Chocolate Kahlua Cake WithOUT the Kahlua...

3/10/2012

1 Comment

 
So I guess I should just call it 'Chocolate Cake'.  I've been making this cake for years and it is simply delicious.  When I made it this past week, I thought the dough seemed a little thick but I went with it anyway.   Once I had put the cake in the oven I realized why it was so thick - I totally forgot to put the Kahlua in!  Aughh...oh well, too late now.  (That's what happens when I talk on the phone and bake at the same time!)
The Kahlua didn't really make THAT much of a difference.  The cake was still WONDERFUL without the Kahlua.  It was just as moist and will give any chocoholic their fix.   Plus for those of you that would rather not cook with alcohol or don't have Kahlua on hand you now know you can still make this yumm-o cake!

Now be warned, this cake is not made from "SCRATCH" as Boy 2 likes to point out - although it does not stop him from eating more than his fair share!

1 box devil's food  cake mix, with pudding in the mix
1 small box instant  fudge chocolate pudding
2 cups sour cream
1 package milk  chocolate chips
4 eggs
¾ cup vegetable oil

**Feel free to add 1/3 cup  Kahlua**

Preheat oven to 350  degrees F.
Coat a Bundt cake pan with cooking spray.
Mix all ingredients  together by hand.
Bake for 45-50  minutes.
1 Comment

Dump Cake

1/28/2012

5 Comments

 
Stupid easy.
Stupid good.

I've been making this cake for years.  Sometimes I forget about it and I will go years without making it or even thinking about it, but EVERY time I make it (typically when I don't have much time or energy to cook) I wonder WHY I don't make it more often.  And then I remember.  2. STICKS. OF. BUTTER.

1 can cherry pie filling
1 can crushed pineapple
1 box yellow cake mix
2 sticks of butter cut into squares

Preheat oven to 350. Dump cherries & pineapple into a 9x13 pan.  Spread evenly.  Dump cake mix on top, spread evenly.  Place butter pats on top of cake mix.  Bake for 30-40 minutes.  Eat warm, cold, either way.  You won't be disappointed.

Paula Deen would be proud. 
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It's not pretty, and the picture was taken with my camera after several had already dug in, but it is SO GOOD...
5 Comments

Habanera Lime Cheesecake

11/21/2010

0 Comments

 
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I loved this cheesecake.  Hubby wasn't thrilled....he thinks it is wrong to feel heat when eating dessert and it didn't help when he took his first bite and must have crunched into the only piece of habanera that was not minced into nothing.  Oh well, I can't win them all with that man.  However everyone else LOVED this bad boy.

This cheesecake is a very light cheesecake.  Be sure NOT to overcook.  I was afraid it wasn't done because it was still pretty jiggly, but when I texted my brother he told me to TAKE IT OUT!  It will firm up while cooling.  He was right.  I cooked it about 20 minutes longer than I should have, but it turned out fine.

Crust:
30 Chocolate wafers (enough to make 1 1/2 cups of chocolate crumbs)
1/4 cup butter, melted

Sauce:
1 cup water
1cup sugar
2 key limes, juiced
Candied hibiscus flowers (really? I couldn't find them anywhere) or dried cranberries

Filling:
5 egg yolks
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup key lime juice
1 TBL key lime zest
1/2 habanera pepper, seeds removed, minced (use gloves while working with habanera - just trust me)
2 cups whipped cream cheese softened
1 cup mascarpone cheese

Meringues:
5 egg whites
3 TBL sugar
1 tsp white vinegar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

To make crust:
Put wafers in a resealable bag & crush into fine crumbs.  Pour crumbs into bowl and add melted butter & mix.  Mold the crumb crust into the bottom of a  spring form pan & bring up the sides a little bit.   Bake for 8-10 minutes, remove and cool on counter.

To make sauce:
Over medium heat combine water & sugar.  Bring to a boil.  Add key lime juice and cranberries (flowers if you can find them).  Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes untill slightly reduced.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl add egg yolks, brown sugar, key lime juice, lime zest, habanera pepper & whisk together.  Add the cream cheese and Mascarpone & beat with an electric mixer for 15 seconds.

Place 2 layers of wide aluminum foil into a large roasting pan put the cake in the middle of the foil & bring the foil up the sides to create a seal.  Do not cover cake.  Pour water into the roasting pan 1/2 way up the sides of the cake pan.  Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes.  Allow cake to cool completely on the countertop, then refrigerate overnight. Serve each slice of cheesecake drizzled with a tablespoon of the sauce. 

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Choco Flan

11/21/2010

2 Comments

 
I don't like flan.  I would have never made this on my own.  My brother made me do it.  This is one time I am glad my brother made me do something!  I was having a dinner party and was stumped on what to make for dessert. In fact, I was considering forgoing dessert.  I wasn't in the mood.  Then I ask my brother because always knocks dessert out of the park.  He wanted to know what was for dinner ~ it was simple, a taco salad bar (beef and chicken) with chicken tortilla soup and my rockin' beans.    He knew immediately what I should make - Chocó flan cake & Habanera Lime Cheesecake.  (Really?  REALLY!) 

Here is the Chocóflan (forgive me for my bad pictures lately).

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Ingredients:

12-cup capacity Bundt pan Softened butter, to coat pan
1/4 cup cajeta  (it is a caramel sauce made from goat’s milk found on the international isle of your grocery store)

For the cake:

10 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar 1 egg, room temperature

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup cocoa powder (make sure you use a really good cocoa powder!)
1 1/4 cups buttermilk

For the flan:
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For garnish:
1/4 cup chopped pecans


Directions

Put an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

Coat Bundt pan with a little butter, then coat the bottom with 1/4 cup cajeta and put it in a large roasting pan. (The roasting pan will serve as a water bath during baking.)

For the cake: Add the butter and sugar to a bowl and using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, beat until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa in a medium bowl. Beat 1/3 of the flour mixture, and 1/2 of the buttermilk into the egg mixture. Repeat, ending with the flour mixture. Blend until well incorporated.

For the flan: In a blender combine the evaporated milk, condensed milk, cream cheese, eggs and vanilla. Blend on high for 30 seconds.

Scoop the cake batter into the prepared Bundt pan and spreading evenly. Slowly pour the flan mixture over the cake batter. Cover with foil and add about 1-inch of hot water to the roasting pan.

Carefully slide the pan into the oven, and bake 1 hour, until the surface of the cake is firm to the touch, or an inserted toothpick comes out clean. When cake is done, remove from the water bath and cool completely to room temperature, about 1 hour.

Invert a large, rimmed serving platter over the Bundt pan, grasp tightly together, giggle a little and flip over. Remove the pan and scrape any remaining cajeta from the pan onto the cake garnish with chopped pecans and serve!

Cook's Notes: The batters may appear to mix when you pour them into the pan, but they completely separate while baking, with the flan ending up on the bottom when it's inverted.

Traditionally flan is chilled 24 hours before serving, but many people like to eat it warm.  

You can find the original recipe here.
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