Easy Apple Cake

Oh my... this is heaven, I tell ya', heaven!

Besides a toothache, a few extra pounds and a sticky mess this Easy Apple Pie is divine.

As if a baked apple pie isn't good enough once this slice of heaven comes out of the oven you use a skewer to poke holes in the cake. Then, pour your brown sugar butter topping over the cake and watch it, and all if its wonderfulness, seep into the cake.

Bakerella suggested not using all of the sauce as she bathed her cake in brown sugar but I say bathe, baby bathe. The apple cake soaked it up wonderfully and each bite was bliss. We ate ours with vanilla ice cream as this is rather decadent (probably because of my need to pour all the topping) but absolutely divine and totally a fall dessert.

Apples, pumpkin, spices... oh, this is going to be a great baking season!


Easy Apple Cake
From: Bakerella

Ingredients

3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups oil
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups diced apples
1 cup chopped dates rolled in flour
1 cup chopped walnuts

Topping
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and cinnamon with a wire whisk and set aside.

Combine sugar and oil using a mixer until blended. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing until combined. Add flour mixture and mix well. Stir in nuts, dates and apples. The batter will be very thick.

Pour into a greased and floured 9x13 pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until done (I took mine out at 38 minutes).

Cool cake and using a skewer, poke holes in cake. Cook topping ingredients on stove until mixture bubbles. Pour topping over cake letting some (ha… more if you like) seep into the cake.

Nectarine and Strawberry Crisp

I hope you’re enjoying your summer! We’ve been enjoying some ridiculous amounts of glorious sunshine here in Vancouver so we’ve been busy BBQing, beaching and picnicking! With all of the delicious fruit in season, I’m trying my best to put a healthy twist on summer… thus, I give you the fruit crisp.

I love crisps of any kind. Apple in the fall, strawberry rhubarb in the spring, and any combo of fresh fruit in the summer. They're quick and easy to put together. The hardest part of making a crisp is waiting for it to come out of the oven!

This is a basic crisp recipe. You can use any combination of fruit that you'd like or have on hand. I used nectarines and strawberries and paired it with an addictive crumb topping. Naturally, it was absolutely delicious and with all that fruit, dare I say, it is verging on healthy.

Serve warm and top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.


Nectarine and Strawberry Fruit Crisp
Adapted from: Food Woolf

Ingredients

½ cup pecans
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
a pinch of salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 ripe nectarines, pitted and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup strawberries
¼ cup sugar
3 tablespoons unbleached flour
zest of one lemon, chopped fine

Directions

Preheat oven to 375° F.

For the Topping
Chop the pecans to a medium to fine consistency. Combine the flour, the sugars, the salt and spice in a mixing bowl. Add the chilled butter in pieces and mix with your fingers until it becomes mealy. Add the nuts and mix until the flour mixture holds together when squeezed. Put aside.

For the Crisp
Mix the fruit in a medium-sized bowl and then add the sugar. Taste and adjust for sweetness (don’t over sugar the fruit). Dust the flour over the mixture and stir gently. Spoon the topping into a small cooking dish that is just big enough to hold the fruit. Mound a small amount in the center of the dish. Then, gently add the crisp mixture on top. Lightly push the crumble on top of the fruit mixture.

Place a cookie sheet on the middle rack of the oven (to catch any overflow juices) and put the crisp dish on top. Bake in the oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and the fruit juices are thickened and bubbling. The delicious smell of baked fruit will help you know when it’s close to being ready. Serve with vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

Strawberries & Cream Cake

You can't go wrong with all of these ingredients. Ever. This recipe screams summer to me... and no, it's not summer yet, especially around here, but it didn't stop me from baking this for some lovely company in hopes that the warm season would hurry up.

This has the perfect combination of crumble, strawberries and cheesecake. This recipe suggests letting the cake chill in the  fridge for a least four hours before serving. I would definitely agree and even suggest chilling the cake overnight as I thought it tasted better the following day. Also, this cake calls for neufchatel cheese and if you live in Canada it doesn't get shipped here. Use 'Fromage Frais - Natural' instead or you could get away with a cream cheese filling, too. There are a few steps to this recipe but don't be put off by the long directions as it was an easy dessert to throw together and will be well worth all your effort.

This was so tasty! I'm wishing it wasn't all gone because I could really go for another slice right now! Enjoy!


