Bready or Not Original: Hazelnut Hand Cake [cake mix]
Doctor up a basic yellow cake mix box into an amazing Hazelnut Hand Cake!
![Bready or Not Original: Hazelnut Hand Cake [cake mix]](https://www.bethcato.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Hazelnut-Cake-Squares11_sm.jpg)
It’s called hand cake because it’s convenient to eat without a knife and fork. Heck, napkins are optional, if you don’t mind a dropped crumb or two.
![Bready or Not Original: Hazelnut Hand Cake [cake mix]](https://www.bethcato.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Hazelnut-Cake-Squares1_sm.jpg)
This cake has a mild chocolate flavor–milder than that of a typical chocolate cake, from a mix or not. Nutella (or use a store-brand equivalent, as I did) is whipped into the batter, with some extra chocolate chips adding a gentle layer of flavor.
![Bready or Not Original: Hazelnut Hand Cake [cake mix]](https://www.bethcato.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Hazelnut-Cake-Squares3_sm.jpg)
This thing is all about convenience. The cake comes together fast. Bakes fast. Give it some initial time to cool at room temp, then stash it in the fridge, and you can eat it even faster.
![Bready or Not Original: Hazelnut Hand Cake [cake mix]](https://www.bethcato.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Hazelnut-Cake-Squares7_sm.jpg)
The end result is a cake with a soft, high, very moist crumb. The scattered nuts and toffee add extra flavor and crunch.
![Bready or Not Original: Hazelnut Hand Cake [cake mix]](https://www.bethcato.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Hazelnut-Cake-Squares9_sm.jpg)
My husband’s co-workers inhaled this cake. One guy said it was the best Cato treat ever. Considering the goodies that come their way, that is high praise indeed.
Bready or Not Original: Hazelnut Hand Cake [cake mix]
Equipment
- 13x9 pan
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 3 large eggs
- 2/3 cup water
- 2/3 cup Nutella or similar hazelnut spread
- 1/4 cup canola oil or vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts toasted or not
- 1/2 cup Heath toffee bits
- confectioners' sugar to dust top, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 13x9-inch pan with foil and apply nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, beat together the cake mix, eggs, water, hazelnut spread, and oil for several minutes, until thoroughly combined and no lumps remain. Fold in the chocolate chips, hazelnuts, and toffee bits. Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until center is no longer jiggly and passes the toothpick test.
- Cool completely to room temperature; place in fridge to speed process along. Use foil to lift contents onto cutting board. If desired, sprinkle confectioners' sugar over top. Slice into pieces.
- Store in sealed container(s) at room temperature.
OM NOM NOM!
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Bready or Not Original: Apple Cinnamon Loaf Cake
This Apple Cinnamon Loaf Cake is tender and delicious, perfect for breakfast, snack, or dessert.
This loaf cake is a lot like my small casserole-sized Easy Apple Cinnamon Cake. If you like one, you’ll like the other!
My husband, see, looooves apple pie and apple cake. Apples in baked goods, period. And yes, he loved this loaf cake.
One of the great things about this recipe is that this loaf kept for about a week, all wrapped up and stored in a safe place at room temperature.
(In my house, that means tucked inside my stainless steel breadbox, as otherwise my cats would tear their way inside the plastic wrap. Because my cats are weird.)
Bready or Not Original: Apple Cinnamon Loaf Cake
Equipment
- 9x5 loaf pan
Ingredients
- 2 medium apples such as Gala, peeled, cored, and chopped
- 1/3 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 cup milk or half & half
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Cut parchment paper to fit long-ways in a loaf pan, sticking up on either side as a sling. Apply nonstick spray into pan, place paper, then spray again. Set aside.
- Prepare apples. Add brown sugar and cinnamon to bowl and toss with chopped apples to coat.
- In a big bowl, mix white sugar and applesauce until smooth and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, then the vanilla extract.
- In another small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually stir this into the egg mixture, followed by the milk.
- Spoon about half of the batter into the prepared pan. Layer about half of the apples on top. Scoop the remaining batter over it, and add the rest of the apples. Pat them into the top.
- Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick stuck into the middle emerges clean.
- Use parchment sling to immediately lift loaf onto a rack to completely cool. Once the loaf is at room temperature, shroud in plastic wrap and store at room temperature--or freeze all or part of loaf for later.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Golden Syrup Snack Cake
Golden Syrup Snack Cake! This delicious, sticky, sweet-but-not-too-sweet cake delivers a taste of the UK wherever you may live.
