cake

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter J

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Take a Seat at the Table: Jelly Roll Cake! Sweetness never tasted so good. The best part about this classic cake recipe is the filling can be whatever flavor you wish it to be. I used all-natural Red-Cherry Swiss Preserves for a fruit flavor resulting in a gourmet experience. It created an international glimpse of Switzerland without setting foot on an airplane. 
JELLY ROLL CAKE
Ingredients:

3 eggs, room temperature 

1 cup sugar 

1/3 cup water

1 teaspoon almond extract

3/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup almonds, sliced

2/3 cup jelly or jam, any flavor

Powdered sugar
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°. Grease and line a 10″x15″ jelly roll pan. Beat eggs until thick and lemon-colored, about 5 minutes. Gradually add sugar, water, and almond extract. Mix thoroughly. Add flour, baking powder, and salt until well blended and no lumps remain. Pour into pan and sprinkle with almonds. Bake 12-15 minutes. Loosen cake from pan and invert onto a tea towel generously sprinkled with powdered sugar. While cake is hot, roll up. Refrigerate one hour. Unroll cake and top with jelly or jam, spreading to edges. Roll up cake again, sprinkle with powdered sugar, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate two more hours before serving. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter D

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Take a Seat at the Table: Devil’s Food Cake! Sometimes all you crave is a slice of good old-fashioned chocolate cake like your grandma used to make, before Betty Crocker introduced the world to cake mixes. It’s very simple, really. Take a walk down Memory Lane with a recipe that recaptures youthful musings.  
DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE
Ingredients:

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup cocoa

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup salad oil

1 cup boiling water

1 cup milk

2 eggs, beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a bundt pan. Mix together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add salad oil and boiling water. Stir until lumps are gone. Gradually add milk; stir. Add eggs and vanilla; stir. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Invert onto serving platter. Cool before frosting or sprinkling with powdered sugar. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter Q

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. 

Dining Outside the Home: Calico Café

Down a quaint Main Street where railroad tracks criss-cross with brick-trimmed sidewalks sits the charming Calico Café nestled in the idyllic village of Coldwater. Dessert was a double-layered chocolate cake with ganache frosting……a lá mode! It was well worth the drive. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter C

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. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter U

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Upside-Down Pineapple Bundt Cake!  This light and easy alternative for dessert will satisfy your sweet tooth without packing on the pounds. The secret is the tropical taste of pineapple. 

UPSIDE-DOWN PINEAPPLE BUNDT CAKE
Ingredients:
1 box Angel Food Cake Mix
1 20-ounce can of Crushed Pineapple with Juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
Directions:
Set oven rack to lowest setting. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray Bundt pan with non-stick cooking oil. Sprinkle brown sugar on the bottom of the pan.  Mix the Angel Food Cake Mix with the Crushed Pineapple, including juice, by hand for one minute or until well blended.  Pour into Bundt pan and place in oven on a foil-lined cookie sheet.  Bake for 35-45 minutes until  toothpick comes out clean and the cake is set. Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.
Option:  Garnish with a sprig of tarragon and top with maraschino cherries, stems removed. 
Serving Suggestion
Mixed Berry Sauce:
1 pound of fresh blueberries 
1 pound of fresh mulberries 
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
In a medium sauce pan add berries, water, lemon juice, and sugar. Cook on medium heat, while stirring until the berries reduce down. Change the heat to low setting and press the berries against the side of the pan to make them burst. Continue cooking for 30 minutes until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes. Add 2 drops of lemon extract while stirring with a spoon. Pour into jar and store in refrigerator. 
Hint:  This is delicious on toast or pancakes or ice cream. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter N

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen?  Neiman-Marcus Cake!  Repeat after me, “Butter is my friend. Butter is my new best friend.” One bite of these sweet cream butter bars and you’ll swear they came from a French bakery. Look no further than the Neufchâtel cheese filling for confirmation. I always serve this cake with fresh fruit for the ultimate pâtisserie experience. 

NEIMAN MARCUS CAKE
Ingredients:
1 lb. box of yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 lb. powdered sugar
8 oz. bar of Neufchâtel cheese
1 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup sliced almonds
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325°. Stir cake mix, melted butter, and one egg. Press into the bottom of a greased and floured 9 x 13 glass dish.  Mix powdered sugar, 2 eggs, almond extract, and softened Neufchâtel cheese until smooth. Pour over top of cake mix. Sprinkle sliced almonds on top. Bake 50-60 minutes. Cool. Cut into squares and serve with fresh strawberries. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter K

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Kona Coffee Molten Cake! A couple months ago, Gerald and I spent some time on the tropical island of Kauai. While there we sipped on freshly brewed coffee uniquely grown in the Hawaiian Islands. The taste is so richly smooth and delicious, I had to blend its flavor with dark chocolate. Each recipe is one serving, unless you share a bite. “Friends are the spice God adds to the cake of life!”

KONA COFFEE MOLTEN CAKE
Ingredients:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons Dutch chocolate powder 
1/4 teaspoon baking powder 
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon Kona brewed coffee*
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter**
Instructions:
Mix dry ingredients together in medium bowl. Add milk, oil, and coffee to the dry ingredients. Stir until smooth. 
Pour batter into a tall microwave-safe mug. Make sure there is room at the top for the cake to rise. Drop the tablespoon of peanut butter in the center of the batter. Do not blend in. Bake in microwave on high for 1 minute. If it is not done, cook in additional 10-second intervals until done. Remove from microwave. BE CAREFUL. Enjoy the warm molten cake topped with a dollop of whipped cream. 
*Any strong brewed coffee may be used. If you omit the coffee, substitute 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract. 
**The creamy peanut butter may be omitted or substituted with a hazelnut spread or marshmallow creme.