Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake

Spring is starting to slowly melt into summer here in the Midwest.  I don't know about you, but I mark the start of summer as Memorial Day weekend.  School is out, the leaves are on the trees, flowers are starting to bloom, and the tomato plants have blossoms.  Yes, I have my garden in, the veggies are growing, and we're making our summer plans.  Memorial Day weekend is when my family organizes our lives.  We do those mundane chores that we avoid, sit down with the calendar to plan out our summer, decide where we're going, who we are going to entertain.  We also have a big cookout with friends and family.


Since Noah handles the grill and the smoker, I'm in charge of prep, sides and dessert.  The rhubarb plants are huge right now, and ripe for picking.  I never liked rhubarb as a kid, but wow, as an adult I can't get enough of it!  Rhubarb pie, strawberry rhubarb crisp, and my personal favorite, rhubarb upside-down cake.  While cruising the "Martha-verse" a few years ago, I ran across this recipe and was smitten.  I love upside-down cakes.  This one is amazing, and so delicious.  I hope my readers enjoy this cake as much as I do, and that it's a smash hit for your Memorial Day BBQ.


Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake
recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Living

Ingredients

For The Topping

3 tablespoons salted butter, melted
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar

For The Cake

1 1/2 sticks salted butter, room temperature, plus more for buttering pan
1 pound rhubarb, trimmed and cut on a very sharp diagonal about 1/2 inch thick
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest

2 tablespoon fresh orange juice
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the topping: Stir together butter, flour, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until moist and crumbly.

Make the cake: Butter a 9-inch round cake pan (2 inches deep). Dot with 4 tablespoons butter (cut into pieces). Toss rhubarb with 3/4 cup sugar; let stand for 2 minutes. Toss again, and spread in pan.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Beat remaining stick butter and cup sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in zest and juice. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream, until smooth. Spread evenly over rhubarb. Crumble topping evenly over batter.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and top springs back when touched, about 1 hour. Let cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake, and invert onto a wire rack. Let cool completely.

Buttercream Frosting

Happy Birthday to my Great Niece Reese!  Today you turn 2 years old.  You are loved so much, little one!  

In honor of Reese's birthday, her parents have planned a Dora the Explorer party for her.  In our family, I am the resident cake baker.  So, a little Dora cake was needed.  I've noticed that alot of people have no idea how to make buttercream frosting.  A good buttercream is versatile enough to frost cakes, make roses, or top your favorite cupcakes.  Here's an excellent recipe for buttercream frosting.  Hope you all enjoy your day as much as Reese will.


Keep in mind that true buttercream is not white, but is off-white in color.  


Buttercream Frosting


4 sticks salted butter
4 butter flavor Crisco sticks
4 pounds GH powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
2 TB meringue powder


In a large mixer, combine butter and crisco.  Mix to blend.  Add vanilla and almond extracts, mix well. Mix in 1/4 of the powdered sugar.  Slowly add in the rest of the powdered sugar, and mix on medium speed until combined.  


Makes enough to frost, fill and decorate 1 9 inch double layer cake, or 1 Dora the Explorer cake for Reese.

Chicago Deep Dish Pizza

First of all, it's my birthday.  My 6th 29th birthday to be exact.  Somehow, I have ended up baking another batch of Mexican brownies, chocolate chunk cookies, and have been conned by my four year old son into making pizza's for supper.  Um, I don't think I'm supposed to be doing this much work on my birthday.  Not to mention that I just cleaned out the fridge, scrubbed it squeaky clean, and got on my hands and knees to vacuum the coils.  What's wrong with this picture?  At least I didn't have to bake my own cake.  Thank you Coldstone Creamery.  I totally have to cash in that free sundae coup that they sent me for my birthday.  Maybe when I come out of the sugar coma that I'll be in for the next week after all this junk food.

So, seriously, deep dish pizza.  Being from the Midwest, I grew up making frequent trips into Chicago.  Whether it was with friends, my parents or visiting family, there was usually deep dish pizza involved.  Really, the whole contest of New York vs Chicago is just ridiculous.  Deep dish is a meal.  Deep dish is King.  When it's made right, the outside of the dough is crispy, the inside is chewy, and for the love of all that is holy, it should be oozing Wisconsin cheese.  Happy Cows are not from California.  They live in the pasture around the corner from my house.  Really, if you have never been to Chicago for pizza, get your ass in gear and head to Gino's East, or the original Pizzeria Uno, or any other good dive with awesome pizza.  Does anyone know of a good dive?  Seriously, I'm always looking to broaden my pizza horizons.  Post a comment and let me know the where, when and awesomeness of said dive.  Until then, give this recipe a try.  I guarantee you'll dig it.


Also, thanks to all my peeps who have bombarded me with calls, FB messages, loot and e-mails with all those birthday wishes.  I'm blessed.  Either that or you just love me for my mad cooking skills.  Either way, I'm grateful for each and every one of you.


Chicago Deep Dish Pizza


Dough recipe adapted from Emeril Lagasse


Dough

11/2 cups warm water (about 110 degrees F)
1 (1/4-ounce) packages active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil, plus 2 teaspoons to grease bowl
1 teaspoon salt


In a large bowl, combine the water, yeast, and sugar and stir to combine. Let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.

Add 2 cups of the flour, 1/2 cup of the oil, and the salt, mixing by hand until it is all incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Continue adding the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, working the dough after each addition, until all the flour is incorporated but the dough is still slightly sticky.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth but still slightly tacky, 3 to 5 minutes. Oil a large mixing bowl with the remaining 2 teaspoons oil.

Place the dough in the bowl and turn to oil all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Divide dough into 2 equal portions.  Press the dough into a 9 inch round pan, pressing dough up the sides of the pan.  Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes.  


Sauce
1 15 oz can Red Gold crushed tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic, pressed
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp granulated onion
1 tsp Penzey's fines herbs
splash of red wine


Combine all ingredients and mix well


Pizza
1 dough recipe, divided and pressed into pans
1 sauce recipe, divided
4 cups shredded mozzerella cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
pepperoni or sausage
additional favorite toppings

In each pan, over the dough layer 1 cup of cheese, meat topping, additional favorite toppings, and then 1 cup of cheese


Top pizza's with sauce, covering to the edges.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Bake at 475 for 30 minutes.  Allow pizza to rest for 10 minutes after removing from the oven.  Run a knife around the edges, move to a large cutting board, and cut into slices. 


Enjoy!

Mexican Brownies & Vanilla Whipped Cream

Cinco de Mayo. Yup. I'm doing what we should all be doing today. Embracing the culture, my kinda, sorta roots, drinking tequilla, and eating Mexican food. There's a worm with my name on it, so without further ado...

Mexican Brownies

2 sticks unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground Mexican cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon or cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with non-stick tinfoil or parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides. Press the paper into the corners of the pan and lightly grease the paper with butter.


Melt the 2 sticks of butter over medium-low heat; do not boil. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Add the sugar, eggs and vanilla to the saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon until combined.


Add the cocoa, flour, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and baking powder and mix until smooth. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out fudgy, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack, then use the parchment paper to lift out the brownies before slicing.

Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 vanilla bean, scraped

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

Mix ingredients on medium speed until soft peaks form.  Chill and serve.