ok, so picture this: it’s saturday morning. your kitchen is a mess. there isn’t much food around, just a few old brown bananas. you’re hungry, but you want something fast, so going out is not an option. you want something kinda healthy, but delicious – i mean, it’s saturday morning, after all!

so what’s the solution? make these banana pancakes! they whip up almost faster than the pan can heat up, and they’re quite healthy, comprised of mushed bananas, whole wheat flour, an egg, and very little else.

of course, by the time i smother them with maple syrup and serve them with a piping hot cup of coffee, they’re a little less healthy, but still light enough that they won’t prevent a post-breakfast run (depending upon how many i eat, of course!).

in case you’re not a feeling like a pancake pro, there are four important things to do when frying pancakes (i’m stealing these tips from mike - he’s the one who handles the frying of pancakes in our home, because i’ve been known to violate all three). 1. temperature: the pan should be hot enough to sizzle when the batter is poured into the pan, but not hot enough for the pancakes to burn. keep the heat on medium! 2. avoid sticking: grease the pan well. we like using real butter, or coconut oil, which adds a bit of a tropical flair to these pancakes. fake butter seems to make the pancakes stick. 3. be patient: do not, i repeat DO NOT, press the pancakes down with the back of your spatula. 4. enjoy the process, even if they burn or don’t flip well, they’ll still be delicious!

one year ago: hummus

banana pancakes

yields approx 12 small pancakes

• 1/2c whole wheat flour
• 1T brown sugar
• 1t baking powder
• 1/4t salt
• 1/2t cinnamon
• 1/2c mashed banana (about 2)
• 1 egg
• 1/2c (soy) milk
• butter or coconut oil to fry them in
• syrup and jam, optional
  ______________________________

1. heat a large frying pan on the stove over medium heat
2. mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl
3. in another bowl, mash the bananas, then whisk in the egg, then the (soy) milk
4. mix the liquid ingredients into the dry, just mixing until combined
5. put a generous amount of butter or coconut oil into the pan, then use a spoon or an ice cream scoop to place small amounts of the batter into the pan
6. allow to cook for 3-5 minutes, until large bubbles are forming in the middle of the pancakes, and the edges are turning golden
7. flip the pancakes, and allow to cook for a few more minutes on the other side, until brown
8. either serve immediately, or keep them warm in the oven while the rest bake
9. serve with maple syrup and/or jam, and enjoy!

i have a shocking confession for you, my dear internet readers. i hate broccoli. detest it, really. ok, maybe that’s not so shocking. but i love vegetables, and broccoli is one of only two vegetables i dislike.

quick aside: i bet you’re wondering what’s the other vegetable i find horrendous. it’s brussel sprouts. i know there are probably a lot of recipes for great brussel sprouts out there, though – so would you please pass the recipe my way if you have one you love?

ok, back to my original point. i hate broccoli. in the past few months, though, i’ve found not one but two recipes that star broccoli. and i actually kind of love these dishes. so even though we’re on the tail end of actual broccoli season (i had to do some research about the season – it seems ubiquitous year-round in the stores), i’m going to post this recipe for broccoli quiche, and another one for broccoli pizza next week.

so what is this recipe? it’s a vegan quiche, made from blended tofu and cashews, plus some flavorful broccoli and yummy tomatoes. i found it in vegan brunch, by isa chandra moskowitz. (you might recognize the author from the other staple vegan cookbooks veganomicon, vegan cupcakes take over the world, and vegan cookies invade your cookie jar).

now, before you go writing off this recipe because it’s vegan, i have to tell you that i made this dinner solo one night (a rare occurrence), and mike had no idea that there weren’t any eggs involved. i think he even asked me how many eggs were left for breakfast the next day. so trust me, you’re not going to miss the eggs or dairy, because the texture and flavors are just that great.

while i’m not a vegan by any stretch – i love cheese as much as any other scandinavian, and nothing beats a poached egg on a lazy saturday morning - i love cooking out of vegan cookbooks because they’re so creative! instead of sticking with normal tried-and-true-favorites, they tend to explore new grains and legumes, pair them with interesting spice combinations, and push the boundaries of my culinary knowledge. most vegan cookbooks deviate from the standard veg fair of eggplant parmesan and pasta primavera, too (not that those are bad options, but one cannot live on pasta alone).

