Busy Brunette Bakerista

My homemade coffee cake recipes don't call for actual coffee but they are delicious. Well, I tired another recipe in the fabulous cookbook Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook and this coffee cake is moist, light and has the sweetest crumble in the middle (also has no coffee ). It does take a while so remember to follow the directions to every detail. Enjoy! BITDB Coffee Cake Streusel Ingredients ¼ cup packed light brown sugar ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt 3/4 cup chopped pecans (optional) 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes Cake Ingredients 2 ½ cups cake flour (not self-rising) 2 teaspoons baking powder, preferably aluminum-free ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon fine sea salt ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom (I used pumpkin pie spice to give it a little more texture) 12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 ½ cups granulated sugar 3 large eggs,...

Yes, cheesecake recipes take a while and a little extra love. I held on to this pumpkin cheesecake recipe from Southern Living magazine  since the November 2014 issue to bake before the holidays. It was totally worth the wait. I urge you to go out and buy all the cream cheese and make this for Thanksgiving or Christmas! Crust: ¾ cup cinnamon-flavored graham cracker crumbs ¾ cup chocolate-flavored graham cracker crumbs 5 T. butter, melted 3 T. granulated white sugar Cooking spray Filling: 4 (8oz.) packages cream cheese, at room temperature 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice 1 tsp. vanilla extract 4 large eggs 1 (15oz.) canned pumpkin 1 T. fresh lemon juice Topping: {although I didn’t use the entire topping} 1 (16oz.) container sour cream  3 T. granulated white sugar pinch of pumpkin pie spice Some tips on what worked for me from the magazine... Start with room-temperature cream cheese....

Californians are known for eating healthy, exercising, and always on the go. I found a simple recipe for homemade granola in an old magazine and adapted it to just the right ratio of spice, crunch, and dried fruit. My friend and neighbors love this and I often make it for teacher gifts. Enjoy! Crunchy California Granola 4 cups of rolled oats  1 cup of wheat germ or wheat bran 1 cup of slivered almonds 1/2 cup of sesame seeds  1/4 cup of brown sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon  (or even pumpkin pie spice) 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil 1/3 cup honey 1/6 cup maple syrup 1/6 cup water 8 oz. dried cranberries 8 oz. raisins Pre-eat oven to 300 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with tin foil and spray with cooking spray, then set aside. In a large mixing bowl, stir together oats, wheat germ, nuts, sesame seeds, brown sugar, cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice), and salt. Make a well in the dry ingredients and ad...