The Cake Slice presents: Pineapple Upside-down Cake

Guess what! I got kicked out of The Cake Slice a few weeks ago. Nuh uh, no way! Yes way, I totally did. Working at a cupcakery kept me extremely busy over the holidays. As a result, I didn't have time to squeeze The Cake Slice recipes into my holiday baking. Since I missed three months in a row they booted me. But I had a good excuse and they took me back. YAY! So here is this month's cake! And it was totally delicious. Put it this way, I made it on the 18th, and by the 19th, IT WAS GONE! Success!I love this recipe because the cake itself is not too sweet. So the buttery, brown sugary syrup that soaks into the cake isn't overwhelming. I took some to work and everyone said it was really yummy. Wendi even broke her diet to try it. Double success!!Thanks, Cake Slice, for letting me back in! :D Check out what the other Cake Slicer's came up with: The Cake Slice Bakers!Pineapple Upside-Down Cake (from "Southern Cakes" by Nancie McDermott)
Makes 1 9" or 10" round cake

Pineapple Topping
One 20-ounce can pineapple rings, with their syrup or juice
4 tbsp cold butter
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
10 maraschino cherries

Cake
1½ cups all purpose flour
¾ cup sugar
1½ tsp baking powder
½ salt
½ cup milk
4 tbsp butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Heat the oven to 350F.

To make the topping, drain the pineapple well, reserving 2 tablespoons of the juice or syrup for the cake batter. Melt the cold butter in a 10 inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Or, put the butter in a 9inch round cake pan and put it in the oven for a few minutes as the heat melts the butter.

Remove the pan from the oven or stove and sprinkle the brown sugar over the buttery surface. Place the pineapple rings carefully on top of the scattered brown sugar and melted butter, arranging them so they fit in 1 layer. (You may have a few left over). Place a cherry in the centre of each ring, and set the pan aside.

To make the cake, in a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Use a fork to mix them together well. Add the milk and butter and beat well with a mixer, scraping down the bowl once or twice until you have a thick, fairly smooth batter, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the egg, reserved pineapple syrup or juice and the vanilla. Beat for 2 minutes more, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides.

Carefully pour the batter over the pineapple arranged in the skillet or cake pan and use a spoon to spread it evenly to the edges of the pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the cake is golden brown and springs back when touched lightly in the centre. Cool in the skillet or pan for 5 minutes on a wire rack.

With oven mitts, carefully turn out the warm cake onto a serving plate by placing the plate upside down over the cake in the pan and then flipping them over together to release the cake onto the plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.

King Cake for Mardi Gras

I'm not much into Mardi Gras, mostly because I don't know a lot about it. Also because I live in Virginia, and it's just far enough away from New Orleans that we don't hear any of the noise from the all-night street parties. The only thing I know about Mardi Gras is that the celebration includes a pastry known as King Cake. Here's a tidbit from Wikipedia for you:

A king cake is a type of cake associated with the festival of Epiphany in the Christmas season in a number of countries, and in other places with Mardi Gras and Carnival. In the United States, which celebrates Carnival ranging from Pensacola, Florida to East Texas, centered on New Orleans it is associated instead with Mardi Gras season traditions. The cakes have a small trinket (often a small plastic baby, sometimes said to represent Baby Jesus) inside, and the person who gets the piece of cake with the trinket has various privileges and obligations (such as buying [or making] the cake for the next celebration).

A cake with a plastic baby inside!! How could you not be into that?? I omitted the baby because I know it's gonna always be me making the king cake, and that's okay by me! ;D

Another successful checkmark on my Top 100 list! If you've never had King Cake before, it tastes very similar to a cinnamon roll. It's chewy and sweet and sugary and delicious! It's a tiny bit time consuming and requires some effort, but I would absolutely make this again next Mardi Gras!

Making the dough, proofing, and rolling it out...

I used two types of cinnamon in my filling!

Braids... proofed, baked, and iced!

Ain't she a beauty!?

