Blueberry Bundt Cake with Lemon Glaze

1 cup of butter, room temperature

1 - 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

3/4 cup sour cream (or plain yogurt or buttermilk, or a combination of any of these)

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 - 2/3 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 - 1/2 cups blueberries

Mix first six ingredients in a stand mixer, beat well. Sift the flour and baking powder onto the creamed mixture. Don't mix it in yet. 

Carefully pour the blueberries on top of the flour, Gentle stir with a spoon until the blueberries are covered with flour (this will keep them from sinking to the bottom of the cake). Then stir all together until well mixed. 

Prepare the bundt pan. Use a piece of waxed paper to grease the pan, even if it has a non-stick coating. I use coconut oil. Pour out any excess oil. Dust the interior of the pan with granulated sugar. Don't forget the center column. Pour out excess sugar. I like using sugar rather that a dusting of flour, because the flour looks unattractive on the surface of the cake. Sugar, on the other hand, gives the cake's crust a bit of crunch. 

Spoon the batter into the pan, smoothing out the top. Bake at 350 F. for 45 minutes or until done. Remove pan from oven, let it rest on a rack for 15 minutes. Gently slide a spatula down the sides to loosen the cake, cover the pan with a serving plate and turn the whole thing over, releasing the cake. Let cool completely. 

Drizzle with Lemon Glaze: 1 - 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tbl. lemon juice, 1 tsp. vanilla. Stir well, add a tiny bit of milk to make the glaze liquid enough to pour.

A Quick and Delicious White Cake

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Lightly spray two round cake pans with Pam or equivalent.

Cream together:
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla

Sift together:
2 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture alternately with:
1 - 1/2 cups buttermilk

Beat well. Pour batter into pans. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until done. Let cool in pan for ten minutes, then turn out on rack to cool completely.

We love this with a tart lemon curd filling between the layers and a bit of cream cheese frosting on the top, then a sprinkle of finely chopped and toasted pecans. Other fruit fillings would also be good. Today I am going to try a thick strawberry jam.

Chocolate Frosting (Vegan!)

1 cup semi-sweet vegan chocolate chips
1/4 cup almond or coconut milk
2 tbl. coconut oil

1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar

Place chocolate chips, milk, and coconut oil in a bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Whisk until the chips have completely melted. Add remaining ingredients, whisking until smooth. You can add a bit more powdered sugar or milk, if needed.

Spread on cake immediately. If your cake is still cooling and the frosting thickens up too much, just microwave it for a few seconds to make it more spreadable.

Note: This frosting is the perfect topping for Cockeyed Cake, which is also vegan.

Pat and Mary's Buttermilk Poppyseed Cake

We had our first taste of this cake at our first annual Easter Campfire Breakfast and hope that Pat and Mary bring it to all the future ones. Here is what Pat has to say about the recipe: 

A little back story - we cut it out originally from some women's magazine and made it for maybe the last 20+ years for holidays, when raising kids became a daunting task, we modified it using box mixes. Unfortunately it did not make the trip to New Mexico [when they moved here from Massachusetts] so we adapted a similar recipe from myrecipe.com. 

Ingredients

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• About 1 cup (1/2 lb.) butter or margarine, at room temperature
• About 2 1/2cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (about 2 1/2 oz.) poppy seed
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Preparation

1. 1. Butter and flour-dust a 10-inch decorative tube pan.
2. 2. In a small bowl, mix poppy seed, buttermilk, and almond extract.
3. 3. In a deep bowl, beat egg whites with a mixer on high until foamy. Continue beating and gradually add 1/4 cup sugar. Beat until whites hold stiff, shiny peaks.
4. 4. In another bowl, using unwashed beaters, beat 1 cup butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar on high speed until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks and beat until well blended. Stir in poppy seed mixture.
5. 5. Mix 2 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
6. 6. Add dry ingredients to batter; beat slowly to blend. Mix at medium speed.
7. 7. Fold in beaten whites until blended.
8. 8. Mix 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Pour half the batter into pan. Sprinkle with half the cinnamon mixture. Add remaining batter and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon mixture. Holding a knife vertically, draw blade through batter around tube.
9. 9. Bake in 350° oven just until cake springs back when lightly pressed in center, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.
10. 10. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Invert cake onto a plate. Serve warm or cool.

Jeanne's Blueberry Coffee Cake

My knitting friend, Jeanne, brings this coffee cake to our winter knitting get-togethers. It's always such a hit that she brings along copies of the recipe to hand out.

2 cups sifted flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder

1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

Topping:
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups blueberries (if frozen, thaw and drain)

Sift flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder together.

