breakfast

Lemon Jasmine Blueberry Scones

March 25, 2022 By Ashley Leave a Comment

I love tea. Drinking it and baking with it. My tea infused lemon jasmine blueberry scones are incredibly delicious, with a delicate floral spin that takes these scones to the next level. Jasmine tea gives these flaky and tender scones a subtle floral flavor that really compliments the pops of lemon and blueberries. For more jasmine flavor, I drizzled a sweet jasmine tea glaze over the baked scones. A must bake for Spring.

Jasmine Tea

A good quality jasmine tea will have a jasmine fragrance. A lot of super market varieties fall short and neither have the fragrance nor taste of jasmine. You don’t at all need an expensive tea, just one that has a pronounced jasmine flavor. I used Rishi jasmine tea. If you’re a fan of jasmine tea, or floral teas, these scones are for you. Even if you’re not a fan of floral teas, I urge you to try it in this recipe. The jasmine goes so well with the floral flavors of the lemon and blueberry. They smell and taste absolutely amazing. But, you can omit it to make lemon blueberry scones.

How to Make Lemon Jasmine Blueberry Scones

I like to use a stand mixer to make scones to avoid the headache of having to cut in butter by hand. I love this method. It’s faster too. You could also use a food processor instead, like I did with my bacon, cheddar and chive scones.

Flour, baking powder, jasmine tea, baking soda, sugar, salt and lemon zest are combined in the bowl of a stand mixer. Cold, cubed butter is added and beaten on low until the mixture is coarse and has pea sized pieces of butter throughout. It’s totally fine for some larger pieces of butter to remain as well.

Fresh blueberries are stirred in by hand with a spatula as to not smash them or break them up with the mixer paddle, followed by the cold buttermilk. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface to shape the dough into a circle about 1 1/2″ thick. Cut into 8 even size wedges and space them out on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Brush the scones with buttermilk to help get that crispy, brown top.The scones are baked until golden and set to cool while preparing the jasmine glaze.

Jasmine Tea Glaze

Jasmine tea is steeped in a warm cream mixture to extract all the flavor of the tea into the glaze. The cream is strained, discarding the tea leaves. Powdered sugar is whisked into the cream to make a glaze for drizzling.

Drizzle the glaze over the cooled scones, allowing the glaze to set for 30 minutes or so before serving. I love to serve these up slathered with butter and a cup of, you guessed it, jasmine tea.

If you make my lemon jasmine blueberry scones, let me know! Drop a comment or tag me on Instagram. I love seeing your bakes and creations.

Enjoy!

Ash xx

For more breakfast recipes, check out these posts:

Banana Bread Scones with Espresso Glaze

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

Bacon, Cheddar and Chive Scones

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

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Lemon Jasmine Blueberry Scones

Lemon, jasmine tea and blueberry scones drizzled with jasmine tea glaze

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Chill30 mins

Total Time1 hr 5 mins

Course: Breakfast

Keyword: berry lemon pavlova, biscuits, blueberries, jasmine tea, scones

Servings: scones

Equipment

1 Electric Stand Mixer

Ingredients

Lemon Jasmine Blueberry Scones

2 ⅓ cups (280g) all purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon jasmine tea leaves
¼ + ⅛ teaspoons baking soda
¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons lemon zest
½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, cold cubed
¾ cup (170g) buttermilk, cold
¾ cups (105g) blueberries
1 tablespoon buttermilk, for brushing on scones

Jasmine Glaze

3 tablespoons cream (half and half or milk can also be used)
1 teaspoon jasmine tea
1 cup (114g) powdered sugar

Instructions

Make the lemon jasmine blueberry scones.

Combine the flour, baking powder, jasmine tea, baking soda, sugar, salt and lemon zest into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on low to combine thoroughly.
Scatter the butter cubes over the dry ingredients. Beat the mixture on low speed until the mixture resembles coarse meal with pea-size chunks of butter mixed throughout.
Remove the bowl from the mixer. Stir in the blueberries.
Drizzle the ¾ cup cold buttermilk over the mixture and use a spatula to mix. Mix the dough until it just seems to hold together. If the dough still seems dry and isn't fully incorporating, add more buttermilk, a tbsp at a time.
Turn out the dough onto the floured surface. With a light hand, shape into a disc, about 1 ½ inch thick.
Cut into dough into 8 equal wedges.
Brush the scones with buttermilk.
Place the scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, 2-3 inches apart and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400F.
Bake until the scones are golden brown, about 25-30 minutes.
Place the scones onto a cooling rack to cool.

