Tasty French Apple Cake, from Gael

Tasty French Apple Cake, from Gael

From this Web site. They adapted from "The Apple Lady Apple Cake in the Paris Cookbook" by Patricia Wells

CAKE
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/3 cup 1% or 2% milk
3 - 4 large apples, cored,peeled,and cut into thin wedges — she used 2 Gala and 1 Pacific Rose apple

TOPPING
1/3 packed brown sugar

1 large egg, lightly beaten

3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup roughly chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and set it aside. A regular 9-inch cake pan worked for me. I buttered and floured well (actually, I used Pam for baking!) and I had no problem getting the cake out. You’ll just need to flip upside-down onto a plate and then flip again onto another plate to get the right side up. More on that later…

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir to blend. Add the vanilla extract, eggs, oil, and milk, and stir until well blended.

Add the apples and stir to thoroughly coat them with the batter. Your bowl will contain mostly apples, covered with a bit of batter.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake pan. Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake until fairly firm and golden, about 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the topping: In a small bowl, combine the sugar, egg, and melted butter, and stir to blend. Set it aside.

Remove the cake from the oven and turn the oven down to 350 degrees F. Pour the topping mixture over the cake and sprinkle with the walnuts.

Return the cake to the oven and bake until the top is a deep golden brown and the cake feels quite firm when pressed with a fingertip, about 15 minutes. After 10 minutes take a peek and make sure the brown sugar is not burning.

Mine was fine, but I was a little worried. Also, make sure you are baking the cake in the lower-middle of the oven and not a rack near the very top of the oven. Transfer the cake pan to a rack and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Then run a knife around the sides of the pan, and release and remove the springform side, leaving the cake on the pan base. Or, after running the knife along the edges, put a plate over the top of the cake and flip onto the plate. The cake will be upside down. Take another plate and put that on top of the cake and flip again. The cake should now be right-side up on the 2nd plate.

Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into thin wedges. Very good with a little vanilla frozen yogurt on top while still warm!

Chocolate Stout Cake , from Gael

Chocolate Stout Cake , from Gael

adapted from Bon Appétit, September 2002

Cake
2 cups Guinness stout
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
4 cups all purpose flour
4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cups sour cream or plain/vanilla yogurt

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Butter (or spray) three 8-inch round cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line with parchment paper. Butter (or spray) paper.

Bring 2 cups stout and 2 cups butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. keep an eye on it, it will foam up. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Let this mixture cool while you do the next steps.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in large bowl (not your mixer bowl, though) to blend, set aside.

Using electric mixer with the whip attachment, beat eggs and sour cream in the mixer's bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined.

Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Transfer cakes to rack; cool 10 minutes.Turn cakes out onto rack and cool completely.

This obviously makes a large 3 layer cake, but you can just bake 2 layers and make cupcakes with the rest of the batter.

Fudge Icing:
4 ounces butter
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 pound confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

In another saucepan, over medium heat, combine the butter and milk. Bring to a boil.

SIFT the confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder into a large bowl. Add the butter mixture and whisk/beat very well. Add the vanilla and finish mixing.

Let stand at room temp, stirring occasionally, until it reaches your desired consistency for frosting or piping.

Texas Sheet Cake, from Gael

Texas Sheet Cake, from Gael

I have never had Texas Sheet Cake, but it is supposed to be awesome. Found it on a Web site that claims "It is absolutely, without a doubt, The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever. It’s moist beyond imagination, chocolatey and rich like no tomorrow, and 100% of the time, causes moans and groans from anyone who takes a bite. "

The Web site offers photos of each step of the recipe, Couldn't be simpler!

Combine in a mixing bowl:

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

In a saucepan, melt: 2 sticks butter

Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa. Stir together. Add 1 cup boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In measuring cup, pour 1/2 cup buttermilk.*

Add:2 beaten eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan (like cookie sheet, but with sides) and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make icing:

Chop 1/2 cup pecans finely.

Melt 1 3/4 sticks butter in a saucepan.

Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat.

Add: 6 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 lb minus 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Stir together.

Add pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.

*I usually don’t have buttermilk in the fridge when I want to make this cake, so here’s what I do: pour just under 1/2 cup regular milk into the measuring cup, then add enough regular vinegar to the milk to bring the quantity up to 1/2 cup. Within seconds, it turns into buttermilk and works perfectly. Try it sometime!

