Brown Sugar~Nutella Ribbon Pound Cake & November's Give-Away

I love Thanksgiving--it's not only a day to remember those valiant women and men who came ahead of us and forged a nation, but a day of celebrating with our families and friends around a table laden with food.  I looked forward to rising early with my mother and beginning the preparation; stuffing was made, the turkey was cleaned, seasoned, and stuffed, the good china was taken out of corner cupboard and wiped off, then the table was set, and lots of desserts.  All good memories.

I miss those days of the big family gatherings, but I still make the big meal (sans the turkey) and enjoy taking favorites from my childhood and giving them a "new look."  Mom made a black walnut pound cake and I remember peeling the thick green skins and trying to crack the hard shells to get enough nuts for this dessert.  Here, in the Pacific Northwest, hazelnuts are my choice for a unique taste, along with Nutella, which is a hazelnut spread with cocoa added, but hey, feel free to make this Brown Sugar Pound Cake yours with the choice of nuts you love.

Brown Sugar~Nutella Ribbon Pound Cake

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 T molasses

5 large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 1/4 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup milk

1 cup chopped hazelnuts (or your favorite)

2/3 to 3/4 cup Nutella to make the ribbon center

Do not preheat oven! Spray a 12-cup Bundt cake pan with a non-stick baking spray.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter thoroughly.  Add the sugars, molasses and vanilla extract and beat to combine.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Beat on medium for 5 minutes until the batter is light and fluffy.

Add the dry ingredients and the milk and mix on low until combined.  Add the nuts and mix 1 minute more.

Spoon half the batter into the prepared pan.

Use a teaspoon to spoon the Nutella over the batter, keeping it in the center, clear of the sides and "tube".

Lastly, spoon the remaining batter over top and place in the oven.  Set the temperature to 325F-degrees and the timer for 70 to 75 minutes.

Use a skewer to test for doneness.

Allow to cool in the pan 5 to 7 minutes, then invert on your serving tray.  When the cake is cooled completely, I dusted it with some confectioners' sugar; keeping it simple.  Enjoy!

Now, this month's apron is finally here.  The colors I chose reminds me of the Bittersweet branches Kelly and I would go into the woods and cut when we lived in Massachusetts and Connecticut to decorate the house for Thanksgiving.  Unfortunately, we don't have Bittersweet here in Washington, but these colors are still my favorite for the holiday.

By commenting on the posts this month, you will be eligible to win this apron...and I do mail anywhere--including international!  Thank you for stopping by--I'd love to hear about your memorable Thanksgivings. XOXO

 

Spooktacular Pumpkin Pie Poundcake

Pound cakes have been around a long time.  They are often a staple in the Southern region of the United States at picnics and potlucks where sour cream may be an added ingredient; in Great Britain, they're called Sponge cakes or Madeira Cake and consist of castor sugar, butter, self-rising flour and eggs in equal parts; and in France, they're known as "quatre-quarts" which means, four quarters and uses the same quantity of ingredients, but usually no fruits added; and in Germany, "Eischwerkuchen" (Ei=egg and schwer=heavy) and it means all the proportions of the other ingredients weigh as much as the eggs together!

My mother made lots of pound cakes--traditional vanilla, chocolate, lemon, and black walnut, but I never remember her baking one with pumpkin.  I love pumpkin in the fall and this one has a particular dense consistency that reminded me instantly of pie instead of cake--hence the name!

Spooktacular Pumpkin Pie Poundcake
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1-8oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree'
5 large eggs
1 T pumpkin pie spice
3/4 tsp. Kosher salt
3 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1/2 cups chopped nuts (I used pistachios, but walnuts, or pecans would be great)
Don't preheat the oven! 
Spray a 12-cup Bundt cake pan with a baking spray and set aside.

In a bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese thoroughly.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and paddle.  Add the sugars and beat again on medium speed.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until fluffy.  Add the canned pumpkin puree' and mix to combine.  (The batter may take on a "curdled" look...don't panic!)

Add the flour, salt, and nuts (if using) and mix just until it's all combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl and mixing once more.

Spoon batter into the prepared Bundt pan.  