Make the jasmine tea glaze.

Place the cream in a small saucepan over low heat.
When the cream begins to simmer (small bubbles around the edge of the pan), remove from the heat.
Place the tea into the cream and let steep for 5 minutes.
Strain the cream mixture over a medium size bowl with a fine mesh sieve, pushing as much liquid from the tea as possible. Discard the tea leaves.
Add the powdered sugar to the cream, and whisk to combine.
Drizzle the cooled scones with the glaze. Let the scones set for 30 minutes to firm up the glaze.

Notes

Scones are best served the day they are baked. Leftover scones can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Chocolate Glazed Banana Donuts

March 8, 2022 By Ashley 2 Comments

If you’ve never had a banana donut, you’re in for treat with this recipe. These chocolate glazed banana donuts are all the best flavors of banana bread in a baked cake donut, topped with chocolate ganache glaze and chopped, toasted hazelnuts. This is a simple recipe that comes together quickly, making it perfect for an on the go sweet treat any day of the week.

These donuts are tender, fluffy and moist. They retain their moisture for a few days, and I think these taste even better the day after they’re baked. The silky chocolate glaze is the perfect pairing and helps boost the hint of cinnamon in the donuts. Toasted, chopped hazelnuts add some nutty crunch.

Banana Donuts

These donuts are made all in one bowl, similar to how you would make banana bread. Melted butter, and brown sugar are whisked together, followed by mashed bananas, an egg and vanilla. Flour, a smidge of cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt are whisked in and mixed until just incorporated.

You can spoon the batter into the prepared donut pans, or you can also pipe the batter into the pans. Fill them about 2/3 full so that they have space to rise. The donuts only take about 9-11 minutes to bake, until they are golden brown.

Chocolate Glaze

While the donuts cool, prepare the glaze. Combine the bittersweet (or semisweet) chocolate with the butter, cream and a pinch of salt. Microwave in 30 second increments, still after each, until smooth, glossy and fully melted. Dip the cooled donuts in the glaze and top with toasted hazelnuts.

I hope that you enjoy these chocolate glazed banana donuts as much as I do! If you make them, let me know and leave a comment or tag me on Instagram.

Enjoy!

Ash xx

For more banana recipes, check out these posts:

Banana Bread Scones with Espresso Glaze

Banana cake with Salted Caramel and Peanut Butter Buttercream

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5 from 1 vote

Chocolate Glazed Banana Donuts

Tender, fluffy baked banana muffins topped with chocolate glaze and toasted hazelnuts

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Course: Breakfast

Servings: – 9 donuts

Ingredients

Banana Donuts

1/4 cup (56g) unsalted butter
1/2 cup (107g) brown sugar
1 cup (227g) mashed banana (about 2 medium bananas)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup (120g) all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Chocolate Glaze

1/3 cup (57g) bittersweet chocolate chips
1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ½ tablespoons heavy cream
pinch of salt
1/4 cup (28g) toasted hazelnuts, finely chopped

Instructions

Banana Donuts

Heat the oven to 350F. Liberally butter (or baking spray) two – standard (6 wells) baking pans. You will be using 8-9 wells total.
Melt the butter in a large bowl. Whisk in the brown sugar until smooth.
Stir in the mashed bananas, the egg and the vanilla extract.
Sprinkle the surface of the batter evenly with the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and whisk until the ingredients are fully dispersed in the batter.
Pipe or spoon the batter into each donut well, filling about 2/3 full.
Bake the donuts for 9-11, until golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in a donut comes out clean.
Leave to cool on a cooling rack for about 5 minutes before removing them from the pan to cool completely.

Chocolate Glaze

In a medium bowl, combine the chocolate, butter, cream and salt.
Melt in the microwave in 20-30 second increments, until the glaze is smooth, glossy and fully melted.
Dip the donuts into the glaze, twisting as you remove the donut, to allow the excess glaze to drip back in the bowl.
Topped with toasted hazelnuts.

Maple Bacon Blueberry French Toast Cupcakes

May 10, 2021 By Ashley 1 Comment

I am all about cake for breakfast. Even better is breakfast as cake. My maple bacon blueberry French toast cupcakes are the best flavors of breakfast. Filled with a jammy blueberry filling, these French toast cupcakes are lightly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg and topped with sweet and buttery maple Swiss meringue buttercream, fresh blueberries and salty bacon crumbles. All that is missing is a cup of coffee. Eat them for breakfast. Eat them for dessert. They’re super yummy for anytime of the day.

