Today is a day when practically everyone in London needs a slice of cake. Why? Because of the Tube strike. For most people, the commute today is longer and more crowded (which also means hotter and sweatier). This was my first strike experience. Last year I was unemployed and it didn’t bother me and last month I had the day off. I left super early to ensure I wasn’t late for work, and in fact, I was an hour early. However, it did take me an hour longer than usual to get here. See, it’s tough. We all need a slice of cake.

If I’m honest, I think the perfect cake to soothe commute related stress is this chocolate lava cake I wrote about a few years ago. It’s the perfect cake because it’s unhealthy, indulgent, and incredibly easy to make. However, this cake is a close second because I think it’s the perfect cake to have for breakfast. And I’m a huge advocate of cake for breakfast. This cake will give you a sugar burst to pep up your morning, it’s not to terribly unhealthy, and then you could have another slice when you get home at the end of the day. 

I think any cake is good for breakfast, but let me sing the praises of this specific cake. First, it has peaches so that right there practically makes it a health food. Before making this cake I had been thinking a lot about baking with peaches. When peaches are good, oh man are they good. When I eat a nice peach it makes me feel like a kid again because the juice dribbles everywhere but the taste is warm and sweet like sunshine. I decided on an upside down cake because then the peach’s natural beauty could be on display (where as in a pie it’s hidden).

Second, this cake is good for breakfast because it’s sweet enough to feel like a treat and give you a pick-me-up, but it’s not so sickly sweet you want to brush your teeth right after. Third, this cake is low in calories. A lot of people eat muffins for breakfast and many of those store bought muffins are basically cakes masquerading as a filling breakfast food. For example, some Starbucks muffins have over 400 calories per muffin! So why not cut out the faking and actually have a real delicious cake for breakfast. This cake, if you cut this cake in 8 slices, each piece has less than 250 calories per serving. Second, it’s made with some whole grain flour, Greek yogurt, and of course peaches so there is actually a bit of nutritional value in this cake. See, the perfect breakfast cake.

It’s also a good anytime cake. (I mean what cake isn’t a good anytime cake). I made this last weekend before heading to my friend’s for board game night and it went over well. This cake is sweet enough that it feels like dessert but you don’t have to feel guilty. And of course, the best part of the cake is the delicious peaches. They add a slight crunch and a bright juiciness. It’s wonderful. The overall taste is the right balance of wholesome and sweet. And for a day like today with a tough commute, I think we could all use that combo of a treat that’s not so bad for you. So go ahead, have some cake London. We deserve it.

Messy level: I think all cakes are three spoon recipes. You need two bowls, you have to measure so much, and of course I spill flour everywhere. Also this batter is really thick so it’s not pourable. You basically have to slap it down on top of the peaches and then smooth is with a knife (or your fingers if you’re like me). A bit messy, but worth it. Cake is always worth it.

Peach Upside Down Cake

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

Serves: 8 slices

Ingredients

• 2 small-medium peaches, thinly sliced
• 6 tablespoons butter, divided (plus extra not-melted for greasing)
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon whisky
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• ½ cup low-fat buttermilk, at room temperature
• ⅓ cup plain fat-free yogurt, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
2. Grease a 8" cake pan with butter. Line the bottom with parchment paper and grease that.
3. In a small bowl whisk together 3 tablespoons of butter, the brown sugar, and the whisky. Dip the slices of peaches into this sugar mixture.
4. Line the bottom of your prepared pan with the dipped peaches. Arrange the peaches in pretty concentric circles.
5. In a medium bowl, mix together the sugar, both flours, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.
6. In another bowl whisk together the egg, buttermilk, yogurt, 3 tablespoons of butter, and vanilla extract until smooth.
7. Pour the wet ingredients into the well of the dry ingredient. Fold together until just combined. It will be a thick batter.
8. Spoon the batter over the peaches. Smooth out the batter with a knife or your finger.
9. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until browned and a toothpick put in the center comes out mostly clean.
10. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool for one minute.
11. Run a knife around the outside edge of the cake to loosen it. Then carefully invert the cake and remove the pan.
12. Cut, serve, enjoy!

3.3.3077

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First,  if there is a way I can put more vegetables in my food, I will do it. I know people who are anti-hiding vegetable – but not me. I’m always trying to find a way to get more veggies in my diet. I like green smoothies and the zucchini chocolate chip cookies from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, and I like today’s muffins. When I saw a picture called “spinach Popeye muffins” on Pinterest, I knew it was something I had to try. I mean, make me strong like Popeye and they taste good? Yes please. Try not to be put off by the green muffins. They are fun looking and taste like banana bread. 

Second, this is the first baking recipe I have ever significantly altered! When I read the original recipe, I wanted to decrease the sugar and make it a bit healthier. But, I wasn’t really sure how to do it because I know baking is a science and messing it can lead to bad results. Then I read this article from the Harvard School of Public Health and decided, “what the heck, let’s try it.” So I decreased the sugar by a 1/3, I substituted some brown sugar for the white, and I used low-fat yogurt instead of whole milk. I had no idea how it was going to come out. Luckily it came out SO TASTY!!! The muffins don’t really rise though and the muffin is a bit sticky in texture – both of which I think are a result of my meddling.  Still they tasted amazing and I’m sure with a little more meddling, I could fix those issues. But in summation, Ryan and I ate 7 about as soon as they came out of the oven.

