Miss Emma Smith's War Cake.

Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a snack, this delicious cake is incredibly easy to make and even easier to eat.  It contains no dairy - that is, no eggs, milk, or butter, although I did use butter for the lard originally called for - and you can, and should, make it ahead of time to allow the flavors to develop, which means you can make it when you have time and eat it when you don't! 

I love old recipes like this and I don't know what took me so long to make it.  To help convince you to make this cake, here's a charming except from the cookbook I found it in: "This recipe is a war cake, born out of necessity, since it includes no eggs, butter or milk.  It's also an example of a recipe giving the marital status of the originator.  Miss Smith's contemporary, Mrs. William Eaton, apparently added the two teaspoons of cocoa to the recipe.  Also noted by Miss Smith, 'This cake is better at the end of a week or even longer.  It ripens as does all fruitcakes.'"  Could it be any cuter?



This cake is closely related to a fruitcake, but calling anything a fruitcake is a tricky matter as it will put many people off of making and eating it right away.  Really, this is a brown sugary sticky spicy cake dotted with unbelievably moist raisins.  And you need to make it to go with your morning cup of coffee or tea right now :)

Miss Emma Smith's War Cake
Recipe from Heirloom Baking with the Brass Sisters
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups plus 1 teaspoon hot water, divided
2 cups brown sugar
2 tablespoons lard (or butter)
1 cup raisins
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

In a medium saucepan, add 2 cups of the hot water, brown sugar, lard, raisins, salt, spices and cocoa powder and cook over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil.  Stir constantly for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and let it cool until it reaches room temperature.

In a large bowl, measure out the flour and set aside.  Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. and line the bottom of a 9x5" loaf pan with wax paper, then spray the paper and sides of the pan with cooking spray. 

Dissolve the baking soda in 1 teaspoon of hot water, then stir into the brown sugar mixture.  Pour everything into the flour and mix well, then scrape the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake for 45 minutes to an hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let it cool for about 20 minutes in the pan, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.  Wrapped in tinfoil, the cake will get spicier and keeps up to a week.

Toasted Pistachio Cinnamon Swirl Cake.

I hate to admit it, but I bake much more often than I blog.  It was quite an effort to even get myself to bring the camera out for these photos on a rainy Sunday morning, but I'm glad I did!

Instead of the common walnut or pecan, I substituted beautifully green pistachios in this cake, which means a lovely hit of color when you cut into it.  Toasting them intensifies their unique flavor and kept them from becoming too soft as pistachios have a tendency to do in baked goods. 

I miss last week's heat wave already - I can't wait for "real" summer to happen!  This cold rainy stuff can take a hike as far as I'm concerned, but this cake put a smile on my face as soon as I tasted the comforting tender crumb combined with the brown sugar-cinnamon and toasted nuts.  Enjoy! :)

Toasted Pistachio Cinnamon Swirl Cake
Adapted from Cooking Light
1/3 cup toasted pistachios, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and spray a 10-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, combine the nuts, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  In a large bowl mix the sugar and oil, then add the eggs one at a time.  Stir in the vanilla extract, then add in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk until a smooth batter forms.  Pour 1/3 of the batter into the bottom of the greased Bundt pan, then half of the nut mixture.  Pour another 1/3 of the batter, then the last half of the nut mixture and the last amount of batter on top.  The batter will be fairly liquidy so don't worry about spreading it to the edges of the pan or anything like that, it will spread and rise as it bakes.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 35-45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  Let it cool on a rack for 10 minutes before inverting the cake and cooling completely.  It will keep for up to 4 days stored in a cake keeper or airtight container.

Honey Cake.

Last week I made an orange poppy seed Bundt cake.  Well, I tried to.  When I went to take the cake out of the Bundt pan, of course the top of the cake stuck in the pan and only the bottom half came out.  It was still really delicious and we ate it all but I was really upset about not being able to get the whole cake out of the pan!

