Pineapple Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (AKA Mexican Fruit Cake)

I decided it was time to pull this Pineapple Sheet Cake from the archives and give it better picture. This is a very moist, delicious cake that was passed to me by my mother. My mom was not a pie person, so therefore during the holidays she would make cakes and cookies, but rarely a pie. This cake is a favorite of my husband , and it's always a hit wherever I take it. It's a perfect cake for a pot-luck, or a family dinner, or even to take to work. Even though the cake itself contains no fat, this is a very moist cake as long as you make it several hours before it is to be served. The crushed pineapple in the cake makes it very moist, and it just gets better every day that you have it. I hope you will enjoy it!

Pineapple Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
From Lynda's Recipe Box, and my mother
(Note: the only pineapple I've found that DOES NOT work is from Aldi. It just didn't contain enough juice.)

Ingredients for cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 large eggs, beaten
1 (20 ounce) can of crushed pineapple with juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cups chopped nuts, I usually use pecans or walnuts -optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease either a 9x13 inch pan or a 10x15 inch jelly roll pan. In a large bowl add the flour, sugar and soda and mix. Add all of the remaining ingredients and mix well. Bake for about 35-40 minutes for a 9x13 inch pan. (A 10x15 pan will take about 20-30 minutes). Remove from oven and cool. Can frost while cake is just warm.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 - 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, (1 stick), softened
3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
about 3/4 cup chopped nuts, optional, but I always use them. Makes the cake extremely good.

Spread frosting evenly over cake and top with pecans or walnuts. Let it set for several hours before cutting so the pineapple will moisten the cake. Bet you can't eat just one bite- enjoy!

Pumkin Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

 I just had to start off my fall baking with something pumpkin since it is one of my favorite fall and winter flavors! Apple is right up there too, so there will be an apple recipe coming real soon also. I have tried a couple of different Pumpkin Bundt Cake recipes and this is the best one so far so I'm sharing it with you.

 This Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is dense and moist, much like pumpkin bread or pound cake. I topped this luscious cake with cream cheese frosting that contains some brown sugar, which gives the frosting a hint of caramel flavor! This is a perfect fall dessert which would be a delicious addition even your Thanksgiving table. And I confess that it was so good with my morning coffee also! Try taking it to any family gathering or even to work and I think people will be singing your praises. Here's the recipe.

Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from My Baking Addition

Ingredients:
Bundt Cake
If you don't have all the spices, you can sub pumpkin pie spice if desired.
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup canola oil, or vegetable oil
3 large eggs
3 cups un-bleached flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 can (15 ounces) pure pumpkin puree

Cream Cheese Frosting
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons softened, unsalted butter
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 14 cup confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-3 tablespoons milk, half and half or cream, if needed to thin the frosting
3/4 cup toasted, chopped pecans, if desired

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray a 10 inch Bundt cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl combine the oil and sugar and mix thoroughly with an electric mixer. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then beat in the pumpkin. In a medium bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, spices and salt. Add flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture a little at a time, and mix until batter is just blended well.

3. Pour batter into the prepared Bundt pan and smooth the batter evenly around the pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 60-65 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center if cake comes out clean. Cool the cake for 10-15 minutes. Then invert cake onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Place cake onto a cake plate to frost.

4. To make the frosting: In a large bowl add the softened cream cheese, butter and the brown sugar and beat until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Then gradually add in the powdered sugar and beat well. Stir in the vanilla and milk if needed. If frosting is too thick add a bit more milk if needed to get the desired consistency. Spoon frosting over the cooled cake. Using a spoon or rubber spatula, push the frosting where you want it. (This is not a glaze that will pour). Top with the toasted pecans , if desired. Now enjoy!

Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar-Pecan Streusel

 I am so happy that fall is here! I want to spend more time in the kitchen when the cooler weather arrives, and I always love trying new pumpkin and apple recipes to add to my recipe collection . I must admit that I've struggled with cooking and blogging the last few months since I had surgery, but fall is my favorite time to experiment in the kitchen. This Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar-Pecan Streusel is delicious and was a real treat for my husband and I. We both love pumpkin so there's nothing bad to say about this recipe. This cake is not as heavy and moist as my pumpkin bread, because it uses butter instead of oil. The streusel is so yummy with the toasted pecans and made this cake such a treat with a steaming mug of coffee! I also love the size of the cake; it's made in a 9 inch springform pan so it's not too huge for a small group. It was perfect for us. Here's the recipe.

Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar-Pecan Streusel
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma
(The only thing I changed in the recipe was the spice amounts.)

Ingredients:
For the streusel;
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted (Spread pecans on baking sheet; toast   at 325 for 5 minutes. Cool before adding to streusel.)

For the batter:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup sour cream

For the glaze:
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
about 2-3 teaspoons of milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 inch springform pan.

To make the streusel, combine the flour, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon in a bowl. Add the butter; use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Or you may use  a food processor. Stir in the pecans. Set aside.

For batter; in a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. In another bowl, beat together the butter and sugar, until combined. beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the pumpkin and sour cream and mix. Stir in the dry ingredients. Batter is very thick.

Spread half the batter in the prepared springform pan. Sprinkle half of the streusel over the batter. Dollop the remaining batter over the streusel and spread over the streusel as best you can. (This was the hardest part of the recipe for me as the batter does not want to spread well. but it turns out delicious anyway.) Top with the remaining streusel. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake come out clean, about 50-55 minutes. Place pan on a wire cooling rack for 15 minutes. Remove the sides of the pan from the cake and slide cake onto rack to finish cooling.

