Orange Buttermilk Cake with Zesty-Sweet Curd Filling

I have a very serious question for you.
Do I have enough orange zest on my plate?  I think I could have fit a little more on there, don't ya agree? 

Ha Ha - I guess you could say I got a little carried away.

I couldn't help myself. I made this cake right after Valentine's Day and my Sweetheart had surprised me with all kinds of fun new kitchen gadgets, including a zester and a microplane grater.  

Up until then, I had been using the smaller side of my cheese grater to zest my oranges, limes and lemons.  I didn't think a microplane grater would be much different.  I was SOOOOOOO wrong.  That thing is my new favorite kitchen gadget.  It zests oranges PERFECTLY.  The blades are sharp and angled just right, so you don't have to worry about accidentally grating the bitter white part, because it won't let you go down that far.    You can grate a whole orange in a flash - seriously - go buy yourself an all-purpose microplane grater if you don't already have one.  I have even used it to grate fresh ginger and fresh parmesan cheese.  

Back to the cake . . . if you like the flavor of oranges, then I think you will love this cake.  It is loaded with citrus flavor, the cake is dense and moist and the frosting is soft and creamy.  It looks like a lot of work, but you can always make the curd a day or so ahead of time or just leave it out.  I love the flavor combo of Orange and Almond, especially since I first tried this Orange-Almond Biscotti. 

Orange Buttermilk Cake with Zesty-Sweet Curd Filling

adapted from: Cooking With Paula Deen (March/April 2012 Issue)
(Printable Recipes)

1 c. butter, softened

2 c. sugar

2 tsp. orange zest

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. salt

4 large eggs

3 c. all-purpose flour

1 Tbl. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/4 c. buttermilk

Zesty-Sweet Curd Filling (recipe follows)

Orange Buttermilk Frosting (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and lightly flour 3 (9-inch) cake pans.  In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, orange zest, vanilla and salt at medium speed with a mixer until fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and baking soda.  Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Divide batter evenly among prepared cake pans.  Bake for 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes.  Remove from pans and cool completely on wire rack.  Spread curd filling between layers.  Spread orange buttermilk frosting on top and sides of cake.  Store, covered, in refrigerator up to 3-days.  

Zesty-Sweet Curd Filling

*I did not make this recipe, instead I made 1/2 batch of this microwave curd recipe and used orange juice instead of lemon juice and I added 1/8 tsp. of almond extract.  I still wanted to post this recipe incase anyone wanted to try it.

1 1/2 tsp. unflavored gelatin

2 Tbl. fresh lemon juice

3/4 c. sugar

1 Tbl. orange zest

1/2 c. fresh orange juice

4 egg yolks

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. almond extract

6 Tbl. butter, cut into small pieces

In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over lemon juice.  Let stand for 10 minutes or until softened.  In a medium saucepan, whisk together sugar, orange zest, orange juice, egg yolks, salt and almond extract.  Add butter and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until curd has thickened, about 8 minutes.  remove from heat and whisk in the gelatin mixture until smooth.  Transfer curd to a bowl and place plastic wrap directly on surface of curd; refrigerate at least 8 hours or until ready to use.  Yield: about 1 cup

Orange Buttermilk Frosting

1 c. butter, softened

1 tsp. orange zest

6 c. powdered sugar

3-4 Tbl. buttermilk, plus more if needed

juice of 1-2 oranges, to taste

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract, opt.

orange food coloring paste, opt.

In a large bowl, beat butter and orange zest at medium speed with a mixer until creamy.  Gradually add half of the powdered sugar, beating until smooth.  Add buttermilk, orange juice, vanilla and almond extracts and beat until smooth.  Add remaining powdered sugar, beating until smooth.  Add more buttermilk if frosting is too thick.  Tint frosting with orange food coloring paste, beating to reach desired color.  

Jenn's Notes: I did not have 3 (9-inch) cake pans, so I divided the batter between two pans and baked them for 25-27 minutes.  I cut each layer in half, making four layers.  I only put curd filling over one layer and I actually preferred it WITHOUT the curd filling.  After sitting in the fridge for a few hours, the orange flavor intensifies and it is super orangey.  

