Weeknight Cook and a Cake

The fall issue of Cooking Club magazine, which features several recipes by yours truly in the "Weeknight Cook" column (on page 46), has arrived! It was a fantastic surprise to see that I share a by-line with cookbook author extraordinaire Marie Simmons. Marie has been a friend and mentor to me since my days as an intern at Copia, and I never dreamed I’d see my name next to hers in print. What an honor! My recipes are the Pork Cutlets with Black and Green Olive Sauce, Italian Sausage and White Bean Stew, Pasta with Smoky Angry Tomato Sauce, Veracruz Baked Fish Fillets, and Mini Chipotle Meat Loaves. They’re quick and easy yet tasty and satisfying, so I hope you'll give them a try. The pasta has especially become a favorite at my house, and we had it for dinner again last night.

And for dessert, here’s a summer recipe inspired by the stops on a recent trip to the Hood River Valley. Visit a lavender farm…

A u-pick peach orchard…

And this is what you get!

Peach-Lavender Cake
Printable Recipe

3 ounces (¾ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
5 ounces all-purpose flour
2 ounces almond meal
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon dried lavender flowers, ground
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 large egg, at room temperature
4 ½ ounces sour cream, at room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces sugar
3 ounces light brown sugar
3 large peaches, peeled, pitted, and diced

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Butter a 9×3-inch round cheesecake pan, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Whisk together the flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, lavender, and salt. Whisk together the egg, sour cream, and vanilla.

In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar on high for 3 to 4 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg mixture until thoroughly combined. Add the flour mixture and mix on low until just combined, stopping the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Do not overmix. Transfer to the cake pan and spread evenly. Spread the peaches evenly over the batter, pressing them in slightly. Bake for about 1 hour and 25 minutes, or until the edges of the cake start to shrink away from the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and finish cooling completely. Cut into portions and serve.

Makes 1 9-inch cake, serving 8. Use a springform pan if you don't have a cheesecake pan. If the diced peaches exude any appreciable amount of juice, drain it off and whisk it into the egg mixture. Also try cinnamon, nutmeg, or tonka bean instead of lavender.

Passion Fruit-Yogurt Cake

I’ve been meaning to make a passion fruit variation of my favorite Lemon-Crème Fraîche Cake forever, and I’ve finally gotten around to it.

Now I’m having trouble deciding if I like the lemon or the passion fruit cake better. Hmm…It seems I prefer whichever one I’m eating at the moment. Which would you rather have?

Before I get to the recipe, I have to say thanks to the Knoxville News Sentinel for this fantastic review of Flavored Butters!

Passion Fruit-Yogurt Cake
Printable Recipe

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing the pan
10 ounces cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
5 large eggs, at room temperature
10 ounces sugar
6 ounces plain yogurt, at room temperature
5 ounces passion fruit puree
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter a 9×3-inch round cake pan, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.

In a mixer fitted with a whip attachment, mix the eggs and sugar on high for 4 to 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy and doubled in volume. Add the yogurt and mix on low until just combined. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the butter, then 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the passion fruit puree, and then the remaining 1/3 of the flour mixture, mixing on low for only a few seconds after each addition until just combined, and stopping the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Do not overmix. Transfer to the cake pan and spread evenly. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the edges of the cake start to shrink away from the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Invert onto a cooling rack and finish cooling completely. Dust with plenty of powdered sugar, cut into portions, and serve.

Makes 1 9-inch cake, serving 8. You will need about 10 passion fruits for this recipe. When buying passion fruits, look for fruit that's shrinkled—that's my word for shrunken and wrinkled—and trust me when I say there's no better way to describe a ripe passion fruit. To make passion fruit puree, halve the passion fruits, scoop out the flesh using a spoon, and strain it through a fine mesh sieve. You can also use frozen passion fruit puree. This cake is best the day it’s made.

Cranberry Gingerbread Upside Down Cakes

Hubby took one bite, smiled, and said, “Tastes like fall!” Exactly the reaction I was going for!

Before I get to the recipe, I’d like to take a moment to thank HuffPost Taste for featuring my Wonton Soup in their Chinese Takeout Recipes to Make at Home recipe roundup and my Steak au Poivre with Red Wine Sauce in their Classic French Recipes to Cook at Home recipe roundup.

Cranberry Gingerbread Upside Down Cakes
Printable Recipe

5 ounces (1 ¼ stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing the pan
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 ¾ cups cranberries
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 ¼ cup milk, at room temperature
¼ cup molasses

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter a jumbo 6-cup muffin pan. Spoon 1 teaspoon of the butter and then 1 tablespoon of the sugar into each muffin cup. Divide the cranberries among the muffin cups.

