Banana Bundt Cake with Toffee Sauce

I'm not kidding when I said I'm going to put this recipe on the blog but boy, did it take a long time for me to do it!

This cake was a hit in my family that I made it twice in a month.  I do love it as well, I thought the cake was very tender, not too sweet, and it allows you add a variety of ingredients to it; for example, dried fruits, chocolate chips, or nuts.  I keep the add-ons less than a cup because I fear that if it's too much, the batter will get too heavy and dense.

The original recipe didn't have anything on it but I added dried currants because they're my number one choice for dried fruits.  These were soaked in a bit of rum for a few hours.   Plus since I had that leftover toffee sauce from making sticky toffee pudding tart, I decided to use it up on this cake.  Everything worked well together and flavor profile was sublime.

I hope you'll enjoy it as well as my family did!

Banana Bundt Cake with Toffee Sauce

Makes one 10- or 12-inch Bundt cake


3/4 cup dried currants
1/4 cup rum or apple juice
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
4 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups)
1 cup sour cream

About 1-1 1/4 cup Toffee Sauce


Place a rack in the center of the oven; preheat oven to 350F degrees.  Generously butter and flour or coat with baker's spray a 10- or 12-inch Bundt cake pan.

Combine dried currants with rum or apple juice and let macerate for a few hours.  Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

Use a paddle attachment on a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar at medium speed until fluffy and pale in color.  Beat in vanilla, then add eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each.  Turn the speed to low, add bananas.  Slowly add dry ingredients and then all of the sour cream.  Fold the macerated currants with juice with a spatula until just combined.  Pour batter into prepared pan.  Smooth the top and bang the pan gently against the counter a few times.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.  If the top starts to brown quickly, cover it lightly with a piece of foil.  Transfer the cake onto a rack and let cool for 10 minutes.  Unmold the cake to a rack and let it cool to room temperature.  If desired, the cake can be covered with plastic wrap and left overnight to develop more flavor.

When the cake is cool, drizzle the toffee sauce over the cake, letting it drips down the sides.


Source:  adapted from Baking with Dorie, Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publications, 2017

Orange-Cranberry-Nut Fruit Cake

Are you all ready for Christmas?  I am!  We always have a mellow Christmas celebration and my husband and I always emphasize the importance of the birth of Jesus instead of having lots of gifts under the tree.  It helps with all the craziness that's going on around the season.  It really doesn't matter if we have many gifts or only one.  We tell our son that the important things is to be with family and enjoy the season by doing something good.  I digress.

Every Christmas I try to bake a fruitcake.  I have a couple of favorite recipes but this year I wanted to try something new.  This recipe is a keeper.  As it stated in the original King Arthur Flour website, this is more of a cake than a traditional fruitcake.  I do like the light version of fruitcake but I don't mind the dark one if it's being offered to me :)

My family likes fruitcake as well so they're looking forward to it every year.  And even my son commented that this was a good one!

Orange-Cranberry-Nut Fruit Cake

Fruit:
2 cups dried cranberries
2 cups dried fruits (I chose a combination of golden raisins, dried currants, dried apricots, and candied citron)
1/2 cup orange liqueur
1 3/4 cups candied red cherries

Cake:
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon orange oil
4 large eggs
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup orange juice
2 cups diced pecans

Glaze:
1/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup suagr

Icing:
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
Enough milk to make a thick but pourable icing


Prepare the fruit:  Combine dried fruits with orange liqueur in a bowl.  Cover and microwave for 1 to 2 minutes, stir, then set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 325 degree F.

Prepare the cake:  In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light-colored and fluffy.  Beat in the baking powder, salt, and flavors.

Beat in the eggs one at a time.  Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, and beat again briefly, to incorporate any sticky residue.

Stir in the flour alternately with the orange juice.

Stir in the undrained fruit, the candied cherries, and pecans.

Lightly grease two 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pans.

Spoon batter into the lightly greased baking pans, filling them about three-quarters full.

Bake the cakes for 50 to 70 minutes.  When done, the cakes will be a light golden brown all over, and a long skewer inserted into the center will come out clean.  If cakes brown too quickly during baking, cover lightly with aluminum foil.

Make the glaze:  Stir together the orange juice and sugar while the cakes are baking.  Warm briefly in the microwave; about 45 seconds.  Stir to help dissolve the sugar.  Set aside to rest at room temperature, stirring occasionally to continue dissolving the sugar.

Remove the cakes from the oven, place on the cooling rack.  Let cool for 10 minutes then turn them out onto the rack.  Brush the warm cakes all over with the glaze, continuing to brush until you've used it all.

When completely cooled, wrap well and let "age" at least 24 hours; the cake improves with a 24-hour rest.

Drizzle with icing just before serving.

Store cake, well wrapped, at room temperature; it should keep for a couple of weeks.  Freeze for longer storage.


