Kahlua Swirl Cake
Streusel Filling
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. mace (this spice makes the cake!)
Kahlua Glaze
3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. softened butter
1 Tbsp. Kahlua
Cake
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. mace
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup Kahlua
Grease and flour 9 in. fluted tube pan. Preheat oven to 350 F.
Prepare Streusel Filling: Mix ingredients and set aside.
Prepare Cake batter: Resift flour with baking powder, soda, salt and mace. (I never do any sifting, but this is what the recipe calls for) In large bowl, combine butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat 2 min. on medium speed (batter may appear curdled). On lowest speed, blend in flour alternately with sour cream and Kahlua.
Turn 1/3 batter into prepared pan. Cover with 1/2 Streusel Filling, an additional 1/3 batter and remaining Streusel. Top with remaining batter.
Bake on rack below oven center for 45 min., or until golden brown. Remove and let stand 10 min. Invert on cake rack; cool till lukewarm (with pan on top).
While cake is cooling, prepare Kahlua Glaze: Combine ingredients and beat until smooth.
Remove pan and spoon glaze over top of lukewarm cake. Top with pecan halves if desired. Serves 8-10.
Kahlua Banana Brunch Cake
1 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
3-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium)
1/2 cup Kahlua
4 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup flaked coconut
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
Optional: sifted powdered sugar
Grease 10 in. tube pan well. Preheat oven to 350 F. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in flour, 1/2 cup at a time, with remaining ingredients except coconut and nuts. Beat on low speed until mixture is well blended. On medium speed, beat 2 min., scraping bowl as you beat. Stir in coconut and nuts. Turn into prepared pan. Bake 45 to 50 min., or until golden brown. Remove from oven; let stand 10 min. Invert on cake rack; remove pan. When fully cooled, dust with powdered sugar, if desired.
Serves 10-12.
Banana Coconut Rum Cake
Cake
2 cups cake flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter,
room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk, room temperature
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas
1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
3 large egg whites, room temperature
Frosting
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup mashed very ripe banana
4 tablespoons dark rum
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
For Cake: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 8-inch diameter cake pans. Sift flour, baking power, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl. Cream butter and sugar in large bowl until light. Add yolks and vanilla and beat until combined. Gradually beat in dry ingredients alternately with milk and bananas in 3 additions each. Continue beating 2 minutes. Beat in coconut.
Using electric mixer fitted with clean dry beaters, beat whites in medium bowl to medium-stiff peaks. Gently fold in whites into batter in 2 additions. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake until cakes are just golden and tester inserted into center of each comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on rack 10 minutes. Run small, sharp knife around pan sides to loosen cakes if necessary. Can be prepared one day ahead. Cover with plastic and let stand at room temperature.
For Frosting: Cream butter in large bowl until light. Sift half of sugar over and beat until fluffy. Add mashed bananas, 1 tablespoon rum, vanilla extract, and lemon juice, and beat to combine. Sift remaining half of sugar over and beat until thick.
Place 1 cake layer on plate. Pierce cake all over with tip of knife. Sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons rum over cake. Spread 1 1/2 cups frosting over. Top with second cake layer. Pierce cake all over with tip of knife. Drizzle remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons rum over. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Press coconut onto top and sides of cake, covering completely. Can be prepared four hours ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature.
Rum Cake
1 box yellow cake mix (Duncan Hines Butter Recipe Golden is preferred)
1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix
1/2 c. light rum
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)
Glaze
1 c. sugar
1 stick butter or margarine
1/4 c. light rum
1/4 c. water
Boil in a small sauce pan for 2 to 3 minutes and pour all of it over the hot
cake while it is still in the pan. Let sit 15 minutes and invert over a plate.
Combine cake and pudding mixes in a large mixing bowl. Add rum, water and oil, and mix well. Add unbeaten eggs, one at a time. Mix 2 minutes. Grease and flour a bundt pan, or sponge cake pan. Crumble nuts in bottom of pan, if desired.
Spread cake batter in pan and bake at 325 for 50-60 minutes. When baked, remove from oven, poke holes in bottom with wooden spoon and pour glaze over bottom. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes then turn upside down to remove.
High altitude: Make adjustments indicated on cake box
Baileys Irish Cream Cheesecake
10 servings
Crust
10 whole graham crackers, broken into pieces
1 1/4 c. pecans (about 5 ounces)
1/4 c. sugar
6 T (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Filling
1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 c. sugar
3 large eggs
1/3 c. Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 ounces imported white chocolate (such as Lindt), broken
into pieces
Topping
1 1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 c. powdered sugar
1 1/2 ounces imported white chocolate, grated
24 pecan halves
For crust: Preheat oven to 325F. Lightly butter 9-inch diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Finely grind graham crackers, pecans and sugar in processor. Add butter and blend, using on/off turns. Press crumbs onto bottom and 2 inches up sides of prepared pan. Refrigerate 20 minutes.
For filling: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Whisk eggs, Baileys and vanilla in medium bowl until just blended. Beat egg mixture into cream cheese mixture. Finely chop white chocolate in processor using on/off turns. Add to cream cheese mixture.
Transfer filling to crust-lined pan. Bake until edges of filling are puffed and dry looking and center is just set, about 50 minutes. Cool on rack.
For topping: Mix sour cream and powdered sugar in small bowl. Spread topping onto cooled cake. Refrigerate until well chilled, about 6 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead.)
Sprinkle grated chocolate over cake. Place pecans around edge and serve.
Brandy Alexander Pie
Filling
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
2/3 cup sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
3 eggs, separated
1/4 cup cognac
1/4 cup creme de cacao
2 cups heavy cream, whipped
Crust
Use a cookie crust for this recipe. Mix a package of “Famous Chocolate Wafers” ground with melted butter and then baked in a pie pan.
Sprinkle the gelatin over water in a saucepan. Add half of the sugar. Add the salt and egg yolks. Stir to blend. Cook over low heat, stirring until gelatin dissolves and mixture thickens. Do not boil. Remove from heat and stir in liquor. Chill until the mixture starts to mound slightly. Beat egg whites until stiff. Gradually beat in sugar. Fold the egg whites into the thickened gelatin mixture. Fold in 1 cup whipped cream. Turn into crust and chill. Garnish with the rest of the cream. (It also looks pretty with chocolate shavings on top.)
