My Adventures in Baking
Back when we could travel more easily I picked up a couple of packages of Mohnback from Dr. Oetker when we were in Munich. Mohnback is prepared poppyseed – milled and boiled. Something not readily available here in Vancouver. Sometimes it is available in a can from Solo brand. Continue reading “Poppyseed Cake”
We were haveing some friends and a neighbour over for dinner one evening we needed a dessert. Cake!
I was requested to make a carrot cake. A favourite around our house but there is always way too much for the two of us to enjoy – responsibly.
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| Meyer Lemon Pound Cake |
For this recipe I used:
For the Cake – makes 2:
1 1/2 Cups of Unsalted Butter – room temperature
4 Cups of Cake Flour
1 Teaspoon of Salt
4 Teaspoons of Baking Powder
2 3/4 Cups of Sugar
6 Eggs – room temperature
1 Cup of Milk – room temperature
2 Teaspoons of Vanilla
Zest of 1 Meyer Lemon
For the Glaze:
2 3/4 Cups if Icing Sugar
1/4 Cup (or less) of Meyer Lemon Juice
My first step is to gather the ingredients together in the right quantities for easy assembly. This included zesting & juicing the Meyer Lemon and double sifting the flour, salt, and baking soda.
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| Meyer Lemon Pound Cake – Gathering the Ingredients |
I stared by creaming the butter and sugar in my mixer. This is an important step in a pound cake. This will take 3 to 5 minutes with scraping the bowl down several times. Light and fluffy is the goal.
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| Meyer Lemon Pound Cake – Creaming the Butter and Sugar |
Next I added in the eggs one at a time. It’s important that the eggs are at room temperature or they will not blend in properly.
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| Meyer Lemon Pound Cake – Adding the Eggs One at at Time |
After all of the eggs have been incorporated it was time to all the flavour. Vanilla & Meyer Lemon Zest. I mixed these in well.
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| Meyer Lemon Pound Cake – Adding the Flavour |
After the flavouring was added it was time to add the flour and milk. Flour, milk, flour, milk, flour. I made the additions with the mixer on low.
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| Meyer Lemon Pound Cake – Adding the Flour and Milk |
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| Meyer Lemon Pound Cake -Adding the Milk |
When the batter had almost been mixed I removed it from the machine and finished it by hand. I filled 2 buttered and floured glass loaf pans with 1/2 of the batter in each then it was off to a 325˚ oven for about 90 minutes.
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| Meyer Lemon Pound Cake – Ready for the Oven |
After a testing toothpick came out clean let the pound cakes cool on a rack for 10 minutes. I removed the cakes from the pans and let them cool. It took about another 90 minutes to fully cool the cakes.
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| Meyer Lemon Pound Cake – Cooling |
Just as the cakes had finally cooled I mixed the icing sugar and zest with 1/2 of the Meyer Lemon Juice, and added more juice until the glaze was the right consistency.
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| Meyer Lemon Pound Cake – Glaze |
I glazed the cakes and they were ready to give away and eat!
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| Meyer Lemon Pound Cake |
Baker’s Notes:
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| Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake |
For this recipe I used:
For the Streusel:
1 3/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
3/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
For the Cake:
5 Meyer Lemons, cut paper thin
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
3/4 Teaspoon of Salt
4 Oz. Unsalted Butter
1 Cup Sugar
3 Tablespoons Meyer Lemon Zest
2 Large Eggs
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 Cup Sour Cream
I started with the Meyer Lemon Slices… I took the thinly cut slices and placed them in simmering water for 1 minute. Then I drained the lemon slices from the water and repeated the process one more time.
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| Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake – Simmering the Meyer Lemon Slices |
I drained the lemon one more time then spread the slices on parchment covered pans and set them aside.
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| Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake – Resting Meyer Lemon Slices |
Next it was time to start on the Streussel topping.
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| Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake – Batter Ingredients |
In a medium bowl I mixed the flour, brown sugar, and salt together.
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| Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake – Topping Mixture |
I added the butter and rubbed the flour mixture into the butter with my fingers until there were small lumps forming.
