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Archive for the ‘Cake’ Category

Pear Spice Cake with Walnut Praline Topping

Posted in Breakfast, Cake, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on January 8, 2012 | 3 Comments »

HAPPY (belated) NEW YEAR!!!!  

I know it’s been some time since my last post and I apologize.  I took some time off during the holidays to spend with family and travel Ohio for Christmas gatherings and a baby shower.  When we got back I was totally exhausted getting back into the work week that I took a bit longer than expected off from the blog.  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and are looking forward to 2012 as much as we are!

While I was home we spent many hours in the kitchen!  I love baking and cooking with my family!  It’s always fun and I always guarantee to make a mess.  I felt so bad for my parent’s carpet.  I bet there is dried batter in more places than they care to know about.  Oops!  On the menu Christmas morning was this Pear Spice Cake I found over on Joy’s blog.  I love spice cake and knew that a pear one would make a perfect treat on that special day.

Original plan was to eat around 11:30am.  Well, an hour and a half past that we were finally sitting down.  The prep work turned out to be a bit more involved than I originally planned, or maybe it was because I was simply enjoying making it and not rushing through the steps.  Regardless, this spice cake is well worth it!  It was AMAZING!!!  Perfect flavor, texture, spice, and the praline topping was pure heaven!  The idea of turning this into a repeat Christmas cake was not only mentioned, but I’m pretty sure demanded.  This would make a great addition to any brunch menu, holidays or not.  Did I happen to mention it reheats very well…added bonus!!

(Printable Recipe)

Pear Spice Cake with Walnut Praline Topping

Recipe from Joy the Baker

Pear Spice Cake Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground allspice
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 large eggs, separated and at room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 3 pears, peeled, cored, and diced into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 to 1 1/4 cups)
  • 3/4 – 1 cup walnuts, toasted, cooled, and finely chopped

Walnut Praline Topping

  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

Pear Spice Cake Directions

1.  Make sure rack is in the middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour bundt pan.  Set aside.

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

3.  In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until fluffy, about 4-5 minutes for a hand mixer and about 3 minutes in a stand mixer.  Be sure to scrape the bowl every few minutes.  Add yolks 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in vanilla extract.  Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture and buttermilk in alternating batches, starting and ending with the flour mixture.  Mix well after each addition.  Fold in pear pieces and chopped walnuts.

4.  In a separate bowl with cleaned beaters, beat egg whites until they just hold stiff peaks.  Gently fold whites into batter until fully combined.

5.  Spoon batter into prepared bundt pan, smoothing top, and bake until a wooden pick or skewer comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes.  Cool cake in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.  If serving warm, start walnut praline topping while cake is cooling.  Invert onto rack to cool.

Walnut Praline Topping Directions

1.  In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, whipping cream and 1/2 cup butter over medium-high heat until smooth.  Boil for 3 minutes, stirring often.  Stir in walnut pieces.  Spoon warm topping over cake.

Notes:

  • I reduced the amount of walnuts in both the cake and topping due to personal preference.  
  • When topping is first placed over cake it will run down the sides, this is ok.  It forms a wonderful pool in the middle that is absolutely divine.  If you prefer to have more topping on the cake itself, allow topping to cool slightly before spreading on cake.  Next time I think I will let it cool for a bit.  
  • This cake is delicious with pear, but would also be good with apple pieces as well.

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Vanilla Banana Cake

Posted in Cake, Desserts, tagged , , , , on November 18, 2010 | 6 Comments »

Bananas are one of those fruit that I enjoy but I can never eat them quick enough before they start to turn on me.  Brent is more of a banana eater than me, so when he is away they seem to turn brown even quicker.  Speaking of, I have 4 more bananas that either need to be frozen for smoothies or they will become my next victim in a delicious dessert.

