Blissful Berry Buckle

Many of you are probably wondering why my blog posts have become so infrequent. For months now I’ve been struggling with what to do with the blog as it has become a bit of a love-hate relationship. It’s perplexing because it has been such an important part of my life. And although I can honestly say it still is, it’s evolved into something very different. Much of this has to do with where I am in my life now; there have been a lot of changes.

Last year, my marriage unraveled, fell apart, and ultimately ended. I managed to pick of the pieces and move on, but the blog took the biggest blow as my attention span was forced to widen to a world outside of my kitchen.

It didn’t occur to me until a few months ago why my blog, something I loved and cherished so much for so many years, had become something I avoided. For years I was in the type of marriage where everything seemed fine but deep down, we were in trouble and I felt terribly alone. Looking back now I knew then that things were not good but I refused to admit to myself what was happening and that’s right around the time that I started blogging. I guess you could say I stuck my head into the proverbial batter.

Through baking and blogging I received lots of attention, praise, adoration, and encouragement (thank you all so much for that!). It was the perfect distraction. Without really realizing it, I found a proxy to give me everything I was lacking emotionally in my marriage and somehow it bridged the gap. The more I baked and posted the more feedback I’d receive and the happier and less alone I felt. But during those late nights while I stayed up to finish a cake, I couldn’t help but to think about how my marriage was eroding and how hopeless I felt, how unhappy I really was. But eventually I had to face reality and in what seems like a blink now, it was all over. I was a single mom with a mortgage and baking seemed like the last thing on earth I wanted to do.

I took the time to tell my friends and family about my failed marriage, but it occurred to me that I’ve never taken the time to tell you. It wasn't until this very moment that I felt like the time was right to share this news with you.

Today, I am a much happier and confident that I’m where I am supposed to be. I feel really hopeful about my future and although I do have my days, life is good. As for the blog, well, I’m not really sure what will become of it. Maybe the blog will evolve to become more than just about baking. After all, there’s more to me than just the sweets I whip up in my kitchen; perhaps it’s time the blog follow suit.

For now, though I leave you with a very special Berry Buckle I made back on a Valentines Day. The combination of lemon and buttermilk gives this buckle a zesty edge but the berries soften it just enough to keep it from being overwhelming. It was so delectable I barely had time to take pictures before it was fully consumed.

Blissful Berry Buckle
adapted from Rustic Fruit Desserts

Crumb Topping
1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
zest of 1 medium normal-sized lemon (avoid zesting any green rind)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, cubed

Cake
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
zest of 1 medium (normal) sized lemon (avoid zesting any green rind)
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup of buttermilk, at room temperature
2 cups of fresh strawberries, raspberries, and/or blueberries (you can use frozen fruit too)

Lemon Syrup
1/3 cup sugar
juice of 2 medium sized lemons (avoid the giant lemons)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Generously butter (you'll need an additional tablespoon of unsalted butter, softened to room temperature) a 9" square baking pan and set aside.

To make the crumb topping, mix the flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest together in a bowl. Add the butter and use a fork, your fingers, or pastry cutter to cut the butter until it is the size of peas and looks crumby. Evenly spread the crumb topping onto a plate and place it in the freezer.

To make the cake, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and lemon zest together on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl and beaters at least once, until it turns white and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat for 30 seconds each, scraping the bowl and the beaters in between eggs. Stir in the flour in two additions, alternating with the buttermilk. Gently fold in half of the berries (1 cup). Pour the batter into your prepared pan, smooth out the surface, and evenly distribute the remaining berries over the surface of the batter.Sprinkle the chilled crumb topping evenly over the berries and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until it's lightly golden brown and the top is firm to the touch.

About 15 minutes before the cake is done, start the lemon syrup: Combine the sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan and whisk until blended. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until syrupy but still a little runny. The glaze will bubble while cooking, so you may need to remove it from the heat to check that it is thick enough.

Pour the glaze over the cake as soon as it is removed from the oven. (If the syrup becomes too thick, you may need to reheat briefly.)

