Pound Cake / Homemade Self-Rising Flour / Truvy’s Cuppa Cuppa Cuppa Cake, Regular and Reduced Sugar / Anna Sultana’s Peach Cake with Coconut Frosting / Dump Cake / Orange Marmalade Cake

 

Last Christmas I posted the recipe for Ma’s Pound Cake, and got a request for a pound cake recipe that uses self-rising flour.
Many moons ago I found such a recipe, along with the recipe for self-rising flour, and just like Ma, I made my own tweaks to the recipe.
Self-rising flour is not hard to make, and, if you don’t use it regularly, it’s much cheaper to make your own.

In the movie Steel Magnolias Dolly Parton played a hairdresser named Truvy.
She’s asked about one of her recipes, Cuppa Cuppa Cuppa Cake.
Truvy says, You don't need a recipe.  It's just a cuppa flour, a cuppa sugar, a cuppa fruit cocktail with the juice. Stir and bake in a hot oven until golden brown and bubbly.
Well, apologies to Truvy, but I found that self-rising flour, a cup of milk and a dash of salt added to the recipe, so I added them.
Suit yourself.


Back to the economy…
The holiday bills have been coming in and the food prices have been rising.
Now’s the time to rummage around in the kitchen and use those odd little things that were on sale or seemed like a good idea at the time.
You know - things like cake mixes, pie filling, marmalade, canned fruit, shredded coconut, heavy cream and cake flour.
These recipes will make use of them.
And they’re good and easy, too.


Hints:

About the Pound Cake…
To store, tightly wrap the cake in one layer of foil or two layers of plastic wrap, or place it in a heavy-duty freezer bag. It can be frozen up to one month.
When ready to serve remove it from the freezer and let thaw, wrapped, at room temperature overnight. Once thawed, remove the wrap and serve.

About the Peach Cake with Coconut Frosting… 
The liquid drained from the canned peaches can be added to fruit juices, such as apple and orange, refrigerated, and drunk.

The cake is best stored in the refrigerator.


About the Cuppa Cuppa Cuppa Cake…     
Serve with unsweetened whipped cream to cut the sweetness.
The cake itself is almost too sweet on its own. Ice cream would be sweetness overload.

Any reduced/no sugar added canned fruit can be used in the Reduced Sugar recipe: peaches, blackberries, etc.


About the Dump Cake… 
Chocolate cake mix does not work as well as Devil’s Food.
You can split the batter between two 8x8 pans and it will be baked in 30 minutes.

For a little extra something, you could chop 8 ounces cream cheese.
After pouring the batter into the baking pan randomly poke the cream cheese pieces deeply into the batter.
It will take an extra 15 minutes to bake.

Some cake / filling blends to try:
White cake mix with Peach filling
White cake mix with Raspberry filling

Devil’s Food cake mix and Cherry filling   
Devil’s Food cake mix and Raspberry filling

Yellow cake mix and Cherry filling      
Yellow cake mix with Blueberry filling (add 1 teaspoon lemon extract)
Yellow cake mix and Peach pie filling
Yellow cake mix and Apple filling
Yellow cake mix and Blackberry filling

Strawberry cake mix and Blueberry filling
Strawberry cake mix and Strawberry filling

Vanilla cake mix and Pineapple filling
Vanilla cake mix and Apple filling
Vanilla cake mix and Peach filling

Pineapple cake mix with Blueberry filling
Butter pecan cake mix and Apple filling
Spice cake mix and Apple filling (top with cinnamon sugar)

Lemon cake mix and Blueberry filling
Lemon cake mix and dry Key Lime filling mix (add 1/2 Cup buttermilk)

About the Orange Marmalade Cake… 
Instead of making a circle of marmalade on the inner part of the top before adding the frosting you could frost the entire cake top, then add the remaining marmalade as a garnish on top.                 


                       Pound Cake

Grease and flour 3  9x5 inch loaf pans or 1 large bundt pan

Sift together in a medium bowl
2 1/2 Cups flour
1/2 Cup self-rising flour
Set aside.

Place in a large mixer bowl
1/2 Cup unsalted butter, softened
1 Cup oil
2 1/2 Cups sugar
Beat until light and fluffy, about 6 to 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 300º F

Add one at a time, making sure each is fully mixed in before adding another
5 large eggs
Reduce speed of mixer to low and, making 3 dry and 2 liquid additions, add flour mixture alternately with
1 Cup milk
Combine well but do not over mix.
Stir in
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract

Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s).
Place in the preheated oven.
Bake in loaf pans for 30 minutes or in bundt pan for 1 1/2 hours.
A toothpick inserted into the centre should come out clean.
Remove from oven and place on a wire rack.
Allow to cool in the pan(s) for about 10 - 15 minutes.
Turn the cake(s) out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

                       Homemade Self-Rising Flour

Makes 1/2 Cup

Place in a small bowl
1/2 Cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
Whisk to combine and use as is for each half cup of self-rising flour in the recipe.


                       Truvy’s Cuppa Cuppa Cuppa Cake


Preheat oven to 350º F

Place in an 8 x 8 inch pan
1 Cup butter
Place in oven and let the butter melt in the pan.

While the butter is melting place in a medium bowl
1 Cup self-rising flour
1 Cup sugar
1 Cup fruit cocktail with juice (or any fruit you want to use)
1 Cup milk (optional) 
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
Stir together.
When butter is melted, remove pan from oven and pour fruit / flour mixture into the pan.
Bake for 45 minutes.
Cool and serve with unsweetened whipped cream.


                       Cuppa Cuppa Cuppa Cake Reduced Sugar

Preheat oven to 350º F

Place in an 8 x 8 inch pan
1/4 Cup butter
Place in oven and let the butter melt in the oven.

While the butter is melting place in a medium bowl
1 Cup self-rising flour 

1 Cup Splenda 

14 1/2 ounce can no sugar added fruit cocktail with juice
1 Cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
Stir together.
When butter is melted, remove pan from oven and pour fruit / flour mixture into the pan.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
Cool and serve.


                       Anna Sultana’s Peach Cake with Coconut Frosting

Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan
Preheat oven to 350º F

Reserving liquid (see hints), place in a large bowl
1 large can peaches (sliced or halved)
Mash well and add
2 Cups flour
2 Cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
Mix well, pour into prepared pan and spread evenly.
Bake 35 - 40 minutes.
Remove from oven and place on a wire rack.
Allow to cool for about 15 minutes.

Coconut Frosting

Place in a medium pot
3/4 Cup sugar
9 ounces evaporated milk
1/2 Cup butter or margarine
1 Cup coconut, shredded
Place over medium heat, bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens.
Remove from heat and stir in
1 Cup nuts, such as chopped walnuts
Spread over cake.


                       Dump Cake

Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan

Preheat oven to 350º F

Place in a large bowl
3 large eggs
Beat well and add
1 box cake mix, any flavour (see hints)
1 can pie filling, any flavour (see hints)
Stir together until well mixed.
Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for 45 minutes and test with a toothpick for doneness.
Serve warm or allow to cool.

 

Orange Marmalade Cake

Grease 2 round 9" cake pans
Chill a medium mixer bowl and beaters

Sift together into a medium bowl
3 Cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Set aside.

Place in a large mixer bowl
1 Cup butter, softened
Beat until smooth.
Add, 1/2 Cup at a time
2 Cups sugar
Beat until light and fluffy.

Preheat oven to 325º F

Add one at a time, making sure each is fully mixed in before adding another
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon orange extract
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Reduce speed of mixer to low and, making 3 dry and 2 liquid additions, add flour mixture alternately with
1 Cup buttermilk, room temperature
Combine well but do not over mix.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans and tap to remove air bubbles.
Place pans in the preheated oven.
Bake for 35 - 40 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the centre should come out clean.
Remove from oven and place on a wire rack.
Allow to cool in the pans for 20 minutes.
Turn the layers out, placing the first layer upside down on a cake platter, and the second, right side up, on a plate.

