Sunday November 22, 2009 week 34

Molasses Spice Cake

I'm on a "Fall" theme...molasses, ginger, brown sugar...yum. Reminds me of cold fall nights with ginger cake and warm apple cider. This recipe is one of Martha Stewarts'. We'll see if the kids like it!

Makes one 9-inch cake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground mace
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• Pinch of ground cloves
• 4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup sour cream, room temperature
• 1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
• 3 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (from 1 to 2 lemons)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
• 1 1/3 cups packed light-brown sugar
• Cream Cheese Frosting
• Brown-Sugar Glaze

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 9-by-2-inch round cake pan. Line bottom with parchment, and butter the parchment.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, sour cream, molasses, ginger, lemon zest, and vanilla.
3. Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Beat in flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the sour cream mixture.
4. Scrape batter into prepared pan, and bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack, remove parchment, and turn right side up. Let cool completely. (Cake can be wrapped tightly in plastic and refrigerated for up to 1 day.)
5. Spread frosting over top of cake. Drizzle with glaze. Serve immediately.

From Martha Stewart Living, October 2007 |

Sunday November 15, 2009 week 33

Cherry Dump Cake

I really liked the pumpkin cake I made earlier with the pumpkin pack on the bottom and the cake mix on the top so I decided to google it with cherries! And there were recipes similar to the idea called Cherry Dump Cake!

2 cans cherry pie filling

1 box yellow cake mix

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1 stick butter, melted

In a 13 X9 pan, dump 2 cans of cherry pie filling. On top sprinkle one box of yellow cake mix. Sprinkle chopped nuts ( walnuts or pecans or almonds). Then 1 stick of melted butter poured over the top. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Sunday November 8, 2009 week 32

This is from my friend at church Melaine Craine. It comes from Gourmet Magazine, November 2005. "I made it then for Thanksgiving, and everyone in our family now requests this cake rather than a pumpkin pie (maybe my pie was never that good?????)"

Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake

Serves 12

¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
¾ tsp ground allspice
½ tsp salt
1 ¼ cups canned pumpkin, not pie filling
¾ cup buttermilk, shaken
1 tsp vanilla
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
3 eggs, large

Icing: 2 Tbsp buttermilk and 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
Put rack in middle of oven; preheat oven to 350°. With additional butter and flour, grease and dust the inside of a 10-inch nonstick bundt pan, knocking off excess.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together pumpkin, 3/4 cup buttermilk, and vanilla in second bowl. Beat butter and granulated sugar in large bowl with an electric mixer at med-high until pale and fluffy, 3-5 min. Add eggs; beat 1 min. Reduce speed to low and add flour and pumpkin mixtures alternately in batches, begin and end with flour. Mix until batter is just smooth.

Spoon batter into pan; smooth top. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 45-50 min. Cool cake in pan on rack for 15 min. Invert cake onto rack and remove pan. Cool 10 min. more.

Whisk together Icing ingredients and drizzle over warm cake. Cool cake before serving.

November 1, 2009 Week 31

Wacky Cake

In Baltimore from Thursday to celebrate the life of my Aunt Maryanne. Lots of Fun with "the Cousins". Markie mentioned the wacky cake and we all remembered our moms making it, so I looked it up and here it is!!

PS The cake was gone that night so I made another one!!!!

1 1/2 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon white vinegar

6 tablespoons cooking or salad oil

1 cup cold water

In an 8-inch- or 9-inch-square cake pan, sift the dry ingredients. Make three holes; pour the vanilla in the first, vinegar in the second, and oil in the third.

Pour the cold water over the mixture, and stir until no longer lumpy. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.

Sunday October 25, 2009 Week 30

Honey Bun Cake F

from the What's cooking at SECU from Linda Carmichael. This cake was eaten mostly for breakfasts. It was like a coffee cake. Definitely worth making!

Cake:

1 yellow cake mix 1 small instant vanilla pudding

4 eggs

1 8 oz. container sour cream

1/3 cup water

Combine all ingredients and pour 1/2 the batter into a 9 X 13" sheet cake pan.

Mix:

1/2 c brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

2/3 c chopped nuts

Sprinkle the filling all over the top of the batter. Pour the rest of the cake batter over the filling and gently swirl the batter with a knife to create a design. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

Glaze

1c sifted powdered sugar

2T milk

1/2 t vanilla

Mix all ingredients and beat til smooth. Drizzle over cake.

Sunday, October 18 2009 Week 29

Susan Trader Made-up Cake

Take a box of cake mix ( Susan used white and dyed it pink for a girls birthday part)

Add three egg whites

a small container of greek vanilla yogurt

and enough water to make it "cake consistancy"

Follow box directions for baking and ice with whatever you like!

I doctored this recipe, Don't. Thanks Susie!!

Sunday, October 4, 2009, Week 28

Pumpkin Crunch Cake

What better way to start the Fall than with a pumpkin cake!

And this is fabulous!! The entire cake lasted 24 hours!!

1 large can Pumpkin pack

1 can evaporated milk

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 T cinnamon

1 t ground cloves

1/2 t ground ginger

Mix the pumpkin filling together and pour into a 9X13" pan sprayed with Pam.

1 Box Yellow cake mix

2 sticks butter, melted

1 cup chopped pecans

Gently pour the dry cake mix over the pumpkin filling. sprinkle nuts over dry mix. Pour butter over the top and bake at 350 for one hour or until done.

Sunday September 27, 2009

Hello!!! This is Mark and my 24th wedding anniversary and guess what?? We are in Paris!!! So no cake this week!!!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you to Dad without whom we would not have done this crazy thing!

Sunday September 20, 2009 Week 27

Boston Cream Pie

Regular yellow cake mis in 2 9"pans according to box directions. Let cool completely

Custard Icing
3 eggs, well beaten
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 stick margarine
1 tsp vanilla

Cook the eggs, sugar, milk, cornstarch, and margarine in a double boiler; add the vanilla and cook until thick. Cool slightly. Spread between the 2 cake layers.

Chocolate topping:

3 squares (1 oz) bakers chocolate

1/4 cup butter

1 cup confection sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt chocolate in a double boiler or microwave, add butter and sugar beat well. Add vanilla. Carefully pour chocolate over the top of the cake.

Sunday September 13, 2009 week 26

Angel on Horseback

This cake is a variation on an old girl scout dessert. Cubed Italian bread dipped first in sweetened condensed milk then in shredded coconut. Put cuBe on a stick and roast over a fire. Yum

My variation:

White box cake baked in a 13"rectangular pan according to box directions. When cake is cool drizzle with sweetened condensed milk and sprinkle with coconut. Broil for a couple of minutes until the coconut is toasted. This cake lasted two days!!

Sunday September 6, 2009 Week 25

Halfway Done!!!

This week was an Orange Chiffon Cake that got raves from the recipe but not so much from my family! Mark said, "This looks like a home-ec project gone bad!" We laughed tears! Sheeesh, everyone's a critic. I am including the recipe so if you are brave enough to try you may but this will not be in the top 5!!! The problem came with the icing. Too thick and the cake was too crumby, so I only frosted the top but the cake still came up in spots...well, you get the picture!!

Orange Chiffon Cake

From Country Living
This recipe has been tested by Country Living

Country Living shares this winning recipe from our "Mom's Best Cake Contest."

INGREDIENTS

conv. chart

U.S.

Metric

2 1/4 cup(s)	cake flour, sifted
1 1/2 cup(s)	granulated sugar
1 tablespoon(s)	baking powder
1 teaspoon(s)	salt
1/2 cup(s)	vegetable oil
5 large	egg yolks, beaten
3/4 cup(s)	orange juice
1 1/2 tablespoon(s)	orange juice
3 tablespoon(s)	freshly grated orange zest
1 cup(s)	egg whites
1/2 teaspoon(s)	cream of tartar
5 tablespoon(s)	unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 tablespoon(s)	heavy cream
3 cup(s)	confectioners' sugar, sifted

DIRECTIONS

1. Make the cake: Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Sift the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the oil, egg yolks, 3/4 cup orange juice, and 2 tablespoons of the zest. Whisk until smooth and set aside. Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar using a mixer set on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter until just combined. Pour the batter into a 10-inch tube pan and bake for 55 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 350°F and continue to bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean -- 10 to 15 minutes. Invert pan over a funnel and cool completely. Unmold cake by running a knife around the pan sides.
2. Make the frosting: Combine the butter, heavy cream, and remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons orange juice and 1 tablespoon zest together in a large bowl. Add the confectioners' sugar gradually, using a mixer set on medium speed, until fluffy. (If necessary, add 1 or 2 additional tablespoons of cream to adjust frosting consistency.) Spread frosting over the entire cake.

Sunday August 30, 2009 Week 24

Mark turned 50 on Friday!!!!!!!!!! Happy Birthday to you and welcome to the pond the water is fine! In celebration I made Mark's favorite combination: Chocolate and raspberry!!! (Who in the world doesn't like this?? The torte is from Epicurious.com and the raspberry coulis is from Foodnetwork.com.

The Torte:

• 1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup water
• 8 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 5 large eggs, beaten

• Equipment: a 9-inch springform pan; a large (18-inch) roll of heavy-duty foil

• Accompaniment: whipped cream (optional)

preparation

Preheat oven to 300&Deg;F with rack in middle. Wrap outside of cake pan in plastic wrap, then wrap tightly in a layer of foil.

Lightly butter pan, then dust with sugar, knocking out excess.

Heat 1 cup sugar with 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and cool.

Melt chocolates in a large bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water (do not let bowl touch water), stirring occasionally, until melted. Stir together butter (2 sticks) and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in another bowl until combined. Stir butter mixture into melted chocolate. Then stir in sugar syrup. Gently stir in eggs (avoid making bubbles) until combined. 3Transfer to pan and bake in a hot water bath until center is almost set (it should barely wobble), about 45 to 50 minutes.

Cool completely on a rack. Chill, covered, at least 8 hours. Run a thin knife along side of pan, remove side, and serve slightly chilled or at room temperature.

Raspberry Coulis:

2 cups raspberries (about 12 ounces), rinsed

3/4 cup Simple Syrup, recipe follows

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 tablespoon cornstarch

Bring the raspberries, syrup, and lemon juice to a simmer in a heavy medium saucepan over low heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the berries are very soft, about 8 minutes.

Sprinkle the cornstarch over 2 teaspoons cold water and stir to dissolve. Pour into the simmering raspberry mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes.Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl; discard the seeds. Cool completely, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Freeze any leftover coulis in a plastic container for up to 1 month.Yield: 2 cups

Sunday August, 23 2009 Week 23

This recipe is another from Melanie Crain. (Many thanks!!)

"One of the first cakes I ever made. I don't remember where I found the recipe, but it was probably in one of the well-worn, out-of-date, ladies magazines in the Ladies Room Lounge at Jacksonville University where I finished my bachelor's degree. I used to spend time in between classes transcribing recipes. Hal and I were just married and living on a shoestring. I couldn't afford to buy recipe books."

Orange-Rum Cake

Makes 12 servings

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
Grated rind 2 large oranges and 1 lemon
2 eggs
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
Juice of fruits above
2 Tbsp light or dark rum

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease or butter a 9” or 10” 2 qt fluted tube pan.

Cream butter. Gradually add 1 cup of the sugar and beat until light. Add fruit rinds and eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition of an egg. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk, beating after each addition until smooth. Fold in nuts.

Pour into prepared pan and bake about 1 hour.

Strain fruit juices into saucepan. Add remaining 1 cup sugar and the rum; bring to boil. When cake is removed from oven, pour syrup slowly over cake in pan by tablespoonsful. If all liquid is not absorbed immediately, pour remainder on later. Turn out on serving plate.

Sunday, August 15, 2009 Week 22

Mrs Wilkins' German Chocolate Cake

This recipe was sent to me by Melanie Crain who sings with me at St Thomas More Church: "Mrs. Wilkins was a landlady to a friend of ours when he was in med school at Duke. Again, I never met the lady who made this marvelous (and easy) cake."

Wes said this is his favorite cake so far! It is an odd combination and not your traditional German Chocolate cake, but the cake ends up very moist! The custard would also be good on its own! I refrigerated it over night. It was not a "pretty cake" due entirely to my less than professional slicing methods!!!

Mrs. Wilkins's German Chocolate Cake

Serves 8-12

Cake
1 pkg Duncan Hines devil food cake mix

Prepare two 9-inch layer cake pans. Preheat oven and make cake mix according to directions. Bake and cool cake. Slice each layer in half horizontally. Next time I will cook this in 4 cake pans.

Custard Icing
3 eggs, well beaten
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 stick margarine
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup + Black walnuts, chopped

Cook the eggs, sugar, milk, cornstarch, and margarine in a double boiler; add the vanilla and cook until thick. Cool slightly. Spread between the four cake layers and on top of last layer, adding black walnuts on top of the custard each time.

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Sunday, August 8, 2009,

I'm taking a week of to enjoy visiting Pittsburgh!!

Sunday, August 2, 2009 Week #21

Comfort Cake

My sister Judy told me to look this one up because it is really good and she was right! This is another poundcake-ish cake:

Cake:

18 oz yellow cake mix

3 1/2 oz instant vanilla pudding

4 eggs

1/2 cup cold water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup Southern Comfort (two little airline bottles)

1 cup nuts chopped fine

Preheat oven to 325 F

combine cake ingredients and beat for two minutes.

Pour into a greased and floured 10 cup tube pan or 12 cup bundt pan.

Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean (mine took about 40 minutes in a convection oven).

Cool for 15 minutes and invert on plate.

Prick top gently with a fork and spread half of the glaze over the top and sides.

Glaze:

melt 1/4 cup butter

add 1/8 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

Boil one minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and add 1/4 cup Southern Comfort

Cool cake completely.

Reheat glaze and brush on cooled cake again.

Before serving, sift confection sugar over the cake.

There were a lot of Southern Comfort cake recipes on line, and they were all pretty much the same. I ended up using the one on www.Grouprecipes.com. Hope you like it!

Sunday, July 26, 2009 Week #20

Strawberry Shortcake

If bisquick shortcake leaves you uninspired try this!! Moist and just great!

Preheat oven to 425

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 stick butter, chilled
• 2/3 to 3/4 cup half and half, milk, or cream

In a food processor (you can use a pastry cutter or fingertips)

combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar and pulse to mix.

Cut butter into about 8 pieces and add to the mixture. Pulse until the

mixture resembles coarse meal, but with few pea-size chunks of

butter left in the mixture. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and

make a well in the center. With a fork stir in the cream or milk, just

until dough is moist. Be very careful not to overwork. The dough

doesn't have to hold together well at this point. Let the dough stand

for a minute. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Fold

the dough over on itself (knead) 2 or 3 times, until it is holding

together and is less sticky. You can carefully roll it out and cookie

cut into rounds or place the whole mass into a baking dish. Brush on

a little milk or cream and sprinkle tops with some sugar, if desired.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until risen and golden brown.

Serve with cut up strawberries or blueberries or whatever else you

want! Soooo good!!

About.com:Southern Food, Old-Fashioned Strawberry Short-cake

Sunday, July 19, 2009 Week 19

Pineapple Unside Down Cake

Cast iron skillet about 12 inches in diameter

1/2 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

Sliced Fresh Pineapple

Melt butter in skillet and take off the heat.

sprinkle brown sugar over butter.

arrange sliced pineapple over the brown sugar. Add marachino cherries if you like.

White boxed cake mix

1 small can crushed pineapple.

Follow the directions on the box to make the cake. Add the pineapple and adjust the amount of liquid called for on the box. The can is 1 cup by volume so omit aout 1 cup of water.

Pour the prepared cake mix over the brown sugar/pineapple mix and put in a 350 oven until brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Yes, it all fits in the skillet and it took the convetion oven about 45 minutes. I used less butter and less sugar in the skillet. Let cake cool in the pan for ten minutes then turn it out onto a cake plate. If you leave it cool in the pan it will stick. This was Yummy and was gone within 24 hours! This recipe came from a compilation of recipes on the internet.

Sunday, July 12, 2009 Week #18

This recipe is in the Epicurious top 30 cakes. Very light, very summery, very lemony.

FOR THE LEMON CAKE

• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 8 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup grated lemon zest (from about 4 lemons)
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

FOR THE LEMON SYRUP

• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/3 cup sugar

FOR THE LEMON GLAZE (OPTIONAL)

• 2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted, or more if needed
• 4 to 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

preparation

MAKE THE LEMON CAKES
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the sides and bottom of two 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper and spray the paper.

Sift both flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.

Put the sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a food processor and pulse until combined. With the motor running, drizzle the butter in through the feed tube. Add the sour cream and vanilla and pulse until combined. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.

Sprinkle the flour mixture, one third at a time, folding gently after each addition until just combined. Do not overmix.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes, rotate the pans, reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F., and bake for another 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Let cool in the pans for 15 minutes.

MEANWHILE, MAKE THE LEMON SYRUP
In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the lemon juice and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once dissolved, continue to cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper and invert the loaves onto the pan. Use a toothpick to poke holes in the tops and sides of the loaves.

Brush the tops and sides of the loaves with the lemon syrup. Let the syrup soak into the cake and brush again. Let the cakes cool completely, at least 30 minutes.

(The soaked but unglazed loaves will keep, wrapped in two layers of plastic wrap and frozen, for up to 6 weeks.)

IF YOU LIKE, MAKE THE LEMON GLAZE
In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar and 4 tablespoons of the lemon juice. The mixture should be thick but pourable. If the mixture is too stiff, add up to another 2 tablespoons lemon juice and whisk again, adding small amounts of lemon juice and/or confectioners' sugar until you get the right consistency. Pour the lemon glaze over the top of each loaf and let it drip down the sides. Let the lemon glaze harden, about 15 minutes, before serving.

The glazed loaves will keep for up to 3 days, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, at room temperature.

BAKED NOTEFor zesting purposes, we always recommend using an organic fruit, free of chemicals or pesticides that might reside deep in the rind.

Sunday, July 5, 2009 Week #17

Biscotta Torte

This refrigerator cake came from Kellie McPhail who got it from her friend in Australia! It is very rich and yummy. It can serve 6 or 12 if you cut the cake down the middle length-wise first. Prepare 2-3 days ahead of time.

24 Plain Bisquits ( Petit Beurre Butter Bisquits)

4 oz ( 1 stick) butter

1/2 cup superfine sugar

2 egg yolks

4 oz slivered alminds without skins (2 small packets) ground

1 cap almond extract

2 egg whites

Cream butter and sugar together add egg yolks one at a time. Add ground almonds and almond extract. In a separate bowl whip egg whites til stiff peaks. Carefully fold egg whites into filling mix. Set aside.

1 1/2 Tbsp dark rum

1/2 cup milk

In a sided casserole place a large piece of foil. When you are done building the cake you will be wrapping the cake in teh foil and refrigerating it.

Combine milk and rum in a small bowl.

Dip each cracker into the milk/rum mixture.

Line up three crackers end to end. Make a second line of three dipped crackers end to end right beside the first. Spread 1/3 of the filling mixture on the first layer of cookies. Dip three more cookies and arrange them on top of the first layer then three more. Add the second third of the filling. Dip three cookies in the milk/rum mixture and layer them on top with a second row of dipped cookies beside. Cover with the final third of the filling and then dip and add the last layer of cookies. Wrap well in the foil and refrigerate for 1-3 days.

Toasted almond slivers

1 cup whipping cream

Toast almonds and whip the cream adding a little bit of sugar if you like. Arrange the cake on a serving platter and ice with the whipped cream and sprinkle with almonds.

Sunday, June 27, 2009 Week #16

Meringue Cake

This is a light, delicious, perfect summer cake! Strawberry shortcake with a twist. We had the Linsley's over for a yummy dinner of skewered, marinated lamb tenderloin, roasted fingerling potatoes and asperagus almondine. This was a great dessert.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Grease and flour two - 8 x 1 1/2 inches (20 x 3.75 cm) round cake pans. Set aside.

Separate the eggs while they are still cold, placing the yolks in one bowl and the whites in another bowl. Cover the two bowls with plastic wrap and allow the eggs to come to room temperature before using (about 30 minutes).

Cake:

4 large egg yolks room temp ( about 1/2 hour from fridge to room temp)

1 cup (100 g) sifted flour ( 100 g is about 1/4 cup by weight)

1 teasp baking powder

1/8 teasp salt

1/2 cup ( one stick) butter

1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar

1 teasp vanilla

1/4 cup milk

In a mixing bowl sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then beat in the vanilla extract.

With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans, smoothing the tops with an offset spatula. Set aside while you make the meringue layer.

Meringue:

4 large egg whites room temperature

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a clean bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the sugar and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Divide the meringue between the two cake pans, gently smoothing the tops with an offset spatula. Bake for approximately 25 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. The meringue layers will have turned a light brown and will be crisp to the touch but soft inside.Place the pans on a wire rack to cool. When completely cooled, remove from pans.

Topping:

1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons (28 grams) granulated white sugar

1 pound (454 grams) fresh strawberries, sliced (Add a little sugar if necessary) I macerated the sliced strawberries in 1/4 cup Grand Marnier, 1/4 cup sugar and a couple of tablespoons fresh lemon juice.

Confectioners sugar (powdered or icing) for dusting top of cake

Shortly before serving, whip the cream with the sugar until soft peaks form. Slice the strawberries and, if necessary, add a little sugar to sweeten them. Place one of the cake layers, meringue side up, on a serving platter. Spread or pipe half of the whipping cream onto the cake and top with half the strawberries. Gently place the second cake layer, cake side down so the meringue layer is facing up, onto the first layer. Spread or pipe the rest of the whipping cream and then strawberries on top of the meringue. Dust with confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar. If not eating immediately, cover and place in the refrigerator until serving time. The assembled cake will hold in the refrigerator for a few hours.

I found this and other cakes I will be trying on www.Joyofbaking.com web site. There is a picture there as well.

Sunday, June 20, 2009 Week 15

Lone Star Cheesecake

This week we had celebration for Father's Day and my birthday (again)!! Two of my sisters from Florida with their husbands and kids and my sister and her grandson and my Dad came from Pittsburgh for a long weekend. 20 peopel!!! Lots of fun and food and beer and wine!! So the cake of the week was cheesecake!! This is a recipe Dad saw on Food Network and it is easy and good.

crust:

2 cups crushed graham crackers

6-8 T melted butter

Form crust up the sides of a 9 or 10" springform pan.

Filling:

4 8 oz packages cream cheese

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 t vanilla

4 eggs

1 or 2 T lemon juice

Mix together pour in the springform pan.

Bake 325 for 55 minutes - an hour or until only the center of the cake is somewhat jiggly.

Topping:

2 c sour cream

1/4 c sugar

1 t vanilla

Pour the topping over the warm cheesecake and put back in the oven for 1/2 hour.

Remove from oven and cool to room temp.

Refrigerate.

Serve plain or with fruit over the top.

Sunday June 13, 2009 Week 14

Ho Ho Cake

This is yummy for kids and tastes like a HoHo or Little Debbie Chocolate cake

1 box of chocolate cake made following box directions. Split the batter between 2 x 13" pans and bake for about 15 minutes.

filling:

1 stick of butter softened

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup warm milk

1 t vanilla

Cream first three ingredients, add milk and vanilla and spread on cooled cake.

1 jar of chocolate frosting, or chocolate syrup.

drizzle chocolate over the cake in fun crazy patterns to ice. Or: make your own chocolate icing:

3 squares ( 1 0z) Nestles Bakers chocolate

1/4 cup butter

1 cups confection sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Melt chocolate in the microwave for about 1 minute, stir, microwave for another minute. Add butter, sugar and vanilla and drizzle over cake.

Great for big family get togethers or pot lucks. ( Make one keep one for you!!) The first time I had this was ten years ago or so, Mrs. Hathaway made them for the Mcintyre girls and their kids visiting Pittsburgh!

Sunday June 6, 2009 Week 13

Crunchy Pound Cake

Ironically I have had this cake for the first time twice in the last 2 weeks! First at the CIC Volunteer Appreciation Lunch, hosted by Susan Brandt and Linda Carmichael from Chapel Hill High School and deliciously cooked by Susan Brandt.

A couple of days later I recieved a "thank you" cake baked by Hiedi Rosenhahn, the Culbreth Middle School Track coach. To my delight the cake was the same I had at Susan's and Heidi sent along the recipe. As an addition, Susan Frye sent me a pound cake recipe that is virtually identical so I'm citing all three as sources. BigOven.com had this recipe as well and some cakes that looked really good so I'll revisit that site as time goes on!!

Crunchy Pound Cake

1 1/2 cups (three sticks) butter softened

3 cups sugar

6 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla

1 teasp almond extract

3 cups flour with

1/2 teasp salt

Mix all ingredients in order until just blended. Pour into a 10 inch bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hour. (watch this: mine took less time)

I served with whipped cream and fresh fruit. Yummy!!