the easiest cake ever

Yes, another vacation post, but this is a good one! Earlier this spring I made a very simple and very delicious strawberry cake. A few weeks later, I made another. I was looking to make a very simple and quick cake for company and after an internet search, I found myself looking at this recipe. It was called the easiest cake ever, so really how can you go wrong? If you think that easy means that it also skimps on taste, you are dead wrong. This cake is delicious! I used strawberries because it was the end of May and ripe local berries were in season. But this cake would be delicious with blackberries, boysenberries, raspberries, nectarines, peaches and even plums! It requires only 1 bowl so the clean up is easy too. Really, what are you waiting for?


easiest cake ever
(adapted from Not Derby Pie)
1 c flour
1 t baking powder
zest of 1 lemon
3/4 c sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c canola oil
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 c strawberries (or any soft fruit)
1 T raw sugar

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and lemon zest. Add in the sugar, eggs, vanilla and oil and mix to combine. Butter and flour an 8 or 9 inch cake pan and add in batter. Batter will be quite thick, so use a spoon to smooth out the top. Drop in strawberries, pressing them into the batter. Sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hr or until a cake tester inserted comes out clean.

birthday cake for the birthday girl

I love birthdays. It doesn't have to be my own, any birthday will do, as I'm not picky in the least. Birthdays equal fun times, friends, family, laughter and best of all, cake. Presents are nice too, but cake, well, you can't beat cake. Today is my birthday and you better believe that I've baked myself a nice cake. It may look a little crufty around the edges but a nice soft blob of whipping cream will hide the dark cruft nicely. When dinnertime rolls around, you can bet that I'll be cutting myself a nice fat slice. After reading Molly's book, A Homemade Life, I knew that her Winning Hearts & Minds cake would make it to my birthday table. I'm not going to post the recipe here since you can read it on Orangette, or better yet, get yourself a copy of her book. Judging by scent alone, this cake is going to be great!

But I don't want you to leave this post empty handed. I want to give you all a nice bit of cake, so I am posting a recipe I made for my mother-in-law's birthday a couple of weeks ago. It looks a bit rustic, but don't let that stop you from taking a second helping. The original recipe called for an 11 inch cake tin but all I had was an 8 inch one. I poured as much batter that would fit into the tin & then made one muffin (a tester!). I was worried about a spill over with all that batter packed into such a small tin, but despite some over-zealous bubbling, things turned out well.

This cake is perfect for a casual celebration. It's quick to whip up and it's utterly unfussy in the best way. This cake is bursting with strawberries (but you could easily sub in raspberries, blackberries or blueberries) and there is a sprinkle of raw sugar and a kiss of salt over top for a surprise crunch. It's not too sweet so that you can easily convince yourself that this makes the most ideal breakfast in the world....even when especially when topped with whipping cream and homemade strawberry sauce. As for the salt, I couldn't really taste it at all, so it's up to you to bump up the salt, or leave it out entirely. So celebrate your birthday or someone else's with cake, it's easy to find a reason to celebrate.

salt-kissed strawberry cake
(adapted from 101 Cookbooks)
2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 c brown sugar
zest of 1 large orange
1/2 t salt
2 eggs
1 c yogurt
1/4 c butter, melted and cooled a bit
1 c of strawberries, roughly chopped (more if you like)
3 T large grain raw sugar
1 t kosher salt

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Butter and flour an 11 inch cake tin.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and zest and set aside. In another bowl, beat together the eggs and then stir in the yogurt and butter. Add the wet ingredients into the dry and mix lightly until combined.

3. Pour* batter into prepared tin and drop strawberries into the cake. Smush them a bit to let the juices run if you wish. Sprinkle the tops with the raw sugar and a light dusting of the salt. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden. Serve with whipping cream and strawberry sauce. Or eat plain.

* Batter will not be runny by any means. Pour is more like "plop".

lookie lookie: chocolate chip banana bread with ginger

Delivered as promised. Banana bread. Chocolate chips? Check. Soft ginger melty bits? Check. Deliciousness? Oh yes! I found this recipe over at Molly's and it figures that if she could venture to try my recipe for a chocolate chip banana bread then I could try out one of hers. And, whoa Nelly, it's a good one!

I made this for a New Years Eve feast, but we were too stuffed from eating mussels and carelessly imbibing way too many different types of cocktails, that the banana bread got lost in the shuffle. A true shame. However, the next day we gladly cut into the loaf and loved each and every slice. The banana bread brimmed with chocolate chips, pecans and caramelized ginger bits...and the gingery bits were the best part. When making the loaf, I realized that I was out of candied ginger, but I did find a tiny box of ginger chewy candy, so I subbed that instead. Instead of remaining a solid chunk, like normal candied ginger, it melted and bubbled and turned into a hidden golden lump of gingery caramel. It was wonderful and made the loaf extra special.