Source:  adapted from King Arthur Flour website

Pumpkin Walnut Cake

I made this cake when I had a break, that is over Thanksgiving break :)  I know I'm way behind posting related recipe according to the season; but I've given up trying to follow the trend because it's just not enough time in my life to do that anymore.

I thought this cake is delicious all around; it was a moist and has tender crumbs.  It reminded me of my mom's pumpkin roll cake--flavor-wise--but hers uses no eggs while this has.  This year I'm in love with pumpkin spice all over again.  My favorite beverage right now is chai tea latte with lots of pumpkin spice; it's a nice drink to have when the weather is dropping down to the 30's.

The caramel whipped cream is equally good, I actually have never made it before and thought, why didn't I try this sooner?  Combining caramel and whipped cream is simply divine.  The original recipe doesn't use salt but I did put in a generous pinch of it because I really thought it needed it.

The recipe came from my favorite book in my book shelves, The Cake Book by Tish Boyle.  There are numerous recipes that I haven't even tried and all sounds very yummy.

Here is the recipe:

Pumpkin Walnut Cake

Makes one 9-inch square cake

1 3/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup safflower oil or other neutral vegetable oil
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degree F.  Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking pan.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt into a medium bowl.  Whisk to combine well, and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the eggs with both sugars at medium speed until pale, about 2 minutes.  Add the oil, pumpkin puree, milk, and vanilla extract and mix until blended.  Add the flour mixture at low speed in three additions, mixing just until blended.  Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and stir in the walnuts.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool the cake completely in the pan on a wire rack.

To serve, cut the cake into squares, and top each with a large dollop of the cream.

Caramel Cream

Makes about 3 cups

3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/4 cups heavy cream, divided
Generous pinch of sea salt
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extra


In a small heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and lemon juice and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves.  Increase the heat to high and cook without stirring, occasionally brushing down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush, until the syrup caramelizes and turns a golden amber color, about 4 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and carefully add 1/2 cup of the heavy cream (the mixture will bubble up) and sea salt, stirring until smooth.  Carefully pour the hot caramel into a heatproof glass measure and loosely cover with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate the caramel until chilled, about 2 hours.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the remaining 3/4 cup cream with the mascarpone cheese and vanilla at medium speed until blended.  Add the chilled caramel and beat at a high speed until the mixture forms soft peaks.  Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate.


Source:  The Cake Book by Tish Boyle

Whole Wheat Apple Cake

A whole wheat apple cake that's moist and choke-full of apples.  I love making easy cake like this because it's flavorful and light enough for after weekdays after dinner desserts.  We eat it for breakfast, of course, because the recipe said that it was for that time of day :)

Any apples will do for this cake, I had some homegrown Fuji and Gala that I used.  It's a recipe that uses spices that are so wonderful this time of year.  The house smells so fragrant while I baked this cake.

The cake is slightly darker here because I didn't cover it after 45 minutes of baking.  Oops...it's something that I missed, as usual, for not reading too carefully towards the end.  The color is pretty dark on top but the inside is still moist. 

So here is the recipe for your enjoyment!

Whole Wheat Apple Cake

Makes 1 9-inch cake


3 apples, Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground cloves
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups plain whole-milk yogurt


Preheat oven to 350 degree F.  In a medium bowl, combine apples, 1/2 cup light-brown sugar, cinnamon, and cloves; set aside.  Sift together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside.  Butter a 9-inch springform pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time, until well combined.  Add vanilla extract, and combine.  Add reserved flour mixture and yogurt; stir until well combined.  Fold in two-thirds of the reserved apple mixture.

Spoon half of the batter into prepared pan.  Sprinkle remaining apple mixture evenly over batter.  Top with remaining batter; smooth with a spatula.  Sprinkle top with remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar.

Bake cake until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes.  Cover with foil after 45 minutes of baking.  Let cool 20 minutes before releasing cake from the pan.


Source:  adapted from The Martha Stewart Living Christmas Cookbook

Cherry-Almond Coffee Cake

Last week my family went cherry picking at Hood River and some two cups of those cherries went into this coffee cake.  We picked mostly Bings and some Rainier too.  The wind was blowing hard while we picked the fruits but the view was still gorgeous.  Lots of sunshine and surprisingly not many people went picking that day.

We went to the same farm, Hood River U-Pick Organic Cherries, last year as well.  Their fruits are large, sweet and easy to pick so we're happy to be back this year.  And as usual, we picked more than we can eat in a day or two :)  

Making a coffee cake is an easy way to use up the cherries.  It then can be served as dessert or snack.  This particular one is spot on, not too sweet, has tender crumbs and stay moist for a few days.  I meant to soak the cherries in kirschwasser but forgot, so feel free to soak the fruits if you like for overnight, I bet it'll be even tastier!

