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Healthy Recipe: Blueberry Coffee Cake

FitSugar — Sat, 09 May 2009 04:30:00 -0700

Sunday being Mother's Day (a perfect breakfast in bed opportunity), I wanted to share the recipe for this tasty blueberry coffeecake.

I took my own advice and replaced sour cream with nonfat yogurt, and the cake was wonderfully moist while still low in fat. Baked with blueberries both inside and topping the cake, the flavor of the berries shines. The streusel topping, featuring cinnamon and cardamom, dresses up the cake. Serve this cake with scrambled eggs and slices of cantaloupe and you have a tasty brunch and a well-balanced meal.

To see the recipe, read more.

Blueberry Coffee Cake
Whole Foods Market

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray
2 tablespoons plus 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour, divided
1/4 cup light brown sugar or sucanat
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups fresh or frozen, thawed and drained blueberries, divided
1/3 cup sliced almonds

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray; set aside.
Put 2 tablespoons of the whole wheat pastry flour, sugar, butter, cinnamon and cardamom in a small bowl and mix together with a fork or your fingers until well combined and mixture is in large clumps; set streusel aside.
Put remaining 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and stir to combine; set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt, vanilla and eggs then pour into bowl with dry ingredients and stir until combined.
Gently fold in 1 cup of the blueberries.
Spoon batter into prepared pan and sprinkle reserved streusel over the top. Scatter remaining 1 cup blueberries over the streusel then top with almonds.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center cake comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Once cooled, loosen edges of cake and transfer to a plate. Cut into slices and serve.

Serves 12
Per serving (about 3oz/81g-wt.): 150 calories (40 from fat), 4 g total fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 40 mg cholesterol, 210 mg sodium, 23 g total carbohydrate (3 g dietary fiber, 9 g sugar), 5 g protein

I think this cake really makes 8 to 10 servings, which increases the caloric load per slice.

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Come Party With Me: Bridal Brunch - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 06 May 2009 11:30:58 -0700

Brunch is an ideal time to throw a bridal shower. The female-only event is normally hosted by a nonfamily member or the maid of honor. If you're invited to a bridal shower, it's customary to bring a gift. Often the shower will have a gift theme (like all kitchen gear, lingerie, etc.) and games. For Ronda's bridal brunch, we're keeping things simple and sophisticated with a smorgasbord of delicious breakfast foods. After the main course has been devoured, guests can enjoy coffee or tea with a scrumptious cherry breakfast cake. To look at the easy make-ahead recipe that would be welcome on any Mother's Day menu, read more.

Cherry Breakfast Cake
From Everyday with Rachael Ray

Ingredients

4 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
Two 10-ounce bags frozen cherries, thawed and drained

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
In a medium bowl, using your fingers, combine 3 cups flour, the brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix in all but 2 tablespoons butter until large crumbs form; set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, the egg and the buttermilk.
In a medium bowl, stir together the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, the granulated sugar, baking powder and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the egg mixture and stir to form a thick, smooth batter.
Fold about a third of the reserved crumb mixture into the batter; spread evenly into the prepared baking dish.
Scatter the cherries over the batter; sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture on top. Bake the cake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool for about 20 minutes before serving.

Serves 8-12.

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Coffee Cake Two Ways - Beginner and Expert

partysugar — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 15:27:31 -0800

Having an excellent recipe for coffee cake in your repertoire is a must. Coffee cake is wonderful on many occasions, it's delicious at brunch, scrumptious in the afternoon, and tasty after dinner. Basically, it's good anytime you would want to drink coffee. Coffee cake is also a wonderful gift because it is simple to make and easy to transport. To ensure you add a recipe to your collection, I've found two - a really easy one for beginners and another for experts - so choose one and read more.

Beginner Coffee Cake
From Southern Living magazine

1 (11.5-oz.) frozen pecan coffee cake, thawed
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

Remove coffee cake from package; remove and discard plastic overwrap.
Slice coffee cake in half horizontally.
Spread softened cream cheese on bottom half of coffee cake; sprinkle with brown sugar. Place top layer of coffee cake right side up on bottom layer.
Bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack 10 minutes.

Serves 8.