French toast cupcake batter

In addition to the usual butter, milk, eggs that contribute to making French toast, these cupcakes are also lightly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. The nutmeg is the secret to making these cupcakes taste like French toast. So, so good. This recipe uses the reverse creaming method (you can refer to this post for more info), which creates a soft and fluffy cupcake with a tight crumb.

Blueberry Filling

This blueberry filling is so good on so many things. When I make it, I almost always double it, so I can use it on pancakes or ice cream. You can use either fresh or frozen blueberries for this recipe. The blueberries are cooked down with a little bit of sugar and mashed to release the juices. The mixture is reduced and thickened. Lemon juice and cornstarch are combined to make a slurry that is whisked into the blueberry mixture to thicken it. Cool the mixture before filling the cupcakes.

Maple Swiss Meringue Buttercream

My maple buttercream is made using both maple syrup and sugar for the meringue base. I like to add a small amount of maple extract to get more of that pancake syrup flavor, but you can totally omit it. The maple syrup definitely shines in this buttercream. For a comprehensive guide on Swiss meringue buttercream, check out this post.

Assembling the French toast cupcakes

Once the cupcakes and blueberry filling are cooled completely, assemble the cupcakes. Using a small paring knife, at an angle, cut a cone out of the center of the cupcake, about halfway down the cupcake. Cut the cone off of the removed piece to make a lid that will sit on top of the filling. Fill the cupcakes with a heaping teaspoon of the blueberry filling and place the lid on top. Alternatively, you can use a cupcake corer. This is the one I use.

Pipe or frost the filled cupcakes with the maple Swiss meringue buttercream. Top with the crumbled bacon and fresh blueberries.

If you make these maple bacon blueberry French toast cupcakes, let me know! Drop a comment or tag me on Instagram. I love seeing your creations.

Enjoy!

Ash xx

For more cupcake recipes, check out these posts:

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Funfetti Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Fudge Frosting

Black Forest Cupcakes

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5 from 2 votes

Maple Bacon Blueberry French Toast Cupcakes

Lightly spiced cinnamon and nutmeg French Toast cupcake filled with blueberry jam and topped with maple buttercream and crunchy bacon pieces.

Prep Time35 mins

Cook Time28 mins

Course: Dessert

Servings: cupcakes

Ingredients

French Toast Cupcakes

½ cup (119ml) whole milk, room temperature
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons canola oil
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1½ cups (175g) cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg

Blueberry Filling

1 ½ cups (255g) blueberries
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch

Maple Buttercream

5-6 large (150g) egg whites
2/3 cup (100g) pure maple syrup
2/3 cup (132g) granulated sugar
1 ½ cups (170g) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ – ½ teaspoon maple extract
4 slices thick cut bacon, cooked and finely chopped

Instructions

Make the blueberry filling.

In a saucepan, heat the blueberries and sugar over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
.Mash the blueberries with the back of a wooden spoon to release the juices.
Reduce the heat just enough to keep the mixture at a simmer and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the blueberry juices begin to reduce and concentrate, about 8 minutes.
In a small bowl, make a slurry by combining the lemon juice and the cornstarch.
Remove the blueberries from the heat and whisk the slurry mixture into the blueberry mixture. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens.
Cool the blueberry filling to room temperature before using.

Make the French Toast cupcakes.

Heat the oven to 350F. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners and set aside.
In a measuring cup, combine the egg, egg white, vanilla and oil. Whisk to combine.
In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix on low speed for a minute to combine.
With the mixer still running, add in the softened butter pieces. Mix on low speed until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. You should be able to gather a bit in your hand, squeeze and you have a solid piece. This means the butter is evenly distributed.
With the mixer still on low, slowly pour in the milk, mixing JUST until the flour mixture is moistened. You will not use all the milk at this time. Pour the remaining milk into the bowl with the eggs and oil, and whisk to combine. Set aside.
Turn the mixer speed to medium and whip for a full 90 seconds. The mixture should be whipped up, thick, and lighter in color.
Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is properly mixed.
With the mixer speed on low, add the egg/oil/remaining milk mixture in two additions, scraping down the bowl after each addition has been mixed in.
Once all the wet ingredients have been added, give the bowl a final scrape and mix with a spatula.
Bake the cupcakes for 17-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with a crumb or two when inserted in the center of the cupcake. Don't over bake.
Place the baked cupcakes on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the hot cupcakes from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
Using a sharp knife, cut a hole into the center of the cooled cupcakes to create a space for the blueberry filling. The piece you removed will be the shape of a cone.
Spoon the blueberry mixture inside each carved out cupcake. Fill the cupcake with the filling to the top, about a heaping teaspoon full. Slice off the pointy end of the cone piece you removed so that it can fit on top of the filling. Place on top of the filling.

