Texas Sheet Cake

Welcome to chaos. That's what I've been thinking the past 24 hours that my entire family, babies, grandparents, in-laws and all, have been gathered at my parents' house. It's not that there are so many of us, but more that we're noisy, opinionated, and always hungry. And boy do we have a serious sweet tooth (sweet teeth? sweet tooths?). Finding a way to satiate said sweet tooth is a lot easier with this cake because it's not a sissy-sized 9 x 13. It's a Texas-sized jumbo cake to feed the masses. So while we debate where to go, when to get up, and what to eat, at least we'll have plenty of sheet cake to munch on.

Black and White Angel Food Cake

Yesterday I pulled out the eggs and cracked 12 of them, separated the whites from the yolks, and let the whites stand on my counter for about 45 minutes. I put the yolks in the fridge and they shriveled; guess I should have put them in a Tupperware or something. Oops.  I grated some chocolate and ended up with brown, chocolatey fingers. And then I whipped the eggs into a massive froth. I turned on the oven, yes even in this temperature, and was delighted when I pulled a beautiful cake out 40 minutes later. The hard part was waiting for it to cool enough to glaze it and eat a piece with some cold milk. But it was worth the wait!

Chocolate Sponge Cake

I've made this cake for visitors three times in the past 6 weeks or so, and all of my guests have been suitably impressed (or they were very gracious guests/good liars). And yet it's really quite simple. With only 6 ingredients that I'm sure you have in the cupboard, you could go make it right now if you wanted to. Well, except for the parchment paper. Using parchment paper is pretty much a necessity with this cake. I suppose you could try it with aluminum foil, but I don't really recommend it. Go get some parchment paper and then make this cake and fill it with almost anything: ganache, raspberry jam, chopped strawberries, lemon curd? (I've been thinking about trying that one. Thoughts?), cream cheese frosting (or a mascarpone icing, which I did once and it was fabulous), powdered sugar...let me know if you have any other ideas.

Dump Cake (Cobbler)

Back and forth, back and forth. I had a hard time deciding if I should post this recipe on our little cooking blog here. Because while it was a tasty treat, I have to admit, it wasn't the best dessert I've ever had, don't get me wrong, it was good, just not the best dessert we've ever posted. But it does have several redeeming qualities.

Smores Cupcakes

Welcome to guest poster Layla!

My first memory of Layla is of an early morning Arabic class. It was our second day of our first semester and we were partners for an activity. While I was struggling to sound out the most basic of words (he, she, big, small, etc), Layla read and pronounced them perfectly. I was filled with panic--I was supposed to know all of these squiggly letters and words already? What?! But by the third day, Layla and I had a real conversation (in English, of course) and she revealed her secret: being half Arab, she had learned Arabic as a small child and remembered how to say basic things. What a relief! We became instant friends.

Layla has shared some of the best moments of her life with me. I went wedding dress shopping with her and her mom and then attended her wedding (which she managed to schedule for after I came back from Guatemala). We studied for Arabic tests and learned about women and Islam together. We've ranted about what bugs us in the world and talk about things ranging from clothes to religion to having kids (and our mutual dislike for newborns) to politics in the Middle East and, of course, food. She's spunky, smart, and sassy, a girl who's not afraid to speak her mind. A kindred spirit in every way.

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Where I live it seems like Red Velvet Cake is all the rage. I see it being advertised, I see cakes and cupcakes being sold everywhere from the grocery store to cafes and restaurants. Of course I have been wondering what all the fuss is about, and I have also been wondering what is a red velvet cake? Well, from what I understand Red Velvet cake is a Southern specialty, and anyone that has seen the movie Steel Magnolias can't forget the red armadillo cake. Basically it is a very moist chocolate cake; but it is more than that - it is red for one thing, it really is velvety, and unlike other cake recipes this one calls for vinegar. It also calls for buttermilk which isn't too unusual in baking, but generally not in a cake recipe.

