Chocolate Chip Date Cake

This cake has been a Dunn family favorite for many years. When I was little, I thought it was called "Chocolate Chip Date Cake" because it was something to eat when you went out on a date. As I got older, I realized that there are actually dates in the batter, and they are the secret to its moist consistency and good taste. It is a great chocolate cake that is delicious, and not super-sweet. I've added pictures to my recipe (a la "Pioneer Woman Cooks") because I had made this cake wrong for so many years, and then finally, after talking to my mom one day after another failed attempt, I realized what I was doing that was making it not quite as I remembered it growing up. So, forgive my feeble attempts to be creative or funny with my pictures, but I didn't want the same mistake to happen to anyone else! Ok, so let's get started!

The "cast of characters": sugar, flour, vanilla, chopped pecans, chopped dates (found by the raisins in the grocery store), chocolate chips, cocoa, eggs, butter, baking soda, and boiling water (not pictured.)

Start by taking 1 cup chopped dates and putting it in a bowl

then add 1 tsp. baking soda

and 1 cup boiling water

and let stand for 40 minutes. Go for a walk, go play with your kids, watch some "Oprah", whatever.

In the meantime, add 1 Tbsp. cocoa to 1 cup sugar.

Mix well.

Then cream the sugar/cocoa mixture with 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter. Don't even think about substituting it with something else, and heaven forbid, lower in fat.

Add 2 eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

Then add 1 & 3/4 cups flour, gradually.

Your batter should be pretty thick after you've added the flour.

Now, here comes the key part (and the thing I had been doing wrong for so long): Add the dates, with the liquid, to the batter. For so long I had been just adding the dates, sometimes straining it, and wondering why my cake was so dry and didn't ever taste like my mom's. The liquid and the plump dates make your cake so moist and good. Oh, and don't worry if you're not a big date fan; you can't even taste them in the cake, they just help with the consistency of the cake.
Now add 1 tsp. real vanilla

and 1/2 cup chocolate chips, and 1/2 cup chopped pecans to the batter. Mix gently.

Now grease and flour an oblong cake pan, this one is 13x9.


Spread the gooey yummy batter in the pan evenly.

Now add another 1/2 cup chocolate chips to the top,

and 1/2 cup chopped pecans to the top.

Bake at 325 for 30 minutes until a toothpick or knife comes out clean.

Let cool and cut into pieces and serve. This cake is really good warm with some vanilla ice cream, and needs no icing! Enjoy!

oatmeal cake

this is my favorite cake in the world. and this recipe is mainly for me because i didnt bring my "cookbook" out to illinios with me... i hope you all enjoy it. honestly i cant think of anything better....

i like it warm, and i ice it while warm too...

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups boiling water
• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 
  TOPPING:
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

• In a bowl, pour boiling water over oats; let stand for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with the oat mixture until combined.
• Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
• Meanwhile, in a saucepan, bring the brown sugar, butter and milk to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat; stir in coconut, nuts and vanilla. Pour over warm cake. Cool completely. Yield: 12-16 servings.

Amazing Coconut Refrigerator Cake

This is for a couple of friends who requested the recipe. We made it for Easter dinner this year and joked that it was a "true" Easter cake because it's best if you leave it in the fridge up to 3 days. But the longer the better!

Cake:
1 package white cake mix
1 1/3 cups water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 large eggs

Coconut frosting:
2 cups sugar
2 cups sour cream (16-oz. container)
3 1/2 cups grated coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease and flour two 9-in. round cake pans. Place the cake mix, water, oil and eggs in mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low for 1 minute; stop and scrape the bowl and then mix on medium speed 2 minutes more. The batter should look well-blended. Divide the batter between the two pans. Bake the cakes until they are golden brown, about 27 to 29 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the frosting by combining the sugar, sour cream and coconut in a bowl, and let the mixture rest in the refrigerator until the sugar dissolves, about 1 hour. Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool 10 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges and invert onto a rack and let cool another 30 minutes. When the cake is cooled, carefully slice the cake layers in half horizontally using a long serrated bread knife or a long piece of unflavored dental floss. You will have four layers. Assemble the cake by spreading some frosting on the bottom half, topping with another half, and so on until the four layers are assembled. Frost the top and sides with remaining frosting. Chill the cake, uncovered, until the frosting is firm, about 1 hour.

