Cinnamon Crisps

Short & sweet!  That's pretty much how I like my recipes nowadays.  Quick and easy are another two words that come to mind when looking for recipes to try and this recipe falls right into that category.

In keeping with today's short and sweet theme here's the recipe.  I didn't have any ice cream so I added a glaze. Heavy cream plus powdered sugar equals heaven. Just saying! Enjoy!

Banana Roll w/Cinnamon Cream Cheese

It’s even better than it sounds and it sounds pretty darn good, doesn’t it?!  :) 

I stumbled across this recipe while looking for another recipe.  (Wanna hear something  funny? I don’t remember what recipe I was originally looking for.   Must not have been a good one. )  The blog I found this on is called Pinch My Salt and the title for the blog post was, “Tired of Banana Bread?  Try this recipe!”  And so I ask you the same thing?  Tired of banana bread?  Make banana roll with cinnamon cream cheese frosting! :)

I followed the recipe exactly.  My only change was to spice up the filling by adding some cinnamon.  I did have a problem flipping the cake out onto my powdered sugar towel and later trying to roll it up.  It was very tender.  I probably should have cooked it for a minute more. 

Banana Roll, from Pinch My Salt

Cake:
Powdered sugar
3/4 C. all-purpose flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
3 eggs
1 C sugar
2/3 C. mashed banana (2 medium bananas)

Filling:
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 C. powdered sugar, sifted
6 T. butter, softened
1 t. vanilla extract
1/4 C. powdered sugar for sprinkling on top (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease 15×10 inch jelly-roll pan (also known as half sheet pan); line with parchment or waxed paper. Grease and flour paper; set aside. Spread out a clean, thin dish towel on the counter (make sure the towel is larger than your jelly roll pan); sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar (this can be done using a mesh strainer).

2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda.

3. In a large bowl combine eggs and sugar; beat until thickened. Add banana; beat until well mixed.

4. Stir in flour mixture into egg mixture. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan, easing it carefully to the corners with a spatula.

5. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 13 to 15 minutes or until center springs back when lightly touched.

6. Immediately loosen cake from edges of pan; invert cake onto the prepared towel. Remove pan; carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake in towel while hot, starting with 10-inch side. Cool completely on wire rack (will take at least an hour).

7. When the cake is almost completely cooled, make the filling: beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. (Add some cinnamon to taste to kick it up!)

8. When cake has cooled completely, unroll and spread with filling (or your favorite cream cheese frosting) then re-roll cake. Wrap rolled cake in plastic wrap then refrigerate at least one hour (overnight is best).

9. When ready to serve, unwrap cake and place on a platter. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired (sift the sugar through a small mesh strainer for a nice presentation). Cut into slices.

Creme Brulee

So easy and so good!  Who knew?  And why didn’t you tell me? 

This month’s baking challenge was creme brulee and was chosen by Michelle of One Ordinary Day.  The creme brulee recipe she chose comes from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours.

I loved this recipe.  The hardest thing about it is the waiting, for it to bake and then chill for several hours.  Oh, and did I mention that there was fire involved?  There is!  I had an ol’  kitchen torch that wasn’t working so well so my honey and I took a little trip to Home Depot and came home with Taluela the Torch or as I fondly call her T.  :) 

 

I made two versions, a vanilla bean (the round dish) and a cinnamon. Both were very good and am not sure I can pick a favorite.  I’m thinking I’d like to try a spiced version next.  What flavor would you make?  Oh, wait! You need the recipe, right?  Hop on over to Michelle’s for it and be sure to also check out Monica’s version.  I wouldn’t be surprised if you found some chocolate involved in one of theirs.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Hey, guys! Check it out two posts in one week and it’s not even a holiday.  Ingrid’s getting crazy!  There have been a few comments left about me only posting on holidays and not posting much, so I’m hoping everyone’s happy now.  The commenters might also be the very same two people who are also posting about Cinnamon Swirl Bread  today.  :)

Cinnamon Swirl Bread was actually Monica’s challenge choice for May but we got a late start and pushed it back to June.  She chose Peter Reinhart’s recipe from The Bread Baker's Apprentice.

