St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake

Can the real Gooey Butter Cake please stand up.

To tell you the truth, there is so many different recipes for gooey butter cake out there, it is hard to say if you have the REAL one. The key is find the one that you believe is the closest one to it. But, more importantly, the one recipe that  you love to eat. A very popular and good recipe for gooey butter cake, uses a cake mix for the base with a gooey sweet cream cheese topping. I like that recipe and I have made it several times. And, it gets eaten every time. I just wanted a more traditional old fashioned gooey butter cake recipe.

So, as any crazy recipe loving baker would do, I started searching for the ONE recipe. One that I would be happy to bake for others. One that I would love baking. Most importantly, one that I love eating. (the three important ones)

I knew I was as close as I was going to get to the ONE recipe, when one of the teachers at my school tried a piece and told me that this recipe tasted just like the gooey butter cake from St. Louis. He should know, they had some baked up and drove the cakes all the way to Georgia to serve at his wedding rehearsal dinner.

If you love the gooey butter cake made from a cake mix, it is ok. I love it too. But, if you want to try a more traditional old fashioned recipe, give this recipe a try.

It might make you stand up and cheer. (or ask for another piece)

Here is what you need to make this delicious cake. You will need some butter, eggs, cream cheese, salt, powdered sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, flour and baking powder.

         

The first thing you need to do is start making the base of the cake. In a microwave safe bowl melt the butter.

         

Add in the sugar and the eggs. Mix the butter mixture together with a whisk.

         

Add in the flour, salt and the baking powder. With  your hands, form the dough into a ball.

         

In a greased 9 by 13 pan, press the dough evenly on the bottom. Now, let’s make the gooey topping. Put the cream cheese into a medium mixing bowl.

         

With a mixer, mix the cream cheese to soften. Now, add the eggs and the vanilla to the cream cheese.

         

With a mixer, mix the cream cheese mixture until smooth.  In a microwave bowl, melt the butter.

         

Add in 4 cups (or 1 one pound box) of powdered sugar. (I save about 4 tablespoon spoons of the sugar to sprinkle on top)  Add in the melted butter.

         

With a mixer, mix in the melted butter and the powdered sugar. Pour the filling onto the bottom cake.

         

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes or until the topping browns slightly. With the saved powdered sugar, dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar using a fine strainer.

This is what mine looked like all sprinkled with powdered sugar. Can you see the gooey topping? This cake slices into beautiful slices

Here is a pictures of warm slices all stacked up ready to be devoured.

How about if I give you the recipe now. : )

Here is the recipe:

Old Fashion St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake

Adapted from Suzanne  Corbett posted on St Charles.patch.com

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 extra large egg or 1 egg and one egg white

Topping

8 ounce package of cream cheese at room temperature

2 extra large eggs or 2 eggs and one yolk

16 ounces powdered sugar

1/2 cup butter

2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 by 13 baking pan.

For the cake:  In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. In another mixing bowl whisk together the sugar, melted butter and egg. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and combine. Spread the combined mixture evenly on the bottom of the baking dish.

For the topping:  Beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Reserve 2 to 3 tablespoons of the powdered sugar to dust cake with later. Add the remaining powdered sugar to the cream cheese along with the melted butter. Mix together with the electric mixer. Pour the topping to top of the cake and spread evenly. Bake for 40 minutes or until top is set and obtains a golden brown crust but it is still gooey and soft. Remove from the oven and cool. When the cake has cooled,  dust with the reserved powdered sugar.

Makes 16 servings.

This picture tempts me to go into the kitchen and make another batch and then hid them all for myself.

Hope this post tempts you to try this recipe for yourself.

Warning! Make two batches one for your family and friends and one for yourself : ).

Enjoy,

Becky

Other post you may enjoy reading:

                             

    Taco Soup                                  Garlic Cheddar Biscuits                  Strawberry Spinach Salad 

 

New Bundt Cake equals New Cake

A week or so ago, Bed Bath and Beyond had a clearance sale on selected items. Who knew that one of the items would include a bundt cake pan.

I could not pass up a bargain and picked up a new bundt cake pan.

