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Meemaw's Red Velvet Cake This is not the ordinary Red Velvet Cake. It uses no food coloring. It contains cherry puree and grenadine syrup. The cherry/cocoa/vanilla/grenadine combination is very flavorful. MEEMAW’S RED VELVET CAKE It is very important to follow the directions exactly. Note there is no baking powder in this cake. The action of the acids and alkaline ingredients mixed in the proper order and the extended beating to incorporate air into the batter is what leavens this cake. You must start with all ingredients at room temperature so set the eggs out and measure out the buttermilk at least an hour before you plan to start mixing. 2-2/3 cups all purpose flour (you can also use 1/2 all purpose and 1/2 cake flour for a more tender cake and a finer texture) 1/2 cup Crisco (This is important for the texture, butter doesn’t work as well.) 2 large eggs - room temp. 1 level teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 3 rounded Tablespoons cocoa (regular, not Dutch process) 1 cup buttermilk - room temp (or 3/4 cup sour creamed thinned with a little milk to make 1 cup). 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1 cup pitted canned cherries(sweetened), drained and pureed 1/4 cup grenadine syrup 2 teaspoons vinegar First grease and flour 2 9-inch cake pans - or line with bakers parchment. You can also use a large rectangular pan. In a large mixing bowl cream the shortening, sugar and vanilla, beat until very fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating each until completely incorporated into the batter, set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa, cherry puree, grenadine syrup and vinegar and set aside. In a medium bowl mix together the buttermilk, flour, baking soda and salt and set aside. Turn oven on, set at 350 degrees F. Add the cocoa/cherry mix to shortening/sugar/vanilla, blend well. Add the buttermilk/ flour/baking soda/ salt mixture to the batter and blend until batter is completely smooth and looks silky. Continue beating on medium speed for 3 minutes. This is important! Pour batter into the cake pans. With a rubber (or silicone) spatula, start at the center and turning the pans, spread the batter out toward the edges so the level is slightly lower in the center. Bake for 50 minutes, test with a cake tester, if it still appears moist, bake an additional 5-10 minutes. ( RG1542 )

Coffee chiffon cake Serves 10 as Dessert. This is a very simple, light cake. The original recipe came from an old Five Roses cookbook, but I've made a few changes. This is the first cake I started baking when I was 10 years old or so, so it has a special place in my heart. It is also a favourite of my mom's. I've probably made it about a thousand times over the years! 1 c brewed coffee, cooled 6 eggs, separated 1 c AP flour 1 c granulated sugar 1 T vanilla extract 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp cream of tartar 1/2 c vegetable oil 1 T baking powder **Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 1. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, sugar. 2. Make a well in the center, add in egg yolks, vegetable oil, and brewed coffee. 3. In a separate bowl, add cream of tartar to egg whites. Beat until medium-firm peaks. 4. Beat the flour/egg/oil/coffee mixture until combined. Gently fold in thirds into the whites. 5. Pour batter into an ungreased angel food cake pan and bake for about 45 minutes at 325 degrees. Turn up the temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake for about 10 minutes more. 6. Invert the cake until cool (but I always just wait for like 10-15 minutes and it pops out no problem, while it's still nice and warm!). Run a knife along the edge of the pan to release. Keywords: Dessert, Easy, Cake ( RG1540 )

Karen's Chocolate Chunk Coffee Cake Serves 16. My daughter found this recipe on a box or bag of something. Choc full of chocolate and nuts, this coffee cake is difficult to cut because it's so lumpy. We usually serve it for brunch with creamed eggs, link sausages and juice. Leftovers are good warmed in the microwave, and may double as dessert. I have started using Bakewell Cream instead of baking powder for better taste. In that case, I use 2 t. Bakewell Cream plus 1 1/2 t. soda. Topping: 12 oz chopped semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, or packaged chips or chunks 1/2 c broken or chopped toasted walnuts or pecans 2/3 c sugar Cake: 2-1/2 c AP flour 2-1/2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 3/4 c softened unsalted butter 1-1/4 c sugar 3 eggs 1-1/2 c sour cream 2 tsp vanilla Have all ingredients at room temperature. Combine topping ingredients in small bowl and reserve. Spoon and sweep flour (4 oz. to the cup) and combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt with a wire whisk. Set aside. Cream butter and sugar in bowl of electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in eggs, sour cream and vanilla until well mixed. Add flour mixture beating at low speed until smooth. Butter or spray a Bundt pan or tube pan. Add 1/3 of the batter in an even layer and sprinkle with about 1/3 of topping mixture. Repeat with another 1/3 of the batter and topping. Repeat with final 1/3 of batter and topping. Bake about an hour at 350 degrees, or until a toothpick or wooden skewer comes out clean. Cool about 20 minutes before removing from pan. If your pan is copper, lower the heat to 325 degrees. Keywords: Chocolate, Bread, Easy, Breakfast, Brunch ( RG1532 )

Yellow "Angel Food" Cake Serves 14. This is my version of the cake used for Blum's Coffee-Crunch Cake. If your mixer has two bowls, you’re all set. If not, you can use my method of scraping the beaten whites onto waxed paper to save washing a bowl. Serve this cake with whipped cream and hot blueberry sauce, raspberries, or strawberries. I have been known to eat it plain for breakfast. 1 c egg whitesDash lemon juice3/4 c sugar1 c plus 4 T. sifted cake flour or 1 cup plus 2 T. sifted AP flour3/4 c sugar6 egg yolks1/4 c cold water1 T lemon juice1 tsp vanilla extract1/2 tsp saltHave all ingredients at room temperature before starting. Place the egg whites and dash of lemon in the mixer bowl. Lemon juice will serve the same stabilizing function as cream of tartar, which I find unreliable. Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Add 3/4 cup sugar, 1 T. at a time, beating until peaks are stiff but not dry, and mixture is no longer grainy when a bit is rubbed between thumb and forefinger. Scrape egg whites gently onto a sheet of waxed paper or parchment. Do not wash bowl. Combine cake flour and second 3/4 cup sugar with a whisk and dump into the bowl. Make a well. Add the egg yolks, cold water, 1 T. lemon juice, vanilla and salt to the well. Beat at low to medium speed until mixture reaches the ribbon stage. Fold in egg whites a third at a time. Carefully pour batter into tube pan. Cut through the batter with a table knife to remove bubbles (this cake is especially prone to developing large air holes, so be thorough) and level top with spatula. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. If the top has tiny, moist bubbles on top it is not yet done. Cool thoroughly upside-down (place over glass bottle if your pan does not have “legs”) before removing from pan. Remove from pan, wrap and freeze if desired. Keywords: Dessert, Intermediate, Cake ( RG1530 )