I was determined to make a Bundt cake that would look as beautiful as it tastes and I had a jar of honey crystallizing in the cupboard - honey cake!  This recipe is from the super cute Best Bake Sale Ever cookbook with a few adaptations.  I didn't have dark brown sugar and only 1 cup of honey so I added in 1/4 cup of molasses to compensate and used 3/4 cup light brown sugar instead of the full cup of dark brown that's called for.  I increased the amount of spices, added salt, and I used tea and brandy for the liquids. The book gives many options - you can use coffee or tea for the main liquid, orange juice, brandy or whiskey for the smaller amount of liquid.  I imagine you can also substitute 1 cup of any dried fruit you'd like here, I stuck with raisins and apricots but next time I'd love to try dried cherries, golden raisins, dates or dried blueberries!

I admit a big reason I decided to make this cake is because of the lack of fat needed - a mere 1/3 cup of oil!  This is a great dense, moist spicy cake for breakfast, snack or dessert.  I hope you enjoy it!

Honey Cake
Adapted from The Best Bake Sale Ever Cookbook
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1/3 cup vegetable (or canola) oil
1 cup honey
3/4 cup cold brewed tea or coffee
1/4 cup brandy, orange juice or whiskey
1/2 cup dark raisins
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. and grease a 10-inch Bundt pan well.

In a large bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, baking powder and soda, spices and salt until everything is incorporated and well mixed.  In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, molasses, oil, honey, coffee or tea and brandy, juice or whiskey, then add the liquid ingredients to the flour mixture and stir until almost completely mixed.  Fold in the dried fruit, then pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake in the center of the oven for 45 minutes to an hour and 15 minutes.  It will be done when it has risen and cracked slightly on top and turned golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.  Let it cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then run a butter knife around the edges to loosen and invert onto a serving platter or cake stand to cool completely.

This cake will stay fresh up to 5 days stored airtight.

Sapelo Island Hard Time Cake.

Sometimes I take for granted what a luxury it is to bake.  Baking ingredients aren't a necessity like vegetables and fruit are for healthy, substantial meals.  Butter, sugar, flour, chocolate, nuts - these ingredients are an indulgence to keep in the cupboard and sometimes it takes an unfortunate instance to bring us back to reality.  It's not that anything earth-shattering happened but last night before bed I thought "Hmm, brown butter blondies with toasted coconut, dried pears and pistachios... "  So this morning I woke up, made a batch, portioned them into mini cupcake pans (because I apparently have to make everything miniature), put them in the oven and you know what happened?  The tops expanded and became crispy and dark while the insides sunk and were raw in the middle.  I couldn't bear to throw them away, so they're sitting on a piece of foil right now, waiting to be dealt with.  Blondie cake balls, anyone?

I didn't want to waste more butter, eggs, nuts and sugar today.  I figured I'd just stay frugal and bake this cake I remembered reading about when I first bought this book a couple years ago - no sugar, just 1 tablespoon of butter, and no eggs.  It's extremely easy to mix and put together and although it doesn't look as nice as I imagined my mini blondies to come out, the homey gingerbread-like taste definitely makes up for it.  I substituted 1/2 cup honey for half of the molasses and dusted the top with some powdered sugar, but it doesn't need it!  And anyway, how could you not want to make a cake that has this in the description?: "Cornelia Walker Bailey, author of God, Dr. Buzzard, and the Bolito Man, remembers her mother stirring up a pan of hard time cake, creating a delicious and nourishing treat for her family out of what she had handy: molasses, flour, spices, a dab of butter, and an abundance of love." <3 :)

This cake was perfect for a rainy Wednesday with a cup of tea.  Lightly spiced, soft and comforting.

Sapelo Island Hard Time Cake
Adapted from Southern Cakes by Nancie McDermott
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 cup molasses
1 tablespoon of butter, melted
1 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup warm water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and lightly grease a 9" cake pan or square pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combined the flour, cinnamon and cloves and mix with a fork.  Add the molasses and melted butter and use a large spoon to mix into a smooth batter.  Stir the baking soda into the warm water and then add it to the flour mixture, stirring until you have a smooth and thin batter.  Quickly pour into the prepared pan and bake for 20-30 minutes.  The cake should be very golden brown on top with a slight shine and a toothpick inserted in the middle will come out clean when it's done.

