sweets – The Foodie Cutie

The Ultimate Oreo Bundt Cake

I never thought I’d make a cake that would call for about 50 Oreo cookies in the recipe, but here we are. And, I don’t regret the decision at all. This, what I am deeming, The Ultimate Oreo Bundt Cake recipe is one of those delicious accidents that happen in the kitchen from time to time. I was trying to find a way to avoid eating the large pack of Oreo cookies my husband bought so my solution was to mask them in an even more delicious thing – cake!

This cake is so soft and fluffy and the frosting is meant to mimic a “cookies and milk” taste. If you don’t like Oreos, well this cake is the base for some of my other cake recipes so you can sub in chopped nuts, some dried fruits, skip it all together and add some fresh lemon or lemon extract. There are as many combinations to this cake as there are Oreo cookie flavors.

If you have questions along the process of making this dessert, head over to my instagram where I can connect with you and answer you via DMs. @thefoodiecutie I hope you enjoy this sure to be crowd-pleaser!

INGREDIENTS

Oreo Cookies, 1 packet (40-50 cookies)
Unsalted Butter, 1 1/2 sticks (room-temp, sliced)
Coconut Oil, 1/2 cup
Sugar, 1 cup
Eggs, 4
Vanilla Paste, 1 tbsp
AP Flour, 3 cups
Baking Powder, 1 tbsp
Salt, 1 tsp
Warm Milk, 2 cups

chocolate vanilla frosting

Powdered Sugar, 1 1/2 cups
Salt, 1/4 tsp
Cocoa Powder, 1 tbsp
Milk, 3 tbsp
Vanilla Extract, 1 tsp
Lemon Juice, 1/2 tsp

HOW TO MAKE IT

The Oreos. In a food processor, pulse 40-50 Oreo cookies until crumbly. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the ground mixture, then set aside the rest.

Make the batter. In a large mixing bowl, add the butter, coconut oil, and sugar. Use a hand mixer to cream this together. Once it’s creamy, add the eggs in, one at a time. Once combined, mix in the vanilla paste.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Little by little, add the flour to the large mixing bowl followed by a little of the milk at a time. Do this until both the flour mix and milk are evenly combined to form your batter.

Using a silicone spatula, fold in the ground Oreo cookies into the batter. Mix evenly then set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes.

Bake. Set the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a bundt pan and pour in the batter. Lightly tap the pan on a hard surface 1-2 times to release any air bubbles. Now bake the cake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Do not open the oven during baking time.

Make the frosting. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together all of the frosting ingredients. The consistency should be slightly thick, but pourable.

Decorate. Once the bundt cake is out of the oven, allow it to cool for about 10 minutes before flipping it onto a wire rack. Once the cake has cooled completely, place the wire rack on a baking sheet. Use a spoon to drizzle the frosting over the cake and then top with the remaining crushed Oreos. Done!

Easy Gulab Jamun

Often described as fried donuts soaked in a spiced sugar syrup, Gulab Jamuns are so much more than that. These plump sweets are probably the first thing you had at an Indian restaurant or elicit fond memories from older days. We didn’t make this dessert much when I was a kid. I was always craving semiya payasam. But, because it is such an iconic sweet to offer for special occasions (or really any time), my mom grew determined to learn how to make it. I think I got my incessant recipe testing from her. No matter the time of day or how many things were already cooked, there was always time for a test to see if you could perfect a dish you had in mind.

The process of making gulab jamun is surprisingly simple, but, much like how every household has their own version of making chaya (tea), this is one of those recipes I already know will get lovingly scrutinized. Some will make this with milk solids as opposed to milk powder. Some will add spices to the dough. Rose petals will be used as opposed to rose essence. Speaking of rose essence, it’s not the same as rose water. Rose water is a more diluted form of the essence so a little essence goes a long way!

On to the recipe. I am sure you might have questions along the process of making this. If you do, head over to my instagram where I can connect with you and answer you via DMs. @thefoodiecutie I hope you enjoy this sweet treat!

