Fresh Apple Cake

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Fresh Apple Cake
Thinly sliced apples create rich, moist layers of fruit within the cake. Frost it with Browned-Butter Frosting (pictured), Dark Chocolate Frosting, or Cream Cheese Frosting.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples (about 4 large), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges
  • Browned-Butter Frosting,
  • Dark Chocolate Frosting, or
  • Cream Cheese Frosting

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.
  2. Stir together butter and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl until blended.
  3. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; add to butter mixture, stirring until blended. Stir in apples and 1 cup pecans. (Batter will be very thick, similar to a cookie dough.) Spread batter into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch pan.
  4. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack (about 45 minutes). Spread your choice of frosting over top of cake; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup pecans.

Browned-Butter Frosting

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

  1. Cook butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, 6 to 8 minutes or until butter begins to turn golden brown. Remove pan from heat immediately, and pour butter into a small bowl. Cover and chill 1 hour or until butter is cool and begins to solidify.
  2. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add powdered sugar alternately with milk, beginning and ending with powdered sugar. Beat mixture at low speed until well blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

Dark Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients

  • 1 (12-oz.) package semisweet chocolate morsels
  • 1/2 cup whipping cream
  • 3 tablespoons butter

Preparation

  1. Microwave semisweet chocolate morsels and whipping cream in a 2-qt. microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 2 1/2 to 3 minutes or until chocolate begins to melt.
  2. Whisk until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Whisk in butter; let stand 20 minutes. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer 3 to 4 minutes or until mixture forms soft peaks. Use immediately.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

  • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
  • 3 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

  1. Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
  2. Gradually add sugar and salt, beating until blended. Stir in vanilla.

Baked Cocoa Nuts

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Baked Cocoa Nuts

What’s better than a big bowl of sweet chocolaty nuts? Ok, I admit it … lots of things, but … that doesn’t mean that this tasty assorted nuts mix is bad. They’re awesome!

These are perfect for any social gathering. Just lie them out there for people to eat! I’m a big fan of “the twist” and tend to throw a slightly outlandish ingredient into things. I like to surprise! If you want to keep these nuts more traditional, simply omit the cayenne and you’ll have a sweet tasty bowl of nuts!

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 egg white
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup Swerve or other sugar equivalent
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 cup whole almonds
  • 1 cup pecan halves
  • 1 cup walnut halves

Preparation

  1. Pre-heat oven to 225 F.
  2. Grease a baking tray with a small amount of butter.
  3. Whisk your egg white, until frothy.
  4. Combine your dry ingredients and mix them, well.
  5. Add the nuts, whipped egg whites and dried ingredients to a large mixing bowl and toss until very well coated.
  6. Evenly layer the nuts on the tray. Evenly distribute them, so they roast and toast evenly.
  7. Roast for 90 minutes.
  8. Remove from oven and allow to cool, completely.
  9. Break apart and serve!

Mile-High White Chocolate Hummingbird Cake

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Mile-High-White-Chocolate-Hummingbird-Cake
The Hummingbird Cake remains our most-requested recipe of all time. The origin of the name is unknown, but its signature ingredients—mashed banana, pineapple, coconut and pecans—assure its continued popularity. Eight layers and a spoon-licking white chocolate-cream cheese frosting make this updated version more spectacular than the original. But it’s easy as can be because of convenience products such as cake mix, instant pudding mix, and canned pineapple

Ingredients

  • 1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple in juice
  • 2 18.25-ounce packages white cake mix (we tested with Duncan Hines)
  • 2 3.4-ounce packages vanilla instant pudding mix
  • 6 large eggs
  • 2 1/2 cups milk, divided
  • 2 cups canola oil
  • 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 4-ounce white chocolate baking bar, finely chopped (we tested with Ghirardelli)
  • 1 cup flaked sweetened coconut
  • 2 cups chopped pecans, toasted
  • 2 cups chopped banana (about 3 medium)
  • White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Garnish

