Blueberry Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Being newlyweds has its perks. The biggest one for Mike and I is seeing each other more than a weekend or two a month and not having to drive the dreaded few hours to do so.

Another perk is using all the fun, new kitchen gadgets and serveware we received as gifts. I recently took inventory and realized there were a bunch of things we haven’t broken in yet.

This recipe came from my desire to put two of those items to use: a ring mold (bundt pan) and a cake stand. Plus blueberries are abundant at the local farmers market now. I’d call that a win-win situation.

This cake is good… I mean really good: spongy and moist in texture – think melt in your mouth, no crumbs on the plate; rich in flavor, reminiscent of a sugar cookie; with bursts of juicy blueberries both in the cake and on top; and decadent cream cheese frosting.

The cake and the frosting have just the right amount of sweetness. In fact, this might be my go-to cream cheese frosting recipe from now on. It was that good.

Adapted slightly from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook

Makes 12-16 Servings

Ingredients

The set-up: Original recipe (*My Adjustments with notes to follow)

For the cake:

• 3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1¾ cups sugar
• 6 eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup sour cream (*light sour cream)
• 1 pint fresh blueberries (washed and dried), plus extra to decorate (*2 1/3 cups blueberries)
• Confectioners’ sugar to decorate

For the cream cheese frosting:

• 4 2/3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted (*4 cups)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• One 8 ounce package cream cheese, cold (*light cream cheese)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (*vanilla bean paste)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a 10-inch ring mold* and dust with flour. Tip: Use the leftover grease from the butter wrappers. *See below note about the size of ring mold.

Put the butter and sugar in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk). Cream until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well and scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula after each addition.

Beat in the vanilla extract, flour, and baking powder until the flour is just incorporated. Add the sour cream and mix well until all ingredients are combined and the mixture is light and fluffy. Do not overmix.

Gently stir in the blueberries by hand until evenly dispersed.

Pour the batter into the prepared ring mold and smooth over with a palette knife making sure all sides are even (I used the back of the spatula).

Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown and the cake bounces back when touched or skewer comes out clean  (I baked for 45 mins.).

Let the cake cool slightly in the mold before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely (I ran a knife around the edges to make removing easier).

When the cake has cooled completely, put it on a serving plate. Cover the top and sides with the cream cheese frosting and decorate with blueberries. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.

For the cream cheese frosting:

1. Beat the confectioners’ sugar and butter together in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) on medium-low speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed (about 3-4 minutes; it will still be powdery).
2. Add the cream cheese and vanilla extract/vanilla bean paste. Beat until completely incorporated. Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Keep an eye on it and do not overbeat, as it can quickly become runny. Leave at room temp until time to frost the cake.

Lofty Bites’ Notes

Ring mold size: Since I used a 9.3 inch ring mold (smaller than the recipe called for), I didn’t want the cake to overflow so I filled the mold ¾ full and made 8 cupcakes with the remaining batter. The cake puffed up nicely and if there was any more batter it would have overflowed.

Extra Batter Cupcakes: I waited until the cake came out of oven before putting in the cupcakes. I baked the cupcakes for 18 mins. at 325°F, until the tops were golden brown. Cool the same way as the cake.

New meaning of light & fluffy: I usually beat butter and sugar for about 2-3 minutes and consider that “light and fluffy.” Trust me – those extra few minutes really make a visible difference in the consistency of the batter. Lesson learned: Be patient and wait those 5 minutes!

Variations: You could make the cake with or without the frosting (but why would you!). Add ½ to 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel to make lemon cream cheese frosting. I added an extra 1/3 cup of berries and you could probably add even more.

Secret weapon: I love using vanilla bean paste in place of vanilla extract. It gives a more intense flavor to any baked good, and there’s something so authentic about seeing the dark flecks in the finished dessert. I get my vanilla bean paste at Williams-Sonoma, but you could probably find it at any specialty food shop.

Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa & Cilantro-Lime Cream Sauce

What to do with a 45 pound striped bass:

We grilled it, baked it, fried it, and made it into fish cakes. But my favorite thing we made was… fish tacos.

Some of you may cringe, like my mom, when you hear fish tacos. My mom has never tried one because she thinks it sounds unappetizing and just plain weird.

I’m betting a bunch of you are fans like me, but for those still on the fence, I’m hoping this recipe will change your mind (and my mom’s!).

The combination of the fresh fish with the juicy mango salsa, creamy cilantro lime sauce, and crunchy cabbage offers a flavorful break from the traditional taco.

This is a four component meal: three for the tacos (mango salsa, cream sauce, and breaded fish) and one for the side – avocado, corn & tomato salad.

It may seem like a lot of steps, but each step is simple and it’s mostly just prepping the veggies. You can do the salsa, cream sauce, and salad ahead of time.

