Chocolate Mousse Cake

Chocolate Mousse Cake

CAKE:

2 c sugar

1 3/4 c + 2 T flour

3/4 c cocoa powder

1/2 t baking powder

2 1/2 t baking soda

1 t salt

2 eggs

1 c buttermilk

1/2 c oil

2 t vanilla

1 c boiling water

MOUSSE:

4 egg yolks

1/4 c sugar

1 3/4 c heavy whipping cream, separated

1 1/4 c chocolate chips

3/4 c powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350* and grease a bundt cake pan*.

2. Combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

3. Add eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla and mix until well combined; stir in boiling water (batter will be thin) and pour into cake pan.

4. Bake for 50-55 minutes, until it passes the toothpick test.

5. Combine yolks, sugar, and 1/2 cup cream in double boiler and cook, whisking frequently, until it's thickened, expanded, and lightened in color, about 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

6. Microwave chocolate chips in 30 second intervals (you can start with a minute), until melted and smooth. Whisk chocolate into double boiler.

7. In a separate bowl, whisk remaining 1 1/4 cup cream with powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.

8. Fold 1/3 of the whipped cream into chocolate mixture until well combined; fold 1/3 of the chocolate mixture back into the whipped cream; fold remaining whipped cream back into the chocolate mixture.

*One 9x13 - bake for 35-40 minutes | two 9" round pans - bake for 30-35 minutes | cupcakes - bake for 22-25 minutes

Bruce Bogtrotter Cake

Bruce Bogtrotter Cake

1 c plain Greek yogurt

4 eggs

1/2 c water

3/4 c vegetable oil

1 box Devil's food cake mix

1- 3.9 oz box instant chocolate pudding mix

Frosting

2 c heavy whipping cream

24 oz chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350*; grease two 8" cake pans.

2. In a large bowl, mix together yogurt, eggs, water, and vegetable oil; stir in cake and pudding mixes. Divide evenly between the cake pans.

3. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool.

4. In a large pot over medium heat, bring cream to a simmer; when bubbles start forming around the edges, take it off heat.

5. Whisk in chocolate chips; let it cool until spreadable, at least 30 minutes.

Red Velvet Cake

Red Velvet Cake

CAKE

1/2 c butter, at room temperature

3 T cocoa powder, divided

1 1/2 c sugar

2 eggs

2 t vanilla

2 T red food coloring

1 t salt

1 t baking soda

2 1/2 c flour, sifted

1 c buttermilk*

1 T vinegar 

ERMINE FROSTING

5 T flour

1 c whole milk

1 t vanilla

pinch of salt

1 c butter, softened

1 c sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350*; grease three 9" round pans and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, tapping to coat.

2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar; whip in eggs one at a time; mix in vanilla.

3. In a separate bowl, make a paste of the remaining 2 tablespoons of cocoa and the food coloring; stir into butter mixture.

4. In a third bowl, sift together salt, baking soda, and flour.

5. Stir half of the dry mixture into the butter mixture, stir in half of the buttermilk, and stir in the remaining dry mixture. Add the vinegar to your buttermilk and then stir that into the rest of the ingredients.

6. Divide batter evenly amongst the three pans and bake for 20-25 minutes; cool completely on cooling rack.

7. Make frosting: in a small pot, whisk flour & milk and heat over medium heat until it simmers, stirring frequently until it thickens, almost like a pudding consistency.

8. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla and salt; pour into a bowl, place a layer of plastic wrap in the surface to prevent a skin, and let cool completely.

9. Using a mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy, about 5 minutes; gently mix in the cooled flour mixture, adding a little bit at a time. Continue to beat until it becomes light and fluffy, like whipped cream.

Texas Sheet Cake

Texas Sheet Cake
CAKE

2 c flour

2 c sugar

1/2 t salt

1 c butter

1/4 c cocoa powder

1 c water

2 eggs

1 t baking soda

1 t vanilla

3/4 c buttermilk*

ICING

1/2 c butter

1/4 c cocoa powder

6 T milk

4 c powdered sugar, sifted

1 t vanilla

 

1. Preheat oven to 350*; grease a half sheet pan.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt; set aside. 

3. In a medium pot, combine butter, cocoa, and water; boil for 60 seconds.

4. Stir butter mixture into flour mixture until well-incorporated.

5. Add eggs, baking soda, vanilla, and buttermilk; mix well.

6. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes.

