Strawberry Cake

Ingredients

2 cups white sugar 

1 (3 ounce) package strawberry flavored Jell-O® 

1 cup butter, softened 

4 eggs (room temperature) 

2 3/4 cups sifted cake flour 

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 

1 cup whole milk, room temperature 

1 tablespoon vanilla extract 

1/2 cup strawberry puree made from frozen sweetened strawberries

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and dry strawberry gelatin until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Combine the flour and baking powder; stir into the batter alternately with the milk. Blend in vanilla and strawberry puree. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven (DO NOT OVERCOOK!), or until a small knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool in their pans over a wire rack for at least 10 minutes, before tapping out to cool completely.

Also makes great cupcakes :D

Black Velvet Cake

Ingredients for the cake

Butter, for greasing the pans

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans

2 cups sugar

3/4 cups good cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk, shaken

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup freshly brewed hot Inka made extra strong (pero or postum)

Chocolate Buttercream, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9-inch x 2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the Inka and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

Chocolate Frosting:

9 ounces good semisweet chocolate

3/4 pound  unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons Inka

Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the Inka powder in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and Inka to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don't whip! Sprinkle in more Inka to taste. Spread immediately on the cooled cake.

Cinnamon Roll Cake

CAKE:

• 3 cups Flour
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup Sugar
• 4 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 1/2 cups Milk
• 2 Eggs
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla
• 1/2 cup ( 1 stick)  Butter, melted

TOPPING:

• 1 cup ( 2 sticks) Butter, softened
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Flour
• 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

GLAZE:

• 2 cups Powdered Sugar
• 5 Tablespoons Milk
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla

Directions:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 glass baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

In an electric or stand mixer add the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Once combined well , slowly stir in the melted butter. Pour into the prepared 9x13 baking pan.

For topping, In a large bowl mix the 2 sticks of butter, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon together until well combined and creamy. Drop evenly over the batter by the tablespoonfuls and use a knife to marble/swirl through the cake.

Bake at 350 for 28-32 minutes or when a toothpick inserted near the center comes out nearly clean.

FOR GLAZE:  In a medium bowl, mix the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla together with a whisk. Drizzle evenly over the warm cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.

recipe found here.

Cashew Cake

Beat for 2 minutes:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup hot milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a separate bowl, beat until soft peaks form:
7 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Fold beaten egg whites into batter.
Pour into a greased and floured 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes and then shake to remove cake from pan. (I usually put the cake on an inverted cookie sheet.) Cool completely. Frost on all sides and top of cake, drizzle and sprinkle. . .

Frosting:
1/4 cup butter
1 pound powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
5-6 Tablespoons milk

Melt together, and drizzle over frosted cake:
3 chocolate bars (the Hershey kind that you use for s'mores)
3 Tablespoons milk
1-1/2 Tablespoons butter

Sprinkle cashew halves and pieces over frosted, drizzled cake

Banana Cake

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Prepare yellow cake mix according to package directions.
Mash bananas with the baking soda and stir into the cake mix batter. Pour batter into one greased and floured 9x13 inch baking pan. Bake for 35 minutes. Let cake cool thoroughly and top with homemade pudding. Refrigerate.

Tres Leche Cake

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown 2007

prep time: 45min
inactive prep time: 8 hrs 0 min
cook time: 25 min
level: intermediate

serves: 1(13 by 9 inch) cake

Ingredients

For the cake:

Vegetable oil

• 6 3/4 onces cake flour, plus extra for pan
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
• 8 ounces sugar
• 5 whole eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Glaze

• 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1 (14ounce) can seetened condensed milk
• 1 cup half-and-half

For the Topping

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 8 ounces sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

For the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil and flour a 13 by 9 inch pan and set aside.

Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.

Place the butter into a bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium speed until fluffy, aproximately 1 minute. Decrease the speed to low and with the mixer still runnig, gradually add the sugar over 1 minute. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl, if necessary. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and mix to thoroughly combine. Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine. Add the flour mixture to the batter in 3 batches and mix just until combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. This will appear to be a very small amount of batter. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cake is lightly golden and reaches an internal temperature of 200 degrees F.

Remove the cake pan to a cooling rack and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Poke the top of the cake all over with a fork or skewer. Allow the cake to cool completely and then prepare the glaze.

For the Glaze:

Whisk together the evaporated milk, sweetened condense milk and the half-and-half in a 1 quart measuring cup/bowl. Once combined, and pour the glaze over the cake. Refrigerate the cake overnight.

Topping:

Place the heavy cream, sugar and vailla into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whisk together on low until stiff peaks are formed. Change to medium speed and whisk until thick. Spread the topping over the cake and allow to chill in the refridgerator until ready to serve. After serving return the cake to the refridgerator to keep the glaze from exiting the cake.