Grandma Yearwood's Coconut Cake with Coconut Lemon Glaze

Recipe adapted from Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood (c) Clarkson Potter 2010

The Food Network
SHOW: Trisha's Southern Kitchen
EPISODE: Grandma Knows Best

This recipe takes me back to childhood days and the delicious cakes my southern belle neighbor from North Carolina would make.  Along with my nana and godmother, she was a great cooking inspiration in my life and taught me so much about baking as a young girl.

You can never go wrong with a cake made with coconut!

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature, plus more for greasing
• Flour, for dusting pan
• 2 cups sugar
• 6 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• One 12-ounce box vanilla wafers, finely crushed
• One 6-ounce package frozen or fresh grated coconut, thawed
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Coconut Lemon Glaze:

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• Pinch of salt
• Grated zest of 2 large lemons
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 large lemons)
• One 6-ounce package frozen or fresh grated coconut, thawed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

For the cake: Grease and flour a 9-inch tube cake pan. Cream the butter and sugar until light and smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, beating well. Mix in the vanilla wafer crumbs, coconut and pecans. Pour into the pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a rack.

For the glaze: Mix the sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon zest and juice, 1 1/2 cups of water and coconut in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until thickened, for about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly, then using a toothpick, poke several holes in the top of the cake and drizzle the glaze over the cake.

Chocolate Devils

Chocolate is such a weakness for so many of us!

This recipe is a delight for the eyes and such a treat for our chocolate cravings.

What a gorgeous presentation and perfect on the dessert table for a party.

Thank you Ree Drummond for another awesome recipe!

Recipe courtesy of Ree Drummond
Recipe courtesy Ree Drummond
The Food Network
SHOW: The Pioneer Woman
EPISODE: Sweet Deliveries 
Check out the link for more delicious recipes from this episode.

Ingredients

The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake:

• Baking spray, for spraying parchment
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks (1 cup) butter
• 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs, beaten

White Frosting:

• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 sticks (1 cup) butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar (not powdered sugar!)

Ganache:

• 3 cups heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 24 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces
• 1 jar maraschino cherries

Directions

Special equipment: a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter and a frosting (piping) bag and tip

For the best chocolate sheet cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Use an 18-by-13-inch sheet cake pan. Cut parchment paper to fit the pan and spray each side with baking spray.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar and salt. In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add the cocoa to the butter and stir together. Add 1 cup boiling water to the pan and then allow the mixture to boil for 30 seconds. Pour over the flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

Pour the buttermilk into a bowl and add the baking soda, vanilla and beaten eggs. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the butter/flour mixture. Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake for 20 minutes. Let the cake cool completely.

Cut the cooled cake into circles with a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter, and then lay the circles on another sheet pan with a wire rack; set this pan in the fridge to make sure there is no warmth to the cake at all. (The frosting is so light and fluffy, the coolness will help keep it all together.)

For the white frosting: In a small saucepan, whisk the flour into the milk and heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. You want it to be very thick--thicker than cake mix, more like a brownie mix. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. If in a hurry, place the saucepan over ice in the sink for about 10 minutes or so until the mixture cools. It must be completely cool before you use it in the next step. Stir in the vanilla.

While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. You don't want any sugar graininess left. Then add the completely cooled milk/flour mixture and beat the living daylights out of it. If it looks separated, you haven't beaten it enough! Beat it until it all combines and resembles whipped cream. Grab a spoon and taste this wonderful goodness. If there is any left after your taste test, spread it on a cooled chocolate cake.

For the ganache: Heat the cream until very hot. Add the vanilla, and then pour over the chocolate pieces. Stir to completely melt.

To assemble: Place the white frosting into a frosting bag. Squeeze the frosting onto one circle of cake. Press a second circle on top. Using a ladle, pour ganache over the cake, allowing the chocolate to run over the sides. Place 3 cherries on the center. Repeat the process with each cake. Chill the cakes until ready to serve!

