AlleyKat's Favorite Chocolate Cake

Everyone loves chocolate and there's no indulgence we crave more than chocolate cake. This is my favorite recipe -- it makes a moist, chocolately chocolate cake. If you want a layer cake, it goes great with a berry filling or a whipped chocolate ganache.

AlleyKat's Favorite Chocolate Cake

2 cups + 1 tbs boiling water
1 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 1/4 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract



DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 3 - 9 inch round cake pans (or a bunt pan, if you prefer not to serve it as a layer). In medium bowl, pour boiling water over cocoa, and whisk until smooth. Let mixture cool. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at time, then stir in vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture. Spread batter evenly between the 3 prepared pans.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool.

Rhuberry Cake

This Strawberry Cake with Rhubarb filling is perfect a refreshing and well-balanced dessert for the springtime. The cake is flavourful and moist; the rhubarb just a little bit tart; the whip-cream frosting just sweet enough.

Rhuberry Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup puréed fresh or frozen and thawed strawberries
1/2 cup coarsely chopped strawberries
1/2 cup buttermilk
slices strawberries for garnish

For Filling:
3 stalks of Rhubarb, cut into pieces
1/2 cup strawberries, cut
1/4 c. sugar (or to your liking)
2 tbs cornstarch
1/4 c. water

Frosting:
1 pint whipping cream
1 tbs vanilla extract
2-3 tbs sugar


For Filling (make first):
Add rhubarb, water and sugar to saucepan and let cook until rhubarb becomes soft. Add strawberries and cornstarch and cook until the rhubarb falls apart and the fruit mixture thickens. Pour into bowl and let cool in refridgerator for 2 hours before using.

For Cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans or one 9- x 13-inch cake pan. Set aside.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, 1/2 cup of the butter, 1 cup of the puréed strawberries and milk, then add to bowl with flour mixture and beat with a wire whisk until combined.

Pour batter into prepared cake pans. Sprinkle the chopped strawberries over the batter in each pan and give a quick stir. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until done when tested with a toothpick. Set aside to let cool slightly, then invert cakes onto a cooling rack and set aside to let cool completely.

Level bottom layer of the cake with a knife. With the whipped cream in a pastry bag, create a wall for the filling on the base layer. Add the rhubarb filling, top with second cake and frost top with whipped cream. Garnish with strawberries.

AlleyKat's Lemon Cake

My kick-off blog recipe is a wonderful summer party cake that I have been very successful with. It is a light but moist cake that has a lot of lemon flavor. If you don't have the time or patience to make a multi-layer cake, I suggest serving it with fruit and cream.

INGREDIENTS

10 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups white sugar

3 eggs

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup buttermilk

3/4 teaspoon lemon extract

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 2 cake pans (for layer cake, or a Bundt pan for single cake).

2. Cream 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time beating after each addition. Blend in the lemon peel.

3. In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt, soda and baking powder. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk to creamed butter mixture. Add lemon extract and raisins.

4. Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 50 minutes cool 5 minutes, then turn out onto serving plate.

To Make into Strawberry Shortcake

1. 1.5 pints heavy cream, whipped with sugar & vanilla to taste
2. 2 pints strawberries sliced
3. 1 cake layer, whipped cream and strawberries, top with second cake, “ice” with remaining cream