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| Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake – Crumb Topping |
Preparing for the cake I buttered a tube pan.
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| Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake – Greased Tube Pan |
Now that I had gathered and measured the rest of the ingredients it was time to start in on the cake.
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| Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake – The Cake Ingredients |
I combined the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set it aside.
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| Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake – The Dry Ingredients |
In my mixer, I combined the butter and sugar.
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| Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake – Creaming the Butter and Sugar |
After beating the butter and sugar for 3 or 4 minutes I added in the lemon zest and mixed once again.
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| Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake – Adding the Zest |
Now it was time for the eggs. Beating well after each addition.
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| Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake -Adding the Eggs |
Then the vanilla.
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| Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake – Adding the Vanilla |
I poured the flour mixture into a metal strainer.
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| Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake – Sifting the Flour Mixture |
With the bowl containing the butter mixture off of the mixer, I sifted the flour over the batter.
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| Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake – Sifted Flour Mixture |
I mixed the flour in on low then added the sour cream. I mixed again until just about fully mixed.
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| Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake – Adding the Sour Cream |
I finished off the batter by hand.
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| Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake – The Final Mix By Hand |
I layered about 1/2 of the batter in the bottom of the prepared tube pan and then layered 1/2 of the lemon slices over the batter.
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| Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake – The First Layer of Lemons |
I carefully spread the rest of the batter over the lemon slices then used the rest of the lemon sliced in a final layer over the batter.
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| Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake – The Final Layer of Lemons |
Finally I topped off the second lemon slice layer with the streussel mixture and off to a 350˚ oven for about 55 minutes.
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| Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake – The Crumb Topping |
After the cake was cooked and out of the oven I cooled it on a rack for 15 minutes.
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| Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake – Cooling |
After 15 minutes I placed the cake pan over a wine bottle and removed the outer shell.
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| Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake – Removing the Pan |
Carefully using a spatula and a bench scraper I lifted the still hot cake off of the base and let it cool completely. 2 hours.
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| Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake – The Final Cooling |
After the cake was well cooled it was time to dig in.
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| Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake – The Layers |
Baker’s Notes:
I came across on in Ina Garten’s – Barefoot Contessa – Foolproof that I received for Christmas. Man I wish they showed her show in Canada again.
The recipe is for Sticky Toffee Date Cake with Bourbon Glaze. The bonus is that the recipe calls for 3/4 pound of dates!
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| Sticky Toffee Date Cake |
For this recipe I used:
Cake:
3/4 Pounds of Pitted & Chopped Dates
1 3/4 Cups of Water
1/4 Teaspoon of Baking Soda
4 Ounces (1 Stick) of Unsalted Butter
1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
3 Large Eggs
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 1/4 Cup of All Purpose Flour
1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
1 1/2 Tablespoon of Baking Powder
Sauce:
6 Ounces (1 1/2 Sticks) Unsalted Butter
1 Cup of Light Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup of Heavy Cream
1/8 Teaspoon of Salt
2 Tablespoons of Bourbon
2 Teaspoons of Vanilla
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| Sticky Toffee Date Cake – The Cake Ingredients |
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| Sticky Toffee Date Cake – Buttered and Floured 9″ Pan |
I stared by chopping the dates and placing them in a pot with 1 3/4 cups of Water.
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| Sticky Toffee Date Cake – Chopping the dates |
I heated the dates until boiling, stirring frequently to break them up. I let the pot boil for just a minute.
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| Sticky Toffee Date Cake – Boiling the Dates |
Once off the heat I added the teaspoon of baking soda, stirred and set the pot aside.
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| Sticky Toffee Date Cake – Adding the Baking Soda |
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| Sticky Toffee Date Cake – Foamy after Mixing in the Baking Soda |
Next it was time to sift together the flour and salt.
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| Sticky Toffee Date Cake – Sifting the Flour and Salt |
In the mixer I added the softened butter and sugar and creamed it together for 2 or 3 minutes. Until light and fluffy.
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| Sticky Toffee Date Cake – Creaming the Butter & Sugar |
Once the butter was fully creamed I added vanilla and the flour and mixed it in on low until just combined.