Sticky Toffee Cake

Dates are something we don't use very often. I don't know why- they're delicious. When I was a kid, my dad used to buy chopped dates to put in his steaming bowl of Grape Nuts. I used to sneak into the bad when he wasn't looking and snitch some. They were almost as good as chocolate. Then one day I realized that there are whole countries that use dates as the main ingredients in desserts and snacks (read: Middle East), and I went wild. If you're planning a trip to anywhere within a country or two of Jordan or Syria or Israel, please bring me back some dates. 

This cake uses dates as the main sweetener. Their flavor is very subtle- if you didn't know what to look for, you may not notice them at all. The caramel sauce makes it unbelievably rich and adds a bit of stickiness, as the name implies. It is sure to be a hit.

Baker's German Sweet Chocolate Cake

I love German's Sweet Chocolate Cake. When I was a kid, my mom used to make it and cut off the tops of the round cakes to level them off, and I would always sneak the leftover cake bits. With or without frosting, it was divine. And I realized this week that it had been a long time since I'd had a bit of sweet German-y goodness AND my birthday was rapidly approaching, which meant an occasion for more sweets! But after last year's fiasco involving me making my own birthday cake twice because the first one turned out so dreadfully I had to start over (and the second being barely edible), my sister gallantly volunteered to make my birthday cake. I guess a person shouldn't make their own cake. 

Having never made this cake before, my sis did an admirable job. The cake itself was perfect; the frosting had a slight glitch (your frosting should be a little stickier than shown here), but tasted great. Thanks, sister, for the celebration!

And finally, my disclaimer: this picture is not beautiful; the cake was. My camera (or maybe it's the user) is having issues with the lighting in my house unless it's the middle of the afternoon on a sunny day. I promise not to post such a bad picture in the future, but I just really wanted you to have this recipe. 

Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate Cake

Recipe from Baker's Chocolate

Picture (sadly) by Kelly

Cake:

1 pkg. (4 oz.) Baker's German Sweet Chocolate

1/2 cup  water

4 eggs, separated

2 cups  flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp.  salt

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups  sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup  buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Cover bottoms of 3 (9-inch) round pans with waxed paper; spray sides with cooking spray. Microwave chocolate and water in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 to 2 min. or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after 1 min. Stir until chocolate is completely melted.
2. Beat egg whites in small bowl with mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form; set aside. Mix flour, baking soda and salt. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each. Blend in melted chocolate and vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating until well blended after each addition.
3. Add egg whites; stir gently until well blended. Pour into prepared pans.
4. Bake 30 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Immediately run small spatula around cakes in pans. Cool cakes in pans 15 min.; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Spread Coconut-Pecan Filling and Frosting between cake layers and onto top of cake.

Frosting:

4 egg yolks

1 can  (12 oz.) evaporated milk

1-1/2 tsp. vanilla

1-1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine

1 pkg.  (7 oz.) coconut (about 2-2/3 cups)

1-1/2 cups chopped Pecans

1. Beat egg yolks, milk and vanilla in large saucepan with wire whisk until well blended. Add sugar and butter; cook on medium heat 12 min. or until thickened and golden brown, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
2. Add coconut and pecans; mix well. Cool to room temperature and of desired spreading consistency.

Ginger Cake

Aside from gingersnaps and gingerbread (the real bread-type stuff, not gingerbread men. But those are good too), this might be my favorite ginger recipe...though I'm not sure what other dessert would have ginger as the main ingredient. This cake is simple and ridiculously easy. Just dump the ingredients in a bowl, slap the batter into a pan, and 30 minutes later, voila! Your house smells divine and the cake just has to wait to cool. That's actually the hardest part- the waiting. Once the cake is cool, it needs a bit of whipping cream to bring it to perfection. Or powdered sugar. I think next time I make this I'll sprinkle the top with some powdered sugar, meaning I won't have to keep it in the fridge, meaning I'll have easier access to sneaking pieces when no one's looking. Not that there's ever much left to sneak...