This is great right out of the pan, but gets even better the next day. It is wonderful served warm with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Yield: It really depends on how you cut it, but plan on 6 to 8 servings.
Would I Make This Again? Yes, it's not overly sweet and it's light but satisfying. It's perfect for a late night snack or for breakfast. Use the fruit you have in the house, frozen or fresh, it will work. I made this with a container of mixed fresh fruit that I just happened to have picked up at the grocery store the day before. It's just yummy.

I absolutely loved this dessert. It was the first thing I baked after a long dry spell of not wanting to bake anything. As I measured out the ingredients, listened to the mixer's cadence, and breathed in the glorious bouquet of lemon and baked berries, I felt my love for baking slowly return to gently warm my heart again. It was in that moment that I knew that I was going to be just fine. :)

Pretty Flower Cupcake Tower

This year is flying by, hasn't it? It seems like February was just a week ago and here it is almost June. Well in spite of the fact that I seem to be living in a time warp, I have been one busy bee! As you can see, I've been making cupcakes... lots and lots of them, one-hundred and sixy of them to be exact! And not just any cupcakes, but wedding cupcakes. My favorite kind!The days that let up to Mother's Day weekend were very busy around my house. Not because it was Mother's Day, but because I had to be ready for Chuck and Leslie's big day! They got married in a gazebo, in the charming little town of Poulsbo, Washington surrounded by their family and friends. Their reception was hosted just a few yards away at a roof top restaurant called The Loft. It was a gorgeous venue that not only had incredible views of Liberty Bay, but had some of the best food I've ever had at a wedding.I made a total of 160 cupcakes, in two different sizes, and four different varieties: Chocolate Stout with Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting, Southern Red Velvet with Sweet Cream Cheese Frosting, mini Luscious Lemon with Lemonilla Buttercream, and my personal favorite, mini Homemade Caramel with Caramel Browned Butter Frosting. I even made a little cupcake menu and displayed it near the cupcakes so the guests knew what they were eating.The trickiest part of this order wasn't its sheer size, but it was the logistics of getting the cuppies there and setup intact. Poulsbo is a few hour journey from my house, so I decided that instead of stressing out the day of the wedding and rushing, I'd pack everything up that I'd need, stay at a hotel near the venue the night before, and assemble everything there. This was no small task but proved to be the right choice. I got up early Saturday morning, started with the whipped chocolate ganache (I had to whip it there in my hotel room with my stand mixer!) and worked my way through through the menu. I wished I had more time to decorate each cupcake a bit more thoughtfully, but overall the end product looked very close to what I had envisioned.I had to use a drawer to hold some of the cupcakes because I ran out of counter space in the hotel room!I made all the flowers and leaves that you see in the photos out of gum paste (about 300 all together.) I started working on them on and off about two week before the wedding and right up until a few days before the wedding! Some were very elaborate, like the roses, which took me about an hour to make each one. Eventually I got it down to about 10 minutes per blossom. In addition to the roses, I also made about seven different varieties of other flowers, including daisies, buttercups, and hydrangeas. And for variety I also hand-painted the bride and groom's initials onto white and dark chocolate wafers using gold luster dust. asion.
I was lucky enough to be a guest at the wedding and had a great time meeting Leslie and Chuck's family and friends. It was a little strange for me to be at the event and actually watch my work be consumed (I usually like to cut and run), but it was a joy to see. It was such a glorious, wonderful event and I was so beyond thrilled to be a part of it. Congratulations Leslie and Chuck! I'm already looking forward to making your 1-year anniversary cake!

Southern Red Velvet Cake
adapted from Elisa Strauss

3 1/2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup unsweetened of the best quality cocoa you can find like Scharffen Berger (not Dutch process)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups canola oil
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) liquid red food coloring that's used for airbrushing
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup full fat buttermilk, at room temperature
2 teaspoons baking soda (make sure it's fresh!)
2 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.

Whisk the cake flour, cocoa and salt in a bowl.

