Chocolate Angel Food Cake

I recently made this chocolate Angel Food Cake for a friend's birthday. If you like Angel Food and chocolate, you won't want to miss this one. The icing is a whipped cream combo, so cake is very light and so tasty!! It comes from "Taste of Home" magazine, several years ago.

1. 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar


2. 1 cup cake flour


3. 1/4 cup baking cocoa


4. 1-1/2 cups egg whites(about 11 eggs)


5. 1-1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar


6. 1/2 teaspoon salt


7. 1 cup sugar

Frosting:

1. 1-1/2 cups whipping cream


2. 1/2 cup sugar


3. 1/4 cup baking cocoa


4. 1/2 teaspoon salt


5. 1/2 teaspoon Mexican vanilla

Move oven rack to lowest level and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift together sugar, flour, and cocoa 3 times; set aside. In another large metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt until soft peaks form. Add granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Gradually fold in cocoa/flour mixture, about 1/4 at a time. Spoon into an ungreased 10 inch tube pan. Carefully run a knife thru batter to remove air bubbles. Bake on lowest rack for 35-40 minutes, or until top springs back when lightly touched. Immediately invert pan and cool completely. Run a knife around edges to loosen cake and remove from pan. For frosting, In a mixing bowl, combine the first 5 frosting ingredients, cover and chill for 1 hour. Take out of frig and beat until stiff peaks form. Spread over top and sides of cake. Store in the refrigerator. Garnish with chocolate sprinkles, flowers in center, etc. Serves 12-16

Rich Coffee Cake

This was served at my quilt group recently, by my friend Janet Bauer. It is fabulous!!! You won't have one slice left, I assure you. I am not a chocoholic, but the chocolate drizzle just makes it perfect. Fall is in the air and the holidays; this is definitely a holiday worthy coffee cake. Another recipe from the wonderful "Taste of Home" magazine...

1. 1 cup butter, softened


2. 2 cups sugar


3. 2 Eggs


4. 2 cups unbleached flour( I prefer King Arthur or Pillsbury)


5. 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder


6. 1/2 teaspoon salt


7. 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream


8. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

TOPPING:

1. 1 cup chopped pecans


2. 2 TBLS. sugar


3. 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Chocolate Glaze:

1. 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips


2. 1/4 cup butter, cubed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine sour cream and vanilla; add to creamed mixture alternately with dry ingredients.

Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle 2 TBLS. into a greased and floured 10 inch tube pan. For glaze, in a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and butter: stir until smooth. Spoon half of the batter over the topping; sprinkle with half of the remaining topping. Drizzle with half of the glaze. Top with remaining batter; sprinkle with the remaining topping.

Bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes or until toothpick inserted near the center of the cake, comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan to a wire rack. Warm remaining glaze; drizzle over coffee cake. Serve warm, if desired. Yield: 12 servings

Halloween Pumpkin Spice cupcakes

Halloween is my very favorite holiday!! These are always a big hit for all the Fall celebrations and I have friends who don't like pumpkin, that like these. They are made with a cake mix, but don't taste like it and for homeroom mothers, they make at least 24 cupcakes. I frost them with the cream cheese frosting, I use with my Carrot Cake and decorate them, according to the holiday. Enjoy!!!

1. 1 package Spice cake mix (I use Duncan Hines)


2. 1 can (15 ounces) Libby's 100% pure pumpkin


3. 3 large organic Eggs


4. 1/3 cup vegetable oil ( I use Crisco in baking)


5. 1/3 cup water


6. 1 Recipe cream cheese frosting, found with my carrot cake recipe

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Paper-line or grease 24 muffin cups(may make 2 or 3 more). Blend cake mix, pumpkin, eggs, vegetable oil and water in a large mixer bowl until moistened. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 3/4 full. Bake for 18 to 23 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center, comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes and remove to wire racks to cool completely. Ice with cream cheese frosting. Happy Fall!

Ginger Angel Food Cake with Coconut Frosting

I found this recipe in "Cooking Light" magazine. Angel Foods are my favorite cakes and this is a really good one. I increased the ginger a little to give it more flavor. It would be pretty for the holidays, too and a lighter dessert.

1. 1 cup sifted cake flour



2. 1/2 cup cornstarch



3. 12 large organic Egg whites



4. 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar



5. 1/4 teaspoon salt



6. 1 1/2 cups sugar



7. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract



8. 1 teaspoon ground ginger

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.To prepare cake, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup. combine flour and cornstarch, stirring with a whisk. Place 12 Egg whites in a large METAL bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar and salt. Beat until soft peaks form. Add 1 1/2 cups sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla and ginger. Sift 1/4 cup flour mixture over egg white mixture and gently fold in. Repeat with remaining flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time.

