Easy Chocolate Cake

This is a family favorite from my husband's family. He used to request this cake every year.

Easy Chocolate Cake


1 1/2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
3 tbsp. cocoa
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 c. cold water
1/2 c. liquid shortening (vegetable oil)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. vinegar

Mix all ingredients. Pour into small ungreased cake pan (double for 9 x 13 pan). (I think if I use an 11 x 7 pan it fits, but the frosting runs over.) Bake @ 325 for 25-30 minutes

Frosting

1 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. butter
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. milk
2 tbsp. cocoa

Stir together. Bring to rolling boil. Cook 2 min. Remove from heat. Beat until spreadable. (I think doing this now I would add the vanilla after removing from heat. I seem to remember beating it with a wooden spoon and then pouring over the cake while it is still hot. A fair amount of frosting soaks into the cake.)

Adventures in Pumpkin

So today JB is home and wants Pumpkin Pie for dinner. I just bought a big can of pumpkin thinking that I would just make two whenever I made one. But since we're making one early, I had to figure out what to do with the rest. We're off to see family tomorrow so I decided to make the Libby's Pumpkin Roll from the inside of the label. Then I'm left with about 3/4 cup pumpkin, but I remembered seeing a recipe in a magazine for Pumpkin Muffins recently. So sure enough in Simple & Delicious there is a recipe for Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins that uses 3/4 cup pumpkin. It just doesn't get much better than that. So lots of baking today and JB has lots of dishes to do. That's what he gets for sending me out into the kitchen.

LIBBY'S® Famous Pumpkin Pie
Estimated Times:
Preparation - 15 min | Cooking - 55 min | Cooling Time - 2 hrs cooling | Yields - 8 servings

This is the traditional holiday pumpkin pie. This classic recipe has been on LIBBY'S® Pumpkin labels since 1950. This pie is easy to prepare and even easier to enjoy. Just mix, pour, bake for a delicious homemade tradition.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 large eggs
• 1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
• 1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell
• Whipped cream (optional)

Directions:
MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

POUR into pie shell.

BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.

NOTES:
1 3/4 teaspoons pumpkin spice may be substituted for the cinnamon, ginger and cloves; however, the taste will be slightly different. Do not freeze, as this will cause the crust to separate from the filling.

LIBBY'S® Pumpkin Roll
Estimated Times:
Preparation - 45 min | Cooking - 13 min | Cooling Time - 1 hrs refrigerating | Yields - 10

Dazzle family and friends with Libby's® Pumpkin Roll; moist and creamy, with a tantalizing aroma and beautiful presentation.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
• 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar (optional for decoration)

Directions:
FOR CAKE:
PREHEAT oven to 375° F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar.

COMBINE flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts.

BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. (If using a dark-colored pan, begin checking for doneness at 11 minutes. Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.

FOR FILLING:
BEAT cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

COOKING TIP:
Be sure to put enough powdered sugar on the towel when rolling up the cake so it will not stick.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins
“Here’s a recipe that your readers will love!” writes Jennifer Jackson of Charlottesville, Virginia. “It’s simple, yet filling and delicious.”
INGREDIENTS 2 cups all-purpose flour 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking soda Dash ground allspice 1 egg 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 3/4 cup canned pumpkin 2/3 cup milk 3 tablespoons butter, melted 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips	SERVINGS 12 CATEGORY Breads METHOD Baked PREP 15 min. COOK 20 min. TOTAL 35 min.
DIRECTIONS In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Combine the egg, brown sugar, pumpkin, milk, butter and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Stir in chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 375° for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Yield: 1 dozen.

French Style Yogurt Cake with blueberries

So I had some blueberries that were left from the pancakes over the weekend. I though they would work well in the French Style Yogurt Cake. And it worked pretty well, although I should have backed off on the lemon. I think the zest in the cake was fine, but I should have used milk or water in the glaze instead of lemon juice. I also added a bit of vanilla to the cake and glaze. It was a nice addition. And poking the cake with a fork helped the glaze soak in.

I didn't want the cake to turn purple so I put about half the batter in, sprinkled in some blueberries (I had about 1 cup), poured on the rest of the batter and sprinkled on the remaining blueberries. I didn't need to be so fussy with the blueberries though. The all sank to the bottom of the cake. So note to self, just put the blueberries on top and they will find their way.

French Style Yogurt Cake

Last week we made the French Style Yogurt Cake from alpineberry. It turned out really well. It must have been good because there was none left. I did make it without the poppy seeds though. And I used closer to 1/2 cup powdered sugar in the glaze. It just seemed too thin. I'm thinking of trying a vanilla one and serving it with berries, but that's a task for another day.

French Style Yogurt Cake (with Lemon & Poppy Seeds)
(adapted from Orangette)

Cake
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp poppy seeds
1/3 cup canola oil

Glaze
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan. Line with a parchment circle and butter the paper.

In a large bowl, mix the yogurt, sugar, and lemon zest with a wooden spoon. Mix in eggs (all 3 at once is okay).

Add the flour, baking powder, and poppy seeds. Mix until flour is just incorporated.

Add the oil and mix well. The batter will look curdled at first but it will come together.

Pour the batter into your prepared pan.

Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes, until your cake tester is clean and the cake springs back when lightly touched.

Allow cake to cool in pan on a rack for about 15 minutes.

Gently remove cake from the pan and set on a rack to cool completely.

Combine the lemon juice and powdered sugar and spoon it gently over the cake. The glaze will be thin and will soak in like a syrup.

Elvis Gooey Butter Cake

We tried this one out last week after the Chess Cake. It seemed like it should be a similar cake. It turned out really well, but I think I would have liked to have 2 eggs in the cake part instead of the one Paula uses. The cake layer was a bit dry. We enjoyed the moistness in the Chess Cake. But I would try this one again.

Elvis Gooey Butter Cake
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Cake:
1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted
Mint leaves, for garnish
Whipped cream, for garnish

Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 whole banana
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter together and mix well. Pat into a lightly greased glass 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Prepare the filling.

Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla. Add the peanut butter; beat. Add the banana and butter and mix well. Add the powdered sugar and mix well. Spread over the cake mixture. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. You want the center to be a little gooey, so do not over bake. Top each cake slice with a mint leaf and dollop of whipped cream.

Chess Cake

We tried a Chess Pie over the weekend. It was good, very lemony and not really what we were after. My husband remembered something from when he was young in Louisville, Ky. So I looked up a Chess Cake and found several recipes to try. I settled on one from Allrecipes. This cake seems very much like Paula Dean's Gooey Butter Cake, although I've never made one. This recipe uses 2 eggs in the crust layer, many only use 1; and 4 cups powdered sugar in the filling, most use 1 lb. (approx. 4 3/4 cups) powdered sugar. So this is probably one of the more gooey Chess Cakes. I also added about 1 tsp. vanilla to the filling. It was really good. Our 4 year old thought we should make it again, so I guess it's a winner.

Chess Cake

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
  

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9 x 13 inch pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, 2 eggs, and 1/2 cup melted butter. Put into prepared pan.
3. In another bowl, Beat cream cheese until smooth. Blend in 1/2 cup melted butter, vanilla, and 2 eggs. Gradually beat in the confectioner's sugar. Pour over the crust mixture already in the pan.
4. Bake for 1 hour. Cool.