Thursday, February 28, 2013

Chocolate Fudge Cake


Hold on to your hat, this one's a winner!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/40-a-day/chocolate-fudge-cake-with-vanilla-buttercream-frosting-and-chocolate-ganache-glaze-recipe/index.html


Ingredients
Cake:
3 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup canola oil
3 eggs

2 2/3 cups (cake) flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 1/8 cups cocoa powder

Frosting:
5 sticks butter, soft
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Ganache:
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup heavy cream

Directions
To make 1 two-layer cake plus 36 mini cupcakes or one three-layer cake:

- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees - Oil 2 9-inch cake pans and line the bottom with parchment paper, plus 3 mini cupcake pans. 
- In electric mixer, combine the brown sugar and oil. On low speed, mix in the eggs. 
- In large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. 
- In small bowl, mix the vanilla into the milk. 
- Sift cocoa into a bowl, bring the water to a boil and pour over the cocoa and whisk it until it is smooth. 
- To the egg mixture, alternately add the flour mixture and the milk mixture beginning and ending with flour. With the mixer off, scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition. 
- With the mixture at a low speed add the cocoa. 
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pour this mixture into the prepared cake pans. It will seem extremely watery. You may want to bake it with a cookie sheet under to catch drips if you're using springform pans. 
- Bake the cake for approximately 30 minutes (cupcakes - around 10min) or until tester comes out clean. Cool and refrigerate. 

Frosting: In an electric mixing bowl place the soft butter and beat it on a low speed while adding powdered sugar, then vanilla, let the mixer beat for 5 to 7 minutes on a medium speed. 
Fill and frost the cake and refrigerate. 

Ganache: 
- In a heatproof bowl, place the chocolate chips. 
- Bring the heavy cream to a full boil. - Pour the cream over the chocolate until  just covered and whisk it until smooth. 
- Let sit, then pour over the top of the cake and refrigerate. (spoon on top of frosted cupcakes)

To make a smaller amount of cake (because this is a ton!) I use a 2/3 recipe as follows:

2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs

1 3/4 cups (cake) flour
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
1.5 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup milk

1 cup boiling water
3/4 cups cocoa powder 

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Lemon Chiffon Cake



Lemon Chiffon Cake from tasteofhome

This cake was truly light and delicious, but the one criticism is that it has a spongy, chewy quality - not bad but worth noting.

Ingredients:
  • 7 eggs, separated
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1-1/2 cups sugar
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup water with 1/4 tsp lemon extract
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 4 teaspoons grated lemon peel
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Whipped Cream frosting:
  • 1 pint heavy cream
  • 6 tbsp+ powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp (or more) vanilla extract
  • lemon extract to taste
Directions:

Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. (or, for speed's sake, put them in microwave at 10% power for 1 minute
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt (ideally, sift). In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks, water, oil, lemon peel and vanilla; add to dry ingredients and beat until well blended. Add cream of tartar to egg whites; beat on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter.
- Gently spoon into a greased bundt pan. Bake on the lowest oven rack at 325° for 50-55 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Immediately invert pan; cool completely, about 1 hour. Yield: 12-16 
- Beat heavy cream in stand mixer until light and whipped - add powdered sugar a spoonful at a time (ideally, sift it in) until you reach desired sweetness, then add vanilla extract and lemon extract to taste.


Sunday, February 17, 2013

Key Lime Coconut Muffins




KEY LIME COCONUT MUFFINS

  • cups flour
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup key lime juice
  • 1 -1 1/2 cup sweet flaked coconut

Directions:


  1. 1
    Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in mixing bowl.
  2. 2
    In a separate bowl, combine milk, eggs, oil and Key Lime Juice.
  3. 3
    Stir liquid ingredients into dry ingredients just until all are moist, do not overmix.
  4. 4
    Spray Large muffin tins lightly with cooking oil.
  5. 5
    Layer batter and coconut by filling tins 1/2 full with batter, then 1 tablespoon of coconut, then fill to about 1/4 inch from top with batter and top with 1 tablespoon of coconut.
  6. 6
    Bake at 400 degrees for 25-28 minutes, until tops are brown and the coconut is toasty. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes, run a knife around the muffins and place on serving dish or store in airtight container.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Blueberry Loaf



Ingredients:

- 1 stick butter, softened
- 1c sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2c milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 3/4c flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1c blueberries
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt

Optional topping: 1 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp sugar


  • Cream together sugar and butter until fluffy, then add eggs, milk, vanilla, lemon juice
  • Add flour and baking powder and salt, mix until just blended
  • Fold in blueberries
  • Bake in 9x5 greased loaf pan for approx 1 hour

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Monte Cristo Sandwich


Ingredients:
- White bread (I used country buttermilk)
- Eggs
- Milk
- Vanilla
- Cinnamon
- Sliced deli ham
- Sliced deli turkey
- Sliced swiss cheese
- Serve with: blackberry jam, powdered sugar, syrup

- In large mixing bowl, combine 2 eggs with about 1/2c milk, whisk together with 1/2 tsp vanilla and a sprinkle of cinnamon
- Assemble sandwich by layering ham, turkey, and swiss cheese between 2 slices of bread
- Dip outsides of sandwich into egg mixture, coating well
- Fry in covered pan coated generously with butter on medium heat, flipping when browned
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar, serve with syrup and blackberry jam
- Die and go to heaven