Cake Recipe

I tried to make a cake that was more suitable for my family's taste buds, a simple Strawberry Whipped Cream Cake. It's deceivingly light because the cake is actually a high fat cake but everyone was fooled, and loved it.

Topping

* 1 quart strawberries, divided, sliced
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier
* 2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
* 1 teaspoon powdered gelatin
* 4 teaspoons water
* 1 cup heavy cream
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla


1. Make 9" butter cake and allow to cool.
2. While cooling, toss 1 1/3 cup sliced strawberries with sugar, Grand Marnier, and lemon juice. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. Refrigerate the mixing bowl and beater for 15 minutes or more.
4. Place gelatin and water in a microwave-safe bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes.
5. Microwave on high for 10 seconds once or twice, and stir until gelatin is dissolved.
6. Cool to room temperature, 7-9 minutes.
7. Beat sugar and cream until you can see distinct beater marks.
8. While continuously beating, pour gelatin mixture in a steady stream into whipping cream. Add vanilla and beat until stiff peaks form.
9. Strain the marinated strawberries and gently fold into whipped cream.
10. Pour onto cooled cake and spread evenly over the top with an offset spatula. (Optional, whether you want to cover the sides or not. )
11. Use remaining strawberries to decorate the top.
12. Chill for at least 3 hours before serving.

After I finished making the cake, I was sort of disappointed, thinking the cake was kind of boring and not special enough, but everyone loved it, eating more than they usually do of dessert. After each of us had a slice or two, there was maybe 1/3 of the cake left. My Nephew kept eating a little bit more, then a little bit more, and suddenly there was only 10% of the cake left. I guess it was better than I thought. It's kind of a variation on Strawberry Short Cake and sometimes, you just can't beat the classics.

The Philippines has an abundance of bananas, one of our chief exports that everyone enjoys. From banana cue to banana split and banana ketchup, people love to eat this fruit, especially here in the Philippines. Use the best ingredients to ensure quality, measure the ingredients, exactly set the oven at the right temperature, and mix properly — beat eggs at high speed to gain volume, flour at low speed to avoid a "floury face". Follow these tips and you will have a moist banana cake that will be enjoyed by family, friends, and loved ones. It is easy to put together and very delicious, and definitely one of my favorites.

Tips For Making Banana Cake

• Choose the correct banana.

To have a great-tasting banana cake, choose an overripe banana with plenty of black specks. It has more sugar content, which softens the texture of the cake. An underripe banana will give a bitter taste (mapakla). Lacatan, latundan, and bongolan from Davao are the best types to use. Market vendors would benefit from making overripe bananas into muffins, bread, and cookies instead of throwing them away.

• Use molasses.

Molasses, the remaining syrup found in sugarcane juice, is used in this recipe to make the cake softer, and give it an aromatic smell and nice golden color. Molasses is strong in flavor and blending it with other ingredients will make it more appetizing.

• Use oatmeal.

Aside from being a healthy ingredient (oatmeal reduces cholesterol), oatmeal will help keep the cake moist for days (even for cookies and brownies) because it has almost no gluten content. For hamburger, oatmeal makes the patties softer and moist.

Moist Banana Cake

4 whole eggs (about 1 cup eggs)
1 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup fresh milk
1 cup cooking oil
1/4 cup quick cooking oatmeal
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups overripe banana (bongolan, lacatan or latundan)

Pre-heat the oven to 350°F or 175°C.

Line a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan with wax paper.

Beat in a bowl with a hand mixer at high speed or heavy-duty mixer for two minutes the eggs, granulated and brown sugar, molasses, salt, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Turn the mixer to low, and add milk and cooking oil. Mix for a few seconds to blend. Add flour and oatmeal, and mix until there is no more visible trace of flour. Add the mashed bananas. Increase the speed to high, and mix for another 30 seconds.

Pour the batter and spread on the lined pan. Bake for 70 minutes or until a cake tester or barbecue stick inserted in the cake center comes out clean. Cool in a pan, then loosen out and invert. Remove the wax paper.

You can also bake the batter in 24 paper-lined 2-1/2-inch muffin pans for 20 to 25 minutes.

