Lemon Cheesecake Recipe

When God gives you lemons… make lemonade? No; make lemon cheesecake! With this particular lemon cheesecake recipe, you actually don’t even need lemons… so I guess when God gives you lemon pudding… well, you know what to do!

The best part about this tasty lemon cheesecake is how deliciously simple and quick it is! It’s perfect for moms on the go or just plain people with packed schedules!

In hardly no time at all, you will have created (and be able to enjoy) such a decadent dessert like lemon cheesecake. Sat so long to that 3 hour chilling time… say hello to cheesecake in under an hour!

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

Crust:
1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/2 cup butter; melted
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese
1 package instant lemon pudding
2 cups milk

Directions:

1) Mix sugar; crumbs, and oleo. Bake as for crumb crust. Mix cream cheese until smooth. Gradually blend in 1/2 cup milk until smooth and creamy.

2) Add remaining milk and pudding mix. Beat slowly with egg beater for 1 minute. Do not overbeat. Pour into cooled crust. Chill.

It’s so easy, hardly anyone could do it! I made this lemon cheesecake recipe countless times, especially when my schedule was busy or the days were so nice, I couldn’t bear to stay inside for TOO long!

For a fun variation, try mixing up a simple strawberry glaze for the top or if you’re particularly daring try adding some slicing strawberries to your cheesecake! With one easy addition, you have now created a strawberry-lemon cheesecake recipe of your very own. Without the strawberries, this cheesecake is just as good so go ahead, this lemon cheesecake recipe will take no time at all!

Buttercream Icing Recipe

Buttercream icing—perfect for decorating, icing… or just eating! A buttercream frosting will give a cake a smooth look, yet not turn as crusty as royal icing may.

In addition, buttercream icing is great tasting and super convenient. Did you know that you don’t need to refrigerate a cake topped with buttercream frosting? Why not? Well, buttercream icing has a strong amount of straight sugar in it which makes it impossible for bacteria to grow! Pretty neat, right? Read more

Easy Strawberry Cake Recipe

So we all know that yellow cake is delicious. In fact, so is chocolate cake, white cake, red velvet cake, or any other cake, but what about strawberry cake?

Growing up, I used to eat strawberries by the handful. My mom could hardly even wash them off as fast as I would gobble them down.

She and I were both excited, when we stumbled across a recipe for easy strawberry cake.

I’ve always liked this recipe because I think that a strawberry cake should always have real strawberries in or on it. Obviously, this strawberry cake recipe does just that and for this reason and many others… it is delicious.

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 cup frozen strawberries, thawed
• 1 pkg. strawberry gelatin
• 3 tbsp. flour
• 1 cup nuts, chopped
• 1 box strawberry cake mix
• 4 eggs

Topping:

• 1/2 cup strawberries
• 1 box confectioners sugar
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 1 stick butter, softened

Directions:

For Cake:

1) Mix gelatin with flour and cake mix. Add water, oil, and strawberries. Add the eggs, mixing well after each egg.

2) Transfer batter to a greased and floured 9 x 13 inch pan.

3) Bake at 325F for about 35 minutes.

For Topping:

1) Mix sugar and softened butter well. Add strawberries and pecans and blend until smooth enough for spreading.

Delicious! Many other strawberry cake recipes stick solely to the gelatin. For me, the gelatin is good, but nothing is as good as having your cake and it’s topped with real, rich strawberries. I small scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream and I’m a happy girl! One slice of this strawberry cake and you sure would be happy too.

Considering a Cake Leveler

When you’re baking a cake and it’s all cooled, you think you’re ready to frost. You’re not. You’re forgetting the very important step of cake leveling. Don’t fret though. I used to not know about the wonders of a cake leveler and when I found out about I couldn’t believe that I had made so many cakes without one!

A cake leveler looks kind of like a miniature saw and has a taunt fishing line or wire instead of a sharp blade (like a saw). Of course, some of the more professional cake levelers have blades, but for the everyday cake, it really isn’t necessary.