Make the Maple Buttercream.

Weigh out egg whites, maple syrup, and granulated sugar together in a non-reactive bowl.
Clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the bowl and place over a pot of simmering (not boiling) water, whisking constantly and gently until temperature of the egg/sugar mixture reaches 160F.
Using a sieve, strain the egg white/sugar mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer.
Mix on medium speed with the whisk attachment until the mixture is glossy, reaches stiff peaks and the outside of the bowl is no longer warm. You cannot add butter to the bowl if it is warm or the butter will just melt when added.
Once the mixture reaches stiff peaks, switch out the whisk attachment for the paddle attachment and begin mixing on low speed.
Add the softened butter cubes, a couple at a time, until incorporated.
Let the buttercream mix. It might curdle or look lumpy but that’s ok. Keep mixing. This could take some time.
Keep mixing on low and add the salt, vanilla and maple extract, if using. Mix until everything is fully incorporated. The buttercream is ready when it is smooth, satiny and creamy.
Top the cupcakes with maple buttercream and top with a bacon bits and fresh blueberries.

Notes

The blueberry filling can be kept in the fridge for up to a week.

Cupcakes are best eaten the day they are made, but will keep for up to 2 days stored in an airtight container.

Buttercream can be kept at room temperature for up to 2 days, refrigerated for up to a week and frozen for up to 3 months.

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

June 8, 2020 By Ashley 3 Comments

There is just something about sitting out on the porch early in the morning, before the family wakes up, with a latte and a couple warm blueberry streusel muffins slathered with butter. It’s the calm before the daily hustle and bustle. Hot from the oven blueberry muffins are never a bad thing to start your day with, and these muffins do not disappoint.

Bursting with loads of fresh blueberries, and topped with a crunchy cinnamon streusel, these blueberry streusel muffins are super easy to make and come together in no time, making them a perfect no fuss breakfast. They’re soft, tender, fluffy and not too sweet – you really taste the fresh blueberries in these.

Or, if you’re rushing out of the house in the morning, these can be made the night before. After baking, let cool completely on a baking rack. Then pop the muffins back into the tin. In the morning, pop the muffins in the oven at a low temperature for a few minutes to just slightly warm them through.

Note that this recipe uses both buttermilk and sour cream. The buttermilk provides a subtle tanginess and also acts as a tenderizer, making this muffin soft and moist. The sour cream adds tanginess as well as richness and helps makes the muffins moist. I like to use full fat sour cream, but you can use light if you wish. Avoid fat free sour cream.

One noticeable difference about this blueberry streusel muffin recipe compared to most is the mixing method. While traditional muffin recipes combine dry ingredients together in one bowl and wet ingredients in another and then they’re combined, I chose to use the creaming method here. Creaming the butter with the sugar gives these muffins more of a lighter, cake-like texture reminiscent of bakery style muffins. Speed up your butter softening process up by popping it in the microwave. Microwave in 5-10 second bursts, until softened but not melting.

The streusel topping is a perfect contrast of texture to the fluffy, tender crumb of the muffin. It’s crunchy, full of cinnamon flavor and adds a bit of extra sweetness to the muffin. Use fresh blueberries if you can, but frozen will work here too. I like to pop a few extra berries on top so they pop and get all oozy when baking.

Store the muffins in an air tight container, if there are any leftovers. Though they’re so yum, I doubt there will be. Enjoy!

For more breakfast sweets, check out these posts:

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Bacon, Cheddar and Chive Scones

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Blueberry Streusel Muffins

Tender-crumbed, moist fresh blueberry muffins, topped with a crunchy, cinnamon streusel.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time18 mins

Total Time28 mins

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: blueberry, blueberry muffins, muffins, streusel muffins

Servings: muffins

Equipment

Electric Stand Mixer

Ingredients

For the blueberry muffins:

1 3/4 cup (256g) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup (127g) sour cream, room temperature
1/4 cup (64g) buttermilk, room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup (159g) granulated sugar
1 stick (113g) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cup (285g) fresh blueberries

For the streusel:

1/4 cup (50g) light brown sugar
1/2 cup (71g) unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
3 tbsp unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners.
Prepare the streusel. In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the light brown sugar, flour and salt.
Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or your fingertips until small and medium clumps form. You can also use a food processor. Place into the refrigerator to keep cold while preparing the muffins.
Combine the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda into a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
Remove ¼ cup of the flour mixture and place in another bowl. Add the blueberries. Stir gently to coat the blueberries in the flour mixture. This keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the muffins.
In a measuring cup, combine the sour cream, buttermilk and vanilla extract and whisk to combine. Set aside.
In the bowl of stand mixer, cream the unsalted butter with the sugar. Mix on medium speed until light and fluffy. Don’t skimp on this step. Mix for about 5 minutes, stopping the mixer every so often to scrape down the bowl.
Add the eggs, one a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition.
Reduce mixer speed to low. Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix only until just combined and well blended.
Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and fold in the blueberries and remaining flour until just combined. Fold gently to prevent crushing the blueberries and making purple batter.
Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups. I like to add a few extra berries right on top.
Sprinkle the streusel mixture on top of the muffins, dividing it evenly among the muffins.
Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until lightly golden around the edges and a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs and no wet batter.
Cool in the tin for a few minutes before placing them onto a wire rack to completely cool. Serve warm with a generous spread of salted butter.

Notes

Recipe adapted from The Dahlia Bakery Cookbook by Tom Douglas and Shelly Lance

Caramel Apple Coffee Cake

October 25, 2019 By Ashley 5 Comments

Well hello there. It’s officially apple season and I am loving it. To me, baking with apples is so quintessentially fall. Pairing apples with cinnamon and caramel – now that’s when the magic happens. My caramel apple coffee cake is perfect for those chilly fall mornings with a fresh cup of hot coffee, or for an after dinner treat (also with coffee, because, well, coffee). The cake is rustic and beautiful and while it’s perfect for a snack cake, it also makes for an impressive sweet treat for the holidays. This caramel apple coffee cake consists of a sour cream cake batter topped with cinnamon sugar tossed apples and a sweet and crunchy pecan streusel topping and drizzled with salted caramel. The cake is simple to make and absolutely delicious.

I found this recipe in a stack of old recipes passed down from my great grandmother. It definitely required quite a bit of tweaking but it’s so awesome to be able to rework one of my great grandmother’s recipes. I learned a lot of my baking from her just by watching her as a child, long before I showed any interest in baking at all. It always fascinated me that she would make pies without recipes and measuring and they came out the same, perfect every time. I can only assume that came from years and years of baking practice.

So, on to making this caramel apple coffee cake.

The key to making the cake batter light and tender is room temperature ingredients and also making sure to adequately beat together the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. I know we see the “beat until light and fluffy” terminology often, but it really is an important step, and one that is absolutely necessary for helping create the texture of your cake. I used sour cream in this recipe for flavor and for added moisture. Note that the batter will be quite thick. Spoon it into a 9″ springform pan and use an offset spatula to make sure it’s evenly distributed in the pan.

About the apples

My preferred baking apple is Granny Smith, particularly when I’m using streusels, frostings, etc. that will be adding extra sweetness. For this recipe, I like the contrast of the tart apples to the sweet streusel and caramel toppings. But you can definitely use your favorite baking apple. Honeycrisp and Braeburns are also awesome to bake with. The apples are peeled and sliced, and tossed with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Slice your apples to about 1/4″ thick. You don’t want them too thick otherwise they won’t cook all the way through. The apples are then layered flat on top of the cake batter. I leave a really small space in the center without apples so that I can check if the cake is done without the apples skewing the result.

I use a food processor to make my streusel, as I do my tart and pie doughs, just because I find it to be easier and faster than doing it by hand. Pulse together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Add in the butter chunks and pulse until small clumps start to form and the mixture no longer looks powdery. Mix in your pecans last so that they retain their crunchiness and don’t end up pulverized. Scatter the streusel evenly over the apples. The streusel can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

The caramel apple coffee cake takes quite a while to bake, about 60 minutes or so. However, it’s important to check on the cake starting at about 40-45 minutes because baking times can vary depending on the juiciness of the apples. The cake is done when a tester comes out with few crumbs.

How to make the salted caramel sauce

While the cake is baking, or even a few days in advance, make the salted caramel sauce. I start this caramel sauce with a wet mix – a mixture of sugar and water. After the the water and sugar is mixed, set down that whisk, and leave it be. Let the mixture boil until it turns a rich amber color. Then immediately remove from the heat to stop the cooking process. Be careful when adding the butter and the cream, as they cause the mixture to sputter and steam. So watch those fingers. Let the cake cool until just warm or room temperature before drizzling with caramel sauce. And because it’s always okay to be extra with caramel, go ahead and drizzle a bit more on each slice before serving.