My first taste of King Cake! Happy Mardi Gras! ;)

King Cake (from "Recipe Hall of Fame Dessert Cookbook")
Makes 2 large pastries

Dough
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2/3 cup fat-free evaporated milk (I used regular evap. milk)
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 packages active dry yeast
1/3 cup warm water
4 eggs
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind (I used only 1 teaspoon)
2 tablespoons grated orange rind (I used only 1 tablespoon)
5 cups plus 1 cup all-purpose flour

In a saucepan, melt 1 stick butter, milk, 1/3 cup sugar, and salt. Cool to lukewarm. In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 tablespoons sugar, yeast, and water. Let stand until foaming, about 5-10 minutes. Beat eggs into yeast; then add milk mixture and rinds. Stir in flour, 1/2 cup at a time, reserving 1 cup of flour for kneading surface. Knead dough until smooth, about 5-10 minutes. (I put mine in a stand mixer with the dough hook on medium-low speed for about 6 minutes.) Place in large mixing bowl greased with 1 tablespoon butter, turning dough once to grease top; cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

Filling
1 stick butter, melted
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Mix sugars and cinnamon; set aside.
When dough has doubled, punch down and divide in half. On a floured surface, roll half into a rectangle 30 x 15. (I couldn't get mine quite this big, but I got within a few inches.) Brush with half of the melted butter and cut into 3 lengthwise strips. Sprinkle half of the sugar mixture on strips, leaving a 1-inch lengthwise strip free for sealing. Fold each strip lengthwise toward the center, sealing the seam. You will now have three 30-inch strips with sugar mixture enclosed in each. Braid the 3 strips and make a circle by joining ends. (It's a bit tricky to braid the ends together, but just start tucking and eventually you'll get it.) Repeat with other half of dough. Place each cake on a 10 x 15-inch baking sheet, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. (I covered mine with plastic wrap sprayed with nonstick spray.)

Garnish
1 cup sugar, colored (1/3 cup each of yellow, purple, and green)
1 egg, beaten
2 (3/4-inch) plastic babies or 2 beans (I was going to use an almond, but I forgot them!)

Tint sugar by mixing food coloring until desired color is reached. For purple, use equal amounts of blue and red. A food processor aids in mixing, and keeps the sugar from being too moist.

Brush each cake with beaten egg and sprinkle with colored sugars, alternating colors. (I used the egg wash, but I did not sprinkle my cakes with sugar before baking. Instead I mixed 2 cups confectioners' sugar with a bit of orange juice until I got a thick glaze. Warm that in the microwave until it is pourable and slightly warm, about 15-20 seconds. Slowly pour the glaze over the cooled cakes. Let it set for about 1 minute, then sprinkle with colored sugars.) Preheat oven to 350°. Bake 20 minutes. Remove from pan immediately so sugar will not harden; while still warm, place 1 plastic baby in each from underneath. Makes two 9x 12-inch cakes. Freezes well.

To freeze: Wrap cooled cake tightly in plastic. Before serving, remove plastic and thaw.

Recipe was sent in from Jambalaya (Louisiana)

Not Your Momma's Test Kitchen: Petit Fours

As some of you already know, I started a new blog called "Not Your Momma's Test Kitchen." It was supposed to be a blog where you send in recipes that you've been saving for a while but haven't gotten around to making. I would make them and show you my results, and then it would be your turn. Well, I decided it would be too much trouble, and really impractical, to have two blogs. So I'm making NYMTK a sub-chapter of this blog! Somehow, I have to figure out a way to rework this layout to include a tab to submit a recipe (like this page here on my NYMTK blog). Suggestions are welcome and much needed!

For my first NYMTK post, I took the very first e-mail submission I received. It was sent in by Andrea, and she bookmarked it from DianasDesserts.com. The recipe originally comes from "The New Food Lover's Companion 2nd Edition" by Sharon Tyler Herbst. Since petit fours are on my Top 100, I thought this was a perfect match! Reading the reviews on Dianas Desserts, I knew I was going to get one of two results. Either my petit fours would be delicious and adorable, or they'd be sickeningly sweet and fugly. Just browse through my photos below and then guess which result I got........................

