Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, I’m going full-on Christmas mode. Granted, my house has been decorated for two weeks, we’ve already made a gingerbread house, and the Jonas Brothers’ Christmas single has been played like 342 times, but still. Our last Christmas was hectic and abrupt because of our move, and I’ve been determined to make the biggest deal out of it this year (#momlife). To get things going in a festive direction, I’m sharing this pear almond cake today! Let’s talk all about it.
This is a one-bowl butter and sour cream-based bundt cake loaded with chopped pears and a sweet streusel and glaze. Cakes like this always read coffee cake to me, which basically makes it an appropriate choice for breakfast, brunch, snack, or dessert. Is there anything better than a green light for dessert all day long? NOPE. To make it, simply cream butter and sugar in a large bowl before adding eggs and extract. The dry ingredients come next and alternate in with sour cream. Finally, the chopped pears are folded in and the cake is ready to be topped with streusel.
This pear almond cake is seriously dense and hearty. The pears help to offset sweetness and add a ton of moisture. The end product is a cake that is super fruit-foward and great for munching on all day long. I’m sharing today’s recipe over on Stemilt’s blog! Stemilt is is a leading Washington state grower, packer, and shipper of fruit including apples, pears, cherries, and more. Each quarter, I’ve been developing recipes for their blog using their best in-season fruits. This month, I got my hands on their Anjou Pears and thought a sweet and simple pear almond cake would make for a delicious treat to enjoy all season long. Head to their site at the link below to read all about it and give the recipe a try! I can’t wait to hear what you think. Have a great week and tune in later this week for a second (!!!) recipe!
When I turned 21, I was determined to be a badass. The youngest of my friends, I had watched the majority of them ripen to adulthood and opt for sugary martinis and syrupy cordials on their special days. Cosmopolitans, amaretto sours, and assorted varieties of fruit-flavored wines were usually on the list of go-to beverages, but me… well, I wanted the fill bigger britches. I wanted the stuff that grown men drank, the kind of booze that put hair on you chest. I opted for bourbon.
Let’s just say I had no idea what I was getting myself into. My Kentucky roots tricked me into believing that all the exposure to bluegrass and horse-speckled hills would somehow prepare my palate for the smooth (but not subtle) punch of a bourbon cocktail, but I could not have been more wrong.
On my 21st birthday, armed with my parent’s credit card and a friend to hold my hair back (kidding), we saddled up to a table at a local Birmingham whiskey bar, and I ordered a glass of Woodford Reserve over ice. The waitress suggested I try their bacon-infused variety (obviously, because it was 2008), and I delightfully agreed. For the next hour I put on a brave face and grimaced through microscopic sips of what I assumed was some kind of smoky rubbing alcohol. It was terrible, and I watched longingly as my friends enjoyed chilled glasses of Riesling and cranberry vodkas. I was not ready for the bourbon.
Bourbon Bundt Cake
Now, I sing a different tune about bourbon now. I love the flavor it adds to cocktails and baked goods alike and opt for its comforting warm flavors over just about any other libation. Here, in this bourbon bundt cake, the Kentucky-bred booze flavors a moist, one-bowl cake with flavors of fall and a subtle little kick reminiscent of what that 21-year old Kate was probably expecting from her birthday beverage. This cake is perfect for the season, fits in with any breakfast or brunch menu, and is still enough of a treat to enjoy at dessert. Consider this is your catch-all cake for the next few months. If you’re interested in hearing more about it, let’s dive in.
Making the Cake
This bourbon bundt cake is made with my favorite (you guessed it!) Kerrygold butter. In pound cakes and other simple bundts, I prefer to opt for their high-fat, ultra-flavorful unsalted butter. Kerrygold butter keeps this cake moist with a subtle richness that other butters simply can’t offer. To the softened butter, I add sugar and brown sugar which gets whipped together until light and fluffy. Eggs and vanilla come next before the dry ingredients are alternated in with the buttermilk and bourbon. The batter bakes up in a prepared bundt pan until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Allow the bourbon bundt cake to cool slightly in the pan and then invert onto a cooling rack or serving dish. Once cool, whip up the simple glaze of bourbon, powdered sugar, and cream, and pour the thickened mixture all over the cake. I love collecting the run-off glaze in the center of the cake and spooning any extra glaze back on top for a second dose of sweet. This bourbon bundt cake is simple but such a crowd pleaser.
I hope you’ll give this bourbon bundt cake a try this week! Next week we’re celebrating my birthday (!!!) with TWO special recipes that I can’t wait to share. In the meantime, many thanks to Kerrygold for sponsoring this post and for making this an awesome cake! Happy baking!
If you like this bourbon bundt cake you should try:
This bourbon bundt cake is lightly scented with booze and is topped with a powdered sugar glaze. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert!
Author:Kate Wood
Prep Time:15
Cook Time:70
Total Time:1 hour 25 minutes
Yield:9
Category:Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
1 cup (230 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1–1/4 cup sugar (250 gm)
¾ cup (150 gm) brown sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (240 gm) buttermilk, at room temperature
¼ cup (60 gm) good quality bourbon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2–3/4 cups (385 gm) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
For the glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons bourbon
¼ cup heavy whipping cream, plus more as needed
Instructions
To prepare the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar together on medium speed for 4 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the eggs one at a time. Scrape the sides of the bowl and stir in any unincorporated egg. In a separate bowl combine the buttermilk, bourbon, and vanilla extract. In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Add half of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and stir just until barely combined on low speed. Add half of the liquid ingredients and stir to combine. Repeat this process to incorporate the remaining dry and wet ingredients. Fold the batter together using a rubber spatula to ensure everything is well incorporated.
Lightly grease and flour a bundt pan and spoon the batter into the pan. Bake in the preheated oven until the cake has risen and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 45- 50 minutes. Allow to cool for 20 minutes in the pan, then invert the cake on to a cooling rack to cool completely.
To prepare the glaze:
Whisk together the powdered sugar, bourbon, and ¼ cup of heavy whipping cream. Add additional cream 1 teaspoon at a time until your glaze is the desired consistency. Add additional powdered sugar to thicken as needed. Spoon the glaze over top of the cake and enjoy!
There’s something about January that is comforting to me. The gray skies force me inside to cozy up in worn blankets, and thick sweaters cover me like a second skin. Life’s pace seems to naturally slow after the holidays, and there is a calm within that time lulls me to rest. Almost instinctively, I read more, sleep more, think more, and as I fall in step with the gentle metronome of these winter days, I’m reminded to slow down.
