Blueberry Muffin and Buttermilk Pancakes Cake

by Averie Sunshine on June 26, 2013

I was going to make blueberry muffins but didn’t want to deal with the one-by-one nature of muffins.

I thought about blueberry pancakes, but didn’t want to be held hostage to the stove flipping them.

So I made batter that was a hybrid of muffin batter and pancake batter, poured it into an 8-inch square pan, and baked it as a cake.

It turned out to be one of the softest, moistest, and best little cakes. And so easy.

It tastes like a big buttermilk pancake that ran into a blueberry muffin on the way to the oven.

It’s the kind of cake that I’d want served for breakfast in bed or leisurely Sunday mornings with coffee and the newspaper. Since those things never happen for me, it’s also a great Wednesday cake.

The batter comes together like standard pancake or muffin batter in 5 minutes flat.

A bowl of dry ingredients and a bowl of wet. Pour the wet over the dry, stir, pour into a pan, and bake.

No mixer, nothing complicated or fussy.

The cake is like a good muffin or pancake should be. Light, soft, fluffy, and tender with just enough density to give it some heft and dimension, with a springiness to it that I loved.

I loathe dry cake and muffins so I used both buttermilk, sour cream, and oil to keep it moist. And boy, it’s falling apart soft and moist.

That could also have something to do with the abundance of blueberries. They’re juicy and add so much moisture.

They sank a little, but I don’t mind blue walls at the bottom of my cake. A trick to prevent sinking is to roll them through flour before folding them into the batter. However, with this cake, it’s thinner and I used a ton, so they’re bound to be near the base, no matter what tricks are used.

I used frozen blueberries because I’m cheap and don’t bake with fresh. I save those for eating and bake with frozen.

When baking with frozen blueberries, add them into the batter frozen because they’ll run and bleed less than if you thaw them first.

The baking time listed reflects using ice cold, frozen berries. If you’re using fresh, the baking time could, and likely will be, dramatically less. This is definitely a recipe where you should watch your cake, not the clock. Bake until it’s done. Simple as that.

I’m so glad I decided not to make muffins or babysit pancakes and made this cake instead. We polished it off in 12 hours. In our defense, it’s a small, thin cake and not some big Bundt that’ll be lingering for a week.

I’m wondering what it would taste like with strawberries, apricots, raspberries, or peaches.

I’ll have to find out.

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This fast and easy cake tastes like a big buttermilk pancake that ran into a blueberry muffin on the way to the oven. It's fluffy, tender, and moist from both the buttermilk and sour cream that's incorporated into the batter. The blueberries are plentiful, juicy, and the perfect compliment to this extremely soft cake.

Yield: one 8x8 pan, 9 generous squares

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: about 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch salt, optional and to taste
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup sour cream (thick, full-fat Greek yogurt may be substituted)
3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups frozen blueberries (don't unthaw, add them to the batter frozen; see below about using fresh)
confectioners' sugar, optional for dusting or see glaze suggestions below

Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray; set aside.In a medium bowl, whisk together the first 6 dry ingredients (through optional salt); set aside.In a separate small bowl, whisk together the next 5 wet ingredients (through vanilla).Add the wet mixture to the dry, mixing lightly with a spoon or folding with a spatula until just combined. Lumps will be present and this is okay. Don't overmix or try to stir them smooth.Gently and briefly fold in the frozen blueberries. Note - I used frozen blueberries and added them frozen because frozen berries run and bleed less than if they're thawed. If using fresh berries, baking time will be significantly (possibly drastically) less because the berries are much warmer and won't chill down the batter overall, nor will they release any where near the water into the batter that frozen berries do.Bake until done. I hesitate to give a baking range because you must watch your cake, not the clock. Bake until center is slightly domed and set, golden in color, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. At any time your cake is beginning to look a bit too golden brown before you suspect the center will set up, tent it with a sheet of foil laid across the top. I baked for 52 minutes total, and at the 45 minute mark, I tented with foil. Baking times will range dramatically based on if baking with fresh or frozen berries; ranging from 3o to 60 minutes depending on the temperature of the berries going into the batter and how much water they release.Place pan on a wire rack and allow cake to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving. Optionally, dust with confectioners' sugar or a simple glaze. This lemon glaze, this buttery vanilla glaze, this browned butter glaze, or this vanilla cream cheese glaze are all excellent, quick, and easy options.Cake will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Recipe from Averie Cooks. All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.

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What’s your favorite go-to quick and easy cake? Or muffin? Or pancakes?

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Chocolate Buttermilk Pancakes with Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce

by Averie Sunshine on June 12, 2013

Chocolate. It’s what’s for breakfast.

It’s even better when paired with homemade salted caramel sauce.

