Like I mentioned in a previous post, I just wasn’t feeling my birthday this year. But you know, things got a lot better. On the day of my birthday there wasn’t cake, but there was a lovely chocolate whoopie pie from a local bake shop with a candle in it where I was serenaded with the happy birthday song by my very endearing husband and that was pretty wonderful. He took me out to a restaurant that I’ve been dying to try (it was worth every bite) and I got to try creme brule for the very first time ever (it was heaven!). I wanted this goodness to continue, and so when I had some friends over later that weekend, I decided to bake a cake in celebration.

I consulted various cake recipes and when I found that Tim, Dana and Deb all gushed about one particular caramel cake, I was sold. The cake itself is simple to make in fact, I’d argue that it’s probably best as an “everyday cake”. It isn’t fancy in the least, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t special. I used Tim’s version as a guide since he declared it his most favorite cake of all time (you see, this is a cake with excellent pedigree). Tim sifts the flour and then calls it done where as the recipe requires you to sift the flour and then sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. I’m not sure you know this about me, but I’m not a sifter. I whisk which isn’t nearly the same thing. So I ditched the extra 2 tablespoons of flour and moved on. Maybe next time, I’ll omit a bit more flour for a lighter crumb. But regardless of my non-sifting manoeuvres, this cake is pretty delicious. It’s got an ever-so-slight tang from the buttermilk (though I’m sure you could easily sub in a spoonful of vinegar into a cupful of milk with equal success), but it’s the caramel glaze that is the real stand out here.

Normally, I have no issues with caramel. I’ve been making caramel things for years and always found it a cinch. Except when I made the glaze this time, everything curdled. There was no creamy sauce, just curdled lumps no matter  how quickly I whisked the thing together. I freaked out on Twitter, got a few great responses on what could have gone wrong and decided that I’d toss the stuff and try again the next day.

Well rested, I was ready to tackle the glaze. But beforehand, my husband poured me my morning coffee and then asked if I’d like milk or half and half in my coffee. Since I only buy milk for my coffee, it suddenly hit me. I had purchased half and half instead of heavy cream! DOH. OOPS. Hanging my head in shame, I was off to the grocery store on Mother’s Day looking for heavy cream like everyone else (seriously, I had to go into 3 shops before I found a carton!) Once back home, the caramel was a dream to make. I should note that I have a candy thermometer but it never works (I probably should just toss the thing). It only gets up to 150F and then stays there for the duration of the caramel-making. Useless! So I’ve learned to improvise and use a timer (set the timer for 14 minutes after the mixture starts boiling) and then keep a glass of ice water nearby. Once the caramel stars looking golden, flick a drop into the ice water until you get to a nice soft-ball stage. Got it? Remove from heat and pour over your cake. Take the caramel off too soon and it will be thin and less flavourful. Keep it on too long and it will turn into rubber or leather or worse. Let it look drippy and lush. At this point, everyone who comes into the kitchen will go ga-ga over the cake. It’s like they can’t help themselves. Caramel on cake. What will they think of next?!

So we ate the cake and it was delicious. Sometimes we ate a slice with a ball of homemade vanilla ice cream over glitter paper because why not? Try a slice with coffee! Or eat a slice on the sly for breakfast. You may need to smear your finger around the plate to catch any drips. It’s okay because it’s your cake. Enjoy it. I did.

elsewhere: I know, so many sweets over here lately. There’ll be some healthy meals coming up, don’t worry about it. In the meantime, head over to Poppytalk where you’ll find a great recipe for Sole Almondine. It sounds fancy. It tastes fancy. And it’s a cinch to make! Win!

caramel cake
(adapted from Lottie + Doof & Gourmet)
2 c + 2 T sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring…or if not sifting, cut out the extra flour addition)
1 t baking powder
3/4 t baking soda (oops, I left this out & it worked out fine)
1/2 t salt
1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
1 c granulated sugar
1 t pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature 30 minutes
1 c well-shaken buttermilk

Caramel glaze:
1 c heavy cream
1/2 c packed light brown sugar
1 T light corn syrup (honey or Lyle’s golden syrup, can be substituted)
a pinch of kosher salt
1 t pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F, placing rack at the centre of the oven. Cut a round or square of parchment and place on the bottom of the tin. Butter and flour a 9″ round cake tin or an 8″ square tin – including parchment. Set aside.

