Orange Flan Cake

Caramel
1	cup sugar
1/2	cup water
Flan
1	cup milk
2	tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur or orange juice
1	teaspoon grated orange peel
4	egg yolks
2	whole eggs
1	can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
Cake
1	box super moist yellow cake mix
1 1/4	cups water
1/3	cup vegetable oil
2	teaspoons grated orange peel
3	whole eggs Directions: 1 . In 2-quart heavy saucepan, heat sugar and 1/2 cup water to boiling. Reduce heat to medium. Cook without stirring 18 to 22 minutes or until sugar turns golden brown in color and is caramelized. Into 2 ungreased 9-inch round cake pans (do not use dark or nonstick pans), quickly pour caramelized sugar and immediately tilt pans so sugar covers bottoms; set aside. 2 . Fill shallow pan half full with water; place on lowest oven rack. Heat oven to 325°F. 3 . In medium bowl, beat 1 cup milk, the liqueur, 1 teaspoon orange peel, egg yolks, whole eggs and sweetened condensed milk with wire whisk or fork until blended. Pour milk mixture over caramelized sugar in each pan. 4 . In large bowl, beat cake mix, 1 1/4 cups water, the oil, 2 teaspoons orange peel and 3 eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Spoon mixture evenly over milk mixture in pans. 5 . Bake cakes on middle rack 45 to 55 minutes or until cakes spring back when touched lightly in center. Cool 30 minutes; run knife or spatula around edges of pans. Place serving plate upside down on each pan; turn plate and pan over. Leave pans over cakes 1 minute so caramel can drizzle over cakes. Serve warm or cold. Store covered in refrigerator.

Creamy Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Ingredients:
1 cup chocolate wafer cookie crumbs
1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter
3 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips

Instructions:
1. Combine crumbs and melted butter.
Pat evenly over bottom and about 3/4 inch
up the side of a removable-rim
8-inch cheesecake or cake pan (at least 1
3/4 in. deep).

2. In a food processor or bowl, whirl or beat
cream cheese, milk, egg, and vanilla until
very smooth. Stir in 1/4 cup chocolate chips.

3. Scrape batter into prepared pan. Evenly
sprinkle batter with remaining chocolate chips.

4. Bake in a 350° oven until cake jiggles only
slightly in the center when gently shaken,
about 30 minutes.

5. Run a thin-bladed knife between cake and
pan rim. Refrigerate cake, uncovered, until
cool, at least 2 1/2 hours. Serve, or if making
ahead, wrap airtight when cool and chill
up to 2 days. Remove pan rim and cut cake
into wedges.

Yield: Makes 10 servings

Cream Cheese Poppy Seed Pound Cake

Ingredients

1 cup butter (no substitutes)

1 8-ounce package cream cheese

6 eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2-1/4 cups granulated sugar

1/4 cup poppy seed

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 recipe Lemon Icing (recipe follows) Directions: 1. Allow butter, cream cheese, and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grease and lightly flour a 10-inch tube pan. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. 2. In a large mixing bowl beat butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium to high speed about 30 seconds or until softened. Gradually add sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating on a medium speed about 5 minutes or until very light and fluffy. Add poppy seed and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low to medium speed 1 minute after each addition and scraping bowl frequently. Gradually add flour mixture, beating on low speed just until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan. 3. Bake in a 325 degree F oven about 1-1/4 hours or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 15 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Drizzle Lemon Icing over cake. 4. Lemon Icing: In a small mixing bowl stir to- gether 1-1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel, and 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice to make icing of a drizzling consistency. Makes 16 to 20 servings.

Vanilla Fudge Marbled Cake

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1-1/4 cups buttermilk or sour milk*

2/3 cup chocolate-flavored syrup

Semisweet Chocolate Icing (recipe follows) Directions: 1. Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grease and lightly flour a 10-inch fluted tube pan. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. 2. In large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on low to medium speed about 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low to medium speed 1 minute after each addition and scraping bowl fre- quently. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until com- bined. Reserve 2 cups batter. Turn remaining batter into prepared pan. 3. In small mixing bowl combine chocolate- flavored syrup and reserved 2 cups batter. Beat on low speed until well combined. Pour chocolate batter over vanilla batter in pan. Do not mix. 4. Bake in a 350 degree F oven about 50 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes on wire rack. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack. Drizzle cake with Semisweet Chocolate Icing. Makes 12 servings. *For sour milk, place 4 teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar in a measuring cup. Add enough milk to equal 1-1/4 cups. Semisweet Chocolate Icing: In small saucepan heat 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate pieces, 2 table- spoons butter, 1 tablespoon light-colored corn syrup, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla over low heat, stirring until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Use immediately.

Almond Cake with Berries

Ingredients for cake:
Butter for greasing pan
1/2 cup all-purpose flour plus additional
for dusting pan
1 cup sliced almonds (preferably with
skins; 3 1/2 oz)
2/3 cup sugar
4 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons whole milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites

Ingredients for berry syrup:
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups blackberries (9 oz)
1 cup raspberries (4 1/2 oz)

Garnish: confectioners sugar

Instructions for making cake:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat
oven to 400°F. Generously butter a 9- by 2 inch
round cake pan and dust with flour, knocking
out excess.