INGREDIENTS

Oil for frying, ghee or canola oil
Pistachios, chopped, optional garnish

Sugar Syrup

Sugar, 2.5 cups
Water, 2 cups
Green Cardamom Pods, 8, ground
Cloves, 2, ground
Lime Juice, 1 tsp
Salt, 1/4 tsp
Rose Essence, 1/4 tsp
Saffron, 2 pinches

Dough

Milk Powder, 1 cup
AP Flour, 1/4 cup
Baking Soda, 1/2 tsp
Ghee, 1 tbsp
Yogurt, 1 tbsp
Warm Milk, 1/4 cup
Lime juice, 1/2 tsp

HOW TO MAKE IT

Make the sugar syrup. In a sauce pot, add all of the ingredients for the sugar syrup EXCEPT the rose essence and saffron. Once this comes to a boil, stir and let boil on medium for about 4-5 minutes. After about 5 minutes (or once it feels lightly sticky to the touch), add in the rose essence and saffron. Set aside.

Make the dough. In a mixing bowl, add the milk powder, AP flour, and baking powder. Whisk together. Drop the ghee into the bowl and then use your fingertips to start pinching the ghee and powder mix together. Do this until you get small clumps of dough. Now in a cup, lightly mix the milk and yogurt together. Pour this in batches to the dough mix and use the same pinching method with your fingertips to clump the dough together. When the milk and yogurt is mostly incorporated, add in the lime juice and repeat the process. Once everything is evenly mixed together, you should be able to pinch the dough together so that it holds.

Form the balls. I like to roll the balls from the loose state versus rolling the dough into one big ball and breaking off smaller pieces from there. You can try either way. Lightly grease your hands with some ghee and then grab enough dough so that you can form a round shape about 1″ diameter. Keep in mind these will plump up once we add them to the sugar syrup so you don’t want the dough balls to be too large. Tightly roll these balls in your hands so that there are no cracks. Once completely smooth set aside, covered with a paper towel.

Fry and soak. In a deep skillet, add enough oil so it’s about 2″ deep. Heat the oil and then reduce the heat to low. Add a few of the dough balls at a time into the oil. Let this cook on low for 1-2 minutes using a slotted spoon to roll the balls and help cook evenly all around. Once a deep golden brown color forms, drop it into the warm sugar syrup. Let this soak for about an hour or overnight. You can eat these warm or cold. Enjoy!

Lemon Pound Cake

This is one of my mom’s many classic dessert recipes. Just about any time we’d have friends or family come over to our home, we’d tidy up the house and then the last thing she’d do is bake this Lemon Pound Cake so that the house would be full of its citrus-y, buttery aroma. As you can guess, I LOVED when people came over 🙂

This is by no means meant to be a healthy recipe as you can see from the amount of sugar and butter that goes into the mixing bowl; it’s what true pound cakes call for! The strangest ingredient you’re probably curious about is the use of soda (specifically 7-Up) in the cake. This is a trick my mom read about in an old, southern food cookbook back in the 80s and it just stuck with her recipe. It’s weird, but it works!

My favorite way to eat this rich, moist cake is with fruit preserves and a dollop of fresh whipped cream.

If you decide to make this tag me @thefoodiecutie on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter or comment below with how this turns out for you 🙂

INGREDIENTS

Unsalted Butter, 3 sticks, room temperature/soft
Sugar, 3 cups

Eggs, 6

Salt, 1/4 tsp
AP Flour, 3 cups
Baking Powder, 1 tsp
Lemon-Lime Soda (7-Up or Sprite), 3/4 cup
Vanilla Extract, 1/2 tbsp
Lemon Juice, 1 tbsp
Optional, Lemon Zest, 1/2 tsp grated

HOW TO MAKE IT

In a large mixing bowl, add the butter and sugar. Using a hand-mixer on medium high speed and beat until it’s creamy and fluffy. This should take a few minutes.

Add the eggs, one by one, and mix until evenly combined.

Add the flour, cup by cup, along with the baking powder and salt then gently mix in on low speed.

Once combined, add in the soda, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Mix until combined. This is a thick batter.

Grease a bundt pan or two loaf pans with spray oil or butter. Add about a tbsp of AP flour to the pan then tilt and tap the pan so that the AP flour moves and lightly dusts the entire pan. Pour in the batter and then lightly tap the pan against your working surface to burst an air pockets in the batter.