Sift (or vigorously whisk) the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla and mix well. Add one egg and let it fully incorporate before adding in the next. At low speed, add in the buttermilk and mix (it will look a bit curdled, this is okay). In 3 additions, add in the flour, mixing well between each addition.

Pour batter into cake pan and smooth out the top. Rap the tin against the counter a few solid times to knock out any air bubbles. Place in oven and bake for 35 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack and then invert and cool completely (removing parchment, of course).

To make the caramel, in a medium sized saucepan (don’t use a small pan!), stir the cream (double check that it’s heavy cream and not half and half), sugar, salt and corn syrup together over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil. Turn on your timer for 14 minutes and if you’re using a candy thermometer bring up to 210-212F. Or use my ice water technique which I describe in the post above. Remove from heat immediately, stir in the vanilla and then pour over cake, starting at the centre so that you get some lovely drip action. Cool for 30 minutes before serving. Keeps for several days, if need be.

Possibly related posts:

• happy birthday cake to me: black magic cake with vanilla bean buttercream
• coconut lime cake: a birthday cake for cornelius

I’m wiping up the mud and debris left from January and welcoming February with open arms. January is a rough month. It starts out on a high, with resolutions and promises. But I dunno, something veers off. Maybe because 2 years ago on January 21st my mom died and that kind of is like a big kick in the gut to every January that comes after. So I’m going to declare February as my new slate! It’s a time when winter shakes off all of the big bad-ass-ness and fuzzy blossoms, sunshine and warm air start swirling around Vancouver. This month, we’ve had the windows open every day and it smells of springtime. Years ago, when my brother first came to visit me from Ontario, he came in February. He wore is heavy winter coat and toque as is the fashion out east. But as soon as he arrived, he ditched the cold weather gear and felt liberated in only a denim jacket and a colourful plaid scarf. Add in cherry blossoms, sun that warms the cheeks, and the smells of the earth coming back to life and you’ve got February.

And to celebrate, I’ve baked up some banana bread and trust me, it’s no ordinary loaf. I first made this in January when I had a friend over for tea. We needed tea and comfort and chocolate, because as I mentioned, you need all the help you can get during that dark month. This bread was just the ticket and it’s this bread that I want to share with you today.

Yup, that tasty loaf came from these fugly, brown bananas. Whenever we have bananas that start to get too spotty and soft, into the freezer they go. And when we’ve got a few rounded up, I start thinking banana bread. I’ve made a few in my day, but wanted to try something new. Chocolate chips were a given, but I decided to throw in some cocoa powder along with grated coconut into the mix. I also used some coconut-flavoured yogurt, but if you don’t have any on hand and wanted a bit more of a coconut kick, add in a 1/2 teaspoon of coconut extract into your milk or yogurt mixture. Oh, and I added rum. I like rum. It goes well with bananas and chocolate. And January.

February has only begun and there’s already some exciting news to share. I’m beyond thrilled to mention that this blog has been nominated for a Bloggie which is a huge (!!!) weblog award. I’d sure appreciate it if you could head on over and vote for Everybody Likes Sandwiches as Best Canadian Blog. As well, you can check out a whole host of other awesome blogs that have been nominated.

elsewhere: Got a hankering for soup? Look no further because the smokey southwestern apple & squash soup I had last week was so freakin’ tasty!!! (It deserves every. single. exclaimation. point.) You can get the recipe on Poppytalk.

cocoa-coconut banana bread
3/4 c sugar
1/2 c vegan margarine
3 ripe bananas, mashed – about 1 cups worth
1 T rum (or use vanilla extract)
1 c all-purpose flour
3/4 c whole wheat flour
1/4 c cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 c coconut-flavoured yogurt or vegan yogurt or 1/3 c soy/almond/coconut milk* + 1 tsp vinegar
1/2 c chocolate chips
1/4 c walnuts, chopped
1/4 c unsweetened grated coconut

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease loaf pan with margarine & dust with flour. Set aside.