Whisk together the remaining ¾ cup of sugar and the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together the remaining 4 ounces of butter and the eggs, milk, and molasses in a medium bowl. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Bake for 32 to 36 minutes, or until the edges of the cakes start to shrink away from the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Invert onto a cooling rack and let cool slightly. Serve warm.

Makes 6 large individual cakes. Can also be made in a standard 12-cup muffin pan—just adjust the baking time accordingly.

Passion Fruit Cake for My Fourth Blogiversary

This month marks the fourth blogiversary of Hungry Cravings. It blows my mind that the little blog I started way back in 2008 is still going strong and now has almost 250 recipes to its name. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you, dear reader, for inspiring me and supporting me. Thank you for sharing my passion for food and cooking. I love this virtual space of mine, and I always look forward to when you visit me here. I think Hungry Cravings turning four calls for a celebration. And you know what any good celebration needs? Cake!

Passion Fruit Cake
Printable Recipe

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
9 ½ ounces all-purpose flour
4 ounces cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
13 ounces sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
10 ounces milk, at room temperature
1 recipe Swiss Buttercream
4 ounces passion fruit puree
1 recipe Passion Fruit Curd

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter 2 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Sift together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on high for 3 to 4 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time until thoroughly combined and then beat in the vanilla extract. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then ½ of the milk, then 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the remaining ½ of the milk, and then the remaining 1/3 of the flour mixture, mixing on low for only a few seconds after each addition until just combined, and stopping the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Do not overmix. Divide the batter among the cake pans. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the edges of the cakes start to shrink away from the pans and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. Invert onto cooling racks and finish cooling completely.

In a mixer fitted with a whip attachment, whip the buttercream and passion fruit puree until smooth, stopping the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Using a long serrated knife, level the tops of the cake layers. Place a dollop of the buttercream onto a 9-inch cake circle and top with one cake layer cut side down. Transfer about a quarter of the buttercream to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe a circle around the top edge of the cake layer. Spread the curd evenly on top of the cake layer inside of the circle of buttercream. The circle of buttercream will act as a dam to keep the curd from oozing out. Top with the remaining cake layer cut side down. Spread and pipe the remaining buttercream evenly over the top and sides of the cake in a decorative manner. Cut into portions and serve.

Makes 1 9-inch cake, serving 8. In addition to the passion fruits for the curd recipe, you will need 6 to 7 passion fruits to make the buttercream in this recipe. When buying passion fruits, look for fruit that's shrinkled—that's my word for shrunken and wrinkled—and trust me when I say there's no better way to describe a ripe passion fruit. To make passion fruit puree, halve the passion fruits, scoop out the flesh using a spoon, and strain it through a fine mesh sieve. Cake keeps for 2 to 3 days tightly sealed in the refrigerator.

Pink Cakes and Freeze-Dried Strawberries

My ingredient obsession of the moment: freeze-dried strawberries. Have you tried them yet? You may have had them in your breakfast cereal. They're light as a feather and seem to dissolve instantly on your tongue, and they taste like…well, imagine if you crammed an entire pint of super-ripe strawberries into your mouth along with a couple of strawberry Jolly Ranchers—that's how they taste.

Perhaps it's because strawberry season is three long months away or perhaps it's because freeze-dried strawberries really are that good, but I've been grinding them up and putting them in everything. I love how they turn buttercreams and cake batters technicolor pink. It's like when Dorothy found herself in Oz and suddenly the world was in brilliant color. But with flavor! Three quarters of an ounce of strawberry powder plus a little tinkering transformed my regular financier batter into these lovely treats.


I'm thinking of making pink angel food cake or pink yellow cake frosted with pink whipped cream next.

Strawberry-Almond Teacakes
Printable Recipe

¾ ounce freeze-dried strawberries
5 ½ ounces sugar
2 ½ ounces all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the tins
2 ½ ounces almond meal
5 ounces egg whites, at room temperature
5 ounces (1 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing the tins

Grind the freeze-dried strawberries to a fine powder in a blender, spice mill, or clean coffee grinder. Whisk together the strawberry powder, sugar, flour, and almond meal in a large bowl. Whisk in the egg whites until thoroughly combined and then whisk in the butter until thoroughly combined. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 1 to 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Butter and flour a standard 12-cup muffin pan or line with paper liners and divide the batter among the muffin cups. Bake for 24 to 26 minutes, or until golden brown and the edges of the teacakes start to shrink away from the pan. Let the teacakes cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Invert onto cooling racks and finish cooling completely.

Makes 1 dozen teacakes. Both the unbaked batter and the finished teacakes have good keeping qualities.

