Granny's Old Fashioned Pudding Cake Vigilante

I couldn't resist doing this cake as soon as I saw it on Rachel vs. Guy Celebrity Cook-Off! I had no idea how amazingly crafty some celebs are in the kitchen...especially when that celebrity is Coolio!! (double exclamation). I guess I just think of them as being busy with other things and having personal chefs do a majority of their cooking. I definitely would not have pegged Coolio as the cooking type, but as he has dubbed himself, he truly is the 'Ghetto Gourmet', and was a final competitor against Lou Diamond Phillips , a.k.a LDP, in the Season 1 finale.

Coolio got a lot of flack during the program from esteemed chefs Guy Fieri, Rachel Ray, Alex Guarnaschelli (newest Iron Chef - Congrats), Scott Conant, and Marcus Samuelson. However, they all had to admit that no matter what Coolio's crazy approach and technique to the food was, it always tasted great and they were left surprised and had to admit," it worked".

This delicious looking cake recipe is passed down from Coolio's grandmother who used to make this while he was growing up and taught it to him. In honoring her, he brought it to the show to share with others. It was so sweet you had to love him for doing it. Sentiment aside, the cake held its own...one look at it and I knew, I was making that! Luckily Food Network posted it online and here it is for your enjoyment! 

I don't normally (if ever) make box cakes but I wanted to do it his way and I have to admit, I really have missed the smell a boxed cake mix can put out when the cake is in the oven. I read the instructions for the whole recipe and said " That's it"? Easiest cake recipe I have had to do in a long time. There are additions of other ingredients that truly elevate the box cake to have a more complex flavor...add in the glaze on top and you are ready for a dessert that has some bright notes with creamy textures and plenty of sweet to satisfy. Well balanced. Coolio's grandmother had good taste and seems to have passed it on. Although it was LDP, FTW, Coolio rocked it out, literally, and it was an enormous amount of fun and laughs to watch him in action. All of the celebrities were amazing and it was fun to see them in a more personal way and how they interact with each other. Very entertaining and at times, very funny. If you haven't ever watched the show, I recommend it.

Recipe

Cake

1 box vanilla cake mix

1 box vanilla pudding mix

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Juice of 1/2 lime

Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar

1 stick unsalted butter

1/4 cup buttermilk

Zest of 1 lemon

Zest of 1 lime

Juice of 1/2 lemon

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cake

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, pudding mix, buttermilk, oil, eggs, lemon zest, and lemon and lime juices. Whisk well, or beat with a hand mixer, until the batter is combined and smooth.

Pour the batter into a 9 x 13 inch nonstick baking pan, or use a regular pan coated with cooking spray. Bake until the cake is baked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven.

Glaze

Combine the powdered sugar, butter, buttermilk, lemon and lime zests and lemon juice in a saucepan and whisk well to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer over low heat. Remove from the heat.

Slice the cake into even pieces and drizzle the glaze on top.

CRYSTAL'S NOTES

• I used ramekins for the cake since one large cake is too much for us in this household of 2. With the smaller portions we can freeze the rest or give it to neighbors or work associates.
• I garnished with some zest as it appears they did on the show...although this is not reflected in Food Network's instructions. As always...modify to your liking and creative ideas.
• In addition to glazing the top, I have pooled the glaze around the bottom of the cake, as was done on the show. The amount of glaze just on top may not be enough to compliment each bite of cake but like other things, this is a personal preference.
• If there is no thick frosting on a cake, then I need whip cream! So I whipped up a batch to further garnish and compliment this cake.
• For more of Coolio's recipes, such as the famous Soul Rolls or Heavenly Ghetallian bread, go to: Recipes

Enjoy!

