Well, this is my second cake this week, because, I’ve gotta catch up!  I decided to make one for my family, because they seem to think I never make a cake for them.  I thought about it for a bit, and chose the Chocolate Chip Bundt – maybe we can eat it for breakfast over the course of some busy mornings this week?

I have this sign that says “eat cake for breakfast” so, I’m trying to live by that.

The cake appears to be similar in texture to that of a muffin, and it is crunchy because there is a pecan-brown sugar topping.  I think it looks pretty yummy.   It is not difficult to put together, and would definitely be worth making, maybe even for breakfast!  🙂

Cake #30: Crunchy Chocolate Chip Bundt (from the blog bakeorbreak.com)

instructions:

 

When week#27 was getting close, I realized it was going to be a busy one, and I needed to bake ahead.  I found out my folks were having company, and so I offered to bake something for my mom that she could pop in the freezer and pull out when she needed it.  My mom has done so much for me since moving here, I feel like a cake really doesn’t even come close to repaying her!  But – indeed, it is a yummy start!

She and I decided on a summer-y, 7-up cake.  I’m hoping she saves me a bite to I can try it, but, by all appearances, I think it is going to be everything a cake should be – a pound cake but on the lighter side, full of fizzy-lemon flavor. Perfect for a hot summer day!

Its a simple recipe – I found it on pinterest!  It was posted as a cut-out newspaper recipe – so, I’m not sure who to give credit to – I do know there was a handwritten date of October 1, 1981 on the photo, so I can say it is probably an old-school recipe.  You can’t go wrong with a tried and true recipe like that!

7-up Cake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups butter

3 cups sugar

5 eggs

3 cups flour

3/4 cups 7-up

2 tablespoons of lemon extract.

Instructions:

Heat oven to 325 and prepare a 10″ tube pan.  Cream butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time and mix well.  Add flour.  Next, add 7-up and extract.  Spoon batter into prepared pan.  Bake at 325 for an hour, maybe longer depending on your oven.    When finished baking, cool and then remove from pan.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Guys, I’m officially halfway thru the year of bundt-cakes!  I can hardly believe I’ve made 26 cakes!  Who knew I could manage this – and keep up with life?   Truthfully, I’ve enjoyed it!  I’ve come to look forward to my baking time each week!

Well, week 26 is a Kentucky Butter Cake.  I made it for my friend Lisa, who helped me out with making a few t-shirts for Scenic City Children’s Choir.  She definitely deserves cake!

When she told me this was her favorite cake, I had a feeling it would be a hit.  I found a good recipe (read:it has lots of butter) and got to work.   Honestly I can tell you that I’ve never seen such a light and fluffy, yet rich cake batter!  I had a tiny taste of the batter – it was RIDICULOUSLY DE-LISH!!!  It may look simple, and un-assuming, but seriously, this is a must-try for your list, and I don’t say that every week! (Do I?)

Here’s the recipe, from cookiesandcups.com

Kentucky Butter Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, cubed at room temperature
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk

• ⅓ cup butter
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F/165°C
2. Grease a 10″ bundt pan (I use pam spray with flour)
3. Place all the cake ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low for 30 seconds and then increase the speed to medium and mix for 3 minutes.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 65-75 minutes until a toothpick entered into the center comes out clean.
5. When the cake is done make the glaze. Combine all ingredients into a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir continuously until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Do not bring to a boil.
6. Poke holes all over the warm cake (I use chopsticks) and pour the glaze evenly on the cake while still in the pan.
7. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan and then invert the cake onto a serving plate.
8. I made this cake a day in advance, hoping it will be more moist and flavorful after resting overnight.

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Hawaiian Pineapple Butter Cake – #25.  Fail.

It is Father’s Day.  And let me say – I found this brilliant cake on Pinterest, or so I thought!  I just knew my hubs, my dad and my father-in-law would all love it.  Last nite I set out to make it, thinking I had a slam-dunk new favorite in the works.

I could not have been more wrong.

The cake itself was delicious – I know because I had extra batter and made mini bundts of just cake, without the pineapple. The cake was perfect – it could not have turned out better.  But, I knew as soon as I popped the full-sized cake out of the pan, I had miscalculated by drastic proportions.  There was a pineapple mixture that was supposed to bake up into the cake – and it didn’t.  Nope – it was just mushy slop, sitting on top of the cake.  It looked terrible and the pineapple mush didn’t even really taste good.

What a disaster.  And, what a waste!  Oh how I hate to waste such a golden, fluffy and moist cake with a delicious vanilla-pineapple sweet flavor.  How could I have gone so wrong?

Well, I’m giving myself huge loads of grace today – and remembering what NOT to do again…

So, what do you do when you need a Father’s Day dessert, and soon?  Well – I for one ran to the Wal Mart to get a few things – and I’m making Mississippi Mud for my family.  Its a nice, chilled, summertime-chocolatey dessert that I know everyone will love.

I’ll hop back on the bundt cake train next week!

(no photos, guys!  believe me – you don’t want to see this mess…)

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine gave me a bunch of beautiful, lovely, much needed hand-me-downs for my Mackenzie!  I was so blessed by this wonderful gift, I promised my friend a cake.     Time went by and I realized that I still needed to make that promised cake!

After discussing what her family might enjoy, I browsed my pinterest page for ideas.  I found the PERFECT option (thank you to Martha Stewart) : Apple Cider Donut Bundt.  The write-up sounded like this cake was right up my friend’s alley.  I made a few changes, but- stayed true to the recipe otherwise.

When I baked the cake, the smell from my oven was AMAZING!  It was all I could do to not take a warm chunk!  But, I resisted the urge and got the cake to my friend quickly!  Within minutes of giving her the cake, I got a text!  They loved it!  She did say that maybe it wasn’t quite the texture of a donut- so, I’m gonna work on that a little bit!  Otherwise this may be a contender for the “keeper” list!

*****  Hey, friends!  When week 26 is completed, I’m going to post a “half-way-thru-the-year” review of my favorite cakes!  I would LOVE to hear from you if you’ve tried any cakes and loved them!  By the end of week 52 I would like to have a list of “best” cakes to draw on… you know, in case I go into business and need to create a menu of sorts! 🙂  ***********

Here is the recipe!  Seriously, you really might want to try this one!

Apple Cider Donut Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan (I used 1/4 cup of butter)
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour (I used only all-purpose flour this time)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 3/4 cups natural cane sugar (I used regular, every day sugar)
• 1 cup apple cider (I used part apple juice, part sparkling cider -because I dare you to find real cider in June.)
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (I used vegetable oil)
• 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs, room temperature

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. In a large bowl, whisk together both flours, baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups sugar, cider, oil, applesauce, vanilla, and eggs. Add egg mixture to flour mixture; whisk until combined. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

• Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet; let cool 15 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.

• Invert warm cake onto rack. Brush with melted butter, then sprinkle liberally with cinnamon sugar. Let cool completely before serving. Cake can be stored, covered, at room temperature up to 2 days. (While working on this coating, I painted butter on a small section of the cake, sprinkled cinnamon-sugar immediately, and then moved onto another section.)

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