Great Aunt Lethas Wine Cake Recipes

MOMMA'S WINE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 10 inch bundt pan.
• In medium bowl combine the cake mix, instant vanilla pudding, nutmeg, vegetable oil, white wine, and eggs. Beat with an electric mixer for 5 minutes.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cake cool on rack in pan for 10 minutes then remove cake from pan to rack. Let cake cool completely before slicing. Garnish sliced cake with a dollop of whipped cream or dust with confectioners' sugar and sliced strawberries.
• Variation: You can also "flour" the pan after it's been greased with cocoa powder or a cinnamon sugar mixture for a textured crust. Simply fill a clean salt shaker for easy application. This will eliminate that "white stuff" on the outside of your baked cake which makes for a prettier cake.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE RED WINE BUNDT CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 12-cup bundt pan well with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt; set aside.
• In a separate large bowl, combine the granulated sugar and butter. Using a handheld mixer, beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating to combine after each addition. Add the vanilla; beat 1 more minute. Add a third of the dry ingredients and mix on low to combine. Add half of the wine and mix on low to combine. Repeat. Finish with the last addition of dry ingredients and the chocolate chips and fold in with a rubber spatula.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Tap the pan on the counter to remove any air bubbles. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with just a few crumbs, about 45 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and wine until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cake. Allow the glaze to set for 30 minutes before serving.

AUNT MARGARET'S LEMON CREAM SPONGECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. and grease and flour a 7- to 8-inch round cake pan, knocking out excess flour.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and eggs until thick and pale and beat in vanilla. Into a small bowl sift together flour and cornstarch and fold into egg mixture. Gently fold in butter until combined well.
• Pour batter into cake pan and bake in middle of oven 20 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a rack 10 minutes and invert onto rack to cool completely.
• With a serrated knife halve cake horizontally and spread bottom layer with lemon curd. Beat cream with confectioners' sugar until it just holds stiff peaks and spread on top of lemon curd. Top cream with remaining cake layer and sprinkle top of cake with remaining tablespoon granulated sugar.

AUNT TOM'S ITALIAN CREAM CAKE

Steps:

• Make cake layers:
• Preheat oven to 375°F. and lightly butter and flour three 9- by 2-inch round cake pans, knocking out any excess flour.
• In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together sugar, shortening, and margarine until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Into another bowl sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Beat flour mixture into egg mixture in 2 batches alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, until combined. Beat in vanilla, coconut, and chopped pecans. Beat egg whites in another bowl until they just hold stiff peaks and fold into batter gently but thoroughly.
• Divide batter among pans, smoothing tops, and bake in upper two thirds of oven, switching position of pans in oven halfway through baking, until a tester comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cake layers in pans on racks 10 minutes and invert onto racks to cool completely.
• Make frosting:
• In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together cream cheese, margarine, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar, beating until creamy.
• Stack cake layers on a cake plate, spreading about 1/2 cup frosting between each layer. Spread remaining frosting on top and side of cake.

GREAT AUNT VICK'S TEA CAKES

Steps:

• Melt butter, let it cool, and add beaten eggs, sugar, vanilla, and milk. Add in the self rising flour. Bake at 350 degrees until light brown.

GREAT-AUNT ANNIE'S TRADITIONAL SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Spray a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar. Stir in vanilla. With mixer on low speed, slowly add flour. Mix until well combined.
• Evenly spread cookie dough into prepared tart pan. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sprinkle shortbread with sanding sugar. Using a 2-inch round fluted cookie cutter, make a shallow cut in the center of the dough. Using the tines of a fork, score dough from the edge of the circle in the center toward the edge of the pan into 12 equal wedges.
• Transfer tart pan to oven and bake until light brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the shortbread comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Immediately re-score circle and wedges with cookie cutter and the tines of a fork. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool 1 hour. Remove shortbread from tart pan and let cool completely. Cut into wedges with a serrated knife along the scored lines.

GREAT AUNT LOLA'S CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• In large bowl, mix flour, sugars, soda and cinnamon.
• In heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat til melted and just UNDER a boil, don't boil!, the 2 sticks butter, 4 Tbl. cocoa and the 1 cup water.
• Pour over dry ingredients.
• Stir. Add buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. Stir well til all is combined.
• I use a large whisk for this.
• Scrape sides and bottom to incorporate all til smooth, but you don't have to over-mix. Pour into greased and floured 13x9 pan.
• I use my old metal one for this, *it seems to come out MUCH better than using a glass one.
• Bake in 350º oven for 35-40 minutes, test with a toothpick.
• Remove from oven and while cooling, make icing.
• Fudge Icing:.
• In heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt and bring just UNDER a boil, the butter, cocoa and cream or milk.
• Stir in quickly the powdered sugar and vanilla til creamy.
• Then QUICKLY spread/pour over warm cake. Spread icing evenly over top.
• Chill in fridge til set.
• *For the icing, it's 3 3/4 cups powdered sugar or 1 (1 lb. ) box. It doesn't want to show up in the recipe.