Fresh Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Although he insists every year that he doesn't need one, there's no way I could let my husband go without a homemade birthday cake. Perhaps the motivations are a bit selfish because I love baking (and eating!), but more than anything I love seeing him enjoying a special treat. Although I'm happy to make any dessert he chooses, I am glad he has had the good taste to choose a dessert as wonderful as pineapple upside down cake for the past three years. I do love a nostalgia dessert, but this cake certainly deserves the upgrade to fresh pineapple from the canned pineapple and maraschino cherries of 1950s dinner parties. Sweet-tart pineapple is so beautifully accented by decadent caramel and dense cake that it's no wonder this recipe has endured for so long. A fitting celebration for a late summer birthday or a delicious treat any time of year, pineapple upside-down cake is a dessert you just can't pass on.

Fresh Pineapple Upside-Down Cake 
from Food and Wine
serves 8

1 ripe medium pineapple
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 stick plus 3 tablespoons (5 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tablespoons Cognac or other brandy
2/3 cup light brown sugar
9 fresh cherries, pitted (optional)
Vanilla ice cream, for serving

1. Using a sharp knife, peel the pineapple and remove the eyes. Halve the pineapple lengthwise and cut out the center core. Cut each half crosswise into five 2/3-inch-thick semicircles. Cut one of the semicircles into 3 pieces.

2. Preheat the oven to 375°. In a small bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder. In a medium bowl, beat 1 stick of the butter until pale and creamy. Gradually beat the granulated sugar into the butter until the mixture is fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the flour mixture in 3 batches just until smooth. Stir in the Cognac and set aside.

3. Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a 9-inch cast-iron skillet; if the handle isn't ovenproof, wrap it in foil. Stir in the brown sugar and cook over moderate heat until melted and bubbling, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Arrange the 9 pineapple semicircles in a tight concentric ring in the skillet and fit the 3 small pieces in the center. Cook over moderately high heat for 10 minutes. Turn the pineapple slices and lower the heat so that the mixture simmer vigorously. Cook until the fruit is tender when pierced, about 10 minutes longer. Insert a cherry in the hollow of each semicircle.

4. Remove the skillet from the heat and spread the cake batter evenly over the hot pineapple; it may not completely cover the fruit, but it will spread as it cooks. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 20 minutes, or until the cake springs back when pressed. Let it cool for 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto a large platter. Serve the cake warm with vanilla ice cream.

Pineapple Skillet Upside-Down Cake

For the second year in a row, my husband has requested pineapple upside-down cake for his birthday cake. While I could have gone back to last year's recipe, which was a big hit, I prefer to use special occasions (and let's be honest, most meals) as an opportunity to seek out and try new recipes. I spent many lunch breaks searching for new pineapple upside-down cake recipes that sounded intriguing, but came across this gem completely by accident. I was paging through my Rick Bayless cookbooks looking for tomatillo recipes and stumbled upon this recipe in the dessert section because I end up paging through cookbooks like most people flip through magazines, unable to just look up specific recipes or ingredients. And what a happy accident it was! This cake has the sweet, caramelized topping that everyone loves so much in an upside-down cake, support by a nutty, moist cake. Not only is this cake a treat right out of the oven, but it stays moist and becomes saturated with delicious caramel flavor if you are lucky enough to have leftovers.


With plenty of berries, apples, peaches, and pears at the farmer's market, I'm already planning on making this again, although I might make a few changes, substituting turbinado sugar for the white sugar and using all whole wheat pastry flour instead of half all-purpose and half whole wheat flour. This versatile cake recipe is as appropriate for a special occasion like a birthday as a regular weeknight when you need a small treat to perk up the evening so take a few minutes to treat yourself and your family to this delicious, but not too decadent, dessert.

