Assorted Sweets

[Mama Mangia]

Shrewsbury Cake


1 cup (2 sticks) butter
3 scant cups sugar
3 eggs
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk
Grated rind of 1 orange, optional
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream butter until light, then cream with the sugar. (Some insisted on
butter; a couple used margarine.) Add eggs, one at a time, beating well
after each addition (2 to 5 minutes mentioned). Add the flour and baking
powder alternately with the milk. Some add orange and lemon peel, some add just vanilla, and some add no additional flavoring. One cook suggested
chopped nuts.

Grease and flour a tube pan. Turn batter into the pan and bake at 350
degrees. Most said it would be done in 55 to 60 minutes. Some said 75 to 90
minutes. These differences may have been handed down as the result of
inaccurate, old ovens. Check the cake in 1 hour. Partially cool the cake in
the pan on a rack before removing. No icing is needed. A sprinkling of 10X
sugar is nice.

[Mama Mangia]

Irish Cream Bundt Cake

1 C. Chopped pecans
1 18 1/4 oz. Pkg. Yellow cake mix
1 3.4 oz. Pkg. Instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs

Glaze:
1/4 C. Water
1/2 C. Vegetable oil
3/4 C. Irish cream liqueur
1/2 C. Butter
1/4 C. Water
1 C. White sugar
1/4 C. Irish cream liqueur



Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. Sprinkle

chopped nuts evenly over bottom of pan. In a large bowl, combine cake mix

and pudding mix. Mix in eggs, water, oil and Irish cream liqueur. Beat for 5

minutes at high speed. Pour batter over nuts in pan. Bake in the preheated

oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out

clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then invert onto the serving dish.

Prick top and sides of cake. Spoon glaze over top and brush onto sides of

cake. Allow to absorb glaze repeat until all glaze is used up.



To make the glaze: In a saucepan, combine butter, water and sugar. Bring to

a boil and continue boiling for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from

heat and stir in 1/4 C. Irish cream.

[Mama Mangia]

Chocolate Chiffon Cake

8 bars (1.5 ounces each) quality dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup espresso or strong brewed coffee
2 sticks unsalted butter
2 cups granulated sugar
6 eggs, separated and at room temperature
1 cup all-purpose flour
Confectioners’ sugar (optional)

1. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350ºF. Lightly butter bottom and sides of a 9-inch round cake or springform pan. Line with a circle of parchment or waxed paper. Dust side of pan with flour and tap out excess.

2. Place chocolate and espresso in medium saucepan over low heat. Cook until melted, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let cool until tepid.

3. Cream together butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in flour.

4. In a grease-free medium bowl, with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites until frothy. Gradually increase speed to medium-high and continue to beat until they start to form stiff peaks. Slowly add chocolate espresso mixture to egg whites. Fold into creamed sugar mixture.

5. Scrape into prepared pan and spread evenly with a spatula. Bake for 55 minutes or until top is crusty and cracked and middle is still slightly moist. Let cook on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan and let cool completely. Place cake on serving plate. Sift confectioners’ sugar over cake, if desired.

[Mama Mangia]

A Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake and Fluffy Chocolate Frosting

That classic mixture of peanut butter and chocolate makes this a must-try chocolate cake recipe.

Solid vegetable shortening for greasing the pans
Flour for dusting the pans
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain yellow cake mix
1 1/3 cups water
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Fluffy Chocolate Frosting (see recipe below)
1/2 cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts, for garnish

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease two 9-inch round cake pans with solid vegetable shortening, then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour. Set the pans aside.
2. Place the cake mix, water, peanut butter, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look well combined. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans,smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place the pans in the oven, side by side.
3. Bake the cakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 23 to 28 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on a wire racks to cool for 10 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edge of each layer and invert each onto a rack, then invert again onto another rack so that the cakes are right side up. Allow to cool completely, 30 minutes more.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the Fluffy Chocolate Frosting. (see ingredients below)
5. Place one cake layer, right side up, on a serving platter. Spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer, right side up on top of the first layer and frost the top and sides of the cake with clean, smooth strokes. Scatter the chopped peanuts on top of the cake, then slice and serve.
*Store this cake, in a cake saver or under a glass dome, at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to one week. Or freeze it, wrapped in aluminum foil or in a cake saver, for up to six months. Thaw the cake overnight in the refrigerator before serving.


Fluffy Chocolate Frosting
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
6 tablespoons boiling water
8 tablespoons (1stick) butter at room temperature
3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspsoon vanilla extract


1. Place cocoa powder in a larger mixing bowl and pour boiling water over it. Stir with a wooden spoon until cocoa comes out in a soft mass. Add the butter and blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, until combined. Place sugar and vanilla in bowl and beat with the mixer on low speed for another minute. Increase speed to medium and beat until frosting lightens and is fluffy, 2 minutes more. Add more boiling water, a teaspoons at a time, or more sugar a tablespoon at a time if the frosting is too thick or thin.
2. Use frosting on top and sides of your cake.

[Mama Mangia]

Warm Bittersweet Chocolate Cupcakes


3/4 C. heavy cream, divided
1 T. cocoa powder
2 T. butter
7 oz. chopped Callebaut bittersweet chocolate, divided
1 t. vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/4 C. granulated sugar, plus extra for cupcake pans
1/4 C. ground pecans

Bring 1/2 C. cream, cocoa powder and butter to a boil.

Remove from heat; stir in 5 oz. chopped chocolate until melted. Stir in vanilla.

