Crusted Coffee Cake

We used to have a big gathering for break-the-fast. But this year there’s only about dozen us. Still, we’ll still feast on Mujadarah and Spinach Pie, egg salad, arugula salad, kugel and cheese. Hummus and marinated avocado. Zimsterne cookies.

Tradition.

This year I’m adding a simple dessert: coffee cake with a crusty-streusel top that reminds me of the Drakes cake I used to love when I was a kid.

Crusted Coffee Cake

Crust:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

• 3 tablespoons butter, cut into chunks

• 1 cup chopped almonds or hazelnuts

If using a food processor, place the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter into the workbowl and process until crumbly. Add the nuts and process on pulse a few times until the nuts are smaller and well combined with the dry ingredients. If using a bowl, combine all the dry ingredients, mix, add the butter and work the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingers until the mixture looks crumbly. Set aside.

cake:

• crust

• 2/3 cup butter

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 3/4 cup brown sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 cup sour cream (or plain, Greek style yogurt)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a 9” springform pan. Make the crust. Melt the butter and set it aside to cool. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cooled butter and brown sugar for 1-2 minutes or until smooth and well combined. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat for 1-2 minutes. Add the sour cream and beat for 2-3 minutes or until well blended and and light in color. Add the dry ingredients and beat for 1-2 minutes or until well blended. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Cover the top with the crust mixture. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Remove the side of the springform pan.

Makes 8-12 servings

Blueberry Torte

I read that blueberries are healthy so I’ve been making all sorts of stuff with them. Here’s one tasty way to eat more blueberries:

Blueberry TORTE

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 1/2 cup unflavored yogurt

• 1-1/2 cups blueberries

• lemon juice (about one tablespoon)

• 1 tablespoon sugar, preferably crystal or turbinado sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan. Mix the flour, lemon peel, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and baking soda and whisk the ingredients to blend them completely. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and 1/2 cup sugar on medium speed for 3-4 minutes or until creamy and well blended. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat for a minute or two at medium speed until thoroughly blended. Add the eggs and yogurt and beat at medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Spoon the batter into the prepared springform pan. Arrange the berries on top of the cake, pressing them slightly into the batter. Sprinkle the lemon juice over the top of the cake. Sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until lightly browned and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Makes 8 servings

Peach Streusel Cake

Peaches/nectarines are in my top #5 foods of all time. One of the items I would choose if I had to “live on a desert island with only 5 foods.” So I get excited when they are ripe, ready and in season.

But I overdid it on the peach order recently.

Really, there are just so many I can eat in one day.

After a few days some were softening quicker than I planned and I had to use them. So I baked this cake — based on one that I usually make with apple slices and applesauce. Only I used peach slices and pureed peaches.

Perfect.

Peach Streusel Cake

Streusel:

• 1/3 cup quick oats

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Mix the oats, flour, brown sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and work it into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs (food processor on pulse is fine). Set aside.

Cake:

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 1/4 cup butter

• 1/2 cup pureed peaches

• 1/3 cup plain yogurt

• 1 large egg, beaten

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/3 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8” square cake pan. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon peel and set aside. Beat the sugar and butter together with a hand mixer or electric mixer at medium speed for 1-2 minutes or until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add the peaches, yogurt, egg and vanilla extract and beat for 1-2 minutes or until smooth. Add half the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat until well blended. Add half the milk and beat until well blended. Repeat until all the ingredients are used up. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the streusel over the batter. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan 10 minutes then invert onto a cake rack. Turn the cake right side up to cool completely.

 Makes 8-10 servings

Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake

I’ve read a lot about the health benefits of blueberries so I’ve been using more of them recently in recipes. More about that in the next month or two —

Meanwhile, this lemon-blueberry cake will do! The sweet berries and the tangy lemon are a perfect pair and the cake’s texture is dense, like pound cake, but also is fabulously moist.

It got rave reviews from my tasters.

I’ve made this recipe with and without the extra lemon sauce. I love the powerful tang of lemon, so I prefer it with —- but it is still delicious without.

This is a good dessert for sure and a good bet for a buffet or brunch meal.

Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 pound butter

• 2 cups sugar

• 3 large eggs

• 1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream

• grated peel of 2 medium lemons (about 1/4 cup)

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 cup blueberries

Lemon Sauce (optional):

• 1/2 cup lemon juice

• 1/4 cup sugar

Grease a 10-cup bundt pan, then sprinkle the insides with flour or plain dry bread crumbs. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together at medium speed for 4-5 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the flour mixture in thirds, alternating with the yogurt. Beat after each addition and scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally. Add the lemon peel and lemon juice and stir into the batter. Fold in the blueberries. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 60-70 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven. Mix the Lemon Sauce ingredients and brush some onto the surface of the cake while it is cooling in the pan. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes then invert onto a cake rack. Brush the remaining Lemon Sauce over all the remaining surface area of the cake. Let cool and serve.

