Lynn's Kitchen Adventures » Cakes

Easy Chocolate Coconut Cake

Lynn — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 13:19:31 +0000

A few months ago I needed a quick and easy dessert to send to work with my husband. I did not have a lot of time and I knew I could make an easy dessert by doctoring up a cake mix. I pulled my Chocolate from the Cake Mix Doctor cookbook off the shelf and started looking through it.

If you are a beginner cook, or often need a quick and easy dessert, I highly recommend The Cake Mix Doctor cookbooks.

I have owned the The Cake Mix Doctor and Chocolate from the Cake Mix Doctor for years and have used them so much. They really do make desserts quick and easy. The author has even written The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten-Free that my girls love to use.

Now, I will say that in general I am not a big fan of cake mixes, especially when just baked plain with frosting. I would prefer a homemade chocolate layer cake with homemade frosting over a chocolate cake mix any day, but doctored up cake mixes work great for quick and easy desserts. And I don’t mind admitting that I often use them for just that.

Enough about cake mixes, let’s get back to the recipe.

One of the recipes that caught my attention in the cookbook was a chocolate coconut cake. Chocolate and coconut are a classic combination that go so well together. I knew everyone would love it.

And I actually followed the recipe on this one. I don’t think I made any changes. Can you believe it?!

And although I did not have a taste of this, everyone seemed to enjoy it very much.

What do you think of cake mixes? Do you use them or avoid them all together?

Chocolate Coconut Cake

Cake

1 chocolate cake mix ( either german chocolate or just chocolate)
1-8.5 ounce can cream of coconut
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup oil
3 eggs

Frosting

4 ounces of german chocolate ( You can use regular chocolate here)
8 ounces cream cheese
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease a 9×13 pan and set aside.
In a large bowl mix together the cake mix, cream of coconut, sour cream, oil, vanilla, and eggs. Beat on low for about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed.
Place the batter in 9×13 pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cake is done.
Let cool

For Frosting:

In a bowl melt chocolate in the microwave on 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Add melted chocolate to remaining ingredients and Beat all ingredients together well. This takes 2-3 minutes.
Spread frosting over cooled cake and enjoy!

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Chocolate Angel Food Cake

Lynn — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 14:39:37 +0000

Many people love Angel Food cake and eat it often, but have you ever had Chocolate Angel Food Cake?

I have been making this recipe for years. I remember my best friend and I making this cake when we were teenagers. It is so good and makes a very impressive dessert.

I was recently adapting this recipe to be gluten free and I realized that I had never post the original recipe on my site. I knew I must fix that because this is too good of a recipe not to share.

This cake is perfect on it’s own, but if you want to make it even more special, you can serve it with my chocolate whipped cream.

And for my gluten free readers you will want to check out the gluten free recipe Chocolate Angel Food Cake that I shared in my allergy section today.

Chocolate Angel Food Cake

¾ cup cake flour (it does work better if you use cake flour)
1 ½ cups sugar plus 2 tablespoons
¼ baking cocoa
1 ½ cups eggs whites, room temperature
1 ½ teaspoons cream of tartar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Sift together flour, ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, and cocoa. Set aside
In a large mixing bowl beat egg whites, cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla until foamy.
Add remaining ¾ cup sugar 2 tablespoons at a time.
Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
With a rubber scraper fold in flour mixture a few tablespoons at a time. Mixture will be thick, but do not over beat the mixture. Gently fold in the flour.
Spread into a 10 inch tube pan (not a bundt pan)
Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until the top of the cake springs bake when lightly touched.
Immediately invert the cake and leave upside down in the pan to cool.
Once cooled run a knife a long the sides of the pan and remove cake.
Serve with chocolate whipping cream if desired. This is also good with fresh fruit.

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Adapted from Taste Of Home

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Aunt Lynn’s Creamy Coconut Cake

Lynn — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:48:19 +0000

This cake is one of my all time favorite cakes to make. It is rich and creamy and so very good.

I have been making this cake for years. I got this recipe from my mother in law, who got it from her sister in law. So, this recipe comes from my husband’s Aunt Lynn.

I started making this recipe shortly after we were married and it has been one of my favorite cakes ever since. It is a family favorite and I have made it many times over the years.

I recently posted a picture of this cake on facebook and mentioned that I had made it to send to work with my husband. Right away several of you asked for the recipe and I have received several more requests for it over the last week. So, I knew I had to get the recipe posted.

This cake makes the perfect cake to take to a potluck, church dinner, or picnic. Anyone that loves coconut will love this cake.

Now, I will say this is not a diet or low fat cake, but this cake is so rich and creamy that all you really need is a small piece. However, I will admit that it is hard to stop at one small piece.

(And for my gluten free readers I am working on a gluten free version of this. I need to find a good cake that will hold up to the sauce that goes over it, but I miss this cake so I am working on it. So stayed tuned for it.)

Creamy Coconut Cake

1 yellow cake mix, plus the ingredients to make the cake
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 – 15 ounce can cream coconut ( This is not coconut milk, this is cream coconut that you find in the drink section of the grocery store)
1 – 8 ounce package of cream cheese, room temperature
1 – 12 ounce container of cool whip
1 cup coconut

Make cake according to package directions and bake in a 9×13 pan.
While the cake is baking mix together the cream of coconut and the sweetened condensed milk. Set aside.

When the cake is done, but still warm, take a fork and poke holes all over the cake.

While the cake is still warm, pour the cream of coconut/sweetened condensed milk slowly over the cake. This will look like a lot, but will absorb into the cake as it sits. Let the cake cool.

Once the cake has cooled completely, refrigerate for several hours.

In a bowl mix the cream cheese until soft and whipped. Fold in whipped topping. Spread over cooled cake.

Sprinkle with coconut. Serve and enjoy!

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Peanut Butter Brownie Dessert

Lynn — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 21:02:10 +0000

Today’s recipe for Peanut Butter Brownie Dessert comes from my sister Evie. Evie called me a few months ago and told me she had just made this great peanut butter dessert and took it to our mom and dad’s house. She went on to say how good it was and ask if I wanted her to take a picture of it. Well of course I wanted a picture of it and a recipe to go along with it. Thanks Evie for sharing your peanut butter dessert with us! And will you all please enjoy a piece of this for me because it looks really good!

Who doesn’t like dessert, especially chocolate dessert? I happen to love chocolate. I also think that peanut butter and chocolate combinations make some of the absolute best desserts.

When I first came across this recipe, I was thinking I’d try to make a smaller version. Then I considered how yummy it looked and decided to make the whole thing on the first try. I compromised by sharing it with some extended family members, because we couldn’t possibly eat it all. The portion we kept for ourselves was quickly finished off!

This is a great brownie recipe; however I’m sure your favorite 9×13 boxed brownie mix or recipe, baked in three 8 inch pans, would work wonderfully as well. I have since adapted this recipe to make a smaller version. I halved the brownie recipe and baked two thinner 8 inch brownies. I also halved the cream layer and toppings, and then layered like the whole version.

This dessert is a great combination of brownies and peanut butter. The peanut butter cream cheese has a dense mousse-like texture that combines well with the chocolaty brownie. This dessert is also great with a tall glass of cold milk!

Peanut Butter Brownie Dessert

Brownie:

4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
3/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup flour

Melt chocolate and butter. Slowly stir in sugar, stir until blended.
Add eggs, than flour. Mix well.
Line the bottoms of 3 round or square 8in. pans with parchment paper and lightly grease with cooking spray.
Pour brownie batter evenly into 3 pans. Bake @ 325 for 20-25 min, or until done. Do not overbake.
Let cool in pans for 10 mins, and then remove to wire racks. Cool completely.

Peanut Butter Cup Cream Cheese:

12 ounces (1 1/2 packages) cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups creamy peanut butter
6 ounces peanut butter cups, crushed (8 large cups, or half a bag of miniature cups)

Beat cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add peanut butter and beat until completely combined.
Fold in peanut butter cups.
If you make this ahead of time, refrigerate. Remove from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before using.

Toppings:

1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 to 1/2 cup hot fudge, melted
1 (1 1/2 ounce) package peanut butter cups, crushed (optional)

Combine white chocolate chips and peanut butter. Microwave on high for 1 minute, or until melted. Stirring every 30 seconds.

Assembly Directions:

Layer brownie and mousse, beginning and ending with brownie. Drizzle with melted hot fudge and white chocolate/peanut butter mixture. Sprinkle with crushed peanut butter cups, if desired. Cut with a serrated bread knife and enjoy!

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Lemon Souffle

Lynn — Thu, 05 May 2011 20:13:37 +0000

Have I mentioned how much I love lemons.

Okay, so maybe I have mentioned it once or twice, but really lemons are one of my favorite foods. Lemon desserts are right up there with chocolate on my list of favorite things to eat.

And what can be better for dessert than a lemon souffle? Souffles are light and airy and have the perfect texture. They are so good.

Many people are afraid of making souffles, but really they are quite easy to make. They usually go together fairly quickly. And not only that they make an impressive presentation.