I see golden syrup all the time in British recipes. I debated trying those recipes, but wondered if I could finagle some kind of American equivalent to golden syrup. Nope.
Accept no substitutes. Golden syrup is kinda between honey and maple syrup, but has its own unique kind of sweetness. The good news is, if you’re in America, it can be found on the shelf in grocery stores. I live in the boonies on the far western fringe of Phoenix, and I can even find it here… though it is kind of expensive.
The grocery gods did smile upon me, though. I scored TWO bottles of Lyle’s Golden Syrup for half off in the clearance area. I actually squealed out loud.
This cake has a soft, tender crumb that is gently sweet throughout. The glaze of extra syrup brushed on top adds a perfect finish. This is the perfect treat to serve up for a binge-watch of British telly!
Recipe heavily modified and converted in measurement from a recipe found at the BBC.
Bready or Not Original: Golden Syrup Snack Cake
Equipment
- 8x8 or 9x9 pan
Ingredients
Cake
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 cube
- 1/2 cup turbinado or other raw sugar
- 3/4 cup golden syrup such as Lyle's, but not the squeeze bottle version
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup milk or half & half
Glaze
- 2 Tablespoons golden syrup
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat butter, golden syrup, and turbinado sugar until melted and combined. Set aside to cool.
- Preheat oven at 325-degrees. Line an 8x8 or 9x9-square cake pan with foil and apply nonstick spray or butter.
- In a bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Mix with the contents of the large pot.
- Into this pot, add the baking powder, ground ginger, and salt, followed by the flour. Pour into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 40 to 50 mins, until the middle passes the toothpick test. Measure the golden syrup for glazing into a bowl and brush it atop the warm cake.
- Let cool at least 20 minutes before slicing. Store covered by foil or sliced up in a sealed container at room temperature.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Cream Cheese-Stuffed Lemon Bundt Cake [cake mix]
This is a simple-yet-fancy recipe that uses 1) cake mix, 2) a bundt pan, and 3) ends up tasting like a giant lemon Twinkie. YUM.
![Bready or Not Original: Cream Cheese-Stuffed Lemon Bundt Cake [cake mix]](https://www.bethcato.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Cream-Cheese-Stuffed-Lemon-Bundt-Cake13_sm.jpg)
This is one of those cakes that looks like it requires tons of works, but it really doesn’t. Because of the addition of fresh lemon and lemon curd, the chemical taste of cake mix is completely masked, too.
![Bready or Not Original: Cream Cheese-Stuffed Lemon Bundt Cake [cake mix]](https://www.bethcato.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Cream-Cheese-Stuffed-Lemon-Bundt-Cake8_sm.jpg)
The filling is an easy step, too. I hate piping, but it was not prob here. I used a gallon Ziploc, snipped off the corner, ta-da!
![Bready or Not Original: Cream Cheese-Stuffed Lemon Bundt Cake [cake mix]](https://www.bethcato.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Cream-Cheese-Stuffed-Lemon-Bundt-Cake16_sm.jpg)
This cake would be great for breakfast, brunch, snack, or dessert. Whenever, really.
![Bready or Not Original: Cream Cheese-Stuffed Lemon Bundt Cake [cake mix]](https://www.bethcato.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Cream-Cheese-Stuffed-Lemon-Bundt-Cake14_sm.jpg)
Make this when you have numerous people to share with. It’s just so, so tempting and delicious. Like Twinkies. BUT BETTER.
![Bready or Not Original: Cream Cheese-Stuffed Lemon Bundt Cake [cake mix]](https://www.bethcato.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Cream-Cheese-Stuffed-Lemon-Bundt-Cake12_sm.jpg)
This recipe is over halfway through my April of lemon recipes!
Lemon Sour Cream Bundt Cake
Glazed Lemon Ginger Bars
Cranberry Lemon Biscotti
Cream Cheese Stuffed Lemon Bundt Cake [today]
Lemon Frangipane
![Bready or Not Original: Cream Cheese-Stuffed Lemon Bundt Cake [cake mix]](https://www.bethcato.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Cream-Cheese-Stuffed-Lemon-Bundt-Cake10_sm.jpg)
Bready or Not Original: Cream Cheese-Stuffed Lemon Bundt Cake
Equipment
- large bundt pan
Ingredients
Filling
- 8 ounce cream cheese 1 box, softened
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 large lemon zested and juiced
Cake
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 3/4 cup lemon curd
Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon lemon curd
Instructions
Make the filling
- In a small bowl, mash together the cream cheese, white sugar, lemon zest and 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice; reserve the remaining juice for the glaze. Once the filling is combined, spoon it into a piping bag with large tip or a gallon Ziploc bag with the corner cut off.
