt for Easter foods I was immediately drawn to her Easter Pie and next year I’ll be sure to try it! The only reason I didn’t stop, drop, and cook it was because I didn’t have Arborio rice and I wasn’t about to buy some while I’m trying to rid my pantry (via cooking) of my current stock before the big move.

I thought about what foods I think remind me of Easter. I don’t serve a ham and my family has always done our own thing. Growing up we would always have a dish traditional to my mom’s family. We would have a dish called Swienconka (pronounced shven-shun-ka). Swienconka is Polish and translates to “blessed food.” My mom’s grandfather was a butcher and he would bring home the leftover meats for this dish – veal, smoked butt, two kinds of Polish sausage, and ham. These meats would be cooked and mixed with hard boiled eggs. The mixture would then marinate in vinegar and fresh and jarred horseradish.

I decided to look for brunch ideas! I almost made Onion Biscuits. And I took a peek at what cocktails could fit an Easter morning: Earl Grey Mimosa and this beautiful Sangria would definitely fit the bill.

And then somehow I stumbled upon a Lemon Loaf (which she presented most beautifully) and I was sold! Lemon always reminds me of spring time and Easter. Probably because my grandmother’s annual pound cake has lemon extract in it. This loaf cake reminded me very much of her recipe, and I almost made a cream cheese frosting to pair with it but instead decided tolemon loaf 4 Sew You Think You Can Cook create a simple glaze of powdered sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and a little milk to pour over the top of the loaf. It definitely amped up the lemon flavor!

This cake was a hit. Firecracker saw it on the counter and had to have some. He earned his half a slice, too, by helping clear off space for me to photograph it!

 

Lemon Loaf

Ingredients:

  • 1 3/4 C cake flour, sifted
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 1/3 C sugar
  • zest of 2 extra large lemons
  • 1/2 C heavy cream
  • 5 1/2 tbsp melted butter

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heavily grease a 9×5″ loaf pan.
  2. In a bowl, whisk the sifted flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until smooth. Stir in the lemon zest. Add the dry ingredients in three batches, mixing until combined after each addition.
  4. Whisk the heavy cream into the cake batter. Add the melted butter and stir until combined.
  5. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake 50-60 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out cleanly. Allow cake to cool 10 minutes in the pan before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  6. Option to top with a simple lemon glaze or a cream cheese frosting.

*This recipe is adapted from http://www.treats-sf.com/2012/04/twd-lemon-loaf-cake.html*

Lemon Loaf for #BloggerCLUE from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Here’s a list of the other players of Blogger CLUE this month:

#BundtBakers: Beverages

~ lk529 ~ 23 Comments

4ae7b-bundtbakerspostIt’s that time of month for me to share a bundt cake with you alongside #BundtBakers. #BundtBakers is a group of bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bundts with a common ingredient or theme. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme or ingredient. This month Laura of Baking in Pyjamas chose Beverages to be our inspiration in baking.

I wracked my brain for this one. I’ve already shared a mimosa bundt and one with Khalua. I wasn’t even convinced I’d fit “bake a bundt” into my busy last-month-before-baby schedule but when I spontaneously purchased Apple Cider a light bulb went off.

This pound cake tastes like Fall. My husband said it reminded him of banana bread and I found the seasonal spices to hint towards a pumpkin treat. It’s a dense cake that lends itself nicely to being thinly sliced, toasted, and topped with apple butter.

I didn’t make a glaze for my cake because I didn’t want it to be too sweet, but if you think it to be “naked” a simple confectioners sugar & milk mixture would be great – especially if you throw some cinnamon and nutmeg in with it – or confections sugar & apple cider. Maybe even some real maple syrup (especially if you toast a slice!) or caramel.

Apple Cider Pound Cake

Ingredients:

  • 3 C apple cider
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 3 sticks butter, softened
  • 2 C sugar
  • 6 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 C flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground allspice
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Steps:

  1. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring apple cider and maple syrup to a boil. Boil, stirring occasionally, 30-40 minutes, or until reduced to 1 C. Remove from heat and set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a bundt pan.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time and then the vanilla, mixing until combined.
  4. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and spices. Add half of the dry ingredients to the stand mixer and mix until incorporated. Add the apple cider and mix until combined. Add the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated.
  5. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake 1:15-1:30, or until a cake tester inserted comes out cleanly. Allow cake to cool in the pan before turning out onto a cooling rack.

