Belgian Lemon Tea Cake

 I made this recipe for my last tea party and it was so good! So much lemon flavor in the curd filling with the cake on the bottom. Really good. This was a gluten free recipe or you can use regular flour. Recipe originally from itsnotcomplicatedrecipes.com

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 cup (150 g) self-raising flour I used Orgran Gluten Free SR Flour
• 1/2 cup (115 g) caster sugar super fine
• 1/4 cup (60 g) butter
• 1 large egg lightly beaten
• icing sugar/confectioners' sugar optional, for dusting

Filling

• 1/2 cup (120 ml) lemon juice strained
• 1/2 cup (115 g) caster sugar super fine
• 1 large egg lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup (60 g) butter chopped

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 180 Degrees C (350 F)

  Grease and line the base and sides of a 17cm/6.5” spring-form tin* with non-stick baking paper.
• Add flour, sugar, butter and lightly beaten egg to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade.

  Pulse until the mixture just starts to come together.

  Don’t process until the mixture forms a ball of dough, you want it to still be a little crumbly.

  Tip the mixture onto some cling wrap.
• Divide the mixture and gently press 2/3 into the base of the prepared tin, reserving the remaining 1/3.
• Make the lemon curd as per the instructions below. Pour the hot lemon curd onto the cake base.

  As evenly as possible, crumble the remaining mixture over the top of the curd.
• Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

  Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan.
• Gently remove the side of the spring-form tin.

  Remove the baking paper, place the cake on a serving platter and dust the tea cake with icing/confectioners’ sugar.

  Lovely served on its own, or with a dollop of cream.

Lemon Curd Filling

• Place all filling ingredients in a saucepan.*
• Over a low heat, stir until the butter has melted and the curd thickens, just below boiling point.

  Don’t be tempted to use high heat to make the process quicker; you will end up with scrambled egg.

Vanilla Butter Cake

This is my go to fancy, vanilla cake recipe. It is very easy, but has amazing flavor. I usually serve it with a raspberry layer and a buttercream frosting. I usually spread it over a whole sheet pan, then cut it in half for my layers. Then you don't have to do surgery to split a cake. I'm not entirely sure where the original recipe came from, except her name was Rose. 

2 3/4 cups sugar

3/4 cup salted butter, softened

3/4 cup shortening

2 tsp. vanilla extract

5 eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1tsp. salt

3/4 cup evaporated milk

1/4 cup sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 325F.

2. Cream together the sugar, butter and shortening until smooth; then beat in vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, until fluffy. 

3. In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt). Add this flour mixture and the evaporated milk to the original mixture alternately; ending with milk. Beat for 2 minutes on medium speed, then fold in the sour cream. 

4. Spread onto a parchment lined half sheet pan. Bake for 25-35 minute, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (check at 25 minutes).  

Autumn Apple Cake

AUTUMN APPLE CAKE 

Ingredients:
5-7 apples
1 (9 ounce) package yellow cake mix
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 stick real butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Fill your 9x12 pan 1/2 full with apples which you've peeled, cored and sliced thin
(peeling is optional).
Sprinkle the apples with dry cake mix.
Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the cake mix.
Melt butter and drizzle over.
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Brooklyn Blackout Cake

This is a super yummy chocolate cake recipe that came from Taste of Home. I think this might be a go to recipe when we want a chocolate cake. It is really rich, so cut it in small pieces! :)

 

Tip: Make your pudding and frosting first, so that those can be cooling in your fridge while your cake is baking and cooling. Also, you will not need all of this frosting for your cake. It is too much, so don't just start to put the whole thing on there. The frosting is kind of a runny ganache, but will firm up when you cool it. I put the whole thing out in the garage (It's winter time, right now) to set up.

 

Ingredients

PUDDING:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 cups whole milk
• 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

CAKE:

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed
• 3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup strong brewed coffee
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs

FROSTING:

• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed
• 1/3 cup hot water
• 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

In a small heavy saucepan, mix sugar, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in

milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.

Reduce heat to low; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Stir in

chocolate until melted. Transfer to a bowl; stir in vanilla. Cool

slightly, stirring occasionally. Press plastic wrap onto surface of

pudding. Refrigerate, covered, 2 hours or until cold.

 

Preheat oven to 325°. Line bottoms of two greased 8-in. round

baking pans with parchment paper; grease paper. In a small bowl,

whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large

saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add cocoa; cook and stir

until blended. Stir in sugars. Remove from heat; stir in buttermilk,

coffee and vanilla. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until blended.

Stir in flour mixture just until combined.

 

Transfer batter to prepared pans. Bake 35-40 minutes or until

toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10

minutes before removing to wire racks; remove paper. Cool

completely.

 

For frosting, in the top of a double boiler or a metal bowl over hot

water, melt chocolate and butter; stir until smooth. Remove from

heat. Whisk in hot water, all at once. Whisk in corn syrup and

vanilla. Refrigerate 25-30 minutes or just until spreadable.