Ginger Cake
recipe slightly adapted from Cooking Light October 2006
Picture by Caroline

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 large egg
1/3 cup applesauce
1/4 cup molasses
1/3 cup apple juice
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream*
1-2 tablespoons white sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray or shortening. 
2. Combine flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and stir with a whisk.
3. In a large bowl, beat brown sugar and butter until well blended. Add the egg and mix well. Add the applesauce and molasses (batter will look slightly curdled). Add the flour mixture and mix just until blended. Add the apple juice and stir just until combined. Pour into cake pan. 
4. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pan and cool completely. 
5. Meanwhile, beat whipping cream on medium speed in a small bowl until it begins to stiff. Gradually add sugar and continue beating and until soft peaks form. Top cooled cake with whipped cream and serve immediately.    

*I suppose you could use cool whip to top this cake. But since real whipped cream is so much better, why would you?

Strawberry-Chocolate Layer Cake

This is one of the most impressive yet simple layer cakes I've made recently. Topped with strawberries and whipping cream, it looks as though you spent all afternoon molding the perfect cake...when in reality it took almost exactly 1 hour (including preparation, baking, cooling, and eating. 

Truth be told, I cheated a little on this one. Not that there's anything wrong with cake mixes, but I generally make my cakes from scratch. I think they taste better, especially the batter, and I'm trying to teach myself how to make the perfect cake without looking at a recipe (I still have a long way to go) so you usually don't find a cake mix in my cupboards. But tonight I was tired and sore and didn't really have the umph left in me to get out my Bosch mixer and more than 4 ingredients. So instead I sent my husband, who was quite delighted to get to eat a box cake, the 4 blocks down the street for a cake mix, and voila. Cake. If you're a purist, try making this with my Grandma's Chocolate Cake.

I like the tussled, disorganized look of the strawberries and whipped cream. It looks fresh and summery, and doesn't require perfection in the "frosting" process, which is a good thing, since I'm not always the tidiest with layer cakes. So feel free to be as artistically messy as you'd like.

Brazilian Carrot Cake

This is carrot cake like you've never had it before. I happen to have several family members who hail from Brazil (not to mention all the ones I work with) and this is a favorite of them all. As you might guess from the picture, it's nothing like American carrot cake. The ingredients are blended rather than chopped, so there's no visual sign of carrots. The cake itself is not as sweet as most Americans are used to, but the chocolate glaze could knock out even the sweetest sweet tooth. And most importantly, it's amazingly simple: just dump all the ingredients together and mix (if your blender is strong enough, you can even blend everything). And because it's a carrot cake (vegetables, you know), you can eat more of it. Naturally.


Brazilian Carrot Cake (Bolo de Cenoura)
Recipe adapted from www.sonia-portuguese.com/recipes
Picture by Caroline

3 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
4 large eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Combine chopped carrots, eggs and oil in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Pour carrot mixture into a large mixing bowl and add sugar. Add flour and baking powder and mix until smooth.
3. Pour batter into 2 8-inch round pans that have been greased and dusted with flour (A 9 x 13 inch pan will also work though you will have to adjust the baking time). Bake 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Let cool until you can remove the cake from the pan and top with chocolate topping immediately.

Chocolate Topping*

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons chocolate milk powder (like Nesquick)
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons corn starch + 1 teaspoon water

1. Combine butter, milk, chocolate powder and sugar in a small saucepan over medium high heat, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil.
2. In a small cup add cornstarch and water. Stir until smooth; then add to chocolate mixture. Stir until mixture has thickened to a thin glaze. Remove from heat and pour over cake.
   

*A word on the glaze: The recipe above is the "real Brazilian" way, at least according to my Brazilian brother in-law and his mom. If you're ok being a little less authentic, you can take some store chocolate frosting, thin it out with a little milk, and use that instead. 

Lemon Cornmeal-Pound Cake

I heart this cake. The combination of the light, tangy lemon and the coarseness of the cornmeal makes for a delightful, non-traditional dessert. You even bake it in a loaf pan.

We served our cake with a fresh strawberry syrup (which looks suspiciously like jam. I promise it isn't). I couldn't decide if I liked it better with the berries or without...so I had to try a few pieces of it each way for scientific purposes, of course. It would also go well with the blueberry "compote" (sauce made with whole fruit) posted below.

