Red Velvet Strawberry Cake

Submitted by Heather

Last week it was my husband's birthday.  I will never live down the time that, instead of making him a lovely, homemade cake/pie/dessert, I bought him an apple pie at Costco for his birthday celebration.  Never mind that we were moving the next day.  Or that apple pie is actually his favorite dessert.  It didn't live up to expectations.  So, here and there the "Costco pie" is mentioned and I've known better than to ever think of making that grave mistake again.  What looked to be a big, beautiful, lattice-topped pie didn't deliver in the flaky-crust,-tasty-apple-filling department.  Actually, I think I'd be better off just making him a cake mix or giving him a bowl of ice cream, than buying a pie or cake for his big day.  

He often tells me not to stress myself out making him a cake.  He doesn't realize, though, that I don't get stressed out.  I look forward to finally making something fun and different and special.  It's an excuse to try making something delicious and beautiful. And I think this cake did both!

I got the idea from iambaker.com, where she shows off a beautiful cake she made...the week after having a baby, while her house was full of guests!  Wow.  Since my youngest is just over one year old and I wasn't recovering from childbirth, I felt like I'd try to take it up a notch.  So, instead of using cake mixes, I made the cakes from scratch.  Yes, it took more time than cake mixes would take, but if you have the time it's probably worth it. The whole cake was really tasty and was gone in a matter of hours.  The kids inhaled it and the birthday boy seemed very satisfied.

This would also be a great cake to make for the Fourth of July.  Instead of strawberries on top or in the layers, you could use blueberries and have a very impressive and patriotic cake.

Note#1: If you want the layers to look prettier when you cut the cake, I would suggest leaving the berries out of the layers of the cake and serving them on the side.  You could even make a strawberry sauce to drizzle on the cake or to fill the layers.

Note #2: I must warn you that the red velvet cake flavor gets kind of lost in this dessert.  I really love red velvet, so I was looking forward to eating it, but with all the other flavors going on, it didn't really stand out.  In fact, I had to eat a layer by itself in order to actually taste it.  So, while it did make a very impressive looking layer, and was a moist and delicious addition to the cake, don't expect to taste its unique flavor in this dessert.  Just trying to be honest so you're not disappointed!

For the Red Velvet Cake layer:

Use the recipe on our blog, found here: Red Velvet Cupcakes

Divide the batter into two 9" greased cake pans and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

For the white cake layer:

I used a recipe I hadn't tried before, but that was very good.  It was called Vanilla Buttermilk Cupcakes and I found it on melskitchencafe.com.  Instead of cupcakes, I put the batter into cake pans.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 for light, aluminum or silicone pans or 325 for dark, nonstick pans. Grease 9" round cake pans and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed. Mix in eggs and egg yolk one at a time and then mix in the vanilla. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Combine. Add 1/4 cup of the buttermilk. Mix. Add another 1/3 of the dry ingredients. Mix. Add the final 1/4 cup of the buttermilk. Mix and then add the final 1/3 of the dry ingredients. Mix until combined and the batter is smooth. Divide the batter between two 9" cake pans.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes (depending on the heat of your oven), until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out with moist crumbs. Don’t overbake!

To Assemble:

Once your cakes are baked and cooled, which you may want to do the day before, it's time to chop the strawberries and whip the cream!  I used about 2 pounds of strawberries.  I chopped the ones for in between the layers, and sliced the ones for on top, just to make it a bit prettier.

You can use just plain whipped cream for filling the cake or, as I did, get a little bit crazy and make a cream cheese frosting and lighten it up with whipped cream.  I made the frosting that goes with the red velvet cupcakes:


8 oz. cream cheese
5 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2½ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Beat cream cheese and butter well, add vanilla and then add confectioner's sugar and beat well.  Fold in 2 C. of whipped cream (that's whipping cream that has been whipped, just to be clear) with 2/3 C. of cream cheese frosting.  Fill the cake layers, adding as many chopped strawberries as you'd like.

Cover the outside of the cake with sweetened whipped cream and garnish the top with strawberries.  YUM!

Happy Fourth of July!

Sources: White cake layer adapted from Vanilla Buttermilk Cupcakes from melskitchencafe.com, idea for cake from iambaker.com

Banana Bars

Submitted by : Lisa

I just love this recipe. It isn't like banana bread. It is light and delicious and very versatile. It suggests putting it into a jelly roll pan 10x15 size. I have never done that. I have put it into a 9x13 pan, an 8 inch spring form pan and put it on a pedestal, and now I am making them into cupcakes.

The kids love them, but more importantly the adults love them. I got this recipe from a co-worker and truthfully I don't know where she got it from.