Pineapple (or Other Fruit) Skillet Upside-Down Cake
from Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless
serves 8

3 ounces (6 tablespoons) butter, preferably unsalted
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (I prefer the dark brown variety)
3 cups 1/2-inch cubed, cleaned pineapple (you'll need about three-quarters of a medium pineapple OR 3 cups (about 1 pound) fresh or IQF (individually quick frozen) raspberries, blackberries, blueberries or pitted cherries OR 3 cups 1/2-inch cubes apple, pear, peaches, nectarines or mango
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour (or additional all-purpose flour)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup white sugar
1 "large" egg
3/4 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt

1. Turn on the oven to 375 degrees and position a rack in the middle. Melt the butter in a large (10-inch) skillet, with an ovenproof handle, preferably nonstick, over medium heat. Swirl the butter in the skillet until it turns nut-brown, then pout it into a medium bowl. Without wiping out the skillet, sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the bottom. Top with the fruit in an even layer.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, soda, and baking powder. Add the white sugar to the browned butter and whisk until thoroughly combined. Whisk in the egg, then the buttermilk or yogurt. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ones. Whisk to thoroughly combine.

3. Pour the batter evenly over the fruit in the skillet. Slide the skillet into the oven and bake about 35 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and springy to the touch at the center. Remove and let cool 10 minutes.

4. Invert a plate over the skillet, then, holding plate and skillet firmly together with towels or pot holders, invert the two in one swift movement. Remove the skillet, and the cake is ready to serve. It's best right out of the oven.

Rhubarb Cake

Yes, it's another rhubarb dessert. With rhubarb everywhere I turn at the farmer's market, I can't resist expanding my repertoire of rhubarb dishes (though they tend mostly towards the sweet instead of savory). Since my last rhubarb dessert was a crisp, which is mostly fruit with a little bit of topping (okay, a pretty healthy amount of streusel), I thought I'd try making a cake, where the rhubarb is the primarily flavor, but isn't actually the bulk of the dessert. If you love rhubarb, you'll love this light, delicate, but moist cake. The tart rhubarb is wonderful foil against the nutty whole wheat flour and mild tang from the buttermilk, showcasing the rhubarb flavor instead of masking it with another fruit or burying it in sugar. Serve warm with scoop of vanilla ice cream and relish in the flavor of late spring/early summer.


Rhubarb Cake
makes one 9- by 13-inch cake; serves 8
adapted from Martha Stewart

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for baking dish
2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 cups chopped rhubarb
1/4 cup turbinado sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a liquid measuring cup, combine buttermilk and vanilla; set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer or using a handheld mixer, beat butter with granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, and beat to combine. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, and starting and ending with the flour mixture. Stir in rhubarb.

3. Spread batter evenly into prepared baking dish. In a small bowl, stir together remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar evenly over batter. Bake until a cake tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 20 to 30 minutes.

4. Let cool on a wire rack in pan for 30 minutes before serving.

Whole Wheat Gingerbread Squares

Although I'm actually not a big fan of Christmas, I am a fan of many of the foods that appear this time of year, the ginger-based confections (gingersnaps, gingerbread, etc.) being among them. I adore ginger and will eat crystallized ginger by the (small) handful if I have it around. I was in the mood for a slightly sweet treat and this super quick and moderately healthy version of gingerbread was just the ticket.

I used molasses, as is typical for most gingerbread recipes, but I have a jar of local Rollings Meadows sorghum that I'd like to try substituting for the molasses the next time I make this recipe. There three grades of molasses-mild, dark, and blackstrap, all of which may be sulfured or unsulfured-and you can use any you like in this recipe. Blackstrap molasses comes from the third boiling and concentration of molasses and has the lowest sugar concentration (and calories) of the three varieties. It is also often sold as a health supplement because of its high potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron content, so you may want to go that direction for a healthier, but less sweet gingerbread cake.

Whole Wheat Gingerbread Squares
adapted from Cooking Light
makes one 9-inch square cake

1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup turbinado sugar
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup molasses
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350° and spray a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.

2. Combine flour, ginger, cinnamon, and baking soda in a medium bowl, stirring to thoroughly combine.

3. Combine sugar, buttermilk, molasses, butter, and egg in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Stir in flour mixture.

4. Pour batter into baking pan and bake at 350° for 18 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Sprinkle gingerbread with powdered sugar.

Maple and Walnut Applesauce Cake

As with last week, this was my effort to make a quick and satisfying dessert a bit more on the healthy side of things. Most importantly, it is filled with flavors I love (maple in particular), especially in fall. A subtle maple sweetness flavors every bite of this cake, paired perfectly with walnuts and nutty whole wheat flour. It is sweet enough for a light dessert or snack, but substantial enough for breakfast alongside fruit, eggs, yogurt, bacon, or sausage. If it isn't quite decadent enough for you, a smear of butter or almond butter will make it even more rich and satisfying.