I like that this lemon pound cake feels right for January. Just as it seems fitting to warm myself by a simmering pot of stew on the stove or to sit with my children in front of the oven watching loaves of bread rise, I like waiting for this cake to bake and to cool. Just like these January days, this lemon pound cake feels simple and lazy. It’s the type of recipe that it suitable for snacking on throughout the day but is always best served with a cup of coffee or an afternoon tea.
Preparing this lemon pound cake is simple. Cream together butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Eggs and extract come next and incorporates before the dry and wet ingredients add in. Lemon zest and juice lend a bright and tangy flavor to this dense and moist loaf. After baking, the lemon pound cake should be golden, fairly flat on top, and left to cool in the pan before flipping out onto a serving platter. The glaze for this lemon pound cake is entirely optional. I like the tang and zip the sour cream and lemon juice icing adds to the loaf. Although the glaze simple, it makes a pretty adornment for an otherwise plain cake.
So what do you all do this time of year? Are you rushing to get caught up from the holiday whirlwind? Are you busy tackling your resolutions and to-do lists? Or have you, like me, settled on being settled for a while and to quiet yourself and your life? Either way, I hope you’ll give this lemon pound cake a try and let me know what you think. Happy Baking to you, friends!
This lemon pound cake is a bright and sweet in flavor, but comforting and rich in texture. Perfect for breakfast or dessert!
Author:Kate Wood
Prep Time:10
Cook Time:45
Total Time:55 minutes
Yield:1 Loaf
Category:Cake
Ingredients
1 cup (230 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar (200 gm), see notes
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1–1/2 cups (210 gm) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (120 gm) milk
3 tablespoons lemon juice
For the glaze:
1–3/4 cup (200 gm) powdered sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon sour cream (buttermilk can be substituted in a pinch)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a loaf pan with baking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the eggs one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl and the beating an additional minute to incorporate. Stir in the vanilla and lemon zest.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add half of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and stir on low until almost combined. Add half of the milk and the lemon juice and stir to almost combine. Repeat this process with the remaining dry and wet ingredients, and fold with a rubber spatula to incorporate the last bits of ingredients. Do not overmix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 20 minutes and then invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
To prepare the glaze:
When you’re ready to prepare the glaze, whisk together all the ingredients until a viscous glaze forms. Add more powdered sugar to thicken it up and more sour cream or lemon juice to thin it out. Drizzle over top of the prepared cake and enjoy!
Notes
For an ultra dense and moist cake, you can add up to a ½ cup of brown sugar to this recipe. This is a delicious addition, but in the spirit of the new year, I decided to keep it light for you all. Make the adjustment if you prefer.
Happy New Year, friends! I hope your midnights were filled with kisses and bubbles and all sorts of wonderful glittery things. We ate dinner with friends but were home in our pajamas eating cereal by 11:00 pm. It was GLORIOUS. I’m all about parties and fun, but it felt good to be comfortable enough to be tired and content at home. Count on more of that from me this year.
I always like to ask people what their New Year’s resolutions are, and in years past I’ve totally been one to produce a laundry list of goals. This year, instead of goals, I spent some time considering what types of things I wanted more of in 2019- what things would be productive and healthy inclusions to my coming 12 months? After loads of consideration (and, okay, a little list making), I want to share my ideas with you in hopes that you may be able to include some of these things in your own life. It felt good to be self-reflective in a loving, encouraging way, so I hope you get the opportunity to do so yourself. So here it is: my to-do list of sorts for 2019.
Cook More Real Food.
The end of 2018 saw me ordering lots of carry-out and fast food. I was exhausted from our pending move and decided to give myself a break by leaving dinners to someone else. But here’s the thing: I love to cook. In an effort to get back in my kitchen, I plan on joining Epicurious’ Cook 90 Challenge. They’ve mapped out ways to make it easier to prepare fresh, real food three times a day for an entire month. Even if I only end up cooking 75 or so meals this month, I’ll consider that a victory.
Take Better Care of Me.
When you’re a mom of two toddlers, self-care can go down the drain quickly. I spend a lot of time with greasy hair and unshaven legs because I’m really just kinda tired. My dear friend recently became really passionate about the benefits of clean skincare, so I decided to invest in a few new products that I knew were good for my body from the outside in. If this whole thing is new to you too, you can check out Follain online, which is kinda like the Sephora of clean beauty. Two of my favorite products so far are this nighttime moisturizer and this rosehip oil. I may still have fuzzy legs, but it feels good to know I’m taking a little better care of me
Get Organized.
Ok, this looks totally different for everyone. I know you’ve heard me ramble on about decluttering and my favorite day planners, but I wanted to do a little extra at the beginning of this year to stay tidy. For me, that meant closet and drawer organization. I purchased brand new velvet hangers online and invested in several sets of plastic drawer organizers. Now my closet look streamlined and my chip clips, measuring spoons, bobby pins all have a home in my drawers. I don’t know what getting organized would look like in your life, but I think that it’s sometimes healthy to have a little method to our madness.
Spend Time Connecting.
Look- 2019 was weird, y’all. I felt out of sorts and insecure and really kinda lonely at times. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’m alone in this. So in 2019, I want to be more connected. For me, this means more one-on-one conversations with dear friends and more date nights with my husband. It means more time playing on the floor with my kids instead of shooing them away. It means more time praying and more time spent telling people why I love them.
A simple way to get connected? Engage in an out-of-the-box manner. I’ve long been a fan of snail mail, and I’d encourage you to consider taking time to write a note to someone you love. I adore Kate Spade notecards like these, and I have purchased multiple sets of custom watercolor stationary from my artist friend here. Put your phone down and spend some time loving someone- it’s always worth loving a little harder.
Read More.
There’s a million different studies that have been done on the benefits of reading. My goal to read more began simply from wanting to be a better writer here on this space. I have literally zero clue where to begin reading again, but I think I’m going to start with Oprah’s book club. I’ve heard rave reviews about this month’s addition (Michelle Obama’s book!) and I can’t wait to get started.
Challenge Yourself.
