Coca Cola Cocoa Cake

  Back in July 2008, the church I attended had an auction of baked goods and I chose to bake among other things a cake make with Coca Cola. I could not find the recipe I learned to make this cake with though. Okay, that was back in 1974. I think I found the recipe in a magazine that my mother subscribed to. I originally made this in an Home Economics class I took in high school. The recipe must have been lost along the way somewhere over the years. The recipe I finally found that resembled the one I was looking for was for a Pepsi Cola Coca Cake and I did use Pepsi Cola when I made it for the church auction, it yielded $45.00. You can read about that here. I tweaked the recipe I found in some other ways to match what I remembered doing when I made that original cake. I got requests back then from people for this cake so I made it numerous times. But, I only used the Pepsi for that auction because it was not for personal use and I did not want to do something I might regret. I have always meant to go back and use that recipe I designed and use Coca Cola. This past week I did just that. It was perfect! I was quite happy with the results. The holidays are on the way and this will be something I keep Coca Cola on hand for.

   This past summer Matrona, a neighbor, dear woman and good friend of mine went to Greece for three months. She is Greek and I just love to hear the stories she tells about Greek food, culture, her home and her experiences there. I have an avid interest in World War II. Most of my knowledge is in regard to Britain's role and plight in that war. I honestly never even considered the involvement Greece may have had. Matrona, was a young girl then but old enough to remember a good bit of the tail end of that war. For one thing, her father transported people off the island they lived on by boat and ended up being drowned by a sortie of Nazi's for it. They came to their home looking for him, did not find him there but did so later. Needless to say, Matrona has amazing stories of how her family survived that. She learned to sew at eleven years old and earned money for some years after that. Her passion was wedding dresses. I read a book last spring called The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck. I have been trying to decide what to give her for Christmas. Hum... that just might do it. Yay! Love it when that happens. Anyway, when she came back she brought Jon and I some little gifts. One of those was a beautiful hand crafted silver ring with the Greek symbol for eternity on it for me. Quite out of my norm for accessories, but it feels so right on my hand and I just love it. Always growing and discovering new things about ourselves aren't we? She has video's from her trip and I am eager to see them. I decided to make this cake and take a few pieces over when I was go to see her and spend the evening seeing those video's.

   I really enjoy baking and putting together a layered cake, and certainly I like the presentation so much better than a single layer cake. This one makes up by far in flavor what it lacks in presentation pizzazz and panache.  Here is the recipe.

Coca Cola Cocoa Cake with Coca Cola Frosting

Cake:

In large bowl sift together:

2 cups sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

Mix in saucepan:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup Canola oil

4 tablespoons cocoa

1 cup Coca Cola (warm)

Bring to boil, pour over dry mixture and stir some.

Then add:
1/2 cup buttermilk¹

1~1/2 teaspoons soda

2 eggs ( I use Extra Large)

1~1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1~3/4 cup miniature marshmallows

Mix all together well, marshmallows should melt, then pour into well greased pan 13x9x2. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes.

Frosting:

Mix in saucepan and bring to boil:
1/2 cup butter

4 tablespoons cocoa

7~8 tablespoons Coca Cola

Remove from stove and add:

1 pound powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2  cup pecans (chopped)       This would be a good time to mention how much I use and enjoy my Pampered Chef Food Chopper.

Mix and spread over hot cake.

I use a hand mixer for both cake and frosting, but you can get away with just mixing well with a spoon.

¹ If you do not have buttermilk you can always use 

1 Tablespoon of lemon juice or white or apple cider vinegar to 

1 cup of milk, it can be whole or 2% milk, or heavy cream. 

Mix your choice of milk and one of the acidic selections in a glass container and let it rest for at least five minutes, then pour the whole thing curds and all into your recipe. I know I have said I don’t cook with what I can’t drink and that white vinegar should only be used for cleaning but it does work here. I prefer the apple cider vinegar. This can be halved, doubled or tripled if needed

Still hot and the sweet fragrance is scrumptious.

Better the next day, even better two days after baking.

A piece for, Jon. I nibbled enough and then some to be counted as my piece.

Moist like a brownie, delicate like a cake from scratch, perfectly balanced with decadent silky chocolate frosting laced with the slight occasional nibble of pecan.

I think you will enjoy this cake and your friends and family will, too! Please let me know!

Enjoy!

A beautifully done Scottie cake!

