Category: more cake, please

friends and loved ones · in my kitchen · more cake, please

cake #28 – not a bundt birthday cake

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My son, Isaac turns 11 this week. It is quite mind-blowing to think he is going to be 11!  At the risk of sounding a little ridiculous, I have to say, I just don’t know where the time has gone.

Isaac has the best sense of humor, always making us laugh and living up to his name which means laughter.  Anyway, when my sweet boy who brings us so much joy, told me that he did not want a bundt cake, but that he wanted a layer cake with a lot of frosting, I knew what I had to do. I decided to take a one week hiatus from making bundt cakes.

We celebrated early on the 4th because daddy was home from work, and grandparents were free!  We had cake and presents, and celebrated Isaac and his life.

Here’s the cake I made:

I made a chocolate cake with a lot of chocolate butter cream.   I used a chocolate fudge cake duncan hines cake mix, with 4 eggs, 1 cup of milk, 1/3 cup of oil, and chocolate pudding mix.

My chocolate butter cream recipe was taken from the wilton’s website:   1/2 cup crisco, 1/2 cup butter, 3/4 cup cocoa, 5 tbsp of chocolate milk and a bit of vanilla.

I decorated with peppermint buttercream and mint oreos because my boy loves mint and chocolate.  Mmmmmm.

Guys!  It was fanatastic!

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in my kitchen · more cake, please

Cake #27 7-up cake

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When week#27 was getting close, I realized it was going to be a busy one, and I needed to bake ahead.  I found out my folks were having company, and so I offered to bake something for my mom that she could pop in the freezer and pull out when she needed it.  My mom has done so much for me since moving here, I feel like a cake really doesn’t even come close to repaying her!  But – indeed, it is a yummy start!

She and I decided on a summer-y, 7-up cake.  I’m hoping she saves me a bite to I can try it, but, by all appearances, I think it is going to be everything a cake should be – a pound cake but on the lighter side, full of fizzy-lemon flavor. Perfect for a hot summer day!

Its a simple recipe – I found it on pinterest!  It was posted as a cut-out newspaper recipe – so, I’m not sure who to give credit to – I do know there was a handwritten date of October 1, 1981 on the photo, so I can say it is probably an old-school recipe.  You can’t go wrong with a tried and true recipe like that!

7-up Cake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups butter

3 cups sugar

5 eggs

3 cups flour

3/4 cups 7-up

2 tablespoons of lemon extract.

Instructions:

Heat oven to 325 and prepare a 10″ tube pan.  Cream butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time and mix well.  Add flour.  Next, add 7-up and extract.  Spoon batter into prepared pan.  Bake at 325 for an hour, maybe longer depending on your oven.    When finished baking, cool and then remove from pan.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

in my kitchen · more cake, please

Cake #26. Half-way to the finish line, Kentucky Butter Cake.

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Guys, I’m officially halfway thru the year of bundt-cakes!  I can hardly believe I’ve made 26 cakes!  Who knew I could manage this – and keep up with life?   Truthfully, I’ve enjoyed it!  I’ve come to look forward to my baking time each week!

Well, week 26 is a Kentucky Butter Cake.  I made it for my friend Lisa, who helped me out with making a few t-shirts for Scenic City Children’s Choir.  She definitely deserves cake!

When she told me this was her favorite cake, I had a feeling it would be a hit.  I found a good recipe (read:it has lots of butter) and got to work.   Honestly I can tell you that I’ve never seen such a light and fluffy, yet rich cake batter!  I had a tiny taste of the batter – it was RIDICULOUSLY DE-LISH!!!  It may look simple, and un-assuming, but seriously, this is a must-try for your list, and I don’t say that every week! (Do I?)

Here’s the recipe, from cookiesandcups.com

Kentucky Butter Cake

Ingredients:

Cake
  • 1 cup butter, cubed at room temperature
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup buttermilk
Butter Glaze
  • ⅓ cup butter
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F/165°C
  2. Grease a 10″ bundt pan (I use pam spray with flour)
  3. Place all the cake ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low for 30 seconds and then increase the speed to medium and mix for 3 minutes.
  4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 65-75 minutes until a toothpick entered into the center comes out clean.
  5. When the cake is done make the glaze. Combine all ingredients into a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir continuously until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Do not bring to a boil.
  6. Poke holes all over the warm cake (I use chopsticks) and pour the glaze evenly on the cake while still in the pan.
  7. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan and then invert the cake onto a serving plate.
  8. I made this cake a day in advance, hoping it will be more moist and flavorful after resting overnight.

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in my kitchen · more cake, please

Cake #25 Hawaiian Pineapple Butter Cake father’s day MAJOR Fail!