To glaze, whisk together the confectioners sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth. Place cake on serving platter. Drizzle glaze over cake. Enjoy!

Banana Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This is a moist, delicious Banana Layer Cake that is perfect for any occasion. It is somewhat less dense than my banana bread recipe, but it's very moist and yummy with the decadent Cream Cheese Frosting. I made this wonderful cake for my husbands birthday back in January. I didn't get many pictures of the finished cake, but that seems to happen every time I prepare a meal for our family gatherings. Too busy for photos, and then the food is gone. Sigh~
I've posted this recipe before, but made a sheet cake instead of a layer cake. It is one of our favorite cakes now and is a perfect way to use those ripe bananas and turn them into a fabulous dessert.
I feel the need to apologize for not being around for almost 2 months. I've had some health issues, ( I'll share at a later time), and some life issues that we all sometimes go through, and I lost focus on my blog. But I'm cooking again and ready to share. So I hope you'll give this Banana Layer Cake a try for your next celebration. It's so very, very good. Like, lick your plate good!

Banana Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from Evil Shananigans

Cake:
1 cup mashed bananas - about 2 large bananas
1 cup buttermilk, or can use soured milk (add 1 tablespoon vinegar to a cup and fill up with milk; let sit a minute)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened- 1/2 cup
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, (or if you are using dark pans, then 325). Grease 2 9 inch round layer cake pans.
2. In a bowl, mash the bananas well using a fork. Stir in the buttermilk.
3. Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in separate bowl.
4. Cream Butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Stir in the eggs and vanilla.
5. Alternately add the dry and wet ingredients into the butter mixture, beating well after each addition. Pour the batter evenly into the 2 prepared cake pans.
6. Bake in preheated oven for about 35 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly touched in the center. Or you may test with a toothpick. Cool cake in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes, then invert cakes onto cooling racks and let cool completely. At this point, you can frost the cake, or wrap each layer well in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight. Then assemble and frost the next day.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick (1/2 cup) softened butter
31/2-4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a large bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese together with a mixer.
mix in the vanilla. Add the powdered sugar in about 3 additions, mixing well after each addition. If the frosting seems too stiff, you may add a tablespoon of cream or milk and mix until creamy.

To frost the cake: 
Place one cake layer on cake platter. Add about 3/4 to 1 cup of frosting on the cake and spread evenly to the edge. Top with the remaining cake layer and press cake gently down. Add remaining frosting to top and smooth down and around the sides. I usually swirl the top of the frosting with a knife. I like to refrigerate the cake for 30-60 minutes to set the frosting well.
Slice, serve and enjoy!

Flourless Chocolate Cake

 Rich, decadent, dense chocolate. That's the only words needed to describe this yummy Flourless Chocolate Cake. I've been wanting to try a recipe for this type of cake for sometime, but wanted a small cake for just my husband and I. This was a perfect size. My only problem was that the recipe calls for an 8 inch pan, and all I had was a 9 inch. So, this cake was thinner than it should be, but it sure didn't affect the flavor.
Thankfully this cake was delicious. I've had some failures the last couple of weeks, and a couple of recipes that were just ok, so this made me very happy!

 This flourless cake is loaded with chocolate; chopped bittersweet chocolate as well as cocoa too. I added some cinnamon and vanilla to the cake, but couldn't really taste the cinnamon so guess I didn't add enough. I'll try again next time though. This cake is so easy to put together and doesn't bake very long. There is no flour, but the cake turns out almost brownie like and and very addictive, which is why I'm glad this recipe makes a small cake. For company I'll have to double the recipe. If you love chocolate and haven't tried a Flourless Chocolate Cake yet, you should. You really should give this a try!

Flourless Chocolate Cake
Adapted from Epicurious and Gourmet

Ingredients:
4 ounces fine quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)- I used Ghirardelli 60% Cacao
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon- my addition
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla- my addition also
pinch of salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8 inch round baking pan. Line bottom of pan with a round of parchment paper, and then grease the paper also.
Chop chocolate into small pieces. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter until completely melted. Stir in the chopped chocolate and wish until the chocolate is melted. and smooth. Wish in the cocoa until smooth. Whip in the eggs, one at a time and the vanilla, salt and cinnamon if using. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 25 minutes. Since my pan was too large, my cake was done in about 18 minutes. Top of cake will form a thin crust when done. Cool cake on wire rack for about 5 minutes. Run a knife around the side of the pan and invert the cake onto a serving plate. Dust cake with cocoa powder if desired. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cake Bars

 Technically it is late summer, but fall weather blew in with the storm we had a couple of days ago. I absolutely love fall and fall foods, so I couldn't wait to make something pumpkin. I can't even remember where I got this recipe years ago, but the first time I made it I thought the name was deceiving. It was called Pumpkin Bars, and somehow I assumed that it would turn out somewhat like a brownie. I was wrong. These bars are cake-like and moist, almost as dense as pumpkin bread really, but delicious. This recipe has become a staple at my house because I always have canned pumpkin in my pantry, so I can whip it up at a last minutes notice. I've made these Pumpkin Cake Bars so many times through the years. They are always well received at our church's pot luck dinners, family get togethers and they have been devoured at many funeral dinners that I've helped with. Oh, and my husband loves them too. These Pumpkin Cake Bars are made in a jelly roll pan and topped with Cream Cheese Frosting, which is always a favorite. So if you need an easy, yummy dessert to make, give this a try.