Ingredients:

1/2 c butter, softened

1 1/4 c sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup mashed bananas (top off with applesauce if you don't have enough banana)

1 8 oz carton sour cream

2 c flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

Grease and lightly flour 10x15 inch jelly roll pan. Preheat oven to 375. Cream butter and sugar; blend in eggs, vanilla, bananas and sour cream.

Combine the dry ingredients; stir into the creamed mixture just until blended.

Spread in prepared pan.

Bake until bars test done with a wooden pick, about 25 minutes. Cool

Spread with cream cheese frosting....recipe follows

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 3 oz package cream cheese, softened

3 tbsp soft butter

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla

Beat until smooth. I like to serve it chilled, but it doesn't need to be.

Apple Pear Coffee Cake

Submitted by Lisa

My oldest son has been asking for apple crisp and suggested that the "next thing I make" be apple crisp. Well, I bought the apples and was preparing to do just that when I decided to see if I could switch it up a bit.

I pulled out my favorite bread book: Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, and lo and behold, there was a recipe that fit the bill! So I set out to make it. Because it takes more time than traditional apple crisp, I made the dough the day before I actually made the cake. You can do it in one day if you start early.

I asked my son if it passed the test...if it satisfied his need for apple crisp and it did! What I liked about it was that it was something new but satisfied the comfort level needed when going for traditional crisp.

Makes 1 coffee cake

The streusel Topping:

1 c oats

1 c all purpose flour

1 c brown sugar

1 c chopped nuts, optional

1/2 c melted butter

pinch of ground cinnamon

The Cake

1 1/2 lbs. (cantaloupe size portion) Brioche Dough (recipe to follow the instructions)

butter for greasing the pan

2 small apples, 1 tart, 1 sweet, thinly sliced

1 bosc pear, thinly sliced (I didn't have a pear so I just used apples)

3 tbsp brown sugar

zest of 1/2 an orange (next time I make this I wouldn't use this)

1 1/2 c streusel topping (above)

1. Prepare the topping: Combine all the streusel ingredients in a bowl and mix until the butter is roughly incorporated. Don't overmix- you want a crumbly texture. Set aside.

2. Assembling the cake: Grease an 8 inch cake pan with butter and dust with flour. Set aside.

3. Toss apples, pear, brown sugar, and zest together in a small bowl and set aside.

4. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a cantaloupe size piece. Dust with more flour and quickly shate it into a rough ball.

5. Roll out the dough into a 1/8 inch thick rectangle, approximately 12x16 inches. As you roll out the dough, add flour as needed to prevent sticking.

6. Cut the dough into two 8 inch rounds, by tracing the bottom of the pan. (save your scraps for cinnamon twists)

7. Place one of the dough rounds in the bottom of the prepared cake pan. Top with 1/2 the apple mixture and then sprinkle 1/2 the streusel over it. Repeat with the next layer of dough and apple/streusel.

8. Rest the cake for 1 hour 20 min.

9. 20 min before baking time, preheat the oven to 375.

10. Bake the cake in the center of the oven about 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

11. Allow to cool for 10 to 15 min. If not using a spring form pan, then invert the cake onto a plate and then invert it to another plate so the top is actually on top again. I think using a spring for pan, 8 inch size, is perfect.

12. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream, or just on its own.

Brioche Dough

Makes four 1 lb loaves. The recipe is easily doubled or halved.

1 1/2 c lukewarm water

1 1/2 tbsp yeast (2 pkts)

1 1/2 tbsp kosher salt

8 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 c honey

1 1/2 c unsalted butter,(3 sticks) melted, plus butter for greasing the pan

7 1/2 c all purpose flour

egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water)

1. Mix the yeast, salt, eggs, honey, and melted butter with the water in a 5 qt bowl.

2. Mix in the flour without kneading. If you aren't using a mixer with dough hook, you may need to to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour. The dough will be loose but will firm up when chilled; don't try to work with it before chilling. (You may notice lumps in the dough but they will disappear in the finished products.)

3. Cover(not air tight), and allow to rest at room temperature, until dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approx. 2 hrs.

4. The dough can be used as soon as it is chilled after the initial rise. Refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 5 days.

**Now follow the instructions above for the coffee cake, or use these for just plain brioche. **

5. Defrost the dough overnight in the refrigerator if frozen. On baking day, grease a 9x4x3 inch nonstick loaf pan. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off 1 lb (grapefruit size) piece. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a 1/4 turn as you go.

6. Elongate into an oval and place in a prepared pan. Allow to rest for 1 hr 20 min.

7. Twenty min before baking time, preheat oven to 350.

8. Using a pastry brush, brush the top crust with egg wash.

9. Place the bread near the center of the oven and bake for 35 to 40 min, or until a medium golden brown. Due to the fat in the dough, brioch will not form a hard, crackling crust.

10. Allow to cool before slicing or eating.