Cake Recipe #39 - Funnel Cakes

These can be found at any fair or carnival; now you can make them at home and have them anytime with the topping of choice. I used powdered sugar and a cinnamon/sugar combination, but for some extra calories, place a funnel cake on a plate, add a scoop of ice cream and drizzle with some hot fudge-now that's a treat!

Ingredients: 3 eggs, 2 cups milk, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 3 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons baking powder. Toppings: powdered sugar, cinnamon/sugar combo, melted chocolate, strawberry ice cream topping, etc.

Instructions: In a medium bowl, mix salt, baking powder, and half of the flour; set aside. In a large bowl, cream eggs, sugar and milk. Add flour mixture and beat until smooth. Continue to add remaining flour, but use only enough to achieve desired consistency (I used all of it). Batter will be thin enough to run through a funnel.

In an eight-inch skillet, heat about an inch of cooking oil to 375 degrees.

Using a clean funnel, place your finger over the bottom opening and fill the funnel with a generous 1/2 cup of the batter. Hold the funnel close to the surface of the oil, and release the batter into the oil while making a circular motion. (I found that you need to keep the cirlces close together so the gaps are very small or the cake will fall apart when removing it). Fry until golden brown. Use tongs and wide spatula to turn the cake over carefully. Fry the second side one minute. Drain on paper towels, and sprinkle with powdered sugar or cinnamon/sugar mixture while still hot.

Makes 10-12 funnel cakes.

This was submitted on allrecipes.com by Tina.

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Cake Recipe #38 - Rainbow Clown Cake

With the taste of a simple white cake, but the explosion of eye-pleasing colors, this would make a great birthday cake for a child (of any age). Use your favorite frosting recipe to finish it off, whether it be a buttercream or a whipped cream. If you desire, add a few drops of any color for extra brightness.

Ingredients: 3 egg whites, 1 (18.25 ounce)package white cake mix, 1 1/3 cups water, 2 tablespoons canola oil, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple paste food coloring. Frosting of your choice ingredients, sprinkles.

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 8-inch round cake pans. Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until frothy, about 1 minute. Add the cake mix, water, and canola oil; continue beating for 2 minutes on medium speed.

Divide the cake batter into six separate bowls. Add a few drops of food coloring into each bowl (to make orange: 3-4 drops yellow and 1 drop red; to make purple: 3-4 drops red and 1-2 blue) and stir until completely combined (or use a toothpick to scoop a dab of food coloring paste into each bowl of batter). Add more food coloring until you reach desired shade.

Scoop spoonfuls of batter into the prepared pans, alternating the colors, in any order. Use a toothpick to gently swirl the colors for a marbled effect.

Bake in the preheated 350 degree oven until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes. Cool in the pans on a wire racks for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely.

Prepare your favorite frosting recipe, then frost middle, sides and top of cake. Top with multi-colored sprinkles.

This recipe was submitted by lovestohost on the website allrecipes.com.

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Cake Recipe #37 - Sweet Chocolate Chiffon Cake

This is another 3 layer cake, but unlike last week's disaster, this light cake with creamy chocolate filling stands erect. The recipe suggests German Sweet Chocolate, but for a darker, richer chocolate I believe Semi-sweet Chocolate could be used.

Ingredients: 4-ounce package German's Sweet Chocolate, 3/4 cup boiling water, 1 2/3 cups sifted cake flour, 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided, 2 tablespoons instant coffee, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 7 eggs, separated, 1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used canola), 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar, toasted or plain slivered almonds. Chocolate Filling: 1/3 cup sifted cake flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 cup milk, 4-ounce package German's Sweet Chocolate, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 cup whipping cream.

Instructions: Put the tea kettle on! (Possibly have a spot of tea while the cake is baking!). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Measure 3/4 cup boiling water into saucepan. Break up chocolate into pieces and place in water. Heat over low heat, stirring, until chocolate melts and is smooth; remove from heat to cool.

Meanwhile, sift the flour, 1 1/4 cups of the sugar, instant coffee, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Separate the eggs and set the egg whites aside. Add the egg yolks, oil and cooled chocolate to the flour mixture and beat until batter is smooth, about 2 minutes. Set aside.

In a clean mixing bowl, add the cream of tartar to the egg whites and beat until foamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, beating well. Continue beating until very stiff peaks form. With a wire whip or rubber spatula, gradually fold in chocolate mixture just until blended.

Pour into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan (I used a bundt pan). Bake for 60-65 minutes. Invert cake onto wire rack and cool completely. Loosen cake with spatula around edges and remove from pan to serving plate.

Make Filling: Combine flour, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Gradually blend in milk until mixture is smooth. Add broken-up chocolate. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Cook 2 minutes more (will thicken). Remove from heat and add vanilla. Chill.

Whip cream in clean mixing bowl until stiff peaks form and fold into chocolate mixture until well mixed.

With a sharp knife, split cake horizontally into three layers. Spread chocolate filling between layers and over top. Sprinkle with almonds. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Submitted to our local newspaper "The Mercury News" by Penny Herman, this recipe can be found in "Baker's Chocolate and Coconut Favorites", 1965.

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Cake Recipe #36-Caramel-Frosted Hummingbird Cake

Okay, this wasn't what the cake was supposed to look like. The picture of it in the original recipe looked so perfect. Well, perfect is NOT what happened in the kitchen today, but, if you close your eyes, and take a bite, you will lick your lips and crave more. Maybe I could rename it "Blindfolded cake".

I'm not exactly sure what happened, but my cake was too fluffy; needed to be denser to hold the weight of the frosting; may not have drained the pineapple enough? may not have let it cool long enough? Whatever the case, as I started frosting the three layers, the cake seemed to crumble and fall apart. Nevertheless, the cake and the frosting are delicious.

Ingredients: 3 eggs, lightly beaten, 3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 2 cups mashed bananas (5 medium), 1 cup vegetable oil, 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 2 cups peeled, shredded uncooked sweet potatoes (about 1/2 pound), 1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple (juice pack), drained. Caramel Butter Frosting: 1 cup butter, 2 cups packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup milk, 6 cups confectioners' sugar.

Instructions: Let eggs stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease three 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with waxed or parchment paper. Grease and flour paper; set aside.

In large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cloves. Stir in bananas, oil, eggs, and vanilla until moist and thick. Stir in sweet potatoes and pineapple. Spread evenly in prepared pans.

Bake 30 minutes or until pick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Peel off paper. Cool completely.

Prepare Frosting: In large saucepan melt butter; add brown sugar and mix well. Bring to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook and stir 1 minute; cool 5 minutes. Whisk in milk until smooth. Whisk in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Use at once; frosting stiffens as it cools. Place one layer, flat side up, on plate. Spread top only with 1 1/4 cups frosting. Stack and frost remaining layers.

Makes 16 servings.

I found this on Better Homes and Gardens webswite: http://www.bhg/recipe/cakes.

"Let's Bake A Cake!"