Blum’s Coffee-Crunch Cake Serves 14 as Dessert. This is a spectacular dessert and rather fussy to make. The final assembly must be done on the day of serving, although the cake and the crunch candy may be made way ahead. Serve it when you have at least 10 persons at dinner so they may enjoy it while the candy is still crunchy. Pure luxury! 1 yellow angel food cake (see separate recipe) 1 recipe coffee crunch candy (see separate recipe) 4 c whipping cream 2 tsp vanilla 2 tsp instant coffee or espresso powder Make ahead: May make candy days or even weeks ahead (according to Jack Lirio), but it must be kept in an airtight container. May make cake ahead and freeze until the day of serving Assemble cake mid-afternoon on the day of serving for dinner, as the crunch will weep and dissolve if you do it earlier. Assembly: 1. Slice the cake into 3 equal layers, using a serrated knife. 2. Crack and crush the crunch. You’ll need some larger pieces about the size of a quarter to decorate the top and sides of the finished cake; the rest should be a coarse texture, ranging from powder to pieces no larger than 1/4 inch. Store big pieces until serving time. 3. Whip the cream with the vanilla and coffee powder until stiff. 4. Place the bottom third of the cake on your platter, and cover with a generous layer of whipped cream. Sprinkle with the coarse crunch powder.. 5. Repeat step 4 with the middle layer of cake. 6. Add the top layer of cake and spread the remaining whipped cream over the top and sides of cake. Sprinkle a bit of the coarse crunch all over: it will melt and flavor the cream, but save most of it for serving time.. Refrigerate until serving time. 7. At serving time, sprinkle with remaining coarse crunch and decorate with the large pieces. Note: You will use less than one-quarter of the crunch and whipped cream for each layer; leaving slightly more than half of each for the top and sides. Keywords: Dessert, Cake, Intermediate ( RG1528 )

Lemon Cheesecake with Lemon Confit Serves 10 as Dessert. This is a recipe that I adapted/combined from several different recipes. I use an Israeli white cheese, which is similiar in texture to a Greek-style yogurt. You can use cream cheese, if you prefer. For the lemon confit: 2 large juicy lemons (unwaxed if possible) 110 g (1/2c) granulated sugar For shortbread crust 60 g (1/2 stick) unsalted butter (room temperature) 1/4 c granulated sugar 1/2 c flour 2 c finely ground petit beurre or shortbread (i.e. Pepperidge Farm Chessmen) cookies For cheesecake 3 (500g/16oz) containers of Israeli 9% white cheese or Greek-style yogurt 250 g (8oz) container mascarpone cheese 3/4 c sugar 3 eggs 4 T lemon zest 1/2 c fresh squeezed lemon juice For topping 500 g (16oz) sour cream 1/4 c sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract For the lemon confit: Start by making the confit as this needs to be prepared ahead of time – the day before you want to serve it, if possible. Take one and a half of the lemons and slice them into thin rings about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick, discarding the end pieces and pips. Place these in a saucepan and cover with cold water, bring to a simmer for 3 minutes, then drain through a sieve and discard the water, Pour 12 fl oz (425 ml) water into the same pan, add the sugar, stir over a low heat until all the sugar dissolves, then add the lemon slices. Cook for 45 minutes, until the skin is tender. Remove the slices with a slotted spoon. Reduce the liquid to 5 fl oz (150ml). Squeeze the juice from the remaining half lemon, add to the syrup and pour over the lemon slices. Cover and let sit overnight at room temperature. Make crust: Cream the butter and sugar together for 3-4 minutes. Add flour and ground shortbread to the mixture and blend for 3-4 seconds until fully incorporated. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of a 11-inch springform pan. Bake the crust at 180° for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow the crust to cool completely. Make cheesecake: Beat the white cheese until light and smooth. Add the mascarpone cheese and sugar and continue to beat on medium speed. Add the eggs one at a time. Add the lemon zest and juice. Pour mixture into the cooled crust. Wrap aluminium foil around the outside of the springform. Place the cheesecake pan into a roasting pan, and add enough water to the roasting pan to reach halfway up sides of the cheesecake pan. Place in a 180° oven for approximately one hour or until the cake is set and the top is golden brown. Make topping while cheesecake is baking: Let sour cream stand at room temperature 30 minutes. In a bowl whisk together sour cream, sugar and vanilla extract. Spread over entire top of cake, smoothing evenly. Bake cheesecake in middle of oven 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the roasting pan and place on a wire rack. Allow cake to cool slightly, and then place the cake in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight. Before serving, decorate top with lemon confit or plate and place lemon confit on top of sliced cheesecake. Keywords: Dessert, Intermediate, Cheese, Cake ( RG1514 )

Praline Cheesecake Serves 10 as Dessert. This recipe is from my cookbook, “Nobody Cooks Like Ruth: Menus from Cherotree,” and is my son Chris’s favorite cheesecake. The funny thing is, I don’t remember ever using the topping although Chris swears I gave it to him with the recipe. The topping makes it much richer so you’ll have at least 12 servings. Crust: 1 c graham cracker crumbs (about 12 squares) 3 T sugar 2 T unsalted butter Filling: 3 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened 1-1/2 c packed light brown sugar 2 T flour 3 extra large eggs or 4 large 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 c chopped toasted pecans Topping: 3/4 c light brown sugar 1/4 c unsalted butter 1/4 c heavy cream 1 c toasted broken pecans For crust: combine crumbs, sugar and butter and press onto bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees. For filling: Combine softened cream cheese, brown sugar and flour until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating until each is incorporated but do not over mix. Blend in vanilla and nuts. Pour over crust and bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Turn off oven, remove cheesecake and loosen cake from rim with a sharp knife. Return to turned off oven and let cool with oven door ajar until cheesecake is totally cooled. Combine brown sugar and butter in a medium saucepan and cook until bubbly. Stir in cream and pecans and let come to a boil. Pour over cheesecake. You may add topping before or after cheesecake is cooled. Keywords: Dessert ( RG1513 )