You can store the cake, covered with wax paper in the fridge for up to one week. The whole eggs in the batter and the sour cream frosting soaks down into the cake, making it improve as the cake chills. The coconut flavor also increases daily.

Mississippi Mud Cake

This is one of my favorite cakes. It is not for the faint of heart. It is a gooey, sweet, sticky mess but you will lick it up and beg for more. And please, share it. With all the butter and sugar in it your thighs will thank you. Here it is:

1 package (18.25 ounces) plain devil's food cake mix
8 Tbsp. (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (if you don't have buttermilk, just add 3 tsp. white vinegar to 1 1/2 cups milk)
2 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 jar (7 ounces) marshmellow creme or 1 1/2 cups mini marshmellows
Chocolate Pan Frosting (recipe below)
1 cup chopped toasted pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly mist a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with vegetable oil spray. Set aside.
2. Place the cake mix, melted butter, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and blend on low speed for 1 minute. Stop and scrape down pan. Then blend on medium about 2 minutes more until the batter is blended and light and fluffy. Pour it into prepared pan.
3. Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger, about 40 to 42 min. Remove the pan from oven and place on wire rack to cool. Spread the warm cake with the marshellow creme or mini marshmellows.
4. Prepare the chocolate pan frosting.
5. Pour the hot frosting on top of the marshellow creme and spread it out with a spatula so the frosting reaches the edges of the cake. Scatter the top with toasted pecans. Cool the cake for 20 minutes before serving.
Note: To toast pecans, preheat oven to about 325. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet in an even layer, and place in oven for about 5 minutes or so, just until you can smell them and they're not burnt.
This cake can also be stored, covered at room temp. for up to 1 week. Or freeze it, wrapped in foil, for up to 6 months. Thaw the cake on the counter overnight before serving.

Chocolate Pan Frosting:
8 Tbsp. (1 stick) butter
4 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup whole milk
4 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
1. Place the butter in a medium saucepan and melt over low heat, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in cocoa powder and milk. Let the mixture come just to a boil, stirring, and then remove the pan from the heat. Stir in confectioner's sugar until the frosting is thickened and smooth.
2. Pour the warm frosting over the top of a cooled cake of your choice, spreading it with a spatula so that it reaches all the sides of the cake. Work quickly because this frosting goes on best while still warm.

PUMPKIN CAKE

PUMPKIN CAKE *(THIS IS YUMMY)
29 OZ. CAN LIBBY BRAND PUMPKIN
4 EGGS
1 CUP OIL
1 2/3 CUP SUGAR MIX TOGETHER
SIFT IN
2 CUPS FLOUR
1 TEAS. BAKING SODA
T TEAS. SALT
2 TEAS. CINNIMIN
2 TEAS BAKING POWDER
MIX WELL POUR INTO BUTTERED SHEET CAKE PAN FOR 30 MINUTES ON 350’

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
8 OZ. Soft Cream Cheese
1 Cube Butter
1 lb. powdered sugar
2 teas. Vanilla
mix well and spread

AUNT COLLEEN'S MARSHMELLOW CAKE

AUNT COLLEEN’S MARSHMELLOW CAKE
2 CUBES MARGERINE
2 CUPS SUGAR
2 CUPS FLOUR
1 TEAS. BAKING POWDER
4 EGGS BEATEN
2 TEAS VANILLA
1/2 TEAS SALT
1 CUP NUTS
1 LARGE BOTTLE OF MARSHMELLOW CREME
MIX TOGETHER BAKE AT 350’ FOR 25 TO 30 MIN.
TAKE CAKE OUT OF THE OVEN AND SPREAD THE MARSHMELLOW CREME ON THE CAKE. AFTER THIS COOLS THEN ADD THE CHOCOLATE FROSTING.

CHOCOLATE FROSTING
1 CUP MARGERINE
2 1/2 TEAS. COCOA (MELT TOGETHER)
5 TBSP. MILK
ADD POWDERED SUGAR

Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

I got this fabulous recipe out of "Cooking Light." Originally it is for a banana layer cake, but I decided to make cupcakes because I think they're easier, and also, I love the portion control. Plus, they're a lot easier to share and little kids love them! So I will give you the original recipe, but also add that when I made these, I cooked them for about 10-11 minutes (depending on your oven) and I used canned cream cheese frosting, not homemade.

