Blackberry-Raspberry Upside Down Cake ~ #TheCakeSliceBakers

Who doesn't like a vanilla cake with berries? This one can easily be adapted to feature your

favorite berries, is oh-so-easy to make, and a little whipped cream on the side makes it perfection.

Almond Pound Cake - #TheCakeSliceBakers

This is not your classic pound cake as it is buttery and crumbly, but it does

have a lovely almond flavor with a crunchy exterior.

Dacquoise Fraisier - #TheCakeSliceBakers

"There's nothing better than cake but more cake."

Nanaimo Bars ~ #CreativeCookieExchange

One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do, especially when making cookies.

Gluten-Free Almond-Raspberry Bundt Cake ~ #BundtBakers

"Don't despair over the food you can't have, remind yourself of all the good food that you can have."

The theme for #BundtBakers this month is Gluten-Free. I don't bake gluten-free very often, and I wondered if I should sit out this month.  One of my daughters tried going gluten-free for a while, so I made a few baked goods for her, but it didn't last long. However I love baking with the group and wanted to give it a try.  This recipe was originally just an almond bundt cake, but I love the combination of almond and raspberry.

This cake was made at the last moment since I mixed up my dates (I thought it was due next week - oops!) and had to bake it after work, so I was extremely grateful that it is easy to put together. I think that cleaning up afterwards took more time than getting it in the oven.  Instead of using the almond essence in the glaze I added some raspberry essence and it was the perfect touch of sweetness. As you can see from the photo below is was very easy to cut, and everyone agreed that it had a nice delicate crumb and was delicious.

If you would like to know more about #BundtBakers and see what the other bakers made for our Gluten-Free theme please scroll down below the recipe.

Gluten-Free Almond-Raspberry Bundt Cake 
Printer Friendly Recipe

Ingredients
Cake ~

• 235g (1½ cups) Gluten-Free Multipurpose Flour (that contains xanthan gum)
• 145g (1½ cups) almond flour
• 300g (1½ cups) granulated sugar
• 115g (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 25ml (2 tablespoons) vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 4 large eggs
• 152ml (⅔ cup) milk, at room temperature
• 200g (1⅔ cup) fresh raspberries

Glaze ~

• 125g (1¼ cups) confectioners' sugar
• ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon almond extract or 1 drop bitter almond oil
• 30g to 45ml (2 to 3 tablespoons) heavy cream

Preparation

Cake ~

1. Preheat the oven to 165℃ (325°F).
2. Spray a standard-size Bundt pan with baking spray; set aside
3. To make the cake: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours and xanthan gum.
4. In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the sugar, butter, oil, salt, baking powder, and vanilla and almond extracts until smooth and fluffy. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl once to incorporate any unmixed ingredients.
5. Beat in the eggs one at a time; the mixture should become quite fluffy and light. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, and beat briefly.
6. Gently stir in the milk alternately with the flour mixture, one-third at a time, ending with the flour mixture. Scrape the bowl once more, and gently beat for 1 minute.
7. Gently fold in the raspberries.
8. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan.
9. Bake the cake for 60 to 70 minutes, about 3 to 4 minutes past the point where the cake springs back when touched lightly in the center and a cake tester (or toothpick) inserted into the center comes out clean.
10. Remove the cake from the oven, and cool it in the pan for 15 minutes before turning it out onto a rack to cool completely.

Glaze ~

1. Whisk the glaze ingredients together and drizzle over the cooled cake.

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on the BundtBakers home page. Many thanks to Stacy from Food Lust People Love, who is not only the host this month, but also the one who keeps everything in good working order here at #BundtBakers.  Thanks Stacy for all you do.

