Category: Cake

Pumpkin Angel Food Mini Bundt Cakes

Pumpkin angel food?! That’s probably not what you’d expect when you think of angel food cake or pumpkin, but this recipe is actually a very tasty combo. 

Of course, pumpkin-based desserts are a traditional fall dessert, so I am sure that you will be surprised that I am posting this pumpkin angel food cake recipe in April. It seems I have some pumpkin puree that’s in the freezer just waiting to be used before we get too far into the spring and summer season.

Brion has always loved angel food, so I thought why not add the pumpkin puree to kick it up a notch. Pairing it with the right fruits can also enhance its flavors. Instead of frosting or a whipped topping I am making some caramelized apples and raisins spiced with anise and cardamom.

  • Anise has a distinct licorice-like flavor. It adds depth and enhances the overall aromatic profile of the compote.
  • Cardamom is a fragrant spice with citrusy and herbal notes. It adds warmth and sophistication and complements pumpkin beautifully.

For a cake that’s quite sweet, some salted pepita seeds sprinkled on top are a bit of necessary and delicious balance.

Simply put, it’s an easy cake mix recipe dressed up with warm spices and pumpkin purée served with caramelized apples, raisins and salted pepita seeds. Yum!

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 Pumpkin Angel Food Mini Bundt Cakes
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Course dessert
Keyword pumpkin angel food mini bundt cakes
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MINI BUNDT CAKES
Ingredients
Pumpkin Angel Food Mini Bundt Cakes
Caramelized Apples & Raisins
Course dessert
Keyword pumpkin angel food mini bundt cakes
Servings
MINI BUNDT CAKES
Ingredients
Pumpkin Angel Food Mini Bundt Cakes
Caramelized Apples & Raisins
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Instructions
Cake
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. In a large mixing bowl combine everything except the Angel Food Cake mix and ingredients to prepare cake. Mix until combined. Set aside.
  3. In a different bowl combine the Angel Food Cake mix and ingredients required to make the cake. Carefully fold in 1/4 of the batter into the pumpkin mixture. Then gently fold in the rest of the batter.
  4. Carefully pour or spoon into an 24 ungreased mini bunt cake pans. Place pans in oven on the middle rack.
  5. Bake for 15 -20 minutes or until cake is golden brown and springs back. Immediately invert pans onto a wire rack.
  6. Cool for 10 minutes.
  7. Serve with caramelized apples & raisins & a dollop of whipped topping. Sprinkle with salted pepita seeds.
Apples & Raisin Compote
  1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter then add water & sugar. When the caramel is golden brown, add the raisins, swirling them into the caramel.
  2. When raisins begin to plump, add apples & orange zest, then sprinkle with spices. Lower heat & simmer 5-10 minutes to thicken.
  3. Do not overcook compote as it will thicken when cooled.

Spice Balls w/ Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Frosting

The weather is cooling, and fall baking fills the air with the warm aromas of cinnamon and pumpkin spice. Spice cake recipes from turn-of-the-century cookbooks call for early forms of baking soda, which require an acid and the presence of heat to create a reaction that generates carbon dioxide bubbles. Tomato soup being acidic, provides the acid to make that reaction occur, the same way applesauce does. These spice cake balls are using both applesauce and tomato soup, making them super moist and full of flavor.

Who knew that a can of tomato soup could be turned into a cake? Condensed tomato soup appeared in stores in the late 1890s, and recipes for tomato soup cake began appearing in cookbooks in the late 1920s, early 1930s. This cake gained popularity likely in response to the depression, since the original recipe didn’t contain eggs or milk, which were in short supply during that time. Canned goods were an important staple during the depression, and like mayonnaise, the soup serves to bring moisture and bind the cake together. While it does not leave a tomato flavor in the cake, it does give the cake a lovely reddish color.

The Campbell Soup Company didn’t actually produce a recipe until 1940 and by 1960 it was featured on a Campbell’s soup label, making it the first recipe ever to appear on a soup can.

Tomato soup cake has moved beyond its humble origins. It is truly a recipe for all ages and for all seasons, a recipe that has been revised and modified to suit changing needs and tastes, a recipe that has stood and triumphed over the test of time. Around 1966, a cream cheese–frosted version surfaced, which remains the most popular version to this day.

The pumpkin spice cream cheese frosting is truly the ‘icing on the cake‘.

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 Spice Cupcakes w/ Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting
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Course dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword spice balls w/ pumpkin spice cream cheese frosting
Servings
OR 12 CUPCAKES
Ingredients
Spice Cake
Cream Cheese Frosting, Divided
Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Frosting
Course dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword spice balls w/ pumpkin spice cream cheese frosting
Servings
OR 12 CUPCAKES
Ingredients
Spice Cake
Cream Cheese Frosting, Divided
Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Frosting
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Instructions
Spice Cake Balls
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. If you are using cake pop pans it is not necessary to grease them. If you are using muffin cups, line with paper cups.
  2. In a large bowl, cream sugar & butter. Mix in applesauce & tomato soup.
  3. In another bowl, whisk together flour, spices, baking powder & baking soda.
  4. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients along with walnuts or pepitas. Fold together, mixing lightly. Do not overmix batter.
  5. Bake about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cream Cheese Frosting
  1. Place cream cheese in a bowl & beat with mixer until smooth. Slowly add powdered sugar, vanilla & salt. Combine well.
  2. For Pumpkin Spice Frosting: Divide cream cheese mixture (from recipe above) in half. To one half of the mixture add the pumpkin pie spice.
  3. In a piping bag, fitted with a star piping tip, place the white cream cheese frosting on one side & the pumpkin spice frosting on the other side of the bag, Pipe a swirl over each 'spice cake pop'. Decorate with some whole pepitas if desired.

Apricot Couscous Cupcakes

Want an unusual dessert? Try swapping out some of the flour for couscous in a cupcake batter. You’ll be amazed at the result.

A major complaint about couscous sometimes is the lack of flavor but this is where having it as dessert comes in handy. Incorporating apricot puree and spices into the couscous batter gives the cupcakes an amazing flavor and texture.

Couscous, the justly celebrated masterpiece of Moroccan cooking, is actually a pasta, though it`s often mistaken for a grain.

Couscous (pronounced ‘koos-koos‘) is now widely available in packaged form in most supermarkets. Couscous are the yellow granules of semolina made from durum wheat. Durum is the hardest variety of the six classes of wheat and has the highest protein content of all wheat. Because of this, it’s ideal for making high quality pasta and is used by both American and Italian manufacturers. It’s also used to make couscous in America and Latin America. If these pastas were made of the softer white wheat flour that egg noodles use, they would lose their shape.

There are three types of couscous:

  • Moroccan couscous -Fine, used for savory as well as dessert couscous.
  • Israeli couscous – Medium, used for savory dishes also called pearl couscous.
  • Lebanese couscous – Coarse, more difficult to work with, used for savory dishes.

Adding some cream cheese frosting topped with apricot puree and sprinkled with couscous rolled in cinnamon takes this dessert to the next level!

