Quick & Easy Skillet Cake

This chocolate cake isn't fancy, but it is super quick and can be made with basic ingredients most of us have on hand at all times. There is no waiting for your milk/butter/eggs to get to room temp, because none of those things are in the cake (but it's still yummy, I swear!) Bake it in a cast iron skillet, or it would also work in an 8x8 casserole dish or cake pan. I have to give credit for this recipe to Marcia Rose-Richie. This recipe of hers originally appeared in the monthly catalog for Penzey's spices.

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.

1 1/2 Cups All-purpose Flour

3 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder (natural, not dutch-process)

1 Cup Sugar

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon salt

6 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 Tablespoon vinegar (do not use balsamic or flavored vinegar)

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

1 cup cold Water

Sift dry ingredients together into a (10" or 12") cast iron skillet. If you don't have a skillet, use an 8x8 baking pan or casserole dish. Stir the dry ingredients with a fork until well-mixed. Make three wells in the dry ingredients. Pour the oil into the first well, the vinegar into the second, and the vanilla into the third. Pour the cold water over the top of it all, then stir with a fork until well-blended. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let it cool, then frost.

Frosting:

4 Tablespoons softened Butter

2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

1 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar

dash of salt

2 Tablespoons milk or room temp black coffee

Cream together the butter, sugar, cocoa and salt until well-mixed. Add the liquid and beat until fluffy. You can do this by hand since it is such a small batch, you really don't need to use a stand mixer for this.

 

This recipe is featured on Simple Supper Tuesday at Hun, What's For Dinner?

 

 

Classic Peanut Butter Cookies

Get a glass of milk - you'll need it! These cookies are thick with peanut butter flavor. PB cookies made with butter tend to be flavorful and crunchy; ones made with shortening tend to be chewy but less flavorful. So I use mostly butter in these, with just a touch of shortening. That makes them slightly softer (but not quite chewy), while keeping that buttery flavor. This recipe is a cross between an old family recipe and one I found in my best cookbook. I really think it is the best Peanut Butter Cookie ever - And you can add any number of chips, nuts, or candies into this dough, so it's versatile too!

1 Cup Peanut Butter (Chunky or smooth depends on whether you want bits of peanut in the cookies)
1/2 Cup Butter (1 stick)
2 Tablespoons Shortening
1 Cup brown sugar (I like dark brown for more depth of flavor, but light brown or half white/half brown sugar will work too)
2 Eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 Cups Flour*
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

Optional: Add Peanut Butter Chips or Chocolate Chips (1/2 to 1 Cup as desired)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream the Butter, Shortening, Peanut Butter and sugars with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until combined. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking soda with a fork until well-mixed. Add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture and beat on low until smooth. Add any chips/nuts you want to at this point.

Drop onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until the cookies are golden brown on the bottom and the tops no longer look shiny.

*If using all natural Peanut Butter, which is more runny, increase the flour to 1 3/4 cups.

Meyer Lemon Pie

Have you heard of Meyer Lemons? They are a cross between a Lemon and a Mandarin Orange. Meyer Lemons are smaller than regular lemons and are slightly sweeter with just a hint of orange flavor. They are sold in Supermarkets in small bags:

I decided to try out Meyer Lemons in a pie. So I made my Shaker Lemon Pie, but using Meyer Lemons instead of regular ones. It came out great. I had to make some adjustments to the recipe for these little lemons, but the result was fantastic.

This Pie is for the true Lemon Lovers - it is as tart as it is sweet! Remember to prep the lemons a day ahead, because they need to macerate in the sugar for up to 24 hours.

Meyer Lemon Pie:

1 recipe Flaky Pie Crust

4 Meyer Lemons

2 Cups Sugar

pinch salt

4 eggs

Grate the zest from TWO of the lemons and put it in a large ceramic or stainless steel bowl (Just don't use an aluminum bowl since it can react with lemons, giving them a metallic taste). With a very sharp knife, slice the rind from all four lemons:

 Cut the Lemons into thin, small pieces, being careful to remove all seeds as you go. (Have a towel handy to wipe up your board or your knife, because all that juice can get slippery!) Add the lemon pieces to the zest in the bowl. Add the sugar and salt, then stir well. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight up to 24 hours (the longer the better).

 After the lemon/sugar mix has sat for a long time, Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, beat the eggs lightly and then add them into the lemon mixture. Stir well. Roll out your pie crust and line a pie pan with the dough. Pour in the lemon mixture (it will be liquidy).

Place the top crust gently on the lemon filling and crimp the edges of the pie crust. Cut vents into the top crust to allow steam to escape. Brush with milk and sprinkle sugar over the top crust. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, then lower the oven temp to 350 and bake an additional 40-45 minutes. (Check after 20 minutes to see if the edges need to be covered with foil to prevent overbrowning.)

