Happy Cinco de Mayo! My daughter's playgroup had a party today, and I knew I wanted to take a tres leches cake. My BFF has talked about making this for years, so I had her send me her recipe. I was delighted to find out how incredibly easy it is.
You need:
1 box butter yellow cake mix, plus ingredients called for on mix (stick of butter, water, eggs)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 cans evaporated milk
1 pint light cream (although I didn't find light cream and ended up just getting whipping cream)
2/3 cup karo syrup
2/3 cup sugar
3 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
Step 1: Make the cake according to the package directions. Here's a tip about butter yellow mixes: mix the batter for as long as the box says (in my case, 4 minutes). It really does make a difference in the texture of the cake. Use a 9 x 13 baking pan, and allow to cool completely.
Step 2: When cake is cool, puncture all over with a fork. Combine the milks in a bowl, then slowly pour all over the cake. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours so that the milk really soaks in.
Step 3: Heat the karo syrup and sugar on medium-low heat until sugar is combined. While that's heating (stir occasionally), whip 3 egg whites until soft peaks form. When sugar is melted into Karo syrup, stir, add vanilla and stir to combine. SLOWLY pour the syrup mixture into your egg whites, beating them the entire time. When all of syrup has been combined with egg whites, you should have stiff peaks. Cover top of cake and refrigerate for another hour. OR, if you want, you could use whipped topping, but the meringue is really the way to go.
Serve with a spoon and enjoy! This is not low fat or low calorie, but it tastes REALLY good. :)
Showing posts with label cake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cake. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Cake Pops--first attempt
I'm sure most of you have seen bakerella's blog. If you haven't, you really should check it out. And she makes these adorable cake pops. I mean, seriously. Could they be any cuter? Well, maybe these could. Or these. Or these.
But anyway.
I was under no delusions that I'd end up making something like this. But I did think I could manage a round-ish cake pop with some green-tinted candy coating for a St. Patrick's Day party tomorrow.
I should point out that I don't generally use those candy melt things. If I did, I might have consulted someone with more knowledge in this area before trying this.
I think I did two things wrong:
1. I made the cake the "vegan" way, with a can of soda instead of eggs, oil, water, etc. I did this because someone at the party is allergic to eggs, and it's easy. But I think perhaps that changes the texture of the cake enough to make the balls too soft, even after a few hours in the freezer.
2. I had no clue what I was doing with the candy melts, so I was having to add shortening, etc. to fix the consistency. I expected to be able to dip and be done, but that is not the way this worked for me at all. It was too thick, and more than one cake pop lost it's "pop" because of it. In the end, I found that spreading on the candy coating worked best.
I got a few good ones,
and a few not-so-good ones.
They'll all taste fine. But I don't know if I'll do cake pops again. Cake balls, sure. Pops? We'll see.
But anyway.
I was under no delusions that I'd end up making something like this. But I did think I could manage a round-ish cake pop with some green-tinted candy coating for a St. Patrick's Day party tomorrow.
I should point out that I don't generally use those candy melt things. If I did, I might have consulted someone with more knowledge in this area before trying this.
I think I did two things wrong:
1. I made the cake the "vegan" way, with a can of soda instead of eggs, oil, water, etc. I did this because someone at the party is allergic to eggs, and it's easy. But I think perhaps that changes the texture of the cake enough to make the balls too soft, even after a few hours in the freezer.
2. I had no clue what I was doing with the candy melts, so I was having to add shortening, etc. to fix the consistency. I expected to be able to dip and be done, but that is not the way this worked for me at all. It was too thick, and more than one cake pop lost it's "pop" because of it. In the end, I found that spreading on the candy coating worked best.
I got a few good ones,
and a few not-so-good ones.
They'll all taste fine. But I don't know if I'll do cake pops again. Cake balls, sure. Pops? We'll see.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Christmas Treats: Cranberry Upside-Down Cake with Cognac Whipped Cream
A few years ago we hosted Christmas for the first time, and I served this cake.
It. was. A.MAZ.ING!!! It's best warm, so if possible, make it the day of, between dinner and dessert. I know that sounds like a pain, but I combined all the dry ingredients in a ziplock bag ahead of time, so all I had to do was mix it up and bake it, and it actually was not at all stressful.
And SOOOOO worth it!!
This only makes an 8-inch square cake, so if you're having large crowd, you may want to double it and make 2, or you could try making one in a 9 x 13 pan, but you'd probably have to adjust the cooking time.