And don’t forget to take a peek at what other talented bakers have baked this month ~

• Buckwheat Bundt Cake with Red Fruits Jam from Pat y Co. Candy Bar
• Clementine Almond Bundt from Food Lust People Love
• Coconut Rum Gluten-Free Bundt from Sweet Sensations
• Gluten-Free Sweet Cornbread Bund Caket from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Flourless Carrot Cake from Sneha's Recipe
• Gluten Free Chocolate Bundt Cake from I Love Bundt Cakes
• Gluten Free Holiday Rum Cake from The Queen of Scones
• Gluten-Free Almond-Raspberry Bundt Cake from All That's Left Are The Crumbs
• Gluten-Free Carrot Bundt Cake from Merce's Cake

The Cake Slice Bakers April 2013 - Lemon and Almond Streamliner Cake

The Cake Slice Baker's had spoken, vote was in, and this month's cake to be baked from Vintage Cakes was to be the Lemon and Almond Streamliner. I don't know about you but I have never heard of a "streamliner" cake before, and actually incorrectly called it a steamliner when I first started typing up this post.  The author of Vintage Cakes, Julie Richardson also had trouble finding out the conclusive reason as to why it was called a streamliner, deciding that it could have been named after "the streamlined trains and automobiles of the early twentieth century" or the "china made by the Salem China Company in the 1930's".  If I had to guess I would say that the name does have something to do with the streamlined trains, but might have more to do with a cake that was made and served on the train that became very popular leading people to say something like "I can't wait to have a slice of that streamliner cake".

I had mixed feelings about this cake because I had never really been a big fan of almond paste-flavored treats, but I loved the idea of a cake topped with lemon curd. However, I have learned that our tastes can change over the years, so I went on a search for almond paste.  I was pleasantly surprised to find a can of it in the first place I looked.  I took this as a sign that this was going to be a good cake.

The first step was to make the lemon curd so that it could cool down before use. It has a good amount of lemon zest and lemon juice, and I found that I could have just used a spoon and eaten it straight from the bowl.  Sensibility took over and I managed to get it covered with the plastic wrap before too much was devoured. The cake was next on the list, and once I had everything measured and ready to go it came together very quickly, and was actually baked in 40 minutes.  The recipes does state a little longer so keep an eye on your cake, especially if your oven runs a little hot.

It was hard for me to wait for the cake to cool down so I could assemble it.  I swear that I did wait the recommended 30 minutes but when I was inverting the cake onto the rack it cracked across the top and I had to do a quick save to stop it from splitting in half.  Next time I would leave it to cool at least another 15-30 minutes. It wasn't a big deal because I knew that the cake was going to be topped with the lemon curd anyway.

After a few bites of this cake my advice is that you run, not walk, out to get the ingredients so that you can bake it. My initial worries about the almond paste were completely unfounded.  I loved everything about this cake from the soft crumbs, the subtle taste of the almond, and that oh-so-good lemon topping. This cake is definitely one of those cakes that will impress people and have them begging for you to give them the recipe.

Only the crumbs and a lemon slice were left

Please click here to visit my fellow Cake Slice Bakers blogs to see their cakes.  And don't forget to check out our Facebook page.



Lemon and Almond Streamliner Cake

(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients
Custard

• Grated zest of 2 lemons
• ¾ cup whole milk
• ½ cup sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• ½ cup lemon juice (from approximately 3 lemons)
• ½ cup unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Cake

• 1¼ cups (5 ounces) sifted cake flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¾ cup almond paste, at room temperature
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ⅔ cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• ⅔ cup buttermilk, at room temperature

Preparation
Custard

1. To make the lemon custard, combine the lemon zest, milk, and ¼ cup of the sugar in a medium saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until just hot. 
2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, thoroughly whisk together the egg yolks, the remaining ¼ cup of sugar, and the salt until well combined, then whisk in the cornstarch, then the lemon juice.
3. Slowly whisk a third of the hot liquid into the yolk mixture. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan with the hot milk and cook over medium-low heat, whisking steadily, until the custard begins to thicken and bubble for 1 minute (you will need to stop whisking for a moment to check if it is bubbling).
4. Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl and whisk in the butter until it has melted. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly upon the surface of the custard and place in the refrigerator to cool for about 2 hours. The custard is easiest to work with once it has set. 