Huckleberry Picking

It's gotta be hard to make a living if you're a bear. Just imagine being a 250-pound black bear with nothing to eat in the summertime but huckleberries—it would take forever to get full. No wonder they do nothing but eat all day. The hubby and I went huckleberry picking for the first time ever last Sunday, and we gave up in less than three hours. We were hot and tired, our backs hurt, we were covered in bug bites, and all we had to show for our labors was barely a pound and a quarter of berries. If we were bears, we would be poor, skinny bears indeed.


But seriously, our trip to the Sawtooth Berry Fields, in the Indian Heaven Wilderness in the shadow of Mt. Adams, was fantastic, and I must say our haul of wild huckleberries has inspired me to get baking! Huckleberries may be tiny, but they pack a ton of flavor. And since they aren't particularly juicy, they don't sog out baked goods. They're everything a blueberry wishes it could be. I'd only ever had them once or twice before, but now that I know, I'm using huckleberries wherever blueberries are called for—huckleberry muffins, huckleberry pancakes, huckleberry waffles…you get the idea. I'm actually thinking that the huckleberry may be the one berry best suited to baking. Hmmm, better to test that hypothesis…


Huckleberry Teacake
Printable Recipe

5 ounces (1 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
9 ounces cake flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
10 ounces sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 ounces sour cream, at room temperature
6 ounces huckleberries
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter a 9×3-inch round cheesecake pan, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on high for 3 to 4 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time until thoroughly combined and then beat in the vanilla extract. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then ½ of the sour cream, then 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the remaining ½ of the sour cream, and then the remaining 1/3 of the flour mixture, mixing on low for only a few seconds after each addition until just combined, and stopping the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Gently fold in the huckleberries. Do not overmix. Transfer to the cake pan and spread evenly. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the edges of the cake start to shrink away from the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and finish cooling completely. Dust with plenty of powdered sugar, cut into portions, and serve.

Makes 1 9-inch cake, serving 8. Huckleberries have a short summer season. Small blueberries make a fine substitute if huckleberries are unavailable. If you can get your hands on it, use Tahitian vanilla, which has a uniquely floral character. Use a springform pan if you don't have a cheesecake pan.

Financiers

Financiers are said to resemble a bar of gold, and they are so good, they're certainly worth their weight in the precious metal…


These little French cakelettes are crisp around the edges and moist and tender within. They are as rich as their name implies, full of almonds and brown butter. Though they need no embellishment, financiers take well to whatever fruit is in season, be it berry, stone fruit, apple, pear, or citrus. Sometimes they masquerade as hazelnut or pistachio flavored. And on occasion, chocolate flavored. Both the unbaked batter and the finished cakes have good keeping qualities. Best of all, financiers are effortless and take mere minutes to whip up. My favorite cake of the moment.

Yesterday, I harvested all of the Italian prune plums from the little tree in our garden and promptly baked a batch.


Plum Financiers
Printable Recipe

5 ounces (1 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter, diced, plus more for greasing the tins
5 ½ ounces sugar
2 ½ ounces all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the tins
2 ½ ounces almond meal
5 ounces egg whites, at room temperature
3 Italian prune plums, halved, pitted, and thinly sliced

Heat a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat until very hot but not smoking. Add the butter and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 to 6 minutes, or until browned. Transfer the butter to a bowl and let cool.

Whisk together the sugar, flour, and almond meal in a large bowl. Whisk in the egg whites until thoroughly combined and then whisk in the butter until thoroughly combined. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 1 to 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Butter and flour 12 financier tins and divide the batter among them. Fan out the plum slices atop the batter in each financier tin. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until golden brown and the edges of the financiers start to shrink away from the tins. Let the financiers cool in the tins for about 10 minutes. Invert onto cooling racks and finish cooling completely.

Makes 1 dozen financiers. If you do not have traditional rectangular financier tins, use a muffin pan and adjust the baking time accordingly. The brown butter should be cooled but still melted when you mix the financier batter.

Chocolate Chiffon Cake

Need I say more? Probably not, but what the heck…

It calls for ingredients you probably already have on hand. It's an excuse to get out that dusty angel food cake pan. It's a cinch to whip up. It's as light as a cloud. It's pretty guilt free as far as cake goes. Oh, and did I mention it's cake?

Bake it. You know you want to.

But before I get to the recipe, a few announcements…

Check out Cooking Mistake 4: Being Afraid of Heat (on page 62) of "10 Common Cooking Mistakes…And How to Avoid Them" in the April/May issue of Clean Eating magazine for a quote from yours truly.

And if you just can't get enough of me *ahem* watch me talk about healthy cooking and Seared to Perfection in this ALX Fitness video.

