Sunken Streusel Apple Cake

November 5, 2012 | 12 Comments

The other day I was watching a mainstream morning news program that will remain nameless (OK, fine, its name begins with a ‘T’ and ends in an ‘oday’).

The anchors were working with an ‘Idea Specialist’, who was sharing her thoughts on how to pass the time should you find yourself temporarily without power.

Aside from my feelings on someone referring to themselves as an ‘Idea Specialist’ and the fact that the very audience to whom she was speaking was notably, you know, WITHOUT THE POWER TO SEE HER, I found myself transfixed by the suggestions that were being tossed around:  Turn each room in your house into a different vacation destination! Speak in code! Do everything backwards and act like you like it!

While I am willing to do everything backwards, I’m just not sure that I love the part about being told that I need to like it…

But I kept listening, because, as with so many things on TV these days, I just can’t look away.

And then I realized:  I want to be an Idea Specialist, too! I want to travel the land slinging my sweet intellectual gems! I want to share my ideas with the world via Matt Lauer and Al Roker!

How can I get started?

I guess I’ll need some, uh, ideas…

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Dulce Skillet Sticky Bun Cake

September 12, 2012 | 15 Comments

You can consider this a sort of ‘Wordless Wednesday’ post…

I mean, what could we possibly have to converse about that would be better than this cake?

This one bowl, one fork, one skillet, sticky bun cake laced with dulce de leche?

Right. Nothing. Exactly. Duh.

There’s butter inside the cake, which is really just a series of biscuits that are going to bake together.

Oh! And then there’s a butter, brown sugar and pecan crust baked into the bottom of the cake, which you’ll invert to become the top of the cake. For easier access, natch.

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Blueberry Mostachon Cake

August 24, 2012 | 12 Comments

I don’t want to distract you with a whole lot of blah-blah-blahbibbity-blah today:  we’ve got the matter of this cake to attend to. And I want to make sure that you aren’t distracted.

Put your full focus on this cake.

In case you’re not familiar with a mostachon cake, it’s a traditional meringue-style cake from Monterrey, Mexico. It typically includes cookies or crackers in the meringue.

But here’s a secret:  I don’t like meringue. Apologies, apologies, apologies – I just don’t.

So I flipped the script on a traditional mostachon and made it much more like a conventional cake. I kept the cookies in the mix, incorporating sweet, crisp Maria crackers. And then I threw in some bursting fresh blueberries and topped it off with a tart goat cheese frosting.

You’re going to want to make some room in your weekend for this cake. Pretty amazeballs.

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Pineapple Tres Leches Cake

July 17, 2012 | 18 Comments

I may have mentioned that I was recently lucky enough to spend some time in the Aloha State…

specifically on the Garden Island of Kaua´i.

You may have also observed that I enjoy eating, and you may have concluded that this is the case wherever in the world I am.

So you’ll likely not be shocked when I tell you that I took in my fair share of Hawaiian cuisine while on island. Plus a few more fair shares to spare.

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Torta De Cielo

March 21, 2012 | 48 Comments

I will confess to you that I am not a huge fan of almonds. I went through a huge tamari almond phase in college and I simply ate myself out of them. Do you ever eat yourself out of a food? Unfortunately I have yet to eat myself out of peanut butter, bacon, or raw cookie dough, but I digress.

This is the story of The Little Torta That Could. Could talk me back into the fold of Almond Appreciation. I’ll tell you the story of this torta through pictures, since it is such an easy cake to prepare.

And not hard to love! See if you fall in love with almonds, and possibly this classic torta, too…

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Pomegranate Upside Down Cake

January 4, 2012 | 73 Comments

2012, people!

We’re all over it!

And it’s all over us!

All over our checkbooks, our cell phones, our Day-Timers, what have you.

Let’s celebrate.

Personally, I’m incredibly excited about 2012.

We’ll be electing.
We’ll be Olympicing.
We’ll be Hobbiting.

And we just may be churning out a tasty treat or two from this here kitchen.

Because 2012 is destined to be such a winner, I definitely chose to spend its very first day being responsible.

I thought hard about my resolutions and I was committed to those initial auspicious moments.

Let me break it down for you.

Resolution #1: Stop eating like a 5th grader.

Done.
Obvi.
Oh, wait.

Chips & salsa for breakfast and Pomegranate Upside Down Cake for lunch and dinner don’t qualify? Whatever.

Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow…

Sing it with me brothers and sisters.

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Pumpkin Hot Chocolate Cake

October 31, 2011 | 41 Comments

Halloween!

It’s on like Donkey Kong.

Or maybe just like Peter Pan.

No Tinkerbells were harmed in the making of this costume. At least that’s what M. and D. tell me.

The lil’ pardner on the left is my brother, P. I’m pretty sure that what I’m thinking here was “Why can’t I be the one wearing the cool leather chaps?”

Apparently I’m not the only one who’s jealous of P.’s costume.

B. took one look at that shiny, fringed leather and proclaimed himself the new sheriff in town.

Who am I to judge?

I think the power went to his head, though:  A. and I have been respecting B.’s authoritay for 11 years now, but once he had a badge to flash, things got really ugly. I was five minutes late to breakfast and I received a fine, a citation, and an extremely stern talking-to. I haven’t paid a ticket that pricey since the Great Treat Shortage of 2009.

Now’s probably a good time to talk about some cake.

I’ve honestly always thought of bundt cakes as dry and kind of gross.

I decided to jazz things up a little:

1.  Fresh, roasted pumpkin -insert jazz hands here-
2.  Sweet, luscious applesauce -insert spirit fingers here-
3.  And a melted, hot chocolate topping -you better be full-on doing the Robot by now-

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Coconut Almond Rice (Horchata) Cake

July 28, 2011 | 47 Comments

Did you go into the kitchen yesterday morning to have a large, healthy glass of water?

Of course you did.

Because you’re smart, and good, and nutritional-like.

Did you decide to throw yourself a bone and amp your water up by turning it into your favorite agua fresca? Perhaps. Innocent enough.

Horchata is made with ground rice and almonds. It’s cool and refreshing. And it’s a water-based beverage so no harm, no foul.

Did you think about the lovely flavors of Horchata while you were mixing your drink and come to the conclusion that they would make an excellent cake?

Fair enough. We’re just thinking here. No confectionary steps have been taken.

No ovens have been preheated. No pans lined and greased. No batter has been mixed. Not a single shred of coconut has been toasted.

And certainly no frosting has been whipped. None. Absolutely, positively none.

Because you’re good. And nutritional-like.

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