Bready or Not Original: Sugar-Crusted Pumpkin Cake
This Sugar-Crusted Pumpkin Cake is moist, delicious, and packed with autumnal flavors!
There is a definite pumpkin pie-like vibe to this thing. The white chocolate chips melted along the bottom (hence the direction to grease the foil well) and formed a sort of scrumptious crust, too.
This thing is even pretty. I like using turbinado sugar as a top crust because it’s pretty, texturally delightful, and tastes darn good!
This cake will keep for at least 3 days, covered and chilled, and maybe longer. It also freezes like a champ.
Since this makes a 13×9 pan, it’s probably a good thing it can be portioned out over days and weeks!
Bready or Not Original: Sugar-Crusted Pumpkin Cake
Equipment
- 13×9 pan
Ingredients
Cake
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 2 cups cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
Topping
- 1/2 cup turbinado or other coarse sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice
Instructions
- Line a 13×9 pan with foil and apply generous nonstick spray or butter. Preheat oven at 350-degrees.
- Mix together the eggs, white sugar, vegetable oil, and applesauce. Add the cake flour, baking soda, pumpkin spice, and salt. Follow up with the vanilla extract and pumpkin puree. Fold in the white chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into the pan and level out. Mix together the two topping ingredients and sprinkle over the cake.
- Bake for 1 hour, or until the middle passes the toothpick test. Let cool at room temperature, then store in fridge. Cake will keep for at least 3 days in the fridge, but can also be sliced and frozen for later enjoyment.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Thin Mint Cake
Oh hey, it’s time for cake. A Thin Mint Cake that is neither too big or too small, something that keeps well stashed in the fridge, and looks as amazing as it tastes.
If you love chocolate and mint, this is the cake for you. The cake is loaded with chocolate flavor, and a ganache adds a shiny finishing touch.
The middle layer of the cake is essentially a peppermint or mint-flavored buttercream. Sweet but not too sweet, it gives good contrast to balance the prevalent chocolate flavor.
I used this cake to try out a technique I’ve only read about and seen on TV before–I used four toothpicks to measure the halfway point on the sides of the cake, then tugged a piece of floss to cut the cake evenly in half! It worked out well.
Of course, you can still use a knife to cut through. The toothpicks will still be a helpful guide.
This is an ideal birthday or special occasion cake for a small group!
Greatly modified from Eating Well Magazine May 2020.
Bready or Not Original: Thin Mint Cake
Equipment
- 9-inch cake pan
- ruler
- toothpicks
- unwaxed floss
- parchment paper
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup white whole-wheat flour
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar or other cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mint Filling
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar sifted, more as needed for consistency
- 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract or mint extract
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1-2 drops green food coloring
- 2 Tablespoons half and half or milk
Glaze
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- pinch salt
Instructions
To prepare the cake
- Preheat an oven at 350-degrees. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit inside a 9-inch cake pan. Apply nonstick spray inside pan, place parchment inside, and spray it again.
- Stir together all-purpose flour, white whole wheat flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
- In another bowl, whisk together water, oil, vinegar, and both extracts. Gradually mix the wet ingredients into the dry until the batter is smooth. Pour into the prepared pan. Tap and thump it gently on the counter to knock out as many bubbles as possible.
- Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick in the middle emerges with few crumbs attached. Let the pan cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then invert cake onto the rack to cool completely.
Make the filling
- Beat the butter until it is creamy and light. Add the confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, to fully incorporate; if the mixture is still too soft and loose, add more sugar. Add mint and vanilla extract, followed by the salt. Add a few drops of food coloring to achieve the desired tint. Add the half and half and beat to make the filling fluffy and light.
Slice the cake and fill
- Stick a toothpick into the halfway point at each side of the cake; four toothpick markers work well. Use a knife to barely slice into the cake above each toothpick. Continue to use a long-bladed knife to slice all the way through, or use a long piece of unwaxed floss with the toothpicks as a guide to divide the cake evenly in half.
- Place the base of the cake on a serving plate. Spread the filling over the cake. Place the top of the cake over it, cut side down.
Make the glaze
- Microwave the half & half in a microwave-safe bowl for about a minute, until hot. Stir in the chocolate chips and salt. Stir, stir, stir until the chocolate is smooth and glossy. Let cool about 5 minutes to thicken, then slowly pour and spread glaze over the cake. Let sit at room temperature or in fridge to set, then slice in and enjoy!
