Recipes

[Chatty]

Here's the recipe to that single layer cake I showed you all in the other thread:

INGREDIENTS

SERVINGS
8
YIELD
1 cake
UNITS
US
1 cup all-purpose flour (do not sift the flour)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 teaspoon salt (add just a pinch)
1/3 cup + a dash more of milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
8 teaspoons butter, softened (1/3 stick)
1/3 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°.
Cut wax paper to fit the bottom of a 9 x 1 1/2-inch round pan. Spray the pan with cooking spray, place the wax paper in the pan and spray the paper.
In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt, mixing well.
Combine milk with vegetable oil and stir thoroughly.
Add the milk/vegetable oil mixture, butter and vanilla to the flour mixture and beat with an electric mixer on medium to medium-high speed for 2 minutes, scraping sides of bowl as needed.
Add the eggs and continue beating an additional 2 minutes. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near center of cake comes out clean, or until cake springs back when touched lightly in the center.
Cool cakes on wire racks for 15 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely.
Frost as desired.

Now, here is what I did:

I left out the baking powder and salt and used self-rising flour.

I combined the flour and sugar and whisked them together

I combined the milk, egg, oil and vanilla in another bowl and whisked them together.

I put the wet ingredients into the dry, added in the softened butter and whisked until smooth. If your batter appears to be too thick, simply whisk in another splash of milk. It should flow but not be thin.

Poured into a square baking pan which was sprayed with cooking spray (you don't need the waxed paper if you don't want to go that extra step)

Baked as directed. I did not frost or put anything else on it. My husband likes to have his with some ice cream.

I have added a couple of caps of lemon juice to the batter for a lemon flavored cake or whisked four tablespoons of cocoa powder into the dry ingredients for a chocolate cake.

So, you can see it is pretty versatile and not many leftovers for two people.

[huggle]

cool!!! I think with that dough one could also make all kinds of muffins or little cupcakes.

[Chatty]

Oh, sure it's just a plain cake batter, but it comes out so good every time.

You can use it for lots of things. You can even double it for a sheet cake or triple it for layer cakes. With just the two of us here now, I don't need a full sheet or layer cake and I like it just fine without any kind of icing on it.

The husband says the chocolate cake with ice cream tastes like an ice cream sandwich. LOL

[huggle]

oooh! That's a great idea! Chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream and fresh strawberries

[ghost07]

Well, this cake does very well in the microwave...

Lickety-Split Cocoa Cake


1 and 1/2 cups of flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

mix together in microwave-safe container

1 cup water
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla

mix together and add to dry ingredients..microwave at 2 minute intervals until top is nearly dry. set on something metal to finish baking. takes around 6 minutes

it's very light...I generally melt frosting and pour over the cake...my favorite part is I don't need any eggs.

[huggle]

I've never before baked anything in the microwave but this sound very interesting and I'd like to give it a try. At what setting do you bake it?

And I was under the impression that one must never ever put anything metallic into the microwave as it can lead to massive shortcuts and sparks. Is that not correct??

[ghost07]

you put it on high...no...never put any metal in the microwave...I meant, when you remove it from the microwave, you set it on the stove or something for a few minutes. since the container is hot, it continues baking til it cools down and is finished.

[huggle]

now I get it! Thanks! I tend to take things too literally, sometimes.