I think we sometimes have the tendency to play it safe. We stay on the sidelines because the possibility of failure seems kinda scary or just downright depressing. I’m planning to challenge myself more in the kitchen this year. I don’t want to stray away from recipes or skills that seem outside of my wheelhouse simply because I think I’ll fail. I want to be better! So count on me deboning whole chickens, cooking more seafood, and experimenting more with from-scratch recipe development. 100% I’m going to fail sometimes, but my bet is that I’ll surprise myself a little too and that will feel awesome. For a baking challenge, I’d encourage you to check out my cinnamon bread, tiramisu profiteroles, or maybe even today’s recipe: orange swirl bread.
Orange Swirl Bread
I actually developed this recipe for orange swirl bread for Southern Cast Iron last year. My image landed on the cover (!!!) and I have been waiting for the right time to share the recipe on this site. If you didn’t buy the magazine when it was out (how dare you, btw), you’ll finally have the chance to take a stab at this recipe yourself right here from the comfort of this site!
Making the Bread
This orange swirl bread is an airy yeast bread with orange zest, cinnamon, and sugar spiraled in the center. The dough is rolled, braided, and formed into a wreath before it’s baked in a cast iron skillet. Once golden and baked, the bread is drizzled with an orange glaze that makes the otherwise mild bread just a touch sweet. I like to serve wedges of this bread for breakfast and snack on little edge pieces in the evening as dessert. My children love feasting on this in the morning, and honestly, it’s just so beautiful that I’m really proud to serve it to anyone. You know?
Spend some time reading through the instructions for this orange swirl bread before you get started. The rising process takes time and you certainly don’t want to rush it. In a pinch, you can bake the loaf, freeze it, and rewarm to serve with the glaze at a later date. I think it tastes best warmed, but there’s no shame in grabbing a room temp piece on the go.
I can’t wait to spend more time with you all this year. I’ve got a ton of ideas and I can’t wait to connect with more of you. So happy new year, happy January, and as always, happy baking. Cheers!
If you like this orange swirl bread you should check out:
This orange swirl bread has a cinnamon sugar and orange zest filling and is topped with an orange glaze. The bread is an airy braided yeast loaf!
Author:Kate Wood
Prep Time:30
Cook Time:40
Total Time:240
Yield:1 Loaf
Category:Bread
Ingredients
For the dough:
½ cup (120 mL) whole milk, lukewarm
¼ cup (50 gm) sugar
2–1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 cups (260 gm) all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, divided
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (55 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
For the filling:
½ cup (100 gm) sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
½ cup (113 gm) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature.
For the glaze:
1 cup (120 gm) confectioner’s sugar
2–3 tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the warm milk and half of the sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over top of the milk and allow the yeast to activate, about 5 minutes. The mixture should froth and foam slightly. You can stir it gently to make sure all the yeast has been moistened, but if the yeast does not foam, dump it out and start over. Once the yeast has been activated, stir in the remaining sugar and 1/2 cup of the flour into the milk mixture. Add 1 egg and the salt and stir to combine. On low speed, add the remaining flour and beat to combine, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Once evenly combined, increase the speed to medium (I use speed number 4 on my KitchenAid stand mixer) and add the softened butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Scrape the sides of the bowl and then continue to beat on medium speed for an additional 4 minutes or until the dough is moist, sticky, and slightly stretchy.
Lightly grease a large bowl and place the dough inside, covering it tightly with a piece of plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rest in a warm spot in the kitchen until it has approximately doubled in size, about 1-1/2-2 hours.
Once the dough has risen, roll it out into a 12”x18” rectangle on a lightly floured surface. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon, and orange zest for the filling. Use the back of a fork to cut in the butter, smooshing it together to make a thick paste/spread. Spread this mixture evenly over top of the rolled out dough.
Starting with one of the long ends, roll the dough somewhat tightly into one long tube and pinch the ends of the dough to seal in the filling. Use a sharp knife to slice down the middle of the length of the dough, leaving one inch at the top of one of the ends uncut. You should end with two strands of rolled dough connected by a 1” chunk of dough at the top (this will serve as the starting point for your braid, so you want the dough to remain connected here). Turn the exposed innards of the dough roll to face upwards and then twist the dough, right over left, right over left, until the entire length of dough has been twisted into one long piece. Join the ends of the dough to make a ring, pinching the ends together slightly. Carefully transfer the ring of dough into a lightly greased 10” cast-iron skillet. Cover the skillet with a piece of plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Once the oven is preheated and the loaf has risen slight (about 40 minutes), stir the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush a thin layer of the mixture over the surface of the dough. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the dough is puffed and golden brown throughout. Allow to cool slightly.
Once cooled slightly, combine the confectioner’s sugar and orange juice in a small bowl, whisking until smooth. Add additional sugar, if desired, to thicken it up or extra juice to thin it out. Drizzle over top of the bread and serve. Bread is best served warm and will keep covered at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Happy Hump Day, you crazy baking fools. I hope you’re crushing this week, so much so that you’ve earned yourself a slice (or three) of this brown sugar apple bundt cake.
If you follow me on Instagram, you may know that last week I made a wedding cake. It wasn’t my first time preparing a wedding cake, but because this was the biggest one I’ve made to date I was also pretty nervous. Like any cautious amateur would do, I prepared the layers a week in advance, froze them in plastic wrap, and traveled with the unassembled cakes in a sub-zero temperature car to Atlanta where the wedding was being held.
Some of you are probably thinking that this is not a big deal. Maybe you think that I do this all the time or that I’m a professional cake maker. Maybe you assume that tasks like this come naturally to me or are not even remotely intimidating. I’ll have you know, you are entirely wrong.
I am a giant, sugar-coated ball of anxiety when it comes to baking for weddings. I literally lose sleep over the details and what-ifs and tiny lists of ingredients and supplies that I need to remember to pack. What if the cake is dry? Collapses? Tastes like garbage? What if I drop the entire thing while placing it on the stand? Or if someone finds a weird hair or a giant eggshell in it? What if, what if, what if?
Brown Sugar Apple Bundt Cake
I’m getting stressed just reliving it. This all goes to say that until further notice I’m sticking with one-bowl, single layer, easy peasy cakes like this brown sugar apple bundt cake. Aside from the risk of a stray hair or eggshell, there are very few things you could actually do to screw this up.
I was inspired to make this brown sugar apple bundt cake from flipping through some of Brett’s Nana’s old recipes. There were multiple recipes for old fashioned apple bundt cakes, and I knew this was the type of thing you guys would want coming out of your ovens around the holidays.
