French Yogurt Cake

Over the years I have seen recipes for French yogurt cake that sounded very appealing and easy to prepare. When yet another recipe appeared on Epicurious.com this month and won rave reviews, I decided to give it a try. I loved this simple cake.  It is similar to pound cake but much less dense-kind of airy. It is perfect served with fruit-sliced strawberries from the farmer's market worked beautifully.

Vegetable oil spray
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup sugar
1 tbl. finely grated lemon zest
3/4 cup whole milk Greek yogurt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat a standard (8 1/2x4 1/4 inches) loaf pan with non-stick vegetable oil spray.  Dust with flour, tap out excess.  Whisk 1 1/2 cups flour, 2 tsps. baking powder and 3/4 tsp. kosher salt in a medium bowl.  In a large bowl, using your fingers, rub 1 cup sugar with 1 tbl. finely grated lemon zest until the sugar is moist.  Add 3/4 cup whole milk Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 2 large eggs and 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract. Blend ingredients.  Fold in dry ingredients, just to blend.

Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top.  Bake until top of cake is golden brown and a tester inserted into center comes out clean (50-55 minutes).  Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert onto rack and let cool completely.

Can be made 3 days ahead and stored airtight at room temperature.

NOTES: I used butter instead of oil spray and  used the zest of a whole lemon and. to me, that was the perfect amount.  I used non-fat Greek yogurt since that was the only kind I had.  The cake was very good. It would probably be fabulous with the richer yogurt.

All-In-One Holiday Bundt Cake

When I spotted this recipe in the New York Times last week, I knew I had to make it. Pumpkin, cranberries, pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg-the ingredients were some of my favorites. The recipe was adapted from Baking With Dorie, a culinary app. I wasn't interested in the app but the cake sounded wonderful and it is. By the way, Dorie is Dorie Greenspan, the writer of fabulous cookbooks, especially on baking. Please try this one. It is not too sweet, keeps well and is perfect with tea or coffee.

1 1/4 stickes (10 tbl.) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg

pinch salt

1 1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger (or 1 tsp. ginger powder)

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/1/4 cups canned unsweetened pumpkin puree

1 large apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped

1 cup cranberries, halved or coarsely chopped

1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

Maple icing (optional; see note)

Heat oven to 350 with rack in center. Butter a 9-10 inch Bundt pan (12 cup).

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and ginger powder, if you're using it instead of the grated ginger.

Working with a standing mixer or with hand mixer in a large bowl, beat together the remaining butter and both sugars at medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 or 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and beat for one minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.

Reduce speed to low and add the pumpkin, apple and grated ginger, if using it. Don't be concerned if batter looks curdled (mine did not). Add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they are incorporated. With a rubber spatula, stir in the cranberries and pecans. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top.

Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a thin knife inserted in center comes out clean. Transfer to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before unmolding, then cool to room temperature on the rack. Serve in thick slices.

Serves 12 0r more

Notes: For maple icing, sift 6 tbl. confectioners sugar into a bowl. Stir in 2 tbl. maple syrup. Add syrup little by little until you have an icing that runs nicely off the tip of the spoon. Put the cooled cake on wax paper and drizzle the icing from the tip of the spoon over it. Let the icing set for a few minutes.

Wrapped well, the cake will keep at room temperature for up to 5 days. It is then good for toasting. The cake can also be frozen for up to 2 months.

Since I'm trying to be careful about cholesterol, I used vegetable oil instead of butter. The cake was still fantastic. I did not make the icing but the cake is not overly sweet and the icing would probably taste wonderful on it.

Date Nut Spice Bread

A few weeks ago my lovely niece Liz surprised me with a loaf of this date nut bread. I took one bite and fell in love. It is absolutely perfect. I would not change a thing. Liz got the recipe from Ina Garten's cookbook Back to Basics. Actually Liz sings the praises of Ina Garten's recipes. She says that they are not difficult and they work. This one sure works for me.

The accompanying cream cheese spread does not appeal to me and seems unnecessary but most people would disagree. You're the boss on this one.

2 cups coarsely chopped dates, 10 oz. pitted

1/3 cup orange liqueur

4 tbl. (1/2 cup) unsalted butter at room temperature

3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1 extra large egg

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 tbl. grated orange zest (2 oranges)

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. Kosher salt

3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (3 oranges)

3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans (3 oz.)

For the cream cheese spread:

6 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tbl. grated orange zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom of an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 by 2 1/2" loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pan.

