Apple Cake with Walnut Streusel Topping + Banana Chocolate Chip Cake with Streusel Topping

     I have posted a lot of cake-like things on the blog over time and to be honest guys, it is because I absolutely love to have tea cakes, frosted cakes, snacking cakes, cupcakes, muffins, (insert any cake substance here) around. I find them to be one of the most enjoyable treats and some of the most relaxing things for me to make. I enjoy the process and the end results. Teacakes can be a wonderful thing, but sometime they are so simple it seems like just a wah-wah type item. However, once you have a truly delicious base for your teacake, it will change your mind on that completely. 

       This base is perfect! My favorite part is the really unique combination of dairy in it that produces the richest, creamiest and lightest of batters. It is to die for! Part buttermilk, stirred in and part whipped cream, folded in is apparently the key to blissful creaminess.  Plus the cake is made with canola oil instead of butter so the creaminess from the whipping cream shines through since butter is not overpowering anything. It totally transformed my expectations of banana bread a few months ago and now I have adapted it to other flavors. 

     It is delicious enough, that I trusted this simple apple cake to be a shine when I brought it in to a bakery I interviewed with last week. This is a position I have been thinking about all weekend because although I wanted it before I talked to one of the owners, the interview made me unbelievably excited for it. I am trusting this cake, and doing dances to the baking gods in hopeful wishing right now. Maybe if you make it and do a little dance next to your oven, it just might help my cause along the way!

Adapted from Shirley O. Corriher's Banana Bread in "BakeWise"

Makes one 9x5 or 10x4 loaf pan and 3 jumbo muffins or 6 standard muffins

Notes: You can also use bananas and chocolate chips or nuts (2 C mashed bananas-about 5 medium +1 C chocolate chips/nuts). Just fold them in instead of the apples in step 4. I made a double batch here, which yielded two loaves and 6 jumbo muffins. I followed the same method until the add-ins. One was apple with walnut streusel and the other was banana chocolate chip with plain streusel. You can also wrap the muffins and slice the bread and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and they will last wonderfully in the freezer.

Cake

1 3/4 C sifted all-purpose flour

3/4 TSP baking powder-altitude (1 TSP at sea level)

1/4 TSP baking soda

1/2 TSP salt

1 1/2 C sugar

1/2 C canola oil

1 TSP vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1/2 C buttermilk

2 medium granny smith apples, pealed and diced* (see notes)

1/2 heavy cream

Topping

3/4 C walnuts

1 TBSP butter

1/4 TSP salt

1/2 C all-purpose flour

2 TBSP + 1TSP granulated sugar

3 TBSP brown sugar

1 TSP ground cinnamon

6 TBSP (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened

Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F, and butter and flour your loaf pans and muffin tins.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, powder, and salt in a medium bowl. 

3. In a larger bowl, mix together the oil and sugar until combined. Next mix in the extract, eggs, and buttermilk until everything is combined. 

4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and making large stirs, combine the two with as few strokes as possible. Once almost all of the flour is incorporated, fold in the apple pieces.

5. In a small bowl, beat the whipping cream to medium-stiff peaks and then add a small amount to the batter and gentle fold that in using large sweeping motions around the edges. Add the rest of the whipped cream and repeat. Your goal it to keep the air in the whipped cream and not collapse it so gently folding it in is key. 

6. Divide the batter into the prepared pans and muffin tins.

Topping

7. Toast the walnuts on a sheet tray at 350 for 3-5 minutes until you can smell the nutty-ness and they are just beginning to brown. Pull them from the oven, transfer them to a bowl and toss them with the 1/4 TSP salt and 1 TBSP butter. Set aside to cool.

8. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugars, flour, and cinnamon. Using a pastry cutter, of your fingers incorporate the butter, until it is homogenous and crumbly. 

9. Sprinkle the streusel over the loaf and muffins, followed by the walnut pieces. 

10. Place the loaf and muffins in the oven and bake the muffins for 25-30 minutes, until an inserted skewer comes out clean (rotate half way through). Continue to bake the loaf for an additional 15-25 minutes until the skewer comes out clean (rotate when you pull the muffins).

