And we are back! After a long hiatus and many festivities, Busy as a Brie is returning to the blogosphere. I can’t tell you what a wonderful month it has been… Ivan and I had our long overdue Wedding Renewal/Party on Massachusetts’ spectacular Cape Ann and it was a million times better than I could have imagined!

So now, I have about 45 new kitchen trinkets from our generous guests that I have to start experimenting with! Some of my favorites include a sparkling water maker in the shape of a Penguin(!), a spanking new Cuisinart which is just itching to chop up some onions, a speedy popsicle maker and some wonderful tart, cake, and loaf pans. I’ve got new bowls and pots and whisks, and gorgeous serving bowls, oh my!

Enough bragging… let’s eat some cake.

For the Recipe, click here:

Lemon Chiffon Cake with Strawberry Lemon Curd Filling

I feel very very lucky. Check out that ridiculous bowl of figs! My friend Kurt has a backyard that at the moment is like the garden of Eden. The fig trees are sagging with fruit and to my luck, they are too plentiful for Kurt and his little bird friends!

The two varieties are so singular in their tastes. The dark figs are sweet and slightly syrupy and taste like aged sunshine, and the green ones are like bright pops of sugar, much lighter and simpler in their complexity.

I’m frantically coming up with ways to use them because unfortunately, figs have a short shelf life and I’m already anticipating another bowlful! This cake is moist and buttery with a large fluffy crumb that makes it perfect for a special summer occasion.

For the Recipe, click here:

Fresh Fig and Vanilla Pound Cake

I don’t think there are many things as wonderful as this cake. My mom made this in the summer growing up and my family went wild when she pulled out her blue flowered sauce boat filled with luscious lemon creme fraiche. Every time I make this cake, I think of sitting out on the screened porch, flowers in bloom, someone swinging in the hanging glider and salty hair from the beach. It’s got summer written all over it.

I actually hesitated a bit to share this recipe because it feels like a family heirloom… our little secret. But then I thought, that’s silly because this is just too good not to become a family staple in your house!

For the Recipe, click here:

Mamika’s Blueberry Cake with Lemon Creme Fraiche

This is not the most amazing photo. I only had my little Canon powershot and very limited time and space to snap a picture of this over-the-top cake before it was gobbled up. But the cake…. ohhhhh the amazingness of that!

My dear friend Zipporah turned one year older yesterday and part of the reason I made this decadent confection was because Zipporah is a whiz of a baker, so I needed something that had fireworks. I love Zipporah’s style because you will not find her in the reduced fat aisle. She bakes it right, full on and still manages to stay slim. This in itself should be considered a talent.

Don’t bake this if you have a bunch of friends that only eat celery and lettuce leaves. They won’t be able to handle it… Believe me. Despite what you may think, the backstage at Cirque Du Soleil is like a sweets factory, so I knew the little acrobats could handle this bomb of a cake.

Make it a day ahead for best results!

For the Recipe, click here:

Peanut Butter Torte with Chocolate Ganache

My good friend Kurt turned a year older today. So I baked him a cake and wrote him a poem because Kurt is one of those guys that is hard to buy for… He finds more pleasure in the winey, diney things. Maybe that’s why we get along so well! If you know Kurt, the poem below will make you smile, if not…

For the Recipe, click here:

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake with Fresh Strawberries

Kurt, Kurt, the loveable flirt

Will never say no to a muffin

With black knitted hat and button-up shirt,

His belly, I’ll always be stuffin’.

Come summer his peaches will ripen and fall.

They soften while taking a tumble,

And over I’ll come to gather them all,

Transform them to peach and cream crumble.

In autumn his fig trees will sag with their fruit,

And out on his swing he’ll enjoy them

But birdies will swoop down and steal his sweet loot.

They’ll pluck them right off of the stem.

Kurt is a man that with chocolate in hand

Will share with you all that he’s got

With Thin Mints, ice cold, always on demand

The Girl Scouts are swept of their lot.

Stories he tells are unique and quite varied

From countries and cities galore

And all of the drums that he’s crafted and carried

Have travelled with him through those doors.

From Brazil’s Escola de Samba VAI-VAI

His love for the Quika drum started

He plays it in Vegas with mischievous eye

His Latin love always wholehearted.

But don’t you be fooled because though he is sweet

Kurt’s friendship is fierce and protective

His fatherly wisdom can hardly be beat

He’ll help you develop perspective.

So we all raise a toast or a piece of cheesecake

To celebrate Kurt’s coming year

A better musician he never could make

Nor a friend that’s more special or dear.

