Cakes

We really enjoy this cake made with blueberries or pineapple. I have even combined the fruit.

One Egg Cake

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup shortening

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup milk

2 teaspoons baking powder

Cream shortening with sugar till light. Add unbeaten egg and vanilla; beat thoroughly.

Sift flour; measure and sift flour with salt and baking powder. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk.

Pour into well greased 9X5 inch loaf pan. Bake at 375* for 35 minutes.

Upside Down Cake

Prepare the above One Egg Cake batter.

Line the bottom of a 9-inch square baking pan with waxed paper. Pour 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine over waxed paper. Sprinkle 1/2 cup light brown sugar over margarine.

Thinly slice peaches, or pears, or apples and place over brown sugar. Or use 1 cup blueberries, or one can sliced pineapple. Bake at 375* for 30 minutes.

One of my favorite cakes, after chocolate, is a spice cake from my Good Housekeeping Cookbook. I've been making this spice cake for over 30 years, and it's still a favorite with my family.

Spice Cake

2 cups cake flour

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup shortening (I use Crisco, not flavored)

2 eggs

2 1/2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder

1 teaspoon each salt, cinnamon and ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon each ground cloves and nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350*. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans.

Beat all the ingredients in mixer at low speed until just blended. Increase speed to high and beat 3 minutes.

Pour batter into pans. Bake 25-30 mintes. Cool on racks for five minutes then turn cakes out onto the racks.

Frosting

While cakes cool, make a frosting using

1 lb. confectioners' sugar

3/4 c. Crisco grease

1/4 c. water

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine and beat at medium speed about ten minutes.

This recipe comes from two cookbooks and a hand written recipe from my friend Joannie. The first recipe is for the chocolate cake and comes from the Better Homes and Garden book. The second recipe is from Joannie and is for the creamy filling. The third recipe is from the Good Housekeeping book, and is the chocolate glaze. So worth the trouble to make, too. A family favorite for sure!

Chocolate Fudge Cake

Turn oven to 350* to preheat while mixing batter.

In saucepan, combine 1 slightly beaten egg, 2/3 cups sugar,1/2 cup milk and three 1-ounce squares of unsweetened chocolate. Cook and stir over medium heat until chocolate melts and mixtures comes just to a boiling; cool.

Cream 1 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup shortening until light. (I use plain Crisco grease. Butter changes it too much.) Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla and two eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Sift together 2 cups of cake flour, or 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons regular flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add to creamed mixture alternately with 1 cup of milk, beating after each addition. With a rubber spatula, blend in the chocolate mixture carefully so as not to deflate the batter.

Bake in 2 greased and floured 9X1 1/2 inch pans, round of square.

Bake at 350* for 25 - 30 minutes, till toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Creamy Filling

You will need a double batch of this mixture.

2 1/2 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup Crisco

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Cook flour and milk over low heat until very thick; stirring constantly. Cool

Cream shortening, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Add flour mixture. Beat well till very smooth and not grainy.

Assembling the Cake

With a piece of strong thread or a cake slicer, cut each 9-inch layer in half horizontally to form two even discs from each layer. Place one layer on the serving plate and cover with some of the creamy filling. Place another layer on top and repeat one more time, using all the cream filling on the three layers. Place final layer on top. Then make the glaze.

Chocolate Glaze

In a double boiler, or a glass bowl over hot water, melt 1 heaping cup of semisweet chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons of butter (I use margarine); stir in 1 tablespoon milk and 1 tablespoon light corn syrup until smooth.

Remove pan or boil from the hot water onto a towel to dry the bottom. Pour a little of the glaze onto the cake at a time. with a cake knife of offset frosting knife, spread the glaze around the sides.When the sides are completely covered, pour the rest of the glaze and spread it over the top. Chill in the refrigerator at least two hours before serving to set the chocolate. Store and left over cake in the fridge.

I don't recall where this recipe came from. I've had it for many years and make it almost every Christmas. Even if you detest prunes, you should try this. It's a lovely, moist, spicy cake that satisfies the sweet tooth.

Jack Horner Prune Cake

Pour 1 cup boiling water over 1 cup cut-up pitted uncooked prunes; let stand two hours.

Preheat oven to 350*. Grease and flour a 13" X 9" baking pan.

2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon each salt, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, and vanilla

1/2 cup salad oil

3 eggs

1 cup chopped walnuts, or nuts that you like

Measure all ingredients into a large bowl. Blend one minute on low speed, scraping bowl constantly to incorporate all ingredients together. Beat two minutes on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally.

Pour batter into baking pan and bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool for at least one hour in the pan before cutting into squares of desired size.

One day when we lived in Sangerville, Maine, we accompanied our neighbor Judy on a visit to her mom’s house. While we were there, the conversation found it’s way to food. This lovely older lady said that one of her favorite foods is carrot cake, but that she could no longer bake, and bought carrot cake most likely would contain raisins, which she detested. I said that I would see if I could find a recipe for a carrot cake, and just omit the raisins, and she said, “I have the recipe, I just need someone to make it.” Laughing gently, knowing I had been set up, I asked her to give it to me so that I could make her a cake that week. I remember sitting in her living room writing this down as she watched with glee-filled eyes.