11. Allow both things to cool for about 20 minutes before inverting them! Enjoy.

Love,

Boulder Butter

Spring Carrot Cake

      This Saturday I went to a yoga class at a local brewery. (Yes, take a moment to appreciate that I get to go to drop-in yoga classes at a brewery. Lord knows, I am grateful for them!) The instructor talked about following your intuition and the path of your heart, versus making a decision out of fear in the desire of "taking the safer path." Right now, I feel somewhat at a crossroads with life and not knowing exactly what my heart says versus what is the decision made from living in fear. Sometimes we get so muddled in our heads; it is hard to balance and remember what we even really want. 

       It is times like this I turn to my mixing bowls. I start in the motions that I know. The motions that bring me peace. I mix my wet ingredients and my dry ingredients. I bring them together, get them in the oven and I wait until they begin to produce some new glorious smell in the kitchen. I think such a simple thing sometimes awakens my heart enough that I can hear it again and start to sort it all out. 

      The simplicity of a cake is sometimes all you need to bring you to a more grounded place. Cake is nostalgic and I think carrot cake in particular has strong a resonance of comfort. This carrot cake does not venture to far off your traditional versions, but there are two things I particularly love about it.

     First, it is not a spice cake. It has cinnamon and it lets that speak, but it is not overwhelmed with it; nor is it packed with an elaborate spice blend found in so many carrot cakes. This is simply an extremely moist carrot cake with hints or warmth. I also love that is it is packed with tang and citrus throughout. There is an extremely subtle orange simple syrup, which would be impossible for the eater to pick out, but adds that extra oomph. The cranberries, tart and zingy, are a bright and chewy addition scattered throughout.

Sometimes, the best thing about cake is eating it with the people you love. You can spot a glimpse of my co-baker in the back :)

     Finally, the lemon cream cheese frosting is made with lemon zest and juice. It delivers a sweet tang to the cake and creates an absolutely heavenly balance. Then the walnuts on the side add a creamy nuttiness. Their crunch and natural richness are a perfect compliment for the bright frosting. 

     Everyone has had carrot cake, and there are so many recipes for it. I can tell you though, particularly with spring abloom, this one is worth making. 

Adapted from the absolutely awesome, Joy the Baker's Cookbook by Joy Wilson

Ingredients:
Cake
3 1/3 C all-purpose flour
1 1/2 TSP baking powder (2 TSP at sea-level)
3/4 TSP baking soda (1 TSP at sea-level)
1 TSP salt
2 TSP ground cinnamon
3 large eggs+1 large egg yolk
1 C granulated sugar
1 C + 2 TBSP packed brown sugar
1 3/4 C canola oil
1 C chunky (preferably homemade) applesauce
1 TSP vanilla extract
1 TSP hazelnut extract (or 1 more TSP vanilla extract)
3 C grated carrots
1/3 C moist, dried cranberries 

Instructions:
1. Place racks in the center of the oven and preheat it to 350 F. Grease, line with parchment, and flour 2, 9" round cake pans.
2. In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking soda and powder, salt, and cinnamon. 
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugars and eggs until fully incorporated. Next, carefully add in the oil and patiently mix it in until it has fully combined with the sugar and eggs. It will seem like a lot of oil, but don't worry, just keep stirring and it will all work out :) 
4. Add the applesauce and extracts to the wet ingredients and mix until combined.
5. Add the wet ingredients into the dry in one go and mix to incorporate but try to do it in as few strokes as possible. Stir around the edges and bottom and fold it for the most effective motion. 
6. When it is almost fully mixed together, add the carrots and cranberries and finish folding together. 
7. Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake for 30-35 minutes until an inserted skewer comes out clean from the center.
8. Let the cakes cool for 15-20 minutes on a rack before inverting.

Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 C (1 stick), unsalted butter, softened

Pinch of salt

2 C powdered sugar

2 TSP vanilla extract

2 TSP lemon zest

1 TBSP lemon juice

1 C chopped walnuts for garnish (optional)

Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment:
Beat the cream cheese for one minute, until light and pliable. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the butter and beat for another one to two minutes until there are no clumps left and the two are fully incorporated.
Add the lemon juice, zest, powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla and beat on a low speed until everything is almost fully incorporated.
Scrape down the sides, and beat at medium speed until the mixture is smooth and all the powdered sugar has disappeared. 

Orange Flower Water Simple Syrup (optional): this will keep you cake moist for a longer time
Place 1 C water, 1 C sugar and 1.5 TSP in a medium sauce pan on medium heat and stir occasionally until the sugar has fully dissolved. Remove from heat and allow it to cool. (You could also use 1.5 TSP orange juice. It will be slightly different but if you wanted the oranginess. Also you can just make plain simple syrup and leave out the flavoring).
-You will have extra, you can half the recipe or just store in your fridge for any cakey goods you make soon. It lasts a good while. 

Assembly: 
Once the cake has completely cooled, place your first round down. Brush or drizzle on the simple syrup over the entire puck. Top with frosting and spread it evenly to the edges. 
Repeat with the second layer, this time topping it with all of the frosting, spreading it evenly out to the edges and then carefully spread down and around the sides with an spatula. 
Garnish the sides or top with nuts depending how you like it and how patient you want to be with trying to get nuts to evenly cover the sides.

Serve immediately. This cake will last about 3-5 days in your fridge.

Love, 
Boulder Butter

Bourbon Caramel Brownies

     I already went on a pretty long rampage in my last post about my sudden desires for bars, particularly brownies. Although I got slightly sidetracked by some totally worth it blondies, I had to return to my original intentions. I will not talk to much in this post, because I realized as I cut these in squares a few hours ago just how tantalizingly sexy a brownie can be. So I think instead, I will just let the photos help you ponder what I mean by that...

Maybe it is the smell of butter, burnt sugar and bourbon that fills your kitchen as they bake.

Maybe it is the thick, dark chocolaty color they contain.

Maybe it is their fudgy, sticky quality.

Or just maybe it is the crunchy, sweet and salty notes the walnuts add from candying in the caramel.

I don't know what it is exactly, but these are sexy brownies.

Notes: If you don't want to use bourbon, substitute 1/4 C heavy cream for the bourbon. However, since the bourbon is balanced with the butter, it is not too strong and rather takes on a buttery caramel flavor with notes of bourbon. It is not overwhelming. For cocoa powder I did a mix of 3/4 C natural (un-alkalized) and 2 TBSP super alkalized (called Black Onyx from Savory Spice Shop in Denver). The cocoa powder is flexible though, so you can use all Dutch processed, all natural, or some combo of the too if you would like. 

Brownie base is from Alice Medrich's BitterSweet, "Best Cocoa Brownies." Found on Epicurious. 

Caramel/Topping:

1/2 C sugar

2 TBSP water

4 TBSP unsalted butter

1/4 C bourbon* (see notes)

1/4 TSP salt

1/2 C Walnuts 

Brownies:

10 TBSP unsalted butter

1 1/4 C sugar

3/4 C + 2 TBSP cocoa powder* see notes

1/4 TSP salt

1/2 TSP vanilla extract 

2 cold eggs

1/2 C all-purpose flour

For the caramel:

1. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water, turn onto medium heat and allow the sugar to liquefy and brown to a copper color (for more caramel making details go to Bananas Foster Cake)

2. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in 4 TBSP of diced butter, until it melts. Next add the 1/4 C of bourbon and salt, continue to stir, and then return the pan to heat. 

3. The mixture will seize into a ball. Continue to stir until the clumps have undone them selves and the caramel has darkened just a smidge. 

4.Pour the caramel onto a silicon mat or piece of parchment paper over a plate and place it in the freezer to harden.

For the Brownies:

1. Preheat the oven to 325F and line with aluminum and grease an 8x8 pan. 

2. In a heatproof bowl, combine the butter, sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Place the bowl over a small saucepan with an inch of simmering water. Stir the mixture periodically until the butter has melted and the ingredients have mixed together.

