Pretty-in-Pink Purse Cake

Pretty-in-Pink Purse Cake

From Purse Cake

I made this cake for a friend's birthday. She has more handbags than anyone I know!

It's really simple to make. Bake your favorite 8 or 9 inch 2-layer cake and mix up a batch of your favorite icing. Cut off a couple of inches of one end of both cakes so that you can stand up the cakes. Spread a layer of icing between the cakes and stand them up. Icing the outside of the cakes and smooth.

If you are using fondant, colour as desired. Roll out fondant and cut one inch strips to cover cake as in picture. Also roll out bag trimming. Cut another piece for the handle. I also cut out, with small cookie cutters, a few fondant pieces to decorate the purse.

Hope you like it, as much as I do!

From Purse Cake

From Purse Cake

From Purse Cake

Pine Nut Gateau Breton

From gateau breton

Have you ever craved something moist, buttery, not too sweet, something with a distinct texture and something that feels good to bite into? Then you have come to the right place. This Gateau Breton is the answer to your craving. This version uses toasted pine nuts which adds another rich discernable layer of flavour to this dessert. It pairs perfectly with a coffee at the end of a meal. PS it is also makes a great breakfast :) This recipe is adapted from Heavenly Cakes by Rose Levy Beranbaum. (This book should be in your kitchen.)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
3/4 cup berry sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup + 2 tbsp unsalted butter
4 large egg yolks
1.5 tbsp rum
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups + 3 tbsp flour sifted before measuring
1 egg, lightly beaten for egg wash

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2. Grease and flour a 9 inch spring form pan (mine was 3 inch high but Rose says you can also use a tart pan or 9 x 2 cake pan)
3. |In food processer, pulse the pine nuts, salt and 1/4 cup of the sugar until nuts are finely chopped.
4. Beat the remaining sugar and butter in stand mixer for 1 minute.
5. Add the yolks one at a time. Mix each for 20-30 seconds.
6. Add the nut mixture, rum, vanilla and beat until smooth.
7. Add the flour in 4 additions. Beat until just incorporated at each addition (15 seconds or so).
8. Make sure the all the flour is incorporated (including the bits that get stuck at the bottom of the bowl).
9. Transfer batter into prepared pan and smooth top.
10. Brush top of cake with beaten egg.
11. Using fork or tip of knife draw cross hatchlines across cake.
12. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until a deep golden brown.
13. Cool for 10 minutes before removing sides of pan or inverting.
14. Cool completely.

From gateau breton

Spring Coconut Cake

From coconut cake

This is one of my Mom's many amazing loaf recipes. I love eating a slice of this when it's still warm and with a little butter spread on it. mmmm, I'm hungry already!

Traditionally, my mom serves this plain or with butter. In this version, I have added a bit of "spring" to it by dividing the batter into 4 equal bowls and mixed each with a different colour food colouring. I then put the 2 coloured batters on two layers as in the picture. Enjoy!

From coconut cake

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1.5 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup fine ground unsweetened coconut

 What to do:

 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1. Grease and flour a 9 x 5 loaf pan.
2. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs one at a time until well mixed.
4. Add milk and vanilla.
5. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
6. Add coconut.
7. Add dry to the wet ingredients and stir until just blended.
8. Put batter into loaf pan.
9. Bake 60 -70 minutes until it passes the toothpick test.
10. Cool 10 minutes.
11. Remove from pan and let cooling finish on cake rack.