Makes 16 servings

Kentucky Bourbon Cake

Everyone who knows me knows I am a bourbon drinker. Why? Because when I was young my older brother, who was cool and knew all sorts of stuff, drank bourbon. So, if he said it was the best thing to drink, it was.

There’s something sweet and rich about good bourbon, and it’s not just for sipping but also for flavoring baked cakes and such.

Like this Kentucky Bourbon Cake, with both cake and frosting flavored with my favorite booze. We’ll feast on some while we watch the Kentucky Derby this weekend.

If there’s any left —- we can have another round on Sunday, Mother’s Day!

Kentucky Bourbon Cake

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 tablespoon grated fresh orange peel

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1-1/4 cups plain Greek style yogurt

• 1/4 cup bourbon

• 1 cup butter

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 3/4 cup brown sugar

• 4 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10-cup bundt pan. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, orange peel and salt. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt and bourbon until well blended. Set aside. Beat the butter, white sugar and brown sugar together at medium speed for 1-2 minutes or until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Alternate adding half the dry and liquid ingredients, beating after each addition; repeat with the remaining dry and liquid ingredients and beat for 1-2 minutes or until the batter is smooth and uniform. Spoon the batter into the bundt pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes then invert onto a cake rack to cool completely. While the cake is still warm, pour the glaze over the top.

Makes 10 servings

Bourbon glaze

• 6 tablespoons butter

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 3 tablespoons bourbon

Melt the butter and sugar together in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk constantly and cook for several minutes until the sugar is nearly dissolved. Add the bourbon and whisk continually to incorporate it into the butter mixture. Cook for several minutes until the sugar dissolves completely.

Passover Orange Cake with Roasted Oranges and Zabaglione

When I was growing up the standard Seder dessert was sponge cake. Everyone made fun of it and said it was true to its name and that frankly, biting into a sponge was not a good thing.

I actually never cared because as long as I got chocolate covered macaroons I was a happy girl.

By the time I began to host the Seders, flourless chocolate cakes had become fashionable and my aunt Rozzie's recipe for sponge cake was tucked away in a recipe file.

Now more time has gone by and my family got bored with flourless chocolate cake. So I spent years experimenting with flourless rolled cakes and cakes made with nut crumbs instead of wheat and going fancy with layers of jelly-roll pan cakes. Some of those were absolutely fabulous.

But a few years ago I decided to pull out the family recipe. That sponge cake isn't spongy at all. The trick is not to overbeat the egg whites, which are supposed to be thick and glossy with tips that fall over slightly (not so beaten that you can cut a chunk off). Also — fold in the beaten whites rather than mixing them in vigorously.

Although the cake is just fine, plain or served with sorbet, I have served it with a rich and creamy zabaglione sauce and some roasted oranges, which provide a tangy contrast to the sweet cake. They also make a plain sponge cake a bit more festive looking, so it’s a good bet for the holiday.

Bonus: you can make all parts in advance!

Passover Orange Cake with Roasted Oranges and Zabaglione

• 12 large eggs, separated, at room temperature

• 1-3/4 cups sugar

• 6 tablespoons orange juice

• 1/4 cup lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons finely grated orange peel

• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel

• 1 cup matzo cake meal, sifted after measuring

• 1/3 cup potato starch

• Passover Zabaglione

• Roasted Orange Slices

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a large (10-1/2-inch - 11-inch springform pan with parchment paper and lightly grease the paper. Beat the egg yolks and 1-cup of the sugar in a mixer bowl at medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes or until the mixture is thick and pale yellow. Stir in the orange juice, lemon juice, orange peel and lemon peel, mix thoroughly and set aside. In another bowl, beat the egg whites at medium speed until they are foamy. Continue to beat, gradually increasing the speed and gradually adding the remaining 3/4 cup sugar. Beat until the whites are stiff but not dry, and look glossy. Stir about one-quarter of the beaten whites into the yolk mixture. Gently fold the remaining beaten whites into the yolk mixture, until the mixture is uniform in color. In a small bowl whisk the matzo cake meal and potato starch until they are thoroughly blended. Using about 1/4 of the matzo meal mixture at a time, fold the mixture into the egg mixture until the ingredients are thoroughly blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack. When ready to serve, spoon some zabaglione onto serving dishes, place a slice of cake on top and surround with some roasted orange slices. (Or serve with sorbet, whipped cream, ice cream, etc. to suit your meal.)

Makes 12 servings

Passover Zabaglione

• 8 large egg yolks

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 2 tablespoons finely grated orange peel

• 1/2 cup sweet white Passover wine

• fresh mint as garnish

Place the egg yolks, 3/4 cup sugar and the orange peel in the top part of a double boiler set over barely simmering water. Beat the ingredients with a hand mixer at medium speed for about 3 minutes or until the mixture is thick and pale yellow. Continue to beat, gradually increasing the speed to high and gradually adding the wine. Beat for 8-10 minutes or until the mixture is thick and fluffy. You may use the zabaglione warm, immediately, or let it cool to room temperature.

Makes about 3 cups

Roasted Orange Slices

• 6 navel oranges

• 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil (or butter)

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• ground cinnamon (approximately 1/2 teaspoon)

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Peel the oranges removing as much of the white pith as possible. Cut the oranges crosswise into 24 even slices (there should be 4 center slices from each orange; reserve the ends for other purposes). Place the slices on the baking sheet. Brush the tops with the coconut oil. Sprinkle with the sugar. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon and the mint. Roast for about 4 minutes. Turn the slices over and roast for another 4-6 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Makes 12 servings

Irish Whiskey Cake

Purim is an extraordinarily joyous holiday and it’s been Jewish tradition to celebrate with a glass or two of wine or some other alcoholic beverage. The focus on drinking has its roots in something that Rabbi Rava said in the Talmud: on Purim, people should drink until they can no longer distinguish between "Cursed be Haman" and "Blessed is Mordecai."

Well, I’m not giving advice on how much booze anyone should drink

BUT

the fact that Purim comes on the same day as St.Patrick’s Day, gave me this most stupendously delicious thought about whiskey and such: eat Irish Whiskey Cake.

I have made this particular cake often. There is never a crumb left.

Celebrate Purim AND St. Patrick’s Day. Make Merry! Have cake!

Irish Whiskey Cake

• 1 cup golden raisins

• 1 tablespoon grated fresh orange peel

• 1/4 cup Irish whiskey

•  2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

• 3/4 cup butter at room temperature

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 1/3 cup orange juice

Frosting

• 3/4 cup butter, at room temperature

• 2 cups confectioners' sugar

• 1/4 cup Irish whiskey

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two eight-inch cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper and lightly grease the paper. Place the raisins and orange peel in a bowl, pour in the whiskey and let soak for at least 30 minutes. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cloves in a bowl. Set aside. Beat the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer set at medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until smooth and well blended. Add the eggs and beat for another 2-3 minutes or until the mixture becomes smooth (scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula). Add the flour mixture and beat for 1-2 minutes to incorporate it into the other ingredients. Add the raisins (with any remaining liquid) and the orange juice and beat for another 1-2 minutes until a uniform batter has formed. Spoon the mixture into the cake pans. Bake for 20-22 minutes until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove the cakes and let them cool completely. Make the frosting by beating the butter and confectioners’ sugar together until smooth. Gradually add the whiskey and beat until smooth. Frost the bottom layer, place the second layer on top and frost the top of the second layer.

 Makes 8 servings

Banana Bread with Nuts and Raisins

My cousins are coming for our usual new year’s weekend.

What a grand way to end a terrible year.

We are all triple vaxxed and tested (negative).

This, to me, is thrilling enough.

We will watch Britbox murder mysteries — we all love them and there are some new goodies available.

We will eat and drink!

Last week I posted one of the desserts — M’hencha — that we will have (on New Year’s Eve when my sister-in-law and brother also come).

For dinner one night we will have Azerbaijani Plov, a fabulous melange of rice, dried fruit and meat (I am making it with lamb).

New year’s Eve is always an hors d’oeuvre fest. We space it out during the day, so we eat a few hors d’oeuvre at a time and wait for the next round.

So, I will serve Hot Dog en Croute and Almond Chicken Nuggets (plus olives, pickled beets and such).

Later, I will serve gougeres, Romanian Cheese Turnovers, cheese with Pepper Jam and a few other things.

During the weekend there’s breakfast of course, which consists of smoked fish and bagels for a couple of days.

During the day we also might find ourselves a bit peckish because I don’t serve lunch. We just “pick.”

This year, one of the pickings is going to be this Banana Bread. Which is terrific with tea or coffee. Ir’s good plain or spread with cream cheese. It’s even a good choice for dessert along with some ice cream. It’s a good nibble while watching the new series of Dalgliesh or rewatching Shetland.

We intend to have a good time.

Happy, healthy 2022 to all!

Banana Bread with Nuts and Raisins

• 1/4 cup butter

• 1/4 cup coconut oil

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 2/3 cup sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 3 medium very ripe bananas, mashed

• 1/3 cup yogurt

• 1 teaspoon vanilla 

• 1/2 cup chopped toasted nuts

• 1/2 cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9”x5”x3” loaf pan. Melt the butter and coconut oil in a saucepan over low heat, set aside. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon into a bowl and set it aside. Beat the sugar and melted butter/coconut oil mixture with a handheld or electric mixer set at medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is well blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the bananas and beat the mixture to blend the ingredients thoroughly. Add the flour mixture, stirring only enough to blend in the dry ingredients. Add the yogurt, vanilla extract, nuts and raisins and stir them in. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for one hour or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the bread in the pan 15 minutes, then invert onto a cake rack to cool completely.

Makes one loaf. 

Snails! The Dessert Kind (M'Hencha)

Years ago, when we were in Egypt, I tried this dessert, called m’hencha, because it looked so pretty.

It was like a Proustian moment because it tasted so similar to my Romanian Jewish grandma’s turte, which is like baklava only made with almonds instead of walnuts, and sweetened with sugar syrup, not honey.

Unlike my grandma’s version, m’hencha is shaped like a snail, which I think looks much lovelier and so I decided to make this for New Year’s, when the cousins come for a visit. (I’m using honey instead of the syrup my grandma used.)

I’ll be curious to see if my cousin also remembers this delicious pastry from back in the day.

M’Hencha

• 2-1/2 cups ground almonds

• 1/2 pound butter, melted

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1-1/2 teaspoons grated fresh orange peel

• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 pound phyllo dough

• 6-8 tablespoons honey

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix the almonds, 4 tablespoons melted butter, sugar, orange peel and cinnamon until well combined. Set aside. Using one phyllo sheet at a time, spread the dough out on a flat surface and brush lightly with melted butter. Top with the next phyllo sheet and repeat, using 4 sheets of phyllo. Spread about an inch of the almond mixture in a line about an inch from the edge on the long side. Roll the dough, jelly roll style, then coil it into a snake shape. Place the pastry on a cookie sheet. Brush with butter. Repeat 5 more times to make 6 pastries. Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown. While the pastries are baking, heat the honey until it is warm and liquefied. Pour the warm honey over the pastries and serve. NOTE: you can make smaller pastries: cut the phyllo sheets in half and proceed as above (makes 12).

Makes 6 servings

Crumb Cake

Recently I bought a whole load of apples and have almost completed my yearly activity of making all sorts of apple desserts to put away in the freezer. I made pie, crisp, cake, my mother’s recipe for Raisin Bran crusted apples.

I also wanted to make apple sauce, but when I looked around I realized that in addition to all those apples, I had several plums and nectarines that were past their prime.

I hate to throw out food, so I made sauce, but only used two apples. The rest: 5 nectarines, 5 plums. A teaspoon of cinnamon. A tablespoon or two of sugar. All boiled down, just like applesauce, which we ate with roasted chicken.

But I had some left so I decided to use it to bake one of the recipes I have for applesauce coffee cake. I changed the formula a bit so that the seasonings would go better with mixed fruit, and I changed the streusel top to be nut-free (I used old fashioned oats).

The result: tender, moist, delicious coffee cake.

FRUIT SAUCE Crumb Cake:

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1/4 cup butter

• 1/2 cup applesauce or other fruit sauce

• 1/3 cup sour cream

• 1 large egg, beaten

• 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange peel

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/3 cup milk

• streusel topping

 streusel topping: 

• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1/3 cup old fashioned oats

• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 3 tablespoons cold butter cut into small chunks

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease an 9-inch cake pan. Beat the sugar and butter together with a hand mixer or electric mixer set at medium speed for 1-2 minutes or until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add the applesauce, sour cream, egg and orange peel and beat the ingredients for 1-2 minutes or until smooth. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger into a bowl. Add half the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat until well blended. Add half the milk and beat until well blended. Repeat until all the flour and milk have been used up. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the streusel over the batter. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan 10 minutes then carefully invert the cake twice onto a cake rack to cool completely. Turn the cake right side up to cool completely.

To make the streusel: mix the flour, oats, brown sugar and salt together in a mixing bowl until they are well combined. Add the butter and mix the pieces into the dry ingredients with your fingers, a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture is mealy.

Makes 8-10 servings