Oh, and if you'd be so obliged, I'd love to be nominated for the Bloggies (which is some big deal blog award thingy) as Best Food Blog. Normally, I'm not one for asking for votes but lately, I feel the need to win something, anything! Or at least get nominated. Nominations close tomorrow, Monday January 12th at 10pm Eastern time. Thank you, thank you, thank you, in advance.

chocolate chip banana bread with ginger
(recipe adapted from Orangette)
1 c sugar
1 large egg
½ c unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 ripe medium-size bananas
3 T milk
2 c unbleached all-purpose flour
1 t baking powder
½ t baking soda
1 c chocolate chips
Small chunks of candied ginger or soft ginger candies, to taste
½ c chopped roasted pecans, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease and flour a loaf tin.

2. In a bowl, mix the sugar, egg and butter until fluffy. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. In a small bowl, mash together the bananas and milk and set aside.

3. Add flour mixture to butter mixture in three parts, alternating with banana mixture in two parts, stirring until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips, ginger, and pecans.

4. Pour batter into prepared tin, smoothing the batter with the back of a spoon. Bake for 1 hour or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool for a few minutes and then turn loaf out onto a wire rack to cool.

happy new years: glazed chocolate cake with sprinkles

Oh, the holidays...so much going on, lots of parties, and way too many sweets! But c'mon, this rich chocolate cake is way too pretty to ignore. I spied this recipe on the Gourmet website and fell in love with the photo immediately. This cake screamed holidays and glamour and it's nice to end a holiday meal with a bit of a spectacle. I made this as our dessert on Christmas day and the cake was moist but it was the bittersweet ganache that stole the show. Be sure to use a good chocolate for the frosting...I used a dark bittersweet chocolate from Callebault and it was amazing.

A chocolate cake shouldn't be fussy and this one is simple as it is stunning. The red dotty sprinkles helps to make this cake festive and gives everyone a reason to celebrate. And have I got a reason to whoop it up a little. The CBC has listed me as one of the "best of the food blogs". Huzzah!

glazed chocolate cake with sprinkles
(adapted from Gourmet)
1 c all-purpose flour
1/3 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 tn baking powder
1/4 t salt
1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
1 c packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 t pure vanilla extract
1/2 c yogurt
1/2 c skim milk

for ganache:
1/4 c half & half cream (+ additional)
3 1/2 oz bittersweet chocolate (not more than 60% cacao if marked), finely chopped
2 ts light corn syrup
sprinkles

1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour a round 9x2 cake tin or bundt pan and set aside. In a large small bowl, sift together dry ingredients (flour to salt). In a large bowl, mix together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add in eggs, one at a time, and vanilla. Combine the milk and yogurt in a small bowl. Add flour and milk mixture alternating in batches, beginning and ending with the flour.

2. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 35 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

3. While cake cools, bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add in chocolate and whisk until smooth. If the chocolate is too thick, add in a touch of extra cream. Stir in corn syrup and set aside to cool. Using a spatula, spread glaze over cake and decorate with sprinkles.

you don't need sassy, you need spice cake

Some of the best things, when put to paper, oftentimes just don't sound that spectacular. Spice cake? Really? It just doesn't have the ring of awesomeness. Holy-Mother-Flipping-Totally-Rad-Spice-Cake, maybe. Please do not let the lackluster photo or hum-drum name sway you into not making this cake, because really, you must make this cake. It's good. Real good. With every bite my husband was rendered speechless and when he did muster up words, he rapturously muttered things like "be still my heart"*. When the last piece was eaten, I cried a little inside.

Make it now and thank me later. Oh, and go read about my food & wine autumn roadtrip outside of Vancouver for the Food Network blog.

spice cake
2 c flour
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t ground cloves
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1/4 t ground cardamom
1/4 c ground almonds
1 1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 c brown sugar
1/4 c molasses
1 egg
1/2 c oil
1/2 c yogurt
1/2 c milk
1/2 c toasted pecans, chopped
1/2 c raisins

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine the flour, spices, ground almonds, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In another bowl, mix together the brown sugar, molasses, egg and oil until combined. In a measuring cup, mix the milk and yogurt together and set aside.

Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and gently blend. Add in the milk mixture, along with the pecans and raisins and mix until just combined. Grease and flour a bunt pan and pour in the mixture. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, 45-55 minutes or so (depending on the size of your cake pan). Cool slightly on rack and then invert cake from pan and let cool completely or eat warm.

