Tag: Cakes

Cakes · Chocolate · Desserts

Chocolate Tuxedo Cake

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2015-01-09 16.27.07

This truly is my favorite cake. I know I say that about several cakes, but really, this time I mean it. If I knew that I could only have one piece of cake before the doctor told me I couldn’t have any cake the rest of my life, it would be this one. I made it for friends who were coming over last night after we all went out to eat. One of the friends who I won’t name but is the tallest of all my friends, was sitting there enjoying the conversation when she got up and went into the kitchen. I assumed she was going to go get another cup of coffee (yes, I am a terrible hostess, I forget to ask people if they want more coffee). When she returned to the conversation, she was standing there with her plate; she had gone and cut herself a 2nd piece of cake. One of the guys in the living room began to yell, “Trudy, this is the most awesome cake EVER!!! It is spectacular” (but in all fairness, that is Jack’s go to word.) But the layers of chocolate and vanilla cake layered with chocolate frosting and then vanilla almond frosting on the outside with the chocolate ganache on top, just tops it off. It is really easy and just makes such a great presentation.

1 Duncan Hines French Vanilla Cake mix

1 Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate cake mix

1 box of Dream whip (contains 2 envelops-use 1 envelope with each cake mix)

8 eggs

2 cups water

1 teas almond extract (for making the vanilla cake mix)

Mix the vanilla cake mix with 4 eggs, 1 package of Dream Whip and one cup of cold water, and 1 teas almond extract.  Beat for 4 minutes. Pour into 2 greased and prepared 9″ cake pans. Bake for about 25 min at preheated 350 oven or until cake tests done. Cool on wire racks.

Repeat with the chocolate cake mix. Follow same instructions as you did with the vanilla cake mix, except do not add the almond extract. Pour into 2 prepared greased 9″ cake pans and bake as directed above. Cool on wire racks.

You will notice that when using the Dream whip, the cake will bake up a little higher than without it. I like that because it makes the cake moister and looks so much higher on the cake plate.

Chocolate Frosting for between the cake layers.

1 stick butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teas vanilla

Enough milk to get frosting to spreading consistency. About 1/4 cup…maybe a little more. Don’t add the 1/4 cup all at once, in case you don’t need all of it.

Vanilla Frosting

1 stick butter, softened

1/4 cup Crisco

2 teas almond extract

3 cups powdered sugar

Enough milk or whipping cream to make it spreading consistency (about 1/3 cup, possibly a little more). Beat all ingredients until smooth and well blended.

Chocolate ganache

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2cup heavy whipping cream

Melt chocolate chips in the cream, stirring over low heat until chips are melted and mixture is smooth. I had to add a little more whipping cream to be able to spread over top of cake so it would drip over sides of cake.

Use one of the chocolate cake layers and place on a serving platter. Spread chocolate frosting on top, but not the side. Place one vanilla cake layer on top of chocolate frosting. Spread Vanilla frosting on sides and top of cake. When chocolate ganache is made, allow to cool so it won’t melt frosting on cake. When ganache is cool, spread on top of cake allowing it to fall down the sides of the cake. Set in fridge to allow the frostings to set. Take out at least one hour before serving.

If you want to use all 4 layers, you will need to increase the amount of frosting you make, as you will need more.

If you don’t use but the 2 layers, you can wrap the other two layers and freeze in freezer bags for a later use.

Cakes · Desserts

Paula Deen Ooey Gooey Butter Layer Cake

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The fireplace is on, and all I want to do is stay home and bake. I love the Ooey Gooey Cake that Paula gave us the recipe several years ago and when I saw this, I knew I would have to try it. It has to be scrumptious. It is from Paula, it is ooey, gooey and it has butter in it. How could it not be good?

1 1/2 cups butter, softened

2 1/4 cups sugar

5 large eggs

1 teas vanilla

3 1/2 cups flour

1 tables baking powder

1/2 teas baking soda

1/4 teas salt

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1 cup sour cream

Ooey Gooey Butter Filling

Cream Cheese frosting

Preheat oven to 350

Spray 3 (9″) round cake pans with nonstick baking spray with flour.

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

In another large bowl, whisk together flour and next 3 ingredients. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat just until combined after each addition; stir in sour cream. Spoon batter into prepared pans.

Bake for 18-22 min or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 10 min. Remove from pans and let cool completely on wire racks.

Spread Ooey Gooey Butter filling between layers; cover and freeze for 1 hour. Spread cream cheese frosting on top and sides of cake.

Ooey Gooey Filling

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup orange juice

4 large eggs

1 (8 oz) cream cheese

In the top of a double boiler, melt butter over simmering water. Remove from heat and whisk in sugar, orange juice and eggs until mixture is smooth. Return double boiler to heat and cook, whisking constantly for 10-15 min or until mixture is very thick. Remove from heat and whisk in cream cheese until smooth. Let cool for 30 min.