I got a new lasagna pan too.

Plus I was able to used a 20% coupon on the clearance items. Yippee!

After my last bundt cake near disaster, I was anxious to try to make a bundt cake again. For those that might have missed my earlier post, “Can This Cake Be Saved,” I blogged about making a bundt cake for a church ladies day. The cake got stuck and broke in two.

Has this ever happened to you?

It kinda makes you want to buy a cake in the bakery department at your local grocery store.

Even though this cake looked like it had been dropped, used as a basketball and a dog nibble on it’s side…. I could not just give up on this recipe…..it really is a wonderfully tasting pound cake.

So…… I went ahead and tried this recipe again.

And Guess What………

My new pan did the trick. The cake came right out of the pan!

Yippee….

Anywho….since I finally had success…I wanted to post this moist and yummy Caramel Apple Pound Cake recipe.

Above is the ingredients that you will need to make the cake. The apples are ones that I picked right off apple trees at Company’s house.

The first thing you need to do is melt the butter. Then pour the butter into the brown and white sugar. Mix together with a mixer until creamed together.

Next, add in the eggs, one at a time, and mix them with the sugars and melted butter.

Then add the vanilla. I love real vanilla!

Now, you can add in the flour, apple pie spice, baking powder and salt. Mix in all the dry ingredients to make a nice cake batter.

One of the changes I made from the first time I made this cake was to dice my apples smaller. So my second cake, the apples were diced smaller.

Now, take your diced apples and add the cinnamon and some brown sugar.

Stir the apples, brown sugar and cinnamon together until the apples are well coated.

With my New bundt cake pan, I sprayed it down the vegetable spray and coated it with flour to help with the release of the cake.

Now the fun begins. You will make layers of cake batter and the diced apples. Take a third of the batter and spread evenly in the prepared pan.

Take half of  your apples and spread over the batter. Did you notice the apples are diced smaller this time?

Add another one third of you batter over the diced apples, and spread the rest of the apples over the batter.

Using the last one third of  you batter, cover the diced apples. Put cake in a preheated 350 degree oven for around 50 minutes.

Bake until a tooth pick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, then loosen the edges of the cake from the pan.

Here is truth time…..will the cake come out of the pan???? Can you hear the drum roll…..?

Yippee…..relief…..success….Can you see the layers of spiced apples and batter? If you do not want to see the layers, do not put the apples all the way to sides of pan, just put the apples in the middle of the batter.

Here is what the inside of the bundt cake pan looked like after the cake came out.

Now, you can cool completely and decorated it with a cream cheese glaze, caramel drizzle and chopped pecans (if you likes nuts). I made the cream cheese icing a little thinner this time around, (by accident) that is why it looks a little different from my first cake.

Here is a close up of a slice of the cake. I would have taken more pictures, but The Princess, Dad, Jeanie Beanie and grand son,  Oldest Daughter who does not cook, Grand girls and Company was waiting on their piece of cake.

Family holding up forks, waiting on their piece of cake, makes me nervous.

Apples are still in season, so it’s not too late to try to make this cake!

Don’t be afraid to try it! Even my broken cake went like  wild fire at the ladies day.

Here is the recipe:

Caramel Apple Pound Cake

Adapted from Southern Lady magazine.

Ingredients for the pound cake:

1 cup sugar

1 and 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar, divided. (I used dark brown sugar and it worked out fine)

1 and 1/2 cups butter, melted

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla (I almost always use real vanilla, it does make a difference)

3 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon apple pie spice (you can make your own too, just use cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger and cardamon)

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups chopped Granny Smith apples.(I used ones I picked right off Company’s apple trees)

2 teaspoons cinnamon.

(You will use caramel ice cream topping in the icing, recipe is below, and to drizzle on the cake. You can also top with chopped nuts.I used pecans because it is my favorite.)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your bundt cake pan. I sprayed mine with vegetable spray and then coated it with flour. In a large bowl, mix together the white and 1 cup of the brown sugar. Add the melted butter and continue mixing until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each egg. Next add the vanilla.

In a separate bowl you will get the dry ingredients together. Combine the flour, baking powder, apple pie spice and salt. Take a whisk and whisk all the dry ingredients together.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the sugar mixture, and mix until the all the ingredients are combined.

In another bowl, combined the chopped apples and the remaining brown sugar and the cinnamon.

Spoon one third of the batter in the prepared bundt pan. Spoon one half of the apples on top of the batter. Be careful not to get too close to the edge of the pan because it may cause the cake to stick. Next, spoon another one third of the bater over the apples and then top with the rest of the apples. Finally, cover the last layer of apples with the rest of the batter.

Place the cake in the preheated over and bake for around 50 minutes or until a wooden pick comes out clean from the middle. Take the cake out of the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan and cool completely on a cooling rack. Top with the Cream Cheese icing and chopped nuts. Drizzle with caramel ice cream topping.

Cream Cheese Icing Recipe

Ingredients:

1–8 ounce package of cream cheese

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup milk (I used skim milk and it was fine)

1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese and powdered sugar. With an electric mixer beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar together until smooth. Next, add the milk and the caramel topping. Mix altogether until smooth. Spread over the top of the cooled pound cake.

 

I am sure you can think of a reason to make this cake!

I have several reasons…..apples, caramel and pecans

Enjoy!

Becky

 

Texas Sheet Cake

Niener Wiener made me do it! Now, Jeanie Beanie wants the recipe…; )

Yes, Niener Wiener was the one that talked me into making Texas Sheet Cakes.

It all started  with a silent auction to raise money for the old cemetery down by The Old Home Place.

Brother Robert made two roasters full of his famous chili, Auntie Corene made her famous pies (which I bought a whole one to take home to the child who does not cook) and I brought two large Texas Sheet Cakes that Company helped me bake the night before.

I don’t know if you have ever made Texas Sheet Cakes before, but they are easy, they feed a crowd and they taste good too! All winners in my book.

You can find several recipes for this cake. One is made with sour cream, one made with buttermilk, one with more eggs, one with more cocoa….YES, it does get a little confusing as to which recipe to use. As I am a creature of habit, I just use the same recipe I have been using for years. It is tried and true and has never let me down. I just put pecans as a decoration on the icing cause the Super Hero does not like nuts, but you can add chopped pecans to the icing, or not use nuts at all. It is up to you….I mean, we really are just eating it for the chocolate…right?

If you need a dessert recipe for a tailgate this weekend, or need a cake to snack on for movie night, you might try making a Texas Sheet Cake. And…you don’t even have to be in Texas to eat it.

Here is your step by step instructions:

First, get your pan ready. You will need a 10 inch by 15 inch sheet cake pan. I used some vegetable shortening and flour to put on the sides and bottom of the pan. Yes, that is Company holding the pan. I did not realize he was such a ham!

Here is what you will need to make this cake. I was so excited that I did not have to buy a thing and had plenty of everything to make two cakes. I forgot to put the milk in the picture…oops my bad!

In a sauce pan bring the cocoa, water and the butter to a boil.

After you bring it to a boil, take it off the heat to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl, add the flour.

Now, add the sugar to the flour.

    

Now, add in the baking soda and the salt.    Stir all the dry ingredients together.

Now, we get to the fun part. Pour the warm cocoa mixture into the flour mixture.

Mix lightly together.

Now, add in the sour cream and lightly mix together until everything is incorporated.

Pour into the prepared sheet cake pan.

Spread batter evenly in pan. Put the cake in a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for about 20 minutes.

While the cake is baking start making the icing.

To make the icing, get out a large sauce pan stir together the butter, milk and cocoa.

      

Stir the cocoa mixture until it comes to a boil and then add the vanilla.

Now, while the mixture is warm, whisk in the powdered sugar. Company is doing the whisking here not me. Whisk in all the powdered sugar, making sure you get all the lumps outs.

While the icing is till hot, pour it over the warm sheet cake. Company had to pour the icing on the cake too….gee…LOL

Spread the icing around while it is still warm to cover all the edges of the cake.

You can decorate the top with pecans halves if you want to.

If you make one, you might as well make two : ).

In case you are wondering, this cake does not contain eggs. If you want a lighter cake, you can add two eggs if you want. The batter will not be quite as thick but it will work : ).

Here is the recipe:

Texas Sheet Cake

Ingredient for the Cake:

2 cups of flour

2 cups of sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup butter

1 cup water

5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder.

Ingredients for the Icing:

6 tablespoons milk

5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup butter

4 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

pecans or walnut optional

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare a jelly roll/sheet cake pan. 10 inches by 15 inches. I coated mine with vegetable shortening then with flour.

In a large sauce pan bring the water, cocoa and butter to a boil. Set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.

Pour in the warm cocoa mixture and blend together.

Add in the sour cream to the batter and mix all together.

Pour batter into greased pan and bake for around 20 minutes.

While the cake is baking prepare your icing.

In a large sauce pan, bring the milk, cocoa and butter to a simmer. Add the vanilla.

With a whisk, whisk in all the powdered sugar until all the lumps are dissolved.

While the icing is sill warm, pour over the warm cake.

Spread the icing out while it is still warm to cover all the edges of sides of the cake.

Decorate with nuts if you wish.

The only question  you need to ask yourself now, is how big you want to cut your piece of cake!

Enjoy!

Becky

 

Strawberry Cake

One of the highlights (at least for me) teaching summer school, is that our school does a Fun Food Friday.

We come up with a theme and all the teachers bring food in to share.

This is a fun time for me to try new recipes and have the teachers try them out.

Teachers eat anything….you know that don’t you? : )

On the first fun food day, I brought in this Strawberry Cake. I found the recipe in a Southern Cake Magazine, and it looked way too good to pass up from trying it out.

There was not a crumb left over from this cake.

I have even been asked by a couple of teachers to make it for them and they will pay me.

Woohoo….money in the bank!

Anywho, before I left for vacation in Branson, I made this cake again for a teacher friend of mine. She is paying me to make it for her Aunt’s birthday party.

How cool is that?

I am always humbled when I get asked to cater something or make a cake. Cooking and baking is just something I love to do.

Now I wish I could say that about cleaning the kitchen.

Below, is a shorten, step by step instructions on how to make this cake.

These are the ingredients you will need to make this show stopping cake.

First thing you need to do is  make the strawberry curd filling. You will need to cook, egg yolks, sugar, corn starch and drained frozen strawberries, until thick. Then add in butter and strawberry extract.

Next,  you need to make the cake batter. Take butter and sugar and cream together. Add vanilla. The alternate flour, baking powder and salt mixture with the buttermilk.

Next whip up 5 egg whites until stiff.

Fold in the egg whites with the cake batter.

This what the cake batter looks like when you get all the egg whites and cake batter folded together.

 

Spread batter evenly in three 9 inch round cake pans and bake till done.

Remove cakes from pans, and cool completely. Then spread strawberry curd on top of the two of the cakes.

This is what it looks like all layered with the strawberry puree filling.

To make the yummy strawberry icing, cream together butter and cream cheese. Add some strawberry peree, extract and powdered sugar.

Now you can spread that yummy frosting

Now, decorate with some cut strawberries.

Then watch it dissapear.

How much would charge if you made this cake for hire?

I would love to know!

I never know how much to charge.

Here is the recipe for this beautiful and deliscious cake.

 Strawberry Cake

Adapted from Southern Cake Magazine

You will need to make a strawberry curd filling, three white cakes and a strawberry frosting.

First make the Strawberry Curd (so it can cool)

Ingredients

1–15.5 ounce package of frozen sliced strawberries in syrup. Please thaw and drain the juice.

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

3 egg yolks

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 cup butter

1 teaspoon strawberry extract

Directions:

In a food processor  or blender, process the drained frozen strawberries. Resever 1/2 cup for the frosting.

In a s heavy sauce mix together sugar and cornstarch. Add puree, egg yolks and lemon juice. Cook until very thick, whisking the mixture all the time. This should take around 8 minutes.

Remove from heat and whisk in butter and strawberry extract. Let mixture cool.

Cake Batter Ingredients:

1 cup butter sofened

2 cups of sugar

1 teaspoon vanill extract

2 and 3/4 cups all purpose flour

2 and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup whole buttermilk

5 egg whites

Directions:

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together (I used my stand mixer) until they are fluffy. Add vanilla and mix together.

In a different bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and alt. Add the flour mixure to the butter mixture, alternating it with the butter milk.

In another bowl, whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.

Fold in the egg whites, a third at a time with the cake batter.

Divide the batter between the three pans and bake until the centers are done. This took around 20 minutes in my oven.

When the cakes are baked, cool on a cooling rack  and remove from pans and cool completely.

Strawberry Frosting Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup of the reseved strawberry puree (it is what you saved from the strawberry curd recipe)

1 teaspoon strawberry extract

6 cups f confectioner’s sugar (I call this powdered sugar)

Directions:

In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese together until it is very smooth. Add the strawberry puree and the strawberry extract, mixing them together with the butter and cream cheese mixture. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, beating until smooth and spreadable.

To Assemble the cake:

              

Spread the strawberry curd on top of one cake. Put a cake on top of it, and spread strawberry curd on the top of the cake. Place the third cake on top of that one. Frost the cake with strawberry frosting. Add a finishing touch of sliced strawberries to the top of the cake.

Here is what the cake looks like all finished.

Tell me how you like this cake!

Here are links to a few other cake recipe you might like to try.

                           

The Best Chocolate Cake                 Dad’s Key Lime Cake                                Banana Bars

Enjoy!

Becky

 

 

You Got Chocolate On My Peanut Butter!

Don’t you love those old commercials?

This cake reminded me of the old Reeces Peanut Butter Cup commercial, “You got chocolate on my peanut butter”.

If you are too young to remember or if you are young at heart, go here to watch it.

I don’t know if there is more chocolate than peanut butter in this cake, or if there is more peanut butter than chocolate.

It is a peanutty question.

I only know it has the PMMF factor. That’s right, the PMMF factor, “Pass Me My Fork.” I really should say the PMMFN factor. “Pass Me My Fork Now,” factor.

It has a rich cake like brownie, baked with peanut butter cups, bottom, filled with a light peanut butter and whipped cream mousse, covered in a decadent ganache and topped with more peanut butter cups, then drizzled with more ganache.

See I told you…..the PMMFN factor.
Allow yourself plenty of time to make this cake. I made the mistake of not starting this cake until 8:30 pm. Also, make sure your dishwasher is empty and ready to fill with all the bowls you will use for this cake.

It will be worth it.

Remember is has the PMMFN factor.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter….together….the perfect romance.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Becky

Here is what you will need, except I forgot to get the eggs in the picture. I was too busy drooling over the peanut butter cups. OOPS

Place the chocolate in a microwave safe dish and very carefully melt the chocolate. In a bowl stir together the flour, salt, baking soda and cocoa.

     

In a mixing bowl, mix together the sugars and butter together until fluffy.

     

Add the eggs and mix in.

     

Add the melted chocolate and the vanilla.

     

Alternate adding the milk and flour cocoa mixture.

     

You end up with this rich beautiful batter. Stir in the peanut butter cups.

    

Spread batter evenly in a parchment lined 10 round baking pan. Place in preheated oven and bake.

Now it is time to make the ganache.

    

Heat up whipping cream and butter. Do not boil. When the whipping cream is very hot and the butter has melted, add the chocolate chips.

Stir the ganache until all the chocolate chips have melted. Set aside to cool. The ganache will thicken when it cools.

Time to make the mousse.

    

In a mixing bowl, mix together the cream cheese and the peanut butter. When smooth, add the powdered sugar and mix together until it is smooth, light and fluffy.

    

In another mixing bowl, with a whisk attachment, whip the whipping cream. Fold in the peanut butter mixture into the whipped cream. Be careful not to deflate the whipping cream in the process.

Now it is time to assemble the cake. YIPPEE!

    

When the cake has cooled completely, run a sharp knife around the inside of the cake and scoop out the middle of the cake. Do not go all the way to the bottom. Save the cake pieces.

    

Fill the inside of the cake with half of the peanut butter mousse. Top the mousse witht the broken cake pieces.

    

Spread the rest of the peanut butter mousse over the cake top, covering the cake pieces. Now, pour the cooled and thicken ganache over the cake. I put my cake on a cooling rack with a cookie sheet under it to catch the drips of ganache. Make sure to cover all the edges of the cake with ganache. Save some ganache for a drizzle.

     

While the ganache is still soft place the rest of the peanut butter cups on top of the cake. Drizzle the rest of the ganache over the peanut butter cups.

Here is the finished cake. Sorry about the light glare. It is 11 pm at night and I had to have the light on. : )

This is truly a beautiful cake.

Don’t be afraid to make this cake! It does take a bit of time. But the oohs and ahhs you will get will be worth every minute.

Here is the recipe!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Cake

Serves 12

Adapted from Blue Eyed Bakers Web Page

Ingredients for the cake:

1 1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped. (I used semi sweet)

1 1/2 cup cake flour (I used regular flour and it was fine)

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup buttermilk (I used powdered buttermilk with water)

30 minuture peanut butter cups (15 goes in the cake batter, the other 15 for the topping)

Ingredients for the Ganache:

1 cup cold whipping cream

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 to 10 bittersweet chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate chips)

1 teaspoon vanilla

Ingredients for the Peanut Butter Mousse:

6 ounces cream cheese at room temperature

3/4 cup cream peanut butter

3/4 cup powdered sugar (confectioners)

1 cup cold whipping cream ( the colder it is the more it will whip up)

1 teaspoon vanilla.

Directions for the cake:

Preheat teh oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of a 10 inch round cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Butter the parchment paper too.

Melt the unsweetened chocolate in the microwave in a microwave safe container. This will only take 30 seconds or so. Be careful not to burn it. Set the melted chocolate aside for later.

In a mixing bowl, mix together the four, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set this aside for later.

With an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars together until smooth and creamy. this will take about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs and thoroughly mix in, scraping the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla. On low speed, slowly add in the melted chocolate.

Add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, to the butter and sugar mixture. be careful not to over mix.

Stir in 15 miniature peanut butter cups.

Bake the cake until the top feels firm about 40 to 45 minutes. I would check it at 35 minutes to be on the safe side.

Cool the cake on a wire rack until cool enough to invert onto a a wire rack to cool completely.

Now to prepare the ganache. In a medium sauce pan, heat the cream and butter over low heat until hot but not boiling. Add the chocolate chips. Let stand for 30 seconds and then stir to fully melt the chocolate chips and blen the cream together. Add the vanilla. Set aside to cool and thicken.

To make the mousse, mix together the cream cheese and the peanut butter until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar until light and fluffy. In another bowl, using the whisk attachment on the electric mixer, whip the whipping cream and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Add 1/3 of the whipped cream to the peanut butter mixture to lighten it up. Gently fold the the lighted peanut butter mixture to the rest of the whipped cream. Do not over mix to deflate the mousse.

To assemble the cake, put the cake, top side up onto a serving plate. Leaving a 1 inch edge all the way the cake, use a sharp knife to cup out the center of the cake to create a cavity. Scoop out the middle of the cake but do not go all the way to the bottom of the cake.

Spread half of the mousse in to the cavity. Take the broken cake pieces and place them on top of the mousse. Spread the remaing mousse over the entire top of the cake. Refrigerate the cake until the mousse is firm, about 30 minutes.

Using a spatula, spread the thickened ganache over the entire cake and sides. Top with the remaining 15 miniature peanut butter cups. Drizzle the top with left over ganache.

Keep refrigerated for up to two days.

Key Lime Cake

      You are never to old to plant a lime tree. My 94 year old dad proved that by planting a lime tree 6 years ago. On a family vacation to Florida six years ago, my dad bought a little lime tree that came in a box at a souvenir shop. He carried that little box home and told everyone he was going to plant a lime tree. We did not remind him that we live in Missouri, and lime trees do not exactly grow in Missouri. Anywho, my dad planted this little tree in a pot and six years later…..ShaZaam…he has limes.

 

He hauled his lime tree outside in the summer and hauled it back inside in the winter….for six years. Last year he had four limes, but this year

he had about a dozen. Guess who got the limes……yeppers….me!

Now, that I had Dad’s limes, I needed to find a great recipe using lime juice. I had recently watched a show featuring Trisha Yearwood’s lime cake. Ding, Ding, Ding..lime cake it is.

First, for the glaze,  you need to squeze the limes to get the juice out. You might try microwaving them for 10 seconds and then rolling them on the table before squeezing to get more juice out. I still needed to buy more lime juice at the store to make up the difference. Save the juice to make the glaze.

In a mixing bowl, add lime jello. Then add the sugar to the lime jello. See that little speck of green…that is the lime jello : )

Next, add the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Stir and mix well. Next, add the eggs, oil, orange juice, lime juice and vanilla.

Next, mix together until combined. Don’t you love the green color from the lime jello??

Prepare your pans. You can bake this cake in a 9 by 12 sheet cake pan or bake it in two layer pans. Since we were celebrating Dad’ harvest from his lime tree, I decided to make a layered cake. I alway spray my pans lightly with a vegetable spray and cover the bottom of the pans with parchment paper. I never have to worry about losing half my cake from geting stuck in the pan.

Put even amounts of batter into each pan. Place in a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 35 minutes.

While the cake is baking, it is now time to get out all that lime juice.. In a mixing bowl, mix the lime juice and confectioners sugar together. I had to microwave mine to get all the sugar to dissolve.

When the cakes come out of the oven, cool the cakes for 5 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and place on a cooling rack.

While cake is still warm, pierce the cake with a fork or skewer and pour the glaze over the cakes. Allow cakes to cool completely.

Time to make the cream cheese icing. Cream the butter and cream cheese together in a mixing bowl.

After you are finished creaming them together, add the powdered sugar.

Almost done!!! Time to ice the cake.

I always ice a cake passed the edge of the cake. It makes it easier to ice the sides. Place the other cake on top, and ice top and sides.  All finished!

Now, it was time to pack up the cake and take it to Mom’s and Dad’s for our dessert. My Dad bought me an antique cake carrier for Christmas, and it was perfect to take the cake for the drive to Mom’s and Dad’s.

All packed up! Kinda like putting a baby in a car seat : )

Who gets the first piece?

Dad does!

Key Lime Cake recipe adapted from Trisha Yearwood’s recipe

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

1 – three ounce package of lime flavored gelatin

1 1/3 cup of sugar

2 cups sifted all purpose flor

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 large eggs, slightly beaten

For the Glaze:

1/2 cup key lime juice (it takes about 25 key limes or 4 large limes)

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

For the Icing:

1/2 cup butter at room temperature

one 8 ounce package of cream cheese room temperature

one pound box confectioner’s sugar

NOTE: I doubled the icing recipe because I was making a layered cake. I did have left over icing so try making 1 and 1/2 recipes of icing)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large mixing bowl, mix the gelatin, granulated sugar, flour, salt baking powder and soda. Stir to mix well. Add the oil, orange juice, lime juice, vanilla and eggs. Mix until well combined. Pour the batter evenly i the pan and bake for 35 minutes. Be sure and check you cake often at the end, the cake tends to get very brown on top. When done, cool the cake in the pan for about 5 minutes and then place on a cooling rack.

For the glaze: While the cake is still hot, mix the lime juice and confectioners sugar together. If you are having a hard time getting the sugar to dissolve try microwaving the glaze for a minute. Pierce the cake and while the cake is hot, pour the glaze over the layers. Let cool completely.

For the icing: Cream the butter and cream cheese. Beat in the confectioners sugar until mixture is smooth. (I added some vanilla paste, just cause I love those little specks of vanilla beans). Spread the icing on the top of the bottom layer of cake. Place the top layer on and ice the top and sides.

This cake was moist and tangyingly good! So different and so divine!

Pucker up with lime cake!

Enjoy,

Becky

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