Pulse almonds with 1/3 cup sugar in a food
processor until finely ground. Transfer almond
sugar to a large bowl and add yolks, flour (1/2
cup), milk, vanilla, and salt, whisking until
combined (batter will be thick).

Beat whites with a pinch of salt in a bowl using
an electric mixer at medium-high speed until
they just hold soft peaks. Add remaining 1/3
cup sugar, a little at a time, beating at medium
speed, then beat at high speed until whites hold
stiff, glossy peaks.

Fold about one third of whites into batter to
lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently
but thoroughly.

Pour batter into cake pan and bake until cake
is springy to the touch and a wooden pick or
skewer inserted in center comes out clean, 18
to 20 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5
minutes, then invert onto rack and cool 10
minutes.

Make berry syrup while cake is baking:
Bring water and sugar to a boil in a 1-quart
heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is
dissolved. Cool syrup 20 minutes, then stir
in lemon juice and almond extract. Gently
stir in berries.

Arrange cake, right side up, on a plate and
spoon berries over top, then slowly pour
fruit syrup evenly over cake. Dust with con-
fectioners sugar if desired.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

New York Style Cheesecake

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

4 eggs

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

1-1/4 cups granulated sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons vanilla

2 8-ounce cartons dairy sour cream

1/4 cup granulated sugar Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degree F. In a large mixing bowl beat butter on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar. Beat until fluffy. Add one of the eggs; beat well. Slowly beat in the 1-1/4 cups flour until combined. Divide dough in half. Cover and refrigerate one portion. Spread remaining portion onto the bottom of an ungreased 10-inch springform pan with sides re- moved. Place on baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool completely. When bottom crust has cooled, attach sides of pan. Press chilled dough onto sides to a height of about 1-3/4 inches. Set aside. Increase oven temperature to 450 degree F. In a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese and the 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar until fluffy. Beat in the 1/4 cup flour at low speed until smooth. Add the re- maining 3 eggs and 3 teaspoons of the vanilla all at once, beating at low speed until just combined. Stir in 1/2 cup of the sour cream. Pour batter into the crust-lined pan. Place on a shallow baking pan in oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degree F. Bake for 30 minutes more or until center appears nearly set when gently shaken. Remove from oven. Stir together remaining sour cream, the 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and the re- maining 1 teaspoon vanilla. Using a spoon, spread mixture evenly over top of baked cheesecake. Re- turn to oven and bake for 15 minutes more. Remove from oven. Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes. Loosen crust from sides of pan. Cool for 30 minutes more. Remove sides of pan; cool completely. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before slicing. Makes 16 servings.

Almond Tea Cakes

Ingredients:

2 cups butter

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

4 teaspoons almond extract

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

FILLING:

1 egg white

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup ground almonds

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

milk

Sliced almonds

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and extract; mix well. Add flour and baking powder (dough will be soft). Chill. For filling, stir egg white, sugar, almonds and lemon juice in a small bowl. Remove a portion of the dough at a time from the refrigerator. Place 1-in. balls of dough into miniature muffin cups, pressing slightly into sides and bottom. Place 1/2 teaspoon of filling into each. Cover with quarter-sized circles of dough. Brush with a little milk and top with an almond. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Yield: about 5 dozen.

Maple Pecan Cake

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup pecan flour (see notes)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large egg yolks, beaten to blend
2/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup pecan or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon brandy
6 large egg whites
1/3 cup sugar
Maple Cream Cheese Frosting*
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans

1. Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan with
a removable rim. In a bowl, stir together
all-purpose flour, pecan flour, baking
powder, and salt.

2. In a small bowl, mix egg yolks, maple
syrup, pecan oil, and brandy. Pour into
flour mixture; stir to combine.

3. In a large bowl, with a mixer, beat egg
whites until soft peaks form. Beat in sugar,
a tablespoon at a time, and continue to
beat until glossy, about 2 minutes. Stir a
quarter of the egg-white mixture into yolk
mixture. Scrape into remaining egg-white
mixture and fold in gently.

4. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in a
350° oven until cake springs back when
lightly pressed in the center, 30 to 35 minutes.
Transfer in pan to a rack and let cool about 1
hour.

5. Remove pan rim. Cut cake in half horizontally
and place bottom layer on a cake plate. Spread
half the maple-cream cheese frosting on bottom
layer; top with remaining layer. Spread remain-
ing frosting over top (leave sides bare). Sprinkle
with chopped pecans.

*Maple Cream Cheese Frosting:
3/4 cup maple syrup
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup (1/4 lb.) butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar

In a 1- to 1 1/2-quart pan over medium-high
heat, bring maple syrup to a boil. Reduce heat
and simmer, swirling pan occasionally, until
reduced by about a third, 10 to 12 minutes.
Pour into a glass measure nested in a bowl
of ice water and stir constantly until syrup
is very thick and barely warm to touch, 3 to
4 minutes. Remove from ice water. In a bowl,
with a mixer on low speed, beat cream cheese
and butter until well blended. Beat in powdered
sugar. Scrape in reduced syrup; beat until smooth.