This is now my favorite chocolate cake recipe. I made this cake a couple of weeks ago for Papa's birthday with a peanut butter frosting and a week ago for my youngest daughter's birthday with chocolate frosting. It was exceptionally moist both times. I love chocolate and I'm picky about my chocolate cake - I don't like it to taste too bitter or too much like cocoa or too sweet - this one surprised me and is now at the very top of my list. So I'm sharing it!

Now, don't let the fact that it has no eggs scare you. Or the fact that it has vinegar in it. The vinegar and the baking soda react to make this cake super light. I'm telling you this cake is divine. And easy.


Moist Chocolate Cake (frosting recipes follow)

2 cups white sugar
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cocoa
2 cups water
1 cup vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch pan or 2 square or 2 round cake pans.

Stir together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix together the wet ingredients, then add to the dry ingredients. Mix / blend until well blended.

Pour into prepared pans and bake a 9 x 13 for 40 minutes or until set in the middle.

Allow to cool on a cooling rack for 10 minutes before trying to remove cake from the pans.


Peanut Butter Frosting

I'm not a huge peanut butter fan. I'm about chocolate. But for Papa's birthday this past week, I knew he'd want something besides just chocolate cake. So I decided to liven his up and make it different with a homemade peanut butter frosting. My mom said it was the best frosting she'd had - she usually scrapes off any frosting, but loved this one.

1/2 cup butter - room temperature (1 stick)
2 cups confectioners sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter (the frosting will be as good as the peanut butter you use)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2+ Tablespoons milk

Cream butter and peanut butter in a mixer until well blended. Gradually add confectioners sugar, vanilla and milk. Keep adding milk gradually until the frosting reaches the consistency that you desire - thick to spread or thin to drizzle.

Chocolate Frosting

1/4 - 1/2 cup butter - room temperature
2 cups confectioners sugar
3-4 Tablespoons chocolate cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
2+ Tablespoons milk

Cream butter in a mixer - gradually add confectioners sugar, cocoa, vanilla and milk. Use less cocoa for a light chocolate flavor - more for a heavier flavor. Keep adding milk gradually until the frosting reaches the consistency that you desire.

You can make a vanilla icing by using this same recipe and omitting the cocoa powder. For mine, I sometimes add a tiny splash (1/8 teaspoon) of orange or lemon extract to make it different.

Enjoy!

I adapted this recipe from one that I originally found in Gourmet magazine. Here's my version:

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 small can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1-1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup melted butter
2 large eggs
5 cups cubed bread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 8 inch square pan or similar 2-quart pan of your choice.

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add the pumpkin, butter, milk and eggs. Mix well. Gently stir in the bread cubes just enough to coat, but not turn soupy. Pour into greased pan and cook on the middle rack of the oven for 40-45 minutes.

Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream or serve room temperature.

Delicious!

Quick and Easy Apple Cobbler:

1 can biscuits
1 gallon of sliced apples - firm, tart apples work best
1 stick of butter
1-2 cups of sugar - use to your discretion depending on the sweetness desired
2-3 Tablespoons cornstarch
Cinnamon to taste
Nutmeg to taste
1/4 - 1/2 cup water

Okay, when I am pressed for time, I cheat and use biscuits for my cobbler dough. I prefer to make my dough homemade, but sometimes you just gotta use a shortcut!

Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x13 inch pan with butter. On a floured surface, take a biscuit and roll it out very thin. Place on the bottom of the 9x13 inch pan. Continue with about 1/2 the can of biscuits or until the bottom of the pan is covered with dough. Don't worry if the dough overlaps some.

Place the gallon of sliced apples on top of the dough. In a bowl mix the sugar and cornstarch. Sprinkle over the apples. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg to taste. I like both and probably use about 1-2 Tablespoons of cinnamon and about a teaspoon or two of nutmeg. Slice 1/2 a stick of butter and place the slices on the apples.

Cover the apples with the remaining rolled out biscuit dough. Sprinkle the dough generously with sugar and cinnamon and place butter slices on top. This will make a crispy crust that is just divine.

Carefully add some water around the edges of the pan to keep the cobbler from being too dry. Remember the apples will make some juice of their own - I recommend 1/4 to 1/2 a cup of water depending on your preference for a juicy cobbler or a drier one.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour - cobbler will be bubbling and crust on top will be very browned and crispy when done. Top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream or both! Delicious!

Just in time for the weekend and next week's holiday celebrations, how about a delicious, southern, summer cake? Guaranteed to tingle your tastebuds - ya'll will love it! Here we go! Remember to read through the whole recipe before you get started, so you'll know all the steps.

Lemon Tea Cake

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 Tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup steeped lemon tea
1 cup sugar
Powdered sugar for dusting, if desired

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 6-8 cup pan. I use a Bundt pan. Sift together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

With mixer on medium speed, cream butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Remember, this takes time, as the objective is to coat every single bit of sugar with butter. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add lemon extract and lemon zest. Gradually beat in dry ingredients just until the batter is evenly mixed. Overbeating = rubbery cake. Pour into prepared pan and bake one hour or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cake cook in the pan for 10 minutes on a wire cooling rack.

While cake is baking, make syrup by combining the lemon juice, lemon tea and 1 cup of sugar in a small saucepan. Bring this to a boil and cook until the syrup thickens. You are not looking for molasses, just thick like maple syrup. This will take 5 minutes or so. Remove pan from heat and let syrup cool completely.

Pierce the flat side of the cake all over to help it absorb the syrup. Chopsticks work well for this task. Slowly pour syrup over the cake, allowing it to absorb completely. Let cake cool in the pan 10 minutes more. Transfer to a serving platter and allow it to cool completely. Dust cake with powdered sugar if desired and serve.

Serves 12.

Enjoy!

Recipe from Pick TN Products Recipe Booklet

I experimented a couple of months ago with Bread Pudding, which my family has decided that they really enjoy. Here's how I've made mine through bits and pieces of different recipes:

Bread Pudding

4-5 cups bread cubes
2-3 cups scalded milk
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 to 1 cup of raisins or dried cranberries or blueberries and/or walnuts to your preference

Lemon Sauce:
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder
1 cup hot water
2 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 1-2 quart baking dish.

In a large bowl, place bread cubes. Heat milk until steam starts to rise from the pan, but do not boil. Pour scalded milk over bread cubes.

In a separate bowl blend all other ingredients. Add to bread cubes and milk and lightly combine. You don't want the bread to turn to mush.

Pour into baking dish and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

You can bake in a steam bath if you prefer - I've baked mine this week with and without a steam bath and it turned out fine both ways.

Before serving, make the sauce:

Put all ingredients into a saucepan and heat until thick and bubbling. Pour or spoon over individual servings of bread pudding.

After dinner one night I was in the mood for dessert, something a little sweet but not too much. Something like a custard or pudding ~ but I was out of milk! So, I searched Allrecipes.com for a custard to make with evaporated milk. I found one for Baked Pumpkin Pudding that I altered. Here's how I made it:



Baked Pumpkin Pudding

1 egg
2 cups canned pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Beat all ingredients in a bowl until well blended. Lightly coat 5-6 ramekins with no-stick spray. Evenly pour pumpkin mixture into ramekins. Line the bottom of a 9 x 13 or larger baking pan with a dishtowel. Place ramekins on the towel and fill pan to 1/2 way up ramekins with boiling water.

Place in oven and bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 30-35 minutes longer or until set in the middle.

A few days ago, after dinner we were all in the mood for a warm, filling dessert. Cranberry Orange Bread Pudding is what I made - here's the recipe:

About 4 cups or so of crumbled bread (in large pieces)
2 cups scalded milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Zest of a whole orange
Dash of vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 1 1/2 to 2 quart casserole dish and set aside.

In a large bowl, crumble the bread (I used whole wheat). Sprinkle in the dried cranberries and set aside.

Heat milk to scalding (just when steam starts to rise off the milk) and pour over the bread and cranberries. Stir just enough to combine. Set aside.

In another bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, nutmeg, vanilla and orange zest. Pour into bread mixture and stir to combine.

Pour mixture into greased casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers.

I didn't make a topping or glaze for this one, as it was just wonderful with the cranberry and orange flavor.

Yes, not your typical pineapple upside down cake as I made it today with a twist. We never use the maraschino cherries with the red dye; instead I made mine today with chopped dates in the middle of the pineapples and added shredded coconut for a tropical flavor. It is DELICIOUS! Here's how I did it (photos of the steps at the end):

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1-1/2 cups brown sugar
1 large can pineapple rings or crushed pineapple, well drained - reserve juice
1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded coconut
4-6 pitted dates or dried cranberries
1 yellow or white cake mix or your own from scratch

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour melted butter into a 9x13 pan. Add the brown sugar and mix well. Sprinkle 1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded coconut over the brown sugar mixture. Place the drained pineapple rings or crushed pinapple on top of the coconut. Put chopped dates / dried cranberries in the center of the pineapple rings or sprinkle lightly over the crushed pineapple.