Combine the dates and orange liqueur in a small bowl and set aside for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl. With the mixer on low, add the egg, vanilla and orange zest. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. With the mixture still on low, add the flour alternately with the orange juice to the creamed mixture, beating only until combined. By hand, stir in the dates and their liquid and the pecans.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake the cake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Meanwhile in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese, sugar and orange zest until just combined.

Slice the bread and serve as is or with the orange cream cheese on the side for spreading.

Makes one 8" loaf

Applesauce Snack Cake

I had a jar of applesauce that was nearing its use or lose date and was in the mood for a simple applesauce spice cake. While looking through a cookbook I hadn't opened in years, I found just the right recipe. All the ingredients were on hand and in no time I was snacking on my snack cake. The cake is perfect with afternoon coffee or tea and actually tastes better on the second and third day. Thanks to Dolores Casella's A World of Baking first printed in 1968.

2 cups sifted pastry or cake flour

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. allspice

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 cup applesauce

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 large eggs, separated

1/4 cup melted butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 2 8 inch round layer pans.

Sift together, into a mixing bowl, the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and spices. Stir in the applesauce and then the buttermilk. Add the egg yolks, melted butter and vanilla extract and blend thoroughly. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold into the batter. Turn batter into prepared pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool in pans for 5 minutes before turning out onto racks.

Notes: Batter may be baked in prepared muffin tins for 20 minutes or until done. It can also be baked in 1 8 inch square baking pan for about 40 minutes.

I did not sift the cake flour before sifting it with the other dry ingredients.

I have a tin of powdered buttermilk which I keep in my refrigerator once opened. It keeps for a very long time allowing you to always have buttermilk on hand.

Majestic and Moist New Year's Honey Cake

Most people dutifully eat honey cake on special holidays because it is traditional. But often the cake is dry and tasteless. If you like the idea of honey cake more than the reality, this recipe will change your mind forever. It is moist and filled with spicy flavor reminiscent of the Caribbean. Using oil instead of butter makes the batter come together quickly and it keeps for days. You will love this cake. The recipe appeared in A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking by Marcy Goldman.

3 1/2 cups flour

1 tbl. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

4 tsps. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. ground allspice

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup honey

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup warm coffee or strong tea

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup rye or whiskey (see Notes)

1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 10 inch tube or bundt pan (see Notes) and line the bottom with lightly greased parchment paper.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Make a well in the center and add the vegetable oil, honey, sugars, eggs, vanilla, coffee or tea, orange juice and rye or whiskey. Using a strong wire whisk or electric mixer on a slow speed, combine the ingredients well to make a thick batter, making sure that no ingredients are stuck to the bottom of the bowl.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the top of the cake evenly with the almonds. Place the cake pan on two baking sheets stacked together and bake until the cake springs back when you touch it gently in the center (about 60 to 70 minutes). This is a liquidy batter and, depending on your oven, it may need extra time. Cake should spring back when gently pressed.

Let the cake stand for 15 minutes before removing it from the pan. Then invert it on a wire rack to let it cool completely.

Yield: 8 to 10 slices.

Notes: Ms. Goldman likes to use a 9 inch angel food pan. Instructions are the same as for the tube or bundt pan. You can also use a lightly greased 9 by 13 inch sheet pan or three lightly greased 8 by 4 1/2 inch loaf pans. Baking time for sheet cake is 40 to 45 minutes and for loaf cakes 45 to 55 minutes.

I used Grand Marnier instead of the rye or whiskey. If you prefer not to use any alcohol, orange juice or coffee can be substituted.

Teddie's Apple Cake

One person can pick a whole big pile of apples in no time at all. Every year I am amazed at the number of apples getting weighed as I leave Samascott's Orchards in Kinderhook N.Y. Friends and relatives are important here but even they may reach their apple limit. Why not bake a down home apple cake with a few apples from your pile? Teddie's Apple Cake immediately comes to mind. The recipe was first published in the N.Y. Times in 1973. I have been making it ever since. The Times reprinted it a few years ago but I still have my yellow, crumbling original.

Butter for greasing pan

3 cups flour, plus more for dusting pan

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp/ baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla

3 cups peeled, cored and thickly slices tart apples, like Honeycrisp or Granny Smith

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup raisins

Vanilla ice cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch tube pan. Beat the oil and sugar together in a mixer (fitted with a paddle attachment) while assembling the remaining ingredients. After about 5 minutes, add the eggs and beat until the mixture is creamy.

