"Never photograph anything you are not passionately interested in." (Lisette Model) As I was reading "
Diane Arbus: Portrait of a Photographer", a biography written by Arthur Lubow, I couldn't help but wonder why my very amateur photographic eye has been drawn more toward capturing landscapes, animals, and, of course, food rather than people. Of the thousands and thousands of photos I have taken over the last five years, there are relatively few having either familiar or unfamiliar people as the focal point. Often when photographing landscapes or the iconic images within them, I have positioned my lens or waited for the capture to be free of human life. Being unable to telepathically ask people to move slightly to the right or the left, I will shamelessly admit to, on a few occasions, kindly, yet boldly asking if they could please pause in place while I took a few photos. Fortunately I have yet to meet anyone telling me to, as they say, 'go jump in the lake'. Whatever the reason or reasons explaining my photographic interests, obsessions, and exclusions, something in this biography has opened my eyes to the possibilities of taking my photographic endeavors from a different, or rather, broadened vantage point. While I don't see myself going from one end of the continuum to the other, I can see myself experimenting with shifting away from, rather than staying only at the single end of it. Along with broadening and expanding the photographic concept of balance, who knows where some of this introspection might lead.
I would like to think I use the same kind of discerning eye when taking a photo as I do when reading new recipes. Rather than completing disregarding a recipe when I perceive something is a little 'off', I generally use a combination of my intuition and knowledge along with other recipes to come up with a version I think might work. Sometimes this works, and sometimes it doesn't (you don't ever get to see the things that don't). My path to the recipes I want to try are not alway linear, as something in my deeper search frequently leads me in a completely different direction. However, being side-tracked can sometimes be very good thing. Recently I came across a recipe for a Cardamom Coffee Cake made in a 9"x12" baking pan and piled high with a topping of sugars, butter, pecans and spices. Intrigued by this recipe, I began a search to see just how many other versions there were of a coffee cake having cardamom as its' main spice. Not many actually. However, I ultimately came across a recipe from the famous Moosewood Cafe, one made in either a bundt or tube pan with a nut filling sprinkled between the layers of cake's batter. This Cardamom Pecan Coffee Cake is a hybridized version of the Moosewood Cookbook recipe and the one initially peaking my baking interest.
If you search for the Mollie Katzen's Moosewood Cafe's Cardamom Coffee Cake recipe, you will discover that version and this one look very different. Instead of a light colored cake crumb with discernible streaks of nut filling, this one is darker with an almost invisible distinction between the cake and nut filling layers. Was it because I used sour cream instead of the other options of buttermilk or yogurt in the batter? Was it because the filling was made with toasted pecans instead of walnuts? Or was it because I added some melted butter, vanilla, and salt to the filling? I don't really know which one or ones were contributing factors. But what I do know is that I loved the deep, rich color of this moist, perfectly spiced coffee cake more than the ones I found on other foodblogs.
This is the kind of cake you want to make when you are having a brunch or weekend guests, needing to bring something to a gathering or a hostess gift if invited to spend a weekend at the home of a friend, as a gift for a friend or new neighbor, or whenever you have grown tired of the store bought bakery confections brought into your office. Easily made the night before, this moist cake actually improves in flavor if allowed to sit (well covered) overnight. Although I wouldn't pass up the chance to serve this cake while slightly warm.
With the exception of the cardamom, more than likely you have all of the ingredients for this Cardamom Pecan Coffee Cake in your pantry and refrigerator. Although, as luck would have it, when I began assembling the ingredients for this cake I discovered there were more than a half dozen boxes of dark brown rather than light brown sugar in the cabinet. Apparently I must not be able to keep an accurate mental inventory of brown sugars in my head or somehow think there will be a shortage of dark brown sugar when I go shopping. When making the cake batter, alway remember to give your eggs and butter time to come to room temperature. I generally take them out of the refrigerator the night before baking. The resulting cake batter will be very thick, so a standing mixer with a paddle attachment makes it easier on your arms to prepare.
The nut filling in the original Moosewood Cafe cookbook called for only for a quarter cup of packed brown sugar, one tablespoon cinnamon and one half cup chopped nuts. However, in this version I used one cup of (toasted) pecans, a combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar, some melted butter, cinnamon and kosher salt. I used almost four tablespoons of melted butter, however, would recommend scaling this back to 2 or 3 tablespoons. You want just enough to bind these ingredients together. Feel free to use walnuts instead of pecans, but you will definitely want the full tablespoon of cinnamon in this filling.
There are two recommended pan options for this Cardamom Pecan Coffee Cake: a tube pan or a bundt pan. Considering this is such a dense cake, I would strongly recommend the use of a (10 inch non-stick) tube pan to ensure evenness in baking. By adding a glaze to this coffee cake (and/or some additional chopped nuts or edible flowers on top) it will be so 'dressed up' you might not even miss the 'bundt' cake look.
