Mississippi Mud Cake

This cake is too good to be true!! Everyone loves it from the very young to very old. It comes from "Kitchen Keepsakes" cookbook and you will be making it often.

• 2 sticks margarine or butter(although I think margarine works better in this)
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 Eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 Tablespoons Cocoa
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached flour(I use King Arthur or Pillsbury)
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 1 cup coconut

FROSTING:

• 1 Small jar marshmallow creme
• 1- 1 LB. box powdered sugar
• 1 stick margarine or butter, softened(either works well here)
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp. vanilla

For cake: Cream margarine and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Combine cocoa, flour, pecans and coconut in bowl and combine with spoon or wire whisk. Add to other ingredients. Mix well. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes.

Frosting: Spoon marshmallow creme over WARM cake. Let soften, then spread over cake. Blend softened margarine with sugar; add other ingredients, mixing well. Spread over marshmallow layer, that has cooled slightly. This is heavenly!!!

Classic Yellow Cake

This is the recipe I promised to go with the 2 different chocolate icing recipes, I have listed. It is my youngest daughter's favorite birthday cake, Yellow cake with yummy chocolate icing. Hooray for birthday candles!!

• 2 1/2 cups cake flour(not self rising)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter flavor shortening
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 2/3 cups milk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• Chocolate butter cream or chocolate ganache type frostings, listed with chocolate cakes-

Grease and flour 2 8 inch cake pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the flour,baking powder, and salt. Blend with wire whisk. Have a sifter on a sheet of wax paper and pour dry ingredients into sifter and sift onto wax paper. Put shortening and sugar into a large bowl and cream together, scraping down sides of the bowl, as you go. Add one egg at a time, beating well after each one. Stir the milk and vanilla together in a one cup measure and add alternately with the dry mixture(the one you sifted). Beat well after each addition and be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, as you work. Pour and spread half(about 2 cups) the batter into one cake pan, scrape the remaininbg batter into the other cake pan. Place the pans at least one inch apart on the center rack of your preheated oven. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center, comes out clean. Remove the pans from oven and place on cooling rack. Cool 5-10 minutes and then remove from pans, inverting on racks so top side is up. Cool completely before frosting. Ice with chocolate icing(see chocolate cake recipe)

Devil's Food cake 1

This cake recipe was given to me by my Great Aunt Em. It is the very best ever!! She made all of we great nieces a family cookbook when we got married and it has been a wonderful source for the many years I have had it. the frosting I use is a good old butter cream frosting, my favorite. this frosting is terrific on a nice yellow cake, too. If you want even more intense chocolate flavor, then you can use the chocolate ganache type frosting under my Devil's Food Cake II.

• 2 Scant cups sugar


• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder


• 1/2 cup butter flavored shortening


• 2 cups cake flour (not self rising)


• 1 cup cold water


• 1 teaspoon soda


• 1 tablespoon hot water


• 3 Egg Whites

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease AND flour 2 9 inch cake pans. In a large bowl, sift together the sugar and unsweetened cocoa, 3 times. Add the shortening and cream together. Alternately add the cake flour and cup of cold water. Mix until smooth. In a small bowl, dissolve the baking soda in the hot water and add to cake mixture. In another medium bowl, beat the 3 egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg white into the other cake mixutre until completely incorporated. Pour into prepared cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, check with toothpick for doneness. Cool on wire cooling rack for 20 minutes and invert out of pans onto racks, turning so the top is up. Cool completely and ice. Place one cake layer, top down on cake plate and spread with one cup of frosting. Add other layer, top up and ice top and sides. Enjoy!!!

CHOCOLATE BUTTER CREAM FROSTING ( or plain butter cream without chocolate)

• 1/4 cup butter, softened


• 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract


• 1/4 teaspoon salt


• 1 pound confectioner's sugar


• 1/3 to 1/2 cup CREAM (be sure to use cream or half and half as that is what gives it, it's rich taste!)


• 6 Tablespoons unsweetened powdered cocoa or 2 ounces unsweetened cocoa, melted

Cream butter in large mixing bowl. Mix in the powdered or melted unsweetened chocolate. Add vanilla extract, salt, sugar and cream. Beat until smooth and of spreading consistency. If you want to make butter cream icing and not with chocolate, just eliminate it, and you can add a few drops of food coloring if you want color in it.

Devil's Food Cake II

This is another really good chocolate cake that uses sour cream. The icing is wonderfully rich, very much a ganache type, and great on any chocolate cake. I got this recipe from Mary Engelbreit's "Queen of the Kitchen" cookbook. this recipe works well at high altitude, without adjustments. I live at 6500 feet and it has always done well.

• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 2 1/4 cups unbleached flour( I use King Arthur's or Pillsbury)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup shortening (Can use butter flavor but don't have to)
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon REAL vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/3 cups sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease AND flour 2 9-inch round cake pans. In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa and boiling water until smooth. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, beat the shortening, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until "sandy" textured. Add the egss, one at a time, beating well after each addition. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture alternately with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour. Add the cocoa mixture and blend well. Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Place the pans on wire racks and let cool for 20 minutes. Invert the layers onto the racks, then turn them right side up and let them cool completely. Place one cake layer on a serving plate and spread with about 1 cup of the frosting. Top with the remaining cake layer and spread the remaing frosting over the top and sides of the cake. This cake is also good with a white seven minute type frosting.

CHOCOLATE FROSTING

• 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (you can also use chocolate chips!!)
• 2 Tablespoons water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 large Egg yolks
• 3/4 teaspoon real vanilla extract
• 1 cup(2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces at room temperature

In a double boiler, set over simmering water, melt the chocolate with the water, whisking until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl. In the cleaned double boiler set over simmering water, mix the egg yolks and the sugar and heat, whisking constantly, for 3 to 5 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is pale and thick. Stir into the melted chocolate, then add the vanilla. With an electric mixer, beat the frosting on high speed for 3 minutes or until cooled to room temperature. Beat in the butter, one piece at a time, beating until smooth after each addition.

Chocolate Sheet Cake

Okay, this is for all my family and friends who requested it!!I've had this recipe for years and years. It is always a winner and when made in the jelly roll pan, makes a large quantity for school functions, pot lucks, etc. Although my family has never had a hard time finishing it off!! This also makes a great 9x13 cake. I will give diections for both. Be sure to put confetti sprinkles on the top. It makes it look so festive.

• 2 1/3 cups flour( I use Pillsbury or King Arthur unbleached)



• 2 cups sugar



• 1 teaspoon baking soda


• 1 cup butter


• 1 1/4 cups water


• 4 Tablespoons cocoa


• 1/2 cup buttermilk


• 2 eggs, beaten


• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter


• 4 Tablespoons cocoa


• 6 Tablespoons buttermilk


• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract


• 1 pound powdered sugar


• 1/2 cup chopped pecans(optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees for 9x13 cake and 400 degrees for jelly roll pan. To make cake, mix flour, sugar and soda in bowl. Bring butter, water, and cocoa to a boil in a saucepan. Pour over dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Add buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Beat well. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in cake, comes out clean. If using a 17x11x1 jelly roll pan bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in cake, comes out clean. WHILE cake is in the oven, make frosting. Heat butter, cocoa and buttermilk to boiling. Remove from heat and mix in vanilla, powdered sugar and nuts, if using. Frost hot cake immediately with hot frosting. Will appear runny, but hardens as it cools and it HAS to be done this way so it seeps into cake and spreads smoothly on top. Sprinkle with colored sugars, if desired. Now watch it disappear!!