Suzy Q Cake

For cake
18 1/4 ounces devil's food cake mix
1 1/4 cups water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
Filling
1 cup whole milk
5 tablespoons flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup Crisco shortening
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla, clear is best
powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

In a large mixing bowl, beat together cake mix, water, vegetable oil and eggs until smooth.
Pour into a greased and floured 13" x 9" pan and bake according to the package directions.
When cake is cooled, remove from pan to flat surface and cut cake in half horizontally.
To prepare filling, cook flour and milk in a saucepan over low heat until thickened; whisking often. Cool mixture COMPLETELY in refrigerator.
While heated mixture cools, beat together sugar, Crisco, salt and vanilla. Add to cooled flour/milk mixture and beat until smooth and creamy.
Spread filling on 1 half of cake. Place other half of cake on top and sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

Vanilla-Fudge Marble Cake


* 3/4 cup butter, softened
* 2 eggs
* 2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1-1/2 cups sugar
* 2 teaspoons vanilla
* 1-1/4 cups buttermilk or sour milk*
* 2/3 cup chocolate-flavored syrup
* Semisweet Chocolate Icing (see recipe below)




1. Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grease and lightly flour a 10-inch fluted tube pan. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

2. In large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on low to medium speed about 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low to medium speed 1 minute after each addition and scraping bowl frequently. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Reserve 2 cups batter. Turn remaining batter into prepared pan.

3. In small mixing bowl combine chocolate-flavored syrup and reserved 2 cups batter. Beat on low speed until well combined. Pour chocolate batter over vanilla batter in pan. Do not mix.

4. Bake in a 350 degree F oven about 50 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes on wire rack. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack. Drizzle cake with Semisweet Chocolate Icing. Makes 12 servings.

*Note: For sour milk, place 4 teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar in a measuring cup. Add enough milk to equal 1-1/4 cups.

Semisweet Chocolate Icing: In small saucepan heat 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate pieces, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon light-colored corn syrup, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla over low heat, stirring until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Use immediately.

Toll House Carrot Cake

2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 3/4 cups shredded carrots
1 8oz can crushed juice-packed pineapple
1 cup nuts (chopped)
1 cup Nestle Toll House semi-sweet chocolate mini-morsels
1 1/4 cups sugar
as needed chopped nuts for garnish
as needed Creamy White Frosting


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 13x9 inch baking pan. In small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg - set aside. In large mixer bowl, beat sugar, oil, vanilla extract, and eggs until well blended. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in carrots, pineapple, nuts and mini morsels. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 40-50 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely. Spread with creamy white frosting. Garnish with additional nuts.

Tiramisu Cupcake


6 eggs, separated (separate when cold; allow to come to room temp)
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup sugar, divided
3 tablespoon water, room temp
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup sifted, all-purpose flour (measure after sifted)


In large mixing bowl at high speed, beat egg whites with cream of tartar
until foamy. Add half of the sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating
constantly until sugar is dissolved and whites are glossy and stand in soft
peaks. Rub just a bit of meringue between thumb and forefinger to feel if
sugar has dissolved.

In small mixing bowl at high speed, beat egg yolks until thick and
lemon-colored, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually beat in remaining sugar,
water, vanilla and salt (if desired) until blended.

With a sifter or sprinkle flour with a sieve over whites. Add beaten yolk
mixture. Gently, but thoroughly, fold yolk mixture and flour into whites.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 10-15
min or until done.

Espresso Syrup

1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar 2/3 cup water 5 teaspoons espresso powder

In a small, heavy saucepan over high heat, combine the water, the remaining
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar and the espresso or coffee powder. Bring to a
boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool.

Use a fork to poke a few holes into cupcakes so that they will absorb
liquid. Pour approximately ½-1 teaspoon of syrup onto each cupcake.

Frosting

3 c mascarpone
1 c confectioner’s sugar
1/4 c marsala wine
3/4 c heavy cream, chilled

In a medium bowl using an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat together
the mascarpone cheese, confectioner’s sugar and marsala until well blended.
Add the cream and beat until fluffy, about 1 minute.

Frost cupcakes with mascarpone whipped cream mixture. Dust tops with cocoa powder.

Alaskan Blueberry Coffee Cake


1 1/2 c All-purpose flour
3/4 c Sugar
2 1/2 ts Baking powder
1 ts Salt
1/4 c Vegetable oil
3/4 c Milk
1 Egg
1-1/2 c Blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/3 c All-purpose flour
1/2 c Brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 ts Cinnamon (or more to taste)
1/4 c Firm butter (1/2 stick)

In a medium mixing bowl, blend together 1-1/2 cups flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, oil, milk, egg and 1 cup blueberries. Beat thoroughly for 30 seconds and spread in a greased round 9x1-1/2-inch pan or an 8x8x2-inch pan.

Combine 1/3 cup flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter. Sprinkle over batter and top with the remaining berries. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until done. Don't overbake. Serve warm with butter or honey.

Serves 8