Orange Cardamom Cake

A beautiful flavor combination, orange and cardamom. I like to bake with cardamom when I can, it reminds me of my grandmother. I have great memories of being in her kitchen on a summer morning eating sourdough pancakes and aebleskivers.

3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1½ tsp salt
1½ tsp cardamom
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup milk
1 cup butter, room temp
1½ cups sugar
1 Tbl orange zest
4 eggs, room temp
1 Tbl vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°. Liberally spray a bundt pan with non-stick spray and dust with flour. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom, set aside. In measuring cup, stir together orange juice and milk, set aside.

In large bowl of mixer, cream butter, sugar, and orange zest. Mix in eggs, one at a time, add vanilla and mix until all is well incorporated. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with the orange juice & milk. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated.

Pour cake batter into prepared bundt pan, spread evenly. Bake 40-45 minutes, until pick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pan on cooling rack for 15 minutes. Invert and cool completely on cooling rack. Drizzle with orange glaze (recipe below).

1½ cups powdered sugar
3-4 Tbl orange juice
Whisk together to desired consistency and drizzle over cake.

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Glazed Old fashioned Donut Cake

I was so mad at my Bundt pan! Refused to use it again, definitely close to buying a new one. OK, it was probably my fault, I did spray it but should have also dusted with flour. I made a banana bread recipe that you bake in a Bundt pan. When I turned it over, half of the cake came out and the top half we ate out of the pan…delicious but ugly. Today I decided to give the Bundt another chance. I love love love donuts, so why not a giant donut. I also love nutmeg and nutmeg is the dominant flavor, besides the tender vanilla cake and drizzled glaze. Everything came out to my satisfaction, so the Bundt pan was lovingly washed and put in it’s place in the cupboard. All is well.

Cake:
1 cup butter, softened
1½ cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3½ cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk

Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 12- to 15-cup Bundt pan with baking spray and dust with flour. Beat butter and sugar in stand mixer using paddle attachment until fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating until just combined after each addition. Spoon batter into prepared pan; gently tap on counter 3 to 5 times to release air bubbles.

Bake about 50 minutes, until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan on wire rack 15 minutes. Invert cake out of pan onto a cutting board or platter, then gently flip cake back over so rough side is facing up. Let cool on wire rack completely, about 1 hour. Whisk together powdered sugar and water in a medium bowl until smooth. Brush over cooled cake. Recipe from southernliving.com

Apple Cinnamon Snack Cake

We just needed some cinnamon comfort food tonight.

Cake Batter:
2½ cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
1¼ cups sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tsp vanilla
2 medium granny smith apples, peeled, cut into small pieces

Cinnamon Filling:
2 Tbl sugar
2 Tbl brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbl butter, melted
2 Tbl milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 350°. Spray 13”x9” pan with non-stick spray. In small bowl, combine ingredients for cinnamon filling, set aside. In another small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt, set aside. In large bowl, cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar with electric mixer. Add eggs, sour cream, and vanilla, mix until combined. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture and mix just until combined.

Spoon 2/3 of batter into pan, spread evenly. Sprinkle chopped apple pieces evenly all over the batter. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar filling evenly over apples. Drop tablespoon size amounts of remaining batter evenly over cinnamon filling.

Bake 35 to 45 minutes until pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely. In small bowl, stir glaze ingredients until smooth. Drizzle over cake.

Single Layer Chocolate Cake

This is recipe #2 of kingarthurflour.com Best Basic Recipe Collection. So easy to stir it together, bake, frost and serve right from the pan. Simple, simple! The one thing I would change next time I make this, is to make half the amount of icing. As you can tell from the photo there is plenty of frosting!

Cake
1½ cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp espresso powder, optional
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbl vinegar
1/3 cup oil
1 cup cold water

Icing
1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup half-and-half

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8″ square or 9″ round pan that’s at least 2″ deep. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk the vanilla, vinegar, vegetable oil, and water in a separate bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients, stirring until thoroughly combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs clinging to it.

