Bacon-Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

As you can see, there are two Bacon-Pineapple Upside-Down cakes on this photo; don't be fooled, on the left, is the page of the Food Network magazine, and on the right is my actual cake! I must say, I have never...well, almost never made a cake the turned out almost identical as the picture from a magazine or book...and I'm also proud to share the 'source' where the recipe comes from originally. Most food blogger...and I do say MOST are not willing to share the source of their recipes even if they adapted it from a source...which is even better because you get to take your own 'twist' on it, and share that as well.

Although in the 1970's we all just wrote down on little index cards recipes that we exchanged with one-another, and who knew where they originated from...some of them were 'hand-me-downs' and some were clippings from magazines, but virtually no one knew the actual source! In the 90's, when I got my first computer in 1995 and had the Windows 95, my neighbor, who was more advanced with computer knowledge even a few years prior, suggested that I should type up all my hand written recipes and create a file where I could easily find them. I spent hours and hours typing (good thing I took typing in high school) ...so I didn't have to peck with my index finger...lol!

Well, since then I got rid of most of my handwritten recipes...and I kind of feel bad about that!

Fast forward, here we are in 2014 with some pretty advanced cameras, and we are not only blogging about food, but taking some amazing food photos, as well! I do admit one thing, the only way we can mention that our recipes are original...and I do mean original creation, is that from memory, remembering a certain 'staple dish' with the ingredients we already kept in our memories; but than, we just have to remember the measurements...that is how our mothers and grandmothers cooked...a pinch here, and a dash, or just 'eyeballing' the liquid measurements. When it came to baking...they would pull out an old ratty cookbook, or a yellowed piece of handwritten paper when it came to baking...am I correct, or not?

All I can tell you that this is the best Pineapple-Upside-Down Cake you've ever had in your life...that is, if you LOVE bacon like most of us do. Forget about the calories, the fat, and cholesterol, just for once, and splurge a little! I got so hooked on the bacon dish and dessert creations just from that Food Network magazine; the bacon issue, that I plan to study it well, to make more recipes from it!

Especially, when you can buy a package of a very good quality bacon, and get the 2nd package for FREE...you certainly have a bargain for sure! Our local Publix Supermarket always, but always has the 'buy one'...and 'get one free' of so many different products every week, that you'd be amazed how much you can save!

Bacon-Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
recipe, courtesy of Food Network Magazine

Ingredients

• 6 slices bacon
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 7 fresh pineapple rings (about 1/2 inch thick)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup buttermilk

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until crisp, 9 to 11 minutes; remove to paper towels. Finely chop and set aside.
Pour off all but 3 tablespoons drippings from the skillet. Add 4 tablespoons butter and melt over low heat. Pour into a 9-inch-round cake pan, tilting the pan to coat the bottom. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the butter mixture.
Place a pineapple ring in the middle of the pan, then arrange the remaining rings around the outside, overlapping them slightly if necessary. Sprinkle about 3 tablespoons of the chopped bacon in the middle of the rings and between them.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the remaining 1 stick butter and the granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Increase the mixer speed to high and beat until the batter is smooth, about 15 more seconds. Fold in the remaining chopped bacon.
Spread the batter over the pineapple in the pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Transfer to a rack and let cool 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and invert onto a platter. Let cool at least 1 hour before serving.

Always use the freshest and ripest pineapple you can find...these were already pre-cut into logs, and I sliced them about 1/2 inch slices.

Fry 6 slices of bacon in a large skillet, on medium heat, and lay them on paper towel to soak up the excess grease.

On top of the stove, add the light brow sugar, the butter, and reserved bacon fat and let the melt down. Swoosh the pan to smooth it out. ( I used a Le Creuset enameled large cast iron skillet..
('thrift find' from Goodwill) a few years ago, for $3.99...don't even try to find one in such perfect brand new condition today...and forget about the old price!

Lay the pineapple slices carefully over the brown sugar mixture...you can overlap them slightly if they don't fit right. (You can use a cast iron skillet, or a heavy duty skillet. Cake pan also works well, but you have to transfer the brown sugar mixture from the skillet that you melted the sugar in)

Chop the bacon really fine...chances are, you may have a small amount left over!

