Wacky Cake

These are great cupcakes for the allergic or vegan crowd.  They're egg and milk free.  Freddie has a friend with an egg allergy and this recipe was recommended.  I made two batches of cupcakes, the usual which includes egg and a batch of wacky cake, because I was afraid these would be far from yummy.  They were actually pretty tasty and in the future I'll just do wacky cake since there seems to be at least one person in the group avoiding eggs or milk these days.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup white sugar 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon cider vinegar 6 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 cup water Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F Sift dry ingredients into an 8x8 ungreased pan.   Add liquid ingredients directly to the pan, making it a one pan recipe, stir well with a fork. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Note: I made cupcakes instead.  I baked at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes. This yielded 12 cupcakes.

Jane's King Cake

 

I used to teach with Jane and she'd always make one of these to share in the teacher's lounge.  She's a Yankee, but gets a pass for making such a yummy King Cake.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sugar plus 2 TBSP. sugar
• 2 pkgs. yeast
• 1/3 c. warm water (105-115 degrees)
• 1 stick butter
• 2/3 c. evaporated milk (small can)
• 2 tsp. salt
• 4 eggs
• 6 c. flour
• Filling: 
  
  • ½ box light brown sugar
  • 1 c. granulated sugar
  • 2 TBSP. cinnamon
  • 1 stick butter melted

Directions:

1. Combine 2 TBSP sugar, yeast, and warm water in large mixing bowl. Let stand until foaming. (Stir slightly to blend first). 
2. Place butter, milk, sugar, and salt in small pan. On low heat setting, heat mixture to lukewarm (105-115 degrees). Butter should melt. 
3. Beat eggs into foaming yeast mixture. 
4.  Add lukewarm milk mixture. 
5. Add flour a cup at a time. After adding 4-4 ½ cups, it will be easier to add the rest of the flour and mix with your hands, either in the bowl or on a large wooden board. 
6. Knead 5-10 minutes until dough is no longer sticky. It will be soft and pliable. 
7. Lightly grease a large bowl, put ball of dough in bowl and turn to grease all around. 
8. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until double (about 1 hour)
9. Mix sugars and cinnamon for filling
10. When dough has risen, punch down. Roll out dough on large floured surface to about 18”x 36”.
11.  Brush dough with melted butter and spread evenly with sugar mixture. 
12. Slice lengthwise in three 6” strips. Roll each like a jellyroll, sealing seams tightly. 
13. Braid and form into an oval shape. 
14. Pinch the ends together. Put on large greased baking sheet, like a jellyroll pan-sides are important! There will be seepage of sugar. 
15. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise about 1 hour.
16. Beat 1 egg with a little water. 
17. Into 3 bowls, combine ¼ c. sugar each colored purple, green, and yellow. 
18.  When dough has risen, brush top with beaten egg. Sprinkle sugars in alternate patterns.
19. Bake at 350 for 20-30 min. 
20. After cake has cooled, insert the MG baby in the bottom.

Notes::

• I didn't do steps 16, 17, and 18.  Instead I made a frosting with 3-4 cups powdered sugar and a few tablespoons milk.  I poured the frosting over the top after the cake had cooked and then sprinkled with colored sugars.  The purple is hard to achieve.  Any tips?
• If you have a stand mixer with dough hook, use that-much easier.
• Jellyroll pan is best, or you’ll have to clean up sugar mess in the oven.
• Use a covered jar to shake sugar and food coloring to mix thoroughly.

Apple Pie Cupcakes

A few powdered sugar lumps in my glaze.  Still tasted yummy.

One apple down, 35 to go.  Expect some apple recipes for a while.  Freddie and I enjoyed baking these together.  My favorite part...Pouring in the rum and he says "Mmmmm.  That smells goooood." 

Ingredients:

• 1 c. plus 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1/4 c. vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp spiced rum
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 c. apple, finely diced (about 1 large apple)

Glaze Ingredients:

• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 c. powdered sugar
• Milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tin with cupcake liners.
2. In large bowl combine flour, brown sugar, soda, powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt.
3. Whisk to combine thoroughly and break up all pieces of the brown sugar.
4. Add milk, oil, rum, and vanilla and stir until just incorporated.
5. Fold in apple until just incorporated.
6. Spoon into fill cupcakes liners about 3/4 way full, dividing evenly among all liners.
7. Bake in oven until cooked through, about 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cupcakes comes out clean.
8. Meanwhile, make caramel glaze: In small saucepan combine brown sugar and butter over medium low heat.
9. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, stir in powdered sugar. 
10. Slowly add a bit of milk to help smooth the mixture.  

