Ding Dong Cake

 

 

This post is a book mark as the recipe is not mine, I still have not made it, and I have lost it so many times I finally trapped it in a binder clip to get it on my blog permanently.  It is from Amanda Rettke of IamBaker.net . The actual recipe can be found at THIS link. 

 

Ingredients

  

For the chocolate cake:

     1 & 3/4 cup all purpose flour

     2 cups sugar

     3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

    2 teaspoons baking soda

    1 teaspoon baking powder

    1 teaspoon salt

    1 cup buttermilk,  room temperature

    1/2 cup vegetable oil

    2 large eggs, room temperature

    2 teaspoons vanilla extract

    1 cup freshly brewed coffee

 

For the icing:

    1 cup whole milk

    5 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

    1 cup/2 sticks butter

    1 cup sugar

    1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

For the Ganache:

    16 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped

    16 ounces/2cups heavy cream, room temperature

 

 

Process

 

 For the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

 

2. Spray/Grease two 8" x 3" round cake pans. Set aside

 

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer,  add the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix to combine.

 

4. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, eggs, oil, and vanilla. 

 

5. With the stand mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Then, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a spatula. 

 

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean with no wet batter. Clean the mixing bowl. 

 

7. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 30 minutes. Then, turn them out on the rack to cool completely.  *read Cake Assembly instructions below*

 

For the filling: (* when ready - check timing*)

 

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the milk and flour. Cook, whisking constantly, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until no lumps remain and the mixture thickens and resembles a very thick pudding and coats the back of the spoon. Remove the pan from the heat and cool to room temperature. 

 

2. In the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy (2 to 3 minutes). Stop the mixer and use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. 

 

3. Add the cooled milk mixture to the bowl of the stand mixer. Beat on medium high until the frosting is light and fluffy (2 to 3 minutes), pausing to scrape down the sides as needed. 

 

4. Switch to the whisk attachment. Add the vanilla and mix on high for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the frosting is smooth and creamy.  *read Cake Assembly instructions below*

 

For the Ganache: (* when ready - check timing*)

 

1.  Place the chocolate into a heat safe bowl. Set the bowl aside as you heat up the cream. 

 

2. In a quart-sized microwave safe bowl, add the heavy cream. Microwave for 3 to 4 minutes on high or just until it begins to simmer, being careful not to allow the cream to boil over. 

 

3. Pour the cream over the chopped chocolate and let stand for at least 2 minutes so that is can thicken. *read Cake Assembly instructions below*

 

 

Cake Assembly:

 

 1. If needed, level the cakes. Place one round cake onto the work surface. 

 

2. Scoop the filling over the cake, spreading evenly.  Top with the second leveled cake round. 

 

3.  Pour the Ganache over the cake, including the sides. Let it sit for a few minutes before serving. 

 

ENJOY! 

 

Harvest Pound Cake

 I am not usually fans of Facebook ads, especially when they market something as main stream as Betty Crocker, as if that American staple needs more attention. After passing by the ad multiple times, I finally clicked on it and loved it for it's simplicity. Then I noticed two apples foundering on the counter top and I knew I would be making this. It is simple and lovely, and the caramel glaze is over the top. I highly recommend this simple and enjoyable cake. 

https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/harvest-pound-cake/3aee7486-55b5-4e3e-ae01-3c60c03eaaec

Chocolate Ice Box Cake

 

Ingredients

30 Lady Fingers

4 eggs, separated

3 Tablespoons water

1/2 pint whipped cream

1/2 pound sweet chocolate

3 Tablespoons sugar

Process

 "Line sides and bottom of mould with lady fingers. For the chocolate filling, melt chocolate in a double boiler. Add sugar and water with yolks of eggs well beaten. Cook slowly until thick and smooth, stirring constantly. When cool, add stiffly beaten egg whites. Cover lady fingers with the chocolate layer setting on top of this and other layer of lady fingers. Place in icebox for 12 hours or more and when ready to serve, remove to a cake platter and cover with whipped cream, 1/4 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. If desired, decorate with pistachios and candied cherries. "

Individual Jam Cakes

This is another Martha Stewart recipe I have loved for years. She calls is Individual Strawberry Jam cakes. This recipe was one of those pull out recipe cards from Martha Stewart’s Living in November of 2003. This HM (high Maintenance) muffin recipe is a superb use of time, particularly when looking for a breakfast option when your house is full of men heading out to go hunting or fishing in the early morning hours, which is what I did, that fall of 2003. I was also very pregnant with Daughter, so I remember a lot about that houseful! You can make this any time of the year, for breakfast, snack, or dessert, and use any kind of ham or jelly you can think of!  

