White Cake with Lemon-Rhubarb Filling and Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

The first day of my current job was nerve wracking. A month earlier, I had left a job after only two weeks. The supervisor literally scared me away and I don't scare easily. My nerves couldn't take the jokes about firing me in front of the rest of the staff and I hated the constant invasion of my personal life- he would even text me outside business hours. Creepy, no? Finally, after a confrontation where he kept yelling "I can't read you," I found the words spilling out my mouth: "I cannot work with you." That was that. 

A month passed and I got a phone call out of the blue from a local company. I survived the interview process and got the gig! Much to my surprise though, I found my usual confident self... shaken. It was like I was waiting for someone to yell at me. Little bursts of adrenaline would hit in meetings as my body anticipated another confrontation.

 

As luck would have it though, fate decided to send me a secret weapon: Michelle. We started the same day, with the same job title, and assigned cubicles directly across from each other. Where I am soft spoken and cautious in new settings, she is warm, talkative, and out going. We started taking walks together during breaks and sharing pictures of our adorable pets. She's one of the kindest people I've met and I gravitate to her positive vibe. Soon, I found myself looking for her in meetings to calm my nerves. I had a friend in a room filled with strangers. 

This cake was made specially for her birthday. She's not picky so I decided to shake things up and try this mixed bag of flavor: white cake with lemon- rhubarb curd and brown sugar cream cheese frosting. 

White cake is polite and doesn't leave much of an impression. It compliments the filling because it balances the tartness and texture of the curd.  The curd is yummy and a real treat for us lemon-rhubarb fans! You can sweeten to your content- I prefer to keep a bit of the bite! And let's face it, it's hard to go wrong with cream cheese frosting! The addition of brown sugar took away the strong flavor and created a lovely shade of off-white frosting. I toyed with the idea of adding coconut but decided that may be over kill, heh heh!

Hat's off to Lighter and Local for putting this cake together! The cake is from America's Test Kitchen, lemon curd is from David Lebovitz (*swoons*), and the frosting is form Smitten Kitchen- a true team of all-star bakers!

For the recipe, click here!

PS. Sorry for the picture lighting in some- we crushed this in the office and I baked it at night!

Heavenly Hazelnut Chocolate Cake & the Surprise

There's this cute little shoppe not too far from my office called La Cuisine. It has that Williams-Sonoma quality of merchandise but a far more personable touch. The owner is there on a regular basis and you can see their pet German Shepard peeking from the back. Such a cutie!

What makes this spot stand out is their wall of chocolate. You can buy blocks of 9 ounce gourmet chocolate and smaller samples. When I made Mikes Oreo Birthday cake, the staff was incredibly helpful and insightful. She pointed out one chocolate I had never heard of called gianduja, a milk chocolate and hazelnut mix. After trying a sample, I knew I would be back for more. 

For my birthday weekend, I wanted to make a cake for our group trip to the VA beach. Not necessarily a birthday cake but a treat for the travel. I was so impressed with the recipe from Mike's birthday cake (thank you David Lebovitz), I decided to use the same recipe with modifications. This is an extremely light cake with an incredible texture. It's so fluffy and addictive!

The middle is a simple mix of melted gianduja, water, a touch of cafe, and a splash of Frangelico (hazelnut liquor). Tailor to your preference. For us hazelnut lovers, a small amount of a finely chopped hazelnuts adds variety. Just make sure they are finely chopped as to not interfere with the cloud-like cake. If you are feeling lazy or don't want to buy Frangelico- by all means... use Nutella! 

Finally, the topping. Now you have to understand- I really am ga-ga for this cake. I didn't want to obstruct it's beauty with buttercream or any other frosting. There is a light drizzle of thick confectioner's sugar mixed with more Frangelico. Alternatively, you can turn the drizzle into a glaze that gently coats the entire cake with just a little more powered sugar in the mix (see below). 

Mike and I truly loved this cake. The texture is heavenly! The flavor is mild and not too hazelnutty. It's balanced and sophisticated. We slowly destroyed it over the course of the weekend in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania? What happened to VA Beach? That's right. He tricked me. There was no group trip to VA beach. The handsome devil whisked me off to PA and the entire group hustled me into thinking we were traveling together. 

As it turns out, he had other plans for the weekend. 

Big plans.

Really big plans. 

Yessur. I am going to be his wifey!  ~ * Dreams do come true * ~

Heavenly Hazelnut Chocolate Cake

Cake

modified from David Lebovit's chocolate cake

4 ounces gianduja milk chocolate, chopped
6 tablespoons water
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ¼ cup + ¼ cup sugar
4 large eggs, separated
2 cups all-purpose flour or cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, Frangelico, or hazelnut extract

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 2 9-inch road cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper. 

