cake

Pineapple Crush Angel Food Cake

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Test Kitchen Favorites: Pineapple Crush Angel Food Cake! If you’re looking for an impressive dessert for that neighborhood gathering, middle school bake sale, church fellowship meal, or romantic dinner for two…. look no further. Angel food cake is just what the name implies: light, airy, magical, and sinfully delicious. Its fluffy texture practically melts in your mouth. The sugary slightly charred taste of vanilla and marshmallow can be deceiving. Wanna know why? Because unlike other cakes, this tempting version is made without oil, butter, or egg yolks granting it to fall in a class all its own: Low-Fat and Low-Cholesterol. I prefer a more mysterious name like “Snow-Drift Cake”, “Silver Cake”, or “Foam Cake.” Hey, it’s your dessert, call it as you see it. 

PINEAPPLE CRUSH ANGEL FOOD CAKE 

Ingredients: 

20-ounce can crushed pineapple with juice

16-ounce box angel food cake mix

Powdered Sugar, for sprinkling

Instructions: 

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a bundt pan with nonstick oil. Set aside. In a bowl, combine crushed pineapple with juice and angel food cake mix. Gently stir until completely combined. Pour batter into the prepared bundt pan. Place the bundt pan on a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, approximately 25 minutes. Let cake cool; invert pastry onto a cake plate. Add a dusting of powdered sugar. Serve each slice as is, or with a fresh fruit compote.*

*Visit the link for Mixed Berry Marnier at http://snapshotsincursive/2026/02/26

Natural PB Banana Rice Cake

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Test Kitchen Favorites: Natural PB Banana Rice Cake. Did you know the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll”, Elvis Presley, absolutely loved peanut butter and banana sandwiches? It’s true. Sometimes he would mash the bananas; sometimes he would add fried bacon to the mix, and sometimes he would eat them for days on end as a comfort food. Over time, this quirky sandwich became known as “The Elvis” on menus across the South. Fast forward to today. Puffed rice cakes can replace white bread as a lower calorie, crunchy alternative, especially for those watching their weight. I treat them as a guilt-free afternoon snack and so can you. 

NATURAL PB BANANA RICE CAKE 

Ingredients: 

1 rice cake, apple cinnamon variety 

1-2 tablespoons natural peanut butter, creamy texture 

1 ripe banana, peeled and sliced 

Ground Cinnamon, for garnish 

Instructions: 

Spread creamy peanut butter onto the apple cinnamon puffed rice cake; swirl. Top with banana slices. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon or nutmeg, if desired. Serve immediately. 

Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Test Kitchen Favorites: Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies! Who doesn’t love soft, chewy, citrusy cookies?!?! Call me lazy or even quirky. Sometimes I keep ingredients on hand to create a bakery-like product in a pinch. Thus, these thumbprint cookies can be made in a snap. After all, cake mixes and lemon curd spreads are known for their consistency in perfection. The lemon curd is silky smooth while the lemon cake mix creates chewy cookies by lessening the baking time. Never over-mix the batter. Stirring too long actually makes cookies tough. When ingredients are room temperature beforehand, baked cookies are less apt to flatten out and harden, too. Make sense? Something tells me you are going to love these thumbprint cookies. 

LEMON CURD THUMBPRINT COOKIES 

Ingredients: 

15.25 Lemon Cake Mix

2 eggs, room temperature 

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup prepared lemon curd

Powdered sugar, for garnish

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 350°. Place silicone baking mats on two baking sheets. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine the lemon cake mix, two eggs, and vegetable oil. Mix well until batter is smooth. Scoop cookie dough, by teaspoons, onto a prepared baking sheet. Roll each scoop into a round ball and place two inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes. Remove pan from oven, place on a cooling rack, and immediately press down the middle of each cookie to create an indentation for the curd to be placed. Allow cookies to cool before adding a dollop of lemon curd. Once the cookies have cooled, spoon a small amount of lemon curd into the middle of each cookie. Top with a dusting of powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Unbelievable Egg Nog Cake

Eating My Way Through the Holidays. Festive Food Gifts: Unbelievable Egg Nog Cake! Did you know you can freeze eggnog for up to six months? You can. And isn’t it a relief to know that you won’t be pouring money down the drain? Too much of anything can take away the joy. We all get caught up in holiday indulgences, thinking it’s the only time of year to appreciate our favorite treats. No more. Rather than feeling like a glutton for punishment, followed by waves of guilt, here’s a way to stretch the cheer throughout the winter months. When the nights are dark and the fire warms your feet, snuggle up with a slice of nostalgia. You deserve it. 

