Pound cake

This is our ALL TIME favorite!!  The basic recipe makes delicious (NOT dry all all!) cake.  You can make a few adjustments & have delicious variations.

Preheat oven:  300*
Grease and flour (I even line mine with parchment first) loaf pans.  This recipe makes 2 standard sized loaves or 4 smaller ones.

Cream well with a mixer on medium speed:

3 sticks (1-1/2 C) softened butter
8 oz package of softened cream cheese (lite or regular)
3 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Slowly add:
6 eggs  ( 1 at a time, beating & scraping the bowl after each addition)

Lower the speed on the mixer and add:
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 cups flour

At this point, you can add mini chocolate chips, toasted coconut, chopped nuts... whatever...  I like to add a T of fresh lemon juice instead of vanilla and add an addition 1-2 T grated lemon zest for a delicious lemony result!  (For chocolate pound cake, mix 6 T cocoa with 2 T vegetable oil and stir to make a paste - add with the butter and sugar)

Spoon the batter (2/3 of the way up to the top of the pan) into the prepared pans.

Standard sized loaf pans:  70+ minutes
Smaller loaf pans:  60-70 minutes

Test center of cake with toothpick to make sure it's done before removing from oven.

Cool on racks 15 minutes before removing from pans.
Dust with powdered sugar or apply frosting.

Oreo Cake

Grease a jelly roll pan (cookie sheet with high sides).  Heat oven to 375º.

In a sauce pan, heat 1 C. butter and 1 C. until it begins to boil - whisk in:

2 cups flour

1 tsp. bkg. soda

1/4 tsp. sale

2 beaten eggs

1/2 C. buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Pour into pan. Sprinkle 1-1/2 to 2 C. crushed Oreos all over the top - pat down gently.

Bake for 20 minutes (test center of cake with toothpick). Remove from oven & cool

For frosting:

Heat until melted:  1/2 C. butter and 1/4 C. buttermilk

whisk in:

1 tsp. vanilla extract

4 C. Powdered sugar (poss. a little more)

2 Tblsp. heavy cream

Mix thoroughly until it's a good spreading consistency (add more powd. sugar or milk, if needed)

Spread evenly over cooled cake.

Sprinkle with 1 C. mini chocolate chips (semisweet or bittersweet)

and

2 C. crushed Oreos

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Heat your oven to 350º.

Have a 8-9" springform pan ready, with the bottom lightly greased.

For the crust - in a small mixing bowl, combine ingredients and press onto the bottom of the prepared pan:

1-1/2 cups crushed Oreo cookies

1/2 cup crushed graham crackers

4 Tblsp. melted butter

Place in oven and bake 10 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool slightly and lower the oven temperature to 325º.

In a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer (low speed - don't use a high speed!!), combine the following ingredients:

4- 8 oz. packages of softened cream cheese

1-1/4 cup sugar

4 eggs

1 teasp. vanilla

2 Tblsp. flour

1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream

FOLD IN:

1-1/2 cups mini semisweet chocolate chips.

Spoon into pan over crust.  Place in oven and bake for 1 hour.  Open the oven door - gently tap the side of the pan. If the center is still a little 'jiggly' close the door and bake another 10-15 minutes.  Check again.  Do this until the center isn't jiggling anymore, but being careful NOT to OVERbake it - or the top will crack.  Once the cheesecake is done, turn the oven off but LEAVE it IN the oven with the door ajar for an hour or two, until it sets.  Remove from oven and place on a wire rack (room temp) until it's completely cool.

You can either leave it 'as is' - or 'frost' it with sour cream (sweetened with a little sugar & a splash of vanilla) OR you can spoon a chocolate ganache over the top. Then it must be refrigerated for at least several hours.

To make the ganache,   in a small sauce pan over a VERY low heat,  heat 1/2 cup of heavy (whipping) cream, stirring occasionally.  Once it's hot - slowly add  chocolate chips (I use a 1/2 & 1/2 combination of bittersweet and semisweet chips) - approx 1-1/2 cups total.  Stir continually until the chocolate is fully melted and then remove it from the heat.  Spoon it over the top of the cooled cheesecake and then refrigerate until ready to serve.

You can garnish it with more crushed Oreos, chocolate chips, whipped cream... whatever you like!!

Chocolate (Coke) Cake

In a small saucepan, heat 1/4# butter, 1 cup Coke, 3 Tblsp. cocoa that's been mixed with 1 Tblsp. vegetable oil (mix it into a paste). Bring to a slow boil - add 1 cup miniature marshmallows and remove from heat. Stir occasionally until marshmallows are melted. Set aside until mixture is completely cool.

Mix dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl and set aside:

2-1/3 cups flour

3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa

1 tsp. baking soda

1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

Make cake:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9" cake pan.

In a large mixing bowl, beat until fluffy (with whisk or electric mixer):

1/2 cup soft butter (or use 1/2 butter and 1/2 margarine)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups sugar

Beat in:

2 eggs

3/4 cup buttermilk

Add half the dry (flour/cocoa, etc.) mixture and stir well -

Add the cooled cola mixture.

Add the remaining half of the dry mixture (flour/cocoa, etc.)

Stir mixture thoroughly & slowly for 3-4 minutes.

Spoon into the prepared pan & bake for 40-50 minutes until center is done. Test with toothpick. When done, cool on a wire rack for 15-20 minutes. Spread frosting over warm cake. Cool completely before serving. I usually refrigerate the cake, but it's not necessary.

FROSTING:

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly:

1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter

1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup Coke

1 teasp. vanilla extract

1/4 cup Hershey's chocolate syrup

3 cups powdered sugar

Cannoli cake

Lemon cake:

Grease 2- 8 or 9" round cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment and lightly grease the bottom- flour the pans, shaking off excess. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In an electric mixing bowl, (medium speed) cream 1 cup (2 sticks) soft butter for 1-2 minutes. Gradually add 2 cups white sugar- beat until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Add 4 large eggs, ONE at a time - mixing after each addition until the batter is fully blended - around 5 minutes. Occasionally stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Mix dry ingredients (separately) in a bowl and then set aside:
3 cups sifted all purpose flour
1 tblsp. baking powder
1 teasp. baking soda

Measure 1-1/4 cups buttermilk and to it, add 1 teasp. vanilla and 1 Tblsp. grated lemon zest/

To the butter/sugar mixture in mixing bowl, ALTERNATELY add the flour mixture and buttermilk- a third at a time - mixing on a low speed until everything is mixed together well and thoroughly incorporated.

Spoon 1/2 the batter into each of the 2 pans. Bake 20 minutes - quickly and carefully rotate the pans so the cakes cook evenly. Bake for another 10 - 15 minutes more (checking after 10 minutes) and testing with a toothpick to make sure cakes are done.

Remove to cooling racks - cook 20 minutes in pans before turning upside down and removing from pans. Cool completely.

When layers are cooled, split each in half. You can put filling between 2 or 3 of the layers, depending on how high you'd like the cake. Or you can leave them intact and just put filling between one layer. Or go ahead and eat it plain. :-)

Cannoli filling:

There are countless variations for cannoli filling; some are cooked, some are uncooked. It's all a matter of personal taste and preference. Add candied fruit, citron, peel, toasted chopped nuts, chopped chocolate ... whatever floats your cannoli boat.

This makes more than enough filling for a 3-4 layer cake:

Mix together:
2 lbs. fresh whole milk ricotta
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar (or more if you like a sweeter taste)
1 teasp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
scant 1/2 teasp. grated lemon (or orange) zest
1/3 c. mini semisweet chocolate chips
1 bar (standard size- 6 oz?) imported chopped milk chocolate (like Lindt or Lindor)
Fold in gently:
1-1/2 cups freshly whipped whipping cream (not canned!)

Divide ricotta filling and spread between layers of cooled cake. Either sift powdered sugar over cake & serve with freshed whipped cream or use your favorite frosting.