* Okay, he did not say "be still my heart", but it sure paints a better picture than "this is good cake" (which I already mentioned anyway, so there).

the big bad banana: jacked-up banana bread

You should know by now that I do not like bananas. However, my one banana exception is for banana bread and it's funny that my most popular recipe is for banana bread. But I think I've found a match for the ever-delicious chocolate-chip laden and cinnamon-sugared crunch of the UBC cake. This one doesn't have chocolate or a heavy hand when it comes to spices, but that's not to say it is without kick. A nice glug of rum makes this bread even tempered but with a little bit of the crazy-eye. And every good cake needs a bit of crazy.


I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen particularly appealing since I had 3 very brown bananas tucked into the freezer. She adapted her recipe from another food blogger and I have adapted hers based on what I had around the kitchen. I didn't have a bottle of Wild Turkey laying about, so I subbed in some Jamaican amber rum and pecans for crunch. It's easy, delicious and I can't wait until I have a few more big bad bananas around so that I can mash them into submission for this cake. Scrumptious with fresh berries sprinkled about, or as my husband prefers, smeared with unsalted butter. It's good for an evening snack and even better for breakfast.

You better believe me that I was very sad to see this last slice go. One more thing...head over to the Food Network Canada blog to read my post on the Alibi Room. Finally, beer lovers in Vancouver have a place to revel that is not my living room. Hooray!


jacked-up banana bread
adapted from Smitten Kitchen
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 c melted Earth Balance margarine (but any light flavored oil or butter should do)
3/4 c lightly packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 t vanilla
1 T rum
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves
1 t baking soda
pinch of salt
1 1/2 c of flour
1/2 c chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350. Mash up your bananas and then add in the melted margarine and brown sugar. Mix about with a wooden spoon until well combined and then toss in the egg, rum and the rest of the spices. Add the baking powder and a pinch of salt and combine. Add the flour and then finally the pecans and pour batter into a lightly oiled loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour or until cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven. When cooled slightly, remove from pan and put on rack to cool completely. Or just dive in when ready.

crumb crazy: orange crumb cake

I know, I know, I just made a pretty fantastic crumb coffee cake, so why would I try again after being so satisfied with that recipe? Well, it all came down to a trade. After a bout of wii boxing and the fact that at that moment, unbeknownst to me, I was coming down with the flu of a lifetime, my muscles were crying foul. I wanted a massage. My partner-in-crime wanted cake so a deal was struck. Turns out I may have had the best deal of all, since I got a fantastic massage and a share of the cake. Hey, I'm a believer that there is no such thing as too much cake.


And oh boy, oh boy, what a cake! Incredibly light textured—perhaps due to the fact that olive oil replaces stodgy butter in this recipe—and to what effect! Light as a feather, indeed. Plus, the orange flavour is bright and fresh and melds beautifully with the cardamom, nutmeg and cinnamon. And did I mention that it's easy to boot? Yup, just take care to read over the recipe and reserve some of the dry mixture as the topping!


I'm still ravaged by the flu and I've lost my voice. And it's tee shirt weather now that spring has finally hit Vancouver...but I'm too sick to be outside to enjoy it. But at least I still have cake! Oh and if you are in sunny warm Vancouver today, be sure to stop by the I *heart* Crafts bazaar at 805 East Pender until 6pm in beautiful Strathcona. Althought I'm sick, my friend Mel has graciously offered to man my table. So stop by, purchase some handmade goods, and say hi!

orange crumb cake
2 c flour
1 1/2 c brown sugar
zest of 1 large orange
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t cardamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1/2 c olive oil
3 T orange juice

1 c yogurt
1 egg
1 t vanilla extract
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly butter and flour a 8 or 9 inch round or square pan. Set aside.

2. Stir flour, sugar, orange zest and spices in a medium sized bowl. Add oil and orange juice and stir lightly until mixture forms clumps. Remove 1 cup of this mixture for the topping and set aside.

3. In another bowl, combine the yogurt, egg, vanilla, baking powder and baking soda until blended. Add the flour mixture to the yogurt mixture, stirring until batter is smooth.

4. Pour batter into prepared pan, and sprinkle with the reserved cup of topping. Bake for 40 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

midnight at the oasis: apple crumb coffee cake

It's great to wake up and have breakfast ready and waiting. Last night I made this coffee cake that I saw on La Vie Cerise and decided that it would be perfect for a Saturday morning with a whole lot of coffee. And it was. The topping was plentiful and sweet and the apples scattered throughout the cake added just the right amount of tartness to balance everything out.


But the thing about baking this cake was that I started it quite late in the evening....after 1 am to be exact. And because it was so late, I wasn't in best form and I missed an ingredient—baking powder. I didn't realize it until I started typing out the recipe this morning. Doh! And since I'm in confession mode, I also over-baked this cake. I guess that's what happens when it's late and I'm not so focused. Oops! Not that you'd ever know it cuz this cake is good, miscalculations and all. So maybe my cake didn't rise very much and was a bit too golden, it was still a fantastic way to start the day along with a whole lot of strong coffee.


