Yule Log or Chocolate Roll

Someone in the household wanted a Yule Log to celebrate winter solstice today. It would be good any time of year as a chocolate roll.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 11x15" jelly roll pan with greased parchment paper. Sprinkle a clean tea towel with icing sugar and set it aside.

In a medium bowl mix together

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

In another medium bowl beat 4 eggs until creamy. Add and stir well

• 1/2 white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons melted butter or oil

Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture until well combined.

Spread the batter on the parchment paper. I don't spread the batter to the edge of the pan but leave a margin of about an inch. Bake for 11-14 minutes until the top is set but not overdone.

Lift the cake from the pan by picking up the parchment paper. Turn it upside down on the tea towel. Roll the cake up in the towel from the short end and leave it to cool completely.

Filling: 

Put 1 cup of whipping cream, 2-1/2 tablespoons of icing sugar and 2-1/2 tablespoons of cocoa in a food processor and whip until stiff. This took only 30-60 seconds in my food processor. You could also use beaters.

You can use plain whipped cream or cream cheese icing if you want.

Unroll the cake and remove the tea towel. Spread the filling evenly on the cake and re-roll it. Sprinkle with icing sugar if desired. Keep the cake refrigerated. It can also be frozen.

Mocha Walnut Torte

One of the housekeepers at work makes the most amazing European pastries. She often brings in a tray of goodies that we devour in short order. Last week she brought in walnut cake that was so good that I asked for her recipe. She proceeded to tell me she adds a rounded spoonful of this and that for each egg and little more of this and a little less of that! Her daughter works with the therapy team and she wrote out a recipe that I could follow. It turned out very well and even though it seems long, it is not hard to make. The cake is not very sweet and it can be served in thin slices. It was perfect for birthday we celebrated today.


Sponge Cake

7 eggs, separated                  2 tbsp cocoa (optional- decrease flour by 1 tbsp)
7 tbsp sugar                          1 tsp baking powder
7 tbsp flour                            1 cup crushed walnuts
                                              1 tsp instant coffee or espresso granules (optional)

Line 2 - 8 or 9 inch square or round pans with greased parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Beat egg whites on high in mixer with a pinch of salt. When the eggs start to get foamy, add sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.

2. Add egg yolks and beat with mixer until they are incorporated.

3. Slowly fold in dry ingredients with a spatula- flour, (cocoa), baking powder, walnuts

Divide batter between two pans and bake for 30-35 minutes until set and golden brown.
Remove cake from pans and allow to cool. Each cake is cut in half horizontally so you have 4 layers.

Butter Cream Filling

6 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup softened butter

1. Put eggs in double boiler with sugar. Mix together and heat, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves.(approx 110F)
2. Add eggs to mixer and beat on high until stiff peaks form.
3. Add softened butter a tablespoon at a time to the egg white mixture and continue beating.
4. Add flavouring as desired. I added 2 tbsp melted 50% cocoa chocolate chips and 2 tsp instant coffee. You can use Nutella as well and walnuts can be added to the filling if desired.

Spread butter cream filling between layers and on top of cake. Garnish with walnuts, chocolate covered coffee beans or anything else that tickles your fancy. I used candied walnuts.

 Candied Walnuts

Place 1/2 cup walnuts, 1/2 tbsp butter and 1/8 cup white sugar in frying pan. Heat over medium heat and stir ingredients together until the nuts are lightly toasted and the sugar is melted. Cool and use as a garnish on top of the cake

The cake slices best if it is refrigerated.

Plum Streusel Cake

This recipe is from Anne Lindsay's first cookbook. I could not find my copy of it tonight and I wanted to use up some prune plums that were languishing in the fridge. Thankfully this is a popular recipe and it has been reposted several times on the internet. There are a few minor changes from the original in this version. Any fruit can be used instead of the plums including drained canned fruit.

For the cake
¼ cup butter
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ cup milk
8-10 small plums 

grated rind of one lemon (optional) 

For the streusel topping
½ cup brown sugar
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp cinnamon

For the cake
Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Grease an 8-inch square cake pan or a springform pan.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat eggs until foamy and combine with butter mixture.. Combine flour, salt, baking powder and lemon rind. Add to egg mixture alternately with milk. 

Turn into prepared pan. Halve and pit plums and arrange over top.

For the streusel topping
In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, butter and cinnamon; mix well and sprinkle over fruit.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until top is golden and toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. 

Pinto Bean Cake

 

There is no need to tell anyone what is in this cake until they taste it and see how delicious it is. This spicy, moist cake is best baked in a bundt tin but can also be made in a 9 x13 pan.

Cream together:

1/4 cup soft butter

2/3 cup sugar

Add one beaten egg and mix well.

Puree 2 cups cooked pinto beans and add to above mixture.

Measure and combine together:

1 cup flour

1 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cloves and allspice if desired

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and combine well.

Add 2 cups diced raw apple (skins can be left on) and 1 cup raisins.

Put batter in prepared tube or Bundt pan and place in preheated 375 F oven for 45 minutes.

If you use a 9x13 pan, the cake will be done in  30 minutes.