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 Apricot Couscous Cupcakes
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Course dessert
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Keyword apricot couscous cupcakes
Servings
Ingredients
Couscous
Apricot Puree
Cupcakes
Frosting
Topping
Course dessert
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Keyword apricot couscous cupcakes
Servings
Ingredients
Couscous
Apricot Puree
Cupcakes
Frosting
Topping
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Instructions
Couscous
  1. In a saucepan, bring 1 cup water & 1/2 tsp salt to boiling. Add couscous, cover & remove from heat. Allow to sit 5 minutes then fluff with a fork & set aside to cool.
Apricot Puree
  1. Place water, sugar & apricots in a saucepan. Bring to a boil & simmer until soft. Place in a food processor & pulse to make a puree.
Cupcakes
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
  2. In a small bowl, combine 2 cups cooled couscous (reserve a small amount for topping), flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices & salt; set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, cream butter & sugar. Add 1 cup apricot puree & whip until light & fluffy. Add vanilla & egg yolks; whip well.
  4. Gradually add couscous mixture then buttermilk & combine only until blended. Whip egg whites until frothy, adding a pinch of salt. Using a spatula, blend egg whites into the batter.
  5. Bake 12-15 minutes or until testing with a toothpick & it comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
  1. Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese & butter until completely smooth, about 3 minutes on medium speed. Scrape down sides to ensure that the mixture is mixed evenly.
  2. On low speed, slowly add in powdered sugar. Once combined, scrape down sides of bowl & increase the speed to medium, beating just until well combined & creamy.
Decorating
  1. Place cream cheese topping in a piping bag with a star tip. Pipe a swirl of frosting on top of each cupcake. With another smaller piping bag, using a round tip, drizzle apricot puree then sprinkle with cinnamon coated (cooked) couscous.

French Silk Angel Food Cupcakes

BIRTHDAY WISHES!

Angel food cake has always been one of Brion’s favorite desserts. I’m not sure why but it is and since we are celebrating his birthday today, I’m pulling out all the stops and making a French Silk Angel Food Cupcakes!

With its featherlight crumb, gleaming white hue, and fat-free formula, angel food cakes are a perfect canvas for fresh summer fruit and a little whipped cream. It’s just that, while angel food cake with fruit and cream is a quick dessert, it’s not exactly an impressive one.

If you chose to take the angel food cake in a celebratory (say, birthday) direction, it can be stunning.

Fill It: turn your angel food cake into a faux Boston Cream Cake with some custard and chocolate ganache.

Slice It: in horizontal layers, spread some lemon curd between the pieces and replace the top. 

Layer It: cut the cake in half, making two layers. Slather banana pudding on top of the bottom layer and top the pudding with banana slices. Place the top cake layer over the bananas and drizzle the whole cake with a thick layer of caramel sauce.

Grill It: using balsamic butter, along with fresh strawberries, create a unique dessert. Serve with ice cream for the perfect end to any backyard barbecue.

Frost It: with some ultra-smooth and creamy French silk mousse (the smooth chocolate mousse sort of resembles the softness of silk). Add some fresh strawberries and you have party food!

As we grow older, it comes clearer everyday, what a special privilege it is to simply have each other to share life with. The little everyday things seem to take on a much greater importance. Maybe its the state of our world at this time that has made it very clear not to take anything for granted. Throughout our married life Brion has always gone above and beyond to look after us. I am grateful to have the privilege of such a loving and caring husband.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRION, WITH LOVE!

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 French Silk Angel Food Cupcakes
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Course dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword French silk angel food
Servings
CUPCAKES
Ingredients
Cupcakes
French Silk Mousse
Course dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword French silk angel food
Servings
CUPCAKES
Ingredients
Cupcakes
French Silk Mousse
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Cupcakes
  1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Place paper or foil baking cups in 30 -36 regular sized muffin cups.
  2. Beat cake mix, cornstarch, vanilla & water in an extra large glass or metal bowl on low speed for 30 seconds then beat on medium speed for another 3 minutes. Fill cups 2/3-3/4 full of batter.
  3. Bake 12 - 20 minutes or until golden brown & cracks feel dry. Remove from oven & cool completely.
Mousse Topping
  1. Melt chocolate in a large microwave safe bowl for 30 seconds, then stir, heat for 30 seconds again, then stir well, then heat in 10 second increments, stirring between each, until smooth. Allow to cool 5 minutes.
  2. Beat cream cheese in a large bowl with a hand mixer until smooth. Add chocolate & mix to combined, then mix in vanilla. Fold in the cool whip.
  3. Spoon mousse into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Make a generous swirl on top of each cupcake & decorate with some sliced strawberries. Refrigerate until served.

Crunchy Streusel Rhubarb Cupcakes

One thing that really makes muffins and coffee cakes of all types extra special good is a sweet and crunchy streusel topping. These fluffy vanilla rhubarb cupcakes are topped with a swirl of cream cheese frosting, drizzled with poached rhubarb and then sprinkled with some crunchy, spicy, baked streusel.

The simple addition of Chinese 5-spice powder makes for a delicious aromatic streusel. Five spice powder combines Chinese cinnamon with anise, cloves, ginger and fennel in a delicious balance that complements rhubarb, coaxing out more of its natural aroma. Adding pepita seeds and baking the crumble separately, creates a special crunchier topping.

The basic streusel is very versatile in that it can be customized to your personal preferences or what you have on hand. Here are a few suggestions:

  • Use 2 cups flour OR 1 cup rolled oats * 3/4 cup whole-grain flour * 3/4 cup cookie or cracker crumbs
  • Use 3/4 cup sugar OR 3/4 cup brown sugar * 1/2 cup raw sugar * 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • Use 1 cup butter OR 1 cup brown butter * 1/2 cup nut/seed butter * 1/4 cup coconut oil * 1/4 cup oil or sesame oil
  • Add-Ins .. 1 cup coconut flakes or nuts * spices & zests * 1/2 cup toasted seeds * 1/2 cup cocoa powder or wheat germ

I realize, this is a lot of steps for just a cupcake, but I think you’ll love them.

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 Crunchy Streusel Rhubarb Cupcakes
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Course dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword seeded rhubarb cupcakes
Servings
Ingredients
Sour Cream Rhubarb Cupcakes
Poached Rhubarb
Pepita 5-Spice Streusel
Ginger Cream Frosting
Course dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword seeded rhubarb cupcakes
Servings
Ingredients
Sour Cream Rhubarb Cupcakes
Poached Rhubarb
Pepita 5-Spice Streusel
Ginger Cream Frosting
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Instructions
Cupcakes
  1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Line 9 muffin cups with large paper cups.
  2. Wash rhubarb & trim ends. Cut rhubarb into a 1/4-inch dice. Set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt & cinnamon. Set aside.
  4. In another bowl, whisk together sugars, eggs, sour cream, melted butter, vanilla & orange zest. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture. Stir until the flour is fully incorporated. Do not over-mix. Fold in rhubarb. The batter will be thick. Scoop the batter into 9 muffin cups, evenly distributing batter.
  5. Bake for 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, decrease the oven temperature to 350 F. & bake for another 12 - 15 minutes or until cupcakes test done. Remove from oven & cool completely on a wire rack.
Poached Rhubarb
  1. Place rhubarb, water, sugar, food coloring (if using) & cardamom in a saucepan. Simmer very gently for about 3-5 minutes or until rhubarb is soft but NOT mushy! Put a strainer on top of a bowl. Pour mixture into strainer & put the rhubarb pieces in another dish to cool. Pour the liquid back into the saucepan & let simmer until slightly thickened, about 5-10 minutes. Pour into a bowl to let cool. Gently combine rhubarb & syrup.
Pepita 5-Spice Streusel
  1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Using a wooden spoon, stir until incorporated. Using your fingers, form fine crumbs. Spread the crumbs on a small cookie sheet and bake on a rack in the middle of the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until light golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely to room temperature. Crumble with fingers.
Frosting
  1. Beat butter until pale. Add powdered sugar & beat until smooth & pale, about 1 minute. Add softened cream cheese & ginger; beat until smooth.
Assembly
  1. Fill a piping bag fitted with a large round nozzle with frosting. Top each cupcake with a dollop of frosting then using a spoon, create a well in each dollop. Spoon a bit of poached rhubarb inside of each well. Sprinkle with pepita streusel.

German Kiwifruit Obsttorte

An Obsttorte or Obstboden is basically a German cake made with a pre-baked cake base that has a ‘lip’ to hold fresh fruits, very similar to a fruit tart, or a fruit pizza.

Obsttorte, (translates to ‘fruit cake’), is baked in a special pan called a German ‘boden’ (meaning base) or flan pan. A flan pan is round and shallow with fluted sides to give the cake a decorative outside edge. The pan has a raised bottom to give the cake a raised edge when turned out of the pan. Not only does it look pretty, but it also helps to keep the filling contained.

This simple sponge cake is often spread with a thin layer of melted chocolate or vanilla pudding (used as a moisture barrier to prevent soggy cake) and topped with a variety of fruit, such as fresh berries, kiwi, peaches, etc. The fruit is then brushed with a fruit glaze to give it a shiny finish and extra flavor.

A fresh fruit tart, like the classic French fruit tart, has a sweet pastry crust as its base. It is baked in a round tart pan with fluted sides and a flat (removable) bottom.

The tart shell is filled with a rich pastry cream made with whole milk, heavy cream, egg yolks, cold butter, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. The vanilla pastry cream is then topped with seasonal fruit and a glaze made from either apple jelly or apricot preserves.

With a fruit pizza, the base is made from a sugar cookie dough that is pressed in a large pizza pan, spread with a cream cheese frosting and topped with different kinds of fruit. Unlike the fruit flan and fruit tart, it does not have a showy, fluted edge.

The one thing that ties them all together is the beautiful abundance of fresh fruit spread out in concentric circles or other pretty patterns.

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 Kiwifruit Obsttorte
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Course dessert
Cuisine German
Keyword German kiwifruit obsttorte
Servings
Ingredients
Torte Cake
Fruit
Kiwi/Pineapple Jam / Glaze
Course dessert
Cuisine German
Keyword German kiwifruit obsttorte
Servings
Ingredients
Torte Cake
Fruit
Kiwi/Pineapple Jam / Glaze
Votes: 1
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Instructions
Cake
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray an 11-inch flan/torte pan with baking spray.
  2. In a large bowl, place flour, sugar, baking powder & eggs. Beat with an electric mixer until light & fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Gently pour batter in prepared torte pan.
  3. Bake 18 -20 minutes. Allow to cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes. Turn out onto rack & allow to cool completely before filling.
Fruit
  1. Peel & slice/wedge kiwis.
Jam
  1. If jam is not smooth, press through a sieve. Whip cream & place in refrigerator until ready to decorate torte.
Assembly
  1. Lightly spread inside bottom of torte shell with kiwi/pineapple jam. Arrange overlapping in a concentric circle over jam. Fill the center with the remaining kiwi wedges. Spoon remaining jam over fruit. Refrigerate until ready to serve then pipe whipped cream around outside edge of fruit.

Individual Strawberry Royale

Strawberry Royale puts an interesting spin on an old classic by using some little ‘Swiss Rolls’ to make seasonal individual desserts.

Despite the name, the cake does not stem from any type of Swiss tradition or cuisine. The origin of Swiss Roll is not Switzerland, but its beginning is still a mystery. Some think it is an old English recipe, some think it is possibly inspired from the Austrians. Historians believe it was invented around the 19th century. 

The earliest published reference for a rolled cake spread with jelly was in the Northern Farmer, a journal published in Utica, New York, in December 1852.

During the 1960s, manufacturing Swiss Roll as snacks became fairly popular. Big brands such as Little Debbie and Lyons Company began their Swiss Roll businesses around that time.

Different countries have their own version of Swiss Roll. Depending on the country’s taste, they develop their own flavors of cakes and choices of fillings.

In France, Bûche de Noël or Yule Log, is a traditional French dessert during Christmas. It is basically a Swiss Roll decorated with chocolate frosting to resemble a tree branch.

