Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake

Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake
from epicurious

Crust:
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 stick butter, melted and cooled

Filling:
1 can pumpkin
3 eggs, room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar
4 tablespoons bourbon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
3-8 oz packages cream cheese, room temperature

Topping:
1 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons bourbon
2 tablespoons sugar

Optional garnish-roasted pecan halves

1. Mix ingredients for crust together and press into a spring-form pan.  Refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 350.
3. Whisk pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, bourbon and vanilla until well combined.
4. Whip cream cheese until light and fluffy.
5. Add dry ingredients.
6. Gradually add in wet ingredients and whip until smooth.
7. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until center is set.
8. Mix topping ingredients together while cake is baking.
9. Once cake is set, pour sour cream mixture over cake and put cake back in turned off oven.
10. Once cake is cooled, chill in refrigerator until ready to eat. 
11. Top with roasted pecan halves if using.

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tiramisu cake

Tiramisu Cake
adapted from smitten kitchen

For the cake layers:
2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk

For the espresso extract:
 8 tablespoons instant coffee powder
 1 cup boiling water

For the espresso syrup:
1 1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons Kahlua

For the filling and frosting:
16 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons (8 ml) pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Kahlua
1 cup cold heavy cream
1/2 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

Chocolate-covered espresso beans, for decoration (optional)
Cocoa powder, for dusting

Cake:

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350
2. Butter two 9×2 inch round cake pans, dust the insides with flour, and tap out the excess.
3. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for another 3 minutes.
5. Add the eggs one by one, and then the yolk, beating for 1 minute after each addition.
6. Beat in the vanilla; don’t be concerned if the mixture looks curdled.
7. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, adding the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the milk in 2 (begin and end with the dry ingredients); scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and mix only until the ingredients disappear into the batter.
8. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.
9. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, rotating the pans at the midway point.
10. Transfer the cakes to a rack and cool.

To make the extract:

1. Stir the espresso powder and boiling water together in a small cup until blended. Set aside.

To make the syrup:

1. Stir the water and sugar together in a small saucepan and bring just to a boil.
2. Pour the syrup into a small heatproof bowl and stir in 5 oz of the espresso extract and the liqueur or brandy; set aside.
3. Once cakes have cooled, soak cakes with syrup, dividing it evenly.

To make the filling and frosting:

1. Whip the cream cheese until light and fluffy.
2. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, remaining espresso extract, liqueur and cream; whip until light and fluffy.
3. Put frosting into fridge to stiffen.

To assemble the cake:

1. If the tops of the cake layers have crowned, use a long serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to even them.
2. Smooth some of the frosting over the layer and gently press the chocolate chips into the filling.
3. Put the second cake layer upside down on top of the chocolate chips.
4. With a long metal icing spatula, smooth the frosting around the sides of the cake and over the top.
5. If you want to decorate the cake with chocolate-covered espresso beans, press them into the filling, making concentric circles of beans or just putting some beans in the center of the cake.
6. Refrigerate the cake for at least 3 hours (or for up to 1 day) before serving – the elements need time to meld.
7. Just before serving, dust the top of the cake with cocoa.

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chocolate ganache frosting

chocolate ganache frosting
from add a pinch

1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons vanilla
2 cups dark chocolate chips (60% cacao)
Salt

1. Put heavy cream, butter and vanilla in a sauce pan and heat until warmed through.
2. Add chocolate chips and stir until melted.
3. Add some salt.
4. Cool mixture.
5. Once cooled, whip until light and fluffy.
6. Frost cake.

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strawberry summer cake

What to do when you have a 1/2 gallon bucket of fresh-from-the-farm strawberries?  Besides prolifically thanking the in-laws, you gorge yourself and make cake.  I saw this cake recipe from my favorite food blogger and promptly made it because I knew it would be delicious.  Shocker--it was!

 {my only regret with this cake--it could have used more strawberries!}

{served with powdered sugar and some whipped cream}

strawberry summer cake
from smitten kitchen

makes 8-16 servings (depending on how you slice it)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
7/8 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg (local)
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound strawberries (local), hulled and halved

1. Preheat oven to 350. 
2. Butter a 9- or 10-inch spring-form or cake pan.
3. Whisk flour or flours, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl. 
4. In a larger bowl, beat butter and 7/8 cup sugar until pale and fluffy with an electric mixer, about 3 minutes. 
5. Mix in egg, milk and vanilla until just combined. Add dry mixture gradually, mixing until just smooth. 
6. Pour into prepared pie plate. 
7. Arrange strawberries, cut side down, on top of batter, as closely as possible in a single layer (though I had to overlap a few to get them all in). 
8. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over berries. 
9. Bake cake for 10 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 325 and bake cake until golden brown and a tester comes out free of wet batter, about 50 minutes to 60 minutes.
10. Let cool in pan on a rack. 
11. Cut into wedges. Serve with powdered sugar and/or lightly whipped cream.

