Fresh Blueberry Teacakes

These little teacakes are just right to serve with cold lemonade on a hot summer day.   They are not as thick as muffins and make a nice afternoon snack.

BLUEBERRY TEA CAKES

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (Canola)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2-3 tsp. granulated sugar for sprinkling tops

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Lightly oil or line a 12-cup cupcake tin

Note:  There is no milk in this recipe

In large mixing bowl whisk together the oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla.

Place blueberries in a bowl.  Measure the flour and from this, take two tablespoons of flour to mix with blueberries.

In medium bowl mix remaining flour, baking powder and salt.  Add to oil mixture, stirring just enough to blend.  Stir in the blueberries gently.

Spoon mixture into greased or lined muffin tins.  The mixture will be thick. Sprinkle the tops with sugar.

Bake @ 350 degrees for approximately 25 minutes.  Let pan cool on rack for 3-4 minutes, then remove cakes to rack to cool.

Yield:  12 teacakes

Light Pineapple Cheesecake

On the Sunday after Thanksgiving, we have our traditional leftover dish – Turkey Tetrazzini.  I was looking for a dessert that would be completely different from the rich food we have been eating since Thursday.  I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and it fit the bill perfectly.  It is light-tasting and light in calories – 207 calories based on 9 servings.

LIGHT PINEAPPLE CHEESECAKE

Crust:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 Tblsp. granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, cut into small cubes

Filling:

• 8 oz. can crushed pineapple
• 8 oz. package low-fat cream cheese, softened
• 3 Tblsp. granulated sugar
• 1 Tblsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Ground cinnamon for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

To make the crust:

In an ungreased 8-inch baking pan, combine the flour, sugar and salt.  Rub  in the butter with your fingertips until mixture is crumbly.

Press the mixture onto the bottom of the 8-inch pan.

Bake @ 325 degrees F for 12 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.

To make the filling:

Drain the pineapple, pressing down to remove as much juice as possible, reserving the juice (there should be about 1/2 cup of juice); set pineapple and juice aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and flour.  Add the egg and mix until smooth.  Add the pineapple juice.  Gradually add the milk and vanilla.

Sprinkle the drained pineapple over the baked crust.

Slowly pour the filling over the pineapple.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Bake @ 325 degrees F for one hour or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack to room temperature.

Cake is good served at room temperature or chilled.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Yield:  9 servings

Concord Grape Upside-down Cake

I have a large collection of vintage cookbooks and enjoy just leafing through one now and then – looking at the old pictures and glancing at recipes as I go.  Occasionally,  a recipe will jump out at me and that was the case with one in a 1942 Better Homes & Gardens Cook Book.  This wasn’t one of the recipes published in the book, but rather one that had been chosen by the magazine from readers’ entries.  It was from a lady in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1948.  I love Concord grapes but have only made pie or jam with them.  Here was a chance to use some in a cake and I was eager to try.

I knew from previous experience that it takes a little time to prepare the grapes, but only one pound isn’t  that much to work with.  Removing the skins is simple – just make a little tear in the skin near the stem end and press the pulp out.

Having a food mill is a real time saver, but it’s also possible to put the cooked pulp through any kind of sieve or strainer.  The flavor of the grapes makes it all worthwhile.

This is my adaptation of a great old recipe.

CONCORD GRAPE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Grape Topping:

• 1 lb. Concord grapes
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tblsp. granulated sugar

Cake Batter:

• 1 cup plus 2 Tblsp. cake flour
• 1-1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tblsp. granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla

To make the grape topping:

Separate the grape skins from the pulp and set the skins aside.  Place the pulp in a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the pulp to a boil.  Then lower the heat and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pulp is soft and juicy.

Sieve or run through a food mill to remove seeds.

Return the pulp to the saucepan and add the skins.  Stir in 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar.  Cook until the skins are tender, about 15 minutes.

There should be approximately 1 cup of pulp.

At this point the pulp can be used to make the cake, can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or can be frozen and then thawed for later baking.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease an 8×8 inch baking pan.

To make the cake batter:

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, place the flour, baking powder, salt, and 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar.  Mix well, then add the shortening, milk, egg and vanilla.  Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Pour into a well-greased 8×8 baking pan.  Spread the grape pulp mixture over the top of the batter – it will start to sink.

Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 45 minutes until top is golden brown.

Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes,

then invert onto a large plate.  Scrape any topping left in the bottom of the pan and spread over the top of the cake.

Serve warm and add whipped cream or topping if desired.

This is a very good cake and not as rich and sweet as most upside-down cakes.

Servings:  6 to 8

Banana Mocha Snack Cake

Over 20 years ago, I copied the recipe for this cake from a 1986 Dole Banana flyer.  Today, I just got around to making it with a few of my own touches.  This is a very good, not too-rich, satisfying snack cake with a strong coffee flavor.  It’s an easy cake to mix – everything is put together in a baking dish.

BANANA MOCHA SNACK CAKE

• 2 ripe bananas (1 cup mashed)
• 1 tsp. instant espresso coffee powder
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 3 Tblsp. cocoa
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 Tblsp. white vinegar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a small bowl, blend mashed banana and instant espresso coffee powder.

In an ungreased 9″ baking pan, combine flour, sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, baking soda and salt.  Blend well with a fork.  Make a well in the center.

