Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

1 package dry cake mix (any flavor) 24 cake cup ice cream cones water, oil and eggs per cake mix directions on box Preheat oven to 350F.Mix cake mix per directions on box. If using a white cake mix, divide mix into four separate mixing bowls and use food coloring to make different ice cream "flavors". Place ice cream cones in muffin pan and fill about 1/2 to 3/4 full. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until done. Cool on a wire rack. Let cool completely if frosting. Makes 18 to 24 cupcakes

GOLDEN GALUSHKA

   1/2 c. warm milk

   1/4 c. sugar
   1 pkg. dry yeast

Put together and let stand. 1 stick of butter, cut upPut butter into milk so it melts. In a kitchen maid mixing bowl add 1/2 cup sugar and 6 eggs, when mixed well, add milk and butter, then add milk and yeast. MIX WELL TOGETHER. Add 8 or 9 cups flour and knead about 10 minutes (until dough gets shiny and bubbly). Cover and let raise for 1 hour or doubles in size.
Flour board, pour dough out and cut with a very small juice glass into balls. Dip each ball into 1-3/4 pounds melted butter, then into ground nut and sugar mixture.

NUT AND SUGAR MIXTURE:

   4 to 6 c. ground walnuts
   2 to 3 c. sugar

Put into solid angel food cake pan and keep layering with dough balls and nut, sugar mixture (makes 2 pans).Bake at 350°F for about 1 hour.

Kahlua Flourless Fudge Cake

Ingredients

7 extra large egg whites

1 cup sugar

1/2 pound unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1/2 pound European bittersweet chocolate, broken into small pieces

1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon espresso

3 Tablespoons Kahlua

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch springform pan.
Place egg whites and sugar in a mixer and whip into firm peaks. Meanwhile, melt butter over medium heat. When melted, add chocolate, stirring occasionally until smooth. Quickly add vanilla, espresso, Kahlua, and chocolate butter mixture to the egg white mixture, gently folding until smooth. Pour into prepared cake pan and bake on center rack for 40 minutes.
Remove from oven. Wait 5 minutes and press sides down so the top of the cake is even. Cool and refrigerate for 4 hours or until set. Remove cake from pan and cut with a hot knife into 8 pieces. Serve with fresh berries and vanilla ice cream if desired.
Serves: 8.

Marshmellow Fondant ala Holly

16 ounces white mini marshmallows (use a good quality brand)

2 to 5 tablespoons water

2 pounds icing sugar (please use C&H Cane Powdered Sugar for the best results)

½ cup Crisco shortening (you will be digging into it so place in a very easily accessed bowl)

NOTE: Please be careful, this first stage can get hot.

Melt marshmallows and 2 tablespoons of water in a microwave or double boiler: Put the bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds, open microwave and stir, back in microwave for 30 seconds more, open microwave and stir again, and continue doing this until melted. It usually takes about 2 ½ minutes total. Place 3/4 of the powdered sugar on the top of the melted marshmallow mix.

Now grease your hands GENEROUSLY - palms, backs and in between fingers, then heavily grease the counter you will be using and dump the bowl of marshmallow/sugar mixture in the middle. (By the way, this recipe is also good for your hands. When I’m done, they are baby soft - if dye is involved then smurfy blue too LOL.) it takes an entire little vial of food coloring to get it to bright vibrant colors.

Start kneading like you would bread dough. You will immediately see why you have greased your hands. If you have children in the room they will either laugh at you or look at you with a questioning expression.

Keep kneading, this stuff is sticky at this stage! Add the rest of the powdered sugar and knead some more. Re-grease your hands and counter when the fondant is sticking. If the mix is tearing easily, it is to dry, so add water (about ½ tablespoon at a time then knead it in). It usually takes me about 8 minutes to get a firm smooth elastic ball so that it will stretch without tearing when you apply it to the cake.

Its best if you can let it sit, double wrapped, overnight (but you can use it right away if there are no tiny bits of dry powdered sugar). If you do see them, you will need to knead and maybe add a few more drops of water.

Prepare the fondant for storing by coating it with a good layer of Crisco shortening, wrap in a plastic- type wrap product and then put it in a re-sealable or Ziploc bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible. It can last in the fridge for a couple of weeks.

it is really messy to make, I use a greased silpat sheet to knead it out

Irish Whiskey Christmas Cake

If you've never made a Christmas cake before, this one is dead easy, and you won't be disappointed. I now prefer the much thinner layer of marzipan and icing, and the flavour of the Irish whiskey in the icing, as well as the cake, is brilliant. The instructions here are for four small cakes or one large cake. If you want to keep the cake for any length of time, let the marzipan dry out (covered with a clean tea cloth) for a week before icing.

Makes four 4 inch (10 cm) square cakes or an 8 inch (20 cm) square cake.
I brought bake one of these cakes with me from Ireland and I will never forget how divine it was. I recommend using a good quality whiskey otherwise it will taste quite crappy no matter how drunk the fruits are.

Ingredients

For the pre-soaking:

10 fl oz (275 ml) Irish whiskey
1½ teaspoons Angostura bitters
4 oz (110 g) stoned no-soak prunes
2 oz (50 g) glacé cherries
2 oz (50 g) unblanched almonds
4 oz (110 g) mixed candied peel
1 lb (450 g) raisins
8 oz (225 g) currants
½ rounded teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ level teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ level teaspoon ground cloves
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 level tablespoon molasses sugar
grated zest 1 orange
grated zest 1 lemon
½ level teaspoon salt

For the cake:

1 tablespoon Irish whiskey
9 oz (250 g) self-raising flour, sifted
9 oz (250 g) demerara sugar
9 oz (250 g) unsalted butter, softened
5 large eggs at room temperature
1 heaped tablespoon apricot jam

For the icing:

2½ tablespoons Irish whiskey
1lb 2 oz (500 g) marzipan (in a block)
1 lb 4 oz (570 g) unrefined golden icing sugar, plus a little extra for rolling
1 large egg white
1 dessertspoon molasses syrup or black treacle

You will also need an 8 inch (20 cm) square cake tin, greased, the base and sides lined with a double thickness of silicone paper (parchment) to sit 4 inches (10 cm) deep, plus four lengths of ribbon 4 ft (1.2 m) long, 1½ inches (4 cm) wide for four cakes, or one length 6½ ft (2 m) long, 1½ inches (4 cm) wide, for one large cake.



One week before you intend to bake the cake, measure out the whiskey, bitters and 3 tablespoons of water into a large saucepan, then roughly chop the prunes, cherries and almonds and finely dice the mixed candied peel. Add these, along with the rest of the pre-soaking ingredients, to the pan, ticking them as you go to make sure nothing gets left out. Now stir and bring the mixture up to simmering point, then, keeping the heat low, simmer very gently, without a lid, for 15 minutes. After that, allow everything to cool completely, then pour the mixture into a large jar with a lid or an airtight plastic container and leave it in the fridge for seven days, giving it a little shake from time to time.

When you're ready to bake the cake, pre-heat the oven to gas mark 1, 275°F (140°C). (For important information about cooking at gas mark 1, click here)

All you need to do is measure out the flour, sugar and butter into a very large bowl, then add the eggs and either whisk or beat with a wooden spoon until everything is evenly blended. Now gradually fold in the fruit mixture until it is evenly distributed. Then spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, levelling the surface with the back of the spoon. Bake in the centre of the oven for 3 hours without opening the door, then cover the cake with a double thickness of greaseproof paper and continue to bake it for a further 30 minutes or until the centre feels springy when lightly touched.

Cool the cake for 45 minutes in the tin, then remove it to a wire rack to finish cooling. When it's completely cold, wrap it in a double layer of greaseproof paper, then foil, and store it in an airtight container.

When you are ready to finish the cake, if you are making the four small cakes take a sharp knife and cut the cake into quarters so you end up with four 4 inch (10 cm) square cakes. Then melt the jam with the whiskey in a small saucepan and stir it a few times until all the lumps have dissolved. Now, using a brush, coat the surface of each cake quite generously with it. Take the marzipan and cut off a quarter of the block, then, on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar, roll the piece into an 8 inch (20 cm) square. Now, with a sharp knife, cut the square into quarters so you end up with four 4 inch (10 cm) square pieces. Gently take each square and place one on top of each cake, lightly pressing the marzipan down. Next, cut the remaining piece of marzipan in half and roll each half into a strip measuring 6 x 16 inches (15 x 40 cm), then cut each strip in half lengthways so you are left with four strips: one for the sides of each cake. Press each strip lightly around the edges of each cake and pinch to seal at the join with the top piece of marzipan.

To make the 8 inch (20 cm) cake, just leave the cake whole. Melt the jam and whiskey as above and use a brush to coat the surface of the cake. Take the marzipan and cut off a quarter of the block, then roll this piece out to an 8 inch (20 cm) square and place this on the top of the cake. Cut the remaining piece of marzipan in half and roll each half into a strip measuring 3 x 16 inches (7.5 x 40 cm), then use these strips to cover the sides of the cake.

For the icing, sieve the icing sugar, then place the egg white and molasses (or black treacle) in a large bowl and, using an electric hand whisk, whisk together thoroughly. Now, with the whisk running, add a tablespoon of icing sugar at a time and keep adding it until the mixture thickens. As it begins to crumble, add a tablespoon of the Irish whiskey to combine the mixture, then carry on adding more icing sugar until it becomes thick. Add another tablespoon of whiskey, then the rest of the icing sugar and whiskey, and keep whisking until everything is blended together.

If you are making the 4 smaller cakes divide the icing into four. Using a palette knife smooth icing over the top and down the sides of your cake or cakes, dipping the knife into a small saucepan of simmering water to make it easier to spread. To finish, dip the knife in the simmering water once more and make swirls with the knife over the surface, then leave the iced cake or cakes to dry overnight. Wrap each cake in greaseproof paper, then in foil, and keep in an airtight container.

When you're ready to finish the cakes, carefully place a length of ribbon around each one, tying the ends in a bow.

Banana Split Cake

4 cups crushed graham crackers
3 sticks butter, room temperature
2 eggs 16-ounce box powdered sugar
20-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
2 to 3 bananas, sliced
12-ounce container whipped topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For crust, mix crushed graham crackers and 1 stick of butter. Line bottom and sides of a 13 by 9-inch pan with mixture. Bake crust for 5 to 8 minutes.

Beat the eggs, 2 sticks butter, and the powdered sugar until fluffy. Spread mixture on cooled crust. Add layer of crushed pineapple and layer of sliced bananas. Cover with whipped topping and sprinkle with nuts or graham crackers. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Père Roux’s Cake

CAKE
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup solid vegetable shortening (6 ounces)
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups skim milk
7 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

FILLING
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups lightly packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
6 overripe bananas, coarsely mashed
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons Meyers’s dark rum

FROSTING
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/4 pound cream cheese, softened
directions

Make the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms with rounds of wax paper and butter the paper. Dust the pans with flour, tapping out the excess.

In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a paddle, mix the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the shortening and mix at low speed until evenly blended. Add the sugar and mix at medium speed until a mass forms around the paddle. At low speed, gradually add 3/4 cup of the milk and beat until smooth, scraping down the side of the bowl from time to time.

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites with the remaining 3/4 cup of milk and the vanilla and almond extracts. With the machine on, gradually beat the egg white mixture into the batter at medium speed until silky, about 5 minutes. Scrape the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden and springy. Transfer the cakes to a rack and let cool for 15 minutes in the pans, then invert them onto the rack and let cool completely. Peel off the wax paper and slice each cake in half horizontally.

Meanwhile, make the filling:
In a large saucepan, cook the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon over moderately high heat until the butter and sugar have melted. Remove from the heat and add the bananas and 1/2 cup of the rum. Cook the filling over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until very thick and the butter just begins to separate, about 25 minutes.

Transfer the filling to a food processor. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of rum and puree until smooth. Let the filling cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

Make the frosting:
In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a whisk, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat at low speed until incorporated. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and beat at medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Place one cake layer on a large plate, and spoon one-third of the filling on top and spread it to the edge. Top with another cake layer, pressing gently; spread with another third of the filling.

Repeat with the remaining cake layers and filling, ending with a cake layer. Spread the frosting over the top and side of the cake and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until set. Bring to room temperature before serving.


MAKE AHEAD The cake can be refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Monkey's Lunch Cake w/ Banana Kahlua Frosting

Cake:
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
3/4 mashed bananas
1/4 cup Irish Cream liqueur
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt

Cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.

Beat in the banana. Blend in the Irish Cream. Sift together the baking soda, baking powder, flour and salt, fold into the cake.

Pour batter into a 9" buttered and floured spring form pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40 minutes. Cool 10 minutes then transfer cake to cooling rack, turn cake out and cool completely. Frost with Banana Kahlua Frosting.

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar
2 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp banana liqueur
3 tbsp Irish Cream liqueur
3 oz semi-sweet chocolate - melted

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and whip in the confectioner's sugar.

In a double boiler beat the eggs, sugar, flour, salt, liqueurs and chocolate. Cook 10 minutes, cool. Whip into the cream and butter. Frost cakes.