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Cooking spray
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 (12-ounce) package fresh cranberries
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons butter, softened
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup fat-free milk
2 large egg whites
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon cognac
It. was. A.MAZ.ING!!! It's best warm, so if possible, make it the day of, between dinner and dessert. I know that sounds like a pain, but I combined all the dry ingredients in a ziplock bag ahead of time, so all I had to do was mix it up and bake it, and it actually was not at all stressful.
And SOOOOO worth it!!
This only makes an 8-inch square cake, so if you're having large crowd, you may want to double it and make 2, or you could try making one in a 9 x 13 pan, but you'd probably have to adjust the cooking time.
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Cooking spray
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 (12-ounce) package fresh cranberries
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons butter, softened
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup fat-free milk
2 large egg whites
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon cognac
Preheat oven to 350°.
Pour melted butter into an 8-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake at 350° for 2 minutes. Remove from oven, and top with pecans and cranberries.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; stir with whisk.
Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
Add flour mixture and milk alternately to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix after each addition. Beat the egg whites with a mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form using clean, dry beaters; fold into batter. This part is important--if you don't beat the eggs enough the cake will be too dense.
Spread batter over cranberries. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes on a wire rack. Loosen edges of cake with a sharp knife. Place a plate upside down on top of cake pan; invert onto plate.
Combine whipping cream and cognac in medium bowl and beat until whipped cream reaches the desired consistency. Serve with warm cake. Do NOT skip this part!!
The original recipe had people just combine cognac and frozen whipped topping, but I do not believe in this stuff. Real whipped cream is absolutely worth it, and pretty easy if you have a mixer.
I can't wait until Christmas so I can have this again!!
Christmas Treats: Pumpkin Cake Roll
I began making this delicious treat right after I got married. Both my grandmother and my husband's grandmother bought me subscriptions to Taste of Home magazine, and this was in one of them. It freezes really well, so it's easy to make ahead and just remove from the freezer whenever needed. (It will keep in the freezer up to 3 months!)
Cake:
3 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar, divided
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
Filling:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Additional confectioners' sugar, optional
Preheat oven to 375.
Line a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with waxed paper; grease the paper and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat egg yolks on high speed until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar and pumpkin, beating on high until sugar is almost dissolved.
In a small bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold into egg yolk mixture.
Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; gently fold into pumpkin mixture. Spread into prepared pan.
Bake at 375° for 12-15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.
Cool for 5 minutes.
Turn cake onto a clean kitchen towel dusted with confectioners’ sugar. Gently peel off waxed paper. Roll up cake in the towel jelly-roll style, starting with a short side (the towel will end up inside the cake--it's ok). Cool completely on a wire rack.
In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth.
Unroll cake; spread filling evenly to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up again. Before serving, dust with powdered sugar (optional, but it looks pretty).
You can eat this right away, or chill it in the fridge to eat later that day. OR you can freeze it.
Freezing instructions: Cover and freeze until firm. Remove from the freezer 15 minutes before cutting.
Cake:
3 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar, divided
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
Filling:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Additional confectioners' sugar, optional
Preheat oven to 375.
Line a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with waxed paper; grease the paper and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat egg yolks on high speed until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar and pumpkin, beating on high until sugar is almost dissolved.
In a small bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold into egg yolk mixture.
Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; gently fold into pumpkin mixture. Spread into prepared pan.
Bake at 375° for 12-15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.
Cool for 5 minutes.
Turn cake onto a clean kitchen towel dusted with confectioners’ sugar. Gently peel off waxed paper. Roll up cake in the towel jelly-roll style, starting with a short side (the towel will end up inside the cake--it's ok). Cool completely on a wire rack.
In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth.
Unroll cake; spread filling evenly to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up again. Before serving, dust with powdered sugar (optional, but it looks pretty).
You can eat this right away, or chill it in the fridge to eat later that day. OR you can freeze it.
Freezing instructions: Cover and freeze until firm. Remove from the freezer 15 minutes before cutting.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
from Simply Recipes
I was looking for recipes for zucchini bread and stumbled upon this. Since it involves chocolate, it sounded infinitely better than zucchini bread. As it turns out, I had enough zucchini for both this cake and muffins. The muffins were ok, but this cake--I still have half of it on my counter, but probably not for long. If you're in the area, come by for a slice!
