Favourite Cake Friday: Pumpkin Spice

             Nothing beats a crisp fall day spent in Stanley Park- except wen you have cake and coffee- cause cake and coffee make everything better- throw in a friend for good company and you really do have the makings for an excellent day! Which was just the case for me yesterday when I was looking for someone to share a slice of Pumpkin Spice Cake and a thermos of coffee with! No rain with the sun peeking through- sharp ocean air on my cheeks- favourite boots on my feet- pretty much I think all Thursdays should happen like this!

Pumpkin Spice Cake

*with Cream Cheese Icing*

The Goods:

1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree- I used actual cooked pumpkin

1/2 cup apple sauce

3 tbsp butter or coconut oil

2 large eggs

1 1/3 cups flour

1/3 cup ground almonds or oat bran

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

The Deal:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees

- butter and flour a 9 x 9 pan- set it aside

- combine dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well. In a separate bowl combine all wet ingredients and mix well. Add wet mixture into dry and stir until combined ( I just threw everything into my KitchenAide and let it do it's thing) 

- Pour into greased and floured pan. Bake for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool before removing from pan then frost with cream cheese icing. Only share with people you like and even then I suggest only sharing 1 slice- keeping the rest of this cake for yourself.

Cream Cheese Icing

in the mixer combine 1- 8 oz package of plain cream cheese, 1/2 cup of butter, 1 1/2- 2 cups of icing sugar and 1 tsp vanilla. Mix well- continue adding icing sugar until frosting is stiff- you may or may not use all of the 2 cups of icing sugar

          Friends it is Friday! Yippee for the weekend- if you need me I will be on the treadmill running off the pounds packed on by eating too much cake. Happy Friday Friends- have a wonderful weekend!

Favourite Cake Friday: Birthday Cupcakes

Simple Chocolate Cupcakes

3 cups flour
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups water
2/3 cups cocoa powder-sifted
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup coconut oil
2 tsp vanilla
3 tsp apple cider vinegar

In a large bowl sift together dry ingredients- flour,cocoa powder, baking soda- add salt and sugar and whisk together.whisk in 2 cups of water, oil and vanilla- once that has all been incorporated stir in apple cider vinegar. Divide batter amongst 24 paper lined muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees until tooth pick comes out clean- 20-25 min. Cool and ice

Butter Frosting

1 cup softened butter
2-3 cups icing sugar
dash of vanilla
3 tbs milk

With either an electric hand mixer or stationary mixer whip butter- sift in icing sugar by the cup and mix in between- I usually use about 2.5 cups of icing sugar- add vanilla and milk and whip until fluffy. Add desired colouring- Strawberry puree makes and excellent pink while blueberries are the perfect purple! Frost cupcakes- add candles and partay!


     Friends it is Friday- this week has been so busy I barely blinked and it's over- I think this weekend we will be taking it easy- hoping the sunshine makes a return- sticking close to home. Happy Friday Friends! xox

Favourite Cake on A Friday

Blueberry Cake

What you will need:

Topping:

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 tbsp melted butter or coconut oil

Cake:

1/2 cup butter or coconut oil- softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 cups of flour

2 tsp baking powder

dash of salt

2/3 cup of milk

2 cups blueberries- fresh or frozen

to make cake :

grease and flour a 9 x 9 inch pan- set aside

beat butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until well combined

add in flour, baking powder and salt- continue to blend- adding in milk as the mixture

becomes more incorporated

gently fold in blueberries

spread batter evenly into prepared baking pan

to make topping :

strip together cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar and butter or coconut oil

crumble onto cake before baking

Bake : bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until toothpick inserted near centre comes out clean- about 40 to 45 minutes

        Dear Friends it is Friday again! With slightly cooler temperatures this weekend it's an excellent opportunity to bake a cake to enjoy with Saturday morning coffee! This weekend we are heading back to the beach again- soaking in these last few weeks of vacation! May you have sun on your shoulders and an iced beverage in your non- disposable cup! Happy Friday dear Friends! xox

Favourite Cake on A Friday

      Yesterday was gloomy- we said good by to our friends from California with heavy hearts and waited for the next batch of visitors to arrive from Wisconsin. With the rain pouring down and a bit of time on my hands I decided to bake a cake while we waited. Not just any cake- a Cherry Clafoutis with the end of our Okanagan cherries- picked by my Littles on a hot, hot day not too long ago.

Cherry Clafoutis

The Goods:

1/2 cup of sugar
1 1/2 cup of pitted cherries
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups of buttermilk or yogurt
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons grated ginger
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon of salt
confectioners sugar for dusting

The Deal:

-preheat oven to 375 degrees- butter and sugar a pie dish

-lay out cherries in a layer on the bottom of the dish- set aside

-whisk together eggs, buttermilk(or yogurt), sugar, vanilla, ginger, lemon zest- once combined sieve in flour and whisk in smoothly

-bake for about 50 minutes or until golden brown around the edges- test the centre of the clafoutis by inserting a tooth pick- if it comes out clean the clafoutis is ready

-allow to cool and dust with confectioners sugar before serving.

    In case you are interested just what a clafoutis actually is the Wicki definition explains that it is a baked French dessert, traditionally with dark cherries, arranged in a buttered dish and covered with a thick flan like batter. Basically it is like a French version of the upside down cake- made with pretty summer fruit an with a more modest amount of sugar. All I know is that this is a delicious and easy dish that I will come back to again and again!

    Friends it is Friday again- this summer is just flying by! As mentioned we are entertaining visitors from out of town- my chum from University days who I have not seen in quite some time! It goes with out saying that a fair amount of wine and knitting will take place as will multiple trips down memory lane. Happy Friday Friends- hope your weekend is wonderful!

My Favourite Cake : Flourless Hot Chocolate Cake

          This week has been exceptionally cold and sunny here in Vancouver- cold enough that none of us want to go outside and sunny enough to make me want to nest- add in The Boy's birthday yesterday and you have a recipe for crazy amounts of baking. This week is Birthday week- first The Boy, then Lovely Cousin Laura's, then the Mr.'s followed up by mine- yup it's a busy week potentially full of cake- so I like to mix things up a bit and make unconventional birthday treats- like our favourite Hot Chocolate cake!

Flourless Hot Chocolate Cake

  1/2 cup of unsalted butter

-plus extra for greasing tin

3 tablespoons chickpea flour

1/2 cup of sugar

10 ounces semi sweet chocolate

4 large eggs

1 extra yolk

a pinch of salt

1 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract

- set over at 375 degrees

- generously butter, flour and sugar a spring form pan

- in a double boiler situation place chocolate and butter- stirring occasionally until smooth

- remove from heat and let cool- about 5 min

- meanwhile in the mixer add eggs, extra yolk, sugar, vanilla or almond extract and salt

     - set mixer at a high speed and beat until volume of mixture doubles and becomes foamy

- stir in the 3 tablespoons of chickpea flour into chocolate mixture

- gradually add the chocolate into the egg- with the mixer set on low- beat until chocolate is fully incorporated

- pour into springform pan

- bake anywhere from 30-40 min- the longer you bake it the less gooey the centre will be

- we like like this cake sprinkled with icing sugar and topped with a dollop of whipped cream

- stay warm and enjoy!

* alternatively you can bake this cake in individual ramekins- if that is the way you chose to go bake for 13- 17 minutes at the same temp.

         Friends it is Friday again- we are celebrating The Boy tomorrow with a fun movie party- complete with ice cream cake, pop corn and a crazy amount of kids. Monday is Family Day in BC so we have big plans to assemble a Lego set containing 1007 pieces- wish us luck! Happy Friday Friends!