The Ultimate Devil's Food Cake with Cream Filling and Fudgy Frosting Note from Cheri: One of our reader's requested we post a Devil's Food Cake Recipe. Here's my favorite. It's been a popular request of my friends and family for years, especially at birthdays and special occasions. I don't call it "the ultimate cake" lighty. It's three layers high, filled with whipped cream and topped with an ultra rich frosting that is almost like eating fudge! A hedonistically decadent chocolate cake! Cake 1 cup unsalted butter 2 1/2 C sugar 2 C boiling water 1 C cocoa powder 4 eggs 1 T vanilla extract 2 3/4 cups flour or cake flour 2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt Filling 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar 2 T vanilla extract Frosting 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate 2 oz. bittersweet chocolate 1 cup unsalted butter 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream 3 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar Makes a triple layer nine inch cake Pre-heat oven to 350°F.Grease and flour 3 - 9 inch cake pans. Mix cocoa and boiling water, stir until smooth, set aside to cool. Sift dry ingredients together, set aside. In a large bowl beat butter sugar, eggs and vanilla together. Alternately beat in the dry ingredients and the chocolate mixture. Beat just until blended, do not overmix. Pour batter into the three greased pans and bake for abour 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove cakes from oven and allow them to set for 3-5 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting. Prepare filling by beating together cream, confectioner's sugar and vanilla until stiff. Set aside Prepare frosting by melting the butter and chocolates together over low heat. Stir in the cream and mix until smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and place it in a large bowl filled with ice. Using an electric hand held mixer or a whisk (trust me, the electric mixer will be much easier), beat in the confectioner's sugar until the frosting holds a stiff shape. Chill. Before you put the cake together, make sure that everything has completely cooled. Divide the filling in two and spread it between the layers. Frost sides and top with the choclate icing. Don't worry if some of the filling oozes out the sides while you are frosting them, just mix it into the frosting.
Whoopee Pies/Devil Dogs Note from Cheri: A perennial bake sale favorite, Whoopee Pies or Devil Dogs (the only real difference is the shape) make wonderful lunchbox treats, especially because you can make them ahead of time, individually wrap and freeze them. I have fond childhood memories of Whoopee Pies and, judging from the reactions of the people I served the test batches to, so do a lot of folks. My business partner, who rarely goes for sweets, wolfed down an entire plate of these portable little cakes. Cakes 2 C flour 1/2 C cocoa 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 1 C sugar 1/2 C vegetable shortening 1 C milk 2 tsp. vanilla extract Filling 1/2 C butter 7 1/2 oz. jar marshmallow creme 3/4 C confectioner's sugar 1/4 C vegetable shortening 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract Makes about 20 Whoopee Pies Preheat oven to 350° F and lightly grease two baking sheets or line them with parchment paper. Combine dry ingredients except sugar and set aside. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the sugar and shortening for about 2-3 minutes, until well blended and fluffy. With mixer at medium-low speed, alternate gradually adding the flour mixture and the milk, starting and ending with the flour mixture and mixing well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla until well blended. For Whoopee Pies, drop the batter by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the mounds about 2 inches apart. For Devil Dogs, use the spoon and drop the batter into a small oblong shape, like a hot dog bun, about3 inches long. Regardless of the shape, you will be making small crème filled sandwiches out of the cooled cakes. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the cakes spring back when touched. Use a spatula to transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool completely. To Make Filling Combine all filling ingredients in large bowl and stir to combine, then beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. To Assemble Spread about a tablespoon of filling on the underside of one cake and top with a second cake. Store in a tightly covered container, or individually wrap in plastic wrap.
Warm Dark Chocolate Cake Note from Cheri: These rich individual cakes are best served warm, right out of the oven. They have a soft, rich, chocolatey center that's hard to resist. The batter can be made a day or even two ahead of time and popped in the oven a few minutes before you're ready to serve dessert. 6 oz. dark chocolate, chopped 1 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate 1/2 cup butter 2 eggs 2 egg yolks 1/3 cup sugar 1/2 cup plus 3 T flour whipped cream for garnish Makes 6 1/2 cup cakes Pre-heat oven to 350°F.Butter 6 1/2 cup souffle or custard cups. Melt butter and chocolate in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cool to lukewarm. Whisk eggs, yolks and sugar in top of a double boiler set over simmering water (do not allow bottom pot to touch water). Whisk for 2-3 minutes or just until warm to the touch. Remove top of double boiler. Using an electric mixer, beat egg mixture until very thick and pale yellow (about five minutes) Fold chocolate mixture into egg mixture. Sift flour over batter and fold flour into batter until well mixed. Divide batter between the prepared dishes. Bake for about fifteen minutes. Edges of cake should be set, but a cake tester should come out with wet batter attached to it. Serve immediately with whipped cream. NOTE: You can prepare batter up to two days ahead of time, cover the individual batter filled souffle or custard cups with plastic wrap and bake them just before serving. Simply add 4-5 minutes to the baking time for the cold batter.
Trifle - One Easy Recipe, Endless Possibilities Note from Cheri: My trifle recipe is a lifesaver when you have to feed a crowd. Using cake and custard mixes, it's fast and easy to make, it looks spectacular layered in a large glass bowl, and everyone (and I do mean everyone) loves it. There is never any leftovers and even people who don't normally eat dessert have been seen chowing down on huge bowls. A traditional English dessert consisting of layers of cake doused in some sort of alcohol, usually sherry, then layered with jam and custard, I've played with the original trifle theme quite a bit, as you'll see in the variations below. While sherry is the traditional spirit to add to trifle, you can also use brandy, rum or other liqueurs. You can just as easily eliminate alcohol entirely, the recipe is still delicious! Since this is a "quick and easy" recipe, it uses your choice of cake mix (suggestions below) and pudding or custard mix. That said, I must put my two cents in and say that, in my opinion, Bird's Dessert Mix -- made in England and imported in the US by Kraft -- is by far the best you can use. I have no connection with the Bird's company, nor am I getting paid to say this, it's just that I've tried lots of other brands of custards and nothing comes close to Bird's. You can usually find it in most well stocked grocery stores. The Basic Recipe 1 cake mix 2 packets of custard or pudding mix (see note above) 2 bags, 1 lb. each, frozen fruit or equivalent sliced fresh fruit 1/3 C sugar (more or less to taste) 1 1/2 C heavy cream, whipped (or to save time, use whipped topping) additional fresh fruit for garnish 1/3 C sherry or other liquor (optional) Serves 10-12 Basic Instructions: Prepare cake according to directions on package. Let cool completely. Prepare custard or pudding mix according to package instructions. Let cool completely. Mix fruit with sherry. If you don't want to use alcohol, use a little water or juice instead. You want the fruit to be sitting, but not swimming, in a bit of sweetened juice. Some people like to really soak the cake in the alcohol, then add the fruit on top. I think this can tend to make the cake too soggy, so I prefer less. Whip the cream. To assemble: Trifle is very forgiving, it takes no effort to make it looks great! If you don't have a trifle bowl, use any large glass bowl. It doesn't technically have to be glass, but it looks prettier if it is. You can also make individual servings by placing the layers in large wine goblets. Cut the cakes into large chunks and cover the bottom of your dish with a layer of cake. Top with a layer of prepared fruit, then a layer of custard. Repeat the process until you are out of ingredients or the bowl is full. Top with whipped cream and garnish with fresh fruit. Chill until serving time. To Serve: Simply scoop out servings with a large spoon. Trifle Tips & Variations While a sponge cake is traditional, when a white cake is called for I often like using Angel Food Cake, as it holds up to the fruit without getting soggy. The variations below are just to get you going. I know you'll come up with some of your own as well. Low or No Fat Trifle -- You can make a virtually fat-free trifle by using angel food cake, fat free pudding and low or no fat whipped topping Strawberry Shortcake Trifle -- Yellow or Angel Food Cake, Custard and Strawberries Black Forest Trifle -- Chocolate Cake, Cherry Pie Filling and Custard Chocolate Raspberry Trifle -- Chocolate Cake, Raspberries and Custard Tropical Fruit Trifle -- Angel Food Cake, Mixed Pineapple, Mangos, Papayas, etc. and either Vanilla or Lemon Pudding, Sprinkle top with Toasted Coconut Apples & Cream Trifle -- Yellow or Spice Cake, Apple Pie Filling and Custard Peaches & Cream Trifle -- Angel Food Cake, Sliced Peaches, Optional Alcohol: Peach Schnapps or Brandy Red, White & Blueberry Trifle (my favorite) -- Angel Food Cake, Mixed Strawberries, Raspberries and Blueberries, Custard Raspberry Lemon Trifle -- Yellow or Lemon Cake, Lemon Pie Filling and Raspberries Banana Cream Trifle -- White or Chocolate Cake, Sliced Bananas, Custard
Sweet Potato Cheesecake Note from Cheri: The recipe and text below is reprinted with permission from Holly Clegg's Trim and Terrific Cookbook. This book makes home entertaining easy with lots of great menus, recipes and entertaining tips. Best of all the recipes are all light and healthy (although you wouldn't know it to taste them and neither will your guests). This incredible rich and velvety yam cheesecake with a spiced crust is cheesecake at its best. 1 cup graham cracker crumbs 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice, divided 2 tablespoons margarine, melted 2 packages (8 oz.) reduced-fat cream cheese 1 cup nonfat plain yogurt 1 can (15 oz.) sweet potatoes (yams), drained and mashed, OR 1 cup fresh cooked and mashed yams 1 1/3 cups dark brown sugar 1 large egg 1 large egg white 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Makes 12 Servings Preheat oven to 350°F. In a bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon allspice, and margarine. Pat into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese and yogurt until creamy. Add yams, brown sugar, remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon allspice, beating until smooth. Add egg and egg white one at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla. Spoon mixture into crust. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until set. Remove from oven to cool. Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls Ingredients: 6 cups Powdered Sugar 1 teaspoon Vanilla 2-3 cups Semi-sweet chocolate chips 2-3 squares Unsweetened baking chocolate 2 cups Peanut butter 1 cup Butter Steps: In a double boiler, melt chocolate. In a medium bowl, mix together sugar, butter, peanut butter and vanilla. Dough will be loose. Form 1-2 inch balls from the dough. Dip balls in chocolate with either a toothpick or a fork. Set on wax paper and cool. Makes about 3 dozen
The Best Banana Bread Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups Melted butter 1 3/4 cups Brown sugar 4 Eggs 2 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla 4 cups Flour 1/2 teaspoon Almond extract 1 grated orange rind 1 teaspoon Salt 1/2 teaspoon Soda 3 teaspoons Baking powder 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg 2 teaspoons Cinnamon 2 cups Mashed, ripe bananas (soaked in black coffee) 1 cup each: raisins and chopped walnuts Steps: Beat together butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, almond extract, orange rind, adding eggs one at a time. Then add flour mix (right column) and banana mixture alternately to butter mixture. Mix gently. Then add nuts and raisins. Grease two loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.
Cool 'N Creamy Chocolate Pie Ingredients 1 package (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup HERSHEY'S Chocolate Syrup 1 cup (1/2 pt.) cold whipping cream 1 packaged crumb crust (6 oz.) Sliced fresh fruit (optional) Chocolate curls (optional) Instructions 1. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in medium bowl until well blended. Gradually add HERSHEY'S Chocolate Syrup, beating until smooth. Beat whipping cream until stiff. Carefully fold into chocolate mixture. Pour into crust. 2. Cover; freeze until firm, about 3 hours. Just before serving, garnish with fruit and chocolate curls, if desired. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Our Gal Sundae Pie Ingredients MACAROON NUT CRUST (recipe follows) 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1/2 teaspoon salt 2-1/4 cups milk 1/2 cup HERSHEY'S Chocolate Syrup 3 egg yolks, well beaten 2 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Sweetened whipped cream (optional) Maraschino cherries (optional) 1 HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate Bar (1.55 oz.), broken into pieces (optional) Instructions 1. Prepare MACAROON NUT CRUST. 2. Stir together brown sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt in medium saucepan. Gradually stir in milk, HERSHEY'S Chocolate Syrup and egg yolks until blended. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils; boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla. 3. Pour mixture into prepared crust; place plastic wrap directly on surface. Cool on wire rack; refrigerate 6 to 8 hours. Just before serving, garnish with whipped cream, cherries and candy pieces, if desired. Cover; refrigerate leftover pie. Makes 8 servings. MACAROON-NUT CRUST: Heat oven to 350°F. Stir together 1-1/4 cups coconut macaroon cookie crumbs (use purchased hard coconut macaroon cookies), 1/2 cup chopped walnuts and 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter in medium bowl. Press firmly onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch pie plate. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely.
Marbled Mocha Squares Ingredients 1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted 1 tbsp coffee, brewed 1 tbsp instant coffee granules 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Chocolate Syrup 1 cup HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (8500 or 4000 count) 2 cups whipping cream, whipped 2 tbsp additional HERSHEY'S Chocolate Syrup Instructions 1. Mix together cookie crumbs and butter; press firmly on bottom of 9-inch square pan. 2. In large bowl, dissolve coffee granules in brewed coffee. 3. Add sweetened condensed milk and 2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Chocolate Syrup; blend well. 4. Fold in HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips and whipped cream; pour into prepared pan. 5. Drizzle 2 tablespoons HERSHEY'S Chocolate Syrup over surface. Marble surface by gently drawing knife through HERSHEY'S Chocolate Syrup. 6. Cover; freeze 6 hours or until firm. 7. Cut into squares; garnish as desired. 8. Serve immediately.
