Maple Yogurt Pound Cake

You think you know your family and you think you know what the won't touch with a ten foot pole, you know what they will tolerate, what they like and what they will devour like it's their last supper.  You "think"...

Well, I found this recipe at Candy Girl's blog and she described the flavor of this pound cake as tasting just like nice warm syrupy pancakes.  Well, c'mon, I had to make this!  I mean, how bad can a pound cake be that's made with non-fat yogurt.  You're thinking the same thing in your head right now, aren't you?

Right after I took the pictures, I told everyone to come and try a piece and see what they thought. At first they were saying, "Yay, I like pound cake!" then it went to, "Oh my gosh mom, are you serious?  I mean seriously, mom, you are a beast with pound cake!".  Translation, this Maple Yogurt Pound Cake is a huge sensation!

Now I can't wait to try it with my Louisiana cane syrup in lieu of maple syrup.  I made a couple of little changes due to the ingredients i had on hand.

1/2 cup maple syrup

3/4 cup Greek non-fat yogurt

3 large eggs

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in the center of the oven.

Generously grease a 9x5x3 bread loaf pan with shortening.  Shortening handles the heat better than butter and will not give you that faint burnt crust taste.

Whisk together the maple syrup, yogurt, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl.   In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just to incorporate. Add the oil a little at a time and fold it in as you go, until oil is absorbed into the batter.

Be careful no to over mix the batter.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Set the loaf ppan on a baking sheet in the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 to 50 minutes.

Remove the loaf pan from the oven and allow to cool on a rack for about 5 minutes.

Slide a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the pound cake.  Turn out onto the rack, then turn cake right side up to completely cool.

Pancakes, it's what's for dessert!

Umm, just saying...send poor A.J. a hug.  Today is our 20th Anniversary, yep he's had to put up with me for a very long time.  Love you honey!





Pin It

Creamy Coconut Cake

Coconut lovers of the world unite!  Gigi, this is for you!
One of my daughters said, "This is the best cake you've ever made in my whole life.", then she thought for a minute and told me, "Don't ever make this again until I leave for college.".  What?  She's going to leave me?  My worst fears are not far off, but now I have an evil weapon in my arsenal, this cake.

Prepare your cake pans with shortening and flour.  Note: I have found preparing cake pans with shortening works so much better than oil, butter or non-stick spray.  Shortening seems to hold up to the heat better and aids in releasing the cake from the pan better.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F

Cake:

1/2 cup vegetable oil
12 ounces shredded coconut
8 ounces sour cream
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 box yellow cake mix
1 (4 ounce) box instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 can (15 ounces) cream of coconut

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut and sour cream and set aside, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

In a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the yellow cake mix, instant vanilla pudding, 1/2 cup oil, water, vanilla extract, eggs, egg yolks, and cream of coconut.  Blend until smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes on medium speed.  Pour equal amounts into both cake pans.  Place in 350 degree oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes (based on two 9-inch round cake pans), until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Once the cakes are completely cooled. place on on a cake plate, flat side down, domed side up; this will be the bottom layer.  Spread 1/2 of sour cream/coconut mixture over the top of the bottom layer of the cake.  Carefully place the second layer of the cake on top of the iced bottom layer, domed side down, flat side up.

Spread the remaining sour cream/coconut mixture on the top layer of the cake.

Frosting:

2 cups powdered sugar
Juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup shredded coconut

Blend the powdered sugar, lemon juice and milk together until it reaches the proper consistency.  Drizzle over top of cake, allowing it to run down the sides.  Sprinkle with shredded coconut.


Allow the cakes to cool for approximately 10 to 15 minutes before removing them form the pans.

So....if you're not ready to launch the youngins jest yet, bake a cake....this cake.

So glad Blogger is finally back up and running and I y'all are too.

Have a great weekend and report back to me about this cake!

Coconut Bundt Cake

This is a cake recipe from Foodnetwork's Down Home with the Neely's.  A really simple cake to prepare from scratch.  The coconut milk makes it moist and flavorful.  One thing I really like about Bundt cakes, they always come out looking great!  Wonderful idea for holiday gift giving!

Nonstick baking spray
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

2 1/2 cups sugar

6 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract

1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk

Pineapple Glaze, recipe follows
1/2 cup flaked coconut
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a Bundt pan with nonstick baking spray and dust with flour.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder.

In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time. Once incorporated, add the extracts. Stir in the coconut milk and beat until combined. Slowly beat in the dry ingredients until the mixture is smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool cake 5 minutes before turning it out onto a rack. Let cool completely on the rack.

Once the cake has cooled, ladle the glaze over the cake, and top with flaked coconut. Let glaze set before serving. Transfer the cake to a platter or serving dish and slice.

Pineapple Glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons pineapple juice

In a mixing bowl, whisk the powdered sugar and the pineapple juice together until smooth.





I'll be around this afternoon and this evening to visit your blogs.  Please forgive my absence, 'tis the season!

