Let Them Eat Cake

We have a joke around here regarding the moisture level of cakes – you know sometimes cakes can be so moist and delicious and other times they can be quite dry.

My husband will say, ‘That’s the dampest cake I have ever eaten!’

This cake he loved so much that he ate two servings when it was 

first made and this cake was completely finished when the children visited.

Yellow Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

1 package yellow cake mix (with pudding in the mix or butter recipe)

1 cup  Dannon Oikos Greek Nonfat Vanilla Yogurt

1/3 canola oil

¼ cup water

¼ cup sugar

4 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and flower two round cake pans

Place the cake mix, yogurt, , oil, water, sugar, and eggs in the bowl of an electric mixer. Blend on low for one minute, stop the machine and then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat the batter for 2 minutes at the medium speed. This should create a thick and smooth batter. Pour equal amounts of the batter into each round cake pan and place in the heated oven to cook for 30 to 35 minutes. The cake will be done when it springs back when lightly touched in the center and the sides begin to separate from the edges of the pan. Remove from the oven allow to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and place on the wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

1/3 cup cocoa

1 stick butter – at room temperature

3 ¾ cups confectioners sugar

3 to 4 tablespoons milk

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

In a large mixing bowl blend the butter until fluffy. Add the confectioners sugar, cocoa, milk and vanilla. Mix on low speed until blended. Increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy. 

Ginger Pound Cake

 

While looking through my Victoria Christmas books for ideas and recipes, I came across this delightful pound cake recipe. My husband is a great fan of pound cake and I thought it would be nice to have for a wonderful afternoon tea.

The recipe is in The Heart of Christmas. I found it to be refreshing. My husband would like more of a ginger flavor, so when I make it next, I will double the ginger and double the recipe to get

a taller cake. As is, the cake has a light note, a fragrance of ginger.

It goes wonderfully with a spiced tea.

Ginger Pound Cake

Pound Cake:

¾ cup (1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, softened

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 ¼ cups sifted cake flour

Glaze:

½ cup ginger currant wine (or grate fresh ginger

in ½ cup warmed cream sherry for 30 minutes – I had neither,

so I made a ginger sugar syrup – this may be why my

cake was lighter in flavor)

2 tablespoons sugar

crystallized ginger slices, for garnish

To make the Pound Cake:

1.   Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a 6 cup fluted black tube pan.

2.   In the medium bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until very light.

3.   In a large bowl, using clean beaters beat the eggs, sugar, and ground ginger at high speed for 6 minutes or until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is light and fluffy. Using a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula, gently but thoroughly fold in the sifted flour.

4.   With the mixer at low speed, gradually blend in the butter. Do not mix for more than 30 seconds but continue to blend in the butter by folding gently with a wooden spoon. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.

5.   Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool the cake in the pan or on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool on a rack for 30 minutes.

To make the Glaze:

1.   in a small saucepan combine the wine with the sugar. Heat over low heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves.

2.   Put the cake on a serving platter and pierce small holes with a wooden skewer or fork on the fluted side. Slowly pour the glaze over the cake and cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap and let the cake stand overnight to soak up the glaze.

3.   Before serving, decorate the cake with crystallized ginger.

For Breakfast

I used my new Gracie China cup with flowers and butterflies given to me by my son. Each year, our dear friend gifts us with a wonderful Butter Christmas Stollen. It is wonderful with a rich cup of coffee. Christmas has now passed. All have returned to their regular routines, the house is quiet. But, in these quiet moments I can still hear the warm sounds of my husband’s and children’s laughter, the warmth of the love we shared spending Christmas together this year.

What a wonderful gift – memories – may yours be warm and comforting this day.