Chocolate Fudge Bundt Cake

No one has to know that this is made with zucchini!

Chocolate Fudge Bundt Cake

The holiday season is the season for chocolate. It's also the season we start to use all of those fruits and veggies we have canned, frozen or preserved during the summer. This chocolate fudge cake combines the best of both; it has a rich, chocolate flavor, and its incredible moistness comes thanks to the inclusion of shredded, frozen zucchini squash. The squash is undetectable, so even veggie haters will relish this cake.

In addition, this recipe requires only two pieces of equipment: one medium mixing bowl for the dry ingredients and a food processor that holds at least 11 cups. The recipe is a gem when it comes to easy preparation and clean up.

This recipe creates enough batter for a three-layer cake, but because it really needs no frosting, I prefer baking it in a Bundt pan or tube pan. This makes 12 - 16 hefty slices.

The cake freezes well, making it ideal for baking ahead and serving when time is short but the craving for something sweet is not.


Chocolate Fudge Bundt Cake


3 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. baking cocoa
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
3 c. shredded zucchini
1/2 c. butter (no substitutes), softened to room temperature
1/2 c. sour cream
2 1/2 c. granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Measure flour, baking cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium mixing bowl. Whisk together until dry ingredients are thoroughly blended.

Using the blade attachment in the food processor, add the zucchini to the bowl. Puree on high speed. Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla; pulse together until mixture is well blended. Add granulated sugar and butter, one tablespoon at a time; process until butter is incorporated. Add in dry ingredients, pulse to incorporate, then process for two minutes until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated and batter is smooth.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9" Bundt or tube pan with a nonstick spray for baking. Pour batter evenly into pan; shake to eliminate air bubbles. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean and edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before releasing from pan.

Rice Pilaf

Rice Pilaf

One of the best complements to a roast duck is a side dish made with rice. Those people living in Minnesota have their native wild rice available, but the rest of us have to depend on what we can find at the store. A casserole dish of rice pilaf is a simple, easy to make side dish.

Chicken stock, soup base or boullion flavors the rice. For a vegetarian version, use a vegetable soup base rather than the chicken soup base.

The success of this side dish depends on one technique. By coating the rice in the melted butter before cooking it in the chicken stock, the starch in the rice grains stays contained. The end result is rice that is light and fluffy rather than sticky.

Bake this along with your meat dish in a 375 degree oven. Fluff it before serving, while the meat rests.

Rice Pilaf
4 tbsp. butter
1 onion, diced
1 large can (13 oz) sliced mushrooms
1 c. long grain white rice, uncooked
chopped giblets (optional)
2 tsp. poultry seasoning
ground black pepper
2 c. chicken stock, or 2 c. water with 2 tsp. chicken soup base added

In a large skillet, melt butter. Saute onion and mushrooms until onions are soft and golden, about 12 minutes. Add poultry seasoning and black pepper, and continue to saute until the flavor of the herbs blooms, about 1 minute.

Remove sauteed vegetables from skillet into 3 quart casserole dish. Add 1 c. uncooked rice and toss, coating the rice grains with flavored butter. Add in the chopped giblets, if desired, and the chicken stock.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cover the casserole dish and cook for 40 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork before serving. Makes 4 - 6 servings

Roast Duck with Spice Rub

Duck roasted with a spice rub stays moist inside and crisp outside

Roast Duck with Spice Rub

It may not be traditional, but I prefer roast duck to turkey during Thanksgiving. Duck is nearly all dark meat and thanks to the fat content of the animal, has a very rich and savory flavor.

The average duck weighs between 5 and 8 pounds, so duck is also a good choice for a small gathering. Like a turkey or chicken, a roasting duck comes with giblets; set these aside after thawing the bird, because we'll add them to our rice pilaf side dish.

In order to keep the meat moist but allow the fat to render away, I coat the duck inside and out with a spice rub. Because duck has a unique and to some, overpowering, flavor, it can handle one that is fairly spicy. The inclusion of baking powder creates a dry, crisp skin and doesn't add an overly salty flavor to the duck. It does create the same sodium barrier that keeps the flesh moist. In addition, I create an air pocket in underneath the skin. This allows all of the subcutaneous fat to release and helps the skin to crisp and brown.

To create the air pocket, gently lift the skin away from the meat using a wooden spoon. Use your hand to loosen the skin over the drumsticks (it is less icky if you put on a disposable food service glove), wings and neck area. Then, rub the fowl over the skin, under the skin and inside the cavity with the spice rub.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place prepared duck on a roasting rack and roast, uncovered, for 20 minutes per pound. Allow to rest at least 10 minutes before carving in order to preserve the juices.

Spice rub
1 tbsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. ground paprika
1 tsp. ground mustard
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Golden Honey Whole Wheat Bread

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

Now that it's the holiday season and the outside temperature is a good reason to light a fire in the wood burning stove, it is also a good time to bake yeast bread. Yeast dough rises perfectly in a warm, moist environment; a wood stove and stainless steel pan of water help to create this environment that also is quite comfy for humans and cats.

