Been Too Busy Baking But Now Back To Blogging

Wow! This kitchen has been hopping with Cakes galore, and there has been no time to brag about them.
I've been making Birthday Cakes, Coffee Cakes, Poppy Seed Cake, Cake Pops, and dealing with lots of Fruit Cakes...
But, I digress...
It's been about 2 1/2 months and I have lots of recipes to share with you.
First, there was the delectable Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing that we used for Will's 60th Birthday party. I have my own special secret Chocolate Cake recipe, which I cannot share with you, but I hear that the recipe on the Hershey's Cocoa Can is pretty yummy.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing
from Allrecipes.com
4 oz. unsweetened Bakers Chocolate melted
1 block Cream Cheese softened
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 TBS. evaporated milk

using a mixer, mix the melted chocolate & cream cheese together until light and fluffy.
slowly add in 4 cups powdered sugar
mix in vanilla
then mix in evaporated milk
This recipe was to die for.


2nd recipe
Gluten Free Cake Pops
invented by Amy Moore-Kelm
1 box Hodgson Mill gluten free cake mix
follow recipe on box, increase oil to 3/4 cup
increase eggs to 4.
bake, remove from pan & let cool.
remove hard edges from cake.
crumble remaining cake to crumbs

add Nutella in small increments, stirring until cake can be molded into balls, but not pastey.
roll into desired sized balls.
place onto cookie sheet and freeze until firm.


meanwhile,
melt 1 12 oz. pkg chocolate chips in double boiler.

take lollipop sticks, and dip into melted chocolate 1 at a time.
Insert 1 stick into each ball.

holding stick, dip each ball into chocolate, using spoon to help coat the entire ball.

sprinkle desired topping i.e. sprinkles,crushed nuts, crushed cookies over ball.
insert oppposite end of stick into styrofoam and let chocolate harden.
When chocolate is hardened, they are ready to enjoy!!!

3rd, we made Apple Coffee Cake, unfortunately, we used Rosie's mom's Yeast dough recipe, and I'm not allowed to even have that, but the filling was:
Invented by Christopher Noel
6 Northern Spy Apples peeled and chopped
2 sticks butter
cinnamon, sugar, nutmeg, and cloves.

melt 2 sticks butter in frying pan.
add apples.
add cinnamon, sugar, nutmeg & cloves to desired flavor.
fry until desired tenderness.

using your favorite yeast cake recipe.
roll dough out on cookie sheet until it is wide enough to hold fillng and able to be wrapped like a turnover.
sprinkle brown sugar and crushed pecans or walnuts over apple mixture.
fold the ends over the top of the mixture.
bake until the dough is a golden brown, per recipe instructions.
drizzle a glaze or caramel sauce over top.

And Finally, what you've all been waiting for... is Chris Noel's Award Winning Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with orange glaze... well, actually it's not my own recipe, but one I found in 1999 while on an excursion to Mesa Verde National Park, CO.
I found it in The National Park Cookbook, 1995 ed. , which I bought specifically for this one recipe... and believe me, it's the only recipe worth wanting from this cookbook.
Well, what else would someone think about, while pondering over how Native Americans were able to live on sides of sheer cliffs??? Food, of course.

I made this cake for my friend Steven's birthday party.
He's been begging me to make it since the Cake Disaster of 2009, which won 1st prize at The Avenue Cake & Karaoke Competition.

Pea Ridge Poppy Seed Cake
National Park Cook Book 1995 ed.
1 pkg yellow cake mix-------------- I use Lemon
1 pkg instant pudding mix---------- I use Lemon
4 eggs
1 cup Sour Cream

1/4 oil
1/2 cup Cream Sherry.--- I've got plenty, if you need to borrow some.
1/4 cup Poppy Seeds

Orange Butter Glaze
1 1/2 TBS Milk
1 TBS Butter
1 TBS Orange Juice
1 1/4 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. grated orange rind.

For Cake:
Combine all ingredients in large mixer bowl.
Blend, then beat at medium speed for 4 minutes.
Pour into greased and floured 10 inch Bundt pan.
Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 50 minutes or till done.
Do Not Overbake.
Cool in pan 15 Minutes.
Remove and cool entirely on Rack.
spoon glaze over cooled cake.

For Glaze: Heat milk, butter & Orange Juice in sauce pan till butter is melted.
Stir powdered sugar & orange rind in small bowl, and to lquid & beat till smooth.

HINT: I zest the orange, then use the juice from the orange... it works marvelously.