Volcano Birthday Cake
For Top Gun’s fifth birthday, he requested a volcano birthday cake with dinosaurs. For some reason, he associates volcanoes with dinosaurs, so we obliged and made a chocolate volcano birthday cake with chocolate frosting and colored vanilla frosting with five toy dinosaurs—one for each year—strategically placed on top, making a sort of volcano diorama. He was so excited when he came home from school and found the cake sitting in the kitchen, though he felt we had not included enough dinosaurs in the diorama, so he ran upstairs and pulled another from his collection and plopped it down exactly where he thought it should go. Read more
Whole Wheat Blueberry Buckle
Early blueberries have started coming into the markets and grocery stores and we brought a big bunch home last week, eager for a chance to enjoy some of the delicious fruits. We use them in pies, muffins, ice cream, cakes, tarts, on top of a bowl of oatmeal, or just to eat out of hand. The boys usually have their fingers in the bowl of blueberries when we make something with them.
Banana Bundt Cake
My children’s school had a teacher’s luncheon a couple weeks ago for Teacher Appreciation Week, and I signed up to make a dessert. Cakes seem to go over well and Bundt cakes always look pretty on the buffet table, so I chose Dorie’s recipe for a banana Bundt, a homey and deliciously moist cake that is so easy to make. And the batter, oh the batter. It’s light and fluffy and tastes really good right out of the bowl. I promise I did not lick the bowl and spatula until after popping the cake into the oven. The boys were mighty disappointed that I sent the entire cake off to school without saving any for them, and I had to promise I would make another one sometime soon, which I did and it was a hit with the family.
Many grocery stores sell overripe bananas by the bag, and I can occasionally find a bag of 12 or more really ripe bananas for just US$1, which are perfect for this cake. The cake tastes best if made the day before, just wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. You can make the lemon glaze or just dust on some confectioners sugar for a simple finish. Read more
Lemon Yogurt Cake
I’ve had to work very hard on my mixing skills. When I first started cooking I was convinced that a hand mixer was the perfect solution for all mixing and in my enthusiasm I would beat all batters to death then wonder why my muffins looked and tasted like hockey pucks. I didn’t have Dorie or Ina hanging over my shoulder sharing tips on how to fold gently, but boy could I have used their help. I still shudder when I see “gently fold” in the recipe instructions, knowing that my technique isn’t quite up to par. My batters always deflate a bit because I either become impatient while wondering when the flour and the wet ingredients will finally unite or I have to hurry up so I can stop the boys before they destroy the house or do something silly like ride a flattened cardboard box down the stairs. Read more
Guinness Gingerbread
I realize this is not a traditional St. Patrick’s Day recipe by any means, but it is a tasty way to use Guinness Stout, the king of Irish stouts, in your baking. Guinness and chocolate are a perfect pair, and they work especially well with the spicy ginger, pepper, and smoky cinnamon. The gingerbread only takes a few minutes to mix up, so it’s a quick and easy dessert to serve at a St. Patrick’s Day celebration or any time of year.
The gingerbread was a hit at our house and Michael even said it was the best gingerbread he’d ever tasted as he went back for seconds. The flavor and moistness kept us coming back for more.
More Recipes For St. Patrick’s Day
Cranberry Orange Upside Down Cake
When I was a kid thought of upside down cakes as “dump cakes.” You know, you dump the cake out of the pan and stuff runs everywhere. It seemed reasonable at the time, even if it sounded less than palatable to the average ear. My boys think upside down cakes are magic, and I had an audience when I turned this one out onto the serving plate. Top Gun stood as patiently as he possibly could, his eyes big as saucers when I lifted off the pan, and he simply said, “Wow.” Then after tasting a few crumbs he wanted to know when we were having dessert.
I like upside down cakes because the fruit and glaze looks so pretty on the top, and for the most part they are easy to make. You can serve them as is or dress it up for guests with a little whipped cream or ice cream; either way, you have a simple cake that looks beautiful and works well for dessert or brunch.
With cranberries in season, this is an easy and tasty way to use them. The tartness of the berries and the orange juice balances the sweetness of the brown sugar, the orange zest carries on the theme in the cake, and the whipped cream has just a touch of orange flavor with Grand Marnier.