I happen to love whole grain breads, and this loaf not only has a wealth of wheat flavor but bakes to a lovely brown color. The extra pizazz added by braiding the dough adds a lightly festive touch to it all. The addition of honey rather than granulated sugar adds a depth of flavor that is unique, and it also creates a baked good that is light rather than dense.

Although this is not a sweet bread, it is a treat. Slather a thick slice with real butter or cream cheese and enjoy with a cup of hot tea.

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

1 pk. (2 1/4 tsp) dry yeast
1 c. all purpose flour
2 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. salt
1 large whole egg
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c. golden honey
1 c. warm water


In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flours and salt. Measure one cup of dry mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add in yeast and blend at lowest speed.

In a microwave-proof measuring cup or glass bowl, heat water, oil and honey together for 1-2 minutes or until liquid reaches 165 degrees. With blade turning slowly on the mixer, add warm liquid. Beat on low-medium speed for 5 minutes.

Add in the rest of the flour mixture and egg. Beat using blade until thoroughly mixed, then switch to dough hook. Blend until dough forms a ball and clears the edges of the mixing bowl.

Using vegetable oil pan spray, grease the inside of a large bowl. Turn dough out of the mixing bowl into the greased bowl, greasing the top and sides of the dough. Moisten several paper towels and cover the mixing bowl. Place dough in a warm, draft-free area (85 - 100 degrees is best) to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Grease and flour a 9 x 5 loaf pan. Punch down dough after it has risen, and separate into three pieces that are equal in size. Using your hands, shape each piece into a 14" long rope. Braid the ropes together on a nonstick surface (parchment paper is excellent). Tuck the ends under, and place braid into the loaf pan. Cover with moistened paper towels and allow to rise a second time, about 30-45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place loaf, uncovered, into oven and bake for 40-45 minutes. Allow to cool 10 minutes before removing from pan.

Buttery Orange Summer Squash Cake

Buttery Orange Zucchini Cake - a tasty way to eat your vegetables
and use up a lot of your zucchini harvest.

It's already August, and that means the start of the Indiana State Fair and the end of the zucchini harvest. This year has been good for squash, as long as the garden was mulched and watered. Squash of all kind thrive in heat and high humidity, and luckily, there were no squash bugs or stink bugs around to ruin things.

With several pounds of zucchini on hand, it means there is a lot of cooking and preserving going on. Zucchini and other squash lend themselves to being put into cakes, breads, muffins, and turned into pickles.

This recipe incorporates the best of all worlds: real butter, lots of shredded zucchini and the bright refreshing flavor of oranges.  The recipe makes enough batter for 3 9" rounds, so if you need a lot of cake or a spectacular 3-layer creation, this is a good bet.  Even though it calls for all purpose flour rather than cake flour, it is light and delicate. It gets an extra leavening boost as well as some additional tang from buttermilk.

I used golden zucchini, so no peeling was needed. Green zucchini will need to be peeled before shredding, otherwise the batter will turn the color of pistachios. I baked mine in a super-large loaf pan (available for sale at Gordon Food Service stores), and was able to get two nice loaves out of it. One was for eating right now, and the other is frozen for later consumption.

The cake stays moist enough to eat without frosting, but for a layer cake, use an orange or vanilla buttercream or cream cheese frosting to highlight the citrus flavor.

Buttery Orange Summer Squash Cake

3 1/2 c. all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
2 1/2 c. granulated sugar, or combination of granulated sugar and stevia-based sweetener for baking
3 tsp. fresh grated orange zest, or 2 tsp. dry orange zest
1 c. butter (no substitutes), softened at room temperature
1 c. buttermilk
4 eggs
3 c. shredded summer squash or zucchini
1 1/2 tsp. orange oil, or 2 1/2 tsp. orange extract

Preheat oven to 30 degrees. Grease and flour 3 9" cake pans, or 1 13x9 baking pan and 1 small loaf pan.

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

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, orange oil and sugar until light and fluffy. Add and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternate addition of dry ingredients and buttermilk, beating well after each addition.

Slowly fold in shredded squash, and pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees until cake tester comes out clean. For 9" rounds or a small loaf, time will be 25-30 minutes. For a 13x9 pan, time will be 45 minutes.

Allow to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then release onto wire racks to cool completely. Cakes can be bagged and frozen for later use, or frosted with a buttercream or cream cheese frosting.

French Silk Mousse

When it's too hot to bake, there is always the option of using pie filling in a different way. This mousse uses the basic French Silk pie filling, but eliminates the crust.

The filling is made extra rich and smooth with the inclusion of pastry cream, made by heating evaporated milk mixed with egg yolk. I use powdered egg yolks for this purpose, because they dissolve readily in the liquid and it eliminates having to separate eggs (and having whites left over). The custard created serves as a vehicle for effectively melting and incorporating chocolate. The end result is a smooth, creamy and very rich chocolate filling that marries well with the whipped cream layers.

French Silk Mousse

2 pkgs (8 oz each) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. evaporated milk
3 egg yolks
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, shaved
Fresh fruit for garnish
Whipped cream

Using the paddle blade of a stand mixer, combine the cream cheese, granulated sugar and vanilla. Beat until creamy and all of the sugar is incorporated.