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| Sticky Toffee Date Cake – Carefully Mixing in the flour |
Now I added the slightly cooled date mixture in 2 batches. Then I added the baking powder and mixed the batter by hand.
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| Sticky Toffee Date Cake – Adding the Cooked Dates |
Then it was off to the oven for about 30 minutes at 350˚.
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| Sticky Toffee Date Cake – In the Oven! |
Near the end of the baking time for the cake I started in on the Bourbon Glaze.
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| Sticky Toffee Date Cake – Bourbon Glaze Ingredients |
In a pot I combined everything except the Bourbon & Vanilla and brought it to a low boil. The recipe indicates to simmer for about 1 minute. See Baker’s notes.
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| Sticky Toffee Date Cake – Bourbon Glaze Ingredients ready to Simmer |
Once simmered I poured the sauce into a glass measuring cup and added the Bourbon & Vanilla.
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| Sticky Toffee Date Cake – Adding the Bourbon and Vanilla |
Once the cake came out of the oven I poked it all over with a skewer.
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| Sticky Toffee Date Cake – Properly Poked |
Next I drizzled about 3/4 of the sauce over the cake and let it soak in for about 1/2 an hour.
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| Sticky Toffee Date Cake – The First Soaking with the Glaze |
After the 1/2 hour wait I turned the cake out onto a serving place then poured the rest of the Bourbon glaze over the cake to make a nice flat shiny surface.
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| Sticky Toffee Date Cake – The Final Shot |
Then it was time to serve!
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| Sticky Toffee Date Cake – Moist and Flavourful |
So moist and tender and very tasty.
Baker’s Notes:
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| Macadamia Banana Bread |
For this recipe I used:
1/2 Cup of Unsalted Butter
1 Cup of Sugar
2 Large Eggs
3/4 Cup of All Purpose Flour
3/4 Cup of Whole Wheat Flour
1 Teaspoon of Salt
1/2 Cup of Sour Cream
1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
1/2 Cup Shredded Coconut
1/2 Cup of Candied Pineapple
1/2 Cup of Macadamia Nuts
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| Macadamia Banana Bread – The Ingredients |
I started by creaming the butter and sugar , with a hand mixer, until light and fluffy and then adding the eggs. Mix well!
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| Macadamia Banana Bread – Adding the Eggs to the Creamed Butter |
I added the flours and and mixed them in until just mixed.
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| Macadamia Banana Bread – Adding the Flours |
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| Macadamia Banana Bread – Adding the rest of the wet ingredients |
I finished the batter off by hand and then folded in the pineapple and coconut.
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| Macadamia Banana Bread – Adding the Pineapple & Coconut |
After putting the batter in a 9″ x 5 ” glass loaf pan, I topped it with the macadamia nuts.
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| Macadamia Banana Bread – Ready for the Oven |
I baked the Banana Bread for 1 hour and 20 minutes at 350˚.
This was one of those loaves that went to work and I don’t have a completion picture of. I did; however, get to taste the bread. It was pretty great!
Bakers Notes:
3 Sticks (12 Oz.) Unsalted Butter
2 Cups of All Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon of Salt
1 1/2 Cups of Sugar
1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
6 Large Eggs
1 Pound of Glacèd Cherries
I gathered the ingredients together then buttered and floured the 9 x 5 Glass loaf pan.
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| Cherry Pound Cake – The Ingredients |
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| Cherry Pound Cake – Buttered and Floured 9 x 5 Loaf Pan |
After sifting the flour and salt together I put the butter and sugar in the bowl of my mixer and let it rip for 4 minutes. I stopped the mixer and scraped down the bowl a couple of times to ensure everything was light and fluffy.
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| Cherry Pound Cake – Sifted Flour and Salt |
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| Cherry Pound Cake – Creaming the Butter and Sugar |
Next it was time to add the eggs and vanilla. I added the vanilla then eggs one at a time with the mixer on a lower speed until everything was well combined.
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| Cherry Pound Cake – Adding the Eggs One at a Time |
Now it was time to add the flour. With the mixer on a low speed, I slowly added the flour until it was just mixed in. I removed the bowl from the mixer and finished off the batter by hand.
