Grandma Noall's Cherry Chocolate Cake

I am not big on fruit and chocolate combined... but I actually do like this one..

1 package of chocolate fudge cake
21 oz can of cherry pie filling
1 tsp of almond extract
2 eggs

In a large bowl combine all ingredients. Stir until mixed well. pour into greased and floured 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 35 min. Cool and frost.

Hot Fudge Frosting

1 cup sugar
5 Tbs butter
1/3 C of milk
1 cup of chocolate chips
1/2 t vanilla

In sauce pan combine sugar, butter and milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly and boil for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips and vanilla until smooth. Pour over partial cooled bars. Serve only to very important people :).

New York Style Cheesecake

Every year for Heather's birthday we make this. I think it is probably my favorite cheesecake recipe I've ever made, but I would recommend having other people around to eat it. It's pretty rich. Most people use graham crackers for the crusts of their cheesecakes, but I think this crust is way better. It almost tastes like a sugar cookie. Combined with the smooth texture and flavor of the rest of the cheesecake this really is one of the best recipes out there. I originally got the recipe from Kyle.

½ C. Butter

¼ C Packed Brown Sugar

4 Eggs

1 ¼ C. Flour

4 8­oz pkg. Cream Cheese

1¼ C. Sugar

¼ C. Flour

1 TBS Vanilla

2 8 oz Sour Cream

¼ Sugar

1 t Vanilla

Preheat to 350. Beat butter 30 sec. Add brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add one egg; beat well. Slowly beat in 1 ¼ C flour. Divide in half. Cover and chill one portion.

Spread remaining portion of dough onto bottom of 10­inch spring­form pan with side removed. Place on baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Cool. Attach sides. Press chilled dough about 1¾ up the side of the pan.

Increase oven temp to 450. Combine cream cheese and sugar; beat until fluffy. Beat in ¼ C. flour until smooth. Add remaining eggs and 1 TBS vanilla; Beat on low speed until just combined. Stir in ½ C sour cream. Pour into pan. Place in shallow baking pan and bake 10 min.

Reduce temp to 300. Bake 30 minutes, or until center appears nearly set when gently shaken.

Remove from oven. Combine remaining sour cream, sugar and vanilla. Spread over cheesecake.

Bake 15 minutes more.

Cool on wire wrack for 15 minutes. Loosen crust; cool 30 minutes. Remove sides of pan. Cool completely. Cover and chill 4 to 24 hours. Let stand 15 min at room temp.

Lemon (or Grapefruit) Yogurt Cake

The base of this recipe is from one of my favorite cakes, which is a Grapefruit Yogurt Cake. However, Dad can not eat grapefruit because of his meds, so I switched it out to Lemon to see how it would turn out... and it worked... (from http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/pink-grapefruit-yogurt-cake-recipe/)

3/4 cup plain greek yogurt
1 cup sugar
zest of 1 1/2 pink grapefruits
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup canola oil

Grapefruit Syrup
1/4 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit
2 T granulated sugar

Grapefruit Glaze
1/3  cup powdered sugar
2-3 T freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray. Dust lightly with flour too. Set pan aside

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside

In a small bowl, add the grapefruit zest to the sugar. Rub together with your fingers until fragrant, In a large bowl, mix together the yogurt, sugar, and zest with large spoon or spatula. Whisk in the eggs- you can do all three at once. Mix until smooth and then add in the vanilla and stir again.

Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix until flour is incorporated

Add the oil and mix well. It might take a minute to get the oil mixed in, but it will.

Pour the batter into your prepared cake pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until your cake tester comes out clean and the cake springs back when lightly touched in the center.

Cool on a cooling rack for about 15 minutes and then remove from the pan. While cake is cooling make the syrup and glaze.

For the syrup, in a small sauce pan add the grapefruit juice and sugar. Whisk over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.

For the glaze, in a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and grapefruit juice. If it is too thick, add more juice, if it is too runny, add more sugar.

Poke little holes into the cake with a toothpick. Spoon the grapefruit syrup over the cake and let it soak in. Let the cake cool to room temperature and then add the glaze. Drizzle over the top of the cake.