This isn’t the type of breakfast you’d make every day, but it sure is a good one when you do.

It’s my birthday today and they’d make a nice birthday breakfast. But I made them last weekend and they’re long gone.

The pancakes are light, soft, and fluffy from the buttermilk. They’re anything but lead balloons, a major gripe I have with many pancakes.

And if you can get the pancakes to look like Pac-Man, they taste even better. I loved that game and could play it for hours, but I digress.

The pancakes appear fairly dark because I used Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder, but they look darker and more intense than they actually taste. I love my dark chocolate, but I don’t want bitter for breakfast.

The chocolate flavor is present, but not overpowering. If you prefer to be overpowered, make these.

The salted caramel sauce is the icing on the cake. Or the drizzle on the stack. If you’ve never made caramel sauce, it’s not a biggie.

I wrote a step-by-step tutorial with Dark Rum Caramel Sauce. Same thing here, just swapping out rum for a bit of sea salt. Or keep the rum.

When making caramel sauce, make sure you’re organized and have everything ready to go. Read the recipe. Then read it again before you turn on the stove. Make sure you know what you’re doing, where you’re going, and what to look for. The whole process takes less than 10 minutes, but before you start playing around with boiling sugar, make sure your ducks are in a row.

And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with Trader Joe’s Fleur de Sel Caramel Sauce.

I kept the pancakes on the smaller side, about 3 inches in diameter, and made 11 pancakes. If you’re keeping them smaller, it’s a 10 to 12 pancake recipe. Or a 6-pancake recipe for larger pancakes.

I’m not a good pancake flipper and smaller pancakes are easier and more manageable to flip.

Feel free to double the recipe, and the extras can be frozen for up to 6 months and warmed in the micro. It’s a nice 60-second hot breakfast option for busy weekday mornings. They’re a smidge rubbery when reheated, but it’s very liveable and easy to overlook because there’s chocolate involved.

I took some of the extra pancakes and smeared peanut butter on them for chocolate-pancake-and-peanut-butter-sandwiches for lunch boxes. Chocolate pancakes trump bread.

The soft, light, moist pancakes are the perfect sponges for the sweet and lightly salted caramel sauce. Maple syrup of course works too, but caramel and chocolate is a match made in heaven.

The caramel is thick, rich, luxurious, and I couldn’t keep my spoon out of the jar.

When I made these over the weekend, they were met with rave reviews from my family.

You can’t go wrong with chocolate for breakfast. Or with caramel sauce.

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Chocolate and caramel is a match made in heaven and makes for a special breakfast treat. The soft, light, fluffy, moist buttermilk pancakes are the perfect sponges for the sweet and lightly salted caramel sauce. Recipe may be doubled and extra pancakes can be frozen and reheated for busy mornings. Chocolate, it's what's for breakfast.

Yield: 10-12 small pancakes or 6 larger

Prep Time: 5 mins for pancakes

Cook Time: 5 mins for pancakes, 10 mins for caramel

Total Time: 20 minutes

1 tablespoon light brown sugar, packed1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional
1 cup buttermilk , plus a splash more only if necessary
1 large egg
2 heaping tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extractNote - If you don't want to make your own salted caramel sauce, Trader Joe's sells Fleur de Sel Salted Caramel Sauce, which I swear by. Williams-Sonoma has a Salted Caramel Sauce for four times the price of the Trader Joe's sauce.3/4 cup heavy cream or half and half (I use half and half)1/4 cup butter (half of 1 stick, salted or unsalted may be used)1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste (or omit salt for regular caramel sauce)For the Pancakes - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together first 8 dry ingredients (through optional salt); set aside.In a large measuring cup or bowl, whisk together final 4 wet ingredients.Add wet to dry, and fold gently to combine. Don't overmix; batter will be lumpy. It's a thick batter, but if it's too thick for your liking, add a splash of additional buttermilk to thin it.Spray a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray, and place over medium heat.Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop or spoon that's been sprayed with cooking spray (helps batter to slide right off), place heaping 2-tablespoon mounds of batter in skillet. Cook pancakes on first side for about 3 minutes, flip and cook on second side for about 2 minutes, or until done. Repeat until all batter is gone, respraying both skillet and scoop with cooking spray as necessary.Serve pancakes immediately with butter, syrup, or your favorite topping. If making the salted caramel sauce, place pancakes on a baking sheet and keep them in a preheated 250F oven while making the sauce so they stay warm. Pancakes can be wrapped or kept airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 4 months.For the Salted Caramel Sauce - In a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan with tall enough sides to accommodate the mixture when it starts bubbling, combine the sugar and water. Heat over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally.Increase the heat to medium-high and bring mixture to a boil without stirring. Using caution, use a wet pastry brush or damp paper towel to wipe down any crystals that are clinging to the sides of the saucepan. Failure to remove them could result in a grainy sauce. Boil until the mixture is a deep amber color, about 5 to 6 minutes.Remove the pan from the heat, and using caution, whisk in the cream. The mixture will bubble up vigorously.Add the vanilla and optional rum. It will bubble again.Stir in the butter and salt to taste; or omit salt for regular caramel sauce. If using table salt rather than Kosher salt, add less because it’s finer-grained and 1 teaspoon of table salt is much saltier tasting than 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt.Transfer caramel to a glass or heatproof jar with a lid. Caramel sauce will keep airtight for many months in the refrigerator.