For the orange syrup place in a small pot
1 Cup orange juice
1/4 Cup sugar
Stir together over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.
Using a toothpick, poke holes in each layer, then spoon syrup over each layer allowing it to be completely absorbed before adding more.
Cool completely.

For the filling place in a small pot
12 ounces orange marmalade
Heat until just melted, then let cool 5 minutes.
Spread 2/3 of marmalade over the first layer. Smooth to make an even layer.
Place the second layer, right side up, over the top of the marmalade.
Spread the remaining marmalade on the cake, leaving a 1 1/4 " border around the top.

For the frosting place in the chilled medium mixer bowl
3/4 Cup heavy cream, chilled
3 Tablespoons sugar
Beat until the cream forms stiff peaks.
Gradually fold in
3/4 Cup sour cream, chilled (regular, fat free or low fat)
Stir until the mixture is of a spreading consistency.
Spread on sides and rim of top of cake.
Chill for at least 2 hours - 24 hours is better - before serving.

Anna Sultana’s Sour Cream Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Glaze

The weather here hasn’t been at all Spring-like.

We’ve had hail and snow during the past week.

Well, Spring weather or not, Mother’s Day is coming this Sunday.

This cake always reminds me of my parents.

Ma and I made it when they came up for a visit.

Pop would sit and supervise us as we spread the chocolate filling. 

Every so often he’d say something like 

Do you use that to lay bricks? or 

Can you do stucco work, too?

Ma would give him THE LOOK and he’d wander off until it was time to eat.

As all good things are this cake that is a bit of a project.

You can spread out the work load - bake the cake layers the day or two before.

The layers also freeze well, if you want to lighten the work load this weekend.

Happy Mother's Day!!

Hints:

If you are using all purpose flour in this recipe remove two tablespoons from each cup of flour and 1 1/2 teaspoons from the 1/4 cup.

About the chocolate…

When we made this recipe back in the 90s, a square of baking chocolate was 1 ounce.

For some reason a chocolate company - who couldn’t possible have a baker on staff - has decided to repackage their product so that 4 itty bitty rectangles equal 1 ounce.

I don’t know how your chocolate is packaged, so I’m giving weights.

Use the same bowl for the three meltings without washing after the first two uses.

Just pick a bowl that's large enough for the 4 ounces and coffee.

About the sour cream… use any fat content you prefer.

If you don’t want to use all three layers at one time you can freeze a layer to serve some other time.

About the filling…

If it looks too thick, add a little more cream.

If it’s too thin, add a little more icing sugar.

Don’t have 2 Tablespoons strong coffee? No problem.

Put 2 Tablespoons of water and instant coffee (either regular or decaf) in the bowl. 

Just before serving you can top the cake with raspberries or sliced strawberries if you’re feeding the gang and it will all be eaten at one seating.

If this isn’t going to happen the berries could end up looking a bit sad.

Not to worry. here are other topping ideas: shaved chocolate or chocolate chips, whole or chopped nuts, unwrapped chocolate bonbons, maraschino cherries, cookies, frosting mounds, peaks or flowers… 

Have fun with it. 

Another good cake for special events is

Anna Sultana’s Mocha Cake and Mocha Fudge Frosting

                        Chocolate Cake

Place the rack in the centre of the oven.

grease 3 8 inch round pans

      

Preheat oven to 350º F          

Sift together into a medium bowl

2 1/4 Cups cake & pastry flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Place in a large mixer bowl

1/2 Cup butter, softened

2 1/4 Cups lightly packed brown sugar

3 large eggs

Cream on medium speed of electric mixer for 5 minutes.

While the butter is being creamed, place in a microwaveable bowl 

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate

Melt in microwave.

After the butter mixture has been beaten for 5 minutes, beat in

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

the melted chocolate

While you’re adding the dry ingredients and sour cream, heat to boiling

1 Cup water

Add the dry ingredients alternately with

1 Cup sour cream

Mix lightly until smooth.

