TABS

Monday, October 17, 2011

Apple-e-scrumptious Apple Bundt Cake Recipe


When I was growing up you will be a lucky child if you get to eat an apple. Where I used to live apple is expensive and it only comes during Christmas. If you do get to eat one, it's a treat and it's nothing to waste. So when I went to my very first apple picking 2 decades ago. I felt a sense of sadness seeing those apple on the ground, just rotting, and the whole entire time I kept thinking. My goodness, those kids back home would go crazy if they see all those apples on the ground. Every time now, after all these years of apple picking, I still keep thinking of those kids back home.


Last week we took the whole family went apple picking and they went nuts, specially the kids adults. We took the kids to the pumpkin patch too. We bought 2 bushels of apples and I knew I had to get to work, while the apples were fresh. Didn't want to make anymore apple pies, since I've made a lot of them every year. I wanted something different this year. I looked everywhere for an apple cake recipe that didn't require orange juice, and most of them calls for it. Sooooo, I had to tweak it and it turned out great.


I really love this recipe, that's why I'm sharing it with you.  Normally, I can honestly say, If I find a recipe that I love, I won't share it, but this is just too good to not share 'coz I love you guys.


Here's what you need:
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 3 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. ground all spice (decrease cinnamon to 2 tsp. if adding this spice)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup evaporated milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 cups chopped apple
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecan (optional)
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Sauce:
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup cream or evaporated milk

What to do:
  1. Mix all dry ingredients and sift, including sugar.  Mix all the wet ingredients and mix well. Combine the wet into the dry and mix well. A stand mixer can used as well, but I just used my handy wooden spoon. Add the apples, nuts (optional) and vanilla extract. Mix well.
  2. Spoon the cake batter into a greased or sprayed with Baker's Joy baking spray bundt cake pan and bake at 350F degrees for one hour and check for doneness with a toothpick when inserted comes out clean. Bake for another 10 minutes interval if batter still sticks to the toothpick.
  3. Remove from the oven and poke holes on top.
  4. For the caramel sauce. Over low heat, melt brown sugar and butter. Stir in vanilla and cream, cook till boiling and until thick, stirring occasionally. Spoon over the top of the poked cake and let it cool in pan for 1/2 hour.
  5. Invert on cake plate and dust with powdered sugar. ENJOY!

Cake is best when chilled, but if you have a family who loves apples and cakes, they won't last long on the counter. 


Pair this with hot tea, coffee or hot chocolate and it's just sooo yummy!


Very moist and delicious!


Make sure you leave me a comment if you have tried this recipe and let me know if you liked it. Also visit my Facebook and post your creation there and share with me. I love hearing from you guys!



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Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Hamburger / Cheeseburger Cake - Recipe


Ever since I learned how to make pretty looking cakes, my best friend has asked me to make a cake for her daughter. This would be the 3rd time  I've made her cake. The first one was the Dino Cake and the other one was the Tom and Jerry Cake. The Tom and Jerry cake, I would say is the hardest cake I've ever made. I have baked a lot but I still consider myself a novice baker. I wasn't really sure on what to do with this cake. I avoid working with fondant because of my carpal tunnel. Good thing I saw a post using just butter cream frosting. You wouldn't believe how happy I was. I actually did a happy dance. LOL!

For the top and bottom I used a regular yellow cake. For those who do not have time to make from scratch you could always use a cake from the box. For those who prefer the scratch version here's the recipe.

What you need: (This is for the bun)
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 1/2 cups white sugar
  • 8 egg yolks
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups cake flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
What you need to do:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour 2 - 8 inch round pans or use Baker's Joy Spray. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just until incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pans.
  3. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until tops spring back when lightly tapped and a bit golden brown. Cool 15 minutes before turning out onto cooling racks.(Make sure you don't turn the top side, the one you will be using as top bun onto the cooling racks, or it will have the indentations from the rack.)

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What you need: (This is for the burger part - Chocolate cake)
  • 2 oz. Baker's bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • 3/4 cup canola oil
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup strong-brewed coffee
  • 1 cup buttermilk 
Direction:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees. Spray a 2 - 8 inch round pans with flour spray. Since you're only using 1 of the chocolate cake, only if you want, make the other one into cake balls. In a small saucepan, melt 2 ounces of the chopped chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly. Scrape the chocolate into a medium bowl and let cool slightly. Whisk in the oil and sugar until smooth, then whisk in the egg.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add half of the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture along with 1/2 cup of the coffee and 1/2 cup of the buttermilk; whisk until smooth. Add the remaining dry ingredients, coffee and buttermilk and whisk until smooth.
  3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the lower third of the oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let the cake cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then turn it out and let cool completely.

When all the cake have rested and cooled down. You can start putting them together.  Start with the bottom yellow cake and then add your colored frosting in. I thought I over did the frosting but the birthday girl actually loved the cake. I was happy and they were happy. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture with the birthday girl, 'coz I didn't make it to her party :-(

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