Grandma Conrad’s Rhubarb Cake

Ingredients

Cream together:

• 1½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup butter

Stir in:

• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla

Sift together:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda

Add alternately with:

• 1 cup buttermilk

Fold in:

• 2 cups chopped rhubarb

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Topping (from the second card)

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the batter once it’s in the pan.

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Baking Instructions

• Spoon batter into a greased 9×13 pan
• Add topping
• Bake 35 minutes at 350°F

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Buche de Noel (Christmas Yule Log)

Ingredients

• 6 eggs, separated (but equal)
• 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
• 3 Tbs cocoa
• Mocha Filling
• Chocolate Butter Cream

Cake

1. Grease jelly roll pan.  line bottom of pan with waxed paper.  grease and flour paper. Cool in the refrigerator. 
2. Preheat oven to 350 F.  325 if using convection (recommended).  
3. In large bowl with mixer at #6, beat egg whites until soft peaks form.  gradually sprinkle in 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar; beat until stiff peaks form
4. In small bowl with mixer at high speed, beat egg yolks until thick.   At low speed, beat in 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar and 3 T cocoa, occasionally scraping bowl. 
5. Fold yolk mixture into whites.  Spread batter in pan. 
6. Bake 25 minutes or until top springs back when touched.  Keep an eye on it; our new BOSCH oven did it in about 15 minutes. 
7. Invert cake onto moist towel and remove parchment paper.  Roll on narrow end.  Place seam side down on a rack to cool.  
8. Unroll cake; spread top with filing.  Starting at same narrow end, roll cake without towel.  

Rich Mocha Filling

In stand mixer with wire whisk at medium speed, beat 1 C heavy or whipping cream, 1/4 C confectioner's sugar, 1/4 C cocoa and 1 T instant coffee granules until still peaks form.

Richly Buttered Chocolate Cream

In bowl, beat 2 C confectioner's sugar, 4 T butter, softened, 2 T milk, 1 t vanilla extract, 1 egg yolk and 1 square unsweetened chocolate (or 1 T cocoa powder) until good spreading consistency.

Original Source:

 *Originally from Parade Magazine recipes.  First made while Mark was in high school studying French Language and Culture, with guidance from Janis Masters.  Made many times throughout the years. 

Assistant:

Red Velvet Cake

Saw this recipe on Cook's Country a few weeks ago and it looked delicious! It is definitely on to file away and try when I feel ok about using 16 tablespoons of butter in the frosting!

Ingredients

Cake
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
Pinch salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons natural cocoa powder
2 tablespoons red food coloring
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter , softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
Frosting16 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
16 ounces cream cheese , cut into 8 pieces, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch salt

Instructions
1. For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Whisk buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla, and eggs in large measuring cup. Mix cocoa with food coloring in small bowl until a smooth paste forms.

2. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as necessary. Add one-third of flour mixture and beat on medium-low speed until just incorporated, about 30 seconds. Add half of buttermilk mixture and beat on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl as necessary and repeat with half of remaining flour mixture, remaining buttermilk mixture, and finally remaining flour mixture. Scrape down bowl, add cocoa mixture, and beat on medium speed until completely incorporated, about 30 seconds. Using rubber spatula, give batter final stir. Scrape into prepared pans and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes then turn out onto rack to cool completely, at least 30 minutes.

3. For the frosting: With electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add cream cheese, one piece at a time, and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Beat in vanilla and salt. Refrigerate until ready to use.

4. When cakes are cooled, spread about 2 cups frosting on one cake layer. Top with second cake layer and spread top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 3 days.

Cinnamon Apple Cake

A delicious and super moist cake with an amazing apple flavor!

1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 large apples, peeled, cored and chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat 1 1/2 cups sugar, cream cheese, butter and vanilla until light, about 4 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beat until well blended.
In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to sugar mixture, beating at low speed until blended.
Stir together remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Toss 2 tbsp with the chopped apples. Stir apples into batter.
Spoon batter into greased 9 inch springform pan. Sprinkle remaining cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the top.
Bake until cake pulls away from side of pan, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Let cool for about 5 minutes and remove the springform ring. Let the cake cool completely on a cooling rack and remove from the bottom of pan.

(tip: I use a 9 inch round of parchment in the bottom of the pan for really easy removal)

Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream.

Tunnel of Fudge Cake

• 2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 c. boiling water
• 3/4 c. Dutch-processed cocoa powder, plus extra for pan
• 2 c. flour
• 2 c. walnuts or pecans, finely chopped
• 2 c. powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 5 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1 c. granulated sugar
• 3/4 c. packed light brown sugar
• 11/4 c. (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for pan

For glaze:

• 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/2 c. heavy cream
• 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp. water

Directions

To prepare cake: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a 12-cup Bundt pan and dust with cocoa powder, tapping out excess. Place bittersweet chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. Add boiling water, whisk until smooth, cool to room temperature and reserve.

In a large bowl, whisk together cocoa, flour, walnuts (or pecans), powdered sugar and salt and reserve.

In a large measuring cup, whisk together eggs and vanilla extract and reserve.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat granulated sugar, brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, add egg mixture and mix until just combined, about 30 seconds. Add chocolate mixture and mix until just combined, about 30 seconds. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined.

Scrape batter into prepared pan, smooth batter with a rubber spatula and bake until edges are beginning to pull away from pan, about 45 minutes; do not overbake (do not use a cake tester, toothpick or skewer to test the cake).

Remove to a wire rack and cool, upright, for 1 1/2 hours. Invert cake onto serving plate and cool completely, at least 2 hours.

To prepare glaze: Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan over high heat, combine cream, granulated sugar and water and bring to a boil. Pour liquid over chocolate and let sit for 30 seconds. Using a whisk or a rubber spatula, gently stir chocolate and cream together in small circles, starting at center of bowl and working your way out in increasingly larger concentric circles.

Leave glaze at room temperature until it thickens just enough to pour in a ribbon, about 20 minutes. Drizzle glaze over cake and let sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. Cover tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Chocolate Blackout Cake

Made this for dessert this past weekend. I saw the recipe on Cook's Country in January. I have been waiting for an occasion to make it, or waiting for a chocolate lover to appreciate it. Gracey's birthday is coming up and after last weekend, we thought she deserved it!

Be sure to give the pudding and the cake enough time to cool or you'll end up with runny pudding and gummy cake.

Ingredients:

Pudding
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup whole milk
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate , chopped
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cake
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), plus extra for greasing pans
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour , plus extra for dusting pans
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Table salt
3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 cup strong black coffee
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
1. For the pudding: Whisk sugar, cornstarch, salt, half-and-half, and milk in large saucepan. Set pan over medium heat. Add chocolate and whisk constantly until chocolate melts and mixture begins to bubble, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in vanilla and transfer pudding to large bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on surface of pudding and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours or up to 1 day.

2. For the cake layers: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour two 8-inch cake pans. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in bowl.

3. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in cocoa and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Off heat, whisk in coffee, buttermilk, and sugars until dissolved. Whisk in eggs and vanilla, then slowly whisk in flour mixture.

4. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool layers in pans 15 minutes, then invert onto wire rack. Cool to room temperature, at least 1 hour.

5. To assemble the cake: Cut each cake in half horizontally. Crumble one cake layer into medium crumbs and set aside. Place one cake layer on serving platter or cardboard round. Spread 1 cup pudding over cake layer and top with another layer. Repeat with 1 cup pudding and last cake layer. Spread remaining pudding evenly over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle cake crumbs evenly over top and sides of cake, pressing lightly to adhere crumbs. Serve.

(Cake can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)

Prune Cake

I found this recipe on The Pioneer Woman. You can see photos of it there. I made it back in early February for a family gathering. I neglected to mention to anyone what the name of the cake is. I just called it "spice cake." There wasn't a piece left on the cake plate. It is so moist and delicious!
Give it a try and keep the ingredients secret until after it's been eaten.
Hands down, delicious!

Grandma Iny’s Prune CakeCake
1 cup prunes
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup canola oil
1 ½ cups flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Cover prunes with water. Bring to a boil and cook until soft and mashable, about eight minutes.Remove from heat, drain water, and mash on a plate. Set aside.Sift together dry ingredients.Mix together oil, sugar, and eggs.Combine wet and dry ingredients, add buttermilk, and stir gently until just combined.Throw in the mashed pruned and stir gently to combine.DO NOT OVERMIX.
Pour batter into buttered baking dish (9 x 13 or so) and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

While cake has five minutes remaining, make the icing:
Icing
1 cup sugar
½ cup buttermilk
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon white corn syrup
¼ cup butter
½ teaspoon vanilla
Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a slow boil. Boil without stirring for 5 to 7 minutes, or until icing starts to turn dark. Do NOT allow icing to reach soft ball stage; icing should be caramel in color, but not sticky like caramel. Icing should be easily pourable.
Remove cake from oven and pour on icing immediately.
Allow to rest on the counter. Serve warm.
NOTE: There is absolutely zero “prune effect” associated with this cake. The end