Set the oven to 315 degrees and bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes. The edges should be golden brown and the center will be slightly cracked. Insert a toothpick and, if it comes out clean, it’s done!

Jalebi Waffles with Saffron Maple Syrup and Pista Whipped Cream

Who says you can’t have dessert for breakfast? This recipe was inspired by photographer, Pooja Rudra, and my love for Indian sweets. Every bite of this waffle will hopefully remind you of the crunchy, sweet, savory goodness that is jalebis.

If you decide to make this tag me @thefoodiecutie on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter or comment below with how this turns out for you 🙂

INGREDIENTS

Jalebi Waffles

dry ingredients

All Purpose (Maida) Flour, 2 cups
Chickpea (Besan) Flour, 1/4 cup
Green Cardamom Pods, 20, ground
Baking Powder, 1 tsp
Brown Sugar, 1/4 cup
Salt, 1 tsp
Orange Food Color, 1/4 tsp

wet ingredients

Eggs, 2, beaten
Ghee, 1/4 cup, melted
Yogurt, 1/4 cup
Warm Milk, 1 1/2 cup

Saffron Maple Syrup

Maple Syrup, 1 cup, warmed
Saffron, 1 pinch
Lemon Juice, 1 tbsp
Honey, 1/2 cup

Pista Honey Cream Cream

Cream Cheese, 1 cup
Pistachios, 1/2 cup, ground
Green Cardamom Pods, 5, ground
Honey, 1/4 cup
Milk, 1/4 cup

(Optional) Garnish with chopped pistachios and powdered sugar

HOW TO MAKE IT

Mix. Add all of the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. Now, add in the beaten eggs, melted ghee, yogurt, and warm milk. Mix this together really well. You should have a bright, orange batter. In a waffle press, add in the batter (amount depends on your waffle press) and cook per waffle press instructions.

Pour. To make the saffron maple syrup, take a cup of maple syrup and warm it in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Take a pinch of saffron and grind it between your fingers while it’s pinched and sprinkle it into the maple syrup. Mix in the lemon juice and honey. Set aside.

Dollop. To make the pista honey cream cheese, add all of the ingredients into a bowl and whisk together so it’s a creamy consistency. If it’s too stiff, add a little more milk. Set aside.

Assemble. Place the waffle on a plate and dust with powdered sugar. Place a big dollop of the pista honey cream cheese on the center of the waffle. Pour the desired amount of saffron maple syrup over the waffle. Sprinkle crushed pistachios on top. Done!

Salted Chai Donuts with Spiced Coconut Cream Drizzle

The colder months always call for something warm and cozy and that’s exactly what these Salted Chai Donuts with Spiced Coconut Cream Drizzle offer. The sweet spices of green cardamom, fennel, and ginger bring together a welcoming hug of snuggly sweetness to your tastebuds. This recipe is so quick and easy to make and is great for a quick snack with come Bru coffee or a holiday gift for friends and family.

If you decide to make this tag me @thefoodiecutie on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter or comment below with how this turns out for you 🙂

INGREDIENTS

Batter

AP Flour, 2 cups
Baking Powder, 2 tsp
Sugar, 1 cup
Jaggery, 1/2 cup
Salt, 1/4 tsp
Egg, 1, beaten
Milk, 1 cup, warmed
Instant Black Tea Powder, 1 tsp
Butter, 2 tbsp, melted
Vanilla Extract, 2 tsp

Spice Blend

Green Cardamom Pods, 10, ground
Fennel Seeds, 1 tsp ground
Cloves, 4, ground
Cinnamon, 1 tsp
Ginger Powder, 2 tsp

Spiced Coconut Cream Drizzle

Coconut Oil, 2 tbsp melted
Vanilla Extract, 1 tsp
Milk, 3 tbsp
Powdered Sugar, 1 1/2 cups
Green Cardamom Pods, 3, ground
Ginger Powder, 1 tsp
Salt, 1/2 tsp
Cream Cheese, 2 tbsp

HOW TO MAKE IT

Dry ingredients. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, sugar, jaggery, salt and the spice blend.

