lemon-almond buttermilk loaf

from Epicurious.com

2 1/4 c all-purpose flour

1/2 t salt

1/2 t baking soda

2 c sugar

3/4 c unsalted butter, room temperature

3 large eggs

1/4 t almond extract

3/4 c buttermilk

3/4 c ground almonds

1 T grated lemon peel

5 T fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9x5x2 1/2" metal loaf pan. Sift flour, salt, and baking soda into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat 1 1/2 c sugar and butter in large bowl until well-blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in almond extract.

Add dry ingredients to egg mixture alternately with buttermilk in 3 additions each, beating until well blended after each addition. Add ground almonds and lemon peel and beat 1 minute. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake cake until deep golden brown and cracked on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 25 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir remaining 1/2 c sugar and 5 T lemon juice in small bowl until sugar dissolves. Place rack on baking sheet. Turn cake out onto rack, top side up. using skewer or toothpick, poke holes 1 to 2 inches apart all over cake. Brush top and sides of cake with all of lemon glaze, allowing some glaze to soak into cake before brushing with more. Cook cake completely.

chocolate rum cake

1 pkg Duncan Heinz Devils Food Cake mix
1 small pkg chocolate instant pudding mix
1 c sour cream
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/4 to 1/2 c cold coffee
1/4 to 1/2 c dark rum
4 eggs
2 c chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips. Mix until blended. Beat at medium speed for one min, scrape sides of bowl and beat one more minute. Fold in chips. Pour into greased Bundt or tube pan. Bake 40-60 minutes or until cake springs back when touched. Cool in pan on rack for 30 minutes. Turn onto platter and glaze with:

1/2 c butter or margarine
1/4 c water
1 c sugar
1/2 c dark rum

Melt butter in pan. Stir in water and sugar. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in rum. Poke small holes in the cake with a toothpick. Pour glaze onto cake.

It is better to let the cake sit overnight for the chocolate chips to harden.

Lavender, Orange, and Almond Cake

Source: adapted from Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons by Diane Henry
Serves: 8-10

for cake:
4 teaspoons dried lavender
250g/9oz (1 1/4 cups) sugar
225g/8oz (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
juice from 2 large oranges
finely-grated zest from 2 large oranges
1 teaspoon almond extract
4 eggs
1 scant teaspoon salt
200g/7oz (1 2/3 cups) flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup ground almonds

for topping:
1/2 cup flaked almonds
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon dried lavender (optional)

Put the lavender and some of the sugar in a clean coffee grinder (or a food processor) and grind to a powder. Combine this with the rest of the sugar. Cream the lavender sugar and butter together until light and fluffy, then add the orange juice, zest, almond extract and the eggs. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, and beat into the wet mixture, along with the ground almonds.

Pour the batter into a 9-inch greased and lined springform pan. Sprinkle the flaked almonds evenly over the top, and sift the powdered sugar over them. Bake in a preheated oven at 350F/180C for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake, unmold and sprinkle with the remaining teaspoon of dried lavender.

chocolate rum cake

1 package Duncan Hines Devil's Food Cake mix
1 small package chocolate instant pudding mix
1 c sour cream
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/4-1/2 c cold coffee
1/4-1/2 c dark rum
4 eggs
2 c chocolate chips
1/2 c butter
1/4 c water
1 c sugar
1/2 c dark rum

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, oil, cold coffee, dark rum, and eggs. Mix until blended. Beat at medium speed for one minute. Scrape sides of the bowl and beat one more minute. Fold in chips. Pour into greased Bundt pan or tube pan. Bake 40-60 minutes or until cake springs back when touched. Cool in pan on rack for 30 minutes, turn onto platter.

While cake is baking, melt butter in pan. Stir in water and sugar. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in rum. Poke small holes in the cake with a toothpick. Pour glaze onto cake. It is best to make this a day ahead of time, so that the chocolate chips harden.

Honey Cake with Stout

not our recipe, but I've lost the source...

3 1/2 c all-purpose flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t kosher salt
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t cardamom
1/8 t cloves
1/8 t nutmeg
3 eggs
1/2 c sugar
2 T mild vegetable oil
1 c dark honey
1 1/4 c dry stout
1 t powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Coat an angel-food pan with cooking spray and dust the inside with flour.

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and nutmeg together into a medium bowl. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together on high speed until pale yellow and lightly thickened. Add the oil and honey and beat on medium speed until smooth. Beat in a third of the dry mixture, then half the stout, then another third of the dry mixture, then the remaining stout, then the remaining dry mixture, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Stop mixing periodically to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Life the pan an inch off the counter and rop it; repeat twice (to release any large air bubbles). Bake on the middle shelf of the oven until a cake tester comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack before removing from the pan. Dust the top with powdered sugar before serving. Serve plain, or perhaps with some strawberries or other fresh fruit. Will keep for several days, and the flavor and texture actually improves overnight.