Maple and Walnut Applesauce Cake
adapted from Whole Foods
serves 12

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a 9-inch square cake pan.

2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together syrup and oil. Whisk in eggs until combined. Whisk in applesauce and vanilla then add reserved flour mixture and whisk, beating well for 3 minutes. Stir in walnuts.

3. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Set aide to let cake cool in pan, then cut into squares and serve.

Pumpkin Chocolate Cake

Every fall, I'm obsessed with pumpkin. Pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin scones, pumpkin bread...the list goes on and on, and I just can't get enough. (My other fall obsessions are apples and maple). Today I've had both a pumpkin spice latte and a pumpkin cupcake, and I was still ready to bake yet another pumpkin treat. That being said, I've had a few more sweet treats than I probably should have lately, so I wanted to make a baked good that was a bit on the lighter side. I found this recipe at the Whole Foods website, which has tons of great recipes, including lots of healthier baked goods using whole grains. After being out and about all day, it was also nice to bake up a simple-to-prepare treat with very little clean-up.

This cake is an moist and fudgy chocolate spice cake, with a subtle pumpkin flavor on the finish of each bite. Although the cake is quite good as is, I think it would benefit from the addition of chopped walnuts, (and perhaps even some chocolate chips, if you want to make it more indulgent). Chocolate is definitely the dominant flavor in this cake, and I wonder how well other squash purees, such as butternut or acorn, would work in this recipe. Whole Foods claims this serves 12, but I cut it into 9 pieces instead. Maybe that means I'm having more dessert that I should, but I just don't care.

Pumpkin Chocolate Cake
from Whole Foods
serves 12

1/4 cup canola oil, plus more for greasing
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an (8-inch) square baking pan with oil and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, sugar, eggs, pumpkin and vanilla. Whisk flour mixture into pumpkin mixture until well combined then transfer batter to prepared pan.

3. Bake until the cakes pulls away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Set aside to let cool then cut into squares and dust with powdered sugar, if you like.

Apple Cinnamon Upside-Down Cake

'Tis the season for apples! I've already made apple upside-down cakes not just once once, but twice this season. I ordinarily don't like to repeat such similar dishes, but I needed a dessert to bring to a friend's house for dinner one night this week and apple cake is a seasonal and crowd-pleasing dessert that isn't too time-consuming to be put together after work. With caramelized topping, fresh and local apples, and a simple cake make of high-quality ingredients, you can't go wrong, especially with the wonderful company I enjoyed it with.

Apple-Cinnamon Upside-Down Cake
from Everyday Food
serves 8

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
3 apples, Empire or Gala (about 1 1/2 pounds), each peeled, cored, and sliced into 8 wedges
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat bottom and side of a 9-inch round cake pan with 2 tablespoons butter; sprinkle bottom with brown sugar. In a medium bowl, toss apples with lemon juice; arrange in prepared pan in two concentric circles (you might not use all of them).

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon; set aside.

3. With an electric mixer, beat remaining 8 tablespoons butter with granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until incorporated. With mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture in three parts and the milk in two, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

4. Spoon batter over apples in pan; smooth top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack, at least 30 minutes and up to 6 hours (if cake has risen above rim of pan, simply push back inside rim).

5. To serve, run a knife around edge of pan, and invert cake onto a rimmed platter.

Blue-Ribbon Apple Cake

With Labor Day weekend's arrival, summer has come to an end. And while I'm sad that the season of fresh berries and sweet corn has passed, I'm excited to welcome crisp evenings with mugs of hot chocolate, sweet potatoes, winter squash, and luscious apple desserts. I made my first crisp of the fall this past week and I'm ready to tackle a long list of apple-based culinary projects. With a busy weekend full of visits from friends, Taste of Madison, and the normal tasks and chores, I didn't have time to tackle apple pie, so I opted for apple cake. This is essential pineapple upside-down cake made with apples, so if you like apples and pineapple upside-down cake you'll love this dessert.

