DECEMBER 2013 NEWSLETTER

Lemon Olive Oil Cake
From Olives & Oranges
slow-cook recipe/Makes 10 servings

Versions of this simple cake are made all over Italy, to be eaten at breakfast with coffee or tea. Similar to pound cake, it differs mainly in that the fat used is olive oil instead of butter, which, surprisingly, results in a cake with an even richer and more unctuous character. yogurt adds a subtle tang. Use your best extra-virgin olive oil here.

Flavor tip:Whether you are baking or making a sauce or salad dressing, capture the flavorful oil that lies just beneath the peel of a lemon, lime, or orange by zesting the citrus directly into the bowl with the other ingredients.

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
Finely grated zest of 3 lemons
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Put oven rack in center position and heat oven to 325* F. Lightly oil a 9-inch springform pan.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

With an electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar in a large bowl on high speed for 5 minutes, or until pale and thick. Add yogurt and zest; beat to combine. With mixer on medium speed, add oil in a quick, steady stream. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture just until blended. Whisk batter by hand to make sure that all ingredients are incorporated.

Pour batter into pan. Bake, rotating pan once, until cake is golden, center springs back to the touch, and edges pull away from pan, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pan for a minute or two on rack, then release from pan and let cool completely on rack before slicing.

Place a doily on top of inverted cake and dust lightly with confectioner's sugar. Remove doily before serving.

My notes:
Can also use orange zest from 3 lemon-sized oranges rather than lemon, and add a glaze of 10x sugar and OJ.
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Mississippi Mud Cake
2 sticks butter, melted (1 cup)
1/2 cup dry cocoa
4 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups All-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups pecans, chopped
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
Topping:
small bag miniature marshmallows (enough to cover cake)
1 box confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup cocoa
1 stick butter, melted (1/2 cup)
Cake: Mix together butter and cocoa, add eggs and sugar to butter and cocoa mixture. Blend flour, pecans, vanilla and salt into above mixture. Bake 35 minutes at 350 in a 13x9 greased pan. Cover with miniature marshmallows and place in oven to melt marshmallows.
Combine powdered sugar, 1/2 cup milk, 1/3 cup cocoa and 1/2 cup melted butter. Spread over cake while warm.
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Momma's favorite that I made for her numerous times.