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| Cherry Pound Cake – The Final Flour Mix by Hand |
Now the fun part started. I took about 1/3 of the batter and spread it in an even layer at the bottom of the loaf pan and added a layer of cherries. I carefully added a spread out another 1/3 of the batter and added the rest of the cherries. Then I topped the cherries off with the rest of the batter and put the cake in a 350˚ oven.
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| Cherry Pound Cake – Layering the Batter and Cherries |
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| Cherry Pound Cake – Layering the Batter and Cherries |
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| Cherry Pound Cake – Layering the Batter and Cherries |
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| Cherry Pound Cake – Layering the Batter and Cherries |
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| Cherry Pound Cake – Ready for the Oven |
The recipe said it would take up to 55 minuets. my experience with the added cherries was a little longer at 70 minutes.
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| Cherry Pound Cake – Cooling |
After fooling for 2 hours I wrapped the cake up and took it next door for the Birthday boy. He took the cake into work to share it and said it was “delicious!”
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| Cherry Pound Cake – In the Midst of Eating |
Sadly another cake I did not get to try!
Bakers Notes:
Happy Baking!
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| Cherry-Streusel Coffee Cake |
For this recipe I used:
Cake:
1 Stick (4 oz.) of Unsalted-Butter
2 Cups of All Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon of Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon of Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon of Salt
1 Cup of Sugar
2 Large Eggs
1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
1 Cup of Sour Cream*
1 Cup of Frozen Sour Cherries* – thawed and drained
Streusel Topping:
9 Tablespoons of All Purpose Flour
3 Tablespoons of Brown Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon of Cinnamon
2 1/2 Oz. Unsalted Butter
1/4 Teaspoon of Salt
Milk Glaze*:
1 Cup of Confectioners Sugar
2 Tablespoons of Milk
See bakers notes
I started by gathering the ingredients, buttering a tube pan, and pre-heating the oven to 350˚.
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| Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook |
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| Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook |
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| Cherry-Streusel Coffee Cake – Ingredients |
I an a bowl I sifted the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt together and set it aside.
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| Cherry-Streusel Coffee Cake – Sifting the Flour |
Next I made the streusel by combining all of the ingredients in a bowl and used a pastry blender to mix well. I stored the bowl in the fridge until it was needed.
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| Cherry-Streusel Coffee Cake – Streusel Topping |
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| Cherry-Streusel Coffee Cake – Streusel Topping |
In a large bowl I mixed the butter, sugar, and eggs together until smooth. This will take up to 5 minutes – longer if the butter is on the cool side. I then mixed in the vanilla extract*. See bakers notes for the vanilla.
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| Cherry-Streusel Coffee Cake – Blending the Butter, Sugar, & Eggs |
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| Cherry-Streusel Coffee Cake – Adding the Vanilla |
I then mixed the flour and sour cream in an alternating sequence. 3 flour additions and 2 sour cream additions. Starting and ending with the sour cream.
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| Cherry-Streusel Coffee Cake – Adding 1/3 of the Flour Mixture |
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| Cherry-Streusel Coffee Cake – Adding 1/2 of the Sour Cream |
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| Cherry-Streusel Coffee Cake – Adding the second 1/3 of the Flour Mixture |
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| Cherry-Streusel Coffee Cake – Adding the rest of the Sour Cream |
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| Cherry-Streusel Coffee Cake – Adding the rest of the Flour Mixture |
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| Cherry-Streusel Coffee Cake — Just barely mixed |
After the batter was barely mixed I finished mixing everything in with a spatula.
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| Cherry-Streusel Coffee Cake – Finished mixing by hand |
I added 1/2 of the batter to the tube pan and smoothed it out. I then added the sour cherries evenly spread out. The picture in the book looked like it had more cherries.
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| Cherry-Streusel Coffee Cake – Adding the Sour Cherries |
I topped the cherries with the rest of the batter and smoothed everything out again.
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| Cherry-Streusel Coffee Cake – Adding the rest of the Batter |
I added the streusel to the top of the cake the put the pan in the oven.