Baked Beans

I have told you that my father-in-law, Bob, makes the best baked beans I have ever had.  Better than any restaurant around.  I didn't even like baked beans until I tried his recipe and now I love them.  I am on a constant search to find a bean recipe as good as his.  I found a promising recipe a few weeks ago.  It comes from The Daily Smash and she says it is her Mom's recipe and she has never found another recipe she likes as much.  I even noticed one of the comments said that they couldn't believe she shared her Mom's yummy recipe! 

I thought these beans were absolutely delicious.  I used a different brand of baked beans than I usually use and I think it made a big difference in the taste.  The flavor did remind me of Bob's, so I am getting closer! 

Baked Beans

adapted from: The Daily Smash

(Printable Recipe)

1/2 Lb. bacon

2 Lbs. ground beef

2 c. chopped onion

1 c. chopped celery

2 beef bouillon cubes

2/3 c. boiling water

1 1/2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 c. ketchup

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

2 (28 oz.) cans Bush's Baked Beans 

   - Maple Cured Bacon flavor

   - Country Style flavor

Fry bacon and set aside.  Brown ground beef, onion and celery in a large pot and cook until vegetables are tender.  Dissolve the bouillon cubes in water and add along with the remaining ingredients, including the cooked bacon.  Mix well.  Cover and bake 1 hour @ 375 degrees.  Top with sour cream.  This freezes well.  

Jenn's Notes: I cut the recipe in half and I used one can of Country Style flavored beans.  I also added some diced green bell pepper.  Next time, I will try adding some sausage! Instead of baking this, I just let it simmer on the stove for a few hours.  This recipe was so good. 

Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken

I have to say . . . this sounded like the strangest recipe to me, but I kept seeing it all over blog land.  How could ketchup, soy sauce and honey be good together?  I decided to read through the comments and shockingly everyone seemed to love this.  Comment after comment said I tried this and loved it, it's a new family favorite, it will be a weekly menu item and so on and so on.  Okay, either everyone is crazy or this must be really good.  I decided to go with everyone is crazy! Ha ha.  

I gave it a try.  

This stuff is DELICIOUS!  

It reminded me of the rice bowls from Teriyaki Bowl and Rumbi!  It was so EASY and I think kids will love it, as well as adults.  Like everyone else already said, this will become a frequent menu item.  

Honey Sesame Chicken

adapted from: Six Sister's Stuff
(Printable Recipe)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

pepper

1 cup honey

1/2 c. soy sauce

1/2 c. diced onion

1/4 c. ketchup

2 Tbl. vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

4 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 6 Tbl. water

sesame seeds

Season both sides of chicken with a little pepper.  Put in crock pot.  In a small bowl combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and red pepper flakes.  Pour over chicken.  Cook on low 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 hours or until chicken is cooked through.  Remove chicken from crockpot, leave sauce.  Add cornstarch mixture; stir to combine.  Replace lid and cook sauce on high for 10 more minutes or until slightly thickened.  Cut chicken into bite size pieces and then return to pot and toss with sauce before serving.  Serve over rice or noodles and sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Serves 4 - 5  

Jenn's Notes: I cut the recipe in half and cooked it in the oven.  I used dried onion flakes and I used a small pinch of cayenne instead of red pepper flakes.  Once my chicken was baked, I removed it from the pan and cooked the sauce over medium heat until it was thickened.  Instead of adding the chicken back into the sauce, I tossed a little over each dish, because it made quite a bit of sauce and I didn't want it to drown my chicken!  I served with steamed broccoli, but I actually preferred the broccoli on the side.  I really am a big fan of this dish - I thought it was so yummy!

Vanilla Bean Paste Winner Announced

Thank you so much to everyone who entered my Vanilla Bean Paste Giveaway!

