Busy Day Cake
Everyone needs to have my Busy Day Cake recipe at their fingertips. It’s great to have in a pinch. Top it off with whipped cream and berries or top it with your favorite ice cream or drizzle with honey, chocolate or caramel sauce. Any of these toppings will make this cake a special-day treat.
INGREDIENTS
1 1/3Cups Unbleached Flour
2/3 Cup Sugar
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
2/3 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup Softened Butter
2 Eggs
2 Teaspoons Vanilla
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Grease and flour an 8×1 1/2 inch round cake pan and set aside. In a large size bowl, combine the flour, sugar and baking powder. Add the milk, butter, eggs and vanilla. Beat on a low speed with an electric mixer until combined. Beat for another minute on medium speed, but don’t over beat. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes until done. When you insert a wooden toothpick near the center is should come out clean. When done remove from the oven and cool in the pan, on a wire rack, for 10 minutes. Loosen the sides of the cake and invert onto a cake plate. Cool for 20 to 30 minutes. Serve warm with berries & whipped cream, ice cream or honey or caramel sauce. Serves 8
Raspberries, Peaches & Plums OH MY
Stone fruits are now at their juiciest and most fragrant. And who can resist raspberries?! Celebrate them in this sweet and delicious cake.
INGREDIENTS
5 Large Peeled & Sliced Peaches
4 Sliced Plums
1 Cup Raspberries
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Cup Softened Butter
1 1/2 Cup Sugar
3 Eggs
3/4 Cup Milk
1 Tablespoon Vanilla
Preheat your oven to 350° F. In a large bowl combine the sliced peaches and plums. Keep the raspberries separate. In a medium size bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate large bowl combine the softened butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Begin by beating in half of the flour mixture. Alternate with beating in half of the milk. Add the rest of the flour and beat for 20 seconds. Finish with beating in the rest of the milk and beat for 30 seconds. Scrap the sides of the bowl to incorporate any remaining flour. Prepare a large glass or ceramic baking pan by greasing. Pour the batter into the baking pan. Scatter the peaches, plums and raspberries on top of the batter. The fruit will sink in a bit. Bake on the middle oven rack for 50 minutes. Check to see if the cake is done by inserting a toothpick. If you need to bake a bit longer go ahead, but make sure not to overcook this cake. Remove from the oven and let cool. You can frost this cake if you wish, but I think that it can stand on its own. Slice and serve. Serves 10
Victoria’s Chocolate Cake
I have a real hankering for good old fashioned chocolate cake. It doesn’t take long to make and is super yummy. Everyone will be singing your praises if you decide to give this recipe a spin.
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 Cups Unbleached Flour
3 Tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 Cup Sugar
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
3/4 Cup Buttermilk (you can use sour milk)
3/4 cup Melted Butter
3 Eggs
Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9 inch cake pan and set aside. Sift the flour and then mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl. Melt butter and add to dry ingredients. Next add eggs and buttermilk to dry ingredients. Mix everything together until smooth with an electric mixer. Pour into pan and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until wooden toothpick comes out clean. When done remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. After the cake has cooled, slice cake in half to make 2 layers. It is easier to slice if the cake has been refrigerated for a couple of hours. Frost with Chocolate Butter Frosting. Use 1/3 of the frosting between the two layers, 1/3 on top and the rest around the cake. Victoria's Chocolate Cake should be served at room temperature. Serves 12
**To Make Sour Milk: 3/4 cup of milk and add either two tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice. Let sit for five to ten minutes
Chocolate Butter Frosting
3/4 Cup Softened Butter (1 1/2 Sticks)
2 Cups Confectioners’ Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
4 Squares (4 ounces) Semisweet Chocolate – Melted & Cooled
2 Squares (2 ounces) Unsweetened Chocolate – Melted & Cooled
In a large bowl, with a mixer at low speed, combine butter, vanilla and confectioners’ sugar. Mix until almost combined. Next add the semisweet and unsweetened chocolates. Increase the speed to high, beat frosting until light and fluffy which should be for about one minute. Makes about 2 1/2 cups
Super Moist Chocolate Layer Cake
INGREDIENTS
1/2 Cup Softened Butter
2 Cups Sugar
5 Eggs (Room Temperature)
3 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
4 Squares (1 Ounce Each) Melted & Cooled Unsweetened Chocolate
2 1/2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
1 Teaspoons Kosher Salt
1 1/2 Cups Buttermilk or Sour Milk
Preheat your oven to 325° F. In a large size bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. Stir in the vanilla extract. Add the melted chocolate. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Add alternately to the batter along with the buttermilk. Grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans. Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Place in the oven and cook for 40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes in the pans. Remove from the pans and cool completely before frosting.
