Chocolate Flan Cake (AKA Magic Cake)

Photo from Something Quite Domestic

Dirk and I love trying flan at different Mexican restaurants in our area. It's fun to see the unique ways people make it and how different they all are. Two of my brothers introduced me to this cake. I never tried making it because it seemed too complicated and I didn't want to spend all day baking one thing. 

Oh, fear not! You do need to plan a little bit in advance because this cake tastes the best when it's chilled overnight, but it's easy to make. This cake preps in less than 30 minutes, bakes in about an hour and in a pinch you could chill it for a few hours before you serve it. 

Why do they call it "Magic Cake"? Because of science and chemistry the two layers switch places during baking. This cake is really fun to make with kids because when you put it in the bundt pan the chocolate batter goes in first and then the flan batter goes on top. During the baking process the flan sinks to the bottom and the cake rises to the top, all in 2 beautiful, distinct layers. Then when you plate it, the flan will be on the top and the chocolate cake on the bottom. It made for a fun experiment and lesson while we baked the cake and a great opportunity to discuss basic principles of chemistry. :)

The sky is the limit with this cake. You can experiment with different extracts, different flavors of cake, etc. 

So another thing, this recipe uses cateja which is caramelized milk. You can make your own or you can go to the Hispanic section of your supermarket and buy it already made if you are pressed for time. 

Okay. Here's what you need:

-Large bundt pan (at least 12 cup size)

-Large roasting pan

-1 can of cateja (can make your own as listed below or buy in the Hispanic section of most supermarkets)

Cateja

-1 (14 oz.) can of sweetened condensed milk

Place unopened can into a large pan and fill pan with water ensuring to cover can completely. Cover pan and bring water to a boil. Turn heat down to med-low and boil can for 3-4 hours. Add more water as necessary to cover can of milk. Remove can from hot water with tongs and allow can to cool. Open can and voila! You have cateja! You can do several cans at the same time so that you can keep some on hand.

Cake:

-1/2 c. unsalted butter, plus 2 TBS at room temp

-1 c. sugar

-1 egg, at room temp

-1 tsp. dark rum

-1 tsp. vanilla extract

-4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted

-1/3 c. cocoa powder (if you can find dark chocolate that works best)

-1 3/4 c. flour (best if you can use 1 c. cake flour and the rest all-purpose. I have used all all-purpose and it still works out great.)

-3/4 tsp. salt 

-3/4 tsp. baking soda

-3/4 c. baking powder

-1 1/4 c. buttermilk

Flan:

- 1 (12 oz.) can of evaporated milk

- 1 (14 oz.) can of sweetened condensed milk (splurge for a good brand)

-3 large eggs, at room temp

-4 oz. of cream cheese, at room temp.

-1 TBS vanilla extract

Garnish:

-1/4 c. pecans, chopped

-1/4 c. cateja

-1 TBS whole milk

1. Fill roasting pan with 1 inch of water and place in oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat bundt pan with 1 tsp. of butter. Warm 1/2 cup of cateja in the microwave and pour on bottom of the bundt pan. Try not to get on the sides of the pan.

2. Prepare the cake. Place sugar and butter in a mixing bowl and use a hand mixer to beat together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix to combine. Next add the rum, vanilla extract and melted bittersweet chocolate and mix until incorporated. In a separate bowl sift or use a wire whisk to combine the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add 1/3 of flour mixture to bowl and half of the butter milk into the egg mixture. Repeat again. Add the last 1/3 of flour mixture and beat until incorporated. The batter will be thick. Carefully spoon the mixture into the bundt pan on top of the cateja. Be careful to avoid spilling the batter on the sides. 

Photo from Something Quite Domestic

Photo from Something Quite Domestic

3. Prepare the flan. Place all ingredients into a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds until well combined. Carefully and slowly pour the flan mixture on top of cake batter in the bundt pan. Cover bundt pan with foil. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and carefully place bundt pan into the water bath. Make sure that the water comes up at least an inch on the bundt pan. Add more hot water to roasting pan if necessary. 

Photo from Something Quite Domestic

4. Place roasting pan back into the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, until the cake top bounces back or a toothpick comes out clean. Remove roasting pan from oven and remove bundt pan from water bath. Transfer cake to a wire rack and allow the cake to rest in the pan to room temperature, about 2 hours and then refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.

5. After the cake is chilled, place 1/3 bottom of the bundt pan in a bowl of hot tap water for about a minute. Invert cake on to a cake platter. Microwave the cateja and milk for about 10-15 seconds. Stir until combine and add more milk if necessary to get the a good consistency so that you can drizzle it on the top of the cake. (You want it thick, but just thin enough to drizzle.) Drizzle the cake with cateja and sprinkle with toasted pecans. 

