Brian's Blackberry Jam Cake With Caramel Icing

Friday was a momentous day in the George family as it marked our last single-digit human birthday. Penny turned 9. It should be noted that doggie Ellie will turn 1 in May.

We celebrated all weekend with food — duck curry at a favorite Thai restaurant on Friday, homemade meatballs and sauce on Saturday, slow cooker Philly cheesesteaks on Super Bowl Sunday. And for dessert: blackberry jam cake with caramel icing.

I'd never heard of a jam cake before, but was intrigued when I saw my friend and former newspaper colleague Brian post about it on Facebook.

Brian's husband was grew up eating jam cakes in Kentucky. But Brian had never heard of them before either. Brian grew up in Virginia, and I'm from Ohio. I found a Southern Living story that explains that this dessert originated in Appalachia when store-bought sugar was scarce and jam was used to sweeten cakes.

Now because I'd never had or seen a jam cake before, I didn't realize that the icing was supposed to be spread all over the cake. Because the cake is to be baked in a tube pan — like angel food cake — I was picturing icing more as a glaze. Consider the picture of my finished cake.

And now Brian's finished cake.

Brian's is prettier, no doubt. But happy to report mine still tasted amazing. Subtly spiced. Not sickeningly sweet despite all the sugar and jam. Even the kids loved it. (Although, Lucy wants me to leave out the raisins next time.)

Y'all try this cake!

XOXO,
Amy

Brian's Blackberry Jam Cake
2 cups white sugar
1 cup butter
4 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
3 tablespoons cocoa
1 pint blackberry jam
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together sugar and butter. Slow add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then, add buttermilk.

In another bowl, sift together flour, salt, soda, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice and cocoa. Add this to the sugar-egg-buttermilk mixture and mix well. Add blackberry jam and combine. Place raisins and nuts in a small bowl and coat with a small amount of flour; add to mixture.

Grease and flour a tube pan. Pour cake batter into pan. Cover pan with a stoneware plate. Place a pan of hot water on the bottom rack in the oven, so the cake will steam as it bakes. Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until a straw inserted in the center comes out clean. Frost with caramel icing.

Caramel Icing
1 1-pound box of light brown sugar
1 stick butter
1 cup milk

Combine ingredients in a saucepan. Cook until the soft ball* stage. Beat with an electric mixer until thick. If it gets too thick, add a few drops of milk and stir.

*Soft ball stage is candy-making lingo for 235 degrees, and it will be a major marking on any candy thermometer, Brian explained when I asked. He added: If you don't have a candy thermometer, "the test is something like `drop a little into water. If it forms a soft ball (as opposed to a hard ball, hard crack, etc.), you're good to go."

More from Brian: "Because the temperature is so important, making jam cake frosting is among the more complicated things I do. It will probably take longer than you'd expect for it to reach temperature. But it's really good—sweet but sophisticated, not like Betty Crocker glucose goo." (Sorry, Betty.)

4-Layer Birthday Cake

Both of my boys celebrate their birthdays in March – just nine days apart. And each year they get to pick what kind of birthday cake they want.

In the past we've done the traditional chocolate cake with chocolate frosting or yellow cake with chocolate frosting. One year lemon cake topped with fruit was the highlight.

This year, my oldest (now age 11) spotted a video on social media of a four-layer chocolate cake filled with caramel and chocolate, covered with a chocolate glaze and drizzled with white chocolate.

He showed it to me once, but apparently watched it himself multiple times. When we couldn't find the video a few weeks later to make sure we knew how to make his chosen birthday dessert, he was able to describe every step in full detail.

For me, the best part about this dessert was the fun of making it with my boys and my brother, who was in town for a visit.

When my youngest's birthday rolled around a week later, we made the cake again, with a few variations to suit his tastes. He (now age 8) wanted a yellow butter cake – with Nutella as the filling between every layer. I don't even want to imagine the calorie count!

We tried a mirror glaze on the first cake, but it required lots of ingredients and didn't thicken on its own, so we ended up adding chocolate spread to it. The second time around we went with a simpler chocolate topping that was much easier to work with.

If you try this out, let us know what you use for the filling between your cake layers.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

4-Layer Birthday Cake

1 box of your favorite cake mix or your favorite recipe for two-layer cake
Caramel spread and chocolate spread
or
Nutella hazelnut chocolate spread
Chocolate glaze (see recipe below)
Chocolate shavings
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
Optional: Raspberries

Prepare cake according to package directions, using 2, 8-inch pans. Bake cake per instructions. Let cool, then turn out onto wire racks and cool completely.