Cream together the sugar and margarine until fluffy. Add in mashed bananas and rum and blend well.

Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.

Pour half of the flour mixture into the wet mixture and stir until combined. Add in the milk or yogurt mixture and combine. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix. Fold in the chocolate chips, coconut & walnuts. Spoon batter (don’t worry, it will be thick) into the prepared loaf pan and bake for about one hour and 10 minutes.

* If you use coconut milk, don’t use the stuff from the can – instead use the carton kind which is more like milk.

Possibly related posts:

• banana espresso chocolate chip bread
• the big bad banana: jacked-up banana bread

This year I took the slow boat towards Christmas and only started really thinking about holiday baking and decorating this past weekend. Friday night we put up our shiny little tinsel tree, drank a few amaretto sours and basked in the glow and shimmer of pink lights and oodles of vintage ornaments. My favorite holiday movie, The Shop Around the Corner, has been watched and my cupboards and fridge is now full of flour, butter, sliced almonds and chocolate. Time to start the all important holiday baking!

A couple of years ago, I compiled a mighty list of great holiday baking ideas and gifts and figured I’d provide a compendium to my original list filled with great seasonal treats from 2010 + 2011. And because that older list also included a lovely little gift tag set to print off and use, I figured I’d add another one for the collection! All you need is a PDF reader and a printer. Just download the PDF, print onto card stock and cut out your cheery checked circles! Use them to top mason jars filled with treats, or use a hole punch and tie on some ribbon to tag your edible gift! The design matches the recipe cards in my etsy shop, you know, in case you were curious.

Now, onwards with the holiday baking, candy & kitchen book ideas!

Bars & Squares
Butterscotch confetti squares - a Canadian classic aka “marshamel”.
Butterscotch cashew bars - buttery & delicious.
Cranberry lemon squares - tart & festive.
Seriously intense cocoa nib brownies - for serious chocolate fanatics!

Cakes & Loafs
Walnut & cranberry zucchini bread - a favorite!
Banana espresso chocolate chip bread - a classic combo of flavours!
Coconut lime cake - tart & tropical.
Coffee & spice cupcakes - spicy and dark.

Candy & Nuts
Candy Cane Crisp Bark – white chocolate, rice crispies & crushed candy canes do Christmas up right!
Chocolate coconut almond bites – like little balls of Almond Joy!
Last-minute peanut brittle – Today I saw a small box of peanut brittle on sale for $14. It’s a snap to make, so make it yourself!
Salted caramel pretzel almond popcorn – what a tasty mouthful!
Salty sweet candied peanuts – what’s not to love?
Spiced caramel corn with pepitas, almonds & pecans - just a little spicy…

Cookies
Cranberry rum shortbread cookies – slice and bake & perfect for the holidays!
Chocolate puddle cookies - decadent!
Salted butterscotch oatmeal cookies - in 2011 I discovered a serious love of butterscotch!
Vegan-ish sandwich cookies - like oreos, but better!
Bittersweet chocolate cookies - holy moly.
Vegan garam masala cookies - like gingerbread, only more interesting.

Kitchen books
And because I’m an avid reader (you can follow me here on GoodReads – though be wary, I do read a lot of YA), here are just three great kitchen books that I read this past year:

Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef – Honest, open, no BS memoir. Loved it.
Heart of the Artichoke and Other Kitchen Journeys – A gorgeous cookbook that I think is a must in anyone’s collection.
Boozehound: On the Trail of the Rare, the Obscure, and the Overrated in Spirits – This book will make you want to drink more (not necessarily a bad thing).

elsewhere: After all this sweetness, maybe you want to curl up with something a bit more healthy. And maybe you want a tutorial on how to shred cabbage. Well, you are in luck! Over at Poppytalk, I make a fantastic apple cabbage slaw and show you the proper way to shred cabbage (no finger loss!).

