Easy Strawberry Charlotte Parfait

This week-end we finally had some warm sunny weather to enjoy.  It always puts me in the best of moods and makes me excited for dinners on the patio with friends and family.

I want to spend time soaking up the sun and not in the kitchen so I’m always looking for ways to impress without lots of work.  And by work I mean making a whole Strawberry Charlotte from scratch.   That involves a whole lot of steps that I just don’t have time for right now.

Cause I’m busy soaking up the sun with some very posh and important people…

My family….

Remember these parfaits that I made here and here?  Well geesh, I received a whole bunch of messages about what an easy entertaining idea that was.

I’m here for you!

You’re welcome.

The best part about this dessert is that I didn’t have to do any baking  before hand.  You know what I do that I think is just brilliant?  I mean, sometimes I really do have good idea’s that I swear I should receive some sort of award for.  I save all of my cake scraps.

That’s right, you heard it here.  Right out of the horse’s mouth.

After I layer any cake I put the scrap piece or the extra layer in the freezer for later use.  It works wonders when you need to throw together a quick trifle or something.  For these parfaits I used a layer from my Hot Milk Cake recipe.  I used the parfait cup as my cutting tool and cut two pieces for each cup.  Then I layered it with an easy Bavarian Cream recipe that just uses pudding and cream cheese.  And berries.  Voila.

Now back to that patio.  Enjoy!

Mini Lemon Sponge Cheesecakes

It’s hard to believe that in just a week’s time my blog will be celebrating its second birthday. It started out with just a simple love for baking and SweetRevelations has grown into so much more.

It helped to launch my dream of owning a business.

It reminded me of my love of writing and creating.

It opened the door to so many amazing experiences and friendships.

Not to mention the extra twenty pounds I’ve gained since the birth of this sweet idea.

I currently have a love for desserts that are mini size.   Small and decadent.  Little wee bites of sweet goodness.   Simple and elegant lined up on a classic white dessert platter.

These are Mini Lemon Cheesecakes that I baked on a tangy Lemon Sponge base.

I’m so grateful for all of your interest this past year.  I sure do love all of your comments and  e-mails. I wish you were here so I could give you a good ol’ squeeze!

Enjoy!

Lemon Sponge Base

*adapted from GoodFood.com

Makes enough for 24 mini cheesecakes

• 175 gr unsalted butter
• 175 gr sugar
• 175 gr self-rising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 3 eggs
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350°

1.  Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and beat just until combined.

2.  Place 1 tbsp in the bottom of each cavity of a mini cheesecake pan.  You will have some batter leftover that will make great cupcakes!  Bake the sponge bases for 10 minutes while you make the cheesecake.

Lower oven temp to 300°

Lemon Cheesecake

• 450 gr cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 2 large eggs, room temperature

1.   In a medium-sized bowl beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth.  Blend in the sugar until well incorporated.  Mix in the salt, vanilla and lemon juice.  Finally, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well and scraping down the bowl after each addition.  Careful not to over mix!

2.   Spoon the cheesecake mixture onto the sponge bases.  I filled mine right to the top.  Bake for 14 minutes.  Turn the oven off and allow cheesecakes to cool in the pan in the oven.

Garnish with fresh berries and whipped cream.  I also made some rose petals with melted white chocolate and used those on top.

*these cheesecakes freeze really well.

Coconut Rum Cake with Dark Rum Butter Glaze

You know how I’ve always professed my love for scratch baked cakes?  How I find such pleasure in hand picking the finest ingredients and creaming and beating my heart out to create the most tender cake crumb?  And how most cakes taste the very best on the day they are made?

Well just for today….forget I said all that.

A good friend was recently talking to me about Rum Cake.  Typically served around the holidays, it’s a moist cake soaked in a glorious rum glaze.  I read online reviews from people who swore that it was hands down the most flavourful cake ever.

Pffft! What do those 800 people know anyway?

I searched and searched for a recipe that was baked from scratch, but you know what?  I made it and it didn’t taste the same.   Not quite as light and fluffy.  And I’m sure that the light and fluffy texture comes from one of the many ingredients on the box that I can’t pronounce…..