UNBELIEVABLE EGG NOG CAKE

Ingredients:

16.5-ounce yellow cake mix

3-ounce vanilla instant pudding mix

1 cup eggnog 

4 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon nutmeg 

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Ingredients for Glaze:

1/4 cup butter, warmed

1/4 cup eggnog 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1/4 teaspoon rum

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

2 cups powdered sugar

Garnish with rosemary sprigs and pomegranate arils

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a bundt pan (or 8 mini bundt pans) with nonstick oil containing flour. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine yellow cake mix, dry vanilla pudding mix, eggnog, eggs, vegetable oil, nutmeg, water, and vanilla extract. Beat with a mixer for 2 minutes until thoroughly combined, scraping down the sides as needed. Pour batter into pan(s). Bake 50 minutes for large, or 25 minutes for small bundt cakes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven to cool for 10 minutes before inverting on a wire rack. Allow to cool 10 minutes longer before transferring to a cake plate. While cakes are cooling make the glazed icing. In a bowl, whisk together butter, eggnog, vanilla extract, rum, and nutmeg until smooth. Sprinkle in powdered sugar, stirring with a spoon, until smooth. Drizzle glaze over cake. Garnish with rosemary sprigs and pomegranate arils for a festive finish. 

Xmas Crinkle Cookies

Eating My Way Through the Holidays. Festive Food Gifts: Xmas Crinkle Cookies! Shortcuts are the key to success for that next cookie-exchange the kids forgot to tell you about.  “Oh yeah, Mom, sorry.” No worries. Head to the kitchen to clang some pans around, preheat the oven, and dust a little powdered sugar on your nose. They’ll be none the wiser. By the time the house begins to smell like a neighborhood bakery, you’ll have rows of cookies lined up ready to be boxed. And if you’re one of those organized parents, just so you know, these cookies freeze well. Arrange them in a freezer gallon bag, layered between squares of waxed paper. I have literally taken these crinkle cookies out of the freezer and handed them to a little girl to eat. Other than being slightly chilled, they retain a chewiness that makes them simply delicious. You deserve a pat on the back. You’re welcome. 

XMAS CRINKLE COOKIES

Ingredients:

1/2 cup powdered sugar, for dusting

15.25-ounce box strawberry cake mix

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs, room temperature 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Place powdered sugar in a shallow dish. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine strawberry cake mix, vegetable oil, and eggs. Stir until a dough forms. Chill dough for 20 minutes. Shape dough into 1” balls. Roll in powdered sugar and place 2” apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 7-9 minutes, or until center is just set. Remove pan from oven; cool for 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack. Dust with more powdered sugar. 

Itty Bitty Pumpkin Cake

Eating My Way Through the Holidays. Festive Food Gifts: Itty Bitty Pumpkin Cake! Do you have a love affair with pumpkin spice? You know, that delectable blend of bakery spices recognized as nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice. Perhaps they remind you of autumn. The days are still warm as the evenings turn chilly enough to gather around the fire pit in a thick cozy sweater. Childhood memories conjure up bumpy hayrides through apple orchards, jack-o-lanterns on the front porch, and disheveled piles of newly-raked leaves. Plus there’s all things pumpkin: pumpkin pie, pumpkin cake, pumpkin roll, pumpkin latte, and now this. 

