Pig Cake

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 16

Ingredients

■FOR THE CAKE:
■1 box (18.25 Oz. Box) Yellow Cake Mix
■1 stick Margarine (softened)
■1 can (14 Oz. Can) Mandarin Oranges, Drained, 1/2 Cup Juice Reserved
■4 whole Eggs
■1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

FOR THE TOPPING:

■1 package (4 Oz. Box) Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix
■1 can (20 Oz. Can) Crushed Pineapple, Juice Reserved
■½ cups Powdered Sugar
■4 ounces, fluid Frozen Whipped Topping (such As Cool Whip)
■Extra Mandarin Orange Slices, For Garnish

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. For the cake, combine cake mix, margarine, 1/2 cup juice from the mandarin oranges, eggs, and vanilla. Beat for four minutes on medium-high. Add drained oranges and beat again until pieces are broken up and small. Pour batter into greased and floured 9 x 13 inch baking pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown and set. Remove from oven and cool completely. If desired, turn out cake onto a large platter.

Once cake is cool, blend juice from drained pineapples with the vanilla pudding mix. Add powdered sugar and mix, then mix in whipped topping. Stir in drained pineapple. Spread on cooled cake and refrigerate several hours.

To serve, cut cake into squares and top each square with a mandarin orange slice.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/01/pig-cake/

Apple Cake in an Iron Skillet Adapted from Sara Moulton

4 to 5 small Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into six equal slices
1 3/4 sticks butter
3/4 cup sugar

1 stick butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 small Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and chopped finely

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a 9 to 10-inch skillet, melt butter over low heat. Add 3/4 cup sugar to the pan and stir around, then place apple slices, wedge side down, in the pan. Don’t pack them too tightly, but try not to leave overly large gaps. Allow this to cook over low/medium-low heat while you make the cake batter.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat 1 stick of butter and 2/3 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla and eggs. Add sour cream and mix well. Gradually add flour mixture until just combined. Gently stir in 1 chopped apple.

Remove skillet from heat. Spoon batter over the top, then spread gently so batter is evenly distributed. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cake is golden brown and bubbly. Allow cake to sit in skillet for five minutes, then invert onto a serving plate. Don’t worry if some of the topping isn’t perfect—it’ll taste perfect!

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/09/apple-cake-in-an-iron-skillet/

Pioneer Woman’s Coffee Cake Literally

CAKE
2 cups flour
2 cups white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) regular (salted) butter
3 tablespoons instant coffee (I used Folger’s Crystals)
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla

ICING
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) regular (salted) butter
1 pound powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons instant coffee
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream (add as needed)

FOR THE CAKE

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two round baking pans.

Add 3 tablespoons to 1 cup boiling water. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix sugar, flour, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
In a separate bowl, add buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, and vanilla.

Combine above ingredients, then pour into pans. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until set.

Allow to cool completely.

Combine all icing ingredients, then ice cake. Chill for an hour before serving.

Yummy!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/08/coffee-cake-literally/

Billie’s Italian Cream Cake

Cake:

1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
5 eggs, separated
3 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup flaked coconut (from PW: If you think you hate coconut, trust me: I do too, and I love it in this recipe)
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups all purpose flour

Frosting:
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 2-lb package powdered sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup sweetened, flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans.
Beat egg whites until stiff. Set aside.

Cake:
In a large bowl, cream together butter, oil, and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg yolks, vanilla, and coconut.
In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
Alternate adding buttermilk and dry ingredients to wet ingredients.
Mix until just combined, then fold in egg whites.
Pour evenly into the three prepared pans, then sprinkle the top of each pan with 1 (at least) tablespoon sugar.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto cooling racks and allow to cool completely.

Frosting:
In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Stir in chopped walnuts and sugared coconut. Spread between layers and serve.

Note: Cream cheese frosting will soften at room temperature, so refrigerate if you won’t use it right away.

___________________________________

Thank you, Billie!

I love you, Billie!

And I really love your cake.

Love,
That crazy woman with the ponytail and the four kids with mismatched shoes who sits in the fifth pew back

P.S. Can I keep your Tupperware cake transporter? Thank you.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/07/billies-italian-cream-cake-recipe/

Strawberry Shortcake Cake

Cake
1 1/2 cups flour
3 tablespoons corn starch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla

Icing
1/2 pound cream cheese, room temperature
2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter
1 1/2 pounds powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla

1 pound strawberries

Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and corn starch.
Cream 9 tablespoons butter with the sugar until flight and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well each time. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix until combined. Add sifted dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just barely combined.
Pour into greased and floured 8-inch cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, or until no longer jiggly like my bottom. Remove from cake pan as soon as you pull it out of the oven, and place on a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely.