Lemon-Cornmeal Pound Cake
Recipe from The Essential Baker
Pictures by Caroline

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 extra large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups cake flour*
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest of 2 lemons
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a 8 1/2 inch loaf pan with 1 tablespoon butter.
2. Place the 12 tablespoons butter in large bowl and beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and cream together. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing and scraping in between each egg addition.
3. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, powder, salt, and cornmeal. Add to the butter mixture in 3 stages, mixing well after each addition.
4. Add the lemon zest and juice. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan. It should be very thick, so spread it evenly throughout the pan. Bake 45 minutes, until the cake is light golden on top and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out slightly moist.

*We have tried both all-purpose and cake flour; cake flour makes a finer, moister cake, but all-purpose works as well.

Blueberry Compote
Recipe from the Essential Baker

1/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup fresh blueberries
5 strips lemon zest

1. Combein sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, without stirring, over high heat.
2. Lower the heat to medium. Add the blueberries and lemon zest. cook until the fruit is soft, about 15 minutes. Transfer compote to a bowl to stop the cooking process. Cool before serving.

Applesauce Spice Cake

I'm a firm believer that just because it's no longer fall doesn't mean you can't have all the autumnal tastiness you crave. At least I crave it. If I could eat apples, lemons and cranberries (or some delectable item containing said ingredients) every day, I think I could be perfectly satisfied for the rest of my life. I might throw a bit of chocolate in there for good measure, but since Christmas I've been feeling rather over-chocolated (hard to believe, I know). So apples it is.

This cake is perfectly, dare I say it, moist. If still slightly warm, it might seem crumbly, but once given a chance to cool off, it has the ideal cake-consistency. And it's sweet and flavorful, but not overpowering. Yum.

We chose to make a layer cake and use an orange cream frosting (I shudder with delight just thinking of it. That frosting has got to be some of the best I've ever tasted), though I think this cake is quite good enough to be served with a simple dusting of powdered sugar. You decide which you prefer.

Applesauce Spice Cake
Recipe from The All-American Dessert Book by Nancy Baggett
Pictures by Caroline

2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups sweetened applesauce

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a 9 x 13 inch pan or two 8 1/2 or 9 inch round cake pans.
2. In a medium sized bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
   
3. In a separate bowl, combine the butter, sugars, and vanilla. Beat until the mixture is very well blended and lightened, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 20 seconds after each addition.
   
4. Add half the flour mixture, beating just until smoothly incorporated. Add half the applesauce and beat for about 30 seconds longer. Beat in the remaining flour mixture until smoothly incorporated; beat in the remaining applesauce just until evenly incorporated.
   
5. Turn out the batter into the pan(s), spreading evenly to the edges. Bake 30-40 minutes for a 9 x 13 inch pan, 20- 30 minutes for round cake pans. Bake until the top of the cake is browned and springs back slightly when pressed, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let cool completely. If making a layer cake, hold a rack flat against a pan and invert the layers onto racks. Cool completely, then frost and serve.

Orange Cream Cheese-Butter Frosting
from The All-American Dessert Book

11 ounces cream cheese, slightly softened and cut into chunks
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, slightly softened
3 - 3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
3 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
1 1/4 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice*
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-2 teaspoons water, if needed

1. In a large bowl with a mixer on low, then medium, beat together the cream cheese, butter, 3 cups powdered sugar, orange zest, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla unti lwell blended and completely free of lumps. If the frosting seems to thin to spread, beat in up to 3/4 cup more powdered sugar. If the frosting is very stiff, add a teaspoon or two of water to think it to a spreadable, but still firm consisteency. Frost the cooled cake immediately.

*Because we're gluttons for orange, we felt the frosting could have used just a bit more orange flavor. Next time I think I'll try half lemon juice, half orange.

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

I love cranberries and cake - this is a great combination of the two. One thing that I especially like about this cake is that when the sugar cooks on the bottom of the pan, and becomes the top of the cake, it caramelizes here and there, leaving you with occasional caramelized pieces of goodness.

This would be a great cake to serve at a luncheon, a baby or bridal shower, or as a lighter dessert. It is not too heavy, it is both sweet and tart, and the red of the cranberries makes it very colorful.

