Category: Cakes
Soured by Cookies, Saved by Lemon Cake

Soured by Cookies, Saved by Lemon Cake

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I tried a couple of new cookie recipes recently and as the saying goes, you win some you lose some.  The first recipe Malted Milk Chocolate Cookies came from a book I received to review, Holiday Cookies.  Decidedly MEH.  The malt flavor was barely discernible and the milk chocolate did not stand out.

Another Cookie Bust

A few days later with the fall season in full swing, a recipe for pumpkin snickerdoodles popped up on my feed. Never get swept up by fall pumpkin fever.  But they looked delicious so I baked a batch.  I waited for the first batch to cool, grabbed one off the rack, and took a bite…MEH.  Noooo, another cookie bust.  Little pumpkin or spice flavor, very nondescript.

It’s Not a Lemon

A new recipe caught my eye, not a cookie but a cake recipe.  Food52 posted a lovely lemon poppy seed cake from Ottolenghi.  I am a sucker for lemon and poppy seeds.  Hoping my luck would change, and having the utmost confidence in Food52 and Ottolenghi, I decided to make the cake.  After all, I can’t have three lemons in a row, even if the last recipe actually calls for lemons.

The cake is quick and easy. The recipe starts with beating eggs and sugar together until thick and frothy. Heavy cream is then added to the egg and sugar blend. I took the heavy whipping cream straight out of the fridge and with the mixer running, added it in a steady stream to the egg mixture. Beat until it has the consistency of pancake batter. The flour is then folded in along with the melted butter, lemon zest, and poppy seeds. The recipe calls for 3 lemons to make 1 tablespoon lemon zest but I only needed two good sized lemons and that’s with really packing the measuring spoon (because I LOVE lemon). The lemon was not overpowering. While the cake was baking, I made the lemon icing.  Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Spread the icing over the top as soon as you remove the cake from the oven.  Do not even think of forgoing the icing.  It adds that sweet-tart lemony oomph and creates a beautiful glossy sheen.  The cake has a nice crumb and is denser than say a sponge cake but lighter than a traditional pound cake. If you are a poppy seed addict you could increase the amount as you like. Thankfully this cake saved my week of baking.  From cookie bust to cake champ. Sweet success.

Bookmark this cake and make it soon, you’ll thank me.

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Lemon Poppy Seed Cake (National Trust)

An easy, absolutely delicious lemon poppy seed cake from Ottolenghi
Course Cake, Dessert
Cuisine British
Keyword banana cake, lemon, poppyseed
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Cooling time 16 minutes

Equipment

  • 1 standard loaf 9x5 loaf pan

Ingredients

The Dry Stuff

  • 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 170 grams
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

The Wet Stuff

  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 225 grams
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream, cold 120 milliliters

Butter Mixture

  • 5 tablespoons 70 grams unsalted butter, cubed, plus extra for greasing
  • 1 -1.5 tablespoon poppy seeds
  • 1 tbsp Finely grated zest of 3 lemons I needed only 2 lemons

The Icing

  • 3/4 cup 90 grams confectioners' sugar, sifted
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

  • Heat the oven to 350° (180° C).
  • Grease the loaf pan(s) and line with parchment paper, then set aside.
  • Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a bowl, then set aside.
  • Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat, stir in the poppy seeds and lemon zest, and set aside.
  • Place the eggs and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, until pale and frothy.
  • Add the cold whipping cream and continue to beat for about 2 minutes, until the mixture has combined, thickened a little, and turned pale.
  • Use a rubber spatula to fold the dry ingredient mix into the egg mixture. Then fold the melted butter, poppy seeds, and zest mixture in.
  • Spoon the mixture into the loaf pan(s) so that it rises three-quarters of the way up the sides.
  • Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

The Glaze

  • To make the glaze, whisk the confectioners' sugar with the lemon juice in a bowl. Pour the glaze over the top of the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven, spreading it over the top so that it sinks in and creates a nice coating.
  • Set aside to cool for 30 minutes before removing from the pan.
  • Let it come to room temperature before serving.
Ottolenghi-Ototalyummi Blueberry Lemon Almond Cake

Ottolenghi-Ototalyummi Blueberry Lemon Almond Cake

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I am a big fan of Ottolenghi’s cookbooks, the photos are mouthwatering and every dish I have tried has been delicious.  My favorite book is Jerusalem and not just for the recipes and photos but it’s premise. Two men who grew up in opposite ends of Jerusalem, one Jewish, one Arab create wonderful food together.