But today, I’m feelin a little wild and crazy and I’m ok with that.

Perhaps it’s the rum?

I substituted the vanilla pudding in the ingredients list for coconut pudding.  I used Coconut Rum in the cake and Dark Rum in the glaze.  The flavour is incredible and even better if you let the cake sit for 24 hours.

You know, boxed cake normally isn’t my style but just this once a doctored up cake mix suits me just fine.

Do you have a scratch recipe for Rum Cake?  I would love to hear from you!

*adapted from About.com

• 1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans
• 1/2 cup toasted coconut
• 1  18 ounce box yellow cake mix
• 3.4 ounces (4-serving size) instant coconut pudding mix
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup cold milk
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup Coconut Rum

Glaze

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup Dark Rum

Preparation:

Cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Sprinkle nuts and coconut on bottom of pan. Combine all cake ingredients. Beat for 2 minutes on high with electric mixer. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool in pan for 15 minutes. . Prick bottom of cake (still in pan) with wooden skewer. Drizzle 1/2 of glaze over holes in bottom of cake. Let sit for 40 minutes.  Invert cake onto cake plate and poke holes in the top with wooden skewer.  Poor or brush remaining glaze over top.  I made extra glaze (with a little less water) to drizzle on the cake  just before serving.  Next time I would omit it.  The cake has more than enough flavour without it.

Glaze: Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in water and sugar. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in rum. Note: The rum will cause steam. Be careful not to burn yourself.

Brown Butter Pumpkin Layer Cake

I love fall.  If I had to pick my favourite season, fall would win hands down.  Crisp mornings, hikes through the bush and markets full of pumpkins, squash and apples.

I love fall baking too.   Spicy flavours and smells fill the kitchen.   We tend to gravitate towards  cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves, as these seem to be the flavours associated to this time of year.

I don’t know if I told you this but my mom makes the BEST pumpkin pie ever.  It just happens to be my favourite flavour of pie.  But I have to say, and mom I hope you’re not listening, that this cake might just have put your pie in the running.

I can’t believe I just typed that out loud.

I’m not kidding.  This is one of the most moist cakes I have ever eaten.  It has all of the flavours of a pumpkin pie in a dense yet light cake.   With Candied Pecans sprinkled throughout.  And Brown Sugar Cream Cheese on each layer?

Pure pumpkin bliss.

What’s your favourite thing about fall?

*adapted from finecooking.com

* grease and flour two 6 x 3 inch cake pans, set oven temp to 350 degrees

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
•  2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
•  1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
•  1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
•  1 tsp. ground ginger
•  3/4 tsp. kosher salt
•  1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
• 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
•  2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
•  2 large eggs, room temperature
•  1/3 cup buttermilk. room temperature

1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally (butter will begin to foam a bit) until the butter turns a nutty golden-brown, about 4 minutes.  Let cool while preparing other ingredients.

2.  In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt,nutmeg and cloves.  In a large bowl, whisk 1-1/2 cups of the pumpkin purée with the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and buttermilk until well blended.   Stir in the flour mixture just until combined. Gently whisk in the brown butter until completely incorporated. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.

3.  Bake the cakes until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto racks, remove the pan bottoms or parchment, and cool completely.

Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Icing

• 2 cups dark brown sugar , firmly packed
• 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 500 grams of cream cheese, cold

1.  Beat butter and brown sugar until smooth.  Add cold cream cheese and beat just until blended.  Cream cheese icing is easier to work with when the cream cheese is added cold.

Candied Pecans

• 2 cups pecan halves
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup dark brown sugar

1.  Mix together the pecans, brown sugar and cream.  Spread over a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes, stirring once.

Cake Assembly

1.  I usually let cake layers chill in the freezer for at least an hour before cutting.  Then, using a serrated knife, cut both cakes into layers.  You’ll have one extra layer to freeze for later or nibble on whilst you decorate.

2.  Place a layer on your cake plate, then spread a thick layer of cream cheese frosting.  Sprinkle some chopped candied pecans on top of the icing.  Repeat with the next layer.  Add the final layer and frost the entire cake.

