FALL DESSERT: PEAR ALMOND BRANDY CAKE

Fall is just around the corner, the whispers of it are here already -- I'm cooking for this special time of year, as if twirling on the oven and thin slices of ripening pears will bring it on a little faster. A girl can dream! Many Septembers ago, we moved into a little apartment in Portland, Oregon. That first month was like an old super 8 film playing before me. The lollypop trees of bright red and orange, blaringly blue sky and countryside was romantic in a way I'd never experienced. And the pears, oh the pears . . .

LATE SUMMER SWEETNESS: PIXIE CAKE

It's been such a joy collaborating and photographing Roxanne Rosensteel's recipes for the blog this week. I've saved the best for last -- This cake, a simple citrus and herby wonder, is so good around the clock. There's no time of day it's not suitable for, no pair of lips it can't curl into a smile, no mood it cannot lift. The Ojai Pixie tangerine is a special feat of nature (and farmer's manipulation), so sweet and a little tart -- it's popularity is world renowned. We are lucky to live so close to the source, and lucky Roxanne decided to spin a simple cake with lots of zest as the star of the confection.

LATE SUMMER SWEETNESS: BUCKWHEAT SHORTCAKES WITH CREME FRAICHE & MULBERRIES

These just barely sweetened shortcakes are brilliant! Roxanne took the earthy goodness of Buckwheat flour and shaped these little babies with a crackling topping of turbinado sugar and sunflower seeds. They're simultaneously sweet and a tad savory, light yet satisfying. I planned on having a bite and ate the entire sandwich as my lunch. I also whipped up a batch right after our shoot, I simply had to have more!! The recipe is straightforward and sure fire for your next hang . . . The type of treat that will have friends going on about for weeks after the last crumb was mopped up.

LATE SUMMER SWEETNESS: PLUM CASHEW UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

The marriage of plums, brown sugar, butter and toasty cashews is a holy one. Plums are one of the key symbols of summer for me, and at this stage, I'm up to about 4 per day. My addiction runs strong for these jewel-like orbs and this upside down cake Roxanne Rosensteel made for this story is a new classic you've got to make before these plum days run their course. I'm whipping one up this week to serve with a mountain of vanilla ice cream.

EASY BLACK OUT SHEET CAKE WITH SPRINKLES

There's nothing on this earth that makes me feel more connected to my Brooklyn Grandma Ruthy than sitting down after a long day with a cup of coffee and a slice of chocolate cake. She didn't really discriminate -- any type was alright with her, from the Entenmanns on sale at Key Foods to the corner deli to the fancy versions my Dad sometimes procured in the city -- the only crucial detail was its presence. You couldn't turn in without a little coffee and cake (ok maybe another game of Gin rummy), it just wouldn't be right.

GLUTEN FREE BLOOD ORANGE ALMOND CAKE WITH OLIVE OIL & HONEY

There's no finer food to share with friends than a big, messy tea cake . . . This one, pumped with juicy blood orange glaze, whip cream tempered with the tang of greek yogurt and rich due to almonds, honey and olive oil -- is one of the finest I've ever eaten. It's beautiful the next day as well, as the flavors meld even more, the ideal partner to a strong cup of coffee.

FARM CAKE & TEA PARTY

I met a beautiful recipe this past week! My dad bought a brand new set of dreamy All-Clad pans and with this monumental purchase, Marcella Hazan's last book was also neatly tucked inside the gigantic box. I flipped through it, staring longingly at the deceptively simple recipes (Italians know how to do everything better, it's just a thing) and realized we had all of the ingredients for the Pear Farm Cake lolling about in the counter and in the pantry.

I assumed I'd mis-read the recipe, as it calls for just a tiny bit of butter and a mountain of fruit. I thought I was embarking upon an Italian version of tart tatin or apple cake of some sort, but really what this Farm Cake is all about: a mountain of pears with just enough pancakey sort of batter to hold the sliced fruit together. What a revelation! Once I understood the recipe's true nature, I had to make it. I tweaked the recipe slightly (added apples in place of pears, reduced the sugar, replaced bread crumbs with cornmeal) and I suspect there could be more tweaks next time. It's such a glorious concept though, very virutous (ha!) with mostly cooked, slivered fruit and not much else. A slice is grand for breakfast with a little cheese to offset the tart/sweet or with tea and dessert, accompanied by a blob of creme fraiche or even whipped cream. Marcella knew how to do this!

The farm cake called for an impromptu gathering of ladies who also adore nibbles and know how to clink porcelain tea cups with the best of them. We gathered in my living room, everyone brought some divine treat (brownies, sandwiches sans crust, almond/sea salt cookies and salmon on endive, no less!) and we kibitzed until it we were stuffed and high on caffeine, whereupon we toodled downtown and girled out at a few shops. Absolute bliss! tea, company and a new cake, AMEN.

FARM CAKE
adapted from Marcella Hazan's version (she calls for pears, more sugar and bread crumbs in place of cornmeal)
serves about 8

2 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1 splash vanilla
dash of salt
3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
2 pounds apples, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
butter for greasing/dotting the top
cornmeal for dusting

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a round 9" springform pan and dust with thin layer of cornmeal, tapping out any excess into the trash.

Peel and cut the apples, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg, milk, vanilla, salt and sugar together. Add in flour until combined. Stir in apple slices until all pieces are covered in a thin layer of batter. Pour mixture into the prepped pan. Dot top with a few small cubes of butter (I did about 10, 1/4" nobs of butter), evenly covering the top of the cake.

Bake for about 50 minutes, let cool for 5 minutes, slice and serve. Reheats well in a low oven the next day.

CHOCOLATE COFFEE WHISKEY SPICE CAKE & ROYAL BREAKFAST TEA

Every year I grow older, things seem to get more and more interesting -- I confess I still look forward to my birthday with the anticipation, flutter and delight of a tiny kid. It's a chance to set goals ever higher, celebrate with my gaggle of motley friends and, of course, to bake myself a birthday cake. Last year, I indulged in a Double Chocolate Sour Cream Cake . Yesterday, I riffed on a recent NYTimes recipe to create an even bigger chocolate explosion. When it comes to birthday cakes, there's chocolate or chocolate in my mind -- no funny business, pies or vanilla stand ins will do.

This Cake (note the capital "C") is not to be trifled with. Bursting with all of my favorite vices, the play of coffee, whiskey and a hint of spice just amplify the chocolate flavor to ridiculous heights. A slice nearly carried me away to chocolate heaven, where angels wear halos made from crushed Woodblock bars, clouds come dusted in various cocoa percentages and rivers flow of the magma brew from Cafe Angelina. It's a stupid good cake!

A strong confection such as this needs no adornment, and, if anything a strong partner in crime to wash the glorious crumbs down. Look no further than the East India Tea Company's Royal Breakfast Tea. This herbaceous, full bodied black tea is perfect companion to a decadent dessert. Similar in coffee in strength and gumption, it plays off sweet in a remarkable way. It's fantastic served on it's own or with a swirl of heavy cream, milk if you're feeling prudent. Royal Breakfast is bold and beautiful, my current comfort in our chilly winter mornings.

Chocolate Coffee Whiskey Spice Birthday Cake with Mascarpone Icing
makes 2,  8" circular layers for a layer cake

12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into 1-inch pieces, more for panabout
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups brewed strong coffee
1/2 cup whiskey
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups 1/4" chocolate bar chunks

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 2 8-inch cake pans. Dust with 2 tablespoons cocoa powder. In a medium saucepan over low heat, warm coffee, whiskey, 12 tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup cocoa powder, whisking until butter is melted. Whisk in sugars until dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a bowl, sift and whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, pepper and cloves. In another bowl, whisk together eggs and vanilla. Slowly whisk egg mixture into chocolate mixture. Add dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Fold in chocolate bar chunks.

Pour batter into prepared pans. Transfer to oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean, about 20-25 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack, then remove sides of pan. Dust with powdered sugar or serve with Icing.

Chocolate Mascarpone Icing
makes enough to ice a layer cake

1 tub mascarpone
3/4 cups sifted cocoa powder
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cream (plus a little more if needed to make desired consistency)
blackberries for garnish (optional)

In the bowl of a an electric mixer, mix together all ingredients at high speed until icing is a smooth texture.  Ice cooled cakes, garnish with berries and a dusting of cocoa powder and powdered sugar.

• Check out Royal Breakfast Tea: East India Tea Company
• Read the Original Chocolate Whiskey Cake Recipe: New York Times

HAZELNUT BLACKBERRY TORTE WITH PUERH TEA

Do hear the swan song of the tea cake as you walk through the kitchen out the front door? Its sweet little whisper begging to be "evened out . . ." Heaven forbid there should be a cake with a scraggly edge in my house! Not that I'm fooling anyone (myself the least!) by sneaking small slips of sweetness as I move from point A to B. The way I see it, a touch of tea torte is not the worst problem to have.

I recommend having a snacking, not-too-sweet cake around most days. It brightens the quick morning tea (as seen in the video from over the weekend) and grounds the 4pm work break when we're feeling peckish. There's endless variation on style, shape and ingredients depending on what's lingering long in the pantry and what fruits are in season. For today, I wanted to celebrate Summer's last kiss and throw a bunch of juicy, gorgeous, gem-like blackberries into a batter rich with olive oil and ground hazelnuts. And oh Mama, no regrets on this winning combo! It's just the perfect thing to have a slice, no matter how big or small, as you pass through the hearth of the home.

And the Puerh tea -- Have you tried it? It's a strong, fermented tea that is rolled and dried into pearl shapes. It's an acquired taste, simultaneously full of body and lightness. I'm warming up to it. And Puerh makes an excellent pairing with the sweet cake, setting off the nutty tones and bright berry flavors. Puerh can be found in brick and loose leaf form and hails from the Yunnan province in China. How I'd love to visit this part of the world!

Hazelnut Blackberry Torte
makes one 9" cake

2 eggs
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup cream cheese
scant 1 cup sugar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup ground hazelnuts
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon rum
a handful of blackberries (or whatever other fruit you like)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour a 9" cake pan. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In another bowl, or kitchen aid mixer, whisk the wet ingredients together until uniform. Fold the wet into the dry until just incorporated. Pour into prepared cake pan and plunk berries onto the surface in a random pattern. Bake for about 35 minutes, until cake is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Puerh Tea
I buy a lot of my specialty loose leaf, exciting teas from The Tao of Tea in SE Portland. They have an informed staff and will teach you proper technique for steeping the absolute best cup of tea. I bought my Puerh tea there and will be back again soon to sample some new sips.

LEMON YOGURT CAKE & STEVEN SMITH'S MEADOW TEA

We had a brief and perfect moment of coolness between a mighty heat wave. Post 7am pancake party, I settled into the idea that a tea cake should happen. With a basket of lingering lemons and a tub full of yogurt, the French standby would surely fit the bill. I'd save half for us to nibble on while watching the new Woody Allen documentary and the rest, divy up in wax paper amongst friends. A plan was hatched and executed. While stirring up the batter, I got to thinking about the ins and outs of tea cakes. I know what perfect snacking tea cake is by what it is not . . .