Place the oil and sugar in bowl of an electric mixer and beat at medium speed until well-blended. It will look thick and yellowy. Slowly beat in eggs and mix for one minute at a time. After the last egg is added, mix on medium speed for 30 seconds and clean off your blade. Add the vanilla.
Take a minute and make sure you have nothing blocking your way between you and your mixer. Make sure your mixer blade is secured and the bowl is locked in tight. Seriously, what you are about to do can turn you and your kitchen a dull shade of pink in a blink! With machine on the lowest setting, slowly, I mean very slowly, add red food coloring. Adding just a squirt here and there and take your time to let it mix at least 10 seconds in between each addition of color. Do not add a bunch at once. Remember to keep the speed to a minimum to avoid splashing. When all the food coloring is added, carefully scrape down the blade, the bowl, and let the mixer run for a good solid minute.

Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk in two batches. When you add the flour, use a small spoon to premix the flour into the red batter a little. This will help avoid the flour from escaping in a cloud in your face. Scrape down bowl and beat just long enough to combine.

Place baking soda in a small dish, stir in vinegar and add to batter with machine running. Note: if you mix together the vinegar and baking soda and you get just a little fizz, go to the store and buy new baking soda! This is what will make your cupcakes rise so don't cut corners here. Beat for 10 seconds. Don't fret, the batter will be runny.

Fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 of the way full. If you're neurotic like me, I like to fill mine about so they weight 1.8 ounces each (yes, I weigh each one I pour to ensure that they bake evenly. Crazy? No. A little OCD, maybe.)

Let them bake for about 15-18 minutes. After 15 minutes, check to see how they are doing using a toothpick to test. You know they are done when a few little bits of cake stick to the toothpick.

Remove the pan from the oven and let rest on a wire rack for about 5 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and let cool completely.

Personally, I like to freeze these cupcakes for at least a day but no more than five days. I think that it helps the flavors to mature and also adds a bit of moisture to the crumb. You can certainly eat them as soon as you want, but waiting pays off if you can stand it. :)
Yield: About 30 cupcakes
Would I Make This Again? Honestly, I don't like red velvet cake and I grew up in the south! However, out of all the red velvet cake I've ever had, this was the best. Moist, light, just the right amount of chocolate. Pretty darn good!

the king of cakes: Baumkuchen

Several years ago, back before I started this blog, I used to work at a small software company in Seattle. When I first started there it was a definitely a startup environment: we worked a lot of long hours and didn't have a lot of money to spend on morale events. However, that changed when I volunteered to make a surprise cake for one of my coworkers on their birthday. Everyone liked it so much, I found myself volunteering to bake every time I had the opportunity.As the company grew, I baked more and more, sometimes baking as many as three desserts an evening. There was one dessert in particular though that I made that made me think that I might have a knack for baking: Baumkuchen (translated as "tree cake"). This cake was requested by my friend Sean who had just moved back to Seattle after many years of living in Japan. He explained how popular a treat they are there and how much he loved it. Traditionally, the Japanese version is baked on a spit so that then the cake is cut, it resembles the rings that are found on the inside of a tree. I did a bit of research and found a traditional German version of the cake, which is baked in a traditional cake pan and under a broiler.From start to finish, this cake takes several hours to prepare and make. I think the first time I made it I literally used very bowl I had in the house! But when it was done, it was really something to be proud of. Although it wasn't the Japanese treat that he had come to love, he enjoyed the German version too. So much so that three years later when I asked him what I could bring to his annual holiday party, he asked that I make it again.

Baumkuchen

2/3 cup of dry roasted almonds
30oz of apricot preserves (not jelly or jam)
13oz almond paste (not marzipan!)
1/3 cup half and half, cream, or milk at room temperature
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons dark rum
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sifted cake flour
3/4 cup cornstarch
10 egg yolks, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
10 egg whites, at room temperature
dash salt
1/2 cup sugar

Chocolate Glaze

1/3 cup unsalted butter
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
3 tablespoons dark rum
Edible Glitter in your choice of color, optional

Grease and flour two 8x2 or 9x2-inch pans; set aside. Finely grind almonds using a food processor and set aside. Pour all the preserves into a saucepan and slowly warm the preserves on low heat. You'll know it's ready when the preserves loosen an stir easily. Remove from the heat and pour the preserves through a sieve, discarding any pulp. Remove 3/4 cup of the preserves into a small bowl and set both bowls aside.

Combine the cake flour and cornstarch and sift twice. Set aside.

