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Cakes, Dessert, Fruit, Lactose Free, Recipes, Summertime Meal

Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

June 14, 2024

These darling strawberry cheesecake bars are perfect for a light dessert on a summer evening. Fresh strawberries along with sugar and sour cream make up the topping for this not too sweet yet satisfying dessert. This is an easy recipe that anyone can make at home with a few basic ingredients. The one thing to keep in mind is the cheesecake needs to set in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours before serving, so plan ahead. It is sure to be a showstopper at your next gathering.

The graham cracker crust couldn’t be easier to make. Flour, butter, sugar, and graham crackers are blitzed in the food processor before being pressed into the pan and baked.

I made half the recipe for a small get together. The full recipe is posted below.

The filling is very easy to prepare. The food processor does all the work.

To add an extra boost of strawberry flavor, I used my spice grinder to make strawberry powder with freeze-dried strawberries I bought at Target (some stores sell the powdered form). The strawberry powder adds a fruity punch to the topping.

The gorgeous strawberry flecked topping makes the most dreamy dessert for any occasion.

Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
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Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

Recipe by Kiyo
Servings

24

servings

7/09/24: Updated weight of graham crackers to 136g
Recipe adapted from Cook’s Country

Ingredients

  • Crust

  • 9 whole graham crackers (136g), broken into pieces

  • 1/2 cup (99g) granulated sugar

  • 3/4 cup (106g) all-purpose flour

  • 1/8 teaspoon salt or 1/4 teaspoon if using unsalted butter

  • 8 tablespoons Earth Balance Buttery Sticks or regular unsalted butter, melted

  • Filling

  • 1 1/2 pounds (680g) cream cheese (does not need to soften before using)

  • 1 cup (198g) granulated sugar

  • 3 large eggs

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • Topping

  • 6 ounces (170g) strawberries hulled (about 1 heaping cup), plus 5 hulled strawberries for garnish

  • 1/2 cup (99g) plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

  • 2 cups sour cream

  • 2 tablespoons pulverized freeze-dried strawberries, optional

Directions

  • Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 300 degrees. Make foil sling for 13×9-inch baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil; first sheet should be 13-inches wide and second sheet should be 9-inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Spray with vegetable oil spray.
  • For the crust: Process cracker pieces and sugar in food processor until finely ground, about 30 seconds. Add flour and salt and pulse to combine, about 2 pulses. Add melted Buttery Sticks or unsalted butter and pulse until crumbs are evenly moistened, about 10 pulses. Using your hands, press crumb mixture evenly into bottom of prepared pan. Using bottom of dry measuring cup, firmly pack crust into pan. Bake until fragrant and beginning to brown around edges, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool completely.
  • For the filling: In clean, dry processor bowl, process cream cheese and sugar until smooth, about 3 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. With processor running, add eggs, one at a time, until just incorporated, about 30 seconds total. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add vanilla and process to combine, about 10 seconds. Pour mixture over cooled crust. Bake until center is almost set but still jiggles slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 45 minutes.
  • For the topping: While filling is baking, in clean, dry processor bowl, process 6 ounces (170g) strawberries and 1/2 cup (99g) sugar until pureed, about 30 seconds. Stir strawberry puree and sour cream in bowl along with pulverized freeze-dried strawberries (if using) until combined. Remove cheesecake from oven. Pour strawberry mixture over cheesecake (cheesecake layer should be completely covered). Return to oven and bake until topping is just set, about 15 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack and let cheesecake cool completely, about 2 hours. Refrigerate until cold and set, at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, slice remaining 5 strawberries thin and gently toss with remaining 1 teaspoon sugar in bowl. Using foil overhand, lift cheesecake out of pan. Cut into 24 squares. Garnish each square with 1 strawberry slice and serve.

Notes

  • Look for strawberries that are firm but ripe with a fragrant fruity scent. Locally grown strawberries are usually the freshest option.
  • Cheesecake bars can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Defrost in refrigerator overnight.
Bread, Breakfast, Cakes, Dessert, Fruit, Lactose Free, Recipes

Double Chocolate Banana Bread

April 1, 2024

Everyone loves homemade banana bread. Here’s a delicious version that includes lots of melty chocolate in every bite. America’s Test Kitchen came up with this genius recipe that’s packed with two cups of mashed bananas. It includes cocoa powder and chopped chocolate, hence the name Double Chocolate Banana Bread. And what a treat it is.

