Monthly Archives: December 2011

Caraway Seed Cake

“Let them eat cake.” – Marie Antoinette

I acquired a cookbook from an aunt recently.  It is a good read, but there are a few things I could do without.  For instance, I learned that it takes 10 cups of pig blood to make a black pudding.  Ugh! 

I did find a recipe for a caraway seed cake that looked rustic and delicious, so I tried it.

The ingredients are few and simple, and always in stock in my kitchen.

I only needed 1 tablespoon of ground almonds, so I just threw some slivers in a baggie and lightly pounded with the smooth side of the meat tenderizer.

Mix the ingredients and put the batter in a baking pan.  The recipe states a size, but I didn’t have it, so I put the batter in my 12 cup bundt pan.  Whoa!  That size is way too big!  Don’t do what I did!

Don’t Use This Size Baking Pan!

Bake.  Don’t forget to set the timer!

Out of the oven and cooling.

Lookin’ good.  It would be much better if I took the time to garnish it.  Top it with a fruit sauce, or chocolate sauce.  Or serve with ice cream.

I had whipped topping, so that’s what I used.  And I needed it!  Since I baked it in the wrong size pan, my cake came out heavy and a bit dry.  It still tastes good, but the texture and taste will be better the next time I make it.

Caraway Seed Cake

12 tablespoons (1-1/2 sticks) butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon ground almonds (optional)
1-1/2 tablespoons caraway seeds
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Some caraway seeds to sprinkle on top
 
Line a round cake pan (7″ diameter x 3″ deep) with parchment paper.
 
Cream the butter; add the sugar and beat until very soft and light.  Beat the eggs and gradually beat into the creamed mixture.  Stir in the flour and ground almonds. 
 
Add the baking powder and the caraway seeds with the last of the flour.  Turn the mixture into the prepared cake pan, scatter a few more caraway seeds on top and bake in a preheated moderate oven, 350°F, for 50 to 60 minutes.
 
Cool on wire rack.

Orca Bay Mystery Quilt Part 4

For Bonnie Hunter’s Orca Bay mystery quilt – Part 1, click here.
For Bonnie Hunter’s Orca Bay mystery quilt – Part 2, click here.      
For Bonnie Hunter’s Orca Bay mystery quilt – Part 3, click here.
 

Part 2 was all about warm string blocks, so I’ve chosen to sew Part 4’s string blocks in cool blues.  No planning here; I’m mixing it up.  Confederate blue, teal, light blues, dark blues, some purple thrown there, floral prints, corn, Asian prints, hand-dyes, dots, whatever I have on hand. 

Will it all work together?  The controller in me says that the teal strip does not go well with blue-gray plaid strip.  I’m turning up the music so I can’t hear her.  ‘Que sera, sera…whatever will be will be….’

All pressed and lookin’ good.

Trimmed up.  Will they play nice?

It’s a mystery.  But I’m likin’ it!

Orca Bay Mystery Quilt – Part 3

For Bonnie Hunter’s Orca Bay mystery quilt – Part 1, click here.
For Bonnie Hunter’s Orca Bay mystery quilt – Part 2, click here.                               

This isn’t WIP Wednesday, but I finished Part 3!  Yay!!!!

The clue?  Make 350 (1.5″ finished) half-squared triangles (HST).  Whoa!  That’s alot!  But, as mentioned in Part 2, Linda Franz and her Inklingo make this clue easy peasy to accomplish.

I am showing printing on both a light fabric and a muslin fabric just for comparison.  You can easily see the printing (on the wrong side of the fabric, by the way) on both of these fabrics.

I cut the fabric 8.5″ x 11″…the same as copy paper (only because my dinosaur printer doesn’t do custom sizes) and I still get little waste.  In fact, I get 30 HSTs per printing.  Cool!  This is a real timesaver!

Sew on the diagonal dash lines.

Cut apart on the solid lines.

Almost finished already!

Pressed open and trimmed!  YeeeHawww!  That was easy!

Cute little guys, aren’t they?