Linda's Frosted Banana Bread Bars/Cake

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (3 medium)
• 1 T. vanilla
• 1 pkg instant vanilla pudding mix
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• pinch of salt

1. Mix butter and sugar until creamy
2. Beat in eggs, bananas, sour cream, and vanilla
3. In another bowl combine flour, baking soda, pudding and salt
4. Add to creamy butter/sugar mixture and mix well
5. Pour into a greased 15 x 10 x 1 inch pan.
6. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 25 minutes.
7. Let cool completely before frosting

Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter (softened)
• 1 8 oz block of cream cheese (softened)
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla

1. Mix the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
2. Gradually add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat well.
3. Spread evenly over the banana bread.

This is a marvelous recipe that will work well with carrot cake or red velvet. Perfect proportions!

Coconut Bundt Cake

I am really getting into making a cake on Sunday and then taking it to work on Monday to share. Today I made a coconut cake because Kirby loves coconut and I will leave him a piece before I take the rest to work with me in the morning.

• 1 pkg coconut cake mix
• 1 small pkg vanilla pudding
• 4 eggs
• 1 C. water
• 1/3 C. salad oil
• 1 C. flaked coconut
• 1/2 cup vanilla frosting
• additional coconut for decoration

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-in. bundt pan or use Pam spray on a stick proof pan.
2. Combine cake mix, pudding, eggs, water and oil in a large mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Fold in the coconut. Pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto a serving plate.
4. Place frosting in microwave save bowl. Microwave on high power for 10-15 seconds. Stir until smooth. Drizzle over the cake. Sprinkle with the additional coconut.

Kahlua Cake

My sister gave me this recipe with just the ingredients, the oven temp and the baking time. I thought that was strange until I tried it. It is just so simple, you don't need any instructions!

• 1 Box Swiss Chocolate Cake Mix
• 1 Small Box Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
• 2 Cups Sour Cream
• 3/4 Cup Kahlua (or any coffee flavored liquor)
• 4 Eggs
• 6 oz Chocolate Chips

1. Mix all ingredients except the chocolate chips in a mixing bowl and using an electric mixer, mix for about 2 minutes on medium speed after all the ingredients are combined.
2. Gently stir in the chocolate chips.
3. Pour into a greased bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
4. Cool for 10 minutes and remove from pan. Place on a plate and dust the top with powdered sugar while still warm.

Carrot Cake

This recipe was inspired by Cooks Illustrated. I did just a little tweaking. This cake is fabulous. The difference between this recipe and many others is the method. Emulsifying the sugars and eggs makes all the difference in the world. It would be interesting to see if this emulsification method would improve your favorite carrot cake recipe. Go and experiment and post your results!

Yield: 1 - 9" x 13"
CAKE

• 1 cup walnuts, toasted
• 1 Tbl butter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ozs.) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 lb. (6-7 med.) carrots, peeled and shredded
• 1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 oz) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz) light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup sour cream
  
• 4 lg eggs
• 1 1/2 cups safflower, canola, or vegetable oil

ORANGE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• 5 Tbl unsalted butter, softened but still cool
• 12 oz cream cheese, softened but still cool
• 3 cups confectioner's sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 Tbl orange liqueur

CAKE DIRECTIONS

1. Place baking stone on rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
2. Chop walnuts and toast in oven for about 10 minutes. Pour nuts into small bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of butter and 1/2 teaspoon of salt immediately upon removal from oven.
3. Spray 13" x 9" pan with nonstick spray. Line pan with parchment paper and spray again.
4. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in bowl and set aside.
5. Shred carrots in food processor fitted with large shredding disk. This should yield about 3 cups. Transfer carrots to bowl and set aside.
6. Wipe food processor bowl clean and fit with metal blade.
7. Process granulated and brown sugars and eggs until frothy and thoroughly combined, about 20 seconds.
8. With machine running, stream in oil through feed tube. Process until light in color and well emulsified, about 20 seconds longer.
9. Scrape mixture into another bowl. By hand, stir in carrots, nuts and flour mixture until well incorporated and no streaks of flour remain.
10. Pour into pan and level batter. Drop pan on counter a few times from a height of about 4 inches.
11. Place pan in oven on top of baking stone and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doness.
12. Cool cake in pan on rack for about 2 hours.

ORANGE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1. Cream butter with electric mixer until smooth.
2. Add cream cheese and continue beating until smooth.
3. Add vanilla and orange liqueur and mix to incorporate well.
4. Add sugar 1 cup at a time and mix on low to moisten and then on high to smooth.
5. Chill until ready to use.

NOTE:
It seems to me, if 1/2 cup of oil is omitted, 1 cup of coconut and 1 small can of crushed pineapple could be added and the moisture should be just about right. One could add fresh orange zest to the frosting for flavor and a speckled look.

Lemon Cake - Suzie

My daughter made this cake for Brendan's 18th birthday and it was a great hit. Beautiful and delicious.

Cake
• 3 cups cake flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs; separated, at room temp
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/3 cups buttermilk
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Frosting
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar, sift before measuring
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup lemon curd, purchased

Filling
• 1 cup lemon curd, purchased

Cake - preheat oven to 350°. Grease 2 9"x2" round cake pans; dust generously with flour, tapping out excess. In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, and salt. Sift into another large bowl. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium speed 2 minutes or until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each egg yolk. Beat in lemon juice and vanilla. At low speed, beat in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture (about 4 flour additions and 3 buttermilk additions). Beat just until blended. In small bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. With rubber spatula, gently fold egg white mixture, in thirds, into batter. Spread batter in prepared pans. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on racks 10 minutes Invert onto racks. Cool.

Frosting - In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter 2 minutes, until fluffy. At low speed, beat in confectioner’s sugar, cream, and lemon curd until smooth. Cover; chill 20 minutes, until spreadable consistency.

Using serrated knife, level tops of layers if necessary. Place 1 layer on serving plate; spread with lemon curd. Refrigerate 15 minutes to set curd. Top with remaining layer. Frost cake; refrigerate. Bring cake to room temperature for serving. Garnish with fresh berries or a lemon wedge, sprinkle with yellow pastel sanding sugar, lemon zest and a sprig of mint.

Carrot Cake by Shirley Corriher

Yield: 1 (4-layer) 8-inch round cake
Prep: 45 min.
Bake: 35 min.
Cool: 1 hour

• 2 cups walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped
• 2 TBL unsalted butter
• 3/4 tsp salt, divided
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 2 1/3 cups self-rising flour, spooned and leveled
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (freshly grated, if possible)
• 1/2 tsp allspice, optional
• 1 TBL orange zest
• 3 lg eggs
• 2 lg egg yolks
• 2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 3 cups very finely grated carrots, approx. 6 carrots (food processor is recommended)
• 1 recipe Cream Cheese Icing (recipe in this collection)

1. Arrange shelf in lower third of oven and place baking stone on it. Preheat to 350F.
2. Spread nuts on a baking sheet, place in oven on the stone, and roast for 10-12 min. While nuts are hot, stir in 2 TBL butter and 1/3 tsp salt. Set aside.
3. Spray 2 8-inch round (2" high) cake pans with nonstick spray and line with parchment circle. Spray paper very lightly.
4. Combine flour, remaining 1/2 tsp salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and orange zest. Beat well at medium speed with electric mixer.
5. In another bowl, stir together whole eggs, egg yolks, and brown sugar. Then, add oil, vanilla, and orange juice, stirring to combine.
6. Make a hole in center of flour mixture and add egg mixture, a little at a time, stirring by hand. Add carrots and roasted nuts.
7. Pour batter into prepared pans. Spoon batter from one pan to the other until batter is dived equally. Drop pans, one at a time, onto the counter from a height of 4 inches to knock out large air bubbles.
8. Place both pans in oven on stone. Bake for approx. 30-35 min., or until the center springs back when touched. Ideally, cake should not pull away from sides until it has just come out of oven. The center temp should read approx. 209F.
9. Cool cakes on cooling rack for approx 10 minutes. Shake pan to loosen cake all around.
10. Spray cooling rack with nonstick cooking spray. Place rack, sprayed side down, on top of the cake and invert. Let cool completely.
11. When completely cooled, slice each layer on half horizontally, creating four layers.
    
12. Divide icing in half. Reserve 1 half to ice top and sides. Divide remaining half into thirds. Place 1 layer, cut side up, on a cake plate or serving dish and spread with 1/3 of icing. Place another layer on top of icing, cut side up, and spread with another third. Place third layer on top, cut side up, and spread with remaining third. Place top layer on, cut side down. Ice top and sides with reserved icing.