Pumpkin Cake Bars
Origin of recipe forgotten-sorry!
(Update! It was pointed out to me that I had a couple of mistakes in my recipe. So sorry for any problems this may have caused. It has been corrected-thanks! 10-29-14)

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin spice (or use another teas. cinnamon if desired)
1 cup oil
4 eggs, beaten
1 can of pumpkin

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a jelly roll pan. I used a 17 1/2 x 12 1/2 inch jelly roll pan with 1 inch sides, also called a Baker's Half Sheet. (It will also fit in a 10 1/2 x 15 1/2 inch pan with 1 inch sides, but may need to bake a few minutes longer.) In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients together with a whisk. In another bowl, mix the oil, eggs, and pumpkin. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just mixed. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Frost with Cream Cheese Icing. Enjoy!

Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a large bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese together with a mixer. Mix in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Spread over cake. Enjoy!

NOTE: This makes a fairly thin layer of frosting, You may increase the amount of frosting if desired. I always top the frosting with about 1/2 cup of chopped pecans.
If you want a thicker frosting, use 8 ounces  cream cheese, 1/2 cup butter, 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, and 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

Strawberry Almond Coffee Cake

 I love a good coffee cake, especially when it's not too sweet first thing in the morning. This Strawberry Coffee Cake is dense, yet tender because of the addition of sour cream, and bursting with strawberries. There is a light glaze on this breakfast cake, but it isn't sugary sweet. I love that this cake is small, which is perfect for my husband and I now that we are empty nesters. The original recipe was made with raspberries, but I had strawberries I needed to use. I'll definitely be making this again. If you enjoy coffee cake, this one is delicious and quick to prepare. Hope you'll give it a try.

Strawberry Almond Coffee Cake
Adapted from Noble Pig

Cake Ingredients:
1 cup strawberries, diced
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup sliced almonds

GLAZE:
1/4 cup powdered sugar
about 1 1/2 teaspoons milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8 inch round cake pan.
1. In a small bowl, toss the strawberries and thee brown sugar together. Set aside.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, soda and salt together.
3. In bowl, add the egg, sour cream, melted butter and vanilla together.
Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients and mix well. Batter will be very dense and thick.
4. Spread half the batter over the bottom of the prepared cake pan. The easiest way is to drop small spoon fulls around and then smooth it out over the bottom of the pan. You'll think there isn't enough batter, but it really will come together just fine.
5. Spoon the strawberries and sugar over the batter. Again, spoon small amounts of remaining batter over the strawberries and bottom layer. Carefully spread the batter out as best as possible, with a swirling motion. I used a large spoon to spread batter, but an off-set spatula will work too. Sprinkle with almonds.
6. Bake for about 25 minutes until done when a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean, and cake is lightly golden.
7. Cool cake in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of pan before inverting cake onto serving platter. Mix together glaze and drizzle over the cake. Enjoy!
Can't wait to try this with blueberries, and also raspberries.

Coffee-Cocoa Snack Cake

 My chocolate craving got the best of me the other day, and I just wanted cake. But I didn't want to go to much trouble to make one. Walking through the grocery store, I saw all kinds of snack cakes to buy, and that reminded me of a recipe I had seen for a chocolate snack cake. I'll take homemade cake over store bought any day.When I went home, I found this recipe and decided to give it a try right then. Now, this is not a light fluffy cake. No, this cake is a dense, moist, dark chocolate cake. My only change to the recipe was to add chocolate chips, and to dust the top of the cake with confectioners sugar. I'll do the same again. I personally could not detect any coffee flavor, but it was still very good.
 Son Number 1 stopped by, ate 2 pieces of cake, and proclaimed it "awesome". So I will make it again. It is easy and has great flavor. Here's the recipe.

Coffee-Cocoa Snack Cake

slightly adapted from Fine Cooking

10 tablespoons very soft butter ( 5 ounces)

1- 2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached, all purpose flour;  7-1/4 ounces

1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa together- 2-1/2 ounce (not dutch-processed)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 -1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1-1/2 cups brewed coffee- cooled to warm

confectioners sugar for dusting

Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

Grease and flour a 9x9 inch square baking pan. If you are going to remove the cake from the pan, then line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and grease and flour it.

Do not use a mixer for this cake, except to cream the butter and sugar together, if desired. I just mixed it all by hand. Easy!

Mix softened butter and sugar in a bowl and cream until smooth. Blend in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla. Sift the dry ingredients together and pour into the batter. Add the coffee and whisk the ingredients until mixture is smooth and mostly free of lumps.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool before serving.

If you used parchment paper and are going to remove the cake from the

pan, let the cake sit for 20 minutes before inverting onto another rack.

I left my cake in the pan to cool.

This cake is a bit crumbly in texture. It can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Brown Butter Pumpkin Layer Cake

 I know, many of you will think that pumpkin is so Fall like, but my husbands birthday was last week and he really wanted a pumpkin cake. I've had this cake bookmarked for quite a while, so decided to try it now. I wanted to make a special cake for my sweetie, who's getting older and wiser, and who does not always share my chocoholic tendencies. This cake did not disappoint. In fact we both thought it was one of, if not the best cake we've ever tasted! Being a pumpkin cake, it is dense and moist and the browned butter in the cake, AND in the Cream Cheese Frosting, makes this a "To Die For", dessert! The frosting also has brown sugar in it and it's delicious.We couldn't quit groaning as we shoveled it in. You've got this cinnamony, gingery, spice flavored cake with the browned butter, cream cheese combination that's just amazing. In short, this is a keeper. Can't wait to try making cupcakes.

