Cakes: Buttermilk, Lemon and German Chocolate

1/9/19 Cook’s Corner

Betty Kaiser

Cakes for Capricorns

January is my birthday month. If you were born between January 1—20 we are fellow Capricorns! According to what I’ve read, that means we are independent, disciplined, organized, patient, hard-working, tolerant and self-motivated people. On paper, we sound boring or too good to be true.

I’m not sure how these astrological signs are figured out but this I do know—not many of us, like me, are born on Friday, Jan. 13. According to my research the most babies are born in September and the 13^th is not a favorite number in any month. Still, I share this month’s birthday with several dear friends and we have similar personality traits. Go figure.

In my growing-up years, birthdays were all about the cake. Every year from 1^st to 6^th grade, mother took homemade, frosted cupcakes and Kool-Aid to my classrooms at 42^nd St. Elementary School. My Brownie Troop also celebrated my birthday with cupcakes. No one was left out and this birthday girl felt special.

Then, at home, my favorite birthday cake was waiting. I would have been very disappointed if grandmother’s buttermilk cake with boiled coconut frosting wasn’t decorated with candles for me to blow out after dinner.

My favorite cake recipes (chocolate, coconut and lemon) follow. In my so-called golden years, I have simplified the recipes. I no longer spend hours assembling 40 + ingredients to enjoy a piece of German Chocolate cake.

Therefore, the base for two of my favorite birthday cakes is a Duncan Hines box mix. In my opinion, a good white cake mix is hard to find. So, today’s recipes begin with my grandmother’s from-scratch buttermilk cake and her yummy White Mountain frosting. Don’t be intimidated by the boiled frosting. It’s easier than it sounds and well worth the effort.

Enjoy and happy birthday 2019 to all!

CORA MAE’S BUTTERMILK CAKE

3/4 cup butter

1-3/4 cups sugar

3 eggs

1-1/2 cups buttermilk

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream butter and sugar together until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Dissolve soda in buttermilk. Sift remaining dry ingredients and add alternately with the buttermilk mixture. Add vanilla. Pour into two well-greased pans (round, 8-9”). Bake at 350° F. for about 35 minutes. Cool slightly and turn out onto a wax paper covered wire rack.

BOILED FROSTING

Set aside

 2 egg whites

Moist, flaked coconut

Then mix in saucepan:

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons water

1/4 cup light corn syrup

Cover saucepan; bring to rolling boil. Remove cover and cook to 242° or until syrup spins a 6-8-inch thread. Just before syrup is ready, (in separate bowl) beat 2 egg whites until stiff enough to hold a point.

Pour hot syrup very slowly in a thin stream into the beaten egg whites. Continue to beat until frosting holds peaks. Blend in 1-teaspoon vanilla. Spread frosting thinly between cake layers. Swirl frosting onto cake and) sprinkle thickly with moist, flaked coconut. Serves 8-10

Option: Spread strawberry jam between the cake layers and frost as above.

LEMON SUPREME POUND CAKE

Cake:

1 Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme Cake Mix

4 eggs

½ cup canola oil

1 cup water

1 small package instant lemon pudding mix

Glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar

4+ Tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Grease and flour 10-inch tube pan

Combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water and oil in large mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour into pan. Bake for 50-60 min. or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan 25 min. Turn out on wire rack Cool completely.

Combine glaze ingredients (should be thin) and drizzle over cooled cake.

Serves 12

GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

CAKE:

1 package Duncan Hines Swiss Chocolate Deluxe Cake Mix

FROSTING:

2/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup evaporated milk

2 egg yolks

1/3 cup shortening

½ teaspoon vanilla

1-1/3 cups flaked coconut

1 cup chopped pecans

Cake:

 Preheat oven to 350° F.

Prepare two 8 or 9” round layer pans. Follow instructions on cake box and pour batter into the pans. Cook and cool as directed.

Frosting:

In the meantime, prepare the frosting. In a sauce pan, combine sugar, evaporated milk, egg yolks and shortening. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Add vanilla, coconut and pecans. Beat until thick. Cool 15 min. Spread only between layers and top of cake. Serves 12

Contact Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner by email bchatty@bettykaiser.com