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Archive for the ‘Cake’ Category

Angel Food Cake

Posted in Cake, Desserts, Recipes, tagged , , , , on March 6, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Angel Food Cake platedMy niece makes a mean angel food cake. When I incorporated “angel cake” into the soon-to-be-released Thimbles and Thistles, I begged her for the recipe and she willingly shared.

If you’ve never had homemade angel food cake (as in completely from scratch)  – the effort is worth it!

Angel Food Cake ingredients

Simple ingredients

Angel Food Cake egg whites

You need about nine to 10 eggs, separated. Let egg whites come up to room temperature.

While the eggs are warming (or is it chillin') sift powdered sugar and flour together.

While the eggs are warming (or is it chillin’) sift powdered sugar and flour together.

Alternate the two in your sifter - it comes out beautifully.

Alternate the two in your sifter – it comes out beautifully.

Once egg whites are up to temp, mix with vanilla and cream of tartar until soft peaks form.

Once egg whites are up to temp, mix with vanilla and cream of tartar until soft peaks form.

Blend in granulated sugar until stiff peaks form.

Blend in granulated sugar until stiff peaks form then gently fold in flour mixture.

Spoon into a tube pan.

Spoon into a tube pan.

And bake in 350 degree preheated oven.

And bake in 350 degree preheated oven.

Remove when golden brown.

Remove when golden brown and cool completely.

Run a knife around inside of pan to loosen edges then insert onto a serving platter or cake plate.

Run a knife around inside of pan to loosen edges then insert onto a serving platter or cake plate.

Yum! Don't you just want a piece right now?

Yum! Don’t you just want a piece right now?

Angel Food Cake

1 1/2 cups egg whites (about nine eggs)

1 1/2 cups sifted powder sugar

1 cup sifted flour

2 tsp cream of tartar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup sugar

Berries (optional)

Whipping Cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Bring egg whites to room temperature.

Sift powdered sugar and flour together three times (Alternate the flour and sugar when putting it into the sifter. It makes sifting easier).

In large bowl beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and vanilla, with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form.

Gradually add sugar about 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until stiff peaks form.

Sift about 1/4 of the flour mixture over beaten egg mixture; fold in gently. Repeat folding in remaining flour mixture by fourths.

Pour into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Bake on lowest rack in oven for about 40 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched.

Immediately invert pan and cool completely, about an hour.

Slide a knife around the side and center of the tube pan. Remove cake to a serving plate. Garnish with berries and whipping cream, if desired. Yield: approx. 8-10 servings.

 

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Seven Layer Bar Cake

Posted in Cake, Desserts, Recipes, tagged , , , , , , on December 22, 2014| 5 Comments »

7-layer cake plated

I am a bundt cake junkie.

There, I admitted it. I feel so much better now.

A few months ago, I experimented with a can of Sweetened Condensed Milk and a vanilla bundt cake, providing the inspiration for this delicious, decadent, divine cake that you must run into your kitchen and make right this moment if you have even a passing fondness for Seven Layer Bars.

Yes, Seven Layer Bars. You know – those incredibly yummy bar cookies with coconut, pecans, chips and sweetened condensed milk over a graham cracker crust.

Instead of a graham cracker crust, I substituted an entire rich, moist, chocolatey cake.

Was that ever a tasty decision.

This isn’t hard to make. If you take the plunge, your taste buds will dance in elation while your knees grow weak from the splendor of it all.

Should you happen to leave a slice for Santa, I promise it will bump you to the top of the nice list!

7-layer cake ingredients

Ingredients

Start by mixing up the cake batter.

Start by mixing up the cake batter.

Pour a can of sweetened condensed milk into a bundt pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Pour a can of sweetened condensed milk into a bundt pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Sprinkle pecans over milk.

Sprinkle pecans over milk.

Next up - butterscotch chips.

Next up – butterscotch chips.

Don't forget the chocolate chips!

Don’t forget the chocolate chips!

Toss on some coconut.

Toss on some coconut.

The last layer is the cake batter.

The last layer is the cake batter.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about an hour or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Remove and let cool completely in pan. (You can even stick this in the freezer for a while if you want.)

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about an hour or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Remove and let cool completely in pan. (You can even stick this in the freezer for a while if you want.)

Seven Layer Bar Cake

1 Chocolate Cake Mix (18 ounce box)

1 small box of instant chocolate pudding

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup oil

3 eggs

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 cup butterscotch chips

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup coconut

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine first six ingredients in a large mixing bowl (cake mix, pudding, sour cream, water, oil and eggs). Mix on medium speed until well blended.  The batter will be really thick.

Thoroughly spray a bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray. When you think you’ve coated every crevice, give it one more spray!

Pour the can of sweetened condensed milk into the bottom of the bundt pan.

Sprinkle on pecans, followed by butterscotch chips, chocolate chips and then the coconut. Last, spoon in the cake batter.

Bake one hour or until edges start to pull away from the pan or a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Do not overbake!