 I changed the recipe some. I increased the cinnamon in the cake batter, and decreased the ginger. I decreased the brown sugar just a bit, but now I don't think I needed to. I thought the cake might be too sweet because I planned on increasing the frosting, but it was just fine. I knew that the amount of frosting wouldn't be enough, so I increased that. I also did not do the nut topping like the recipe. I just used some roasted pecans that I tossed with butter, sugar and a little salt and then decorated the cake rim. The next time I make this cake, I'm going to add some chopped pecans between the cake layer, like the recipe suggests. While this cake and the frosting use brown butter, this is not a hard cake to make. It does require a bit more time, so it would be best to make it early in the day, or make the cake layers the day before and then wrap them in plastic wrap. Then assemble the next day. Either way, this Browned Butter Pumpkin Layer Cake is worth the trouble.  Delicious, decadent, addictive and so much more; it's a cake to dream about. I hope you'll give it a try.

Brown Butter Pumpkin Layer Cake

Adapted from Fine Cooking

For the cake:

3/4 cup, (12 tablespoons),  unsalted butter

2 cups unbleached, all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

3/4 teaspoon table salt

1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar - originally calls for  2/3 cup

2 large eggs

1/3 cup buttermilk

1 can of pumpkin puree, or homemade puree

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Move the oven rack to center of the oven.

2. Grease and flour 2 round cake pans that are 9x2 inches. Use parchment if desired. My cake did fine without it.

3. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Every minute or so, stir or roll the butter around. The butter will foam and begin to turn a nutty shade with bits of brown . This will take about 4 minutes. Pour into a bowl and cool.

4. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and cloves.  In another bowl, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, buttermilk, sugar, pumpkin and mix well.

5. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients together in intervals. Mix in the brown butter. Do not over mix this batter. You will not need and electric mixer for this cake.

6. Divide the batter evenly into the 2 cake pans and smooth the top. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes until done. Toothpick inserted into cake should come out clean. Cool the cake in pans for 10 minutes. Run knife around the cake and invert onto cooling racks. Cool completely.

Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting:

10 tablespoons unsalted butter

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1/3 cup light brown sugar

3 cups powdered sugar

1. In a heavy pan, brown the butter just as you did for the cake. Pour into a small bowl, and set it in the freezer for 12-15 minutes. Don't let it get hard on the top. Butter needs to be cool to add to the frosting, but don't let it get too hard. Or, you could pour the butter through a small mesh sieve to catch the small browned bits. You won't pour the brown bits into the frosting. Take a spoon and spoon out the cooled butter, taking care to not scrape up the browned bits.

2. In a large bowl, cream the cream cheese well; mix in the brown sugar and beat until fluffy. Mix in the cooled brown butter, and the powdered sugar in with the cream cheese. Beat until creamy. If the frosting is too stiff, add about a tablespoon of cream, or milk.

Assemble and frost the cake:

Place one cake on your cake plate. Add about 1 cup frosting, or your desired amount, and spread evenly to the edge of cake. Place remaining cake on top of frosting. Frost sides and top of cake. Decorate with pecans.

For Pecans: Mix 1 cup pecans, tablespoon melted butter, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Toast in a skillet for a few minutes, or in the oven. Cool nuts completely on a paper towel lined plate. The original recipe calls for more nuts, and uses them between the layers of the cake, and then piling the rest on top of cake. It also calls for candied ginger, which I did not use.

Easy Cranberry and Apple Cake from Ina Garten

 This is an awesome tasting cake. One reason I wanted to try this cake was because it is small. Since my husband and I are now empty nesters, I don't want lots of dessert sitting around. Another reason for this cake is because I love cranberries and apples together. The cranberries and apple are mixed with brown sugar, cinnamon, orange juice and zest, and placed in baking dish. Then batter is spread over the berry mixture and it bakes and is ready to eat as soon as it comes out of the oven, if you wish! And boy does it smell good while baking! It is better served warm, so there's no torture waiting for it to cool down. Add whipped cream or ice cream if you wish. I like it best without adornment, so I can taste the lovely tart fruit that is infused with cinnamon and orange. I'm addicted. The only changes I made were minor; I used low fat sour cream because that's what I had. I only used the zest from 1 orange, instead of 2. This Cranberry and Apple Cake would be delicious anytime, even for Thanksgiving dinner. I even had it for breakfast this morning (hehe). I hope you'll give it a try.

Easy Cranberry and Apple Cake
adapted slightly from Ina Garten
NOTE: There is no baking powder or soda in this recipe.
12 ounces fresh cranberries
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced
1/2 cup light brown sugar
zest of 1 orange- Ina says 2 oranges zested
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided ( 1/8 teas. for topping)
2 large eggs- Ina uses extra large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for topping
1 stick unsalted butter - 1/4 pound
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup sour cream - I used lowfat because that's what I had
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Combine cranberries, diced apple, brown sugar, orange juice and zest, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a bowl. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs on medium high speed for 2 minutes. Add the 1 cup sugar, melted butter, vanilla and sour cream and beat until just combined. Slowly add the flour and salt at low speed.
Pour the fruit mixture into a 10 inch pie plate. Pour or spoon the batter over the fruit, covering completely. Sprinkle top with mixture of 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake for 55-60 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Try not to eat the whole thing!

