FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

INGREDIENTS

4 squares semisweet chocolate
1/2 stick butter, softened
3 eggs
6 ounces ground almonds
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon dark rum or vanilla
1/4 cup fine dark bread crumbs
Pinch of salt

COOKING DIRECTIONS

Grease an 8 inch round cake pan and line with wax paper. Melt chocolate in a double boiler or microwave.

Using a wooden spoon, cream butter until light and fluffy, adding the sugar gradually. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in melted chocolate, ground almonds, rum or vanilla, bread crumbs and salt.

Pour into prepared pan and bake at 375°F for 25 minutes. Remove and cool on a wire cake rack.

Glaze:

2 squares unsweetened chocolate
2 squares semisweet chocolate
1/2 stick butter, softened
2 tablespoons honey

COOKING DIRECTIONS

Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Stir in butter and honey, stirring constantly and cooking over low heat until thickened. Spread over cooled cake with a rubber spatula.

COCONUT CLOUD CAKE

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs, separated
2 1/2 cups sifted flour
4 tsp. of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tsp. lemon or almond extract

COOKING DIRECTIONS

Cream butter well to incorporate air, gradually adding sugar. Beat in egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt. Add dry ingredients to creamed butter mixture alternately with 1/2 cup water. Beat well. Add extract.

In a very clean bowl (one trick is to rub the bowl with vinegar), beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold gently into batter. Turn mixture into 2 greased layer cake pans.

Bake in preheated 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center is nearly clean and cake springs back when pressed lightly in center.

When cake is cooled, frost with a boiled frosting, seven-minute frosting, or all-white Mountain or coconut frosting. Sprinkle with freshly grated coconut.

CARROT CAKE WITH COCONUT CREAM CHEESE ICING

INGREDIENTS

2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups grated carrots
1-1/3 cups vegetable oil
4 eggs, slighly beaten
1 cup chopped and toasted walnuts or pecans
1 - 20 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

COOKING DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Grease and flour two bread loaf pans. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add carrots, oil and eggs. Beat well, until mixed. Add other ingredients and stir. Put into baking pans.

Bake for 1 hour or until done. Completely cool cakes before frosting.

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 - 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
1 - 16 ounce box powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped and toasted walnuts or pecans
1 cup flaked coconut

Combine butter and cream cheese; cream until light and fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla, mixing well. Stir in pecans and coconut. Spread on each cake. Store cakes in the refrigerator.

Note: This cake freezes beautifully. Place on foil covered baking sheet. Freeze until hard. Remove from freezer and wrap in plastic wrap and then in foil. Return to freezer. Unwrap totally and then defrost cake.