Honey Buttermilk Oatmeal Coffee Cake: For The Daring Bakers February Challenge

Tags

& Muffins, Baking, Bread and Pastries, breakfast, buttermilk, Cake, coffee cake, Cupcake, daring baker, daring kitchen challenge, honey, oatmeal, pecan, quick bread

The Daring Bakers’ February 2012 host was – Lis! Lisa stepped in last minute and challenged us to create a quick bread we could call our own. She supplied us with a base recipe and shared some recipes she loves from various websites and encouraged us to build upon them and create new flavor profiles.

Bread that is quick to make because it doesn’t require kneading or rising time. That’s because the leavener in such a bread is usually baking powder or baking soda, which, when combined with moisture, starts the rising process immediately. In the case of double-acting baking powder, oven heat causes a second burst of rising power. Eggs can also be used to leaven quick breads. This genre includes most biscuits, muffins, popovers and a wide variety of sweet and savory loaf breads.

Some tips from Lisa:

•Quick breads can be sweet or savory, they are a modern innovation they became common after the introduction of baking powder and baking soda.
•Baking powder is a combination of acid and alkaline that reacts together when moistened to form gases that raises the baked quick bread. Usage 1 to 2 teaspoons per cup of flour.
•Baking soda (an alkaline salt, sodium bicarbonate) is used when the liquid is acidic, such as buttermilk, honey, molasses, tomato sauce etc. Usage ½ to 1 teaspoon per cup of acidic liquid.
•Be sure your baking powder and baking soda are fresh.
•Measure ingredients accurately, using the measuring tools and techniques suggested.
•Preheat the oven to the correct baking temperature. Arrange racks so that the bread will bake in the center of the oven which has the best heat distribution in the oven.
•To allow for good air circulation while baking, leave at least 1 inch of space between pans and between pans and sides of oven. Switch pan positions and rotate pans halfway through baking.
•The two top secrets to moist, tender quick bread is 1)in the mixing always use a quick light technique so you don’t over-mix the batter 2) don’t over-bake since this cause dryness in the final baked product.

Biscuits, coffee cake, muffins_ they’re all quick breads. My recipe for the quick bread challenge is for the coffee cake, simple, light and healthful, perfect for afternoon tea or breakfast with tea or coffee.
A lot of thanks to Lisa and the Daring bakers for sharing with us some tips and recipes for quick breads.

Honey Buttermilk Oatmeal Coffee Cake

The honey mixture bakes at the bottom of the pan for this dessert. Then flip the finished cake over to reveal a sweet glaze on top.

1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 Tbsp. light-colored corn syrup
2 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel
4 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1-1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup butter, melted
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
Honey (optional)

Grease a  baking pan. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup honey, 1/3 cup melted butter, corn syrup, lemon peel and lemon juice. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Pour into prepared pan; set aside.

For cake: In a blender or food processor, blend or process oats until finely ground. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in flour, brown sugar, 1/2 cup pecans, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine buttermilk, eggs, 1/4 cup melted butter, and vanilla. Add the milk mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy).

Spoon batter evenly over honey mixture. Bake in a 375 degree F oven about 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and immediately invert cake onto a serving plate. Cool about 10 minutes. Serve warm drizzled with additional honey, if you like. Makes 9 servings.

A Tip From My Kitchen:

I learnt from Martha Stewart Very helpful tip about buttermilk.
When I buy a quart of buttermilk, I never need all of it. Luckily, it freezes well and is great to use later in pancakes, cakes, or marinades.

The Daring Bakers July 2011 Challenge: FRESH FRAISIERS!

Tags

blueberry, Cake, Cupcake, & Muffins, chocolate cake, daring baker, fruit cake, le fraisier, pastry cream, strawberry

It was the July 19th, my youngest son’s 4th birthday, and the Le Frasier daring bakers challenge was on time. Started two days before to arrange what I need to do first, he choose the chocolate chiffon, I brought some fresh strawberries and blueberries and started to make the cake.
Skipped the almond paste, added some decorations with the whipping cream, sprinkled with some of chocolate cake crumbs that was remaining from trimming the cake, I used some fresh blueberries and strawberries with a little sugar and corn starch let it cook on medium heat for 15 min then grind it to make fruit jelly (the four dots on the top), each one is bigger than the other to express for his sweet four years.

The cake was perfect, the pastry cream, and every thing went very well, all of us loved it, since I always wanted to try it before but there was no chance until this month’s challenge.

Jana of Cherry Tea Cakes was our July Daring Bakers’ host and she challenges us to make Fresh Fraisier inspired by recipes written by Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson in the beautiful cookbook Tartine.

Thank you so much Jana for this wonderful cake, the taste was exquisite. definitely will try it again.

Chocolate Frasier

All the recipes you can find it here.

