Yellow Cake

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cake flour (sift before measuring)
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup butter unsalted
• 5 eggs (large ones, if small use 6)
• ¾ cups whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 3 nine inch cake pans.
2. Sift flour with baking powder and salt three times.
3. Cream butter, then add sugar and beat at medium high for 3 minutes.
4. Add eggs one at a time, beating a little after each addition. Add vanilla.
5. Add flour and milk, alternating between the two. Beginning with and ending with the flour.
6. Pour batter in cake pans and cook for 20 to 25 minutes. Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto cake racks and cool completely – approximately 40 minutes.

Chocolate Icing

Ingredients:

• 3 squares unsweetened chocolate
• ½ cup cold water
• 2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup sweet milk (a little cream makes it extra special)
• 1 ¼ sticks butter unsalted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Melt chocolate in water with salt in heavy sauce pan, over low heat.
2. Add sugar and milk and mix well.
3. Cook slowly over medium to medium high heat to 230 degrees on candy thermometer or until a ¼ teaspoon of mixture dropped in cold water forms a softball.
4. Remove from heat, add butter and do not stir. Let icing cool to about 110 degrees – approximately 1 hour.
5. Add vanilla. Stir vigorously until consistency to spread. Icing sets up fast and if it gets too stiff to spread add some milk or cream to thin it slightly.
6. Options: instead of water, use freshly brewed coffee.

Chocolate Icing 1 ½ times recipe
Ingredients:

• 5 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• ¾ cup water (or coffee)
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 sticks butter
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon salt

Chocolate Icing 2 times recipe

• 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 1 cup water (or coffee)
• 4 cups sugar
• 1 1/3 cups whole milk
• 2 sticks butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt

Alternate Instructions:

1. Melt chocolate, water & salt in heavy saucepan over low heat.
2. Add ½ of butter and all of sugar, stirring until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.
3. Add milk and stir. No more stirring. Turn up heat to just between medium and medium high and bring mixture to a slight boil.
4. Turn heat down to medium low, put lid on pot and cook for 3 minutes. Remove lid, letting moisture on lid fall back into mixture. Turn heat back up to medium high and put candy thermometer in pan.
5. When thermometer reaches soft ball temperature of 234 degrees or when icing falls down on itself, or when a drop of icing into cold water will form a soft ball between your fingers, remove from heat.
6. Transfer icing to a heatproof bowl with wide opening. Add second half of butter and do not stir. Let cool for approximately 1 hour or until temperature reaches about 110.
7. Add vanilla. Stir vigorously until consistency to spread. Icing sets up fast and if too stiff, add some cream to thin.

Yellow Cake

Ingredients:

• 3 ½ cups cake flour (sift before measuring)
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups butter unsalted (3 sticks) – softened, each stick cut into 8 pieces
• 6 large eggs
• ¾ cup whole milk
• 3 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 3 nine inch cake pans.
2. Sift flour with baking powder and salt three times.
3. Combine flour with sugar in mixer bowl.
4. In a large measuring cup beat eggs, milk, and vanilla with fork. Measure out 1 ½ cups of this mixture and set aside (makes about 2 cups liquid total).
5. Combine flour, sugar mixture with paddle attachment – mix on lowest speed for about 30 seconds. With mixer still running at slowest speed, add butter, one piece at a time – mix until butter/flour clump together and look pebbly with pieces about size of peas – 30 to 40 seconds after all butter is added.
6. Add reserved 1 ½ cups milk/egg mixture at lowest speed until incorporated, 5 to 10 seconds. Increase speed to medium high and beat until fluffy – about 1 minute.
7. Add remaining milk/egg mixture in slow steady stream, about 30 seconds.
8. Stop mixer and scrape down sides. Beat on medium high until thoroughly combined – about 15 seconds.
9. Divide batter equally into three prepared cake pans. Bake until cake tops are light golden – about 20 to 25 minutes.
10. Cool on racks for 10 minutes. Run knife around perimeter and turn cakes out onto racks. Cool completely before icing – approximately one hour.
11. To make six layers out of three, use serrated knife on completely cooled cake to slice in half.

