This delicious cake is a mashup of the New York crumb cake and a classic coffee cake. The perfect complement to any cup of coffee or tea. 

Ingredients

Sour Cream adds moisture to the coffee cake and can also be substituted with Greek yogurt. If you don't have sour cream you can use buttermilk or any of these buttermilk substitutions. 

Espresso in the cream cheese glaze adds that extra special something. It's rare to have actual coffee in coffee cake recipes, but I felt like it needed it! 

Brown sugar is used in both the cinnamon swirl and crumb topping. The crumb mixture is like a chunky cinnamon streusel and the moisture in the brown sugar helps hold it together. 

Step-By-Step Instructions

The 3 components of this coffee crumb cake are the coffee cake, the cinnamon sugar filling for the center of the cake, and the coarse crumb topping.

Making the crumb topping

1. Add the flour, brown sugar, white sugar, salt, cinnamon, and soft (almost melted) butter to a large bowl. Mix together with a spoon or spatula to combine until most of the flour is combined.
2. Use your clean hands to press the topping together. You should have very chunky crumbs, some large and some small. If it’s too crumbly and dry, microwave it for about 5 seconds to melt the butter more, then work it with your hands until it comes together. 

Making the cinnamon sugar filling

1. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon to a medium bowl and mix together to combine. If it’s really lumpy, sift it together. 

Making the coffee cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8”x4” loaf pan with pan release on the bottom and up the sides. I recommend using cake goop! Or you can line the bottom and sides with parchment paper to easily flip it out later. You can also use an 8”x8” nonstick square cake pan, it will just take less time to bake. If you want to use a larger bundt pan, make 1 and a half batches of this recipe.
2. Make sure your butter, sour cream, egg, and cream cheese are all room temperature so that the ingredients combine together well. I place my eggs (still in the shell) into a bowl of warm water for a few minutes and leave out the butter and sour cream for a few hours. If needed, I microwave them for a few seconds until they are room temperature or even slightly warm.
3. Place the butter and granulated sugar into the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Mix on medium-high speed and cream together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. (Or longer if you’re using a hand mixer.) 
4. Add your egg, sour cream, and vanilla to the creamed butter and mix until cohesive. If it has big chunks of cold butter in there, one of your ingredients was too cold.
5. Add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix on medium-low speed until the batter is thick and just combined. If your flour is really lumpy, sift these dry ingredients before adding them to the mixer.
6. Place half of the batter into the greased loaf pan and smooth it out in an even layer.
7. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar filling on top until it’s completely covered.
8. Add the rest of the cake batter on top. 
9. Sprinkle the thick crumbs evenly on top, covering the surface of the loaf.
10. Bake at 350ºF for 40-50 minutes and rotate halfway through for even baking. When a toothpick comes out clean from the center, it’s done!
11. Rest the loaf at room temperature until the pan is completely cool, about 2 hours. Do NOT flip your cake out while it’s warm, it could collapse.
12. Loosen the edges with a knife, place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the cake, and flip it upside down to remove it from the pan. 

Making cream cheese glaze

1. Place the softened cream cheese in a large bowl and blend it until smooth with a hand mixer or whisk. 
2. Slowly pour in the melted butter a little at a time. Do not pour it all in there at once or you could end up with a soupy cream cheese mess.
3. Add the vanilla, sift in the powdered sugar, and mix until you don’t see any lumps.
4. While mixing, pour in the coffee (or espresso, milk, or water) a little at a time. Keep adding until you get the desired consistency of a glaze. I like a thinner glaze so it’s easy to pipe.
5. Place the glaze into a piping bag and drizzle on top of the loaf. You can also use a spoon or a plastic bag with the corner cut off.
6. Enjoy this cake at room temperature for up to three days. To keep the coffee crumb cake moist, store it in a plastic bag or wrap it with plastic wrap.

FAQ

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Coffee Crumb Cake Recipe

Moist and buttery with a swirl of cinnamon inside, huge crumbs on top, and a generous drizzle of cream cheese espresso glaze! It's truly the perfect breakfast treat and only takes minutes to make.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 530kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• Hand Mixer Or Whisk
• 8" x 4" Loaf Pan, 2.5" tall or 8" x 8" square nonstick pan

Ingredients

Cake

• 3 ounces unsalted butter room temperature
• 4 ounces granulated sugar
• 6 ounces all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg room temperature
• 5 ounces sour cream room temperature

Cinnamon Swirl

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 ounce light brown sugar sifted

Crumb Topping

• 6 ounces all-purpose flour
• 4 ounces unsalted butter almost melted
• 3 ounces light brown sugar
• 2 ounces granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Cream Cheese Glaze

• 2 ounces cream cheese room temperature
• 1 ounce unsalted butter melted
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 ounces powdered sugar
• 4 teaspoons coffee or milk, water or espresso

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cinnamon Sugar Filling

• Add the brown sugar and cinnamon to a medium bowl and mix together to combine. If it’s really lumpy, sift it together. 

