Deb at smittenkitchen has a whole category of cakes she calls "snacking cakes" and I love her for it. Her strawberry rhubarb is one, and she has another chocolate one (no glaze necessary) that I love, too.
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Looks good!!!
Yay for cake! I am not a baker, but I do enjoy a good snack and will have to try some of these. I always enjoy having a small snack like this, with coffee, during the day.
I think the key here lies not only in the amount of cake one eats - no one should gorge themselves - but in the types of cakes these are: snacking cakes, not the more elaborate cakes that may be served at a party or for dessert. Many cultures have these snack cakes as culinary traditions. I think there is no harm in making and enjoying these as long as one limits one's intake. Naysayers, take note: you do not have to make these recipes. No one is forcing you to scarf down this stuff. If you want a vegan cake, make it. If you don't want cake at all, don't make one. But stop crying foul about obesity. The Times publishing an article about cake is not the cause of the obesity epidemic: people eating excessive amounts of everything is, as well as poverty that limits people to fast and processed foods because healthier stuff is too expensive.
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@Lindsay K
For a lot of recipes you can reduce slightly the sugar and still get a decent result. Of course you can always forgo the thin glaze but it is thin after all. I agree you can have your cake and eat it too, wisely.
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Cakes are not snacks. Cakes are dessert.
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@MG Not in all areas of the world. I remember the amusement I got from my English then-boyfriend (now husband) when I presented him with a Victoria sponge cake for dessert, rather than for afternoon tea. He still giggles at the memory.
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@MG in my house they are breakfast if available.
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The banana cake recipe did not disappoint in richness and flavor, a better version of my childhood in the 70s Sara Lee banana cake!
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My wonderful Mom used to make chocolate cake as a snack foid - no frosting. She’d serve it warm with butter. So very delicious and satisfying.
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The key to eating nutritious food is let go of the idea that it's OK to eat junk for a "psychic" boost. Look around and see how fat we've become.
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@David
The banana cake recipe is actually quite decent in sugar meaning not too much. If you are light on the glaze I would not consider this junk since it is made with bananas, old ones that you would probably throw rather than eat...if you keep the portion reasonable - enjoy it with a clear conscience.
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Melissa Clark you are an apostle of happiness and childhood delights.
I had a grandmother, and two aunts who made things like this. Unforgettable and worthy — at least—of Proust. Here I am in France, half the time ( by choice) and this beautiful example of American Art and talent arrives and moves me. Generally I live a not-far-off-Whole30 existence but I like to break free now and then “with a hell of a yell!”
I’ll surprise my French and expat friends.
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I like the idea of these quick cakes, and the banana with the penuche glaze sounds interesting, I have tried that glaze on gingerbread and well yum . I glanced through all the recipes and would definitely try to use a full fat yogurt instead of the sour cream just because it will be lighter in fat, will likely work out just as well taste wise and because I always have plain yogurt on hand. As for the chocolate cake I think a creamy coconut glaze could also be interesting to mimic the Bounty chocolate bar. If anyone has had success with such a glaze on a chocolate cake I would be interested in your ingredient list. I do agree with Melissa that orange and chocolate are great partners in crime and would try adding some candied orange bits or zest/OJ in the cake recipe as well.
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I am in love. Simply put. The snack cake concept is a marvelous one that hits the sweet spot. Yes there have been other versions, petit fores (spelling?) hostess cakes, and leftover cake, but geez too sweet and boring. Thank you Ms. Clark, just reading your article elevated my mood! Eternal cake lover :))
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Here is a thought to keep close: Always trust Melissa Clark.
I reluctantly tried this Banana Cake, after years of finding them disappointing. This is a delicious cake. Maybe it's the perfect glaze, drooling over the sides, or the sour cream inside, or who-knows-what, but this is a keeper for those of us who usually have a few black bananas in the fruit bowl, and a rash of so-so recipes in the file.
Thank you, Melissa --- as always.....
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I agree , Melissa’s banana cake is delicious!
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My grandmother, a German immigrant used to make plain poundcake often. it was the perfect snacking cake. Simple, dense and moist. Thinking of her right now.
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@Meighan Corbett A lovely memory. My great-aunt Mary (Italian immigrant) used to make a fabulous pound cake with cream cheese that I still remember 45 years after my last taste of it. Wish I had the recipe.
