Sharon/Kaki/Persimmon cake for Marina

Can you say vibrant!

I first met these little beauties when I lived in Switzerland in the late nineties. M. my house mother would slurp these down with glee during her last trimester of pregnancy. I didn't dive in at first, but I grew to admire these orange spheres. I know them as Kaki, and never really knew what to do with them until I came across a recipe from a famous American ex pat living in Paris Davis Lebovitz. I know ANOTHER Ready for dessert recipe(ten speed press) but hear me out. He is a guy with genius ideas, and you will thank me. This cake is to die.......fooooorrrr. I have made this many times and Everyone wants more. So, let us get down to some Sharon cake making.

If you can look out your window and see one of these trees growing, please take advantage and go and pick some very ripe persimmons and make this cake for yourself. If you don't have a tree please look for these in your local market. In Sweden they are now available in plenty and as it is nearing autumn in warmer temperatures. These should be available soon. For this particular recipe you need to have very ripe persimmons.They should be swollen in ripeness and ready to be scooped out. Kind of like a filled water balloon. If not then let them rest at room temperature until ripe enough to use.
I adapted this recipe to use what I had in the house, and i think it turned out fantastic.

Cake:


3/4 cup (120 grams) dried currents.. I used a combination of golden raisins and sultana's 
!/4 cup (60ml) brandy or whiskey
2 cups (280 grams) all- purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 2/3 cups ( 355 grams) granulated sugar
3/4 (6 ounces)  ( 170 grams) unsalted butter. melted
1½ cups ( 375 ml) Persimmon/Kaki/Sharon puree ( about 3-6) David uses HACHIYA persimmons but I  have used Jiro persimmons that are the most available. They are a cross breed but work just as well.
3 large eggs at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
1½ cups ( 150 grams) walnuts or pecans, toasted and finely chopped


Directions:

Lovely little Smurf loafs......glee

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F 175 degrees C. Coat a ten cup (2.5 liter loaf pan) or a Bundt pan or use little smurf size loaf pans I used 5. Coat inside of pan/s with butter, and set aside.

To make the cake, in a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the currents or raisins, sultana's and the brandy or whiskey to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and let cool.

Into a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda,cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. stir in the granulated sugar. 


In a medium bowl,mix together the melted butter, persimmon puree,eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, add the persimmon mixture, and gently stir. Fold in the raisins or currents whatever you are using, and any unabsorbed liquid, and the nuts.


Mix until everything is is moistened; DON'T over mix.Scrape the batter into the prepared pan/pans and bake until a toothpick is inserted into the cake comes out clean, about1 hour for whole cake and 20 minutes for little smurf cakes. Keep your eye on them.

drunken raisins

Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Once cooled you can serve as is or you can make a cream cheese icing and spread and serve as you would like a carrot cake. I loved this cake on it's own. it is so nice to be able to have a slice of this cake with just it's own self so to speak. I have tried it with cream cheese icing as well and it is divine. Here is a nice icing recipe for those who want to jazz it up all the way.


Icing:


4 ounces (115 grams) cream cheese
1 tablespoon salted butter, at room temperature 
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2/3 cup (90 g) powdered sugar, sifted
4 to 5 teaspoons of water

Lemons and cream cheese equal best friends...

Directions: adapted from David Lebovitz Just desserts tenspeed press


To make the icing,in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment,( you  can use a hand held electric mixer with beaters as well) beat together the cream cheese and 1 tablespoon of butter on high speed until smooth. Beat in the ½ teaspoon vanilla and the lemon juice, then gradually add the powdered sugar, beating on high speed until smooth. Beat in the ½ teaspoon vanilla and the lemon juice, then gradually add the powdered sugar, beating on high speed until smooth. Add the 4 teaspoons water;the icing should be pourable. If necessary, add 1 more teaspoon water.
Spoon the icing around the top of the cake, then tap the plate on a folded kitchen towel on the counter top to encourage the icing to run down the sides of the cake. Enjoy!!

