Carrot Cake Cream Cheese Swirl Bundt Cake

Holy moly deliciousness. Mel has done it again. This time with carrot cake/cheesecake perfection.

Photo Credit to Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Carrot Cake Cream Cheese Swirl Bundt Cake
Carrot Cake:
1 2/3 cup (8 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3-4 large carrots (12 ounces), ends trimmed and finely shredded (about 2 cups)
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar (7 ounces)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
1 cup oil (see note above)
1/2 cup toasted, chopped pecans, optional
Cream Cheese Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, light or regular, softened
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
Frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon sour cream
2 cups powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9- or 10-inch bundt cake pan very well, getting in all the nooks and crannies. Lightly dust with flour, tapping out the excess, and set aside.
For the cake batter, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl (you can use the bowl of a stand electric mixer here), with a handheld electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugars together until blended. With the mixer running, drizzle in the oil and mix until thick and creamy.
Add the dry ingredients, carrots and pecans, and mix gently by hand until combined and no streaks of flour remain. Set aside for a few minutes while preparing the cream cheese filling.
For the cream cheese layer, beat together the cream cheese, vanilla, sugar and egg until smooth and well-combined. You can use an electric mixer or I generally use my blender (Blendtec model) for whipping this together.
Pour half of the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Spoon the cream cheese mixture in dollops evenly across the top. Finish with the remaining carrot cake batter. It's ok if you can see the cream cheese layer peeking through - the carrot cake may not cover it all the way.
Bake the cake for 45-60 minutes until the top lightly springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.
Remove fron the oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes before turning out onto a serving plate to cool completely.
For the frosting, whip together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth and well-combined (again, I use my blender for this but you can use an electric mixer). Add the heavy cream, sour cream and powdered sugar and mix until light and fluffy.
Once the cake is completely cooled, spread the frosting over the top curve of the bundt cake. If you want to cover the cake entirely, you can double the frosting.
Refrigerate until ready to serve. The cake can be made, frosted and refrigerated up to a day in advance.

Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

{Healthy-ish} Chocolate Zucchini Cake

I was quite skeptical about this. I mean, I really wanted to try it, but I was worried that it was going to be "too healthy." Luckily it was healthy and delicious {although I added ice cream to every bite, so that might've had something to do with it…}

Photo Credit to Texanerin.com

{Healthy-ish} Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Zucchini cake:
¾ cup olive oil or canola oil
1 cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
¾ cup Greek yogurt
2-2 1/4 whole wheat flour
1¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cocoa powder
3 cups grated, peeled zucchini {I didn't peel at all}
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Ganache:
¼ cup honey
3½ tablespoons coconut oil
½ teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
2-4 tablespoons Greek yogurt

Grease a 12 cup bundt pan or 6 cup if you want to make half. Preheat your oven to 350°F / 176°C. For the cake, combine the honey, oil, and vanilla in a large bowl. At first it'll be difficult to get the honey incorporated, but it'll work. Stir in the eggs and then the Greek yogurt. Set this bowl aside.

In another large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Sift the cocoa powder into the bowl if it's lumpy, or just use a fork to get rid of the lumps. Add the wet mix to the dry mix and stir, just until combined. 

Fold in the zucchini and the chocolate chips.

Bake the full recipe for 40 minutes, or if using half, bake for 30 minutes. When you insert a toothpick in the middle, the toothpick will not come out dry, or even with crumbs, but it'll come out covered in sticky batter. If you insert it, and it's just normal batter, it's not ready. Sticky batter is what we're looking for! It'll continue to cook once it's out of the oven.

Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then flip out onto a wire rack to cool. Cool completely before putting on the ganache. If using the following ganache recipe, store cake covered in the fridge. Otherwise, room temperature is fine.

For the ganache: Over low heat, melt the honey and coconut oil and in a medium saucepan or pot. When melted, add the vanilla and then the cocoa powder. Stir until thoroughly combined. It might look weird, like it isn't combining. The first time I made it, I used too much coconut oil and poured some out and everything was fine. The recipe reflects how I made it the second time with less coconut oil, and had no problem with excess oil.

Place in the fridge for 5 minutes. Take out and add a tablespoon of Greek yogurt at a time, stirring after every one. For me, just under three tablespoons was enough. It should be pourable at this point. Not too hot and not too cold. Pour over the cake and store any leftovers in the fridge. {I liked it best stored in the fridge for one or two days}

Recipe Source: Texanerin Baking

Apple-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

Bundt cakes are ridiculously scrumptious. I love their rich, denseness. I sometimes look up bundt cakes because that's what I feel like {which I also feel like is a little weird...} no matter the flavor. This one is a definite winner. I love cream cheese in anything and little different texture from the apples makes this a favorite bundt.

Photo Credit to bakedbyrachel.com

Apple-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

Cream Cheese Filling
1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cake
1 cup finely chopped pecans (plus extra for garnish, optional)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups peeled and finely chopped Gala apples (about 2-3 medium apples)

Praline Frosting
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 12 or 14 cup bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray with
flour (the cake will fit in a 12-cup bundt, but just barely).