Lemon Blueberry Cake

When you are short on time, Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade recipes are the best!  I just watched this episode on the Food Network and she put this gorgeous cake together really fast.

Gorgeous cake . . . and I can almost taste the wonderful lemon flavors.

Recipe courtesy Sandra Lee
The Food Network
SHOW: Semi-Homemade Cooking
EPISODE: Grilling on the Mississippi


Ingredients

• 2 (8-inch) round store-bought (bakery) yellow or white cake layers
• 1/3 cup frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
• 2 teaspoons lemon extract, divided
• 2 (12-ounce) cans cream cheese flavored frosting
• Fresh mint sprigs
• Fresh blueberries
• Lemon slices, quartered
  
  

Directions

Use a knife to slice cake layers in half horizontally. 

Use a pastry brush to brush each layer with lemonade concentrate; set aside. 

Stir 1 teaspoon of lemon extract into each can of frosting; set aside. 

To assemble cake: frost and stack the cake layers on top of each other.

Decorate cake with clusters of mint sprigs, blueberries, and quartered lemon slices. 

Easy Lemon Cake

Lemon recipes are always on my mind when searching recipes.

This cake is the ultimate semi-homemade, quick and easy recipe and looks delicious!

The recipe is courtesy of Kraft . . . check out their recipe section . . . link at the end of the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 pkg. (2-layer size) lemon cake mix
• 2 pkg. (3.4 oz. each) JELL-O Lemon Flavor Instant Pudding
• 1-1/2 cups cold milk
• 1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed

Instructions

PREPARE cake batter and bake as directed on package for 2 (8- or 9-inch) round cake layers. Cool in pans 10 min. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

BEAT pudding mixes and milk with whisk 2 min. Immediately spread over tops of cakes.

STACK cake layers. Frost with COOL WHIP.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

VARIATION
Bake cake in 13x9-inch pan; cool. Do not remove from pan. Spread cake with pudding mixture, then COOL WHIP.

SPECIAL EXTRA
Garnish with lemon slices and fresh mint leaves just before serving.

Recipe and Photo Source:  Kraft

Almond Cake

Love Almond Cake!

SERVES 8 TO 10

If you can’t find blanched sliced almonds, grind slivered almonds for the batter and use unblanched sliced almonds for the topping. Serve plain or with Orange Crème Fraîche.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2cups plus 1/3 cup blanched sliced almonds, toasted
• 3/4cup (3 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 3/4teaspoon salt
• 1/4teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8teaspoon baking soda
• 4large eggs
• 1 1/4cups (8 3/4 ounces) plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
• 3/4teaspoon almond extract
• 5tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/3cup vegetable oil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Grease 9-inch round cake pan and line with parchment paper. Pulse 1½ cups almonds, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in food processor until almonds are finely ground, 5 to 10 pulses. Transfer almond mixture to bowl.
   2. Process eggs, 1 1/4 cups sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, and almond extract in now-empty processor until very pale yellow, about 2 minutes. With processor running, add melted butter and oil in steady stream, until incorporated. Add almond mixture and pulse to combine, 4 to 5 pulses. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
   3. Using your fingers, combine remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and remaining 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest in small bowl until fragrant, 5 to 10 seconds. Sprinkle top of cake evenly with remaining 1/3 cup almonds followed by sugar-zest mixture.
   4. Bake until center of cake is set and bounces back when gently pressed and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes, rotating pan after 40 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Run paring knife around sides of pan. Invert cake onto greased wire rack, discard parchment, and reinvert cake onto second wire rack. Let cake cool, about 2 hours. Cut into wedges and serve. (Store cake in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days.)

HOW WE GOT THE BEST ALMOND FLAVOR—AND CAKE TEXTURE

For a rich, nutty taste and a consistency that’s not too dense, we toast blanched almonds (we dislike the slight bitterness imparted by skin-on almonds) to deepen their flavor. Then we grind them in the food processor. The ground nuts give the crumb an open, rustic texture.

