Vermont Breakfast Cake

My inspiration for this recipe today was from a dear blog friend, A Haven for Vee, whose "Mosaic Monday Post" showed a photo of her neighbor's maple pails hanging from the trunks. It brought back memories of our trip to Vermont, before moving to the west coast in 2001 and going to a maple syrup manufacturing farm to learn the process.

Some very interesting facts I would like to share about Vermont maple syrup:

1. Vermont ranks #1 in the United States for maple syrup production.
2. On an average, 1,000,000 gallons are produced each year.
3. It takes 40 years for the maple tree to mature before it can produce sap.
4. A healthy maple tree can produce sap for 150 years!
5. There are 5 weeks in the year that a maple produces sap; it flows in the early spring due to warm days and cold nights.
6. There are 4 grades--Vermont Fancy, Grade A~Medium Amber, Grade A~Dark Amber, and Grade B.
7. Vermont Law requires that state-produced maple syrup to be free of preservatives, coloring, or additives.
8. Fresh trapped syrup is crystal clear with a sugar percentage of 1.5-3%.  After the boiling process, the water evaporates and the concentration of sugar in the syrup caramelizes to an amber color with a sugar content of at least 66.9%!

This Breakfast Cake is just that...cake for breakfast, which our moms would have never allowed:-D  However, with the combination of oatmeal, buttermilk, and maple syrup, it tastes just like a baked oatmeal pancake and who could resist that!

Vermont Breakfast Cake
2 cups Old Fashioned Oats
2 cups buttermilk
Stir the oats into the buttermilk in a medium bowl and let sit for at least 1 hour.

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Spray a 9-inch baking pan with a baking spray.
In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar together thoroughly.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.  Add the vanilla and mix again.

Whisk together the dry ingredients and add to the wet, mixing on low just until combined.  Finally, add the oatmeal/buttermilk mixture and stir to combine.

Spoon batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake in the preheated oven 35 to 45 minutes.  Cake should be golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out cleanly. Allow to cool in the pan at least 15 minutes.  I used my springform pan; the sides come off and it's easy to cut later.

Meanwhile, make the Maple Glaze:

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 to 2/3 cup Grade A amber or Grade B maple syrup

I used a Canadian Maple Syrup, Grade A Amber (Hey, I live in the Pacific Northwest!!)

Whisk together the confectioners' sugar and syrup, adding more syrup as needed to make a drizzling glaze.

Cut the cake in the desired size sections.  I transferred the pieces to a parchment-lined rack and slightly separated them so the glaze could drizzle down the sides.

Glaze as much as you like, but remember this cake isn't very sweet without glaze!

As promised, I am sharing with you what I have been sewing.  I found this fabric a few years ago at Pacific Fabrics; it's where I buy a lot of the fabrics I use for the aprons I make.

It was a cute print that reminded me of a Beatrix Potter story!  This year, I decided to make coiled fabric bowls for my grands using the directions from a great book It's a Wrap.  Using cotton clothes line, fabric that is cut in 1/2" or 3/4" wide strips, and some fabric glue.  Unwind the clothes line and start wrapping as directed; you will use a dab of fabric glue every 5 to 6 inches.  Sew a straight line down the center of the wrapped line about 5".

Next, make a coil about 1 1/4" wide and sew an "X" to hold in place.

Changing to a zig-zag stitch as directed, catch the fabric-wrap clothes line and create a base about 4 1/2 inches wide.  From there, you will "tilt" your fabric up as you continue to zig-zag so the bowl will form.

Before you know it...

Voila! 

One down, one more to go! I love the colors that were created with the wrapped fabric; hints of orange, browns, purple, and the many shades of green!  Happy Spring to all. Enjoy!