Pineapple Turn-A-Frown-Upside-Down Coffee Cake

I am re-posting this recipe because it deserves it's own stand alone post.  I made pineapple upside down coffee cake for dessert this Memorial Day.   Anthony was in a terrible mood until I handed him a fresh piece of this homemade dessert.  He immediately smiled, apologized, and was in a better mood the rest of the evening... yea... it's that good... which is why I now call it "Pineapple Turn-A-Frown-Upside-Down Coffee Cake".  Everyone could use a recipe like this one!

This makes me want to run downstairs and eat another piece

Ingredients:
1/2c butter (1 stick)
1 cup packed brown sugar
12 canned pineapple rings in juice (need 2 cans, reserve 1/2c juice)
2c all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon (plus more for serving)
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
Whipped cream for serving

 Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Butter the bottom and sides of a cake pan.  Line with parchment paper and butter again.  For pineapple topping, melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat.  Add 1c brown sugar.  Stir frequently until boiling.  Pour into pan.  Drain pineapple rings (reserving juice).  Fit 12 rings at the bottom of the pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.  In a large mixing bowl mix softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with a mixer for 2 minutes.  Add eggs and mix.  Beat in 1/2 of flour mix.  Beat in reserved 1/2c pineapple juice and milk.  Beat in remaining flour and vanilla.
3. Pour batter carefully over the pineapples in the pan and spread evenly.  Bake 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
4. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes (any less and the pineapple with stick).  Place a baking sheet over the cake and invert.  Pull off parchment paper.  Serve warm with whipped cream and extra cinnamon if desired.

The Cupcake Chronicles: Part 2

This entry is a continuation of my first cupcake dialogue.  It would appear that the 3rd time's the charm.  I made a moist, delicious, delicate vanilla cupcake with dark chocolate mocha icing and it was to die for.  Finally something that tastes better than boxed mix!  I have to give credit to my sister who insisted that I can make good cupcakes from scratch as long as I bring all ingredients to room temperature before cooking and I don't mix the batter for too long.  What great advice for a cupcake newby like me.  My husband Anthony came home from a flight last night and had his first taste of the perfect vanilla cupcake.  He smiled as he wolfed down 5 of them (and then 1 again this morning).  I promised you a great cupcake recipe and here it is:

Vanilla Cupcake Perfection

My happy-chocolate-covered-husband after eating one of these delicious cupcakes

Cupcake Ingredients:
2 1/2 cup cake flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 3/4 cup pure can sugar
10 tbs (1 + 1/4 sick) unsalted room temperature butter
1 cup buttermilk at room temperature
3 tbs canola oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
6 large egg yolks at room temperature
3 large egg whites at room temperature

Cupcake Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F and place rack in the center of the oven.  Fill cupcake tins with liners and then a quick mist of nonstick cooking spray.
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and 1 1/2 cups sugar in a large bowl, reserving 1/4 cup sugar.
3. Beat together butter, buttermilk, oil, vanilla and egg yolks.
4. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until foamy (30 sec).  Slowly add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff (about 60 sec). 
5. Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet until almost combined (with mixer on low).  Mix on medium low until completely combined (but don't mix too long!). 
6. Stir in 1/3 egg whites then fold in remaining whites until no streaks remain.
7. Bake in the oven about 14 minutes, or until a toothpick entered in the center is no longer wet (they will appear slightly wet and underdone).
8. Cool completely before frosting.


Chocolate Frosting Ingredients:
2 1/2 sticks unsalted room temperature butter
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 cup special dark cocoa powder (or dutch processed)
Pinch fine sea salt
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 oz semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly (I used Ghirardelli chocolate chips)
1/2 tsp instant coffee (I used Starbucks)

Frosting Directions:
1. Combine butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a food processor and process until smooth.  Add corn syrup and vanilla.  Pulse until just combined.  Add melted chocolate and coffee.  Pulse again until smooth.
2. Let set at room temperature until set (or place in the refrigerator for faster setting but don't forget about it otherwise it will be too hard to spread).

The Cupcake Chronicles

Cupcake Experiment #1

After a few episodes of Cupcake Wars and some inspiration from my mother I fostered some type of internal desire to bake cupcakes from scratch.  This actually surprised me because about 6 years back I had a similar desire to make the best brownies in the world (I was a newlywed at the time and my husband's favorite dessert is brownies).  This resulted in hundreds of recipes and countless hours of baking, all which resulted in failure.  Finally, I took my deflated ego and bought his favorite boxed mix.  And he was happy.  And I've never tried to make brownies from scratch since.