Source: Food Network

Farm Stand Buttermilk Doughnuts ~three ways ~

I have never met a doughnut I didn't like. In fact, pretty sure I have never met anything sweet I didn't like. Doughnuts, however, are an occasional thing for me and usually come into my life at an actual doughnut shop and relate to 'moving day' or some travel adventure on the open road, early in the morning. There is something fun and uniquely special about walking into a doughnut shop and being overwhelmed by the warmth from the ovens and the sweet aroma's that hang in the air. I usually stand staring into the doughut case for what seems like many minutes while I try to figure out which doughnut(s) I want. If you are like me, there is no picking just one.

This was the first time ever in my life that I have made doughnuts at home and from scratch. While they did not turn out beautiful, they tasted outstanding. My experience was a little bit challenging and I found myself cursing more than usual and with a high degree of flour and stickiness all over everything. Not to be outdone by a doughnut, I pressed on, while considering changing my blog name to Baked Disasters.

Ultimately I achieved success and had to spend some time altering the temperature of the oil to what was working versus what the book was suggesting. It was also my first time using a thermometer, so perhaps it was something I did. I enjoyed the doughnut flavor very much as buttermilk donuts have historically been one of my favorites in the plain, non glazed, variety. While not fancy, they are very satisfying to me and not overly sweet and they have a soft inside with a crunchy texture which you cannot beat. You really cannot go wrong with these doughnuts.

RECIPE

Doughnuts
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 large eggs
3/4 buttermilk
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
Vegetable oil for frying


Chocolate Dip
4 ounces good quality, dark chocolate (60 - 70%), coarsely chopped
1/2cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Sprinkles to decorate


Vanilla Glaze
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1/4 whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Sprinkles to decorate
 
Cinnamon Sugar
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

Line one baking sheet with parchment paper and another baking sheet with two layers of paper towels.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, and sour cream until combined. Add the melted butter and whisk again.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the liquid ingredients into the well. With a rubber spatula, slowly fold the flour into the liquid center until the mixture forms a sticky dough.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface lightly dusted with flour. Sprinkle the top of the dough and pat it out until it is about 1/2 inch thick.

Use two round cutters (3 1/4 inch and 1 1/2 inch for large doughnuts; 2 1/2 inch and 1 inch for smaller doughnuts). Dip the large cutter in flour and press out the rounds. Dip the smaller cutter in the flour and cut out the center of each dough round. Arrange both doughnuts and doughnut holes on the parchment-lined baking sheet, pat the dough scraps back together, and use them to make as many doughnuts and doughnut holes as possible. Chill the dough while you heat the oil.

Pour enough oil into a deep skillet to make a layer approximately 1 inch to 1 1/2 inches deep. Slowly heat the oil over medium- high heat until it is 365 to 370 degrees F.

While you are waiting for the oil to reach temperature, make the assorted toppings.



Chocolate Dip
Place the chopped chocolate in a medium wide-mouthed bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the cream until it is just about to boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and wait 1 minute. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in the butter. Keep the mixture warm.

Vanilla Glaze

In a medium wide-mouthed bowl, whisk together the sugar, the milk, and the vanilla paste.

Cinnamon Sugar

In a medium wide-mouthed bowl, whisk together the cinnamon and sugar.



To Fry the Doughnuts
Once the oil reaches temperature, gently life the large doughnuts off the baking sheet and place them in the hot oil. Do not crowd the skillet - make no more than 3 doughnuts at a time. Once they have browned on one side (this takes 2 to 3 minutes), turn them over with tongs or a slotted spoon and continue to cook for another minute or just until browned (they can overcook or burn quickly). Using a slotted spoon, transfer the doughnuts to the paper-towel lined baking sheet and continue to fry the rest of the dough until finished. The doughnut holes will cook faster and can be made in two or three batches after the doughnuts are done.

Assemble the Doughnuts
Once you have finished frying, work quickly to dip the doughnuts in the chocolate or vanilla glaze, or the cinnamon sugar. If you like, decorate the chocolate or vanilla doughnuts with sprinkles. Serve immediately.


Enjoy!

Source: Baked Explorations