Want more? Why not head over to my latest post over at the Food Network Canada and say hi! Vancouver is quickly losing it's history in the rush to build up a condo or two (thousand) and this weekend marks the end of Wally's Burgers, a local burger joint. Read my write up on the Food Network Canada blog, Bazaar.

apple crumb coffee cake
1 1/2 c flour
2 1/4 t baking powder
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1 egg
1/2 c milk
1/2 c canola oil
1 Granny Smith apple, chopped

crumb topping:
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c flour
2 T butter
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 c walnuts

Preheat oven to 400. Butter and flour an 8" round cake pan, shaking off any excess flour. Prepare crumb topping in a medium-sized bowl, crumbling mixtures with your fingers until it looks like crumbs. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, combine egg, milk and oil. Add the wet to the dry and mix. Add in apples and stir until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and top with crumb mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let cool. Prepare a pot of your favorite coffee and go to town.

life is better with cake & beer: red ale & chocolate cake

When I first spotted Nigella's recipe for Guinness cake I was excited. Surely this would be the cake to rival all cakes. But I kept putting it aside since I'm an IPA drinker and my husband will drink whatever is cheap (ie. pils). We just never have Guinness in the house. But then after a Boxing Day gathering, someone left a Chocolate Stout in our fridge. It was then I decided that I'd give that Nigella recipe a whirl as Cornelius' birthday cake. But then, that stout was taken to a friend's house for New Years and it was out of our life for good. So when yesterday rolled around, the illustrious day of my husband's birth, all I had in my fridge was some deep red Maple Cream Ale from a local brewer. Maple Cream had to do and I whipped up the cake lickety-split!

This recipe makes a lovely cake because it's tasty and it's one of those one-pot wonders. Dump everything into a pot and it turns out awesome. Yes, the cake is super delicious, uber-moist (I think Nigella sighs over the word "damp") and looked so frothy topped with a sturdy cream cheese-whipped cream head.

I've never really followed a Nigella Lawson recipe too closely. I've made her eggplant Involtini and a couple salad recipes, but I've never tackled a baking recipe. All of those grams and millilitres frighten even my metric ass! But I did purchase a kitchen scale last summer and decided to put it to use yesterday. Measuring out the ingredients was very satisfying and made me feel like the pro I'm not. The only thing that was a bit vague in her recipe was her directions for frosting. I don't think she mentions to whip the cream, but I did. I wanted to be sure that the frosting that topped this showpiece would stand proud and after a stiff beating, it did. I had achieved frosting perfection.


Some modifications, of course. Besides the beer switcheroo, I used yogurt instead of sour cream. I also didn't use the measurements for the frosting listed below. I used what I had....a 250 g tub of cream cheese, half of a large container of heavy cream and enough sugar to make it sweet but not too sweet. I also threw in some vanilla just to add a bit more flavour. For the cake pan, Nigella doesn't specify what size, but I used 1 kind of small and 1 medium sized spring form pan. They filled up nicely and having 2 different sizes is great because, Cornelius and I can share the small one and the larger one can be transported to a friend's house for a celebration there! 2 cakes for the price of 1!


red ale & chocolate cake
250 ml maple cream ale (or Guinness or another stout or deep coloured ale)
250 g unsalted butter, cut into cubes
75 g cocoa
400 g white sugar
142 ml yogurt
2 eggs
1 T vanilla extract
275 g flour
2 1/2 t baking soda

Frosting:
300 g cream cheese
150 g icing sugar
1 t vanilla
125 ml heavy cream

1. In a large pot, melt the butter in the beer. When it's all good and melted, add in the sugar and sift in the cocoa. Remove from head and let cool for a couple of minutes. In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt and eggs and vanilla and then dump into beer pot. Mix. Add in flour and baking soda, whisking well until combined.

2. Butter and flour a round spring form pan and pour in batter. Place in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes or so. The size of pan you use will determine the baking time. Let cake cool for a bit before removing the spring form pan. Cool completely on a wire rack.

3. Combine cream cheese, vanilla, and icing sugar in one bowl. In a separate bowl, whip cream until stiff. Gently add the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture and whip lightly until combined. Gob on frosting to the top of the cake. It should look like beer head so don't get fancy. Stick a candle in it, raise a glass and sing a song!

christmas cake: icebox peppermint yule log

My mother-in-law had asked me to make a dessert for our Christmas dinner and with so many things to do over the holidays, I wanted something without much fuss. I also wanted something kind of spectacular and festive looking. While so many bloggers have been whipping up complicated yule logs this month, I decided that I would make one too. Thankfully, I saw this recipe over at Sew Darn Cute and decided that a candy cane icebox yule log cake would be the perfect holiday desert to end our Christmas meal. This cake was easy to put together, was light and fluffy, and the crushed candy canes made the dessert taste like Christmas. Plus, it has that retro 1950's housewife feel that I just love. It was perfection in a log-shaped cake.


