Pumpkin Cake Pops

Ingredients

Cake:

• Unflavored nonstick cooking spray
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup nonfat milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 cup pecan halves, for decorating

Frosting:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 pound confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/2 pounds finely chopped white chocolate (or two 11-ounce bags white chocolate chips)
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

For the cake: Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice together in a large bowl and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and sugars together. Stir in the milk and vanilla, and then add the oil. Whisk in the pumpkin puree and pour the liquid mixture over the dry mixture. Use a wooden spoon to stir the batter together, and then switch to a whisk and give the batter a good 3 or 4 beats before pouring it into the prepared baking dish. Use a rubber spatula to smooth out the batter and place it in the oven until the cake is golden and springs back to light pressure, 25 to 28 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely.

Meanwhile, place the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and toast them until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Transfer the nuts to a large plate to cool, then transfer to a cutting board and finely chop. Place the nuts in a medium bowl and set aside.

Divide the cake into quarters and crumble it into a large bowl. Once all of the cake is crumbled, drag 2 forks through the cake in opposite directions to crumble it into a very fine crumb (you can also use a food processor to pulse the cake into fine crumbs). Set aside.

For the frosting: Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper and set aside. Using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until airy, about 3 minutes. Add the confectioners' sugar and beat until combined. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stir the cream cheese frosting into the cake crumbs and, once the mixture looks like wet graham crackers crumbs, roll it into ping pong-size balls. Place the cake balls on the prepared baking sheet and freeze for 1 hour.

Place the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl and melt at 50-percent power, stirring every 30 seconds until the chocolate is completely melted, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes (or melt the chocolate over a double boiler, stirring often, until the chocolate is melted).

Remove the cake balls from the freezer and insert a lollypop stick or small appetizer-length skewer into the top of each one (stick it in far enough so it is more than halfway through but doesn't puncture the other side of the ball). Dip each ball into the white chocolate, using a spoon to help coat the underside. Tap the stick against the side of the bowl a few times and swirl the stick to encourage the excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. Dip the top of the ball into the nuts, and then place the cake pop back on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet, nut-side down (so the stick points straight up). Repeat with the remaining cake balls. Let the cake pops stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. Serve that day or refrigerate for up to 3 days and then serve.

by Tim Dineen

Buttermilk Apple Buckle

Topping:

• 2 large firm tart apples, peeled and cut into ½ inch thick slices
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 T. sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ½ cup fine chopped pecans (or walnuts)
• 3 T. cold salted butter, cut into small cubes (plus more to grease the pan)

Cake:

• 7 T. salted butter at room temperature
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 ½ tsp kosher or sea salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• Preheat oven: 350
• Grease baking pan, 9x9

In bowl: toss apple slices with ½ tsp cinnamon and 1 T. sugar, set aside.

In bowl: add 1 tsp. cinnamon, brown sugar, flour, nutmeg, and pecans, add the cold butter over mixture and cut in with pastry cutter or forks, work into pea size pieces and put in refrigerator until ready to use

Cake:

Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy, 5-8 minutes

In separate bowl: whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt

In another bowl: whisk together the buttermilk and egg

Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix together and add half of the buttermilk/egg mixture and mix again. Repeat adding another 1/3 of the flour mixture and remaining buttermilk/egg mixture and mix, then add the remaining flour mixture, stir until just combined.

Spread batter into the baking pan (batter will be thick)

Lay apple slices (overlapping slices) over the batter

Sprinkle the crumble topping over all

Bake until the top is golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 35-45 minutes

Cool on rack a little and serve warm

by Tim Dineen

Lime Coconut Cake

• 5-1/2 oz. (11 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened
• 9 oz. (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup (about 3 oz.) unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 Tbs. packed finely grated lime zest, preferably from Key limes
• 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3 Tbs. fresh or bottled Key lime juice
• 1 cup plain yogurt, homemade or store-bought

Preparation

Line a 10×5-inch metal loaf pan with aluminum foil, allowing plenty of overhang on the long sides. Use 1 Tbs. of the butter to grease the inside of the pan, paying special attention to the short (unlined) sides.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F.

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda into a large bowl. Using a fork, stir in the coconut and zest, evenly distributing any clumps.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or using a hand mixer, whisk the remaining 10 Tbs. butter and 1 cup of the sugar on medium speed until pale, scraping down the bowl occasionally with a silicone spatula, about 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and whisk in the eggs one at a time. Whisk in 1 Tbs. of the Key lime juice. (The batter may appear slightly curdled.) Add half of the flour mixture and mix briefly on low speed until incorporated. Add the yogurt and mix briefly on low speed until incorporated. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix on medium speed until the batter is smooth, about 1 minute.

