Swedish Cardamom Cake (Kardemummakaka)

After enjoying some delicious Swedish sweets on our trip to Sweden last year, I wanted to make this Cardamom cake. I actually made this a long time ago; I just don't blog very often anymore. This was delicious. You could really taste the cardamom and it had a good pound-cake texture and crumb. 

Swedish Cardamom Cake (Kardemummakaka)

adapted from True North Kitchen

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cardamom
¾ cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
18 tablespoons (2 ¼ sticks) butter
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs room temperature
1 egg yolk room temperature
Powdered sugar for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-cup capacity bundt pan OR spray the interior or the pan with baking spray. Set aside.

2.  Whisk flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cardamom together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

3.  Combine buttermilk and lemon juice in a small bowl. Set aside. Combine butter and granulated sugar in the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add eggs and egg yolk one at a time, allowing each one to fully incorporate into the batter before adding the next.

4.  Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add one third of the flour mixture, followed by one half of the buttermilk mixture. Repeat, finishing with the flour mixture (do not over mix). Transfer the batter to the prepared bundt pan and smooth out the top with a rubber spatula. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to eliminate any air bubbles. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer or toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

5.  Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes. Lay a wire cooling rack over the top of the pan and invert the cake onto the rack. Remove the pan, leaving the cake behind. Cool the cake to room temperature and dust with powdered sugar before serving.

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Lemon-Glazed Pound Cake

Growing up, my mom had a Mrs. Fields Cookie book. I think it was this one. My mom, myself and my sister made a lot of the recipes in that book in the 90's. I loved that book! Later, in about 2000, I got my own book, but an updated version of it, with more recipes. It still included my old faves. One of the ones I used to make frequently was this Lemon Pound Cake. I loved this cake! I recently made it again twice; once, in mini bundts for the Fourth of July (no pics) and again, just in a big bundt for my fam to enjoy. It has the typical crusty pound cake crust and a refined crumb. The lemon flavor really shines through, too.

((Awkward- I just realized I posted this exact recipe back in 2009!! Oh well. So good, it needs repeating. Lol.))

Lemon-Glazed Pound Cake 

adapted from Mrs. Fields Best Ever Cookie Book, 1997 

Cake:

3 cups cake flour, sifted

2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 sticks (1.5 cups) salted butter, room temp

1/3 buttermilk, room temp

6 large eggs

2 teaspoons lemon extract

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

Glaze: 

1/4 freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Topping:

powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 3-quart bundt pan.

2. In a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed, blend flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add butter, buttermilk, and 3 eggs. Beat on low speed until dry ingredients are moistened. Increase speed to high and beat for 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl.

3. Add lemon extract and lemon zest, and blend at medium speed. Add the remaining 3 eggs, one at a time, beating on high speed for 30 seconds after each addition. 

4. Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Check often at the end- do not overbake.

5. While pound cake is baking, prepare lemon glaze. In a small saucepan, heat lemon juice and sugar over low heat. Stir constantly until sugar dissolves.

6. When cake is done, remove from oven and leave cake in pan. With a toothpick, poke holes in the surface of the cake, and pour half the glaze over it. Cool in pan 15 minutes, then invert on a cooling rack or cake plate. Brush top of cake with remaining lemon glaze. Cool to room temperature, then dust with powdered sugar. 

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Swedish Carrot Cake

We took a trip to Stockholm, Sweden back in March for Spring Break. I absolutely loved Sweden. It has so much to offer. One thing I really loved was how much they enjoy dessert there, and make time for it every day with their Fika, or coffee break. In every restaurant we went to, there was always a dessert table laid out with so many delicious things that one could choose for either dessert or Fika. I saw this carrot cake everywhere. It took me awhile to try it, since I don't love carrot cake. But I did try it, and I absolutely loved Swedish Carrot cake! It's so good- a nice thick slice with cream cheese frosting. Don't use pre-shredded carrots for this; you want the moistness from carrots you shred yourself.

