Lemon Pudding Cake

Recipe & Photo Courtesy of America's Test Kitchen

This dessert is best served warm or at room temperature the same day it is made. Scoop it out and serve in a bowl.

Serves 8 .

Ingredients
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 1/4 cups sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened
2 tablespoons grated zest and 1/2 cup juice from 4 lemons
5 large eggs , separated
1 1/4 cups whole milk , room temperature
2 quarts boiling water

Instructions
1. MIX BATTER Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 8-inch square baking dish. Whisk flour and cornstarch in bowl. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat 1/2 cup sugar, butter, and lemon zest until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in yolks, one at a time, until incorporated. Reduce speed to medium-low. Add flour mixture and mix until incorporated. Slowly add milk and lemon juice, mixing until just combined.

2. BEAT EGG WHITES Using clean bowl and whisk attachment, beat egg whites on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. With mixer running, slowly add remaining sugar until whites are firm and glossy, about 1 minute. Whisk one-third of whites into batter, then gently fold in remaining whites, one scoop at a time, until well combined.

3. BAKE Place kitchen towel in bottom of roasting pan and arrange prepared baking dish on towel. Spoon batter into prepared dish. Carefully place pan on oven rack and pour boiling water into pan until water comes halfway up the sides of baking dish. Bake until surface is golden brown and edges are set (center should jiggle slightly when gently shaken), about 60 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and let cool at least 1 hour. Serve.

Magleby's Chocolate Cake

This cake is extremely rich, but oh so good.

1 Cup butter

1 Cup water

4 T. heaping cocoa

Sift together the following:

2 Cups flour

2 Cups sugar

½ t. salt

Pour chocolate over dry ingredients, gently mix

In separate bowl combine the following:

2 Eggs, lightly beaten

1 t. soda -- dissolved in little water

1 t. vanilla

Combine with chocolate ingredients... then add

½ Cup sour cream

Gently mix. Do not over mix.

Can be baked how you like... cup cakes, 8.5 X11 pan, 8 or 9 in rounds, cookie sheet to get brownie like cakes... you decide. You an also decide how to bake it. The author of this cake could be anyone... *it is said that it is the Magleby’s Restaurant cake... and well... if you bake it at 325 for 50 to 60 minutes then you can call it that. Or you can bake at 375 for 20-40 minutes. This cake can also be called Texas Fudge... some people use sour cream (Magleby’s) or you can use buttermilk or regular milk with a tablespoon of vinegar, or just regular old milk.

Below I will also give you tips on making a basic buttercream / chocolate frosting recipe into a Magleby’s recipe. Basically, do it by hand. Let your butter sit out and become room temperature, then gently work the ingredients by hand and you have Lenora’s method. Others whip it.... and use the microwave to soften butter. You can also melt the butter and milk in a sauce pan and get yet another texas fudge like consistency. You decide!

Have fun, enjoy!

Frosting (PS, Magleby’s freeze the cakes before frosting)

1 cup butter -- let sit until room temperature

½ cup milk

3 T cocoa

3½ cup pd sugar

t vanilla

Alternate ingredients while stirring by hand with whisk or your favorite hard spoon

Cold Oven Pound Cake

You'll need a 16-cup tube pan or angel food cake pan for this recipe; if not using a nonstick pan, make sure to thoroughly grease a traditional pan. In step 2, don’t worry if the batter looks slightly separated.

Serves 12
3 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
20 tablespoons (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter , softened
2 1/2 cups sugar
6 large eggs


1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position. Grease and flour 16-cup tube pan. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl. Whisk milk and vanilla in measuring cup.

2. With electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions of milk mixture. Mix on low until smooth, about 30 seconds. Use rubber spatula to give batter final stir.

3. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Place cake in cold oven. Adjust oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake, without opening oven door, until cake is golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 65 to 80 minutes.

4. Cool cake in pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours. Serve. (Cooled cake can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.)

Coconut Layer Cake

Makes one 9-inch, 4-layer cake

Cream of coconut is often found in the soda and drink-mix aisle in the grocery store. One 15-ounce can is enough for both the cake and the buttercream; make sure to stir it well before using because it separates upon standing.

