Banana Cake with Banana Icing

Dear Readers, it has been so long since we shared.  There are many reasons for this, but really, none of them particularly matter, do they?  The fact of it is, I miss you.  I miss writing, I miss sharing what’s happening in my kitchen, I miss your feedback.  And so, I’m back.

This will not be the same as it once was; I will not be posting regularly, certainly not daily.  I will post as the mood strikes me, and hope that you are willing to visit me from time to time.

I was reading through my blog yesterday, and that was when I was really struck by how much I’ve missed this.  I was funny!  I was witty!  You liked my recipes!  And while I was reading it, I rediscovered my post on Chicken & Dumplings.  I had forgotten about that recipe!  Well I got really excited and decided to make that for dinner tonight.  And I am.  Then I remembered I had all of these bananas in the fridge that had gone over into “good-for-baking-country” and wanted the banana layer cake recipe I made once, a long, long time ago.

I couldn’t find it!

Was it possible that I did not share this with you??  It seems that this indeed is what happened.  And so now, I am remedying that.  Enjoy, dear Reader!

Ingredients

for the cake:
1/2 c unsalted butter
1 c sugar
2 eggs
2-1/4 c flour
1/8 tsp baking soda
2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c milk
1 c mashed bananas

for the icing
1/2 cup mashed banana
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp soft butter
4 cups icing sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375°F
2. Cream together the butter and sugar.
3. Add eggs, one at a time and mix until blended.
4. Sifted dry ingredients together, and add half to the wet ingredients.  Once blended, add the milk and blend again.  Add the last of the dry ingredients and blend again.
5. Mix in the mashed bananas and pour into your greased pans (2 round pans or 1 bundt)
6. Bake in two 8-inch layers in oven for 30 minutes, or in a bundt pan for 40 minutes
7. For the icing, combine the butter, lemon juice & bananas until well blended. Add in icing sugar and beat until combined, about 2-3 minutes.

 

Apricot Loaf

This is an absolute favourite of mine.  I only make it at Christmas time because I eat it.  All of it.  Without hesitating.  I admit, I am slowed down by the fact that it freezes really well, and so it’s harder to chew when it’s frozen.  But I love it that much that I have been known to eat it frozen.

This is one of my Mother-in-law’s, Pauline, recipes.  I had it for the first time, Christmas 2006 when we were on the Island to celebrate the season.  Just as an aside, Pauline makes an outstanding sweet tray.  And I am happy to say that her son learned very well from her, and wow.  If you ever need a sweet tray come holiday time, ask one of them!  But I digress.  When I asked for the recipe she happily gave it to me.  I was surprised to learn that it’s actually a cheese cake!  Not like you’d expect though.  It is an incredibly moist, flavourful loaf bursting with fresh, rich flavours.  And really, it’s pretty simple to make too.  Here’s what you do:

Ingredients
2 cups of water
½ cup light coloured raisins
1 cup dried apricots, dried
1 cup butter
8 oz cream cheese
1¼ cup white sugar
1½ tsp vanilla
4 eggs
2½ cups flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder

Method

1. Put the water, raisins, apricots (I often make this just with apricots.  If you are going to do this, just double the apricot measurement and omit the raisins) and ¼ cup sugar into a saucepan. With the cover on, bring to a boil and cook for 15 – 20 minutes, until fruit is soft and water has mostly evaporated. Remove from heat and allow to cool.  I usually dump the fruit out into a colander to help it cool faster.
2. While the fruit is cooking, preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease a bunt pan.
3. In a large bowl cream together the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, vanilla and eggs.
4. In a small bowl, stir the flour and baking powder with a whisk.
5. Add the fruit mixture to the cream cheese mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon.
6. Add the flour to the fruit and cheese mixture, stirring until combined.
7. Pour batter into the bunt pan and bake for 60-65 minutes.