Wet ingredients. Beat the egg and set aside. Warm up the milk and add in the instant black tea. Add the butter to the warm tea milk and let it melt. Once melted, add the beaten egg, tea milk mixture, and vanilla extract to the bowl of dry ingredients. Mix together really well and let sit for about 5-10 minutes. (Letting the batter rest helps all the ingredients come together and makes for a fluffier baked donut).

Let’s bake! Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a donut pan, spoon in the donut batter so that it’s a little less than 3/4th full (these rise so you don’t want to fill the spaces too high). Bake for about 12-14 minutes.

The drizzle. While the donuts bake, get a small mixing bowl and add in all of the ingredients for the spiced coconut cream. Mix together really well. The consistency should be slightly loose so that it’s easy to drizzle over the donuts. If the cream is too thick splash in some more milk.

Assemble. Once the donuts are baked, flip them on to a wire rack to cool. Once cool, take a spoon and drizzle the frosting over the donuts (vertically) so that it forms a stripe pattern. (You can also dip the top of the donut in the cream). Done!

Continue reading Salted Chai Donuts with Spiced Coconut Cream Drizzle

Jaggery Ginger Open Apple Pie

I don’t always choose to make things as “easy as apple pie.” Part of me likes to bend and twist things so I can feel like it’s my own. Simplicity is nice and all, but I love the intricacies you can unveil within the minimal space. That’s how I ended up with this Jaggery Ginger Open Apple Pie.

It’s molasses-y sweet with a little spice from the ginger and cinnamon, but all around cozy and comforting. I hope you enjoy making it!

Planning to make this recipe or have any questions?

Tag me in your picture @thefoodiecutie on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter or comment below!

INGREDIENTS

Dough

AP Flour, 1 cup
Sugar, 1 tbsp
Salt, ¼ tsp
Cold, Unsalted Butter, 6 tbsp
Yogurt, ¼ cup
Baking Soda, 1/8 tsp

Apple Filling

Apples (any red variety), 5, peeled, diced
Ginger, 1 inch, finely minced
Lime, juice of 1
Jaggery, 1 cup
Sugar, 1/3 cup
Unsalted Butter, 2 tbsp
Cinnamon, 2 tsp
Salt, ¼ tsp
Vanilla Extract, 1 tsp
Cornstarch, 1 1/2 tbsp
Soft Caramels, 6-8 pieces

HOW TO MAKE IT

Start by making the pie dough.

Take the yogurt and the baking soda and mix really well in a cup, then set aside.

Combine the AP flour, sugar, and salt. Add this to a food processor.

Pulse in, by a tablespoon at a time, the cold, unsalted butter. *Make sure this is COLD butter so that it helps form crumbs when you pulse it.

Now, add in the yogurt and pulse until it forms clumps.

Dump the dough into a bowl and knead into a ball. Roll this up in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Now on to the apple filling.

In a mixing bowl, add the peeled/diced apples and the lime juice. Mix together and set aside.

In a deep skillet on medium heat, add the jaggery, sugar, and butter. Once it begins to meltdown, add in the apples. Let this cook for about 8-10 minutes so that it softens the apples.

Add in the cinnamon, salt, and vanilla extract. Mix well and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes.

Once the apples are tender, remove from heat and mix in the cornstarch really well. Let this cool. *This will begin to thicken as it cools.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. I used an 8×8 baking pan to make my pie, but you can use a regular 9″ pie dish if you’d like.

Take the dough out and roll it out to the shape of your pan (or close to it) making sure it’s at least a 1/2 cm thick. Place this in your pie pan and press it down and out to the edges of the pan. Ensure the dough is pressed up on the sides at least one inch. Use a fork and lightly poke in a few aeration holes (don’t go too crazy with it!).

Now, pour in half of your cooled apple filling. Take the caramel candies and slightly flatten them. Place them evenly on top of the filling. Now pour in the remaining filling.

Bake for 40 minutes or until the edges become golden brown. Done!

*Serve with vanilla ice cream and/or some whipped cream on top.

Coffee Coconut Brownies

To be honest, I’m not the biggest chocolate fan. But, the minute you tell me it has coconut in it, I’m all in! This is one of those brownies that gives you the perfect excuse to eat it for breakfast given its caffeine kick (mmm Nescafe!). What makes this recipe is the use of freshly grated coconut. You can easily buy this in the frozen section of your (ethnic) grocer. I prefer this over baking coconut because of it’s more natural taste and texture.