Next time I make this (and I know that I will), I will definitely put an impossible amount of strawberries on it.  I spaced mine prettily, but next time I will show no hesitancy.

What are you doing with this year's strawberries?

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Guinness chocolate cake

I have a hard time finding a chocolate cake that is easy, delicious, and not rich.  This Guinness chocolate cake was out of this world!  So delicious and moist but not rich or heavy.  You can't even taste the Guinness, but I am 110% certain that it wouldn't be the same without it.

{Guinness chocolate cake top view}

{doesn't that look so delicious?  Go make one and see for yourself!}

Guinness chocolate cake
from www.food.com

makes 1 loaf cake

1 stick butter, room temperature
1 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
7 oz Guinness stout
2/3 cup cocoa powder
4 oz dark chocolate (77%)
2 tablespoons Guinness stout
2 tablespoons butter
1/3-1/2 cup powdered sugar
4 oz walnuts, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Grease 1 loaf pan.
3. Cream butter and sugar together.
4. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together until combined.
5. Mix cocoa powder and Guinness together until combined.  **Cocoa powder it hard to mix into any liquid, let alone one that is carbonated.  Take your time; I had to let it set and settle a couple of times before I got everything mixed in**
6. Once butter and sugar are creamed, add eggs and beat until light and fluffy.
7. Add flour mixture and Guinness mixture alternatively, beginning and ending with flour (should be flour, Guinness, flour, Guinness, flour).  ONLY mix until just incorporated.
8. Pour batter in loaf pan and bake for 35-40 minutes.
9. Cool cake.
10. To make the icing, mix together dark chocolate, Guinness, butter, and powdered sugar; place in microwave for 30 seconds stirring after each round until chocolate and butter are melted.
11. Pour icing over cooled cake; top with walnuts.
12. Serve.

 {my secret hope/belief that there really is magic in this world}

Sláinte! (cheers/good health)

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chocolate almond quinoa cake

My grandmother found this recipe and made this cake a few years ago which has become a family favorite ever since.  I had never made it since my grandmother always did.  I was craving a chocolate cake, and so I finally had an excuse to make it myself.  This cake is a perfect balance of almonds and chocolate; you would never know this had quinoa in it!  This cake is so delicious and nutritionally/protein packed that you really have no excuse NOT to eat this healthy chocolate cake!

 {chocolate almond quinoa cake}

{I didn't think about it at the time, but next time, I'm adding toasted coconut for an almond joy flavor!}

chocolate almond quinoa cake
from The Daring Gourmet

makes 8-16 slices (depending on how you slice the cake)

2 cups cooked quinoa, loosely packed
4 egg yolks
⅓ cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
½ cup butter, melted
¼ cup coconut oil
1½ cups granulated white sugar
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
4 egg whites
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup ground almonds

For Chocolate Almond Glaze:
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons hot water
Slivered almonds for decoration

1. Preheat the oven to 350. 
2. Place the cooked quinoa in a blender along with the milk, egg yolks, vanilla extract, almond extract, butter and coconut oil. Blend until smooth.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a rubber spatula, stir the quinoa mixture into the sugar mixture until combined. Stir in the ground almonds.
4. In a small mixing bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.  More details and pictures on how to make a meringue.
5. Using the rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter.
6. Pour the batter into the cake pan (DO NOT GREASE PAN) and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean but moist.
7. Let the cake sit in the pan for 10 minutes before carefully inverting it onto a plate and then carefully inverting it again (top side up) onto a cake platter to cool completely.
8. To make the Chocolate Almond Glaze: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Pour over the completely cooled cake, spread evenly over top and sides of cake. Immediately sprinkle with the slivered almonds. Allow the glaze to dry before serving, overnight is the best.
9. Enjoy!

I took most of this cake to work, and everyone said that it was delicious.  I even had one person say that it was "stupid good" which is a compliment, I guess :o)

How about you?  Do you try "healthy desserts" like this cake?   I do since it make me feel less guilty when I have a slice (or two)!

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Bourbon Pecan Pound Cake

It's Monday....  What better way to start out the week than with cake?  I didn't think so either!