Once cake layers are fully cool, carefully slice each one in half lengthwise, using a serrated knife. You will end up with four cake layers.

Set one cake layer on a cutting board.

Alternatively, you can use an angel food cake pan with the center piece removed to build your cake and hold it in place. (We tried this the first time around, but the layers slide around inside the pan. If you use this method, top the cake pan with a cutting board and invert so allow layered cake to slide out before glazing.)

Putting the cake together on a cutting board allowed us to gently move layers into place if they started to slip.

Also, if you have a cake lifter, life will be easier as you assemble and glaze the cake. You can also use a cutting board to help move and lift the cake layers.

Using a flexible spatula, gently spread filling on the bottom layer of cake. Top with second cake layer and spread on the second filling. Place third cake layer and spread the top of it with your third filling choice. Top with final piece of cake.

Transfer the cutting board with cake to try refrigerator so that it can firm up a little while you make the chocolate glaze.

Chocolate Glaze

1 cup heavy cream
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Pinch salt

Place chocolate chips and salt in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil, then remove from heat and pour over the chocolate chips. Whisk until smooth. Let cool until mixture becomes slightly thickened.

Now it's time to glaze the cake. It helps to have a second set of hands for the glazing.

Set a large bowl on the counter and place a wire rack on top of the bowl. Carefully transfer the cake from the cutting board to the center of the wire rack. Slowly pour glaze over the cake, ensuring that glaze covers all sides.

You might want to repeat the process to make sure every centimeter of the cake is thoroughly coated in chocolate.

If you do, carefully lift wire rack with cake and set the wire rack on the cutting board. Pour excess glaze from large bowl back into small bowl. Replace wire rack and cake on top of large bowl and slowly pour glaze over cake again.

(My boys did close inspections of each cake we made. It took three pours of glaze to get their seal of approval!)

Let glaze drip off cake. Carefully transfer cake to a cake plate. Dust with chocolate shavings. Return cake to refrigerator to allow glaze to harden.

Place white chocolate chips in a small bowl and melt in microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and heat another 30 seconds if needed. Transfer melted chocolate to a small plastic sandwich bag and seal. Gently squeeze melted chocolate into one corner of bag. Snip a tiny hole in the corner.

Drizzle top of cake with white chocolate. Top with raspberries if desired.

This is the butter yellow cake filled wth Nutella. Luckily, I took a photo before we ate it all!

Cranberry Gingerbread Cake

This holiday cake is worth the wait, people. I bookmarked the recipe a year ago but never got around to making it.

Then a few days before this Thanksgiving, my husband emailed me a link to a New York Times story about holiday recipe ideas, and there it was again.

With three bags of fresh cranberries practically shouting at me every time I opened my fridge, I needed to take the plunge.

I didn't change much from the original recipe. I reduced the sugar to achieve some tartness in the cranberries — to counterbalance the sweetness of the cake batter.

Let me just say: Sauced cranberries partnered with gingerbread and a nice dollop of whipped cream make for the perfect dessert this season. And, FYI, this treat tastes even better the next day, so consider making it ahead.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Cranberry Gingerbread Cake
Tweaked from this New York Times recipe.

2 cups fresh cranberries
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon water
1 stick unsalted butter
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup molasses
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger

Line a 9-inch square or round baking pan with parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 350.

In a small saucepan, combine cranberries, white sugar and 1 tablespoon of water. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the cranberries begin to break down. Continue to cook about 10 minutes, until half of the cranberries have burst and the sauce is thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and set aside.

In another saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, milk, maple syrup and molasses. Stir over medium heat until butter is melted, then bring to a simmer. Do not let the mixture boil.  Remove from heat once butter mixture reaches a simmer.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, spices, baking soda, baking powder, salt and pepper. Beat in the butter mixture, and then beat in the eggs. Then add the grated ginger and beat until combined.

Pour batter into pan. Then dot the top with big spoonfuls of the cranberry sauce. Use a butter knife to swirl the cranberry sauce into the cake batter.

Transfer to the oven and cook for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let pan cool on a wire rack before serving.

Slice and serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Leftover cake should be wrapped and stored in the refrigerator. Tastes best served at room temperature.