Serve the cake right from the pan; warm from the oven, it’s wonderful with a big glass of milk. Or, once cool, frost the cake with this simple chocolate frosting: Heat the chocolate chips with the half-and-half until the chips melt. Stir until smooth, and pour/spread over the cake. For a non-dairy icing, substitute 1/3 cup cold brewed coffee (or water) for the half-and-half.

Chocolate Turtle Bundt Cake

This cake makes a statement!

Chocolate Cake:
1 pkg chocolate cake mix
1 small pkg instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbl caramel ice cream topping

Milk Chocolate Drizzle & Toppings:
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1 Tbl shortening
caramel ice cream topping
pecans, chopped
mini chocolate chips
toffee bits

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl with electric mixer, combine cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs and water. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour batter into a well sprayed bundt pan. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake in pan at least 15 minutes before inverting onto wire rack to cool completely. Transfer to serving plate.

In a bowl with electric mixer, whip cream cheese. Mix in powdered sugar one cup at a time. Add caramel and mix well. Spoon into pastry bag with large tip and pipe back and forth around (completely cooled) cake. In small bowl, microwave milk chocolate chips and shortening until just tempered, just melted enough to drizzle (hot or too warm on the cream cheese caramel frosting would melt frosting). Drizzle the caramel topping all around the cake. Sprinkle with pecans, mini chocolate chips and toffee bits. Inspired by chefintraining.

Cinnamon Babka

This is a rich buttery yeast bread (almost cake or dessert), full of cinnamon flavor. It’s not hard to make, just takes a little time, and so worth the wait!

Babka Dough
1/2 cup whole milk (heat to 110°)
1½ tsp yeast
1/4 cup sugar
2 egg yolks (reserve egg whites, 1 for filling & 1 for top of loaf)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tbl butter, softened

Cinnamon Filling
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
2 Tbl butter, melted and cooled
1 egg white
2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt

In bowl of mixer with dough hook, pour heated milk. Sprinkle yeast over milk, sprinkle sugar over yeast, and let sit until yeast is activated and bubbly. Add egg yolks, egg, and vanilla; mix. Add flour and salt; mix about 3 minutes. Increase mixer speed to medium and softened butter in pieces, one piece at a time. Mix until butter is incorporated and dough smooth, about 5 minutes. Turn dough out into a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until at least doubled (probably about 2 hours).

Mix cinnamon filling ingredients and set aside. Turn risen dough out onto well floured surface. Using enough flour so dough doesn’t stick, roll out into a 12″x16″ rectangle. Gently spread cinnamon filling evenly over surface of dough. Roll up starting from short side and pinch seam. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut all the way down the center of your dough cylinder (use flour on knife to help keep from sticking). Turn both halves of dough so filling is facing up. Twist one half over the other starting in the middle to the end (keeping cut edges facing up) and twist other end from center to the end. Tuck ends under and loaf together to length of loaf pan. Liberally grease loaf pan and carefully lift loaf into pan. Cover and let rise about 1½ hours.

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly beat the one reserved egg white until frothy. Gently brush over risen loaf and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar if desired. Bake about 45 minutes. Cool in pan on cooling rack about 20 minutes, remove from pan and cool completely for clean, neat slices.

  

  

Brick Street Cafe Chocolate Cake

I am hoping to visit South Carolina someday, but for now I will settle for a big chocolate taste of the South. The Brick Street Cafe is in Greenville, SC and is famous for their cakes and pies. This recipe is said to be their cake named “The Best Chocolate Cake I’ve Ever Had”, it is definitely fudgy, chocolatey amazing!

Cake:
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
3 large eggs
2½ cups cake flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°. Liberally spray a bundt or tube pan. In large bowl with electric mixer, cream butter and sugar.  Mix in vanilla and eggs. Add cake flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and buttermilk; mix thoroughly. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake 30 minutes, turn oven heat down to 325° and bake 30-40 minutes more. Test with cake tester. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Invert onto cooling rack and cool completely.

