Raspberry Almond Bundt Cake

Summer brings some of the most beautiful fruit! Deep red raspberries, dark purple blackberries, juicy blueberries...and all bursting with sweet, juicy flavor! 

So finally, berry-picking season is upon us. Okay, fine. I guess it's been upon us for quite a while, but I'm finally acknowledging it with a beautiful recipe! And if you're not all into the picking action, there were piles upon piles of plump berries at the grocery store last time I went.  

Ever since I started my first-ever pastry class about two weeks ago (more on that to come for sure!), I decided that I really like making individual-size desserts. There's just something so fun about a fresh pastry or cakelet handcrafted with a single person in mind. Or several single persons.

Could there be anything more perfect than a moist almond butter cake topped with a thin raspberry glaze? Not really. So please feel free to enjoy the most perfect mini cake of the season!

P.S. Frozen berries work great, too. 
P.P.S. You can make a regular bundt cake instead of the minis by increasing the total bake time if you aren't a fan of the minis.
P.P.P.S. Be sure to check out Domestic Goddess' raspberry seasonal posting, too!

Raspberry Almond Bundt Cake [click to print]
makes 6 mini bundts


For the cake

• 2 tsp. sugar
• 2/3 to 1 c. raspberries, roughly chopped
• 2 c. flour
• 1/2 c. almond flour
• 1 T. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1-1/4 c. buttermilk
• 1/4 c. unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tsp. almond extract

For the glaze

• 2 to 3 c. powdered sugar
• 1/2 c. raspberries, crushed with all their juices

Preheat oven to 350 F and generously coat with nonstick cooking spray (the kind with flour in it is best for bundts, I think). Sprinkle bottom of bundt pans with sugar, about 1/3 tsp. per pan. Divide berries evenly among pans and set aside. 

Whisk together flours, powder and salt; set aside. In separate bowl, whisk together sugar and eggs. Stir in buttermilk, butter and extracts. Stir in flour mixture until evenly combined. Pour batter into bundt pans and bake about 20-25 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly. Allow to cool in pans about 10 minutes before turning turning out on wire rack to cool completely.

If the berries stick in the pan, just scoop them back onto the top of your bundt before glazing. To make the glaze, whisk together berries and sugar. Pour over cakes and garnish with toasted almond slivers.

Source: Adapted from Nook & Pantry

Chocolate Pound Cake with Dulce de Leche Buttercream Glaze

Wow, that's a long title, but at least you know what to expect with this cake! It is certainly not for the faint of heart. I was originally going to make it into a layer cake and frost the entire thing, but I decided it might kill me. And probably several of my friends. For real. And that's not really what I'm going for here, so instead, I went with a single layer, glazed version.

Because of the high butter content (don't let that scare you away!) of pound cake, it can dry out pretty fast. So don't store it in your refrigerator and try to enjoy it the day you make it! Even better, while it's still warm.

Sorry for such a short post today and a general lack of wit, I'm just mostly exhausted but I promise to do better next time!

Chocolate Pound Cake with Dulce de Leche Buttercream Glaze [click to print]
Makes two 8" round layers

For the cake: 

• 2-1/4 c. flour
• 3/4 c. cocoa powder
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 c. unsalted butter, softened
• 1 c. sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 c. sour cream
• 1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

For the buttercream

• 2 c. powdered sugar
• 1/4 c. unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 c. dulce de leche (try the easiest homemade Dulce de Leche of your life!)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3-6 T. milk

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line pans with parchment paper or coat with nonstick cooking spray. 

Whisk together flour, cocoa, soda and salt; set aside. In large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium-low and add eggs, one at a time, incorporating well between each addition. Add vanilla.

Alternately add flour mixture and sour cream in 3 separate additions, beginning and ending with flour. Add chocolate chips and continue mixing until combined. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for about 32-38 minutes or until done. Allow cakes to cool in pan about 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool.

In mixing bowl, combine sugar, butter, dulce de leche and salt. Gradually beat in milk, one tablespoon at a time, until reaching desired consistency. Pour over slightly warm cake layers. 

Source: Adapted from The Curvy Carrot

Faux Chicken Drumsticks

Two years ago, my nieces sat down to dinner, thrilled that they were getting chicken pot pie and fancy frosted cupcakes for dinner. Until they took a bite. Alli was absolutely disgusted, well, maybe furious is a better word for it, that those cupcakes were actually meatloaf topped with neon mashed potatoes! After some explaining that it was just a joke, a very angry Alli stormed off to her room while Maggie giggled and continued eating. Funny girls!

