BANANA CAKE WITH COFFEE FROSTING

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup white whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 medium-size (1 1/2 cups) ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup sour cream

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. 

Combine the flours, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with bananas and sour cream, beating well after each addition.

Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Frosting:
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp instant coffee granules
2 to 3 tbsp milk

In a small bowl, beat butter and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Dissolve coffee granules in milk; add to butter mixture and beat until smooth. Spread over cake.

Top each piece of cake with a couple of fresh banana slices when serving, if desired.Yield: 12 - 15 servings

Note: This is my version of a recipe I got from an old TOH Holiday Celebrations Book.

SUNDAE CONE CAKE

This is a fun recipe from Kraft Foods.

1

tub   (1.75 qt.) vanilla ice cream, slightly softened

6

 sugar cones, divided

4

oz.  BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate

1

Tbsp.  oil

1/4

cup   chopped PLANTERS Dry Roasted Peanuts

USE back of spoon to pack ice cream into foil-lined 1-1/2-qt. bowl. Crush 4 sugar cones; place over ice cream. Press gently into ice cream to form even crust. Freeze 4 hours or until ice cream is firm.

UNMOLD dessert onto plate. Remove foil. Break remaining cones into pieces; press into side of dessert.

MELT chocolate as directed on package just before serving dessert. Stir in oil; cool slightly. Drizzle over dessert; sprinkle with nuts.

Note: Dessert can be store in freezer up to 3 days. Let stand at room temperature about 10 min. to soften slightly before serving.

PECAN CHEESECAKE SQUARES

Love this recipe from Positively Splendid.

For the shortbread layer

1. 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2. 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3. 1/2 cup butter, softened
4. 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
5. For the cheesecake layer
   1. 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
   2. 1/2 cup sugar
   3. 1/2 cup milk
   4. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
   5. For the pecan pie layer
   1. 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
   2. 1/2 cup light corn syrup
   3. 1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
   4. 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
   5. 1/4 teaspoon salt
   6. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
   7. 1 1/2 cups pecans
   6. Instructions
      
      1. Preheat oven to 350.
      2. For the shortbread layer: In a medium bowl, combine flour and 3/4 cup brown sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 1/2 cup pecans. Press mixture evenly into bottom of a greased 9x13" baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes; remove from oven, and cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
      3. For the cheesecake layer: Place the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer outfitted with a paddle attachment, and beat at medium speed until smooth. Beat in sugar. Add milk and 2 teaspoons vanilla, and beat until combined. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the cooled shortbread layer. Bake for 15 minutes; remove from oven and cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
      4. For the pecan pie layer: In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 3/4 cup brown sugar, corn syrup, and melted butter. Gently stir in the eggs, salt, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir in 1 1/2 cups pecans. Pour pecan mixture over cooled cheesecake layer. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until center is set and pecan pie layer is a rich brown color.
      5. Adapted from Southern Lady Magazine
      6. 
         

1ST PRIZE WINNING CARROT CAKE

This recipe is from an old TOH magazine. A lady from Colorado sent it in with a note that she won 1st prize in a dessert contest with this recipe.

Cake:
1 can (8-oz) crushed pineapple
2 cups shredded carrots
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup canola oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Frosting:
2 pkgs (8-oz each) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Drain pineapple, reserving 2 tablespoons juice (discard remaining juice or save for another use). In a large bowl, beat the carrots, eggs, sugars, oil, pineapple and reserved juice until well blended. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; gradually beat into pineapple mixture until blended. Stir in walnuts.

Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Spread over cake. 

Yield: 12 servings.

ELVIS GOOEY BUTTER CAKES Recipe by Paula Deen

In honor of Elvis Presley's 80th birthday I am sharing Paula Deen's Elvis Gooey Butter Cakes recipe. I have the cookbook put out by Elvis' uncle and longtime cook. This recipe is not in that book. Maybe this is Paula's version of a cook he would love, maybe it was one of his favorites. I really don't know its origin but I think his fans will love it (and he probably would have, too)! And anything by Paula Deen is good, in my opinion.

• 1 (18 1/4 oz) package yellow cake mix
• 1 egg
• 2 sticks butter, 1 melted and 1 for filling
• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 whole banana
• 1 (16 oz) box powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 °F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and 1 stick melted butter together and mix well. Pat into a lightly greased glass 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Prepare the filling.

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla. Add the peanut butter; beat. Add the banana and 1 stick butter and mix well. Add the powdered sugar and mix well. Spread over the cake mixture. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. You want the center to be a little gooey, so do not over bake. Top each cake slice with a mint leaf and dollop of whipped cream.

BROOKLYN-STYLE CHEESECAKE

Personal note: When I lived in NYC during the 1980s I can promise you Junior's Cheesecake was the ultimate. This recipe is from King Arthur Flour and was inspired by Juniorr's cheesecake. I do believe that Junior's may have had a little lemon flavor in the crust. Here is what they (KAF) had to say:
"This is the best cheesecake I've ever eaten" was the response of the first three taste-testers who sampled this cake; and it's gone on to garner similar responses everywhere it's served. A towering, rich cheesecake, it's made with a unique vanilla cake crust, the idea for which was pioneered by Junior's Restaurant in Brooklyn, NY, self-proclaimed creator of the "World's Most Fabulous cheesecake" — and they might just be right. Our thanks to Junior's for the cheesecake recipe that inspired this one.

I hope you will enjoy this cheesecake.

crust

• 1/2 cup King Arthur Unbleached Cake Flour Blend*
• 6 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted butter
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• *If you don't have cake flour, use unbleached all-purpose flour, reducing the amount to 7 tablespoons (1/2 cup less 1 tablespoon).

• filling

• 2 pounds cream cheese (four 8-ounce packages), at room temperature
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup heavy cream or whipping cream
• 1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" round springform pan or deep 9" round removable-bottom pan. This cake is very tall, and requires an extra-deep pan. Measure your pan; if it's not at least 2 3/4" deep, don't attempt this recipe. Wrap the bottom and sides of the pan with aluminum foil, preferably a single sheet.
  2) To make the crust: Place the flour, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, the baking powder, salt, vegetable oil or butter, and 3 egg yolks into a large mixing bowl. Beat until well combined; the mixture will be stiff and somewhat crumbly.
  3) In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until they're frothy. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of sugar gradually, beating all the while, until the mixture is stiff and glossy.
  4) Working in thirds, mix the beaten egg whites into the batter. Take care to keep the batter light; mix gently, don't beat. You may find at the end there are still some tiny lumps in the batter; that's OK. Stir in the vanilla.
  5) Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the cake has risen, is barely beginning to brown, and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
  6) Remove the cake from the oven, and immediately loosen the edges with a table knife or thin spatula. Allow it to cool in the pan while you make the filling. It'll settle and shrink a bit as it cools; that's OK. Leave the oven on.
  7) To make the filling: Place 8 ounces (1 package) of the room-temperature cream cheese, 1/3 cup of the sugar, and the cornstarch in a mixing bowl. Mix on low speed until smooth.
  8) Add the remaining cream cheese, 8 ounces (1 package) at a time, beating on low speed until smooth.
  9) Slowly beat in the remaining 1 1/3 cups sugar, and the vanilla.
  10) Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  11) Add the cream, beating just until blended.
  12) Spoon the batter over the cake in the pan. The filling will expand and rise, so make sure you don't fill the pan right to the brim.
  13) Place the pan into a larger pan, and fill the larger pan with enough hot water to come 1" up the sides of the springform pan. Place both pans on a lower-middle rack of your oven.
  14) Bake the cheesecake for 75 to 90 minutes, until the cake is just barely beginning to turn golden around the edges, and the top appears set. The center will still look jiggly; that's OK. A thermometer inserted into the center should register about 160°F to 165°F.
  15) Remove the cake from the oven, and gently lift it out of the water bath onto a rack. Allow it to cool at room temperature, undisturbed, for 2 to 3 hours, until it's no longer warm to the touch.
  16) Refrigerate the cake, covered, until you're ready to serve it.
  17) To serve, slice with a knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry. Repeat this step after every slice. This cake is traditionally served without topping; but feel free to add your own favorite, if desired.
  Yield: 1 large cheesecake, about 16 rich servings.

ELVIS PRESLEY'S FAVORITE WHIPPING CREAM POUND CAKE

This recipe is going around as Elvis Presley's Favorite Whipping Cream Pound Cake. I have no idea if that is true. I have his longtime cook's cookbook and this cake is not in it. Whether it was his favorite or not, it does sound good and all you non-diabetics out there might want to try it.

3 cups sugar
1/2 lb butter, softened
7 eggs, room temperature
3 cups cake flour, sifted twice
1 cup whipping cream (heavy cream)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Butter and flour a 10 inch tube or bundt pan.
Thoroughly cream together sugar and butter. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in half the flour, then the whipping cream, then the other half of the flour. Add Vanilla.
Pour into prepared pan. Set in COLD oven and turn heat to 350ºF. Bake 1 hour to 70 minutes, until a sharp knife inserted in cake turns out clean.
Cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove from pan and cool thoroughly. Wrapped well, this cake will keep for several days.

ICING
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk- Mix and Drizzle Over Cake.

STRAWBERRY BROWNIES

A friend gave me this recipe and she had gotten it elsewhere. I disagree with the title because I think brownies have chocolate in them. To me this is more strawberry bars. But whatever you call them they are good. My 11-year-old granddaughter made these for a bake sale. They sold very well.

1 box strawberry cake mix (I use Duncan Hines)
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 cup powdered sugar
½ -2 TB water or milk
Mix strawberry cake mix, eggs, and oil until well combined.

Spread in 9 X 13 pan lined with parchment paper (lining makes it easy to lift entire contents from pan for glazing and cutting).

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until done in center. Be careful to remove before edges brown; these taste best when "just done" rather than too done.

Mix powdered sugar and water or milk until smooth. Pour glaze over brownies while hot. Spread glaze to edges, allowing it to drip down sides. Allow brownies to cool and glaze to set before cutting into squares.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings.

CHOCOLATY ZUCCHINI LOAF CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE

2 large eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 2/3 cups white whole-wheat flour
1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp espresso powder
2 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini
4-oz dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
Chocolate Ganache (recipe below)

Place rack in center of oven.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour an 8 x 4 x 2-inch loaf pan; set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together eggs, oil, brown sugar, buttermilk and vanilla.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and espresso powder.

Add the dry ingredients in the medium bowl to the wet ingredients in the large bowl; stir to combine. Stir in the zucchini and chocolate. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake cake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.

Meanwhile, prepare the Chocolate Ganache.

Remove cake from oven and cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely on the wire rack.

Spread on the chocolate ganache before slicing to serve.
Top each slice with vanilla-infused whipped cream, if desired.

Chocolate Ganache:
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a small saucepan bring the cream to a simmer; add the chocolate pieces. Remove from the heat and let stand 5 minutes without stirring. Stir until smooth. Cool for 1 hour or until spreadable.

Yield: 12 - 1-inch servings
Per serving: 435 calories, 29 g fat, 73 mg cholesterol, 256 mg sodium, 44 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 6 g protein

Note: This is basically a BH&G recipe.

FROSTED BANANA BARS

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (approximately 3 med to large)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour*
1 tsp baking soda
dash of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, bananas, and vanilla.

Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the butter mixture just until blended.

Pour into the prepared baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool in pan on a wire rack.

FROSTING:
1 brick (8-oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Beat cream cheese and butter together until fluffy. Beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla until mixture is smooth. Spread over the cooled bars.

Cut into 36 bars for serving.

From a 1994 TOH magazine.