Category: Cakes

Cakes · Daily Thoughts · Desserts

Dessert For Two

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My son, Cameron and daughter-in-law, Mandy, gave me a great cookbook called Dessert for Two, by Christina Lane. It is wonderful and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves dessert as much as we do, but hates the thought of baking 4 dozen cookies, knowing that unless you give them away, you would eat the entire 4 dozen, making it necessary to go out and buy a size bigger blue jean. This once again proves just how much everything tends to cause a ripple effect. Anyway, back to the recipes. Last night, thumbing through the book, which has colored pictures on almost every page, I found the first thing I am going to make: mini sour cream pound cakes. We are hitting the road again tomorrow and there is nothing better that to have a large sack of snacks to grab to make going through the desert a little less deserty. I have baked oatmeal cookies and brownies, but will be making these Mini Sour Cream Pound Cakes for Randy, hoping he will leave the brownies for me.

This cook book uses Mason jar lids for little pies, bread loaf pans for bars and cookies. Do yourself a favor and get one of these cookbooks, (after you have ordered Princess On The Porch, of course).

Mini Sour Cream Pound Cakes

Makes 4

1/4 cup granulated sugar

4 tables unsalted butter, at room temp

1/2 teas vanilla

1/4 teas almond extract

1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk

3 tables sour cream

1/2 cup flour

1/4 teas baking powder

1/8 teas salt

Preheat oven to 350. Place cupcake liners in four cups along the edge of a muffin pan.

In a medium size bowl, cream together the sugar and butter for 1 minute with mixer. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and beat until well combined. Next, add the whole egg, egg yolk and sour cream. Beat until combined.

Sprinkle the flour, baking powder and salt on top of the wet ingredients. Beat until just combined, do not over mix.

Divide the batter equally among the prepared muffin cups. Bake for about 15-18 min, depending on your oven until they test done. It’s ok to remove the cakes when moist crumbs cling to a toothpick which has been inserted in the middle and the tops appear slightly damp. Let cook in the pan for 5 min and then allow to cool completely on a cooking rack.

Sprinkle powdered sugar on top if desired.

Some of our snacks for the road (Randy just walked in and saw all of the snacks and ask me when we were going to be able to eat all the snacks and how long did I think we would be driving. I told him that I just like to be prepared. They can save our lives in case we get stuck on the road or maybe can use them to bribe a policeman if we get stopped. (oops already tried that once and the officer told me in no uncertain terms not to keep offering him a brownie, my goodness, was just trying to show a little southern hospitality)

Snacks for the Desert
Snacks for the Desert
Cakes · Desserts · Fruit · Holiday Fare

Blueberry Buttermilk Bundt Cake

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Love, love, love blueberries! This recipe is taken from Food Network Summer Favorites!

Cake:

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temp, plus more for the pan.

3 cups plus 2 tables all purpose flour

2 1/2 teas baking powder

1 1/4 teas salt

1 3/4 cups sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs, at room temp

1 teas vanilla

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 cups fresh blueberries (about 1 pint)

For the toppings

1 pint strawberries, halved or quartered

1 to 2 tables sugar

2 1/4 cups powdered sugar

1 tables unsalted butter, at room temp

4 to 5 tables milk

To make the cake, preheat oven to 350. Generously butter a nonstick 12 cup bundt pan.

Whisk 3 cups flour, the baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.

Beat 2 sticks butter, the granulated sugar and the oil with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the eggs one at a time, then beat in vanilla. Add about 1/3 of the flour mixture and half of the buttermilk, beating until incorporated. Add another 1/3 of the flour mixture and the remaining buttermilk. Beat, scraping down sides as needed, until all is combined. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat 30 seconds. Finish blending the flour to avoid overmixing.

Toss the blueberries with the remaining 2 tables flour in a bowl. Spoon 1/3 of the batter evely into the prepared pan. Sprinkle in half of the blueberries, then top with another 1/3 of the batter. Scatter the remaining blueberries on top and cover with the rest of the batter, smooth the top. Bake until the cake is golden brown and tests done by inserting knife in center of cake and it comes out clean. It will bake about an hour to hour and 5 min. Transfer to a rack and let cool 30 minutes in the pan. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake, then invert onto the rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the toppings; Toss the strawberries with the granulated sugar in a bowl; let stand 30 minutes.