2 1/2 cups regular all-purpose flour, unsifted (I used unbleached)
1/2 cup cocoa
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup soft butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp grated orange peel
2 cups coarsely shredded zucchini
1/2 cup milk
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional--I didn't put them in, but they'd be good)
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon, and set aside.
With a mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until they are smoothly blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With a spoon, stir in the vanilla, orange peel, and zucchini.
Alternately stir in the dry ingredients and the milk into the zucchini mixture, including the nuts with the last addition (if used).
Pour the batter into a greasead and flour-dusted 10-inch tube pan or bundt pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a wooden pick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
Combine all ingredients and beat until smooth.
Drizzle glaze over completely cooled cake. I do this when the cake is still on the wire rack, with a plate underneath to catch the drips.
Enjoy!
Everyone who has tried this has asked if it is healthy. I don't know that's the term I'd use--it's not low fat or low calorie--but I suppose it has more nutrients than a regular chocolate cake. If it helps you to call it healthy, then I go ahead and do so. :)
I was looking for recipes for zucchini bread and stumbled upon this. Since it involves chocolate, it sounded infinitely better than zucchini bread. As it turns out, I had enough zucchini for both this cake and muffins. The muffins were ok, but this cake--I still have half of it on my counter, but probably not for long. If you're in the area, come by for a slice!
2 1/2 cups regular all-purpose flour, unsifted (I used unbleached)
1/2 cup cocoa
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup soft butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp grated orange peel
2 cups coarsely shredded zucchini
1/2 cup milk
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional--I didn't put them in, but they'd be good)
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon, and set aside.
With a mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until they are smoothly blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With a spoon, stir in the vanilla, orange peel, and zucchini.
Alternately stir in the dry ingredients and the milk into the zucchini mixture, including the nuts with the last addition (if used).
Pour the batter into a greasead and flour-dusted 10-inch tube pan or bundt pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a wooden pick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
Combine all ingredients and beat until smooth.
Drizzle glaze over completely cooled cake. I do this when the cake is still on the wire rack, with a plate underneath to catch the drips.
Enjoy!
Everyone who has tried this has asked if it is healthy. I don't know that's the term I'd use--it's not low fat or low calorie--but I suppose it has more nutrients than a regular chocolate cake. If it helps you to call it healthy, then I go ahead and do so. :)
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Lemon Bundt Cake
The Big Geek's favorite flavor is lemon, so this year for Father's Day the little geek and I made this lemon bundt cake from The Best Light Recipe cookbook (the one I keep saying you should buy--did you get it yet??)
I had a hard time with this (possibly because of all my "help"). Things didn't quite get mixed as well as I'd have liked, and I accidentally added an extra 1/2 cup of sugar. I also couldn't get my egg whites to form stiff peaks. After two attempts, I just gave up, used what I had, and hoped for the best.
The result was a really dense cake with a somewhat inconsistent texture (which I expected because of the egg whites). The taste is good, though, if you like lemons, and the glaze is AWESOME. I will try this again sometime when I don't have so much "help."
Nonstick baking spray wiht flour
2 cups (12 oz) cake flour
2 cups (14 oz) sugar
1/4 cup finely grated zest from 4 lemons
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
3 large eggs, yolks and whites separated
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
pinch cream of tartar
2 Tbsp juice from 1 lemon
Lemon Glaze (recipe follows)
Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray the inside of a standard 12-cup bundt pan with the nonstick baking spray.
Whisk the flour, 1 1/2 cups (NOT ALL) of the sugar, lemon zest, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in a large bowl. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk the room temperature milk, eg yolks, oil, melted and cooled butter, and vanilla together.
In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer on low speed until just broken up and foamy. Ad the cream of tartar and increse the speed to medium-high. Continue to beat, adding the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 1 Tbsp at a time, until all the sugar is added and the whites are shiny and form stiff peaks.
Slowly whisk the milk mixture and lemon juice into the flour mixture until smooth. Fold 1/3 (NOT ALL) of the beaten egg whites into teh batter until combined, smearing any stubborn pockets of egg white against the side of the bowl. Gently fold the remaining egg whites into the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and smooth the top. Wipe any drops of batter off the sides of the pan. Bake until deep golden brown and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 40-45 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking (oops--just realized I didn't do that). Do not overbake.
Transfer cake to a wire rack and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto the rack and cool completely, 1-2 hours. When cool, dust with confectioner's sugar (if using), or drizzle with glaze and let glaze set about 15 minutes before serving.