I wish I had used gummy leaves and berries like the very beautiful original, but I just used Christmas cookie sprinkles for a festive decorative touch. I also used less sugar in the whipped cream mixture, figuring that crushed candy canes have enough sugar already. And a final tip...sprinkle icing sugar just before you serve, otherwise, the sugar will melt into the cake. This dessert was a hit and probably my most favorite thing about our meal. Enjoy!

icebox peppermint yule log cake
1 box Nabisco's Famous Chocolate Wafers
2 3/4 c heavy cream
Crushed candy canes (about 5)
1 t icing sugar (+ 2-3 T icing sugar + more for sprinkling)
1/2 t vanilla extract
1/2 t peppermint extract
1/4 c cocoa powder

1. Beat 1 1/2c. cream until soft peaks form. Add in 1 teaspoon sugar, peppermint and mint extracts, beating until stiff. Fold in crushed candy canes.

2. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper and assemble your stacks on it. Working quickly to prevent slippage, make 6 or so stacks of 6 wafers each, with 1 tablespoon of candy cane cream sandwiched between each wafer. Top 5 stacks with cream, leaving one stack plain with a wafer on top. If you find that things are sliding around too much, pop the cookie sheet in the freezer until things firm up a bit and then continue on.

3. Turn wafer stacks onto their sides and press them all together, leaving the plain-topped wafer stack at the end. Pop into freezer. After 1 hour, wrap the parchment paper around the "log" and freeze for another 5 hours or overnight.

4. Beat remaining 1 1/4 c. cream with 2-3 tablespoons of sugar and sift in the cocoa powder until stiff peaks form.

5. Trim two 3 inch wedges on the diagonal from the both ends of the log and set aside. Place the log on a serving plate and cover it with most of the cocoa cream, reserving about 1/2 cup. Press in the 2 stumpy ends along side of the log and then slather with the remaining cream.

6. Drag a fork all over the log to simulate tree bark, then freeze log for at least 4 hours. Let it sit at room temp for 15-20 minutes before serving. Decorate with candies and powdered sugar for a snowy effect. When cutting the cake, cut on the diagonal for a nice striped effect.

snackin' cake

As a kid, I used to hate the word "snack". I don't know what it was, but it always made me scowl and cringe with embarassment. Maybe because everyone who said "snack" ended up sounding like a big ol' whiner ("snnnaaaaaaaaaaaack") that it totally drove me up the wall. But times change and pretty much everything about "snack" just seems right. It's true that I love it for it's by-gone day notions...somehow it conjures up family rec rooms and wood paneling and the colours avocado and orange. Snack time and snack break and even "Snackin' Cake" (a commercial cake mix) totally makes me think of being a kid in the '70s.

Earlier this week, I was on a snack mission. I wanted something sweet (but not overly so) and easy to make with no muss or fuss. This square is very similar to a brownie in texture, so I guess this is what could be termed a "blondie"? It's dense and chewy and the edges got a bit crispy which is just how I like 'em. Cornelius couldn't get enough of them! And for my snack quota? Totally fulfilled.

chocolate chip walnut squares
1 c brown sugar (not packed)
1/4 c butter, softened
1 egg
1 t vanilla
1 1/4 c flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1/2 c chocolate chips
1/4 c walnut pieces, chopped

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, butter, egg and vanilla until smooth. Add in flour, baking powder and salt and beat until combined. Add in chocolate chips and walnuts.

2. Grease up a square baking pan and add batter to the pan. Smooth out tops and bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

a rhubarb schlump

When I was little, my parents had a little garden patch in the backyard where we grew all kinds of things: raspberries, corn, carrots, chives, lettuce and always, always rhubarb. Strangely enough being the sour-lover that I am, I wasn't a fan. It just looked too much like celery and I just didn't understand the attraction that made my parents and brother head out to the garden patch with a bowl of white sugar where they would dip and chomp their sugar-coated stalks like nobody's business. Besides eating it raw, my mom would eventually make a rhubarb compote or a crumble....it was like my family was trying to poison me! To me, this wasn't dessert, it was h-e-double hockey sticks. But then I grew up and fell in love with that strange fruit. Rhubarb, what's not to love! I've eaten it raw, turned it into crumble...hell, I've even made compote. But one thing I've never had was the strawberry-rhubarb combo. Cornelius assured me it was a perfect pairing and after trying my hand at this decidedly schlumpy, but totally knock-your-socks-off cake, I can agree. Strawberry and rhubarb rocks.