Stir in the boiling water. The batter will be thin. Don’t worry. It’s okay.

Pour the batter into the greased pans.

Bake until the cake layers are done, about 35 minutes.

A toothpick inserted in the centre of each should come out clean.

Yes, test each one. Trust me.

Let the 3 cake layers cool in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes.

Remove the cakes from the pans and place the layers on the racks.

Let them cool completely.

                        Chocolate Filling 

Place in a microwaveable bowl  

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate

Melt in microwave.

Place in a large mixer bowl

1/2 Cup butter, softened

1/3 Cup light cream

the melted unsweetened chocolate

Beat until creamy.

Gradually add in

3 to 3 1/2 Cups sifted icing sugar

Beat until light and fluffy.

Cut 2-inch-wide strips of wax paper.

Place a layer upside down on a serving plate.

Arrange the wax paper under the cake to protect the plate.

Spread some filling over the layer with a spatula.

Place the second layer on top and spread some filling over it.

Place the third layer on top. Do not cover it with the filling.

Smooth the remaining filling over the sides.

Chill 30 minutes.

Remove the wax paper strips.

                        Chocolate Glaze

Place in a microwaveable bowl

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate

2 Tablespoons strong coffee

Heat in a microwave until the chocolate is melted.

Remove from microwave.

Add 

3 Tablespoons butter, softened  

Stir until smooth.

Spread the glaze over the top layer and let it drizzle down the sides.

Anna Sultana’s German Chocolate Cake and April’s Full Pink Moon

It’s been a while since I posted a chocolate cake recipe.

I think the last one was about a year ago... 

the recipe for Ma’s Mocha Cake.

The most popular chocolate cake recipe I've ever posted - it’s received over 2,000 visits - was Carmela Soprano’s Baci Cake.

Baci Cake does take quite a bit of work...

but then, don’t most delicious recipes?

Well, it’s definitely time for me to post another chocolate cake recipe. 

And with Easter coming, why not go for a special one.

German Chocolate Cake is like Baci Cake in that it takes a bit of work, and is delicious.

Mrs. Kekelia had given me a slice when I was four years old.

Well, I told Ma about it, Ma asked Mrs. Kekelia for the recipe, Mrs. Kekelia kindly gave her a recipe, and Ma made her usual tweaks.

Don’t ask me which version I found most delicious.

I don’t have Mrs. Kekelia’s recipe, but luckily I have Ma’s recipe.

And now, so do you.

Hints:

To make soured milk place 2 teaspoons vinegar in a measuring cup and add enough milk to make 3/4 Cup soured milk.

                        German Chocolate Cake

For the Cake:

grease and flour 2 8x2 inch round pans

tap out excess flour   

Line bottom of pans with waxed paper.      

Sift together

1 3/4 Cups cake and pastry flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt 

Put in a heatproof bowl

4 ounces sweet chocolate, chopped

1/3 Cup water 

Microwave until chocolate is almost melted (about a minute).

Stir until chocolate is completely melted. 

Remove from heat and let cool.

In a mixer bowl, beat at medium speed until foamy

3 large egg whites

Increase the speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form when the beaters are lifted.

Place in a large mixer bowl

3/4 Cup butter, cut into small pieces

1 1/2 Cups sugar

Cream until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add, one at a time

3 large egg yolks

Beating after each addition.

Blend in 

3/4 teaspoon vanilla 

the melted chocolate

Preheat oven to 350º           

Making 3 dry and two liquid additions, alternately add 

the flour mixture 

3/4 Cup soured milk

Blending at low speed.

Blend at medium speed for 1 minute.

With a spatula gently fold about a quarter of the egg whites into the mixture.

Repeat 3 times.

Spread batter in prepared pans.

Bake 40 - 50 minutes, until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean.

Remove from oven. Immediately run small spatula around the cakes. 

