Buttermilk Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Buttermilk Rhubarb Coffee Cake, a nice balance of tart and sweet.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb (1/4-inch pieces)
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp (large pinch) baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk

Topping
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F (325F for a glass baking dish). Place the chopped rhubarb in a bowl, and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar. Let stand while preparing the batter. Grease an 8-inch baking pan.
2. Place the softened butter in a mixing bowl. Add the sugar, and cream together until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in the vanilla.
3. In a second bowl, stir together the dry ingredients until uniformly blended.
4. Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Stir thoroughly, but minimally – until combined. Don’t overmix.
5. Fold in the rhubarb, and transfer the batter to the pan. The batter will be somewhat stiff, and might seem to resist being spread into the pan. Be patient, and give the spreading process a few minutes of your time and attention. If it doesn’t look completely uniform in the pan, that’s OK.
6. Use the same bowl (no need to clean it) to mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon topping, and sprinkle this on top of the batter.
7. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted all the way into the center comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This is a Mollie Katzen recipe and I really love this recipe. This coffee cake has such a wonderful flavor, It doesn’t taste overly sweet and it was nicely balanced with the tartness of the Rhubarb. The coffee cake had a great texture and was perfectly moist. The fam loved this breakfast treat and Sug’s (the hubby) asked for me to definitely make it again. So glad I gave this recipe a go and I will make it again fo’ sure!

*Camala*

Carrot Cake Balls

Carrot Cake Balls, A Super Simple, Truffle like Dessert!

Ingredients:
1 (18.25 ounce) box of carrot cake mix (eggs, oil and water whatever amount required for cake mix)
1 (16 ounce) tub cream cheese frosting
1 (20 ounce) package of white almond bark coating

Directions:

1. Prepare and bake the cake mix according to package instructions.  While warm, crumble the cake into a bowl with an electric mixer or your hands (this is fun for kids) to a fine texture.  Mix in frosting to make a paste, using a 3/4 to a full tub of frosting, according to taste.
2. Using your hands, a melon baller or a 1 inch scooper, form the mixture into approximately 1 1/2 inch balls.  Place the balls on wax paper; freeze at least 6 hours.
3. In a double boiler, begin melting the white almond bark, stirring constantly. I did this as I needed it, I did not do the whole package at once.  You should be melting the almond bark at a pretty low heat.  If you start getting it too hot, it will begin seizing on you.  If this happens, add a little vegetable oil and work out the lumps. If desired, stir in oil based coloring drop by drop until you achieve the desired color.
4. Working in small batches, remove the balls from the freezer and using toothpicks or forks or a dipping tool begin by ladling the warm almond bark over the carrot cake balls with a spoon, Place balls on wax paper to harden. I used a small knife or fork to push the cake ball from the dipping tool to the wax paper. Repeat this until all of the cake balls have been coated. Put these in the fridge to firm up the almond bark.
   Trim off any excess chocolate at the base of the balls if you want. These should be stored in an air-tight container in either the fridge or freezer.

Okay mom PLEASE don’t freak out that this recipe is using a box cake mix and a tub of frosting…I so know you are floored as you read this recipe. You see readers my mom can’t stand box cake mix or for sure can’t stand a tub of frosting from the store, but I needed something cheap and simple. I was bringing these to a get together and I was making other things as well and didn’t feel like fooling with making everything from scratch. These Carrot Cake Balls are very rich and decadent.

I have made these cake balls before with many different flavors and they are so good with every flavor I have tried. Years ago at another get together someone made cake balls and I had never heard of them, I just needed to know the recipe and when I was amazed at how simple they were, I have been trying concoctions for them ever since. So have fun with these and experiment, also let the kids have fun with these, they love crumbling the cake and since I roll the balls by hand, they really enjoy helping with that as well.

*Camala*

Grapefruit Yogurt Cake

This cake is sooooo good! It is a dense and moist cake with a pound cake consistency.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 extra-large eggs
3 teaspoons grated grapefruit zest (approximately one large grapefruit)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

For the glaze:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and flour a bundt pan.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, grapefruit zest, and vanilla.
4. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it’s all incorporated.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
6. Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup grapefruit juice and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
7. When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the grapefruit-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.
8. For the glaze, combine the confectioners’ sugar and grapefruit juice and pour over the cake.

There is a lot of Grapefruit cake recipes out there, especially a famous Hollywood Grapefruit cake which looks delicious, however I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen and I decided to go with this recipe instead. The original recipe called to be baked in a loaf pan however I thought I would try it in a bundt pan for fun and to do something different. My husband wasn’t so sure about me making this cake when I told him I was going to make a Grapefruit yogurt cake for dessert for our dinner guests. He couldn’t stop raving about this cake…it really was Delicious!

*Camala*

Butterscotch Pudding Cake

I had a box of Dr.Oetker Organic Butterscotch Pudding mix and I was about to just make the pudding but then I thought I wanted to search the web for some interesting recipes to make with pudding mix. There really wasn’t all that much to choose from…I wasn’t in the mood for a cream pie so I went ahead and made a cake!

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup milk
2 Tbsp oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 (3 1/2 oz) package butterscotch pudding mix (not instant)
2 cups very hot water

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 8 x 8 inch square baking dish.
2. In medium bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, baking powder, & salt; mix well.
3. Add milk, oil, and vanilla; stir this to mix.
4. Pour into lightly greased baking dish.
5. In small bowl, mix pudding mix & hot water; mix well.
6. Pour slowly over batter in pan. Do not mix.
7. Bake at 350F for 30 to 35 minutes, or until center is firm to the touch & toothpick inserted in top half of cake comes out clean. The top surface of the cake will appear cracked.
8. Cool in pan 5 to 10 minutes.

To serve: spoon warm cake, pudding side up into dessert dishes. If desired top this with whipped cream. Enjoy the Butterscotch Pudding Cake recipe.

This was not one of my favorites for sure. I didn’t like the flavor, the texture was mushy and dense which is okay because I have enjoyed mush cakes in the past. However, I really did not enjoy the flavor of this cake at all but my children really liked it. For the Butterscotch lovers out there maybe you can try this recipe or adapt to your liking.

*Camala*