Check out what heavenly confection you can do with a simple cake mix.
From Denny: We love lemon recipes at our house so when I came across this one you can imagine it caused quite a stir around here! There is something about the combination of cream cheese and lemon that is simply divine. Then add coconut to the mix and your taste buds are orbiting around the planet "formerly known as" Pluto.
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*** Make a stunning tasty chocolate cake to entertain your sweet tooth.
From Denny: If you enjoy baking cakes for friends and family then this new cookbook is for you. "Cakes to Die For! The Complete Guide for Cake Lovers" is by Chef Bev Shaffer, published by Pelican Publishing Company at 288 pages, full retail price for the hardcover is $26.95. We all know we can get this over at Amazon books at a reduced price not long after publication. Chef Bev, also a cooking instructor, is loved for her cookie cookbook so this cake cookbook is eagerly anticipated by novice bakers trying to learn the art of cake baking. This new cakes cookbook collection has 175 of her most favorite recipes. As a chef it must have been difficult to narrow down her choices. :)
Chef Bev walks us through her recipes in nine chapters where she covers everything from the typical traditional layer cake, pretty cupcakes, yummy cheesecakes, "flipped over" cakes which are "upside-down" cakes (also the easiest cakes to make for a beginner).
Her fancy cakes include delightful creations like Luscious Layered Tiramisu Torte and A Hint of Raspberry Celebration Cake. Chef Bev includes those one-pan cakes for when you are in a hurry and the family is clamoring for something sweet and then you have to pull a food rabbit out of your hat in quick time. Two tasty recipes for that "quick fast and in a hurry" category are Low-Fat But Still Delicious Mocha Cake and Fresh Picked Blueberry Pudding Cake. There are also bundt cake, angel food cake recipes and frostings to explore.
Chef Bev Shaffer is the director of Mustard Seed Market and Café Cooking Schools in Akron and Solon, Ohio. She offers helpful advice from frosting tips to how to achieve accurate measurements which is critical in the chemistry of the baking process.
Bev lists what she names the thirteen essential ingredients in a cake baker’s pantry. She uses the chef’s hats icons to indicate the difficulty levels of the recipes. This cookbook is a real beauty, illustrated with 75 full-color color photographs of finished cakes. The added bonus is that it is printed in large, easy-to-read type - convenient when you are reading the recipe as you stir the ingredients and move around the kitchen.
This chocolate cake recipe is a big hit with families and foodies alike. There is just something about buttermilk and chocolate that make for a moist and very tasty cake - long a favorite combination in our house. Plan on making copies of the recipe as everyone who tastes it will ask for this recipe!
Buttermilk Fudge Cake With a Chocolate Gloss Icing
From: Bev Shaffer
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour 3/4 cup plus 3 tbls. unsweetened cocoa, sifted 1 1/4 tsps. baking soda 1/8 tsp. salt 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces 2/3 cup granulated sugar 2/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar 2 large eggs 2 tsps. vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
Chocolate Gloss Icing:
Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted 2 tsps. vanilla extract 3 ozs. unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans and cover pan bottoms with a round of parchment paper. Grease the parchment.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter with the white and brown sugar on medium speed until mixture is light and fluffy. Scrape bowl.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.
With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just until blended.
Spread batter into prepared pans; quickly and gently smooth the tops. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge of pans to loosen cakes. Cover a pan with a large, lint-free towel-covered plate and invert pan. Remove pan from cake. Peel off parchment and re-invert cake from plate onto cooling rack. Repeat with remaining cake. Allow to cool on wire rack.
Directions for Chocolate Gloss Icing:
In a large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter with the confectioners’ sugar until very light. Add the vanilla and melted chocolate, beating until glossy and smooth.
Place one cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread with a small amount of the gloss. Top with the other layer and frost the sides and then the top, swirling the gloss. Let the cake stand for at least 30 minutes before slicing, to allow layers to set.