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

 I have been gone from my blog too long and have missed reading your blogs so much. I'm trying to catch up, but I've been so busy. Our church has been a temporary home for some firefighters and other volunteers that came to help after the Joplin tornado 2 weeks ago. I can't believe it's already been two weeks! Anyway, some of my friends and I have been cooking breakfast and dinner for these hardworking men and women that have so unselfishly come to give a helping hand to those in need. Joplin and the surrounding area has been flooded with these wonderful people. Last Sunday, my husband and I went through part of Joplin, and believe me, the destruction is much worse looking in person. Such an overwhelming task is before the city. It looks as though a huge bomb was dropped and wiped out 1/3 of the city. The tornado was upgraded to and EF5 tornado, the strongest there is. The high school and 2 other schools were completely demolished and other schools were damaged. St Johns Hospital was destroyed. Thankfully there is another hospital in town. One hundred and thirty eight people have lost their lives so far. When you see what's left of the city, you can't help think that it's miracle that more weren't killed. I guess the 2nd siren got peoples attention. So much was lost.
On a positive note, our friends are improving. Sharon, the grandmother, is out of the hospital but fighting infection. The granddaughter is also home. The grandson is still very critical, but has opened his eyes and spoken a couple of words. They still have a far to go.
I made this delicious Banana Cake with Cream Cheese frosting for dinner one evening when the firefighters were here. There was none left. This awesome cake is supposed to be a layer cake, and I've made it that way before, but was in a hurry this time. But it's wonderful either way. The cake is not as heavy as banana bread, but it still has the yummy banana flavor and moist texture. And cream cheese frosting is the crowning glory! I've made this cake several times and it has become one of our favorite cakes. I hope you'll give it a try.

BANANA CAKE with CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
adapted slightly from Evil Shenanigans

1 cup mashed bananas
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1 3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla

1. Grease pans. This cake will make a layer cake using 2- 9 inch round pans, or a 9x13 inch sheet cake.
2. In a bowl mash the bananas. It takes about 2 large ones. Stir in the buttermilk.
3. In another bowl mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together.
4. Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Stir in the eggs and vanilla and beat well.
5. Alternately add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture with the dry ingredients, mixing well after each addition. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven. If using a dark colored pan, reduce the heat to 325 degrees. Bake for about 35 minutes. Cake is done when it springs back when lightly touched. Cool round cake pans for 10 minutes, then turn out on cooling racks to cool completely. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
1- 8 ounce package of cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 1/2 cup to 4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

With a mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese together.  Mix in the vanilla and then add the powdered sugar a bit at a time. Beat until smooth and creamy. If frosting is too stiff to spread add teaspoon or more of milk or cream. This is enough frosting for a 2 layer cake. It will be too much frosting for a 9x13 inch cake, so I freeze whats left. Enjoy!

Lemon Pound Cake

 When I was a little girl, I loved sucking on lemon halves. While I don't do that anymore, when I cut one open it makes my mouth begin to water. So it's no surprise that I enjoy a great piece of lemon cake. This Lemon Pound Cake from Cook's Illustrated does not disappoint on any level. A traditional pound cake, it's heavy and dense with a fine crumb and full of butter and eggs. The lemon flavor is not overpowering, but you get a jolt of lemon from the syrup that is brushed on after baking, and the lemony glaze. We devoured it quickly. I think this would be a wonderful sweet to include to help celebrate Mother's Day, for a luncheon or an afternoon tea. I did not change the recipe, other than I didn't have the required amount of lemon zest the recipe asked for, so I added a bit more juice. At first glance I thought there were alot of details, but I discovered it was because you also make a syrup, and a glaze. Both were super easy and I advise that you don't skip those steps. Brushing this syrup over the warm cake not only imparts extra flavor, but helps to add moisture too. Hope you enjoy!

LEMON POUND CAKE
from Cook's Country-very slightly adapted

CAKE:
2 sticks of unsalted butter (16 tablespoons)- softened, but still somewhat cool
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice- recipe called for 1 1/2 T.
1 tablespoon lemon zest- recipe called for 1 1/2  T.
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature- beaten

SYRUP:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice

GLAZE:
1/2 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. To make cake: Adjust the oven rack to middle position and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan with butter and dust with flour. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a small bowl.

2. Toss lemon zest and sugar together in a large bowl. Add butter and beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth and light, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of bowl. Add in the eggs, in 3 additions, and beat well. Mixture will look curdled. With motor on low, add 1/3 of the flour mixture followed by the sour cream and lemon juice. Add another 1/3 of flour and mix well. Finish with the rest of the flour and mix, scraping the sides well. Mix until batter is smooth.

3. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to release air bubbles. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Bake 55 to 70 minutes. Mine baked about 70.

4. For the Syrup: While the cake bakes, stir the 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup lemon juice together in a saucepan. Cook for 2 minutes, remove from heat and set aside.

5. Cool the cake on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then turn it out on the rack. Brush the top and sides of the warm cake with the syrup and cool cake completely before glazing, about 2 hours. Use all the syrup.

6. For the glaze: Whisk the sifted confectioners sugar and the 1 tablespoon of lemon juice together until smooth. Spread glaze over cake and let set 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

NOTES: Like most cakes, this cake is more moist on the second day. According to CI, this cake will keep for 5 days, if wrapped tightly. It also freezes well. To freeze, apply the syrup, let cool, and wrap unglazed in two layers of plastic wrap. and freeze in a zip-lock bag for up to 1 month. I have not tried that. When ready to serve, defrost the wrapped cake at room temperature. Remove wrap and spread with the glaze.

TO MAKE 2 CAKES: double all the ingredients EXCEPT the eggs; use 9 eggs instead of 10.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Oh my, I didn't mean to take such a long blogging break and not tell you that I'd be gone. I've been to a ladies retreat at Lake of the Ozarks for a few days where I didn't have to cook, or do dishes or clean anything. So when I returned home, I really didn't want to cook, wash dishes or clean anything. It was too nice having those things done for me! I have tried a couple of new recipes, but did not care for them, so I didn't want to blog about food I did not like. But now I have a real tasty dessert for you.