Eaten straight out of hand, the kids and I were a bit unimpressed with the flavor but when we toasted and buttered a slice it went from “just okay” to delicious.  Add in some cinnamon and brown sugar to the butter and we’re talking serious cinnamon heaven!  (So good in fact, Jalen asked me to make more bread and we hadn’t finished the two loaves I just made!)  Besides using the bread to make some kicked up cinnamon toast I also made bread pudding.  Some very good bread pudding though if you ask Devon he’ll tell you it would have been better with bananas.  :)

With my lackluster photos and post I haven’t really done this bread justice so hop over to Michelle and Monica’s blogs to check out their bread (&  get the recipe).  FYI, Michelle might have mentioned something about cinnamon chips and you know Monica will have some amazing photos.  Get going…..

Ringing in the New Year with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Hope everyone had a fantastic New Year!  I did. I started mine off right, with family and cinnamon cream cheese pound cake.   When I first saw this pound cake on Michelle’s blog, One Ordinary Day I knew it was only a matter of time before I baked one up for myself.  I would have actually made it sooner except I couldn’t find the cinnamon ‘n brown sugar cream cheese that she used.  I finally decided to make my own (cream cheese + brown sugar + cinnamon = cinnamon n’ brown sugar cream cheese!) .  I think it worked well.  To allow the flavors to  meld together I made it a week or so in advance. 

Outside of  the cream cheese issue this was a snap to throw together.  I was a bit unsure about the size of my bundt pan so I reserved some of the batter and baked three mini bundts.  After the larger bundt finished baking I realized I didn’t need to be concerned but it worked out well as it left me with the minis to photograph.   My parents who were in town for the holiday season were NOT waiting for me to take photos and the kids are never keen on waiting.  This was a hit with everyone.  My Dad really enjoyed it and said his favorite part was the crunchy crust that formed on the top which once flipped out of the pan became the bottom.  He might have also really liked the glaze! :) 

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Pound Cake

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

8-oz. Philadelphia Brown Sugar & Cinnamon Spice Swirl cream cheese, room temperature (I made my own)

3 c. granulated sugar

6 large eggs

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

3 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

Cinnamon Glaze (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and lightly spray a 12-cup bundt pan with baking spray, such as Baker’s Joy.

Place butter and cream cheese in mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until smooth.  Add sugar, increase mixer to high speed, and beat for 5 minutes, until mixture is light and airy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.  Add vanilla and cinnamon, then flour and salt all at one time.  Beat just until incorporated.

Pour batter into prepared pan and even out the top.  Bake until cake is golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean, 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Remove cake from oven to a cooling rack.  Cool in pan for 20 minutes.  Remove from pan and allow to cool completely.  Glaze with cinnamon glaze.

Cinnamon Glaze

1 c. powdered sugar (I used 3/4 cup)

2 Tbsp. milk (I used heavy cream)

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (I omitted mixing it in.  Instead I grated some on top with McCormick’s cinnamon spice grinder)

Mix ingredients in a small bowl until smooth.  Drizzle over cooled cake. (Because I didn’t use a full cup of powdered sugar and I used heavy cream my glaze was thick.  I had to make a second batch of “glaze” as everyone wanted more for their slice. With my mini bundts I forgot to grate cinnamon on top.)

*You should be able to click on the recipe title to get to a printable recipe page.  Please let me know it it works or not.  I’m trying something new. Thanks!

Technorati Tags: brown sugar,bundt cake,cinnamon,cream cheese,glaze,pound cake

Peach, But You Could Use Apples or Pears,Cake

I wasn’t going to blog about this recipe as it initially called for nectarines and then when I made it I used peaches.  Both of which are now out of season and I didn’t want to tease you but after thinking about it (a few times) I realized you could easily use pears or apples. 