In a heavy-duty electric mixer, whip eggs with sugar until thick and lightened in color and batter falls from beaters, ribbon like, about 6 minutes. Gently fold in chocolate mixture and pecans. (Do not overmix.) Grease muffin pans; sprinkle with sugar. Fill two-thirds full with batter. Bake at 350°F. for 12 to 15 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes; turn upside down to remove cupcakes.

To make ganache, bring 1/4 cup cream to a boil. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 2 ounces chocolate until melted. Set aside until just warm, stirring occasionally to prevent skin from forming. Dip top of each cupcake into ganache. Serve cupcakes warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

[Mama Mangia]

Peanut-Topped Devil's Food


1 package 2-layer-size devil's food cake mix (I do homemade)
4 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 cup peanut butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup coarsely chopped salted peanuts


Prepare cake mix (according to directions) and bake in greased and floured 13x9x2 inch baking dish. Cream together butter/margarine, peanut butter and brown sugar. Stir in nuts. Spread mixture over warm cake. Broil 5 to 6 inches from top burner for 5 minutes or till frosting is bubbly. Serve warm.

[Mama Mangia]

Raspberry Fudge Cake

1 C. All Purpose Flour
3/4 t. Baking Powder
1/4 t. Salt
4 oz. Unsweetened Chocolate Squares
4 oz. Semisweet Chocolate Squares, divided
3/4 C. Butter or Margarine
3/4 C. Sugar
1 C. Seedless Raspberry Jam, divided
1/4 C. Cherry Liqueur or Maraschino Cherry Juice
3 large Eggs
1 T. Butter or Margarine
Fresh Mint Sprigs for Garnish

Grease a 9-inch springform pan, and dust with cocoa, set aside.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt, set aside. Melt 3 semisweet chocolate squares, 4 unsweetened chocolate squares, and 3/4 cup butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly.

Whisk together sugar, 3/4 C. jam, liqueur, and eggs in a large bowl; whisk in melted chocolate mixture and flour mixture. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350° F. for 40 to 45 minutes or until set.

Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove sides of pan, and cool cake completely on wire rack.

To serve, melt remaining 1 semisweet chocolate square and 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes or until a good consistency for drizzling.

Meanwhile, spread remaining 1/4 jam over top of cake. Slice Cake, and place on individual dessert plates. Drizzle chocolate glaze over slices.

[Mama Mangia]

Paul Newman's Chocolate Orange Angel Food Cake


4 ounces orange-flavored dark chocolate
12 large egg whites
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange rind, grated or freshly chopped


Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Make sure a 10" x 4" tube pan is clean, dry and free of grease.

Grate the chocolate bars on the fine holes of a cheese grater, NOT a
teeny-holed citrus grater.

(Make sure you do find orange-flavored dark chocolate-- it is not very
difficult to find, and absolutely essential to the recipe).

Separate the eggs, and let the egg whites come to room temperature; about 15 minutes.

Sift 1 cup of flour, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and the salt onto a piece of
waxed paper.

Sift them together a total of three times.

Beat the egg whites until frothy.

Add the lemon juice and continue beating.

Sprinkle the remaining cup of sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, over the egg whites
and continue beating at medium speed until the egg whites are glossy and
form soft peaks that bend over at the top.

Do not overheat, or the egg whites will lose their volume.

Sift 1/4 cup of the dry ingredients over the egg whites and fold.

Gently stir in the vanilla extract and orange rind.

Alternately fold in the chocolate and remaining dry ingredients, working in
small batches, until just incorporated.

Pour the batter into the tube pan and bake for 45 minutes, until the top is
lightly browned.

A knife inserted in the center of the cake should come out clean.

Remove from the oven and invert the pan.

Allow the cake to cool for 30 to 45 minutes.

Run a knife around the edges of the pan and tube to loosen the cake.

You can serve this as is, or with a little whipped cream, or ice cream--
whatever your heart desires.

[Mama Mangia]

Chocolate Caramel Pecan Cake


A rich dessert that chocolate lovers will fall for.


Cooking spray for baking (with flour)
1 box chocolate cake mix
3 egg whites
1-1/4 cups water
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
12 oz fat free caramel apple dip
1 cup chopped pecans
3 tbsp powdered sugar



Preheat oven to 350*F.
Spray a springform pan with cooking spray, preferably the kind with flour for baking.
Mix cake mix, egg whites, applesauce, and water.
Pour half the cake mixture into the pan.
Bake 15 min or until done.
When done, top with caramel dip.
Pour remaining cake mixture on top of caramel and top with pecans.
Bake 25 minutes or until done.
When cool, remove from pan and dust with powdered sugar.

[Mama Mangia]

Earl Grey Chocolate Pudding Cake


2 Earl Grey tea bags
1 c boiling water
3/4 c brown sugar
3 Tbsp cocoa
Cake:
3/4 c cake flour
2 ts cocoa
1 ts baking powder
1 egg
1/3 c sugar
3 Tbsp butter; melted
1/3 c milk
1 ts vanilla

Instructions

Place tea bags in heatproof bowl; pour boiling water over. Let steep 8
minures. Remove and discard tea bags. Stir in brown sugar and cocoa.

Sift flour with remaining cocoa and baking powder in separate bowl.

In large bowl, combine egg with sugar, melted butter, milk and vanilla.

Stir flour mixture into egg mixture. Spread in buttered 8-inch square
baking dish. Pur tea mixture on top.

Bake 25 minutes in preheated 350F oven. Cool 5 to 10 minutes. Serve
warm.

Makes 8 - 10 servings.