Category: Cakes

Breakfast · Cakes · Holiday Fare

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Strusel Coffee Cake

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Tomorrow morning we are having several friends over for breakfast and I wanted to serve a coffee cake.  I found two different ones so I combined them and it is in the oven at this moment. Cannot wait to try a bite (or a huge piece)

The cake portion is from Taste of Home

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin

1/4 cup oil

1/2 teas vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups flour

2 teas ground cinnamon

1 teas baking soda

1/2 teas salt

Filling:

1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese, softened

1 egg

1 tables sugar

Topping (this is from a new cookbook that a friend of mine just completed, thank you Mary)

Crumble Topping

 1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1 teas ground cinnamon

4 tablespoons butter, cold

Directions

In a large bowl, beat sugar, eggs, pumpkin, oil and vanilla. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; add to egg mixture and mix well. Pour into a greased 13×9″ baking dish.

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, egg and sugar until smooth. Drop by tablespoons over batter and swirl into pumpkin mixture with a knife. Combine topping ingredients and cut up butter with pastry blender or 2 forks until mixture is crumbly.  Sprinkle over cake mixture and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

Serves 12-15

Cakes · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Fruit · Holiday Fare

Apple-Spice Cake

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My precious little hubby came home from the Nutritionist yesterday upset because he hadn’t lost the weight he had hoped. We finished dinner and found our way to our matching recliners (they are disguised as wing backs so people just walking in the living room won’t know we are old), when he proceeded to ask me what we were having for dessert. I looked at him and reminded him that he was just complaining an hour ago about not losing weight. He reminded me that that was an hour ago and he was wanting dessert. I hated to tell him that the dessert that I had made was long gone. It had been delivered to some friends and it was too late to make anything last night. He rummaged around our pantry until he found cookies.  This morning I promised him I would have dessert awaiting his arrival today. I found this recipe on the back of the Duncan Hines Spice Cake Mix box and have it in the oven as we speak (actually as I post). Am adding my own frosting as I still just cannot do canned frosting. It has a can of apple pie filling in it and I did add a half teaspoon of ground ginger to the batter. The house smells divine right now and cannot wait to  try it.

1 Duncan Hines Spice Cake mix

3 eggs

1/3 cup oil

1/2 teas ground ginger

1 (18 oz) can apple pie filling (not just the canned apples, but the “pie filling” apples

Frosting  of your choice (but please don’t tell me if you use the canned, I don’t want to know that)! ha

Combine eggs, cake mix, oil and mix for 2 minutes. Add can of apples.

1 cup chopped nuts (opt) can be added if you like

Pour into a greased 9×13 baking pan and bake until knife inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool and Frost

Browned Butter Frosting

1 cup butter

1 box (16 oz) powdered sugar

1/4 cup milk (might need a little more, but add by tables as needed)

1 teas vanilla

Cook butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, 6-8 min or until butter begins to turn a golden brown. Remove pan from heat immediately and pour butter into a small bowl. Cover and chill 1 hour and butter begins to solidify. Beat butter at medium speed with mixer until fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar, alternately with milk, beginning and ending with sugar. Beat mixture at low speed until well blended. Add vanilla. Spread over cooled cake. Sprinkle with chopped pecans if desired.

Cakes · Desserts · Fruit

Lemon Custard Cakes

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The lemon pudding was so good that I am now craving lemon desserts. This appeared on Two Chums Blog today and I knew I would be making them this weekend.
Lemon Custard Cakes
(Modified from a Martha Stewart recipe)

Soft, room temperature butter, for custard cups

3 large eggs, separated

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Grated lemon zest from 1 lemon

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 cup whole milk (you can also use almond milk or coconut milk)

1/4 teaspoon salt

Powdered sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set a kettle of water to boil. Butter six 6-ounce custard cups (Pyrex works well). Place a dish towel in the bottom of a baking dish covering the bottom..

Separate egg yolks from the whites.
In a large bowl, whisk yolks with sugar till light. Then whisk in lemon juice,zest and milk.
Mix and beat whites until soft peaks form. (remember that room temp whites always beat up better and lighter)
Fold the beaten egg whites to lemon batter, gently with the whisk. Batter will be quite liquidy. Divide batter between 6 custard cups and place on top of the towel lined baking dish. Place on rack in oven but before closing door, pour the boiling water till water reaches 1/2 way up sides of custard cups. Bake 20-25 minutes, until puffed and lightly browned. Cool for a few minutes and then sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Breakfast · Cakes · Desserts

Almond Cake

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I love the almond flavor in cakes and frostings. Some evenings the almond craving just gets to me and I have to get in the kitchen and make a “wedding cake” (not an actual wedding cake, but a almond flavored white cake) time favorite cake. When I don’t want a huge two layer cake, since I would be the one who ate all of it, this recipe makes one quick and easy layer and gives me plenty of the almond flavor I am wanting.

1 cup sugar

1 cup flour

2 beaten eggs, 1/2 cup melted butter, 1 teas almond extract. Preheat oven to 350. Combine all of the ingredients together and hand mix with a fork, as little as possible.  Spoon into a prepared 9″ round pie tin or cake pan. Cover with slivered almonds and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cake tests done.

*You may make ahead of time and freeze.

Cakes · Desserts · Fruit

Lemon Bar Cheesecake

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Friday evening we are having some friends over for dinner. When I came across this recipe from Southern Living Feb issue, I knew it would be our dessert for tonight. I love saving the magazines and going back through them. It reminds me of different scriptures that you have read a million times in the Bible, but just when you are needing a certain word from the Lord, you come across the same scripture and it just has a whole new meaning, depending on your circumstances. It is just the Word you are needing to hear. So it is with old recipes, you can read them a hundred times, but sometimes one just sticks out to you as you are going through your recipe stack and there it is…the perfect recipe you have been looking for.

As Southerners,  we love our Bible, a true treasure and God’s love letter to us. Southern Living Magazine is a gift to us also, provides us with treasured recipes, which made with love, we share with our families and friends. This will be a favorite and treasured recipe.

If you use a dark springform pan, it will ensure a golden brown crust without having to bake before adding the filling.

2 cups flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup cold butter, cubed

2 egg yolks

1 to 2 tables ice-cold water

4 (8 oz) softened cream cheese

1 cup sugar

4 large eggs

2 teas vanilla

2 cups Lemon Curd, divided (I use already prepared lemon curd I get at grocery store)

Candied Lemon Slices (opt)

Pulse first 3 ingredients in a food processor 3-4 times or just until blended. Add butter and pulse 5-6 times or until crumbly. Whisk together 2 egg yolks and 1 tables ice-cold water in a small bowl; add to butter mixture and process until dough forms a ball and pulls away from sides of bowl, adding up to 1 tables remaining ice-cold water if necessary. Shape dough into a disk; wrap in plastic and chill at least 4 hours (up to 24 hours).

Roll dough into a 14″ circle on a lightly floured surface. Fit dough into a lightly greased 9″ dark springform pan; trim and discard excess dough. Chill 30 mins.

Preheat oven to 325. Beat cream cheese at medium speed with mixer 3 min or until smooth. Gradually add sugar, beating until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

Pour 2/3 of cheesecake batter (about 4 cups) into prepared crust; dollop 1 cup lemon curd over batter in pan and gently swirl with a knife. Spoon remaining batter into pan.

Bake at 325 for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 min or just until center is set. Turn oven off. Let cheesecake stand in oven with door closed for 15 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven and gently run a knife around outer edge to loosen sides of pan. Do not remove sides of the pan. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack about 1 hour. Cover and chill at least 8 hours.

Remove sides of pan and transfer to a serving plate. Spoon remaining 1 cup lemon curd over top of cheesecake. If desired top with candied lemon slices and whipped cream.

Cakes · Desserts · Fruit

Pineapple Pudding Cake

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This week has just been a week of wanting to do nothing by bake. Major baking mood, so I went to a couple of new spots on the internet, one being called, Just Desserts, and found this new recipe. Sounds perfect for those warm summer nights when we are wanting something that is cool and refreshing, but yet, delicious and tantalizing. So here it is, will become a summer favorite.

1 Duncan Hines Yellow or Pineapple Cake mix, baked according to directions for a 9×13 pan.

When baked and completely cooled spread the following over the cake:

1 (8z) package of softened cream cheese mixed 1 (20 oz) can drained well, crushed pineapple and 1 small package instant vanilla pudding mix.

When mixed well, spread over cooled cake.

Either using a (8 oz) tub of thawed Cool Whip or 2 cups sweetened, whipping cream, spread whipped topping over pudding mixture.(You know which one I will use, the most fattening one of course….real whipping cream)  Sprinkle with chopped nuts and maraschino cherries, if desired.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. Cover and keep in fridge.

Serves 12-14

Cakes · Fruit

Strawberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

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When I saw this recipe on Just A Pinch, I could only imagine how good this would be until this morning. Just ate my first one. Yum! They gave it as a layer cake, but had to make cupcakes because I wanted to share some and didn’t know quite how many I would eat before actually getting them out the door. So glad it made 29 cupcakes. I could have 5 of them all to myself. With this new computer, I have not figured out how to get the pics from my phone to this blog, so cannot post a picture yet, but will learn as soon as my daughter gets here next week.

Recipe worth sharing:

1 white Duncan Hines Cake mix

1 small box strawberry jello ( not the sugar free)
1 cup of sweetened, undrained mashed strawberries

1 cup oil

1/2 cup milk

4 eggs

Mix all ingredients for cake and pour into 2 9″ greased cake pans, 1 9×11 pan or cupcake liners.

Bake until cake or cupcakes tests done.

When cooled, frost with the following:

1 stick butter, softened

1 (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1 box of powdered sugar  (3 1/2 cups powdered sugar)

A little of the strawberry juice left over from the thawed strawberries to flavor and color the frosting. If you don’t want to use cream cheese use the following recipe

1 box powdered sugar

1 stick softened butter

1/2 cup mashed strawberries, drained

Mix until smooth and frost cake

Cakes · Desserts · Fruit

Paula Deen Strawberry Cake

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To show support of Paula I thought today I would post a recipe from the new July magazine that just arrived the other day. I have not make it but intend to do so after I finish baking what I have committed to for some people. So, Paula, this one’s for you! Thank you for being a lady, through this very difficult season.

1 cup butter, softened (always best to use unsalted)

1 3/4 cup sugar

1 teas strawberry extract

5 large eggs

3 cups flour

1 package (3 oz) package of strawberry gelatin

2 teas baking powder

1/4 teas salt

3/4 cup pureed thawed frozen sweetened strawberries

3/4 cup milk

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 13×9 baking pan with Pam baking spray with flour.

In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, and extract at medium speed with a mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, gelatin, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, (whew, I am exhausted from bending over to get all these bowls out from the cabinet.), combine strawberry puree and milk. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternately with strawberry mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating just until combined after each addition. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 25-35 min, depending on your oven. When wooden pick comes out clean, it is done. Let cake cool and then spread strawberry frosting on top. Store covered in fridge up to 3 days.

Frosting

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 (8 oz) softened cream cheese

1/4 cup pureed thawed frozen sweetened strawberries

4 cups powdered sugar

In large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add rest of ingredients and then powdered sugar at the last. Beat until powdered sugar is smooth and no lumps remain.

Cakes · Chocolate

Chocolate Cherry Cola Cake

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Image

Taken from the summer issue of Taste of Home, this cake got great reviews last night when I took it to a dinner party. Before leaving home, I ate 4 cupcakes I had made with some of the batter, just to try it out, of course. Because of the marshmallows and cherry coke, the cake is so moist and the chocolate flavor is amazing.

1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallow, ( I had found chocolate mini ones, so I used those)

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 teas baking soda

1 cup butter, cubed (so it melts quicker)

1 cup cherry-flavored coke

3 tables Hershey’s cocoa

2 eggs at room temp

1/2 cup buttermilk (if you don’t keep this on hand, make your own with plain milk and vinegar)

1 teas vanilla

Frosting:

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow

2 tables cherry juice (recipe called for 2 tables frozen cherry-pomegranate juice concentrate, but my store didn’t have any so bought a can of sweet cherries in heavy syrup and used the syrup from that)

Fresh sweet cherries with stem for decor

Preheat oven to 350. Line bottom of two greased 9″ pans with parchment paper; grease paper also after they have been put in pan. Divide marshmallows between pans.

In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar and baking soda. In a small saucepan, combine the cubed butter, cola and cocoa. Bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until blended.

In a small bowl, whisk eggs, buttermilk and vanilla until blended. Add to flour mixture, whisking constantly. Pour into prepared pans, dividing batter evenly. Marshmallows will float to the top.

Bake for 25-30 in or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 min and then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

For frosting:  *(IF you want enough frosting to frost sides of cake, double the frosting ingredients)in a medium bowl, beat butter and powdered sugar until smooth. Beat in marshmallow cream and juice on low speed just until blended. Place one cake layer on serving plate. Spread top with 1 cup frosting. Top with remaining frosting.

Cakes · Daily Thoughts · Desserts

Lemon Curd Cupcakes

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Yesterday I took these cupcakes to my MOPS moms and they all loved them. (Of course, being moms of preschoolers, they would love whatever that was set in front of them as long as they didn’t have to cook it). Several have emailed me and ask for the recipe and then when I took more of them last night to Bible Study, the ladies absolutely loved them. They are so easy, yet taste and look like you spent all day.

1 Duncan Hines Lemon Cake mix

1 jar of lemon curd (or you can make a package of lemon pudding and pie filling if you can’t find the lemon curd in your grocery) Just make sure that if you make your own lemon curd using the jello, you allow it to thicken and cool completely before using in the cupcake batter.

Frosting*

Mix cake mix according to directions. Using paper liners, place 24 liners in cupcake holders. Place about 1 tables of lemon cake batter in each liner. Place about 1 tablespoon of lemon curd  over batter. Then pour about 2 tables cake mix batter over curd, being sure that curd is completely covered. Bake according to directions on box. Cook cupcakes completely.

Another option is just bake the cupcakes according to directions on box without the filling and when they are cool, insert curd into middle of cupcake with the tip which allows you to  insert it into cupcake.

Frost* with the following:

1 box of powdered sugar

1 stick softened butter

1 teas lemon extract

1/3 cup whipping cream or milk (add this liquid a little at a time, as it might not all be required to get frosting to spreading consistency, may need a little more also)