Coconut Frosting and Filling (German Chocolate)

This is great for German Chocolate cake. The original recipe had raisins which you can add with the butter and milk if desired.

I always put a chocolate frosting on the sides with this as filling and "topper". 

5 egg yolks

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 stick butter

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup shredded coconut

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp salt

Beag the egg yolks in a heavy pan for about 1 minute. Add sugar and buttermilk. Cook on medium until it boils and thickens. Add coconut, pecans, vanilla and salt; beat vigorously until throughly blended. 

Spread on the cake while frosting is warm. You will have enough to fill and frost a 8 or 9" three layer cake or 13" x 9" cake. Frosting will not adhere to sides of cake. 

BACARDI RUM CAKE

I guess the only people who claim rights to this cake are maybe the Bacardi Co. Cooks have been baking it forever. It is an incredible moist cake. You can glaze it on a rack sat in a sheet pan and keep brushing and pouring the glaze until gone. It's one cake that's better to make a day ahead of time. The rum acts as the perfect preservative, so it lasts a long time on the counter (if left alone). It also freezes beautifully.

1. 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
2. 1 package yellow cake mix **
3. 1 (3 3/4-oz.) package vanilla instant pudding
4. 4 eggs
5. 1/2 cup cold water
6. 1/2 cup oil
7. 1/2 cup Bacardi dark rum
Glaze:
• 1 stick butter
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup Bacardi dark rum
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Grease and flour 10-inch tube or 12-cup Bundt pan.
3. Mix all cake ingredients together.
4. Sprinkle nuts over bottom of pan.
5. Pour batter over nuts.
6. Bake 1 hour.
7. Cool 10 min in pan. Invert onto wire rack. Line pan with plastic wrap. Put cake back in the pan. Prick top with fork.
8. Spoon and brush glaze evenly over top and sides until its gone.  Put on platter
Glaze:
Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in water and sugar.
Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, and remove from heat.
Stir in rum CAREFULLY.
** If using yellow cake mix with pudding already in the mix, omit the instant pudding, using 3 eggs instead of 4 and 1/3 cup oil instead of 1/2.
 Courtesy of Valerie Goggins Port Republic, Maryland
Vanilla Sauce...no alcohol.... Spoon over the top when serving.
1 cup water ------------ 1/8 tsp salt
1 cup sugar ------------ 3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp corn starch ----- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
Heat water, sugar, corn starch, and salt stirring until slightly thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla.

BUTTER CREAM FROSTING

A WORD ABOUT FROSTING. To make the best tasting and spreading frosting, you have to start with softened butter, not melted butter and not margarine. When you melt the butter it changes its properties and the texture changes. I know the new Hershey Chocolate recipe says to melt it, but you will be disappointed. Also real margarine is not being made anymore. The products on the market are oil spreads, and don't taste or "act" like butter or margarine in a recipe.... From now on, in baking, if it says butter or margarine, use BUTTER.

I HATE WHITE CAKE AND WHITE FROSTING so make it very seldom. I always use a box mix for white. I have tried several recipes through the years, but find the box is the most consistent. Sorry if you're disappointed.

Butter Cream Frosting:

1 cup butter, soft

1 box Powdered sugar

1 tsp flavoring

Half and half

Put butter in mixer. Add powdered sugar and salt. Mix adding milk gradually until spreading consistency. Not too much milk. Remember the butter is soft so frosting will set up when refrigerated. Add flavoring.

At this point you can put some food color in if you want. Or divide into small bowl and have different colors.

When I took cake decorating in 1972, we made this frosting with all Crisco (not butter). If you want a really white, smooth frosting use 1/2 butter and 1/2 Crisco. There is also a white vanilla, Wilton, that comes out much whiter.

DIRT CLODS

Ben 12th Birthday

Monica asked for Dirt Clods.