Blondies. I mean, really, what else is there to say. I have never met a person that didn’t start salivating at just the mention of Blondies. If only my mom had made them in my childhood, maybe now they wouldn’t be such a weakness for me, but keeping with her super healthy child-rearing philosophy, all I ever got were carob chips… And have you tried carob chips? Deeeeefinitely not chocolate.

Ok, so possibly I am exaggerating, but really, I don’t remember having anything as decadent as a blondie in my early years, so now, I crave them like mad. This is more of a Blondie cake because I just couldn’t bear putting two sticks of butter into a casual weekday baking project (maybe mom rubbed off on me?), but if you have a faster metabolism than I do, go for it. Yours will be slightly gooier.

For the Recipe, click here:

Blondie Cake with Bittersweet Chocolate Drizzle

Baking with pumpkin puree is a dream. I swear I have never made anything with pumpkin that wasn’t super moist and awesome. This is definitely no exception. I have had this can in my pantry for an epic period and since summer is not really a time I crave pumpkin, I had to take advantage of the crisp air and make this bittersweet treat.

This is an interesting cake. It’s not sweet, but not bitter, spicy, but not overpowering, chocolatey, but not rich, and although you can taste the pumpkin, it’s more of a subtle accent than the star. It’s actually a very light cake that goes best with a cup of coffee or a latte.

I also have a confession. I really made this just because I have been dying to display something on my new cake tier. And guess where I got this thing… Goodwill! I kid you not. I absolutely love shopping for little pretty trinkets and vintage dishes at the local Salvation Army. Tea cups for 50 cents? That’s my kind of price. And this cake tier? 7 bucks. I get a thrill knowing it has history and though this may creep some people out, to me, it makes things so much more interesting!

For the Recipe, click here:

Bittersweet Chocolate and Spice Pumpkin Cake

If you aren’t familiar with the Cunningham Muffins video, you may not quite understand why whenever someone says Lemon Poppy-seed, I can’t help but snicker a little. Ever since I saw it, I can’t get the idea of a tart, pucker-up muffin out of my head.

I finally crafted this recipe to get my fix. It’s not a muffin, but I think it might be even better because you can have the equivalent of 3 muffins in one hearty slice and still just call it one serving. Also, if you haven’t clicked on the above link yet, you must. It will make any “Lemon Poppy-seed” concoction so much more entertaining.

For the Recipe, click here:

Lemon Poppy-seed Cake with Raspberry Glaze

Just a warning. If you don’t like cake, don’t tell me it’s your birthday! This chocolate cake is so easy its almost ridiculous. No butter, no hassle, no way you can screw this up. Personally, I have some friends that are afraid of baking and so, this addition to Busy as a Brie is especially for you. I gotta give credit to my mom for this cake recipe. I’ve modified it a little, but if you follow the steps, you will come out with something so wonderful, your friends will think you are a Nigella Lawson in training.

For the whipped cream, if you don’t have some amaretto just hanging around (as Ivan and I do thanks to a recent party where we were shaking up Sidecar Martinis) go to the liquor store and buy the little baby amaretto from behind the cashier counter. Works like a charm.

Mamika’s Chocolate Cake with Amaretto and Coffee Whipped Cream

1 cup water

4 semi-sweet chocolate baking squares (such as Baker’s)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 3/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup milk

2 eggs

1 pint raspberries for decorating

Cocoa Powder for dusting

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a small saucepan, heat the water and the chocolate until the chocolate is completely dissolved and smooth. In a small bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda. In a separate bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, combine sugar, oil, milk and eggs. Mix until combined and slowly add the dry mixture. Add the chocolate water and fully incorporate.

Butter and flour two 9” circular cake pans. (For those non-bakers, to flour the pan, after buttering, add about 1 tbsp flour to the pan and tap until the flour coats the bottom and all sides. Bang out any extra flour.)

Divide the batter between the two pans and bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pans 5 minutes. Loosen sides with a knife and invert cakes onto a rack. Let cool completely before frosting.

Amaretto and Coffee Whipped Cream

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 tbsp brewed coffee

2 tbsp amaretto liqueur (such as DiSaronno)

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp cocoa powder

Whip the cream until it begins to form peaks. Add the other ingredients and whip until combined.

For those not familiar with frosting a cake:

Place 1/2 whipped cream in a piping bag or spoon into a large plastic bag and snip off a small piece from one corner. Spread 1/4 whipped cream on top of one of the cakes. Stack the other one on top. Using a spatula, frost the sides. Pipe in circular rings on top. Dust with cocoa powder and serve with raspberries.