Crumble the almond paste into bowl of a stand mixer and run the mixer with the paddle attachment for about a minute to warm it. Gradually add cream or milk, beating at low speed with electric mixer till smooth - about a minute. Transfer the almond paste mixture to a large mixing bowl and set aside.

In same small bowl you used to mix the almond paste, beat the butter for two minutes on medium speed until fluffy. Add the rum, lemon zest, and vanilla and mix for another 30 seconds being sure to scrape the bowl at least once.

Remove the bowl from the base of the stand mixture and very gently stir in the flour and cornstarch mixture just until combined.

Stir the butter/flour mixture into the almond paste mixture until it's well combined.

Using the same bowl, beat the egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar on medium speed for 6 to 8 minutes or until it becomes thick and light yellow colored. Fold the eggs into almond paste mixture.

In a large, clean mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites and a dash of salt on the highest speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, beating to peaks are stiff. Gently fold the whipped egg whites into almond paste mixture until no large clumps of egg white or almond paste exist.

Adjust oven rack so that the bottom of the pans will be about 5 to 6 inches from broiler. Carefully spread about 1/2 cup of the batter in a very thin layer over the bottom of the prepared pan. To make this easier, use the bottom of a small metal ladle, pushing from the center of the cake pan to the edge, being sure to cover the entire surface of the pan with the batter.Before you start baking, bring a pen or pencil and something to write on and place it near the oven. Then, bring a kitchen chair into the kitchen and set it up so it's directly in front of the oven. You're going to be spending a bit of time here and having a seat makes life a lot easier, believe me!

Turn the broiler on and when it's fully heated, set a timer for 2:05 -- you should only need to bake the first several layers for 2 minutes each but the 5 seconds gives you a little count-down to putting the cakes into the oven, ensuring they get their every second of their two minutes.

Slide the cake pan into the oven, keeping the door open. Broil for about 2 minutes or till deep golden brown and batter is set. Do not walk away from the oven or take your eyes off the cake. Seriously, don't be tempted to multi-task! Watch the cake carefully and turn it half way after about a minute or so ensure each layer is baked evenly. When it's nice and golden, remove the pan from the oven. Spread another 1/2 cup batter and repeat the process. Don't close the oven in between layers because it gets too hot and will effect your cook time. Make one mark on your paper to represent one layer. Make a mark on the paper after each layer to help you keep track of where you are in the process.

After every two layers of cake, generously pour 2 tablespoons of warmed apricot preserves from the larger bowl on top of the broiled batter to about 1/2 inch from edge. Sprinkle the preserves with about 1 tablespoon of the ground almonds. Then carefully spread another 1/2 cup batter evenly over nut layer, pushing the batter all the way to the sides of the pan. Broil until golden brown, top with another 1/2 cup of batter and repeat process until you reach the top of the pan. Try to end with at least one batter layer. Note: Keep in mind that the crepes will cook faster the more you add to the pan because they are that much closer to the heat.

When you get to the top of the pan, turn off the broiler, and cool the cakes completely in the pans on wire rack. When cooled, loosen and remove sides of pan using a knife. Repeat the process with the second cake pan.

Remove the cake and place on a cake board or small plate and continue to cool on a cooling rack. Place the cooling rack over the sink or over a pan.

In small saucepan bring remaining glaze to boiling boil gently for 3 to 5 minutes or till reduced by about one-third. Spread Apricot Glaze over top of tortes, allowing it to drizzle down sides of the cake. Make sure every part of the cake is covered with the preserves. Chill for at least an hour.When the cake has 10 minutes left to chill, prepare the chocolate glaze: In small heavy saucepan over low heat, melt together butter and chocolate, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in corn syrup and rum till smooth. Add a little edible glitter to the mixture (I use a toothpick to flick a few blobs of glitter into the chocolate. Be careful not to add too much glitter. Let the mixture thicken slightly for about 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the refrigerator and set it on top of a cooling rack over the sink or over a roasting pan. Slowly pour the chocolate over the cake, being sure to cover the sides of chilled torte. Try to avoid touching the glaze in any way.

If desired, tortes may be prepared ahead and chilled; let stand at room temperature about 1 hour before slicing thinly to serve. Cut with a very sharp knife and be sure to wipe the knife after each slice.

