baking – Ruth E. Hendricks

Unexpected Spectacular Delight

Look what my daughter-in-law Nataliya found FREE on FB Marketplace Sunday afternoon. Yes, she was browsing through marketplace while she’s in Mexico thousands of miles away from Pittsburgh. Actually (2,893 miles)

Nataliya texted me and alerted me to this fabulous FREE cake being offered and I drove less than a mile to pick it up!

What a lovely pastry chef Marla Mae and her husband Logan who carried it out in a large white box with a window to peer in. Oh my!!!

They brought it out to my car.

Wait.

Let’s get it out of the car and take some pictures!!!

Marla’s husband snapped this photo of the presentation.

An impromptu party was about to take place.

Drove over to the neighborhood and pulled up to the curb just as my friend Barb was about get into her friend Sonia’s car. I yelled across the street-Baaaarb!!.

Barb and Sonia then changed their plans from going to the movies to see The Sheep Detectives and instead we all went inside Barb’s house.

Barb and Sonia got on their phones and invited a few friends and neighbors to come for a surprise cake tasting. One by one, everyone ooohed and ahhed when they arrived and saw what a fabulous cake awaited tasting!

Here’s a YouTube video of everyone’s responses to the gorgeous cake.

It was so generous that everyone got to take a piece home, too. There were raspberries and fresh strawberries and real pink roses and “The cakesicles are basically just cake pops with a chocolate shell” and raspberry macarons. Chocolate dipped strawberries decorated the numerals. Chocolate cake with raspberry preserves, buttercream. Delicious!

Here’s Marla Maes website.

If you live in Pittsburgh area and need a special cake……

May 17, 2026 by Ruth Categories: PhotographyTags: baking, buttercream, cake, cake art, chocolate, food, Pastry Chef, photography, Pittsburgh PA, postaday 14 Comments

Sourdough Banana Bread

My granddaughter Maura baked Sourdough Banana Bread last week and sent a picture. I’d given her some sourdough starter a couple of weeks ago.

I felt inspired to try and bake it myself. Needed just 3 ripe bananas.

These little glass muffin cups held the leftover batter from the larger loaf.

Here’s the recipe I used. It was really good

Sharon W gsve me the little wooden slice of bread cutting board.

February 2, 2026 by Ruth Categories: PhotographyTags: baking, Columbus OH, family, food, granddaughter, kitchen, photography, Pittsburgh PA, postaday, sourdough, sourdough banana bread 15 Comments

A Two Loaf Morning

Light Swedish Limpa on the left and
French Sourdough on the right

I’m trying to get into the Sourdough baking rhythm/routine.

These loaves were recipes from a cookbook I took out of the library

Classic Sourdoughs

by Ed Wood, Jean Wood

Next time I’m not going to do two different recipes simultaneously.

January 16, 2026 by Ruth Categories: PhotographyTags: baking, bread, food, kitchen, photography, postaday, sourdough, Swedish Limpa bread 9 Comments

Fruitcake by Candlelight

My friends Linda and Eileen baked a delicious fruitcake and shipped it before Christmas. I guarded it carefully and was waiting for my sister to arrive for a visit. She arrived on the train from NYC Tuesday night. Tonight I unwrapped the liquor soaked muslin and sliced it by candlelight. We each ate a piece, savoring the fruits and nuts that were perfectly delicious.

Do you like fruitcake? Not everyone does. We enjoy it immensely. Thank you Linda and Eileen. Voted Best Fruitcake in the USA!

*A little cutting of the special fruitcake ceremony by candlelight.*

January 15, 2026 by Ruth Categories: PhotographyTags: baking, cake, candlelight, food, friendship, fruitcake, photography, postaday 17 Comments

Almond Cake and a Signature Dish

Look what our friend and blog follower Tookie baked and brought up the the house. Her delicious almond cake. Wonderful with coffee, tea or a little scoop of vanilla ice cream. Perfect timing with houseguests ready to share. I knew how good it would taste as I’ve been fortunate to receive her almond cake previous Christmases.

Recently my friend Vincie sent a NY Times article about the comfort of taking a Signature Dish everytime when going to a party. Her family and friends are always counting on her making Black Bean Salsa and also her signature Broccoli Casserole for holiday meals. When I then sent the article on to my friend Joanne, she was preparing her signature dish of deviled eggs to take to a party.

Are you known for a certain dish that you share?

Thank you Tookie.
What a thoughtful and delicious gift.

December 21, 2025 by Ruth Categories: PhotographyTags: almond cake, baking, food, friendship, holiday, neighborhood, photography, Pittsburgh PA, postaday, signature dish 10 Comments

I baked a Prune Cake

https://youtube.com/shorts/4PVkPXHh-_I?si=dt1lNziF1eVn3X4V

Here’s the Prune cake recipe

I haven’t baked a prune cake in years. I don’t use the 1cup of vegetable oil called for in the recipe but substituted 1stick of unsalted butter and 1/2c applesauce instead. I used 1c of sugar.

And I didn’t add the frosting called for as it’s incredibly sweet, too. I put chopped pecans in one layer and omitted nuts from the second layer.

1 cup of cooked prunes, cooked and mashed

Love using the precut parchment paper again

I bought the prunes from nuts.com thanks Kristin for recommending them

December 4, 2025 by Ruth Categories: PhotographyTags: baking, cake, King Arthur Flour, parchment paper, photography, postaday, prune cake, recipe 15 Comments

Pre-Cut Parchment Paper

What a great invention.

My friend Linda recommended purchasing these pre-but rounds when we were in King Arthur Flour in Vermont last month. I’m so glad I did. I used them for 3 – 8 inch layers for two family birthdays in November.

https://youtube.com/shorts/VMa4ZrBbROs?si=IKgYDL55bo4FWWrB

Short Video on YouTube

And this cake was a Brown Mountain Cake from Farm Journal. I added vanilla buttercream frosting. The buttermilk is a key ingredient!

November 24, 2025 by Ruth Categories: Baking, PhotographyTags: baking, birthday cake, Brown Mountain Cake, food, kitchen, layer cake, parchment paper, photography, postaday, recipe 8 Comments

1985 Cake Decorating Class

Throwback Thursday

So last Monday I took cookie decorating class at the Fox Chapel High School and it was a lot of fun.

2025 Cookie class All the cookies were baked. We had to follow instruction to decorate, learning how to outline and pool the icing.

Look at all the bags of Royal icing the teacher prepared. **Grammy Pammy Sweetery**
She is a true Cookie Artist.

October 1, 2025 by Ruth Categories: Photography, Throwback ThursdayTags: baking, cake decorating, cookie artist, cookie decorating, cookies, decorating, photography, postaday 10 Comments

Plum Tortes in Pittsburgh, Florida, Nova Scotia and New York City and a late edition

**Pittsburgh -My friend Roberta brought this Plum Torte to breakfast Labor Day 2025. On that same day, my friend Joanne sent me a NYTimes article about it being**
**Plum Torte Season**

My sister Mary has two clippings of recipes from the NYTimes

And another clipping c1985,86

The article from Sept 1st in the NYTimes

Here’s what Joanne says

Ruth ~ After talking to you about Marion Burros’ Purple Plum Torte I decided to make it once again. The New York Times has made it famous by writing about it and publishing the recipe, and I know your friend brought you one recently. The recipe is easy and foolproof. I made one individual serving in a little cocotte, and served it up with some Jeni’s “Brambleberry Crisp” ice cream and a small glass of plum wine. A great idea for some future dinner party.

And I cut the large one with a 6-piece pie/cake cutter that I found at my local restaurant supply store.

Thanks for giving me the idea to bake this fall classic!

Joanne’s dear friend Colleen (you’ve seen her quilts and cookbooks on the blog )

Nova Scotia Plum Torte

Colleen says *Thanks for sharing. It’s delicious*

New York City Last years Plum Torte blog post

And if you’re still reading you might like this Food 52 article about Marian Burros and her Plum Torte,

Editors note: A late edition added to the plum torte extravaganza

This just in 9/8/2025 from Sarah in New Jersey who says “**Due to time constraints this will have to suffice** 🥰🥰”

September 6, 2025September 8, 2025 by Ruth Categories: PhotographyTags: baking, food, kitchen, Marian Burros, NYTimes, photography, plum torte, plums, postaday, prune plums, purple plums 8 Comments

My First Loaf of Sourdough

A friend at exercise class gave me sourdough starter and a basic recipe. I learned why she advised don’t use tap water. Filtered or Spring water. The chlorine in the city water can kill the yeast (or at least slow it down.)

I’ve been feeding the starter refrigerating it when I’d leave town, take it back out and feed it again and was planning to bake sourdough bread.

Today was the day. I used a ln enameled cast iron bread baker that Jen S and I bought from Aldi last year.

I took a book out of the library through the Libby App online and renewed it tonight.

This video was a good resource

August 15, 2025 by Ruth Categories: Baking, PhotographyTags: baking, bread, food, friendship, kitchen, photography, postaday, sourdough, starter 29 Comments

Tag: baking

Unexpected Spectacular Delight

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Sourdough Banana Bread

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A Two Loaf Morning

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Fruitcake by Candlelight

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Almond Cake and a Signature Dish

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I baked a Prune Cake

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Pre-Cut Parchment Paper

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Plum Tortes in Pittsburgh, Florida, Nova Scotia and New York City and a late edition

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My First Loaf of Sourdough

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