YIELD: MAKES TWO 9-INCH CAKE LAYERS AND I’VE HAD GREAT SUCCESS MAKING IT IN A 9X13-INCH PAN (I SUSPECT CUPCAKES WOULD WORK OUT GREAT, ALSO)
This cake is best made in cake pans that have sides at least 3-inches high so it doesn't overflow while baking.

1 ¼ cups unsweetened cocoa powder
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
2 ½ cups sugar
2 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
1 ¼ cups warm water
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, making sure the baking rack is in the middle of the oven. Prepare your cake pans by cutting out a piece of parchment or wax paper to line the bottom of the pan. Grease the pans, place the parchment or wax paper in the bottom of the pan and lightly grease again. Dust the pans with flour (or cocoa powder if you don’t want the white dusting on the finished cakes). Set the pans aside.
Using a fine mesh strainer, sift together the cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add the eggs, yolk, warm water, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Mix on low speed (with a handheld mixer or in the bowl of an electric stand mixer) until smooth, about 3 minutes.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake the cakes for about 32-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Do not overbake! Remove the pans from the oven and set the pans on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Gently run a thin knife around the edges of the pans and unmold the cakes, removing the parchment paper liners from the bottom of the cakes. Let them cool completely, top sides ups, on a wire rack.
Trim the tops of the cake layers with a long serrated knife to make them level. Frost as desired.

Recipe Source: adapted slightly from Martha Stewart Living The New Classics by Mel's Kitchen Cafe

2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup lemon juice

Whisk eggs and sugar in a large microwave-safe bowl. Whisk in butter, which you've melted first. Finally, add lemon juice. Whisk until everything is thoroughly combined. Put the bowl on a plate ( to catch any bubble-overs), place in the microwave, and cook in 1-minute increments, stirring after each.
At around 8 minutes you'll see the curd start to mound. Wait till it coats the back of a spoon. Or check temp. 187 degrees is thoroughly done. Refrigerate till thoroughly cool.

YIELD: MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS FROSTING (PLENTY FOR TWO 9-INCH CAKE LAYERS)
Note: this frosting takes a bit of advance planning since the frosting needs time to cool. It is best made and used fresh as opposed to refrigerating and rewhipping. An hour or so of chilling time and its ready to pipe.

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
24 tablespoons (3 sticks) butter, cut into 24 pieces and softened at room temperature

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt. Slowly whisk in the milk until the mixture is smooth. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a medium saucepan and pour the milk mixture through the strainer into the saucepan. Cook the mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture boils and is thick enough that it starts to become difficult to easily whisk. This could take anywhere between 5-10 minutes, depending on your stove, heat, etc. It should bubble quite a bit at the end (be careful of the splatters) and thicken considerably.

Transfer the mixture to a clean bowl and cool to room temperature – this is extremely important! If it is even slightly warm, the frosting won’t beat up properly. I refrigerated my initial mixture overnight. If you do this, make sure to pull it out in time to let it warm back up to room temperature. If you try to proceed with the rest of the recipe and the mixture is too cold, the butter won’t absorb into the frosting like it should.

Once the frosting is completely cooled to room temperature (it should have no hint of warmth at all!), beat the mixture with the vanilla on low speed until it is well combined, about 30 seconds (a stand mixer will work best for this). Add the butter, one piece at a time, and beat the frosting until all the butter has been incorporated fully, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high and let the mixer work it’s magic. Beat the frosting for five minutes, until it is light and fluffy. Let the frosting sit at room temperature until it is a bit more stiff, about 1 hour. I suspect if you chill it for an hour or so, it would be stiff enough to actually pipe with instead of frosting with a rubber spatula.


CHOCOLATE VERSION: Add 1/4 cup cocoa powder to the sugar, flour, cornstarch, salt mixture in the first step. Once the frosting has been mixed for five minutes and is light and fluffy, mix in 5 ounces of semisweet chocolate that has been melted and completely cooled to room temperature.

Recipe Source: adapted slightly from Cook’s Country Oct/Nov 2010 by Mel's Kitchen Cafe

5 eggs seperated
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon coconut extract

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 cups shredded carrot
1 cup cooking oil
4 eggs

Grease and lightly flour a 13x9x2 inch baking pan (or two 9x1 1/2-inch round baking pans). In a mixer bowl combine the first 6 ingredients. Add next 3 ingredients, beating with electric mixer till combined. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Turn into pan(s). Bake in a 325 degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes in the 13x9x2 inch pan till done. (For two 9x1 1/2-inch layers, bake in a 325 degree oven for 40 minutes or till done.) Cool on a wire rack. (Remove layers from pans after cooling 10 minutes. Cool well.) Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting. Serves 12 to 15.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1  3-ounce package cream cheese
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

In a mixer bowl beat together cream cheese, butter or margerine, and vanilla till light and fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating till smooth. Spread over cooled cake; sprinkle with chopped nuts, if desired. Frost tops of two 8 or 9 inch layers. Cover; store in the refrigerator.

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small leek, (or 5 green onions) white and pale-green parts only, thinly sliced and rinsed well
1 tart green apple, such as Granny Smith, cored, peeled, and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
6 cups chicken stock
1 medium canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce (or substitute a half can of green chilies and some steak seasoning for the smoked effect.)
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook garlic and leek until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add apple, celery, and ginger, and cook for 3 minutes. Add sweet potatoes and stock, and simmer until sweet potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Add chipotle chile.

Working in batches, transfer mixture to a blender, and puree until smooth, transferring soup to a large bowl as you work. (For safety, remove cap from hole in lid, and cover with a dish towel to prevent spattering.) Season with salt and pepper. Serve with sour cream and and chopped green onion bits.