 

Using a long serrated knife, cut each cake horizontally in half.

Place a cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with half of the

pudding. Repeat layers. Top with a third cake layer. Spread frosting

over top and sides of cake.

 

Crumble remaining cake layer; sprinkle over top and sides of cake,

pressing lightly to adhere. Refrigerate leftovers.

Carmel Apple Cake

I found this recipe on Pinterest (it is a Paula Dean recipe that has been modified) and it is absolutely delicious!!! I have made it twice in the last two weeks (once for a church get together and another for when we had family in town... just so you didn't get to thinking that our family was sitting around doing nothing but eating these;)

Ingredients for the Cake:
2 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts (you can add these but I didn't)
2 1/2 cups apples, canned or fresh (diced)

~Preheat oven 350 degrees. Cream together sugar, eggs, and oil. Add flour; mix together until well blended. Add vanilla, nuts, and diced apples. Spread into a lightly greased and floured 13 x 9-inch baking dish; bake for 45 to 60 minutes. 
~Cake is done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. When cake is done, punch holes in it with a knife and pour topping over.

 

Ingredients for the Caramel Topping:

1 1/2 stick of butter
1 cup of brown sugar
1/8 cup of milk

~Heat all ingredients together over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Let boil for about 2 minutes. Pour over warm cake. Enjoy!!!

Apple Tea Ring

I found this recipe at Flour Me with Love... and it is so very good!!! I modified it a little bit so that I could use my bread machine but other than that I followed her recipe pretty closely. If you don't have a bread machine, you can follow her recipe:)

Dough... 1st layer:
3/4c milk
1/4c butter
1/4c water
1 egg

2nd layer:
3c flour
1/2c sugar
1/4tsp salt
1 pkg instant yeast

INSTRUCTIONS FOR A BREAD MACHINE:
~Mix together milk, melted butter, water and a beaten egg... and add this to the bottom of your bread machine pan.
~Mix together flour, sugar and salt... and add this to the top of the wet mixture. Sprinkle yeast on top.
~Run these layers on the dough cycle.

***Take dough out of bread machine and roll it out into a rectangle on a floured work space. Mix together filling and spread evenly over dough.
Filling:
8oz cream cheese
1/2c sugar

***Mix together apple mixture and spread over filling.
6 apples, peeled and diced
2T cinnamon
2T sugar

***Roll the dough up and form it into a circle... make sure the ends are all sealed. Placed on a parchment lined cookie sheet and make cuts 3/4 of the way through the ring every 2 inches... all the way around. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

***After it is done cooking, you can drizzle cream cheese icing on it to make it even more delicious:) Enjoy!!!

Mississippi Mud Pie

I found this recipe on The Cookie Jar for Mini Mississippi Mud Pies and we had to make them- especially since we have just finished studying Mississippi. Now before anyone says anything, I know they are not TRUE Mississippi Mud Pies but they were so easy to make and so YUMMY!!!



All you need is...

Chocolate Cupcakes (just decorate as many as you need- you can freeze the others;)

Can of Chocolate Icing

Mini Marshmallows

Chocolate Syrup

Ice the cupcakes... we used a decorating bag and tip to give it the swirl on top. Place marshmallows all over and drizzle in chocolate.

See what I mean... so easy (our 8 year old did them!!!) and oh so yummy!!!

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

 

I have made this every Christmas since I was about 15. A really awesome coffee cake.

1 1/2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup sour cream

Cinnamon Filling

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Icing

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoon milk

Prepare cinnamon filling; reserve. Beat sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs in a bowl on medium speed. Beat in flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Add sour cream. Fill greased bundt pan, 1/3 batter, 1/3 filling, repeat twice. Bake at 325 degrees for about 1 hour. (If you set your timer for 60 minutes exactly it should be done, but it may need an extra 5 or 10 minutes depending on your oven). Let cool for 15 minutes in pan. Remove to plate and drizzle icing over top.

Peach Upside-Down Cake

My mother-in-law's peach upside down cake is delicious... and so easy:) It is similar to a pineapple upside-down cake in appearance and, in a way, flavor. The way the brown sugar blends together with the peaches gives them a totally different flavor than they usually have:)

Peach Upside-Down Cake
Stick of Butter
Brown Sugar
5 large peaches, sliced
Yellow Cake Mix, prepared as normal

~Melt 1 stick of butter in the bottom of a 13x9... sprinkle 'heavily' with brown sugar- when you think that you have sprinkled the bottom of the pan enough add just a little more for good measure:)

~Closely layer peaches in the bottom of pan... they will shrink some so make sure they are touching:)

~Cover peach layer with prepared yellow cake mix and bake according to your cake mix's directions:) Enjoy!

*If using frozen peaches, do not thaw first... you may also have to add a few minutes to your cooking time.