Chocolate-Caramel-Banana Upside-Down Cake

Chocolate-Caramel-Banana Upside-Down Cake

The upside-down cake is a big favorite of mine. After the Bundt, of course. And no worries...I'm not going to make 30 days of upside-down cakes. Because people who do that kind of thing are just crazy.

Chocolate.
Caramel.
Bananas.
Perfect!
(Well, this post isn't for my banana hater friends, Clara and Jenn)

This is from the cookbook, Cake Keeper Cakes: 100 Simple Recipes for Extraordinary Bundt Cakes, Pound Cakes, Snacking Cakes and Other Good-To-The-Last-Crumb Treats by Lauren Chattman. I made the Orange-Ricotta Pound Cake Bundt earlier this month and it was delicious. So I'm two for two with this cookbook. And the rest of it looks very very promising!

Some brown sugar and butter is heated to make caramel. A layer of bananas is placed on top. Then a chocolate cake tops the banana-caramel mixture. I thought there was a bit too much caramel, making the cake a bit too sweet. Next time, I would cut the caramel by 25%.

After baking, let it sit for 5 minutes and then flip onto your serving tray. Voila!

I want to try David Lebovitz's Banana-Chocolate Chip Upside Down Cake next!

Chocolate-Caramel-Banana Upside-Down Cake
Click here for printable recipe
Adapted from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman (2009), page 58. Buy it here or see if your library has it here.

Topping:
1 stick butter
3/4 c light brown sugar
3 ripe bananas, cut into 1/4-inch slices
(I thought the caramel was a little too much. I would use 3/4 stick butter, 1/2 c brown sugar next time)

Cake:
3/4 c plus 2 T unbleached all-purpose flour (I used King Arthur flour)
6 T (1/4 c plus 2T) unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
3/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
6 T (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 c granulated sugar
2 large eggs (room temp)
2 t vanilla
2/3 c buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use a 9" x 2" cake pan.
2. Topping: Heat butter over medium heat until melted and foamy. Whisk in brown sugar, turn heat to low and cook, whisking constantly, for two minutes or until the mixture is thick. Spread on the bottom of the 9" cake pan.
3. Arrange the bananas in a circle on top of the sugar mixture. Set aside.
4. Sift together flour, cocoa, soda and salt.
5. Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy (I used my KitchenAid mixer on medium for 3 minutes). Scrape down sides of bowl.
6. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition.
7. Stir in vanilla.
8. On low speed, alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk (3 flour and 2 milk additions).
9. Scrape down the sides and then beat batter on high for 30 seconds.
10. Pour batter over the bananas and smooth out.
11. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let sit on wire rack for 5 minutes. Then carefully invert onto your serving tray. Let sit at least 20 minutes before diving in. The author says it keeps for 2 days in a cake keeper at room temp.

National Library Week Day 3: Coffee Jello & Disney Giveaway

Coffee Jello
Yeah, this isn't the stuff you get in the hospital.

It's National Library Week! This is the 2nd annual celebration on my blog. As I say, I'm putting the Librarian in the Food Librarian!

Last month, I had dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant, and my friend ordered Vietnamese coffee - a combo of espresso and condensed milk. I love Vietnamese coffee, but I can't handle caffeine so I just had a sip. I knew I wanted to make it in Jello form. Right away.

The Japanese also make a coffee jello - sweetened black coffee gelatin cubes or cups. Often, it is served with cream. But I wanted mine all mixed together so it can be served easy-to-eat finger jello style.

I made this with Starbucks VIA (Starbuck's new instant coffee), Knox unflavored gelatin, and sweetened condensed milk. Because the milk is sweetened, I didn't add any additional sugar.

This was a CROWD favorite at the library. My co-workers love all coffee and mocha desserts. I brought it out at 3 pm and it was a perfect pick-me-up! Of course, you can make them with decaffeinated coffee...but the coffee drinkers will just look at you weird and wonder why anyone would do that.

I used mini-cupcake liners to serve the coffee jello. These are about 1-inch squares.

The Librarian Action Figure (modeled after real-life librarian and author Nancy Pearl) can eat a whole plate of coffee jello.

All this week, I'm highlighting a library thing (usually a public library thing b/c that's my gig). Today, it's Downloadable Media. My favorite provider is OverDrive. You can download audiobooks and eBooks to your home computer and transfer them to a portable device (such as MP3, iPod, Sony Reader, Barnes & Noble Nook). Remember that crazy 30 days of Bundts I did in November? I wouldn't have made it through all that baking and blogging without downloadable audiobooks. Downloadable media is free, easy to use and there are never any overdue fines. See if your library subscribes to OverDrive on their website.

I'm having 5 days of giveaways during National Library Week!

To celebrate Day 3 of National Library Week, I'm giving away the following to one lucky winner:
a. Two Disney kitchen towels
b. Two Mickey Mouse shaped egg or small pancake molds

Living in Southern California has some disadvantages (our seasons are: Fire, Flood, and Earthquake) but sooooo many advantages. And one is buying the Disneyland Annual Pass. So, I picked up these cute kitchen Disney-themed items for today's giveaway!

I have a set of the molds and made this last year (post here). Enter the contest so you can greet friends and family with fun shaped food. :)

To enter the Day 3 Giveaway, simply leave a comment below (one entry per person) and I'll pick the winner from a hat (aka Random). Deadline for all contests: Monday, April 19, 2010 at midnight PDT. If your comment isn't linked to a blog where I can find you, please leave your email. Shipping to U.S. addresses only. Librarian action figure not included.

Also, don't forget to enter the Day 1 Giveaway: Cookbook and Chef Post-its and Day 2 Giveaway: Loaf Pans. Good luck with the giveaway, make some Coffee Jello, and see you back here tomorrow!
- mary the food librarian

Recipe:
Click here for the printable recipe

Coffee Jello / Coffee Gelatin
1/2 c cold water
2 cups strong coffee, hot. I used two packages of Starbucks Via. The coffee needs to be strong. This isn't the time for Sanka instant. :)
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
3 packages of Knox unflavored gelatin

1. Place 1/2 c cold water in a bowl.
2. Sprinkle 3 unflavored gelatin packets over the water. Let sit until the gelatin blooms, about 10 minutes.
3. Stir in the hot coffee and mix until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
4. Stir in the can of sweetened condensed milk.
5. Pour into glass pan. Thickness of finished jello depends on the size of the pan. I used a 7 x 11 pan but a 9 x 13 pan will give you thinner pieces and an 8 x 8 pan will give you thicker pieces.

Note: The combo of coffee and sweetened condensed milk is inspired by Vietnamese coffee. You can probably adapt this to use coffee or espresso, cream and sugar (be sure to dissolve the sugar in the hot coffee and gelatin). I find that 1 packet of unflavored gelatin will firm up 1 1/2 cups of liquid to finger jello "strength" (according to David Lebovitz's "How to Use Gelatin" post you can mold 2 cups with one envelope - but I feel finger jello needs to be stronger).

National Library Week Day 1: Orange-Ricotta Pound Cake Bundt and Cookbook Giveaway

Orange-Ricotta Pound Cake Bundt with Marmalade Glaze

Bust out your library card and celebrate National Library Week with me! This is the 2nd annual celebration on the Food Librarian blog. Sometimes, I just gotta put the Librarian in the Food Librarian!

I know you are probably reading this on your own computer, but did you know that nearly 1/3 of the U.S. population over the age of 14 used the library's internet computers? As more companies only allow online applications (even if the job doesn't use computers), free internet access at the public library is one of our essential services.

I hope you take some time out this week to celebrate libraries and the library staff. Libraries are special places where you can find a book, DVD, music, story time, job announcements, research assistance, and free internet access. Stop by to enjoy a seminar, join a knitting group, or get help learning about your genealogy.

This is the Librarian Action Figure (modeled after real-life librarian and author Nancy Pearl).
Don't laugh. How many other occupations have their own action figure?!
Sadly though, the only action this librarian does is raise her arm to Shush. Sigh.

Of course I start the week with a Bundt. No. Big. Surprise. I now live close to a Bristol Farms (California grocery store that is really pretty and really expensive). Last winter I picked up their free magazine. And what caught my eye? Oh, yes, the Bundt on the Cover.

This bundt is easy to make and uses ricotta cheese. It is the first time I'm using ricotta in baking, and not a lasagna.

Glazed with orange marmalade and filled with orange zest, this bundt is a winner. The recipe is from Lauren Chattman's book: Cake Keeper Cakes: 100 Simple Recipes for Extraordinary Bundt Cakes, Pound Cakes, Snacking Cakes and Other Good-To-The-Last-Crumb Treats... and you can win it!

I'm having 5 days of giveaways during National Library Week!

To celebrate Day 1 of National Library Week, I'm giving away the following to one lucky winner:
a. Lauren Chattman's book: Cake Keeper Cakes: 100 Simple Recipes for Extraordinary Bundt Cakes, Pound Cakes, Snacking Cakes and Other Good-To-The-Last-Crumb Treats
b. Chef Set Page Tags

Get the book that has this yummy recipe. I just ordered it from Amazon and bought an extra copy for YOU!

Chef Set Page Tags (purchased from Girl of All Work) Aren't these the cutest flags ever? You can decorate your cookbook with these post-it notes.

To enter the Day 1 Giveaway, simply leave a comment below (one entry per person) and I'll pick the winner from a hat (aka Random). Deadline: Monday, April 19, 2010 at midnight PDT. If your comment isn't linked to a blog where I can find you, please leave your email. Shipping to U.S. addresses only. Librarian action figure not included.

Good luck with the giveaway and come back tomorrow as we continue to celebrate National Library Week! - mary the food librarian

Recipe: Orange-Ricotta Pound Cake with Marmalade Glaze
Click here for printable recipe

Adapted from Lauren Chattman's book, Cake Keeper Cakes: 100 Simple Recipes for Extraordinary Bundt Cakes, Pound Cakes, Snacking Cakes and Other Good-To-The-Last-Crumb Treats
Find out if your library has it here.

In the headnote, Laren Chattman says grapefruit zest and marmalade can be substituted
Cake:
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese
3 large eggs, room temp
1/4 cup fresh orange juice (for me, that was one orange)
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
1 1/2 t orange zest (I used the zest of two oranges)

Glaze:
1/2 c orange marmalade (I bought mine at Trader Joe's)
2 t water

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prep a 12-cup Bundt pan. (This is a big cake...Bristol Farm's magazine used the Bavaria Nordic Ware Bundt pan but that is a 10-cup pan. I didn't want to bake it in two pans so I used the original, classic 12-cup Bundt.)
2. Combine together: flour, baking powder and soda, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
3. With the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar at medium-high until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
4. Add ricotta cheese and beat until smooth.
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well. Scrap down sides of batter after each egg.
6. Beat in orange juice, vanilla and orange zest.
7. With mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture. Scrap down the sides a few times. After the last addition, mix for 30 seconds on medium speed...but don't overmix.
8. Pour batter into greased and floured (I use Pam with Flour spray) Bundt pan. Bake on the middle rack until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. It took my cake 55 minutes at 325 degrees. The instructions say "about 1 hour and 10 minutes" so please check early.
9. Cool cake in the pan for 15 minutes than depan onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before applying glaze.
10. For the glaze, heat the marmalade and water in a saucepan until everything is liquid. Brush it over the cake - I used a brush to coat the entire cake, but you can also just place on top and let it run down the sides. Let glaze cool before serving.
11. Like her book suggests, keep the cake in the Cake Keeper! Since I bring mine to work, it is gone by the afternoon.