Cake Recipe #22 - Cookie Sour Cream Cake

You can use your favorite variety of cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreos) for this easy-to-make cake. It also can be doubled and baked in a 9x13-inch pan.

Ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup margarine or butter, softened, 1/4 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 egg, 8 (or more)cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies.
Sweetened Whipped Cream: 3/4 cup whipping cream, 2 tablespoons granulated or powdered sugar.

Instructions: Place the cookies in a resealable plastic bag and crush with a hammer or a rolling pin into bite-size pieces; set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour an 8x1 1/2 or 9x1 1/2 inch round cake pan (or a 9x13 inch pan if doubling the recipe).

Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl; add all other ingredients except cookies. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir cookies into batter and pour into prepared pan.

Bake 30-35 minutes (40-45 for 9x13-inch) or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool 10 minutes on wire rack before removing from pan and allowing to cool completely. (To invert cake: place plate over cake and flip over so that cake is on plate, then place a serving plate over cake and flip once more.)
For 9x13-inch cake, do not invert.

Make Sweetened Whipped Cream: Pour whipping cream and sugar in chilled medium mixing bowl. Attach chilled beaters to mixer and beat until stiff peaks form. Spread over top of cake. Place extra cookies (or/and crumbs) on top of whipped cream in design of choice. If making the 9x13-inch, double this recipe also.

"Betty Crocker's 40th Anniversary Edition Cookbook", Prentice Hall, NY, 1990.

"Let's Bake a Cake!"

Cake Recipe #21 - Rhubarb Upside Down Cake

Even if you are not a rhubarb lover this cake will delight you; it is pleasantly sweet and simple to assemble. I remember, as a child, walking out in the backyard, to find bushes of rhubarb growing frantically this time of year. Timing was important; waiting for the baby stalks to grown up some, but harvesting them before they became too big and stringy. I peeled back the outer red skin before cutting them into small pieces, but I know some people like the skin left on.

Ingredients: 5 cups rhubarb, cut into small pieces, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 3-ounce package strawberry jello, 3 cups mini-marshmallows, 1 package white cake mix (I think yellow or whatever flavor you prefer would also work).

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees; grease a 9x13-inch cake pan. In medium bowl place cut-up rhubarb, sugar and jello; mix until rhubarb is thoroughly coated. Place in prepared cake pan, spreading evenly. Cover the rhubarb mixture with the marshmallows.

Mix cake batter according to package directions. Pour over rhubarb and marshmallows; spread evenly.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

Serve either warm or cold by cutting into squares and flipping upside down on plate so that the rhubarb mixture is on top. Dollop with whipped cream and enjoy!

This is one of those recipes I've had for years and don't remember where it came from; just know that it's good.

*Just a thought: wonder if you used a strawberry cake mix would it be too strawberryish????? Let me know if anyone is brave enough to try it.

"Let's Bake a Cake!"

Cake Recipe #20 - Chocolate Roll

This is a light chocolate cake rolled up with a layer of whipped cream (or vanilla ice cream) and dusted with a coating of confectioners' sugar. Once sliced is almost too pretty to eat (almost). In the fall, I will introduce the autumn version of this, Pumpkin Cake Roll.

Ingredients: 5 eggs, separated, 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 cup whipping cream plus 1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar, cool whip, or 1 quart softened vanilla ice cream.

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a jelly roll pan and line it with waxed or parchment paper (my cake sticks a little so I'm wondering if spraying the paper, too, and maybe sprinkling a little confectioners' sugar on top of that will ease the removal?) Place large mixing bowl and beaters in freezer for a few minutes. Separate eggs, placing egg yolks in medium mixing bowl and whites in small glass bowl. Beat egg yolks with whisk until pale and thick; set aside.

On a sheet of waxed paper or parchment paper, sift confectioners' sugar and cocoa together. Remove bowl and beaters from freezer; pour egg whites into bowl and beat until foamy. Add salt and continue to beat until they hold soft peaks.

Fold sifted sugar and cocoa into whites until well mixed. Gently fold 1/3 of egg white mixture into yolks, then lightly fold in remaining whites.

Spread into prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes. Lay a clean kitchen towel on counter. Remove cake from oven and flip over onto kitchen towel. Remove pan, then proceed to remove the waxed paper carefully (some cake may be stuck to the paper, but once rolled up, any imperfections will not be seen). Trim off any crisp edges.

