Delicious Recipes for a Variety of Cakes:Pumpkin Mini Cheesecakes, Ugly Apple Cake and Meringue Cake
One of the most popular of desserts is cake. We use them to celebrate special occasions as well as a favorite dessert for our families. There is such a large variation in the types of cakes that I decided to feature different types for this article. Included are recipes for Pumpkin Mini-Cheesecakes which are made cupcake size with a vanilla wafer as the crust. The Ugly Apple Cake is a Bundt cake and the Meringue Cake is made with toffee candy bars. Folks that is about as much variety as one can get in three recipes!
PUMPKIN MINI-CHEESECAKES
24 vanilla wafers
2 pkg (8-oz each) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups pumpkin puree (or canned pumpkin)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
dash of salt
whipped cream,optional
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. Place a vanilla wafer in the bottom of each liner.
In a large bowl cream the cream cheese and sugar together. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in the pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Pour the mixture into the muffin cups filling each about 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes until set. Cool cakes and refrigerate overnight.
When serving, garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon, if desired.
UGLY (BUT TASTY) APPLE CAKE
2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 eggs, beaten*
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 cups peeled and chopped apples
1 cup chopped walnuts**
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Oil a bundt pan; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the sugar, flours, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add the canola oil, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla; mix well. Stir in the apples and walnuts.
Pour batter into the prepared bundt pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
* May substitute 1/2 cup liquid egg substitute.
**May substitute chopped pecans.
MERINGUE CAKE
8 egg whites
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
1 small carton frozen whipped topping
6 regular-sized toffee candy bars*
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Beat egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar until stiff. Slowly add the sugar while beating well. Beat until all sugar is dissolved, about 10 minutes.
Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with foil. Butter the foil evenly. Pour the meringue into the butter, foil-lined pan. Spread the meringue evenly in the bottom and onto the sides. Bake at 325 degrees until the meringue is a medium brown. Turn off oven and without opening oven door leave meringue in oven for several hours or even overnight to dry.
Remove pan from oven and remove meringue from pan. Peal the foil from the meringue, return meringue to pan and spread the thawed whipped topping in the meringue. Crush the candy bars and sprinkle over the whipped topping.
*Heath-type candy bars.
Enjoy!
PUMPKIN MINI-CHEESECAKES
24 vanilla wafers
2 pkg (8-oz each) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups pumpkin puree (or canned pumpkin)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
dash of salt
whipped cream,optional
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. Place a vanilla wafer in the bottom of each liner.
In a large bowl cream the cream cheese and sugar together. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in the pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Pour the mixture into the muffin cups filling each about 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes until set. Cool cakes and refrigerate overnight.
When serving, garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon, if desired.
UGLY (BUT TASTY) APPLE CAKE
2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 eggs, beaten*
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 cups peeled and chopped apples
1 cup chopped walnuts**
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Oil a bundt pan; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the sugar, flours, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add the canola oil, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla; mix well. Stir in the apples and walnuts.
Pour batter into the prepared bundt pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
* May substitute 1/2 cup liquid egg substitute.
**May substitute chopped pecans.
MERINGUE CAKE
8 egg whites
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
1 small carton frozen whipped topping
6 regular-sized toffee candy bars*
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Beat egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar until stiff. Slowly add the sugar while beating well. Beat until all sugar is dissolved, about 10 minutes.
Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with foil. Butter the foil evenly. Pour the meringue into the butter, foil-lined pan. Spread the meringue evenly in the bottom and onto the sides. Bake at 325 degrees until the meringue is a medium brown. Turn off oven and without opening oven door leave meringue in oven for several hours or even overnight to dry.
Remove pan from oven and remove meringue from pan. Peal the foil from the meringue, return meringue to pan and spread the thawed whipped topping in the meringue. Crush the candy bars and sprinkle over the whipped topping.
*Heath-type candy bars.
Enjoy!