Thank you, Pumpkin Walnut Spice Bundt Cake Happy Thanksgiving Canada

October lovin'

Happy gobble..gobble....... it's that time of the year again. It's Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, and this will be the 10th one I have missed. Hard to believe that it has been ten years since I last had the goodness of a real Canadian thanksgiving meal. Mash potatoes with gravy, peas and carrots, my mom's homemade dinner rolls, mashed turnips drenched in butter and  roasted turkey with a side of cranberry sauce. I miss fighting over the crispy skin with my brother, and the two hour food coma.

I miss waking up really early thanksgiving day to the smell of my mom's stuffing frying in the frying pan. We always have pumpkin on thanksgiving. It's usually in the form of the traditional pie, but sometimes we spice it up with a pumpkin cheesecake, or pumpkin mouse. I like the simplicity of the pie and I needed the comfort of the memories this weekend,so I baked myself a little pumpkin reminder of all the good things I am thankful for.I am grateful for the wonderful memories I have of this fine thanksgiving weekend. Where yet again there will be a few  empty chairs at their table.Happy thanksgiving to my friends, family and my readers. May we all have something wonderful to share with our loved ones this weekend.

Adapted from Miette cookbook Chronicle books


Ingredients:


1 3/4 cups  (7 ounces )all purpose flour
1½ teaspoons of baking soda
4 teaspoons of ground cinnamon (MIETTE'S uses only 2 teaspoons, but I like mine spicy)
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon salt(kosher)
4 large eggs
1 2/3 cup(11 ounces) white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil..OR..I used 1 cup melted BECEL liquid margarine  


http://www.becel.se/Consumer/Article.aspx?Path=Consumer/HealthyHeartLiving/OurProducts/BecelFlytande 

Butternut squash works just like traditional pumkin 

1 3/4 cups of homemade pumpkin puree or one 14 ounce can puree solid-packed pumpkin mixed with 1/4 cup water 
( Swedish readers, you can order pumpkin filling at www.englishshop.se ) but, supplies are limited to what kind of harvest it is in the States and Canada. 
OR make your own... I have instructions at the bottom of the page.


1 cup (3½ ounces) small walnut pieces toasted and chopped


Directions:

Remember to butter and flour your pan

1. Butter and flour a 10-inch bundt pan ( or a long bread/loaf pan can be used as well). Using a pastry brush make sure you get into all the groves.Tap out the extra flour. Set aside.


2.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F or 176 degrees C. While oven is preheating, chop into small pieces but not minced walnuts, and add to an oven proof dish/pan. Roast in the oven for 5 minutes or until you start to see a little color. Remove from the oven. BE CAREFUL NOT TO FORGET THEM!! Set aside. 


3.Sift together the flour, baking soda,cinnamon,nutmeg,cloves,and salt into a bowl and set aside.


4.In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or a hand held electric mixer ..combine the eggs and sugar and whisk on medium speed until well combined and lightened in color, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low, slowly drizzle in the oil/ melted BECEL liquid margarine, and whisk until combined, then whisk on high speed for 1 minute to emulsify.

Added, pumpkin to egg mixture and flour mixtures in three parts

Fold in the walnuts by hand using a rubber spatula

5.Switch to the paddle attachment or( use a spatula) Add the pumpkin/squash puree to the egg mixture and mix on medium speed just until combined.Add the dry ingredients in three additions, mixing just until combined. After each addition, approximately 5 seconds each time. Remove the bowl from the mixer and scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula. Fold in the roasted and cooled walnuts by hand.

Fabulous little gift of love

See, I missed some spots...oops..

6. Pour batter into your prepared pan.Bake until the cake springs back when touched and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. 45-60 minutes. Mine took a little more than 1 hour and 10 minutes. Please watch, as it can burn on top, cover with tin foil if starting to get dark on top.


7. Transfer to a cooling rack when tester comes out clean and let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run an offset spatula around the edges of the pan, the invert the cake onto the cooling rack. Let cool for a further 20 minutes before serving or wrap tightly in plastic wrap when COMPLETELY cooled and place in the refrigerator up to three days. To freeze, wrap tightly in a second layer of plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Serve at room temperature.  