7. After you pull the cake out, melt butter, cocoa, and milk in a large pot; bring to a boil over medium heat and then remove from heat.

8. Stir in powdered sugar & vanilla; mix well. Pour over warm cake and spread evenly.

*If you don't have buttermilk, put a splash of vinegar in your measuring cup and then fill to 3/4 cup; let sit for a few minutes and stir before use.

Lava Cakes - Pressure Cooker

Lava Cakes
1/2 c butter
1 c chocolate chips
1 c powdered sugar
3 whole eggs + 1 yolk
1 T vanilla
6 T flour


1. Place butter and chocolate chips in a medium bowl and microwave for 2 minutes; stir.
2. Mix in powdered sugar, then eggs, then vanilla and flour, stirring after each addition.
3. Grease 4 ramekins with butter and divide the batter between the ramekins.
4. Place trivet in pressure cooker, add 1 cup of water, and place ramekins in trivet.
5. Cook on manual for 9 minutes; release the steam. Remove from pressure cooker and invert on to a plate.

Peach Citrus Upside Down Cake

Peach Citrus Upside Down Cake
1/2 c cornmeal
8 T melted and cooled, separated
1/3 c + 3/4 c sugar, separated
salt
16 oz frozen sliced peaches, thawed and drained
1 c flour
1 t baking powder
1/8 t baking soda
1/2 c milk
zest and juice of 1 large orange
1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk


1. Preheat oven to 350*.
2. In Dutch oven, toast cornmeal over medium heat until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently; transfer to a large bowl.
3. Wipe Dutch oven clean, place over medium heat, and add 2 tablespoons butter, 1/3 cup sugar, and a pinch of salt. Cook, whisking constantly, until sugar is melted, smooth, and deep golden brown, 3-5 minutes. (Mixture may look broken at first, but it will come together as you whisk.)
4. Off heat, carefully arrange peaches cut side down, covering the sugar in a tight pinwheel.
5. Whisk flour, powder, soda, and 1/2 t salt into toasted cornmeal. In a separate bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients, including 3/4 c sugar and 6 T butter, until smooth. Mix wet and dry ingredients until just combined.
6. Pour batter evenly over peaches. Bake until golden brown and passes toothpick test, about 30 minutes, rotating the Dutch oven halfway through baking.
7. Cool for about 15 minutes on a wire rack, invert on to a serving plate, and let cool completely, about an hour.
Serve topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake (with Brown Sugar Frosting)
1 c water
1 c mayonnaise
1 t vanilla
2 c flour
1 c sugar
3 T cocoa
2 t baking soda
Brown Sugar Frosting:
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/4 butter, cubed
2 T milk
1 3/4 c powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350* and grease a 9x9 pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine water, mayonnaise, and vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, and baking soda; stir into mayonnaise mixture.
4. Pour into pan and bake for 35 minutes, until passes toothpick test. Cool completely.
5. For frosting: In a small pan, combine brown sugar and butter and heat until bubbly; remove from heat, add milk, and then stir in powdered sugar.

Lemon Blueberry Crunch Cake

Lemon Blueberry Crunch Cake
1 1/2 c flour
6 T cornmeal
3/4 t baking powder
3/4 t baking soda
3/4 t salt
1/2 c plain yogurt (do not use fat-free)
1/2 c sugar
1 egg + 1 egg white
3 t lemon zest
3/4 t vanilla
6 T butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 c fresh blueberries
powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 300*; grease a springform pan and line with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, whisk yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla; slowly whisk in butter.
4. Mix dry mixture in to wet mixture until just incorporated; gently fold in blueberries.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan and gently tap pan on counter to release any air bubbles.
6. Place a wire rack on top of a jelly roll pan or cake pan and then add water to cover the rack; place springform pan on rack.
7. Bake for 60 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Cinnamon Pumpkin Spice Cake

Cinnamon Pumpkin Spice Cake
1 box French vanilla cake mix (or white or yellow)
1 T cinnamon
2 c buttercream frosting
1/2 c pumpkin puree
2 t pumpkin pie spice

1. Prepare cake mix per box instructions and add cinnamon. Bake as instructed and let cool.
2. Combine buttercream frosting, pumpkin, and pumpkin pie spice; spread evenly on cake.

Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake
2 c flour
2 c sugar
2 t baking soda
1 T cinnamon
1/2 t allspice
1/2 t ginger
1 t salt
4 eggs
1 c vegetable oil
1/2 c milk
3 c grated carrots (about 6-8 carrots)
1 1/2 c chopped pecans (opt)
Frosting:
2- 8 oz pkgs [light] cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 c butter, room temperature
4 c powdered sugar
2 t vanilla
1/2 c chopped pecans (opt)

1. Preheat oven to 350*; grease and flour 3- 9" round pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and salt; add eggs, oil, and milk.
3. Use a hand mixer to blend everything well; fold in carrots and pecans.
4. Pour into pans and bake for 40 minutes; let cool for 5 minutes, remove from pans, and place on waxed paper to cool completely.

5. For the frosting, add everything except the nuts into a medium bowl and beat with a hand mixer until fluffy; fold in pecans.

6. Layer the cakes with frosting in between each and then cover the outside with frosting as well.

Chocolate Sour Cream Cake

This is a super moist recipe straight from Hershey's.

Chocolate Sour Cream Cake
1 3/4 c flour (I used 1 c white and 3/4 c wheat)
1 3/4 c sugar
3/4 c cocoa
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt
2/3 c butter, softened
1- 16 oz container [light] sour cream
2 eggs
1 t vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350* and grease a 9x13 pan.
2. Stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
3. Add butter, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla; mix well.
4. Bake for 45 minutes.

Banana Cake

Banana Cake
1 1/2 c sugar
1/2 c shortening (I use butter-flavored)
2 room temperature eggs, separated
3 over-ripe bananas, mashed
1 c buttermilk
1 t baking soda
2 1/4 c flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 t vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350* and lightly grease two 9" round pans.
2. Cream together sugar and shortening; add egg yolks and bananas and blend well. Set aside egg whites.
3. In a medium-sized bowl, combine buttermilk and baking soda. Be careful - this will expand quite a bit.
4. In another medium-sized bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt.
5. Add 1/3 of the wet mixture to the banana mixture, then 1/3 of the dry mixture. Repeat twice until both smaller bowls are empty; stir in vanilla.
6. In a small bowl, whisk egg whites until slightly stiffened; fold into batter.
7. Pour batter into pans and bake 35-45 minutes until cakes pass toothpick test.

Cinnamon Walnut Banana Coffee Cake

Cinnamon Walnut Banana Coffee Cake
2 eggs
3/4 c sugar, plus a little more
3 over-ripe bananas
1/3 c milk
1 T vegetable oil
1 T vanilla
1 3/4 c flour
2 t cinnamon
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 c walnuts, chopped and roasted

1. Preheat oven to 325*.
2. Lightly grease and sugar a loaf pan.
3. Beat eggs and sugar in a large bowl; mix in bananas, milk, oil and vanilla.
4. Sprinkle flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt over mixture; mix until just blended; stir in nuts.
5. Pour batter into pans and sprinkle with sugar.
6. Bake about 45 minutes, until it passes toothpick test.

(In this picture, I forgot to sugar before I baked. Oops.)

Frosting a Layered Cake

How to Frost a Layered Cake
Line the sides of your serving plate with strips of wax paper. Place the first layer of cake (right side up) on the wax paper. Frost only the top of the cake.
Gently place the second layer on top of the first. Cover in frosting. (It doesn't matter if crumbs mix with the frosting and it looks an Oreo cake - we'll fix that.)
Refrigerate for about an hour. This will help to set up the first layer of frosting.
Cover cake with second layer of frosting. Slide wax paper strips out from underneath cake. Serve.

Mississippi Mud Cake

Mississippi Mud Cake
2 c sugar
2/3 c cocoa, separated
3 sticks butter, separated
1.5 c flour
4 eggs
2 t vanilla, separated
1 c chopped pecans or walnuts
1- 7oz jar marshmallow creme
6 T milk
2 c powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350*.
2. Mix together sugar, 1/3 c cocoa, 2 sticks butter, flour, eggs, 1 t vanilla, and nuts. Pour into greased, floured 9x13 pan; bake for 30 minutes.
3. Spread marshmallow cream over cake while hot; let both cool while you make frosting.
4. Combine remaining ingredients (1 stick butter, milk, 1/3 c cocoa, powdered sugar, and 1 t vanilla) and spread over cooled cake.

Easiest Snickerdoodles

I got this recipe from Cassie Hurst and it's so yummy, and SO easy!