Possibly related posts:

• holiday baking & gift ideas
• let’s call them rustic: brown butter cookies & other holiday goodies

As I mentioned in my last post, I was flown out to Montreal, put up in an awesome hotel and got seriously caffeinated by the lovely coffee folks over at VanHoutte. Along with 5 other bloggers, we got to experience their “master roaster” heritage and check out all their roasting factory (where I got to see a robot packaging boxes which was like taking a jet pack into the future). It was a cool experience and it also was the first time I was seriously schmoozed over. I loved eating out at fancy restaurants (if you’re in Montreal or plan to visit, make sure a visit to Le St. Urbain is on your list) that I’d never have the opportunity to eat in on my own and I loved doing the wine tastings and coffee cuppings a whole lot. It was an experience to push myself out of my comfort zone (working for yourself turns you into a social misfit) and meet up and spend a weekend with a group of other bloggers from across Canada. And what do you know, it turned out to be fun! You can check out the good times over on my flicker set. But this also wasn’t a holiday – it was work and since I run this blog as a my hobby (ie. I make no money from this blog) it did make me question if I was “selling out” (I’m so old-fashioned according to this article in the NYT). I think I came out of the experience unscathed with my ethics shaken but intact.

I came back from Montreal with a backpack full of coffee and I wanted to do something special with it instead of just gulping it back in the morning like the lifeline it is for me. Luckily, I spied a lovely little recipe over at DesignSponge and my coffee and baking needs were instantly met. The recipe was a simple, no-fuss affair.

The resulting cake does taste like coffee which was a bit unexpected. Traditional coffee cakes like this one or this one or this one are meant for drinking with coffee. But these pretty little cakes call for a half cup of strong brewed coffee in the batter – and you can definitely tell. Plus, there’s molasses, cinnamon and nutmeg that tugs you towards a gingerbread-y flavour. And while these cakes taste dark and spicy, their texture is light and airy. These cupcakes aren’t super sweet so you could easily add a mocha or cinnamon scented glaze without fear of aching teeth, however, I preferred them with a light dusting of confectioners sugar. Their soft white tops looks like the light coating of snow on the mountains off in the distance, so it’s a tentative step into a tasty winter wonderland.

I should also mention a few exciting things. I will be speaking at PechaKucha Vancouver on November 24th at the Vogue Theater. The theme this month is food and I’m going to be super nervous (I don’t have my speech completed yet nor have I even started thinking about my slide presentation – but that’s because I’m a huge procrastinator), but hopefully I’ll get my stuff together in time for the big event. I also want to say thanks to Gourmet Live (that’s the online keeper of the *sniff* no-longer-published magazine, Gourmet) for featuring this blog as their Food Blog of the Week (uh, last week).

elsewhere: Over at Poppytalk I’ve got 2 posts up today! Stop by and check out my recipe for Garlic & Seedy Whole Wheat Pretzel Bites and get into the holiday spirit with my kitchen-themed Contributor’s Holiday Gift Guide which was so much fun to put together!

coffee & spice cupcakes
(recipe adapted from Kristina Gill & the South Australian Country Women’s Assoc.)
1/2 c butter, room temperature
3/4 c white sugar
1 t vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 T molasses
2 c self-rising flour (or make your own with 1.5 teaspoons baking powder + 1/2 teaspoon salt per cup of all-purpose flour)
pinch of salt
2 t cinnamon
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1/2 c strong coffee (should be room temperature)

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add in the vanilla, eggs and molasses and combine well. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add half the flour mixture into the butter mixture and lightly stir. Add half the coffee and lightly stir. Repeat with the remaining flour and coffee.

Line a muffin tin or two with 14 liners and drop batter into each liner, 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 14-18 minutes or until a skewer poked into a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners sugar. Makes 14 cupcakes.

Possibly related posts:

• pumpkin spice steel cut oatmeal
• you don’t need sassy, you need spice cake

First up, broccoli crunch slaw. This is one of the most popular recipes on this blog & for good reason too. It’s not heavy (thanks to the yogurt in the dressing) and it’s very festive with the dried cranberries and the crunchy roasted almonds. Even slaw-haters and raw-broccoli naysayers will love this one.

My mom always made a soup for Thanksgiving and I’m happy to carry on the tradition. While she would usually make vichyssoise, I tend to think sweet & spicy. I love love love this sweet potato, corn & jalapeno bisque (which is just a fancy way of saying soup) and despite how easy it is to make, it’s fancy enough for your frilliest guests. Got more adventurous friends, this spicy African yam & peanut soup is incredible.

Who doesn’t love a good cranberry sauce? Apples, cranberries and fresh rosemary co-mingle to make something really wonderful. Tasty with turkey, stuffing and all the fixings – and also delicious over biscuits and mac and cheese. It’s utilitarian-ly delicious. This cranberry chutney is another delicious alternative.

Everyone always finishes their stuffing, right? I personally think it’s the one thing that everyone loves. I love my mom’s traditional sage-onion-celery stuffing but I’ve made it a bit more exciting with the addition of chopped apples and walnuts. A keeper.

I can’t get enough of vegetables on the Thanksgiving table. I was a vegetarian for 10 years and old habits die hard. These braised vegetables are a godsend for busy holidays because they are so simple to prepare. Trust me, these braised turnips, onions and carrots will knock your socks off. Want to braise some more? Try this braised cabbage, cumin and apple dish or give milk-braised cauliflower & carrots a go.

Who could argue with a good pumpkin dessert? This pumpkin and apple crumb cake is made for Thanksgiving, though I’d happily eat it all year round.

But you can’t forget pie! Last year I made a fantastic apple & sour cherry pie with a crumb topping. I still dream about that pie. And if you can’t forgo pumpkin pie, why not give this retro looking pumpkin chiffon dream pie a try!

Please don’t forget that after Thanksgiving it’s not about eating leftover pie for breakfast (though a little slice never hurt anyone). Give yourself a hearty & wholesome breakfast and try this pumpkin spice bowl of steel cut oats.

Now take a deep breath, because now you’re Thanksgiving day ready. Just remember to breathe and the rest will be easy. Do you have any Thanksgiving favorites? Share them with me in the comments, I’d love to hear about your own dinner traditions.

Possibly related posts:

• thanksgiving is pretty much all about food.
• thanksgiving pt. 2: cranberry chutney + pumpkin chocolate chip cake

Despite having eaten only one banana in my entire life (I was nine when my life-long hate started), I do tend to get a bit gooey for banana bread. While my husband might keep the banana brokers in business, he often buys more than he can chew at once. The ones he doesn’t manage to stuff into his maw before they turn brown end up inour freezer where they shrivel, turn black and get baked into banana bread. Not a bad life-cycle, I think. One of the most repeated recipes in my kitchen is this wonderful cinnamon and chocolate banana bread but sometimes one needs to shake it up a little.

This banana bread is a delicious one and it has a wonderful pedigree – it comes from the Baked cookbook which has given my kitchen so much wonderful baked bounty in the past. This recipe is no exception. The original recipe makes muffins but I decided to go with a loaf pan instead. Also, the recipe easily doubles and freezes well in case you want to get all your baking done at once.

Chocolate and espresso? Oh yeah! This is a great banana bread to wake up to in the morning as it pairs so nicely with a good hot coffee. If you are a walnut-hater (and a surprising amount of you are), then just replace the walnuts with more chocolate chips and you can’t go wrong.

banana espresso chocolate chip bread
(adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking)
1 1/2 c mashed, ripe bananas (about 4)
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 c unsalted butter, melted
1/4 c milk
1 large egg
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t instant espresso powder
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt
1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c walnuts, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour one loaf tin and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the bananas, sugars, butter, milk and egg. In another bowl, combine the flour, espresso powder, baking soda and salt. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips & walnuts.

Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for about 55 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool in a pan for 15 minutes and then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Possibly related posts:

• lookie lookie: chocolate chip banana bread with ginger
• 3 brown bananas: vegan cocoa-coconut banana bread

I tend to get a little excited about birthdays. I love making cakes for my loved ones and friends and when it comes to my birthday, I love to make myself a cake too. Last year I baked two cakes for my birthday. The previous year I baked the fantastic Winning Hearts and Minds cake from Orangette. The year before that I made two kinds of cupcakes for a karaoke and shuffleboard party at the local legion (which I transported there via bike). And before that I made a yellow cake layered with lemon curd and drizzled with dark chocolate ganache. Really, if it’s not obvious already, I have no problem baking for myself. Not at all.

It’s usually a big decision on what kind of cake to make. I cast my net wide and then narrow down the choices until I’ve found something perfect. This year, however, I had it all figured out. The week before my birthday, Cornelius and I went out for dinner at a local diner – the kind of diner with formica countertops, comfy booths and where you probably should order pie, except we never do. So as we walked to the cashier to pay our bill, I saw the most wonderful looking chocolate cake in the display case. The cake was skyscraper high and covered in the fluffiest white frosting. I kicked myself for days for not ordering that chocolate cake. My cake fate was sealed. One chocolate cake coming up!

Chocolate cakes can be tricky. Sometimes they’re dry or just not very special tasting. I wanted a cake with a wow factor and luckily, I had one cake bookmarked for years that I was eager to try. The black magic cake by Hershey’s always seemed to get rave reviews and the truth of it is, I liked the name. Not to mention that the recipe is as easy as….cake. I think the key to the magic is the coffee as it helps to deepen the chocolate flavour. I made sure to make mine extra strong and used instant Italian espresso powder – 3 teaspoons to one cup of boiling water. I dunno if that was the trick, but this cake was amazingly flavourful and moist. This is, in my mind, the most perfect chocolate cake!

As for decorating, I usually keep things simple. But this year, I was kind of smitten with ruffles. I hate ruffles on dresses and blouses, but I do love them on cakes. Sweetapolita had a gorgeous one and then Thus Bakes Zarathustra made it look simple – just some zig-zags. I could do that! Unfortunately, you need a proper cake decorating tip and because I have a pathetic collection of 4 tips found at a garage sale, I didn’t have the proper one. But, I was eager and didn’t let it stop me. I was gonna make a pretty cake or a pretty ugly cake – I was willing to take either option. Unfortunately, it was the latter and looked more like noodles than ruffles, but I was okay with that. The frosting? Just a simple vanilla buttercream with real vanilla. It was buttery and sweet and with the chocolate cake tasted like a giant Oreo cookie in the best possible way. I loved it and so did all my friends who happily ate up their slice.

elsewhere: Maybe you don’t want to think about cake (you’re crazy). Maybe you’re concentrating on dinner, if so, head to Poppytalk and check out my steamed fish with kale. It’s healthy and delicious and it makes it easy to have cake for dessert. You know, if you really do want cake.

black magic layer cake with vanilla bean buttercream
(adapted from Hershey’s)
2 c white sugar
1 3/4 c all-purpose flour
3/4 c cocoa
2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1 t salt
2 large eggs
1 c buttermilk
1 c strong black coffee (or 3 t of instant espresso in 1 c boiling water)
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 t vanilla extract

Heat oven to 375F. Butter and flour two eight-inch cake pans and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the sugar through to the salt. In another bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Pour the wet into the dry and mix well with a stand mixer or a wooden spoon. Pour the batter evenly into the 2 prepared pans. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes before inverting the cakes onto wire racks to cool completely.

vanilla bean buttercream
3 c icing/confectioners sugar
3/4 c soft butter
1/4 c cream cheese
1 vanilla bean scraped
1 t kosher salt
1 t vanilla

Mix the sugar with the butter and cream cheese until well blended and fluffy. Cut the vanilla bean in half, length-wise and scrape the seeds into the frosting. Add in the salt and vanilla and beat until well mixed.

When cake is completely cool, you can start frosting the cake. If your cake is a bit domed on top, you can slice it off using a serrated knife so you have a nice even top. Luckily my cake wasn’t domed so I was able to spread the frosting on one cake before placing the second cake on top. I then used a thin layer of frosting to do the whole cake (called a crumb layer – because here is where you’ll catch any stray crumbs). Then frost and decorate the whole cake however you choose.

Possibly related posts:

• belated birthday fun times: the white out cake
• happy new years: glazed chocolate cake with sprinkles

I’m no stranger to baking with booze. I’ve used a red dark ale in cake and some Jack Daniels in a batch of vegan chocolate cupcakes. But I’ve never poured a decent, peaty-tasting scotch into something I was going to throw into the oven. I’m sure some would cry heresy and a waste of good booze. Especially when in this hella-expensive booze province a bottle of mid-range scotch comes to a whopping $60.

But trust me, the scotch gives this cake a decided earthiness that helps to cut the sweetness (and next time I bake this, I’ll cut down the sugar a bit more to just a half cup). There’s steel cut oats in here too which add texture but doesn’t weigh this cake down. In fact, despite the oats and the whole wheat flour additions, this cake is light and springy and the perfect thing to eat with a spot of tea. This cake is also perfect for breakfast – it must be the oats that makes this highly suitable to early morning snacking.

This cake can be made in 2 loaf pans, but I wanted the cake to bake in a round pan. Unfortunately, I only have one 8″ pan and I still had batter left over, so the rest went into a prepped loaf tin. It worked out perfectly, so I suggest splitting the batter between 2 loaf tins to make things easier.

elsewhere: Pop on over to Poppytalk and take a peek at my latest garage sale find along with a recipe for a super simple frozen yogurt.

scotch whiskey oat cake
1 c steel cut oats
1 1/3 c buttermilk
1 c all-purpose flour
1 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c or 3/4 c sugar, depending on your taste
1 T baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 t nutmeg
1 t cardamom
3/4 c roasted walnut oil (or vegetable oil)
1 large egg
1 c dried cranberries
1/3 c scotch whiskey
2 T butter, melted
coarse sugar for sprinkling over top

Preheat oven to 375F.

In a medium sized bowl, pour the buttermilk over the steel cut oats and let them sit for 30 minutes. If you’ve got old oats, they may need to sit longer – try overnight! Prep 2 loaf pans, or 1 8″ cake pan plus 1 loaf pan, by buttering each pan and dusting with flour.

Meanwhile mix together the flours and sugar, along with the baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Beat the egg into the steel cut oat and buttermilk mixture and pour into the dry mix along with the oil. Stir to combine, and add in the cranberries and the whiskey. Pour into prepared pans, drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle with a handful of raw sugar. Bake for 40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted comes out dry. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing pan – cool on a wire rack.

Possibly related posts:

• breakfast cake! maple breakfast cake
• raspberry/blackberry oat breakfast bars

I love my husband most of all, but I think coconut comes in a close second. When I was trying to figure out what kind of cake to make for his birthday on January 2nd, I pulled out three different options. The common denominator was coconut and I didn’t even realize it until it was pointed out to me on Twitter. Oops! After a bit of deliberation, I honed in on Smitten Kitchen‘s key lime coconut cake which she adapted from Gourmet. It’s obviously a cake with a very fine lineage.

This isn’t a floofy cake with billowy frosting. It’s simple and straightforward and perfectly moist and delicious. The toasted coconut is prominent and the lime is as tart and citrusy. With a drizzle of a rum and lime icing on top, it’s everything a good cake should be.

