Prep. Time: 20 minutes Baking Time: 35 minutesChocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Icing
Makes 12–16 servings
Prep. Time: 20 minutes
Baking Time: 30-35 minutes
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
pinch of salt, optional
2 cups sugar
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup hot, strong gourmet coffee
1 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla
Icing:
2 cups chunky peanut butter
¾ cup confectioners sugar
1 tsp. butter, softened
1 Tbsp. milk
1. In a large bowl combine baking powder, baking soda, flour, and salt if you wish.
2. Stir in sugar and cocoa.
3. Beat in the eggs. Add oil, coffee, milk, and vanilla. Batter should be thin and runny.
4. Pour into a greased and floured 9”x13” baking pan.
5. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes. Do not overbake.
6. To prepare icing, mix peanut butter and confectioners sugar on high speed until smooth. Add milk and butter to incorporate more smoothness.
7. Spread icing on cake after cake has cooled.
TIP
This cake is a sure dessert pleaser. I usually bake the cake the day before a family get-together and spread the icing just before leaving for the event.
Makes 12–15 servings Prep. Time: 20 minutes Baking Time: 35 minutes
3 eggs
1¾ cups sugar
2¼ cups cake flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1½ tsp. salt
1 cup canola oil
2 tsp. vanilla
1½ cups buttermilk or sour milk
1. Beat eggs and sugar in small bowl until thickened.
2. In large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Separately mix oil and vanilla. Add some oil mixture to the large bowl and mix. Add some milk and mix again. Repeat until oil and milk are used up.
3. Combine chocolate mixture with sugar mixture.
4. Pour into two greased and floured 8”-square pans or one 9”x13” baking pan.
5. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes.
HINTS
If you don’t have cake flour on hand, put 2 Tbsp. cornstarch in a 1-cup measure. Fill rest of cup with all-purpose flour. This is a homemade substitute for cake flour.
A friend passed this recipe on to me as an excellent way to use up sour milk, which collects from time to time.
Marble Cake
Makes 12–14 servings Prep. Time: 25 minutes Baking Time: 40-45 minutes
¾ cup shortening
2 cups sugar
1½ cups milk or water, divided
4 egg whites
3½ cups flour
½ tsp. salt
3 tsp. baking powder
3 tsp. vanilla
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
¼ tsp. baking soda
1. Cream shortening, sugar, and 2 Tbsp. milk or water until light and fluffy.
2. Add unbeaten egg whites to mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Sift flour and measure it. Sift it again with salt and baking powder.
4. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with remaining milk or water to creamed mixture. Add vanilla.
5. Divide batter into two equal parts.
6. Melt chocolate and combine with baking soda.
7. Pour chocolate into one part of the batter and mix well.
8. Drop batter by large spoonfuls into a greased and floured 9”x13” baking pan, alternating the white and chocolate batters until all is used. Draw a knife through the batter to create marbling effect.
9. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes, until tester inserted in middle comes out clean.
Strawberry Shortcake
Makes 10–12 servings Prep. Time: 20 minutes Baking Time: 25 minutes
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
2½ cups flour
½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1. In a mixing bowl, beat together eggs, sugar, and melted butter.
2. Add all remaining ingredients and beat until thoroughly blended.
3. Pour into two greased 8” cake pans or one 9”x13” baking pan.
4. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes, or until tester inserted in middle comes out clean.
5. Serve warm with fresh strawberries and milk.
Makes 12–18 servings Prep. Time: 20 minutes Baking Time: 12-15 minutes
1¼ cups boiling water
1½ cups raisins
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground allspice
Frosting:
3 cups confectioners sugar
3 Tbsp. butter, softened
3 Tbsp. orange juice concentrate
2 Tbsp. cold water
1. Soak raisins in boiling water for 5 minutes.
2. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs and mix. Add undrained raisins and mix well.
3. Separately, sift together dry ingredients. Mix with batter. Do not overmix. Batter should be thin.
4. Pour mixture into two jelly roll (10”x14”) pans. Spread to edges.
5. Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes, until tester inserted in middle comes out clean.