Place evaporated milk and egg yolks in a 1 quart saucepan. Heat to a simmer on medium-low, stirring constantly to ensure the solution doesn't stick. Remove from heat once the mixture becomes thick and coats the spoon. Stir the chocolate into the hot mixture, making sure that all of the pieces have melted.

Slowly pour the milk mixture into the cream cheese, beating with the stand mixer on low. Increase the mixer speed to medium and whip all ingredients together.

Layer the chocolate mixture with whipped cream in dessert glasses. Top each serving with fresh strawberries, raspberries or mint leaves. Cover and chill until served. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Sponge Cake and Twinkie © Cream Filling

Sponge Cake with Twinkie © Cream Filling

Sponge cake is a feather light dessert that is traditionally served during Passover. Like angel food cake, sponge cake depends on whipped egg whites for leavening and for its airy texture. The addition of beaten egg yolks adds richness to the cake that isn't present in angel food. In addition, egg yolks help to keep the cake moist.

Sponge cake needs no icing, but it can serve as the base for several different toppings. Among the favorites are flavored whipped cream, lemon curd and fresh strawberries, blueberries or raspberries.

For those of you who miss the Hostess Twinkie ©, use this sponge cake recipe and Twinkie whipped filling to make a Twinkie-like dessert. First, bake the sponge cake in a traditional tube pan. When the cake is cool, slice in half horizontally. Use a sharp knife and cut a shallow tunnel into the bottom layer. Fill the tunnel with the Twinkie whipped filling, and replace the top of the cake.

Of course, you can just slather a slice of the cake with the whipped filling and enjoy it that way too.

Sponge Cake

1 c. all purpose flour
1 1/3 c. sugar, separated
5 eggs, separated*
3 tbsp water
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

* To make this recipe easily, use powdered egg yolks and powdered egg whites. The powdered products combined with water are the equivalent of fresh large eggs. This eliminates the need to separate eggs and because of the product's purity, your meringue will whip higher as well.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a standard tube pan or angel food pan with nonstick baking spray.

Place 5 egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Using the wire whip blade on a stand mixer, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add 2/3 c. sugar, one tablespoon at a time, until all sugar is incorporated into the egg white mixture and volume is doubled. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine 5 egg yolks, 2/3 c sugar, water, lemon peel and vanilla. Beat with the flat blade of a stand mixer at medium speed  until yolks are thick and lemon colored. Reduce speed and add flour. Beat until mixture becomes a thick batter.

Using a rubber spatula, gently push beaten egg whites into bowl with egg yolk mixture. Fold egg whites into the yolks until the whites are incorporated into the batter. Pour into the prepared tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 - 45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Remove cake from the pan immediately after it is out of the oven, and cool inverted on a rack.

Twinkie © Cream Filling

1/2 cup marshmallow creme
4 tbsp. butter (no substitutions), or 2 tbsp. butter and 2 tbsp. coconut oil
3/4 c. confectioners sugar (or a combination of confectioners sugar and corn starch)

Using the whip attachment of your stand mixer, whip together the marshmallow creme and butter. Add confectioner's sugar, one tablespoon at a time, until mixture is smooth and spreadable.

The combination of confectioners sugar and corn starch helps cut the intense sweetness of the filling.

For the purist, you can purchase what is called a "twinkle pan" that allows you to bake the sponge cake in the shape of the classic Hostess dessert. Then use a pastry bag and an injector tip (long and tubular) to fill your ersatz Twinkies © with the cream filling.

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Apple Cobbler

Apple Cobbler 

It's spring cleaning time, and one of the first places I wanted to clear out was the freezer. Lodged near the back was a quart of apple slices that I had frozen during the fall harvest. Apples are such a versatile fruit that my options for using these was nearly limitless. The time I had to spend in the kitchen, however, was not. I opted to make a deep dish cobbler. 

What makes cobbler different from, say, a crisp or a crumble? Crisps and crumbles have a streusel topping; cobbler is characterized by its crust of biscuits or dumplings, which soak up spiced and sweetened apple juice as they bake. The apples that I used were a mixture of sweet and tart apples that normally would be used in a cider blend. Any good baking or pie apple can be used to make the filling.

Apple Cobbler 

Filling:
4 cups sliced peeled apples
3/4 c. light brown sugar, packed
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground ginger

Topping:
1 c. all purpose flour
1 c. oatmeal
1/3 c. softened butter or shortening
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, toss together apple slices, brown sugar and spices. Spray a 3 quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray, and pour apple mixture into prepared casserole. Set aside.

In medium bowl, whisk together flour, oatmeal, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt. Add softened butter or shortening, and use a pastry cutter to cut into the flour mixture. Fold in milk, one tablespoon at a time, until mixture just holds together.

Drop flour mixture on top of apples using a tablespoon, covering entire surface with biscuits. Bake in preheated oven for 35 - 40 minutes. Biscuits will be lightly browned. Serve warm, spooning apples over biscuit. Top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if desired. Serves 6.