In today’s America we seem so divided…we should just have a ginormous potluck where everyone brings their favorite dish to share. The rule would be bring a dish your grandmother or your grandfather made for you.  Can you imagine that table?  It would be filled with dishes from every corner of the world.  Hard to hate on someone sharing a bowl of their grandmother’s mandu or kreplach. Mean words to a guy who hands you a plate of brisket perfectly smoked the way his dad taught him?  I hope not.  Food soothes the soul, heals the heart and sways the mind.

A girl can dream right?

A couple of weeks ago Ottolenghi posted a recipe in his New York Times column that looked absolutely scrumptious.  A Blueberry Lemon Almond Loaf.  Lucky for me I have a lemon tree in my garden (an endless supply of lemons makes me happy) and had ripe, sweet blueberries from my trip to the farmers market over the weekend.

Buttery goodness is brightened by lemon zest, with a generous amount of blueberries, and finished with a zingy lemon icing. Yep, making cake, then eating cake.

The batter comes together quickly. The addition of almond flour produces a tender crumb. The only glitch I encountered was adding a reserved portion of blueberries to the batter after 15 minutes in the oven.  At this point, the top of the loaf was brown and pretty set. I ended up throwing the blueberries on top and pushing them down-with a bit of success. Next time I’d check the loaf earlier and throw the berries on a bit earlier so they sink into the batter a bit. I love lemon so I pumped up the amount of lemon zest in the cake and added some to the icing. Bake this cake it’s lemonlicious and bluerrific.

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Ottolenghi-Ototalyummi Blueberry Lemon Almond Cake

Blueberry Lemon Almond Cake from Ottolenghi. Buttery, filled with citrus flavor
Course Cake, Dessert
Cuisine European
Keyword Apple Cake, blueberry, lemon, ottolenghi
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 43 minutes

Ingredients

Ottolenghi New York Times Cooking

Creamed Mixture

  • 11 tbsp 1 stick plus 3 tablespoons(150 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing the pan
  • 1 scant cup (190 grams) granulated or superfine sugar caster sugar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs beaten

Dry Mixture

  • ⅔ cup (90 grams) all-purpose flour plain flour, sifted
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (110 grams) almond flour finely ground almonds
  • 1 ½ cups (200 grams) fresh blueberries Split into scant 1 cup for the batter and 3/8 cup for top of cake

The Finish

  • ⅔ cup (70 grams) confectioners’ sugar icing sugar, powdered
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice (or more juice as needed)

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit/200 degrees Celsius. Grease a 9- or 8-inch/21-centimeter loaf pan with butter, line it with a parchment paper sling and butter the paper. Set the pan aside.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and almond flour. Set aside.
  • Place butter, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes, until light, then lower speed to medium. Add eggs in three additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times as necessary. The mix may split (look curdled) a little but don’t worry: It’ll come back together once you add the dry ingredients.
  • With the stand mixer on low, add the reserved dry ingredient mixture in three additions, mixing just until no dry specks remain. Fold in about 3/4 of the blueberries by hand, then scoop batter into the prepared loaf pan.
  • Bake for 15 minutes, then sprinkle the remaining blueberries over the top of the cake. Check the cake at the 10 minuteReturn to the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes, until cake is golden brown but still uncooked. Cover loosely with foil and continue to cook for another 25 to 30 minutes (less for a 9-inch pan, more for an 8-inch pan), or until risen and cooked, and a knife inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
  • Remove from oven and set aside in its pan to cool for 10 minutes before removing cake from pan and placing on a wire rack to cool completely.
  • When cake is cool, make the icing: Add lemon juice and icing sugar to a bowl and whisk together until smooth, adding a bit more juice if necessary, just until the icing moves when you tilt the bowl. Pour over the cake and gently spread out. The blueberries on the top of the cake may bleed into the icing a little, but this will add to the look.
  • Let icing set (about 30 minutes), slice and serve.