Roll cake up with towel (I roll mine lengthwise, but widthwise will make for a bigger, shorter roll; either way is fine); let rest for a minute. Unroll and let rest for 5-10 minutes before rolling up in towel again. Allow to cool completely.

Make whipping cream, if using. Unroll cake and spread with filling of choice. Reroll cake carefully without towel and place on serving platter. Dust top of roll with sifted confectioners' sugar, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Cut into slices are serve with a few fruit, if desired.

I don't remember where I found this recipe, but I have been making it for about 20 years.

"Let's Bake a Cake!"

Cake Recipe #19 - Individual Molten Chocolate Cakes

The only negative aspect of making this recipe is it needs to be eaten immediately leaving nothing for the rest of the week. You must be a chocolate lover to fully enjoy every bite and my taste testers all agreed that a cold glass of milk is a welcome accompaniment.

Ingredients: unsalted butter for preparing the ramekins, 10 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped, 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into 8 equal pieces, 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 4 large eggs, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder dissolved in 2 teaspoons hot water, 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar, for dusting.

Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of six 3/4-cup overproof ramekins, and put them on a rimmed baking sheet; set aside.

In the bottom of a double boiler heat an inch or two of water to barely simmering. Place chopped (dime-size) chocolate and butter pieces in top of double boiler (or large heatproof bowl) and place over simmering water. Stir occasionally until smooth and all of the chocolate has melted. Remove the top (or bowl) from the pan and set aside to cool slightly.

In small bowl, dissolve coffee in hot water; set aside. Sift the flour; set aside. In large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugar and salt. Beat the mixture on medium-high speed until it thickens and the color lightens slightly, about 4 minutes. Stop the mixture occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Reduce speed to low, add the vanilla and dissolved coffee, and beat until combined. With the mixer running, add the flour 1 tablespoon at a time.

Using a large rubber spatula, stir about 1/3 of the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture to lighten it. Scrape the remaining chocolate on top of the batter and, using the spatula, fold the mixtures together just until no streaks of the chocolate mixture are visible.

Pour the batter into a 4-cup glass measuring cup, using the spatula to scrape out every last bit from the bowl. Pour about 1/2 cup batter into each prepared ramekin. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven until the edges look firm and dull on top and the center looks shiny and slightly wet, 16-18 minutes. You may see a few tiny holes on top. These cakes should be underbaked, so do not bake longer than 18 minutes.

Let the cakes cool in the ramekins on wire racks for 10 minutes. Sprinkle the top of each cake with confectioners' sugar. Using pot holders, transfer each ramekin to an individual serving plate and serve immediately.

Makes 6 individual cakes.

These may be made up to 5 hours ahead, covered and refrigerated. Remove and allow to stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before baking.

"Williams-Sonoma Mastering Cakes Fillings & Frostings", Free Press, A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York, NY, 2005.

*Note: Although these are the best eaten right away, one of my trustworthy taste testers warmed one up in the microwave several hours later and said it was still delicious.

"Let's Bake a Cake!"

Cake Recipe #18 - Glazed Lemon Bundt Cake

Get out your bundt cake pans that have been pushed to the back of the cupboard so you can try this simple recipe for a lemony cake. Have a slice of this for breakfast with your cup of coffee or a mid-afternoon snack.

Ingredients: 1 cup butter, softened, 2 cups granulated sugar, 4 eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract, 3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 cup milk, 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel. Glaze: 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 tablespoon water, 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract, 3/4 cups granulated sugar.

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt cake pan; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add in extracts and mix well. In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk. Stir in lemon peel. Pour into prepared pan and bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes on wire rack; place wire rack on top of cake and flip over to invert. Remove bundt pan and allow cake to cool 10 minutes longer.

Place a layer of waxed paper under wire rack and cake. Prepare glaze by mixing all ingredients together in small bowl and mixing well. Drizzle glaze over the warm cake. Let set about 5 minutes before removing the cake from the waxed paper and picking up the waxed paper covered in extra glaze and redrizzling the cake. Allow to cool completely.

Serves 12-16 people depending on size of slices.

"Let's Bake a Cake!"