In most of the older recipes I’ve seen, the bundt cake is baked and a warm, syrupy mixture is poured over the cake before removing it from the pan. This yields a super moist cake, but to be honest, it’s not the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen. To add extra flavor AND pizzazz, I went with a brown sugar glaze, thick, ultra-sweet, and with just a hint of bourbon because we love ourselves. This brown sugar apple bundt cake is faithful to its Southern roots and festive enough to add to any holiday table. Let’s chat the ins and outs on this treat.
Making the Cake
We start by mixing the sugar with all of the wet ingredients. Oil and plenty of eggs keep this cake moist. The dry ingredients which includes cinnamon and apple pie spice get stirred in before finely diced apples and pecans are folded in. Spread the mixture into a bundt pan (I used this one!) and bake in the preheated oven. Be careful not to overbake it! I like to remove it from the oven when just a few large moist clumps remain on a cake tester or toothpick.Allow the cake to cool in the pan for a few minutes before cooling completely on a rack.
When it’s room temperature, prepare the glaze and spoon it on top. I test out the glaze on the side of a drinking glass to make sure that it’s the right consistency. If it’s too thin it will drip completely off the cake and if it’s too thick it won’t be pourable. Find the consistency that works best for you and pour away.
This brown sugar apple bundt cake is a delightful little autumnal treat to prepare in the coming months. Give it a try and let me know what you think! I promise it’s easier than a wedding cake.
If you like this brown sugar apple bundt cake you should try:
This brown sugar apple bundt cake is a warmly spiced season favorite with a brown sugar glaze that you’ll love sharing these winter months!
Author:Kate Wood
Prep Time:15
Cook Time:90
Total Time:1 hour 45 minutes
Yield:10
Category:Dessert
Ingredients
For the apple cake:
1–3/4 (350 gm) cups sugar
1–1/2 cups (360 gm) vegetable oil
3 large eggs, at room temp
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups (420 gm) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon apple pie spice
2 cups (250 gm) of peeled, finely chopped apples (I use Jonathan or Granny Smith Apples)
1 cup (125 gm) finely chopped pecans
For the brown sugar glaze (Adapted from Fine Cooking):
3/4 cup (150 gm) light brown sugar
1/2 cup (110 gm) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1–1/2 tablespoons bourbon
pinch of salt
1/3 cup (80 gm) heavy whipping cream
1–1/4 cups (130 gm) sifted confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
To prepare the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth and combined. Add the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and apple pie spice and stir just until barely combined. Fold in the apples and pecans. Spray and flour a 10-cup bundt pan and spread the batter into the pan. Bake in the preheated oven for an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Be careful to not overbake the cake! Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 20 minutes and then invert onto a cool rack to cool completely.
To prepare the brown sugar glaze:
Combine the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, bourbon, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat, allowing the mixture to melt. Add the cream, increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to boil, stirring occasionally. Boil the mixture for exactly one minute and remove it from heat. Whisk in the confections sugar and vanilla until the mixture is smooth and no lumps remain. Allow the glaze to cool and thicken slightly, stirring occasionally to keep it from forming a thick top shell. Once the mixture is a bit thicker but still warm to touch, pour over the finished cake. You can test the pour barely on one size to see if it glazes how you’d like. If it doesn’t glaze thin enough allow it to cool slightly and if it glazes too thick just warm it up slightly. The cake is best enjoyed the day it is made.
If you’re anything like me, Mondays can hit you like a freight train. I think we need an excuse to sit quietly, zone out, and have a few moments of rest before we dive into a week of hustle and bustle. To keep your eyes and palate pleased, I’ve rounded up a list of things to read, watch, and savor on this Monday morning. Oh, and there’s cream cheese chocolate chip biscuits too. You’re welcome. 🙂
What to Read
Food52 released their fall list of must-read books. In a shocking turn of events, there’s not a single cookbook on the round-up! Check out the list of favorites on their site here.
What to Watch
Jimmy Fallon is the late-night show host of my dreams. I love his willingness to be silly and totally off-the-wall. His newest video, a musical photobomb with Justin Bieber, made me laugh out loud and is straight up awesome. Watch your heart out here.
What to Cook
Chrissy Tieghan’s new cookbook came out this week, and Bon Appetit shared a few favorites from the release. There’s a recipe for Thai soy-garlic fried ribs (yes, it’s a thing) looks absolutely beyond. Literally salivating over here. Check out the recipe here.
What to Wear
I’m counting down the days till it’s cool enough to break out jeans and fall clothing. This getup from Madewell is pretty much destined to be my autumnal uniform.
What to Master
I love this article from Food & Wine about how to nail a recipe every time. I frequently have people tell me that they can’t cook, and I’m a firm believer that if you can follow directions on a well-written recipe you can do anything.
What to Bake
As promised, here are the cream cheese chocolate chip biscuits. These are fluffy, Southern-style biscuits with loads of tang and chocolatey goodness to make your breakfasts fab. These morning treats were inspired by the beautiful Carrie Morey of Callie’s Charleston Biscuits . I met Carrie at last year’s Saveur Blog Awards, and I so admire how she has championed her town, baking, and Southern culture with her hugely successful brand. The secret to her biscuits is a healthy mixture of cream cheese and butter, a winning combination that offers loads of flavor and fluff.
Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Biscuits
These cream cheese chocolate chip biscuits are a nod to Carrie. Simple to make, even easier to consume, these morning bites are a new favorite in my house. When we have a batch in our house, Aimee asks for them for breakfast AND dessert, clearly a girl after my own heart.
To make these cream cheese chocolate chip biscuits, we start by combining the dry ingredients. Flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt are tossed together before we cut in the cream cheese and ice cold butter. Use the backs of two forks or a pastry cutter and integrate the fat until pea-sized clumps exist throughout. Add the chocolate chips and then stir in the buttermilk until a shaggy dough comes together.
A Few Pointers:
For sky-high biscuits, make sure your ingredients are really cold and that the butter is incorporated throughout. I also recommend using a well-floured biscuit cutter (I use these!) to keep the cuts on the perimeter of your biscuit clean. Push straight down with the cutter and then put your tray of goodies into a piping hot oven. The heat mixed with the cold ingredients will cause everything to melt and expand all at once!
To finish off these cream cheese chocolate chip biscuits, I like to top them with a simple cream cheese glaze. You can skip this step if you’d prefer, but I like to be a little over-the-top here. Drizzle the glaze on hot biscuits and then serve immediately. Just be sure you have your coffee ready.