Make the cake
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Apply nonstick spray to a large bundt pan.
- In a big bowl, cream together the butter and eggs. Add the cake mix, scraping bottom of bowl as needed. Add the lemon curd, beating until mix turns fluffy.
- Spoon about half the cake mix into the prepared pan. Pipe the filling in a circle around the top of the batter. Try to keep the filling from touching the sides. Add the rest of the batter on top and smooth it out.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the middle passes the toothpick test.
- Cool on a wire rack about 20 minutes, then invert the cake onto a wire rack to completely cool.
Make the glaze
- Whisk together the confectioners' sugar, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, and 1 Tablespoon lemon curd to form a thick yet oozy glaze. If necessary, add more juice or water to thin, or more confectioners' sugar to thicken. Drizzle atop cake.
- Store under a cake dome or plastic wrap in fridge.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Lemon Sour Cream Bundt Cake
No foolin’. This Lemon Sour Cream Bundt Cake is simple and delicious.
This isn’t a hardcore sweet dessert. I found it similar to a mild lemony shortcake, something good on its own and over-the-top amazing with the addition of fresh fruit and whipped cream.
I didn’t even bother with a glaze. Doesn’t need it. That makes this an especially friendly recipe to slice and freeze for later enjoyment.
I know some people worry about the taste of sour cream in cakes. Don’t. Sour cream (or substitute with vanilla or plain Greek yogurt) adds moisture, creating a soft, tender crumb.
This recipe kicks off an entire month of lemon recipes! Look forward to these delectable treats in the coming weeks:
Glazed Lemon Ginger Bars
Cranberry Lemon Biscotti
Cream Cheese Stuffed Lemon Bundt Cake
Lemon Frangipane
Bready or Not Original: Lemon Sour Cream Bundt Cake
Equipment
- large bundt cake pan
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks softened
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup sour cream 8 ounces
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Grease a bundt pan and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the lemon juice, then mix in the eggs one at a time. Stir in half the flour mix. Add the sour cream, then follow up with the rest of the dry ingredients. Pour into prepared pan.
- Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until it passes the toothpick test. Cool for twenty minutes in the pan, then invert onto a wire rack to completely cool.
- Store covered at room temperature.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Ginger Chai Carrot Cake
Trust me, this Ginger Chai Carrot Cake is amazing. This is the only carrot cake I have ever liked.
That’s right, I made the cake even though I was pretty ambivalent about carrot cakes overall. The combination of ingredients just appealed to me somehow. I actually went out and made the cake a week after reading the original recipe in Bake from Scratch Magazine.
Some modifications I made straight up: I used a square pan rather than a round and tall cake pan, which meant the bake time was a little higher, too. I also upped the cinnamon because, well, cinnamon. I was worried about buying enough grated carrot so I measured and weighed that; this is why I made sure to put the “7 ounces” info in the ingredients.
The recipe looks long because of the spices it includes, but it’s actually a very easy recipe to make. To save some time on baking day, mix the dry ingredients the day before! That’s what I did.
This cake is incredibly moist. It’s sweet and spicy, embodied with cozy heat courtesy of the candied ginger. Everything melds beautifully.
If you love carrot cake, make this cake. If you hate carrot cake, give this one a try. It just might convert you!
Bready or Not: Ginger Chai Carrot Cake
Equipment
- 9x9 square pan
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 1/3 cup buttermilk or soured milk (see note), room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 9 ounces crushed pineapple drained
- 2 cups grated carrots about 7 ounces
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 1/3 cup candied ginger finely chopped
Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 3 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream or half & half
- candied ginger finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line pan with heavy foil to fully covers bottom and sides; apply butter or nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, cinnamon, salt, ground ginger, cloves, and pepper.
- Into the middle of the dry ingredients, pour in the oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and eggs. Mix in the pineapple, shredded carrot, raisins, and candied ginger. Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool in pan for about 15 minutes, then use foil to lift it onto a rack. Continue to cool to room temperature, or place in fridge to completely chill.
- Once cake is cool, combine the confectioners' sugar and cream to form a glaze. Drizzle over cake. Sprinkle extra candied ginger over the top. Slice and enjoy!