*This recipe is adapted from Mary at http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2010/10/apple-cider-quatre-quarts-cake.html*

Apple Cider Pound Cake for #BundtBakers from Sew You Think You Can Cook

You can see all our of lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about #BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

And don’t forget to take a peek at what other talented bakers have baked this month:

Apple Cider Bundt Cake from That’s My Home

Apple Cider Bundt Cake w/ Caramelized Apples from The Freshman Cook

Apple Cider Bundt Cake from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Apple Cider Pound Cake from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Apple Juice Spice Bundt with Caramel Apple Glaze from Our Good Life

Apple Spice Latte Bundt from Living the Gourmet

Black Forest Hot Chocolate Bundt from Baking in Pyjamas

Cava Bundt Cake from La mejor manera de hacer…

Chai Bundt Cake from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner

Chocolate Chai Bundt Cake from Basic n Delicious

Chocolate Expresso Bundt Cake from En la cocina de Caro

Dark ‘n Stormy Bundt Cake from Eat, Drink, and Be Mighty

Earl Grey Bundt Cake with Milk and Honey Glaze from Brooklyn Homemaker

Margarita Bundt Cake with Candied Limes from How to Philosophize with Cake

Mexican Hot Chocolate Rose Cake from Faith, Hope, Love & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

Milo and Condensed Milk Bundt Cake from Passion Kneaded

Mojito Bundt Cake from Baking Yummies

Orange Juice Pine Nut Bundt Cake from A Kingdom for a Cake

Pacharán & Apple Bundlettes from I love Bundt Cakes

Pumpkin Coffee Bundt Cake from Los Chatos Chefs

Pumpkin Spice Latte Bundt Cake from Liv for Cake

Red Wine Chocolate Bundt Cake from Brunch with Joy

Root Beer Float Bundt from Food Lust People Love

Tiramisu Bundt Cake from Patty’s Cake

Vanilla Chai Honey Latte Bundt from Tartacadabra

White Chocolate and Espresso Bundt Cake with Coffee Glaze from Taking On Magazines

White Russian Mini Bundt Cakes from Magnolia Days

#BundtBakers: Creative S’mores

~ lk529 ~ 26 Comments

4ae7b-bundtbakerspostIt’s that time of month for me to share a bundt cake with you alongside #BundtBakers. #BundtBakers is a group of bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bundts with a common ingredient or theme. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme or ingredient. This month Lauren of From Gate to Plate challenged our artistic side with the theme creative s’mores – seriously, how fun!?

The traditional s’more is a roasted marshmallow and a pip of chocolate bar sandwiched between two graham crackers. The possibilities to play around with or add to the classic sandwich are endless! Just check out the list of bundts that put a spin on this summer/fall favorite treat.

I decided to make a chocolate cake, substituting some of the flour with crushed chocolate graham crackers. For the marshmallow I used marshmallow creme and mixed in roasted strawberries. I decided to go with dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar to add a subtle smokiness that can mirror that campfire feeling.

I swirled my marshmallow filling into the chocolate cake, but it completely disappeared (except for the roasted marshmallow coloring on the top/bottom). The roasted strawberry flavor definitely comes through and the extra filling I saved as a frosting.

I’m pleased to say my experimenting was a success. This cake is incredibly moist and rich in chocolate flavor. As usual, this cake came with me to game night on Monday and my husband was not too pleased. Before I left he tried breaking into the plastic wrap, even though I’d cut a generous slice for him already!

Chocolate Graham Cracker Bundt Cake with Roasted Strawberry Marshmallow Filling

Ingredients for filling:

  • 18-20 strawberries, tops removed
  • scant 1/4 C sugar
  • 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 container (7 oz) marshmallow creme

Ingredients for cake:

  • 9 chocolate graham crackers, finely crushed
  • 1 1/4 C flour
  • 1/4 C cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 stick butter, softened
  • 1/2 C sugar
  • 1/2 C dark brown sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 C buttermilk

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
  2. Make filling: Toss strawberries in sugar and vanilla extract. Place on foil lined baking sheet and roast for 25 minutes. Allow to cool. Place strawberries in a large bowl with the marshmallow creme and use a hand mixer to combine. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together chocolate graham cracker crumbs, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda.
  4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and both sugars. Add eggs one at a time until incorporated. Mix in the vanilla extract.
  5. Alternate the dry ingredients and buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
  6. Pour batter into a heavily greased bundt pan. Swirl in the marshmallow filling. (I had ~ 1/3 C of the filling left over to use as a topping.)
  7. Bake at 350 degrees F for 60 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out cleanly. Allow cake to cool in the pan before removing.