Sift together 3 cups of flour, the salt, cinnamon and baking soda. Stir into the batter. Add the vanilla, apples, walnuts and raisins and stir until combined. The batter will be very thick and unwieldy. Just keep at it until the fruits and nuts are incorporated.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in the pan before turning out. Serve at room temperature with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Serves 8

Notes: I have always mixed this cake by hand and it comes out fine. It also freezes well, wrapped securely in plastic wrap and then placed in a heavy plastic freezer bag.

Rhubarb Strawberry Pudding Cake

I am a lover of rhubarb, especially in combination with strawberries. Last week I had them both on hand and thought about making a strawberry rhubarb compote. But I've done that many times and decided to find a new way of preparing these specially springtime ingredients. Epicurious.com had a recipe for this pudding cake. It didn't sound very inspiring but I had all the ingredients and always wanted to try making a pudding cake. The results were way better than what I was expecting. Henry and I both loved this either warm from the oven or cold from the refrigerator. No one will believe how simple the pudding cake is to prepare.

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch

1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar

2 cups chopped fresh rhubarb stalks (10 ounces)

1 cup chopped fresh strawberries (5 ounces)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 large egg

1/2 cup whole milk

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter an 8 inch square glass or ceramic baking dish.

Stir together water, cornstarch, and 1/3 cup sugar in a small saucepan, then stir in rhubarb. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, then simmer, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in strawberries.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl.

Whisk together egg, milk, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl, then whisk in flour mixture until just combined.

Reserve 1/2 cup fruit mixture, then add remainder to baking dish and pour batter over it, spreading evenly. Drizzle reserved 1/2 cup fruit mixture over batter. Bake until a wooden pick inserted into center of cake portion comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 6 to 8

Notes: I used 1 % milk instead of whole milk and substituted safflower oil for the butter. It still tasted delicious. I baked the pudding cake in a metal pan.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Paula and I met in the 3rd grade. We have been friends now for over 50 years. When Paula discovered that she cannot eat any food containing gluten it shook up her life. Imagine living without pizzas, pasta, toasted bagels, cakes, muffins- you get the picture. At some point a lightbulb went on in my head- how about flourless chocolate cake? It would be perfect for my chocoholic friend. The Gourmet Cookbook had a recipe. I tried it and hit the jackpot. Whenever I see Paula, a flourless chocolate cake accompanies me. Incidentally, this is also a wonderful dessert for Passover- one of the few that actually tastes great. Another plus, it is easy to put together even if you are a novice baker. Give this one a try.

8 ounces good bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped

2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

6 large eggs

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus additional for dusting

Put a rack in the middle of an oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 10 inch springform pan, line bottom of pan with a round of parchment or wax paper, and butter paper.

Melt chocolate with butter in a medium metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove bowl from heat and whisk in sugar. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Sift cocoa powder over chocolate and whisk until just combined.

Pour batter into pan. Bake until top has formed a thin crust and a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with moist crumbs adhering, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove side of pan. Invert cake onto a plate and reinvert onto rack to cool completely.

Dust cake with cocoa powder before serving.

Serves 10-12

Notes: The cake can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature

I usually use chocolate chips, which means I do not have to chop the chocolate

I never dust with the cocoa powder before serving- always forget about that step

Poor Ole Plain Jane Poundcake

Penny has been making this lemony pound cake for many years. If she brings it to a party it does look a little wallflowery next to flashy desserts like chocolate mousse cake or cheesecake topped with giant strawberries. But sometimes you have to look beyond the glitz to find the real thing. Poor Ole Plain Jane Poundcake never disappoints. It's the kind of dessert that your grandmother would have baked if she was that kind of grandma. Penny's comments are in the Notes below.

This is the first of Penny's wonderful recipes. Ricka Cooks will be featuring many more.

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus additional for greasing pan

2 cups flour, plus additional for pan

1 1/4 cups sugar

4 tsps. grated lemon zest (about 3 lemons)

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

3/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup confectioner' sugar

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9 by 5 by 3 inch loaf pan. Using an electric mixer, in a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light. Add the lemon zest, then the eggs, one at a time, mixing until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla.

In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the sour cream, mixing just to combine. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake's center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Place on a rack.

Put the confectioners' sugar in a bowl and gradually whisk in the lemon juice. Brush some of the mixture over the top of the cake, which is still in the pan. Let stand for 10 minutes. Turn the cake out of the pan and brush the cake top, sides and bottom well with the lemon mixture. Repeat after 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

Serves 8

Notes: Penny writes that "the confectioners' sugar helps the appearance" and "raspberry ice cream is good with it- but I prefer it PLAIN!"

The cake freezes very well.