I did make her that cake, and several others, and I made one for us too. It’s wonderful! So moist and tasty! When our daughter and her family came for a visit that holiday season, I made another one, and our grandson, Daniel, just loved it. Anytime we went home to their house for a visit, Daniel would ask me to bring a carrot cake! It’s become a family favorite for anytime, but expected at the holidays.

CARROT CAKE

2 cups flour 2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons each salt, baking soda, and cinnamon 1 1/2 cups salad oil

4 large eggs 3 cups grated carrots,

firmed down in the cup, but not packed

Sift dry ingredients into large mixing bowl. Add oil and mix well.

Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Stir in carrots.

Bake at 325° in a 9 X 13 inch baking pan for 45 minutes.

You can add 1 cup of soaked raisins or chopped dates if you like. I like either. It's really good without the frosting too. That's how I eat it.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1- 3 ounce package cream cheese, softened 2 tablespoons butter, softened

1 pound Confectioner’s Sugar 2 tablespoons milk

Mix cream cheese with butter and beat until smooth and well blended. Add 1 tablespoon milk, and have the Confectioner’s Sugar. Beat 2 minutes. Add remaining milk and sugar and beat on high 8 minutes. Add more milk as needed, but by tiny amounts.

This is a southern favorite sent to me by Pat Danker from Oklahoma.

HOT MILK CAKE

4 eggs, well beaten 1/4 lb. butter or margarine,

2 c. sifted flour melted

1 c. milk (melt butter in hot milk) 2 tsp. baking powder

pinch of salt 1 tsp. vanilla

2 c. sugar

Bake in greased and floured 9 X 13 inch pan. Beat eggs, add sugar slowly, then add flour and then the milk and butter. After it is well mixed, add baking powder and vanilla, mixing for 1 minute. Bake at 350 degrees; 25 minutes.

Personal notes:

I use fruit with this recipe, or just sprinkle cinnamon & granulated sugar over the top. Also can sprinkle top with powdered sugar.

Mix fruit in with batter, & place some on top after it's been iced. Be sure canned fruit has been drained thoroughly before using. Fresh strawberries are especially nice with this cake. It is a very light, delicate cake, so be especially gentle with handling, if you choose to make it in layers. It crumbles easily. I like to double it for parties. Will need to have large sheet cake pan in order to do this. It is so good, that I enjoy eating it plain. I've used it plain as a dessert with canned fruit spooned over top in individual dessert dishes. I've included a recipe for icing; that I like, that complements this cake. You can however use any that you want with it. Just be sure that the icing is not too stiff, because of the cakes light, delicate texture. It might crumble, if icing is too dry, or stiff.

WHIPPED CREAM ICING:

1 c. milk 5 Tbsp. flour

Mix until well blended. Cook until smooth and thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cover with waxed paper. Place waxed paper directly on the sauce to prevent sauce from "skinning."

1 c. butter or margarine 1 c. sugar

Beat for about 10 minutes. Sugar must be completely dissolved. Add flour mixture and beat 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Covers 2 (9 inch) layers or 1 tube cake. Note: In warm weather, cake must be refrigerated or else icing will melt and separate."

This fruit cake is moist and tasty and one of my favorites. I do not recall where I found this recipe, but have been using it since the 70's. It's a rich cake and serves many. Also freezes well.

Banana Fruit Cake

Use very ripe bananas for this cake.

Chop the cherries from an 8-ounce jar. Save syrup for another recipe.

Mash 6 bananas; add 2 cups sugar and mix well. Beat 2 eggs and add to mixture. Add 1 cup bmelted butter or margarine. Mix well.

To this mixture, add 1 teaspoon ground clove, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, a pinch of salt, 2 tablespoons baking soda, 3 tablespoons hot water and 3 cups flour. Mix well.

To mixture add the chopped cherries, 1 cup seedless raisins, or chopped dates, 1 cup chopped walnuts. Pour into a greased and floured tube pan. Bake at 325* for 2 hours.

I do not use a mixer for this recipe. It seems to make it touch.

This recipe came from my dear friend Cheryl from Guilford, Maine. These bars are really delicious

Pumpkin Bars

4 eggs

1 2/3 cups sugar

1 cup oil

16 ounce can pumpkin

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder and salt

1 teaspoon baking soda and ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Beat together until light and fluffy, the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, ginger, and nutmeg. Mix thoroughly and spread into a parchment paper lined 15x10x1inch baking pan. Bake at 350* for 25 - 30 minutes.

When cooled, I run a knife around the edges of the pan and turn the bars out onto waxed paper. Cut cake in half making two 7 1/2x10 inch pieces. Frost top of one half with the Cream Cheese Frosting. Place second half on top and frost only the top. Cut into whatever size squares you like. My family really enjoys these.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1- 3 ounce package cream cheese, softened 2 tablespoons butter, softened

1 pound Confectioner’s Sugar 2 tablespoons milk

If you make this for a bake sale or a large group, don't cut in half. Just frost with the Cream Cheese Frosting and cut into squares.