Got a guess???? They were absolutely the sweetest things I've ever eaten! I know they're supposed to be quite sweet, and that is why they are portioned so small. But seriously, this was like literally dipping a spoon straight into a box of confectioners' sugar! And fugly doesn't even come close to describing them. I'm not exactly a beginner in the kitchen, and I couldn't even make them look respectable. I think they're so sickeningly sweet because of the amount of icing that has to go on them so they're no longer see-through. The cake itself was delicious with a thin coating of the fruit glaze, and after just one coating of icing they were sweet, but just as I'd imagine a petit four to taste like. However, once they were completely coated, they became inedible. Overall, I'd say my final opinion is that petit fours just suck! Sorry I don't have better news for you, Andrea. :(

Tea Time Petit Fours (from "The New Food Lover's Companion 2nd Edition" by Sharon Tyler Herbst)
Makes 2 1/2 dozen

For Cake:
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
3 egg whites

For Fruit Glaze:
12 oz. apricot or raspberry preserves (or heated jelly may be used instead)
3 tbsp. water

For Icing:
9 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Food coloring, optional
Tiny edible sugar flowers or leaves, for decorating tops of petit fours

For Cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 C). Grease and lightly flour a 9-inch square baking pan.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, shortening and sugar. Beat in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. In a small mixing bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form; gently fold into batter.

Pour batter into prepared baking pan and bake at 350 degrees F (180 C) for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Remove cake from oven and let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Turn cake out onto a plate or cooling rack; then chill cake in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. (I froze mine overnight before I continued.)

Remove cake from refrigerator. Cut a thin slice off each side of chilled cake. Cut cake into 1-1/4-inch squares. Place squares 1/2 inch apart on a cooling rack over a 15 x 10 x 1-inch pan. Apply fruit glaze (See Fruit Glaze Preparation Below) evenly over tops and sides of cake squares, allowing excess to drip off. Let dry. Repeat if necessary to thoroughly coat squares. Let glaze dry completely. (I put mine in the freezer for 15 minutes.)

For Preparing The Fruit Glaze:
In a medium size saucepan, heat preserves with the 3 tbsp. water on low heat. Drizzle or spread a thin layer of heated preserves over cooled tops and sides of petit fours before icing. (If using jelly, you do not need to add water to it, just heat jelly in saucepan on low heat and spread over cooled tops and sides of petit fours).

To Prepare Icing:
Combine all icing ingredients in the top of a double boiler. Heat over boiling water to lukewarm. Pour icing over tops and sides of petit fours. Once they are set, they should be coated with icing again. After icing hardens, decorate tops of each petit four with a tiny edible sugar flower or leaf. (I put each piece of cake on a dipping fork over the icing bowl then poured the icing over with a large spoon.)

Storage of Petit Fours
Petits Fours may be made up to 24 hours in advance. Let the icing (or if using a fondant frosting) dry completely before storing in an airtight container. Refrigerate petit fours if they contain perishable fillings and icings, such as dairy products or fresh fruit or berries. The fruit preserves or jelly used in the filling of these petit fours can go bad after 2 or 3 days because of the moisture from the wet fruit filling, so storing them in an airtight container at room temperature for more than 2 days is not advised.

Tips:
1) You can separate the icing, once it's made, into small bowls, and tint each with a different food coloring, adding color until you achieve the desired shade.
2) Icing colors that look nice for petit fours are: White, Pale Yellow, Pale Pink, Pale Blue, Pale Green or Lavender.
3) You may also drizzle melted white or dark chocolate over tops and sides of petit fours instead of using the white or tinted icing.
4) Another idea is to sandwich two of the cake squares together with the heated preserves or jelly glaze; then pour icing over the tops and sides of squares, then decorate when icing has hardened completely.

Lemon-Poppyseed Cake

Let me refer back to my past Twitter "tweets" and show you what Josh said when he tasted this cake...

josh just called me a "f#$%ing craftsman" and demanded that i make him a mattress out of lemon poppyseed pound cake!! ;D ;D
6:17 PM Jan 5th from txt

To be politically correct, I guess I'd be a craftswoman. Either way, this cake was BANGIN!!!! It was dense, tender, and moist. The cake itself had only a hint of lemon flavor, but the crust (which was soaked in a lemon sugar wash) packed a major pucker of sour lemon flavor! The sugar wash went on the outside while the cake was still warm, but it didn't crust over like the book led me to believe it would. That didn't matter, because it was sooo very delicious, and it kept the cake moist for quite a few days! Yeah, it was a HUGE cake, so it did last for a while in our house. The poppyseeds in the cake gave a unique crunch and a slight nutty flavor. Everyone loved it, and I'd definitely make it again!
Lemon-Poppyseed Cake (from "Baking by Flavor" by Lisa Yockelson)
Makes one 10-inch tube cake; about 20 slices