Stem strawberries and slice them in half from bottom to top. Place into a bowl and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons sugar. Stir together and let sit for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, mash the strawberries in two batches. Sprinkle each half with 1 tablespoons sugar and allow to sit for another 30 minutes.

Make icing: combine cream cheese, 2 sticks butter, sifted powdered sugar, vanilla, and dash of salt in a mixing bowl. Mix until very light and fluffy.

Slice cake in half through the middle. Spread strawberries evenly over each half (cut side up), pouring on all the juices. Place cake halves into the freezer for five minutes, just to make icing easier.

Remove from freezer. Use a little less than 1/3 of the icing to spread over the top of the strawberries on the bottom layer. Place the second layer on top. Add half of the remaining icing to the top spreading evenly, then spread the remaining 1/3 cup around the sides.

Leave plain OR garnish with strawberry halves.

IMPORTANT: Cake is best when served slightly cool. The butter content in the icing will cause it to soften at room temperature. For best results, store in the fridge!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/05/strawberry-shortcakecake/

Yellow Cupcakes with Sticky Chocolate Icing

Cupcakes:

2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup (plus a tad more) whole milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
With an electric mixer, mix butter and sugar on high speed until fluffy. Scrape sides of bowl and mix for a few more seconds.
Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Add vanilla. Mix to combine.
Alternate adding dry ingredients and milk in three batches, mixing for a few seconds after each addition.
Scrape sides of bowl, then mix one final time.
Fill paper-lined muffin tins 3/4 full with batter. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until poufy but not brown. Cool before icing.

Sticky Chocolate Icing

3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
2 tablespoons butter

Mix ingredients together in a small/medium saucepan. Melt ingredients over medium low heat, stirring gently. Icing is ready when all ingredients are melted and combined.
Spoon warm icing over warm cupcakes, stirring icing to smooth after every third cupcake or so.
Allow iced cupcakes to sit at least ten minutes before serving.
WARNING: MUST BE SERVED WITH A GLASS OF COLD MILK!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/02/sweets-for-your-sweetie-yellow-cupcakes-with-sticky-chocolate-icing/

Grandma Iny’s Prune Cake

Cake
1 cup prunes
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup canola oil
1 ½ cups flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Cover prunes with water. Bring to a boil and cook until soft and mashable, about eight minutes.
Remove from heat, drain water, and mash on a plate. Set aside.
Sift together dry ingredients.
Mix together oil, sugar, and eggs.
Combine wet and dry ingredients, add buttermilk, and stir gently until just combined.
Throw in the mashed pruned and stir gently to combine.
DO NOT OVERMIX.
Pour batter into buttered baking dish (9 x 13 or so) and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE OR INY WILL PADDLE YOUR BOTTOM.

While cake has five minutes remaining, make the icing:

Icing
1 cup sugar
½ cup buttermilk
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon white corn syrup
¼ cup butter
½ teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a slow boil. Boil without stirring for 5 to 7 minutes, or until icing starts to turn dark. Do NOT allow icing to reach soft ball stage; icing should be caramel in color, but not sticky like caramel. Icing should be easily pourable.

Remove cake from oven and pour on icing immediately.

Allow to rest on the counter. Serve warm.

NOTE: There is absolutely zero “prune effect” associated with this cake. The end.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/12/make-this-cake-today-trust-me/

Pioneer Woman’s Mother-in-Law’s Christmas Rum Cake

Cake:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 small package INSTANT vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup rum (dark or light is fine)
1 cup chopped pecans
Brown sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 325.
Grease and flour Bundt cake pan. Sprinkle nuts over bottom of pan. If desired, sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar over the nuts.
Mix all cake ingredients together.
Pour batter over nuts. Smooth out ’til the top is even.
Bake 1 hour, or a little less if the pan is black. Do not overbake!

