Jan D'Atri

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Arkansas Pumpkin Cake

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Let’s make fall official! If you’re crazy for an ultra-moist, rich-tasting cake with a mouthwatering frosting, the Arkansas Pumpkin Cake will help kick off this pumpkin harvest season in a big way! This is a dessert that I absolutely love, and I think you will too! The recipe was sent to me by Mary Koeplin of Glendale, Arizona whose husband John was making the cake for her birthday that day. Little did Mary know that her email actually came on my birthday, and it turned out to be a wonderful gift for me, too!

“Dear Jan, I’m having this cake for my birthday and I think you would love it. I got the recipe in 1973 from my cousin Vivian Hanson who lives in Marietta, Georgia. She gave it to me when I was first married 40 years ago. It’s a very unusual cake in that it stays moist forever! Fall seems to be the best time of the year for this spice cake. We’ve only made it as a Bundt cake and it always turns out well.”

I’ve made Mary’s Arkansas Pumpkin Cake in a large Bundt pan and in a 9X13 inch baking dish. I’ve also made the recipe and divided it into two smaller, 8×8 cake pans and froze one for later. The icing is fabulous with this over-the-top moist dessert, and it’s just as delicious refrigerated as it is room temperature. Thank you, Mary! Yet another reason to be thankful as we kick off the holiday season!

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.