Banana Chocolate Cake

My grandson wanted to bake a cake with me. I think he actually liked the licking-out-the-bowl part the best and I actually was most thrilled that he came up with the idea about combining banana bread and chocolate cake.

I looked through my recipes for endless variations of banana bread. And chocolate cake. I fooled around with them, combining this and that from several of the recipes and came up with the one here. It's dairy-free, so his sister, my 3-1/2 year-old grand daughter, could eat some too. And we added some chocolate chips, just for good measure.

He did like the licking-out-the-bowl thing.

He also told me the cake was too dry. But I think that was because the temperature indicator on my oven has been cleaned so often for so many years that the numbers have disappeared and I can only estimate the proper cooking temperature. I do have an oven thermometer but that also needs "updating." so I don't know if the cake baked at exactly the right temperature.

Also, I forgot to set the timer.

Anyway, everyone else declared the cake delicious. Even my grandson said it was and would want it again when I finally decide what oven I want to get to replace the old one.

So here it is, the creation.

Banana Cocoa Chocolate Chip Cake

• 1-3/4 cups flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 large very ripe bananas, mashed
• 4 eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch (8-cup) bundt pan. Mix the flour, cocoa, salt, cinnamon and baking soda together in a bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the shortening and sugar at medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until well blended. Add the bananas and blend them in thoroughly. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and blend them in thoroughly. Add the flour mixture and beat until batter is well blended. Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 60-70 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove to a cake rack to cool completely.

Makes 16-18 servings

Passover Orange Almond Cake

A few weeks ago I was going through my Passover recipes file and came across a recipe for Italian Almond Cake with Poached Fruit from the Jerusalem Post. Unfortunately, it didn't say whose recipe it was. Also I didn't have the second page of instructions.

I made some changes and figured out how to proceed based on similar cakes I've baked.

 First, I converted all the metric measurements. 

I figured out how much, in cups, came from 3/4 cup whole almonds.

I didn't use blanched almonds, figuring that almonds with skin were just as good.

I switched to coconut oil because I don't like margarine. 

I deleted the liquor and used orange juice instead, and added some freshly grated orange peel. 

I separated the eggs and whipped the whites with sugar to provide a lighter texture than I thought the cake would have without fluffed whites.

I didn't serve it with poached fruit (I used fresh oranges and sorbet).

Some would say that with all these changes the recipe is now mine, and I understand that.

Still, the cake was delicious and I would have preferred to give credit!

Btw, it's gluten free!

Here's my version of Passover Orange-Almond Cake.

Passover Orange Almond Cake

• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 1 cup ground almonds
• 6 tablespoons plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh orange peel
• 1/4 cup potato starch

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a small amount of the coconut oil, lightly grease an 8-inch round cake pan, line the bottom with parchment paper and lightly grease the paper. Set aside. Melt the remaining coconut oil and set aside to cool. Place the almonds and 6 tablespoons sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and stir at low speed for a minute until the ingredients are well distributed. Add the egg yolks, orange juice and orange peel and beat them in at medium speed for about one minute. Stir in the potato starch. Stir in the cooled coconut oil. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites for 1-2 minutes, going from low to high speed, or until the whites stand in soft peaks. Add the remaining sugar and beat until the mixture stands in stiff peaks. Fold them into the almond mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Makes 6-8 servings

Apple Bundt Cake

I've been hearing a lot about Minnesota in recent days, probably because of politics. Both the Democratic and Republican caucuses are on March 1st, a/k/a Super Tuesday.

But someone on Facebook also posted quiz about Minnesota foods. You had to pick the state specialties from a group of choices to determine whether you actually came from there. 

I didn't. 

I knew that!

But I wanted to see if any of the foods was familiar anyway, and was surprised that I knew as many as I did. My result was something like: I may have been born and raised in Minnesota but probably moved away.

Nope. I haven't even been to visit Minnesota although I would like to.

One thing I was surprised about though. Minnesota is the home of bundt pan and bundt cake, and they didn't include that in that quiz!

Millions and millions of people throughout the United States -- the world, even -- have a bundt pan. The original one was trademarked by H. David Dalquist, founder of Minneapolis, Minnesota based Nordic Ware in 1950 (the Nordic Ware website does give credit to Dave's wife Dotty for her part in creating this cake pan). Apparently there was a baking contest sometime in the 1950s and a bundt cake won and thus the popularity of the now familiar dessert was assured.

So, okay Minnesota. I know there is such a thing as National Bundt Cake Day (November 15th, which happens to be my wedding anniversary so I will have to remember that later this year) but I made this one in honor of your day in the political sun (along with all the other Super Tuesday States) and may the best man/woman win. In any event, this cake is a winner.

Apple Bundt Cake

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 large, tart apples, peeled and chopped
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs
• 1-1/4 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a bundt pan. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl and set aside. Mix the apples, 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl and set aside. Place the vegetable oil and eggs in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat at medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until thoroughly blended. Add the 1-1/4 cups sugar and beat for another 2 minutes or until thoroughly blended. Add the orange juice and vanilla extract and beat for another minute. Add the flour mixture and beat for another minute or until the batter is smooth and uniform. Spoon about 1/3 of the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Add 1/2 the apple mixture. Cover with another 1/3 of the batter, top with remaining apples and cover with remaining batter. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Invert onto a cake rack to cool completely.

Makes 12 servings

What To Do With All That Leftover Pumpkin

Every year around this time food writers offer up suggestions about what to do with "all that leftover pumpkin" from Hallowe'en. As if we actually use our jack-o-lanterns to make homemade fresh mashed pumpkin.

No, really!

Actually, because I am a food writer, I do cook one small pumpkin but, most of the time I use the canned stuff, like most everyone else.

Even so, I am always looking for new recipes for "all that leftover pumpkin" and I found a fabulous one this season: Pumpkin Crumb Cake from Miriam Pascal's new book: Something Sweet.

This cake is my kind of dessert. Dense, gently spicy, a sweet top crumb over cake that's not overly sugary. Wonderful with coffee. 

I believe that when you get a cookbook with even one good recipe it is worth the purchase.

And I figured if this recipe was so good, I might find others too.

So I made the Flourless Fudge Cookies, which I'll have to remember next Passover because my family gobbled down all 30 cookies rather quickly.

The Healthy Summer Fruit Crumbles were another winner.

Yes, you can see I am more the coffee cake/granola type. There's a lot in the book for me (yeast dough, Oatmeal Cookie Wedges, Sweet and Spicy Roasted Nuts). But there's plenty in this book for those with a bigger sweet tooth (Chocolate Chip Peanut Pie, for instance, drizzled with chocolate sauce! Or Rice Krispie Treat Truffles!). There are also chapters on beverages, candies, frostings, over and above the usual cakes, cookies, pies and pastries.

There are some handy points too. For example, each recipe indicates whether it is dairy or dairy-free (pareve), a nice addition for kosher keepers and those who are lactose-intolerant. And there are suggestions on how to use sugar substitutes for those who do, recipe variations, tips, (including how to plan a recipe ahead), as well as baking guide with info about equipment, ingredients and substitutions. 

For all those who are looking for a good recipe to use up "all that leftover pumpkin" here's Miriam's recipe. 

Pumpkin Crumb Cake

Recipe from Something Sweet by Miriam Pascal

Reproduced with permission from the copyright holders, ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications

Pareve | Yield: 10-12 servings

Who can resist a crumb cake? The only thing better than that dense cake on the bottom is the thick layer of cinnamon-y crumbs it’s topped with. I couldn’t resist doing a non-traditional take on this popular dessert, so I came up with this fall-inspired version. It’s full of cinnamon, spice, and, of course, pumpkin. And while I’m not going to claim that this is healthful, the sour cream you’ll usually find in crumb cake has been swapped out for pumpkin, so you’re definitely saving calories there.

