My Favorite Cake

A buttery yellow cake with rich chocolate icing has always been a favorite choice for my birthday. I recently found out that it was also my boss' favorite cake. When we were planning her at-work party, I volunteered to make the cake since I love to bake.

For the cake, I used Paula Deen's 1-2-3-4 cake recipe. The layers came out really even and beautiful.


To frost the cake, I used my grandmother's cooked frosting recipe.


Richmond Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tbsp corn starch
1/2 cup cocoa
dash of salt
1 cup hot water
3 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla

Instructions
Mix all ingredients except butter and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the frosting until it is thick, stirring constantly. Once it is thick, remove from heat and add butter and vanilla. This yields enough to frost a double 9-inch layer cake.

--Krystal

Citrus Soda Pound Cake

This is a take on my Taste of Summertime Pound Cake.



Citrus Soda Pound Cake

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup butter, softened
3 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs
1 cup Mountain Dew, Mello Yello or Sun Drop (I used Diet Sun Drop for my cake)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

Instructions
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 12-cup tube pan. Combine flour and salt in a bowl. With a mixer, cream butter and sugar at high speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Reduce speed to low; add dry ingredients and soda, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Add the vanilla and lemon extracts and mix until just combined. Spoon evenly into prepared pan and bake 1 1/2 hours or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Invert onto wire rack, remove pan and cool completely.

I glazed my cake with a lemon glaze but you can leave it plain.

Lemon Glaze

1 cup confectioner's sugar

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients until smooth

Krystal

Lentil Soup

We've had some lentils and green split peas sitting in our cupboards for a couple months so, tonight, we had lentil soup, homemade corn bread and a salad (mostly from our garden) for dinner.



Lentil Soup

Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
4 carrots, diced
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1 1b. dry lentils
1 lb. dry green split peas
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
4 cubes beef bouillon
2 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes
16 cups water
2 cups fresh chard (you can substitute spinach)
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
Heat olive oil in a pan. Add carrots, onion and celery and saute until tender. Add garlic, bay leaves, Italian seasoning and mustard seeds and cook for two minutes. Add lentils, peas, beef bouillon, vinegar, tomatoes and water. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until peas and lentils are cooked through. Add the fresh chard and cook until greens are wilted and tender.

Krystal