This morning while checking my email I came across an email that was very happy happy, and put a huge smile on my face. The woman that sent that email to me is Peta, and her husband is Andrew.  They live in Australia where they enjoy "Funday's" throughout the year.  Peta and Andrew own a three year old Scottie named, Miss Jarvis. Funday is where Scottie owners and their Scotties get together for a social day of Scottie games and lunch. By the sounds of it, it is a good day.The Secretary of the club knew Peta liked to bake and asked her if she would like to brings something to the clubs 75th Anniversary Funday. Her husband suggested and helped her bake the Scottie cake they had seen on this blog that I did back in 2008.

Peta did a completely lovely job of it. This cake is wonderfully full of detail and I think is amazing. I am guessing it tasted quite good as well. I like her presentation. Notice the plaid ribbon tied so sharply to the cake cutting knife, and please do not miss the Wheaton and Black Scottie chocolate pops.

I would love to take Baxter and be a part of their Funday's,  and I would have enjoyed sampling this cake. Baxter's birthday is coming up and I am feeling the urge to bake and decorate this cake.

Great job, Peta!

 Notice the detail of furnishing on the back under the tail and her under belly.

 Miss Jarvis is so cute!

Here is a better piccie of the chocolate pops.

Summer is over...

although here in Oklahoma, there are days that still hit the 90's, like today when the mercury easily hit the low 90's. Oklahoma, has much to offer, but I think I have come to the conclusion, I am a colder weather girl. I like and miss the snow. Anyway, technically summer is over and here is a my offering to its close. Like everything else I have no business eating, I will take this to work in the morning.


As always, click piccies to enlarge if you like.

Front

Back

The cake is dark chocolate filled with cappuccino crème and frosted with vanilla buttercream. I am thinking about calling this combination, Cappuccino Cocoa Cake.

Needless to say, this post will not be getting the Healthy Eating or Nutrition label.

Autumn is here!!! My favorite time of year!!! I will be doing something for the office to express that, soon. Stay tuned. :-)

Cake and Friendship

I don't suppose I have ever mentioned this on my blog, but I am not a social network fan. I have a Facebook page so that I can see pictures of family and keep up on their day to day goings on, as well as a couple dear friends in Europe. I however do not really like Facebook, MySpace, or ClassMates and definitely not Twitter where people shoot off streams of tweets to each other. I like a quiet uncomplicated world and see no use for the time or energy spent to throw food at each other, play Mafia Wars or Farkle, see what a persons favorite tattoo is, discover what city they should be living in, which Michael Jackson song they are, what Disney character they are most like or any of the other mindless, useless and time consuming twaddle that goes on. I have so many other things that I love to do and want to accomplish that to engage in, or even read all of that nonsense makes no sense. I have a list of books I really want to read, and the list grows. I never seem to have enough time to read my Bible like I like to, or spend time just talking with God at length... really spending quality time. I love to sew and enjoy making cards. I don't get to spend enough time out with Debra, or on the phone with Kim, in Georgia. I like the art museum, zoo and even the National Cowboy Museum, go figure. Though I try, I never seem to get my fill of those things. Not to mention painting some of the rooms in our new home. Suffice it to say, I guard my time and those social network activities, even reading others activities like those mentioned above simply have no place in my life.

Now, having said and meaning all of that I have tell you a little something. Jon enjoys the connections he has made through some of the social networking he does. Michael Hyatt, is a christian, runner, and writer, all things Jon is and does. Jon enjoys keeping up with him through Twitter. He has discovered helpful things through that connection like better note taking skills that suit his personality while in meetings, better shoes for running, an author named John Eldredge, just to name a few. Recently, Jon pressed in to connect with classmates from high school and college. He has re~connected with a few friends that he has wondered about over the years and is now enjoying contact with them. I imagine there will be a meeting of some sort before long. One of the friends he connected with is a high school classmate named, Scott. Scott has put an adult lifetime into a career that has served him well thus far. His passion however is cakes.

Allow me to digress here briefly. Remember that list of those things I enjoy doing up above? Those of you that follow this blog may have noticed that I did not mention baking desserts and making cakes to decorate. I have mulled over the idea of baking full time and stepping out of corporate America as far as punching a clock for someone else for a couple of years now. Within the last month I decided to start taking steps to do that. With pen in hand and constantly thinking about just such a venture, I am beginning to see how I can do that. Since making that decision it is amazing the things that have transpired. It is like I raised my rod (made a decision), and God parted the Red Sea and showed me how to get to the other side, and with His blessing.