Let the cake cool on a wire rack or kitchen towel before serving.  Store leftover cake, wrapped in plastic, up to 3 days.

Go-To Gluten Free Chocolate Cake.

 I used to really dislike gluten free recipes that called for a pre-made mixture of flours rather than the flours separately.  In general, I still prefer to use separate flours because I think they give gluten free baked goods a better texture.  Recently though, going through Bette Hagman's Deliciously Gluten Free, I thought of what a waste it was to have this book and never use any of the recipes because so many of them called for mixes.  So I got out a mixing bowl and put together Bette's Featherlight Mix for gluten free baked goods.

Although I haven't tried any recipes from the book using this mix yet, I plan on it, and it works wonders in cake recipes that call for a generic gluten free flour mix, like this chocolate cake.  I used it on my birthday a few weeks ago and yesterday to make little chocolate cakes for some adorable guests we had for Sunday dinner. 

A small complaint:  it seems like every gluten free website has their own set of mixes, which is unfortunate, because I'm not going to make a mix for every gluten free website I go to.  I realize everyone does what works for them, and that's fine.  For now, this is the one I'll use when it comes to cakes and pastries that call for a gluten free mix instead of separate flours.

Featherlight Mix
In a large bowl, whisk together until very well combined:
1 cup white rice flour
1 cup cornstarch
1 cup tapioca starch
1 tablespoon potato starch

Store in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag.

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
Adapted fromFood.com
1 1/2 cups Featherlight Mix (or other gluten free flour mix)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
5 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and grease a 9" layer cake pan (or 8x8" or 9x9" square pan) with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, sift the flour, cocoa, sugar, salt, baking soda and xanthan gum together.  Stir in the oil, vinegar, extract and egg and whisk or stir with a spoon until everything is very well combined and there are no lumps.  Spoon into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, or until the cake springs back slightly when pressed with a finger.

Let cool on a wire rack completely before frosting.

Orange Poppy Seed Loaves.

Quick, just sweet enough and relatively healthy, these little poppy seed loaf cakes are super simple to put together and even easier to eat.  Along with a cup of tea or coffee, they made today seem less gray and wintery and taste like the beginning of spring.  Feel free to substitute lemon zest and juice if that's what you have - I never keep lemons around unless I buy them for a specific recipe.  On the other hand, I eat oranges like crazy this time of year and always keep them in the house.  Either way, slices of these little cakes make the perfect afternoon snack :)

Orange Poppy Seed Loaves
Adapted from Recipe Rumble

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup poppy seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, melted (1/2 stick)
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons orange juice
Finely grated zest of an orange

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and spray 3 miniature loaf pans (or 1 9x5 loaf pan, or a 8x8 square cake pan) with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl, wisk together the flour, sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking powder and salt.  In a small bowl, mix the butter, egg whites, milk, vanilla, orange juice and zest.  Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until well-mixed, but don't overmix.  Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 15-30 minutes depending on the size of the pans you've used, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool on a wire rack.  Loaves will keep in an airtight container or wrapped in foil for up to 3 days.

Banana Cake with Cocoa Frosting.

 

Although I had been making heart-shaped things all last week, I didn't have anything for Valentine's Day proper.  We had 4 very black bananas on the counter, so naturally, banana cake!  This recipe translated very well to a 10" heart-shaped pan made by Wilton, but the original is baked in a 9x9 square.  The only thing I'd change next time is to either increase the amount of sugar in the batter or glaze the entire cake as it wasn't sweet enough for me.  If you don't have quite the sweet tooth I do, feel free to leave the amount as-is.

 

Banana Cake with Cocoa Frosting

Adapted from Cooking Light

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup sugar 

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup plain low-fat yogurt

3/4 cup mashed ripe banana

1/4 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. and grease a 9x9" baking pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, cinnamon and salt.  In another bowl, combine the yogurt, mashed banana, oil, extract and egg.  Pour the liquid ingredients onto the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until everything is just mixed together.  Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until lightly golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Cocoa Frosting

1 cup confectioner's sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

Enough water to make desired frosting thickness

Whisk or sift the sugar and cocoa powder together and add the water.  You can make this thicker if you'd like to pipe it or thinner if you're going to glaze or drizzle the cake.

I hope everyone had a lovely Valentine's Day! :)

Brown Sugar Angel Food Cake with Italian Meringue Frosting.

Everyone always tells me it's crazy to make my own birthday cake, no one does that, but I've been doing it since I started baking!  I don't see anything crazy about it - I can choose any flavor combination I want and I know it will always be delicious.

 

This year I chose to go all-out girly, pink, fluffy and light with a brown sugar angel food cake frosted with a swirly Italian meringue - not a tablespoon of butter in sight!  Since I tend to go either all light or all decadent, perhaps I'll save the chocolate ganache torte for Valentine's :)

The cake recipe comes from a book my sister gave me for Christmas called Screen Doors and Sweet Tea by Martha Hall Foose and I didn't change anything except omit the almond extract, only because I didn't have any in the house.  If you're an angel food cake fan, try it!  The brown sugar tempers the intense sweetness normal angel food cakes can sometimes have and lends a deeper, more caramel taste.

I knew I wanted a light and fluffy icing I could tint pink for the outside of the cake but all the seven minute frostings I've made end up with a hard crust on the outside after a few hours and since I wanted to make the cake a day ahead of time, I knew I'd need something different.  I also didn't want to make a heavy, greasy pound-of-butter buttercream.  I flipped through many cake books and searched the internet until I realized the cover of Dorie Greenspan's book Baking: From My Home To Yours has a cake with the exact frosting I was looking for on the cover.

This frosting recipe was a dream!  It wasn't overly sweet, stayed soft and didn't develop a crust.  I tinted it pink but my brain immediately imagines dozens of little cupcakes with this icing swirled high on top in a rainbow of colors for any occasion, sprinkled with adorable confetti and shapes to make them even more festive.

Brown Sugar Angel Food Cake
Adapted from Screen Doors and Sweet Tea
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
14 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and have a tube or angel food cake pan ready.

Sift the flour, brown sugar and salt together onto a piece of waxed paper, removing any large lumps of brown sugar.  In an electric mixer, whip the egg whites on low speed until frothy.  Add the cream of tartar, increase the speed, and whip until the whites hold soft peaks, fold in the vanilla extract.

Transfer the whites to a very large mixing bowl and sift the flour and brown sugar mixture over the egg whites in 3 additions, folding gently after each addition with a large spatula.  Scrape the batter into the tube or angel food cake pan and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, until lightly golden on the outside and it springs back when pressed lightly.  Let the cake cool inverted in the pan completely, then run a thin knife around the outside of the pan and the bottom and carefully remove the cake.

Italian Meringue Frosting
Adapted From Baking: From My Home To Yours
1/2 cup egg whites (about 4 large)
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Food coloring (optional)

Put the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and have a candy thermometer ready.

Place the sugar, cream of tartar and water in a small saucepan and stir to combine.  Bring this mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then cover the pan and boil for 3 minutes.  Remove the cover and let the syrup boil until it reaches 242 degrees F.  When the syrup is at 235 degrees, begin beating the egg whites on medium speed until they form firm, shiny peaks.  When the syrup is ready and the mixer still running at medium speed, drizzle in the hot syrup between the beaters and the side of the bowl.  Add the vanilla extract (and food coloring, if you like) and keep beating on medium speed until they reach room temperature, about 5 more minutes.  The frosting should be smooth, shiny and marshmallowy.

Perhaps I loved this cake so much because you can eat 2 or 3 slices of it without feeling guilty, and I did! :)

Easy Spice Cake.

I'm a very lucky girl - I received quite a few cookbooks for Christmas.  I read cookbooks like novels which is probably why this is the first recipe I've made from one of the cookbooks I've had for almost 2 weeks now.  You see, it took me all of last week just to get through Nigella Kitchen, let alone cook from it!  Nigella's books tend to be on the wordy side though, so reading through the other books hasn't taken quite as long.  The second cookbook I read was Perfect Light Desserts by Nick Malgieri, a name most bakers should be familiar with by now.  My brother and sister-in-law gave it to me and joked after I opened it, saying "We'd never think of buying a light dessert book for anyone who didn't ask for one, Beth!"

I'm so glad I asked for it!  Even though this is the first recipe I've baked from it so far, I can't tell you how delicious this cake is.  It's a lighter (both figuratively and literally speaking) version of gingerbread - spicy, cakey and absolutely delicious, yet so light and fluffy at the same time.  The only changes I made to this were to increase the salt, spices (as per my usual) and I actually substituted a handful of dried, chopped cranberries for the 2/3 cup chopped pecans called for.  Although Malgieri says he prefers to use nuts as opposed to raisins because they "provide extra flavor and a bit of crunch," I didn't want crunch, I wanted comforting, soft, tart dried fruit.  Feel free to use any nut or dried fruit you'd like, I can't say there would be a bad addition.

Easy Spice Cake
Adapted from Perfect Light Desserts by Nick Malgieri
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
2/3 cup toasted nuts, chopped or any chopped dried fruit you'd like

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and grease a 9x13" pan with baking spray and set aside.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices.  In the bowl of a mixer, cream the butter and sugar until well mixed, about 2 minutes.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, waiting for the creamed mixture to lighten in color before adding the second one.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then 1/2 of the applesauce, another 1/3 of the flour, the second and last 1/2 of the applesauce, and ending with the rest of the flour mixture.  Stir in the nuts or dried fruit by hand, then scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for about 35-50 minutes, (the recipe actually said 40 to 50 but I happened to check mine at 35 minutes to find it was definitely done) until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.  Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to finish cooling completely before cutting into small squares.  (For the calorie counters out there besides me - these are about 108 calories per piece if you cut 24 squares - but that's with nuts.)

Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Cake.

I haven't done a lot of gluten free baking lately since Rachel just had a lovely baby boy a few weeks ago, my nephew Oliver:

 

 

But luckily this past weekend we got to see him in his adorable dragon costume for Halloween:

For this special occasion, I made a gluten free pumpkin spice cake.  I made it last year and it's a wonderful keeping cake since pumpkin baked goods seem to stay fresh and moist for days.  I added chopped and toasted pecans this time but last year I added dried cranberries as well as an orange glaze.  Feel free to add anything you'd like: chocolate chips, dried fruit, nuts, etc.  I didn't fancy this one up with a glaze, but perhaps a nice dusting of powdered sugar would also do if you're looking for a way to make it not so plain.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Cake
Adapted from 125 Best Gluten Free Recipes by Donna Washburn and Heather Butt
1 cup sorghum flour
3/4 cup whole bean flour
1/4 cup potato starch
1/4 cup tapioca starch
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup orange juice (or apple juice, apple cider, milk)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup chopped and toasted pecans

Grease a 9x13'' glass baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.  In another bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the juice, eggs, vanilla and pumpkin and mix well.  Stir in the dry ingredients and the pecans until everything is well combined.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and let it rest for 15 to 30 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. in the mean time.

After the batter has rested, bake the cake for 25 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.  Let cool completely before cutting or glazing.

Sour Cream Cocoa Swirl Coffee Cake.

 One of my favorite things to do is browse the internet for recipes so I have a large binder full of printed-out cakes, cookies, pies, anything you can imagine.  I finally got around to trying this recipe last week and I recommend it for anyone looking to make a simple, easy and not necessarily fall-centric coffee cake.  You could add cinnamon or toasted and chopped nuts to the cocoa swirl but I decided to follow the recipe as-is (seriously!) 

This recipe is known as Aunt Patty's Coffee Cake on the Martha Stewart website.  I do have an Aunt Patty  but this isn't her coffee cake as far as I know, so I've changed the name and I think it fits much better :)

Sour Cream Cocoa Swirl Coffee Cake
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Filling:
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 1/2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
4 1/2 teaspoons cocoa powder

Cake batter:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and grease a Bundt pan.

