Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups flour
• 2/3 cup cocoa
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¾ cup butter
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, plus one yolk

Directions:

• 1. Heat oven to 375°F. Line the bottoms of two 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper and lightly butter. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Stir the buttermilk, pumpkin, and vanilla extract together in a small bowl.
• 2. Beat the butter and sugars together using an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.
• 3. Beat in the eggs and yolk, one at a time. Reduce mixer speed to low and alternately beat in the flour and buttermilk mixtures in thirds. Pour the batter into the prepared pans.
• 4. Bake until a tester, inserted in the center, comes out clean -- about 35 minutes. Cool layers completely before icing.

Spicy Autumn Cake

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon Dutch-processed cocoa
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Instructions:

• 1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper and lightly butter. Beat butter, shortening, and sugars together until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until smooth and light. Stir the buttermilk and vanilla together.
• 2. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and spices together in a large bowl. Alternately stir the flour mixture and buttermilk, in thirds, into the beaten butter. Blend well with each addition.
• 3. Pour batter into the pans and bake until center tests clean -- about 35 minutes. Cool cakes in the pans on a rack for 30 minutes, unmold, and cool completely before frosting.

Lemon Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 cups sifted self-rising flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Lemon wedge, for garnish
Mint sprig, for garnish

Frosting:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar or 1 tablespoon white corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup water
2 egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Filling:
8 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
3 lemons, zest grated and juiced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 3 (9-inch) cake pans.

Instructions:

To make the cake: Using an electric mixer, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue to cream well for 6 to 8 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Add vanilla and continue to beat until just mixed. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Level batter in each pan by holding pan 3 or 4-inches above counter, then dropping flat onto counter. Do this several times to release air bubbles and assure you of a more level cake. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pans 5 to 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto cooling racks. Cool completely.

To make the frosting: Place sugar, cream of tartar or corn syrup, salt, water, and egg whites in the top of a double boiler. Beat with a hand held electric mixer for 1 minute. Place pan over boiling water, being sure that boiling water does not touch the bottom of the top pan. Beat constantly on high speed with electric mixer for 7 minutes. Beat in vanilla.

To make the filling: Place the ingredients in the double boiler over boiling water. Don't let top pan touch the water. Cook and stir until mixture begins to gel or thicken. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

To assemble, add 1 tablespoon of filling to the cake pedestal. Run hands along the side of the cake to remove excess crumbs. Place the cake layers on the pedestal, spreading filling between the layers and on top. Spread the sides and top of the cake with the remaining filling. Frost top and sides of cake with frosting. Garnish with a lemon wedge and a sprig of mint.