Nutritional information for 1/12 of cake

Calories-204

Carbs- 37g

Fat-4g

Protein-5g

Fibre-3g

Grandma's Lemon Cake

I love lemony desserts...lemon pie, lemon curd, lemon cake...

Grandma made this lemon cake for special occasions and it was a family favourite. I once decided to figure out the calories and fat in the recipe and was shocked at the numbers I came up with. So they will remain a secret. If I am wanting a lemony tasting treat, I make these lower fat Lemon Poppyseed Muffins. But I have to add Grandma's recipe to this family recipe blog. It is good to take to a potluck or other event where other people will eat most of it before you have a chance to get started.

1 package Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme Cake Mix
1 package Lemon Jello (4 serving size)
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup oil
4 eggs

Mix cake, jello, eggs, water and beat with beaters for 2 minutes. Add oil and beat for another 2 minutes.

Bake in a greased 9 x 13 inch pan at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes.

While cake is still hot, pierce top with a fork and pour a glaze made with 2 cups of icing sugar and 1/3 cup of lemon juice over the top.

Serve when cool.

Apple Cake

This recipe is adapted from the cookbook Simply in Season, an excellent resource celebrating fresh, local foods.

5 cups thinly sliced, unpeeled apples
1-1/3 cups of sugar or sugar/Splenda blend
Combine and let stand while mixing other ingredients

1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1-2 tsp vanilla (optional)
Combine in a separate bowl

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup nuts or raisins (optional, I have not added them)

Combine in a third bowl. Stir flour mixture into apples alternately with egg mixture.
Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 350F for 50-60 minutes
until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

I have topped this with cream cheese icing or a crumb topping. The picture above shows the crumb topping...1/4 cup butter, 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar mixed together into coarse crumbs. Sprinkle on top before baking.

Magnolia Cupcakes

See this post on Body Soul and Spirit and read about these cupcakes. The picture above is of cupcakes we made using the recipe below.


Here's the recipe that put cupcakes back on the map. It's from the Magnolia Bakery in New York, a small bakery with such a huge demand for cupcakes that customers are limited to a dozen.

Magnolia's Vanilla Cupcakes

Makes about 2 dozen large cupcakes

1-1/2 cups (375 mL) self-rising flour*

1-1/4 cups (300 mL) all-purpose flour

1 cup (250 mL/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 cups (500 mL) sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup (250 mL) milk

1 teaspoon (5 mL) vanilla extract

*To make your own self-rising flour, use 2 teaspoons (10 mL) of baking powder and 1 teaspoon (5 mL) of salt for every two cups (500 mL) of flour.

(For 1-1/2 cups of flour use 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 3/4 teaspoon salt)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180C). Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.

In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer set at medium speed, cream butter until smooth. Add sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about three minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until ingredients are incorporated, but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon batter into cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full (a large ice cream scoop does this job well). Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the centre of cupcake comes out clean.

Cool cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Vanilla Butter cream Icing

Note: This makes a LOT of icing. I used about a third of it to generously ice about 20 cupcakes, the number made from the recipe above.

Technically, this is not butter cream but an old-fashioned frosting made with confectioner's sugar and butter. Be sure to beat the icing for the time called for in the recipe to achieve the desired creamy texture.

1 cup (250 mL/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

6-8 cups (1.5 to 2 L) confectioner's sugar

1/2 cup (125 ml) milk

2 teaspoons (10 mL) vanilla extract (I left this out and just put vanilla in the cake)

Place butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups (1 L) of the sugar, then the milk and vanilla. Using an electric mixer set at medium speed, beat until smooth and creamy, about three to five minutes. Gradually add more sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about two minutes), until icing is thick enough to be a good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food colouring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature; it will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days.

Approximate nutritional content per cupcake: Calories 420. Protein 3 g. Fat 18 g. Carbohydrates 64 g. Dietary fibre 0 g. Sodium 125 mg.

"Mexican" Cheesecake

This is Mom's recipe which she learned in Mexico. I love cheesecakes, preferably plain, and flans served with fresh fruit or fruit sauce. A rich New York cheesecake, with lots of cream cheese, eggs and sour cream, is only an occasional indulgence. This cake is flavourful and low fat as well. Mom bakes it in a graham cracker crust, but I just put it in a cheesecake pan with no crust.

1 1/2 cups dry curd cottage cheese (I buy this in a 500 gram package in the dairy section, so I really use 2 cups)
4 eggs
1 tin sweetened condensed milk
3 tbsp lemon juice

Mix all ingredients until smooth in a blender or with beaters.
Pour into a 8"-9" cheesecake pan or deep pie dish.

Bake at 350 F until set, about 40 -50 minutes.
Chill before serving.

Hot Milk Sponge Cake

Mrs. North was our neighbour on Piedmont Road in Durban, South Africa. She will never be forgotten because of her recipe for hot milk sponge cake. Light cakes are an essential part of the gracious British tradition of afternoon tea. This recipe makes a wonderful base for strawberry shortcake. It can be split and filled with preserves. It can be served simply with icing sugar sprinkled on the top. It is also perfect for a trifle. Recently, I wanted to make a Black Forest Trifle for guests, so I added 1/4 cup of cocoa to the dry ingredients. The results were perfect, and I will no longer buy chocolate jelly rolls for the trifle.
The following recipe is low-fat and very quick to make.

