Pup Cake: Almond Berry

My Chandon turned 4, and when we rescued him at 3 weeks old, the vet told us he might not make it. Well he’s here, strong, happy and healthy. He loves to day nap, and run in the evenings. His favorite is to play catch, and he thinks fish oil vitamins are a treat. Oh and he salivates when I pull out the yogurt container.

For his birthday, I decided to make a miniature layered almond flour cake with berries, and pb yogurt glaze. I hope your fur-baby loves this cake as much as mine did. I should note, nothing in this recipe is new to my dogs, I make almond liver treats, and they eat a spoon of yogurt with lunch every day. As for the berries, I avoid strawberries just because they have so many seeds which can cause kidney stones (and my Parson Russel Terrier/Beagle, Piper, is prone to them) – although they love to eat fresh strawberries from the garden when they can sneak some!

Almond Berry Cake – 4 cakes
1 3/4 cup almond flour
2 tablespoons honey
3 eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil (or coconut oil) + more for greasing dishes
1/2 cup of blueberries
1 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
2-3 tablespoons peanut butter (or almond butter)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Use some olive oil to grease two ramekin dishes, depending on the size of your dishes you may have enough batter for 3 layers/cakes. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, honey, eggs, and 2 tablespoons olive oil until smooth and fold in the berries. Pour batter into the prepared ramekin dishes, about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 15- 20 minutes, don’t forget the toothpick test. Let cool.

While the cakes are cooling, whisk the yogurt and peanut butter until smooth. Once the cakes have cooled thoroughly, spread the icing onto the tops of each layer and stack if you like. Garnish with berries of your choice, and the cake is ready to serve. Forget the candles – it’s not safe.

(My husband had a slice before we served it to the pups, and he said it was similar to a tea cake, and would rather eat it with jam haha)

Happy Cooking!

Dark Cocoa Bundt with Butter Bourbon Glaze

I woke up this morning and just had to get in the kitchen – my mother just came back from Switzerland and brought me some of the darkest (almost black) cocoa powder, and I wanted to bake something that would allow it to shine. This bundt is just that.

Typically I’d use Valrhona for cocoa powder, so if you’re looking for a good source, I recommend them. Also – a follower emailed me asking what they should do with the egg whites when a recipe just calls for yolks, I typically cook them up and add them to my pups dinner as a treat, but according to the FDA you can store egg whites in an airtight container for 2 days – so maybe you can treat yourself to an herb egg white omelette the next morning!

Dark Cocoa Bundt with Butter Bourbon Glaze – 12 servings
3/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1 cup hot coffee
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/4 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons bourbon, pick your favorite

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the inside of a 12-cup Bundt pan, and dust with cocoa powder, knock out the excess. Ensure it’s thoroughly coated, and set aside.

In a medium sized heat-proof bowl combine the cocoa powder, instant espresso powder, and hot coffee. Whisk until combined, and set aside to cool.

In another medium sized bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.

In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, canola oil, and vanilla until well combined. Add the eggs and yolks, and whisk again to combine. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the chocolate mixture , beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Whip the cream – use whatever method you prefer, stand mixer or hand mixer works best until medium peaks form. Fold in half the whipped cream, until just incorporated, then add the remaining whipped cream, and fold in until no streaks remain.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the middle of the oven for about 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Prepare a wire rack on a baking sheet. Remove Bundt from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Once cooled turn the pan out onto the rack, so that the “crown” is facing up.

To make the butter bourbon glaze, melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Remove butter from the heat and whisk in the cream. In 3 parts add 2 1/2 cups confectioners’, whisking to combine after each addition. Add the bourbon and whisk until uniform. The glaze should be thick and ropy, but pourable – if it’s too runny and thin, add about 1/2 cup of confectioner’s sugar, and whisk to combine.

To assemble the Bundt, pour the glaze over the room-temperature cake in thick ribbons, it will slowly drip down the sides. Let the cake set for about 15-20 minutes before serving.

The cake will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

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Happy Cooking! Bon Appetit!