Cakes

Two-Step Pound Cake

4 C. all purpose flour

3 C. sugar

2 C. butter, softened

¾ C. milk

6 lg. eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

• Layer Ingredients & Mix: Preheat oven to 325º. Place flour, sugar, butter, milk, eggs and vanilla (in that order) in 4 quart bowl of a heavy-duty electric stand mixer. Beat at low speed 1 minute, stopping to scrape down sides. Beat at medium speed 2 minutes.
• Pour & Bake: Pour into a greased and floured 10” (16 cup) tube pan, and smooth. Bake at 325º for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan to wire rack and cool completely (about 1 hour).

Southern Living, May 2010

Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

²/₃ C. chopped pecans

¼ C. butter, softened

2 T. sugar

2 ¾ C. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 C. butter, softened

1 C. firmly packed dark brown sugar

½ C. sugar

1 T. vanilla

4 lg. eggs

1 C. buttermilk

1 (12 oz) pkg. semisweet chocolate mini-morsels

Garnishes: whipped cream, cherries

• Preheat oven to 350º. Stir together first 3 ingredients in a small bowl, using a fork. Sprinkle in a greased and floured 12-cup bundt pan.
• Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
• Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla at medium speed with a heavy duty electric stand mixer 3 to 5 minutes or until fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition, stopping to scrape bowl as needed. Beat in chocolate mini morsels (mixture will be thick). Spoon batter into prepared pan.
• Bake at 350º for 50 to 55 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (about 1 hour). Garnish if desired.

Southern Living, May 2010

Upside-Down Caramelized Apple Cake

½ C. chopped pecans

2 lg. Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into ½“ thick slices

1 T. lemon juice

2 tsp. vanilla, divided

¾ tsp. ground cinnamon, divided

½ C. butter, softened & divided

2 tsp. brandy

1 C. firmly packed light brown sugar

¾ C. granulated sugar, divided

2 lg. eggs, separated

¾ C milk

½ C. sour cream

2 C. all-purpose baking mix (tested with Bisquick)

¹/₈ tsp. ground nutmeg

• Preheat oven to 350º. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring after 5 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 375º.
• Toss apple slices with lemon juice, 1 tsp. vanilla and ½ tsp. cinnamon.
• Melt ¼ C. butter in a 10” cast iron skillet over low heat. Remove from heat; stir in brandy. Sprinkle with brown sugar.
• Sprinkle pecans over brown sugar mixture. Arrange apples in 2 concentric circles over pecans.
• Beat ½ C. sugar and remaining ¼ C. butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add milk, sour cream and remaining 1 tsp. vanilla, beating just until blended.
• Whisk together baking mix, nutmeg and remaining ¼ tsp. cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add nutmeg mixture to butter mixture beating just until blended.
• Beat egg whites in a large bowl at high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually heat in remaining ¼ C. sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter. Spread batter over apples in skillet.
• Bake at 375º for 50 to 54 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted halfway into center of cake comes out clean. Cool in skillet on a wire rack 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of cake to loosen. Invert cake onto a serving plate, replacing any topping that sticks to skillet on cake.

Southern Living, January 2010

Spiced Rum Cake

1 pkg. 2-layer size spice cake mix

1 C. milk

¹/₃ C. cooking oil

¼ C. sour cream

¼ C. rum

4 eggs

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 recipe Rum Glaze (see recipe below)

• Preheat oven to 350º. Grease and lightly flour a 10” fluted tube pan; set aside. In a large mixing bowl combine cake mix, milk, cooking oil, sour cream, rum, eggs and pumpkin pie spice. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until just moistened. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center come out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan and cool completely on wire rack. Spoon Rum Glaze over cake. Makes 12 servings.

Rum Glaze: In a small bowl combine 1 C. sifted powdered sugar, 1 tsp. melted butter and 1 T. rum. Stir in additional water (1 to 2 tsp.), one tsp. at a time, until glaze is a thin consistently.

Amaretto Cake with Cinnamon Swirl

1 C. sliced almonds

1 T. ground cinnamon

3 T. almond paste

1 pkg. 2-layer size white cake mix

1 (4-serving size pkg.) white chocolate instant pudding and pie filling mix

1 (8 oz.) carton light sour cream

4 eggs, lightly beaten

½ C. cooking oil

½ C. amaretto or ½ C. water plus 1 tsp. almond extract

1 recipe Glaze

• Preheat oven to 350º. Generously grease a 10” (12 cup) fluted tube pan, In food processor combine almonds and cinnamon. Cover; process until nuts are finely chopped. Coat bottom and sides of pan with half the mixture. Add almond paste to remaining mixture in processor. Process until combined.
• In large mixing bowl combine cake and pudding mixes, sour cram, eggs, ½ C. water, oil and amaretto. Beat with mixer on low speed to combine. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl as needed. Spoon half the batter into pan. Evenly sprinkle cinnamon-almond paste mixture over batter. Spoon remaining batter on cinnamon mixture
• Bake about 55 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Place on rack over waxed paper. Using wooden skewer, poke several holes in cake. Prepare Glaze. Makes 12 to 16 servings.

Glaze: In small saucepan combine ¹/₃ C. water, ¼ C. sugar and 2 T. butter. Stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes.

Brandied Apple and Black Walnut Cake

2 C. flour

2 C. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. ground mace or ground nutmeg

¼ tsp. ground cloves

2 C. finely chopped peeled apples

3 slightly beaten eggs

¾ C. chopped black walnuts or English walnuts, toasted

½ C. buttermilk

¼ C. cooking oil

1 recipe Apple Glaze

1 recipe Brandied Cream Cheese Frosting

• Grease and lightly flour two 9x1 ½“ round baking pans, set aside.
• In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, mace and cloves. Stir in chopped apples, eggs, walnuts, buttermilk and oil. Spread batter into prepared pans.
• Bake in a 350º oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans on wire racks for 15 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.
• Place a cake layer on a serving platter Spoon hot Apple Glaze over top of layer. Let stand about 20 minutes or until set.
• Meanwhile, prepare Brandied Cream Cheese Frosting. Spread about ¾ C. of the frosting over glazed cake layer. Top with the remaining cake layer. Frost cake top and side with frosting. Cover and store any remaining cake in the refrigerator. Makes 16 servings.

Apple Glaze: In a small saucepan, stir together 2 T sugar, 2 T brown sugar, 2 T. butter, 1 T. buttermilk and 1 tsp. light colored corn syrup. Bring to boiling, reduce heat. Cook and stir for 3 to 3 minutes or until reduced to ¼ C. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 T. apple brandy, apple juice or apple cider.

Brandied Cream Cheese Frosting: In a large bowl, beat one 8 oz. pkg. softened cream cheese, and 1 T. apple brandy, apple juice or apple cider with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add 2 C. sifted powdered sugar, beating well. Gradually beat in an additional 2 to 2 ½ C. sifted powdered sugar to make a frosting of spreading consistency.