Cranberry Lime Loaf

Here I am. In Bar Harbor, Maine.

I haven’t even begun to unpack. I had the sense to label all the boxes, so when I need something I run downstairs, search for the box and take a few things out, and try to consolidate boxes. It’s never going to end. Perhaps my idea of dropping a match and leaving was best. We’ll see.

First thing that was unpacked was one of the KitchenAid stand mixers. Oh, and wooden spoons.

No job yet, so I need to entertain myself all day. Laundry and dishes done. Errands run. helping the Dear One with his business. Still hours and hours to go before girls get picked up at the bus stop and everyone comes home.

What to do. What to do? Oh, wait, there are cranberries in the freezer thanks to my pal Lisa!

One of the fantastic things about this place are the cranberry bushes growing near the marsh at the foot of the property. The Dear One and A canoed out one day and picked a bunch, but they’re earmarked for cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving. But, on her way out of town for a much needed, month long vacation (JEALOUS!), Lisa left cranberries in her fridge for me to play with.

I’ll make some cranberry juice (yes, Ernie, they sell it in the supermarket, even here).

But this Cranberry Lime Loaf was calling my name. Never leave a bored foodie home alone!

• 2 C all-purpose-flour
• 1 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 3/4 t salt
• 1 C granulated sugar
• zest of one lime
• 1/4 C or 1/2 stick of unsalted butter melted
• 1 egg
• 3/4 C of fresh lime juice
• 2 C fresh cranberries

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a loaf pan.

In medium size mixing bowl mix together all dry ingredients including sugar and zest and make a well in the middle.

Mix together wet ingredients then add to the dry ingredient and mix together just until moistened then stir in cranberries.

Pour into the loaf pan and bake for 35-40 minutes.

Let cool in pan for 10 to 15 minutes then turn out to cool completely.

Glaze:
1 C powdered sugar
2 T lime juice

Mix well and pour over the loaves.

NOTE: Folks around here think the glaze takes away from this loaf and makes it way too sweet. Glaze left off next time.

Rich Yellow Loaf Cake

My dear husband likes plain cake. No frosting. No icing. No drizzles. I can occasionally sneak in some fruit or a chocolate swirl. But at night, to have with his tea, he prefers plain.

I was delighted to find this recipe for Rich Yellow Loaf Cake while flipping through Lauren Chattman‘s Cake Keeper Cakes. This would be the perfect cake for my husband.

If you don’t own this book yet, you should. Every recipe is wonderful. The pictures are beautiful, it’s well written and the instructions are easy to follow. I have made and tasted a number of things from this book and each is better than the one before.

This cake came together very easily and quickly. No fussy ingredients. Popped it into the oven, sat on the sofa and waited. About halfway through the cooking time, I really started to smell the cake. I knew there was something wrong. Open the oven and what do I see?

Sigh. Over flow everywhere! I scooped up what was on the bottom of my oven. Slid a cookie sheet on the rack under the cake and hoped for the best.

I followed everything to a T. I wrote to Lauren Chattman through her blog, but she had not responded (at the time of this writing it was 3 weeks ago) and I doubt that she ever will.

Anyone out there have any ideas why my cake escaped its loaf pan? Yes, I used the right sized pan. Yes, it says 1 tablespoon of baking powder. No, I didn’t over beat it.

I have to say, even with this disaster, the cake was REALLY good! I would love to make it again, if I can solve the problem!

• 4 large egg yolks
• 2/3 C milk
• 2 t vanilla
• 2 C cake flour
• 1 T baling powder
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/4 C sugar

Preheat the oven to 325. Grease and dust with flour a 9X5 loaf pan.

Lightly beat yolks, milk and vanilla together. In a separate, medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.

Combine butter in sugar in large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary.

NOTE: This may be where my disaster began, I used my Kitchen Aide and not a hand electric mixer. But without feedback, one will never know!

With the mixer on medium-low speed, pour the egg mixture into the bowl in a slow steady stream. Stop the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides.

Turn the mixer to low and add the flour mixer 1/2 cup at a time. Scrape down the sides after each addition. After the last of the flour mixture has been added, mix four 1 minute on medium speed.

Scrape the battered into the prepared loaf pan and smooth out the top. Bake cake until it’s golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Invert cake onto a wire rack, turn right side up and let cool completely.

NOTE: Despite the over flow, this was a delicious cake, one I would love to make again. Hopefully Lauren Chattman will answer, or perhaps one of you can come up with a solution!

Blackberry-Swirl Pound Cake

Walking through the supermarket, wanting to bake something, waiting for inspiration, I came across these glorious blackberries.

Could you resist these? I know I couldn’t. And then from the recesses of my memory, I remembered a recipe in Everyday Food magazine for a Blackberry-Swirl Pound Cake. There was my answer!

• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
• 6 ounces blackberries
• 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 

Lightly butter a 5-by-9-inch loaf pan and line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides; butter parchment.

 

NOTE: I forgot to butter the parchment, and it made no difference.

 

In a food processor, puree blackberries with 2 tablespoons sugar. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar until light and fluffy, 5 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and beat to combine, scraping down bowl as needed.

With mixer on low, add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Transfer half the batter to pan and dot with 1/2 cup blackberry puree.

NOTE: As you can see the inky black-purple of the black berries is very hard to capture.  And this is where I ran into my troubles. Yes, trouble with a capital T and that rhymes with B and that stands for BLACKBERRIES. My puree wasn’t thick enough. So there was no DOTTING the puree – not for a lack of trying!

Repeat with remaining batter and puree.

NOTE: Again, same problem.  I did something wrong, but I have NO clue what it was! All I could hope for was an oven miracle.

With a skewer or thin-bladed knife, swirl batter and puree together. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 1 1/4 hours.

Let cool in pan on a wire rack, 30 minutes. Lift cake out of pan and place on a serving plate; let cool completely before slicing. (Store cooled cake, wrapped tightly in plastic, at room temperature, up to 3 days.)

NOTE: This cake was really very good, though I didn’t have the swirl inside that you see in the magazine photo. This is definitely a do again cake. I just need to figure out where I went wrong with the puree!  Any thoughts?