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@janeqpublicnyc
The Italian Chambella is a go to everyday cake, can be vanilla, marble or chocolate and I guess any other version you can dream up. I would have thought made with Ricotta over cream cheese? I believe Philadelphia cream cheese used to advertise a cream cheese bundt cake. The recipe was very old going back 25 years or more. It was just like you described.
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A moment of sensory bliss, best shared with friends -- that's what a good snacking cake is. Thank you for these beautiful recipes! I can't wait to try them!
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I miss your videos! Even for simple recipes, it's great to see the preparation in action.
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Melissa’s videos
It's 3:30pm as I write this & of course I clicked because real soon now it'll be time for a nice cup of tea.
I'd have to rate a 'snacking cake' as work of the devil.
Right now it's too hot to bake anything, so imagining a cake is about as good as it gets.
And of course, reading recipes has the added bonus of being calorie free.
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What about breakfast? Can I eat them for breakfast instead of dense and nutrient rich oatmeal?
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Yes you can
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@J’onn J’onnz
but only if your health does not matter to you.
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Like so many food writers, there is something so old fashioned and dated about Melissa Clark's recipes.
The real challenge of food writers and foodies is how to make delicious food, including deserts that do not ruin our health and the health of the planet. For years they have been coming up with delicious recipes that damage our bodies and the planet. So here is the challenge Melissa: Show us how to make something that tastes divine and is vegan.
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There are lots of vegan cake recipes out there, that’s just not Melissa Clark’s thing. Also, vegans represent a small percentage of Americans, so I hardly would call her recipes “old fashioned”, they are more closely aligned with how folks eat than a vegan diet.
She doesn’t seem to do trendy, just good, interesting, tasty stuff. She also seems to be a big fan of dessert and baking (two things I love too. :)
Get some exercise, eat your veggies, cook at home as much as possible, but enjoy your cake too. Even if it’s not vegan.
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@Son Of Liberty - At this point, I think you still need to go to your tried and tested sources for vegan. It's going to be a long time before you see a plethora of vegan recipes in MSM.
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@Nicole
..or anything remotely healthy. Dowereally need to be encouraged to eat junk food?
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Beautifully done, however stories like this should have an X rating, ie reading and looking at them can add 10 pounds to your weight.
As a senior, I can only afford dessert for weight purposes, once a week to eat a simple dessert like a decadent donut at my local shop, or a glazed donut from Starbucks or even a Reese piece.
Simply works for me.
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@Paul
I am also a senior and don't have any problem with weight. You have to eat well and skip fast food, including donuts from chain places. Those products are high calorie and usually artifically flavored. You would then be free to eat a piece of this delicious cake!
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Perfect timing! My mixer has been broken since before Christmas (overly zealous with a heavy cookie dough) and I have not yet replaced it - am instead enjoying the extra tiny bit of space in my small kitchen and working my way through more non-mixer cakes :) thank you for these beautiful recipes
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Cake? Did someone say cake? That simple word will stop me in my tracks every time.
Thank you for including a recipe for a bittersweet chocolate cake with a frosting flavored with tangerine zest and juice. Chocolate and raspberries and chocolate and strawberries has been overdone for decades, to the point of boredom. My favorite flavor combo has always been chocolate and orange (or facsimile there of).
This recipe sounds perfect for Sunday dinner's dessert. I can almost taste this divine creation from the photo alone. YUM!
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@ Marge Keller Midwest
I am greatly impressed by the 2nd photo of "bittersweet chocolate cake" with lemon frosting. But I do not understand, why are they called "snacking cakes"? Snacks are something to suppress real or imaginary craving of food between the meals, but the desserts in this article deserve more respect than being only snacks.
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@Tuvw Xyz
I could be way off base here, but I always viewed a "snack cake" as a more developed brownie - simple ingredients, one bowl mixing, cut into a square and eat with a cold glass of milk. Regular cakes usually involve filings between layers with lots of frosting adorning it all over - a much bigger deal that includes more steps, more time, but also a pretty outstanding masterpiece. Think of a snack cake in terms of a box of 8 crayons compared to the box of 64 crayons (a more elaborate cake) - cake is cake, some are just more basic than others but equally delicious. Not sure if that helps.
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@Tuvw Xyz The term "snacking cakes" usually refers to a smaller, more informal cake. Usually baked in a single tin (e.g., 9x9 square, 8x4 loaf pan) and ideal for an afternoon tea or coffee. Or as another reviewer pointed out, breakfast ... assuming there are any leftovers.
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