Recipe from Averie Cooks. All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.

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Thanks for the entries in the $500 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

What’s your favorite pancake recipe?

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Peanut Butter Honey Buttermilk Cake with Chocolate-Peanut Butter Streusel

by Averie Sunshine on May 14, 2013

A few weeks ago I went to Big Potluck and was assigned to bring a cake to share. It was, after all, a potluck.

This was my contribution.

I was stumped about what kind of cake to make. I thought and thought about it. And thought some more. I read recipes on blogs, Pinterest, Foodgawker, and more. Cooking for an event where fellow bloggers, cookbook authors, and a Food Network TV show host may eat it was adding just a wee bit of pressure.

I opted to go with peanut butter and chocolate. Shocking, I know. Since my cookbook is about peanut butter, I thought that I may as well represent. The cake isn’t in my book, but I wish it was.

It’s a fast and easy cake to make, and only one bowl is dirtied. There’s no long creaming of ingredients, or separating eggs, or anything fussy or complicated.

The batter comes together in 5 minutes, it bakes for about 25 minutes, so it’s literally a 30 minute cake.

There’s no granulated or brown sugar in the cake layer, and instead it’s sweetened with honey. I love honey and had never made a cake exclusively sweetened with it until now.

It’s a more delicate and mellow sweetness, rendering the cake just sweet enough, and it won’t leave you with a toothache.

The other bonus to this cake is that it doesn’t need to be frosted because of the streusel. I love eating frosting, but I don’t like the act of frosting cakes or cupcakes. I prefer glazes, drizzles, or ganaches that can be poured over without much fuss. Even better is streusel.

It was a miracle I didn’t pick it all off, but wanted to.

The photo shoot was so hard because I wanted to tear into the cake so badly, but refrained. It was worth the wait when I was finally able to eat a piece of my own cake at the potluck.

Sadly, I forgot to take a picture of my own cake. I was too busy with wine.

But Amanda took this picture. Thanks, Amanda!

The cake itself is soft, tender, and springy. It loosely reminds me a yellow cake mix cake, but better. Anything spiked with buttermilk, honey, and peanut butter is destined to be moist and bouncy.

It’s surprisingly lighter than you’d imagine given the list of ingredients. Buttermilk has a way of moisturizing and tenderizing anything it touches, while also keeping things lighter and fluffier.

The streusel topping with brown sugar, peanut butter, and chocolate chips is so tempting. I wanted to pluck those golden crumbs right off the cake and into my mouth.

Chocolate and peanut butter are always a match made in heaven, and those big nuggets add a boost of bold peanut butter and chocolate flavor.

Streusel topping with peanut butter and chocolate in a one-bowl fast and easy cake.

It’s my idea of a good cake and a good time, for sure.

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The cake is tender, moist, and buttery, thanks to the buttermilk, butter, and peanut butter. There's no sugar in the cake batter and is instead lightly sweetened with honey. The streusel layer is chock full of peanut butter flavor and is bursting with chocolate chips. Best of all, the cake is made in one bowl in 5 minutes. No one has to know how fast and easy it is to make.

Yield: one 9-by-13-inch pan, 18 generous pieces

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

For the Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

pinch salt, optional and to taste

2 large eggs

3/4 cup honey

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), softened

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the Streusel

3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the Cake - Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan; set aside.In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and optional salt. Add the eggs, honey, buttermilk, butter, 1/3 cup peanut butter, vanilla, and beat with an electric mixer on medium-low for about 1 minute. Stop, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, and beat for 1 more minute.Turn batter out into prepared pan; set aside.For the Streusel - In the same mixing bowl (no need to wash it), combine brown sugar, 1/2 cup peanut butter, flour, and stir with a spoon until sandy pebbles form.Stir in the chocolate chips.Sprinkle streusel evenly over cake batter.Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Allow cake to cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Lift cake out using foil overhang, slice and serve. Cake is best fresh, but will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Recipe from Averie Cooks. All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.

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Thanks for the entries in the Kitchen Aid 5-Quart Stand Mixer Giveaway!

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Do you have a favorite cake recipe?

What’s your go-to recipe to bring to a potluck?

View the original article here