Buttery Yellow Butter Cake

Yeah, it's been a while since I've posted over here.  

Bummer.

But I am resolved to do better and what better way to get back into the swing of things than with a butter cake?  It's going to be getting too warm here very soon to do much oven-baking, so I have to get as much baking out of my system as possible.

I found this recipe yesterday and vowed right then and there to try it out on our company that was headed over for dinner.

This recipe is absolutely fantastic.  Period.

It's Paula Deen worthy, both in taste and butter content.  

{source}

Buttery Yellow Butter Cake

{from Midwest Living}

ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/3 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups butter
• 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• Semisweet chocolate pieces (optional)

directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1 cup of the crumb mixture.
2. To remaining mixture, stir in baking powder. Add eggs, milk, vanilla, and almond extract. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Beat on medium speed for 5 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.
3. Spread the batter in a greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.
4. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Serve warm or cool. Makes 15 servings.
5. Drizzle with melted semisweet chocolate pieces, if desired.

**This recipe is so easy and the results are incredible!  I didn't add the chocolate drizzle because I had some non-chocolate eaters coming {crazy, huh?} but it actually didn't need it.  This is simple comfort food at it's best!

Until next time (which is hopefully very, very soon),  here's to many smooches in the kitchen!

Luscious Four Layer Pumpkin Cake

Doesn't just the title make you want to drool?

{drip, drip...}

I started making this recipe several years ago after having it on my "Recipes-To-Try" list and oh, my goodness, it is ah-mazing!

No, seriously.

Of course, around here, we love anything pumpkin, so it was an immediate winner, but to make it even more amazing is the feast for the eyes that it is.

It's meant to be something rustic-looking and imperfect, which suits us perfectly, because we're pretty rustic and as far from being perfect as the east is from the west.

Are you ready?

Hold on to your hats, folks!

See what I mean about it not looking perfect?  But what about going-face-down-delicious?  Oh, yeah, baby.

Ingredients:

1 package yellow cake mix
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin, divided
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
4 eggs
1 1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice, divided
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
8 oz. Cool Whip
1/4 cup caramel topping (or is carmel?  hmmm....)
1/4 cup pecans, chopped

Directions:

Grease and flour two round cake pans.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat cake mix, 1 cup pumpkin, milk, oil, eggs, and 1 t. pumpkin pie spice on medium speed until well blended.  Pour into pans.  Bake 20-22 minutes or until done. Start dying because of the smell of goodness emanating from your oven.  Cool cakes completely.

Beat cream cheese on medium until creamy.  Add powdered sugar, remaining pumpkin, and 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice; mix well.  Stir in Cool Whip.

Remove cakes from pans; cut each in half horizontally with a serrated knife.  Place bottom layer on a serving plate, spread 1/3 cream cheese mixture on top.  Repeat with two more layers.  Do not frost the top.  Lick all remaining mixture from spoon and bowl.  Drizzle with caramel and pecans.  This time, lick any syrup that may have accidentally gotten on your fingers.

If you somehow manage to not eat it all, store the leftovers in the refrigerator.

Leftovers?  What leftovers?

Exactly.

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Oh, boy.  It's been a while since we've posted any recipes.  Our crazy busy schedule drives me nuts sometimes.  We've been trying a ton of new ones, especially since it's.... baking season!

Wait.  Did you hear that?  I know it was angels singing.

Plus, I get to bake with pumpkin.  I. Love. Pumpkin.  I would marry it, but I think that it's illegal, or something like that.

I found this recipe on Pinterest and it's shut-the-front-door!-kind-of-amazing.  It was an instant hit with my whole family and is now considered one of my favorite fall baking recipes.

This recipe originally came from the Tasty Kitchen.  Oh, my, my, my, my.

(photo from Tasty Kitchen)

Ingredients:

⅓ cups Water
1 can Pureed Pumpkin (15 Oz)
2 whole Eggs
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 box Yellow Cake Mix (18 Ounce Box)
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 cup Brown Sugar, Divided
½ cups Flour
⅓ cups Walnuts, Chopped
4 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
¼ cups Granulated Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
¼ cups Heavy Whipping Cream

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl mix together the water, pumpkin, eggs, 1 Tablespoon of vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice until well combined. Add the cake mix and baking soda and mix until just combined.

Grease a 9×13 pan with butter and pour batter into pan.

In a small bowl mix together 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, walnuts, and melted butter. Use fingers to sprinkle over the top of the cake. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

For the glaze, combine the other 1/2 cup brown sugar, granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and heavy cream in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir until all sugar is dissolved.

When cake is finished baking, poke holes in the top with a toothpick. Pour glaze over the cake, making sure to cover all surfaces. Serve cake warm or at room temperature.

*I didn't have the ingredients on-hand to make the glaze top the cake with, so I left it off.  In my mind, the cake can stand on it's own two feet, and what tasty feet those are, too.  I would love to try it with the glaze someday, but for now, with five children in the house, we try to avoid sugar comas as much as possible.  I know, crazy, right?

I also used a spice cake mix, and it was wonderful!

Until next time (which is hopefully much more frequently than the last time), here's to more Smoochin' in the Kitchen!

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake...Drool, Drool

My (Jamie) dad, Tony, does not have a sweet tooth.  In fact, he loves to brag about how he detests chocolate and peanut butter just to see people's jaws drop whenever it's brought up.  How in the world could I come from such a man?

I don't know.  I just shake my head and mutter to myself. 

He does like, however, fruit-y kinds of desserts.  Sometimes.  Kinda.

But Superman's daughter has found his Kryptonite.  Oh yeah, baby!  His birthday was last weekend (happy birthday, daddy!) and I wanted to find something that would make him forget all about his previous prejudices against dessert.  And this is what did it:

(photo courtesy of Taste of Home recipes)

Spiced Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Ingredients:

• 1-1/3 cups butter, softened, divided
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 can (20 ounces) pineapple slices, drained
• 10 to 12 maraschino cherries
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon Spice Islands® pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup buttermilk

 Directions

• In a saucepan, melt 2/3 cup of butter; stir in brown sugar. Spread in the bottom of an ungreased heavy 12-in skillet or a 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Arrange pineapple in a single layer over sugar mixture; place a cherry in the center of each slice. Sprinkle with pecans and set aside. Sneak a smooch in there.
• In a large bowl, cream sugar and remaining butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg; add alternately to batter with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.
• Carefully pour over the pineapple. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes for skillet (50-60 minutes for baking pan) or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Immediately invert onto a serving platter. Serve warm. Yield: 12 servings.

Notes*** I didn't use the nutmeg or pecans.  Again, Dad isn't a fan (silly dad).  I greased the sides of the pan so that the cake would come out easily and it was fine.  Also, when I added the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately, I started and finished with the dry ingredients.  It mixes better that way.

Everyone loved this cake!  Both Tony and Paco (not a huge fan of pineapple upside-down cake) ate it until they felt like they were about to pop.

Now, THAT's the mark of a successful dessert.

(recipe courtesy of Taste of Home)