Pineapple Almond Cake

I was fortunate enough to happen upon this cake at Donna's blog, My Tasty Treasures and again on Gigi's blog, Afterthoughts and I knew I just had to make it. This cake without a doubt has to be one of the best cakes I've ever made. It's moist, delicious and the cream cheese icing...moans and groans with every bite.

I didn't quite have all of the ingredients in the original recipe and had to improvise with what I had on hand, plus I added a little something here and there.

This cake was also the perfect opportunity for me to introduce to you Singing Dog Organic Pure Vanilla Extract. Jennifer from Singing Dog sent a sample to me and now I'm hooked. Visit their website; Singing Dog has a wide array of organic products from coffee to vanilla paste.

The recipe called for 1 cup of pecans. I'm out of pecans right now so I decided to toast 1 cup almonds...pineapple, almonds they go together right?

Toast the almonds and while they are toasting, in a large bowl, mix together 2 cups of flour, 2 cups of sugar and 2 teaspoons of baking soda. Add in 2 eggs and one 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple with the juice and 1 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Stir until moistened then fold in the toasted almonds. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 baking pan.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Allow to cool completely before icing.

Icing:
1 stick butter, softened
1 8oz cream cheese softened
2 cups confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla

Be prepared for ungodly deliciousness!

Combine cream cheese, butter, confectioners sugar, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Use all of the frosting.

This part is very important: Make the icing when you're home alone...I'm serious, you won't want to share the spatula with anyone! You will wig out when you sink you teeth into a piece of this cake!

Lime Banana Coconut Cake

Reeni from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice posted this cake a couple of weeks ago and I just had to make it. It spoke to me, it really spoke to me. After my first bite, this cake and I were kindred spirits. Ok, the cake just really rocks!

Here's the stuff you will need:

1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 3)
1 tablespoon grated lime zest (about 3 limes, save them after zesting for the glaze)
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour (sift first, then measure)
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Lime Glaze (to follow)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan.

In a dry saute pan toast the coconut flakes over medium-low heat until golden brown, turning often. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl beat the sour cream, banana puree, lime zest and vanilla together about two minutes with an electric mixer on low.








In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, 3/4 of the toasted coconut and salt.











Add the butter and 1/3 of the banana puree. Beat for a minute on medium speed. Add another third of the banana puree and beat until well incorporated.







Repeat with the last third of the banana puree.








Pour into prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.









Let cool for 10 minutes and remove the sides. While still warm brush with glaze.

Lime Glaze

Juice of one - two limes
Confectioners' sugar

Make a very thin glaze start with the juice of one lime and gradually add the sugar a little bit at a time. Whisk well. If it gets too thick add more lime juice, it should be very thin. Almost a watery consistency.

Poke holes in the cake with a chop stick or butter knife about an inch apart over the entire cake while still warm. Brush the glaze over the cake and especially into the holes. Repeat.

Once the cake has finished cooling, use the remaining glaze to make a thicker icing. If there isn't any left start again. I didn't, I flat out couldn't wait. Wait until you make this and the cake vapors all over your house, in every single room, you'll see!

But any way as Reeni was saying, with the juice of one lime, add confectioners' sugar a little bit at a time and whisk well. This should be thicker than the first glaze but not as thick as a standard frosting. Taste - it should have a very strong, pronounced lime flavor. Add more lime if needed. Once the cake is cooled glaze and sprinkle with the rest of the toasted coconut.

French Vanilla Cupcake Surprise

Kaitlin, my baby and recent graduate and I were home alone yesterday afternoon. I enjoy being able to spend one on one time with the homegirlz.

Kaitlin is becoming quite the baker and I am thrilled she is letting me post this. The deal breaker was no pictures of her.

The cupcakes are VERY good. A few of her friends came by while she was baking and camped out until the cupcakes were done. I'm telling you the whole house smelled amazing! I was lucky to get a picture of the cupcakes...these were the last three left!

So let's get busy with French Vanilla Cupcake Surprise

Grease the muffin cups of one muffin tin with shortening.

Bake one box of French Vanilla cake mix using the cupcake package directions. Fill the cups 3/4 full. Allow the cup cakes to completely cool.

In a food processor combine one 8 ounce tub of mascarpone cheese, 1/2 cup strawberries, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Pulse until smooth. Spoon the mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a small tip. Push the tip gently into the bottom of a cupcake and squeeze about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon in the strawberry mixture into the cupcakes.

Pour 2 cups of powdered sugar into a medium size bowl and set aside. Then in a small pot bring 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup of water, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer until the sugar is dissolved. Combine the syrup with the powdered sugar. Stir until smooth.

Very quickly. spread the icing on the top of the cupcakes. The icing firms up very fast.

Now, I need to learn how to move pictures around with this new web browser.

Have a great weekend!

Gigi's Chocolate Cake

Last week, Gigi from Afterthoughts posted this Chocolate Cake recipe. She's been using this recipe for over 30 years and I can see why! This cake is very simple, so moist and the taste is wonderful. I was blown away at how it came out since this was my first attempt to make a chocolate cake from scratch. Them empty cake plate the next day was proof that my family was crazy about this cake.


Try out this recipe, it is definitely a keeper.






2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup water
3 tablespoons cocoa (Gigi adds add more)
3/4 milk or buttermilk (Gigi likes buttermilk, I didn't have any and used 2%)
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs

Grease and flour your cake pan.

Mix dry ingredients and set a side

Mix wet ingredients well and add dry ingredients a little at a time until all incorporated. Bake 350* in two layer pans (I used a Bunt pan) for 40 45 minutes.






Cool completely before icing. I made a glaze out of powdered sugar, almond extract and a splash of milk.


Gigi posted the following icing recipe. I can't wait to try this cake with her icing!



Chocolate Icing -

1 stick of butter
2 Tablespoons cocoa
3 cups powder sugar
dash of vanilla


(Gigi will sometimes use a block of cream cheese and make this a chocolate cream cheese icing, either way it's yummy)

Marble Pound Cake and Awards

Many of you commented on the blossoms shown on my Monday post. This is the itty bitty tree they came from. This is a Bradford Pear tree we planted two years ago.

Debbie from Mocha Me posted a Marble Pond Cake last week that really had me drooling and I had to try it.

The cake was very easy to make and the homegirlz begged me to let them eat the batter and forget the baking part. They reasoned it would save energy and I would have less clean up. They lost the argument.

The batter was very light and buttery and the cake tasted great. Thanks Debbie for posting this recipe!





Marble Pound Cake - adapted from Debbie at Mocha Me


2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Center a rack in the oven and preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Put the pan on an insulated baking sheet or on two regular baking sheets stacked one on top of the other.

Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Working with a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or with a hand mixer, in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar on high speed until pale and fluffy, a full 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and beater and reduce the mixer speed to medium.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 or 2 minutes after each egg goes in. As you're working, scrape down the bowl and beater often. Mix in the vanilla extract. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, mixing only until it is incorporated, don't over mix.

After the batter is fully mixed, transfer half of it to another bowl and gently blend in 4 ounces of bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled.

Alternate large spoonfuls of the light and dark batters in the pan, then run a kitchen knife in a zigzag pattern through the batters to marble them.

Put the cake into the oven to bake, and check on it after about 45 minutes. If it's browning too quickly, cover it loosely with a foil tent. This will need to bake in the 9 x 5 pan for about 70 to 75 minutes. The cake is done when a thin knife inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove cake from oven, transfer the pan to a rack and let rest for 30 minutes.

Run a blunt knife between the cake and the sides of the pan and turn the cake out, then turn it right side up on the rack and cool to room temperature.

Now for the important stuff - Awards:

I received this Friends Award

from Donna at My Tasty Treasures. Donna has an amazing cooking blog that's a tad bit on the naughty side. How can you not go visit Donna? She is such a talented cook and an extremely fun blog to read! Check it out. Donna, thank you so much for the award!!!

Along with this award comes this message:

"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated."It also says : "Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award." I am going to pass this award along to:

Miranda from A Duck in Her Pond
Sophie from Sophie's Foodiefiles
Gladys from Gladys Tells All
Marjie from Modern Day Ozzie and Harriet
Elra from Elra Bakes
Gigi from Afterthoughts
Laurie from That's Not What the Recipe Says

Selby from Selby's Food Corner

Stop by and visit these wonderful blogs; you will be so glad you did!

Sophie from Sophie's Foodiefiles sent me the Excellent Blog award! You will be so inspired after visiting Sophie's blog!

I am passing this on to 5 other bloggers.

Natashya from Living in the Kitchen with Puppies
Pam from For the Love of Cooking
Sophia from Burp and Slurp
NAOmi from Not Another Onmivore
Andrea from Finding Sirrius

There are so many blogs I would love to pass these on to, but please visit the blogs listed if you have visited them before, you will be so glad you did!

Easy Chocolate Sheet Cake

My dad was very patient and exact when he was baking. He used to make his own sour dough starter. When we were children, that container of starter would find its way out of the refrigerator almost every weekend. He would bake biscuits, pancakes and an assortment of breads from his pint-sized jug. We enjoyed everything that he made. I guess I don't have the patience and exacting nature my father had. Most cooking goofs can be fixed, but not baking goofs. The homegirlz for some reason are asking me every weekend to bake a cake or a pie. I made a chocolate sheet cake that was good enough to post.

Chocolate Sheet Cake - In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, melt two sticks of butter. When butter is melted stir in 1 cup of water and 1/4 cup cocoa mix, bring to a low boil and remove from heat. In a large mixing bowl, add 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1-1/4 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 2 large eggs and cocoa mixture from sauce pan. Mix at medium speed for about two minutes, then fold in 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract and 1/3 cup of condensed milk (use a 14 oz. can and reserve the rest for the frosting). Pour into an ungreased 10x15 pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes (until middle of cake springs back to the touch). Remove from oven to cool for 20 minutes.

Frosting - In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, melt 1/2 stick of butter. When butter is melted, add 1/4 cup cocoa mix and remaining condensed milk, 1 cup powdered sugar. Whisk until smooth and pour over warm cake. Sprinkle 1 cup of coarsely chopped pecans and dust with powdered sugar.