My favorite part about this brownie is it’s cracked top, but gooey center. The key to getting that cracked top is refrigerating the batter. Be sure to follow this step 🙂

Planning to make this recipe or have any questions?

Tag me in your picture @thefoodiecutie_ on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter or comment below!

INGREDIENTS

Unsalted Butter, 1 1/2 sticks, melted
Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Sheet, 3.5 oz
Salt, 1/4 tsp
Cocoa Powder, 1/2 cup
Nescafe Instant Coffee, 1 tbsp
White Sugar, 1/2 cup
Brown Sugar, 1/2 cup
Eggs, 3
Vanilla Extract, 1 tsp
AP Flour, 1 cup
Milk Chocolate Chips, 1/2 cup
Fresh Grated Coconut, 1/2 cup

HOW TO MAKE IT

PREP. Grease a 9×9 baking pan and then lightly dust with AP flour. Tap the pan all around to ensure the flour dusts the greased areas evenly/no clumps of flour are present.

MELT. In a double boiler (a sauce pot with a little water and a heat safe mixing bowl placed on top) on medium high heat, add in the butter and dark chocolate. Use a whisk to stir this until it melts completely. Once melted, mix in the salt then remove from heat.

MIX. In the same bowl mix in the cocoa powder and instant coffee. Now mix in the white sugar and brown sugar. Add in the eggs one at a time. Mix in the vanilla extract. Add in the AP flour and mix very well. Finally, mix in the chocolate chips and fresh grated coconut.

COOL. Pour this batter into the 9×9 pan, spread evenly, and then refrigerate for about 20 minutes.

BAKE. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the brownie to test. If it comes out clean, it’s done. Cut into square. Enjoy!

Parippu Payasam

Most of us South Indian kids grew up craving (and maybe only knowing about) one type of payasam and that’s semiya payasam. But, parippu payasam is another version full of delicious flavor. It’s made using green gram (moong dal) and sabudana (tapioca pearls) with ghee-roasted coconut, raisins, and cashews then stewed in jaggery and coconut milk.

I hope you enjoy making this and, as always, if you decide to re-create it, I’d love to see how it turns out for you. Tag me on social @thefoodiecutie_ on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter 🙂

INGREDIENTS

Green Gram (Whole Moong Dal), 1 cup
Ghee, 1 tbsp
Fresh Coconut, 1/4 cup, cut into thin 1/4 inch wide pieces
Black Raisins, 1/4 cup
Raw Cashews, halved 1/4 cup
Jaggery, 2 cups
Warm Water, 1 1/2 cups
Thick Coconut Milk, 1 can (take 1/2 the milk and dilute with 1 cup warm water)
Sabudana/Sago (Tapioca Pearls), 1/2 cup
Green Cardamom, 8 pods, ground
Dry Ginger Powder, 2 tsp
Cumin, 1 tsp, ground
Salt, 1/4 tsp

HOW TO MAKE IT

In a pressure cooker, add in the green gram and 2 cups of water. Cook on high pressure for about 12 minutes. The green gram should be soft. Now, using a spatula, gently mash the green gram. Don’t mash this completely; leave some of the green gram shape. Set aside.

Now, in a small frying pan on medium high heat, add in the ghee. Once melted, add in the coconut pieces and fry until a light brown color appears, now reduce the heat to medium low and add in the raisins and cashews. Be careful not to burn the cashews. Fry until the raisins plump up. Set aside.

Now in an uruli or large shallow pan on medium high heat, add in the jaggery and warm water. Let the jaggery melt until it forms a thin honey-like consistency. This should take about 10-15 minutes.

Add in the mashed dal and cook for another minute.

The coconut milk will be added in two batches, one diluted, and the other, thick. *We add in the thinned coconut milk to allow it to stew in the dal. If you add in all of the coconut milk, it will end up separating.

Take half the can of coconut milk and dilute it with 1 cup of warm water and add this to the dal along with the sabudana. Let this cook on low heat for about 5-10 minutes or until the payasam thickens.