Ingredients

Cake

1 large egg
5 large egg whites
3/4 cup cream of coconut
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract
2 1/4 cups cake flour (9 ounces), sifted
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon table salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into 12 pieces, softened, but still cool
2 cups packed sweetened shredded coconut (about 8 ounces)

Buttercream

4 large egg whites
1 cup granulated sugar
pinch table salt
1 pound unsalted butter (4 sticks), each stick cut into 6 pieces, softened, but still cool
1/4 cup cream of coconut
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
1. For the Cake: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with shortening and dust with flour.
2. Beat egg whites and whole egg in large measuring cup with fork to combine. Add cream of coconut, water, vanilla, and coconut extract and beat with fork until thoroughly combined.
3. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix on lowest speed to combine, about 30 seconds. With mixer still running on lowest speed, add butter 1 piece at a time, then beat until mixture resembles coarse meal, with butter bits no larger than small peas, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes.
4. With mixer still running, add 1 cup liquid. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 45 seconds. With mixer still running, add remaining 1 cup liquid in steady stream (this should take about 15 seconds). Stop mixer and scrape down bowl with rubber spatula, then beat at medium-high speed to combine, about 15 seconds. (Batter will be thick.)
5. Divide batter between cake pans and level with offset or rubber spatula. Bake until deep golden brown, cakes pull away from sides of pans, and toothpick inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes (rotate cakes after about 20 minutes). Do not turn off oven.
6. Cool in pans on wire racks about 10 minutes, then loosen cakes from sides of pans with paring knife, invert cakes onto racks and then re-invert; cool to room temperature.
7. While cakes are cooling, spread shredded coconut on rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven until shreds are a mix of golden brown and white, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times. Cool to room temperature.
8. For the Buttercream: Combine whites, sugar, and salt in bowl of standing mixer; set bowl over saucepan containing 1 1/2-inches of barely simmering water. Whisk constantly until mixture is opaque and warm to the touch and registers about 120 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 minutes.
9. Transfer bowl to mixer and beat whites on high speed with whisk attachment until barely warm (about 80 degrees) and whites are glossy and sticky, about 7 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-high and beat in butter 1 piece at a time. Beat in cream of coconut and coconut and vanilla extracts. Stop mixer and scrape bottom and sides of bowl. Continue to beat at medium-high speed until well-combined, about 1 minute.
10. To Assemble the Cake: Slice each layer in half. Fill with frosting between layers and then frost the outisde of the cake. Push coconut into the frosting. (Wrap leftover cake in plastic and refrigerate; bring to room temperature before serving.)

Brown Sugar Bundt Cake

I have been meaning to post this for quite some time. I first made this recipe when we were planning a cake bar for Jeron's missionary homecoming. It is yummy. The sauce was originally made for a chocolate cake, but we all loved it on this one.

1 (18 ounce) box yellow cake mix
1 (3 1/2 ounce) box instant vanilla flavor pudding and pie filling
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans


Grease a 10-inch bundt pan well and sprinkle pan with granulated sugar (even if using non-stick pan).
2 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3 Combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, oil and water in large bowl and beat on medium speed until well mixed, about 4 minutes.
4 (Shorten to 2-3 minutes if using stand mixer).
5 Add brown sugar and pecans and mix to combine well.
6 Pour batter evenly into prepared bundt pan and bake for 1 hour or until cake tester comes out clean.
7 Place bundt pan on wire rack and cool 15 minutes.
8 Invert cake onto rack and slip pan off cake.
9 Let cool on rack.
10 Can be stored covered at room temperature.


Chocolate Cake Sauce

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


Cook and stir first 4 ingredients on medium heat until thickened. Allow to slightly cool, then stir in the vanilla. Serve over milk chocolate cake warm or cold.

