Southern Red Velvet Cake

I finally found it!!  .....okay, to be honest my sister-in-law, Kim, found it.  A Red Velvet Cake that isn't dry.  This one is the perfect cake with the perfect icing.  I had given up trying to bake a red velvet cake because I couldn't find a recipe that was really good.  Thank you for sharing, Kim!

Vegetable oil for the pans
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
1-1/4 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1- full 1 oz. bottle of red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows
Crushed pecans, for garnish

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil and flour 3 (9 x 1-1/2-inch) cake pans.

In large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.  In another large bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla.

Using a standing mixer, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and a smooth batter is formed.

Divide the cake batter evenly among the prepared cake pans.  Place the pans in oven evenly spaced apart.  Bake, rotating the pans halfway through the cooking, until the cake pulls away from the side of the pans, and a toothpick in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Remove the cakes from the oven and run a knife around the edges to loosen them from the sides of the pans.  One at a time, invert the cakes onto a plate and then re-invert them onto a cooling rack, rounded-sides up.  Let cool completely.

When frosting the cake, spread 1/4 to 1/2-inch of the frosting between layers.  Cover the entire cake with frosting.  Optional:  sprinkle with pecans.


Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 lb. cream cheese, softened
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup), softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

With mixer, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and butter on low speed until incorporated.  Increase the speed to high, and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Reduce the speed to low and add the vanilla, raise the speed to high and mix briefly until fluffy.  Store in refrigerator until somewhat stiff, before using.

Pecan Pie

This is my mother's delicious Pecan Pie recipe.  She always makes two when we visit so we have one for the road home!  This is a great recipe.

3 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup white corn syrup (Karo)
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Pinch of salt
*Pillsbury Pie Crust (frozen, in red box)

* You could also use a 9-inch ready to bake pie shell, but this is a more flaky crust.  Just be sure to sprinkle both sides of the crust with flour before placing it in a 9-inch pie plate.

Combine first 7 ingredients; blend well and pour into pie shell.

Bake at 325 degrees for about 1 hour or until firm.

Tips:  You can decorate the top with pecan halves before baking.  For presentation, I like to serve with a dollop of Reddi-Whip and grated dark chocolate on top!

Lemon Cake

This is a great cake to serve during warmer weather. It's light and delicious and easy to make!

• Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme Cake Mix
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup fresh orange juice

Mix all ingredients together and bake in a greased bundt cake pan for one hour at 350 degrees.

Icing: 1 cup confectioners powdered sugar and juice from 1 or 2 lemons. Mix well and spread on cake while warm.

Chocolate Covered Cheesecake Squares

My mother made these during Christmas and they are delicious, especially if you like dark chocolate.

Bottom Crust:

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Line a 9-inch square baking pan with foil and grease the foil. In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, pecans and butter. Press into prepared pan; set aside.

Filling:

• 2 pkgs. (8-oz. each) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and sour cream until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in vanilla. Pour over crust. Bake at 325 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rach. Refrigerate until chilled, then freeze overnight.

Chocolate coating:

• 24 squares (1 oz. each) semi-sweet chocolate
• 3 tablespoons shortening (Crisco sticks)

In a microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate and shortening, stirring occasionally until smooth. Cool slightly.

Using the foil, lift the cheesecake out of pan. Gently peel off foil; cut into 49 squares. Remove a few pieces at a time for dipping; keep remaining squares refrigerated until ready to dip. Using a toothpick, completely dip squares, one at a time, in melted chocolate. Place on waxed paper. Spoon about 1 teaspoon chocolate over each. (Reheat chocolate if needed to finish dipping.) Let stand for 20 minutes. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator.

Perfect Apple Pie

This pie is so good and so easy to make! I usually use three sweet apples and three tart apples, sush as Golden Delicious and Granny Smith.

• 1 Pkg. 15 0z. Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts (deep dish)
• 6 Cups thinly sliced, peeled apples
• 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3/4 Cup sugar
• 3/4 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 Teaspoon salt
• 1/8 Teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix together all ingredients and pour into pie crust. Cover pie with the second pie crust and press edges together. Make impressions around entire edge of pie with a fork. Cut 4 or 5 small slits in center of top pie crust with knife. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Cover edge of crust with foil after 20 minutes of baking.

Cherry Delight Pie

This is a recipe that my mother gave me. She made it and shared it with some of her neighbors. They all thought it was delicious!

• 1 Stick butter
• 50 Vanilla Wafers, crumbled
• 1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
• 1 Cup sugar
• 1 Envelope Dream Whip
• 1 Can Cherry Pie Filling
• 1 Cup chopped pecans

Melt butter, pour over wafer crumbs and mix together. In a separate bowl, mix cream cheese and sugar together. In another bowl, mix Dream Whip as directed on the box. Mix together the cream cheese mixture and the Dream Whip. Line a 10x7 dish with 2/3 of the crumbs and press lightly to form a crust. Pour Dream Whip mixture over crumbs. Pour cherry pie filling on top. Add nuts to remaining crumbs and sprinkle over pie filling; chill.

Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cake

This recipe was sent in by Sandy. She tried this cake at one of her Bunko parties and thought it was soooo good.

• 1 Box yellow butter flavor cake mix
• 1 Large instant chocolate pudding
• 4 Eggs
• 8 oz. sour cream
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup oil
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla
• 6 oz. chocolate chips
• Powdered Sugar

Mix together and pour into greased and floured bundt pan. Cook at 325 degrees for 1 hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Yummy Dessert

This recipe was given to me by my mother many years ago. There's a reason it's called "yummy"!

First Layer:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 stick margarine
• 1 cup chopped nuts

Mix together and spread on bottom of 13x9 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool.

Second Layer:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1 cup Cool Whip

Mix powdered sugar and cream cheese together, then fold in cool whip. Spread mixture over the baked crust.

Third Layer:

• 2 large pkgs. instant chocolate pudding
• 3 cups milk

Mix together and spread on top.

Fourth Layer:

Spread on Cool Whip and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Chill at least 3 hours before serving.