CRUMBS

¹⁄3 cup sugar

¾ cup brown sugar

3 teaspoons cinnamon

pinch salt

1¾ cups flour

¾ cup oil

CAKE

1 cup oil

1 cup sugar

½ cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin purée (see Note)

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2½ cups flour

1.     Preheat oven to 325ºF. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch pan; set aside.

2.     Prepare the crumbs: Combine sugars, cinnamon, salt, and flour in a small bowl. Add oil; mix until combined and crumbs form. Set aside.

3.     Prepare the batter: In the bowl of an electric mixer, on medium speed, beat together oil and sugars until smooth.

4.     Add eggs, pumpkin purée, vanilla, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat until combined.

5.     Reduce mixer speed to low. Add flour gradually, beating until justcombined. Do not overmix.

6.     Pour batter into prepared pan. Cover entire surface of the cake with prepared crumbs (there will be a very thick layer of crumbs).

7.     Bake for about 1 hour, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean

Note Be sure not to use canned pumpkin pie filling, as it has ingredients not needed here. Of course, homemade pumpkin purée is great, too.

Plan Ahead This cake freezes well in an airtight container. For best results, freeze whole and cut into squares just before serving.

Banana Spice Cake

Break-the-Fast desserts aren't typically gooey or loaded with sugar or dripping with icing. This is the time for lighter treats. Babka and Zimsterne cookies rather than chocolate cake with caramel sauce. 

So I made banana cake for the upcoming holiday.

To go with the rugelach, mandel bread and butter cookies. 

This version is moist and gently spicy to give it a hint of autumn. It's also rich and sweet without being heavy and cloying.

Freezable too. 

Banana Yogurt Spice Cake

• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting the pan
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 very ripe medium bananas, mashed
• 1 cup plain yogurt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a (10-inch) 8-cup bundt pan. Mix the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves together in a bowl and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer set at medium speed, beat the sugar and eggs for 2-3 minutes or until well blended. Add the vegetable oil and vanilla extract and beat for one minute or until thoroughly blended. Add the bananas and yogurt and mix for 1-2 minutes. Add the flour mixture and mix until the batter is thoroughly blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove to a cake rack to cool completely.

Makes 12-16 servings

Banana Bread with Blueberries

When I saw purple prune plums for sale last week I realized that summer is almost over. This plum variety is usually a September fruit but everything seems to be growing earlier or quicker this year or maybe it's just that I'm growing older and life is flying by faster.

Fortunately the peaches are still lush and sweet, the tomatoes juicy, so there's that.

But fall is coming and alas, the blueberries are past prime. I bought a couple of pint boxes and found that their up-to-now summer flavor has faded.

I decided the leftovers were best used as a secondary player, not the star. And at that they were perfect.

 

Banana Bread with Blueberries

• 2-½ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting the pan
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 very ripe medium bananas, mashed
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 cup blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a (10-inch) 8-cup bundt pan. Mix the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and lemon peel together in a bowl and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer set at medium speed, beat the sugar and eggs for 2-3 minutes or until well blended. Add the vegetable oil and vanilla extract and beat for one minute or until thoroughly blended. Add the bananas and yogurt and beat them in. Add the flour mixture and beat until the batter is well blended. Fold in the blueberries. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove to a cake rack to cool completely.

Makes one bread, serving 12-16

Variations on a Recipe Theme

Lois Held, a colleague of mine in the food business, posted a recipe for Sour Cream Plum Cake on Facebook the other day. The photo of the cake looked so fabulous that I couldn't wait to try it.

So I did. Except I didn't have all the ingredients, so I varied it a little and it came out just fine -- as fabulous to eat as her photo looked. My cake may not be as gorgeous as hers because as I took it out of the oven to cool on the rack, I dropped it -- fortunately I was able to catch it, although a hunk or two came off. I patched it together for the photo.

