Just for Laughs

Three friends (Kane, Kobe and Kaboul) were lost in a forest and were subsequently captured by cannibals. The king of the cannibals told them that they could live if they passed a trial. The test required them to go deep into the forest and get ten pieces of the same kind of fruits. 

The three men went their separate ways to gather fruits. Kane came back with 10 apples.

The king explained the trial to him, "You have to swallow the fruits without any expression on your face or you will be killed."

The first apple went in, but on the second one, he winced out in pain, so he was killed.

The Kobe arrived and showed the king ten berries. When the king explained the trial to him, he thought to himself that this should be easy.... 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 and on the ninth berry, he burst out in laughter and was killed.

Kane and Kobe met in heaven and the Kane asked, "Why did you laugh? You almost got away with the trial."

Kobe replied, "I couldn't help it, when I saw the Kaboul coming with Watermelons!"

Cheers!

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Easy Homemade Ketchup

  Homemade  Ketchup

I am sharing this easy to make ketchup....a healthy alternative of the popular commercial brands available in the market.

If you have toddlers like me, you know that kids just eat gobs of ketchup if they are not monitored.  If my daughter had her way, she would eat it by itself.  This was so easy to make and contains just a small amount of sweetener.  Most commercial brands contain high fructose corn syrup.  The few store bought brand that I have tried without high fructose corn syrup left a lot to be desired.  This recipe makes about 1 cup and should keep in the fridge a few weeks.  I store mine in a glass jar.

Homemade Ketchup:

1 6 oz can tomato paste

1 T honey

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

salt to taste

In a large sauce pan, heat all the ingredients together on med heat until everything is well combined. Take a test taste. If you like a sweeter ketchup, add a tad more honey. That’s it.

Note: For diabetics substitute sugar with stevia powder

 w/c has 0% sugar and the safest among all the sugar substitutes.

Thank you for dropping by!      May GOD Bless you Always!!

This recipe is by:   mgking76

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Yellowsaffron, Mimosa Cake - Italian Recipe

Yellowsaffron

Mimosa Cake - Italian Recipe

source: youtube

Hi GialloZafferano viewers and welcome to our kitchen. Today we'll be preparing a soft and creamy dessert: the Mimosa cake. This is a cake that's usually prepared for Women's' day -- the 8th of March and its name comes from the crumbled sponge cake on the top that looks like mimosa flowers. Let's see what we'll need:

For two 8 ½-inch (22 cm) round sponge cakes:

• Just over 1 cup (220 g) of sugar

• 4 whole eggs

• 8 egg yolks

• 1/3 cup (40 g) of potato starch

• 1 ½ cups (200 g) of flour

For the soaking syrup

• ¼ cup (50 g) of sugar

• just under ½ cup (100 ml) of water

• 3 ½ tbsp (50 ml) of liqueur - normally an orange liqueur For the sweetened cream

