friends and loved ones · in my kitchen · more cake, please

Cake #22 – Welcome Neighbors! Lemon Blueberry Bundt.

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We learned a few weeks ago that some friends from church were moving into a neighborhood near ours.  And I couldn’t resist making them a little “house warming” treat to welcome them!

I’ve been toying with the idea of a lemon blueberry bundt, so I decided to practice my recipe on them!  I can’t wait to hear if they like it!

Here’s what I did:

Cake #22 – Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake.

Ingredients:

Classic White Cake mix
small lemon pudding
3 eggs
1 cup Fresca
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp lemon extract
1 cup of blueberries

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients (except the blueberries) on medium speed for two minutes.  (maybe scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway thru, to be sure all of the ingredients are combined well.)  Set the oven at 350 and prepare the pan.  Pour 1/3 of the batter into the pan, sprinkle with berries.  Pour another 1/3 of the cake mix and sprinkle again with blueberries.  Bake for 45 minutes.

When the cake is cooled, remove from the pan and prepare a lemon glaze.  mix powdered sugar with a bit of lemon juice until you have the consistency you want and gently pour over the cake, or paint lightly with a pastry brush.

Here’s to the lovely, fresh flavors of summer!  And Here’s hoping our new neighbors enjoy their special treat in their new home!  😉

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friends and loved ones

In the middle of the busy month of May,

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my baby girl turned 8.    How in the world did that happen?  Time really does fly, friends, but, that is a subject for another time.

Let me tell you about our celebration!

Mackenzie, is my sweet, spunky, youngest baby.    She loves her family, loves to play outside and loves all kinds of board games.    When her birthday rolled around, her desires were simple.  A few friends and family to celebrate,  a cookie cake with ice-cream sundaes –  her gift wish list was even simpler.

Since she is so simple in her “wants”, we had little to go on as far as gift ideas.  But, my hubby came up with a fantastic idea! (He never fails to amaze me with his gift-giving skills.)   She loves being outdoors so much, we decided to clear an area of our side front yard and  surprise her by hanging a tree swing!  It was a huge hit!   She and her cousins and friends partied, swinging all day long!

I love who this precious girl is becoming – and I’m completely amazed and thrilled that we get to be her parents!  I can’t wait to share the coming with year with her and all the possibilities it holds!

Thank you, Lord for the goodness you’ve shown to our family by blessing us with the gift of Mackenzie!

 

 

 

 

friends and loved ones · in my kitchen · more cake, please

cake #21 black oil bundt

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Okay, friends! Week 21 rolled around and I realized it was time to bake a birthday cake for my dear friend, Leslie.

This is my sweet mom, my friend,Leslie, and I at a Lookouts game just last weekend.  We chatted the time away at the game.  But, while we talked, I managed to squeeze out of Leslie (hopefully without her knowing) what kind of cake she might like.  Now, I know Leslie loves a good red velvet cheesecake – but, I’m making bundt cakes – not cheesecakes… so, I had to figure something out!  She mentioned a “black oil cake” – and I had never heard of that!

Of course, my curiosity was roused and I went home in search of a black oil cake recipe.  Guess what I found?  It is chocolate cake – but not just any chocolate cake!  It is dark, rich, thick chocolate cake full of egg yokes and buttermilk, covered in more satin-y smooth chocolate.

I had to go for it!  And, according to Leslie it was phenomenal.  Her family devoured it!  That makes this baker’s heart super happy!

Here’s to a Happy Birthday for Leslie and  to finding a new amazing cake recipe!  🙂

Cake # 21  Black Oil Cake

Beat together:
1 cup oil
1 cup buttermilk
3 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla

sift together and add to the wet ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1/2 c cocoa ( I used hershey’s dark)
2 cups flour
1 tbsp soda
1/4 tsp salt

Mix all of the ingredients, then add 1 cup  of boiling water and stir gently until combined.  Pour into prepared pan.
Bake at 325 for 1 hour.

When the cake is mostly cooled, remove it from the pan and make this frosting:

Ingredients:
1 stick of butter, 6 tbsp of buttermilk, 3 3/4 cups of powdered sugar and 4 tbsp of cocoa.

