Pumpkin Roll

Mmmmm.

Easy.

Impressive.

Festive.

Did I mention, Mmmmm?

Pumpkin Roll:

3/4 c. all purpose flour
1 c. sugar
1 t. baking soda
2 t. pumpkin pie spice
1 c. pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1 t. lemon juice

Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. butter, softened
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch jelly roll pan with cooking spray. Cut out a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan, press into sprayed pan and then spray again. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine eggs, sugar and pumpkin puree. Stir to combine. Add lemon juice, followed by dry ingredients - pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and flour. Beat until combined.

Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes.

Once you remove it from the oven turn the cake out onto another piece of parchment paper. Carefully roll up the cake in the parchment paper, lengthwise. Let it cool for 20 minutes on a wire rack.

While the cake is cooling make the frosting.

Place cream cheese and butter in bowl. Beat until smooth. Add vanilla and powdered sugar, beat until well blended.

Once cake has cooled, gently unroll it and spread with frosting. Immediately re-roll the cake, without the parchment and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight. You may also freeze it at this point for up to 2 weeks.

Cut the cake into slices right before serving.

Bon Appetit!

Harvest Apple Cake

Big Chunks of Apples.

I wasn't sure how so many apples and so little batter would turn out,

but this might be my new favorite snack cake.

It Doesn't Need Frosting...

One more perk to this cake.

You can substitute applesauce for 1/2 of the oil.

The quantity of apples keep it beyond moist.

I found I was "trimming up the edges" as we say in our family TOO much.

It's THAT good.

Harvest Apple Cake:

2 eggs
1 c. oil - you can sub applesauce with great results
2 c. sugar
3 t. apple pie spice - which is just cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice
1/2 t. salt
1 t. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
4 c. apples, peeled, cored and seeded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a 9x13 inch pan.

In a large bowl, combine eggs, oil and sugar. Beat until light in color, about 2 minutes. Add spices, salt, vanilla and soda. Add apples and stir until incorporated. Add flour, stirring until just blended.

Pour into prepared pan. Bake for about 1 hour. Mine took a bit longer - bake until a toothpick comes out clean.

You may garnish with whipping cream or sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Bon Appetit!

***Chef's Note - I used canned apples, which come in a light juice. Somewhat hard to find, but I am sure fresh apples would work well also.

Pumpkin Cake

I've already made this cake several times in the last few weeks. It is really moist, yummy and flavorful -- a great fall-time treat.

3/4 C vegetable oil
1/2 C applesauce
2 C sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 C pumpkin
4 eggs
2 C flour
2 tsp baking soda
3 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon (or more)
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
dash of cloves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine sugar and the oil. Blend in the vanilla, applesauce and the pumpkin. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
Mix the dry ingredients together and beat into the pumpkin mixture until smooth.
Bake in a greased 9X13 pan or the batter makes great muffins or smaller size cakes too. Bake for approximately 30 minutes.
Cool then ice with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

Beat 8 oz softened cream cheese with 1/4 C butter and 1/2 tsp vanilla until smooth. Add 3 to 4 cups of powdered confectioners sugar ( I like it sweeter and add 4 cups) -- beat for a few minutes until creamy.

Pumpkin Torte

My favorite season is almost here.

I love baking with apples and pumpkin,

which leads me to my first "FALL" offering.

Pumpkin flavor is infused in both

the cake and frosting,

making this dessert super rich.

Pumpkin Torte:

1 pkg yellow cake mix
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin, divided
1/2 c. milk
1/3 c. oil
4 eggs
2 t. pumpkin pie spice, divided
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese (I used 1/3 less fat with success)
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 (16 oz) container Cool Whip (I used light and it worked fine)
1/4 c. caramel ice cream topping
1/3 c. toasted pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In the bowl of your Kitchen Aid, combine - cake mix, 1 c. pumpkin, milk, oil and eggs. Mix well then add 1 t. pumpkin pie spice. Beat on low for 30 seconds, then medium for 2 minutes. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in the pans before removing to wire racks. Cool completely.
To make the frosting, beat cream cheese, sugar, remaining pumpkin and 1 t. pumpkin pie spice until smooth. Fold in whipped topping.
Split cake horizontally. Place a layer on a plate; spread with a fourth of filling. Repeat layers three times. Chill in fridge for 3 hours or until ready to serve.
Just before serving drizzle the torte with caramel topping and pecans.

Bon Appetit!

Lemonade Cake

This is a glorified "cake mix" cake.

If that offends you, move on.