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*** For fellow Lemon Heads: get 2 awesome lemon recipes and armchair travel to a wonderful luxurious bed and breakfast inn located in Asheville, North Carolina.
From Denny: First off is a recipe from a Texas chef for which he is well known - Lemon Honey Cake. He even keeps his own bees and provides the honey! Now that's dedication to local food sources. :)
Check out a recipe for lemon bread from a wonderful bed and breakfast inn located in Asheville, North Carolina. Asheville is a beautiful town, full of friendly relaxed people and they are very proud of their small city. It's where the famed Biltmore House lives and is quite the community's featured attraction. When we used to live in Atlanta, Georgia, we would often drive up to The Biltmore during the Christmas season to hear the Christmas music and enjoy all the Christmas decorations and festivities on the grounds. We were close enough to go and return in one (long) day.
There is plenty more to entice you in Asheville as it's a great place for family vacations. There are pet friendly hotels and bed and breakfast inns like this one where your family can vacation in comfort.
Some of these bed and breakfast inns are quite luxurious, like some of the hotels, with some awesome amenities in this city. Asheville is a town where for the past 100 years the very wealthy from New York City come to summer vacation. There are hiking trails to enjoy, museums and more. The President and his family vacationed here early this summer as there is quite the golf course here.
From: Graham Dodds, executive chef of Bolsa Restaurant, here's a photo and short interview, go here. (Bolsa is Spanish for bag like in grocery bag.)
Makes: 1 (10-inch) cake
Ingredients:
Spray shortening and extra sugar, as needed to coat a cake pan
2/3 cup bread flour (not the usual all-purpose or cake flour, this is different) 1/2 tbl. baking powder 2/3 cup granulated sugar 4 eggs 1/2 cup Texas honey (or fresh honey from your area) 2 lemons, zest removed and reserved 1/4 cup whole milk 1 stick butter, melted Fresh berries, whipped cream and/or chunk of honeycomb for garnish
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray and 10-inch cake pan at coat with sugar, tapping out the excess sugar but making sure that the pan is evenly coated.
Sift bread flour, baking powder and 2/3 cup sugar together into a large bowl and set aside.
Place eggs, honey and lemon zest in a mixer and beat to a ribbon stage. (A ribbon stage is reached when a whisk or spoon moved through the mixture leaves a trail behind that is visible for a short while before merging back into the mixture.)
Squeeze lemons and gently fold the lemon juice and then the milk into the egg mixture.
Now, gently combine the flour mixture with the egg mixture, being careful to just incorporate the flour and not over beat the flour. The cake will come out tough if the flour is overworked.
Gently fold in the melted butter.
Pour the finished batter into a prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes, or until the top is light brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Serve with fresh berries and whipped cream or a chunk of honeycomb.
From the website: 1908 New England Style Inn, nestled on 1.5 acres, 6 blocks from downtown, service focused, relaxed, Pet Friendly Cottage.
Larry and Nancy Merrill are your hosts in this fine, old colonial turn-of-the-century Asheville bed and breakfast. Located in the historic Montford District of Asheville, NC, Applewood Manor Inn sits on its' quiet acre and a half of "country in the city" surrounded by giant oaks, pines, maples and a variety of flora. Yet the manor if just 3 miles from the breathtaking Biltmore Estate, a short 10-minute drive to the Blue Ridge Parkway, and a 25-minute stroll past magnificent old homes to downtown Asheville.
Check in and unwind from your travels with a complimentary beverage in a rocker on one of five porches ... plan your next day's adventures to Smoky Mountain National Park, snow skiing, whitewater rafting, a drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway during its glorious autumnal display, a visit to the world famous Biltmore Estate, or one of many local historical attractions of Asheville, "Land of the Sky." Later, Retire to your spacious room decorated with antiques, lace, and fine linen ... curl up to the cozy, working fireplace and get a refreshing night's sleep in a room garnished with fresh flowers.