Finally, registration for spring Clark College cooking classes opened recently, and there's still time to sign up for my French Bistro Favorites, Seafood Primer: Baking & Sautéing, and Seafood Primer: Searing & Frying classes. Current class listings can always be found in the Cooking Classes, Book Signings & Appearances sidebar on the right.

Chocolate Chiffon Cake
Printable Recipe

1 1/3 cups cake flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
10 room temperature large eggs, separated
1 cup water
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, ½ cup of the sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, water, oil, and vanilla. Add the yolk mixture to the cocoa mixture and whisk until smooth.

In a mixer fitted with a whip attachment, whip the egg whites on medium until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and whip to soft peaks. With the motor running on high, gradually add the remaining ½ cup of sugar. Continue to whip on high to stiff peaks. Stir 1/3 of the egg whites into the cocoa mixture, then fold in the remaining egg whites. Transfer to an ungreased 10-inch loose-bottom tube pan and run a skewer through the batter to eliminate air pockets. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the center of the cake springs back when pressed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Invert the pan and let the cake cool in the pan to room temperature. Run a paring knife around the inside of the cake pan and remove the sides of the pan from the cake. Run the knife around the center tube and the base of the pan and remove the base from the cake. Transfer the cake to a cake plate and dust with plenty of powdered sugar. Cut into portions and serve.

Makes 1 10-inch cake, serving 8 to 10. Tube pans are often referred to as angel food cake pans. If you happen to have one that's smaller than what's specified here, go ahead and use it but only fill it ¾ full. You can bake any excess batter in a muffin pan lined with paper liners. A hot-out-of-the-oven chiffon cake is extremely delicate and will collapse under its own weight, so it must be cooled upside down in its pan. Some tube pans feature feet on the rim to allow for easy inversion and room for air to circulate all around the cake as it cools. A tube pan without feet can be inverted over the top of a narrow-necked bottle. Cake keeps well and stays moist for several days tightly sealed at room temperature.

Italian Prune Plums

One of the delights of summer. Italian prune plums are, I dare say, superior to all other plums. The small egg-shaped fruit has blue to purple bloom-covered skin and amber flesh that separates easily from the pit. Compared to other plums, the flesh is sweeter and less juicy, and the skin isn't nearly as sour. They're great for eating fresh and also perfect for baking. And fear not—fresh Italian prune plums bear no resemblance to dried.

It seemed natural to pair our Italian plums, from the little tree in our garden, with some fruity olive oil we brought back from Italy.


Plum Honey-Olive Oil Cake
Printable Recipe

Unsalted butter, for greasing the pan
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 large eggs
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
½ cup honey, preferably orange blossom honey
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup milk
8 Italian prune plums, halved and pitted

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar for 2 to 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Whisk in the honey until thoroughly combined and then whisk in the olive oil and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then ½ of the milk, then 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the remaining ½ of the milk, and then the remaining 1/3 of the flour mixture, whisking for only a few seconds after each addition until just combined. Do not overmix. Transfer to the cake pan and arrange the plums cut side down over the batter. Bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until the edges of the cake start to shrink away from the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Run a paring knife around the inside of the cake pan, invert onto a cooling rack, and finish cooling completely. Cut into portions and serve.

Makes 1 9-inch cake, serving 8. The honey in the batter will cause the cake to brown quickly. The batter is relatively thin, and the plums will fall to the bottom of the cake as it bakes, so the cake is most attractive served upside down. This cake is effortless to whip up and yet loaded with flavor. It stays moist longer than most and may be even better the day after it's baked.

Cherry Time!

For those of you who wanted to take your Rx but didn't have a chance to get it filled…


Here, take one of my doses.


But be careful—it's very addictive.


Side effects may include drowsiness, sweating, red discoloration of the tongue, a feeling of well-being…


And Cherry-Almond Coffee Cake.


Cherry-Almond Coffee Cake
Printable Recipe

7 ounces (1 ¾ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
11 ¼ ounces cake flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
7 ½ ounces light brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
2 ounces sliced almonds
6 ounces sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
8 ounces sour cream, at room temperature
¾ pound cherries, pitted

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter a 9×3-inch round cheesecake pan, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Sift together 9 ounces of the flour and the baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Whisk together 3 ½ ounces of the brown sugar, the remaining 2 ¼ ounces flour, and the cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add 2 ounces of the butter and, using your fingertips, rub in the butter until the mixture holds together in clumps. Toss in the almonds.

