Light As A Feather Cake Recipes

FEATHERLIGHT CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Serving suggestion: Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve with milk
• Arrange a rack in the upper 1/3 of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Butter and flour a bundt pan or tube pan. (You can use a mixture of cocoa powder and flour instead of flour, to prevent white spots on the cake.)
• In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or using a hand mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Mix in the sugar. One at a time, mix in the eggs, then the vanilla, occasionally scraping down the mixing bowl.
• Meanwhile, in another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt.
• Add 1/3 of the flour mixture; then 1/3 of the ice water. Repeat, mixing after each addition. Transfer the batter to the pan and bake until springy and dry, about 40 to 45 minutes.
• Let cool in the pan on a rack, then carefully turn the cake out. Just before serving, sift confectioners' sugar over the top. Serve with very cold milk!
• Notes about the recipe: When I developed this recipe I was just looking for a good, reliable dark cocoa cake that could sit on the counter over the weekend and be enjoyed in slivers, craving by craving. This cake is really moist and keeps for days. I just finished one that's been hanging around the kitchen for 6 days! You could frost it with creamy white icing but it hardly needs it. My friend Lana's mom June was one of the best cooks I knew as a kid in the '60s and she did a cake by the same name, though the recipe handed down to me from her daughter is a bit different.

NUTMEG FEATHER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk until just blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center. Cool completely before frosting.

LIGHT AS A FEATHER CAKE

Steps:

• Separate eggs, placing whites in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle cream of tartar on egg whites and beat on high until soft peaks form.
• Slowly add in 1/2 cup of the sugar until whites are stiff but not dry.
• In a medium sized bowl, sift flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder together.
• Make a well in the sifted ingredients and add oil, egg yolks, water, and extract. Beat until smooth.
• Fold egg yolk mixture gradually into beaten egg whites. Pour batter into ungreased angel food cake pan.
• Bake at 350F for 45 min or until cake is golden and springs back when touched.with a finger. Cool upside down by balancing the inside ring of the pan on a bottle or funnel (if your pan doesn't have cooling legs).

FEATHER-LIGHT MUFFINS

Steps:

• In a bowl, cream shortening, sugar and egg. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Fill greased muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 325° for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Let cool for 3-4 minutes. Meanwhile, combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll warm muffins in melted butter, then in sugar mixture. Serve warm.

"LIGHT AS A FEATHER" SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
• Mix flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Add butter and mix with fingers until coarse crumbs form. Gently mix yogurt, egg, and vanilla extract into flour mixture until dough is just combined.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly, for five or six turns. Pat or roll the dough out into a 1-inch thick round. Cut into 8 wedges and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Brush each wedge with milk and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Serve warm or cool completely and store in an airtight container.

LIGHT-AS-A-FEATHER PANCAKES

Steps:

• Put flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon to mix. Save until Step 3.
• Crack the egg into another mixing bowl. Beat with a wire whisk or fork until yolk and white are mixed. Add buttermilk and oil to egg. Beat with the wire whisk until ingredients are well mixed.
• Add egg mixture to flour mixture. Stir with the wooden spoon until dry ingredients are wet. (The batter should be somewhat lunpy, not smooth.).
• Grease an unheated griddle or large skillet with the shortening. Put the griddle or large skillet on a burner. Turn heat to medium and let griddle or skillet get hot. (To check if the griddle or skillet is ready, carefully sprinkle a few drops of water on the surface. The water will dance across the surface when the griddle is hot enough.).
• For each pancake, pour about 1/4 cup batter onto the got griddle or skillet. Cook over medium heat until pancakes have slightly bubbly surfaces and the edges are slightly dry. (This will take about 2 minutes.).
• Turn the pancake over with a pancake turner. Cook until bottoms are golden brown. (about 2 minutes more). Remove pancakes from griddle or skillet and put on a serving plate. Cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat until all the batter is used. Turn off burner. Remove griddle or skillet from the burner.
• STIR IT IN: If plain flapjackes aren't your favorite, jazz 'em up by stirring 3/4 cup blueberries or raspberries or 1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate pieces, peanut butter-flavored pieces, butterscotch pieces, chopped peanuts, or miniature candy-coated semisweet chocolate pieces into the pancake batter. Candy-coated chocolate pieces will color the batter a bit.