Raspberry Ganache Cake

Raspberry Ganache:

⅓ c. heavy cream

1 c. chocolate chips

¼ c. seedless raspberry preserves

2 tablespoon butter

In a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat, bring the heavy cream to a simmer; remove pan from heat. Add the chocolate chips, preserves, and butter, shaking the pan to immerse the chocolate and as much of the preserves and butter as possible. Let stand for 1 1/2 minutes, or until the chocolate has melted. Beat the mixture with a wire whisk until smooth. Cool until thick enough to use as a glaze; or, cool completely and whip to desired spreading consistency using an electric mixer on medium speed.

For cake batter:
½ cup boiling water
⅓ cup plus 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
¼ cup whole milk
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ cup seedless raspberry jam (about 3‚ ounces)
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
⅓ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt

Make cake batter:
In a bowl whisk together boiling water and cocoa powder until smooth and whisk in milk, vanilla, and jam. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy and add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Into another bowl sift together flour, baking soda, and salt and add to egg mixture in batches alternately with cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating well after each addition.

Pour batter evenly over frosting mixture and bake in middle of oven 30 to 35 minutes, or until a tester inserted into cake comes out clean (frosting on bottom will still be liquid). Cool cake slightly in pan on a rack, 10 to 20 minutes. Once cake has cooled completely, frost with ganache, and top with toasted walnuts, if desired.

--Chrissie
St. Louis, MO

Pineapple Sheet Cake

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 can crushed pineapple
1/2 cup crushed pecans

Mix together and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Frosting:
1 8 oz. package cream cheese
1 stick oleo
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

Soften cream cheese and oleo and then mix together with mixer. Add the vanilla. Stir in the powdered sugar. Mix until smooth. Spread on cake.

--Becky
Wichita, KS

Pflaumen Kuchen

Well, if any of you happen to have a German priest, you might try making this dessert for him. According to my priest, this is pretty much what it's all about over in Germany!

1/4 lb. butter
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 c. milk (or more)
2 1/2 to 3 lb. sm. Italian plums, depending on size of pan
About 1 c. chopped nuts

Cream butter and sugar. Mix well the eggs, flour, salt, baking powder, vanilla, and milk. Grease a jelly roll pan and preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Spread dough on pan. Halve, pit and wash plums. Lay plums on dough with cut side up and touching one another. Sprinkle plums with sugar and cinnamon. Then dot each plum with a little piece of butter. Sprinkle nuts over the plums. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

--Delena
Kansas City, MO

Ice Cream Cake Dessert

Beth sent us a great recipe for an Oreo ice cream cake. Here is another recipe! We've eaten this at our friends' house, and it's pretty good! Hmmm...I know a certain Polish professor who loves ice cream cakes...

2 cups chocolate chips
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1 package (12 oz.) vanilla wafers, crushed
1/2 cup butter/margarine, melted
2 qts. vanilla ice cream, softened

Melt chips with milk and salt. Cook until thick (approximately 25 minutes). Remove from heat, set aside. Combine wafer crumbs and butter. Set aside 1 cup. Press remaining crumbs in a 9x13" pan that's been greased. Chill for 10-15 minutes. Pour chocolate over crumbs. Cover and freeze 20-25 minutes until firm. Spread ice cream over chocolate. Sprinkle with reserved crumbs. Freeze at least 2 hours before serving.

--Delena
Kansas City, MO

Triple (or Fourple!) Chocolate Cake

This cake is fantastic! I made it for my husband and dad for Father's Day, and both of them loved it! If you choose to pour the Chocolate Ganache over the top of it (which I highly recommend!) then I would call it Four-ple Chocolate Cake (a little Bill Cosby humor for ya!). When pouring the Chocolate Ganache over the cake, there will be plenty that runs off the cake. Catch it below on a plate, and dip a few strawberries in it to add as garnish to the cake! By far, one of my favorite desserts I've made so far! Picture above was provided by Beth from Kansas City, MO, when she made the cake!

Cake:
1 pkg. devil's food cake mix
1 pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 8 oz. container sour cream
4 large eggs
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 pkg. (3.9 oz.) chocolate instant pudding mix

Chocolate Ganache:
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12 cup fluted tube pan; set aside. Combine all cake ingredients into bowl and stir with wire whisk until ingredients are blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 1 hour or until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan. Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove cake from pan; cool completely.
Meanwhile, in a double boiler set over hot simmering water (not boiling, and the bowl shouldn't be touching the water), heat chocolate chips and whipping cream. Stir until completely melted. Pour over cake, making sure to put a plate underneath to catch the drippings. Wait until ganache has "set" to serve.

--Delena
Kansas City, MO

Oreo Ice Cream Cake

I made this for King Peter's Birthday. It was a hit! For less than $4, I created something as good as one of those you can buy for $40 or more.

I carton of cookies & cream ice cream*

1 package of Oreos*

Set out ice cream to soften.

Put about half of package of Oreos in a food processor until they are crumbs. Spread the crumbs into the bottom of a 1o inch spring form pan.

Cut ice cream into sections & put them all in a bowl. Stir until soft (but not melted).

Drop ice cream onto crumbs. Do not try to spread it at this point - it will move the crumbs around.

Once all the ice cream is in the pan, and the bottom is pretty much covered with drops of ice cream, press the ice cream into the bottom of the pan.

Level the top out by carefully smoothing it out.

Decorate the top with Oreos.

Freeze.

Reward yourself by eating the leftover Oreos.

*This could easily be changed by using different ice cream, & cookies for the crust - vanilla wafers, graham crackers, chocolate graham crackers, shortbread cookies, sugar cookies, etc.

--Beth
Kansas City, MO