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake
Recipe from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast
Pictures by Caroline

8 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 3/4 cups cranberries
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
Sweetened whipped cream (for serving)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F., with a rack in center. Rub the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round cake pan with 2 tablespoons of the butter.
2. In a small bowl whisk together ½ cup of the sugar with the cinnamon and allspice. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan; arrange the cranberries in a single layer on top.
3. With an electric mixer, cream the remaining 6 tablespoons butter and ½ cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla; beat until well combined. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk, until well combined.
4. Spoon the batter over the cranberries in the pan, and smooth the top. Place the pan on a baking sheet; bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake; invert onto a rimmed platter. Serve with whipped cream on the side, if desired.

Sweetened whipped cream:
1 cup heavy cream
1 to 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (this is my personal addition to this recipe, you can leave the vanilla out if you prefer)

1. In a deep mixing bowl, combine cream and vanilla. Beat the cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
2. Sprinkle the sugar over the cream; beat until soft peaks return. Do not over beat.

Chocolate Fudge Torte

We are 100!

Today is our 100th Post Birthday and we are celebrating in two ways. One, we are serving this very rich, delicious, decadent Chocolate Fudge Torte. And two, we are hosting a contest and giving away one of our favorite cook books, The Essential Baker: The Comprehensive Guide to Baking with Chocolate, Fruit, Nuts, Spices, and Other Ingredients by CCP Carole Bloom. For more information about the contest review the previous post entitled Our 100th Birthday Contest.

Chocolate Fudge Torte
Recipe from Rebecca (not sure where she got it)
Pictures by Caroline

Crust
1 package Oreos
2 oz. cold butter

Filling
5 oz. Unsweetened baking chocolate bar
2 sticks butter
½ cup cream
2 cups sugar (superfine bakers sugar works the fastest and best; or make your own by putting your sugar in a blender and mixing it until the grains become finer)
4 eggs and 1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla

Crust Directions:
1. Cover a 9 inch spring form pan with parchment paper.
2. Using a food processor, pulse half of the Oreo cookies and one ounce cold butter until coarse meal consistency. Spread evenly on the bottom of the spring form pan. Repeat with second half of Oreos and one ounce butter. (I don’t have a food processor, so I had to do smaller batches in my blender.)
3. Pour each half of crust into the pan and pat down well. Set aside.

Filling Directions:
1. Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler over medium heat. Add the cream and sugar and continue to cook for 15 to 20 minutes (closer to 30-40 if using regular sugar) or until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. (If you don’t have a double boiler, like me, just place a glass bowl on top of a pot with an inch or two of water, as seen in the above picture.)
2. In a medium bowl, using a mixer, mix the eggs and vanilla.
3. Add the warm chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and beat until smooth (be careful not to overbeat).
4. Pour chocolate/egg mixture over the crust.
5. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 35-40 minutes or until the outside puffs slightly and the middle begins to firm up. Do not over bake; it will set up some more in the refrigerator.
6. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Note: this freezes well. Wrap in plastic and foil. When ready to serve, let thaw in refrigerator for several hours before serving.

Grandma's Chocolate Cake

This cake will forever remind me of my grandma. Growing up a few miles down the road from her, we were almost guaranteed that there would be a nice thick slice of homemade chocolate cake waiting for us whenever we went to visit. It was the perfect afternoon snack for a bunch of chattering kids sitting around the table with milk in one hand and a fork in the other.

Her recipe is simple and delicious. It contains buttermilk and shortening, two things you don't always find in your typical cake, but the results are very tasty. Yes, you can whip up a chocolate cake from a box in less time than from scratch, but sometimes it just tasted better to make it yourself. My grandma always baked this cake in a 9 x 13 pan; I'm sure it would be fine as cupcakes or round cakes or a bundt cake, but I can't imagine it any other way.

I like to make my own frosting, but the canned Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines stuff would also be fine for this cake.

Grandma's Chocolate Cake
Recipe from Grandma K
Picture by Caroline

Cake
1 3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk*
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup boiling water

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, shortening and eggs. Beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and buttermilk.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, soda and salt. Add to sugar mixture and stir.
4. Add cocoa and boiling water at the same time, mixing until well blended.
5. Pour batter into greased pan. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Cool before frosting.