Just before serving, make the glaze: Whisk the powdered sugar, butter and 4 tables milk in a bowl. If glaze is still to thick, add up to 1 more tables milk. Pour the glaze over the cake. Serve with the strawberries and their juices over cake.2015-07-03 10.01.44

Cakes · Chocolate · Desserts

Brown Sugar Fudge Cake

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Summer is suppose to be all about the fresh fruit, cool ice box pies & ice cream. But in my world, any season is perfect for chocolate. The combination of the brown sugar with the unsweetened cocoa, makes for a moist, delicious flavor that creates a great chocolate cake.

1 3/4 cups flour

1 teas baking soda *see below

3/4 teas salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar

1 teas vanilla

3 eggs

3 envelopes (1 oz each envelope) Nestle Chocolate Unsweetened Bake (If you cannot find these, use 3 squares of 1 oz each unsweetened chocolate, melting as per directions on box)

1 cup buttermilk

*If you don’t use your baking soda regularly, test it to be sure it is still good by dropping in about a 1/2 teas in a glass of warm water, if it doesn’t fizz up, replace the baking soda)

Preheat oven to 350. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, combine butter, brown sugar and vanilla. Beat until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in the melted chocolate.

Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk. Pour batter into two greased and floured 9″ round or square pans. Bake 30 to 32 minutes  or until cake tests done. Cool on wire racks. Fill and frost with your favorite frosting.

It is wonderful with browned butter frosting or the chocolate frosting that is on the blog. Just put in chocolate frosting in the search engine.  The browned butter frosting is under the Fresh Apple Cake post, so just put that in the search space.

Cakes · Desserts · Fruit

Key Lime Coconut Angel Cake

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I have a cookbook from the ladies of First Bapt.,Jacksonville, Florida. A friend gave this to me years ago and it is still one of my favorite books to sit and look through. This recipe had not popped off the page at me until now. As much as I love Key Lime anything, I cannot believe I have not noticed this. But I have now and am buying an angel food cake next trip to the store.

Summer is here and all that is sounding good is cold desserts, full of lemon, strawberry or lime! This one is totally up my alley.

1 round angel food cake (store bought so you don’t have to heat up the kitchen)

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated) ex: Eagle Brand

1/3 cup key lime or regular lime juice

12 oz frozen whipped topping, thawed, such as Cool Whip, Extra Creamy (or use real whipping cream, which you would only need 2 cups whipped)

1 cup flaked coconut

sliced kiwis and strawberries, if desired

Using a serrated knife, slice cake horizontally into 3 layers with a sawing motion, or use an electric knife, if possible.

Beat milk and lime juice in a large bowl with a wire whisk until smooth and thickened. Fold in whipped topping. You may use a little more juice for added flavor, but be careful not to make it to thin.)

Frost layers of cake as you assemble. Sprinkle with coconut and garnish with the fruit.

Place in fridge for several hours, to enhance flavors…Enjoy and be cool!

Cakes · Daily Thoughts · Desserts

Princess Payton Cupcakes

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Last week, our daughter in law, Mandy had ask if I would make the cupcakes for our granddaughter’s 1st birthday party. All the relatives would be coming into town from near and far and it was a joyous occasion. Of course, we wanted everything to be pink so the cupcakes were going to be strawberry. I began to look for cupcake pics that would go with the theme, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and found these precious pink netting with glitter piks at Hobby Lobby and then made star pics for some cupcakes as well.

Thought a post of some of the ideas that helped might be helpful to you, if you are so inclined to be giving a party for a princess in the near future.

Cupcakes: Made from a strawberry cake mix, substituting strawberry juice for the water that the mix called for. Also, buy a package of Dream Whip and make the cupcakes according to the recipe on the Dream Whip Box. They will be so much lighter and fluffier.

1 envelope of Dream Whip (it is boxed whipping cream which is found on the baking good aisle at grocery store)

4 eggs

1 cup cold water (I used cold strawberry juice)

1 strawberry cake mix

Beat on medium for 4 full minutes and pour into cupcake lined cupcake pans. Bake about 13 minutes or until they test done. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:

1 stick butter

1 box or 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 teas vanilla

Enough strawberry juice (I got the juice from thawing out frozen strawberries that you get in a container in the frozen food aisle and just draining off the juice after they have thawed)

Beat all until creamy adjusting the powdered sugar and juice until the frosting is able to hold its shape when placed in a cake decorator to be piped onto cupcake. *I doubled the amount of frosting, as I was making 48 cupcakes! Had just enough after doubling recipe for frosting.

Take about 1/2 cup of the frosting and place in a glass bowl. Place it in the microwave for about 10 to 15 seconds, until it is melted. Take each cupcake and turn them upside down, dipping the tops in the melted frosting. This seals the cupcake and keeps it fresh longer. Then, using your star tip cake decorator, fill tube with frosting and make a big enough swirl to put a cupcake pic in the middle of it.

Repeat until all cupcakes have been frosted. If you have a container that will hold the frosted cupcakes, cover them and place in fridge until about an hour before serving. This also helps to keep them moist. Then remove from fridge and place a pic in each cupcake. The cupcake stand also came from Hobby Lobby!

Princess Payton Cupcakes
Princess Payton Cupcakes

Cakes · Chocolate · Desserts · Fruit

Neapolitan Cheesecake

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Leave it to Taste of Home to publish a great and different cheesecake. I had never seen a recipe for this and it sounds quite good. Will be the next cheesecake I make. The recipe has won several first place ribbons at fairs and is from a lady who lives in Canada.

1 cup chocolate wafer crumbs

5 tables butter, melted and divided

3 packages ( 8 oz ea) cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 teas vanilla

5 squares (1 oz ea) semisweet chocolate, divided

2-1/2 (which will be equal to 2 1/2 oz) white baking chocolate, divided

1/3 cup mashed sweetened strawberries

2 teas shortening, divided

Combine crumbs, 3 tables melted butter; press onto the bottom of an ungreased 9″ spring form pan. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degree  preheated oven for 8 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Add vanilla. Divide into 3 portions, about 1 2/3 cup each.

Melt 2 squares semisweet chocolate; stir into one portion of batter. Melt 2 squares of white chocolate; stir into second portion. Stir strawberries into the 3rd portion. Spread semisweet mixture evenly over crust. Carefully spread with white chocolate batter, then the strawberry mixture on top of that. Place on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated 425 oven for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 300. Bake about 50 minutes or until center is nearly set. You want it to jiggle slightly. Remove from the oven; immediately run a knife around the edge. Cool then remove from pan.

Melt remaining semisweet chocolate, remaining butter and 1 teas shortening; cool for 2 minutes. Pour over cake. Melt remaining white chocolate and rest of shortening; drizzle over the chocolate glaze. Cool in fridge at least 4-6 hours.

Serves: 12-14

Cakes · Desserts

Summer Fruit Cake

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Going through a old spiral notebook that I began when I married in 1973, I found this recipe which my neighbor gave me when she moved in a few houses down from me. She was from Lampasas, Tx and was a really good cook. We would sit in the yard watching the kids play and talk about recipes we loved and what our kids would eat. This recipe was handed down to her from her grandmother and her family had been making it ever since. I am not a big fruit cake lover, but this one sounded like something that I would enjoy, with a big scoop of whipping cream or ice cream during the summer. Give it a try. It is so different from a traditional fruit cake. Here’s hoping you like it also.

2 sticks butter, softened

2 cups sugar

6 eggs, at room temp

1 can flaked coconut

1/2 cup milk

1 large box vanilla wafers, crushed in a plastic bag or blender

1 cup of chopped pecans

8 oz candied cherries, or dried apricots, cut up, or 1 cup of golden raisins

In mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add coconut and blend. Add the milk. With a spoon, add the crushed vanilla wafers, 1/3 at a time until all is incorporated.

Add the nuts and fruit (cherries or raisins or apricots). Put in a greased and floured tube pan. Bake in a preheated 250 oven for about 2 hours. Cake can be frozen.

*Depending on your oven, Jo told me that she usually baked hers about 2 1/2 hours, although her directions said 2 hours. When cake tests done, remove from oven and allow to cool before transferring out of pan onto a platter to serve.

Cakes · Chocolate · Desserts

Mexican Chocolate Pound Cake

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This afternoon I thought I would hunt for a new chocolate cake recipe and came across this new one that I had not seen. Since we love the Texas Sheet with the teaspoon of cinnamon in it, this one should be one that will satisfy our chocolate fix tomorrow. I saw it online in “my recipes” and cannot wait to bake it tomorrow. Let me know if you have tried it and what you thought about the flavor.

recipe Photo by: Photo: Jim Franco; Styling: Leslie Siegel

Mexican Chocolate Pound Cake

We replicated the flavor profile of Mexican chocolate using semisweet chocolate and cinnamon. If you prefer to use Mexican chocolate, look for it with the hot drink mixes or on the Hispanic food aisle. This moist pound cake is equally delicious without the sauce.
  • Yield: Makes 16 servings
  • 1 (8-oz.) package semisweet chocolate baking squares, chopped*
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup chocolate syrup
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • Powdered sugar (optional)
  • Mexican Chocolate Sauce
  • Garnish: toasted sliced almonds

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Microwave chocolate baking squares in a microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 minute and 15 seconds or until chocolate is melted and smooth, stirring at 15-second intervals. Beat butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer 2 minutes or until creamy. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating 5 to 7 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears after each addition. Stir in melted chocolate, chocolate syrup, and vanilla until smooth.

2. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch (14-cup) tube pan.

3. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack, and let cool completely (about 1 hour and 30 minutes). Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired. Serve with Mexican Chocolate Sauce. Garnish, if desired.

*2 (4.4-oz.) packages Mexican chocolate, chopped, may be substituted. Omit ground cinnamon.

Note: We tested with Nestle Abuelita Marqueta Mexican chocolate.

Cakes · Chocolate · Desserts

Chocolate-Hazelnut Eclair Cake

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One of the reasons I look forward to getting the Paula Deen magazine every 2 months, is that I know there will be fantastic dessert recipes in them. The new May-June has so many great recipes in them, that by the time I try them all, I will be wearing a tent.

2 (3.3 oz) packages white chocolate instant pudding mix

3 cups whole milk

1 teas vanilla

1 (8 oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow crème

1 (14.4 oz) package graham crackers

1 cup grated bittersweet chocolate

1 (13 oz) jar chocolate-hazelnut spread *like Nutella

1 1/3 cups chocolate syrup

In a large bowl, bet pudding mix, milk and vanilla with a mixer on medium-low speed until thickened. In a medium bowl, beat whipped topping and marshmallow crème with mixer at medium speed until smooth. Beat whipped topping mixture into pudding mixture until well blended.

In the bottom of a 13×9″ freezer safe baking dish, arrange one-third of graham crackers in an even layer, breaking crackers as needed to entirely cover bottom of dish. Spread half of pudding mixture over crackers and sprinkle with half of the grated chocolate. Repeat the layers once and top with remaining graham crackers.

In a medium bowl, beat chocolate syrup and the hazelnut spread on medium until well combined; spread over graham crackers. Cover pan and freeze for at least 8 hours to 2 days before serving.

Store leftovers in freezer, as the chocolate topping will soften and become a sauce if just refrigerated. But it won’t alter the wonderful flavor if you place in fridge…

Thanks Paula Deen, this one will be made many many times this summer, I’m sure!

Cakes · Desserts

White Texas Sheet Cake

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Years ago, a friend and I were in charge of a bake sale at First Bapt Dallas. We came up with the idea of putting all the ingredients for this cake in bags and selling them. All the buyer needed to do was to add the eggs, sour cream, butter and water. We sold out and I put it in my cookbook, as I love the almond flavor and the easiness of preparation. I don’t have a clue where she got the recipe, but it is a great cake and since it is made in a jelly roll pan (10×15″), it serves a lot.

Cake

1 cup unsalted butter (I use 1 stick butter and 1 stick margarine)

1 cup water

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

1 teas baking soda

1 teas salt

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teas almond extract

Frosting

1 stick butter

1/4 cup milk

1 (1 lb box) powdered sugar or 3 1/2 cups

1 teas almond extract

Pecans, chopped for topping, if desired

Cake

Mix butter and water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool. Stir in sugar before adding any other ingredients. Add eggs, beins sure hot mixture has cooled somewhat so eggs do not cook in the batter as you mix together. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt. Add to sugar-butter mixture and stir until no lumps remain. You can use mixer on low speed if desired.

Pour into greased and floured jelly roll pan. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 18-20 minutes, or until cake tests done. It does not take long, so be sure to watch it the last couple of minutes. Do not over bake.

Cool while preparing frosting.

Frosting

Combine milk and butter in a saucepan. Cook over low heat until butter is melted. Pour over powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add almond extract and mix. Pour over warm cake and spread over entire cake. Sprinkle chopped pecans if desired.