The main thing you have to remember with souffles is that you need to serve them right away. They are best warm and right from the oven. This is not a dessert that you would want to make in the morning and serve after dinner. It just won’t work or taste quite the same as it does fresh from the oven.

If you love lemon as much as I do, or need an impressive dessert to serve, try lemon souffles. I think you will love them.

Lemon Souffle

½ cup sugar plus ¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
¾ cup milk
3 eggs separated and at room temperature
2 tablespoon butter
5 tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Butter six ramekins and place on a baking sheet.
In a pan combine ½ cup sugar and cornstarch. Whisk in milk and egg yolks.
Add butter and bring to a boil over medium high heat whisking constantly until mixture thickens and forms a pudding like consistency. This will take 2- 3 minutes.
Mix in lemon juice. Then put through a strainer to remove lumps and place in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl beat egg whites with an electric mixer until frothy. Slowly add remaining ¼ cup sugar and continuing beating until stiff peaks form.
Fold egg whites into the lemon pudding mixture. Spoon batter carefully into ramekins.
Bake 13-15 minutes or until baked and set.
Serve immediately. (It is normal for a souffle to fall after being removed from the oven, but it will still taste wonderful)

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Adapted from Bon Appetit Desserts.

This post linked to Tasty Tuesday.

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Chocolate Bread Pudding

Lynn — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 14:20:21 +0000

What could be bad about chocolate and bread pudding all mixed into one. They are both the ultimate comfort food.

I have been making this chocolate bread pudding for years. The recipe is adapted from an old Debbi Field’s Cookbook.

I guess Debbi Field is good at making other things besides cookies, because some of the desserts in my Debbi Fields’ Great American Desserts are family favorites that I have been making for years. I have an older edition of Great American Desserts that I got about fifteen years ago, and I have used it so much.

My husband’s all time favorite dessert, peanut butter mud pie with a peanut butter cookie crust, comes from that cookbook. My white chocolate cheesecake is adapted from a recipe in that cookbook.

I love the desserts in that cookbook and could go on and on, but I am supposed to be focusing on the chocolate bread pudding today. I get easily distracted when I talk about desserts.

So, let’s get back to the chocolate bread pudding.

Bread pudding is a classic old fashioned dessert. It contains basic ingredients that we all have in our kitchen and it is so easy to make.

It is also a great way to use up some of those odd pieces of bread that no one wants to eat. You know those end pieces that are still left long after the loaf of bread is gone. Or is my house the only house that does not like the end pieces on a loaf of bread?

The original recipe, like most bread pudding recipes, calls for french bread, but I usually just use whatever bread I have and it works fine. I mean once you cover bread in chocolate and cream, you can’t really tell what kind of bread you used to make it.

Enjoy!

For my gluten free readers, I posted my thoughts on gluten free bread pudding in my allergy section today and you will want to read it. Gluten free eating can and should be good and you can make gluten free bread pudding.

Chocolate Bread Pudding

2 tablespoons butter or oil for greasing the dishes
1 cup cream
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
12 ounces of chocolate chips
5 cups of cubed day old french bread or similar type of bread (cut this into about 3/4 inch cubes)
whipped cream for serving

Preheat oven to 325. Lightly grease 6 ramekins or you can also do this in an 11×9 inch pan.
Melt chocolate chips.
In a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, cream, milk, and vanilla. Stir in melted chocolate until smooth. Add bread stirring gently to combine.
Place in ramekins or 11×9 pan.
Place ramekins or pan into a large pan filled with one inch of hot water. You are creating a water bath.
Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.
Let cool slightly. Serve warm topped with whipped cream.
Enjoy!

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Lemon Meringue Cake

Lynn — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 15:53:21 +0000

Lemon Meringue Cake is one of my all time favorite cakes.

I love just about anything lemon, but I especially love lemon meringue pie. I also love lemon cake. This recipe combines my love of lemon pie and lemon cake into one dessert.

I have made this many times over the years and although it has several steps, it is actually a very easy, yet impressive dessert to make.

I had this cake for the first time at a friends house in Oregon, but the recipe originally came from an old Taste of Home Magazine. You know how much I love Taste of Home recipes, so it is no wonder that this recipe is one I love.

This cake works anytime of year, but it is a perfect cake for spring.

For my gluten free readers I posted on my allergy site how I adapted this to be gluten free recently.