This cake tastes great on it's own, but you can dress it up with whipped cream or ice cream and turn it into a real treat. Or eat it up for breakfast with a dollop of yogurt, like we did in the photo above.

schlumpy strawberry-rhubarb pudding cake
2 c chopped rhubarb
2 c strawberries, cut in half
1/4 cup water
1 t cornstarch
1/4 c plus 1/2 c sugar
1 c flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 c almond milk (soy or dairy would be fine too)
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c butter, melted
1 t vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 400. In a medium sized saucepan, dissolve the cornstarch and 1/4 cup of sugar in water over medium-low heat. Add rhubarb and bring to a simmer, stirring occassionally for a few minutes. Turn off heat and add in strawberries and stir so the 2 fruits can mingle.

2. In a small bowl, combine the remaining sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. In a larger bowl, mix together the milk, egg, butter and vanilla. Add the dry to the wet and gently combine.

3. Butter up a baking dish (I'm sure a 8 or 9 inch square or round pan would work - I used an old Pyrex dish) and add all but 1/2 c of the strawberry-rhubarb mixture. Top with cake batter and then drizzle the remaining portion of fruit overtop. Bake for 25 minutes or until the cake tester comes out clean. Serve warm or cool with whipped cream, ice cream or yogurt.

birthday cake

Well, birthday week 2007 has just about come to an end, I think. But I'm okay with that because I've got cake in the fridge to last for a few days more (maybe) and a bountiful supply of fresh lemon curd and a delicious dark chocolate ganache to keep those birthday memories kickin'. The cake I made was outstanding. As planned, I followed the Martha Stewart yellow cake recipe to the letter. It turned out wonderfully moist and flavourful and I'd make it again in a heartbeat. I did make a lemon curd filling, but decided not to use Martha's recipe because I prefer recipes using whole eggs rather than just yolks. Instead, I found this version which not only met my whole egg requirement, but it was sweet, sweet perfection. Tart, lemony and way too easy to eat up with a spoon! And for the rich chocolate topping, I halved the Martha recipe, subbed in my favorite Dark Ritter Sport bars for the chocolate chips, and even after topping the cake, still had enough ganache to last a long, long while.



If you are putting this together, you can make everything 1 day in advance...just make sure everything is tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated. Just don't put everything together until the next day.

today i'm gonna party like it's my birthday...

....cuz it totally is! This year I'll be baking a cake for myself, but not until Saturday when I've scheduled in a picnic party! I'll be making the Martha Stewart yellow cake with lemon curd and chocolate frosting because it looks so friggin' awesome. There will be sunshine (I'm willing it), root beer floats, cake and good times with amazing friends. But for today, Cornelius and I are finally going to take in the Fred Herzog exhibit at the VAG and eat some lunch time moules et frites on a patio somewhere. We might even go for a slice of cake! Enjoy the day because I sure will.

for the love of cake

I love cake. There's just something about it that turns the most ordinary meal into a celebration. A cake holds much more meaning than just a sweet dessert. A pie? Well, that's a labour of love and one should always be appreciative of a homemade pie. A cupcake? It's sweet, it's cute and fun and will most certainly put a smile on any face. But a cake is more than all of that. It's impressive in stature and tone. It holds memories of birthdays and weddings past. It is love and grace blended with silk ribbons and lace.

Cake might seem to be fussy but it doesn't have to be. This lemon yogurt cake comes from Orangette and is itself filled with its own memories and Kodak moments, but this cake is as simple as they come. I made this a couple of weekends ago for my buddy, Charlie's first birthday. Even though I overbaked it, it still managed to garner a few oohs and ahhs. I tried again the following weekend for my mother-in-law's birthday and it baked up to perfection. I soaked the cake with a lemon syrup rather than Orangette's lemon glaze and then topped the cake with freshly whipped cream and strawberries. It was light and fresh and celebratory. It was perfect.

lemon yogurt cake
1/2 c lemon yogurt
1 c granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 c unbleached all-purpose flour
2 t baking powder
zest from 1 lemon
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/2 c canola oil

lemon syrup:
juice of 1 lemon
a few T of sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl combine the yogurt, sugar and eggs and mix well. In a seperate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and lemon zest. Add flour mixture in with the yogurt mixture and blend. Add in the lemon juice and oil and stir until everything is all mixed and blendy.

2. Pour batter into a greased & floured 9 inch round cake pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden and a cake tester comes out clean. Remember, don't over bake!!

3. Cool cake on a rack for 20 minutes and then turn out on a rack to cool completely. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and lemon juice until it tastes like the kind of syrup you make lemonade with. When cake is cool spoon over the lemon syrup and if you have any extra just pop it in a class of cold water and you'll have lemonade to boot!

bringing autumn back: pumpkin!