To make the filling: Add the cream cheese, butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer
fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until well combined and
smooth. Add the egg, flour and vanilla and continue beating just until incorporated. Set
aside.

Place the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and toaste in the oven for 8-10 minutes, or
just until fragrant. Remove the pan to a wire rack.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, both sugars, the cinnamon, salt, baking soda, nutmeg and
allspice together. Add the eggs, oil, applesauce and vanilla and mix just until combined
(I started with a whisk and switched to a rubber spatula). Fold in the toasted pecans and
chopped apples until distributed throughout the batter.

Spoon about 1/2 to 2/3 of the cake batter into the prepared pan. Top evenly with the
cream cheese filling, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge of the pan (I found this
tricky, just do the best you can). Use a thin paring knife to swirl the cream cheese filling
with the cake batter just a few times – less is more. Top the filling with the remaining
cake batter.

Bake for 60-75 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out
clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes, then invert the cake onto
the rack and allow to cool completely (at least 2 hours).

To make the frosting: Combine the brown sugar, butter and milk in a 2-qt saucepan. Set
over medium heat, and bring to a boil, whisking almost constantly. Boil for 1 minute,
whisking constantly. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Whisk in the
confectioners’ sugar, a little at a time, until it is completely incorporated and the frosting
is smooth. Gently stir the frosting until it starts to thicken, then pour it over the cooled
cake. (The frosting will set up quickly, so don’t make it in advance – wait until the cake
has cooled completely.) Garnish with extra pecans, if desired.

Recipe Source: Baked by Rachel 

Banana Bundt Cake with Chocolate Ganache

So I said to my dad on Sunday "Here is my dessert wall on Pinterest. Pick one." He picked this. And, boy, am I glad he did! Although I didn't get to try it that night, oddly enough. I made it, not realizing (because I'm awful at reading instructions BEFORE I start making it) that it had to cook for 1 hour 40 minutes, and I had to take the girls home to bed within the hour. That's how much I love my faja.
Oh, this dessert...it's thick and moist and the chocolate is just a hint. It's a perfect combination! Make it. Now.

Banana Bundt Cake with Chocolate Ganache

Photo Credit to mybakingaddiction.com

About 12 servings
1 1/2 cups bananas, mashed, ripe
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla vanilla
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 275°. Thoroughly grease and flour a 12-cup non-stick bundt pan or use PAM spray for baking.

In a small bowl, mix mashed bananas with the lemon juice; set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time until fully incorporated. Stir in the vanilla.

Add in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, mixing until combined. Stir in banana mixture.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for about 1 hour and 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and place directly into the freezer (still in pan) for 45-60 minutes. This will make the cake very moist. Remove cake from freezer to a cooling rack for at least 3 hours.

When ready to serve, invert the cake onto a serving platter and prepare the chocolate ganache.

To make the ganache, pour the chopped chocolate into a medium mixing bowl, set aside. Pour the heavy cream into a microwave safe measuring cup (Pyrex) and microwave on high for about 1 minute or until bubbles begin to form on the surface. Take care to not overheat because the cream will boil over. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and allow it to sit for about 3 minutes. Use a small whisk to combine the mixture into a smooth chocolate glaze. Drizzle over cooled cake. {I made the ganache, then kept it in a bowl so we could add however much we wanted on each piece and it worked great...maybe didn't look as pretty as hers...but tasted AWESOME!}

Recipe Source: My Baking Addiction

Lime Coconut Sour Cream Bundt Cake

Wow. For some reason I was craving a bundt cake. Any flavor. Weird huh? Oh well, it made me find this beauty. Although next time I will make sure to make it for a crowd so I can enjoy it for a couple nights and not a week, it was totally worth it. A fresh taste for dessert (versus the chocolate that inevitably finds its way into my mouth).

Photo Credit to mybakingaddiction.com

Lime Coconut Sour Cream Bundt Cake
Makes 12-14 servings
For the Cake:
1 cup unsalted butter , softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
zest of 3 medium limes (I will do 2 next time)
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup Sour Cream
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut (I will chop it next time for smaller pieces)
For the Lime Glaze:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
5 tablespoons heavy cream
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
zest of 1 medium lime

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10 inch bundt pan, set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, cream the butter until smooth.
In a medium bowl, combine the sugar and lime zest mixing together with your fingertips until the sugar is moistened and fragrant. Add the sugar mixture gradually to the butter and beat on medium speed until light fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in vanilla.
Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
In a medium bow, combine flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with sour cream, beating until well blended after each addition. Fold in coconut.
Spoon mixture into prepared pan and smooth the top with a spoon or spatula.
Bake 50 minutes to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 8. Cool for 20 minutes on a wire rack. Invert cake onto wire rack; gently remove pan. Cool completely.
Lime Glaze:
In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and stir until smooth. If mixture is too thick add more cream one teaspoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. I like my glaze to be thick so 5 tablespoons usually turns out to be to my liking.

Spoon over cooled cake.

Recipe Source: My Baking Addiction