My Tweaks

  • I added another teaspoon of lemon zest to the batter and 1/2 teaspoon of zest to the icing. I ❤️ lemon
  • I did not use all the icing, I drizzled the icing on instead. Not a big fan of lots of icing.
Blueberry Boy Bait Cake (Gone Bakin’)

Blueberry Boy Bait Cake (Gone Bakin’)

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After being on a roll for a couple of weeks I found myself with blogger’s block.  I perused magazines, poured over cookbooks and surfed food blogs looking for inspiration.  Nothing, zippo, nada, zilch, appealed..how could that be? I usually have more than a few recipes tucked away in the back of my mind that I want to try and then share with you.  Maybe I needed a vacation from food. (wow, did I just write that?)

Luckily a favorite blog lifted me out of my food doldrums.  I came home from the farmer’s market with a basket of beautiful fresh blueberries and just one pie cookie from 2nd Story Bake House (I am on a self-imposed limit).  I plopped down in my favorite spot (the kitchen island) and woke up my laptop to continue my search for inspiration.  A post from Smitten Kitchen popped up on my Facebook page that immediately caught my eye.  An absolutely SCRUMPTIOUS looking cake called Blueberry Boy Bait.

BOOM!

Search over. The recipe came from a little cooking contest you might have heard of, Pillsbury Bake-Off.  Created by a teenage contestant way back in the 1950’s and touted as being so delicious it would land you a young man, it garnered her a second place finish.

Years later the recipe received a “facelift” by Cook’s Country magazine. Shortening replaced by butter,  berries were doubled, and brown sugar replaced granulated sugar.  This elevated the cake to a whole new level of deliciousness.   I started writing this post while the cake was baking, the aroma of butter, sugar, cinnamon and blueberries filled my kitchen and wafted upstairs to my kid’s room. That elicited a “what are you baking, is it ready? and when can I have some?”.

This truly is a get up off the couch now, run to the store, get some blueberries and BAKE THIS CAKE  folks.  It’s that yummy.

Spread the batter into a 9×13 pan, then top with the remaining blueberries.  Finish by sprinkling the cake with a generous amount of cinnamon sugar for a sweet crunchy bite.   You can use buttermilk instead of whole milk and substitute raspberries or a mix of fresh berries for the blueberries.

Baking time was a bit shorter than suggested (I baked it for about 35 minutes) so start checking the cake at 30 minutes.  Enjoy!

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Blueberry Boy Bait Cake

A delicious, easy to make cake filled with blueberries and topped with a crunchy sugar coating.
Course Cake, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword blueberry, blueberry boy bait cake, blueberry cake, easy recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen and Cook's County

Dry ingredients

  • 2 cups plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour 250 grams (not including 1 teaspoon)
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon table salt

Wet Ingredients:

  • 16 tablespoons softened unsalted butter (2 sticks) 8 ounces or 225 grams,
  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar 145 grams
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100 grams
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk or buttermilk 235 ml
  • 1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, do not defrost first as it tends to muddle in the batter) about 85 grams

Topping

  • 1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (do not defrost) about 85 grams
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar 50 grams
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Substitute raspberries or mixed berries for blueberries

Instructions

  • Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

For cake:

  • Whisk two cups flour, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl. Set aside.
  • In mixer, beat butter and sugars on medium-high speed until fluffy, about two minutes.
  • Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just incorporated and scraping down bowl.
  • Reduce speed to medium and beat in one-third of flour mixture until incorporated; beat in half of milk. Beat in half of remaining flour mixture, then remaining milk, and finally remaining flour mixture. Toss blueberries with remaining one teaspoon flour. Using rubber spatula, gently fold in blueberries. Spread batter into prepared pan.

For topping:

  • Scatter blueberries over top of batter.
  • Stir sugar and cinnamon together in small bowl and sprinkle over batter.
  • Bake until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.
  • Cool in pan 20 minutes, then turn out and place on serving platter (topping side up).
  • Serve warm or at room temperature. (Cake can be stored in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.)
Jamie’s Back Scouring Farmer’s Markets and Binge Baking! (Raspberry Buttermilk Cake)

Jamie’s Back Scouring Farmer’s Markets and Binge Baking! (Raspberry Buttermilk Cake)

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Hello friends!

Since I have written more than a few slightly embarrassing posts about my—quite glamorous—life on this lovely blog, and since I know you all read it religiously, I’ve decided that we are now on the “friend” level.  (We are friends now, so you guys can’t judge me for my terrible grammar—I’m a bioengineering major, give me a break here) And since we are all friends, I have decided to let you in on a little secret: I am addicted to farmers markets.  Before you roll your eyes and laugh at how incredibly basic/dramatic/priviledged/annoying I sound let me defend myself:

1) I had to switch it up from my normal introduction of saying hi, long time no post, complaining a little bit about my life in Texas, and making fun of my mom’s blog. Yeah. You’re welcome.

2) I grew up in Los Gatos, the land of Kate Spade bags and Tory Burch sandals, excuse me for being a little basic.

3) Farmer’s markets rock, whoever disagrees with me can hit the unsubscribe button right now.  (just kidding, my mom would kill me if that happened).

Anyways, to get back on track, I love farmer’s markets.  You can literally get a free breakfast there if you just walk up and down the stalls eating samples of fruit.

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Plus, farmers markets in California during the summer are pretty much guaranteed to be sunny and filled with the prettiest, tastiest fruits and veggies EVER.  True story.  Sam came to visit over fourth of July weekend and I dragged him around the Bay Area.  Obviously, one of the first places I took him was the San Francisco Farmer’s Market at the Ferry Building.  We were on a mission to acquire 4 pounds of peaches—yes, you read that right—to make homemade peach ice cream.  The ice cream was super simple-heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, and lots of peaches.  We made it after a long day of walking around the city, so by the time it was finally frozen enough to eat, I was asleep.  I woke up just in time to watch the end of a Euro cup quarterfinal match while eating a bowl of sweet, peachy goodness.

To go along with our ice cream, I had baked up a simple berry cake from Epicurious that morning—you dot the cake with berries of your choice before sprinkling it with sugar and popping it into the oven.  As my mom says, “stupid easy”.  The sugar gives the cake a caramelized top crust, while the berries sink into the batter, giving it a warm and gooey center.  Unfortunately, the cake was forgotten over our  homemade ice cream excitement, but it was so good on its own the next day that no one minded a bit.  I tried to make the cake festive by using blueberries and raspberries to create red and blue stripes, but the berries sink in such a way that the stripes get all jumbled up.  Not worth the effort, but the cake still looked pretty great!

All in all, it was a successful weekend of food!

Stay tuned: next time I talk about my other guilty/basic pleasure: happy hour!

Hi Claire! 🙂

 

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Raspberry Buttermilk Cake

Ingredients

From Epicurious

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 stick unsalted butter softened
  • 2/3 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk
  • 1 cup fresh raspberries about 5 ounces or a mix of fresh berries

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle.
  • Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or springform pan
  • Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
  • Beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes, then beat in vanilla.
  • Add egg and beat well.
  • At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing until just combined.
  • Spoon batter into cake pan, smoothing top.
  • Scatter raspberries, I used a mix of berries including blueberries and blackberries and probably closer to 11/2 cups of berries) evenly over top.
  • Sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar.
  • Bake until cake is golden and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool to warm, 10 to 15 minutes more. Invert onto a plate.
  • Serve with whipped cream or ice cream! Yum!

 

 
Oh Birthday Cake, My Carrot Cake

Oh Birthday Cake, My Carrot Cake

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We celebrated Jeffrey and my brother’s birthdays yesterday.  Yes, they share the same birthday…but many, MANY years apart.  I remember sitting on the couch dreading each new contraction while my family celebrated my brother’s birthday chomping on big juicy rib-eye steaks off the grill.  The meal was cut short when I “exclaimed” through gritted teeth,  “I think I need to go to the hospital,  YOU (referring to my brother) will have to take your birthday cake home.”  That was twenty-two years ago. Wow, time flies.

24 Carrot Gold Recipe

The tradition of celebrating every birthday with Wes’s delicious carrot cake would not exist if not for a college girlfriend (his roommate’s), a classmate’s birthday, and a bag of carrots.  After finding a lone bag of carrots in their fridge, John’s girlfriend decided to bake a carrot cake for their classmate’s birthday.  Thus began the love affair between Wes and Carrot Cake (tough competition for me, lol).  He can’t recall the girlfriend’s name or the classmate’s whose birthday they celebrated.  But luckily he asked her for the recipe and the rest is, as they say, history.

Over the years he has modified it to his liking.  Out went the nuts and shredded coconut, and in went raisins.  He doubled the luscious cream cheese frosting, because everyone knows you can never have too much frosting. He also cut the sugar to temper the sweetness.  This is a classic American cake; spicy, moist, sweet, peppered with pineapple and raisins, and finished with a buttery sweet cream cheese frosting. YUM.

One Bowl Babee

That’s how simple and easy this cake is, you can make it in one bowl and a spoon or whisk.  Wes pulls out an old tattered goldenrod Tupperware bowl (yes goldenrod, circa 1987), a whisk, and a grater when he makes his signature cake.  That’s it.   Grate the carrots on the small holes of the grater. He likes a denser cake and often throws the pineapple in without draining.  I have convinced him to drain the pineapple for a lighter, less dense cake.  Bake the cake in a 9×13 rectangular cake, or 2-9×2-inch circular pans, or even a muffin tin for cupcakes.  Throw in some nuts if you like (Wes never does), walnuts are usually the nut of choice.

Frost, Frost Baby

Tips for the cream cheese frosting:   Start with slightly softened butter but not warm, whip the butter first, add the cream cheese and continue to whip the two until light and creamy before adding the sugar.  Once the sugar is added, beat just long enough to fully incorporate the sugar, and then STOP.  Overbeating after adding the powdered sugar will cause the frosting to lose its structure.

I crossed out the above section just to show that baking and cooking is not static.  You’re always tweaking, or changing something in hopes of making it better.  I have revised how to make Cream Cheese Frosting.  I love Zoe Bakes, and her carrot cake episode has step-by-step instructions for making Cream Cheese Frosting. The frosting comes out smooth, luscious, and creamy.  This prompted me to give my favorite frosting its own post.

So there you have it, hubby’s two, no, now four, favorite recipes, Good Cookies, Carrot Cake, Foil wrapped Chicken (coming), and his famous Super Bowl Tuna Dip.   I’m not jealous, credit is like community property in California, I get half the credit, right?  In fact…

I think I will have a slice of cake right now.

Happy Birthday, Anson and Jeffrey!

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5 from 1 vote

Birthday Cake, Carrot Cake

Hubby’s carrot cake that is the fam’s cake of choice for birthday celebrations….no I’m not annoyed…not at all, lol.
Course Cake, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Carrot cake, Carrots, cream cheese frosting
Prep Time 23 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour

Ingredients

Cake

Dry Ingredients:

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients Part 1

  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 cups granulated sugar

Wet Ingredients Part 2

  • 3/4 cup low fat buttermilk
  • 2 cups grated carrots use small holes of grater
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 8 oz. Can Crushed pineapple in pineapple juice See notes
  • 1 cup Regular raisins Can sub golden raisins if you like.

Frosting:

  • 1 stick salted butter 4oz
  • 1 8-ounce brick of cream cheese
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar sifted
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350. Rack should be in center of oven
  • Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan.
  • Combine the flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda in a small bowl. Set aside.
  • Beat oil, eggs and sugar together in a large bowl
  • Add the dry ingredients to the oil-egg mixture along with the rest of the ingredients (wet ingredients part 2) and stir with a whisk until well mixed.
  • Pour into pan and bake for 45-50 minutes.
  • Bake for 60 minutes if using the 10 inch round cake pan.
  • Bake for 25 minutes if making cupcakes.
  • Cake is done when the top is a rich golden brown, a tester should come out with just a few crumbs and relatively clean.

Frosting:

  • Using a mixer, on medium speed beat butter until softened and slightly creamy.
  • Add cream cheese and vanilla, beat until well incorporated and mixture is light and creamy
  • Sift sugar over mixture and mix until combined and to desired consistency. Don't overbeat!
  • Use 1-1/2 recipe of frosting for 9x13 cake out of pan, single layer or cupcakes
  • For two layer cake double frosting recipe

Notes

For a denser cake use the pineapple without draining.  For a cakier, lighter, texture drain the pineapple before adding.  I personally like draining the pineapple, hubby has begrudgingly started to do this although he probably does leave a bit in.  Marriage is always a compromise 😉

Update!

The first of the 3jamigos got married in April of 2024!  Her request was for “Daddy” to make her wedding cake.  It turned out beautifully
TBC (Throwback Cake Day) Rum Doused Lemon Poppyseed Cake

TBC (Throwback Cake Day) Rum Doused Lemon Poppyseed Cake

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Every now and then, out of nowhere something from the past pops into your head.  Maybe it’s that Dead Head purple/green tie dyed tank top from back in the day.  You immediately drop whatever you are doing to rummage through your closet searching for that top.  You find it in that dusty cardboard box hidden in the back corner, throw it on and dance around the house.  It just makes you happy.

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Well sometimes a long forgotten recipe pops into my head and I feel the need to pull it out and make it, like this Rum Doused Poppyseed Cake.  Back in the day mom would add a box of instant pudding to a boxed cake mix sprinkle it with a liqueur and voila’ an incredibly moist bundt cake that everyone raved about.  This cake reminds me of that one, BUT so much better. It doesn’t have box cake mix or instant pudding (thank goodness) but still easy to make and extremely delicious.  I’m glad it popped into my head, I think you will be glad too.

A golden oldie…to go along with this cake, Lemon Tree by Peter Paul and Mary

 

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The cake is made with a combination of butter and cream cheese which creates a wonderful fine crumb.  The poppy seeds give it a nice crunch.  After baking, the cake is doused with rum.  I use a pastry brush to spread the rum on the cake.  It actually tastes better a day or two later as  the rum, lemon and poppy seed flavors blend together.  So dig in your closet or pantry, find your Mom’s old 10 inch tube pan and bake this cake.

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Rum Doused Lemon Poppyseed Cake

Ingredients

1 10 inch tube pan

  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 4 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 13/4 cups sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 T grated lemon rind
  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 t baking powder
  • 2 T poppy seeds
  • 1/4 cup light rum

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Grease and flour 10 inch tube pan or bundt pan
  • In a medium size bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder, set aside
  • In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese until well blended
  • Beat in the sugar, eggs, and lemon rind until the mixture is light and fluffy.
  • Beat flour/baking powder into the butter mixture
  • Stir in the poppy seeds.
  • Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the cake is a light golden brown and springs back firmly when pressed, 55-60 minutes. Watch carefully, I found it took less than the 55 minutes to bake (~45 minutes)
  • Cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then invert onto a wire rack to cool.
  • Drizzle the rum over the cake slowly allowing rum to permeate cake
  • Transfer to a cake plate or cake stand, cover, and let stand a couple of hours before serving
  • Serve with vanilla ice cream or fresh berries
Cheesecake LA Style

Cheesecake LA Style

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A couple of weeks ago my friend Anne posted photos of a slice of New York-style classic cheesecake she had for dinner one night and then for breakfast and lunch the next day.  Yes, the same piece.  It looked delicious and decadent.  Rich, dense, and yes, huge.  It screamed this is New York Baby.

