Berry Buttermilk Cake

Are you wondering what to do with leftover buttermilk?  Well, as this is apparently a common question, I've now added a "buttermilk" tag to my blog and will be featuring a few different recipes in the upcoming days as additional ideas.  Surprisingly, I already had a good 6-7 recipes using buttermilk before this series of recipes but I generally used the trick of taking regular milk and adding a bit of vinegar or lemon juice to make it sour and curdle a little.  That's all fine and dandy but it really isn't the same as using REAL buttermilk.  And I had a giant half-gallon jug of it to use!  So come explore some recipes with me, my friends...

This. Recipe. Is. Awesome. 

Even better is that it is really really simple.  I whipped it up and was in and out of the kitchen in well under an hour INCLUDING baking and cleaning time.  It's a very light cake with a delicate crumb and the slight crunch of the sugar on top adds a nice contrast to each bite.  It's light enough to be enjoyed as a breakfast yet satisfying enough to serve as your dessert, too.  Chris' family ate it right up and we enjoyed it so much that I made it again that same week.  Now, I don't know if you've noticed or not but I tend to try a bazillion new recipes so anything that gets made multiple times is a keeper in my eyes!  (I'm sorry, the photo really doesn't do this cake justice!)

The original recipe was called Raspberry Buttermilk Cake but I didn't have any raspberries, I only had frozen blueberries (which were leftover from our Belgian Waffle Bar from Dinner Club...I still need to post those recipes...d'oh!).  Thankfully this recipe is very forgiving and you can use whatever the heck berry you want and I found frozen works just fine in this case.

So if you want a lightly sweet treat tonight that's relatively healthy (less than 200 calories a slice = 1/8th of the cake!), make this one.  You won't be sorry!

Berry Buttermilk Cake
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Ingredients

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 stick of unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup plus 1.5 Tbsp. sugar, divided
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup well-shaken lowfat buttermilk
• 1 cup fresh raspberries (about 5 oz.), blackberries, blueberries, and/or strawberries*

*Note: If using frozen berries, add the berries to the batter frozen.
 
Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400, with a rack in the middle. Butter and flour a 9″ cake pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and 2/3 cup sugar at medium-high until pale and fluffy. Beat in vanilla, and then egg.  Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add the buttermilk.  At low speed, mix until just combined.
3. Pour batter into a cake pan and smooth the top using a rubber spatula. Scatter berries on top and sprinkle remaining 1.5Tbsp. sugar.
4. Bake until cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Cool in the pan 10 minutes and then turn onto a rack and cool to warm, 10-15 minutes.
5. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired :).  (Sorry that will put you over the 200 calorie per serving mark...but it would taste so delicious!)

Source: Slightly adapted from Gourmet as seen on Elly Says Opa!

Nutritional Information for 1/8 of the cake: Calories: 196 / Fat: 6.7g / Saturated Fat: 3.9g / Carbs: 31.5 / Fiber: 1.5g / Protein: 3.1g

Carrot Cake

Everyone knows that Easter isn't complete without some carrot cake!  This is my current go-to recipe but I'd love to know if you have a favorite, too.  As you know, I'm always trying new recipes!  I made these little treats a couple weeks ago but am sharing it with you now so that you can add it to your dessert menu for Easter :).  This can be made as a 9x13 cake or 12 cupcakes just by changing the baking time.

Now, I grated my carrots by hand using the small sized holes of my cheese grater because I like the fine texture but you can also buy your carrots pre-shredded or give it a whirl in your food processor.  Speaking of which, my mom bought me this HUGE 9 cup food processor that I have yet to use...any suggestions?

I love the spice flavor of carrot cake, the moistness and nutrition that carrots lend, and the creamy cream cheese frosting.  I had to leave out the nuts so my brother could eat them.  And, I don't dig pineapple chunks nor raisins in my carrot cake but if you're one that enjoys those, feel free to throw them in.  Yum!

Carrot Cake
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Prep Time: 30 Min
Cook Time: 24 - 50 mins
Yields: 1-9x13 cake OR 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 4 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 cups grated carrots
• 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

For the Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch pan or prepare a muffin tin by placing liners in each.
2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans, if desired.
3. Pour into prepared pan of your choice (9x13 cake pan or prepared muffin tin).
4. For 9x13 Cake: Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. For Cupcakes: Bake in preheated oven for 24 - 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. 
5. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
6. While cake is cooking, prepare frosting.  In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Frost the cooled cake or cupcakes.  If desired, sprinkle with chopped pecans.

Source: Method modified from All Recipes

The Easiest White Bean Chicken Chili

It's getting a bit warm out for chili (it got up to the mid-upper 60s today!) but I assure you that when I made this a couple of weeks ago, it was a bit chilly out still so this meal was entirely appropriate.  The title isn't lying.  It is by far the easiest chicken chili I've ever made.  Easiest soup at all, for that matter.

The flavor was great but here's the the thing.  My cheese cubes didn't melt and disperse into the soup.  They stayed as softened/melted brown colored cubes of cheese which just weirded me out.  Maybe it was the type of cheese I used?  I don't know.  It was Kraft Pepper Jack Cheese in a block and I sliced it into cubes like the directions said I should.  Next time if I make this again, I'd probably shred the cheese instead in hopes that it just might go INTO the chili instead of staying separate.

The Easiest White Bean Chicken Chili
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Ingredients

• 3 cans white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can diced tomatoes with chilis
• 1 can corn
• 1 tsp. cumin powder (optional for more flavor)
• 1 tsp chili powder (optional for more flavor)
• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat
• 8 ounces Pepper jack cheese, cut into 2-inch cubes (I'd shred them next time instead)
• 2 cups salsa
• Optional garnishes: shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado, sliced green onions, fresh cilantro, diced fresh tomatoes, crushed tortilla chips, extra salsa, tabasco/cholula hot sauce, etc.

Instructions

1. Combine the beans, tomatoes, corn, cheese, spices (if desired), and salsa in a crockpot. Nestle the chicken breasts into the mixture, and cook on low 6-8 hours.
2. Shred chicken breasts with a fork then stir to combine.  Serve with desired garnishes.

Source: Modified from Pink Parsley