so i challenge you to try this quiche, even if you don’t particularly enjoy tofu or eating vegan food. i mean, i tried it, and i don’t even like broccoli!

one year ago (apparently may is quiche month): spinach quiche

broccoli quiche

yields 6 servings
borrowed from vegan brunch, by isa chandra moskowitz

• 1/2c cashews
• 1lb tofu
• 1T mustard
• 1 x 9″ pie crust – either homemade or purchased (i used this recipe, halved it, and substituted whole wheat pastry flour for all purpose)
• 2T olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3c broccoli, finely chopped
• 1t dried thyme
• 1/2t turmeric
• 1/2t tarragon
• 1t salt
• 1/2t pepper
• 1 dozen (approx) cherry tomatoes, halved
  ______________________________

1. preheat the oven to 350° F
2. while the oven is heating up, put the cashews into a food processor and pulse until you have crumbs
3. add the tofu and mustard to the food processor and pulse until the mixture is smooth and creamy
4. at this point, your oven should be warm, so prick the pie crust a few times with a fork and put it into the oven for 10 mintes, then remove from the oven and fill as indicated below
5. meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat
6. add the onion and garlic and saute for 4 minutes, until tender and translucent
7. add the broccoli, thyme, turmeric, tarragon, salt, and pepper to the pan and cook for 10 minutes, until broccoli is soft
8. add 1c of the broccoli mixture to the food processor and pulse a few times to combine
9. place the food processor mixture into a large bowl and combine with the broccoli mixture in the pan, stirring to combine well
10. scoop the mixture into the pie crust, and smooth the top with a spatula
11. place the halved cherry tomatoes on top of the quiche and place intot he oven
12. back for 40 minutes, until the crust is browning and the middle is piping hot
13. enjoy with a salad or on its own!

a few weeks ago, my friend’s mom gave us a huge bag filled to the brim with meyer lemons. what a gift! ever since then, we’ve been making all sorts of delicious lemon-based recipes (i’ll post more soon!).

one of our all-time favorite lemon-based breakfasts is lemon poppy seed scones, and we tried out several different recipes before landing on this one.

this recipe yields light, flaky scones with just enough butter to toe the line of breakfast decadence, and a bright lemon flavor. they’re not terribly sweet, which suits my taste buds perfectly, and have an extremely satisfying poppy seed crunch.

when you add up the amazing flavor plus the speed with which they come together, these lemon poppy seed scones are one of the best brunch recipes i have in my repertoire – and now they can be a staple in your brunches as well!

one year ago: butternut squash and sage risotto

lemon poppyseed scones

yields 8 scones
slightly adapted from eating outloud

• 2c flour (i used 1c all purpose and 1c whole wheat pastry flour)
• 1/3c brown sugar
• 2t baking powder
• 1/8t salt
• 1/3c butter
• 1 egg
• 1t vanilla
• 1/2c (soy) milk
• 2T lemon zest
• 1T lemon juice
• 1T poppy seeds
• 1 egg (for egg wash)
• 1T soy milk (for egg wash)
  ______________________________

1. preheat the oven to 375º
2. measure flour(s), brown sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl and stir to incorporate
3. cut in the butter into the flour mixture until the pieces are a bit smaller than pea-sized
4. in a separate bowl, whisk the egg with vanilla, soy milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, and poppy seeds (make sure you zest the lemons before juicing them!)
5. stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture until just barely combined, then dump out onto a floured surface and knead until it comes together, ensuring it’s not sticky but also not dry
6. press the dough into a 1″ thick rectangle and cut in half vertically, then horizontally (yielding four large rectangles)
7. then, cut each rectangle in half diagonally, yielding eight triangle shaped scones
8. put the scones onto a greased cookie sheet, and whisk together the egg and soy milk to create an egg wash for the top
9. brush the top of the scones as well as the sides with the egg wash, and reserve extra for scrambled eggs if so desired (i hate dumping good food down the drain!)
10. bake for 15 minutes, or until just starting to brown

last year, we began the tradition of making baked goods to share with others, and whipped out four different cookies to give as gifts. this year i wanted to continue the tradition in a new way, and make something that could be enjoyed well after the cookies made by the fabulous bakers we’re related to were eaten with relish. so, we decided to make a bunch of mini loaves that could be frozen and reheated for breakfasts, snacks, or desserts in three different flavors: zucchini, banana, and persimmon.