My qualifications for a great tea cake are as follows:

• not too sweet
• could be improved the next day by popping a slice in the toaster and slathering its surface with a big gob of butter and/or jam
• baked into a loaf shape, not a circle pan
• tender crumb
• bouncy and rich, but not greasy
• could take a lashing of icing, yet delicious by itself
• does not induce dessert guilt, its a confection dressed in breakfast/afternoon snack clothes
• sturdy enough to stuff into the bottom of a backpack for a bike ride then a picnic

This tea cake comes together quickly and always hits the spot. My favorite variation is this one, flaked with bright lemony flavor. The yogurt keeps the crumb tender, flexible and moist, the hint of rum adds depth and a golden hue. Don't skimp on it. And the butter, it makes the whole thing better than the oil the original recipe calls for.

Lemon Yogurt Cake
makes 1 9"x 5" loaf - adapted from Chocolate and Zucchini

1 cup whole milk yogurt
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup melted butter (a little extra for greasing the pan)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon Rum
1 2/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
zest from one lemon

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour the loaf pan, set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, eggs and sugar. Add the melted butter, vanilla and rum. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet. Finally stir the lemon zest in.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes, when deep golden brown color is achieved. Let cool for about an hour before slicing.


Meadow Tea
The delicate flowers of chamomile and rose petals sit merrily atop the surface of a tiny tea cup. Meadow tea by Steven Smith is just that -- a walk through a sunny hilltop covered in wildflowers and tall grasses. It tastes like running your fingers atop a field, all summer and light. Steven Smith is based in Portland and blends vivid tastes, notes and stories into each and every tea. I'm sure he'll be popping up here again in the near future.

• Visit Steven Smith Online: Steven Smith
• Read the article I wrote about Steven Smith for The Kitchn: Expert Interview: Brewing the Perfect Cup with Steven Smith

"BIG PINK" STRAWBERRY CAKE WITH PEPPERMINT TEA

Big Pink is not for the faint of heart. It is a flavor monster — sticky sweet topped with a richness from a classy yellow cake topping. Big Pink's signature hue derives from one of those blessed 1950s' era conveniences: a packet of strawberry jello. I'm all for natural, organic, and sensible, but sometimes you've got to go with the recipes that tickle your heart strings and make you feel like a kid. Upon tasting one bite of this ridiculous, decadent dessert, I was instantly transported to my 7 year old self. Feet dangling off the swing in the back yard, curls bouncing atop my head, end of summer twilight colors and a bag of Sour Patch gummy candies clutched in a death grip in my paw. This cake tastes like that moment. It's sweet, sour and totally my kid fantasy.

What better to top off the nostalgia dream than with the beloved tea from my childhood? Peppermint tea is the perfect compliment to Big Pink -- it refreshes and cleanses in order to simply survive the absurd sweet/tartness of the cake. You've probably got some lurking in a cabinet right now. Since it's just an infusion, not a caffeinated tea, kids can join in on the teapot too. Everyone can enjoy!

Big Pink Strawberry Cake
makes one 9 x 13" cake

 for the cake:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
4 egg yolks, beaten
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt  

for the topping:
4 cups sliced strawberries
1/2 sugar
1 package strawberry jello
3 cups miniature marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Start with the cake batter and cream the butter and sugar together. Mis in the egg yolks, milk and vanilla until combined. Finish up with the dry ingredients and stir until uniform.

Cover bottom of a 9 x 13" pan with sliced strawberries. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup sugar, followed by 1 package of strawberry jello mix. Top the strawberry/jello layer with the marshmallows. Pour cake batter on top of strawberry-marshmallows and bake for about 35-40 minutes, until top is golden brown. Allow to cool before serving. Garnish with creme fraiche, whip cream, ice cream or whole vanilla yogurt.

Peppermint Tea
Peppermint is a common herbal tisane -- not really a tea at all, more of an infusion. You can make peppermint tea with a bunch of fresh mint leaves (as they do in parts of Northern Africa and Spain), or you can buy your favorite brand to have around as you need it. Personally, I love the flavor of Celestial Seasonings' Peppermint Tea. My Mom always used to have this in the house and I grew up assembling tea parties with my stuffed animals and little friends; and served this brand with plenty of sugar and lemon. It's fresh and flavorful.