Strawberries & Cream Cake
Adapted from: An Edible Mosaic

Ingredients

Oatmeal-Almond Crust:
2/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup almond meal/flour
1 tsp pure vanilla powder
1 1/2 sticks salted butter, melted

Strawberry Filling:
4 cups of fresh strawberries, washed, hulled, and sliced
2/3 cup sugar (more or less depending on your preference and how sweet your berries are)
3 TBL cornstarch dissolved in 4 TBL cold water
1 tsp lemon juice

Cream Filling:
8 oz Neufchatel cheese, at room temperature (I used Fromage Frais)
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
2 tsp lemon juice


Directions

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of the springform baking pan with butter. In a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients for the crust, then use a fork to mix the melted butter into the dry ingredients.  The mixture should have some lumps that are about the size of peas (you might find it easiest to use your hands to gently crumble the mixture until it has the right consistency). Pour about 2/3 of the crust mixture into the greased cheesecake pan and reserve the other 1/3 for the topping.  Use a glass to help you press the mixture down evenly in the pan (press just firmly enough so that the mixture is loosely compacted).  Bake the crust for 8 minutes.

Use a mixer to combine the Fromage Frais cheese and eggs (adding one egg at a time); then beat in the sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice until everything is just incorporated.  Pour the Fromage Frais mixture into the pre-baked crust and bake for 12-15 minutes (just until the cheese is starting to set).

In a medium pot over medium heat, simmer the berries, sugar, and 1/4 c water (covered) for about 10 minutes.  Dissolve the cornstarch in cold water and add it to the berries, stirring constantly.  Boil for about 2 minutes, then stir in the lemon juice.

Once the cheesecake is starting to set, remove it from the oven and spread the berry mixture on top; bake for 5 minutes.  Remove it from the oven and evenly sprinkle the remaining crust mixture on top of the berry layer.  Bake for another 15 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the sides are bubbling up.

Allow the cheesecake to cool completely to room temperature and then refrigerate for 4 hours before cutting and serving.

Pavlova with Lemon Curd and Berries

We had an early Mother's day celebration and as per my lovely mom's request, I made Pavlova (a dessert, I should note, that she is exceptional at making).

Pavlova is a meringue cake with a light, delicate, crisp crust and a soft sweet marshmallow center. It’s truly an exercise in varied textures. The crunch of the outside of the meringue contrasts with its marshmallow-like interior. This is achieved through slow and low cooking in the oven. The creamy tartness of the lemon curd plays off the firm sweetness of the fresh fruit topping. All of these components come together to make an enjoyable mouthful and a beautiful dessert.

Don't be put off by the long directions as it is mostly mixing. This dessert doesn't take too long to assemble and can easily be made a day or two before serving. Also, be sure to top of each piece with whipped cream – it tempers the sweetness of the meringue and adds a luxurious over-the-top richness. Enjoy!


Pavlova with Lemon Curd and Berries
Adapted from: Gourmet, April 2009

Ingredients

Meringue
1 cup superfine granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 large egg whites (at room temperature at least 30 minutes)
3 tablespoons cold water
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

Filling
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 fresh lemon juice
1/2 stick unsalted butter
3 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 cup heavy cream
4 cups mixed berries (I used sliced strawberries and some blackberries)

Directions

Make the Meringue
Preheat oven to 300° F. As a guideline, measure and draw out a 7-inch circle on a sheet of parchment paper. Then flip the paper over and place it on the baking sheet.

Whisk together superfine sugar and cornstarch. Then, get out your electric mixer and beat the egg whites and a pinch of salt on medium speed, until they hold soft peaks. Add the water. The whites will loosen, but don’t worry – just beat until they hold soft peaks again.

Crank up the speed to medium-high and beat in sugar mixture 1 tablespoon at a time. Then, after all sugar has been added, beat 1 minute more.

Add vinegar (this is what creates the marshmellow-effect) to the egg whites and beat at high speed until meringue is glossy and holds stiff peaks, about 3-5 minutes.

Spoon the meringue out onto the parchment, and gently spread inside (or slightly outside) the circle you drew on the parchment. Make the outside edge of the meringue slightly higher than the center, so there’s a crater to hold the curd and fruit. Bake for about 45 minutes, until meringue is pale golden and has a crust. The inside will still be gooey.

Then, turn the oven off and prop door open a little with a wooden spoon – let it cool in oven for 1 hour.

Lemon Curd
Lightly beat yolks in a small bowl to get them ready. In a saucepan, stir together sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon juice and butter. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, whisking, then continue to simmer, whisking constantly, 1 minute. (I turned off the heat at this point so I could concentrate on not curdling the eggs.) Carefully whisk 1/4 cup lemon mixture into the egg yolks. . . Then whisk in a little bit more, and finally, whisk the yolk mixture into the rest of the lemon mixture in the saucepan. Over low heat, cook a little longer, whisking constantly, until curd is thickened (about 2 minutes – do not let boil). Pour it into a small bowl, stir in zest, and chill, surface covered with parchment, until cool (about 1 1/2 hours). If you’re going to be short on time and/or stove space, this curd can be made up to 2 days in advance.