Let the cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

Remove the cakes from the pans and let them cool completely.

For the Frosting:

Chop

pecans to make 2/3 Cup

In a saucepan combine 

2/3 Cup sugar

2/3 Cup evaporated milk

1/3 cup butter

2 large egg yolks

3/4 teaspoon vanilla 

Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes, stirring, until mixture comes to a full boil.

Stirring constantly, cook about 2 more minutes, until mixture is a caramel colour.

Stir in 

1 Cup flaked coconut

2/3 Cup chopped pecans 

Cool.

Place an upside down layer on a serving platter.

spread half of frosting over the layer.

Top with second layer and cover with the remaining frosting.

Would you like recipes for German bread, cookies or kuchen?

Here are a few of my old favourites, compliments of Mrs. Kekelia:

Mrs. Kekelia's German Rye Bread

Mrs. Kekelia's Stollen, German Christmas Bread

Mrs. Kekelia's Zimtsterne, German Christmas Cookie

Mrs. Kekelia's Pfeffernuesse, German Christmas Cookie

Mrs. Kekelia's Anise Springerle, German Christmas Cookie

Apple Kuchen

About the sky this week and next, thanks to the folks at The Farmers' Almanac…

April 2 - Look toward the west after nightfall to see the waxing crescent Moon (40% illuminated) inside the Winter Circle asterism. This formation of stars looks more like a hexagon than a circle, and is made up of seven colorful stars:  Sirius (white), Rigel (blue), Aldebaran (orange), Capella (yellow), Castor (white) & Pollux (orange), and Procyon (yellowish-white).

April 6 - Look to the southeast and dusk to see the Moon less than 2 degrees from the star Regulus. Regulus is the brightest star in the constellation Leo the Lion.

April 7 - Jupiter is at opposition, meaning opposite the Sun. It will rise in the east near sunset and will remain in the sky all night long. Around this time it is closest to Earth for the year.

April 11 - April’s Full Pink Moon will be astronomically full at 2:08 a.m. This is the first full Moon of the spring season.   

               A full Moon in April brings frost. If the full Moon rises pale, expect rain.

Anna Sultana’s Mocha Cake and Mocha Fudge Frosting

I’m watching Julie & Julia on television.

It just started.

Julie has had a rough day at work.

She’s home and is making a chocolate cream pie.

That chocolate pie lead to her blogging, sort of.

Ah…  chocolate…

Chocolate has had its place in my writing career, too, sort of.

When Sophie and I wanted to start our radio show in 2007 we had to come up with a name.

It was supposed to be short, catchy, something to tell the listeners who we were.

We went home and wrote lists of what we thought were perfectly good titles.

Robin Eriksson, the Program Director at CKUW, wasn’t impressed by our ideas.

She suggested we name our show Better Than Chocolate.

Since we were totally out of ideas - and we knew she had final say on the show’s name - we agreed to accept her suggestion.

Now we’re talking two senior citizens.

I was 57 and Sophie was 75 years old.

Neither of us had heard of, let alone seen, the movie Better Than Chocolate.

It was a 1999 Canadian romantic comedy movie shot in Vancouver and directed by Anne Wheeler. 

Just so you know, it is one of Canada's highest grossing films of all time, really, according to the Cannes Film Festival Website.

Yeah, well, there were Canadian beavers in it, all right, but just not the type of beavers two old ladies would go to the movies to see.

Wonder how many of our listeners were equally surprised when they tuned in to us.

In 2009 that radio show became my blog Winnipeg is Better Than Chocolate.

Which I started after seeing the movie Julie & Julia.

The circle of life... Julia... Julie... me.

Oh, well…  Back to chocolate…

Chocolate’s health benefits have been in the news lately.

Last year the Huffington Post had an article about that, too:

10 Ways Giving In To That Chocolate Craving Can Benefit Your Health

So, yes, there's proof, chocolate is good for you.

But a square of chocolate doesn’t quite seem like enough for a dinner dessert.