Easter Round-Up

Happy Easter, dear readers! Today I'm sharing a round-up of recipes that would be perfect for your holiday table. Whether you're celebrating with breakfast, lunch, or dinner, we've got you covered.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Let's get our day started with Herbed Egg Bake. The fresh herbs hint at the Spring garden goodness that's heading our way.

Make these Carrot Coconut Muffins the night before and serve them with a schmear of butter. The Easter bunny will appreciate a few carrots, don't you think?

Use up any leftovers from your Easter egg hunt to make this Deviled Egg Sampler. Are you a traditionalist or will you add a pinch of curry to your deviled eggs?

Easter begs for ham, and this Apricot Mustard Glazed Ham is my very favorite. Bonus: It's as simple to prepare as it is delicious to eat.

Asparagus is so fresh and tender this time of year. And since it's seasonal, it'll probably be on sale this weekend. Roasted Asparagus with Lemon is my favorite way to serve this springtime veggie.

Lemon Buttermilk Cake is a refreshing and delicious dessert. I recommend piling it high with berries and freshly whipped cream.

French Chocolate Cake

Recall from last week's post Penny's birthday dinner -- Parmesan and Yogurt Crusted Chicken, Carolina Collard Greens, scalloped potatoes and this nearly flourless French Chocolate Cake.

I made this cake exactly per the recipe in pastry chef David Lebovitz's memoir, The Sweet Life in Paris. I selected it because it offers something for everyone in the George family -- high quality dark chocolate for maman and a cake that doesn't require icing, which les enfants don't like anyhow. Plus, it is so rich that a teeny piece is perfect -- and perfect for papa who doesn't have a huge sweet tooth.

I highly recommend the cake and the book, which explained a lot about Parisians that I already knew but plenty that I didn't. Sweet Life is also full of recipes that appear easy to do -- and eat. In fact, the chocolate cake was my second dish from the book. When I made the Chicken Tagine with Apricots and Almonds, I swear my house smelled just like Chez Omar, the popular Moroccan restaurant in Paris' Le Marais neighborhood.

XOXO,
Amy

French Chocolate Cake
From The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz

9 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch loaf pan and line the bottom with a strip of parchment paper.

In a large bowl set over a pan of simmering water or likewise in a double boiler, heat the chocolate and butter together until just melted and smooth. A note about the chocolate, for this and for homemade brownies I use Scharffen Berger Baking Bar - 70% Bittersweet Chocolate. Worth the 10 bucks.

Remove chocolate and butter from the heat and stir in half the sugar, then the egg yolks, and flour. (I love this part from the book: "You don't need to measure the half-quantity of sugar exactly. Just pretend you're a French woman cooking in her home kitchen and don't worry about it.)

Whip egg whites with the salt, using an electric hand mixer or whisk. Keep whipping until the whites form soft peaks. Gradually whip in the remaining sugar until the whites are smooth and hold their shape when the whisk or beaters are lifted.

Use a rubber spatula to fold one-third of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Next fold in the remaining egg whites just until the mixture is smooth and no visible white streaks remain.

Pour batter into pan, scraping sides of the bowl so you bake up all that goodness. Smooth the top of the batter with rubber spatula. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Do not overbake.

Let cake cook in pan before cutting and serving.

The cake can be stored for up to three days. Some French women believe it is better after it sits for a day or two. The cake can also be wrapped in plastic and frozen for up to one month.

French Yogurt Cake

I've read about yogurt cake in beaucoup French books and memoirs. In Pamela Druckerman's Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting, par exemple. And more recently in Elizabeth Bard's Lunch in Paris: A Love Story with Recipes. Both books make me a teensy bit wistful that I didn't pick up and move to the City of Light while in my 20s.

Anyhow, yogurt cake is a popular treat in France. It's often the first cake that les enfants learn to make and I can see why. No electric mixer needed. Most ingredients are always on hand. It's quick to put together, which means you don't have to wait long -- just a little over an hour really --- until you devour your slice. Of course, Mom or Dad should handle the lemon zesting.

French kids use the same 8 ounce yogurt cup to measure the sugar and flour. I couldn't find 8 ounce yogurt cups, so I bought a 24 ounce container, so Lucy, Penny and I could make this cake multiple times.

I adore this cake. It's quick. Simple. Sweet, but not too sweet. No icing required. Tastes even better the next day.