2 large eggs
1/2-2/3 cup sugar 
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons melted butter or oil

Grease a 9-inch square or round cake pan.

Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. 

In another bowl, beat eggs, adding sugar gradually. Beat egg and sugar mixture until it is doubled in volume. Add vanilla. 

Put milk and oil in a pan or in the microwave and heat to just under a boil. 

Add dry ingredients alternately with the hot milk mixture to the beaten egg and sugar mixture. 

Bake in a moderate oven (350F) for about 25 minutes.


Variation: Chocolate Hot Milk Sponge Cake
Add 1/4 cup cocoa to dry ingredients. Do not cut back on the sugar. 

Pear Gingerbread Upsidedown Cake

My brother in Mexico has acquired 18 litres !!!!!!!!! of molasses. He wants some ideas on how to use it up. Most recipes I have use small amounts of molasses. We love gingerbread, and this recipe, from The New Maritimes Seasonal Cookbook (a very good cookbook) is a family favourite.

Topping:
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
4 peeled ripe pears, thinly sliced

Spread butter in a 9 inch square baking pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Arrange pear slices in overlapping rows.

Gingerbread:
1/4 cup soft margarine or butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/3 cup hot water

In a medium bowl cream butter and brown sugar. Beat in egg and molasses until batter is light. Combine flours, and seasonings to molasses mixture alternately with hot water. Spoon batter over pears. Bake in 350 F (180 C) oven for 30 -40 minutes.Cool on rack 10 minutes and invert on serving plate. Serve warm or cold.

Mom's Carrot Cake

This recipe uses less oil than some carrot cake recipes but is still moist and delicious!
1-1/2 cups sugar (you can use part splenda)
3 eggs
3/4 cup oil
2-1/4 cups flour (white or part whole wheat)
2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2-1/4 cups grated carrot
3/4 cup crushed canned pineapple

Beat eggs with sugar and oil. Stir together with dry ingredients and beat until smooth. Stir in carrots and pineapple to blend. Raisins and/or chopped walnuts can also be added.

Bake in a 9x13 inch pan at 350 degrees F for 40 -45 minutes.

When cooled, spread top with cream cheese icing....
4 oz. cream cheese, 1-1/2 tbsp butter, sufficient icing sugar for a good spreading consistency.

Christmas Cake

Fruit cake has a poor reputation and is the butt of many holiday jokes, from the fruit cake used as a door stop to stories told about people mailing the same stale fruit cake from friend to friend year after year. Unfortunately, I have tasted fruit cake that would fit in the category "inedible". Nuts and coconut go stale and rancid quickly and can ruin a recipe, so I leave these ingredients out completely. I find that store-bought fruit cake is too sweet and sticky, the smallest piece causing me to look quickly for something to drink.
Grandma D. made a simple, light (as opposed to dark) fruit cake that is a family favourite. We make it the first week of November, wrap it well and freeze it for at least a month. It is still delicious after six months in the freezer.
Eldest daughter came home on her days off this week to make the cake, so I pulled out Grandma's old recipe box and the stained card she had written on so I could buy the ingredients. Grandma always said you should eat twelve pieces of fruit cake during the holiday season in order to have twelve happy months the next year. I don't need any excuse to eat this cake!

Christmas Cake

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
Cream butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, almost colourless.
Add well beaten eggs.

12-16 oz raisins
1/2 lb glazed cherries
2 cups mixed peel

Pour boiling water over the raisins, drain and pat them dry with a towel.
Place them in a second bowl with the cherries and the mixed peel.

sift over the fruit:

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Add the floured fruit mixture to the egg mixture along with

1/4 c of juice
1 tsp flavouring (vanilla or almond)

Bake for 3 hours at 275 degrees F, or until done.
Place a pan of water in the oven under the cake.

This recipe makes a standard loaf pan, plus a smaller pan.
Grandma had special fruit cake tins that she used.
It must be well wrapped and kept in a cool place for a while before slicing.
Serve in slices the size of dominoes.

Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Prepare a 9x 13 inch pan for baking.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees farhenheit.

Cream together 1-1/2 cups of sugar (I use half sugar, half Splenda or Whey Low)
with ½ cup of butter or margarine.
Add one egg.
Sift together 2 cups of flour (I use whole wheat),
½ teaspoon of salt,
1 teaspoon of baking soda.

Mix wet and dry ingredients alternately with
1 cup of sour cream or plain yogurt.
Add 2 cups of diced rhubarb pieces and place batter in pan.
If you don't have any rhubarb, you can use peaches or apples or pears, or other fresh fruit.

Topping:
½ cup of brown or white sugar,
½ cup of chopped nuts,
1 tablespoon of melted butter,
1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
Mix together and sprinkle over the batter

Bake for 45-50 minutes………………..Enjoy!