Though I’m posting this now I actually made it soon after Debbie posted it on her blog,  Mocha Me.  (Have you visited her yet?  I’ve  made many of her recipes. The most recent, Ooey Gooey Toffee Butter Cake which was terrific but sadly I did a horrible job photographing it so you won’t be seeing mine.) 

I did make a few changes to the recipe and added a couple of spices. This was one time I actually I remembered  to write down my changes but of course, now I can’t find the recipe sheet.  (I’m getting better Monica.  At least this time I remembered to tell you I made some changes.  :)  Inside joke?  Yes, and I’m gonna let you in on it.  A few months ago I raved to Monica about this bundt cake that I made.  I really went on and on about how terrific it was and pretty much convinced her to give it a try.  Which wouldn’t have been bad had I told her I made some key changes to the original recipe.  LOL, when she started telling me how hers turned out I realized that I neglected to tell her of my changes.  Ooooops!)

Peach, But You Could Use Apples or Pears Cake aka Nectarine Golden Cake

1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3/4 Cup plus 1/2 TB sugar, divided (I used turbinado for the 1/2 TB)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (vanilla bean paste)
1/8 teaspoon pure almond extract (I omitted)
2 nectarines (I used peaches), pitted and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg (I used fresh!  Duckie your Microplane nutmeg grater is on it’s way!)

My additions: 1/2 tsp cardamom & 1/4 cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F with rack in middle. Lightly butter a 9-in springform pan. (I used a 6 inch & a 4 inch.)
Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
Beat butter and 3/4 cup sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in extracts. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until just combined.
Spread batter evenly in pan, then scatter nectarines (nicely arrange) over top. Stir together nutmeg and remaining 1/2 Tbsp sugar and sprinkle over top. Bake until cake is golden brown and top is firm but tender when lightly touched (cake will rise over fruit), 45 to 50minutes (adjust  accordingly if using a different size pan.) Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove side of pan and cool to warm.

The kids ate their slices dusted with powdered sugar but I ate mine topped with vanilla ice cream. 

I also have to tell you that this is the first time I used cardamom and am kicking myself for waiting so long.  It’s good stuff and I’ve tried to incorporate it where I can.

 

Technorati Tags: cake,cardamom,cinnamon,nutmeg,peaches

Tres Leche

As many of you know Monica and I are baking our way through Martha Stewart’s Cupcake book. This month’s cupcake choice fell to me and I chose the Tres Leche cupcakes. (Go check out Monica’s little beauties!)

Hmmm, where do I start. I’m trying really hard to be objective but the truth is I wasn’t totally thrilled with these. Martha, me and you can’t be friends if your recipes aren’t working for me!

I wound up making these twice. The first time I halved the recipe and my cupcakes came out hard and rubbery. Okay, no problem perhaps my calculations and measurements were off. I gave Monica a call to see how hers turned and after finding out they were fine I decided to give the recipe another go.

With my second try I decided to make the whole recipe but only bake 6 cupcakes and use the rest of the batter to bake an 8 inch cake. This time around I made certain to beat my egg whites until they were almost stiff (Hi, Donna !!) and they held up when I added the rest of the ingredients. I gave Monica another call and after exchanging notes and photos it appeared that everything went well this time.

Except for making a cake along with the cupcakes my only change to the recipe was to slowly pour the milk mixture over the cupcakes and cake instead of brushing it on. I stored the unfrosted cupcakes and cake in the fridge over night so they could hopefully soaking up the last of the milk mixture. I frosted them the following evening with cinnamon whipped cream (I followed Monica’s suggestion and added the cinnamon to the whipped cream. YUM!!) though they never completely soaked up the tres leche mixture.

We ate the cupcakes the night after I baked them and they were surprisingly good. The boys even liked them so much they asked if there would be more for tomorrow. I told them yes as I still had the cake. The cake; now the cake is a whole other story. It was a disappointment. The bottom of the cake never really soaked in the tres leche mixture and the top, it soaked in too much and was soggy. If you’ll take a good look you can see in the bottom photo a line on the top edge (which is actually the bottom as I flipped out the cake to frost and serve it.) which was a rubbery hard eggy “crust”.