Fill the holes of the pineapple slices, and all the empty spaces around them.

With an electric hand mixer, or stand-up mixer, mix the cake ingredients according to the recipe!
With a rubber spatula, carefully spread the batter on top of the pineapple slices.

The batter should look smooth, and spread all the way to cover the pineapple pieces.

Here's the finished result...perfectly baked, golden brown. Let the cake cool for 15 minutes then with a dull knife loosen around the edges. Place a large platter over the top, and carefully turn it upside-down. Wait at least one hour before cutting it. ( my cake was done in about 50 minutes) May not need 1 hr. to bake according to your oven.

Just to refresh your memory, after one hour of resting the cake...can't wait to cut into it...and share!
Moist, delicious, sweet and savory...hope you will try this! xo

Plum Upside-Down Cake

Since I've been food blogging for the last two years...I have not been thinking about that I would actually say,
"I have to bake something for my food blog"...hmm! wonder why did I say that to my daughter Lora, yesterday morning?
She told me the other day that her food blog is getting to be expensive...well, the reason for that is: She bakes every single day...really! There isn't a day that goes by when she does not bake...if nothing else, but the 'staple' banana bread, or homemade pancakes!

I was hoping to get this post up by yesterday...Friday, knowing that I did not have anything else worthwhile to post and that I don't do much baking cakes...although I love to put simple and yummy quick and easy desserts together!
We have such an abundance of plums...not the deep purple Italian ones, but the round ones which are so perfect just by themselves to snack on (which I did eat 3 yesterday)...and decide to make something with it. No time to start browsing through my cookbooks, old recipes, or favorite food bloggers' recipes...so what do you do first, if you don't have the basic recipe on hand?...The Internet...yes, that's the fastest way to google a recipe and do some adaptations of your own, which I did a little on my cake. Since I made this for my blog...still smiling to myself

about that one, I only kept one large piece for myself and shared the rest with my family.

Yesterday was such a stormy day on-and-off, with tropical storm Isaac on our heels by Sunday night...hopefully it's not turning into a hurricane!

Good day to be cooking and baking when you're stuck inside. I did go out on my balcony to take some photos of the beach, the clouds, and no less than 30 minutes wind, and a storm, but the worst is yet to come! We'll just have to be prepaired and be safe.

As you see, for my baking, I like to chose a comfy-cozy home type of dessert. For me they are super easy to make, and I do believe it will be easy for you, if you follow my easy and handy little tips. Don't let the layering of this beautiful upside-down all American simple cake intimidate you...and I DO recommend that you make this from 'scratch' and not from a mix, although I do use cake mixes, only to 'doctor' them up!
Here's the link to this awesome and easy cake!

Plum Upside-Down Cake 

Zucchini Quiche...made easy!

A new and fresh  BISCUIT MIX...so versatile, that you can make your own homemade BISQUICK. If you live in the U.S. you must be familiar with the famous Bisquick biscuit mix that you can make pancakes, coffee cakes, biscuits, pies, and quiches with? Well there's a solution to making your own mix, without the preservatives, and you can keep the mix in you fridge for weeks...so easy to make all the familiar and delicious things...and extremely handy!

I found my original recipe made with Bisquick which I've been saving since 1992. Instead of the 1 cup of Bisquick, substitute 1 cup of your homemade Biscuit Mix.I already lightened up the recipe, even then; by reducing the oil from 1 cup, down to half a cup!

This is a crustless quiche...or pie, whichever you prefer to call it! It is so easy to make, once you have your Biscuit Mix made. Your family will love it, and thank you for it!

Recipe; for Easy Baking Mix...Mix 5 cups of all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup of baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt. Cut in 1 cup of shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Store in airtight container, in your fridge, or a cool dry place. Makes 6 cups.

Linking to: Hearth and Soul Blog Hop @ Zesty South Indian Kitchen

Mango Rum Cake

Here I am again, trying to get things done...at least, I did make something with the mangoes...not just any old mango cake, but added rum to it, and drizzled it with a light lemon glaze! I'm so happy I re-created my own recipe from a simple yellow cake mix...the second cake in the last two weeks, from a mix. So much easier to 'doctor; up a
mix cake, than to start from scratch.

Thank you so much for all your recommendations on the mangoes...each and every one of them sound so good, especially the salsa, which I have made last year, the jam, which is still waiting to be made, and also canning some, as well. The chutney, the salads, the puddings, and probably more cakes...all are so amazing with mangoes.



I just happen to find a box of yellow cake mix in my pantry, which I like to keep around for quick emergencies...and trust me, this one was an emergency...and why?...because I tried to make things easier on myself, since now, I'm a little bit clumsy with my left hand which requires to be used, but can't be lifting heavy things for a few weeks.


Well, remember when I mentioned in my last post that I got knocked on  the head with a falling mango, as I was picking the mangoes from under the tree?...I didn't mention that from the fall on my head, I lost my balance and awkwardly fell, over and kind of twisted my left hand...as a result, I noticed that my wrist was swollen the next morning, and for some reason my hand hurt...forget about the bump on the head, but can't ignore the swelling, so I went to get it checked, and x-rayed, and was told I have a sprained wrist. Last year, around this time, I sprained my left ankle...at least all the injuries are concentrated on the left side...left ankle, left side of the head bump, and left sprained wrist.!

...and NO, it didn't have anything to do with the rum..honest! I made the rum cake after my injury! What a "bummer'...could I be any more accident prone, other than my 6yr. old grandson vacationing in Italy, w/parents and sister, falling off from the 2wheeler bicycle, not once, but twice, learning to ride...Lora said he's got bruises from head to toe...poor baby!


...anyway, continuing with my rum cake!

Mango Rum Cake
My adapted version from yellow cake mix

1 box yellow cake mix
3 eggs
pulp of 2 ripe mangoes mixed in blender
mixed with 1 Tbsp water  (3/4 cup)
1/4 cup vegetable, or canola oil
1/4 cup golden rum
1/4 cup water


(baking bundt pan is a 'thrift find' made in Germany
cost, $3.99)

Preheat oven 350 degrees F. Mix all ingredients together in a large bow, with an electric mixer. Spray bundt pan or 2- 9 inch cake pans, or a tube pan, rectangular, whichever you prefer. Spray, and flour the pan.

Just make sure you mix everything together, start on low, to incorporate, and then on high to mix together the ingredients, so it will be golden, and thick...just like in the photo...it should take about 3 minutes, maybe 4.

Pour into the cake pan, and with a rubber spatula, clean the bowl to add all into the cake pan.

Cake batter should look, just like that, in the photo.

After 45 minutes in the oven, your cake will look like this! For the round 9 inch cake pans, it takes 35 minutes, but in the bundt pan will take at least 45 minutes to be done.

After about 20 minutes still warm...but you can carefully flip it out onto a cooling rack to cool for another 30 minutes, before drizzling it with the lemon glaze.

I almost forgot to mention, that you can poke holes in the cake and pour 1/4 cup more, of the gold rum...(optional)

with a metal skewer, or bamboo stick, prick some holes, all around the cake.

Slowly, pour all the rum around the cake into the poked holes.

Note: just don't make the same mistake that I did...what a shame...I forgot to put the cake on a plate, and instead it went all over the counter...(messy job, and a waste of good rum)

Now, you're ready for the lemon glaze, or you can just dust it with powdered sugar.

 Here's a little tip when you frost, or glaze a cake:
Set out your cake platter, or plate, and take 3 strips of wax, or aluminum foil, about 3 or 4 inches wide and lay them crossing each other on the platter.

For the lemon glaze: 3/4 to 1 cup powdered sugar. Add 1 the juice of 1 lemon...depending if you want a thin, or thick glaze (as for me, I only had about less than 3/4 cup sugar, so I ended up with a thin glaze)...for a nice rich thick glaze, use 1 cup of powdered sugar

Now you see, all the messy leftover glaze dripped on the paper, and not on the platter.



Drizzle cake with a spoon...it would look better, if the glaze was thicker.

You end up with a clean platter, and just dispose of the messy strips of paper.

I can't begin to tell you how amazing this awesome cake turned out. The Bacardi gold rum is the BEST rum I can recommend...so smooth, and mellow, just gave such a nice moistness and yummy flavor and texture to the cake...and the mango pulp?...oh, my, oh my...MANGO heaven!

I only had that one piece shown on the plate, and shared gave the rest of the cake to my ex, and my best friend~

I will be trying out your suggested recipes, and thank you so much for your gracious comments, ideas, and recipes...xo

Photo, courtesy of PINTEREST

HAPPY BIRTHDAY...AMERICA!...AND A HAPPY 4TH OF JULY to all! America is still the BEST of all the countries...LET FREEDOM PREVAIL THROUGHOUT ALL THE LANDS! GOD BLESS AMERICA ...AND GOD BLESS US ALL!

Strawberry Mimosas...Photo, courtesy of Pinterest

Strawberry Cake...for Father's Day!

Notice something different?...a pink cake...and it's for Father's Day!...just can't stop having 'Lucy' moments, since I agreed to guest post for my friend Ping, and Veronica. It just seemed to have rubbed off on me. Now, I'm enlisted in the 'Lucy Club'

Why a 'pink' cake for Father's Day?...wouldn't it be more appropriate to make a cake with perhaps 'blueberries' that would signify that it's for  a male?...actually, not really Having a strawberry cake is OK, but why go overboard for the pink frosting?...well, I have an explanation for that, as well!

Linking to:
Hearth and Soul Blog Hop @ Swathi's Zesty South Indian Kitchen

OK, I must admit that I got a little carried away with the cake. I had 2 containers of beautiful ripe strawberries, and I just had to do something with them, so I decided to make a cake (last minute)...like a few hours before we were going to eat lunch.

The cake was an absolute success to celebrate Father's Day for my son, and my ex-hubby! They never even notice that it was all PINK, but my little granddaughter sure did. Pink is her favorite color, so it was a double celebration!

Strawberry Cake
my doctored up creation

1 box of strawberry or yellow cake mix
1- 3oz. box of strawberry JELL-O
1/2 cup canola, or vegetable oil
1 cup of plain water
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups mashed strawberries
1 Tbsp sugar

It's a lot easier than you think. Just one box of strawberry cake mix, or yellow cake mix,

For the strawberries: cut the berries in 1/3 pieces, place them in a medium bowl, and add the 1 Tbsp sugar...mash with mashed potato masher, and let it sit for about 20 minutes. It will be juicy and slightly chunky.

In a large mixing bowl, add the cake mix, 1/2 of the 3-oz. JELL-O the eggs, oil, water. Beat on slow speed with electric mixer, until combined, then on high speed for about 3 minute, till creamy, and fluffy.

After mixing the ingredients, pour in the mashed strawberries.

 Gently fold in the mashed strawberries.

Pour into a sprayed and floured 9 inch spring form pan, or 2- 9 inch round pans. (my pan I used only has the bottom removable.
For spring-form pan, bake at 350 degrees F. for 45-50 minutes, for the 2 round 9 inch pans, about 30-35 minutes.

Let it cool on a wire rack, and frost with strawberry cream cheese frosting:

1- 8 oz. pkg Philadelphia cream cheese, at room temp.
1 stick=4 oz, (113.4 g,) unsalted butter, at room temp.
3 cups powder (icing) sugar
1 teaspoon of the strawberry JELL-O
1 teaspoon plain water

With an electric mixer, mix all ingredients together, till combined, and beat until light, and fluffy, on high speed. Spread it on the cake, when cake is cool, and decorate with additional strawberries if you like. Let the cake set in the fridge for about 2hrs before serving! It is yumm, and delish...and no-one will suspect that it's a "doctored-up" cake...let it be YOUR SECRET! 


I finally received the special addition of the Bon Appetit for the Giveaway, and will announce the winner for my next post!

So, for my continuing photos....just wanted to share some S. Florida photos. The mango tree has already been trimmed down...it is at least 50yrs old.

The glorious mango tree...mangoes getting nice, and ripe!

He loves bougainvilleas!