Baklava Bundt Cake ~ #BundtBakers

Did you know that Baklava is the ancestor of strudel? It also shines when

turned into a bundt cake.

Double Chocolate Cherry Biscotti

A few days ago I was doing my regular sweep of my favorite blogs and saw on Roxana's Home Baking that it was the 1st anniversary of the #chocolate party. I knew that I needed to join in on this fun event.  To celebrate we were asked to bake our family's favorite chocolate dessert.

Is it weird that one of our favorite desserts is biscotti? I know that when most people think of their favorite chocolate dessert they don't necessarily think of cookies. Now don't get me wrong, I love an ooey, gooey, decadent chocolate dessert as much as the next person - for example these Mexican Chocolate Crunch Brownies - but I don't always have time for them during the week. Biscotti on the other hand is something that I can bake over the weekend and then enjoy with my coffee after dinner, or even crumble it over a bowl of vanilla ice cream. It is also the perfect treat for my girls to enjoy when they are craving something sweet, but not too big, as they finish off their homework.

This biscotti is double the chocolate fun - cocoa and chocolate chips - and has dried cherries added to give them a little tartness.  I love chocolate and cherries together, as you would guess if you saw my secret stash of Cherry Ripe candy bars.  I can't tell you where I hide them because they are a prized possession in this household.  They are only available in Australia (or via mail-order which can be pricey) so I don't get them very often and I treat them like rations - open only in case of an emergency.

I based my recipe on one that I use from The Craft of Baking. The original recipe contained walnuts which are great, but I subbed them out for dried cherries. Be warned that the dough for these biscotti is quite wet so you may look a little like you have been playing in mud by the time you have them shaped them on the baking sheet. Just make sure you have everything set up before you put your hands in the bowl. Also, I find that mini chocolate chips work best in this recipe, but I only had regular on hand so I went with that.  These biscotti will last up to three weeks in an airtight container at room temperature, but they are gone in our household well before then.

The Chocolate Party is going on for the month of September and it is so easy to join in the fun.  All you have to do is bring your favorite chocolate dessert to Roxana's Home Baking #chocolate party and win amazing prizes from OXO, Calphalon, Keurig, Imperial Sugar, Honey Ridge Farms and Land O'LakesⓇ Butter.  I can't wait to go and check all of the amazing chocolate treats that have been brought to the party.


Double Chocolate Cherry Biscotti
(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
• ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces and at room temperature
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup dried cherries
• ½ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, cocoa, both sugars, butter, baking soda, and salt. Beat on low speed until all ingredients are well combined and the butter is no longer visible (about 4 minutes).
3. In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, espresso powder, and vanilla.
4. Add egg mixture to the flour mixture and beat on low speed to combine.
5. Add the dried cherries and chocolate chips and beat to combine.
6. Turn out the dough on a generously floured work surface and divide in half. Shape each portion into a 16x2-inch log, and carefully transfer each one to the prepared baking sheets.
7. Bake, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until the logs are firm to touch, about 20 minutes. Transfer the logs, still on the parchment paper, to a wire rack and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 300℉.
8. Transfer the warm logs to a cutting board and, using a serrated knife, cut the logs on the diagonal into ⅓-inch-thick slices.
9. Arrange the slices, cut side up, on the parchment covered baking sheet.
10. Bake for 30 minutes and remove baking sheets from the oven and flip each biscotti piece over.
11. Return baking sheets to the oven and continue to bake for another 30 minutes and the biscotti are dry and firm to touch.
12. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the biscotti cool completely.

Recipe adapted by ATLATC from The Craft of Baking.

Banana-Caramel Bundt Cake #BundtaMonth

I am so excited that I have been able to join the BundtaMonth group.  This group formed out of the love of bundt cakes and, seriously, who doesn't love a good cup of coffee and a slice of bundt cake? It would seem that I joined right at the right time as they are celebrating their anniversary so the theme is "fancy". I look forward to both baking along with the group and getting to know everyone a little better.