Caramel Hazelnut Cheesecake Serves 8 as Dessert. Crust 1 1/2 cups hazelnuts, toasted 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted Filling 2 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened 2/3 cups sugar 2 eggs 1/8 teaspoons salt grated zest of one small orange grated zest of one small lemon juice of 1/2 small lemon 1 tablespoon vanilla Caramel 1/2 can Dulce de leche (found in the ethnic section of supermarket or in Latin grocery stores; the can looks like condensed milk) whipping cream (appx. 1/3 cup) Hazelnuts for decoration For crust: Blend hazelnuts and sugar in food processor until finely ground. Add melted butter, blend. Press crust mixture onto bottom of 8-inch diameter springform pan. For filling: Preheat oven to 350F. Beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs; mix until blended. Blend in remaining ingredients. Pour onto crust. Bake 40 minutes (until the center is almost set). Do not overbake: edges will be slightly puffed, but the center will still look moist. The cheesecake will continue firming up when cooling. Cool cheesecake in pan completely (better to refrigerate for several hours). For caramel sauce: melt dulce de leche and about 1/4 cup cream in small pan. The sauce should be pourable consistency. It it’s too thick, add more cream. Spoon sauce evenly on top of cheesecake. Cover and refrigerate until topping sets (at least 2 hours, preferably overnight). Release pan sides from cheesecake; arrange additional hazelnuts on top decoratively. Keywords: Dessert, Cake ( RG1508 )

Wild Alaskan Salmon Cakes Serves 2 as Main Dish. Inspired by this staple classic found throughout Atlantic Canada, and with the basic ingredients on hand, I put this together for a realively easy dinner. 6 oz Wild Salmon c plain mashed potatoes (I had fingerings on hand) c panko bread crumbs 1 egg 1 T dijon mustard worcestershire sauce tsp salt pepper 1 T unsalted butter 1 T extra virgin olive oil 1. Place salmon in water to cover over medium heat and cook until it flakes easily. Cool, remove skin, and flake. 2. Boil peeled and diced potatoes until easily pierced with a knife. Drain and mash. 3. In a bowl, combine salmon, mashed potato, bread crumbs, egg, dijon, worcestershire, salt and pepper. Combine loosely and form into patties (do not overwork). Cover and refrigerate at least 45 minutes and up to a day. 4. Saute patties in olive oil and butter until well browned and cooked through. Serve with chow, flavored mayo, lemon juice, etc. as you like. Keywords: Main Dish, Seafood, Easy, Dinner ( RG1502 )

Cage bach (Welshcakes) Serves 24 as Dessert. When I was studying in Carmarthen (southwest Wales), they had a market with fabulous cage bach (called Welshcakes in English), sold warm in little packages. Top 'em with clotted cream and strawberries, or even just a bit of butter, and they were delicious. This is my best shot at reconstructing 'em, after fiddling with three or four recipes from various locations and substituting things like sugar (easy to find in America) for "golden syrup" (much harder to find here but easy to find in Britain). 2 c self-rising flour (or add 1 to 2 tsp. baking powder to regular) 1 stick of butter (4 oz or 1/2 cup) 1/2 c sugar 2/3 c currants, soaked in hot liquid to plump up 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/2 tsp ginger 1 egg, beaten 1 c milk (but you probably won't use all of it) Hot liquid of choice for the currants - could be water, apple juice, Ribena (a currant drink), or something like brandy * Rinse the currants well and put them in the hot liquid to soak for at least 30 minutes or until they're plump and tasty. * Stir together the flour, baking powder (if needed), salt, and spices. * Cut the butter into small bits (I quarter a stick lengthwise and then chop into little bits that way) and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until it's like fine crumbles. * Drain the soaking liquid off the currants. * Make a hollow in the middle of the flour mixture and add the sugar, the beaten egg, about 1/4 cup milk, and the drained currants. Stir together. If it needs more liquid, add the rest of the milk, but it should be a somewhat stiff dough (stiffer than chocolate chip cookie dough). * Roll out to about 1/4 inch thick (I often do this between two floured sheets of waxed paper) and cut in three-inch circles (you can use a juice glass for this). * Cook over low heat on a griddle or nonstick frying pan that's been very lightly oiled with something flavorless like canola oil. (Don't use olive oil or they'll turn out smelling like a salad!) Cook them like little pancakes -- wait a while until one side is toasty golden, then flip and toast the other side. They won't really toast any further if you keep flipping them, so make sure one side's nice and golden before you flip the first time. (Try one as an experiment to get the timing right before you cook up a big batch, because I never seem to get the same amount of heat out of my stovetop twice in a row.) * Sprinkle the top with sugar while they're still warm. * Eat as is or top with something like honey, jam, lemon curd, a bit of butter, or Devonshire double cream. They keep well in an airtight tin if any survive the initial ooo-warm nibbles from anyone in the building. (Don't put toppings on until you're ready to eat them though.) I've read that you can bake them at 350 for about 15 minutes instead of griddling them. Technically, you can, but they don't turn out quite right -- they won't be that toasty golden color on both sides... stick with a griddle, even if you don't have a cast-iron Welsh bakestone. Keywords: Dessert, Vegetarian, Intermediate, Snack, Cookie, British ( RG1491 )