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| Cherry-Streusel Coffee Cake – Topped with Streusel |
I baked the cake for 40 minutes then check it. It needed another 5 minutes.
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| Cherry-Streusel Coffee Cake – Just out of the oven |
I removed the cake form the oven and let it sit on a cooling rack for 15 minutes. I used a small pallet knife to loosen the cake from the pan then flipped it our on the cooling rack. I then flipped the cake again, so the streusel top was upright, then let the cake cool for 2 hours.
Once the cake was cool I mixed the milk glaze. I drizzled the glaze on the cake and let it dry.
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| Cherry-Streusel Coffee Cake – Milk Glaze Ingredients |
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| Cherry-Streusel Coffee Cake – Mixing the Milk Glaze |
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| Cherry-Streusel Coffee Cake – Topped with the Milk Glaze |
“*” Bakers Notes:
Sadly I did not get a full taste of the cake. I was told it was great. I did taste some crumbs of cake that were stuck on the centre tube of the pan – where I had not buttered enough. Any reason to make another!
One of my kitchen new year’s resolutions was to be mindful and use our vast collection of cookbooks.
I had not used Barefoot Contessa – How Easy Was That? Simple high flavour recipes. This was the aim Sunday.
I had a bunch of bananas just ripened so I made the Banana cake with Cream Cheese Frosting with a couple of tweaks. I decided to make 2 cakes – one for dinner and one to send off to work!
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| Banana Cake |
For this recipe I used:
6 Ripe Bananas
Old Fashioned Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
6 Ripe Bananas
1 1/2 Cups of Whey Low Granular (Sugar Substitute)
1 Cup of Whey Low Gold (Sugar Substitute)
1 Cup of Vegetable Oil
5 Large Eggs
1 Cup of Sour Cream
2 Teaspoons of Vanilla Extract
Grated Zest of 3 Small Mandarin Oranges
2 Teaspoons of Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
1 Cup of Chopped Toasted Pecans
12 Ounces of Light Cream Cheese
12 Ounces of Butter
2 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
Juice of 1 Mandarin Orange
5 Cups of Icing Sugar
Segments from 2 Mandarin Oranges
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| Banana Cake – Ingredients |
I started by zesting the mandarins using a micro -plane.
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| Banana Cake – Zesting Mandarins |
In my mixer I mixed the Bananas and sugars until well mixed.
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| Banana Cake – Bananas and Sugars |
Next I added the rest of the wet ingredients (oil, eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and mandarin zest) and mixed it all until smooth.
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| Banana Cake – Mixing in the Wet Ingredients |
Taking the bowl off the mixer I placed a sifter over the top of the bowl and added the flour, the baking soda, and the salt. I shook the sifter over the banana mixture then put the bowl back on the mixer and combined everything until just mixed.
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| Banana Cake – Sifting Dry Ingredients |
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| Banana Cake – Ready to Mix |
After every thing was just combined I took the bowl off the mixer and finished mixing by hand with a big spatula. I added the pecans and mixed them in by hand as well.
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| Banana Cake – Finishing By Hand |
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| Banana Cake – Adding the Pecans |
It was time for the oven. I divided the mixture between 2 floured 9″ pans and put them in a 350˚ oven for 45 minutes. This recipe cooked quickly because of the Whey Low Sugar substitutes.
After the cakes were out of the oven and cooling I mixed up the cream cheese frosting.
I added the cream cheese and butter, both room temperature, to the mixer and mixed it on medium for 5 minutes. Be sure to mix all of the cream cheese lumps out.
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| Banana Cake – Cream Cheese Frosting |
Once the butter and cream cheese were mixed I added the icing sugar, vanilla, mandarin juice and mixed everything for another 5 minutes on medium.
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| Banana Cake – Finished Cream Cheese Frosting |
Once the cakes had cooled, at least an hour, I frosted one cake with 1/2 of the cream cheese frosting and place the mandarin segments on top. Then it was off to the fridge until desert time.
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| Banana Cake – Finished! |
For the second cake that was going off to work, I split the cake in half then spread the rest of the frosting of the bottom layer and put the second layer on top. The cream cheese frosting in the middle made it easier for work consumption!
Bakers Notes:
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