Chocolate Sheet Cake Recipe

I don't like Texas sheetcake, I think the last two times I have tasted an after taste or something.... I had to take a treat to tonight... so I searched the internet, and used the sheetcake pan mom gave me for it's purpose... I think I stand by Katie in liking pies and other such things better then cakes, but it's not bad... even brownies more...

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, cubed
• 1/4 cup baking cocoa
• 1 cup water
• 2 Eggland's Best Eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ICING:
• 1/2 cup butter, cubed
• 1/4 cup baking cocoa
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

• In a bowl, combine the first four ingredients; set aside. In a small
• saucepan, bring butter, cocoa and water to a boil. Immediately
• remove from the heat. Add to dry ingredients and mix well.
• In a small bowl, beat eggs. Add buttermilk and vanilla; mix well.
• Stir into cocoa mixture. Pour into a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in.
• baking pan. Bake at 375° for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick 
• inserted near the center comes out clean.
• Meanwhile, in a saucepan, bring the butter, cocoa and milk to a boil,
• stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; add sugar and vanilla.
• Mix well. Spread over hot cake; immediately sprinkle with nuts. Cool
• completely on a wire rack. Yield: 16-20 servings.

PLUM KUCHEN

While Dad is getting the graphics together, I get to write my part...This is the basic recipe all of you in the family should have had access to by now, but thought I would include for any others who may be interested. It came by way of a memory for me of something grandma would make in the late summer or early fall with all the plums which were so prolific on our trees.  I have since used the cake portion for other similar stone fruits (mostly apricots) and find it to be a very simple, but good dessert especially for potlucks.  The  picture for this one is of one I made to take to Linger-Longer at the branch; unfortunately the handle on the bag gave way as Dad was trying to carry it and it bit the dust in the parking lot, breaking the dish. This one never made it into anyone's tummy, but I have made four of them this past week.  Most people don't have that much fruit to bake with, so it becomes an unusual, but popular cake at a potluck and is something different than store bought cookies!

½ C. Butter or margarine

1 C. Sugar

2 Eggs

1 C. Flour

1 Tsp. Baking powder

1 Tsp. Vanilla or almond extract

¼ Tsp. Salt

¼ C. Cinnamon sugar

1¼ Lbs. Plums

Powdered sugar as desired for garnish

-Mix butter and sugar together until fluffy

-Add eggs, extract

-Gently add flour, baking powder, and salt

-Pour batter into greased 9 X 9 baking dish

-Pit plums and place plum halves in the batter skin-side down covering the

  surface of the  batter

-Bake 350° for 60 minutes or until done

-After baking and while it is still warm, sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired

Simple Almond Cake

I pretty much love this recipe. I can't even guess how many times I have made this simple almond cake. It is so so easy and so good. The recipe for this almond cake is in the ward cookbook from the Woodruffs, but I've seen it a few other places as well. I like to serve it with berries and sometime ice cream. We made it for the missionaries last week and they loved it. To be fair though, they live at the MTC their whole mission so anything that is not cafeteria food is probably amazing. Elder Tucker who has been in the MTC for the past 23 months was so excited at the thought of fruits and vegetables not from a can. The cake was still good, regardless of whether or not your diet consists of cafeteria food.

1/2 C butter, melted and cooled

1 C flour

1 C sugar

2 tsp almond extract

2 eggs

Slivered almonds

Combine butter, flour, sugar, extract and eggs in a bowl. Pour into a pie tin. Sprinkle almonds over batter. You can also sprinkle a spoonful of sugar over the top if desired. Bake at 325 for 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned. Serve with mixed berries and ice cream if desired.

German Chocolate Cake Bars

A few weeks ago I got a text late on Saturday night asking if I'd teach RS Sunday morning. I did, and my RS president brought over a few of these bars as a thank you. They were so delicious! The original recipe comes from Six Sisters Stuff. I like them more cake-like because I think the density of brownies is too much for me sometimes. The great thing is, you can decide if you want these more like brownies or more cake-like depending on the type of cake mix you use. Cake mix with pudding in it makes it more like a brownie. Without the pudding and the bars are more like a cake. Either way, you should try these.

1 box devil’s food cake mix 
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 egg
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup chopped pecans (walnuts would work too)
1 cup shredded coconut 
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips (I used a broken up chocolate bar)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan.
Melt butter in medium bowl. Add cake mix and egg and combine. Press mixture into the bottom greased pan. Bake 7 minutes and remove from the oven. (Crust won't look done.)
Combine sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, egg, pecans and coconut. Pour over the warm crust and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake for 24-30 minutes. The top should be almost a golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Noall Pumpkin Bars

The Noall's are perfectionists... but because they are... they have some darn good recipes... one of my favorite that they have is there Pumpkin Bars, I believe they are from some Uncle Paul... Anyways snuck a pic of the recipe after I made them last week... and thought the family may want to use it because they are SOOO easy and soo good. However, they are best refrigerated the next day.

• 4 Eggs
• 1 2/3 c sugar
• 1 c vegetable oil
• 16 oz of pumpkin
• 2 cups of flour
• 2 t baking powder
• 2 t cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda

Beat together eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and soda. Mix thoroughly. Spread patter in an ungreased 15x10x1 baking pan (Jelly Roll). Bake at 350 for 30 min. Cool, then frost with the following cream cheese frosting. Store in refrigerator in Tupperware.

Cream Cheese Icing

• 6 oz Cream cheese
• 1 c butter, softened
• 2 t vanilla
• 6 c powdered sugar

Cream together cream cheese and butter. stir in vanilla and add powdered sugar, a little at time beating well till mixture is smooth.

German Chocolate Cake

I made this cake when my last bishop was released a couple months ago. German Chocolate is his favorite and we threw a party for him. The recipe is from David Lebovitz's website. It's a lot of work, but its really good:)

 For the cake:
2 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
6 tbsp. water
4 large eggs, separated
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups sugar, divided
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract


For the filling:
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup sugar
3 large egg yolks
6 tbsp. butter, cut into small pieces
½ tsp.  salt
1 cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped
1 1/3 cups unsweetened coconut, toasted*


For the icing:
8 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 tbsp. light corn syrup
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream

Directions:
To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.  Butter and flour the sides of the pans; set aside.
Using a double boiler (or the microwave in short bursts), melt the bittersweet and unsweetened chocolate with the water, stirring until smooth.  Set aside until the mixture cools to room temperature.
In the clean, dry bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed until they form soft droopy peaks.  Slowly add ¼ cup of the sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.  Transfer the egg whites to a separate bowl and return the mixer bowl to the mixer base.
In the bowl the electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter with 1¼ cups of the sugar.  Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Beat in the melted chocolate.  Mix in the egg yolks one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed.
In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Mix half of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture on low speed just until incorporated.  Mix in the buttermilk and vanilla extract until combined.  Mix in the remaining dry ingredients just until incorporated.  Using a rubber spatula, gently fold about a third of the egg whites into the batter to lighten it.  Then fold in the remaining egg whites just until incorporated.
Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans and bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the cake pans for 10 minutes, then remove from the pans and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the filling, combine the cream, sugar and egg yolks in a medium saucepan.  Put the butter, pecans and coconut in a mixing bowl; set aside.  Heat the cream mixture and cook, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom until the mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of a spoon (170-175° F.)  Pour the hot custard immediately into the pecan coconut mixture and stir until the butter is melted.  Cool completely to room temperature.  The mixture will thicken as it cools.

To assemble the cake, cut the two cake layers in half horizontally to yield four layers.  Set the first layer on a cake circle, cut side up. Spread ¾ cup of the coconut filling over the cake layer, making sure to reach the edges.  Set another cake layer on top of the filling.  Repeat  spreading ¾ cup of the coconut filling over each layer, including the top.  Ice the sides of the cake with the chilled chocolate icing.  Pipe a decorative border around the top layer, encircling the coconut topping.