Especially if it’s been a Sunday dinner type of dinner.

That does seem to call for Julie’s chocolate cream pie.

Or Ma’s Mocha Cake with Mocha Fudge Frosting.

Hints:

If you are using all purpose flour in this recipe remove two tablespoons from each cup of all purpose flour.

If you are using cake & pastry flour in a recipe that calls for all purpose flour add two tablespoons to each cup of cake and pastry flour.

The frosting instructions are for the sheet cake.

If you are making two layers:

Cut 2-inch-wide strips of wax paper.

Place the cake upside down on a serving plate.

Arrange the wax paper under the cake to protect the plate.

Spread the frosting over the cake with a spatula.

Smooth the frosting over the top and sides.

Place the second layer on top and cover with frosting.

Let the cake set at least an hour before serving.

                        Mocha Cake

Place the rack in the centre of the oven.

grease a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan or 2 8 inch round pans

      

Preheat oven to 350º           

Sift together into a large mixer bowl

2 Cups cake & pastry flour

2 Cups sugar

3/4 Cup cocoa

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Add

2 large eggs

1/2 Cup oil

1 Cup strong black coffee

1 Cup buttermilk

Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.

The batter will be thin.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan or pans.

Smooth the surface with a spatula.

Bake until the cake is done, 35-45 minutes (30-35 minutes for round pans).

A toothpick should come out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

Invert the cake onto the rack and let it cool completely.

                        Mocha Fudge Frosting

Chop

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate

Place in a medium saucepan

1/2 Cup heavy cream

1/4 Cup butter

2 Tablespoons light corn syrup

1 teaspoon instant coffee powder

Heat until simmering.

Remove the pan from the heat and add

chopped bittersweet chocolate

Stir until smooth.

Chill, stirring occasionally, until the frosting is thick enough to spread.

Cut 2-inch-wide strips of wax paper.

Place the cake upside down on a serving platter or board.

Arrange the wax paper under the cake to protect the platter.

Spread the frosting over the cake with a spatula.

Smooth the frosting over the top and sides.

Let the cake set at least an hour before serving.

Loretta Lynn’s Chocolate Mocha Cake (Her 1980s Crisco Ad)

A few years ago I got a few e mails asking if I had the recipe for the Co-Op Refrigerator Cheesecake that appeared on the Co-Op milk cartons during the 1960s.

No surprise that the company had a great recipe that used their product.

Duh… would they have a crappy recipe?

Just got another e mail asking about Loretta Lynn’s cake.

Back in the 1980s Loretta Lynn had been featured in a Crisco ad.

The Coal Miner's Daughter was quoted saying:

Crisco’s the recipe for cakes this light, frosting this creamy…

I’ve told folks that I wouldn’t bake without my Crisco.  ‘Cause Crisco’s what I trust to make my cakes rise up this high and light, my frosting to turn out this creamy… But don’t you go using anything but Crisco if you want it to taste like mine.

Crisco’ll do you proud everytime.

Well, alrighty then.

Who’s going to argue with Loretty?

Luckily I still have a few old magazines.

And, in quite a few, there was the smiling face of The First Lady of Country Music and her recipe.

Hint:

The recipe in the ad is called Chocolate Mocha Cake.

To be honest, it’s a white cake with a Chocolate Mocha Frosting.

But Chocolate Mocha Cake is what Loretta called it.

So, so will I.

This recipe calls for cake flour.

Don’t have cake flour?  No problem.  

I included a recipe for Homemade Cake Flour Substitute in the Anna Sultana’s Crumb Cake post a few days ago.

Coincidence or what?

Maybe this was a salute to Loretta’s simpler life…

The recipe said:

Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes, or beat vigorously by hand for 300 strokes.

Doesn’t that just sound like it was written by The Coal Miner's Daughter?

I just wrote about the mixer.

I mean, this is the twenty-first century.