Although I made a delicious savory recipe with bourbon, Bourbon Mushroom Sauce, I just really couldn't help myself when I saw the recipe for this pound cake.  Needless to say, my family devoured it when I brought it for a coffee and cake visit one Sunday.  The cake was light and tasty--not too sweet--and the bourbon glaze (I'm talking straight-up bourbon) was perfection.  The roasted pecans?  Blew this cake out of the water!  Just go make this cake!!!

 {Bourbon Pecan Pound Cake}

 {My empty Woodford bottle :( time to replenish!}

 {I *might* have been eating on this as I took the pictures....}

 {About to bake the cake}

{In my kitchen, I get to lick the spoon, and I enjoy every minute of it!}

Bourbon Pecan Pound Cake
from Gourmandistan

Makes 12 servings

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
6 eggs, room temperature
7/8 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon bourbon whiskey
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted and cooled
1/2 cup white sugar

FOR THE GLAZE:
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup bourbon whiskey

1. Preheat oven to 325° F.
2. Spray non-stick in a bunt pan and flour it. 
3. Sift salt, baking powder, soda and flour together, then set aside. 
4. Stir bourbon, vanilla, and buttermilk together, then set aside.
5. With an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. 
6. Gradually add the eggs mixing well after each addition.
7. Then alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk in 3 parts starting and ending with the buttermilk. 
8. Stir in pecans. 
9. Bake in center of oven for about 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. 
10. Let the cake cool on a rack for about 15 minutes, then remove from pan. 
11. While cake is cooling, prepare the glaze by melting the brown sugars, butter and water together. Bring to a full boil. Remove from heat, stirring in the bourbon when the glaze has cooled slightly. While the cake is still warm, spoon the glaze over its surface.

 Now that I am out of bourbon, I think that I have sufficiently celebrated Bourbon Heritage Month! 

Thanks to Cake of the Week for hosting this Baking with Spirit challenge!

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monthly munchies | September

Part of my improvements is to do a monthly overview that I'm calling the monthly munchies.  These are just little tidbits about what's going to happen or what's coming up on the blog!

{Sea salt and Lime dark chocolate--chocolate is a favorite snack of mine!}

So for September here's what's happening:

• September is Bourbon Heritage Month; so, of course, I'll be eating and sharing some bourbon recipes.  Hubby and I will also be visiting a bourbon distillery and reporting back on that fun trip!
• I'll be debuting other new posts this month like what's in season and some menu creation!
• It's my birth month!  I'm having champagne and cakes from my favorite bakery in celebration!
• A giveaway is also coming your way for one of my favorite kitchen gadgets!
• Hubby and I will be going on another camping trip for our anniversary.  It's a bit early, but he was kind enough to work around my schedule (aka I get to go to the Incredible Food Show this year!  YAY!)  We also get to experiment more with our camp cooking (any tips would be appreciated!).
• I've already made plans for every weekend in September; it's going to be a busy fall!
• I'm doing a bunch of behind-the-scenes blogging research and maintenance so I'll be tweaking and working on some features.

September starts that slow cooling of the weather, and I can't wait!  I am not made for these hot, humid conditions.  Happy September everyone!  (Can you believe the year is already 3/4 of the way done?!  WHERE does the time go?!)

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Sorghum Spice Cake

After receiving a bottle of sorghum from my grandparents, I pondered what to do.  I had never heard of or used sorghum before so I did what any person would do--I googled recipes.  I found that sorghum can be used in the place of honey or molasses in most cases.  I knew when I came across this recipe for a spice cake with sorghum, I had to try it because my family and I LOVE spice cake (it doesn't even have to be fall).  Sure enough, I've made it twice for family dinners, and both times, I have went home with a slice or none at all!

 {Sorghum Spice Cake}

 {I used KY Proud sorghum for this recipe.  I had to taste it just plain, and I can only liken it to smoked honey}

 

 {Adding the sorghum to the cake batter}

 {Getting ready to bake}

 {The center was still jiggly when I pulled it out, but don't worry!  It will set up!}

 {The poor cake was attacked before I could snap a picture!}

One year ago:  Scones

Sorghum Spice Cake
from Epicurious

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes


1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
2 cups plus 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided, plus more for pan
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup sorghum syrup
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. 
2. Spray a spring-form pan with non-stick spray and add flour.   Rotate pan with flour in it until the bottom and sides are covered with flour.  Shake the excess out.
3. Combine 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup sugar, and 2 tablespoons butter in a small bowl. Using your fingertips, rub together until mixture is crumbly; set topping aside. 
4. Sift remaining 2 cups flour and remaining dry ingredients into a large bowl. 
5. Using an electric mixer at medium speed, beat 1 cup butter, 1 cup sugar, and sorghum in another large bowl, occasionally scraping down sides, until smooth, 2-3 minutes. 
6. Add eggs; beat until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. 
7. Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. 
8. Pour batter into prepared pan.
9. Bake cake until top looks just set, about 30 minutes. 
10. Immediately sprinkle topping over cake; bake until a tester comes out clean when inserted into center, 25-30 minutes longer.  This cake didn't look done as the center still jiggled, but it is done if the tester comes out clean.
11. Transfer to a wire rack and let cake cool in pan. Remove pan sides. 
12. Serve alone or with ice cream. 

