All-New Cake Mix Doctor - Anne Byrn [135]
Keep It Fresh! Store this cake, covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, at room temperature for up to four days or for up to one week in the refrigerator. Freeze the cake in the pan, covered with aluminum foil, for up to three months. Let the cake thaw overnight on the counter before serving.
Take This Cake! 10 Festive Cakes to Take with You
You’ve got to love a cake in a 13 by 9–inch pan because it is always ready to go wherever you’re going. These cakes are made for taking.
LEMON STREUSEL CAKE
PAGE 262
PINK LEMONADE PARTY CAKE
PAGE 268
HUMMINGBIRD CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
PAGE 280
PINEAPPLE DUMP CAKE
PAGE 284
NANCY’S CINNAMON SWIRL COFFEE CAKE
PAGE 302
BIRTHDAY CAKE FOR A CROWD
PAGE 305
LEMON-LIME CAKE WITH PINEAPPLE ICING
PAGE 312
GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CHEESECAKE POCKETS
PAGE 320
FAST FIXING CHOCOLATE CHIP CAKE
PAGE 322
A NEW CHOCOLATE-COVERED CHERRY CAKE
PAGE 326
Craving Cranberries Year Round
Why do we think cranberries have to be limited to cool-weather baking? Just because cranberry season is during the colder months, and often the season is short, doesn’t mean you won’t crave them come spring. I finally found a store that sells frozen cranberries, which you thaw and use in recipes just like you would if they were fresh. You do need to drain the cranberries well and pat them dry with paper towels before using. This year I’m going to fill resealable plastic bags with fresh cranberries and freeze my own.
HOT PRUNE CAKE WITH BUTTERMILK GLAZE
serves:
16 to 20
prep:
25 minutes
bake:
42 to 47 minutes
cool:
20 minutes
SIMILAR TO THE PRUNE CAKE in The Cake Mix Doctor, this is a sheet cake topped with a rich, old-fashioned glaze from my mother’s recipe file. A fresher take on that prune cake, this is made with a spice cake mix and calls for just half a recipe of that legendary glaze.
For the cake
Vegetable oil spray, for misting the pan
Flour, for dusting the pan
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain spice cake mix
Half of a 3.4 ounce package of vanilla instant pudding mix (4 tablespoons)
1 cup water
½ cup sour cream
½ cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1½ cups chopped pitted prunes, from 2 cups whole pitted prunes
For the buttermilk glaze
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1. Make the cake: Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly mist a 13 by 9–inch metal cake pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust it with flour. Shake out the excess flour and set the pan aside.
2. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, water, sour cream, oil, eggs, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are incorporated, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 1½ minutes longer, scraping down the side of the bowl again if needed. The batter should look thick and well blended. Fold in the chopped prunes. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the rubber spatula, and place the pan in the oven.
3. Bake the cake until it is golden brown and the top springs back when lightly pressed with a finger, 42 to 47 minutes. Transfer the cake pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes while you make the buttermilk glaze.
4. Make the glaze: Place the granulated sugar, buttermilk, butter, corn syrup, baking soda, and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. The glaze will foam up and thicken as the sugar dissolves and the butter melts, 3 minutes.
5. Poke holes all over the top of the cake with a toothpick or wooden skewer and pour the glaze over the top, spreading it out with a spoon to reach the edges. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes longer before cutting it into squares