Glaze:
While cake has ten minutes to go, make the glaze.
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup rum
Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in water and sugar. Boil 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Turn off flame and pour in rum. Stir to combine and reheat for 30 seconds.
Remove cake from oven. Immediately drizzle 1/3 of the glaze on the bottom (top) of the cake. Allow to sit for five minutes.
Invert the cake onto a serving plate. Prick surface a hundred times with a fork (gently, please.) Slowly drizzle remaining rum glaze all over the top of the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Cool to room temperature before serving to ensure glaze has soaked in.
Eat. Enjoy. And don’t feel guilty. It’s Christmastime!
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/12/christmas-rum-cake/

Blueberry Pound Cake with Delicious Dipping Sauce

Cake
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 6-ounce carton Rachel’s Vanilla Chai Yogurt
1 ¼ cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup canola oil

Dipping Sauce
1 cup blueberries
4 tablespoons sugar
1 6-ounce carton Rachel’s Vanilla Chai Yogurt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a loaf pan.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together 2 cartons yogurt, sugar, eggs and vanilla until just combined. Pour over dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Gently stir in 1 cup blueberries. Do not overbeat.

Pour into a loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

While cake is cooling, dump 1 cup blueberries into a small saucepan. Add 4 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon water, and stir together. Over low heat, cook mixture until syrupy, about five minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 carton yogurt.

Eat sliced cake with dipping sauce and a cup of coffee. Close your eyes and feel really, really happy. Repeat as needed.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/11/rachels-yogurt-recipes/

PW’s Pumpkin Cake with Whiskey Whipped Cream

1 cup golden raisins
1 cup whiskey (optional)
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 stick of softened butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup plain, unflavored yogurt
1 cup canned or fresh pumpkin puree

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Spray 9 x 13 inch pan with baking spray. Combine whiskey and raisins in a bowl and allow to soak for awhile.
Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
Add butter to a mixing bowl and beat. Add sugar and beat. Add in eggs 1 at a time, beating after each egg.
Add yogurt and pumpkin and mix gently until just combined.
Add flour mixture in increments, beating until just combined.
Drain raisins and stir in by hand.
Pour batter into pan and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

When cake is cool, make Whiskey Whipped Cream:

1 cup heavy cream, very cold
2 to 3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons whiskey

Combine ingredients and begin mixing immediately on high speed until stiff, about 4 minutes. Spoon over cooled cake.

Eat extra cream with a spoon, if desired. I won’t tell anyone.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/10/pumpkin-cake-with-whiskey-whipped-cream/?cp=1#comment-171699

Yogurt-Marmalade Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 heaping cup of plain, lowfat yogurt
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup Canola oil
1/2 cup prepared orange marmalade
1/4 cup yogurt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray loaf pan with nonstick baking spray (or grease and flour it if it makes your skirt fly up.) Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together yogurt, sugar, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, and canola oil until just combined. Pour over dry ingredients and mix until just combined; do not overbeat. Pour into loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes. Remove and allow to cool slightly. Remove from pan. While cake is cooling, pour marmalade into pan. Heat until melted, stirring occasionally. Add yogurt to pan and turn off heat. Stir to combine, then pour slowly over the top of the cake, allowing icing to pool around the sides.

Eat. Groan. Repeat.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/07/yogurt-marmalade-cake-to-die-for/

Sigrid's Carrot Cake

Cake:
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups grated carrots

Mix sugar, oil, and eggs. Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Add to first mixture and combine. Add carrots and mix well. Pour into a greased and floured (or Baker's Joyed) pan (Bundt, sheet cake, 9 x 13 Pyrex) and bake until done, 25 to 50 minutes, depending on the pan you use. Cool completely.

Icing:
1 stick (1/4 pound) regular butter, softened
1 package (8 ounce) cream cheese
1 pound powdered sugar
1 cup pecans, chopped finely
2 teaspoons vanilla

In large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese. Add sugar and vanilla and blend, then mix in the nuts. Spread on cooled carrot cake.

Eat. Faint. Repeat as needed.

And Happy Easter!

Love,
Pioneer Woman

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/03/sigrids-carrot-cake-perfect-for-easter/

Pioneer Woman Chocolate Sheet Cake

Combine in a mixing bowl:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a saucepan, melt:
2 sticks butter
Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa.
Stir together.
Add 1 cup boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In measuring cup, pour 1/2 cup buttermilk.
Add:2 beaten eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make icing:
Chop 1/2 cup pecans finely.
Melt 1 3/4 sticks butter in a saucepan.
Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat.
Add:
6 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 lb minus 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Stir together.
Add pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.
Cut into squares, eat, and totally wig out over the fact that you’ve just made the best chocolate sheet cake. Ever.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/the_best_chocol/