Swedish Carrot Cake  

adapted from True North Kitchen

Note: Makes an 8x8 inch pan. I doubled this and put in a large 9x13 pan

For the Carrot Cake:

¼ cup unsalted butter
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
½ cup canola oil or vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ cups packed grated carrots about 8 ounces

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

*vanilla bean paste, optional, about 1/2 tsp

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8 inch square cake pan. set aside. Place the butter in a medium saucepan or skillet (preferably not nonstick or cast iron so that you can more easily see the color change) and heat over medium low heat, swirling the pan frequently. Once the butter has melted, continue to cook over medium low swirling the pan frequently until the butter has a nutty aroma and is golden brown in color. Don’t walk away from the stove! Brown butter can go from perfect to burnt in a matter of seconds. Transfer brown butter to a bowl to cool.

2.  Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom in a medium bowl. Whisk together and set aside.

3.  Combine eggs, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a large bowl and whisk until fully combined and no lumps of sugar remain. Slowly whisk in oil followed by cooled brown butter and vanilla extract. Keep whisking until the mixture is emulsified and cohesive.

4.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir with rubber spatula until just a few streaks of flour remain. Fold in carrots until the batter is just combined. Using a rubber spatula, transfer cake batter to prepared pan. Bake for 25-40 minutes or until a tester poked into the center of the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached. (Start testing at the lower time.) Set cake aside to cool.

5.  Meanwhile, make the frosting: Combine butter and cream cheese in work bowl of a stand mixer. Beat with the paddle attachment on medium until fully combined, scraping down the bowl with a spatula as necessary. Reduce speed to low and add powdered sugar, vanilla (and optional vanilla beans paste) and a pinch of salt. Return the speed to medium and beat until the frosting is completely smooth, about 1-2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice, as necessary. 

6.  Once cake has cooled completely, spread evenly frosting on top. Serve or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

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Mississippi Mud Cake

Yum, this cake was delicious. I had no idea it would be a full-size, tall cake in the cake pan like this- I was expecting some skinny cake like Texas Sheet Cake. This was so good. I'd make it again for someone's birthday. The directions say to let cool before eating, but we ate it warm, and the melty marshmallows and warm icing was sooo good. I had a piece the next day and preferred it warm. While warm, it's a mess and hard to serve, but it's a delicious mess. 

Mississippi Mud Cake

adapted from The Kitchn

FOR THE CAKE:

2 large eggs

1 cup whole or 2% milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 (10-ounce) bag mini marshmallows (about 4 cups)

FOR THE FROSTING:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
1/3 cup whole or 2% milk
1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1. Place 2 large eggs, 1 cup whole or 2% milk, and 1/2 cup sour cream in a medium bowl and let sit until room temperature, 30 to 45 minutes.

2.  Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350ºF. Coat a 9x13 baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil.

3.  Place 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup packed light brown sugar, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1 teaspoon baking soda in a large bowl and whisk until combined. Add 1 cup vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt to the egg mixture and whisk until smooth and combined. Pour over the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon or flexible spatula until just combined. Transfer into the baking dish. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 33 minutes.

4.  Remove the cake from the oven and evenly scatter 10 ounces mini marshmallows (about 4 packed cups) over the cake. Return to the oven and bake until the marshmallows start to melt, 2 to 3 minutes.
Place the baking dish on a wire rack and let the cake cool for 30 minutes. 

5.  Meanwhile, prepare the frosting: melt 1 stick butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/3 cup whole or 2% milk, 1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Whisk until combined. Slowly sift in 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar and whisk until smooth, about 1 minute. (I tried to sift, but it just made a mess, so I ended up skipping it- was fine) Remove the saucepan from the heat and let cool until the cake is ready. Slowly pour the frosting over the warm cake and spread into an even layer. Let sit until the frosting is set, about 30 minutes, before slicing and serving OR wait about 5 minutes and dig in- that's what we did. :) 

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Sticky Toffee Pudding

On our family trip to Spain back in 2019, we went to Gibraltar for one day.  At a restaurant there, we tried Sticky Toffee Pudding.  I had never had it before, and really, really loved it.  I've wanted to make it ever since then.  I saved a few recipes, but finally settled on one from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.  I meant to make this for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, but didn't get around to it until after that.  The recipe was easy and the whole family loved it!  I really, really loved it.  I made it in a 8x8 pan (or maybe it's 9x9). 