In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the remaining 5 ounces butter, sugar, and remaining 4 ounces brown sugar on high for 3 to 4 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time until thoroughly combined and then beat in the vanilla and almond extract. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then ½ of the sour cream, then 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the remaining ½ of the sour cream, and then the remaining 1/3 of the flour mixture, mixing on low for only a few seconds after each addition until just combined, and stopping the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Do not overmix. Transfer to the cake pan and spread evenly. Spread the cherries evenly over the batter and then spread the almond mixture evenly over the cherry layer. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the edges of the cake start to shrink away from the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and finish cooling completely. Cut into portions and serve.

Makes 1 9-inch cake, serving 8. Use a springform pan if you don't have a cheesecake pan.

Cupcakes Versus Muffins

Do you know the difference between cupcakes and muffins? Well, it has to do with the mixing method. Cakes are made by the creaming method, and muffins are made by the unsurprisingly named muffin method. In the cake method, the butter and sugar are creamed together until light and fluffy, then the eggs are slowly mixed in, and finally the dry and wet ingredients are incorporated. In the simpler muffin method, the dry ingredients are combined, the wet ingredients are combined, and then the wet and dry ingredients are briefly mixed together. The cake method, while more time consuming, typically produces sweeter, lighter, and more tender results.

So technically, these cupcakes are actually muffins. But, since they’re so moist and tender, and since they’re frosted, I’m calling them cupcakes. So there.

Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Printable Recipe

Nonstick pan spray, optional
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
3 very ripe bananas
2 large eggs, at room temperature
¼ cup sour cream, at room temperature
3 ounces (¾ stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus 4 ounces (1 stick), at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped or ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease a standard 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick pan spray or line with paper liners. Whisk together the flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Peel the bananas and, in a medium bowl, mash them using a fork. Stir in the eggs, sour cream, melted butter, and ½ teaspoon of the vanilla. Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, or until the edges of the cupcakes start to shrink away from the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Invert onto a cooling rack and finish cooling completely.

Place the chocolate into a small bowl, place the bowl over a small pan of simmering water, and heat, stirring frequently, until melted. Let cool slightly. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and room temperature butter on medium until light and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and the remaining ½ teaspoon vanilla and beat until blended. Add the chocolate and continue to beat until smooth, stopping the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip and pipe onto the cupcakes in a decorative manner.

Makes 12 cupcakes. If you don’t have a pastry bag, simply spread the frosting on the cupcakes, swirling decoratively, with a spatula. Cupcakes keep for 2 to 3 days in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dry place.

My First Citron and My Two-Hundredth Post!

Wow. Would you believe that I started this whole thing on a whim? Well, it’s true—it was something to keep my mind occupied in the middle of one sleepless night. And now I’m at 200 posts and over 150 recipes. Just wow. I still love every moment I spend in the kitchen and every moment I spend here with you, dear reader, so thank you for joining me on my cooking adventures.

If you’ve been following along, you probably know by now that I’m absolutely obsessed with citrus fruit. I figured that on this milestone which just happens to fall in the middle of citrus season, I would treat myself to yet another unusual citrus variety, the Etrog citron. Many times before had I pined over the pricey citron, turning the fruit over and over in my hands, inhaling its sweet perfume, but this was the first time I gave in and brought one home with me.


The Etrog citron is a rather curious football-shaped fruit, larger than a lemon but smaller than a grapefruit. It has pebbled yellow skin, ridges at the stem end, a voluptuous nipple at the blossom end, and its aroma is strong enough to fill an entire room. Sliced open, the Etrog citron reveals a small center of seedy flesh with tough membranes. Most of the fruit is white pith.


It is for the fragrant rind that the citron is so prized. Raw, the rind is almost as crisp as an apple and tastes surprisingly sweet without a trace of bitterness. Thin slices would make a refreshing addition to a salad. Most often the peel is preserved in sugar, and, lacking any better ideas, I candied mine.


The juice of the citron seems to be even sourer than that of a lemon. My Etrog gave up but a single tablespoon.

Next, I will try to get my hands on a Buddha’s Hand citron. When I do, you can be sure I’ll tell you all about that too. In the meantime, can I offer you a slice of my Pound Cake with Candied Citron?


Pound Cake with Candied Citron
Printable Recipe

1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pans
1 pound all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 to 8 ounces candied (but not coated in sugar) citron peel, diced
1 pound sugar
8 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ ounces powdered sugar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed citron juice

Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Butter 2 8 ½×4 ½×3-inch loaf pans and line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Toss in the citron peel.

In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on high for 5 to 6 minutes, or until very light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs two at a time until thoroughly combined and then beat in the vanilla extract. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture at a time, mixing on low for only a few seconds after each addition until just combined, and stopping the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Do not overmix. Divide the batter among the loaf pans. Bake for about an hour and 25 minutes, or until the edges of the cakes start to shrink away from the pans and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 15 minutes. Transfer to cooling racks and finish cooling completely.