Chocolate Chiffon Cake:

1 cup cake flour
14 cup coco powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
23 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt, preferably kosher
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 large egg yolks
⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon (3.17 fl oz/95 ml) water
1 teaspoonpure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon lemon zest, grated
5 large egg whites
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat the oven to moderate 325°F (160°C/gas mark 3).
Line the bottom of an 9 12-inch (24 cm) spring form pan with parchment paper. Do not grease the sides of the pan.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and coco powder. Add in all but 3 tablespoons of sugar, and all of the salt. Stir to combine.
In a small bowl combine the oil, egg yolks, water, vanilla and lemon zest. Whisk thoroughly.
Combine with the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly for about one minute, or until very smooth.
Put the egg whites into a stand mixer, and beat on medium speed using a whisk attachment on a medium speed, until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat on a medium speed until the whites hold soft peaks. Slowly add the remaining sugar and beat on a medium-high speed until the whites hold firm and form shiny peaks.
Using a grease free rubber spatula, scoop about ⅓ of the whites into the yolk mixture and fold in gently. Gently fold in the remaining whites just until combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Removed the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack.
To unmold, run a knife around the sides to loosen the cake from the pan and remove the spring form sides. Invert the cake and peel off the parchment paper. Refrigerate for up to four days.

Pastry Cream Filling:

1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt, preferably kosher
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoon (4 gm) gelatin
1/2 tablespoon (7½ ml) water
1 cup heavy cream

Pour the milk, vanilla, and salt into a heavy sauce pan. Place over medium-high heat and scald, bringing it to a near boiling point. Stir occasionally.
Meanwhile, in a stand mixer add the cornstarch and sugar. Whisk to combine
Add the eggs to the sugar and cornstarch and whisk until smooth.
When the milk is ready, gently and slowly while the stand mixer is whisking, pour the heated milk down the side of the bowl into the egg mixture.
Pour the mixture back into the warm pot and continue to cook over a medium heat until the custard is thick, just about to boil and coats the back of a spoon.
Remove from heat and pass through a fine mesh sieve into a large mixing bowl. Allow to cool for ten minutes stirring occasionally.
Cut the butter into four pieces and whisk into the pastry cream a piece at a time until smooth.
Cover the cream with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap onto the top of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator for up to five days.
In a small dish, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let stand for a few minutes to soften.
Put two inches (55 mm) of water into a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer over a medium heat.
Measure 1/4 cup (2 oz/60 ml) of the chilled pastry cream into a small stainless steel bowl that will sit across the sauce pan with the simmering water, without touching the water.
Heat the cream until it is 120 F (48.8 C). Add the gelatin and whisk until smooth. Remove from the water bath, and whisk the remaining cold pastry cream in to incorporate in two batches.
In a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream until it holds medium-stiff peaks. Immediately fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream with a rubber spatula.

Simple Syrup:

You may choose to flavor the syrup. One way is to use flavored sugar (for example: apple cider sugar, orange sugar, or vanilla sugar) or to stir in 1-2 teaspoons of flavored extract. You may also infuse with herbs or spices, if desired or add four tablespoons (60 ml) of fruit juice or liqueur while the syrup is cooling.

1/3 cup of sugar, flavored or white
1/3 cup of water

Combine the water and sugar in a medium saucepan.
Bring the mixture to a boil and let the sugar dissolve. Stirring is not necessary, but will not harm the syrup.
Remove the syrup from the heat and cool slightly.
Transfer syrup to a lidded container or jar that can be stored in the refrigerator. Simple syrup can be stored for up to one month.

Fraisier Assembly:

1 baked 8 inch (20 cm) chiffon cake
1 recipe pastry cream filling
⅓ cup (80 ml) simple syrup or flavored syrup
2 lbs (900 g) strawberries
1 lbs blueberries
1 cup heavy whipping cream
14 cup confectioner sugar
chocolate cake crumps

Line the sides of a 9-inch (23 cm) spring form pan with plastic wrap. Do not line the bottom of the pan.
Cut the cake in half horizontally to form two layers.
Fit the bottom layer into the prepared spring form pan. Moisten the layer evenly with the simple syrup. When the cake has absorbed enough syrup to resemble a squishy sponge, you have enough.
Hull and slice in half enough strawberries to arrange around the sides of the cake pan. Place the cut side of the strawberry against the sides of the pan, point side up forming a ring, arrange the blueberries between each strawberry.
Pipe cream in-between strawberries and a thin layer across the top of the cake.
Hull and quarter your remaining strawberries and place them in the middle of the cake, add some blueberries. Cover the strawberries and blueberries entirely with the all but 1 tbsp. (15 ml) of the pastry cream.
Place the second cake layer on top and moisten with the simple syrup.
Whip the cream with the sugar, add some on the top of the cake, spread it even, arrange some blueberries on the sides, using head number 22, decorate the whipping cream over the blueberries. Sprinkle with chocolate cake crumps.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Very important note : when you assemble the cake use a spring form pan that is smaller than the you bake the cake with, I used 9 12 -inch (24 cm) pan when baked the cake, and after trimming I used 9 – inch (23 cm) pan to assemble the cake.

