The Always Requested Birthday Cake

This past Sunday was the day of birth of my best friend, Allie. Chad and I knew we wouldn’t be able to see her and her husband, Dave, on her actual birthday so we did the second best thing. We had them over Saturday night for steaks and birthday celebration.

Allie and Dave are a huge blessing in our lives. Next to our physical family, I’m pretty confident I can say that Allie loves our Archie bear more than anyone. Her and Dave have babysat Archie countless times, whether it’s because Chad and I have a commitment, meetings or date nights. Allie comes to check on our kitty, Nattie, while we are traveling, waters our garden, brings me surprise cups of coffee, and drops meals and snacks off at our house when we need it the most. They care about our marriage and I know they will always be there to help out whenever they are able.

Now it’s just time for them to reproduce so I can love on their babe as much as they’ve loved on mine.

Ok, so let’s get back to the cake I’m talking about…. or wanting to talk about. I get off track sometimes because I like stories and I really like details. Actually, Allie and I both like details, mindless little details that no one else cares about but us. BFF’s for life!

Alright, alright, seriously, let’s talk about cake. I have made this cake 3 times for Allie. 2 of those times have been specifically for her birthday.

I totally gave her an option of dessert this year and she still requested this cake. She loves it, Dave loves it, I love it, Chad loves it. It just works people.

Do it as soon as you can. You will not be disappointed. And please do me a favor and eat the leftover batter and chocolate ganache leftover in your bowls. It will just brighten your day. Trust.

Peanut Butter Cake with Salted Chocolate Ganache

adapted from Eat, Live, Run

Cake Ingredients:

1/4 c butter, softened

1/2 c creamy peanut butter

1/2 c dark brown sugar

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 c all purpose flour

1/2 c whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2/3 c vanilla soy milk

For the ganache:

1/2 c semi sweet chocolate chips

1/2 dark chocolate chips

1 Tbsp butter

1/2 c vanilla soy milk

3 Tbsp pure maple syrup

Sea salt for sprinkling

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and grease 8 inch round cake pan.

In mixer, cream together butter, sugar and peanut butter until well combined. In separate bowl, sift together flours, baking powder and salt. Now add your egg and vanilla to your mixer and beat well. Alternate your dry ingredients and soy milk into the mixer and beat until creamy and combined.

Pour batter into cake pan (don’t forget to lick the bowl clean of batter!) and bake in oven for 20-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Turn cake out onto plate after cooly slightly in pan.

While cake cools, prepare chocolate ganache. Bring your soy milk to a simmer on the stove. In another bowl, add your chocolate chips, butter and maple syrup. When soy milk begins to simmer, remove from stove and pour over chocolate chips and stir until smooth. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. Pour onto cake and spread evenly if necessary. Lightly dust ganache with crushed or flaked sea salt.

You may set in fridge if necessary to cool or until consumption.

Enjoy!

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Ok, I know, I know. It totally isn’t fall and I have a recipe with the word ‘pumpkin’ posting. Let me just tell you. I totally stocked up on cans of pumpkin so I could make this specific bread once a month or so because it’s that delicious.

This bread came when someone brought us a meal after we had Archie and I dominated all of it. All. Of. It. Two loaves. That’s a whole lotta bread people.

I would eat a slice every time I got up in the middle of the night to nurse, for breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, mid-afternoon snack and dessert after the main dessert. Can you tell I was ravenous? Well, I still am, but just not nearly to that extent that I was in the first month of motherhood and nursing around the clock.

So while I was baking my chocolate chip cookies last week, I decided that I wanted this bread too (because I obviously didn’t have enough carbs and chocolate in my life at that moment).

This recipe makes two loaves so I decided to drop one off on my best friends front porch at 6 am on the way into work this next morning because this is her favorite ‘treat’ bread. She was definitely happy about it and dug into it that morning to have with her Louisville coffee.

And when it comes to pumpkin, in my humble opinion, you gotta go with Libby’s canned pumpkin. It is the best!

I always thoroughly enjoy each bite of this bread and I think you will too. You can choose to make two loaves in regular size loaf pans or 5 loaves in mini loaf pans. You decide.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Ingredients:

2.5 c whole wheat flour

2 c granulated sugar

3 Tbsp wheat germ

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1 (16 oz) can pumpkin

4 eggs

1 1/4 c oil (I use canola)

1 c (heaping) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two regular loaf pans or 5 smaller ones well.

Sift dry ingredients together in bowl and set aside.

Beat together pumpkin, oil and eggs. Gradually add your flour mixture and mix until combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

Pour in loaf pans and bake for 50-60 minutes (for the two regular loaves) or 40-50 minutes for the small loaves.

Pull out of oven when toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Invert out of pan onto cooling rack. Cool completely. Good in ziplock bag or airtight container for up to one week.

Enjoy!