Easiest Snickerdoodles

1 box white (or chocolate) cake mix
2 eggs
.25 c vegetable oil
cinnamon/sugar mix

1. Preheat oven to 400*.
2. Mix all ingredients. Roll into balls and cover in cinnamon/sugar.
3. Bake for 10 minutes on greased cookie sheet.

Texas Sheet Cake

It's been called Texas Brownies, Mississippi Mud Cake, Texas Sheet Cake, etc. Whatever you call it, it's delicious!
Texas Sheet Cake

Chocolate Mix-
1 stick of butter
1 c water
1/2 c shortening
4 T cocoa
Cake Mix-
2 eggs
2 c sugar
1 t cinnamon
1 t baking soda
1 t vanilla
1/2 c buttermilk*
2 c flour
Frosting-
1 stick of butter
4 T cocoa
6 T milk
1 t vanilla
3-4 c powdered sugar, sifted
1 c nuts, in small pieces (opt)

1. Preheat oven to 400*.
2. Place ingredients for Chocolate Mix in a small sauce pan, on low, until melted and well mixed. Take off heat and set aside.
3. Mix Cake Mix in a large bowl. Add Chocolate Mix.
4. Grease and flour a jellyroll pan (with 1/2" sides). Pour batter on pan, spread evenly, and bake for 22-25 minutes until it passes toothpick test.
5. Once cake is out of the oven: melt butter, cocoa, and milk in a small sauce pan, on low. Take off heat, add vanilla and powdered sugar until desired consistency. Mix well.
6. Let cake cool for at least 10-15 minutes before you spread frosting on it. Sprinkle nuts quickly after spreading frosting, if desired.
*To make "buttermilk", combine 1/2 c milk with 1 tablespoon vinegar. Mix well and let sit for 5 minutes before adding to recipe.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

1/2 c butter
3/4 c brown sugar, packed tightly
1 can pineapple, sliced or crushed
cherries, pitted and halved (opt)
pecan halves (opt)
1-1/3 cups flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup melted butter
2/3 cup milk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350*.
2. Place butter in 9x9 pan and put it in the oven as it's preheating, to melt the butter.
3. Once the butter is melted, add brown sugar and mix well. Spread the butter-sugar mix evenly on bottom of pan.
4. Arrange pineapple, cherries, and pecans, in a single layer, however you want on top of butter-sugar mixture. Put aside.
5. Combine flour, sugar, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Add wet ingredients and mix well.
6. Spoon cake mixture into the pan and spread evenly.
7. Put in the oven and check after 30 minutes. If it passes the toothpick test, it's done.
8. Immediately invert cake onto serving dish, but leave the pan over the cake so that the brown sugar glaze can drip down on it. Serve warm or room temperature.

Cake Technique

My husband was out of town on Father's Day, so I spent it at a potluck with a friend and her extended family. One of the desserts served was a spice cake. I commented on how good it was and asked the girl who made it (I don't even know her name) if she made it from scratch and she said "No, it's a box mix with Diet Coke." Diet Coke? What do you mean? She replaced the oil, eggs, and water with Diet Coke and it turned out great!

So here's the deal:
Substitute a can (or cup and a half) of diet soda for the wet ingredients for a cake mix (I'm not sure it works too well with butter recipes) and it turns out just as good as normal, without the added fat and cholesterol of oil and eggs. Use darker sodas (Coke, Dr. Pepper, etc.) for darker cakes like chocolate and lighter sodas (Sprite, Fresca, etc.) for lighter cakes like yellow.

I made this lemon cake with Sprite Zero.

Black Forest Chocolate Cherry Cake

This is my Grams' delicious recipe.

Black Forest Chocolate Cherry Cake
Cake-
1 pkg. plain (or w/ pudding) devil's food cake mix
1 (21 oz.) can cherry pie filling
2 eggs
1 t pure almond extract
Glaze-
3/4 c sugar
1/4 c butter
1/4 c milk (whole or 2%)
3/4 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350* (place rack in center of oven).
2. Mix all cake ingredients on low speed for 1 minute and then on medium speed for 2 minutes.
3. Pour batter into lightly greased 9x13 pan and smooth out with spatula.
4. Bake for 30-35 minutes (until it passes toothpick test); remove from oven and set aside while you make the glaze.
5. Heat sugar, butter, and milk over medium-low heat until boiling, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute, continually stirring.
6. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips until melted and glaze is smooth; spread over warm cake.
7. Cool at least 20 minutes before serving.