After reading the reviews about this cake I knew I would be trying it soon.

People were so critical that this cake uses a

cake mix as the base of the recipe,

they actually lowered their ratings!

I guess I'm not as easily offended:)

I thought it was really good.

I did exactly as the recipe stated and I loved

the punch of flavor that the lemonade glaze gave.

Lemonade Cake:

1 - 3 oz. package lemon flavored jello
3/4 c. boiling water
1 lemon cake mix
3/4 c. vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
3/4 c. sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a bundt cake pan, set aside.
Dissolve lemon jello in boiling water and set aside.
Combine cake mix, oil and eggs in a large bowl. Mix until combined. Add the jello, then beat for 5 minutes. Pour prepared batter into the pan.
Make the lemonade glaze by combining the lemonade concentrate and sugar in a small pan, cook long enough to dissolve the sugar.
Bake for 1 hour. While the cake is still warm (and still in the pan) - puncture the cake with a long knife to give the glaze somewhere to go, then pour the lemonade glaze over the cake.
Let the cake cool completely before removing to a decorative plate.

Bon Appetit!

Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

If your house is anything like mine - you've got lots of banana's in need of use.

I make banana bread on a regular basis, along with banana muffins and smoothies...ho hum.

This recipe is a breath of fresh air for my

freezer full of bananas!

Since it incorporates a fruit, I consider it healthier than say, chocolate cake.

Add some cream cheese frosting and it is over the top!

Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting:

Banana Bars:
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. sour cream
2 t. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 c. or 4 ripe bananas

1 (16 oz) container cream cheese frosting, or homemade cream cheese frosting

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10x15 inch jelly roll pan (mine was 13x17 and worked just fine.)
In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar and eggs. Add the sour cream, bananas and vanilla. When incorporated, add the flour, baking soda and salt.
Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake for 20-25 mins until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow bars to cool completely before frosting.
Cut and enjoy!

***Chef's Note: I am always amazed at how many people don't know that you can freeze your over-ripe bananas. They work perfectly for banana bread, muffins, smoothies and this cake! I won't lie...they are ugly, but you can thaw them in the microwave and use them in any recipe calling for ripe bananas:)

Bon Appetit!

Paula Deen's Gooey Butter Cake

Very few chef''s do "butter" better than Paula.

I knew that I would love this recipe before it was made.

I was not disappointed!

The recipe says to bake it for 40-50 mins, I checked it at 45 minutes

and wished I'd checked 5 minutes sooner.

Make sure the center is slightly giggly when you take it out:)

Paula Deen's Gooey Butter Cake:

Cake:
1 yellow or white cake mix, dry
1 egg
1 stick of butter, melted

Filling:
1 8oz package of cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 stick of butter, melted
1 16 oz (1lb) box of powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine cake mix, egg and butter in a bowl. Mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 9x13 inch pan. Prepare filling.

In another large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla and butter. Beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar and mix well.

Spread filling over the cake batter and bake for 40-50 mins. Make sure not to over bake as the center should be a little gooey.

Bon Appetit!

Oreo and Fudge Ice Cream Cake

Unfortunate picture...

I was trying to take a picture, while 5 kids were nipping at our heals.

Fortunate recipe find!

Very yummy cake!

It is beyond easy and a nice change from regular cake.

Oreo and Fudge Ice Cream Cake:

1/2 c. hot fudge topping, room temp
1 - 80 oz tub of Cool Whip, divided
1 - 3 oz pkg. instant chocolate pudding
12 Oreo cookies, chopped or smashed:)
12 vanilla ice cream sandwiches, unwrapped

Pour hot fudge topping a medium size bowl, add 1 c. Cool Whip, mix until well blended. Add dry pudding mix. Mix for 2 minutes, then add chopped up cookies. Set aside.

Arrange 4 of the ice cream sandwiches, side by side on a 24 inch piece of aluminum foil. Top with half of the cookie mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining 4 ice cream sandwiches. Frost top and sides with remaining Cool whip. Bring up foil sides and loosely fold ends of package.
Freeze at least 4 hours before serving, preferably over night.

Here is the "how to video" if you'd like to see it done.

http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Oreo--Fudge-Ice-Cream-Cake-Video/Details.aspx

Bon Appetit!

PW's Chocolate Sheet Cake

I recently bought a new cookbook -

I haven't bought one

in at least a year...my collection is out of control.

"The Pioneer Woman Cooks"

by Ree Drummond.

Jodie told me about her, we've both made many of the recipes

from her website,

and now her book is my new focus.

When I get a great new cookbook I obsess and make every recipe that

sounds new and tasty! I have to pace myself...

Last night I made this chocolate sheet cake. It is fantastic.

I love that you make the icing and put it on the cake while both are warm.

The top of the cake absorbed the icing and took it to

a whole new level of moist-ness.

All of the ingredients are things you likely have in your kitchen right now.

I love that.

PW's Chocolate Sheet Cake:

Cake:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. buttermilk (if you don't have any I'll tell you how to make it)
2 large eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. baking soda
1 c. butter
4 heaping T. cocoa
1 c. water

Icing:
1 3/4 sticks of butter
4 heaping T. cocoa
6 T. milk
1 t. vanilla extract
1 lb. powdered sugar
1/2 c. finely chopped pecans

In a large bowl beat the eggs, buttermilk, baking soda and vanilla. Set aside. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add cocoa. Whisk together to combine. Meanwhile bring 1 c. water to a boil. When the butter is melted pour the water in the pan. Allow to bubble for a minute then turn off the heat.
With the mixer going, slowly incorporate the warm chocolate mixture to the egg mixture. Do this slowly to tempur the eggs. When it is all combined add the sugar, salt and flour. Mix well.
Pour into a ungreased jelly roll pan, or rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. (Mine actually took more like 26 minutes, but check with a toothpick to see when it is done.)
While the cake is baking make the icing.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add cocoa and stir until smooth. Add milk and vanilla. Add powdered sugar. Stir together. You can add the chopped pecans now or you can sprinkle them on top of the icing after. (I have a child who dislikes nuts so I left him a corner that was nut-free.)
Immediately after removing the cake from the oven, pour the warm icing over the top of the cake. You'll want to avoid doing much spreading, so try to distribute it evenly as you pour.

***If you don't have buttermilk on hand this is what you can do. Add 1 T. white vinegar to just under 1 c. milk and stir.
BUT...buttermilk is SO versatile! And it is beyond inexpensive. Go buy some.

Bon Appetit!

German Chocolate Cake

Happy Birthday to me!

Happy Birthday to me!

This is a well kept family secret...

German Chocolate Cake IS my favorite birthday cake!

Somehow I was dubbed someone

who loved Black Forest Cake

for their birthday and I'm not entirely sure how it happened. With that said,

there is nothing wrong with a

well done Black Forest Cake,

but it's not my favorite cake:)

So, today on the day of my birth - I begged James to let me make my own birthday cake. He was so willing to go to the bakery and buy me a GC cake, but really?

I wouldn't be as good as the one

I am more than willing to make!

I won...it is after all MY birthday and

I can do anything I want including

making my own scrumptious cake.

German Chocolate Cake:

1 boxed German Chocolate Cake mix + ingredients to make it.

Frosting:

1 c. evaporated milk
1 1/3 c. white sugar
2 eggs
4 T. butter
1/4 t. salt
2 t. vanilla
2 1/2 c. coconut
1 c. chopped pecans or walnuts

In a heavy saucepan combine the milk, sugar and eggs. Whisk until well combined. Add the butter and salt, cook on medium low heat until thickened. I stir pretty much constantly until the mixture starts to boil. Take it off the heat and stir in the vanilla. Add coconut and nuts. Set aside until it has cooled.

Note: This is not the kind of frosting you will be able to frost around the sides of a cake beautifully. I prefer to make a 9x13 pan and then spread a nice THICK layer of the frosting on top. Some prefer to frost 2 - 8 or 9 inch rounds with frosting in the middle. Just be aware that this type of "frosting" will have more of a "dripping" effect over the sides of the cake. There is just no way around it...unless you frost the sides of the cake with a regular chocolate frosting, which I must say I don't like. I prefer dripping GC frosting any day to any other type or flavor of frosting on my GC cake. Boy. This is a long note.

Billie's Italian Cream Cake

I don't know who Billie is, but she makes one heck of a cake! I found this recipe on The Pioneer Woman website and knew I had to try it. Curiously, I found the cake was even better the next day - almost like a marriage had taken place.




Billie's Italian Cream Cake:

Cake:

1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. vegetable oil
1 c. sugar
5 eggs, separated
3 t. vanilla
1 c. coconut
2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 c. buttermilk

Frosting:

2 - 8 oz pkgs cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. butter, softened
3 t. vanilla
2 lb. powdered sugar
1 c. walnuts, chopped
1 c. coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 3 - 9 inch cake pans, set aside.
Beat egg whites until stiff, set aside.

