Omi Krauth’s Sugarcake (Zuckerkuchen) ~ A Guest Post by the German Foodie

Today I'm very pleased to welcome Sofie from The German Foodie to Oh Cake. I first met Sofie through Foodbuzz but I really got to know her through the Food Bloggers Network. She has become someone whose work I admire and whose personality I really enjoy. With Thom's Austrian parentage he also reads her blog which is reminiscent of the recipes his mother makes (just say servierttenknödel to watch a man go weak in the knees). I just love anyone who makes things like Strawberry Sour Cream Pie. I am very excited about today's recipe that Sofie is graciously sharing with us: not only does it have sour cream (one of my secret favorite indulgences) but I love Thom's stories about his own "Candy Omi" ~ his grandmother who was so named because she always kept a drawer full of candy for visiting grandchildren. I'll let Sofie tell you about Omi Krauth and her zucherkuchen (sugar cake). And when you're done with this luscious treat be sure to visit Sofie's blog and drool over all the other delicious bites there.

I am an expat German living in Northeast Ohio, and blogging mostly about authentic German food and my own original recipes inspired by German food. Having grown up in the border region with France in a very cosmopolitan city, even for its size, I am also drawn to all sorts of ethnic recipes.
I have been baking ever since I could hold a spoon, and it is my great passion in life. I have somehow always baked. I love to explore and experiment, to create and yes, eat what I have created. I am not just a consummate baker; I like to cook as well, especially seasonally.

1 Minute Flourless Chocolate Cupcake ~ Guest Post by Ditch the Wheat

Please welcome Carol from Ditch the Wheat today! Carol writes a great blog about living a gluten free and low carb lifestyle. From a breakfast of Banana Waffles to a dinner with Rosemary Peppery Pork Tenderloin Carol has delicious recipes that are both healthy and easy to prepare. Over the summer it seems like time flies by even faster than usual so I am very grateful to Carol for making time to share one of her low carb desserts with Oh Cake readers while Thom and I are thick in the midst of buying our first home. The best part? It's ready in one minute! But I'll let Carol tell you all about it...

I would like to thank Jessica for letting me guest post on Oh Cake.  Most of all I am thankful for her starting The Food Bloggers Network.  This is where I “met” Jessica and have come to regard her as one of my blogger friends and mentors.  I love The Food Bloggers Network for the wealth of information that it provides.  I feel my blog, Ditch The Wheat, has benefited from it. 

Blueberry Lemon Teacake

When you live in a two room apartment encased in brick there aren't many reasons to have your oven compete with the AC in summer. This blueberry lemon teacake, however, is definitely one of the better reasons to initiate an appliance show-down. The lemon flavor is light, fresh, and bright. The blueberries retain their juiciness; bursting with each push of the fork and staining the dense crumb with purple flecks. It's a perfect cake to serve with a dollop of sweet whipped cream at the end of a summer meal on the patio.

Eight Layer Coconut Lemon Cake with Raspberries and Toasted Coconut

This eight layer coconut lemon cake with raspberries and toasted coconut is a birthday cake to end all birthday cakes. A behemoth of a cake that took nearly all day to make but was the birthday present in itself.  My sister-in-law loves coconut cake. Last year for her birthday I made a chocolate cake with orange marmalade filling and a coconut frosting. It wasn't one of my best. This year, I decided to make the biggest, bestest, tastiest, moistest, most coconutty cake possible. Behold! The Eight Layer Coconut Lemon Cake!

Several days before Andrea's birthday I sent her about three emails with various options for coconut cake pairings. I wasn't able to procure passion fruit, which was our combined first choice; I couldn't get coconut-chai out of my head so I made this Chai Almond Cake with Toasted Coconut Buttercream for a dinner at my mother's house the day before Andrea's birthday. Seriously. Baking cakes for days and days. And I'm surprised there's too much buttercream around my middle layer? Oouf. Or should I say oeuf? Heehee... just a little French baking humor.

Right. Back to the cakes. Mmm... cake. Andrea's close second choice was a coconut lemon cake and so this is what happened... 

Chai Almond Cake with Toasted Coconut Buttercream

The deep color and flavor of this chai layer cake is balanced by the delicate middle layer of almond sponge cake and the sweet coconut buttercream. I have been thinking about making a chai cake for a long time and am thrilled with the way this layer cake turned out. Chai is such a luxurious drink; The sweetly aromatic flavors in the tea are heightened by the creamy milk in which it is steeped, leading me to think a chai cake paired with a buttercream frosting would combine to form a similar, deeply flavorful and creamy result. Adding a rum syrup in between the layers provided additional moisture and flavor ensuring this cake will have a lasting place among the pages of my family's favorite recipes.

Quite frankly, I'm immodestly pleased with myself over this cake. Allow me to pose this little question: whose got two thumbs and knows how to make a damn tasty cake?

This gal.

Blackberry Peach Teacake

It is no exaggeration to say that this Blackberry Peach Teacake was devoured in twenty-four hours between Thom and me. I have a spectacular fondness for cake... which you... uh... probably already knew considering the name of this blog... but anyway... this style of teacake is one of my particular favorites. The cake is dense and rich while remaining moist. The fruit on top adds a wonderful fresh burst of natural flavor to the mildly spiced and creamy cake.

