ABC - July 2019: Mixed Berry Ginger Crumb Cake

This month's recipe for the ABC bakers is the Mixed Berry Ginger Crumb Cake from The Brown Eyed Baker's blog. I almost didn't bake this because it was like a million degrees in my kitchen (aka 90s F). Then I came up with the following plan:

• Be done as quickly as possible, so I
• Skipped the fruit marinade which didn't make sense to me anyway.
• Skipped the crumb topping because in my experience, the crumb topping is only crunchy and delicious on the day you bake it, and I was going to take it to work the next day.
• Substitute coarse cornmeal with almond flour because I only had fine cornmeal.
• Use a different fruit combo so I can save myself a trip to the grocery store.
• Substitute a mixture of sour cream and plain yogurt for the milk, and adjust the leavening accordingly.
• Ground ginger and candied ginger are yummy, but I wanted to give it more so I added some ground cardamom to the cake as well.
• Finally, bake the cake in the toaster oven, which is big enough to hold a 9" x 9" cake pan.

The cake was fragrant, tender and very flavorful. Bon Appetit! :)

If you'd like to join the ABC bakers in their monthly baking adventures, please go to the ABC blog or visit us on Facebook for more information.

ABC - Strawberry-filled Angel Food Cake

When I searched the King Arthur Flour website for a summery dessert, I came across this Strawberry-filled Angel Food Cake. About five years ago, I baked and tasted my very first Angel Food Cake, and loved it. It was a recipe by the baking queen, Rose Levy Beranbaum. The thought of filling with the cake with a fruit-filled cream filling sounded REALLY good, and so it became our July challenge for ABC.

Orange flavored Angel Food cake with Red/White/Blue filling. Bon appetit!

If you'd like to join the ABC bakers in their monthly baking adventures, please go to the ABC blog for more information.

ABC - Blueberry Hand Pies

When I saw this recipe for Blueberry Hand Pies on the King Arthur Flour website, I knew I had to give these a try. They were a natural choice for the ABC group :o) These portable hand pies are made with a flaky crust that's a cross between a traditional pie crust and puff pastry, and filled with sweet and juicy fruit.

Blueberry/Plum Hand Pies

I used a combination of blueberries and black plums, but the options are endless. Use your favorite fruit(s) and adjust the sugar and thickener accordingly.

If you'd like to join the ABC bakers in their monthly baking adventures, please go to the ABC blog for more information.

HCB - Chocolate Layer Cake with (Whipped) Caramel Ganache & Plum-Blueberry Upside Down Torte

Earlier this month, the Heavenly Cake Bakers made the Plum-Blueberry Upside Down Torte. Although I baked it at the time, I didn't get a chance to post it, so here it is today. This week's HCB recipe is the Chocolate Layer Cake with Caramel Ganache. I was very excited about this cake, especially the ganache. My fellow blogger, Leslie of Lethally Delicious, has given it rave reviews and this lady knows her chocolate!!! :o)

Chocolate Layer Cake with Whipped Caramel Ganache

Plum-Blueberry Upside Down Torte

How did we like these cakes? Please continue reading. I also have step-by-step pictures.