Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

Does anyone else still have a ton of extra cranberries from Thanksgiving? Or Feel the urge to buy them every time they walk past a bag in the store? I love cranberries, but the problem is, I think, I love them in theory, in actuality, aside from sauce, I have no idea what to do with them. So I began an extensive search for cranberry recipes to rid myself of the bags and bags of cranberries that I "needed" for thanksgiving. This cake is my favorite so far, a deliciously simple and buttery base, with a sweet cranberry topping. It's extremely easy to make, just make sure you grease the pan well in order to get the cake out. I actually used a springform pan for extra cake removing ease.

Cranberry Upside-down Cake:
8 tbsp of butter, divided, softened
1 cup of sugar, divided
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp of cinnamon
1/4 tsp of nutmeg
1 3/4 cups cranberries

Pre-heat the oven to 350, with a rack in the center. Mix 6 tablespoons of butter and 1/2 cup of sugar on low speed until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Add baking soda, salt, and about half the flour and mix until just combined. Then add 1/4 cup of milk, and mix. Add remainder of flour and mix, then the last 1/4 cup of milk. Grease an 8" round pan with the remaining tablespoons of butter (it is important to use all of it, because it creates the topping). Mix together remaining 1/2 cup of sugar with cinnamon and nutmeg, and sprinkle evenly on top of the butter. Then spread cranberries across the bottom in a single layer. Bake until a fork inserted comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes before inverting the cake onto a plate. Serve cranberry side up. (adapted from Martha)

Happy Eating.

Classic Crumb Cake

Cake for breakfast. In a perfect world, this would always be acceptable. In fact, ever meal would come with a slice of cake. Somehow, I don't think this would help with the obesity problem, so we will just have to stick to special occasions and the occasional piece of this buttery treat with your morning cup of coffee (or afternoon cup, I'm not picky). This is a million times better than the boxed crumb cakes that are so often served, the cake is light and fluffy and the topping is dense, sweet, lightly spiced, and wonderfully buttery. It's truly the perfect breakfast cake.

Crumb Cake:

Cake:
2 tbsp of canola oil
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups of flour
1/2 cup of sugar
2 1/2 tsp of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping:
1 cup of light-brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp of nutmeg
1/2 tsp of salt
2 1/2 cups of flour
2 sticks of butter

Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees, and position rack in the center of the oven. Melt butter for the topping and set aside to cool. In a medium bowl mix together the canola oil, egg, butter milk, and vanilla. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and stir until just combined. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish and spread the batter into the dish using a spatula. The batter will look too thin and this will be somewhat difficult. Take the melted butter for the topping and add to it the brown sugar, spices and flour (all of the topping ingredients). Mix until the mixture is crumb like and combined. Sprinkle the topping over the cake so that it is covered and even. Bake until a fork inserted comes out clean, about 20 minutes, rotating the cake halfway. Cut into brownie size pieces for serving. (adapted from Martha)

Happy Eating.

Pumpkin Cake with Maple Buttercream

This might be the most delicious cake I have ever created. For his birthday, the boyfriend wanted a cake that had no vanilla or chocolate flavored anything. Thanks, Mr. Difficult. So I got a little creative and a lot seasonal. The pumpkin in the cake keeps it ridiculously moist and so scrumptious. The frosting, I have to say, was one of the hardest things I have ever made. (It's real buttercream, the kind you make with egg yolks, yum.) Mostly because I don't have a stand mixer (only a lowly hand one) and I was also trying to check on the cake at the same time I was making the frosting, which was already a two had job. Needless to say I also frosted myself and a good portion of the kitchen, but it was totally worth it. Sorry that I don't have a picture of the slice or the inside, but I turned around for a second and the cake was gone, I didn't even get a slice! (Don't worry I stole a bite from the birthday boy to taste test, it passes.) But anyway, without further ado...



Pumpkin Cake:

2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened slightly
2 cups of white sugar
1 cup of brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups of canned Pumpkin
1 cup warm of half and half
3 1/3 cups of flour
2 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of nutmeg
1/2 tsp of ground cloves
1/2 tsp of ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat together the butter and both sugars in a large bowl, until well combined and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until well incorporated. Add in pumpkin and half and half and stir until just combined. Add in cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, salt, baking powder, baking soda and 1 cup of flour. Mix until just combined. Add in an additional cup of flour and mix in. Add remaining flour and mix until just combined, do not over mix. Grease two 9 inch cake pans, and pour batter evenly between them. Bake until a fork inserted in one comes out clean, about an hour. Allow cakes to cool before frosting. (adapted from Martha Stewart)

Maple Buttercream:

6 egg yolks
2 cups pure maple syrup, grade A dark amber
4 sticks of unsalted butter, chilled

Cut butter into small pieces and keep in the refrigerator until ready for use. Heat maple syrup over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and then cook until a candy thermometer registers 240 degrees, about 15 minutes. While the syrup is cooking, beat the egg yolks in a large bowl on high speed until very fluffy. When syrup is done, remove from heat, and while the mixer is running (this is where a stand mixer would come in handy) pour the syrup down the side of the bowl so that it its the glass before the egg yolks, this prevents splashing and ensures even consistency. Beat until the syrup is incorporated and the bowl is just warm, about 7 minutes. Switch the mixer to the the whisk attachment. Add in the butter a few pieces at a time while beating constantly on medium high speed. Beat until all the butter is incorporated and the mixture is light and looks like frosting. Either frost the cake immediately or refrigerate the frosting while you aren't using it (you will need to re-whisk the frosting a bit, if you refrigerate it). After frosting the cake, serve immediately or refrigerated until you are ready to serve it. The frosting does not keep if it gets warm, so the cake must be refrigerated. For tips for frosting the cake smoothly, see my Red Velvet Cake post. Serve and enjoy! (from Martha Stewart)

Happy Eating.

Red Velvet Cake

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I certainly did, but in case you saved any room for dessert, or are already thinking ahead to the next set of holidays... I have some delicious red velvet cake for you. I never understood why these weren't more popular for Christmas, after all, they have the color scheme down. I chose to omit nuts from this one, because of the crowd it was for, but if your allergy-free pecans are the classic choice and it also tastes great with walnuts.



Red Velvet Cake:
2 1/2 cups of flour
1 1/2 of sugar
1 tsp of baking soda
1 1/2 tsp of salt
1 tbsp of cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups of vegetable oil
4 tbsp of cultured buttermilk powder
1 cup of warm water
2 large eggs
1 oz of red food coloring
1 tsp white distilled vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl whisk together buttermilk powder and water until well combined. Add vegetable oil, food coloring, vinegar, eggs and vanilla and stir together vigorously, or use a hand mixer on low speed, it is much easier to use the mixer if you have one because you have to create an emulsion. When the mixture is very well combined add in 1 1/2 cups of flour, the salt and baking soda mix by hand or mixer until the dry ingredients are just absorbed. Add in remaining flour and sugar and mix again until well combined. Pour batter into 2 non-stick 9 inch cake pans (or greased regular cake pans) bake until set in the middle and a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Try to test on the same cake each time you check it, then that one will be your bottom layer. Allow cake to cool completely before frosting. (adapted from Paula Deen)

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 pound cream cheese, softened
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups of confectioners sugar

In a large bowl mix together the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract using a hand or stand mixer until soft and creamy. Add in sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Increase speed on mixer and beat until light and fluffy. (from Paula Deen). To frost the cake, use a metal spatula to apply the frosting, all around. Then let the cake sit for 5 minutes. Clean the spatula and run it under hot water, and use it to smooth the frosting all around, cleaning and running under hot water every few strokes. This will give you a smooth and impressive cake, and make any decorating you want to do easy.



Happy Eating.

Blueberry Buckle

A few weeks ago, I posted about my Indian food dinner party, and my dessert that evening was an absolutely delicious Blueberry Buckle. I have been so obsessed with this cake since I made it, that I sent a picture over to Lisa at the Lunch Box Project. Lisa draws and paints the most wonderfully adorable food art. She sells prints, recipe cards, stickers, note cards, and paintings all of her wonderful and original food art. Lisa was kind enough to make a print out my delicious blueberry buckle.



Isn't it adorable? Here is a photo of the original cake and the recipe again.



Blueberry Buckle:
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup of yellow cornmeal
2 tsp of baking powder
1 tsp of salt
1 cup of sugar plus a handful for topping
1/4 cup of low fat or fat free plain yogurt
1/4 cup of skim milk
2 eggs
3 heaping cups of blueberries

Preheat the oven to 375. Melt the butter, and mix in sugar, milk, yogurt, and eggs. Stir in flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a few additions. Pour batter into a nonstick 9 inch cake pan (I love the spring form ones). Pour the blueberries on top (they sink into the cake as it bakes) and sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until a fork or toothpick comes out clean. Serve and enjoy.

Check out Lisa's blog for this drawing and so much more! Or you can purchase her wonderful designs here.

Happy Eating

PS - You can still enter the CSN contest all week. Click here for more information. I will randomly choose the winner this Friday. Good luck.