Instructions:
Bring butter, buttermilk and cocoa to a boil.  Remove it from the heat and add the sugar and vanilla.  You can add nuts, but I did not use nuts.  Pour over the cake.  ( did not use all of the frosting on the bundt cake, but I’m sure you’d use it all on 9×13 cake. )

friends and loved ones · in my kitchen · more cake, please

Third times a charm, or so they say

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Cake # 20 is the third version of my fudgy peanut butter bundt.

After last week’s cake (the second fudgy peanut butter bundt) seeming as thought it was just not peanut buttery enough – I had to give it another go!

Enter last week’s recipient – Our church’s facilities manager.  It so happens that I had a spring choir concert with the Scenic City Children’s Choir – and North Shore Fellowship was kind enough to host it. What this really means is that I needed James’, our facility manager’s, help with wrestling risers in and out of a tiny closet and setting them up in the sanctuary. He was so kind to offer his help!

I realized that he needed cake as payment.  When I asked him what he’d like – he was very interested in peanut butter and chocolate.  It seemed reasonable to give the fudgy peanut butter bundt  another whirl!

Here’s what I did:

Cake #20 – Fudgy Peanut Butter bundt (take three)

Ingredients:

Chocolate cake mix

3 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup hersheys syrup
1/4 cup peanut butter (melted)
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions:
I mixed up the ingredients thru the hershey syrup – and set the mixer on medium speed for two minutes.  I added the chocolate chips at the end and stirred them into the batter.  After the bundt pan was prepared, I poured a third of the batter in, and then swirled in a bit of the melted peanut butter.  I poured in another third, swirled in more peanut butter – and so on until all of the batter was in the pan and the peanut butter was used.

I baked at 350 for around 45-50 minutes.  I let the cake cool 20 minutes and then removed it from the pan.  When the cake was completely cooled, I used a pastry brush to spread hershey’s syrup all over the outside of the cake. Then, I melted some more chocolate chips (maybe a half cup?), cream (several tablespoons) and peanut butter (more peanut butter than chocolate) together in the microwave for 40 seconds or so and then stirred them up until the mixture was smooth and glossy.

I smoothed the topping over the cake and let it run down the sides.  Then I chopped up some peanut butter cups and sprinkled them over the topping.  After that I melted a few more tablespoons of peanut butter and drizzled over top of everything alone with a few mini chocolate chips.

 

I haven’t heard back from James yet, but I’m really really hoping it was a hit!  He really deserved it!  I’ll let you know what I find out!

in my kitchen · more cake, please

cake #19 fudgy peanut butter bundt

melodyannday1 Comment

It is really hard to believe that week #19 is upon us!  How can that be?  I guess time really does fly when you’re having fun!  And friends, I really am having fun!

What’s really great about this adventure is that I’m getting to share cake with friends!  I had no idea just how much satisfaction would come from baking and giving it away.  So, when my dear friend Wendy (yes, I baked cakes for  two different friends named Wendy two weeks in a row) texted me and said she might like to be in on the bundt cake action, I could NOT say no!

I thought a bit about Wendy and her husband Richard and what they might like – and this is what I came up with: a Fudgy Peanut butter Bundt Cake!  Here’s how I made it:

Ingredients:

devil’s food cake mix (duncan hines)
1 cheesecake pudding mix
4 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips
1 diced peanut butter cup
hershey’s syrup
more peanut butter cups chopped (as many as you want) and mini chocolate chips.
fudgy peanut butter frosting: 1/2 cup mini semi sweet chips, a few tbsp of cream, 3 tbsp of Jif Peanut butter, heated in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time – whisked with a fork until smooth.

Instructions:

Mix first 4 ingredients on medium speed for 2 minutes.  then fold in peanut butter cups and chocolate chips.  Pour batter into prepared bundt pan.  Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes.  Let cool.  Remove from pan. Paint hershey’s syrup on the cooled cake with a pastry brush until the exterior of the cake is shiny.  Then, prepare frosting and drizzle/pour over top of the cake.    sprinkle with chopped peanut butter cups and mini chips.

