Streusel Coffeecake

Streusel Coffeecake

1 cup softened butter

1 1/2  cups white sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups flour

1  tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp salt

2/3  cup yogurt

2/3  cup sour cream

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Beat the sugar and butter together until smooth, then beat in the yogurt, sour cream, oil and vanilla. Mix the dry ingredients together and then stir into the wet mixture. Spoon about 2/3 of the batter into a greased 9X13 inch cake pan. Sprinkle your choice of fillings as below, then dot the remaining batter on top of the filling. Finally, evenly sprinkle the streusel topping over everything. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour, until nicely browned and a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before cutting.

Streusel: ½ stick soft or melted butter, 1 ½ cups sugar, 1 cup flour. Mix together with fork or your hand, until it makes clumps. Sprinkle the clumps over the everything.

Fillings:

Sprinkle heavily with brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans.

Or: Sprinkle heavily with some sort of berry or cherry, fresh or frozen. If you use cherries, add a small amount of almond extract to the batter, in addition to the vanilla.

Or: Rhubarb, chop fresh or frozen rhubarb, sprinkle lightly with a couple tablespoons of sugar, then put over the batter.

This is especially good with fresh or frozen gooseberries.

Browned Butter Peach Bars

 I love peaches and grew up eating lots of peaches.  We lived not too far from Campbell, MO, which grows some the absolute best peaches you ever tasted.   During peach season we would make the trek over there and buy 3-4 bushels of over ripes.   I think the variety was Elbertas.   They were big, dead ripe, juicy freestones.   They would be canned (my dad loved home canned peaches), frozen and Grandma Casey still dried some.   And there would be lots of home made peach cobblers too.    So we all grew up eating and loving peaches in any form.   We all still do.   In the past couple of years I have rekindled a love affair with dried peaches.  I love to simmer until tender, using water and a couple tbsp. of cider vinegar.   Then mash with a potato masher, as some cinnamon, not too much, just enough for a bit of fragrance, some brown sugar and some white sugar, tasting so they aren't too sweet.   Then allow to simmer uncovered until thickened.   It is a good substitute for peach butter on toast, used as a pie or cobbler filling or in this case, used in peach bars. 

I have a liking for peach bars, but too many of them are most just sweet than having any real peach flavor.  The shortbread also tends to be a bit bland and boring.   I decided I wanted some thing that was neither bland nor boring.   Also having a good peach flavor.   I decided to try using my cooked dried peaches for the filling and they were perfect, peachy, but not too sweet.   For the shortbread, I decided to kick things up a bit using browned butter, a bit of almond extract and some almond flour.  It was a hit!   If you don't have almond flour or choose not to use it, just use an extra cup of all purpose flour.  

Crust:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup browned butter, cooled
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract

Crumb topping:
1/2 cup browned buttter
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup almond flour (or another 1/2 cup of all purpose)
1 1/2 cup sugar

 2 cups of cooked dried peaches as above, or a can of peach pie filling or a jar of peach jam

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 inch cake pan.    Make the crust by mixing all of the crust ingredients until well blended and no lumps.  Press evenly over the bottom of the cake pan and about half way up the sides.   Spread the peaches evenly over the crust.   Mix together all the crumb topping ingredients until they are crumbly.   Sprinkle the crumbs evenly over the top of the peaches, then bake at 350 degrees about 40 minutes, until the bottom and the crumb topping are both golden brown.    Cook completely before cutting into serving sized pieces.    

No reason you can't use other types of fruits for the topping.   They just need to be cooked and not too runny or two sweet.    You could also add some chopped nuts to the  crumb topping as well. 

Bea Drury's Gooey Butter Cake

Gooey Butter Cakes are a St. Louis specialty.   Some times the cake part is made from scratch, but many recipes call for a box of cake mix.   This was the recipe given to my mom by our long time neighbor, Bea Drury.   Bea is also the one who gave my mom the best banana bread recipe that I have ever tasted.  It is on the blog as well.  

1 box yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1 8-oz package of cream cheese, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Mix the cake mix, melted butter and 2 of the eggs, then pat into the bottom of a heavily buttered 9x13 inch cake cake pan.   Then beat the powdered sugar, 2 eggs and cream cheese until well blended.   Spread over the cake mix mixture and bake for 30-40 minutes.   Cake will be set in the center and golden brown.  Let cool completely before cutting.   If you wish to gild the lily you may sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar, but it doesn't really need it.  

Cherry Almond Cake

A friend at work gave me a bag of almond flour and I've  been trying to find ways of using it.  This is a recipe I found online, but have adapted to make a very moist and delicious cake, with a pleasant almond flavor.   Stone fruits of all kinds are the perfect match for anything with almonds, so this cake has some dried cherries for flavor as well as a pretty touch of red.   Enjoy!

1/2 cup of softened butter
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
about 1/2 cup dried cherries (no reason why diced dried apricots or peaches wouldn't work too)

Butter and flour or spray with baking spray a 8x8 inch cake pan.  Preheat over to 325 degrees.   Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs and extracts.   If batter looks curdled that is ok.   Mix together the flours, salt and baking powder and gently mix until just barely incorporated, do not over mix.   Spread in the bottom of the prepared pan and then dot the fruit over the top of the batter, use more or less according to your tastes.   Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean.   Cool completely before cutting.  If you wish, you can dust the top of the cake with some powdered sugar or make a very light butter cream frosting and spread over the top of the cooled cake.  

This recipe can also be doubled and baked in a 9x13 inch cake pan, baking time will probably take about 15 minutes longer or even more, so be sure to test with the toothpick before removing from the oven. 

Rhubarb Dump Cake

Rhubarb Dump Cake

1 pound rhubarb, cut into ¼ inch pieces (between 3 and 4 cups)
1 cup white sugar
1 (3 ounce package) strawberry jell-o
1 package yellow cake mix
1 cup water
¼ cup butter, melted
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Spread the rhubarb evenly in the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle the sugar over the rhubarb, followed by the jell-o, and finally the cake mix. Pour the water and melted butter over the top. Do not stir. Bake for 45 minutes or until the rhubarb is tender

Cinnamon Flop Cake

As I've said before, my mom was an awesome cook.   She liked trying new things and was always getting recipes from friends or family.   This recipe is one that someone gave her at some point and it became a favorite of mine.   I make it often for work and have given the recipe away many times.   My friends all like it because it is so quick and easy to make.   You can have it made, baked and ready to eat in less than 30 minutes.   Enjoy!

1 1/2 cup white sugar
6 tbsp. butter
1 egg
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup brown sugar
cinnamon

Cream 2 tbsp. of the butter with the white sugar, then beat in the egg, milk and vanilla.   Mix in the flour, baking powder and salt.  Blend until smooth, then spread in the bottom of a greased 9X13 inch cake pan.   Evenly spread the brown sugar on top of the cake batter, sprinkle heavily with cinnamon, then dot with tiny pieces of the remaining butter.   Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean.   Remove from oven and drizzle with a glaze made of mixing powdered sugar with milk and a drop or two of vanilla.