This caramel apple coffee cake is a total winner and an absolute comforting fall bake. If you try my caramel apple coffee cake, let me know! Leave a comment in the comment area below and be sure to snap a photo and tag it #littlevintagebaking on Instagram so I can see your creation!

For another fall inspired recipe, try these pumpkin cream cheese muffins!

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4.67 from 3 votes

Caramel Apple Coffee Cake

This caramel apple coffee cake consists of a sour cream cake batter topped with cinnamon sugar tossed apples and a sweet and crunchy pecan streusel topping and drizzled with salted caramel.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Total Time1 hr 15 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: caramel apple, caramel apple cake, Caramel Apple Coffee Cake, coffee cake

Servings: servings

Equipment

Ingredients

Apple Coffee Cake:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup sour cream, full fat, room temperature
2 cups apples, peeled and sliced (about 2-3 medium apples)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Streusel Topping:

1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup pecans, chopped and toasted
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Salted Caramel Sauce:

1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature,
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions

Make the salted caramel.

In a medium sized saucepan, combine the sugar and the water. Whisk just until combined.
Place the saucepan over medium heat. Let the sugar mixture cook, without stirring, until the sugar mixture turns a rich amber color. Take the mixture off the heat to stop the cooking process.
Add the butter to the saucepan and whisk to combine. Be very careful as the mixture is incredibly hot and will bubble up and steam when the butter is added.
Whisk in the heavy cream, followed by the vanilla and the salt until smooth.
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a glass jar to cool completely.

Make the streusel.

In the bowl of a food processor, place the flour, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Pulse to mix.
Add the butter cubes and pulse until mixture begins to stick together and form small clumps.
Remove the bowl from the food processor and remove the center blade. Stir in the pecans. If not using right away, store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Make the apple coffee cake.

Heat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour a 9" springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine.
Place the butter and the sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed, stopping to scrape the bowl every so often, until the mixture is light, fluffy and creamy, about 3-5 minutes.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla extract.
Add the flour mixture to the batter in three batches, alternating with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour.
Remove the bowl from the mixer, and scrape down the the bowl and give it a stir to ensure the flour is fully incorporated.
Spoon the batter into the prepared spring form pan and smooth with an offset spatula.
Place the peeled and sliced apples into a medium sized bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and stir to coat the apples.
Layer the apples, slightly overlapping, onto the cake batter.
Sprinkle the streusel topping on top of the apples.
Bake the cake for 45-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with few moist crumbs.
Cool the cake in the pan on a wire cooling rack for 15 minutes before removing from the pan. When the cake has cooled a bit, but is still warm, drizzle the cake with caramel sauce, cut into wedges and serve.

Notes

Store caramel sauce in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

October 16, 2019 By Ashley 5 Comments

Oh hi! Guys, I have been living my best autumn-pumpkin-caramel apple life. Fall is my absolute favorite season. I thrive this time of year, and I’m totally energized by the cool weather, color changing leaves and the smell of warm spices. I’ve been baking a lot (my house smells a-mazing), planning recipes to share on the blog as well as developing my holiday menus for the bakery. Today I’m sharing my first ever pumpkin recipe on my blog (yay!) – my pumpkin cream cheese muffins with cinnamon sugar pepita topping. These pumpkin cream cheese muffins are fluffy, moist and perfectly spiced and filled with lightly sweetened cream cheese and topped with a crunchy pepitas and cinnamon sugar – and I have to say, I think they are so much better than the coffee shop pumpkin muffin.

I’ll admit, I’m not much a fan of the “pumpkin spice” trend. I definitely don’t enjoy in it in my coffee. Locally roasted with a splash of cream for me please. Really, the first signs of fall for me means apple baking season. I’ve not met many (if any) apple bakes or desserts that I didn’t like. Usually, I use pumpkin in savory cooking before I end up baking with it. Some of our faves: Half Baked Harvest’s Smoky Pumpkin Beer and Cheddar Potato soup is so, so delicious and a huge hit in my house. Skinnytaste’s Hearty Vegetarian Pumpkin Chili is also a family favorite. When I start baking with pumpkin, it’s always muffins, bread or cake. So I knew that the first pumpkin recipe I shared on the blog needed to be these pumpkin cream cheese muffins. Delicious, flavorful and cozy.