Do you try new ingredients either on purpose or by accident?  Hopefully, you get some ideas from this blog!  As always, if you have something you just don't know what to do with, send me an email (girleatsworld1@yahoo.com), and I will respond with some ideas!

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Tuesday Tip: Bake with Yogurt

Yes you read that right--bake with yogurt.  I saw it on Pinterest a while ago, and I just had never gotten around to actually doing it.  Why?  Because I was worried that it wouldn't work!  LOL  Good news is that it did!  Not only that, I tried it twice with muffins and cupcakes, and it worked both times!  It's really easy--just follow the recipes below!

 {Healthy Cupcakes}

 {Just three ingredients!  The batter will not be as runny as you are used to, but it does work out!}

Healthy Cupcakes

Makes 18 cupcakes

1 box cake mix (whatever you like!)
6 oz vanilla Greek yogurt (your favorite)
1 cup water

1. Preheat oven to temperature specified on the cake mix package.
2. Line a muffin tin with liners.
3. Mix cake mix, water and yogurt together until well combined.
4. Spoon into liner until 2/3 full.
5. Bake according to cake mix directions.
6. Cool.
7. Enjoy!

I didn't ice the cupcakes because I didn't have any, and I am not a frosting fan.  Besides, if you leave it without frosting, it would technically count as a muffin!  Right? Speaking of muffins...

 {Healthy Muffins}

 {Just three ingredients!  Only fill liners up 2/3 because they will rise!}

Healthy Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

2 packages muffin mix (whatever you like!)
6 oz vanilla Greek yogurt (your favorite)
2 oz milk

1. Preheat oven to temperature specified on the muffin mix package.
2. Line a muffin tin with liners.
3. Mix muffin mix, milk  and yogurt together until well combined.
4. Spoon into liner until 2/3 full.
5. Bake according to muffin mix directions.
6. Cool.
7. Enjoy!

How much "healthier" are these baked goods?  Well, first of all, they are baked goods so not the healthiest, but adding 6 oz of Greek which only has 120 calories compared to 3 eggs and 1/2 cup oil (one egg alone has about 100 calories!) is definitely better.

Everyone loved how moist the baked goods were!  The hubby claimed all of the blueberry muffins as his own so I had to smuggle some out for co-workers to try!  They loved them too, and the muffins got the same reviews as the cupcakes.  I'm definitely making them this way from now on.

So tell me--will you try baking with yogurt?

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Jam Cake

My in-laws gave me 4 jars of homemade jam a few weeks before Thanksgiving!  The hubby and I don't eat jam too often so I was stumped on what to do with it.  Then an epiphany--make jam cake as a dessert for Thanksgiving!

 

{Jam Cake made with apple butter}

 

{Two apple butters and one blackberry preserves}

 

{Creaming butter and sugar then adding eggs}

 

{Yes this looks like it separated, but it'll work--promise!}

 

{Add nuts and raisins}

 

{This batter makes a bunt cake and at least 8 cupcakes!  Side by side comparison of the blackberry cake batter to the apple}

 

{An outtake--I was seriously impatient to make my second cake so I only waited 15 minutes....  It was delicious anyway!}

Jam Cake

Makes 1 bunt cake and 12 cupcakes (it's a large amount of batter!)

1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
8 eggs, room temperature
2 cups jam, blackberry or apple are best
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional but recommended)
1 cup raisins (optional but recommended)

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer until very light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Add eggs one at a time, blending well in between.
4. Add jam to batter when all the eggs are incorporate and mix until combined, about 2 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, whisk all the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.
6. Add 1/3 of flour mixture and incorporate it in followed by 1/2 cup of buttermilk, repeat ending with flour mixture. 
7. Mix until just combined!
8. Fold nuts and raisins into the batter.
9. Grease a bunt pan and line cupcake pan.
10. Pour batter until almost full in the bunt pan and cupcake pan.
11. Bake cake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cupcakes will take 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
12. Cool before trying to get out of the pan (major mistake I made--patience is a virtue!).
13. Serve. 

