Blackberry Yogurt Cake

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Blackberry Yogurt Cake

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!

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.

Frosted Raspberry Pie Bars

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Frosted Raspberry Pie Bars

I still haven’t been able to get over my berry craving, even though it’s currently February, and it’s costing me an arm and a leg. So when Lucky Leaf sent me a few cans of their pie filling, including raspberry, I thought that it would be a nice opportunity to feed my addiction without breaking the bank. So after browsing through some recipes, I decided on these delectable raspberry pie bars.

The dough is rolled out into a large rectangle, pie filling is spread on top, then more dough is placed in a lattice formation on top – then it’s all baked, chilled, and finally drizzled with a delicious cream cheese frosting before being cut into individual squares. I chose raspberry, but I think they’d be delicious with just about any variety of pie filling you’d want to use – I’m definitely looking forward to trying cherry and apple in the near future.

I was not having the best day when I made these…not feeling well in general, kids acting crazy, you know how those day go…so when I took the dough out of the refrigerator to take the chill off and roll it out, I let it sit on the counter a little too long. It softened quite a bit, and I had a little bit of a hard time rolling it out, and forming the lattice crust. So, make sure you act quickly when you go to put it together! Once in the oven, it baked up beautifully. The filling stayed in place, and the dough got nice and puffy – creating a gorgeous bar. I let them cool for about an hour before I drizzled them and cut, and enjoyed them after dinner for dessert. Everyone really loved them, and it was great to have all the delicious flavors of a pie in a bar form.

They’d be a perfect sweet treat for Valentine’s Day, either to share with your family – or that special someone in your life. And, it’s a break from all the chocolate that usually goes hand-in-hand with the holiday. We’ve also got something else pretty sweet for you guys – a set of these adorable Rachael Ray Bubble & Brown Individual Servers, and a Lucky Leaf gift pack to go along with them!

luckyleaf

They’re perfect for individual servings of cobbler, bread pudding, or even something like a creme brulee. To enter, just leave a comment telling us what your favorite berry is. I’d say mine is blackberries. Giveaway will run from today through February 14th (Valentine’s Day) at 11:59 PM. I’ll select a winner using the handy, dandy Random Number Generator and contact the winner.

Frosted Raspberry Pie Bars

1 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 (21 oz) can raspberry pie filling

For the frosting:
2 Tbsp butter, room temperature
2 oz cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp milk
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Combine the eggs, milk and vanilla in a liquid measuring cup.

Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately with egg mixture, beating well after each addition. Divide dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 2 hours or until firm.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and grease with butter or non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

On a floured work surface, roll out one portion of dough into a 15-in. x 10-in. rectangle; carefully transfer to prepared baking pan. Spread evenly with raspberry filling, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge.

Roll out remaining dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut into 1/2-in.-wide strips; make a lattice crust over filling.

Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

In a small bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar and milk until smooth. Drizzle over bars. Chill until set. Cut into bars.

Yields about 16 bars.

Source: adapted from Taste of Home, October/November 2002

Disclaimer: Lucky Leaf provided me with products to sample. As always, all opinions and thoughts are my own.

Raspberry Dark Chocolate Coffee Cake

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Raspberry Dark Chocolate Coffee Cake

I’ve always been a fan of coffee cakes. They’re usually a breeze to throw together, using only a few ingredients and taking just a few moments of your time. My favorite recipe that I’ve made to date incorporates blackberries, so when I came across Sally’s raspberry version that included dark chocolate I knew it had to be a winner!

One of my cravings this time around has been fresh berries – strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries. Whatever looks good that day at the store, and isn’t astronomically priced this time of year! So I’ve had plenty on hand for baking with. But, if you have frozen on hand – by all means, use those. I also think this cake would be delightful with any berry you wanted to add to it, in lieu of raspberries.

It baked up beautifully, and was moist and delicious for a few days – another perk of a coffee cake. This would be a great breakfast (or anytime!) treat to have on the counter for Thanksgiving  – to nibble on with a cup of coffee or tea,  and get you going without filling you up before the big dinner!

Raspberry Dark Chocolate Coffee Cake

For the streusel topping:
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup slivered almonds

For the cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 and 1/2 cups fresh or frozen (thawed) raspberries

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.

To make the streusel topping, mash up 3 tablespoons of cold butter in a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and 1/4 cup sugar and mix around with a fork, and mash until chunky and crumbly. Add the almonds and mix to combine. Set aside.

In a large bowl or in a stand mixer, add 2 cups all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup butter, milk, vanilla extract, baking powder, salt, and egg. Beat on low until everything is smooth and combined – about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Do not over-mix.

Spread half of the batter into the prepared baking pan. Layer with half of the streusel, then most of the raspberries and chocolate chips. Repeat with the rest of the batter and the streusel. Top with remaining raspberries and chocolate chips.

Place in preheated oven and bake for 45-50 minutes. Cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on the counter for 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Source: barely adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction

Blueberry Crumb Bars

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Blueberry Crumb BarsI’ve still been having good luck getting delicious, local blueberries. But, I know the days are numbered. So with anything else in season right now, I’m trying to make the most of it while I can. We’ve been so busy out on the water, or at the beach this past few weeks I feel like I’ve barely had any time in the kitchen. Which is a blessing and a curse in my book…

One thing I did have time to whip together last week were these delicious blueberry crumb bars. I’ve made them a few times now, and we always love them. They’re a breeze to bring together, and if stored in the refrigerator, are a perfect quick sweet to pair with a glass of milk all throughout the week (if they last that long!). The shortbread crusty is nice and sturdy; there’s nothing worse than a bar that buckles under that first bite, am I right? And the filling is just perfect – sweet with a hint of brightness from the addition of lemon zest.

And I know I sound like a broken record when I say this – but I can’t wait to try them with other fruits. Blackberries, raspberries, or maybe a mixed berry combo? Will have to make another batch before berry season is over. Maybe take them out to the sandbar with us to share…because sadly, I know our days “knee deep in the water somewhere” are numbered for this season too! 

Blueberry Crumb Bars

1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cold unsalted butter
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest and juice of one lemon
4 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9×13 inch pan.

In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, and baking powder. Mix in salt and lemon zest. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the butter and egg. Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.

In another bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently mix in the blueberries. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Source: adapted from AllRecipes via Smitten Kitchen