Cakes – Page 13

Gotta Ciabatta? Ken’s Artisan Bakery

June 21, 2011Filed in: Reviews

338 NW 21st Ave & Flanders • 503.248.2202 • kensartisan.com

I have lived in the Pearl District/Downtown Portland area for about 4 years now and had never been to Ken’s Artisan Bakery on NW 21st. I’m really not sure why – I love bakeries (obviously), I love fresh baked bread, and Ken’s is known for having fantastic quality food, but for some reason I just had never ventured inside their cute cafe. I decided last weekend that I would finally check it out!

I was slightly overwhelmed by so many awesome choices staring at me from the bakery display case. Realizing that I probably wouldn’t go wrong with anything I picked, my approach was based on the time. Seeing that it was 10am and they didn’t have breakfast sandwiches, I thought to myself “I really should have a breakfasty pastry to be healthier” so I decided on a Rhubarb Galette – I mean, that has fruit so it totally counts, right? The galette was a good balance of tart rhubarb and buttery pastry with a sprinkling of raw turbinado sugar on top, which gave it a nice sweet crunch. Continue Reading...

Perfect Pre-Race Pound Cake

June 18, 2011Filed in: Recipes

So tonight is the night before my very first full marathon! I am a little nervous (even though like my mom told me earlier today, “the worst that can happen is that you have to take a cab to the finish line!”) but fortunately I have been training with an amazing group of friends, which has made it so much easier and more enjoyable!

Delicious homemade Lemon Pound Cake

The five of us had a “team” pre-race dinner tonight that was incredible – fresh pasta with homemade tomato sauce, eggplant and chicken parmesan, spinach salad, quinoa salad, and garlic bread. Yummy! If only I could eat like this every day (without having to run 26.2 miles every day, of course)!

As I always love an excuse to bake, I offered to make dessert. I wanted to do something on the lighter side however and decided that a lemon pound cake with fresh strawberries sounded perfect. So as a new addition to Bakery Bingo, here is the recipe for you all to enjoy! It is fantastic and looks great, while not being too difficult or time intensive. It is adapted from Cooking Light, so it also isn’t too calorific – it is about 300 calories per slice as compared to Starbucks’ Lemon Pound Cake which has 490! Yet you wouldn’t think it was a “light” dish as it is still delicious!

Sour Cream Lemon Pound Cake

Active Time: 35 minutes; Cooking Time: 2 hours and 5 minutes

Ingredients:

Cooking spray
1 tablespoon flour (or dry breadcrumbs)
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter (1.5 sticks), softened
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 (8-ounce) carton low-fat sour cream
Frosting: 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Frosting: 1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°.

Coat a 10-inch bundt or tube pan with cooking spray, and dust with 1 tablespoon of flour (knocking off any excess). Continue Reading...

The Good for You Donut: Petunia’s Pies & Pastries

June 5, 2011Filed in: Reviews

PSU Farmer’s Market • petuniaspiesandpastries.com

Flaxseed, no eggs and no butter – not exactly the ingredient list I would think of to create delicious desserts. Yet somehow Lisa Clark, owner of Petunia’s Pies & Pastries has mastered it. She has been able to transform the world of vegan andgluten-free treats from inedible, crumbly messes to high-end, beautiful, delicious pastries that even those without dietary restrictions crave. Myself included.

My favorite - Peanut Butter & Jelly Blondie

I met Lisa about two years ago from one of my good friends, Hannah, who studied abroad with Lisa in college. Knowing of my love of dessert and life-long dream to open a bakery one day, Hannah introduced me to Lisa, who was starting her own bakery, specializing in a gluten-free and vegan menu. With a charismatic personality and an impressive resume including Papa Haydn, which is renowned for its desserts, I knew her bakery would do great. Petunia’s certainly has, with booths at several different Farmer’s Markets, products at Whole Foods grocery stores, and catering for weddings. With an ever-growing list of treats including cookies, pies, and now even donuts, all of which are gluten-free and vegan, Petunia’s never seems to disappoint its loyal customer base. Continue Reading...