My co-workers and I are still eating the cupcakes for breakfast (hey--it's made with jam which is completely acceptable breakfast food), and they are as delicious, if not more so, as when I first made them.  They are really good with peanut butter!

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Annie's Apple Cake

This is an old family recipe from my grandmother.  The lady who this cake is named after was a real firecracker!  I only met her once, when I was about 12 or so, but I vividly remember her fire and taste for life.  It's so quintessentially fall that I just had to make it for an Oktoberfest party we had on Saturday.  Nothing ushers in fall like a delicious, fairly healthy, cinnamon, apple, and nut cake.

 

{Glazed apple cake}

 

{I used honey-crisp apples}

 

{Folding the apples and nuts into the batter}

 

{Pour into a bundt cake mold}

 

{Baked cake}

 

{Warning!  This cake is super moist and loaded with apples and nuts so don't get upset if it falls apart (because that means you get to eat what was left in the pan!  PS--I have no shame)}

 

{Making the glaze}

One year ago:  Baked Egg in Roasted Tomato Cups

Annie's Apple Cake

Makes 16 servings

4 eggs, room temperature
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cup chopped nuts
3 cups apples, diced

Glaze:
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Whip eggs in a mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the remaining ingredients, except nuts and apples, mixing until just combined.
4. Fold in apples and nuts.
5. Spray a bundt pan and sprinkle the surface with flour.
6. Pour cake batter into cake pan.
7. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Cool cake.
9. In a saucepan, combine the remaining ingredients until melted and smooth--DO NOT BOIL!!!
10. Cool glaze for 15-20 minutes.
11. Turn cake onto a platter.
12. Pour glaze over cake and serve. 

Is there a specific dish you make in the fall?  For my family, it's this cake along with pumpkin bread (on the blog next week), which I will be making this weekend in preparation for my brother coming to town next week!  So excited!  It'll be filled with laughter and memories and zombie paintball hayrides and other fun stuff!

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Marble Cake with Ganache

We are celebrating my birthday week with some desserts, which I haven't made in quite a while so I was due.  What better way to celebrate my birthday than with my favorite cake?  I was also adventurous and made Chocolate Mousse for the office (featured tomorrow!)!

 

{Marble cake with ganache}

 

{Cake flour--find it in the bakery isle typically on the very top or bottom shelf}

{Sifted dry ingredients}

  

{Cake batter mixed up}

 

{Separate cake batters into almost half (less for the chocolate)}

 {Mix cocoa into hot water and then add to the bowl with less batter--mix thoroughly}

 

{Two separate batters}

 {Checkerboard the batters}

 {Marble cake with a knife}

 

{Baked cake}

 

{Ganache is a chocolate icing made from dark chocolate and heavy cream}

 

{Heat cream slowly and add chocolate}

 

{Stir until melted}

 

{Cool and pour over cake--I spread it a bit so it coated the cake evenly}

Marble Cake

from The Shiksa in the Kitchen

Makes 1 loaf cake

1 1/4 cup cake flour

1/2 cup dry instant vanilla pudding mix (about one small 3.4 oz package)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
3/4 cup milk, room temperature
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup very hot water

1. Preheat oven to 350. 
2. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the cake flour, vanilla pudding mix (in dry powdered form), baking powder, and salt.
3. In a larger mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to whip together the butter, sugar, eggs and almond extract for a few minutes till the mixture turns light yellow.
4. Beat in half of the milk and half of the sifted flour mixture, then beat in the remaining milk and flour mixture. Whip until the batter is smooth and creamy.
5. Rinse and dry the medium mixing bowl that you used for the sifted flour.  Pour a little less than half of the cake batter into the medium mixing bowl that you rinsed out. 
6. Whisk the cocoa powder and hot water until smooth; add the cocoa mixture to the bowl with less than half of batter.  Stir until fully combined and smooth. This is your chocolate marbling batter.  Reserve the rest of the batter—this is your light cake marbling batter. 
7. Generously grease your loaf pan using butter or cooking spray. Pour the light and dark cake batters into your loaf pan and marble them. If you don't know how, check out this post with printable instructions on How to Marble a Cake 
8. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
9. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes.
10. Carefully remove the cake from the pan and let it cool completely on the rack.
11. Serve or ice with ganache (see below).

Ganache

Makes about 1 1/2 cups or enough to ice one loaf cake

6 oz dark chocolate
4.5 oz heavy cream

1. Heat cream--DO NOT BOIL.
2. Add chocolate to cream once it is hot.
3. Stir until chocolate is melted.
4. Take off the burner and allow to cool about 15 minutes.
5. Pour over cake.

What is your favorite dessert that you indulge with at your birthday?

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