6. Mix all frosting ingredients. Spread over shortcake while still warm.
Blueberry Cake
Makes 8 servings Prep. Time: 20 minutes Baking Time: 40 minutes
1 egg
1 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. butter, melted
½ cup milk
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
1 pint fresh blueberries
1. In a mixing bowl, cream together egg, sugar, and butter.
2. Add milk and mix well.
3. Add flour, baking powder, and salt and mix again.
4. Fold blueberries into this stiff batter.
5. Pour into a greased 8”-square baking dish.
6. Bake at 350° for about 40 minutes, until tester inserted in middle comes out clean.
THE MARKET BOYS AND THEIR WAGONS
Shoppers leaving the farmer’s markets with full baskets often found their burdens too great to bear. Enterprising boys and a few girls waited with their express wagons (or sometimes sleds in winter) around the market houses to offer their assistance. Few of these youngsters were older than 12 years old.
Many market-goers had favorite wagon boys whom they patronized regularly. Some people reserved a boy and his wagon when going into the market. If the boy was still waiting when the person was finished shopping, an extra tip was in order. Elderly shoppers often asked boys to carry their baskets through the market as they shopped. Those who could not be early birds but still wanted to get the proverbial worm made arrangements with boys to go to the market as early as possible and have the cream of the crop set aside until they arrived.
In the 1920s, the fee for transporting a basket ranged from 10 cents to 25 cents depending on the length of the trip. For carrying a basket around as a person shopped, a youngster was paid 10 cents. A boy might make as many as a dozen trips in a day. The distance could range from a short walk to the trolley or bus stop, to going more than a mile. A few boys specialized in long-distance traveling and equipped their bicycles to carry baskets. Some shoppers did not accompany the delivery boy home but arranged to have their market baskets deposited on back-door steps while they did additional shopping. Boys could also earn extra money helping standholders to unload and load their wares.
Of course, it was in the summertime, on Saturday mornings and during evening market hours, that the school boys had their greatest opportunity to earn money. Some of the more energetic youth managed to get in a few trips early in the mornings and during lunch breaks throughout the school year. Truant officers kept a special lookout for industrious hooky-players at the market houses. A speedy youth could earn a decent day’s wages, but he needed to be steady and agile. Being in too much of a hurry often meant an upset wagon, with apples, oranges, and potatoes rolling down the street.
Makes 6–8 servings
Prep. Time: 20 minutes Standing Time: 20 minutes Baking Time: 50-55 minutes
2 cups peeled, coarsely chopped apples
1 cup sugar
1½ cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. ground allspice
½ cup vegetable oil
1 egg
½ cup raisins
½ cup chopped walnuts
confectioners sugar
1. Combine sugar and apples in large mixing bowl. Let stand 10 minutes.
2. In another bowl, sift flour and add soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
3. Blend oil and egg into apple mixture. Add dry ingredients, stirring until blended. Fold in raisins and walnuts.
4. Spread evenly into greased 8”-square pan.
5. Bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes.
6. Cool for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar.
TIP
Easy to prepare and wonderful for a family who loves apples.
Apple Cake
Makes 8 servings Prep. Time: 15 minutes Baking Time: 35 minutes
¼ cup (half stick) butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 cup flour
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. salt
2 cups chopped apples
½ cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp. vanilla
1. Cream butter, sugar, and egg together in a mixing bowl.
2. Separately, mix all dry ingredients and add to sugar mixture. Fold in apples, walnuts, and vanilla.
3. Pour batter into greased 8”-square baking dish.
4. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until tester inserted in middle comes out clean.
VARIATION
Dust lightly with confectioners sugar when cake is cooled to create a more festive appearance.
Rhubarb Sour Cream Cake
Makes 12–14 servings
Prep. Time: 20 minutes Baking Time: 40 minutes
4 Tbsp. (half stick) unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg
1 Tbsp. vanilla
2½ cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream
4 cups red rhubarb, cut into ½” inch pieces
½ cup sugar
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.
2. Sift flour with baking soda and salt. Add to mixture.
3. Fold in sour cream and rhubarb.
4. Spoon batter into greased 9”x13” baking pan.
5. Mix sugar and nutmeg and sprinkle over batter.
6. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until tester inserted in middle comes out clean.
Makes 24 servings
Prep. Time: 20 minutes Baking Time: 40-50 minutes
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
3 cups grated raw carrots
Frosting:
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 Tbsp. (half stick) butter, softened
4 cups confectioners sugar
1½ tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. maple flavoring
1. In a large bowl, beat eggs and add vegetable oil.
2. Mix all dry ingredients and add to egg mixture.
3. Fold carrots into mixture.
4. Pour batter into greased and floured 9”x13” baking pan.
5. Bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes or until tester inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool.
