Hummingbird Cake

When planning brunch for Mother's Day, I was flipping through my Savannah Desserts cookbook, looking for something that would catch my eye. I wanted something decadent but not heavy and something that I could imagine Paula Deen serving me. Sure enough, this Hummingbird Cake caught my eye. You know, women sometimes are given a hard time for having a sweet tooth, but in my experience, that applies more to chocolate. It is the men I have known who really like their sugar, and this cake has plenty of it.

This is a different style of cake, very dense and moist, almost more like the texture of banana bread. The pineapple, banana, and oil make it so tender, and the pecans vary the texture of the cake. Next time, I might roast the pecans to deepen the flavor even more. The whole thing is topped off with a sugary cream cheese frosting. This sure was a big hit, and it went so well with the overall theme of the brunch.

Hummingbird Cake
source: Savannah Rum Runners Bakery in Savannah Classic Desserts by Janice Shay

Ingredients
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 (11 oz) can crushed pineapple, with juice (I used an 8 oz can.)
2 cups diced bananas
2 cups pecans (I had 1 1/2 cups, which was plenty)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Icing:
1 8 oz package cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar (I ended up only using 3 1/2 cups.)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350-degrees F. Butter two 9-inch cake pans.

To make the cake, combine the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder in a large bowl. Mix until well-blended with a wire whisk. Add the eggs and oil and stir with a wooden spoon until moist. Add the pineapple, bananas, pecans, and vanilla. Stir until well-blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
Bake for 25 minutes (Mine took closer to 35), or until a tester inserted near the center of one of the cakes comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert onto racks and remove the pans. Finish cooling before frosting.

To make the icing, beat the cream cheese and vanilla until very soft. Add the confectioners' sugar gradually, beating until fully blended and a soft spreading consistency has been reached. Add a little milk if necessary to achieve a spreading consistency. Spread over the top of one layer. Set the second layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake.

Tres Leches Flan Cake

We had our housewarming party last Saturday, and I wanted to make a cake that was slightly different, would stand out, and did not require any artistic decorating. Cue the bundt pan and this recipe that I've had squirreled away since last September. This was the perfect time for it. I was worried that it wouldn't come out okay, but it worked absolutely beautifully and everyone loved it.

Yes, that is cake with a layer of flan on top. The cake is deliciously moist, and the flan is a nice textural contrast to the cake. This will impress everyone at your next gathering and doesn't require too much extra effort. Be sure to pour the flan mixture slowly down the side of the pan so it sinks to the bottom. My cake came out of the pan as soon as I flipped it over; I didn't have to wait for it to warm to room temperature.

Tres Leches Flan Cake
source: Joelen's Culinary Adventures

Ingredients

Cake:
1 (18.25 oz.) box butter/yellow cake mix and ingredients to prepare as directed on box
1 (12 oz) can of regular Coke or Pepsi

Topping:
1 (10.9 oz) jar of cajeta or caramel ice cream topping

Flan:
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Follow instructions to make cake, but use the can of coke instead of water. Set cake mix aside and make flan by putting the flan ingredients in a blender and mixing well.

Spray the bundt pan with Pam and then cover the bottom with caramel

Pour cake mix into bundt pan.

Pour the flan mix gently down one side of the pan. The flan will go to the bottom and the cake mix will raise up a bit as the flan mixture fills the bottom of the pan.

Set the bundt pan in a larger pan or tray with water. (I used a roaster.) You are creating a double boiler, but you only need a couple inches of water.

Put it all in the oven and it will cook for at least 45 minutes and as much as an hour.

Check the cake doneness with a toothpick. The cake will stay more moist than most cakes you've ever made and you will see it separate a bit from the pan when it is done.

Let is cool and refrigerate for several hours.

Take it out two hours before you plan to serve. Turn the bundt pan over and let it sit while warming to room temperature.