START WITH BLANCHED ALMONDS

TOAST UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN

GRIND WITH FLOUR, SALT, AND LEAVENERS

EGG FOAMS: MIXER VERSUS FOOD PROCESSOR

The goal when mixing most cake batters is to incorporate a lot of air into the eggs so that the cake will bake up light and tall, and a mixer is usually the best tool to get the job done. For our Best Almond Cake, however, we wanted a flat, level top; just a moderate rise; and a texture that was neither too fluffy nor too dense. Ditching the mixer in favor of a food processor did the trick. Here’s why: When eggs and sugar are whipped in a mixer, the whisk gently unfolds the protein strands in the eggs while incorporating lots of air, producing a foam with a strong network that holds on to that air. The outcome? A tall, well-risen, domed cake. A food processor, with its high rpm and very sharp blade, similarly unravels the eggs’ protein strands and incorporates air, but it also damages some strands along the way. The result is just what we were after: a flatter, slightly denser cake.

MIXER: Tall and domed.

FOOD PROCESSOR: Perfectly flat.

Source: Cook's Illustrated

Key Lime Pound Cake

Pound cake is my favorite type of cake.  What follows is the original recipe from one of my favorite websites, Southern Living, but we made a few changes.

This recipe can be adapted to another citrus fruit as we did . . . that was a big change!

We had already picked the key lime tree clean, and our sour oranges usually go to waste for the most part, so we made the substitution.  Our quest has been to find recipes that would adapt to sour oranges so we don't let so many go to waste this year.

I don't know if it is because we used sour oranges, but I would have liked more taste of sour orange in the cake itself and the next time we make it, the amount will be doubled.  The glaze came out to what was our perfect as we could taste it before putting it on the cake.  We doubled the amount of sour orange juice and added a bit of zest and it was perfect.  I suggest tasting both the batter and the glaze to make sure it is to your taste.

A minor change was the substitution of low fat half and half instead of milk simply because we were out of milk.  It doesn't seem to have made a difference in the outcome.

The Captain and I usually cook and bake together.  For some reason, we had a miscommunication about the oven temperature and the cake was baked at 425 degrees instead of 325 degrees.  It baked for an hour before we realized it (a burning smell in the kitchen will get your attention).  It came out burned along the top and side!  Oh the disappointment!!!! 

After trimming the top and sides off, it was ugly, but still moist and delicious! Mishaps in the kitchen can be funny after the initial shock and the solution :)

We will make this cake again with the noted changes and of course, we will make sure to use the correct baking temperature!

Ingredients:

1 cup butter (softened)

1/2 cup shortening 

3 cups granulated sugar

6 large eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup milk

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon key lime zest

1/4 cup key lime juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 F.  Beat butter and shortening at medium speed, or until creamy.  Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Stir together flour, baking powder and salt.  Add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Beat at low-speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla, key lime zest and key lime juice.  Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch (12-cup) tube pan.

Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until a long wooded pick inserted in the center of cake comes out clean.  Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes, remove from pan to a wire rack.

Prepare Key Lime Glace, and immediately brush over top and sides of cake.  Cool completely (about 1 hour).

Key Lime Glaze

1 cup confectioner sugar

2 Tablespoons key lime juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all ingredients together and brush over top and sides of cake.

Photo and Recipe Source

Marvelous Cannoli Cake

WOW . . . what a presentation and awesome cake concept!

I like the option of making this semi-homemade by using a box cake mix, but it would probably be extra special if a rich butter cake recipe were used for the cake.  The filling sounds divine!

TIP:  Don't forget to drain the mascarpone and ricotta cheese to avoid runniness.  I let it drain for around an hour before using.

The recipe comes from Taste of Home, where many of my tried and true recipes came from through the years.  I used to buy their yearly cookbooks regularly and still go to them when looking for something special.  The link to the original post follows the recipe.  