Melt chocolate together with the 6 tablespoons of water. Use either a double-boiler or a microwave. Stir until smooth; set aside to cool to room temperature.

Place butter and 1 ¼ cup of the sugar in a bowl and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the melted chocolate, then the egg yolks, one at a time.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix in half of the dry ingredients into the creamed butter mixture, then the buttermilk and the vanilla extract, then the rest of the dry ingredients.
In a separate metal or glass bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold soft, droopy peaks. Beat in the ¼ cup of sugar until stiff.

Fold about one-third of the egg whites into the cake batter and then fold in the remaining egg whites just until there’s no trace of egg white visible.

Divide the batter into the 2 prepared cake pans, smooth the tops, and bake for about 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool cake layers completely.

Filling

5 ounces gianduja milk chocolate, chopped

3-4 tablespoons milk (richer) or water (mild)

1-2 tablespoons frangelico (optional)

1/2 teaspoon instant coffee (optional)

1/4 cup finely chopped hazelnuts (optional)

Tailor to your liking. Use milk if you want a creamier taste, use water if you don't want to tamper with the gianduja flavor. I added a little frangelico but if you're not into that, you can leave it out and use more milk/water. The filling should be silky and easy to spread, but not watery. I added a pinch of instant coffee for dimension but it's not necessary. I like hazelnuts and added them to the mix. Feeling lazy? Substitue filling with nutella. 

Melt chocolate together with the 3-4 tablespoons of milk or water, depending on how thick you want the filling to be. Use either a double-boiler or a microwave. Stir until smooth; set aside to cool to room temperature. Add the frangelico and instant coffee if so desired. Mix in hazelnuts (optional). 

Drizzle vs Glaze

For a little drizzle: 1/2 cup sifted confectioners sugar mixed with a few tablespoons of frangelico and water. Add frangelico and water 1 tablespoons at a time until it's the consistency and flavor you desire. I wanted it thick and that punch of booze so I didn't use water. You can always use just water with a touch of hazelnut extract. 

To make more of an all encompassing glaze: 2 cups sifted confectioners sugar mixed with 3 1/2 tablespoons frangelico. Still not feeling that frangelico? Use 3 tablespoons water and a 1/2 a teaspoon of hazelnut extract.

SoCal Quinoa and Cranberry Portein Plate

I live with a man who loves art, dancing, video games, nature, family, and a good bbq. In short- he is perfect, even in his imperfections. He is a surprisingly healthy eater, with the occasional Oreo binge and soda splurge. He is open to hearing me out on new recipes and will give it at least one try. Well. We are working on fish. You cannot date an Iberian and not at least try to like fish.

While going through my favorite cookbook (you guessed it, Pretty Delicious), his eyes lit up on the most unexpected entry: a salad. A meal consisting entirely of leaves? What's the catch here? Ah ha! Protein!

This dish is packed full of awesome nutrients! Plus, it's vegan friendly. The protein comes from quinoa and tofu; there is a sweet factor with diced up bits of dried cranberry; chopped almonds add dimension; and the dressing is a family favorite (olive oil and vinegar) with a touch of honey. Dress it up however you like! I found it very filling because of the quinoa and it kept me coming back for more. He kept it as a side to the main course.

For the recipe, check out Pretty Delicious or scope out similar recipes on The Stiletto Chef!

Rhubarb, Walnut, and Chia Seed Muffins

Breakfast muffins are a win... breakfast muffins with rhubarb are a must. I love rhubarb fiercely and am always looking for new ways to work with it. I've tried pie and pancakes, but the all the time favorite is still Rhubars. Naturally, these muffins from Scandi Foodie  caught my eye.

Rhubarb has an amazing construct. It looks and feels like celery when fresh. The texture immediately softens when warmed and becomes a gooey surprise. It has a natural sweetness, make sure you buy vibrant red stalks, that reminds me of lemon.  It is kind of like incorporating tiny pockets of jam!

Chia seeds add a nutritional dynamic. I don't find their taste to be noticeable. Maybe a faint nuttyness but for the most part, I need to see the seeds to realize it's even in the mix.  Don't let their manners fool you though. They have an extremely high concentration of omega 3 acids; one serving has 18 percent of the recommended daily calcium and 4 grams of protein; they are a great source of fiber and potassium; and they're low in cholestrol and sodium. Why NOT want to huff these down? I added extra to the mix.

Pack in the punch with walnuts. These nuts are powerhouse with more omega 3's, protein, and the highest level of antioxidants in the nut kingdom. They're rich in flavor, so if you're not a big walnut person, trade them out with almonds or hazelnut. 