Awaken to the smell of the Manor's fresh fare: Enjoy a cup of fresh brewed coffee or hot tea by the fireside in the parlor or living room or lounge on one of the Manor's multiple porches while Nancy & Larry prepare your three course breakfast of homemade bread with a side of cream cheese, seasonal fruit with sides of Nancy's "home brew" granola and vanilla yogurt, and varied and equally enticing entrees fit for the Lords and Ladies of the Manor.
After breakfast you may be off for a stroll in the nearby Botanical Gardens, a game of croquet or badminton in the yard, a brisk bike ride around the area or a walk through the historic neighborhood for a peaceful start to your day's activities. Upon your return from your adventures, pause a while by the fireplace in the parlor, or in the library with a calming cup of tea or other refreshments, good conversation or a good book, and look forward to another day of living well under the cordial roof here at Applewood Manor Inn.
email: innkeeper@applewoodmanor.com Nancy & Larry Merrill, Innkeepers
*** Remember to support small business in your area and when you travel. Why stay at a Big Business hotel as you travel when you can stay in a more home like atmosphere of a bed and breakfast inn? The prices are comparable, the people friendlier and your stay will be memorable.
1/3 cup butter or margarine 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 1/2 cup flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp slat 1/2 cup mild Grated rind of 1 lemon Juice of 1 lemon 1/3 cup sugar
Directions:
Cream butter (or margarine) & sugar. Add eggs and mix well. Add flour baking powder and salt. Mix and add milk and grated rind.
Bake at 350° in greased loaf pan for 50 minutes for 1 large loaf, or 30 minutes for 2 small loaves.
Mix together the juice of 1 lemon and 1/3 cup sugar. Pour mixture over bread while it is still warm. Can be made ahead and frozen.
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*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:
From Denny: Most doctors and lawyers want to be somewhere else and be someone else. This lawyer, cookbook author Warren Brown, wanted to bake, and bake he did! He came up with a great idea for a book to merge his love of eating cake and studying American history.
He has recipes featured in this food video segment that hail from Wyoming, Texas, Delaware and Illinois. He has cake recipes from all 50 states, from California to Connecticut. All his recipes are simple, easy to do for the home baker.
Preheat the oven to 335 degrees and place the rack in the middle position. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with nonstick oil-and-starch spray.
Combine the ingredients for the filling in a bowl. Crumble them together with your fingers to break apart any clumps of brown sugar. Set aside.
Combine the ingredients for the topping in a bowl and press to combine with a fork or your fingers, or mix on low speed using a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Set aside.
Combine the dry ingredients for the cake in a bowl; combine the wet ingredients in another bowl. Set aside.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar, and brown sugar and mix on low speed for about 3 minutes.
Once the butter is creamed well, add the eggs one at a time. Use a flexible spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, and mix until everything is thoroughly combined.
Alternately add the dry and wet mixtures about a quarter at a time without pausing between additions. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix on low for another 20 seconds.
Scoop half of the batter into the prepared pan, smooth it out, and sprinkle on the filling. Add the rest of the batter and smooth again. Sprinkle on the topping.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the cake bounces back when lightly pressed and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool the cake for 5 minutes before inverting it onto a plate and flipping it again so the streusel side is facing up. It’s also fine to serve it in the dish it’s baked in.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Honey and Raspberry Cheesecake
From: Chef Warren Brown
Ingredients:
Graham Cracker Crust:
Graham crackers 3 tablespoons Superfine granulated sugar 3/4 stick Unsalted butter, melted 1/4 teaspoon salt
Filling:
16 ounces cream cheese 16 ounces fresh goat cheese 1/2 cup superfine granulated sugar 1 cup crystallized or raw honey 4 eggs 1/2 cup sour cream 1/4 cup heavy cream 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/4 cup raspberry puree
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 300°F and place the rack in the middle position. Grease a 9-by-3-inch round pan and line the bottom with parchment.
Crush the graham crackers in a bowl or food processor into very fine crumbs.
Using a fork, toss all the crust ingredients in a bowl until evenly combined. Press the mixture firmly into the prepared pan.
Bake until fragrant, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside to cool while you make the filling. Leave the oven on for the filling.
Place a roasting pan large enough to hold your cake pan in the oven and fill it about two-thirds of the way up with water.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cheeses on medium speed to break up and soften them.
Reduce the mixer to slow speed and add the sugar and honey in 2 additions each, beating until they dissolve, about 3 minutes total.
Add the eggs one at a time, allowing each to combine before adding the next.
Mix the sour cream, heavy cream, and vanilla together until smooth. Pour into the mixer slowly.
Pour the filling into the prepared crust. Drizzle up to . cup of the raspberry puree randomly on the batter and swirl it with your finger.
Gently set the cake pan in the water bath. Bake, uncovered, until the center of the cake is only slightly wobbly when the pan is shaken, about 1 hour.
Turn off the heat and leave the oven door ajar for 1 hour.
Remove the pan from the water bath and cool the cake for 4 hours, until it reaches room temperature.
Cover the cake tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, and preferably overnight. (Be sure you don’t have cut onions or garlic in the fridge—the cake will absorb the odor.)
Set the pan in warm water to loosen the cake. Run an offset spatula around the edge if necessary. Invert the cake onto a flat plate, then turn it right side up onto a decorative plate for serving. Smooth out any tears on the sides with an offset spatula. Add a cluster of raspberries to the top of the cheesecake if you like.
To make your own puree, combine 1 (10- ounce) package of frozen raspberries with 2 cups of sugar in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Strain the puree through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the seeds. Cool the puree completely before using.
Preheat the oven to 335 degrees and place the rack in the middle position. Line the bottoms of two 9-by-2-inch round pans with parchment.
Melt the chocolates, 1 ounce of the butter, and the half-and-half in a double boiler over steaming water. Once melted, remove the pot from the water and whisk to combine the ingredients. Set aside.
Measure the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside. Separate the eggs and set the yolks aside.
Combine 6 ounces of the sugar and the water in a saucepan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves.
Place 4 of the egg whites in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the wire whip attachment and beat on high speed until stiff peaks form. (Discard the 2 leftover whites or reserve them for another use.)
When the sugar syrup measures 240 degrees on a candy thermometer, drizzle it slowly into the meringue while the mixer is on high speed. Whip for another 20 seconds and then remove the meringue from the bowl and set aside.
Add the reserved yolks and 2 ounces of sugar to the mixer’s bowl and whip with the wire whisk — there’s no need to clean the bowl or whip. You can even leave the cooked meringue that’s stuck inside the whip. Whip on high speed until the yolks are pale yellow, about 2 minutes.
Reduce the speed to low and add in the remaining 4 ounces of butter. The yolk base will lose volume — that’s okay.
Alternately add the dry ingredients and the melted chocolate to the mixer about a quarter at a time without pausing for the ingredients to combine. Detach the bowl from the mixer and gently fold in the cooked meringue in two stages. It will be stiff at first. Use caution not to over mix it or you will deflate the batter.
Divide the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 22 to 24 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean and the top appears dry, soft, and flat. It will give slightly to a very light touch.
Cool the cakes for about 20 minutes, then run a metal offset spatula around the rim of each and invert the cakes onto a flat surface. Cool completely.
To assemble the cake, slice each cake in half horizontally with a serrated knife to create four layers.
Spread about 1 cup of frosting between each layer with an offset spatula and stack into a four-layer cake. Then pipe on the frosting with an open star tip to cover the top and sides of the cake, or just spread it lavishly with the spatula.
Texas Sheet Cake
From: Chef Warren Brown
Ingredients:
2 cups Superfine granulated sugar 1 1/2 cups All-purpose flour 1/2 cup Cocoa powder 1 teaspoon Baking soda 3/4 teaspoon Salt 2 sticks Unsalted butter, melted 2 Eggs 1 cup Milk 1/2 cup Buttermilk 1 tablespoon Brandy 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract Chocolate Pecan Icing 1 1/4 cups Pecans 1 stick Unsalted butter, room temperature 4 cups Confectioners’ sugar 1/4 cup Cocoa powder 1/2 cup Milk 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract Sugared Pecans 2 cups Pecans 2 tablespoons Honey 1 cup Superfine granulated sugar 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
Baking Directions:
Preheat the oven to 335°F and place the rack in the middle position. Grease a 12-by-2-inch round pan or 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
Measure the dry ingredients into a bowl and whisk to combine.