I have never made a Pineapple Upside Down Cake before, but I had purchased a fresh pineapple on sale several days ago and thought I'd use some of it in this cake. It was so good! The sweet, gooey brown sugar and butter topping along with the pineapple and pecans really make this classic cake. I placed the pineapple slices tightly together when arranging the topping, but the fruit shrinks some as it bakes, so next time I'll squeeze the pineapple in closer. I don't care for Maraschino Cherries, which are typically used in this cake, so I used pecan halves instead. The cherries are prettier, but the pecans taste better to me. I found this recipe at Joy of Baking, and she gives some interesting information about this classic recipe. I did not follow her directions for cooking the topping longer, because the topping will be cooking in the oven for so long. It turned out perfect with the shorter cooking time. The cake is sturdy, but has a fine texture and of course the topping is so gooey and delicious. It was even better on the second day. I used fresh pineapple, but canned may be substituted, if desired. Hope you give it a try!

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE
adapted from Joy of Baking

Preheat the oven to350 degrees F and place oven rack in the center of the oven. Spray a 9 inch round baking pan with cooking spray.

TOPPING:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1medium pineapple, peeled, quartered and sliced( or canned pineapple slices)
Maraschino cherries or pecans

Place the butter and brown sugar in a sauce pan and heat until hot and bubbly. Pour sauce into the prepared 9 inch round pan. Arrange the pineapple and pecans in the pan. Prepare the cake batter.

BATTER:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup ( 8 tablespoons, or 113 grams), unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
2 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites and the cream of tarter until the whites will hold a stiff peak. In another bowl, beat the sugar and butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg yolks and beat well. Add the flour mixture in (3 additions), alternately with the milk (in two additions), ending with dry ingredients, scrapping down the sides as you mix. Gently fold half of the beaten egg whites into the flour mixture. Fold in the remaining egg whites, and pour the batter into the cake pan over the topping mixture. Gently smooth the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool about 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and carefully invert the cake onto a serving plate. Cool completely. Enjoy!

Blueberry Buckle

I used to think that a buckle was the same thing as a cobbler, but it's really not. A cobbler has fruit in the bottom of the pan and topped with either a pie crust like topping, or more of a drop biscuit topping. And the fruit bubbles and thickens, but it stays separate from the topping. However, a buckle is more cake like. The fruit, blueberries in this case, are mixed into the batter, topped with a struessel topping and baked. It's like a coffee cake, dense and moist with berries. It may get it's name because the top of the cake "buckles" as it cools. And it's very delicious! I did change the spices in this recipe because I love cinnamon best in the topping. I've made this wonderful Blueberry Buckle several times and my husband and I can't get enough of it! The cake is tender but dense, and packed with blueberries, for an incredible addition to your morning coffee, or a sweet indulgence any time of day. Enjoy!

BLUEBERRY BUCKLE

Adapted from Alton Brown

Ingredients:

For the cake-

2 cups of cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

4 tablespoons (2 ounces) of unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup milk- I've used whole and 2%, both with good results

3 cups of fresh blueberries

For the topping-

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup cake flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

4 tablespoons butter, chilled- 2 ounces

Directions-

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x9 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and ground nutmeg. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and the sugar together until creamy and fluffy. Add the egg and beat well. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and 1/3 of the milk, and beat until incorporated. Repeat until the ingredients are combined. Gently stir in the blueberries and pour cake mixture into the prepared pan.

For the topping:

In a small bowl combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon. Add the cold butter in chunks, and mix with a fork or pastry blender until there is a crumb-like mixture. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the cake. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for about 35 minutes, or until golden. I tested with a tooth pick and my cake took about 45 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving. It's delicious warm or cold. Give it a try!

Layered Yellow Cake

The other day I was going through my recipe box and came across this cake recipe given to me by a friend about 12 years ago. The recipe calls for a cake mix, but if you have a yellow cake recipe that you like, use it for this cake. The homemade cake will not be as crumbly, but what ever you want to do. I won't judge! After you bake the cake, there are several layers to add; a pineapple layer, then pudding and last, whipped cream or Cool Whip. The cake needs to be baked in a non reactive pan as a whole can of crushed pineapple is spooned over it as a first layer. First you must poke holes in the cooled cake with a meat fork. Lots of holes!

Then spoon a large can of heated, crushed pineapple over the cake and let cool. The last two layers are added after that cools. Add pudding and then the whipped topping, and sprinkle with toasted coconut. Store cake in the refrigerator. It needs to be made early in the day that you plan to serve it. My husband loves this cake. My kids on the other hand, not so much. They don't care for canned pineapple. The toasted coconut is optional, but it is a delicious touch.

LAYERED YELLOW CAKE

from my friend Janelle

You need;

1 yellow cake, baked in a non reactive 9x13 inch pan.

1 -20 ounce can of crushed pineapple

1/4 cup sugar

1 large package instant vanilla pudding

2 cups milk

whipped cream or Cool whip

toasted coconut for topping, if desired

1. Bake a yellow cake mix to package directions, or bake your own home made yellow cake instead, if desired. Let it cool. Poke lots of holes in cake with a meat fork.

2. In a saucepan, bring the pineapple and the sugar to a boil. Remove from heat. Spoon the hot pineapple and juice evenly over the cooled cake. Let cool completely.

3. Mix pudding mix with the 2 cups of milk. Spread evenly over cooled cake. Spread whipped cream or Cool Whip over the pudding layer. Sprinkle evenly with toasted coconut; as much as you want! Store in the refrigerator for several hours before serving. Enjoy!