Scrape into the prepared pan and bake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/4 cup sugar with 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves. Boil one minute. Remove from the heat and add the remaining 2 Tbs. Key lime juice. Cool until needed.

Place the cake pan on a rack. Poke all over with a cake tester or toothpick. Brush liberally with all of the lime syrup, pausing occasionally to let it soak in. Let cool for 15 minutes. Lift out by the foil and finish cooling completely before removing from the foil and slicing.

by Tim Dineen

Lemon Almond Butter Cake

For the lemon curd:

• Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 4 extra-large eggs
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

For the cake:

• 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 cup plus 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 extra-large eggs
• 1/2 cup ground toasted almonds
• 2 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds
• About 1/2 cup heavy cream for garnish
• 1 tablespoon almond liqueur (optional).

1. For the curd, combine zest, juice, sugar and eggs in a heatproof bowl, and beat well. Add butter, and place over a saucepan full of simmering water. Cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, until mixture thickens into curd, about 5 minutes. Strain into a bowl, and press plastic wrap onto surface to keep skin from forming. Refrigerate until cool, at least 1 1/2 hours.

2. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9-inch springform pan with 1 tablespoon butter, and dust with 1 tablespoon flour, shaking out excess.

3. With an electric mixer, cream the remaining butter and 1 cup sugar together until light and fluffy. Sift together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt, and stir in. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs until they start to foam. Do not overbeat or the cake will be tough. Add eggs and ground almonds to batter, and mix well.

4. Scrape batter into the prepared pan. Drop 8 individual tablespoons lemon curd around perimeter of batter, leaving a 1-inch border, and taking care to space drops evenly. Drop 3 to 4 tablespoons curd into center of batter. Refrigerate remaining curd for another use. Sprinkle cake with toasted almonds and 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar, depending on taste.

5. Bake until cake is toasty brown on top and a toothpick inserted into cake (not curd) comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool on rack 10 minutes, then remove sides of pan, and cool completely.

6. Whip cream with almond liqueur. Present cake at table, and offer whipped cream on the side.

by Tim Dineen

Bourbon Cake

Ingredients

Special Equipment:
a 10-cup+ capacity bundt pan, liberally greased with butter or sprayed with cooking oil

For the Bourbon Buttermilk Bundt Cake: (makes one 10-inch cake, enough for 10-12 servings)

• 3 cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup bourbon whiskey
• 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

For the Bourbon Butter Glaze: (makes about 1 cup, enough for 1 cake)

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup bourbon whiskey

For the Bourbon Buttermilk Bundt Cake:

Center an oven rack and preheat the oven to 350 (F).

In a medium bow, sift together 3 cups cake flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a bowl, then whisk the mixture by hand to ensure that all ingredients are well mixed. Set aside.

In the bowl of a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment, cream 1 cup butter, 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, and 1/2 cup brown sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Turn down the mixer to its lowest speed and add 4 eggs, one at a time, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next one.

Whisk together 1/4 cup bourbon and 1 cup buttermilk together in a liquid measuring cup. Set aside.

With the mixer still on its lowest speed, add the flour mixture (from the first step) in three parts, alternating with the bourbon and buttermilk mixture (from the fifth step) in two parts, beginning and ending with the flour. After each addition, mix until just barely blended and stop and scrape the bowl. Stop the mixer before the last of the flour has been incorporated and complete the blending by hand with a rubber spatula.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and use a rubber spatula to spread it out evenly. Place the pan into the preheated oven and bake until the cake is golden and springs back when touched, about 40 to 45 minutes.

When the cake is ready, remove from oven and let rest on a cooling rack. Make glaze immediately.

For the Bourbon Butter Glaze:
Place 6 tablespoons unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking the butter, using a heatproof rubber spatula to swirl it around occasionally, until fully melted and the butter begins to brown, turn foamy and emit a nutty aroma. Remove from heat immediately and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes.

Add 3/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup bourbon to the slightly cooled butter, whisking gently to combine. Only whisk until the ingredients have just evened out through the mixture — but be careful not to over mix, the mixture should still feel slightly grainy. Use immediately.

Putting It All Together:
When the cake is fresh from the oven and cooling on the wire rack, leave it in the pan and poke holes all over the exposed top (or, what will eventually be the base of the cake) with a wooden skewer.

Pour three-quarters of the prepared glaze slowly over the cake, saving the remaining glaze. Use a rubber spatula to spread the glaze around the cake top, making sure that the glaze seeps in the holes you made with the wooden skewer.

Allow the cake to cool for 30 minutes, then flip it out onto a serving plate so that the glazed part is on the bottom.

Brush the top with the remaining glaze — if the glaze has thickened, rewarm it over low heat and use immediately.

by Tim Dineen