- Store cake in fridge. Exposed sides of the cake will dry out more, but it will still be tasty. Keeps for at least 4 days.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Chewy Cookie Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
These Chewy Cookie Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are embodied with extra cookie dough flavor thanks to the miracle of cookie butter.
It always seems someone is always discovering cookie butter for the first time, so I shall repeat: this stuff is basically ground-down cookies blended with oil, giving it the same consistency as peanut butter, but without the health benefits. And oh yeah, it’s delicious.
Ccookie butter can be found under the Biscoff brand at many grocery stores (and sometimes in a store generic brand) and at Trader Joe’s as Speculoos. You can use it just as you would peanut butter for sandwiches or for baked goods.
It’s fantastic stuff paired with chocolate, as in this recipe. It makes cookies taste more… cookie. Once you try it, you’ll know what I mean.
This recipe makes a nice, big batch of crispy, chewy cookies. Use any kind of chocolate chips that you want–or use a mix! It’ll all be good.
Bready or Not Original: Chewy Cookie Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- tablespoon scoop
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 cube), room temperature
- 1/2 cup creamy cookie butter
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 bag milk chocolate chips or semisweet chips, about 1 3/4 cups
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 375-degrees.
- In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a big mixing bowl, beat butter and cookie butter until completely blended. Add the two sugars. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the corn syrup, water, and vanilla. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Use a tablespoon scoop to dole out dough onto a cookie sheet, giving each one room to spread while baking. Bake for 10 to 11 minutes, until golden, then let them sit on the sheet another 5 to 10 minutes to set. Transfer to rack to completely cool.
- Store in a sealed container at room temperature. They will keep well for up to 3 days.
*OM NOM NOM!*
Bready or Not: Snickerdoodle Brookie
Don’t struggle to choose between Snickerdoodles and Brownies. Have them both at the same time in this extraordinary Snickerdoodle Brookie!
This is essentially like a massive cookie-cake hybrid. It looks impressive, and the flavor is impressive, too. If the layers work out right, you get a bit of everything in every bite.
If you eat the brookie warm, the chocolate flavor is quite strong. I actually liked this best at room temperature. The flavors play together better then.
I mean, it’d be a shame to not get to enjoy the Snickerdoodle side of things. A travesty.
I modified this from the original in my favorite food magazine, Bake from Scratch. I tried to make it easier by using the microwave, prepping the pan with parchment, and clarifying the steps throughout.
I can also testify that this is a great recipe to portion out and freeze. Pieces don’t take long to thaw and the brookie is dense enough to be pretty portable, too, though the dusting of cinnamon and sugar on top can sometimes be messy.
Modified from the March/April 2020 issue of Bake from Scratch Magazine.
Bready or Not: Snickerdoodle Brookie
Equipment
- 9-inch round cake pan
- parchment paper
Ingredients
Brownie batter:
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips or bittersweet (170 grams)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 cube
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup Dutch process cocoa powder sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Snickerdoodle dough:
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Topping:
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Cut a piece of parchment to fit inside a 9-inch round cake pan. Apply nonstick spray in pan, place parchment, then spray parchment as well. Set aside.
Make brownie batter
- Melt together the chocolate and butter either in a double boiler on the stove or in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir until everything is mixed and smooth. Stir in sugar. Set aside to cool for a few minutes before mixing in the eggs and vanilla.
- In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into chocolate mixture just until combined. Set aside.
Make snickerdoodle dough
- Beat together the butter and sugar until they are fluffy; in a stand mixer, this will be at about 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl a few times. Add the egg and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, stir together flour, cream of tartar, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into butter mixture. Dough will be quite thick.
Assemble the cake
- Spoon large dollops (about 3 tablespoons each) of brownie batter into bottom of the prepared pan, leaving space between each lump. Crumble dollops of snickerdoodle dough in between brownie batter. Top with any more scoops of brownie batter and snickerdoodle dough. Gently use fingers to even out top.
- Bake until the middle passes the toothpick test, 33 to 40 minutes.
Make topping
- Stir together cinnamon and sugar. As soon as the cake is removed from the oven, sprinkle the mixture across the top.
- Let cool at least 15 minutes before cutting in. Cake can be served warm or at room temperature. It can also be frozen in slices and thawed for later enjoyment.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Mini Cookie Butter-Chocolate Babkas
I hope it gets your attention when I say that these Mini Cookie Butter-Chocolate Babkas are among the best things I have ever made.
Really, these have it all going on. A tender enriched dough. Gooey chocolate. The sweet joy of cookie butter. Plus, the presentation is stunning with the dough coiled to reveal the layers of goodness.