Whisk together the powdered sugar and citron juice and drizzle over the cakes.

Makes 2 large loaves, each serving 6 to 8. If you have it, add a tablespoon of grated citron zest along with the candied peel. Use Meyer lemons if citron is unavailable.

Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes for Valentine's Day

They’re perfect for Valentine’s Day. Actually, they’re just plain perfect. Chocolaty, hot, and over-the-top indulgent, these Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes ooze (pun intended) sex appeal. The only trouble is, they’re so luscious you may not want to share, not even with your sweetheart.

At one time, chocolate cakes with a molten center were all the rage on restaurant menus. But they never go out of style—they’re like the little black dress of the dessert world. And now that I think about it, I’m noticing another trend: Valentine’s Day inevitably makes me think of warm, melty chocolate—just check out this Chocolate Fondue for Two with Strawberries.

So happy Valentine’s Day everybody! And even if you don’t do Valentine’s Day, you’ve gotta try these cakes!

Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes
Printable Recipe

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
6 ounces (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, diced, plus more for greasing the ramekins
¾ ounce cornstarch
10 ounces sugar
4 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Generously butter 8 large ramekins. Combine the semisweet chocolate, unsweetened chocolate, and butter in a medium bowl, place the bowl over a small pan of simmering water, and heat, stirring frequently, until melted. Whisk together the cornstarch and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk in the chocolate mixture. Add the eggs, yolks, and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Divide among the ramekins and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours, or until thoroughly chilled.

Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Bake the cakes for 24 to 26 minutes, or until the tops dome and just set. Let cool for about 5 minutes and serve as is, or to unmold, using pot holders, carefully invert each ramekin onto a dessert plate.

Makes 8 individual cakes. One of the most decadent chocolate desserts ever, and also one of the easiest to make. As the cakes bake, the edges will rise. As soon as the dimple in the center of each cake puffs up and sets, they’re ready. Leave the cakes in the oven any longer, and the centers will bake through and no longer be molten. Batter may be prepared and portioned into ramekins several days in advance and kept covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator. Bake just before serving. This means you can conveniently bake a couple of cakes at a time and save the rest for another day. Serve with vanilla ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Cobweb Cupcakes

Halloween is just around the corner! Here’s the perfect treat for the spooky season…hope you’re not afraid of spiders!


Pumpkin Cobweb Cupcakes
Printable Recipe

3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons salt
6 ounces (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 2/3 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
15 ounces pumpkin puree
2/3 cup water
½ cup heavy cream
1 ounce white chocolate, chopped or 2 tablespoons white chocolate chips
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped or ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line 2 standard 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, cloves, baking powder, and salt.

In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on high for 3 to 4 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time until thoroughly combined. Blend together the pumpkin puree and water in a medium bowl. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then ½ of the pumpkin mixture, then 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the remaining ½ of the pumpkin mixture, and then the remaining 1/3 of the flour mixture, mixing on low for only a few seconds after each addition until just combined, and stopping the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Do not overmix. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the edges of the cupcakes start to shrink away from the pans and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. Invert onto cooling racks and finish cooling completely.

Bring the cream to a bare simmer in a small, heavy saucepan. Place the white chocolate into a small bowl and the semisweet chocolate into a medium bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the hot cream to the white chocolate and whisk until smooth. Add the remaining hot cream to the semisweet chocolate and whisk until smooth. Let cool until thickened slightly.

Dip the top of a cupcake into the semisweet chocolate ganache and, while still holding it upside down over the bowl, give the cupcake a few abrupt shakes so that any excess ganache drips off. Transfer the white chocolate ganache to a paper cone and pipe a swirl pattern over the semisweet ganache on the cupcake. To complete the web design, draw the tip of a toothpick through the ganache from the center to the edge of the cupcake 8 or 9 times, wiping off the tip of the toothpick between each swipe, in a pattern of evenly spaced radiating lines. Glaze the remaining cupcakes with the remaining ganache in the same manner.


Makes 24 cupcakes. Cupcakes keep for 2 to 3 days in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dry place. Leftover ganache will keep for a week tightly sealed in the refrigerator. Reheat it gently using the microwave or a double boiler and serve it as a sauce or use it to make hot chocolate or mochas.

The Quince

Like Rubens’ female form,
Ample and voluptuous, with softest skin,
So beautiful to behold.