The bundt pan should then lift off to reveal a layer of flan, topped with caramel sitting atop a very moist cake.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Strawberry Coulis

I am not the most visual-artistically talented person ever, so when it comes to decorating cakes or cupcakes, I tend to keep it simple. This also explains my love for my bundt pan which turns out cakes impressive enough to elicit sighs of approval but doesn't require a lot of work on my part.

This was the dessert I brought for our church supper club yesterday to finish off a classic cook-out meal with burgers, veggie kebabs, potato salad, and green salad. I wanted to make something light but still indulgent. May just does not seem like the time to be making heavy chocolate tortes.

Pound cakes allegedly got their name because they required a pound of sugar, pound of flour, and pound of butter. All those pounds sound so heavy, but this cake was dense without being heavy. The flavor of the cream cheese and butter was enhanced by the strawberry coulis (which, as I told everyone, basically is "fancy" for pureed strawberries).

Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Strawberry Coulis
source: Smitten Kitchen via Annie's Eats

Ingredients

for the cake:
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 (8 oz.) package Philadelphia cream cheese, at room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt

for the coulis:
2 cups quartered, hulled strawberries (about 12 oz.)
1/4 cup water
3 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Preparation

To make the cake, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour a bundt pan or tube pan (line the bottom with parchment if using a tube pan). Combine the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl. Beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar, increase the speed to high, and beat until light and airy, at least 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts. Add in the flour and salt and mix until just incorporated.

Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, about 75 minutes. Place the pan on a wire rack and allow to cool for about 20 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and allow to cool completely. Serve at room temperature.

To make the strawberry coulis, combine the strawberries, water, sugar and lemon juice in a food processor or blender. Puree until very smooth, then press through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds. (I did not remove the seeds. No one seemed to mind.) Cover and refrigerate until cold. Serve with slices of pound cake.

Chocolate Guinness Cake and Valentine's Day Menu

For the past several years, Joe and I have passed on expensive dinners out on Valentine's Day in lieu of making something nice at home. Last year's Valentine's Day ended at the pet neurologist with a half-paralyzed cat, so we were hoping that this year would be a little better. I planned out a menu but neglected to take pictures of anything except the cake before we polished it off.

Valentine Day's Menu
Pan-seared bay scallops over linguine with a tomato cream sauce
Roasted Asparagus
Garlic Cheddar Biscuits
Becker Vineyards Viognier
Chocolate Guinness Cake

Since I had some Guinness leftover from the Guinness Beef Stew, this cake that popped up on Annie's Eats blog seemed like a natural choice. I had actually been debating between several desserts including a chocolate chunk bread pudding with Kahlua in it, but there is something about a cake that seemed nice for Valentine's Day. It turned out so moist and flavorful. The Guinness-chocolate combination is incredible, and the frosting complemented it nicely.

I had a few minor problems: I don't have a springform pan, so I used a regular 9-inch cake pan, and it overflowed in the oven. Nothing caught fire though. I also took it out a little early, and the center sank a bit, though it was nothing a little frosting couldn't fix!

Chocolate Guinness Cake
source: Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
For the cake:
1 cup Guinness beer
10 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 cups superfine sugar
3/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking soda

For the frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese (no need to soften)
5 tbsp. butter, softened
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour the sides of a 9-inch round springform pan, and line the bottom with parchment paper. In a small saucepan, combine the Guinness and butter. Heat over medium heat until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat. Whisk in the cocoa powder and sugar.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the sour cream, eggs and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until well combined. Add the Guinness mixture to the bowl and mix until incorporated. In a small bowl, sift together the flour and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of the mixer and mix on low speed until just incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes back clean. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Once cooled, remove the sides of the pan.

To make the frosting, combine the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer. Cream on medium-high speed. Add the powdered sugar to the bowl in batches, beating on low until just combined and then on high speed until desired consistency is reached. For a stiffer icing, add more powdered sugar. Frost cooled cake as desired.

