Pumpkin Spice Cake

Before I say anything about this cake, I want to apologize for the low quality pictures,
it was late and I was tired plus I was dying to cut me a slice of this lovely cake! Also
I haven't had time to post that often, I've had so many things to do lately but I am so
happy to be back and to share this 5 star recipe with you guys, hope you enjoy (:

That being said, I had plenty of pumpkin left from the mini pumpkin donuts that I baked
and decided a pumpkin cake was just what I needed to bake (for a rainy, gloomy day) to
fill my house with the warmth that the scent of spices brings. This cake is so delicious,
the flavors of pumpkin and spices really come through and the texture is incredibly spongy!
The pumpkin makes it really moist and I love that the recipe only calls for brown sugar.
This cake would be perfect for a thanksgiving gathering! I definitely plan to make it again.

I made a quick butter-cream frosting to frost and decorate, I usually don't like making
butter-cream frosting because I find it to be a bit too sweet and I feel a little guilty
knowing that I'm just eating butter and sugar but I find it's really good frosting to decorate.
I quickly made a few pumpkins, vines and leafs, nothing fancy since I had to cook a meal and
it was already getting really late. The cake was great with the butter-cream frosting but
I bet it would be even better with a cream cheese frosting, so feel free to be creative on
that part, I think a caramel frosting would be great with this as well, I'm trying that out next!

Pumpkin Spice Cake
slightly adapted from: joyofbaking.com


Ingredients:


- 1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temp.
- 1 1/4 c. light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temp.
- 1 c. fresh or canned pumpkin puree
- 1 t. vanilla extract
- 2 c. sifted cake flour
- 1/4 t. baking powder
- 1 t. baking soda
- 1/2 t. salt
- 1 1/2 t. pumpkin spice
- 1/2 c. buttermilk, room temp.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in center of oven.
Butter and flour two 8-inch or one 9-inch cake pans.

1. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add eggs one at a time making sure you mix well after each addition.
Add pumpkin puree and vanilla extract, beat until incorporated.

2. In separate bowl sift flour, baking powder, soda, salt, pumpkin spice.
Whisk. Add flour and buttermilk to pumpkin batter in three additions,
starting and ending with the flour. Dive batter in half if using the two 8-inch
molds, pour into prepared pans. Bake 25-30 minutes. Until toothpick
inserted comes out clean or with a couple of crumbs. Cool completely
before frosting.

Enjoy <3

Chocolate Pistachio Cake

I've been debating whether to post this recipe or not for a couple of days...
You see this recipe is originally a brownie recipe but, these are no brownies to me.
They don't have the texture of a brownie at all, not chewy or gooey.
They don't have that glossy crackly top layer that personally drives me crazy!
The thing is, I decided to post this recipe after all because though I think this is not
the best brownie recipe, it is definitely a very delicious cake recipe!
Light and fluffy, great  dark chocolate flavor, studded with white chocolate and
yummy pistachios (my favorite nut).

Do to that, I decided to change the name to chocolate pistachio cake and
share the recipe with you. You can dust the cake with powdered sugar but I suggest
frosting it with your favorite chocolate frosting! I didn't do either because I was busy
working on my boyfriend's sisters' cake and was running late but next time I bake this
I will frost it with a thick layer of chocolate frosting. Yuuummy!

Chocolate Pistachio Cake
recipe originally named: chocolate chip brownies
from the book: frame> by> frame baking

serves: 12

Ingredients:

- 1 c. butter, softened + extra for greasing
- 5 1/2 oz dark chocolate, broken into pieces
- 1 1/2 c. self rising flour
- 2/3 c. superfine sugar
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 c. chopped pistachio nuts
- 3 1/2 oz white chocolate, roughly chopped
- confectioners' sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line a 9-inch square pan.

2. Place the dark chocolate and butter in a heat proof bowl set over a
saucepan of simmering water, stirring until melted  OR place both in a
microwave safe bowl (like I did) and heat for 15 seconds then stir,
repeat process until chocolate is completely melted.

3. Sift the flour in separate bowl and stir in superfine sugar. Stir the eggs
into the chocolate mixture, then pour into the flour and sugar; beat well.
Stir in the nuts and white chocolate.

4. Pour the mixture into prepared pan, use spatula to spread evenly.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until firm around the edges.
Cool in pan for 20 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack, cool completely.

6. Dust with confectioners' sugar (which I didn't do because I ran out) OR
slather a great chocolate frosting on top ;) Cut into 12 squares and serve.

bestest with milk <3

Honey & Almond Cake

 

Today I have for you this lovely, sweet & best of all easy to bake up cake!