And it’s a great cake for winter birthdays because it tastes so tropical that you can almost feel the sand between your toes, instead of cold rain falling on your head. But, I’ll take cold and rainy as long as Cornelius is right beside me. And bringing this cake in my old tin cake caddy to the local legion for Sunday night trivia while drinking cheap watery beer with great friends, well, it’s a birthday to remember! Everyone loved this cake, especially Cornelius, so don’t hesitate to make this for your next birthday or just because it’s raining outside.

elsewhere: Is your new year’s resolution to not skip breakfast? Well, try this delicious egg, cheese, spinach and potato frittata on for size over at Poppytalk. It’s so good that we ate it several times during the holidays and I’m still not sick of it yet.

coconut lime cake
(adapted from Smitten Kitchen)
1 c unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 c granulated sugar
1 T lime zest
2 large eggs
1 3/4 cups flour minus 2 teaspoons
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
3/4 c milk
1/4 c fresh lime juice

2 T fresh lime juice
1 c powdered sugar
1 T rum

Toast the coconut in a skillet in a hot oven (350F) for 10-15 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and cool, but don’t turn the oven off.

In a mixer, whip together the butter, sugar and lime zest until fluffy. Mix in the eggs and beat until combined. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt and fluff with a fork. Add into butter mixture and mix until just combined. Add in half of the coconut, save the remainder for the topping. In a measuring cup, combine the milk and lime juice and pour into the batter, mixing slowly one final time until well blended.

Butter and flour a 9 x 2″ round cake pan, tapping out any excess flour. Pour in the batter and smooth out the top. Bake 40-45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes and then invert onto rack and cool completely.

Whisk together powdered sugar, lime juice and rum and spoon over cake. Top with remaining toasted coconut.

Possibly related posts:

• wake-up call: banana, coconut, & lime muffins
• the personal is political: bill’s coconut bread + norwegian apple cake

On October 1st it was my mom‘s birthday and it’s the first one where I couldn’t call her on the phone and sing her happy birthday. The whole week leading up to the day, I felt sad and found myself in tears because it hurts not to have your mom around anymore. But as I wondered how I could celebrate the day, I thought about the chocolate chip cake she always used to make for birthdays. It was baked in a bundt pan and sprinkled with icing sugar and while to others it seems just like an “everyday” kind of cake, for our family, this cake was special.

Heady with vanilla and studded with dark chocolate chips, my favorite part of this cake is actually the golden crust which seems extra buttery and rich. I like that this cake isn’t fussy and it totally suits my mom’s personality. My mom was the epitome of sweetness and kindness and never was the sort to put on a fancy production. That said, whenever we had guests, my mom pulled out the fancy china and silverware and would warm the soup bowls in the oven before serving. She was a very proud woman and this cake and the sprinkling of powdered sugar has an elegance that reflects how she lived.

This cake is also the hands-down favorite of my brother. He always requests it for his birthday and my mom, and now his wife, makes it for him. There are lots of recipes and foods that remind me of my mom, but this cake is special. And now I’m going to adopt this cake as a way to celebrate every October 1st – a lovely reminder of my maman that will really mean something to me and to my family. It’s an ideal way to begin a new tradition.

Elsewhere: Over at Poppytalk I talk figs and even provide a fig recipe – and I’m a bonefide fig hater. Try a Spanish Pan de Higo flourless cake this season.

maman’s chocolate chip cake
1 c butter
1 c sugar
1 6-gram pack Oetker vanilla sugar (or 1 t of vanilla extract)
3 eggs
1 1/2 c flour
1/2 c corn starch
1 T baking powder
1/2 c milk
1/2 c chocolate chips

Cream butter, gradually add sugar, the vanilla sugar and eggs. Add mixture of sieved flour, corn starch and baking powder alternately with the milk. Mixture should be firm, don’t add too much milk. Finally, add chocolate chips and fill greased and dusted bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes. When cool, dust with icing sugar.

Possibly related posts:

• thanksgiving pt. 2: cranberry chutney + pumpkin chocolate chip cake
• bringing autumn back: spicy pumpkin & chocolate chip cake