Always room for the classics

As much as I like to create new dishes, there’s always room for the classics. Many of my recipes are rooted in the dishes I ate as a child from my mother’s kitchen. No where is that better seen than when it comes to the last course of the meal. I’m not one who has the patience to bake from scratch without a proven recipe.

With that in mind, today I want to share with you a couple of classic cakes. Both have been around longer than I have. The first became popular after the Dole pineapple company sponsored a recipe contest, Pineapple Upside Down Cake. The second one uses an ingredient that was invented in 1852, German Chocolate Cake. So, gather your ingredients, and Let’s head to the kitchen!

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

This cake became popular in the mid 1920’s. It was a household staple in the 1950’s and 60’s. Time to revisit this classic.

3 cups sifted cake or all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup butter or shortening

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup butter melted

1 cup brown sugar

12 slices canned pineapple

12 maraschino cherries, drained

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350℉.

Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder, set aside. Cream together butter, sugar, and vanilla; add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture alternately with milk; beat on medium speed until smooth.

Pour butter into a 9x13-inch pan, scatter brown sugar over butter. Arrange pineapple slices in a single layer in bottom of pan. Place one cherry on center of each pineapple slice. Scatter pecans around pineapple.

Pour prepared cake batter over pineapple slices. Transfer to the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Invert onto a large platter and remove pan; serve plain, with whipped cream, or ice cream.

German Chocolate Cake

The first recorded recipe for German Chocolate Cake comes from a Dallas newspaper in 1957. It became popular in the 1980’s. It is not named after the country. Samuel German, an American baker, developed a sweet baking chocolate in the 19th century.

2 cups sugar

1 cup shortening

4 eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

4 1-ounce squares German Sweet Chocolate, melted

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

German Chocolate Frosting (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350℉.

Cream together sugar and shortening. Add eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour and salt. In a third bowl, mix buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate.

Working a bit at a time, add flour alternately with buttermilk to creamed sugar mixture, combining between each addition and scraping bottom of bowl.

Grease and flour two 8 or 9-inch cake pans. Divide batter evenly between pans, transfer to oven, and bake for 30 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Remove from oven and, when pans are cool enough to handle, gently remove cakes, place on a wire rack, and cool completely. Place first layer on a serving platter and spread top with German Chocolate Frosting. Top with second layer and cover sides and top with remaining frosting.

German Chocolate Frosting

1 1/2 cups coconut flakes

1 cup chopped pecans

15-ounce can evaporated milk

1 cup sugar

3 egg yolks

1/2 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Lightly toast coconut and pecans. Whisk together milk, sugar, and egg yolks. place in a heavy saucepan over low heat, bring to a simmer. Add butter, vanilla, coconut, and pecans.

Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and beat by hand until mixture cools.

I have always said that a meal without dessert is incomplete. A freshly baked cake will fill the house with a sweet aroma. It’s a great way to wake up your taste buds.