Christmas Rum Cake

This is my last Christmas dinner post, and I saved the best for last. This cake took the cake. Everyone took a bite and started moaning. My mom was talking about it for days afterward. It's a winner. And there should be no worries about it being too soggy or dry. It's the exact perfect amount of moistness for a rum cake.

Just a few warnings: I made this cake a day ahead of time, and I think that was the perfect amount of time for the glaze to get soaked into the cake. You may risk it being a little on the soggy side if you make it right before serving.
Also, I don't think the rum in the glaze gets hot enough for the alcohol to evaporate, so you might want to check everyone's IDs before serving.
Grease the pan really well. I had a few issues with the pecan topping sticking to the bottom of the bundt pan.

Other than that, this cake is really worth your time and will be enjoyed by all at your next adult gathering!

Pioneer Woman’s Mother-in-Law’s Christmas Rum Cake

source: The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Cake:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 small package INSTANT vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup rum (dark or light is fine)
1 cup chopped pecans
Brown sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 325.
Grease and flour Bundt cake pan. Sprinkle nuts over bottom of pan. If desired, sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar over the nuts.
Mix all cake ingredients together.
Pour batter over nuts. Smooth out ’til the top is even.
Bake 1 hour, or a little less if the pan is black. Do not overbake!

Glaze:
While cake has ten minutes to go, make the glaze.

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup rum

Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in water and sugar. Boil 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Turn off flame and pour in rum. Stir to combine and reheat for 30 seconds.

Remove cake from oven. Immediately drizzle 1/3 of the glaze on the bottom (top) of the cake. Allow to sit for five minutes.

Invert the cake onto a serving plate. Prick surface a hundred times with a fork (gently, please.) Slowly drizzle remaining rum glaze all over the top of the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Cool to room temperature before serving to ensure glaze has soaked in.

Eat. Enjoy. And don’t feel guilty. It’s Christmastime!

Molton Spiced Chocolate Cabernet Cakes

After scoring some ramekins for cheap, this was the first thing I knew I wanted to make, and it ended up being the perfect end to a nice meal. I don't normally make dessert at night, so Joe knew this was a special treat! I halved the recipe to only make two cakes. This was deliciously spiced, and I love cooking with wine. It gave me a good excuse to open a bottle for dinner as well.

Molton Spiced Chocolate Cabernet Cakes
(source: Lovestoeat's Weblog)

Yield: 4 cakes

Ingredients:
4 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 tablespoon Cabernet Sauvignon or other red wine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
6 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Butter 4 (6-ounce) custard cups or soufflé dishes. Place on baking sheet.
2. Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwavable bowl on HIGH 1 minute or until butter is melted. Whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in wine, vanilla and confectioners’ sugar until well blended. Whisk in eggs and yolk. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour batter evenly into prepared custard cups.
3. Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until sides are firm but centers are soft. Let stand 1 minute. Carefully loosen edges with small knife. Invert cakes onto serving plates. Sprinkle with additional confectioners’ sugar. Serve immediately.

Gingered Fresh Pear Cake

I love bundt cakes. I really do. There's just something about them that makes me feel all warm and happy inside. Sure, they aren't as elegant as a layer cake, but bundt cakes remind me of church in the South and potluck suppers.

My best friend Abby and her boyfriend John came to town last week for a conference, and they stayed with Joe and me. Abby left behind four pears that were starting to get pretty sad looking. I couldn't bear to throw away good fruit, but I also knew that neither Joe nor I would eat them plain, so I figured baking with pears would be the perfect way to use them up. I started looking up recipes and found this one: a pear bundt cake that used ingredients I already had and with a slight exotic twist. Perfect!

I was a little worried that the batter was so runny, but the cake set perfectly. The crispy outside gives way to an incredibly moist inside, and the ginger flavor is not overpowering but just right. For serving this to guests, the whipped cream or fruit compote suggestion is good, but I think just a sprinkle of powdered sugar would be enough to gussy it up.


