Peach & Blackberry Cake with Brown Butter Glaze

I'm back....and I brought cake!

It has been over a year since my last post. I really missed you guys. The past year has been crazy. I spent nine months as the Acting Executive Director of our local animal shelter and worked 70 hour work weeks during that time. It was supposed to be a two-three month assignment but went three times as long. Then, just as the new director was hired, I fell in love with a very shy, scared, formally abused dog that I just had to adopt. (Of course, I fell in love with every dog and cat in the shelter, but this one ripped my heart out.)

The boys watching me get ready. Jax is one the right.

So I have spent most of the summer working to develop a bond with our newest dog (Jax.) It has been a long and sometimes painful process. He is terrified of men, and I am working with the shelter's trainer to establish trust between Jax and my husband. Very slow going, so please keep this sweet boy in your thoughts. The best thing for all of us is to live our lives as normally as possible so he gets used to being part of a family...I am blogging today while both dogs sleep at my side...and my husband watches football. Pure happiness.

Yesterday was Saturday, and there was a hint of Fall's crispness in the air. Our local farmers' market carried beautiful peaches and the sweetest blackberries I have ever tasted. Nothing to do but bake a cake, right? I am always happy when cooking or baking so having the time to hang out in the kitchen for the day was a gift. Cake, homemade pasta, homemade pesto sauce, salad from ingredients grown in our garden...perfect day.

I have baked all of my life but, after moving to Taos, New Mexico with our 7000 ft elevation, I was lost. I didn't know how to make my tried and true recipes work with our higher altitude and needed help from numerous online sources and cookbooks. This cake is an adaptation from one of my favorite bloggers, Mountain Mama Cooks. Her recipes are tailored for cooking in the mountains. I tend to pick something from her blog as a starting point and either make it exactly as is...or try some slight tweaking. I used her Apple-Spice Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Frosting and substituted peaches and blackberries for some of the apple. Delicious. *** BTW, this one is not a high-altitude recipe so it should work for anyone at sea level. AND, I did not need to make any adjustments so higher elevation friends...you are in luck too. Enjoy!

Peach & Blackberry Cake with Brown Butter Glaze
(adapted from the Mountain Mama Cooks blog)

Ingredients:

2 cups white, unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups diced fresh peaches

1 pint blackberries

1 Granny Smith apple1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 eggs
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees. Grease a 12-cup bundt pan. Set aside

In a medium size bowl, sift together unbleached flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves; set aside. 

In a small bowl toss peaches, blackberries, apple, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar; set aside.

In a large bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat together both sugars and oil. Add one egg at a time incorporating each one thoroughly. Mix in vanilla extract and apple cider. Slowly stir in flour mixture into wet batter stirring just to combine. Fold in fruit and any juices that have accumulated. 

Pour batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake in preheated oven on the middle rack for 55-60 minutes or until cake is done. (Mine took exactly 55 minutes.) Test using a cakes tester or thin chopstick. Cake is done when tester comes out clean.  Remove from oven and let cool in pan on a baking rack for 10 minutes before turning out of pan. While cake cools, prepare glaze.

For the Glaze:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-4 tablespoons milk

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat until light brown in color, 8-10 minutes. (It took me 7 minutes. Maybe my heat was higher?) Remove pan from heat and pour butter into a bowl. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons milk; stir until smooth. If the icing is too thick, add the remaining tablespoon milk, a little at a time, until consistency is spreadable. Let cool 5 minutes. Then use immediately and pour over warm cake. Frosting will harden as cake cools.

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Additional peach recipes you may enjoy:

• fresh peach cookies
• fresh peach and coconut cake
• healthy peach crisp smoothie
• kale and rainbow chard salad with peaches, blackberries & pine nuts

best,

diane

napa farmhouse 1885

red or green? 

California Girl in Taos

MoseyLove

napa farmhouse 1885

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A Cornucopia Of Corn Recipes For Summer

It is Corn Week at Food Network's Summer Soiree, and I thought I would share a bunch recipes to help you use up the overflowing bounty that hits each summer just about now. Cooling corn salads, salsas, grilled corn with toppings, chowder, pizzas, popcorn...even chocolate cake (yes really) are all included. So, pick your favorites and dig in...or just grill and top with butter and salt. Nothing tastes better. Enjoy!

Okay, by now you are probably asking "why is she blathering on about cakes in a corn story?" Trust me; this cake is delicious...and it is only made in summer...because the secret ingredient is pureed fresh white corn.  Yes, corn. If you can have zucchini cakes, and carrot cakes, why not corn? When you puree fresh corn, it becomes this milky, frothy liquid that adds a moistness and a lightness that is hard to describe. I have never had anyone correctly guess the "secret" ingredient...but everyone that has ever tasted it, loves it. I urge you to give it a try and let me know what you think.

Corny Chocolate Cake
cake ingredients

2 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp instant coffee crystals
1 cup white corn kernels (usually takes corn from 2 cobs)
1 cup dark chocolate chips

chocolate glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp melted butter
3-4 tbsp boiling water
1/8 tsp instant coffee crystals

for cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Grease bundt pan and dust with cocoa powder to prevent sticking
3. Using a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt..set aside.
4. In the bowl of a mixer, beat eggs until a bit frothy. Add olive oil, cocoa powder,
sugars and coffee crystals..beat until thoroughly combined. Meanwhile, in a food processor, add the corn kernels and process until smooth and liquefied. You should not see any kernels.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer and mix just until combined
6. Add the corn mixture and mix until combined
7. Fold in the chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed.
8. Pour into the prepared pan and bake on center rack of oven approx. 50-60 minutes or until a bamboo stick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool, 10-15 minutes on a rack and then remove from pan and let cool on the rack. When completely cool, drizzle with the chocolate glaze if desired or sift powdered sugar over cake top in lieu of glaze.

chocolate glaze
Whisk together all ingredients except water in small bowl. Add 3 tbsp boiling water and whisk until combined. Add the remaining tbsp water if needed. The glaze should be just thin enough to pour easily.
This cake is best eaten the day it is made.

Other corn recipes you may enjoy:

• pizza with sundried tomatoes, red pepper & corn 
• fresh corn, roasted tomato & pickled garlic pizza with cornmeal crust
• corn & watermelon salad
• fresh corn, roasted tomato & pickled garlic pizza with cornmeal crust
• watermelon salsa
• slow-cooker new mexican vegetable chowder
• popcorn & olive oil

It is "Summer Corn" week at Food Network's Summer Soiree roundup. Do you have a favorite corn recipe to share? Please list (or link) in the comments below. And be sure to check out the other delicious sounding recipes from my blogger friends and Food Network: 

The Lemon Bowl: Pesto Pasta Salad with Green Beans and Corn
Devour: Fire Up the Grill for a Mexican Grilled Corn Fiesta
Feed Me Phoebe: Sweet and Spicy Gluten-Free Corn Pasta with Ricotta and Chives
Creative Culinary: Grilled Corn Salsa with Poblano Chiles, Cilantro and Honey
TasteBook: Esquites (Mexican-Style Corn Salad)
Elephants and the Coconut Trees: Corn, Pluot and Grape Salad
Napa Farmhouse 1885: A Cornucopia of Corn Recipes For Summer
Healthy Eats: 7 Summer Salads That Put a New Spin on Corn
In Jennie's Kitchen: Easy Homemade Creamed Corn
FN Dish: If You Cook Any Corn This Summer, Make It One of These 5-Star Recipes

best,

diane

napa farmhouse 1885

red or green? 

California Girl in Taos

MoseyLove

napa farmhouse 1885

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I have started sharing my newest blog "California Girl in Taos."  Please visit and let me know what you think.

This Is The Best Carrot Cake I Have Ever Eaten

I have baked all my life, and while I usually do not create the recipes, I am pretty good at following them. That is the difference with cooking and baking. Cooking can be totally inspired. A bit of this, a little of that. Creativity is encouraged. Baking is such a science. Tweaking the ingredients can lead to disaster.

That was a major source of frustration when I moved to Taos, New Mexico. We are at 7000 feet, and the altitude change from sea level has caused my baking successes turn to failures. Cakes and cookies do not bake evenly, collapse, and taste different. I have not been able to find the appropriate adjustments to make my favorite recipes work.  So I cannot explain the joy I felt when I discovered the Mountain Mama Cooks blog. The author has perfected the art of high altitude baking. Now, if you live at or near sea level, this may not mean much to you...but to me? Desserts are back!

I was scrolling through the site and stumbled upon this recipe for carrot cake. It looked so good that I made it that very day. Not only was it delicious, but it was also the best carrot cake I have ever eaten. (and I have eaten a LOT of carrot cake in my life. I made the cake again for a potluck dinner, and it was a hit. Many people came up to me and exclaimed: "This is the best carrot cake I have ever eaten!" The cake was so successful that I made it again for another potluck (I am invited to many potlucks!) and received the same reaction. So I have been making carrot cakes, (and cupcakes from the same recipe) for every function where I am asked to bring dessert, and I have received rave reviews every time.

This is carrot week at Food Network. I could not think of a more perfect recipe to share. And it is a bundt cake which is so much easier than a layer cake. How cool is that? I made very slight tweaks to the original. I replaced the called-for vegetable oil with olive oil because I like it better and ensured alum-free baking powder was used. Otherwise, totally the delicious original recipe. Thank you, Mountain Mama!

The Best Carrot Cake I Have Ever Eaten
from Mountain Mama Cooks
(cake serves 12 or makes 20 cupcakes)

Note, the Mountain Mama blog suggested adding nuts to only half the cake top. That way you satisfy the nut lovers and the nut haters. Feel free to add nuts to the top of the entire cake if desired.

2 cups unbleached flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon alum-free baking powder
scant 1 teaspoon baking soda*
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
zest of 1 orange
1/4 cup creme fraiche (or sour cream)
4 cups shredded carrots
3/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 batch Cream Cheese Frosting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 10-cup bundt cake pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together on medium speed the eggs and sugar until pale yellow, light and fluffy. (about 3 minutes). Add the olive oil, vanilla extract, and orange zest. Beat until well mixed. Add the flour mixture in 3 parts until just incorporated. Stir in the creme fraiche, carrots and coconut.

Spoon batter evenly into prepared bundt pan. Bake in preheated oven for 50-55 minutes until cake is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center of cake comes out cleanly with no raw batter. Remove from oven and let cool on a baking sheet for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cake plate and let cool completely.  When completely cooled, frost with the cream cheese frosting and top with nuts if desired.

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 tablespoons best quality unsalted butter, room temperature
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
pinch sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Add the softened butter and cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat at medium-high speed until combined and light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Beat for another minute or until incorporated.

This recipe has been creating for baking at altitudes around 7000 feet. The Mountain Mama site suggests increasing the sugar to 1 1/2 cups and increasing he baking soda to 1/2 teaspoon if baking at sea level.

*Scant means lacking a small part of the whole; not quite up to full measure. In other words, 1 scant teaspoon means not quite a whole teaspoon but a little less (from Whats Cooking America)

best,

diane

napa farmhouse 1885

red or green? 

California Girl in Taos

MoseyLove

napa farmhouse 1885

Promote Your Page Too

I have started sharing my newest blog "California Girl in Taos."  Please visit and let me know what you think.

Three Cake Recipes To Get You Through Till Spring

Ahh..it is March 15th today, only five days till spring! So, of course, we need cake to get us through. Here are three of my favorite recipes. Perfect for these last chilly days with a cup of tea...wonderful in summer with fresh fruit topping. Which one is your favorite?

Meyer Lemon Marmalade Cake (just happens to be vegan)

(with Strawberry/Balsamic Sauce)

For the cake:

3 2/3 cups organic unbleached flour

2 cups sugar (organic will really make a difference)

1 tsp salt

2 tsp alum free baking powder

2 cups cold water

1/2 cup plus 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp pure vanilla extract (I use Tahitian vanilla)

Meyer lemon marmalade syrup

2 cups organic sugar
zest from 1 Meyer lemon, plus 3/4 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice
2 cups water

2 tbsp Meyer lemon marmalade

Combine sugar, zest, and 2 cups water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar has completely dissolved. Bring to a boil. Turn off heat and allow syrup to come to room temperature (keep in the saucepan). When completely cool, pour through a strainer into a small bowl (throw away strainer contents). Stir in Meyer lemon juice and marmalade.

