Tag Archives: cake

Cakes, Desserts, Easy, Recipes

Old Fashioned Lazy Daisy Cake – Recipe of the Day

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Old Fashioned Lazy Daisy Cake is a quick and easy recipe that has been handed down for generations. Many of you may remember it from your childhood. My mom made the topping with real cream, but I use half-and-half instead. Try it both ways to see which you prefer.

This is a wonderful after school snack, a nice cake to serve with coffee for your friends, or a delicious quick dessert that you can whip up to surprise your family some evening when they least expect it.

Ingredients

THE CAKE

  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup flour, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons butter (not margarine)

THE TOPPING

  • 5 tablespoons brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons half-and-half

Directions

Have all ingredients at room temperature.

Pre-heat oven to 350° F.

Butter an 8 X 8”inch or 9 X 9” glass baking dish.

THE CAKE

Heat the milk and butter just until lukewarm and set aside for the butter to melt.

Place the eggs in a large mixing bowl and whisk until thick.

Add sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt and mix well.

Stir in the milk/butter mixture and beat just until smooth.

Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven, but do not turn off the oven.

THE TOPPING

(Prepare while cake is baking)

Place all three ingredients in a small sauce pan over medium heat.

Heat and stir until mixture thickens.

As soon as the cake is removed from the oven, pour mixture over the cake.

Return the cake to the oven and bake until topping bubbles.

Remove and let cool – it is also delicious served warm.

 Servings: 9

Recipe Tips

Frost with Quick Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting topped with crushed pecans.

This yummy cake is one of a collection in my book, “Cake Making Made Easy” available in digital or hardcopy on Amazon. [button link=”http://amzn.to/15wlWqS” bg_color=”#2730d1″ border=”#0c0c0f”]BUY NOW[/button]to enjoy all 60 recipes in the book.

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Cakes, Desserts, Easy, Recipes

Cream Sherry Cake – Recipe of the Week

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Cream Sherry Cake is melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The first time I tasted this dessert was at a family dinner with my in-laws. I fell in love with this recipe and have used it for many years when I want to serve something memorable – yet incredibly easy to prepare. This is the only cake in the collection that uses pre-packaged mixes, but I decided to include it anyway because it is so wonderful.

If you prefer to make the cake from scratch, I am sure you could use the “Yellow Cake” recipe in the cookbook referenced below – a buy link is included.

Ingredients

THE CAKE

  • 1 yellow cake mix (I prefer Duncan Hines™)
  • 1 small vanilla instant pudding
  • ¾ cup corn oil
  • ¾ cup cream sherry
  • 4 large eggs

THE ICING

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/3 cup cream sherry (or substitute orange juice)

Directions

Have all ingredients at room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 350º F.

Have ready an ungreased 10” tube pan.

Beat eggs until fluffy – add other ingredients and beat for 10 minutes.

Pour into the ungreased pan.

Bake for approximately 50 minutes – until cake springs back when lightly touched.

Mix powdered sugar and sherry and pour over top of cake while it is hot.

Do not remove from pan until completely cool.

Serve with fresh lightly sweetened whipped cream.

This yummy cake is one of a collection in my book, “Cake Making Made Easy” available in digital or hardcopy on Amazon. [button link=”http://amzn.to/15wlWqS” bg_color=”#2730d1″ border=”#0c0c0f”]BUY NOW[/button]to enjoy all 60 recipes in the book.

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Cakes, Desserts, Easy, Make with Children, Recipes

Mississippi Mud Cake – Recipe of the Week

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Mississippi Mud Cake  is a delightful easy version of the Texas Sheet Cake that is full of goodies. It can all be mixed by hand – then, baked, and served from the pan. The perfect recipe to let your children have a turn at baking.

TEXAS SHEET CAKE

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
  • ½ cup butter (1 cube), softened
  • ½ cup vegetable oil (or use all butter – 2 cubes)
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Additional Ingredients for Mississippi Mud Cake

  • 3½ cups miniature marshmallows (be sure they are fresh)
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 recipe Chocolate Satin Frosting (recipe below)

Directions

Have all ingredients at room temperature.

Grease an 11″ X 17″ pan with high sides. (Or, use a 9” X 13” pan for thicker pieces).

Pre-heat the oven to 400º F. (or 350º F. for 9” X 13” pan).

MAKE THE CAKE  

Sift together in a large mixing bowl: flour, sugar, cinnamon and set aside.

Bring to a boil in a medium sauce pan: butter, shortening, cocoa, water.

Pour hot mixture over flour and mix well.

Add: 2 slightly beaten eggs, buttermilk, baking soda and vanilla.

Pour into prepared pan.

Bake at 400º F. for 10 minutes with 11” X 17” pan (Bake at 350º F. for 20 to 25 minutes with 9” X 13” pan) or until toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, prepare the Chocolate Satin Frosting.

As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, cover the top evenly with the marshmallows.

Then – sprinkle the top with the chopped pecans.

Return the cake to the oven until the marshmallows soften and puff – 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove from the oven and immediately spread the prepared frosting over the top – this will have to done very carefully so you do not dislodge the marshmallows and nuts.

Cool the cake on a rack until the topping is set.

NOTE:  For this cake, I prefer the 11″ X 16″ pan with high sides. The result is a delicious dessert that is a cross between cake and rocky road candy.

Servings: 24

 

CHOCOLATE SATIN FROSTING

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, broken into pieces  (OR – 6 packets Nestle® Choco Bake®)
  • 1 cup evaporated milk or heavy cream
  • 1½ cups granulated sugar
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (¾ cube), cut into small pieces
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Place the evaporated milk (or heavy cream) in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.