Lemon Glaze:
1 cup (4 oz) confectioners' sugar
5 tsp juice from 1 lemon
1 Tbsp grated zest from 1 lemon
pinch salt
Whisk all ingredients together in a mediu bowl. Drizzle the cake with the glaze and let set for 15 min. before serving.
I glazed my cake on the cooling rack, but put a plate underneat it to catch the glaze drips. Then I just kept "recycling" the glaze until it was mostly gone.
After that, if you want, you could just lick the extra glaze off that plate. Or just wash the plate. You know, whatever.
I'm sure I'll make this again, if for no other reason than to prove to myself that I CAN get it right. But really, the cake tastes good, I just need to get the texture right. And the glaze is AWESOME.
I had a hard time with this (possibly because of all my "help"). Things didn't quite get mixed as well as I'd have liked, and I accidentally added an extra 1/2 cup of sugar. I also couldn't get my egg whites to form stiff peaks. After two attempts, I just gave up, used what I had, and hoped for the best.
The result was a really dense cake with a somewhat inconsistent texture (which I expected because of the egg whites). The taste is good, though, if you like lemons, and the glaze is AWESOME. I will try this again sometime when I don't have so much "help."
Nonstick baking spray wiht flour
2 cups (12 oz) cake flour
2 cups (14 oz) sugar
1/4 cup finely grated zest from 4 lemons
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
3 large eggs, yolks and whites separated
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
pinch cream of tartar
2 Tbsp juice from 1 lemon
Lemon Glaze (recipe follows)
Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray the inside of a standard 12-cup bundt pan with the nonstick baking spray.
Whisk the flour, 1 1/2 cups (NOT ALL) of the sugar, lemon zest, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in a large bowl. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk the room temperature milk, eg yolks, oil, melted and cooled butter, and vanilla together.
In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer on low speed until just broken up and foamy. Ad the cream of tartar and increse the speed to medium-high. Continue to beat, adding the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 1 Tbsp at a time, until all the sugar is added and the whites are shiny and form stiff peaks.
Slowly whisk the milk mixture and lemon juice into the flour mixture until smooth. Fold 1/3 (NOT ALL) of the beaten egg whites into teh batter until combined, smearing any stubborn pockets of egg white against the side of the bowl. Gently fold the remaining egg whites into the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and smooth the top. Wipe any drops of batter off the sides of the pan. Bake until deep golden brown and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 40-45 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking (oops--just realized I didn't do that). Do not overbake.
Transfer cake to a wire rack and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto the rack and cool completely, 1-2 hours. When cool, dust with confectioner's sugar (if using), or drizzle with glaze and let glaze set about 15 minutes before serving.
Lemon Glaze:
1 cup (4 oz) confectioners' sugar
5 tsp juice from 1 lemon
1 Tbsp grated zest from 1 lemon
pinch salt
Whisk all ingredients together in a mediu bowl. Drizzle the cake with the glaze and let set for 15 min. before serving.
I glazed my cake on the cooling rack, but put a plate underneat it to catch the glaze drips. Then I just kept "recycling" the glaze until it was mostly gone.
After that, if you want, you could just lick the extra glaze off that plate. Or just wash the plate. You know, whatever.
I'm sure I'll make this again, if for no other reason than to prove to myself that I CAN get it right. But really, the cake tastes good, I just need to get the texture right. And the glaze is AWESOME.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Antipasto Salad and--BUNNY CAKE!
Had some friends over today to color Easter eggs, and wanted an easy lunch, so I bought some hot dogs and threw together a pasta salad. It was based loosely on a recipe from Taste of Home.
1 package penne pasta, cooked (spirals would have been better, but I wanted to use up some of my excess pasta)
1 small jar quartered marinated artichoke hearts
1 green pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
bunch of cherry tomatoes, halved (I just kept putting them in until I thought I had enough)
about 4 oz provolone cheese, cubed
about half a can of black olives, halved
about 1 lb low-fat salami, chopped
dressing:
1 1/2 cups olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
about 2 Tbsp fresh oregano, chopped (or 1 dried)
1 tsp salt
Combine all ingredients in large bowl. In small bowl, combine dressing ingredients. Pour dressing on pasta mixture and toss to coat.
I took out some of the pasta salad before adding the salami as one of our friends is Muslim and doesn't eat pork. But after she went home I threw it all back together. :) I know, I know, our Muslim friend came over to decorate eggs. It's a multi-cultural world, my friends.
