cake

Name: Chocolate Oreo Bundt
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Yield: 1 cake
Ingredients: 1 box devil's food cake xix; 1 package instant chocolate pudding mix; 3/4 cup vanilla bean Greek yogurt; 3/4 vegetable oil; 3 large eggs; 1/3 cup espresso or really strong coffee; 1 cup crushed Oreo cookies; 1 package instant white chocolate pudding mix; 3-4 tablespoons whole milk; Oreo cookies, crushed for garnish

Chocolate Oreo Bundt – #BundtBakers

0 · Jun 21, 2018 · 4 Comments

This Chocolate Oreo Bundt is dark decadence at its finest with a luxurious white chocolate cream frosting and crumbled Oreo cookies throughout.

Mae West once said, “Too much of a good thing can be wonderful!” It may be perceived as a cheeky statement (maybe because of who it was coming from), but is there really any denying this is in fact…well, a fact? No, of course not.

First of all, whoever said at a party, “There’s too much chocolate cake here!”? Yeah, no one ever said that. So, feast your eyes friends. Then when you scroll all the way down to the recipe, feast your taste buds and go whip yourself up a Chocolate Oreo Bundt, because life is short and you deserve each day to be a wonderful one.

This month’s #BundtBakers are joining forces to bring you the most delicious, luxurious, irresistible chocolate cakes out there, and it is all thanks to our wonderful hostess of the month, Sue from Palatable Pastime. Enter, this wildly decadent bundt. I don’t even know where to begin…

Let’s start with cookies and cream aka Oreos. Now let’s add some chocolate…let’s add a little more chocolate and while we’re at it, let’s add a splash of coffee too. Finally, let’s top it all off with a rich, white chocolate frosting.

Hear that? Oh yes, that’s the sound of Heaven’s gates opening, welcoming you to your sweetest desires. This cake is just that. Everything you’ve ever dreamt of and then some.

I’ll let you in on a little secret about this bundt- aside from it being irresistible which you already know, but it also happens to be semi-homemade- not that anyone would ever be able to tell. 😉

Living the Gourmet

Yields 1 cake

Serves 10

Chocolate Oreo Bundt

10 minPrep Time

35 minCook Time

45 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

For the cake:

1 box devil's food cake xix
1 package instant chocolate pudding mix
3/4 cup vanilla bean Greek yogurt
3/4 vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1/3 cup espresso or really strong coffee
1 cup crushed Oreo cookies

For the frosting:

1 package instant white chocolate pudding mix
3-4 tablespoons whole milk
Oreo cookies, crushed for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and grease a bundt pan.
In the bowl of your mix master with the paddle attachment, beat all the ingredients for the cake except the crushed Oreos until well combined. The batter should be mostly smooth. Fold in the crushed Oreo cookies and pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan.
Bake for 35 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Let the bundt cool before transferring to a cake plate.
Once the cake is cooled, in a small bowl, whisk together the white chocolate pudding mix and milk, adding one tablespoon at a time, whisking between each addition. Adjust the amount of milk you need for the frosting until you have a whipped, spreadable topping.
Generously frost the cake and garnish with more crumbled Oreos. Serve and enjoy!

https://livingthegourmet.com/2018/06/chocolate-oreo-bundt-bundtbakers.html

Enjoy with Love!

—

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.
Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

Bundt Bakers

Chocolate Bundt Cakes

Come see what we have baked up for you this month!

Alcohol Chocolate Fruit Mini Bundts from Sneha’s Recipe
Bundt Cake White Chocolat from Merce’s Cake
Caramel Mocha Bundt Cake from All That’s Left Are The Crumbs
Chocolate Brownie Bundt from Cookaholic Wife
Chocolate Coconut Bundt Cake from Tartacadabra
Chocolate Oreo Bundt from Living the Gourmet
Chocolate Tres Leches Bundt Cake from Patty’s Cake
Extra Dark Chocolate and Moka Bundt Cake from Pat y Co. Candy Bar
Inside Out German Chocolate Cake from Food Lust People Love
Low Sugar Chocolate Peanut Butter Bundt Cake from Palatable Pastime
Martha Stewart Chocolate Bundt Cake from I Love Bundt Cakes
White Chocolate, Almond and Strawberry Curd Bundt Cake from Nunca es Demasiado Dulce

Butter Cake with Citrus Rum Syrup and White Chocolate Mascarpone Frosting

0 · Mar 7, 2018 · 9 Comments

This buttery moist cake is soaked in an orange and rum syrup then layered with a white chocolate and mascarpone cream. The result is a delightfully airy dessert with a symphony of flavors.

Yesterday was quite the day, and by ‘quite the day’ of course I mean that essentially nothing went according to plan, expectation, or intent.

To start things off, yesterday was the Birthday of Yours Truly, and of course your self-styled gourmet had some very ‘gourmet plans’ for herself. In short, I wanted to conduct a regular ‘tour de force’ for my special day. I had planned out a spread of delicious appetizers, a photogenic ‘Living the Gourmet Dinner,’ and a of course a cake worthy of my social media channels. Yes, I wanted to fully and thoroughly celebrate my own birthday, because if indeed ‘You are your own best advocate,’ then I am also my own best party and menu planner.

I even went so far as to save most of the shopping for yesterday morning, because I wanted to be sure that everything on hand was as fresh as possible, and because I also had two errands that needed to be run that morning anyway.

However, the river also had plans for itself. Yes, the river intended on ‘celebrating’ itself as well in all of its murkily aquatic spitefulness. Granted, I knew about these ‘river plans’ well in advance, but in true Northeast “I’ll be Fine, The Weather Can’t Hurt Me” fashion, I left that morning just as the tide was rising, intending to ‘beat the flood’ back to my home…and of course I was right, nothing was indeed ‘hurt,’ except my plans.

That said, I’m sure you can guess what happened…or maybe you can’t. Cue up two very solid delays during my errands, and very poorly timed chat with a lovely acquaintance, and I ended up being blockaded off by a wall of water from my own home…and by ‘my own home’ I mean several full residential blocks from my home.

Yes, I ended up riding around aimlessly with a trunk full of perishable food waiting to be able to get back home, helplessly watching the day fade away. Indeed, by the time I was finally able to get home, the perishable food was of questionable quality, my patience were at the precipice of their end, and honestly, I just didn’t feel like piecing together a ‘tour de force’ for myself anymore.

However, cake. There is always room for it, and there is always time for it, and when all else fails, we can eat cake.

Yes, if Bogart will always have Paris, then Lady Gourmet will have cake- Butter Cake soaked in a citrus and rum syrup then layered in a white chocolate mascarpone cream.

Naturally, that brings us to today’s recipe…

Living the Gourmet

Yields 8-10

Butter Cake with Citrus Rum Syrup and White Chocolate Mascarpone Frosting

15 minPrep Time

30 minCook Time

45 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

For the cake:

1 box butter cake mix
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 eggs
¾ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Berries for garnish, optional
Dark Chocolate for shaving, optional

Citrus Rum Syrup:

1/3 cup simple syrup
Juice of 1 orange
2 tablespoons Rum

White Chocolate Mascarpone Frosting:

½ cup Mascarpone cheese
½ teaspoons almond extract
½ cup confectioner's sugar
1 pint whipping cream
1 (3.9 oz) package white chocolate pudding mix

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans.
In the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine all ingredients for the cake until a thick, smooth batter forms. Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Tap the pans gently before baking to remove any air bubbles.
Bake the cakes for about 30 minutes or until golden and the cake tester comes out clean. Remove and let cool on a cooling rack.
In a small bowl, whisk together ingredients for the Citrus Rum Syrup. Take a thin knife and poke each cake several times, making an 'x' shape then drizzle the syrup over them. Let the cakes absorb the syrup while they cool completely.
As the cakes are cooling, prepare your frosting by first whipping the cream and white chocolate pudding mix in the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the mascarpone cheese, almond extract, and confectioner's sugar until smooth. Fold into the whipped cream. Store the frosting in an airtight container until you are ready to frost the cakes.
To assemble, turn out one of the cakes onto your cake plate, top side down. Scoop about 1½ cups of frosting onto the cake and smooth out with a spatula. Carefully place the second cake on top. Gently press down to make sure the cakes are level. Use the rest of the frosting to top the cake. If you have any left over you can fill the sides. If you so desire, shave some dark chocolate on top and garnish with a few fresh berries.
Serve and enjoy!

https://livingthegourmet.com/2018/03/butter-cake-citrus-rum-syrup-white-chocolate-mascarpone-frosting.html

Calories

5395 cal

Fat

409 g

Carbs

387 g

Protein

68 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

Enjoy with Love!

Ultimate Chocolate Cake

0 · Feb 21, 2018 · 13 Comments

This Ultimate Chocolate Cake is the only recipe you’ll ever need next time you’re craving something chocolatey! It’s rich in flavor but light and airy in texture. We brought it all together with a Chocolate Cream Frosting. Read the recipe below for the surprising secret ingredients to this decadent dessert!

I stumbled upon a saying the other day on Instagram that made me laugh, but it is so true- “January lasted four months and three days but somehow we’re already halfway through February? How does that work?”

I feel like I’m still getting started on my New Year’s resolutions, but on the plus side at least I’m sticking with it. Part of those resolutions are to stay organized and ahead of the seasonal holidays and occasions, so I’m not completely blindsided by the time the Spring season rolls around.

As I sit here writing this out on a glorious 70-degree afternoon here in New York, I’m sharing a slice of this decadent chocolate cake I’ve been working on…as a prelude to some birthdays we’ve got coming up in just a couple of weeks 😉

There are only two things I want from a cake – something chocolatey and something light. My friends, this cake not only met those expectations, it went above and beyond…

I started with a basic chocolate cake mix, but I wanted it to taste as homemade as possible – you can also check that off your list because your guests will never suspect that a cake THIS good was so deceptively easy to make.

All you need is a box of chocolate cake mix, 3 eggs, 1 cup of water, 1 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons of espresso powder, and 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips. It’s a one-bowl wonder.

You can make a sheet cake as I have or divide the batter into two round cake pans and make a layer cake.

The mayo is your key to a light and unbelievably moist cake. It replaces any butter or oil in the recipe and results in a batter that will leave you fighting the urge to lick the spoon. Seriously though, don’t lick the batter.

Usually, the frosting is the star of the show, and while I agree, I’m torn with this recipe because I feel like the cake and the frosting come out 50/50 here, but the frosting can’t be ignored.

While buttercream is the true crowd favorite, I’ve found a way to mimic that rich, creamy classic with just 3 ingredients, none of which include butter. For the frosting, I used 1-pint cream, 1 box chocolate pudding, and 2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar. A few seconds later, and you will have an ultra-silky whipped topping for cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and whatever else your heart desires.

Living the Gourmet

Yields 1 sheet cake

Ultimate Chocolate Cake

15 minPrep Time

30 minCook Time

45 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

Chocolate Cake:

1 box Devil's Food Cake Mix
3 eggs
1 cup water
1 cup mayonnaise (I used Hellmann's)
2 tablespoons espresso powder
½ cup dark chocolate chips

Chocolate Cream Frosting:

1 pint whipping cream
1 (3.9 oz) box Devil's Food Pudding Mix
2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
Sprinkles for topping
Additional chocolate chips for topping

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter a 3 quart glass baking dish then line with parchment paper. Butter the parchment paper and sift cocoa powder over the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
In the bowl of your mix master with the paddle attachment, beat all the ingredients for the chocolate cake until a smooth batter comes together.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the cake tester comes out clean.
Let the cake rest for several minutes before carefully lifting it out of the pan by the parchment paper, onto a cooling rack.
Meanwhile, prepare the frosting by whipping the heavy cream together with the pudding mix and confectioner's sugar.
Once the cake has completely cooled, spread the frosting liberally over the entire cake. Decorate with sprinkles and chocolate chips. Serve and enjoy!

https://livingthegourmet.com/2018/02/ultimate-chocolate-cake.html

Calories

4182 cal

Fat

338 g

Carbs

275 g

Protein

28 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

Enjoy with Love!

Lemon Olive Oil Cake

0 · Nov 29, 2017 · 7 Comments

This post has been sponsored by Colativa Olive Oil. All opinions expressed are my own.

Impress your guests this holiday season with this elegant Lemon Olive Oil Cake that is light in texture but rich in flavor.

“In those days, people weren’t afraid to live, to feel, and to die.” H.P. Lovecraft, Pickman’s Model.

It’s a sentiment so often echoed that it’s become almost cliché – the idea of past glories, real or imagined, and the shameful futility of our modern existence when held up in comparison.

I’ve written here on Living the Gourmet several times about ‘good old day’ syndrome, and the idea that our forbearers held some sort of cryptic knowledge on ‘how’ to live, or partook in traditions possessed of an unseen mysticism that held the keys to a higher plane of material happiness and existence.

Naturally, like the ancient Greeks deifying the ‘Age of Heroes’ that came at some indescribable time ‘before’ the founding of their nation-cities, or like Seneca or St. Augustine commenting on the crude and decaying morals of ‘modern’ Roman society, we today, perhaps more than ever, succumb to the siren’s call of past wisdom. Indeed, that which is modern rarely ever seems as glorious in the youth of the present as it does when beheld through the lens of future eyes.

Take for example the Olive Oil Cake, which is now being hailed as a revelation in ‘minimalist gourmet’ baking. For me, the use of Olive Oil in breads or cakes is simple given, a throwback to my own culinary roots, which are planted firmly in a Mediterranean background. While I would love to wax poetic about today’s recipe, but honestly this was more of a simple weekday ‘loaf’ that we kept around and on hand not for any particular special occasion or holiday but more as just a ‘sweet bite’ to have on hand. That, naturally, forms this cake’s central strength – versatility.

And that, of course, brings us to today’s recipe – Lemon Olive Oil Cake featuring one of my favorite brands of Olive Oil – Colavita. However, I’ll be making a few key variations to the recipe I’m familiar with from my childhood. First, I’ll be using whipped egg whites combined with one whole egg, which will give the cake a slightly firmer and more spongy consistency. Also, the cake typically employs brandy in the recipe, however, I’ll be subbing in rum instead for a somewhat more relaxed and distinctive flavoring.

Start off by buttering a springform pan, and then set that aside. From there, we whisk together flour, sugar, salt, crushed pecans, baking powder, and baking soda. Then, in a separate pan, we whisk together olive oil, milk, one whole egg, the fresh lemon juice, and rum.

After that, we beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Then combine the wet and dry ingredients, and mix them together before gently folding the egg whites into the mixture. Then place the resulting batter into the prepared pan and bake for about fifty minutes, and then let it rest and cool for about two hours.

Living the Gourmet

Yields 8-10

Lemon Olive Oil Cake

10 minPrep Time

50 minCook Time

1 hrTotal Time

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Ingredients

2 cups flour
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 ¼ cups olive oil
1 ½ cups sugar
¼ cup pecans - crushed
1 cup whole milk
Zest of 1 lemon
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 egg
2 egg whites – whipped to soft peaks
¼ cup rum

Instructions

Preheat Oven 350 degrees F.
Gently butter a 9 ½ inch spring foam pan.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, crushed pecans, baking powder and baking soda.
In a separate bowl whisk the olive oil, milk, egg, lemon juice and rum.
Beat the egg whites to soft peaks.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients stir until just combined.
Fold in the egg whites to the batter.
Place the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake 45 – 50 minutes or until the toothpick test comes out clean.
Transfer the cake to a rack and let cool for about 30 minutes.
Remove cake from the spring foam pan and let cool completely on a rack for approximately 2 hours.

https://livingthegourmet.com/2017/11/lemon-olive-oil-cake.html

Calories

5146 cal

Fat

308 g

Carbs

402 g

Protein

107 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

Now, while you can serve this the same day, olive oil cakes are almost always best served the following day, since their texture and flavor enhancing markedly over the course of about twenty-four hours.

And that’s it. Enjoy!

Classic Carrot Cupcakes

0 · Oct 28, 2017 · 14 Comments

Thank you to Bob’s Redmill for sponsoring this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

These Classic Carrot Cupcakes are super moist and delicious! With bits of chopped apricots, a generous spread of cream cheese frosting and a sprinkle of your favorite candy (or sprinkles), wow your guests this Fall with this easy recipe!

It is a strange thing this night we call Halloween, and it drives unto the doing of strange deeds.

Some of us lurk about the streets at night costumed in the macabre, and of that number some beg for candy from strangers. Others toil about their homes, conjuring hauntings within their foyers, and upon their yards, they raise the dead. Still, others huddle in superstitious fear, counting the seconds until the night has passed. Yes, it is a strange thing this night we call Halloween.

Others just like to eat candy, frosted cupcakes, blood red cakes, sugary coffee, candied cheesecakes, and frosting right from the jar…or so I’ve heard, I’m definitely not speaking from experience.

But why all the fuss? To the average observer, the modern incarnation of Halloween has none of the religious qualities of the original holidays from which it was derived, nor does it serve as any national memorial. In fact, to most Halloween is basically a celebration of…well, it’s basically an excuse to act silly. So why all the effort? Why the perennial appeal?

“Against the same laws, conventions, and traditions that humanity has devised for its own survival, we are naturally inclined to rebel.”

After all, where else would we find an excuse to haunt our foyers or dress up in our best impersonations of Death?

However, like Romans tiring of their blood sports, the allure of the horrific can begin to turn to revulsion or simple boredom. “The thing about shock as an art form is that it’s really only ‘shocking’ the first time around. After that initial blast, it sort of loses something.” Similarly, the initial rush of Halloween’s candied treats, artificial colorings, and throats left parched by processed sugar does in fact ‘lose something’ after the first several offerings…or so I’ve tried to convince myself.

Yet, the holiday does simply demand something sweet, something that both looks and feels like a real indulgence, which is precisely where today’s recipe comes in – Halloween Carrot Cupcakes, which can serve equally well either as a dessert or a sweet breakfast.

To start things off, we begin by combing brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, vanilla, and oil in a large mixing bowl, and mixing them until it’s nice and smooth, then stir some shredded carrots and chopped apricots.

After that, combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Now, for this recipe, I will say here that I do heartily prefer Bob’s Red Mill Super Fine Cake Flour, which is an unbleached premium, fine-texture flour milled from high-quality American wheat, perfect for making light cakes, biscuits, and moist cupcakes.

After mixing the dry ingredients together, slowly add them to the wet ingredients while stirring. After that, line a cupcake pan with cupcake papers, and fill them with the batter.

Living the Gourmet

Yields 12

Classic Carrot Cupcakes

10 minPrep Time

30 minCook Time

40 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

3 cups grated carrots
½ cup dried apricots - chopped
¾ cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup canola oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 eggs
2 cups Bob’s Redmill Super Fine Cake Flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. fresh ground nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
Zest of ½ lemon
Zest of ½ orange

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz. block of cream cheese
4 tbs. butter – unsalted
1 cup of powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat Oven 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl combine, the sugars, eggs, vanilla and oil.
Using an electric mixer, mix these ingredients until smooth.
Stir in the shredded carrots and chopped apricots.
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix.
Slowly, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients while stirring.
Line the cupcake pans with the cupcake papers and fill with the batter.
Bake 25 – 30 minutes or until the toothpick test comes out clean.
Cool the cupcakes before frosting.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

Combine the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla in a medium sized bowl and mix with an electric mixer until smooth.
Refrigerate the frosting until ready to use.

https://livingthegourmet.com/2017/10/classic-carrot-cupcakes.html

Calories

6307 cal

Fat

356 g

Carbs

771 g

Protein

51 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

Now, while those bake for about twenty-five to thirty minutes, it’s time for the fun part – preparing the frosting.

To do this, we simply combine cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla in the quantities listed below, and whip until it’s smooth. You’ll want to chop the butter up as finely as you can manage beforehand.

Once that’s done, simply frost the cupcakes, and decorate as desired, and you’re done.

Enjoy with Love!

Strawberries and Cream Naked Bundt Cakes #BundtBakers

0 · Aug 17, 2017 · 20 Comments

Enjoy the final moments of summer with these Strawberries and Cream Naked Bundt Cakes with fresh cream and sliced strawberries that are layered between slices of moist, vanilla strawberry cake.

Bundt Bakers is back everyone and this month I’m proud to announce, I’m hosting this delightful group as we bake together on this final month of summer…well, maybe not officially but by next month the school season will be in full swing and we’ll be talking about pumpkin spice and prepping for the holidays. Or is that just me? 😉

Nevertheless, it’s a great honor to be hosting BB for the very first time, and the theme for this month is…*drumroll please*…Strawberries!

It seems fitting to close out the summer with these little gems and since strawberry cake is one of my favorites, I had a clear direction for where I wanted to take our little baking group this month.

So, without further adieu, lets dive into the recipe which is surprisingly easy and oh so delicious. Don’t forget to check out all the other yummy bundts below! 🙂

For this recipe, I was torn between adding fresh berries to the batter, worried that it might make the cakes a little tart. So in its place, I added strawberry jam to the batter and left the fresh slices for layering afterward.

Furthermore, I used pastry flour rather than all-purpose and I think it made a huge difference in the consistency of the cakes themselves. They are ultra light and moist.

The process is a relatively simple one. Once the cakes have cooled, carefully slice each one in half. Layer the berries, then the cream, and cover with the tops of the mini cakes as shown below. I filled the bundt hole with extra cream, garnished with a few more slices of strawberries and dusted each with powdered sugar.

Living the Gourmet

Yields 6

Strawberries and Cream Naked Bundt Cakes

10 minPrep Time

20 minCook Time

30 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

Fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
2 cups whipping cream
1 tablespoons sugar

For the cakes:

1½ cup fine pastry flour
1½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
½ vanilla
2 tablespoons strawberry jam
½ cup whole milk

Instructions

In a chilled metal bowl, beat the whipping cream with sugar until form peaks form. Cover and refrigerate until its time to assemble the cakes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and grease a mini bundt pan or one regular bundt pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together pastry flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat together butter and sugar. Add vanilla, eggs and strawberry jam until a smooth batter forms.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with 1 cup of milk. Be sure the mix the batter well between each addition.
Divide the batter between the mini bundt molds.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until the cake tester comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool before transferring over to a sheet pan.

Assembly:

Slice each bundt in half, horizontally. Layer the strawberry slices, then a generous dollop of whipped cream. Top each off with the tops of the bundts. Garnish with extra whipped cream, strawberry slices and a dusting of confectioner's sugar if desired.

https://livingthegourmet.com/2017/08/strawberries-and-cream-naked-bundt-cakes-bundtbakers.html

Enjoy these mini bundts friends! Until next time 🙂

Toodles,
Tammy<3

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Poke Bundt by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
Freeze Dried Strawberry Bundt with Cream Cheese Glaze by Sweet Sensations
Jam Strawberry Bundt Cake by Bizcocheando
Lemon Strawberry Poke Bundt by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Neapolitan Zebra Bundt Cake by All That’s Left Are The Crumbs
Strawberry Balsamic Bundt Cake by Sew You Think You Can Cook
Strawberry & Cream Bundt Cake by Patty’s Cakes
Strawberry Crunch Bundt Cake by Cookaholic Wife
Strawberry Bundt Mousse Cake by Sneha’s Recipe
Strawberry Bundt Cake with White Chocolate Ganache by The Queen of Scones
Strawberries & Cream Naked Bundt Cake by Living the Gourmet
Strawberry Key Lime Cheesecake Bundt by The Crumby Kitchen
Strawberry Orange Bundt Cake by I Love Bundt Cakes

Psst! Check out all our lovely bundts on the #BundtBakers Pinterest board!

Lemon Pudding Cakes

1 · Jun 11, 2017 · 22 Comments

These little lemon pudding cakes are light and fluffy on top with a sweet pudding at the bottom. They are easy to make and sure to please this summer season!

“To look at our modern gods is to see a world that exists purely from the outside, a charade unending in which they live in a perpetual state of acting for the purpose of keeping up the impossible appearance of elegance. For them, winning the envy of others is the highest form of existence.”

Today, elegance is a fading virtue, and formality is, in the few areas where it still exists, the object of mockery and constant reduction. In this way, the drive for ‘simplicity,’ ‘accessibility,’ and ‘no effort’ is a sort of ‘rebellion in search of an overlord to overthrow.’ That said, elegance is often relegated to the realm of the inaccessible, something that exists purely in impossibly priced metropolitan restaurants staffed by celebrity chefs, or something enjoyed by the residents of chateaus overlooking sapphire seas.

However, I’ve never been one to subscribe to this train of thought. Whether it was my upbringing, my study, or my impeccably refined taste, elegance for me has always been something to aspire to rather to fear. I’ve never been of the mind that ‘elegance equals difficulty.’

In fact, given the right recipes, the right setting, and the right eye for beauty, elegance need not be difficult. For example, when one of my close friends returned from a tour of Italy, I simply had to put together something nice to greet her, something delicious, something, dare I say, a bit ‘Summer Elegant.’

What do I mean by ‘Summer Elegant?’ Think summer flavors, a beautiful summer setting, and something light yet sweet.

This, of course, brings us to today’s recipe – Fluffy Lemon Pudding Cakes.

To start things off, I used small Mason jars as the ‘container’ for the cakes, which not only serves as the perfect portion size, but also adds a bit of ‘summer flare’ to the presentation. Now, using your electric mixer, beat together the yolks, milk, and lemon juice until its silky smooth and creamy. Then, butter the inside of the Mason jar, and then sprinkle the butter coating with sugar. Sugar on top of butter, you can just tell this is going to be awesome. Am I right?

From there, sift together the flour, sugar, and salt, and mix that into the egg mixture. Once that’s done, whip the egg whites until they start forming soft peaks – but be careful not to overbeat them. Then gently fold these into the egg and lemon mixture.

Once that’s done, place the batter into the prepared Mason jar, and then place the jars into a roasting pan as shown below, with water filled in the roasting pan about halfway up the jars.

Living the Gourmet

Yields 4-5

Lemon Pudding Cakes (Lemon Soufflés)

5 minPrep Time

18 minCook Time

23 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

¼ cup flour
¼ tsp. salt
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 eggs – separated
2/3 cups whole milk
2/3 cup sugar
Butter for preparing Mason jars or ramekins

Instructions

Preheat Oven 350 degrees F.
Butter each jars and sprinkle each with a bit of sugar.
Using an electric mixer beat together the egg yolks, milk and lemon juice until smooth and creamy.
Sift together the flour, sugar and salt and mix into the egg mixture.
Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, then gently fold into the egg and lemon mixture.
Place the batter into the prepared jars.
Place the jars in a roasting pan prepared with a water bath that reaches about halfway up the sides.
Bake 20 – 25 minutes or until slightly golden. Serve with your choice of fresh berries.

https://livingthegourmet.com/2017/06/lemon-pudding-cakes.html

Calories

33 cal

Fat

1 g

Carbs

2 g

Protein

3 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

Then simply bake for about twenty-five minutes, or until lightly golden. Serve with your choice of fresh berries and fresh whipped cream.

Now, elegance wasn’t hard, was it?

Enjoy with Love!

Banana Butter Bread + Giveaway

0 · Mar 23, 2017 · 23 Comments

Treat yourself to this Banana Butter Bread made with wholesome natural ingredients! Perfect in the morning with marmalade or for dessert with a cup of coffee.

They say the best things come when you least expect them. They also say necessity is the mother of invention.

You’re probably wondering how these two sentiments are connected…enter this rich but not heavy, Banana Butter Bread.

If you were to ask me what my greatest pet peeve is, I would tell you it’s letting food go to waste. So much so, that if I’m watching a cooking show and see the bowl isn’t scraped clean, I’ll be too distracted to enjoy the rest of the program.

In short, I try to only buy what I need and to make sure I use it up before I head out to the store again. Of course I’m not perfect so sometimes there are things that don’t always get used right away like that bunch of overripe bananas in the fruit bowl…

Banana bread was probably invented specifically for the purpose of never letting another banana go to waste. I made that up on the whim. It’s most likely NOT how banana bread came to be, but nowadays, it’s the common purpose for forgotten banana bunches. Don’t you agree?

One thing I do love about having banana bread in the house during the week is that it’s multi-purpose- slightly toasted in the morning with a spread of marmalade, a light brunch in the afternoon, or even for dessert with a scoop of Very Vanilla frozen yogurt.

Another factor I love about this recipe is how convenient it is to make. Every ingredient is a pantry staple and therefore it’s easy to make whenever you have too many bananas on hand or just craving a slice.

I prepped this recipe with organic all purpose flour, grass-fed butter, and cage free organic eggs. If you want to go the extra step, sprinkle coconut sugar on the top. It’s a delicious all-natural treat that has quickly become a favorite of mine.

Living the Gourmet

Yields 1 loaf

Banana Butter Bread

10 minPrep Time

1 hrCook Time

1 hr, 10 Total Time

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Ingredients

1 ¾ cups organic all purpose flour, sifted
2 tsps. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup unsalted grass fed butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas
Sugar for top of bread

Instructions

Preheat Oven 350 degrees.
In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt
In a separate large bowl mash the bananas with a fork and add the softened butter, vanilla, sugar and the eggs. Using an electric mixer; cream these ingredients together.
Slowly, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients while mixing with the electric mixer on a low speed.
Butter and dust with flour a loaf pan.
Place the batter in the prepared pan and dust the top with sugar.
Bake for approximately 1 hour or until the toothpick test comes out clean.

https://livingthegourmet.com/2017/03/banana-butter-bread.html

Calories

117 cal

Carbs

27 g

Protein

3 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

Today I am excited to be giving one lucky LTG reader a $25 VISA Gift Card in celebration of Spring. Enter below each day to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Enjoy with Love!

Easter Cake Pops

0 · Mar 15, 2017 · 7 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, MARS Incorporated. All opinions are mine alone. #SweeterEaster #CollectiveBias

Brighten up your holiday tablescape this season with these fun and festive Easter Cake Pops and for a twist on the traditional egg hunt, make little candy bundles with mason jars featuring M&M’S® and Starburst® Jelly Beans!

Imagine an antique church setting from a distantly bygone era. Beyond the darkened stained glass windows, grey clouds hang overhead, the prelude of a storm gathering in the distance, conjuring faint echoes of thunder across an otherwise still and silent Sunday afternoon. Now, imagine a priest’s pious voice booming through that aforementioned church “Tradition is the voice of our ancestors.” Needless to say, that particular Sunday afternoon was rather thoroughly impressed upon my then still young mind.

I suppose in some vague, subconscious way that formed how I view tradition today, and I’ve written here on Living the Gourmet a fair bit about tradition. I’ve spoken about the paradox of certainty in an ever-changing world, of the false-security it provides against the unknown of tomorrow, and how it connects us to our fast fading past.

Growing up, my family’s Easter traditions, like those of all the other holidays, reached back not merely generations but across an ocean. Without delving into detail, suffice it to say that with the passage of time, the dispersal of family, and an oral tradition that proved only as strong as the memories that held it, those ‘ancestral voices’ are growing faint.

For better or for worse, Easter today is all about the sweets, and given the holiday’s aesthetic of bright colors and ‘rebirth,’ it’s safe to say that not merely any arrangement of sweets will suffice, but rather sweets that are in and of themselves decorations and symbols of the season. Whether its overwrought baskets, molded chocolates, or multicolored eggs, it is as though the crafters of these confections were seeking to instill a sort of guilt in their consumption.

That said, I will admit that this is a part of the holiday I have come to thoroughly enjoy. Indeed, I’ve posted here in the past about my family’s copious Easter basket giving, and how the crafting of such baskets has become an annual event.

This year, however, while shopping through Walmart for Easter supplies, I decided I wanted to try to do something a little more ‘elaborate’ than just the baskets, or to perhaps craft something extra for them. That said, I picked up a pack of Starburst® Jelly Beans, a pack of M&M’S® Milk Chocolate candies, some DOVE® Peanut Butter Eggs, and the new Walmart exclusive M&M’S® White Chocolate.

I decided to put together a medley of Easter goodies. I was going to craft Easter Cake Pops in the shape of Bunnies, Chickadees, and Eggs. To pair with these, I was also going to put together candy jars, which would be great either as basket stuffers, or to give as gifts on their own.

Before we begin, I should warn you that this is not a ‘half hour’ project. Instead, you’re going to have to roll up those proverbial sleeves, because by the time you’re done you’re going to be elbow deep in cake and melted chocolate…and covered in a fair bit of sprinkles, you may also find your faith in humanity waning, but it will be restored, I think.

Sounds fun, right? Right…? Moving right along.

We start off with a vanilla cake mix, which we prepare as directed. Once the cake is cooled…break them. Yes, take your newly baked cakes and break them.

Don’t give me that look, you can’t make an omelet with breaking a few eggs, and in this case you can’t make Easter candy without breaking a few cakes.

While breaking the cakes, add in honey and frosting until you reach maximal ‘workability.’ Once the cakes are sufficiently broken, begin rolling them out by the tablespoon, and begin shaping them into balls as shown below.

This should result in roughly two dozen or so cake balls…depending on how much cake-frosting-honey batter you’ve devoured in the aforementioned process.

My son tried making this in our LTG Test Kitchen, we ended up with about five cake balls, and he swore that was all the batter made.

True story, different recipe.

Once that’s done, melt down white and yellow melting candies as shown below, and coat the balls as directed. After that, you want to let them cool for about five or so minutes.

Now, to prepare the Bunnies we use the white coated cake balls. First, we’re going to need to cut some Starburst® Jelly Beans and mini marshmallows in half.

Once that’s done, we use the candies to form the ears of the bunny as described below using the remaining melted white chocolate. We repeat this process with the marshmallows but this time to form the bunnies’ feet. For the eyes, carefully poke two appropriately positioned holes and dote them with a single candy sprinkle. This is delicate work. Finally, for the nose, cut the end off of a jelly bean, and paste it on with a bit of melted chocolate. Once that’s all done, you have the option of dusting the entire Bunny in shredded coconut for added cuteness.

For the Chickadees, I’ll make this simple…repeat the entire aforementioned but with the yellow coated balls. When I said ‘simple,’ I meant for me.

For the eggs, begin by finely chopping about a quarter of a cup of M&M’S® Milk Chocolate candies and then set these aside. After that, prepare melted green chocolate as described below, and coat the bottom of your white coated cake balls in the chocolate. Once that’s done, dust the bottom of each egg with the chopped M&M’S® Milk Chocolate, and then dot with green chocolate using a toothpick as described below.

Now, here comes the fun part, impaling your carefully crafted chickadees and bunnies on lollipop sticks to form your Easter Cake Pops.

Living the Gourmet

Yields 2 dozen cake pops

Easter Cake Pops

25 minPrep Time

20 minCook Time

45 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

For the Cake Pops:

1 box vanilla cake mix
8 oz vanilla frosting
2 tablespoons honey

Decorations:

16 oz white chocolate melting candies
8 oz yellow melting candies
8 oz green melting candies
¼ cup Starbust® Jelly Beans
¼ cup M&M’s® Milk Chocolate candies
Sprinkles (assorted Spring colors)
Pearl Sprinkles
Black sprinkles (for eyes)
1/8 cup Mini Marshmallows (for feet and tails)
½ cup Shredded coconut (optional)
Lollipop sticks

Instructions

Prepare vanilla cake mix as directed. Let cool completely before proceeding to make cake pops.
In the bowl of your mix master, break up the cakes. Add frosting and honey until the mixture is sticky enough to roll out.
Roll out about a tablespoon amount of cake mix onto a parchment lined baking sheet. You should have about 2 dozen cake balls. Make sure to shape about ¼ of the cake balls into oval shapes for the eggs. Take a lollipop stick and carefully place underneath each cake ball to mark the hole for later. Refrigerate the cake balls for up to an hour or overnight.
Melt down the white and yellow melting candies. Coat ¾ of the cake balls in the white chocolate and the remaining ¼ in the yellow chocolate. Let the chocolate set before continuing about 3-5 minutes.

For the Bunnies:

Cut Starbust® Jelly Beans in half and mini marshmallows in half.
With the remaining bit of white chocolate (you may have to reheat slightly if it has set), dab a little of the white chocolate on the jelly beans and place on top of each cake ball for the ‘ears’. Do the same with the marshmallows to create the feet and tail.
Use a toothpick to dab a light bit of chocolate for the eyes and carefully place a black sprinkle.
Finally, for the nose, cut the end off a jelly bean, dab with a little chocolate and place accordingly to finish each face of the bunnies.
*If you like before adding the faces, immediately after coating the cake balls in the white chocolate, roll in finely shredded coconut flakes for the bunnies. This is optional.