Back to Jon and his rekindled friendships. In the course of conversation, Jon mentioned to Scott, my love for cakes. After a week or so, Scott and I were communicating. Since that time he has made me privy to priceless professional decorating tips, ingredient ideas, tools that he uses that he designed himself and so much more. Scott, has a cake business called, & Eat it Too! He does NOT use fondant, bar the few flowers surrounding a cake on rare occasion. He had me right there! I know it is pretty and all the craze right now, but it does not taste good, has a nearly repulsive texture to chew and is way too much work on the back and shoulders to ever be worth using. He is strictly a Buttercream man and has a great selection of flavors to choose from. I don't think they are all listed on his web site. Here is a link to that web site. I have added his business card as a link to my sidebar as well. Beyond all of this new information I am blessed to be receiving, I feel like I have made a friend with a kindred spirit.

The cake photo below is a cake he made for a wedding yesterday. The couple met in a book store, hence the tiers being books. How creative is that? He designed and decorated this cake, and those are regular cakes, no shaped pans here. Now lets take it a step further. Autumn begins this week. The cake is a spice cake with apple filling and cinnamon buttercream frosting. Books, apples, cinnamon and spice... how much more Autumn does it get?

I am so excited about my new friend and his beautiful work that I wanted to share this with all of you.

Once Upon a Time, and Happily Ever After.

I still have no use for the folly frenzy mentioned at the opening of this post, but I am so grateful to have the opportunity to have made a friend like, Scott. I am thankful for Scott, period. Take a little time and go look at his web site and its sidebar links. If you like to play with icing and cake, you will be inspired. If you just enjoy and appreciate good craftsmanship, you will be impressed. If you just like pretty things, you will be pleased. If you live in the Canton, Ohio area or within 75 miles and are in need of a cake, call him! :-)

Skor Cheesecake

In my post about Chocolate Christmas Mice, I promised to tell you what it was that I did with the leftover Oreo chocolate cookie. The answer lies within this box.

A few weeks before Christmas, we drew names at work for exchanging Christmas gifts. I drew a gentleman named, Lonnie. Lonnie is the comedian at the office. For instance, last week he was going through our huge green recycle container. I came around the corner with a co~worker and there he was. He is a man of about 5'6" and full of ornery energy. He looked at us over what is essentially a huge plastic green trash can on wheels and without missing a beat simply said... looking us directly in the eyes and with a straight face, "Didn't get breakfast." Lonnie loves to eat. He loves to eat good food and sweets are at the top of his list. If there is one candy that could be deemed his favorite (and there are many) it could be the Skor bar as easily as any other decedent chocolate confection. So when I drew his name for the gift exchange, I knew just what to do. Go buy a dozen (or so) Skor bars!

Here is what I did with those Skor bars.


Butter Toffee Cheesecake with Ganache

Preheat oven to 350°

Crust:
1/2 cup real butter melted (one stick)
2-1/4 cup Oreo cookie crumbs
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Filling:
12 Skor Candy Bars (and one more for nibbling)
4 8 oz. blocks cream cheese softened to room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
5 large eggs
3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Ganache:
1 cup heavy cream
1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (you can substitute dark chocolate for one quarter of chocolate chips)

• Set Cream Cheese out in large mixer bowl and allow to achieve room temperature and become soft.
• Butter a 9” spring form pan with real butter.
• Chop 12 Skor bars in two batches of six bars each and keep them separate.
• Twist and separate Oreo cookies. Scrape white middle off. Make crumbs out of cookies. I roll them with a rolling pin in a sturdy Ziploc bag. You can see how having one side of an Oreo cookie left over from the Christmas Mice would be useful here, so make them a day or two before the cheesecake if you are making them.

Crust:

• Melt butter.
• Stir in Oreo crumbs and sugar.
• Press into bottom and sides of buttered 9” spring form pan.
• Evenly scatter one batch of the six chopped Skor bars onto crust

Filling:

• Mix softened cream cheese in mixer until very smooth.
• Mix in sugar first and until smooth, then mix eggs one at a time beating thoroughly.
• Pour filling into crust.
• Bake at 350° degrees for 40 minutes.
• Turn oven down to 300° degrees and bake 30 minutes longer. This is a good time to rotate your cake around in the oven if your oven seems to bake hotter at one side or the other. Do not rotate at any other time.
• Let sit and set in oven for one hour.
• When cake is cool refrigerate over night, or at least 8 hours.