Cake

1. Center an oven rack and preheat the oven to 350°F; grease a 9- x 2-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with a parchment paper circle. 
2. To make the cake, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, then whisk the mixture to ensure that the ingredients are well mixed. 
3. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the almond paste, butter, sugar, canola oil, and vanilla on low speed until blended; gradually increase the speed to high and cream until very light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes, stopping the mixer frequently to scrape the paddle and the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. 
4. Blend in the eggs one at a time, adding the next one as soon as the previous one has disappeared into the batter. 
5. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk in two parts, beginning and ending with the flour. After each addition, mix until just barely blended and stop and scrape the bowl. Stop the mixer before the last of the flour has been incorporated and complete the blending by hand with a rubber spatula to ensure you do not overbeat the batter. 
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Rap the pan firmly on the counter to release any air bubbles. Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake until the cake is a deep golden color and a wooden skewer poked in the middle comes out just barely clean, 42 to 45 minutes. The cake might crack on the surface as it bakes; don't worry, this simply provides a way for the cake to soak up more of the lemon custard. 
7. Cool the cake in its pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Gently invert the cake onto the rack, leaving on the parchment paper until you assemble the cake. Flip the cake right side up and continue to cool the cake on the rack until it reaches room temperature. 
8. To finish the cake, remove the parchment paper and place the cake right side up on a flat plate. Using a metal spatula, spread a thin layer of the lemon custard on the sides of the cake to seal the cake and give it a light shine. Put the rest of the lemon custard on top of the cake, spreading it just barely out to the edge. Use your spatula to make a swirly design in the custard on the top of the cake. Allow the assembled cake (or really, the lemon custard) to set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. 
9. Bring the cake to room temperature before serving (this will take about an hour). Any leftover cake keeps in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Cake from Vintage Cakes by Julie Richardson

The Cake Slice Bakers March 2012 - Honey Bee Cake

The time has once again flown by and it is time for the March edition of the Cake Slice Bakers.  Votes were counted and the winning recipe this month was the Honey Bee Cake.  This is our 5th cake from Vintage Cakes by Julie Richardson, and I have to say that this is my favorite so far.





I decided that I wanted to use a local honey for this recipe.  After visiting the Kapi'olani Farmers' Market last week, and trying a few different samples, I decided upon an Ewa Kiawe honey from Nalo Meli Hawaiian Honey, which specializes in unique local raw honeys that are fresh from the hive.






It was amazing how quickly this cake came together.  I know the recipe calls for sifting the dry ingredients but to be honest I put them all in a large bowl and gave them a good whisk and that was that. Before I knew it the cake was in the oven and I was getting the honey glaze ready.  After 45 minutes the cake was out of the oven and ready to be drenched in the honey mixture and a sprinkling of toasted almonds.

My family raved about this cake - both the texture and flavor - so I know it will not last long.  I think that the only change I would make would be to double the amount of the honey glaze.  After pouring half of the glaze over the cake I didn't feel like it had covered enough of the cake, but I knew I needed the remaining amount to pour over the top of the almonds.  I ended up using a little more glaze on the cake, pouring what was left over the nuts, and then drizzling a little pure honey over the top for good measure.

It is always interesting to see different interpretations and opinions of the same cake so please click here to see the cakes of my fellow Cake Slice Bakers.  Also, the Cake Slice Bakers now have a Facebook page now so make sure you check it out soon.

Honey Bee Cake

Printer Friendly Version

Ingredients

Cake

• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• ¾ cup sugar
• ⅓ cup honey
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 egg yolk, room temperature
• ¾ cup buttermilk, room temperature

Glaze

• ½ cup honey
• ¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• ½ cup of sliced almonds, toasted 