(not the best photo of the inside of the cake, sorry!)

Yield: Because the cake is so rich, this cake can feed a lot of people. Between the two cakes, you can easily feed 12-16 people.
Would I Make This Again? This was my second time making it. I would make this again, although it's so special (and time consuming!) I think it may be a few years before I make it again.

Aliana's Birthday Brownie Heart and Pops

I made this asymmetrical-on-purpose brownie birthday treat to celebrate little Aliana's 5th birthday. To help me get calibrated to the way she made her hearts, Aliana drew me several hearts just to help me get inspired. Big colorful, curvy, bubbly, slanted hearts filled several pages of paper and some even had smiley faces on them! Kristina, Aliana's proud mom, told me that sometimes Aliana liked to add a little bumpy border to the outside of hearts too.
I came up with a simple plan of creating one big brownie for the kids to devour at Aliana's birthday party - no forks required! Along with the brownie, Kristina asked that we have a few cake pops too which I made using the left over brownie that I carved to create the cake. My original plan was to insert the brownie pops into the bumpy cereal treat border, but unfortunately they were much too soft to keep hold of them. At the last minute I used the outside edge of the brownie to secure the pops and it did a pretty good job of holding onto them, although several drooped a bit.
Speaking of cereal treats, I used Trix cereal instead of Rice Krispies as something different. I wanted something that would look pretty from the get go; I didn't want to worry about covering the cereal treas with fondant and Trix is perfectly colorful. It was so successful, that Kristina swears that for now on, all cereal treats in her family will be made out of Trix. I bet Fruity Pebbles would have been a good choice too.I now have a new found respect for anyone that's good at writing words with frosting. I suppose this gets easier with more and more practice but it was a lot harder than I expected. I ended up going back over the letters with a dampened paintbrush to clean them up a bit. It was a lot of fun to make this cake and I'm just thrilled with the way it came out. It just makes me happy looking at it!

Kid-Friendly Super Brownie Cake
adapted by Martha Stewart

1 cup (2 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped*
12 ounces of good quality milk chocolate, coarsely chopped*
3 cups sugar
8 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 14-inch round baking pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on 2 sides. Set aside.

Place butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water; stir frequently until chocolate and butter are melted, about 7-15minutes. Be careful not to let any moisture collect in the bowl as it will keep the chocolate from melting as it should. Remove bowl from heat; let cool to room temperature, 15 to 20 minutes.

Stir sugar into cooled chocolate mixture until combined. Whisk in eggs one at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. Whisk in vanilla. Gently fold in flour and salt.

Pour batter into prepared pan, shake the pan to ensure that the batter is in the pan evenly and smooth top with an offset spatula. Bake for 25 minutes, remove it from the oven and wap it again the counter hard! You *want* it to fall and open up any hot spots that may have been trapped. Continue baking another 10-20 minues, until the brownie tester inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, 45 to 55 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool .

Run a knife or offset spatula around the edges of the pan. Using parchment, lift brownies out of pan and onto the rack. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into the desired shape. Brownies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

* Try to avoid brands like Hersheys, Nestle's, or Baker's. These brands have a lot of sugars, water, binders, and frankly just don't taste that great. Trader Joe's makes an excellent bittersweet and dark chocolate at a around $5 a pound. I also really love Guitard and Scharffen Berger but they can be pretty pricey. Also, avoid using chocolate chips if you can as they have binders in the chips and make it a little harder to melt them.

Yield: Enough brownie to make a very large heart and 26 brownie pops. Enough to feed about 24 kids and their parents!
Would I Make This Again? Yes! This recipe was really good and a great one when you are feeding little kids and you don't want to blow the kids away with an overly intense chocolate flavor.

Matched: Starbucks Pumpkin Bread

I've been making pumpkin bread for many years, even before I ever started baking with any confidence. This was mostly due to how easy this recipe is to make. All you do is dump all the ingredients into a bowl, mix it until it's all blended together, pour it into prepared loaf pans, and bake at 350 a little more than an hour, and eat. It's that easy!