Finishing up:
Pop ring of spring form pan off. Leaving cake on the bottom of spring form pan, set cake on a piece of foil or your choice of waterproof device. In this next step you will be pouring your ganache topping over and you will be letting it run down the sides. It just doesn't get much better. :-)

Ganache:

• Heat heavy cream in an heavy sauce pan.
• Stir in chocolate on low heat until smooth, beating with a spoon to keep from scorching and to aid in chocolate melting.
• Pour over cheesecake (should drip off sides) spreading out to get the coverage and look you want.
• Top with 6 more chopped Skor Bars.... YAY!!!! Yumm.
• Chill for one hour.
• Now slide your cake onto whatever you will be serving it from.
• Leave at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Lonnie is a giving man and shares everything. He has co~workers over during the summer for barbeque's... that sort of man. He had been awarded the Employee of the Year award at our Christmas lunch just two weeks prior to the day I gave him his cheesecake. So, I attached a note to his box saying that he had been such a good lad all year that he did not have to share with the other children. I think he did have a piece while at work, and I heard he gave a few sample bites (not slices), but the cake basically went home that evening, never to be seen again. I also heard he asked someone if they knew what bakery Teresa bought the cheesecake at. Lonnie likes good food. That felt nice.

Here is a little art work of the fun I had putting this Christmas gift together.

Chopping.....

the rest of the chopping.

Some assembly required.

Mixing.

Getting there.

The beauty of disposable foil.

The finished cheesecake. Box and wrap it quick to avoid further temptation. By this time I had already eaten a Skor bar and licked ganache like I did not know better.

Done! Put the box in the car for morning since it is too big for the refrigerator and it is plenty cold enough outside.

Scottish Terrier cake!

I don't suppose you would be particularly interested in making this cake unless you have a Scottie, or someone dear to you has one or loves the breed, and you wanted to do something special for them. But for those of you that may have occasion to whip up a Scottish Terrier cake, this post is for you. This cake is so easy to make and the results far surpass the effort and, it makes for just some plain old fashioned fun. Alright then, lets get at it.


You will need a serving device at least 18 inches wide and 14 inches in height. I used an old cutting board my dad made. I covered it with foil and then parchment paper. I would steer clear of regular cardboard or the pre~cut cardboard cake servers as this cake is wide and heavy.

Now you will need to choose a cake you want to use. I made this one a white cake. Jon and I like white cake. Whether you make yours from scratch or a box, the average cake recipe or one boxed mix is what you need. Prepare your batter and bake it in two separate 8 X 8 inch cake tins. Let them cool and turn them out one at a time. You can use any frosting you like as long as it has the consistency to spread thick and hold it's shape.

And here is where we take cake into the shape of a Scottie. These are your first cuts. The cut that is vertical in this picture is 2 inches. The cut that is horizontal is 4 inches. The little obtuse triangle is to be set to the side. That is your Scottie's tail. The 4 inch by 2 inch is well..... fodder for the baker. Go ahead and taste test before you serve. :-)

Frost your larger piece making sure to get ample coverage, and get the sides done well as you won't want to mess the surface of your serving device up later.

Lift and transport to whatever you will be serving the cake on.

Now let's cut the second cake. Again make a vertical cut right at the 4 inch mark that is 2 inches in length. Then make a 4 inch horizontal cut leaving a 2" by 4" piece. Share that piece with whomever you wish, it is not going to be used either. Now, one more cut. Slice off a triangle right there in the center. Your Scottie will need ears, this piece will be just that, the ears.

Time to frost again making sure you cover the sides well. This will be the front wither, chest and legs.

Transport just as you did the the other piece. Line two pieces up as exactly as you can where the back comes together.

Here are your head, ears and tail. Frost the large piece which is the head. Again, get good coverage on the sides.

Notice the large licorice drop in the background on the right. Also notice the kettle is plugged in keeping a good supply of hot water going.

Transport your head piece just as you have the others. See the 4 cup measuring cup? That is where my hot water is. I use it to dip my frosting spatula in to slick the frosting down and cause it to be smooth and glossy. We are getting there!

Frost the tail and ear piece just as you have the larger pieces, then put them just where you want them. Notice the smooth and glossy frosting. We have boiling hot water and a metal spatula to thank for that.

Now we put a nose on, an eye on, and dress up our Scottie's furnishings. The nose is that large licorice drop cut in half from top to bottom. The eye is a drop of white buttercream frosting I always have in the refrigerator with the top of one of those large licorice drops sliced from side to side, set in. I used a #233 Wilton tip for this Scottie's furnishings. This tip is typically used to make grass, or the fur on say Elmo, Cookie Monster and Oscar the Grouch. Clicking on the picture will give you much better detail.

Wouldn't be a Scottie with out a tartan collar. The dark blue and dark green is my favorite. That is the Black Watch modern tartan. Although there a New York City blue and green tartan that was designed in 2003, I believe. Not sure of the whole story of origin there, but it is much like the Black Watch modern. I like the dark blue and dark green tartans that sport no yellow, red, white or pinks. Let's move on.