Strawberry/Balsamic sauce

2 1/2 cups fresh strawberries

1 1/2 tbsp organic brown sugar

One tsp orange zest

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

4 tbsp balsamic vinegar

a handful of fresh mint for garnish, rough chop

(I use this sauce all summer on cakes, pancakes, waffles, ice cream, fresh fruit. .etc. feel free to substitute other berries..whatever you like)

Wash, stem and puree 2 cups of the strawberries in a blender or food processor. Add the brown sugar, orange zest, pepper and balsamic vinegar and puree until almost smooth. Pour into serving bowl. Slice the remaining 1/2 cup berries and add to bowl. Taste and add a bit more sugar if needed...total amount will depend on how sweet your berries are.

step 1...make cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil and flour a bundt pan and set aside. Combine the water, e.v.o.o., vinegar and vanilla in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients...do not skip the sifting, you want all the small lumps removed... add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. (do not over-mix). Bake in preheated oven approx. 45 min-1 hour. Start checking at 45 minutes...when a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean...the cake is finished. Remove from oven and place on rack. Let cool for 10 minutes.

step 2

Turn out the cake from bundt pan onto a serving plate. Using a toothpick, poke a number of holes in cake top. Using a large spoon, drizzle Meyer lemon marmalade syrup onto cake top, about 1 to 1 1/2 cups in total. Cake should look really moist...not soggy. Allow to cool completely. garnish cake with large pieces of lemon peel from the marmalade (I just use a fork to strain out from the syrup mixture)

step 3

To serve, slice cake and plate...either spoon strawberry/balsamic sauce around cake...or serve plain and pass the sauce separately. Top serving with a sprinkle of mint...as my friend Richard says.."the mint is key...it wakes up the entire mouth."

Vegan Chocolate Cake with Balsamic & Olive Oil

I am resharing one of my go-to recipes, Vegan Chocolate Cake.  This recipe was inspired from the Moosewood Restaurant Book*Desserts. I substituted balsamic vinegar and olive oil, doubled the ingredients and turned it into a bundt cake. Regular readers know how often I use in-season fresh figs in my recipes, but this cake is very adaptable. If figs are out of season, or you do not like them..leave them out or use dried dates. This is one of those *just happens to be vegan* recipes. I did not start out with that as a goal but hey! Don't tell your non-vegan friends. They will never know!

3 cups unbleached flour (organic if possible)

2/3 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (best quality)

1 tsp salt

2 cups organic sugar 

2 tsp baking soda

1 3/4 cups cold water

1/4 cup cold coffee (just use your leftovers from breakfast)

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp plus 1 tsp balsamic vinegar of Modena 

1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup fresh figs, stems removed..figs finely chopped (or use dates when figs are out of season)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease (use olive oil) a bundt pan and set aside. Sift flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda together in a bowl. In a large mixing bowl combine the remaining ingredients (except figs) and mix well. You can use a mixer..but I just use a wooden spoon and do this by hand. Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and stir until just combined..do not over-mix. Add the figs and stir again until incorporated into the batter. Pour into prepared bundt pan and bake approximately one hour until a cake tester inserted into the center of cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool until just slightly warm. Remove from pan and allow to cool completely.

You can drizzle your favorite chocolate glaze over cooled cake or sprinkle with powdered sugar...this recipe also make delicious cupcakes.

One more favorite recipe:

• pumpkin & chocolate chip cake

It is Cake week at Food Network's Comfort Food Feast roundup. Do you have a favorite cake recipe to share? Please list (or link) in the comments below. And be sure to check out the other delicious sounding recipes from my blogger friends and Food Network. 

Homemade Delish: No-Bake Mascarpone Cheesecake in a Cup
Creative Culinary: St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Three Cake Recipes To Get You Through Till Spring
Red or Green: Spiced Gingerbread Cake
Healthy Eats: 5 Cupcakes That Are Secretly Lighter
In Jennie's Kitchen: Dark Chocolate Brownies
The Mom 100: Raspberry Streusel Coffee Cake with Sweet Vanilla Drizzle
FN Dish: 5 Stunning Cakes with Sky-High Fan Reviews

best,

diane

napa farmhouse 1885

red or green? 

California Girl in Taos

MoseyLove

napa farmhouse 1885

Promote Your Page Too

I have started sharing my newest blog "California Girl in Taos."  Please visit and let me know what you think.