Immediately remove from heat and add the chocolate, cover and let stand for exactly 10 minutes (time is shorten when Choco-Bake is used)

Pour and scrape the milk/chocolate mixture into a large bowl (or place in a food processor).

Add the sugar, butter, and vanilla – beat with an electric mixer until mixture is completely smooth. (In a food processor should take only a minute or two. It may take a little longer with a mixer.)

If you use cream, you may need to let it stand for a few minutes to thicken to the desired spreading consistency.

Recipe Tip

This frosting keeps in the refrigerator for up to one week if made with cream and up to three weeks is made with evaporated milk. 

You will want to keep extra in your refrigerator and melt it for a quick, yummy ice cream sauce. It also comes in handy when you need a tasty treat for your children and their friends – it is perfect for spreading on cookies or graham crackers (one of my favorite treats as a child).

This yummy cake is one of a collection in my book, “Cake Making Made Easy” available in digital or hardcopy on Amazon. [button link=”http://amzn.to/15wlWqS” bg_color=”#2730d1″ border=”#0c0c0f”]BUY NOW[/button]to enjoy all 60 recipes in the book.

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Cakes, Desserts, Recipes

Old-Fashioned Banana Cake with Whipped Icing

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Banana Cake
Old-Fashioned Banana Cake
Photo by Robyn Lee

Old-fashioned Banana Cake (my mom’s recipe) has always been one of my favorite cakes. It is light, tender and tasty. It is now one of my granddaughter’s favorites, high praise indeed.

[typography font=”Myriad Pro ” size=”20″ size_format=”px” color=”#b50909″]The Cake[/typography]

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup real butter, softened (Do not use margarine)
  • 1½ cups sugar
  • 4 large fresh eggs
  • ½ cup mashed ripe bananas
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup chopped nuts (I prefer pecans) – Optional

DIRECTIONS

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350° F.
  2. Generously butter and lightly flour a 10” X 3” tube pan.
  3. Place flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in mixing bowl and whisk together until thoroughly blended.
  4. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
  5.  Add the mashed bananas and mix until smooth,
  6. Add eggs one at a time and beat until well-mixed.
  7. Blend in the sour cream and vanilla extract
  8. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed for 1 minute -then on medium speed for about 2 minutes or until smooth. (Scrape down the sides carefully a couple of times with a rubber spatula.)
  9. Fold in the nuts if using them.
  10. Pour batter into the prepared tube pan.
  11. Bake for about 25 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick placed in the center of the cake comes out clean.
  12. Cool completely before frosting.
  13. (Also delicious sprinkled with powdered sugar, or topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.)

[typography font=”Myriad” size=”20″ size_format=”px” color=”#b50909″]Old Fashioned Whipped Icing (The Perfect Finish)[/typography]

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • ½ cup butter
  • ½ cup shortening
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 dash of salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

  1. Place the milk in a small sauce pan and whisk in the flour.
  2. Cook over low heat until it thickens – stirring constantly to avoid burning.
  3.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
  4. Place the butter, shortening, sugar, and vanilla in a mixing bowl,
  5. Beat with a hand-held electric mixer for 1 minute.
  6. Slowly beat in the thickened milk and continue to beat for 2 or 3 minutes or until the frosting is the preferred consistency.  Be careful not to over whip.

[typography font=”Myriad Pro” size=”18″ size_format=”px” color=”#B50909″][print_link][/typography]

Photo credit: roboppy via photopin cc

Cakes, Desserts, Recipes

Light Almond Cake with Icing

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Almond CakeEnjoy this light almond cake covered with a thin with layer of white frosting. Serve as shown with freshly-brewed hot coffee or top with very lightly-sugared sliced fresh organic strawberries – or a scoop of ice cream.

INGREDIENTS

The Cake

  • 2 cubes butter (1 cup) – do not use margarine
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1½ teaspoon almond extract

The Icing

  • 1 cube butter (½ cup) – do not use margarine
  • ¼ cup whole milk
  • 3½ cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • ¼ to ½ cup sliced almonds (optional)

 

DIRECTIONS

Make the Cake

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 375° F.
  2. Begin melting the butter over low heat in a small sauce pan.
  3. Carefully add the water and bring to a boil.
  4. Place the flour and sugar in a large mixing bowl and whisk together until well blended.
  5. Pour the boiling water and butter mixture over the dry ingredients.
  6. Beat with an electric hand-held mixer until thoroughly mixed.
  7. Add the baking soda, almond extract, sour cream, and eggs.
  8. Continue beating – scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula at least once.
  9. Pour the batter into a 9 X 13 baking pan. (For a thinner cake, use a high-sided 11 X 17 cookie sheet – adjust the baking time.)
  10. Bake for ~20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  11. Remove from the oven and set on a wire rack to cook for at least 20-30 minutes before icing.
  12. Let the cake cook for 30-40 minutes before  icing.

 

Make the Icing

  1. Place the powdered sugar in a four-cup measuring cup.
  2. Place the butter and milk in a small sauce pan.
  3. Bring to a boil and immediately pour into a medium mixing bowl.
  4. Stir in the powdered sugar and almond extract.
  5. Beat with an electric hand-held mixer until icing is smooth.
  6. Pour the icing over the cake (should be a fairly thin layer).
  7. Sprinkle lightly with sliced almonds (optional).

(Note: Add up to an additional ½ cup powdered sugar until icing reaches the desired consistency – however the icing should pour easily over the cake, so do not make it too thick.)

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