To roast a pumpkin or used canned pumpkin?

Since I tend to use a lot of pumpkin in the fall, my preferred way to use pumpkin is straight from the can. I don’t find that roasting and making my own pumpkin puree is really worth it. Canned pumpkin is convenient for use as well as being generally consistent in flavor and texture. I’ve had mixed results with fresh sugar pie pumpkins. Like with any other vegetable, flavor and ripeness of a pumpkin can be a bit of a gamble. I’ve had pumpkins that were sweet and flavorful, but I’ve also had some that were bland and grainy. Ultimately, it’s your preference. If you use canned, just be sure to use pure pumpkin and not the pumpkin pie filling, which is sweetened and seasoned.

How to make the muffins

The muffins are super easy to make and don’t require a mixer – a definite win. They are made using the traditional muffin method by combining dry ingredients in a bowl and wet ingredients in another, then combine them by pouring the wet into the dry and mixing with a light hand until just combined. I used a combination of spices and chose to use individual spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and clove) over pumpkin pie spice so that I have more control over the flavor and can adjust the spices to suit my tastes.

How to make the cream cheese filling

The cream cheese filling is quick and simple, combining softened cream cheese, sugar and vanilla and whisking until smooth. I prefer to place the cream cheese filling in the centers of the muffins to copycat the coffee shop version and also because I love the pop of tangy cream cheese. I have also swirled the cream cheese into the muffin as well with success. For extra crunch and flavor, I sprinkled pepitas, cinnamon and sugar around the edge of the muffins.

When distributing the batter among the liners, you’ll notice that the liners get quite full. No worries though, the batter will not overflow. Notice in the first photo how beautifully they bake up.

I know you guys will love these muffins just as much we we do. If you try these pumpkin cream cheese muffins, let me know! Leave a comment in the comment area below and be sure to snap a photo and tag it #littlevintagebaking on Instagram. I love seeing your Little Vintage Baking creations!

For more muffin recipes, check out these blueberry streusel muffins

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5 from 1 vote

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Fluffy and moist spiced pumpkin muffins filled with a sweet cream cheese filling and topped with a cinnamon sugar pepita topping

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time21 mins

Total Time31 mins

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: muffins, pumpkin, Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins, pumpkin muffins

Servings: muffins

Ingredients

Pumpkin Muffins:

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed (light or dark)
1 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup canola oil

Cream Cheese Filling:

4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Topping:

2 tablespoons pepitas
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with paper liners and set aside.

Make the cream cheese filling.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth.
Place the filling into the refrigerator until ready to use.

Make the muffins.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.
In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin, vanilla, eggs and oil.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix to combine. Do not over mix. Only mix until no pockets of the dry ingredients remain.
Distribute the batter equally into the lined cupcake pan.
Distribute the cream cheese filling into the centers, equally among the muffins.
Mix together the 1 tablespoon of sugar and the 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle the pepitas and the cinnamon sugar mixture around the edge of the muffins.
Bake the muffins for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few dry crumbs. Do not check the muffins for doneness by inserting a toothpick through the cream cheese center. I like to check by inserting a toothpick through the muffin at an angle.
Cool the muffins in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool on a cooling rack. Best served slightly warm.

Bacon, Cheddar and Chive Scones

February 21, 2019 By Ashley Leave a Comment

These bacon, cheddar and chive scones are perfect for a breakfast on the go, a brunch time gathering with friends or with afternoon tea. Pile the scones high with eggs, bacon, avocado and all the breakfast sandwich fixings. Or, slather them with butter while still warm and serve them with tea. I’ve also made these scones many times on cold winter nights and served them with soups and stews. They’re a crowd pleaser and absolutely yummy.

These savory scones are similar but are slightly different than biscuits. Both are made with flour, leavening, fat and dairy. Butter is cut in to the flour mixture, then dairy is added. Biscuits are usually lofty and are known for having tall flaky layers, and these bacon, cheddar and chive scones do have a bit of loft and flakiness, but they are a bit more tender, dense and buttery, like a traditional American sweet scone. They’re really the best of both the biscuit and scone world. Whatever you want to call these spicy, cheesy, smoky treats, they’re absolutely delicious and definitely worth making.

