Peach and Blueberry Cream Cake

The Cake Slice Baker's crew had a tie.  Fresh Strawberry Cake with White Chocolate Chips along with Lime Chiffon Cake were the June cake winners. 
I chose the Strawberry Cake to bake and this is what happened...
...a good outcome indeed!  A fresh, moist and fluffy cake. I think this could easily be adjusted to fit any in-season fruit you desire to use. 

Peach and Blueberry Cream Cake
Print recipe here
2 large eggs
½ C sour cream
1 lemon, zested
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp pure almond extract
1½ C whole wheat pastry flour, divided
1½ tsp aluminum free baking powder
¾ tsp aluminum free baking soda
¼ tsp celtic sea salt
¼ C (4TB or half a stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 C whole cane sugar (aka sucanat or rapadura)
½ C peaches, diced
½ C blueberries

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease an 8 inch square glass baking dish and set aside.

2. Whisk together the eggs, sour cream, lemon zest, vanilla and almond extracts in small bowl, set aside.

3.  Measure out the fruit and place into a small bowl.  Add ¼ cup of the flour and stir to coat, set aside.

4. Combine 1¼ cups of flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl, set aside.

5. Whip the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer for 3 minutes, until fluffy. Pour and mix the egg mixture into the bowl in a slow stream until fully incorporated.

6. Add ½ of the flour mixture and mix, add the last ½ of flour mixture and mix until the dough is completely wet throughout with no traces of dry flour.  Fold in the fruit with a spatula, then scrape down into the glass baking dish.

7. Bake for 45-50 minutes until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with a few crumbs remaining.  Let the cake cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, you can then invert onto a serving platter and cut to serve.

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Cream Cheese Cupcakes with Fresh Berry Syrup

Today is April's Cake Slice Baker's cake post day.  This month the winning recipe was Cold Oven Cream Cheese Pound Cake from Cake Keeper Cakes by Laurra Chattman.  It makes a huge bundt cake that I was not needing.  Reconfigured my tastes and needs, 'Wa-lah!' into a Spring-y cupcake topped with Fresh Berry Syrup and whipped cream for a lush dessert.  Think of a combination between pound cake, cupcake, strawberry shortcake and cheesecake?  But. All. Good.

Cream Cheese Cupcakes
Print recipe here

1 ½ C whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp aluminum free baking powder
½ tsp celtic sea salt
¼ C (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 ¼ C organic cane sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp pure almond extract
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
1 medium/ large lemon or 2 small lemons, zest only

1. DO NOT PREHEAT OVEN! This is a cold oven recipe. In a small bowl measure your sugar, zest the lemon and mix into the sugar with a fork. Inhale the wonderful smell and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. 

3. Prepare your muffin tin lining with paper cupcake liners or greasing with a little butter or oil spray.

4. In a large bowl, mix the butter, cream cheese and zested sugar with an electric mixer on a higher speed for 3 minutes until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add in the extracts.

5. Add the flour mixture and mix into the batter in 3 separate increments on a lower speed. Once all is added, mix an additional 30 seconds.

6. Pour the batter into the cupcake cups until ¾ full. Place the pans on the lowest oven rack. Shut oven door and turn your oven onto 325 degrees F. Bake for 30-35 minutes, remove once golden on the top. Let cool in muffin tin for 15 minutes. Place the cupcake on a cooling rack until completely cooled.

7. Serve with Fresh Berry Syrup and a dollop of fresh whipped cream.  Makes 18 cupcakes.

Fresh Berry Syrup
Print recipe here
3 C fresh berries- any variety you desire
½ C raw cane sugar
½ tsp lemon zest (optional)

1. Mix all ingredients in a medium size bowl. Let sit until the juices of the berries come out and make a syrup.  Minimum of 1 hour.
Serve over pancakes, waffles, cupcakes, cakes, ice cream. Add to smoothies, lemonade, seltzers, teas and cocktails.   

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Toffee Coffee Cake

It's another edition of the Cake Slice Baker's.  Today is the 20th of the month and I am glad to be back in with these bakers.  The original recipe for Laura Chattman's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch Cake is here. 

Some things I changed to the original recipe: I eliminated the instant coffee granules because I did not have any on hand.  I am not the type of person to go to the store for one thing, partly because I will walk out with much more than one item, and also because I would never use instant coffee again and would be a waste.  There is always a solution, in this case a very good solution.  Brew some strong coffee.  I like real food, to me real coffee is real good and real food.

My favorite part of baking this cake, it smells like State Fair Mini Donuts! 

Toffee Coffee Cake
Print recipe here
1½ C white whole wheat flour, unbromated and unbleached
1½ tsp aluminum free baking powder
½ tsp celtic sea salt
½ C (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened + 1 TB for greasing pan
1 C raw cane sugar, turbinado or brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
½ C organic heavy cream
½ C strong brewed coffee
½ C Heath baking bits or 2 Heath bars, chopped

For the Streusel
1 C Heath baking bits or 4 Heath bars, chopped
4 TB raw cane sugar, turbinado or brown sugar
4 TB white whole wheat flour, unbromated and unbleached
2 TB unsalted butter, softened
⅛ tsp celtic sea salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Melt 1 TB butter and pour into a 9 inch springform pan. Swirl butter around the pan until coated on bottom and all the way up the sides. Set aside.

2. Brew your coffee, measure out ½ cup amount and set aside to let cool until it is time for the coffee to make it’s entrance. Take the leftover brewed coffee, add a little Homemade Creamer and sip happily.