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Expert Coffee Cake
From Martha Stewart

10 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
6 tbsp. sliced almonds
1/3 cup coarsely chopped almonds
5 tbsp. packed light-brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup sour cream, or plain yogur
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
3 to 4 tbsp. milk

Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter six mini Bundt pans; set aside.
Spread sliced almonds out on a baking pan, and toast until golden brown. Transfer nuts to a bowl to cool.
In a medium bowl, combine chopped almonds, light-brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg; set aside.
In another medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine 6 tablespoons butter and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add egg; beat until combined.
Add 1 teaspoon vanilla, and beat until smooth.
Add 1/3 of reserved flour mixture and half of sour cream; beat to combine. Repeat. Add final third of flour mixture, and beat to combine.
Fill each Bundt pan with 3 tablespoons batter, and spread evenly with a small offset spatula or spoon. Sprinkle each with 2 tablespoons of reserved almond-spice mixture. Top with additional 3 tablespoons batter; the batter should come to within 1/2 inch of the rims of the pans.
Bake until cakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
Transfer cakes to a wire rack to cool completely. Unmold cakes. Place cakes, flat sides down, on a wire rack placed over a baking pan.
Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat until color turns nut brown, about 5 minutes. Pour butter into a medium bowl, leaving behind any dark sediment.
Stir in confectioners’ sugar, remaining 2 teaspoons vanilla, and 3 tablespoons milk until smooth; add an additional tablespoon milk, if necessary, so glaze is pourable. Drizzle glaze over cakes, and sprinkle with toasted almonds. Serve.

Makes 6 mini cakes.

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52 Weeks of Baking: Mocha-Cappuccino Marbled Coffee Cake

YumSugar — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 09:18:31 -0800

This week, with all of the gingerbread and holiday baking, I thought it would be nice to make a simple cake to pair with coffee. Many folks have friends and family staying at their house this season and a coffee cake is something that whips up quickly and is perfect to have on hand. It works as a simple breakfast, and is delightful with an afternoon cup of tea. This particular recipe is a coffee-chocolate swirl, although I thought the coffee flavor could be heightened. The crumb is nice and moist, but be careful, there's a small window between perfect and overdone. To get the recipe, read more.

Mocha-Cappuccino Marbled Coffee Cake
From Coffee Cakes: Simple, Sweet and Savory by Lou Seibert Pappas

12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp instant coffee powder dissolved in 2 Tbsp hot water
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups sour cream
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted

Preheat over to 350F.
Butter and flour a 10-inch Bundt or tube pan.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and mix in the vanilla and dissolved coffee until blended.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir to blend.
Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately with the sour cream in 2 increments, beating until thick and smooth.
Spoon one-third of the batter into a small bowl and stir in the chocolate.
Spoon 4 heaping tablespoons of the coffee batter into the pan, spacing them apart, then spoon some chocolate batter by the tablespoon into the spaces. Repeat until all the batter is used.
With a knife, swirl through the mixture once to marble the batters. [Note: I felt once was not enough and would do it at least 2 times depending on how deep you are able to swirl the batter.]
Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then unmold right side up on a wire rack and let cool completely.
Cut into slices to serve.

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Come Party With Me: Easter - Menu (Brunch, Part 2)

partysugar — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 06:58:19 -0700

The words Easter and brunch go hand in hand, and this week I am planning one party and offering you two delicious menus. Everything about this fete should scream springtime, from the yellow and green color scheme, to the Easter egg invitations to the poached egg main dish (you can't have Easter without eggs!). Serve maple-glazed bacon with a sweet treat in the form of coffee cake or a fruity berry parfait. To look at the recipes, read more

Coffee Cake
From Ina Garten

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sour cream
2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For the streusel:
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional
For the glaze:
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons real maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.
Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 4 to 5 minutes, until light.
Add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and sour cream.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined.
Finish stirring with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.
For the streusel, place the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and butter in a bowl and pinch together with your fingers until it forms a crumble. Mix in the walnuts, if desired.
Spoon half the batter into the pan and spread it out with a knife. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup streusel. Spoon the rest of the batter in the pan, spread it out, and scatter the remaining streusel on top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
Let cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes.
Carefully transfer the cake, streusel side up, onto a serving plate.
Whisk the confectioners' sugar and maple syrup together, adding a few drops of water if necessary, to make the glaze runny. Drizzle as much as you like over the cake with a fork or spoon.

Serve 8-10.

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Granola, Yogurt, Berry Parfait
From Bob Blumer

2 cups plain yogurt
2 cups your favorite granola
2 cups fresh berries (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries (hulled and sliced), and/or other fruit such as bananas, peaches or mangos, peeled and sliced
4 tablespoons honey

Line up 4 parfait, white wine, or other tall glasses.
Spoon 2 tablespoons of yogurt into each glass and smooth surface.
Spoon 2 tablespoons of granola overtop and smooth surface.
Spoon 2 tablespoons of fruit overtop and smooth surface.
Repeat the process, adding a bit of honey here and there, to taste.

Serves 4.

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Hosting an Easter dinner rather than a brunch? Keep on reading because my dinner menu is coming up soon.

TV Dinners: Seinfeld - Chocolate Babka

YumSugar — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 07:58:32 -0700

For some reason I've been staying up late these days, it's not doing wonders for my skin, but it is allowing me to catch old episodes of Seinfeld. The other night the episode "The Dinner Party" was on and I don't know if you recall, but it's the one where Jerry and Elaine stop off at a bakery on their way to a dinner party. Their intention was to buy a chocolate babka to bring, however the couple ahead of them scores the last one and they're left with a "inferior" cinnamon babka. Now I've seen this scene before and I've never thought twice about it, but this time I stopped and wondered outloud, what on earth is a babka?

Well turns out that a babka is a polish coffee cake that is traditionally made with fruit fillings, such as raisins, and is glazed with a fruit-flavored icing. However modern day babkas are filled with cheese or chocolate. And according to Elaine the chocolate babka is where it's at.

To see if it's worth the hype, you can order a chocolate babka online, or you can check out the recipe and make one of your own.

To see the Seinfeld babka clip and get the tasty recipe, read more

Chocolate Babka
From All Recipes

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 10 inch tube pan. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, beat the butter and 1 1/4 cup sugar with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy. Change the mixer speed to medium, and beat in the vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. With the mixer on low speed, alternately beat the flour mixture and sour cream into the creamed mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat only until just blended.
For the topping: In a small bowl combine the chocolate, pecans, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon to make a crumb mixture. Spread half of the batter in the bottom of the prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of the crumb mixture. Pour in the remaining batter, and sprinkle with the remaining crumb mixture; press the crumbs in lightly so they adhere to the batter. Quickly, but gently cut through the batter and crumbs in an up and down motion with a knife. Lightly rap the pan once against a hard surface, to settle the batter.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Cover the top of the cake with aluminum foil. Continue baking until a skewer inserted halfway between the side of the pan and the tube comes out clean, about 20 minutes longer. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Carefully loosen the cake from the sides of the pan. Invert cake onto rack, and cool completely.

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Must-Read: Slow and Easy

YumSugar — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:00:16 -0800

If you've seen my Sunday Slow Cooker series, you probably know by now that I consider the electric slow cooker indispensable for convenient, low-maintenance cooking. Naturally, I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy of Slow and Easy: Fast-Fix Recipes For Your Electric Slow Cooker ($15.61), by the Los Angeles Daily News food editor, Natalie Haughton.
Haughton has penned five other cookbooks, including The Best Slow Cooker Cookbook Ever, so she's clearly spent a lot of time with her Crock-Pot. To find out what I thought of the book, read more.

Pros:

The introduction has helpful information from choosing and getting to know your slow cooker to which foods are most forgiving and which are most demanding.
There's a wide range of recipes, from smoky roasted cashews to gingerbread for dessert, and although the the book contains over 250 recipes, it's surprisingly light.
A "cook's notes" sidebar proves helpful, explaining nuances such as the differences in types of paprika available at the grocery store.

Cons:

The book contains no pictures.
If you don't have interest in a slow cooker, then this book isn't for you.
Many of the seafood recipes require adding in the protein near the end of cooking time, which requires more attentiveness on your part.

Recipes: The recipes cover just about everything. Here are some that caught my attention:

Caponata, Edamame Cheese Dip
Shrimp Chowder, Vegetable Stock
Artichoke Pasta Sauce
Shortcut Lasagna
Mac and Cheese
Turkey Molé
Shrimp Veracruz Style
Beef Lettuce Wraps
Tagine of Lamb With Apricots
Asian-Flavored Quinoa With Broccoli and Chard
Spanish Pistou
Blueberry Coffee Cake
Green Pepper Jelly
Flourless Chocolate Torte

Imagery: None.

Overall Rating: If you're a fan of the slow cooker (and aren't bothered that it doesn't contain pictures), then this informative yet innovative slow-cooker guide would be a useful, go-to book to add to your repertoire.

Sugar Shout Out: Learn to Make Healthy Blueberry Coffee Cake

PopSugar — Sun, 10 May 2009 23:00:00 -0700

Healthy recipe: Blueberry coffee cake
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Treat Your Valentine to Triple-Chocolate Bread Bites

YumSugar — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:15:33 -0800

With Valentine's Day around the corner, I wanted to get a head start on finding the perfect recipe for my sweetie. Looking through my cookbooks, one caught my eye as the ideal place to start - The Wine Lover's Dessert Cookbook. This book is dedicated to creating delicious desserts that accompany a variety of different wines. While I drooled over many, I decided to experiment with the triple-chocolate buttermilk loaf cake. After seeing the Bites of Love series on lilsugar, instead of baking a loaf, I divided the batter into mini muffin tins to create a dainty two-bite dessert. Chocoholics will be in heaven with the complex and rich flavor of three different types of chocolate: dark chocolate, semisweet chips, and cocoa powder. These moist bread bites would be superb with a bold red wine or ruby port. If you and your honey don't drink wine, these minicakes would be romantic at breakfast with a cup of coffee. To get started on these irresistible triple-chocolate bread bites, read more.

Triple Chocolate Bread Bites
Adapted from The Wine Lover's Dessert Cookbook

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup of sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
2 ounces dark chocolate melted and cooled to room temperature
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter and flour mini muffin tin
Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt. Set aside.
Beat together the butter, sugar, and vanilla at medium speed using a standing mixer or electric mixer until very creamy, about 4 minutes.
Add the eggs, one at time, incorporating each completely before adding the next and scraping down the bowl between additions. Add the melted dark chocolate and beat to combine.
Beat in half of the flour mixture, then the buttermilk, then the remaining flour, mixing each time just until all ingredients are incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips.
Fill each mini muffin 3/4 full. Bake for 12-15 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean. Wait a couple minutes before removing. Once removed, allow to cool on a cooling rack.

Makes one loaf or approximately 72 mini muffins.

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Let's Make Ice Cream Cake!

partysugar — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:18:11 -0700

When we asked your opinion of ice cream cakes, the overwhelming response was positive. I'm with all of you, I love ice cream cakes. In fact, when I was in high school my bff and I were famous for our homemade ice cream cakes.

Although it's a stunning dessert that looks like it's hard to make, ice cream cake is actually super simple to put together. The recipe here features a yellow cake with coffee ice cream, but feel free to use the technique described to make any flavored cake and ice cream combination. To take a look at the recipe, read more.

Ice Cream Cake
From Real Simple magazine

Ingredients

1 box yellow cake mix
3 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 quarts coffee (or any other flavor) ice cream, softened slightly

Directions

One hour before starting your cake, turn the freezer to its highest setting.
Heat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, and oil, along with the amount of water called for by the package directions. Beat until well combined.
Divide the batter between the pans. Place the pans in oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool for at least 10 minutes before removing them from the pans. Let the layers cool completely before assembling the cake.
Place one of the layers on an 8-inch cardboard cake round or a freezerproof cake plate.
Using a rubber spatula, evenly spread 1 quart of the softened ice cream over the top of the plated layer. Place the remaining cake layer on top of the ice cream. Put the cake in the freezer to harden, about 1 hour.
Transfer the remaining softened ice cream to a mixing bowl. Cream by hand with a rubber spatula until it reaches the consistency of frosting.
Frost the top and the sides of the cake with the ice cream. If the ice cream becomes too soft to work with, place both the bowl and the cake in the freezer until the ice cream is firm, about 30 minutes. When the cake is frosted, transfer it to the freezer to harden, about 1 hour. Serve immediately upon removal, using a warm knife to slice.

Serves 12 to 16.

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