Also, the original recipe called for chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), but I couldn't seem to find any at Safeway and I didn't have any at home (I could have sworn I did). It also called for pepperoni in addition to the salami, but they didn't have turkey pepperoni at Safeway and do you know how much fat is in that stuff?
It was good, and will be even better tomorrow. I may eat some for dinner, too.
Then after naptime, the geeks and I made a bunny cake.
Here's what you do:
1. Make a cake in 2 round pans. Whatever kind you like. Mine is carrot.
2. After they cool, cut one of the rounds to make the ears and a bow tie. It kind of looks like this when you cut it: ()() Ok, imagine those parenthesis are part of a big circle. If you google "bunny cake" you can find pictures.
3. Cover a cookie sheet or tray or something (piece of cardboard?) with foil and place the cake so that it makes a bunny with a bowtie shape.
4. Frost with white frosting. Since my cake is carrot, my frosting is cream cheese. I do not suggest using the low-fat cream cheese to make cream cheese frosting. It's kind of thin. But we survived.
5. Decorate. We put coconut on the bunny to give him "fur" and used candy and some pink decorator icing for the rest. Tint some coconut green by putting it in a ziplock bag with a few drops of green food coloring and shaking.
6. Admire your bunny cake!
1 package penne pasta, cooked (spirals would have been better, but I wanted to use up some of my excess pasta)
1 small jar quartered marinated artichoke hearts
1 green pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
bunch of cherry tomatoes, halved (I just kept putting them in until I thought I had enough)
about 4 oz provolone cheese, cubed
about half a can of black olives, halved
about 1 lb low-fat salami, chopped
dressing:
1 1/2 cups olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
about 2 Tbsp fresh oregano, chopped (or 1 dried)
1 tsp salt
Combine all ingredients in large bowl. In small bowl, combine dressing ingredients. Pour dressing on pasta mixture and toss to coat.
I took out some of the pasta salad before adding the salami as one of our friends is Muslim and doesn't eat pork. But after she went home I threw it all back together. :) I know, I know, our Muslim friend came over to decorate eggs. It's a multi-cultural world, my friends.
Also, the original recipe called for chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), but I couldn't seem to find any at Safeway and I didn't have any at home (I could have sworn I did). It also called for pepperoni in addition to the salami, but they didn't have turkey pepperoni at Safeway and do you know how much fat is in that stuff?
It was good, and will be even better tomorrow. I may eat some for dinner, too.
Then after naptime, the geeks and I made a bunny cake.
Here's what you do:
1. Make a cake in 2 round pans. Whatever kind you like. Mine is carrot.
2. After they cool, cut one of the rounds to make the ears and a bow tie. It kind of looks like this when you cut it: ()() Ok, imagine those parenthesis are part of a big circle. If you google "bunny cake" you can find pictures.
3. Cover a cookie sheet or tray or something (piece of cardboard?) with foil and place the cake so that it makes a bunny with a bowtie shape.
4. Frost with white frosting. Since my cake is carrot, my frosting is cream cheese. I do not suggest using the low-fat cream cheese to make cream cheese frosting. It's kind of thin. But we survived.
5. Decorate. We put coconut on the bunny to give him "fur" and used candy and some pink decorator icing for the rest. Tint some coconut green by putting it in a ziplock bag with a few drops of green food coloring and shaking.
6. Admire your bunny cake!
Friday, April 3, 2009
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
I had a can of sliced pineapple. I had a box of yellow cake mix. I had a craving.
This was the result.
1 box yellow or white cake mix (plus ingredients called for in the mix)
1 can sliced pineapple (reserve the juice)
sliced maraschino cherries (if you have them)
1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
Grease 9x13 pan with cooking spray (at least the sides). Slice butter and place in bottom of pan. While oven is pre-heating to 375, put pan in oven to melt butter.
In the meantime, make cake mix according to directions, using reserved pineapple juice in place of water (add water to the reserved juice if it's not enough). My box called for 1 cup of water, and I had just-almost-but-not-quite a cup of juice from the can of pineapple, so I didn't have to add much.
When butter is melted, remove pan from oven. Sprinkle brown sugar in bottom of pan (into butter). Place pineapple slices on top of brown sugar. If you have cherries (obviously I did not), place one in the middle of each pineapple slice. Pour cake batter evenly over slices.
Bake at 375 for 35-50 minutes or until done (check with a toothpick).
Place on rack and cool pan for 10 minutes. Run a small spatula or knife between edge of cake and pan.