Just Can’t Stop Thinking About

And because of her post I have had cheesecake on the brain.  I haven’t made cheesecake in a long time. Not because I don’t like cheesecake, on the contrary, I love cheesecake and therein lies the dilemma. Cheesecake is the Alfredo of desserts and it has a magnetic attraction to my hips, really.  But last weekend was a special occasion and the perfect reason to make one, my Mom’s 93rd birthday, and if you can’t have cheesecake then, when can you?

As much as I love New York-style cheesecake my go-to recipe is one from the Los Angeles Times. As New York-style cheesecake reflects Gotham City’s personality, this recipe epitomizes Los Angeles, smooth and creamy, light and airy, and absolutely delicious.

classic LA Cheesecake

Cheesy Tweaks

My favorite part of this cheesecake is the sour cream topping, it accentuates the creaminess and lightness of the cake. Along the way, I have tweaked the recipe by adding a lemon berry sauce (which takes it to the “holy cow!” level) and replacing part of the graham cracker crumbs with chopped pecans to add crunch to the crust.  So good…

The recipe calls for beating the eggs and sugar for 5 minutes creating a light and foamy mixture. Room-temperature cream cheese helps when blending it with the beaten eggs.  If the mixture is still pretty lumpy after beating the eggs and cream cheese, use a hand blender to smooth out the batter.  Grand Marnier or Amaretto instead of Brandy also works or replace the pecans with almonds or walnuts in the crust.  If you love cheesecake, and who doesn’t….make this one.

And the tricky part? Baking time, amirite? Bake until the center jiggles slightly, the outer edge will puff a little and set but not crack…here are tips from Aussie Chef Curtis Stone.  The cheesecake will continue to cook after you remove it from the oven, it’s okay if the center looks slightly underdone when you remove it from the oven.

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5 from 1 vote

Classic Cheesecake

Classic LA Cheesecake with sour cream topping, graham cracker crust, delicious
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword blueberry sauce, Cheesecake, cream cheese, Icing for Glazed Sour Cream Gem Cakes
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour

Equipment

  • 1 8" springform pan

Ingredients

Crust

  • 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs substitute with Digestives, Biscoff, or Speculoos.
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4-1/3 cup butter melted, if using nuts use only 1/4 cup due to oil in nuts
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans or almonds to replace 1/2 cup of graham crackers

Filling

  • 2 eggs room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2-8 ounce cream cheese-softened Philly brand preferred
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon Grand Marnier Amaretto or Brandy would work

Sour cream topping

  • 1 pint sour cream
  • 6 T sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon Grand Marnier

Lemon Blueberry Sauce

  • 1 pound fresh or frozen blueberries or mixed berries
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

Instructions

Crust:

  • Place crumbs in bowl and add 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon,stir in butter.
  • Lightly butter 8-inch springform pan bottom and sides.
  • Sprinkle crumbs on bottom of pan-press down. Press crumbs on sides and bottom of pan.
  • Work around sides with fingers to make crumbs of even height.
  • Bake crust at 350 degrees 7-10 minutes until brown on sides. Remove from oven.

To make the filling.

  • Using a stand mixer, beat eggs until light, then add 1/2 cup sugar and beat 5 minutes. Add cream cheese, vanilla, liqueur and mix well. If still lumpy, smooth batter using a hand blender or food processor.
  • Turn into prepared crust, bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool 15 minutes.
  • Pour sour cream topping over and bake at 475 degrees for 5 minutes. Let cheesecake cool before chilling.
  • Chill thoroughly.

Sauce:

  • Combine all ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Stir over medium heat until cornstarch dissolves. Boil until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until cold.
  • Makes about 2 1/4 cups.
Just Loafing Around (Everyday Chocolate Cake)

Just Loafing Around (Everyday Chocolate Cake)

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I’m not that crazy about chocolate and yet in the last few weeks I have baked a chocolate birthday cake, brownies for Jeffrey’s hockey team and today I made a quick and easy chocolate loaf cake I found on Smitten Kitchen.  Very disconcerting since I am a vanilla person.  Ninety-nine point ninety-nine percent of the time I pick vanilla.  Vanilla ice cream, vanilla pudding, all things vanilla.  Choice between vanilla wafers or chocolate cookies, not even close, give me the “Nillas”.  But this cake looked so yummy I had to try it.  The cake is a little denser than a traditional chocolate cake with a nice crumb.  It doesn’t need frosting, just a nice dusting of powdered sugar.  It comes together quickly, definitely easy enough for a weekday dessert.
I used a dutch-processed cocoa which gives it a dark, deep color and intense chocolate flavor.    If you like chocolate this is a great little cake. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh berries.  Or if you’re like me, a big scoop of VANILLA ice cream would be perfect.