Putting the Pavlova Together
Beat the cream until it just holds stiff peaks, then fold about 1/4 cup whipped cream into curd to lighten it up. (Don't forget this step! You don't want the lemon to be too tart). Spoon the lemon curd into the meringue shell and spread it around, then mound berries on top. Serve the remaining whip cream on the side.

Cooks' notes:
For best results, keep oven door closed as much as possible during baking.
Meringue can be made 2 days ahead and frozen, wrapped well in plastic. Thaw before serving.
Curd can be made 2 days ahead and chilled.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie

What's better than a dessert that starts with a graham cracker crust, then a layer of caramel and pecans, lots of caramelized apples, topped with a layer of cheesecake, and finished off with whipped cream swirled with more caramel and pecans? Absolutely nothing!

This dessert was delicious, sweet, included all things wonderful and will definitely be made again!


Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie
Adapted from: Ezra Pound Cake

Ingredients

For the crust
1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
5 1/3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½-¾ cup caramel
1 cup chopped pecans

For the apple filling
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon. cinnamon
5-6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

For the cheesecake
8 oz. cream cheese
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 tablespoon lemon juice

For the topping
¾ cup heavy cream, whipped
3-4 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
¼-½ cup caramel
¼ chopped pecans

Directions

To make the crust, preheat the oven to 375° F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round springform pan with parchment paper. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and melted butter. Toss with a fork until all the crumbs are moistened and the ingredients are evenly mixed.  Transfer the mixture to the prepared springform pan and press the crumbs in an even layer over the pan bottom and about half to two-thirds of the way up the sides of the pan. Bake for 6-8 minutes, until golden in color. Let cool for about 10 minutes. Pour a layer of caramel into the bottom of the crust and sprinkle evenly with the chopped pecans. Refrigerate the crust while you prepare the filling.

To make the apple filling, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Mix in the brown sugar, salt and cinnamon and cook for 1 minute, until bubbling. Mix in the apple slices and toss well to coat. Cook over medium to medium-high heat until tender and most of the liquid has been reduced, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes and pour into the prepared pie shell. Set aside.

Reduce the heat of the oven to 350° F.  To make the cheesecake layer, combine the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute.  Mix in the vanilla, egg and lemon juice until fully incorporated and smooth, 1-2 minutes. Spread the cheesecake filling into an even layer over the top of the cooked apples in the crust.  Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

To serve, carefully remove the sides of the springform pan. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form (being careful not to overbeat). Spread gently over the top of the chilled cheesecake layer. Top with dollops of caramel sauce and swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect. Sprinkle with a handful of chopped pecans if desired. Enjoy!

Raspberry Buttermilk Crumb Cake with Lemon Crumbles

More crumb cake! I'm on a crumb cake kick... I'm addicted! Not to mention the lemon and raspberry combination is delicious and screams Spring, perfect for this season.

The soft but slightly chewy cake on the bottom is great but really just a base for the real attraction - a dense layer of brown sugar crumbs. Oh, the sheer sugary heaven of it all!

The only thing I would do different next time is add more raspberries and make more crumb topping as I like lots of flavor.

There's a large possibility that I'm going to add crumb topping to anything I bake in the near feature...


Raspberry Buttermilk Crumb Cake with Lemon Crumbles
Adapted from: vanilla sugar

Ingredients

Cake
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp sea salt
½ cup unsalted butter, very soft/room temp
1 & ¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
1 large egg & 1 egg yolk
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup fresh raspberries

Lemon Crumb Topping
1 cup flour
1 cup packed light brown sugar
½ tsp sea salt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
½ cup unsalted butter, melted & cooled

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350°F and place the rack in the middle. Butter and flour a 9" round springform pan.

Make the lemon crumb topping by melting the butter and letting it cool. In a bowl mix the flour, brown sugar, salt, lemon zest and add the cooled butter to it and stir well. Set aside till ready.

In small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar until pale yellow and fluffy; add the zest, eggs, and beat well for an additional 2-3 minutes. In batches, add the flour, alternating with the buttermilk until all is combined.

Pour the batter into the baking pan and use a spatula to smooth. Don't fill pan with batter, only fill about 1/4 full. Top batter with the raspberries, Don’t push the raspberries down into the batter; the berries will sink in during baking. Top the cake with the lemon crumb mix; use large clumps and disperse evenly.