And there you have it!

Time to enjoy Baxter, family and cake!

If you make this cake please let me know. I would love to put pictures of your wonderful cakes on my blog.

Here's a little diagram to use if you ponder the idea of whipping this cake up.

As always........

Happy Birthday, Melissa!

Two weeks to the day after her anniversary, my daughter Melissa, celebrates her birthday. Well..... this year since I live close to her now I offered to do her birthday cake. I asked her what she would like, I'd do whatever she wanted. Her only wishes were that it be black and white with hot pink. Shortly after that, she made a comment about liking zebra stripes on things like clothing and other things. I had already decided to make the cake look like a gift, and now I knew just what to make the wrapping paper and bow look like. Here was the finished product.

Melissa, is grateful for things done for her, but she has very specific tastes. It is not always easy to please her. She gasped, basically teared up, and verbally expressed delight about her zebra striped cake. I was little nervous about the prospect of ruining her 30th birthday with a cake she did not like. I was so surprised and pleased when she hugged me and said she did not really want to cut into the cake. Mission accomplished! Happy girl, happy cake....... Happy Birthday, Melissa!

Oh, they just had the anniversary cake two weeks prior. She is a little relieved to not have any big celebrations for a month. I will post later on that celebration.

Wow it is good to spend a little time blogging again. Thanks for your comments Pam, Kim, Mary and Carrie. It may be something I really have to schedule to get it done, but I love the blogosphere and you girls I've gotten to know through it. It is worth the scheduling.

A Cupcake of Coffee.

Recently, I began posting with a network of women that post every Saturday, under the heading of Then Sings My Soul Saturday. I love being a part of this. I really enjoy reading what the other women have to say, and I love having a place to reflect and report a song that ministered to me that week. This weekend a few things got in the way and I did not post mine. I felt badly enough about it that I almost did that entry today instead of this. But, I am going to save it for next, Saturday. I mention that here because some of the what I will say here will in part be repeated to a degree next, Saturday.

This past week, a dear blogging friend of mine sent me some of the Mrs. Meyer's dryer sheets, and Lavender Window Cleaner she had mentioned on her blog. By the way, until August 24th, all orders over $50 will have no shipping charges if you are interested in trying any of her products. I am very happy with them, and plan to use some of these products regularly. It has been a long time since I really enjoyed cleaning my home.

I began blogging because of this blogging lady. Kim, has an enjoyable web site and personal blog. She also has a blog for her cards. She is an amazing stamper. Her cards have been published in national stamping magazines. I really enjoy just looking at them. Well, in that package of Mrs. Meyer's products, she sent me two of her handmade cards. One card was sent to me, for me. The other card was left blank to use as I wanted. The card sent to me had the sentiment "Friends" on it. This was the first card she made using a new toy she bought. The other card was the first card she stamped after a short time off from stamping. She asked me to choose a stamp set and that would get her started. I love the set "Sweet Herbs" and she had made a beautiful card with it some time before.

When I received those two cards, I knew immediately I would frame them. She is a dear lady and friend and those cards mean something to me. I have changed over the years. I no longer decorate my house to "look" good, I fill it with those things that I have sentimental attachment to, things I love, things that make a house, my home. One of my spare bedrooms is what my family refers to as, The Pink Room. And it is. There are pink candles, a pink quilt, a Victorian chair with tapestry cover that has pink roses that belonged to my dear neighbor Joyce, the footstool that was my mother's that I recovered in pink floral tapestry. You get the idea. There are several other things in that room that are so special to me. One of those things is a my parents first bedroom suit. It is now 51 years old. Another precious thing in that room is a the Morse sewing machine that has been around since before my time, was my mother's, and I learned to sew on it. The machine is in it's original cabinet and the accessories box is still on the door. On top of that cabinet is pink potpourri that rests in a lead crystal bowl. That was one of the two pieces of crystal I gave my mother when she retired from 33 years of working for the federal government. And now... that bowl is joined by two precious framed cards.

Kim's blog is called, Coffee in the Morning, and it used to be, Coffee and a Muffin. While framing those cards, I got to thinking about "Coffee"... go figure. That was when I came up with the idea to experiment a little with coffee and cake. The result was some Coffee and Cream cupcakes. A Cupcake of Coffee, really. :~) I will not attempt false humility here, they taste GREAT! I am very happy with them and so are those that have taste tested them for me. Since these Cupcakes of Coffee were inspired by Kim, when we are able to get together in Texas, hopefully sometime soon, I will make a batch for her and her family, and whisk (no pun intended) them down to her.

Pull up chair and have a Cupcake of Coffee with me!