Apple Coffee Cake

I hope everyone had a great Mother's Day! While I couldn't spend it with my mom, I was able to celebrate with my mother-in-law for a relaxing brunch. I had pulled this recipe out and just needed an excuse to make it, so what better than Mother's Day brunch. I really liked that I only had to peel and cut 1 apple keeping this super easy. The best part is that we had all of these ingredients in the house already so it will make an great go to recipe for entertaining. It can be used for breakfast like we did for mother's day or as dessert. It is a soft cake with soft apples in the middle and cinnamon sugar on top, the best part!

Apple Coffee Cake
Serves 9
Slightly adapted from: Simply Recipes

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

10 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup reduced fat milk

1 medium Cortland or other baking apple, peeled and diced

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-inch square baking dish with or pie pan with a 4-cup capacity.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk vigorously together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a separate small bowl, mix 1/4 a cup of the sugar with the cinnamon, set aside.
4. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter with the remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Beat in the egg until blended. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk, beating after each addition until just combined.

5. Pour half of the batter in the bottom of the baking dish. Lay the apple slices on the batter so they just cover the batter (you may have to overlap some slices). Sprinkle the apples with the cinnamon-sugar mixture, reserving a teaspoon or two to sprinkle on top. Spread the rest of the batter over the apples. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar on top.
6. Bake the cake for 25 minutes or until it is golden brown and apples start to bubble at the edges. Let it cool before cutting.

Perfect Vanilla Cake

As I mentioned it is a busy yet exciting week for us. Yesterday was Jason's birthday and no birthday is complete without cake! I was surprised that he wanted a simple vanilla cake with buttercream. I was expecting his usual red velvet cake or something crazy. I have made yellow cakes before but never a vanilla one. Since our cook books are packed I scoured the internet and blogs for the perfect recipe and of course one that didn't require a last minute trip to the grocery store.

This cake recipe was delicious. The inside was moist and actually tasted like vanilla! I put some chocolate chips in between the two layers for a little bit of crunchy texture and because chocolate makes everything better.

Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes

Recipe adapted Glorious Treats 

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups cake flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

1 1/2 cup sugar

3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup oil (vegetable, canola or extra light olive oil)

1 cup buttermilk

(or 1/2 cup milk plus 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar or lemon juice- add acid to the milk then set aside for 5 minutes before using)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F.
   
2. In a medium bowl, add cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Stir together with whisk, and set aside.
   
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, add eggs and beat 10-20 seconds.  Add sugar and continue to beat on medium speed about 30 seconds.  Add vanilla and oil, beat.
   
4. Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add about half of the flour mixture.  Add half of the milk, then the rest of the flour and the rest of the milk.  Beat until just combined.  Scrap down the side of the bowl. 
   
5. The batter will be thin. Pour batter evenly into two 8 or 9 inch cake pans that have been sprayed or greased with butter.
   
6. Bake cakes in pre-heated oven for 25-30 minutes.
   
7. Cool in pan, then remove cakes from pan (carefully) and finish cooling on a wire rack.
   
8. Frost as desired when fully cool.  I love to use my favorite Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting recipe.   

* A note about Cake Flour-  Cake Flour has a lower protein content than traditional all-purpose flour, which results in a more tender, delicate crumb in the finished product.  If you can not find or access cake flour, feel free to substitute as necessary, but your results will vary from the original recipe.

Pennsylvania Dutch Pumpkin Cake

As much as possible here in Florida, fall is in the air. This weekend it was finally under 90 and even in the 70s in the morning and evening! I took full advantage and made something using one of my favorite fall ingredients, pumpkin! This was a new recipe my mom sent me and I must say was moist and delicious. My judge is always if anyone goes back for more and this time my father-in-law did so I consider it a success. It is more of a spice cake in flavor than pumpkin but it was still very yummy.

Pennsylvania Dutch  Pumpkin Cake

serves 12
Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ginger
1 cup solid vegetable shortening
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 cups can solid pack pumpkin
1 tsp. vanilla
Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:
1. Preheat oven 350.

2. Grease 12 cup bundt pan.

3. Sift first 8 ingredients into medium bowl.

4. Using electric mixer, beat shortening and 2 cups sugar in large bowl to blend. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

5. Add pumpkin & vanilla and beat until combined. Stir in dry ingredients. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

6.  Bake until tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour.

7. Cool cake in pan on rack 20 minutes. Turn out cake onto rack & cool completely. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead.)

8. Sift powdered sugar over top.

Holiday Dinner

This was the first year I was not near any of my family for the holidays. While that can be difficult it was an opportunity for Jason and I to celebrate on our own. We did things a little bit different by having our big dinner the second night of the holiday since we went to the earlier services session. I was pleasantly surprised that the services reminded me of home despite some of the songs having different melodies. The best part was that the rabbi was actually funny and didn't have a boring sermon that left you checking your watch. Afterwards, it was back into the kitchen to start our feast. I tried to keep our dinner close to the traditions that I am used to with my family. This meant lots of phone calls home for recipes and advice/help along the way. All in all, it turned out pretty well and we were able to use some of the beautiful china, silver and crystal we received for our wedding! Below is the recipe for the apple cake that my mom usually makes for the holiday to incorporate the apples for a sweet new year.

This was an easy recipe with lots of flavor from the apples and cinnamon. The middle apple layer keeps the cake nice and moist lasting for a few days or until it is all gone!

