MITCH IN THE KITCHEN

pomegranate molasses butter cake with candied walnuts

Pomegranate molasses was called a “power ingredient” awhile back. Kind of a funny description, but I do understand what they’re getting at because I have a sticky, half-empty bottle of it in the back of my cupboard. I’ve mixed it into seltzer, salads, and now an easy little cake that is perfect for, say, potlucks. It’s buttery but not too rich, and unexpectedly perfect for cutting into hand-held squares to be passed around and eaten like brownies.

Another thing: the recipe makes more glaze than you’ll need, so go ahead and make doughnuts, cookies, or even more cake to use it up.

whole wheat yogurt cake with almonds

Continuing my baking spree… That first yogurt cake I made was great and all, but I wanted to revise it into something less spongy, less greasy, and more breakfasty. I wanted it to be something I could eat with hot coffee during class, without getting translucent oily-finger spots all over my notes. (Or in transit without greasing up the handrails because I am a train pig occasionally.)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup neutral oil such as canola or grapeseed
sliced almonds and sugar, for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan.

Combine flours, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. In a small bowl, beat eggs then add sugar, yogurt, and extracts. Mix in oil. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix gently just until batter is completely moistened. Pour into pan and sprinkle sugar and sliced almonds on top. Bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the top of the cake is lightly browned.

plum and thyme yogurt cake

Like cake salé, yogurt cake is a homey baked good from France that comes in a loaf pan. No waiting for butter to soften, no need to plug in any mixers, and all you need to start are everyday ingredients (which you can then add to, according to whatever else is spilling out of your fridge and pantry).

I used this recipe from Bon Appétit, minus the glaze and with half as much sugar (it was still sweet enough for me), plus about a cup of chopped fresh plums and a few sprigs’ worth of fresh thyme folded into the batter at the very end.

spiced apple-pear sauce cake with cream cheese frosting

This one’s for Nancy :)

A few weeks ago, I found myself with way, way, way too many Bosc pears. Several of them were starting to get brown and mushy and spoiled in spots. I ended up turning maybe 10 of them into a pear puree (like applesauce but with pears), carefully peeling them and cutting around the gross brown spots. I added a couple of tart (cameo, I think) apples to the sauce, because the pears’ flavor was a little too subtle, and I felt like the sauce needed a little more… pop to it. I had enough apple-pear sauce to make two of these cakes, one for a previously mentioned pre-Thanksgiving potluck with friends, and another for a post-Thanksgiving potluck at Mike’s place (yes, there was overlap in friends who attended… best 2 weeks of Thanksgiving ever). This cake is fantastically moist and simple to make, as far as cakes go. Next time, I may have to make one all for myself.

Adapted from Gourmet (I mostly cut down on the sugar a little bit, because I like my sweets not-too-sweet)

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or use only 2 cups all purpose flour, total)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce, pear sauce, or apple-pear sauce
1 small crisp apple or pear, peeled and grated using a large-holed grater (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square cake pan (I like to line the bottom with parchment paper and then butter it).

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside.

Beat butter with brown sugar and vanilla at high speed using an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Add applesauce. Add flour mixture at low speed, just until combined. Fold in grated apple.

Spread batter evenly in pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let it cool completely before frosting.

For frosting:

5 oz cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup confectioners (powdered) sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together at high speed using an electric mixer, until fluffy. Sift powdered sugar and cinnamon into the mixing bowl, then beat at medium speed until combined. Spread over cooled cake.

gingerbread pear cake

I was going to bring this to a class session/potluck at my professor’s house* but didn’t because I could not get over the shame of accidentally omitting one of the ingredients (buttermilk). The result wasn’t at all inedible, but I ended up being the jackass who showed up empty handed. Luckily nutrition students are reliably excellent, considerate, and forgiving potluck participants, so the absence of this cake was no big deal and all the food was delicious.

*I am still in awe of said professor, her home, her garden, and the fact that she and other instructors let a bunch of grubby grad students into their living rooms every year.

(adapted from Epicurious)

1 1/2 cups flour (I used 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour and 1 cup all-purpose flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup blackstrap molasses
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 Bosc pears

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan, knocking out excess.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, white pepper, and salt.

Beat together brown sugar and butter with an electric mixer until combined. Beat in molasses. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Beat in flour mixture at low speed until just combined. Add buttermilk and ginger, beating just until smooth. Pour into cake pan.

Peel and core pears and cut each into 8 slices. Arrange in batter. Bake until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool slightly before serving. I like mine with a little dollop of sweetened whipped cream.