Recipes From Louise
By Louise McClain Special to The True Citizen

Cakes make birthdays, dinner parties and any celebration special - yet all of these cakes are also appropriate for weeknight treats.

Chocolate Candy Bar Pound Cake

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2½ cups plain flour
¼ tsp. baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 (8 oz.) milk chocolate candy bar (or 8 oz. of chocolate chips), melted
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour bundt pan. Cream butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Sift dry ingredients and add to mixture alternating with buttermilk. Add remaining ingredients and pour into bundt pan. Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes or until cake test done.

My Favorite Coconut Cake

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 cups sifted self-rising flour
1 cup milk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Flaked, sweet coconut for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three (9-inch) cake pans. Using an electric mixer, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue to cream well for 6 to 8 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Add vanilla and continue to beat until just mixed. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until done. Cool in pans 5 to 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto cooling racks. Cool completely and spread cake layers with frosting and sprinkle layers with coconut. Place layers onto cake plate. Frost sides and top of cake and sprinkle with additional coconut to make a 3-layer cake.

7-Minute Frosting

1½ cups sugar
¼ tsp. cream of tartar or 1 tablespoon white corn syrup
1/3 tsp. salt
1/3 cup water
2 egg whites
1½ tsp. pure vanilla extract

Place sugar, cream of tartar or corn syrup, salt, water, and egg whites in the top of a double boiler. Beat with a handheld electric mixer for 1 minute. Place pan over boiling water, being sure that boiling water does not touch the bottom of the top pan. (If this happens, it could cause your frosting to become grainy). Beat constantly on high speed with electric mixer for 7 minutes. Beat in vanilla.

Pineapple Pecan Cake

2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs, beaten
1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple, undrained
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Frosting:
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
½ cup butter, softened
1½ cups confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour and baking soda. Combine eggs and pineapple; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in nuts. Transfer mixture to a greased 13- in.x 9-in.x 2-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 32-38 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack. For frosting, in a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth. Frost cake and store in the refrigerator. Makes 16 servings.

Grandma's Pound Cake

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 eggs
2 cups flour
1 TBSP baking powder
1 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Beat butter in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed 1 min. Gradually add sugar, beating well after each addition. Beat an additional 5 min. or until very light and fluffy. Add cream cheese and vanilla; beat 1 min. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture. Beat 1 min or until well blended. Pour batter into greased and floured 12-cup fluted tube pan or 10-inch tube pan. Bake 1 hour or until golden brown. Cool 10 min.; loosen from sides of pan with spatula or knife and gently remove cake. Cool completely on wire rack. Cake may be served with fresh fruit topped with a dollop of whipped topping or ice cream.