Kayt's Blog

Cake-tastrophe ;)

2008-10-06T07:51:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, I attempted to make the recipe recommended in a previous comment by TaroPhoenix. First off, let me just say I'm sure my problems had nothing to do with the recipe itself.

Normally, I let a bundt cool completely in the pan before flipping it over - and it never gives me any trouble in popping out whole - but in a desire to pour the icing onto a still warm cake, I obviously didn't wait long enough this time. It came out in two huge jagged chunks - as though it'd been cut through, by a drunk person, diagonally from the upper lefthand side to the lower righthand side. But having watched enough epsidoes of Ace of Cakes and Amazing Wedding Cakes I now know that (so long as it's going to frosted) you really can just slam the thing back together again and it will hold (even if it looks a teensy bit wonky).

Anyway, it's the ugliest cake I've ever made ... but it tastes good - and after all, that's what counts! :)

PS - I omitted the pecans because my dad HATES nuts ...

Recipe (courtesy of TaroPhoenix):

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Mix following ingredients as each is added:
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup vegetable oil
2-1/4 cups flour
1-3/4 teaspoons baking soda
dash of salt
½ cup cocoa
1-1/4 cups boiling water
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pour into bundt pan that is sprayed with no-stick spray.
Cook for about 30 minutes or until toothpick says it’s done.

Icing
Mix following ingredients in pan on oven, stirring thoroughly as added:

1 stick of melted butter
4 tablespoons cocoa
6 tablespoons buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound of powdered sugar
1 cup of chopped pecans

I poke holes in the cake and put the icing on warm cake to let it drizzle all through the cake.
Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Brownie Bundt

2008-09-28T08:24:00.004-07:00

2 cups Flour

1 tsp. Baking Soda

3/4 tsp. Salt

1/2 cup Cocoa Powder

1 1/2 cups Sugar

4 eggs

1 c. sour cream

1 sm. pkg. instant chocolate pudding

1/2 c. oil

1/2 of a 24oz. pkg. chocolate chips (aprox.)

1/2 c. warm water

Mix well, pour into greased bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 75
minutes.

Note: I cobbled this recipe together from two separate online sources (one for a choc chip bundt cake, and one for a dry Devil's Food Cake mix (a mix in a jar recipe)) therefore you can easily substitute any pre-packaged Devil's Food cake mix for the first 5 ingredients (the sugar on up).

Thought: I think next time I make this I will drizzle on some confectionary sugar frosting (didn't have any of the right sugar on hand this time).

Chard and Leeks

2007-10-02T01:45:00.000-07:00

I think I mentioned before, that we started getting weekly deliveries from Organic Express. It's wonderful, and I love them. What I think I did not previously mention is the fact that every week they also give you a recipe to do something yummy with one or more item(s) in the box. This week's recipe was so completely delicious that I felt compelled to share.

(click on recipe to enlarge)

For the record, I added a bit of butter to the oil (just a tiny bit for the taste), omitted the lemon (since I was out of it) and the red pepper flakes (since I don't like the hot stuff), and used low-sodium chicken broth instead of veggie broth because it was what I had on hand.

Honey Spice Snaps

2007-08-04T23:29:00.000-07:00

RECIPE:

1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cups shortening
1 egg
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 1/4 cups flour

Cream the sugar and shortening. Add the egg and honey. Mix the dry ingredients and add to the wet ingredients until well blended. Shape small amounts of the dough (depending on how big you want the cookies) into something that resembles a ball (they do not need to be perfectly round) sprinkle the top with some granulated sugar. Bake @ 350F for about 15 minutes. The recipe claims to make 2 dozen cookies (but i usually double it and get 3 dozen of the size shown in the photo below.

Lemon Pound/Bundt Cake

2007-08-04T23:17:00.000-07:00

In case you didn't already know - I am not Martha Stewart. I confess that I do not actually know what the difference is between a pound cake and a bundt cake - except for the pan. And because I cook for my own pleasure, and not for one of those Nazi judges on Top Chef, I do not feel compelled to stick to any potentially applicable pound vs. bundt separation regulations (if there are any).

When last I went to the local thrift store to hunt for containers to pot orchids in, and used books - I found a lovely copper gelatin mold/bundt pan I have been dying to use ever since. So today I used it. I made a lemon pound cake recipe in my new bundt pan - if that tore a hole in the fabric of space/time - I would deeply apologize to anyone who got caught up in it, except, of course, for the fact that they no longer exist.

Ingredients:

This was my first time using this pan - and it came out much too dark and crusty for my liking (the excess batter that I put in a regular cake pan did not come out that way), so I doubt I'll ever use this pan for such a light colored cake again - but hey, you look, you see, you try - such is life .. and it's not like it was inedible ;)

Proof that I got it out in one piece ;)

Proof that it is, in fact, yellow on the inside ;P

RECIPE:

2 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups butter
1 tsp. lemon extract
5 eggs
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup milk

Cream the sugar and the butter, add the eggs and lemon extract. Beat on low until well mixed (about 1 minute) then beat on high about 5 minutes. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt - add to wet ingredients, alternately with the milk, on low. Bake @ 350F for 70-80 minutes. Cool completely in the pan.

Bachelor Button Cookies

2007-07-14T14:17:00.000-07:00

~It Begins~

~the end result~

The Close-up ;)

Recipe:

Ingredients:
1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup butter 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup oatmeal (quick kind) 1 cup Rice Krispies cereal

Directions:

Combine brown sugar and butter in mixer bowl. Beat until creamy. Add egg and beat well. Stir in vanilla

In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed ingredients and mix to combine. Stir in oatmeal and Rice Krispies.

Drop by spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees F. for 10 -12 minutes.

YIELD: 2 DOZ