Combine the wet ingredients in a second bowl and whisk lightly to combine.
Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir well for about 20 seconds.
Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean and the top of the cake bounces back slightly when gently pressed.
For the icing, roast the pecans on a baking sheet for 4 to 5 minutes while the cake is baking. Remove the nuts from the oven, cool to room temperature, and chop.
Combine the butter, sugar, and cocoa powder in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Begin beating on low speed and then increase to high.
Slowly add the milk and vanilla and beat well. Stop the mixer and fold in the roasted pecans by hand. Set aside.
To make the sugared pecans, combine the ingredients in a bowl and mix well with a rubber spatula.
Roast the sugared pecans on a baking sheet, while the cake is baking, until crisped and fragrant, approximately 10 minutes. Remove the nuts from the oven and cool on a heat-resistant surface before using.
Cool the cake completely before spreading the icing onto the top using a flexible spatula. (If you prefer, you can turn the cake out onto a tray, but it’s fine to leave it in the dish.) Add the sugared pecans across the top, pressing them slightly into the frosting.
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From Denny: Thought I'd start cataloging these chocolate recipes so you can find them faster than a blog search! This is going to take a while so be sure to check back often for added links. Why waste time looking for a chocolate recipe when you can be digging into it with your fork and enjoying it? :)
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From Denny: This is so cute! I've done a few gingerbread houses in my time and this one is simplified and easy, so easy you can do it with your kids. How fun! The kit has a cardboard frame, the mix included for the cookie dough and the royal icing too, from Sur la table for the $35 kit.
Another idea is a baked Southern tradition: caramel cake. This lady baked these cakes for her family and they were such a big hit she started a business. From Carolines Cakes for $45.
This year's newest trend are gifts of salt and this company was also started by a woman. These are unprocessed salts that are healthier for you from Salt Sisters Salts for $5 to $14.
Do you know someone who likes to make their own vanilla extract with vodka and 8 vanilla beans? Here's how and you can purchase the vanilla extract kit from Salt Sisters Salts for $25.
I love the combination of chocolate and coconut and found this easy pie recipe that would be convenient to make for the holidays! Chilling time is the most effort you have to put into it.
Prep Time: 20 min Total Time: 5 hr 25 min Makes: 10 servings
Ingredients:
1 pkg. (4 oz.) BAKER'S GERMAN'S Sweet Chocolate 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine 1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk 1-1/2 cups sugar 3 Tbsp. cornstarch 1/8 tsp. salt 2 eggs, beaten 1 tsp. vanilla 1 deep-dish pie crust (9 inch), unbaked 1-1/3 cups BAKER'S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut 1/2 cup chopped PLANTERS Pecans
Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Melt chocolate and butter in saucepan on very low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; gradually add milk, stirring until well blended.
MIX sugar, cornstarch and salt in medium bowl; beat in eggs and vanilla. Gradually add chocolate mixture, mixing until well blended. Pour into pie crust; sprinkle with coconut and nuts. (Crust will be quite full; filling will not rise over sides.)
BAKE 45 to 50 min. or until top is puffed and browned, covering loosely with foil for the last 15 min. to prevent overbrowning if necessary. (Filling will be soft, but will set while cooling.) Cool at room temperature 15 min., then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
From Denny: Following are 4 videos demonstrating how to make this easy cake. Lots of people love Irish Whiskey and this is certainly one interesting way to "drink" the libation! :)
They take their time making the cake as this is an unprofessional video where a couple of regular people enjoy the romp through their version of the Food Network. Amusing as well as instructional.
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