Cherry-Almond Coffee Cake

Serves 12

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature plus more for the pan

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cups slivered almonds

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

2 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup sour cream

2 cups fresh cherries, pitted and cut in half

Preheat oven to 375 degree F.  Butter an angel food cake pan.  In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a small bowl, combine the almonds, brown sugar and cinnamon; transfer half to a second bowl.

Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar and 2 sticks butter to combine, about 2 minutes.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the almond extract.  Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture, mixing until just combined.  Mix in the sour cream until just combined (the batter should be very thick).

Scoop half of the batter into the prepared pan, spreading to evenly distribute it, and sprinkle with the walnut mixture.  Scatter cut cherries on top of mixture.  Top with the remaining batter and sprinkle with the remaining topping.  Bake for 25 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 300 degree F and bake until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes more.  Let the cake cool completely in the pan before unmolding and serving.

Source:  adapted from Woman's Day, December 2016/January 2017

Plum Torte

Every year, around the end of August, I will get a basketful of Italian prune plum from a dear friend.  This year would be the last time I get the tree-ripened plums because she won't have access to the tree anymore.  A little sad, yes, because these plums are the best. I love their firm texture and sweet flavor.  I'm saving the rest of the plums that didn't make to the cake in the freezer.

This plum cake is very simple to make but it tastes superb.  The plums turned soft when baked but retained its shaped well.  I don't eat dried prune at all unless it's in a cake but the fresh ones, I will hoard them.  When I bite into a slice, I'm hit with tender crumb surrounding the plums; but the best part was the edges.  They're perfectly crunchy!

I baked this in an 9-inch pan so it was on a thinner side but it didn't affect its appearance.  I enjoy baking a cake like this when it's uncomplicated, can be done in a few hours--just in time of after dinner dessert, and tasty to boot.  This cake has become one of my favorite recipes to bake again and again.

Plum Torte

Serves 8

1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon almond extract, optional
10 to 12 Italian prune plums, pitted and halved lengthwise
Turbinado sugar and ground cinnamon for sprinkling

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer or handheld beaters, cream the sugar and butter until very light and fluffy.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

Add the dry ingredients and the eggs all at once and the almond extract, if using, and beat until combined, scraping down the bowl once or twice.

Spread the batter into an 8 or 9-inch spring form pan.  Arrange the plum halves, skin side up, on top of the batter in concentric circles.  Sprinkle the batter and fruit lightly with turbinado sugar and cinnamon.

Bake the torte for 40 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.  Cool the cake in its pan on a rack for 10 minutes, and then release the spring and let it finish cooling just on the base.  Once it's cool, serve as soon as possible.  Or, you can double-wrap the torte in foil, put it in a sealed plastic bag and freeze (for up to one year).

Note:  to serve a torte that has been frozen, defrost it completely and then reheat it for 5 to 10 minutes in a 300 degrees F oven.


Source:  adapted from Food52

Golden Vanilla Pound Cake with Fresh Strawberries

There's a danger of not posting recipe soon enough.  One, the season may have passed and that strawberry post is becoming old story when everyone has moved on to apple.  Second, I tend to forget where I get the recipe.  A pound cake recipe could come from fifty different books or one hundred Pinterest ideas.

This forgetting business is scary because as I'm growing older, it seems like one brain cell fades away everytime I'm idling.  Retracing steps has become a bit harder, a tad slower.  That's why I like it when everything is put back in place in the house because then I don't have to worry of not finding it in its usual place.  And it helps to put a bookmark in the book so I can retrace where I get the recipe :)

This is a very simple recipe of a pound cake.  The idea of eating fresh strawberries, pound cake, and whipped cream is one the reasons I bake.  I love the idea of brushing the top of the cake with sugar mixture; it adds sweet crunchiness to the tender crumbs of the cake.  Another way to eat this is to cube the cake and make a parfait consisting of ice cream, whipped cream, and chopped strawberries.

Local strawberries is a distant memory now but surely that will be replaced with different berries or even peaches.  Yes, I can't wait for peach season!

 Golden Vanilla Pound Cake With Fresh Strawberries

Yield 9" loaf cake, 18 servings

For the cake:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
5 large eggs, at room temperature
3 tablespoons milk
1 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

For the topping:
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon water

Whipped cream
Fresh sliced strawberries



Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Lightly grease a 9" x 5" x 2 3/4" loaf pan.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the butter, cream cheese, salt, sugar, baking powder, vanilla extract, and almond extract until well combined.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; the mixture may look slightly curdled/grainy.  After you've added the final egg, beat at high speed for 3 minutes.  Once all the eggs are added, stir in the milk.