I heard from Wendy and Richard and they loved it!  Although, Wendy and I agreed this cake could stand to have more peanut butter flavors – but, she said it was really yummy! I think next time I might add more melted peanut butter into the fudge sauce – and maybe add some peanut butter chips to the top… or something along those lines!   Let me know if you decide to try this recipe – I bet you’ll love it, too!

.

in my kitchen · more cake, please

Cake #18 Key lime pound cake with cream cheese glaze

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Week #18 is Key lime pound cake!  I created this one for the second winner of my little competition back over Easter weekend.

In the spring time citrus just feels right with its bright and fresh flavors.  This cake, I believe, hit the spot!  I searched on pinterest of course for help on the recipe, and I found this gem on theirreverentkitchen.com!

Key lime pound cake (for Wendy Tate and her family!)

Ingredients:

  •  4 sticks butter, that’s 1 pound, room temperature
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 6 large eggs, room temperature
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup fresh key lime juice
  • 1/4 cup evaporated milk, (I always keep a good number of those small, 5 ounce cans in my pantry.)
  • 4 teaspoons key lime zest
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:

  • Preheat oven to 300°.  Cover inside of 10 inch tube pan with non-stick spray.  My pan is 10  1/2″ and it’s just fine.  Set aside.
  • Using a stand-up mixer or electric hand-held, beat the butter well until light in color and fluffy.  Add the sugar and again beat well for at least 5 minutes.  I use a stand up mixer and beat the mixture 10-15 minutes.  I don’t like a “grainy” cake.
  • One at a time add the eggs and beat only until the yellow disappears.
  • Stir juice, milk, zest and vanilla together.
  • Now mixing by hand, gradually flour to the butter-egg mixture alternating with the key lime juice and milk mixture.  Begin and end with flour.  Mix well but just enough to incorporate all ingredients.  You don’t want a tough pound cake!
  • Pour evenly into the tube pan and tap pan on the counter to loosen any air bubbles.
  • Bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
  • Cool on a cooling rack for 20-25 minutes in the pan then transfer from pan to cooling rack and allow to cool another hour or until completely cool.
  • When it was cooled, I mixed a little lime juice and confectioners sugar and painted it all over the outside of the cake with a pastry brush.  I feel like this gives it a little extra zing!
  • After glazing the cake I sprinkled with lime zest and white sugar crystals.

Unlike previous cakes – I tried to follow this recipe exactly (with the exception of the last step).  Now the glaze, on the other hand, I just monkeyed with the following ingredients until I found the consistency I wanted.

Glaze:
4 oz cream cheese, confectioners sugar(a cup maybe?), lime juice (a tbsp or two), and cream (a tbsp?) and maybe a drop of lemon extract. – I whipped these ingredients until they were smooth and ready drizzle over the cake.

I was thrilled to hear back from sweet Wendy and her family!  They thoroughly enjoyed the cake!  Here’s a bit of what she said:

Our family’s favorite season is summer, &, if you ask us what summer tastes like, we’ll probably say “Summer tastes like key lime!” Oh, we might say it tastes like ice cream and watermelon & lemonade too, but key lime is always a main ingredient of summer!

And your cake? It hit every note just right… it was bright & lovely… the perfect springy taste that says, “Summer is on the way, y’all!!”

The cake was packaged perfectly… a delicious gift!

The cake was a good texture & so “clean.” I loved the lightly browned edges.

And the cream cheese icing glaze was marvelous!! It was Beth’s favorite part. In her words: “I could eat the icing w/ a spoon!”

The icing was a wonderful blend of sweet-tart, & the lime zest & sugar crystals combined in my mouth in a tasty little explosion of flavor!

Thank you, Wendy for such and kind and glowing review!  🙂

a bit of history · friends and loved ones

Grandma B turns 93!

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Two women who are so special to me, my Mum and Grandma B.

My sweet Grandmother turned 93 years young yesterday.   I wasn’t able to travel north this time for the celebration, but I’m thankful my mom and dad were able to be there!

It seems like yesterday we were visiting my grandparents’ home in Goderich, Ontario.  But, it wasn’t yesterday – it was probably 35 years ago…

A confident homemaker and loving wife, my Grandma was a master in the kitchen and around the house – her cooking, baking and sewing – I only dream of accomplishing so well.  Her hospitality as a pastor’s wife was well known in the community, and likely around many of the churches in Southern Ontario.    Without a doubt, I can tell you she was an example of the Proverbs 31 woman.

