Spicing Up Life

Peace in 1944 Vegan Spice Cake
It's certainly been a while since I've posted, but that doesn't mean I have abandoned cooking! This winter term has been dominated by directing a production of The Diary of Anne Frank for Oregon State University. This beautiful production took a great deal of focus, dedication, time, and energy (as all productions do). I was fortunate enough to be working with an extremely passionate and hard working group of students and, I really believe this is a show we can all be proud of. That all being said, one of my tasks through the rehearsal and performance process was baking "Miep's Spice Cake" that is eaten on stage every night. While purchasing a cake is usually the option, we were faced with the dietary challenge of a vegan in the cast. Rather than bother hunting down a suitable (and cost effective) ready-made vegan cake in the store, I developed this recipe. I probably baked this cake twenty times in the past few weeks. Moist and delicious, the cast ate it over and over again. They started asking for the recipe . . . so here it is. I named it "Peace in 1944" cake because that is what the icing was supposed to say. Feel free to omit the icing completely, it's delicious either way. One of the tricks to a vegan cake is finding the right substitution for eggs which act as a binder and a leavening agent. I found this vinegar and baking soda substitution to work very well for this recipe, plus the vinegar adds a slight tang to the recipe.

Ingredients
- 1/2 c. sugar
- 1/4 c. vegetable oil
- 1/3 c. canned pumpkin
- 3/4 c. flour
- 2 Tbsp. plus 1/2 tsp. baking powder, divided
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 2 Tbsp. white vinegar
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 tsp. all spice
- 1 tsp. ground cloves

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Lightly grease an 8" round cake pan with vegetable shortening, dust with flour and tap out the excess. Set aside. In small prep bowl dissolve vinegar with two tablespoons of water. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin, sugar, and oil until smooth. Add flour, spices,  salt, baking soda, and 1/2 tsp. of baking powder and whisk together until well combined. Working quickly add the remaining two Tbsp. of baking powder to the water and vinegar mixture. It will bubble. Pour into batter and quickly whisk. The batter should become lighter and fluffier. Pour batter into prepared baking pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until cake is cooked through. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before decorating and/or eating.
   

Go Ahead . . . Mocha My Day

 Caramelizer Cupcakes with Espresso Buttercream Frosting
My love of the Oregon-based coffee chain Dutch Bros. is no secret. It is probably my biggest vice . . . at LEAST a 3 times weekly at $4 for each 20 oz. drink vice. In the summer, when I'm on campus on a daily basis, I sometimes hit up the Bros. twice a day. I drink coffee at home, sure. I LOVE coffee. It's not even just the coffee itself, but the morning ritual around the coffee. Sitting quietly in my kitchen or office when no one else is awake, and having the time to sip at my highly caffeinated beverage while I prep for class, check e-mail, and go over what I need to accomplish for the day. The Dutch Bros. have contributed to my success. I swing by the shop on the corner on my way to the office. I go EARLY - sometimes before 7:00 am. And there they are - smiling, perky, and they always know my drink. The employees are mostly college students . . . good-looking and friendly college students. It's all part of the brand . . . the ladies are (for the most part) tall, curvy, brunettes and the dudes are athletic and charming. ALL of the employees flirt a little with the customers - I'm sure this, too, is part of the brand. While the "interest" they take in my life is likely only part of the job, I don't mind. The friendliness, the drink I crave, a little good-natured flirtation, and all for only $4 - sure, I'll play along. A few minutes here and a few minutes there over several years, I do get to know these kids like a get to know my students . . . some of them actually are my students. Around the holidays I like to bring the Dutch crew some baked treats (they are college kids after all) and this year, at the end of Week 10, I put together some special Dutch-themed cupcakes for my favorite Dutch Bros. and Dutch Lady-Bros. The Caramelizer is my favorite drink (a chocolate and caramel mocha) . . . and now it has been immortalized in cupcake form.

