I'm taking a break from healthy posting in favor of something fun! Actually, I'm digging into my past for a recipe that I originally shared on my friend Kristin's blog, Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker. I am so craving dark chocolate right about now....

Everything in moderation, right? I went a little overboard yesterday on my diet change of lifestyle. A trip through the aisles of Costco will do that. They really need little calorie UPC codes at all of the sample stations to scan into the MyFitnessPal app. On second thought, maybe it's best not to know....

The best part of this Tres Leches Cake is how easy it is....just one bowl.

I first made a Tres Leches Cake a few years ago for a holiday post. It is a Cafe Latte copycat recipe that I use frequently...it's that good! This chocolate version is take on the original and I really like how it turned out. 

Dark Chocolate Tres Leches Cake

Making a Tres Leches Cake even better is no easy task....unless you make a Dark Chocolate version!

Ingredients

• Cake:
• ¼ cup oil
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• ¾ cup flour
• ¼ cup dark cocoa
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ½ cup buttermilk
• Soaking Liquid:
• ½ of a (14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup half/half
• ¼ tsp vanilla
• 1 ½ tablespoons dark cocoa
• Frosting:
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons dark cocoa
• ½ tsp. vanilla
• Chocolate and/or White Chocolate Curls, for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.; grease and flour an 8 inch cake pan (using an 8" rather than a 9" pan will make it easier to split in half).
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture.
5. Slowly add the buttermilk, mixing until well blended.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly touched.
7. Remove from oven and cool for at least ten minutes before removing from pan.
8. Carefully, cut the cake in half, horizontally.
9. Place each half sliced side up on a rack to cool completely.
10. While the cake is cooling, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, the half/half, the vanilla, and the cocoa.
11. Slowly pour the liquid over each half of the cake.
12. Cover and chill for several hours.
13. When ready to assemble the cake, whip the cream until stiff, adding the powdered sugar and cocoa.
14. Place one of the cake halves on a serving plate, cut side up.
15. Spread whipped cream over the top of the cake layer, and then top with the second cake half.
16. Frost the top and the sides of the cake with the remaining whipped cream.
17. Garnish with raspberries or chocolate curls, if desired.

I topped mine with chocolate curls, but raspberries would make a tasty addition, yes?

Don't let the number of steps fool you...it's really quite easy. Now, I just need to figure out the Salted Caramel version........

Cream-Filled Cupcake Cake

Yum

So today was my husband's birthday. What to make? Well, he loves layer cake. And he loves my cream-filled cupcakes. I think it calls for a mash-up, don't you?

I have a confession to make: I'm kind of terrible at cake decorating. When my husband tells me he wants a layer cake, I cringe. So, I had to think of something easy. Easy and chocolate-y, of course. Since I had some buttercream in the freezer, left from making cupcakes last week, it was a no-brainer to thaw it out. Then I took my favorite chocolate cake recipe, baked it into three layers, spread the buttercream in between the layers, and topped it off with some chocolate ganache. So easy it's ridiculous.

It's crazy, but the easy thing about this is the frosting. It's a chocolate ganache, made with dark chocolate chips and heavy cream and when it's first mixed together it's pourable. Seriously. Pourable. You can just let it drip down the sides.

Let's start with the cake, though. The beautiful cake. Dare I say the best cake ever? Okay...the best cake ever. Made with dark cocoa, buttermilk, and a hint of coffee to bring out even more chocolate-y flavor. 

Cream-Filled Cupcake Cake

Printable Recipe

Cake:

1 egg

1 cup buttermilk

2/3 cup vegetable oil

2 cups all purpose flour

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup dark cocoa

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup hot coffee

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F; grease and flour 3 (8 or 9-inch) cake pans.

Combine egg, oil and buttermilk. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Combine the egg mixture and the flour mixture, mixing well. Slowly mix in hot coffee. Divide the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans. 

Buttercream:

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar (not powdered sugar)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In small saucepan, whisk the flour and the milk until smooth. Place over medium heat and cook until thick and bubbly, whisking the entire time. Place thickened mixture in a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Cool completely. 

Combine the butter and the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat for several minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the cooled flour mixture and beat for an additional 5 minutes, or until the frosting is smooth with no gritty sugar. Stir in the vanilla.

Ganache:

1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips

3/4 cup heavy cream

Place the chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until it just comes to a boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit for one minute. Use a spatula or a wooden spoon to stir the chocolate and the cream until smooth and shiny.

Assemble:

First, set aside about 1/4 cup of the buttercream for the squiggle on the top of the cake. Place one cooled cake layer, top-side down, on cake plate. Spread with half of the remaining buttercream. Add the next layer, again top-side down, and spread with the remaining buttercream. Add the final layer top-side up. Spoon the ganache over the top of the cake. Use an offset spatula to spread the chocolate over the cake, allowing it to spill down the sides. Chill the cake for a few minutes to set the chocolate. In the meantime, spoon the reserved buttercream into a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip. Pipe a squiggle over the top of the cake. Keep the cake refrigerated until ready to serve.

It's not a cream-filled cupcake without the squiggle.....

Sugar Cream Cake aka Gooey Butter Cake

Just in time for July 4th.....

A few years ago, I had the pleasure of dining at Bonge's Tavern in Perkinsville, Indiana. It was an awesome meal followed by an awesome dessert---a dessert I had never heard of before--- Sugar Cream Cake topped with a warm blueberry sauce. Oh. My. I have been wanting to reproduce that cake ever since. I do procrastinate however, so it wasn't until this week that I actually Googled the words "sugar cream cake".  The resulting recipe is a mash-up of my Google search. I have no idea if it even comes close to the recipe Bonge's Tavern has on their menu. But dang it's good. 

I made a special trip to the grocery store before work just to get blueberries, because that's how I am...it had to be red, white, and blue......

It didn't take long for someone to point out to me that my "Sugar Cream Cake" looked strikingly similar to a Gooey Butter Cake. Sure enough, the recipes are nearly identical, but for the name. In St. Louis it's Gooey Butter Cake. In Perkinsville Indiana, it's Sugar Cream Cake. The most perplexing thing? I've never made either one of them before. Serious oversight on my part.

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet..."

Sugar Cream Cake

Printable Recipe

Slightly crisp around the edges, with a gooey center that's almost pudding-like, this Sugar Cream Cake is perfect for any celebration!

Ingredients

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 4 eggs, divided
• 1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.; grease a 9x13 pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the cake mix, butter, and 2 of the eggs. Batter will be thick. Spread on the bottom of the prepared pan.
3. Beat together the remaining eggs, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Spread over the top of the crust.
4. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the top is starting to brown. Cool completely. Serve with topping of your choice.

Yield: 24
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 40 mins.
Total time: 50 mins.

The fresh fruit and real whipped cream compliment the gooey sweetness....imagine what else you could top this with...plain, with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, cranberries for the winter months, grilled pineapple for a tropical twist...the possibilities are endless!

Happy Independence Day, America!

Spiced Madeleines

Welcome to Day #2 of Christmas Week, a multi-blogger event co-hosted by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic and Jen from Juanita's Cocina! Each day we will be celebrating the holidays with a different set of Christmas-themed treats, as well as a fabulous Christmas giveaway. We hope you enjoy this fabulous event. Tune in each day starting today, Monday, December 9th and ending Saturday, December 14th.

Ah, the Madeleine. Is is it a cake? Is it a cookie? I guess you could say it's a cake-y cookie. And it's a classic--you can't argue with Proust. The thing is, they're not so hard to make and you will look so darned sophisticated if you give a few of these away.

Since I can't seem to get cardamom out of my system, I've decided to spice up my Madeleines just a bit. Although you will need a Madeleine pan (you can find one at most kitchen stores), I think you will find that they are pretty easy to make. This recipe makes just 12 little cakes...a perfect amount, since they should be eaten while they are fresh.

Spiced Madeleines (adapted from Epicurious)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 1 tablespoon (melted) for greasing pan

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.; use a pastry brush to butter a 12 mold Madeleine pan.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, spices, and a pinch of salt.

Whisk together sugars and eggs until well-combined. Add flour mixture and whisk until just combined, then stir in remaining butter (6 tablespoons) until just incorporated. Spoon batter into molds, filling them about two thirds full. Bake 5 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350°F and bake until springy to the touch and edges are lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Turn out onto a rack and cool 15 minutes. Just before serving, dust with powdered sugar.

I've discovered these are a great dunking cookie cake...plus my pinkie automatically sticks out when I clutch my teacup.

Visit all the other Christmas Week Peeps for more Holiday Baking Goodness:

• Peppermint Hot Chocolate with Peppermint Wands by Cravings of a Lunatic
• Chewy Brownies by Juanita's Cocina
• Chocolate-Peppermint Puff Pastry Bites by The Weekend Gourmet
• Pomegranate Margaritas by Dinners, Dishes, and Deserts
• Gingerbread Cheesecake Cupcakes by Chocolate Moosey
• Gingerbread Whoopie Pies with Maple Poached Pears and Maple Buttercream by Pineapple and Coconut
• Cranberry Bliss Bars by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Reindeer Cookies by Noshing With The Nolands
• Mo's Easy Homemade Eggnog by Food Lust People Love
• Spiced Madeleines by The Dutch Baker's Daughter
• Flourless Nutella Marshmallow Cloud Cookie Cups by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Pear and Dried Cranberry Baked Custard by See Aimee Cook
• Bacon Bark by Cooking In Stilettos
• Snowflake Cake by Dizzy Busy and Hungry
• Gingerbread Sugar Cookies by Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
• Peanut Butter Cup Cookies by Try Anything Once Culinary
• Hot Chocolate Biscotti by Home Cooking Memories

Today's #ChristmasWeek giveaway comes courtesy of Le Creuset. Respect for tradition and authenticity has been Le Creuset's guiding principle since 1925, and their kitchen and cook ware is known internationally.

Le Creuset's Revolution Utensil Set is available in six different colors, and it represents the next generation of functional innovations in the kitchen. Developed with chefs and culinary enthusiasts in mind, each utensil features a task-defined blade made from premium silicone, as well as a carefully crafted wood handle engineered to improve grip for a variety of kitchen tasks. The set includes one of each of the following: utensil crock, small spatula, medium spatula, spatula spoon, basting brush, jar scraper. To enter, read the details and use the Rafflecopter below!

***This giveaway is for one Le Creuset Revolution Utensil Set (winner's choice of color)! This giveaway is open to Continental US residents only . When the contest concludes, the winner will be chosen by random draw. The winner will be notified through e-mail and they will have 3 days to respond or another winner will be chosen.***

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***Disclaimer: This giveaway is being provided by Le Creuset. #ChristmasWeek bloggers have not received product or been compensated as a part of this giveaway.***

Coconut Cream Tres Leches Cake

Welcome to Christmas Week, a multi-blogger event co-hosted by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic and Jen from Juanita's Cocina! Each day we will be celebrating the holidays with a different set of Christmas-themed treats, as well as a fabulous Christmas giveaway. We hope you enjoy this fabulous event. Tune in each day starting today, Monday, December 9th and ending Saturday, December 14th.

Ever since I participated in Christmas Week last year, I've been a little obsessed with the Tres Leches Cake. It is so easy to make, looks so complicated, and tastes terrific! So, how about a coconut version? For this, I just swapped out a few ingredients and added some coconut for a totally similar, yet different, Tres Leches Cake.

When I say it's easy, I mean it. Just whip it up in a big bowl and bake it in one 8" round pan.

Coconut Cream Tres Leches Cake

Printable Recipe

Cake Layer:

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 Eggs, room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

1 Cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup buttermilk

Soaking Liquid:

1/2 of a (14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup half-and-half

1/2 cup coconut cream

1/4 tsp vanilla

Frosting:

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups shredded coconut

Raspberries or Sugared Cranberries for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.; grease and flour an 8 inch cake pan (using an 8" rather than a 9" pan will make it easier to split in half).

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Slowly add the buttermilk, mixing until well blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly touched. Remove from oven and cool for at least ten minutes before removing from pan. Carefully, cut the cake in half, horizontally. Place each half sliced side up on a rack to cool completely. While the cake is cooling, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, the half/half, and the coconut cream. Slowly pour the liquid over each half of the cake. Cover and chill for several hours.

When ready to assemble the cake, whip the cream until stiff, adding the powdered sugar. Place one of the cake halves on a serving plate, cut side up. Spread whipped cream over the top of the cake layer, and then top with the second cake half. Frost the top and the sides of the cake with the remaining whipped cream. Sprinkle the coconut on top of the cake and lightly press more coconut onto the sides. Garnish with raspberries or sugared cranberries, if desired.   

Use a large serrated knife to slice the cake horizontally.

The coconut oil and the coconut cream make the cake layers a little more firm--moist, not soggy. Has anyone come up with a better term than "moist", yet?

Let's not forget the sugared cranberries--they make an awesome garnishment for so many things this time of year. Simply bring 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar to a simmer (make sure the sugar is dissolved, but don't boil...simmer). Place 1-2 cups of fresh cranberries in a bowl. Pour the hot sugar/water over the cranberries. Cover and chill for several hours or overnight.

When the cranberries are chilled, drain the liquid (save it, if you use simple syrup in your drinks), and roll the cranberries in fine sugar. Let them dry on a cookie sheet for at least one hour.

Visit all the other Christmas Week Peeps for more Holiday Baking Goodness:

Coconut Hot Chocolate and Chocolate Covered Spoons by Cravings of a Lunatic
Chocolate Shortbread Bars by Juanita's Cocina
Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
Frosted Sugar Cookies by Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts
Peppermint Mocha Brownie Cookies by Chocolate Moosey
Holiday Pinwheels by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Cranberry Pistachio Eggnog Bark by See Aimee Cook
Chocolate Peppermint Donuts by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
Cranberry-Orange Gin Fizz by The Messy Baker
Pokey Fudge by Ninja Baking
Vanilla Wafer Holiday Bark by Dizzy Busy and Hungry
Peanut Butter n' Jelly Thumbprints by The Little Ferraro Kitchen
Buckeyes by My Catholic Kitchen
Coconut Cream Tres Leches Cake by The Dutch Baker's Daughter
Gluten-free Cinnamon Star Cookies by Masala Herb
Nanny's Pecan Pie by Food Lust People Love
Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies by Jen's Favorite Cookies
My Mother-in-law's Fudge by Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker
Peppermint Brownie Pops by Home Cooking Memories
Chocolate Cherry Hazelnut Fudge by Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
Flourless Peanut Butter Nutella S'Mores by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Cranberry Yogurt Cookies by Mom's Test Kitchen
Chocolate Pumpkin Bundt Cake by Liv Life
Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies by Try Anything Once Culinary
Peppermint Fudge by Like Mother Like Daughter

Today's #ChristmasWeek giveaway comes courtesy of Magimix by Robot-Coupe. Magimix has an impressive history, and is the inventor of the first food processor for home cooks. Their machines are still handmade in Burgundy, France, and they are the only company to manufacture their own motors which feature a 30 year guarantee! Chefs Catalog is offering a new, exclusive Magimix by Robot-Coupe 3200XL 12-Cup Food Processor package. The food processor features nested bowls, stainless steel blades, and a large feed tube. The included blender attachment transforms the processor into a fully-functional blender, and the citrus press is ideal for extracting juice from all types of fresh fruits. To enter, read the details and use the Rafflecopter below!

***This giveaway is for one Magimix by Robot-Coupe 3200XL 12-Cup Food Processor (in white)! This giveaway is open to Continental US residents only . When the contest concludes, the winner will be chosen by random draw. The winner will be notified through e-mail and they will have 3 days to respond or another winner will be chosen.***

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***Disclaimer: This giveaway is being provided by Magimix by Robot-Coupe. #ChristmasWeek bloggers have not received product or been compensated as a part of this giveaway.***

Sweet Cherry Pound Cake

I've been coveting a cherry pitter. That's right a cherry pitter. I'd pass it in the gadget aisle at Target and always decided not to put it in the cart, whether because it was just not cherry season or because I didn't want to add to the collection of "must haves" already in the pile (can anyone get out of Target for less than $50?--seriously, you need everything there). Well, I up and done it. I bought myself said cherry pitter. A gadget for no other purpose than to pit cherries.

By golly...I love my cherry pitter.

Of course, I had to put that pitter to good use immediately and let me tell you--it is slick! I shucked the pits out of a whole bag of cherries in a matter of minutes. As a bonus, the kitchen didn't look as if I had just slaughtered a pig! Do you see the little shatter shield on this thing? It works! :)

After Pete and I ate our fill of fresh cherries, I still had quite a huge bowl full. They begged to be made into something (tell me I'm not the only one who hears food chanting to them). I swear I heard them whisper "pound cake". Who am I to refuse such a request?

