Caramel Apple Coffee Cake

Don't you just love the smell of cinnamon in your cakes?

One sniff, and I'll be in heaven. Seriously, I used to hate cinnamon. What's with cake and spices? 

Now I rummaged through my notes and recipes book for any cakes, with a hint of cinnamon. Even if its just a teaspoon, it could blew me away. But since there's only me and Mom at home, I often ended up feeling guilty of eating too much. If only our 20 cats have 'cakes' in their diet *sigh*.

Now this recipe is worth to try. I am not saying its the best because I think I've eaten an apple cake even better than this but I love cakes with crumbs or streussel topping. Its just added some texture to your cake. And make your own caramel, instead of just dumping it all in the mixing bowl. Heat some brown sugar  with a couple tbsp of water, bring it to boil, let it cool then add in some apples before folding in to your batter.

Caramel Apple Coffee Cake

Adapted from Glorious Treats

For the cake;

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sour cream (I used plain yogurt)

1 tsp vanilla essence

2 cups peeled, cored and chopped apples

For the crumbs topping;

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

4 tbsp butter, melted

*There's caramel drizzle in the original recipe, but I decided not to use it ;)

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees celcius. Grease your pan. I used a brownie pan, 7" x 12".
2. Beat the butter until smooth, add in brown sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy. Then add in eggs, one at a time until incorporated.
3. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.
4. With the mixer on low speed, add 1/2 of the flour mixture and mix well. Add in 1/2 cup of the sour cream (or yogurt) and continue beating until incorporated.  Continue with the rest of the flour and sour cream.
5. Add in vanilla then fold in the apples. Spread it onto your pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

Congo Bars

Now, who has never heard any of Congo Bars? I think I have baked it before. Ah yes.

Mom saw this one bag full with pecans which I was saving it for my hummingbird cake.

"Bake for me one, any, full with nuts like what you did before"

I ransacked my box of bakery supplies and found a packet of walnuts. Ah yes! And I baked her an Indonesian Butter Walnut Cake, and it was slightly over baked. And dry. But nevertheless, Mom was the only enjoying it. I wonder why until now.

Still not feeling happy (and since I always ran out of my banana), I ransacked again my baking box and found different types of chocolate chips and M&M's mini. And there, an hour later, I get my Congo bars, with colours this time.

But one thing for sure, if I were to bake it again, maybe I should try a different recipe this time. I mean, there were so many recipes on the net, and each with different ingredients and instructions.

But Mom still loves the walnut cake, and I wonder why...

Congo Bars

Adapted from Bakerella

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2/3 cup butter, softened

2 cups brown sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 cup chocolate chip

1 cup twin chocolate chip (optional)

1 tube M&M's mini (optional)

1 cup chopped pecans

1. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
2. Beat butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add in egg one at a time and vanilla essence. Add in the flour mixture gradually and continue beating at a medium speed until flour disappears.
3. Now, using a wooden spoon or a spatula add in all the chocolate chips, nuts and M&M's and mix until it is well combined.
4. Spread it into your pans and bake at 160 degrees for 30 minutes. (Mine was bake at 25 minutes!)

Chocolate Bottom Banana Square

Did you know for every recipes/cakes that I post here was something that I baked at least a couple of months back? Hehe. Sorry for the almost a month silence. I just hope I won't stop posting here :)

Lately, I always have over-rippen bananas on my kitchen counter (which reminds me I still have few in the fridge) so one day I decided to bake this, just to avoid the guilt of throwing actively grown molded-bananas. And I know this was a wise decision (because it has to be).

A lot of friends did asked me, "Why do you like baking so much?", "Where did you learned?". The truth? I bake because I love eating all the sweet stuff. And I couldn't stop eating it. It has become an addiction, at least once a week, I will treat myself, almost slathering my body with the fattening creams.

And then one day I've decided to start baking. Which was a good thing at first, because I could try as many recipes that I was craving for. But the downside of it was you'd know the exact amount of fat & sugar that accumulated in your blood vessels and underneath your skin.

And then it was not that fun anymore.

But I won't stop. Because this is where my passion is (besides dancing).

Chocolate Bottom Banana Square

Adapted from Bisousatoi.

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 1/2 cup mashed bananas (I used around 6 medium size bananas)

1 1/2 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 cup chocolate chip

1. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the egg, vanilla essence and mashed banana and beat well until incorporated.
2. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in another bowl. Add to wet ingredients and mix well using a wooden spoon or a spatula.
3. Divide the batter equally into two bowl. Add cocoa powder in one of the bowl and mix well. Spread the cocoa batter on a 9x9 greased pan. Then spread the original batter on top of the cocoa batter and swirl it using a butter knife. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.
4. Bake at 170 degrees for 30 minutes. Let it cool before cutting it.

