Love Is Sweeter The Second Time Around

May 25, 2018May 24, 2018thasc1Leave a comment

Nearly Naked Wedding Cake

White Cake:

½ cup soft butter
½ cup shortening
2 cups sugar
3 cups cake flour
4 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
2/3 cup milk
2/3 cup water
2 tsp. vanilla
¾ tsp. almond flavoring
6 egg whites

Cherry Chocolate Cake:

½ cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 – 8 oz. bottle maraschino cherries, stemmed and drained (reserve liquid)
2 – 1 oz. squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 tbsp. lemon juice plus enough milk to equal 1 cup liquid
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt

For the Frosting:

2 cups butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 jar marshmallow crème

White cake: Cream butter and sugar. Mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Add alternately with water and milk. Stir in almond flavoring. Beat egg whites in a separate bowl. Add to dough ½ at a time. Pour into prepared 13 x 9 baking pan. Bake at 325 degrees F for 40-45 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Cherry Chocolate Cake: We doubled this recipe for our wedding cake. Place the butter or margarine, sugar, egg, cherry juice, melted chocolate, lemon-milk mixture and vanilla in the blender or food processor. Process until smooth. Add the cherries and process until finely chopped. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add liquid ingredients and stir to mix well. Turn the batter into two greased and floured 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Bake the cake in a 350 degrees F oven for 40-45 minutes or until it tests done with a toothpick. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Frosting: In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Beat in half of the powdered sugar. Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and stir in the marshmallow crème until well blended.

Place one cherry chocolate cake on a serving plate. Frost the top and top with white cake. Frost top of white cake and top with second cherry chocolate cake. Lightly frost top and sides of cake to give a “nearly naked cake” look.

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com

Love Is In The Air

May 18, 2018May 17, 2018thasc1Leave a comment

Edith’s Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

3 cups cake flour
2 cups sugar
6 tbsp. cocoa
2 tsp. baking soda
1 ½ tsp. salt
3 eggs
1 ½ cups water
2/3 cup Mazola oil
2 tbsp. vinegar
2 tsp. vanilla

Frosting:

2 cups butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 jar marshmallow crème

Sift together three times in a bowl flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Combine in a separate bowl: 1 1/2 cups water, 2/3 cup Mazola oil, 2 tbsp. vinegar and 2 tsp. vanilla. Stir and add dry mixture all at once. Stir mixture long enough that dry ingredients are dissolved. Pour into 10 x 14 inch pan or two 9 inch round pans, ungreased. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 35 to 45 minutes. Cool in pans. Remove when cake is cool. We doubled this recipe for our wedding cakes.

For the frosting: In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Beat in half of the powdered sugar. Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and stir in the marshmallow crème until well blended. Frost the cakes and decorate as desired.

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com

Love Is In The Air, For The June Bride

May 24, 2017May 2, 2017thasc1Leave a comment

Silver Wedding Anniversary Cake

Ingredients:

Oil or melted butter, for greasing
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
Generous ¾ cup superfine sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. milk
2 tbsp. medium sherry
Silver balls, to decorate

Frosting:

1 generous cup mascarpone cheese
3 tbsp. light cream
2 ¼ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted, plus extra if needed

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line the bottoms of a 7-inch layer cake pan and a 9-inch layer cake pan. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl and add the butter, superfine sugar, eggs and vanilla extract. Beat well until the mixture is smooth, then stir in the milk. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pans and smooth the surfaces with a spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes for the small cake and 25-30 minutes for the large cake, or until risen, firm and golden brown. Cool the cakes in the pans for 2-3 minutes, then turn out and finish cooling on wire racks. Prick the cakes with a skewer and sprinkle with sherry. For the frosting, beat together the mascarpone, cream and confectioners’ sugar to a smooth, spreading consistency, adding a little more confectioners’ sugar if needed. Spread a little frosting on top of the center of the larger cake, then place the small cake on top, pressing down lightly. Spread the remaining frosting over the cakes, swirling with a spatula. Decorate with silver balls before serving.

Makes 10-12 servings

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com

Love Is In The Air, For The June Bride

May 17, 2017May 2, 2017thasc1Leave a comment

Ron's Favorite Applesauce Date Cake

Ron’s Favorite Applesauce-Date Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground allspice
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ tsp. ground cloves
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 cups warm applesauce, divided
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
¾ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
½ cup chopped dates

Cream Cheese Frosting:

3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tbsp. butter or margarine, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups sifted powdered sugar

Method:

Combine flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and cloves in a large bowl; stir well. Add brown sugar, 1 cup applesauce, butter and eggs; beat at low speed of an electric mixer 1 minute or until mixture is blended. Beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Add remaining 1 cup applesauce, coarsely chopped walnuts and chopped dates, and stir well. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9-inch square baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cake cool completely in pan on a wire rack. For the cream cheese frosting, combine cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a small mixing bowl; beat at medium speed of an electric mixer until mixture is light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, beating until mixture is smooth. Spread cream cheese frosting evenly on top of cake.

Makes 9 servings

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com

Love Is In The Air, For The June Bride

May 10, 2017May 2, 2017thasc1Leave a comment

Italian Cream Cake

Ingredients:

6 large eggs, separated
2 cups sugar, divided
2 sticks butter, softened
½ tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup shredded coconut

Italian Cream Frosting:

3 sticks butter, softened
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
1 ½ lbs. powdered sugar

Method:

In electric mixing bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Slowly beat in ½ cup sugar until stiff peaks form. Transfer mixture into another bowl. In original mixing bowl, cream butter, remaining 1 ½ cups sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat in egg yolks one at a time, until consistency of whipped cream. Stir baking soda into buttermilk. Add alternately with flour to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Fold in egg whites, then add pecans and coconut (using slow speed on mixer, or by hand). Pour batter into three 9-inch cake pans that have been butter and floured. Bake in preheated 325 degree F oven about 40 minutes. Cool cakes, and remove from pans. For frosting, combine butter, cream cheese and vanilla in electric mixing bowl, until smooth. Slowly add sugar, and continue beating until smooth and creamy. Frost layers and sides of cooled cake. Refrigerate iced cake.

Serves 8-10

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com

Love Is In The Air, For The June Bride

May 3, 2017May 2, 2017thasc1Leave a comment

Banana Cake With Creamy Caramel Icing

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups sifted cake flour
2 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ cup vegetable shortening or butter
1 ¼ cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas (4-5)

Creamy Caramel Icing:

2 cups sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
¾ cup butter
½ cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
12 large marshmallows
1 tsp. vanilla

Method:

In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Set aside. In an electric mixing bowl, beat shortening until creamy; add sugar gradually, beating until batter is fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla; then add flour mixture alternately with bananas, beating after each addition, until batter is smooth. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9 inch cake pans. Bake in preheated 375 degree F oven for about 25 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool cake completely before icing. For icing, cook sugar, baking soda, butter, buttermilk and syrup in large heavy saucepan over medium low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Stir in marshmallows, and continue cooking until candy thermometer reaches 238 degrees F. Transfer pan to counter padded with a towel. Add vanilla; beat until cloudy and of spreading consistency. This takes a little time, but is worth the effort. Immediately ice cake. Holds well 2-3 days, but rarely lasts longer.

Serves 12-15

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com

Black And White Wedding Cake

May 20, 2015May 20, 2015NFLeave a comment

June Bride? Or just a wonderful chocolate cake for all to enjoy.

Ingredients:

Three 8 inch cake pans

¾ cup (6 ounces, 1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter
1 ¾ cups (12 ounces) superfine or granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups (8 ½ ounces) all-purpose flour
¾ cup (2 ¼ ounces) natural cocoa powder
4 large eggs
1 ½ cups (12 ounces) milk, buttermilk or water

For two tiered cake, use three 6 inch cake pans for top tier.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, salt, baking soda and vanilla at medium speed till fluffy and light, at least 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and cocoa. If lumps remain, sift the mixture. Add the eggs to the butter mixture one at a time, beating after each addition until the egg disappears, and scraping the side and bottom of the bowl. Slowly blend 1/3 of the flour mixture into the creamed mixture, then ½ the milk, another third of the flour, the remaining milk and the remaining flour.

Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally throughout this process.

Grease and flour three 8 inch round cake pans. Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Wrap the pans with moistened cake strips (to prevent doming), if desired. Bake the cakes for 30 to 35 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, and the sides of the cake begin to pull away from the pan. Remove from the oven, place on a rack to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then remove them from the pan. Fill and frost with the icing.

*For a two tier cake, double the recipe and use three 6 inch round baking pans for the top tier.*

Two tiered Black And White Wedding Cake ready to serve.

Simple and easy decorating for the Black And White Wedding Cake.

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.
THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.
www.thasc.com