Quince Spice Cake
Printable Recipe

1 ½ cups water
1 ¾ cups sugar
½ vanilla bean
2 quinces
Nonstick pan spray
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup sour cream, at room temperature

Combine the water and 1 ½ cups of the sugar in a small pot. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and add both the pod and the seeds to the pot. Heat until the sugar dissolves. Peel, quarter, and core the quinces. Add the quinces to the pot and drape them with a piece of cheesecloth. Bring to a boil and simmer for about half an hour, or until tender. Using a slotted spoon, remove the quinces to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving the poaching syrup for another use, and let cool.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease 4 6×3 ¼×2 ¼-inch loaf pans with nonstick pan spray and line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and remaining ¼ cup of sugar on high for 3 to 4 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time until thoroughly combined and then beat in the vanilla extract. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then ½ of the sour cream, then 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the remaining ½ of the sour cream, and then the remaining 1/3 of the flour mixture, mixing on low for only a few seconds after each addition until just combined, and stopping the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Do not overmix. Divide the batter among the loaf pans. Slice the quinces thinly and fan out the slices atop the batter in each loaf pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the edges of the cakes start to shrink away from the pans and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. Transfer to cooling racks and finish cooling completely.


Makes 4 small loaves, serving 8. With these aromatic and moist cakes, which were inspired by the first harvest from the small quince tree in our garden, I welcome fall.


If you don’t happen to have your own quince tree, quinces can be a bit hard to find, but they’re delicious and definitely worth the effort. Look for them at well-stocked gourmet markets. When ripe, quinces are very firm with fuzz-covered golden skin and an intense perfume like that of pineapples and lemons combined. Quinces must be cooked before eating, as they are too astringent to eat raw. Try these cakes with either apples or pears if quinces are unavailable. Buttermilk may be substituted for the sour cream, and a 9-inch square cake pan can be used instead of the loaf pans.

Intrigued by Tonka Beans and a Giveaway

Have you ever heard of tonka beans? I read about them on Cannelle et Vanille, Tartelette, La Tartine Gourmand, and Dessert First, some of my favorite food blogs. They said that tonka beans smell and taste like a mix of almond, vanilla, and clove. Let’s just say that I was more than a little bit intrigued.

So, you know me, I decided I had to get my hands on some and try them for myself. I started poking around and immediately discovered that, while tonka beans are legal and even quite fashionable to use in desserts in France and other parts of Europe, they have been banned in the U.S. from use in food. Yeah, I’m sure we know something that the Europeans don’t. Anyway, I read up about the little tonka bean and figured that anything will kill you if you eat enough of it.

I boldly continued my search and found that tonka beans are readily available on the internet, just ask Google. I hit the jackpot at an obscure local herb shop. The owner said that he stocked the tonka beans to sell to a lady who uses them for voodoo. Not for food use, so I guess that makes it OK.

I can’t tell you how exciting it was to finally score some illicit tonka beans. The smell hit me even before I even opened the bag—it’s no wonder the scientific name is odorata. Their fragrance made me flash back to eating apricots and peaches as a little girl. I remembered being at my Baba and Deda’s house and eating the sweet, juicy flesh and then the bitter kernel from inside the pit.


It’s that same bitter almond quality…


Funny how a certain smell or food can make you feel someone’s presence again…

The memory of eating apricot kernels is what inspired me to pair tonka beans and fresh apricots together in these cakelettes.


It was a happy marriage, and even my husband, who hates almonds (crazy, I know), loved it.

I would love to do a giveaway to share my tonka beans with you, but I figure I shouldn’t stray that far to the wrong side of the law. Instead, I’ll be giving away a set of 6 mini brioche tins, just like the ones I used to make these cakelettes, to one lucky reader. All you have to do to enter the giveaway is leave a comment between now and Sunday, July 5 telling me if you are willing to consume tonka beans or not. One winner will be chosen at random from the commenters (so don’t sign in anonymously!). Good luck! I will announce the winner on Monday, July 6, so be sure to stop by to see if you’ve won.


Apricot-Tonka Bean Cakelettes
Printable Recipe

5 ounces (1 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pans
All-purpose flour, for dusting the pans
9 ounces cake flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon freshly grated tonka bean
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
10 ounces sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces crème fraîche, at room temperature
12 apricots, peeled, halved, and pitted

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter and flour 2 standard 12-cup muffin pans or 24 3 ¼-inch brioche tins. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, tonka bean, and salt.

In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on high for 3 to 4 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time until thoroughly combined and then beat in the vanilla extract. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then ½ of the crème fraîche, then 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the remaining ½ of the crème fraîche, and then the remaining 1/3 of the flour mixture, mixing on low for only a few seconds after each addition until just combined, and stopping the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Do not overmix. Divide the batter among the muffin cups or brioche tins. Press 1 apricot half cut side down into the center of each one. Bake for 22 to 24 minutes, or until the edges of the cakelettes start to shrink away from the pans and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cakelette comes out clean. Let the cakelettes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. Invert onto cooling racks and finish cooling completely.