To date, I have attempted to make cupcakes from scratch twice.  Both times were not complete failures but I doubt they can stand up to boxed mix either, which is embarrassing.  I am going to include my cupcake experiment chronicle, but refuse to share with you any such recipe for the mix until I perfect it.  My first attempt was too heavy of a cake, although the flavor was there.  My second attempt was a much fluffier cake, but it had little flavor and felt more like an angel food cake.  I doubt I will put in as much effort into cupcakes as I did into brownies, but I may try a few more times.  Once (if) I find the perfect recipe, I promise to come back and share it.

Cupcake Experiment #1: Chocolate Chip Vanilla Cream Cupcakes

These cakes were fun to make and would make a great birthday party treat.  They have a surprise chocolate chip cookie at the bottom of each cupcake and the frosting is delicious!  Of course, at this point I suggest you use boxed mix for the cupcake center unless you have your own secret recipe for vanilla cupcakes.

Small thin buttery cookies make a perfect cupcake topping

 Ingredients for Chocolate Chip Cookie Base:
1c + 2 tbs all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, room temp
3/4c packed light brown sugar
1/4c + 2tbs granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1c semisweet chocolate chips

Directions for cookies:
1. Sift flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl. 
2. Beat butter and sugars with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. On low, beat in egg.
4. Add flour in 3 additions.  Beat in vanilla & gently mix in chocolate chips.
5. For 1 1/2" cookies to top cupcakes, drop mounds by 1/2tsp (or use a rounded 1/4tsp measuring spoon).
5. Bake at 350F until edges are darkened but centers look pale and underdone for chewy cookies (about 8 to 10 minutes).  Cook a bit longer for crispy cookies.
[Note: Only cook 1/2 of the dough.  The other 1/2 will go at the bottom of the cupcakes later]

Step 3: Surprise cookie dough at the bottom is so fun!

Directions for cupcakes:
1. Fill cupcake tin with paper liners. 
2. Preheat oven to desired temperature depending on your mix (300-350). 
3. Press 1tbs cookie dough into the bottom of the paper cupcake liners.
4. Top with 2tbs cupcake mix.
5. Follow cupcake directions and bake until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (about 18 minutes). 
6. Let cupcakes cool slightly and then remove from tin and set out to cool completely.  Meanwhile, make frosting.

All done baking and ready to cool

Directions for Vanilla Buttercream Icing:
1. Beat 2 sticks plus 2tbs room temp butter and 3/4c confectioner's sugar with a mixer on medium until pale and fluffy. 
2. Reduce speed to medium-low and gradually add an additional 2c plus 2tbs confectioner's sugar. 
3. Beat on high and add 1tbs whole milk and 1tsp vanilla extract.  Continue to beat until pale and fluffy (3-4min).  Store at room temp until ready to use (up to 2 days).

Directions to Assemble Cakes:
1. Frost cooled cakes with buttercream icing using a piping bag (I don't have one so I just cut a whole at the bottom corner of a ziploc bag, filled it with icing and used that.
2. Top with a cooled chocolate chip cookie and serve.

Finish cakes are ready to be eaten

Blueberry Lemon Money Bread

I have decided to divulge my secret recipe for blueberry lemon bread.  The first time I made this Anthony said, "You could make a lot of money with this bread" which is why I now call it my money bread.  Make this bread when blueberries are in season, or use frozen.  Frozen berries will require a little extra baking time so keep a close eye on the oven.  This bread tastes similar to a muffin with its rich moist texture.  The combination of the bite of the lemons with the sweetness of the blueberries is unsurpassed.  You will not be sorry you made this.

The best loaf of bread you will ever eat

Ingredients:
1 stick butter at room temp, plus more for pans
2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for pans
1 1/2c sugar
1 tbs finely grated lemon zest
1/2c + 2tbs fresh lemon juice (from 4-5 lemons)
3/4c heavy cream
1tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4tsp baking powder
1/4tsp baking soda
2 large eggs
1 1/4c fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Butter a 9x5" loaf pan.  Sprinkle with flour and tap out excess.
2. Combine 1/2c sugar and 1/2c lemon juice in a small sauce pan.  Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves.  Set aside.
3. Combine heavy cream, 2 tbs lemon juice, and vanilla extract in a small bowl.
4. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and 1/4tsp salt in a medium bowl.

Moist tart lemon bread with sweet blueberries

5. Beat butter, lemon zest and 1c sugar on medium until pale and fluffy.  Reduce speed to low and add eggs one at a time and beat thoroughly.  Beat in 1/3 of the flour mixture followed by 1/2 of the cream mixture and alternate beginning and ending with flour until all is combined.  Gently fold in blueberries with a spatula.
6. Immediately pour batter into the loaf pan and bake about 55 minutes, or until toothpick in the center comes out clean (will need about 5 more minutes for frozen berries and you may need to place foil over the pan 1/2 way through to keep the top from browning too quickly).
7. Brush the top of the cake with lemon glaze and let set 15 minutes.  Remove from pan and brush the remaining sides of the cake with the glaze.  Let cool completely and serve.  (also delicious warm with butter!)