ldstarr - last week I baked a Spiced Whiskey Honey Cake for a bake sale. I hadn't made the cake before and didn't get to taste it, beyond a small amount of batter on a spoon. The batter was so delicious and the cake smelled so good as it baked that I was hoping no one would buy it from the sale so I could take it home! It appeared to be quite dense and although usually baked in a bundt pan, I baked it in two loaf pans. What is your Whiskey Cake like?

home made Black Forest cake ... closely followed by a nice rum fruit cake ...

Favorite cake? Whatever kind is in front of me (unless it has coconut on/in it). Didn't meet many cakes I didn't love!

A Texas sheet cake is .........?

Elmer - Here is interesting article on it. It was popular in the 1970's. I baked my first one back then. It has fudge frosting with a moist cake that is baked in a sheet pan.
Texas Sheet Cake

I've lost my desire for cake it seems, but I used to have several favorites. In elementary school the cafeteria served a "rolled oat cake" that I loved -- still remember it now 55 years later! As an adult, dutch honey cake (when I could find it - it is very similar to gingerbread cake; Trader Joe's sold a good one many years ago); Tiramisu cake; and a recipe from my Fannie Farmer cookbook for "wedding cake" with lemon curd filling and raspberries.

Speaking of German cakes, I love bienenstich( Aka bee sting )cake.

After Hummingbird cake is Texas Sheet cake. The BBQ place down the street makes some wonderful Texas sheet cake. I buy a piece occasionally and split it up. The difference is the liquid icing that is poured on and solidifies immediately. Extremely moist and flavorful.

Zalco - I hadn't thought about Bienenstich cake in a long time. I used to get it from a German Baeckerei in Columbus, OH. Yummm. You don't by any chance have a recipe, do you?

No, ediej, I don't. We are fortunate to have a great German bakery, Esther's, nearby.

OK, I'll do a search and see what I can find & if I do I'll post it. It's a real treat!

Thanks to caflower and raven for the info. It doesn't look to be something I'd like but now I know what it is.

I also like the white Texas Sheet cake.

Sue

bcskye, that recipe might be in Roselyn Bakery's cookbook if you happen to have one. If I get a chance I will look. It has a lot of their famous recipes in it.

Sue in Central Indiana

Ediej, I browsed recipes online and couldn't judge them very well. I am not much of a baker.

King Arthur Flour has a pretty reasonable-looking English-language recipe for Bienenstich: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/bienenstich-recipe

The filling looks to be a little lighter than what I usually see in German-language recipes, but otherwise it is really close to what all the German recipes agree on.

If you want to try the more authentic filling, make a vanilla pudding (instant powder or a mix of milk, corn starch, sugar, and vanilla extract). Let it cool to room temperature. Whip ½-1 lb of softened butter (preferably, European style butter) until fluffy, then slowly add the pudding. It'll be much richer and slightly less airy than the King Arthur version.

I suspect that either version of the recipe will taste great. Just pick whichever one you prefer.

Thank you so much, M! I would use the pudding and added butter filling ;-)

PS Straus's European style butter is great for those who have access to it.

Around here, Costco regularly sells their house-brand European style butter. It's actually really good, and doesn't cost more than the regular unsalted butter. But I believe it's a regional product and not every Costco carries it. Otherwise, Kerry Gold is always a good bet. They are aggressively pushing into the American market and I suspect you'll be able to find it almost everywhere, it you look a little bit. It's more pricey, though.

We used Kerrygold for a long while before discovering President butter. It's from the French region of Normandy, an area long prized for dairy products (including various cheeses). In my area, it's available in most grocery stores.

It's delicious, flavorful and very creamy.

At Christmas, I am a real sucker for Marzipan Stollen - although it is a sweet bread more than a cake; if I can't find the marzipan version, I am happy with apple, cherry or regular! In fact I bought a little one (trying to limit myself) at Aldi the other day and had some for breakfast.

I guess if someone held a gun to my head it would have to be Hummingbird Cake, which I do make. But I also am a weakling for a good chocolate cake with chocolate icing. Also carrot cake, apple cake, good pound cake, coconut cake. Hey, I like cake. I make all these cakes and more from scratch. The only kind of cake I've never made is Angel Food but it's also my least favorite so I'm not interested in trying it. The first time I made a red velvet cake I screwed up and bumped the mixer on at the wrong time and when I finally managed to shut it off my kitchen looked like a murder scene!

Marzipan anything is high on the list of things I like, even just plain pieces of marzipan. I like it more in pastries than in cakes, but I'd never turn down a piece of Marzipan Stollen.

Raven, whomever is making that cake in your photo forgot one of the most important ingredients, the pecans in the icing! LOL

Marilyn_Sue, I've never even heard of a White Texas Sheet Cake, do you have a recipe?