• less than 1 cup (200 ml) of heavy cream

• 2 ½ tbsp (20 g) of powdered sugar

For the custard

• 1 ¼ cups (300 ml) of heavy cream

• 1 ¼ cups (300 ml) of whole milk

• 8 egg yolks

• just under ½ cup (55 g) of flour

• 1 cup (200 g) of sugar

• ½ vanilla pod

Let's begin by making our 8 ½-inch cake bases: I'm putting all of the ingredients into the mixer at one time; you should halve the ingredients and make the 2 sponge cakes separately. Here I have the 4 eggs and the sugar in the mixer. Let it run for at least 10 minutes and when the mixture is aerated and firm, add the egg yolks and let the mixer run at high speed for another 5 minutes. Here's our soft and foamy mixture. If you don't have a stand mixer, you can use an electric hand mixer or even, if you have neither, take a fine metal whisk and with strength and patience beat the ingredients until you've achieved the same result. Now it's time to sift in the flour and the potato starch into this very foamy mixture which has practically quintupled in volume. With a spatula fold in the flour very gently moving the spatula from the bottom of the bowl to the top which will incorporate even more air into the mixture. And here are the cake pans of 8 ½ inches in diameter. I'm going to bake mine at the same time but if you don't have the room, simply bake one first and then the other: bake in static oven at 375°F (190°C) or in a fan oven at 345°F (175°C) for about 30 to 35 minutes. Now let's make our custard. In a saucepan, heat, not boil, the cream, the milk and the vanilla pod that you should slice in two to remove the inner seeds. Once the milk is warm, you can remove the pod and let it cool down a little. In a pot, mix up the egg yolks, the sugar and the flour. As you can see it's quite thick. Now add the vanilla-flavoured milk, and bring it slowly to a boil while stirring. Once the milk is completely mixed into the yolk mixture, leave it to heat up and thicken and then remove from the heat and let it cool. To cool your custard quickly, pour it into a wide oven dish; then cover with cling film letting the film touch the custard, and put in the freezer. Now, let's make the soaking syrup for the cakes. In a saucepan pour the water, the liqueur, and the sugar. Turn on the heat and mix until the sugar is completely dissolved. Then remove from the heat and leave it to cool. When the cakes have cooled, remove the golden crust on top. Divide the first cake into 3 discs of about ½ to ¾ of an inch (1 ½-2 cm) thick. As for the second cake, cut it into slices of about a ½-inch (1 cm) thick and then cut each slice into strips and then into cubes. These will be used to top the mimosa cake -- at this size they do look like mimosa flowers. And here's what we'll need to assemble our cake. First whip the cream until stiff, adding the powdered sugar. Save about 2 tablespoons and fold the rest into the custard delicately. Here's the liqueur syrup nice and cold. Now let's put it together. For a precise assembly, I'm using an adjustable ring. Obviously if you don't have one, you can do it without: the cake will be just as good but a bit more rustic looking. Put the first cake disc in the ring. Now brush with the soaking syrup. Add a thin layer of whipped cream. And now cover this layer with the custard... about a ¼ inch (½ cm) is good. Once you've spread out the custard, cover with the next sponge cake and repeat. And here's what the cake looks like out of the ring. Now all that's left is to cover the top and sides with the rest of the custard. And now cover with the cubed sponge cake, the custard will help them to stick. Take the cubes and spread them over the cake. Cover the sides like this picking up any bits that fall and cover the entire cake. And here's our wonderful mimosa cake. I've cut a slice so you can see how the layers look inside... delicious!

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Yellowsaffron White Chocolate Sacher Torte

Yellowsaffron

White Chocolate Sacher Torte

source: youtube

First prepare the sponge cake by following the warm foaming method: take a mixing bowl with the rounded bottom, called bastardella – if you don’t have it, don’t worry, you can use a metal mixing bowl – add 7 eggs, the sugar, a pinch of salt and the honey. Stir with a whisk to break up the eggs, then place on the stovetop because we’ll use a water bath to bring the mixture to 113°F (45°C). Set the mixing bowl over a larger pot, filled with 2 inches of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl is not in contact with the water; then insert a candy thermometer and bring the mixture to 113°F (45°C), stirring constantly. When it reaches the right temperature, transfer the mixture to a stand mixer with whisk attachment, add a teaspoon of bitter almond extract, that brings out the flavour of the almonds and beat at medium speed for about 15-20 minutes. Now sift in the cake flour and the almond meal. Always use a coarse sieve for straining the almond meal, or you won’t be able to strain it. Stir gently to avoid deflation and make sure there are no lumps. Now add the butter, that must be melted and cooled to 104°F (40°C) before adding to the mixture. Pour the batter into a cake pan with removable bottom, buttered and lined with parchment paper, about 9-9 ½ inches (23-24 cm) in diameter. Bake in a preheated static oven at 340°F (170°C) for about 35 minutes, then remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

As for the icing, heat the heavy cream in a saucepan with the glucose; if glucose is not available, you can replace with honey, but honey has a more distinct flavour, of course. When the cream is almost to a boil, add the roughly chopped white chocolate; meanwhile soak the gelatin leaves in cold water until softened. The cream is hot, so add the chocolate and stir to melt. Once the chocolate is melted, squeeze the gelatin and add to the mixture. Once the gelatin is melted, turn off the heat and blend with an immersion blender. After that, strain through a fine sieve and let it cool. This step will give you a smoother texture and remove any lumps. Cover with cling film so that it touches the mixture and place in the fridge until it’s a coating consistency.