Sprinkle the flour gradually, with the mixer going at low speed.  Mix just until combined.  The batter will be smooth and thick, but still pourable.  Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

To make the topping, combine the sugar, vanilla, and water.  Stir until the mixture is syrupy.  At first, it'll seem very stiff, but will become "drizzlable" as you stir.  Set the topping aside.

Set the cake on a baking sheet for easiest handling.  Bake it for 55 minutes.

Remove the cake from the oven, and brush/drizzle with the sugar mixture.  Return the cake to the oven for an additional 15 to 20 minutes.  Remove the cake from the oven, and set it on a rack.  Insert a toothpick into the center; it should come out clean.  The very top, right under the crust, will still be kind of soggy; don't worry about it.

After 5 minutes loosen the cake's edges and turn it out of the pan to cool completely on a rack.

Eat with whipped cream and sliced fresh strawberries.


Source:  adapted from The King Arthur Flour

Walnut Coffee Cake with Tiramisu Cream

This is a cake that I made for my husband's birthday just a few days ago.  It is a coffee cake with walnuts and frosted with whipped tiramisu cream; it's a sort of cake that I know he'd enjoy.  And I also know that this type of cake won't last long, it's down to 2 slices tonight and I bet it'll be gone before midnight :)

Note:  The measurement is in metric because it's taken from Delicious magazine, which is based in the UK.  I'm finding I like trying more recipes using metric measurement therefore I'm including it in my blog.

Walnut Coffee Cake with Tiramisu Cream

Serves 10


For the cake:
225 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
225 g sugar
4 eggs
225 g self-raising flour
3 tablespoons strong black coffee made from instant coffee and a little boiling water
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
75 g walnut pieces, finely chopped, plus walnut halves, for decorating
1/2 teaspoon cocoa powder, for decorating
1/2 teaspoon confectioners' sugar, for decorating

For the tiramisu cream:
250 g tub mascarpone
142 ml heavy cream
4 tablespoons coffee liqueur
4 teaspoons confectioners' sugar
Few drops of vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease 2 8-inch round pan and line them with parchment paper.

Beat butter and sugar in a bowl of an electric mixer until soft and creamy.  Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, continue mixing until it comes together.  Beat in the coffee then sift flour and baking powder over the mixture, fold them in, followed by walnuts.

Divide the cake mixture equally between 2 pans, leveling the tops.  Bake in the center of the oven for about 30 minutes, until they are golden and tops spring back when lightly pressed with a fingertip.  Cool the cakes in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn them out on the rack and let cool completely.  The cakes can then be frozen.  Let defrost completely before frosting it.

Make the tiramisu cream by combining mascarpone and heavy cream in a bowl of an electric mixer.  Beat the mixture, add the coffee liqueur, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla extract; and continue beating until soft and fluffy.

Place 1 cake on a cake stand or a serving plate, straight side up and spread half of the tiramisu cream.  Place the second cake, straight side down, on top and spread the remaining half of the tiramisu cream on top.  Decorate cake top with walnut halves and sprinkle with cocoa powder and confectioners' sugar.


Source:  adapted from Delicious Magazine, April 2008

Bitter Orange and Poppy Seed Cake

My ideal weekend would be doing something that doesn't require my brain to work.  I can be very energized during weekdays but when it comes to weekend, my brain suddenly switches to off mode.  I actually looking forward to Friday afternoon when I know I will be done with chores and obligations.  Saturday is usually spent at church and baking activities, this is the day when I want to be busy in the kitchen.  Sunday is family time, whether we go out to eat, swim, hike, or bike.  Don't we all love the weekend?

Sometimes even having game night during the weekend is too much for me.  I see it as an exercise, i.e. I have to use my brain and I have to interact with people.  I'm just about done with people after church :)  I want to decompress and stare at nothing.  So don't be offended if I say no to anything on the weekend.  It's just my way of saying I want to spend time with family and stay at home.

Speaking of doing baking on the weekend, this easy loaf is one of things I love to make.  It's simple and quick but yet it's tasty and keep for a few days for afternoon treats.  When I made this, I wanted to eat a poppy seed cake and I found a recipe that used Seville orange marmalade and poppy seed.  I love citrus, both in food and as a fragrance.  It's fresh and uplifting which cheers up my mood right away.  Anyway, this cake is moist and delightful!

Bitter Orange and Poppy Seed Cake

Makes 1 loaf

For the cake:

3 tablespoons Seville orange marmalade

150 g plain Greek yogurt

3 large eggs

175 grams sugar

200 g self-raising flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

175 g unsalted butter, softened

Pinch of salt

Zest of 1 orange

2 teaspoon poppy seed

For the glaze:

1/4 cup orange juice

5 tablespoons Seville orange marmalade

Heat oven to 325F.  Butter a 8 x 4-inch loaf pan, then line the bottom with a rectangle of parchment paper.

