The past few months I have taken to late night baking. I think at some point I realized my sleep patterns were not ... improving and that I wasn't going to make them worse, but I was going to roll with it.
There are simply not enough hours in the day to do all my baking in the day time or day of. I often don't get to reclaim the kitchen until 8:30ish anyways -- and that is when the
First up The Almond Sheet cake from Food52 with it's lovely frosting. This frosting is for those that want all the fluffiness of a cream cheese frosting, but have a child that has great disdain for all things cream cheese.
It's not a fancy cake. Almond Sheet Cake with Ermine Frosting. But it's simplicity brings the joy. It's more of a vanilla with a hint of almond - cake when I make it, since I don't have almond extract at home, but a small vanilla extract making factory. (Have I ever shown you my jars? It's shelf real estate of vanilla beans and booze and masking tape. ha!)
Anyways check it out, I've had a lot of good feedback so far.
My other 2 cakes were The Clementine Cake as done by Smitten Kitchen derived from Nigella Lawson and then A Southern Style, Raspberry, Cinnamon Pecan buttermilk coffee cake.
'Tis the Clementine season. Dive in. My friend, HM said that Smitten Kitchen's post wasn't a ringing endorsement, but I HAD to try, simply because it's such a unique concept. And guess what? It's Gluten-Free. I don't have the prettiest picture of the insides because I inverted it on a beveled plate, and it sunk in the center a bit. But here's a close up of the crumb.
The coffee cake was good too. Not moon and stars good, but a solid cake. I think I'd put some chocolate chips or something too next time? But my husband thinks the Blueberry Crumb Cake is still the winner.
Whats your favorite cake to eat or make?
I love, love, love Delia Smith's Ultimate Carrot Cake, which also has brilliant frosting (no cream cheese in sight!) It's on her website, I can wholeheartedly recommend it. I love the look of the almond cake and the frosting sounds excellent. There's a no-cheese frosting boy here too. I am making a note of the cake recipe, I shall definitely give it a go. I always use vanilla instead of almond as well, I LOVE vanilla. Well done you on all of your excellent baking. See the match last night? CJ xx
ReplyDeleteI don't bake cake very often. With just two of us ... most would go to waste (or maybe waist).
ReplyDeleteI DO make muffins. They are easy to freeze the extras. My favorite one is a pumpkin nut recipe that I made up many years ago. It's very adaptable to banana, applesauce, sweet potato or pumpkin and always pleases.
One of my favorites is a recipe my Mom always made. It's from the 50s and is a moist "spice" cake made with condensed tomato soup - yep, the Campbells variety. She always added walnuts and a simple icing to doll it up a bit.
ReplyDeleteMmmmm....cake. I've been doing the same late night thing only with soap stuff-less calories. Even though it's only the two of us someone or some critter is always under foot.
ReplyDeleteSuch a fun post!!! I'll be right over. Favorite cakes: any supermoist bundt in lemon or orange, my sister makes a cake with 4 layers of frosting that are all different colors , and I love coffee cake in any form!
ReplyDeleteThat all looks so delicious!
ReplyDeleteMy fav to make is a pineapple upside down cake. I learned to made one in Brownies to get my baking badge, and have loved it ever since. Makes me wish I had some cherries in my cupboard right now!
Who is eating all that amazing food? I know who'd be chowing it down at my house (me). I love a coffee cake recipe from the original, 1st edition of the Tasajara Bread Book -- now out of print.
ReplyDeleteAll your baking looks so tasty; I can almost smell it, too! My favorite cake to make is the Cocola Cake that I got from a friend a very long time ago. It's been our family birthday cake for years now.
ReplyDeleteI wish you lived closer....you could bake in my kitchen!
ReplyDeleteI just need to make gingerbread men and sugar cookies; one batch of each and instead I go into the kitchen and...make soap! sigh.......
They all look scrumptious! Some of my favorites are a Blueberry Gateau, a spice cake my mom used to make with a caramel (almost like fudge) frosting, any coffee cake, any chocolate cake, uh oh, the list could go on and on and on.....
ReplyDeleteI totally noticed. Whoever gets your kid on his team has scored with all the goodies you whip out and bring. Do you share with Ms. Grace next door also? I don't really have a favorite cake recipe as I don't bake many cakes, but Martha's One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes is our go-to when chocolate cupcakes are requested.
ReplyDeleteI am a no sugar girl so do make muffins and cupcakes with agave, they are so yummy, but not near as yummy as your cakes look.
ReplyDeleteI didn't get around to cake yesterday but I did bake two dozen shortbread cookies (with the chocolate drops on top), two loaves of Italian bread and a chicken. It would be fun to bake with you Ellen!!
ReplyDelete