What's Baking?

Over the past month or so I have done a lot of baking and dessert creating!

I made:

• Heart shaped, Chocolate Frosted Brownies with Roasted Cherries

• Creme Brulees with Luisa!

• Beignets with Luisa! (Pro tip: Make sure the oil is the correct temperature)

• Brownies

• Brownie Pie (A brownie crust topped with sliced cherries and blueberries with whipped cream , brownie chunks and a chocolate sauce)

• Cherry Ice Cream

• Chocolate Dipped Meringue Cookies

• Peanut Butter Banana Cake (This was supposed to be my Triple Threat Cake but the chocolate layer crumbed. The crumbled chocolate layer became chocolate cherry dessert!)

• Chocolate Cherry Dessert (I rolled the cake crumbs into balls and topped with cherry whipped cream and walnuts. Yummy!)

• Peanut Butter Pudding (I measured the cornstarch on this one in tablespoons instead of teaspoons. It was like peanut butter flavored glue! Yuck!)

• Mojito Bars

Banana Upside Down Cake

For my birthday cake this year I made a banana upside down cake. I made the same banana cake I used in the triple threat challenge with the addition of 1 tsp of cinnamon. Before pouring the cake in the pan, I mixed together 3/4 cup brown sugar and 6 tablespoons melted butter. I spread that in the pan and topped it with slices of banana. I poured the cake batter over that.

I'm baking at my friend's house and she didn't have cake pans so I filled two of her pie pans with the batter. Only one pan had the bananas on the bottom.

After the cakes cooled I stacked them and frosted them with fluffy peanut butter frosting. I decided to pour dark chocolate ganache on top but in the end I wish I hadn't because the ganache was to heavy and rich. This cake is really light. If I made it again, I'd leave off the ganache but add some cinnamon to the brown sugar and butter mixture. I, also, think that if frosted it should be a cinnamon frosting.

Conquering the Triple Threat

Lu challenged me to make a cake that featured three distinct layers. It took me some time to decide what cake I wanted to make and my ideas ranged from strawberry champagne to a mango pineapple peach conoction. I finally decided on.......

Triple Threat Cake (Peanut Butter, Banana and Chocolate) which I created from a hodgepodge of recipes in my Cupcakes cookbook, Better Homes and Gardens coobook and Hershey's website.

I baked the middle layer first so that by the time the first layer was cool enough to use I could begin cake assembly and by the time I was done with the first two layers the thrid would be cool enough to frost. Here are the recipes:

First Layer: Peanut Butter (adapted from Cupcakes)
Ingredients:

• 4 tbsps softened butter
• 1 1/8 cups packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 lightly beaten eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 5/8 cups all purpouse flour
• 2tsp baking poweder
• 1/3 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a round baking pan.
2. Beat butter, sugar and peanbut butter  together until well mixed and creamy.
3.  Add eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract.
4. Stir in flour and powder, alternating with the milk.
5. Pour batter into cake pan and bake for 22 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.

Second Layer: Banana (BHG)
Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 2 1/4 cups all purpouse flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup ripe mashed bananas (3)
• 3/4 cup sour milk/buttermilk (I used milk and vinegar)
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 tsp vanilla

1. Let eggs stand at room temp for half an hour. Grease a baking pan and set aside.
2.Stir flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda.
3.Add bananas, milk, shortening and vanilla. Beat on low until combined.
4.Beat in eggs
5.Bake at 350 for 22 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.

Third Layer: Chocolate (adapted from Hershey's)
Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cup all purpouse flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 8 oz sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/4 cup softened butter
• 2 eggs
• 1/8 cup milk

1.Stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt in large bowl.
2.Add butter, sour cream, eggs, milk and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 3 minutes.
3. Pour batter into prepared pan.  and bake for 30-40 minutes.

Frosting: PB Cream Cheese
Ingredients:
7 cups powdered sugar
2 softened bricks cream cheese
2/3 cups PB

Beat ingredients until smooth and fluffy.

Filling:
3 bananas, sliced
lemon juice

Thinkly slice bananas. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Place slices between layers.

If desired top with a chocolate ganache made from either cream and chocolate or butter and chocolate (butter will make it thickerr faster)

Rating? The usual bearer of baked goods at my husband's work declared me "Baker of the Month" and told Mike that I should open a bakery.  And the entire cake was eaten that day!