Strawberry Rhubarb Oat Bars

I've been the lucky recipient of rhubarb from some friends' gardens, so here is a great recipe to put it to use. There's another great breakfast recipe coming with rhubarb, but I thought these would make a festive 4th of July dessert with the beautiful red filling. 

Side note, my nephew recently corrected me when I talked to him about "July 4th." He said "You say it FOURTH OF JULY." Alrighty then.

There are a number of things to love about these bars, taste of course being the primary one. But secondly, the crust and the topping is the same mixture - so it's easy and fast to make and also dirties only one dish for those elements.

Look at that beautiful fruit filling!

If you have rhubarb and strawberries, you likely have all the other pantry ingredients to make these bars, so do yourself and others a favor, and get them made. In time for the 4th of July. (There, I said it right.)

Strawberry Rhubarb Oat Bars

Crust and topping:
3 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
14 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, cold and cubed
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup milk 
1/3 cup old fashioned oats (not quick)

Filling:
2 1/2 cups chopped strawberries
2 1/2 cups sliced rhubarb
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. orange zest

For the crust and topping, whisk together the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl. Add the cubed butter and use a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingers, to cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (You can also do this step in a food processor; just pulse a few times til you get the coarse crumbs - don't just turn "on" or it won't be crumbly anymore!)

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, and vanilla. Pour over the flour mixture and use a spoon or your hands to combine. Set aside 2 cups of this mixture.

Press the remaining dough into a greased 9x13 pan. (If you really like parchment paper, you can make a parchment "liner" instead.) You will probably need to use your fingers to flatten it. 

For the filling, mix together the strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, cornstarch, and orange zest. Spread over the crust. Sprinkle the remaining 2 cups of flour mixture over the filling. Then sprinkle the oats on top and use a spatula to gently press the topping down.

Bake at 350 for 44-50 minutes until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick comes out mostly clean (it will have some fruit specks, likely). Allow the bars to cool on a wire rack, or place them in the fridge after an hour of cooling to cool them faster.

Cut into squares and serve!

These bars store best in the fridge, and can also be frozen for up to three months. I like to "warm" them up in the microwave or toaster oven if they've been cold, and then top with vanilla ice cream!

Recipe source: adapted from Sally's

Orange Almond Cake {GF& DF}

I love cakes that can be whipped up quickly but are deliciously impressive. This is one of those. And this one is also gluten AND dairy free, which is helpful when you have friends or families who have dietary restrictions. 

What I also appreciate is that this cake doesn't call for specialty ingredients - the only "unusual" thing is almond flour, which is not unusual at all anymore - you can even get it at Aldi! (That's my litmus test of a regular ingredient - can I get it at Aldi? HA!)

This is a wonderful light, spring or summer cake, which we really enjoyed with ice cream and fresh berries. (And the dairy free folks without the ice cream, wah!)

You will need your mixer for this, because the lightness of the cake comes from whipped egg whites. Of course, you could do it by hand if you have arms and shoulders of steel, but I do not. I'm grateful for stand mixers, because you can turn it on and just let it go for several minutes. But the rest of the cake you can just mix together by hand.

Enjoy this beautiful spring, and enjoy this cake!

Orange Almond Cake

4 eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
zest of one small orange
1/4 cup orange juice
1 1/2 cups almond flour
pinch salt
1/2 cup raw sliced almonds
powdered sugar for dusting

Using an electric stand mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. 

In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, zest and orange juice. Stir in the almond flour and salt. 

Once egg whites are stiff, add about 1/4 of the egg white mixture to the batter, and fold gently until combined. Gently fold in the rest of the egg whites, but do not over mix. 

Pour the batter into a greased 9" springform pan. (If you like, you can also line the bottom with parchment.) Top with the sliced almonds. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and the top springs back slightly when touched. 

Cool completely on a wire rack, then remove the sides of the pan. If you've used parchment, you could remove the cake from the bottom as well. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with fresh berries.

Banana Layer Cake

 

My husband chose this cake for his birthday this year, and since he normally says "whatever you want" when I ask what HE wants for his birthday dessert, I figured I better make exactly what he picked out! 

 

And I'm glad he did. This is banana bread on steroids - a delicious layer cake with cream cheese frosting. 

This is a nice change of pace from heavy chocolate cakes or the like - but is still completely substantial. 

The cream cheese frosting adds a delicious richness to the cake - when I make this again, I might be tempted to double the frosting! If you need an easy, delicious cake for the weekend, or for any celebration, and you love banana bread - this is the winner!

Banana Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cake:

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. banana extract, optional

3 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

3 medium ripe bananas, mashed

Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

½ cup butter, softened

3 tsp. milk or cream

1 tsp. banana extract (use vanilla if you don't have banana)

1½ cup powdered sugar

For the cake, in a large mixing bowl, beat sugar and butter until smooth and creamy. Add buttermilk and vanilla, and banana extract (if you have it). Mix until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition until combined.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add the dry mixture gradually, beating until combined. Fold in mashed bananas.