I made a few adjustments to the mix to make them even "healthier" such as cutting back on the sugar and upping the walnuts, chia seeds, and rhubarb. Overall, the flavor is well... nutty. Blame this on the combination of walnuts, chia seeds, and spelt flour. They're great for breakfast or as a snack.

Rhubarb, Walnut, and Chia Seeds Muffins

slightly modified from Scandi Foodie

175g raw caster sugar or rapadura sugar
50 ml olive oil
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 large, free-range egg
250ml buttermilk (or 250ml milk + 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice)
245 g rhubarb, cut into 1 cm dice
80g walnuts, roughly chopped
300g white spelt flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
450g chia seeds

1 tablespoons rapadura sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 390F and prepare a 12-cup muffin tin.

Mix the sugar, olive oil, vanilla, egg and buttermilk in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the rhubarb and the walnuts. Combine the flour, baking powder, bicarb soda and chia seeds in a small bowl.

Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the rest of the batter and fold everything together quickly until just blended. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin and sprinkle each muffin with the sugar and cinnamon mixture.

Bake the muffins in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. Serve warm.

Black Bottom Cupcakes (again!)

Happy 4th of July everybody! As flattered as I am that you're looking at this post- stop! Go find a bbq and some cold beverages. Drink plenty of water because it's hot out there.  If you're like me though... whipping up some monkey bread for dinner at my sister's house... you may want to check out these black bottom cupcakes. 

Yes, I have posted black bottom cupcakes before but this is slightly different recipe that I liked much more than the previous post. I am a bit of a black bottom cupcake snob because they are, without a doubt, my favorite cupcake in the whole wide world. ESPECIALLY the ones Starbucks used to serve. 

I noticed these exquisite cupcakes via Pinterest. They looked stunning but prior recipes have given me mixed results. Upon reading the directions, it was stated that these are fail proof. And you know what? They are. Very impressive! The chocolate cake is not overly sweet nor overpowering. Topped with (the best part) the cream cheese, it's a match made in heaven. MAN these cupcakes are freaking good.

The slight alteration of this recipe versus my first Black Bottom Cupcake post is in the cream cheese filling. There's a little less sugar (1/4 as opposed to 1/3) and less chocolate chips (6 ounces versus 1 cup). I'm all about as little sugar as possible in any confection!

For the recipe, check out Margarita Stewart's post!

Apple-Carrot Bran Flaxseed Muffins!

You can imagine the heartache when I discovered that not all breakfast foods are healthy. I had put blind faith into the food industry. The word "cake" and the end of "pan" should have been an indicator. My first hint of truth was years ago when I was a barista at Starbucks. The "reduced fat" berry coffee cake was a favorite. It was, after all, reduced fat and had fruit in it. Perfect! Until another barista saw me merrily pecking away at a slice. She raised an eyebrow and told me to check out the nutrition label on the box. I was stunned. If that's reduced fat, I can only imagine full throttle!

As delicious as a blueberry muffin is and the fat kid joy a cheese danish evokes, I try to keep it healthy in the morning. It's the first thing entering your body. You wouldn't fuel an expensive car with low grade gasoline, right? Treat your body the same. You don't want to be that ol' beat up ghetto mobile with the broken speedometer running on fumes- you're worth so much more!

As a compromise between flavor and my love for a good muffin, I decided to try this tasty muffin recipe on the side of the Bob's Red Mill flaxseed bag. Flax seeds are packed with fiber and omega 3s. I like to sprinkle flaxseed into pancakes and smoothies. It adds a slightly nutty, natural flavor.

This muffin is packed full of good things: whole wheat flour, flax seed, oat bran, carrots, nuts, and apples. It calls for a full cup of brown sugar but I cut down because the raisins provide pockets of sweetness. As always, tailor to your liking!

So next time you feel that muffin urge come ah-creeping, try these bad boys out. They're filling, satisfying, and easy to make!

Apple-Carrot Bran Flaxseed Muffins

from Bob's Red Mill

1-1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
3/4 cup Flaxseed Meal
3/4 cup Oat Bran Cereal
1 cup Brown Sugar
2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Cinnamon
1-1/2 cups finely shredded Carrots
2 peeled and shredded Apples
1/2 cup Raisins (optional)
1 cup chopped Nuts
3/4 cup Milk
2 beaten beaten Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla

Mix together flour, Flaxseed Meal, oat bran, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.

Stir in carrots, apples, raisins (if desired) and nuts. I like using the food processor! Combine milk, beaten eggs and vanilla. Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir until ingredients are moistened. DO NOT OVER MIX.

Fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes.

Yield: 15 medium muffins