                        Loretta Lynn’s Chocolate Mocha Cake

Preheat oven to 350º

Grease and flour 2  9 inch round pans

In a large mixer bowl place

2 1/2 Cups sifted cake flour 

1 2/3 Cups sugar

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Stir in 

3/4 Cup milk

2/3 Cup Crisco

Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.

Add

3 large eggs

1/2 Cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.

Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until cake tests done.

Cool 15 minutes; remove cakes from pans.

Let cool completely.

Fill and frost with Chocolate Mocha Frosting.

Chocolate Mocha Frosting

Dissolve

1 Tablespoon instant coffee

in

1/2 Cup hot water

Set aside.

In a medium mixer bowl cream

3/4 Cup Crisco

1 Tablespoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 Cup unsweetened cocoa

Add 

4 1/2 Cups sifted icing sugar

Alternately with the prepared coffee.

Make 3 dry and 2 liquid additions.

Beat well until smooth.

Spread over the cake layers and sides.

Another sentimental favourite is Eaton’s original Red Velvet Cake.

Memories….

Anna Sultana’s 'Entenmann’s Crumb Cake / Homemade Cake Flour Substitute

Ahhh….  Entenmann’s!

Anyone who grew up in New York knows about Entenmann’s.

Entenmann’s has been a part of New York's life for over 100 years.

They perfected their marketing when they invented the "see-through" cake box.

We saw it while Ma was picking up her basics.

After enough begging, Ma surrendered and bought a cake.

We enjoyed it.

Even Ma enjoyed it.

But not enough to make a habit of buying a store bought cake every week.

If you’ve never had an Entenmann’s cake, despair not.

Ma asked around and got a recipe from another mom, who also wasn’t going to admit defeat by buying a store bought cake every week.

Moms, in those days, had their pride, and their ways.

I just heard that Entenmann’s has stopped baking in Bay Shore.

What next?  Will the Pope leave Rome?

Hints:

If you don’t have cake flour, DO NOT substitute regular flour.

It just won’t work.

You can make a substitute, but it’s going to take a little effort…

Homemade Cake Flour Substitute

Measure out 

10 Cups all-purpose flour  

Remove 1 1/3 Cup flour and put it back in your canister. 

Replace the removed flour with 1 1/3 Cup cornstarch.

Sift flour 5 times.  Yes… 5 times.  

Sifting will help combine the mixture and lighten and aerate the flour.

Use the amount called for in the recipe and store the rest.

If you don’t have buttermilk, substitute an equal amount of plain, low-fat yogurt.

This recipe was developed when no one had ever heard of cholesterol.

If you’d like to make it a bit healthier, substitute for the cup of butter in the topping:

1/2 Cup margarine 

3 ounces oil

About the 2 eggs and 2 yolks… you can substitute 3 large eggs.

Every little bit helps.

                        Crumb Cake

Crumb Topping

In a small bowl mix together 

2/3 Cup sugar
2/3 Cup dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Cup unsalted butter, melted and still warm

Add

3 1/2 Cups cake flour 

Stir until the mixture is a solid dough.

Set aside to cool.

Cake

Place the oven rack in the upper-middle position.

Preheat oven to 325º

Grease 2 8-inch square baking pans

In a large mixer bowl place

2 1/2 Cups cake flour
1 Cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Beat at low speed just to combine.

Add one piece at a time

3/4 Cup unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces, softened 

Beat until the mixture looks like crumbs.

There should not be any butter chunks visible.

Add

2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla
2/3 Cup buttermilk

Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.

Spread the cake batter in the prepared pans.

Using a rubber spatula, spread the batter into an even layer. 

Break apart the crumb topping into large pea-sized pieces and spread the pieces in an even layer over the batter.

Do not push the crumbs into the batter.

Bake for 35 - 40 minutes.

The crumbs should be a golden brown.

A toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake should come out clean.

Place the pans on a wire rack.

Let the cake cool at least 30 minutes.

Just before serving dust with 

confectioners' sugar 

Cooled leftovers can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.

In our family - there were 5 of us - it didn’t last that long!