Pumpkin-Chocolate Marble Loaf Cake

Fall baking is now upon us and I, for one, love it!  I can't seem to get enough of warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and clove this time of year.  Pumpkin bread is a perennial favorite throughout the season and I was immediately intrigued when I saw this recipe from Real Simple for pumpkin chocolate cupcakes.  

 

 

Never would I have thought to combine chocolate with pumpkin. What a great idea! I knew I wanted to make it but I couldn't be bothered making cupcakes (because I'm lazy) so I went with a much easier variation which I'm calling Pumpkin-Chocolate Marble Loaf.  

The vanilla batter is divided into two portions: one is flavored with pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice while unsweetened cocoa and milk are mixed to the other.  I wasn't sure if there was enough batter to bake the cake in a traditional 8.5" x 4.5" loaf pan so I ended up using a 3" x 9.5" pan I bought at my local Daiso (for those that aren't familiar it's like a Japanese Target!) many years ago.  Even with the smaller pan there was a little bit of overflow when the cake was baking so next time I'll take some of the batter and make 1-2 cupcakes.  If you don't have a smaller loaf pan then I would just use the normal size you already have.

Rather than topping the cake with chocolate buttercream I made a really easy and quick ganache using heavy cream and bittersweet chocolate chips.  There couldn't be a simpler glaze to make, plus I love the look of the ganache dripping down the sides of the loaf.  One slice of the cake and I was totally converted.  The pumpkin and chocolate flavors shine through individually but complement each other wonderfully.   I will definitely be making this cake again.

Crème Fraîche Poundcake

I bought a carton of crème fraîche as an impulse buy on a recent Costco outing but I had no clue what I was going to use it for.  As fate would have it the NY Times recently published a recipe for Crème Fraîche Poundcake.  It's like the baking gods were in my brain!

Crème fraîche is similar to sour cream but I find it's more stable and less water than it's American cousin.  It adds a really delicious tang to the poundcake, most especially in the glaze topping.  I found the cake to be even more delicious the day after it was made so it's a great make-ahead recipe.  

Patriotic Pound Cake

I think it's safe to say this Memorial Day Weekend is unlike any we have ever known due to shelter in place and, of course, the Bay Area weather is forecast to be glorious and sunny.  But hey-ho, no use getting down about it, right?  I'll still enjoy the lovely weather, albeit from a safe social distance!

 

Memorial Day is the unofficial start of the summer season here in the US and I wanted to make something patriotic to celebrate the holiday.  In the past I've made blueberry pies with a star cutout crust or Ina Garten's festive flag cake.  This year I decided to try my hand at making a Patriotic Pound Cake.  I love a good marble cake with swirls of different colored batter so why not try it in the iconic red, white and blue?

I started with the Martha Stewart Living recipe for three-layer pound cake because it has the most delicious texture and crumb using the reverse creaming method.  I omitted the chocolate ingredients and tinted 1/3 of the vanilla cake with red or blue gel food coloring.   To create the marble effect there are quite a few different techniques, but for this cake I used small ice cream scoops to portion each of the colored batters into the loaf pan.  Use a sharp knife to slice the pound cake and I guarantee you'll be delighted with the patriotic swirls!

Hope everyone has a fun, safe and healthy Memorial Day Weekend! 

Donut Loaf

O-M-GEEEEE!  Such was the reaction with my first taste of this Donut Loaf.  Could it be real?  A cake that tasted like my all-time favorite donut?  No chance, right?  Boy, was I wrong!  You seriously won't believe how legit this cake tastes and it couldn't be easier to make.  Leave the donut shops to the cops because now you can make these beauties at home.

The recipe comes from Shauna Sever and is included in her awesome cookbook, Midwest Made: Big, Bold Baking from the Heartland."   You can also find the recipe published online here.  One tip: be sure to use freshly grated nutmeg, it makes all the difference.

Cranberry-Sour Cream Pound Cake

One fruit that I rarely ever use in baking is the cranberry.  I thought I'd remedy that by giving Cook's Country recipe for Cranberry-Sour Cream Pound Cake a try.  I love how dots of ruby fruit contrast so nicely against a creamy backdrop of cake.   Don't you think it would make a great homemade gift for the holidays?

After the cake was cooled I helped myself to a slice and was very happy with the end result.  The bursts of tart cranberries were so delicious combined with the moist, tender and rich butter cake.  All that was needed was a light dusting of powdered sugar and the cake was want for nothing.  Well, maybe a cup of tea!

Three-Layer Pound Cake

This was me thumbing through the September 2018 issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine and an image of this Three-Layer Pound Cake immediately stopped me in my tracks.  It was so visually stunning with its multiple layers that I knew I was going to make it.  As I read through the recipe I was pleasantly surprised to see that the cake was made using the reverse-creaming method.

Don't be scared off!  Basically this just means that the dry ingredients and sugar are mixed together first.  Then you add in pieces of butter and mix until thoroughly combined.  Half of the liquid is then added and mixed in followed by the remaining liquids.  I find this method produces a very tender cake with a beautiful crumb.

The recipe is very straightforward and easy to follow.  My only revision would be to divide the batter evenly in to thirds to achieve even layers.  The recipe said to use 1 1/2 cups of batter each for the bottom two chocolate layers which left a thinner layer of vanilla batter on top.  Also, I wouldn't be so diligent about smoothing out the top of each layer.  I actually prefer the jagged look.

The baked cake is seriously good.  I had two slices straight away because it was so delicious.  I gave away the remaining slices to my siblings because I didn't want to be tempted!

Raspberry Swirl Pound Cake

You know those pound cake slices they sell at Starbucks?  You've seen them, right along side the croissants and scones?  Well, this is my attempt at replicating one of them.  Specifically the raspberry swirl pound cake with cream cheese icing.

I love any kind of marbled cake so when I initially saw a pound cake recipe posted on Gretchen's Bakery I knew I had to make it.  But in homage to Starbucks I swapped out the chocolate for raspberry.  To do this was super simple; just mix in raspberry jam to half of the cake batter.   To gild the lily even further I frosted the baked and cooled pound cake with cream cheese icing.  

While the cake is tender and moist, I found the raspberry flavor was a bit too subtle.  Next time I'm going to ribbon some raspberry jam in the cake batter so you get a burst of fruity flavor.  A slice (or two) of this cake with some coffee or tea and you're all set!

Raspberry Swirl Pound Cake (adapted from Gretchen's Bakery)

10 tablespoons (140 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
1 1/3 cup (170 grams) cake flour

5 teaspoons (20 grams) cornstarch

1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking powder

1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) salt

1/4 cup raspberry jam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a standard loaf pan.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy approximately 5 minutes. 

Combine the eggs and vanilla extract together and sift together the flour, salt, baking powder & cornstarch~ reserve.

Add ⅓ of the egg mixture to the creaming mixture and blend well.

Add ⅓ of the sifted dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and blend well.

Repeat this process with the remaining egg and flour in 3 total additions until all is blended in well.

Scoop about half of the cake batter in a separate bowl.  Add in raspberry jam and whisk to combine thoroughly.

Spoon the cake batter in to the pan, alternating the vanilla batter and raspberry batter.  Use a wooden skewer or butter knife to swirl the batter.

Bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes.   Turn cake out of pan and let cool completely.

Cream Cheese Icing (from Giada de Laurentiis)

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup heavy cream

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

3 tablespoons water, plus extra as needed 

In a food processor, combine the powdered sugar, heavy cream, cream cheese, 3 tablespoons water, and vanilla. Process until smooth, adding more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the icing is pourable.

Spoon the icing over the cake and allow to set for 20 minutes before slicing.

 

White Loaves and TWD

I recently joined the online baking group Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) and I'm so excited to be a part of this community!  They became famous for taking on the very Herculean task of making every single recipe in Dorie Greenspan's book "Baking: From My Home to Yours."   It took them four years, but they did it!  When I found out they were accepting bloggers for their next Dorie book, "Baking with Julia," I immediately signed up.    

The first recipe selected was White Loaves, an all-purpose sandwich bread.  As I mentioned in previous posts I've only just scratched the surface when it comes to making yeast breads.  This recipe has given me the confidence to continue.  It's super easy to make and the smells coming from your oven while the loaves are baking are completely hypnotic.

I took a few slices and made grilled cheese, one of my favorite sandwiches.  The bread is nice and sturdy and can hold up to the grilling.  My only caveat is that it may not keep well for too long, two days max.  You're best bet is to freeze any leftovers.  Mine are already earmarked for future croutons or bread crumbs.    

You can find the recipe on Jules' blog Someone's in the Kitchen.   {Sorry for the inconvenience but they ask that only the weekly hosts post the actual recipe.}

Clementine Loaf Cake

I know it's winter when stores start stocking Cuties California clementines.  I love them!  My mom says that when I was a kid I used to eat oranges like a fiend so it's no surprise that Cuties are one of my absolute favorites. 

The December 2011 issue of Everyday Food featured a tangerine cake with citrus glaze on the cover and I knew I had to try it with the Cuties.  They baked their cake in a bundt pan but I went with small loaf pans which are the perfect size for gift giving.  

The cakes turned out slightly dry so next time I'm going to poke holes all over the tops then brush them with a clementine-infused simple syrup before pouring on the glaze.