3. Remove the cocoa mixture from heat and let it cool. 

4. When it is warm (no longer hot), stir in the vanilla extract, followed by the eggs, one at a time they have completely combined. Add in the flour and stir until that is completely combined as well.

5. Transfer the batter into the prepared pan.

Assembly:

1. Remove the caramel from the freezer and cut it into small squares. Remove the squares and scatter them over the top of the brownies.

2. Chop the nuts into smallish pieces and scatter them on top of the caramel.

3. Bake in the oven at 325 for 25-30 minutes until the brownies have cooked through (you can use a knife to check). The caramel on top will look melted and soft, so look past that. It will harden as it cools.

4. Allow to cool in the pan for 20-30 minutes before removing. Allow to cool for 10 more minutes before slicing. They are delicious served with a glass of milk or vanilla ice cream :)

Love,

    Boulder Butter

Bananas Foster Cake

         There is something very exciting to me about a multi-layer cake. I know it sounds silly, but something with layers, a great frosting, crafted by hand...it just does not get much better than that in dessert world. Everyone can relate. Children and adults all like cake. They are sweet and decadent, moist and fun, interesting to eat (I mean everyone has their own way about going about digging in to their own slice), and can be truly beautiful to behold. Yes, a good slice of cake is hard to beat.

          As I was deciding what to make for my next post, I walked into my kitchen to fill my water glass, and the cabinet above the sink hit me hard in the nostrils with the strong scent of bananas screaming "USE MEEEE!" When I opened the cabinet, sure enough, there were three perfectly overripe bananas, ready to be mashed up and put into my sweets. The decision was made; Sunday afternoon baking had to include bananas. 

         The obvious road here would have been banana bread, but gosh-darn it, I wanted dessert, not another tea cake. So it was time to forgo the spiced loaf with chocolate chips and make a true cake to behold. My trust in the "Fannie Farmer Baking Book" by Marion Cunningham is garnering increasingly large portions of my love. I knew that this book was where I should start my brainstorming and it was absolutely the right decision.

            The banana cake was so light and fluffy, not at all like the traditional dense loaf I wanted to avoid. Achieved through folded in whipped egg whites, it was more like a classic yellow cake with the gentle sweetness and moisture of bananas. The toasted walnuts throughout added not only a great texture, but also a wonderful depth of rich, nutty flavor.

         Then I had to decide what was the proper topping for such a cake. I do not make big cakes at home to often because of the size of a double layer 9-inch cake in ratio to the people in my household is a bit off. So when I do make a layer cake, I insist on making it as decadent and fulfilling of my dreams as possible.

          I have to admit, I have a very strong affection for caramel. It is one of the beauties of life to me. Equal parts inverted sugar and deliciously sinful heavy whipping cream, hit with some salt and vanilla...I dream of it. It is brilliant. I will eat it by the spoonful. I will put it over and in whatever I can. I think caramel sauce, no matter how simple in concept, is a stupendous culinary feat.

        My favorite frosting is cream cheese. It goes so well with so many flavors, and similarly to the sweet-salty combo we are all so fascinated with, it fulfills another palate desire-sweet and tangy. So I thought "What if I combined the sweet cake, salt in the caramel, and tang in the cream cheese on my lazy Sunday afternoon?" And so was born, the Bananas Foster Cake.

            Oh my goodness. I am so happy eating this cake. I have nothing else to say about it. Forget banana bread for breakfast, buy your bananas, let them brown and make this cake. Let the flavors meld in your mouth to form a balance of sweet bananas, rich, salty caramel, deep walnuts, and tangy cream cheese. Let the thick, gooey topping ooze down with your teeth between the moist crumb of the cake as you bite in to it. Do not resist. Do not think twice. I do not care if you live by yourself which is making you think you do not want to make a full cake. Invite people over. You need to eat it, because sometimes we all just need a two-layered delicious hunk of cake on our plate.