Lemon Peel Infusion (recipe follows)
Lemon-Poppyseed Sour Cream Cake Batter
3 cups unsifted bleached all-purpose flour (I always use unbleached)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 3/4 cups granulated sugar
6 large eggs (at room temperature)
1 cup thick, cultured sour cream
3 tablespoons milk
1/3 cup poppyseeds (I only used 1/4 cup)
Lemon Sugar Wash (recipe follows)

Mix the ingredients for the Lemon Peel Infusion; set aside for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour the inside of a 10-inch tube pan; set aside.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Cream the butter in the large bowl of a standing electric mixer on moderate speed for 4 minutes. Add the granulated sugar in three additions, beating for 1 minute after each portion is added. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing for 45 seconds after each addition. Blend in the lemon infusion. On low speed, alternately added the sifted ingredients in three additions with the sour cream in two additions, beginning and ending with the sifted mixture. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl frequently with a rubber spatula to keep the batter even-textured. The batter will be creamy and moderately thick. Blend in the milk. Stir in the poppyseeds. Spoon the batter into the prepared tube pan. Shake the pan gently from side to side, once or twice, to level the top.
Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until risen, set, and a wooden pick inserted in the cake withdraws clean (mine was done after 1 hour and 10 mins). The baked cake will pull away slightly from the sides of the pan. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert the cake out and turn it right-side up onto the cooling rack. Place a sheet of wax paper underneath to catch any drips of sugar wash.
Using a soft, 1-inch pastry brush, apply the wash over the top and sides of the cake. Cool completely before slicing and serving.
Store in an airtight cake keeper for up to 5 days.

Lemon Peel Infusion
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)
2 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons pure lemon extract.

Combine ingredients in a small non-reactive ramekin. Let the infusion stand for 15 minutes before using.

Lemon Sugar Wash
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup granulated sugar

In a small nonreactive bowl, combine the lemon juice and sugar. Stir well. Let stand 10 minutes. Using the wash now (while the cake is hot out of the oven) will give the surface of a baked pound cake a crackly, sugary veneer. (It just made mine look wet, but it kept it very moist!)

Fresh Apple Cake

I think my dad is playing me like a fiddle! He knows that any time he brings fruit home, I'm gonna turn it into something good. Lately, apples have been popping up frequently on our kitchen table. So what do I do? Apple pie, apple turnovers, apple crisp... but this time I wanted to make something different. I've never made apple cake before, and when I googled it, Smitten Kitchen's recipe was one of the top results. Cha-ching! The recipe is her mother's, and I can tell you it will become a staple recipe in our house. It was absolutely delicious! I read some of the reviews on her blog from other people who made it. A few people said it was gummy, dense, and had other strange complaints. I dunno what their problem was because the cake I made was out of this world! Her mom's original recipe calls for McIntosh apples, but my dad seems to always buy Granny Smiths. I thought they were excellent in the cake. They were very tart and provided a nice contrast from the sweet cake. The brown crust was my favorite part! Mmm... I halved her recipe and baked it in a 9x5-inch loaf pan. Umm let's keep this quiet... I ate THREE slices! ;PMom’s Apple Cake (from SmittenKitchen.com)

6 apples, Mom uses McIntosh apples
1 tablespoon cinnamon
5 tablespoons sugar

2 3/4 cups flour, sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a tube pan. Peel, core and chop apples into chunks. Toss with cinnamon and sugar and set aside.

Stir together flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, orange juice, sugar and vanilla. Mix wet ingredients into the dry ones, then add eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the bowl to ensure all ingredients are incorporated.

Pour half of batter into prepared pan. Spread half of apples over it. Pour the remaining batter over the apples and arrange the remaining apples on top. Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until a tester comes out clean. (If baking a half recipe in a loaf pan, bake for 50-60 minutes.)