Photo from Something Quite Domestic

Enjoy a little slice of heaven! The cake is slightly dense and fudgy and the flan is creamy and delicate.

Photo from Something Quite Domestic

Enjoy and Happy Baking!

Here's the printable recipe.

Resolutions

Hey friends!

I made a resolution to keep up on my blogging this year. This past year has been crazy and I need to make more time to blog my recipes. I admire all of the mothers that have their life put together, but I am a ball of crazy amongst controlled chaos. So much life is happening in our families, personal life and in our careers right now and my hobby got lost in the shuffle. El is getting so big and I can't even believe it! She has a difficult time sleeping well at night, so we are trying to adjust. Some days I feel like I still have a newborn and I don't know if I'm coming or going. I'm learning to live on a little sleep and trying to get back to the routine of life, but I'm not that great at it. Ha! Good thing for new resolutions!

Thanks to all of you still following along and asking when I'm going to post more recipes. Blogging has been an enjoyable hobby and I'm going to make more time for it.

I just finished perfecting a recipe, so stay tuned. I should have it posted tonight. 

Love, 

J

Introducing.....

Holy cow you guys! I have been MIA and I'm sorry about that, but there's a good reason. Our family has expanded! Just know this post has absolutely nothing to do with a recipe. :)

Most of you know that we didn't find out the sex of our baby while I was pregnant, so it was a fun surprise and gave us a lot of anticipation. My labor went amazingly! It was a quick, intense, and empowering 3 hours of awesomeness! I've wanted to have a natural birth with my previous children, but the stars never aligned. My first was a c-section and my 2nd was a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean). When we got pregnant this time we were both healthy and I had a previous successful VBAC so I knew this was my chance to have the birth I've dreamed about. We had an awesome water birth our local birth center with the best midwives, Chris Miller and Martina Craner. It was the coolest experience! We had an incredible doula, Andie Henthorn, from BirthRite Services that that was my right-hand lady. The midwives, Andie and my husband were the best birth support team that I could've hoped for! So needless to say, I've been spending the last several months preparing for our birth and have neglected my blog.

We welcomed another daughter, Elli Jo, to our family. She was a whoppin' 9lbs. and was 21.5 inches. Her birth was the most beautiful experience and I thank God for letting me experience it. I think her birth has sparked a new passion for me, so we'll see where it leads. I wanted to give a shout-out to our amazing photographer, Tara Jugler, with Snap Blossom Photography for capturing our birth story and doing a fantastic job on our newborn photos. We will treasure them!

Thanks for following along even though I've been a slacker. I'm excited to share some fun, new recipes with you!

Healthy Almond Joys

I can't believe it's been months since I've blogged. I guess I'm not very good at balancing my life! :) Many of you haven't heard, but the SQD family is growing! Our baby is due in June, so needless to say life has been busy.

Before I got pregnant I was following a whole-food plant-based diet. I also gave up all processed sugar for 2 months! Can you believe it? I can't. Ha! These little Almond Joys got me through my bad sugar cravings and they are so packed full of nutrients. It's ridiculous that these are actually good for you. I make these for potlucks and family gathering and they are always a hit. I have made them individually and also as a 9x13 pan of bars. Either way, they taste great. Almond Joy is my favorite candy bar and these little treats have it beat! This recipe was adapted from my Health Coach, Cynthia Sumner. Side note: if any of you are looking for an awesome online Health Coach, check out Cythia's site Green Healing Leaf. Her program changed my life.

For those of you that are into "clean" eating or even Paleo, most of these ingredients may be familiar to you. Most can be purchased at a health-food store, bulk-food store or even Costco. I buy my pure maple syrup, coconut oil and chia seeds at Costco. I buy the macaroon coconut and Cacao powder at my local health-food store. I also make my own almond flour in my Vitamix or you can purchase that at a health-food store also.

Every time I share this recipe, people always ask me, "What is cacao powder? Is it the same as cocoa powder?" Cacao powder is basically chocolate in the raw and the "fruit" of the Cacao tree. It is very strong and kind of bitter on it's own. Raw cacao is an excellent source of essential fatty acids, antioxidants, fiber, iron, copper, zinc, magnesium, calcium and sulfur. Cocoa powder is what we commonly see in grocery stores and use in our baking. Cocoa powder is basically the cacao bean that has been heated, roasted and processed. Because of this nearly all of the nutrients and antioxidants have been stripped away. Cacao powder is expensive (typically $16-$17 for 1 lb.) but a little goes a long way, so it lasts.

I hope you enjoy these as much as we do. This is one of our family's favorite raw treats. My kids love helping make them, too. If you'd like to see more raw treats or raw recipes, please leave me a comment. :)

Here's what you need:

3 c. finely shredded, unsweetened coconut (I use unsweetened macaroon coconut)

1 1/2 c. almond flour (just blend or process whole, raw almonds into a flour in a high-powered blender)

3/4 c. pure maple syrup

1/4 c. raw honey

1/3 c. softened coconut oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp.sea salt

3 T. chia seeds

Chocolate Sauce:

3/4 c. coconut oil, melted

4 T. cacao powder

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 c. pure maple syrup, room temp

1. Combine coconut, almond flour, maple syrup, honey, coconut oil, vanilla, salt and chia seeds in a large bowl. Stir well until combine. Roll into balls. Place in freezer to set up. 

2. Make the chocolate sauce by combining coconut oil, cacao powder, vanilla and maple syrup together. 

Stir until smooth, drizzle over almond joy balls, top with an almond and a little shredded coconut and freeze until set. 

3. Store these in the freezer or refrigerator until ready to serve. Makes about 45 almond joys.


Enjoy and Happy Baking!

Printable recipe here.

Savory Pull-aparts

This last week was a little chilly which makes me crave soup. I wanted to make some homemade bread for dinner, but wanted something quick and easy. I love Monkey Bread, so I thought making some savory pull-aparts would be fantastic. If you missed my post on Monkey Bread, check it out. Those are also super yummy. This was an experiment gone right and my family loved it. If you haven't tried my Mom's recipe for multi-purpose bread dough, it's a must. It's great for pizza crust, Monkey Bread, cinnamon rolls, bread sticks, dinner rolls, etc. It comes together quickly and you don't have to knead it a long time. I hope you enjoy this recipe. It's perfect with soup and will be a total hit with your family.

Here's what you need:

Multi-purpose bread

-1 1/2 C warm water (about 120 degrees. You don't want it hot or it can kill the yeast.)

-1 TBS of dry, active yeast

-2 TBS sugar (can also use honey)

-1 1/2 tsp. salt

-1 TBS oil (I use olive)

-3 to 5 C all-purpose flour (can also use 1/2 white flour with 1/2 whole wheat flour.) **You want the dough to still be slightly tacky, so use caution not to use too much flour. I typically only have to use 3 cups. It really depends on the brand and moisture content of your flour.

Dip 

-1/4 C melted butter

- 2/3 C Kraft Parm cheese (you can also use freshly grated Romano or Asiago cheese)

-1 1/2 TBS. Johnny's Garlic Spread Seasoning (I buy at Costco)

1. In large bowl combine warm water and 2 TBS sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved. Sprinkle yeast on top of water and allow to stand for 5 minutes until it gets foamy. Once it's foamy stir in oil and salt. Add flour and stir. You can also mix flour in with your hands, but being careful not to overmix. This dough doesn't require a lot of kneading. 

2. Cover bowl with a warm, damp towel and allow to rise 10 minutes. You can allow it to rise longer which will result in even fluffier bread, bread but it's not required. 

3. Grease bundt pan and punch down dough. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Have 2 bowls to the side, one with melted butter and the other with the cheese and garlic seasoning mixed. Take chunks of dough and dip in butter and then roll in cheese mixture. Place around in bundt pan until the dough is gone.

4. Cover with a warm, damp cloth and allow bread to rise again until the dough doubles which takes about 15-20 minutes. Bake at 375 for about 20-25 minutes until the top is golden brown. 

5. Remove pan from oven and allow bread to rest in pan for 5-10 minutes. Flip out onto a serving platter. Serve warm and enjoy. You could also serve as an appetizer with a variety of dipping sauces (cheese, pizza, alfredo, etc.) 

Enjoy and Happy Baking!

Here's the printable recipe.

Monkey Bread

I feel bad it's been so long since I've blogged. So much has been going on and I'll blog about that later.So many fun changes going on! My family has a tradition to have a Halloween party the Saturday before Halloween. When I was little I remember my Mom making homemade cinnamon rolls with homemade chili. I love making cinnamon rolls, but sometimes they can be time consuming. That's why I love Monkey Bread. It's tastes like a cinnamon roll, but can come together in under an hour and is a fun treat for Saturday mornings. I love that these remind me of my childhood. Plus, it's so fun to pull them apart when you eat them. Our kids love that!

This bread recipe is SO fast and easy and is one of our family favorites. I use it for bread sticks, cinnamon rolls, Monkey Bread, pizza crust, rolls, etc. It's a great multi-purpose bread dough. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Here's what you need:

Bread

-1 1/2 C warm water (about 120 degrees. You don't want it hot or it can kill the yeast.)

-1 TBS of dry, active yeast

-2 TBS sugar (can also use honey)

-1 1/2 tsp. salt

-1 TBS oil (I use olive)

-3 to 5 C all-purpose flour (can also use 1/2 white flour with 1/2 whole wheat flour.) **You want the dough to still be slightly tacky, so use caution not to use too much flour. I typically only have to use 3 cups. It really depends on the brand and moisture content of your flour.

Dip

-1/2 C melted butter

-1 tsp. real vanilla extract

-1 C brown sugar

-1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Glaze

-2/3 C powdered sugar

-1/2 tsp. real vanilla extract

-2-3 TBS milk

1. In large bowl combine warm water and 2 TBS sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved. Sprinkle yeast on top of water and allow to stand for 5 minutes until it gets foamy. Once it's foamy stir in oil and salt. Add flour and stir. You can also mix flour in with your hands, but being careful not to overmix. This dough doesn't require a lot of kneading. **If Raisins are desired, add them to the dough now before the first rising.

2. Cover bowl with a warm, damp towel and allow to rise 10 minutes. You can allow it to rise longer which will result in even fluffier bread, bread but it's not required. 

3. Grease bundt pan and punch down dough. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Have 2 bowls to the side, one with melted butter and vanilla and the other with the brown sugar and cinnamon mixed. Take chunks of dough and dip in butter and then roll in sugar mixture. Place around in bundt pan until the dough is gone.

4. Cover with a warm, damp cloth and allow bread to rise again until the dough doubles which takes about 15-20 minutes. Bake at 375 for about 20-25 minutes until the top is golden brown. 

5. Remove pan from oven and allow bread to rest in pan for 5-10 minutes. While bread is resting, make the glaze. In a small bowl, take powdered sugar, vanilla and 1 TBS of milk and stir. Continue adding 1 TBS of milk until the consistency is thick, but slightly runny. Flip bread out onto a serving platter and top with glaze. Serve and enjoy warm.

Enjoy and Happy Baking!

Here's the printable recipe.

Street Corn

Ok, I've never had "Street Corn" and I don't even know if there is such a thing, but if there were, this is what I'd imagine it to be. I love going to fairs and seeing everyone walking around with a big 'ole corn on the cob and I've always wanted to try it. But I think this version takes my food imagination to a whole new level.

**Update: My brother has informed me that street vendors in Mexico serve street corn that is rolled in cojita cheese and fresh lime juice. So there you go. There's your street corn lesson for the day. You're welcome. :)

I usually boil the corn when I make corn on the cob, but this time I baked it and it's SO much better. This version of corn only takes a few minutes longer to make, but it's so worth it. While the corn is baking, prep the sauce and grate the cheese. You can also prep the sauce ahead of time also. This is my new favorite way to eat corn on the cob. And for some reason knowing that Greek yogurt is in the sauce makes me feel less guilty for eating seconds. I guess it is *slightly* better than eating corn on the cob with just butter and salt. (Hey, it gives it some protein to all of you nay-sayers!) :)

Here's what you need:

-(6) ears of corn, husk intact

Sauce:
-4 TBS Greek Yogurt
-2 TBS mayo (can use fat-free)
-1 tsp. chili powder
-1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
-1/2 tsp. salt
-zest of one lime
-juice of one lime

Garnish:
-lime wedges
-finely grated Asiago cheese

1. Place corn on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. (You can also grill the corn for a few minutes on each side after it's baked so that you get grill marks and it will also slightly roast the corn. It just adds to the flavor, but it's not necessary.)

2. Prep sauce: combine all ingredients into a small mixing bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.

3. Once corn is baked, remove from oven and allow to cool 2-3 minutes. Pull husk down from corn but don't remove as this makes a natural handle to hold on to. Take a butter knife and coat the outside of the corn with the sauce. Sprinkle or roll corn in grated cheese. Serve with a fresh lime wedge, squeeze fresh juice on right before eating and enjoy while hot.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Here's the printable recipe.

Mini Caprese Kabobs with a Balsamic Reduction

Oh my goodness! This Summer has been busy, but we've had some great time traveling and spending time as a family. I'm sorry that I haven't posted in forever. I've got a quick, easy, delicious and fresh recipe for you.

I love Summer because of all the fresh product readily available. My parents have grown a huge garden every year since the time I was little. I loved going out and picking fresh veggies, especially tomatoes. I'm not sure what else is better than a perfectly red, delicious vine-ripened tomato from your own garden. We started our own garden this year and we planted several varieties of tomatoes. We also planted basil, so I've been in heaven.

I love Caprese Salad and this is a little twist that makes a perfect appetizer or light lunch. You only need 4 ingredients: tomatoes, fresh basil, fresh mozzarella cheese and balsamic vinegar. You need to use fresh mozzarella---not the hard, brick kind that you would grate for pizza. Fresh mozzarella is usually sold in a ball and the texture is really soft. The fresh stuff is a more expensive so I usually buy it at Costco in their specialty cheese section. I also love the Kirkland brand Balsamic vinegar too. I like using a balsamic reduction rather than just straight balsamic vinegar because it sticks to the tomatoes better, it doesn't absorb into the cheese, it tastes a little sweeter and that acidic "bite" is mellowed. And it makes for a gorgeous presentation. You can make the balsamic reduction while you assemble the skewers, so it really doesn't take extra time. You can make the kabobs a day or 2 ahead of time, but the tomatoes taste better if not refrigerated so I like to make mine the day I want to serve them.

Here's what you need: This made about 30 mini skewers.
-1.5 lbs. of cherry tomatoes (or grape tomatoes)
-1 lb. fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced into cubes
-12 fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
-1 small pkg toothpicks (I like to use the ones with the wispy stuff on the tip)
-1/2 C balsamic vinegar

1. Put balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer about 10 minutes, OR until the mixture starts to thicken to a honey-like consistency. If you accidentally simmer it too long (molasses-like consistency), you can add a little extra balsamic vinegar and then simmer it again to the desired consistency. Remove pan from heat and set to the side.

2. Use 2 cherry tomatoes and 2 cubes of cheese for each toothpick kabob. I alternated every other one on the toothpick. Continue doing this until you have made the desired amounts of kabobs. Place them on a plate or serving platter.

3. Right before serving, drizzle the balsamic reduction over the kabobs and sprinkle a little coarse sea salt over them. You will not use all of the reduction, so you can save leftovers in the refrigerator for up to a week. Sprinkle with chopped basil and serve.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Here's the printable recipe.

Beanilla Giveway Winners!

Thanks so much to everyone that entered the Beanilla Giveaway. I am so excited to give out these wonderful products for you to try. If you had fun entering this giveaway, please head over to the Beanilla Facebook page and thank them for sponsoring the giveaway on SQD!

Here are the winners!

Madagascar Vanilla Beans: Lael that left a comment saying, "I did it all - liked your FB page, left a comment, shared it, liked Beanilla's page, and am following your blog. Glad to have found you." 

I didn't hear from the first winner for the extract so here's the second winner:
 Mexican Vanilla Extract:  "Ranell and Brandon". If this is you, please contact me within 24hrs.

Congratulation to the winners! If you are Lael or Ranell and Brandon, please send me a message within 24 hours through the SQD Facebook page and include your name and address so that I can send it out to you! Please head over to the Beanilla Facebook page and let them know you won from the SQD giveaway and thank them for sponsoring the giveaway!


If you didn't win stay tuned because I have another giveaway coming up! :) Please tell your friends and family about SQD. The more followers we have means that we can do more giveaways! Yeah!

Have a great weekend and Happy Baking! :)

-Juli

Beanilla Giveaway!

You've heard me rave about my love of vanilla beans and how much I love the company Beanilla. The nice folks over at Beanilla were kind enough to sponsor a giveaway on our blog! Now you can try making your own Patriotic Trifle in time for the 4th of July with some delicious Grade A Madagascar vanilla beans or try making your own homemade vanilla extract.

Here's what's up for grabs:
-(1) Glass vial full of (3) plump, gorgeous Madagscar vanilla beans
-(1) 4oz. bottle of Beanilla Mexican vanilla bean extract

Enter the giveaway by doing these (3) steps:
1. Head over to the Something Quite Domestic Facebook page and "like" our page.
2. Find the Beanilla Giveaway picture at the top of our Facebook page. "Share" the photo and comment on the photo to tell us what you want to win.
3. Leave us a comment below to tell us what steps you did (including extra entries).

For (2) extra entries:
1. Become a follower of our blog by going here.
2. Head over to the Beanilla Facebook page and "like" their page. This is a great way to find out about new recipes and specials from Beanilla.

Beanilla Giveaway!
{www.somethingquitedomestic.blogspot.com}

Easy Peasy! Winners will be randomly picked via Random.org and will be announced on Friday, June 21st. Winners will have 24 hours to claim their prize. Good luck!