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

 

Mountain Dew Dumplings

A couple of weeks ago we had all day teachers meeting at schools. Teachers went to different meetings across the district to discuss different topics. The next day we all went back to our home school and compared notes on our meetings. My meeting provided a small breakfast consisting of bagels and juice but we got a free catered in lunch wowza……I think they were afraid for us to leave and eat lunch : ). One of my friends at my home school Jen, said they had beautiful breakfast casseroles made by the staff and brought in for breakfast. They got to leave and have Mexican for lunch. They must have looked a little more trustworthy to come back after lunch!

Anywho……I asked Jen what she made to bring in and she said, “Mountain Dew Dumplings.” I like the sound of dumplings, but Mountain Dew? I was intrigued. She said it was her mom’s recipe and her mom even came over to help her make it. When they were about half way making the first batch she not so politely told her mom, “I am not taking these things to school. ”

Wow! She was a disbeliever!

Her mom was not worried and assured Jen that if she didn’t like the first batch they would  make something else to take.

Relief!

But, here is what happened. They made the first batch, had a little taste. It was a spoonful of sweet, buttery goodness with a side of apples.

Jen told me they went ahead and made two batches to take to school and she did not bring home a single crumb home.

I had to try this recipe!

When I came home with a 2 liter bottle of Mountain Dew my two oldest kiddos got real excited! It was not diet and it had caffeine…..I knew I better make this recipe fast or I would have to buy another bottle of Mountain Dew.

This is all you need for a whole pan of dumplings. I used honey crisp apples because I was buying a bag of apples and they are oldest daughters favorite.

Peel and core 2 apples, cutting each apple into 8 wedges.

Wrap each apple wedge with a crescent roll.

         

I wanted some for my family and another dish for a friend that just had surgery. So, I used two pans. If you want them all in one pan, no problem. Just use a bigger pan then I did.

         

Get out two sticks of butter and melt them in the microwave. Add sugar and cinnamon.

         

Stir the butter, sugar and cinnamon together and spoon over the dumplings.

          

Measure out the Mountain Dew and pour over the dumplings.

         

Place them in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Check the dumplings and make sure they are thoroughly cooked but not overly brown on top.

These are mine right after they came out of the oven.

Here is a warm dumpling. These are great for breakfast but I can see adding  scoop of ice cream and having it for dessert.!

Here is my first bite.

Suddenly…..I heard Davy Jones from the Monkeys singing in my ear.

I thought love was only true in fairy tales
 Meant for someone else but not for me
 Love was out to get me
 That’s the way it seemed
 Disappointment haunted all my dreams
 
Then I tasted this dumpling,
 now I’m a believer
Not a trace of doubt in my mind
I’m in love,
I’m a believer
I couldn’t leave it if I tried!!!!
 
YOU will be a believer too!!
 
Enjoy,
Becky
 
Mountain Dew Dumpling
Ingredients:
2 cans crescent rolls
2 apples peeled and cut into 8 wedges
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1-12 ounce can of Mountain Dew
 
Directions:
Wrap each apple wedge with a crescent roll from large to small end.
Spray pan with non stick spray
Melt butter and add sugar and cinnamon
Drizzle over the dumplings.
Pour Mountain Dew over the dumplings.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes

 

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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