Italian Cream Cake and Frosting

A friend of mine in Okinawa (Kay Gudmundson) made this cake for us and I brought the recipe home to Nana. I knew she would love it, and she did. She incorporated it into her wedding cake recipes and it is a tasty cake. It's one of my favorites which is saying something since it isn't chocolate!

• 1 C. Shortening
• 2 C. Sugar
• 1 t. Vanilla
• 5 Egg Yolks
• 2 1/4 C. Flour
• 1 t. Salt
• 1 t. Baking Powder
• 1 t. Baking Soda
• 1 1/2 C. Buttermilk
• 5 Egg White (beaten stiff)
• 2 C. Coconut
• 1 C. Nuts (walnuts or pecans, optional)

In a large bowl, or your KitchenAid, cream together the shortening and sugar. Add in the egg yolks and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, salt and baking powder together. Mix the buttermilk and the soda together in a measuring cup. Alternate mixing the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture into the creamed sugar mixture until it's all in. Fold in the coconut. Fold in the egg whites. Pour into 2 (9") greased and floured cake rounds. Bake in preheated 350º oven for 40 minutes, or until it tests done. Remove and turn out onto racks to cool.

Butter Cream Cheese Frosting…

• 4 T. Butter (softened)
• 1 (8oz) pkg. Cream Cheese (softened)
• 4 C. Powdered Sugar (maybe more)
• 1 t. Vanilla

Beat all ingredients together until light and fluffy. Frost between layers, top and sides of cake. Good at room temperature, or chill to serve. Refrigerate left overs.

Chocolate Sour Cream Cake and Frosting

Nana has some great from scratch recipes for cake that need to be included in her recipe file. I know we have all enjoyed these and hope our families will continue to enjoy them.

• 2 C. Flour
• 1/2 C. Cocoa Powder
• 1 t. Salt
• 3/4 C. Butter
• 1 2/3 C. Sugar
• 1 Egg
• 1 t. Vanilla
• 1 C. Buttermilk
• 2 t. Soda
• 2/3 C. Sour Cream

Stir the soda and buttermilk together and set aside. In a separate bowl whisk the flour, cocoa and salt together, set aside. In a large mixing bowl (or your KitchenAid) Cream together the butter and sugar until it is fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla. Add the sour cream to the buttermilk mixture and stir well. Now alternate adding the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture to the creamed sugar mixture. When everything is in blend well. Pour into 2 greased and floured round cake pans (at least 10"). Bake at 350º for 30-35 minutes, or until it tests done. Remove and turn out on racks to cool.

Now for the Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting…

• 3 (3oz) pkg. Cream Cheese (softened)
• 1/3 C. Butter
• 5 C. Powdered Sugar
• 4 T. Cocoa
• 5-8 T. Cream OR Half & Half or even Evaporated Milk

Cream the butter and cream cheese together. Mix the cocoa and powdered sugar together. Add cocoa mixture alternating with cream to the cream cheese mixture. Beat well and adjust more cream or more powdered sugar to get the right consistency. Spread on layers, top and sides of cake. One of Richard's favorite cakes.

Apple Upside Down Cake

Okay...first off I have to give credit where credit is due. My mom found the recipe for this cake on a blog-site called "Stephanie's Kitchen". It sounded so very yummy that I was dying to try it...with a few modifications! The wonderfully talented woman who we borrowed the recipe from made the entire cake from scratch, fresh apples, cake-not out of a box, etc! I decided that this would not work for the PTA function that I was hunting down a new dessert for so I needed to make it easier. If you would like the recipe for the "from scratch" version please go to http://www.stephanieskitchen.com/ . This is also a great way to use pie apples that you have canned for a quick and easy dessert, besides apple cobbler, which we have had a ton of this past year!

1 Jar of pie apples (already with cinnamon)

1 yellow cake mix

Spray bottom of a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray. Pour pie apples into the bottom of the pan. Mix together the cake mix as directed on the box. Pour batter over the apples. Bake at 350 degrees for at least 30 minutes. Cake is done when toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool for 5-10 minutes and then invert onto a serving plate. **Would be great with the tiniest bit of cool whip/whip cream or ice cream, though we loved it just by itself! Enjoy!

Tawna :)