Fresh Blackberry Kuchen

I've been waiting since the beginning of June for the tiny green buds on my blackberry bush to turn into plump, juicy blackberries! Finally, last week, the blackberry bush delivered! I picked handfuls and handfuls of the gorgeous berries. I maneuvered my way around spider webs, stink bugs, and bird poop to find the best looking berries on the thorn-laden stems. My hard work paid off when I baked my thoroughly cleaned blackberries into this yummy kuchen (pronounced "koo-ken")!

This is my impression of you right now: "What the heck is kuchen?" Was that an accurate impression? And here's my impression of Wikipedia: "Kuchen, the German word for cake, is used in other languages as the name for several different types of sweet desserts... The term itself may cover as many distinct desserts as its English counterpart cake." It goes on to list several types of kuchen, including this description which is closest to the kuchen I made today: "A pie-like pastry, with a thick, "cakey" crust and a sweet custard based filling." And lastly, here's my impression of someone who just likes to argue: "Nuh uh! Kuchen is a German yeasted coffee cake!"

No matter what you think a kuchen is (okay now THAT sounds naughty), believe me when I say that this one is really yummy! The recipe I used is from Better Homes and Gardens: New Baking Book. It's a dense cake on the bottom with a sweet/tart, lemony yogurt custard on top. Oh yeah, there's also loads of BLACKBERRIES! I absolutely LOVE the flavor of blackberries and lemon together. I also love the flavor of yogurt with honey. So I replaced some of the sugar in both the cake and the custard recipe with a bit of honey. The end result is a fabulously refreshing dessert that is totally perfect for summertime! If you have any kind of fresh berries sitting in your fridge dying to be eaten before they get wrinkly and mushy, you MUST make this kuchen! ;D

Fresh Raspberry Kuchen (from Better Homes and Gardens: New Baking Book)
Makes 1 9-inch cake (up to 12 servings)

2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries (I used blackberries)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar*
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 egg whites (save yolks for filling)
1 teaspoon vanilla

FILLING
1 1/2 cups plain low-fat or fat-free yogurt (I only had 1 cup and it worked fine)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar*
2 egg yolks
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest (about 1/2 a lemon)
1 teaspoon vanilla

*(In both the cake and the filling I removed 1 tablespoon of sugar and replaced it with 1 tablespoon of honey)
1. If using frozen berries, thaw at room temperature 15 minutes; drain.
2. In food processor bowl or medium mixing bowl combine 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and the baking powder. Add butter, egg whites, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cover and process, or stir by hand, until mixed well. (Mixture will be like soft cookie dough.) Spread onto the bottom of an ungreased 9-inch springform pan; sprinkle with berries.
3. For filling, place yogurt in a large mixing bowl, sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons flour. Add 1/2 cup sugar, egg yolks, whole egg, lemon zest, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix until smooth; pour over berries in springform pan.
4. Bake in a 350 degree F oven about 55 minutes or until center appears set (slightly wobbly) when shaken gently. Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes; remove side of pan. Cover; chill in refrigerator for 4 to 24 hours.
5. To serve, remove pan bottom. Transfer to a platter. If desired, garnish with lemon leaves.

Nutrition facts per serving (12): 187 cal., 6 g total fat (1 g sat. fat), 55 mg chol., 111 mg sodium, 30 g carbo., 1 g fiber, 4 g pro.

HTEAC Does Business: "Over the Hill!" 40th Birthday Cake

I'm gonna start a new grouping of posts for my paid orders. I'm calling it HTEAC Does Business (sticking with the theme from my HTEAC Does Dinner section). One of our loyal wing nighters asked me to do her boyfriend John's 40th birthday cake. She wanted to do the "Over the Hill" theme with lots of black frosting. Thank goodness he likes chocolate because it is SO awful trying to make black vanilla buttercream. She told me he loves Reese's and asked me to do a cake and cupcakes using chocolate and peanut butter as the main flavors. For the cake, I used a peanut butter cake recipe from a book I recently got, Southern Cakes by Nancie McDermott, and I added some mini chocolate chips to the batter. For the frosting, I used regular decorator's buttercream for the colors. And for the black frosting I made chocolate peanut butter frosting. I hate decorating cakes, and if I didn't have help from my mom (who took a gazillion Wilton classes back in the day and can decorate character cakes in her sleep) this cake would've looked terrible. We teamed up and did a pretty awesome job, considering my mom hasn't done a cake in over 10 years and I absolutely loathe cake decorating.

