Cakes and Pies

Hummingbird Cake by Paula TN
(I got this one from my sister)

3 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 ( z.) can crushed pineapple (do not drain liquid)
2 cups pecans, chopped
2 cups bananas, chopped

Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs and vegetable oil, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened. Do not beat. Stir in vanilla, pineapple, pecans and bananas. Pour batter into greased and floured 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Cool and frost.

Frosting

1 ( z.) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter
1 (16 oz.) box powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

Cream together the cream cheese and butter. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix well and frost cake.

This recipe is wonderful. My sister makes these for dessert auctions at her church and it's "always" the top seller.

Strawberry Bavarian Pie by Linderlou


3 cups fresh strawberries

1/4 cup sugar

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

3 slightly beaten egg whites

1 3-ounce package soft ladyfingers, split

2 tablespoons orange juice

1/2 of an 8-ounce container frozen light whipped dessert topping, thawed (about 1-2/3 cups)

Additional frozen light whipped dessert topping, thawed (optional)

Strawberry fans (optional)

Place the 3 cups strawberries in a blender container or food processor bowl. Cover; blend or process until smooth. Measure the strawberries (you should have about 1-3/4 cups).

In a medium saucepan combine the sugar and gelatin. Stir in the blended strawberries. Cook and stir over medium heat until the mixture bubbles and the gelatin is dissolved.

Gradually stir about half of the gelatin mixture into the slightly beaten egg whites. Return all of the mixture to the
saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Do not boil. Pour into a mixing bowl. Chill in the refrigerator about 30 mintues or just until the mixture mounds when dropped from a spoon, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cut about half of the split ladyfingers in half crosswise; stand these on end around the outside edge of a
9- or 9-1/2-inch tart pan with removable bottom or a 9-inch springform pan. Arrange the remaining split ladyfingers in
bottom of pan. Slowly drizzle the orange juice over the ladyfingers.

Fold whipped topping into strawberry mixture; spoon into the ladyfinger-lined pan. Cover and chill in the refrigerator
for at least 2 hours or until set. If desired, garnish with additional whipped topping and strawberry fans*.

Makes 10 servings.

*Note: To make a strawberry fan, place the strawberry on a cutting board with the pointed end facing you. Using a
paring knife, make 4 or 5 lengthwise cuts from the pointed end not quite to stem end. Fan the slices apart slightly,
being careful to keep all slices attached to the cap.

Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare as directed. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Garnish just before serving.

Apple Delight by kcsmom76


1 can apple pie filling
1 stick of butter
cinnamon
1/2 box yellow cake mix

Spread pie filling in 8 inch pie pan and sprinkle with cinnamon. Pour cake mix on top and cut up stick of butter over top. Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes

Lethal Peppermint Chocolate Cake by April D

1 T Peppermint Schnapps
Solid vegetable shortning for greasing the pans
Flour for dusting the pans
1 pkg (18.25 oz) plain devil's food cake mix
3 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/3 C buttermilk
1/2 C vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 t vanilla extract


1. Prepare Chocolate Canache, (recipe at end of cake recipe) adding the peppermint schnapps after all the chocolate has melted. Let the ganache cool

2. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350. Grease and flour 2 9-inch round pans.

3. Place the cake mix, cocoa powder, buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bow and blend on low for 1 min. then 2 min. on med. Divide the batter into the pans.

4. Bake the cakes until they spring back and start to pull away from the sides of the pan. 28-30 min. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 min. on wire racks before removing them from pans. Allow the cakes to cool another 30 min. right side up on the racks.

5. Meanwhile, prepare half a recipe of Peppermint Buttercream Frosting (Recipe follows)

6. Place one cake layer, right side up, on a serving platter. Spread the top with peppermint frosting, the place the second layer on right side up and frost the top and sides of the cake with Chocolate Ganache that has cooled until it is spreadable. Chill the cake until ready to serve. (It needs 20 min. in the fridge to set the ganache)


Chocolate Ganache

3/4 C heavy whipping cream
8 oz. semisweet chocolate finely chopped
1 T peppermint schnappes

1. Place the cream in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring. Meanwhile place the chopped chocolate in a large mixing bowl. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is melted. Stir in the schnapps.

Let stand at room tem min. to use as a glaze or 4 hours to use as a frosting


Peppermint Buttercream Frosting

8T butter at room temp.
1/2 C finely crushed peppermint candy
3 C confectioners sugar, sifted
2-3 T milk
1-2 T peppermint schnapps

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until fluffy, 30 seconds. Stope the machine and add the peppermint candy, sugar, 2 T of milk, and 1 T schnapps. Blend on low until the sugar is well incorporated about 1 min. Increase the speed to MED and beat ujntil the frosting lightens and is fluffy, one min. more. Blend in up to 1 T milk or schnapps if the frosting seems too stiff.

Red Velvet Cake by mom2riandkayl
(from allrecipes.com)

Submitted by: Eleanor Johnson
"A family favorite -- great for the Christmas holiday."
Yields 1 - 2 layer 9 inch cake.
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 35 Minutes
Ready In: 55 MinutesAvg.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 ounces red food coloring
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 cup milk
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


1 Grease two 9 inch round pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Make a paste of cocoa and food coloring. Set aside.
2 Combine the buttermilk, salt and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the cocoa mixture. Beat in the buttermilk mixture alternately with the flour, mixing just until incorporated. Stir together baking soda and vinegar, then gently fold into the cake batter.
3 Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
4 To Make Icing: In a saucepan, combine the milk and 5 tablespoons flour. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Set aside to cool completely. Cream together butter, 1 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla until light and fluffy, then stir in the cooled milk and flour mixture, beating until icing reaches spreading consistency.

Makes 12 servings

Notes from mom2riandkayl:

I have a recipe that I think is really good, but unfortunately it's in a cookbook that I haven't moved here yet. I found this one on Allrecipes and I am pretty sure it is almost exactly like mine.

This recipe also includes the recipe for the frosting I use. (Some people use cream cheese frosting, but I like this "whipped cream" type.)

One thing I like to do is to make buttercream frosting (made with REAL butter) to put between the layers. If I'm feeling *really* ambitious, I'll even torte the cake so you have four layers and more buttercream. Then I frost the outside with the whipped cream frosting.

I hope that this helps. I *love* this kind of cake. I think I may have to make one for Valentine's Day.

Excellent low fat cake.... by pthrlisa

Dh and I just started weight watchers and I found this recipe online. We took it to the IL's for dinner the other day and dh's grandma took an extra piece home for later....

Any cake mix (we used Devil's Food)
1 cup of solid pack pumpkin
1 cup plus a little more water to make it into a batter

bake at 350 for 45 min or till done. It is very moist and you can't taste the pumpkin in it. I did sprinkle powdered sugar on top b/c with no oil in the cake the color is dull. If you cook it in a 9 x 13 pan and cut it into 12 equal squares it has 3 pts.
Lisa