Jandee's Variable Bundt Cake

Over the years I've tried a lot of cake recipes, this is recipe I've developed that uses mainly things I usually have on-hand and that I modify to suit my desire for that day. This recipe is easily modified make several variations:
1) Lemon Cake
2) Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
3) Vanilla Poppyseed Cake
4) Vanilla Coconut Cake
The possibilities are endless with just a few tweaks

Here is the basic recipe:
1 cake mix
1 pkg instant pudding
4 eggs
1 cup of sour cream or ricotta cheese or vanilla yogurt (whatever you have on hand and/or prefer)
1/2 c water
1 t rum flavoring
1/2 cup of melted butter

Mix together, bake at 350 in bundt pan for 45 minutes. Now here is how to specialize it:

1) If you want lemon cake, use a lemon cake mix, and lemon pudding mix, add the juice of one fresh squeezed lemon and grate in some lemon zest
2) If you want Lemon Poppyseed, just add 1/4 cup of poppyseeds
3) If you want to go the Vanilla route, use a White or Yellow or Vanilla cake mix, use vanilla pudding mix and add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
4) for Vanilla Coconut, I usually use a coconut pudding mix and I'll add about 1/2 cup of grated coconut to the batter

This cake is very moist and is nice served on its own, with a glaze, or with full frosting. For the lemon cake I have pictured above I used an easy lemon glaze:
mix about 5 Tablespoons of lemon juice with 2 cups of powdered sugar, adjust powdered sugar until you reach desired consistency and drizzle over cake.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Malt Cupcakes

These are very quick to do, but the frosting tastes like a chocolate malt. We made these and the Red Velvet Cake for Valentine's Day. If you put a marble in the side of your muffin tin between the cupcake liner and the pan, then you get heart shaped cupcakes without buying a heart shaped pan.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Mix a chocolate cake mix, except use 1 cup of buttermilk instead of the liquid called for in the instructions. Use the same amount of oil and 4 eggs instead of the amount called for in the recipe. Bake at recommended temperature, except start checking them at around 12-15 minutes as they seem to cook a little faster.

Chocolate Malt Frosting:

1 cup whipping cream
1 cup powdered sugar
4 Tablespoons malted milk powder
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

Whip cream until it forms soft peaks. Add remaining ingreadients and whip until it forms stiff peaks. Frost cupcakes. I found that it is easiest to put frosting into a ziploc and pipe it onto the cupcakes.

Red Velvet Cake

This cake is heavenly. It has a very good flavor and crumb. The Mascarpone cheese makes it a bit more expensive to make, but it is so worth it. I LOVE this cake.

2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons liquid red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 - 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 - 8 oz. tub of Mascarpone cheese, room temperature
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Preheat oven to 350* and place rack in center of oven. Butter two- 9 inch heart (or round) cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl sift together the flour, salt and cocoa powder. Set aside.

In bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.

In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter.

Working quickly, divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted int he center of the cakes comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Place a wire rack on top of the cake pan and invert, lifting off the pan. Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap in plastic and place the cake layers in the freezer for at least an hour. (This is done to make filling and frosting the cakes easier.)

Cream Cheese Frosting: In your food processor, or with a hand mixer, process the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar and process until smooth. Transfer this mixture to a large mixing bowl.

Then, in the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, whip the cream until soft peaks form. With a large spatula, gently but quickly fold a little of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture to lighten it. Then fold in the remaining whipped cream, in two stages. If the frosting is not thick enough to spread, cover and place in the refrigerator for an hour, or until it is firm enough to spread.

Assemble: With a serrated knife, cut each cake layer in half, horizontally. You will now have four cake layers. Place one of the cake layers, top of the cake facing down, onto your serving platter. Spread the cake layer with a layer of frosting. Place another layer of cake on top of the frosting and continue to frost and stack the cake layers. Frost the top and sides of the cake. Can garnish the cake with coconut.

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

A wonderful fall classic. I have memories of eating gingerbread warm with whipping cream as a girl. A definite comfort food for me.