Ingredients
- 2 c. flour
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 2 c. sugar
- 1/2 c. cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 c. sour cream
- 2 eggs 
- 2 Tbsp. instant espresso powder, divided
- 2 sticks butter, room temperature
- 1 c. hot water
- 4 c. powdered sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2-4 Tbsp. cream
- 24 individual caramel candies (unwrapped)

 

MOCHA CARAMEL CUPCAKES
Preheat the oven to 350˚ and line a standard-size muffin tin with liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside. Dissolve one Tbsp. of the espresso in the hot water. In a large mixing bowl blend together sugar, eggs, and sour cream. Add the dry ingredients and mix together until the batter is light and fluffy. Add the hot espresso and mix to combine. The batter will be fairly thin.

Fill each cupcake liner 2/3 with batter then bake in batches for 15-18 minutes, until the cupcakes are cooked through and springy. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool. While the cupcakes are still warm, gently press an unwrapped caramel candy into the center of the cupcake. The caramel will melt slightly.

ESPRESSO BUTTERCREAM
In a large bowl, beat together butter, vanilla, and remaining Tbsp. of espresso powder with an electric mixer. When the all the ingredients are combined, slowly add the powdered sugar - about 1/2 a cup at a time until you get the the consistency you want. The frosting will be a little dry. Slowly add cream, about 1 Tbsp. at a time until the frosting loosens up and becomes thick, creamy, and spreadable. Frost the cupcakes when they have cooled completely. Eat. Enjoy!

Vanilla is Nice Nice, Baby

Vanilla Bean Buttermilk Cupcakes with Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Frosting
For the past three years I have had this really cool directing gig. I get to fly out to St. Louis and direct a play with an awesome theatre company, the St. Louis Actors' Studio. It's a great opportunity. And while I miss my home and sweetie very much, I enjoy my time in the city immensely. I get to see the sights, work with talented professionals, and show off my baking skills to a new audience. Cupcakes seem to be a universal morale-booster. This year's work on Suzan-Lori Parks' profoundly moving Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Topdog/Underdog, has been an incredible experience for me. Because of the nature of the material, however, it is very emotionally-demanding of the actors. What better way to keep people engaged and positive than a tasty sugar rush? My only real responsibility when I'm here in St. Louis is directing the play, leaving hours of free time during the day to explore, go on runs, visit museums, and bake treats. I've whipped up banana bread, brownies, and the ever-popular Red Velvet Cupcakes (stage manager Amy's choice). When I asked Chauncy, who is playing Booth, what his favorite cupcake flavor was, he said "Just vanilla." Well, there's no such thing as "just" vanilla. I happen to adore vanilla and so put together this recipe with the remaining buttermilk from the Red Velvet Cupcakes. Plain old "boring" vanilla gets a tasty twist with the rich flavor of vanilla bean paste and a brown butter frosting. Enjoy!

Ingredients
- 2 c. flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 1/4 c. sugar
- 1 stick butter, room temperature
- 1 1/4 c. buttermilk
- paste from 2 vanilla beans, divided
- 3 eggs
- 3 c. (or more) powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp. good quality vanilla extract, divided
- 2 sticks butter

CUPCAKES
Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Line standard-sized muffin tin with 24 paper liners and spritz lightly with cooking spray. Set aside. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl blend together room temperature butter, half the vanilla paste, 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract, and sugar with an electric mixer until well combined. Slowly pour in buttermilk and blend together (mixture may be slightly curdled looking). Alternating between portions of the flour mixture and eggs, add remaining ingredients to buttermilk mixture and blend together. The batter will be smooth and fairly thick.

Fill prepared cupcake liners with portions of batter to 2/3 of the way full. Bake in heated oven for 12-15 minutes until the cupcakes are cooked through and slightly springy. Turn out on a wire rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.

BROWN BUTTER FROSTING
Place remaining sticks of butter in a small sauce pan and melt over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon until the butter has completely melted. It will begin to foam and bubble, stir gently to keep from burning. After about 5 minutes the foam will subside and small brown bits will form at the bottom of the pan. Remove immediately from heat and pour melted browned butter into a medium bowl to cool. Allow the butter to cool and return to a semi-solid state. You can place it in the refrigerator to help it cool more quickly.