Sticky Toffee Pudding

adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Cake:

6 ounces (170 g) dates, pitted and finely chopped (I bought pitted dates for ease)
¾ cup boiling water
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup (159 g) granulated sugar
6 tablespoons (85 g) butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 ¼ cup (178 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt

Sauce:
¾ cup (159 g) packed light or dark brown sugar
½ cup (113 g) butter
½ cup heavy whipping cream
Pinch of coarse, kosher salt
¼ to ½ cup chopped pecans, optional (I didn't use)
Additional heavy whipping cream for drizzling, optional

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8X8- or 9X9-inch pan.  For the cake, in a medium bowl, stir together the dates, boiling water, baking soda and vanilla extract. Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes.

2.  In a separate medium bowl, cream together the granulated sugar and butter with an electric mixer (handheld or stand mixer) until well-combined and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.  Add the eggs and mix.

3.  In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, and mix until just combined.  Fold in the date mixture (no need to drain) until combined; don’t overmix.

4.  Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.  Bake for 22-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top springs back to the touch.  May need more baking time, but don’t overbake or the cake may be dry.

5.  Let the cake cool completely in the pan – although the cake can be served slightly warm also.

6.  For the sauce, combine the sugar, butter, cream, and salt in a saucepan. Stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves and the sauce is smooth and combined, 5-7 minutes.  Cut cake into squares and pour the warm sauce over the individual servings.  Sprinkle with pecans, if using; and drizzle with a teaspoon or so of heavy cream.                                                   

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My Mom's Chocolate Ganache Cake

I made this for my son's birthday in May.  I've been wanting to make it for a long time and finally had the opportunity.  It wasn't hard to make; you just need to plan ahead for the cake and then two chocolate ganache mixtures to cool enough.  Make this the day before you need it.  Because of lockdown, I didn't want to go to the store, so I just made do with what I had on hand- semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet baking chocolate.  It turned out great! I'm not sure I'd bother with the baking chocolate next time.  I did need to use my kitchen scale to measure out the ounces, though. 

Chocolate Ganache Cake
from my Mom and TOH

Cake:
3/4 cup butter, softened at room temperature
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup sour cream
2 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling:
4 (1 oz.) squares semi-sweet chocolate (OR 4 oz. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze:
8 (1 oz.) squares semi-sweet chocolate (OR 8 oz. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips)
1/4 cup butter, cubed
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1.  Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease two 8-inch of 9-inch round cake pans.  Add a circle of waxed paper in the bottom of each pan, grease the paper, and then coat the inside of the pans with flour.  (Trace the bottom of pan on waxed paper and cut out, to get a matched circle to the pan.) 

2.  In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add egg and vanilla; beat for 2 minutes.  Combine buttermilk and sour cream in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup.  In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beating after each addition.  Do not overmix.

3.  Pour into the prepared cake pans.  Bake for 15-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  (My oven bakes super hot, so I always check early, hence the 15 minutes.  Yours might take longer.)  After removing from oven, cool for 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely. 

4.  In a heavy saucepan, melt chocolate with cream over low heat.  Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla.  Transfer to a small mixing bowl; chill until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.  Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Chill until mixture achieves spreading consistency.  (After chilling, I chose to beat the mixture in my stand mixture so it was light and fluffy- I loved it this way.)

5.  For glaze, in a heavy saucepan, melt chocolate and butter.  Gradually add cream; heat until just warmed.  Chill until slightly thickened. 

6.  Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with filling.  Top with remaining cake layer.  Slowly pour glaze over top of cake.  (I refrigerated the glaze until I could spread it like a frosting, but you can also pour it over so it drips down. You can also beat it in a stand mixture to thicken if you want.)  Refrigerate until serving. 