6. To prepare frosting, beat cream cheese and butter together. Add confectioners sugar, vanilla, and flavoring. Beat well and spread over cooled cake.
Best Pineapple Cake
Makes 12–16 servings
Prep. Time: 20 minutes
Baking Time: 45 minutes
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
20-oz. can crushed pineapple
1 cup chopped nuts
Frosting Ingredients:
8-oz. pkg. cream cheese
8 Tbsp. (1 stick) butter, softened
1½ cups confectioners sugar
½ tsp. vanilla
½ cup chopped nuts
1. Mix flour, sugar, and baking powder in mixing bowl.
2. Add eggs, vanilla, and undrained pineapple. Blend well. Add nuts.
3. Pour batter into greased 9”x13” baking pan.
4. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until tester inserted in middle comes out clean.
5. Remove from oven and let cool before frosting.
6. To prepare frosting, mix cream cheese, butter, sugar, and vanilla and spread over cake. Sprinkle chopped nuts over top.
Pineapple Zucchini Cake
Makes 24 servings
Prep. Time: 20 minutes
Baking Time: 18-60 minutes
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups peeled, grated zucchini
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
½ cup crushed pineapple, undrained
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped nuts
Cream Cheese Frosting:
2 cups confectioners sugar
3-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1. Beat eggs, sugar, vanilla, and oil until fluffy.
2. Add zucchini, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Stir in pineapple, raisins, and nuts and mix well.
4. Spoon into a greased 9”x13” baking pan. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until tester inserted in middle comes out clean.
5. Mix all frosting ingredients and frost cooled cake or cupcakes.
VARIATION
Put batter in lined or greased cupcake tins and bake for 18-20 minutes.
Makes 12–14 servings
Prep. Time: 30 minutes Baking Time: 25-30 minutes
2 cups chopped dates
2 cups very warm water
2 tsp. baking soda
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
2 eggs
2 cups brown sugar
3 cups flour
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts
1. Dissolve soda in very warm water and pour over dates. Set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, cream butter, eggs, and sugar together. Add flour and vanilla.
3. Fold in nuts and date mixture.
4. Pour into 9”x13” baking pan and bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes or until tester inserted in middle comes out clean.
Matrimony Cake
Makes 12 servings
Prep. Time: 20 minutes Baking Time: 15-20 minutes
3 cups quick oats
2 cups flour
1¼ cups brown sugar
½ tsp. baking soda
pinch of salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
Filling:
1 lb. dates, chopped
1 cup white sugar
1½ cups water
1. To prepare batter, mix oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Use a pastry cutter to work butter into dry ingredients.
2. Put about ¾ of mixture into well-greased and floured 9”x13” baking pan. Press it down firmly.
3. Mix all filling ingredients in a saucepan and boil until thickened. Spread over batter in pan.
4. Sprinkle reserved crumbs over date mixture.
5. Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned.
Makes 8–10 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes Baking Time: 15-20 minutes
Standing Time: 35 minutes Chilling Time: several hours
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
⅔ cup cooked pumpkin
¾ cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Filling:
1 cup confectioners sugar, plus extra for dusting
8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
4 Tbsp. (half stick) butter
½ tsp. vanilla
1. Beat eggs for 5 minutes in a mixing bowl. Add sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin, flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Mix well.
2. Spread mixture into a generously greased and floured 10”x14” jelly roll pan.
3. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until tester inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool about 5 minutes.
4. Dust two paper towels with confectioners sugar and gently lift cake from pan onto paper towels.
5. Cool 5 more minutes. Roll cake, paper towels and all, starting with a long edge. Let stand ½ hour.
6. Meanwhile, beat together all filling ingredients until smooth.
7. Unroll cake and spread with filling.
8. Reroll cake without paper towels.
9. Refrigerate until firm, several hours.
Makes 20 servings
Prep. Time: 20 minutes Baking Time: 45-50 minutes
1 cup dry quick oats
1½ cups boiling water
½ cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1⅓ cups flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla
Topping:
½ cup (1 stick) butter
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup milk
½ cup chopped nuts
1 cup grated coconut
1. Pour boiling water over quick oats and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugars until fluffy. Add eggs and beat well.
3. Separately, mix all dry ingredients and add to batter. Add soaked oats and vanilla and mix well.
4. Pour into a greased and floured 9”x13” baking pan and bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes, or until tester inserted in middle comes out clean.
5. To prepare topping, melt butter in saucepan. Add sugar and milk, and cream together.
6. Bring mixture to a boil and cool slightly.
7. Add nuts and coconut and spread over hot cake.
8. Place under broiler until topping bubbles, watching carefully to prevent burning.
Makes 10–12 servings
Prep. Time: 25 minutes Baking Time: 40 minutes
1½ cups cake flour
1½ cups sugar, divided
1½ cups egg whites (10-12)
1¼ tsp. cream of tartar
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1. Sift flour and ½ cup sugar together four times. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt. Beat until peaks form.
3. Add remaining sugar to egg whites, about 2 Tbsp. at a time, beating after each addition. Add almond and vanilla extracts.
4. Fold flour into egg whites, about ¼ cup at a time. Fold in until no flour shows. Do not beat.
5. Spoon batter into an ungreased angel food cake pan and bake at 350° for about 40 minutes, until tester inserted in middle comes out clean.
From the other side of the Market stand . . .
ROGER GODFREY OF RAFIKI’S DELI
When Roger Godfrey and Dorothy Dulo first opened their Central Market stand, Rafiki’s Deli, they sold “Amish food,” as Roger calls it. The former owners were Amish, so the couple assumed that’s what their customers expected.
“But that wasn’t us,” smiles Roger. He’s from Uganda, and his wife, Dorothy, is from Kenya. “We wanted to make healthier foods, fresher foods, our own from-scratch foods.
“The City was running the Market then, and they said, ‘You’re from Africa. It makes sense that you’d sell African food.’
“In the spring of 2006, when we first started offering African dishes, it took a while for people to be willing to try what we were selling. Some of the locals tend to eat bland food. But we cook with native spices from our home countries—and that’s a big plus!
“People travel more, and they’re looking for dishes they’ve eaten in South Africa or Kenya.” So Roger and Dorothy accommodate them with samosas, chickpea cakes, sweet potato salad with plantains, spicy potato cakes, their signature falafel sandwiches, and Kajiji salad.
“Rafiki” means “friend” in Swahili. “We have formed strong friendships and bonds with many of our customers,” says Roger. “Some have gone to Africa with us, too, where we help to support a school with profits from our Market stand.”
Makes 12–15 servings
Prep. Time: 20 minutes Baking Time: 35-40 minutes
2 cups sugar
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
3 eggs
3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup milk
1. Cream sugar and butter in a large bowl. Add eggs and beat until well mixed.
2. Separately, mix flour and baking powder. Alternately add flour and milk to creamed mixture. Mix well.
3. Pour into two greased 8” cake pans.
4. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes, until tester inserted in middle comes out clean.
TIP
Great with chocolate icing!
Original receipt from 1880s:
1 lb. sugar
½ lb. flour
10 eggs
juice and rind of 1 lemon
Recipe as you would make it today:
10 eggs
2 cups sugar
juice and rind of 1 lemon
2 cups cake flour
1. Separate eggs. In a mixing bowl, beat yolks until thick and lemon-colored.
2. Gradually beat in sugar and add lemon juice and rind.
3. Separately, beat egg whites until stiff. Fold egg whites into egg yolk mixture. Fold in the flour.
4. Turn into a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350° for about 50 minutes, until tester inserted in middle comes out clean.
NOTE
This recipe was taken from a hand-written cookbook that I own. It was written by a woman from Strasburg between 1872 and 1903, around the time when Central Market was built. In the 1800s, recipes were called “receipts” and, as you can see, most only listed ingredients. The mixing and baking was left to the skill of the cook. You were expected to know how to mix and bake cakes, cookies, and breads.
Makes 9 servings
Prep. Time: 20 minutes Baking Time: 25 minutes
Crumbs:
1 cup sugar
½ cup shortening
2 cups flour
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground cloves
½ tsp. salt
Batter:
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk
4 Tbsp. baking molasses
1. Mix all crumb ingredients and set aside ¾ cup of crumbs.
2. To prepare batter, pour milk over baking soda. Pour this mixture over molasses in a mixing bowl. Mix. Add all crumbs except the reserved ¾ cup, and mix well.
