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Showing posts with label cake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cake. Show all posts
December 23, 2022

Easy Eggnog Cake with Eggnog Glaze

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This cake has become a holiday tradition with me and my daughter. It is easy enough that she can help me make it but is also jazzed up enough to not taste like a regular box cake mix. 


Ingredients:

  • 1 box yellow or white cake mix 
  • 1 stick of butter or margarine, melted 
  • 4 eggs, room temperature 
  • 1 1/4 cup eggnog 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
  • 1 teaspoon butter extract (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon 
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg 
Optional: If you decide to use these extra ingredients, it will result in the cake having a slightly different texture. Both the taste and the texture will resemble more of what is expected from a homemade cake. Either way, the cake is delicious. 
  • 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour 
  • 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar 
  • 1/4 cup of milk 
Instructions:

1. Combine cake mix, cinnamon, and nutmeg. This is also the time to add the flour and sugar, if desired.

2. Add eggnog, milk (optional), eggs, melted butter, and extracts to the batter.  

3. Pour into greased and floured bundt pan.  

4. Bake in the oven for approximately 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.  

5. Remove the cake from the oven once it is finished baking and allow it to cool for at least 10 minutes before removing it from the pan. 

6. Glaze, if desired, and enjoy. 





Eggnog Glaze 
  • 1 ½ -2 cups of confectioner's/powder sugar 
  • Eggnog  
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 

 

Instructions:  


Begin by mixing 1 tablespoon of eggnog and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract with the powdered sugar. Slowly and gradually add more eggnog to the powdered sugar until mix until it reaches the consistency you desire. I prefer a thicker glaze, so I do not have exact measurements for how much eggnog to add to the sugar. On average, I end up using around  2-3 tablespoons of eggnog. If you prefer a thinner glaze, you can use more eggnog however I suggest you add 1 or 2 teaspoons of regular milk or water to the glaze. 



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August 17, 2022

Sweet Potato Bread - Sweet Potato Muffins

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Ingredients 

  • 1 cup of white sugar 
  • ½ cup of brown sugar 
  • ½ cup of butter (1 stick) 
  • 2 eggs 
  • ½ -¾ cup of mashed sweet potatoes 
  • 2 cups of all-purpose flour 
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder 
  • ½ teaspoon of baking soda 
  • Pinch of salt 
  • 1/3-½  cup of milk 
  • Roughly 1 teaspoon of cinnamon 
  • Roughly 1 teaspoon of nutmeg 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
  • Optional: 1/3 cup of vanilla Greek yogurt or sour cream 

 

 

Directions 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare either loaf pan or muffin pan by spraying with nonstick spray or with butter and flour to prevent bread from sticking. 
  2. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into chunks. Place cut sweet potatoes in an even layer into a pot and add just enough water to cover the potatoes. Boil until soft. Once soft, remove from heat, drain, mash, and allow to cool. 
  3. Combine white sugar, brown sugar, and melted butter.
  4. Add eggs to sugar and butter mixture. Mix well. 
  5. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. 
  6. Add the flour mixture and milk to the egg mixture, alternating between the flour and the milk  
  7. Add cooled mashed sweet potatoes to the batter 
  8. Add vanilla extract 
  9. Pour batter into baking dish of choice and bake for 40-50 minutes or until check with a toothpick and the toothpick comes out clean.
  10. Remove from oven and allow the bread to cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before removing.
  11. After 10 minutes, remove from pan.
  12. Serve and enjoy.
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August 17, 2022

Baking Tip: How to Tell if a Cake or Bread is Finished Baking

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Tips: How to check a cake or bread for doneness.

There are a few ways to check a cake or bread to see if it is finished baking. The most common and certain way is to use a long toothpick, skewer, or butter knife. You stick the skewer near the middle of the cake or bread and remove it. If the skewer has raw batter on it, then the cake needs to bake a little longer. If the skewer is clean or has a few cooked crumbs on it, the dish is done.

Another way to check if a cake is done is to gently give the baking dish a little shake. Most cakes and breads become firm when they are fully cooked. If you notice the center still looks wet and jiggles, then the cake needs more time to bake. I don't recommend doing this until the cake or bread has been baking at least three-quarters of the time suggested in the recipe. For example, if I'm following a recipe that suggests I bake a cake for 60 minutes, I would start checking the cake around 45-50 minutes. The reason for this is that every oven is different, so cook times vary. If I bake banana bread in my toaster oven, which is larger than most toaster ovens, but smaller than a traditional oven, I'd have to adjust both my cooking time and temperature to get desirable results. 