I hope this recipe will get your week off to a delicious start. Have a great week and happy baking, y’all!
If you like these cream cheese chocolate chip biscuits you should try:
These cream cheese chocolate chip biscuits are fluffy, tangy morning treats full of chocolate morsels and topped with a cream cheese glaze. Read more about making layered biscuits here!
Author:Kate
Prep Time:10
Cook Time:20
Total Time:30 minutes
Yield:12
Category:Breakfast
Ingredients
For the biscuits:
2 cups (280 gm) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup (55 gm) unsalted butter, cold, plus 2 tablespoons melted
½ cup (85 gm) mini chocolate chips
¾ cup (180 gm) cold buttermilk
For the topping:
2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup (115 gm) powdered sugar
1–2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
To make the biscuits:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Use the back of a fork or a pastry cutter to cut in the cream cheese and butter until large, pea-sized clumps exist throughout. Stir in the chocolate chips and then add the buttermilk, stirring to combine. Dump the shaggy dough out onto a floured surface and used floured hands to gently pat the dough out into a 1” rectangle. Fold the dough in thirds like a letter and then pat it out again into 1” thickness. Use a 2” biscuit cutter to cut out rounds of dough. Gently combine the scraps and then pat out that mixture to 1” thick again. Cut out additional rounds. Place the dough rounds 2″ apart onto a baking sheet and brush the tops with the melted butter. Place the pan in the oven, reduce the heat to 400, and bake for about 18-20 minutes or until the tops are puffed and golden. You may need to rotate the pan towards the end of baking if one size is darkening faster than the other. Allow the biscuits to cool briefly while you prepare the topping.
To prepare the topping:
Beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar in large bowl just until smooth. Add a tablespoon or more or milk to get the icing a smooth, spreadable consistency. Smooth a dollop on each biscuit and serve immediately!
It’s here! Friday has come like a beacon in the night, so please don’t mind me while I celebrate with a victory dance and a jumbo slice of this lemon berry crumb cake. I’ve got your weekend roundup set out for you, including what to read, what to watch, and what to make for all of your Easter celebrations. Let’s get started!
This article from Food52 is blowing my mind. Cinnamon rolls without the wait? Without the rise? Sign me up! Read the article here about how a simple dough leavened with baking powder can make all of your cinnamon roll dreams come true.
I’ve had a million and one of you ask me how running a food blog has the potential to earn money. While I’m hardly rolling in “The Benjamins” (Mom, that’s slang for money, hundred dollar bills, okay?), I still pinch myself on the daily that people write me checks for doing something that I love. This article from Food & Wine is informative, straight-forward, and provides pointers for people who may be considering this path for themselves.
Did you hear that someone named a beer after Beyonce? It’s a German pilsner from Lineup Brewery called Bïeryoncé, and I have to admit that I’m a little jealous. All I need is to join a chart-topping hip-hop group, start an even bigger solo career, marry a rap mogul, and accumulate a near-billion dollar net worth… maybe then I’ll have enough bad-assery under my belt to have a beer named after me. After looking into purchasing some for myself, I found out that Queen B’s lawyers served the brewery a cease and desist letter, so the brew has been laid to rest. RIP, Bïeryoncé.
Spring and Summer Bags
I may be late to the straw bag bandwagon, but now that I’m on it I’m never getting off. I recently purchased the ultra-trendy round woven bag for my upcoming warm-weather travels, and I cannot wait to start toting. Get in the trend with a bag of your own! I love the options here.
Okay, this is an old video, but my love for Hamilton is so strong right now that I thought you may want to enjoy this video too. James Corden is my Night-Talkshow-Host in Shining Armor, and this video makes me love him even more. Hamilton has just started their US tour, so be sure to check here for upcoming dates near you. Brett, if you’re reading this, remember that Mother’s Day is just around the corner and I gave you two very incredible children, okay?
Easter Baking
There’s a million and one things you should make for this weekend’s most special holiday. For a layer cake option, check out my robin egg speckled cake tutorial. If you’re interested in a bundt cake, maybe try my carrot cake with brown butter glaze or lemon almond poppyseed bundt cake. But if you prefer a simple, seasonal option for Sunday’s affair, let me introduce you to this lemon berry crumb cake. It’s fresh, entirely delicious, and perfect for sharing as a breakfast or dessert.
Here’s the breakdown: This lemon berry crumb cake is a moist and tender butter cake filled with a tart berry jam. The whole thing gets baked under a mountain of lemony shortbread-style crumbs that add a bit of salty crunch to the otherwise sweet cake. The result is an impressive single layer cake that will make all of your spring brunch dreams come true.
Making the Cake
To make the lemon berry crumb cake, we start with the batter. Butter and sugar cream together, followed by the addition of eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. The dry ingredients stir in to make a somewhat thick and spreadable batter. About 2/3 of the mixture smooths into the bottom of a 9″ springform pan and tops with a smear of your favorite jam. The cake is sweet, so I recommend a tart jam to offset that sugar. The remaining batter spreads on top of the jam and a basic crumble goes on top.
Fresh from the oven, this lemon berry crumb cake is fab all on its own, however I want more. Top it with a simple drizzle made from powdered sugar, lemon juice, and sour cream. You can pass on the glaze, but I think it fancies it up a bit, don’t you?
I hope your Easter weekends are filled with lots of jelly beans and lemon berry crumb cake. The miracle of this holiday bowls me over every year, and I’m looking forward to gathering hope in that. Happy Friday and happy baking!
If you like this lemon berry crumb cake, you should check out:
This lemon berry crumb cake is a sweet single layer cake filled with a tart raspberry jam and topped with a crunchy shortbread crumble. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert!
Author:Kate Wood
Prep Time:15
Cook Time:35
Total Time:50 minutes
Yield:9
Ingredients
For the crumb:
¼ cup (55 gm) unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (115 gm) all-purpose flour
For the cake:
½ cup (113 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup (150 gm) sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1–1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2–1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
1–1/2 cups (195 gm) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (100 gm) full-fat buttermilk
½ cup blackberry, raspberry, or blueberry preserves, according to your preferences
For the glaze (optional):
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon sour cream (buttermilk can be substituted in a pinch)
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
To prepare the crumble:
In a small bowl, stir together the butter and lemon juice. Add the sugar and salt, stirring to combine. Fold in the flour until large clumps form. Place in the fridge to chill while you prepare the cake.