And if you suck at making flowers like I do, try this method. Use a small star tip (I think I used #18) and make a swirl from the inside out. It looks sorta like a flower!

Now let me talk a little more about this cake recipe. It uses the mixing method of coating the flour with fat before adding the wet ingredients. This prevents the flour from absorbing the wet ingredients and thus prevents the development of gluten. Meaning, you can stop worrying so much about over-mixing your cake batter. At first, this method always made me nervous because it's pounded into our heads that we should never over-mix the batter after the flour is added. But after a bit of practice, I actually prefer this mixing method. This particular recipe is mixed for over 2 1/2 minutes and the cake comes out perfectly soft and moist! It's like a cake miracle! :D

PS: If you only wanna make 6 or 7 cupcakes, make 1/4 of the recipe. (It works, I tried it!)

James McNair's Peanut Cake (from Southern Cakes by Nancie McDermott)
Makes 2 9-inch round layers; or about 28 cupcakes [1/4 recipe in green makes about 7 cupcakes]
4 eggs (1 egg)
1 cup milk (1/4 cup)
1/4 cup peanut oil or vegetable oil (1 Tbsp)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (1/2 tsp)
3 cups all-purpose flour (3/4 cup)
1 tablespoon baking powder (3/4 tsp)
1/2 teaspoon salt (omit)
2 cups sugar (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened (2 Tbsp)
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (not "natural" peanut butter) (2 Tbsp)
3/4 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips (my own addition) (1/4 cup)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare baking pans. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla and whisk to blend well. Set aside.
Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl of a mixer, and stir with a fork to mix well. Add the sugar and use the mixer at low speed or a fork to mix these dry ingredients together well, about 30 seconds. Add the butter and peanut butter and beat at medium speed until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs, about 45 seconds. Add about 1 1/4 cups of the milk mixture and beat at medium speed for 1 1/2 minutes, and then stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining milk mixture, beat for 30 seconds, stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl, and beat again until creamy smooth, about 30 seconds more. (Fold in the chocolate chips, if using.)
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the surface with a rubber spatula. Bake for 25-30 minutes (or 15-17 minutes for cupcakes), until the cake springs back when touched gently in the center and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool the cakes in the pans on wire racks or folded kitchen towel for 5 to 10 minutes. Then turn out the cakes onto the racks to cool completely.

Zucchini Bars w/ Spiced Brown Butter Frosting

Ladies and gentlemen, please stand and welcome my guest for this post, zucchini!!! Umm... you, yeah you, why aren't you standing? What, you don't like zucchini?? My friend, obviously you have not met these zucchini bars! One bite and I promise you and zucchini will be BFFs!! You don't believe me? Well, I wish I could tempt you with a mouth-watering photograph, but sadly my good camera is sitting in our camper at a campground about 45 minutes away! You'll have to take my word for it that these are totally delicious! It doesn't taste like scary vegetables. It tastes like perfectly moist, extremely flavorful cake with a bit of crunch from some chopped walnuts. It's more like a cake than a "bar." And since it's filled with shredded zucchini, you can forget about all the butter and sugar that's in it and pretend like you're eating healthy! According to my mom, it's in her top 10 best things I've ever baked. I tweaked the frosting a bit by browning the butter first. That really takes the flavor to a new level, but it's just too sweet for my taste. Next time, I'd reduce the frosting recipe by half and just drizzle it on. But other than that, this recipe from The Taste of Home Baking Book is definitely worthy of an A+!
C'mon, you know me! Have I ever put writing on any of my photos? I mean, unless it was for a promo (like for my Christmas Cookie Caper). But other than that, I never put text on my photos because I think it's extremely distracting. Well, in this case that's exactly why I did it. I had to use my old camera for this entry, and it is NOT good for food photography! The best I could do was distract you with words! How 'bout that recipe!!!...

Frosted Cinnamon Zucchini Bars (from The Taste of Home Baking Book)
Yields a 1-inch high cake in a 13-x9-inch pan
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
(I added 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt)
2 cups shredded zucchini (about 2 medium zucchini**)
1 cup flaked coconut (I left this out because I didn't want any flavors competing with the zucchini)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

FROSTING:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (I bumped it up to 4 tablespoons and browned it in a saucepan)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoons milk

(**Put your shredded zucchini into a lint-free dish towel and squeeze out the excess water. The recipe doesn't say to do this, but if you don't you'll get a soggy cake.)
1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy (about 3-5 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time, beating well (at least 15 seconds) after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, (and salt); gradually add to the creamed mixture. (Mix just until a few streaks of flour remain.) Stir in zucchini, coconut, and nuts. Spread into a greased 15-x10-x1-inch baking pan (I baked mine in a 13x9 and my cake was only 1-inch high. If you bake it in the 15x10 pan your cake is gonna be paper thin!).
2. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. For frosting, combine confectioners' sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Stir in the butter, vanilla, and enough milk to achieve spreading consistency. Frost bars before cutting.

Supermarket Yellow Cake ...AKA My NEW Go-To!!

If you know anything about baking, you know that the search continues for the perfect vanilla/yellow cake recipe. Everyone has a recipe they will suggest to someone in need, but most of us are always willing to try a new recipe in order to find the perfect vanilla cake! There is some debate about what defines "vanilla cake." Is is white? Is it yellow? Egg yolks or no egg yolks, that is the question! I used to work in a bakery that used cake mix, and people asked us all the time... "What is the difference between white and yellow?" Other than one has egg yolks and one uses just whites, we didn't really know what to tell them.

Well I'm here to offer my answer to the question! I think the terms "white" and "yellow cake" are most recognized as boxed cake mix flavors. (Tell me, Mr. Hines, since when is "white" a flavor? And what exactly does "yellow" taste like?) I think most of us have figured out that white = vanilla. But what does yellow equal? "Ohh I know! Pick me! I know!!" ...Yellow = vanilla butter nut!! I found this imitation flavoring called vanilla butter nut at Kroger . It's pretty much yellow cake mix in a bottle!! It tastes just like yellow cake mix, AND it's yellow! So now you can make homemade yellow cakes that really taste "yellow." Yes, it's artificial, and yes, it contains Yellow 5. But if you like yellow cake mix, I doubt you have a problem with either of those. I used it in this recipe for Supermarket Yellow Cake from A Passion for Baking by Marcy Goldman. It was wonderful! It has the moist, rich texture of a cake baked from scratch. And it has the flavor of yellow cake mix, without all the harsh chemical stabilizers and preservatives of cake mix!
Did I mention this it my new go-to for yellow cakes?? It's fantastic!! Both Josh and my dad kept eating hunks of it with no strawberries or whipped cream. They loved it plain! And it was still moist after the third day of sitting on the counter! Love it!!

So there's MY answer to the white cake/yellow cake debate. It's my understanding that people used to use vanilla butter nut all the time back in the day. It was the secret ingredient in many old-fashioned cakes. It's somewhat hard to find now. At Kroger I could only find the store brand. I've never seen it at Wal-mart or at our local grocery store, Farm Fresh. I have seen it at our cake supply store, Wine and Cake Hobbies, but it was in a huge bottle. If you look for it, leave me a comment and tell me where you find it! :D

How about a bite??

Supermarket Yellow Cake for Strawberry Shortcake (from A Passion for Baking by Marcy Goldman)
Makes 6 to 8 servings

“Whew--a long recipe name but a shorter-than-shortcake recipe to make. You know those tender, light yellow cake layers they sell in the supermarket to top with berries and whipped cream for shortcake? This recipe makes that sort of cake. It has cake-mix texture but homemade, from-scratch taste.”

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar, finely pulverized*
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (I used vanilla butter nut flavoring to give it that cake mix flavor and yellow color!)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm milk

Finishing Touches
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Whipped cream
Fresh berries, diced or whole

*Pulse sugar in a food processor 1 to 2 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously spray a 9-inch round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray and line with a circle of parchment paper. Put pan on a large parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
In a mixer bowl (or use a food processor), cream butter and sugar until &fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and blend well.
Fold in flour, baking powder, and salt. Drizzle in milk, blending well and ensuring that nothing is stuck in bottom of mixer.
Pour into prepared cake pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until cake tests done when gently pressed with fingertips (Mine was done at 32 minutes in an 8 1/2-inch pan. Check it with a toothpick to make sure only a few dry crumbs stick.). Let cool 15 minutes. Remove from pan and place cake on a serving plate.
Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve with whipped cream and fresh diced strawberries, or ice cream and any mix of berries.