NOTE: This cake is quite tall with the toppings so you will need to consider that. The lid on my Pyrex pan squishes the topping some, so foil, loosely wrapped, will work. Cake needs to be stored in the fridge.

New York - Style Crumb Cake ( slightly adapted from Cooks Illustrated)

If you love Crumb Cake, I've found one you've got to try! The cake itself is soft and tender, from using cake flour and buttermilk, and the crumb topping is crisp, but not too hard and definitely does not have a sandy texture. It's just delicious and it's the best Crumb Cake I've ever had! This recipe is from a newsletter I received from Cook's Illustrated awhile back and I wanted to try the recipe. The only thing that worried me was the crumb topping. As you can see from the photo below, it is not a crumbly topping when first stirred up. It is supposed to be completely incorporated, smooth, creamy and not at all crumbly. This was different than other toppings I've made.

According to "Cooks Illustrated", you are to roll the topping into large pea-sized balls and scatter over the cake dough, making it even, with no large clumps. That makes the crumbs. Well, I'm too impatient for that, so I had to find another way to make this fully incorporated topping, crumbly! I didn't want to spend a lot of time rolling sugar balls for the topping! Have I mentioned that I'm somewhat lazy? Well, I found a way to crumble the topping. You must stir up the topping ingredients first, that way when you are ready to top the cake, the butter laden topping will be somewhat set, and can be crumbled.

Take a fork and "rake" it side ways across the topping and it will gradually crumble into small pieces. Don't try to do it too deeply, just in layers. Then take a spoon and scoop up the crumbs and scatter over the cake. Then repeat the raking until all the crumbs are made. This didn't take near as long as the original way required and it resulted in small crumbs, which made this lazy baker very happy! And as you can see from the photo, the topping didn't have any huge chunks, but a nice looking topping that was crisp and delicious! My only adaption to this recipe was to use light brown sugar instead of dark brown sugar called for in the recipe. You've got to give it a try!

NEW YORK - STYLE CRUMB CAKE

slightly adapted from Cooks Illustrated

CRUMB TOPPING: make this first

1/3 cup granulated sugar (2 2/3 ounce)

1/3 cup light brown sugar- original recipe calls for dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon- recipe calls for 3/4 teaspoon

1/8 teaspoon table salt

8 tablespoons melted, unsalted butter

1 3/4 cup cake flour (7 ounces)- no substitutes

CAKE:

1 1/4 cup cake flour (5 ounces) - no substitutes

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon table salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, but still cool

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 large egg

1 egg yolk

1/3 cup buttermilk - (plain yogurt may be substituted)

Confectioners sugar for dusting

1. For topping: Mix sugars, cinnamon, salt and melted butter together. (Don't use real hot butter, let it cool some). Add flour and mix with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until ingredients are fully incorporated. Mixture will be smooth, not crumbly. Set aside.

2. For cake: Place oven rack in upper middle oven position and preheat oven to 325 degrees. If desired, cut a piece of parchment 7 inches wide and 16 inches long to fit in pan. Spray a 8x8 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Fit the parchment evenly into the pan with the long sides hanging evenly. Spray parchment with cooking spray. You only need to use parchment if you plan to take the whole cake out of the pan to serve. I left my cake in the pan, so I didn't follow this step.

3. In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. With a mixer, blend in the butter on low speed, 1 tablespoon at a time until you cannot see any pieces of butter. Add the butter, egg, egg yolk, vanilla and butter milk and mix on medium speed, about 1 minute until completely blended and fluffy.

4. Pour cake batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth evenly. Take a table fork and "rake" the topping, so it will form crumbs. Spoon them on the cake. Or, you can roll the mixture into balls if you want! Place in preheated 325 degree oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out dry. Cool cake completely. If using parchment, remove cake from pan to serve. Otherwise, just serve it from the pan. Enjoy!

NOTE: Using powdered buttermilk is not recommenced for this recipe. "Cooks" says that the batter will be too thin and the topping may sink.

The Best Apple Cake Ever! ( and a little American apple history)

On a cool, fall day last week, there was a heavenly aroma permeating my humble kitchen. The scent of apples and cinnamon hovered in the air for awhile even after the oven was turned off. I had just made my favorite Apple Cake, a recipe given to me by my Mother-in-law when my husband and I were first married. This moist, cinnamony cake is a favorite in our family (except for those who don't like nuts), and I always look forward to making it- and eating it! As I was eating my first piece of this luscious cake, I began wondering about the history of apples in America. Why? I don't know. I mean, I remember reading about Johnny Appleseed in school, but was there more? So I did a quick google search and found an interesting article at What's Cooking America, called, "History and Legends of Apples",written by Linda Stradley. She has done some research on this delicious fruit which was so interesting to read. Actually, the first apple seeds to arrive in America were in the 17th century! One of the first instances was when William Blackstone arrived in Massachusetts from Europe in 1623. He carried a bag of apple seeds with him and planted an orchard on Beacon hill in Boston, among other places. The early settlers even had to import honey bees! Anyway, by 1640 nearly all landowners had planted apple trees. According to her article, there are over 7000 varieties of apples in the U.S.! Amazing! If you like history, check out this site. Now, let's get to this delicious recipe so you can make it!

APPLE CAKE

4 cup of coarse, chopped apples (any baking apple works)

2 cups sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup oil

2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup chopped nuts ( I always use pecans)

In a large bowl, mix the apples and sugar together. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nuts together. I know this sounds strange, but trust me. I've been making this for years and this is the easiest way. Stir the apples; the sugar will be liquefying by now. To the apples and sugar, add the eggs, oil and vanilla and mix well. This is a very thick dough that is loaded with apples. If you noticed, there isn't a lot of liquid in this cake. Most of the moistness comes from the apples. Spoon batter into a greased and floured 9x13 inch pan. Place in a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for about 1 hour. Test with a toothpick for doneness. Cool completely before serving. This is best made early in the day you are planning on serving it. This cake needs a few hours to develop its moistness.