Once the sponge cake is cooled, cut horizontally into 3 layers: first score a line all the way around with a small knife, then use a long knife to cut through the centre. Now spread the cranberry jam between the layers and on the outside; as an alternative, use a slightly sour jam, such as raspberry, as white chocolate is already sweet enough. My jam is quite runny, but if your jam is thicker, heat it and thin it out with a tablespoon of water, then strain to remove any seeds or skins. Leave the cake on the wire rack because we will pour the white chocolate icing over the top, allowing it to drizzle down the sides. Now the second layer. Make sure the layers are aligned, then brush the outside of the cake. After that, don’t exaggerate, place the cake in the fridge for half an hour, until the jam is set.

It’s time for double icing: yes, because the cake will be refrigerated after the first icing, then iced again to ensure a thick, even coating. Start from the centre. Let the icing run down the sides of the cake; use a spatula to spread it around the top, then cover the sides with more icing until completely coated. Set a plate under the wire rack to catch the drippings, to use again. Remove the icing and place the cake in the fridge; after the second icing, pour the remaining chocolate into a parchment cone and keep in the fridge, because we’ll use it for writing “Sacher” on top.

Decorate the sides of the cake with chopped white chocolate, or sprinkles if you prefer, and now pipe the writing “sacher” on top, using the reserved, cooled icing. Here it is! Meanwhile let’s see together the ingredients needed for this recipe.

Ingredients

for a 9-inch (23 cm) round sponge cake

- 7 medium eggs

- just over ¾ cup (160 g) of white sugar

- 1 pinch of salt

- ¾ tbsp (15 g) of honey

- 1 tsp of almond extract

- 1 ⅓ cups (160 g) of cake flour

- just under 1 cup (100 g) of almond meal

- ⅓ stick (40 g) of butter

For filling

- 1 ½ cups (500 g) of cranberry jam

For icing

- 1,3 lbs (600 g) of white chocolate

- 1 ½ cups (350 ml) of heavy cream

- 2 tbsp (40 g) of glucose

- ⅟₇ oz (4 g) of leaf gelatin

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Yellowsaffron, Magic Cake - Recipe

Yellowsaffron

Magic Cake - Recipe

source: youtube

Today we'll be making a very special cake recipe, the magic cake, that has been published on many websites and blogs, both Italian and foreign. It's called magic because with just one cake batter you get 3 layers with different textures. We'll make a vanilla cake, but you can flavour it in many different ways... let's get to work!

Ingredients for an 8-inch square baking pan

Magic cake

for 8-inch (20 cm) square baking pan

• 1 cup (115 g) of cake flour

• 4 medium eggs, room temperature

• 1 tbsp of ice cold water

• ¾ cup (150 g) of white sugar 

• ½ cup (125 g) of cooled, melted butter + as needed, for brushing the pan • 1 tbsp of vanilla extract

• 2 cups (500 ml) of warm fresh whole milk

• 1 tsp of lemon juice (or white wine vinegar)

• 1 pinch of salt

For sprinkling

• powdered sugar, to taste

Start the recipe by melting the butter, making sure it doesn't brown, then let it cool to room temperature. Then take the eggs, at room temperature too, and separate the yolks from the egg whites. Now combine the egg yolks and the sugar in a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment; beat until the mixture is pale and frothy, then beat in a tablespoon of cold water, the vanilla extract -- you can use vanilla powder or the seeds of a vanilla pod, in this case let them steep in the melted butter -- then add a pinch of salt and finally the butter, which should be cooled by now.