Like I mentioned above, this freezes really well.  I generally cool it completely and then cut the cake into 3 pieces, immediately freezing two of them.  To do this, I wrap the cake in plastic wrap and then wrap it again in tin foil.  Then I just toss them in the freezer, and we have fresh cake on hand for any of the many sweet trays we make over the holiday season.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Cake

I know that I have previously identified myself as a lover of Chocolate (yes, I mean capital “C” Chocolate).  I don’t think though I have – as yet – given you my favourite, all-time, chocolate cake recipe.  Well, tonight I will.  And you have my mother-in-law to thank for this, dear Reader.  You see, yesterday was her birthday.  And today she arrived at Pearson International for a short visit with us.  Connor, Sam & I met her at the gate bearing flowers and “Happy Birthday” balloons.  It was so sweet.    And tonight, we had make-your-own-pizzas for dinner, and Chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream icing for dessert.  The cake?  Oh.  Oh sweet God in heaven.  The cake was sheer decadence.  Don’t believe me?  Here, try it for yourself:

Ingredients

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup olive oil (only oil that does not become trans-fat during the cooking process)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Method

1. Heat oven to 350°F.  Spray two 9-inch round baking pans with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Using a whisk, mix together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl.
3. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes.
4. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin) with a spoon or spatula. Pour batter into prepared pans.
5. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

This cake is amazingly delicious…  Especially iced with my buttercream icing (see step 8 for directions)…  Now, if you’re one to say that Chocolate cake needs Chocolate icing, just add 3 heaping tablespoons of cocoa to the ingredients for the buttercream icing and you’re golden.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Loaf

Do you love to go to Buffalo?  For shopping, for wings, for time with your Girls in “The Chamber Of Truth”???  I do.  For all of these things, but also because of Bob.  Bob Evans.  Do you know Bob?    Bob Evans is the name of a US chain of breakfast restaurants.  I looooove Bob.  One year my Hubby & I went to Buffalo for Black Friday.  YIKES!!!  That was madness people.  I was glad that there was a Bob Evans on hand to get me some breakfast though.    And that day, I tasted for the first time, pumpkin loaf.  Oh. My. God.  It was sooo good…  I came home and sought out a recipe that would compare, and after some trial and error, found this one.

I posted this recipe on my facebook page a little while ago.  The last time I made it though, I tweaked it.  Those changes are posted here.

Ingredients

3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 cups canned pure pumpkin – NOT pumpkin pie filling
4 eggs
1 cup olive oil
2/3 cup water
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the first eight ingredients.
2. Add pumpkin, eggs, oil, water and vanilla; mix well.
3. Pour into three greased 8-in. x 4-in. x 2-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

loaves freeze well, so make a batch and freeze the extras!

Amanda’s Vanilla Birthday Cake

Today is my sister’s birthday.  (Happy birthday sister!!)  Every year she gets a birthday pie.  I have told you my Mom’s pie is amazing.  It is.  And for her birthday, my sister always wants a apple pie.  On occaision though she will agree to have a cake.  But it has to be a vanilla cake with vanilla icing.  These are the rules.  And as a chocolate lover, it’s a hard one to follow!  And so years ago I searched for a good vanilla cake recipe.  I eventually found one, and now bake it quite often.  It is truly decadent.  Especially with my buttercream icing!

Ingredients

2 1/4 c all purpose flour
1 1/2 c sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 c unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 c milk
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs

For the icing:
1 500-g package of icing sugar
6 tbsp unsalted butter, throughouly softened
3-4 tbsp whipping cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
milk/water if needed

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. lightly butter 2 8″ cake pans, and line with waxed paper or parchment paper.
3. In a large bowl using fork, stir flour with sugar, baking powder and salt.
4. Cut butter into cubes and add to flour along with 3/4 c milk and vanilla.  Beat on low speed with electric mixer for one minute.
5. Add eggs and remainng 1/4 c milk.  Beat on low speed for 2 minutes.
6. Pour batter into prepared pans.  If making cupcakes, fill to 1/2 full.  Lightly tap pans on counter to release any air bubbles.
7. Bake in centre of oven until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean, about 35-40 mins Cool cakes in pan for 10 mins, turn out onto cooling racks and allow to stand until completely cool
8. For the icing: using a mixer, combine all ingredients until smooth.  If you find that the icing is too think (can happen when you use whipping cream as it gets stiff when beaten) add some water, 1/2 tsp at a time.
9. Frost the cake!  And serve.

This could be made into cupcakes (24), one 9×13 cake or even a bundt.  Baking times are 35-40 mins for one 9×13 or a bundt, 20-25 mins for cupcakes.  I use this recipe anytime white cake is called for.  I even used it for my son’s first birthday where I made an inchworm cake.

YUMMY!!!

Seriously: best. cake. ever.

Sam's first birthday cake