For the Chickadees:

Follow the same basic outline for the bunnies minus the mini marshmallows to create the faces on each chickadee. Use only the orange jelly beans.

For the Eggs:

Finely chop about ¼ cup M&M’s® Milk Chocolate candies and set aside.
Melt down the green melting candy and dip the bottom of each egg in the green chocolate.
Sprinkle the chopped M&M’s® Milk Chocolate candies all around and place on the parchment lined baking sheet to set.
Using a toothpick, dot each egg with the remaining green chocolate (or white chocolate if you prefer) and carefully place the sprinkles all over.
One each of the cake balls have set, place the lollipop sticks in the holes we made earlier. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Prep Time does not include inactive Prep Time.

https://livingthegourmet.com/2017/03/easter-cake-pops.html

Calories

32 cal

Carbs

9 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

Once that’s done, it’s time to prepare the Candy Jars. We begin with 4 ounce Mason jars. To start, prep the bottom of each jar with Easter grass, and then begin layering the candy. Don’t shy away from being creative, use your MARS candies like Skittles®, the new DOVE® Peanut Butter Egg, or the New Walmart Exclusive M&M’s® White Chocolate. Then seal the jars with ribbon, and you’re done.

What are some of your favorite Easter projects? We would love to hear from you. Find more sweet Easter confections and inspiration HERE!

Don’t forget to download this exclusive Ibotta rebate on your MARS Easter candy purchase this season!

Enjoy with Love!

Healthy Coffee Breaks with VitaTops

0 · Feb 15, 2017 · 8 Comments

Give your coffee breaks a makeover with delicious and healthy Vitatops! Perfect warmed up or straight out of the box for a healthier snack treat.

Given my profession, I empathize wholeheartedly with the sentiment of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, who remarked “I want Americans to enjoy food. I want them to celebrate food. I want them to, on occasions, to have big cakes and great things. And I want them to indulge.”

Sometimes, however, I perhaps ‘empathize’ a bit too much.

As you might imagine, in the process of crafting new and varied ‘indulgences,’ my kitchen is very often a ‘test kitchen,’ since what you see here on Living the Gourmet, more often than not, goes through several incarnations before the final product is presented to you my audience. In short, ‘eating’ is a big part of my job description. Now, consider that when I’m not in my test kitchen preparing food I’m typically at my desk writing about food…and so I’m sure you can imagine my predicament in trying to remain fit and health conscious.

Now, I am more than sufficiently confident in myself to admit that I am not adept at denying my culinary cravings. Privation, and the ability to willingly partake of privation, is not my strong suit. Thus, the test kitchen becomes a place of ‘copious tasting,’ and whenever sitting at my desk writing about food has wetted my appetite, concentration goes out the window until that appetite has been sated.

Unsurprisingly, it’s the latter that has become the larger problem, since that’s where the bulk is spent. As most of you are probably well aware, ‘sharking about’ through the pantry, fridge, or ‘quick stops’ while on the go can wreck absolute havoc upon one’s waist and wellbeing. Thus, finding a smarter way to indulge is a basic necessity for keeping fit.

Fortunately, I didn’t have to find this smarter road towards sated cravings on my own.

Recently, my daughter started another fitness regimen, this one inclined towards nutrition, protein intake, and supplementation, and she found a great product at Stop & Shop that fits precisely that bill – VitaTops.

She introduced these to me the other day when I was sitting down for my midday coffee, and offered me a VitaTop in place of whatever I had grabbed from the fridge or scrounged from the pantry. I’ll admit I was skeptical at first. After all, it’s become a bit of a cliché that something intended as a ‘healthy alternative’ is typically lacking in the taste department. Gladly, that was assuredly not the case here.

Essentially, these are healthy muffin tops packed with a wide range of nutritional benefits, and prepared using only clean and simple ingredients. For example, the Superfood CranBran – prepared with chia seeds, oats, cranberries, and flaxseeds – contains three grams of protein and six grams of fiber per serving, in addition to a range of vitamins, and all of this comes at a cost of just half a gram of fat and one-hundred and twenty calories. Similarly, the Protein Banana Chocolate Chip flavor features a whopping eight grams of protein per serving, alongside the aforementioned six grams of fiber and vitamins. Since these are conveniently packed, it means whether I’m behind my desk or on the go, these are a readily available snack.

Nutritious, indulgent, waist-friendly, and convenient, these are hard to go wrong with, especially for someone like me who’s constantly looking for new ways to sate a midday craving.

While I found my VitaTops Muffin Tops at Stop & Shop, you can find yours at your nearest Publix, Kroger, Shop-Rite, or Target locations. Also don’t forget to check out this LINK for your VitaTops coupon!

Enjoy with Love!

Light Ricotta Cheesecake

0 · Feb 14, 2017 · 15 Comments

This Ricotta Cheesecake is light and airy- a delicious cross between a spongecake and a cheesecake. Treat your Valentine to this light and luscious dessert today!

“I’m not sentimental- I’m as romantic as you are. The idea, you know, is that the sentimental person thinks things will last- the romantic person has a desperate confidence that they won’t.” ― F. Scott Fitzgerald

Words have never been more true – or have spoken to me so honestly.

I am, and have always been, a hopeless romantic. To be a romantic doesn’t necessarily mean I am easily wooed by roses and chocolates, no, I am romanced by the company of friends and family, warm memories, smiles around my table, good food, the sound of laughter and the love of those around me.

I have spoken many times in the past of my parents and how they have influenced much of what I do here on Living the Gourmet. Years have gone by and yet even now, I still find myself holding back tears when I speak of them. Fitzgerald’s words reminded me of that love- the knowledge of knowing each passing day is a blessing not to be taken for granted, but one to be cherished.

It has always been funny to me how we set one day aside throughout the entire year to express our love for those closest to us. Let it be a friendly reminder that every day should be spent showing those we love how much we appreciate them and how important they are to us.

So this Valentine’s Day, I have decided to make an easy yet elegant dessert- Ricotta Cheesecake. It’s light and smooth consistency is simply melt-in-your mouth and it is even better served a little warm with fresh whipped cream or a berry compote if you so desire.

“That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you’re not lonely and isolated from anyone.” ― F. Scott Fitzgerald

Living the Gourmet

Yields 8

Light Ricotta Cheesecake

10 minPrep Time

1 hrCook Time

1 hr, 10 Total Time

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Ingredients

6 eggs
32 oz. Ricotta Cheese
1 ¼ cups sugar
½ cup cornstarch
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. vanilla
4 tsps. grated lemon zest
1 tbs. fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp. grated nutmeg
Butter for greasing the pan.

Instructions

Preheat Oven 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl combine all of the above ingredient and beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
Butter a 9-inch spring form pan and place the pan in a hot water bath.
Bake 50 – 60 minutes until firm.
Let the cake cool before refrigerating.
Garnish with your favorite topping.

https://livingthegourmet.com/2017/02/light-ricotta-cheesecake.html

Enjoy with Love!

Holiday Gingerbread Bundt – #BundtBakers

0 · Dec 15, 2016 · 22 Comments

Treat your guests to their very own little gingerbread bundt made with fresh ginger and filled with delicious buttercream frosting!

It’s hard to believe this Chocolate Cake with Eggnog & Peppermint Drizzle was made a year ago. The space in between is almost a blur…and yet when time catches up to you- or in this particular case, when you catch up to time, you begin to remember some pretty extraordinary moments.

2016 has been a wonderful year to me and my family. My one regret may be not taking more moments to truly appreciate it…and now, in the blink of an eye, I’m preparing to welcome the next year of my life.

We’ve been baking alongside the #BundtBakers for about two years now and I can’t express what a wonderful experience it has been. It feels like family at this point. Of course I’ll find any excuse to make a cake, but I always look forward to seeing what everyone has brought to the virtual dessert table.

Our hostess this month is Laura a dear friend and talented baker. Laura has hosted several times this year and has always been a willing participant…it’s only fitting she hosts the final event of the year.

That said, the theme we were presented with was ‘Winter Wonderland.’

The first thing that came to time was gingerbread. I was almost tempted to create another peppermint cake, but ultimately I decided, your first choice is always the best.

I’ve gotten a new affinity for ginger and all it’s powers the past couple of months. It’s so healthy and I just love it’s spicy warmth. When it comes to gingerbread however, I use only the freshly grated ginger and it’s spicy juice. You can taste the difference immediately and it’s so much better than the powdered version.

I start by sifting all the dried ingredients then adding the wet ingredients gradually.

Add the fresh ginger with the wet ingredients rather than the other spices. I used the Deiss PRO Zester to get the ginger fine without the stringy fibers. Once it’s all combined, add the milk and mix until a smooth batter forms.

For the holiday season I decided to divide the batter into a mini bundt pan so each guest gets their own cake. It’s the holidays- time to indulge a little!

I finished it off by piping buttercream in the center of each cake and a light dusting of powered sugar. If you like you can also shave some dark chocolate over each.

Living the Gourmet

Yields 6

Holiday Gingerbread Bundt

10 minPrep Time

25 minCook Time

35 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

1 cup AP flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons dark molasses
3/4 cup whole milk
½ cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla

Buttercream Frosting:

1 cup icing sugar
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
3-4 tablespoons water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bundt pan and set aside.
Sift flour, cinnamon, cloves, baking powder and baking soda together. Whisk in brown sugar.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each.
Add the fresh ginger, molasses, butter, and vanilla. Mix again on low speed until well combined.
Finally add the milk and beat on low speed until a smooth batter forms.
Divide the batter between each bundt mold if you are using a mini bundt pan.
Bake for about 25 minutes or until the cake tester comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before removing the cakes onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Buttercream Frosting:

Combine all ingredients for the buttercream frosting. Whip until smooth. Fill the center of each bundt with the buttercream. Sprinkle with icing sugar and shaved chocolate if desired before serving.

https://livingthegourmet.com/2016/12/holiday-gingerbread-bundt-bundtbakers.html

Calories

290 cal

Fat

14 g

Carbs

36 g

Protein

6 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

Check out the rest of our Winter Wonderland below and see what everyone has made!

A big thank you to Laura again for always being the hostess with the mostess and of course the rest of the BB family for always inspiring me with their delicious bundts.

As we near the end of another fine year, I would like to thank each and every one of you. At the beginning of this post, I spoke briefly about my one regret, which is letting time get the better of me. I see so many familiar faces come by and each day my heart is warmed by your kindness and the very thought that you took time out of your day to read each of our posts- I really can’t properly express how special that is to me.

We’ve come a long way with Living the Gourmet and it would never have gotten here without you…so I am forever grateful. As the days pass fleetingly, I’m left with a shortage of time unable to do as many things as I would like, but please know I read every comment that comes through; not just on the site but on our social channels as well. I hope to find the time to reach out to each of you before the month is through, that is my goal for the rest of December.

I’d also like to dedicate this post to Dottie Sauchelli, an old friend of ours who we lost this year. Dottie was a fellow blogger who we had gotten to know very well over the years. I think of her often and miss her sweet notes a great deal. I know she would have loved these bundts so this post is in her honor.

In parting, I would like to wish you and your loved ones a beautiful and blessed holiday season!

Toodles,
Tammy<3

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on the BundtBakers home page.

Amaretto Winter Bundt Cake from Making Miracles
Candied Fruit Bundt Cake from I Love Bundt Cakes
Chile Hot Chocolate Mocha Bundt Cake from All That’s Left Are The Crumbs
Coconut Snowball Mini Bundts from Food Lust People Love
Cranberry Eggnog Bundt Cake from Sew You Think You Can Cook
Cream and Rum Bundt Cake from La Mejor Manera de Hacer
Holiday Gingerbread Bundt from Living the Gourmet
Orange Blossom Bundt Cake from Bizcocheando
Orange Cranberry Bundt Cake from Tartacadabra
Peppermint Pine Forest Bundt Cake from Baking in Pyjamas
Rainbow Christmas Wreath from A Day in the Life on the Farm
Spicy Gingerbread Bundt with Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache from Brooklyn Homemaker
Tropical Winter Wonderland Bundt Cake from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

Snickers Crispers Pound Cake

0 · Oct 28, 2016 · 11 Comments

Rich, buttery pound cake is topped with Snickers Crispers candies for an extra sweet treat!