In a large mixing bowl, cream sugars and oil, then add the eggs and beat well. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the sugar mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Pour the batter into a greased and floured 9" x 13" pan.

In another bowl, mix all the topping ingredients together and spoon on top of the batter.

Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Pecan Cake: A Good Way to Start a Diet

Have you read the book, Julie and Julia; 365 days, 524 recipes, 1 tiny apartment kitchen; by Julie Powell? At one point, Julie talks about the spectacular pecan cake she makes that everyone loves. When I went to the Internet to find the recipe, I found that I was not the only one who just had to make that cake after reading about it in luscious detail.

The full name of the recipe is Paul Prudhomme's Spiced Pecan Cake. We had a dinner party for eight last night and I made the cake for dessert.

Let me tell you a bit about it. First of all, nobody needs this cake! It is incredibly rich--beyond rich, needlessly rich. The cake itself has less than a cup of butter, only 3 egg whites, and no salt. I really wish that I had stopped there. As a matter of fact, I could have divided the recipe into thirds and baked a single, unfrosted layer. I think it might have been a hit that way, especially after a filling supper.

However, the frosting calls for 8 egg yolks, an incredible cup and a half of butter, and a total of five cups of sugar. I was so far into the spirit of the thing that I actually made that frosting. A tiny skimming of it might have been tasty, but I followed the directions and ladled the darn stuff onto the three layers of the cake. I could hardly lift the plate when it was done.

I had spent a part of the three previous days cracking and chopping pecans; sometimes alone, while listening to bluegrass and blues, and sometimes with the help of a friend. Of course, I could have bought the nuts already prepared, but we do live in a pecan orchard and I had these huge bags of pecans waiting in the freezer (just under the huge bags of hot green chiles!). The recipe calls for a total of four and a half cups--we gave up after four, which turned out to be more than ample. Way more, as was everything else about this monster of a cake.

The eight of us were able to eat less than half of the thing. I sent some home with some strong and willing guests. The rest of the thing is squatting on my kitchen counter, just waiting for some unwary fool to lift the cover.

It was a great way to start a diet. I don't think I ever want to eat again.

Sour Cream Spice Cake

• 2 cups sifted cake flour, sift before measuring
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons vinegar and sour cream to make 1 cup
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Optional: Substitute nutmeg, mace, and/or cardamon for the cloves and allspice

Optional: Add 1 cup of golden raisins

Sift dry ingredients. Mix and beat well the shortening, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Mix the vinegar and sour cream together in a measuring cup; add alternately with the sifted ingredients and beat until smooth. Add nuts and/or raisins and beat all until smooth.

Bake at 375〫in layer pans for 25 to 30 minutes, or in an oblong pyrex dish for 35 to 40 minutes.

Frost with the butter cream frosting of your choice.

The original version of this recipe came from Diana's Kitchen.

Poppy Seed Cake

From Bucksnort's ancient recipe box.

1 yellow cake mix

1 pkg. instant french vanilla pudding

4 eggs

1/2 cup oil (you may use butter-flavored oil, if you wish)

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup sherry

1/2 cup poppy seeds

Mix all well, beat until smooth. Bake in a greased angel food pan for one hour at 350〫

Wine Cake

From my mother's recipes.

1 yellow cake mix

3/4 cup cream sherry

3/4 cup oil

4 eggs

Mix together, beat well. Bake in an ungreased angel food cake pan at 325〫for 50 minutes.

Let cool for 10 minutes, loosen sides with a spatula, then invert the pan to remove the cake.

Poppy Seed Cake

I think that this recipe first came into fashion in the late 1950s when people were experimenting to see how they could gussy up those cake mixes so beloved by housewives of the day. I certainly remember our mom serving this cake proudly, and it was delicious (if you didn't mind the little seeds getting stuck in your teeth).

This version comes from Tastes of Our Town, a cookbook compiled in 1994 by the Ladies' Auxiliary of the Candia (NH) Volunteer Fire Department.

1 box yellow cake mix

1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix

4 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1 tsp. almond extract

1 cup hot water

4 tbl. poppy seeds

Mix all the ingredients together well. Pour into two greased loaf pans.

Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes. Remove cake from pans and put on racks with a plate underneath to catch the icing overflow. Now, poke holes in the cake.

Mix:

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp. almond extract

1 cup powdered sugar

Mix and pour over loaf cakes.