Now, add in the thick coconut milk and cook for only a minute then turn off heat.

Finally, add in spices and the fried ingredients. Mix evenly. Done!

White Chocolate Coconut Cheesecake w/ Matcha Pista Cookie Crust

It’s been awhile since I last shared a dessert recipe. I’m not sure why either because it’s not like I don’t have an overindulgent sweet tooth. Anyway, this recipe has my favorite ingredient, coconut! It’s creamy, but not overly sweet and offers some tanginess from the lime, and some earthiness from the pistachios and matcha.

I hope you enjoy making this and, as always, if you decide to create it, I’d love to see how it turns out for you. Tag me @thefoodiecutie_ on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter 🙂

INGREDIENTS

Crust

Britannia Pista Almond Cookies, 1, 8.5oz box
Fine Shredded Coconut, 1/2 cup
Pistachios, 1/2 cup
Matcha, 1 tbsp
Butter, melted, 1 stick

Filling

White Chocolate, 8oz
Heavy Cream, 1/2 cup
Cream Cheese, 24 oz
Cream of Coconut, 1/3 cup
Juice of 1 Lime
Salt, 1/4 tsp

Topping

Fine Shredded Coconut, 1/4 cup for topping

HOW TO MAKE IT

Start by prepping the cookie crust. Take your food processor and add in the cookies, coconut, and pistachios and almonds. Blend this until it forms a gritty crumb consistency. Add in the matcha and pulse a few times so it mixes in evenly. Now add in the melted butter and pulse for about a minute until the mixture forms a sandy consistency. Press this mixture in the bottom of a 10.5-inch springform pan. You can press with your hands or a flat silicon spatula. Make sure your press firmly and that the crust is level. Place this in the refrigerator for an hour.

Meanwhile, fill about a cup of water in a pot and place a heat-safe bowl on top of the pot. Once the steam allows the heat-safe bowl to get warm, drop in the white chocolate. Use a whisk to move the white chocolate and help it melt. Once it’s fully melted, stir in the heavy cream. Remove from heat and let it cool.

In another bowl, use a whisk and soften the cream cheese. Once soft, whisk in the white chocolate and the cream of coconut. Now mix in the lime juice and salt.

Pour this filling over the cookie crust and spread so it’s even. Top with shredded coconut then refrigerate for 4-6 hours.

Indian-Inspired Banana Bread

I grew up under two, distinct types of southern: the sweet tea and biscuits kind and the puttu and pazham type. So, it’s natural a lot of my food concoctions end up colliding with my cultural identities. Not to mention, I look for just about any excuse to add the staple Indian ingredient, cardamom, to a recipe.

Although banana bread is the universal recipe to make when you realize you bought way too many bananas and now they’re going brown, there is a classic southern version of the bread that includes buttermilk and pecans. I love the super moist taste with the buttery crunch of pecans so I thought of how I could keep these elements, but with an Indian-twist.

Check out my Indian-inspired banana bread recipe below featuring ripe plantains and spice-roasted cashews. I serve this with my Rose Water & Cardamom Calamondin Marmalade. Hope you like it!

THE INGREDIENTS

2 ripe plantains
1/3 cup butter
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup cashews
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

HOW TO MAKE IT

Preheat oven to 350˚ F
Start by taking both of the plantains and microwaving them for about 2 minutes. You’ll see the peel will turn a dark brown. Remove the peel and drop the plantains into a large mixing bowl. Mash the plantains so that it’s smooth with few chunks. Set this aside.
Now, in a small sauce pan on medium high heat, add the cashews, brown sugar, and cardamom to begin lightly roasting the cashews. Make sure to keep the cashews moving in the pan so the brown sugar and cardamom evenly coat the nuts. Once coated and toasted, remove from heat and set aside.
Come back to the bowl with the mashed plantains and use a hand mixer to blend in the butter.
Once the butter is blended in, add the baking soda, salt, sugar, egg, and vanilla extract.
Slowly mix in the flour to create your batter.
Pour the batter into your greased cake pan. (I used two mini bundt cake pans.) Bake for 50 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Once removed from the oven, let the bread cool in its pan for about 10 minutes before moving it to a wire rack for further cooling.