A Cake...with Fruit Cocktail!? YES!

Fruit Cocktail Cake  

This recipe is one of my grandma's hand written recipes. It is her own recipe and also according to her is my aunt Donna's favorite cake. So naturally if it's my aunt Donna's favorite cake I HAD to make it. And wow! I see why that is! This is one of the moistest cakes I have ever made. And there is NO butter or oil in the recipe! You have to love old fashion recipes. I never knew that a can of fruit cocktail could taste so good.

The Original Recipe

Fruit Cocktail Cake 

Ingredients

2 eggs divided

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 cups of flour

1 1/2 tsp. of baking soda

1 can of fruit cocktail

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup pecans

In a large mixing bowl beat together sugar and 2 egg yolks. In separate bowl mix together flour and baking soda. Gradually add dry ingredients alternating with fruit cocktail. Mix until blended. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into cake mixture. Spread into a greased 9x13 cake pan. Sprinkle brown sugar and pecans on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

Frosting

1 Cup of sugar

1 Cup of evaporated milk

1 stick of butter

Cook all ingredients on stove top until thickened. Spread over warm cake. Eat and enjoy!

Apricot Crumb Bars

Apricot Crumb Bars

Let me just start out by saying...these are delicious! They are made with 1 1/2 cups of cooking oats to create a nice healthy crisp crumb crust. The Apricot flavor is perfectly balanced with the crumb topping! These are great because they are not too sweet.

 

The Recipe

 

Apricot Crumb Bars Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups quick oats

3/4 cup chilled butter

1 16 oz. jar of apricot preserves

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar and oats. Cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Press 2/3 of the mixture on bottom of a greased 9x13 baking dish. Spread preserves on top (if they are too thick add a few teaspoons of water until they have reached spreading consistency.) Sprinkle with remaining crumbs and bake at 350 degrees over for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Makes about 2 dozen squares.

A pie..full of coconut and pineapple!

"Dang Good Pie"

When I stumbled upon this index card titled "Dang Good Pie" I HAD to make it! And, I must say the title of this recipe fits the pie perfect! The pie is full of coconut, crushed pineapple, sugar, butter and you could definitely add some pecans. I baked this pie for our church's Lenten worship supper and it was gone in minutes because of recommendations on on how good it was. 

 

The Recipe

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup of pineapple with juice (I used crushed)

3 eggs

3 Tbs. flour

3/4 cup melted butter

1 cup coconut

1tsp. vanilla extract

dash of salt 

  

Beat 3 eggs on low speed, add sugar and pineapple, mix until well blended. Add flour, melted butter, coconut, vanilla and salt. Mix until well combined. Pour into a 9in. pie crust and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until top is golden brown. 

If you end up with extra pie filling add 1 1/2 cups of baking mix (like Bisquick) to filling and pour into a 9in. square baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. This will make a nice "Dang Good" cake. Top with your favoriate icing. I used 2 Cups of sifted powdered sugar, 1/4 cup of melted butter and 4 Tbs. of crushed pineapple for a glaze. Pour glaze over warm cake.

 

 

"Dang Good" Cake Bites 

 

 

Everything's Bigger in Texas...Especially The Flavor!

Introducing Texas Coffee Cake

 

My husband said this is the best thing I've ever baked. The butter flavor  sinks throughout the cake. The brown sugar and cinnamon mixture in the middle really makes this the perfect coffee cake. Also, you can sprinkle the icing with chopped pecans for some added flavor and to just look pretty.

 

 The Original Recipe

 

Texas Coffee Cake Recipe

Ingredients for cake:

1 box of yellow cake mix

1 1/2 cups sour cream

3 eggs

2 tsp. butter extract

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Ingredients for filling:

1 Tbs. cinnamon

1/4 cup melted butter

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1 cup brown sugar

In a small bowl mix together and set aside 2/3 cup yellow cake mix, cinnamon, butter, nuts and brown sugar. Mix until crumblie

Grease and flour a 9x13 pan. Mix together the remaining cake mix, sour cream, eggs, butter extract and vanilla extract until smooth. About 3 minutes. 

Pour half of cake batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of filling mixture. Repeat with rest of the batter and sprinkle the remaining filling on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Icing:

2 cups sifted powdered sugar

1/4 cup melted butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. butter extract

Mix all ingredients together with enough milk to make it easy to spread. Frost while cake is HOT.

My Favorite Strawberry Frosting

The Best Strawberry Frosting (I promise.)

 

Ingredients

1 stick of butter at room temperature

1 lb. or sifted powdered sugar

1/2 cup of fresh or frozen strawberries

To make frosting: Combine butter and powdered sugar. Mix until smooth. Beat in strawberries beating until well blended and creamy. 

The final product is a smooth sweet and creamy frosting with real starwberry flavor blended throughout. Mmm...

Sour Cream Rolls

All You Need Is 3!

 

3 Ingredient Sour Cream Rolls

I found these rolls to be very moist and delicious! How can you go wrong when 2 of the 3 ingredients are butter and sour cream? The rolls are rich and would be served well with ham or a bowl of chili!

The Recipe

Double Peach Muffins

Double Peach Muffins

 This recipe produces a very moist peach muffin. You can use real peaches or peaches from a can. I chose peaches from a can. They tend to bring a little more moisture to the muffin. The muffins are super healthy! One cup of oatmeal in these guys! And only 3/4 Cup of brown sugar! In the baking world...that equals pretty healthy. :) I chose to title the recipe Double Peach Muffins because you puree one cup of peaches and then you fold in an additional cup of peaches = double peach!

 

 The Original Recipe

Double Peach Muffins Recipe (typed out.)

Ingredients

2 Cups peach slices--fresh or canned, drained

1 egg

1/4 Cup oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. almond extract

1 Cup of flour

1 Cup Oatmeal

3/4 Cup brown sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 Cup raisins, optional

"Chop one half cup peaches and set aside. Place remaining peaches in blender with egg, oil and extracts. Puree until smooth. Combine flour, oatmeal, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. Mix well. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir til barely moistened. Add chopped peaches and rasins and fold in. Spoon into paper-lined cups and bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or til toothpick tests done. Makes about a dozen muffins. "

My Grandma's Recipes

Where Do I get My Recipes?

My recipes come from three stuffed "Hefty One-Zip" baggies filled with newspaper clippings, and handwritten recipes. I look forward to sharing my grandma's recipe stash with you!