My Girl Paula--Milky Way Cake

MILKY WAY CAKE
For the group: My Girl Paula

I failed at this cake today. Completely and utterly.

This is why I usually don't bake. I'm just not good at it! Things stick to the pan, even with my awesome cake release that has never failed me!

It failed me today.

and I think I burnt the chocolate when I was cooking it. . . .

Feel free to give it a try yourself. . . .perhaps you'll have better luck? *sigh*

MILKY WAY CAKE

• 8 (1 3/4 ounce) Milky Way bars
• 1 1/2 cups butter
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 eggs, well beaten
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting Recipe:

• 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1 cup marshmallow cream
• 1/2 cup butter (1 - stick)
• 6 ounces chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 325.Grease three 9-in. cake pans and dust them with confectioner's sugar. To make the cake, melt the Milky Way bars with 1 stick of butter. Remove from heat and let cool. Cream the remaining 2 sticks of butter with the granulated sugar. Add the beaten eggs and the cooled chocolate mixture. Sift the flour and the baking soda together. Alternately add the flour and buttermilk to the batter, blending well. Add the nuts and vanilla. Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake for 30-40 minute or until the cake is firm to the touch. Cool for 5 minutes, remove from the pans and place on cooling racks. While the cake cools prepare the icing. Combine the sugar and milk in a heavy saucepan. Cook to the soft-ball stage (234 degrees on a candy thermometer). Remove the pan from the heat and add the marshmallow cream, butter and chocolate chips, stirring until melted. Add the pecans. When the cake has cooled completely, frost each layer, sides and top of the Milky Way Cake.

Humming Bird Cake

HUMMINGBIRD CAKE
For: My Girl Paula's Group

(on a quick tangent here, my brother was asking me what the cake was made out of, and Captain Jax said "Hummingbirds. Duh. That's why we have the feeder on the porch, we have super glue in the holes and catch them and throw them in the blender. Voila! Hummingbirds for hummingbird pie!"

Yes, I know, it's disturbing, but boys can often been disturbing. On to the food, and don't let that story deter you!!)

I recently joined up with the group of "My Girl Paula" (Paula being Paula Deen) and this is my first recipe for the group. And yes, I did my normal "take a picture of every step" but alas, I purchased a new camera the day our computer killed over, and I haven't quite got the hang of how it works yet. Those pictures were very washed out, and just bad to look at. I couldn't put you through that when this cake is so good!

There's some interesting ingredients in this cake: bananas, pineapple, and the original recipe called for pecans. We left those out because we don't care much for nuts around these parts!

It cooked up nicely, and the frosting is something i could just eat with a spoon. You also keep it refrigerated until you serve it, so it's a nice summer dessert.

We took it to our sunday dinner with my brother and his wife, and it was enjoyed. It's a heavier cake than your standard cake, I think because of the bananas and pineapple in it.

Go give it a try!

HUMMINGBIRD CAKE

For the Cake:

• Nonstick vegetable spray
• All-purpose flour, for pans
• 3 cups self-rising flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
• 2 very ripe large bananas, mashed
• 1 (8-ounce) crushed pineapple, with juice
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 large eggs, beaten

For the Frosting:

• 1 pound (1 box) confectioners' sugar
• 1 (8-ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon milk, or more if needed
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray and flour three 8-by-2-inch round cake pans, tapping out excess flour; set aside. Prepare the cake; in a large bowl, stir to combine self-rising flour, sugar, oil, pecans, bananas, pineapple, vanilla, cinnamon, and eggs. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans, smoothing with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until the tops spring back when gently pressed with your fingertips, 26 to 28 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto wire rack. Re-invert cakes and let them cool completely, top sides up. Prepare the frosting; in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine sugar, cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon milk on medium speed until frosting is smooth. If needed, add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to achieve the proper spreading consistency. Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes to make level. Place four strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate or lazy Susan. Place the first layer on the cake plate. Spread the top of the first layer with 1/4 of the frosting. Place the second layer on top and repeat process with another 1/4 of the frosting. Place the remaining layer on top of the second layer bottom side up. Spread entire cake with remaining frosting. Sprinkle the top with pecans. Remove parchment paper strips; refrigerate until ready to serve.

What I did: I used 2 9" rounds, since that's what I had. I left out the pecans. I didn't level the cake to make it perfect, and I didn't use parchment paper while I was frosting it, because I wasn't too concerned about the frosting that got on my plate. And I ate a huge slice. :)