Banana Cake and Carrot Cake are kind of the same in my mind.  Totally different tastes obviously, but they are both great left unfancified (I don’t think that’s really a word but it works), topped with piles of cream cheese frosting, and make the piece extra big!!  After all, there is healthy stuff in each piece.  :)  This cake is not exception.  There is a hint of banana and the cream cheese frosting gives it that extra bit of decadence.  The texture reminded me a little bit of banana bread but not quite as dense.  I think my dad would be a big fan of this for sure!!

I am participating in a Holiday Recipe Exchange through Good Life Eats and My Baking Addiction.  Each week I will be posting a recipe from their “Recipe Theme”.  This week happened to be ‘Vanilla’ which worked out perfectly.  Head on over to one of their blogs and vote for me!!  The prizes are great which means extra goodness to bake with!  YAY!

Happy Weekend!!

 

(Printable Recipe)

Vanilla Banana Cake

Ingredients

Vanilla Banana Cake

  • 2  2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 sticks (12 tbsp) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 2 – 8 oz pkgs light cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter 13×9 inch baking pan.

2.  Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg.  Set aside.

3.  In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy.  Add sugars and beat on medium speed for a few minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time beating well after each addition.  Add vanilla extract.

4.  Lower speed, add bananas.  Batter may start to curdle – that’s a good sign.  Alternate adding dry ingredients and yogurt (starting and ending with dry ingredients).  Mix just until combined.

5.  Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake for 45 minutes or until cake looks deep golden brown.  Cool in pan for 5-10 minutes.  Transfer to a cooling rack.

For Frosting:

1.  Beat together cream cheese and butter until well combined.

2.  Slowly add powdered sugar until combined.

3.   Beat in vanilla extract.

**Frosting may be refrigerated until ready to use**

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Brown Sugar Toffee Cake

Posted in Cake, Desserts, tagged , , , , , on September 17, 2010 | 1 Comment »

I’m not sure if my love for toffee candy has come through on the blog yet…but I LOVE toffee bars!!!  Love, Love, Love!  I can’t remember if it was my mom or dad that always had it around or if it was a shared love between them.  But I remember every time it was stashed away in the fridge door, I would always sneak a few pieces.  I couldn’t take the first bite and I couldn’t take too big of bites for fear someone would notice.  I like to think I mastered the art of sneakiness, but I doubt it.

So of course I had to try this recipe out.  Who could resist the words brown sugar and toffee and cake all together in one glorious description.  Not this girl…..and I am so glad I didn’t.  The cake itself is soft and airy and when topped with a plethora of chopped toffee candy, it is just wonderful.  I took it to a get together this week and it was a huge hit!!  I had a feeling it would be a winner so I saved a piece to take some pictures.  Well that….and I knew Brent would want other slice.  And if you are anything like me, you may want to grab 4 toffee bars.  Somehow pieces seem to disappear while chopping.  It’s the darndest thing.  Happy Weekend!!!  Thanks for stopping by!!

 

(Printable Recipe)

Brown Sugar Toffee Cake

Recipe from vegetariantimes.com

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/8 tsp baking powder
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 6 tbsp butter, softened
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup cold strong coffee
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup fat-free plain yogurt, room temperature
  • 3-4 milk chocolate-toffee bars, such as Heath

1.  Preheat oven to 325°F. Coat 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray.

2.  Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Set aside.

3.  Beat butter, brown sugar, and sugar with electric mixer until smooth in separate bowl. Beat in eggs one at a time, and then beat in coffee and vanilla extract. Add 1/4 cup yogurt, and beat until smooth. Add half of flour mixture, and beat until smooth. Beat in remaining 1/4 cup yogurt, then remaining flour mixture. Beat 2 to 3 minutes, or until batter is smooth and creamy.

4.  Spread batter in prepared cake pan, and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes.

5.  Meanwhile, pulse milk chocolate-toffee bars in food processor 8 times, or until crushed into bits. (It’s OK if some bits are larger than others.) Unmold cake from pan, and set on wire rack. Sprinkle chocolate-toffee bits on top of cake while hot. Cool completely before serving.

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