When Jarrell was young(er) we had his birthday(Oct. 18) at the Pumpkin Patch. Instead of a cake I took what I made and referred to as "Dirt Clods"(He and Ben and I are chocolate lovers. If its not chocolate we don't want it). So I made chocolate cup cakes and frosted with chocolate and rolled in crushed Oreos. They are misshapen and look like dirt clots. They were to be for Halloween, but when Ben got old enough to ask he wanted them also, but in May. So a few years later you had to make them for the whole little league team. Ben might not could play ball, but he was popular for the Dirt Clods.

Ok. So you make chocolate cupcakes (see chocolate cake). Fill the pan 1/2 full with batter. When baked, freeze them (you can do this a week or two ahead, just put in air tight container).

Buy a bag (no I don't make them) of Oreo cookies and crush in the food processor.

Make chocolate frosting (its with chocolate cake).

Take the cupcakes out a few at a time. You want to keep them frozen. They frost so much easier when hard. It helps to have two people. Someone frost the cupcake with chocolate. The other person rolls or spoons crumbs on the whole outside. Put on a wire rack that is set on a cookie sheet. At some point, roll them around in your hand (you've got gloves on, right?) like a ball to help crumbs stick. I put them right back in the freezer on the rack until frozen again. Leave until ready to eat (or take). They just take 5 minutes to thaw, and the shape keeps better this way.

Niki doesn't eat chocolate but wanted dirt clods so I came up with a Sandy Clod for her.

White cupcakes (use a mix).

White frosting (below).

Crushed Mothers Taffy cookies.

Put it together the same way.

Butter Cream Frosting:

1 cup butter, soft

1 box Powdered sugar

1 tsp flavoring

Half and half

Put butter in mixer. Add powdered sugar and salt. Mix together, adding milk gradually until spreading consistency. Not too much milk. Remember the butter is soft so frosting will set up when refrigerated. Add flavoring.

At this point you can put some food color in if you want. Or divide into small bowls and have different colors.

(Add 1 cup cocoa for chocolate frosting)

Whipped Cream Frosting

                      WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING

I haven't made this yet. Will report when I do. 

It WONT melt at room temperature like regular whipped cream!

It's VERY stable.

Its wonderful used for frosting a cake or even dipping fruit in it!

Not TOO sweet...

This recipe makes 5 cups**

1 (8 ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese, softened

½ cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon almond extract

2 cups of heavy cream

Combine the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract and almond extract in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your mixer.

Once all in the bowl, mix on medium speed until smooth.

While the mixture is still whipping, slowly pour in the heavy cream.

Stop and scrape the bottom of the bowl a few times while you continue whipping until the cream can hold a stiff peak.

YOU ARE DONE!

CARROT CAKE

I'll get to it!!

GRANDMAS THUNDER CAKE

2nd Grade project

Mrs. Linda Dunn has been my neighbor since 1985. She has taught first and than second grade since, I think 1980.

Linda Dunn brought 3 classes, on 3 different days, of 24 kids each, to my new kitchen Benjamins 2nd grade year, 2007. It is called Grandmas Thunder Cake, and there is a book that goes with it that the teacher reads the students. I might be the only Grandma to make it at my own house. It was quite fun. The school hasn't has the funding for a field trip like this since. Such a shame.

Cake

1 c. shortening

1 3/4 c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

3 eggs separated

1 c. cold water

1/3 c. pureed tomatoes

2 1/2 c. cake flour

1/2 c. dry cocoa

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

Cream together one at a time the shortening, sugar, vanilla and egg yolks, cold water and tomatoes. Beat egg whites until stiff, then fold in. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Mix the dry mixture into the creamy mixture.

Bake in two greased and floured 8 1/2 inch round pans at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Frost with chocolate butter frosting and top with strawberries. Best when made on a stormy day:

FROSTING

2 sticks butter

1 cup cocoa

1/2 c milk

1 box (4 c) Powdered sugar

Cream butter and cocoa. Add milk and powered sugar. Mix well.

BUTTERSCOTCH PECAN CAKE

This is the families favorite cake.

Martha always gets it right. I

just have a knack for following the

recipe.