Bake for approximately 30 - 35 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean and the top is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 10-15 minutes, before releasing the sides of the springform and sliding off bottom to transfer to a cooling rack. Let cake cool before serving.

Butter Pecan Banana Cake

I found out we were having company, on rather short notice, and knew that if I wanted to whip something together it had to be fast (hence the cake mix).

All of the elements in this cake are delightful but it is the crunchy, buttery, pecan icing that makes this cake, {oh my}!

Thankfully our lovely company, some of who had thirds, polished this off for me so I wouldn't be tempted to finish any remainings the following day.

Thanks to the packaged mix, this cake takes no time to put together. The icing can be made while the cake is baking, a little time consuming, but nonetheless a fast and delicious dessert to bake, serve and enjoy!


Butter Pecan Banana Cake
Adapted from: Duncan Hines

Ingredients

Cake
1 pkg Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Butter Recipe Golden Cake Mix
4 large eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans

Frosting
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter
1 tub classic vanilla frosting

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour bundt pan.

Combine cake mix, eggs, bananas, oil, sugar, milk and vanilla extract in large bowl. Beat at low speed with electric mixer until moistened. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in 1 cup chopped pecans. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 25 minutes. Invert onto cooling rack. Cool completely.

While cake is baking, place 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans and butter in skillet. Cook on medium heat, stirring until pecans are toasted. Stir into frosting. Cool until spreading consistency. Frost cake.

 

 

Chocolate Cloud Cake

So, I missed Chocolate Cake Day but knowing that Valentine's Day was right around the corner I knew not to fret!

This flourless cake is crammed with chocolate (use only the best) is rich with butter and will fall slightly as it cools. The center is filled with softly whipped cream and sprinkled with cocoa powder — intensity, then relief, in each bite.

Each bite will have you on Cloud 9!


Chocolate Cloud Cake
Adapted from: Nigella

Ingredients

8 ounces dark chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa solids
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
6 eggs: 2 whole, 4 separated
1 cup caster sugar (if you're using granulated sugar use your food processor to make it super fine)
2 tablespoons Cointreau (optional, I used Bailey's)
grated zest of 1 orange (optional, I used)

Whipped Cream Topping

1 1/2 cups of heavy cream, well chilled
3 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder for sprinkling

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with a round of wax paper; do not butter the pan.

Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over hot water (double boiler). Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter until melted; set aside.

In a bowl, beat 2 whole eggs and the 4 egg yolks with 1/4 cup of the sugar just until blended. Gently add the warm chocolate mixture, the optional Cointreau (or Bailey's) and orange zest (I added these and recommend doing so).

In another bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the 4 egg whites until foamy. Gradually add the remaining 3/4 cup sugar and beat until the whites form soft mounds that hold their shape but are not quite stiff. Stir about 1/4 of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it; gently fold in the remaining whites. Pour the batter into the pan; smooth the top but leave the air bubbles.

Bake until the top of the cake is puffed and cracked and the center is no longer wobbly, usually 35 to 40 minutes. Do not over bake.

Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack; the cake will sink as it cools, forming a crater with high sides.

At serving time, whip the cream with the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until not quite stiff. With a spatula, carefully fill the crater of the cake with the whipped cream, pushing it gently to the edges. Dust the top lightly with cocoa powder. Run the tip of a knife around the edges of the cake; carefully remove the sides of the pan and serve.

Happy Valentine's Day! I'm lucky enough to have the sweetest valentine of them all :) 

 

 

 

Cookie Cake

 

I love to be creative in the kitchen and don't often bake the same thing twice but this recipe keeps me coming back. These simple ingredients produce a rich and chewy cookie with caramelized edges. So, if you're like me and love a cookie in any shape, size or form, this recipe is for you; and like any faithful chocolate chip cookie recipe, it won't let you down.

Cookie Cake

Adapted from: Mrs. Fields Cookie Book

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed

1 cup salted butter, softened

1 large egg

2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 300°F. Grease an 8-by-8-inch baking pan.

Combine flour and baking soda in a medium bowl. Mix well with a wire whisk. Set aside.

In a large bowl use an electric mixer to blend the sugar and butter. Add egg and vanilla, and beat at medium speed until light and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the flour mixture, pecans and chocolate chips. Blend at a low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.

Transfer batter into the prepared pan, and level top with a rubber spatula. Bake in center of oven for 35-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean but center is still soft. Cool on rack to room temperature.