Pear Cake, Pinterest and Prayer

In my never ending effort to search out and find new innovating recipes, I have become an avid subscriber to Pinterest.  It's actually really more of a love-hate relationship.  I haven't decided if the site motivates me and inspires me to create and "think outside the box" or depresses me because there are so many talented people in this world and I am just in awe of them, their specialties and jealous of the time they have to create so many beautiful things...be it foods, crafts, events, tabletops, etc...

My world has been quite busy as of late and I have been in need of anything new that can be created on a budget and in a time friendly manner.  I just have to keep reminding myself that "this too shall pass", take a deep breath and pray.

This cake is one of those gems that I recently stumbled on during one of my Pinterest binges.  It was incredibly easy, fast, amazingly delicious and fit my budget.  I think it would also make a great coffee cake (for those rare special days that I actually get to sit during a weekend morning and relax).

Pear Cake
Adapted from An Italian In My Kitchen

1-1/2 cups flour
5-1/2 Tbl. cornstarch
1 Tbl. plus 1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup mascarpone
2-1/2 Tbl. canola oil
pinch of salt
2 pears
powdered sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease and flour a 9" cake pan.  (I used a spring-form pan).

Clean and peel the pears.  One pear chop into medium sized cubes, and the other pear thin slices and set aside.

In a medium bowl, at medium speed beat eggs and sugar until creamy, add mascarpone and continue beating until smooth.

In another medium bowl, whisk flour, cornstarch and baking powder.

Stir the flour mixture into the creamed mixture and stir gently to combine, then add the oil and salt and stirring to combine.

Fold in the medium-sized cubed pear, spoon into the prepared cake pan.

Top with the sliced pears and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar.

Bake approximately 45 minutes.  Let cool and dust with powdered sugar.

One Year Ago:  Grilled Halloumi Cheese and Tomato Sandwich
Two Years Ago: Sour Cream and Chicken Enchiladas

Lemon-Blackberry Olive Oil Cake

As I was looking to see which post to do today, I went back to find the "One Year Ago" recipe and saw that today is the 2nd Anniversary of my blog, which means I now also get to do "Two Years Ago" and the end of the recipes/posts.  Oh my gosh, where has this year gone?  Can anyone please tell me?  I am amazed how fast time keeps ticking by me.

I perused through my photo cache of recipes from the past few months and realized I had not posted this one yet.  It's easy, refreshing and a perfect summer dessert.  In our case, also a great coffee cake for mornings.  

I changed up the Orange Olive Oil Cake that I made a few months ago to see what switching out a couple ingredients would do.  The end result was awesome.  I cannot wait to make this for my grandma when we visit her during our vacation.

Lemon-Blackberry Olive Oil Cake

Non-stick baking spray
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
Juice and zest of 1 lemon (about 3 Tbls. juice, 1 Tbl. zest)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1-1/2 cups fresh blackberries

Preheat over to 350 degrees.  Spray 9-inch round cake pan with non-stick baking spray.

Mix together the sugar and eggs in a medium bowl with a hand mixer on medium speed until blended and light.  Drizzle in the olive oil and vanilla and mix until light and smooth.  Add the lemon juice and zest and mix well.  Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in another medium bowl.  Add the flour mixture half at a time to the wet ingredients and mix on low just to incorporate.  Carefully fold in the blackberries to the batter, until evenly distributed.

Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake, 25 to 30 minutes.  Let the cake cool 15 minutes.  Serve with fresh whipping cream and blackberries.

One Year Ago:  Fry Sauce
Two Years Ago: Pickling Cucumbers

Orange Olive Oil Cake

It never fails...after the holidays are over when the cookies, fudge and candy canes go away, the cravings hit.  I think we all need to go into "sweets rehab" right after the new year, because after about two weeks of no desserts, I start hearing it...pantry cupboard doors opening and shutting, the refrigerator light goes on, then I hear the freezer door shut and vapor lock.  "Don't we have any treats in the house?" echoes every night, at about 8 pm from various voices.  So there you have it, if there are too many sweets in the house I hear about it, but if there aren't any treats I really hear about it.

As I am altitude challenged here, I always hesitate when it comes to baking...especially trying new cake recipes.  It took be about a year of us being in the Rocky Mountains before I figured out how to bake in high altitudes.  I saw this dessert on Food Network a few weeks ago and thought it looked really good.  I have made a few olive oil cakes in the past (at sea level) and enjoyed them.  (Since olive oil is good for you and in the Mediterranean Diet, this cake can't be bad for you, right?)

I tried branching out and get fancy with the powdered sugar design, as I came across an extra doile in my pantry.  The finished product reminded me of all our snowflakes this winter and the snow that we still are dealing with.

This cake is beyond amazing.  It is a dense cake, but incredibly light and the hint of orange sends it over the top.  My husband couldn't stay out of it and he doesn't even like cake..so that really says a lot.

Orange Olive Oil Cake
Courtesy of Melissa d'Arabian's Ten Dollar Dinners

Butter, for greasing the pan
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Juice and zest of 1 orange (about 3 tablespoons juice, 1 tablespoon zest)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.

Mix together the sugar and eggs in a medium bowl with a hand mixer on medium speed until blended and light. Drizzle in the olive oil and vanilla and mix until light and smooth. Add the orange juice and zest and mix well. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in another medium bowl. Add the flour mixture half at a time to the wet ingredients and mix on low just to incorporate.

Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake, 25 to 30 minutes. Let the cake cool 15 minutes, dust with confectioners' sugar and serve.

Happy 4th of July - Apple Pie Cake

Happy 4th of July to everyone today!  Hope you are all enjoying a relaxing and restful long weekend full of BBQ and sweet delights.

Last weekend I pulled out my annual buntings that I got for a steal at a garage sale a few years ago.  I just love my nostalgic buntings.  They drive my husband crazy and can't understand why I tote these around every time we move.  How can you not love these - they remind me of the old western movies when they always had them out for some big parade or election....they just scream out John Wayne to me.

I'm sure our new neighbors just loved our patriotic showing as well, since I continued our theme and lined the front garden wall with my miniature flags.  I did notice a few double takes as people drove by.  Really now, it's only once a year and it is the time to get your spirit on!!

We are having a dessert, tailgating, fireworks watching evening with Matt and Heather, complete with Blue Velvet cupcakes, red velvet cookies and their patriotic embellishments.

The girls and I hit our local fireworks tent last night and found the perfect pyrotechnic.  How can you not love a firework that is named after you - my husband loved it!!

Last weekend we celebrated a little early with this Apple Pie Cake.  So sweet and delicious.  Since we are still working on our eating changes but needed a little treat, I substituted using an unsweetened apple pie filling and 1% milk and topped it with low fat Cool Whip. Oh so yummy, incredibly easy and tastes exactly like an apple pie!!

Apple Pie Cake
Courtesy of Plain Chicken

Cake
1 box yellow cake mix
1 (21oz) can apple pie filling
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk

Frosting
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9×13 inch pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, apple pie filling, vanilla extract, cinnamon, eggs and milk. Mix with an electric mixer just until combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Whisk together powdered sugar, cinnamon and milk. Pour over warm cake. Allow cake to cool completely before serving.

Serve with vanilla ice cream, whipped topping or fresh whipped cream.