 

Ingredients (Yields 6 cakes)

 1 stick unsalted butter, room temp 

3/4 cup sugar 

1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest 

2 large eggs, separated

 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 

1/2 teaspoon baking powder 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1/4 cup milk 

6 Tablespoons (or more) jam or preserves 

1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar 

1/4 cup orange juice  

Process 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2. Butter standard muffin tins and set aside. 

3. In a mixer, beat butter with sugar and zest until light and fluffy. 

4. Beat in egg yolks one at a time until creamy. Set aside in new bowl and clean mixer bowl. 

5. Into another bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. 

6. Add flour mixture and milk, in alternating batches to butter mixture and set aside. 

7. In a clean mixer bowl, whisk egg whites to soft peaks and fold into batter. 

8. Divide half the batter among the muffin cups. 

9. Make and indentation in the middle of each and fill with 1 Tablespoon jam. Top each with remaining batter. 

10. Bake in preheated oven about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

11. Turn the cakes out of the muffin tins and transfer to a wire rack, over parchment paper, to cool.

12. In a small bowl whisk together confectioners sugar and orange juice. Drizzle cooling cakes with glaze. 

Raisin Cake

 

Ingredients

 1/2 pound flour sifted

3/5 pound sugar

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon baking pwder

1/4 pound butter

1/4 pound raisins

2 eggs

1 Tablespoon rum or bourbon

1/2 tea cup milk

Process

 1. Soak the raisins in the liquor for one hour. 

2. Sift dry ingredients. 

3. Separate eggs. 

4. Mix yolks with sugar. 

5. Beat the whites. 

6. Drain raisins and mix with flour, reserving the alcohol, add soft butter. 

7. Mix milk with the liquor, mixing lightly, and add the sugar and eggs, mixing well. 

8. Add the egg whites, folding them in. (Cue Moira and David). 

9. Butter a cake pan and bake mixture for 3 hours at 350 degrees.

Wedding Day Photos

Pink lemonade cake

Another find from Ladies Home Journal.

Easter Carrot Cake

I made a fantastic carrot cake for Easter this year. I made it from this awesome cook book.

















I have had great success with the cakes in this book. This carrot cake was special, and not just because it was yummy and for Easter. One reason it was special was that ALL five of us had a part in making it. Another special reason was that we all did it the Amish way - no electricity was used until the oven!
I thought I had all the pictures uploaded, but apparently I don't. Sorry. I will get the recipe up when I have the photos. I encourage you to go buy this book - a nice thing to grace your shelves!
Here's a parting shot - Yes that's Laney at the Easter table with us - it was so good that after dinner, when everyone else left the table, I shamelessly sat there and ate it straight out of the baking dish.

Wedding Day Photos

Chocolate Ice Box Cake

This recipe card is written in my paternal grandmother KK's handwriting. I never remember her baking a cake such as this. By the time I visited, cooking amounted to seasoned oyster crackers and dessert would be my choice of a little Debbie cake. *** This recipe needs to be made in an 8 inch spring form pan 

*** Ingredients 

3 cakes Bakers German Sweet Chocolate

4.5 Tablespoons milk 

4.5 Tablespoons sugar 

6 eggs separated 

1/2 pint heavy or whipping cream 

2 packages lady fingers (16 whole, 32 split) 

 

 Process

1. Arrange split lady fingers up and down the sides of the pan with round side of finger toward the pan.
2. Put remainder in the bottom, breaking up those left to fill spaces.
3. Melt chocolate in a double boiler.
4. Add beaten egg yolks to chocolate.
5. Add milk and sugar and stir constantly until smooth and thick (about 5 minutes)
6. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites and pour into mold.
7. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
8. When ready to serve, whip the cream and will in the cake with it.
9. Release spring form ring, and leave cake on bottom part, placing it on a plate to serve.

White Fruit Cake

This recipe is credited to Pete, which means it came through my paternal grandmother and found it's way into HiHo's recipe box. It also means that it has connections to either Florida or Farmington. Garro loves fruit cake - I wonder if his Mom KK ever made this one for him?

Ingredients
1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 cups sifted cake flour
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/2 pound shredded blanched almonds
1/4 pound citron
1/4 pound orange peel
1/4 pound lemon peel
1/4 pound cherries
1/4 pound dried apricots
1/2 pound seedless raisins (white)
1/2 pound chopped dates
1/2 pound shredded coconut
1 cup finely cut canned pineapple slices

Process

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
2. Cream shortening and sugar.
   
