Grape Galette with Almonds, Lavender and Maple

As much as grapes are popular in many areas of the world, they are not often used in baking. It is understandable when it comes to large, thick skinned grapes with seeds, but less so with smaller, thin skinned and seedless ones. When I found such ones, I knew I wanted to incorporate them in some kind of cake.

Banana Yeast dough Cakes

I often end up with overripe bananas, that usually find their way into one-bowl type of cakes. As this time I was planning on making yeast dough roulades, I’ve decided to see how they would work in this type of dough.

Rich Yeast Dough Rolled Cakes

As I prepared these tasty cakes again this week, I realized it could be worthwhile to re-post the recipe, as it is from the early days of the blog and some of you probably didn’t see it.

I’m sure that even those of you who did see it, will enjoy this reminder of these very tasty and special cakes.

See you next week with a new recipe. :)

Tasty Eats

As much as I love quick baking cakes, when I take the time to bake yeast dough cakes, I have to admit there’s just no comparison – the amazing smell that fills the kitchen, the tasty rich fresh soft dough, combined with the filling and the crust – all come together to create the most “comfort food” experience that no quick muffin can give, with all due respect…

I am aware of the fact that quite a few people, even experienced bakers, are not too comfortable when it comes to yeast dough cakes. No one can deny that the process indeed takes longer than with most cakes, but it is mainly because of the waiting time for the dough to rise, not because there is so much more work involved. So find a day when you’re around the house, and give this a try. Be patient with the process, let…

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Sponge Cake with Maple-Rum Butter Cream

As I’m taking a few days off blogging, I once again opt to re-blogging an earlier post, which most of you probably have missed.

Happy New Year to all. :)

Tasty Eats

Sometimes it’s nice to just toss the “light” cake versions out the window, and go with a really fluffy cake – a texture that can only be obtained by using meringue – a rich whipped mixture of egg whites and sugar. And while at it, why not top it all with a rich and tasty butter cream that, how else, can only be obtained by using lots of butter and sugar? And to add even more flavor and fragrance, why not drizzle the cake with a Rum and Maple syrup? The scrumptious decadent result is a good example for the use of the simple word – “Yum!”…

A few important guidelines:
– For best results, all the ingredients should be at room temperature. So make sure to take them out of the fridge at least an hour before starting.
– Don’t skip the SIFTING stage – it is important…

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Sour Cream, Hazelnuts and Cherries Mini-Cakes

Few ingredients in a cake don’t mean lack of flavor – and these tasty little cakes are the proof of that. They are also very quick and easy to prepare – all that’s needed are a bowl and a whisk.

Lemon, Banana, Pecan and Cranberries Cake with Lemon Glaze

This tasty and light cake is very easy to make – it doesn’t even require a mixer. Just make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature and mixing will be a breeze. It is a great cake to have on hand, served as a snack or a light dessert.

A SWEET NEW YEAR TO ALL!

Here is a selection of a few of this year’s desserts. Happy New Year to All! 

Sponge Cake with Rum-Maple butter cream

Chocolate Crackles Cookies

Aromatic Pineapple-Cherry Cake

Fragrant Lime and Dried Apricots Cupcakes with Lime Icing

Apple-Cranberry Cupcakes with Cranberry Icing

Brown Butter, Pecan and Maple Cake

Pear, Kumquat and Ginger Upside-down Cake

After a few lengthy recipes, I’ve decided it’s time for something a bit quicker and easier to make. My initial idea was to bake a simple pear-ginger cake, but then I’ve found these lovely kumquats at the store – and decided they would fit perfectly in the cake.
So, even though I ended up complicating the simple recipe a bit, the result was definitely worth it. I believe “festive” is a good word to describe this fragrant, colorful and moist cake. It is just perfect for this time of the year, or for any other festive occasion.

Rich Yeast Dough Rolled Cakes

As much as I love quick baking cakes, when I take the time to bake yeast dough cakes, I’m always rewarded with the satisfying process of making the dough, the amazing smell that fills the kitchen, the tasty rich fresh soft dough, combined with the filling and the crust. All these come together to create the most “comfort food” experience which no quick muffin can give.

Orange Coconut Chocolate Squares

Orange flavored dough + coconut meringue topping + bits of dark chocolate chips in the middle = perfect combination.

Upside-down Rhubarb Cake

Upside-down cakes got a bad reputation it the States, and it is no wonder why, when most of the recipes for it call for “a box of yellow cake mix, canned pineapples in heavy syrup and artificially colored red maraschino cherries”…
Yet, upside-down cakes are wonderful when made properly; the sugar and butter at the bottom caramelize lightly, blending nicely with the fruit and with the cake batter on top. Add to this the fact that the cake is very easy to make, and you can’t help but wonder why on earth anyone would consider ruining this nice cake with all those horrid ingredients. So, here’s a chance to redeem the cakes’ bad reputation.