I just added espresso to Elvis Presley’s favorite pound cake.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup of unsalted butter, softened (additional for greasing pan)
3 cups sifted cake flour (additional for dusting)
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups sugar
7 large eggs at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup espresso

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons espresso

DIRECTIONS

Generously butter pan and dust with flour, knocking out excess flour.

Sift together flour, cinnamon, and salt into a bowl. Repeat sifting into another bowl. Repeat 3 times.

Beat together butter (2 sticks) and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or 6 to 8 minutes with a handheld mixer. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add half of flour, then all of cream and espresso, then remaining flour, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down side of bowl, then beat at medium-high speed 5 minutes. Batter will become creamier and satiny.

Spoon batter into pan and rap pan against work surface once or twice to eliminate air bubbles. Place pan in (cold) oven and turn oven temperature to 350°F. Bake until golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in middle of cake comes out with a few crumbs adhering, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Cool cake in pan on a rack 30 minutes. Run a thin knife around inner and outer edges of cake, then invert rack over pan and invert cake onto rack to cool completely.

Whisk together powdered sugar and espresso until desired consistency and pour over cooled cake.

I worked with this recipe.

This buttercream is the bomb.

INGREDIENTS

Cupcakes
1 1/4 cups cake flour
3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla
1/2 cup canola oil
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup sour cream

Buttercream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp cut into 6 pieces
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch kosher salt

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350*F.

In a medium bowl, add cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Stir together with whisk, and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, add eggs and beat 10-20 seconds.  Add sugar and continue to beat on medium speed about 30 seconds.  Add vanilla and oil, beat.

Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add about half of the flour mixture.  Add the milk, then the rest of the flour and the sour cream.  Beat until just combined.  Scrap down the side of the bowl.

The batter will be thin.   Pour batter into a muffin pan prepared with paper liners.  Fill liners about 2/3 full.

Bake cupcakes in pre-heated oven for 12-14 minutes. Cool then Frost.

Buttercream: In a small heatproof bowl, whisk the sugar and egg whites. In a 1-quart saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a simmer over medium-high heat. Set the bowl over the simmering water (don’t let the bowl touch the water) and heat the mixture, whisking occasionally, until hot to the touch, 4 to 6 minutes. It will thin out a bit as the sugar melts.

Remove the bowl from the heat and scrape the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium-high speed until the mixture is light, white, and cool to the touch, 4 to 6 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the chunks of butter one at a time. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until the buttercream is smooth, 4 to 5 minutes. Mix in the vanilla and salt.

I got the cupcake recipe here.

I am experimenting with different flours. This was from the back of a Trader Joe’s package. 

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg + 1 egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups almond flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Line cookie sheet with cookie sheet.

Cream butter and sugars.  Whisk in egg + egg white and vanilla.  Mix in almond flour, baking soda, and salt.  Mix in chocolate chips.

Scoop on to baking sheets.  Bake for 12-14 minutes.

 

You can glaze these or sprinkle with sugar.  I chose the sugar option although a zesty lemon glaze would be nice. That’s it, I’m going with the lemon glaze.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 egg beaten slightly
1 cup milk
zest and juice of one lemon
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup chopped strawberries

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
lemon juice (a few tablespoons, depends on desired consistency)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and grease a muffin tin.

Mix the flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a large bowl.  Add the zest, then egg, milk, and butter.  Stir enough to dampen the flour.  You don’t want to smooth out the batter. Fill muffin tins  2/3 full and bake for about 25 minutes.

Make glaze by whisking powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth and desired consistency. Dip muffin tops in glaze and let set.

I keep trying to make these and I always make a different mistake. These were pretty good. 

INGREDIENTS

1 cup of powdered sugar
1 cup ground almonds
2 medium egg whites
small pinch of salt
1/4 cup caster sugar

Filling

1 cup granulated sugar
4 large egg whites
1 cup unsalted butter, room temp cut into 12 pieces
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch kosher salt

DIRECTIONS

Sift powdered sugar and ground almonds into bowl and mix together. Set aside.