It's flavors are so  simple and clean; honey, almonds and a hint of lemon.
Just imagine the aroma of that, it's glorious!

Perfect for tea time, family gatherings and pot lucks.

It really is a piece of cake to make this cake. You don't even need an electric mixer

or better yet, you won't even need a whisk! And you're only 7 ingredients away

from this deliciousness. Best of all you probably have these ingredients waiting

for you in your pantry already! So what are you waiting for? Get your oven mitts on!

honey & almond cake

serves 12-16

Ingedients:

- scant 3/4 c. unsalted butter + extra for pan

- 1/2 c. light brown sugar

- 1/2 c. honey

- 1 T. lemon juice

- 2 eggs, beaten

- scant 1 1/2 c. self- rising flour

- 3 T. sliced almonds

* warm honey to glaze

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and line an 8-inch or 9-inch cake pan. Set aside.

2. Place the butter, sugar, honey and lemon juice in a sauce pan

and stir over a medium heat, without boiling, until melted and smooth.

3. Remove pan from heat and quickly beat in the eggs with a wooden spoon. 

Sift in the flour and stir lightly. Pour into prepared pan and scatter the almonds over the top.

4. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, until risen, firm and

golden brown. Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto your

plate, platter or cake stand to cool completely. 

Brush with about 2-4 T. warmed honey. 

I warmed the honey in the microwave for about 30 seconds.

Cut into slices and Enjoy with tea <3

BEET cake!

 

Have any of you ever heard of beet cake?

I hadn't. I hadn't even tried beets except for

those times when my mom would try to sneak it

into my juice and I completely hated it! 

Until I ran across an amazing video

(that I will share with you) by a talented wife

and husband duo. It made me look at beets in a whole

new way. I am so thankful I saw this video

and I am totally happy that I tried the recipe!

Beet Cake

 

- 1 c. butter, softened, divided

- 1 1/3 c. packed dark brown sugar

- 3 eggs

- 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate

- 2 c. pureed cooked beets

- 1 t. vanilla extract

- 2 c. a.p. flour

- 2 t. baking soda

- 1/4 t. salt

- confectioners sugar for dusting

Cream 3/4 c. butter and dark brown sugar.

Add eggs, mix well.

Melt chocolate with remaining butter;

stir until smooth. Cool slightly.

Blend chocolate mixture, beets and vanilla

into creamed mixture.

Sift together flour, soda and salt.

Add to the creamed mixture and mix well.

Pour into a buttered and floured 9-inch cake pan.

Bake @ 375 degrees for about 40 minutes

or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Cool in pan before removing to wire rack,

cool completely. Before serving; dust with

confectioners sugar.

Enjoy! 

<3

beet cake from tiger in a jar on Vimeo.

Feel free to ask any question about this cake (:

Zucchini-Pecan Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Seriously if you don’t try this cake you will be missing out on the best zucchini cake ever.
I do apologize for not taking a better picture but, don't judge a book by it's cover! ;)

Zucchini-Pecan Cake
adapted from: bon appetit magazine

Ingredients:

- nonstick vegetable spray
- 1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 t. baking powder
- 1 t. coarse kosher salt (you can use regular table salt)
- 1 t. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 t. ground ginger
- 1.4 t. ground nutmeg (i didn’t add any)
- 3/4 cup olive oil (not extra virgin!) *also i used canola oil,
i ran out of olive oil.
- 1 c. packed golden brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 t. vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 c. coarsely grated zucchini

1. position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
  line a 9x2 pan with wax paper. spray with vegetable oil.

2. whisk flour, baking powder, coarse salt, cinnamon, ginger and
nutmeg (if using) in medium bowl to blend well.

3. whisk oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in large bowl to blend well;
fold in flour mixture, then grated zucchini and pecans.
transfer cake batter to prepared pan.
bake cake until tester inserted in center comes out clean,
about 45 minutes. cool cake completely in pan on rack,
about an hour.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

Ingredients:


- 1/2  8 oz. package philadelphia brand cream cheese
(do not use reduced fat or fat free!), room temperature
- 3 T. unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 c. powdered sugar
- 1/2 t. vanilla extract
- 1/2 t. ground cinnamon

1. using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter
in medium bowl until blended. beat in sugar, vanilla and
cinnamon.

2. spread frosting thickly over top of cake.
cut cake into wedges and serve.
enjoy with a glass of milk!