The Barefoot Kitchen Witch

Revisiting the Plains and Other Exotic Locales

I check my “stats” periodically just to see where readers are coming from and which posts are currently popular.  There are certain ones I see visited often, so I’m used to them, but then something completely unexpected will be the #1 post of the day. 

Like yesterday – apparently a whole bunch of people came over via a Reddit link that referenced my “Herbivores of the African Plains” cake – Julia’s birthday, 2011.

Here’s a picture of the whole cake:

Lizard Cake

Alex’s birthday was months ago, but for an assortment of reasons his birthday festivities were delayed.  And delayed.

Finally, he had a couple of friends sleep over (friends who haven’t slept over before – that was his criteria), and I made his cake.

Inside, it’s chocolate.  And that’s peanutbutter frosting.

And those are lizards.

Blueberry Tea Cake with Purple Basil, Lemon Thyme and Lavender

Yep, you read that right! 

Blueberries, basil, lemon thyme, and lavender, all rolled into one moist, delicious little cake.

Here’s how it came about…

Almost Mojito Bread

While I was up tending the smoking pork butt recently, I baked some bread, made some mozzarella, and made this bread.

It’s kind of cake more than bread, but since it was baked in a loaf pan, I guess that allows the “bread” designation.

My recipe is based on a lemon bread recipe I found in the King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook.  I made a few changes, and next time I make it I have a few other changes to make as well.

But here’s what I did this first time around:

Herbivores of the African Plains – Julia’s Cake 2011

Originally Julia said she wanted a giraffe cake. 

Because I’d done elephants before.

And Beluga whales last year.

The plan was to have a bunch of fondant giraffes all over a grassy cake.

But then, as is her womanly right, Julia changed her mind.

FFwD – Tourteau de Chèvre

Hm.

It doesn’t look like I think it’s supposed to look.

For French Fridays with Dorie this week we were to make a Tourteau de chèvre. 

Now, despite what you might think, that doesn’t mean Cake of Goat.  I don’t think anyone’s invented that one.  Maybe a Pie of Goat – you know, like a chicken pot pie, or a shepherd’s pie – exists somewhere…but not Cake of Goat.

No, the cake is made with, among other things, goat cheese.  Pretty interesting, huh?

And a bit more appetizing than a cake made of goat.

Ricotta Coffee Cake with a Chocolate, Lemon, and Double Ginger Filling

I made this yesterday for Easter brunch at my cousin’s house. 

I’d been asked to make this coffee cake, but I didn’t have pears or pecans, and I felt rebellious, so I decided to make something different.  But still a coffee cake.

I sort of made it up as I went along.  I started with a recipe for an apple cake using ricotta cheese that I found online, and then I changed a bunch of things and ended up with this.

Fortunately I took notes.

Pretty Pink Cupcakes – Made With Beets!

No, really!  Beets!

Isn’t that pretty?

And – yes, it’s made with beets.  Well, one beet.  I used the other two to make bread.  But that’ll be another post.

I figured I’d discuss dessert first.

Chocolate Pound Cake with Natalie – Part 1

My awesome niece, Natalie, is here today, and we’ve selected a Chocolate Pound Cake as our Chocolate Baked Good of Choice.

Upside Down Apple Gingerbread

 I felt like making gingerbread the other day.  I also needed to do something with half a dozen apples I'd bought the week before.  They were on the mealy side, and no one wanted to eat them as they were.  

This Year's Oktoberfest Dessert - Chocolate Cake, But Not Just Any Chocolate Cake

I know, it's an incredibly long post title.  But it's also an incredibly good cake and deserving of such a lengthy intro.