Chocolate Icing – 1 ½ times original family recipe

Ingredients:

• 5 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• ¾ cup water (or coffee)
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 sticks butter
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Melt chocolate in water with salt in heavy sauce pan, over low heat.
2. Turn heat up to medium and add 1 stick of butter, stirring until melted.
3. Add sugar and stir until dissolved.
4. Turn heat up to medium high and add milk and stir until combined. Stop stirring. Bring to a boil.
5. Reduce to medium low and put on lid for 3 minutes.
6. Adjust lid to partially cover pan and add thermometer. Turn heat back up to medium/medium high and cook until temp reaches 234 degrees (softball) – approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
7. Remove from heat. You can transfer to a heat proof bowl with wide opening to help accelerate cool down. Add last stick of butter – still no stirring.
8. When mixture has cooled to 110 degrees – approximately 1 hour – stir to incorporate butter that is resting on top.
9. Add vanilla and stir until thickened to a spreadable consistency. Be ready to ice as soon as it starts to thicken.
10. Icing sets up fast and if it gets too stiff to spread add some milk or cream to thin it slightly.

Ingredients:

• 1 Graham cracker pie shell
• 3 large eggs
• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 3 lemons juiced

Directions:

1. Mix together the eggs with condensed milk.
2. Add lemon juice and stir well.
3. Pour into pie shell and refrigerate until set.

Alternate Lemon Ice Box Pie Recipe – substituting lemon for lime. I always double the recipe below to make two pies – one for Leslie Capers and one for Helena Capers.

Ingredients:

• 1 Graham Cracker Crust
• 4 teaspoons grated zest of lime (lemon)
• ½ cup strained juice of lime (lemon) – approximately 3 to 4 limes
• 4 large egg yolks plus one egg white
• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

1. Whisk zest and yolks in medium bowl – about 2 minutes.
2. Beat in milk, then juice. Set aside to thicken at room temperature a few minutes.
3. Pour into crust. Refrigerate until set.
4. Optional: can cook in oven after pouring custard into crust. Bake in oven pre-heated to 325 degrees for 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool to room temp and then refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Ingredients:

• 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus 2 tablespoons to butter pan
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 large eggs
• 1 ¼ cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• optional: 2 cups chopped nuts – pecans or walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Fold two 16-inch pieces of foil lengthwise to measure 7 inches wide. Fit one sheet in the bottom of the greased pan, pushing it into corners and up the sides of the pan with overhang. Fit second sheet in pan, perpendicular to first sheet with overhang. Butter foil.
2. In medium bowl, over low heat, melt the chocolates and butter, stirring until combined. Whisk in cocoa. Remove from heat to cool.
3. In separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt in bowl until just combined.
4. Add chocolate mixture to egg mixture. Stir until just combined.
5. Add flour and stir, then add nuts and stir.
6. Pour into prepared pan and cook for approximately 35 minutes or until it starts to pull away from sides of foil.
7. Cool on wire rack to room temperature or for about 2 hours. Remove the brownies by using the foil overhang as handles and transfer to cutting board. Cut into 1-inch squares.

Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• ¾ cup sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
• 1 ½ cups well-shaken buttermilk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 2 (9 by 2 inch) round cake pans.
2. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt into a small bowl.
3. Beat butter and sugars in separate bowl until creamy, about 3 minutes.
4. Add eggs one at a time, then add melted chocolate, and vanilla.
5. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately, mixing until just combined.
6. Pour mixture in prepared pans and bake for approximately 25 minutes.
7. Cool cake layers in pans on racks for 10 minutes. Invert onto racks to cool completely.

Caramel Icing

Ingredients:

• ¾ cups unsalted butter
• ¾ cups whole milk
• 3 cups packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla (can add lemon or orange zest and juice)

Directions:

1. Melt butter in large sauce pan over low heat.
2. Add brown sugar and milk and turn heat up to medium high.
3. Simmer to 232 softball stage and remove from heat.
4. Set in cold water for 5 minutes, add vanilla and beat by hand for 5 minutes until opaque.
5. Let sit until firm enough to ice cake.

Notes: Can add cream to icing if it sets up too quickly. Can add orange or lemon zest after icing has cooled down for a zingy flavor. Can add orange or lemon juice to thin icing or for flavor.

Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces dark bittersweet chocolate
• 3 tablespoons water
• 6 large eggs, separated cold and allow to come to room temperature
• ¾ cup sugar, plus ½ cup
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• pinch of salt
• cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 15 x 10 x 1 inch shallow baking pan and line bottom with wax paper with ends overhanging approximately 2 inches. Spray top of wax paper too.
2. Mix cocoa powder with ½ cup sugar and set aside. Can be shaken together in small Tupperware container.
3. Melt bittersweet chocolate in water with pinch of salt over low heat until just melted. Let cool.
4. Beat egg whites until stiff and set aside.
5. Beat egg yolks with ¾ cup sugar until pale and it forms ribbon with beaters – approximately 5 minutes.
6. Fold in cooled, melted chocolate.
7. Fold in egg whites, gently until just mixed.
8. Pour batter in pan and cook approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
9. Cover top of cake with damp cold towel (can be paper towels) and allow to cool at least 5 minutes, but up to four hours on counter or in frig. Remove towel, run a knife around edge of pan. Allow to cool completely.
10. Sift sugar cocoa mixture over top of cake. Put wax paper over top of cake, place a baking sheet over this and invert cake onto baking sheet. Peel off wax paper on top.