The avocado, corn & tomato salad is something I’ve been throwing together for awhile. It’s one of my all-time favorite summer dishes. It accompanies the tacos nicely and it’s great as a healthy snack on its own or with tortilla chips.

Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa & Cilantro-Lime Cream Sauce

Adapted from Love & Olive Oil (recipe originally from Culinate)

Makes 4-6 servings (with additional salsa for chips)

Ingredients

For Fish Tacos:

• 1-1½ pounds of white flaky fish (tilapia, halibut, cod, mahi mahi, or sole; *I used striped bass)
• Salt and pepper
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour or instant flour (like Wondra)
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• 4+ tablespoons vegetable or olive oil, divided
• 1 package of tortillas
• 1 package shredded cabbage or lettuce

For Mango Salsa:

• 5 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 bell pepper (any color), chopped
• 2 ripe mangoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped (Tip: soak chopped onion in an ice bath for 10 minutes, drain and pat dry)
• ½ bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Juice and rind of ½ lime
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: 1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded and diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced

For Cilantro-Lime Cream Sauce:

• ½ cup light mayonnaise
• ½ cup light sour cream or low-fat plain yogurt
• ¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped
• Juice and rind of ½ lime
• Optional: Salt to taste

For Avocado, Corn & Tomato Salad:

Recipe from Lofty Bites (Inspired by Food Network)

• 3 ears corn, cooked, cooled and kernels removed
• 1 ripe avocado, cubed
• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved (I like a variety mix of different colors)
• Fresh lime juice to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste

 Directions

1. In a medium to large bowl, prepare mango salsa by combining Roma tomatoes, bell pepper, mangoes, red onion, and cilantro (jalapeno and garlic optional). Then add the chili powder, olive oil, lemon juice, and juice and rind of ½ lime. Mix well. Salt and pepper to taste. Chill in fridge until ready to serve.
2. In a small bowl, prepare cream sauce by combining all ingredients (mayo, sour cream and/or yogurt, cilantro, and juice and rind of ½ lime). Salt to taste. Chill in fridge until ready to serve.
3. Prepare avocado, corn & tomato salad by combining all ingredients  in a medium bow. Squeeze in fresh lime juice to taste. Salt and pepper to taste. Chill in fridge until ready to serve.
4. Rinse fish and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper. Cut into bite size pieces, about 1 inch cubes. Combine flour with cumin, garlic powder, and paprika. In a bowl, toss fish pieces with seasoned flour. In a pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil (or 2 turns of the pan). Make sure oil is sizzling before adding fish (test with drop of water).
5. Add half the breaded fish pieces and cook about 4-5 minutes each side until the fish is lightly browned and cooked through. Tip: Turn the fish when the flour on the face side up has dissipated. After turning, add more oil (as needed) to prevent the fish from burning. Remove fish from heat and cool on paper towel-lined plate to absorb extra oil. Repeat process with second batch of fish.
6. Warm tortillas in microwave for 10 seconds. Assemble tacos by spreading cilantro-lime cream on tortilla, add fish, and layer with shredded cabbage and mango salsa. Serve with avocado, corn & tomato salad.

Lofty Bites’ Notes

Tips:

• The ice bath for the red onion takes out some of the bite of the raw onion, preventing it from overpowering the other flavors. It’s a great trick I use often.
• If the mangoes aren’t ripe or sweet enough, sprinkle them with some sugar and marinate the salsa in the fridge longer.
• For the cream sauce, you can use any combination of mayo, sour cream and/or yogurt to equal 1 cup.
• You only need one bunch of cilantro to split between the salsa and cream sauce; only one lime is needed between the salsa, cream sauce, and salad.
• To save time, use the raw corn kernels (rather than cooking the ears of corn) for the avocado, corn & tomato salad.

Fish preparation: Instead of breading, you could bake or grill the fish. I prefer the light breading with the striped bass.

Leftovers: Use the extra cilantro-lime cream and mango salsa for chips. Combine remaining cabbage and cream sauce for an easy slaw.

Heart of Darkness Brownies

It seemed fitting to kick off this blog with a recipe from the first cookbook my husband ever gave me – Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey: Desserts for the Serious Sweet Tooth.

His inscription in the book (I can’t wait to see all the great things you whip up!) inspired me to immediately try out a recipe for risotto rice pudding. While it tasted amazing, the texture and overall appearance of the final product left much to be desired. I haven’t tried another recipe from the book since… maybe due to an underlying feeling that the recipes were a bit out of my league.

Well, no more excuses. These desserts are too mouth-watering not to give it another go. This time around I attempted the sinful Heart of Darkness Brownies.

Per usual, I adjusted the recipe to make the treats slightly less hurtful to the waistline. I reduced the amount of butter, sugar, and candy bits, used some whole wheat pastry flour, and replaced the heavy cream with light cream.