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Hawaiian Pineapple Butter Cake – #25.  Fail.

It is Father’s Day.  And let me say – I found this brilliant cake on Pinterest, or so I thought!  I just knew my hubs, my dad and my father-in-law would all love it.  Last nite I set out to make it, thinking I had a slam-dunk new favorite in the works.

I could not have been more wrong.

The cake itself was delicious – I know because I had extra batter and made mini bundts of just cake, without the pineapple. The cake was perfect – it could not have turned out better.  But, I knew as soon as I popped the full-sized cake out of the pan, I had miscalculated by drastic proportions.  There was a pineapple mixture that was supposed to bake up into the cake – and it didn’t.  Nope – it was just mushy slop, sitting on top of the cake.  It looked terrible and the pineapple mush didn’t even really taste good.

What a disaster.  And, what a waste!  Oh how I hate to waste such a golden, fluffy and moist cake with a delicious vanilla-pineapple sweet flavor.  How could I have gone so wrong?

Well, I’m giving myself huge loads of grace today – and remembering what NOT to do again…

So, what do you do when you need a Father’s Day dessert, and soon?  Well – I for one ran to the Wal Mart to get a few things – and I’m making Mississippi Mud for my family.  Its a nice, chilled, summertime-chocolatey dessert that I know everyone will love.

I’ll hop back on the bundt cake train next week!

(no photos, guys!  believe me – you don’t want to see this mess…)

in my kitchen · more cake, please

Apple Cider Donut Bundt

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A few weeks ago, a friend of mine gave me a bunch of beautiful, lovely, much needed hand-me-downs for my Mackenzie!  I was so blessed by this wonderful gift, I promised my friend a cake.     Time went by and I realized that I still needed to make that promised cake!

After discussing what her family might enjoy, I browsed my pinterest page for ideas.  I found the PERFECT option (thank you to Martha Stewart) : Apple Cider Donut Bundt.  The write-up sounded like this cake was right up my friend’s alley.  I made a few changes, but- stayed true to the recipe otherwise.

When I baked the cake, the smell from my oven was AMAZING!  It was all I could do to not take a warm chunk!  But, I resisted the urge and got the cake to my friend quickly!  Within minutes of giving her the cake, I got a text!  They loved it!  She did say that maybe it wasn’t quite the texture of a donut- so, I’m gonna work on that a little bit!  Otherwise this may be a contender for the “keeper” list!

*****  Hey, friends!  When week 26 is completed, I’m going to post a “half-way-thru-the-year” review of my favorite cakes!  I would LOVE to hear from you if you’ve tried any cakes and loved them!  By the end of week 52 I would like to have a list of “best” cakes to draw on… you know, in case I go into business and need to create a menu of sorts! 🙂  ***********

Here is the recipe!  Seriously, you really might want to try this one!

Apple Cider Donut Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan (I used 1/4 cup of butter)
  • 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
  • 1 cup whole-wheat flour (I used only all-purpose flour this time)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 3/4 cups natural cane sugar (I used regular, every day sugar)
  • 1 cup apple cider (I used part apple juice, part sparkling cider -because I dare you to find real cider in June.)
  • 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (I used vegetable oil)
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature

Instructions:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. In a large bowl, whisk together both flours, baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups sugar, cider, oil, applesauce, vanilla, and eggs. Add egg mixture to flour mixture; whisk until combined. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

  • Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet; let cool 15 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.

  • Invert warm cake onto rack. Brush with melted butter, then sprinkle liberally with cinnamon sugar. Let cool completely before serving. Cake can be stored, covered, at room temperature up to 2 days. (While working on this coating, I painted butter on a small section of the cake, sprinkled cinnamon-sugar immediately, and then moved onto another section.)

 

 

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friends and loved ones · in my kitchen · more cake, please

Cake #23 – Lemon Rhubarb at the beach

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Week 23 was approaching and I realized that, indeed, I needed to bake cake #23 in advance because we would be on vacation at the beach.

I’m a real sucker for some seasonal fruits, like blueberries and strawberries and especially rhubarb!  I have a love for rhubarb that cannot be measured. The aroma of rhubarb baking, brings back memories from childhood.    There is nothing like hot rhubarb crisp from the oven, with softening vanilla ice-cream running down into canals around the  warm and chewy fruit dessert.

But, alas, I cannot actually make a rhubarb crisp for my cake-a-week challenge – so, I did the next best thing.  I made a lemon rhubarb bundt to take to the beach with us.     The flavors of this cake are crisp and bright – and makes a sweet and sour explosion in your mouth with every bite! As much as I love chocolate, this might be my favorite cake so far!