Notes:

• Try adding about a tablespoon at a time of milk to the glaze until it is at desired consistency.
• I used 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice in place of all the spices. 
• These didn't rise well for me and were super moist.  Maybe a little too moist?  Perhaps I added too much apple and I probably should have diced it a little finer.  I'm storing them in the fridge because it is so humid here now and they were verging on gooey.
• I'll make them again, but try tweaking the amount of apple.

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake Redux

I haven't been taking photographs, gardening, or cooking much, but I knew I had to get the oven going. It is Valentine's Day after all.

I love this cake. I made it last year for Charlie. This year I put a twist on it.


I substituted vanilla pudding for the chocolate, and doused it with chocolate frosting. I intended to buy some berries and serve it tomorrow, but, didn't make it that long.

We will be making this again!

Cake Ingredients:

• 1 box Duncan Hines butter yellow cake mix
• 1 large box instant pudding (Vanilla this time)
  
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 8oz container sour cream
• 1 6 oz bag of chocolate chips
• Powdered sugar for cake dusting

Cake Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl with a mixer for 2 minutes
2. Pour into a greased bundt pan (spray with Pam, sprinkle with sugar or flour to dust coat pan)
3. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees
4. After cake has cooled, dust with powdered sugar

Frosting Ingredients:

• 1 stick of butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tbs cocoa
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Frosting Directions:

1. Bring milk and butter to a boil.
   
2. Add cocoa and stir constantly until mixed.
3. Add vanilla and sugar, stirring until combined and thickened.
   
4. Pour over cake as soon as cake comes out of the oven.
   

Bailey's Cake

Photo taken before cake had cooled.
Charlie HAD to cut a piece right a way.

Got this one from Kelly. I needed something to do with all that Irish booze I got on sale last week.


For cake:
1 (18.5 oz.) package yellow cake mix
1 (3.4 oz.) package instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup Bailey's Irish Cream liqueur

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt pan. In large bowl, combine cake and pudding mix. Mix in eggs, water, oil, and Bailey's. Beat for 5 minutes at high speed. Pour batter in pan and bake for 60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool and then invert on serving dish. Prick top and sides of cake.

for Glaze:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup Bailey's

In saucepan combine butter, water and sugar. Bring to a boil and continue boiling for 5 minutes stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in Bailey's. Immediately begin glazing cake. Spoon glaze over top and on sides. Allow to absorb glaze, repeat until all used up. Sprinkle with nuts if you wish.

Kelly's got some suggestions to tweak the recipe a bit on her blog. I think next time my glaze will be just sugar and Bailey's and I'll up the oil and Bailey's to 1 cup each in the cake mix.

Charlie likes it. He likes it a lot. And you know, everything is for him.

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

I got this one from one of my students' mama who's always baking. It is yummy! You can expect to see this one at our pre-Jazzfest crawfish boil (April 30th this year, y'all).

Ingredients:

• 1 box Duncan Hines butter yellow cake mix
• 1 large box instant chocolate pudding
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 8oz container sour cream
• 1 6 oz bag of chocolate chips
• Powdered sugar for cake dusting

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl with a mixer for 2 minutes
2. Pour into a greased bundt pan (spray with Pam, sprinkle with sugar or flour to dust coat pan)
3. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees
4. After cake has cooled, dust with powdered sugar

I also made a cake to share at my seminar on Wednesday night


as well as some cupcakes. Sick Charlie got some in bed for breakfast along with his glass of juice.



Lesson learned: No matter how early, you never ever have enough time to bake before leaving for work.

Golden Pound Cake

From the Times Picayune, just in time for Valentine's Day...

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup butter
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 5 eggs
• 3 cups sifted all purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 teaspoon almond extract

Directions:

1. Bring ingredients to room temperature.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
3. Grease and flour a 10-inch single layer heart ring mold
4. In a large bowl, cream butter, adding sugar gradually until light and fluffy.
5. Add eggs one at a time, beating in between each egg.
6. Sift flour with baking powder and salt.
7. Add flour alternatively with milk to egg and sugar mixture, beating between each addition.
8. Mix in vanilla and almond flavorings.
9. Pour into prepared pan and bake on center rack for 55 to 60 minutes.
10. Cool for ten minutes before inverting onto plate to cool completely.
11. Sprinkle cake with confectioners sugar, chocolate glaze, or frosting and sprinkles.
    

I opted for sprinkles only...it's pretty rich.