Once upon a time, I’m ashamed to say, that I handed in a paper to one of my professors and received it back with a fair bit of pointed, though charitably delivered, advice. It’s a bit odd, as today I can recall the advice itself quite distinctly, but not the subject of the paper.

He began, and ended, his advice with a quote from F. Scott Fitzgerald, who said “Cut out all the exclamation points, they’re a bit like laughing at your own joke.”

While quiet cold and long nights are associated with winter, the season contains the ‘big’ holidays, holidays that, like a series of exclamation points, are set right at the end of the year. We raise the dead upon our front lawns and have our children ask for candy from strangers, then we cordon off a day for humbly giving thanks…while purposefully overeating, we utilize unseemly gift giving to mark the birth of an impoverished savior, and celebrate the end of the year and the beginning of the new year, on the same night, by raising and lowering lit glass balls.

While I love these strange exclamation points placed at the end of the year as much as anyone else, I do prefer the quiet portion of the winter, which I mark with my own customs. One of these customs I just recently devised – and yes it’s today’s recipe if you hadn’t already guessed.

You see, very few things pair better than a dark wintry morning, a cup of equally dark coffee, and a slice of dense, buttery cake topped with a milk chocolate coating of caramel, peanuts, and crisped rice. That’s precisely what today’s cake is, prepared with Snickers Crispers, and it couldn’t pair better with these dark, chilly mornings.

Living the Gourmet

Yields 8-10

Snickers Crispers Pound Cake

10 minPrep Time

1 hrCook Time

1 hr, 10 Total Time

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Ingredients

For Cake:

2 sticks unsalted butter – softened
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
3 cups flour – sifted
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tbs. vanilla
3 tbs. fresh lemon juice
Tube baking pan

For the Snickers Crispers Topping:

2 - (2.83 oz.)Snickers Crispers – chopped
3 tbs. brown sugar
2 tbs. flour
2 tbs. butter – softened

Instructions

For cake:

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the softened butter, sugar, vanilla and lemon juice.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on a low speed, after each addition
Add the sour cream and slowly add the flour with the mixer on a low speed.
Butter gently flour a tube pan.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

For the Snickers Crispers Topping:

In a small bowl combine the chopped Snickers Crispers, brown sugar, flour and butter.
Crumble this mixture together.
Place on top of the batter and gently press the mixture down.
Using a butter knife, gently run the knife through the batter.
Preheat Oven 325 degrees F.
Bake -1 hour to 1 ½ hours or until the cake gently pulls away from the sides of the pan and the toothpick test comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes.

https://livingthegourmet.com/2016/10/snickers-crispers-pound-cake.html

Calories

475 cal

Fat

8 g

Carbs

80 g

Protein

20 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

While it’s a tradition that will likely last only as long as the cake does, I’m enjoying it thoroughly. What are some of the things you enjoy during these opening phases of the wintry season? We would love to hear from you.

Enjoy with Love!

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Caramel Drizzle – #BundtBakers

0 · Oct 20, 2016 · 18 Comments

This moist Pumpkin Spice Cake is a comforting treat especially with a warm drizzle of caramel!

This month the Bundt Bakers are celebrating Fall!

We’re officially kicking it off with our seasonal favorites and I could not be more excited to share with you this delicious classic – Pumpkin Spice Cake with Caramel Drizzle.

Our host this month is Teri from The Freshman Cook and I’m so delighted to be baking with her. Teri has a beautiful site and always creates the most wonderful bundts each month.

Be sure to see what the rest of the Bundt Bakers have brought to the party below the post.

Today’s recipe is a super moist, autumn filled treat that’s a perfect alternative to the classic pumpkin pie. This dessert is sure to please your guests for the upcoming holidays!

It steals the show with fresh spices, evaporated milk and a warm caramel drizzle to seal the deal.

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Caramel Drizzle

Author: Living the Gourmet

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Serves: 8

Ingredients

½ cup unsalted butter – softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
¾ cup pumpkin
2 cups cake flour – sifted (if you do not have cake flour simply remove 2 tbs. of flour from each cup of flour and replace it with 2 tbs. of corn starch)
½ tsp. baking soda
1 ½ tsps. Baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground cloves
½ tsp. ginger
½ cup of evaporated milk
Caramel Sauce, jarred or [url href=”https://livingthegourmet.com/2014/10/classic-vanilla-bundt-cake-with-a-salted-caramel-drizzle.html”]homemade[/url]

Instructions

Preheat Oven 350 degrees F.
With an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar; add the eggs and the pumpkin and mix until smooth; add the milk with the mixer on low speed.
Sift together the dry ingredients and slowly add to the butter mixture with mixer on low speed.
Butter and flour the bundt pan.
Add the batter to the pan.
Bake for 30 – 35 minutes or until the cake springs back and the toothpick test comes out clean.
Cool on a rack.
Drizzle the cooled cake with caramel sauce.

Apple, Pear and Honey Cider Bundt Cake by All That’s Left Are the Crumbs
Apple Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Salted Caramel Drizzle by Cookaholic Wife
Bundt Cake de Chocolate Blanco y Moras by La Mejor Manera de Hacer
Chestnut Cream Marbled Bundt Cake by I Love Bundt Cakes
Chocolate Caramel Apple Cake by The Freshman Cook
Ginger and Cinnamon Bundt Cake by Los Chatos Chefs
Impossible Pumpkin Pie Bundt by Faith, Hope, Love, and Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
Jack O’Lantern Cake by Palatable Pastime
Persimmon Apple Bundt by Tea and Scones
Poached Pear and Cranberry Bundt Cake with Maple Mascarpone Frosting by Sew You Think You Can Cook
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake by Patty’s Cake
Pumpkin Pie Bundt by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
Pumpkin Spice Cake with Caramel Drizzle by Living the Gourmet
Robert E. Lee Bundt Cakeby The Queen of Scones
Spiced Rum Pumpkin Bundt by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Sticky Pecan Pie Bundt by Food Lust People Love

Enjoy with Love!

Chocolate Espresso Pudding Pie

0 · Oct 17, 2016 · 15 Comments

This decadent dessert is a chocolate lover’s dream come true! Soft cake on top and creamy chocolate espresso pudding on the bottom. Speckled with chopped TWIX® candies for an extra delightful surprise.

Of the countless days and nights that compose our lives, and of the innumerable worries that rend our nerves, our minds keep but a scant record. A mere handful of our days shall ever be recalled, while only a scant few nights shall ever emerge again from the depths of our subconscious. Of our many pains and worries, and day to day concerns, almost all shall be edged into oblivion by the passage of time. Of our pleasant moments, a select few shall resist the onward march of our lives, and remain like treasures before our mind’s eye, revisited, reinterpreted, and relived more times than we can count.

I’ve spoken to this quite a bit here on Living the Gourmet, and I will admit that this was on my mind when I was planning out the menu for my recent dinner with my brother and my nieces, since the inspiration for much of it came from an bit of lighthearted chatter that stuck in my mind from his previous visit. He had remarked in passing about a chocolate-pudding pie he had noticed in the bakery window of his supermarket, and how it had caught his. For whatever reason, that’s bit of conversation above anything else is what stayed with me from his last visit. That said, I decided to weave that into the night’s dessert.

However, rather than prepare the standard chocolate cream in pie crust, I decided instead on reversing that equation. To do this, I prepared a brownie-like cake infused with chunks of Twix candies, and set that in a bed of chocolate-coffee pudding.

To do this, I started out by combining sifted flour, sugar, unsweetened cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, and then stirred in evaporated milk, oil, and vanilla as shown below. After that, I chopped up several small Twix bars and mix those in, and set this in a pie dish as shown below. After sprinkling the batter with brown sugar and cocoa powder over the batter, here’s where things get fun. I take one and three-quarters of a cup of black coffee, and simply pour this over the completed batter, resist all urges to stir, and then bake.

Living the Gourmet

Serves 6

Chocolate Espresso Pudding Pie

10 minPrep Time

40 minCook Time

50 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

1 cup flour – sifted
2/3 cup sugar
2 tbs. unsweetened cocoa
2 tsps. Baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup evaporated milk
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 fun-size TWIX® candy bars – chopped
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
1 ¾ cups espresso or hot coffee
Butter for greasing 9 inch pie dish

Instructions

Preheat Oven 350 degrees F.
Prepare the pie dish.
Combine the first five ingredients in a medium sized bowl and stir.
Combine the evaporated milk, oil and vanilla and stir into the bowl with the dry ingredients.
Stir in the chopped TWIX® pieces. Place this mixture into the pie dish.
Combine the brown sugar and the ¼ cup cocoa powder and sprinkle this mixture over the batter.
Pour the coffee over the batter: DO NOT STIR!
Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until the cake springs back when touched lightly in the center.
Serve with fresh whip cream.

https://livingthegourmet.com/2016/10/chocolate-espresso-pudding-pie.html

Calories

245 cal

Fat

18 g

Carbs

19 g

Protein

3 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

The end result is a brownie-like cake set over a bed of rich chocolate-coffee pudding. I like to serve this with copious amounts of fresh whipped cream. Needless to say, I couldn’t have been happier with the result, and both my brother and my nieces were very pleased with it.

Enjoy with Love!

Classic Lemon Pound Cake

1 · Sep 30, 2016 · 46 Comments

Thank you to Limoneira for sponsoring this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

This rich, buttery pound cake is bursting with the fresh flavors of California lemons! Enjoy a slice in the early morning hours with coffee or as an after dinner delight with tea.

At the beginning of each summer, there’s an undeniably ‘youthful invincibility’ cloaked about the start of the season. The trees, once gnarled and ghostly, are reanimated by the overlong days, pollen hangs thick upon the air, and the clamor of birds breaks the nightly silence with each new sunrise. Life in all its terrestrial forms, so abundant and vibrant, seems once again unconquerable in its majesty. And yet, like all ‘youthful invincibility, ‘the passage of time has waned upon it.

Many have expertly stylized the concept of ‘autumn in New York,’ and I will not attempt to add my own ineffective musings to that venerable list. However, I will say that standing at the precipice of summer’s end, one can hardly escape the surreal and humanistic mysteries it presents. Even should we obtain immortality, as a very wise man once remarked, we are each of us born into a losing struggle, and there is no better metaphor for that than the dimming, and eventual fall, of the leaves.

As the emerald hue of summer fades to grey, and its frenetic pace wearies into the drudgery of yet another New York winter, it becomes hard not to feel cheated in some way, as though the days of my summer were cut short by the malevolent intervention of some unseen being. Little by little, the mornings darken until I waken each day still within the grasp of night, and little by little the sweet song of the summer birds fade until the morning darkness is rendered still by winter’s familiar silence.

Priding myself on my stubbornness, I decided to make one final, and perfectly ‘summery’ recipe. Yet, in the end, I couldn’t help infusing it with all of the sweet hardiness of a winter cake.

This Classic Lemon Pound Cake is a perfect representation of the change in seasons. It’s a comforting dessert, rich and buttery, yet it’s bursting with the lingering days of summer with the vibrant zest of lemon.

Limoneira was kind enough to gift Living the Gourmet a beautiful box of their finest California lemons last month, which we enjoyed to the fullest.

August celebrated National Lemon Day but with the holidays quickly approaching we have some more special days to look forward to, such as Lemon Crème Pie Day (November 29) and Lemon Cupcake Day (December 15).

Check out our Instagram to see all the lemon treats we’ve been making for more recipe ideas and inspiration.

This moist, dense cake is made with a sugar crust and then finished off with a simple lemon syrup.

If you so desire, you can serve with a dollop of fresh whipped cream, though I think it’s perfect with just a cup of tea.

Living the Gourmet

Yields 8-10

Classic Lemon Pound Cake

10 minPrep Time

60 minCook Time

1 hr, 10 Total Time

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Ingredients

6 eggs – separated
3 ½ sticks of butter – 28 tbs. - softened
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
2 tsps. Fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp. salt
10 – Inch tube pan

Lemon Syrup:

¼ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven 350 degrees:
Thoroughly grease the tube pan; then lightly coat the pan with flour.
Separate the eggs letting the egg whites fall into a large mixing bowl; place the egg yolks into a smaller bowl.
Cut the butter into cubes and place in another large mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon press the butter chunks against the side of the bowl until a very soft and smooth consistency is reached.
Mix the sugar into the butter a little at a time and stir until the mixture is a smooth and very creamy.
Beat the egg yolks well; then stir the yolks into the butter mixture along with the lemon juice.
Place a sifter on a medium size mixing bowl and sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture a little at a time, while stirring until a smooth consistency is achieved.
Using an electric mixture beat the egg whites until stiff peaks are achieved.
Gently, stir the egg whites into the batter, a ¼ of a cup at a time, until they are incorporated into the batter.
Spoon the batter into the prepared baking pan and sprinkle generously with sugar.
Bake at 350 degrees F. for 35 minutes.
Then reduce the heat to 325 F. degrees and bake for another 25 minutes.
Using a toothpick gently place holes over the top of the cake.
Spoon the syrup over the top of the cake.