If you've been reading this blog regularly you know this cake is a springtime variation on a theme; the Pear Marzipan Teacake is brilliant in early autumn and the Orange-Fig Teacake with Caramel Glaze is perfect for bridging the gap between the fall and winter seasons. For spring I lightened up the cake a bit with less sugar and cream as well as added richness to the flavor with almond flour and almond extract. Some slivered almonds on top of the cake would be great, too.

Berrylove ~ Flower Berry Angel Food Baskets

I found this darling shortcake basket pan on sale recently at a local shop and I couldn't pass it up. First off, I absolutely love Nordic Ware designs (I use this petit fours pan for bridal showers); second, I absolutely love that their products are made in the USA when so many industries have moved overseas and I will always buy as local as possible; and third, as soon as I saw it the idea for this recipe sprang into my head. I had to have it!

If you don't have an adorable basket weave mini cake pan you can use mini angel food molds or you can double the recipe and make a full size angel food cake.

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes - a Teddy Bear's Picnic!

I'm guest posting with these lemon blueberry cupcakes over at Java Cupcake today. It's a deliciously sweet blog filled with goodies galore. In honor of the arrival of Betsy's baby boy these luscious lemon cupcakes are topped with a blueberry cream cheese frosting and a sweet little chocolate teddy because...

If you go down in the woods today you're sure of a big surprise. If you go out in the woods today you'd better go in disguise. For every bear that ever there was will gather there for certain, because today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic.

When I was a little girl my Mom would read me stories in the voice of my teddy bear. My favorite were when she would make up stories about what Teddy did all day while I was at school. When I was going through a problem with a bully Teddy had advice for how she handled her bully, Ruthie Bruin (Mom really should have been a children's book author). Teddy was as real and loving to me as... well... as my Mom.

So for all the Moms who love their babies and all the kids at heart who still love their teddies... have a cupcake today.

Enjoy!

Gingerbread Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting - The Foodie Days of Christmas

This tender gingerbread layer cake has just the right amount of spice. The dark, rich molasses and ginger flavors are perfectly balanced with the luscious cream cheese frosting. At this time of year is there really any such thing as too much gingerbread? Whether you're into cookies or cake, tis the season to bake!

Chocolate-Pumpkin Trifle with Spiced Cream

Easy yet elegant, this combination of two of my favorite cakes - chocolate and pumpkin - is a perfect pairing of two classic flavors which combine to develop a sophisticated and nuanced holiday dessert. Those who have never had chocolate and pumpkin together are often delightfully surprised at how delicious the two are combined. Accented with a sprinkling of Grand Marnier and layered with ginger and cinnamon spiced cream this is not only a beautiful dessert, but a very popular one perfect for the crowd at your next holiday party.

Pumpkin Cake with Cranberry Gelee

This dense pumpkin cake combines the best of regular cake and pumpkin pie to create a moist, creamy consistency with a texture reminiscent of cheesecake or fudge. The cranberry gelée adds both a tart edge and a glossy, vibrant color to the cake. The optional toasted chopped pecans send this cake over the top with a rich, buttery flavor and a crunchy texture. This showstopper is deceptively simple to prepare and guaranteed to disappear quickly around your holiday table.

Halloween Tricks & Treats - a Chocolate-Orange Cake Story

It must be Halloween because I began my morning being tricked. In my sleepy stupor I could have sworn I heard my husband walking through water. Snuggling myself further under the glorious down comforter to fight off consciousness, much the way I protected myself from the monsters in the shadows as a child I couldn't help but think, "please. For the love of all that is good and right in the world... please... please... don't let the storage room be flooded."

Pear Teacake with Marzipan Streusel

Everyone has childhood memories of family traditions - whether it is a special holiday tradition, a favorite family recipe, or an annual trip. In my family, one thing I could always count on was that at around 3:30 every afternoon, no matter what else was going on, my grandmother would stop what she was doing and have tea.

Mom or I would put on the kettle, brew a pot of tea, set a pitcher of milk and the sugar bowl on the table. Three teacups and saucers. Three spoons. And then... Grammie would say, "how about a little something?" You see for Grammie there was tea at breakfast, a cup of tea around 10am, a cup with lunch, a cup after dinner and maybe a cup as a pick-me-up during the day. But tea time in the afternoon was different, special. The table would be set, a whole pot would be brewed instead of a single mug, china cups would come out... and there would be "a little something."

"A little something" was often a simple slice of cinnamon raisin toast with cream cheese but sometimes it was apple pie or leftover cake from a birthday or holiday. Sometime in my early teens my Mom and I started making this incredible plum teacake (the pears come later). It was incredibly dense and rich, not overly sweet. The plums stayed juicy and plump on the top while creating a thin sliver of a delectably moist layer right underneath them. A hint of cinnamon and this cake was perfection with a hot cup of tea. Over the years I've tweaked it to make it better and better.