Thanks here to Burn jel for that marvelous stuff that's now on the burns on my hands.

The cake has a light, soft and fluffy texture. Not overly sweet taste. Perfect for a post-dairy or fish dinner.

And hey! It's National Cherry Day, so there's an extra reason to bake this one.

 

SOUR CREAM CHERRY CAKE

• 1-1/2 cups sifted cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 3/4 cup sugar, divided (1/2 and 1/4)
• 2 Tablespoons orange flavored brandy
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh orange peel
• 2 cups halved, fresh cherries
• Powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch spring form pan. Combine the sifted cake flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. Beat the cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer set at medium for about 2 minutes, or until softened and fluffy. Add the sour cream and beat for a minute or until thoroughly blended in. Transfer the cream cheese mixture to a regular mixing bowl. Wash the mixer bowl, add the egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the sugar and beat at medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until thick and pale. Add the cream cheese mixture, brandy and orange peel and beat at medium speed for 1-2 minutes or until blended. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with a whisk attachment, starting at medium speed, then gradually increasing to high speed for 1-2 minutes or until foamy. Add remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold the flour mixture into the cream cheese/egg mixture. Fold in the beaten egg whites. Pour the batter into the prepared spring form pan. Scatter the cherries on top of batter.

Bake for 45-60 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a cake rack for 5 minutes. Remove the sides of the pan. Just before serving, sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 8-10 servings

NOTE: can add grated lemon rind if desired. Or use vanilla extract. Or both.

Cranberry Cheese Cake

Many years ago I was one of three judges at a cheese cake contest sponsored by a local cookware shop. We were told that 50 people had entered and would be bringing their cakes over.

Fifty cakes!

Fortunately only 32 people showed up. My first thought was about what might have happened to those other people. Did they just decide not to bother or had their cakes not come out right?

My second thought -- how am I going to eat -- even small samples -- of 32 cakes!

But, I was younger and thinner then and so I soldiered on.

There were some incredibly elaborate versions -- one was swirled with gorgeous white chocolate leaves, another was drizzled with thick, viscous drippings of autumn-leaf-colored caramel.

But frankly, we all thought the best cakes were the simplest ones. The ones where you could actually taste the cheese in the cheese cake. Like classic New York Cheese Cake. Or, if adorned, only simply, with some glazed fresh fruit.

And so, in this season of cheese cakes (it's the number one food for Shavuot), I offer a simple cheese cake. You can absolutely taste the lush, creamy cheese. It isn't overloaded with sugar or chocolate. There is a fruit top, made with fresh cranberries, which are tart and acidic and do a fabulous job balancing out the dense, rich cake beneath.

Or, you can serve the cake plain, maybe garnishing with a sprinkle or two of confectioner's sugar.

 

Cranberry Cheese Cake

• 1-1/2  teaspoons butter
• 1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1-1/2 pounds cream cheese (3-8 ounce packages)
• 2 teaspoons grated orange peel
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1/3 cup dairy sour cream or unflavored yogurt

 Topping:

• 2 cups fresh cranberries
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in one tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon grated orange peel

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the butter on the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Sprinkle the inside of the pan with the graham cracker crumbs. Shake the pan to coat it evenly. Beat the cream cheese in an electric mixer at medium speed for 1-2 minutes or until softened and smooth. Add the orange peel, vanilla, cream and sugar and beat for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in the sour cream. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Place the springform pan inside a larger pan. Fill the larger pan with enough hot water to come at least 1-inch up the sides of the baking dish. Bake for 70-75 minutes or until the top of the cake is tanning lightly. Remove the springform pan from the water and let the cake cool. When the cake is at room temperature, refrigerate it at least 4 hours or until thoroughly chilled. Remove the sides of the pan. Spread the topping over the cake.