3.  Once the whole cake is frosted, chill for a few hours before serving.  Sprinkle and decorate with the remaining pecans.

Enjoy!

Mini Wild Blueberry and Cream Cheese Trifles

May seems to be flying by and I can’t believe I missed my one year blog anniversary!   One year ago on Mother’s Day I started this crazy adventure and somehow wrangled my husband into doing the pictures for me.

I had no idea what blogging would entail.   No really, I had NO idea what I was doing.  Photography?  Food styling? I’m just a girl who loves to bake yummy things and share them with others.  And I still have a lot to learn.

The world is such a small place for bloggers and foodies alike.  I can’t believe the mail I’ve received from people who live in some pretty amazing places.  I love to hear from you!  I love to receive all of your questions and comments.   There are actually more people than just me who think frosting should be added as the 5th food group.

Who knew!

I have learned so much from you too.  I am constantly amazed by the other sites I visit.  Some of you have been a real inspiration to me!  Let’s see where this road takes us, shall we?  I’m excited to see what the next year brings.

*make these in disposable cups for easy clean-up!

*recipe adapted from My Baking Addiction

•  5 slices of ready made pound cake cut into small cubes
• 250 g cream cheese softened
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 lemon zested
• 1/4 cup sugar
• wild blueberry sauce – I used about 1 1/2 cups of my homemade Wild Blueberry and Lemon Preserves (here)

1.  Whip cream cheese, vanilla, cream, lemon zest and sugar in a small bowl until soft peaks form.

2.  I layered the cream cheese whip, pound cake and blueberry sauce in disposable plastic wine cups.  Yield 7 dessert cups.

Enjoy!

Maple Apple Upside Down Cake

Maple Syrup season is beginning around here.  The maple trees are tapped for their maple sap in early spring when days are warm and nights are still freezing.

Maple Syrup has such a sweet smell and there’s nothing like eating the real thing.   Even better when it is soaked into a moist cake with apple slices on top.

We are fortunate to have a ‘sugar shack’ just a few miles down the road.   They have been producing some of Canada’s best syrup for many generations.

Remember here?  These Blueberry Cupcakes With Maple Buttercream also use the real thing and are one of my most requested cupcakes.

I found this delicious recipe on Cake, a wonderful blog full of party idea’s and recipes.   The recipe actually calls for pears but I used my favourite Granny Smith Apple.  The cake is so moist, with little ripples of maple syrup-y goodness throughout.

• 11 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 to 4 apples , peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup whole milk

 Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Flour and butter a 9″ cake pan.

1.  Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a small pan over medium heat; add maple syrup and brown sugar and cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and cook for another 2 minutes; remove from heat and set aside. When mixture has cooled a bit, pour it into baking pan and arrange apple slices in an overlapping circle on top.
2. Beat remaining 8 tablespoons butter and the sugar until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla and eggs, one egg at a time, beating until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Add flour mixture to butter mixture in three batches, alternating with milk; do not over mix. Carefully spread batter over apples, using a spatula to make sure it is evenly distributed. Bake until top of cake is golden brown and edges begin to pull away from sides of pan, about 45 to 50 minutes; a toothpick inserted into center should come out clean. Let cake cool for 5 minutes.
4. Carefully invert cake onto a cake plate or serving platter.  Be careful!  The topping is still hot!

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Best Ever Banana Cake

Did you notice anything funny about my picture?

Nothing at all?

How about that I have a slice of cake and I have a whole cake showing?   That’s because I baked three of these beauties.  Two for us, and one for my mom who recently had surgery to repair a badly broken arm.

Well I just wouldn’t be me if I didn’t bring someone a piece of cake when they were on the mend….

Banana Cake is one hundred percent comfort food to me.  So moist and delicious with Cream Cheese Frosting.   That is’ lick the bowl clean’ frosting.  So delicious.   I always add some freshly grated nutmeg to my banana cake recipe.  I think it gives banana cakes and breads just a little kick of flavour.

And, I love making them in 6 inch pans.  I rarely make a cake that’s any larger anymore.  It’s the perfect size for a family treat and to give as a gift.