Spoon mixture into a medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing wrap onto surface of mixture to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or for up to 3 days.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1 tables vanilla

6 cups of powdered sugar

In a large bowl, beat butter, cream cheese and vanilla with mixer on medium speed. Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until all is smooth.

*Note-the cake layers can be made ahead of time and frozen up to 2 weeks. Wrap slightly warm cake layers in heavy duty plastic wrap and freeze in large resealable plastic bags. Let the cake layers thaw overnight in the fridge before assembling

Cakes · Desserts

Pineapple Pound Cake

Chocolate Castles2 Comments

I have to make this..it just sounds so moist and think how good it will be to put a spoonful of whipped cream over a slice.

Cake

1/2 cup Crisco

1 cup butter, softened

2 3/4 cup sugar

6 large eggs

3 cups flour

1 teas baking powder

1/4 cup half and half or (dilute 1/8 whipping cream with 1/8 cup water)

1 teas vanilla

3/4 cup crushed pineapple with juice

Cream butter, Crisco until fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time.

Sift flour and baking powder. Add to creamed mixture 1 spoonful at a time, alternately with milk.

Stir in crushed pineapple with it’s juice and vanilla. Pour into a large well greased tube or bundt pan.

Place in a cold oven and turn oven on to 325. Bake for 1 1/4 hours or until cake tests done. Remove from pan and place on wire rack to cool.

Glaze

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup crushed pineapple

Enough water to be able to drizzle over cooled cake (I will probably use milk instead of water).

Cakes

French Vanilla Orange Raspberry Cake

Chocolate Castles1 Comment

One of my Bff’s is having a dinner party for her work friends tonight and I volunteered to make the dessert for her party as she is not one of that loves to spend time in the kitchen…other than putting a frozen TV dinner in the microwave. When I began to describe a few of the new recipes that I had found this season, she choose this one. It turned out just awesome. Combined the flavors of orange and raspberry.

1 Duncan Hines French Vanilla Cake Mix

1 envelope of Dream Whip

4 eggs

1 cup cold water

Mix above ingredients and bake according to directions on box for the 2 layer cake. But beat for 4 minutes instead of 2. The addition of the Dream Whip gives you a much fluffier cake layer.

Frosting

1 (1 lb) box of powdered sugar

Zest of 1 orange

1/2 cup raspberry preserves

1 (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

Blend the softened butter, cream cheese, zest and powdered sugar and beat until well combined and smooth. Place one cake layer on serving plate and spread 1/3 of the frosting. Spread the raspberry preserves over the frosting. Place 2nd layer on top of preserves. Frost sides and top with remaining frosting, (saving about 1/2 cup to decorate the top) Using your cake decorator, use the star tip and decorate top with stars to place fresh raspberries around the edge. Keep cake in fridge and take out about 30 min before serving.

Orange Raspberry Vanilla Cake
Orange Raspberry Vanilla Cake
Desserts

Texas Sheet Pumpkin Cake

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The Pioneer Woman just posted a recipe that she made by altering the Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake. It sounds delish and since the Pioneer Woman says it is wonderful, it must be, because if you can’t believe the Pioneer Woman, who can you believe?

So in case you don’t take her daily email here it is….Many of you have ask if we just have desserts for Thanksgiving since I do seem to post more desserts than any thing else. We do have other things on the table, like, brown sugar coated brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes with sugary marshmallow topping, ham with brown sugar-pineapple sauce and strawberry-pretzel salad,

So see, I can cook something besides desserts,  As long as the recipe has sugar in it.

Pumpkin Sheet Cake

2 sticks butter

2 cups pumpkin puree (not the pumpkin pie filling)

3/4 cup boiling water

2 cups flour

1/4 teas salt

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 large eggs

2 teas baking soda

2 teas vanilla

1/2 teas maple extract (opt)

Frosting

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 pound (about 3 1/2 cups) sifted powdered sugar

1 tables half and half or milk (might require a little more than this, add slowly)

Preheat oven to 350 Spray a sheet pan (jelly roll pan) with baking spray (such as Pam). Set aside

In a medium saucepan, melt 2 sticks of butter. Whisk in the pumpkin puree until it is totally blended. Whisk in boiling water until mixture is combined well. Set aside.

In a measuring pitcher, combine buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, vanilla, and maple extract (if using). Whisk together and set aside..

In large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Pour in the pumpkin mixture and stir until halfway combined. Pour in the buttermilk mixture and stir until combined. Pour into the pan and smooth until mixture is evenly distributed. Bake for about 20 min or cake tests done. Remove and allow to cool.

Frosting:

Mix together the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar until well combined. Add half and half as needed to all the frosting to be of spreading consistency. It should be somewhat thick but thin enough to spread over cake.

Cut into squares to serve. Keep leftovers in the fridge, as frosting will get to soft if left out.

Cookies · Desserts

Pumpkin Spice Cake

Chocolate Castles2 Comments

A sweet friend of mine, Susie, sent me this cake recipe the other day and I just made it today. I have to say that it is the best and most moist pumpkin cake I have had. I added Brown Sugar Frosting to it and served it to friends who came over tonight for dessert. Scrumptious!!!! So easy and best pumpkin spice cake ever!!!!

1 box Duncan Hines Spice Cake Mix

1  cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

1/2 cup oil

2 teas cinnamon

3 eggs, room temp

1 small package vanilla instant pudding

1/2 cup water

Mix all ingredients in mixing bowl and beat for about 2 minutes. Pour into a greased and floured Bundt pan for about 45 min or until cake tests done.

Let stand for about 15 minutes and then invert onto serving platter.

Frosting:

1 cup light brown sugar

5 tables butter

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 teas vanilla

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter with brown sugar and cream, stirring constantly. When mixture begins to boil, pour over powdered sugar and mix until no lumps remain. Add vanilla and if needed, 1 tables at a time, thin with whipping cream until mixture is right for pouring over the cake. Frosting will harden quickly so pour quickly over the cake.

Cakes · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Fruit

Whiskey Cake (Or If you are a Bapt, like me, we like to refer to it as a Cake With a Kick)

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This summer we have had to adjust to living back in Texas, which means that we stay in the house alot. At our age, dealing with heat just means that you learn where the coolest (and I don’t mean “hip”) stores in town are and where the closest ice cream shop is located. Some of our kids are coming to dinner tonight and they had requested that we have whiskey cake for dessert. Mandy and Cameron have taken me to Whiskey Cake on several occasions for us to have that dessert and I told them that I was determined to find the recipe for it. Wa La, lo and behold, the chef at WC was featured in the Dallas paper with his recipe for this amazing cake, which the restaurant has been named having the best dessert for 4 yrs in a row, according to the article. So tonight is the unveiling of this creation that I hope resembles the “real thing”. It takes some time, but since I “don’t have a life”, as our kids seem to think, what else do I have to do but spend hours in the kitchen making any and all of their request. Oops, I guess that didn’t sound very nice. I just hope they remember this when it comes to them picking out my nursing home.
The recipe does take about an hour, but it truly is so worth it.
And for all you Baptist out there, if you decide to bake it for dessert when you are having the preacher over, it will be our little secret what’s in it.

1 lb of dates, chopped
(I buy the chopped dates in the box that are coated in sugar and it worked great.)
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups boiling water
1 cup softened butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 3/4 cup self-rising flour
2 jumbo eggs (I had extra large so used two eggs and 1 egg yolk)
1 teas vanilla
Place the dates, baking soda and boiling water in a bowl. Stir and allow to sit 15-20 min to soften the dates.
Place the date mixture in a food processor and pulse until it becomes a paste. Set aside.
Cream butter and eggs, vanilla & sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the flour and mix to combine. Fold in the date mixture and pour into a 9×13″ baking pan which has been sprayed with Pam and then coated with a little sugar on bottom.
Bake at 350 in preheated oven. When cake tests done, cool for 20 min then flip cake out onto paper lined plate or tray.
Leave at room temp to cool completely. Once cool, wrap in plastic and keep stored at room temp or serve immediately.

Whiskey Sauce
1 cup heavy cream
2 tables granulated sugar
1 teas vanilla extract
3 egg yolks
1 teas Whiskey
Bring cream, 2 tables sugar to a simmer in a small saucepan.
In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the other 2 tables sugar until foamy.
Temper 1/2 of the heavy cream into the mixing bowl and then return the mixture to the rest of the cream.(I actually drizzled gradually about 1/2 cup of the cream mixture to the egg mixture, stirring constantly before adding it to the rest of the cream)
Continue to cook until thicken. (This did not take but a couple of mins).
Add the vanilla and whiskey.
Remove and cool. Store in fridge until ready to use.

Toffee Sauce
1/4 lb (1 stick) butter
1 lb light brown sugar
2 cups heavy cream
2 tables whiskey
1 tables vanilla
Place butter in a heavy bottom sauce pan and melt. Add the brown sugar and cook over medium heat for 10 min.
Add the heavy cream and allow to cook for an additional 7 min, stirring occasionally.
Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon to ensure it is cooking evenly
Remove from heat and add the whiskey and vanilla. Stir.
Cool. You can store in fridge up to 3 days.
When ready to serve the cake pieces, place the needed amount of cake pieces on a baking sheet. Poke holes in the cake pieces and spoon some of the toffee sauce over each piece.
Place in a 500 degree oven for about 2-3 min or until toffee is bubbling and cake is warmed throughout. After placing each piece on individual plates, spoon a little of the Whiskey Sauce over the pieces. Serve with additional whipped cream if desired.

Uncategorized

Grandbabies & Gluten

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In the last few days I have learned several things. First of all I learned that you cannot substitute gluten free pasta when making one pot pasta casseroles. They end up like a pot of mush. Secondly, yesterday we learned that no matter how many grandkids you have, there is always room in your heart for another. Our son and his wife gave us the most beautiful little girl last night and I just keep looking at the pictures over and over. She has already stole our hearts. Since we have to share with the other grandparents we came home and I just took a banana cake out of the oven to take to the daughter-in-law that is now first in our will for giving us this precious little bundle. When our daughter, Christi saw that I was baking Mandy a cake, she quickly informed me that she had given me a precious little girl 3 years ago and I didn’t bake her a cake. So I had to promise her that a cream cheese pound cake will be waiting for her when she walks in the door on Saturday. I told her that if they would move our sweet little Kenley from Florida to Texas, we would bake her all the cakes she wants.

This banana cake that I am posting was posted on Face Book the other day and it caught my eye. It really is delish. I did add cream cheese frosting to it. Everything is better with cream cheese frosting, right? The cake is light and has a mellow banana flavor with a crumb topping.

Preheat oven to 300 and grease a 9×13″ baking pan.

Cake

2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teas baking powder

1 teas baking soda

3/4 teas salt

3/4 cup sugar

1 stick butter, melted

1/2 cup buttermilk, divided

2 eggs

1 teas vanilla

2 ripe bananas, mashed

Topping

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup dark brown sugar (I only had light, and it worked fine)

1/2 stick butter

To make the cake, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Blend in the melted butter until mixture is moist. Pour in 1/4 cup of the buttermilk and stir until well combined. Mix the 2 eggs and vanilla with the remaining 1/4 cup buttermilk and then pour over flour mixture. Beat for 1 minute. Pour into greased 9×13″ baking pan.

For the topping, combine the brown sugar, flour and cold butter. With pastry cutter, blend in the cold butter until mixture resembles crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over batter. Bake cake for 32-38 minutes in preheated 300 degree oven.

As soon as the cake came out of the oven I drizzled some of the cream cheese frosting over the cake. When cake cooled, I poured the rest of the frosting over the cake and spread evenly over cake.

Uncategorized

Cinnamon Roll Cake

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This recipe was on Face Book the other day and just had to try it.  Tastes just like cinnamon rolls.

3 cups flour

1/4 teas salt

1 cup sugar

4 teas baking powder

1 1/2 cups milk

2 eggs

2 teas vanilla

1/2 cup butter, melted

Topping

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

2 tables flour

1 tables cinnamon

Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar

5 tables milk

1 teas milk

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9×13 glass baking dish with cookie spray. Set aside.

In a bowl, add the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, milk, eggs and vanilla. Once combined well, slowly stir in the melted butter. Pour into prepared pan.

For Topping:

In large bowl, mix the 2 sticks of butter, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon together. until well combined and creamy. Drop evenly over the

batter by tablespoons and use a knife to marble through the batter.

Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until cake tests done.

Glaze

In a bowl, mix powdered sugar, milk and vanilla together with a whisk. Drizzle evenly over the warm cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cakes · Desserts

Yogurt Cake

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Taken from Gourmet 2009, this cake has to be healthy because of all the Yogurt! Refreshing, light with just a hint of sweetness. Since I got the recipe out of the gourmet magazine I thought I had better make the description sounds a little bit gourmet! 

Cake

3 cups sifted cake flour (not self rising) * shift before measuring

2 teas baking powder

1 teas baking soda

1/2 teas salt

2 sticks unsalted butter softened

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 large eggs warmed in shell and Warmwater for 10 minutes

2 cups well stirred plain whole milk yogurt not Greeks style at room temperature for 30 min.

Frosting

3 cups powdered sugar

3 table light corn syrup

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 teas vanilla 

Cake

preheat oven to 350° butter a 9×13 pan;  

then line bottom with parchment paper and butter parchment.

dust with flour knocking out excess.

sit together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

beat butter, sugar, and vanilla with mixer at high-speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.

Beat in eggs one at a time at medium speed. At low speed makes in flour mixture and three batches, 

alternating with yogurt beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until just combined.

spread batter evenly into pan and rap  pan on the counter to eliminate air bubbles.

bake until cake pulls  away from pan and test done when pic is inserted in center and comes out clean;about 35 to 45 minutes.

cool in pan about 10 minutes then run a knife around edge and invert onto a rack and discard parchment. Call completely about one hour.

frosting

sift together powdered sugar, corn syrup, cream, and vanilla until smooth.

place cake on platter and poor icing over-the-top, allowing the icing to drop over the side.

allow to sit for 15 minutes before cutting