Dangerously Delicious

There are just some recipes you don’t want to “healthify.”  Maybe there’s a family history behind the recipe, or maybe it’s just so darn good, you don’t want to dare change a thing.  This is the latter of the two.  When my parents first got married, my mom couldn’t cook at all.  Apparently, my dad would eat a box of Oreos and a bottle of Coke and call it dinner (how he has been an athlete forever and been thin is beyond me!).  My mom eventually learned to cook, through classes and good old trial and error.  This recipe is the first recipe she ever picked out of a book and tried on her own.  Over the years she has made a few changes, and to this day it remains my favorite cake.  This is another one of those things that I get asked to make a lot.  So much so that I have the recipe memorized. 

My favorite story about this came recently.  I had made it for Solomon’s office, and it was a big hit.  A few days later, they were having an event, and Solomon was carrying a tray of coffee cake (not mine).  He accidentally dropped it on the ground, and one of his co-workers said “It may not be as good as your wife’s but no need to dump it all.”

With Yom Kippur coming up, I wanted to make something fun for break fast.  When we were in Boston, Solomon’s parents always threw a big party for break fast, full of yummy food.  This was something that I ALWAYS brought, so I thought it might be fun to share it with the faculty and students.

I know, it looks like a hot mess.  Don’t judge a book by it’s cover, this cake rocks!

One more thing, the batter…OH.MY.GAWD.  Freakin’ amazing.  Dangerous and delicious!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 8 oz. sour cream or 6 oz. vanilla yogurt (never low fat!)*
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder

You will also need:

• 4 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 cup chopped nuts (I like walnuts)

-Grease and flour either a 10-11 inch round cake pan, or 2-3 loaf pans
-Combine the sugar and butter until they are light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs one at a time.  Mix in the yogurt and vanilla.
-Mix flour and baking powder into the batter.  Batter will be very thick.
-In a separate container, mix together the remaining sugar, cinnamon and nuts.  You can also add chocolate chips here if you like, or feel free to experiment!
-Place about 1/3 of the batter into your pan(s).  Sprinkle with 1/2-3/4 of the nut mixture.  Spoon the remaining batter and even out.  Sprinkle with remaining nut mixture and bake for approximately 1 hour, rotating the pan(s) halfway through.  Cake is done when a toothpick poked into the center of the cake comes out dry.
-Try not to eat all of the batter!

Before meeting it’s messy fate in the oven

*I always use yogurt in this.  Sometimes I will strain it to make it thicker like greek yogurt (which works too).  I usually just buy a 6 oz. container, but had a giant tub ‘o yogurt this time.  I remembered I had this awesome measuring cup, that I should really be using way more!

BTW…I always use a pan that is older than me.  It belonged to my great grandmother!  I think this pan has seen better days…look what happened to my oven!

Major thank you to Dawn of Peeled Snacks.  I came home tonight to an awesome package, I can’t wait to try it all!

What recipes do you have that are tried and true that you refuse to healthify? 

FASHIONISTAS: Can I wear white capris on Friday to a shower/bachelorette party in Atlanta?  I just don’t know.  I don’t go by all the rules, but I’m not sure on this one!