Jan D'Atri

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St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake

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I’ve had the recipe for the famous St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake in my “must bake” folder for several years now. I didn’t really know anything about it. I just knew if it had gooey and butter in the title, it was destined for my oven. Then I forgot about it, until one of my cooking pals, Janne Mahan, moved to St. Louis, Missouri. There, she established a book club, and then the pandemic put a halt to group gatherings. Her book club then began to via Zoom video conferencing. Since the members of Janne’s book club were also foodies, I thought it might be fun to have her poll the group and let me know what their very favorite St. Louis foods are. As it turns out, top of the list was the St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake. It was the perfect excuse to pull out my folder, dig for the recipe and get to work. Holy Cow. No wonder it’s a favorite! This cake is one sweet St. Louis treat! It’s dense and rich and acts a bit like a brownie with a dusting of powdered sugar baked into the top. It has two distinct layers; the bottom one is the pound cake and the top is a blend of cream cheese, powdered sugar and eggs which provides the gooeyness. It’s perfect as a coffee or snack cake and is a great make-ahead treat to transport to a picnic or party. Not only is St. Louis the home of the world’s tallest arch known as the Gateway to the West, but also the city rich with ooey gooey goodness!

Watch my How To Video for St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake here!

Swedish Oven Pancakes

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This recipe couldn’t be more simple or delicious. It’s a treasured breakfast dish that Jeanette Irwin served to guests for years at her historic Honey House Bed and Breakfast in Phoenix. Jeanette’s recipe is for Swedish Oven Pancakes, and I think it’s going to be one of your favorites, especially this time of year when out of town guests arrive for the holidays. It’s also perfect for a family style Sunday breakfast! Jeanette shared with me why this recipe is so special. “This is the heritage recipe that I had always for my guests. My great-grandmother came here from Sweden and it’s her recipe for Swedish Oven Pancakes. These pancakes are also called Pankannugen or Ugnspannkaka, and I bake my Pankannugen in a “pam”, or ceramic dish.” I tested Jeanette’s recipe it in a glass casserole dish and it turned out beautifully. It whips together in just a few minutes and is absolutely delicious, especially served with butter and maple syrup. So, a big thumbs up on this one. Thank you Jeanette, for allowing us to enjoy your heritage one delicious bite at time!

About the Honey House:

It was Featured on HGTV’s “If Walls Could Talk” Honey House was homesteaded in 1895. The original owner was the first agricultural agent for Arizona to teach beekeeping to the farmers. At one time there were 1,500 bee hives on the property. The giant eucalyptus in front of the house was declared a “Great Tree of Arizona” in 2004 by Gov. Napolitano.

Strawberry Excuse Cake

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If I create it, then I get to name it, right? So, I’m naming this scrumptious, moist strawberry bake the Strawberry Excuse Cake! Because, beside a delicious ruby red batter made from fresh crushed strawberries and jell-o, The top is, well, over the top! The cake is basically an excuse to incorporate all of your favorite cake toppings! I’ve added things like strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, star fruit and chopped Snickers bars, but you can add whatever your heart desires! Besides achieving a deep, rich cake batter, I also wanted the real flavor of fresh strawberries to come through, so instead of the cup of water required in the cake mix, I replaced the water with strawberry juice. (For this recipe I used V-8 V-Fusion Strawberry Banana Juice) This optional, but I also added several tablespoons of strawberry liqueur to the batter, which gave the cake another boost of berry! Buttercream or a white icing goes beautifully with this strawberry cake and all of the delicious topping! Need an excuse to make dessert this week? This one takes the cake!

Watch my How to Video for the Strawberry Excuse Cake here!