To prepare the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9” springform pan with baking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest and beat to combine. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add ½ cup of the flour, the baking powder, the baking soda, and the salt. Stir on low to barely combine. Stir in the buttermilk and then add the remaining flour on low speed just until integrated. Scrape the sides of the bowl and fold in any unincorporated batter.
Spread about 2/3 of the batter into the bottom of the springform pan. Smooth the preserves over top pf the batter, leaving a 1” border around the perimeter of the cake. Carefully spread the remaining batter on top and sprinkle the whole thing with the crumble, breaking up the big clumps into a crumb size you prefer. Bake in the preheated oven for about 35-40 minutes, or until the top is puffed and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Set aside to cool.
To prepare the glaze:
When you’re ready to prepare the glaze, whisk together all the ingredients until a viscous glaze forms. Add more powdered sugar to thicken it up and more sour cream or lemon juice to thin it out. Drizzle over top of the prepared cake and enjoy!
This past week was good for my soul. Going back home to Florida is beautiful in and of itself, but the glorious addition of Christmas spirit and celebration made my time there extra cozy. Something about being back in my parent’s house is comforting, and the familiarity of those rooms and the faces I see in them fills me with loads of nostalgia. It feels good to be welcomed back and to know that I am known there.
We spent the week wrangling the babies and carting them to see old friends. My mom and I made the trek with Aimee to Disney World (because if you go to Florida without visiting Mickey, did you really go to Florida?), and oh man, does my girl love her some theme parks. Although she’s already been to Disney a number of times, the Magic Kingdom never fails to bring the magic. I love to watch her take it all in like that.
Let’s Pour One Out for Traditions
Christmas was not without the usual annual traditions. Mimi made her famous sugar cookies , and I pretty much destroyed my weight in butter and flour. On Christmas morning, we took our time opening gifts, ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the package’s contents, and even though it takes my family FOREVER to open gifts, I love that everyone takes time to appreciate the items they received and the people who gave them. That much gratitude feels good. I think I need to practice it more often.
The moral of the story is that I never get too old for home. A few moments at home make me feel like a kid again- a little less hung up on the stuff that the adult me usually has to worry about. Ending the year happy, hopeful, and refreshed for the coming year is a good way to be. I’m grateful my parents afforded me that chance. And speaking of ending the year on a good note…
Let’s talk about these marbled sugar cookies.
Marbled Sugar Cookies
Do you have plans for New Year’s Eve yet? If not, I would argue that now is that time to make some. These marbled sugar cookies are every bit as festive and sassy as any respectful NYE bash deserves, so if you’ve been waiting for the perfect party theme to come to you, consider it done. These marbled sugar cookies are the perfect treat to ring in the new year.
If you already have a favorite cutout sugar cookie recipe, you can use that here! The magic is in the glaze which, with a little help, gets swirled into a monochromatic pool of sugar that will make your average sugar cookie look anything but. Making marbled sugar cookies is simple and requires very little time and ingredients, so you’ve got more time for popping bottles and prepping for your midnight kiss.
To make the glaze, we combine powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk in a large bowl, whisking until a thick glaze forms. To test viscosity, run your whisk or a knife through the bowl of the glaze. The mixture should slowly move back together until you can’t see any trace of the whisk any longer, a process that should take about 6-8 seconds. Add more milk for a thinner icing and more powdered sugar if your icing becomes too thin.
Next, separate the icing into three different bowls. For a traditional monochromatic marble, use gel food coloring to color one bowl of icing black, one bowl a light grey, and one bowl white. If you know you’d prefer cookies that are primarily one color (I prefer a predominantly white cookie) make sure you keep the majority of your glaze that color. Pour a good bit of white glaze into a separate shallow bowl and drizzle with just a smidge of your two other colors, like in the photo below. You can use a toothpick or knife to swirl it a little, but keep in mind that as you dip your cookies into the glaze the mixture will stir a bit on its own.
Dipping the Cookies
When you’re ready to begin icing your cookies, dip the tops of your baked and cooled sugar cookies straight into the glaze. I try to only cover the tops of the cookies. Pull each cookie straight out and flip it over carefully to see how your glaze looks. If it’s not as marbled as you would prefer, you can tilt the cookies side to side to get a little extra swirl action. Otherwise, place the finished cookie on a cooling rack or sheet of waxed paper to dry!
You’ll repeat this process with the remaining cookies. If you start to run out of icing in your dip bowl or if it gets a bit too swirled, just add more of your reserved glaze to the pot and resume the cookie making! I like to make a diverse bunch by changing the concentration of each icing glaze color. I find I prefer a cookie with lots of white and deep streaks of black.
These marbled sugar cookies are mega festive and perfect for any casual or black tie New Year’s Eve affair. Give them a try and let me know what you think! Happy baking, happy new year, and happy everything else to you and yours. I’m looking forward to baking with you in the coming year.
If you like these marbled sugar cookies, be sure to check out:
These marbled sugar cookies are decorated to look like stone and make a festive addition to parties!
Author:Kate Wood
Prep Time:60
Cook Time:30
Total Time:1 hour 30 minutes
Yield:36
Ingredients
For the cookies:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
1 egg
1–1/2 teaspoon princess cake and cookie emulsion (or 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/2 tsp almond extract)
For the glaze:
3 cups powdered sugar
3–6 tablespoons of whole milk or heavy cream
1 teaspoon almond extract, vanilla extract, or bakery emulsion
Gel food coloring in desired colors (I used black)
Instructions
To prepare the cookies:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the dry ingredients and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until smooth and well combined, about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and extract and cream until combined. Add the dry ingredients and stir on low just until combined.
Dump the dough crumbles out on to a lightly floured surface and work together into one ball with your hands. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to just over 1/4″ thicken and use a medium sized cookie cutter to cut shapes. If the dough ever gets too soft, refrigerate briefly.
Place shapes on a baking sheet and freeze briefly for about 5 minutes.
Once chilled, bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes and then cool on a cooling rack. Allow cookies to cool completely prior to icing.
To prepare the icing:
Sift or whisk powdered sugar to remove lumps.
