41 | 52 Dr. Pepper Cake

Do you like Dr. Pepper?

My hubby does. He LOVES it.

So of course I had to make him a Dr. Pepper Cake for his birthday.

And you know what? I was only able to take pictures from the outside.

So sorry, guys!

Dr. Pepper Cake with Dr. Pepper Frosting

From Homemade Hooplah

For the cake:

260 g (2 cups) flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

30 g (1/4 cup) cocoa powder, unsweetened

227 g (1 cup) butter, at room temperature

200 g (1 cup) sugar

110 g (1/2 cup) brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

240 ml (1 cup) Dr. Pepper

120 ml (1/2 cup) buttermilk

For the frosting:

260 g (2 cups) powdered sugar

57 g (1/4 cup) butter, at room temperature

85 g (3 oz) cream cheese, at room temperature

2 tablespoon Dr. Pepper

• Preheat oven to 180°C (360°F). 
• Combine flour, baking sodar, and cocoa powder.
• Beat together butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla extract until fluffy.
• Add half the flour mix and combine. Add Dr. Pepper. Add other half of flour mix and buttermilk. Don't overmix.
• Pour batter into prepared baking pan and bake for about 35 minutes. Let cool.
• For the frosting, beat together butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar. Add the Dr. Pepper one spoon at a time to make sure that the frosting won't get too liquid.
• Decorate cake as you wish.

My modifications:

I made a cake (not muffins). And I only made half the frosting because I didn't need that much. The amounts above (for the frosting) are already cut in half.

The taste:

Like a very dense chocolate cake with a hint of Dr. Pepper. Even with the frosting - just a hint. So next time, I would make a nice, moist chocolate cake and serve it with a glass of Dr. Pepper. Sorry.

Have you tried baking with sodas? Coke, Fanta, Dr. Pepper, Sprite, Root Beer? 

How was the result?

40 | 52 Matcha Macadamia Blondies

38. 

That's how old I turned last week. And I'm okay with it.

Really. :)

My girls and I celebrated with a very lovely Sushi lunch and I wanted to bake something for dessert that would somehow fit. I remembered that I pinned a Matcha Brownie recipe a while ago and started searching. Then I stumbled upon the recipe below and decided to go with that one.

 this is all that was left when I had time to take pictures...

Matcha Macadamia Blondies

From Twigg Studios

240 g (9 oz) white chocolate

113 g (1 stick) butter

200 g (1 cup) sugar

3 eggs

80 g (1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons) flour

3-4 teaspoons matcha powder

30 g (1/3 cup) macadamia nuts, chopped

• Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). 
• Melt butter and white chocolate over a bain marie. Whisk in sugar, add eggs one at a time, then fold in flour, matcha powder, and chopped macadamias. 
• Pour into prepared pan and bake for 5 minutes, then cover with foil and bake for another 25 minutes. The center should still wiggle when you move it.
• Let cool.

My modifications:

I omitted white chocolate chips to be added to the dough. I felt that there was enough white chocolate in it and I would do it like this again. Next time I would also omit the macadamias because you don't really taste them. (And they're too expensive to just add a little tasteless crunch, don't you think?)

The taste:

Hm. First bite on the first day: not very convincing. Second bite on the day after baking: interesting. Good. Green. Interesting. It's good but also very different.
Especially in the middle it's more like candy than cake. If you are after a 'real' cake texture, this one won't be for you.

And please keep my experience in mind: this is a cake for girls. Not boys (not even when they are grown up).

Have you baked anything with any kind of tea? What and how was it?

39 | 52 Spiced Pear Crumb Cake

I love fall. I really do.

That crisp cool air outside and cozy evenings at home involving blankets and candles.

And cake. Of course. Always.

This specific one is absolutely perfect for fall. You can taste the season in every bite.