To be honest I was a little nervous about what I should bake to celebrate this occasion. You know, kind of like the first day of school or a new job where you want to make a good impression and fit in with everyone?  Since I had recently purchased a new cookbook, The Australian Women's Weekly 100 Classic Cakes, and I am originally from Australia, I thought it would be fun to see if I could find something there that might work.  There were a couple that caught my eye but I finally settled on the Banana-Caramel Bundt Cake. Splitting a bundt into three layers and smothering each one with banana and dulce de leche seemed to suggest a special occasion.

If you have not had the pleasure of tasting dulce de leche I suggest you immediately go out and find it, and then try not to just stick your spoon in and eat it straight from the can.  Dulce de leche has only recently become available in my area, but if you cannot find it there is a method to make it from a can of condensed milk.  One time I even made it without even knowing as I left a can of condensed milk in the back of a warm cupboard and when I opened it I found it had become dulce de leche.

The original recipe for this Banana-Caramel Bundt Cake did include whipped cream in the layers too, but I was not intending to eat the cake the same day so I omitted this. After slicing a small piece I will say that I found the cake a little on the dry side.  To alleviate this problem I will probably substitute the milk for some buttermilk to see if it can add some moistness to the cake. Other than that it was quite decadent.

Here’s how you can be a part of Bundt-a-Month:

• Simple rule: Bake us a fancy bundt
• Post it before September 30, 2013
• Use the #BundtaMonth hashtag in your title. (For ex: title could read – #BundtaMonth: Fancy Bundt)
• Add your entry to the Linky tool below
• Link back to our announcement posts

Even more bundt fun! Follow Bundt-a-Month on Facebook where we feature all our gorgeous bundt cakes. Or head over to our Pinterest board for inspiration and choose from hundreds of Bundt cake recipes.


And don't forget to check out the wonderful "fancy" bundts baked by my fellow BundtaMonth bakers in celebration of our anniversary.

• Banana-Caramel Bundt Cake by Felice at All That's Left Are The Crumbs
• Caramel Latte Bundt Cake by Heather at Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Chocolate and Wine Bundt from Holly at A Baker's House
• Cinnamon Chocolate Bundt Cake by Alice at Hip Foodie Mom
• Devil's Food Bundt Cake with Caramel Glaze by Lora at Cake Duchess
• Funfetti Pudding Cake by Kate at Food Babbles
• Hong Kong Chiffon Mini Cakes by Kim at Ninja Baking
• Lemon Frangipane Bundt Cake by Paula at Vintage Kitchen Notes
• Little Bundt Pound Cakes by Renee at Magnolia Days
• Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Bundt Cake by Anuradha at Baker Street
• Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Bundt by Anita at Hungry Couple
• Rose Mini Bundt Cakes by Veronica at My Catholic Kitchen
• Simple Orange Bundt Cake by Kathya at Basic N Delicious
• Streusel Apple Bundt Cake by Laura at The Spiced Life
• Triple Chocolate Mini Bundts by Stacy at Food Lust People Love
• White Chocolate Bundt with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting by Sandra at Sweet Sensations

Banana-Caramel Bundt Cake
(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients

• 6oz butter, softened
• 1¼ cups sugar
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 2¼ cups self-rising flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1¼ cups mashed banana
• ⅓ cup milk
• 1 13.4oz can dulce de leche
• 1 large banana, thinly sliced
• powdered sugar to dust

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350℉.  
2. Spray a bundt pan with baking spray.
3. In a large bowl place flour, baking soda, and salt and whisk to combine.  Set aside.
4. In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
5. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 
6. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk in two parts, beginning and ending with the flour.
7. Using a spatula, gently fold in the banana.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Rap the pan firmly on the counter to release any air bubbles. 
9. 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, about 50 minutes.
10. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then remove and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
11. To assemble the cake thinly slice the banana.  Split the cake into three layers and spread the bottom layer of the cake with half of the dulce de leche and top with half of the banana slices. Place the middle layer of the cake on top and repeat with the next layer using the remaining caramel and banana slices.  Top with the remaining layer and dust with icing sugar before serving.

Recipe slightly adapted from The Australian Women's Weekly 100 Classic Cakes.