the persimmon bread recipe was a gift from my mom last year, and i took a bunch of photos when i made it for the first time after christmas ‘08. but i didn’t get the pictures up here before persimmon season ended, and i didn’t want to taunt you with an amazing recipe that you couldn’t make. because this bread is THAT good!

all the components are fabulous – the persimmons add a lovely texture and flavor, and keep the bread very moist and soft, the orange and lemon zest brighten the spice profile, and the pecans add a marvelous crunch. the bread rises well and yields the perfect combo of hearty but light goodness, standing up well in the hours between breakfast and lunch, but also not sitting heavily in your tummy if you eat it as a dessert. so what are you waiting for? go make this while persimmons are still in season, or you’ll be regretting it for the rest of the year!

one year ago: applesauce

persimmon spice bread

yields 8 mini loaves, 1 regular loaf, or 1 x 9″ round cake

• 1¾c all purpose flour
• 2t baking powder
• 1t ground cinnamon
• 1/2t ground nutmeg
• 1/2t ground cloves
• 1/2c butter, softened
• 1c sugar
• 1 egg
• 6 very soft, ripe persimmons
• 1t baking soda
• 1/2c chopped or broken pecans
• 1t orange zest
• 1t lemon zest
  ________________

1. preheat oven to 350º
2. in a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves
3. in another large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add the egg
4. cut the tops off the persimmons and scoop out the fruit, discarding the seeds, skin, and stems
5. place the fruit into a blender and whirl with the baking soda until combined and smooth
6. beat the persimmon and baking soda mixture into the butter, sugar, and egg mixture
7. add the flour to the persimmon and butter combo and continue beating until well combined
8. stir in the nuts, orange zest, and lemon zest
9. pour into 8 greased mini loaf pans, 1 greased 8.5×4.5″ loaf pan or a greased 9″ round cake pan
10. the mini loaves will bake for about 30 minutes, while the other two will bake for 40-45 minutes
11. test the bread by pressing down off center and watching for it to spring back
12. allow to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then pop out and enjoy!

hi everyone! i’m back from a trip to lovely oahu with mike’s family and ready to share more recipes with you!

the absolute first thing i wanted after getting off the plane was some good mexican food. beans, salsa, chips, avocado – those were the main things i was craving, and so i turned to this recipe, which is an interesting vegan twist on huevos rancheros. instead of layering cheese, salsa, eggs, tortillas, and beans, this recipe combines the salsa and beans, eliminates the cheese, and replaces the egg with polenta.

the recipe originally came out of vegan brunch, although i’ve added and subtracted quite a bit from the original recipe. i’ve even added a poached egg on top of the whole thing because i missed having huevos in my huevos rancheros! what i don’t miss in this recipe is amazing flavor – i love the ranchero sauce in conjunction with the creamy polenta! it’s delicious, and you must try this to help keep you full during these cold winter days.

one year ago: brazil nut encrusted seitan

polenta rancheros

adapted from vegan brunch, by isa chandra moskowitz
yields 6 servings

• ranchero sauce with beans
• 2t ground cumin
• 2t ground coriander
• 1/2t chili powder
• 1/4t cayenne pepper
• 2T oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 serrano (or 1 anaheim, if you prefer less spicy), seeded and diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 15oz can tomato sauce
• 1/2t salt
• 2 15oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• avocado, optional
• sour cream, optional
• tomatoes, optional

• polenta
• 4c vegetable broth
• 1/2t salt
• 1c polenta
• 1c (soy) milk
• 2T olive oil
  _______________________