5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

Earlier today, I was checking my e-mail and noticed this fun looking recipe from my aunt. It's a recipe for making chocolate cake in the microwave. I'm a big fan of those Betty Crocker Warm Delights microwaveable cakes when I gotta have chocolate cake in 1 minute or less! This recipe looked pretty interesting, and I knew it was be a fun video topic! That's about all it was... I'll let you watch the video to see what I mean. Enjoy!

UPDATE: Thanks to your success stories, I tried it again with a few changes. I used self-rising flour and regular cocoa. I mixed it in a bowl first and poured it into the mug. I definitely recommend using the dark cocoa. Regular cocoa just doesn't have enough flavor. Also, unless you have a weak or old microwave, you don't need to cook it for 3 minutes. This time I only cooked mine for about 2 minutes. And let it cool! I know you want to eat it warm, but the texture changes drastically when it's cooled down! When it's hot, I gave it a 5 out of 10. When it cooled down I'd move that up to a 6.5 out of 10! Not much... but hey! It's a freakin microwaved cake! ;P

5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake (courtesy of The Internet by Al Gore... haha see what I did there?)
4 Tbsp flour
4 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp cocoa
1 egg
3 Tbsp milk
3 Tbsp oil
3 Tbsp chocolate chips (optional)
Splash of vanilla
1 large coffee mug (microwaveable)

Add dry ingredients to mug and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil. Mix well.
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract. Mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
The cake will rise over the top of the mug. Don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little and tip out onto a plate, if desired.
Eat! (This can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous.)

Dorie's French Yogurt Cake

I've seen a lot of this cake around the blogosphere lately, because the TWDers recently baked it. I had some yogurt in the fridge that needed to be used (since I ran out of granola, no more yogurt parfait for breakfast). This recipe looked perfect. However, after baking it I agree with a lot of the TWDers who thought this cake was kind of plain. It's not bad. It's not outstanding. It's just so so. I figured it would be when the recipe only called for 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla. I did leave out the lemon zest (which probably accounted for most of the flavor), but I added 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract. It might have been better if I had topped it with the suggested lemon glaze, but I wasn't in the mood for lemon. I totally agree with Steph from Obsessed With Baking about it benefiting from a little butter! I also followed her advice about mixing the oil in with the sugar and eggs, instead of folding it in at the last step. I didn't have a problem with the texture of the cake, so I know this change isn't why I don't love the cake. It was pretty good with strawberries and lightly whipped cream, but I doubt I'll make it again.


French Yogurt Cake with Marmalade Glaze (from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan)

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup ground almonds (or, if you'd prefer, omit the almonds and use another 1/2 cup all-purpose flour) (I used flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon (I omitted this)
1/2 cup plain yogurt
3 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (I also added 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract)
1/2 cup flavorless oil, such canola or safflower

For the Glaze: (I didn't make the glaze)
1/2 cup lemon marmalade, strained
1 teaspoon water

Getting Ready:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter an 8 1/2-x-4 1/2-inch loaf pan and place the pan on a baking sheet.

Whisk together the flour, ground almonds, if you're using them, baking powder and salt.

Put the sugar and zest in a medium bowl and, with your fingertips, rub the zest into the sugar until the sugar is moist and aromatic. Add the yogurt, eggs and vanilla and whisking vigorously until the mixture is very well blended. Still whisking, add the dry ingredients, then switch to a large rubber spatula and fold in the oil. You'll have a thick, smooth batter with a slight sheen. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes (Mine was done around 45 minutes), or until the cake begins to come away from the sides of the pan; it should be golden brown and a thin knife inserted into the center will come out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes, then run a blunt knife between the cake and the sides of the pan. Unmold, and cool to room temperature right side up on the rack.

To Make the Glaze:
Put the marmalade in a small saucepan or in a microwave-safe bowl, stir in the teaspoon of the water and heat until the jelly is hot and liquefied. Using a pastry brush, gently brush the cake with the glaze.