In a small bowl, combine the filling ingredients and set aside.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.  In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each one.  Add the flour and sour cream alternately, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.  Finally, stir in the vanilla extract.

Scrape about 1/3 of the cake batter in the bottom of the Bundt pan.  Sprinkle half of the cocoa filling on top and layer again with another 1/3 of the batter, the rest of the cocoa filling and finally end with the last 1/3 of the cake batter.  With a butter knife or spatula, swirl the batter and filling together to create a marbelized effect.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Dust with powdered sugar and serve with coffee or tea.

Pumpkin Cranberry Cake with Cinnamon-Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting.

We like to buy in bulk at my house.  So I don't just buy the 15oz. cans of pumpkin, we buy the 32oz. cans of pumpkin.  So generally I have leftover pumpkin after making recipes.  I just store the leftover in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a month.  I had just under a cup left and didn't want to open another can so this is what I decided on.

I don't think it's any wonder why I'm obsessed with Southern food and baking since my beloved lives in North Carolina.  This recipe comes from Nancie McDermott's book Southern Cakes: Sweet and Irresistable Recipes For Everyday Celebrations, a book I go to whenever I need an easy and simple yet delicious cake.  This recipe was no exception, the only difference I made was to increase the spices and add a few additional ones as well as use dried cranberries in place of raisins.  I also halved the recipe in order to use the pumpkin I had left, but I'll post the original quantities with my changes here since I realize most people will probably want to make a whole recipe, not a mini cake and a mini loaf as I did.

This recipe calls for self-rising flour.  I'm lucky enough to have my lovely friends in North Carolina provide me with White Lily Flour, but if you don't have that available just add 1 1/2 teaspoons of of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt per cup of all purpose flour.

Pumpkin Cranberry Cake with Cinnamon-Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from Southern Cakes: Sweet and Irresistible Recipes For Every Day Celebrations
2 1/2 cups self-rising flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 cups canned pumpkin puree
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. and grease a 9x13'' baking pan or 2 8 or 9'' round layer cake pans.

In a large bowl, combine the flour and spices until well mixed.  In a smaller bowl, stir together the oil, sugar, eggs and pumpkin.  Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until almost mixed, then add the cranberries and nuts.  Scrape the batter into the cake pan(s) and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the cake is set on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool the cakes completely before frosting.

Cinnamon-Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups confectioner's sugar
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Beat the cream cheese and butter together in a large bowl until well-mixed and fluffy.  Add the sugars a little at a time until it's all added, then beat for about 2 minutes on medium speed.  Add in the pinch of salt and cinnamon and beat until everthing is incorporated.

As you can see I went for the easy method this time of just putting some frosting in the middle and on top of the cake but feel free to slather this cake well as there will be plenty of frosting :)

An Anniversary Celebration.

Last Sunday, September 19th, my parents celebrated their 29th wedding anniversary.  I asked my mom what kind of cake she wanted and she said "Hmm, how about black forest?" Black forest cake it is!  I hope they do something big next year for number 30 :)

From the same book as the gluten free vanilla cake, this is my go-to gluten free chocolate cake.  It's absolutely chocolaty and delicious.  You can switch sugars here, brown for granulated, if you'd like.  I usually use all brown sugar because it tastes fudgier that way, but feel free to use either one.

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
Adapted from 125 Best Gluten Free Recipes by Donna Washburn and Heather Butt
3/4 cup whole bean flour (garbanzo or chickpea is fine)
3/4 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and lightly spray or grease 2 8-inch round cake pans and set aside.

Sift together all of the dry ingredients (whole bean flour through cocoa powder) to make sure everything is thoroughly combined and there are no lumps.

Cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each one.  Stir in the vanilla extract.  Add in the dry ingredients and the sour cream alternately, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Scrape the batter into the prepared pans and let sit for 15 to 30 minutes before baking.

Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean.  Let cool completely before filling and frosting.  As with the gluten free vanilla cake, this cake freezes very well. Just wrap it tightly in plastic wrap first and store for up to 3 months.