1. for the ranchero bean sauce: heat spices and oil in large pan over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute
2. add the onion, peppers, and garlic, allowing to saute for 10 minutes
3. add the tomato sauce and salt and allow to lightly simmer for 5 minutes
4. add the black beans and allow to cook for 5 minutes, or until warm all the way through
5. for the polenta: bring the broth and salt to a boil
6. add the polenta, stirring constantly
7. continue to stir until the mixture becomes thicker, about 15 minutes
8. add the soy milk and olive oil and stir, stir, stir until thick and polenta is no longer crunchy – about 10 more minutes
9. place a good scoop of beans into a bowl, spoon polenta over the beans, and top with avocado, sour cream, and tomatoes as desired and serve!

i know pumpkin recipes are ubiquitous this time of year, but i just have to share this pumpkin bread recipe with you. it’s everything i want in a breakfast bread – moist, full of delicious spices, not too sweet, and replete with pecans and raisins to add some texture. when i realized that my weekend would be full of fun with my family – my sister flew in from michigan, my dad and b drove into town to spend some time with us on saturday, and we celebrated my mom’s 60th birthday on sunday – i decided i had to whip some of this up to munch on throughout the activities.

but really, who am i kidding? i’ve actually just been looking for an excuse to make this recipe, as it’s become a fall tradition in our house over the last few years. we usually make it as soon as the mornings and evenings get darker and darker, as it offers an incentive to get out of bed and eat some for breakfast.

in fact, this bread has become so much of a tradition that i look forward to making and eating it almost as much as i look forward to the day after thanksgiving, when elf season officially begins. yes, that’s a little hard to put in print, but mike and i have an elf tradition based around the theory of seasonal things: you have to enjoy them in their appropriate window of time, or you won’t appreciate them as much (so we, like my sister-in-law, only watch elf from thanksgiving through new years day).

in order to try to appreciate the cold months a bit more (which is hard for this sun and summer loving woman to do), i plan on jumping into my fall and winter recipes with gusto. i will focus on how much i love hearty root vegetables, legumes, and fragrant spices instead of mourning the absence of berries, stone fruits, tomatoes, and fresh basil. if i do this, then i’ll enjoy the spring and summer foods even more when it gets warm, right? right?!?! ah, well, i’ll just keep telling myself this until the days get lighter and warmer again.

pumpkin bread

adapted from bed and breakfasts online
yields 2 loaves of bread

• 1½c white sugar
• 1½c brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1c canola oil
• 15oz can pumpkin
• 3½c flour
• 1t baking powder
• 1t baking soda
• 2t salt
• 1t ground cloves
• 1t ground cinnamon
• 1t ground nutmeg
• 1t allspice
• 2/3c water
• 1c pecan or walnut pieces
• 1c raisins
  ______________________

1. preheat oven to 350° and grease two loaf pans
2. whisk together sugar, oil and eggs, then add the pumpkin
3. in a separate bowl mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice together
4. add the dry ingredients to the liquid ones with the water, nuts, and raisins, stirrring until just combined
5. bake for 60 mins, or until a toothpick inserted off center comes out clean
6. allow to cool in pans, then turn out, slice, and enjoy

this is one of those recipes that i’ve had in my recipe box forever, and i tend to change it every time i make it depending upon what fruit i have on hand and what i’m craving at the moment. regardless of ingredients, the most important item you need to have when making pancakes is patience – and for this reason, mike is usually the one who cooks the pancakes. i used to turn the burner up too high, press down on the cakes as they’re cooking, and flip them way too soon, yielding  flat, burnt, uncooked in the middle blobs. but over the years, i’ve learned to warm up the pan as soon as i begin making the batter, but keep the temp on medium.  i use real butter to grease the pan, and wait until i see bubbles (like on the picture on the left) and browned edges before i flip. and i never, ever, ever press them so they’ll stay nice and fluffy. i suggest you do the same.

before i leave you to enjoy this recipe, i want to strongly encourage all of you to let me know if you want to see a recipe for something on eclaire.name. i would honestly love nothing more than to post your favorite foods here! if you have requests or suggestions, leave me a comment below,  send me a tweet, or leave me a message on facebook.

pancakes

• 1½c flour (i often use a 50/50 mix of all purpose and whole wheat)
• 1/2c oats
• 2t baking powder
• 1/2t baking soda
• 1/2t salt
• 1/2t cinnamon, optional
• 1½c (soy) milk
• 2t sugar (i like brown)
• 2T oil
• 1t vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1 apple grated, optional
• 1c berries, optional
• butter, for cooking
• maple syrup or jam for the top
  ______________________

