Michigan Sheet Cake

Kim Farley -- My family has been using this recipe for over 30 years. Enjoy!

Lightly grease and flour a cookie sheet (with sides). Preheat oven for 400 degrees.

Bring to a boil in a saucepan:

2 sticks of butter or margarine
1 cup of water
4 packets of Nestles Cocoa Bake

Boil and remove from stove. Add a mixture of:

2 cups of white sugar
2 cups of flour
1/2 tsp. of salt

Mix well. Add:

2 eggs
1/2 cup of soured milk (use 1 tsp. of vinegar to sour milk)
1 tsp. of soda

Beat well. Bake on a greased and floured cookie sheet for 12 min. or less in a 400 degree oven.

Frosting:

1 stick of butter or margarine
6 Tbs. of milk
2 packets of Nestles Cocoa Bake

Melt together on top of stove. Remove and add:

1 box of powered sugar
1 tsp. of vanilla
nuts (if desired)
Pour frosting on to the cake while it is still warm.

Pumpkin Dessert

This is a quick and easy pumpkin dessert for the holidays. The whipped cream really tops it off!

Note: No baking in between layers. Just spread each layer and bake all together at the end!

Bottom:
1 pkg. yellow cake mix (minus 1 cup reserved to use in topping)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg

Middle section:
1 16 oz. can pumpkin
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk

Topping:
1 cup cake mix (reserved from box before making bottom layer)
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 cup nuts, chopped

Reserve 1 cup cake mix. Mix remaining cake mix with 1/2 cup butter and 1 egg. Mix well and spread in a 9 X 13 pan.

Combine pumpkin, 2 eggs and 2/3 cup milk. Mix well. Pour over crust.

Mix remaining cake mix with 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup softened buter, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and nuts. Spread over cake.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 miniutes, until set and slightly browned. Serve with whipped cream.

Banana Cake with Coconut-Cream Cheese Frosting

For the cake:
1 stick (4 oz.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
¾ cup puréed very ripe bananas (I used 2 medium and just mashed them thoroughly)
¼ cup sour cream
½ tsp pure vanilla extract

For the frosting:
3 oz cream cheese, at room temperature ( I used reduced-fat)
3 Tbs unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
3 Tbs well-stirred canned cream of coconut (not coconut milk)
1 tsp dark rum (I omitted this)
1/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Place a rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly butter or spray a 9-inch round cake pan and dust it with flour, shaking out any excess (I also lined the bottom with parchment paper).

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of stand mixer, or in a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar on high speed until pale and fluffy, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary. Add the egg, and beat until well combined. Add the banana purée, sour cream, and vanilla, and beat to combine well. Reduce the speed to low, and add the flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.

Spread the batter in the prepared cake pan, and bake until the top is pale golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20-27 minutes (mine took 30-40 minutes and was very golden brown).

Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge of the pan; then invert the rack over the cake and invert the cake onto the rack to cool completely.

While the cake cools, make the frosting. In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese and the butter on medium speed until smooth. Reduce the speed to low; then add the confectioners sugar, cream of coconut, and rum. Mix until combined; then increase the speed to high and beat until light and fluffy, about two minutes.

Spread over the top of the thoroughly cooled cake, and sprinkle evenly with coconut.

Yield: About 8 servings

This recipe came from a food blog, Orangette, which was adapted from a Gourmet magazine recipe.