Even better, this recipe is great about portion control. You don’t have a babka loaf to worry about. Each babka is muffin-sized. This makes it easy to take on the go, and they are also convenient to freeze.
If you’re unsure what cookie butter is, it is essentially sliced cookies pureed with oil to be the same consistency as peanut butter. It tastes like cookie dough in its purest form minus the risk of salmonella poisoning from raw eggs or flour. Find it near the peanut butter in a lot of stores; Biscoff is the most common brand, and it’s called Speculoos at Trader Joe’s.
You can, of course, substitute a smooth peanut butter in this recipe–which is what the original recipe in Bake from Scratch was all about. But me, nah, I’m a rebel. And my husband doesn’t like peanut butter, and he’s the one who needs to eat these things.
Modified greatly from Bake from Scratch Magazine July/August 2019; also online.
Bready or Not Original: Mini Cookie Butter-Chocolate Babkas
Equipment
- 12-cup muffin pan
- nonstick spray
- pastry brush
Ingredients
- 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour divided
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast or one store-bought packet
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 cup plus 1 Tablespoon water divided
- 1/2 cup plus 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter melted and divided
- 2 large eggs room temperature and divided
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 1 cup creamy cookie butter
- 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips plus extra
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stir together 4 cups flour, white sugar, yeast, and salt.
- Using a saucepan or the microwave, heat 1 cup water and 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter until it is 120 to 130-degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Pour the water mixture into the flour mixture. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Add one egg and egg yolk, and beat for another 2 minutes. Beat in a 1/4 to 1/2 cup more flour until a soft, sticky dough forms.
- Switch to the dough hook attachment. Beat at low speed until dough is soft, smooth, and elastic, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add nonstick spray to a large bowl. Shape dough into a smooth ball, and place in bowl. Roll it briefly to coat in oil. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
- Use nonstick spray on a 12-cup muffin pan.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt 1 Tablespoon butter. Add to it the cookie butter, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla, stirring until smooth.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into roughly a 20x12-inch rectangle. Spread cookie butter mixture onto dough. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Fold rectangle crosswise into thirds as if folding a sheet of paper for an envelope, forming a smaller rectangle, about 12x6 inches.
- Cut rectangle crosswise into 12 (about 1 inch) dough strips. Gently stretch and twist one to coil it inside a prepared muffin cup, tucking the end inside edge of cup to create a rounded top. Repeat 12 times. If desired, press a couple of additional chocolate chips into the top of each babka, but try to place them so they won't melt off the pan during baking.
- Cover and let rise in a warm spot until they are puffed, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 325-degrees.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the last egg with 1 Tablespoon water. Brush tops of dough with egg wash.
- Bake until babkas are golden brown, about 17 to 25 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted in center should register 190-degrees.
- Babkas are much better served warm--eat them fresh, or heat up later with a 20-30 burst in the microwave! This makes the dough soft and the chocolate gooey. They keep well sealed at room temperature for up to 3 days, but can also be frozen and thawed later.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Apple Caramel Chip Blondies
These Apple Caramel Chip Blondies are soft, sweet, and dangerously snackable, perfect for a quick bite to get you through the day.
I have other apple bar recipes like my tried-and-true Apple Cake that are thicker and more meal-like.
These bars are thin and light. They aren’t even heavy with apples, but the apple flavor is definitely there.
This is the kind of thing to use for a light breakfast, snack, or dessert, and they’d be great to wrap up and pack to go.
I used caramel chips for this recipe, but butterscotch or white chocolate would be great, too–or even seasonal sweet chips like pumpkin spice!
Bready or Not Original: Apple Caramel Chip Blondies
Equipment
- 9x9 pan
- medium saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 apple such as Ambrosia or Honeycrisp, peeled and chopped into raisin-sized pieces
- 1/3 cup caramel chips or substitute butterscotch chips or white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 9x9 pan with foil and apply nonstick spray or butter.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter, and continue to monitor a few more minutes, stirring often, to brown the butter. It should have a fresh, nutty smell. Remove from heat. Stir in the brown sugar and vanilla until the sugar is less grainy. Let the pan cool for a few minutes. Beat in the eggs until smooth. Stir in the dry ingredients next, followed by the apple pieces. Fold in the chips last.
- Pour the batter into the pan and smooth out the top. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the middle passes the toothpick test.
- Cool to room temperature. Use the foil to lift the contents onto a cutting board to slice up. Store the bars in a sealed container, with waxed paper or parchment between stacked layers.