After butter has cooled add remaining vanilla and vanilla paste to bowl with about 2 cups of powdered sugar. Blend together on high speed with a hand mixer. The frosting may be too thick or thin, continue to add powdered sugar by the 1/4 cupful until it reaches the desired consistency. It it becomes too dry and flaky, try lightening it up with a splash of milk.

Once the frosting is spreadable and the cupcakes are cooled, frost and serve. Store in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 3 days before serving.

Stout Out Loud!

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Chocolate Espresso Buttercream Frosting
 It was my beloved's birthday last week and it was time to celebrate! When I asked Matt what he wanted to do for his birthday, he responded without hesitation: "Power Hour." Power Hour, if you are not familiar, is an exercise power drinking - taking a shot of beer every minute for 60 minutes. It's become a bit of a birthday tradition for Matt - much like my own birthday marathon (involving running rather than drinking). To go along with the evening's centerpiece activity, I decided to develop a couple of beer-themed recipes including sweet and smoky beans slow-cooked in beer and, of course, a beer-themed dessert. The result was a moist, chocolatey, and subtly sweet cupcake with a fluffy buttercream topping. These were definitely a hit for chocolate and beer-lovers alike.

Ingredients
CHOCOLATE STOUT CUPCAKES
- 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
- 2 c. sugar
- 12 oz. dark chocolate stout (such as Guinness)
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 4 eggs
- 1 stick butter, melted
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 2 c. flour
- 1 c. sour cream

CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
- 1 c. sugar
- 3 large egg whites
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste
- 2 sticks plus 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into tablespoons
- 4 oz. extra-bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
- 2 Tbsp. espresso powder

CHOCOLATE STOUT CUPCAKES
Preheat over to 350F˚ and line a cupcake tin with paper liners. Spray very lightly with vegetable spray, set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl blend together melted butter, sugar, vanilla, and melted chocolate with an electric mixer until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and add stout. Mix thoroughly on medium-high.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl again and add eggs, one at a time, alternating with portions of flour mixture with the machine running on medium. When the mixture is well combined, add sour cream until just mixed. Spoon batter into prepared cupcake liners until they are 2/3 of the way full. Bake in batches in oven for 12-15 minutes until the cupcakes are cooked through and springy.

Allow to cool completely on a rack before frosting.

CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
Whisk together eggs whites and sugar in a medium-sized double-boiler. Place the double-boiler over medium-high heat and whisk together over heat until the sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the warmed egg and sugar mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Add vanilla and whisk together at medium-high heat until the mixture is glossy and stiff, about 8 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and turn mixer back on to medium heat. Add butter, a couple pieces at a time making sure the mixture becomes fully incorporated before adding more. Once all the butter is incorporated and mixture is light and fluffy, add melted chocolate and espresso powder and mix until fully blended. 

Frost cooled cupcakes with an offset spatula. Buttercreams can be delicate, store frosted cupcakes in the refrigerator if making ahead of time. Allow to sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving.

Pull Out a Plum!

Brown Sugar and Spice Plum Cake
I firmly believe a few things should happen on everyone's birthday. First: Cocktails. Second: New outfit. Third: Any kind of birthday cake you want. I really enjoy making special birthday cakes for friends and figuring out exactly how to concoct the requested dessert. It's one of those little touches that can make a special day even sweeter. For Arin's birthday, the plan included a nice dinner with cocktails and the wearing of cute dresses (so the first and second requirements were easily fulfilled). For her cake, she requested a Plum Raisin Spice Cake and specifically: "With pink frosting and white writing." I didn't want to disappoint the birthday girl, but found in researching what exactly would go into a traditional (and frosted) a plum and raisin cake probably wasn't what she had in mind. Most recipes for plum cakes used baby food plums (weird) and raisin cakes meant re-hydrating raisins to make a sweet syrup topping. With so many fresh plums in season right now, it seemed a cardinal baking sin not to use them . . . so I ventured out on my own and came up with this moist upside down cake instead. The birthday girl was, in the end, pleased. After all, who needs frosting when there are such juicy plums to be had? Happy birthday, Arin!

Ingredients
- 1 lb. fresh plums, pitted and sliced thin into 1/2 moons
- 2 1/3 c. cake flour, sifted and then measured
- 1/4 plus 1/3 c. granulated sugar
- 2/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) room temperature butter (plus extra for buttering the pan)
- 1 c. brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 3 large eggs
- juice and zest from 1 lemon
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla
- 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. fresh ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 c. Greek yogurt (go with full fat on this one)
- powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9" springform pan. Cut a circle of parchment paper that fits into the bottom of the pan, line it, and butter over the parchment paper. Arrange the plum slices in a concentric circle working from the outside of the pan inward. Sprinkle plums with half the lemon juice and then evenly sprinkle 1/4 c. granulated sugar over. Set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together cake flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and baking powder. Set aside and prepare batter.

In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter, remaining granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Allow the mixture to become light and fluffy. Add lemon juice and zest and mix again to combine. Alternate adding eggs (one at a time) and flour mixture in three portions at medium speed. Scrape down sides of bowl between additions. Add yogurt to mixture and fold in gently until ingredients are incorporated.

Pour batter into the springform pan over the plums, smoothing mixture over with a spatula. Bake for about 1 hour and 20 minutes, until the cake is cooked through and springy. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack in pan for 15-20 minutes before turning out.

Carefully run a knife around the sides of the springform pan to loosen cake. Unlatch the side and release, remove ring, and turn cake out onto a serving plate. Peel off parchment paper and allow cake to cool completely before serving.

Right before serving, dust plums with powdered sugar . . . if it's for a birthday add candles! Have fun!

 

Happiest Birthday Cake to You!

Brown Butter Sour Cream Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
For all my sweetie's sweetness, he does not have the biggest sweet-tooth. For his birthday, however, exceptions are made in the name of celebrations and cake. His birthday cake of choice? Yellow cake with chocolate frosting. I came up with this very rich, moist cake recipe playing off that classic "box cake" combo. As it so happened, our generally unlucky softball team had a game that night, so I made these "birthday cupcakes" to share. Perhaps cake and birthdays are great morale boosters . . . we won the game and got to celebrate two great things in one day with beer, pizza, and more cupcakes!

Ingredients
BROWN BUTTER SOUR CREAM CAKE
- 3 sticks butter
- 2 1/4 c. flour
- 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 2/3 c. sugar
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla paste
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/4 c. sour cream
- 1/4 c. whole milk

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
- 1 c. sugar
- 3 large egg whites
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste
- 2 sticks plus 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into tablespoons
- 4 oz. extra-bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

BROWN BUTTER SOUR CREAM CAKE
Preheat oven to 325˚F. Lightly spritz 24 cupcake liners with cooking spray and line a standard-sized muffin tin. Set aside.

In a small, heavy-bottomed sauce pan, melt 3 sticks of butter over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally for about five minutes. The butter will get foamy. Continue to cook and stir about four minutes longer until little brown bits begin to appear and it smells fragrantly nutty. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before using. While the butter cools, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside.

Combine brown butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand sized mixer using the paddle attachment. Beat butter and sugar together on high speed until it is creamy and well incorporated. Add vanilla and stir to combine. Turn mixer to slow speed and add egg yolks and eggs, one at a time, alternating with portions of flour mixture until everything is well combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the mixer occasionally. Add sour cream and milk and beat until just combined.

Using a tablespoon, fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 full with batter. Bake cupcakes in batches for about 12 minutes until cooked through and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Turn cupcakes out on a wire rack and allow to cool completely before frosting

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
Whisk together eggs whites and sugar in a medium-sized double-boiler. Place the double-boiler over medium-high heat and whisk together over heat until the sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the warmed egg and sugar mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Add vanilla and whisk together at medium-high heat until the mixture is glossy and stiff, about 8 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and turn mixer back on to medium heat. Add butter, a couple pieces at a time making sure the mixture becomes fully incorporated before adding more. Once all the butter is incorporated and mixture is light and fluffy, add melted chocolate and mix until fully blended. 

Frost cooled cupcakes with an offset spatula. Buttercreams can be delicate, store frosted cupcakes in the refrigerator if making ahead of time. Allow to sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving.

 Happy birthday to you!

 

Orange You Glad . . .

Moist and Yummy Orange Pecan Cake
Winter citrus is a wonderful way to feel the mood of warmer weather from the inside out. A vibrantly orange bag of Minneola Tangelos caught my eye at the grocery story on a particularly gloomy day last week. Aside from enjoying juicy vitamin-C rich segments, I thought I might try my hand at a citrusy pecan cake. Tangelos are a sweet citrus hybrid of grapefruit and tangerine which make for a brightly sweet and tart flavor in this moist and easy single-layer cake. If you can't get your hands on Minneolas, just substitute fresh orange and zest. You'll love this for dessert or even for breakfast with a nice cup of coffee.

Ingredients
- 1/2 c. almond meal
- 1/2 c. cake flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 stick butter, room temperature
- 3/4 c. Greek-style yogurt
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 c. sugar
- juice from 2 Minneolas, divided
- 2 Tbsp. Minneola zest
- 1 c. (or more) powdered sugar
- 1/2 chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Grease and flour an 8" round metal baking tin, set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together cake flour, almond meal, and baking powder until completely combined. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl blend together butter, sugar, vanilla, zest, and juice from one Minneola. Scrape down the sides of the bowl before adding other ingredients. 

With the mixer running, add eggs and yolks, one at a time, alternating with portions of the flour mixture. When the ingredients are combined, gently fold in the yogurt.

Pour batter into the prepared pan then bake in oven for 35-40 minutes until the cake is cooked through and firm in the middle. Set baked cake on a metal rack to cool in pan for 10 minutes before turning out on rack to cool completely.


When cake is completely cooled, whisk together powdered sugar with Minneola juice, 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Spoon the glaze over the cake, it should drip down the sides as well. Sprinkle chopped pecans over the cake. Allow glaze to set before slicing and serving. Yummy!

 

Pucker Up!

Sweet and Sour Lemon Almond Cake
Nearly two weeks into 2012 and I'm still trying to find uses for the 3 pound bulk container of sour cream I purchased to make various dips and appetizers for our swanky New Years bash! I love baking cakes with sour cream because it makes for such rich texture with a hint of zip. With Barb coming by for dinner last night, I decided to experiment with making a sweet/tart treat to end the meal. Here's the result- a moist, nutty, delicious cake with lemony zing!

Ingredients
- 1/2 c. almond meal
- 1/2 c. cake flour 
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 c. sour cream
- 1/4 c. lemon curd
- 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar, divided
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 c. sliced almonds
- 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Butter and flour an 8" round baking pan, tapping out the excess flour. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, almond meal, and baking powder. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl cream together butter, lemon curd, and 1 cup of the powdered sugar with an electric mixer. Add vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Add eggs and yolks, one at a time, alternating with portions of the flour mixture, beating together thoroughly after each addition. Gently fold the sour cream into the batter. Pour batter into prepared baking pan and cook in oven for about 35 minutes until cake is baked through completely and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Remove baked cake from oven and allow to cool in pan for five minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. When the cake is cool, make the lemon icing by whisking together lemon juice and remaining powdered sugar, adding more powdered sugar if the icing is too thin. Spoon the icing over the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. (Place a piece of waxed paper underneath the wire rack to keep the icing from getting all over your work surface.) Sprinkle almonds over the top of the cake.

Serve slices of cake for dessert with tea! So very yummy! (Also great for a breakfast treat with your morning coffee!)

Celebrate . . . With Cake!

Dave Got His Sh** Together Chocolate Raspberry Sour Cream Cake
My pal Dave is great. He's funny, sweet, an excellent drummer, and one heck of a charming guy. Due to his abundance of great qualities, naturally we give him a lot of shit. But sometimes, we give him cake. Last fall he was all prepared to perform his senior drumming recital, basically the capstone of his undergraduate studies and the LAST thing for him to achieve in order to graduate. The date was set, the invitations sent out, and the promise of a taco reception loomed in the horizon. When it all came down to it, however, Dave didn't feel ready. He was particularly nervous about his complicated marimba piece and decided to postpone the recital until the first weekend of Winter Term. This, in the long run, worked out much better. His girlfriend from Michigan was able to fly out and attend, he felt confident about his work, and an enthusiastic audience was eager to lend their support. I asked him if he would like a cake and champagne toast to celebrate post-show and post-taco feast. Dave agreed and requested "a chocolate cake with raspberry filling and cream cheese frosting." Done. I put this recipe together in honor of Dave and his achievement. And also because even the best moments can be made better with cake.

Ingredients
- 1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
- 3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 1 c. sour cream
- 3 large eggs
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
- 6 Tbsp. butter, softened
- 1 c. hot coffee
- 1 c. raspberry jam
- fresh raspberries
- 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 stick butter, room temperature
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 c. or more powdered sugar

CHOCOLATE SOUR CREAM CAKE
Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Lightly grease and flour three 8" round cake pans. Set aside. In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together granulated sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. In a separate small bowl, melt 6 Tbsp. butter in the hot coffee. In another small bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream, and 1 Tbsp. vanilla. Using the stand mixer, beat half of the sour cream mixture into the dry ingredients at low speed. When thoroughly combined, add coffee mixture and blend, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Beat in the remaining sour cream mixture and blend thoroughly.

Pour batter evenly distributed into the prepared cake pans. Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes, rotating pans half way through baking until cakes are springy to the touch. Let cakes cook in pans for about 10 minutes before turning out on a write rack to cool completely.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
With an electric mixer, blend together cream cheese, stick of butter, and 1 tsp of vanilla. Add powdered sugar slowly, then blend until fluffy and well combined.

When cake is completely cooled set one layer at the center of serving plate or bottom part of a cake dome. Spread half the raspberry jam on top of the cake. Top with the second layer then spread remaining raspberry jam on top of that layer. Top second layer with remaining cake round. Frost the top and sides of cake with an even layer of cream cheese frosting. Refrigerate before serving. (Cake can be made and stored in refrigerator the day before.) Before serving top with fresh raspberries. Slice and toast to life! Congratulations Dave! You did a fantastic job . . . even on the marimba!

Leftover Makeover: Day 1

Cranberry Sauce Cheesecake Tart
The "holiday season" is here and now we look forward to a month and a half of rich dinners, decadent desserts, ugly sweater parties, and food food food. The wonderful thing about holiday cooking is bringing family and friends together to share meals and memories. It's all very warm and fuzzy. The problem, however, is that cooking for large numbers often leads to day after day of turkey sandwiches or cookies for breakfast. The next three blogs will focus on reinventing the leftovers into something new. First things first: cranberries. You can't have a Thanksgiving meal without a gleaming bowl of jewel colored cranberries- the relish of choice over a slice of roast poultry. Year after year, however, no matter how many Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches I make, I always seem to dump a good portion of excess cranberry sauce down the garbage disposal. The solution seemed simple- some sort of dessert. This one also makes use of the leftover gingersnaps I had from my pumpkin pie crust. Enjoy after a plateful of reheated turkey and potatoes!

