Banana Cake

Banana Cake

Mash 3-4 bananas in a small bowl. 
Add 2 teaspoons lemon juice.
Set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together.
3/4 cup butter
1 3/4 white sugar

Add:
3 eggs one at a time.  Mixing well after each egg. 

Then stir in:
1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir together:
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Add some of the flour mixture to the creamed butter and eggs, alternating it with:
1 1/2 cups buttermilk.

Mix well.

Stir in the banana mixture. 

Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. 
Pour the cake mixture into the pan.

Preheated the oven to 275 degrees F. (135 degrees C.)

Bake for one hour, until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow cake to cool completely before you frost it.

Frosting:
Cream a softened 8 ounce package of cream cheese until smooth.

Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla. 
Add 3 cups confectioners sugar until it is combined, then beat on high speed until it is smooth. 
Spread on the cooled cake.

Cream Cheese Filled Chocolate Cupcakes

Getting ready to leave China, I had 1/2 cup of butter and 8 ounces of cream cheese to use up.  I found a recipe that was similar to this, but I had to make changes for exactly what I had left to use up.  I was pleased with the results.

Cream Cheese Filled Chocolate Cupcakes

1 1/2 c. flour
1 c white sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Mix these all together in a large bowl.  Make sure it is well blended.

In a small bowl:

2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup softened butter (this must be butter!  no margarine)
1 tsp vanilla
1TBS apple cider vinegar

Blend together and then add to the flour, sugar, cocoa mixture.  Mix until well blended
Fill lined cupcake pan with about 1/2 inch of batter.  You will have a total of 18-20 cupcakes with batter left over for just a minute.

Mix together:

8 oz of cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt

Mix with a mixer until the sugar is well blended in. 

Add:

1/2 to 3/4 cup chocolate chips

Put a TBS of the cream cheese/chocolate chip mixture in the batter that is in the cupcake tins.  When all the cream cheese mixture has been added to the batter in the cupcake tins, finish putting the rest of the batter over the top, using up all the rest of the batter. 

If you want, you can add chopped walnuts or pecans to the top of the cupcakes.

Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.  Test with a toothpick to see if they are done.  No batter will be sticking to the toothpick if they are done.

Cheesecake Cookies

Cheesecake Cookies

1/2 c. butter
8 oz. cream cheese
1 1/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup powdered sugar

1. Cream together the butter and cream cheese until smooth
2. Mix in the 1 1/4 cups of sugar
3. Add the 2 eggs and vanilla and mix well.
4. Blend the flour, baking powder, and salt together.  Then add to the butter, sugar, egg mixture.  Be careful to only mix it until all is blended.  Don't over mix!
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
6. Lay parchment paper on the cookie sheet.  Drop spoonfuls of cookie dough on the paper.  This dough will be sticky.
7. Bake for 10-11 minutes, until the ridges are golden brown.
8. Sprinkle warm cookies with powdered sugar.

Makes 4-5 dozen cookies, depending on how large your spoonfuls are.

Fruit Pizza

SUGAR COOKIE CRUST

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

Frosting

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1-2 Tablespoons cream or milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• assorted sliced fresh fruit

With a mixer, blend the butter for one minute until smooth.  Add the sugar and cream the butter and sugar.  Add the egg and the vanilla and mix until smooth.  Add the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cornstarch and mix until smooth.  

The original recipe says to chill it for at least one hour at this point or it may rise too much and spill over the pan when you bake it.  I didn't have time and I didn't have a problem with it.  Spread the dough in a 12 inch pizza pan.  (I doubled the recipe and put it on the large sheet cake pan.  Spread it as evenly as possible.  If the dough is sticking to your hands, sprinkle a little flour over the dough and it will help with that.

Bake for 18-20 minutes in a 375 degree oven.  Remove and let it cool.

Frosting

Mix the butter, and cream cheese together.  Add the confectioner's sugar along with 1-2 tablespoons of milk.  I started with one tablespoon and it was enough, so start with the smaller amount and add more if you need it.  Spread over the cooled cookie dough crust evenly.  Top with fruit.

Fruit ideas:

bananas

pineapple (fresh or canned, just make sure that you drain the canned pineapple well)

kiwi fruit

mandarin oranges (if it is canned, drain it will)

berries:  strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, etc.

grapes, cut in half

Pumpkin Roll

If we don't have this creation at least five times in the fall, my family feels slighted. 

 

Pumpkin Roll

Ingredients:

3 eggs                              Filling:

2/3 c. pumpkin                         1 c. powdered sugar

3/4 c. flour                                4 Tbls. Butter, softened

2 tsp. cinnamon                         1 8oz. cream cheese

1/2 tsp. nutmeg                         1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 c. sugar

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 375ºF.  Line a jelly roll pan with wax paper or parchment paper and spray with oil. 

In a blender:

Beat the eggs for 5 minutes. 

Beat in sugar. 

Add the pumpkin and lemon juice. 

Add flour, baking powder, and spices.  Blend together, cleaning the sides of the blender to mix well. 

Spread in the prepare jellyroll pan.  Bake for 15 minutes (until the center is set).

While it is baking, sprinkle a towel with powdered sugar.  As soon as the cake is taken from the oven, turn it over onto the towel with powdered sugar.  Remove parchment or wax paper.  Roll the cake and towel together.  Let it cool.

Make the filling while it is cooling.  Mix the powdered sugar, butter, cream cheese and vanilla with a mixer until it is smooth.

Unroll the cake and spread with the cream cheese mixture.  Re-roll the cake and place in the frig for an hour to let it set up.  Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar.

No Bake Cheescake

I love this recipe for the smooth light texture and all the flavor. It has been a much requested birthday cake at our house.

No-Bake Cheese Cake

1-3 oz. pkg. lemon Jello (Can use other flavors)

1 c. boiling water

Dissolve Jello in water and set in the frig for about 1/2 hour, until it starts to set. Should still be runny.

2 Cups Graham Crackers

1/3 c. Margarine. or butter

Melt butter and mix with graham crackers. Press in bottom of pan.

1 8 oz pkg. cream cheese

1 c. sugar

1 8 oz. pkg. frozen whipped topping or 1 can evaporated milk, chilled and whipped.

Cream together the cheese and sugar. Add whipped topping or evaporated milk and the partially set Jello. Pour over the graham cracker crust chill for 3-4 hours before serving.

Makes 12-15 generous servings.