Spiced Pear Crumb Cake

From The View from Great Island

For the filling:

4 ripe pears, peeled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
juice of 1/2 lemon 

For the dough:
227g (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
145g (2/3 cup) dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon allspice
260 g (2 cups) flour
55g (1/2 cup) pecans, chopped

For the glaze:
65g (1/2 cup) powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 

milk or cream to thin

• Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). 
• Combine pears, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Set aside. 
• Cream butter the sugar until light and fluffy. Add salt and all spices and mix well. 
• Add flour and mix until just combined (don't worry if the dough is crumbly - it's supposed to be like that). 
• Press 2/3 of the dough mix into a prepared springform pan (23-25 cm / 9-10 in). 
• Spread the pears out evenly on top of the dough. 
• Add the pecans to the remaining dough and crumble it evenly over the pears. 
• Bake for about 45 minutes. Let cool completely before glazing. 
• For the glaze mix the sugar, nutmeg and as much milk or cream as you need to get a nice glaze consistency. Drizzle over the cooled cake. 

 

My modifications:

None. 

The taste:

Autumnally delicious. Soul food. It will definitely warm you from the inside.

What's your favorite fall cake?

38 | 52 Plum Muffins

Don't think that I can't see it.

You. Rolling your eyes.

At yet another plum recipe.

I'm sorry but I can't help it!

Not sure where exactly it comes from but I keep wanting to try new plum (baking) recipes.

And when should I actually make them if not now?!

So I beg you. Please. Stay with me.

And just enjoy the plummy ride.

Plum Muffins

From Christina's Cucina

260 g (2 cups) flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoons baking soda

100 g (1/2 cup) sugar

2 eggs

100 ml (1/2 cup) olive oil

250 ml (1 cup) yogurt

300 g (10.5 oz) plums, chopped

• Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). 
• Combine flour, baking powder and soda, and sugar in a bowl.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, and yogurt. Pour into dry ingredients and mix until just combined (works best with a wooden spoon).
• Add plums and fold in carefully. Fill muffin cups/pan and bake for about 15-20 minutes.

My modifications:

I used coconut oil instead of olive oil.

The taste:

Good, moist, comforting.

It actually tastes as if there are oats in the batter. Strange because, as you know, there are none.

Definitely to be enjoyed on the day of baking when the top is still a bit 'crusty'.

All in all: nothing exciting or extravagant about these but you probably wouldn't pick this recipe if that's what you're after...

Do you even like plums? If so, how do you like them best?

37 | 52 Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread

I might have told you before: I LOVE peanut butter.

I don't think I even have to mention chocolate....

And yes, overripe banana time it was again!

And I had a feeling I needed some kind of banana bread that was a bit different to the usual one. And then I stumbled upon this.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Adapted from Broma Bakery

80 g (1/3 cup) peanut butter

150 g (3/4 cup) sugar

2-3 ripe bananas, mashed

120 ml (1/2 cup) olive oil

2 eggs

65 g (1/2 cup) cocoa, unsweetened

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

130 g (1 cup) flour

• Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F).
• Mix together peanut butter, sugar, mashed bananas, olive oil, and eggs. 
• Stir in cocoa, baking powder & soda, salt, and vanilla. Add flour last and mix until just combined.
• Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes.

 

My modifications:

Since I only had crunchy peanut butter at home, that's what I used and it was very good.

I didn't put banana slices on top before baking. And I omitted the 'frosting'.

Otherwise - no changes to the original recipe.

The taste:

Good. But a bit on the dry side and a bit too dark chocolatey, for my taste.
So definitely a diffferent banana bread but not my favorite one.

What's your favorite banana bread? Would be cool if you shared the recipe!

36 | 52 Poppyseed Quark Cake with Prunes and Cinnamon Crumbles

Another week, another plum recipe. (#sorrynotsorry)

'Tis the season. Of yummy purple, oval plums. Or prunes?

Yes, let's take a moment and talk about those plums/prunes.

Here in Switzerland (and Germanya and Austria), we love our Zwetschgen. And our Pflaumen, too.

