The Cake Slice Bakers December 2013 - Streusel Squares

It is the 20th of the month so it must be Cake Slice Baker's time!  Last month was our big announcement letting everyone know that we will be baking from Great Cakes by Carole Walter for the next year.  The cake that had the winning votes for this month was the Streusel Squares. I have to say that this was the perfect cake to be selected, since it is pretty quick and easy to put together, and it stays fresh for quite a while making it the perfect cake to have on hand for when guests drop in unexpectedly.

Mexican Chocolate Crunch Brownies

I have been a member of the Cooking Light Community for more years than I'd like to remember.  It is sometimes strange to think of a group of strangers as friends, but that is what we are - the same as my blogging friends.  We have shared successes and sorrows, received suggestions and support, and we have laughed until we cried.  I still remember the excitement when we found out that one of the long-time posters was a finalist in the Pillsbury Bake-off.  We could hardly wait to see her recipe and try it out.  The brownies were a huge success and I have been making them ever since, although I call them Val's Brownies.

With Cinco de Mayo fast approaching I pulled out my recipe for these brownies, but somehow did not get around to making them.  I think I was more disappointed than anyone else, so I knew I would have to remedy that this week.  Although, they are made with a box brownie mix, you could use your own recipe to top the crunchy base.  Over time I have eliminated one of the ingredients - corn syrup.  It was omitted the first time because I actually didn't have any, and then I found that it didn't affect the end result, and I have left it out ever since.

This is also one of those recipes that could be adapted into so many different variations:

  

* Additional cinnamon or add a spice such as chili, cayenne pepper, or cardamom

* Use different chips in the batter such as cinnamon, toffee, or butterscotch
* Add dulce de leche to the batter

* Add coconut or nuts to the crunchy base

Mexican Chocolate Crunch Brownies
(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients

• 1 box (12.8 oz) Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal (about 8 cups)
•  ½ cup butter, melted
• 1 box Fudge Brownie mix
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ¼ cup water
• 2 eggs
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⅓ cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 3 tablespoons tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 350℉. 
2. Spray 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.
3. In a small bowl mix together the sugar and cinnamon, and set aside until needed.
4. Place cereal in food processor bowl with metal blade (do in 2 batches if necessary). Cover; process until finely crushed (or place cereal in large resealable food-storage plastic bag and crush with rolling pin).
5. Add butter to food processor and pulse until well blended. Press evenly in pan.
6. In large bowl, make brownie mix as directed on box, using oil, water and eggs and adding cinnamon. Stir in 2/3 cup of the chocolate chips. Pour brownie batter over cereal mixture. 
7. Sprinkle remaining 2/3 cup chocolate chips evenly over batter.
8. Bake 20 minutes, then sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar evenly over brownies.
9. Bake 14 to 18 minutes longer or until brownies are set when lightly touched in center. 
10. Cool 10 minutes; loosen edges but do not cut. 
11. Cool completely, about 2 hours.

Makes: 24 brownies

Recipe by Valerie Schucht via the Pillsbury 2008 Bake-Off® Contest.

The Cake Slice Bakers November 2012 - Shoo-Fly Cake

The good news is that I re-joined the Cake Slice Bakers.  The bad news is that everything seemed to conspire against me to get my baking done.  In all honesty 2012 hasn't been my favorite year, so I am really looking forward to 2013.

For those who may be unfamiliar, The Cake Slice consists of a dedicated group of bakers from all over the world.  Every year we bake from a different cake book.  In 2012 - 2013 we are baking from Vintage Cakes by Julie Richardson.  Each month a selection of cakes are presented and we vote on which cake to bake next from our current book.  We then have a month to bake it in secret before we all blog about it on the same day each month – the 20th – never before. We never reveal to anyone outside of the group which cake it is until this date.  There are a few rules that we follow but the most important one is to have fun and enjoy eating cake!  We have a blogroll which is open to anyone to view and it lists all the members.  We link to this at the end of our cake reveal posts each month and it can be also be found at The Cake Slice Blogroll.  

I was a little apprehensive about making this cake as molasses is not one of my favorite ingredients.  There is just something about the taste that makes me shudder.  Still, I was curious to see how it would turn out and committed to being faithful to the recipe for my first cake back in the group.

After mixing all of the ingredients together and getting ready to pour it into the prepared pan for baking, I was surprised at how thin the batter was.  It was not like any other cake batter I have ever made and reminded me a little of a crepe batter.  Into the pan it went, crumbs sprinkled on top and fingers crossed.     My cake did take longer than the suggested 45 minutes.  When I checked it it looked very "soupy" in the middle so I left it in for approximately 15 extra minutes.  In hindsight maybe an extra 10 minutes would have been better because it ended up a little dry.

The general consensus in my family was that this recipe would not be repeated.  Lets just say that there were a lot more than just the crumbs left on the plate.

Click here to check out the blogs of my fellow Cake Slice Baker's and see their cakes.

Shoo-Fly Cake
(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients:
Crumb Topping

• ⅓ cup firmly-packed brown sugar
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small cubes

Cake

• 1 cup sugar
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted
• ¾ cup unsulfured blackstrap molasses
• 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 cup warm coffee

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350℉ and grease a 9x2-inch round cake pan with butter.
2. To make crumb topping: combine the brown sugar and flour in a small bowl. Toss in the butter cubes and using your fingertips pinch it into dry mixture to form crumbs.  Place the bowl in the freezer while you make the cake.
3. To make the cake: in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, beat the sugar, butter, molasses, and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth. Blend in each egg one at a time.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; then whisk to ensure they are well blended.
5. Using a rubber spatula, stir the flour mixture into the batter in three additions, alternating with the coffee in two additions beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
6. Pour the thin batter into the prepared cake pan and sprinkle with your crumb topping.
7. Bake in the center of the oven until the top is firm, about 45 minutes.
8. Cool on a wire rack for about 30 minutes before serving warm from the pan.

Recipe from Vintage Cakes