Gerbeaud Cake

If you like sweet cake, this is not your cake, move on.  If you like European low sugar type cakes, rich in nuts, this is your cake.  We really liked it.  I am totally going to make it again.  Maybe for a birthday coming up in September. Mwa ha ha.

Gerbeaud Cake 

A Traditional Hungarian Dessert

For the dough: 

1 packet instant yeast 

4 cups all-purpose flour 

½ cup sugar 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1 egg 

7 ounces butter, melted 

½ cup milk 

For the filling: 

7 ounces apricot preserves 

7 ounces walnuts, chopped 

For the chocolate topping: 

5 ounces dark chocolate 

2 ounces butter 

Instructions: 

1. In a medium bowl combine flour, yeast and baking powder. 

2. In a large bowl whisk together egg, warm milk, sugar and melted butter. Gradually stir in flour and yeast mixture and knead until the dough is smooth and not sticky. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and place it in a warm place to rise for 30-40 minutes. 

3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl mix together walnuts and apricot preserves. 

4. Preheat the oven to 355 F. 

5. Line 13x9-inch baking pan with a parchment paper. Divide the dough into 3 equal parts. 6. Lightly dust a working surface with a flour and roll out the first piece of dough to be the size of your baking pan. I used a ruler for convenience. 

7. Transfer first layer of dough into the baking pan and spread half of the apricot-walnut mixture on top. Repeat with the remaining 2 layers of dough. 

8. Pierce the top layer with a fork 10-15 times. 

9. Bake the cake for 25-30 minutes until top is golden brown. 

10. Remove cake from the oven and let it cool. 

11. In a small bowl combine butter and chocolate and microwave in 10-15 seconds intervals until melted. Give it a stir and evenly spread the chocolate on top of the cake. 

12. Chill for an hour or until chocolate is set.

Banana Bread

I make banana bread without nuts here at my house because my kids don't like the nuts in their dessert.  This time, I decided to add the nuts into each individual loaf, leaving a few without nuts. Wow, the taste is so much better with the nuts.  I forgot how much I missed that.

Day 3 of my Healthy 2017 and I am doing sit ups.  Did 25!  Yeah, go me!  I also did a cardio workout on You Tube from Pop Sugar.

BANANA BREAD
This recipe is from Epicurious and seriously the most banana per flour ratio I have ever seen.  I like that because if I am making banana bread it is because I have quite a few bananas to use up. But I will be honest here, I put in a few more ounces then they did.  I probably hit 16 ounces, possibly more.

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
4 medium very ripe bananas (about 13 ounces), peeled and mashed
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Cream the butter with the sugar for a few minutes.  Add in vanilla.  Add eggs one at a time. Add sour cream and bananas.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet.  Fold in walnuts at the end.  Or place them in the little loafs or muffin tins, whatever you like.

Pour into sprayed tins or a loaf pan.  Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 45 to 60 minutes depending on what you are baking in.  If you are using a loaf pan it will be all of an hour before it is done, especially if you add more banana.

Mothers Walnut Cake

I found this recipe years ago in a Taste of Home Magazine.  It was a hit at our house.  I have made it several times over the years. For some reason I thought I blogged about it.  When I went to get the recipe from my blog, I could not find it. Now, it is on my blog.  Here it is. 

You really must make this cake if you like walnuts.  It is so good.  Very rich, buttery and nutty tasting. If you like walnuts, this cake will have you at your first bite.

It is named Mother's Walnut Cake and ironically it is my Mothers favorite cake.
 

Mother's Walnut Cake
I have made it with all butter and the mix of butter with shortening too.  Either way- so good. I make a two layer cake and freeze the third layer for another day.
Source: Helen Vail, Glenside, Pennsylvania, Taste Of Home, pg. 35, March 1998 © 2015 RDA Enthusiast Brands, LLC

cake:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups ground walnuts

frosting:
2 packages (one 8 ounces, one 3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup butter, softened
5 to 5-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup walnuts

 

1.  In a large bowl, cream the butter, shortening and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk and vanilla. Beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in the walnuts.

2. Pour into three greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

3. For frosting, beat cream cheese and butter in a large bowl. Add sugar; mix well. Beat in vanilla until smooth. Spread frosting between layers and over the top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with walnuts. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 12-16 servings.