Inspired by "Fannie Farmer Baking Book" by Marion Cunningham

Oven Temp: Sea Level-350 F

                      Altitude-375 F*

Equipment: 2 X 9 inch rounds

                     Multiple Mixing Bowls 

                     A hand or stand mixer

Ingredients:  

Cake:

1/2 C (1 Stick) Unsalted Butter, room temperature

1 1/2 C Granulated Sugar

3 eggs, separated

1/2 C Buttermilk (or 1/2 C Whole Milk minus one TSP and add 1 TSP Lemon Juice)

2-3 smashed bananas (about 1 C)

1 TBPS Vanilla Extract

2 C All-purpose flour

3/4 TSP Baking Soda* (1 TSP at Sea Level)

3/4 TSP Baking Powder* (1 TSP at Sea Level)

1 TSP Salt

1 C toasted, chopped walnuts (optional, but strongly encouraged)

Icing:

4 TBSP (1/2 Stick) Unsalted Butter, room temperature

8 oz. Cream Cheese, room temperature 

1 3/4 C Powdered Sugar (sift if there are clumps present)

1 TSP Vanilla Extract

Salted Caramel Sauce:

1 C sugar

1 C Heavy Whipping Cream

1 TSP Fine-grain Salt

1 TSP Vanilla Extract

A small amount of water

Instructions: 

Cake:

1. Preheat oven. Grease and flour, or grease and line cake pans with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

3. Cream the butter until for about 30 seconds then add the sugar and cream the two together. Since it is a 3:1 sugar-butter ratio, it will not look as normally creamed as other things. You are more looking for a smooth consistency and light color. 

4. Beat in egg yolks.

5. Mix buttermilk/milk-lemon mixture. It will likely look broken or curdled now. 

6. Mix in mashed bananas and vanilla extract.

7. On low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 additions, until well incorporated and thick batter is formed. Scraping down the side, finish by hand with a spatula to make sure no dry flour spots are left.

8. In a small mixing bowl, beat egg whites to a firm, but moist peak.

9. Put a small dollop of the whites on top of the batter and begin to fold them in. To fold, use gentle, large strokes, moving your spatula around the sides of the bowl and folding the batter up and over. Once the first dollop is incorporated, add the rest of the mixture and repeat the same motion until it is all folded in. You want to take the time to fold gently, or you will collapse the whites and the cake will be dense.

9. Fold in the walnuts.

10. Pour the batter into the two prepared pans. If baking at 375 it only takes about 20 minutes, at 350, expect closer to 25-30. Check with an inserted toothpick coming out clean (be careful not to mistake banana mush for cake-this could lead to over baking) and look for the cake edges pulling away from the sides.

11. Remove, allow to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and let rounds rest on cooling rack.

Icing:

1. Meanwhile, add butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl beat until a smooth consistency is achieved. 

2. Place a piece of plastic wrap over top and place in fridge until ready to use.

Caramel Sauce: 

1. Get heavy bottom or non-stick sauce pan and make sure there is nothing on the sides. It is very important in sugar cookery to start with a clean pot or your sugar will crystalize. 

2. Carefully add sugar to the middle of the pan, avoiding getting any crystals on the sides.

3. Gently add a small amount of water; just enough to make the sugar appear like wet sand.

4. Turn on heat and bring to a simmer, DO NOT STIR, but watch carefully for the development of color. Do not go fold laundry now folks.

5. Once a rich caramel color is achieved, move the pan off the heat momentarily and add the heavy cream. The mixture will seize up. Let it settle for a moment, then return to heat stirring until combined. 

6. Stir in vanilla extract and salt until dissolved.

7. Remove from heat and pat yourself on back. You made caramel.

Assembly: 

1. Beat in 2-3 TBSP of caramel to the cream cheese frosting.

2. Place down your first cake round, scoop on a generous amount of frosting and spread in an even layer over top.

3. Repeat with the second layer.

4. By placing extra icing along the edges of the cake, use an offset spatula to push it over the edge and begin to ice the sides of the cake.

5. Using a spoon, drizzle the cake with caramel sauce, allowing it to get a good amount on top and drip over the sides into a beautiful mess of deliciousness.

GOOD-GOD YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB RESISTING! DIG INTO THAT FREAKING CAKE NOW!