Preparation

1. Center an oven rack and preheat the oven to 350℉. 
2. Prepare a 9″x3″ non-stick springform pan (grease the pan with butter and line the bottom with parchment).
3. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt, then whisk to combine. 
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar, honey, and vanilla on low speed until blended; increase the speed to high and cream until very light and fluffy, about 5 to 7 minutes, stopping the mixer frequently to scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle paddle.
5. Blend in the eggs and egg yolk one at a time.
6. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk in two parts, beginning and ending with the flour. After each addition, mix until just barely blended and stop to scrape the bowl. Stop the mixer before the last of the flour has been incorporated and complete the mixing by hand with a spatula to make sure that you don't over-beat the batter.
7. Spread the thick batter evenly into the prepared pan.  Tap the pan firmly on the counter to release any air bubbles.
8. Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes. The cake will be a deep golden color and be firm on top, and a skewer inserted in the middle will have moist crumbs attached. The cake may crack on the surface as it bakes, but this provides a way for the cake to soak up the honey glaze.
9. While the cake is baking, make the glaze in a small saucepan by combining the honey, sugar, and butter over medium heat until combined.  Bring the mixture to just barely to a simmer.  Turn off the heat but leave the saucepan on the burner to keep warm. 
10. Remove the cake from the oven and poke holes all over the top of the cake with a wooden skewer. Pour half of the glaze on the cake, evenly sprinkle the cake with the almonds, then pour the rest of glaze over the almonds. 
11. Place the cake back in the center of the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
12. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for about 1 hour.  To remove the cake from the springform pan, remove the side before gently flipping the cake over onto a plate to remove the parchment paper. Then place serving plate over the cake and flip it back over again.
13. Serve just barely warm.
14. Thanks to the honey, this cake will keep for 5 days when wrapped and stored at room temperature.

Vintage Cakes by Julie Richardson

The Cake Slice May 2011 - Orange Almond Caramel Upside-Down Cake

OK, is it just me or has the last month flown by?  I can't believe that this time last month I was in Australia visiting my eldest daughter.  I really would like time to slow down just a little bit so that it actually seems like there are 24 hours in a day.  Thankfully next week school is out for the summer and we can start to relax a little.

I can tell you, after a world-wide vote by the Cake Slice Baker's, the numbers are in - the results after the break.  Sorry, a little too much American Idol (even though I swore I would never watch again after my favorite didn't win a few years ago).  We are continuing to bake from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman, and this month it is an Orange Almond Caramel Upside-Down Cake.

Since we have a Costco-size bag of Cara Cara Oranges I decided to zest and juice a couple for the batter, and also cut a few very thin slices for the top of the cake. I thought the slices on top of the cake would be a nice complement to the orange-flavored cake. 

Our verdict was two thumbs up.   My husband especially liked the contrast between the soft cake, the crunchy toffee-like almonds, and the tangy slices of orange.  I think this will be yet another cake that I won't need the cake keeper for.

I am looking forward to seeing all of the other Cake Slice members cakes.  Join me in checking out their blogs by clicking on this link.

Orange Almond Caramel Upside-Down Cake
(Printer Friendly Recipe)
 
Ingredients

Topping

• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
• ⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
• ¼ cup honey
• 5 thin slices orange, rind removed 
  

Cake

• 1½ cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup orange juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp grated orange zest

Preparation

Topping

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. Grease a 9 inch round non stick cake pan and line the base with parchment paper, then dust with flour.
3. Spread the nuts on a baking tray and toast until golden, 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until foaming.
5. Whisk in the brown sugar, turn the heat to low, and cook, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes.
6. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula.
7. Drizzle over the honey, lay orange slices on top, and scatter over the toasted nuts.

Cake

1. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
2. Combine the sour cream, eggs, orange juice and vanilla in a glass measuring cup and beat lightly.
3. Combine the butter and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Stir in the orange zest.
4. With the mixer on medium-low speed, pour the egg mixture into the bowl in a slow stream, stopping the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides.
5. Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture, ½ cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Then mix of 30 seconds on medium speed.
6. Pour the batter over the almonds, gently spreading it into an even layer.
7. Bake until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.
8. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let stand for 5 minutes.
9. Holding the pan and a plate together firmly with oven mitts, invert the hot cake onto the plate.
10. Peel away the parchment paper. If necessary, replace any almonds stuck to the base of the pan.
11. Let the cake cool for 20 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.
12. Store uneaten cake in a cake keeper or wrap and store at room temperature for up to 2 days.
13. Makes one 9 inch round cake.

Recipe from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman.