Mr. Tumnus Sour Cream Coffee Cake

 Do you want your tea to be just like Lucy's first visit into the wardrobe?   This was my take on an appropriate cake for a girl and a faun sharing a pot of tea.  

 

 

Grease a 13 x 9 pan, preheat oven to 350  

In mixer bowl stir together:

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tsp salt

freshly grated nutmeg

dash of mace

 

then mix in:

2 cups sour cream

4 eggs

 

Pour into 13 x 9 pan, then  use mixer and beater:

swirl:

cream together 

3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 Tablespoons cinnamon (I like to use some each of cassia and ceylon if you have two types on hand)

1 teaspoon cardamom 

(any other warming spices you'd like)

put well creamed soft mixture into a zip-top bag, snip tiny corner of bag and swirl over the top of the cake.   It will sink in during baking.   

Bake ~40 minutes, until tester comes out clean.

If desired make a glaze: 

2 cups powdered sugar

3 T milk

(dash of vanilla extract, almond extract or orange oil)

Whisk well until liquid, then I use the whisk to drizzle lightly over warm cake.  

 

Cold Oven Pound Cake

A beautiful, buttery, understated pound cake.     Elegant with an afternoon cup of Earl Grey.    Perfect with sliced strawberries and whipped cream.  


cream together:

3 sticks butter, softened
3 cups white sugar


meanwhile mix together:
6 eggs
1 T vanilla extract
(dash of orange or other citrus oil, optional)
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup sour cream, 3/4 cup milk

mix liquid into creamed butter/sugar.

mix in 3 cups flour until just combined.


Pour into two loaf pans lined with parchment paper.     Place in oven and turn oven to 325.    It took mine about 90 minutes, but start checking at 75 minutes - see if a knife inserted in center comes out clean. 

Pumpkin gingerbread cake

A variation on the Pioneer Woman's Pumpkin cake - more spices, added blackstrap molasses, doubled the recipe for two 13 x 9 (two potlucks same weekend), and adjusted to use one large can of pumpkin:

- preheat oven to 350, prep two 13 x 9 pans - grease or spray them with cooking spray 

- fill and start tea kettle

- Melt 1 pound of butter

stir in:

1 29oz can pumpkin puree

add:
2 Tbs blackstrap molasses
1 Tbs cinnamon
1 Tbs ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 tbsp vanilla
some freshly ground nutmeg
(would have added the cardamon if I found it quick)

 stir in:

1 3/4 C boiling water



meanwhile whisk together in a big bowl:
4 cups flour
4 cups sugar
4 tsp baking soda


and in a small bowl mix:
1 cup plain kefir  (or milk with a bit of sour cream or plain yogurt equaling 1 cup)
4 eggs


Fold it all together the give up and get out your hand mixer until blended (this is cake!  not too much mixing!). 

Divide batter between the two pans, bake for about 35 minutes.   

Peanut Butter Frosting

My grandmother had a birthday this week, and my grandmother adores peanut butter, so I decided to attempt a peanut butter frosting. "THIS IS SO GOOD" is one reaction I received from a coworker (I brought the extras into work), so I decided to share the recipe:

Prepare chocolate cake from a box, or cupcakes, or even just a spoon. Then make your frosting:

1 stick of butter, softened

1 cup of peanut butter (I like Jif)

2-3 cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

~ 1/2 cup of milk

Use your mixer to blend the butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time. Add the vanilla. Then add milk until the icing is somewhat spreadable. It will still be very thick. You could also roll it out like a fondant and lay thick slices over the cake.

I decorated mine with pink M&Ms and white Reeses Pieces. Decorate yours as you see fit.