To serve release the sides of the spring form pan and peel away the plastic wrap.
Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Banana Oat Muffins

Tags

Banana, breakfast, chocolate chip, cinnamon, kids friendly, Muffin, nutmeg, oatmeal, pecan

Delicious … satisfying … Warming … Fragrant …  Healthy …  Easy and quick …

But the most important ONE  kids friendly

yeb! kids like these.

When I bake these muffins they always gone within an hour, they even don’t wait for the morning. I some times double the batch if I plan to have some at breakfast.

It’s a good way to push a high fiber oat into your kids diet, banana also give that beautiful aroma with cinnamon and nutmeg. oh very tempting to eat all of them.

For snacks they are a healthy choice, so whats your kids favourite snack?

Banana Oatmeal Muffins

 

1 1/2 cup  flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 bag vanilla powder

1\2 teaspoon cinnamon

1\4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup oatmeal old-fashioned

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup minced pecan

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter at room temperature

1/2 cup white sugar

2 medium egg at room temperature

3 bananas medium size

1 teaspoon  white vinegar

4 tablespoon liquid milk

chocolate chips

 

for the top

 

oatmeal

Brown sugar

 

 

Heat  the oven to 350 f.

  

Beat the butter and white sugar with the electric mixer until they creamy and fluffy, add the egg one at a time, beat together.

 

 Mash the banana add the vinegar to it then add the banana to the egg batter (I like to put vinegar to all my baking, it takes off the smell of eggs also increase the shelf  life for the bakings).

 

 

Add the milk and beat together,the batter will be smooth and fluffy.

 

Sift together all the dry ingredients:  the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg),  then add to it the minced pecan, the oatmeal (first you must grind it very fine in the food processor).

Add the dry ingredient gradually and stir gently after each addition.

 

 Add the chocolate chips the amount you like and as how you like it  in the batter.

 

Line the cupcake pan with paper cups and spray the papers with oil, fill 3\4 of the cups with the batter.

 

Mix 2 tablespoon oatmeal with 2 tablespoon brown sugar, add to the top of the batter

 

 

 

 

 

Fruits and Cream Layer Cake

Tags

Berry, blueberry, Cake, Cupcake, & Muffins, cream cheese, Dessert, jello, raspberry, strawberry

 Who don’t like Berry fruits?

                                                                     jello ? 

                                                                                                 or cake?

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Can you resist feeling starving for something sweet?

How about something cool like a jello or creamy like a cream cheese frosting or delicious like strawberries?

 

 I always make sure my freezer stocked with frozen berries even if we are in the season of fresh ones. Do you?

You know, Sometimes you feel lazy to go  get some from the store or even you don’t have the time to go if you want something quick and easy.

 They are very handy, I like to put some purée of these berries with the homemade lemonade it makes a very delicious combination. 

In this recipe I used a frozen berry mix with the jello to top the layers of cake and cream cheese frosting, its cool dessert, refreshing, sweet and delicious.

Fruits and Cream Layer Cake

for the cake layer :

1 3\4 cups cake flour

1 1\2 teaspoon baking powder

1\4  teaspoon salt

1\2 teaspoon baking soda

1 stick of butter (1\2 cup) softened

2 eggs at room temperature

3\4 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1\4 cup yogurt

1\4 cup milk

apricot jam (to brush the finished cake)

for the cream cheese frosting:

4 oz cream cheese at room temperature

1 bag dream whip (the powder)

1\2 can nestle table cream

2 tablespoon milk

2 tablespoon powdered suger

for the top layer:

jello berry flavor

frozen berry fruits

Heat the oven 350° f. Beat the butter and sugar on medium speed with stand mixer until light and fluffy, add the eggs one at a time and the vanilla,  beating just until blended after each addition.

Sift together the flour salt baking powder baking soda, add to the egg batter alternately with the milk and yogurt, fold it gently after each addition, beat at low-speed for seconds.

Line  13 x 9 pan with parchment paper,brush with oil and dust with flour, You need two thin layers of cake so pour half the batter into the pan, bake it until a tooth pick comes clean (around 15 minutes), continue the same with second half.

Let the cake cool down while you prepare the cream filling, beat the dream whip and table cream with the milk and powdered sugar, add the cream cheese beat until fluffy and smooth.

Prepare the jello as directed, since I used a frozen fruits so let it thaw at room temperature.

Spread 1 tablespoon of the jam on each layer of cake, set the first layer in the pan spread the filling of cream over it then the second layer of cake, then the fruits and pour the jello over the top.

Let the cake cool in the fridge for a couple of hours untill the jello set and harden.