In a large bowl combine butter, oil and sugar, beat until fluffy. Mix in egg yolks, vanilla and coconut. Add dry ingredients and finally add buttermilk. Gently fold in egg whites.

To make frosting, combine cream cheese and butter - mix well in Kitchen Aid bowl. Add, vanilla, then powdered sugar. Once well blended add nuts and coconut.

Evenly pour cake batter into the 3 prepared cake pans, sprinkle with 2 T. sugar. Place cake pans in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven, cool in pans for 15 minutes then turn cakes out on a wire rack. These cakes are rather delicate, so be careful not to break them. Cool completely.

Once cooled frost between layers.

Bon Appetit!

Earthquake Cake

This cake is like an explosion in your mouth!

If the creamy craters aren't enough you've got nuts and coconut

on the bottom that take it to a whole new dimension.

It bakes up bubbly and molten.

Earthquake Cake:

1 chocolate cake mix, plus ingredients to make

1 c. coconut, shredded

1 c. walnuts, chopped

1 - 8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 t. vanilla

1 c. chocolate chips (on top at the end)

2 c. powdered sugar

Spray 9x13 inch pan with Pam. Sprinkle walnuts and coconut on the bottom of the pan. Mix cake mix according to directions. Pour over coconut and walnuts. Mix softened cream cheese and butter until combined. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Drop by spoonfuls over the cake mix and sprinkle chocolate chips on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

***Baker's Note: Place a clean cookie sheet or aluminum foil under the cake. As mine baked it flowed over the edges of the pan a bit. I narrowly averted a mess by having a baking stone on the rack below:)

Tres Leches Cake

This is a favorite cake of both Tamara and myself. We have been making it for years and several months ago came across our new go to recipe. It is from the Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond. It has just the right amount of moistness without the the sogginess that sometimes occurs with these cakes. The secret is the lightness of the batter; folding in the whipped egg whites right at the end. This allows lots of pockets for the milk mixture to ooze in. It is easy to make and makes a wonderful dessert for company or just for the family.



1 C flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
5 eggs
1 C sugar, divided
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 C milk
1 can evaporated milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 C cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9X13 pan with cooking spray.

In a bowl, whisk together the first three ingredients. Set aside.

Separate the eggs. Beat yolks with 3/4 C of the sugar until pale yellow. Stir in milk and vanilla. Pour into the flour mixture and stir gently until combined.

Beat egg whites until soft peaks appear. Continue beating while adding 1/4 C sugar. Beat until stiff. Fold into the batter. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Turn out onto a rimmed platter to cool.

While cake is cooling, mix together the evaporated milk, condensed milk and the cream. After the cake has cooled, prick the cake with a fork. Drizzle all but 1 cup of the milk mixture over the cake. Pay attention to the edges. Sometimes I end up trimming the cake if the edges are too dry. You don't actually use the excess cup of milk in the cake--it is too much for the cake to absorb. Save it and use it for a sweet french toast, rice pudding, or if all else fails, put it down the drain.

Let the milk absorb for a half an hour. Now it is ready to ice with some sweetened whipping cream. Use 1 1/2 to 2 cups of cream with a few tablespoons of powdered sugar to desired sweetness. Whip until thick and spread over the surface of the cake. Decorate with whole or chopped maraschino cherries if desired. Now try to eat just one piece.

Jam Sponge Cake

I saw this recipe in the new issue of Canadian Living magazine. It caught my attention because I first tried it when I was living in England and really enjoyed it. This cake was a favorite of Queen Victoria and it is a classic tea-time treat in England. Today it was my Sunday afternoon treat. The trick to making it light and airy, like a sponge, is to beat the butter, and add the sugar bit by bit as well as the other ingredients to ensure the batter is not heavy.



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Cake:

1/2 C butter, softened
1 C sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 C sifted all-purpose flour, OR 1 3/4 C cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 C milk

Grease and flour an 8 or 9" round metal cake pan; line bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.

With a mixer, beat butter until light and pale, about 2 minutes. Beat in sugar, 3 T at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; sift into butter mixture alternatively with milk, starting and ending with the flour. Scrape into prepared pan.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on rack for 10 minutes then turn out onto rack and peel off paper. Cool completely.

Filling:
2/3 C whipping cream. Whip until stiff; add powdered sugar while beating for desired sweetness. My jam is very sweet, so I didn't add too much sugar.
1/2 C strawberry jam

Using a long serrated knife, cut the cake in half horizontally. Spread the jam on the bottom half of the sponge, and then the cream. Replace the top of the cake. Sift powdered sugar over it all.