In Sweden, they called it Rulltarta, and some of their Swiss Rolls are made with potato flour instead of wheat flour.

There are many varieties of Swiss Rolls that can be found in most bakeries in Asia. Hong Kong styled Swiss Rolls are typically lighter than western style, because they usually only use standard whipping cream filling.

Indian Swiss Rolls are called Jam Rolls, using filling such as a pineapple jelly.

In Japan, it is common to use Matcha (green tea powder) to flavor the sponge cake, and red bean flavored whipped cream is sometimes used as fillings.

In Malaysia, fruity flavored Swiss Rolls like coconut, strawberry, and blueberry are quite popular. 

Along with great eye appeal this is such a nice, easy summer dessert.

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 Individual Strawberry Royale
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Course dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword individual strawberry royale
Servings
Ingredients
Cake/Filling
Strawberry Sauce
Course dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword individual strawberry royale
Servings
Ingredients
Cake/Filling
Strawberry Sauce
Votes: 1
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Instructions
Cake/Filling
  1. Line 6 ramekins with plastic wrap. In a large bowl whip cream until stiff peaks form; set aside in refrigerator. In another large bowl, beat pudding mix & milk until smooth.
  2. In a small dish, sprinkle gelatin over boiling water & stir until dissolved. Mix gelatin into pudding mixture & fold in whipped cream. Add sliced strawberries, mix gently.
  3. Cut Swiss rolls into 1/4-inch slices & arrange in ramekin dishes to cover bottom & sides. Pour pudding mixture over cake. Cover with plastic wrap & refrigerate until set.
Sauce
  1. In a small saucepan, combine cornstarch, sugar & salt. Add water & strawberries; cook until 'clear' & bubbling.
  2. Remove from heat & add butter, lemon juice & zest (if using). Allow to cool then place in a blender. Blender until sauce is smooth or omit the blending process & use as is with chunks of strawberries. Cool sauce completely.
  3. Invert desserts onto serving plates. Drizzle with strawberry sauce & serve.

Avocado Lemon Cakes

Avocados are a gift of Mother Nature! It’s no secret we love avocados, I’ve lost count of how many ways I have found to use avocados over the years. I’m always surprised how versatile avocados are for cooking and baking.

If you want to reduce the amount of fat used in baking, there is no better product substitute than the avocado fruit. Avocados can replace butter and eggs but be aware that the dough will be slightly green in color even after baking. The texture of avocado is soft and creamy like butter and can simply be substituted cup for cup with butter. Unlike butter, avocados won’t melt so it might be beneficial to slightly increase some of the liquids being used. As an egg substitute, use up to ⅓ cup of avocado pulp for each egg. If you find that your cake is browning too quickly, just reduce the heat and increase the baking time.

These avocado lemon cakes serve as the perfect base for numerous different combinations such as blueberries, or maybe some chopped nuts, or a handful of toasted coconut.

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 Avocado Lemon Cakes
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Course Brunch
Cuisine American
Keyword avocado lemon cakes
Servings
Ingredients
Cake Batter
Lemon Glaze
Course Brunch
Cuisine American
Keyword avocado lemon cakes
Servings
Ingredients
Cake Batter
Lemon Glaze
Votes: 1
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Instructions
Cakes
  1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Spray a 6-cup mini Bundt pan with baking spray.
  2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt in a bowl.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the pureed avocado & butter with the sugar until completely combined. Beat in egg. With the mixer on low speed, beat in lemon juice/milk mixture until just combined.
  4. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, mixing each addition until just combined. Once the flour mixture is incorporated, increase speed to medium & beat for 20 seconds longer. Be careful to not overmix. Divide batter between the 6 mini cups.
  5. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pan on a rack for 10 minutes before inverting to cool completely.
Lemon Glaze
  1. In a small bowl, combine enough fresh lemon juice with powdered sugar to make a glaze consistency. Drizzle over cooled cakes. Garnish with pepita seeds or pistachios & lemon zest.