Chocolate Frosting:
1 Cup Softened Butter (2 Sticks)
8 Ounces Softened Cream Cheese
2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
3 Cups Powdered Sugar
2 Tablespoons Milk or Cream
3 Squares (1 Ounce Each) Melted & Cooled Unsweetened Chocolate
In a large size bowl combine the butter, cream cheese and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and beat at a low speed. Stir in the milk and melted chocolate. Beat until fluffy. Place one cake layer on a cake plate. Spread a thick layer of frosting. Place the second layer on top of the frosting and frost the top layer and sides. Serves 10
Blueberry Breakfast Cake
Some would call this a coffee cake, but I like to call it a Breakfast Cake. It really is very easy to make and all you need it a Bundt type pan. If you don’t have a Bundt pan than improvise. I’ve been known to bake in all sorts of things like French Jam Jars. You can use fresh or frozen blueberries.
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
3 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
3/4 Cup Softened Butter
1 Cup Sugar
3 Room Temperature Eggs
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
3/4 Cup Buttermilk or Sour Milk
1 Pint Blueberries
Preheat your oven to 350° F. In a large mixing bowl beat the eggs and sugar. Add the melted butter and continue mixing. Add the Vanilla and mix a bit more. In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the egg mixture ending with the flour mixture. Finally, add the blueberries and stir to combine. Pour into a prepared Bundt cake pan (grease and flour) and place on the middle rack of the oven for 50 minutes until the cake is golden brown. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Turn the cake out onto a cake plate and let cool completely before cutting into slices. You don’t want the cake to fall apart. Serve for breakfast or brunch. Serves 8
*Note: To Make Sour Milk Add 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice To Milk And Let Stand For 5 Minutes. The Lemon Juice Will Curdle The Milk.
Cream Cheese Pound Cake
This cake is moist, tender, golden brown and very velvety. It has all the richness and pure buttery flavor of classic pound cake, but with a delicate tang.
INGREDIENTS
3 Cups Cake Flour
1 Teaspoon Salt
4 Large Room Temperature Eggs
2 Room Temperature Egg Yolks
1/4 Cup Milk
3 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
3 Cups Sugar
24 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter (3 Sticks)
6 Ounces Softened Cream Cheese
Before you turn on the oven adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Preheat your oven to 300° F. Grease and flour 12 cup nonstick Bundt pan. In a medium size bowl, combine the flour and salt. In a 2 cup liquid measuring cup whisk the eggs, 2 yolks, milk and vanilla. In a separate large size bowl, beat together (by hand or with an electric mixer) the sugar, butter and cream cheese for 3 minutes until fluffy. Reduce the speed to low and very slowly add the egg mixture until incorporated. The batter may look slightly curdled. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Give the batter a final stir by hand. Scrap the batter into a prepared pan and gently tap the pan on the counter to release air bubbles. Bake for 80 to 90 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through baking. Remove from the oven and cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and cool completely, for about 2 hours. Serve plain or topped with frosting or fruit. Serves 12
Ciambellone
Ciambellone or Italian Easter Bread is a ring shaped cake is lightly sweetened and flavored with lemon zest and sometimes dried fruit. Romans like to serve it for Easter breakfast.