To make this cake "black forest" I just split one layer in half and filled it with good cherry jam, iced the top of it with whipped cream and decorated it with some maraschino cherries.  It's too bad this wasn't requested during cherry season as I'd obviously prefer to use fresh, but I do think this was a festive cake nonetheless :)

Gluten Free Birthday Cake.

For those who don't know, I bake a lot of gluten free things because my sister-in-law Rachel is gluten intolerant.  She and my brother, Andy, come over nearly every Sunday and it's always nice to be able to offer them something gluten free for dessert and I love experimenting with gluten free baking.  Anyway, she's about to pop any day now with a baby boy:

This cake wasn't made for her birthday, but it was for my mom's birthday and when Andy and Rachel come over we like to do everything gluten free.  This is my go-to gluten free vanilla cake and hopefully anyone else who bakes gluten free will take notice - it's SUCH a great, foolproof recipe.  I do believe I even forgot the xanthan gum when I made this batter into cupcakes for one of Rachel's baby showers but it still came out delicious as always.  The mascarpone cream and fresh fruit were there to dress things up a bit, (plus my mom loves fresh fruit) but this cake, frosted with good old buttercream frosting, is perfect for any gluten free occasion.

I generally double this recipe so I can get 2 8 or 9-inch layer cakes or 24 cupcakes, but in this case I just split one 8-inch layer in half and filled it with fruit and cream.  It was big enough to serve at least 8 or 9 people generously.  (and as Nigella Lawson says, "...how else would you want to feed them?")

Gluten Free Vanilla Cake 
Adapted from 125 Best Gluten Free Recipes by Donna Washburn and Heather Butt
2/3 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/3 cup cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and grease an 8 or 9-inch cake pan, square or round.

In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the dry ingredients (white rice flour through salt) and set aside.

Combine the cider vinegar and milk and let the milk sit for a few minutes while you cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl.  Stir in the vanilla extract.  Add the dry ingredients and the soured milk alternately, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Mix well and scrape the bowl with a large spatula, making sure everything is well combined.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and let sit for 15-30 minutes before baking.  Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, although check on the cake at 20 minutes, as I find this cake is often done before a half an hour is up and certainly check at the 15 minute mark if you use this for cupcakes.  Let cool completely before filling or frosting.  This cake also freezes well, just wrap it in plastic wrap twice and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.


Mascarpone Cream:
4 ounces mascarpone cheese, cold
1 cup heavy cream, chilled
1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar, depending on your taste
Vanilla extract

Using the whisk attachment or a hand mixer, beat the mascarpone cheese and heavy cream until it forms soft peaks.  Stir in just enough sugar to slightly sweeten the cream and add a splash of vanilla.

Use on any vanilla cake or cupcakes, although I'm sure it would be great with chocolate as well.  What isn't? :)

Orange Cornmeal Cake.

It's funny how sometimes we associate citrus with warmer weather because where I come from at least, oranges, grapefruits, lemons and limes are in season in the winter. But no one can argue that their bright, sunny shapes bring some much-needed freshness to life during the cold months of winter.

I found this recipe on Orangette recently and knew it would be a welcome addition to our Sunday dinner with my sister-in-law and brother. Rachel has Celiac disease, so it needed to be gluten free, and I substituted the cake flour with my favorite gluten free flour but made no substitutions other than that and using orange zest for lemon, and serving it with vanilla bean frozen yogurt instead of whipped cream.

This is how I prefer my cornmeal - sugared and dolled up, and when people ask if I like my cornbread sweet, the answer is absolutely, positively, yes. (Sorry to my southern friends!! <3)
















Orange Cornmeal Cake with Apricot Jam and Frozen Yogurt
1 1/4 cups cake flour
6 tablespoons fine cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
Grated zest of 1 orange (or lemon)
To serve:
1/2 cup apricot jam (or your favorite)
Frozen yogurt, ice cream, or whipped cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and spray a 9'' round cake pan with baking spray.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt and set aside.