If you can find Apple bananas (Manzano) choose them over the common Cavendish bananas. Apple bananas have a sweet and slightly tangy flavor that is far superior to the Cavendish bananas that are commonly found in markets.

This loaf has an ultra-delicious banana flavor thanks to the two cups of mashed bananas in the recipe.

Chopped chocolate transforms this banana bread into something sublime with its melty little pockets of chocolate.

There is a lot of batter for just one loaf pan. I was a bit worried when I peeked through the oven door and saw the batter had risen well over the top rim of the pan. It did not overflow but it was comforting to know there was a baking sheet under the pan just in case. The bread did relax a bit as it baked which was a big relief.

The cake emerges from the oven with the scent of bananas and chocolate and with a splendid crackly sugar topping. The chocolate makes this loaf extra fancy and decadent. It’s the perfect sweet snack for any occasion.

Double Chocolate Banana Bread
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Double Chocolate Banana Bread

Recipe by KiyoCourse: Recipes
Servings

10

servings

Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups (6 1/4 ounces/177g) all-purpose flour

  • 1/4 cup (3/4 ounce/21g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder

  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

  • 3/4 teaspoon table salt

  • 2 cups mashed very ripe bananas (about 7 Apple bananas or 4 large bananas)

  • 1 cup packed (7 ounces/198g) dark brown sugar

  • 10 tablespoons Miyoko’s vegan butter or regular unsalted butter

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1 bar (4 ounces/113g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped

  • 2 tablespoons Demerara sugar (recommended for a gorgeous crackly topping) or granulated sugar

Directions

  • Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan with vegetable oil spray. You may also use a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
  • Whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Whisk bananas, brown sugar, melted butter, and eggs in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Add flour mixture to banana mixture and whisk gently until just combined (batter will be lumpy). Fold in chopped chocolate.
  • Place prepared pan on a small rimmed baking sheet. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake for 8 minutes then sprinkle demerara or granulated sugar over the top. (You may sprinkle the sugar over the batter before baking but I found that it can be absorbed by the wet batter and will not be as noticeable once the loaf has baked, especially when using granulated sugar). Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 60 minutes longer (total baking time is approximately 70 minutes).
  • Let bread cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Tilt pan and gently remove the bread. Let bread continue to cool on the wire rack for at least 30 minutes longer. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

  • This is a big loaf. The cake will rise well over the top rim of the loaf pan while baking. I followed the directions and placed a rimmed baking sheet under the loaf pan just in case, however, the bread did not overflow. If you don’t have an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch pan use a 9×5-inch pan.
  • You may freeze the bread for a couple of months. Slice and serve at room temperature.
Dessert, French, Fruit, Jams & Jellies, Lactose Free, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Strawberry Galette

July 21, 2021

Strawberry Galette

One of my favorite fruits to use in a galette is mango.  During the summer months our two trees produce a good harvest of fruit that we use in all sorts of recipes.  But not everyone has access to mangos so any number of other seasonal fruits or berries are suitable.  I particularly like strawberries.  They make a gorgeous galette that bakes up beautifully.  The crust holds up well and leftovers, if any, are a real treat with coffee the following morning.

Fresh Strawberries

The strawberries found in the markets can vary in sweetness.  It’s a good idea to buy ones that are ripe and juicy in appearance but not at all soft.  Strawberries are quite perishable so plan on making the galette within a day or two of buying your strawberries.

Weighing Flour

The crust for this galette is excellent. It holds up well to the juicy strawberry filling and does not become soggy even if you have leftovers the following day.

Chilled Earth Balance Buttery Stick Cubes

I used Earth Balance Buttery Sticks (vegan and lactose free) but feel free to use regular unsalted butter as the original recipe calls for.   Whatever you choose to use, make sure it does not sit out on the counter and is well chilled.  Buttery Sticks are not as firm as regular butter so I freeze the cubes for 15-30 minutes before proceeding with the recipe.

Galette Dough

If I am short on time I freeze the wrapped dough for 30 minutes instead of chilling it in the refrigerator for a few hours.

Sliced Strawberries

Strawberries & Sugar

A little sugar is stirred into the berries which will give them a bit of sweetness, but not too much.

Strawberries & Sugar

Strawberry Jam & Cornstarch Mixture

The strawberries are gently tossed into a mixture of strawberry jam that is mixed with cornstarch and a pinch of salt.  

Rolled Out Dough

Roll the dough out on parchment paper.  Transfer the rolled out dough to your rimmed baking sheet and continue with the recipe.  

Strawberries on Galette Dough

Leave a 2-inch border (sometimes I end up with 1 1/2-inches!) to fold over the filling.  The original recipe calls for brushing the edges of the galette with some of the reserved strawberry juice and sprinkling sugar over the edges before baking.  Try not to apply too much of the juice as it is quite thin and will drip down the sides of the crust.  You can brush the crust with a bit of lactose free half and half or whole milk instead, then sprinkle with sparkling sugar.  The coarse-grained sugar adds a beautiful sparkle and sweet crunch to each slice of the baked galette.

Strawberries in Galette Dough

The dough is pleated every 2 inches to shape the galette and keep the strawberries the center of attention.

Strawberry Galette

I brush a bit of warmed strawberry jam over the strawberries once the galette is done baking. It gives the galette extra flavor and a beautiful sheen.

Strawberry Galette with Ice Cream

Strawberry Galette
 
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Adapted from Cook's Country
Author:
Serves: 10
Ingredients
  • Dough:
  • 1½ cups (7½ ounces) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (1/2 teaspoon if using unsalted butter)
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 10 tablespoons Earth Balance Buttery Sticks cut into ½-inch cubes and frozen for 15 - 30 minutes (or unsalted butter well chilled)
  • 6 tablespoons ice water
  • Filling:
  • 1½ pounds strawberries, hulled, halved if small or quartered if large (about 5 cups)
  • ¼ cup (1¾ ounces) granulated sugar + 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
  • ⅓ cup strawberry jam + 1 tablespoon, divided
  • 1½ tablespoons cornstarch
  • ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon coarse sparkling sugar
Preparation
  1. For the dough: Process flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor until combined, about 4 pulses. Scatter Buttery Sticks cubes over the top and pulse until mixture resembles coarse sand and butter pieces are the size of small peas, about 10-12 pulses. Add ice water to flour mixture and pulse until dough begins to form small curds and holds together when pinched with your fingers, about 5 pulses.
  2. Transfer mixture to a lightly floured counter. Gather dough into a rough rectangular mound about 8 inches long and 4 inches wide. Starting at the farthest end, use the heel of your hand to smear a small amount of dough against the counter, pushing firmly down and away from you. Continue doing this while turning the dough as you go. Continue until all the dough has been worked, about 8 times. This is a process of working the crumbles of flour, butter, and water together into a dough by smearing them against the counter, making for a sturdy, flaky crust. Form dough into a 6-inch disk, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or freeze (if short on time) for 30 minutes. The dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.
  3. For the filling: One hour before rolling out the dough, toss strawberries with ¼ cup sugar in a medium bowl. Set aside for 1 hour. Reserve 1 tablespoon strawberry juice (if using for crust). Drain strawberries in colander while rolling out dough.
  4. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough into 12-inch circle on parchment paper. Transfer dough on parchment paper to rimmed baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.
  5. Whisk jam, cornstarch, and salt in a large bowl. Add drained strawberries and toss gently to coat. Remove dough from refrigerator (I transfer to dough to a second rimmed baking sheet that hasn't been chilled) and mound fruit in center, leaving a 2-inch border. Grasp one edge of dough and fold up 2-inches over fruit. Repeat around circumference of galette, overlapping dough every 2-inches. Firmly pinch pleated dough to secure. Sprinkle reserved 1 tablespoon of sugar over the strawberries. Brush top edges of dough with reserved strawberry juice, half and half or whole milk and sprinkle with sparkling sugar.
  6. Bake until crust is deep golden brown and fruit is bubbling, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Let galette cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Warm reserved tablespoon of jam. Brush jam over the berries. Let cool for 15 minutes. Using parchment, carefully slide galette onto serving plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

Dinner, Fruit, Gardening, Lactose Free, Recipes, Salad, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Avocado Salad with Herbs & Capers

March 26, 2021

Avocado Salad with Herbs & Capers

Now that it’s avocado season, we have been enjoying avocado sandwiches with cheddar, chunky guacamole, avocado toast, and avocado eggs Benedict.  The Green Gold tree in our back yard is a heavy bearer and the avocados are incredibly tasty.  So here we have a new addition to our ever expanding recipe file.  The tart dressing and herby flavors compliment the rich, velvety avocado slices.  This salad is a keeper.

