The Kitchen Whisperer

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk the flour and brown sugar together breaking up any chunks.
3. With a pastry cutter, cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly.
4. Set aside 1 cup of the flour crumb mixture.
5. Stir the baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg* and salt into the remaining flour crumb mixture
6. Make a a well in the center of the flour crumb mixture. By doing this it will make it easier to combine the wet ingredients
7. Add the buttermilk and vanilla to the egg and whisk to combine..
8. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the well in the dry mixture.
9. Stir with a fork until just combined and no flour remains. You don’t want to over mix this; lumps are OK!
10. Set aside 1 ¼ cups of this batter. Yes, you have 2 1/4 cups set aside right now.
11. Place the remaining batter into a 10” spring form pan. I didn’t grease mine but mine is nonstick. If yours leaks I would advise wrapping the base in foil. This is a thick batter so I doubt it would leak.
12. Using a rubber tipped spatula, evenly spread it across the bottom of the pan and partially up the sides (maybe ¼ of the way up).
13. Spread the fruit pie filling over the batter leaving about a ½”-1” ring all the around the outside. In other words, don’t take it all the way to the ends.
14. Take the 1 ¼ cups batter that you had set aside and gently drop bits of it all along the fruit. Don’t worry if it doesn’t cover all the fruit. This will expand while it bakes.
15. Take the remaining 1 cup of flour crumb mixture and sprinkle it evenly over the cake batter.
16. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or when the cake part comes out clean. I would test the center and the edges. If the center is not done but the edges are getting too dark, I would advise making a quick cake strap to wrap around the pan made of foil, wet paper towel and a pin. This will cool the outside of the cake while the center continues cooking.
17. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for ~10-15 minutes. Run a thin edger between the cake and pan before removing the cake from the spring form pan.
18. If you want to remove it from the base, allow to cool for an hour. Cool completely on a rack.
19. To make the glaze mix all the ingredients together to form a glaze with that has a nice drizzle consistency.

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.
3. Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light in color (about 4-5 minutes).
4. Add the eggs 1 at a time mixing well after each addition.
5. Add in the vanilla and sour cream mixing just until incorporated.
6. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
7. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Finish stirring with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed. You do not want to incorporate air into this batter.
8. Next make the streusel: Add the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and butter in a bowl and using a pastry cutter, cut it until it forms a crumble.
9. At this point you can add in the nuts.
10. Spoon half the batter into the pan and spread it out with rubber spatula.
11. Next sprinkle half the streusel on top of the batter.
12. Spoon the rest of the batter in the pan, spread it out, and scatter the remaining streusel on top.
13. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes (middle rack), until a wooden skewer comes out clean.
14. Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes.
15. Place your serving plate on top of the pan and carefully flip it over while pressing the plate and pan together.
16. Lift up the pan and the cake will be streusel side up.
17. Make the glaze: Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and maple syrup together, adding a few drops of milk if necessary, to make the glaze thinner.
18. Mix in the toasted pecans (1/2-3/4 cups).
19. Spoon over the top of the cake.

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.
3. Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light in color (about 4-5 minutes).
4. Add the eggs 1 at a time mixing well after each addition.
5. Add in the vanilla and sour cream mixing just until incorporated.
6. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
7. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Finish stirring with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed. You do not want to incorporate air into this batter.
8. Next make the streusel: Add the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and butter in a bowl and using a pastry cutter, cut it until it forms a crumble.
9. At this point you can add in the nuts.
10. Spoon half the batter into the pan and spread it out with rubber spatula.
11. Next sprinkle half the streusel on top of the batter.
12. Spoon the rest of the batter in the pan, spread it out, and scatter the remaining streusel on top.
13. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes (middle rack), until a wooden skewer comes out clean.
14. Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes.
15. Place your serving plate on top of the pan and carefully flip it over while pressing the plate and pan together.
16. Lift up the pan and the cake will be streusel side up.
17. Make the glaze: Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and maple syrup together, adding a few drops of milk if necessary, to make the glaze thinner.
18. Mix in the toasted pecans (1/2-3/4 cups).
19. Spoon over the top of the cake.

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Spray 9×13 baking pan lightly with Pam.
3. In a big bowl add cake mix, butter and 1 egg.
4. Beat with a stand or electric mixer on low until combined. If you find that your mix seems a little dry, add 1 TBSP of water to the mix. This will be a very dense batter.
5. Transfer the cake batter to the pan spreading it out evenly.
6. In a medium bowl add cream cheese and sugar.
7. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy.
8. Add 2 eggs and vanilla, beat to combine.
9. Spread cream cheese mixture over the red velvet bar.
10. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until bars barely start to pull away from sides.
11. Cool completely before cutting.
12. White cooling make the White Chocolate Butter Cream frosting

White Chocolate Butter Cream frosting

1. Using a stand mixer and paddle attachment, cream butter until soft and fluffy then beat in the vanilla. If you don’t have a stand mixer, use your electric mixer but go slow.
2. With the mixer on low speed, slowly and carefully add in powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time. If you dump it all in at once you’ll end up covered in the stuff. Once incorporated, add another 1/2 cup and proceed until it’s all in.
3. Once all of the sugar has been added, beat on medium speed for 30 seconds and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4. Add in the melted white chocolate and beat on medium speed until incorporated.
5. With the mixer on low, add in heavy cream 1 tbsp at a time and beat at medium speed until the frosting has reached your desired consistency.
6. Transfer to pastry bag with star tip.
7. Refrigerate.
8. Use a small biscuit cutter to cut out bites. If it’s hard to get out, run the biscuit cutter under warm water and wipe off any excess water before cutting. You don’t want soggy desserts now do you?
9. Garnish each bite with a dollop of the white chocolate butter cream frosting.
10. Store in the fridge, covered.