Wellesley Bundt Coffeecake

Scott came home today with the Wednesday Recipe in the local newspaper, The Cleveland Plain Dealer.  This recipe was actually one where I had all the ingredients.  I thought why not and give it a try.

It's a pretty straight forward recipe and not hard to follow.  I think the only recommendation is to cook it a little longer than what the recipe said.  Other than that, it's outstanding.  It's moist and melt in your mouth.  Buttery and Sweet.  I don't think is the typical coffeecake.  It's a bit heavier than most coffeecakes but so good and dense in a sense.  I loved the filling, like a cinnamon roll.  I also used Brown Sugar instead of regular sugar in the filling as written in the recipe below.  I added some cinnamon into the batter to just give a little more cinnamon kick but you can skip that if you'd like.

I baked mine into a bundt pan but the recipe didn't state whether to bake in a 9x13 pan or a bundt pan.

I really love the taste of it.  The whole family loved it so it's a winner and added to my list of recipes.  I think the newspaper however needs to recheck their writing on how to completely write a recipe out.

If I had to describe this cake it was like eating a cake, a cinnamon roll and a donut all in one.  Yes, it was that good!  So if I had to call it something, I guess I would call it a Cinnamon Roll Coffeecake.  Perfect to serve at Breakfast, Brunch, Coffee or Tea or as a dessert after dinner.  This would be great for any Tea Party!

Wellesley Coffeecake
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups of sugar
2 eggs
1 cup of sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Sprinkle of Cinnamon (optional)

Filling:
4 teaspoons brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350'F
Thoroughly Grease and Flour Bundt Pan.

Cake Directions:
Cream Butter and Sugar.
Add Eggs, one at a time, beating with each addition.
Add Sour Cream, vanilla and almonds extracts, sprinkle of cinnamon (cinnamon optional); beat well.
Sift together Flour, Baking Powder and Salt together and add in wet ingredients.

Filling Directions:
In a separate bowl, combine sugar, pecans and cinnamon.

Assembly:
Place 1/3 of batter in prepared bundt pan.
Sprinkle with 3/4 of filling mixture
Spoon in rest of batter and sprinkle with rest of filling on top.

Bake for 1 hour until toothpick inserts comes out clean.

When cake is cooled, either dust with powdered sugar, leave plain or glaze it with the following glaze recipe.

Vanilla Butter Glaze for Cakes, Cinnamon Rolls and Donuts:
2 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
1 Tablespoon of Milk or Heavy Cream
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Directions:
Sift powdered sugar into a bowl.
Add the melted butter.
Add 1 Tablespoon of milk or cream.
Mix in Vanilla Extract.
Beat until smooth and creamy, adding more milk if necessary.
Drizzle over cake, cinnamon rolls or donuts.

OH MY OH MY, WAS IT YUMMY!

Sugar & Spice and Everything Nice!
Annamaria

The Best Vanilla Glaze

Yummy Glaze!

This has to by far be the best ever glaze to use on just about anything that requires a glaze.  For instance, Donuts, Cakes, Cinnamon Rolls, Muffins, Scones, Cookies and more! It's just like that glaze on that amazing  fresh yeast or cake donut, or freshly baked cinnamon rolls.  You know how there is just not enough glaze in the refrigerated cinnamon roll cans?  Well make this instead and you will have yourself some gooey yummy cinnamon rolls.  It's great for that drizzle on Bundt Cakes.  The butter just gives it a comfort smoothness to the glaze and the milk/cream of course give it that creaminess along with the butter and the vanilla is a great flavor for it.  You can also use lemon extract, anise extract, almond extract, maple extract, rum extract....etc...  I like to use pure extracts if I can and if it's available, imitation is only a last resort.  Pure extracts are a little more expensive but really worth it and you can use one bottle a long way.  You get the real true flavor potency too.  So a little bit ago I made a Cinnamon Roll Coffeecake, which I used this glaze. It was perfect.  I am forever in love with this recipe.  Make sure you follow the directions exactly to get the best smoothness possible, or you can always send it through a mesh strainer to get the lumps out from the powdered sugar.  Make sure to sift it the powdered sugar.  Enjoy and if you do use this glaze please give me your feedback!

Vanilla Butter Glaze for Cakes, Cinnamon Rolls and Donuts: 
2 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
1 Tablespoon of Milk or Heavy Cream
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Directions:
Sift powdered sugar into a bowl. Add the melted butter. Add 1 Tablespoon of milk or cream. Mix in Vanilla Extract. Beat until smooth and creamy, adding more milk if necessary. Drizzle over cake, cinnamon rolls or donuts.

Have A Sweet Weekend!
Annamaria

Happy Fall, Pineapple & Cherry Dump Cake, Yes Please!

*I'm reposting this recipe onto this new blog.  It's an oldie but goodie.  We still love it, it's quick, easy and tastes great, no it's not a 5 star restaurant dessert (Though I wouldn't mind it if it was on the 5 star menu), I got no time for that during nights that are crazy!  Cake Mix companies knew what they were doing!  I look back on these pictures and see my now Preteen still so little, my goodness has time passed!  Did I mention that my 2 year old mentioned in this post is now 6....Savor every moment in time....

Pineapple Cherry Dump Cake Dessert

My husband wanted dessert along with our feast we made for dinner, pork chops.  He wanted to make a quick cake with frosting (again), I'm a little tired of it and wanted something a little more homey and comforting.  Then I remembered, what sounded great was Pineapple and Cherry Dump Cake.  Mmmm, yes....  Fruity, Sweet, Crumbly and Buttery and then possibly ala mode?  My husband thought it sounded great (he's had it before but didn't remember).  It's such an easy dessert and should be made more often!

The first time I had it was at my mother in law's.  She made it when my husband and I were just dating.  Wow that was a long time ago.  Then I made it for a few Sunday dinners at my parent's house when we would all get together when my dad was still alive.  I always made dessert.  I think my dad loved this dessert.  We had similar dessert tastes.

So it's been awhile.  Wish I had some pecans but then I thought having no pecans for the kids was better, because they don't yet have the acquired taste for nuts in the raw.  My son doesn't like the texture yet, he's only 2.

I made a 9x13 pan of it and right now as I write this more than half of it is gone.

*There were nibblers (my husband and daughter) taking turns dipping the spoons in and eating it.   Sneaks! 

Then my husband made a huge bowl of it later and ate it ala mode!  I ate some later, had a smaller piece, didn't want to have it sit on my stomach before bed.

This is your basic Dump cake, but with the pineapple I didn't use tidbits.  I used pineapple pieces.  Larger size cut tidbits.  I like to get a good piece of pineapple.  I love pineapple!  I thought I had Cherry Pie filling in my cupboards but didn't, so my husband ran up to the store and got some.  He didn't get the Comstock brand which I prefer, he got some other brand I never seen or heard of.  What do you expect from someone who doesn't know.  But it still worked well.  Still prefer Comstock.

I also have to point out that this is something great to make with the kids.  They can pretty much make it themselves.  All you have to do is put it in the oven and take it out of the oven.  My daughter did this one with me.  She honestly did most of the work.  I am trying to rub off the love of cooking and baking to her.  So someday she'll have memories of cooking with me like I do with my mom.

So here it is...my daughter creating her first mostly on her own dessert.

Use a 9x13 glass or metal baking dish, here you can see I used my glass one.  I like this dish for cobblers and desserts.  Sofia is pouring both the juice and pineapple pieces in to the baking dish.  (no need to grease the dish).

Then Sofia added the Cherry Pie filling.

Here she is mixing it around.

We both sprinkled the cake mix on top and evenly distributed it.

See the heart shaped Barbie plate with the butter pats (butter cut into tablespoons).  So cute!

Sofia laid the butter pats perfectly, she's so proud and so is Mamma!

She loves posing with a Peace Sign gesture!  My little Bohemian!

*Look at the beautiful layers through the glass...

Baked at 350'F for 45 minutes and you're done!  Again they got to it before I could take a picture of it still whole!  At least they loved it!

This couldn't be a simpler put together dessert.  Kids can do it.  Although it seems so simple it tastes delicious and it's one of my favorite desserts.  Great for that last minute dessert too.  This is great ala Mode and I would think maybe a light drizzle of caramel topping on top of the ice cream would also be good with this.  This is best served warm and is also great reheated in the microwave.

My husband wanted to add chocolate chips but I stood my ground and said no, not everything has to have chocolate in it....  OH MY GOSH, Did I really just type that?  Shame on me!  But seriously if it was just the cherry pie filling then maybe it would of worked.  Or perhaps using chocolate cake mix instead with the cherry pie filling and adding chocolate chips.

PS:  You can use any pie filling.  I love Peach Pie Filling.  Apple Pie Filling works great too and would make a great Fall dessert and mixed in some cinnamon in the cake mix.  If you are going to just use pie filling then I would double up on the cans of it.  Maybe even a third?  Be creative!

You can also make Pumpkin Dump Cake too, just make the Pumpkin Pie Filling that you would use to make pumpkin pie, add that to the baking dish first then add the cake mix, pecans and butter on top.  I am making that next.  Will post when I do.  Mmmm!

Here's the recipe:

Pineapple and Cherry Dump Cake:

1 box of Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Yellow Cake Mix

1 and a half sticks of butter cut into tablespoon pats  ( I didn't say it was healthy persay)

Comstock Cherry Pie Filling in a can.

1 (20oz) can of Pineapple Pieces from a can, I prefer pieces over crushed pineapple.

Preheat oven to 350'F.

Pour your Pineapple Pieces including juice into a 9x13 glass or metal baking dish.

Add Cherry Pie Filling

Mix just until fruit is well distributed.

Sprinkle all of cake mix on top of fruit.

Layer tablespoons pats of butter in oven.

Bake at 350'F for 45 minutes.

Serve warm.  Add Ice Cream and Caramel Topping as well as Whip Cream if desired.  Or just eat it out of the pan like my daughter and husband did...  That's how they roll....

Enjoy & HAPPY FALL!  YAY, FALL IS HERE!!!!

Annamaria