The beer gives a richness to this surprisingly light cake. Maraschino cherries line the bottom of the Bundt pan with the batter poured on top, creating a cherry upside-down cake. The icing is also made with beer, but you'd never know it by taste.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:

* 3/4 cup (about) maraschino cherries, divided use
* 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 4 eggs, at room temperature
* 2 cups granulated sugar
* 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
* 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
* 1 cup cherry wheat beer (see Note), plus 2 Tablespoons (divided use)
* 1 cup confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease and flour a Bundt cake pan. Cut about 16 of the cherries in half lengthwise and arrange them in the bottom and up the sides of each of the small channels in the bundt pan. You should have 8 evenly-spaced rows in spokes going outward from the center tube. Chop enough of the remaining cherries to make 1/4 cup, squeeze dry in paper towels, and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat eggs on high speed until thick and light in color, about 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in sugar 1/4 at a time until combined, then add vanilla extract.

Using a large spatula, fold flour mixture into egg and sugar mixture.

Heat 1 cup of the beer just until bubbles begin to rise around the edge of the pan. Add warm beer along with melted butter to the batter, stirring gently to combine. Pour batter into the prepared pan being careful not to dislodge cherries. (Batter will appear to be thin.) Sprinkle the chopped cherries over the top of the batter (they will sink to the bottom).

Bake 30 minutes. Do not over-bake. Cool on rack for 10 minutes, and loosen cake around the inner and outer edges of the pan with a thin spatula. Invert onto a large platter and let cool to room temperature.

Whisk together confectioners' sugar and 2 Tablespoons of the beer until smooth. Scrape the icing into a zip-top bag and squeeze out the air. Snip a tiny corner from the bottom of the bag and drizzle the icing in between the rows of cherries.

Yield: 10 servings

Note: You may substitute cherry lambic or a light, sweet porter beer.

Ingredients

Makes 6

* 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
* 6 tablespoons sliced almonds
* 1/3 cup coarsely chopped almonds
* 5 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup granulated sugar
* 1 large egg
* 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
* 3/4 cup sour cream, or plain yogurt
* 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
* 3 to 4 tablespoons milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter six mini Bundt pans; set aside. Spread sliced almonds out on a baking pan, and toast until golden brown. Transfer nuts to a bowl to cool.
2. In a medium bowl, combine chopped almonds, light-brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg; set aside. In another medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine 6 tablespoons butter and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg; beat until combined. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla, and beat until smooth. Add 1/3 of reserved flour mixture and half of sour cream; beat to combine. Repeat. Add final third of flour mixture, and beat to combine.
4. Fill each Bundt pan with 3 tablespoons batter, and spread evenly with a small offset spatula or spoon. Sprinkle each with 2 tablespoons of reserved almond-spice mixture. Top with additional 3 tablespoons batter; the batter should come to within 1/2 inch of the rims of the pans.
5. Bake until cakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cakes to a wire rack to cool completely. Unmold cakes. Place cakes, flat sides down, on a wire rack placed over a baking pan.
6. Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat until color turns nut brown, about 5 minutes. Pour butter into a medium bowl, leaving behind any dark sediment. Stir in confectioners’ sugar, remaining 2 teaspoons vanilla, and 3 tablespoons milk until smooth; add an additional tablespoon milk, if necessary, so glaze is pourable. Drizzle glaze over cakes, and sprinkle with toasted almonds. Serve.


To make one large Bundt cake instead of six small ones, double this recipe and bake in a 10-inch Bundt pan for 45 to 50 minutes.

You can make these in smaller or larger flowerpots; adjust the baking time accordingly.

Ingredients
8 clean unglazed (very important) terra-cotta pots, 3 inches high and 3½ inches across at the top (6-ounce capacity)
Cooking spray
2 cups, plus 1 tablespoon,
all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ cups boiling water
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1¾ cups sugar
3 eggs
Chocolate Frosting, optional

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray pots with cooking spray. Put a small piece of parchment paper in the bottom of each pot to cover the hole.
2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Stir together boiling water and cocoa in a small bowl.
4. Combine butter and sugar and beat with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 5 to 6 minutes, scraping the bowl once. Add eggs one at a time; beat well after each addition.
5. With mixer at low speed, add flour mixture alternating with cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Scrape bowl occasionally. Batter will be thin.
6. Divide batter evenly among pots to about three-quarters full. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place pots on baking sheet and bake 35 to 40 minutes, until cakes are springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and dry. Transfer to wire racks and cool completely in the flowerpots. Frost the top of each with Chocolate Frosting, if desired. Serves 8.
Note: The cake batter fills two 8-inch layer cake pans, if you prefer. Bake the cake layers 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on wire racks and fill and frost as desired.