Rusty

If we are talking about Christmas'y breakfast food, then don't forget Dutch-style ginger bread. It's so delicious. Just sweet enough without being overpowering. Lots of delicious spices (much better than the store-bought version!). And nicely moist and chewy. Incidentally, it's the perfect bread to eat with some European butter.

275g honey

50g molasses (Grafschafter Goldsaft)

½ tsp salt

125ml water

◇

350g rye flour

25g baking powder

2 tbsp ground fresh ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground decorticated cardamon

¼ tsp ground cloves

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp black pepper

⅛ tsp ground anis seeds

⅛ tsp ground coriander

◇

1 tbsp milk

Mix wet ingredients in sauce pan and bring to a boil.

Freshly grind all the spices.

Line bread pan with parchment paper.

Combine wet and dry ingredients and use kitchen mixer to knead for several minutes.

While the dough is still warm, transfer to bread pan. Use the back of a wet spoon to smooth the top of the dough evenly; then cover with saran wrap and let rest at room temperature for a couple of hours.

Preheat oven to 340°F. Remove saran wrap and brush with one table spoon of milk. Bake for 45min or until fully done.

Remove gingerbread from bread pan and wrap in aluminum foil while still hot. Let rest until cold.

M, that sounds like what I know as "Dutch Honey Cake". So good!

Thanks again, M! Seems like a must on St. Nicholas. Let the baking commence.

Traditional Christmas Stollen is fine. But I always think it is a little too dry. As much as I usually like yeasted doughs, I am a bit of a heretic and I prefer Stollen made with a batter-type dough much more. There is a recipe that I have been using for years. It calls for "quark", which is dirt cheap in Europe, but costs way too much in the US ... if you can even find it. When I make it here, I usually substitute other dairy products. A blend of whole-milk Greek yoghurt and cream cheese is probably the easiest substitute.

Also, it tastes best, if you can find high-quality candied orange and lemon peel. That's not always an easy task. But it's worthwhile spending some extra effort on these ingredients.

500g All-purpose flour (e.g. King Arthur)

15g baking powder

250g quark (or blend of whole-milk Greek yoghurt and cream cheese)

2 eggs

150g sugar

¼ tsp salt

125g unsalted European-style butter

100g coarsely chopped blanched almonds

100g Golden raisins (soaked in hot water)

50g chopped candied lemon peel

50g chopped candied orange peel

2 tbsp rose water

4 tbsp melted butter

6 tbsp confectioner's sugar

Coat a cookie sheet with butter and dust with flour. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).

Combine all ingredients in a stand mixer. Let rest for 20min.

Transfer dough to the cookie sheet and shape as a log.

Bake until fully done (about 1h). While still hot, brush with melted butter, then sprinkle confectioner's sugar all over the stollen.

Yes, it is St. Nick's Day. The kids hung their stockings today, and in the morning they were full of candy ... and a lump of coal:

Dunno who this Santa Claus guy is who visits American kids in a couple of weeks. Our household celebrates the one-and-only true St. Nick on December 6th. The other guy must be an impostor :-)

Just do a search online for White Texas Sheet Cake, I like the ones using almond flavoring.

Sue

M, we did both, Christmas AND St. Nick's day! St. Nick's day was for stuffing the stocking, christmas for regular Santa presents. A double whammy! Never got a lump of coal in my stocking, we always got a can of planters cheez balls, among lots of other treats. And a piece of fruit, which may just have well been a lump of coal, it got the same reaction. :)

M - thank you for the Bienenstich recipe link! I agree the filling does look too fluffy. The cakes I used to get had more of a custardly-like filling. I will give your version a try!

Ritaweeda, LOL, that sounds just like something I would do. It would never happen with a white cake, of course!

Oh, of course we celebrate both Christmas and St. Nicks. I am just making fun of the fact that somehow St. Nick got co-opted and became Santa Claus. In fact, it's even more confusing. In German tradition, we also celebrate St. Martin at the beginning of November. And quite frequently, people confuse St. Martin with St. Nick. So, now you have a single saint who is somehow responsible for three different celebrations. It's confusing being a kid :-) But then, since you get candy (including coal-shaped candy), you can't complain, can you...

M, I ordered the beetroot molasses. Looking forward making the ginger bread.

The molasses is really nice. It's not as bitter as molasses that you get in most American grocery stores. In fact, in Germany, many people would eat it on sandwiches the same way you could eat honey/butter sandwiches.

I find it goes well with any rye-based dough. I often add about 1 tbsp to rye sourdough breads. It has a nice flavor, adds just a little bit of color, and seems to make my sourdough yeast much more happy.