3. Prepare the topping by placing sugar, flour, butter and salt in a small bowl and smash with a fork until it forms little pebble size crumbs. Add the Heath bits and mix through. Set aside.

4. In a large bowl beat the butter and sugar for 3 minutes until creamy and fluffy. Mix in the egg and vanilla.

5. Add in the flour, baking powder and salt, mix in just until combined. Pour coffee and cream over batter and mix on low until batter is same texture throughout. Spoon in the Heath bits and stir in.

6. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Top with streusel, bake 55-60 minutes. Test with toothpick, when it is done you will pull out a clean toothpick with just a few crumbs. Let cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from springform pan and slice to serve.

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Cranberry Struesel Cake

Happy Cake Slice Baker's post day!  It is the 20th day of the month which means today's post will be about baking with The Cake Slice Baker's ladies (and gentleman if there are any...I haven't checked...).  The cake for the month of December is Cranberry Cake, how appropriate.  I have been super in love with cranberries this year so I was happy to see this be the winner.  This is the most wonderful batter I think I have ever tasted!  The cake and toasty topping is a winner too.  A must try if you need to impress your family. 

Cranberry Struesel Cake
Print recipe here

1 ½ C sliced almonds
3 TB unsalted butter, melted
3 TB raw cane sugar
dash celtic sea salt
2 C whole wheat pastry flour, unbromated and unbleached
1 tsp aluminum free baking powder
¼ tsp celtic sea salt
3 organic eggs
2 C raw cane sugar
¾ C (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 bag (12 ounces) fresh organic cranberries


1. Heat the oven to 300 degrees F. Grease a 10inch round springform pan.

2. Stir to coat the butter, almonds and raw cane sugar in a small bowl, set aside.

3. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. 

4.  Combine the eggs and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium high speed until the mixture is lightened and increased in volume, about 5 minutes.

5.  With the mixer on low speed, add the melted butter in a slow stream. Turn the mixer to medium speed and beat for another 2 minutes. Add in the vanilla and mix through.

6.  Gently, yet thoroughly fold in the flour mixture, half a cup at a time. Stir in the cranberries.

7.  Scrape the cake batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Sprinkle the streusel over the batter. Bake and check the cake at 60 minutes up to 90 minutes until it is golden and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. (Mine needed the full 90 minutes.)

8.  Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Release the sides of the pan and use a large spatula to slide the cake from the pan bottom onto the wire rack.

9.  Let cool completely before cutting into wedges and serving.  Store uneaten cake in a cake keeper or wrap in plastic and store at room temperature for up to 5 days.



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'Sugar Plum Fairy' Pudding Cake

I have a mouse in my house...a Nutcracker Mouse!  My Girl is performing in The Nutcracker Ballet this weekend with Twin Cities Ballet.  It is also The Cake Slice Bakers time, this month is Cinnamon Pudding Cake.  More appropriately for us to celebrate her debut in the Nutcracker this week...it is Sugar Plum Pudding Cake.  I am baking this on our only non-rehearsal night this week!  Perfect to keep the theme flowing, now if I can just get her to stop twirling and leaping around the kitchen for a second...ohhh what a cute little mousy in my kitchen.

Cooking Confession #3-  I am a constant oven peaker, I know so bad!   It lowers the temperature of the oven, messing with the baking and effects the outcome.  Do not do this!  Turn the oven light on, peak through the dirty window and wait it out.  "Patience is passion tamed." - Lyman Abbot

The old fashioned definition of "Sugar Plums" is any dried fruit, I think that dried dark cherries, golden raisins or cranberries would be very good in this recipe too.   This pudding cake creates a sweet caramel glaze over the top like magic.  Moist, easy, spiced cake perfect for your "Sugar Plums".

'Sugar Plum Fairy' Pudding Cake
Print recipe here

Sugar Plum Pudding Topping
20 dried plums, halved (sounds better than ole’ lady prunes right?)
1 C + 2 TB packed organic light brown sugar
¾ C fresh apple cider
2 TB unsalted butter
¼ tsp celtic sea salt

Fairy Cake Batter
2 C soft white wheat pastry flour, unbromated and unbleached
2 tsp aluminum free baking powder
2 tsp Vietnamese Cinnamon
¼ tsp allspice
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp celtic sea salt
3 TB unsalted butter, softened
1 C sucanat (sugar)
1 TB apple cider vinegar (with the mother)
1 C (scant) whole milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter bottom and sides of an glass pie pan liberally.  Don't be skimpy here or you will regret.

2. Combine the brown sugar, apple cider, butter and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking occasionally, pull off burner once boiling and starting to rise. Set aside to cool.  Careful!  Do not leave unattended, this will go from cold to boiling like mad quickly and if left will boil over and smell like a 3rd grade science class. 
3. Prepare your “buttermilk” by pouring the vinegar into a 1 cup measuring cup. Then add your milk to equal one whole cup for the recipe. Set aside to let sour for 5 minutes.

4. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg in a medium mixing bowl.
5. Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
6. With the mixer on medium-low speed, add a third of the flour mixture to the bowl. Add half of the milk and the vanilla. Add another third of the flour, followed by the remaining milk and the rest of the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds.

7. Scrape the batter onto the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula as level as you can get it.

8. Push the dried “sugar plums” into the batter to be level.

9. Pour the topping over the batter (the pan will be very full). Carefully transfer the pan to the oven and bake until set, 45 minutes.  (CC#3)

10. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, invert it onto a large rimmed serving platter and serve warm. Beware because the gooey, yummy, glazed caramel pudding will leak around the cake.

11. Let any leftover cake cool completely before storing in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day or in the fridge for up to 3 days.



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