Batter Cake with Fresh Pears from the Correze -- Flaugnarde Serves 4 as Dessert. From The Cooking of Southwest France, published by John Wiley and Sons, Inc. Copyright 2005 by Paula Wolfert "It's our best dessert," says Albert Parveaux, proprietor of the Chateau de Castel Novel. He is speaking of the flaugnarde of Corrèze, a superb soufflé-like fruit cake, similar to a German apple pancake. "But," he adds, "its simplicity is misunderstood by some of our guests, who think complexity is the same thing as excellence." He explained the secrets of a successful flaugnarde: "First, never put sugar into it the way they do in the Périgord, because it won't rise on account of the extra weight. Second, be sure to use a metal dish, since metal heats up quicker and thus will give the batter a better rise. Third, only fill the pan to one third of its height‑the flaugnarde will thus have room to rise, and it will in fact fill the pan when baked. You must eat this dessert while hot, though it will hold its rise as long as 10 minutes. When serving, slip it out of its pan onto a serving plate; then dust heavily with granulated sugar. Be sure and visit the Cooking of the Southwest France topic in the cooking forum for a discussion of the book, testing notes and photos. 3 eggs 7 oz (about 1 1/2 cups) unbleached pastry flour Pinch of salt 1 c warm milk 1 T dark rum 2 tasty sweet pears, such as Cornice or Anjou 2-1/2 T unsalted butter Superfine sugar 2 TO 3 1/2 HOURS BEFORE SERVING, lightly beat the eggs in a mixing bowl. Sift the flour and salt; add to the eggs, stirring. Add 2 tablespoons warm milk and mix until the batter is completely smooth. Gradually stir in the remaining milk and the rum. Strain through a fine sieve and let stand at room temperature for 1 to 2 1/2 hours. About 1 HOUR BEFORE SERVING, preheat the oven to 450°F. Peel, , halve, core, and thinly slice the pear; the 3 mm slicing disk of a food processor is perfect for the job. Using half the butter, lavishly grease a 8‑ or 9‑inch cake pan or straight‑sided ovenproof skillet. Pour in the batter and delicately lay the fruit slices on top. Dot with the remaining butter. Bake in the bottom third of the oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 400°F and bake for 30 to 35 minutes longer, or until well puffed and golden brown. Use a spatula around the edges and under the cake to loosen. Transfer to a serving dish. Sprinkle lavishly with sugar and serve within 5 minutes. Keywords: Dessert, French ( RG1487 )

Dutch Pancakes (Pannenkoeken) Please use the proportions of this batter as a guideline. It will take some experimenting to learn how you like your pancakes: thin and crispy or thick and fluffy. This batter produces fairly thin pancakes (using a 20 cm pan, it will yield about 4-6 pancakes, depending on how much batter you use per pancake). You can make plain pancakes, or with bacon, with apple, or apple and bacon. 200 g flour 2 egs 300 ml milk pinch of salt butter for frying slices of smoked bacon, lightly fried apple slices, lightly sauteed in some butter sugarsyrup to serve Mix all ingredients except the butter together to form a smooth batter. You can leave it to rest but it's not necessary. Heat a frying pan until it's very hot. Add a knob of butter and with a serving spoon, a scoop of batter. Swirl the pan around to spread the batter. Cook until the top is almost dry, flip, bake for another minute. Keep pancakes warm on a plate set on a pan of simmering water. For bacon pancakes, add fried bacon to the pan before pouring on the batter. For apple pancakes, put the sauteed appleslices on top of the batter after you've poured it into the pan. Serve all pancakes with Dutch sugar syrup. from the Dutch Cooking thread ( RG1445 )

Chestnut Cheesecake Serves 8 as Dessert. This is a bit of a hybrid between an Austrian “cake” made with a filling of pure chestnuts, eggs, vanilla and sugar, and an adaptation of the Nutmeg Cheesecake in the book, “Butter, Sugar, Flour, Eggs” by Gale Gand and Rick Tramonto. I liked the nutmeg and left it in, but cut down the amount for this recipe. Filling 600 g cream cheese (3 8 oz pkgs) 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp nutmeg or less, depending on how much you like nutmeg. 1-3/4 c sugar 1/8 tsp salt 1-1/2 c chestnut puree (made from app 2 1/4 cups chestnuts) 4 eggs Crust 200 g chocolate cookies (8 oz) 2 T cocoa (optional) 1/3 c sugar 1/3 c butter, melted Make the chestnut pureee Cut a strip off one side of the chestnut peel and boil them for 15 minutes, ladle out into a low pan and add cooking water to cover. This keeps them warm; they are much easier to deal with if they stay hot. Remove outer and inner peel. Chop finely, put into a small saucepan and add water to the same level, and simmer, stirring constantly (don’t burn them!). They will break down rather quickly and resemble mashed potatoes. You want a consistency similar to that. When it is mostly broken down, press through a sieve. You could probably do this very quickly in a food processor. Heat the oven to 175C (350F) with rack on lowest level. Prepare the crust: (Substitute your own favorite chocolate cookie crust if you like; this is my own adaptation in a land devoid of Nabisco Chocolate Wafers.) Crush cookies, mix with other ingredients with fingers till a bit squeezed together will hold its shape. Press a little more than 1/3 of the mixture into the bottom of a 9” springform pan. Take small amounts and press around the edges to make a side crust about 4 cm high, trying to make an even edge. Don’t worry about trying to get it all the way to the edge of the pan, because whatever is above the line of the filling will crumble off anyway. Prepare the filling: Put cream cheese into a large bowl, beat just at medium speed until smooth with electric mixer. (If you beat it full of air, the cake will crack when it cools.) Add vanilla, nutmeg and salt. On low speed, mix in the chestnut puree. Add eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition to ensure even mixing. Pour filling into the crust and place in the oven, and bake for around 1 1/2 hours. After about 40 minutes, turn the cake so that it browns evenly. If it’s browning too fast, put a piece of aluminum foil, shiny side up, over the cake. The cake is done when it is mostly solid but “shimmies” slightly in the middle when the pan is tapped. Turn off the oven and let the cake cool one hour inside the oven. Remove from the oven let cool completely, refrigerate. Keywords: Dessert, Intermediate, Cake ( RG1433 )

Dark english fruit cake This is the traditional rich dark fruit cake I make every year for christmas, as well as a couple of times during the year - even had it in three tiers for our wedding. It is very dark and intense in flavour. The fruity ingredients can be substituted quite freely, as long as the final weight of fruit comes to app. the same weight as in the recipe. Try adding dried, diced apricots or figs. I'm sure dried cherries or cranberries would be nice as well. Almond flakes could be replaced by coarsly chopped walnuts. And so on and so forth. The sky is the limit. If using alcohol is not an option, substitute the brandy with orange juice. If you can get hold of natural glace cherries (the very dark red ones) they are preferable to the nasty red/green ones. And whole candied orange and lemon peel that you dice yourself makes a lot of difference to the overall flavour. I add quite a lot more peel than in the recipe when I have access to whole peel. 325 g raisins 225 g sultanas 175 g currants 150 g halved glacé cherries 50 g mixed peel (go for whole candied peel that you chop yourself) 50 g flaked almonds 2 tsp grated lemon rind 2 T lemon juice 3 T brandy or rum (I use a lot more) 250 g flour 2-1/2 tsp mixed spice 65 g ground almonds 200 g dark brown sugar 200 g butter, softened 2 T black treacle (or molasses) 4 eggs The day before baking (or several days or weeks before) place the raisins, currants, sultanas, peel, glacé cherries, flaked almonds, lemon juice, lemon rind and alcohol in a bowl, mix and cover until needed. The longer the soaking, the more alcohol is needed. Mix the remaining ingredients and beat with a spoon for a couple of minutes until the batter is smooth. Spoon batter over fruit and stir until everything is well blended. Spoon the mixture into a 22 cm springform tin lined bottom and sides with waxed paper. Smooth the surface. Bake for 3-3½ hours in a 140 c. oven. The cake should feel firm and a wooden skewer should come out clean. Let the cake cool in the tin. Do not remove the linig paper when removing the cake from the tin. Spoon 1-2 spoonfuls of brandy/rum over the cake and wrap in double foil to store. 'Feed' the cake every 2 weeks with a spoonful og rum brandy. Keeps for up to three months (in our house nowhere near that long.......) Can be eaten as is with a nice cup of tea, or brushed with heated, sieved apricot jam (or marmalade) and covered with marcipan and royal icing or rolled fondant. The marcipan layer prevents dark discolouration from the cake seeping through the icing. Keywords: Easy, Christmas, Fruit, Cake, British ( RG1396 )

Xmas Cake Derived from the seventeenth century Plumb Cake. Plumbs mean raisins, as in Plumb Duff. Make in October/November for Xmas. Traditionally made before "Stir Up Sunday", the last Sunday before Advent, when the collect begin "Stir-up, we beseech thee, O Lord,", reminding the congregation its time to make the Xmas cake and pudding. 12 oz Sultanas or golden raisins 12 oz currants 8 oz stoned large raisins 6 oz glace cherries 4 oz candied peel, chopped 12 oz Flour 12 oz Unsalted butter 12 oz Soft brown sugar 6 eggs, beaten salt 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp mixed sweet spice 1 tsp grated nutmeg 1 tsp cinnamon 3 oz blanched almonds, chopped Lemon T Brandy Soak the fruit overnight in the brandy. Prepare a 10 inch round or 9 inch square cake tin by lining with two layers of greasproof or silicone baking paper, brushed with melted butter. The paper should stand proud of the tin somewhat. Tie a double alyer of newspaper round the outside of the tin. Preheat oven to 375F/170C In a food processer whizz the butter until light, then cream with the sugar. Add the beaten eggs slowly, and beat in. Sieve together the flour, pinch salt, spices. baking powder. Fold into the butter and egg a spoon at a time. Mix in the fruit, almonds and lemon. Add a few drops of vanilla or almond essence if you like. Make a wish. Spoon into the cake tin and bang to remove air bubbles. Smooth the top and sprinkle with a few drops of water. Bahe at 325F/170C for 3 1/2 hours. Check after an hour or so, and cover with some more paper to stop the top getting too brown. A skewer should come out clean. Leave to cool in the tin, then turn out and wrap in greasproof paper and put in a tin with a ticghtly fitting lid. Poke a few holes in the top of the cake and pour in brandy (or sherry). Seal the tin. Every week for at elast a month pour in some more brandy Traditionally covered in marzipan and then royal icing, decorated with seasonal figures and motifs and mottos. Keywords: Cake ( RG1395 )

Lemon Poppyseed Bundt Cake (low-fat) Serves 10 as Dessert. 2-1/2 c All purpose flour 2 T double-acting baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 1 c Unsweetened applesauce 1 c Egg beaters (or other egg substitute) 1-1/2 c sugar (or Spenda) 1/4 tsp poppyseeds 1/4 c fresh-squeezed lemon juice 2 T minced lemon zest (from 2 lemons) 1/4 tsp lemon oil Preheat oven to 350°F. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt Beat together until smooth and creamy applesauce (or any combination of pureed fruits such as overripe bananas), Eggbeaters (or 4 eggs), sugar Stir in poppyseeds, lemon juice (juice of 2 lemons), lemon zest from 2 lemons. Mix dry mixture into egg mixture until just blended. Immediately pour into bundt pan sprayed with cooking oil. Bake 50-55 minutes until cake springs back and begins to shrink away from pan. Keywords: Dessert, Easy, Cake, Healthy Choices ( RG1394 )

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake This is the hand written recipe for Mayonnaise cake as our family makes it. I have seen recipes that call for 3 tablespoons cocoa but this tastes chocolatie enough for me. 1 cup dates or raisins 1 cup boiling water 1 cup mayonnaise 1 cup sugar 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 Tbs. cocoa 1 tsp. vanilla Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13x2” or a bundt pan. Pour boiling water over raisins or dates. Blend together mayonnaise and sugar. In a bowl, mix dry ingredients Mix raisin mixture, mayonnaise mixture and dry ingredients together with vanilla. Bake for about 40 minutes. Test with cake tester. ( RG1392 )

FROSTED FRESH CHERRY LAYER CAKE RECIPE with ALL-PURPOSE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING by Sarah Phillips Serves 12 as Dessert. Sarah Phillips, President and Founder, baking911.com The Frosted Fresh Cherry Layer Cake Recipe is a moist cake that's chock-full of fruit. It also offers a solution to help frustrated bakers who want to incorporate fresh fruit in their butter cakes. Many have asked for a recipe over the years on my Ask Sarah Message Board for Baker’s on my website. I have explained to home bakers that you can’t take any butter cake recipe and simply add fresh fruit to the batter; that it is hit or miss whether you have success or failure. Its inclusion adds additional sugar, juice and sometimes pectin and/or acidity, sometimes causing the cake to dip in the middle, not bake all the way through or become rubbery. It takes a specially formulated recipe and a delicate folding method to mix in the fresh fruit at the end, resulting in a luscious and moist cake. My Frosted Fresh Cherry Layer Cake is just such a recipe. Additionally the Frosted Fresh Cherry Layer Cake can also be described as a “do-it-your-own-way” cake. It bakes well with canned crushed, drained pineapple or fresh ripened, peeled and pitted, chopped peaches or plums instead of cherries. Just make sure you don’t add more than 1 cup that the recipe specifies, otherwise the cake layers won’t bake right. And you can always flavor the cake any way you like; eliminate or substitute the almond extract with another extract, such as orange or lemon or instead or throw in a tablespoon of grated lemon or orange peel. On occasion, I have also added a cup of toasted, roughly chopped nuts, such as pecans or walnuts. The layers bake up just fine, as long as you keep the oven temperature and the baking time the same. INGREDIENTS: 3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour; spoon into dry measuring cup and level to top 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup pitted and chopped fresh, frozen or canned cherries; pit and chop cherries the size of small peas and then measure in a liquid measuring cup 1 cup whole or 2% milk, room temperature; measure in liquid measuring cup 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 teaspoon almond extract 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 1 1/3 cups sugar or superfine sugar 4 large eggs, room temperature NOTES: It’s best to use an electric stand mixer for this cake because it is more powerful than a hand-held electric one. Extra horsepower is needed due to the large amounts of ingredients that it has to mix. INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Position oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease two (2) 8 x 2 - inch pans. You may also line the greased pans with greased parchment paper. Set aside. >Sarah Says: For cake baking, a heavy, shiny metal pan works the best. Darker, nonstick or heavy, ovenproof glass pans conduct the oven’s heat more and darken and toughen the cake’s crust. To compensate, lower the oven’s temperature by 25 degrees F 2. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Add the vanilla and almond extracts to the measured milk and combine. Set aside. >Sarah Says: Be sure your baking powder and/or baking soda (and salt) are evenly distributed throughout the flour so that the cake doesn’t develop uneven air holes as it bakes, which can cause it to crack or fall apart. Mix them together with a large mixing spoon so they all get distributed. (A fork allows the dry ingredients to slip through the tines of the fork causing uneven mixing). Make sure you reach down to the bottom of the bowl. 3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar: beat the butter on low speed with a paddle attachment until softened. Add the granulated sugar in a steady stream at the side of the bowl until combined. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 3 minutes until creamy, light in color and fluffy. During beating, stop the mixer and scrape the bowl often. 4. With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time and beat 20 seconds after each addition until combined. Beat the mixture for one minute on medium until it is smooth and fluffy. Stop the mixer during mixing and scrape the bowl often. 5. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in 2 equal portions, alternating with the milk mixture, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Mix after each addition until JUST combined. With the last addition of flour, mix until almost incorporated. Stop the mixer and take off the mixer bowl. Add the chopped cherries and FOLD with a large rubber spatula until JUST combined. DO NOT OVERMIX. Scrape the bowl and divide the batter evenly into the greased pans. Lightly smooth the tops. >Sarah Says: If you overmix wheat flour when moistened, it produces too much gluten. Too much gluten toughens and dries a cake when baked. It also causes the cake to develop a peak in the middle and deep cracks on the top as well. If this happens, cut the cake into small, bite-size pieces and frost each one. Place on a serving platter and serve anyway – no one will know! 6. Bake the layers for 40 - 45 minutes. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick in the middle of each cake layer and remove. It should have a few moist crumbs attached, but not batter. Lightly touch of the tops of each cake with a cupped hand until the top feels firm and gives slightly. The cake shrinks a little from the sides of the pan. It should also smell done. >Sarah Says: Shallow cracks will develop in the top of the cake layers during baking. This is normal. Upon cooling, the cake’s top will settle down and most of the cracks will seem to disappear. The ones that are left will be trimmed anyway before frosting and won’t show. Take the cake layers immediately from the oven to a wire cake rack and let them sit for 10 minutes. Loosen the sides with a small metal spatula or sharp knife. Invert onto wire cake rack and place upright with the support of another wire cake rack to cool completely. >Sarah Says: A cake layer is fragile when hot when taken right from the oven and will crack easily and fall apart if unmolded too soon from its pan. Letting it sit for 10 minutes in its pan allows it to cool a bit before unmolding, preventing this from happening. If your cooling rack has short legs and sits close to the countertop, condensation easily forms between the two making the underside of the cake wet. So, prop up your cooling rack by placing a same height glass under each corner. Then air can easily circulate around the cake to cool it and no condensation will form. Frost and Serve the Cake: When cake layers have cooled, optionally frost with the All-Purpose Vanilla Buttercream Frosting. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ALL-PURPOSE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING RECIPE by Sarah Phillips Makes 4 cups; Frosts two 8- x 2-inch round layers This recipe makes a really buttery, creamy and delicious buttercream that goes well with any cake. After frosting the cake, smooth it with an icing spatula or table knife dipped in warm water and then dried before using. An all-butter frosting such as this one won't hold up as well for a summer wedding as one made with some shortening, so I have provided the amounts you need. INGREDIENTS: 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened or 1 cup shortening and 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter for warm weather frosting 3 3/4 cups (1 pound) powdered sugar (more if needed); spoon into dry measuring cup and level to top 2 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream or milk 1 teaspoon clear or pure vanilla extract INSTRUCTIONS: 1. With a stand mixer on medium speed, beat the butter until smooth, light and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add half of the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and beat until incorporated. 2. Add the smaller amount of heavy cream and beat well on medium-low speed. Add the vanilla extract. Add more cream until the mixture is stiff and creamy. Beat an additional 3 minutes on low speed until fluffy. Adjust consistency with more powdered sugar or milk. 3. Trim the cake layers so they are flat. Fill and frost the cake. STORAGE: The icing and filling that covers your cake determines how you store your cake. The All-Purpose Buttercream Frosting Recipe is not perishable because the sugar in it acts as a preservative. The Frosted Fresh Cherry Layer Cake Recipe is a good keeper and stays moist from the cherries. It can be stored, unfrosted or frosted, at room temperature for about 3 days. (Butter cakes should not be refrigerated because it dries the cake.) Store the unfrosted layers wrapped individually with plastic wrap and then in foil. Cover the frosted cake with a cake keeper or an inverted bowl so as not to mar its finish. The unfrosted or frosted layers can be frozen for about 2 months. Wrap the layers well in plastic wrap and then in foil before freezing. Place the frosted cake in a cake box and then wrap the box in plastic and then again in foil. Or, freeze the frosted cake without a wrapper until hard. Wrap in plastic and then in foil. Thaw the unfrosted or frosted cake in its wrappers at room temperature. Information and recipe copyright Sarah Phillips, 2004 Keywords: Cake, Topping/Frosting ( RG1360 )

Key Lime Dessert Bread 2/3 c unsalted butter, room temperature 2 c granulated sugar 4 eggs, slightly beaten 3 T Key lime juice Zest of 3 Key limes 1 tsp vanilla extract 3 c all-purpose flour 2-1/2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1 c whole milk Glaze 3 T Key lime juice 2/3 c granulated sugar Prepare two loaf pans by greasing well with butter or oil. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar. Add in the eggs and beat together well. Pour in the Key lime juice, zest, and vanilla extract and combine well. Set aside. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add a little of the milk into the dry mixture, then add a little of the creamed butter and egg mixture, and then alternate the additions until all combined into a batter. Divide into the two loaf pans and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until cakes are firm and nicely browned. Mix together the 3 tablespoons Key lime juice and the sugar. Spoon mixture over the baked breads. Cool for 15 minutes, then remove from loaf pans. Wrap, and store for about 24 hours. Slice, and serve. Keywords: Dessert, Easy, Breakfast, Brunch, Snack, Bread, Cake ( RG1339 )

Lemon Polenta Cake A modified frangipane 500 g Butter 500 g Ground Almonds 500 g Sugar 5 Lemons Juice and zest 8 Eggs 250 g Polenta Juice and zest lemons mix with polenta and leave soaking. Cream butter and sugar and add eggs when white add the rest of the ingredients and cook on 180'c for about 45 mins Keywords: Dessert, Easy, Cake, Italian ( RG1298 )

Caramel Cheesecake Bars/Squares I knew I wanted to make caramel cheesecake with the caramel on top or swirled in. After a lot of trial and error, this is what I developed. Hope you like it. Crust 1-3/4 c graham cracker crumbs 1/3 c butter 1/4 c brown sugar Batter 32 oz cream cheese (4 -- 8 ounce blocks) 3/4 c granulated sugar 4 eggs 1-1/2 tsp vanilla caramel base 1/4 c water 1 c sugar 1/3 c heavy cream, warmed Preparing the pan Use a 9 inch square pan. Take 2 sheets heavy duty aluminum foil, fold in half, and press into bottom, edges and up sides of the pan with edges hanging over. The sheets should be at a 90 degree angle so all 4 sides of the pan are covered. Remove foil. Spray pan with non-stick spray. Replace foil and spray again with non-stick spray. Make Crust Mix together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and brown sugar until blended. Press firmly into bottom of pan (not up sides). Place into oven preheated to 375 degrees and bake for 6-8 minutes. Allow to cool completely. Make Cheesecake Batter In an electric mixer, mix cream cheese and sugar until smooth, scraping down as necessary. Add vanilla. Mix in eggs, one at a time, till well blended. Scrape down as necessary. Pour off 1 1/2 cups of the batter and set aside. Pour remaining batter on top of cooled crust. Pour batter you've set aside back into bowl of mixer. Make Caramel Base Put water and sugar in a medium saucepan. Heat over low flame until sugar has dissolved and liquid is clear. Turn up heat and boil rapidly until it turns a deep amber color. You may need to swirl the pan occassionally. As soon as the caramel has reached the desired color, remove from heat and immediately add the warm cream. Stir with a wooden spoon to blend until the bubbling has subsided. Mixing Caramel with Remaining Cheesecake Batter As soon as caramel has stopped bubbling, bring it over to the mixer. You will need to use your whisk attachment for this. Pour a small amount of the caramel into the remaining cheesecake batter and immediately whisk to blend. Once mixed, stop the mixer, add some more caramel and mix again. Keep adding in caramel until it's all mixed in. Scrape down sides of the bowl as necessary. Don't worry and lumps of thick caramel, they will bake in. Pour caramel cheesecake on top of plain cheesecake in the pan. Use a small off-set spatula to cover cheesecake if necessary. Baking Place in a preheated 325 degree oven. (Water bath is much preferred but not absolutely necessary.) Bake for about 45 minutes, until edges are cooked and middle of cake has set but still jiggles some when you shake the pan. Storing and Serving Allow cake to cool completely at room temperature, then cover and refrigerate. Or, you can freeze. When you are ready to serve, use overhanging flaps of foil to remove from the pan. Use a hot knife to trim the edges and then cut bars or squares in the size you desire. Keywords: Dessert, Cake, American, Brownies/Bars ( RG1277 )

Lemon Cheesecake A Lemon Cheesecake modify by replacing a bit of the cream and lemon juice with another puree to make different flavours. But remember the gelatine sets this much. It's a big recipe think its a 12" loose based 2" high about 16 healthy portions lb Cream Cheese lb Cottage Cheese T Water Leaves Bronze Gelatine Lemons (4 zest on Grater, 8 juice) pt Double Cream Egg Whites oz Caster Sugar Biscuits and Butter for base(Shortbread/Digestives) Make base crushed biscuits with melted butter, place in tin pressing down with spoon not to much butter just enough to bind, should be like wet sand and set in fridge. Blend cheeses together until smooth, whilst gelatine is soaking in additonal water. When cheese is smooth incorparate the cream slowly if this helps make the cheese smooth (more so if your doing this all by hand) Whisk egg whites with sugar until firm whilst doing this, bring lemon juice and zest to boil(If using a puree only use a little bit and add the rest where the cream goes!) with 4 Tbsp of water dissolve drained gelatine in this dont boil just melt. Add gelatine mix when cool not cold, fold in egg whites the more gentle you are the lighter the cheesecake but mix in egg whites. Pour onto base and then fridge until set. Keywords: Dessert, Intermediate, Cheese, Cake ( RG1263 )

Cameo Cake Serves 12 as Dessert. This cake recipe was given to me by a neighbor who asked me to make it for him. Cake 1-1/2 c butter 3/4 c water 4 oz white chocolate, chopped 1-1/2 c buttermilk 4 large eggs, lightly beaten 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract 3-1/2 c all-purpose flour, divided 1 c chopped pecans, toasted 2-1/4 c sugar 1-1/2 tsp baking soda White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting 4 oz white chocolate, chopped 11 oz cream cheese, softened 1/3 c butter, softened 6-1/2 c sifted powdered sugar 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1 T bourbon (optional Yield: 8 cups cake batter Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour 3 9-inch cake pans. Bring butter and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Stir until chocolate melts. Add in buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Set aside. Toss 1/2 cup flour with toasted pecans to coat. Set aside. Whisk or sift together remaining flour, sugar, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add white chocolate mixture, stirring just until combined. Fold in pecans. (Batter will be thin). Pour into pans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool cakes on wire rack 10 minutes before removing from pans. Cool completely on wire rack. Frosting: Melt white chocolate in a large bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir frequently and remove from heat while there are still a few chunks left. Residual heat will melt the remaining bits. Cool 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Beat the cream cheese and butter together with an electric mixer until creamy and smooth. Gradually add the melted white chocolate, beating constantly. Slowly add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Stir in vanilla and bourbon (if using). Assembly: Spread frosting between cake layers and on top and sides of cake. Garnish as desired. Store in refrigerator. Keywords: Intermediate, Cake, Chocolate, Dessert ( RG1246 )

Texas Sheet Cake (full fat version) Serves 24. For an even more chocolate-y cake, substitute some black cocoa for some of the regular cocoa. I use regular cocoa, not Dutch process. A heaping tablespoon is more full than rounded, but don’t try to beat any world’s records for most cocoa on the spoon. Just fluff the cocoa and dip in the spoon. A very quick dessert for a crowd, and freezes well if you need to. Cake: 2 c flour 2 c sugar 1/4 tsp salt 1 c unsalted butter 3 heaping tablespoons cocoa 1 c water 2 eggs 1/2 c buttermilk 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp vanilla Frosting: 1/2 c unsalted butter 6 T whole milk 2 heaping T. cocoa 1 1-lb. box powdered sugar 1 tsp vanilla Cake: In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar and salt using a whisk. In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, bring to a boil the butter, cocoa and water. In a small bowl, beat the eggs, buttermilk, soda and vanilla. Slowly pour the hot mixture into the sifted ingredients while stirring. Now beat in the egg mixture, only until well combined. Batter will be very thin. Pour into a buttered pan (I use vegetable spray) measuring 10 x 15 x 1. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 375 degrees, or until a tester comes out clean. While the cake is baking, make the frosting. Combine butter, milk and cocoa in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil, constantly stirring. Off heat, add about 2/3 of the powdered sugar and the vanilla. Beat with an electric hand beater until it is smooth, adding powdered sugar until mixture thickens. You will not need the entire box. When the cake comes out of the oven, or within a few minutes of that time, give the frosting one more beat in case a skin has formed. Pour the frosting all over the hot cake and spread evenly. Keywords: Dessert, Brownies/Bars, Easy, American, Chocolate, Cake ( RG1231 )

Texas Sheet Cake Serves 16 as Dessert. This recipe is based on a Cooking Light recipe. It's not very light, though! I use butter instead of margarine, and whole or 2% milk in the frosting. I also like to increase the cinnamon to 1 1/2 tsp. Cake Cooking Spray 2 tsp all-purpose flour 2 c all-purpose flour 2 c sugar 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp salt 3/4 c water 1/2 c butter or stick margarine 1/4 c cocoa 1/2 c buttermilk 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 large eggs Icing 6 T butter or stick margarine 1/3 c fat-free milk 1/4 c cocoa 3 c powdered sugar 1/4 c chopped pecans, toasted 2 tsp vanilla extract Preheat oven to 375°. For the cake, coat a 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan with cooking spray, and dust with 2 teaspoons flour. Set prepared pan aside. Combine 2 cups flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Combine water, butter, and cocoa in a small saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; pour into flour mixture. Beat in mixer at medium speed until well-blended. Add buttermilk, vanilla, and eggs; beat well. Pour batter into prepared pan; bake for 17 minutes or until done. While cake bakes, prepare icing. Place cake in pan on a wire rack. To prepare the icing, combine butter, milk, and cocoa in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and gradually stir in powdered sugar, pecans, and vanilla. Spread over hot cake. Cool completely on wire rack. Note: You can also make this recipe in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Bake at 375º for 22 minutes. Keywords: Chocolate, Dessert, Cake ( RG1229 )