Here is the recipe from the warmvanillasugar.com site.    I made a minor modification, using lemon extract and lemon juice from a bottle instead of lemon zest  in the cake batter and fresh lemon juice in the glaze because I forgot to pick up a few lemons at the store.    oops.  It was still amazingly yummy!

 

 

INGREDIENTS

Cake:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 lemons, tested
3 eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, divided
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp Kosher salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 cups rhubarb, diced in 1/2-inch pieces

Lemon Glaze:
2 cups icing sugar
1 lemon, juiced
1 tbsp melted unsalted butter

 

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a bundt cake pan. Set aside.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl, beat together the softened butter, sugar and lemon zest until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula and then add the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Mix in the vanilla.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together 2 1/2 cups of flour, baking powder and salt. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture into the egg mixture along with 1/3 of the needed buttermilk and mix on low speed. Alternate with flour and buttermilk until both are fully incorporated.
  4. In a medium bow, or large ziplock bag, toss the rhubarb with the remaining two tablespoons of flour until the rhubarb is well coated. Gently fold rhubarb into the batter with a rubber spatula until it’s distributed evenly.
  5. Turn out cake batter into the prepared pan, using a spatula to gently spread and level it out.
  6. Bake for about 60-70 minutes, or until the cake springs back gently when touched and a toothpick inserted into it comes out clean.
  7. Allow cake to sit and cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes.
  8. Meanwhile, make the glaze by whisking together all the glaze ingredients until smooth. Thin with extra lemon juice or thicken with more powdered sugar as you see fit.
  9. When the cake is cooled, tip it out onto a serving plate and generously drizzle cake with the lemon glaze.
  10. Slice and enjoy.

 

friends and loved ones · in my kitchen · more cake, please

Cake #22 – Welcome Neighbors! Lemon Blueberry Bundt.

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We learned a few weeks ago that some friends from church were moving into a neighborhood near ours.  And I couldn’t resist making them a little “house warming” treat to welcome them!

I’ve been toying with the idea of a lemon blueberry bundt, so I decided to practice my recipe on them!  I can’t wait to hear if they like it!

Here’s what I did:

Cake #22 – Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake.

Ingredients:

Classic White Cake mix
small lemon pudding
3 eggs
1 cup Fresca
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp lemon extract
1 cup of blueberries

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients (except the blueberries) on medium speed for two minutes.  (maybe scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway thru, to be sure all of the ingredients are combined well.)  Set the oven at 350 and prepare the pan.  Pour 1/3 of the batter into the pan, sprinkle with berries.  Pour another 1/3 of the cake mix and sprinkle again with blueberries.  Bake for 45 minutes.

When the cake is cooled, remove from the pan and prepare a lemon glaze.  mix powdered sugar with a bit of lemon juice until you have the consistency you want and gently pour over the cake, or paint lightly with a pastry brush.

Here’s to the lovely, fresh flavors of summer!  And Here’s hoping our new neighbors enjoy their special treat in their new home!  😉

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friends and loved ones · in my kitchen · more cake, please

cake #21 black oil bundt

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Okay, friends! Week 21 rolled around and I realized it was time to bake a birthday cake for my dear friend, Leslie.

This is my sweet mom, my friend,Leslie, and I at a Lookouts game just last weekend.  We chatted the time away at the game.  But, while we talked, I managed to squeeze out of Leslie (hopefully without her knowing) what kind of cake she might like.  Now, I know Leslie loves a good red velvet cheesecake – but, I’m making bundt cakes – not cheesecakes… so, I had to figure something out!  She mentioned a “black oil cake” – and I had never heard of that!

Of course, my curiosity was roused and I went home in search of a black oil cake recipe.  Guess what I found?  It is chocolate cake – but not just any chocolate cake!  It is dark, rich, thick chocolate cake full of egg yokes and buttermilk, covered in more satin-y smooth chocolate.

I had to go for it!  And, according to Leslie it was phenomenal.  Her family devoured it!  That makes this baker’s heart super happy!

Here’s to a Happy Birthday for Leslie and  to finding a new amazing cake recipe!  🙂

Cake # 21  Black Oil Cake

Beat together:
1 cup oil
1 cup buttermilk
3 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla

sift together and add to the wet ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1/2 c cocoa ( I used hershey’s dark)
2 cups flour
1 tbsp soda
1/4 tsp salt

Mix all of the ingredients, then add 1 cup  of boiling water and stir gently until combined.  Pour into prepared pan.
Bake at 325 for 1 hour.