Put the marmalade into a small pan, heat gently until melted.  Beat in the yogurt, then let cool for a few minutes.

Put the remaining cake ingredients into a large bowl and beat with a hand held mixer until smooth.  Quickly beat in the yogurt and marmalade mix, then pour into the prepared pan.  It will be quite runny.  Leave the mix mounded in the middle of the tin rather than leveling the top, to help it rise.

Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes until golden and well-risen; a skewer should come out clean.  Take a look at the cake after 45 minutes; if it browns too quickly, loosely cover with aluminum foil.  Meanwhile, heat the orange juice and marmalade in a small pan over a gentle heat until the marmalade melts.  Set aside to cool, stirring now and again, until you have a thick, but still runny glaze.  When the cake is ready, cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn onto a rack.  Spoon the topping over the cake while it's still warm.  

The cake is best served the day it's made, but will keep for up to 3 days tightly wrapped in an airtight container.

Source:  adapted from BBC Good Food, by Jane Hornby

Chocolate Banana Cake with Glazed Walnuts

When my son decided to join track team in his school, I secretly rejoiced.  He's not one to like a team sports and asking him to go to the gym with me and my husband is like pulling teeth.  The only sport that he tolerates is swimming and he's pretty good at it, but because of church commitment, he seldom could participate in swim meet.  This track and field activity is through his school which means it won't interfere with church but his time after school is filled with practice.  That means I have to pick him up from school late and that makes my days long as well.  Sigh.  And the track meet is incredibly long...

Then why did I rejoice?  Because for one thing, this gets him into exercising.  He's now into running, albeit in beginner's level, and he wants to track all his running into his Runkeeper app.  With that newfound interest, I'm able to join him in the running process and I like it.  Now I have a partner to run on the weekends!

But, then there's a problem with those time on the weekends.  The time I usually am home, baking or cooking, is now divided.  I have less time to be in the kitchen and even lesser time to play around with food for my blog.  Consequently this blog will see fewer posts until track and field is done.  Oh well, such is life...  But, I have this cake recipe that I've been keeping on my computer for a while and I think it's time to write it down here before it gets way too old.  My family enjoyed this cake because there's banana and there's chocolate.  This cake didn't use eggs and has a potential to become a vegan cake if the milk used is substituted with vegan milk.  I didn't try it so I won't know how the flavor would turn out but this cake was plenty moist and scrumptious.  Do give it a try!

Chocolate Banana Cake with Glazed Walnuts

Yields one 8-inch cake


Banana Cake:
1/4 cup milk
6 Tablespoons melted coconut oil
6 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups mashed ripe bananas--approximately 5 medium bananas
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup walnuts, chopped, toasted--optional

Chocolate Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup pure maple syrup
1 1/4 cup milk
6 Tablespoons melted coconut oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Maple Glazed Walnuts:
1 cup walnuts
1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Dark Chocolate Glaze:
1 cup milk
1/2 pound high-quality extra dark chocolate--I used Lindt 70% bittersweet chocolate
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1 pinch salt


Preheat oven to 350F.

To make banana cake:  Lightly oil and dust a 8" round springform cake pan with flour, shaking out excess.

Put the milk, oil, maple syrup, vanilla and bananas in a blender and blend until smooth.  In a large bowl combine dry ingredients.  Add banana mixture and combine using as few strokes as possible.  Fold in walnuts.

Pour batter into cake pan and smooth the top.  Make the chocolate cake.

To make chocolate cake:  Lightly oil and dust a 8" round spring form cake pan with flour, shaking out excess.  In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Whisk to combine.

In a separate bowl combine the maple syrup, milk, melted coconut oil, vanilla and vinegar.  Whisk to combine.  Pour the wet ingredients into dry ingredients and whisk to remove any lumps.

Pour batter into cake pan and smooth the top.  Place in the oven with the banana cake, on the same rack if possible so they bake evenly,  and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45-50 minutes.  Let cakes cool on the cooling rack for 10 minutes, then release the springform ring from the cakes.  Let cakes cool completely.

To make maple glazed walnuts:  In a dry skillet over medium heat, lightly toast walnuts until fragrant.  Add maple syrup to the pan and toss quickly to coat.  Remove from pan to let cool.

To make dark chocolate glaze:  Slice vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape out the seeds and place them in a small saucepan.  Add cold milk to the saucepan and warm slowly over medium heat.  When hot, remove from heat and add chocolate.  Stir until fully melted, whisk in a pinch of salt.  Keep warm.

To assemble cake:  Slice each cake in half horizontally.  Slice the very tops off the cakes to make them straight.

Start with one half of the chocolate cake on the bottom, spoon on about 1/4 of the glaze, with the majority being around the edge so that it oozes out when you place the next layer.  Place a banana cake layer on top of the chocolate layer and spoon on glaze, repeat until the top layer.  Pour the remaining glaze on top of the cake and top with maple glazed walnuts.  Serve.


