Triple-Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cake

Even though our Easter baskets and candy bowls are overflowing with chocolate, we can never have enough chocolate when a dessert is needed for a family dinner! What really caught my eye about this Triple-Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cake recipe in my February issue of Southern Living was the buttermilk ingredient. I've never made a recipe with buttermilk that didn't turn out to be a family favorite and this one is no exception!

I followed the directions to the letter, except for the ingredient of instant espresso. Since I didn't have instant espresso on hand, I used an additional teaspoon of vanilla extract ( for a total of 3 teaspoons of vanilla).

Triple-Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cake

Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
11/2 cups butter,softened at
    room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
11/4 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons instant espresso
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup 60% cacao bittersweet
  chocolate morsels
   Shortening

Chocolate Glaze:

3/4 cups semisweet chocolate morsels
3 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon light corn syrup

Buttermilk Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar,sifted
1 to 3 Tablespoons buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Prepare Cake:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk together flour and next 3 ingredients. Beat 11/2 cups butter in a medium bowl at medium-high speed with electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yolk disappears. Combine 11/4 cups buttermilk and next 2 ingredients. Add flour mixture to egg mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed after each addition. Fold in bittersweet chocolate morsels. Pour batter into a well-greased (with shortening) and floured 12 cup Bundt pan. Sharply tap pan on counter to remove air bubbles.

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.Cool in pan on a wire rack 20 minutes.Remove from pan; cool completely on rack.

Chocolate Glaze:
Combine semisweet chocolate morsels, 3 Tablespoons butter, and 1 Tablespoon corn syrup in microwave bowl. Microwave at Medium (50% power) 1 to 11/2 minutes or until morsels begin to melt, stirring after 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

Buttermilk  Glaze:
Whisk together powdered sugar, 1 Tablespoon buttermilk and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla in small bowl until smooth. Add up to 1 Tablespoon buttermilk, if desired. Drizzle glazes over cooled cake.

Happy National Oatmeal Month!

With the cold winter temperatures, howling winds and busy days on the dairy farm, I often look for easy,nutritious supper or breakfast meals. Farmer's Flapjacks would be perfect for both! This recipe is from my recipe book called Sassafras,The Ozarks Cookbook and suggests serving the flapjacks with fried apples, sausage, and coffee. I suggest a big glass of milk!

Farmer's Flapjacks


1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter,melted

Combine oats and buttermilk in a mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight. when ready to use, add egg,flour,sugar,baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and butter, mixing thoroughly. Fry on a preheated greased griddle. Serve hot with butter and syrup. Makes 1 dozen.

Winter Storm Refueling Snack

We've been working to prepare for the predicted winter storm with a week of frigid temperatures  but hoping it won't be as bad as it sounds!  Tractors and trucks are fueled, we've got plenty of feed for the animals, the generator at the barn has been started on a test run just in case we lose power and the wood pile was restocked for house heat. I've also made  sure there is plenty of food in the pantry for refueling the farmers!





Cold weather always brings the hungry farmers to the kitchen for a refueling snack. The last of the holiday banana stockpile was begging to be baked into something that would be good with a glass of milk or a cup of hot chocolate!  Banana Snack Cake  from Jim Graham's Farm Family Cookbook for City Folks is easy to prepare and perfect for winter storm snacking.







Banana Snack Cake

1 cup butter,softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup (2 medium) bananas,mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup quick rolled oats
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 6-ounce package semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar, and eggs, and mix well.
Stir in buttermilk, bananas, and vanilla; blend thoroughly. Lightly spoon flour into a measuring cup and level off. Stir in flour, oats, soda, and salt; mix well. Stir in chips. Spread batter in 9x13-inch greased pan. (Optional: Sprinkle nuts evenly over the top.)  Bake 30 to 35 minutes.

Butter Up Your Valentine!

 Valentine's Day is the perfect time  to butter up your favorite sweeties!  I found this recipe in the Land of Lakes  online recipe  file a couple of weeks ago and decided it would be a  perfect  butter up treat for my family. After watching my family enjoy this cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and strawberries, I'm adding the recipe to the family favorite file with a special note to myself when I need a recipe for buttering them up!

 

Butter Cake With Browned Butter Frosting
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 cup Butter,softened
1 cup buttermilk
4 eggs
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all cake ingredients in large bowl. Beat at low speed, just until just moistened. Increase speed to high. Beat,scraping bowl often, until well mixed.

Pour batter into greased 13x9-inch baking pan. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.

Frosting:
6 tablespoons butter
3 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 to 4 tablespoons milk

Melt 6 tablespoons butter in 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking,stirring constantly and watching closely, until butter just starts to turn golden(4 to 6 minutes). (Butter will get foamy and bubble.) Remove from heat. Cool completely.

Combine browned butter,powdered sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla in small bowl. Beat at medium speed, gradually adding enough milk for desired spreading consistency. Frost cooled cake.

 

Happy Valentine Day!

Super Bowl Wins With Dairy

I'm admitting right up front that the thrill of the Super Bowl celebration for me is not the game itself, but the time spent with my  family and friends ,watching the TV commercials during the game and making sure that all the favorite snacks are available for getting the chosen team to victory. It's going to be fun this year to see for the first time ever at the Super Bowl-- a milk commercial!!

Even though we will have plenty of snacks, a sweet piece of Chocolate Sheath Cake served with a cold glass of milk or a dip of vanilla ice cream will be on our list as a  Super Bowl winner!

Chocolate Sheath Cake
1 stick butter
1/2 cup shortening
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon soda
2 eggs, slightly beaten


Bring butter,shortening,cocoa and water to a rapid boil. Pour over the sugar and flour and beat well. Add buttermilk and soda,vanilla and eggs. Beat, then bake at 400 degrees F. in metal loaf pan for 20 minutes. Cover with the following:

Icing
1 stick butter
4 tablespoons cocoa
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar,sifted
6 tablespoons milk
1 cup pecans (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Bring butter,cocoa and milk to a boil. Add sifted  powdered sugar,vanilla and pecans. Beat well and pour over cake while hot.

                                                                  Winners Drink Milk!!

Buttermilk's Charm

Last week while searching for a new dessert recipe, I found Buttermilk Crumb Cake in an old Southern Living recipe book. What I liked about the recipe was the fact that I had all the ingredients on hand. Buttermilk is a staple in my kitchen because of its old fashioned Southern usefulness,charming qualities and one of my family members likes to drink it on occasion as a remedy for upset stomach.


Here are just a few charming buttermilk facts:

• When combined with baking soda, buttermilk produces light baked goods and adds extra tenderness,moisture and flavor.
• Buttermilk acts as a tenderizer when combined with seasonings in marinades for meat and poultry.
• Buttermilk adds low-fat creaminess and flavor to soups,salad dressings and sauces.
• Buttermilk can be substituted for yogurt or mayonnaise in some recipes.
• Buttermilk's tangy flavor goes well with sweet fruits such as peaches,cherries, and pears.
• Buttermilk can be made with sweet milk by adding 1 Tablespoon vinegar or 1 Tablespoon lemon juice to 1 cup of milk.

I also love the fact that I can enjoy looking at my grandmother's churn and not have to make the butter and buttermilk before I can  bake the cake! 


Buttermilk Crumb Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup butter,softened
2 teaspoons nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Combine flour,sugar,butter, and spices; mix thoroughly until mixture resembles crumbs. Reserve 1 cup crumb mixture for topping.

Add eggs,buttermilk,baking powder, and soda to remaining crumb mixture; beat well.
Pour into a well-greased and floured 13x9x2 in. baking pan. Top with reserved crumbs.
Sprinkle with nuts, if desired.

Bake at 350 degrees fro 45 minutes or until cake tests done. Cut into square and serve warm or cold.
Yield: 15 servings

  

Do you have a favorite buttermilk recipe?