birthday cake REC please?

Hope said:

hi, i want to make a really nice birthday cake for a grown-up. I have
no ideas, no recipes, I don;t do much baking. Please help? WHat's
your personal solution to this dilemma?

Visit a bakery.

-sw

On Wed, 12 Apr 2006 03:08:17 GMT, Hope <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

hi, i want to make a really nice birthday cake for a grown-up. I have
no ideas, no recipes, I don;t do much baking. Please help? WHat's
your personal solution to this dilemma?

My favorites:

* Exported from MasterCook *

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

Recipe By :Hershey's
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup boiling water

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and
salt
in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed
of
mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour
batter
into prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes
out
clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool
completely.
Frost with "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING. 10 to 12
servings.

VARIATIONS:
ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to
350°F.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely.
Frost.

THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans.
Heat
oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes.
Cool
10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.

BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350°F.
Pour
batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes;
remove
from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.

CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake
cups.
Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25
minutes.
Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.

Source:
"http://hersheyrecipes.hersheys.com/"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 314 Calories; 11g Fat (31.4%
calories from fat); 5g Protein; 52g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber;
34mg Cholesterol; 418mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean
Meat; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 2 Fat; 2 Other Carbohydrates.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Creamy White Frosting

Recipe By :Gail Wallen
Serving Size : 18 Preparation Time :0:20
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg white -- beaten foamy*
2/3 cup skim milk -- lukewarm
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. With electric mixer, cream together the butter, shortening, and
sugar.
2. Add egg white and beat well.
3. Add milk and vanilla, and beat for 10 minutes.

Description:
"This luscious frosting tastes like whipped cream!"
Source:
"RFC 3/10/1999"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 143 Calories; 11g Fat (66.6%
calories from fat); 1g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber;
14mg Cholesterol; 60mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Lean Meat; 0 Non-Fat
Milk; 2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : Stands up well to heat and humidity.

For just us, I use a real egg white. For others, I use powdered egg
white that I buy here:
http://www.maidofscandinavia.com/

Frosts: 2 - 9" layers or 1 -13x9" oblong
--

Some people are like Slinkies... they don't really have a purpose but
they bring a smile to your face when you push them down the stairs.

Stolen from "traid" on the IRC

Steve Wertz said:

Hope said:

hi, i want to make a really nice birthday cake for a grown-up. I have
no ideas, no recipes, I don;t do much baking. Please help? WHat's
your personal solution to this dilemma?

Visit a bakery.

-sw

okay, I'll modify my request to ensure that I maybe get a helpful
response or three. I CAN bake, I CAN follow a recipe, I WANT to make
an effort for my friend's birthday. However I prefer 'tried and true'
recipes, as I do not have the necessary baking experience to look at a
new recipe and say "that looks great".

okay? I am not a time waster who is going to say "what's an egg"
after you go to the trouble of posting a recipe.

*fume* *grumble*

Hope

--
Riley 1993 c/s
Tara 2002 HBAC

"Hope" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

okay, I'll modify my request to ensure that I maybe get a helpful
response or three. I CAN bake, I CAN follow a recipe, I WANT to make
an effort for my friend's birthday. However I prefer 'tried and true'
recipes, as I do not have the necessary baking experience to look at a
new recipe and say "that looks great".

(laugh) Okay, now we know. This is a really good cake and you don't
have to do the basketweaving part. This is a from scratch cake, I don't
know if that's what you want.

Strawberry basketweave cake:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/101353

If you prefer, you could probably doctor up a mix.

nancy

Hope floated:

Quoted message said:

okay, I'll modify my request to ensure that I maybe get a helpful
response or three. I CAN bake, I CAN follow a recipe, I WANT to make
an effort for my friend's birthday. However I prefer 'tried and true'
recipes, as I do not have the necessary baking experience to look at a
new recipe and say "that looks great".

okay? I am not a time waster who is going to say "what's an egg"
after you go to the trouble of posting a recipe.

