Chocolate Velvet Dessert

Some people buy their Valentine chocolates and flowers, I bake! And this was part of Lyndon's Valentines' gift this year, and oh boy! was it delicious! Don't count calories with this one, because you don't want to know, but once a year it is fun to make something special and memorable. You only need a thin slice because it is filling. This would be an awesome WOW dessert to make for a crowd :)

 

 

Chocolate Velvet Dessert

 

1 1/2 c. chocolate crumbs

1/4 c. butter, melted

2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

6 egg yolks

1 3/4 c. heavy whipping cream

1 tsp. vanilla

 

Combine crumbs and melted butter and press into a greased 9" spring form pan, bake at 350 for 10 min. Meanwhile, melt chocolate chips in a large pot, stir till smooth and allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl whisk together egg yolks, cream and vanilla, slowly add to melted chocolate whisking beating vigorously until smooth. Pour into crust and bake at 350 for an additional 45 minutes. Allow to cool for 1 hour, then run a knife around the edge and refrigerate overnight.

 

1/2 c. butter, room temperature

3 c. icing sugar

3 Tbsp. cocoa

3-4 Tbsp. milk

 

Beat together, and pipe onto cooled cake.

Dutch Apple Tart

Our families version of a Dutch classic...

 

Dutch Apple Tart

1 c. butter (or margarine)
2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 egg, beaten (saving a little to brush on top)
sliced apples
1/2 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. cinnamon

Combine butter, flour, sugar, and egg (remembering to save a little for the top), mix till it just starts to come together. Save 1/4 for the lattice and press the rest into the bottom of a 9" springform pan going 1" up the sides. Fill with sliced apples, topping with remaining ingredients. Roll out remaining dough and make a lattice for the top (Cut long thin slices and lay in lattice pattern). Brush with extra egg. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes, turn off oven and let cool in oven (the secret to a softer crust, thanks mom:)).

Caramel Chocolate Sheet Cake

The caramel layer on this traditional sheet cake makes this cake out-of-this-world! Makes a big batch for a big crowd.

 

Caramel Chocolate Sheet Cake

1 c. margarine
6 Tbsp. cocoa
1 c. hot water
2 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
2 eggs
1/2 c. sour cream

Boil together margarine, cocoa and water, remove from heat and put into mixing bowl. Add sugar, baking soda, salt, vanilla and flour, beat until smooth. Add eggs and sour cream. Spread into jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until done. Meanwhile prepare caramel sauce:

3/4 c. margarine
3/4 c. brown sugar
3 Tbsp. corn syrup
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Boil sauce ingredients for 2 minutes, watch carefully as it scorches easily.

Remove cake from oven, let sit for 5 minutes, poke holes in cake with meat fork about 1/2 inch apart. Spoon some of sauce over the cake, filling all the holes. Let remaining sauce cool till spreading consistency. Then spread remainder of sauce over cake.
When cake is no longer warm, whip:

1 1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

Spread over caramel layer and top with:

2-3 Skor bars, crumbled

Store in fridge until serving, enjoy:)

Chocolate Truffle Cake

Last week was Hubby's Birthday, and he LOVES chocolate! I've had this recipe for a few years and finally remembered to make it on his Birthday.  I wish I started making it earlier, it's nummy, chocolaty and rich but not overly so, it also takes a bit of extra work, but since I like to make Birthdays special, it is worth it once a year. Hope you enjoy;)

 

Chocolate Truffle Cake

2 1/2 c. milk
1 c. butter, cubed
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used chocolate chips)
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 2/3 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Filling:
6 Tbsp. butter, cubed
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3 c. icing sugar
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

Ganache:
10 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (once again, choc. chips)
2/3 c. heavy whipping cream

In large saucepan, cook milk, butter and chocolate over low heat until melted. Remove from heat; let stand for 10 minutes.
In large bowl, beat eggs and vanilla, stir in chocolate mixture until smooth. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into mixture. Transfer to 3 greased 9-inch round baking pans. Bake at 325 for 25-30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans, let cool completely on wire racks before icing.
For filling, in a saucepan, melt butter and chocolate. Stir in icing sugar and cream until smooth.
For ganache, place chocolate in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; whisk till smooth. Cool, stirring occasionally, until ganache is spreading consistency. (This took a really long time for me so next time I think I will make this step when I make the cakes and let it sit on the counter).
Set aside 1/2 cup filling for garnish. Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with half of the remaining filling. Repeat layers. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread ganache over top and sides of cake. Decorate with reserved filling. Store in fridge.

