Espresso Spice Cake... An Inspired After Dinner Treat!

I have been craving sweets after dinner, so I started searching for an inspired treat. I came across a recipe for a “Texas Sheet Cake”, which became my inspiration to develop this Espresso Spice Cake recipe. Picture a one layer cake of tender chocolate slathered with chocolate frosting and sprinkled with sliced almonds. It is the perfect combination of unique ingredients like espresso, spices and buttermilk. If you don't like sweet, this cake served with the frosting is not for you. The cake alone is so light and moist and is great without any frosting. However, for the first version, chocolate frosting it is. The frosting gets poured over the cake while they are both warm. Next time I make this cake I will swap the chocolate poured frosting for a cream cheese sauce or frosting. I must say, this cake is sure to please everyone, it feeds 16. If you want to feed a bigger crowd you can cut the cake into smaller squares and it will serve 24. Express Your Love Through Food! ENJOY!

INGREDIENTS - CAKE

1 cup unsalted butter

½ cup lightly packed premium unsweetened dark 100% cocoa powder

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup strong espresso

2 cups 00 flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

2 eggs

½ cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Prepare a 14 x 10 x 2-inch prepared baking dish (or similar size)

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the cocoa, oil, espresso, vanilla extract and almond extract and bring to a rolling boil for 30 seconds. Remove the saucepan from the heat and set it aside to cool slightly.

Then sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, spices and salt in a large bowl. Whisk the dry ingredients by hand to ensure they are well mixed.

Pour the warm cocoa mixture into the sifted ingredients and whisk until just combined. In a small bowl, blend together the eggs and heavy cream (I used an immersion hand blender). Stir the egg and heavy cream mixture using a rubber spatula into the batter. Pour batter into your prepared greased pan and place in the center of the oven. Bake until the top is firm and a wooden skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes clean, approximately 35 to 40 minutes. Test the doneness of the cake after 30 minutes. Do not overcook. this cake is delicious. While still warm add the frosting, recipe below.

The best way to enjoy this cake with after dinner with an espresso or latte!

INGREDIENTS – FROSTING

½ cup unsalted butter

¼ cup lightly packed premium unsweetened dark 100% cocoa powder

1/3 cup heavy cream or whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

¼ to ½ cup sliced almonds

INSTRUCTIONS

As the cake is baking, make the frosting. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the cocoa, cinnamon and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Boil for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and whisk in the cream, vanilla extract and almond extract. Once combined, add the confectioners' sugar 1 cup at a time whisking continuously. Immediately after the cake comes out of the oven, pour the frosting over the hot cake and sprinkle with the sliced almonds. Try not to jiggle the cake before it sets or you'll leave waves in the frosting. After cooling for one hour refrigerate the cake for 2 hours. Once cool before cut into squares. The size of the squares is up to you LOL!

Alternative to the Chocolate try the Cream Cheese Sauce or Cream Cheese Frosting.

Well wrapped and stored at in the refrigerator, this cake keeps for up to 7 days.

ENJOY!!! Express Your Love Through Food! #espressocake #spicecake #chocolatecake #chocolatespicecake #deliciousdessert

Baby Spinach, Mushroom, Tomato Salad, With Warm Pancetta Dressing. Another Delicious Inspired Lunch

I was in the mood for a salad for lunch, something different. I have used all of these ingredients in other salads but never with a warm dressing. Typically you see recipes for salads with warm bacon dressing, I substituted cubed pancetta which I had in the refrigerator. Using pancetta instead of bacon made for a nicer, more subtle flavor.

As you all know by now, I dress every inspired salad lunch, and everything I make with Pink Himalayan Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper. For this recipe an imported White Balsamic Vinegar and robust Extra Virgin Olive Oil completes this salad. Serve with a crusty slice of rustic bread and enjoy! Here is my inspired recipe. Express Your Love Through Food!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup (per serving) Baby Spinach

Fresh White Button sliced

Grape Tomatoes quartered

1oz (per serving) diced Uncured Pancetta

White Balsamic Vinegar

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

For individual lunch serving use 1 cup of spinach. If serving as an appetizer or side salad use 1/2 cup of spinach per person and increase all other ingredients.