Add 3 tablespoons of the milk and the extract, whisking until combined. Continue to add milk until it is the right viscosity. You will want thicker frosting for piping. To test viscosity, run your whisk or a knife through the bowl of frosting- your frosting should slowly move back together until you can’t see any trace of the whisk any longer. This process should take about 10 seconds. If the frosting is too thick, it will not pool back together, and if it is too thin, it will pool back together too quickly. The ten second test doesn’t lie. Add more milk for a thinner icing and more powdered sugar if your icing becomes too thin.
Cover tightly in a tupperware or with a wet paper towel if you are not using it immediately, as frosting will dry out and become clumpy. Whisk occasionally and add more milk if it becomes too thick.
To glaze the cookies:
Divide the glaze into three bowls. Add gel food coloring to one of the bowls a single drop at a time. It is important to not add too much as it is easier to darken the glaze than it is to lighten it. I keep one bowl of glaze white and dye the other two bowls grey and black.
Pour a small bit of white glaze into the bottom of a bowl just big enough for your cookies. Drizzle a small bit of grey, black, or both glazes and barely swirl with a toothpick or knife. Carefully dip the tops of the cookies into the glaze and allow any excess to drip off. You can further “marble” the cookies by tilting them side to side. Place the cookies on a cooling rack or wax paper and allow to set completely. It will take about 4-6 hours for the glaze to set up completely. Be sure that they are completely dry before storing in a tupperware or cookie box!
Notes
Read the blog post for more tips on icing these cookies!
With so much going on in the world, it seems a silly time to talk about this chocolate chip bundt cake. My heart is heavy for the people whose lives have been upturned these past few weeks due to natural disasters. Some days, it feels like it’s one thing after another, like there’s a never-ending churn of brokenness and unrest all around us.
What Do We Do?
How do we continue life in the midst of crisis? When political and social injustices pool up in our cities and seep into our lives, threatening to wash out any sense of peace and joy we thought we had, how do we respond? What do we say to the people who have lost bits of their homes and selves to a hurricane or poverty or drugs or infertility or cancer? How do we take care of the hurting people around us, the broken ones that feel just beyond our reach?
I stumble over my words to the friend fresh out of a divorce or to the family whose home was ravaged by a flood. My arms don’t feel big enough to hold all of the children living without mothers or enough food to fill their swollen bellies. What can I do for the humans who feel ostracized and alone in their communities because of their race or religion or sexuality? Can one person really scratch the surface in the million needs that scream for help in this world? Can one person make a difference?
Everything Feels Uncertain
The honest to God truth is that I don’t have a clue. Most days I feel unfit to play the role of advocate. I buy into the lie that my voice won’t make a difference or that I’ll say the wrong thing. My hands feel inadequate to piece together the rubble and wounds that exist even in the streets of my own small town, much less the huge hurting world far beyond my backyard. It all feels too big.
But what would happen if we all just did what we could? Or what if we loved harder and gave selflessly? What if we spoke up and just said something, anything, to acknowledge the hurt in front of us,even if it felt foreign or uncomfortable forming on our lips?What if we opened our eyes to the needs and pain within our reach and were willing to say, “I can do that. I can help. I’ll be there.”
What We Can Do
The thing is, we won’t always say or do the right thing. We won’t change the world overnight, but we can do something. We can pick up a shovel, hold a hand, or sit and just listen. Make someone feel heard and known. We can saddle up to the desperation of our neighbors and coworkers and make their cries our own. We can pray and love and give until it becomes enough to change one person’s story. Wouldn’t loving one lonely person well make a difference? Wouldn’t that be a victory in and of itself?
Humans have a deep yearning to belong, to make a difference, and to matter. I say we make our lives count for something. Let’s spend them on on our causes and for the people around us who need love. Take your humanity- your passion and tears and words and talent- and pour them out on a world that is desperate for someone to just give a damn. Admittedly, I have a longer way to go than most, but I am determined to not get in the way of myself here; I’m determined to do better.
Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
This chocolate chip bundt cake is like a hug in a pan. It’s a one bowl recipe that bakes into a moist, fine-crumb cake, speckled with chocolate chips and dripping with a rich glaze. This is the kind of cake that almost anyone can make and everyone can enjoy. It’s a sure thing.
Making the Cake
To make this chocolate chip bundt cake, we start by whipping up the batter. Butter and sugar are creamed together before eggs and a handful of dry ingredients are mixed in. Full-fat Greek yogurt is the next addition, which promises to keep the cake moist and tangy for days. You can substitute full-fat buttermilk or sour cream if you’d prefer. Mini chocolate chips are added to the mix before the cake is baked in a small bundt pan.
The trickiest part about this cake is knowing when it is done. Admittedly, I screw this up all the time. Underbaked or overbaked, most bundt cakes I make rarely come out perfect. I recommend doing the toothpick test on this chocolate chip bundt cake, but I would also say just use your best judgement. If you wait for the cake to have a dark brown crust over the top, it will already be way overdone, so be sure to remove the cake from the oven when the center finally seems set and the toothpick inserted comes out without any liquid batter on it.
The Glaze
Once finished, this chocolate chip bundt cake is adorned with a shiny chocolate glaze that is lip-licking and irresistible. Of course, it’s totally optional, but honestly, why not? The more chocolate, the merrier, okay? This chocolate chip bundt cake is one for the books and is a surefire hit for the breakfast, brunch, and dessert nearest you.
Let’s do our part these coming weeks. A little love and help and dignity to the hurting souls around us will make more than enough difference. Let’s be the hands and feet for a world in need. Happy Wednesday, y’all. All my love.
If you like this chocolate chip bundt cake, you should check out:
This chocolate chip bundt cake is a moist and dense cake filled with chocolate morsels and topped with a rich and shiny glaze.
Author:Kate Wood
Prep Time:15
Cook Time:60
Total Time:1 hour 15 minutes
Yield:12
Ingredients
For the cake:
3/4 cup (170 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup (150 gm) brown sugar
3/4 cup (150 gm) sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2–1/2 cups (325 gm) all-purpose flour
1–1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (285 gm) full-fat plain Greek yogurt, at room temperature
1–1/4 cups (210 gm) mini semisweet chocolate chips
For the topping:
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup (120 mL) heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons light corn syrup (optional)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars together on medium speed until well combined and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the eggs and vanilla, beating to combine.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Add half of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture and beat on low until combined. Add the Greek yogurt and beat to combine. Add the remaining half of dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Do not overmix.