For the really brave and experienced, you can gently touch the top of the cake or bread near the center with your clean hand. If it jiggles or if you get a little batter on your fingertip, the cake needs more time to bake.

There are obvious visual cues to indicate doneness, like a burnt crust. If the sides of the cake or bread begin to pull away from the pan while it is still in the oven, then it is probably done and most likely overcooked. 

With time and practice, you can eventually be able to just look at the cake and smell it to be able to tell when it is finished baking. Personally, I use a combination of visual cues and a butter knife or toothpick to check my cakes and breads. 

I hope you find these tips helpful!
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March 24, 2022

Sour Cream Pound Cake

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This post contains affiliate links. If you choose to purchase a product using the links I've provided I may receive a small commission. This helps to support the blog at no cost to you.


 Ingredients 

  • 3 cups of flour 
  • 2 ½ cups of granulated sugar 
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder 
  • ¼ teaspoon of salt 
  • 3 sticks of unsalted butter (room temperature) 
  • 5 eggs (room temperature) 
  • 8oz sour cream (room temperature)
  • 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract 
Optional:
  • 1 teaspoon of butter extract 

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325° F
  2. Prepare baking dish (I used a 12 cup bundt pan) by either greasing with butter and dusting with flour OR using a baking spray such as Baker's Joy or Pam Happy Baking.
  3. Using either an electric stand mixer or hand mixer (this can be done manually without an electric mixer though it will be more work) cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Remember to scrape the sides of the mixing bowl. If using an electric mixer, use the low to medium speed setting.
  4. Mix in extracts
  5. Carefully mix in the eggs one at a time until fully combined
  6. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt
  7. Beginning with the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt), alternate adding the dry ingredients and the sour cream in small portions. Remember to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl every so often. Mix the batter until just combined. If you overmix the batter, you risk compromising the texture of the cake.
  8. Pour the batter into the greased baking dish. Give the baking dish a few pats on the bottom and a gentle shake in order to release any air pockets that may have formed
  9. Place in the oven and bake for 70-90 minutes depending on your oven and altitude. Try not to open the oven until the cake has been baking for at least one hour and five minutes. 
  10. Once the cake has finished baking, poke the cake with a clean toothpick for doneness. If there is batter on the toothpick when you remove it, the cake needs to bake a little longer. If there is no batter on the toothpick, the cake is done. I have also used a clean butter knife to accomplish this. TIP: You can also give the pan a little shake to see if the cake jiggles. Pound cakes are usually dense, so if it is fully cooked, then it will not jiggle. 
  11. Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before attempting to remove from the pan. 




Notes

This is a great snacking cake. The crust is nice and has a good crunch, while the inside is very soft. I chose not to add any glaze or frosting to this cake, but it pairs well with almost any flavor glaze, whipped cream, or fruit. You can also have it plain with a cup of tea or coffee to drink with it. 


Most pound cake recipes require a lot of sugar, sometimes 3 cups. This one uses 2 1/2 cups. I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar because based on personal experience, reducing the amount of sugar changes the chemistry of this recipe. The cake will become too dense, heavy, and dry. I have not attempted this with a sugar substitute, so I don't know how it would turn out. However, if you'd like to use less sugar and keep all the ingredients the same, I'd recommend adding an extra egg and perhaps another stick of butter to make up for the sugar. 





 

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March 15, 2022

Brown Sugar Pound Cake Loaf

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Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar 
  • 2 cups flour 
  • 1/2 teaspoon butter extract 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract  
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder 
  • 1 cup evaporated milk 
  • 2 sticks (1 cup) room temperature butter 
  • 4 room temperature eggs 
Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F
  2. Using either an electric hand-mixer or stand-mixer, cream butter and sugar together. This can be done manually if no electric mixer is available, though it will take longer.
  3. Add eggs to the butter and sugar mixture, 1 at a time 
  4. Add extracts 
  5. Combine flour and baking powder in a separate bowl 
  6. Alternate adding flour mixture and milk  
  7. Prepare a baking dish with either baking spray or butter and flour. This cake can be baked in the oven-safe dish of your choice. I used two 8"x4" metal loaf pans for my cakes.

Vanilla Glaze
  • 1 1/2 cups of confectioner's sugar
  • 1-2 tablespoons evaporated milk (or regular milk)
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract




 


 

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