Sweet Cherry Pound Cake

Printable Recipe

Cake:

3 cups all purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups granulated sugar

6 eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon almond extract

½ cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt

2 cups chopped, fresh cherries

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons cream cheese

1-2 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.; grease and flour a 10” Bundt or tube pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts.

Beginning with the flour mixture, add alternately with the yogurt to the egg mixture. Gently fold in the cherries.

.

In actuality, I had neither plain nor vanilla Greek yogurt in the house. I threw in a 6 oz container of pineapple yogurt and called it a day. No one was the wiser.

Pour batter into tube pan and distribute evenly. Bake about 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a rack for 20 minutes. Invert onto a cake dish and let cool another 30 minutes before glazing.

Please remember to grease and flour your pan...even if it is non-stick. Don't ask me how I know that this is so important....

For the glaze, beat confectioners' sugar, cream cheese, and a tablespoon of milk; add additional milk as necessary. Drizzle over the top of the pound cake.

Woohoo! Sweet Cherry Pound Cake success!

My husband beat me to the next gadget on my list...he had all of the strawberries hulled before I got to them. Wait--what's that I hear? Muffins?

What are your favorite kitchen gadgets?

Tres Leches Cake

Welcome to day #3 of Christmas Week, a multi-blogger event co-hosted by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic and Jen of Juanita’s Cocina. Today’s theme for Christmas Week is “Christmas Cakes and Cupcakes”. Make sure you visit all the participating bloggers today to see what special dish they whipped up for you.

One of my favorite cakes of all time is Cafe Latte's Turtle Cake. You know the one--a rich chocolate cake topped with  chocolate ganache, caramel sauce, and plenty of toasted pecans. Cafe Latte is located in St. Paul, MN., and I have been lucky enough to have had the original Turtle Cake. To. Die. For. What's really cool, is that everyone can make this Turtle Cake at home, since Cafe Latte shared the recipe with the public several years ago. I'll admit it--it was my favorite cake--until I met Cafe Latte's Tres Leches Cake.....

My favorite cake--until I met the Tres Leches Cake...

Tres Leches Cake, literally "three milks" cake, is just that. A spongy vanilla cake soaked with a mixture of cream and sweetened condensed milk, then topped with whipped cream...it's like eating clouds. Vanilla clouds. Whereas the Turtle cake is dense and rich, the Tres Leches cake is light and....rich. The only problem? There was no recipe. This one was not shared with the public. I was pretty sure the secret was locked in a vault. Oh sure, recipes for Tres Leches cake are everywhere...but not that one. Cafe Latte brilliantly shared the Turtle Cake Recipe, lured me in, tempted me with the Tres Leches Cake, and then kept it a secret. Or so they thought.

The other day, I did another quick search of the Internet for the recipe and there it was! The caption definitely made reference to Cafe Latte, but on closer inspection, the recipe actually came from someone named Joe. Now, whether Joe really had his hands on Cafe Latte's recipe (could Joe, or Joe's wife, be an employee?), I don't know. I do know that whoever wrote down the ingredients must have halved the recipe. It was all good though-- and with a little tweaking--dare I say it?--I made a Cafe Latte Tres Leches Cake!

Tres Leches Cake (inspired by Cafe Latte, adapted from Joe's Email)
Printable Recipe

Cake Layer:

1/4 cup oil

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 Eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 Cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup buttermilk

Soaking Liquid:

1/2 of a (14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk

1 cup half-and-half

1/4 tsp vanilla

Frosting:

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Raspberries or Sugared Cranberries for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.; grease and flour an 8 inch cake pan (using an 8" rather than a 9" pan will make it easier to split in half).

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Slowly add the buttermilk, mixing until well blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly touched. Remove from oven and cool for at least ten minutes before removing from pan. Carefully, cut the cake in half, horizontally. Place each half sliced side up on a rack to cool completely. While the cake is cooling, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and the half/half. Slowly pour the liquid over each half of the cake. Cover and chill for several hours.

When ready to assemble the cake, whip the cream until stiff, adding the powdered sugar. Place one of the cake halves on a serving plate, cut side up. Spread whipped cream over the top of the cake layer, and then top with the second cake half. Frost the top and the sides of the cake with the remaining whipped cream. Garnish with raspberries or sugared cranberries, if desired.   

Can you believe how easy this is? Just whip up the cake in a large bowl....