Makes 24 cakelettes. You can substitute a few drops of almond extract and a pinch of ground cloves for the tonka bean. If you are using muffin pans, feel free to use paper liners instead of greasing and flouring them.

First Blogiversary!

I can hardly believe it! It seems like just yesterday that I started serving up my cooking here at Hungry Cravings, but it’s already been a whole year. A whole year! And nearly 100 recipes! It makes my head spin just to think about it! Nearly 100 recipes (95 to be exact) may sound like a lot, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg, really. I have so many more recipe ideas—they’re swirling through my head constantly, keeping me up at night—that I’d like to share with you, dear reader, and I’m writing, writing away just as fast as I can. So thank you for reading about my little kitchen adventures, thank you for inspiring, supporting, and encouraging me along the way, and thank you for taking the time to leave me your comments. Please stay tuned for more! In the meantime, I feel like celebrating, I baked you a cupcake!


Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream
Printable Recipe

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Seeds of 1 vanilla bean
1 ¾ cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups milk, at room temperature
1 recipe chocolate Swiss Buttercream

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line 2 standard 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners. Sift together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter, vanilla bean seeds, and sugar on high for 3 to 4 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time until thoroughly combined and then beat in the vanilla extract. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then ½ of the milk, then 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the remaining ½ of the milk, and then the remaining 1/3 of the flour mixture, mixing on low for only a few seconds after each addition until just combined, and stopping the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Do not overmix. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until the edges of the cupcakes start to shrink away from the pans and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. Invert onto cooling racks and finish cooling completely.

Transfer the buttercream to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe onto the cupcakes in a decorative manner.

Makes 24 cupcakes. If you don’t have a pastry bag, simply spread the buttercream on the cupcakes, swirling decoratively, with a spatula. Cupcakes keep for 2 to 3 days in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dry place.

Lemon-Crème Fraîche Cake

My favorite cake is this Lemon-Crème Fraîche Cake. (Well, to be completely honest, my favorite cake is whatever cake I happen to be eating at the moment, but never mind that.) This particular Lemon-Crème Fraîche Cake is perfection. It’s light as a feather and fluffy as a cloud. It’s incredibly moist and incredibly tender and not too sweet. And it really tastes like the name promises—the flavors of lemon and crème fraîche shine through. It fulfills all of my cake fantasies in every way.


This perfect Lemon-Crème Fraîche Cake originally came from the Pearl Bakery in Portland. I first encountered it there years ago. I remember how, as I was checking out the beautiful array of goodies behind the counter, the plain-looking cake caught my eye. It was already missing a slice so I could see the crumb. I ordered it on the spot. With no hesitation. Now, I’m not usually a decisive person when it comes to ordering in a bakery. I take my time considering the selection of pastries, I debate croissant versus Danish, and I pay no attention to the line forming behind me. But on that one day I knew exactly what I wanted—this cake was calling, no, screaming my name.


I was so smitten with the Lemon-Crème Fraîche Cake that I had to ask the bakery’s pastry chef at the time for the recipe. She graciously shared it, though the directions were a bit sketchy. I’m so thankful that she did because I haven’t seen my favorite cake at the bakery in a long time. Whether they’re all sold out by the time I get there or whether they’ve completely lost their minds and discontinued it, who knows? And with the recipe, who cares?

Lemon-Crème Fraîche Cake
Printable Recipe

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing the pan
10 ounces cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
Grated zest of 1 lemon
5 large eggs, at room temperature
11 ounces sugar
¾ cup crème fraîche, at room temperature
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter a 9×3-inch round cake pan, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir the lemon zest into the flour mixture.

In a mixer fitted with a whip attachment, mix the eggs and sugar on high for 4 to 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy and doubled in volume. Add the crème fraîche and mix on low until just combined. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the butter, then 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the lemon juice, and then the remaining 1/3 of the flour mixture, mixing on low for only a few seconds after each addition until just combined, and stopping the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Do not overmix. Transfer to the cake pan and spread evenly. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the edges of the cake start to shrink away from the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Invert onto a cooling rack and finish cooling completely. Dust with plenty of powdered sugar, cut into portions, and serve.

Makes 1 9-inch cake, serving 8. This cake is best the day it’s made. Definitely try the recipe with Meyer lemons when they’re in season. And if you don’t have crème fraîche, you can substitute sour cream.