Place baby spinach on the bottom of the place. Add sliced mushrooms and tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Remember the pancetta is salty so use salt sparingly.

In a sauté pan over medium, sauté the diced pancetta until the pancetta fat is mostly rendered (as pictured above). (Note: I use packaged diced pancetta, if buying from the deli counter have the pancetta sliced into 1/4 inch pieces.)

Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and vinegar. The vinegar will sizzle, just continue to heat for a minute or two. Pour warm dressing over salad. Adjust salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. ENJOY!! #myinspiredrecipes #babyspinach #pancetta #warmsaladdressing #lunch

Grandma Quinn's Irish Soda Bread! A 100 Year Old Family Favorite!

I have an update to this delicious family favorite. As Saint Patrick's Day approaches this bread has been on my mind. This morning I spoke with my mother and we were talking about this recipe. She said that her Grandmother, my Great Grandmother made this bread when my mom was a young girl. So, this recipe is over 100 years old. :)

My Inspired Irish Soda Bread started as a challenge from my cousin Bill. He saw that I was making bread each week and wanted to know when I would be making Irish Soda Bread. Bill gave me the recipe that was handed down by my maternal Grandmother, Grandma Quinn to his mother, my Aunt Anne Shaw. I decided over the next few weeks leading up to Saint Patrick's Day that I would make a few different recipes. Starting with this recipe from Grandma Quinn.

I have never been a big fan of Irish Soda Bread (I forget why), so I never made it until I was challenged by my cousin. I have to say Thank You to Bill, this bread is addictive! It is wonderful for breakfast with european unsalted butter and jam or for your afternoon tea. After I took my first bite, I said out loud... WOW this tastes just like mom's! It was a happy memory and I thought why didn't I make this more often? This bread is best when eaten the same day. Leftovers should be tightly wrapped and be refrigerated for a day or two (if there is any left) or frozen for up to two months. Happy Saint Patrick's Day.

INGREDIENTS

4 cups flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup of very cold butter cubed

1-1/3 cups buttermilk

1-1/2 cups raisins

1/8 teaspoon caraway seeds

(Note: I wanted a hint of caraway flavor so I chopped the seeds so they were smaller. If I had my mortar and pestle I would have crushed them)

Extra Flour for dusting and forming dough

Parchment Paper

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place baking stone or baking sheet in the oven and heat to temperature. Put an oven proof pan filled with hot water on the bottom rack of the oven. This creates a steamy environment for cooking the bread.

Sift and place the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda in the bowl of a KitchenAid style electric mixer or food processor. Whichever appliance you use it should be fitted with a dough hook. I used a food processor.

Stir to combine dry ingredients. Add cold butter and with your hands or with your mixer crumble the butter and flour mixture together until it looks like sand.

Add the buttermilk and mix on low speed until the dough starts to comes together. Turn up the speed to medium and mix for another minute or two. If using a food processor pulse to bring the dough together then turn on until the dough pull away from the bowl and forms a ball. The dough should start to pull away from the sides but still remain soft and a little sticky at the bottom of the bowl. Add a little more flour if needed. Add the raisins and caraway seeds and continue to knead the dough using the mixer or food processor for 1-2 minutes until raisins are incorporated.

Place the dough on a floured surface, coat your hands in a bit of flour and form the dough into a ball. Place the ball of dough on a floured piece of parchment paper and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle flour on top of the dough and cut a large cross (see photos) into the dough. Carefully lift the bread with the parchment paper and place on the heated stone or baking sheet. This recipe makes one large bread or two smaller ones. Just watch your time if making two small loves.

Bake for 45-60 minutes until crust is crispy, a beautiful medium/dark brown color and skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Check after 45 minutes and test for doneness. My bread need more time in the oven. Make sure to check the underside of the bread for doneness and when tapped it will sound hollow. Show Your Love Through food!

Enjoy! #myinspiredrecipes #inspiredbreads #homemakeirishsodabread #grandmasirishsodabread #irishsodabread