You can see from the indent that I used one of those pans with the whatchamacallit scrape thing on the bottom. It made getting the cake out in one piece really easy. 

Don't the cranberries make it look all holiday-like?

Making the sugared cranberries is a piece of cake. HeHe. Simply bring 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar to a simmer (make sure the sugar is dissolved, but don't boil...simmer). Place 1-2 cups of fresh cranberries in a bowl. Pour the hot sugar/water over the cranberries. Cover and chill for several hours or overnight.

When the cranberries are chilled, drain the liquid (save it, if you use simple syrup in your drinks), and roll the cranberries in fine sugar. Let them dry on a cookie sheet for at least one hour.

Store extra cranberries in an airtight container.

Yes, I believe the code has been cracked.

Now take a look at what everyone else is making! :)

Christmas Coconut Cake by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic

Cranberry Coffee Cake by Jen of Juanita's Cocina

Holly Topped White Cupcakes by That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Eggnog Pound Cake with Rum Glaze by Anuradha of Baker Street

Christmas in the Tropics Cake by Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker

Cranberry-Walnut Coffecake by Isabelle of Crumb

Pumpkin Dream Cake by Erin of Dinners, Dishes and Desserts

Christmas Red Velvet Mug Cake by Erin of The Spiffy Cookie

Reindeer Cupcakes by Ramona of Curry and Comfort

Whiskey Nut Fruitcake by Heather of Girlichef

Tres Leches Cake by Cathy of The Dutch Baker's Daughter

Monkey Bread Cupcakes by Chung-Ah of Damn Delicious

Pumpkin-Orange Pound Cake

Pumpkin-Orange Pound Cake...the Midwest meets the Tropics.

Writing a food blog has its perks. Why just a couple of weeks ago, I received an email from the coconut coordinator for Kelapo Coconut (wouldn't you love that job title?), asking if I would like to review some coconut oil. To be honest, I've never cooked or baked with coconut oil, so I wasn't sure what to expect. This much I do know--coconut oil has been used in many cultures for generations as a primary source of fat. Back in the 1970's and 80's coconut oil got kind of a bad rap for being high in saturated fats, so most food manufacturers replaced it with hydrogenated oils--aka trans fats. Of course we all know what kind of decision that was, so now coconut oil is back and it's touted as a healthier fat. Confused? I was. At any rate, if you want the nitty-gritty on coconut oil, you can find it on Wikipedia and on the Kelapo website.

So now that I have my sample, what should I make with it?

I posed the question of what I should make with my coconut oil to my Facebook and Twitter friends and they came back with all sorts of good stuff. People use it in cooking and baking, of course, but they also use it to condition their hair and they put it into facial scrubs. Pretty versatile stuff. I am first a baker, however, so in the end I came up with a way to use some pumpkin and some coconut oil all in one recipe.

Pumpkin-Orange Pound Cake

Printable Recipe

2 ½ cups cake flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cardamom

½ teaspoon ginger

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

½ cup coconut oil

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

4 eggs

¾ cup canned pumpkin

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 tablespoon grated orange peel

1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F; Grease two 8-inch loaf pans.

Sift or whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, salt, cardamom and ginger into a large bowl; set aside.

Cream the butter and the coconut oil in the large bowl of an electric mixer. Gradually add the sugar, beating at low speed, then increase the mixer speed to high and beat until pale and fluffy.

I opened the jar of coconut oil and got a wonderful coconut smell.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl sides after each addition. After all the eggs are in, beat several minutes at high speed until the mixture is smooth and very pale. Beat in the pumpkin, orange juice, orange peel, and vanilla.

It didn't look much different than my best buttercream. 

Beating at low speed, add the dry ingredients in thirds, alternating with the milk.

Check out the beautiful orange color.

Pour the batter into the two greased loaf pans. Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly touched. Let the cakes cool completely on a wire rack before removing from pans to slice.

 I like to use the foil loaf pans so that I can easily give them away.

Take that Sara Lee...

In conclusion, I really liked working with the coconut oil. It gave the pound cake a subtle coconut taste that worked well with the other flavors. I can't wait to try it in another recipe!

For more recipes using coconut oil, you can visit the Kelapo Coconut blog at http://www.wearecoconuts.com/  or visit them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/kelapococonut.

Disclosure: I was given a sample of Kelapo Coconut Oil to review, however all opinions and the recipe are my own.