Spicy Applesauce Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

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2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup walnuts (optional), toasted, cooled, and chopped
For frosting:
5 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon) teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter an 8- or 9-inch square cake pan.

Make cake: Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in applesauce. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until just combined, then stir in walnuts (if using). The batter will look a little curdly and uneven but don’t worry, it will all bake up perfectly in the end.
Spread batter evenly in pan and bake until golden-brown and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake to loosen, then invert onto a plate. Reinvert cake onto a rack to cool completely. You can speed this up, as I always do, in the fridge.
Make frosting: Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until fluffy. Sift confectioners sugar and cinnamon over cream cheese mixture, then beat at medium speed until incorporated. Spread frosting over top of cooled cake.

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enjoy!

birthday spice cake with caramel icing

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1/2 pound butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening (yes, shortening) 
3 cups sugar 
5 eggs
3 cups flour 
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon mace (don't leave this out) 
1/2 teaspoon allspice 
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
1 cup plus 2 TB milk 
1 teaspoon

Preheat oven to 325*. Flour and Grease a tube pan. Using and electric mixer, cream together butter, shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, and scraping down the bowl as necessary. Sift together dry ingredients, twice. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture (three times), alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Add vanilla. Bake in a greased floured tube pan at 325 for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean. frost with caramel icing. 

Make Caramel Icing: in a saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter; stir in 1 cup packed brown sugar and 1/3 cup cream. Remove from heat and stir until smooth. Return to heat and bring to boil for 1 minute. Let the mixture cool. Beat in 2 cups confectioners sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla.

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enjoy!

hippie health-nut soup

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2 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 pound carrots, cut into ¼-inch pieces

1/4 pound celery, cut into ¼-inch pieces

8 to 10 cups chicken stock

two 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes, with juice

1 pound green lentils

two 14.5-ounce cans tomato sauce

3/4 cup uncooked long-grain brown rice

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Freshly ground black pepper

10 ounces baby spinach

1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels

 

 Heat the butter and oil in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is very tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the carrots and celery and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for an additional 10 minutes. Add 8 cups of the chicken stock, diced tomatoes, and lentils. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Add the tomato sauce, rice, thyme, salt, cumin, and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat back to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Stir in the spinach and corn, and cook uncovered for 30 minutes more, adding more chicken stock if necessary.

enjoy! 
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hummus

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(adapted from Ina Garten)

4 garlic cloves (or to taste, I only use 2)
2 cups canned chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons) i use a little less
2 tablespoons water or liquid from the chickpeas
8 dashes hot sauce

This recipe is actually a blank slate...try adding roasted jalapeno peppers, roasted red peppers, or olive tapenade...use your imagination.

Turn on the food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop the garlic down the feed tube; process until it's minced. Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and process until the hummus is coarsely pureed. Taste, for seasoning, and serve chilled or at room temperature.

enjoy! 

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