In a separate bow, whisk egg whites and salt until they form soft peaks. Add any food coloring you desire and caster sugar slowly and whisk until thick and glossy.

Fold in ground almond mixture in two batches.

Fill a piping bag with the mixture and pipe out small round shapes (I put a template under my silpat). When tray is full, lift it up and drop it so you release any air bubbles. Let dry for about an hour. The macarons will form a skin.

Preheat oven to 300 F. Bake for 8 minutes Slide silpat onto wire rack and wait until they are completely cool to remove or they will break. Fill as desired.

Filling:

In a small heatproof bowl, whisk the sugar and egg whites. In a 1-quart saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a simmer over medium-high heat. Set the bowl over the simmering water (don’t let the bowl touch the water) and heat the mixture, whisking occasionally, until hot to the touch, 4 to 6 minutes. It will thin out a bit as the sugar melts.

Remove the bowl from the heat and scrape the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium-high speed until the mixture is light, white, and cool to the touch, 4 to 6 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the chunks of butter one at a time. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until the buttercream is smooth, 4 to 5 minutes. Mix in the vanilla and salt

 

INGREDIENTS

Bread
1/4 pound softened butter
3/4 cups dark brown sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups (about 5) ripe bananas
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup chocolate (mixed white and dark)

Topping
1/4 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Using electric mixer, cream butter until smooth and fluffy. Add sugar and cream together 2 minutes more. One at a time, mix in eggs. Mix in bananas until only small lumps remain.

Stir dry ingredients together and mix into banana mixture just until combined. Fold in pecans and chocolates. Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle topping over batter.

Bake about 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack and let cool completely.

I worked with this recipe.

My nieces leave today to go camping so I made them these.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups old fashioned oats
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 – 1½ cups add-ins (walnuts, almonds, dried fruit, wheat germ, etc)
5 ounces dark chocolate 

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350°F and scatter the oats in a pan. Let them toast, stirring at least once, for about 15 minutes. When they are done they will look slightly golden and you will smell the toasty oats.

Line a 9 X 9 pan with parchment paper or foil. You want a piece large enough that the sides will come back over and cover the top of the bars once you fill the pan.

While the oats toast heat the oil in a small saucepan on the stove. Add the brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Bring it to a simmer over medium high heat. Stir to make sure the brown sugar dissolves, and turn the heat off.

Put the toasted oats in a large bowl. Pour the hot liquid over the oats and stir to coat evenly. Stir in all your add-ins. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan.

Fold the parchment or foil over the top of the granola in the pan and PRESS to fill the corners and flatten. Keep pressing and smooth the granola out so that it is even across the pan.

Let the granola bars set up in a cool dry place for at least an hour. They will set faster in the freezer. I like to make mine in the evening and let them set up overnight.

Turn them out of the pan onto a cutting board. Peel the parchment or foil away. Slice down the middle and then cut each half into 6 bars. Lay the bars on a clean piece of parchment or foil. Melt the chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat. Use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate over the sliced bars. Let it set up and ENJOY!

I got the recipe here.

I started these last night and let the dough rest overnight in the fridge. Perfect breakfast treat for my nieces. Even though it looks a mess, it tastes delicious.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 pound (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon active dry
1/2 cup water or milk
1/4 cup sugar
6 large eggs
2 teaspoons salt
4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for the glaze

DIRECTIONS

Give the butter about an hour to soften.  Cut it into 16 tablespoon pieces

Combine the yeast and water in the bowl of a stand mixer, and allow the yeast to dissolve for a few minutes. Add the sugar and the eggs, and whisk until the eggs are mixed. Add the salt and 4 cups of the flour. Stir until you’ve formed a loose floury dough.

Use a dough hook on low speed to knead for about 2 minutes, until the dough comes together in a ball.

Increase the mixer speed to medium. Begin adding the butter one tablespoon at time. Wait until one lump is mostly mixed in before adding the next. Stop and scrape down bowl as needed.