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
½ cup white sugar
1 egg yolk
1 egg
½ cup molasses
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup hot milk
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Dutch processed cocoa powder
1 ¼ teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted
¼ teaspoon pure lemon extract

Preheat oven to 350*. Butter or line with paper liners a 12-cup muffin tin. Cream 5tablespoons of the butter with the white sugar. Add the molasses and the egg and egg yolk. Combine the flour with all the spices and the salt. Dissolve the baking soda in the hot milk. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until just combined. Stir in the hot milk mixture. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared tin. Bake at 350* for 20 minutes or until slightly springy to the touch. Allow to cool a few minutes in the pan and remove to a rack to cool.
To Make Frosting:
Cream the 2 tablespoons butter and the cream cheese together. Beat in the powdered sugar until fluffy. Add the lemon extract and beat. When the cupcakes are cool, frost the tops with the frosting.

Pumpkin Bars/Cake

Okay, so I have really been in the mood for holiday (aka pumpkin) stuff lately. This makes a great pumpkin cake if you cook it in the 9x13 pan and bars if you use a jelly roll pan.


2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 cups pumpkin
4 eggs
1 cup oil
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon


Blend ingredients together. Bake in 13 x 9 inch pan for 35-45 minutes at 350* I know that is quite a range of time, but it depends on the pumpkin that you use. Test with a toothpick as you would for cake. If you put it in a jelly roll pan it takes closer to 20 minutes. Frost with cream cheese icing. YUM

Cream Cheese Icing
3 ounces cream cheese
¾ stick butter (6 Tbl.)
1 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ¾ cup powdered sugar

Three Cheese Cake

I am a nut for cheesecake, everytime I have gone to New York I have gained 10 pounds due entirely to cheesecake as I just can't stop myself from getting it at every available place. However, seeing as how I don't often make it out to good old NY, I'm always looking for great recipes of Cheesecake I can make. Here is one I found and adore -- it has three cheeses in it that are harder to find, you have to plan ahead and purchase them, but it is worth it (I found two of the three cheeses at Costco & the other at Smiths)!

This cheesecake can be made as 1 large cake, or as lots of mini cakes. I tried both, but slightly preferred the single large cake which preserves more of the moist cheesecakey texture.

Pastry Base
5 T sugar
1/2 c unsalted butter
1 egg yolk
1 t orange or lemon zest
1 1/4 cup flour, sifted

Cheesecake Filling
2/3 cup neufchatel
2/3 cup quark, drained
1/3 cup fresh goat cheese
4 eggs, separated
1 t orange or lemon zest
2/3 cup sugar
1 T flour

Butter a spring form pan and line it with a circle of parchment or waxed paper cut to fit just the bottom. It’s a bit easier to cut it a bit larger and then set it in place and use a knife to trim off any excess.

Prepare the crust by mixing together the sugar, butter, egg yolk and zest in a bowl until it is a bit creamy. You can do this is a stand mixer, or by hand. Next add the flour and work until you get a smooth dough, dusting with a bit more flour if it seems too sticky. Roll it into a ball, flatten slightly and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Preheat your oven to 300F.

Roll out the dough (you have to pre-bake it) to 1/8 inch. Get it close to the size of the bottom of your tin, and then trim it in place. You just want it on the bottom… it shouldn’t come up the sides. Bake for 20 minutes until it is about 1/2 cooked. Remove the crust from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack. Reduce the oven temp to 275F.

Mix the cheese, egg yolk and lemon zest in a bowl until smooth and creamy. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they are stiff, then slowly add the sugar and the flour to the egg whites. Fold half of the egg whites into the cheese mixture to lighten it some. Then, fold the cheese mixture into the egg white mixture. Spoon over the crust until the pan is about 3/4 full. You need a little bit of room, because the cake will puff up during baking. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for about 1 hour, or until it is firm. Allow to cool. It will sink during this time… that’s what the fruit topping is for.

Serve topped with fresh berries, orange slices, etc… anything that is not too heavy as you don’t want the cake to compress even more.

Cookie Cake

Chocolate chip cookie dough*
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg

Spread some cookie dough on the bottom of a greased casserole dish**. Beat cream cheese, sugar and egg until smooth; pour over cookie dough. Top with more cookie dough and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until middle layer is set. Slice into bars. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

*The original recipe calls for prepared cookie dough, I used my own recipe, since I like it better than any store bought cookie dough.
**I used a glass casserole dish that measured 8.5 x 11.