Christmas Swiss Roll

Christmas Swiss Roll

INGREDIENTS

For the Cake

    5 large eggs, separated
    6 tablespoons granulated sugar
    2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
    1/2 cup blanched ground almonds
    1/2 teaspoon vanilla
powdered sugar for rolling

For the Filling

    1 cup heavy cream
    1 tablespoon sugar
    1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS

Make the Cake

Preheat oven to 325F and line a 8×12-inch baking pan with parchment, well-buttered. 

In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks until light, add the granulated sugar gradually, and continue beating. Beat in the melted chocolate. Mix in the almonds and vanilla. 

In a separate mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff, then fold them into the batter. Spoon into a your prepared baking pan. 

Bake about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Turn out on a sheet of waxed paper dusted with the powdered sugar, and roll up while it is hot (see video, below). 

Start on the short end if you want a shorter, fatter cake, or on the long end if you want a longer, thinner cake. Cool.

Make the Filling

Beat the cream until stiff; fold in the sugar and vanilla.

Assemble the Roll

Unroll the cooled cake, spread with the cream and roll it again. Cake must be thoroughly cool or your frosting will melt. Allow cake to stand in the refrigerator until thoroughly chilled. Serve in slices. This cake should be served the day it is made.

Decorate as desired

Source: www.christmas-cookies.com/recipes/christmas-cakes/chocolate-swiss-roll/

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Sundaes

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Sundaes

Quickly warm pineapple in butter and brown sugar, then spoon the softened fruit over crumbled pound cake and dulce de leche ice cream.

Ingredients
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped pineapple or canned pineapple tidbits (juice pack), drained
1 pint dulce de leche or vanilla ice cream
1/4 of a 10 3/4-ounce loaf frozen pound cake, thawed and coarsely crumbled and, if desired, toasted*
Whipped cream
4 maraschino cherries with stems

Directions
In a small heavy skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar, honey and cinnamon. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Add pineapple. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes more or until heated through. Remove from heat.
Scoop ice cream into four dishes. Top with crumbled cake, warm pineapple mixture, whipped cream and a cherry. Serve immediately.
Tip

* To toast pound cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees . Spread crumbled pound cake pieces on a 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes or until lightly toasted.

SOURCE: www.midwestliving.com/recipe/pineapple-upside-down-cake-sundaes/

Dirt Cake

Dirt Cake Ingredients:

1 lb. package of Oreo cookies
1 8-oz. package of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
3 cups milk
1 12-oz. tub of Cool Whip
2 3 1/2-oz. packages of instant chocolate or vanilla pudding
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Gummy worms
Plastic flowers

Directions:
In a blender, crush Oreos into a powder. Place 1/3 of the crushed Oreos into a new, clean flower pot or small plastic beach bucket (if your pot has a hole in the bottom, you will need to plug it up first). Set aside. Combine butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix, and fold the Cool Whip into the pudding. Fold the pudding mixture into butter and cream cheese mixture. Layer 1/2 of the mixture over the crushed cookies in the pot. Cover the pudding mixture with 1/3 of the crushed cookies, then add the rest of the pudding mixture. Push a few gummy worms partway into the pudding mixture and top with the remaining cookie crumbs.

Chill in refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours. Before serving, “plant” a few plastic flowers and/or fresh mint sprigs in the soil. You may want to serve it with a new, clean garden trowel or plastic shovel.

Source: http://farmersalmanac.com/food/recipes/2010/09/24/dirt-cake/

Banana Pudding Poke Cake

I saw this recipe floating around Facebook last week and plan on making it soon. YUM!

BANANA PUDDING POKE CAKE

INGREDIENTS:
1 box yellow cake mix (& ingredients to make cake)
2 box (small) instant banana pudding
4 c milk
8 oz whipped topping
20 vanilla wafers, crushed
sliced bananas

1 Follow the direction on the cake mix box to prepare the actual cake. Prepare it in a 9 x 13" pan. When golden, remove from over and let cool for a few minutes.

2 When just slightly cooled, use the end of a wooden spoon (the handle end) to poke holes into the baked cake. Make the holes big enough for the pudding to seep into and go deep enough with the spoon that you hit the bottom of the pan.

3 Next, prepare your pudding mixture. Combine your 4 cups of milk and the instant pudding mix; whisk until there are no lumps.

4 Pour the pudding mixture over the entire cake, taking care to get it into all the holes. Use the spoon to help really get it into the cake and spread evenly.

5 Refrigerate for approximately two hours... or until set. Top with whipped topping, crushed vanilla wafers and sliced banana! Serve and enjoy. (Refrigerate any leftovers.)

A Few of My Favorite Things: Cake

Today's Blogging A to Z Challenge, with my theme of "A Few of My Favorite Things",  is all about the letter "C".

My most favorite cake is Mississippi Mud Cake and my mother used to make the best one ever.  Mississippi Mud Cake is very rich and I can only eat one piece.  But it is oh so yummy.  I don't have mom's recipe but about a year ago I found a similar recipe at www.food.com.

                                                                          Source: food.com viaShannon on Pinterest

Mississippi Mud Cake

Cake
1 cup butter
1/2 cup cocoa
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs , slightly beaten
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 dash salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups pecans (optional)
4 cups mini marshmallows

Chocolate frosting
1 (16 ounce) package powdered sugar , sifted
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup cocoa
1/4 cup softened butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch pan. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the cocoa and stir. Remove from the heat. Pour butter mixture into a mixing bowl and add sugar and eggs. Mix until blended. Add the vanilla. Mix in the flour and salt.Stir in the pecans. Put batter into prepared pan and cook for 35 minutes or until done.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with marshmallows. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

For the frosting: Combine all of the ingredients and mix until smooth. Spread frosting on cooled cake. If your frosting is too thick, add more milk.

Dump Cake

My mom used to make this for my brother, dad and I...many, many years ago. She didn't always add the pecans and would sometimes use walnuts instead of pecans.

Ingredients:
1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple with juice, undrained
1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling
1 package yellow cake mix
1 cups chopped pecans
½ cup butter

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13x9 inch pan.

In pan, add pineapple with juice and spread evenly in the pan. Next add in the pie filling and spread evenly. Sprinkle cake mix evenly over cherry layer. Dot the top of the mixture with butter. Sprinkle chopped pecans on top (before baking or after baking).

Bake about 50 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

A Different Kind of Cake

Cake Ingredients:
Vegetable oil spray for misting pan
1 package (18.25 oz. plane devil’s food cake mix
1 1/3 cups water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs

Topping Ingredients:
1 jar (8 oz) caramel topping
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
4 Butterfinger candy bars (2.1 oz size), each crushed
1 container (12 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, at room temperature

Place a rack in center of oven and preheat to 350. Lightly mist 13×9 inch baking pan with veg. oil spray. Place cake mix, water, oil and eggs in a large mixing bowl and beat on low speed 1 minute. Scrape down sides and beat 2 minutes more at medium speed. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 35-38 minutes, until cake springs back and just starts to pull away from side of pan. Immediately poke holes in the top of the cakes with drinking straw or chopstick.

Prepare the topping. Place the caramel topping and sweetened condensed milk in a small bowl and stir to combine. Spoon this mixture over the warm cake so that it can seep down into the holes. Measure out half of the crushed candy bars and sprinkle the pieces over the cake. Place the whipped topping and cream cheese in large mixing bowl and blend with electric mixer on low speed until smooth and combined, 1 minute. Spread the mixture over the top of the candy. Sprinkle the remaining candy pieces on top. Place the pan, uncovered, in the refrigerator to chill the cake for about 20 minutes before cutting it into squares and serving.

Store this cake, covered in waxed paper, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Earthquake Cake

1 C. coconut
1 C. chopped pecans
1 box German Chocolate Cake Mix
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 stick margarine melted

Grease and flour a 9×13 pan. Spread coconut and pecans on the bottom. Mix cake mix according to package directions. Pour over pecans and coconut.

Melt butter, add cream cheese and powdered sugar. Mix well. Spread over cake. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until done.

Black Forest Dump Cake

Black Forest Dump Cake

1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple
1 (21 oz) can cherry pie filling
1 (18.5 oz) pkg. Devil’s Food Cake Mix
1 C. chopped pecans
1/2 C. butter or margarine melted
whipped topping

Drain pineapple, reserving liquid. Spread pineapple in lightly greased 9×13 pan. Spread pie filling over pineapple. Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over pie filling. Top with pecans. Combine melted butter with the reserved pineapple juice. Drizzle over mixture in pan. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. Cut into squares. Top with whipped topping.

Fun Cake

Fun Cake

2 packages lady fingers
24 ounces cream cheese
1 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 pints sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon almond extract
1 (20 ounce) can cherry pie filling

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line the sides of one 10-inch spring form pan with lady fingers then line the bottom with lady fingers, cutting lady fingers, if necessary.

Cream the cream cheese and sugar together. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in the extracts and fold in the sour cream. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Cover tops of lady fingers with foil.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 50 to 60 minutes, until almost set in the middle. Remove cake from oven and let stand for 1/2 hour, then remove sides of pan. Place in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before serving. Top with fresh/canned fruit/s of your choice