Grandpa Thompson's Texas Sheet Cake

In celebrating Memorial Day Weekend, our cul-de-sac is getting together for a block party tonight.  To make things simple, one of the neighbors ordered a bunch of pizza's and then everyone is bringing a few items to share.   Besides making my homemade Mac and Cheese, which I'll feature later... I'm making my Grandfather's Texas Sheet Cake.

I have had this recipe in 1982 and you can tell how worn and well-used it is by the condition of the recipe card.  My grandfather, Dale Thompson Sr., was a well known baker and his nick name was Pie Baker.  He'd get up at 3:30 a.m. when we'd visit and make all sorts of delicious recipes from oven baked Quail, homemade biscuits, pies and this wonderful sheet cake.   All the cousins would devour it in a day.

My Grandfather was in the Navy and served during WW II.   He was a business man who owned his own Plumbing Company, Thompson Plumbing.   My grandparents bought their dream home in 1955 in Lawton, Oklahoma and my darling grandmother, Virginia, still lives {yes, in the same house}.   It's been 3 years since we last visited, but the house looked and smelled the same as I remember when I was younger.

This is a tried and true recipe that you cannot beat.   Enjoy it as much as I enjoy making it, in honor of my Grandpa.

Grandpa Thompson's Texas Sheet Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 C butter
• 4 T cocoa powder
• 1 C water
• 2 t cinnamon
• 1 t chili powder
• 1 t soda
• 1 t salt
• 2 C sugar
• 2 1/2 C flour
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• 1 C sour cream
• 1 t vanilla

Directions:   Preheat oven to 375 degrees.   In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, cocoa and water and bring to a boil.  In a separate bowl, mix together the cinnamon, chili powder, soda, salt, sugar and flour.   Add the butter mixture, stirring well, then add the eggs, sour cream and vanilla.  Mix well and pour into a greased and floured sheet pan.   Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Icing Ingredients:

• 1/2 C butter
• 4 T cocoa
• 6 T half and half
• 1 T vanilla
• 1 lb box confectioners sugar
• 1 C chopped Texas pecans

Combine butter, cocoa, half and half and vanilla in a saucepan, and heat until butter is melted.   Add confectioners sugar and chopped pecans. Mix well and spread over cooled cake.   Cut into individual servings and place on a large platter.

Lemon Chiffon Cake

We had everyone over for Mother's Day and even though it was my day to celebrate I still ended up in the kitchen the day before to make this amazing cake.   The lemon chiffon cake is tender while the homemade lemon curd adds a pop of tangy flavor and the Mascarpone frosting is creamy and light.   We devoured this cake up!

Lemon Chiffon Cake

Lemon Chiffon Cake Ingredients:

• 2 C cake flour
• 1 1/2 C sugar
• 1 T baking powder
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 C canola oil
• 8 eggs, separated
• 2/3 C lemon juice, fresh
• 3 T lemon zest
• 1/2 t cream of tartar

Directions:   Preheat oven to 325 degrees.   Lightly oil and flour 3 cake rounds and set aside.   In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.   Add the oil, egg yolks, lemon juice and zest and mix well.   In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with the cream of tartar to form stiff peaks.   Very gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter and pour evenly into the 3 cake pans.   Bake for 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes clean.  Cool.

Homemade Lemon Curd {in the microwave}

Ingredients:

• 1 C sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 C unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1 C lemon juice, fresh
• 2 T lemon zest

Directions:   In a microwave safe bowl, whisk the sugar and eggs together until smooth.   Slowly add the melted and cooled butter, then the lemon juice and zest, mixing well.  Put bowl into the microwave and process for 30 seconds, then stir.   Microwave for another 30 seconds, and stir.   Continue this process until the lemon curd gets thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 4 - 4 1/2 minutes.  You will know when it's cooked and the results are amazing!   Cool and store in a glass jar with lid in the refrigerator.

Lemon Mascarpone Frosting

Ingredients:

•  8 oz heavy whipping cream
• 3 T confectioners sugar
• 2/3 C lemon curd
• 3, 8 oz containers Mascarpone

Directions:   In a large bowl, whip the whipping cream and confectioners sugar to stiff peaks.   In a separate bowl, combine the lemon curd and mascarpone cheese, mixing well.   Fold whipped cream into lemon mascarpone mixture and frost!

To assemble - I cut each cake layer in half.   On the first layer, add lemon curd, then frost the 2nd layer with the Lemon Mascarpone frosting and continue until the cake is put together.   Finally, frost with the remaining Lemon Mascarpone Frosting and embellish as you want.

Pumpkin Roll

After my mother had her back surgery, I wanted to make something yummy for her.   Since we are finally in autumn I grabbed my new favorite, the trusty pumpkin, and made a lovely pumpkin roll with a cream cheese frosting garnish with salty roasted pumpkin seeds and dusted with freshly grated nutmeg.

Pumpkin Roll

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 C brown sugar
• 1 C vegetable oil
• 1/2 C apple sauce
• 1 t vanilla
• 2 C canned pumpkin
• 4 eggs
• 2 C flour
• 1 T baking powder
• 2 t baking soda
• 1 t salt
• 1 T cinnamon
• 1t ground cloves
• 1 t freshly grated nutmeg

Directions:   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Grease and flour a jelly roll pan and set aside.   Sift together the flour, baking powder, soda, salt and spices and set aside.  In a large bowl combine the sugar and oil.   Blend in the applesauce, vanilla and canned pumpkin.   Beat the eggs in one at a time.   The 1 cup at a time, add the flour mixture.   Spread the batter into jelly roll pan and bake for 20-24 minutes.   Remove from oven and let cool a bit.   Generously dust a large kitchen towel with confectioners sugar and turn out the cake.   Sprinkle top with confectioners sugar and gently roll cake up to cool.

 

 While the cake is cooling, toast some pumpkin seeds for garnish...

 

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

• 2 8 oz pkgs cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 C butter, softened
• 2 C confectioners sugar
• 1 t vanilla
• 1 t freshly grated nutmeg

Directions:   In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter, then mix in the vanilla and gradually the confectioners sugar.   Add the nutmeg and if it's too thick, thin with a bit of heavy cream to your desire consistency.

To assemble the pumpkin roll, gently unroll cake and fill center with frosting.   Roll back up and transfer to serving platter.   Frost the outside of the roll, garnish with crunchy and salty roasted pumpkin seeds and dust with freshly grated nutmeg.   SERVE!

 

Lemon Bundt Cake with Blackberries and Cream

Autumn mornings take me back to my childhood growing up in England.   Though the grass was green, the air was brisk and the leaves were crisp under my feet.   I remember walking to my Primary School in my uniform and drinking a little bottle of milk around 9:30 with a tinfoil lid.   The best memory by far was all the glorious hot lunches we would have.   Our entire class would sit around tables with real silverware while our teacher would serve lots of fresh steamed vegetables along with our meal and we'd finish with the most amazing desserts such as warm Treacle Sponge Pudding with Golden Syrup or Chocolate Sponge Pudding with Custard.   Sometimes we'd get to pour cream on our sponges (cakes) which would make them moist and delicious.   I kept that idea in mind when I put together this recipe, and topped off this wonderful Lemon Bundt Cake with a drizzle of fresh cream.   Perfect along with the blackberries. 

Lemon Bundt Cake with Blackberries and Cream

Ingredients:

• 1 C butter or margarine, softened
• 2 C sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 C all-purpose flour
• 2 t baking powder
• 1 t salt
• 1 C half and half
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon peel

GLAZE:

• 1/4 C fresh lemon juice
• 1 T water
• 1/2 t lemon extract
• 3/4 C sugar

Directions:    In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Stir in lemon peel. Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; invert onto a wire rack. Cool 10 minutes longer. Place rack on waxed paper. 

For the glaze, combine all the ingredients then drizzle over the warm cake. Cool completely before serving.  To plate, add fresh blackberries and a drizzle of cream.  Enjoy!