Monday, May 31, 2010

Connie's Italian Cream Cake



Hey everybody today I am coming to y'all with my absolute favorite cake hands down! It is my granny's italian cream cake and let me just say it is the BEST you will ever have. I made it for my friends and it was a hit. In fact, my friend Kirstyn asked me for the recipe before I could even post it because she wanted to make it for her Aunt who is coming in town. Just a little side note: you need to have time to make this. It does require a bit of labor but if you just follow the recipe step by step then you will be fine! From the Splendid Kitchen enjoy!

Cake Ingredients:
1 Cup buttermilk
1 Teaspoon baking soda
5 Eggs seperated ***KEEP BOTH THE YOLK AND THE WHITE***
2 Cups sugar
1 Stick butter
1/2 Cups shortening
2 Cups sifted flour
1 Cup chopped pecans (I suggest to buy a little bag of pecans already chopped and use the other half for the icing)
1 Bag of coconut (Same as the pecans. I would use half for the cake and half for the icing)
1 Teaspoon vanilla

Cream Cheese Icing:
1 8oz. Package of cream cheese softened
1 Stick butter, room temperature
1 Pound confectioners sugar
1 Teaspoon vanilla
Rest of coconut and chopped pecans

Time to begin with the cake!
Combine soda and buttermilk together and let stand a few minutes.


Separate the eggs and keep the yolks. If you dont have one of these cool devices you can simply crack the egg and move the yolk from one side of the shell to the other over a bowl so that you can save the white in one bowl and then put the yolk in another.




Pour the egg whites into mixer and beat...




and beat....



Almost there...


Perfect



Put into a separate bowl and clean mixing bowl to begin the second part of the cake.


Combine sugar, butter and shortening



Add egg yolks one at a time beating after each addition.




Add flour and buttermilk to creamed addition.



Add vanilla


Fold in egg whites

Sorry for the bad picture...I took it myself :)


Fold in pecans and coconut


I am feeling the urge to make it again immediately.

Pour into 3 9" pans that have been greased



When baking if your oven is not big enough I recommend setting your timer for 10 min. and then move them around and do it 3 times so that it cooks evenly. Once finished let stand for about 10 min. and then put on a wire rack to cool. An easy way to get the cake out of the pan is to put the wire rack on top of the cake and flip the cake over on top of it.

ICING TIME!!!
Cream cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together




Add confectioners sugar



Fold in pecans and coconut



After your cake has cooled for about 10 min. put little pieces of parchment paper around the bottom of the first cake so that the icing does not get onto the platter. Now ice the first layer doing the top and then the sides. I recommend doing the sides of the cake as you go along so that you do not run our of icing.



Add the second layer and ice the same way


Finish it off with the third layer and use ALL the icing just to make it extra yummy!



Finito!

All that is left is to eat up! It is so moist and the icing is to die for. Now you do not have to add the coconut and pecans to the icing but I cannot imagine the cake without them! Delightful indulgences from the Splendid Kitchen!

Printable Directions:
Combine soda and buttermilk and let stand a few minutes. Beat egg whites until stiff. Cream sugar, butter and shortening. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating after each addition. Add buttermilk and flour to creamed mixture. Mix in vanilla. Fold in egg whites and gently stir in pecans and coconut. Bake in 3 9" greased pans at 300 for 30 min. or until done. Let cool for about 10 min. and then let cool on wire rack.
Icing: Cream cheese and butter well and add vanilla. Beat in sugar a little bit at a time until it is a good spreading consistency. Stir in coconut and pecans.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Paula Deen's Mama's Pound Cake



Hey everybody! It is official...I have graduated from high school! Yahoooo! which means that I have a lot to blog about including this pound cake recipe. I have always loved pound cake but have never had one that I just absolutely loved until one day I knew I had to find a fantastic recipe. This came about when I was exempt from my Pre-Cal final. Let's just say I was VERY grateful and I wanted my teacher to know that so I had my friend Kirstyn ask her what her favorite dessert was. She told her that she loved pound cake so I knew that Paula Deen would have a great one and let me just say she knew what she was doing when she or should I say her mama made it. It is extremely easy and from now on if I am ever in need of a pound cake recipe this will definitely be my go to. So without further adieu get our your butter and sugar out! From the Splendid Kitchen Enjoy!!!

Ingredients:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Begin by pre-heating your oven to 350 degrees
With your mixer grab that butter and shortening and cream together.




Next add your eggs one at a time, mixing after each one.


Time to add in the sugar! Now I know it is tempting to put it all in at once but do it a little at a time and it will end up looking like this..a little bit clumpy.





Now get your dry ingredients and mix together into a bowl. Then add to mixture alternating with milk and flour. Note: begin with flour and end with flour (honestly, I don't know why but I am guessing it has something to do with the texture in the end...just a guess. Maybe I should Google it :) )



Lastly, add in that vanilla.





Grease a bunt pan and pour mixture in.


Bake for about 1 hour to an 1 1/2. Insert a toothpick into cake to see if done. If it comes out with any batter in it is is not done. Make sure to not leave it in the pan for too long just about 10 min. It should come out smooth and when it is done it will look golden and delicious like this...



Maybe you could even put a tab of butter on it and heat it up which is what my dad requested. I hope y'all enjoy the Little Mermaid plate from when I was little. I realized after I took the picture that that was what plate I had placed it on. It is ok I am not ashamed that I still at times eat off of kiddie plates or serve my desserts on them.

Be looking for some more posts soon! Yummy bakings from the Splendid Kitchen!


If you want to print the recipe here is the website:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/mamas-pound-cake-recipe/index.htmlPICTURE