New York Cheesecake, from Gael

New York Cheesecake, from Gael

My co-worker Anna made this for our co-worker Linda's birthday in February 2009. I like it because it's not too sweet and almost has a little lemony tang to it. You'll need a springform pan.

INGREDIENTS
15 graham crackers, crushed

2 tablespoons butter, melted

4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese

1 1/2 cups white sugar

3/4 cup milk

4 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch springform pan.

In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter. Press onto bottom of springform pan.

In a large bowl, mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Blend in milk, and then mix in the eggs one at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate. Mix in sour cream, vanilla and flour until smooth.

Pour filling into prepared crust. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven off, and let cake cool in oven with the door closed for 5 to 6 hours; this prevents cracking.

Chill in refrigerator until serving.

Oatmeal Cake with Broiled Coconut Frosting, from Gael

Oatmeal Cake with Broiled Coconut Frosting, from Gael

Got this from a woman named Ann Filhart on my e-mail book list. She says, "Not exactly healthy, since whenever I plan to make it I always think, 'buy a pound of butter', but delicious."

For CAKE:
13 x 9 pan, 350 degrees, 30 min.

Pour 1 & ½ cups boiling water into a glass bowl. Add 1 cup quick oats (you can also use old-fashioned, but the texture is different) Mix and let stand 20 min.

Cream ½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar

Beat 2 eggs until foaming and combine with the creamy mixture

In a separate bowl, mix:

1 & ½ cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt

Add to creamed mixture along with

1 tsp vanilla

Mix, then add oatmeal, mix again, and pour into greased pan.

BROILED COCONUT FROSTING
While cake is baking,
Mix in a saucepan on the stove:

1 & ½ sticks of butter
1 & ½ cups of brown sugar
1 & ½ cups of coconut
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup of chopped nuts (optional) but really tasty

As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, spread the unbelievably delicious mess on top of it, and put it under the broiler until bubbly. Keep a close eye on it – it can go from perfect to burnt in a short time!

Enjoy – this cake is even better the second day.

Muppet cupcakes, or Mupcakes, from Gael

Muppet cupcakes, or Mupcakes, from Gael

First, make a batch of regular chocolate cupcakes. Make sure they cool completely! Overnight is good.

Take a carton of white frosting. Save a small amount plain white to help attach the eyes. Divide the rest into four bowls (if you're making all four colors). Use food coloring to dye it blue (Cookie Monster), green (Oscar the Grouch), red (Elmo) and yellow (Big Bird).

Take a package of sweetened flaked coconut. Divide it into four Ziploc bags. Dab some of the food coloring into each bag, zip up each bag, and smush it around until the dye colors the coconut.

Frost cupcakes lightly with colors. Sprinkle with the colored coconut to match the frosting. We did this by putting a couple cupcakes on a paper plate, sprinkling the coconut, and sliding the excess back into the bag to use again, because lots will fall off. Gently use your hand to press down the coconut so it sticks in the frosting.

To make eyes: Buy white chocolate candy discs, available in cake decorating stores, Michael's, and some grocery stores. Use a little bit of that white frosting you saved and stick chocolate chips on as the pupils. They stick best if you cut off the swirly tips of the choco chips. The eyes stick best if you cut tiny slits in the cupcakes and then rest the eyes in there.

For COOKIE MONSTER: Cut a slit for a mouth. Take a small Chips Ahoy, cut it in half, and insert as if he is eating it.

For OSCAR. Cut a slant on the top of the eyes to make them look angry. Use chocolate licorice (chocolate brown Twizzlers) for eyebrows, and red Fruit Roll-Ups for tongues.

For ELMO. Use either an orange peanut M&M or one of those orange Mello Creme candy pumpkins (turned upside down) as the nose.

For BIG BIRD: Use candy corn as a beak. He is the hardest since he has feathers and coconut looks more like fur. We also tried putting "makeup" (food color) on his eyelids since the real Muppet has that, but it was kind of messy. Pile up the coconut between his eyes for that feathery patch he has.

Mrs. Murphy's Fruit Cake, a.k.a. the JFK recipe

Mrs. Murphy's Fruit Cake, a.k.a. the JFK recipe

Mom wrote: I was talking to Mrs. Murphy, Sue's mother, on the phone in 1963 when she told me she thought she had heard that John Kennedy -- the President -- had been shot! She and I were talking about this recipe while her radio or TV was on -- and of course the unbelievably sad news was true -- so this must have been 11/22/63. I had just returned from my first plane trip to Chicago for Uncle Henry McNeely's funeral.