For the Lemon Syrup:

Combine the lemon juice and sugar and stir.

https://livingthegourmet.com/2016/09/classic-lemon-pound-cake.html

Calories

452 cal

Fat

2 g

Carbs

88 g

Protein

19 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

Learn how the world of citrus can make your world healthier, happier and brighter with Limoneira!

Enjoy with Love!

Mini SNICKERS® Crispers Cheesecakes

0 · Sep 16, 2016 · 9 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, MARS. All opinions are mine alone. #SweetSquad #CollectiveBias

These mini cheesecakes are made with cake mix for a deliciously indulgent, fool proof treat. Baked over a SNICKERS® Crispers crust, these mini desserts are perfect for holidays, family gatherings or even Game Time!

George Orwell viewed ‘serious sport’ as being “War without shooting.”

Indeed, this sentiment, meant to convey how very seriously we take our favored pastimes, has been echoed throughout history.

As a student of Plato, I’m reminded of how Socrates viewed sport and athleticism as a partially intellectual undertaking, especially in such works as The Republic and The Timaeus. Socrates himself, Plato records, was a citizen-soldier for some time. In The Protagoras, the work’s namesake was a philosopher of the then prominent Sophist school of thought, as well an avid pankrationist of some renown. For the unfamiliar, pankration was a combination of Hellenic boxing and wrestling, but with the addition of leather knuckles, and the only rules being bans on biting and deliberate eye gouging, though in Lakedaimonia neither of these rules were enforced as they were considered effeminate.

Fast forward a few centuries, and Rome gave as a rather accurate foreshadowing of modern commercialized sport. The first truly vast stadiums devoted to sport were erected throughout the known world, with athletes, both free-men and slaves alike, achieving what we would today recognize as super-stardom. Wealthy businessmen and statesmen were fond of sponsoring events, patronizing athletes, or putting up funds for new facilities so as to see their names attached to the new stadiums. Any of this sound familiar yet?

I’ve recorded here on Living the Gourmet my own family’s love affair with the games, especially the football season. While I do share their enthusiasm, mine is more from the perspective of the ‘interested observer’ and eager hostess.

For example, with my niece just starting high school, team-spirit is all the rage, and naturally I had to invite them over for a start-of-the-season Big Game party. I’ve outlined some of my game favorites here on Living the Gourmet, from Jalapeno Poppers to Big Game Stadiums and Parmesan Chicken Bites.

However, this wasn’t a full on ‘endless trays of food’ Game Time Party. Instead, this was more a ‘Game Time dessert.’ Regardless, I wanted it to feel special. First things being first, for a dessert party a good cup of coffee is a must, so I picked up two flavors of artisan roasts from my favorite Italian pork store – Imported Columbian and a specialty House Roast.

From there, I decided to take my own advice and fall back on an old family favorite for the main attraction – cheesecake. This being a Big Game ‘Dessert Party,’ I still wanted to keep the cheesecake bite sized. I also wanted it to be blatantly decadent. No calorie counting during the game, after all.

To do this, I made a quick supply run to Walmart where I picked up a yellow cake mix, and a few SNICKERS® Crisper packs, which are a delicious combination of crisp rice, peanuts, and caramel coated in milk chocolate – perfect for what I had in mind for the cheesecake.

Once back home, I prepared the cupcake crusts as shown below by blending graham crackers with the SNICKERS® Crispers. This blend would also serve as the cupcakes crumb topping. From there, I prepared a cheesecake filling with cream cheese, lemon juice, eggs, vanilla, and yellow cake mix as shown below.

Now, I’m fond of believing that in all art forms mistakes do not happen. The kitchen is no different. Upon preparing what I outlined above, I found myself with a cheesecake batter roughly two to three times larger than what I had anticipated. Thus, after filling up the cupcake tins, I decided to prepare an actual cake in my heart-shaped spring form pan with the remaining batter and crust for my niece to take home.

Living the Gourmet

Yields 2 dozen

Mini SNICKERS® Crispers Cheesecakes

10 minPrep Time

20 minCook Time

30 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

1 box yellow cake mix (15.25 oz.)
4 eggs
4 tbs. unsalted butter - softened
2 bars of cream cheese – 8 oz. each
½ cup sugar
1 ½ cups milk
3 tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla

For the Crust and Topping:

12 – 14 Graham Cracker sheets
5 tbs. unsalted butter
2 SNICKERS® Crisper bars

Instructions

Preheat Oven 350 degrees F.
Combine the graham cracker sheets, butter and SNICKERS® Crisper bars in a food processor and process until crumbly.
In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice, sugar, milk, cream cheese and butter; mix with an electric mixer until smooth.
Press the graham cracker crust mixture into the bottom of each cupcake holder then fill with the cake batter.
Finish off each cupcake with more graham cracker mixture.
Bake 18 – 20 minutes or until the toothpick test comes out clean.

https://livingthegourmet.com/2016/09/mini-snickers-crispers-cheesecakes.html

Fat

17 g

Protein

29 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

Needless to say, we had a great time, and cheesecakes were exactly what I had planned. What are some of your favorite Big Game desserts? We would love to hear from you!

Don’t forget to pick up the new SNICKERS® Crispers for Game Time!

Enjoy with Love!

Butter Pecan and Vanilla Ice Cream Cake

0 · Jul 29, 2016 · 15 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SoHoppinGood #TopYourSummer #CollectiveBias

Blue Bunny®’s creamy and delicious Butter Pecan and Homemade Vanilla ice creams are layered into a decadent summer treat with buttery graham crackers mixed with almonds and hot fudge syrup. For the ultimate touch, I topped this mini cake with Smucker’s Strawberry Spoonable Ice Cream Topping! So go ahead, indulge a little and beat the heat!

For anyone who has been reading Living the Gourmet over the past month or so, you are already well aware that my absolute favorite part of the summer season is the food, whether it’s the light dishes that comprise a quintessential seasonal lunch, or the heavy and hearty fare from the grill. There’s something that’s very simply ‘festive’ about summer cuisine, something that simply invites one into merriment and enjoyment.

However, the same weather that makes this sort of cuisine possible, is also the same weather that has a tendency to make the heat of the kitchen, or even the grill, positively infernal. The past few weeks here in New York have made leaving my air-conditioned office a veritable health hazard. Each time I need to leave my desk, I find myself pondering the vast journey of ‘heading off into the great downstairs,’ and wondering if I’ll return to tell the tale.

Yet, for precisely reasons such as that, as I wrote recently, it’s important to give oneself something ‘fun’ to look forward to at the end of a long day, or as a reward at the end of the week – and that is precisely where today’s recipe comes in.

You see, baking in this weather becomes a fair bit less dread-worthy when the materials one is baking with are largely frozen solid. Yes, if ever there was a time that warranted the construction and consumption of frozen cake, this blistering week in New York is precisely it.

The idea for this started while I was making a supply run to Walmart, and I noted the new packaging on one my favorite brands of ice cream – Blue Bunny®. I decided that rather than simply eating the ice cream on its own that I would make a sort of summer project out of it. I selected three flavors as I knew it was going to be a long hot week ahead. I chose the Blue Bunny® Butter Pecan, the Blue Bunny® Homemade Vanilla, and Blue Bunny® Super Chunky Cookie Dough. For today’s recipe however, I alternated between the Butter Pecan and Homemade Vanilla.

That would be the ‘cake’ part of the equation. For the ‘frosting,’ or ‘sweet stuff,’ I picked up Smucker’s Hot Fudge Spoonable Ice Cream Topping and Smucker’s Strawberry Spoonable Ice Cream Topping. These are an easy and inexpensive way to add some fun to any summer ice cream, especially a summer ice cream cake. (Side note, I also picked up Smucker’s Caramel Spoonable Ice Cream Topping which also makes for a delicious variation between the layers!)

After I got those home, I prepped a six and a half-inch spring form pan as shown below with melted butter, graham crackers and almonds. I then placed a single layer of ice cream into the pan, topped the ice cream with the hot fudge topping, and let that freeze in place. I repeated that twice to produce a layered ice cream cake, which I have kept in the freezer for these especially hot days where I absolutely need something to look forward to at the end of the day.

Living the Gourmet

Serves 8

Butter Pecan and Vanilla Ice Cream Cake

15 minPrep Time

15 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

2 cups crushed graham crackers
1/2 cup almonds, finely chopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
3 scoops (about 1 cup) Blue Bunny® Butter Pecan, softened
3 scoops (about 1 cup) Blue Bunny® Homemade Vanilla, softened
1 (11.75 oz.) jar Smucker's Hot Fudge Spoonable Ice Cream Topping
1/4 cup Smucker's Strawberry Spoonable Ice Cream Topping

Instructions

Prepare a 6 1/2-inch spring form pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper and wrapping the outer side of the pan in tin foil. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, almonds and melted butter. Press about 1 cup of the graham crackers to the bottom of the pan.
Heat the hot fudge until it is smooth and spreadable. Add enough to cover the graham cracker crust. Place the cake pan in the freezer for about 15 minutes until the hot fudge has set.
Once the hot fudge has set, scoop the softened ice cream on top. I used 3 scoops of softened ice ream. Smooth and even the ice cream over the fudge layer and place back into the freezer to set, about 30 minutes.
Once the ice cream has set, repeat the steps above, covering the ice cream layer with the graham cracker crust, but be sure to reserve about 1/4 cup of the graham cracker crumbs for the topping. Again, add a layer of the hot fudge and freeze to set. One you add your final layer of ice cream, sprinkle the top with the remaining graham crackers. Cover with cling film and let sit in the freezer until ready to serve.
Before serving, spoon the Smucker's Strawberry Spoonable Ice Cream Topping over the top.
Serve and Enjoy!

Notes

*Prep Time does not include Inactive Prep Time! Including Inactive Prep Time this cake will take about 3 hours to make depending on your freezer temps and when the ice cream sets.

https://livingthegourmet.com/2016/07/butter-pecan-vanilla-ice-cream-cake.html

Calories

9 cal

Fat

1 g

Carbs

1 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

This would also serve excellently at an outdoor summer party, something the entire family can enjoy. What are some of your favorite summer desserts? We would love to hear from you.

For more delicious treats be sure to check out the Blue Bunny® homepage to beat the summer heat!

Don’t forget to follow Blue Bunny® on:
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram

Enjoy with Love!

Lavender and Honey Bundt #BundtBakers

0 · Jul 21, 2016 · 16 Comments

This simple, sweet summer cake is infused with warm golden honey, aromatic dried lavender and sweet vanilla. Inspired by the classic novel, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, this is our Lavender and Honey Bundt.

“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.”

When Sue of Palatable Pastime announced this month’s theme of #BundtBakers would be The Secret Garden, I was giddy with excitement.

The Secret Garden was one of the first novels I had learned to read on my own. It was, to me, the original Harry Potter.

Its pages enchanted my childhood and sent my imagination soaring. It revealed to me through its delicate pages and fancifully crafted lines, the beauty of the world around me.

Those childish wonders still live on in my heart.

This summer day started with pure gold pouring in through my window between the lace curtains and twinkling trinkets hung across the pane.

The dazzling morning light was washed across the walls and I was blessed to be greeted by such beauty.

I wandered downstairs to get started my list of daily chores when I came to realize that not only were we celebrating my aunt’s birthday but #BundtBakers was due the following day.

I prepped my work space beside the bay windows overlooking our backyard. What a beautiful sight it is early in the day. The overgrown hedges with scattered light peaking through between small gaps here and there. My eyes caught sight of two white butterflies dancing together across the yard. The setting was perfect.

The cake is a fairly simple one but oh so lovely and aromatic.