Cream the butter, zest and sugar together until light and fluffy, then add the vanilla and eggs. Add the dry ingredients and the milk alternately, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

Spread the batter in the cake pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan, and when ready to serve, invert onto a plate. I sprinkled mine with powdered sugar and put the jam in the middle for presentation purposes, but you could obviously just slice the cake and serve the jam and frozen yogurt on the side, letting people take as much as they please.

My niece Keira put sprinkles on her frozen yogurt and had 2 slices of this cake. Kid-friendly is always a plus, right? :)

Oh hey. So it's almost mid-December, and absolutely holiday baking time. I was asked to make a dessert for my sister's boyfriend's mother's (yeaaahh) dessert party. It didn't take me long to look through my books and find this cake to know it was the one I would make.

White chocolate eggnog mousse cake. Peerrrfect. So festive and the eggnog intrigued me. I can't say I've ever been a fan of eggnog or rum or alcohol in general, but people at holiday parties do, right? I told my sister this was the recipe I had chosen and she said everyone would love it.

So I work 40 hours a week, and this recipe was dissected for convenience as all recipes should be. I made the cake a week ahead of time and froze it. Two days ahead of time I made the mousse and assembled the cake, then froze it. The day of the party I topped it with the whipped cream.

This recipe is from Tish Boyle's "The Cake Book" and what a great book it is. She has a system for rating how difficult a recipe is using little cake slices. 1 equals an easy cake, and 4 equals a rather difficult cake to make. This one has 4 slices, but it's easy if you take apart the pieces and don't try to do everything on the same day, okay?



Therefore,
White Chocolate Eggnog Mousse Cake adapted from The Cake Book by Tish Boyle

Spiced Chiffon Cake
1 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs at room temperature
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg white
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment, and then spray the parchment paper with baking spray.

Sift the flour, 1/2 cup of the sugar, the spices, baking powder and salt together.

In a large bowl whisk the egg yolks, water, oil, and vanilla extract until combined and then add the flour mixture one-third at a time.

Using an electric mixer or whatever you find easier, whisk the four egg whites and cream of tartar at medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and beat until the whites are stiff but not dry. Using a large spatula, fold in the whites to the yolk mixture a little at a time. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top.

Bake 28 to 35 minutes (mine took a little longer), until a toothpick comes out clean. Run a paring knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake and let it cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Take the cake out and if you're making it in advance, wrap it well in plastic wrap and freeze it after it's cooled completely.

Rum Syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons dark rum

Bring the sugar and water to a boil, dissolving the sugar. Remove from the heat and add the rum. Set aside to cool.

White Chocolate Eggnog Mousse
3.5 ounces white chocolate, chopped (I just used a 4 ounce bar... figured why not? Haha.)
1/4 cup dark rum, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
6 large egg yolks
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

First melt the white chocolate in a medium bowl and set aside.

Pour 3 tablespoons of the rum into a small heatproof bowl and sprinkle the gelatin on top and set aside for about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl whisk together the yolks, sugar and remaining tablespoon of rum. Set the bowl over a pot filled about 1/3 of the way with simmering water and heat, and whisk until it reaches 160 degrees F. Remove from the water and whisk in the vanilla and nutmeg.

Now take the cup with the rum and gelatin in it and put it in the pot of water, heat turned off, and stir it to dissolve the gelatin. Whisk the rum mixture into the yolk mixture, and then the yolk mixture into the white chocolate.

Whisk the heavy cream until firm peaks just begin to form and fold this, about one-third at a time, into the yolk mixture.

To assemble the cake, slice it in half using a serrated knife and place it in the bottom of the same springform pan you used to bake it in. Use half the rum syrup and brush it all over the cake, letting it soak in. Then pour 2 cups of the mousse over the cake, letting it go down the sides of the pan. Then place the other half of the cake on top of this, brush it again with the rum, and finish the rest of the mousse and use it all on top and the sides of the cake. You should refrigerate this now for at least 4 hours or freeze it.

To finish the cake, whip 1 cup of heavy cream, 2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla together until firm peaks form. You could just spoon this on top, I used a large start tip to pipe it around the edges. Then garnish with some ground nutmeg and voila. You have yourself a perfect holiday cake.