Cocoa Layer Cake

yield: Makes 10 servings

active time: 1 hour

total time: 3 hours (includes chilling time)

ingredients: 1/2 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder (spooned into cup to measure, then leveled) 1 cup luke warm water, divided

Ingredients:

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cups cake flour (spooned into cups to measure, then leveled)

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 large eggs, room temperature, beaten to blend

Frosting:

10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter

1 1/3 cups (packed) golden brown sugar

1 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons instant espresso powder

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Special equipment: 3 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides

preparation:

For cake:
Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 350°F. Butter three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line with parchment paper rounds; butter parchment. Whisk cocoa and 1/2 cup warm water in small bowl. Whisk buttermilk and 1/2 cup water in another small bowl. Sift flour, baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat both sugars and butter in large bowl until pale yellow and fluffy (mixture will appear granular), about 5 minutes. With mixer running, gradually add beaten eggs, then beat until smooth and fluffy, about 15 seconds. Add cocoa mixture; beat to blend. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk mixture in 2 additions, beating to blend after each addition. Divide batter among pans (about 1 3/4 cups each).

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, reversing pans halfway through baking, about 18 minutes. Cool completely in pans on racks.

For frosting:
Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in sugar, cocoa, espresso powder, and 1/2 teaspoon (scant) salt. Gradually stir in cream. Stir until mixture is very hot and just begins to simmer at edges. Reduce heat to low; stir 1 minute to let flavors blend. Transfer to medium bowl; stir in vanilla (frosting will resemble chocolate sauce). Chill until just thickened, stirring occasionally, about 1 1/2 hours. Let stand at room temperature.

Run knife around cake sides. Carefully invert 1 cake onto plate (cake is very tender); peel off parchment. Spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Invert second cake onto palm of hand. Position cake 2 inches above frosted cake layer. Carefully slide cake onto first cake layer. Peel off parchment. Spread cake with 1⁄2 cup frosting. Repeat with third cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; let stand at room temperature.

Cut into wedges and serve.

Banana Cake

Mischell Shapiro

• 1 1/2 cups bananas, mashed, ripe

• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

• 3 cups flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 3/4 cup butter, softened

• 2 1/8 cups sugar

• 3 large eggs

• 2 teaspoons vanilla

• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter, softened

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 3 1/2 cups icing sugar

Garnish

• chopped walnuts

Directions:

Prep Time: 15 mins

Total Time: 1 1/4 hr

1. 1 Preheat oven to 275°.

2. 2 Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan.

3. 3 In a small bowl, mix mashed banana with the lemon juice; set aside.

4. 4 In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

5. 5 In a large bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and 2 1/8 cups sugar until light and fluffy.

6. 6 Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in 2 tsp vanilla.

7. 7 Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk.

8. 8 Stir in banana mixture.

9. 9 Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for one hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

10. 10 Remove from oven and place directly into the freezer for 45 minutes. This will make the cake very moist.

11. 11 For the frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth.

12. 12 Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla.

13. 13 Add icing sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high speed until frosting is smooth.

14. 14 Spread on cooled cake.

15. 15 Sprinkle chopped walnuts over top of the frosting, if desired.

Pecan-Praline Powder and Pieces

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Line a large baking sheet with foil; set aside. In a heavy skillet place granulated sugar. Cook over medium heat, shaking skillet occasionally until sugar begins to melt. Do not stir. Reduce heat to low. Stir in chopped pecans, and cook about 3 minutes more or until sugar is golden brown and pecans are toasted, stirring occasionally. Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, spreading with a wooden spoon as thin as possible. Cool. Break or chop the cooled praline into 1/4 inch pieces. Set half of it aside. Place remaining broken pieces in a blender or food processor. Cover and process until ground.

Pumpkin-Praline Cheesecake

Makes 12 to 16 servings

Pecan-Praline Powder and pieces

1/3 cup butter

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup flour

3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 T flour

1 (16 oz.) can pumpkin

1 t vanilla

1/2 t cinnamon

1/2 t ground ginger

1/2 t nutmeg

3 eggs

1 (8 oz.) carton sour cream

1 T sugar

Pecan halves

For crust, in a medium mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium high speed about 30 seconds or until softened. Add the 1/4 cup brown sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the 1 cup flour. Beat on low to medium speed just until combined. Pat dough onto bottom and 1 1/2 inches up the sides of a 9-inch spring form pan. Bake about 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool crust on a wire rack while preparing filling. Bake at 375 F.

For filling, in a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese, the 3/4 cup brown sugar and 2 tablespoons flour with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until combined. Add the pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Beat until combined. Add eggs all at once. Beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in the coarsely broken Pecan-Praline pieces, reserving the powder for the topping. Pour filling into the crust-lined spring form pan. Place the spring-form pan in a shallow baking pan on the oven rack. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until center appears nearly set when shaken. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine sour cream and sugar. Spread over top of cheesecake. Remove spring form pan from baking pan. Cool cheesecake in spring form pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Use a small spatula to loosen crust from sides of pan. Cool 30 minutes more. Remove sides of spring form pan. Cool for 1 hour, then cover and chill for at least 4 hours. Jest before serving, sprinkle the Pecan-Praline Powder over sour cream topping in center of cheesecake and garnish with pecan halves, if desired. Bake at 375 F.

Grandma Ebert's Sugar Cookies

Makes about 2 dozen

1 cup sour cream

1 1/2 t baking soda

2 eggs

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 t vanilla

4 cups flour

1 t salt

1 cup Crisco

Add baking soda to sour cream and let bubble. Add egg, vanilla and sugar, Let stand. Mix flour and salt with a pastry blender. Blend in Crisco. Add dry mixture to cream mixture. Roll out to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Bake at 375 F.

Chocolate Rocky Road Cake with Rocky Road Frosting

Makes 9 servings

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup salad oil

1 square baking chocolate

1/2 cup water

1 cup flour

1 cup minus 2 T sugar

1/2 t salt

1 egg beaten

1/4 cup buttermilk blended with 1/2 t soda

3/4 t vanilla

Grease and flour an 8x8x2 inch baking pan. (9x12 or two 8 inch round pans if doubling.) In a small saucepan over low heat, combine butter, oil, and chocolate. Stir until solids are melted. Add water and stir until smooth and thick. Remove from heat and cool for ten minutes. Sift flour, sugar, and salt together into a large mixing bowl. Add chocolate mixture. Add egg and beat until smooth. Stir in butter milk, soda mixture and vanilla. Pour batter into well-greased baking pan and bake 30 to 35 minutes or until cake tests done. Remove from oven and cool in pan set on a cake rack. Frost with Rocky Road Frosting. Bake at 350 F.

Rocky Road Frosting

1 square baking chocolate

1/4 cup butter

3 T buttermilk

1/2 t vanilla

1 3/4 cups powder sugar

1/3 cup miniature marshmallows or snipped large marshmallows for a chunky look

1/4 cup nuts, coarsely chopped

Melt chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring frequently. Add buttermilk and vanilla. Pour mixture over powdered sugar in mixing bowl. Beat until smooth and of good spreading consistency. Stir in marshmallows and nuts. Spread frosting on cake quickly, making peaks and valleys as you go. Try not to go over what you have already swirled, or you loose the gloss.

Blueberry Honey Ice Cream

4 c fresh or thawed frozen blueberries

2/3 c honey

juice of 1 lime

½ t vanilla

1/8 t salt

4 c heavy cream

Puree blueberries in a blender. Add honey, lime juice, vanilla and salt; blend Stir mixture into cream. Pour into a 4 quart freezer can of ice cream freezer. Freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions