Vanilla Babka
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 ½ Teaspoons Baking Powder
¾ Teaspoons Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
½ Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Unsalted Butter
1 ¼ Cups Sugar
3 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
4 Eggs
1 Cup Sour Cream
Powdered Sugar For Dusting
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Prepare a bundt pan and set aside. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and salt. Set aside. In a separate medium bowl beat the butter and 1 ½ cups sugar with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and beat in the vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time. With the mixer on low speed, alternate beating in the flour mixture and the sour cream. Beat only until mixed in. Bake for 40 minutes. Cover the top of the cake with aluminum foil. Continue baking for 20 minutes longer. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Carefully loosen the cake from the sides of the pan. Invert the cake onto a rack and cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar. Serves 12
Plum Cake With Clotted Cream Frosting
I created this cake when I had a bunch of plums staring me in the face and were on the brink of going bad. I hate wasting food so put this cake together and it turned out very nice. It is also great to eat for breakfast!
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
½ Cup Butter At Room Temperature
1 ¼ Cups Sugar
2 Eggs
¾ Cup Milk
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
6 Diced Plums
Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the sugar and continue beating until fluffy. Add the butter and continue to mix. Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Beat in the milk and vanilla. Fold in the diced plums. Pour the batter into a 13x9x2 inch baking pan. Bake in a preheated 350° F oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and completely cool. Frost with the Clotted Cream Frosting. Serves 10
Clotted Cream Frosting
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Unsalted Butter At Room Temperature
½ Cup Room Temperature Cream Cheese
6 Ounces Clotted Cream
2 Teaspoons Vanilla
2 Cups Powdered Sugar
Beat the butter, cream cheese and clotted cream until fluffy. Add the vanilla while continuing to beat. Gradually add the powdered sugar through a sifter. Beat well. Frost a cooled cake.
Lady Bird Johnson’s Lemon Bundt Cake
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Butter
1 2/3 Cups Sugar
10 Lightly Beaten Egg Yolks
3 ¼ Cups Unbleached Flour
4 Teaspoons Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Cup Milk
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 ½ Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Teaspoon Grated Lemon Peel
Powdered Sugar For Dusting
Preheat the oven to 325° F. Grease and flour the Bundt pan. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the beaten egg yolks until incorporated into the butter mixture. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Re-sift 3 times. Add to the butter mixture, alternating with the milk. Mix until incorporated. Add the vanilla, lemon juice and lemon peel. Beat for 2 minutes and bake for one hour. Remove from the oven and cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto a serving platter to complete the cooling process. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serves 10
German Chocolate Cake
INGEDIENTS
4 Ounces Chopped Sweet Baking Chocolate
1 ½ Cups Milk
1 Cup Butter
4 Eggs
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Salt
1 ¾ Cups Sugar
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Coconut Pecan Frosting
Combine chocolate and milk in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat until melted. Keep an eye on it and stir occasionally. Set aside to cool. Make sure that the eggs and butter sit at room temperature for a half an hour before using. Grease two 9×1 ½ inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper and set aside. In a medium bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350° F. In a large bowl beat the butter with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat after each addition. Beat for another minute. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Next add some of the flour mixture alternating with the chocolate mixture. Beat on the low speed while alternating the flour and chocolate mixtures. Do this until you have added all of the flour and chocolate. Pour the batter evenly into the two prepared pans. Bake for 35 minutes until done. Cool the cake layers in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove the cake layers and make sure to peel off the parchment paper. Cool thoroughly on the racks. Put on layer on a cake plate. Spread the coconut pecan frosting over the top the layer on the cake plate. Stack the second cake on top and spread the frosting on the top layer. Finish frosting. Serves 12
Coconut Pecan Frosting
INGREDIENTS
1 Egg
2/3 Cup Evaporated Milk
2/3 Cup Sugar
¼ Cup Butter
1 ½ Cups Flaked Coconut
½ Cup Chopped Pecans
In a medium sauce pan slightly beat the egg. Stir in the evaporated milk, sugar and butter. Cook and stir over a medium heat for 7 minutes until thickened and bubbly. Remove from the heat and stir in coconut and pecans. Cover and cool thoroughly before using the frosting to frost the cake.