I was shocked to read how many people have not heard of vanilla bean paste.  I love this stuff and everyone needs to have a bottle!  Don't worry if you didn't win, I will have another vanilla giveaway coming. 

The winner is . . . .

Comment #45 Briana Richardson 

who said. . . "I don't have a favorite yet"

Congratulations Briana!

Please contact me within 72 hours to claim your prize at eatcakefordinner@digis.net

Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies

I love Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies and I'm not afraid to admit it.  

Like any other sweet treat, homemade is almost always better than store bought. I had seen a ton of versions of this famous treat and they all sounded great and the photos were all mouth-watering that it was almost too hard to pick one to try and that is why it took me so long to finally just pick one and give it a go!  

I went with the recipe that didn't have the most butter, but didn't have the least and I went with one that had all brown sugar, because brown sugar makes a super soft cookie and that is what I was looking for.  I decided to ignore all of the cream filling recipes and go with one of my favorite frostings.  It is the original recipe that I based my Whipped Eggnog Frosting off of.  It is the lightest frosting and it has a great texture and flavor.  I know it is different than the store-bought version, because I saw an episode of Unwrapped and it showed us that the real cream filling is made with shortening, powdered sugar, corn syrup and vanilla flavoring and they whip air into that.  Whichever type of filling you decide to go with, these will be delicious either way!  

I LOVED these Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies!  

Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies

adapted from: Bean Town Baker
(Printable Recipe)

3/4 c. unsalted butter, softened

2 c. packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 tsp. salt

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 c. quick-cooking rolled oats

2 tsp. baking soda

3 Tbl. hot water

1 batch Whipped Vanilla Frosting

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside.  Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and mix to combine.  In a separate bowl, sift together the salt, flour, baking powder and cinnamon.  Add to the creamed mixture.  Add the oats and mix until combined.  In a small dish, add the baking soda to the boiling water and stir into the rest of the batter.  Drop by the Tablespoon onto baking sheets, about 2-inches apart and bake until the cookies are just starting to turn golden around the edges, 8-11 minutes.  Cool the cookies on a wire rack.  Once completely cooled, spread vanilla frosting over flat side of one cookie and top with the flat side of another cookie.  Repeat.  Yield: around 44 cookies or 22 sandwiches. 

Jenn's Notes: I made a half a batch of both the cookies and the frosting.  I typed the recipe above with the measurements that I used.  The cinnamon is needed to help these taste like the store-bought ones, so don't leave it out.  I baked my cookies for 8-9 minutes.  (Remember you want them to be soft).  Don't judge the sandwiches the first night you make them, they really need to sit overnight in order to taste like a store-bought oatmeal cream pie.  They are delicious and I can't stop eating them!     

Cheesy Chili Mac

Can you guys see that string of cheese attached to the spoon!  Is it making you crave some cheesy, creamy, flavorful macaroni?  It is?  Well, you should make this pasta!  It was really good and it was done in less than 30 minutes!  Perfect weeknight dinner.   

This dish is right up my alley! I love each and every ingredient, especially the corn. I love biting into corn and getting that burst of juicy goodness.  This dish had a special ingredient that gave it some amazing flavor and I can't wait to try it in other savory dishes.  It was brown sugar and it added a perfect richness to this dish. 

Cheesy Chili Mac

adapted from: Tracey's Culinary Adv. (from Cook's)
(Printable Recipe)

1 Lb. ground beef or turkey 

1/2 onion, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbl. chili powder

1 Tbl. ground cumin

1 Tbl. brown sugar

salt and pepper

2 c. water

1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce

8 oz. elbow mac (about 2 cups)

1 1/2 - 2 c. Mexican cheese blend

corn, opt.

black beans, opt.

chopped cilantro, for garnish

Heat large skillet over medium heat; add the ground meat and cook until browned.  A few minutes before the meat is done, add the minced onion.  Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.  Add the chili powder, cumin and brown sugar.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the water and tomato sauce; stir well to combine.  If adding the corn and beans, add now.  Add the uncooked noodles, cover pan and cook until noodles are done, stirring occasionally to prevent the noodles from sticking to the bottom of the pan.  Don't be afraid of adding a little extra water if needed.  Turn off heat and add the cheese; stir to melt.  Garnish with chopped cilantro.   