In a cup or shaker, mix together the egg, oil, vinegar and vanilla extract.  Pour this into the well in the dry ingredients and stir with a fork until well blended.

Smooth out the batter in the baking pan and bake @ 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

When completely cool, frost the top with Mocha Cream Cheese Frosting:

MOCHA CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• 3 Tblsp. butter, softened
• 2 Tblsp. cream cheese, softened
• 1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tsp. instant espresso coffee powder
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup toasted almond slivers

Beat the butter and cream cheese together, add confectioners’ sugar, instant espresso coffee powder and vanilla extract.  Beat until well blended.  Frost top of cooled cake.

Sprinkle with toasted almond slivers.

This would be a nice cake to take on a picnic or to a barbecue – or just enjoy at the kitchen table with a big glass of ice cold milk.

Favorite Banana Cake

I found the recipe for this cake  in a magazine in 1986 and the cake became a family favorite.   I have a note in my recipe binder, “Excellent.  Won Blue Ribbon at Hamilton County Fair (Cincinnati).  Took to work and Matt (my boss) said it was an ‘exceptionally good cake’ – about the best anyone could get from him.”

FAVORITE BANANA CAKE

• 1 cup plus 2 Tblsp. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup shortening (Crisco)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. banana extract (actually, banana flavoring)
• 1/2 cup buttermilk*
• 1/2 cup mashed banana

*A substitute for buttermilk:  Place 1 Tblsp. of white vinegar in a liquid measuring cup.  Fill with milk to the 1/2 cup line.  Allow to stand for 5 minutes before using.

Grease and flour an 8″ cake pan.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

In a small bowl combine mashed banana and milk.  Set aside.

In large bowl of mixer, cream shortening and sugar.  Add the egg and beat in the vanilla and banana extracts.

Add the dry ingredients alternately with the banana mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients – beat well after each addition.

Pour into prepared pan and bake @ 350 degrees  F for 30-35 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Frost with Banana Cream Cheese Frosting:

BANANA CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• 3 oz. cream cheese
• 3 oz. butter
• Approx. 2 cups  confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 tsp. banana extract (flavoring)

In mixer bowl cream butter and cream cheese.  Add extract and then add confectioners’ sugar a small amount at a time, beating until smooth and of spreading consistency.

Yield:  6 pieces of delicious cake.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Upside-Down-Cake

For 20 years, we lived in the country where my husband grew all kinds of fruits and vegetables.  One of my favorites was rhubarb, so when we relocated to a smaller house and yard almost 7 years ago, I planted some rhubarb and have some to use throughout the summer – plenty for one person.  But in 1989 when we had a lot of home-grown everything, I tried some different ways of using rhubarb and won a ribbon for this cake at the Ohio State Fair.

STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

• 6 Tlbsp. butter
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1-3/4 cup sliced rhubarb
• 3/4 cup sliced strawberries
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2-1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup shortening (Crisco)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 2/3 cup milk
• Whipped cream and fresh strawberries for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt butter in a 9″ skillet.  I like to use a 50+ year-old cast iron skillet for this.

Stir in brown sugar.

Lightly mix together the rhubarb and strawberries.

Arrange the rhubarb and strawberries over the top of the butter/brown sugar mixture.  Note:  Don’t do as I did once and try to increase the amount of fresh strawberries – it makes the topping too juicy.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

In large bowl of electric mixer, cream shortening, sugar and egg.  Add dry ingredients and milk alternately, starting and ending with dry ingredients, beating after each addition.  Add vanilla and blend.  Spread batter over the fruit.

Bake for 35-45 minutes until top of cake is golden brown and cake tests done when a toothpick is inserted in the center.  Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then invert onto large serving plate.  If some of the fruit sticks to the pan, just scrape it out while it is still warm and add to the top of the cake.

Let cake cool to room temperature and serve with some whipped cream and a couple of fresh strawberries.

This makes a really nice summertime dessert.

One Serving Pineapple Upside-down Cakes

I was first introduced to pineapple upside-down cake by my mother-in-law 55 years ago.  I liked her cake which was made with crushed pineapple but thought it was a little bland.  I was looking for something gooey, buttery and rich and found a recipe in a magazine that seemed to be about right.  The first cakes I made back in the 1950s were baked in a skillet or large pan and often included maraschino cherries in the center of the pineapple slices.  Later, my youngest daughter Shannon and my husband battled over who got the sticky, sweet edges so I started making individual cakes with plenty of edges for each person.  Here is the current version.

One Serving Pineapple Upside-down Cakes

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place butter, baking powder, vanilla, sugar, flour and salt in mixer bowl.  Beat for 1 minute on medium speed.  Add milk and egg, beat for another minute on medium speed.

For pineapple topping:

Drain one 15 oz. can of sliced pineapple.  In each of 8 miniature loaf pans (5x2x1-1/2″ deep), place one tablespoon of butter and one tablespoon of dark brown sugar.  Place pans in oven for a few minutes until butter melts and stir the sugar around to dissolve it.  Cut pineapple slice in half and place the two halves on top of the sugar/butter mixture.

Pour the cake batter over the pineapple, place the 8 loaf pans on a large cookie sheet and bake for approximately 20 minutes @ 350 degrees.  When you take the pans from the oven, immediately flip them over onto a large tray or individual plates and let cool a few minutes before removing the pans.

Makes 8 delicious little cakes.