 Topping:

Place the cranberries, sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, for about 3 minutes or until cranberries start to pop. Stir the cornstarch mixture and add it to the pan. Mix for about one minute or until the topping thickens. Stir in the orange peel. Let cool.

 Makes one cake serving 8-10

Aunt Kate's Cheese Cake

My Mom always talked about what a good cook Aunt Kate was. She'd say "Kate could make franks and beans taste like a gourmet dinner."

Truth is, Aunt Kate (Kate Winter) was actually not my biological or married-in aunt; she was our neighbor when I was a little girl in Bridgeport, CT. In those days it was the custom to call your parents' good friends aunt/uncle, out of respect. My parents and the Winters remained close friends, even after my parents moved away.

Recently, while going through a purge of my recipe files, I came across Aunt Kate's recipe for cream cheese cake. It was on an index card, in her handwriting, complete with instructions, including the reminder to place the finished, cooled cake "in the ice box."

Naturally, I had to try it.

My Mom was right. This was one fabulous recipe. Creamy, rich cheesecake -- but lighter and fluffier than most. It doesn't need anything but itself, although Aunt Kate apparently garnished it with strawberry topping (frozen strawberries mixed with cornstarch and sugar). I preferred to use fresh berries so I changed that part.

Otherwise, in all its delicious glory, here is the recipe for Aunt Kate's wonderful cheese cake.

AUNT KATE'S CHEESE CAKE

• 2 teaspoons butter or margarine

• 1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs

• 1 pound cream cheese

• 1 pound cottage or farmer cheese

• 1 cup sugar

• 3 large eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Topping

 TOPPING:

• 2 cups dairy sour cream

• 3 tablespoons sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 GARNISH

• 12-15 strawberries

• 1/4 cup apricot or currant preserves

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread the butter on the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Sprinkle the inside of the pan with the graham cracker crumbs. Shake the pan to coat the bottom and sides of the pan completely. Beat the cream cheese and cottage cheese in an electric mixer at medium speed for 1-2 minutes or until they are thoroughly blended. Add the sugar and blend it in. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat the ingredients for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes.

While the cake is baking, make the topping by mixing the sour cream, sugar and vanilla extract together until well blended. When the cake has baked for 20 minutes, remove it from the oven and carefully spoon the topping over the cake. Return the cake to the oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off but leave the cake in the oven until it has cooled to room temperature.

When the cake has reached room temperature, (“place it in the ice box”) refrigerate it at least 4 hours or until it is thoroughly chilled. Wash and trim the berries and cut the in half. Place the halves attractively on top of the cake. Heat the preserves in a small saucepan and brush the melted preserves over the berries. Remove the sides of the pan to serve the cake.

Makes one cake serving 12-16

 

Rich, Dense, Cream Cheese Pound Cake

I've been experimenting with cream cheese lately, mostly because I had some extra left over from creating and testing recipes for Philadelphia Cream Cheese at JoyOfKosher.com. (You can find the recipes here, where there are recipes also from Tamar Genger and Jamie Geller).

But also because the Jewish holiday of Shavuot is coming and this particular holiday usually involves a lot of cream cheese.

I've made several cheesecakes. You'll read about them here soon.

But I decided to make a pound cake too. With the addition of cream cheese, this plain old cake is outrageously dense, moist and rich.

You don't need to add frosting, powdered sugar, any sort of glaze, accompaniments of any kind like ice cream or fresh fruit. Although, of course, none of those would hurt.

But this one is good just the way it is.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

• 1-1/2 cups butter
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 2-1/2 cups sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Grease a 10-cup bundt pan. Beat the butter and cream cheese together in the bowl of an electric mixer set at medium for about 2 minutes, or until well blended. Add the sugar gradually and beat for about 2 minutes or until thoroughly incorporated. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally to keep the batter smooth and uniform. Add the vanilla extract and lemon peel and stir them in. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and beat the ingredients for about 1-2 minutes or until smooth, uniform and well-blended. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 1-1/2 hours or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Makes one cake serving 16 people