*I never have buttermilk on hand. Instead, I use regular milk and replace between 1 and 2 tablespoons of milk with vinegar or lemon juice to "sour" the milk.

Fudge Frosting
from betttycrocker.com

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup shortening
3 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
2/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla

1. In 2 1/2-quart saucepan, mix all frosting ingredients except vanilla. Heat to rolling boil, stirring occasionally. Boil 1 minute without stirring.
2. Place saucepan in bowl of ice and water. Beat until frosting is smooth and spreadable; stir in vanilla. Frost rectangle or fill and frost layers with frosting.

Irish Apple Cake

This cake, known also as Kerry Apple Cake, is a traditional Irish dessert. It can be served cold or warm, and is excellent when accompanied by chilled cream, custard (or pudding), or vanilla ice cream. Bear in mind that this cake is not a typical Betty Crocker box cake; it is much less sweet and almost more similar in consistency to a biscuit than to your typical crumb cake. But it's still very tasty and worth trying, if only in honor of St. Patrick's day...a few days late.

Irish Apple Cake
from Irish Food and Cooking
Pictures by Caroline

2 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
3 or 4 cooking apples, peeled and sliced
3/4 cup sugar, divided into 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 375° F and butter a 8 or 9 inch cake pan.
2. Mix the flour, powder, salt and cloves in a bowl. Cut in the butter and mix until the mixture is like fine breadcrumbs.
3. In a separate bowl, gently stir sliced apples and 1/4 cup sugar together.
   
4. Mix the eggs, 1/2 sugar and vanilla.
   
5. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and stir just until combined. Gradually add the milk (not all at once!), stirring as you go. The batter should be a stiff dough, but you may need to add a bit more milk if it is too difficult to stir.
   
6. Layer apples and batter in pan, beginning and ending with batter (you should have three layers of batter and two layers of apples). Sprinkle top of batter with white sugar.
   
7. Bake 30-40 minutes, or until springy to the tough. Cool on a wire rack.

Chocolate Pound Cake

My fondest cooking memories involve two people: my mom, of course, and my former college roommate and dear friend Zillah. Since Zillah introduced me to this cake, let me tell you a little bit about our passion for cooking.

By a lucky mistake, Zillah and I ended up roommates our freshman year at college, where we quickly discovered that not only did we both enjoy eating tasty treats, we shared a love of baking them. We soon developed a weekly ritual of making something, usually chocolatey, in between the mounds of homework we had piling up. And the guys in the neighboring building quickly learned that it would be wise to stay up until the wee hours of the morning to try our concoctions, many of which came from this cookbook.

Eight years later, we were still cooking once a week (though our "baking night" had evolved to a much more elaborate cooking night, where everything we made took hours, strange ingredients, and exotic spices), until Zillah went off to grad school on the other side of the country. Now we have to make do with a few days spread sporadically throughout the year when we cook all day and force all our friends and family to stuff their faces with our feast. They don't really protest about it for some reason.

I can't remember the first time we made this cake together, but I've made it dozens of times since then. I've made it for bridal showers, parties, and just because I was hungry. It's chocolatey, but not overpowering, moist, but not sopping, and rich, but not heavy. It's great with powdered sugar on top, a drizzled glaze, or fresh fruit with a light syrup. It might even be better the second day.

Smiley Face Chocolate Pound Cake
from Forrest Gump: My Favorite Chocolate Recipes*
Pictures by Caroline

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 cup brown sugar
6 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon soda
1/2 cup cocoa
1 8 oz carton sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 325° and grease and flour a bundt or 10-inch tube cake pan.
   
2. In a large mixing, beat butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until yellow disappears.
3. Combine flour, soda and cocoa.
   
4. Alternate adding sour cream and flour mixture to eggs and sugar, beginning and ending with flour. Mix at lowest speed just until blended after each addition.
   
5. Stir in vanilla.
   
6. Pour batter into the pan (you may have a bit too much batter for the pan; if you do, I suggest either eating the batter (it's really good) or pouring it into cupcakes, adjusting the bake time accordingly). Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
   
7. Let cool on a wire rack.
   

*I wrote this recipe down years ago from Zillah's copy of this cookbook. The directions here are not word-for-word from the cookbook...but I promise they work just fine.

Chocolate Soufflé Cake

If you're looking for a dessert that will impress, this is it! Like any soufflé, it is flourless and dense. But this cake is also rich and creamy. I promise it will become one of your favorite dinner-party desserts.

This recipe requires a double boiler (unless you're able to get your cream and butter warm enough to melt the chocolate before the cream cools. We tried following the directions exactly: heat the cream and butter, then add the chocolate and stir until it melts, but the chocolate most definitely wasn't melting on its own, requiring the double boiler). However, if you don't happen to have a double boiler, you can rig something up like you see in the pictures above. Just make sure that the bowl you put the chocolate in doesn't actually touch the hot water. You also don't want the water, or especially the chocolate, to boil. If you use a very large bowl and chop the chocolate into very small pieces, it will melt much faster.

Chocolate Soufflé Cake
from The Essential Baker

Pictures by Caroline

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 teaspoons flour*
12 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup heaby whipping cream
1 pound bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped**
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 extra large eggs (or 7 large), at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
6 extra large egg whites (or 7 large), at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons powdered sugar (optional), for dusting

1. Use a paper towel or your fingertips and 1 tablespoon butter to grease the inside of a springform pan. Dust the inside of the pan with flour. Shake and tilt the pan to evenly distribute the flour, then turn the pan over and shake out the excess over the sink.
2. In a double boiler, place the butter and cream together over medium heat. Stir often with a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon until the mixture is close to a simmer.
3. Add the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth.
   
4. Remove from heat. Add the vanilla and salt and stir until well blended. Let the mixture cool, stirring frequently to prevent a skin from forming on top.
5. Place the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and whip the eggs and sugar until the are very thick and pale in color and hold a slowly dissolving ribbon as the beater is lifted, about 5 minutes.
6. Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the whipped egg yolks and blend together on a low speed.
7. Place the egg whites in large bowl and whip the egg whites on medium high speed until they are frothy. Gradually sprinkle on the sugar and continue to whip until the egg whites hold glossy and firm, but not stiff, peaks.
8. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared springform pan. (We used 4 ramekins (tiny ceramic baking dish) and a 6-inch cake pan. The ramekins baked about 10 minutes less than required).
9. Bake the cake 35-40 minutes, until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out slightly moist. The top of the cake may be slightly cracked.
   
10. Remove the cake from the oven and cool on a rack. If using a springform pan, release the hinge on the side of the pan and carefully lift the side away from the cake.
    
11. Dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar.
    

*If opting for gluten free, you may omit the flour. Just beware that the cake may be more likely to stick.
**Since my husband is not a big fan of dark chocolates, we opted for a mixture of semi-sweet, bittersweet, and even a little milk chocolate. I suggest adjusting the chocolate sweetness to your personal taste.

Sour Cream and Lemon Pound Cake

Words can not express how delectable this cake is. Although a pound cake, it's light and sweet with just the right amount of lemon. You should make it. And then you should eat many slices because it's so amazingly good.

If desired, you may top the cake with a simple lemon glaze (water, powdered sugar, lemon juice), fresh fruit or a berry syrup. Or, of course, you can eat it in its plain deliciousness.

Sour Cream and Lemon Pound Cake
adapted from Bon Appétit July 1993

3 cups cake flour (all purpose flour will also work)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2-3 tablespoons grated lemon zest
1 cup sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease 16-cup tube or bunt pan.* Dust pan with cake flour; tap out excess flour.
2. Sift flour, baking soda and salt into medium bowl.
   
3. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl at medium speed until fluffy. Gradually add sugar and beat 5 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until combined after each addition. Beat in lemon juice and peel.
   
4. Using rubber spatula, mix in dry ingredients. Mix in sour cream. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
5. Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on rack 15 minutes. Cut around cake in pan. Turn out cake.
6. Carefully turn cake right side up on rack and cool completely.

*If you have too much batter to fit in your pan, pour the extra into greased muffin pans. Just be sure to bake them for less time and watch them closely so they don't burn.