Brandy Cake With Chocolate Frosting
I love this rich and decadent cake! It is easy to make and a nice treat for company and birthdays.
INGREDIENTS
3 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Softened Butter
5 Large Eggs
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
¼ Cup Brandy
1 Cup Buttermilk or Sour Milk
2 Cups Sugar
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease two 8×2 inch round cake pans or a bundt pan. Set aside. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, salt and baking soda. In a large bowl place the butter. With a mixer beat the butter for 3 minutes on medium high. The butter should be light and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for 1 minute. Add the eggs one at a time beating for 30 seconds after each addition. Stir the vanilla and brandy into the buttermilk. Reduce the mixer speed and add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk. Mix just until incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan or pans. Place the pan/pans in the oven on the center rack. Bake for 45 minutes until the cake is lightly brown on the top. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan/pans and let cool completely. Frost the middle layer (if using two pans), top and sides of the cake. Serves 10
Chocolate Frosting
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Softened Butter
8 Ounces Cream Cheese
½ Cup Cocoa Powder
2/3 Cup Powdered Sugar
1 Tablespoon Cream
2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
In a medium bowl beat the softened, but not melted, butter and cream cheese together. Add the vanilla extract and cream. Mix in the powdered sugar and powdered sugar. Beat until well combined and fluffy. Put into the refrigerator for an hour and then frost your cake.
French Lemon Pound Cake
Pound cake (“Quatre- Quarts” or Four Quarters) is a traditional and popular cake of the French region of Brittany that refers to a type of cake that was traditionally made with a pound of each of four ingredients: Flour, Butter, Eggs & Sugar. This French Lemon Pound Cake is delicious and makes a great after dinner dessert or snack.
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
¼ Teaspoon Baking Soda
¼ Teaspoon Salt
4 Large Lemons
2 Tablespoons Lemon Zest
½ Cup Softened Butter
1 ¾ Cups Sugar
4 Large Eggs
1 ½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
½ Cup Sour Cream
Preheat the oven to 325° F. Grease and flour a 9 x 5 loaf pan. In a medium bowl combine the flour and baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a small bowl grate 2 tablespoons lemon zest and squeeze 4 tablespoons of lemon juice. In a large bowl mix together 1 ½ cups of the sugar and butter with an electric mixer until light and creamy. Next add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in the lemon zest and vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and alternately add the flour mixture and sour cream. Begin and end with the flour mixture. Spoon the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 1 ½ hours until done. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan. In a small bowl mix the lemon juice with the remaining ¼ cup of sugar. Brush the mixture over the top and sides of the warm cake. Cool completely on the rack. Slice very thin to serve. Serves 8
Chocolate Root Beer Cake
I love this cake. You can taste the root beer, but it isn’t overpowering.
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
2 Cups Sugar
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
¼ Teaspoon Sea Salt
1 Cup Softened Butter
½ Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
2 Eggs
½ Cup Buttermilk or Sour Milk
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
6 Tablespoons Root Beer Extract
Preheat the oven to 350° F and grease a bundt cake pan. Set aside. In a medium bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt and set aside. In a medium saucepan combine the butter, cocoa powder and 1 cup of water. Bring the mixture just to boiling and stir constantly. Remove from the heat and add the cocoa mixture to the flour mixture and beat with an electric mixer until combined. Add the eggs, butter, milk, vanilla and root beer extract. Beat for another minute until the batter is thin. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt cake pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until done. You can either sprinkle with powdered sugar or frost with Chocolate Buttermilk Frosting. Serves 8
Chocolate Buttermilk Frosting
In a saucepan combine ¼ cup butter, 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder and 3 tablespoons of buttermilk. Bring to a boil and then remove from the heat. Add 2 ¼ cups powdered sugar and ½ teaspoon vanilla. Beat until smooth. Pour the warm frosting of the cake and spread evenly.
Victoria’s Garden Party Cake
This cake is so easy to make! People will think you spent all day in the kitchen.