Place the cake in a cold oven, then, turn the temperature to 325F-degrees Convection baking (if you have convection or just Bake).  Set the timer for 90 minutes.  Putting the cake in an oven that wasn't preheated is new for me.  I experimented with making popovers last night by putting the pan in a cold oven and they turned out perfect...so what the heck, I thought, let's see how a pound cake does!!

What do you think?  I maybe on to something here, as long as I gauge my oven temperature to this method:-D

Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 T Karo light syrup
2-3 T very hot water
1/2 tsp. Orange Juice Powder

I love the combination of orange and pumpkin and decided to try a little of this new product I found at King Arthur catalogue.  If you don't have it, you can use about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. orange extract--just don't make it too over powering.

It's actually been a pretty warm day here and we're heading towards setting a record for no rain fall--Yes, this is the Pacific Northwest:-)  I know my mom would have loved this and of course, Kelly may have asked for this as a change up to her usual birthday Pumpkin Pie. Enjoy!

 

Tropical Storm Poundcake with Banana Ice Cream

I couldn't help but think about Isaac bearing down on the islands in the Caribbean and heading for Florida when I came up with this cake.  I have friends in those areas, as well as, in Louisiana (which may get it mid-week) and thought about the "Hurricane Parties" I've heard so much about.

One of my favorite artists, Mary Chapin Carpenter, sings about them in her song, "Down at the Twist & Shout."  A hurricane party is a social event held by people in the coastal United States who stubbornly choose not to evacuate.   However, if you saw the movie, "Nights in Rodanthe," with Richard Gere and Diana Lane, the party was held afterwards to celebrate surviving the hurricane!  More my choice.

If you love coconut, as I do, thanks to my mother's memories living on Hawaii, then this cake is for you.  I've added cream of coconut, which is a product from what remains after chilling coconut milk and skimming off the thick layer that is left on top.  Think of it as what sweetened condensed milk is to regular milk!  On top of that, I added another cup of sweetened shredded coconut, just to give some texture.

The Banana Ice Cream is actually a recipe that has been sweeping the internet and just in case you haven't heard about it, I thought it would be the perfect accompaniment to the cake.  It's basically one ingredient--bananas, that you have cut into 1 1/2" pieces and frozen for at least 2 hours.  Place them in the food processor and pulse until a creamy, frozen dessert develops.

Tropical Storm Poundcake
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
6 large eggs
1/2 cup Cream of Coconut
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Coconut flakes

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with a non-stick baking spray and set aside.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter.  Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the Cream of Coconut and vanilla and mix again.

Add the flour and sweetened coconut and beat to combine.  

Spoon batter into the Bundt cake pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until golden brown on top and  a wooden skewer, poked in the middle, comes out cleanly.

Before you turn the oven off, toast some large coconut flakes.

 Let cake set for 10 minutes before you invert it onto the serving plate.

I must have missed a spot with the baking spray and had a little bit of the cake stick--Glaze to the rescue!

Let cool about 30 minutes, then pour on the glaze and sprinkle with the toasted coconut.
Glaze:
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 T light Karo syrup
1 T Cream of Coconut
1 - 2 T very hot water

To make the Banana "Ice Cream"
1. Slice bananas (I used 5) and place on a tray.  Set tray in the freezer for at least 2 hours.

2. Place the frozen bananas in the bowl of a food processor.

3. The bananas look like snow at first...

 4. ...but with a little more "power" it turns to a smooth, soft-serve ice cream.

5.  Spoon into a container and place in freezer until ready to serve.

A slice of the Tropical Storm Poundcake and a scoop of Banana "Ice Cream" and it's a perfect dessert when that storm passes!  As my Dad would say, "batten down the hatches" and stay safe. Enjoy!



  

Roasted Pineapple Cream Cheese~Banana Pound Cake

Actually, I should have just called this recipe--"Leftover Pound Cake!" because that's exactly what was the inspiration of these flavors.  On Monday, the first night of Chinese New Year, I made Roasted Pineapple Won tons and they were delicious, but the problem was the recipe for the filling made quite a lot and since there were only five of us for dinner and it was recommended that this dessert be served warm, I had leftover filling--it would have easily made about 40-50 won tons.

Maddie & Ivy in their New Year attire

 Also, this morning, I noticed one lonely banana, again, resting on the counter and thought, "it's not enough for banana bread, but maybe I'll just throw it in to this batter as well ;-)!