The mixture is well blended, now add the flour, that has been previously sifted; if you want to make a cocoa cake, reduce the amount of flour to ½ cup (65 g) and add just over ½ cup (50 g) of unsweetened cocoa powder. Now turn on the mixer and beat in the milk. Of course, you can do all these steps by hand. Beat for a minute to blend the ingredients, then we're ready.

And here's our mixture, as you can see it's thin and without lumps; if your mixture is a bit lumpy, strain through a fine strainer using the back of a spoon to remove any lumps. Now take the egg whites, at room temperature, place in a bowl -- I'm using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, but you can use an electric beater -- and beat the egg whites, until they turn white, then add a teaspoon of lemon juice or white wine vinegar, to stabilize the foam. Beat until stiff but not dry peaks form, which means that the egg whites should be stiff but still creamy.

Here we are, now fold the egg whites into the previous mixture... then carefully blend them together, using a spatula or, even better, a whisk. When the 2 mixtures are fully incorporated, we're ready to fill the pan.

That's it, now pour the batter into a baking pan, which has to be eight by eight inches, and quite deep. Brush it with butter and line with parchment paper, then fill with the batter, that is pretty thin, and bake the magic cake in a preheated static oven at 300°F (150°C) for about 80 minutes, until golden brown on top. After that, remove the cake from the oven, let it cool completely to room temperature, then cover the baking pan with cling film and place in the fridge to set for a couple of hours. I suggest that because this will make it easier to cut.

As you can see, our magic cake is ready. Now you can notice the 3 different textures: the bottom layer is thick and deep-yellow, the middle layer is creamy, whereas the top layer is spongy like sponge cake. You can sprinkle the top with powdered sugar to taste -- if you used cocoa, sprinkle with unsweetened cocoa powder, of course... then place on a cutting board or a flat plate, without raised edges, and cut into squares. You can wet a long, sharp knife with cold water to keep it from sticking to the cake, otherwise use a fishing line, stretched between your hands. Now all that's left is to enjoy our magic cake... see you next videorecipe!

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Veneziane Alla Crema (Sweet Brioche Buns)

Yellowsaffron

Veneziane alla crema (sweet brioche buns)

source: youtube

***

For the starter

• 1/3 cup (40 g) of cake flour

• ½ cup (60 g) of bread flour

• ¼ cup (65 g) of water

• ¼ tbsp (3 g) of active dry yeast

For the dough

• 2 ¼ cups (300 g) of bread flour

• just under 1 cup (100 g) of cake flour + about 3 tbsp (25 g) for the mixing bowl

• 3 medium eggs

• 1/5 cup (50 ml) of fresh whole milk

• 1 ½ sticks (175 g) of butter

• ½ cup (100 g) of sugar

• ¾ tbsp (15 g) of honey 

• the grated zest of an organic orange

• the grated zest of an organic lemon

• ½ vanilla pod

• ¼ tbsp (5 g) of table salt

For brushing

• 1 egg yolk

• 2 tbsp of heavy cream

For topping

• 3 tbsp (25 g) of cake flour or cornstarch

• 1 cup (250 ml) of milk

• 3 egg yolks

• ½ vanilla pod

• 1/3 cup (75 g) of white sugar

• pearl sugar, to taste

• powdered sugar, to taste

Combine the sifted bread and cake flour in a bowl, then dissolve the yeast in the water, mixing briefly, and add to the flours; knead until it forms a soft, yet smooth dough. Once the ingredients have come together, transfer to a work surface and knead with your hands. Place the resulting dough in the bowl, cover with cling film and let it rise at room temperature for at least 2 hours. The starter has risen, now prepare the main dough, to which we'll add the starter: in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, put the bread flour, the cake flour and the sugar; break the 3 eggs into a separate bowl, then add the honey, the grated orange and lemon zest, the milk and the vanilla seeds, scraping them out with a knife. Beat well with a fork, turn on the mixer and pour in the egg mixture. Beat until well blended. Scrape the dough off the paddle, insert the dough hook and add the starter to the dough. Beat until fully incorporated. You can stop the mixer, and turn the dough over. When the dough is well blended, beat in the butter and the salt, you can add the salt to the butter, the butter should be softened but not too soft, and add one piece at a time, beating constantly, waiting for each piece to be fully incorporated before adding the next, making sure the speed is not too high, speed 2 is fine. After adding all the butter, sprinkle in a little more flour to clear the sides of the bowl. When the dough is wrapped around the hook, pull it off the hook and knead for a few seconds on a pastry board. Stop the mixer, flour the pastry board and turn out the dough; don't add too much flour, just enough to avoid sticking. Knead briefly to shape the dough into a ball, a sort of loaf shape, bring in the edges while turning it; now dust a bowl with flour, cover with cling film and let it rise until doubled in size, it takes about 2-3 hours, depending on the temperature of the room. Here's our dough after 3 hours of rising, put it as it is in the fridge for at least 8 up to 12 hours. I've already made it, of course, and I'll show you how it looks. Take the dough, place on a work surface and knead to soften, as it will be pretty firm after cooling in the fridge. Roll into a log and divide into 12 equal portions, about 2,8 oz (80 g) each, or even smaller if you prefer, 2 oz (60 g) for example. You can weigh each piece for uniform size. Shape into balls by rolling with a circular motion, they should be nice and round and smooth, place on the work surface and continue until the dough is used up. After shaping, place the dough balls on a baking tray, space them out to allow room for rising, brush with the egg yolk, that has been beaten with a couple of tablespoons of cream, and allow to rise until doubled in size, it takes 2 or 3 hours, perhaps in the turned off oven with the light on. Here's the risen buns, they are doubled in size and topped with custard that you can make using the ingredients given in this recipe and following the videorecipe on the Yellowsaffron channel or on the Giallozafferano App. Put the custard in a pastry bag, pipe it on top of each bun in a spiral design, and sprinkle with pearl sugar. Bake the veneziane in a preheated static oven at 350°F (180°C) for about 25 minutes, until nice and golden brown. Our veneziane alla crema are ready; all you have to do is sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy; it's a time consuming recipe, I know, but it's really worth it... happy holidays!

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Lime Pie Recipe

Joy Of Baking

 Lime Pie Recipe & Video

A Key Lime Pie starts with a sweet and grainy graham cracker crust, that is filled with a creamy smooth lime flavored filling, and topped with lots of whipped cream. As its name implies, Key Lime Pie was first made in the Florida Keys, which is also where Key limes are grown. John Mariani in 'The Dictionary of American Food and Drink' tells us that the recipe for Key Lime Pie came after the 1856 invention of sweetened condensed milk. 

Although the first Key Lime Pies were made with a pastry crust, many recipes, including this one, use a graham cracker crust. It is, by far, the simplest of all the pie crusts. Just graham cracker crumbs, a little sugar, and melted butter are needed. If you have trouble getting the right consistency of crumbs to butter, there is a test. Once you have mixed the ingredients together, squeeze a little in your fist; if the mixture holds together, you have the perfect crust. Once the crust is made it is simply pressed into a pie pan and baked until set. Instead of baking the crust, you can also just place the graham cracker crust in the refrigerator until chilled.

Next, the filling. A Key Lime Pie is very similar to a Lemon Meringue Pie, only instead of using lemons it is made with Key limes. Key limes are instantly recognizable as they are so much smaller than a regular Persian lime. In fact, it takes about 20-25 Key limes to get 1/2 cup (120 ml) of lime juice whereas you need only 3-4 Persian limes to get the same amount of juice. Key limes are a small, round, hard, yellow and green colored, very acidic fruit that grows in Florida. If you cannot find Key limes in your area, don't fret, as regular Persian limes also make an excellent pie. An interesting side note; although the filling is made with green limes, the color of the baked filling is actually yellow. The only 'green' you will find is from the flecks of lime zest. Along with the limes, the filling contains sweetened condensed milk which is made from whole milk and sugar that are heated until most of the water has evaporated. It is a thick, sticky and very sweet mixture that makes a wonderful Key lime filling. Because the filling also contains egg yolks, we do need to bake the pie until the filling is set. Once baked and cooled it is topped with softly whipped cream.