25 Strength and honor are her clothing;
She shall rejoice in time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
And on her tongue is the law of kindness.
27 She watches over the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
Her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many daughters have done well,
But you excel them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.

Though her body has aged a little, much about my Grandma has remained the same.  My Grandma B is, and has always been, a beautiful godly woman. She is joyful and content, with a gentle smile and an encouraging word.

She has arrived at 93 with grace that the Lord has given, and I can only hope I might do the same.

Mom took part of one of my cakes to Grandma to share with her, so she could see what I’ve been up to with all of this cake-a-week business!  I can’t tell you how thrilled and proud I am to know she had a little taste of my baking and approved!   Here she is with a piece of the cake I sent!  🙂

I’ve been staring at photos from the party that happened earlier today, just slightly jealous that I couldn’t be there.  But, it makes me feel a little better to share the photos of my family honoring her today, here on my blog!  Its like I was almost there!  Thankfully, we will head north this fall and we will get to visit Grandma (and all the other family, too!) then.

Happy Birthday, Grandma!  We’ll see you soon!

in my kitchen · more cake, please

Cake # 17 Milk Chocolate Turtle Cake

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On a whim last week, I had a little contest offering cake to friends who could guess what kind of cake I made for Easter on week #16.  Well, wouldn’t you know, two friends guessed pretty close right within a few minutes of each other.  So, I am giving both of them a cake, one this week and one next week.

This week’s cake is a Turtle cake – gooey with chocolate chips, caramel sauce and sprinkled with pecans.      I think it is going to be super yummy, and I can’t wait to hear back from Amanda how it turned out!  But, I don’t believe you can go wrong with chocolate and caramel and nuts, can you?

Here’s the recipe:

Milk Chocolate Turtle Cake.

( I’m designating milk chocolate, because more often than not I use dark chocolate – so this is a significant difference.)

Ingredients:

Swiss Chocolate cake mix (duncan hines)
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips (I’ve started using mini chocolate chips almost exclusively so that they don’t sink to the bottom of the cake.)
1/4 cup Hershey’s chocolate syrup (from the can)

for garnish:
extra Hershey’s syrup and caramel sauce
chopped pecans

Instructions:

Beat all ingredients together for 2 minutes on medium high.  Pour into prepared bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes.

When the cake has finished baking, and has cooled for 15 minutes, poke holes in the cake (still in the pan, I use chopsticks) and slowly pour more chocolate syrup over the holes, using a spatula or spoon to help the syrup go down into the cake.

When the cake has cooled another 20 minutes or so, dump from the pan.  After the cake has completely cooled, paint hershey’s syrup all over the outside of the cake.  Then drizzle caramel sauce all over the top of the cake and sprinkle with chopped pecans.

 

PS:  I heard from Amanda and she said it was wonderful.  Disappeared in four days!  Now that’s what I like to hear!

 

 

 

 

a bit of history · friends and loved ones

25 and counting…

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then

and now…  (not that much has changed, right?!)

In the fall of 1992 I was beginning my senior year at Bowling Green High School.  It was only my second year at the school, and my third high school to attend.  Needless to say it was a little rough on the emotions.

Senior Year is a big deal.  There are firsts and lasts.  beginnings and endings.  opportunities offered and doors closed.    Some of those occasions I remember clearly, and some I’ve forgotten by now.  But there is one part of my year that stands alone from everything else.

That year I met my best friend.  Like so many other life-events, you don’t know it is important until long after the fact.

I suppose we had actually met earlier in the spring of 1992 in our junior year, but our friendship began to blossom our senior year.  I can’t really tell you exactly how it happened – I can’t even recall how or when we met. It may have been because of common experiences, or similar family values, or because we spent a lot of time in choir together. But, regardless of all that, our friendship began- and I believe my life is so much different because of it.

