This week's Project Pastry Queen was chosen by Emily of A Gilt Nutmeg. It's actually supposed to be mini cinnamon apple loaves with a Calvados glaze, but like usual I adapted it. I don't have mini loaf pans, and I didn't want to buy disposable ones. However, I think this would be awesome for holiday gifts and am going to keep this one in mind. I put this cake into my bundt pan and made one big cake instead.

This is a really good apple cake recipe. It's very flavorful and (sorry for those of you who hate this word) moist. The original recipe calls for pecans to be mixed into the batter. Instead, I placed them at the bottom of the bundt pan, sprinkled a few tablespoons of brown sugar on top of them, and then poured the batter on top. I love doing this because you get a candied nut on the top of your cake. If you don't like nuts in your cake, just omit them. Also, I didn't have any calvados (apple brandy) for the glaze, so I subbed it with 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon. It was a very good glaze!  

I adapted this for high altitude, so if you want the regular recipe check out A Gilt Nutmeg. Be sure to check out the Project Pastry Queen website to see everyone's take on this week's recipe.

Cinnamon Apple Cake Recipe (High Altitude)
Print this recipe

1 cup pecans
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/4 cups canola oil
1 3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Scant 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (just a little less)
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups cored, peeled, and diced apples (about 3 apples)

Glaze:
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 tablespoon Calvados (apple brandy, optional)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a bundt pan with Baker's Joy.

Chop your nuts and sprinkle them on the bottom of your bundt pan. Sprinkle the brown sugar over them. In a large bowl, combine the oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla and mix until combined. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt and stir until incorporated. Add in the flour and once it is all combined, fold in the apples. 

Pour the batter over the nuts/sugar in the pan and place in your preheated oven. Bake for 60-70 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for about 20 minutes before flipping the cake out of the pan.

To make the glaze, in a saucepan, melt the butter and add the brown sugar, corn syrup, Calvados, and cinnamon. Simmer the mixture over medium-low heat until it thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Spoon it over the cake.

Source: The Pastry Queen

If you love your momma, you should make her this for Mother's Day. If you love yourself, you should make this for Mother's Day. Or a Tuesday. Or the Superbowl. Wait, what?

This is some good stuff. I know, I know, I say that about pretty much all the recipes I post, but I'm not going to post something I don't love. Then you wouldn't trust me, and we don't want that, do we? My momma loves this coffee cake, and I think all of the people who have tried it have loved it. It certainly doesn't last long.

We don't normally do a brunch for Mother's Day because sleep is pretty important to us, but if we did, I would make this. Instead, I made it last weekend so you can make it for your moms. Pass the love along!

I have made this coffee cake numerous times and have loved it every time. I have made the full recipe, halved it for a 9x9 pan, and made it into muffins. It works well in all forms. I have always used frozen blueberries and they work just as well as fresh berries. This batter is thick and smooth, easy to make, and is a great base for other coffee cakes. Strawberries, rhubarb, raspberries, or apples would all be a great substitution for the blueberries. This is kind of like making a giant blueberry muffin with a cinnamon sugar topping. What's not to like?

Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake Recipe
Makes a 9x13 pan
Print this recipe

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups milk
3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Streusel Topping:
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup cold butter

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until incorporated. Add vanilla, baking powder, and salt, and mix until combined. Add the flour to the mixture in two portions, alternating with the milk. Mix well after each addition. Fold in the blueberries (if you're using frozen, don't thaw them first). Pour batter into a greased 9x13 pan.

To make the streusel, mix together the sugar and cinnamon and cut in the butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle this on top of the batter in the pan.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean (don't worry if it comes out blue though). Cool in the pan before serving.

Source: Taste of Home

Don't you want to just slice right into this? I made this awhile ago for a birthday, and it was incredible. Three amazing layers of wonderful moist chocolatey cake, a peanut butter cream cheese frosting and filling, and a peanut butter chocolate ganache. It's simply incredible, and it's perfect for a special occasion...or just because. In fact, I took what was left of the cake to work, and it was gone in about 20 minutes. The word got out that it was in the kitchen, and it was devoured. When I made this, I had some leftover chocolate chip cookie dough frosting, and I used that for the filling instead of the peanut butter frosting. It was a nice contrast but it's great without it. And since I don't have the recipe for that frosting posted yet, just go with the peanut butter. It's delicious!

This is the chocolate cake recipe I use for every chocolate cake I make. And I love that I don't have to adjust it for high altitude. It works perfectly for me in three 9-inch pans. Since that rarely happens for me, this makes it even better. Not to mention that you can make the chocolate cake in one bowl with a whisk. No mixer required.  

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake
Print this recipe
Serves 12-16

For the cake:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch process is best)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup canola oil
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs

For the peanut butter frosting:
10 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
5 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter (better to use a commercial brand because the oil doesn't separate)

For the chocolate peanut butter ganache:
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup half-and-half

To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray three 8- or 9-inch cake pans with baking spray (cooking spray with flour in it). In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Add the oil and sour cream and mix together. Next add the water and stir it together. Mix in the vinegar and vanilla and stir until combined. Add the eggs and whisk until everything is well combined. Divide the batter into the three pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 20 minutes and then finish cooling on a wire rack.

The cakes are very soft, and it's helpful for them to be cold before you work with them. I usually make these the day before I need to frost and assemble them. I wrap them with plastic wrap and store them in the fridge overnight. You also can place them in the freezer for about 30 minutes before you frost them.  

To make the frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth and well combined. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing in between until the powdered sugar is incorporated. When everything is smooth and the frosting is light and fluffy, add the peanut butter and mix again until combined.
 
To assemble the cake, spread one tablespoon of the frosting on your cake plate or board. This will keep the cake from sliding off the plate. If your cakes are domed, slide the tops of the cakes off so that they're level. Place the first layer flat side down on the plate. Spread about 2/3 cup of the frosting on top of the first layer. Place the second layer on top and spread with another 2/3 cup of frosting. Place the third layer flat side up on top. Press down lightly on the cakes. Spread a thin layer of frosting on the sides and top of the cake and then place it in the fridge for 15 to 30 minutes until set. This is a crumb layer and will keep your dark crumbs out of your light frosting.

Once your crumb layer is set, spread the rest of the frosting around the sides and top of the cake. The top of the cake will be covered with the ganache, so it doesn't have to look perfect. Once your cake is frosted, put it in the fridge so the frosting sets. This will help with the ganache.

To make the ganache, combine the chocolate, peanut butter, and corn syrup in a bowl over a pot of simmering water or the top of a double boiler. Cook, stirring often, until the chocolate has melted and is smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in the half-and-half until well combined. Let cool slightly. Once it's a touch thicker, pour it over the top of the cake, spreading it to the edges so it drips down the cake. Place the cake back in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving so the ganache can set.

Store in the refrigerator but serve at room temperature...because cold cake is no bueno.

Source: Smitten Kitchen

This week's Project Pastry Queen was chosen by Emily of A Gilt Nutmeg. She chose the tropical carrot cake with coconut-cream cheese frosting. This is an intense, three-layer cake, but it's a great special occasion cake. Easter maybe? If you like coconut and carrot cake, you'll love this cake. I love the addition of the macadamia nuts that give it some texture, and it has great flavor. It's also very moist. This isn't my favorite carrot cake recipe, but I do like it a lot. However, this is not your typical cream cheese frosting. It's not very sweet. I added more powdered sugar than called for, and it's still not very sweet. I would use my go-to cream cheese frosting recipe next time. I modified the recipe for high altitude, so if you're at a normal altitude, check out this post for the regular recipe.

Another note, I have never used or heard of sweetened cream of coconut (Coco Lopez) before. I did some research, and it's in a can in the drink section of the grocery store. Super Target sells it in the baking aisle. If you can't find it at the store, like me, try your liquor store in the mixers section. Mine had it and saved me from having to make another trip.  

Tropical Carrot Cake at High Altitude (5280 feet)
Print this recipe
1 cup macadamia nuts
3 cups flour
3 cups sugar
2 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
5 eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla
1 3/4 cups canola oil
2 cups shredded carrots
20 oz can crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup sweetened cream of coconut

Coconut-Cream Cheese Frosting
3 8-ounce packages of cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 sweetened cream of coconut
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the nuts on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast for 7-9 minutes until golden brown. Cool.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, coconut, and nuts. In another bowl, combine the other ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until combined.

Pour the batter into three 9-inch cake pans that have been sprayed with Baker's Joy (or you can line the pans with parchment paper, grease with butter, and dust with flour). Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let cool completely.
 
To make the frosting, combine cream cheese with powdered sugar into your mixer with the paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer). Mix on medium speed until combined (about a minute or two). Add in the rest of the ingredients and continue mixing until combined and lumps are removed.

To frost, place a small bit (about 2 tablespoons) of frosting to the serving plate and place the first cake layer on top, bottom side down (this small bit of frosting ensures the cake won't slide off the serving plate). Spread a generous layer of frosting on top of this layer. Place the second layer on top, spread more frosting on top, and place the third layer on, bottom side up (so you have an level top). Frost the top and sides of the cake with an even layer of frosting and decorate. Store in the fridge for up to four days but serve at room temperature.