Making the crumb topping

• Add the flour, brown sugar, white sugar, salt, cinnamon, and soft (almost melted) butter to a large bowl. Mix together with a spoon or spatula to combine until most of the flour is combined.
• Use your clean hands to press the topping together. You should have very chunky crumbs, some large and some small. If it’s too crumbly and dry, microwave it for about 5 seconds to melt the butter more, then work it with your hands until it comes together. 

Making the coffee cake

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8”x4” loaf pan with pan release on the bottom and up the sides. I recommend using cake goop! Or you can line the bottom and sides with parchment paper to easily flip it out later.

  You can also use an 8”x8” nonstick square cake pan, it will just take less time to bake. If you want to use a larger bundt pan, make 1 and a half batches of this recipe.
• Make sure your butter, sour cream, egg, and cream cheese are all room temperature so that the ingredients combine together well. I place my eggs (still in the shell) into a bowl of warm water for a few minutes and leave out the butter and sour cream for a few hours. If needed, I microwave them for a few seconds until they are room temperature or even slightly warm.
• Place the butter and granulated sugar into the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Mix on medium-high speed and cream together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. (Or longer if you’re using a hand mixer.) 
• Add your egg, sour cream, and vanilla to the creamed butter and mix until cohesive. If it has big chunks of cold butter in there, one of your ingredients was too cold.
• Add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix on medium-low speed until the batter is thick and just combined. If your flour is really lumpy, sift these dry ingredients before adding them to the mixer.
• Place half of the batter into the greased loaf pan and smooth it out in an even layer.
• Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar filling on top until it’s completely covered.
• Add the rest of the cake batter on top. 
• Sprinkle the thick crumbs evenly on top, covering the surface of the loaf.
• Bake at 350ºF for 40-50 minutes and rotate halfway through for even baking. When a toothpick comes out clean from the center, it’s done!
• Rest the loaf at room temperature until the pan is completely cool, about 2 hours. Do NOT flip your cake out while it’s warm, it could collapse.
• Loosen the edges with a knife, place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the cake, and flip it upside down to remove it from the pan. 

Making cream cheese glaze

• Place the softened cream cheese in a large bowl and blend it until smooth with a hand mixer or whisk. 
• Slowly pour in the melted butter a little at a time. Do not pour it all in there at once or you could end up with a soupy cream cheese mess.
• Add the vanilla, sift in the powdered sugar, and mix until you don’t see any lumps.
• While mixing, pour in the coffee (or espresso, milk, or water) a little at a time. Keep adding until you get the desired consistency of a glaze. I like a thinner glaze so it’s easy to pipe.
• Place the glaze into a piping bag and drizzle on top of the loaf. You can also use a spoon or a plastic bag with the corner cut off.
• Enjoy this cake at room temperature for up to three days. To keep the coffee crumb cake moist, store it in a plastic bag or wrap it with plastic wrap.

Video

Notes

1. All my recipes are measured in ounces, not cups. Cups leave way too much room for error and a scale is super simple to use. It's my #1 recommended tool for baking success. You can watch my video on how to use a kitchen scale if you're not familiar.
2. For this recipe, I'm using a Bosch universal plus mixer! You can use a kitchen aid or a hand mixer if you like, any mixer will work. You can try to use a whisk, but it will take a while to fully cream the butter and sugar.
3. Make sure your butter, sour cream, egg, and cream cheese are all room temperature so that the ingredients combine together well.
4. If you don't have sour cream you can use buttermilk or any of these buttermilk substitutions. 
5. For your pan release, I recommend using cake goop! Or you can line the bottom and sides with parchment paper to easily flip it out later.
6. I'm using an 8" x 4" Loaf Pan, 2.5" tall. You can also use an 8”x8” nonstick square pan, it will just take less time to bake. If you want to use a larger bundt pan, make 1 and a half batches of this recipe. You can also use this recipe to make muffins!
7. Make this recipe your own! When assembling the loaf in the pan, add your favorite toppings/fillings like blueberries, dried fruit, or even swirl in cream cheese filling.
8. After your cake is done baking, make sure to rest it at room temperature until the pan is completely cool, about 2 hours. Do NOT flip your cake out while it’s warm, it could collapse.
9. All my recipes are measured in ounces, not cups. Cups leave way too much room for error and a scale is super simple to use. It's my #1 recommended tool for baking success. You can watch my video on how to use a kitchen scale if you're not familiar. 
10. You might be wondering what kind of mixer I am using. I'm using my favorite mixer, which is the Bosch universal plus mixer! You can use a kitchen aid or a hand mixer if you like, any mixer will work. You can try to use a whisk, but it will take a while to fully cream the butter and sugar.
11. Sour Cream adds moisture to the coffee cake and can also be substituted with Greek yogurt. If you don't have sour cream you can use buttermilk or any of these buttermilk substitutions. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 530kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 341mg | Potassium: 110mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 46g | Vitamin A: 948IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Cinnamon Coffee Crumb Cake appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

This easy pumpkin chocolate chip bread recipe comes together in a snap. Each slice is deliciously moist and can be eaten for dessert, or even breakfast! Your friends and family will love the warm pumpkin pie spice flavors and melty chocolate chips.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread Ingredients

When I was testing this recipe, I had some trouble with a sunken and soggy center. It's formulated very specifically with the perfect ratio between the wet and dry ingredients, so I wouldn't recommend making any substitutions.

Buttermilk is easy to find at the store, but if you want to make your own you can follow my buttermilk substitute blog post.

Dark chocolate chips pair SO well with pumpkin flavors. It may sound a bit strange if you haven't had these two flavors together before, but I promise it's worth it. I actually like chopping up bars of dark chocolate instead of using chocolate chips, but either will work great.

Pumpkin puree is the main ingredient in this recipe, so it's important to have a good quality puree. I have tested a lot of brands and find that Libby’s has the best flavor and is not too watery. During pumpkin season I like to make homemade pumpkin puree and freeze it.

Making Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

1. Bring the buttermilk and eggs to room temperature and preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. Prepare a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan with cake goop or your preferred pan release. Don't forget to grease the sides and corners if you're not using parchment paper. This recipe makes two loaves of bread, so make sure to prepare two pans or half the recipe to make one. You can refrigerate half the batter while baking if you only have one pan.
3. Chop your chocolate into small chunks and set it aside. You can use chocolate chips of course, but I love the look and gooey-ness of chocolate chunks.
4. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger to a large bowl and whisk it together to combine, then set aside.
5. Whisk together the oil, vanilla, and eggs in a measuring cup and set it aside.
6. Pour the pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, and brown sugar into the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the ingredients are smooth and combined, then scrape the bowl. I'm using a stand mixer, but a large mixing bowl and electric mixer or whisk will work too.
7. Pour in the egg mixture and mix on low until fully combined.
8. Add half of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients while mixing on low, then add half of the buttermilk and mix until combined.
9. Alternate adding the rest of the flour mixture and buttermilk and mix on low until your pumpkin batter is smooth and lump-free.
10. Gently fold in the chocolate chunks with a spatula.
11. Pour half the pumpkin batter into your prepared loaf pan and spread out the top. Repeat with the second pan.
12. Bake the loaves at 350°F for 50-60 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. It's dense so the center will take a while to bake. Add more chocolate chips to the top of the bread about halfway through baking so they don’t sink in.
13. Cool the pumpkin loaves on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.
14. Carefully flip the pumpkin loaves out of the pans and cool them completely.
15. This pumpkin chocolate chip bread will last for 3-5 days. Wrap it in aluminum foil and store it in an airtight container at room temperature. Or wrap it in plastic wrap to refrigerate for a week, or freeze it for a month.

Making Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

This pumpkin bread recipe can also be made into muffins. Line and fill your muffin tins about ⅔ of the way full and bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes until the centers are set. It can make about 24 muffins and 1 loaf, or 48 muffins.

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

This pumpkin chocolate chip bread is the perfect fall treat packed with warm spices, gooey chocolate chunks, and subtle pumpkin flavor. The best part about this recipe is that it makes not just one, but two pumpkin loaves.