Jenn's Moist Chocolate Cake

Here's another of Jenn's wonderful cakes:

--1 and 3/4 cups Flour
--3/4 cup Cocoa Powder
--2 cups Sugar
--1 and 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
--1 and 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
--1 tsp Salt
--1 tsp Instant Coffee
--2 Eggs
--1 cup Milk
--1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
--2 tsp Pure Vanilla
--1 cup Boiling Water

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Sift dry ingredients into a bowl. In another bowl, mix all the wet ingredients except the boiling water. Combine the wet ingredients and the dry ingredients. Mix well. Slowly stir in the boiling water. Turn out into cake pan (Jenn says don't use an angel food cake pan because it won't work. She uses a spring ring). Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

Jenn's 7-Up Cake

My accounting coworkers are a bunch of bakers. The first week Jennifer was hired, she asked everyone in the company for birth dates. For each and every birthday, she brings in a homemade cake of some sort (even to those co-workers who don't deserve cake. Here is what happens every time: First, Jenn places a cake in the kitchen. Then, she sends out an email to the company that a cake is available in honor of So-and-so's Birthday. This email is immediately followed by the thundering sound of hurried footsteps. People run for Jenn's cakes! Finally, Jenn presents the accounting department with a second cake that is just for us. We eat.

Here's one of her recipes:

--3 cups Flour
--3 cups Sugar
--5 Eggs
--1 and 1/2 cups Butter (OR 1 cup Butter plus 1/2 cup Shortening)
--2 tsp Lemon Extract
--3/4 cup Lemon-Lime Soda

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine flour and sugar. Beat in one egg at a time. Add the butter, then the lemon extract, then lemon-lime soda. Turn the batter out into a cake pan (Jenn says the best is a Bundt cake pan). Bake for 60 to 75 minutes.

Boterkoek (Dutch Buttercake)

Tracking down "Dutch Cuisine" has proven difficult. For a people who eat very well, they have not contributed much to the larger food culture. The most distinct "Dutch food" that I've eaten has Indonesian origins, and as far as I can tell, the rest originated from my Oma (grandmother). The one and only Dutch cookbook that I've seen, The Netherlands Cookbook by Heleen A.M. Halverhout, was originally published in 1957. It's a tiny thing with a small number of meat-and-potatoes dishes and it rarely adventures beyond spicing with nutmeg and salt. The strongest flavoring is stubborn Dutch pride. When I saw that my mother was looking for my Oma's buttercake recipe, I looked in this cookbook. Here are the two versions:

--2 cups Flour
--1 cup Butter (REAL BUTTER!)
--1 cup Super-fine Sugar
--1 small Egg, beaten
--Pinch of Salt
--3 oz Candied Ginger, finely chopped (for version 1)
--2 cups Almond Paste (for version 2) (To make yourself, grind 2 cups Blanched Almonds, then mix in 1/4 cup Sugar, 1 Small Egg and the grated Peel of Half a Lemon. Grind once more.)

Version 1 (with Ginger): Knead flour, butter, sugar, half the beaten egg, salt and ginger into a smooth paste. Butter a pie pan of 1-inch deep and 8-inch diameter. Press the dough into it. Brush the rest of the egg on top of the dough and use the back of a knife to carve "decorations" into it. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 Degrees Fahrenheit. While still hot, press down the middle of the cake with the back of a spoon. When firm to the touch, turn out on wire rack. The cake should be soft on the inside and hard on the outside.

Version 2 (with Almond Paste): Knead flour, butter, sugar, the beaten egg, and salt into a firm ball. Divide in half. Butter a pie pan of 1-inch deep and 8-inch diameter. Press half the dough into it. Spread almond paste on top. Press the other half of the dough on top of that. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until golden brown, about an hour. Remove from pan and cool on rack.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

2 tbl. butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 can of pineapple slices in own juice (there will be leftovers)

4 maraschino cherries

1/3 cup pecan halves

1/3 cup shortening

1 - 1/4 cups sifted flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup juice from pineapple

1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel

1 egg

Melt butter in an 8" x 8" square pan. Add 1/2 cup brown sugar. Halve 4 pineapple slices; place them in the sugar mixture. Halve 4 cherries, place one piece in the center of each pineapple slice. Sprinkle with pecan halves. 

Stir shortening to soften. Sift flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the pineapple juice, lemon peel, and egg. Mix until all flour is dampened, then beat vigorously for 2 minutes. Pour batter over pineapple. 

Bake at 350˚ for 30 to 35 minutes or until done. Let stand for 10 minutes, then invert on plate and serve when cool. 

