Cinnamon Roll Cake

Some recipes are just meant to be shared. It's like they were created with friendship in mind; a recipe meant to be passed around, copied over and over and nestled into the cookbook of every kindred spirit's home. They are simple and universally loved.

This cake is one of those.

The first time I tasted this cake was when we were living in the South. My friend, Amanda, was holding a morning playgroup and she made this yummy cake for everyone. She got the recipe from  her friend, Christy, the author of The Girl Who Ate Everything. Amanda then passed the recipe to me and every time I've made and shared it...I've passed the recipe on to another friend and another friend and another friend.

It's just THAT good.

Now you can make it and pass it on to your friends as well!

As a bonus, you can make it anytime; it's cinnamon roll-y enough for a brunch and cake-y enough for after dinner dessert. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Roll Cake
Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything

Cake:

3 cups flour

¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ cups milk
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup (1 stick) real butter, melted

Topping:
1 cup (2 sticks) real butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
3/4 cup chopped pecans, (optional) (I never add these, but I bet it would be tasty!)

Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
5 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

1. In an electric or stand mixer mix the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, milk, eggs and vanilla. Once combined well, slowly stir in the 1/2 cup melted butter. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

2. In a large bowl, mix the 2 sticks of softened butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and pecans until well combined. Drop evenly over cake batter by the tablespoonfuls and use a knife to marble/swirl through the cake. (Be careful not to over-swirl or all of your topping will end up at the bottom of the cake. This is from personal experience. *ahem*)

3. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out nearly clean from center.

4. Place powdered sugar, milk and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle over warm cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Banana Bread 3 Ways: Coconut Lime, Cardamom Pistachio, and Marbled Chocolate

{tap tap}... Um, hello? Anybody there?
We're still here... and still cooking, even though it's been 6 months {Gasp !} since we've last posted. Believe it or not, my iPhoto is full of food pictures, and my children now think it is standard practice to take a picture of their meal before dinner. I just haven't posted. {So Sorry!} But we're back. Happy New Year!

I love my local grocery store, Fareway. They aren't open on Sundays (hooray!) and they sell their almost expired produce at reduced prices- including their bananas. My family LIKES bananas a bit on the brown side, so this is a major plus for our family. However, sometimes I get a little carried away and well, we have lots of brown black bananas.  Luckily, Cooking Light about 10 years ago (gasp again!) did an awesome article on banana bread. Carrie posted the original classic banana bread recipe a while back. Here are 3 of their variations.  Hope you enjoy!

Marbled-Chocolate Banana Bread sligh yle="font-size: large;">tly adapted from Cooking Light, Sept. 2003
2 cups all-purpose flour (about 8 1/2 oz.)
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (3-4 bananas)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan (I used shortening).
2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.
3. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well-blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add bananas and yogurt, beat until well blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist.
4. Place chocolate chips in a medium microwave safe bowl, and microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until almost melted, stirring until almost smooth. Cool slightly. Add 1 cup batter to chocolate, stirring until well combined.
5.Spoon chocolate batter alternately with plain batter into greased loaf pan. Swirl batters together using a knife.
6. Bake at 350° for 1 hour 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.
Yield: 1 loaf, 16 slices. 

Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze slightly adapted from Cooking Light, Sept. 2003
2 cups all-purpose flour (about 8 1/2 oz.)
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (3-4 bananas)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
3 TBS apple juice
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut
1  TBS flaked sweetened coconut (for sprinkling on top)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2  TBS fresh lime juice

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease an 9x5 inch loaf pan (I used shortening).

2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.
3. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well-blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add bananas, yogurt, apple juice, and vanilla beat until well blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Stir in 1/2 cup coconut.
4. Spoon batter into greased loaf pan. Sprinkle with 1 TBS coconut.
5. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on wire rack; remove from pan.
6. Combine powdered sugar and juice, stirring until smooth. Drizzle over warm bread.
7. Cool completely on wire rack.
Yield: 1 loaf, 16 slices. 

Cardamom Banana Bread with Pistachiosslightly adapted from Cooking Light, Sept. 2003
 2 cups all-purpose flour (about 8 1/2 oz.)
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2  cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (3-4 bananas)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
1/3 cup finely chopped pistachios (I used roasted, salted, already shelled)

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease an 9x5 inch loaf pan (I used shortening).
2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.
3. Place sugars and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well-blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add bananas, sour cream, and cardamom; beat until well blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Stir in pistachios.
4. Spoon batter into greased loaf pan.
5. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on wire rack; remove from pan.
6. Cool completely on wire rack.
Yield: 1 loaf, 16 slices. 

left: cardamom pistachio top right: chocolate banana bottom right: coconut lime

 P.S. It's good to be back. ~W

Rhubarb Buckle

For those of us who have a yearly spring love affair with rhubarb- this is a fun recipe to try.  Serve it with vanilla ice cream for dessert, as a coffecake for breakfast, and as an easily toted picnic lunch treat. (Or just eat it out of hand as you pass through the kitchen...)
 
