Well, it’s officially spring! Which, is kind of hard to believe considering we just had another snow day on Monday. Bygones! Hoping the warmer weather is here to stay, because we’re all ready for it in this house. And, I can’t think of a better way to welcome warmer days than by baking a delicious cake studded with plenty of fresh berries.

I’ve made a Strawberry Yogurt Cake in the past, that was absolutely delicious. So I took that as a base and substituted fresh blackberries for the strawberries. Talk about another homerun! It was moist and dense, everything that a Bundt cake should be – with the juicy and tart whole blackberries studded throughout the cake. Absolutely delicious.

Instead of a glaze, I went with something a little more heavy duty…adding more confectioner’s sugar to the mix, as well as some blackberry puree that I blended up with a few of the berries. It gave the glaze a gorgeous purple hue that really set the cake off, and let you know what was hiding inside.

Another new favorite, for sure. Will have to try it with raspberries and blueberries next, as I know those combos are sure to be winners as well. Have a great weekend everyone!

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Blackberry Yogurt Cake

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
8 oz. plain Greek yogurt
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups fresh blackberries

For the glaze:
1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/4 cup fresh blackberries, pureed
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan (10-15 cup pan.) Sift together the 2 1/4 cups of flour, baking soda and salt. Mix in the lemon zest and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the lemon juice. Alternate beating in the flour mixture and the yogurt, mixing just until incorporated. Add the buttermilk and the vanilla, and mix until combined.

Toss the blackberries with the remaining 1/4 cup of flour. Gently fold them into the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Allow to cool at least 20 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack that’s set over a sheet pan to cool completely.

Once the cake has cooled, prepare the glaze. If you don’t like seeds, strain the blackberry puree through a fine mesh strainer before proceeding. Whisk all the glaze ingredients together until well combined. Pour over the top of the cake and let set up for about 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Caramel. Apples. Cheesecake. That’s pretty much a trifecta of awesomeness, wouldn’t you say? These bars are also awesome because they’re so darned easy to make! A classic graham cracker crust, a simple cheesecake batter, and a can of apple pie filling are the base for this dessert. Then it’s topped with a luxurious caramel sauce and topped with flecks of sea salt.

Which let me just say that the salt really made it. I used fleur-de-sel…the creme de la creme of sea salt. It’s best when used as a finishing touch, and it really was perfect here. But any finely milled sea salt would be just fine. The slight salty crunch on top of the bars was absolutely delicious! I also used my homemade caramel sauce that I always have tucked in the fridge. If you’ve never made it, or been intimidated by making caramel – don’t be! I used to be that way, but after seeing how easy it is and how delicious the results are – you’ll kick yourself for not trying it sooner. And, the sauce is much less temperamental than the soft candies that you eat, so it’s a great place to start!

The husband still talks about these bars, so I know I’ll have to be making them again soon. I was so happy with how they turned out and how beautiful they looked – how the apples are suspended perfectly in the cheesecake? I was worried they’d sink – but they didn’t. I used Lucky Leaf pie filling, which is always my go-to choice when using a pie filling – just because I know it’s always high quality ingredients. The apple filling wasn’t too wet, which I think really helped to get the consistency that made these bars turn out so perfect!

What are you guys up to this weekend? After two more snow days earlier this week, I’m ready for some warmer weather. We’re looking forward to a trip to the Ocean City to check out the Spring Trade Expo put on by the Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association – aka “the food show”. It’s a  chance to sample all kinds of different goodies. I know Jon is looking forward to checking out some of the new breweries in the region, and sampling their products. I think some Thrasher;s and lunch at The Shark are also going to have to be on the menu. Should be a good time! I hope everyone has a great weekend.

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Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

6 Tbsp butter, melted
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 1 package)
3 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

For the filling:
2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 (21 ounce) can apple pie filling
3/4 cup caramel sauce
2 tsp sea salt

Heat oven to 350 F. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil and coat with non-stick spray. Set aside.

In a medium bowl mix the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs,sugar, and cinnamon until crumbly. Using the bottom of a drinking glass, press evenly and firmly into the bottom of the baking pan.

In large bowl combine the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and salt. Beat at medium high speed, until mixture is smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully fold the apple pie filling into the cheesecake mixture. Spoon mixture evenly on top of crust.

Bake uncovered for about 1 hour, or until filling is set. Let cool completely.

Once cooled slice the cheesecake into 2-inch squares. Drizzle caramel sauce on top of cheesecake pieces and sprinkle with a little sea salt.

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Makes about 16 bars.

Source: adapted from Lucky Leaf

By this time of year, I’m ready for spring to come. However there’s one thing that I look forward to…the arrival of all kinds of delicious and exotic citrus in the stores. Things like meyer lemons, sweet Cara Caras, plump Tangelos, and of course blood oranges. With their mottled color orange and red skin, along with the deep red colored flesh…they make for such a special treat that I can never pass up when I come across them in the store.

My favorite thing to do with them is usually make margaritas, but since that’s out for me this season I’ve had to turn to other things. I’m freezing some juice, by the way, so that I can enjoy some of those delicious cocktails come summertime! I’ll probably need a margarita or two with 3 little boys to to look after…Ahhh, fun times ahead.

Anyways, this cake. Yogurt cakes are one of my favorite baked goods on the planet. So much moisture and they love to take on the flavor of whatever fruit you want to throw into them. Case in point – blood oranges. The cake itself is studded with plenty of fresh zest and juice, and then topped with a gorgeous glaze simply made from some confectioner’s sugar and a bit of additional juice from the orange. Can you believe that color? So gorgeous.

I topped with candied orange slices for a garnish that is almost too pretty to eat. Almost. So, if you’ve seen these funny looking oranges in the store, but weren’t quite sure what to do with them – this easy cake is a great place to start. It’s wonderful for dessert, or a slice with your tea or coffee in the morning, or even for a fancy brunch…t’s sure to please everyone.

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Blood Orange Yogurt Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
zest of two blood oranges
1/3 cup freshly squeezed blood orange juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil

For the glaze:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2-3 tbsp. freshly squeezed blood orange juice

For the candied orange slices:
1 blood orange
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 8.5 inch x 4 inch loaf pan and set aside.

In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment combine the yogurt, sugar, eggs, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla. Whisk to combine. With the mixer on running on low, add in the dry ingredients into just combined. Then pour the vegetable oil into the batter and mix until it’s combined well.

Pour batter into loaf pan and bake in preheated oven for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

To make the candied orange slices, wash and dry the orange thoroughly. Cut the orange in half lengthwise, then use a sharp knife to make very thin slices of orange. Poke out any seeds using a toothpick. Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Heat the mixture until the sugar dissolves. Add the orange slices to the mixture so that they are in a single layer, reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer about 20 minutes, turning the slices at least once so both sides are candied. Remove from the heat. Let air-dry on a cooling rack (place some paper towels underneath the rack to catch the syrup drips) until ready to garnish.

When the cake is completely cool, combine the confectioners’ sugar and orange juice in a small bowl and whisk to blend until smooth. Adjust the consistency as needed with additional juice or confectioners’ sugar. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the cake and garnish with the candied orange slices. Let stand briefly until the glaze sets. Slice and serve.

Cake can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Source: cake adapted from Picky Cook, glaze and candied oranges from Annie’s Eats