Pour into greased 8 or 9 inch round cake pans and bake at 350 on center rack of oven for 30-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (Time will vary based on your pan size.) Remove to wire rack to cool, then remove from pan.

For the frosting, mix together the cream cheese, butter, milk and extract until light and fluffy. Slowly add powdered sugar, a little at a time, mixing until smooth and creamy.

Generously frost bottom layer of cake, stopping at the edge. Place top layer on frosted bottom layer, then frost top layer generously, then frost the sides. (If you prefer, you can leave the sides "plain" and just frost the middle and top. Up to you!) Chill until frosting is firmed up before slicing.  Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Fresh Pear Cake with Cardamom Icing

Bundt cakes are so fun to make. They just look so impressive and are perfect for any kind of celebration. I especially love fruit-studded cakes, and this one is perfect for fall. 

This cake is so easy to throw together - you wouldn't even need to use a mixer. And pears have such thin skin that you don't even need to bother peeling them. You can have a show stopper of a cake in no time at all!

I think what really makes this cake special is the cardamom-laced icing. If you don't have cardamom on hand, don't worry - still make this! - but if you have some, it adds such a nice flavor depth to the "regular" powdered sugar icing.

I made this cake for a birthday celebration at work and it won rave reviews. Friends had given me a lot of pears from their trees, and this was the best use of them!

Pears bake up so beautifully, similar to apples, but have a slightly different flavor profile. They are wonderful to include in muffins, breads, cakes and tarts. Take advantage of the pears this fall and have some cake!

Fresh Pear Cake with Cardamom Icing

4 cups chopped pears
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
3 eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla 

Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
4 or 5 Tbsp. milk or half and half
1/2 teaspoon vanilla 
1/4 tsp. cardamom

In a large bowl, beat eggs on medium speed. Gradually add sugar and oil; beat thoroughly. Combine the flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda; add to egg mixture and mix well.

Stir in pears and vanilla. (The batter will be stiff.) Spoon into a greased and floured Bundt pan. Bake at 350° for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely. 

For the icing, in a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, vanilla, cardamom, and milk; beat until smooth. Add more sugar, or more milk, to get to a consistency you like. Drizzle over cake. Makes14-16 servings.

Recipe Source: Adapted from Sweet Southern Blue

Caramel Pear Upside Down Cake

We were recently the recipients of a large bag of pears from friends who have two pear trees in their yard. What a gift! We've been eating them plain, putting them on salads, and I used some to bake two different cakes. 

(Half the pears were already gone when I took this picture!)

Pears and caramel go really well together, so I knew this cake would be a big hit. And it was. It's so easy to put together, (no mixer required) and I don't even peel the pears, since the skin is so thin. Just look at all that caramelly pear goodness!

Add some batter, bake it up, then let it rest for a bit

before you bravely flip it over onto a plate! I couldn't flip and take a photo at the same time, ha! Guess I need an assistant.

If you need an impressive dessert, look no further than this. We especially loved how the caramel gets kind of crunchy on the outside edge of the cake - yum! 

We loved this with a little scoop of vanilla ice cream, but whipped cream would be a great garnish, too.  (And eating it plain is also a great option.)

Enjoy!

Caramel Pear Upside Down Cake

1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup butter

2 Tbsp. heavy cream
1-2 pears, thinly sliced (or 1 can pears)
1 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
1/2 tsp vanilla 
1/3 cup vegetable or avocado oil

In a greased 9 inch cake pan, arrange the pears slices in a circle, starting from the outer edge. Set aside.

In a small saucepan over medium low heat, melt the brown sugar and butter together. Once it begins to bubble, swirl the pan and lightly stir to make sure all the sugar is dissolved. Add the cream, and stir to incorporate.

Gently pour the caramel over the pear slices.

Into a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, yogurt, vanilla, and oil until well combined. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk well until no streaks of flour remain. 

Carefully pour the cake batter on top of the pear slices. Bake at 350 for 40 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes then invert onto a serving plate. Allow to cool completely, or serve slightly warm, with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Custard-Filled Cookie Cups

I was in the mood for a custardy dessert when I happened upon this recipe. And I'm so glad I did - it is delightful! And beautiful! And light and springy! 

I also like that it is portion controlled - it's the perfect size for a nice ending to a dinner - just the right amount of sweetness with a little fruit thrown in for good measure!

You start by making a simple sugar cookie batter, then scooping that into greased muffin tins. After you scoop, flatten it out a bit with your fingers (as above) 

then bake. As soon as they're baked, use a small jar (I used a small Penzey's spice jar!) to make an indentation in each, to create a cup.

While the cookies bake, you make the custard. (If you wanted to make it even simpler, you could just make a box of vanilla pudding. But this custard recipe is VERY good, so I would recommend getting all pastry-chef-ish and going all out on the homemade.) 