I began with a French vanilla cake base then added honey, lavender and an extra touch of vanilla.

I generously covered the top with whipped frosting and decorated it with lavender, rosemary, lemon rinds and pearl sprinkles.

It was well received by our company, accepting plenty of compliments and nods of approval.

As the house began to quiet down, the day began to reach its zenith and our pleasant guests headed home.

I took a moment, watching from those bay windows, out into the familiar view. Oh how beautiful the summer evenings are. Crickets beneath the window, flickering lights flying about the lawn. A soft light streamed through those hedges of dark evergreen. This is my secret garden. The source of many fond memories and the inspiration behind many ideas.

“And the secret garden bloomed and bloomed and every morning revealed new miracles.”

Living the Gourmet

Yields 10

Lavender and Honey Bundt #BundtBakers

5 minPrep Time

30 minCook Time

35 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

1 box French Vanilla cake mix
3 eggs
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup apple sauce
2 teaspoons dried lavender, finely chopped
1 heaping tablespoons raw honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup vanilla frosting
Dried lavender, for garnish,
Fresh Rosemary sprigs, for garnish
Pearl sprinkles (optional), for garnish
Fresh lemon rinds, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and butter a bundt pan, set aside.
In the bowl of your mix master with the paddle attachment, combine cake mix, eggs, water, apple sauce, lavender, honey and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
Remove and let cool on a cooling rack.
Turn the bundt out onto a cake plate and frost. Garnish with suggested decorative toppings and serve.

https://livingthegourmet.com/2016/07/lavender-and-honey-bundt-bundtbakers.html

Calories

27 cal

Carbs

2 g

Protein

3 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

Almond Lavender Bundt by The Queen of Scones
Carrot Bundt Cake with Chamomile Orange Icing by Patty’s Cake
Chocolate and Mint Cake by Baking Yummies
Ginger & Lemon Crackle Courgette Bundt Cake by Baking in Pyjamas
Elderflower and Lemon Bundt by Jane’s Adventure in Dinner
Lavender & Honey Bundt by Living the Gourmet
Lavender & Lemon Bundt Cake by I Love Bundt Cakes
Lavender Lemonade Bundt by All That’s Left Are The Crumbs
Lemon and Rosewater Cake by Palatable Pastime
Lemon Balm Bundt Cake by Magnolia Days
Lemon Zucchini Bundt with Sugared Pansies by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Mojito Bundt Cakes by Sew You Think You Can Cook
Roses & Lemon Bundt Cake by kidsandchic
Spiced Zucchini Bundt Cake by Making Miracles
Sweet Chocolate Feel the Beet Cake by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
Vanilla Rose Bundt with Edible Flowers by Our Good Life
Yorkshire Parkin Mini Bundt by Food Lust People Love
Zucchini, Cheddar and Chive Bundt by Cookaholic Wife

xo,
Tammy<3

New York Style Crumb Cake – #BundtBakers

0 · Apr 21, 2016 · 30 Comments

Like a traditional New York Style Crumb Cake, big buttery crumbs are generously showered over a rich moist cake base. This classic recipe has warm hints of vanilla and cinnamon, and bright notes of lemon with each bite!

Fellow #BundtBaker and April’s host, Felice from the blog, All That’s Left Are The Crumbs, is taking us back in time.

We’ve been challenged to produce a retro recipe.

As much as I love pushing my creative limits, I must admit, going back to basics is a nice change of pace.

The first thing that came to mind while pondering which classic to recreate was the beloved crumb cake.

There are many versions and variations to this German dessert, but I personally love the New York style crumb. Not only because I’m from NY 😉 but also because I love an equal part ratio of crumb to cake. Who could resist?!! The crumbs are the best part of any cake!

For the base I followed King Arthur’s Class Crumb Cake recipe because I’m not shy to admit that I fudged this challenge the first time around.

My first attempt fell flat, literally, and it only got better when I realized I completely forgot to add sugar to the batter.

I find King Arthur a very reliable source and if I ever have any questions their live help is a big plus!

The batter itself will be thick and rich which is how you will know you have the perfect consistency.

For the crumbs, I added a sprinkle of cinnamon, making it more of a streusel. It just tied the whole dessert together perfectly.

The cake was received with high praise, much to my delight.

Crumb cake has always been a sentimental dessert to me. It reminds me of years growing up, especially Sundays. I look back fondly at those days and this cake leaves a lingering warmth in heart.

Living the Gourmet

Yields 8

New York Style Crumb Cake

10 minPrep Time

45 minCook Time

55 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

For the cake:

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Zest of 1/2 lemon
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup Greek yogurt, sour cream, or buttermilk

For the crumbs:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease your bundt pan then line it with strips of parchment paper so you can more easily transfer the bundt to a cake plate. For this recipes, I served the bundt inverted.
Prepare the crumb mixture first. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and blend until a crumbly mixture forms. Cover and set aside.
In the bowl of your mix master, beat together the butter, sugar, salt, vanilla and lemon zest.
Add the eggs, beating well after each addition.
Add the flour and baking soda to the batter until combined.
Finally, add the yogurt and beat on low speed until well-blended.
Spread the batter evenly into the prepared bundt pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 the crumb mixture.
Bake for 30 minutes then, quickly sprinkle the remaining crumbs. Return the cake to the oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the cake tester comes out clean..
Remove the cake from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Once the cake is ready, carefully loosen the sides and center from the pan, then gently lift it out of the pan from the parchment strips.
Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve!

Notes

**Cake Base adapted from King Arthur

https://livingthegourmet.com/2016/04/new-york-style-crumb-cake-bundtbakers.html

Living the Gourmet: New York Style Crumb Cake | #BundtBakers

xo,
Tammy<3

You can see all our of lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about #BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

And don’t forget to take a peek at what other talented bakers have baked this month:

Boston Cream Bundt by Andrea at Adventures in All Things Food
Boston Cream Pie Bundt Cake by Mary at Los Chatos Chefs
Campbell’s Tomato Soup Cake by Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm
Coca~Cola Bundt Cake by Mondo at I Bake He Shoots
Hummingbird Bundt Cake by Teri at The Freshman Cook
Inside-Out Ho Hos Lava Bundt Cake by Colleen at Faith, Hope, Love & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
Key Lime Bundt Cake by Sarah at The Chef Next Door
Lemon Meringue Pie Bundt by Felice at All That’s Left are the Crumbs
New York Style Crumb Cake by Tammy at Living the Gourmet
Nutella Chocolate MIlkshake Bundt Cake by Bea and Mara at I Love Bundt Cakes
Orange Creamsicle Cake by Sue at Palatable Pastime
Pantera Rosa Bundt Cake by Rocío at kidsandchic
Root Beer Float Bundt Cake by Rebekah at Making Miracles
Sock It To Me Cake by Stacy at Food Lust People Love
Strawberry Milkshake Swirl Bundt Cake by Laura at Baking in Pyjamas
Tomato Soup Bundt Cake by Tux at Brooklyn Homemaker
Tunnel of Fudge Cake by Kelly at Passion Kneaded

Coffee Nut Chocolate Cake

0 · Apr 14, 2016 · 29 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MMSFlavorVote #Walmart #CollectiveBias

This deeply rich chocolate cake boasts of a warm coffee undertone and is cloaked with smooth buttercream. Speckled between each layer are the three new M&M’s® peanut varieties- M&M’s® Chili Nut, M&M’s® Honey Nut, and our personal favorite, the inspiration behind this decadent dessert, M&M’s® Coffee Nut!

Its effects are as versatile and varied as its uses. It lifts spirits. Eases frustration. Enhances moments of joy, and is often companion in moments of sorrow. It has become a byword for ‘cheating,’ ‘living,’ ‘enjoyment,’ ‘decadence,’ ‘indulgence,’ and ‘nirvana.’ Cultures have utilized this item for everything from religious rituals, as catalysts for psychic gateways to the gods, and, of course, as the basis for innumerable beloved dishes both savory and sweet.

Of course, I am referring to chocolate.

I wrote recently about how we at Living the Gourmet start off the spring season with a pair of birthdays in March and April, and how it provides us with a season long excuse to keep a plethora of our favorite foods on hand. Aside from being great fun, it’s also a wellspring of seasonal creativity. However, all of that celebrating built up to a final gathering this past Sunday with family and friends.

While the dinner had to be superb, it was the cake that occupied most of my attention. While I of course wanted what I put together to be new and creative, I still wanted it to be familiar and inviting. Deciding against reinventing the dessert-wheel, I settled on preparing a classic rich chocolate cake with a homemade chocolate frosting. I enhanced the cake with coffee for added richness and flavor complexity.

Despite having the menu set, inspiration has a way of upsetting the proverbial applecart. While shopping for supplies at Walmart, I came across three new varieties of M&M’s® – namely M&M’s® Chili Nut, M&M’s ® Honey Nut, and M&M’s® Coffee Nut, all available in 90z bags.

This being the time – not – to resist temptation, I picked up all three.

After assembling the cake as shown below, I decided to use one of the three varieties as more than a dessert side. I chopped up the M&M’s® Coffee Nut, and dusted them over the top of the cake for added coffee notes and crunch.

Living the Gourmet

Yields 8

Coffee Nut Chocolate Cake

15 minPrep Time

35 minCook Time

50 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

For the Cake:

2 cups sugar
13/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Cocoa Powder
11/2 tsp. baking powder
11/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. chocolate extract
1 cup hot coffee

For the Frosting:

1/2 cup of unsalted butte, softened
2/3 cup Cocoa Powder
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. chocolate extract
9 oz. bag of M&M's® Coffee Nut, chopped

Instructions

For the Cake:

Preheat Oven 350 degrees F.
Butter and flour the baking pans.
Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl.
Add eggs, butter milk, oil and chocolate extract; beat with an electric mixer for minute or two. Slowly add coffee while mixing. (The batter will be thin).
Bake 30 – 35 minutes or until the toothpick test comes out clean.
Cool the cake for 10 – 15 minutes before removing from pan.
Cool completely before frosting.

For the Frosting:

In a large bowl combine the butter, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, chocolate extract and milk. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy enough for spreading.
Spread on a completely cooled cake and top the frosting with the crushed M&M's® Coffee Nut.

https://livingthegourmet.com/2016/04/coffee-nut-chocolate-cake.html

Living the Gourmet: Coffee Nut Chocolate Cake | #MMSFlavorVote #Walmart #Ad

Needless to say, the cake was a success, and was an excellent way to the end of the last several weeks. What are some of your favorite ways to celebrate a birthday? Or what are some of your favorite spring entertaining ideas? We would love to hear from you.

Don’t forget to cast your vote on Facebook for the M&M’s® Flavor Vote! The winner of the three new M&M’s® peanut varieties will be announced in August and will remain on shelves.

Enjoy with Love!

Springtime Honey Spice Cake

0 · Apr 7, 2016 · 35 Comments

This Honey Spice Cake boasts of warm flavors and aromas. Between each layer lies cool fresh cream, frosting and sweet berries.

“Life would be infinitely happier if we could only be born at the age of eighty and gradually approach eighteen.” — Mark Twain

Of all the beautiful, whimsical sayings floating around about age and beauty, this one always stood out to me. Perhaps it’s because it is so true.

It seems to me most of us spend a good amount of time reflecting…looking back at past failures rather than look forward and anticipating. Why can’t we do now, some of the things we think our sixteen year-old selves could have done then?

I have come to realize that each year will hold some disappointments but those can be easily outweighed by the joys and blessings. The problem is we take the good things for granted too often and choose to focus on that which is not in our power. Nature takes it’s own course, much to my own dismay as I may not be the most patient person at times.

One month ago, I had my birthday planned from the twelfth hour. I played it out in my head so many times, it began to feel like a distant memory.

Jump forward a few weeks, and as the hours drew nearer, the family gathered into the den as we usually do to watch a show.

What a beautiful blessing it is, to be able to have a routine with those you love.

No, my birthday did not go as planned, but my birthday turned out infinitely better than expected.

Nothing went accordingly, not even my cake.

I originally pictured a strawberry shortcake, one of my absolute favorite desserts. Then, the night before, while browsing online, I came across this Honey Cake from Bon Appetit. I fell in love with it immediately and decided to make it instead, with my own variations of course.

I divided the cake and layered it with a combination of vanilla frosting and whipped cream with fresh berries speckled throughout. I topped it off with a drizzle of honey, a light dusting of confectioner’s sugar and roses to garnish.

It is one of my favorite cakes to date. I am absolutely in love with how it came out and how it tastes.

Celebrate Spring with this seasonal delight…I promise you will not be disappointed.

Living the Gourmet

Yields 6

Springtime Honey Spice Cake

15 minPrep Time

45 minCook Time

1 hrTotal Time

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Ingredients

Honey Spice Cake:

2 cups gluten-free all-purpose baking flour
11/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup honey
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup buttermilk or sourmilk*

Topping and Garnish:

1 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon confectioner sugar, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon vanilla
Vanilla frosting
Honey for drizzle
Roses for garnish
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 cup sliced black berries

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter a 9-inch springform pan and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Set aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, blend sugars, oil, honey, egg and egg yolk. Add orange juice and butter milk.
*To make sour milk, take 1 cup of milk and mix with 1 tablespoon vinegar. Let stand for about 10 minutes until curdled.
Beat the mixture until frothy. Add dry ingredients and mix until a smooth batter forms.
Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan and bake for about 45 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Assembly:

Whip the whipping cream, confectioner's sugar and vanilla together until firm peaks form. Set aside.
Divide the cake in half.
Spread a thin layer of vanilla frosting over the bottom half of cake and place 1/2 cup of the freshly whipped cream on top. Spread out evenly and place berry slices throughout.
Frost the top half of the cake before place it on top the bottom half. Finally, top the cake with the remaining whipped cream and berries. Garnish with rose buds, drizzle with honey and sift power sugar lightly over the entire cake.
Best when served immediately, but can be stored in the refrigerator a few hours ahead of serving.

Notes

Adapted from Bon Appetit

https://livingthegourmet.com/2016/04/springtime-honey-spice-cake.html

Living the Gourmet: Honey Spice Cake with Whipped Cream and Berries

xo,
Tammy<3

Easter Grain Cake and Gluten Free Carrot Cake

0 · Mar 19, 2016 · 13 Comments

As I sit to write this, I’m reminded of an old saying, whose origin and precise wording I cannot recall, and it runs roughly that “Sometimes pleasant memories are the most painful to recall,” which touches on one of today’s recipes.

You see, I wrote recently about memories and how “Aside from being a foggy and increasingly imperfect chronicle of the past, memories also taint how we perceive not only the world around us, but reach beyond their own domain of the past to color how we look at the future.”

Obviously, with Easter drawing ever nearer, memories and ‘memory making’ are at the fore as I try to piece together the night’s menu. Of course, this never fails to conjure memories of past Easters, and of what was the gem of each year’s family gathering – Italian Grain Cakes. They were quintessential to our holidays, giant cakes the size of small tables that were as much an event to prepare as they were to eat.

Tradition, however, especially family tradition, tends to fade as the number of familiar faces dwindles and pleasant memories turn bittersweet. As a result, neither myself nor either of my brothers, who also love to cook, have attempted to prepare one of these cakes for decades. This brings me to the biggest practical challenge in preparing this cake, which is that the original recipe my mother used is almost completely gone – except for what I can recall from preparing them alongside her as a child.

Yet, I was determined. After so many years, I’ll be honest and say I’m not quite sure what prompted me to dust off this old family favorite, except that I wanted to add something extra special to this year’s celebration. Of course, however, I decided on baking a ‘trial cake’ before preparing one for Easter.

I couldn’t bring myself to be the sole judge on the final product, and so I had to lift the veil just a little bit on this Easter’s surprise and invited my older brother over for dinner, and served this ‘prototype’ for dessert.

I’m pleased to say, his response was “Cath, that’s the flavor.”

I did make a few conscious deviations from the original. For example, I used wheat berries in place of barley or grano cotto, and prepared my own ‘citron’ with assorted dried fruit. I also used Bob’s Red Mill Organic Unbleached All Purpose White Flour, since it’s freshly milled from organic red wheat, with both the bran and germ removed, and is a high protein flour meaning it produces a high, well-textured, ‘light’ baked good.

Living the Gourmet

Yields 8

Easter Grain Cake

10 minPrep Time

50 minCook Time

1 hrTotal Time

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Ingredients

For the Crust:

2 cups Bob's Redmill Organic Unbleached All Purpose White Flour
1 cup unsalted butter, chilled
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
3-4 tablespoons ice water

For the Filling:

5 cups water
1/2 cup wheat berries
4 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 lb. ricotta cheese
1 cup dried mixed fruit
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Zest of 1 whole lemon
Zest of 1 whole orange
1 tablespoon butter
Pinch of salt

Instructions

In the bowl of your food processor, blend flour, butter, sugar and salt together. Pulse until pea-size crumbs forms. Add iced water 1 tablespoon at a time until a soft, pliable dough comes together.
Transfer the the dough to a well floured surface and roll into a ball. Slice 1/4 of the dough off, and re-shape into a ball again. Wrap the doughs in clingfilm and refrigerate until ready to use.
In a medium pot, bring 5 cups of water to a boil. Add wheat berries and let it boil down for about 40-45 minutes until the wheat berries are soft.
While the wheat berries are cooking, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat eggs and gradually add sugar. Mix in the ricotta cheese, dried fruits, vanilla, cinnamon, and citrus zests. Beat until a smooth, creamy mixture forms.
Once the wheat berries are done, strain them and rinse. Transfer to a small bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon butter and a pinch of salt. Now fold the berries into the ricotta batter.
Take out the chilled dough. Turn the large dough ball onto a well floured surface. Roll the dough out until it is 1/4"- thick. carefully place the dough over a 9" spring form pan. Press the dough down and up the sides. Trim and add the remaining bits of dough to the small dough ball.
Blind bake the pie crust for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool while you roll out the small dough ball for the lattice strips.
Fill the ricotta batter into the cooled pie shell and place the lattice topping over the cake.
Return to the oven to let bake for about 45 minutes, or until the crust is nice and golden.
Let the cake rest on a cooling rack until it has cooled completely. Cover the top with clingfilm and refrigerate overnight.
Serve and Enjoy!

Notes

Prep Time does not include Inactive Prep Time.

https://livingthegourmet.com/2016/03/easter-grain-cake-gluten-free-carrot-cake.html

Calories

106 cal

Fat

3 g

Carbs

14 g

Protein

6 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

Living the Gourmet: Gluten Free Carrot Cake | #BRMEaster #CleverGirls

Gluten Free Carrot Cake

Recipe Type: Dessert

Author: Living the Gourmet

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 50 mins

Total time: 1 hour

Serves: 8

Ingredients

¾ cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
¾ cup corn oil
1 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
2 cups Bob’s Redmill Almond Flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. cloves
¾ tsp. kosher salt
3 cups shredded carrots
For the Frosting:
8 oz. cram cheese – softened
4 tbs. unsalted butter – softened
Zest of ½ orange
¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
¼ tsp. salt

Instructions

Preheat Oven 350 degrees F.
Combine the sugars, oil, vanilla and eggs in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer.
Stir in the dry ingredients and the carrots.
Grease two 8 inch baking pans and divide the batter evenly into each pan.
Bake 50 – 55 minutes. Let cool.

For the Frosting:

Combine the cream cheese, butter, confectioners’ sugar, orange zest, vanilla and salt in a medium bowl, using an electric mixer; mix until smooth and creamy.
Spread on the cooled cake.

What are some of your favorite Easter traditions? We would love to hear from you. Don’t forget to click here to save $1.00 off your next Bob’s Red Mill purchase!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Enjoy with Love!

Apple Cinnamon Bundt | #BundtBakers

0 · Feb 18, 2016 · 32 Comments

Nothing is quite as comforting as warm apples spiced with cinnamon and sugar; such never goes out of style or season. So enjoy life’s small pleasures and savor a slice of this Apple Cinnamon Bundt drizzled in white chocolate.

“Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” – Robert Brault

These words speak to me. Perhaps it is because I have seen how quickly life can change. How something we have grown accustomed to – something we have taken for granted, can be gone the next day without a trace remaining.

Those experiences have taught to me to savor and delight in life’s small pleasures.

Take for instance this cake.

There is something satisfying about having cake in the early morning hours, when the world outside is quiet and still; served alongside a fresh cup of coffee and shared with someone you love, over girl talk.

I believe each morning that begins this way is destined to be a good day. If only we could allow ourselves such indulgences more often.

Our theme for this month’s #BundtBakers is cinnamon.

Some either like it or hate it, I find, but I personally love both the taste and warm scent of cinnamon.

I was very pleased when our hostess, Lauren of Sew You Think You Can Cook, revealed February’s theme.

If you have never been to Lauren’s site please take a moment to stop by. We’ve been following her for quite some time and I always enjoy catching up with her on BB’s reveal day. She never disappoints!

Thank you Lauren, for being such a gracious host…we thoroughly enjoyed baking with you this month!

Living the Gourmet

Yields 8

Apple Cinnamon Bundt | #BundtBakers

10 minPrep Time

45 minCook Time

55 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

3 apples – peeled and diced
1/4 cup raisins - chopped
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 1/2 cup all purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
4 tbs. butter - softened
4 oz. apple sauce
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla

Topping:

3 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
4 oz. white chocolate, melted

Instructions

Preheat Oven 350 degrees F.
Generously butter a bundt pan.
Place diced apples in a bowl. Add the teaspoon of cinnamon and toss.
In a large bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and toss.
In a separate bowl combine the sugar, vanilla, apple sauce, sour cream, butter and eggs; beat with an electric mixer until combined well.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix. Stir in the apples.
Place the batter in the prepared bundt pan and top with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Bake for 45 – 50 minutes or until toothpick test comes out clean.
Let the cake cool then remove from pan.
Gently melt the chocolate when ready to drizzle over the cake.

https://livingthegourmet.com/2016/02/apple-cinnamon-bundt-bundtbakers.html

Living the Gourmet: Apple Cinnamon Bundt | #BundtBakers

You can see all our of lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about #BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

And don’t forget to take a peek at what other talented bakers have baked this month:

Apple Cinnamon Bundt by Tammy at Living the Gourmet
Carrot Bundt Cake with Cinnamon Glaze by Kelly at Passion Kneaded
Cinnamon Apple Bundt Cake by Christiane at Taking on Magazines
Cinnamon Apple Jelly Donut Cake by Colleen at Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
Cinnamon Bundt Cake by Kathya at Basic N Delicious
Cinnamon Bundt Coffee Cake by Lauren at From Gate to Plate
Cinnamon Chocolate and Strawberry Cake by Deepti at Baking Yummies
Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake by Renee at Magnolia Days
Cinnamon Crown Cake by Stacy at Food Lust People Love
Cinnamon Dolce Coffee Bundt Cake by Felice at All That’s Left are the Crumbs
Cinnamon Espresso Bundt with Chocolate Ganache by Amanda at The Cinnamon Scrolls
Cinnamon Pecan Streusel Bundt Cake by Lara at Tartacadabra
Cinnamon Roll Bundt by Margaret at Tea and Scones
Cinnamon Swirl Bundt by Sue at Palatable Pastime
Cinnamon Swirl Zucchini Bundt Cake by Bea and Mara at I Love Bundt Cakes
Cinnamon Toast Bundt by Jane at Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
Cinnamon Toast Bundts by Olivia at Liv for Cake
Mexican Chocolate Bundt Cake by Mondo at I Bake He Shoots
Monkey Bread Bundt by Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm
Pumpkin Spice Toffee Bundt Cake by June at How to Philosophize with Cake
Red Tea and Cinnamon Bundt Cake by Mary at Los Chatos Chefs
Six Pound Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake by Rebekah at Making Miracles
Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake by Teri at The Freshman Cook
Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls Bundt by Priya at I Camp in My Kitchen
Sweet Cinnamon Spice Tea Bundtlettes by Lauren at Sew You Think You Can Cook
Tea Chai Bundt Cake by Rocio at kidsandchic
Tunnel of Cinnamon Bundt Cake by Laura at Baking in Pyjamas

Now if you want in on a little secret, this bundt was so nice, I baked it twice!

I hope you enjoy it as well…in fact, I know you will.

Please take a look at the rest of this month’s #BundtBakers. There are so many beautiful cakes this month and I am excited to share them all with you.

Also check out this wonderful and informative article on the benefits of cinnamon!

xoxo,
Tammy & Catherine

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