One of my favourite icing technique’s is “tomboy” style from the Miette Bakery in San Fransisco.  I think its’ very simple.  No icing on the sides, just on the layers and an elegant swirl on the top.

I hope my mom enjoys her treat and that her road to recovery is a piece of cake.

*adapted from Food.com 

Note: the recipe on Food.com recommends immediately putting the cake in the freezer after removing it from the oven.  I did not follow this step.

• 1 ½ cups bananas , mashed
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• generous pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• ¾ cup unsalted butter , room temperature
• 2 ¹⁄₈; cups sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 ½ cups buttermilk, room temperature

Preheat oven to 275°.  Grease and flour 3 6 inch cake pans.  You can also make this in a 9 x 13 inch pan.

 

1.  In a small bowl, mix mashed banana with the lemon juice; set aside.  In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda , nutmeg and salt; set aside.

 

2.  In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, then add in 2 tsp vanilla.

 

3.  On low, add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk.  Stir in banana mixture.

 

4.  Pour batter into prepared pans and bake in preheated oven for one hour and 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.   Unmold on to wire racks and cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

*this makes just enough for two of the cakes

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 pound cream cheese softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 pound sifted powdered sugar

For the frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth.  Beat in the vanilla.  Add icing sugar and beat on low-speed just until combined.  Don’t overbeat.  Sprinkle chopped walnuts over top of the frosting, if desired.

 

 

 

Valentine Cake Pops

This morning I had to make some mini chocolate cupcakes for an event.  I had a few dozen left over, that I usually leave un-iced for a lunch box treat.

On a whim, I thought, what if I use my left over minis and give Cake Pops a whirl?

I have really good whims sometimes…..

Cake Pops are the infamous creation of Bakerella.  She’s had an amazing year and has captured the world over with her Cake Pop creations.

I gotta say, she’s a pretty smart lady, cause these taste really good and look awesome.

These were fun and so incredibly easy.  And, they fit right in with my promise of Valentine’s Day posts for the next few weeks.

Wouldn’t these be great at a class party?  A girl’s night out?  Wrapped up with a sweet saying and some ribbon?

Lovely.

The um, unfortunate part is that I can’t actually give you a recipe.  I can only tell you what I did.

I took about 12 left over cooled mini chocolate cupcakes and crumbled them up in a bowl.  Then I used approximately 3 tablespoons of left over chocolate icing and mixed that all together until I had a nice dough ball.  I rolled them up and put them on parchment and in the fridge for about 15 minutes to firm up a bit.

Next, I melted some chocolate and dipped my candy sticks into it and then into the cake ball.  I left them in the fridge for a good hour to get nice and firm.

See?

I used Candy Melts to dip my cake balls when they were firm.  Keep some in the fridge while you are working so they are nice and cold when you need them.

Decorate with sprinkles, sparkles, jimmies, coloured Candy Melts, whatever you have on hand!  I found these super cute printables from Mommy By Day…Crafter By Night  and attached them to my candy sticks.

If you want a full recipe, that will yield 48 or more…look here.

I hope you give these a whirl when you have left over cake!

Ina’s Classic Coconut Cake

To say that I”m a chocolate cake fanatic is an extreme understatement.  For some reason, I’m just drawn to rich dark desserts that ooze with chocolate and the like.  Vanilla just isn’t my thing.   I’m not sure why, I love the smell and I do like the taste (really, of any dessert), but if I had my druthers I would bake something chocolatey.

Not so today, I just got it in my head that I needed a bright and cheery dessert for a New Years Day dinner at my sister in-laws.   And I had coconut on the brain.  Now, I’m not a huge coconut fan, unless they are in these snacking favourites, but I just needed to make something…well…different.  So the search began for a fantastic Coconut Cake, something coconutty but not too sweet.  A look through some of my favourite cookbooks and I quickly settled on Ina Garten’s Coconut Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.

I made just a small 6 inch version as a test batch and then an 8 inch contour version for the dinner.  I’m pretty happy with how it turned out.  I must say that it’s pretty darn good and will be on my ‘make again’ list.  This is a fairly dense cake and the icing compliments it so well.  I do love a good cream cheese icing every now and then.

