Yes, you can have your cake and eat it too! We are sharing two delicious cake recipes from our Wisconsin Innkeepers that you can prepare easily. The Apple Bundt Cake is perfect for a snack or baked for breakfast. The Hummingbird Cake, is a southern recipe, and very rich and decadent! It is a must try!

The other "B" in our name is breakfast, but many of our Wisconsin Bed & Breakfast Association Innkeepers also enjoy serving up welcome treats in the afternoon, so delicious goodies are also our Innkeepers specialty. And, really, there are no strict rules, so sometimes a dessert is served after breakfast! So, you can bake these Innkeeper recipes and/or visit any of our Wisconsin Bed & Breakfasts for truly special breakfasts and homemade treats! Enjoy!

Apple Cake

Recipe by The Livingston Inn, Madison:

Ingredients:
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 t. vanilla
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 t. allspice
2 t. baking powder
2 cups peeled and chopped apples (approx. 4 small apples)
1 cup pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup chopped dates

Directions:
Beat oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla on low speed until creamy. Add dry ingredients a little at a time and beat well after each addition. Fold in fruit and nuts. It’s a very thick batter. Bake in Bundt pan for 45 minutes at 350 degrees and test cake.  Bake at additional 5-minute increments if cake is still not baked all the way through.

Hummingbird Cake

Recipe by Apple Tree Lane B&B, Waupaca:

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups oil
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple - do not drain
2 cups bananas, mashed, about 3-4 large bananas
1 cup pecans or walnuts chopped

Directions:
Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon. Mix together with whisk.  Add eggs, vanilla extract, oil, pineapple, bananas, and nuts.  Mix all until moistened. Spray 3 (9 inch) round cake pans or one 9x13 inch pan.  Bake in preheated 350 degree oven 30-35 minutes until cake is done in center.  Frost with Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting!

Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 lb. box or about 3 2/3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

You can find more delicious recipes on our recipes page!

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Pretty? Maybe not, but morel mushrooms sure are delicious and should be incorporated into your breakfast recipes.

Morel mushroom hunting in Wisconsin in the spring is like a secret society, with mushroom aficionados reluctant to share their hunting spots. However, our innkeepers are always happy to share their recipes, and so we reached out to our members for their favorite morel mushroom recipes. If you’ve never tasted a morel mushroom, you’re in for a treat with this recipe for Eggs Benedict with Morel Mushrooms and Asparagus from Sweet Autumn Inn in Lake Mills. Ingredients: 1 T. Olive oil 1 Large shallot, finely diced 1 Clove garlic, finely diced 1/2 t. fresh thyme, chopped 1 T butter 8 oz. morel mushrooms, halved or quartered depending on size 1/4 C white wine or broth 1/2 C heavy cream Salt & pepper to taste 12 spears asparagus, lightly sauteed or blanched 4 poached eggs 4 slices of multi grain bread, lightly toasted Directions: Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat, add the shallot and cook until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the butter and let it melt. Add the mushrooms and cook until they release their moisture, about 3-5 minutes. Add the wind or broth, deglaze the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Add the cream and simmer until it thickens, about 2-3 minutes and reduce the heat to low. Poach the eggs in your favorite method. To Plate: Place piece of toast on the plate, top with the asparagus, poached eggs and creamy mushroom sauce. This recipe will make enough to serve four. Not a morel mushroom hunter? You could also try this recipe for Oven Baked Mushrooms from Pedal'rs Inn in Wales.

An open faced breakfast sandwich on a grilled ciabatta roll with roasted bacon, poached egg topped with chocolate bacon gravy and a side of oven roasted mushrooms from Pedal'rs Inn.

Ingredients: 2 T of unsalted butter 16 oz of sliced porcini mushrooms 2 tsp Of Worcestershire sauce 1/2 tsp Fresh ground black pepper 1 T of flour 1/4 cup sour cream Shredded Swiss cheese Directions: Preheat oven 325. In a sauté pan, melt butter on medium high heat. When butter begins to sizzle place mushrooms in pan. Sauté mushrooms until edges start to brown. Do not let them go until all the juice rendered. Stir in Worcestershire sauce and black pepper. Remove from heat and sprinkle with flour. Stir mushrooms covering with flour. Return to medium heat and add in sour cream being sure to pull in pan scrapings. Pour into individual tart pans or 8x8 oven safe serving dish. Top with Swiss cheese and place in oven for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve warm. Serves 4. Added Tip: When traveling to Wisconsin B&Bs in the spring, ask the innkeeper about local farmers’ markets, where you may be able to snag some morels, plus other spring favorites like asparagus and rhubarb. You’ll never leave empty-handed at the state’s largest farmers’ market which happens every Saturday on the Capitol Square in Madison. Who knows, you might even run into innkeepers from The Buckingham Inn, The Livingston Inn,  and Hotel Ruby Marie when you’re there!

