Happy Birthday Boyfriend 2011

After my failed attempt at baking banana cheesecake last year, I decided to switch it up for his 27th birthday and skip baking all together.  I know, I know... practice makes perfect, but simply thinking about the smell of the cake from last year made me ill.  

Our weekend was packed full of celebrating, so there was very little time for baking anyway.  This year I stuck with a recipe that's tried and true and purchased the cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory.   

Pictures courtesy of my iPhone - Sorry for the poor quality!

Fresh Banana Cream Cheesecake: banana cream cheesecake topped with Bavarian cream and fresh sliced bananas.

When boyfriend asked why I did not bake him a cake - I told him to take a bite.  He had no more questions!  Maybe I'll try baking again for his 28th... or 30th...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOYFRIEND!!!

Olive Oil Pound Cake

RD Tip: Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat (a healthy fat). Per the American Dietetic Association's position paper about Functional Foods, there is some evidence that eating about 2 tbsp (or 23g) of olive oil daily may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease due to the monounsaturated fats. To achieve the benefit of olive oil, it should replace a similar amount of saturated fat and not increase the total amount of daily energy intake. This pound cake is a perfect example. Rather than using a 'pound' of butter (a saturated fat), this recipe substitutes the bad fat with a healthier monounsaturated fat - olive oil.

In August my friend, Kitchen M , made some olive oil pound cake and brought it into work for us all to enjoy. Like everything Em makes, it was absolutely to die for!

During my trip to Israel we visited the Golan Olive Oil Mill. The store was not much different than what you see in Napa Valley, but the owner was such an amazing salesman, that I just HAD to buy something. Although they had a bunch of foofy olive products for skin, hair, face, etc., I decided to go for good 'ol olive oil.

I bought the bottle that is in Hebrew because I thought it looked cool and that it would be a great souvenir.

Since the bottle is in Hebrew, I had to take a picture of the English one so I could translate it.

This is the Gold Label Olive Oil called Tabha. It is the first cold press Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This olive oil is unique because it is extracted without the pit. It is clear, delicate & light and an exclusive product of the "Golan Olive Oil Mill"

This olive oil was quite a pain to get home. Since I am a chronic over-packer, my suitcase was a little heavy on the flight back to the US. I made it from Ben Gurion airport to LAX alright, but I knew there was NO way they would let me travel back to SFO with such a heavy suitcase. My good friend Shelby was nice enough to keep my olive oil in LA and mail it to me. When she came to visit San Francisco last weekend I was sure to have some fresh baked olive oil pound cake for her to thank her for her kindness.

I searched online for an olive oil pound cake recipe, but couldn't find any. I remembered Kitchen M's post about her bread, so I immediately checked her blog for the recipe. Since Kitchen M didn't post the recipe on her blog, I don't think I can post it on mine either. She was nice enough to share her yummy recipe with me, and if any of you would like it, I would be more than happy to e mail it to you also.

I made the cake at home for boyfriend to try and BOYFRIEND LIKES IT! It's a miracle! I took half of the cake to work the next day and everyone there loved it also. The mixture of orange zest, olive oil, and sherry wine create a sweet, yet light citrus flavor that's so addictingly wonderful.

My mom has an annual Valentine's day party which she spends days baking for. Since I have a new found love of baking, I decided to help her this year. I made two of my olive oil pound cakes for her party and it disappeared! This recipe is absolutely a keeper!

Happy Birthday Boyfriend - Banana Fosters Cheesecake

Last weekend was my boyfriend's birthday. He is not a chocolate cake kind of person like I am, but he LOVES the banana cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory. As a loving girlfriend, I figured I would try to make a banana cheesecake for him even though the thought is not appetizing to me whatsoever.

For some odd reason I chose a recipe that calls for the cake to be baked in a bath. This one was a lot tougher to bake than the flour-less chocolate cake because it called for some odd baking instructions. I tried my best...