Source:  adapted from My New Roots Apps by Sarah B.

Orange Chiffon Cake with Marrionberry Jam

I've always loved chiffon cake but baking it perfectly isn't something that I've mastered yet.  Some days my cake will turn out right, some other days it will turn slightly dry and stuck to the pan.  When it happens, I curse myself for not making it right.  I always want to be perfect the first time around, though in the end I will realize that if it doesn't turn out right, I can always make it again another time.  It's only eggs, flour, sugar, and butter, right?

The texture of chiffon cake has to be soft with tender crumbs.  With proper folding technique, there shouldn't be any dense part at the bottom, it should be springy when done baking.  As for the embellishment, it can beautify with painted with frosting or drizzled with sumptuous glaze, or it can left bare with a side of melty jam or compote in a bowl to eat with.  I chose the latter.  And why Marionberry jam?  Because it's currently my favorite jam to eat (the original recipe includes an easy rhubarb jam). This cake is good and the flavor is right so the only complain I have is that it bakes darker than my other chiffon cake recipes.

There's always a room for improvement in making chiffon cake and I hope I'll get a chance to do it soon.

Orange Chiffon Cake with Marionberry Jam

Serves 8 to 10

Cake:

1 1/2 cups cake flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

6 large eggs at room temperature, separated

1 3/4 cups sugar

2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

Pinch of cream of tartar

Homemade Marionberry jam or store-bought jam

Preheat the oven to 375F.  In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.  In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks with 1 1/2 cups of the sugar and the orange zest on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Gradually beat in the oil.  Working in batches, alternately fold in the flour mixture and the orange juice, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until very soft peaks form.  Add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and beat until firm, glossy peaks form.  Fold one-third of the whites into the cake batter until incorporated, then fold in the remaining whites just until blended.

Scrape the batter into a 10-inch tube pan with a removable bottom and lightly smooth the top.  Tap the pan once to release any air pockets.  Bake the cake in the bottom third of the oven for about 30 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly pressed.  Invert the cake pon onto a jar and let cool in the pan.

Run a thin metal knife between the cake the sides of the pan to loosen.  Invert the cake onto a cake plate and serve with the Marionberry jam.

Source:  Food and Wine, March 1998

Pretty in Pink Cake

My first attempt of making a naked cake and it turned out very, very pink!  I've always wanted to recreate this cake and this week seemed to be an appropriate week for a pink cake (*hint: Valentine's Day is this Sunday).

I've made this cake with the original fruit, which was strawberry, back when I just starting to blog.  Everything was so new and I was still in the process of learning how to bake and how to style my food so it would look good presentation wise.  In fact, I found the photo, which inspired me to make it again.  Here it is:

That photo was an embarrassment to my existence!  I don't know why I missed so many no-no's with food back then but I guess somewhere, sometime, I had to learn, right.  It was taken by a small Sony digital camera that ceased to function a few years ago, and it was my first digital camera.  Anyway, I honestly couldn't remember how the cake tasted at the time so by making it again I hope I can reacquaint my love for the cake.

It is basically a chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting with the addition of strawberry preserves and decorated simply with fresh strawberries.  This time around, it is raspberry preserves with fresh raspberries and I swapped semisweet baking chocolate with a bittersweet one.  I did take out some of the sugar measurement out from the icing because I thought 2 cups was going to be too sweet for my taste.  And I was glad I did.  The raspberry preserves is a homemade one because my preserves is the best 😝.  I decorated the cake with simple decoration of frosting and fruit because I like this look the best with a naked cake.  In the end, I fell in love with the cake again!

Pretty in Pink Cake

Serves 4

Schnappy Chocolate Cake

2 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted

2 ounces (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-ounce pieces

3/4 cup all-purpose flour plus 3 teaspoons

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 tablespoon Wilderberry schnapps

Pretty in Pink Icing

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-ounce pieces

6 ounces cream cheese, cut into 1-ounce pieces

1/2 cup raspberry preserves

4 to 5 drops red food color

Make the cake:  Preheat the oven to 350F.  Lightly coat the insides of three 6 x 2-inch aluminum cake pans, using the melted butter.  Flour the insides of each pan with 1 teaspoon flour.  Shake out and discard the excess flour.  Set aside until needed.

Melt the chopped chocolate and the 2 ounces butter in the top half of a double boiler, or in a small glass bowl in a microwave oven and stir until smooth.

In a sifter combine the 3/4 cup flour, the cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.  Sift onto a large piece of parchment or wax paper and set aside.

Place the granulated sugar and the eggs in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle.  Beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes until the mixture is frothy and slightly thickened.  Add the chocolate and butter mixture and mix on medium to combine, about 15 seconds.  Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Operate the mixer on low while gradually adding the dry ingredients; mix until incorporated, about 45 seconds.  Add the schnapps and mix on low for 10 seconds.  Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to finish mixing the ingredients until thoroughly combined.  Immediately divide the cake batter among the prepared pans (about 2/3 cup of batter in each pan) and spread evenly (the batter is very thick, so this will take a bit of spreading).

Bake on the center rack of the oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake layers comes out clean, 15 to 16 minutes (do not overbake).  Remove the cake layers from the oven and cool in the pans for 15 minutes at room temperature.  Invert the cake layers onto cake circles or cake plates, then immediately turn the cake layers side up again.  

Make the icing:  Sift the confectioners' sugar onto a large piece of parchment or wax paper.  Set aside.

Place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle.  Mix on low speed for 1 minutes, increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes until soft.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle.  Beat on medium for another 2 minutes.  Add the confectioners' sugar and mix on lowest speed to combine, about 1 minutes.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle.  Now beat on medium for 10 seconds.  Transfer the butter and sugar mixture to a small bowl.

Place the cream cheese in the same bowl.  Mix on low speed for 1 minute, then increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes until soft.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle.  Beat on medium for another 2 minutes until very soft.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle.  Add the raspberry preserves and beat on medium for 1 minute.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add the butter and sugar mixture and beat on medium for 10 seconds.  Add the food color and beat for 15 seconds.

Assemble the cake:  Use a cake spatula to spread 3/4 cup of icing evenly and smoothly over the top and to the edges of the 2 cake layers.  Stack the iced layers, then top with the remaining cake layer.  Gently press the layers into place.  Spread the remaining icing over the top and sides of the cake using a combination of spatula and bench scraper.  Wipe excess frosting back into the bowl.  The cake is essentially getting a crumb coating so it will look naked.  If you want to make dollops of frosting on top of the cake, use a 1/2" plain tip and a French tip like I did.

Refrigerate the cake before cutting and serving. 

Source:  adapted from Celebrate with Chocolate by Marcel Desaulniers

Apple-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

Hiya....how's it going?  It's been a while since I've posted anything here.  After Christmas baking, I felt that I needed to take a break from going on like an Energizer bunny with sweets.  So I chilled out.  I enjoyed my Christmas break, spent time with my family but also finished all the cookies that were in the freezer.  It was a time well spent and I always believe that's what Christmas time is supposed to be; just hanging out with family and not worry about blogging or anything else.

My son is also is finishing his 8th grade this year so my time consequently is channeled towards school activities.  I can't believe he's grown so much, physically and mentally; a part of me is still wishing that he's about a year old.  That's why I kept his baby photo for my phone's wallpaper :D

About a couple of weeks ago, I slowly started to bake again.  I really wanted to recreate recipes that were posted in old blog but it's a slow going.  I've made some steamed cake--Indonesian style--which didn't turn out quite the way I wanted it to be so that needs a redo.  But I do have this cake which I made just before the break.  It's a Bundt cake--my favorite--that has cream cheese filling, apples and pecans.  Just sort of the cake which is so comforting in the winter time to be paired with warm drinks.  There's a lot of Bundt cake recipe that incorporates cream cheese filling nowadays that I think you've seen this one before.  No matter, I do love the cake and will share the recipe here.

Apple-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

Makes 12 servings


Cream Cheese Filling:
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Apple Cake Batter:
1 cup finely chopped pecans
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups peeled and finely chopped Gala apples (about 1 1/2 lbs.)

Praline Frosting:
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar


Prepare filling:  Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended and smooth.  Add egg, flour and vanilla; beat just until blended.

Prepare batter:  Preheat oven to 350.  Bake pecans in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.  Stir together 3 cups flour and next 7 ingredients in a large bowl; stir in eggs and next 3 ingredients, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.  Stir in apples and pecans.

Spoon two-thirds of apple mixture into a greased and floured 14-cup Bundt pan.  Spoon Cream Cheese Filling over apple mixture, leaving a 1-inch border around edges of pan.  Swirl filling through apple mixture using a paring knife.  Spoon remaining apple mixture over Cream Cheese Filling.

Bake at 350F for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool cake in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (about 2 hours).

Prepare frosting:  Bring 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter, and 3 Tbps. milk to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly; boil 1 minute, whisking constantly.  Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.  Gradually whisk in powdered sugar until smooth; stir gently 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture begins to cool and thickens slightly.  Pour immediately over cooled cake.


Source:  adapted heavily from Southern Living, November 2015

Chocolate Sprinkles Cake with Fluffy Chocolate Ganache Frosting

My son just had a birthday this week and this was the cake I made for him.  I've been super busy with everything in my life right now that I was glad that he wasn't fussy about how his birthday went.  As long as he got his favorite food for dinner (sushi!), some cool presents (like a Nerf gun!), and a cake (homemade by his momma!), he's contend.  I tell you, birthday celebration for a teen boy is so much simple.  I like how mellow it is with no drama whatsoever!

Anyway, this cake's inspiration came from looking at funfetti cake.  I asked my son what kind of cake he wanted.  He said anything will do as long as it is a chocolate cake.  And so I bargained with him that I would make the frosting chocolate but the cake yellow with chocolate sprinkles in it.  The chocolate sprinkles that I used wasn't the regular jimmies, but the one that's made from real chocolate.  As someone who was born in Indonesia, I'm used to eat chocolate sprinkles in sandwich bread.  The origin of eating this type of food came from the Dutch, who occupied Indonesia for quite some time and brought their eating habits to Indonesia.  The chocolate sprinkles is called hagelslag, which means hailstorm; and I think the name fits very well.  Chocolate hails sandwich is such a comfort food!   The way the sandwich is prepared is to slather bread slices heavily with butter so the sprinkles will stay put.  Although my son was born here, it's a habit that he's acquired since I've served to him from time to time.  To see which chocolate sprinkles to use, see here.

My husband teased me endlessly about the appearance of this cake, saying that the chocolate sprinkles creates a pattern like ants in the cake, but of course the cake tastes nothing like it!  I think it's simple, elegant, manly enough, and not too mention very delicious.  The texture of the cake is tender with tight crumbs allover and the frosting is equally rich and delectable.  I'm happy that I made this cake for my son because it's perfect for him.

Chocolate Sprinkles Cake with Fluffy Chocolate Ganache Frosting

Makes one 8-inch, 2-layer cake


For the cake
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup nonfat buttermilk
3/4 cup real chocolate sprinkles or hagelslag

For the fluffy chocolate ganache frosting
12 ounce semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract


Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 350F.  Butter and flour two 8-inch round cake pans.

To make the cake:  Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes, or until light and fluffy.  Stop the mixer a few times and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and paddle to release any clinging butter or sugar.

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla just until combined.  On low speed, slowly pour the egg mixture into the butter mixture and mix just until incorporated.  Scrape the bowl and paddle again, then beat on medium speed for 20 to 30 seconds, or until the mixture is homogenous.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  On the lowest speed, add about one-third of the flour mixture to the egg-butter mixture and mix just until barely combined.  Immediately pour in about half of the buttermilk and continue to mix on the lowest speed until the buttermilk is almost thoroughly incorporated.  Stop the mixer and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl well.  Again on the lowest speed, add about half of the remaining flour mixture and mix just until barely combined.  Add the rest of the buttermilk and mix just until combined.  Be careful not to overmix.

At this point, it is best to finish the mixing by hand.  Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and using the rubber spatula, fold in the remaining flour mixture and the chocolate sprinkles just until the batter is homogenous.  As you fold, be sure to incorporate any batter clinging to the sides and bottom of the bowl.  Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the cakes spring back when pressed in the middle with a fingertip.  Let cool completely in the pans on wire racks.

To make the ganache frosting:  While the cake layers are cooling, put the chocolate in a medium heatproof  bowl.  In a small saucepan, scald the cream over medium-high heat (bubbles start to form around the edge of the pan, but the cream is not boiling).  Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit for about 1 minute, then slowly whisk together the chocolate and cream until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth.  Let sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours, or until completely cool.  (Or refrigerate the ganache until cool, about 30 minutes, whisking every 10 minutes.)

Fit the stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat the butter on medium-low speed for 10 to 15 seconds, or until smooth.  Add the confectioners' sugar, salt, and vanilla and continue to beat on medium-low speed for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture is fluffy and smooth.  Stop the mixture a few times and use a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl and the paddle to release any clinging butter or sugar.  On medium speed, add the cooled ganache and beat for about 2 minutes, or until completely combined.  Stop and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.   Turn up the mixer speed to medium-high and beat for about 1 minute, or until the frosting lightens in color and thickens.  You should have 4 cups.

Remove the cooled cakes from their pans.  Using along, serrated knife, trim the top of each cake to level it.  Place one cake layer on a cake plate.  Spoon about 1 cup of the frosting on top and use an offset spatula to spread it evenly to the edges.

Carefully place the second cake layer, top side down, on top.  Spoon about 1 cup of the frosting on top and spread it over the top and down the sides of the cake, smoothing the frosting as well as you can and covering the entire cake with a thin layer.  If time permits, refrigerate the cake for 20-30 minutes to let the crumb coating set.  Spoon a heaping cup or so of the frosting on top of the cake, and spread it evenly across the top and down the sides.  If desired, spoon any remaining frosting into a pastry bag and decorate the cake as you like.

The cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.


Source:  adapted from Flour by Joanne Chang