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 16 cups

Calories 321kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• Two 9" x 5" loaf pans or muffin tins

Ingredients

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ginger
• ¼ teaspoon cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs room temperature
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
• 2 cups pumpkin purée one, 15 oz can
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 ½ cups buttermilk room temperature
• 1 ½ cups dark chocolate chips

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Bring the buttermilk and eggs to room temperature and preheat your oven to 350°F.
• Prepare a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan with cake goop or your preferred pan release. Don’t forget to grease the sides and corners if you’re not using parchment paper. This recipe makes two loaves of bread, so make sure to prepare two pans or half the recipe to make one. You can refrigerate half the batter while baking if you only have one pan.
• Chop your chocolate into small chunks and set it aside. You can use chocolate chips of course, but I love the look and gooey-ness of chocolate chunks.
• Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger to a large bowl and whisk it together to combine, then set aside.
• Whisk together the oil, vanilla, and eggs in a measuring cup and set it aside.
• Pour the pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, and brown sugar into the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the ingredients are smooth and combined, then scrape the bowl. I’m using a stand mixer, but a large mixing bowl and electric mixer or whisk will work too.
• Pour in the egg mixture and mix on low until fully combined.
• Add half of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients while mixing on low, then add half of the buttermilk and mix until combined.
• Alternate adding the rest of the flour mixture and buttermilk and mix on low until your pumpkin batter is smooth and lump-free.
• Gently fold in the chocolate chunks with a spatula.
• Pour half the pumpkin batter into your prepared loaf pan and spread out the top. Repeat with the second pan.
• Bake the loaves at 350°F for 50-60 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. It’s dense so the center will take a while to bake. Pro-Tip: Add more chocolate chips to the top of the bread about halfway through baking so they don’t sink in.
• Cool the pumpkin loaves on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.
• Carefully flip the pumpkin loaves out of the pans and cool them completely.
• This pumpkin chocolate chip bread will last for 3-5 days. Wrap it in aluminum foil and store it in an airtight container at room temperature. Or wrap it in plastic wrap to refrigerate for a week, or freeze it for a month.

Notes

1. The best investment you can make when you’re getting started with baking is a digital kitchen scale! Weighing your ingredients will help you avoid baking failure. Using a kitchen scale for baking is super easy and gives you the best results every single time. 
2. Practice Mise en Place (everything in its place). Measure out your ingredients ahead of time and have them ready before you start mixing to reduce the chances of accidentally leaving something out.
3. Make sure all of your cold ingredients (e.g. butter, eggs, milk) are at room temperature or a little warm. Why? Because we want to create an emulsion and allow the ingredients to fully mix together. 
4. Make your own pan release (cake goop!) The best pan release ever! 
5. This pumpkin bread recipe can also be made into muffins. Line and fill your muffin tins about ⅔ of the way full and bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes until the centers are set. It can make about 24 muffins and 1 loaf, or 48 muffins.
6. Use canned pumpkin or make your own pumpkin puree! 

Nutrition

Serving: 1ounce | Calories: 321kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 348mg | Potassium: 314mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 4874IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 133mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

If you're looking for a super moist and lemony pound cake with a velvet smooth crumb, this is the one for you. I've had my fair share of dry pound cake so when I was testing recipes, super moist was my #1 goal without losing that classic pound cake denseness and texture. Truthfully though, the real star of this lemon pound cake is the tart lemon glaze made with buttermilk. It's the perfect sweet and zesty topping and really gives this lemon pound cake its WOW factor!

Moist pound cake ingredients

Buttermilk adds much-needed moisture but it's also acidic which breaks down the gluten in the flour, resulting in a very tender and moist crumb. For the glaze, we're using powdered buttermilk instead of fresh because it adds a ton of flavor without making the glaze too thin.

Cake flour makes the pound cake incredibly light but if you can't get your hands on cake flour, all-purpose will still work just fine. Just replace two Tablespoons of flour with cornstarch and sift together. Be very careful not to over-mix which will make your pound cake tough and hard.

Baking powder gives the pound cake just enough lift to make it light without losing that classic pound cake texture.

Lemon extract and lemon zest together bring out the bright lemon flavor in this cake. You can easily switch these out for other flavors if you prefer. 

Making Lemon Pound Cake

1. Preheat your oven to 350ºF and make sure the rack is in the center of the oven.
2. Prepare your 5"x9" loaf pan with cake goop or any kind of preferred pan release. If you don't have loaf pans, you can use bundt pans or even cake pans.
3. Weigh out your wet and dry ingredients using a scale instead of using measuring cups for a more accurate recipe, and bring your ingredients to room temperature. When your wet ingredients are room temperature or even a little warm, they will mix together more easily and your lemon pound cake will have a better texture.
4. Sift together your cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, then set aside.
5. Cream the butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until light, white, and fluffy. If your butter is too cold, your butter and sugar are not going to cream very easily.
6. While mixing on low, add in your room temperature eggs, one at a time, letting each mix in fully before you add in the next. I'm using a stand mixer, but you can also use a hand-electric mixer if you'd like. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
7. Add the lemon extract and zest to the buttermilk and set aside.
8. While mixing on low, add ⅓ of the buttermilk mixture, then ⅓ of the flour mixture, repeat two more times with the remaining flour and buttermilk mixture and mix until just combined. Don't overmix. 
9. Pour your cake batter into a prepared 5"x9" loaf pan and bake for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out cleanly. 
10. Cool it for 10 minutes, then flip the cake onto a wire rack. If you want extra moisture, add a simple lemon syrup to the top straight out of the oven.
11. Let the cake cool at room temperature or wrap the whole cake in plastic wrap and freeze it to lock in the moisture. 

Making Lemon Buttermilk Glaze

1. Combine the powdered sugar, salt, buttermilk powder, and lemon juice in a large bowl.
2. Mix until smooth with a hand mixer or whisk. Make sure to spend enough time beating the mixture so you don't have lumps.
3. Add in your softened butter and mix until smooth and creamy.
4. Pour the glaze over the top of the cake (I put mine on a cooling rack over a pan to catch the glaze) and then garnish with fresh lemons if you like.

How to flavor pound cake

Don't like lemon? No problem! You can flavor this pound cake in so many different ways with simple ingredients! Leave out the lemon zest and replace it with fresh blueberries or raspberries. Add a layer of cream cheese frosting or mix in some chocolate chips. You can also add vanilla extract and add in some spices to make a spice pound cake! Replace the buttermilk with pumpkin puree for a yummy pumpkin pound cake. The options are truly endless!

FAQ

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Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake

Moist and tender lemon pound cake with a lemon buttermilk glaze. This is the perfect easy cake to throw together for a last-minute gathering, brunch, or spring dessert. Works great in a bundt pan too!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Chilling Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8 slices

Calories 464kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• 5-inch by 9-inch loaf pans
• Stand mixer or hand mixer

Ingredients

Lemon Pound Cake

• 4 ounces unsalted butter softened but not melted
• 8 ounces granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs room temperature
• 8 ounces cake flour
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 5 ounces buttermilk room temperature
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 2 Tablespoons lemon zest

Lemon Buttermilk Glaze

• 6 ounces powdered sugar sifted
• 2 ounces fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons buttermilk powder
• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter very soft but not melted
• ⅛ teaspoon salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making Lemon Pound Cake

• Preheat your oven to 350ºF and make sure the rack is in the center of the oven.
• Prepare your 5"x9" loaf pan with cake goop or any kind of preferred pan release. If you don't have loaf pans, you can use bundt pans or even cake pans.
• Weigh out your wet and dry ingredients using a scale instead of using measuring cups for a more accurate recipe, and bring your ingredients to room temperature. When your wet ingredients are room temperature or even a little warm, they will mix together more easily and your lemon pound cake will have a better texture.
• Sift together your cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, then set aside.
• Cream the butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until light, white, and fluffy. If your butter is too cold, your butter and sugar are not going to cream very easily.
• While mixing on low, add in your room temperature eggs, one at a time, letting each mix in fully before you add in the next. I'm using a stand mixer, but you can also use a hand-electric mixer if you'd like. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
• Add the lemon extract and zest to the buttermilk and set aside.
• While mixing on low, add ⅓ of the buttermilk mixture, then ⅓ of the flour mixture, repeat two more times with the remaining flour and buttermilk mixture and mix until just combined. Don't overmix. 
• Pour your cake batter into a prepared 5"x9" loaf pan and bake for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out cleanly. 
• Cool it for 10 minutes, then flip the cake onto a wire rack. If you want extra moisture, add a simple lemon syrup to the top straight out of the oven.
• Let the cake cool at room temperature or wrap the whole cake in plastic wrap and freeze it to lock in the moisture. 

Making Lemon Buttermilk Glaze

• Combine the powdered sugar, salt, buttermilk powder, and lemon juice in a large bowl.
• Mix until smooth with a hand mixer or whisk. Make sure to spend enough time beating the mixture so you don't have lumps.
• Add in your softened butter and mix until smooth and creamy. 
• Pour the glaze over the top of the cake (I put mine on a cooling rack over a pan to catch the glaze) and then garnish with fresh lemons if you like.

