Unique Birthday Cake

My husband's birthday was yesterday, so I told him that I would make whatever cake he wanted. I gave him a book, Cakes and Cake Decorating by Nilsen, Maxwell, and Murfitt, and he picked out the Pear and Cardamom Spice cake. Granted, he likes fruit more than sweets, but I still thought this was a bit unusual. But, I made it for him and it is very good. I guess he has good taste...

Pear and Cardamom Spice Cake

1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
1/2 cup superfine sugar
2 eggs
2 cups AP flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons cardamom
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 1/4 pounds dessert pears, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons honey

1. Preheat the over to 350º. Grease a 8 inch springform pan and put parchment paper in the bottom.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time.
3. Sift the flour and baking powder together and mix into creamed mixture, alternating with the milk.
4. Stir in the cardamom, nuts, and poppy seeds. Reserve 1/3 of the pear slices and chop the rest. Add pears to mixture.
5. Transfer to prepared pan and smooth the top. Arrange the pear slices around the top, covering the cake batter. Add 3 walnuts to the center.
6. Bake for 75-90 minutes, until it a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Cool for 20 minutes, then remove from pan and brush with honey.

Honey Oat Bread

I needed a baking project today and I've been on a bread kick, so this recipe peaked my interest. It turned out well, my loaf pan is smaller than the recipe calls for, so I made some mini-loaves as well. I have to tell you these were my favorite. The recipe was great, so I'll just link it here rather than retyping. The site is great, so take a look around while you're there...

Honey Oat Bread by Rose Levy Beranbaum


Also, check out this great event!

'Slider' Honey Wheat Buns

I got a request for hamburgers on Sunday, but that was a bit too plain for my one day to really cook/bake. So I decided to make sliders (smaller versions of hamburgers) and make my own buns. This recipe started with one I saw in Modern Baking, but morphed into my own creation as it went on.

The buns turned out really well. I used a mega-muffin pan to get the right size. The only one I had was silicone, and while they came out good, they didn't have the browning I was looking for on the sides and bottom. It seems like anything I bake in them steams more than browns.

Makes 6 'Slider' Buns

190 grams whole wheat flour
90 grams AP flour
14 grams wheat germ
4 grams yeast
8 grams butter (cold, cut into pieces)
17 grams honey
6 grams salt
196 grams warm water

Mix dry ingredients together. Add the wet ingredients and mix on low until incorporated. Use dough hook and mix for 8-10 minutes to full gluten development. Divide the dough into 6, 2 oz pieces and round out into balls. Place the balls in the muffin pan and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Bake at 425º for 12 minutes until the top is lightly browned.