 **This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake

I loved this Peanut Butter Sheet cake.  I especially loved that the right size pan fit in my tiny oven! You need an 11x17 pan for this.  That's just a regular cookie sheet I use all the time.  The sides aren't even super high, and it still worked great.  Texas sheet cakes don't rise super high anyway.  I had never thought about making a peanut butter one until I saw it on Mel's Kitchen Cafe.  I'm so glad I spotted this recipe!

Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake

adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sour cream, light or regular
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup butter
1 cup water

FROSTING:
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cups creamy peanut butter
6 tablespoons milk
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. For the cake, in a medium bowl combine the sugar and flour. In a large mixing bowl mix eggs, baking soda, and sour cream well. Set aside. In a small saucepan combine peanut butter, butter, and water. Bring to a boil. Stir the boiled peanut butter mixture into the flour mixture. Add to the sour cream mixture. Mix well. Pour into a lightly greased 11X17 inch sheet/jellyroll pan.  Bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

2.  For the frosting, while the cake is baking, combine the butter, peanut butter, and milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil stirring constantly. Add the powdered sugar and mix well. (If you want the frosting lump-free, sift the powdered sugar.  I didn't do this, obviously.)  Stir in the vanilla. The frosting will be thick. Mix well. Pour and spread over cake while both are still warm.  Let the cake and frosting cool completely. Cut into pieces and serve.

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Sour Cream Pound Cake

I love pound cake. I first made this back in May with fresh wonderful strawberries, as the base of a strawberry shortcake.  We ate that up so fast there were no pics (unfortunately, it would have made nice pics!!).  I made it again for a simple Christmas Eve dessert.  Although on Christmas Eve, we were so full we didn't end up eating this.  We had it the next day, on Christmas, with whipped cream and good caramel syrup my sister sent from the States.  It was very good. 

Sour Cream Pound Cake
adapted from The Food Network

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Add the sour cream and mix until incorporated. Sift the baking soda and flour together. Add to the creamed mixture alternating with eggs, beating in each egg 1 at a time. Add vanilla. Pour the mixture into a greased and floured loaf pan. (I use my smaller one.)  Bake for 40 minutes to 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

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Peanut Butter Layer Cake

 I made this for my son's birthday cake back in September.  It was AMAZING!!  The cake itself was delish and so was the frosting.  A lot of times, a layer cake turns out dry and only the frosting is enjoyable.  Not this time! The cake alone was moist (lol) and tasty and the frosting was great too.  The author says using oil instead of butter makes a cake more moist, and she must be right, because this cake uses coconut oil and it's wonderful.  (I think you can use any oil).  The recipe uses natural PB, but I didn't have enough, so I used part natural and part.... un-natural. Lol! I have to say the frosting is really, really hard to spread, but so tasty.  The author recommends putting this recipe into a 9x13 and reducing the frosting. It would be way easier to spread that way.  I was going to try it that way before posting, but I never had time because fall is here and there's too many baked goods now anyways.  If I do try it that way I'll update here.

Btw: we ate this cake up so fast that I never even remembered to take a pic of a slice!!!  Lol!!

Peanut Butter Layer Cake
adapted from The Daring Gourmet

For the Cake:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup coconut oil (at room temperature) or oil of choice
⅓ cup smooth, natural, unsweetened peanut butter**
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Frosting:
1 cup smooth, natural, unsweetened peanut butter (I used part natural and part regular)**
½ cup butter, softened
3 cups powdered (confectioner's) sugar
up to ½ cup heavy cream or whole milk 

White or Regular Reese's mini PB cups, chopped, optional, for topping

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease 2, 8 or 9-inch round cake pans.  For better removal, grease, then line with waxed paper, grease again, then flour.  This ensures your cake will come out perfectly.  

2.  In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

3.  In a large mixing bowl, add the peanut butter, oil, and brown sugar. Beat until combined and creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat just until combined.

4.  Alternately add the flour and buttermilk to the wet mixture, beating just until combined. Be careful not to over-beat or the cake will be dense and dry. A few small lumps of flour is fine.  Pour the batter into the pan.