Italian Cream Cake
Ingredients:
•2 cups flour
•1 teaspoon baking soda
•1 teaspoon salt
•1/2 cup shortening
•1/2 cup butter
•2 cups sugar
•6 egg yolks
•1 teaspoon vanilla
•1 cup buttermilk
•1-1/2 cup flaked coconut, lightly toasted
.1 cup toasted pecans
•6 eggs whites
•---
•Frosting:
•12 ounces cream cheese, softened
•1-1/2 pound powdered sugar
•1/2 cup butter, softened
•1 Tablespoon vanilla
•1-1/2 cups chopped pecans, lightly toasted,divided
.1-1/2 cups toasted coconut, divided
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 4 9-inch round cake pans.
With a wire whisk combine flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream shortening, butter and sugar. Stir in vanilla. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time.
Flour mixture is added alternately with buttermilk. Stir in coconut & pecans. Beat egg whites until stiff.
Gently fold whites into cake batter. Pour into prepared pans. Bake 25 minutes.
Cool cake layers in pans for 5 minutes. Remove to cool completely on racks.
Blend together cream cheese, butter. Add powdered sugar a little at a time.
Stir in vanilla, 1 cup pecans & 1 cup coconut. Place bottom layer on serving plate.  Ice with 1/4 of frosting.
Top with next layer.Repeat until top layer.  Ice sides of cake with half of remaining icing.
Frost top of cake with last of the frosting. Sprinkle remaining nuts & coconut all over the cake.
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Chocolate Cake
Cake
1 cup of cocoa,
2 cups of boiling water,
2 sticks of butter,
2 1/2 cups of sugar,
4 eggs,
2 3/4 cups of all purpose flour,
2 teaspoons of baking soda,
1/2 teaspoos baking powder,
1/2 teaspoon salt
and 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla
Mix cocoa and water in a bowl and set aside. cream butter. gradually add sugar to butter.
add eggs 1 at a time. mixing well after each additon.
In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients. Alternate mixing dry ingredients and cocoa mixture.
add vanilla. bake at 350
Icing
1 stick of butter, 2/3 cups of hershey cocoa, 3 cups of powdered sugar, 1/3 cup of milk
Melt butter. add cocoa. alternating, add milk and sugar
Pour over warm cake.
A lady at our church in Hanceville, AL always made this moist, delicious cake...adding 1 cup
 chopped black walnuts to the frosting
from her trees. Delish!!! circa 1975
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Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Look no further for the perfect pound cake recipe. This traditional cake is extra-rich because
of the cream cheese and always in style.
Southern Living NOVEMBER 2001
Yield: 1 (10-inch) cake
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups butter or margarine, softened
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened ***MY CHANGES (3 0z. cream cheese, softened)
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
***MY CHANGES ( 1 cup finely chopped pecans)
Preparation
Beat butter and cream cheese ( 8 oz. & 3oz.) at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy;
gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until combined.
Combine flour and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed
just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
Grease and flour 10-inch Bundt pan.
Sprinkle bottom with finely chopped pecans.
Bake at 300° for 1 hour and 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan, and let cool completely on wire rack.
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STRAWBERRY PECAN CAKE
1 box white cake mix
1 small box strawberry gelatin
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
4 eggs
1 cup frozen strawberries, chopped
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
Mix cake mix and jello; add oil, milk, and eggs. Beat until smooth. Fold in
remaining ingredients. Grease and flour 3 (9 in) cake pans. Bake at 350 for
20-25 minutes. Cool on wire rack.
Icing:
1 stick butter
1 lb. confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup drained strawberries
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup coconut
Cream butter and sugar; add other ingredients. Frost between layers, sides and
top. Can be garnished with additional coconut and pecans.
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COCA COLA CAKE
Requested by an online friend from New Jersey....this is the version that I make from using the 1982 & 1988 versions
from Telephone Pioneers Calling All Cooks & Calling All Cooks two
Cake:
2 sticks butter (1 cup)
1/2 cup oil
3 Tbsp. cocoa
1 cup coca-cola
1/2 cup miniature marshmallows
2 cups sugar
2 cups plain all-purpose four
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs added 1 at a time
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Mix butter, oil, cocoa & cola in a large boiler; bring to a boil. Add marshmallows, remove from heat. Stir in sugar, flour and soda. Mix well. Add
buttermilk, eggs & vanilla, mix well. Pour into 13x9 greased pan. Bake in preheated 350 oven for 35 minutes.
Icing:
1/3 cup coca-cola
1 stick butter
2 Tbsp. cocoa
1 box confectioner's sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
Bring cola, butter & cocoa to boil. Add other ingredients, stirring well. Pour over warm cake.
Hi Everyone!

Happy December!!!! Looking forward to wonderful holidays in our new home and spending time with family and friends. Wishing holiday
blessings for each of you...days filled with love, laughter & merriment, surrounded by family and friends.

Choose your words carefully, radiate & express your feelings from your heart...refrain from harsh statements that you will regret.

Hugs,

Paula aka mecookin
Food for Thought:

SPOKEN WORDS
by Paula 2001
Our spoken words bring joy, love, happiness, and smiles to those around us...
Yet underlying meanings and interpretations of the same spoken words...
Bring sorrow, hate, sadness, and frowns to those around us...
Little words when taken wrong or spoken incorrectly can destroy relationships...
Many things are better left unsaid, letting our actions express our feelings...
Spoken words are often received as daggers; piercing the depths of hearts and
souls...
Never to be forgotten and many times never to be forgiven...
Let your life radiate through your actions giving joy, love, happiness and
smiles to those around you...
Building relationships, expressing your feelings,
Striving to radiate the positive and keeping
those negative thoughts and words within...
Then a life most beautiful will be remembered...
not forgotten...
As a friend that didn't always have to be forgiven...