Last year, even Alli managed to enjoy an April Fool's spread of hot dogs and french fries. Not sure what Breezi has planned this year, but I think some chicken drumsticks could be a quick crowd pleaser!

These guys are easy to make and quite tasty, if I do say so myself. Pretty much they're just chicken flavored rice crispy treats...april fool's! They're just regular old rice crispy treats, shaped into drumsticks and covered with a brown sugar glaze. The rice crispies naturally give them that crunchy breaded look. Mm!
Faux Chicken Drumsticks [click to print]
Makes about 22 drumsticks
For the rice crispies

• 2 T. unsalted butter
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 10 oz. (one bag) marshmallows
• 6 c. rice crispies (or other puffed rice cereal)

Melt butter in large microwave safe bowl. Stir in vanilla and salt. Add marshmallows and microwave until completely melted and gooey in 30 second bursts, stirring well between each nuke. Stir in rice crispies and spread mixture out loosely on large piece of parchment paper. Allow to cool.

For the brown sugar glaze

• 1/2 c. butter
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 1/3 c. milk
• 2 c. powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 T. corn syrup
• 4 T. milk

Melt butter in saucepan. Add brown sugar and bring to a boil, then continue boiling two minutes while stirring continuously. Reduce heat to medium-low and slowly stir in milk. Return to a boil and then remove from heat. Cool to lukewarm and slowly beat in powdered sugar and corn syrup. Add milk, one tablespoon at a time, until the glaze reaches a pouring consistency. You only want a thin coating of glaze on your treats, so if it's still too thick, microwave it for a few seconds and stir until it's nice and runny.

To create the drumsticks

• Grab a handful of rice crispies and shape into a drumstick. Continue until all crispies are formed. 
• Set up your glazing station, aka set a wire rack over a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. This will let you scoop and reuse the glaze that drips off so you have enough to coat all your pieces. 
• Drizzle spoonfuls of glaze over each piece and allow to set. 

Source: Inspired by Party Pinching; Glaze adapted from Cupcake Project

White Pepper and Ginger Lemon Cake

A year or so ago I made a mango cake with cayenne pepper and loved the little kick. Then when I went home for a visit, my little bro's wife Zaikea whipped up a batch of zippy white pepper Amish cookies. Of the ten or so cookies that I inhaled, I'd say they were delicious.

So when I found this recipe for Maida Heater (a fancy pants pastry chef)'s White Pepper and Ginger Lemon Cake, I knew I had to give it a try. Plus, lemons are the perfect summer fruit! Just look at that ooey, gooey glaze...oh my goodness, I think I'm making myself drool. Trust me, if you like a little heat (sorry, Stacie), you're gonna love it!

White Pepper and Ginger Lemon Cake with Ginger Glaze [click to print]
Makes one 12-cup bundt cake

For the cake

• Few tablespoons coarse sugar
• 3 c. flour
• 2 tsp. white pepper
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 T. lemon juice
• 5 T. lemon zest (about 3 small lemons)
• 1-1/2 T. (4-1/2 tsp.) ginger paste (or grated fresh ginger)
• 1/2 tsp. lemon extract
• 1 c. unsalted butter, softened
• 1-1/2 c. sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 c. buttermilk

For the Glaze: 

• 2 c. powdered sugar
• 1 T. unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tsp. ginger paste (or fresh ground ginger)
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 3-4 T. milk

Using nonstick cooking spray with flour included, generously coat bundt pan. Sprinkle coarse sugar in pan to lightly coat; set aside. Preheat oven to 350.

Whisk together flour, pepper, powder, soda and salt; set aside. In small bowl, whisk together juice, zest, ginger and extract; set aside.

In large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar on low speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, incorporating well between each addition. Alternately add dry ingredients (about 3 additions) and buttermilk (about 2 additions). Stir in lemon mixture. Pour batter in bundt pan. Firmly tap pan on counter about 3 times to tap out any large air bubbles that may have been trapped when batter was poured into pan.

Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes. Allow cake to cool in pan on wire rack for about 15 minutes. To remove from bundt pan, place wire rack over top of pan and invert, tapping gently on the sides to release, if necessary. Allow to cool completely on wire rack.

For the glaze, combine sugar, butter, zest, ginger and salt in mixing bowl. With mixer on low, add 3 Tablespoons milk. Slowly add additional milk, one teaspoon at a time until you reach desired consistency. Pour over cake and allow to set.

Source: Cake adapted from Sauce and Sensibility; Glaze is all Sugar Rush!