Strawberry Cake

I found this beautiful cake on Pinterest several weeks ago, and have been waiting for the right time to try it:

Source: coloredgrains.wordpress.com via Caitlin on Pinterest

Strawberries are in season, and it seemed only fitting to make a strawberry cake since Laura has been "baking" everything from strawberry hugs and kisses (the very best kind) to strawberry soup in her play kitchen.  As promised in the original blogger's post, this cake was super quick and easy to make.  The biggest stumbling block for me was converting the metric measures.  Even that wasn't too difficult, thanks to the conversion chart at the back of my beloved Fannie Farmer.  So here is a quick recap of the recipe, as it worked for me:

Ingredients:
1/4 cip canola oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-2 cups strawberries














Directions: (Note that I have switched the order of things a little, to better suit my baking style)
Preheat oven to 350*
Wash, dry and quarter strawberries.
Mix with 1 tablespoon sugar, set aside.

Mix the oil, vinegar, milk and egg in large mixing bowl.
Add remaining sugar (3/4 cup) and vanilla extract, mix well.
Add flour and baking powder, whisk till smooth.

Pour batter into greased baking dish or pie pan.
Arrange strawberries on top of batter, making sure they don't sink too deep.  (My strawberries went missing!)

Bake at 350* for 45 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Observations: My cake does not look nearly as pretty as the one I was copying.  But it does taste absolutely delicious.  And I don't even like fruit that much.  The batter was so simple to make, and so tasty to eat - it could really serve as a base with any fruit you have on hand.  I am glad I peeked at mine about 15 minutes into cooking - all my strawberries had disappeared!  I quickly shoved a few extras onto the top for looks.  Next time, I might try par-baking the cake for 5-10 minutes before adding my strawberries.  I am also glad I checked on my cake at the 45 minute mark.  The original recipe called for an hour of baking; my cake would have been toast by then!  I will definitely make this again.  YUM!

Pork Tenderloin with Caramelized Pears and Pear-Brandy Cream

I love pork tenderloin.  Love it.  I don't think I've met a pork tenderloin I didn't like.  If I had to choose a "last supper," pork tenderloin would be on the menu.  Quite possibly, I'd specify this recipe with it's creamy sauce and delicate pears (or maybe this one with the plums).  Its delicious combination of flavors is perfection in my mouth.  Here's how to enjoy this creamy, savory meal:

Ingredients:
(recipe can be halved)
3 lb pork tenderloin, cut into 1" thick slices
8 tablespoons butter
6-8 firm ripe Anjou pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1/3" wedges
2 teaspoons sugar
1/3 cup shallots, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 cup pear eau-de-vie (poire William) (<-- I can never find this, and use apricot brandy instead)
2/3 cup pear nectar (Goya makes it)
2 cups whipping cream (half and half works, too)

Directions:
Pound pork slices into 1/4" thickness
Melt 4 T butter in large skillet over high heat
Add pears and sugar, saute until tender and deep golden (8 minutes)
Set aside in skillet

Melt 2 T butter in another large skillet over high heat
Season pork with salt and pepper to taste
Saute in skillet until cooked through, approximately 2 minutes per side
Transfer to platter, cover with foil

Using pork skillet, reduce heat to medium
Melt 2 T butter
Add shallots and thyme, saute 2 minutes
Add brandy, boil until reduced to glaze (2 minutes)
Add cream and pear nectar
Boil until thickened sauce (5 minutes)
Add salt and pepper to taste
Reheat pears

Spoon the pears onto a platter, and arrange the pork around them.  Spoon sauce over the pork.  Serve on platter with rice and vegetable of your choice.  Enjoy!

This might not be the healthiest or quickest dinner to fix, but it is easy absolutely delicious!  Great for special occasions, even if that occasion is a random Thursday night.

Classic Chocolate Cake

This is my mom's go-to cake recipe, for every occasion.  It's your birthday?  Here's a chocolate cake!  It's so go-to, in fact, that my mom usually forgets that I actually prefer yellow cake with chocolate frosting.  Oops!  But really, I'll take any flavor cake - especially one my mom made for me - any day!  So while chocolate cake might not be my favorite, this recipe certainly is delicious!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup cocoa
2/3 cup boiling water

3/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs

2 cups unsifted cake flour (this is an important detail!  Cake flour, not all-purpose!)
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk (2 tsp vinegar to milk)

Directions:
Stir together cocoa and boiling water until smooth; set aside
Cream butter and sugar
Add vanilla
Mix dry ingredients
Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk
Blend in cocoa mixture

Grease and flour two 9-inch layer pans
Bake at 350* for 35-40 minutes
Cool 10 minutes, then remove from pans

Frost with buttercream:
1 lb confectioners sugar
2 sticks softened butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
3-4 tablespoons milk

Chocolate Molten Souffles

These are a really impressive dessert that are fairly easy to make.  Very yummy!

Ingredients:
Chocolate Souffles
2 T (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened

1 pound semisweet chocolate, in small pieces

8 medium eggs

1 1/2 C sugar

1 1/2 C all-purpose flour

powdered sugar

White Chocolate Sauce

1 C heavy cream

8 oz white chocolate, in small pieces

Make the white chocolate sauce while the souffles are baking: Bring the heavy cream to a boil in a heavy sauce pan. Turn off the heat. Add the white chocolate pieces and stir with rubber spatula or wooden spoon until the chocolate has melted completely.

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Use 2 T of the butter to grease 8 ramekins (6 oz capacity) make sure every surface is covered.
• PLACE the remaining 10 T butter with the chocolate pieces in the top part of a double boiler and melt completely, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula.
• BREAK the eggs into the workbowl of food processor, add the sugar and the melted chocolate, and process until the mixture is smooth, about 15 seconds.
• Add the flour and process another 10 seconds. Scrape down the inside of the workbowl with the spatula and process until smooth, about 10 seconds more
• POUR an equal amount of the batter into each ramekin. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, until the mixture begins to rise and the center is still slightly soft to the touch. Remove the souffles from the oven, but don't let them cool for more than a couple of minutes before you carefully turn them out onto serving plates.
• TO SERVE: Sprinkle each souffle generously with powdered sugar, and spoon the white sauce around the perimeter. Serve warm!

Hint: you can make the batter ahead of time, pour into the ramekins and refrigerate, Bake as described, but add 5 minutes cooking time.