Twenty five years is a really long time to be friends.  Most of that time our friendship has endured long-distance.  Long phone calls.  texts. emails.  Our face to face visits have been too few.  But, our relationship remains strong.  I’ve often thought that we could actually be on the phone with each other, and not actually talk, and still know what the other person was meaning to say. That’s how long-term friendships work, I guess.

All those memes you see on social media about friendship; they may seem silly, but they’re kind of true.  She is the friend who chooses to be my friend, in spite of my faults – who knows how to sing my song to me even when I’ve forgotten – who believes in me and inspires me to be better – who gets me into trouble, or keeps me from getting into trouble, or both – who knows the majority of my history and still doesn’t mind admitting she’s my friend.

Most of all, I’m really a better person because she chooses to put up with me.  I’ve watched this dear friend walk some of the most painful roads, filled with hurt and confusion.  She’s held her head high.  She’s worked hard and given herself away. She’s survived and even thrived.  She’s not only survived, she’s successful.  She’s a magnificent mother, daughter, sister and she’s my friend.  There is no one who inspires me more.  no one.

And it is her birthday today.  My dear friend, Chiara – Happy birthday, friend!  Your love and friendship means the world to me!  Here’s to our friendship of 25 years ( its the only real gift I have to give you) – and here’s to 25 more!

Love, me.

a bit of history · in my kitchen · more cake, please

cake # 16 – Raspberry Zinger, (aka – “try, try again”cake)

melodyannday4 Comments

It seems that my mind is cluttered with too many summer vacation memories: pools and beaches and the scent of a particular sunscreen, and a favorite towel – and playing with my dad in the water (when he’d finally get in because, truly he is a big chicken and he hates the cold water.).  Almost equal in importance to all of that: there were the favorite snacks.

For our family, there was one snack that we all agreed was the best – and that was a Zinger.  Not just any zinger – there were vanilla and chocolate, too –  but for us, only the raspberry coconut zinger would do.  Now in case you don’t know – the Zinger was a Dolly Madison treat – (not a Little Debbie  or  hostess snack cake.) and it was a small sized cake, shaped similarly to the twinkie – it also had golden sponge cake and was filled with cream – but it was covered in a raspberry coating and coconut.  Zingers are hard to come by these days – and so, you guessed it,  I decided for Easter to try to figure out if I could make a Raspberry Zinger bundt.

Now,  if you’ve been following my cake adventure since the beginning, you might remember week #7 – the twinkie cake, which was a failure.  Oh sad times, those were- heart-breaking in fact!  But, after several conference calls with my sister and baking confident, Marilyn, discussing how in the world to have a moist cake, and still get the filling inside without it falling apart –  I felt brave enough to try again!

What can I say?!?  I’m a glutton for punishment!

 

Here it is!

Raspberry Zinger Bundt – cake # 16.

Cake Recipe:

Gold cake mix
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup oil
2 cups coconut
small raspberry jello (with 2 cups of water)

Filling Recipe:

small jar of marshmallow cream
1/4 heavy cream
1/2 cup soft butter
3 cups confectioners sugar

 

Instructions:

Heat oven to 350.  Combine the mix, eggs, milk and oil in a bowl and beat on medium high for two minutes.  Prepare pan, pour batter in and bake cake for 60 minutes.  Let the cake cool for about 20 minutes, then flip out of pan.  The cake should cool completely before filling with cream.

Next fill the cake with the cream.  Combine the wet ingredients and beat until  creamy – then add sugar and whip till smooth.    I then used chopsticks to make small tunnels  around the cake (on the top side of the cake, I only made 4 holes, but went both directions away from the hole)  – and then used a frosting gun with a long tip to fill the tunnels with cream.

Then boil two cups of water, mix in the jello mix and put it in the fridge  to thicken(I poured it in a pan, so it was spread out in a thin layer and could cool quickly).    When it begins to have the texture of a very thick syrup, or loose jelly, spoon over the cake.  Do a small section at a time and press the coconut all over the sides of the cake.  Be sure to cover the top (and the cream holes) with the coconut.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Here are photos of the inside of my Zinger Cake, taken at our Easter brunch.  Guys, everyone loved it!  and I’m super excited that the cake was soft and light, with enough cream in the center.   Yay for second chances!   What’s true more than ever? If at first you don’t succeed,  try, try again!