4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 cups milk
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
In a large bowl, beat eggs on high speed for 5 minutes or until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually add sugar, beating until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder; gradually add to batter; beat at low speed until smooth.
In a small saucepan, heat milk and butter just until butter is melted. Gradually add to batter; beat just until combined.
Pour batter into a greased and floured 13-by-9-inch or bundt baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes (45 minutes if using a bundt pan) or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Makes 12-16 servings.

1.  Sift flour, sugar, salt, soda, and cocoa together into a 9 x 13 inch ungreased cake pan. Make three wells. Pour oil into one well, vinegar into second, and vanilla into third well. Pour cold water over all, and stir well with fork.
2. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 40 minutes, or until tooth pick inserted comes out clean. Frost with your favorite icing.

Honey Cake

• 3½ cups plain flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• 4 eggs
• ¾ cup caster sugar
• 4 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 2 cups thick honey
• ½ cup freshly brewed coffee
• 1½ cups walnuts or pecans, chopped roughly

Preheat the oven to 170°C, gas mark 3. Grease and base-line a roasting tin. Sieve together the flour, baking powder, bicarb, salt and spices. Set aside.
Beat the eggs and slowly mix in the sugar. Continue to beat until light and fluffy and then beat in the oil, honey and coffee. Fold in the flour and nuts. Pour into the tin and bake for 60 – 80 minutes or until well-risen and golden. Cool and serve cut into squares.
You could use two 9” loaf tins instead.

Aphrodisiac Bailey’s Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

- 2 Cups Flour
- 2 teaspoons of Stevia or 2 cups of sugar
- ½ Cup Baking Cocoa
- 2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
- 2 large Eggs
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Cup Buttermilk
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 Cup Vegetable Oil
- 1½ Teaspoons Vanilla
- 1 Cup hot Chai black tea
- 2 tsp of Aphrodisiac Chai tea per 8 oz of boiling water. Steep for 3 minutes
- 2 Tablespoons of Bailey’s liquor

Directions:

1. Preheat Oven to 300 degrees F
2. Lightly grease and flour a 9 in. cake pan.
3. Make a strong cup of Chai tea
4. Place all the ingredients into a mixing bowl.
5. Mix at medium or medium high speed until all ingredients are blended and smooth.
6. Pour into greased and floured cake pan
7. Bake for about 50 min. to 1 hr.
8. Test by sticking the cake with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, it’s done!
9. Allow to cool and brush the top with Bailey’s liquor.

Chai Infused Ganache (Icing):
Makes about 2 cups.
- 1 1/4 cups whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons Chai Tea
- 2 cups dark chocolate chopped
- 1/3 cup milk chocolate, chopped
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter (softened)

1. Place cream (do not stir) in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add tea, remove from heat immediately, cover and allow to infuse in a warm place 15 minutes.
2. Place chocolate in a mixing bowl. Strain infused cream over the chocolate; press the tea well to extract all flavor. Whisk the ganache, warming if necessary to melt all chocolate.
3. Add the butter bit by bit and whisk thoroughly to incorporate.

How to make shaved chocolate curls:
The chocolate used should be cold, straight out of the refrigerator.
- Using a vegetable or Potato Peeler, hold the chocolate with a paper towel and pass the vegetable peeler over the narrowest side of the chocolate block. The chocolate will curl up like wood shavings.

The Love Cake

This recipe will keep for two to three weeks if stored in a tightly covered container. There is no need to refrigerate it, and it tastes best after two days. Even if your love is halfway around the globe, you can still bake your cake, send it, and it should arrive right at its peak!

1 1/4 cups semolina meal
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon ground cardamom seeds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups raw cashew nuts, finely chopped
4 tablespoons rose water
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
9 egg yolks and 5 whites
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
4 tablespoons honey

1. Warm semolina in a dry pan over medium heat until fairly hot to the touch, being careful not to let it brown.
2. Put in a bowl and stir to cool. While still a little warm, mix in softened butter using a wooden spoon. Add lemon rind, spices and salt. Mix well, cover and set aside two to four hours.
3. Separately, mix cashews with rose water, almond extract and vanilla. Cover and set aside.
4. Grease 9-by-13-inch pan and line with three thicknesses of wax paper. Butter well the top layer of paper.
5. In a large bowl, beat yolks and sugar until they have doubled in bulk and become thick, creamy and very light in color.
6. Beat in the semolina-butter mixture, a little at a time. Add the honey and beat. When well beaten, fold in cashew mixture.
7. Beat egg whites with lemon juice until they hold firm peaks. Fold into the cake mixture.
8. Spoon the mix into the prepared pan and bake in a preheated 300-degree oven for 25 minutes. Lower the heat to 250 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes, until the cake is evenly golden-brown and the top feels firm to the touch. If the cake begins to brown too much any time during baking, cover with paper or foil.
9. When the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan but is still slightly moist in center (test with a skewer), remove from oven. (If cake is very moist in the center, switch off oven, cover cake with paper or foil and leave inside for another 10-15 minutes.)
11. Do not remove cake from pan. Let cool completely.Then cut into individual pieces.

Servings: 12

Ingredients:

Cake:
4 cups cake flour or 3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter
3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon lemon extract
2 cups buttermilk
6 egg whites

Filling:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt.
1 cup water
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon butter
4 teaspoons shredded lemon peel
1/2 cup lemon juice

Frosting:
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar

Cooking Directions:

Stir together flour, soda, and baking powder. In large mixing bowl, beat butter on high speed of electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add sugar; beat until fluffy. Beat in lemon extract. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately, beating after each addition. Add egg whites; beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.
Divide among 3 waxed-paper-lined 9x2 inch round baking pans. Bake at 350° F for about 30 minutes. Cool in pans for 10 minutes; remove from pans. Cool on wire racks.
Filling: In saucepan combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Gradually stir in 1 cup water. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly; cook and stir 2 minutes more. Gradually stir about half of the hot mixture into egg yolks. Return all to saucepan; cook and stir 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in butter and shredded lemon peel. Stir in lemon juice. Cover with plastic wrap; cool.
Frosting: In small saucepan combine milk and flour. Cook and stir until thickened; cook and stir 1 minute more. Cover with plastic wrap; cool. In small mixing bowl, beat butter for 30 seconds. Add sugar; beat until fluffy. Add cooled milk mixture; beat until fluffy.
To assemble: Set aside 1/4 cup filling. Place 1 cake layer on serving plate. Spread with half of remaining filling. Add second cake layer; spread other half of filling on top. Add third layer. Frost cake; drizzle with reserved filling. Garnish with lemon slices, if desired.

This is basically the same recipe that my Aunt Betty has always made for our family get togethers, only she doesn't use the pumpkin. I don't think it can be any better than what she makes, but I do think this sounds good. I saw this on an old Paula Deen show and found the recipe on her site.

www.pauladeen.com 

Ingredients:

Cake:
1 18 1/4-ounce package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
1 15-ounce can of pumpkin
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 16-ounce box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make the cake, combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Pat the mixture into a lightly greased 13x9-inch baking pan.

Prepare filling:
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter and beat together.

Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well.

Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to over bake as the center should be a little gooey.

Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes

This is a 10 in. and 6 in. yellow cake with ivory homemade icing. The bride brought in pink silk roses that she wanted us to place on the cake.

This is a 10 in. yellow cake with a light layer of white homemade icing, covered in lavender fondant. I made some "rolled" roses to place on the top and along the bottom. The husband said his wife absolutely loves fondant!

This is a 6 in. heart shaped yellow cake that one of the wedding chapels in Sevierville give the wedding couple as a personal cake. All white icing, roses, and leaves. No writing, with silver bands.