Ingredients

Serves 12 to 14.                                                                                             

• • FOR THE CAKES
  • Vegetable oil cooking spray, for pans
  • 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
  • 10 ounces (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 1/2 cups packed dark-brown sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons rum, preferably golden or dark
  • 1 1/4 cups buttermilk, room temperature
  • 
    
  • FOR THE FROSTING
  • 12 ounces unsalted butter (3 sticks), 1 stick left whole, 2 sticks cut into small pieces, softened
  • 2 cups packed        dark-brown sugar
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 20 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
  • 
    
  • FOR THE BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE
    
    2/3 Cup packed dark-brown sugar
    
    3 oz (6TBS) Butter, cut into pieces
    
    1/2 c Light Corn Syrup
    
    1/4 tsp Course Salt
    
    1/2 c Heavy Cream
    
    2 c Pecan halves, toasted and chopped, plus more
    
    halves for garnish
    
    

Directions Make the cakes: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat three 8-by-2-inch round cake pans with cooking spray, line with parchment, and coat parchment. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter and brown sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then add vanilla and rum. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in 2 additions, alternating with buttermilk. Raise speed to medium-high, and beat for 2 minutes. Divide batter among pans. Bake cakes until golden brown and testers inserted in centers come out clean, about 40 minutes. Transfer pans to wire racks, and let cool slightly. Invert cakes onto racks. Let cool. Make the frosting: Melt 1 stick butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until dark golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add brown sugar, cream, and salt, stirring until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, and cook for 3 minutes. Transfer to a mixer bowl, and let cool. With machine running, add remaining butter, a few pieces at a time, and beat on low until incorporated. Raise speed to medium, and beat for 2 minutes. In another bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar on medium-high until fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Add brown-butter mixture to cream cheese, and beat until smooth. Cover, and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours (or overnight, beating on low speed before using). Make the butterscotch sauce: Mix sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat, and cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and whisk in cream. Return to heat, and cook for 2 minutes. Let cool slightly. To assemble the cake: Trim tops of 2 cake layers and top and bottom of third (this will be the middle) to create flat exposed surfaces. Brush 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons butterscotch sauce on cut sides. Let cool. Spread 1 cup frosting on 1 layer, then place middle layer on top, sauce side down. Spread 1 cup frosting on middle layer, then place third layer on top, sauce side down. Spread 1 cup frosting on top and sides. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Using an offset spatula, spread remaining frosting on top and sides of cake. Press chopped pecans on sides, and garnish top with halves. Transfer cake to a serving plate or cake stand. Refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours (or up to 2 days, covered). 2017 (just a small piece)

JELLO POKE CAKE

This is a fun cake and very

refreshing in the summer

□ 1 white cake mix

□ 1 sm. (4 oz.) Jell-O mix, any flavor

□ 8 oz. Cool Whip

□ 1 c. boiling water

□ 1/2 c. cool water

Make cake according to package directions. Pour into a 9X15 pan. Cool cake 20 minutes. Using utility fork, poke through cake at 1/2 inch intervals. Make Jell-O using 1 cup boiling water and 1/2 cup cold water. Pour Jell-O slowly over cake covering all holes. Chill 3 - 4 hours. Spread with Cool Whip.

I make two 8” layers and use two colors of Jell-O; 1 for the top layer and 1 for the bottom layer. Put cake pan in a little hot water if you have trouble releasing the cake from the pan after Jell-o is set. I would buy 2- 8oz cool whips.

Spread between layers and sides of cake with Cool Whip. You do have some waste of the Jell-O. But , oh well.

I don't know how long this has been around, but I have been making it since the 70s.

RED VELVET CAKE

 Make sure it is on a beautiful plate

   














I did a lot experimenting with this recipe to make what

I thought was the perfect one. The butter and solid

shortening make a moist cake that isn't as heavy.