Millet Tea Cake

Millet is not just a key ingredient in bird seed and animal feed.  While it is used for these purposes, millet has been an important food source for a large part of the world’s human population dating back to prehistoric times!

It’s a primary ingredient in flatbreads, beer and other fermented beverages, and porridges. Though technically a seed, millet functions like a whole grain, and you can cook with it like you would other whole grains such as rice or quinoa.

The name ‘millet’ refers to several different varieties of a cereal grass, the most common in North America being the proso variety, while ‘pearl millet’ is the most common variety cultivated worldwide. India and parts of Africa are where millet is thought to have evolved.

Millet falls on the sweeter end of the whole grain scale; some people liken the flavor to corn. It also readily takes on the flavor characteristics of the ingredients in a sauce or a dressing. The small, butter-yellow grains cook up light and fluffy, similar to couscous. When ground to a flour, millet’s soft, starchy consistency makes it ideal for gluten-free baking. On its own, millet can taste somewhat bitter, which is why it’s best blended with other mild flours; doing so allows millet’s other flavor notes (buttery, nutty, grassy) to shine. 

Millet is available pearled or hulled: opt for hulled, which is the true whole-grain variety (hulled still retains plentiful fiber, as only the outermost layer is removed). Out of the hull, millet seeds look like tiny yellow beads with dark dots on the side where the plant’s stem was attached. 

Millet is one of the ways in which you can add the perfect gentle crunch to baked goods such as this millet tea cake.

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 Millet Tea Cake
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Course Brunch
Cuisine American
Keyword millet tea cake
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Ingredients
Course Brunch
Cuisine American
Keyword millet tea cake
Servings
Ingredients
Votes: 1
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Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a 9 x 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper making sure to have overlap on the sides for easy removal from the pan.
  2. Whisk oats, flour, sugars, baking soda & salt together. Add buttermilk, oil, egg, vanilla, millet & dates. Whisk to blend. Stir in 1/3 cup boiling water & let stand for 5 minutes. Scrape into baking pan & level out with a fork.
  3. Bake cake 25-30 minutes or until tester inserted into center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. During the cooling stage drizzle cake with lemon curd if you wish. Slice & serve warm or at room temperature.

Spiced Rhubarb & Orange Cakes

Having frozen rhubarb to bake into a spiced rhubarb & orange cake in the middle of winter is a treat! Rhubarb is treasured by many simply for its sophisticated flavor. Those who love rhubarb, value its tart pungency, which more often than not is mellowed with sugar and made aromatic with vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom or orange rind.

Sweets are the staple at the end of a meal; the luring incentive for the kids to eat their vegetables, the weakness for many dieters, and the go-to fix for those with sugar addictions.

Hot or cold, a simple mini dessert can turn an average meal into a memorable event. Rhubarb and orange is a much-loved flavor combination, making this recipe a perfect winter dessert. 

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 Spiced Rhubarb & Orange Pudding
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Course dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword spiced rhubarb & orange pudding
Servings
Ingredients
Course dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword spiced rhubarb & orange pudding
Servings
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
  1. Place orange in a deep saucepan, cover with water. Place saucepan over high heat & bring to a boil. Place a lid on it & reduce heat to low. Simmer until the orange is very tender when pierced with a sharp knife. Drain, quarter & set aside to cool completely.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly butter six-1 cup ovenproof baking dishes.
  3. Place rhubarb, brown sugar, spices, vanilla & water in a heavy based saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer & cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes until rhubarb thickens. Remove from heat & set aside.
  4. Place cooled orange quarters with the skin on into a food processor & puree until smooth. Add flour, butter, buttermilk, sugar & eggs & process until smooth.
  5. Divide batter among prepared baking dishes. Place on a baking tray & bake for 40 minutes or until tops are golden.
  6. Serve warm topped with spiced rhubarb & whip cream.