Archive for the ‘Cakes’ Category

A family favorite…with a new twist. Coconut cake with cream cheese icing topped with toasted coconut.


2010
04.12

At the time I am posting this, Im too tired to say much except that Nancy made this super phenomenal cake and I enjoyed  it immensely . And I wouldn’t normally think of something like coconut cake to be so to my liking. The frosting and toasted coconut made for a super rich and toasty combination.

The cake

  • 2 cups sugar
  • ¾ cup milk
  • ½ cup butter
  • 4 eggs (separate eggs)
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Pinch of salt
  1. Beat egg whites stiff
  2. Then cream butter and sugar and egg yolks and vanilla .. 5minutes, add dry ingredients and milk alternately, coconut, and then add egg whites last
  3. Fold in ½ cup of shredded coconut
  4. Heat in 2 9inch pans for  350 35-45 minutes

The icing

  • 2 tsps butter
  • 2 cups flaked coconut
  • 2 teaspoons milk
  • 3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
  1. To Make Frosting: Melt the butter or margarine in a skillet. Add the 2 cups flaked coconut and stir constantly over low heat until golden brown. Spread coconut on absorbent paper to cool.
  2. Cream the remaining 2 tablespoons butter or margarine with the cream cheese. Add the milk and confectioners’ sugar alternately, beating well. Add the vanilla and stir in 1 3/4 cups of the toasted coconut.
  3. To Assemble Cake: Spread tops of cooled cake layers with some of the frosting. Stack them and then frost the sides of the cake. Sprinkle Cake with the remaining toasted coconut.

Snowed In Chocolate Cake aka The Great Chocolate Cake Escape


2010
02.07

So what do you do when you are totally stir crazy and about to be trapped in your house for the duration of what promises to be a very snowy super bowl weekend? Bake some freakin chocolate cake man!! This recipe was pilfered from a well worn article torn from a “Healthy Living” magazine of an  indeterminable age that the object of my eye completely and utterly swears by. So here goes:

Ingredients

For the Cake

  • Vegie oil cooking spray
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup light olive oil (orig recipe is sunflower oil)
  • 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp distilled white vinegar

For the Glaze

  • 2 oz dark chocolate (preferably 70% cacao), finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
  • 2 tbsp water

Directions

  1. For the cake: Preheat oven to 375°. Coat an 8 inch round cake pan with spray.
  2. Whisk water and cocoa in a small bowl until smooth. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Add cocoa mixture, oil, vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in vinegar. Pour into a pan.
  3. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. About 30-35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of cake, invert it onto rack, and turn the cake right side up. Let cool completely. Transfer cake to a serving plate or cake stand.
  4. For the glaze: Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water, stirring until smooth. Let cool slightly.
  5. Whisk together sugar and water until smooth. Add melted chocolate in a slow, steady stream, whisking until thickened, about 1 minute. Immediately pour glaze onto center of cooled cake. Using an off set spatula, gently spread glaze over top and sides. Cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days. Haha! As if it would last that long!

Apple Cake


2009
10.23

This is a recipe my mom got from a place called Apple Hill back in California. Shes been making it since I was a little kid and it’s one of my favorite desserts.

Combine:

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 2 eggs

Add:

  • 4 cups diced apples

Sift together:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. nutmeg
  • 2 tsp. soda

Add to Apple mixture.  Pour into 9″ x 13″ greased cake pan and bake for one hour in preheated oven at 350F.
Serve it hot warm or cold.  Try it plain, frosted or with whipped cream. Big ole scoop of quality vanilla ice cream, right on top of a steaming piece out of the oven is not to shabby either. :-)