And yes, it was moist and sweet and delish!

Dark and red.

I uploaded these pictures few days ago while trying to find the recipe.

Sorry! I couldn't find it! Seriously! Usually I would jot down everything - the recipe on my recipe book. But these brownies, I baked it for a friend in the morning, during raya haji. Kelam kabut bagai so I just baked by directly following the instruction from Allrecipe.com

And now tak jumpa :(

Because I love the browniesssss! Especially when I put marshmallows on top!

And red velvet cake. I don't really like it so I won't post the recipe :p Although my sister's friends love it.

Congo Bar

I know I know. I haven't blogging for quite a while :p Finally I've got some time to update. Will update more later but its weekend already :( You know I am busy on weekends with errrrrr stuff?

Congo Bar

Adapted from Bakerella

2 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter, softened
2cups (or less) brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Set aside.
Stir brown sugar into softened (not melted) butter in another large bowl until butter disappears. You can use the back of your spoon to help incorporate the two together.
Add eggs one at a time to butter mixture and stir well after each egg.
Add vanilla, chocolate chips and nuts. Mix well.
Add dry flour mixture and stir until well combined.

Coat a 13 X 9 pan with non-stick spray and spread batter evenly into dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown. Make sure you don’t over bake.

Carrot cake and Dates bar

So my sister in law (erk I must get used to it) asked me to bake a carrot cake for her for raya. But I already preparing for a cheesecake so I told her I nanti. Nanti Shaleen bake.

This was the second time I bake using this recipe. The first one wasn't what I expected for. And that was 3 months ago. But I won't give up. I just though maybe I'd missed out somewhere so baked it again for the second time.

And it fails. Big time.

It was too spongy!! I don't know if that was what it should tasted like but I don't think carrot cake was supposed to be spongy macam sepan. There, sepan tau! So sila. I drew my line, just here.

And this on the other hand was my favourites. It was dense and full with nuts and dates. I know my Mom would love it and she did :)

The Bar

Adapted from Thepioneerwoman

1-½ cup Butter, Melted And Then Cooled

8 ounces, weight Pitted Dates, Chopped Coarsely (around 1 1/2 Cups

1-½ cup Walnuts, Chopped

1 cup Pecans, Chopped (optional)

2 cups All-purpose Flour

½ teaspoons Salt

¼ teaspoons Baking Powder

¾ cups Packed Brown Sugar

¾ cups White Sugar

4 whole Eggs At Room Temperature

1 teaspoon Vanilla

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Take 2 tablespoons of the melted butter and brush your pan (one 9×13 pan or two 8×8 pans), making sure to grease the sides as well.

3. Set the coarsely chopped dates, walnuts and pecans (if using) aside in a bowl. (If the dates you are using are too dry, you can soak them in a little bit of liquid. Make sure you drain them before mixing them in with the nuts.)

4. Sift the flour, salt, and baking powder into a bowl. Set aside.

5. Mix the remaining 1 1/4 cup melted butter and sugars until well incorporated.

6. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

7. Add in the vanilla.

8. Reserve ¼ cup of the flour mixture. Dredge the date and nut mixture with the reserved flour. Use more of the flour mixture if needed.

9. Mix in the rest of the flour mixture with the wet ingredients. Do this gently, by hand, until just incorporated.

10. Fold in dredged dates and nuts with the batter.

10. Pour the batter (it will be very thick) onto the buttered pan(s).

11. Bake for 30 or more minutes, until light golden brown. It can take up to 40 or so minutes to cook, so keep checking. The bars are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs.

Blueberry Crumb Bars

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen originally from Allrecipes

1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cold unsalted butter
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest and juice of one lemon
4 cups fresh blueberries (Or a can)
1/2 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9×13 inch pan.

In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, and baking powder. Mix in salt and lemon zest. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the butter and egg. Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.

In another bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently mix in the blueberries. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Cheesecake Marbled Brownies

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Brownie batter
1 stick (1/2 cup or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup all-purpose flour

Cheesecake batter
8 ounces cream cheese, well softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Plus
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Make brownie batter: Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Heat butter and chocolate in a 3-quart heavy saucepan — though I did mine double-boiler style, placing the mixing bowl I was using over simmering water, thereby creating one less dirty dish and melting the chocolate more gently — over moderately low heat, whisking occasionally, just until melted. Remove from heat and whisk in sugar, eggs, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until well combined. Whisk in flour until just combined and spread in baking pan.

Make cheesecake batter: Whisk together cheesecake batter ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Dollop over brownie batter, then swirl in with a knife or spatula.

Bake brownies: Bake until edges are slightly puffed and center is just set, about 35 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.