Cakes

Okay, for all my preaching about healthy eating and watching red meat, etc….I have to admit, every now and again you just have to have a big fat juicy burger. HAVE to! Look at this beauty to the left and tell me it can be refused. It’s one of the Bleu Cheese and Bacon Burgers that Sandra Lee will be making on today’s Semi-Homemade and one of the Bleu Cheese and Bacon Burgers that Joi Sigers will be making in tonight’s kitchen in Kentucky.

The Bleu Cheese topping calls for Bleu Cheese crumbles and butter (My mouth’s watering already!) The burgers, themselves, include lean ground beef, real bacon pieces, Montreal steak seasoning, and more crumbled Bleu Cheese. It’s all served with condiments on toasted onion rolls. Click HERE for the Recipe.

A perfect side dish would be the Portobello Mushroom “Fries” that Rachael Ray will make on one of her 30 Minute Meals this afternoon. Unfortunately there wasn’t a picture available, so you’ll have to use your imagination. This recipe calls for large Portobello mushroom caps, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, pepper, eggs, flat-leaf parsley, Italian bread crumbs, and grated Parmesan. Click HERE for this recipe.

A second side dish could be a pasta or tossed salad, or spaghetti squash with tomatoes and basil. With the heaviness of the burger, and the extravagance of the Portobello fries, I’d say something fairly light would be best. Otherwise, I’d go with Tyler’s Potatoes Gratin. As it is, I think I’ll save them for another day. Maybe for brunch this weekend, with ham and biscuits.

For dessert, you can never go wrong with chocolate OR with Ina, so we’ll finish the meal off with the Chocolate cake she’ll make on today’s Barefoot Contessa. “Beatty’s Chocolate Cake” is a cake after my own heart - the recipe calls for three of my very, very, very favorite culinary joys: Chocolate (of course), buttermilk, and coffee. How could it miss?

Ironically, on another one of my blogs I just wrote about exercise - then I turn right around and post about a meal like this. Oh, well… the weather’s getting gorgeous and my tennis shoes are dying to get busy, so bring on those burgers!

One 12 count box of Twinkies
2 large pkgs. instant vanilla pudding
1 large can crushed pineapple, drained
2-3 bananas, sliced
1 large Cool Whip
Nuts, optional

Line a 9×12 inch glass dish with twinkies. Spread pudding on twinkies. Add pineapple, bananas, Cool Whip and nuts in that order.

DELICIOUS!!!!!! I’m making this dessert tonight for my family to throw itself into during American Idol. We look forward to Idol all year long - such fun.

While I have your sweeth tooth’s attention, you can find more cakes in the Cakes section on Buttermilk Press.

The pan above is the
La Forme Star Pan, 6 cup
.

All La Forme baking pans are constructed with commercial weight steel, meaning they’re almost 3 times as thick as other bakeware brands. Three times! The pans produce excellent heat conductivity resulting in a 10 percent savings in baking time and allowing for even browning of baked goods.

Furthermore, La Forme bakeware is coated with a nonstick finish that allows for quick and easy removal of foods - all nice and easy. Some La Forme pans even have a magnum coating that is cut-resistant as well as acid-resistant.

Personally, I’m pretty wild about the shape. It would have come in handy last night when I was making Golden Globe snacks - a Star shaped cake with my favorite stars and movies piped on would have been pretty special. I’ll have it before the next awards show, though!

It’d also be perfect for the 4th of july and Christmas.

Click the picture, itself, or the link to take a closer look - AND to see the other amazing pans in the collection.

2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
3 eggs
1 cup Buttermilk
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup raisins
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup blackberry jam
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tsp cinnamon

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the sugar, butter and eggs together; beat well. Combine the flour with the baking soda and cinnamon. Add the Buttermilk and flour mixture alternately. Mix in other ingredients.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in to the middle comes out clean. (20-25 minutes) While the cake is cooking, start work on the icing…..

Amazing Jam Cake Frosting:

2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix the sugar, butter and milk together. Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Beat until it has a spreading consistency (this also gives it time to cool down).

My grandmother used to make this cake every Christmas. When I was a kid (okay, even into my 20s) I”d just eat the frosting and a smidgen of the cake - only the part that latched onto the frosting…but then I started having big fat slices with a glass of coffee and realized what I’d been missing! Don’t get me wrong, the frosting is still my favorite part, I just don’t toss the cake aside anymore.

Have a very, very Merry Christmas!
Joi

4 eggs
1-2/3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 (15 oz) can of solid-pack pumpkin
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsps ground cinnamon
2 tsps baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

ICING:
1 package (3 0z) cream cheese, softened
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 - 2 TBS milk

Beat eggs, oil, sugar and pumpkin together in a medium bowl. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture - mix well.

Pour into an ungreased 15 x 10 x 1 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25- 30 minutes. Cool completely, then ice with the sinfully sweet icing.

These bars are a specialty of my aunt Penny’s. They’re unbelievably delicious - especially when enjoyed alongside a cup or two of coffee.

Or three….