Once all the butter is added, knead using the dough hook for another 5 minutes making sure the butter is completely absorbed. The dough should look glossy and smooth.

Let the dough rest for about 60-90  minutes until it has doubled.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator overnight.

In the morning, grease two loaf pans. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and pat into a rectangle; the dough will be quite stiff and easy to shape. Divide the rectangle into 12 equal pieces, then roll each piece into a ball. Tuck 6 balls of dough into each loaf tin, staggering them slightly.

Cover the brioche loosely and let it double again for another 60 minutes. They should begin to come up out over the pan.  About 30 minutes in, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Glaze the brioche by whisking together the yolk and water. Brush it evenly over the tops of the brioche.

Bake the brioche 30 to 40 minutes. Finished loaves should look puffed, glossy, and golden-brown.

Let them cool for a few minutes and they will come out easily of the loaf pans.

I worked with this  recipe.

Always be multi-tasking. Even when baking.

INGREDIENTS

Flaky Crust

4 cups Flour
3.5 Sticks butter, chilled
2 tablespoons crisco, chilled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2/3 cups ice water

Fillings

Fruit
Apricot Jam
Pastry Cream
Whipped Cream

DIRECTIONS

Add flour, sugar, and salt into large bowl. Cut in butter and crisco. Use a fork to mix in water, a little at a time.  Pour on to counter and press mixture into two separate disks and refrigerate for at least an hour.

For fruit tart: roll out crust on parchment paper.  Add fruit (sprinkle with lemon and sugar) making sure you leave a 2″ border.  Use parchment paper to lift up sides to cover some of the fruit to form a rustic tart. Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 45 minutes until golden brown and fruit is bubbling.

For Pastry Cream: Follow directions for pastry cream. Roll out crust and place in pie tin. Blind bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. When cooled. Add a layer of apricot jam then a layer of cooled pastry cream. Top with fresh whipped cream.

Congrats! You’ve made it halfway through the week.  Celebrate with a chocolate frosted, vanilla cake filled with homemade apricot jam.

INGREDIENTS

Cake

1 cup butter, softened

½ cup vegetable shortening

3 cups granulated sugar

5 eggs, room temperature

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup whole milk, room temperature

½ cup buttermilk, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Apricot Jam

1lb fresh apricots, cubed
1 1/4 cups sugar

Chocolate Buttercream

1½ cups butter (3 sticks), softened
1 cup unsweetened cocoa
5 cups confectioner’s sugar
½ cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon espresso powder

DIRECTIONS

Cake

Preheat oven to 350º F. Prepare three 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick baking spray or coated well with shortening or butter and floured, taking care to remove all excess flour.

Cream together butter and shortening until light and fluffy with an electric mixer. Slowly add sugar one cup at a time, making sure to fully incorporate each cup before adding another. Add eggs one at a time, making sure to fully incorporate each egg before adding another.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Pour milks and vanilla into measuring cup and whisk together with a fork. Add to butter and shortening mixture alternately with milk mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.

Gently stir all ingredients until well combined. Stop mixer and scrape down sides and bottom of bowl, making sure to have all ingredients mixed well.

Evenly distribute cake batter between cake pans and place pans into oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove and allow to cool slightly in cake pans for about 5 minutes, then cool completely on a wire rack.

Jam

While cake is cooling. Add apricots to a medium saucepan, add sugar and let boil.  Lower heat and let jam simmer for approximately 20 minutes. Let cool.

Frosting

Add cocoa to a large bowl or bowl of stand mixer. Whisk through to remove any lumps.

Cream together butter and cocoa powder until well-combined.

Add sugar and milk to cocoa mixture by adding 1 cup of sugar followed by about a tablespoon of milk. After each addition has been combined, turn mixer onto a high speed for about a minute. Repeat until all sugar and milk have been added.

Add vanilla extract and espresso powder and combine well.

If frosting appears too dry, add more milk, a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency. If it appears to wet and does not hold its form, add more confectioner’s sugar, a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency.