Thursday, June 5, 2014

In My Kitchen: Contemplation










I'm in my last week or so of 30 Day Vegan, and contemplating how I want to continue to incorporate some of this experience into my regular eating.  I'll never be a full-time vegan (egads, it's so much easier to bake with eggs), but I could see plant-based foods making up about 70-80% of my intake on a "regular" week.

I also noticed that eating granola with chocolate chips in it tastes just like cookies.

Finally: keep thinking about making a coffee spice cake.  It's one of the cakes that I grew up eating, and it remains a crowd-pleaser among my family and friends.  I had to include Mum's hand-written recipe cards above--about 10 years ago, she gave me a book full of her favorite baking recipes for my birthday.  I love having these recipes in her handwriting--it was truly a great gift.

However, if anyone wants to copy a clear version of the recipe, here it is typed out:

Coffee Spice Layer Cake (not to be confused with coffee cake: this is a true dessert cake)

2 and 3/4 cups flour, sifted four times then measured 
             (or just use cake flour)
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon allspice

Put all measured dry ingredients into a sifter

Beat together at high speed, about 3-4 min. (until light and fluffy):
1/2 cup butter (my mother used crisco)
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 eggs

Add sifted dry ingredients to the mixer alternately with:
1 1/4 cups cold coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla 
(admission: I almost always just mix it all together in one go)

Pour into 2 greased and floured 8- or 9-inch layer cake pans and bake at 350 degrees (Fahrenheit) for about 35-40 minutes--depends on your oven.  It's done when the cake is pulling away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick comes out clean from the center.

Mocha Frosting:
2 3/4 cups confectioners sugar
1/3 cup cocoa (I use a bit more)
1/3 cup soft butter
1/4 cup warm coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream the butter, add other ingredients, and beat it (by hand) well until the frosting is smooth. If you need to, add more hot coffee a tablespoon or so at a time.  

What are you contemplating in your kitchen this week?

17 comments:

  1. Thanks for stopping by my blog, Erin, and for your sweet comments. That cake sounds absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe. Handwriting on a recipe card can certainly evoke wonderful memories!

    Hope you're having a great day!

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    1. It is a great cake, even if it does not fit with the healthier food I usually eat! Handwriting is indeed a powerful way of calling up memories!

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  2. Thanks for stopping by today! I your quinoa bowl looks really tasty. And I love handwritten recipe cards, what a legacy.

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    1. It was a great stew--part of 30 day vegan!

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  3. Oh that coffee cake sounds fabulous!! I am always on the lookout for new recipes and I will most definitely try this one! Your kitchen looks so pretty with the sunlight streaming in, a very inviting place!

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  4. I love your bright open kitchen.

    My mother has passed, and I find myself the keeper of the recipes. It is a special way to keep that connection, one that I hope my own children will carry on. (I wrote a post about family food culture, if you care to read: http://seekingjoyfulsimplicity.wordpress.com/2014/05/28/our-family-food-culture/)

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    1. This was really beautiful, and I commented on your blog! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.

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  5. Granola with chocolate chips... mmm... my kids would love it! That cake sounds delicious! Checking everyone's blog on the makings and the foods, gives me so many ideas to try new foods. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. I know, it's so much more inspirational than I had anticipated!

      I didn't make the granola with chips...just put them in for a serving. It really is divine!

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  6. I eat vegan about half the week I usually cook with olive oil and eat lots of pulsed, nuts, fruit and veg but the hardest thing to give up on vegan days are eggs...I love them. Your Coffee spice cake sound delicious I will keep a note of your page and have a go next time I bake. Unless I get requested something else in the meantime. It's extra special because it's your mums recipe.
    debx

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    1. If you make it, and think of it, let me know if you like the cake! It's a family standard for us.

      I don't miss *eating* eggs as much as *cooking and baking* with them!

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    2. Hi, I have made your cake and we loved it.I think that it will now be one of our family standards too. I loved all the sifting and the scrumptious mocha frosting. Although I think I may not have used enough coffee and been a bit heavy handed with the cinnamon. I'll add a little more next time. I've linked back to your page for the recipe. Thank you so much for sharing it with us all.
      debby

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    3. I'm so glad! It is such a delicious (and relatively easy) cake that I felt compelled to share it.

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  7. Love your cake recipe and your cards from your mom is so sweet.. Lovely pics and I love peeking into your kitchen.. Thank you.. xo

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    1. Thanks for coming by! My mother is really good at gifts like this. She gave each of the 8 of us photo albums with photos and report cards etc from us each growing up (plus some photocopies of some family documents). That was amazing, too. I hope to do some of these same things for my kids someday.

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  8. I need to try your cake, it sounds delicious! The lovely recipe book from your mom is such a wonderful gift! A real blessing!
    Happy weekend from Italy

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