Place a baking sheet over the top of the pan. Hold it in place and flip the pan upside-down.
Gently tap the bottom of the pan, then lift off.
Enjoy!
This was the result.
1 box yellow or white cake mix (plus ingredients called for in the mix)
1 can sliced pineapple (reserve the juice)
sliced maraschino cherries (if you have them)
1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
Grease 9x13 pan with cooking spray (at least the sides). Slice butter and place in bottom of pan. While oven is pre-heating to 375, put pan in oven to melt butter.
In the meantime, make cake mix according to directions, using reserved pineapple juice in place of water (add water to the reserved juice if it's not enough). My box called for 1 cup of water, and I had just-almost-but-not-quite a cup of juice from the can of pineapple, so I didn't have to add much.
When butter is melted, remove pan from oven. Sprinkle brown sugar in bottom of pan (into butter). Place pineapple slices on top of brown sugar. If you have cherries (obviously I did not), place one in the middle of each pineapple slice. Pour cake batter evenly over slices.
Bake at 375 for 35-50 minutes or until done (check with a toothpick).
Place on rack and cool pan for 10 minutes. Run a small spatula or knife between edge of cake and pan.
Place a baking sheet over the top of the pan. Hold it in place and flip the pan upside-down.
Gently tap the bottom of the pan, then lift off.
Enjoy!
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Maple Pumpkin Sheet Cake
Adapted from Taste of Home's Maple Pumpkin Torte
I had part of a can of pumpkin left over from some muffins I made last week, and I needed to use it up. This recipe was appealing, but I was too lazy to make the layers (plus I only have 2 rounds and this needs 3), so I adapted it to be a sheet cake. I'd do the layers for a special occasion, but just to have around the house a sheet cake is easier to make and to store.
1 package white cake mix
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup water
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
4 Tbsp brown sugar
2 cups white or vanilla chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Spray 9x13 cake pan with cooking spray. Heat oven to 350.
In large bowl, combine cake mix, flour, cinnamon, water, pumpkin, oil, eggs, and brown sugar. Beat well. Stir in white chips and chopped pecans. Pour into prepared pan and bake 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
Remove and cool completely. You can eat it like this (it is good enough), but why not add more sugar?
Frosting:
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup milk (or 1/4 cup milk plus 1/4 cup brewed coffee)
1 tsp maple flavoring
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Mix butter through vanilla. Tweak amounts of sugar/milk/coffee to taste. Frost completely cooled cake. Sprinkle with chopped pecans if desired.
The frosting turned out a little "wet" for my taste, and tasted a bit too much like butter. Basically, you could take your favorite buttercream frosting recipe and add some maple flavoring (and maybe a little coffee) to it and you'd have the same thing.
In the original torte, only the middle layer had pecans and white chips.
Overall, this is a yummy way to use up leftover canned pumpkin. For an everyday "snack" cake, I'd skip the frosting (but then it's really just a pumpkin white chocolate chip cake).
I had part of a can of pumpkin left over from some muffins I made last week, and I needed to use it up. This recipe was appealing, but I was too lazy to make the layers (plus I only have 2 rounds and this needs 3), so I adapted it to be a sheet cake. I'd do the layers for a special occasion, but just to have around the house a sheet cake is easier to make and to store.
1 package white cake mix
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup water
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
4 Tbsp brown sugar
2 cups white or vanilla chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Spray 9x13 cake pan with cooking spray. Heat oven to 350.
In large bowl, combine cake mix, flour, cinnamon, water, pumpkin, oil, eggs, and brown sugar. Beat well. Stir in white chips and chopped pecans. Pour into prepared pan and bake 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
Remove and cool completely. You can eat it like this (it is good enough), but why not add more sugar?
Frosting:
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup milk (or 1/4 cup milk plus 1/4 cup brewed coffee)
1 tsp maple flavoring
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Mix butter through vanilla. Tweak amounts of sugar/milk/coffee to taste. Frost completely cooled cake. Sprinkle with chopped pecans if desired.
The frosting turned out a little "wet" for my taste, and tasted a bit too much like butter. Basically, you could take your favorite buttercream frosting recipe and add some maple flavoring (and maybe a little coffee) to it and you'd have the same thing.
In the original torte, only the middle layer had pecans and white chips.
Overall, this is a yummy way to use up leftover canned pumpkin. For an everyday "snack" cake, I'd skip the frosting (but then it's really just a pumpkin white chocolate chip cake).
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