Jenn's Notes: I used ground beef, but I think ground turkey would be delicious too.  I added a mixture of Pepper Jack and Cheddar cheese instead of Mexican, because that is what I had.  I probably added around 1/3 - 1/2 cup of both the corn and beans.  I think 2 cups of pasta was too much and next time I would probably only add 1 1/2 cups.  This dish was creamy, flavorful and super yummy!    

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bread Bowls

What is going on with my font today?  Is it all messed up when you see it or is it just on my computer?  Sometimes I have to wonder - what is going on?


I wanted to get this recipe posted before it gets too warm outside?  Or, is it already too warm?  One day it is snowing and the next day it is warm and sunny.  Again, I have to wonder - what is going on?  Ha Ha.  I have had this recipe saved forever.  It sounded good and different, but I wasn't sure how you eat it?  It is not a soup, but it has a creamy sauce?  Do I eat it with a spoon as if it were a soup or do I rip apart the bread bowl and spoon the sauce on top?  That was my dilema, but I decided what the heck, I'm just going to make it and see how it goes.  

Mel over at Mel's Kitchen Cafe says this dish will knock your socks off and that it is beyond delicious.  Well, It didn't knock my socks off, but it was good.  I only had one little issue and it was the yellow mustard.  Next time, I will either omit the yellow mustard or use a little less.  Maybe a dijon would be better?  Jake sure liked it and he kept telling me how good it was.  By the way, I did kind of eat it like a soup and ripped apart the bowl as I went - The bottom of the bowl is the best part!    

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bread Bowls
adapted from: Mel's Kitchen Cafe
(Printable Recipe)

For the chicken and sauce:
4 Tbl. butter
1 Lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
    (about 2-3 chicken breasts)
1/2 c. minced yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 Tbl. flour
1/2 c. apple juice
1 1/4 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. heavy cream 
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbl. prepared yellow mustard
1 tsp. dried thyme
2-3 c. broccoli florets, steamed
salt and cayenne pepper, to taste


*Note: You can omit the apple juice and increase the chicken broth to 1 3/4 cups*


To assemble:
4 medium bread bowls
8-10 slices smoked deli ham, cubed
1 c. grated Swiss cheese
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the chicken and saute until the chicken begins to brown, but isn't cooked all the way through, about 3-4 minutes.  Stir in the onions and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 2 minutes.  Sprinkle the flour over the chicken/onion mixture and stir to incorporate.  Cook, stirring constantly, for one minute.


Gradually add the chicken broth and apple juice, stirring constantly to avoid any clumps from forming.  Stir in the cream, Parmesan cheese, mustard and thyme.  Simmer for about 5-6 minutes or until the mixture is thickened and bubbly.  Stir in the ham and broccoli; season with salt and cayenne pepper to taste.  Remove from heat.


Hollow out the inside of the bread bowls by cutting off the tops and tearing out the insides.  I like to leave about 1/4-inch edge along all sides of the bread bowl.  Compress the remaining bread together to firm up the sides and make room for the filling.  Place the bread bowls on a baking sheet and toast them for about 5 minutes in the preheated oven.


Remove the toasted loaves from the oven and using a slotted spoon, divide chicken mixture evenly between loaves, reserving about 1-2 cups sauce in the pan for serving.  Top the chicken mixture in each loaf with shredded Swiss and a spirinkle of Parmesan cheese.


Bake the bread bowls until the cheese melts, about 10 minutes.  Serve each bread bowl with reserved cream sauce.


Jenn's Notes: I made a half a batch.  I didn't add the apple juice, I used milk instead of heavy cream and I used the whole can of chicken broth.  So, I ended up with more of a thin and brothy sauce, than a thick and creamy sauce.  Next time, I will omit the yellow mustard.