1. heat frying pan over medium heat
2. mix the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a large bowl
3. add the soy milk, sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs, stirring once all ingredients are added (if you  stir in between the batter will get tough)
4. add fruit as desired
5. melt butter in pan and pour about 1/3c batter into pan, making sure pancakes are several inches apart (see pics above)
6. allow pancake to cook for about 4 minutes per side, or until lots of bubbles form and the edges are noticeably darker (see pics above again)
7. either place them in the over to keep warm while cooking the rest, or serve immediately, topped with jam or maple syrup and enjoy!

so what did i finally decide to make? why, zucchini bread, of course! i absolutely adore zucchini bread – the addition of squash to spiced bread makes it deliciously tender and healthy (it completely mitigates all the butter and sugar, right?).

i had been wanting to try a recipe i saw on 101 cookbooks for a long time, and i figured this was the chance.

so i set to work with my food processor, which grated the zucchini effortlessly in a matter of seconds, then mixed and measured and chopped and stirred to make this delicious bread.

the zucchini yielded 7 cups of grated squash, so i ended up doubling this recipe and making muffins and mini loaves out of the second round. after giving away a full size loaf and several mini loaves, we were still left with an overwhelming quantity of baked goods, so i individually wrapped the muffins and mini loaves in saran wrap and popped them into the freezer for breakfasts and snacks for weeks to come. yum!

zucchini bread

adapted from 101 cookbooks
yields 2 loaves

• 1/2c butter, softened
• 1c white sugar
• 1/2c brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2t vanilla
• 3c grated zucchini
• 3c whole wheat pastry flour or all purpose
• 3T flax seed meal, option
• 1½t baking soda
• 1/2t baking powder
• 1t salt
• 1½t cinnamon
• 1c broken walnuts
• 1 lemon’s zest, optional
  ________________________

1. preheat oven to 350° then grease and flour two loaf pans
2. beat the butter in a mixer or with electric beaters until light and fluffy, then add the white and brown sugars and beat for another 5 minutes, until the mixture is completely combined
3. add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla and grated zucchini
4. in another bowl, combine the flour, ground flax seeds, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon, then add to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined
5. stir in the lemon zest and walnuts just until incorporated
6. divide the batter between the two loaf pans and bake for 45 minutes until it springs back when pressed off center
7. allow to cool and enjoy!
8. note: you can also make 24 muffins out of this recipe and eat or freeze them for later

before i start describing this delicious quiche, which we’ve made three times in the past month, i have to admit that i had never used phyllo dough before, nor had i made a quiche in my adult life (although i’m sure i helped make some when i was a kid). so you can imagine that i was pretty excited when i saw this recipe in the april 2009 edition of vegetarian times. i figured the recipe would expand my culinary repertoire, and i would finally get to try my hand at utilizing phyllo.

i learned two valuable lessons from testing out this recipe: 1) i love quiche, and it’s easy to make; and 2) phyllo dough is a pain-in-the-you-know what to work with unless you give up trying to keep each sheet whole.

the first time i made the quiche, though, i really wanted to peel each sheet of phyllo off the roll in one solid piece, and as that only happened once out of the six times, i was really worried that the crust wouldn’t be very good, or that quiche juices would drip out of the crust. thankfully, nothing horrible happened despite my issues with the phyllo dough, and i fell in love with the flavors in this dish.

by the third time i made the crust, i simply gave up trying to pry a whole sheet off in one fell swoop, and created a bit of a patchwork crust. this is the way to do it, folks, as the crust tasted exactly the same – crispy, solid, and satisfying – and i didn’t frown once or stamp my foot in the aggravation.

the rest of the components of this quiche are so very easy – you just need to slice up some mushrooms, onions, and tomato, thaw a package of spinach, open the feta, and layer away. oh, and whisk some eggs and (soy) milk. easy as…pie? nope, it’s easier than pie, so i suggest you make it and enjoy it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or brunch soon!