INGREDIENTS:

Crust:

3/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup finely chopped pecans

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Filling:

1 2-oz packages reduced-fat cream cheese, room temperature

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

3 large eggs

2 cups pureed bananas (from 4 bananas)

1 cup low-fat sour cream

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch of salt

Topping:

1 cup low-fat sour cream

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 17oz jar carmel sauce

2 tablespoons dark rum

2 bananas, peeled, sliced

Preparation

For crust:

position rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350*F. Wrap outside of 9-inch diameter springform pan with 3-inch-high sides with heavy-duty foil. (I had to finely chop the nuts in the food processor)

Combine flour, pecans, butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix well.
Press mixture onto bottom of prepared pan.
For filling:

Using electric mixer, beat cream in large bowl until smooth. Gradually beat in sugar. Beat in cornstarch. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until just blended after each addition. Add pureed banana, sour cream, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Beat until just combined.

Transfer filling to crust-lined pan. Place pan in large roasting pan. Add enough hot water to roasting pan to come up 1 inch up sides of springform pan. Bake until center of cake is just set, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove cake from oven. Maintain oven temperature.

Meanwhile, prepare topping:

Mix together sour cream, sugar, and vanilla in small bowl until well blended. Spread topping over cheesecake
Bake until topping is set, about 10 minutes. Turn off oven. Let cake stand in oven until cooled to room temperature, about 2 hours. Refrigerate cake until well chilled. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Cut around cake to loosen; remove pan sides. Transfer cake to platter. Warm carmel sauce in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring often. Mix in rum. Drizzle some sauce decoratively over cake. Arrange bananas top cake and Enjoy

Overall, I think this cake came out pretty mediocre. It took FOREVER to bake and cool. I had to make it 5 days before his actually birthday just to ensure it would be done on time. The taste was decent, but boyfriend said it was not "banana enough". Next time he wants banana cheesecake I may just go out and buy it from Cheesecake Factory... I will have to find a new cake for next year!

Happy Birthday Boyfriend!

*If anyone has a better banana cheesecake recipe I should try, PLEASE share!

Recipe courtesy of epicurious: July 1996

La Bete Noire - "The Black Beast"

This take on a flour-less chocolate cake definitely lives up to its translation: The Black Beast

**DISCLAIMER** While this cake is incredibly rich, chocolatey, and delicious, as an RD, I do not recommend consuming more than a tiny wedge. Note the nutrition facts are not included for a reason...

This cake is gluten-free and a great dessert choice for those with a gluten intolerance.

Ingredients:

Cake

1 cup water

3/4 cup sugar

9 tablespoons (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, diced

18 ounces (2 1/4 cups) bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped

6 large eggs

Ganache

1 cup heavy whipping cream

8 ounces (1 cup) bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped

lightly sweetened whopped cream

Preparation

For cake:

Preheat oven to 350*F. Butter 10-inch-diameter springform pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment round; butter parchment (I used cooking spray). Wrap 3 layers of heavy-duty foil around outside of pan, bringing foil to top of rim.

Combine 1 cup water and sugar in small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Melt butter in large saucepan over low heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Whisk sugar syrup into chocolate; cool slightly.

Add eggs to chocolate mixture and whisk until well blended.

Pour batter into prepared pan.

Place cake pan in large roasting pan. Add enough hot water to roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cake pan. Bake until center no longer moves when pan is gently shaken, about 50 minutes. Remove from water bath; transfer to rack. cool completely in pan.

For ganache:

Bring whipping cream to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat.

Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Pour over top of cake still in pan.
Gently shake pan to distribute ganache evenly over top of cake. Refrigerate in pan until ganache is set, about 2 hours. Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake; release sides. Whip cream and add 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar.
Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake; release sides.

Cut cake into wedges and serve with whipped cream
This cake is mouthwatering, rich, and delicious! It is best served cold and if you leave it out of the fridge for too long it can get mushy. It is so satisfying for chocolate lovers and is perfectly paired with cold, skim milk. This is a great dessert for entertaining or even as a weeknight indulgence, but may not be the best choice for those watching their waistline... check out those ingredients again! But then again, those ingredients are what make it taste so wonderful. Always remember: portion control!

ENJOY!!

Recipe courtesy of epicurious: September 2006