Check out Taste of Home's website for more awesome recipes!

Ingredients

1 package French vanilla cake mix (regular size)

FILLING:
1 carton (16 ounces) ricotta cheese
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon rum extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

FROSTING:
2 cartons (8 ounces each) Mascarpone cheese
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/4 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Diamond of California Sliced Almonds
2 tablespoons miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Prepare and bake cake mix according to package directions, using two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, confectioners' sugar, cinnamon and extracts; stir in chocolate. In another bowl, beat the Mascarpone cheese, confectioners' sugar, milk and extracts on medium speed until creamy (do not overmix).

Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with 1 cup filling. Top with second cake layer. Spread remaining filling over top of cake to within 1 in. of edges. Frost sides and top edge of cake with 2 cups frosting.

Press almonds into sides of cake. Sprinkle chocolate chips over top. Refrigerate until serving. 

Yield: 12 servings

Marvelous Cannoli Cake Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Recipe Source:  Taste of Home

Cherry-Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

This coffee braid  looks bakery-fancy,  but Pillsbury®  crescents make it  flaky, delicious and easy.

I'm the first to admit that although I love cooking and baking from scratch, semi-homemade cooking is so convenient when you are short on time or motivation.  Through the years I have learned many little tricks to make cooking and baking faster and easier . . . the use of awesome convenience products like Pillsbury Crescents is one of them.

The Pillsbury website has lots of these type of recipes . . . this one comes from the section "Morning Favorites."

prep time 20 min
total time 1 hr 15 min
ingredients 8
12 servings

Ingredients

1 package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup chopped maraschino cherries, well drained

1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 

1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons milk


Directions

Heat oven to 375°F. Grease cookie sheet with shortening. In small bowl, beat cream cheese and granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Stir in almond extract, almonds and cherries; set aside. 

If using crescent rolls: Unroll dough onto cookie sheet; press into 13x7-inch rectangle, firmly pressing perforations to seal.

If using dough sheet: Unroll dough onto cookie sheet; press into 13x7-inch rectangle.

Spoon cream cheese mixture lengthwise down center 1/3 of rectangle. On each long side of dough rectangle, make cuts 1 inch apart to edge of filling. Fold opposite strips of dough over filling and cross in center to form a braided appearance; seal ends.

Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

In small bowl, mix powdered sugar and milk until smooth; drizzle over coffee cake. If desired, garnish with additional sliced almonds and cherries.

Source:  Pillsbury Morning Favorites

Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

There is something about cream cheese that automatically

wants me to try a new recipe.  When I found this recipe on

Pinterest, it was calling my name!

You can never go wrong with a recipe that comes from

America's Test Kitchen.

Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
From Cooks' Illustrated

via Joyful Baker

Makes one 10-inch cake, serving 12 to 16

Lemon Sugar-Almond Topping
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated zest from 1 lemon
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Cake
2 1/4 cups (11 1/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/8 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/8 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
10 tablespoons (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, 
  softened but still cool
1 cup plus 7 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated zest plus 4 teaspoons juice from 1 to 2 lemons
4 large eggs
5 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sour cream
8 ounces cream cheese, softened


FOR THE TOPPING: 

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together sugar and lemon zest in small bowl until combined and sugar is moistened. Stir in almonds; set aside.


FOR THE CAKE: 

Spray 10-inch tube pan with nonstick cooking spray. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl; set aside. In stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter, 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, and lemon zest at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl with rubber spatula. 

Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, about 20 seconds, and scraping down beater and sides of bowl as necessary. Add 4 teaspoons vanilla and mix to combine. 

Reduce speed to low and add one-third flour mixture, followed by half of sour cream, mixing until incorporated after each addition, 5 to 10 seconds. Repeat, using half of remaining flour mixture and all of remaining sour cream. Scrape bowl and add remaining flour mixture; mix at low speed until batter is thoroughly combined, about 10 seconds. 