A few weeks ago I was in Starbuck's and overheard two customer's praising the pumpkin loaf. Being the ever so curious person that I am, I had to get a peek of the wondrous loaf myself. It looked very similar to my pumpkin bread and I wondered if it tasted the same too. So I bought a slice, you know, for research purposes. ;)

The most obvious difference were the pepita seeds that adorned the top of the slice I purchased. Not only did it give a the bread a little visual appeal, but it added just the right amount of texture and a little hint of nutty flavor. However, inasmuch as the bread had a pleasant flavor, it was milder than my pumpkin bread and the texture was a bit denser too. It's not to say that it was bad in any way, it was just different. Overall though, in a blind taste test, I'd like to think that based on freshness of flavor and texture, I am not sure my pumpkin bread would win, but I think it would be a very close match. If nothing else, at $2 a slice, my pumpkin bread is a lot less expensive and it makes your whole house smell divine when it's baking.

Nevertheless, this is one of my favorite go-to recipes and I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I do. One of the things I love about this recipe is that by just changing the method in which you mix the ingredients together, you can get two very different treats. You'll find the two variation in the recipe that follows.

Pumpkin Bread:2 Ways

1 cup of canola or vegetable oil
1 cup of water, at room temperature
1 15oz can or 2 cups of 100% pure pumpkin
4 eggs
3 cups of sugar
3 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 teaspoons of baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt
1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon of ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly ground is best)
1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamom
1/4 to 1/2 cup of roasted pumpkin/Pepita seeds (optional)

"Dump & Mix" Pumpkin Bread
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease two large loaf pans (I use Pam with Flour).

Dump all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Mix to blend everything together. Add all the dry ingredients and mix together for about a minute until well blended and all batter looks one color and one texture.

Evenly distribute the batter between both loaf pans. Scatter a few handfuls of Pepita seeds (optional) over the top of the bread and push down slightly them to ensure that they stick to the batter. Bake for 70 minutes to 90 minutes, until the center comes out clean when tested with a wooden toothpick. Let cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes and then remove from the baking pan to cool completely. Keep covered or wrapped in plastic. Or wrap in heavy foil and freeze for up to 4 months.

"Light and Fluffy" Pumpkin Cake
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans.

Combine all the dry ingredients together into a bowl and whisk until evenly combined (or sift if you'd like).

In the bowl of the stand mixture, mix together the oil, water, and pumpkin for 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing for 1 minute each. Slowly add the dry ingredients in two or three parts, stopping just when they are absorbed. Don't over mix.

Evenly distribute the batter between the two cake pans. Bake for 20-30 minutes (check every 3-5 minutes after 20 minutes) until the center comes out clean when tested with a wooden toothpick. Let cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes and then remove from the baking pan to cool completely. Eat plain or frost with your favorite frosting.

Yield:Makes 2 large loaves, or 5 mini loaves, or 24-30 cupcakes or muffins
Would I Make This Again? Yes and I do every year!

Fire Engine Cake

Is it already January 11th? How'd that happen so fast? It feels like the month of December all but evaporated and January is just speeding by too. I know I've been a bit slug about posting and I do apologize for that. I'm going to try to get back to my normal schedule of posting at least once a week.It's been a while since I've dragged out the fondant supplies but it was well worth the effort. I was asked to make this cake for my friend's son, Connor, to celebrate his first birthday. Stephanie asked for simple fire engine cake that would be big enough to feed about ten people, but I couldn't help but get but get a little carried away.Since little Connor's tummy isn't really ready for all the dairy and gluten that are standard fare in a traditional birthday cake, I suggested that I make a vegan cake that was also gluten free. After a little bit of discussion, Stephanie eventually picked a carrot cake with chai buttercream and I set to work. I know what you're thinking, but if you've never tried a vegan cake, you're in for something really special. I love that the ingredients aren't muddled; instead textures and flavors are celebrated boldly. When I first moved here ten years ago, I tried my first vegan apricot thumbprint cookie from The Flying Apron Bakery and I was hooked forever! So I was thrilled when I received their cookbook, "Flying Apron's Gluten-free & Vegan Baking Book" from my friend Mandy for Christmas. I was so excited I think I actually jumped up and down! I couldn't wait to try making one of Jennifer Katzinger's recipes in my kitchen.(Thanks Mandy!)As for the design of the cake, I didn't have a muse really, but made the cake just by looking at a few photos online and imagining it in my head. To make the cake, I baked one single layer half-sheet cake and cut it into three pieces that were roughly 10" x 5" (I used a tissue box measure the pieces). With the left over cake, I cut two small squares about 3" or so leaving one nice piece to snack on (or to give your lactose and egg intolerant neighbor) and stacked those on top to create the front part of the fire truck. I used the chai buttercream to fill and frost the cake, chilled it for about an hour to firm up, and finally covered and decorated it using Satin Ice fondant.And because I love this cookbook and bakery so much, I'm giving away one to one lucky reader. To enter, just leave me a comment below (no email please) and please be sure to include a link to your blog or your email address in your comment. *If you don’t provide a way for me to contact you, you will not be entered to win! Contest is only open to those that live in the United States (my apologies to my foreign readers!) All entries must be received by January, 15th. A winner will be selected at random and announced on Sunday, January 17th.Sorry - this contest is now closed.