Video

Notes

1. If you can’t get your hands on cake flour, all-purpose will still work just fine. Just replace two Tablespoons of flour with cornstarch and sift together.
2. If you want to make your pound cake EXTRA moist you can brush on some simple syrup right out of the oven or you can add in 2 ounces of vegetable oil to the liquids in the recipe.
3. Don't forget to grease your pans! Using cake goop is the best way to make sure your loaf doesn't stick to the pan.
4. Weigh out your ingredients using a scale and bring ingredients to room temperature. When your ingredients are room temperature or even a little warm, they will mix together more easily and your lemon pound cake will have a better texture.
5. You can use regular milk plus 2 Tablespoons of white vinegar as a buttermilk substitute or you can check out my buttermilk substitute blog post for more substitutions
6. If you don't have buttermilk powder for the glaze, use 2 Tablespoons of real buttermilk and add an extra ¼ cup of powdered sugar. 
7. I recommend using a nonstick metal pan, but if you want to use a glass pan, bake for an extra 10 minutes. 
8. To bake this in a bundt pan, double the recipe to make sure you have enough batter and bake for longer. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 464kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 130mg | Sodium: 245mg | Potassium: 150mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 51g | Vitamin A: 567IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 1mg

350 f 40-45 mins

The post Lemon Pound Cake Recipe appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

Today we're making traditional Irish soda bread for Saint Patricks day! Irish soda bread is soft and tender on the inside and has a delightfully crunchy crust on the outside. 

No yeast required to make traditional Irish soda bread. All you need is four simple ingredients.

1. Pastry or cake flour
2. Baking soda
3. Buttermilk
4. Salt

That's it! These four ingredients make some delicious bread that tastes amazing fresh out of the oven and slathered in butter and jam. 

Do you have to use pastry or cake flour for Authentic Irish soda bread to turn out?

I have seen a lot of recipes online for Irish soda bread that uses All-Purpose flour and honestly, if you use this flour your bread will be very tough. You really need to use that low protein, soft flour such as cake or pastry flour so that your bread will be nice and fluffy and not dense. 

Read on below for the history of Irish soda bread and why cake and pastry flour was used instead of All-purpose or plain flour. 

What is Traditional Irish soda bread?

Soda bread is a quick bread that is made with baking soda instead of yeast. It became popular in Ireland around the time of the Irish potato famine of 1845-1849 as an inexpensive but nourishing food. 

The traditional Irish soda bread recipe only uses four ingredients, Flour, Salt, Baking Soda, Buttermilk.  

I'm typically a sucker for truly traditional and authentic recipes but I must say I prefer modern alterations that have butter and eggs added. Some variations also include raisins or currents which give Irish soda bread a bit more flavor. 

Do you need buttermilk for Authentic Irish soda bread?

Traditional Irish soda bread is made from inexpensive ingredients that were available at the time.

Sour milk was actually what was originally used, not buttermilk. Sour milk is milk that has gone sour. Not great for drinking. So dairies had to think of a way to sell milk that was otherwise useless.

Buying sour milk was cheaper than buying fresh milk so it was a great option for baking with. But to make sour milk work in a recipe, baking soda was needed to cause a reaction (aka bubbles) to get the bread to rise. 

Nowadays, we have buttermilk which is similar to sour milk. If you don't have buttermilk, you can add two tablespoons of white vinegar or lemon juice to two cups of regular milk and stir. 

You can also add 1 ½ teaspoons of cream of tartar to the milk and get similar results. 

Voila, homemade buttermilk. 

You can also buy powdered buttermilk that you add to water so you can have buttermilk whenever you want without worrying about it spoiling in the fridge. 

How do you make Irish soda bread?

Making Irish soda bread could not be easier. Simple sift together the cake flour, baking soda, and salt and then make a well in the center. Add in half your buttermilk and gently fold the dry ingredients from the outside in towards the center. Then add in the rest of the milk and fold until everything is moistened. 

Form into a rough ball shape, dust the surface with some flour and don't forget to cut a cross on top!

Bake in a dutch oven or a heavy pan with a cake pan on top. That's it! 

What does the cross mean on Irish soda bread?

A cross is often cut onto the top of Irish soda bread before baking. This cut allows the bread to properly spread without splitting and become misshapen. These four sections are also known as "farls".  When serving, divide the bread into quarters using the cross on top of the loaf as a guide.

Irish legend also states that this cross on the bread keeps evil spirits at bay! 

Is Irish soda bread really Irish?

Soda bread was not invented in Ireland but the Irish made it what it is today out of necessity. When baking soda became available as a rising agent, the Irish began using it to make inexpensive bread from the soft winter wheat flour (aka cake or pastry flour) that is commonly grown in Ireland's harsh environment. 

Traditionally, yeast is used to make bread but it needs hard wheat flour (aka All-purpose flour) to work well which was expensive and hard to come by. 

After the 20th century, while the rest of the world moved towards yeasted bread, the Irish stuck with their soda bread and it has thusly named Irish soda bread. 

What does Irish soda bread taste like?

The first time I ate Irish soda bread I was a little surprised it wasn't very bread-like. Bread is in the name after all. But really, Irish soda bread is like a giant scone. Soft and fluffy on the inside but with a crunchy crumbly crust. 

The taste of traditional Irish soda bread is pretty bland. Not much flavor going on in this bread because it's really meant to be served alongside a meal like Irish Stew. The texture of authentic Irish soda bread is firm but not tough and has a wonderful crunchy outer crust. 

Sweet Irish soda bread may have sugar, eggs, butter and other ingredients like caraway seeds and raisins added. This modern version of Irish soda bread is more like a sweet biscuit or scone than bread and is much softer to eat but is more like a dessert.

What's the best way to eat Irish soda bread?

So if Irish soda bread is like a giant scone then the best way to eat it is like you're eating a scone. Warm with a little bit of butter or jam tastes the best. 

Slice your Irish soda bread and toast it for a minute or two to warm it up then top it with some soft butter. I actually love a warm slice of Irish soda bread in the morning with my coffee. 

Want more Irish recipes? Check these out! 

Sweet Irish soda bread
Bailey's Irish Cream Cake
Green velvet cake
Guinness beer cake 

Recipe

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Traditional Irish Soda Bread

Traditional Irish soda bread made with only four ingredients. The secret is using cake flour for the most authentic tasting Irish soda bread.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine irish

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 235kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• Dutch oven or large covered pot

Ingredients

• 16 ounces cake flour or pastry flour (9% protein or lower)
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 14 ounces buttermilk or 14 ounces milk plus 2 Tablespoons white vinegar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 425ºF
• Sift together your flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl
• Make a well in the center and then add in half your buttermilk, stir gently to combine
• Add in the rest of your buttermilk and continue to gently stir until a sticky dough forms
• Place the sticky dough onto a flour-dusted work bench
• Fold the dough a few times (2-3) to form a ball but do not over-work it or the bread will be tough.
• Use a sharp knife to cut a "cross" in the top of the dough to allow for expanding during baking
• Place the dough into your dutch oven and cover. Bake at 425ºF for 30 minutes then uncover and bake for another 15 minutes or until the internal temperature of your bread reaches 195ºF-200ºF
• Serve your Irish soda bread warm with some butter and jam or along side a hearty stew. This bread will keep for up to two days but is really meant to be eaten on the day it's made.

Video

Notes

Cake or pastry flour is very important in this recipe for a nice tender bread. Look for soft flour or low protein flour in your area with a protien content of 9% or less. 

You can substitute buttermilk for regular milk plus 2 Tablespoons of white vinegar added

You can also use powdered buttermilk with water

For the best possible results, read through the blog post and recipe to avoid common mistakes.

Use a scale to weigh your ingredients (including liquids) unless otherwise instructed (Tablespoons, teaspoons, pinch etc). Metric measurements are available in the recipe card. Scaled ingredients are much more accurate than using cups and help ensure the success of your recipe. 

Metric measurements (grams) are available by clicking the small box under the ingredients in the recipe card labeled “metric”

Practice Mise en Place (everything in it's place). Measure out your ingredients ahead of time and have them ready before you start mixing to reduce the chances of accidentally leaving something out.

Try to use the same ingredients as the recipe calls for. If you must make a substitution, be aware that the recipe may not come out the same. I try to list substitutions where possible.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 235kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 549mg | Potassium: 124mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 82IU | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Traditional Irish Soda Bread Recipe appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

Sweet Irish soda bread is the perfect treat to make for Saint Patrick's day. Forget the green desserts, your guests will LOVE this authentic sweet bread served warm and slathered with lots of butter!

What is sweet Irish soda bread?

Sweet Irish soda bread is a little different than Authentic Irish soda bread which is made with only four ingredients. Soft pastry or cake flour, buttermilk, salt, and baking soda. This simple bread is made to be served as part of a meal like a hearty Irish stew. 

Sweet Irish soda bread has more ingredients like eggs, butter, sugar, dried fruits and seeds added so it's more of a dessert served on its own. 

This sweet Irish soda bread recipe is straight from Grandma's recipe tin. Not my Grandma, my producer, Emily's Grandma! Cool huh! Nothing like recipes handed down through the generations. I feel like they always just taste better! 

"My mom has made this Irish soda bread every St. Patrick’s Day since I can remember. We love eating it with corned beef and cabbage or Irish stew. This recipe has been passed down from my great grandmother, whose family lived in Ireland and immigrated to America."

But when Emily brought this sweet Irish soda bread over that she and her mom made, I was sold! SO GOOD! Soft and tender, a little sweet and a great crunchy crust. Toasted with a little butter and I was in heaven. 

So here is Grandma's Irish soda bread, posted with permission 🙂 

What do you need to make sweet Irish soda bread?

Sweet Irish soda bread has a few more ingredients in it than traditional Irish soda bread. Eggs, butter, sugar, buttermilk, salt, flour, baking soda, and baking powder make this bread so light, it's almost like a scone. 

The only other thing you really need to make sweet Irish soda bread is a cast iron pan or dutch oven. The heavy metal really gives the bread that beautiful crusty crust that makes it so delicious! 

This is not 100% necessary but a cheese grater is going to really be helpful. Use a cheese grater to work your cold butter into the flour mixture so it doesn't get warm. Cold butter is very important for tender Irish soda bread. 

How do you make sweet Irish soda bread?

Making sweet Irish soda bread could not be easier. Just five easy steps!

1. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar in a bowl
2. Grate your cold butter and add to the flour mixture. Add in your currents and caraway seeds. Rub the butter into the flour mixture with your hands until crumbly. 
3. Blend your buttermilk with your eggs and add to the mixture 
4. Stir until you get a sticky ball then fold the dough over 7-8 times to incorporate into a ball. 
5. Dust the surface with some flour then slice a cross on top (for the fairies) and bake!

How long does Irish soda bread last?

Sweet Irish soda bread is meant to be enjoyed the day it is baked but it will keep at room temperature for up to two days. After that, it starts to dry out. 

You can also freeze Irish soda bread. Just defrost and warm in the oven before serving. 

Is Irish soda bread healthy?

There are a lot of versions of Irish soda bread out there that stem from the original four-ingredient recipe. This sweet version would not be considered healthy but there is whole wheat Irish soda bread that is considered very healthy because it doesn't have any butter, eggs, or sugar and has whole wheat flour which is great for digestion. 

Want more Irish recipes? Check these out!

Traditional Irish soda bread
Green velvet cake
Bailey's Irish cream cake
Guinness beer cake

Recipe

Print

Grandma's Sweet Irish Soda Bread Recipe

Soft and sweet Irish soda bread made with buttermilk. This recipe is straight from Grandma's recipe tin.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine irish

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Servings 12 people

Calories 304kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• Cast iron pan or dutch oven
• Cheese grater

Ingredients

• 16 ounces all purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 7 ounces granulated sugar
• 4 ounces currents or raisins
• 1 teaspoon caraway seed optional
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 8 ounces buttermilk room temperature
• 4 ounces unsalted butter cold
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter for greasing pans

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350° F
• Lightly grease cast iron pan with unsalted butter
• Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar in a medium bowl
• Grate your cold butter into the dry ingredients
• Sprinkle in caraway seeds and currants (or raisins). Mix together to combine.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and buttermilk.
• Add buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients and mix with a spoon (or your hand) until the dry ingredients are moistened.
• Place the dough on your workbench and fold 7-8 and shape it into a ball. Do not over-work the bread or it will be tough.
• Dust the surface generously with flour and use a sharp knife to cut an x on top to allow the dough to spread and rise evenly.
• Place the dough into the cast iron pan.
• Bake for 1 hour and the top is golden brown or the internal temperature reads 190º-200ºF

Video

Notes

You can substitute buttermilk for regular milk plus 2 Tablespoons of white vinegar added

You can also use powdered buttermilk with water

For the best possible results, read through the blog post and recipe to avoid common mistakes.

Use a scale to weigh your ingredients (including liquids) unless otherwise instructed (Tablespoons, teaspoons, pinch etc). Metric measurements are available in the recipe card. Scaled ingredients are much more accurate than using cups and help ensure the success of your recipe. 

Metric measurements (grams) are available by clicking the small box under the ingredients in the recipe card labeled “metric”

Practice Mise en Place (everything in it's place). Measure out your ingredients ahead of time and have them ready before you start mixing to reduce the chances of accidentally leaving something out.

Try to use the same ingredients as the recipe calls for. If you must make a substitution, be aware that the recipe may not come out the same. I try to list substitutions where possible.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 304kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 156mg | Potassium: 180mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 348IU | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Grandma's sweet Irish soda bread recipe appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.