When the cake is mostly cooled, remove it from the pan and make this frosting:

Ingredients:
1 stick of butter, 6 tbsp of buttermilk, 3 3/4 cups of powdered sugar and 4 tbsp of cocoa.

Instructions:
Bring butter, buttermilk and cocoa to a boil.  Remove it from the heat and add the sugar and vanilla.  You can add nuts, but I did not use nuts.  Pour over the cake.  ( did not use all of the frosting on the bundt cake, but I’m sure you’d use it all on 9×13 cake. )

friends and loved ones · in my kitchen · more cake, please

Third times a charm, or so they say

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Cake # 20 is the third version of my fudgy peanut butter bundt.

After last week’s cake (the second fudgy peanut butter bundt) seeming as thought it was just not peanut buttery enough – I had to give it another go!

Enter last week’s recipient – Our church’s facilities manager.  It so happens that I had a spring choir concert with the Scenic City Children’s Choir – and North Shore Fellowship was kind enough to host it. What this really means is that I needed James’, our facility manager’s, help with wrestling risers in and out of a tiny closet and setting them up in the sanctuary. He was so kind to offer his help!

I realized that he needed cake as payment.  When I asked him what he’d like – he was very interested in peanut butter and chocolate.  It seemed reasonable to give the fudgy peanut butter bundt  another whirl!

Here’s what I did:

Cake #20 – Fudgy Peanut Butter bundt (take three)

Ingredients:

Chocolate cake mix

3 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup hersheys syrup
1/4 cup peanut butter (melted)
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions:
I mixed up the ingredients thru the hershey syrup – and set the mixer on medium speed for two minutes.  I added the chocolate chips at the end and stirred them into the batter.  After the bundt pan was prepared, I poured a third of the batter in, and then swirled in a bit of the melted peanut butter.  I poured in another third, swirled in more peanut butter – and so on until all of the batter was in the pan and the peanut butter was used.

I baked at 350 for around 45-50 minutes.  I let the cake cool 20 minutes and then removed it from the pan.  When the cake was completely cooled, I used a pastry brush to spread hershey’s syrup all over the outside of the cake. Then, I melted some more chocolate chips (maybe a half cup?), cream (several tablespoons) and peanut butter (more peanut butter than chocolate) together in the microwave for 40 seconds or so and then stirred them up until the mixture was smooth and glossy.

I smoothed the topping over the cake and let it run down the sides.  Then I chopped up some peanut butter cups and sprinkled them over the topping.  After that I melted a few more tablespoons of peanut butter and drizzled over top of everything alone with a few mini chocolate chips.

 

I haven’t heard back from James yet, but I’m really really hoping it was a hit!  He really deserved it!  I’ll let you know what I find out!

in my kitchen · more cake, please

cake #19 fudgy peanut butter bundt

melodyannday1 Comment

It is really hard to believe that week #19 is upon us!  How can that be?  I guess time really does fly when you’re having fun!  And friends, I really am having fun!

What’s really great about this adventure is that I’m getting to share cake with friends!  I had no idea just how much satisfaction would come from baking and giving it away.  So, when my dear friend Wendy (yes, I baked cakes for  two different friends named Wendy two weeks in a row) texted me and said she might like to be in on the bundt cake action, I could NOT say no!

I thought a bit about Wendy and her husband Richard and what they might like – and this is what I came up with: a Fudgy Peanut butter Bundt Cake!  Here’s how I made it:

Ingredients:

devil’s food cake mix (duncan hines)
1 cheesecake pudding mix
4 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips
1 diced peanut butter cup
hershey’s syrup
more peanut butter cups chopped (as many as you want) and mini chocolate chips.
fudgy peanut butter frosting: 1/2 cup mini semi sweet chips, a few tbsp of cream, 3 tbsp of Jif Peanut butter, heated in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time – whisked with a fork until smooth.

Instructions:

Mix first 4 ingredients on medium speed for 2 minutes.  then fold in peanut butter cups and chocolate chips.  Pour batter into prepared bundt pan.  Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes.  Let cool.  Remove from pan. Paint hershey’s syrup on the cooled cake with a pastry brush until the exterior of the cake is shiny.  Then, prepare frosting and drizzle/pour over top of the cake.    sprinkle with chopped peanut butter cups and mini chips.

I heard from Wendy and Richard and they loved it!  Although, Wendy and I agreed this cake could stand to have more peanut butter flavors – but, she said it was really yummy! I think next time I might add more melted peanut butter into the fudge sauce – and maybe add some peanut butter chips to the top… or something along those lines!   Let me know if you decide to try this recipe – I bet you’ll love it, too!

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