1. preheat oven to 350° and grease a 9″ pie pan
2. for crust: place 1 phyllo sheet on counter or cutting board, and brush liberally with oil, then sprinkle with 1/2t sesame seeds
3. place another phyllo sheet on top of the first and repeat step 2 until all 6 sheets of phyllo dough are used
4. press phyllo layers into pie pan and trim the edges with scissors
5. for filling: pour feta into crust, then top with spinach, onion, and mushrooms
6. for quiche batter: whisk together eggs, milk, nutmeg, salt, and pepper, then pour over filling
7. arrange tomatoes on top of filling and batter, then bake 50 minutes, or until the center is set when you give it a little shake

i bet you’re wondering where the banana chocolate-chip bundt cake went, right?  honestly, it was hard to keep this dessert (or breakfast!) on the plate long enough to take a picture of it!

this recipe is something that my mom used to make for my sister on her birthday, and it’s absolutely delicious, as evidenced by the empty plates in the first picture.  i have to admit that i never helped make it with her, but i do know that i always enjoyed it.  so when i realized recently that i hadn’t used my bundt pan since it was gifted to me, this was the first cake i thought of making.

i asked my mom if she’d send me the recipe, and when i received it, scanned and attached to the email, i noted the cautionary comment she jotted along the top of the recipe years ago: “Never make this cake if you are in a rush.” i laughed when i read that – i mean, how long could one bundt cake really take to make?

why is it that i always end up eating my words?  this cake takes a REALLY long time to make, dear readers.  and five, let me say that again: FIVE bowls!  i am the kind of baker that tends to cut corners when possible, eliminating bowls, simplifying steps, etc.  but i couldn’t find a single step that wasn’t necessary, or a corner to cut.  all the steps were essential to creating a light, yet moist and flavorful cake.

indeed, this cake was so wonderful that we ended up giving over half of it away because we couldn’t resist the amazing temptation, and were afraid we’d eat the whole thing in less than a day.  the struesel on top, in the middle, and sprinkled on the base offers a nutty crunch and cinnamon flavor that mixes really well with the bananas and chocolate, which on their own are perhaps my favorite combination of flavors in a dessert.

i think the most exciting part of this recipe (besides eating it) is the moment when you flip the bundt pan over and slowly lift it up, hoping that the entire cake is going to stay on the plate.  and luckily, it did!  i hope yours turns out this well, and that you have as many people to share it with as we did – or that your stomach can handle a ton of delicious cake!

banana chocolate-chip bundt cake

via my mom’s friend julie l, original source unknown
yields about 20 fast-disappearing slices

• streusel
• 1/3c all purpose flour
• 3T brown sugar
• 1/4t ground cinnamon
• 3T cold butter
• 1c chopped walnuts

• cake
• 2c chocolate chips
• 3c all purpose flour
• 1T baking powder
• 1/2t salt
• 1c mashed ripe bananas (2 large bananas)
• 1/4c (soy) milk
• 1T vanilla extract
• 1c butter, softened
• 1½c white sugar
• 4 eggs
  _________________________

1. for the streusel: stir together flour, sugar, and cinnamon in bowl #1 until combined
2. mix the butter into the mixture with your fingers until it looks like coarse crumbs, then add the walnuts
3. for the cake: preheat the oven to 325º
4. butter and flour a bundt pan
5. in bowl #2, toss the chocolate chips with 2T of the flour
6. in bowl #3, stir together remaining flour, baking powder, and salt
7. in bowl #4, stir together bananas, milk, and vanilla
8. in bowl #5, beat the butter and sugar together with egg beaters until combined
9. beat in eggs one at a time
10. beat in 1/3 of the flour mixture, then 1/3 of the banana mixture, and repeat until all ingredients are combined
11. stir in the chocolate chips to the mixture above
12. sprinkle 1/3 of the streusel mixture over the bottom of the bundt pan
13. spoon in half of the batter
14. sprinkle the next third of streusel, then spoon in the rest of the batter, covering with the last third of streusel
15. bake for 65-75 minutes, testing with a toothpick in the center of the cake
16. cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto a plate
17. wait until cooled completely (or as long as you can hold out – the cake was still warm when we cut into it!), slice, and serve!