Which leads me to my third and final point. While I was baking I was video chatting with my family and I showed them these muffins. There were skeptical and asked Ryan and I to eat one on camera. Anyway, we told them the muffins were sweet and tasted like banana bread. And the best part is they promised if I posted the recipe they would try it. So, here it is guys.

If you’re off put by green spinach-banana muffins, I’ll post a regular banana bread recipe next week.

Adapted from The Green Forks.

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole-wheat flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup canola oil

3/4 non-fat Greek yogurt

1 6oz bag of baby spinach

2-3 mashed ripe bananas

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Ingredients:

1. Preheat oven to 350° and line the muffin pan with paper liners.

2. Whisk together the flours, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.

3. Place the oil, yogurt, and spinach in a blender. Blend on high until pureed. You might have to do this in batched (I did because my blender is weak).

4. Add the banana and vanilla to the blender and blend until just mixed.

5. Pour pureed mixture into the dry ingredients. Fold together with a rubber spatula until combined.

6. Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until  toothpick poked in the center comes out clean.

7. Let cool (if you can wait!)

8. Try it!!

Messy level: This recipe is a three spoon recipe, although if you have a nice blender maybe fewer spoons. I tried to put all the spinach, yogurt, and oil in the blender at once and all I was doing was overheating the blender. I then took it out and did things in batches, which meant using another bowl. And of course it’s me, so I got green drops of batter all over the counter. Overall, not too messy, just gotta be careful.

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This weekend Ryan was in his friend Tommy’s wedding in Atlanta. We left on Thursday and stayed overnight with our friends who live in North Carolina.  They just moved into a beautiful new house with the most amazing kitchen. (To digress a bit, their kitchen is truly a dream kitchen with a huge fridge, two ovens, and a beautiful gigantic island. I wish I had taken pictures).  Anyway, it was wonderful to see them, their new home, and to catch up. We parted and I was so sad to leave them. I asked Ryan if when we come back if we could be their neighbors (and so I could have an awesome kitchen too).

Ryan and his oldest friends. The groom is second from the right.

Then we drove on to Atlanta for the wedding and spent the weekend with Ryan’s childhood friends and their girlfriends. It was such a blast hanging out, overdosing on sugary soda at the World of Coke, dancing, and spending time together. They are like family, we spend a week with them every summer at the beach, and it doesn’t matter if we do nothing or something we always have a good time.  And again Ryan and I thought, “why don’t we live closer to them? Let’s be their neighbors.” Sigh. All the people we are going to miss when we move.

So Saturday night after the wedding, I went to bed a bit weepy thinking, “tomorrow is the day things change.” Ryan and I drove straight back to Virginia (10 surprisingly non-painful hours), hung out in the apartment for a bit, and then I drove him to the airport. After such a long travel weekend, Ryan flew to London. He probably needed a cookie himself.

I drove home sad and feeling bad that I wasn’t going with him yet. Then I watched Walking Dead  by myself and after that normal apartment noises started to sound scary. I was feeling tired from the travel, blue about moving away from friends, and stressed about all the packing and prep still to be done.

Me and Ryan in bubbles at the World of Coke

But then I woke up this morning with a snow day, which eased my stress because I had time to clean and pack. The best part though was that I got to talk to Ryan. He looked really happy and in good spirits. He showed me around our flat (tiny but very cute). And it all became real – in a great way. The adventure has begun!! It’s real, exciting, wonderful and I had tons of energy to start packing. I know the nerves and worries will come back, but I’m super excited for my flight in a few days.

So you see, cookies were a must. These cookies are really delicious. I adapted this recipe from the one on the back of the Tollhouse chocolate chip bag. I love these cookies because they are the right amount of chewy and firm. In the oven, the cookies spread a bit but still hold a little height which I think makes for a great bite. They are sweet, tasty, and addicting. So what’s going on in your life? Try to find a way to work some cookies into your day.

Ingredients

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp kosher salt (I did not use table salt)

1 cup of butter (softened)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 brown sugar (I used light)

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 12oz package of chocolate chips

Directions:

1. 20-30 minutes before you want to get baking, take the butter out of the fridge and leave it on your counter. Come back to it in 20-30 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 375°.

3. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt.

4. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar for 2 minutes on medium speed. This is going to make the butter really light and fluffy like whipped cream. You might think this is a long time, but I really like what the fluffy butter does to the cookies.

4. Add in the vanilla and mix until incorporated.

5. Add the eggs, one at a time. Don’t add the second one in, until the first is already mixed in. Beat until both are well mixed.

6. Gradually pour the flour mixture into the butter/egg/sugar mixture. I did this in four batches. Pour a bit, mix until that bit is 70% incorporated, then repeat.

7.  Mix in the chocolate chips.

8. Make balls of dough that are about 1.5-2 tablespoon in size. Drop on a cookie sheet and flatten the top just a bit.

9. Bake for 8-10 minutes (I did 8 minutes). You want the cookies to be golden and just a bit brown. Look how many cookies this recipe makes! It’s almost 4 dozen.

10. Dip in milk and be really happy.

Messy Level: One spoon. Cookies are so easy because you only need two bowls and one cookie sheet.

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