My mother was a genius with leftovers; nothing went to waste, but of course with eight kids and a tight budget she had to be.  I am appalled at the commercial showing how much food American families throw out each year, especially when we know how many children don't get enough to eat.  So, I'm a disciple of "Waste Not, Want Not," and decided that although, I could have easily enjoyed the roasted pineapple cream cheese filling on crackers, neither my hips nor my waistline would, and a pound cake would be perfect for my hubby to have a little slice while I'm gone.

Roasted Pineapple Cream Cheese~Banana Pound Cake
(aka Leftover Pound Cake)
1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/8-1/4 tsp. Pineapple flavoring
2 Vanilla beans, split and scraped
6 large eggs
8 oz (about 1 to 1 1/4 cups) Pineapple cream cheese filling
1 medium banana, mashed
1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
3 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped


Pineapple Cream Cheese Filling:
1 fresh medium pineapple, cored and diced to 1/2-inch
1/3 cup Tubinado sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tsp. lime zest

I have a pineapple corer that removes the pineapple as you twist it down, but if you don't have one, you will have to slice the pineapple, remove the rind and the core before chopping into a 1/2-inch dice. 

Heat a sauce pan on medium heat and cook the turbinado sugar until it melts.  Add the pineapple and the vanilla beans and pod.  Cook until the mixture boils, then, turn down to a low simmer and cook for 1 hour, stirring every 10 minutes.  All the moisture should evaporate and the pineapple becomes a golden brown.

Remove the vanilla pod, add the lime zest and stir.  Let mixture cool completely before folding into the cream cheese.  This mixture can be made the day before.


Preheat oven to 325F-degrees.  Spray a 12-cup bundt pan with a non-stick baking spray and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter thoroughly.  Add the sugars and cream for 3-5 minutes until fluffy and lighter in color.  Add the vanilla beans and the pineapple flavor and beat just to combine.


Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl periodically.  Add the pineapple/cream cheese mixture and the mashed banana and mix to combine.
Add the cider vinegar and beat once more.

Add the flour and beat on medium just until combined--don't over mix.  Fold in the pecans, if using.
Transfer the batter to the prepared Bundt pan and place in the preheated oven for 70 to 80 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean when poked down through the cake.

The cake is loaded with flavor, so I just did a dusting of confectioners' sugar over it, but you could also make a glaze.

To Serve:
I love to plate desserts as if they're works of art!  So, I had some homemade caramel sauce in the refrigerator, that I heated in the microwave for 45 seconds, then did my best interpretation of a Jackson Pollack and drizzled on a plain, white plate.

Next, I sliced the cake and placed it on the plate with a scoop of So Delicious Coconut Milk "ice cream," but you could use your favorite ice cream to accompany the dessert.

I love to take some cake, drag it through the caramel, and then top it with the ice cream.  Yum!!

Waste Not, Want Not, should be everyone's motto--especially with food.  Enjoy!

Winter Citrus Pound Cake

It's been a tough season for the flu--I know from first hand having just had a bout during the holidays.  Today, with this in mind, I decided to do a pound cake loaded with Vitamin C to give us all a boost :-)!

Citrus fruits are believed to have originated in Southeast Asia and the best known are lemons, oranges, grapefruit and limes.  I chose to do all four of these fruits, zest and juice, in this moist pound cake, loaded with flavor.

My mother thought lemon was the most useful and not only made us a hot toddy with a squeeze of the juice, but added it to honey and rye for a cough syrup.  Oh, and later she made a lemon chicken soup that was guaranteed to cure the common cold...at least that's what she told us.

Since we still have the rest of January and the dreaded February to get through with the weather, citrus might be our best bet in warding off illness--at the very least, enjoy a piece of cake with a cup of tea by a roaring fire and wait for Spring.

Winter Citrus Pound Cake
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cup granulated sugar
6 large eggs, separated
Zest of 1 lemon, 1 lime, 1 orange, and 1 grapefruit
1/2 cup of juice from all the fruits (save the rest of the juice for the soaking sauce)
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
3 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour


Preheat oven 325F-degrees.  Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with a non-stick baking spray.
In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter for 2 minutes, scraping the sides as needed.  While the mixer is on medium, add the sugar, one cup at a time.  Once all the sugar is added, increase speed to med/high and beat the butter/sugar mixture for 8 minutes.  Scrape down the sides.

Turn the mixture back to medium and add the egg yolks, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Scrape down the sides as needed.  Add the zest (you should have about 5 Tablespoons) and mix again.  Add the flour alternately with the juice, starting and ending with the flour.  The batter will be thick.

Beat the 6 egg whites until stiff.  Fold about one-third of the egg whites into the batter and mix to lighten it.  Then add the rest of the egg whites and fold gently.  Spoon mixture into the prepared Bundt pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour 20 minutes or until a tester comes out crumb-free.  About 10 minutes before the mixture is due to come out of the oven, make the citrus soaking sauce.
1/2 cup citrus juice
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
Place the juice and sugar in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil; turn down to low and simmer until the cake is ready to come out of the oven.
Use a skewer and poke holes in the cake, then, pour the citrus sauce over it (while it's still in the pan).  Let the cake set in the pan about 20 minutes while it's soaking up all the sauce.
Turn the cake out onto a serving plate.


Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 T light Karo syrup
2 T hot water


Mix everything and drizzle over the top of the cake.

The golden cake, with it's desirable dark crumb is moist and so refreshing.  It's the perfect dessert on a cold nights--just need the water to boil for tea and I'm set to curl up on the sofa to watch The Gifted Man.  Enjoy!
 

Caramel Pumpkin Pound Cake with Warm Caramel Pecan Sauce

Did you think I'd get through the month without featuring a pound cake with pumpkin!  It's one of my favorite things to bake and I have to blame it on being born in the South (Tennessee), where they are known for their fabulous pound cakes. 

The name pound cake comes from the original recipe of using a pound each of butter, sugar, flour, and eggs which was an easy recipe to remember with so many people unable to read.  The earliest pound cakes, dating back to the beginning of the 1700s in England, had no leavening agents and relied strictly on incorporating air to lighten the batter.  It wouldn't be until the 1900s when baking powder and/or baking soda were added to produce a lighter cake.

My mother made wonderful pound cakes--traditional, lemon, brown sugar, and chocolate that I can remember vividly.  The incredible texture that allowed the knife to cut a slice, satisfied my sweet tooth so completely with or without a glaze.  Pound cake was the choice to bake for my grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary cake and even for my wedding cake.  So, why wouldn't I create a pumpkin pound cake for this month of memories?

Caramel Pumpkin Pound Cake
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
5 large eggs
1-15oz  (1 3/4 cups) Pumpkin puree
1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 T Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/2 tsp. ground Cardamon
3 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup Caramel bits
1 cup pecans, chopped
Preheat oven to 325F-degrees.  Spray a 12-cup bundt pan with a non-stick baking spray.
In a bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter completely.  Add the sugars and beat again until fluffy.  Add the Vanilla extract, and spices and mix on medium.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the bowl between mixing.  Add the pumpkin puree--the mixture should be light and airy looking.

 Add the dry ingredients and mix on medium speed to combine.  Beat on high for 1 minute.  Stir in the caramel bits (if using) and pecans.

Spoon batter into the 12-cup bundt pan, smoothing the top.  Place in the oven for 50-55 minutes or until a wooden skewer, stuck into the cake, comes out cleanly.

Can you tell the little bits of caramel have melted

Let cake cool about 10 minutes before turning it out onto a serving plate.  Make glaze while cake is cooling completely.
Caramel/Pecan Sauce:
4 T unsalted butter
1/2 cup whole pecans
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup heavy cream

In a small sauce pan, melt the butter, then add the pecans.  Cool over med/high heat until butter turns a golden brown. Lower heat to medium and add the brown sugar and cream, stirring to incorporate completely.  Continue to cook until the sauce turns a dark golden brown.  Remove from the heat.  The sauce will thicken as it cools.  Spoon or pour over a slice of pound cake.

 I discovered the caramel bits in the King Arthur catalogue and was delighted with the little bites of caramel I got in each bite.  (Alternatively, you could cut Kraft caramels into bits and add to the batter.) The addition of the caramel with the pumpkin is so Fall-like and on a cool day as we've had here today, most welcomed.  Enjoy!