Stacey- Mine is a heavy "butter" cake. You make a sugar syrup with whiskey and pour it over the cake when it comes out of the oven. A bit of the syrup is reserved and you make a powdered sugar glaze for after the cake cools. The original recipe calls for walnut or pecans in the cake, but due to allergies, omit. At Christmas I top the glaze with maraschino cherries.

Yes, bcskye, the Chocolate Whipped Cake recipe is in Roselyn Bakery's cook book if you would like it.

Sue

Marilyn - I'm not bcskye, but would love the Chocolate Whipped Cake recipe!

Someone asked for my carrot cake recipe. I finally found it. I forgot it was Cracker Barrel's recipe. Not a low calorie

Cracker
Barrel Old Country Store Carrot Cake

4 Reviews

Prep Time: 20 mins Total
Time: 1 hrs 10 mins Servings: 24

Ingredients

3/4 cup finely chopped english walnuts

2 cups finely shredded carrots

1 cup crushed pineapple (8oz can with juice)

1/2 cup finely shredded coconut

1/2 cup raisins, that have been soaked in
water until plump and then drained

1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

3 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

cream cheese frosting

8 ounces cream cheese

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans ( to garnish)

Directions

Mix together flour, baking powder, baking
soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Set aside. In a large bowl mix with
beater oil, sugars, vanilla and eggs until smooth and fluffy. Add pineapple,
walnuts, coconut, carrots, and raisins and blend well. Gradually add flour
mixture a half at a time until blended through.

Pour batter into a greased and floured
9"x13" pan and bake at 350 for about 40-50 minute Test with toothpick
for doneness. When cool frost with cream cheese frosting.

Frosting

Blend cream cheese and butter until light and
fluffy. Add vanilla and a little powder sugar at a time until all has been
blend well. Turn mixer on high and beat until frosting is light and fluffy.
Spread frosting over the cooled cake and sprinkle with pecans.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 (107 g) Servings Per Recipe:
24

Calories 410.9

Calories from Fat 219 53%

Total Fat 24.4g
37%

Saturated Fat 7.3g 36%

Cholesterol 43.8mg
14%

Sugars 31.2 g

Sodium 267.2mg 11%

Total
Carbohydrate 46.0g 15%

Dietary Fiber 1.8g 7%

Sugars 31.2 g 125%

Protein 4.1g 8%

My all time favorite is my mother's Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake, no frosting. I also love Marble Yogurt Coffee Cake and my mother's Yellow Butter Cake (no frosting). That being said my daughter makes a number of scrumptious cheesecakes. My two most recent favs are Oreo Cheesecake, and her Lemon Cheesecake though her White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake is a winner also.

She has made three yes three cheesecakes in the last two weeks AND she lives with us. I have to get her to stop baking! LOL

Kate, I made your cake. It is rich and moist. Will be making it again.

The only cake I can eat that is mentioned here is the carrot cake.

I think I can risk the baking soda and powder for one slice of cake.

I'd have to use whole wheat flour as I can't eat white flour or sugars.

Any ideas on what I substitute for the sugar.

Also how do I adjust the moisture if I use a sweet apple or banana or something like that? Thanks for any help you can give.

Yeonassky, I regularly use plain unsweetened applesauce in the place of any oil called for in a baking recipe. I will reduce any liquid by about 1.5 tsp. (when I've used about a 1/2 cup applesauce) and I also reduce the sugar called for, because the applesauce adds some, and I think most recipes are overly sweet also.

But, can you use other sweeteners like honey, date syrup or agave? Is it just refined white sugar you must avoid?

Thank you for your answer Raee. Yes I must avoid all sugars unless I want to endure terrible migraines for weeks and weeks. Any way that I upset my blood sugar sends me down that dark horrid path. However it's been a few years since I have tried agave so maybe should risk that again.

Honestly, my favorites vary on any give day! LOLAM!

Here's one I made that's pretty good: Chocolate Raspberry Ganache Cake. Not the best "form" but pretty anyway! Oh yummy!

My favorite *bakery* cake is this one--lovely lightly scented vanilla cake, layer of raspberry, layer of lemon curd, layer of mousse, covered with whipped cream and slivers and curls of white chocolate. Delightful!

Sooz your cake is beautiful, to say nothing of delicious looking and that bakery cake is the perfect combo of flavors and prettiness for me.

Birthday cakes growing up were chocolate with chocolate frosting, and those are my faves, closely followed by cheesecake.

Another family favorite is Trisha Yearwood's Cold Oven Pound Cake. When everyone is coming for a few days' visit, I will bake this pound cake and put it on the special cake plate with a domed lid. It is there for snacking, and it seems to disappear after about 4 days all on its own.

Sooz - phenomenal cakes! I'll bet they are tdf. Thank you for posting pics.

Awwwww, shucks....thank you!!!!!