Rhubarb Buckle slightly adapted from Martha Stewart Magazine, May 2012
Ingredients:
Cake:
1 lb. plus 10 oz. fresh rhubarb pieces (about 2 lbs stalks untrimmed)
2 cups sugar, divided
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. coarse salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
3 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream

Crumb topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 tsp coarse salt
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted

Directions:
1. Cake: Preheat oven to 350°, with rack in center position. Coat one half sheet pan or two 9in. square cake pans with cooking spray, and line with parchment, leaving an overhang on 2 sides. Stir together rhubarb with one cup sugar, set aside. (Note: I used the half sheet pan; it decreases the amount of cake in each cut square, which I like.)
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat together butter, remaining cup sugar, and the lemon zest until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then beat in vanilla. Beat in flour mixture in two additions, alternating with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
3. Crumb topping: Stir together flour, brown sugar, and salt. Add melted butter and stir to combine until crumbly.
4. Pour cake batter into pan(s). Spoon rhubarb mixture evenly over cake batter, and sprinkle with crumb topping.
5.Bake until golden on top and cooked through, about 1 hour. Let cool completely in pan. Lift cakes from pan(s) using parchment. Cut into 2 in. squares.

Cake(s) can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for one day. If storing, remove parchment before wrapping in plastic.

Lime Coconut Rolls

I know I have posted three days in a row now, but the weather turned cool today and I felt like baking. I guess it wasn't quite cool enough, because I made up these lime coconut rolls instead of making the traditional cinnamon ones. They turned out mouthwatering-  tangy lime and sweet coconut in a soft lime-scented dough. Just right for the first touch of fall at the end of summer.
Notes: I like lime, if you want to accentuate the coconut, use less lime juice in the frosting and filling. You could also add coconut extract to the icing or filling to up the ante on the coconut. If you don't like the feel of coconut, but love the flavor, use only the cream of coconut and reduce the amount of lime juice in the filling. In the future I may try using coconut milk in place of regular milk in the dough.~W

Lime Coconut Rolls(dough adapted from McCall's Cinnamon Twist Bread)

Ingredients for the dough:
1 c. milk
1/4 c. shortening
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 pkgs. active dry yeast (2 TBS instant yeast)
1/2 c. warm water
6 cups sifted flour
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tsp. lime zest

For the filling:
3 TBS lime juice
3/4 c. cream of coconut
1 1/2 cups sweetened, flaked coconut

For the icing:
1 c. powdered sugar
1/2 -1 tsp lime juice
1/2 c. cream of coconut
1 -1 1/2 tsp. milk

Directions:
1. Scald milk; stir in shortening, 1/2 c. sugar and salt. Cool to lukewarm.
2. Sprinkle yeast on warm water in large bowl: stir to dissolve. Stir in 3 c. flour, eggs and milk mixture. Beat with electric mixer 2 minutes at medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Or beat by hand until batter sheets off spoon. Mix in lime zest. Mix in enough remaining flour with hands, a little at a time, to make a soft dough that leaves the sides of the bowl.
3. Turn out onto lightly floured board: knead until smooth, about 19 minutes.
Bread Machine Method: Put all ingredients into pan of bread machine. Use dough setting to mix and knead bread. Add lime zest with other ingredients or during second kneading. Continue with step 4. 
4. Place in lightly greased bowl: turn dough over to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
5. Gently deflate dough with hands. Cover and let rise again until almost doubled, about 30 minutes. Turn out onto lightly greased board or Rollpat.  Let rest 10 minutes.
6. While dough is resting, mix together lime juice and cream of coconut for the filling.
7. Roll dough out into a 26" X 14 " rectangle. Spread with lime juice and cream of coconut filling. Sprinkle flaked coconut over the filling.
8. Roll the dough up from the long sides, like a jelly-roll. Cut into 24 slices (about 1 inch each). Place in greased pan. (Will fill (2) 9X13 pans). Cover and let rise until doubled 45-60 minutes.
9. Bake in a 350° oven for 18- 20 minutes or until tops are golden brown. If using glass or dark pans, watch carefully, so as not to burn the bottom of rolls.
10. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
11. While rolls are cooling, mix together icing ingredients. Mix until smooth. Use enough milk to make a thick drizzle. Drizzle and spread icing on warm rolls.
12. Serve warm or at room temperature. Cover leftover rolls tightly.