Black Forest Cake

Recipe from Sage Cafe (McMinnville, OR). I used to work at this little lunch cafe while for a few months while I was home from college in 1999. All of their recipes are delicious. I found their cookbook my mom bought years ago and begged her last year to let me take it home with me. Sadly, the cafe had to close it's doors a few years ago due to the boutique store below them going out of business. The Sage Cafe was located up the stairs from the boutique shop. Luckily for me, the recipes I loved are in my home now.

Cake

1 1/4 cup white flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup melted butter

1 egg

1 tsp vinegar

1/2 tsp vanilla

6 tbsp cocoa powder

In a small bowl, stir buttermilk and baking soda together. In a medium bowl, combine flours, sugars, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder. In a large bowl, combine butter, egg, vinegar, and vanilla. Beat until mixed. Add buttermilk. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients until fully incorporated.

Grease a 8" cake pan (I used a deep cheesecake spring form 8" round pan). Lightly flour the inside of the pan. Pour cake batter into pan and bake at 350F degrees for 40 minutes at least. I don't remember how long it actually took to completely bake. I kept checking on the cake every 5 minutes or so until it was done. It takes longer when it's so thick. When cake is done, let it cool for 5 minutes before removing the pan.

Let cool completely (a few hours) before frosting.

Chocolate Frosting

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp milk

Mix ingredients together in a large bowl, adding a tiny bit of extra milk if necessary until frosting is smooth and spreadable. Frost only the sides of the cake, leaving the top bare.

Topping

1 can (14 oz) cherry pie filling

Starting at the center of the cake, dollop the pie filling. Spread from center to the sides. You're done! Slice and Enjoy!

Scrumptious Carrot Cake

With real cream cheese frosting that is to die for!

I made this for Trevor's birthday cake

and it was so GOOD that I made it again for his welcome home cake from Wisconsin too.

I'm not a frosting person, but I REALLY love this cream cheese frosting! SO, that's saying something! This is also the same frosting I use when I make Cinnabon Cinnamon rolls.

Trevor says this is the best carrot cake he's ever had!

Ingredients

4 eggs

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup oil

1/2 cup applesauce

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

3 cups grated carrots

1 cup pecans (we omitted these because Rae's allergic)

Mix first six ingredients all together. In a separate bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients together. Gradually add all of dry ingredients to the wet cake batter. Stir in carrots and nuts.

Pour into a greased 9x13 pan and bake 350F for 45 minutes or so until when inserted toothpick comes out dry.

While cake is baking you can start on the frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened but not melted
1 tsp vanilla

3 cups powdered sugar

Mix until smooth. Be careful! The powdered sugar may want to fly out of the bowl at first! If the mixture is too stiff, it will soften as the cream cheese becomes room temperature. If it is still too thick, you can soften it by using a VERY LITTLE amount of milk, like 1 maybe 2 tsp.

Let cake cool completely before frosting.

Serve and enjoy! Refridgerate any leftover cake.

Cinnamon Walnut Cupcakes

I just made this recipe tonight for the first time. I found it from Bettycrocker.

It is amazing! Especially for whenever you craving something sweet. I wanted to make something for a friend that was going through a hard time, as a little "pick-me-up". Hence, the cute ribbons added. Honestly, I didn't put anymore frosting on the rest of the cupcakes that we ate at home because it didn't change the taste at all, and it is just more calories that we could do without. It does make the cupcake look beautiful, however, if you give some away!

Enjoy!

1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® yellow cake mix
2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
8 egg whites

1 container (8 oz) sour cream (1 cup)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Frosting (optional)

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla


1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease cupcake pan or use cupcake wrappers.

2. In large bowl, beat dry cake mix, applesauce, egg whites and sour cream with electric mixer. Spread half of the batter in pan. Stir together brown sugar, walnuts and cinnamon; sprinkle over batter in pan. Carefully spread remaining batter evenly over walnut mixture.
3. Bake 17-25 minutes or until done (inserted toothpick comes out dry). Stir powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until thin enough to spread. Spread powdered sugar mixture over cupcakes. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Store covered.

Yield: 24/30 cupcakes