Ingredients
- 1 c. crushed ginger snaps
- 3/4 c. flour, divided
- 1/2 c. sugar, divided
- 1/3 c. melted butter
- 1 c. cranberry sauce
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 8 oz. cream cheese
- 1 egg

Preheat oven to 350˚ F. In a medium bowl, combine ginger snaps, melted butter, 1/4 c. sugar, and 1/4 c. flour. Mix ingredients together gently until well combined. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9" fluted tart pan using fingers. make sure mixture is spread evenly on the bottom of the pan. Place pan in the oven and bake about 10 minutes to set crust. Remove from oven and allow to cool before filling.

Turn oven down to 325˚ F. In a medium bowel combine 1/4 c. sugar and cream cheese and whip together with an electric hand mixer. Add vanilla and egg, blend until well combined. Add cranberries and flour and blend until well incorporated. Pour cranberry mixture into pre-baked crust. Do not overfill. Bake in oven for 30-35 minutes until filling is set. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 15 minutes. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving. Enjoy!

Nutella? Yes Please!

Jordan's Dream Cake or Nutella and Banana Butterscotch Chip Snack Cake
One of the reasons Jordan is such a good roommate for me is his unwavering support of any food experiment that pops into my head. He is extremely encouraging of my mad-scientist-like approach to developing new recipes as I play with flavor combinations and Frankenstein together beloved classic recipes into something new. We talk about food around the office. A lot. Frequently either Jordan or I might muse, "What do you think of (fill in unusual ingredient) in a (choose a beloved recipe)?" The idea for this tasty snack cake came from a recent trip to Costco, the purchase of two enormous jars of Nutella, some leftover sour cream, and a couple of overripe bananas sitting on the counter. This rag-tag team of ingredients came together to make a sticky, super moist dessert to satisfy the sweetest of sweet-tooths. Or even Jordan.

Ingredients
- 2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 c. sugar
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 c. Nutella (that addictive European chocolate-hazelnut spread)
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 2 large, ripe bananas, mashed
- 1/2 c. sour cream
- 1/2 c. vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 c. butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Butter and flour a 13x9" baking dish and set aside. In a large bowl combine mashed bananas, eggs, oil, sour cream, sugar, vanilla, and Nutella. Beat together with an electric mixer until ingredients are well combined and smooth. In a separate medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add flour mixture to Nutella mixture a half cup at a time, blending thoroughly with electric mixer after each addition. Stir in butterscotch chips.

Pour batter into prepared baking dish and bake in oven for 45-55 minutes until cake is cooked through and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before serving.

Bread? Cake? Who Cares? Just Put it in My Face!

Chocolate Orange Zucchini Bread/Cake

Banana Bread was one of the first things I learned how to bake, although I always wondered why it was considered a "bread" as it had all the sweet properties of a dessert item. Same goes for muffins. Except for the lack of frosting, I don't know how anyone can claim that those chocolate chocolate chip "muffins" from Costco aren't cupcakes. Anyway, having been gifted a couple of garden fresh zucchinis, I was interested in experimenting with the world of "breads" and what I mean is . . . "cake." After baking it up I figured, "Well, if I'm going to do the thing, I had better just do it right." So, I whipped up a vanilla glaze topping. It's not really "bread" I'll be the first to admit. But it's pretty freakin' tasty!

Ingredients
- 2 zucchinis, grated
- zest and juice from one orange
- 3/4 c. vegetable oil
- 1 c. sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 c. cocoa powder
- 1 c. chocolate chips
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 c. flour
- 2 Tbsp. milk
- 2 c. powdered sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla, divided
- 1 Tbsp. butter and a little flour for greasing the pan

Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Grease and flour a 9" round baking pan, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together zucchini, orange juice and zest, oil, sugar, 1 tsp. of vanilla, and eggs. Add flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. Whisk until batter is smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread batter into prepared pan and bake in oven for 25-30 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for a few minutes in the pan then turn out on wire rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl blend together milk, 1 tsp. vanilla, and powdered sugar with a hand mixer. Ingredient amounts may need to be adjusted slightly to get the desired consistency. Spoon glaze over the cooled bread/cake and allow to dry before slicing and serving. Store in an airtight container, eat for breakfast or dessert.