Wordless Wednesday

Cinnamon Swirl Pound Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze

I made this beautiful and delicious cake for my Mother for her recent visit. Mama is a very young 85, is in great health and goes to the gym almost every day. She is a true Southern Cake Lady. She loves cake and believes it will solve many of the problems of the world.

If you are feeling down in the dumps, just get into the kitchen and bake a cake. It will cheer you right up, according to Mama. Have a friend who is bereaved? Take them a cake. Any kind of celebration whether birthday or a new birth, graduation or retirement, family reunion, holiday or wedding, calls for cake.

A visit from Mama definitely calls for cake!

This is a true pound cake with a fine crumb, tender, moist, and rich taste, and a golden brown crust. It is swirled with a delicious buttery cinnamon sugar filling and topped with a cream cheese glaze reminiscent of cinnamon rolls.

 

 

Cinnamon Swirl Pound Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze

Cake:
3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 eggs, room temperature
3 cups cake flour, sifted before measuring
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Meanwhile, combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl.

Add half the sour cream to the butter mixture and mix to combine. Add half the flour mixture and beat until incorporated. Add the other half of the sour cream mixture, combine, then add the remaining flour mixture and beat well.

Lastly, add the vanilla and mix well but don't over mix.

Swirl:
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp. flour

In a small bowl, whisk all ingredients together until well combined.

Bake the Cake:
Spray a tube or bundt pan with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 of the cake batter into prepared pan. Next drizzle some of the swirl mixture over the batter. Use a knife or chopstick to create a swirl pattern. Repeat the steps until all batter is used.

Bake for 1 hour and 10 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes then remove the cake and let it cool completely.

Cream Cheese Glaze:
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Beat ingredients together with a mixer until smooth and pourable. Pour the glaze over the cake and serve.

Panzanella

Panzanella, the Italian Bread Salad made with stale bread, olive oil, vinegar, and ripe tomatoes has many and varied additions. Just one look at "Google Images" and you will see that almost anything goes. I believe that traditionally the bread is soaked in water and then squeezed out. That method does not appeal to me. I like versions made with toasted bread or crispy croutons.

Also, basil is traditional. A few years ago we grew too much basil and I made too many batches of pesto. I don't dislike basil, I just overindulged and I haven't loved it since. Thyme can also be used but I chose to use lots of fresh parsley.

I saw beautiful images of Panzanella made with red onion or scallions (I used sweet Vidalia onions), bell pepper or not (I did), Cucumber or not (I did), Mozzarella or not (I did), black olives (I used pimiento stuffed green). Other things I saw include artichoke hearts, zucchini, radishes, avocado, chicken, pepperoni, shrimp. I saw salads arranged like a cobb salad and even panzanella skewers. If I had thought of anchovies, I would have added some.

I had some leftover croissants. I sliced them, drizzled with olive oil, toasted, then kept separate from the tomato mixture. After the salad had marinated in the refrigerator for a few hours, I served it over the toasted croissant slices. It was fantastic!

A Panzanella Salad
3 large, ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
1 bell pepper, any color, chopped
1 small cucumber, chopped
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
Sliced pimiento stuffed green olives
Mozzarella cheese, cut into bite size pieces
1/4 cup, or more, fresh parsley, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
Red wine vinegar, to taste
Olive oil, to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Stale bread for serving

Cherry Mango Smoothie

Cherries and mango are a dynamic duo in this delicious smoothie.

Cherry Mango Smoothie
1 cup fresh cherries, washed and pitted
1 mango, sliced
1 banana
1 cup yogurt
1/2 cup apricot nectar

Process in blender and enjoy.

Ginger Peach Smoothie

I am still drinking a smoothie every day. If you have not started on your smoothie regimen, now is the perfect time to begin, with all the luscious, juicy, colorful, healthful, ripe summer fruits flooding the markets at amazing prices. Also, if you get carried away, like I often do, and buy too much fruit at once, smoothies are a fantastic way to use overly ripe fruit.

Your smoothie can be a light and refreshing summer meal as long as you add a source of protein, such as yogurt, cottage cheese, any kind of milk, and/or protein powder.

I have used a generous amount of  fresh ginger in this smoothie because I love ginger, especially with peaches. I love its health-giving qualities, its taste, and I love the heat, especially combined with cooling ingredients. After drinking this smoothie, my tummy felt warm and my lips felt tingly. Yet, it didn't make me feel hot or sweaty like some hot spices can. It was a lovely feeling.

Ginger Peach Smoothie
1 peach, washed and cut into chunks
1 banana
1 heaping teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 cup yogurt
1/2 cup apricot nectar
1 serving protein powder (optional)
A few ice cubes (if desired)

Add all ingredients to an ordinary blender and whirl away, stirring once or twice if necessary.