Helpful Hints for December!

Hey hey hey! Guess what time it is today?!? Time for another Helpful Hints! :D I know it's a couple days early, but with all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season starting, I figured it's a good time to do it now.

Ingrid Anderson (my wonderful Cousin!) from Michigan asked: "What's your favorite desert, and how do you make it?"

I have many favorite deserts, but this one is probably one of my MOST favorites! It's called "Xtra-Special" Celebration Cake. I love this recipe because it's simple, and amazingly delicious (and moist!) for a scratch cake!

Ingredients:
3 cups of flour
2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup of cocoa
2 teaspoons of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt
2/3 cup of vegetable oil
2 teaspoons of vinegar (white vinegar)
1 teaspoon of vanilla
2 cups of cold water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix dry ingredients (Flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt) in a large bowl.
3. Mix in oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Stir until fully combined.
4. Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minuets. Let cool 10 minutes.
Remove from pan.

You can make this cake with many different kinds of pans. I usually use a bunt pan or two round pans (for a layer cake). If you are using a bunt pan, two toppings/ decoration ideas would be:

A "dusting" of powdered sugar on the top of the cake.
(Chocolate Drizzle recipe. with raspberries on top):
3 tablespoons framboise or other flavored raspberry liqueur.
4 (1-ounce) squares of semisweet chocolate
2 teaspoons of hot water.

Combine chocolate, framboise and water over a double boiler, until brought to a boil, remove from heat and stir until chocoalte is fully melted. Drizzle over sifted sugar on cake. Drizzle raspberries over chocolate.

That Ingrid, is my favorite dessert. :)


HJH