Filling

Ingredients:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• ½ cup sugar or confectioners sugar
• 2 tablespoons rum or vanilla

Directions:

1. Whip cream, add sugar and rum until stiff. Can add zest of lemon or orange for extra flavor.
2. Spread filling on cake evenly. Using the wax paper on the bottom of cake, roll the long side of the cake.
3. Transfer to serving platter, seam side down. Can sprinkle platter with sugar cocoa mixture and sprinkle top of cake.
4. Serve with extra whipped cream, sugar cocoa mixture. Delicious with fresh raspberries or raspberry sauce.
5. Keep refrigerated.

Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 cup butter unsalted
• 1 ½ cup sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup buttermilk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 3 nine inch cake pans.
2. Sift together flour, salt, baking soda and powder.
3. Cream butter and sugar for approximately 3 minutes on medium high speed.
4. Add egg yolks and vanilla and mix.
5. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture alternating with buttermilk. Start with flour and end with flour.
6. Pour batter into 3 pans and cook for approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
7. Cool in pans for 10 minutes then turn onto cake racks and cool completely. Approximately 40 minutes.

Icing

Ingredients:

• 1 pint whipping cream
• 20 ounce can crushed pineapple – unsweetened, drained

Directions:

1. Whip cream stiff.
2. Put layer of cream on cake, then layer of pineapple.

Options: Add lemon or orange zest to cake and to icing. Reserve pineapple juice and reduce to syrup in a sauce pan – this can be brushed onto cake layers before applying icing or it can be spooned over cake when serving.
I always add about 1/3 cup sugar to cream and about 1 tablespoon vanilla.

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ cup butter (1/2 stick)
• 3 lemons juiced
• zest of one lemon
• pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Beat eggs and sugar in heat-proof bowl.
2. Put over double boiler, above simmering water in.
3. Add butter, juice, zest and salt and beat for about 10 minutes until thickened.
4. Remove from heat and let cool before icing cake.

Ingredients:

• 1 10 inch pie shell, unbaked
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup cooked sweet potato, beaten or strained
• ¾ cup evaporated milk
• ¼ cup milk
• ¼ cup butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Beat together eggs, sugar and sweet potatoes.
3. Add milk, butter, vanilla and salt.
4. Pour into pastry shell and bake at 400 for 10 minutes. Then turn down temp to 325 degrees and cook for 30 minutes more.
5. When knife inserted comes out clean, the pie is done.
6. Options: can add fresh grated nutmeg and/or zest of one lemon to custard before baking.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups raisins for food processor plus
• 2 cups raisins
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
• ½ cup molasses
• 2 large eggs
• 2 ½ cups chopped pecans

Icing:

• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 ½ cups confectioners sugar
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped crystallized ginger (can add lemon zest)

Directions:

1. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees after dough has been refrigerated for at least one hour. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In food processor, mix 1 ½ cup raisins and 2 tablespoons finely chopped ginger until mixture sticks together and only small pieces remain. Transfer to large mixing bowl.
3. Heat butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat, swirling pan, until nutty brown in color – about 10 minutes.
4. To butter, add cinnamon and allspice and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Remove from heat and pour into raisin mixture. Stir until well combined. Cool to room temperature.
5. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
6. Into cooled raisin/butter mixture, stir brown sugar, molasses and eggs until combined.
7. Fold in flour mixture to raisin/butter mix.
8. Gently add 2 cups whole raisins and 2 ½ cups pecans. Refrigerate for at least one hour or up to 24 hours.
9. Divide dough into quarters. Transfer one quarter to lightly floured surface. Roll into log about 10 inches long. Transfer to parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Repeat with each of remaining three quarters. Two logs per parchment lined cookie sheet.
10. Bake approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes on cookie sheet. Then remove logs with parchment from cookie sheets to wire rack and cool completely – approximately 1 hour.
11. Whisk ingredients for icing. Drizzle icing onto cooled logs and let sit until glaze hardens – approximately 15 minutes.
12. Cut logs into 2-inch bars.