  • Toasted pecans

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. Drain pineapple, reserving juice for another use. Squeeze pineapple well using several thicknesses of paper towels to remove excess moisture.
  3. Combine cake mix and next 7 ingredients in an 8-qt. mixing bowl. Beat at low speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes; beat at medium speed 3 minutes. Fold in pineapple, white chocolate, and next 3 ingredients. Pour batter into 4 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans.
  4. Bake at 350° for 34 to 36 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely. Wrap and chill cake layers at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
  5. Using a serrated knife, slice cake layers in half horizontally to make 8 layers. Place 1 layer, cut side up, on cake plate. Spread with 1/2 cup White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting. Repeat procedure 6 times. Place final cake layer on top of cake, cut side down. Spread remaining frosting on top and sides of cake. Cover; chill in refrigerator overnight. Garnish, if desired. Store in refrigerator.

Notes

  1. Cover cake in an airtight container and freeze up to 1 month in advance. Thaw in refrigerator overnight before serving.
  2. To prepare a 4-layer White Chocolate Hummingbird Cake instead, use half of all ingredients in both cake and frosting recipes. Follow cake recipe as directed in Steps 1 through 4, except use only 2 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans. In Step 5, slice the 2 cake layers in half horizontally to make 4 layers. Follow White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting recipe as directed except microwave white chocolate morsels in Step 1 for only 1 1/2 minutes. Assemble cake as directed. Both the 8- and 4-layer versions of this delicious cake slice best after they have chilled overnight.

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

  • 3 cups white chocolate morsels
  • 3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
  • 3/4 cup butter, softened
  • 7 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Preparation

1. Microwave white chocolate morsels in a microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 3 minutes; stir until smooth.

2. Combine cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add melted chocolate, beating well. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended. Beat at medium speed until mixture reaches desired spreading consistency.

Hummingbird Pancakes

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Hummingbird Pancakes
This showstopping stack has the same flavor profile as the original Hummingbird Cake recipe, and the cream cheese frosting is transformed into a lip-smacking Cream Cheese Anglaise to drizzle on top.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
  • 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas
  • 1/2 cup drained, canned crushed pineapple in juice
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 3 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
  • Cream Cheese Anglaise
  • Garnishes: sliced bananas, chopped fresh pineapple

Preparation

  1. Stir together first 4 ingredients in a large bowl.
  2. Whisk together buttermilk and next 5 ingredients in another bowl.
  3. Gradually stir buttermilk mixture into flour mixture just until dry ingredients are moistened. Fold in toasted pecans.
  4. Pour about 1/4 cup batter for each pancake onto a hot buttered griddle or large nonstick skillet.
  5. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look dry and cooked.
  6. Turn and cook 3 to 4 minutes or until done.
  7. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet, and keep warm in a 200° oven up to 30 minutes.
  8. Serve with Cream Cheese Anglaise.

Notes

  1. When using a griddle, heat it to 350°.
  2. For tender pancakes, don’t overmix the batter; it should be lumpy.

Cream Cheese Anglaise

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Hummingbird Pancakes
Make any morning a special occasion with Cream Cheese Anglaise on the table. Serve this decadent sauce over Hummingbird Pancakes.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
  • 1/2 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

  1. Process half-and-half, cream cheese, sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch, and salt in a blender until smooth.
  2. Bring mixture to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly. Boil, whisking constantly, 1 minute.
  3. Remove from heat, and whisk in butter and vanilla.
  4. Serve immediately.

Fudge Pie

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Fudge Pie
Adapted from a recipe in Encore! Nashville, this simple, decadent chocolate pie filling can easily be used in your favorite purchased or homemade pie crust.

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup evaporated milk
  • 1/2 (12-oz.) package semisweet chocolate morsels
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 (9-inch) frozen unbaked pie crust shell
  • Ice cream

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 375°. Microwave first 3 ingredients in a large microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until melted and smooth, whisking at 30-second intervals.
  2. Whisk sugar and flour into chocolate mixture. Add eggs, 1 at a time, whisking just until blended after each addition. Whisk in vanilla and salt. Stir in pecans. Pour mixture into pie shell.
  3. Bake at 375° for 35 to 40 minutes or until set. Cool 10 minutes before serving. Serve with ice cream.