With the cake leveler, you can simply drag it over the top of a cake (leveling it with the sides of the pan) and cut off the top of the cake (also called the “hump” or “cake top”). This is a great tool for mulit-layer cakes because if they weren’t level then it would be unstable and lopsided.

For troubleshooting 101, you might find that your cake doesn’t reach the top of the pan, so you can’t cut off the top. Well, for this common problem there are two things you can do. First off, you can remove the cooled cake from the pan and cut it off from there.

Any store bought cake leveler has adjustable notches which allow you to change the height of your cake. Just adjust to whatever the shortest side of your cake is and voila! Level cake!

For next time (if cooking from a box and in a 9 x 13 inch pan) you can double the cake size. In other words, blend two boxes of cake mix and pour it into one 9 x 13 inch pan. It may take a little longer, but your cake will reach the top of the pan, so you can cut off the extra, using the sides of the pan.

I think a cake leveler is a great investment and they’re not all that expensive. The process of cake leveling is extremely important and this is just one of those baking gadgets to make that process easier.

If you don’t have a cake leveler, you can just use regular dental floss. Floss gets the job done just the same, only there is one restriction. Don’t use mint floss…unless you want a mint cake!

Angel Food Cake Recipe

I love angel food cake. That’s simply all there is to it. This is only of my all time favorite cakes because it’s so great with everything and this angel food cake recipe is one of the best! In the summer I love it with a handful of freshly sliced strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream. It’s great in the fall with some warm peaches and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Pretty much anything you want on it…belongs on it! This recipe is such a basic recipe and it’s easy! From here, you can go wild experimenting with what to top your yummy cake with! Plus, if you’re having a gathering or party, everyone can top their own pieces of cake with whatever they like! The variations are endless…but the cake isn’t… so make two angel food cakes!

Yield: one 10-inch cake

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cups egg whites (approx. 10 large eggs)
• 1 1/3 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, put through sifter twice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup cake flour, sifted before measuring

Directions:

1) Beat egg whites; add cream of tartar and salt when eggs are frothy. Continue beating until egg whites stand in peaks. Gradually beat in 1 cup of granulated sugar. Fold in vanilla.

2) Sift the sifted and measured flour three more times; mix with remaining 1/2 cup of sugar. Fold flour mixture gently into batter until well incorporated.

3) Pour angel food cake batter into an un-greased 10-inch tube pan. Bake at 325° for 55 to 65 minutes.

4) Remove from oven and invert pan (turn upside down, cake and all) until angel food cake is entirely cooled.

Yum! Your cake is ready and if you’re like me, you can hardly wait to dive right in! The lightness of this delicious cake recipe is great anytime, but especially for the summer! Whether it’s for a party, a casual dessert, or just because, this angel food cake recipe is always the perfect addition to any meal!

A Cake’s Crumb Coat

So, you’ve taken your cake out of the over and it has cooled. What now? You’re ready to frost it! Woah, Speedy Gonzalez! Put down the butter knife and the rubber spatula. We’re not there yet.

So for smoothing a cake well, you first need to cover the cake with a thin layer of frosting called the “crumb coat”. Many people don’t understand the importance of the crumb coat, but it is critical to any successful cake. The crumb coat is the same icing you’ll use to cover the top of the cake, only it is thinner. Usually, about the consistency of sour cream is just right.

All you need to do is spoon out a dollop or two of the icing you’re using for the rest of the cake into a small bowl. Add a tad of water to the frosting to thin it out. Cover your cake with a thin layer of the crumb coat and then set it aside to stiffen up or create what is called an “air crust”. Some people choose to put it in the refrigerator or freezer to speed up the process, but I think the wait is best spent at room temperature.

The addition of a crumb coat is crucial to a good cake. First, a crumb coat (obviously) contains the crumbs. These crumbs came from leveling the cake, after it was cooled. The leveler helps you to create a more even and balanced finished product.

