When I read that I was going to be making a cake from the Barefoot Contessa I got giddy!  Ina Garden does an amazing job on her cooking show that I couldn’t wait to try her recipe.  

Things new to me:
Cake Flour (I had used it previously in another cake but I’m still learning about it)
Real Maple Syrup 


What I learned from this cake:
Sifting flour together is not necessary according to Melissa Gray but I did it anyways
Butter melts faster when your trying to mix the streusel with your fingers


My hubby tried the cake after I had sent it to my aunts house and he was disappointed that I had only left him a small piece. Needless to say my hubby loved it but I think so far he’s loved all the cakes I’ve made. My aunt and cousins, who had no idea I’m on a baking journey, raved on about this cake.  I thought this cake was really good but I guess I’ll let you be the judge of that.




I had never bought real maple syrup before and I have to say that it was expensive but it was worth it.  (I guess I’m going to have to make pancakes for the hubby this weekend to use some of it up.)  The real maple syrup combined with the confectioners sugar made such a nice but not too sweet frosting. 




Here’s the recipe so you can try it for yourself:


For the cake:

• 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.

• Enjoy!

The name should say it all.  This cake was a a twist to the banana nut bread I’m used to.  When I first read that it required rum and cherries I was a tad confused but once I tasted it I knew there was no other way to make this cake.

Things new to me:
Dark Rum
Dried Cherries

What I learned from this cake:
I learned how to plump cherries with rum and boy was it fun and easy.

I shared this cake with our friends and they went bananas for it. (Pun intended! Ha Ha)  In all seriousness though this cake came out extremely moist and the fruit made it sweet but not overwhelming.  I used to have a great banana bread recipe but after making this one I won’t be going back to it.

This cake by far has been my favorite one and I can’t wait to make it again.  My hubby loves bananas so you can just imagine how he felt about this one. This cake gets a two thumbs up from both of us.

This cake was simple but delicious.  I love lemons and limes so I thought this cake was perfect.  The only I didn’t like about this cake is that the recipe makes only a 8-inch cake.  We shared this one with my in-laws. 


Things new to me:
Key lime


What I learned from this recipe:
Pocking holes in a cake shouldn’t be done with a knife
Double check ingredients to make sure you don’t run out during baking process


I ran out of confectioners sugar and ended up using less of the glaze than it called for.

So what did everyone think about this cake…

…they thought it was perfect because it was not overwhelmingly tangy.  My hubby loved it because he prefers cakes that don’t have frosting and so does my mother-in-law.  I thought it was a delicate cake that you can have with tea.

I would have never thought to put sweet potato in a cake but oh man is it tasty.  I called my mom up to ask her how she cooked sweet potatoes and to my surprise it was the same way Melissa’s mom told her to.  My mom informed me that my dad loves sweet potatoes (also known as camotes) and that she makes them for him at least every other week during the winter.  Once I confirmed how to bake them I began my task.  For this recipe you need to get begin early because you need to first cook and cool the sweet potatoes before mixing it in with the rest of the ingredients.   I used the methods that Melissa previously mentioned about being patient while creaming the butter and mixing in the rest of the ingredients thoroughly.  I also made sure to center the 10-inch tube pan in the oven and not the actual rack.

Things new to me:
Sweet potatoes
Maple flavoring
Granny Smith apples

I had never used maple flavoring before or worked with apples.

What I learned from this recipe:
Patience

I was too impatient and when I attempted to flip the cake it broke.  Oops.  Since we had already called my in-laws and told we were brining cake I used confectioners sugar to cover some of my mistake. Normally I would have just baked another cake and taken that one but since I am turning over a new league and trying to be less of a perfectionist I took it anyway.

So what did my in-laws think about this cake…

..they loved it.  My hubby thought that this cake was good but not great.  I thought it was surprisingly good.

The recipe for this cake can be found here.