Here's one of my favorites:

Angelique's Chocolate Fudge Cake

3 squares unsweetened chocolate
2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups light brown sugar
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sour cream
1 cup boiling water

Melt chocolate over low heat. Generously grease and lightly flour two
nine-inch cake pans. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt together.

Cream butter in large bowl, add brown sugar and eggs. Beat until fluffy
(about five minutes). Add vanilla and melted chocolate. Add dry
ingredients alternately with sour cream, beating after each addition until
smooth. Stir in boiling water. (Batter will be thin.)

Pour into pans and bake at 350º F for about thirty minutes. (Test by poking
the center with a toothpick; the cake is done when the toothpick comes out
clean.)

Cool in pans on a rack for ten minutes, then turn out and cool completely.
Frost with Chocolate Fudge Frosting and keep refrigerated.

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

4 squares unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup butter
1 lb 10X confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla

Combine chocolate and butter over low heat just until melted, then remove
from heat. Combine sugar, vanilla, and milk in a medium-sized metal bowl.
Stir until smooth. Add the chocolate mixture. Set bowl inside large bowl
of ice water and stir with a wooden spoon until the frosting reaches the
right consistency.

Bob

"Damsel in dis Dress" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Wed, 12 Apr 2006 03:08:17 GMT, Hope <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

hi, i want to make a really nice birthday cake for a grown-up. I have
no ideas, no recipes, I don;t do much baking. Please help? WHat's
your personal solution to this dilemma?

My favorites:

* Exported from MasterCook *

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

Recipe By :Hershey's
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup boiling water

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and
salt
in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed
of
mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour
batter
into prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes
out
clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool
completely.
Frost with "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING. 10 to 12
servings.

VARIATIONS:
ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to
350°F.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely.
Frost.

THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans.
Heat
oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes.
Cool
10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.

BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350°F.
Pour
batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes;
remove
from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.

CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake
cups.
Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25
minutes.
Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.

Source:
"http://hersheyrecipes.hersheys.com/"

<some snippage>

The first recipe you posted... Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate
Cake is that the one where the batter appears quite watery, but comes out
like a dream? It's my husband's favorite chocolate cake recipe!

Chris in Pearland, TX

Chris Marksberry said:

The first recipe you posted... Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate
Cake is that the one where the batter appears quite watery, but comes out
like a dream? It's my husband's favorite chocolate cake recipe!

Absolutely. Looks like very dark chocolate milk when you pour it into
the pan. Dang ... I want cake!

Enjoy!
Carol
--

Some people are like Slinkies... they don't really have a purpose but
they bring a smile to your face when you push them down the stairs.

Stolen from "traid" on the IRC

thank you!!

Hope

Nancy Young said:

Strawberry basketweave cake:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/101353

If you prefer, you could probably doctor up a mix.

nancy

On 11 Apr 2006 23:15:04 -0500, "Bob Terwilliger"

virtualgoth@die_spammer.biz said:

Angelique's Chocolate Fudge Cake

thanks!

Hope

Damsel in dis Dress said:

On Wed, 12 Apr 2006 03:08:17 GMT, Hope <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

hi, i want to make a really nice birthday cake for a grown-up. I have
no ideas, no recipes, I don;t do much baking. Please help? WHat's
your personal solution to this dilemma?

My favorites:

* Exported from MasterCook *

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

diabolical. thanks!

Hope

Damsel in dis Dress said:

Chris Marksberry said:

The first recipe you posted... Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate
Cake is that the one where the batter appears quite watery, but comes out
like a dream? It's my husband's favorite chocolate cake recipe!

Absolutely. Looks like very dark chocolate milk when you pour it into
the pan. Dang ... I want cake!

Enjoy!
Carol

]
wow, thanks for that info, I would surely have freaked out.

Hope

On Wed, 12 Apr 2006 03:08:17 GMT, Hope <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

hi, i want to make a really nice birthday cake for a grown-up. I have
no ideas, no recipes, I don;t do much baking. Please help? WHat's
your personal solution to this dilemma?