Joi

1 - 3/4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup Hershey’s cocoa
2 tsp. baking soda
1 TBSP baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2 tsp. instant Sanka in 1 cup boiling water
1 cup buttermilk*
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the eggs, coffee, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Mix at medium speed for 2 minutes - the batter will be thin.

Pour batter into a greased and floured 13″x9″x2″ pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 - 40 minutes.

Frost with the Icing below!

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup margarine
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 granulated sugar
1/2 to 3/4 cup scalded milk

Scald the milk and set aside to cool. Cream together shortening and margarine. Add vanilla and sugar. Slowly add the scalded milk. Mix on low speed to combine, then beat on medium speed until fluffy.

*I’ve gotten e-mails from readers who live in countries where buttermilk isn’t available - on this blog of all blogs (given my profound love of cooking with the stuff) that can pose a problem. If you’re in this boat, just substitute “sour milk” for the buttermilk: Combine 1 TBSP vinegar plus enough milk to equal 1 cup. Use the same ratio if a recipe calls for more than 1 cup.

2 cups Self Rising Flour
2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
2 4oz Jars Strained Carrot Baby Food
4 Eggs
2 Cups Sugar
1-1/2 Cups Vegetable Oil

FROSTING:
1/4 Cup Butter, Softened
1 8oz Pkg. Cream Cheese, Softened
1 16oz Box Confectioner’s Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

Pre-Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour three 8′ or 9″ pans. Mix the cake ingredients and blend well with an electric mixer. Pour into the prepared pans.

Bake 25 - 20 minutes, until golden brown. Cool in the pans for about 5 minutes, then invert onto waxed paper and allow to cool completely.

For the frosting: Mix all ingredients with a mixer. Blend until smooth and creamy. Frost the cake when it’s completely cool.

———————–
A recent visitor to the blog requested this recipe from one of Paula Deen’s earlier cookbooks. Luckily I’m just the source to turn to for all things Paula Deen, Rachael Ray, Alton Brown, and Emeril!

The great thing about each of these chefs is the fact that their recipes are doable. You can buy their cookbooks and know you’ll actually be able to use all of the recipes. I use and re-use all of the recipes in my cookbook collection, and Paula’s are honestly as good as it gets. Some of my favorite recipes lie within her cookbooks. She’s one of us!

Joi

1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup orange juice
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil

Mix all ingredients well and pour into a bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

GLAZE:
1 stick margarine
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup sugar

Prepare glaze 5 minutes before cake is done. Mix all the glaze ingredients over heat until the mixture boils.

Remove the cake from the oven and pour the glaze on top (while the cake’s still in the pan). Let stand for 15 minutes then turn over out of the bundt pan.

TRUST ME, this is a cake you’ll want to make asap. It’s that special. The first time I made it, I did it just like the recipe above says. The most recent time (yesterday), however, I added a little more Orange Juice to the glaze and used it individually on each slice - drizzling some over each serving. Outstanding!

You could also make this cake in a “sheet cake” pan, cut it up into small squares and stick toothpicks in the center of each square. Then you could serve the glaze as a dipping sauce.

The cake’s unbelievably moist and flavorful - it tastes SO elegant and elaborate , yet the simple little recipe is one of the easiest cake recipes you’ll ever find. Make a point of trying this one this week.

And, one more thing, don’t skimp on the Orange Juice brand. Get the good stuff, you’ll taste it in every bite!

Joi

technorati tags: cake, mix, orange, juice, recipe, recipes, cakes, desserts

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 pkg. strawberry gelatin
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen strawberries, thawed

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8 inch round cake pans. Combine flour, salt, and soda. Set aside. Beat eggs in large mixing bowl. Add oil, sugar, gelatin, and buttermilk - stir vigorously until well-blended.

Add flour mixture and blend well. Drain 1/4 cup juice from strawberries and reserve for icing. Fold berries into batter well. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven. Turn out of pans onto rack and cool completely Frost with strawberry and cream cheese icing (below!)

ICING:
1/4 lb. butter or margarine, softened
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup strawberry juice
1 box powdered sugar (1 lb.)

Combine all ingredients. Beat until creamy.

Not long ago when one of our daughters, Emily, got her driver’s license, we bought her a big ice cream cake as a congratulatory surprise. It had been a while since I’d had one and I had forgotten just how amazingly good they are! Cheap? No. Worth it? Definitely.

Actually, the price all depends upon the size - if you get one that isn’t the size of your dining room table, they aren’t so bad. But we’re blessed with a large family, so whenever we buy anything it’s like, “Give us the biggest you’ve got. That’s the biggest you’ve got? Better make it two, then.”

Baskin-Robbins and Dairy Queen both have incredible ice cream cakes. The ones pictured in this post (trying to tempt you and already tempting me) are from Baskin-Robbins, or as our daughter Brittany (when 3-4) called it, “Baskets and Robins.” My mom and dad used to take them for ice cream cones there so often it’s a wonder our girls didn’t get as large as the dining room table!

On Baskin-Robbins website, they had something that I thought was pretty cute - besides the cakes and ice cream - they have a list of 31 Reasons to enjoy a cake treat! My favorite? #31 —-Just Because.

Joi
Cat-Pause.com