Spoon batter into an UNGREASED 10-inch tbe pan, spreading evenly. Break air pockets by cutting through batter with a knife. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Invert pan, cool completely. Loosen cake from sides of pan and invert onto a cake plate.

FROSTING: Please see my confetti angel food with whippy pink frosting. You will make this cooked frosting with the following additions: 1/4 teaspoon of coconut extract. Please do not tint pink or color. Top with 3/4 cup flaked sweetened coconut, toasted (Spread in pan and toast for 5 minutes or so in a 350 degree oven, until lightly browned- WATCH carefully).

Gary's pound cake

Here is a wonderful pound cake that holds up well at high altitude. Pound cake has so much butter in it that it tends to fall at high altitudes and this one uses shortening. I substituted butter flavor shortening for regular. Our friend, Gary Owens sent me this and I'm sharing it with you. Great gift for the holidays!!!

1. 1 cup butter flavor Crisco


2. 2 cups sugar


3. 1 teaspoon orange extract


4. 1 teaspoon lemon extract


5. 1/2 teaspoon butter flavor extract


6. 1 teaspoon vanilla


7. 6 organic Eggs


8. 2 cups flour


9. 1 teaspoon salt

Cream shortening and sugar and add the flavorings. Add eggs, one at a time, beating at high speed. Sift the flour and salt and fold into the egg mixture. Bake in a greased and floured tube pan at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Check with toothpick for doneness. Cool for 25 minutes in pan on rack. Remove from pan to cake plate and cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Coffee Angel Food Cake

Next to my confetti angel food and my peach cobbler, this would have to be my most requested dessert. It is my favorite birthday cake and I don't even drink coffee!!! My mom, Nancy Aton, always made it and so it is to her credit and greatskill in cooking that I have this recipe. I believe she told me long ago that it came from a Julia Child cookbook. Just look at my confetti angel food for the basic angel food cake recipe or you can start with a 2 step box angel food. the toasted almonds are our family addition. You're goin" love it!!!!

• One recipe of my angel food cake or one 2 step boxed angel food, to which you add 1 Tablespoon of powered instant coffee.

ICING

• 2 Tablespoons powdered coffee


• 1/2 cup butter, softened


• 1/4 teaspoon salt


• 3 cups powdered sugar


• 3-4 tablespoons milk


• 1 teaspoon vanilla


• 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted in a little butter until light brown

Cream butter, add salt and sugar. Add vanilla and milk, a little at a time, beating until light and fluffly and it spreads easily. Ice cake and spread toasted almonds over the top and into the sides. FABULOUS!!

Confetti Angel Food Cake

Guess this is the recipe that I use more than any other!! The original recipe came from Springfield, Missouri, from a friend of my family, Freda Fielder. She was a fabulous cook, we can only hope to emulate. Made the best Apple pie this side of heaven. It is my daughter's favorite birthday cake with "whippy" pink frosting; and, along with some variations, many of my friends and family's favorite. I'm going to start with the basic angel food and how to make it confetti and then the "Whippy frosting, which is a cooked frosting, much like a White Mountain but much easier in that you don't use a candy thermometer. To me, this is a True Birthday Cake and sooo pretty!!!

• 1 1/2 cups egg whites (large and I use 12 or 13 )


• 1/2 teaspoon salt


• 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar


• 1/2 teaspoon almond


• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla ( I often use all Mexican vanilla and eliminate the almond extract)


• 1 cup granulated sugar


• 1 cup CAKE flour


• 1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar


• If making confetti angel food, you will need a small bottle of confetti sprinkles

In large metallic bowl(DO NOT use PLastic), add salt, cream of tartar and extract to egg whites. Beat until foamy and soft peaks form( peaks droop when you "stand them" with the beaters). Add granulated sugar gradually until satiny and fine grained. Sift flour and measure. Sift powdered sugar and measure. Combine flour and powdered sugar and sift together 4 or 5 times. Fold powdered sugar/flour mixture into egg white mixture. If making confetti angel food, add half a bottle of sprinkles now, folding them into batter. Rinse a tube or loaf pan with cold water. Turn the batter into the pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. after cake is done, invert cake upside down in pan to cool. Let cool for several hours and remove.

WHIPPY PINK FROSTING

• 1 cup sugar


• 1/2 cup light corn syrup


• 3 Tablespoons water


• 3 Large Egg Whites


• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar


• 1/4 teaspoon salt


• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In top of a double boiler, combine sugar, corn syrup, water, egg whites, cream of tartar and salt. Cook over rapidly boiling water, beating with mixer until mixture stands in peaks. Remove from heat; add vanilla extract. continue beating until frosting holds deep swirls. Add food coloring drops to make any color you desire.this frosts a 3 layer cake or Angel Food Cake.