Lemon Meringue Cake

Cake:

¼ cup butter
½ cup sugar
1 egg and 2 egg yolks ( save the whites for the meringue)
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup milk
½ teaspoon vanilla

Filling:

2 egg yolks ( save the whites for the meringue)
1 cup water
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter

Meringue

4 egg whites
½ teaspoon cream of tarter
½ cup sugar

For the Cake:

In a bowl cream butter and sugar. Add egg and egg yolks. Mix well.
In a separate bowl combine the flour and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture, alternating with the milk. Start and end with the dry ingredients. Add vanilla.
Place batter into a greased and floured 8 or 9 inch round cake pan. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until done.
Let cool 5 minutes and remove from pan to a cooling rack.

For Filling:

In a saucepan combine egg yolks, water, sugar, and cornstarch. Whisk together and cook over medium high heat until thickened.
Remove from heat and add lemon juice and butter. Strain to remove any lumps.
Set aside for a few minutes while you make the meringue.

Meringue:

Beat egg whites until foamy.
Add cream of tarter and beat 1 minute.
Add sugar 1 tablespoon at a time beat until soft peaks form. This takes about 3-4 minutes.

Place cake on a cookie or baking sheet. Spread filling on cake and spread to ½ inch from the edge.

Spread whipped egg whites (meringue) over the top of filling, sealing to the edge of the cake.

Bake at 350 for 12 minutes or until meringue is slightly browned, keep an eye on it so it does not over brown. You can also do this under the broiler to brown it, just watch it very closely if doing it that way.

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Paula Deen’s Peach Cobbler

Lynn — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 18:26:37 +0000

I love peach cobbler and Paula Deen’s Peach Cobbler recipe is one of my favorite peach cobblers to make. It is a classic southern style peach cobbler and it is so good.

I recently made this peach cobbler for my husband’s staff and they all loved it.

As I was searching my site for the recipe to make it, I realized it was buried deep in my archives. It was actually one of the first recipes I posted on this site back in March 2008.

So, I decided that this recipe needed a little attention. After all it is one of the best peach cobblers that I have made and it is really easy to make and contains basic everyday ingredients.

If you are looking for a new dessert to try this weekend, this peach cobbler would be a perfect one.

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Gooey Lemon Cake

Lynn — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 15:28:27 +0000

I recently needed a couple of desserts to send to work with my husband. I wanted something that was not chocolate, because I was already sending a chocolate cake for one of the desserts. I decided to make Gooey Lemon Cake, which is also known as gooey lemon bars.

I know Paula Deen has made gooey bars/cake popular, but they have been around for years. I have been making my chocolate version for a long time and I have seen the same basic recipe in several church cookbooks that are twenty to thirty years old.

So, I have no clue where the original idea of gooey bars and cakes came from, but I do know that they are very good. I have yet to try a version of a gooey cake that I did not like.

Today’s version which is lemon is no exception. My husband’s staff loved these and several of them requested the recipe. I think these might have even been more popular than the chocolate cake I sent at the same time.

Gooey Lemon Cake

Crust

1 yellow cake mix
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg

Filling

6 tablespoons lemon juice
2 eggs
8 ounces of cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 3/4 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350.
For the crust, mix together the dry cake mix, butter, and 1 egg. Mix well. This will be a thick dough like texture. Press into a greased 9×13 pan and set aside
For the filling, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add the lemon juice, eggs, and melted butter. Mix together well and add powdered sugar.
Spread filling over crust and bake for 38-42 minutes or until just down. You want the edges to be lightly brown and the center to be slightly jiggle.
Cool and cut into squares.
Enjoy!

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Lemon Pudding Cake

Lynn — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 15:35:59 +0000

Pudding cake is an old fashioned and simple dessert. It is a dessert that has been around for years and it is exactly what it sounds like, part pudding, part cake.

This type of cake has always fascinated me. You mix it up all together like a normal cake, and yet in the oven it separates and creates a layer of cake and a layer of pudding. It ends up being the perfect combination of both.

I posted a gluten free version of this Lemon Pudding Cake in my allergy section earlier this week.

Lemon Pudding Cake

2 large eggs, separated, room temperature
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
¼ cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2-quart baking dish.
Beat the egg whites to soft peaks and set aside.
Beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium and add the egg yolks, mixing until incorporated.
Add the flour and salt and beat until combined. Add the lemon juice and milk and beat until incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the egg whites.
Pour the batter into the prepared dish. Place the dishes in a large baking pan and add enough boiling water to the outer pan so that it reaches halfway up the sides of the dish. You are creating a water bath.
3. Bake until the top is golden and the center springs back when gently pressed, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer the dish to a rack to cool completely.

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I also have a chocolate pudding cake that we love. And have a gluten free version of it that is a new favorite in our house.

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