Key Lime Pies can have either a meringue or a whipped cream topping. I prefer whipped cream which is made from the cream (fat) that rises to the top of whole milk. It has a smooth, satiny texture and is labeled according to its butterfat content (heavy to light). The best cream to use for this pie is "Heavy" Cream or Heavy "Whipping" Cream (double cream) which means it has a 36 - 40% butterfat that will double in volume when whipped and hold its form. Because of its superior flavor, I recommend using an organic brand of heavy whipping cream.

Graham Cracker Crust:

1 1/4 cup (125 grams) graham cracker crumbs (can use crushed digestive biscuits)

2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated white sugar

5 - 6 tablespoons (70 - 85 grams) unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

3 large egg yolks, room temperature

One 14 - ounce (390 grams) can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup (120 ml) key lime juice (can use regular limes)

2 teaspoons grated lime zest (outer skin)

Topping:

1 cup (240 ml) cold heavy whipping cream (double cream) (35-40% butterfat content)

2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated white sugar

Key Lime Pie: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Butter or lightly spray with a non stick vegetable spray, a 9 inch (23 cm) pie or tart pan.

Graham Cracker Crust: Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake for about 10 minutes or until set and lightly browned. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool while you make the filling

Filling: In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks until pale and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Gradually add the condensed milk and beat until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then beat in the lime juice and zest. 

Pour the filling over the crust and bake for about 10 - 15 minutes, or until the filling is set. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once it has completely cooled, cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Once the filling has chilled, in the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment (or with a hand mixer), beat the whipping cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. Either pipe (I used a Wilton 1M star tip) or place mounds of whipping cream on top of the filling. Can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days.

Makes 1 - 9 inch (23 cm) pie or tart. 

source: youtube

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Banana Cake Tested Recipe

Joy Of Baking

Banana Cake Tested Recipe & Video

I like to bake with bananas as they make things so flavorful and moist. A good example is this Banana Cake, which has the delicate sweetness of mashed bananas with a texture that is wonderfully soft and moist. While quite tasty on its own, I love to cover it with a creamy smooth Chocolate Fudge Frosting. Perfect as a weekday dessert.

This Banana Cake is a delicious recipe I adapted from The Joy of Cooking. Instead of the more common 'creaming' method where the butter and sugar are creamed together and then you beat in the eggs, flour, and liquid, this recipe uses what we call the 'one bowl' or 'quick method'. This method entails first blending all the wet ingredients (bananas, sour cream, vanilla extract, and eggs) together. Then, in your electric mixer, all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, leavening, salt, and ground cinnamon) are mixed together. Next, the butter, along with part of the wet ingredients, are beaten into the dry ingredients. This batter needs to be beaten for about 90 seconds (to develop the cake's structure) and then the remaining banana mixture is added. While this method may be a little unusual, it reduces gluten formation which results in a cake that literally melts-in-your-mouth with a velvety texture that is moist and dense. Just make sure to have all the ingredients at room temperature and to follow the instructions on mixing. I baked this cake in a 9 inch (23 cm) round cake pan, but you could bake it in a bundt pan with excellent results. This cake can be stored for several days at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Since bananas go so well with chocolate, I chose to cover this cake with a chocolate fudge frosting. This recipe is one I adapted from the cookbook Chocolate Bar by Matt Lewis and Alison Nelson, who run a chocolate boutique in New York that they call a "candy store for grown-ups". It is the type of chocolate frosting my mother always used to cover cakes. Made with butter, confectioners (icing or powdered) sugar, vanilla extract and unsweetened chocolate, it is perfect for covering cakes and cupcakes. It uses unsweetened chocolate which is also known as baking, plain or bitter chocolate. This is chocolate in its rawest form. Chocolate liquor that has been refined and contains 50-55% cocoa butter. Since no sugar has been added to the chocolate it has a strong, bitter taste that is used in cooking and baking but is never eaten out of hand. When used in this frosting it imparts a deep chocolate flavor.