Blue-Ribbon Pound Cake
from the America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book
makes one 9-inch round cake; serves 8

Apples
4 T. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 c. packed (3.5 oz.) light brown sugar
1.5 lbs (3 to 4) Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1/8 t. salt

Cake
1/2 c. sour cream, room temperature
1 large egg, room temperature
1 large egg yolk, room temperature
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1.25 c. (6.25 oz.) all-purpose flour
3/4 c. (5.25 oz.) granulated sugar
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
8 T. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces and softened

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.

2. For the apples: Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the brown sugar and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the sugar looks dark brown (like dark brown sugar), about 2 minutes. Stir in the apples and salt and cook, stirring often, until the apples have softened slightly and the juices are thickened and syrupy, 5 to 7 minutes. Scrape the apple mixture into the prepared cake pan and lightly press into an even layer.

3. For the cake: Whisk the sour cream, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla together in a small bowl. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Using an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat the butter into the flour mixture, one pieces at a time, about 30 seconds. Continute to beat the mixture until it resembles moist crumbs, 1 to 3 minutes.

4. Slowly beat in the sour cream mixture until combined, about 30 seconds. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat the batter until smooth and fluffy, 1 to 3 minutes.

5. Spoon the batter over the apples and gently spread it into an even layer. Gently tap the pan on the counter to settle the batter. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.

6. Let the cake cool slightly in the pan, about 10 minutes. Place a serving platter over the top of the cake pan, invert the cake, and let sit until the cake releases itself from the pan (do not shake or tap the pan), about 1 minutes. Gently remove the cake pan and serve warm or at room temperature. 

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

In the past I've made chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and maple-walnut pie, but this year my husband requested a pineapple upside-down cake for his birthday. A lot of people probably think of pineapple upside-down cake as something topped by canned pineapple rings and maraschino cherries and served by 1950s housewives, but it can be so much better than that. This recipe from Food and Wine is essentially fresh pineapple slices cooked in caramel sauce on top of a light, yet rich, pound cake. The cake is rich and sweet, but the fresh pineapple flavor doesn't disappear in the caramel. I haven't had a piece of pineapple upside-down cake in years and now I can't believe I've gone so long without one!

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
from Food and Wine
makes one 8-inch cake

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
1/2 large pineapple—peeled, quartered, cored and sliced 1/3 inch thick
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter an 8-inch round cake pan. Sprinkle the bottom with 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar.

2. In a large skillet, combine the remaining 3/4 cup of brown sugar with the 1/2 stick of butter and the vanilla bean and seeds and cook over moderately low heat until the butter is melted. Add the pineapple and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the pineapple is tender, about 20 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, arrange the slices in the cake pan, overlapping them if necessary. Remove the vanilla bean and pour the pan juices over the pineapple.

3. In a bowl, whisk 1/4 cup of the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, beat the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the remaining stick of butter and 1/4 cup of sour cream and beat at low speed until smooth, then beat at medium speed until fluffy. Add the sour cream–egg mixture and beat again until fluffy, 2 minutes.

4. Spoon the batter over the pineapple and spread it evenly. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the cake is deep golden. Let cool for 5 minutes on a rack. Run a knife around the edge of the cake, invert it onto a plate and remove the pan. Replace any pineapple that may have stuck to the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cornmeal Cake with Fresh Corn and Berries

Fresh sweet corn on the cob is one of the most perfect foods on earth. Sweet corn season is in full-swing right now and I've been eating corn-on-the-cob once a week, plus stripping ears of fresh corn for other recipes (and plan to do so more this week). When I saw this recipe in my new cookbook, Farmers' Market Desserts by Jennie Schacht, I knew I had to try it. Although Jennie Schacht recommends blackberries or raspberries (although she does say to substitute other berries as the season allows), I immediately thought of blueberries and used those instead. This cake is wonderfully moist, not overly sweet, and embodies the taste of summer. This cake has a wonderful crunchy crust, with a tender and light cake inside. The taste of both the fresh corn and blueberries comes through and is a great dessert for warm summer days.


Cornmeal Cake with Fresh Corn and Blueberries
from Farmers' Market Desserts by Jennie Schacht

1 pint (about 2 cups) blackberries or raspberries
3/4 c. corn kernels (from about 1 ear of corn)
1 c. plus 2 T. unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 c. fine or medium stone-ground yellow cornmeal
1 t. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda
1/2 t. kosher salt
2 large eggs
1/2 c. buttermilk
1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil
Lightly sweetened, softly whipped cream, for serving (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, with a rack near the center. Oil a 8-by-2-inch round cake pan. Dust the pan with flour, tapping out the excess.

