Tag Archives: berries

Very Berry Summer Pudding Cake

28 Tuesday May 2013

Posted by in Desserts, Easy, Entertaining, Events, Healthy

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Very Berry Summer Pudding Cake

Very Berry Summer Pudding Cake

This cake was a very pleasant surprise. I have my mother, the lovely Lulu, to Thank for this one.

Very Berry

When I was originally skimming through Southern Living I saw this beautiful photo of the cake, but I wasn’t sure what to think. Is that some weird jello mold with fruit? How is it not falling apart everywhere? Weird, I thought, blowing it off and not really paying attention to how easy, simple, and healthy this dessert is overall! No jello whatsoever! Fruit, sugar, booze and ladyfingers, that’s it! A perfect make-ahead summer dessert that’s totally different from your standard strawberry shortcake.

Very Berry

My mom swapped out orange liqueur for Limoncello, and used some frozen berries instead of fresh (the original recipe also calls for cherries, probably a very good way to go but we aren’t quite to cherry season here yet).

Very Berry

She called me and said, “I really want to make that berry cake from Southern Living!” At first I didn’t even know what she was talking about, then I said, “Oh, that weird berry cake mold thing? It looks…difficult.” Nope. Moms are always right. This is worth making again and again. It’s easy, and you don’t even have to feel guilty about having dessert!

Very Berry

Recipe
Very Berry Summer Pudding Cake
Adapted from Southern Living
Serves 8-10

Ingredients

  • 2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
  • 5 cups frozen mixed berries (we used a mixed bag of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries from Costco)
  • 2 cups fresh raspberries
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup limoncello
  • 3 (3-oz.) packages soft ladyfingers
  • Garnishes: fresh berries, fresh mint sprigs, whipped cream or ice cream

Preparation

  1. Stir together first 5 ingredients in a large, heavy stainless steel saucepan; let stand 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 cup water, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes or just until berries begin to break down and release their juices. Remove from heat, and stir in limoncello; cool 20 minutes.
  2. Line a 2-qt. soufflé dish or spring-form pan with plastic wrap. Spoon 1 cup berry mixture into prepared dish, spreading to cover bottom. Arrange ladyfingers in a single layer on berry mixture, pressing together and trimming as needed to fit snugly and cover berry mixture. Repeat layers twice, dividing remaining berry mixture evenly between layers.
  3. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and place a small plate (approximately the same diameter as the inside of the dish) directly on top. Place 2 or 3 heavy cans on plate, and chill 12 hours. Unmold pudding onto a serving plate.

Baked Coffee Cake French Toast.

20 Sunday May 2012

Posted by in Baking, Breads, Breakfast, Easy, Entertaining, Main Dish, Uncategorized

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Sometimes French Toast makes me nervous.  Especially overnight french toast. I always get paranoid I don’t have the right bread and that everything is going to turn into a soggy mess and not cook right the next morning.

But french toast is always good. I don’t know why I worry so much about these things. Plus, Joy the Baker would never do me wrong.

And she didn’t. Because this Baked Coffee Cake French Toast was a hit. And sooo easy!

Warning: you are not going to get uniform pieces of French Toast out of this. Mine almost turned into a delicious bread pudding in the oven. Once it comes out, you’re gonna be scooping out gooey pieces, trying to get a perfect slice isn’t gonna happen. And you know what? It’s better that way. Trust me.

Next time I will probably try it with Challah bread, and fan out the layers so each piece of bread gets a good portion of coffee-cake topping. I highly recommend serving the french toast with fresh berries and whipped cream.

Recipe
Baked Coffee Cake French Toast
From the Joy the Baker Cookbook
Serves 6

For the French Toast:

  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 10 slices stale white or whole wheat sandwich bread
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

For the Topping:

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 (1/2 stick) butter, cold, cut into cubes
  • powdered sugar for garnish

Method:

To make the French toast: Melt butter in an 8-inch cast-iron (or any oven-friendly) skillet. Coat the entire pan, including the sides of the skillet with melted butter. Remove from heat.

Slice the bread diagonally. Fan and stack the bread atop the melted butter, cut side down, point side up.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together eggs, whole milk, buttermilk, sugar, and vanilla. Once well incorporated, pour the custard over the bread slices into the skillet. Gently press the bread slices into the custard to coat; bread slices will not be completely submerged in the egg mixture.

Cover the Skillet with plastic wrap and refrigerate for anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight.

Just before you are ready to bake, place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

To make the topping: whisk together flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Use your fingers to work the butter into the dry ingredients until the butter is in pea-sized lumps. Remove the soaked bread from the refrigerator and sprinkle with crumb topping.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the custard has set and the bread tops are toasted. Allow to cool for 15 minutes. Sift powdered sugar over the top of the toast and scoop into bowls to serve. This dish is excellent with fresh berries (marinated in a little triple sec and powdered sugar) and whipped cream.