Pumpkin Bars

This recipe is from the website: The Sisters Cafe.

Bars:

4 eggs

1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil

15-ounce can pumpkin

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing:

8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan (I used 9×13). Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

-Tricia Ware

Magnolia Bakery Carrot Cake

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsps vanilla
• 2 cups lightly packed shredded carrots
• 1-8oz can crushed pineapple in its own juice, with juice
• 1 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans
• 3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325. Grease and lightly flour 2 9x2 inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with parchment paper. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, on medium speed of an electric mixer, beat together the oil and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until light and thick, about two minutes. Add the vanilla and beat well. Gradually add the dry ingredients, beating until well incorporated. Stir in the carrots, pineapple with juice, pecans and coconut, Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the layers cool in the pans for 1 hour. Remove from the pans and cool completely on wire racks. When the cake has cooled, ice between the layers, then ice the top and sides of the cake with cream cheese icing. Garnish with toasted pecans if desired.

-Kristin Strobelt

Red Velvet Cake (cupcakes)

Ingredients

• 3 1/3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 6 Tbsp red food coloring (I used about 2 1/2 Tbsp because that's all I had and they the cupcakes had a nice red color)
• 3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa
• 1 1/2 tsps vanilla
• 1 1/2 tsps salt
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 1/2 tsps cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsps baking soda

Directions

1. Fill cupcake tins with paper liners. In a small bowl, sift the cake flour and set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a small bowl, whisk together the red food coloring, cocoa, and vanilla. Add to the batter and beat well. In a liquid measuring cup, stir the salt into the buttermilk. Add to the batter in three parts, alternating with the flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overbeat. In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter in smooth. Fill each cupcake tin about 2/3 full with batter. Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 20 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool in pans for 1 hour. Remove from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack. (I removed them from the pans immediately because I only have one cupcake tin and I needed it to bake the rest of the cupcakes).

FROSTING

1 cup milk (skim is fine)

3 Tbsp flour

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Stir milk and flour in a saucepan.  Heat over medium-heat until thickened, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and cover while cooling.  Beat butter, sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl for 15 minutes.  Carefully fold in milk mixture.  (sometimes, I have to whip it a few more minutes after I add the milk mixture to obtain the right texture.)

-Kristin Strobelt

Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Cupcakes

(these are great to use in Magnolia's Banana Pudding)

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

• 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing:

• Vanilla Buttercream, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line 2 (1/2 cup-12 capacity) muffin tins with cupcake papers.

In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Vanilla Buttercream:

The vanilla buttercream we use at the bakery is technically not a buttercream but actually an old-fashioned confectioners' sugar and butter frosting. Be sure to beat the icing for the amount of time called for in the recipe to achieve the desired creamy texture.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Yield: enough for 2 dozen cupcakes or 1 (9-inch) layer cake

-Kristin Strobelt

Hummingbird Cake

Yield: 1 9-inch triple-layer cake

• 3 CUPS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
• 2 CUPS SUGAR
• 1 TEASPOON BAKING SODA
• 1 TEASPOON GROUND CINNAMON
• 1 TEASPOON SALT
• 3 EGGS, BEATEN
• 1 1/2 CUPS VEGETABLE OIL
• 1 1/2 TEASPOONS VANILLA EXTRACT
• 1 (8-OUNCE) CAN CRUSHED PINEAPPLE, UNDRAINED
• 2 CUPS CHOPPED PECANS, DIVIDED
• 2 CHOPPED BANANAS
• CREAM CHEESE FROSTING (RECIPE BELOW)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three 9-inch cake pans, or spray them with a nonstick spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add eggs, oil and vanilla; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.
3. Stir in pineapple, 1 cup chopped pecans and bananas.
4. Spoon batter into prepared cake pans. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool immediately. When the cakes are completely cooled, spread frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with 1 cup chopped pecans.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 2 (8-OUNCE) PACKAGES CREAM CHEESE, ROOM TEMPERATURE
• 1 CUP (2 STICKS) BUTTER, SOFTENED
• 2 POUNDS POWDERED SUGAR
• 2 TEASPOONS VANILLA EXTRACT

In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine cream cheese and butter; cream until smooth. Add powdered sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla.

-Kristin Strobelt

Mama's pound cake

( by Paula Deen)

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, plus more for pan

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

3 cups sugar

5 eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350.  With a mixer, cream butter and shortening together.  Add sugar, a little at a time.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.  Stir dry ingredients together in a bowl and add to mixer alternately with milk, starting with the flour and ending with the flour.  Mix in vanilla.  Pour into a greased and floured tube pan and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

( I served it with 4 cups sliced strawberries mixed with 1/4 cup sugar.  Then topped it with homemade whipped cream (Beat 1 cup heavy cream till peaks are about to form.  Add 1 tsp. vanilla and 1 Tbs. confectioners sugar.  Beat till peaks form (not too much or it comes out like butter).)

-Jen Schwab

Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting Cake

Chocolate Cake

 (modified from the barefoot contessa cookbook)

Look at ingredients, some need to be room temp. Take these out of fridge.

Preheat oven to 350*

Butter two 8-inch round cake pans, line bottom with wax paper, butter the paper and dust both pans with a few TBL cocoa powder.

First,

1 3/4 cp flour

1 cp good cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Put all ingredients in sifter and sift into medium bowl.

Next,

3/4 cp unsalted butter, room temperature

2/3 cp white sugar

2/3 cp packed brown sugar

In bowl of electric mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars on high for 5 minutes until light.

Next,

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Add these ingredients, one at a time to the mixer, mixing well after each addition.

Next,

1 cp buttermilk, room temperature (I use 1 cp milk with 2 TBL vinegar added and let sit for few minutes)

1/2 cp sour cream, room temperature

Mix these two ingredients in small bowl.

Next,

On low speed, add flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture alternately in thirds, beginnings with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture.  Mix the batter only until blended.

Divide batter between pans. Smooth tops. Bake 25-30 min til toothpick comes out clean.

Cool 10 min in pans, remove from pan and finish cooling.

Peanut Butter Frosting

1/4 cp peanut butter

1/4 cp butter

3cps powdered sugar

2-4 TBL milk

pinch of salt

1tsp vanilla

Cream butter and peanut butter together til smooth, add powdered sugar, adding milk slowing as needed for smooth spreadable consistency. Fold in pinch of salt and vanilla.

I added chopped Reese's Stick candy bars to middle layer and top of frosting

- Malissa Hludzinski