I'm once again trying to empty out the contents of my freezer. It's amazing the things you find once you dig deep enough. Just when I thought I was over with blackberries, I found another container full! I've also found some raspberries I didn't know existed and also 2 containers of pureed pumpkin. Well, it just means that there is a lot of baking and fruity breakfasts ahead!

This weekend I decided to break into the pumpkin puree and bring a bit of autumn back into the kitchen as I'm getting fed up with March already! On Friday I had my friend over for a little bit. She was coming right over from working with some screaming children at the daycare centre where she works and I had pretty much spent the day up to my neck in boxes. We needed some treats and we needed them pronto. I looked over to the ppk for some vegan inspiration and decided to make a pumpkin cake based on a very yummy sounding pumpkin muffin recipe. I had already packed up all of my muffin tins, so I made this in a rectangular cake pan and it turned out really well. Super moist and delicious and so easy to put together! Besides adding in a few more spices and cutting back on some of the sugar, I decided to up the decadence factor and threw in some semi-sweet chocolate chips and pecans which greatly added to the treat factor. Delicious!

spicy pumpkin & chocolate chip cake
1 ¾ c flour
1 c sugar
1 T baking powder
¼ t salt
2 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t ginger
1/4 t cardamom
1/8 t ground cloves
1 c pureed pumpkin
1 T soy yogurt
½ c soymilk
½ c vegetable oil
2 T molasses
¾ c semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ c chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 400° F. In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Add in the wet ingredients and mix until combined.

2. Add in the chocolate chips and pecans and mix. Pour batter into a greased cake pan or muffin tins. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

taste of summer

Like I mentioned in a previous entry, I've begun Operation: Cupboard Clean-Out to make moving apartments seem like less of a chore. This tactical maneouver isn't only about cleaning out the cupboard....the freezer is fair game as well. Last summer I played a weekly game of tennis around a bramble of blackberry bushes and managed to pick and freeze a fair amount of the deep, dark berries. I've used the blackberries in smoothies, cakes, pancakes and fruit crumbles but it seemed like no matter how many berries I used, my freezer held an endless supply. I'm not complaining, mind you. I love blackberries and using them unseasonally in the wintertime makes the memories of summer that much sweeter. Tonight, to take a break from all the moving boxes I'm swimming in, I decided that I'd bake a little cake and maybe use up the rest of the frozen blackberries. And so with the extra space left over from a huge container of blackberries, in went a small pint of vanilla ice-cream to fill the gap. Mmmmm, warm blackberries covered in a light cake batter and then topped with a scoop of ice cream. Now, not only is my packing load lightened, but I can taste summer and it's only March.

black(berry) bottom cake
3 c frozen blackberries
½ c plus 1 ½ T sugar
1 c flour
½ t baking soda
¼ t salt
¼ c margarine, softened
1 egg
1 t vanilla
¼ c skim milk
¼ c plain yogurt

1. Lightly butter an 8x8 square pan. Add in the blackberries and toss with the 1 ½ teaspoon of sugar. Set aside.

2. In a mixing bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

3. In a larger mixing bowl, blend the margarine and the remaining sugar until fluffy. Add in the egg and vanilla and mix until smooth. Alternate adding in the flour with the milk and yogurt until the batter is encorporated. Pour over berries and smooth over with a spatula. Bake at 400° for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Serve warm with vanilla ice-cream.

some velvet afternoon

I love red velvet cake. I remember hearing so much about this fabled Southern dessert that when I actually made it for the first time, I was a bit disappointed that the only thing that made it red was the addition of food colouring. Fortunately for me, I love the colour red and the cake was moist, rich and most decadent. I've made a multi-tiered layered version for a friend's wedding with a rich cream cheese and pecan frosting and I've made unfrosted cupcakes that taste just as delicious as their frosted counterparts. For a easy and impressive looking cake, red velvet fits the bill.

The other afternoon, I decided to bake a small, personal-sized red velvet cake for a friend celebrating a birthday. I found myself without any buttermilk, which is usually a requirement in making a red velvet cake, but I decided to proceed anyway with some plain yogurt I had in the fridge. Cutting the recipe below in half, I poured the batter into a 4 inch round springform pan and then had enough left over to bake up 4 cupcakes. I figured that eating a cupcake before giving the cake as a gift would ease any worries I had about my yogurt-buttermilk substitution. And indeed, the cupcake was moist, tender and rich and any qualms I had were forgotten. I had reached red-velvet gold.

red velvet (cup)cake
2 1/2 c flour
1 t salt
1/4 c fine-quality cocoa powder
1 1/2 c white sugar
1 1/2 c canola oil
2 large eggs
1/4 c red food coloring (plus 1 - 2 T extra if you want the cake extra red)
1 t pure vanilla extract
1 c plain yogurt
1 1/2 t baking soda
2 t white vinegar

1. Heat oven to 350°. Butter and flour two 9-by-2-inch round cake pans or line a cupcake tray with paper liners. In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, salt and cocoa powder. Set aside.