According to the Wikipedia, Zwetschgen are a a subspecies of the plum (Pflaume).

Zwetschge = prune, or common plum = Prunus domestica subsp. domestica

Pflaume = (round) plum = Prunus domestica

The easiest way to keep them apart is actually their shape and color.

Zwetschgen are oval and very dark blue/purple, Pflaumen are bigger and round and of a lighter purple (or even yellow or red).

YAY! You might have even learned something new today!

If not - sorry to have bored you with all these German, English, and Latin terms...

Oh, but I forgot. This recipe also calls for Quark. 

If you don't know what I'm talking about, follow this link... 

Poppyseed Quark Cake with Prunes and Cinnamon Crumbles

From Ich bin dann mal kurz in der Küche

For the bottom and crumbles
100 g (1 stick minus 1 tablespoon) butter, cold
50 g (1/4 cup) sugar
1 egg
pinch of salt
180 g (1 1/3 cups plus 1 tablespoon) flour

 

For the filling

250 g (8.8 oz) quark

1 egg

1 tablespoon cornstarch

50 g (1/4 cup) sugar

100 g (3.5 oz) poppyseeds, ground

Plus

1 teaspoon cinnamon

300 g (10.5) prunes/plums, halved and pitted

• For the bottom and crumbles, cut cold butter into pieces. Add remaining bottom/crumble ingredients and knead (with your hands) until you get a smooth dough. Let cool for 30 minutes.  
• For the filling, mix together all filling ingredients. 
• Preheat oven to 180°C (355°F). 
• Put 2/3 of the bottom/crumbles dough evenly onto the bottoms of 2 small, round springform pans (20 cm/8 in). Spoon poppyseed filling over dough and distribute prune halves on top of it. 
• Combine the remaining dough for the crumbles with cinnamon and crumble over prunes. 
• Bake for 40-45 minutes. Let cool completely before serving (and ideally serve the next day).

My modifications:

None. Except for using two (instead of one) 20 cm springform pans which was perfect for the amounts given.

The taste:

Good on the first day, definitely a lot better on the second day so try to be patient ;) 

I'm not the biggest fan of poppyseeds but I still liked it. It does taste more like fall than summer (at least to me) so save this for the end of plum season...

What's more commonly available where you live: Zwetschgen or Pflaumen?

Do you have a preference if you can buy both?

35 | 52 Whole Wheat Banana Streusel Muffins

You know the drill...

New banana recipe up on the blog = I needed to use up my overripe bananas ;)

But it's all good! 

Because that way we can all try many yummy banana baking recipes together. 

So: long live the overripe banana. 

Without it, the baking world would not be the same.

Whole Wheat Banana Streusel Muffins

Adapted from Baked by Rachel

For the muffins

60 g (1/4 cup) butter, softened

100 g (1/2 cup) light brown sugar

2 eggs

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

190 g (1 1/2 cup) whole wheat flour

For the streusel

65 g (1/2 cup) whole wheat flour

4 tablespoons light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

60 g (1/4 cup) butter, melted

• Preheat oven to 175ºC (350ºF). 
• For the streusel, whisk together dry ingredients. Add melted butter and stir until crumbly. Let cool in the fridge while you prepare the muffins.
• For the muffins, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and banana and mix until smooth. Add dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated.
• Fill your muffin tin with batter, then top with cold streusel - just crumble over the muffin batter.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool.

My modifications:

I halved the amount of sugar for the muffins (the original recipe calls for 1/2 cup granulated and 1/2 cup light brown sugar. With half the amount the muffins were still sweet enough. There was an additional glaze over the streusel in the original recipe which I omitted completely. I'm sure it would have been very yummy but I didn't miss it (and I have the feeling that I was eating something remotely healthy...).

The taste:

Healthy. But in a good way! Perfect for breakfast.

What is your favorite 'healthy' muffin recipe?