Mom originally got the recipe in Dec. 1958. She and Dad made it in late 1974 or 1975 so recopied it then.

2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
2 cups cold water
1 pound dates, cut up
1 pound raisins (and white raisins)
1/2 pound fruit mixture
4 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking soda dissolved in 1/2 c cold water
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1 cup walnuts
1 cup brazil nuts
candied cherries

Boil first six ingredients 5-10 minutes. Cool. Add rest of ingredients. Bake 1 1/2 hour at 275 or test.

Water Cake, from Grandma

Water Cake, from Grandma

What an intriguing recipe name! Bobby Fashingbauer's cake, very moist. Mom says she made this regularly for a few years. Dated 9/27/1965.

1 1/2 cups sugar
6 tablespoons shortening
2 squares chocolate
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon soda
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold water

Add cold water last. No other directions given!

Zucchini Cake, from Clio

Zucchini Cake, from Clio

1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup oil
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sour milk

Blend first 6 ingredients

Then sift together: 2 1/2 c flour
1/4 c cocoa
1/2 t baking powder
1 t soda
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt

Mix well with above, add 2 c grated zucchini. Pour into greased 9 x 13 pan.

TOPPING: 1/4 c chopped nuts
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c chocolate chips

Sprinkle topping on cake before baking. Bake 325 for 45 minutes.

Grandma Fashingbauer’s Sour Cream Cake

Grandma Fashingbauer’s Sour Cream Cake

Anne says “This is best with Grandma’s frosting.”

1 stick margarine
2 cups flour
2 squares baking chocolate
2 eggs (can use 3)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup warm coffee
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cake flour

Mix first 4 ingredients, then add soda and sour cream. Mix vanilla, coffee, flour and cake flour for 4 minutes in separate bowl. Bake in 9 x 13 greased pan at 350 for 40 minutes.

Easy Chocolate Cake, from Crystal

Easy Chocolate Cake, from Crystal

Dave said this had to be included because it’s so good!

2 large boxes of instant chocolate pudding
1 box yellow cake mix
1 bag semisweet chocolate chips
4 eggs
1 cup oil (Ouch! I use Smart Balance)
1 1/2 cups water

Mix all ingredients together. Pour batter into Bundt pan. Bake at 350
for 60 minutes, don't overcook. Cake will be moist. Cool, then
sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Chocolate Birthday Bundt Cake, from Gael

Chocolate Birthday Bundt Cake, from Gael

Rob’s mom, Grace, got this from Judy Smith, a friend of the family and Rob's swim teacher. She always made it for Rob and Alison's birthdays. Gael almost always makes this for Rob's birthdays.

1 package Duncan Hines devil's food cake mix
1 pint sour cream
4 eggs
1/2 cup warm water
1 package chocolate fudge pudding
1/2 cup Hollywood safflower oil (other cooking oil OK)
1 12 ounce bag Nestle chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix everything to death. Grease Bundt pan thickly, so you can see the white of the Crisco, especially on the bottom of the pan and on the well in the center. Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes. Cake should be moist. Cool 10 minutes, then invert onto plate. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Neapolitan Bundt Cake, from Gael

Neapolitan Bundt Cake, from Gael

Beautiful Bundt cake that shows all the three colors of Neapolitan ice cream when you cut into it. Gael served at a party 5-5-07 and the entire cake was gone in a half hour. Recipe from Cook's Country Magazine, which says it was a Betty Crocker recipe from the 1970s.

1 box white or yellow cake mix
1/3 cup chocolate syrup
2 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 cup seedless strawberry jam
3 drops red food coloring, optional

Make the batter as directed on box. Divide into three equal-sized bowls.

Keep one bowl of batter plain.

For second bowl, mix chocolate syrup and cocoa powder together, than stir into batter.

For third bowl, stir in jam, and food coloring if jam doesn't make it pink enough for you.

Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt cake pan. Pour plain batter into pan. Gently pour in strawberry batter, then chocolate batter.

Bake on middle rack in 350-degree oven 60-70 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 30 minutes in pan, then turn out on rack to cool completely.

You can leave unfrosted or frost with your choice of chocolate glaze, icing, or powdered sugar.