FALL CAKES FROM AROUND THE WORLD My first cake was from France, rich in butter and milk, visually appealing and sophisticated. My second cake is from Greece. It's a modest apple cake. The local products of honey, olive oil and yogurt create layers of flavor, oh-so-light in texture, while a simple glaze of honey, cinnamon and cider tops it off. The key to this Greek Honey Apple Cake is to use the best honey and finest olive oil you can find! It starts with a mixture of honey, cider, and cinnamon which is reduced to a syrup. Part of this will be set aside to glaze the cake and the rest ...
Cakes
FALL CAKES FROM AROUND THE WORLD: FRENCH DISAPPEARING APPLE CAKE
All over the world people love apples! And is there any way better to celebrate the changing seasons than with an Apple Cake in the Fall? This Disappearing Apple Cake is a uniquely French approach which is easy to make and makes a real apple statement! Apples are one of the oldest and most loved fruits out there. Almost every country in the Northern hemisphere has cakes and desserts centered around apples. And now is the best season for apples. They are fresh, crispy and the varieties are endless. I have shared with you an Australian Apple Cake in the past and now I am traveling back to ...
ALMOND BERRY CAKE
The fruits of summer pair with almond to create a light cake, good for snacking and breakfast! Today is the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. It’s a day that speaks of the hot days of Summer and long warm evenings. The days when children play outside well past their bedtimes, their shrieks and laughter mingling with the smells of smoke and grilling. Sunshine and flowers, swimming pools and beaches. You know what it does not speak of? Rain. So much rain. And cool, damp air. So much so that I am sitting at my desk wearing socks and a sweatshirt to keep warm. As any baker ...
BAKING WITH HERBS: LEMON BASIL POUNDCAKE WITH STRAWBERRY GLAZE
Fresh basil gives a new dimension to the flavors of lemon pound cake. Top with a glaze made of fresh strawberries for a Spring Treat! I watch a lot of baking and cooking shows. They can be a source of inspiration as well as entertainment. My latest not-so-guilty pleasure is the Great American Baking Show on the Roku channel. Once I got past the awesome arrogance of Paul Hollywood expounding on what is and is not “an American bake”, I discovered the similarities of the show to the original Great British Baking Show were the ones I wanted to see: kind and enthusiastic home bakers ...
PANCAKES IN ANOTHER FORM! BROWN BUTTER MAPLE CAKE WITH BALSAMIC BLUEBERRY COMPOTE
BROWN BUTTER MAPLE CAKE WITH BALSAMIC BLUEBERRY COMPOTE Sunday means breakfast: a stack of pancakes brimming with blueberries and swimming in syrup. Sunday means brunch: elegant mimosas in long stemmed flute. Sunday means BBQ, or a barbeque: the one a Southern treat, and the other a hot dog and hamburger staple of American life. Whatever your Sunday looks like, this cake brings it all together. Brown butter and maple syrup make a batter that tastes a lot like pancakes. And the sweet blueberry compote has a hint of mimosa elegance from a dash of balsamic vinegar. The single ...
CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRY CAKE: A VALENTINE’S GIFT!
Valentine’s Day: hearts and flowers and chocolate covered strawberries! This year I decided to see if I could capture all the goodness of a chocolate covered strawberry in a cake. Layers of strawberry flavored cake, luscious strawberry jam, a dusting of sweet and salty crumb, all surrounded by a rich and luxurious chocolate ganache. I also wanted a cake a homecook could make without special equipment or ingredients. So, this recipe comes complete with shortcuts! You can make the cake from scratch, or you can use a box mix. I made a quick and easy strawberry jam but you ...
JANUARY IN PARIS: GALETTE DES ROIS
It’s January in Paris and on the shelves and in the display cases of every patisserie and bakery you will find a Galette Des Rois (King’s Cake). The simple puff pastry shell encases a filling of delicate almond cream and a thin layer of apricot jam. Hidden inside is a small “feve”, traditionally a bean but more often a tiny figurine of the baby Jesus. The lucky finder of the feve receives a paper crown and the title of King for the day. Although Twelfth Night (January 6) is the traditional day for enjoying a King’s Cake, the French will eat their fill throughout the ...
CARROT CAKE
Those who know me well will certainly have heard this story before. It was my first real life lesson, and it has served me well for many years. I went to boarding school when I was fifteen. We lived in a row of New England clapboard houses on Main Street, 20 girls or so in a house. Each house had a living room and a kitchen which were available to use. Of course, our meals were all served in a Dining Hall, so the kitchens were mostly used for baking gifts and birthday cakes and cookies for bake sales. Somewhere in there I came across a carrot cake recipe. I don’t honestly ...
CHANGING SEASONS WITH FRESH FIG CAKE AND FIG JAM
This lovely, not-too-sweet-cake is inspired by my new home, and the fig tree growing next to my back porch. It's not a fancy cake, there is no icing to make or spread. The flavor comes from fresh figs. Some are chopped and added to the batter and the remainder are cooked down into a light jam and spread between the layers. The result is a moist, light cake which is slightly remniscent of a Fig Newton in taste (although not in consistancy). September is almost over and Fall is upon us. While I miss the already cold nights of my home in the mountains, there is much to learn and enjoy ...
THE BEST STRAWBERRY PANCAKE I EVER MADE
What makes a pancake a pancake? Is it how it is cooked? The ingredients? When you eat it? Does it matter? This delicious “pancake” may or may not meet the common definition of a pancake, but it will knock your socks off for its delicious strawberry filled flavor, the slightly crunchy top, and the soft, pillowy interior. As a former Bed & Breakfast owner, I have cooked a lot of breakfasts in my life but it’s been a while since I made a dish that got the reception this one did at our Easter Brunch. And since I told you I would share any recipe I thought worth your time, I could ...
