Hometown Get-Togethers - Candace Floyd [62]
FROSTING
½ cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
¼ cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup buttermilk
One 1-pound box confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease one 15 × 10-inch baking pan.
2. To prepare the cake, combine the granulated sugar, flour, and cocoa in a large bowl; mix well.
3. Combine 1 cup water with the oil and butter in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and add to the flour mixture; mix well. Add the buttermilk, baking soda, eggs, and vanilla. Beat well by hand and pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
4. To prepare the frosting, bring the butter, cocoa, and buttermilk to a boil in a large saucepan. Remove from the heat. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla with a mixer at low speed. Spread evenly over the cooled cake.
Honey-Spiced Chai Bundt Cake
Wendy Nickel, Kiester, Minnesota
Serves 12
“Moist and flavorful, this cake is always a hit at my family reunions, local bake sales, and at school for my fellow staff members.”
CAKE
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ cups packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1¾ cups hot chai tea, cooled
½ cup buttermilk
½ cup honey
½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
ICING
One 16-ounce container cream cheese frosting
½ cup chopped pecans, toasted, if desired
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 10-cup Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. To prepare the cake, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, tea, buttermilk, honey, butter, eggs, and egg yolk in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at low speed for 1 minute, or until just blended, scraping the sides of the bowl frequently.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Remove from the pan.
4. To prepare the icing, remove the lid from the frosting and heat in the microwave until the frosting is slightly melted. Drizzle over the cooled cake and garnish with the pecans, if using.
Cherry Dump Cake
Eleanor Joyner, Loveland, Colorado
Serves 16
“I make Cherry Dump Cake for church groups and family. It’s good anytime and so easy to make.”
One 15-ounce can peach slices in light syrup, undrained
One 20-ounce can pineapple chunks packed in juice, drained
Two 21-ounce cans cherry pie filling, preferably no-sugar-added variety
One 18-ounce package yellow cake mix
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Pour the peaches and their syrup and the drained pineapple into a 13 × 9-inch cake pan. Top with the cherry pie filling. Sprinkle the dry cake mix over the pie filling and pour the melted butter over the top. Sprinkle with the walnuts.
3. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes until the cake is at room temperature.
Chocolate Snowball Cake
Connie Turner, Crossville, Tennessee
Serves 12 to 16
“Everyone gave me rave reviews when I created this Chocolate Snowball Cake to share with friends and coworkers at my sometimes hectic and chaotic office. They are my taste testers, and I am always trying new twists to my cakes and other desserts.”
CAKE
½ cup shredded sweetened coconut
One 18-ounce package chocolate fudge cake mix
3 eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon chocolate syrup, optional
4 fudge cookies with marshmallow and coconut, such as Little Debbie Coconut Puffs, crumbled
½ cup miniature marshmallows
FROSTING
Four 1-ounce chocolate-coated almond-coconut candy bars, such as Almond Joy
One 16-ounce container vanilla frosting
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon brewed coffee or water
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 13 × 9-inch baking pan.
2. To prepare the cake, sprinkle the bottom of the prepared pan with the coconut. Combine the cake mix, eggs, 11/3 cups water,