ITTY BITTY PUMPKIN CAKE

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1 tablespoon pumpkin spice

1/4 tablespoon cinnamon 

1/2 cup butter, softened 

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup pumpkin purée 

1/3 cup buttermilk 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Powdered sugar, for dusting

Fresh strawberries, for garnish 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray six mini bundt pans with nonstick oil containing flour. Place pans on a baking sheet. Set aside. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, sea salt, baking powder, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon. Set aside. In another bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat on High setting with a hand mixer for 2 minutes. Add egg and beat two minutes longer. Set aside. In a third bowl, combine the pumpkin purée, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Mix well. Gradually pour half the pumpkin mixture and half the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Mix well, scraping the sides down as needed.  Add the remaining ingredients; stirring only until combined. Do not over stir. Fill each prepared mini bundt pan 3/4 full. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool 5 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack. Once cool, dust with powdered sugar. Garnish with a fresh strawberry before serving. 

Quick Bread Lemon Poppyseed

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Burst of Flavor: Quick Bread Lemon Poppyseed! When life gives you lemons, eat them!  There’s nothing more refreshing than the citrusy taste of lemon, in my opinion. It’s light, refreshing, and reminds me of sunshine. I believe you can achieve surprising results when you use good ingredients in a recipe, even if it involves convenient shortcuts. After all, rave reviews are proof enough!

QUICK BREAD LEMON POPPYSEED

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1 box of lemon cake mix

1 cup hot water

1 tablespoon lemon citrus peel, granulated

2 tablespoons poppy seed

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine all ingredients and beat for 10 minutes. Pour into greased and floured loaf pans.* Bake for one hour or until done. Bread is done when a pick comes out clean and loaf springs back from pan. 

*Makes 2 regular-size loaves or 6 mini-loaves and 1 regular loaf. The mini loaves need bake for only 25-30 minutes. Watch carefully. 

X-traordinary Pomegranate Rice Cake

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Plating: X-traordinary Pomegranate Rice Cake! No matter the time zone you live in, your internal clock lets you know when hunger pangs are tugging at your tummy. Before you grab a sugar-glazed donut or soft chewy cookie, step back a minute to visualize all the possibilities a rice cake provides. As a base, rice cakes come in all varieties: multigrain, white rice, brown rice, apple cinnamon, caramel, honey nut, organic, salt-free and so on. Spreadable are just as surprising: whipped cream cheese, almond butter, hummus, cottage cheese, peanut butter, hazelnut spread, mashed avocado, frosting, or marshmallow creme. You get the idea. Lastly, the toppings can be anything from fresh fruit, smoked salmon, hard-boiled eggs, bell peppers, assorted nuts, coconut flakes, mini cucumbers, grilled veggies, radishes, and spices. The crowning feature is the garnish of course: fresh mint, chopped herbs, chia sprinkles, sesame seeds, bacon crumbles, crushed espresso beans, or capers.  If your mind isn’t spinning with ideas, you must not be hungry. No worries. Munchtime cravings have a way of stopping back to remind you. 

X-TRAORDINARY POMEGRANATE RICE CAKE 

Ingredients: 

1 puff rice cake, any variety 

1-2 tablespoons whipped cream cheese

1 heaping tablespoon pomegranate seeds

Fresh mint leaves, for garnish

Instructions: 

Spread whipped cream cheese onto the puffed rice cake; swirl. Top with pomegranate seeds. Add mint leaf snips, if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy. 

Caramel-Bacon Spice Cake

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Caramel-Bacon Spice Cake! For the sweet and savory child inside all of us, this recipe takes the cake. It is a combination of salty, sugary, and spicy…in every bite. Your mouth will think you’re at the circus being stimulated by all the contrasting flavors! Amazingly, they come together with moist results. Hop on board and take a ride with this incredible treat. 

CARAMEL-BACON SPICE CAKE

Ingredients for Cake:

1 1/4 cups flour

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon all spice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla 

1/3 cup butter

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Set aside. In a medium bowl beat eggs, milk, and vanilla until blended. Set aside. Using a mixer, cream butter until light and fluffy. On low speed, slowly alternate the egg mixture and the dry mixture until well blended. Pour batter into a greased 9″x13″ pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until a pick comes out clean. 

Bacon-Caramel Frosting:

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups powdered sugar

2 ounces bacon bits 

In a medium saucepan, mix brown sugar, milk, and butter. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Let cool for 15 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add powdered sugar and beat until creamy. It should be thick enough to spread on the cake. Top with crisp, crumbled bacon.