Gingered Fresh Pear Cake
source: southernfood.about.com

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups pureed pears, about 4 to 5 medium ripe pears
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup naturally sweetened applesauce
• 5 eggs
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Butter and generously flour a Bundt pan. Puree pears in a food processor. In a small bowl mix the pureed pears, vanilla, lemon juice, cinnamon, and ground ginger. Set aside. Heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan until butter is melted. Sift flour and baking powder.

With an electric mixer on medium-high, beat the eggs and brown sugar for 5 minutes, until pale and thick. Add milk and melted butter mixture while beating on low, then add the pear mixture and applesauce. Add the flour and baking powder, beating until just combined.

Pour batter into the prepared Bundt pan and bake for about 55 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Serve with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream or warm fruit compote.

Oct/Nov Recipe Exchange: Apple Scone Cake

I have to admit that I was not that excited when I got this recipe in my inbox. For one thing, I was really overwhelmed with schoolwork, and it just didn't appeal to me. I normally find scones too dry for my taste, and I haven't baked much with apples. As I looked closer though, I realized I had all of the ingredients in my pantry except for the apples, and that was easily solved. So I figured I would give it a go this Friday when I had the whole afternoon to myself.


As a warning, the dough is incredibly sticky, so be sure to flour your hands heavily when kneading. Also, this turned out to be amazingly delicious. The dough is soft and buttery, much more cake-like than scone-like, and the apples add so much to the taste. The dough was a little hard to spread, but believe me when I say this tastes a lot better than it looks.

Apple Scone Cake
source: Oct/Nov recipe exchange

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted chilled butter (cut into pieces)
1 egg
1/2 cup (minus 2 tbsp) milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 granny smith apple, thinly sliced
3 tbsp sugar
cinnamon to taste

Heat oven to 350-degrees and butter a 9-inch pie pan.
Mix dry ingredients and chop in butter until it looks like coarse meal. Mix together sliced apples, 3 tbsp sugar and cinnamon to taste. Mix together egg, milk, and vanilla. Stir into flour mixture - do not overmix. Then knead the dough 5 times. 1/2 the dough - press into the bottom of your pan and slightly up the sides. Then add in the apple mixture. Take the rest of the dough and drop biscuit it on top. Sprinkle with sugar and bake for 45 minutes.

YUMMY! :) Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

This is definitely better straight out of the oven or heated up.

Pumpkin Bundt Cake

After seeing this pumpkin bundt cake on Cate's blog, I knew it was something I had to make. Fortunately, our supper club for our church met this past Friday, and I was asked to bring dessert! I don't think I've ever been so excited to bring something. After debating other options, I chose this one, and it was perfect! It helped that the night was cool, and the couple's house where we met was decorated for Halloween, so the cake went along with the theme.


It also tasted fantastic. It was very moist, and the glaze added a lot aesthetically. Our rector was there and said if I wanted to get him a Christmas present, he would put in an order for another one of these cakes right now. So, I think it was a hit!

Pumpkin Bundt Cake
source: Cate's Kitchen

Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for greasing bundt pan
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice (I didn't have any so I used 1/2 tsp nutmeg and 1/2 tsp cloves) I followed Cate's lead with this substitution.
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin (from a 15-oz can; not pie filling)
3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs

For glaze:
2 T butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1-3 T cream or milk

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour bundt pan. Combine together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together pumpkin, buttermilk and vanilla in another bowl.

Beat butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes, then add eggs and beat 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and add flour and pumpkin mixtures alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until batter is just smooth.

Spoon batter into pan. Shake a few times to be sure to remove any bumps then bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 15 minutes, then invert rack over cake and reinvert cake onto rack. Cool 10 minutes more.

To make glaze, heat butter until melted. Stir in sifted powdered sugar. Mix in cream or milk 1 Tablespoon at a time until desired consistency. Drizzle over cake while it is on a wire rack so excess falls through.