3. Pour into greased and floured 9”-square cake pan. Sprinkle reserved crumbs evenly over batter.
4. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a tester inserted in middle comes out clean.
NOTE
This was my Grandmother Wooding’s recipe.
Makes 15–20 servings
Prep. Time: 20 minutes Baking Time: 45 minutes
4 cups flour
1 lb. dark brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup mild molasses, or King Syrup
2 cups boiling water
2 tsp. baking soda
1. Combine flour, sugar, and butter. Work into fine crumbs with a pastry cutter or two knives. Reserve 1½ cups crumbs for topping.
2. Mix all remaining ingredients and the rest of the crumbs until batter is thin. Pour into greased and floured 9”x13” baking pan. Sprinkle reserved crumbs on top.
3. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until a tester inserted in middle comes out clean.
Yum-Yum Coffee Cake
Makes 12 servings
Prep. Time: 20 minutes Baking Time: 40 minutes
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup sour cream
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
Topping:
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped nuts
1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter until soft. Add sugar and mix until fluffy.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla and sour cream.
3. Separately, sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture.
4. Mix topping ingredients and set aside.
5. Spoon half of batter into a lightly greased 9”x13” baking pan. Cover with half the topping. Add remaining batter and cover with remaining topping.
6. Bake at 325° for 40 minutes or until tester inserted in middle comes out clean.
Cinnamon Flop Coffee Cake
Makes 2 9” cakes
Prep. Time: 20 minutes Baking Time: 30 minutes
2 cups sugar
4 Tbsp. (half stick) butter, softened, divided
3 eggs
2 tsp. lemon extract
4 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
2 cups milk
2 tart apples, peeled and sliced thinly
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup sliced almonds
1. Cream 2 Tbsp. butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat mixture until fluffy. Add lemon extract.
2. Separately, sift flour, measure, and combine with baking powder.
3. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk into creamed mixture.
4. Divide mixture between two greased and floured 9” layer pans. Press apple slices on top. Sprinkle with almonds, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Dot with remaining 2 Tbsp. butter.
5. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until the cakes test done. Serve warm or at room temperature.
NOTE
The original recipe is from my maternal grandmother. I add apples, lemon, and almonds because I enjoy the added flavors.
Makes 30 cupcakes
Prep. Time: 25 minutes Baking Time: 15-20 minutes
2 cups sugar or less, as you wish
3 cups flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda
2 Tbsp. vinegar
⅔ cup vegetable oil
2 cups water
2 tsp. vanilla
Filling:
8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 egg
½ cup sugar
dash of salt
12-oz. pkg. chocolate chips
1. Combine all batter ingredients and mix thoroughly.
2. To prepare filling, combine cream cheese, egg, sugar, and salt. Add chocolate chips and blend well.
3. Fill greased or lined muffin tins ½ full of batter. Top with 1 heaping tsp. filling.
4. Bake 15-20 minutes at 350°, until cake part just springs back to a light touch.
Makes 24–30 cupcakes
Prep. Time: 20 minutes Baking Time: 15-20 minutes
½ cup shortening
1½ cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup ripe, mashed bananas
2 cups flour
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ cup sour milk or buttermilk
¾ tsp. baking soda
1. Cream shortening and sugar together in a mixing bowl and beat until fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, and mashed bananas. Mix well.
2. Separately, mix together flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix together sour milk and baking soda.
3. Alternately add flour mixture and sour milk mixture to shortening mixture. Mix thoroughly.
4. Fill greased or lined muffin pans ½ full.
5. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes.
TIP
Wonderful topped with peanut butter icing and a few ground black walnuts.
Frosts a 9-square cake
Prep. Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: about 15 minutes Standing Time: 8-12 hours
7½-oz. pkg. semi-sweet chocolate
¾ cup heavy cream
1½ Tbsp. butter, softened
1. Melt chocolate in double boiler, stirring constantly.
2. Separately, bring cream to a boil.
3. Stir hot cream into melted chocolate in double boiler a little at a time. Make sure mixture stays smooth.
4. Stir in butter until completely melted.
5. Let set overnight, or for at least 8-12 hours, until stiff enough to use.
HINT
To coat cake with a thin layer, allow ganache to cool only slightly, about 1 hour. Pour frosting over cake.
Very rich and very silky!