RED VELVET CAKE

1/2 c Butter, softened

1/2 c Solid Shortening
2 c Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla

2 oz Red Food Coloring

2 ½ c Flour
2 TBS Cocoa
1/2 tsp Salt

1 c Buttermilk
1 ½ tsp Baking Soda

1 TBS Vinegar

Cream together the butter, shortening, and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir in food coloring. Sift together flour, cocoa, and salt. Alternate flour and butter milk into the sugar mixture until gone. Sprinkle baking soda over the batter. Add vinegar, and blend.

Put batter in 3 8in baking pans. Bake in a 350* oven for 35 minutes.

Stack layers on top of fancy plate, filling each with the frosting. Frost entire cake. I chop the nuts and put on the outside. Some call for mixing it into the frosting before putting it on the cake.

FROSTING:

1 stick softened butter

1 package softened cream cheese

1 box powdered sugar (4 cups)

Mix until smooth.

In history, the cake has been colored with boiled grated beets or baby food. This would make it more moist, (like adding applesauce to a cake). (Down With Red Dye!)

It was said to originally be Red Devils Food Cake, but when chocolate became hard to get during the war, the amount was cut down and coloring added so it looked right. (See Devils Food Cake)

10/98 EDC Berkley recipe

10/99 Martha Stewart

06/00 Heather Carr

12/05 Montclair Martha

LEMON FROSTING & FILLING

Benny’s and Sam’s 2021

                                                       Jill’s wedding 2010

2 1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

1 1/2 cup Half-Half

1 3.4oz box Instant Lemon Pudding Mix

1/3 cup Powdered Sugar

1 tsp Lemon Extract

Put whipping cream and half-half in bowl of mixer. Add remaining ingredients. Using wire beater, mix on slow speed until all ingredients are incorporated, one or two minutes, scraping sides once. Raise speed to med-high, and beat until constancy of heavy whip cream. Frost cake within the hour.

If you need more frosting, make it in batches. Even the larger mixer has trouble whipping too much at a time

KEEP THIS CAKE IN THE REFRIGERATOR until ready to serve. For Jills wedding it was frozen and put out at the last minute.

For Benny and Sams wedding I had made/froze the cake ahead, luckily, because I had emergency surgery and Lindsy had to frost and decorate the cake. It was beautiful. 

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Charleighs Birthday Cake 2010

½ cupful shortening (solid)

½ cupful Hershey’s Cocoa

1 ¼ cupful granulated sugar

2 cupful all-purpose flour

2 eggs, unbeaten

1 tsp baking soda

1 cupful boiling water

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

Cream shortening and sugar; add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then add ingredients as called for and, after adding them all without stirring, beat vigorously until smooth. Turn into 2 greased and floured 8-inch layer pans. Bake in oven at 350* for 30-35 minutes or until done. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Turn out on a rack. Cool completely.

When cakes are cool, trim top if needed. Put in freezer to await frosting. May be kept up to 1 week frozen. This keeps the crumbs down and makes frosting the cake much easier.

CHOCOLATE FROSTING

1 cupful butter (softened)

½ cupful half-half (approx)

1 cupful cocoa

4 cupful (1 box) Powdered sugar

Mix butter and cocoa together, adding half-half to keep it from sticking to the bowl. Add powdered sugar and a pinch of salt. Mix until smooth, adding half-half as needed to spreading constancy. It will harden after the cake is frosted and refrigerated.

From a 1934 Hershey’s cookbook. Hence some of the terms. They call it a Red Devil's Food Cake. Because the processing of cocoa was different, when you mixed it with soda, it took on a red cast. During the war, when cocoa was scarce, they added red coloring and called it Red Velvet Cake. I think the two taste different.

I always have Hershey's Cocoa on hand for hot chocolate. The shelf life is much longer than solid chocolates, and no one unexpectedly eats it.

I don’t have any problem with a boxed Devil’s Food cake mix, but you have to make the frosting!!

If I had a dollar for every chocolate cake I made I could buy a new hat!!

Monica Cochran has been calling me since Charleigh was a baby to make her birthday cake... It always has to be Chocolate/Chocolate with pink. I think she is about 9 now. I'm running out of ideas for brown and pink....