Remove bowl from mixer and fold batter once or twice with rubber spatula to incorporate any remaining flour.

Reserve 1¼ cups batter and set aside. Spoon remaining batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Return now-empty bowl to mixer and beat cream cheese, remaining 5 tablespoons sugar, lemon juice, and remaining teaspoon vanilla on medium speed until smooth and slightly lightened, about 1 minute. Add ¼ cup reserved batter and mix until incorporated. 

Spoon cheese filling mixture evenly over batter, keeping filling about 1 inch from edges of pan; smooth top. 

Spread remaining cup reserved batter over filling and smooth top. With butter knife or offset spatula, gently swirl filling into batter using figure-8 motion, being careful to not drag filling to bottom or edges of pan. Firmly tap pan on counter 2 or 3 times to dislodge any bubbles. Sprinkle lemon sugar-almond topping evenly over batter and gently press into batter to adhere.

Bake until top is golden and just firm, and long skewer inserted into cake comes out clean (skewer will be wet if inserted into cheese filling), 45 to 50 minutes. Remove pan from oven and firmly tap on counter 2 or 3 times (top of cake may sink slightly). 

Cool cake in pan on wire rack 1 hour. Gently invert cake onto rimmed baking sheet (cake will be topping-side down); remove tube pan, place wire rack on top of cake, and invert cake sugar-side up. Cool to room temperature, about 1½ hours. Cut into slices and serve.

Leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator, covered tightly with plastic wrap. For optimal texture, allow the cake to return to room temperature before serving.

Rocky Road Chocolate Cake

Doesn't this look sinful?

This is one of those semi-homemade desserts!

Ingredients

• 1 (18.25-oz.) package German chocolate cake mix
• 1 (3.9-oz.) package chocolate instant pudding mix
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten 
• 1 cup sour cream 
• 1/3 cup butter, melted 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 1/4 cups milk, divided 
• 1 (3.4-oz.) package chocolate cook-and-serve pudding mix
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
• Vanilla ice cream (optional)
• 
  

Preparation

• 1. Beat cake mix, next 5 ingredients, and 1 1/4 cups milk at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Pour batter into a lightly greased 4-qt. slow cooker.
• 2. Cook remaining 2 cups milk in a heavy nonaluminum saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, 3 to 5 minutes or just until bubbles appear (do not boil); remove from heat.
• 3. Sprinkle cook-and-serve pudding mix over batter. Slowly pour hot milk over pudding. Cover and cook on LOW 3 1/2 hours.
• 4. Meanwhile, heat pecans in a small nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, stirring often, 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant.
• 5. Turn off slow cooker. Sprinkle cake with pecans, marshmallows, and chocolate morsels. Let stand 15 minutes or until marshmallows are slightly melted. Spoon into dessert dishes, and serve with ice cream, if desired.

Southern Living
OCTOBER 2008

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Rose Nguyen

Chocolate Eclair Cake

Here's a quick, easy and delicious

 semi-homemade type of dessert!

Ingredients

• 1 (14.4-ounce) box honey graham crackers (see Tip)
• 2 (4-serving) packages French vanilla instant pudding mix
• 3 cups milk
• 1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1 (16-ounce) container ready-to-spread chocolate frosting
• 
  
• 
  

Instructions

1. Line bottom of an ungreased 9- x 13-inch baking dish with one-third of the graham crackers.
    
2. In a large bowl, whisk together pudding mix and milk; add whipped topping, stirring until mixture thickens.
    
3. Spread half the pudding mixture over graham crackers in baking dish. Repeat layers with one-third of graham crackers and remaining pudding mixture. Top with remaining graham crackers. Spread with chocolate frosting. Cover and chill 8 hours.

Tip

One box of graham crackers contains 3 individually wrapped packages of crackers. Use one package for each layer of this decadent dessert.

Source:  Mr. Food