Apple Cake

9x12 pan or tube pan

Ingredients:

4-5 apples peeled and sliced

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup Sugar

3 cups Flour

1 1/2 cups Sugar

1 cup vegetable or canola oil

4 Eggs

3 tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. Salt

7 Tbsp. Orange Juice

2 1/2 tsp. Vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Mix apples with cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.

3. Mix all other ingredients together on low speed of mixer or by hand.

4. Pour 1/2 of batter into a greased and floured  tube or 9x12 pan.

5. Cover with 1/2 of apple mixture. Repeat with rest of the batter and then finish with apple mixture.

6. Bake at 350 for an hour until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

In our family we each pick our favorite cake for our birthdays and my mom would let us pick out our favorite cake for her to bake us. This even applied to my Dad, who this cake is in honor of. Her sour cream coffee cake is his favorite and I always think of his birthday when I make it. Growing up my mom would make one half for us kids that didn't have any nuts, just chocolate chips and then another side for them with the walnuts. Now that I am all grown up I think I can handle walnuts in the whole cake.

In my opinion this is one of the best coffee cake recipes. The sour cream keeps it moist and light, the walnuts give it a nice crunch and the cinnamon, sugar and chocolate chips sweeten it but not overly sugary as some can be. While my layers aren't even you can see there is a yummy middle layer that is filled with the cinnamon, sugar, chocolate chips and walnuts that give you a perfect bite of everything.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
16oz low fat sour cream
2 cups flour (preferably cake flour, otherwise all-purpose is fine)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
dash salt
Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F

Cream butter with sugar. Add eggs and sour cream. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add to the creamed mixture and add vanilla.

Mix the filling ingredients together.

In a greased tube/angel food pan, put a layer of dough, then 1/2 of the filling mixture, remainder of dough and top with remaining filling.


Bake for 40-50 minutes until golden brown.

Lemon Pound Cake

This weekend Jason's sister was in town to visit his Dad. It is always nice to have visitors from back home. We had them over to use our NEW patio furniture and of course grill. We made the Ultimate Grilled Honey-Teriyaki Chicken from a previous post. For dessert Jason put in a request for pound cake and since I know he loves lemon I made a lemon pound cake. this recipe is one that my father uses and I knew was delicious. Of course, knowing how it should taste always puts the pressure on me to get it right. It turned out great and was moist on the inside with a great balance of lemon flavor. Jason event went so far as to say it was the best pound cake he has ever had so I consider this a success!

Lemon Pound Cake

Ingredients:

 2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 Tblsp. grated lemon zest plus 2 tsp. lemon juice
4 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Glaze Ingredients:

1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 by 5 loaf pan with 1 Tbsp. softened butter, dust with 1 Tbsp. flour and tap out excess.

In medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt, set aside.

Melt the butter and stir it up to make sure it's mixed. In a food processor, process sugar and zest until combined. Add lemon juice, eggs, and vanilla until combined. Keep machine running and add melted butter, remove mixture to large bowl. Sift flour mixture over eggs in three batches, mixing just to combine after each step. 

Pour into loaf pan and bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 and bake until golden brown, about 35 minutes more. When toothpick comes out clean, it's ready. Check after 35 minutes, but mine took another 5 minutes longer. Cool for 10 minutes.

Then take it out of the loaf pan and put it onto a wire rack, brush Lemon Glaze onto top and sides with a pastry brush. I added some strawberries for color and fruit when serving.

Lemon glaze: bring sugar and lemon juice to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to low, simmer 2 minutes until thick. 

Source: Cooks Illustrated

Chocolate Ricotta Pound Cake

One of the perks of working from home is that I get to use my lunch break to try out new recipes. I had some ricotta cheese left over from another recipe I tried out over the weekend and needed something to make with it. I love all things chocolate so this sounded like the perfect recipe to try out. 

I didn’t have a fancy Dutch-processed cocoa powder, so I just used the Nestle cocoa powder that was already in the house and I didn’t want to take another trip to the grocery store. This made the color a bit lighter and I think the taste a bit sweeter. I also changed around the directions and did my dry ingredients first since they are not affected by the temperature in the house and it means I can get a few things off the counter and put away. The Ricotta cheese kept the inside of the cake extremely moist which made it extra delicious.

Chocolate Ricotta Pound Cake
makes one 6-cup fluted cake mold (I used a larger budnt cake pan I already had)

Ingredients:
4 ½ Tbsp Dutch-processed cocoa powder (or 3 Tbsp Dutch-processed + 1 ½ Tbsp black cocoa)
4 Tbsp boiling water
3 eggs
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups All Purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
13 Tbsp butter, at room temperature
1 cup ricotta (mine was part-skim)
1 cup sugar

Powdered sugar to dust on top

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease and flour the cake mold.

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

3. In a bowl, mix together the cocoa powder and boiling water until thoroughly combined.  Let cool to room temperature.

4. Once the chocolate mixture has cooled, whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract.  Set aside.

5. In a mixer bowl, cream together on medium to medium high the butter, ricotta, and sugar until light and fluffy, about three minutes.  Add the wet and dry ingredients in three stages, alternating wet and dry.  Mix until combined.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake for 40-50 minutes total.  About twenty minutes into baking, cover the cake with a lightly oiled piece of aluminum foil.  Continue to bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

7. Remove from oven and let cool, turning the cake out onto a wire rack after about ten minutes.  Let cool completely.  Top with a light dusting of powdered sugar.

Source: Desserts for Breakfast