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ Stick Butter (Room Temperature)
2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
2 Tablespoons Fresh Orange Juice
Zest of 1 Lemon
Zest of 1 Orange
2 Jumbo Eggs
2 Cups Flour
1 ½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
½ Teaspoon Salt
½ Cup Crème Fraiche
1 Cup Fresh Raspberries
2 Ripe Peaches (Pitted & Sliced In Half)
¼ Cup Fresh Raspberries For Serving
Whipped Cream For Serving
Preheat the oven to 375° F and grease a nonstick 9 inch sprinform pan. With a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the lemon & orange juices plus the zests and combine. With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time. Follow with the dry ingredients, but do not overmix. Add the crème fraiche and combine briefly. Scrape the sides so that all of the ingredients are incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the raspberries evenly around the cake. Set the peaches in the batter, in a circle, with the cut sides up. Place the pan on a sheet pan and bake in the center of the oven for 45 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes and remove the outer ring of the springform pan. Let the cake cool completely. Serve plain or with fresh berries and whipped cream. You can substitute blueberries for the peaches if you wish.
Serve 8
Lady Baltimore Cake
A Southern specialty that has many variations and often used as a favorite wedding cake. It is said to have originated in “The Lady Baltimore Tea Room” in Charleston, South Carolina, toward the end of the 19th century. It has been suggested that it is a variation of a cake that was favored by Dolley Madison (1768-1849), the wife of President James Madison. I love this recipe and find that it is extremely versatile.
INGREDIENTS
Cake:
2 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Butter
4 Separated Eggs
1 Cup Milk
3 Cups Unbleached Flour
4 Teaspoons Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Teaspoon Almond Extract
Frosting:
2 Egg Whites
1 ½ Cups Sugar
1/3 Cup Cold Water
½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Chopped Raisins
1 Cup Chopped Walnuts
12 Finely Cut Dried Figs
¼ Cup Candied Cherries
Cream together the sugar and butter. Add the egg yolks one at a time and mix. Alternately add the milk and the dry ingredients. Set aside. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold the beaten egg whites, vanilla and almond extract into the yolk mixture. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake in two 9 inch greased cake pans for 35 minutes until done. When done remove from the oven and cool cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then remove from pans and continue cooking. Prepare the frosting and spread between the cake layers as a filling and then spread the remaining frosting to ice the entire cake. Serves 8
To make the frosting: In a 3 quart saucepan over very low heat beat egg whites, sugar, water, vanilla and salt until stiff peaks form. You can use an electric hand mixer on medium speed to beat the egg whites. This should take about 15 minutes. Immediately remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the chopped raisins, chopped walnuts, dried figs and candied cherries. You can omit the cherries if you wish. 
Pastel Tres Leches
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Salt
6 Eggs
1 Cup Sugar
4 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
14 Ounces Sweetened Condensed Milk
12 Ounces Evaporated Milk
3 Cups Heavy Cream
2 Tablespoons Sugar
Optional Fresh Fruit
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a 9×3 inch spring form pan. In a medium bowl sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. In a separate medium bowl mix (with a mixer) the eggs and sugar together. Beat on high for 5 minutes. Reduce the speed and add the water and one teaspoon of the vanilla. Mix well. Gently fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Pour the batter into the spring form pan and bake for 35 to 45 minutes by placing the cake in the center of the oven. The cake should be firm in the center and starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Place a plate over the cake and turn upside down to remove the cake from the pan. Next gently place the cake right side up onto your serving dish.
To serve make sure your platter has a lip to hold in the milk. In a bowl, mix together the evaporated milk, the condensed milk, 1 cup of the heavy cream and 2 teaspoons of vanilla. Using a long tooth pick, ice pick or skewer, poke holes all over the cake. The holes will allow the cake to absorb more of the milk. Slowly pour or spoon the milk mixture all over the cake and allow it time to soak in before adding more milk. Refrigerate. When ready to serve the cake, place the 2 cups of whipping cream in a chilled mixing bowl and begin mixing on medium. Add one teaspoon of vanilla and sugar one tablespoon at a time. Beat on high until stiff peaks form. Spread the whipping cream generously on the top of the cake. Garnish with sliced fruit if you like. Serves 8