I'll never make any other cake than this one if I can help it:

* Exported from MasterCook *

Black Magic Cake

Recipe By : Hershey's
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : desserts vegetarian

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
1 cup strong black coffee -- OR 2 teaspoons powdered
instant coffee plus 1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans
or
one 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and
salt
in large bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla; beat on
medium speed of mixer 2 minutes (batter will be thin). Pour batter
evenly
into prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for
rectangular
pan or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10
minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost as
desired. Yields 10 to 12 servings.

Source:
"Hershey's website"
S(Internet Address):

"http://www.hersheys.com/recipes/recipes/detail.asp?id=4754&page=1&per
1&keyword=black%20magic%20cake"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 310 Calories; 11g Fat (30.6%
calories from fat); 5g Protein; 51g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber;
36mg
Cholesterol; 463mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0
Non-Fat Milk; 2 Fat; 2 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : To sour milk: Use 1 tablespoon white vinegar plus milk to
equal 1 cup.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 395 0 0 0 0 228 2751 0 0

On Wed, 12 Apr 2006 00:11:55 -0700, Serene <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

On Wed, 12 Apr 2006 03:08:17 GMT, Hope <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

hi, i want to make a really nice birthday cake for a grown-up. I have
no ideas, no recipes, I don;t do much baking. Please help? WHat's
your personal solution to this dilemma?

I'll never make any other cake than this one if I can help it:

* Exported from MasterCook *

Black Magic Cake

you realise I am going to have to make ALL of these :-)?

Hope

Damsel in dis Dress said:

* Exported from MasterCook *
Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

<snip>

This awesomely delicious cake is now cooling on my bench.
Once I saw the ingredients, and realised I had them all at hand, just
couldn't resist.

Dinner is left over Beef Stroganoff.... dessert will be the cake!

thankyou thankyou thankyou Damsel !!!

And yes, the mixture was worryingly liquid....but firmed up
stupedously!
(used one of those new-whizz-bang-silicon cake pans... and it worked a
treat)

cheers and much gratitude

LadyJane
--
"Never trust a skinny cook!"

"Save planet earth! It's the only planet with chocolate!!!!!!"

In article <[email hidden]>,

Hope said:

hi, i want to make a really nice birthday cake for a grown-up. I have
no ideas, no recipes, I don;t do much baking. Please help? WHat's
your personal solution to this dilemma?

I make a flourless chocolate "cloud" cake for my birthday frequently,
and I just made it for our third son for his birthday last month.

It's from Richard Sax's Home Desserts, except I use Chambord and no
orange zest. Also, I just melt the chocolate with the butter in the
microwave, 45 seconds at a time.

Chocolate Cloud Cake

Cake:

8 oz best-quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 C (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, softened
6 large whole eggs: 2 whole, 4 separated
1 C sugar
2 Tbsp cognac or Grand Marnier (optional)
grated zest of 1 orange (optional)

Whipped Cream Topping:

1 1/2 C heavy cream, well chilled
3 Tbsp confectioner's sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Unsweetened cocoa powder for sprinkling. [I've also made chocolate
shavings and curls to decorate]

1. Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of an
8-inch springform pan with a round of wax paper; do not butter the pan.
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in a bowl set over hot water.
Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter until melted; set aside.

2. In a bowl, whisk the 2 whole eggs and the 4 egg yolks with 1/2
cup of the sugar just until blended. Whisk in the optional cognac or
Grand Marnier [or Godiva chocolate liqueur] and the optional orange
zest.

3. In another bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the 4 egg whites
until foamy. Gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and beat until
the whites form soft mounds that hold their shape but are not quite
stiff. Stir about 1/4 of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate
mixture to lighten it; gently fold in the remaining whites. Pour the
batter into the pan; smooth the top.

4. Bake until the top of the cake is puffed and cracked and the
center is no longer wobbly, usually 35 to 40 minutes. Do not overbake.

5. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack; the cake will sink as it
cools, forming a crater with high sides [my crater was never that
huge].

6. Whipped Cream Topping: At serving time, whip the cream with the
confectioner's sugar and vanilla until not quite stiff. With a
spatula, carefully fill the crater of the cake with the whipped cream,
pushing it gently to the edges. Dust the top lightly with cocoa
powder. Run the tip of a knife around the edges of the pan and serve.

Regards,
Ranee

Remove do not & spam to e-mail me.

"She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands." Prov 31:13

http://arabianknits.blogspot.com/
http://talesfromthekitchen.blogspot.com/

LadyJane said:

Damsel in dis Dress said:

* Exported from MasterCook *
Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

<snip>

This awesomely delicious cake is now cooling on my bench.
Once I saw the ingredients, and realised I had them all at hand, just
couldn't resist.

Dinner is left over Beef Stroganoff.... dessert will be the cake!

Can I come for dinner? I love them both! I'd have to start swimming
.... nope, I could never make it in time.

Quoted message said:

thankyou thankyou thankyou Damsel !!!

And yes, the mixture was worryingly liquid....but firmed up
stupedously!
(used one of those new-whizz-bang-silicon cake pans... and it worked a
treat)

cheers and much gratitude

I hope you love it as much as we do, Lady Jane! (My mom used to call
me Lady-Jane-Eliza-Maude - as one word - when I was little. I always
think of her when I see your name.)

I'm gonna have to look into those whizz-bang silicon cake pans. They
look really cool. Please let us know how you like the cake. We're
making one today and serving the pieces with dollops of whipped cream.

Carol
--

Some people are like Slinkies... they don't really have a purpose but
they bring a smile to your face when you push them down the stairs.

Stolen from "traid" on the IRC

Ranee Mueller said:

I make a flourless chocolate "cloud" cake for my birthday frequently,
and I just made it for our third son for his birthday last month.

It's from Richard Sax's Home Desserts, except I use Chambord and no
orange zest. Also, I just melt the chocolate with the butter in the
microwave, 45 seconds at a time.

Chocolate Cloud Cake

Mmmm! Chocolate and orange together. I'm going to have to try this
sometime. It looks marvelous! Thanks for posting it.

Carol
--

Some people are like Slinkies... they don't really have a purpose but
they bring a smile to your face when you push them down the stairs.

Stolen from "traid" on the IRC

Ranee Mueller said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Hope said:

hi, i want to make a really nice birthday cake for a grown-up. I have
no ideas, no recipes, I don;t do much baking. Please help? WHat's
your personal solution to this dilemma?

I make a flourless chocolate "cloud" cake for my birthday frequently,
and I just made it for our third son for his birthday last month.

It's from Richard Sax's Home Desserts, except I use Chambord and no
orange zest. Also, I just melt the chocolate with the butter in the
microwave, 45 seconds at a time.

Thanks for posting this. How many servings does it make? (I'll guess 4
to 6) Now I finally have a recipe worthy of that big block of
Callebaut bittersweet chocolate in the downstairs pantry (not as large a
block as it used to be because I chip off pieces to nibble on occasionally)

Best regards,
Bob

In article <[email hidden]>,

zxcvbob said:

Thanks for posting this. How many servings does it make? (I'll guess 4
to 6) Now I finally have a recipe worthy of that big block of
Callebaut bittersweet chocolate in the downstairs pantry (not as large a
block as it used to be because I chip off pieces to nibble on occasionally)

It is extraordinarily rich. I can usually eat quite a bit of cake,
but can only eat a small sliver of this, I'd say it serves 10-12. Even
the teenagers at our church who are little pirhanas about food couldn't
finish the slices they took.

Regards,
Ranee

Remove do not & spam to e-mail me.

"She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands." Prov 31:13

http://arabianknits.blogspot.com/
http://talesfromthekitchen.blogspot.com/