When I worked at Milk Bar, people would frequently ask about the Compost Cookie, and I would have to rattle off all eight of the mix-ins. It used to be second nature. But I just tried to do it again, and I only remembered 7 of them! I forgot about the oats! Chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, potato chips, pretzels, coffee grounds, graham crackers, and OATS. I’m getting old. Oh well. That list is not relevant for this pound cake. I am basing it off of the Compost Pound Cake from All About Cake, but… I have a different set of ingredients to get rid of. I’m throwing all the “compost” I have in my pantry into this. That is, I believe, the beauty of the Compost recipe.
This is sort of like a S’mores Compost Pound Cake. But also… not entirely. Because it’s chocolate graham crackers and Lucky Charms marshmallows. Also some Butterbeer kisses. Truly a bit of a modge-podge. It’s just what my pantry looks like. It’s an Everything-but-the-Kitchen-Sink situation. But just all the good things that go together in my pantry that aren’t my kitchen sink.
I have been talking about cleaning out my pantry since the start of the year, and we are now (somehow) well into June. While I was on vacation last month, my brother installed some drawer-inserts so that I can pull out the shelves of my pantry. It’s incredible. I can see everything in my pantry instead of having things languish in the back. Maybe in the future I won’t end up with three bags of nearly-unused almond flour!!! The install of the shelves forced me to do another round of re-organization of my pantry, and I realized that it is in far better shape than in January. Nearly ready to call the “clean out” done.
These ingredients were all random leftovers from various recipes and impulse purchases this year, which means that they didn’t have to languish too long in my pantry. Lucky Charms marshmallows, chocolate graham crackers, and Butterbeer kisses. All in random amounts, and without inspiration for any of them. So in they went. And I am now blissfully free of random, recipe-specific ingredients.
To be honest, during my time at Milk Bar, the Compost Cookie wasn’t my favorite item. It grew on me during my time there, but it wasn’t the one I would reach for compared to the other cookie options. But… perhaps I should revisit it again! Properly, with the specific mix-ins. I’m all about revisiting things! Like I said before… Coca Cola, Do-Si-Dos, pickles, apricot jam… There’s all sorts of things to change your mind about! Why not Compost Cookies!
I enjoy how simple pound cake is, truly. It could not be easier. Mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients. Now, for the sake of the State Fair, I just need to determine whether pound cake is considered a quick bread…
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PinIngredients
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil (grapeseed or vegetable)
- 2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups cake flour (or, 1 cup 3/4 cup flour + 1/4 cup cornstarch)
- 3/4 cup + 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
Mix-ins
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup crumbled graham crackers (no into complete crumbs – leave a few larger chunks)
- 1 cup dried marshmallows (like these or these)
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips for chocolate drizzle, if desired
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x5in loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Whisk the melted butter, buttermilk, oil, vanilla extract, and eggs together in a large bowl.
- Whisk the cake flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a separate large bowl.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and stir to combine. If the batter looks lumpy, use a whisk to break up all the lumps.
- In a separate bowl, toss the chocolate chips, graham cracker crumbs, and marshmallows with the flour.
- Fold the the mix-ins into the batter. Pour the bater into the loaf pan. You can sprinkle leftover mix-in ingredients on top of the batter if desired.
- Bake until the cake rises and puffs, about 70 minutes. At 60 minutes, tap the top of the cake with your fingertips: The cake should bounce back and the center should no longer be jiggly. If it doesn’t pass this test, leave the cake in the oven for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 45 minutes, then use the parchment paper to pull it out. Turn the cake right side up and let it cool completely.
- If desired, melt 1/2 cup of chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second intervals until fully melted and smooth. Drizzle or spread on top of the cake and sprinkle with any leftover marshmallows.
- The cake will keep in the refrigerator, wrapped, for up to 1 week. Let the refrigerated cake sit at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.