5.  Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out moist, with a few crumbs.  (Not wet with batter but moist. If the toothpick is dry, the cake is over-baked and will be dry).

6.  Let the cakes sit in the pan for 5 minutes, then invert the cakes onto a wire rack to cool completely.

7.  In the meantime, to make the frosting, place the peanut butter and butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, continuing to beat. Add the heavy cream until you reach a spreadable consistency. (Note: This is a fairly stiff frosting and hard to spread, but it's so good!)

8.   Frost the bottom half of the cake and down the sides. Place the top layer of the cake, upside down, on top of the bottom layer. Frost the top layer and down the sides.  Optional: top frosted cake with chopped Reese's peanut butter cups (I used white chocolate ones.)

*For a little less work, you can bake the cake in a 9X13 cake pan as a sheet cake and make half the amount of frosting to go on top.  I haven't tried this yet, but will update when I do.*

--Update- I recently made this recipe and put it into a 9x13 pan and halved the frosting.  It was good but not as good as the layer cake!!  Still a good way to try this recipe, though. --

**I made this again using only regular peanut butter- Jif Natural, which really isn't natural because it contains added sugars and oils.  Anyway- the frosting was WAY easier to spread and it tasted just as good.  I'll probably use regular pb next time, at least in the frosting.**

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Italian Apple-Ricotta Cake

This cake was simple and delicious and great for fall.  I liked using fresh local ricotta and apples in this.  The cake was moist and delicious.  One could add a topping to this, but we enjoyed as-is.  This cake is supposed to be from the Tuscany region. 

Italian Apple-Ricotta Cake
adapted from Food 52

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 pinch salt
1 cup fresh ricotta
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 apple, peeled and grated (should yield about 1 cup)
Confectioners' sugar for serving

1.  Heat the oven to 400° F. Butter and flour a 9- or 10-inch springform pan.

2.  Cream the butter and sugar in a standing mixer until light and fluffy.  On the lowest speed, add the eggs one at a time.  Slowly add the flour, salt, ricotta, lemon zest, baking powder, and apple.  Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and the sides start to pull away from the pan.

3.  Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn the cake out of the pan and cool completely on the rack. Sift confectioners' sugar over the top or serve with your favorite seasonal fruit.

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Spanish Marcona Almond Cake (with Olive Oil)

 

I spotted this recipe on La Tienda a while ago and really wanted to make it.  La Tienda  is a company that ships food from Spain to the US and other places.  I've ordered some stuff from them before.  They also feature Spanish recipes.  For this cake, though, I ordered Marcona almonds from Nuts.com - I love that company.  (You can probably make this recipe with any blanched almonds; Marconas are supposed to be superior though.)

I lightly toasted the almonds in a dry skillet on the stove and then ground them coarsely in my food processor.  I actually messed up on this recipe- dumping all the ingredients in together instead of doing the wet first and then adding the dry. I was afraid I'd messed it up, but it turned out very well despite that.  I loved the orange and lemon flavors- make sure you use fresh zest.

Spanish Marcona Almond Cake (with Olive Oil)
adapted from La Tienda

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp orange zest
2 tsp lemon zest
1/4 cup whole milk
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2/3 cup Marcona almonds, toasted and finely chopped
Powdered sugar, for sifting

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly oil 9-inch diameter cake pan. I cut out a circle of parchment paper and placed it in the bottom for easier release.

2.  Whisk flour, baking powder & salt in a medium bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat sugar, eggs & zests in a large bowl until pale and fluffy. Beat in milk, then gradually beat in oil. Add the flour mixture and stir just until blended, then stir in almonds. Transfer batter to pan and place on baking sheet to collect any spills.

3.  Bake until a tester inserted into center of cake comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 30-35 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool for 15 minutes. Remove cake and place on serving platter, top side up. Sift powdered sugar over the cake.