The second purpose of the crumb coat is to seal in the freshness! When the air crust forms, you are sealing in the goodness and then it is coated with a second layer of icing! That’s double the freshness! The second layer of icing on a cake is like the paint and the crumb coat is just the primer. It doesn’t have to be beautiful, but it has to cover the cake (lightly) and be efficient.

I’d recommend for your first time experimenting with a crumb coat, go lighter than heavier. If a crumb coat is too heavy, you may not have enough icing to frost the rest of your cake with the regular icing. It’s easier to realize if you didn’t’ have enough crumb coating and to add more next time. Also it’s not the end of the world if a crumb ends up on the outside of your cake. Just stick a tooth pick at it and scoop it up.

I know at my house, my cakes don’t have to stay fresh for too long before they’ve been all gobbled up, but without the crumb coat—I’d have some serious problems!

Red Velvet Cake Recipe

A good red velvet cake recipe is like a good sale.

It can sometimes be hard to find but with a bit of time and with the right amount of searching, the results can be quite magical!

Not to mention the results can be totally well worth it.

This red velvet cake is a traditional red velvet cake recipe. It is one that I bet your grandmother might have made.

It has classic ingredients, none designed to bust the budget, has easy directions, and a resulting taste which will leave you licking you lips! Yum!

Ingredients:

Cake

• 2 1/2 cups self-rising flour
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 ounces red food coloring

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three (8 inch) round pans. In a large bowl, mix together sugar, oil, and eggs. Add food coloring and vinegar to buttermilk. Add baking soda to flour.

2) Add flour mixture and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the sugar mixture. Mix well. Stir 1 teaspoon vanilla into batter. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tester comes out clean. Remove from oven, and cool on wire racks.

3) For the cream cheese frosting, mix together cream cheese, butter or margarine, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla. Stir in nuts. Spread over cooled cake.

This recipe is not only delicious but it is such a classic cake, especially in the southern United States, that I imagine it will soon become one of your favorites.

You too, can bake your own red velvet cake recipe and it doesn’t take a lot of work. All you need is a working kitchen, a couple hands, and a delicious red velvet cake recipe. Yum!

Mini Carrot Cake Recipe

A carrot cake is a very good cake, and moderation is a great way to enjoy your favorite cakes. These miniature carrot cakes are not only small and convenient, but they taste great too.

I love making these tasty cakes for my family because everyone can have their own. Plus, since carrots are sold year around, there’s no worrying about the right time or the right season to make this cake.

These miniature carrot cakes are a healthy alternative to the rich chocolate cake which is also rather tasty and another one of my favorites.

Yield: 35 mini cakes

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup sugar
• 1¼ cups grated carrots
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 (8 ¼ ounce) can crushed pineapple; drained
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese; softened
• ¼ cup butter or margarine; softened
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 to 2 ½ cups sifted powdered sugar

Directions:

1) Combine first six ingredients in a large bowl. Combine carrots and next four ingredients, mixing well. Add to dry ingredients, and beat at medium speed of an electric mixer for two minutes.

2) Pour into greased and floured 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan. Turn cake out onto a cutting board. Cut cake into individual servings, using a 1 ¾ inch round cutter.

3) Combine cream cheese and butter, mixing well. Add vanilla and enough powdered sugar to reach desired consistency; spoon into a decorating bag. Using a star tip, pipe a rosette on top of each cake.

With this recipe it is also important to remember that these cakes can be baked in lightly greased miniature (1 ¾ inch) muffin pans. All that you need to do is to bake following the directions, nearly the same, except that you will need to bake them for only 13-14 minutes in a 350 degree oven. This will create 4 ½ dozen carrot cake muffins… yummy!

If you haven’t tried miniature desserts, then perhaps you should give miniature carrot cakes a shot. Moist and tasty, this is a little piece of miniature delight that you won’t soon forget.