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Since most of the U.S. is covered in a blanket of snow, I figured now would be a great time to whip up something summery. You know, a bit of summer in the dead of winter. And what better ingredient to use than limes. Now would be the time to close your eyes and picture some place tropical with palm trees and hammocks swaying in the salty breeze. Go ahead. I’ll wait.

Okay, back to reality.

I discovered this recipe recently when I picked up a copy of Nigella Lawson’s How to Be a Domestic Goddess. Let me tell ya, if this is what it take to be a domestic goddess, I’ll happily bake these every day! The cakes are flavored with lime zest and they get an added boost of lime flavor from the syrup that is poured over while they are still warm. In the book, Nigella mentions that you can easily substitute lemons for the limes, or even orange juice for orange-syrup cakes. Which ever type of citrus you decide to use, the outcome is bound to be great!

Something new to me is self-rising cake flour, which I had never heard of. After searching the supermarket and coming up empty handed, I decided to turn to my friend, Google. He pointed me in the right direction, and I found that, apparently, White Lily self-rising flour is equal to self-rising cake flour. There you go. Problem solved and it seemed to work just fine.

They have a bit of a peak in the middle but I have a feeling that is due to the fact I over-mixed the batter. Nevertheless, they taste divine!

Mini Lime-Syrup Sponges
adapted from How to Be a Domestic Goddess

For the mini cakes:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 eggs
zest of 1 lime
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons self-rising cake flour
pinch of salt
4 tablespoons milk

For the lime-syrup:
4 tablespoons lime juice (1-2 limes) plus zest for decoration
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.

Generously butter a 8-cup mini-loaf pan; set aside.

Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and lime zest, until incorporated well. Gently fold in the flour and salt and then add the milk. Divide evenly into mini-loaf pan, and bake for 25 minutes (Note: I used a dark non-stick pan and the baking time was about 20 minutes).

While the cakes are baking, prepare the syrup by putting the lime juice and confectioners’ sugar into a small saucepan and heat gently so that the sugar dissolves.

As soon as the mini-sponges are ready take them out of the oven and prick them all over with a cake-tester (or toothpick). Pour over the syrup evenly. Let the middle absorb the liquid as well as the sides, then leave it to soak up the rest.

When they have cooled slightly and the syrup looks like it has been absorbed, turn them out onto a cooling rack. Don’t let them cool completely in the pans or they may be difficult to remove.

For a garnish, grate some lime zest on the tops.

Makes 8.

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The fall season means a lot of things to me but one stands out as my favorite. Out with the summer afternoon thunderstorms and in with the cool breezes that blow through the huge oak trees and spanish moss. While fall has officially begun, here in Florida, I have yet to see any significant sign of said season.

83% humidity. Check. Heat index in the high 90’s. Check.

So I decided to take matters in my own hands and bake a fall-ish cake. The recipe comes from Paula Deen’s Best Desserts magazine I picked up a few months back and I couldn’t wait to bake it. It’s a perfect start to my autumn baking spree. Oh yes, I love, love, love fall!

The cake has the deliciousness of sweet potatoes, cinnamon and a hint of nutmeg, drizzled with a rum glaze and garnished with walnuts. Let me just say, this was a really, really superb cake!

Hidden inside, layered between batter, is a mixture of brown sugar, walnuts and cinnamon. Yum!

But wait… there’s more! I had the urge to make this cake into cupcakes. Jumbo cupcakes actually. I already had the jumbo liners so obviously I couldn’t just let them sit there and feel left out. That would be rude.

I prepared the batter the same as I did for the cake. I filled each one with just under 1/4 cup of batter, sprinkled with brown sugar/walnut mixture and topped with remaining batter.

I think I will make these for Thanksgiving. Everyone really liked them and plus I just need reason to bake them again. Thanksgiving isn’t that far away… I think I can make it. Maybe.

Cinnamon Ripple Sweet Potato Cake (and cupcakes!)
adapted from Paula Deen’s Best Desserts

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 cup mashed cooked sweet potato (about 1 medium)
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cook and mash the sweet potato, set aside. I did all my measuring of ingredients while it was cooking.

Spray a fluted (bundt) pan with nonstick baking spray. Combine the brown sugar, walnuts and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside.

Combine the sugar and butter in a large bowl. With an electric mixer, beat at medium speed until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Stir in sour cream, sweet potato and vanilla.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, remaining 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture.

Pour half of batter into pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar/walnut mixture. Spoon remaining batter evenly over brown sugar. Bake for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted comes out clean.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes then remove and cool completely on a wire rack. Spoon rum glaze (below) over the cooled cake. I wanted the glaze to run a bit on mine, so I drizzled it on while it was still slightly warm. Garnish with chopped walnuts, if desired.

Cupcakes

Prepare batter same as above.

Arrange jumbo cupcake liners on cookie sheet. Fill each one with just under 1/4 cup batter. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture evenly. Top each cupcake evenly with remaining batter.

Bake at 350°F for 23-25 minutes or until a pick inserted comes out clean. Makes about 15 jumbo cupcakes. When they are completely cool drizzle rum glaze on top, garnish with walnuts (if desired) and enjoy!

Rum Glaze

Whisk together 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream and 3/4 teaspoon rum extract until smooth.

Check out all the great recipes from Paula Deen!

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