2. Set aside 1 cup of the berries for garnish. Put the remaining 1 c. berries into a small bowl with the corn kernels. Sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons flour and 2 tablespoons sugar. Stir gently to coat and set aside.

3. Stir together the remaining 1 cup flour, 3/4 cup sugar, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and olive oil in a small bowl or measuring cup. Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture until they are well combined. Gently fold the floured-and-sugared berries and corn into the batter.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted near the center tests clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack until almost completely cool. Run a thin knife around the inside edge of the pan to loosen the cake sides. Invert a flat plate or baking sheet over the pan and invert the pan and plate together to release the cake. Life off the pan, then invert the cake again onto a serving plate.

5. A few minutes before serving, toss the reserved berries with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Serve the cake slightly warm or at room temperature. Top each slice with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired, and a scattering of sugared berries.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Zucchini is cheap and plentiful at the farmer's market and lucky there is a plethora of recipes to go with the bumper crop of summer squash available. Zucchini bread is a good place to start, but there are many more sweet and savory zucchini recipes out there just begging to be tried this summer.

I would happily have dessert every day if I wasn't thinking of my health. I really enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables, but they are no substitute for ice cream or cake. I eat pretty healthy most of the time, always allowing myself some indulgences, and when it comes to desserts I don't swap out butter, cream, or sugar for "healthier" options if they reduce the quality of the desserts. As with alcohol, I'd rather have a small amount of something really good than more of something mediocre. That being said, I love it when a dessert is both delicious and has some healthy components. While I wouldn't call chocolate zucchini cake healthy, it does have zucchini and heart-healthy walnuts. I also swapped out one cup of the all-purpose flour for one cup of white whole wheat flour, so it contains some whole grains, and swapped out vegetable for more healthy canola oil. And let's not forget all the antioxidants and mood-boosting chemicals in cocoa and dark chocolate! If I can enjoy a rich, chocolaty, almost brownie-like cake while sneaking in some vegetables, all the better.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake
adapted from Epicurious, who got it from Bon Appetit

1.25 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 c. white whole wheat flour (use more all-purpose if you don't have any)
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1.75 c. sugar
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 c. canola oil
2 large eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 c. buttermilk or sour milk
2 c. grated unpeeled zucchini (about 2.5 medium)
6 oz. (about 1 cup) bittersweet chocolate chips (I use Ghiradelli 60% cacao chocolate chips)
3/4 c. chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter and flour 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. 

2. Beat sugar, butter and oil in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract. Mix in dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk in 3 additions each. Mix in grated zucchini. Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips and nuts over.

3. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool cake completely in pan.

Warm Strawberry Crumb Cake

Another strawberry recipe! If you have mass quantities of strawberries, you should definitely try this recipe (it requires 3 pounds of strawberries, but it's totally worth it). In addition to being absolutely delicious, the three contrasting textures of this cake make it absolutely exquisite. The strawberry layer is soft, jammy, and sweet, the cake layer is buttery and light, and the crumb topping is rich and crunchy. My one complaint is that the strawberry layer was almost too sweet for my taste. If I had made this cake with the sorry excuses for strawberries that are trucked across the country to my local chain grocery store, the level of sugar would have probably been appropriate, but the smaller, sweeter farmer's market strawberries don't need as much sugar to achieve the same level of sweetness.

Warm Strawberry Crumb Cake
from Food and Wine


FILLING
 3 lbs. strawberries, hulled and halved (8 cups)
1/2 c. sugar
2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2.5 T. cornstarch dissolved in 2.5 T. of water
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped

CRUMB TOPPING
1/2 c. lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 c. plus 2 T. all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
4 T. unsalted butter, cubed and chilled

CAKE

2.25 c. all-purpose flour
1 T. baking powder
3/4 t. salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1.25 c. sugar
3 large eggs
1.5 t. pure vanilla extract
3/4 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. plus 2 T. all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
4 T. unsalted butter, cubed and chilled


1. Make the Filling: Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large bowl, toss the strawberries with the sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch slurry and vanilla seeds and let stand until the berries release some of their juices, about 30 minutes. Pour the fruit filling into a 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish set on a sturdy baking sheet. 

2. Meanwhile, Make the Crumb Topping: In a medium bowl, mix all of the ingredients with your fingers until a coarse meal forms; press into small clumps. 

3. Make the Cake: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions. Beat in the vanilla extract and scrape down the bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the batter in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk.

4. Spoon the batter over the fruit filling, spreading it to the edge. Sprinkle with the crumb topping. Bake in the center of the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling, the crumb topping is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Transfer to a rack to cool slightly. Serve the crumb cake warm or at room temperature.

Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake

I've had this recipe bookmarked ever since I got the May issue of Martha Stewart Living. Rhubarb made it's first appearance at the farmer's market this week and I immediately thought of this cake when I picked up a pound of some beautiful organic rhubarb early Saturday morning. I feel lucky to live in the city with the country's largest producer-only farmer's market every time I go there and love letting what is available there dictate most of my meal plan for the week.

As much as I like rhubarb and strawberry-rhubarb pie, I would pick this cake over pie any day. I love the soft, tart layer of rhubarb on top that melts into a dense, buttery cake on the bottom, ending with a satisfying crunch of streusel-like crust. It goes great with a cup of tea or coffee or makes a great dessert on its own.

Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake
from Martha Stewart Living, May 2010

makes one 9-inch cake, serving 10

FOR THE TOPPING
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
Coarse salt
  
FOR THE CAKE
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for buttering pan
1 lb. rhubarb, trimmed and cut on a very sharp diagonal about 1/2 inch thick
1 3/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
Coarse salt
1/2 t. finely grated orange zest plus 1 T. fresh orange juice
2 large eggs
1 c. sour cream

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the topping: Stir together butter, flour, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until moist and crumbly.

2. Make the cake: Butter a 9-inch round cake pan (2 inches deep). Dot with 4 tablespoons butter (cut into pieces). Toss rhubarb with 3/4 cup sugar; let stand for 2 minutes. Toss again, and spread in pan.

3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Beat remaining stick butter and cup sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in zest and juice. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream, until smooth. Spread evenly over rhubarb. Crumble topping evenly over batter.

4. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and top springs back when touched, about 1 hour. Let cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake, and invert onto a wire rack. Let cool completely.

 

Easy Almond Pound Cake

Pound cake originally got it's name because it was traditionally made with one pound each of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour, although that quantity of ingredients is rarely used today. If you use a 1:1:1:1 mixture of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour the resulting cake will be very similar to the traditional cake.

I used a blender instead of a food processor and sliced instead of slivered almonds. Keep an eye on your pound cake to make sure it's not getting too brown. When I checked on mine after 25 minutes to rotate the pan, it was already a bit darker than I would like so I covered it with aluminum foil for the remainder of the cooking time. To make plain pound cake, omit the almond extract and slivered almonds.

This cake is moist and delicious with a wonderful, but not overpowering, almond flavor. I will definitely make this again. 

Easy Almond Pound Cake
from the America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book

makes one 8-inch loaf

1 1/2 c. (6 oz.) cake flour
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 1/4 c. (8 3/4 oz.) sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
16 T. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and hot
1 t. almond extract
1/4 c. plus 2 T. slivered almonds

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.

 2. Process the sugar, eggs, vanilla, almond extract, and 1/4 c. slivered almonds in a food processor (or blender) until combined, about 10 seconds. With the machine running, pour in the hot melted butter through the feed tube in a steady stream until combined, about 30 seconds. Pour the mixture into a large bowl.

 

 

 3. Sift one-third of the flour mixture over the egg mixture and whisk to combine until just a few streaks of flour remain. Repeat twice more with the remaining flour mixture, then continue to whisk the batter gently until most lumps are gone (do not overmix).

 4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Wipe and drops of batter off the sides of the pan and gently tap the pan on the counter to settle the batter. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of slivered almonds over the cake. Bake the cake until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 50 to 60 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.

5. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a small knife around the edge of the cake to loosen, then flip it out onto a wire rack. Turn the cake right side up and let it cool completely, about 2 hours, before serving.