Cappuccino Pie

This is another variation on the standard cream pie recipe I like to use. It has a strong coffee flavor, and just a hint of cinnamon. I developed this recipe for a pie cook-off and it was a HUGE hit with my family and friends who were my taste-testers. I didn't get into the cook-off with it, but I got a fantastic new recipe out of it, so it's a good thing.

1 recipe Graham Cracker Crust but add a dash of cinnamon to the crackers before mixing.

Filling:
1 1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 Cups milk
3 egg yolks
2 Tablespoons Instant Espresso Powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or for something interesting, try Rum extract instead)

In the top of a double boiler combine the sugar, flour, salt, and milk. Stir the mixture in the bowl while the water boils beneath it, cooking for about 10 minutes until the mixture thickens (stir it frequently). Remove from the heat.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks. Take a small amount of the hot milk/flour mixture (about a tablespoon) and stir it into the eggs. Add another spoonful and stir it in (you are "tempering" the eggs so they don't cook and curdle). Now pour the egg mixture into the rest of the hot milk mix. Return it to the double boiler and cook until thickened some more (about 3-5 minutes) stirring constantly. Take it off the heat and let it rest.

Add the Espresso powder and vanilla extract to the filling mixture. Now let it cool a bit. (You can stick the filling in the fridge or freezer to help it chill faster, just remember to take it out and stir it occasionally). When the filling has cooled pour it into the pie shell. Then return it to the fridge to for another hour to make sure it is well-chilled before topping it with whipped cream (you can add the whipped cream ahead of time or just before serving) and a light dusting of cinnamon. Keep it in the fridge when not serving.

Fresh Whipped Cream Topping:
1 pint heavy cream
1/4 - 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, depending on how sweet you want it

Make sure the cream is well-chilled, (I even chill the mixing bowl and beaters when I make whipped cream). Beat on high speed with mixer until it is thickened. Spread it over the chilled pie and then put the pie back in the fridge until serving.

Almond Coffee Cake

This coffee cake is a delicious alternative to the common cinnamon coffee cake. Sour cream makes it moist and dense. This basic recipe can be altered to make many other flavors - the Lemon Coffee Cake and Cinnamon Coffee cakes listed on the recipe page are just variations of this one.

2 Sticks of butter, softened

1 Cup Sugar

3 Eggs

2 1/2 Cups All-purpose Flour

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 Cup Sour Cream

1 teaspoon Almond Extract

Glaze:

1 Cup Powdered Sugar

1-2 Tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 Cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a bundt or tube pan.

In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients together with a fork until well-blended. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter on low until for 30 seconds. Add the sugar and beat until smooth. Add the eggs and almond extract, then beat for about two minutes until creamy.  Add the flour mixture to the butter and beat until smooth. Add the sour cream and mix on low until just blended (don't overmix).

Spoon the batter into the pan and Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let it rest for 10 minutes before inverting it onto a cooling rack. After it has cooled a bit, you can add the glaze and the sliced almonds: Just mix the powdered sugar, milk (1 teaspoon at a time until you get a pouring consistency) and almond flavoring together in a bowl. Spoon it over the cake, letting it drizzle down the sides. Then sprinkle almonds on top.

Cinnamon Coffee Cake

This is a dense, home-style Coffee Cake. This basic recipe can be altered to make many other flavors - the Lemon Coffee Cake and Almond Coffee Cakes listed on the recipe page are just variations of this one.

2 Sticks of butter, softened

1 Cup Sugar

3 Eggs

2 1/2 Cups All-purpose Flour

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated if possible)

1 Cup Sour Cream

Streusel Topping:

3/4 cup Brown Sugar 

3/4 cup Flour

1 1/2 teaspoons Cinnamon

1/4 cup Butter, softened

Mix until crumbly. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a bundt or tube pan.

In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients together with a fork until well-blended. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter on low until for 30 seconds. Add the sugar and beat until smooth. Add the eggs and beat for about two minutes until creamy. Add the flour mixture to the butter and beat until smooth. Add the sour cream and mix on low until just blended (don't overmix).

Spoon half of the batter into the pan. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the streusel topping mixture on top, then cover with the rest of the batter. Sprinkle the remaining streusel topping on top of the batter. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let it rest for 10 minutes before inverting it onto a cooling rack. (You will need to invert it twice to get the streusel side up - just flip it onto a cookie sheet, then flip again onto a cooling rack or a decorative plate.) Let it cool another 10-15 minutes before slicing. Serve warm if possible. 

Lemon Coffee Cake

This is a variation of the same basic coffee cake recipe I use. The Almond Coffee Cake and Cinnamon Coffee Cakes listed on the recipe page are all variations of this one.

2 Sticks of butter, softened

1 Cup Sugar

3 Eggs

Zest of two whole lemons

2 teaspoons Lemon Extract

2 1/2 Cups All-purpose Flour

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 Cup Sour Cream

Glaze:

Juice of two whole lemons

1/2 -1 Cup Powdered Sugar (depending on how thick you want your glaze)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a bundt or tube pan.

In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients together and stir until blended. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter on low until for 30 seconds. Add the sugar and beat until smooth. Add the eggs, zest, and lemon extract, then beat for about two minutes until creamy. Add the flour mixture to the butter and beat until smooth. Stir in the sour cream by hand just until it is thoroughly mixed in (don't overmix).

Spoon the batter into the pan and Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let it rest for 10 minutes before inverting it onto a cooling rack. After it has cooled a bit, you can add the glaze: Just mix the powdered sugar into the lemon juice a little at a time until you get a pouring consistency. You can choose whether you want a thin glaze that will saturate the cake and add flavor but not be visible when dried, or a thicker glaze that will look like a thin white icing. Either way, spoon it over the cake, letting it drizzle down the sides. You can garnish with a sprinkling of lemon zest on top of the icing if you wish.

Sour Cream Yellow Cake

I can't take credit for this recipe, I found it on CakeCentral.com. It is apparently the classic Yellow Cake Recipe from Sylvia Weinstock, the legendary Cake Decorator. It is delicious, with a buttery taste and a nice soft texture. The sour cream helps keep it moist.

This recipe goes great with Whipped Butter-Rum Frosting

2-1/4 cups sifted cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) sweet butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, separated (you will use both the yolks and the whites)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup sour cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line two 9x2" pans with parchment. (You could also do two 8x3" pans or three 6x2" pans).

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Cream the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy and light in color, about 2 minutes on medium speed. Add the sugar and continue to mix until fluffy and light. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, being sure each is well incorporated before adding the next one. Add the vanilla.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour. Be sure the mixture is completely blended after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl, and beat for 1 minute.

In a separate bowl, with clean beaters, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and smooth with a rubber spatula.

Bake in the preheated oven, 35-45 minutes (depending on which pan size you use.) The top of the cake should be nicely browned. Test for doneness with a skewer or a toothpick; the tester should come out dry and clean.

Whipped Butter-Rum Frosting

This frosting looks light and fluffy, but tastes decadent. Using rum extract instead of real rum means that you can control the strength of the rum flavor without adding a lot more liquid, and the bonus is that anyone can eat it, even kids.

1 Cup good quality Butter
4 Cups Confectioner's Sugar
1-2 Teaspoons Rum extract, to taste
2 Tablespoons Dream Whip Powder*
3 Tablespoons milk (you can add more for a softer consistency)
1/2 teaspoon salt (if using salted Butter, omit salt)

Beat the butter in a KitchenAid mixer (with the whisk attachment) on low until creamy. Add the confectioner's sugar and beat on low until combined. In a separate small bowl, dissolve the salt (if using) into the milk (use the minimum of milk for now - you can add more later). Then add the milk, 1 teaspoon of the rum extract, and the Dream Whip powder into the frosting. Whip on medium for 5-7 minutes until very fluffy. Taste it and add the second teaspoon of rum if you'd like a stronger flavor. Add more milk or powdered sugar to adjust the consistecy. It should be creamy and very fluffy, with a rich decadent butter/rum taste. This frosting is a good choice for piping since it holds its fluffy shape.

*Dream Whip Powder is sold in most grocery stores in the pudding aisle. I actually DO NOT recommend it for its intended purpose, which is to make a whipped cream-like topping for desserts (real whipped cream is so much better and just as fast to make!) But for giving a fluffy consistency to frosting that will not deflate or give an off-flavor, this is great stuff.

Sinful Chocolate Buttercream

This frosting is so thick and rich, it is positively sinful. A light and mildly flavored cake won't stand up to the full force of this chocolate, so choose a rich butter cake or a chocolate cake.

1/2 Cup Softened Butter
2 oz. chopped dark chocolate
1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
2 Cups Confectioner's Sugar
1 Tablespoon light corn syrup
1-3 teaspoons of milk (add 1 and then see if you need more)
1 tsp Vanilla extract

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or you can microwave it in ten-second intervals, stirring each time you check it. Then beat the chocolate with the butter, cocoa and confectioner's sugar on low in a KitchenAid mixer until combined. Add the remaining ingredients and turn the mixer setting to high. Beat an additional two minutes. Frost Cake immediately or cover in plastic wrap until ready to use.