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

I'm loving all the delicious tastes of fall: apples, spices, pumpkin and hearty crockpot meals :) And yesterday I just couldn't wait any longer to try some pumpkin so I tried this Coffee Cake recipe I found online (a long time ago), and it is so good! Not too dry (like some coffee cakes), and the streusel has a nice crunch to it.

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. canned pumpkin (or homemade)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
pinch cloves

Cream butter and sugar, beat in eggs one at a time. Add pumpkin and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients and add to creamed mixtures. Spoon into greased 10-inch springform pan.

Streusel:
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 Tbsp. sugar
3 Tbsp. flour
3 Tbsp. rolled oats
3 Tbsp. slivered almonds
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3 Tbsp. butter

Combine dry ingredients, cut in butter until crumbly. Top cake with streusel, bake at 350 for 50 minutes. Cool 10 minutes and drizzle with glaze.

Glaze:
1/2 c. icing sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 Tbsp. hot water
Combine and glaze cake.

Lazy Daisy Cake

This is an oldie goldie, that you would probably find in your grandmothers cookbook, but we still love it at our house. If you omit the topping (which I think is the best part) you can use it as a shortcake.

Lazy Daisy Cake

2 large eggs
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. milk
1 Tbsp. margarine

Beat eggs till frothy, add sugar 2 Tbsp. at a time while beating, until thickened. Add vanilla and beat well. In a separate bowl combine flour baking soda and salt, stir into egg mixture. Heat milk and margarine in a saucepan (I also use the microwave, so not patient some days :) ) until margarine is melted. Add to flour mixture. Stir well. Pour into greased 9 x 9 pan and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Coconut Topping
3 Tbsp. margarine
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. milk
1/2 c. flaked coconut

Bring first 3 ingredients to a rolling boil (once again either in a saucepan or in the microwave), stirring occasionally. Add coconut and spread evenly over hot cake. Return to oven and bake about 3 more minutes until top is bubbly. Original recipe says to let cool on wire rake but we like it best warm.

Spiced Apple and Banana Bundt Cake

So we're going to trying this blogging thing out. I love to bake and cook and it always seems people are asking me for recipes. So I thought that as I made recipes I enjoy that I would snap a quick photo and post them here, and hopefully soon I'll have a little collection for people to choose from. Hope you enjoy, Stephanie

Here is a recipe I tried for the first time the other day, (yes, I have a huge collection of need to try recipes, that often sit there for years before I get to them :) ) Anyways it turned out pretty good, which was good because I served it all to company and I really like that it used up that last of my apples and some bananas that were well ripened.

Spiced Apple and Banana Bundt Cake
1/4c. melted butter (I used margarine)
1/4c. oil
5-6oz. yogurt or sour cream (small 3/4cup)
2 eggs
1c. sugar
1/4c. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1/2tsp. cinnamon
1/4tsp. ginger
1/4tsp. nutmeg
1/4tsp. cloves
1c. mashed banana
1c. shredded apples
2c. flour
1 1/2tsp. baking soda
1/2tsp. salt

Mix butter, oil, yogurt, eggs, sugar, vanilla and spices till smooth. Add bananas and apples till just combined. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt, then add to wet mixture till just combined. Pour into greased bundt pan and bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Allow to sit for 15 minutes before removing from pan to cool. When cool glaze with following Vanilla Caramel Glaze, mmm fall has arrived:)

Vanilla Caramel Glaze
1/4c. melted butter (or margarine)
1/3c. brown sugar
2Tbsp milk
1Tbsp vanilla
1 1/2 to 2 cups icing sugar

Rapidly boil butter and brown sugar for 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Allow to sit 1 minute before adding cream. Stir cream in vigorously, then whisk in vanilla. Add icing sugar 1/2 cup at a time till it reaches a still pourable but not run right off the cake consistency.