Chocolate Fudge Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup unsweetened cocoa
3½ cups powdered sugar
2-4 Tbl heavy cream

In sauce pan over medium heat, melt and stir together butter, water, and vanilla. Remove from heat and stir in cocoa. Stir in powdered sugar. Stir in cream one tablespoon at a time, to achieve a creamy yet pour-able frosting to spread over top of cake and run slowly down the side and puddle. There is a lot of frosting, you can put half on and wait a bit for that to set up and then pour the remaining over frosting over (microwave the remaining frosting a few seconds to get it liquid enough to pour).

Sensible Chocolate Cake

Happy National Chocolate Cake Day! If you didn’t know it, now you do, get out there and eat chocolate cake! Here’s my problem, I live in a small household now (less eaters), I have very little self-control, and I love to bake! It is a problem! Well, this cake recipe helps a little. If you make things smaller then there is less to eat, so very sensible. So, while you are out today looking for chocolate cake, go buy yourself two 6″ round cake pans and we’ll make smaller cakes together. It’s the sensible thing to do.

Chocolate Cake
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350°. With electric mixer, cream butter and brown sugar. Mix in egg and vanilla. Add flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, sour cream, and milk. Mix until all ingredients are whipped together. Divide batter evenly into two sprayed and floured 6″ round baking pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting.

Nutella Buttercream Frosting
4 Tbl butter, softened
1/3 cup Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread)
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3-4 Tbl milk

With electric mixer, whip butter and Nutella. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and milk one tablespoon at a time to desired frosting consistency. Spread frosting on top of first cake layer, place second layer over frosting and frost sides and top of cake.

Chocolate Snack Cake

This is a quick fix recipe for a moist, rich chocolate cake. It’s a great recipe for a 9″x9″ pan for times when you don’t need a full size cake. Throw in some mini chocolate chips and chopped nuts, slather with your favorite frosting, or dive right in and enjoy as is! Another favorite for a 13″x9″ size is Dark Chocolate Snack Cake.

1¾ cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
1 egg
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, optional
1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350°. In large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together milk, oil, egg, vinegar, and vanilla. Pour milk mixture into dry ingredients and whisk together until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts if using. Pour batter into sprayed 9″x9″ square baking pan (can sprinkle some chocolate chips and nuts on top too). Bake 30-35 minutes until center is done.

One Year Ago: Cornbread Yeast Rolls

Two Years Ago: Mississippi Mud Cake

Three Years Ago: Peanut Butter Cake with Fudge Frosting

Four Years Ago: Maple Apple Pie

Banana Snack Cake

With, how to use over-ripe bananas and make something sugar-free for my honey, as the question…this is the answer. It’s a healthy, sugar-free, low-calorie, moist, flavorful banana snack cake. Yes, my husband chooses not to eat sugar. You might be wondering how a sugaraholic/chocoholic gal and a sugar-free guy are married and work things out? Well, things are pretty good, we have it worked out and it will be 30 years in April. I eat as much sugary/chocolatey sweets as he eats tortilla chips…it’s magical!

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener
2 eggs
1¾-2 cups mashed ripe banana
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup wheat flour
1 cup old fashioned oats
1½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup coconut (it is sweetened, a tiny cheat)
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350°. In large bowl with electric mixer, cream butter, applesauce, and Equal. Mix in eggs, mashed banana, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add flour, wheat flour, oats, baking soda, and salt; mix just until combined. Fold in coconut and chopped nuts. Pour cake batter into sprayed 9″x13″ baking pan. Bake 25-30 minutes. Cool. Cut into 20 servings, approx 180 calories per serving. It is a very moist, flavorful, healthy cake!

The I don’t care about healthy, no sugar and calories version:
*Omit applesauce and add 1 cup butter total
*Replace Splenda with sugar
*Omit wheat flour and add 2 cups all-purpose flour total
*Add 1 cup chocolate chips
*Frost with Buttercream or Cream Cheese Frosting
*Please don’t be fooled that making these changes keeps the calorie count per serving at 180. ;o)

One Year Ago: Dark Chocolate Heaven Cake

Two Years Ago: Caramel Filled Peanut Butter Brownies

Three Years Ago: Quick Dinner Muffins