I’ve mentioned their tender, buttery texture, but they’re also packed full of crispy, smoky bacon, melt-y pockets of sharp cheddar cheese and variety of spices including garlic, cayenne and lots of black pepper. I add a bit of onion-y flavor, freshness and a pop of green by mixing in some fresh chives. Savory scone perfection. The cayenne in the recipe isn’t overwhelmingly spicy, but just adds a touch of heat and bit of flavor to the scones. Both my girls love these scones and request them all the time – they love the slightly spicy flavor. However, you can definitely reduce the amount of cayenne in the recipe or omit it if you wish.

Like with pie and tart dough, I use a food processor to cut in the butter for cheddar, bacon and chive scones. Using a food processor ensures that you’re not overworking the dough, and that the butter is evenly distributed. It also prevents warming or melting the butter with your hands and it’s much faster than cutting in the butter with a pastry blender. But, feel free to cut in the butter with the method that you prefer. Once the butter is cut in, the mixture is turned out into a bowl and the bacon, chives and cheddar are stirred in, followed by cold buttermilk. If you find that you still have flour that is unincorporated and the dough still seems dry, add buttermilk a tablespoon at a time until the mixture comes together. You want a mixture that is well combined and holds together, but not wet. Use a light hand when shaping with your scone dough. Overworked dough can result in tough scones.

You can cut out the scones with a circle biscuit cutter or you can cut them into the traditional American-style wedge shape. If you wish to cut out the scones into wedges, shape the dough into a disc that is 1- 1 1/2 inches tall and cut into 12 scones. For the photos in this post, I actually cut my scones into smaller wedges to make 24 scones so that Matt could take them to an event he was attending. To make smaller scones, cut the scones into wedges, then cut in half again. Keep in mind, the scones will puff up quite a bit when baking.

Chill the scones before baking. This allows the butter and the cheese to firm back up so they don’t melt out of the scones while baking. Brushing the tops of the scones with heavy cream before baking will help them bake to a lovely golden brown color. I like to sprinkle the tops with a bit of flaky sea salt before popping them into the oven.

These bacon, cheddar and chive scones can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to two days in a zip top bag. Bake them as needed for fresh, warm scones. I usually make an entire batch on Sunday so that I can bake them off Monday and Tuesday morning for breakfast sandwiches for Matt and the girls. They can also be frozen for up to two weeks. Be sure to add an additional 10-15 minutes of baking time if you’re baking the scones frozen.

If you try these bacon, cheddar and chive scones, let me know! Leave a comment in the comment area below and be sure to snap a photo and tag it #littlevintagebaking on Instagram. I love seeing your Little Vintage Baking creations!

For another quick and delicious breakfast idea, check out this recipe for my Blueberry Streusel Muffins!

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Bacon, Cheddar and Chive Scones

Spicy, buttery and tender bacon cheddar and chive scones perfect for breakfast sandwiches, or served with soups and stews.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Chill30 mins

Total Time35 mins

Course: Breakfast

Keyword: bacon, cheddar and chive scones, cheese scones, savory scones, scones, spicy cheddar bacon and chive scones

Servings: scones

Equipment

Food processor

Ingredients

4 3/4 cups (680g) all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp fine sea salt, plus more for sprinkling the tops before baking
3/4 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper, more or less to taste
1 tbsp fresh ground black pepper
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 cup + 1 tbsp (255g) unsalted butter, very cold or frozen, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup (80g) bacon, cooked, cooled and crumbled - I used a 12oz package of center cut bacon
1 1/2 cups (171g) sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 cup (17g) fresh chives, chopped
1 1/2 cup (375ml) buttermilk, cold
3 tbsp heavy cream, for brushing the tops

Instructions

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, sugar and black pepper into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine thoroughly.
Scatter the butter cubes over the dry ingredients. Pulse the butter into the mixture until the mixture resembles coarse meal with pea-size chunks of butter mixed throughout.
Dump the mixture out into a large bowl. Stir in the cooled bacon, shredded cheddar and chives.
Drizzle the cold buttermilk over the mixture and use a spatula to mix. Mix the dough until it just seems to hold together. If the dough still seems dry and isn't fully incorporating, add more buttermilk, a tbsp at a time.
Dust your work surface with a light coat of flour. Turn out the scone dough onto the floured surface. With a light hand, shape into a disc, about 1 inches thick.
Use a biscuit cutter to cut out scones. Alternatively, cut into wedges for the traditional American-style scone shape.
Place the scones onto a baking sheet, leaving 2-3 inches apart between then. Place the scones into the refrigerator to chill for 30-45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400F.
After the scones are chilled, brush the tops with the heavy cream and sprinkle with fine sea salt. Bake until the scones are golden brown, about 25-30 minutes.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Tartine by Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson