Although my family will eat chocolate cake as a first choice, I decided on a change of pace, yesterday, and baked a spice cake using some shortcuts in order to get both dinner and the cake done in a timely manner.
Barbara's Spice Cake
1 package of spice cake mix
1 small package of instant lemon pudding mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup brandy (you can use orange juice or even, just water)
1/2 cup finely ground walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat for about three minutes or until well mixed.
You can chose your own baking pans here. I used three 8-inch round pans for my cake. You can also bake it in a 9x13-inch pan if you don't want to bother with frosting layers. Whatever you decide, use vegetable oil spray and dust them with flour.
Depending on your choice of baking pan, bake for approximated 20-30 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched.
Lemon Frosting
1 1/2 sticks of softened butter
Approximatley 3 cups powdered sugar
Grated zest of one lemon
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
Cream the butter in a mixing bowl. Add three cups of powdered sugar, the zest, and extracts. Add enough of the lemon juice to form a spreadable icing. You can adjust with the juice and sugar as needed to reach this result.
*The reason I use lemon juice and lemon extract is that the combination seems to enhance and mellow out the lemon flavor.
*If you opt for using brandy, you won't get a 'drunken' cake. It just gives the cake a certain flair without any liquor taste. Sometimes, I use Sherry instead.
No comments:
Post a Comment