Backyard Bounty

Instead of Christmas cookies, we have a cake theme going this year. It was inspired by the book my mother bought the boys called,  You Can Do It, Sam, about a mother bear and her cub Sam who baked cakes for their friends. Sam the little bear took each one of the cakes up to their neighbors’ homes. Our Sam is so enamoured with the story he thought that this was something we should do.

My friend, Laura Beth, loaned me a Pampered Chef stone baking pan that has 6 mini cake sections in it so I could make cute little treats. Our first batch was an orange-chocolate cake from Ina Garten on the Food Network. I love the orange and chocolate combination; it’s very festive and something different. We made a bunch of those that went to my editors at the Great Falls Tribune. It’s always fun to bring in a few treats for them, and to actually speak in person. Most of our correspondence is through email and occasional phone calls if we really have to clarify a story or have a quick answer to a question. But they’re a wonderful group of people so it’s fun to drop in simply to catch up a little bit, although I must say I always feel guilty since I’m interrupting work. (But I still will because I like to!)

A couple of days ago we made a batch of gingerbread cakes and another of the orange/chocolate cakes. Yesterday we did a rhubarb and yogurt coffee cake that we love, although I couldn’t put it in the 6 mini cake molds because of the topping used on it. I think that will be our breakfast Christmas morning. The high point of the day was the butter cake. This is an extraordinarily simple cake, and with a pound of butter in it, you know it’s delicious. It’s hard to stop eating it. My problem was the pan. I forgot this cake tends to puff and flow, and didn’t remember until I smelled smoke. When I went into the kitchen there was an eye level haze. I grabbed cookie sheets and slid them underneath the baking pan to catch the dripping batter, then I opened doors and windows. Finally, I grabbed a spatula to scrape the charred hunks off of the bottom of the oven. What a mess! The boys were huddled on the couch wrapping themselves in the lap blanket, acting like they were overwintering in the back country. Thankfully the cake still came out scrumptious. Unfortunately, it refused to come out of the mold, but that didn’t stop us. We obviously didn’t share it with our friends, but there’s not a bit of it that will go to waste.

Today Sam and I took it over to a few of our neighbors up here. Sam thought it was a pretty big deal. Our first stop was Julie’s, who has 5 kids including a couple of  boys right around Sam’s age. It took about 30 seconds for him to ask to go see their bunk beds. He’s been fascinated with bunk beds lately so to actually climb on one made his day. It was a treat for me to be able to sit down and chat for a couple of minutes, plus it’s a blessing that Sam has a heart for others. He’s the one who thought of doing this. And it’s such a sweet sound to hear him wish others a Merry Christmas!

For those interested in the cake that got away. Here is the recipe for the Butter Cake. It’s also in the current issue of Pies and Cakes magazine published as part of the Popular Kitchen series. I have a whole article on simple cakes, including the gingerbread and rhubarb/yogurt cake. Plus, there’s one for a Flourless Chocolate Cake that is extremely rich, but perfect for those with gluten issues. Enjoy!

Butter Cake

2 cups sugar

1 ½ cups butter (3 sticks), softened

4 eggs, room temperature

3 cups flour

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 T. vanilla

Butter sauce

1 ½ cups powdered sugar

2/3 cup butter

1 T. vanilla

6 T. water

~ Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and thoroughly mix. In a separate bowl mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately into the butter mixture. Add vanilla.  Pour into a greased and floured 9 x 13 cake pan.

~ For the butter sauce place butter, vanilla and water in a medium sauce pan. Stir over medium heat until the butter is melted. Beat in powdered sugar.  Pour butter sauce over the batter.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

 

Tags: butter cake, Christmas, gingerbread cake, orange chocolate cake, Pies and Cakes, Popular Kitchen, rhubarb cake