The original recipe called for 2 tablespoons of vanilla! As you noticed, I've cut it down to 2 tsp. which is enough. The day of baking, the cake will be crusty on top, but as the day wears on the cake develops its moistness from the apples. Each day, this Apple Cake gets more moist. This is more a snack cake, but I like to make Caramel Sauce to drizzle over the top to dress it up some. Now that is a decadent touch! I guess you can tell from the pictures that I got carried away with the caramel. But it was sooo good! I'll give you the Caramel Sauce recipe my next post. Have a great weekend!

Bananas and Cream Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Glaze

There's just nothing like the aroma of banana bread baking in the oven. It has tantalized me since I was a little girl, so when I found this recipe a few months ago, I had to make it! It is everything I hoped it would be; dense, moist with sour cream, great banana flavor, and the frosting- oh the frosting! It is sinfully rich, delicious and I wanted to eat it with a spoon! I found this gem of a recipe at Bunny's Warm Oven, so please check it out. Her cake looks much nicer than mine as I almost let the frosting get too thick to drizzle over the cake, but that didn't stop it from tasting amazing! And I wanted to share this with you before I leave Thursday to go on a

retreat with some friends from church. I'll be gone until Saturday evening and I'm so looking forward to it. We're going to the lake for a few days of refreshing for body and spirit with several hundred other ladies of kindred spirit. And we are always served the best meals. As much as I love to cook, I always enjoy letting someone else do it for awhile!

So, if you need a dessert for this weekend, try this wonderful Banana Cake, or even my Four Layer Pudding Dessert. I look forward to reading all your recipes when I get back. Have a great week!

Sour Cream Pound Cake

Don't you just hate it when your computer rebels and doesn't do what it's supposed to do? That's what has happened the last 2 days, so I'm really behind getting this posted. I'm sure all of you have posted some tantalizing recipes and I'm anxious to read your blogs! So, I'll get started before this computer decides it wants to shut down again!
This has been my go-to recipe for pound cake for a number of years. It's rich and heavy with a dense crumb and a fabulous buttery and vanilla flavor. I never frost or glaze it, but sometimes I dust a little powdered sugar over it. I got rather carried away this time, but it didn't hurt the flavor at all! I like to serve it with fresh strawberries and blueberries, or some fresh fruit, like peaches. Yum! This great cake was found in an old Taste of Home magazine, so enjoy!

SOUR CREAM POUND CAKE

1 cup butter (2 sticks) softened

3 cups sugar

6 eggs

3 cups all purpose flour

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream

2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large mixing bowl cream butter with sugar and vanilla til nice and creamy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, salt and baking soda; add alternately with the sour cream and beat on low speed until just blended. Bowl will be quite full! Pour batter into a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 325 for about an hour and 20 minutes or until the cake tests done with a toothpick. Cool cake in the pan for 15 minutes and then remove it to a wire rack to finish cooling. You can get 15-20 servings and served with berries it makes a nice summer dessert when you are having company. This cake can be made the day before you want to serve it. And the berries make it look so patriotic, don't you think? My husband likes to add ice cream or whipped cream to it, which tastes delicious, but that's usually too much for me. Now, I'm going to catch up on some of your posts. Have a great day!

My Mother's Oatmeal Cake

When I reminisce about growing up, one of my favorite things to ponder is my Mother's cooking, and the aromas that filled our home when she was in the kitchen! There are some dishes that if I close my eyes for a moment, I think I can really catch a whiff of what she made so many years ago! This cake is one of my fondest baking memories, because the aroma of Cinnamon permeates the house, and I can't even begin to tell you how the frosting smells as it goes under the broiler for a minute! The fragrance of pecans and coconut in the oven is just out of this world! This was my favorite cake growing up, and I'll admit, it remains one of my top favorites today!

The cake is so moist and tends to get moister the longer you have it. The frosting is so addictive that I'd love to just take a spoon and eat it as is, but then that would mean none for the cake! I'm sure that many of you have had this yummy, cinnamony cake as I've seen it on other food blogs before. It's just so good that it will never "go out of style"! So, let's make it!

OATMEAL CAKE

1 1/2 cup boiling water

1 cup Minute Oats

1/2 cup shortening ( or I have used butter)

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

In a bowl, pour boiling water over oatmeal and let stand 20 minutes. In another bowl, cream together shortening(or butter), brown sugar and white sugar; add eggs and oatmeal mixture and mix well. Then add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and mix thoroughly. Pour into a greased and floured 9x13 inch pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, until done.

While cake is baking, stir together frosting;

BOILED ICING; Mix 1/3 cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar and1/2 milk in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add in 1 cup shredded coconut and 1/2 cup chopped pecans and boil till thick, about 1 minute. Spread on cake while hot and place back in oven under broiler for a minute or two. Don't leave it long or the frosting will cook too long and be hard when the cake cools down. You're just wanting the tips of the coconut and nuts to toast, but they will burn if left too long. Try not to tear into the cake too soon, but if you do, who could blame you! It's just that good!

I am submitting this cake recipe to HoneyB, at The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch, for this month's Family Recipes; Memories of Family, Food and Fun! Be sure to stop by her blog and check out all the yummy recipes! What was your favorite dessert while growing up?