And the winner is.... Samantha, entry 27! Congrats Samantha!

Vegan Carrot Cake with Chai "Buttercream"
adapted from Jennifer Katzinger

Cake
2 cups of brown rice flour
1 1/4 cups garbanzo/chickpea flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup of canola oil
2 cups water (room temperature)
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
1 cup agave syrup*
1 cup frozen 100% pineapple juice concentrate that's been defrosted and at room temperature
5 medium organic carrots, grated (about 1 1/4 cups)
2 cups chopped walnuts
1 cup golden raisins

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Spray either 3 9" cake pans or 1 half-sheet pan with plan vegetable cooking spray and then line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the rice and chickpea flours, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

In very large bowl, combine the canola oil, water, vanilla, agave syrup, and juice concentrate together. Stir together until it's pretty well combined.

Add the flour mixture to the canola oil mixture and mix together until thoroughly combined. Be sure to break up and clumps.

Using the bowl that you had previously used for the flour mixture, combine the carrots, coconut, walnuts, and raisins. Mix it together as best as you can (it's okay to use your hands!) and then fold it into the canola/flour mixture until it's combined.

Pour the batter into the pan(s) and shake it a bit to even it out. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops of the cake is slightly golden brown. Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack before you remove it from the pan. Once it's totally cool, you can frost it.

Chai "Buttercream"
1 2-pound bag of powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
2 1/2 teaspoons ground clove
2 cups vegetable shortening (you can also use solid Palm oil but it can be hard to find)
3/4 cup really hot, strongly steeped chai tea (I like Numi's Ruby Chai)
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a little bowl combine the salt, cardamom, and ground clove. Add it to the powdered sugar and mix just until it's combined. Sift the powdered sugar mixture and set aside.

In a stand mixer, beat the vegetable oil by itself on medium speed for about 3 minutes. Slowly add the powdered sugar mixture in three batches, beating until soft and somewhat incorporated, being sure to scrape down the bowl and the beaters at least once.

Add half of the very hot chai tea and mix together by hand, doing you best to break up the sugar mixture. The hot tea should soften the sugar mixture and although it will still be thick and lumpy and probably even a bit difficult to mix, it will eventually soften up and absorb the majority of tea. Repeat the process again with the remaining tea and mix together as best as you can. Put the mixing bowl back on the stand mixer and mix on low for about 20 seconds, just to get it moving in the bowl. Gradually increase the speed to medium-high and mix for a long as five to eight minutes until the buttercream comes together and you don't see any clumps of shortening. Be sure to scrape down the bowl and the blade (yes, even if you have a Beater Blade!) When it's good and incorporated, cover it with plastic wrap and keep it at room temperature until you're ready to use it.

Yield: The cake makes about 18 cups of batter, enough to make lots of cupcakes, 3 9" cakes, or one half-sheet cake. The buttercream makes about 6 1/2 cups of frosting.
Would I Make This Again? I would as it was really very good and it's a great choice for those who are lactose and gluten intolerant. I think next time though I might make a maple buttercream or something a little more benign so as not to compete with the carrot cake.

* The cookbook giveaway is not sponsored by Fly Apron Bakery. I'm giving it simply because I love them!