Let cool completely before turning over onto serving platter or cake plate.

Prepare to dazzle your guests and have to beat a few of  them off with a stick when they get a taste of this cake!

Merry Christmas and Happy Baking!

She Who Loves This Cake

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Gingerbread

Posted in Cake, tagged , , , on October 3, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Gingerbread plated

The story I’m currently working on features a hero who loves gingerbread. Since I always include a recipe at the back of my books, I thought it would  be fun to include one for gingerbread.

Only I don’t have a good recipe for gingerbread cake. I have one for cookies and bars, but not cake.

So after drooling over dozens of options, I gave this one a try. It was a very good decision. Moist and flavorful, it filled the house with the most fabulous spicy scent while it baked.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Ingredients

Ingredients

Start by creaming the egg and brown sugar together.

Start by creaming the butter and brown sugar together.

Combine all the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and set aside. Mix the rest of the liquid ingredients into the batter.

Combine all the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and set aside. Mix the rest of the liquid ingredients into the batter.

Mix the dry ingredients into the batter, one cup at a time.

Mix the dry ingredients into the batter, one cup at a time.

gingerbread batter

When well blended, pour into greased pans and bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes.

When baked, you can top with a sprinkling of powdered sugar, caramel sauce, whipping cream, or cream cheese frosting.

When baked, you can top with a sprinkling of powdered sugar, caramel sauce, whipping cream, or cream cheese frosting.

I went with cream cheese frosting. I warmed it in the microwave for about 12 seconds until it was pourable.

I went with cream cheese frosting. I warmed it in the microwave for about 12 seconds until it was pourable.

Slice and savor the explosion of spicy bliss on your tongue!

Slice and savor the explosion of spicy bliss on your tongue!

Gingerbread

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 egg

3/4 cup molasses

1/2 cup applesauce

2 1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup hot water

Cream Cheese Frosting (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease and flour two loaf pans, two round cake pans or a 9 x 13 baking pan.

In a large bowl, cream together brown sugar and butter.  Beat in egg, molasses, and applesauce.  Spray your measuring cup with a shot of non-stick spray before you pour in the molasses. It will slide right out of it without leaving a big sticky mess behind.

In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients.

Add dry ingredients to batter 1 cup at a time. When it is well-blended, add the cup of hot water and stir to incorporate.

If you are using loaf pans, bake for about 50 minutes. If using cake pans, baking time will decrease to around 20-30 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs attached.

Top with frosting, sprinkle with powdered sugar, drizzle with caramel sauce or dollop on whipped cream. You can finish it however you like!

She Who Loves the Spicy Scent of Fall Baking

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Heavenly Bundt Cake

Posted in Cake, Captain Cavedweller, Desserts, Easy Recipes, tagged , , , , , on September 5, 2014| 3 Comments »

bundt cake platedMy most wonderful mother-in-law is spending the weekend with us.

So I baked a cake.

While it was baking yesterday, I kept thinking of that catchy tune If I Knew You Were Coming I’d’ve a Baked a Cake.

Since I did know she was coming and I did bake a cake, I thought I’d share the recipe with you.

I love bundt cakes because they are so easy to make and always so moist. I decided to experiment a little and boy was that a tasty idea. Even Captain Cavedweller gave this a two thumbs up.

Ingredients

Ingredients

Mix everything together except the sweetened condensed milk.

Mix everything together except the sweetened condensed milk.

Pour the milk into a thoroughly greased bundt cake pan.

Pour the milk into a thoroughly greased bundt cake pan.

Top with the cake batter. Do NOT mix or stir.

Top with the cake batter. Do NOT mix or stir.

Place it in an oven preheated to 350 degrees and bake for about 50 minutes.

Place it in an oven preheated to 350 degrees and bake for about 50 minutes.

Until it looks like this.

Until it looks like this.

Let cool completely before inverting on a serving platter.

Let cool completely before inverting on a serving platter.

Then prepare to be dazzled as the sweetened condensed milk made the most delicious topping you can imagine.

Then prepare to be dazzled as the sweetened condensed milk made the most delicious topping you can imagine.

Did I mention it was delicious?

Did I mention it was delicious?

As in you just have to have a piece good...

As in you just have to have a piece good…

Heavenly Bundt Cake

1 vanilla cake mix

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup oil

1 cup sour cream

1 small pkg. instant cheesecake pudding

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 and thoroughly spray a bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs. Add in cake mix, water, oil, sour cream and pudding. Beat on medium speed about three minutes.

Open the sweetened condensed milk and pour into the bundt pan. Yes, the whole can.

Spoon cake batter over the milk. Do not mix or stir!

Bake for about 50 minutes, until cake starts to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool completely.

Invert over a serving plate. All that deliciously yummy sweetened condensed milk has made the most glorious topping on your cake and soaked into the top layer.

If you can refrain from eating it right then, chill until ready to serve.

She Who Will Make This Again

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