Honey Peach Cake

When you are dreaming of summer and want to use lackluster peaches, when you are in summer and are overrun with peaches, or if you just love peaches...honey peach cake!

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Honey Peach Cake

Ingredients:

1 c. unsalted butter, at room temp

2 ½ c. all purpose flour

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 c. sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tbsp. honey

Pinch nutmeg

Dash allspice

2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 large eggs, at room temp

1 c. whole milk

1 c. diced peaches (1-2)

Directions:

1.    Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter pans with butter wrappers or spray with cooking spray.

2.    Line pans with parchment, butter again, and dust with flour. Tap out excess.

3.    Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice together. Set aside.

4.    Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium high until fluffy.

5.    Beat in the vanilla and honey. Then the eggs, one at time, scrapping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

6.    Reduce mixer speed to low. Add the flour in 3 additions and the milk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with flour. Do not over mix. Gently fold in the peaches.

7.    Transfer to pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

8.    Cool the cakes in the pans for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire wrack to cool completely.

Baking Times:

Two 8 in rounds: 25-30 min.

Two 9 in rounds: 22-25 min.

9x13 rectangle: 25-30 min.

24 cupcakes: 15-20 min.

Buttercream Frosting:

Ingredients:

1 stick butter, softened.

3 c. confectioner’s sugar

1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract.

1-2 tbsp. milk.

Directions:

1.    Blend butter and sugar.

2.    Stir in vanilla and milk.

3.    Beat until smooth and of spreading consistency.

Will frost 2 layers, 24 cupcakes, or a 9x13 rectangle.

Add 1-2 drops food coloring as desired.

Cake recipe adapted from Real Simple September 2010

Buttercream recipe adapted from Betty Crocker.

Enjoy,

Suzanne

Teriyaki duck and roasted vegetables

I am not a meat and 3 kind of girl. On occasion, I might get talked into fried chicken and mashed potatoes, especially the skillet fried chicken at The Blue Rooster in Clyde, NC...or maybe the fried chicken breast with mushroom gravy at Homegrown in Asheville, NC. But given the choice, I'll choose a burrito or stir-fry. If it can be done in one pan, even better. 

But sometimes, you just want that traditional meat and vegetable. Right? So I make duck breast and roasted vegetables, because duck is as normal as it gets.

So here it is: Duck Breast!

Ingredients:
2 fresh duck breasts, skin on
1 c. teriyaki sauce
1 sweet potato, diced
1 blue potato, diced
1 small head cauliflower, in florets
1 small head broccoli, in florets
sunflower oil, or other neutral oil
1tsp thyme leaves
orange, sliced in half-cut one half into 4 wedges

Directions:
1. Marinate duck breasts in teriyaki mixed with juice of half an orange for 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, toss potatoes with 1-2tsp oil, salt, and thyme. Place on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Stir.
3. Toss cauliflower and broccoli with 1-2tsp oil, salt, and juice of orange wedge. Add to cookie sheet. Return to oven for 20 minutes. Stir halfway through.
4. Heat a little oil in a skillet on medium high. Add the duck breasts and marinade. Cook, 5-6 minutes until starting to sear. Flip duck breasts over, and cook another 3-4 minutes, until medium (unlike chicken, duck is often served medium or even medium rare)
5. Plate and Serve with orange wedges for garnish!

Enjoy,
Suzanne