Make cake mix according to directions, substituting the reserved pineapple juice for all or some of the water required. When well blended, pour over the pineapple mixture in the pan.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until set in the middle. Allow to cool about 10 minutes in the pan, then invert onto a foil-covered cookie sheet or other serving tray. Serve warm or cold - we had ours with some whipped cream hot from the oven!

Enjoy!

Oh yes, if you find yourself out of brown sugar, as I did today - here's a quick substitute:

You can substitute white sugar for brown sugar 1 for 1 - you just have to add 4 Tablespoons of molasses to the white sugar for each cup used. Mix it well with a fork and proceed as usual. If it is very moist, you might want to decrease your other liquids by 2-3 Tablespoons. It worked just fine for me today and the flavor was delicious!

Spicy Oatmeal Cookies (not spicy as in hot, but containing spices)

1/2 cup shortening or butter
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon (I always add more than this!)
2 cups quick cook oats
1-1/2 cups raisins
3/4 cup chopped nuts

Cream shortening, sugar and molasses. Add eggs one at a time and incorporate. Sift dry ingredients into a separate bowl, then stir into wet mixture. Add oatmeal, nuts and raisins. Drop by small teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. This recipe makes a chewy or crispy cookie, depending on the length of time that you bake them.

These are some of the best oatmeal cookies I've ever had. I love them chewy, so that's how we bake them. This recipe came to me from my dear friend, Mary.

Yes, this is the real thing, nothing at all artificial, red, green or gold in this one! DELICIOUS!

Ready for the adventure? Here it is:

2 cups raisins
2 cups currants
2 cups dried apricot halves
2 cups dried fig halves
1 cup pitted prunes
1 cup pitted dates
4 cups walnuts - large pieces
2 cups pecans - large pieces
3 oranges, grated - zest only
3 lemons, grated - zest only
1/2 cup candied ginger - chopped
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon mace
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 cup molasses
2 cups brandy or apple juice
1/2 cup orange liqueur or orange juice
4 cups all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 pound butter (yes, the real thing)
3 cups brown sugar
8 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla (yes, the real thing)

The day before, combine all dried fruits, nuts and zest in a very large mixing bowl. Add the candied ginger and spices. Toss well to mix. Add the molasses and liquids and mix well. Oh yes, the scent will be heavenly! Cover and let stand overnight at room temperature.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Grease (4) 9x5x3 loaf pans, then flour. Sprinkle 1 cup of flour over the fruit mixture and stir it in. Combine remaining 3 cups of flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt. Sift if needed. Cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the brown sugar and beat well. Add the eggs, 2 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla. Add all dry ingredients and beat until batter is blended and smooth.

Pour this over the fruit, mix well until everything is coated with the batter. Divide the batter among the loaf pans filling them to 1/2 inch below the top of the pan. Bake for 2 hours. Don't worry if they crack on top. Cakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Added bonus: we sometimes make these the day after Thanksgiving and tenderly add a few teaspoons every few days of grand marnier or orange liqueur before we serve them or give them as gifts.

This is one delicious southern cake - ya'll have to try it!

Lemon Tea Cake

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 Tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup steeped lemon tea
1 cup sugar
Powdered sugar for dusting, if desired

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 6-8 cup pan. I use a Bundt pan. Sift together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

With mixer on medium speed, cream butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Remember, this takes time, as the objective is to coat every single bit of sugar with butter. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add lemon extract and lemon zest. Gradually beat in dry ingredients just until the batter is evenly mixed. Overbeating = rubbery cake. Pour into prepared pan and bake one hour or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cake cook in the pan for 10 minutes on a wire cooling rack.

While cake is baking, make syrup by combining the lemon juice, lemon tea and 1 cup of sugar in a small saucepan. Bring this to a boil and cook until the syrup thickens. You are not looking for molasses, just thick like maple syrup. This will take 5 minutes or so. Remove pan from heat and let syrup cool completely.

Pierce the flat side of the cake all over to help it absorb the syrup. Chopsticks work well for this task. Slowly pour syrup over the cake, allowing it to absorb completely. Let cake cool in the pan 10 minutes more. Transfer to a serving platter and allow it to cool completely. Dust cake with powdered sugar if desired and serve.

Serves 12.

Enjoy!

Recipe from Pick TN Products Recipe Booklet