Then everything cools, and eventually you can assemble into these cute little individual desserts! Enjoy!

Custard-Filled Cookie Cups

Cookie cups:

• 1 cup + 2 Tbsp. flour

• 1/4 tsp. baking soda

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1/2 cup butter, softened

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp. vanilla

• 
  

Vanilla Custard:

• 2 cups milk

• 1 tsp. vanilla 

• 1/4 cup cornstarch

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 2 egg yolks

• 
  

For the cookie cups:

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt, set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed and add egg and vanilla. Beat until combined. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined.

Using a large cookie scoop (3 Tbsp), scoop dough into greased muffin tin cups, then press down to flatten slightly. Bake at 350 for 10-12 mins or until lightly browned and mostly set.

Remove from oven and immediately use a small jar or container to press firmly down in the center to create a well. Cool in pans for 10 mins, then place on wire rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the custard: 

In a medium saucepan over high heat, cook 1 cup milk, stirring often until it just starts to simmer. Remove from heat. In a medium bowl, whisk remaining 1 cup milk, egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch.

While whisking vigorously, slowly pour about half of the hot milk into the egg mixture. Return mixture to the remaining milk in saucepan and cook over high heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and comes to a boil. 

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Transfer to a bowl, then place plastic wrap directly on top of custard to prevent a skin from forming then place in refrigerator to cool completely.

When ready to serve, whisk custard to a smooth texture and spoon into cooled cookie cups. Top with fruit and dust with powdered sugar.

Recipe Source: Adapted from Liv for Cake

Ginger and Cardamom Pear Cake

This is a really lovely, light cake that is quick to make and sure to impress. Any time you can have fans of fruit slices on the top of the cake, it looks fancy, am I right?

Ginger and cardamom pair beautifully with pears (ooh, homonyms!) and the result is a perfectly spiced, perfectly sweet cake that would work just as well as a coffee cake or as a dessert.

I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

Ginger and Cardamom Pear Cake

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger, about a 3 inch piece of ginger
3/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
2 ripe pears, cored and sliced (no need to peel!)
powdered sugar for dusting

In an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, letting each become fully incorporated. Add the baking powder, salt, ginger, and cardamom, and mix briefly to combine.

Add the flour gradually, alternating with the yogurt or sour cream. Spread the batter into a greased 9-inch springform pan. Arrange the pear slices on top of the cake, pushing them into the batter very slightly. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the cake is puffed and starting to turn golden on top.

Allow to cool on a wire rack for about 30 minutes before removing from the springform pan. Dust with powdered sugar when completely cooled. Serves 8-10.

Italian Love Cake

It's already February 8 and this is the first new recipe of 2023. Better late than never, I guess. And what could be better then a perfect recipe for Valentine's Day!?! I actually made this cake for a birthday, but since it's called LOVE cake and all, I thought it might inspire some of you to make a special dessert next week. 

Truth is, this is a special dessert no matter when you make it. It's super rich and chocolatey, and sort of cheesecakey (but note that my kids who don't "like" cheesecake ate this up without complaint, and with great praise!). The ricotta layer is really less like cheesecake and more like a creamy, solid base for the chocolate to rest on. (!) 

This cake is one of those fun ones that reverses layers in the oven. You make the chocolate layer first and pour it in the pan (don't bake yet!) then add the ricotta layer on top. The ricotta is heavier, so it sinks to the bottom while it bakes.

The cake is topped with a light and creamy pudding/cool whip frosting which is a great complement to the rich cake. This makes enough cake for a crowd, but the leftovers also keep really well in the fridge -- in fact, you'll want to plan ahead a bit as the cake is best after it has set in the fridge at least overnight before you serve it.

So get ready to show your love through this delicious cake - next week or some other random day. There's never a bad day to show love, or to eat cake.

Italian Love Cake
1 package chocolate or devil's food cake mix, plus ingredients to make cake 
2 pounds ricotta cheese
4 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 (3.9 oz) package instant chocolate pudding
1 cup milk
16 oz. whipped topping, like Cool Whip, thawed

In a mixing bowl, combine the cake mix and the ingredients to make the cake as directed on the box (usually 3 eggs, oil and water). Stir well until the mix and ingredients are fully incorporated. Spread the batter into a greased 9x13 cake pan.

In another large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the ricotta, eggs, and sugar together until creamy. Add the vanilla and mix well. Carefully pour the ricotta mixture over the chocolate cake mixture in the pan.

Bake at 350 for one hour.

Remove from the oven and place the cake pan on a wire rack to cool completely. Once it's cooled, you can frost, or you can refrigerate. The cake is best if it sits for at least a day before serving.

For the frosting, combine the pudding and milk in a medium bowl and whisk until thick and smooth. Carefully fold in the whipped topping. Spread on top of the cake, and refrigerate until serving. 

Recipe Source: The Seasoned Mom