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  Hygge is hot right now. It’s a Danish word for cozy, comfortable and content, and it’s showing up in home décor and travel trends. See how some Wisconsin B&Bs are interpreting the simple pleasures of hygge. If Pinterest is any indication of trends – and it is – hygge is big. How to hygge, you ask? Create a cozy atmosphere, be present in the moment, partake of simple pleasures, slow down, be thankful, embrace harmony, and carve out time and space for friends. Count us in! For us, this Danish word, pronounced "hue-guh", really boils down to “contentment.” And here are inns that have been serving up hygge long before it became a thing:  

Real tea and coffee: Lindsay House B&B, Manawa

[caption id="attachment_2356" align="aligncenter" width="363"] French pressed coffee, comfort, and a good book on the porch at Lindsay House B&B[/caption]  

Candles at breakfast: Garden Gate B&B, Sturgeon Bay

[caption id="attachment_2361" align="aligncenter" width="431"] Candlelight and pleasant conversation await you with breakfast at Garden Gate B&B[/caption]  

Freshly baked pastries: The Livingston Inn, Madison

[caption id="attachment_2354" align="aligncenter" width="276"] This homemade pistachio breakfast ring is just one of many delicious pastries from The Livingston Inn[/caption]  

A sprig or two of fresh flowers from the garden: Red Forest B&B, Two Rivers

[caption id="attachment_2342" align="aligncenter" width="320"] Enjoy your refreshments outdoors in the beautiful garden area at Red Forest B&B[/caption]  

Less-is-more home décor: At The Lake House, Lake Geneva

[caption id="attachment_2341" align="aligncenter" width="277"] At The Lake House offers modern simplicity to feel right at home[/caption]  

A reading sanctuary: Castle La Crosse B&B, La Crosse

[caption id="attachment_2344" align="aligncenter" width="444"] Pick out a book and set yourself up in a quiet spot by the window at the Castle La Crosse B&B library[/caption]  

Conversation nooks: 1810 Emerson House B&B, Beloit

[caption id="attachment_2338" align="aligncenter" width="387"] A quiet corner for your enjoyment at 1810 Emerson House[/caption]  

Crackling fireplace: Honeybee Inn B&B, Horicon

[caption id="attachment_1621" align="aligncenter" width="457"] Bask in the warmth of the fireplace in the Queen Bee Victorian room at the Honeybee Inn[/caption]  

Hiking path with picnic spots: Lake Orchard Farm Retreat, Sheboygan

[caption id="attachment_2363" align="aligncenter" width="449"] Rolling fields, natural woods, fruit orchards and a Lake Michigan view greet you on the trails around Lake Orchard Farm Retreat[/caption]  

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[caption id="attachment_1831" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The photo of The Red Chair that started a phenomenon in 2011[/caption] The Red Chair Travels is coming to Wisconsin!  The WBBA is so excited to part of this phenomenon that started 5 years ago in Cape Cod, MA. Beth Colt is the innkeeper of the Woods Hole Inn on Cape Cod.   She took a picture of this red chair perched out on a frozen pond in Woods Hole in the winter of 2011.  When she posted the photo on Facebook her computer lit up with "likes" and this simple image journeyed all over cyberspace, and landed in the in-box of a California-based photographer, who was inspired to come visit the Woods Hole Inn in the off season.  When she asked to borrow the chair she was surprised; when the fruits of her labor arrived in the mail Beth was in awe. [caption id="attachment_1832" align="alignright" width="300"] Captain Freeman Inn Cape Cod, MA[/caption] The red chair became a symbol, a metaphor for connections made across invisible boundaries. In 2012 Beth contacted other Inns in Cape Cod to see if they would like to "host" the Red Chair for a few days and photograph the chair's visit.  Since then the Red Chair has visited more than 20 states in the U.S., and parts of Canada. For Beth Colt, "the red chair is an invitation to come explore yourself in a quiet and beautiful place.  It is an open seat at the table of relaxation.  It is the beckoning hand of civilization, marking the edge of the wildness of nature.  It is the dialogue between artists and innkeepers, dreamers and shop-girls, lost travelers and those that welcome them into warm beds." We know the Red Chair will feel right at home in Wisconsin and we are excited to see all the different adventures it has along the way.  Listed below is the schedule for the Red Chair Travels in Wisconsin.  Are you ready to Seek the Unique?  Book your stay at one of the participating WBBA B&B's today so you can take part in the Red Chair Travels!

Inns Near the New FLW Trail It was 150 years ago this year that Frank Lloyd Wright was born in Wisconsin. People are often surprised to know that Wisconsin has more FLW-designed buildings – 41 in all - than any other state. A new FLW Trail showcases nine buildings open for tours. Plan your motor route with stays at B&Bs along the way. [caption id="attachment_1770" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Frank Lloyd Wright Home in Milwaukee[/caption]

Frank Lloyd Wright was born in Richland Center, Wisconsin in 1867. To mark the occasion, the state has just christened a new Frank Lloyd Wright Trail with stops at nine buildings in the southern part of the state, all open to the public. Here are the iconic buildings on the trail, with B&Bs nearby to make this motor route an architectural adventure from start to finish. Start in Racine and tour the SC Johnson Administration Building and Research Tower as well as Wingspread in nearby Wind Point. Stay: The Christmas House B&B is on the National Register of Historic Places and within walking distance to Lake Michigan and the Racine downtown. Head to Milwaukee to see the Burnham American System Built Homes. Stay: There are three nearby B&Bs, each with their own architectural pedigree. Washington House Inn [caption id="attachment_1771" align="alignleft" width="212"] Washington House Inn Guest Room[/caption] in Cedarburg is set in a gem of an 1886 Victorian cream city brick building. Pedal’rs Inn in Wales is a grand Queen Ann Victorian with modern, luxuries amenities within. And the Westphal Mansion Inn in Hartford is an English Tudor that retains all its original architectural features. Then it’s off to Madison, for a stroll of the Monona Terrace and the First Unitarian Society Meeting House. Stay: The mix of B&Bs here is as eclectic as the city itself. The Livingston Inn features stunning architectural details inside and out, including nine fireplaces, 11-foot ceilings, and a glass atrium. Hotel Ruby Marie first received its lodging license in 1873, primarily used as a railroad hotel back then. The Buckingham Inn is a classic 1911 Prairie-style residence influenced by the designs of Frank Lloyd Wright but with a University of Wisconsin campus vibe. If you’d prefer to spend the night outside the city, then Victorian Dreams in Lodi and Altemus Corners in Stoughton are excellent choices for a relaxing night’s sleep. Next is Spring Green, home to Taliesin and the FLW Visitor Center as well as the Wyoming Valley School Cultural Arts Center. Stay: Silver Star B&B is a secluded country-style log lodge set on a bucolic 340-acre estate. [caption id="attachment_734" align="alignright" width="300"] A 'long and winding road' leads you to the Cream Pitcher B&B, in Blue River.[/caption]   The route fittingly finished up in Wright’s birthplace, Richland Center, where you can tour the AD German Warehouse. Stay: There are two inns within a quick drive. Sheer Memories B&B in Muscoda overlooks the Wisconsin River Valley, while Cream Pitcher B&B in Blue River is built on a historic 1854 farm.       Frank Lloyd Wright was a visionary, a man ahead of his time, who believed in designing structures that were in harmony with humanity and its environment. All of his projects were unique. just like theB&B's in the Wisconsin Bed & Breakfast Association.  WBBA Innkeepers are passionate about creating a space that will help you reconnect with the environment around you.  Another important item to point out, WBBA members are licensed, inspected and insured.  So rest assured, you will get a good night's sleep when you stay at a WBBA B&B, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated the next morning.  Are you ready to Seek the Unique?

Wisconsin has major travel news this year. The U.S. Open comes to the state for the first time in the tournament’s history, to a public course, no less. Natural Twosome – Golf and B&Bs The 117^th U.S. Open is being played at Erin Hills in Wisconsin, marking the first time the storied event has ever been staged in the state. Plus it’s only the sixth time it’s being played at a public course. We put together a list of the Top 10 Wisconsin public golf courses (and the B&Bs nearby, naturally) to help you tee up your golf getaway bucket list.

There are more than 500 public golf courses in Wisconsin. Multiple PGA and LPGA tournaments have been contested at public courses at Kohler. Plus, the U.S. Open comes to Erin Hills in Wisconsin, the first time this storied event has ever been staged in the state and only the sixth time at a public course. And this just in: Wisconsin is ranked the #1 golf destination for 2017 by GolfAdvisor.com! So, if there was ever a year to celebrate golf, this is it, which is why the Wisconsin Bed & Breakfast Association put together its own list of top public courses based on travel habits at its member inns. While Erin Hills is closed until after the U.S. Open, there are plenty of top-notch golf getaways for those eager to tee up their summer travel schedule. Top 10 Contenders for Best Golf/B&B Getaways

1. Whistling Straits, Sheboygan: This course will be hosting the 2020 Ryder Cup. Stay at Lake Orchard Farm Retreat on the shores of Lake Michigan, a sixth generation farm with its own on-site nine-hole golf course and clubhouse. [caption id="attachment_1757" align="alignnone" width="300"] Lake Orchard Farm Retreat Guest room[/caption]
2. Blackwolf Run, Kohler: Spend the night at the nearby Jay Lee Inn in Elklhart Lake, an elegant 1902 Victorian Federal house with views to the lake. There’s also Tauschek’s B&B in Plymouth, a log home with rustic charm and modern amenities. [caption id="attachment_1758" align="alignright" width="300"] Tauschek' Bed & Breakfast[/caption]
3. University Ridge, Madison: The three inns in Madison each have their own unique personality, much like the city itself. There’s The Buckingham Inn near Camp Randall Stadium with red naturally a favorite accent color, Hotel Ruby Marie where you can enjoy the bustle of the Capitol Square, and The Livingston Inn Gothic Revival mansion with lakefront access to Lake Mendota.
4. Lawsonia, Green Lake: Take your pick of four B&Bs in the resort community of Green Lake – Miller’s Daughter B&B where complimentary wine is served daily, McConnell Inn where breakfast is prepared by their pastry chef, the lakefront Angel Inn with parking for your boat, or Greenway House where guests can enjoy breakfast on the wraparound porch.
5. SentryWorld, Stevens Point: After a day on the course, spend the night at Dreams of Yesteryear, an architectural gem in Stevens Point’s historic downtown district, and wake up to a full gourmet breakfast before heading back to the course for another round of golf.
6. The Bull, Sheboygan Falls: Choose a two-story suite at the Rochester Inn or, if traveling with your golf buddies, reserve The Fringe Country Inn and gather in the spacious common room. Both are right in Sheboygan Falls.
7. Horseshoe Bay, Egg Harbor: There are lots of charming B&Bs up and down the Door County peninsula. [caption id="attachment_1759" align="alignnone" width="300"] Bay Point Inn[/caption] In the same community as the course is Bay Point Inn, patterned after a European vacation villa.
8. Washington County, Hartford: The Westphal Mansion Inn, an English Tudor mansion in downtown Hartford, is a local historic landmark with plenty of old world style. [caption id="attachment_1763" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Westphal Mansion guest room[/caption]
9. The Bog, Saukville: A short drive will get you to Hidden Serenity B&B in West Bend, a spacious inn next to a wildlife sanctuary where there’s also a tennis court if you also like to swing a racquet.
10. Geneva National, Lake Geneva: This is the site of the 2017 Legends LPGA. If you typically travel with a group of golfer friends, reserve the entire home known as At The Lake House B&B. [caption id="attachment_1760" align="alignright" width="300"] Lazy Cloud Bed & Breakfast, Lake Geneva WI[/caption] Lazy Cloud B&B bills itself as a place for romantics so if you golf with your significant other, give this inn a try. Both are in Lake Geneva.

Bonus Recommendations: There are two other public courses in the state designed by the same duo who designed Erin Hills - Wild Rock in Wisconsin Dells and Troy Burne in Hudson. In Wisconsin Dells, retreat to Bowman’s Oak Hill B&B with its park-like setting where breakfast is served on the large deck. In Hudson, Phipps Inn is located in a historic district making it a short walk to downtown restaurants. Look Forward To: Sand Valley Golf Resort in Nekoosa is set to open in May, and is already getting lots of advance accolades. Less than an hour from the course is Artha Sustainable Living Center in Amherst, an eco-friendly inn set on a 55-acre plot with lots of greens, as in green fields and woodlands. Also just under an hour’s drive is Riverview B&B in Neshkoro, located on the White River, so bring your kayak along with your clubs. When Erin Hills Reopens to the Public: If you’ll be golfing Erin Hills after the U.S. Open, consider a stay at Inn at Pine Terrace in nearby Oconomowoc. The design of this historic mansion was modeled after a nobleman’s castle near Vienna, making it a fitting spot to spend the night when golfing one of the crown jewels of Wisconsin. Just as each golf course is unique and has it's own personality, so do the B&B's in the Wisconsin Bed & Breakfast Association.  A great reason to plan a B&B getaway, where innkeepers are your ultimate concierge to all things local.  Another important item to point out, WBBA members are licensed, inspected and insured.  So rest assured, you will get a good night's sleep when you stay at a WBBA B&B, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated the next morning.  Are you ready to Seek the Unique?