Regardless of which pan option you decide to use, make certain to use some non-stick spray to ensure easy removal. There are essentially five layers to this cake: three of batter and two of filling. Beginning and ending with placing one-third of the cake batter in the pan. In a preheated oven, the baking time for this Cardamom Pecan Coffee Cake in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven will be anywhere between 70 and 90 minutes or until it the top is beautifully browned and a probe all the down to the bottom of the cake comes out clean. Depending on your oven (or pan), you might want to begin checking for doneness at 60 minutes. The aroma emanating from this cake as it bakes in the oven is downright intoxicating.
Consider the confectionary sugar glaze as a necessary option. Just remember, a smooth glaze requires the use of sifted confectionary sugar.
Once the cake is removed from the oven, allow it to sit in the pan for an additional twenty minutes before inverting onto a cake stand or platter. And then wait another twenty to thirty minute before pouring over the glaze.
The best description of the difficult to capture in words flavor of cardamom was shared in an article written by
Serious Eats.....
"part nostril-widening menthol, part dew-drenched flower, part honeyed syrup. There is nothing subtle about cardamom, so when used in all but sparing amounts it will dominate whatever it's paired with. Used properly, it elevates sweet and savory dishes, adding layers of flavor that stay on the tongue..." Used in both sweet and savory dishes, cardamom is one of those spices you want to have in your life. The original recipe called for only the use of 1 1/2 teaspoons of cardamom. But in reviewing other's adaptations to this recipe, many increased the amount to 1 tablespoon. And happily so did I. Between the cardamom in the batter and the cinnamon in the pecan filling, this cake was satisfyingly delicious!
I often will take photographs of the same landscape. No two photos are ever the same. The time of year and day along with my choice of aperture or millimeter settings significantly affect the final photo. Invariably after declaring a photo a 'favorite', another capture of the same view has me proclaiming it to be my new 'favorite'. Like my photos, I have now discovered a new 'favorite' coffee cake. And it may just one of those 'melt in your mouth' coffee cakes having the distinction of being the most favored of all. I won't say never (shudder the thought of permanently closing the door on anything), but it will definitely be long awhile before I look for or bake a different one.
This is not one of those coffee cakes that everyone will eat just because it's there. Rather it's one your family and friends will be hoping you make.
Recipe
Cardamom Pecan Coffee Cake (an adaptation of the Cardamom Coffee Cake recipe from The Moosewood Cookbook and the Food and Wine recipe for Cardamom-Spiced Coffee Cake)
Ingredients
Cake
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
16 ounces sour cream
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 Tablespoon ground cardamom (Note: The original recipe called for 1 1/2 teaspoons of cardamom, but I loved the flavor imparted by the full tablespoon. Feel free to use an amount as little as 1 1/2 teaspoons or as much a 1 Tablespoon)
Pecan Filling
1 cup pecans, lightly toasted and chopped
2-3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
Glaze
1 cup confectionary sugar, sifted
4 Tablespoons whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
Cake
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Prepare a 10" bundt pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
2. Put flour, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom and salt in a medium sized mixing bowl. Whisk until blended. Set aside.
3. In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy (approximately 3-4 minutes).
4. Add eggs, one a time, beating until incorporated.
5. Mix in vanilla.
6. Add flour mixture and sour cream alternately, beginning and ending with the flour to the batter. Do not over mix. Batter will be very thick.
Note: There will be 3 additions of flour and 2 addition of the sour cream.
Pecan Filling
1. In a small bowl, mix together the pecans, brown sugar, sugar, butter and salt until blended. Set aside.
Glaze
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the sifted confectionary sugar, milk and vanilla. Stir until smooth. Note: If glaze is too thin, add a little more confectionary sugar. Conversely if it is too thick, add a little more milk. Set aside.
Assembly
1. Spoon one-third of the batter into prepared pan. Smooth slightly.
2. Sprinkle one-half of the pecan filling over the batter.
3. Spoon another one-third of the batter over the pecan filling.
4. Sprinkle remaining one-half of the pecan filling over the batter.
5. Finish with remaining batter, smoothing out surface with an offset spatula.
6. Bake for 70-90 minutes or until brown on top and a tester comes out dry when inserted all the way through the cake.
7. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes.
8. Invert pan onto cake plate or platter. Allow to set another 20-30 minutes before pouring on the glaze.
9. Drizzle glaze over the top and sides of the cake.
10. Cut into slices and serve. Cover cake with plastic wrap to keep fresh.
Notes: Cake can be made a day ahead. Will keep for 3-4 days if tightly wrapped. Feel free to double the amount of glaze, particularly if you like a heavily glazed cake.
One typical photo and one a slight departure, both taken on the streets of Tombstone, Arizona (2016)