Green Gold Avocados

The Green Gold avocado has to be one of the best varieties to grow in Hawaii (a cultivar developed by the University of Hawaii).  The trees are heavy bearers and produce beautiful fruit that are rich and creamy and known for their high oil content.  If you are thinking of planting an avocado tree I highly recommend seeking out the Green Gold.

Herb Dressing

The dressing is reminiscent of a chimichurri sauce. A good splash of red wine vinegar gives the right acidic touch to the herbs, jalapeño and garlic.

Green Gold Avocado, Green Onions, Jalapeño, Garlic, Cilantro & Parsley

The addition of a jalapeño makes for a nice pop of heat.  Since jalapeños vary in their level of spiciness, test the one you use and add more or less according to your taste.  If you don’t have one, sprinkle in some red chili flakes.  You could even use pickled jalapeños if you have those in your refrigerator.

Avocado Salad with Herbs, Capers & Grilled Sourdough Bread

My favorite way to serve this salad is with good, crusty grilled sourdough bread.  Drizzle some of the dressing onto the grilled bread, or scoop some of the avocado salad onto the bread.  Delicious.

Avocado Salad with Herbs, Capers & Grilled Sourdough Bread

Avocado Salad with Herbs & Capers
 
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Adapted from NYT Cooking
Author:
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 medium bunch cilantro
  • 1 medium bunch Italian parsley
  • 2 scallions, very finely chopped
  • 1 medium garlic clove, finely grated or minced
  • 1 small or ½ medium jalapeño, seeded and very finely chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 medium avocados, peeled, pitted and sliced
  • 2 teaspoons capers, drained
  • Maldon sea salt or other flaky salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
  1. Reserve ½ cup of both whole cilantro leaves and parsley leaves. Finely chop the rest of the leaves and transfer to a medium bowl. Add scallions, garlic, jalapeños, salt and vinegar. Stir in oil. Taste and add more salt, vinegar or both if needed.
  2. Scatter the reserved whole cilantro and parsley leaves over two serving plates. Fan the avocado slices over the top, and sprinkle lightly with salt to taste. Spoon herb dressing over the avocado slices, making sure to include the oil in the bowl (you may not use all of the dressing), and top with the capers. Sprinkle with Maldon sea salt and pepper. Serve with crusty grilled sourdough bread brushed with olive oil.

 

 

Breakfast, Dessert, Fruit, Lactose Free, Recipes, Vegetarian, Veggies

Mango Galette

February 14, 2021

Fresh Mango Galette

I had every intention of posting this in August when mangos were abundant, yet here it is, February….  It looks as though it will be a good mango season this year.  All the trees in the neighborhood are full of flowers and keiki fruits right now. So when the time comes and you have a few pounds of mangos and want an easy to assemble dessert, this mango galette is the perfect choice.  It is a beautiful dessert to bring to the table after dinner or to serve with your morning coffee.

Pirie Mango Slices

Between the two types of mango trees we have, the White Pirie is the one I use most often for making jams and preserves as well as for baking.  With its sweet, intense, mango flavor and relatively firm texture, it holds up well when chopped or sliced for recipes such as mango bread, cake, streusel muffins, and this galette.

Arranging Mangos on Galette Dough

Mango Galette Ready to Bake

The wonderful thing about a galette is its free-form shape.  Roll it out, add your ingredients then tuck up the sides.  You will use the entire piece of pie dough since there’s no need to trim the edges of the crust.

Fresh Mango Galette

Serve a slice all by itself, or top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