XOXO,
Amy

French Yogurt Cake
From Lunch in Paris: A Love Story with Recipes by Elizabeth Bard

1 cup plain, whole milk yogurt
1 cup sugar
A large pinch of sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
Zest of one lemon
One 16-ounce can apricots, drained and quartered (Note: My store had 8-ounce cans only, so I got two of those.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly butter a 10-inch round cake pan and line with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt, sugar, salt and vanilla, stirring or whisking until smooth. Add oil in a steady stream, while whisking to combine. Add eggs one by one, whisking to combine after each one.

In smaller bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add flour mixture little by little to the yogurt mixture, whisking along the way to combine. Stir in lemon zest. Pour cake mixture into prepared cake  pan. Top with chopped apricots.

Bake on center rack for 45 minutes, until golden brown and slightly risen; a toothpick inserted in the center should  come out clean.

Lift cake by parchment paper and place on wire rack to cool.

This cake is even better the second day -- provided it sticks around that long. It gets more moist as it sits.

Elizabeth Bard points out in her book that this cake is a "blank canvas" that you can  make  your own based on the fruits you like or have in your fridge at the time. Try fresh raspberries or pears sprinkled with brown sugar, she suggests.

My girls enjoyed this cake. They ate it several mornings for breakfast -- with a banana on the side, so no judgment. But they didn't love the apricots and asked that next time I try peaches instead, so that's what I did the second time around. I used canned peaches (in juices, not syrup), drained and chopped. I sprinkled some cinnamon over the peaches as I would when making a peach cobbler.

Verdict: The girls preferred the cake with peaches; I liked the apricot version better.

Bottom  line: This is a great go-to dessert for any day of the week. I plan to make it beaucoup times.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

My mom used to make this cake when I was a kid and my brother and sister and I could not stop eating it. Super moist and chocolate-y, this is now a favorite snack or dessert at my house, too.

The chocolate hides all the zucchini inside, so it's a nice way to get the kids to eat extra vegetables. (And just like the Blueberry Zucchini Bread, you won't taste the squash.) The cloves add something a little unexpected to the taste.

I like to use a 9 x 13 pan and cut it into brownie-sized pieces. But you can easily use a bundt pan or muffin tins with this batter. Just adjust the baking time accordingly.

If there are any leftovers, this cake freezes perfectly.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Inspired by my Mom

2 cups all purpose flour (or 1 cup all purpose and 1 cup whole wheat flour)
1 cup white sugar or Splenda
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
4 eggs
1 cup applesauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 cups grated zucchini
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13x2 inch pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and cloves. Add the eggs and oil and mix until everything is well combined.

Add zucchini, stirring well. Fold in chocolate chips.

Pour batter into pan. Sprinkle top with mini chocolate chips.

Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack before cutting. Garnish with raspberries or strawberries.

As you can see in the photo above, this cake remains very moist.

Chocolate Madeleines

A few years ago I splurged on a $30 baking pan at Sur La Table. Not just any baking pan: my Madeleine pan. Worth it. Every francophile and anyone who has read Marcel Proust needs a Madeleine pan, non?

I love that just as Marcel remembered a childhood in which his maman baked these mini pound cakes, so shall Lucy and Penny. My daughters adore Madeleines. They have proclaimed my Madeleines to be better than the packaged variety sold at Starbucks! Mais oui.

And while the girls appreciate the classic French treat, they have been begging me to try making chocolate Madeleines, so I did. Pour mes filles.

XOXO,
Amy

PS: Lucy helped.

Chocolate Madeleines
Adapted from Joyofbaking.com
Yields 18 Madeleines

3 eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted -- plus additional non-melted butter for greasing Madeleine pan
1 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

Put eggs and sugar in bowl of your blender and blend at medium high for five minutes. You want to blend until the mixture has tripled in volume  and a thick ribbon forms when you lift the beater. Again, about five minutes.

Meanwhile, place butter and chocolate in top of double boiler and melt over a medium boil.

Then, mix the remaining dry ingredients -- flour, baking powder and salt -- in a small bowl.

When the egg and sugar mixture is ready, fold in a bit of the flour mixture. Then fold in the rest of the flour mixture, bit by bit. Key word is "fold." Do not overstir or stir too vigorously as that will result in some flat Madeleines.

Your chocolate  and butter should be melted by now. Let it cool for a few minutes. Then fold some of the batter into the chocolate and butter. And  then fold the entire chocolate-butter mixture, which now contains some batter, into the mixing bowl with remaining batter. Combine gently. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Toward the end of that 30 minutes, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Then take a stick of butter and grease the Madeleine pan. There are a lot of grooves in these seashell-shaped cakes, so make sure to do a good job here or your Madeleines will stick and not look as pretty.

Remove batter from fridge and place a generous tablespoon of batter into the center of each mold in the Madeleine pan. This is how you get the classic "humped" appearance in your Madeleines.

Bake for 10-11 minutes or until edges are slightly browned and the center of the cakes spring back when lightly touched. Transfer Madeleines -- smooth side down -- to a plate and allow to cool.

When serving, sift confectioners sugar over the grooved side of the Madeleines.

Note that Madeleines are best eaten the same day. You can store leftover Madeleines (provided there are any) in an airtight container  and eat them the next day. If you want to store for longer, wrap well and freeze for up to one month.

Lemon Buttermilk Cake

When Amy invited me for dinner and shared her plan to make Spring on Toast, I knew I needed to come up with a dessert that was equally seasonal. Well this Lemon Buttermilk Cake is a little ray of springtime sunshine.

Rich, dense, and moist, this not-too-sweet cake shines with the perfect amount of tang and zip from buttermilk and lemon. While the cake is lovely on its own, it begs to be smothered in berries and freshly whipped cream.

The husband and I have whipped cream in a can in our fridge at all times, but this cake calls for something special. Grab a carton of whipping cream at the grocery store and do it up right. If you haven't made your own whipped cream yet, don't be afraid! It's not difficult; you just need to keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't turn into butter. (So don't turn on your mixer and go start a load of laundry.) And the ridiculously delicious flavor is absolutely worth the five minutes of effort.

When you're getting ready for your next Spring gathering (Easter, perhaps?), let this Lemon Buttermilk Cake be the star of your menu.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Lemon Buttermilk Cake
Adapted from Real Simple and this Lemon Pound Cake

2 cups flour, plus extra for the pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Lightly sweetened berries, for serving
Whipped Cream, for serving (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan and dust with flour, tapping out excess. Set pan aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together melted butter, sugar, buttermilk, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. Add wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk everything together.

Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool in the pan for ten minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Serve with lightly sweetened berries and whipped cream.

Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Put the bowl of your electric mixer and the whisk attachment in the freezer for about 10 minutes. (This will help your cream whip up more easily.) Add whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla to the cold bowl. Turn the mixer to medium speed until the cream starts to get a bit bubbly, about 1 minute. Crank up the speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, about 1-3 minutes longer.

Heads-up: Be careful not to whip the cream too much or it will actually turn into butter. And, yes, I did learn this the hard way.

Brownie Pudding Cake

"What do you want for dessert?" I asked the husband.

"Well, I like cookies. And pie. And cake." I could see the wheels turning. "I want something with pudding in it." He finally proclaimed.

So I made the man something with pudding in it.

Brownie Pudding Cake
Adapted from Home Cookin'

1 boxed brownie mix and the ingredients called for on the box
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
8 ounces Cool Whip
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding
1 1/2 cups cold milk
Heath Bar bits for topping, optional

Bake brownies according to package directions in an 8" square pan. Allow to cool completely before proceeding.

Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, whip together cream cheese and powdered sugar until fluffy. Gently fold in about 2/3 of the Cool Whip. Spread on top of the cooled brownie layer.

Whisk together pudding and milk for 2 minutes, until it's thickened. Spread on top of the cream cheese layer. Top with remaining Cool Whip. Sprinkle with Heath Bar bits. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

*I used Heath Bar bits to add pizzazz to the top of my Brownie Pudding Cake because I happened to have some in my cupboard. I'm sure that crushed Oreos, mini chocolate chips, chocolate shavings or any number of other toppings would be just as good.

Dense Chocolate Loaf Cake

When I read this recipe, I had to try it. Was it the chocolate that called to me? Perhaps the novelty of baking a cake in a loaf pan? Oh, no, dear readers. It was something far more wonderful than that.

You see, the cake was described as "squidgy." Yes, squidgy. I didn't have a clue what squidgy was, but as it held the promise of onomatopoeia, I had to find out.

As the cake baked, my house was inundated with the heavenly scent of chocolate. Like I lived in a chocolate sauna. While it cooled I kept walking past the cake, hoping that a morsel had miraculously fallen off so I could nibble on it guilt-free. I didn't. My patience was rewarded when I sliced into the dense loaf, and felt the decadence of this cake. It had presence. Heft. And then I tasted it. Good gosh. It was an intensely chocolaty bite of heaven.

Most importantly, though, this cake is squidgy. And believe me, that's a very good thing.

P.S. Thanks to the husband for taking today's picture!

Dense Chocolate Loaf Cake
Adapted from Nigella Lawson via Food 52

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 2/3 cups dark brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water
Lightly sweetened whipped cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease two loaf pans, line them with parchment paper, then grease the parchment. Set prepared pans aside.

Cream together butter and brown sugar. (You can use the paddle attachment on your electric mixer or just a spoon and old-fashioned elbow grease.) Stir in eggs and vanilla until well combined. Fold in melted chocolate.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. Add a big scoop of the flour mixture to the chocolate-butter mixture and stir to combine. Then stir in a few glugs of the boiling water. Continue adding the flour mixture and the boiling water alternately until everything is mixed together. (The batter will be pretty liquid.)

Evenly divide batter between the two prepared loaf pans. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Then, lower the heat to 325 degrees and continue to bake for an additional 5-10 minutes. (The cake is quite moist, so if you insert a toothpick to see if the cake is done, it won't be completely clean even if the cake is finished baking.)

Allow the cake to cool completely before removing from the pan. (It will most likely crack and buckle as it cools, but don't be dismayed. The imperfection of this cake is part of its charm!) Serve thick slices of cake with a dollop of whipped cream.

Pumpkin Streusel Cake

I love pumpkin. Pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pie...I'll take a helping of each, please. And then seconds.

Since it's autumn, this glorious gourd is popping up everywhere, and not just a jack-o-lantern on your front porch. It seems like every grocery store circular I see features canned pumpkin for a hefty discount. I decided to stock up and start trying pumpkin recipes.

I found the recipe below on Pinterest, and I had to give it a whirl. Even the husband, who does not share my food crush on pumpkin, thought it was fabulous. A streusel topping takes pumpkin cake to the next level, and the buttery glaze makes it downright heavenly. You begin with a box of cake mix, so the recipe is pretty foolproof. And don't be deterred by the multiple steps in the recipe; it comes together very quickly.

And be ready to have a second piece. Or a third. I won't judge.

Pumpkin Streusel Cake
Adapted from Pretty.Good.Food.

Cake:
1/3 cup water
15 ounce can pumpkin
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon*
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger*
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg*
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves*
18 ounce box yellow cake mix
1 teaspoon baking soda

Streusel Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
4 tablespoons melted butter

Glaze:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9" x 13" pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together water, pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Stir in cake mix and baking soda. Pour into greased pan.

In a separate medium-sized bowl, stir together the streusel ingredients (brown sugar, flour, and butter). Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the cake batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Meanwhile, combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cream in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the sugar is dissolved, 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla.

As soon as the cake is finished baking, poke holes evenly over the cake with a toothpick. Very carefully and slowly pour the warm glaze over the hot cake, making sure to cover the surface evenly. (I found it easier to pour the glaze into  a measuring cup with a spout before putting it on the cake.) Serve the cake warm or at room temperature.

*You can substitute 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice for all the other spices.

With Whip by Lady of the House

We celebrated our daughter's first birthday on Tuesday, and in what might seem an uncharacteristic post for me, I've decided to share the simple recipe we used for her chocolate birthday cake. It's light as air, fluffy goodness that if I can make, you absolutely can!

Here's what you'll need...

1 3/4 cup unsifted flour

1 3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup cocoa (unsweetened)

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 l/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup boiling water

For the frosting...

1 pint heavy whipping cream

a splash of vanilla extract

a level tablespoon of confectioners sugar

And here's what you'll do...

Combine dry ingredients in large mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients except boiling water. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Remove from mixer. Stir in boiling water. (Batter will be very thin.) Pour into 2 greased and

floured 9-inch or 3-8 inch layer pans or l (13 x 9-inch). A layer of parchment paper is also helpful if you have some. And I used three varying sizes of layer pans, and pulled the little guy out at about 25 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes for layers, 35-40 minutes for 13 x 9

minutes or until tester comes out clean. cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan.

top with fresh whipped cream.

xoxo

{ Lady of the House }