You can find the recipe on Smitten Kitchen, Everyday Chocolate Cake from Magnolia Bakery at Home.  It’s a keeper.

 
Just Another Day (Decadent Chocolate Cake)

Just Another Day (Decadent Chocolate Cake)

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Every year my birthday sneaks up on me…I’m sure it’s because I am in denial until the very day and then it’s unavoidable.  Which just so happens to be today. When did I get this old?  I have kids and they’re how old?  Wow.

But I have lots to celebrate and thank my lucky stars for, great hubby, amazing kids, awesome family, and friends, the important things in life.

What? I have to Bake My Birthday Cake?

In our house, Wes’s carrot cake has become the de facto birthday cake.  I’m all for it as it means Wes is the one baking for everyone’s birthday.  This year I broke with tradition when I found an old friend in the New York Times cooking section.  Decadent Chocolate Cake, which I haven’t made in a long time, from my generation’s Joy of Cooking, The Silver Palate.  I remember buying my copy of the Silver Palate cookbook. I was so excited.  Attracted by the friendly prose, whimsical drawings, and cooking tips, I poured over the recipes and read every side note.  It served as a primer on ingredients, entertaining, and great food.  Chicken Marbella, Pumpkin Pie, Blackberry Mousse, Pasta with Tomatoes, Garlic, Basil and Brie became dishes I impressed my friends with.

 

So I made the Decadent Chocolate Cake for my birthday and it was every bit as delicious as I remembered.  It’s moist, sweet, and chocolatey.  And you know what?  The beauty of having a birthday the day before Valentine’s Day is I get to have cake two days in a row, guilt-free.  The recipe can be found in NYT Cooking for those you who do not have a dog-eared, well-used copy of The Silver Palate, like mine.

Over the years I replaced some of the semisweet chocolate chips in the icing with dark chocolate to bump up the chocolate flavor.  The cake itself is sweet and mild (after all the recipe is 30+ years old) so go ahead and add chopped pieces of chocolate or chips to the cake batter before baking to amp up the flavor.  Sift the powdered sugar before adding it to the chocolate, it minimizes lumps.  When making the icing, work quickly as the icing sets almost immediately.  Pour over the cake while it is still warm.

Birthday cake calls for a tall glass of icy cold milk but Valentine’s Day calls for champagne, bubbly and romantic.  Right?

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5 from 1 vote

Decadent Chocolate Cake

From the Silver Palate Cookbook
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Decadent Chocolate Cake
Prep Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 3 oz unsweetened chocolate
  • 8 T butter 1 stick
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs separated
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 cups less 2 T all-purpose flour sied
  • 1 tsp baking powder

CHOCOLATE FROSTING

  • 2 T butter
  • 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 6 T heavy cream
  • 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar or as needed
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan. Knock out excess flour. In a large bowl, pour the boiling water over the
  • chocolate and butter; let stand until melted. Stir in the vanilla and sugar, then whisk in egg yolks one at a time, blending well aer each addition.
  • Mix baking soda, and sour cream together and add to chocolate mixture. Si together flour and baking powder; add to batter, mixing thoroughly.
  • In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Stir a quarter of the egg whites into the batter. Scoop remaining egg whites on top of
  • batter and gently fold together. Pour the batter into prepared pan. Set in the middle rack of oven and bake 40-50 minutes, or until the edges have
  • pulled away from the sides of the pan and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes; unmold and cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Frosting

  • Place all ingredients in a heavy saucepan over low heat and whisk until smooth. Cool slightly;
  • add more sugar if necessary to achieve a spreading consistency. Spread on cake while frosting is still warm.