Also, a few tips: if you don't have buttermilk on hand (which I never do) you can fill your measuring cup with normal milk a little less than the 1/2 cup line, and then pour a couple of tsp. or so of vinegar in it til it reaches the 1/2 cup measurement. This will curdle it and voila! Buttermilk. Also, I toast my nuts on a baking sheet in an oven set to about 300-325; toast until brown and you can smell them. To easily toast coconut, spread the coconut on a microwave-safe plate in an even layer, and microwave on high 30 sec. Stop and stir it, then microwave again another 30 seconds. Keep stirring and doing this until your coconut is brown and crunchy, but not burnt.

Cake:
Cooking spray
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1 & 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 & 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
1 cup mashed ripe banana
1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk

Frosting:
2/3 cup (about 5 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar

Remaining ingredients:
2 tbsp. finely chopped pecans, toasted
2 tbsp. flaked sweet coconut, toasted

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. To prepare cake, coat 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray, line the bottoms with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray.
3. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Place granulated sugar, oil, 1 & 1/4 tsp. vanilla, egg whites, and egg in large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until blended. Add banana; beat well. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
4. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on wire racks; remove from pans. Peel off wax paper; cool completely on wire racks.
5. To prepare frosting: place cream cheese, and 1 tsp. vanilla in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy. Add powdered sugar; beat at low speed until smooth.
6. Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with 1/2 cup icing, and top with other cake layer. Spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle pecans and coconut over top layer of cake. Store cake loosely in refrigerator. Yield: 16 servings.

Old Fashioned Gingerbread Cake

For Enrichment tonight, I signed up to bring some gingerbread cake. I didn't have a recipe, so I just looked this one up online. And it was pretty good so I thought I'd share! I like it because it's moist and not too sweet, and everyone should already have the ingredients ready to whip up in their pantry (no shopping required.) I sprinkled some powdered sugar on the top, and voila! Nothing says Christmas like Gingerbread.

1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1 cup molasses
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup hot water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch square pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the egg and mix in the molasses.
3. In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Blend into the creamed mixture and add the hot water. Pour into prepared pan.
4. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan before serving.

Poppyseed Cake

1 yellow cake mix Glaze:
1 small vanilla pudding (instant) 1/2 c. buttermilk
4 eggs 1/2 c. butter
1/2 teas. vanilla 1 c. Sugar
1/2 teas. almond extract 1 teas baking soda
1 c. sour cream 1 teas. corn syrup
1/2 c. butter crisco Boil until mixture is clear, stirring frequently.
1/2 c. water
3 teas. poppyseeds

Glaze:
1/2 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 teas. corn syrup
1/2 teas. baking soda
let boil until clear.

Pour cake batter into a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool. poke with the end of a match stick all over, then top with as much glaze as you would like.

The best icing ever

I'll admit it; I usually buy my birthday cakes. There's a locally owned supermarket here called Graul's which has a fantastic bakery, and I happily plunk down $30 or more for one of their creations. Why, you ask? I just haven't found any other recipe or bakery who makes the kind of icing I like. I am not a fan of the buttercreamy stuff that tastes like crisco half the time. I like the kind that is so sugary sweet that it is a little crunchy when left out in the open air for a little bit. Well, I was planning on continuing to buy my cakes, when I took a cake decorating class at an Enrichment night from my friend Summer. Summer is a cake decorating extraordinaire. Case in point:
This is a cake she did for a baby shower, and in fact, when I had Camille, she made an awesome cake for my baby shower too. Anyway, that night she had us bring a batch of icing using her recipe. And after tasting it and decorating with it, I was hooked. Now I am excited to start making my own birthday cakes!

This is us at the Enrichment night.

This is me during my conversion to homemade cake decorating and wonderful icing.
And here's the recipe for the icing. Enjoy!
1/2 cup regular shortening
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract (Summer suggested buying the Wilton clear vanilla if you want to make a super-white frosting, you can find it at Michael's)
4 cups sifted powdered sugar

2 Tbsp. milk

Cream the butter and shortening. Add the vanilla. Gradually add the sugar, a little at a time, and beat well. As the icing starts to stiffen, you can add milk to it (if you need to add just a little more to be able to continue beating it, that's ok.) Color if desired. Seal and store in fridge until ready to use.