Another Carrot Cake Recipe

In my search for a carrot cake recipe without so much oil, I found the one below on The Foods I Crave. You could also try Carrot Sunflower Seed Cake.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 large eggs
2 cups grated carrot
1 1/2 cups canned crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut (optional)
1/3 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Cooking spray

Frosting:
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To prepare cake, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, coconut, pecans, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Combine oil and eggs; stir well. Stir egg mixture, grated carrot, and pineapple into flour mixture. Spoon batter into a 13 x 9-inch baking pan* coated with cooking spray. Bake for 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.

To prepare frosting, combine butter and cream cheese in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla just until smooth. Spread frosting over top of cake.

*Note: You can put the batter into two loaf pans and bake for 50-55 minutes

Boston Cream Pie

As any New Englander knows, Boston Cream Pie is actually a delicious cake. Here is how I make mine. Parts of this recipe come from About.com: Boston.

Bake a Hot Milk Sponge Cake in a 9-inch round pan. Remove from pan and cool. 

Split horizontally into two layers. 

Place the bottom layer on a serving plate. Spread with custard (below) or with vanilla pudding. Place the top layer over the filling. You may need to use some toothpicks to keep the top layer from sliding around. 

Glaze the top of the cake with chocolate glaze, below. Let a little drip down the sides. Chill before slicing. 

Custard:

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup milk
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Combine the cornstarch, sugar, milk, eggs, cream, vanilla extract, and salt in a saucepan. Whisk until smooth.

Bring the custard to a boil over moderate heat, whisking constantly. Continuing to whisk, let the custard boil for two minutes.

Remove from heat, and whisk in the butter. Set custard aside to cool, continuing to whisk occasionally.

Glaze:

• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

In a double boiler, melt together the chocolate, water, butter, corn syrup, and salt, stirring until smooth. Remove top of double boiler from heat.

Dump Cake

I got this recipe from my friend, Sandra, who always brings the best desserts to our knitting/crocheting group. This is a handy recipe for when you are going to a potluck. 

20-oz. can crushed pineapple, in its own juice

16-oz. can cherry pie filling

1 pkg. of yellow cake mix, dry

Butter

Dump the pineapple and cherry pie filling into a buttered oblong pyrex baking dish. Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the top. Dot with butter. 

Bake at 350 for about an hour.  

Penuche Frosting

Sandra tells me that this frosting is perfect on Better Than Sex Cake. That cake is just too rich for me (you can draw your own conclusions) but I am happy to send you to some recipes for it, here and here. Or you can put this frosting on my recipe for the very simple chocolate Cockeyed Cake.

Penuche Frosting

1 cup packed light brown sugar

8 tbl (1 stick) butter

1/4 cup whole milk

2 cups sifted powdered sugar

Place the brown sugar and butter in a medium size saucepan over medium heat. Simmer, stirring constantly, until well combined--about 2 minutes. Carefully pour in the milk, stirring, and bring the mixture to a boil. Remove from heat and cool slightly. 

Place the powdered sugar in your mixer bowl. Pour the brown sugar mixture over it. Beat on low speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 or 3 minutes. 

Use immediately while still warm to frost the cake. The frosting may harden while you are working with it--in this case, warm it up for a few seconds in the microwave. 

To use this frosting for the Cockeyed Cake, I would make just half a recipe. 

Gingerbread

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup light molasses

1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. soda

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup boiling water

Stir shortening to soften. Gradually add sugar, creaming until light and fluffy. Add egg and molasses; beat thoroughly. 

Sift together dry ingredients; add to molasses mixture alternately with boiling water, beating well after each addition. 

Bake in a well-greased 8" x 8" x 2" pan at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm. 

This is wonderful with warm applesauce (spiced or plain) spooned over it. 

Classic Butter Cupcakes

3 cups (12 1/4 ounces/350 grams) cake flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (8 fl. ounces/240 ml.) whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
8 ounces (2 sticks/225 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature 
2 cups (14 ounces/400 grams) granulated sugar
4 large egg yolks
4 large egg whites
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Cream the butter, add the sugar gradually and beat well. Add egg yolks and flavorings. Sift together the dry ingredients and add to sugar mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. 

Beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar. Fold gently into the cake batter. 

Pour into cupcake tins that are lined with cupcake papers. (After putting the papers into the cups, spray the flat top surface of the tin with nonstick cooking spray to make the cupcakes easier to release from the pan). 

Bake at 350 for 21-23 minutes. Cool on racks. Frost with a buttercream frosting of your choice. 

Note: A very elaborate and carefully explained version of this recipe appeared in the Atlantic Monthly, 2/9/09. You can read their extensive directions, if you wish. I decided to make only 24 cupcakes instead of the 28 they recommended, and all was well.