Recipe adapted from The Family Kitchen: Easy and Delicious Recipes for Parents and Kids to Make and Enjoy Together by Debra Ponzek (© 2006. Published by Clarkson/Potter Publishers, a division of Random House, Inc.). Relish Cooking with Kids, June 2008.
Nutritional Information
Per serving (without frosting): 420 calories, 19g fat, 125mg chol., 7g prot., 59g carbs., 2g fiber, 350mg sodium.

Cakes are a food group that is often sweet and cooked by baking. Cakes are made from a variety of flours, a sweetening ingredient (most often sugar), a binding ingredient (eggs are preferred, although gluten or starch are often used by vegetarians), fat ingredients (commonly butter, margarine, or shortening, sometimes a fruit purée such as applesauce is used instead to avoid using fat), a liquid ingredient (commonly milk, water or fruit juice), flavors and some form of leavening ingredient (for example yeast and/or a baking powder), quite often cakes lack these agents and instead rely on air bubbles in the dough to expand and cause the cake to rise.

My uncle had undergone appendix removal 3 days ago.

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If the appendix ruptured or a pocket of infection (abscess) formed, your abdomen will be thoroughly washed out during surgery. A small tube may be left in the belly area to help drain out fluids or pus.

Obesity is a rapid growing in most places in the world. Obesity causes a number of health risks such as hypertension, heart attack, diabetic, etc. For sure you know how to prevent them well; you must take a diet program and routine working out exercises. And for sure you know too that they are very hard to do. This is why you need to add dietary supplement on your daily intake.

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A vegetarian diet can be used for effective weight loss, or it can be a disaster. A vegetarian diet does not necessarily mean a healthy one. Potato chips, cheese, cookies, and soft drinks can all be part of a vegetarian diet. A healthy vegetarian diet, however, can help you lose weight and feel great.

Types of Vegetarianism

There are many levels of vegetarianism. Lacto-ovo vegetarians are the most common and consume plant food, eggs, and milk. Vegans omit anything animal based from their diet and only eat food from plant sources. Pescetarians, while not vegetarian, consume plant foods and fish. Semi-vegetarians prefer to eat primarily vegetarian foods, often for health or diet reasons, but are not 100% vegetarians. Any of these vegetarian or near-vegetarians diets can help you lose weight if applied correctly. Choose the one you feel most comfortable with. A diet that you cannot enjoy will always fail.

So what makes a vegetarian diet so effective? Done correctly, a vegetarian diet is lower in calories and higher in nutrients. It balances proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, while reducing or eliminating the bad fats and simple carbohydrates. You'll have more energy with this diet and will be able to eat large meals.

Many people fast for religious or spiritual reasons. There is nothing wrong with fasting for these reasons and short term fasts lasting no longer than three days causes no health problems in healthy individuals.

If you decide to go on a fast, whatever the reason, it is important that you take the time to prepare beforehand. Do not go from eating fast food one day to eating nothing the next. Instead, eat light and whole foods the days before you fast. Be sure to consume plenty of fruits and vegetables.

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A day long fast is the best for people who have not fasted before. You can choose to consume fruit and vegetable juice during your fast so that your body has some nutrients and calories. Others choose to drink only water on their fast. A water fast is more difficult, but works well with some people.

This diet plan requires three meals, two snacks, and a treat a day.

You must eat breakfast within sixty minutes of getting up in the morning, and then eat in three hour intervals. Three hours before you go to bed you stop eating for the night.

The 3 hour diet is not low carbohydrates or low fat. Instead, you consume proteins, carbohydrates, and fats in each meal. Nothing is restricted, and dietitians actually recommends that you eat candy or another treat daily. Although you can have daily treats, you should keep your treat portion small. Instead of eating a whole chocolate bar, enjoy a mini one instead.

The main problem with this diet plan is that it does require eating every three hours. Few people in today's society have the luxury of stopping and eating whenever they want. If you have a family and a career, fitting this diet in might be difficult.