The brownies were so rich and satisfying that I didn’t even notice the “healthful” adjustments. These bad boys are the real deal; the epitome of Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey.

The deep chocolately aroma of the batter and baked brownies smelled truly heavenly. My husband and his friend were so grateful for the treats that they washed all the dishes. Now that’s a good brownie!

Adapted from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O’Connor

Makes 24 brownie cups (my batch yielded 30 cups)

Ingredients

The set-up: Original recipe (*My Adjustments)
 

• 1½ cups or 3 sticks unsalted butter (*2 ½ sticks)
• 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 2¼ cups granulated sugar (*2 cups sugar)
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 6 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour (*1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped almonds or pecans, toasted – see directions below
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 5 full-size (2.07 ounces each) Snickers candy bars, cut into small chunks (*10 fun-size Snickers Almond bars)
• 3 cups mini marshmallows for topping

For the Caramel Drizzle Sauce:

• 6 ounces or about 25 caramel candies (*15 caramel creams)
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream (*4 tablespoons light cream)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt (1/16 teaspoon)

Directions

*If you are toasting the nuts: On an ungreased baking sheet, toast the nuts at 350°F for about 6 minutes or until lightly browned. To prevent burning, move the nuts around a few times while baking. Remove nuts from oven and lay out flat on paper towel or plate to cool.

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 12-cup muffin tins.
2. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and unsweetened chocolate. Stir frequently until smooth. When the chocolate has melted completely and the mixture is well combined, remove from heat.
3. Transfer melted chocolate to a large mixing bowl. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, lightly beaten eggs, and vanilla extract. Stir until well mixed.
4. Add sifted flour and salt to the chocolate mixture. Stir just until all ingredients are combined.
5. Stir in toasted nuts, chocolate chips, and candy bar pieces. Batter will be thick and gooey (and smell amazing!).
6. Spoon batter into greased muffin tins, filling half to ¾ full. Bake for about 18-20 minutes until brownies have a slightly cracked top.
7. Remove from oven and press marshmallows into the top of each brownie (about ¼ cup each or a small handful). Bake again for about 2-4 minutes until marshmallows are slightly browned.
8. Let the brownies cool in the tin on top of a wire rack for about 5 minutes or until tin is cool enough to handle. Remove the brownies from the tin using a knife around the edges, careful not to puncture the brownies (which may cause the brownie to crumble). Cool completely on a wire rack or parchment paper.
9. Drizzle caramel sauce onto brownies – see directions below.
10. Cool at room temp (not in the fridge). Store in covered container for up to 3 days.

Caramel Drizzle Sauce

Tip: Wait until all the brownies are cooling on the wire rack 
before making the caramel sauce. Otherwise the sauce may get 
too thick if it sits long.

1. Lightly coat a microwave-safe bowl with non-fat cooking spray.
2. Add caramels, cream, vanilla extract and salt. Mix.
3. Microwave on high for about 1 minute, uncovered. Stir caramel mixture.
4. Microwave again for 30 seconds. Stir until caramel is smooth. (Repeat until desired consistency is reached.)
5. Drizzle caramel sauce over brownies.

Lofty Bites’ Notes

Thoughts on my “healthful” adjustments: When making these brownies again, I would use the full amount of butter (3 sticks) to prevent crumbling. I think the amount of sugar can be reduced even further to 1½ or 1¾ cups and the amount of chocolate chips could be cut back without sacrificing taste. The combination of flours worked well, but whole wheat pastry flour could be used for the entire 1½ cups if desired.

Toasting the nuts is optional, but it definitely brings a more intense, nutty flavor to the brownie. I recommend it since the process is quick and well worth the effort. Obviously you could swap in your favorite type of nuts and the same goes for the candy bar.

I used caramel creams for the caramel sauce because the store ran out of regular caramel candies. The sauce was still yummy, but I would recommend regular caramel candies or even making caramel sauce from scratch. If you are in a pinch, store-bought caramel sauce would also do the trick.

My final and most important note of all – DO NOT … I repeat … DO NOT use dark coated muffin tins. Use ones that are light silver with a good nonstick coating. I used three different tins: a dark coated tin (pictured left), a light silver nonstick tin from Crate & Barrel (pictured right), and a nonstick Calphalon tin. The latter two tins worked best.

As you can see, the dark coated tin resulted in a crumbly mess (albeit a delicious crumbly mess).

Yup. There was a flub on my first blog recipe. But that’s what I’m here for – to prevent this from happening to you! Plus, I promised to share my mishaps with you and a promise is a promise.

Let me leave you with another promise: I promise that if you have a serious sweet tooth like me, you’ll be hooked after just one bite of this fudgy, nutty, caramel brownie goodness.