Cream Cheese Pound Cake

For best results, bake these cakes at least a day before serving. Store, wrapped in plastic, for up to three days at room temperature, or freeze for up to three months.

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
1 bar (8-ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
Nonstick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350* F. With an electric mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar; beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla. With mixer on low, add flour and salt in two additions, beating until just combined.

Generously coat two 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 2-1/2 inch loaf pans (1-1/2 quarts each) with cooking spray; immediately pour in batter (pan will seem full). Tap pans on work surface to eliminate any large air bubbles.

Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out almost clean, 60 to75 minutes (if top begins to brown too quickly, tent with aluminum foil).

Cool 10 minutes in the pan. Turn out the cakes; cool completely, with top sides up, on a wire rack.

*Note...You can also bake the batter in a 4-quart tube or Bundt pan. Increase the cooking time by about 5 minutes.

Best-Ever Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
34 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups milk
Chocolate-Sour Cream Frosting

Directions:
Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, lightly grease bottoms of two 8 x 8 x 2-inch round cake pans. Line bottom of pans with waxed paper. Grease and lightly flour waxed paper and sides of pans. Or grease one 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. Set pans aside.

In a mixing bowl stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium speed until well combined (3 to 4 minutes). Scrape sides of bowl; continue beating on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition (about 1 minute total). Beat in vanilla.

Alternately add flour mixture and milk to beaten mixture, beating on low speed just until combined after each addition. Beat on medium to high speed for 20 seconds more. Spread batter evenly into the prepared pans.

Bake in a 350* F. oven for 35 to 40 minutes for 8-inch pans and the 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan, 30 to 35 minutes for 9-inch pans, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cake layers in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Peel off waxed paper. Cool thoroughly on wire racks. Or place 13 x 9 x 2-inch cake in pan on a wire rack; cool thoroughly. Frost with desired frosting. Makes 12 to 16 servings.

Chocolate-Sour Cream Frosting: In a large saucepan melt 1 12-ounce package (2 cups) semisweet chocolate pieces and 1/2 cup butter over low heat, stirring frequently. Cool for 5 minutes. Stir in 1 8-ounce carton dairy sour cream. Gradually add 4-1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar (about 1 pound), beating with an electric mixer until smooth. This frost tops and sides of two or three 8 or 9 inch cake layers. (Halve the recipe to frost the top of a 13 x 9 x 2-inch cake.) Cover and store frosted cake in the refrigerator.

Lemon Chiffon Cake

Ingredients:
3/4 cup cake flour (not self rising)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (about 4 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Heat oven to 325* F., and have ready an ungreased 7-inch tube pan. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and 3/4 cup granulated sugar; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks, vegetable oil, 1/3 cup water, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla. Add reserved dry ingredients, and beat until smooth.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar; beat on high speed until soft peaks from, about 1 minute. Gradually add remaining tablespoon of granulated sugar; beat on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes.

Gradually fold egg-white mixture into the batter; start by folding in one-third, then fold in the remaining two-thirds. Pour batter into pan. Using an offset spatula, smooth the top. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean and the cake is golden, about 45 minutes.

Remove cake from oven; invert the pan over a glass soda bottle for 2 hours to cool. Turn cake right-side up. Run a table knife all the way down between cake and pan; invert again, and remove cake. Dust cake with powdered sugar before serving.

Chiffon cakes are always made with oil, not butter, and will not get hard when refrigerated.
Makes 1 seven-inch cake.

Vanilla Cheesecake

Crust:
1-1/4 cups graham-cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons whole blanched almonds, toasted, finely ground
5 tablespoons butter, melted

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Filling:
1 Vanilla bean, split, or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 packages (8-ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup sour cream

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Directions:
Heat oven to 350* F.

Make Crust: Combine graham-cracker crumbs, sugar, almonds and butter in bowl until crumbs are evenly moistened. Press mixture into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake until golden brown, 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Wrap bottom and side of pan with heavy-duty foil. Set aside.

Make Filling: Reduce oven temperature to 325* F. Remove seeds from vanilla bean with tip of small paring knife or spoon; set aside. (Place bean in a canister with granulated or powdered sugar to make vanilla sugar.) Beat cream cheese in mixer bowl on medium-high speed, 3 minutes. Scrape side of bowl with rubber spatula. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until blended and mixture is completely smooth. Stir in sour cream and vanilla extract, if using. Pour filling into prepared pan. Place pan in a larger roasting pan and carefully add enough hot water to come halfway up side of springform pan.

Bake 1 hour. Turn off oven. Let cheesecake stand in oven 1 hour. (Do not open door.) Remove from water bath and cool on wire rack 1 hour. Cover cheesecke and refrigerate 6 hours or overhight.

Remove ring from pan. Transfer cake to a flat serving plate. Garnish top of cake with whole strawberries, and serve with sliced strawberries, if desired. Yield 12 servings.