I needed to glam it up a bit with the pineapple flower.  These are so easy to make and look stunning on desserts.

It doesn’t take long before the cake is gone… and oddly enough, there are only two of us in the house at the moment, the baker and the photographer.  You know what that means…we had cake for lunch!

Thank you for all of your support in 2011.  I can’t say how much your comments and feedback mean to me.  I have so enjoyed this year of blogging and meeting new blogging and baker friends alike.  I get my inspiration from so many of you!  We sure have whipped up some sweet things on this journey.  Lets see what 2012 has to bring!

Renee

Coconut Cake

*recipe adapted from Ina Garten’s Coconut Cake Recipe

• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 4 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 pound confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 6 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans, then line them parchment paper.

1.   In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.   Set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl once during mixing. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well.

2.  With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter in 3 parts, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Fold in the 4 ounces of coconut with a rubber spatula.

3.  Pour the batter evenly into the 2 pans and smooth the top with a knife. Bake in the center of the oven for appox 4o minutes,  until the tops are browned and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack for 10 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a baking rack to finish cooling.

4.  For the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and almond extract on low speed. Add the confectioners’ sugar and mix until just smooth (don’t whip!).

5.  To assemble, place 1 layer on a flat serving plate, top side down, and spread with frosting. Place the second layer on top, top side up, and frost the top and sides. To decorate the cake, sprinkle the top with coconut and lightly press more coconut onto the sides. Serve at room temperature.

Garnish with a pineapple flower.

Mini Dark Chocolate Pound Cakes

I’m pretty sure if you’ve been following my blog you’ve noticed that I kinda have a thing for rich dark chocolate desserts.  Decadent, rich, chocolate desserts of any kind.

Remember these, these and oh the memories…. this?

Well today I made these….

Just a little treat for my mom who is celebrating her birthday today.  I could bake till the cows come home and that would still not be present enough for my mom, but a yummy Dark Chocolate Pound Cake with Chocolate Ganache drizzle and a Vanilla Peppermint Glaze sure is a start!

She is a great listener, cheer leader, doctor, counsellor…..

She is a ‘warm cookies just out of the oven’ kind of person.

She is a ‘take less so someone can have more’ kind of person.

She is a ‘buy 20 chocolate easter bunnies, even for the grown-ups, because  they are still her children’, kind of person.

Well she sure gave me an appreciation of all things sweet in the kitchen.  And all things sweet about being a good mom.  And all things sweet about living a good life.  Well done mom, sit back and relax.

Have a piece of cake.

Dark Chocolate Pound Cake

*adapted from Jacques Torres’ A Year In Chocolate

*double this recipe to use in a large bundt pan

• 5 large egg yolks, room temp
• 3 whole eggs, room temp
• 1 1/4 cups cake flour, sifted
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temp
• 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/2 vanilla bean

Preheat the oven to 350°

Lightly grease 5 mini bundt pans

1.  In a small bowl whisk together all of the eggs and yolks until combined.  Set aside.  In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa and baking powder.  Set aside.

2.  In the bowl of a stand mixer cream the butter, sugar and sugar until very pale and increased in volume (this can take up to 10 minutes!).  Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and beat into mixture.

3.  Reduce mixer speed to med-low and add 1/3 of the eggs then 1/3 of the flour mixture.  Continue alternating the eggs and flour ending with the flour.  Beat the batter until smooth.

4.  Scrape the batter into prepared pans and bake for approx 20 minutes.  Be sure to check regularly after 16 minutes so cakes aren’t dry.  Invert cakes on wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Chocolate Ganache

• 1/2 cup quality Belgian bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

1.  Combine the chocolate and butter in a medium bowl. Heat the cream through gently just until it starts to bubble and pour over the chocolate. Let the mixture sit for about 3 minutes.   Stir slowly until the chocolate melts and the ganache becomes smooth and glossy.  Drizzle over cooled cakes.

Peppermint Glaze

• 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp unsalted butter softened
• few drops of peppermint oil
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp milk

1.  Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.  Spoon on top of chocolate ganache.

*Garnish with crushed candy canes.