Lovin' From the Oven

Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake

by 5 Comments

lemoncoffeecake-11

 

Can you imagine waking up to a big pan of this on your birthday morning? How glorious would that be? Give me a chai tea latte and you’ve got my perfect breakfast. Working as a flight attendant, coffee cakes are my achilles heal. I can bring them with me in my luggage and I can eat it on the go– no utensils needed. That makes it convenient and delectable.

lemoncoffeecake-16

 

Chinet sent me over some disposable bakeware to try out, and I thought this Meyer lemon coffee cake would be the perfect thing for the 8×8 inch pan. I hardly ever bake with disposables, so I was eager to see how it compares with regular heavy duty baking pans.

lemoncoffeecake-2

lemoncoffeecake

lemoncoffeecake-3

lemoncoffeecake-4

 

The pan itself is actually rather light. It’s made of a paper/cardboard feeling material and is textured. The inside is coated with a dark layer and the outside remains white. All of Chinet’s bakeware comes with a lid, making it easy to take with you to a party or just for transferring in general. The only issue was that the top didn’t actually “snap” into place. It loosely covers your baked good and moves around on its own. I just used some tape to keep it shut while transporting it.

lemoncoffeecake-5

lemoncoffeecake-7

lemoncoffeecake-8

 

It sure looks pretty, though. It’s nice to be able to take a coffee cake to someone and not worry about bringing the bakeware back. One and done.

lemoncoffeecake-9

 

I was very impressed with how evenly the cake baked in the pan. There was no sinking in the middle and it seemed as if the edges browned normally. There was no “weak spot” of the pan.

lemoncoffeecake-12

 

I was also curious as to how the bakeware would keep its shape, but sure enough, it proved me wrong. There was no sagging, bending, or melting (wouldn’t that be terrible?!). It was sturdy. I could hold it from one end and it wouldn’t fold.

lemoncoffeecake-13

 

Bottom line is that you should definitely bring a cake to someone… for breakfast! Let them celebrate in the morning instead of having to wait all day for celebrating in the evening.

lemoncoffeecake-14

lemoncoffeecake-15

 

I have to be honest about this lemon coffee cake. I didn’t try it because I don’t like lemon desserts. I actually packed it up and brought it with me to work so that my coworkers can enjoy their mornings. I even left it on the counter in the communal area for everyone to enjoy. From the feedback that I got, the cake seemed to be a hit with everyone. It wasn’t too strong in lemon flavor.

lemoncoffeecake-17

This streusel recipe made a lot and I only used 2/3 of it. I’m saving the rest to top off some muffins. Recipe is slightly adapted from Martha Stewart.

Print
Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake

Ingredients

  • Streusel:
  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • ¾ cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
    • Cake:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (from 3-4 Meyer lemons)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup plain greek yogurt (I used Chobani)
    • Glaze:
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • juice of half a lemon

Directions

  1. First make the streusel by cutting together the butter and the rest of the ingredients until crumbly. I used a food processor for ease.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  3. Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix in the lemon zest, eggs, vanilla, and yogurt.
  4. Gradually stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined.
  5. Pour the batter into an 8x8 pan and top with the streusel (I only used 2/3 of it).
  6. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
  7. Let cool completely before mixing the powdered sugar and lemon juice together and drizzling.
https://lovintheoven.com/meyer-lemon-coffee-cake/

*This is a sponsored post by Chinet, but the opinions expressed are my own.*

Coconut Cheesecake Key Lime Cookie Cups

by 37 Comments

keylime-2

Oh, Pillsbury. You continuously fill my kitchen with joy. I made my first cupcakes in elementary school using your cake mixes. Little did I know just how versatile your cake boxes really were.

keylime

Then you come out and introduce such eye catching boxes. These orangesicle and key lime premium mixes scream out spring. How can you not want to grab an ice cold drink, a Pillsbury dessert, head out to the backyard and lay out by the pool when seeing this packaging?

keylime-5

I actually carried these sweet treats with me all the way from San Francisco to Los Angeles and gave them out to curious people. If they asked what I was carrying, I’d offer one to them. By the time I came back to LA, I had already given half of the cookie cups away.

[I use this carrier for everything. I just remove the deviled egg containers and they’re the perfect size for packing, traveling, and easy accessibility.]

keylime-6

There are a lot of courageous people out there who would take sweets from a stranger. Maybe a little Asian girl carrying around a stacked tupperware filled with dessert doesn’t seem like such a huge threat. Just maybe.

keylime-4

Well, these cookie cups don’t exactly look very intimidating, either. They look just the opposite… extremely inviting. I don’t blame those strangers for accepting my treats.

keylime-8

You can also use bigger muffin tins to make your treat if the petite ones don’t tickle your fancy. I used a muffin top pan to make these jumbo ones:

keylime-9

keylime-10

But let’s be real here… the smaller the dessert, the cuter they are. It’s like having miniature cupcakes to celebrate for no reason. Who needs a reason to celebrate, anyways? Here are three ways to celebrate spring for no reason:

  1. Make these coconut cheesecake key lime cookie cups for your neighbors and invite them over for a pool party! What better way is there to spend your day?
  2. Spend some time outdoors. Whether it be sitting on your porch for five minutes after work to wind down or rock climbing in the mountains, celebrate the great spring weather!
  3. Don’t be afraid of color. It’s the time to wear that bright orange or neon pink scarf with your outfit. Lime green shoes? Perfect. This is the time of the year to wear your brightest clothing (and get away with it)!

keylime-11

keylime-12

The cookie cups bake up rather quickly, so keep an eye on it since your oven might be faster than mine. There are little speckles of lime zest cooked throughout the batter, creating a wonderful surprise when being bitten into.

keylime-14

The key lime flavor is the real winner here. It stands out among the cheesecake and coconut flavors. If you love key lime desserts, you’ll love this.

I used a Wilton tip #31 to frost these, in case you were curious. Can you tell it’s my first time using that tip?

keylime-15

That’s not it, my friends. Pillsbury is giving away a Summer Seasonal Celebration Starter Kit to one lucky reader on my blog! The kit includes:

  • One box each Summer Seasonal Cake & Cookie Mixes
  • Frostings (1 each of Creamy Supreme Key Lime and Creamy Supreme Orangesicle)
  • $50 dollar Visa or American Express gift card

Total estimated giveaway value: $60

To enter, just leave a comment by midnight on May 8th letting me know how you’ll be celebrating spring!

Print
Coconut Cheesecake Key Lime Cookie Cups

Ingredients

  • 1 box Pillsbury Key Lime Premium Cookie Mix
  • 1 small box of cheesecake pudding (1 oz)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup softened butter
  • 1 cup shredded coconut, sweetened
  • 1 can of Pillsbury Key Lime frosting

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a mini muffin pan with oil. Set aside.
  2. Cream together the butter and eggs. Add in the cake mix and pudding until just combined. Stir in the shredded coconut.
  3. Put tablespoon sized balls into each muffin pan and press down.
  4. Bake for 9-10 minutes.
https://lovintheoven.com/coconut-cheesecake-key-lime-cookie-cups/

 

*This is a sponsored post by Pillsbury, but the opinions expressed are my own.*

Poppyseed Bread

by 3 Comments

almondpoppyseed-5

Everyone’s talking about the horrific flu season we’re having. People are predicting it to be the worst in decades. We won’t know for sure since we’re just getting into the beginning. Did you get a flu shot?

almondpoppyseed

I never have. I’ve always worked with kids, so they were my “flu shot.” AKA they give me some kind of sickness, I get over it, and then I don’t get sick for a quite a while. This year, however, I wasn’t as lucky.

almondpoppyseed-3

My DB and I both woke up Thursday morning feeling like someone had sucked the lives from us. We were congested, had sore throats, and had to go buy extra boxes of tissues for our ongoing runny noses.

almondpoppyseed-2

Lucky for us, we had the weekend to lay in bed and do nothing. I slept for 16 hours a day while my DB drank liquids for every meal. We ate all the hot Asian soups to help us kick the bug— soondubu, pho, ramen, and udon. Yes, this means I didn’t cook for four days… four glorious days.

almondpoppyseed-4

That’s definitely one of the perks of being sick. I have an excuse not to make dinner. Does that make me a bad house-girlfriend?

almondpoppyseed-6

At least I’ll always be happy to make dessert! This poppyseed bread is just divine. Usually, lemon and poppyseed go hand in hand, but I was happy to find a recipe that omitted the lemon. As I’ve mentioned numerous times, I’m not a fan of lemon desserts.

almondpoppyseed-7

The almond extract was very strong, but it was a welcomed flavor. Why haven’t I used almond extract in more of my desserts? It’s wonderful!

almondpoppyseed-8

If you keep the bread in an airtight container, the glaze will soften and become moist again. It’s best left out to harden and served right away. This bread has the consistency of pound cake– dense and fluffy at the same time, but without all the fat. Recipe from The Girl Who Ate Everything.

Print
Poppyseed Bread

Ingredients

    Bread:
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/8 cups cooking oil
  • 2 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1 1/2 T. poppy seeds
  • 1 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/2 tsp butter flavoring extract (or 1 1/2 tsp melted butter can be substituted)
    • Glaze:
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp butter flavor extract (or 1 1/2 tsp melted butter can be substituted)

Directions

    For the bread:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a mixing bowl, stir together all of the ingredients. Pour evenly into greased baking pans. Makes 6 small loaves or 2 large loaves.
  3. Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes for large pans and less for smaller pans.
    4. For the Glaze:
  4. Pour all the ingredients into a saucepan and cook over medium heat until sugar is completely dissolved.
  5. Remove the bread from the pans once they're cool enough and carefully pour glaze over warm bread.
https://lovintheoven.com/poppyseed-bread/

If you wish, you can just bake them into little individual muffins and they’ll turn out just as pretty:

almondpoppy

almondpoppy-3almondpoppy-2

Categories