Somerset Apple Sauce Cake

This recipe has almost a fruit cake texture and is very moist.  Perfect for teatime!


Ingredients- 4 oz. (1/2 cup) butter, 8 oz. (1 cup) soft brown sugar, 1 beaten egg, 6 oz (3/4 cup) apple sauce, 8 oz. self rising flour, 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. ground cloves, 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg, 1/2 tsp. salt, 4 oz. raisins, and vanilla flavoured butter icing.

1. Set oven to 350 F.
2. Grease an 8 inch cake tin.  Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy.  Gradually beat in the egg and then stir in the apple sauce.
3. Sift in the flour, spices and salt, add the raisins and mix well together.  Put into the tin and bake for about 1 hour or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.  Leave to cool for a few minutes in the tin and turn out on to a wire rack.
4. When cold cover with vanilla flavoured butter icing.  For the butter icing, blend together 4 oz. soft butter, 8 oz. sieved icing sugar and a few drops of vanilla.  (The cake is so good without icing that I didn't add it!)

• Recipe by "West Country Teatime Recipes"
• Photo by Zachary D. James

Cherry Cheesecake

This basic cheesecake recipe is perfect for just about any topping!  I used cherry pie filling, but blueberry pie filling is just as yummy!  Fresh berries are delicious as well!

 Ingredients- 1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust, 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese (softened), 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk, 1/3 cup lemon juice, 1 tsp. vanilla, and 1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling.

1. Place softened cream cheese in a mixing bowl;  add condensed milk, lemon juice, and vanilla.  Beat until well blended.  Pour mixture into the pie crust.  Chill for 5 hours.  
2. Pour cherry pie filling on top of pie.  Serve!

•  Recipe by "allrecipes.com"
• Photo by Zachary D. James    

Meringues

These cookies are very light and crispy and very easy to make!  I made a batch and I've probably eaten over half of them!  Definitely a keeper recipe!

Ingredients-  2 egg whites, 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar, 1 tsp. vanilla, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 cup chocolate chips, and 1 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts.

1. Beat egg whites, cream of tartar and vanilla together until soft peaks form.
2. Add sugar gradually beating until stiff.
3. Fold in chocolate chips and pecans.  Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet.  Bake in 300 F oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

• Recipe by "Company's Coming"
• Photo by Zachary D. James   

 

Coffee Cake

Here's a very yummy cake my sisters made!  This cake is a light and fluffy treat to have with a cup of tea or coffee.


Ingredients- 8 Tbsp.  butter, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 2 cups flour, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. of baking powder, 1 cup sour cream, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/2 cup chocolate chips (if desired).

1. Cream butter, sugar, and eggs together.  Sift next three ingredients and add to cream mixture.
2.  Stir in sour cream and vanilla.  Mix well.  Spread half the batter in a 9x13 inch baking pan.
3. Mix sugar, brown sugar, and chocolate chips for topping.  Pour half the topping on the batter.  Add remaining batter and spread the rest of the topping on top.
4. Bake at 350 F for 30 to 35 minutes.

• Photo by Zachary D. James

Cute Flower Cupcakes

Everyone loves cupcakes, but just by adding some flowers will make them look cute!  Perfect for a birthday girl of any age!  These little guys don't last long though.  The gang has already eaten half of them!  Thank you Nana for the fancy cupcake stand!

A Little About Me!

  Everyone knows I love to bake, but not everyone knows ME!  So here are a few fun facts about myself.

- I love to bake, but when it comes to cooking...it's a different story!

- I have 2 sisters and 3 brothers.  Who did you think ate all of my baking! 

- I play piano and just started to learn violin this year.

- I almost never wear an apron when I bake, but I often bake in my pajamas!

- YES!  I make my own birthday cakes!

- I volunteer at a riding facility for disabled children.

- I HATE cooked spinach and cauliflower.

-  My two sisters also "bake a lot"

- I've never taken a cake decorating course.  Everything I know about cake decorating I've learned from books and youtube!

- My brother takes all my photos for the blog and facebook page.

Well I hope everyone enjoyed learning a little more about the girl who "bakes a lot".  Thanks for stopping by my blog!

Cookie Christmas Tree

I know it's after Christmas, but I had to make one of these!  I had to triple the recipe to have enough for the whole thing!  I tried to make one for Christmas, but... it didn't work.  So this one is for our New Years party tonight.  I cheated and only decorated the front of the tree because I was too lazy to decorate the whole thing!  Don't laugh!  I bet you wouldn't want to stick all those candy balls on the entire thing either!  Well I better go and finish getting ready for the party.  Have a happy new year everyone!