3. Add unbeaten eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each.
   
4. Combine fruit and coconut with 1/2 of sifted dry ingredients.
   
5. Add remaining dry ingredients and the pineapples to the mixture.
6. Add floured fruit and nuts.
   
7. Mix thoroughly.
8. Pour into greased pan, lined with paper.
9. Bake for 4 hours, or less is you use more than one pan.
   

Carrot Cake

This recipe, from HiHo's recipe box, is credited to a Betsy Reid. I am long overdue at posting recipes and it is a shame that I stopped half way through HiHo's cook book. Things have been busy and most of my time has been taken up by one of two things - hockey or my classes. With hockey over, and only 1 class this semester, back to my blog I go! I miss you Hiho - it's been a long 11 years since February 24, 1999.

Ingredients
for the cake:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 to 1 + 1/2 cups corn oil
3 cups grated carrots
2 teaspoons cinnamon
salt
4 eggs
3/4 cup walnuts
for the icing:
8 ounces cream cheese
1 box confectioners sugars
1 stick soft salted butter
2 teaspoons milk
grated rind of one orange

Process

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Combine cake ingredients and beat well.
   
3. Pour into two pans and bake for an hour.
   
4. Let cool completely while you combine icing ingredients, beating well to bring to proper consistency.
5. Ice cake and enjoy.
   

Jenny's Whoopie Pies

This recipe is from my neighbor.
Our daughters are in K together, and this is their 3rd year going to school together. Coincidentally, our babies are also the same age and are in preschool together now. Jenny told me about her Whoopie pies, and I got the recipe from her in November, but am only now getting the recipe up?
I still haven't made these.
I think I am scared of them.
Scared that I will love them, and never stop making them, and only get fatter than I already am! :D
(If you are someone that looks at my other blog too, this is the neighbor in the house in the field, often pictured in the header photos of the sunsets from my porch. Go look now: www.sustainablemaine.blogspot.com)

Ingredients
2 cups shortening
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, separated
4 cups flour
10 Tablespoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
Salt
2 cups milk
Vanilla
4 cups confectioners sugar

Process

• Preheat oven to 350
• Cream together 1 cup shortening and 2 cups sugar.
  
• Add 4 egg yolks and mix well.
  
• In a separate bowl sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and soda, and 2/3 teaspoons of the salt (yes, it says 2/3- I don't know why- just eyeball it.)
  
• Add the dry mixture to the sugar mixture and add 2 cups milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
  
• Drop by the heaping Tablespoons onto a cookie sheet (depending on how big you like your pies)
• Bake for 10-15 minutes
  
• To make filling, in a bowl with mixer add 1 cup shortening, 4 egg whites, 4 cups confectioners sugar, dash vanilla, dash salt and beat until fluffy.
  
• Make sure cakes are cool before filling.

I have found they store best if you individually wrap each one in a baggy. If I have cake left over sometimes I fill them with coffee ice cream for a later treat.

A Halloween Cake

My husband laughed at me for making this cake for Halloween. Why on earth would I make a sugar filled cake and then cover it with frosting and more candy? Because I love Halloween and my kids are awesome and I like to spoil them every now and again. Did I really just say that?
Anyway, I made a simple chocolate sheet cake from one of Lovina Eicher's recipes. I then took some butter cream frosting that was left over from my carrot cake muffins, and smothered my sheet cake in it. I then used Reese's pieces to decorate the top, reserving just the brown ones for spelling out Happy Halloween. I am sure you could make the same cake with different words and have it work prefectly for a Thanksgiving dinner! The strange thing is though, that the words are FAR easier to read in the picture than they are in person. Anyone know why? This cake is so good that my kids chose it for dessert tonight as an alternative to candy. Go kids! Enjoy!

Ingredients
For the cake:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 large eggs beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the icing:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups confectioners sugar
2 table spoons milk

Reese's Pieces for the lettering.
Process
To make the cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a 10 by 15 inch pan, or more than one if you have smaller pans
3. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
   
4. Stir with a whisk to blend.
   
5. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
   
6. When butter is melted add the water and cocoa.
   
7. Bring saucepan mixture to a boil.
   
8. Add the hot mixture to the large bowl of flour and stir well to combine.
   
9. Add the eggs and beat well.
   
10. Add the sour cream and mix.
    
11. Add the milk and vanilla and stir until completely mixed.
    
12. Turn into greased pan and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a took pick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
    

To make the icing

1. Cream the bitter and shortening with an electric mixer.
   
2. Add the vanilla.
   
3. Gradually add the sugar, 1/2 a cup at a time, beating well on medium speed.
   
4. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. When all sugar is in, icing may appear dry.
5. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.
   
6. Yields about 3 cups.
   

When cake is completely cool, ice and decorate as you wish.

HiHo’s Apple Cake

Ingredients
2 teaspoons cinnamon
5 Tablespoons sugar
5 DELICIOUS apples; peeled, cored and sliced
3 cups flour
3 cups sugar
3 teaspoons baking soda
4 eggs
1 cup Wesson oil
1 teaspoon salt
Juice of one orange
2.5 Teaspoons vanilla

Process
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Mix first three ingredients in large bowl and set aside.
3. In another bowl, mix remaining ingredients and beat 5 minutes.
4. Grease and flour pan.
5. Pour into tube pan by layers, first batter then apples then batter and finally apples.
6. Bake in oven for 1 and 1/2 hours

Rob's Mom's Upside Down Pinapple Cake

My second favorite thing about this recipe is that Rob’s Mom used to send us this cake as a care package in college. My absolute favorite part of this recipe is that my copy of the recipe is written on the back of a letter from Rob. We love you Rob!

Ingredients
4 Tablespoons butter
2 and 1/2 cups pineapple, save juice (20 ounce can?)
Cherries
Walnuts
4 to 6 Tablespoons butter
1 and 1/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 and 1/2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Process
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spread butter in a 13 x 9 inch pan.
3. Place pineapple in pan and then dot with cherries (and walnut if you like such things).
4. Cover with brown sugar.
5. In a separate bowl, mix shortening with sugar, eggs, and vanilla. When combined, stir in flour, baking powder, and salt. Then add the reserved pineapple juice.
6. Juice from the cherries can be added as well.
7. Bake in preheated oven, for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Let stand 5 minutes, and then dump upside down on a plate.
9. Slice and serve – yum yummy!

Pumpkin Cake

Ingredients

Cake
2 C. sifted flour
2 tsp. Cinnamon
½ tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Soda
2 tsp. Baking powder
Mix these dry ingredients together and add to the following mixture:
4 eggs
2 C. sugar
1 C. Wesson oil
2 C pumpkin

Process

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees.
   
2. Beat wet ingredients together then add dry ingredients.
   
3. Add pumpkin.
4. Bake in 2 nine inch pans for 35 minutes or until cake tests done.
5. Cool completely before frosting with recipe below.
   

Frosting (Have all ingredients at room temperature)
1 stick butter or margarine
1 8oz. package Philadelphia cream cheese
Cream together and add:
1 lb. box of confectioner’s sugar
2 tsp. Vanilla
1 C. broken pecans

Easy Apple Cake

This is an easy cake the family will love.

Super Easy Apple Cake

Ingredients
1 cup oil
3 eggs
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup chopped pecans
4 cups granny smith apples, peeled and cut into small chunks

Process

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees
2. Combine everything except apples in a large bowl with mixer. The batter will seem stiff but the apples will release a lot of water.
3. Fold in by hand the apples . This will be hard to do b/c batter is stiff but make sure they are evenly mixed in.
4. Pour into a greased bunt pan.
5. Bake for 45-55 minutes and let cool on racks.
   

Sinful Cake

There is far too much sugar in this cake so be warned!

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix
* 1/2 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
* 6 ounces caramel ice cream topping
* 3 (1.4 ounce) bars chocolate covered toffee, chopped
* 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bake cake according to package directions for a 9x13 inch pan; cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. Make slits across the top of the cake, making sure not to go through to the bottom.

2. In a saucepan over low heat, combine sweetened condensed milk and caramel topping, stirring until smooth and blended.

3. Slowly pour the warm topping mixture over the top of the warm cake, letting it sink into the slits; then sprinkle the crushed chocolate toffee bars liberally across the entire cake while still warm.

4. Let cake cool completely, then top with whipped topping. Decorate the top of the cake with some more chocolate toffee bar chunks and swirls of caramel topping.

5. Refrigerate and serve right from the pan!

Blueberry Coffee Cake

Blueberry Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Batter
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
2 eggs beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil ( I substitute 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce to cut calories and fat)
1/4 cup milk (skim)
1 Tsp vanilla
2 cups blueberries (raspberries work well too, sometimes I do a mixture of both)

Topping
1/4 cup of softened butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
   
3. Add eggs, oil, milk and vanilla.
4. Beat until smooth
5. Fold in berries
6. Pour into bottom of a greased bundt pan or 9 inch round pan.
7. Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over batter.
8. Bake for 50 minutes.