Would I make this again? Yes, just probably not this recipe and at this point I’m not even sure Martha and me can continue our friendship. I’ve made 5 recipes out of Martha’s cupcake book and three out of the five have been a disappointment. Could it be me? Possibly but I’d like to think not as it seem to only have trouble with her (cupcake) recipes. If your looking for the recipe you better mosey on over to Monica's and I’m not even going to suggest buying the book. The majority of the recipes can be found online.

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Check out this post and be sure to tell me what’s your favorite fall recipe and kitchen gadget to win one of my favorite gadgets.

Technorati Tags: cake,cinnamon,cupcakes,tres leche,whipped cream

Snickerdoodle Blossoms

These are  the first “cookies” I’ve made in YEARS if you don’t count the pizzookies. They are most likely the closest thing to cookies you’ll see on here, too.  While I like cookies they aren’t my favorite which is probably why I think they are a lot of work for just a little payoff.  

I first lusted after these beauties when I saw them on Monica's blog but it was seeing Denise's version of them, baked up in a mini muffin pan that gave me the final push to make them.  I suppose with my love of all things snickerdoodle-y, it isn’t a huge surprise that this would be the “cookie” to get me out of my “no cookie baking” funk.   :)

I know a few of you (April & Megan) are already thinking about what you are going to put on your holiday cookie tray this year and I think these should be considered.  They really aren’t difficult and they are VERY good!

 

Snickerdoodle Blossoms 

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 48 milk chocolate candy kisses, unwrapped

Heat oven to 375°F.

Combine the 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar and butter in large mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed until creamy. Add egg, vanilla extract and salt; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add flour and baking soda. Beat until well mixed.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. If dough is too soft, cover and refrigerate 30 minutes to 1 hour. (Don’t be lazy like me, refrigerate the dough! It makes it much easier to work with!!)Combine the 1/4 cup sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl. (On the 2nd batch I mixed some turbinado sugar with cinnamon and rolled the dough in it. I loved the crunch it added.) Roll dough balls in cinnamon sugar mixture.

Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.* Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until very lightly golden brown. Immediately press 1 chocolate kiss in center of each cookie and sprinkle remaining cinnamon sugar over them while they're still warm. (Duh, I forgot to sprinkle my 1st batch but did the 2nd.  In case you’re wondering the 2nd batch tasted better!) Remove from cookie sheets; cool completely on a wire rack.

Makes 4 or 5 dozen.

*Instead of the cookie sheets I put the rolled dough into a Pam sprayed mini muffin pan.  I won’t tell you how long I baked mine as I didn’t do a very good of job rolling my dough into a 1 inch size or even getting them all the same size.  I also like my cookies very soft so I took them out as soon as they looked done to me.   I think you’d be fine using Monica’s bake time for the regular cookies.

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If you haven’t checked out this post you’ll miss out on a chance to win your own handy dandy Microplane nutmeg grater!

Technorati Tags: cinnamon,cookies,kisses,snickerdoodle

Cinnamon Caramel Popcorn with Pecans & White Chocolate Drizzle!

Is that not a mouthful or what, but boy was it good!  On Wednesday my buddy, Michelle from One Ordinary Day made some cinnamon popcorn that she claimed was quick, easy, and delish!  Unfortunately as quick and easy as it may have been the kids’  homework and studying this week has left no time for baking. Lucky for me the next afternoon I found this recipe, for cinnamon caramel popcorn with pecans and white chocolate on Our Best Bites.  Was it coincidence?  I think not! Sara’s recipe even had the pecans and white chocolate I thought of adding to Michelle’s.  Fate and a break in homework had me making a batch of this last night. 