Chocolate Graham Cracker Bundt with Roasted Strawberry Marshmallow Filling for #BundtBakers from Sew You Think You Can Cook

You can see all our of lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about #BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

And don’t forget to take a peek at what other talented bakers have baked this month:

Autumn Bundt Cake by The Freshman Cook

Caramel Apple S’mores Bundt by Taking on Magazines

Carrot Graham Mini Bundts with White Chocolate Chips and Marshmallow Glaze by Passion Kneaded

Chocolate Bundt with Marshmallow Graham Filling by Basic N Delicious

Cookie Crumble Peanut Butter S’more Bundt Cake by Baking in Pyjamas

Deconstructed S’more Bundt Cake by Cali’s Cuisine

Graham Cracker Bundt Cake S’mores by Magnolia Days

Graham Cracker Bundt with Chocolate Ganache and Toasted Marshmallow Frosting by Food Lust People Love

Graham Cracker Peanut Butter Bundt with Marshmallow Topping by Our Good Life

Inside Out S’mores Bundt Cake by Liv for Cake

Key Lime S’more Bundt Cake by Patty’s Cake

Mexican Chocolate S’more Bundt Cake by Tartacadabra

Nutella Glazed S’more Bundt Cake by I Bake He Shoots

Nutella S’mores Bundt Cake by Brunch with Joy

Oreo Grasshopper S’more Bundt by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Pretzels Crown in a S’more Bundt Cake by Los Chatos Chefs

Pumpkin S’mores Bundt by Living the Gourmet

Pumpkin S’mores Bundt Cake by How to Philosophize with Cake

S’moreo Caramel Bundt Cake by Making Miracles

S’mores Bundt Cake by From Gate to Plate

S’mores Bundt Cake by La mejor manera de hacer

S’mores Bundt Cake by I Love Bundt Cakes

S’mores Graham Cracker Bundt Cake by The Spiced Life

Salted Marshmallow and Graham Crack S’more Bundt Cake by Faith, Hope, Love & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

Key Lime Cheesecake Filled Graham Cracker Bundt Cake

~ lk529 ~ 5 Comments

Happy Birthday… to me!

I am very excited to share my birthday cake with you. This cake recipe comes from one of my fellow #BundtBakers, Tux over at Brooklyn Homemaker. Back in April we were tasked with the theme of “hidden surprise.” I have been sitting on his recipe for four months just waiting to make this cake my birthday cake.

Why? Because key lime pie is my absolute favorite dessert and he took it to the next level with our shared love of beautiful bundts! The “hidden surprise” inside a graham cracker cake batter is a key lime cheesecake.

Key Lime Cheesecake Filled Graham Cracker Bundt Cake (baby) | Sew You Think You Can CookI brought this cake to a game night and only one piece returned home with me, which my husband was thankful for so he could try more than a bite. When I tried my piece after photographing the cake, my little man raced around the table to get a taste. It was pretty much the funniest and cutest thing. (But I’m pretty partial.)

Thank, Tux, for a fabulous cake recipe worth of anyone’s special day!

Key Lime Cheesecake Filled Graham Cracker Bundt Cake

Ingredients for filling:

  • 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/4 C sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 4 tbsp key lime juice
  • zest 1 lime

Ingredients for cake:

  • 2 sticks butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 C sugar
  • 1/2 C brown sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 C finely crushed graham crackers (I got this from about 9 sheets in food processor)
  • 1 1/2 C flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/4 C buttermilk

Ingredients for glaze:

  • 4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 2 tbsp key lime juice
  • 1 C powdered sugar
  • up to 3 tbsp milk

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heavily grease bundt pan.
  2. Make the filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together cream cheese and sugar with a pinch of salt until there aren’t any lumps. Add the egg and mix until combined. Add in the key lime juice and lime zest until smooth. Set aside. (If you don’t have a second stand mixer bowl transfer the filling mixture to a separate bowl and clean the mixer bowl and paddle.)
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and both sugars. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and mix until combined.
  4. In a bowl, whisk together graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
  5. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the stand mixer, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
  6. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Create a well by pressing the batter up the sides of the pan. Pour the filling mixture into the well – if you’re talented and brave enough, swirl the filling into the cake batter being careful not to touch the sides of the pan. (Mine didn’t quite swirl and instead I had a lovely tunnel of key lime cheesecake.)
  7. Bake cake 50-60 minutes until a cake tester comes out cleanly. Allow cake to cool at least an hour in the pan before turning out onto a cooling rack.
  8. Make the glaze: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until there aren’t any lumps. Add the key lime juice and as much of the milk as needed to achieve desired consistency. Drizzle over cooled cake.

*This recipe is adapted from Tux at http://brooklynhomemaker.com/2015/04/16/graham-cracker-bundt-cake-with-key-lime-cheesecake-swirl-bundtbakers/*

Key Lime Cheesecake Filled Graham Cracker Bundt Cake | Sew You Think You Can Cook