Fresh Mango Galette with Vanilla Ice Cream

Mango Galette
 
Save Print
Pastry adapted from Dorie Greenspan
Author:
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • Crust:
  • 1½ cups (204g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 stick (8 tablespoons, 4 ounces, 113g) frozen Earth Balance Buttery Sticks cut into about 16 pieces (if using regular unsalted butter increase salt to ½ teaspoon)
  • ¼ cup ice water
  • Filling:
  • ⅓ cup (heaping) granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3 cups (about 2½ pounds) mangos, peeled, seeded, and cut into ⅓-1/2-inch-thick slices
  • mango jam for glaze (can substitute with apricot jam)
Preparation
  1. Dough: Put the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse a few times to blend. Scatter the pieces of butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is cut into the flour. The mixture will look like coarse meal. Continue to pulse until you get small flake-size pieces and some larger pea-size pieces. Add a little of the ice water and pulse, add some more, pulse and continue until all of the water is in. Now work in longer pulses, stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl if needed, until you have a dough that forms nice bumpy curds that hold together when you pinch them. Heads up. Just before you reach this clumpy stage, the sound of the machine working the dough will change.
  2. Gather the dough into a ball, flatten it into a disk and put it between two large pieces of parchment paper. Roll the dough into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Don’t worry about getting the exact size or about having the edges be perfect.
  3. Slide the rolled-out dough, still between the parchment papers onto a baking sheet and freeze for about 15 minutes or refrigerate for 2 hours.
  4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove chilled dough from freezer or refrigerator while you prepare the fruit. The dough should still be cold but pliable and not prone to cracking.
  5. Filling: Place sliced mangos in a large, wide bowl. Combine sugar, corn starch, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle sugar mixture over mangos and toss gently with a wide spatula.
  6. Remove top layer of parchment paper from dough round. Starting 1½ to 2-inches from the edge of the round, arrange the mangoes in a single layer in concentric circles, creating overlapping folds as you work around the perimeter. If your mangos are extra juicy, leave the extra juice in the bowl so the filling does note overflow in the oven. Gently lift the border of the dough up and around the filling, making pleats as you go. Brush the border with half & half or milk. Sprinkle with turbinado or coarse sparkling sugar. This is optional but makes for an attractive and crispy crust.
  7. Bake on the parchment lined baking sheet for 45 - 50 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling. Remove the galette from the oven and brush the fruit with warmed mango jam. Let cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.

 

 

Breakfast, Dessert, Fruit, Lactose Free, Recipes

Fresh Mango Cake

January 6, 2021

Mango Cake

Summer is long gone yet surprisingly our mango trees continue to provide us with fruit.  Is it global warming that has confused our magic mango trees?  Who knows how long this will continue, but for now, we are thrilled to have mangos all year long.  Which brings me to this wonderful mango cake.  The original recipe from Ina Garten features fresh peaches. I just switched them out with mangos and what a delightful version it turned out to be.

Fresh Mango From the Garden

Our Pirie mangos are very sweet and the perfect choice for this cake: like peaches they hold up well in baking.  I also prefer them when making Maui mango bread loaves.

Lactose Free Sour Cream

I made the cake lactose free since this is the best option for me, but feel free to use regular dairy products if you try the recipe.

Cinnamon Sugar

Lots of cinnamon sugar makes for a tasty topping.

Preparing Mango Cake

Preparing Mango Cake

The cake batter and mangos are layered, ending with mangos, pecans, and cinnamon sugar on the top.

Mango Cake

Mango Cake

The cake is moist from the two layers of mangos and the top has a light crunch to it from the pecans and cinnamon sugar.  Fresh mango cake in January is such a treat.

Mango Cake

Fresh Mango Cake
 
Save Print
Adapted from Ina Garten's Peach Cake recipe
Author:
Ingredients
  • 1 stick (4 ounces, 113g) Miyoko's unsalted butter (or regular unsalted butter), at room temperature
  • 1½ cups sugar, divided (7 ounces, 198g = 1 cup and 3½ ounces, 99g = ½ cup)
  • 2 large or extra large eggs (2.2 ounces, 63g each) (Ina calls for extra large eggs. If you don't have them handy, use large eggs. I find that some brands such as Eggland's Best large eggs are heavier than others so I use these instead of extra large).
  • 1 cup (8 ounces, 227g) Green Valley lactose free sour cream (or regular sour cream) at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups (8½ ounces, 240g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2½ pounds ripe but firm mangos, peeled, pitted and sliced
  • ½ cup (2 ounces, 57g) chopped pecans
Preparation
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large bowl and hand mixer), beat butter and 1 cup of sugar for 3 minutes on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time, then the sour cream and vanilla. Mix until the batter is smooth. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. With the mixture on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until just combined. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ½ cup sugar and cinnamon.
  3. Spread half of the batter evenly in the pan. Use an offset spatula if you have one. Top with half of the mango slices, then sprinkle with two-thirds (about 5 tablespoons) of the sugar mixture. Spread the remaining batter on top, arrange the rest of the mangos on the batter and sprinkle with the remaining sugar mixture and the pecans.
  4. Bake the cake for about 55 minutes (check at 50 minutes), or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature. Any leftover cake can be frozen for a few months.

 

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