It happened so that I have never eaten or made an upside down cake that was a disappointment. They always turn out moist, caramely, and with a perfect crumb. Different fruits for a topping allow innumerable variations of already lovely idea.
Blood oranges are great here since their skin is thinner and white bitter pith is less pronounced, so the cake gets just a hint of bitterness which is quite charming.
I wish you all wonderful holidays!!!
I was supposed to post the next daring bakers’ challenge, but … it didn’t happen, at least not yet.
Today is my dear boy’s 8-year birthday. And this is his birthday cake. Tim’s old love for Spongebob never rusts. New Pixar movies come and go, but Spongbob stays his favourite.
For the insides, first, I was thinking about making something coconut with pineapple jam and coconut buttercream, perhaps. But you know kids and their peculiar taste. I decided to play it safe and made chocolate cake filled with French vanilla buttercream.
It would be, probably, nice to post it last Wednesday – St. Patrick’s Day, but I’ve been running behind my schedule lately. This recipe is slightly adapted from very old Guinness brewers’ recipe which produces a flavorful, moist eggless cake.
I was improvising to satisfy my son’s sweet tooth. Nut meringue are surely nice, but when the kid is allergic to all possible nuts existing, barely sweetened cereals make acceptable substitute. Bittersweet chocolate and some chopped prunes cut the sweetness down a little. The latter also add a bit of chewiness to otherwise crispy throughout cookies.
I like this carrot jam and make it often. This is not the marmalade, but its intense citrus flavor and the texture reminiscent to orange peel always fool everyone. If you are not very exciting about making the carrot jam, but want to give these muffins a try, any marmalade (homemade or store-bought) should do the trick just as well. To be honest, I was basically throwing whatever I had on hand (carrot jam it was) into my mixing bowl. Nevertheless, the muffins turned out perfect.
This kind of dessert is my comfort food during sometimes seemingly endless rainy Vancouver days. It’s creamy, chocolaty, sweet and soothing.
