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.

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.

Lion House Cheesecake

We finally sold our house in The South! To mark the occasion, the kids wanted to have a "house selling party".  Upon further discussion, the boys came up with this list of requirements for the party:

• Balloons
• Streamers
• Cheesecake
• A zip line going from the kitchen to the downstairs family room

The balloons and streamers were pretty easy to agree to.  But unfortunately the zip line had to be nixed due to safety concerns.  Thankfully, the kids were pacified about the lack of a zip line when I committed to making cheesecake.

My family has been making this cheesecake recipe for as long as I can remember.  I'm pretty sure my first bite of cheesecake ever was a product of this recipe.  It is a tried-and-true, no fuss, simple, cheesecake that is easy enough to make anytime and fancy enough for special occasions--like house selling parties.

(This recipe hails from The Lion House, a fabulously quaint historical restaurant in the heart of Salt Lake City.  If you are ever in Utah, make sure you check it out; you won't be disappointed.)

Lion House Cheesecake
Source: Adapted from Lion House Recipes

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, rolled fine
3 Tablespoons sugar
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Filling:
3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:
1 pint sour cream
3 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. To make the crust, thoroughly mix all crust ingredients.  Press firmly into a 9- or 10-inch spring form pan, lining bottom and partially up the sides.  Set aside.
3. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese well until smooth. 
4. Add sugar to the cream cheese a little at a time, mix well.
5. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until combined after each addition.
6. Add vanilla, combine thoroughly.
7. Pour filling into crust, allowing at least a 1/2 inch of space at the top of the pan to allow room for topping.
8. Bake for 60 minutes at 300 degrees F.
9. While the cake is baking, prepare the topping.
10. In a medium bowl, whip sour cream; add sugar gradually.
11. Add vanilla, mix well.
12. After the cake has baked for 60 minutes, pour topping over cake, covering completely.
13. Return cake to the oven, bake for an additional 10 minutes.  Cool completely before enjoying.

Apple Cake

It's finally starting to happen; the weather here in The South is turning a bit cooler (low 80s and upper 70s), the fall rains have begun and this weekend it might actually get into the upper 40s at night.  Fall is finally on its way!

This change of season inevitably gets me baking.  The cooler weather simply begs for something yummy and warm to come out of the oven.  After spending some time outside in the fall air--enjoying football, raking leaves, taking a leisurely evening stroll--there is nothing quite like stepping into my house and being welcomed by the aroma of something delicious baking in the oven.  Suddenly, my haven't-mopped-in-a-week kitchen becomes a Norman Rockwell painting and all feels right in the world.

Yesterday, after a day full of grey skies and impending thunderstorms, my need to bake for fall was fully satisfied with Apple Cake.  The light, cinnamon/nutmeg/apple cake, topped with the warm, rich, butter & vanilla sauce is perfect for jump starting the fall baking season. 

Thanks go to my sister, Aerwyn, for sharing this cake with me several times during the falls and winters of my college years.

Apple Cake (Source: Aerwyn Whitlock)

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
6 medium apples--peeled and finely chopped
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4-1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)

Vanilla Sauce

1 1/2 cups butter
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1-1 1/4 teaspoons nutmeg

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Generously grease and flour a bundt pan.  (A 9x13 would work too, but the bundt pan makes it look prettier.)

2.  In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine sugar, shortening, and eggs.  Mix well.  Add apples, stir until combined.

3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

4. Add flour mixture to apples, mix until just combined.  Gently stir in nuts.

5.  Pour batter evenly into bundt pan.  Bake for 45-50 minutes.

6. To make the Vanilla Sauce, combine butter, sugar, and evaporated milk in a medium saucepan.  Cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes.  Do NOT boil.

7. Remove from heat; add vanilla and nutmeg, stir well.  While still hot, serve generously over Apple Cake slices.