Banana Cake:

2 large ripe bananas

1/3 cup (80 ml) sour cream, room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar

2 cups (230 grams) cake flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

10 tablespoons (140 grams) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

Chocolate Fudge Frosting:

3 ounces (90 grams) unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup (120 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Banana Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in the center of the oven. Butter and flour, or spray with a non stick vegetable/flour spray, a 9 inch (23 cm) round cake pan.

In the bowl of your food processor, place the bananas, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Process just until blended and smooth. Add the eggs and process until combined.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the paddle attachment, (or with an electric hand mixer) combine the sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon. Add the softened butter, along with half the banana mixture, and beat on low speed just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase the mixer speed to medium (on high if using a hand mixer) and beat the batter for 1 1/2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the remaining banana mixture in two additions, beating well after each addition. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top, and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before removing the cake from the pan. When completely cooled, frost with the Chocolate Fudge Frosting.

Chocolate Fudge Frosting: Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water (or in the microwave). Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and beat until it is light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the melted chocolate and beat on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until frosting is smooth and creamy and of spreading consistency (about 2 -3 minutes). Frost the top and sides of the cake. Can garnish with dried banana chips. Can be stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator for several days.

Makes one - 9 inch (23 cm) cake.

source: youtube

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Black Bottom Cupcakes Recipe & Video

Joy Of Baking

 Black Bottom Cupcakes Recipe & Video

Black Bottom Cupcakes are a delicious combination of a rich chocolate cake and a creamy cheesecake. They would be suitable for any occasion, from a formal affair to a breakfast treat. This recipe will give you twelve generously sized cupcakes and for easy removal, always line the muffin cups with paper liners. 

There at two parts to making these Black Bottom Cupcakes. First, the cheesecake filling which is simply a beaten mixture of full fat cream cheese, white sugar, an egg, and a little vanilla extract. Beat the mixture just until creamy and smooth. If you decide to mix the filling in a food processor, rather than with a mixer, do not over process or the filling with be too thin and will dissolve into the chocolate batter as it bakes. The second part is the chocolate cake which is a unique recipe. I say that because this cake does not contain eggs, butter, or milk. It often goes by the name Wacky Cake (no one knows why) and it was probably invented during World War II when there was rationing of butter, milk, and eggs. What is amazing is how good this chocolate cake tastes. It is moist and spongy with a nice chocolate flavor which comes from cocoa powder, not melted chocolate. This chocolate cake is also very easy to make, as no mixer is needed. The dry ingredients are simply placed in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another bowl. The two are mixed together and you are done.

Once the two batters are made, the first thing to do is to pour the chocolate batter into the muffin cups. Then a couple of tablespoons of the cheesecake filling is placed into the center of the chocolate batter. If you like you can sprinkle some miniature chocolate chips on top of the cheesecake filling. The cupcakes are then placed in a moderate oven and as the cupcakes bake the chocolate batter becomes like a shell for the cheesecake filling. You can eat these delicious cupcakes hot, cold, or at room temperature. If there are any leftovers they can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days.

Cream Cheese Filling:

8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature

1/3 cup (65 grams) granulated white sugar

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all purpose flour

1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar

1/3 cup (30 grams) natural unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch processed)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (240 ml) water

1/3 cup (80 ml) vegetable,corn or canola oil (or other flavorless oil)

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Black Bottom Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Cream Cheese Filling: In your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar, egg, and vanilla extract and beat until creamy and smooth. Set aside while you make the Chocolate Cupcake batter.

Chocolate Cupcakes: In a large bowl sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl mix the water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla extract. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients until nice and smooth. Evenly divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups. Then spoon a few tablespoons of the cream cheese filling into the center of each cupcake.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, or until the cream cheese filling has set and the cupcakes feel springy to the touch (a toothpick inserted into the chocolate part of the cupcake will come out clean). Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. The cupcakes can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for about 3 - 4 days.

Makes 12 large cupcakes

source: youtube

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