Chocoflan

I admit, I am not a baker. Kenny will be the first to tell you that if flour is involved, there is more on me than in the cake! But Chocoflan is truly one of those easy, delicious recipes that I will make again.

When I decided to give it a try I had to borrow a bundt pan from Dale. But since then I bought Williams-Sonoma's Anniversary Bundt and it works great. The handles on the pan make it easy to remove from the hot water after baking. I also had to substitute caramel sauce for the cajeta.This is a fun cake to make and bake. Caramel sauce in poured into the buttered pan, followed by a chocolate cake batter and topped with a flan mixture. While baking the flan sinks and the chocolate cake rises.

Next time you need a dessert to impress guests, bake a Chocoflan!

Fig Cake

At the Sprayberry family reunion each year, we all look forward to Boot's Fig Cake. The moist cake is packed with flavor and sweetness. It begins with a jar of Boot's fig preserves. This year she shared a jar of preserves and the recipe with me and it is becoming a house favorite. I wish I had a picture of the whole cake. It is a rich brown and absolutely delicious.

Boot's Fig Cake

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soda
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup Wesson oil
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)
1 cup fig preserves
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cloves

Mix dry ingredients together. Mix oil, sugar, eggs and buttermilk. Add to dry ingredients. Grease and flour a tube pan and bake at 325 degrees F. for 45 minutes. (In my oven, it took 55 - 50 minutes.) Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then turn onto a wire rack to cool. Spoon or brush glaze over the cake after cooling.

Glaze

1 cup sugar
1 stick oleo (I used butter)
1 teaspoon white Karo syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon soda

Mix well and boil 3 minutes. Pour or brush over cake.

As you can see, there wasn't much left! Thanks, Boots!

Cake Decorating

I have enrolled in Cake Decorating 101. After watching Ace of Cakes, I decided it was time to try my hand at cake decorating. After 4 classes, I have decided this is not my calling. My biggest challenge was getting the right consistency for the icing. Thank you Deena for your patience and guidance in the process!

Simple Layer Cake

I will admit, I'm not a baker! Thanks to Granny and her cake plate, I have been challenged to bake. The problem seems to be finding the right recipe for the layers, a very important part to Granny's Chocolate Cake. My first task was to purchase new cake pans, 3 of them. The chocolate icing needs 3 layers. The recipe is based on Swans Down 1-2-3-4 cake recipe with an adjustment to the milk. This is my version.

Simple Layer Cake

1 cup butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
3 cups sifted Swans Down Cake Flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Cream butter. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Add eggs one at a time to creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture alternately with milk and flavorings, beating after each addition until smooth. Baking: Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch layer pans, using about 2-1/3 cups batter in each pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans and finish cooling on racks before icing.

Granny's Layer Cake with Chocolate Icing

When it comes to cake, there is nothing better than a Chocolate Layer Cake. I like the old fashioned kind with chocolate icing that is cooked. Mama Geiger, my mom and Granny, Kenny's mom, were experts when it came to this cake. I remember being in the kitchen with Mama, baking the layers and frosting the cake with this delicious chocolate icing that becomes hard when cooled. This week as we were going through Granny's house, Peggy found Granny's recipe for Chocolate Icing. On top of the refrigerator was Granny's cake plate and cover. This cake plate has been on the road many times, to Church dinners and reunions, often with the Chocolate Cake inside. I copied the recipe and headed home with the cake plate to see if I could bake this special cake.

I am no baker. I can count on my fingers the number of times I have baked a layer cake. My first attempt was pretty good. There is an art to the icing - it must be warm enough to spread, but it cools quickly so you must work fast. I realized that as the icing cooled! There is enough icing for 3 layers, but since I only had 2 pans, the chocolate was very thick on the top.

Granny's Layer Cake with Chocolate Icing

Yellow Cake Layers
3 cups sifted cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
2/3 cups butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 cups milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom of 2 9-inch cake pans, line with waxed paper and flour. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Cream sugar and butter together. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until thoroughly mixed. Add flour mixture and milk, alternating and beating after each addition. Continuing beating one minute after all ingredients are added. Pour evenly into the prepared pans and bake 30 -35 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool layers on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks before frosting.

Chocolate Icing
3/4 cup cocoa
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cups evaporated milk

Put all ingredients in a large saucepan. Stirring frequently bring to a boil and cook 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let cool until hand temp on the bottom of the pan. Beat to spreading consistency. Ice layers immediately.

So what will I do next time?

• Buy new cake pans, 3 of them, and a cake spreader.
• Make sure all ingredients are room temperature.
• Watch the icing closely for the right temperature for spreading.

Who knows, I may one day be a baker!