2. In another bowl, mix together the sugar and oil until well combined. Add in the 2 eggs and beat well. Next, stir in the food colouring and the vanilla. Add in half of the flour/cocoa mixture, alternating with the yogurt, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.

3. In a small bowl, mix baking soda and vinegar until combined. Add to batter, and beat for 10 seconds. Divide batter between the prepared pans (if using) or pour batter 3/4 full into the cupcake liners.

4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool for about 5 minutes before removing from pan, then place on wire racks to cool completely. Frost or cover in whipped cream as desired.

love proof

I'm a sucker for love so pretty much every day seems like Valentine's Day. Yesterday Cornelius jokingly said that Valentine's Day is the day where you have to prove your love to the other person! After laughing, I decided that I'd bake up some proof right away. After seeing Gourmet's recipe for a Truffle Chocolate Tart pretty much everywhere, I was smitten. Unfortunately, I didn't have really great dark chocolate at my disposal. I did however have some pretty decent semi-sweet baking chocolate and some really amazing imported French dark dark cocoa. I also had some Callebault white chocolate on hand...so I decided to modify the recipe somewhat and knock me out some love cake. Using 2 different chocolates, I decided to marbleize the ganache and create some pretty looking swirls. And since I was using white chocolate which is quite sweet, I did not add extra sugar to the mix. I'm sure it will be sweet and rich enough without the extra sugar! Truth be told, I haven't taken a bite out of this tart (we're saving it for tonight), but every time I lift the lid off my cake dome, I'm instantly salivating from the heavenly chocolate aroma. Oh my! Bring on the love!

chocolate truffle tart
For crust
28 chocolate wafers* (1 1/2 cups)
6 T butter, melted and cooled

For filling
1/2 c okay-quality bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped + 2 fine-quality T dark cocoa
1/2 c fine-quality white chocolate, coarsely chopped
6 T butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 c heavy cream
1/4 t salt
1 t pure vanilla extract

Special equipment: an 8-inch (20-cm) round springform pan

1. Make crust: Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Wrap a sheet of foil over bottom of springform pan (in case of leaks). Lightly butter side of pan. Stir together ground wafers and butter in a bowl until combined, then pat mixture evenly onto bottom of pan and 1 1/2 inches up side. Bake until crust is slightly puffed, about 10 minutes, then cool completely in pan on a rack, about 15 minutes. Leave oven on.

2. Make filling while crust cools: Whisk together eggs, cream, sugar, salt, and vanilla in a bowl. Divide mixture into 2 even halves. Set aside. Over low heat, melt dark chocolate, cocoa and half the butter in one saucepan and melt white chocolate and the other half of the butter in another saucepan. Stir until smooth and remove from heat. Cool for 5 minutes. Whisk the dark chocolate mixture into one of the egg mixtures and add the white chocolate into the other egg mixture and combine well with a whisk.

3. Assemble and bake tart: Pour white filling into cooled crust and then drizzle the chocolate filling over top in a random pattern. With a fork or the end of knife, create swirls being careful not to mix too much. Rap pan once on counter to eliminate any air bubbles. Bake until filling 1 inch from edge is set and slightly puffed but center trembles slightly when pan is gently shaken, 20 to 25 minutes.** (Center will continue to set as it cools.)

4. Cool tart completely in pan on a rack, about 2 hours. Chill, uncovered, until center is firm, about 4 hours. Remove side of pan and serve.


* I didn't have chocolate wafers, so instead I used vanilla wafers and added in a tablespoon or two of dark cocoa.

** It took about 40 minutes for the batter to not be totally liquid. Maybe I just have an old stove.

now, that's an order!

Ever since returning from my trip last week, it's been slow going in the blog-reading department. However, I made sure I got all caught up on my blogroll this morning. So many impressive recipes caught my eye, including Honey Roasted Chunky Peanut Butter Cookies from Joe at Culinary in the Desert, Soft Chewy Ginger Cookies at Kaji's Mom, and this not-so-humble Tuna Salad at Cumin & Coriander. Yummy!! But drooling onto my keyboard is one thing, getting breakfast ready was another. When lo and behold, I spotted this lovely Chai Pumpkin Bread at the always wonderful 28 Cooks. I whipped up this simple recipe and in no time my kitchen was smelling like the holidays. Now, not only do I have some delicious pumpkin bread to keep me company this afternoon, but I've got a feeling I'll be making some soup for dinner with the leftover canned pumpkin. Stay tuned!