Spray a a small, 10-cup bundt pan with a baking spray with flour or use a light spray of baking spray and dust the inside of the pan with flour. Spoon the batter evenly into the pan and smooth the top of the batter. Bake in the preheated oven for about 35 minutes or until the top is set, is beginning to golden, and is no longer jiggly. A toothpick inserted may continue to come out with thick clumps even after it is done cooking so just use your best judgment.
Allow to cool in the pan for about 20 minutes and then invert the cake onto a cooling rack or serving platter until completely cool.
When ready to ice, add the chocolate to a small bowl and heat the cream until almost bubbling. Add the warmed cream to the chocolate, cover the bowl with a piece of plastic wrap, and allow to sit undisturbed for 5 minutes. Stir to combine and add in the corn syrup, if desired. Pour over the top of the cake. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Be sure to bake the cake until the center is no longer jiggly looking! Bake time will alter depending on your oven and material of your pan, so stick a toothpick in if you’re wondering whether it’s done or not! 🙂
This past week, my great grandmother (I called her Grandma Grape) passed away. She was 97 and lived a beautiful life- one marked by kindness and joy, wisdom and love. Since her passing, I’ve found myself quietly inspired, desperately wanting a similar kind of grace on my life. Somehow, knowing that it’s possible to live and die as beautifully as she did fills me with so much hope.
I’m sure you know people like this- the ones that make it count. People who use up their lives and time and every last bit of air in their lungs to make the world around them a better place. People that love their families fiercely and spur on their neighbors towards goodness. People that change the atmosphere. These are the ones who leave a legacy worth remembering.
A few photos of Grandma Great from when I was a baby. Check out my babe of a mom and Nana. And of course sweet Grandpa Great too. 🙂
My Sweet Grandma
My sweet Grandma Grape was one of them. Though I won’t see her earthy body any longer, I know I will catch glimpses of her life in the lives of the women who came after her. I see her warmth and benevolence in my beautiful Nana. Her faith and grace in the peacefulness of my Mother. I see her spunk and playfulness in the laughter of my own daughter. The lasting effect of the beauty she created on this earth will continue to make waves throughout generations to come, and it’s a concept so lovely and full of possibility that my heart can’t help but be encouraged.
5 generations of women, beginning with Grandma and ending with my sweet Aimee girl.
If you know somebody who is making this kind of a difference, I would challenge you to rise to the occassion and tell them. Give them a call, a hug, or even use this free letter template to write it out with pen. Don’t let the opportunity to be intentional with the people you love pass you by.
I, for one, have a renewed resolve to make it count. I want to be a human worth remembering and to be a person that spends their life on the cause in their heart for the people around them. The glimmer of hope from great grandmother’s legacy tells me that it’s possible… So that’s the new goal.
Carrot Bundt Cake
This carrot bundt cake is right for the times. It feels comforting and familiar- like a cake my grandmother and the women who came before her might have made. And with Easter just around the corner, a cake like this needs no excuse for making.
The recipe for this carrot bundt cake was adapted from Paula Deen, the queen of Southern heirloom recipes herself. This cake has a dense but tender crumb, kept extra moist from the addition of several eggs, oil, and finely grated carrots. Though the warmly flavored cake ordinarily steals the show in similar recipes, here, the brown butter glaze is the star. Nutty, buttery, and just barely sweet enough to make the carrot bundt cake worthy of the title “dessert”, this brown butter glaze is delicious and dangerously tempting to eat straight from a bowl with a spoon. (Update: for help on browning butter, see my post here!)
Making the Cake
The preparation for this bundt cake is rather simple. You’ll need some muscle to peel and grate the carrots, but from there, it’s a one bowl situation that requires nothing more than a mixer and a finger to lick the bowl with. This recipe will prepare enough batter to fill a 10-cup bundt pan, but you can use a larger 15-cup pan like I did with no problem. If you lack a bundt pan large enough, just fill the pans you have no more than 3/4 of the way full and pour remaining batter into additional pans. This recipe will produce enough batter to fill approximately 3-8″ round cake pans, so if you’d prefer to make the cake that way, you certainly can, however, keep in mind that baking time will change.
If you need a soul-comforting recipe to share with people you love, this carrot bundt cake is just the thing. There’s a number of other Easter-worthy recipes in the blog archives, so be sure to check out a few that I’ve bookmarked below. I hope your week is filled with lots of joy, and if you need encouragement to make it through, please contact me via the comments section below or by email on the “About Me” page of this blog. This Sunday is the most hopeful day of my year and I’d love to share it with you. Happy baking and cheers to you!
If you like this carrot bundt cake, you may also like:
This carrot bundt cake is a moist and tender cake topped with brown butter glaze and toasted pecans. Serves a crowd and perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt pan with at least 10 cup capacity.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed (I use number 4 setting on my stand mixer) for 2 minutes. Add the flour, soda, salt, and cinnamon and stir just until barely combined. Fold in the carrots. Pour the mixture into the bundt pan. Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes in the pan and then invert on to a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely if you want the frosting to drizzle evenly.
To prepare the brown butter frosting
Add the cubed butter to a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the butter is melted to ensure that it melts evenly. Once the butter has melted, it will begin to bubble.Continue to stir regularly. Small golden flecks will begin to form on the bottom of the pan. Stir or whisk gently continuously at this point as the butter is beginning to brown. The bubbling should subside at this point and you should notice the butter takes on a golden tint and begins to smell nutty. Do not let it burn, but stir until golden brown and then whisk the mixture into a medium sized bowl to cool slightly.
Once slightly cooled, about 5 minutes, add the sugar and salt, whisking to slightly combine. Add a tablespoon of milk, and continue to add small amounts until the mixture is the right consistency. I like my glaze a bit thicker so that it drizzles nicely on the sides of the cake. To test for this viscosity, drag your whisk through the mixture- the line in the mixture should come back together almost completely in about ten seconds. Pour the glaze over the cake.
Notes
I like to use a finely grated carrot so that it evenly disperses in the cake and stays extra moist. Do not use store-bought pre-shredded carrots.
You can also bake this cake in round cake pans (3). Baking time will differ.
If your brown butter frosting sets out for too long it will start to crust over. Heat for 5-10 seconds in the microwave and whisk to prepare it for the cake again.
If you burn your butter, pour out and start again! There are great videos on Youtube on browning butter.
For help on browning butter, see my post here: https://thewoodandspoon.com/you-need-to-know-how-to-brown-butter/
Lemon Pound Cake
Making the Pound Cake
Making the Glaze