I only made one change to this most delectable popcorn and that was to use Ghirardelli white chocolate bars instead of the almond bark.  While incredibly good the next time I make this and there will be a next time, I am going to change things up.  These changes are to satisfy MY taste and  not necessarily yours.  My first change will be to double the pecans added and leave them in bigger pieces.  My second change is a biggie.  Next time I’m not going to bake it, at all!  Both the twins and I agreed that it was equally if not more yummy with the caramel mixture still sticky and warm just poured over the popcorn and pecans. Because I’m not baking it I’ll toast my pecans before adding them.  The last change is again, one of personal preference but I’d leave out the white chocolate drizzle.  I don’t think it needed it.  The bites that had white chocolate seemed too sweet.  I just noticed that Sara changed her recipe and left out the salt (1/4 tsp) but I think the popcorn benefits from the salt (sea) and could probably stand another 1/4 tsp of it to cut through the richness of the caramel. 

Cinnamon Caramel Corn with Pecans                      & White Chocolate            Recipe by Our Best Bites

12 C popped popcorn (about 1/2 C kernels)
1 C pecan halves, roughly chopped
1 C brown sugar
3/4 t cinnamon
1/4 C karo syrup (or honey makes a good substitution)
1 stick real butter (1/2 C)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 squares almond bark (about 4 oz)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees
Place popcorn and chopped pecans in a large bowl and set aside.
Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a 4 C capacity microwave safe bowl.  Mix well.  Chop butter into chunks and place on top of sugar mixture.  Pour corn syrup over the top of everything.  Microwave on high for 30 seconds and then stir to combine.  Return to microwave and heat for 2 minutes.  Remove and stir and then microwave for 2 minutes more.
Remove from microwave and add in vanilla and baking soda.  Stir to combine.  Mixture will foam and rise.  Pour caramel mixture over popcorn and pecans and stir very well so everything is well coated. 
Spread popcorn mixture onto a foil-lined jelly roll pan.  Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. 
Remove from oven and spread out on a large piece of parchment, waxed paper, or foil.
Melt almond bark according to package instructions.  Drizzle over popcorn mixture.  When almond bark is hardened and popcorn is cool, break into chunks and enjoy!  (I might have topped some vanilla ice cream with the last of the it! :))

Here’s Michelle’s recipe for cinnamon popcorn. 

Cinnamon Popcorn

• 8-10 c. of popped popcorn
• 1/2 c. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/3 c. granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 hefty pinches of kosher salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Pop popcorn and spread onto a large cookie sheet.  (Michelle used a hot air popcorn popper.)  Melt butter, sugar, and cinnamon in a microwave-safe bowl until sugar is dissolved and butter melted, 1 – 2 minutes.  Stir in vanilla extract.  Spoon butter mixture over popcorn and sprinkle with salt.  Toss to coat as many pieces of popcorn as you can.  Place in oven for 10 minutes.  Allow to cool completely.  If storing {not likely!}, place in an airtight container

**Speaking of Michelle she participating in Cupcake Hero this month and created the very delicious looking (& I’m certain tasty) Banana S’mores Cupcakes.  I haven’t made them yet but they are at the top of my “to make” list.  Check them out and if you think they are as delish looking as I do you can vote for her here!    Go Michelle!  :)

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Over the last six months or so I’ve received several blog “awards”.  I want to take a moment to thank all of you for thinking of me and my blog.  I know that the “award” rules say I need to chose 5, 6, 7, or 10 other bloggers to pass them along to but if you’ve been reading my blog awhile you’ll know how I feel about calling out a select few.  ALL of you have a unique voice and something special about your blogs.  I apologize if  my not passing along the awards offends anyone but there it is.  Thanks, again and I’m sorry it took me so long to say it!

Technorati Tags: awards,caramel,cinnamon,pecans,popcorn,white chocolate

A Failure and A Success

I know I’ve been MIA lately.  The kids, their homework, and extracurricular activities have kept me super busy.  They’ve adjusted well to going back to school but I’m still struggling to balance everything.  (I think it’s been a week since I last baked anything. :(() I’m hoping to get back into the groove of things soon!

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A few months ago I had my first giveaway.  One of the items which I gave away was Martha Stewart’s Cupcake cookbook which I preordered for the winner.   At the same time I preordered the winner’s(Noodlegirl) cookbook I preordered one for myself.  When I received the cookbook I excitedly flipped through looking for a cupcake recipe  to try.  It didn’t take long for me to settle on  the snickerdoodle ones.

  I decided instead of baking up 28 cupcakes I’d bake a two layer six inch square cake (I had also recently bought two Fat Daddio pans) and with the rest of the batter a few cupcakes.   Everything went smoothly.  The cake batter was delish and the yummy cinnamon-y aroma filling my kitchen was driving me crazy! My cake layers which I baked up first looked great and my six cupcakes were the most perfect looking cupcakes to ever come out  of my oven.  To say that I was excited was an understatement! 

As I waited for my layers and cupcakes to cool I got busy making my frosting.  Instead of making Martha’s seven minute frosting I decided to make the cinnamon brown sugar buttercream I had  recently seen on the blog, Lick the Bowl Good.  Monica’s buttercream is the success part of this post.  The buttercream is actually an Italian Meringue and I’m happy to say it came together without a hitch.  It also piped like a dream. 

Now for the failure part.  The snickerdoodle cake and cupcakes that looked so wonderful coming out of the oven?  While cooling they had shrunk in on themselves and when I tried one of the cupcakes it was bone dry!  How can that be?  When I did the toothpick test it came out with a crumb or two stuck to it and that was five minutes prior to when the recipe said they should be done!  Talk about disappointed!    The worse part?  A few days after I tossing (with force) the cake  into the garbage disposal (I should have made cakeballs, duh!  Throw in enough frosting, dip into chocolate, and just about anything will taste good.) I came across several blogs that raved about the cupcake recipe.  (Here’s one of them.) Maybe it was me?  I’d like to give it another try but I’m scared.  So, I think I’ll just stick to this snickerdoodle cake recipe or this snickerdoodle bundt cake one. 

 

I’m sorry that the photos are crappy but once I realized how awful this was I really couldn’t muster up any enthusiasm for the the photos.  The only reason I took any to begin with is that Babygirl frosted and decorated the cake. 

Technorati Tags: snickerdoodle,cake,brown sugar,cinnamon,cupcakes,frosting

Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Bars

These chocolate chip cinnamon bars were good and I loved the texture of them but they didn’t become something special until I nuked them in the microwave and topped them with my Roasted Banana Buttermilk Ice Cream. (I hope to post that soon). 

Oh, yeah, now we’re talking!  On their own the bars and especially the ice cream were good but they didn’t have me looking  for an excuse to make them again.  Together? It’s a whole other story!  I ate one and seriously contemplated a second but knew if I did I would be struggling to fit into my clothes the next day.  :(

Each of my three and their friend ate two the night I made them and finished up the pan the following afternoon.  So maybe you shouldn’t take my opinion serious AND they ate theirs plain. 

I saw these on Smitten Sugar’s and she got them from Julia’s blog, Dozen Flours.

Technorati Tags: bars,chocolate chips,cinnamon

Does this look like your cake?

I made this cake one afternoon and was very surprised at how lovely it was.  It was  light, fluffy, and delicately moist but here’s my dilemma I don't know who to give credit for it.  I know I didn't find it on one of my regular haunts and I've lost my print out of the recipe.  I want to say that the words sour cream were in the name but when I googled sour cream coffee cake a gazillion links pop up.  I can’t remember if the recipe called for cinnamon sugar to be sprinkled on top or if that was my own addition and I know I cut back on the chocolate chips.  I baked mine in 3 mini loaf pans and 1 small ramekin.

Please, if this looks or sounds like your cake by all means speak up.  I think it has tremendous potential and would like to make it again with a few tweaks. Instead of chocolate chips ( I cut back on those the first time) I'd love to add in some cinnamon ones and toasted nuts are always a wonderful addition. By the way you should know that your recipe doesn't specify when to add the butter.  Luckily I saw it on the counter just before I poured the batter into my pans.  I admit my first thought was uh,oh, I goofed but no, I read and re-read the recipe, you left it out. I went ahead and added it in, fortunately it was very soft and mixed in fine. So, please, if you recognize this cake let know and can I have the recipe? (Abby, I need to try the coffee cake you raved about!)

Note:  I made this almost two months ago so this photos are quite as nice as my more recent ones.  I’d like to think I’m improving! :) 

Here’s a little of the first “B”, baseball!  My brother Joseph (in the white shirt) took most of these photos of the Twins.  Devon is #4 and Jalen is #13.  The other man in the photos is Papi, my father.

Technorati Tags: cinnamon,chocolate chips,coffee cake,sour cream

Banana Caramel Cake

Yes! It tastes as good as it sounds!  Better really!  This is another one of those recipes that was so good I made it twice within a two week period.  As a matter of fact I bought bananas that were past their prime so I could make this again.  As I’m typing this the photos are taunting me.  I had no intentions of baking tonight but find myself  eyeing up the the bananas on the counter and checking out the clock. 

I have to tell you. This is my favorite banana cake.  All of the ones I’ve made (except this one) to date I have been very good but for me, this is it.  While I won’t stop trying other recipe this is the one I’ll turn to when there’s bananas that need using up and no new recipe to try.

I found the recipe on Technicolor Kitchen after seeing a photo of it on Tastespotting.  The cake on its own is moist but the homemade caramel that is soaked in makes it even more so.  And, I just love the warmth of the cloves, cinnamon, and fresh grated nutmeg that are added to the batter.

Banana Caramel Cake

Cake:
2 cups (280g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated)
¼ teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 large eggs
1 ¼ cups (300ml) vegetable oil (or canola oil as in the original recipe)
1 ¾ cups (350g) sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¾ cup (75g) coarsely chopped walnuts (omitted)
85g (3oz) dark chocolate, broken into small pieces (size of chips)(omitted)
3 ripe bananas, diced (I pureed them in my mini food processor & mine were small)

Caramel:
½ cup (88g) firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk
4 tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Butter and flour a tube pan or a bundt pan that can hold 12 cups*; preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF. (I used a tube easier for me to get out)
Sift together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt and baking soda.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the eggs, oil and sugar. With the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure that the sugar has been incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and mix for another 30 seconds. (I added in the pureed bananas)
With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients a bit at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl every now and then to ensure everything is incorporated.
Once the dry ingredients have been added, remove the bowl from the stand mixer and add the walnuts, chocolate and bananas. Gently fold them in with a spatula or a wooden spoon. Don’t over mix.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 50 minutes and then test the cake to see if it’s done by poking a toothpick or cake tester into the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done. If not, bake the cake for another 5 to 10 minutes. In Ivonne’s oven, this cake took 55 minutes; in mine, 1 hour. (Mine was done in 45 minutes, I find more often than not everything is done sooner rather than later in my oven.  Adjust accordingly for yours.)
About 5 to 10 minutes before the cake is done, make the caramel by combining all the ingredients in a small pan. Bring to the boil and stir occasionally to ensure that it doesn’t burn. Let it boil for about 5 minutes and then turn off the heat.
Once the cake is out of the oven, poke holes all over the cake with a skewer. Immediately pour the caramel over the cake, stopping every now and then to let the caramel sink in. If the caramel pools in spots, poke more holes to allow it to sink in.
Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack. Once it’s cool, loosen the cake from the sides of the pan and then unmold it onto a plate.

The Twins have been out of town playing baseball in Cooperstown, NY since last Saturday which is why you haven’t seen me around.  I thought I would have a break but except for Sunday’s games all of their other games have been broadcast over the internet on the Cooperstown site! Of course that meant instead of having a baseball free week and blogging (& commenting) I’ve been watching and cheering on the boys and their team. 

They just lost making it their last game of the tournament. It was also their third game of the day.  A day which started off with warm ups at the field at 7:30am (after winning and finishing up last night at 9:30pm) in cold rainy weather.  Though they lost they have a lot to be proud of.  Out of a 102 teams they made it to the final four and were seeded third!  Not too shabby.  It’s back to work next week as they have the Elite 24 at Disney in July!  Go Fire!

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