I loved this recipe,but I was not so impressed with the MIETTE cookbook. It seems that the international market has been filled with the publishers miss printed books, and it is very confusing even for an advanced baker. Inside the front pages is a little card explaining the printing miss ups.( If you live in the States and Canada and purchased this book on amazon you will be sent the new revised version FREE of charge) Due to Amazon's copy laws. Great for you. 


The rest of us.... Have to suck it up, and measure everything three times and resort to handwriting out each recipe and inserting it into our cookbook.  I did email Miette to let them know exactly what I thought, and they understood my point of view and were very helpful. I as well helped them out with my contacts for products that you can not ship from their contacts list. Good team work!


How to make your own pumpkin puree:

roasted and ready to peel

To make your own pumpkin puree, preheat your over to  400 degrees F or 200 degrees C. Scrub a small (about 4 pounds ) (2 kilogram) sugar pumpkin or butternut squash ( 2 large ) well and wipe dry. Cut up the pumpkin in half and scrape out the seeds or "guts". 

A hand held emulsifier works well here. 

Cut into halves, or quarters and place flesh side down on a greased cookie sheet and bake until soft, about 1 hour. Let the pumpkin cool. Scoop out the flesh of the pumpkin from the skin and process in a mix master/ food processor or food mill until you make a puree. Makes about 2.5 cups

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone. Gobble...gobble....

Fresh Ginger Cake and the Sleeping Indian

A little bit of heaven..really

Who says that you can not fall in love with a cake? Can someone answer this question for me? I am not the biggest sweet eater, but oh my, my... this cake is like Brad is to Angelina. Just got to have it.

 As some of my readers have realized by now. I am a huge fan of David Lebovitz, and just got my copy of Ready for dessert (Tenn Speed Press)

Can you blame me for wanting to share this delicious recipe with you?? I am sure for those who spend the time making this amazing cake  you will not be disappointed in any way. It is like the Valentino of Haute couture. Stylish, sophisticated and unpredictably beautiful. To touch, taste and see. This cake is a full bodied cake that you will be completely over joyed with. In the original recipe the author uses mild- flavored molasses, but living in Sweden. It is really difficult to track it down, so I used (Lyle's black Treacle.)Which is made from cane molasses and is a export from England. Available on the internet or specialty stores.

Less is more with this cake. Perhaps a dollop of a good whipped cream, but I think this is a cake that can carry it's own. Go forth my happy foodies, and bake this cake!  Adapted(and tweaked) from David Lebovitz's Fresh Ginger Cake

use your processor for a fine mince

• Ingredients:
• 4-ounce (115-g) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup (80ml) Lyle's black Treacle or any molasses available to you
• 1 cup (200g) sugar
• 1 cup (250ml) vegetable oil ( I used ½ cup sunflower and ½ cup corn oil)
• 2½ cups (350g) all- purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper ( fine ground)
• 1 cup (250ml) water
•  2 teaspoons baking soda

2 large eggs, at room temperature


Method:


Makes one 9-inch (23-cm) cake 10-12 servings


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees f or 175 degrees C. butter the bottom and sides of a 9 inch spring-form or round cake pan with 2- inch sides and line the bottom with a circle of baking paper.


In a food processor fitted with the metal blade or with a chef's knife, chop the ginger until very fine. set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the molasses, sugar, and oil. In a medium bowl, whisk the hot water into the molasses mixture, then add the chopped ginger.


Gradually sift the flour mixture over the molasses mixture, whisking to combine. Add the eggs and whisk until thoroughly blended. Scrape the batter into the prepared spring form pan or cake pan and bake until the top of the cake springs back when lightly pressed with a finger or a toothpick inserted into the center come out clean, about one hour.Let cool completely.


Run a knife around the sides of the cake to help loosen it from the pan. Invert the cake onto a plate, peel off the parchment paper, then re-invert it onto a serving platter.

Storage can be kept for up to 5 days as this cake is extremely moist. It can be also frozen for up to one month.


This past weekend we got to spend a fantastic overnight stay on the island of Stysrö. It is located outside of Gothenburg on the west coast of Sweden in the beautiful archipelago. Our good friends J. and T. and their family fed us to the stage of food coma, and The Goat played in the local club in the evening. 
I had to walk off some of that fantastic food, so I did a little island exploring and I wanted to share it with you all. I hope you enjoy some of my pictures. 

can you see it? The Sleeping Indian

Stysrö is a car less island. Our way of getting around. so much speed and fun

Scandinavia at it's most beautiful. Summer....

amazing day 

Thanks for dropping by, and welcome to my backyard.  

Lick The Spoon And Bowl Syndrome Chocolate Devil Food Cake

Happy,happy,joy,joy....

Growing up in the prairies of Canada was the foundation of many of the talents and traits that have made me who I am. I learned to live among a diverse group of people, become socially aware of my surroundings. Be street safe and have the chance to lap up delicious baked goods from the womens WW1, Royal Purple and Sunday school ladies.
Devil food cake has been a main stay in both Canadian, and American homes forever I am sure. There has been many a family group gatherings and a slice of this has been passed around. I know many of my friends mom's/ grandma's had this sitting on there farm kitchen tables at least a few times a season.
Chocolate cake is comfort food. It gives you the pleasure of  coming close to that wholesomeness that  some of us had with our mom's and grannies in the kitchen growing up.
"The lick the spoon and bowl syndrome," I call it. Some kind of smell or taste that transports you back to your childhood, when everything in life was happy and good. This cake does it for me. It takes me back to comfort.

some of your kitchen's finest

Two things made my day. First My little blog was visited by the king of blog. Mr. David Lebovitz.   I am so thrilled to have been visited. It is a great pleasure to know that maybe one day I will have the skill and the knowledge to be able to guide other "newbies" to food blogging. At first when I read his post about what you should/shouldn't do in food blogging it scared the crap out of me. My anxiety was rushing to my stomach, and I kind of thought to myself how the heck am I going to get all this? My pea sized brain needs to remember to incorporate it into my blog, but  needless to say I have a lot to learn, so bare with me and I know my photography, grammatic, editing,  bites the big one. I will get better....hopefully.

This recipe is adapted from David Lebovitz www.davidlebovitz.com


Devil Food Cake 

traditional creamed butter/sugar, wet and dry ingredients

For the Cake:
9 tablespoons unsweetened coca powder
1½ cups cake flour (not self rising) 
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
4 ounces 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup strong coffee
½ cup whole or low fat milk


For the Ganache frosting:

10 ounces of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
½ cup water or heavy cream ( I used water, as this cake is rich in itself)
3/4 cup 1½ sticks unsalted butter

1.Preheat oven to 185 degrees C-350 F
2.Butter 2  9"X 2" cake pans and line the bottoms with circles of baking paper¨
3.To make the cake layers, sift together the coca powder,cake flour salt,baking soda,and baking powder in a bowl.
4.In the bowl of a standing electric mixer or by hand, beat together the butter and the sugar about 5 minuted until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated.I used my hand mixer.) Remember to scrape down the sides of your bowl as you mix.

vintage pyrex* from my mom

5.Mix together the milk and the coffee. Stir half of the dry into the the butter mixture, then add the coffee and milk. Finally stir in the other half of the dry ingredients.

6. Divide the batter into your prepared cake pans, and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. One cake was done quicker than the other, so keep an eye on it.Cool completely before frosting.

water bath

7.To make the frosting, melt the chopped chocolate with the water stirring occasionally until melted.Remove the bowl from the pan of water.

8. Cut the butter into small pieces and whisk them into chocolate until they are completely melted and the ganache is smooth. Cool until spreadable, which might take up to an hour at room temperature. I let it rest for an hour than popped it into the fridge for 10 minutes and it was ready to use.

9. To frost the cake:

Run a knife around the inside of  each the cakes which will help release them from the pans. Carefully lay them onto a cooling rack and remove the baking paper. Once completely cooled you can invert one cake onto your

chosen platter and begin to spread your frosting over the entire top of cake. Making sure you save enough to fully cover your cake as a whole. Place the second cake on top of the frosted bottom and continue to ice as you desire. Let rest for a few minutes or you can place it into the fridge but remove at least 30 minutes before you want to serve. We ate it just as it was. fresh, still a little warm, but oh so perfect. 

The second best thing was sharing it with Anette and her family, friends for her 40th birthday!
Happy birthday Anette!!