INGREDIENTS
4 Cups Unbleached Flour
2 Eggs
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
½ Cup Sugar
½ Cup Milk
¼ Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest
½ Cup Softened Butter
½ Tablespoon Baking Powder
1 Egg
Powdered Sugar For Dusting
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Place the flour on your work surface creating a well in the center. Alternating, add the dry and wet ingredients to the well. After each ingredient is added mix well with your fingers or a fork. Add more flour if needed to make the dough workable. Knead the dough until it is smooth. Shape the dough into a ring. Beat the egg lightly with water. Brush the top of the ring with the egg wash. Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes until golden brown. If you want your ring to be perfectly uniform then you can use a springform pan with the center insert. This will allow you to have a picture perfect ciambellone. Dust the ciambellone with powdered sugar or you could use colored sugar as a topping. Serves 8
Coconut Cake
This week is Easter and coconut cake is on my mind. I wanted to make a cake that is a bit more traditional. Enjoy this time with family and friends and have a Happy Easter.
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ Cup Unbleached Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
¾ Teaspoon Salt
½ Cup Softened Butter
1 Cup Sugar
2 eggs
2/3 Cup Milk
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
2/3 Cup Coconut
Additional Coconut For Garnish
Cream Cheese Frosting
Preheat your oven to 350° F. In a large bowl cream together the butter and the sugar. Add the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla. Next add the dry ingredients alternating with the milk. Mix well. Add the coconut. Pour the batter into two prepared 8 inch round cake pans. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool in the pans, on wire racks, for 15 minutes. Remove from the cake pans and cool completely. Frost and top with more coconut.
Cream Cheese Frosting
8 Ounces Softened Cream Cheese
½ Cup Softened Butter
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 Cups Powdered Sugar
In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and butter on medium just until blended. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. With the speed on low, add the powdered sugar in 4 batches and beat until smooth between each addition. Place the frosting in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes before using.
Spiced Pound Cake
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Butter
1 ½ Teaspoons Ground Nutmeg, Mace or Cinnamon
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 2/3 Cups Sugar
5 Eggs
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
Have all the ingredients at room temperature. Soften the butter and add the spice of your choice and the salt. Beat for 4 minutes with an electric beater or 8 minutes by hand. Gradually blend in the sugar until fluffy, beating 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Finally, beat in the flour. Turn the mixture into a well greased and lightly floured bundt pan or 9×3 ½ inch tube cake pan. Preheat your oven to 350°. Place in the oven and bake for 50 minutes or until toothpick comes out cleans. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Turn out on a wire rack to finish cooling. Serves 8
Cream Cheese Pound Cake
This cake is moist, tender, golden brown and very velvety. It has all the richness and pure buttery flavor of classic pound cake, but with a delicate tang.
INGREDIENTS
3 Cups Cake Flour
1 Teaspoon Salt
4 Large Room Temperature Eggs
2 Room Temperature Egg Yolks
¼ Cup Milk
3 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
3 Cups Sugar
24 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter (3 Sticks)
6 Ounces Softened Cream Cheese
Before you turn on the oven adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Preheat your oven to 300° F. Grease and flour 12 cup nonstick Bundt pan. In a medium size bowl, combine the flour and salt. In a 2 cup liquid measuring cup whisk the eggs, 2 yolks, milk and vanilla. In a separate large size bowl, beat together (by hand or with an electric mixer) the sugar, butter and cream cheese for 3 minutes until fluffy. Reduce the speed to low and very slowly add the egg mixture until incorporated. The batter may look slightly curdled. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Give the batter a final stir by hand. Scrap the batter into a prepared pan and gently tap the pan on the counter to release air bubbles. Bake for 80 to 90 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through baking. Remove from the oven and cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and cool completely, for about 2 hours. Serve plain or topped with frosting or fruit. Serves 12