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Joy the Baker's Cream Cheese Pound Cake

I have a recipe I really love for Cream Cheese Pound cake, but I wanted to try this other recipe from Joy the Baker.  It is a tiny bit different and also makes just one loaf cake (instead of a huge bundt cake). I actually make this for Christmas Eve.  I covered the top with a white chocolate ganache, but I would have actually just preferred to eat this plain; I love pound cake so much.

PS: I only had salted butter; I used that and just reduced the salt a bit.

Joy the Baker's Cream Cheese Pound Cake
from Joy the Baker's Cookbook pg. 189

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese (or Neufchatel), softened
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs

1.  Preheat oven to 325 F.  Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan and set aside.

2.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

3.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until soft.  Add butter and sugar and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add vanilla and stir until blended.  Add eggs one at a time, beating on medium for about a minute after each addition.  Scrape down bowl with a silicone spatula as necessary.

4.  With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated.  Stop the mixture and finish folding the batter with a silicone spatula.

5.  Transfer batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes, check on the cake, rotate it, and cover with foil or move to a higher rack if browning too quickly.  Bake another 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Let cool in pan 20 minutes; then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

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Cranberry Upside Down Cake

This cake was a surprise!!  I made it because it looked easy and I needed to use up some cranberries.  Well, it was SO GOOD!!  Of course I knew it'd be a good cake, but I was blown away by the awesome flavor.  The buttery cake, the caramel layer you cook on the bottom, and the tart cranberries.  So good!  Another great David Lebovitz recipe.  This would be great for Thanksgiving. (Btw, I've made so many of his recipes I'm gonna start a new David L. tag!)  

Note: the recipe calls for 10 oz. of cranberries.  My bag was about 12 oz., but I only used 10 oz.  Next time, I'd just throw the whole bag in there.  It would have been fine.  (The cranberries really cook down, and it wasn't that much extra.)  For now, I'll throw the extra cranberries into some mulling cider, but usually I'm glad not to have a tiny bit of something hanging around in my fridge.  Lol.  

Cranberry Upside Down Cake

adapted from David Lebovitz

Topping:
4 tablespoons (55g/2 ounces) unsalted butter, cubed (I used salted)
3/4 cup (125g) packed light brown sugar
3 cups (280g/10 ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries (I'd use my whole bag next time- almost 12 oz)

Batter:
1 1/4 cup (175g) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (50g) coarse cornmeal or polenta (I used regular cornmeal I had on hand)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, preferably aluminum-free
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (115g/4oz) unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature (I used salted)
3/4 cup (150g) granulated (white) sugar
grated zest of one lemon
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (125ml) whole or low fat milk, at room temperature

1. In a 9- to 10-inch (23-25cm) cast iron skillet*, melt the 4 tablespoons of butter and the brown sugar together, stirring frequently, until the sugar and butter is liquefied. When the mixture starts to bubble, remove from heat and set the pan aside. (*You can also use a cake pan, as long as it's ok on the stovetop for the short period of time needed to do this step.)

2. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal or polenta, baking powder, and salt.

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or by hand in a mixing bowl with a spatula, beat the ½ cup of butter, granulated sugar and lemon zest at medium high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until very light and fluffy.

5. Reduce the speed of the mixer to medium and add the eggs one at a time, stopping the mixer to scrape down the sides. Mix in the vanilla extract.

6. At low speed, add half of the flour mixture, then the milk, then the remaining dry ingredients, mixing just enough so that they’re all combined. Do not overmix. I used a rubber spatula at the end to get the flour fully incorporated.

7. Distribute the cranberries in the prepared pan over the brown sugar mixture and shake the pan so they are in a relatively even layer. Spoon the batter over the cranberries in four mounds, then use a spatula to spread the batter evenly over the fruit.

8. Bake the cake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40-50 minutes. (Mine was done at around 40,) Remove from the oven, wait 10-15 minutes, then run a knife around the cake. Place a serving platter overturned on top of the cake in the skillet, then using oven mitts to cover your hands, flip the two over simultaneously, until the cake releases from the pan.

Storage: The cake is best made and served the same day, warm if possible. You can rewarm slices in the microwave. It is also good served at room temperature.

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