Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Topping:
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Cake:
1 stick unsalted butter (room temperature)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350* F.

Topping: In a small bowl combine sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and walnuts; set aside.

Cake:
Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter, sugar, and eggs until smooth. Add the flour mixture alternating with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Spread half of the batter into the prepared baking pan, and sprinkle with half of the topping. repeat with remaining batter and topping.

Bake until cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes, then remove sides of pan and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Serve topping side up. Yield: serves 12.

Optional:
Drizzle a little thin icing over the top randomly for a professional look. Use confectioners sugar with either vanilla or alond extract for flavoring, and add enough water for a slightly thin consistency. Drizzle in a random pattern.

Blueberry Pound Cake

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
3 cups sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
6 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries*
confectioners' sugar

Blueberry Sauce:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup cranberry juice concentrate
6 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in extracts. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Fold in blueberries.

Spoon into two greased and waxed paper-lined 9-inch x 5-inch x 3-inch loaf pans. Bake at 350*F. for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and cranberry juice concentrate until smooth. Add blueberries. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve warm or cold with the pound cake. Yield: 2 loaf cakes.

* If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw before adding to the batter.

Gingerbread Snacking Cake

Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
(plus more for pan)
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
1 cup boiling water
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 cup unsulfured molasses
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
confectioners' sugar, for dusting

1. Heat oven to 350*. Butter and flour a 9-x-13-inch cake pan; set aside. In a bowl, combine boiling water and baking soda; set aside. In a large bowl, sift together flour, ground spices, salt, and baking powder; set aside.

2. In an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter until light. Beat in brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in molasses and grated ginger, baking-soda mixture, and flour mixture. Beat in eggs.

3. Pour batter into prepared pan; bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares; dust with confectioners' sugar.

Yield: about 12 servings.

Apple-Cinnamon Cake

Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, melted
1-1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar
4 large eggs
6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick


The Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons water
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350* F. Make the cake: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

2. In a large bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, and eggs. Whisk until smooth. Gradually whisk in dry ingredients just until combined (do not overmix). Using a rubber spatula, fold in apples. Spoon batter into a 12-cup nonstick Bundt pan, and smooth top. Bake until a tester inserted in cake comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in pan on rack 15 minutes; invert onto rack to cool completely.

3. Make the Glaze: Whisk together confectioners' sugar and enough water to form a thick yet pourable glaze. Add vanilla extract and mix. Set rack with cake over a piece of wax paper (for easy clean-up); drizzle cake with glaze, and let set before serving.

Serves 10 to 12 slices.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cakes

Ingredients:
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup HEATH BITS 'O BRICKLE Toffee Bits
4 pineapple rings
4 maraschino cherries
1/4 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon rum or 1 teaspoon rum extract
1 egg
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cups milk

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350* F. Lightly coat inside of 4 individual 2-cup baking dishes with vegetable oil spray.

2. Stir together 1 tablespoon corn syrup and 1 tablespoon melted butter in each of 4 baking dishes. Sprinkle each with 1/4 cup toffee. Center pineapple rings on toffee and place cherries in centers.

3. Beat softened butter and sugar in small bowl until blended. Add rum and egg, beating well. Stir together flour and baking powder; add alternately with milk to rum mixture, beating until smooth. Spoon about 3/4 cup batter into each prepared dish.

4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately invert onto serving dish; cool slightly before serving. Refrigerate leftovers. Makes four 4-inch cakes.

All-Chocolate Boston Cream Pie...Cake

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Filling (recipe follows)
Satiny Chocolate Glaze (recipe follows)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350* F. Grease and flour one 9-inch round baking pan.

2. Stir together flour, sugar, cocoa and baking soda in large bowl. Add butter, milk, egg and vanilla. Beat on low speed of mixer until all ingredients are moistened. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared pan.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Prepare Chocolate Filling. Cut cake into two thin layers. Place one layer on serving plate; spread filling over layer. Top with remaining layer.

4. Prepare Satiny Chocolate Glaze. Pour onto top of cake, allowing some to drizzle down sides. Refrigerate until serving time. Cover; refrigerate leftover cake. 8 servings.

Chocolate Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1-1/2 cups (1-1/2 pint) light cream
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Stir together sugar; cocoa and cornstarch in medium saucepan; gradually stir in light cream. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and begins to boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring constatly; remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface. Cool completely.

Satiny Chocolate Glaze:
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon corn syrup
2 tablespoons cocoa
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat water, butter and corn syrup in small saucepan to boiling. Remove from heat; immediately stir in cocoa. With whisk, gradually beat in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth; cool slightly.

Italian Ricotta Cake

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2/3 cup cocoa
candied cherries or sliced almonds (optional)
1-1/2 cups ground blanched almonds
ricotta cherry filling (recipe follows)
8 eggs, separated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups sugar, divided
cocoa whipped cream (recipe follows)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375* F. Grease bottoms of two 9-inch pan; line with baking parchment. Grease parchment lining, leaving sides of pans ungreased.

2. Beat egg yolks in large bowl on medium speed of mixer 3 minutes. Gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating another 2 minutes. Stir together almonds, flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add alternately with water to egg yolk mixture, beating on low speed just until blended. Stir in vanilla and almond extracts.

3. Beat egg whites in large bowl until foamy. Gradually add remaining 12 cup sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold chocolate mixture into beaten egg whites. Spread batter evevnly into prepared pans.

4. Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. With long serrated knife, cut each layer in half horizontally to make 4 thin layers. Refrigerate layers while preparing filling and whipped cream.

5. Place one cake layer on serving plate; spread with one-third (about 1-1/3 cups) ricotta cherry filling. Top with another cake layer. Repeat procedure with remaining filling and cake layers. Frost sides and top of cake with cocoa whipped cream. Garnish with candied cherries or almond, if desired. Refrigerate at least 4 hours. Cover; refrigerate leftover dessert. 8 to 10 servings.

Ricotta Cherry Filling:
1 cup cold whipping cream (1/2 pint)
1-3/4 cups (15-ounces) ricotta cheese
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 chopped candied cherries
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Beat whipping cream in small bowl until stiff. Beat ricotta cheese and powdered sugar in large bowl until smooth. Fold whipped cream into cheese mixture just until blended. Stir in candied cherries and almond extract. About 4 cups filling.

Cocoa Whipped Cream:
Stir together 2/3 cup powdered sugar and 1/3 cup cocoa in large bowl. Stir in 2 cups (1 pint) cold whipping cream and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; beat just until stiff. (Do not overbeat.) About 4 cups frosting.